Last-minute gifts: one of a kind and personalized

Last minute Christmas gifts

Last-minute gifts and inspiration

Get some inspiration for last-minute Christmas gifts: it is fun and easy to personalize your gift by just adding some specific lettering or making up a set of something you know that person prefers.

I think that last-minute gifts make up a lot of Christmas fun. For people like me who do not have all their family within reach, that is the best part of Christmas. I love making gifts, creating greeting cards and giving gifts. I wish I had more money, so more people could get their gifts and feel happy about them.

Last minute gifts
Rustic elegance

Mixing up styles is fun, Too! It looks festive and natural!

Last minute gifts
Simple, lovely, elegant, chic

Cozy indoors and let it snow outdoors

Last minute Christmas gifts
Christmas art, the perfect touch

Everything comes together and lots of fun, work, inspiration, love and hope!

Enjoy!

Snow paintings for Christmas delight

Snow paintings, village and countryside

Bright snow paintings for Christmas

Shadows in my tea-cup, darkness behind the window and soft warmth from the small outdoor lights. That is the calming scene which surrounds me at the moment. The scent of a live fir-tree is absent, but I can certainly imagine that, too.  As the year is fast approaching its end, my hopes and expectations get smaller and smaller until they will fade away completely. I paint bright snow paintings to lift my mood.

Feeling better after cold

What a terrible thing that is to get sick straight before Christmas! I did exactly that, I worked very hard for about a month and then my body told: that’s it, I need to shut down for a while and get some rest. Well, I missed all the potential sales opportunities since I couldn’t even move my arm, not to mention do show preparations, final touches on art or crafts, and I did not post any ads. I even did not turn on the “Open” sign.  It’s the first day now when I am a bit better. I can see the computer screen at least. What a relief!

Snow paintings, acrylic
Large snow landscape painting in acrylic, 24 x 30 inches or 61 x 76 cm

Why not spend something on art?

When I hear the big numbers about what people are spending during Christmas and holidays, I get even sicker. Is that even possible? Most likely it is. I wish some of that would come my way, too. I think, this is the right time to buy art, and it doesn’t have to be even winter art since prices are set to sell. I know many people, who would really love receiving artistic gifts. I usually give something free with every purchase. as a sign of appreciation. It can be a box of watercolor paints or a framed sketch.

Snow paintings in acrylic
Winter creek, 24 x 18 inches or 61 x 46 cm, snow art at its best

Taking art photos, adding light

I took some pictures of the recent works with my phone. It’s so dark, that trying to take a picture with my camera is out of question. Oh, and like all people who are born under the Leo sign, I love warmth, sun and light. I have actually painted so much art which brings more light into any space. The current weather isn’t good news for me so far. My potential sales aren’t either because nobody even knows I worked a lot to make this pre-holiday sale happen, but broke down straight before the finishing line.

Snow paintings in acrylic, sunset
Winter creek sunset, 20 x 16 inches or 51 x 41 cm

Christmas traditions

I don’t put up a Christmas tree or decorations in November. I do not do the Christmas shopping until the last-minute also. Therefore, I am only catching up when others are way ahead of me. My Christmas means to put up the tree in the morning, decorate it around lunch time, and then cook a nice meal to have it at night. That’s how it always was since I can remember. My dad and I went even to the forest to get a tree early on the Christmas morning sometimes. If I have everything ready month before this day, I am losing all the Christmas spirit. Songs, flavors, candle lights and sparkles on the Christmas tree is all I need.

Fir cones, snow paintings
Fir cones under guarding snow, 20 x 20 in or 51 x 51 cm

Hopes, hopes, hopes

Since there is still a full week until Christmas, I hope that my bank account will miraculously turn from red into black. That might be also the only occasion when black is a nice color. I could supply myself completely with all the medications before the pharmacy’s shut-down period. I sincerely hope there might be a person who wishes to see some of my original paintings on their wall or believes my art is the right thing to be presented as a gift. Despite the poor odds, I won’t panic just yet. Everything goes on with or without fireworks.

Snow paintings, village and countryside
Village sunset painting, acrylic 24 x 20 in or 61 51 cm

Art  class was painting this winter scene along with me. We are doing some winter painting every December. Snow paintings allow creating stunning paintings with using all shades of white. That might be not always easy in acrylic, but if you use artist grade paint, it will be less problematic. Good luck!

The Life school blog talks about memories which are beautiful, but can be painful, as well:  http://inesepogalifeschool.com/2015/12/18/christmas-memories-that-can-make-us-cry/

For art prints and other art products, please, go to:

Original art for Christmas and crafted gifts

Christmas art, home page

Many people are stopping by, and my sales are actually better than I expected. I decided to extend the sale until almost Christmas.

I noticed also that many visitors really liked the traditional colors: red, white, green and gold.

Since the previous traditional Christmas decorations were sold, I created new ones in similar style. This time, I used some baskets and more greens.

You might like these ideas, as well. So, get to work.

All you need can be found in the backyard and craft store. I used some dry tree branches and painted cedar branches look great. Add some glitter, make use of hot glue and glue gun, apply tissue paper in your favorite colors, as well as some pine cones and/or fir cones. I am also using a base (for live flowers or for dry flowers), that makes it easier to arrange all parts of Christmas decoration. Arrange your composition in a basket, plate or jar, and nothing moves away from its place.

I start with arrangement of greens, after that, I’m attaching fir cones, pine cones and tissue paper roses wherever they look fitting.

Creating Christmas crafts is a great way to make your home look very festive and welcoming.

Christmas art

Nature materials for beautiful Christmas decorations: what could be more attractive?

Small Christmas decorations can look as good as the large ones.

Christmas Red poinsettia

 

And paintings look great, too. Original paintings give the special flare and dress walls in an amazing way.

Christmas decorations

Christmas gift or decoration: bottles rolled in acrylic medium and white paint, oats and then again covered with acrylic medium.

Christmas candlelight

I hope you enjoyed and you are already looking for materials.

Christmas Show and Sale: Art, Crafts, Gifts

Christmas gifts, beautiful gift boxes

It’s Christmas show time again, and we are having our annual Christmas sale. It is richer and more interesting than ever before. I have no doubt, everyone can find something great, whether it’s a Christmas decoration, nice, hearty, one of a kind gift, painting, card or gift certificate. Gift certificates for classes and workshops are available every day, not only during the sale.

You can enjoy and possibly purchase more than 200 paintings and crafted gift items.

All Christmas show decorations and gifts are crafted in the gallery and range in style from traditional to modern and trendy, both, regarding the color scheme and design. We have used mostly nature materials: fir and pine cones, apple-tree and maple branches, spruce tree branches and also some paints, glitter, tissue paper and interesting containers. You should definitely check out the one of a kind gift boxes, note books, diaries and photo albums.

We are offering only original paintings and art, including three-dimensional acrylic nature paintings in subtle and soothing colors.

Variety of Christmas cards can be ordered from the Fine Art America site: Inese Poga’s art collections

Please have a look at some gifts and decorations for sale.

Traditional Christmas colors

Christmas show gift boxes

Crafted Christmas show gift boxes

Decorative center piece

Gold and red

Red and green: tissue paper roses and glitter on branches

Christmas show gift box and red roses

Christmas gift box, very elegant and delicate, matches the Christmas decoration very well.

Celebrating the light and warmth with beautiful things in beautiful settings: fun and pleasure!

White and red: Christmas gift boxes

Festive and uplifting, sparkle and shine: Christmas settings

I hope you enjoyed the decorating ideas!