Ornaments by The Bentley's

Chloe's little cardinal on a nest with the cardinal eggs underneath sitting in a comfy nest.

Chet, Chloe and Charlotte.

Chloe's snowface, Tony and Me.

Here they all are together on the 2013 Christmas tree.

Hi Friends, I guess a new tradition has developed over the last couple of years. We have turned ornament making into a Christmas tradition. With a little Sculpy purchased at Michael's and some paint, we made these simple little ornaments for 2013. Here are some simple tips...First work the Sculpy in your hands to make it softer and workable. After creating your ornaments, don't forget to poke a hole in the top with a paperclip. Bake your creations for 15minutes at 275º, let cool and paint. Add some elastic string so they can be hung on the tree. Don't forget to "date" your designs. Happy Holidays!

Lang Christmas Cards by Wendy Bentley

Hi Friends, I hope something as wonderful as sending out Christmas cards has not become a lost art. It takes a little time to make it happen, but the thought of this gesture during the holidays is so appreciated by your friends and family. I have cards licensed to Lang that I hope you would be proud to send. The classic Partridge in a Pear Tree is a theme I never tire of and I think you will be impressed with texture of the linen card stock and the metallic printed snowflakes. Also available for personalization with a photo and its ON SALE!!

A cheerful duo are just about to have a mistletoe kiss. This Joy to All card was particularly fun to design remembering back to Chloe, my daughter helping me paint the initial concept and making decisions on the ornament colors with me. The pink background will really pop against the other cards that are sent.

And...the same card is also available for your own personalization (there are other options on the Lang site, so visit to see.) I know photos are a popular theme to include, so you get an Artisan card plus your pictures....kinda fun, huh?

How about this Stocking Cap Penguin Note card? It is a petite Christmas note card and you won't believe the sale price! Maybe this could be the thoughtful card your kids could send out this holiday season?

Lastly, there is Celebrate...for good cheer brings abundance. My mom came up with the sentiment on this card; I love collaborating with my family. 

The nice thing about this particular card is that you have a number of choices in building the personalization on the inside adding your photos and such. Check out the link to see the possible options. 

Happy Holidays, Wendy

Graphic Partridge by Wendy Bentley

Hi Friends,
I am so excited to show the Graphic Partridge Collection licensed to Manual Woodworkers, proudly made in the USA. Fun icons remind us of the charm that Christmas brings. There is a home decor wall hanging, pillows, table runner and throw in this collection.

This wall hanging reminiscent of a quilt has the famous Partridge in a Pear Tree, Two Turtle Doves, Three French Hens and Four Calling Birds. Drawn in a playful way in home decor friendly Christmas colors. 

This reversible Partridge 18" pillow can be reversed from day to day to give your living space a refreshing look depending on your mood.

Large ornaments decorate this reversible 10" pillow and has two different color backgrounds to match your style.

Decorate your table or buffet with this graphic poinsettia print table runner.

This throw combines all the elements of Christmas...celebrate now because the season goes so quickly! Happy Holidays, Wendy

Wendy Bentley Cards licensed to It Takes Two

Hi Friends,

Let's not forget how special it is to send a card to our family and friends wishing them a Happy Holiday and a Happy New Year this season. Ya know...we are living in a digital world these days and it is inevitable that most communication happens through the latest technology, but to make special occasions extra special, a card can really make a difference. I teamed up with Kimberly, one of the owners and creatives over the last several years to develop cards for all occasions. Her company, It Takes Two, Inc. has a wonderful staff of people and it has been a joy working with them. Along with Kimberly's mom, It Takes Two has many artists they collaborate with.

I thought I would highlight some of the cards I have developed and send a link if you are interested in any of my designs

 It Takes Two—1-800-331-9843.

These happy, little Christmas cards will hopefully bring a smile to your face. The cards I have designed also have art and sentiment by Kimberly on the inside too, so surprise value throughout!

The two Tiny Treasures on top are mine, but any of these would make such cute stocking stuffers. Inspirational quotes remind those you love that they are special.

In our house, Tony and I have photo albums laying around. This makes the stories of our lives more accessible to the kids. 

There are cards for all occasions, of course. Here are a few I did for "Birthdays, Thanks, New Baby, and Loss of a Loved One." I hope the whimsy and colors are appealing. 

And there is a variety of Graduation cards some are bejeweled with gems and others are little more gender neutral. The best thing to do is head over to the site and see if there is anything that is appealing to you. If you are looking for It Takes Two wholesale prices, there is a special site for that is well. All the best at the end of this year and on to the next! Wendy

Folksy Christmas by Wendy Bentley

Hi Folks,

The holidays are here and maybe its time to do some fun, new decorating around the house with my new collection called Folksy Christmas licensed through Manual Woodworkers. The collaged and painted icons have a naive, natural quality and hearken back to the good old days.

Here is a flag of a friendly Santa offering up some "jolly fun."

This cozy throw shows all the fun, folksy icons in this collection and will go with most home decor. Along with the comfy blanket, here are two pillows showing the front and back, one 10inch and the other 18inch and a table runner wishing "Peace on Earth."

I hope this collection brings you joy this holiday season!

Halloween Carving

Hi Folks—

For the first time, I used very handy carving tools to do these pumpkins. These tools made it feel a lot less dangerous when doing the cutouts. The kids had fun digging out the pumpkin innards and drawing the faces for their pumpkins. Chloe found an arm guard that was innovative in protecting herself from the pumpkin goo.... 

And, happily, we have the excitement of The Great Pumpkin growing in a garden. From October 2nd, our lil pumpkin was about the size of grapefruit

to today's size being larger than a basketball. I know it doesn't compare to a 1,266lb pumpkin I saw on CBS Sunday Morning, but it is still really fun for us to see our ONE pumpkin grow. Finally, it is turning orange, maybe just in time for Halloween!

Halloween at Neltner Farm and sculpts

Hello Everyone!

Crisp, cool sunny days, leaves turning and bonfires are just part of the Halloween fun. Chloe and I had fun sculpting Halloween characters with air-drying modeling clay. A couple of layers of paint and they came to life.

Of course, going to a pumpkin farm, and picking pumpkins is another wonderful tradition. We love going to Neltner Farm and buying apples and cider! Painted faces, riding ponies and a wagon ride out to the pumpkin patch are just a few of the things we enjoy.

Chloe knew she wanted to have a butterfly painted on her face.

Kara, Chloe, Myles and Chet enjoyed their ride on the ponies.

We are so happy that The Coopers made it out to the farm. 

We met them in the corn maze, but were unable to find all the treasures. 

Oh well, no problem finding the perfect pumpkins. The two Josh's hitched a ride on the back of the wagon, hoping for the perfect picture. 

It was a beautiful day. The kids found their pumpkins in the patch looking forward to drawing the face for carving their jack o lanterns.

I just love this season!

Top 50 Finalists Entries

Hi Friends,

Well, here it is... and everyone can get involved at this point with the second round of the Lilla Rogers Global Talent Search. The person who gets the most votes from the public will be guaranteed a place in the Final as ‘The People’s Choice’ so family, friends and fans, please vote! The gallery has so many great entries. You will enjoy perusing the gallery and the talent.

The second round of this competition was to create art for a bag at a Farmers' Market in the Fall. Using handwritten type, recipes and people were all possibilities but in the end, it was up to each artist to design from scratch. Here were two options and sketches along with the final.

Here was my first sketch.

Two young farmers posing in front of their farm. Below the image, I was going to add an apple recipe. It is traditional, symmetrical design, but drawing it in Adobe Illustrator would have made it graphic and clean. I would coin this design...vintage modern.

Here was my second sketch. 

I decided to hand draw this design and colorize it in Adobe Photoshop with hand-painted textures. I consulted a few family and friends who thought this design was a little more dynamic and unexpected than my first option. The final colored version changed from this original sketch adding the Black-eyed Susans and the words as a cuff at the top of the bag.

The final submitted design, I added a handle to contextualize it. I hope you enjoyed a little trip down my creative road. Please vote, Lilla Rogers Global Talent Search.