Dear painting friends,

February has arrived! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and painted up a storm in treasured gifts.

Now it is time to focus on yourself, paint to improve your skills and even try something new. In this newsletter I am sharing some of the new designs I have done for the fabric market that will also be released as packets late spring.

As promised, I also have the details for the First Annual Canadian Seminar that I am hosting in Ajax Ontario this coming September. . . and lots more. So please grab a cup of tea and spend a few minutes with me on this snowy day.

SEPTEMBER 24, 25 and 26, 2010

You can register online now on my website www.maureenmcnaughton.com or call Mary directly at 519-848-5533 between 9 am and 3pm Monday thru Friday.

This seminar will be held in Ajax Ontario, which is just east of Toronto. My good friend Judy McDonald (Judy's Busy Brushes) is helping me with setting up and handling the sales at the seminar.

However, all registrations etc. will be done through my assistant Mary. So, please direct any questions to Mary or myself. (mary@maureenmcnaughton.com or Maureen@maureenmcnaughton.com).

Full payment is required upon registration. Visa or Mastercard are accepted.

This will be a design seminar with a different twist.

I am in the middle of designing a large painting with many elements to it, and we will paint this project together on the first day.

For the remaining two days we will concentrate on learning how you can design companion patterns, borders etc that are inspired from the original painting.

The Kiev line of my fabric designs all came from packet #778 Jacobean Delight. Many students have expressed their desire in learning how to do this with other patterns.

This seminar will have you looking at all the packets in your collection with a new perspective! I know this class will be great fun and I look forward to having you join us.

Space is very limited, so please register asap.

Media: Acrylic
Skill Level: Intermediate
Strokework Surface: Your choice
bring several from your stash!
Cost: $295.00 US
(Canadian price determined at the time you register. Currently the Canadian dollar is almost at par with the US dollar.)

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE SEMINAR FEE?

I will supply all paints, media, thorough written instructions, 8" X 11" colour reproductions - plus coffee, tea and light snacks.

Many restaurants are nearby the hotel for lunch or you can bring your own.

ACCOMMODATIONS:
The seminar will be held at: Super 8 Hotel
210 Westney Rd S
Ajax, Ontario
L1S 7P9
905 428 6884

Reservations are required ASAP to confirm your room.
http://www.ajaxsuper8.com
Please visit their website to see pictures of the hotel, bedrooms, indoor pool and classroom.

You will receive a corporate rate for your room, just be sure to mention that you are with the Maureen McNaughton Seminar, or with Judy's Busy Brushes.

I’m sure many of you will be sharing a room, which will be very economical indeed.

The hotel has quoted the following rates for our students:
Sunday to Thursday, between $89.10 to $98.10
Friday and Saturday, between $93.60 to $102.60

If you wish more upscale accommodations, please look at the Hilton Garden Inn which is nearby. Hilton Garden Inn
500 Beck Cres
Ajax
905 686 9400

Rooms vary from $149.00 to $189.00 to $229.00 http://hiltongardeninn.hilton.com/en/gi/hotels/accommodations.jhtml?ctyhocn=YYZAJGI

One good thing about having to count all the inventory when doing the business year end is that we find out where we have a surplus.

We need to make room in our warehouse for the new packets that will be released later this spring.

The packets listed below are on sale at a 30% discount until March 1st.

(please remember that prices are NOT adjusted until the order is processed at the warehouse- the discount does NOT show on the online order) It will be reflected on your credit card charge when processed.

508, 517, 529, 530, 532, 536, 537,
542, 546, 549, 562,5 63, 566, 576,
578, 582, 586, 587, 590, 600, 602,
608, 618, 619, 620, 639, 641, 643,
653, 655, 661, 668, 669, 670, 671,
672, 679, 683, 685, 686, 687, 688, 700.

Just use the search tool in the shopping cart section of my website and type in the packet number. It will take you to that packet number with title. The click on the linked number to go directly to the picture.

Now is the perfect time to complete your collection at this great price!

587 Sweet Pea's and Thistle

639 Jacobean Feather Flower

TURTLE HOLLOW LLC

I just wanted to share with you the ad that will appear in the next Decorative Painter magazine, announcing that Turtle Hollow is the sole authorized wholesale distributor for my products in the USA.

Don't you think that the graphics department at The Decorative Painter did a lovely job in the presentation of this ad?

You will find Darla Foreman who owns Turtle Hollow, at most major conventions and she will carry a large selection of my products at each convention.

Darla is a past president of SDP. I have long admired Darla for her dedication to promoting decorative painting by supporting our designing artists, and also for her honesty and high standard of business ethics.

I will be demonstrating in her booth at the SDP Convention, so please stop by and say hello.

I appreciate all the teachers who have supported myself and other designing artists by purchasing the teaching packets for their classes when teaching our projects.

This support allows us to continue making a living at doing what we love, which in turn gives our decorative painting teachers many new projects to share with their students.

Without the designs from our artists, the decorative painting hobby that we all love would cease to exist. Recent copyright infringements have prompted me to reword the copyright statement that will be in all my packets. This policy is immediately in effect. All packets will now state:

Written permission from Maureen must be obtained to teach this project, and may be granted upon request. ∙ Permission is not given to duplicate this packet in any way. ∙ Wholesale discounts are given to teachers when purchasing the teaching packets for their students. ∙

NOTE: A raised embossed seal is on every colour reproduction to indicate it’s authenticity. If this seal is missing you may have unknowingly purchased an illegal copy. If in doubt, please get in touch with Maureen.

You will now find pictures of the projects I am teaching at the various travel teaching locations. Just go to the Seminar Section on the website and to view dates and projects. The contact information for each host is listed with the seminar. I will be teaching in Canada, USA and England this year and I would love to have you in my class.

For the time being you will still find a quick view list of my travel schedule for 2010 under the Travel Teaching Section.

UPDATE ON QUILTING FABRIC, AND NEW PACKETS

The Kiev Collection from Elizabeth Studios will be on the retail market soon. Elizabeth told me that the orders from the fabric stores have been better than expected and they have asked for a second related collection. More exciting news on that later.

You should find the initial Kiev collection on the shelves in the spring and early summer. Just keep asking for it at your favourite quilting shop! To see the collection online please go to: http://elizabethsstudio.wordpress.com/category/kiev/ There is a place on this page for you to leave a comment. So, if you like what you see, please do tell them.

I am working now on the second edition of Kiev, which I would like to show you and get your feedback. As you can see, these designs are very different painting style for me, and in the process I have really pushed myself past my comfort zone!!!

This time I took careful notes as I painted so that I can also release these designs for you as painting packets by late spring.

Please let me know what you think about these new designs. I received so many positive comments about the Russian nesting doll fabric that I showed you in my November newsletter, I really must paint them up for a packet too.

Oh, if only our days were 48 hours!

I am also please to tell you that a machine embroidery company purchased many of my designs. As soon as I know when the software will be released, I will let you know.

Registrations are pouring in and the classes are filling. How exciting to have convention in the home town of our SDP offices and have the chance to see the SDP Permanent Art Collection

I was very lucky in that SDP has assigned large classrooms for me, so we still have a few open seats.

I hope that you plan on attending this convention and giving your support to our society, all the dedicated teachers and the many exhibitors who work tirelessly to keep decorative painting exciting and new.

Following is the schedule for my classes at convention. I will have my wonderful teaching assistants there, so you will receive personal attention continually through the class. As always we will have our audio visual set up so everyone can see and hear every last detail.

I hope you will join us.

0355 Remembrance Poppy - Friday 8am-noon

0050 Folk Art Poppy - Tuesday 8am-noon

The packets for these projects will not be available for purchase until after convention. This is a new rule this year which ensures that SDP convention classes are fresh and innovative.

WILL SOON BE OPEN AGAIN

I am happy to tell you that soon you will be able to purchase some of my original paintings on the website.

As soon as I finish doing the inventory of all my paintings here in my new home, I will be able to sell some of my duplicates. I will keep you all posted. Please let me know if this interests you and if you have a favourite piece that you would like to see in the gallery.

I hope you enjoy the following recipes sent in by Suzi Franklin from the Sea Strokes of Maine Chapter of SDP.

I will be painting with this chapter in October of this year. They are a fun group of painters and I can’t wait to see them all again.

Till next time - paint with the happiest of hearts,

Maureen