Decorative Woodcraft & Tole Painting Pattern Packets by Heidi Markish Designs

I'm back!!

Hello to all my patient painting friends!! As you can see in the pictures below, I am finally designing and painting again. It has been way too long since I have picked up my paint brushes... it took me quite a while just to get organized! The projects you see in the pictures below have been sitting here, unpainted, for almost 2 years. All I can say is... shame on me! My life has simply been crazy and I just never seemed to find the time or energy to make it down to my painting studio. For those of you who have been wondering where I have been... well, let me fill you in. The insaneness in my life started when my hubby was shipped off to Iraq in 2006 - 2007 for 14 months. I went from the happy painter to the Mom who couldn't remember which end was up. I was unable to attend any conventions... it was hard to keep up with my orders... and my house and children demanded all of my time. While Craig was away, I also came to realize that I really missed working outside of the home. I was an elementary teacher for 6 years before my children were born... but, I left the profession to raise them and I don't regret the decision at all. Suddenly, 15 years went by in a heartbeat and, though I love running my pattern business, I still missed teaching elementary school. So, last year, I dusted off my teaching certificate and was lucky to land a one year position teaching first grade at Burgettstown Elementary. I absolutely loved every single minute of it. The creativity you see in my patterns originally stemmed from the ideas that would come to me in the classroom. I even had my first graders making adorable wall decorations!! It was an exciting year for me and my fingers are crossed that I can get a permanent position at this school in the future. I think I have finally found the balance where I can teach school and still paint my new designs during the evenings, weekends, and of course... the summer! Once I pulled out my painting supplies and started painting my new Pumpkin Bumpkin design, the motivation to make it the cutest thing ever came rushing back. I even have my daughter helping me now... yippee!! She is a great basecoater and sometimes even suggests ideas of her own! Hmmmm, maybe she will take over this business some day! With her help, I am sure to get more done. Thanks Lauren! Well, I have rambled long enough. I better get back to finishing these new projects so I can post them on the site very soon!!! An email will be sent to all of you on my mailing list once the designs are officially on the homepage. If you want to join my mailing list, simply add your email address below. Thanks again to all of you who have continued to support me. It is great to be back!

Take a peek at what I have been up to!

Painting my famous dots on Pumpkin Bumpkin's bowtie! Lauren is my new helper... finally! A new scarecrow that wants to be painted! Lauren is holding my new cloth snowman lampshade... there is a snowman on every side.

Life in first grade!

I had a wonderful group of first graders! See, I did get to paint... on faces, not wood! Standing next to a cutie patoodie. Field trip to the aviary.
Our year end luau... I will miss my first graders.

Glad to be back sale!!!

I am currently running a fun sale to celebrate the fact that I am finally designing again. Right now you can order any 4 patterns of your choice and pay a flat price of only $30.00. This includes the shipping charges! My shopping cart will not calculate the sale price, but I will adjust the price once I receive the order. Simply write "Welcome Back" in the message portion of the order and that will tell me you are aware of the special. (International orders will still have to add 20% to cover the extra shipping charges.) Please note that this sale is separate from my everyday special of buy 6 get one free and the specials cannot be combined. Thank you so much for stopping by my site and happy shopping!

**NEW SHIPPING DATES: Because my teaching schedule is so unpredictable I am going to try a new system of mailing all orders out on Mondays only. This will allow me time to work on the orders through the weekend. I appreciate all of your support while I am pursuing my teaching career again. If you placed an order that needs to go out immediately, please be sure to add a note to me in the message portion of the order. Thanks so much!!


Painting my famous dots on Pumpkin Bumpkin's bowtie!	Lauren is my new helper... finally!	A new scarecrow that wants to be painted!	Lauren is holding my new cloth snowman lampshade... there is a snowman on every side.


I had a wonderful group of first graders!	See, I did get to paint... on faces, not wood!	Standing next to a cutie patoodie.	Field trip to the aviary.	Our year end luau... I will miss my first graders.

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