Bleu de Toi

07/04/2023

Sharing shades of red, white and blue today🇺🇸
Happy Independence Day from studio

05/14/2023

I am so honored to have painted so many beautiful birth flower bouquets over the past weeks in preparation for Mother’s Day weekend. Here are just a few…

05/05/2023

GIVEAWAY: Tomorrow is my watercolor workshop
The class is all sold out but we wanted to give you a chance to win a piece of the beauty. Enter to win 1 of 2 beautiful hand thrown pottery vase full of fresh flowers:
1) Go follow and make sure you’re following
2) Comment here and tag a friend you’d love to take a creative workshop

Winner will be chosen tomorrow after the class! (Workshop participants will automatically be entered for one of the vases with flowers)

04/14/2023

It’s a bouquet, it’s a family tree, it’s both! 💐
Birth month family bouquets are here for
Send me the birth months of your people and we will put them together in a beautiful original watercolor work of art. Seriously, moms gonna cry when she opens this one. It’s gorgeous and so meaningful.
Do you know your birth month flower? I’m sharing the line drawing versions over on my stories. Check them out!

https://shopbdt.com/products/new-custom-birth-month-floral-family-watercolor-bouquet-painting-birth-flowers

03/17/2023

Happy St. Patrick’s day from this green loving painter friend of yours.
Green is my most used color in painting. I keep over 6 different greens readymade in my watercolor palette and am constantly mixing more. It’s such a relaxing hue with an array of possibilities! And it represents fresh starts, new life and hope. Just like the coming spring.

03/13/2023

Workshops in the garden was a huge hit yesterday! And the weather could not have cooperated better. I taught 3 full 45 min classes, that no one wanted to leave so we ran over to hour+ and just had a wonderful time. I so enjoyed getting to introduce my favorite medium to so many beautiful souls. Just wished it was longer.
There will be more local workshops on the horizon! Stay tuned for more opportunities to learn weaving and watercolor in April and May!
Big thank you to Crystal for hosting a great event!

03/08/2023

Happy
Here’s to strong women:
May we know them.
May we be them.
May we raise them.

This here is my inspiration on days when I feel overwhelmed with the responsibilities of running a creative business (going on 14 year), teaching young artists and raising a family. She painted 15 original pieces to sell at my last pop up, because she wants to be just like mom…

Be the person you would have been inspired to know 10, 15, 20 years ago.
There is no such thing as balance, but I am honored to be surrounded by amazing, creative, talented and driven women in business and education.

Sharing some of my favorites in stories today.

03/02/2023

Day 1: I started with a wedding and our marriage, when we were babies in our twenties. The second slide is the first guestbook fingerprint tree ever made… actually it was the second one, because the first one we did was too small for 200 fingerprints so and I drafted a second, and unbeknownst to us, a career brand was born that would carry us through the first decade of our marriage.
It’s come a long way from the first but I love the pic in the end of us on moving day, into the condo we could afford because of the sales we started pulling in a few months after launching. 13 years ago…

02/14/2023

Building a history with someone is the most romantic thing we can do. It’s in the Tuesdays…
Circa 2007. ‘Shiver’ was ring tone for me when we were in the middle of what would be 3 years of cross-country long-distance dating. Before smart phones, FaceTime, or video messaging. We fell in love over daily phone calls and letters and now, 15+ years later, our communication is 👌

Let Valentine’s Day be a celebration of all of the hard work put in to relationships, a retelling of stories and making new ones, because goodness knows it’s not easy. ♥️

02/11/2023

ON SALE through the weekend! Modern line portraits aren’t just for lovers. Order custom digital drawings of your pets, kids, whoever… print as big as you want, as many as you want (for personal use only). Delivered to your inbox Monday.
What we love from
❤️ shopbdt.com ❤️

02/09/2023

Day 2 of what we love from
❤️ shopbdt.com ❤️
Custom watercolor couple portraits are perfect for engagement, bridal shower, anniversary, birthday or wedding gift! Say it with paint!

02/09/2023

I’m featuring a week of things we love from ❤️ shopbdt.com ❤️
Pet portraits are a sweet way to commemorate beloved fur babies. 5x7” custom painted watercolors start at $75. Also makes a thoughtful gift for a friend whose recently lost a dear one.

01/01/2023

Top 9 for 2022
I love getting to create sentimental art for people and love getting to create art with as an
❤️Flowers, pets and family❤️
.app

12/29/2022

We said goodbye to our sweet Sumi-Sue this week.
She has been with us 13 years, nearly as long as we’ve been married and what joy she brought to our lives. She never barked but did lots of snoring and terrible gas. I realized how therapeutic pet portraits can be for the process of grieving, honoring our loved ones with a special artwork to cherish. She will be missed 😢

“Such short little lives our pets have to spend with us, and they spend most of it waiting for us to come home each day.
It is amazing how much love and laughter they bring into our lives and even how much closer we become with each other because of them.”
-John Grogan, Marley and Me: Life and Love With the World's Worst Dog

12/26/2022

The greatest gift:
“But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God. For all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭15‬-‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Every year we are reminded that Christmas isn’t just about giving and reviving presents. Yet, if we honestly consider the heart of Christmas, it is, indeed all about a gift, THE gift. At Christmas, we celebrate the birth of Christ Jesus, the greatest gift ever given, by the greatest gift giver of all, our wonderful God and father.

~ Thank you, Lord, for your generous,
never-ending love and kindness to us. ~

Day 25 from colored by in 2020

12/22/2022

Wishing you a happy Christmas from our family to yours!
Grades are in, paintings shipped and gifts are wrapped! This family is happy to finally be on break 👏

11/30/2022

Advent officially began on Sunday, but the heart of advent is to take time each day leading up to Christmas to prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ, letting the amazing story really sink in. We’ve been using to walk through salvation history. It’s a sweet way ti slow down this season.

11/27/2022

love coming your way from our studio to your home! for People of all ages and pets: Available through small unframed 5x7” portraits will be for $50 and 8x10” portraits for $75
Ready just in time for Christmas. Single portraits only.

All custom holiday watercolor slots will close on Tuesday. So this is also the last call is you want any landscapes, house paintings or custom florals completed in time for Christmas.

Join our email list and be the first to know about sales and new products!

11/19/2022

I poured my heart and soul into the creation, both illustrations and writing, of these in 2019. I was only going to offer the digital print file this year, but it’s really worth repeating, and gifting, year after year. So I’m doing a small print run that will ship after thanksgiving. Link to the listing in my stories. The Boxed set is perfect to color and display, hang up on your tree and get your heart in line for the coming of Christ. ✌️ 🎄
Advent officially begins Nov. 27 or you can begin on Dec. 1 for devotions to close on Christmas Day.

10/27/2022

Birth month edition: July, Delphinium.
Tag someone you know with a July birthday for a chance to win a birth month bouquet drawing Nov. 1
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Jul. Delphinium/Larkspur: These happy flowers carry the symbolic meaning of joy, positivity & goodwill and were used as protection to ward off evil spirits & negative energy. The greek word 'delphis' means dolphin.
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I’m sharing sleek one line drawings of each of the this month to introduce my new collection of custom family bouquets available at shopbdt.com
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10/26/2022

When I started painting botanical bridal bouquets a couple of years ago, I don’t think I fully understood how it would transform my business and the wedding market for modern bouquet preservation.
This remains one of my most popular services and an exceptionally thoughtful gift item.
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We’re going to be at the wedding open house next Friday night showcasing what we do for my favorite clientele: engaged love birds. We will be offering a watercolor special for preordered bridal botanical paintings at the event and online. If you or someone you know has an upcoming wedding or you’d like to give a bouquet painting as a Christmas gift, you won’t want to miss this offer!
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10/26/2022

Birth month edition: June, Rose.
Tag someone you know with a June birthday for a chance to win a birth month bouquet drawing Nov. 1
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Jun. Roses: Undoubtedly one of the most popular of flowers, roses have a variety of meanings based upon the color. The flower in general represents love, passion, beauty, discretion, elegance, luxury, and sensuality. How romantic! June is my birth month and my husbands. Though not generally my favorite flower, they do produce beautifully in my garden with little care.
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I’m sharing sleek one line drawings of each of the this month to introduce my new collection of custom family bouquets available at shopbdt.com
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10/23/2022

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Birth month edition: March, Daffodil. ​​​​​​​​
Tag someone you know with a March birthday for a chance to win a birth month bouquet drawing Nov. 1​​​​​​​​
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Mar. Daffodils (Narcissus): Ever the joyful sign of coming Spring, Daffodils represent rebirth and new beginnings. Named after the Greek myth about the young hunter, Narcissus, who vainly fell in love with his own reflection. A water nymph cast a spell on him to live forever as a bobbing headed flower by the water for her unrequited love. ​​​​​​​​
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I’m sharing sleek one line drawings of each of the this month to introduce my new collection of custom family bouquets available at shopbdt.com​​​​​​​​
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10/21/2022

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Birth month edition: February, Iris.​​​​​​​​
Tag someone you know with a February birthday for a chance to win a birth month bouquet drawing Nov. 1​​​​​​​​
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Feb, Iris (Iridaceae): Irises are a symbol of enduring faith and hope, wisdom & truth. The name in greek means rainbow, describing the many colors they come in. Also the name of the ancient Greek goddess, Iris, who was acted as a messenger between the gods and humans as a bridge between heaven & earth. The ever changing cycle of these rhizomes is enchanting, coming up a new each Spring. When I see an iris, I think of strength and endurance.​​​​​​​​
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I’m sharing sleek one-line drawings of each of the this month to introduce my new collection of custom family bouquets available at shopbdt.com​​​​​​​​
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10/20/2022

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Birth month edition: January, Carnations. ​​​​​​​​
Tag someone you know with a January birthday for a chance to win a birth month bouquet drawing Nov. 1​​​​​​​​
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Jan. Carnation (dianthus): Despite their commonplace reputation for being perfect for Mother’s Day, there are so many colors and varieties of Dianthus that would wow you. They are known to represent love, fascination and distinction. It is thought to be one of the oldest cultivated flowers, sprung out of the earth from Mary’s tears. Its scientific name means God-flower and the Romans used them for crowns in religious ceremonies. ​​​​​​​​
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I’m sharing sleek one line drawings of each of the this month to introduce my new collection of custom family bouquets available at shopbdt.com​​​​​​​​
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10/20/2022

Im so excited to share this little bit of sunshine for in honor of her mother, who loved sunflowers.
The 11x14” framed original watercolor and gauche painting will be on auction at the Alexis Gurnard Memorial Scholarship banquet this weekend.

I am also offering a small print run of 11x14” prints of this painting for $30 each, plus shipping. 50% of proceeds from the sale of these will be donated to the AGM Scholarship fund through November.

Available 10/21 at shopbdt.com or DM to reserve.

10/20/2022

Birth month edition: January, carnations.

Tag someone you know with a January birthday for a chance to win a birth month bouquet drawing Nov. 1

Jan. Carnation (dianthus): Despite their commonplace reputation for being perfect for Mother’s Day, there are so many colors and varieties of Dianthus that would wow you. They are known to represent love, fascination and distinction. It is thought to be one of the oldest cultivated flowers, sprung out of the earth from Mary’s tears. Its scientific name means God-flower and the Romans used them for crowns in religious ceremonies.

I’m sharing sleek one line drawings of each of the this month to introduce my new collection of custom family bouquets available at shopbdt.com

10/13/2022

I’m excited to finally be offering beautiful custom family bouquet paintings made from your birth flowers. Check out all of the months here: https://shopbdt.com/products/new-custom-birth-month-floral-family-watercolor-bouquet-painting-birth-flowers

Hilary Dildine, Bleu De Toi shared a post on Instagram: "All new: Birth month flower family bouquet watercolors Now available at SHOPBDT.com Thanks for your encouragement I loved putting together your family flowers first 😍💐 Who is next?! Order now for the perfect Christmas g...

08/13/2022

Bless that baby with a special verse or quote for the nursery wall. We had a little family and friends for my upcoming newest nephew last night. He will have the names of everyone there, who is eager to meet him, signed into the trees. Perfect for his theme.

07/21/2022

If you need me, I’m in the studio…

Nerding out over high-end art supplies and special pigments that make all the difference. I literally could not paint a fuchsia flower until I discovered opera pink. Lifesaver

Payne’s grey, shadow violet, opera pink, lemon yellow, rose dore, terre vert, green apatite genuine

06/27/2022

Birthday print sale is dropping in my stories tomorrow morning! Get ready for lots of goodness to make your walls more beautiful discounted as my gift to you🥳

06/21/2022

SOLSTICE, by Emery George:
“When the music, warm of a summer's gleaming,
dies away, tuned with the revolving seasons,
when the trees, rich orchards and leaves are showing
polychrome lesions;
when the light moves: glorious sun reflected,
colors stir bright, deeper than eyes had caught them
in the green; black earth is a source of sunlight
deep into autumn;
when you then feel chill and the days grow weaker,
as the elm trees worship a light departing,
when the hoar frost pinches the leaves; your eyes are
no longer smarting;
when the sky grows pale with receding mornings;
on the pool float leaves of a flagstone pavement;
white the sky; strong branches are silhouetted
-sculptural moment-“

Soak it up today 🌻

06/20/2022

We scored the “biggest catch” on the dads in our life!
Happy fathers day to the loyal fans guys out there. Your support means so much. ❤️

06/18/2022

I’ve been quietly spending my summer season thus far prepping drawings and painting the hours away. I love flowers, but architectural house paintings really are my first love. I love the monochrome effect option in black and grey, sepia brown or deep navy blue tones. Do you have a special home you’d love to me to capture in paint?

06/04/2022

Custom digital line portraits are on sale June 4-12, just in time for Father’s Day! Drop me images of your favorite kiddos and I’ll illustrate their faces, together or individually, for you to give dad something extra special. Check it out at www.shopbdt.com or join our e-mail list for all the goodies and direct links going out tomorrow.

05/24/2022

Shaver Lake, I’m coming for you!

We will be
Sierra Country Fest this Saturday, May 28 from 11am-8pm

Tell your foothill and mountain friends! Food, music, shopping and a good time.

If you find yourself up that way this weekend (or fancy a drive to some cooler temps, live music, lake time and excellent artisan shopping) come say 👋

I will have the full range of lake shapes prints of our local lakes, mountain wildflower prints and rustic cabiny landscapes you won’t want to miss.

“The mountains are calling…” ☎️ 🏔 you must go!

05/08/2022

Day 1 down! It was so fun to be out and sharing artwork with wonderful people, catching up with old friends and meeting new ones. I truly believe that the artist path is chosen because we love solitary moments of creation, but it is sustained by sharing the fruits of our work with others.

And the epic yarrow garland grown from my garden made me happy all day long ☀️ even when the wind threatened to blow all of the products away…

Come out tomorrow for fresh framed work and restocked prints! 👋

05/05/2022

week is here and I’m in full on crazy mode. 🤪
Getting all of the new products finalized and packaged and all of the booth details checked off my list is so fun… and stressful too.
🤞 for a successful weekend ahead! Making artwork from our home studio can be a lonely endeavor. Meeting people and seeing their faces when we share our gifts makes it all SO worth it!
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If you’re local, head to my stories to see how you can win 2 free tickets and join our e-mail list.
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05/03/2022

at some adorable card boxed sets that will be available this week and
It’s the perfect gift for your favorite chicken lover. Give out sweet notes or frame 5x7”s 🐓

04/23/2022

✌️weeks till and we are getting pumped!
We haven’t been there since 2019. I’ll be bringing the full lakes shapes collection, florals for mom and lots of mini originals. Come spend Mother’s Day weekend with us at the flea!