trick or treat!

no tricks here, just lots of treats.....and i hope those little goblins get here quick before i eat all of these little packages of happiness filled with chewy caramel, fluffy nougat, cookies, peanuts, and lots of chocolate!!

happy halloween!!

:))

goin' batty

you can tell that halloween is almost here! i went out to get the mail today and spied this little bat hiding in the bushes.....

and then i noticed them hanging out with the jack-o-lantern.....

and they've even found their way into my studio and seem to love my fabric stash!! but, these aren't just any bats, they're martha stewart bats, and super easy to make! you can find the video instructions and template here!

p.s. i didn't have any spray paint for the clothespins, so i just used acrylic paint and it worked like a charm! have fun! :)

meet paulette

if you haven't already met my sweet friend paulette at beedeebabee, please allow me to introduce you to her! you may have seen her flying through blogland, sharing her smile and spreading lots of sunshine around! and paulette is not only an angel in disguise, she's also a very talented artist!! using a goody bag filled with wool felt, sparkly beads, crystals, sequins and embroidery thread, paulette skillfully designs and creates beautifully stitched pins....straight from the heart.

tiny exquisite stitches were lovingly used to finish this cute little mitten....

this sweet little stocking.....

and this precious winter mitten!

paulette's warm, giving personality is evident in every piece of wearable art she makes! you can visit her here at her blog, and learn more about her artwork here in her etsy shop!!

a little sewing

i'm going to spend this afternoon doing a little sewing. i've got some book boards covered with arches textwove paper, and some watercolor papers folded and all ready for their make-overs into blank journals. i really enjoy the cutting and folding of the papers, and the gluing of the covers, but i must admit that the sewing is my favorite part. that's the part when everything comes together and suddenly you have a journal.....and it truly fascinates me every time!

inspiration monday

i love to watch baseball.....and now that the postseason is upon us, i'm in absolute take-me-out-to-the-ballgame heaven. of course, the multi-tasker in me begs to be happy too, so i sit with my graph pad and pencil and doodle while i'm watching the game. and where there's tv, there's lots of "promotional interruptions", and so begins the inspiration.....

have you seen that commercial with those goofy cavemen in the bowling alley? it's a great ad, and quite effective because you only have to see/hear it once and the song will be in your head for the next three days, along with grand visions of three hairy cavemen fist-pumping and high-fiving all over the place! it also offers enough inspiration to create a happy little doodle.....so easy that even a caveman can do it.....(sorry, but you probably knew that was coming....)

if you haven't seen the goofiness and want a good laugh, you can watch it here

first-draft doodle artwork created using pencil on graph paper

just to say hello

i created these little doodle letters and decided to make a greeting card....just to say hello!

the decorative scrapbook paper is by K&Company, the greenhouse collection, designed by carolyn gavin. other materials used to finish the card are: micron pens, watercolor pencils, niji waterbrush, fiskars border punch, ribbon, and a glue stick. the finished card measures 5.5" x 4.25"

thanks SO much for your blog visits!! have a great weekend!!

for a larger format, you can view this video here at you tube.

green mosaic

today's blog post is brought to you by the color green....(and a little orange!)

layers of green flowers, a card hug from a kindred spirit,

watercolor & stitchery, happy polka dots,

pencils waiting to be used, the cover of a favorite journal

candy corn doodles

when it comes to halloween, i think that i have a little too much pollyanna in me to embrace those "friday the 13th" movies or that creepy chucky doll. i really love the fun side of halloween, and as you know, where there's fun, i can usually work in food somehow! this little candy corn doodle popped into my head and i decided to do something a little different and create some tags with it! i'm offering them in my etsy shop in sets of ten, and they come with plastic bags too, so all you have to do is fill them with the sweets of your choice and you'll have a nice little treat for all your ghoulies!

inspiration monday

i'm a true believer that when you're inspired to learn something new, it's important to find the best instruction available. and if you've been inspired to learn italic calligraphy, then martha lever is the perfect instructor! her new online class will teach you everything that you need to know about tools, foundations, and great letterforms! and not only is martha a very talented, accomplished artist, she's also a very sweet, dear person who inspires me each and every day!

you can visit martha at her blog here

and learn more about her online calligraphy class here

be you

"be who you are and say what you feel,

because those who mind don't matter

and those who matter don't mind."

dr. seuss

wishing you a nonsensically, creative weekend!!

three things

this little magnet hangs on my desk light where i can see it.....and be reminded of three important things. the first two seem to come fairly easy, but it's the third one that always keeps me really busy!

magnet created by robbin rawlings at natural life

heart songs

i feel like when it comes to the creative side of my life, i walk around with a flickering light bulb over my head most of the time. and then, every once in a while, that light bulb will burn bright, and i'll combine several of my favorite things to create the obvious....

....a blank doodle journal! the cover is an original doodle (not a print) finished on a piece of hand painted paper, and the journal is sewn using a 6-needle coptic binding method. there's lots of blank paper inside, along with some fun decorative papers in polka-dot and black-and-white gingham (i could never have enough of it!) . this journal was not only fun to create, but i must admit i think it's one of my absolute favorites.

thank you, mister light bulb.

you can find more information and photos here.

sharing the love

i received this award from alisa over at daily violets last week, and she was so gracious to pass it on to me. alisa is a graphic designer and creates wonderfully fabulous mini-mosaic tile pendants! thank you alisa....i'm honored to be included in such great company!!!

i was also honored to received this deborah award from silke at metamorphosis. silke is a very sweet, generous and talented artist, creating wonderful paintings and yummy knitted goodies. thank you silke, for thinking of me!!

at the bottom of this award it reads, "friendship isn't about who you have known the longest, but who came and never left your side." and it's for this reason that i pass both of these awards on to each one of you! i SO appreciate your supportive comments and visits to my blog.....and i thank you so much for your friendship, and sharing your creative life stories on your "best blogs"!!

please stop by alisa and silke's blogs and take a peek at the great things they're working on!

inspiration monday

yesterday a friend called and asked me if i wanted to meet her for a movie....julie & julia....in about 30 minutes. i had a million things to do, and i'm not normally so spontaneous....but for these reasons and many more, i said "yes!" and off we went!!

it was fabulous.....i had girlfriend-catch-up time, i paid an obscene amount of money for popcorn and m&m's and called it lunch, and i laughed so hard that i had to wipe the tears from my eyes with my partially popcorn-oil-stained napkin. for two hours i didn't think about updating my flickr account, checking my etsy shop, or even sewing those two books on my work table.

please don't misunderstand, i absolutely love what i do, and every day i'm thankful for the blessing of having the time....and such a fabulous place.....to be creative! but, sometimes when i start to feel a little "creative overwhelm", walking away for a few hours is the best thing that i can do for myself. when i return to my studio, i have a new perspective on my artwork.....and lots of inspiration to get me jump-started again!

p.s. if you haven't seen julie & julia yet, i highly recommend that you head to a theater near you! it's terrific!!

doodle happiness

i liken this to....noticing the "nutritional facts" listed on the bag of chocolate chips, and realizing that the calorie content isn't as bad as you thought it was.....coming across hidden treasure at a flea market......receiving flowers for no reason.....discovering an extra twenty dollars in your wallet.......bumping into a good friend that you haven't seen for a while.....learning that your favorite movie is on tv, and you actually have time to sit down and watch it.....finding out that today is actually friday, when you thought it was thursday....which means that it's the start of the weekend! i hope yours is filled with lots of unexpected, fabulous surprises!

artwork finished with micron pens and watercolor pencils on hand-painted paste papers.

there's never enough of it

i've been trying to be a better time-manager in my studio, and trying to work more "regular hours". it's so easy to get caught up in a project, and then turn around only to discover that it's dark outside! just yesterday when i looked up at the clock, i was horrified to see that my "work day" had come to an end.....already! i still had four projects that needed to be finished!

so, here's what i'm wondering....what's your secret to managing your studio time?

and....does anyone have a couple of hours i can borrow?!

(disclaimer: i may not be able to return them any time soon!)

from the heart

this little package of random kindness that i received from becky shander falls somewhere in the category of "beyond spectacular"! from beginning to end, this is artistic brilliance at its best! becky has masterfully tea-dyed repurposed dryer sheets to create this magnificent envelope.....

.....and i could gaze at the sweet little tag and vintage hat pin that's holding this bundle together all day long! but the transparency of the dryer sheet offers a little peek as to what's inside....

....a magnificent little book created from fabrics, lace and dryer sheets! everywhere i look i see little "becky touches"....from the sweet birdie transfer to the vintage sparkle embellishment....it's all perfect!

and it just keeps getting better! don't you just love the message on the inside cover?!

becky has ingeniously sewn the pages to create pockets (using more of her fabulous tea-dyed dryer sheets!).....and wait until you see what's inside one of them!

another hand-sewn pouch adorned with lace and happiness....and inside is the most wonderful little ornament with the reminder to "follow your bliss"!

and now i come to the part where i find myself with my mouth wide open, but no words will come out.....because there truly are no words to describe how spectacular this little parcel is!

becky, your kindness in thinking of me, and generosity of your time in creating this for me fills my heart with joy! i cherish this sweet masterpiece that you've shared with me, and i thank you SO much!

becky shander is a very accomplished and published artist. please visit her at her website here or at her blog here....it's a pure shot of inspiration, straight from the heart!

a penguin and a video

this little video involves a penguin and some stamp carving!

along the way, i mention several tools and materials.....you can click here to read my recent post about stamping supplies!

to watch the video in larger format, click here

inspiration monday

these glasses are usually lurking in photos that i post of my studio, and many of you have noticed because i get a lot of questions and comments about them! they are my "houndstooth readers".....i figure if i have to be blind as a bat, i may as well be a stylish-blind-bat!

i spied these one day on an endcap over in the yarn section at our michael's arts and crafts store. the good news is there are lots of styles to choose from....and the even better news is that they cost only $2.99!! at that great price, you might just be inspired to grab more than one pair!!

p.s. thank you SO much for your heartfelt response to my journal sale! i truly appreciate your support of my little etsy shop....and you've inspired me to create some new journals! :)

i just love a sale....

i'm having a sale in my etsy shop....and i'm sharing the news with you first! these five blank journals will be reduced in price on saturday evening....but if you have your eye on one, just give me a shout-out by leaving a comment, etsy convo or e-mail right away letting me know which one you'd like, and i'll put a reserved listing on it for you! this will insure that you get the journal you want....at a great price! buy one for yourself or get a jump-start on your holiday shopping (or both!)!

you can read more information about each journal here!

bloggy blessings

every day i eagerly come to my computer (sometimes i'm still in my jammies!) and check my blog list....i'm always SO excited to see what all of you are doing! i have met so many wonderful, giving, and talented people, literally from all over the world.....and one of these sweeties is my bloggy friend jan over at pictures with words.

jan is a calligrapher and lovingly creates beautiful "pictures with words" using her exquisite letterforms. you might remember when she surprised me with this fabulous card shortly after we moved into our new house! and today she surprised me again, with this sweet little package!!

for the past ten years jan has created a desk calendar, using a different theme each year, and each calendar features coordinating quotes and her own lettered, drawn and painted artwork. jan has so generously gifted me with not only this year's "retirement" calendar, but also her "taste of hawaii" calendar for 2010!

so, i ask you.....am i totally spoiled, or what?! jan, not only do you create beautiful letterforms, but you truly have a huge, generous, lovely, wonderful, and thoughtful heart!!

i am blessed to know you and i thank you so much, jan!!