merry everything!

from the top, middle, and bottom of my very grateful heart,
i thank you so much for all the love, comments,
personal notes and support you've sent my way this year.
and especially for your sweetness in response to my
"fuzzy wuzzy dad" post,
i'm so very thankful for your kindness.
your words were a big hug of comfort,
and i'm forever grateful to you for
sharing a piece of your heart with me.  xox

♥♥♥

i hope you have a beautiful holiday season….
i'm sending you big holly-jolly wishes and
many chocolate-covered hugs for a very
Merry Christmas and happy, creative 2016!

big love,
lori
xox
{and puppy kisses from gidget!  :)) }

mini-doodle stamps

not too long ago, we brought home our sweet little two-month-old
mini-goldendoodle puppy, Gidget…..

and it's hard to believe, but this weekend 

we're celebrating her first birthday already!  woo hoo!

she is just as sweet as she can be, and some of her favorite pastimes are

playing, eating treats, playing, barking at nothing, carrying big sticks,

going outside so she can try to eat some mulch, playing, stealing socks….

and running in the field.  

she absolutely loves to run in the field.  she's a very normal puppy.

  

well….normal….until i mention that she also loves to go to the post office 

with me.  i know.  that's a little less normal, and kind of a long story. 

but, the other day i was thinking about how we've got a  

less-than-normal-puppy-who-loves-to-go-to-the-post-office….

and inspiration struck! 

i was thinking how the post office likes to commemorate big events with
 a series of new stamps, and since Gidget's first birthday is a big event

{and me actually surviving the first year is an even bigger event!},

i've decided to create a series of illustrated faux-postage stamps 

for our mini-goldendoodle who loves to go to the post office!

so, the first thing i did was start sketching lots of different stamp shapes…..

 and then i created a template of the stamp sizes i liked the best

by placing a couple of strips of packaging tape 

over my drawings and cutting out the "middles".  then i trimmed the 

tape around the edges of the paper, and now it's nice and sturdy,

and the paper won't tear as i'm tracing around the inside to create my stamps.

the next step was to draw the "stamp" template shape onto my paper,
then i added some drawing and coloring…..
and here's our Gidget with her very own faux-postage stamp
to commemorate her big day!

and here's a sweet little "initial tag" for her to wear on her collar!

i have lots of fun ideas for more "mini-doodle stamps", 

now all i need is the time to create them…..

when there's a puppy around, finding creative time is the 

biggest challenge of all!  :))

{this faux micro-postage stamp is about 1/2" wide, and was created on

fabriano artistico 140 lb. HP paper using prismacolor verithin pencils,

and a 0.5 mechanical pencil}

perfect stay-cation

our DLP challenge this week is to choose a fantasy vacation spot,

and create a list of things to take along.

and while a long list of faraway places immediately came to my mind….

those other important things on my heart intervened…..

and i realized that sometimes just taking a few minutes right where you are

can be the best getaway of all.

{and yes, with a 13-week old puppy to consider,

the thought of a ten-minute retreat in my favorite chair 

is definitely a fantasy vacation!  :)))) }

{supplies used for DLP week fifty challenge:

moleskine planner, fabriano artistico 140 HP paper, pitt pens, micron pens, 

derwent watercolor/inktense pencils, 6B pencil, white gelly roll pen, washi tape}

meet Gidget

sometimes when life gets a little too predictable…..

and things are going along a little too smoothly…..

life comes along and mixes things up for you a bit…..

in the absolute best sort of way!!

meet Gidget, our little mini-goldendoodle puppy!!!

she's a mix of golden retriever and miniature poodle,
and is absolute pure precious blessing!

and at 11 weeks old, she also has the energy of
a room full of two-year-old toddlers!!
yikes!

so until she starts taking more naps (fingers crossed!),
and i can take my eyes off her for more than two seconds (toes crossed!),
art has become a little interrupted and a little sporadic these days!

in the meantime, life is very, very good,
and i am SO truly grateful for each and every one of you!!
my heart is swollen-the-size-of-texas over
your heartfelt notes these past couple of weeks!

thank you from every square-inch 
of my extremely grateful heart! 

many chocolate-covered hugs,
xoxox

♥♥♥

and to all my sweet American friends,
i'm sending many Thanksgiving blessings to you!!