three important things

important thing number one:

if you've been wanting to learn more about watercolor, but didn't know where to start, check out a new class called "pear-ology"!  it's being offered by my dear sweet friend and art buddy martha lever,  and she will share all her secrets of painting a great pear!   you'll learn tons of wonderful watercolor and background tips along the way to becoming a bonafide pear-ologist!  the doors to this fun class are now open over at creative workshops, and you can find more information about it here!  

important thing number two:

you have left me absolutely speechless with your overwhelming response to my giveaway.....

thank you, thank you, thank you!!

the random integer has chosen number ninety-seven, and that means that the blank watercolor journal will be on it's way to sharon over at "my art journal"!

and for all of you bloggy sweeties, i'm sending a huge hug the size of texas to you

right now!  i appreciate your love, support and kindness more than i could ever express!  xox

super-important thing number three:

i hope your Easter weekend is filled with
abundant blessings and promises for a beautiful springtime!
happy Easter!!
xox

color drop happiness

i am totally convinced that there's no better play than art-day-with-your-girlfriends play.   and play is exactly what my sweet girlfriends martha, rynda, denice and terrye did yesterday.......in a color-drop flower kind of way!  martha showed us how to paint her adorable little color-drop flowers.....

then, after our lunch break (which was really just an excuse to eat some chocolate), we painted up some poppies!! 

  and the really great news is that you can learn how to paint her color-drop flowers, too!   martha is an absolutely fabulous teacher......i really think you'll fall in love with her easy southern style just like i have!!

thank you martha for a spectacular day......you've made me feel like a painter!!  xo

you can read more information about the color-drop flower class here!

p.s.  a little birdie told me there might be a poppy class in the future.....stay tuned!!

paper fabulousness

there's lots of fabulous paper out there (and one peek into my stash would reveal that i probably own at least two sheets of each of it!).  but sometimes a sheet of really, really fabulous paper falls in your lap, and you want to do something really, really fabulous with it.....like showcase all it's fabulousness on the covers of an art journal.

but this isn't just any fabulous paper.......

it's paper that was lovingly and skillfully stenciled by my dear fabulous friend and partner-in-art-crimes martha lever.....

and not only is this paper fabulous, 

it's also artsy, genuine, one-of-a-kind, colorful, unique, exceptional,  primo, special, vibrant, one and only, zesty, sparkling,  creative, energetic, and extremely imaginative......much like the fabulous martha-artist herself!

see more of martha's beautiful artwork here!

and you can read more information about this art journal here in my etsy shop

inspiration monday

okay, so technically martha's birthday isn't until tomorrow......but when you have a dear friend who inspires you as much as martha inspires me, that's worth getting the party started a little early, don't you think?!!!

 most of you already know martha as an extremely talented and accomplished artist, but did you know that she's also an absolutely gorgeous child of God, has a heart the size of texas, is a fabulous listener, will cheer you on like there's no tomorrow,  will tickle your funny bone with her witty sense of humor, is an absolute blast to go to calligraphy workshops with,  and can draw and paint like one of the masters (i know that falls into the "extremely talented and accomplished artist" category, but there are some things that could never be stressed enough!)?!!  

martha, your friendship is such a sweet, precious blessing,

and i celebrate you not only today, but every day!!

much love and happiness to you always, birthday girl!!!

xoxo

want to wish martha an early birthday?! click here!

artwork finished using micron pens, watercolor pencils, handcarved thumbud stamp, 4B pencil

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

inspiration monday

have you been searching for a fun way to jazz up your artwork....or maybe add some colorful letters and doodles to your journals?   my sweet friend martha lever is offering an online class through creative workshops called "calligra-fun".....she'll teach you how to look at letterforms in a whole new way using your favorite brush markers!  not only will you learn how to create these unique letters, martha will also teach you how to make flowers, trees, ribbons and other fun doodles that will add that finishing touch to your artwork!  this course includes five lessons that are packed with everything you need towards successful lettering! 

i've been blessed to have known martha for over 15 years.  we've worked together, played together, laughed together, shed a few tears together, and shared successes together.   and what i know for sure is that martha has an incredible amount of energy and passion for lettering, she creates them beautifully, and her sweet, giving personality (along with her fabulous southern georgia accent!) always makes you feel like you've just had coffee with a great friend.   she definitely inspires me every single day!

visit martha at her blog here, or sign up for her online class here!