HELP! I’m surrounded!

I have been home alone the past two days with two sick kiddies. We have been lucky this year and both of the kids have been quite healthy. Noah only missed two days of school and Abbey only missed one. They have either really bad head colds or allergies. I think there have been more tissues used in the last two days than in the whole winter. I feel so bad for them. Their eyes are puffy, they are grouchy, and all we seem to say is, "Bless You" to each other. I think the dog is the only happy one. Abbey and Noah leave their tissues everywhere and she loves to eat them, YUK!

In the midst of playing nurse and designated hugger I was able to finish a little art collage. Hopefully by the end of the week I will have two healthy monkeys and the sun will be shining so I can take a few photos of my new creation. That is of course if they don’t pass their lovely cold on to me!

New Paper Banners in my little Etsy shop

I wanted to share two new paper banners that I listed in my Etsy shop today!

The first banner features 3 prints of my "Rooster on a hill of Flowers" piece.

The second banner features my "Blue and Orange Hoot Owl".

Friday Night Painting ...

Last night I finished my, “A Rooster and Some Dandelions” painting. The kids were asleep, Michael was playing cards, and I got to spend some quality time with my paintbrushes. It was a nice quiet evening at home. Even better than getting to paint last night the sun made an appearance today and I was able to take some photos of my art. I hope you have a sunny Saturday!

New Owl Banner …

I have been waiting the last couple of days to take some new pictures of my art, but the sun has been hiding. I wanted to share a few pictures of my new art banner that I took inside. I really hope the sun makes an appearance tomorrow.

I hope the sun is shining where you are!

Do you shop ETSY???

Things that make me happy, my little Etsy purchases.

I like wondering around Etsy admiring all the beautiful art and all of the pretty little shops. I especially like looking at the vintage goodies, pottery, and handmade clothing. I have bought yummy rosemary soap from a variety of shops, I have purchased elegant fingerless gloves for my sister for Christmas from a very talented artist and recently I have picked up some fun goodies for myself. Since it is rainy and I can’t take any pictures of my new art I thought I would share some pictures of my latest finds and the names of some great shops.

I recently had to purchase glasses because I am getting old, and could no longer read without squinting. The case my glasses came with was flimsy, so I went on Etsy to see if I could find a cute vintage one. Look I did! I think it’s so pretty and my glasses fit perfectly inside. It is unique and much nicer than one I could of bought at the store. violet64

http://www.etsy.com/shop/violet64

I was searching Etsy for metal hoops for a new idea I have when I stumbled on this cute vintage shop. The prices are reasonable and the shop owner is a real sweetheart. I not only bought the metal rings but some other fun sewing accessories and this fabulous jar of multicolored sequins. simplychictiques

http://www.etsy.com/shop/simplychictiques

I love owls. Obviously that is all I have been drawing and painting lately. So when I saw this wallet I had to get it. Actually Happy Kathy has so many fun fabrics to choose from I did hesitate for a minute. I have to make a confession I am 32 years old and this is the first wallet I have ever owned. That is probably the reason I have lost credit cards and my drivers license more than once. It’s nice to have everything organized. Every time I take the wallet out someone comments on it. I really should carry business cards around for the shop. happykathy

http://www.etsy.com/shop/happykathy

Lastly I wanted to show off this cute vintage plaid shirt I bought. I love plaid shirts and this one is so colorful. It really came in beautiful condition. I was nervous to buy vintage clothing online but I would definitely buy from this shop again. It’s my new favorite shirt! afterglowvintage

http://www.etsy.com/shop/afterglowvintage

Lettuce Please ...

Things that make me happy, going to the greenhouse.

Today the little lady and I had a bunch of running to with the last stop being the greenhouse. I wanted to buy some seeds, grab some potting soil, and buy lettuce to plant in a container on our back porch. It was nice to get some fresh air and play in the dirt.

Some New and Different Art …

Things that make me happy, trying something new.

I have been quite busy the last few days working on some new pieces of art. My newest colored pencil and pastel drawings have been created on vintage book covers and then attached with nails to plywood. Each piece is unique and part of their uniqueness is due to the different textures that each cover created.

The first piece I did features a colorful rooster sitting on a hill of flowers. I like how the title of the book and its simple star decoration adds to the colored pencil and pastel drawing. Before I attached the drawing to the plywood I sanded the wood and then painted it. I wanted to connect the frame with the original drawing that is why I decided to cover the wood with these vibrant and fun flowers. They match the ones featured on the rooster’s hill.

The next art piece I created is a little simpler and not quite as bright. I really wanted the barn owl’s pretty white face to be the focal point of the piece. I painted the frame a color close to the book cover and then added gold glitter to both parts of the art work to give it a little shimmer. I really love the simplicity of this art piece.

The last drawing I tackled was a little challenging. The book cover wasn’t the easiest surface to draw on but I really like how it turned out. I like all the little details in the drawing. Every time you look at it you discover something new. After I painted and stained the plywood I cut out miniature banners using vintage book pages, I then wrote the words in colored pencil and glued them to the board.

You will be able to find my fun new creations in my Etsy shop. Have a great weekend!