Butterfly Dreams

Free Workshop Anyone?

2011-12-06T21:17:00.001-08:00

How cool is this? I was just cruising through Facebook and saw that Traci Bautista offered a FREE online Workshop. Awesome, right? So then I click the link and it takes me to the Strathmore site, and there they offer not just one free workshop, but three! Traci's Doodling Workshop, a Watercolor Workshop and a Drawing Workshop.

Don't you just love when it feels like you found the gold pot at the end of a rainbow? I know I do, so I signed up for all of them! While I was signing up I thought, "Hey, maybe my blog friends would be interested in this too." So, what do you say? Feel up to taking a creative lesson or two? Workshops start on January 1, 2012. A perfect start to a new year, don't ya think? :) Hope to see you there!

Best wishes,
Lynda

Big Cyber Monday Sale!

2011-11-27T18:39:00.001-08:00

Good news everyone! My Cyber Monday Sale starts NOW.

Yay! It begins now and ends this Monday at Midnight, so act soon!

50% Off all goods in my shop. Just make sure you type in the coupon code (CYBERMONDAY2011) during checkout because that is how the discount is applied to your purchase.

Have fun shopping, thank you for supporting the arts and thanks for shopping handmade!

To purchase, please visit my shop at: http://www.luckybutterfly.etsy.com http://www.luckybutterfly.etsy.com

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T12:35:00.001-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving from me to you

Lots of love for your family too

I hope you're happy each day that passes

Even if wearing rose colored glasses

Each day is special whether we see it or not

With many loved ones we need not forgot

I'm writing this quickly, while I'm baking

Because many goodies are in the making

A couple more things left for me to say:

I am grateful for each passing day

My life is better because you're in it

My path is brighter because you lit it

So thank you, dear friends, for being here

There's nothing better than having you near

It's amazing the internet can be so friendly

You're friendship will forever be a melody

I appreciate the comments that you have to offer

Because of you, life seems much softer

Broken Promises

2011-11-18T16:55:00.001-08:00

In the shop tonight :)

8x8 Print

"Broken Promises"

Acrylic on Gallery wrapped canvas

You've Been Missed

2011-11-17T10:25:00.001-08:00

Let's see...it's been since March since I've talked to you last. Long enough for the seasons to change; long enough for many things to change I suppose. The year started off pretty rocky and I guess I just needed time to be emotional about it. You would think that art would be a part of the healing process for me (because it usually is) but this time it was not. In fact, I barely even touched an art supply for nearly 8 months. Can you believe that? Me- the girl who is always creating something and obsesses over art - created not a single thing in almost a year! When I think about that now, it makes me sad. It is sad, isn't it?

No matter though, because I am back! I've spent the past couple of weeks drawing, painting, crafting and man, does it feel good! It's a wonder I stopped at all. I forgot how addictive it is to create. I also forgot just how much I depend on it to make it through each day because like I said, I'm an emotional being. Not crazy emotional, just sensitive. Some people say that I'm oversensitive, and they say it like it's a bad thing. Sometimes it is, like when I'm overwhelmed and then don't create anything for eight months, or when I'm really tired and then cry over something silly. That said, it can also be a gift. Sensitivity aids me in seeing the world in beautiful ways that others may not see, it makes me grateful for the small things, it makes me stronger for the future, and it is the main power line that lights the way for my art. I have a theory that artists' are more sensitive than normal people. Do you think there's something to that theory? I'd love to hear your opinions on the matter :)

Anyway, enough babbling, lol. My point is that art helps me stay sane and that I am here again. I truly couldn't be happier about it because I missed creating, I missed the blog-o-sphere, and of course, I missed all of my online friends :) I've taken many pictures the last few days so I will have some things to post here soon. Hopefully the picture quality will be okay but I've dropped my camera a few times so until I get a new one, it will just have to do :)

Would you like to vote on which drawing that I should paint next? Simple click HERE

I hope all of you and your families are all doing fantastically. Take care and I will talk to you soon :)

Best Wishes,
Lynda

My Art Featured Here

2011-03-12T16:15:00.000-08:00

Remember this original 8x8'' painting I did a while back? Ain't she pretty? ;)

Well this little bunch of deliciousness made it into an Etsy Treasury (and she is still for sale *hint hint* :)

Isn't that awesome? It is always such a huge compliment when someone thinks that your art is good enough to add to their special treasury. It really makes me feel so honored. So thank you, Windfae and all of the others who have featured my art lately, I really appreciate it! You made my day :)

As for my blog readers, I miss you a whole lot. I truly do. There is just something about blogland that feels so refreshing and inspirational, and you my friends are that special ingredient that just makes it all magical.

I will probably be popping in and out for a while as I sort through some stuff but I will be back soon, I can feel it in my bones. Thanks for being so patient and I hope you are all doing wonderfully well.

xoxo,
Lynda

New Youtube Video!

2011-02-24T18:48:00.000-08:00

Hope you guys like it :) I know I haven't been around much lately, but I guess I needed a break. Plus, art block doesn't help ;) Have a good week everyone!

The Child Within - Tuesday Treasury

2011-01-25T16:07:00.000-08:00

Todays Tuesday Treasury - The Child Within

If I could be a five year old all over again

I would wear tutu's and mismatched tights because I can

I would never worry about what was planned

I'd only play in the sun until I got a tan

I would always be protected from anything bad

From monsters to Decepticons, I'd just hide under my bed

I would be She-Ra, and He-Man would be my bro

I would be convinced of it as I ran mischievously to and fro

Birthdays and Holidays would bring tons of presents

From purses to chunky jewelry, without needing to learn a single lesson

I'd clunk down the stairs wearing my moms best heels

I would attempt to digest a nasty orange peel

Rainbow Bright and Strawberry Shortcake are cool

But I love Transformers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles too

The Simpson's would kind of scared me, I'd think the Wuzzles are dope

And I would have no idea there was someone called a Pope

Gum is a favorite, so are cupcakes and doughnuts

But only the colorful ones, or the ones with sprinkles on it

On my walks home from school I would find pretty flowers

I would think to myself, "I can borrow them and bring them back tomorrow"

Creating dances and doing cartwheels backwards

There is nothing to do except to only look forward

Sunshine and Swimming make me incredibly happy

I fell in love with markers and diaries that had a key

Sure, from time to time I can get quite Sassy

But even during that, I'd think I was classy

I would lay in the grass and create shapes out of clouds

And I wouldn't care less who watched me, or the size of the crowd

Time would be so very much, much slower

And there would be no such thing as any kind of concrete answer

If people point their finger and accuse me of being a five year old

I would just smile at them and say, "Thank you, I always hoped so."

It's never too late to let your five year old out

Because it is truly the best medicine to cure self doubt

P.s. Click on the Treasury above to see what inspired this poem :)

Librarians Are Like Florists

2011-01-20T11:53:00.000-08:00

Librarians are like florists. Within 5 minutes, they know just the kind of person you are, the person you aren't, and the person you want to be. A florist watches you as you pace back and forth deciding on the flower with just the right meaning. A librarian watches as you decided whether or not to pay your past due fine.

A florist is someone you can tell a deep dark secret to, or someone you go to to get help with your big and happy surprise. A librarian scans all of your books, and can see your deep dark secret, or your biggest passion.

They are not so different. Sure, the job titles are different, but they can both sum up your life in 5 minutes without asking a question. They are observers. They both see you as you are. The good, the bad and the ugly..and not only do they not judge you for it (at least not to your face), but they accept it and keep it confidential.

Now, I must admit, my library collection is probably pretty dull compared to some other people...but as you can see, amongst all of the light hearted learning, there are some deeper and emotional situations hiding amongst all of that fun.

When it was time to check out, I was nervous that the librarian would want to talk about it when I wasn't ready to. It was like my emotions were right there at the surface and they could see right through them. I was sure of it. But...the librarian kept his head down, scanned the books and quietly sent me on my way. And for the first time in my life, I truly saw librarians for what they are. They are the flowers of great secret keepers...and for that, I am ever so grateful.

Have you checked out any books at your local library lately? How was your visit?

Books:

(going clockwise)

1. Drawing Animals by Joe Singer and Norman Adams
2. Human Anatomy Made Amazingly Easy by Christopher Hart
3. Teach Yourself Visually Photoshop CS4 by Mike Wooldridge
4. The Photoshop CS/CS2 Wow Book by Linnea Dayton & Cristen Gillespie
5. The New Acrylics by Rheni Tauchid
6. The Secret Art of Dr. Seuss by Theodor Geisel & Maurice Sendak
7. Photoshop CS4: Top 100 Simplified Tips and Tricks by Lynette Kent
8. 60 Minutes To Better Painting by Craig Nelson
9. Helping Your Child With Autism Spectrum Disorder by Stephanie B. Lockshin, Jennifer M. Gillis & Raymond Romanczyk
10. Easy Watercolor: Learn To Express Yourself by Marcia Moses
11. Mother Warriors: A Nation Of Parents Healing Autism Against All Odds by Jenny McCarthy

100 Things - Art Journal Every Day Project

2011-01-17T20:36:00.000-08:00

I guess it's safe to assume that I'm going through some stuff.

I've seriously considered putting myself on a time-out.

This is for the Art Journal Every Day Project

Stay tuned for more Journal Entries

San Francisco Etsy Team - Tuesday Treasury

2011-01-11T13:31:00.000-08:00

Fabulous news people...I have just been accepted into the San Francisco Etsy Team. It's a big deal for me. I am actually a member of a team. I've always been a team player, but never a team member. Pretty cool right?

So for todays Tuesday Treasury, I featured other San Francisco Etsy Team Members.

Seriously, this group of people have soo much talent! I am amazed and I can quickly feel my wallet shrinking as we speak :) San Francisco Etsy Team Purchases are on the horizon!

A Sweet Feature

2011-01-10T18:39:00.000-08:00

Not much to report here except....

MY WORK WAS FEATURED IN A TREASURY AGAIN! ;)

(A treasury that I did NOT make, by the way)

YAY!

Thanks to Katy Atchison for the sweet feature! You made my day :) Oh, and just so you know, she is very talented herself. You should check out her shop. Have a good night everyone!

Today I met Autism

2011-01-06T13:57:00.000-08:00

(Sorry the Tuesday Treasury is Tardy)

Today I met Autism

I silently watched today

Hoping it was a dream

I sat and I stared

As I prepared myself to see

The world was going to crash down

Around those surrounding me

I felt out of orbit, like I was about to fly

I sat there and did nothing, and listened for a cry

I patiently waited

For the mom to break down

At the very least, I expected a deep frown

But the mother took every piece

Of advice that was offered

And as she sat there

She got much stronger

Today I saw Autism

She is not more than three

And when I smiled at Autism

She smiled back at me

Today I talked to Autism

She said that she loved me

And tomorrow when I see her

I will look at her and think

Autism is a diagnosis

But she will always be my niece

Her name is not Autism

Because that's a label, you see?

Her name is Princess Katie

And a princess she will always be

My beautiful niece Katie

For more information about Autism, go here

For the Art Journal Every Day Challenge:

New Year Gift For You!

2011-01-01T18:18:00.000-08:00

Image by freephotoshop.org

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

What a crazy little ride 2010 was. Are you ready for new adventures in 2011? I know I am :)

Now, on to a fresh new start. There are two things I do every year.

The first thing that I do is make goals. I say goals instead of a resolution because having a goal doesn't sound as set in stone as making a resolution. I make more than one goal too so that way I know that I am sure to complete at least one.

My goals this year are:

Focus on the Happy.
Find the Funny.
Get Published.
Work in my Art Journal Every Day.
Take art classes taught by artists that I admire.
Practice Photoshop
Blog More :)

The second thing I do each year is find something charitable to do using my art skills. In 2009, I helped raise money for a friend. In 2010, I painted a piano with my cousin that helped raise over $2,000 for the local Boys & Girls Club. This year, I have signed up for this...

"The Holocaust Museum in Houston Texas is hosting an exhibit with a mission to educate people about the Holocaust, remembering the 6 million Jews and other innocent victims and honoring the survivors' legacy. Using the lessons of the Holocaust and other genocides, we teach the dangers of hatred, prejudice and apathy...

The Butterfly Project mandate is to remember the 1,500,000 innocent children who perished as a result of the Holocaust, by collecting 1.5 million handmade butterflies.

In Spring 2013, these butterflies will then become a breath-taking exhibition to serve as a memory of this event."

If you would like to read more about it, or if you would like to participate yourself, click here.

There were three things that decided this project was the one for me. Children, the devastation that was WWII (that I have a strange fascination and great empathy for) and Butterflies.

Okay, now a Happy New Year present from me to you. Yay!

Brushes by Obsidian Dawn

I have TWO new pieces of art that I created using Photoshop. They are the FIRST pieces of Photoshop art that I have EVER created. :) I am very excited that I have finally figured out how to use that program. It's been a long time coming I suppose, especially since I've spent so many hours making grumpy comments about it while trying to learn on my own. lol. But, I finally did it! (On my way to goal # 6)

Even though many of my Facebook fans have seen these already, they, like you, haven't been given the chance to have them...until now! =D

Brushes by The Fifth Muse

All you need to do is click on the image until its as large as you can get it..and then print it out. Now you will have your very own free prints :)

In other news, I have won an awesome giveaway! Wyanne is an Amazing artist & teacher that I have been following for quite a while and recently, she hosted a giveaway to give one lucky person free admission into a class of their choice...and I won! Yipee! I can already cross off Goal # 5! :)

Also, I signed up for:

I know I already mentioned that but I just wanted to remind anyone else who wanted to join. We can art journal together! :) (Also, it is goal # 4). Speaking of which, I better go because it's getting late and I need to journal for at least ten minutes ;)

I hope you like my gift! Happy New Year, my dear friends :) May the best wishes and brightest dreams come true for you in 2011.

xoxo,

Lynda

Personal Lessons From 2010

2010-12-31T12:55:00.000-08:00

One day I got my nails done by a wise man who said that he thinks god creates a new lesson for us to learn each year. Not as a collective whole. Not as a community, but individually. That year he said his was humility. What he said made me wonder. And wonder. And wonder some more.

For the entirety that was 2010, I was wondering. What was I supposed to be learning and why was I supposed to be learning it? I paid very close attention to every moment, every day, searching for the answer. Then I realized. Maybe I'm learning more than one lesson this year.

Trust, acceptance, patience and love.

Patience: A lot of people think that I am patient but the truth is that, when it is really important to me, I couldn't be LESS patient. This year though, I have practiced my patience and must admit, it has paid off in a big way.

Love: I am love challenged. Not completely, but trusting someone enough to love them completely, with the risk of possibly getting my heart shattered, scares the daylights out of me. I would run before I'd give my heart away, and I have. Many, many MANY times. There, I admit it. I suck at love. But, like the saying goes, "God is laughing while you're busy making other plans." And so it was. I stopped being scared this year the best that I could, and I will tell you right now that I reaped the benefits in a major way, and now I am engaged to my best friend in the whole world. Sure it can still be scary from time to time...but this is where trust comes in.

Trust: Without dwelling on the past, I will just say that trust is probably my biggest downfall. I hate to admit it too, but it's true. It's a pretty sad day when you wake up and realize that you don't even trust yourself. I cried a lot over trust this year. I really did. I cried for myself, I cried for others and I cried just because. But then I learned. True, the world can be an ugly place. Sure, life is not fair. But, focusing on the negativity will only direct you to a sad and jaded direction, a direction I wasn't willing to go down. It won't get you anywhere. So now I think to myself, "If you can trust it, great. If not, at least you tried." And you know what? As it turns out, most of the time, I can trust. I can trust that there are people who really do love me for who I am, I can trust that I always have a choice, and I can always trust that the weatherman is not always accurate :)

Acceptance: I am probably one of the most misunderstood people on the planet. "There goes Lynda. The girl who can never make up her mind." "Look what she said this time.", "She thinks she's soooo perfect." etc. What's worse is that I have this really annoying people pleasing need. I want everyone to be happy in general, and happy with me, all the time. I wish I knew where I got that attribute so that I could take it back for a refund. It's just not worth it. Not worth the anxiety, not worth the energy it consumes, not worth the pressure. Because the truth is, I don't know what I'm doing every day, and I don't know who I am supposed to be, and I couldn't be further from perfection. In a perfect world, everyone would know exactly the type of person I am. Caring, funny, smart, fun, artistic, loving. They wouldn't mind that occasionally I say the stupidest thing known to man, fall while walking up the stairs, drive golf carts like a psycho, or my worst quality of all, the ability to worry over absolutely everyone and everything. However, it's not a perfect world and a lot of people don't know me, or where my heart stands. I am not perfect and I don't pretend to be, I just do the best I can and try to learn lessons about my mistakes along the way. That should be good enough. I am good enough, my art is good enough, and my imperfections are imperfect enough.

Now, while I have realized these things, I am sure that I will spend some of 2011 still trying to figure it all out. Also, I would like to say that 2010 was not negative for me, even though it sounds like it. I am not complaining, I am sharing my truth. :)

During 2010 I accomplished things that I never thought I would. My art was published in a book that literally traveled the world, an article was published about me on a very popular blog, my Etsy sales picked up, I sold original paintings off of the internet, painted a piano that was auctioned off to help the Boys and Girls club, had magical times with my sister, threw a mad hatter party for the neighborly kids with my fiance, and most recently, discovered Photoshop. I got engaged to the best person ever, made art, got to stay home with my son and truly loved and I have people that truly love me.

Because of the wise man at the nail salon, I now thank God for the lessons he gave me every single day and for the people who help guide me through it all.

And as it turns out, I am just a clueless girl, trying to live in the big bad world...and I am okay with that.

Goodbye 2010, and thank you.

Come back tomorrow to see what my resolutions are for 2011! I have some good stuff to share :)

Happy New Year! Be safe! xoxo

A Few Of My Favorite Things

2010-12-27T15:12:00.000-08:00

Well, did you have a great Christmas? I hope you did :) We sure had a good one at our house. In fact, it was so good that I had to take before and after pictures for proof. The only issue was that my camera took mostly blurry pictures (*Side note: Dear Santa, I know whats on my next Christmas list already! :)

Still, I got the basic point of what it was all about. See here, the presents are pretty and placed nicely under the tree...

And then here...is what happens after 4 adults and 2 kids open presents. Pretty messy right? I will let you in on a little secret. This is only about 1/4 of the real mess. Luckily, we had helpers stuffing wrapping paper and boxes into garbage bags as we went along :)

Can you spot the love sign? That was one of my favorite gifts :) Do you see the white orb on the couch? I like to think that it is the spirit of a loved one that has passed. I like to believe that she joined us for all of the excitement because she loved Christmas.

You would think that the younger kid (my niece) would have woken up first, but alas, my 10 year old son was the first to stare into my face at 7 a.m. and shout, "Merry Christmas Mom!"

Christmas was more chaotic this year than previous ones, but it was so worth it. When things got a little stressful, I would just look into this beautiful candle holder that my niece and nephew picked out for me, to remind me that "Family is the best and most beautiful thing in the world." :) Truth be told, I absolutely loved being surrounded by so many people that love and care about each other. There is just something about it that, as my 3 year old niece would say "Is Magical!"

I wondered too, how it went for you. I sent many wishes of happiness and happy thoughts your way. Did you feel them?

Did you get fabulous presents this year? I'd love to hear about what you got :) As for me, I got so many beautiful things. I would post them all but because of my camera acting silly, I could only post the pictures of my gifts that I found online:

I would like to thank everyone who thought of my son and I on this Christmas holiday, and who were so kind as to get us gifts...

And I am most grateful to my readers who are right now reading this :)

As always, see you soon and until next time, take care of you!

xoxo

Christmas Eve Sunrise 2010

2010-12-24T07:42:00.000-08:00

It is Christmas Eve morning and all through the house, not a creature is stirring except for an artist searching for the perfect blouse. :)

At the bat of an eye, she looks outside and sees, a beautiful sunrise made for only you and her to see.

A sunrise so perfect, so cherry and bright, not even god himself could have cast a better light.

The trees have been put up, the presents have been wrapped, the only thing left to do is enjoy it and nap.

The stockings have been hung, the Christmas lights are glittering, the little kiddos are playing and dreaming. They dream of a land where Santa comes to play. A land where toys come to life, and nothings astray.

The grown ups smile, and remember when it was them, with sugar canes and peppermints dancing in their head. Now they look upon their little ones to bring that kind of joy, with love in their hearts and big wishes for toys.

Maybe the grinch made an appearance the last month or two, but the grinchs' heart itself couldnt help but get bigger, the closer the time grew.

The artist blinks again, and the pretty sunrise has faded to yellow and blue, but before she leaves, she has just one wish to share with you.

"I wish for you, my faithful friends, to have a happy holiday however it begins or ends. May your day be full of love, laughter and light, and may the new year begin with dreams and delight."

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope that you get everything that you deserve and more! :)

Art Journal Every Day

2010-12-21T11:53:00.000-08:00

There is not an Etsy Treasury today because I have something different for you instead.While I was scrolling through my google recommendations, I found this blog created by Julie Fei-Fan Balzer. She is an artist also and big on art journaling.

Julie is sharing a challenge with the world. To journal every day with the start of the new year. The rules are really simple. There is no pressure to be perfect, to finish, or even to complete the art journal entry that you have begun. She simply wants to share the process, build a community of support for like minded art journalists and encourage us all to do something creative every day.

You see, this is perfect for me because I have been slacking lately in the art world. Sure, I participate on my blog and Facebook and all that, but I haven't finished or even started a painting in months. Not even an art journal entry...and that's no bueno.

When you do art every day, whether it be drawing or scribbling, doodling or painting, your skills get sharper. Your eyes become more in tune with your hands, and your work becomes more detailed.

I guess you could say that I needed an art break..but now I need an art motivator. Stumbling across this idea seemed like a sign, and I am a huge believer in signs.

So, here I am, all signed up and determined to start January 1st, 2011. And it feels great. I think 2011 will hold some great things for me and my art, and I hope it creates the same kind of magic for you and your art as well.

Would you like to sign up? All you need to do is go here, sign up and then grab the badge and throw it on your blog. Or, if you don't have a blog, you can just comment on her journaling posts. Yup, it's easy peasy. As the commercials would say, "Even a caveman could do it." :)

Glittery Twine Trees

2010-12-15T13:19:00.000-08:00

Hello friends! Just like I promised, I am back with my very first tutorial. Today I am going to teach you how to make beautiful Glittery Twine Trees :) Ready? Let's begin!

Supplies

1 or 2 Styrofoam Trees

Tacky Glue of the spray variety

Twine

Glitter

Spray Paint

Glossy varnish or sealer

Gloves (not totally necessary but I recommend it)

Newspaper

Okay before I start rambling directions I must give you a helpers tip. Start by holding the top of the tree instead of the bottom (see picture above), and only spray the glue on the bottom half. Tacky glue is extremely sticky stuff so if you spray the whole thing with glue right off the bat, you will be irritated when your hand gets stuck. *Ahem* Not that I know from personal experience.

Moving on...

So now your holding the pointy part and sprayed glue on the bottom portion. You now want to start wrapping the twine. The end of the twine is put down first and then wrapped around the tree.

*It helps if you use one hand to pull the twine around the tree and the other to move the tree. It's both helpful for the twine and for your gooey glue hands.

When you make a full circle with the twine, cover the end of the string that was put down first. That way it won't come undone later. Then just keep wrapping and wrapping and wrappity wrapping. It is a somewhat tedious task but the end result is totally worth it. When that part is done, it should look similar to this:

Don't worry if your lines of twine are not completely touching. As long as you got them as close together as you could, it won't be noticeable when you are finished.

The next step is to spray it with spray paint. You will want to do this step outside because the fumes are very strong. Please read the label of the spray paint before use. Hold the tree above the newspaper while you spray so that way it will get an even coat and so that it won't stick to the newspaper. Otherwise, you will have a newspaper and glitter tree :)

Speaking of glitter, here comes the fun part! That's right friends, it's time to get your glitter on. Now, if the twine has dried at this point, you could just spray some tacky glue all over it and then sprinkle the glitter. If it is still wet, then glitter away! Try to get an even coat of glitter if you can :) Oh, and don't forget the newspaper. As you can see, glitter and spray paint can make quite a fun mess.

Now you make be asking yourself why the twine if we are just going to dump a ton of glitter on it? Well the answer to that is: Texture. The twine and glitter combo add a very subtle but beautiful texture. See for yourself (picture below).

To dry it, stand it up on the newspaper. Once it all dries, spray an even coat of glossy varnish or sealer over the entire thing. This helps to keep the glitter on the tree instead of on your face. Not that it happened to me. I recommend spraying one coat of varnish, letting it dry completely and then spraying with a second coat. Once it's all dry, Voila! You have a pretty decoration for your home, or a pretty gift for someone else.

Don't they look pretty? I think the glittery pine cones give it a little something extra, don't you think? :) And guess what? They are even more beautiful in person!

Enjoy & Happy Holiday Crafting Friends!

Holiday Decorations - Tuesday Treasury

2010-12-14T15:04:00.000-08:00

Todays Tuesday Treasury features many things for your Christmas holiday. From ornaments to acorns, there is a little bit of everything. I really hope you take the time to look at these beautiful things as I am positive that it will help get you in the Christmas spirit :)

Can you believe how fast Christmas showed up? I don't know about you but for me, it came at lightning speed. I am busy running around looking for DIY projects, gift ideas etc. When I do finally sit down, it is often for hours at a time because I am busy building, glittering, sealing, painting, wrapping and daydreaming of what I could make that will make that certain someone smile. Let me just tell you though, I still feel completely unprepared and stressed that I won't have everything finished on time. Shh, that can be our little secret :)

With ten days to go, I still have a lot of work to do. I am trying to be mostly thrifty and homemade this year. Things that are not homemade will be shopped for on Christmas Eve. Yup. I am THAT crazy.

Other than that I must let you in on a teeny surprise. I am going to share a tutorial or two with you soon. Tutorials on mainly decoration ideas, but they could always be gift ideas too. I'm not 100% sure I will be able to share more than one due to time constraints, but I will if time allows me to. I hope you'll like it! It will be my first blog tutorial ever so I am a little nervous :)

Wow, and here I thought I didn't have much to say to you today. I really do love the blog-o-sphere and adore you, my readers :) I suppose I could talk to you all day if we were in the same room, but for now Santa's workshop is calling so....

Ho Ho Ho! Off I Go Go Go!

P.s. What about you? Are you making anything homemade? Are you worried that your gifts won't be ready in time, or are you totally prepared? Please, do tell :)

Made In The USA - Tuesday Treasury

2010-11-30T19:03:00.000-08:00

Made in the USA for less than 20 bucks! Can you believe it? I had NO idea that Etsy had so many things for less than 20 bucks! This is just a very quick collection of goods that I found. I say quick because I made this right after throwing dinner (soup) on the stove and now its done so I gotta go. Boys are already at the table waiting, lol. Enjoy todays treasury you guys and check out all the items for less than 20 on Etsy :)

How was your holiday? Did you burn anything? I burned my hands, lol...oh yeah...gotta go!

Get Your Christmas Gifts Here!

2010-11-29T07:29:00.000-08:00

Hello Cyber Monday shoppers! :) Today I am offering 40% off my ENTIRE store!!

Just enter coupon code 1206MH79 during checkout.

People LOVE getting art for presents..believe me, I know :)

Have an excellent day and best of luck to you on your Internet shopping day!

My First Etsy Sale - EVER

2010-11-26T09:50:00.000-08:00

There you have it! For the first time ever, I am having a sale on ALL of the art in my shop! Prints and ORIGINAL PAINTINGS! For 50% off...can you believe it?

This is a ONE DAY ONLY event.

Please DO NOT FORGET the CODE on the coupon above as you will NOT get the discount if you forget to enter it during checkout :)

Many wishes of Peace, Love and Awesome Art to you!

P.s. Sorry for all the caps. I'm not yelling, just emphasizing ;) xoxo

Thanksgiving 2010 Giveaway Winner

2010-11-25T08:06:00.000-08:00

__________________________________________________________

*Drum roll please*

The winner of the spectacular Butterfly Dreams Giveaway is:

Congratulations to fellow blogger, Dogs Mom!!! Please email your address to Luckybutterfly27@aol.com.

Thank you for playing everyone :)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Speaking of turkey day, do you realize what comes after that? Why, the amazing sales of course! Can you guess what that means?

That means I will be having my VERY FIRST EVER Etsy sale! It's a good one too :) You'll see, just make sure you come back tomorrow to get the amazing deal because it's ONE DAY ONLY!

Holiday shopping online is the way to go if you ask me...but then, I have a biased opinion :)

See you tomorrow everyone!

P.s. What are you grateful for this year? I am grateful for Y-O-U :)

P.s.s. GOBBLE GOBBLE! =D

Feature & Reminder

2010-11-24T16:24:00.000-08:00

Hello lovelies! I am so happy to announce that one of my very own paintings has been featured in a treasury. Boy, do I love getting an email saying my work has been featured! =D It's very exciting and makes me very happy. So please, when you have a minute, go check it out.

A couple more quick things...

Today is the LAST day to enter my giveaway! It could be perfect for you or that blossoming artist that you know! Holidays are here people :) Click HERE to enter.

Last but not least, I will not only announce the giveaway winner tomorrow, but I will also have other exciting news! ;)

Besides, there is always some down time when waiting for the turkey, right? Talk to you soon!

Random Favorites - Tuesday Treasury

2010-11-23T17:41:00.000-08:00

Todays Tuesday Treasury is a selection of my Etsy favorites. Things I love and want. That pretty much sums it up. I just love them and I really hope I can buy them all one of these days :) I hope you fall in love with these sellers, they are really a big bucket of talent.

Also, before I go...

Don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY for a chance to win a FREE $20.00 Blicks (art supply store) gift card and the book titled The Big Book of Cartooning. I will be drawing the winners name on Thanksgiving, so stay tuned for that :)

See you soon!

P.s. I apologize for being a slacker when it comes to responding to all of your comments, but I just want you to know that I do read them and they make my day brighter, every day, so thank you :) Hopefully I will have more time soon to improve my response time.

Thanksgiving Giveaway!

2010-11-19T11:08:00.000-08:00

Hello friends :) Do I have a surprise for you!

Since the holiday season is now in full force, I have decided to do a Thanksgiving giveaway. Yay!!

Since many of you are artists too, I have decided to giveaway something along those lines. Are you not an artist, but maybe you know someone that you need to get a Christmas gift for? Then this is perfect for you!

My only problem was that it came down to two choices and well, I am indecisive so instead of one, I have decided to give away TWO things!

These two things are on my top ten list of the coolest art things ever. The first one is a book called The Big Book of Cartooning by Bruce Blitz.

Illustration is one of my greatest passions in art. The characters, the personalities, the vast variety of different things you can do with them is amazing to me. Not to mention the vibrant colors that go along with them :) I figured if you are like me and have any interest in Illustration, and/or if you cannot afford to learn these things in art school...why not give away one of the coolest cartoon how-to books out there?

This book has as astounding 320 pages of everything from light and shadow to drawing comics to making money. You can learn to draw it all! It truly is one of my most cherished books of all time. You, or the person your shopping for, will simply adore it. Here are some inside pictures. My apologies for crappy pictures but I was too excited to not have shaky hands :)

Table of contents

How to draw faces

How to draw animals

How to put it all into a comic strip

The book as a whole

Now let me ask you, do you know someone who might like, oh I dunno...a gift card to one of the internets top retail sites for ART SUPPLIES?? ;)

The reason I ask is because I am also giving away a $20.00 gift card from Blick art materials!

Anyone can enter and here's how:

All you have to do is leave a comment! And if you'd like, maybe mention my work somewhere on the internet :)
That's it!

Good luck to you all. I wish you could all win!

Here's The Thing

2010-11-16T21:58:00.000-08:00

It is now 9:30 p.m. You may be asking yourself, "What's this? The crazy lady that talks to us like we are in the same room and wears witch costumes in public has NOT made an Etsy treasury today?! But its Tuesday!"

I know my friends, I know. But let me tell you about my day. And while I admit that this is partial complaining, it is mostly factual.

I almost didn't hear my alarm go off this morning. I should have realized right then that there was a reason for that but alas, I did not. Anyway, the short story is this:

The day started off normally and I was in a good mood. Then it got worse. And now it's back to mostly normal but the good mood has faded to a frazzled, I-cannot-wait-until-bed time mood. You know what I'm talking about don't you?

So now you're probably wondering what the real story is. Maybe I stubbed a toe. Maybe I forgot I was on a diet. But no.

I got a big stomach ache, but it was weird. My stomach played mean games throughout the day as if it was seeing how long it would take for me to admit myself into the mental ward of the nearest hospital. As if that wasn't enough, technology decided to hop on the game board.

Seriously, technology declared war on me today. First, the thing I needed to print was on the wrong computer. Then I realized I had to empty my flash drive in order to get the thing off of the other computer. Then the shipping labels decided not to work with the printer upstairs so I had to go downstairs to the other one. Then THAT one decided it was the USB cables day off. Next, it ran out of ink. Then I realized I printed the stuff on normal paper instead of special paper. *Enter semi-unstable mental breakdown here*

Luckily, the Mr. Lovely decided to help out (probably sensing that his safety zone was about to be compromised) Well, I must shamefully admit that he too became the blame for all of the worlds unnecessary evils. *Enter time-out here*

Finally, we figured it all out and because he is oh so heavenly, he decided to make dinner while I worked on getting the rest of my order together for shipment tomorrow morning. Did I forget to mention that I sprayed the oven yesterday with cleaning chemicals and then forgot to wash it out? No? ........*Enter cricket sounds here*

All of a sudden I hear this, "Uh, honey...the oven is smoking and this really strong smell came out of the oven when I opened it."

Shit. (That's a Capital Shit, by the way)

Yes, we turned it off immediately. Yes we opened every single window, door and turned on every fan. Yes, we still managed to make dinner without the oven. No...my order was still not done.

After dinner I could not for the love of cupcakes find ANYTHING I needed to finish the order. I had to dump everything out and search within every crevice. And then, as if god himself to pity on me, the order was completed....

12 HOURS LATER.

So you will forgive me this once for not making a treasury, won't you?

I knew you'd understand, so I left you a note in the picture below. Can you see it?

The pictures today are from my little studio area where all the magic happens. It's a tiny space really, but when technology and my stomach play nice, it's a great place to get the job done :)

Happy Turkey Month!

2010-11-09T15:22:00.000-08:00

Happy November everyone! I Hope you are all doing well :)

The weather is changing, the leaves are falling and the fireplaces are smoking! It is almost time to hibernate for the Winter and a person like me wonders...are you ready?

While I will miss the Summer months and the Sun, I must shyly admit to you all that I am ready to accept the frosty mornings and hot cocoa. Well actually, I am not really shy about hot cocoa. I mean it is chocolate after all. And actually, I'm not that shy either, lol. However, if you told my friends that I am looking forward to Winter, they will laugh at you and think your kidding. Because by nature, I am and will always be a Summer girl.

Lately though, all I can think about is lounging around in pajamas with my boys and watching movies while listening to the sweet sound of rain. I can already smell the cinnamon spice and I can already see the glistening lights on the Christmas tree. I never used to be like this, daydreaming about wintery nights and all. But I figured out why my thinking has changed and it's not because of presents or the fact that holidays bring out family dysfunction at it's best ;) It's because of an observation of myself that I have recently discovered.

There isn't much to do during the Winter because it is cold and rainy and it's dark by 5. Because of that, I do much more art than I accomplish during any other season. Fall and Winter are quiet months. Thinking months and feeling months. Feeling grateful and thinking about our lives. What we want, what we need and what we love most. So you see, it is HUGELY inspirational to me as an artist.

Not to mention, all the decorating and craft time with my son :)

Todays Tuesday Treasury is all about being grateful, the changing of seasons, the beginning of something new and the welcoming of cocoa and art. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I do, and I hope that your Winter is full of happiness and love.

Halloween 2010 - Where Pumpkins Go To Die

2010-10-31T00:03:00.000-07:00

Good day, my favorite Ghouls and goblins! HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

Today is going to be mainly a "picture day only" kind of day. Due to the crazy holiday schedule and the fact that it is almost 2 a.m here as I type :) Anyway, these pictures were created at my house, the local pumpkin patch and the Spirit Halloween store. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Enjoy and I hope you have a splendidly wicked time tonight! Be safe :)

This is little dude during his school Halloween Parade. He was probably the most gruesome there. You can't see it here but he's wearing a white t-shirt with fake blood all over it. He even went as far as to put the fake blood on his hands and arms. My camera had a massive attitude problem that day so most of the pictures came out blurry. I will get some good shots of him tonight though!

The pumpkin situation was a disaster of the sad variety. We carved them way too early. An exact week too early to be exact, but in our defense, we were impatient and excited :) As my luck would have it, my beautiful pumpkin was the first to go. It's too bad that I was too lazy to take a picture while the pumpkin was still in all it's glory. It used to be a bat flying in front of a crescent moon with clouds and graves below. *Sigh* Oh well, maybe you can find some shapes with your imagination?

This is where pumpkins really go to die. My house. My back porch actually. They still look pretty decent in this photo though. You should see them now. The boys watch them with interest as they rot into black, fuzzy, moldy carcasses. I'm hoping they'll get the clue and throw them out. A girl can always dream right? :)

This picture is a blooper. It makes me laugh :)

...and don't forget to R.I.P! Mwahahahaha!!!

Halloween just wouldn't be the same if I didn't play this song...

Looking for some good Halloween movies? Here are a few of my favorites but before you watch, make sure you turn off the music box below :) (its below the movie clips)

P.s....BOO! ;)

My Ghost Story - Tuesday Treasury

2010-10-26T11:13:00.000-07:00

I wonder about ghosts. Do you?

I guess it's because I've had so many experiences with them.

Once, I jumped up from a dead sleep and saw a silhouette of a cowboy staring at me in silence from my bedroom doorway.

My son refused to sleep in his room for years because he was convinced that a ghost was "hanging out" in there.

I've had experiences where my television has shut off all by itself. Not the way TVs shut off now where the whole screen goes blank at once. I mean the old way. The way the television show morphs into a gray ball before disappearing into nothingness.

A few years after those events, I moved out of that house and into a house that I knew I'd regret moving into. While it was calmer as far as activity goes, it was the house that creeped me out the most. I never had the guts to walk one step into one of the rooms because it was eerie and had a strange energy. Eventually, I moved out of that house too.

Now I live in a house that is warm and cozy.

I felt much better about moving into this one. The energy felt nice and calm and the sun would shine in through the windows. But then weird things started happening there too.

One night, I fell asleep on the couch and woke up at 2 a.m. all sweaty like it was a million degrees. Usually I am a sissy during the winter season so it's not surprising that my heater was on. But then, as I decided to go outside for some fresh air, I realized that I had left my phone on the couch. So, as any person would do, I turned my head to look and see where it was. And then it happened.

I saw a ghost. A real, scare the bajesus out of you ghost. It was a little girl, maybe 8 or 9 years old. She was sitting in the chair next to the couch. Silent. Still. Head down. Hands in her lap. She had long dark hair and was wearing a white dress. She really did look like the girl from the movie The Ring. That was about as much detail as I could gather before I shrieked like a baby and quickly looked away. Finally I got the courage to look back, but without a sound, she had vanished into thin air.

Soon after, I started hearing a little girls voice say my sons name. "Michael"......"Miiiiiichael." The way she said his name wasn't menacing but innocent like she wanted to play. I never mentioned it to my son because to be frank, I thought maybe I was going a little crazy. But then, once again, my son did not want to stay in his room. "There's a ghost in there mom. Sometimes I hear funny things and it freaks me out."

He went to school one day and I was home alone. Then I heard it again. "Michaaael". Out of nervousness and irritation I quickly replied out loud, "Look, you need to leave him alone. If you want to stay here, that's fine..as long as you leave him alone. I don't want you talking to him or scaring him in any way and if you can't do that then you have to go." Then, just like magic, we never heard the little girls voice again.

However, lately we have been experiencing some new stuff. About a month ago, I was walking up the stairs when all of a sudden I heard in a husky male voice, "What are you doing here?" That voice was as clear as a sunny day too. It was not the neighbors voice, my son was gone for the night and my boyfriend left for work. It caught me so off guard that the only thing I could muster up to say was, "Me? I live here. What the F*ck are YOU doing here?" and then I ran and hid under my covers.

Lol...I admit that how I responded was rude but when you get caught off guard like that, well, it's not like you're going to be all prim and proper right?

Anyway, my friend and her baby came to stay for a couple of weeks soon after that. After the first night my friend told me that her son kept talking to someone who wasn't here, late at night and was clapping his hands and giggling as if he was playing a game with someone. We continued to watch him for the days following and let me just say, if I didn't believe that kids could see things that adults can't before, I definitely believe it now. He played and talked and laughed and pointed and said things like, "bye bye" and "night night" to thin air. He would sit and watch the front door. We watched him look around like he was watching someone move, like this:

Now, maybe the average person would freak out or get their house blessed and to be honest, I've thought of that and have freaked out a bit. Recently, I've tried to tell them to leave like I did before because I've watched enough ghost shows to know that it works. But you're supposed to sound all authoritative and well, I didn't quite say it that way because I felt a little guilty.

I bet you wonder why I felt guilty? I will tell you why. They've never hurt us or moved things around to put us in danger. They've never said anything nasty. And while they may have showed themselves to us a time or two, I don't feel like they ever meant us harm. Maybe they just thought I was comfortable enough to see them.

So this is where my curiosity comes into play. You see, I'm weird. I am. If you haven't figured that out yet, I'm sure someone else would be more than happy to explain said weirdness to you. I just have this weird way of thinking outside the box.

For instance, instead of assuming they're evil and wanting to move out, I think about things like:

* They were people too
* Once upon a time, they had families of their own
* They probably have feelings (I'm sure they did not appreciate me cussing at them)
* What were they like in their lives?
* What time frame did they live in?
* Were they happy?
* Maybe they are drawn to my weirdness.
* Maybe they aren't really strangers, but spirits that were once the people I loved most in this world?

(This image is from my personal collection. Feel free to use it as you wish, but if you do use it for art purposes, please let me see! I love other peoples' art :)

So you see, maybe they aren't bad. Maybe they are great story tellers that keep you company on cold and lonely nights. Sparks to your imagination and guides to light up your life. Or maybe, just maybe, they think you're a good friend and feel comfortable around you. Maybe YOU give THEM comfort on those cold and lonely nights.

Sure, the unknown is scary, but more than half of the decisions you make during your lifetime are just that: Unknown and Scary. :)

And that my friends, is what today's Etsy Tuesday Treasury is all about.

These stories are true. However, I did borrow some of the images. You can find the borrowed images by clicking on the title below:

Cowboy Image
Poltergeist Image
The Ring Image

Plumrose Lane

2010-10-20T15:45:00.000-07:00

Hello, my lovely readers :)I hope you are most excellent. The weather here is getting pretty chilly, how about over there where you are?

Todays post is all about the FABULOUS Sharon who writes the blog Plumrose Lane. I chose to write about her today because I feel that if I don't let you in on this lovely lady's story, I would have to consider myself a bad friend..and we don't want that :)

Sharon is just one of those people that attracts..well, people. She is friendly, generous, caring and to top it all off, she's a great graphic designer. I have been following her blog for a while now and she always comes up with something new to share with the world. This is a woman that truly believes that sharing is caring.

Now, I must admit that I try out almost anything she throws out into the universe. Banners, Blog badges, her own Plumrose lane badges, quote buttons, you name it, I've probably used it, lol. However, I made a deal with myself that as soon as I can scrounge up enough dough, I would actually BUY something of hers.

Recently I discovered that I had a few dollars to spare and desperately needed a blog badge. What is a blog badge you ask? Basically its a picture with a link at the bottom. The blog owner puts it on their blog and then if a reader wants to support them, they can grab the code and put it on their own blog sidebar, by copying & pasting it. After that, other readers get curious and push on the button and voila! They are directed to my blog, and if they like my bizarre ways, they follow me :) And as we all know, followers are what bloggers want.

Oh, on that note let me just say...

HELLO TO ALL OF MY NEW FOLLOWERS! YOUR FRIENDSHIP IS HIGHLY APPRECIATED! :)

Back to my original point...

With the few dollars I had, I went to Sharons Etsy shop and purchased myself a blog badge. See the picture above? That is the magic that she created just for me! Isn't it beautiful? Not only was she fast and efficient but she was super friendly. Sharon really is what Etsy & the blog world are all about. Nice people.

THANKS BUNCHES FOR THE BADGE & NEW FRIENDSHIP SHARON! :)

As for the badge itself, I put it on the right side of my blog (in the sidebar). Feel free to copy and paste it into your blog..I really hope you will :)

And, in honor of Sharon from Plumrose Lane, I bring to you..

The, Wednesday-which-should-have-been-Tuesday-Treasury! Enjoy.

P.s for future reference when I have a blog party, I tend to skip that weeks Treasury post so that way the party hoppers can find my party post easily for a week :)

P.s.s. Dear Halloween Participants, While I have commented on some, I have not seen or commented on all due to time restraints..but I will be by to show support as soon as I possibly can. Thank you all for visiting and leaving comments on my party post :)

Halloween Countdowns at WiddlyTinks.com

Halloween Party 2010 - Haystack Landing

2010-10-15T23:12:00.000-07:00

Let me tell you all a scary story. A story of murder, mystery and more importantly, a tale that lurks only a few miles from my home.

For many years, I would go by this abandoned and condemned house and look upon it with great respect and curiosity. I would hear tales of teenagers driving by at night, breaking in and then watching with horror as something paranormal happened right before their very eyes. There have been rumors of ghosts, death, and people suddenly disappearing. This was a house that one could not look at without shuddering and getting goosebumps. This place, this house, is considered one of the most haunted places in Sonoma County.

And so goes the tale of Haystack Landing.

If you dig into the history, you will find that Native Americans vehemently considered this area to be evil and taboo.

They believed what they thought to be true about this place, and tried to warn the Spanish settlers. Only, the settlers did not listen.

One day, a missionary was found dead from self inflicted wounds after trying to bless and cleanse the area. During that time, Haystack Landing also became a place for ships to dock their boats on their way back from San Francisco.

Soon after, reports started flooding in that some settlers went crazy and murdered farmers and other innocent people. There were more rumors of people seeing apparitions and other things that could not be explained such as mass suicides and fires.

Horrible reports have circulated about this place that date all the way back to the 1800s. You can read more about the history here.

Many years later, a professor of parapsychology brought his students to the Haystack Landing house to investigate the happenings. During the investigation, one student went back to the hotel to get something. When he returned, rumor has it that the students and professor were either missing or dead (Unfortunately, I cannot remember which way it was).

In 2004, there was a plan to build upon the property to create a marketplace but by 2007, the house had burned down. Some people believe that the home was burned to the ground intentionally.

This area, especially the home, has created such a stir that a movie was made about it. That movie is called, Incident at Haystack Landing.

There are people who don't believe. Skeptics and critics are quick to judge. As for myself, I'm a believer. The question is....are you??

P.s. While I did write this myself (No copying or pasting), I did find all of the information and photos for this post here

I would also like to take a moment to thank the amazingly wonderful Vanessa for hosting todays Halloween blog party. THANK YOU VANESSA! By the way, she is one of my most favorite blog reads. You should definitely check her out, which you can do here :)

Halloween Countdowns at WiddlyTinks.com

Spooky dreams my friends, don't let the ghosts bite ;)

Something Spooky

2010-10-14T00:01:00.000-07:00

I had an unexpected visitor the other day. You know, the kind that makes you question whether or not they are "real" or are just in your imagination. Not like the scary, schizophrenic-voices-in-your-head kind of thing...more like the "It's almost Halloween and I've been thinking all things spooky " kind of thing.

So there we were, having some laughs with a friend when all of a sudden I look at my little mans bike and...BAM!

Spooooooky :)

I've never seen him before, and I'm not even sure you can see him now...or can you?? If you can, he must like your imagination too.

The question is friends, Is he, or is he not "real"? One might never know.

See you all on the 16th for the Halloween Party...right? ;)

Get more countdown timers at NeatProfiles.com

I CAN'T WAIT!! :D

Romancing the Thorn - Tuesday Treasury

2010-10-05T14:43:00.001-07:00

Todays Tuesday Treasury was created from the inspiration of the following quote:

"A life with love will have some thorns, but a life without love will have no roses."

One more piece of advice before I go...

Be brave in love friends. Life is really nothing without it.

This Just In!

2010-09-30T20:49:00.001-07:00

First, For all of those looking for my Practical Magic Blog Post, simply scroll down just a tad and off the broom handle you will fly :)

And now the news:

Hello lovely bloggers and/or blog readers! Let me tell you a quick little story. I started painting and doing art again about two years ago as an outlet for stress (You can read my dramatic entrance back into art here) One day, I was wandering around Youtube looking for videos about painting and stumbled across Willowings Youtube channel

Needless to say, I fell in love with her amazing outlook on life, her ability to make people feel special, and of course, her sense of humor. I watched her videos as soon as a new one was visible, and I would watch them a second time on days that I was not feeling so great. Soon thereafter, she created a new site on Ning and created a little corner of the world where people could go and meet other artists, gain confidence, and practice the love of art. To this day, I still love watching her art. It cheers me up, even when I'm already happy :) However, she created online classes for people to learn how to paint and draw and every time I was going to buy a spot in the class, one of those crazy bills got in my way....

And now, for the great news. Does she have a treat for you and I!!

She is offering a FREE online course! Yay! :) Interested? All you have to do is sign up here

Honestly, my life is kind of crazy right now with work deadlines and school homework, and being a mom and planning Halloween and yada yada yada...but i STILL signed up. I guess sometimes, life needs craziness of the magical variety. Am I right? :)

So go on dear friends, sign up...and I will meet you there :D

Practical Magic Party 2010

2010-09-25T02:47:00.000-07:00

Practical Magic is one of my most cherished movies of all time. It's full of mystery, suspense, magic, sisterhood, romance and a haunting. It is the kind of story that cements a memory into your brain. And I, your most unsuspecting witch, (tee hee!) will tell you a secret story. One that is only made between two young women who promise to grow into old bats together in a house where, "In this house, we eat chocolate cake for breakfast! And we never bother with silly little things, like bed times or brushing our teeth." Except we will...brush our teeth that is ;)

My sister and I have been curious about the "unexplained" since before I can remember. Ghosts, UFO's, Witches, Magic, and the most mysterious unexplained thing of all, love. One of the strongest loves one could ever encounter is that of family. Especially sisterhood. We have been separated by different states, different homes, different childhoods and the all impossible teenage girl years. And even through all of that, we stayed close. Like magic.

(I'm big sister, she's little sister)

Sometimes, we daydream of living in a house where kittens can sit on the table and eat grapes with us. Other times, we wish that things would just be still and normal. We wish for things like a peaceful garden to sit in and drink tea with silly looking hats and giggle loudly until the neighbors complain. This my friends, is what makes the movie so special to me. In the beginning, the sisters are seperated. In the end, they're closer than ever before. (See where I'm going with this?) Then, Miss Justina and Anna decided to create a blog party about the movie. So here we are friends. On another magical journey into the unknown. Since so many people have blogged about the movie before, I thought we would try something different.

In honor of the movie, I bring to you...a spell of peace and happiness too :)

The first thing any witch would have to do is gather some supplies, so off we go for a saucy surprise. In a town not far from here are two shops that are perfect little havens for witches like us.

Did you know that stones like these have magical properties? Tis true my friend. Tis true indeed.

This store has quite a few gems, do you see? ;)

This little shop even has "intuitive" readings

I just LOVE this lamp :)

Now step outside, and walk on down to the other jewel of a place thats in town

It's undercover claim is that it sells stuff for "aromatherapy", tea blends and candles..but really, it's a place for us to get some dried herbs and potion bottles

Now that we've gone and gathered our supplies, it's time to go on the real ride :) We start off first by gathering the good books

Next we get all nice and fancy in some light

Time to get the broom to kick this off right

And of course a black skirt, make sure its not too tight

Now we're ready..but what's that you see? From the corner of your eye...could it be?

A real witch!? Who is it? Did you see? Whoever it is, looks busy to me.

Just when I thought that she looked lonely, another one appeared out of nowhere and spooked thee! (lol)

Without them knowing that we were there, they snuck into the garden for spells of soul repair (Psst! Is that you making that sound? Giggles and chuckles all around? The witches will hear you and we will be found!) ;)

The time is now to witness some magic, maybe they're mixing something metallic

Of eye of newt and all things tragic, they mix and melt until things melt like plastic

The witches even have a crystal ball, which in their hands gets very small

And now, my dear friends, a question is to be asked. Have you figured out who the witch is at last? The crystal ball knows all the answers. I bet it will tell us that she's not a great dancer.

Dear crystal ball, what is it that you see? Get closer my pretties and she will tell you; The witch is....

ME!! I was hiding there all along

Under the hat, writing and singing a song

While at the same time talking to you, and spooking you for free! What I bet you didn't know was that while you were watching me...

I had someone special watching over you from a tree

Are you all nice and spooked now? Scary as can be? Well scary is for scaredy cats, not for you and me :) After all, this was fun. There were giggles and glee and I did it all for you, my beautiful pretties :)

So there it is, the big secret revealed. Do me a favor though and make sure its sealed. Another favor before you go, remember these lines to help you grow ;)

"My darling girl, when are you going to realize that being normal is not necessarily a virtue? It rather denotes a lack of courage!"

"There are some things I know for certain: always throw spilled salt over your left shoulder, keep rosemary by your garden gate, plant lavender for luck, and fall in love whenever you can"

P.s..if you haven't seen that movie, you should. Just sayin'. Oh, and you should definitely do the midnight margarita thing. It's just awesome.

Until next time my friends, or HALLOWEEN more precisely, I bid you goodbye most lovingly

Halloween Countdowns at WiddlyTinks.com

Dedicated to a Gypsy - Tuesday Treasury

2010-09-21T12:43:00.000-07:00

A woman I know moved around a lot back in the day. She believes in magic, understands what it's like to be different and encourages my creativity. In her own life, she wonders what it is that she's supposed to be. Looking back to when she was little, she remembers fondly that she wanted to be a Gypsy. A magical, palm reading, fortune telling gypsy that swirls around in a mismatched outfit, goes against the "norm" and experiences new places.

When I was little, this woman was the purest definition of magic. Because of her, I have experienced many magical things in my life such as:

* Sitting with Queen Elizabeth
* Watching a jousting tournament
* Sleeping under the stars
* Became friends a man with no lower body, who walked using only his hands
* Had my palm read by a fortune teller
* Experienced tarot readings
* Learned about magic
* Traveled to different places
* Learned how to be very intuitive
* I learned how to find the meaning of my dreams
* Participated in indian rituals like dancing under the moon and participating in sweat lodges
* I was allowed to wear silly and ridiculous outfits in public
* She told me I was pregnant before I suspected a thing, and she was right.
* Learned that its okay, even fabulous to be different

The list above is just a small example of how she adds spark to my life. Without her, I doubt I would have such magical experiences. My childhood was more than just a childhood. It was a journey. A journey to become the person I was always meant to be. An artist.

Now, when this woman asks herself why she feels lost, or why she doesn't know what she is supposed to become, I think to myself, "You are not lost. You are right where you're supposed to be. Sitting right here, eating chocolate for breakfast, and creating magic with your daughter."

So you see, what she doesn't realize is that she has already become what she was always meant to be. Not only is she the best definition of what a gypsy should be, but most importantly, she is my mom.

This Tuesday Treasury is dedicated to my mom, and to anyone else who, although they may not know it, are right where they're supposed to be.

Love you mom!

Gypsy Song

Gypsy Dance

P.s I didn't sit with the REAL Queen Elizabeth :) I sat with the Renaissance Faire Queen..but when I was little, she was the REAL Queen :)

2010-09-18T07:46:00.000-07:00

Its almost that time again, of magic and treats. Of rosemary from the garden and little crows feet!

Of wicked witches cackles galore, of bats and brooms and much much more.

As the scarecrow scares and the vampires stare, wont you play a part this year?

Ghosts and goblins ponder this too, as they sit around eating pumpkin stew.

Come one, come all, dont delay! For Hallows eve is in no time away!

October 16th is the day that has been chosen, to sneak and snoop in every coven!

I will be here with spells and magic, to taint your eyes with something tragic.

Please come and do not be frightened, for Halloween is to be delighted :)

Halloween Countdowns at WiddlyTinks.com

Your Idea Could Be My Next Painting!

2010-09-16T22:03:00.001-07:00

I am offering Facebook fans a chance to win the original painting! Want in on it? All you have to do is go to my Facebook page and click the like button...and then just read the contest rules :) It's not hard to enter, I promise! Good luck to you all :)

Terrible Tuesday

2010-09-07T14:59:00.000-07:00

Did you know...

Todays Tuesday Terribly Tattled on Thursday, Thus Thinking in Turmoil Today?

Tis True.

Okay, maybe not...but the absence of todays treasury is Mondays fault.

Monday Missed Many Miraculous Moments while Merrily Munching Mangoes.

No? Shall I try the boring truth then? Alrighty...

Because yesterday was Labor Day, everyone was home so today I've been thinking all day how it is not Tuesday, but Monday. You see? :) We do not do Treasuries on Mondays, but Tuesdays indeed :)

So instead I decided that today would be a post of randomness. See that picture above? Those are all the books that I've been reading or flipping through. They are excellent books and I have to say, quite possibly my favorite at the moment. Especially the book about Lewis Carroll and the Secret Lives of Great Artists. Have you read them? No? Have you read any good books lately?

Most people would assume that art is my biggest obsession. And they're right. I will buy an $8.00 thing of glue before I will buy a purse or clothes (Not that I don't like to look cute, cuz I do. It's just not as big of a priority as glue I guess, lol).

However, the one other thing that I absolutely adore without question are books. I love them. I might even be obsessed. I cannot go into Borders without buying something. Take me to the mall and watch me walk out with nothing. Take me to Borders and watch me wish that I had more money. Weird eh?

Upstairs I have a closet bursting at the seams with books. The first book I ever read. The first book that scared the bajesus out of me, medical books, parenting books, witchcraft books, Dr. Suess books, paranormal books, and many MANY books I haven't even read. We have our own little private library. It's bigger than anyone elses collection that I've ever met so far. I must have around 300 books.

Maybe book obsessions are hereditary. My mom was actually denied at the library once because she had already checked out the maximum amount of books and still tried to check out more. That story is one of my favorites to tell, and one that my mom wishes I wasn't there to witness :) My sister also has the reading gene. I remember going to the library since I was little. Reading is HUGE to us. We still go to the library with our mom...and now when we go, we bring our babies like she always brought us.

I suppose it is safe to say that books are my 2nd greatest obsession. I love the way they smell, the way they take me places where I have never been, how they teach me something new..and the prices aren't bad at all :) I have found books for 50 cents!

How do you feel about books?

P.s....Are you getting ready for the big day yet??? ;)

Halloween Countdowns at WiddlyTinks.com

Tuesday Treasury- Practical Magic

2010-08-31T16:50:00.000-07:00

Hello my beautiful dahlings :) How have you been? I can't believe it's been a month since I posted last. What a horrible blogger I am! Anyway, I have quite the update for you. Are you nice and cozy in your seat? Then let's begin :)

First things first. I have FINALLY put an actual real painting in my Etsy shop. Yup! It is not just about prints anymore! I wonder how it will do, do you? It is called Cupcake Wonderland, inspired by all things Alice, of course :) What do you think? Do you like it?

You can see more images of the painting in my Etsy shop. I must admit, I am a little nervous about its success but sometimes you just have to have blind faith that things will work out.

In other news, I am gearing up for this lovely event that I'm really excited for!

That's right dudes and dudettes! I will be taking part in a new blog party. It will be loads of fun. Practical Magic is one of my most cherished movies of all time. There is just something about magic and hauntings that makes me happily curious :) My sister and I always say that if things don't work out the way they're planned, we are going to live in a house just like the one in the movie and become the two crazy aunts.

So with all of this planning and magic in the air, I bring to you todays treasury. It's magically delicious for your eyes :)

Have a fantastic week my friends. Have faith..and always, always believe in magic :)

Tuesday Treasury - Owls

2010-07-27T12:52:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone :) Hope you are all doing well. Today is kind of a crazy day so I am going to keep it short and sweet. Todays treasury is inspired by owls. I'm starting to get this serious infatuation with little owl characters :) I hope you enjoy the treasury as much as I do.

In other news...

I was featured on the Beverly's Fabrics Facebook Fan page last week! Woot woot! I love that store like you wouldn't believe and the fact that they chose my art to feature was the most amazing feeling ever. Like magic :) So, in case you didn't see before, here is the screen shot (cuz ya know, a girl has to have proof):

And one last time....Thanks Beverlys for choosing my art! Have a great week everyone :)

Tuesday Treasury & Giveaway Winner!

2010-07-20T09:09:00.000-07:00

Being sick has made it to where I cannot be as creative as I'd like lately but thanks to Etsy, I have been able to have some kind of outlet. Treasuries are my new favorite thing to create. I love finding colors or other points of interest that mesh well together.

The treasury that I made today is all about the Queen of Hearts. Have you noticed that Alice gets much more attention than the queen? That's all fine and dandy but I like to believe that even evilness needs a little love every once in a while :)

You can see the treasury in it's original size HERE

Did you know that anyone can make a treasury now? Before you had to practically wait all night for an opening and then grab it before 50 billion other people got it. I love making them so much that I have decided that I am going to make one every Tuesday for our little blog-o-sphere :) So, keep a sharp eye out for the "Tuesday Treasury" posts. I hope you like them!

In other news, today is the announcement of the giveaway winner!! (Round of applause) I entered the information into the random number generator and it picked one special person :)
It really did, I know the image below has no result number, but that's because I won't pay 5 dollars for it to pick one, cuz I'm stubborn like that :)

The numbers generated by this widget come from RANDOM.ORG's true random number generator.

The winner will receive this special gift in the mail:

Drumroll please...(Beating on the coffee table in rhythm)....

The WINNER of the GIVEAWAY is...

Charli Armstrong!!!

Congrats Charli :) Please send me a message with your address so that I can mail you the goodies.

Thanks to everyone who participated! Much love and best wishes to you all

Essence Of Etsy & Giveaway!

2010-07-13T16:33:00.000-07:00

To me, Etsy really is the best place to buy and sell all things handmade (as well as some things not handmade). The sellers of Etsy are unique, helpful, passionate, extremely considerate and giving to their customers. If you are like me and wonder where all of the good customer service went, I have found the answer. As it turns out, not just good but EXCELLENT customer service has moved itself over to Etsy.

There is a possibility that I am biased based on the fact that I am not just a buyer, but a seller on Etsy as well. However, being a seller makes me an extremely picky customer because I look at:

* Product Quality
* Quantity
* Packaging
* Customer Service
* Shipping & Receiving
* Professionalism
* Shop policies
* Pricing

If I were to jump back in time before I became a seller, I would probably pay attention to only two things (And I admit, I still shop like this sometimes):

* Whether or not I like the item
* Whether or not it's an "I-don't-care-if-I-have-to-eat-beans-for-the-rest-of-the-week-just-so-that-I-can-get-it" item.

As a seller, I can honestly say that Etsy has phenomenal business help. They have a huge range of advice from pictures to taxes, from admin emails to seller forums. To sellers, Etsy is more than a website. It has become a community, a business family and a consultation site. Not to mention the fact that Etsy is so highly looked upon, that sellers have been picked by galleries, stores and magazines to have their work featured.

As a buyer, I can tell you that Etsy has a huge variety of goods. From furniture to art, from vintage items to cupcakes, there is something for everyone. With such a huge variety of goods also comes a variety of price points. You can buy anything from $1.00 to $3,000 and up. Not to mention the excellent customer service :)

I would also like to say that when you're having a bad day (like today, I've been stuck in bed sick for the past few days and have a million things to be responsible for), an Etsy package is just the thing to put a big smile on your face like this: =D.

I even have evidence to back up my strong belief. I got a package from Krista today...would you like to open it with me? Okay good :) You see, all this girl really wanted was this beautiful piece of art:

So I purchased it with excitement and patiently awaited it's arrival:

Upon closer inspection, I noticed the awe-inspiring, sewing machine care that was put into the packaging:

And then I noticed this little lovely waiting to greet me:

The outstanding care on the outside of the package is enough to make me happy, but I couldn't help but giggle with excitement when I saw this. It felt like Christmas! :)

The business card was like a little piece of art in itself

Even the envelope had some visual goodness

(above = front of envelope. below = back of envelope)

I bet you're thinking, "Yeah, Yeah. What's INSIDE the envelope?" Am I right? :) Well, here you have it. The best thank you card I have ever seen:

(Above = front of card. Below = back of card)

Did I mention that the pretty girl on the front of the card is not just a piece of art, but a magnet as well? And the card was sewn too!...Amazing! :)

Then, I finally got to what I was originally after in the first place

So there you have it. Homemade, Home packaged, Home to love. ETSY love! This Lynda Wilson is one happy customer! If you love this, you should definitely check out her shop. Just click HERE.

Okay, so maybe that's just one seller, right? Well a few weeks ago, I ordered two stamps from a different seller named terbear. Instead of Two stamps, I got THREE stamps, a business card magnet AND a cute little bag with a bear on it :)This sellers shop can be found HERE.

Last but not least, the trade that I posted in my last post. I am not sure if anyone was interested in participating (I should have mentioned for participants to mention that they wanted to trade, lol. Learning curve I suppose). Instead, I am offering it as a GIVEAWAY! :) Just leave a comment letting me know that you are interested in winning, and I will announce the winner in my next post.

The Giveaway:

As far as my personal art business:

I am working on some new Youtube videos as well as finishing up a few commissions. I have been really sick lately so as soon as I feel better, I will be back at the painting table to create some good stuff for my own Etsy shop, as well as photos to update you with. :)

Have a good week guys and girls!

Looking To Trade & Birthday News

2010-07-06T23:36:00.000-07:00

Did you know that the 4th of July is also my birthday? It sure is! I had quite the busy weekend and boy oh boy, did I score some great stuff! I took pictures all day long but a lot of them came out blurry so I just saved the ones I could. I'm glad I was able to save the ones I did because what would a party be without my blog buddies? So, grab your tanning lotion, sunglasses and fruity umbrella drink and join us :) These are the things that we did:

We lounged around in the sun

We went for a swim and learned new tricks like, "being the dolphin" or "the fish"

We laughed quite a bit and had a couple of mood swings here and there :)

There was fishing. Or rubber ducky-ing, whichever you prefer :)

There was "out-of-pool-snorkling". This is what happens when a couple of ladies spray perfume in the car on the way to see fireworks. Little man has quite the theatrical side :)

And of course, there were fireworks with booms so loud, you could literally feel them in your chest :)

As for the goods, I got the prettiest present from Dad and Ginny! I also received a really cool basket of fresh herbs and habanero marmalade and strawberry jam from my aunt and uncle. I even got super cool art stuff from my mom! :) (Thanks again for the presents you guys!)

Seriously, is that not the most beautifully wrapped present? *Smiles* It turned into a daisy growing kit! How awesome is that?!

Above: The daisy kit, basket of herbs including sweet basil (my favorite!), cilantro, dill, thyme, and tarragon. *Swoon*

Below: The awesome art stuff from my mom. 3 dimensional paints, clay, clay tools, star stickers, halloween stickers, and shiny circular stickers. As well as a couple of new friends :) *Love*

I can't wait to paint this little dude and dudette!

Speaking of presents, I don't know about you but personally, I only get boring bills in the mail. Therefore, I am looking for someone who feels the same and would like to participate in a random trade :) If that person is you, leave a comment and I will enter your name to be the other trader! You could get these goodies:

A journal, a mini cocktail stamp, 3 pretty flower pens and a great big lollipop! :)

Thanks everyone and have a great week!

Lessons In Wonderland

2010-07-05T13:38:00.000-07:00

Just recently, we have covered the topic of Alice in Wonderland. In doing so, there were some things that I have learned. And those things, are what I speak of now.

What if, and this may sound really "mad", but what if Alice's Wonderland really existed? What if in all actuality it was....San Francisco? Hey, weirder things have happened. It could happen, and I will show you how.

Here we go. Down the rabbit hole itself.

Okay so first we have to get there. To San Francisco that is. We cross the bridge

Then, we see that we are late for this little date. Could it be the White Rabbits doing?

Then we drive past brightly colored houses the size of mini castles

Obvious signs of the Cheshire cats mischievous directions. This way, that way, which way is the right way??

We see flowers that have been caged for what seems to be misbehavior.

Then we come to a complete stop, which feels more like a fall. Upon closer inspection we see a door. An itty bitty door that seems impossible to enter

All of a sudden, there is a huge need for a fresh beverage and a snack. While I do understand that there aren't eat me or drink me signs, I must point out that in the "real world", you have to find most things out for yourself.

I dare say my friend, life continually gets curiouser and curiouser.

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Next thing you know, a bird shows up. He explains that he is an in disguise kind of bird called a "dodo". Mr. incognito dodo says that he was chosen to show us the right path.

Whoosh! All of a sudden our eyes see a pretty little sign that welcomes us in

And just like that, we are in wonderland! The kind that Alice herself would create! I know, it doesn't make sense, but that's okay. I'm sure the most sane person would agree that the "real" world is mostly nonsense anyway.

Here are some treats for going on this adventure with me

Would you like to join me for tea?

It's much muchier to sit at the table ya know:

Whats that? You need to SEE Alice?

Here are some other things to hear and see:

Alice is now the most important tea merchant in all the land

We finally found the mad hares whereabouts

Our dear lovely Alice has also become quite the crafter. She says that her artistic friends had an influence :)

When things calmed down a little, she made a delicious cake with a wonderous theme just for you and me

I would like to give you some presents to take home as a thank you. Go on now, take what you like :)

And then at just the drop of a hat, we were on our way back home with lightning speed!

What I have learned:

While that was all good and fun, I must point out that there was also sun. Wonderland is all around you see. You just need to take time to sip some tea. Friends don't just disappear, but sometimes it helps to keep an open ear. Laughter and joy can fill most days, those two alone are worth more than pay. Take a moment to just sit right there, and always remember that someone cares.

Pictures and poem by me.

All treats and goodies are the property of the beautiful and lovely store:

Who graciously gave me permission to take photos and blog about their tea shop. Thank you Crown and Crumpet!

(You should definitely check them out!)

My Mad Hatter Tea Party

2010-06-26T00:26:00.000-07:00

Let's live in a story today, shall we?

Once upon a time there was a very imaginative 28 year lady by the name of Miss Lynda. She loved the story of Alice in Wonderland from the time she was itty bitty and will love it for all eternity. One day, she was cruising around the blogosphere when she happened to stumble upon a friend who shared the same feeling. Miss Vanessa was her name and she threw a tea party every year in honor of Alice in Wonderland. Miss Lynda saw an invite to participate in the online version of said party and without hesitation, jumped at the chance. She quickly went to work.

She painted the roses red

she searched for very personable tea pots and tea cups. She glued and baked until she could glue and bake no more. And then, at last, the big day arrived.

WELCOME TO THE VIRTUAL MAD HATTER TEA PARTY!! :)

Miss Lynda invited the universe, as well as Mr. Fox.

Her son was there to become none other than the Mad Hatter himself. Her mother, aunt, boyfriend and even the spectacular Mr. Bannon attended!

However, everyone else was late for this very important date. Normally, that would make Miss Lynda think that this kind of behavior was nonsense, but today, she remembered what Alice said. "If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is because everything would be what it isn't. And Contrary-wise, what it is it wouldn't be and what it wouldn't be, it is. You see?" So with that in mind, and with helpers to help get ready, Miss Lynda decided to be patient. Then, just then, no other kind of then, something much muchier happened. No doubt, it must have had something to do with rule 42. And with that...

A little girl appeared.

Indeed, while the family sat, stood and admired the madness, the little girl got curiouser and curiouser. Finally, unable to control the wonderment, she got a friend and asked if they could join. "Why of course!" said us mad people. And wouldn't you believe it? The Ace of hearts didn't try to stop her. He didn't even budge an inch!

So there we sat. Laughter and imaginations amuck. Crazy amounts of awesome energy floated through the air. Whispers wandered to far away places. And as luck would have it, another fellow curious bunch showed up. It was a full party at last! Good thing too, as those chairs are not to be wasted.

We had many delicious treats. From cupcakes to watermelon fruit to flower shaped sandwiches, we had it all. There were even hidden toys!

The flowers were alive and making faces of their own,

Some of them even served marshmallows

Right before our eyes, the caterpillar grew into a beautiful butterfly. Do you see him? He's asking whoooooo youuuuu are.

And the flamingos (Inflatable) were as pink as could be. Although, some of them may have been too pretty for their own good. Some things just don't need to be seen.

If this was a proper tea party, our manners would be much muchier but alas, some attendees were of the truly mad variety. (Don't you just love accidental party pictures?)

Since we are already on the subject of the animals, let's check on the pleasant Mr. Fox.

Hmm, looks like he's quiet tired, doesn't it? Silly Mr. Fox insisted that he is just dandy and isn't one to rest much.

Oh, did I mention that there was also a secret place for the fairies to have tea?

New events unfolded as the afternoon went on. Some friends were finally amongst all of the fun

We looked for the white rabbit:

We had a wonderful bubble gum contest.

It was truly mad! It secretly became the contest to see who could shove the most gumballs in their mouths. Guess what? Even Miss Lynda played! Here are the results:

Looks like one kid got one too many gumballs, no? :)

Mr. Ace of hearts is jealous. He wanted to shove gumballs into his mouth too.

And while some decorated their Mad Hats

Others transformed into Alien Fairies, right before our eyes!

Next we had the infamous flamingo croquet.

The cards didn't want to help us win though as they were too busy hanging out.

They don't get away from the Queen of hearts that often and I think it shows.

I should also inform you that there is one flamingo game that is not well known. It is something that boys like to call "Flamingo Wars" (Do you see the adult onlookers? They loved the party and even had a cupcake themselves!)

Later in the afternoon all of the boys and girls jumped up and down, and even around Miss Lynda. They wanted to talk about her art and ask if she could teach them to paint. They debated over who should get which painting that was already painted. They talked and talked about Alice and the movie until they decided it was time for more treats and tea.

A moment later, Miss Lynda looked over and noticed that the Ace of hearts was about to capture her dear friend and send him to the Queen!

Thank goodness Mr. Ace was camera shy because as soon as he noticed the lens, he decided to move back. Phew, what a close call!

Afterwards, everyone had fun taking photographs.

The children were too excited to remember "We are all Mad here" so they settled on cheers instead.

Then, out of all magical curiousness, the children started cleaning off the table. That's right, the children decided ON THEIR OWN to help Miss Lynda clean up. If that's not shocking enough I should warn you....Even the adults helped!

Everyone participated in the clean up. All except the dandy Mr. Fox. He didn't quite make it. Had much too much to drink if you ask me.

And so, as the story concludes, we wish to thank you for joining us

We hope that our imaginative day creates magic and enchantment for yours.

On that note, we would also like to thank the adults who helped Miss Lynda stay in the sane range of the mad variety

First up, Miss Debbie

Miss Karen

Mr. Curtis

Miss Colette & Mr. Miguel

Mr. Miguel thinks the flamingo is funny so I will show one more curious photo :D

P.s. No Animals, not even the flamingo or Mr. Fox, were harmed in any way during this Mad Tea Party.

******* THE END *******

The Sense Of Smell

2010-06-22T16:28:00.000-07:00

I am the kind of person that searches for happiness in the little things. It helps me deal with negativity and stress. If you haven't already, you will probably hear me talk a great deal about those two words. Negativity and stress. I am a very sensitive person by nature so I am constantly fighting to conquer these two enemies. In fact, this specific fight of mine continually shows up in my work both as a way to get it out of my system, and as a way to inspire others to conquer these things as well. You can read more about myself and this topic, as well as how art has saved me here.

Some people say that you need to take time to smell the roses. Roses are very lovely and smell beautiful, but I like to extend that saying to other things as well. Like the smell of a new or used book for example.

To me, nothing beats the smell of a fresh canvas. Call me a crazy artist but I have good reasoning. The moment you purchase one, it feels like Christmas. It is clean, crisp, new and packaged in plastic. As an artist, I can easily compare a new canvas to when people find a 20 dollar bill. It's exciting and the moment I pick it up, my mind starts frantically visualizing what will be done with it. Within five minutes I have thought about using a palette knife, finger painting, acrylic, beeswax. I conjure up ideas like monster houses, cups of tea and places full of wonderment. (Speaking of wonderment, one has to wonder if wonderment is actually a wonderful kind of word?) Canvases are a new beginning. Kind of like wiping the slate clean. And a person like me finds this to be extremely refreshing and enjoyable.

So from my artistic mind to yours, the next time you get a new canvas, I hope that you will take the time to live ridiculously and smell what I define as pure joy. And for those of you who are not artists, I hope you really take the time to stop and smell the roses :)

The Story Of The Painted Piano

2010-06-14T21:04:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know, I spent quite a bit of time painting a piano. Why a piano? Well here is the story:

Six non-profits are suffering in the cities of Rohnert Park and Cotati. They came up with the idea of getting 6 pianos donated to the 6 non-profits who would in turn have them painted by a volunteer. The Rohnert Park/ Cotati Rotary club picked me and my cousin. I painted the entire front of the piano while he painted the very top and sides. After all of the pianos were painted, they were sent to sit in front of 6 public places.

They have been in front of the public for about a month. During this Fathers Day weekend (also known as the local annual Jazz Festival), they will auction off all of the pianos and the money will go to our lovely non-profits. Yay!

It has been an incredible thing, watching people that I don't know play the piano that I painted. To see people have fun with something that I made is awesome! Not to mention the fact that it is for a good cause :)

So far the piano that I painted has been on the FRONT PAGE of the Community Voice newspaper (seen here) as well as....(drum roll please)...

ABC NEWS!

That's right you guys, all 6 pianos were featured in a segment on ABC News. And while my piano is featured for a total of maybe 3 seconds, I am incredibly thankful and very excited. I really hope that you watch and enjoy the video. The other pianos are awesome!

You can see the bottom section of my piano at the 40 second mark of the ABC News video above :)

I will also be making a video in more detail about the event and the piano that my cousin and I painted. I will hopefully post that within a week or two, but in the between this and that, here is a picture of my side:

Have a great week everyone!

Marketing Tips From A Six Year Old

2010-06-10T10:17:00.001-07:00

I was reading through the Etsy forums this morning and stumbled across an interesting thread. It was a blog post from a man who told the story of his daughter and her successful lemonade stand. Not only is this a really cute story, it is also great advice for "grown-up" businesses. I seriously urge you to read it. You won't regret it and who knows, maybe you will even learn something new :) I know I did. To read the story, click here.

Crescendoh

2010-06-07T17:03:00.000-07:00

Guess what guys and girls? My story is for all to see right now on Crescendoh! :)

For those of you that don't know, Jenny Doh (the former editor-in-chief of Stampington & Company) has started a new business and is now editor-in-chief of Crescendoh. Crescendoh is a place where artists share their stories on how art saved their lives, as well as a place where ideas are born to help people less fortunate than ourselves. It truly is an amazing place and one that will surely influence the art community as a whole.

I would like to thank the entire staff of Crescendoh for giving us a place to share our stories and I am extremely grateful that you chose my story to share as well. THANK YOU.

If you would like to learn more about how art saved me then click here.

Have a great week everyone!

You are invited to the virtual Mad Tea Party!

2010-05-29T20:34:00.001-07:00

Are you mad? Do you dream of everlasting magic and enchantment?? If so, this virtual party is just the thing for you! Tea, candies, CUPCAKES (you know how I feel about cupcakes), cakes, fruit kabobs, all yummy kid goodness! Beautiful photos, wacky costumes, tea sets, colorful visuals, what more could a person possibly ask for!

I will be there! I keep using exclamation points so that must mean that I am terribly excited..but for good reason! I have watched this event take place annually for the past two years always wishing that I could attend but something would always come up. Not this time! This time I am planning ahead. I will have my own little home mad hatter tea party with my son, nieces and nephew and take many cute pictures so that I can not only have my own party, but attend the online party as well :)

We will have fun. We will live by the likes of Alice and Wonderland. We will laugh like only mad people laugh. And we WILL get a sugar high. All in the name of fun! It's time for us adults to step out of the comfort zone and get M-A-D.

So my beautiful friends and family, answer me this: Are you ready to be whimsical for a day?

My Oh My!

2010-05-29T10:51:00.000-07:00

It's been a LOOOONG time since I have posted! I have spent a lot of time over the last year reflecting on the changes that I have made and the changes that have made me. It's kind of crazy how fast the time goes when you're stuck in your own head.

I am now a full-time artist and proud to say it. I have tried to ignore the calling in my heart to be an artist for many many MANY years. Exhausted, I finally gave in. It has been a very hard decision but one in which I am sure I will not regret in any way, shape or form. It is what I was born to do. I believe that my art will make a difference. I hope to inspire those who hit a rough patch in their lives as well as encourage them to keep fighting through. And even those who have happy lives, I hope to make them smile.

I spent a lot of time thinking about this decision. Pros and Cons, the 'starving' artist beliefs, the bills, creating, business license, online presence, yada yada yada. Am I scared? Hell yes! But I will do it anyway. Living in fear is something that I have never wanted to do. So here I am.

I may starve, I may cry, I may not become famous, but my son will be taken care of and I will be happy and maybe even at total peace someday. Although, I wouldn't be against becoming famous either, just to clarify :)

There are a huge list of things that I need to learn and do. I take it one day at a time and today, I am sharing my thoughts through the blog world. Taking this one day at a time seems to help the level of anxiety. One day at a time has worked splendidly. I have more commission offers than I have time for, I am working on getting new things in my Etsy shop, I have made an entry for a book that has essentially traveled the world and will soon be published, and just wrote an article for the Crescendoh blog.

I was so worried that I would run out of inspiration, but if I look closely, I see inspiration everywhere. I have never had so much inspiration in my life! Lately, I have been seeing hearts in every day things. An orange peel in the garbage can, a leaf, on ice cream. Granted, I carved the heart in the ice cream myself, but it inspires me and reminds me of love anyway.

I am very excited to share this journey with you! I will share the ups and downs, hearts, interests, and anything else that I love. Thank you very much for reading. Take care of yourself and I will talk to you soon.

Exhibit & Giveaway Winner

2010-01-14T16:52:00.000-08:00

Hey guys, sorry I've been gone for so long. Holidays, work, illness and serious soul searching have consumed the last few months. I hope you all had excellent holidays and got to spend some good quality time with your families. So without further delay I present to you the new video! :)

Day of the Dead GIVEAWAY

2009-11-01T23:05:00.000-08:00

Watch the video to see the rules of the giveaway for your chance to win a Lynda original! :)

Woohoo for awards!

2009-10-29T20:15:00.001-07:00

Hello my dear friends :) How are you doing? Hopefully well. My first exhibit in San Francisco went very well. I got a ton of good feedback and sold one of my pieces. I absolutely loved watching peoples reactions to my work. The whole thing was so surreal to me, but in a very beautiful way. It was an out of the body experience. I had to take a step back and tell myself that yes, you really have made it this far. Yes, people really do like your stuff...and most of all, yes, you can be still and enjoy this moment. Words just can't explain how unbelievably lucky and blessed I feel. I will never forget my first exhibit/gallery experience.

Now for the upcoming exhibit. I dropped the paintings off with the Sun Gallery in Hayward weekend before last. It's a HUGE gallery and the people there are very nice. I have really enjoyed working with them so far. I am reading and signing the contract tonight which is huge. It's my first contract and is one of those slap-you-in-the-face, your-dream-is-really-happening moments. Feels really good :) So, if you are in Hayward Ca from Oct 30th- Nov. 21st, stop by the Sun Gallery and see my work, along with other Day of the Dead pieces.

I will be posting videos of both exhibiting experiences as well as a giveaway very soon. You can find my videos here. As for the giveaway, I will be giving away an original day of the dead painting that measures 4 inches x 4 inches. If you are interested, let me know and I will enter your name into the drawing!

Last but not least the lovely Tanya Watts has bestowed upon me the awesome blog award that you see above. However, the award comes with rules which are:

1 Thank the person who gave you the award - Thanks again Tanya :)

2 Copy the logo and place it in your blog. - see the logo above

3 Link the person who nominated you. - linked with her name above

4 Name 7 things about yourself that no one would really know.

* I would wear pajama pants all day if I could
* I love photography and pretend to be a photographer in my spare time
* I have over 5,000 songs in my possession
* I have two bathrooms, and I prefer to use the one by my bedroom
* I absolutely LOVE ghost shows and books
* I am slightly obsessed with books and magazines about art
* I hug animals like I would hug a person

5. Nominate 7 "Kreative Bloggers".

I highly suggest checking out these blogs. These ladies are wonderful and extremely talented :)

* Willowing
* Rhomany
* Sanda
* Valerie
* Wyanne
* April (aka Apple :)
* Suzan

6 Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate - links are their names

7 Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know your nominated them.

THE END :)

Quick Update

2009-10-07T11:44:00.001-07:00

I know I have been slacking in the blogosphere lately. My apologies to all of you beautiful bloggers :) The reason I haven't been around is because I have been extremely busy. A local Gallery is considering my work and on top of that, there are two exhibits this month that will be featuring my work. The first one is this weekend in San Francisco at the Live Worms Gallery and the next exhibit will be at The Sun Gallery in Hayward from October 30th - November 21st. The Live Worms Gallery will exhibit 4 of my prints and 1 original. The Sun Gallery will exhibit up to 6 of my original Day of the Dead paintings. The prints and original are ready for this weekend but I have to finish painting the sign. I have completed 4 out of 6 sketches on canvas for the Sun Gallery. I am hoping to finish all of my sketching today so that I will be able to paint by tomorrow. I am waiting for my frames to be shipped (which is making me a nervous wreck). As for the school thing, It is still in the back of my mind, but at this point on the back burner. Since I have really been mostly concentrating on quick sketches, that is all that I have for this post. The sketch above is not for any gallery or exhibit, it is of complete personal nature. I hope you enjoy it...and don't worry....I am still all mentally here, lol :) I may not write for a while depending on the chaos level but I promise to write as soon as I can. Best of luck to you and take care.

Things I have learned

2009-09-11T10:20:00.001-07:00

I haven't done a list in a while so I thought I would make one. This list is called, "Things that I have learned about art as a business"

1) There are A TON of other artists that do not write people back (Speaking from personal experience)

What I have learned: ALWAYS write people back.

2) You never know where your art is going to wind up

What I have learned: Yoko ono is following me on Twitter, My Youtube video was put on a Rush Limbaugh website and tons of people have written to tell me that they mentioned me on their sites. (Side note: I LOVE YOU.)

3) People focus on negativity because it is easier

What I have learned: IGNORE NEGATIVITY. You CAN and SHOULD make your dreams come true.

4) Not getting the answers that you need is frustrating.

What I have learned: GOOGLE exists for a reason! lol...

5) I stress about everything WAY too much.

What I have learned: In order to remain sane, I must let go of things that I cannot control, and control what I can handle.

6) Working constantly makes it possible to be seen more often.

What I have learned: Sometimes it is nice NOT to be seen.

7) People try to convince you to work on something other than your dream because "You need to be realistic".

What I have learned: Some people weren't made to be 'realistic'. I am one of those people.

8) Great artists have great studios, and even greater supplies.

What I have learned: Most artists start small, dream big and make it happen

9) Getting your ass kicked in an Etsy forum is a very humbling experience.

What I have learned: It is nicer to avoid it if you can (lmao....)

10) MOST IMPORTANT: LOVE YOUR FANS.

What I have learned: I really really do! :) Thanks to all of my art supporters and fellow dreamers

Note 4 other artists and dreamers: I have found a great resource site for all the dreaming artists out there. It has TONS of information about doing art for a living. Click here

9 Year Old Sells 1st Painting Ever!

2009-09-05T09:06:00.000-07:00

This is a new art journal page that I made using stickers, acrylic paint, stamps, a red sharpie and a magazine cut out. There is too much negativity in my life. I am trying to cut the fat out (negativity) as much as possible. I have been told all my life that I am a very overly sensitive soul and because of that, I always thought that it was a bad thing. It is not. Being sensitive has its advantages. For instance, I will help every old person I ever see with anything from opening a door for them to helping them go to the bathroom (I am a caregiver, not a pervert...for the record, lol). Things that require a little sensitivity I am really good at. The downside to being so sensitive is taking in so much negativity. I don't mean to draw it in but because I am so sensitive, I pick up on other peoples emotions as if they are my own. I wanted to make this journal page to accept the fact that I am senstive but to also make myself understand that I am not the kind of person that can healthfully be around negativity on a day by day, moment by moment basis. I hope you like it :)

And in other news:

Guess what? My 9 year old son sold 2 prints of his newest drawing! The other day he came to me and said, "Mom, I want to try to sell my art like you". He spent time drawing a new piece and asked for my help. He drew the cats head, pyramids, water and little stick figures. I helped him draw the body of the cat and painted the background. We had a great time doing this together. After it was done I sat him down and asked him if he wanted to donate half of his earnings to something or someone. He decided to donate his money to the local animal shelter (He is a huge animal planet fan). Then it was time to put it on my Etsy store. I was really nervous for him that nobody would buy it (so I would have to make plans to make my family do it, lol)....but low and behold, he sold 2 within 3 hours of posting it! He sold one to an author and another to a fellow Etsian :) You should've seen how happy and excited he was! I swear he smiled for at least 24 hours. I am so proud of him! I got teary eyed with happiness and excited because my little baby artist is not only growing up, but growing up to be a creative soul with a very giving heart. Here is the link to his painting so that you can see his work. P.s. the description is pretty giggle worthy too :) http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=30319916 Have a good day everyone!

It Is Time

2009-08-24T16:41:00.000-07:00

Time to stop making excuses, time to breathe. Time to turn my dreams into reality. I can feel something amazing taking place. Like a wise old medicine woman that can tell by the wind that something drastic is about to happen. "The winds are changing", she would say to me. She would be right. Where am I going? What am I going to do? Which direction will I be taking? I haven't got a single clue. But I know that something huge and positive is coming my way. After all, I am overdue. Painting started as a hobby, something to distract myself, a method of healing. Over the past year, however, it has stopped being just "something to do" and started scratching its way deeper and deeper into my soul. I know this sounds cheesy and weird coming from me but the truth is that right now, in this moment, I could not be more....me. I am going to start posting more seriously about my journey to becoming a full time artist, and a successful one at that. Why? Because I know that I am not the only one with this dream. I also want to be able to share with people what has worked for me and what hasn't. I have realized that maybe I will fail, or be broke. Yes, it's very scary, but I am willing to take the risk. Working at a place you hate just for a lousy paycheck is a risk, having a child is a risk, being in a serious relationship is a risk. We risk things everyday so really....what is one more risk? Don't get me wrong, I will be working a 'normal' job in the mornings and get some extra hours here and there for a 'normal' check, but my main focus is going to be what it should've been years ago. A-R-T. If you have any advice on becoming successful as an artist or any questions, I would absolutely love to hear from you. Until next time, best wishes and lots of love from me to you.

Life Is Good

2009-08-12T06:47:00.000-07:00

I just realized that I have 121 Youtube subscribers, have shipped my art to the UK, Georgia and Michigan, the highest bid on my Charity painting is $200 and my Etsy shop is up by 300%. I don't really know what it means to be up by 300%, but I'm not complaining! Life is really good for me right now. I am so thankful for all of my supporters. I love you! lol...now if my cat would just let me sleep in, I'd be good to go :)

The beauty that is Tahoe (With an artists' touch)

2009-08-09T12:21:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we went to visit my Grandpa. He took us on this hike where I was able to take soooo many awesome pictures. Tahoe is a very pretty place and it is unfortunate that it burned by fire a few years ago. During this hike, I was able to see these trees and plants grow in a place that now seems a little deserted and well, kind of eerie. Enjoy.

The picture above is what I like to refer to as the bleeding tree

Thinking can be dangerous

2009-07-23T16:58:00.001-07:00

Reading? check. Thinking about things I can make and sell? Check. Incredibly exhausted? Check. Stomach ache? Check......Love my little man? Double Check. Ive been totally obsessed with anything art related lately (okay, always) but unfortunately haven't had too much time to act on all of my awesome ideas. By the time I get home from work, I forget them all. Write them down you say? Check....but then I lose them, lol. I am making a ton of little goodies for my Etsy shop including keychains, hair pins, magnets, coasters, prints, necklaces, etc. I was also thinking about submitting some of my art to the Somerset magazines, but that makes me nervous because of the usual "what ifs". We'll see. This last weekend I went to visit my grandpa in Tahoe. We got a lot of really cool pictures. My son was mad that we had to leave (gotta love how kids can just dismiss responsibilities like work). Hope you are all doing just dandy. Check out my Youtube if you get the chance at http://www.youtube.com/user/luckybutterfly2. Much love and best wishes

Pure exhaustion

2009-07-17T23:15:00.000-07:00

Hello dear friends :) Sorry for all of the delays....reality sucked me back in. Reality is just never as fun as Dream/Art land. Know what I mean jelly bean? Of course you do :) I am having issues coming up with things to say tonight. Not sure if it is from lack of sleep or from lack of brain cells, lol. I have been buying lots of art goodies and cannot wait to get awesome creations out of them. Life has been really good for me lately. Hope yours has been good for you too. I am going to do another giveaway soon so keep your eye out for that. I will probably do it on Youtube so make sure you subscribe! =D Also, I know this is a weird request but I am just craving super cool mail art so if you have any stuff lying around...feel free to send it my way, lol. Okay so dropping hints are not my forte....but art is. Have you seen the new somerset magazine? I love the cover! Anyway, I am off to pack for Tahoe. Have a good weekend. Much love and best wishes to you :)

Mail goodies

2009-06-28T19:23:00.000-07:00

Like my new art journal entry? Watch the video on how I did it at www.youtube.com/luckybutterfly2. Now for the good stuff:

Have I ever mentioned how much I totally adore mail goodies? I love sending and receiving mail art especially. I feel very lucky because I got some goodies all the way from Ireland! Its a button moon bloom from tanyamac. Her blog and creative goods are absolutely excellent! Check her out here: www.cheekyurchin.blogspot.com. Above are a couple of pictures of some of the things I received. I LOVE LOVE LOVE mail art! lol....being a winner of a giveaway is pretty awesome too :) I have also done a new art journal video so make sure you check that out. I went to an art sale yesterday where they had over 4o demos going on so I participated in that. Then I went to a baby shower....and then later I went to see a stripper at a birthday party. Let me just take a moment to say: Girls get unusually loud when there is a stripper around, lol. Good times. I was mostly excited about the art sale...sooooo much fun! Hope everyone out there in the blogosphere are doing well and making each day count. xoxo and best wishes

I love you

2009-06-17T22:32:00.001-07:00

I have been such a bad friend lately! I feel horrible about not getting back to you guys :( I have been working more hours and getting more and more art business. Plus, my son has finished school recently so I am adapting to new places to drive, new pieces to create, and more people to help. I promise I will keep in touch, it just might take longer than usual. I really do love you guys! lol, I would be a bored and lonely internet girl if it wasnt for all of your friendships and encouragement :) Also, I have decided to pass along the Watermelon Award to the following beauties:

http://witchhollowprimitives.blogspot.com/

http://cheekyurchin.blogspot.com/

http://artandsoul2.blogspot.com/

http://paulastenberg.blogspot.com/

http://suziart.blogspot.com/

http://monicazuniga.blogspot.com/

Congrats guys!

Lets see, what else. Oh, I am making a box of goodies for my cousin Wyatt who is not only in the Army, but also in Afghanistan fighting for our beautiful country. The box is full of man goodies now...I just need to get some man food (pringles, tuna, cheetos, lol). Im pretty sure that I am going to send things that make absolutely no sense...like a whoopie cushion, a pancho, birth control, things like that, lmao. It should make him laugh because he has a twisted sense of humor. On that note, I will end this blog with a quick letter to my cousin.

To my cousin Wyatt:
I think about you every single day and eagerly wait for your safe return home. I think you are a butthead for leaving our family, but the bravest man I know for fighting for our freedom. You come home safe or I will kick your flippin gluteous maximus! :) Keep me posted. Love you! xoxo

6 Things I love

2009-06-09T21:27:00.000-07:00

Caregiving is taking over all of my art time lately :( boohoo. its okay though. I love helping other people. I have definitely learned a LOT about the different kinds of personalities. The great thing about this job is that you get called to work all the time. The bad thing is that its usually for a two hour shift. I take what I can get though and I am thankful for work, no matter how many hours are offered. I can honestly say that this job is not boring in any way, shape or form, lol. Its the least predictable job that I have ever had. That is really good for me because I tend to get bored easily at work. My mind needs to be involved as much as my body. Know what I mean? On the brighter side of things, I have sold more prints and possibly an original (chu-ching!). Oh yeah baby...lol. I also got the beautiful watermelon award. I am supposed to pass it on to six people and also tell you six things that I love. I will do the things I love tonight, and I will announce the award winners by the end of this week. Okay so here it goes:

Six Things That I Love:

1. Without a doubt, my son

2. Cartoons

3. Music that you can sing on the top of your lungs and dance like an idiot to

4. Pop rocks

5. Seeing a face of absolute excitement when my painting is revealed to that person for the first time.

6. Candles :)

My list is WAAAAAY longer than that, but those were waiting to be typed tonight :) Take care of you. xoxo

Yummy Paint Success

2009-05-29T11:38:00.000-07:00

So this past weekend I got some incredibly exciting news. I had a meeting with an owner of a store in the town next to me about my paintings. She decided that she wants to exhibit and sell my paintings! YAY!! :) She wants three 16x20 paintings and some 4x4's to start with and would also like me to make some coasters and magnets. It was my very first business meeting about my art and a successful one at that. I really feel so flattered and awesome about it. I also posted a new video on Youtube, but I dont like it much. lol. Life is looking very promising. I even got a normal job which is good because I desperately need some sort of cash flow. I am supposed to start that job next week but I think they will call me this weekend. Bring on the paychecks! :) I've been painting and drawing like crazy in order to have more things to sell....plus, who am I kidding? Its fun and I love being messy with gooey paint goodness! P.s....like my new painting?

Award Giveaway

2009-05-22T20:43:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone :) I have been very busy but wanted to take a moment to pass something on. About a week ago, I got the renee award. That is officially the very first blog award that I have ever received. Very very exciting! There is a pass it on to 6 people rule about this award so I decided to pass it on to the following lovely ladies. Please check out their blog when you have a minute to spare because believe you me, you won't regret it!

1) Sandra Reynolds Mullinger
Her blog is cardsanddreams.blogspot.com
I awarded her because she always responds to every post with such enthusiasm that you can't help but love her :)

2) Casey887
Her blog is Casey887.blogspot.com
I awarded her because she is funny and genuine and a little bit of a smartass which I love! lol

3) Gina Lee Kim
Her blog is Ginaleekim.blogspot.com
Gina is very sweet and has an excellent eye for art and color, plus, I totally envy her studio, lol

4) Carynlynn
Her blog is Carynlynnduncan.blogspot.com
She is also good at leaving comments and is very artistic herself :)

5) Flor Larios Art
Her blog is FlorLariosArt.com
Her work is outstanding and total eye candy!

6) Lisa Lectura Creations
Her blog is llcreations.blogspot.com
Also an artist and was one of my very first followers :)

Thank you ladies very much for putting up with all of my nonsense, leaving comments and being part of my crazy little blog world! Without you, blogger wouldn't be the same :)

xoxo,
Lynda

P.s. The winner of my last giveaway was Meggzzzy. Congratulations!

Busy Bee

2009-05-20T22:41:00.000-07:00

Hello friends! :) Here is my new video! (Click here to see it -->) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmkCP6Y0_8I The giveaway results are in! Also, meet my son. He's the little dude in the very beginning. He cant stand being video taped...or photographed for that matter so I had to sneak up on him like the stinker that I am. Let's see, what else...hmm...oh! I got my first ever BLOG AWARD. YAY!!! It is the award on the right side of my blog. My duty is to pass it on to six other lucky bloggers. Due to the fact that this video took about 5 hours to edit and upload, I will have to pass the award on tomorrow. Have a good day and take care of you!

Good Morning

2009-05-16T09:32:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone :) Yesterday was a crazy busy day. I decided to bake and decorate a cake Ace of Cakes style for a very close friend of mine named Jim (but I call him Jimkins). That cake is the picture you see above. Today is his birthday but last night my family and I decided to make him a mini birthday/ dinner party. We made really yummy chicken wings, homemade mac and cheese and baked asparagus. I can honestly say that the cake took the longest and was the most difficult. I started baking at 6:30 am and didn't finish the cake until around 5:30 pm! It was fun and I learned a lot...but I am also exhausted today, lol. Everyone really liked it so that made me happy. I was so tired after I was done with it that I vowed to my friend Rosa that I am never going to make one again. So much for that idea. She said, "Well you can not make one for a while but I am giving you notice now that I want one for my birthday in a couple of months." Uh, okay, lol. Having to cut it up practically broke my heart but that's what it's purpose was so I will be okay, lol. Anyway, have a good weekend and last but not least....HAPPY BIRTHDAY JIMKINS!!!!! :)

FREE GIVEAWAY!!

2009-05-12T15:39:00.000-07:00

Okay I FINALLY got this stinkin video online...YAY! I have seriously been trying to get this thing on Youtube for FOUR days! Can you believe that? The last verdict on youtube was a rejection of the video for whatever unkown reason to me. Anyway, here it is. Leave a comment if you are interested in the giveaway! Oh, and if there are any imperfections in the video, my apologies. I'm still learning all the ins and outs of the whole video technology department. For instance, this time I learned that it can be a pain in the ass, it takes forever if you forget what you are doing, great lighting is a must and probably the most important...if my arm is in the way throughout the whole video...people wont be able to see what I am doing. Lmao...oh well, as the commercial says, " Live, Learn and get Luvs"

5 a.m is Way 2 Early

2009-05-11T06:33:00.000-07:00

Good morning my lovely readers and art appreciators :) Yesterday was a very busy mothers day. My mom loved her presents which made me feel awesome, lol. Then we went and got our grub on at Sonoma Valley Bagel (super yummy sandwiches). After that we headed off to Michaels and got some cool stuff and then I came home and ATTEMPTED to upload my new video to Youtube, only to fail miserably. Apparantly my movie maker program took the day off. I tried to create the video 4 different times, 3 of which the program froze and erased on me and the 4rth I didn't like. I will probably try again today and I really hope it will work. Also, check out this link: http://papermoonies.blogspot.com/2009/05/second-givaway.html#links This lovely lady is hosting a giveaway of day of the day pins that she made. Have a good day everyone!

Today

2009-05-10T09:23:00.000-07:00

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY TO ALL THE MAMAS OUT THERE!! WITHOUT YOU...WELL, LIFE TO YOUR CHILDREN WOULD SUCK. lol. This is a picture of the gift that I made my mom. I was up until 2 am making it. Its a picture frame of my son, a paper weight with a picture of me and my sister when we were little girls and a homemade card. What did you do for your mother?

Yay For Happy Fridays!

2009-05-08T15:36:00.000-07:00

I am so stoked and flattered. I just finished the painting above yesterday and somebody already bought it! AND....I got two more commissions today! How exciting right?? Just when you start to question yourself, something comes around and confirms the fact that you need to believe in yourself more than you do. Today has been friggin awesome...I even got free California Rolls for lunch (Gotta love mamas!). I really hope that all of you are having as good of a day as I am and have an even better weekend. :D P.s. Watch for a new Youtube video. Its of me painting the painting above. Unfortunately, my arm is in the way most of the time and it has bad lighting (what can I say, it's only the 3rd video I have ever done, and the 1st of me actually painting). Oh well, it will be better next time. Watch the video for a chance to win a print of your choice! It should be up by tomorrow.

Photography

2009-05-05T16:18:00.000-07:00

I just thought I would take a minute to talk about photography. I love it! One of my favorite things to do is to randomly pick a place to go and see how many cool photos you an get out of ordinary every day things. It always feels like a scavenger hunt and inspires great creativity. The next thing you know, you will find weird things that you've never noticed before. For example, I noticed a very colorful sign that said "YOU ARE HERE"....in front of a very old building. How long has that sucker been there? Who knows, but it made me laugh and stay still for a minute. Cameras capture things that the normal human eye would never even notice. I encourage you all to spend a day taking pictures and walking around your city. I promise you will not be disappointed. As far as the normal stuff goes, I think I might have a job lead (thank god) and I finished one art journal page (posted above) and am also in the middle of a 16x20" mixed media painting. I sold a few more prints too. Yay! :D I love my customers and followers. They mean the world to me...and that includes you.

Hopelessly Grateful

2009-04-27T19:52:00.000-07:00

I have an issue that I am sure is not just mine. I just graduated in March with Dean's honors and an award....and haven't been able to find a job yet. There are no jobs in the field that I went to school for and I can't seem to get a job that has a reliable paycheck. I wish the economy would just get better already...I'm a single mother and have bills to pay for crying out loud. I want my message to be this: If you are in the same boat that I am in, you are not alone. We are in this together and I am here for you. This has to get better at some point. Until it does I will try not to freak out and will do my best to focus on the positive instead. Here is what I focus on now:

1. Clean laundry
2. A healthy family
3. A roof over our heads and warm blankets
4. Hot showers
5. The library
6. Sunsets
7. Music
8. Art, paint, glitter, etc
9. Friends
10. Clean water
11. Laughing really hard whenever I can
12. Delicious food
13. Toilets
14. Hugs
15. Anything pink
16. Sticking my feet out of a car window on a sunny day
17. My cat
18. Movies
19. The internet
20. The fact that my life and day could always be worse

What does your list look like?

Beautiful Chaos

2009-04-23T17:07:00.000-07:00

Sometimes life gets so chaotic that it makes my head spin. I got a new job, I've sold more prints, I'm looking for new daycare and I've been very sick. Because of all of this chaos, I haven't painted or drawn anything in about a month. I always feel weird when I don't do anything artistic for a while. I get more emotional which sucks...it's bad enough I'm a cancer, lol...I don't need to feel extra emotional. Never the less, I am still human. Throughout this chaotic life, it can be hard to be still and enjoy a moment. I take a moment every day to be still and enjoy it. Anyway, I think I am babbling. :) I hope all of your lives are going well with very minimal drama and stress. Post more soon and in the mean time, take care of you!

BUY 1 GET 1 FREE!

2009-04-02T16:45:00.001-07:00

UPDATE: Giveaway is now expired

For a limited time only, I am selling my prints for 10 dollars! Plus, if you buy 1...you get the 2nd of your choice for free! yay :) All prints will be printed on 8 1/2 x 11 premium glossy photo paper and will be shipped with extreme care. Please come take a look at www.luckybutterfly.etsy.com. Thanks!

My First Give Away

2009-03-27T09:29:00.000-07:00

I'm doing a local giveaway of a painting that I made. Its actually the painting that you're looking at now, lol. It's on a 4x4 canvas and is done with acrylic paint. This will be sort of like a scavenger hunt. Anyone that is in the local area is free to participate. I will be hiding it somewhere and then whoever finds it first gets it. The only rule is that I want a picture of the winner holding the painting :) So far a lot of people seem interested, especially on Myspace. Speaking of Myspace, you can check out my profile by going to www.myspace.com/lynda27. Other than that, just doing laundry. All of the washers and dryers were used up by my neighbors all day yesterday. Sucks when that happens. This morning I was smart and put my laundry in before anyone else good get ahold of the washers, lol. It was either that or call Chuck Norris to come help me regulate...but Chuck Norris doesn't have to answer his phone. Oh, I sold 3 prints to a new customer on my etsy site and she gave me wonderful feedback! Made me feel very special. Have a good day and I will post again soon. Take care of you! :)

My Shop!

2009-03-14T13:00:00.001-07:00

Hello all :o) It's official, I have my very own Etsy Shop. All mixed media prints and paintings made by yours truly! I am still in the process of getting some really good stuff in the shop. Learning takes a lot more patience and practice than I like sometimes, lol. Today is all about the shop and getting a painting done. I have 4 commissions now and 5 leads. The last painting that I sold is totally loved which makes me very happy. Here is the link to my store, go check it out if you have time and by all means, feel free to buy something, lol. New work to be posted soon so keep checking the store. Hope all is going well for you.

I'm Back

2009-03-09T13:00:00.000-07:00

Hello friends :) I'm back. This weekend was very busy. I sold my very first painting on saturday. yay! I thought I was just going to sell the print but then the guy bought not only the print but the original too! :) I'm in the middle of opening an Etsy shop at the moment. It should be up and running shortly. I will post a link....make sure you stop by! Other than that, I realized this weekend that every guy but my son has cooties. lol Have a good week and I will post another post soon. Take care of you!

Yippie!

2009-01-31T08:21:00.000-08:00

Okay so a LOT has been going on in my little world. First, I graduated college on Tuesday. WOOHOO!!! I graduated with Deans honors AND they gave me a special award in front of everybody. Its a plaque that says "Exemplary Student Award" and it came with a Human Sciences award from the State Legislature. Wow...it was very flattering and extremely unexpected :) Second, it was my sons 9th Birthday. He's growing up right before my very eyes. We are going to San Fran today to celebrate. We are very excited. Third, I got a cat named Lucy. She's a brown Tabby that I named Lucy. She is a scaredy cat but is warming up faster than I thought she would. Last but not least, I got this camera. Check this bad boy out! It's super cool. I've been taking pictures of everything so I can use them in my art and I will hopefully get the chance to use it a lot today. Other than that, everything is good on the home front. So, how are you??

Rubbing Off :)

2009-01-19T16:19:00.001-08:00

Today is all about art. As you can plainly see, my son loves art too. He got his own easel and paint set for christmas. So this afternoon, all we've been doing is painting and rocking out to such artists as The Rolling Stones, Metallica, AC/DC and Queen. What a good time :) Perfect way to end a sunday if you ask me.

Friends

2008-12-30T21:27:00.000-08:00

My friend Christina inspired this piece. Ive been thinking a lot lately about how shes been by my side through every possible circumstance possible and now that shes going through some stuff, I try to return the favor. Mixed media and patterned paper on canvas..my camera sucks so please forgive me. Also, just on a side note, I LOVE MY FRIENDS!!!!! lol...that means you too buddy :)

Gooberriffic

2008-12-22T21:38:00.000-08:00

I finally did it! I made my first youtube video! go me, lol. I was in a huge hurry when I made it because I was waiting for my sister to arrive with my baby niece. (Babysitting ya know, lol). Its pretty gooberriffic (I make up my own words) but it will do until I can figure more stuff out. Other than that, just getting ready for Christmas. I lost a painting that I did for my boyfriend as a present and Im pretty bummed about it. Finished my sons gift, he will love the painting. Thats all on my end for now. So, how are you?

Believe

2008-12-01T10:36:00.000-08:00

Okay, remember how I told you that I was working on a painting that was frustrating me? Well..I finished it! yay for me, lol. Here it is...I hope you enjoy it. It is a complete mixed media piece. Acrylic paint, paper, stickers, glitter, more paint, stamps, ink, etc. I really wish you could see it in person, its beautiful and the details are very nice but hard to see on a photograph. Have a good day. P.S. I believe in fairies...do you?

Happiness

2008-11-30T12:54:00.000-08:00

There are many things that make me giggle with joy..among those are friends, family and people falling down ( I know it's mean, I just can't help it). Last night i started a new painting and it was frustrating me. I just couldn't get an idea in my head to put on canvas so I decided to take a break. I got some coffee and topped it with whipped cream...yummy!! It was one of those giggle to myself out of happiness moments. Next thing I know, I'm back upstairs and creativity sparked. Thank goodness for coffee with whipped cream! What makes you giggle with happiness?

Still Learning

2008-11-28T13:18:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone :) Please be patient with me as I am still trying to figure out all of the stuff to blogging. I feel I've done pretty well so far. I have the background, one follower (thank you very much by the way!) and a blog title. I would still LOVE to know how the heck to do a banner and I keep trying to figure out how people have links and stuff to the right and left sides of their blog. There is really a lot that I would like to share, it's just a matter of figuring everything out I suppose. I will welcome any comments or advice that come my way. Oh, I have, however, figured out how to post a photo so here is my first photo of my art. Hope you enjoy it and all are doing well. I will talk to you soon.

Nice to meet you

2008-11-24T10:38:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! :) Welcome to LyndaLand. I am brand new here, just signed up about five minutes ago. I am hoping to get to meet some fascinating people and friends as well as some mixed media artists. Everything done in my spare time has to do with art. Whether it's doing art or buying art supplies, art consumes my everyday life. Painting, drawing, collage and mixed media are my most treasured art forms. I try to live as optimistically as possible and I strive to attain my dreams whether or not they seem small or unimportant to others. I appreciate life during every moment of every day and couldnt see it any other way. Some moments literally make my heart skip a beat....life is beautiful albeit very hard sometimes. Anyway, I will be posting my art as regularly as possible. Until next time, it was nice to meet you and I look forward to talking with you soon.