a very merry christmas indeed!

Yes, indeed. A very merry day. I haven't blogged for a while, so much else to do around the holidays. But, the tree is gone now and the wrapping put away so I'm now looking forward to a beautiful new year. My New Year's resolution? Try to eat less sweets! I said try, OK? So, don't yell at me if you see me chowing down on a chocolate chip cookie (my favorite!) What else? Live life to the fullest and enjoy the people and things around me. Enough said!

Here are some pics I'd like to share. Our little porch with the christmas lights, Nikki's gingerbread house, our cat, Scout under the tree, looking like a demon with the lights in his eyes (he really doesn't look like that) and Nikki with her new cell phone (a pink RazR!!!) Hope ya all had a merry one too. See u in the 2007!

there really is a santa claus

OK. Im convinced! There really is a Santa Claus. I had another unexpected artwork sale! This one came through the SAM Gallery and a check just arrived in the mail. The SAM Gallery is part of the Seattle Art Museum. They show the work of local artists and artwork can be purchased or rented out. A lot of businesses and offices use the rental services so they can continuously change the look of their workplaces. Interior designers and house stagers use it a lot as well. This artwork that sold is primarily green and cherry red, perfect for the season!

Anyway, I'm thrilled and not just because of the money. It's more that someone wants to own something that I created. It's a very satisfying accomplishment and one that I worked hard for. When I first started seriously making art, entering shows and trying to get into galleries, it was a tough road, full of disappointments and rejections. So, when I have a sale, it's like proof that it was worth the effort to get to this point. I'm also very grateful to the people at the SAM gallery for believing in me. That is the true spirit of Christmas.

a lovely unexpected gift

I received an unexpected and delightful call the other day from someone who wanted to buy 2 pieces of my artwork! Years ago, and I'm talking years ago!, my friend Doris and I put some artwork into a local orthodontists office. She put her art in the main hallway near the lobby and I put a couple of pieces in a small kids play area off the lobby. At one time, I had done some art for kids rooms and even tried my hand at painting a few murals. I had a hard time finding the right place to market the kids art and the mural painting lost it's appeal after I did a couple. (They are a lot of work!)

Anyway, I had these pieces that I loved, but they didn't have a home. So, I thought, why not, I'll put them in the little kids area and maybe, who knows, someone will love them and want to own them. As I said, years went by and I didn't think of them much, except to think I probably ought to go and get them one day. Well, the orthodontists actually called me up and decided they loved them and wanted to keep them and could they mail me a check! How cool is that!

Attached are the 2 pieces. The Crooked Man and Simple Simon, both based on nursery rhymes and both done on wood panels. I used lots of collage materials-including maps, food packaging, fabric and kids artwork. I painted the rest with acrylic paints.

hitting the stores

Have you been to Target lately? Or as we like to say Tar-jay, to make it sound cooler to shop there. Any-hoo, they are always teaming up with talented designers to create affordable designs for the masses. This holiday season it's Tord Boontje, who is Dutch, but now lives and works in France. His design work is so contemporary, fresh and somewhat whimsical. Not only does he have products for sale in the housewares area, he designed the banners and other pieces that hang from the ceiling as Target's holiday decorations. There are cut out snowflakes, reindeers whose antlers turn into beautiful scrollwork, tree branches with birds in them and floral pieces. There's also a chandelier type piece that hangs form the ceiling. It's all so different from traditional holiday trim, I was quite taken with it. They have some fun commercials on TV right now that feature Tord and I read that he even designed the sets.

finally thawed out

We are finally thawed out after ICE STORM 2006. The weather here has been crazy! Snow and ice! and no school for 2 days. When it snows in Seattle, the city basically shuts down. I'm originally from the midwest, so I'm used to snow and ice. School NEVER closed. We walked to school in the snow if there was no transportation. It's so amazing to me how people here freak out over a couple of inches. It's been an adventure, but I'm glad to be back to normal. Above photo is my daughter catching snowflakes on her tongue. So cute. She played soccer on a snow covered field last night (it's the playoffs - GO LASERS!) I got to watch...brrrrrrrrrr!

gettin' crafty!

It's been a while since I've had time to get crafty, but the day after Thanksgiving, I got the chance to sit down with my daughter and make these uber-fun paper dolls. We used a paper doll stamp as the basic body shape and stamped it onto a manila folder, then cut it out and put the arms and legs on with tiny brads. (thanks, Linda for letting me borrow these things!)

I checked online and there are lots of paper doll templates that you can download, if you don't have the stamp. Try ruthann zaroff or house of stirfry. Just cut them out, then draw around them on the manila folder.

We then made clothes, hair and accessories for our dolls, using bits of decorative paper and glued them on with a glue stick. It's funny how my daughter's doll, the one on the left, turned out looking sorta like her and my doll, well, looking sorta, well, older, like me. I should have made mine wearing jeans and a sweatshirt, instead of that frumpy dress! Anyway, it was so much fun and great to see my oh-so-grown-up 12 yr old acting like a kid again.

a new venture!

I've teamed up with the great people of spud.com
(small potatoes urban delivery) to sell some of my greeting cards through their website. Spud.com is a online company that sells organic produce and other groceries and delivers them to your home. They also sell other products like books, gifts, clothing, etc.(and now cards!)

Here is an excerpt from Spud's web site:

At SPUD, we believe that small is beautiful. When you buy from us, you make a difference to your local community and the environment with every purchase. We care about safe and sustainable food production systems. We believe that easy access to healthy and wholesome food, ethical products and a clean environment is a basic human right. We buy the best products for our customers, favoring those that are local, organic, wholesome, fairly traded and recycled.

I'm excited to be a small part of this environmentally conscious company. We're starting small to see how it goes, but regardless of the outcome, I'm glad I got to learn about the great things happening at spud.com Check it out!

sweet treats!

For those of you, like me, who are always looking for ways to have delicious treats without the unwanted fat and guilt of cookies,cakes and such, I have 2 new favorites to share. Nestle's Fat Free Hot Cocoa mix and Orville Redenbacher's Smart Pop Kettle Korn (94% Fat free!)
Even though winter is not officially here yet, it sure looks and feels like it and these 2 items are perfect for when you are sitting around watching America's Next Top Model and want a treat. (my vote's on Melrose to win! My daughter wants Caridee, now that Brooke is out...) Enjoy!
p.s. none of these companies are paying me to promote thier products (grin)
p.s.s. the hot cocoa design is from my greeting card line

exclaimation points!!!!!

I've decided one of the biggest differences between men and women (besides one is male and the other is female), is that men don't use exclaimation points in their emails. For example, if I get an email from one of my female customers it reads something like this -
OMG!!! Thank you soooooo much getting me the cards so quickly!!!!
If I get one from one of my male customers it reads like this -
Got em. Thnks.
So, why do you think this is the case? Is it because women are more emotional than men? Is it because women are more expressive than men? More creative? More exuberant?
Whatever the case, I don't see how anyone can write and get their point across without using exclaimation points!!! Do you know what I mean, sisters????!!!!!

raindrops are falling on my head

It's so dreary here today...rain, rain, rain. I guess I better get used to it, because winter is near and that's what it does here in the winter. I thought I would post this piece of artwork to honor the day. It's called simply, "Rain". I created it with decorative papers, acrylic paint and a black conte crayon. In the same series - Mountains, Rivers, Sky, Earth and Wind.

meadow series prints

I decided to republish my series of mixed media pieces that I call the Meadow series. Being a newbie to blogging, I wasn't set up to archive any of my posts, so they were gone forever! I'm loving the color palette of pink, brown, aqua and lime! So fresh and modern.
8" x 8" giclee prints - 20.00 each
series price (set of 6) - 100.00

me? a soccer mom?

Just a shout out to all you soccer moms out there. Although my daughter has been playing soccer for years and I've been driving her all over and going to every game, it didn't occur to me that I was a soccer mom until the other day, when I was in a Starbucks with my daughter before a game. She was, of course, in her uniform, and the barista commented that there had been so many soccer moms in that day. I looked around the room and realized he was talking to me! But, but, I don't live in suburbia and I don't drive a mini van!!! You can't mean me! But, as another mom commented when I told her this story, "You're just now figuring this out? You are a soccer mom." And after 3 games over the weekend and another one today...all in the POURING RAIN!, it is officially true.

International!

Not much time to blog these days, soooooo many projects and orders to fill! I did want to mention that my coffee cards are officially international! I've always sent cards to Canada, but I recently sent out orders to Costa Rica and Switerland! How cool is that!

I'm no Martha Stewart!

I learned a few lessons this year when it comes to Halloween and the art of pumpkin carving.

Lesson #1 - Don't carve your pumpkins too early!
Lesson #2 - Don't leave your pumpkins out in the pouring rain!
Lesson #3 - Don't pretend you are Martha Stewart and try to copy one of her ideas!

Yes, I did all three of the above and needless to say, our pumpkins are a soggy, rotten mess. I'm looking forward to tomorrow when I can throw them in the yard waste bin! As far as the Martha Stewart lesson, I saw on the cover of her magazine the coolest pumpkins, using long carrots as the noses. Well, maybe that works in the photo studio, but our carrots turned limp and gross within 2 days. I replaced them and it happened again. We are now on round 3 of the carrot noses, just hoping to get through until tomorrow.

Happy Halloween!

Detail of card design

Fortune Magazine!

Yesterday, I found out one of the card designs that I make for Starbucks Coffee Company is featured in Fortune Magazine. (Oct. 16 issue) There's a photo of it included in an article that interviews the CEO, Jim Donald. I've been making cards for him for several years now. The article doesn't mention me or my company (sigh), but I guess it's not really about me is it? Someday, maybe I'll be featured in Fortune Magazine. Until then, I have my blog, right?

framed coffee prints

My friend Doris came over the other day to pick up some framed art for an office building and I remembered the series of coffee art I had framed a while back. I had intended to show them in a local coffee house, but I found out there was a year wait list to show there! So, anyhow, I have nine beautifully framed prints and no where to show them. They are 9" x 12" prints framed in light wood 16" x 20" frames, with warm white mats. I'm selling them for 75.00 each, plus the cost of shipping. They'll make great Christmas gifts for all your coffee loving friends and family!
Cheers!

framed coffee prints 2

All Dressed Up!

Sometimes a stamp design that I create for A Muse inspires my fine art work. I came across this photo of a piece I did for a local fundraiser and thought it would be fun to show it next to the stamp art. The stamp, Favorite Dress, is sadly discontinued from the A Muse line, but it had it's day and is owned by lots of happy stampers. On the art piece I used fabric, dress maker patterns and acrylic paint. I love all the patterns and colors together. It was one of my favorite pieces and I was sorry to see it go. Enjoy!

Affordable Art!

Finally! I have pricing on the Meadow series art prints.
8" x 8" - 30.00 each
12" x 12" - 46.00 each
These are unframed prices, of course. If you are interested in a framed piece, I can do that too, just send me an email and let me know what you are looking for. More art coming soon!