What I've Been Doing

My new baby boy arrived on June 7th..... I am finding the joy and the craziness of having two little loves around me all day. So little time for art, but I am juggling my time and as soon as I get Ewan's birth announcements made I will be back at it with some new art.
I took these photos yesterday in my bedroom trying to get some good shots for a birth announcement picture. I have a few more that I just love and I am sure that one will land the lucky spot of getting shipping to friends and family around the world. I also took some with my beautiful 3 year old Emma so that she can send her own announcements letting the world know she is now a big sister.

Baby Shower

Hosted a baby shower for my sister in law last weekend and got a chance to do some baby art. I went looking all over for some cute decorations, but couldn't find anything and having a new baby myself was really pressed for time. So I decided to go with an idea that I would have loved for my daughters baby shower and made it work....BABY BLOCKS all themed around the baby's initials.

I started first with the art, since she is having a boy I tried to stick with more boy like images. I sketched out my art, dropped it into Adobe Illustrator and then printed out the art as needed for each of the decorations.
I got most of my supplies from the Paper Source and Michaels. I found square boxes and printed out my art and spray mounted it onto the boxes


I also made tags for the favors which were little boxes of homemade cookies.

I made small and large blocks and put them all over the house. And I used the table tents from the Paper Source to spray mount sweet poems about baby boys as added decorations.

For prizes for the games I used the purse boxes from the Paper source and once again mounted on my art before tucking in gift cards to Starbucks.
I also made a banner with ribbon and paper as well as made tissue paper balls thanks to the help of my good friend Holly.
All in all for my first time hosting a baby shower and my very limited time, the decorations came out great! I've been told that my sister in law took home most of the decorations and now has them in the baby's room....That to me is a success!

Love and Joy

When I was really little (about 4) my big brother was in the elementary school choir and at Christmas time he came home singing the Wassail Song. I loved it so much that he taught it to me. When I went to watch his performance I sang right along from my seat! It is a wonderful memory, so it wasn't hard to decided what my two young carolers should be singing.

Something new for this holiday season, with the love children have for singing, dogs and snow! May love and joy come to you!

New Look

Say "Hello" to the start of my new identity.
Over the last couple of days I have been working on creating a new "look" for my business. I have had a nagging voice in the back of my head that keeps saying "that as much as you like your logo, business cards, and identity. It just doesn't show what you actually do!" I think people would be surprised if handed one of my business cards and then to go view my art and discover it looks nothing like the art I have on my cards. My logo I love and will keep, but I am going to put it aside for now and do a more illustrated version of my bird, and add my little Emma. I think that it will portray more of what I am currently doing and be a much more relaxed and enjoyable card then the polished and proper identity I have been using the last year and a half. After I finished the art, I thought it was quite cute so I posted it as a print on my etsy shop.

Free Shipping

 

To help make my birthday weekend just that much sweeter, I have decided to share my joy and offer free standard shipping on any item in my shop going any where around the globe.  It's a good time to do a bit of fall shopping and dare I say Christmas shopping with no shipping charges for a few days only.

Shopping For Baby

I am so excited. My "Finding Winter Cardinal" was featured in "Shopping For Baby" a magazine out of Australia!



I had been contacted by the magazine last December asking if they could use my art, they didn't know if it would make it into the magazine but would send me a copy if it did. I have had a large number of my summer (their winter time) sales come out of Australia and with the arrival of my magazine I now know why. I am also currently in a childrens boutique in Australia too. Let's just say "I Heart Australia!" Thank you so much for the wonderful patronage!

Up Coming Exhibit

That's right, entered just in time to send two of my pieces off to an Art Exhibit. Got the news via e-mail this morning that the Art Institute would like to exhibit for the next 4 months in their gallery my new Spring Collection and Rainy Day Mate! Will be dropping them off this Saturday morning all framed and ready to hang.
The reception is on Thursday September 10th from 5-7 if you would like to see the images in person.

Spring Collection

Okay, I know it's a bit late for this, but it's a new piece!!! Totally inspired by my little Emma and her love of ladybugs, butterflies, bees, flowers, her wheelbarrow, grass, and a song she loves to sing called "5 little Ducks" and a book she loves me to read about first words of Fashion...like Spring Collection! While I was working on this piece I was constantly reminded of my good friend Julie who use to be a bird keeper for the Wild Animal Park and her little girl. I think the end result was a combination of all three of these wonderful girls. So happy to have it finally finished after 3 months of work. Let's hope my art starts coming more frequent, after all the holidays are approaching.

Rain Rain Stay Today, Go Away Some Other Day

Happy to announce another remarkable bird to my collection of art reflecting my amazing little Emma. This image was inspired by my love for walking in the rain, London's Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, my Emma, and the joy of nature. I really miss the misty foggy rain and walking through the magnificent park that was the center of London. I walked that park every day we lived there and can't wait to take Emma on walks there. I know she will LOVE it!! I am hoping to have this piece posted up on my Etsy shop for sale in the next couple of days. Once I get the colors and printing looking just the way I want and get it framed and photographed, it will go up for sale as a 10X10 print.

Bella and Lulu

Was absolutely thrilled to get a wonderful e-mail from Bella's mommy. Attached were these two photos of Bella's room with the art work they asked me to create. What a joy this project has been and getting to see my art in a little girls room half way across the globe was wonderful.