antique tree earrings

I made these over the weekend.  I received the antique copper tree charms and findings as a gift from my co-worker and friend Jamie Hogsett last year.  Jamie gave me a thoughtful mix of jewelry findings and charms to have fun designing with. Isn't that a great gift idea for any artist or hobbyist?! It may have taken me awhile to make something with them but, now that I have, they are perfect and were totally worth the wait, I love them!  They look and feel very "me". In fact, I'm wearing them right now as I type this. Thanks, Jamie!

chalkboard party favors

For my son's birthday this year he wanted rainbow themed party favors.  He loves art and to color and I just love that he loves rainbows. They are so much fun but, there isn't much out there for 4 year old boys with a theme of rainbows. I love to make and give useful items whenever possible so, the minute I saw this how to: mini chalkboards tutorial on Craftzine I knew it was perfect!  I discussed the idea with Hudson and he was excited about it. Here is how we created the favors together.

We bought plain wood boards at Michaels for $1 each.
The boys helped me count and inspect them.

We lightly sanded the edges to smooth them out.

I taped up the edges of the boards.

Sprayed a couple of coats of chalkboard spray paint on each one.

After they were dry, I removed the tape and added colorful lines
around the edges for a rainbow boarder effect.

Hudson helped me choose bundles of 3 chalk sticks colors and rubber band
them together. Lastly, I created a rainbow thank you tag and tied a ribbon
around the boards with the chalk bundle and tag. 

bulding a network of support

 Hi! I'm guest blogging on Soft Flex Company's blog today. Today's post is about building a network of support. I am a self proclaimed network groupie and am sharing some of my favorite networking sites! Click to see today's post.

national yoga month

Saturday I reacquainted myself  with yoga.  I went on a hiatus from the gym this summer.  My arms and shoulders took a beating and are extremely sore.  It was nice to practice again. It's amazing how quickly my body tenses up and how little flexibility I had was frustrating however, it was great to feel connected with my body and have my mind clear and calm once again.

September is National Yoga Month! National Yoga Month has been created to educate people about the benefits of yoga. And how cool is this, studios all over the country are participating in a free week of yoga for new students! Head over to www.yogamonth.org, to find out which studios in your area are participating and and print off a free yoga week pass!

The website also includes information about the benefits of yoga. Some of the ones they list are:

• Lower Blood Pressure
• Decreased Stress
• Greater flexibility
• Enhanced brain function
• Lower cholesterol
• Better skeletal alignment
• Strengthened bones/joints
• Improved respiration
• Weight Loss
• Enhanced circulation
• Easier transition through menopause
• Deeper peace of mind

Big thanks to Eliza who announced National Yoga Month on her blog Art Asana.  Take a look-see at her blog if you are at all interested in yoga and/or art.  I really enjoy reading it.

monthly goal meetup

So, I totally took the summer off with my Meet Up biz goals!  I was productive but, it was much more based on the whims of each day.  I haven't been following a road map and that was nice for a couple of months but, it's time to get myself back on track

Here were my July goals ...

1. blog about wedding invitation designs & add samples to etsy shop - still to do
2. blog about baby invitation design & add sample to etsy shop- still to do
3. menu, program and place cards for Barbie's wedding - Complete
4. continue with LinkedIn - still to do
5. continue with quick books- Just can't get into it.  I am going to try a simple and free bookkeeping program to see if that is more of what I need right now. anyone ever use http://outright.com/? any other program suggestions?
6. continue web site freelance project - got the site online. Just need to add in extra features
7. ship completed scooby painting - all shipped!  Scooby and his parents were so happy and so was I!
8. gym: monday, wednesday, thursday and saturday - haha, i took the summer off here too.  Just went back to the gym yesterday!

And here we go into September ...

1. blog about wedding invitation designs & add samples to etsy shop
2. blog about baby invitation design & add sample to etsy shop
3. setup design portfolio with LinkedIn
4. setup and try out http://outright.com/
5. continue web site freelance project
6. gym: monday, wednesday, thursday and saturday

September has always been my favorite time of year.  The cool air in the evenings gives you a hint of the crisp, colorful fall days ahead. It is the month my husband and I got married and the birth of my son 4 years ago.  Living in Phoenix for the past 12 years doesn't satisfy my September fall cravings. It has been 105+ all week, no where near the feeling of fall. Nonetheless I still love this month.  It brings with it joyous memories of my childhood and life on the east coast and although we are still so hot, I know the end is near!  

If you would like to join in the Meetup fun, head on over to Athena Dreams to read more about what we do and how to join in.

drawing class begins today!

 Drawing by Ethan, age 5.

I can't believe I begin teaching drawing to elementary kids with Young Rembrandts today, I'm so excited and a whole lotta nervous.  I had training back in June so, it feels like a long time coming.  I did a mock class with Ethan & Hudson his week to practice - I am a bit worried I will go too fast or have my back turned to the class too much so, I'm trying to be be extra aware of that.  Sunday, I spent time reading over the company manual, class procedures and made a sample so, I am as ready as I can be.

As the days grow nearer, I am thinking a lot about art being a learned skill. For many artists, creating art is a learned skill developing over time with proper training and dedicated practice. I have always felt this way. I think its because there isn't anyone I know directly in my family that was an artist I could look up to or say yeah it's in my genes.  I recall countless hours copying color book characters until I mastered the image enough to be able to reproduce it without having the page to look at.  I had Donald Duck and Yosemite Sam in my back pocket to wow my cousins at any moment. That was always fun.  Kind of like a magician with a few tricks up their sleeve.  I look forward to helping a new generation of artists wow their friends and family with their drawing skills!

Learn more about Young Rembrandts or check for a class in your area by visiting their website at http://youngrembrandts.com/.

new canvas earrings now available!

I'm so excited to announce that my new canvas painted earrings now available in my Etsy shop. It is so cool to be able to marry my painting and jewelry design artistry into wearable art! These fun, funky and super lightweight painted canvas earrings are hand-cut from my abstract acrylic painting. Earrings are double sided and range in length from 1-3 inches.  Plus, in honor of my 1 year anniversary on Etsy (I can't beleive it's been a year already!) I am now offering FREE SHIPPING everywhere in the US!

♥ Like these? See my Etsy shop for more!

scooby and buster

Scooby's portrait finally arrived in New York this week.  The much anticipated arrival was well received and the overwhelming gratitude from my friends, Bobby, Vicky and Scooby has been wonderful.  To hear them say how much they cherish it and how much it looks like him is really rewarding. 

Scooby is very excite about his self portrait, heck we all are! Thank you so much Kristen, you are the best!!! You nailed it!

 It was the first canvas I ever shipped and learned a few things along the way like; do not estimate the cost of shipping until you package the canvas up in an appropriate box, a mirror shipping box works really well and  it is a good idea to cover the canvas with kraft paper or the like to protect it's surface.  Also, you can utilize all those plastic bags you have in your cupboard to stuff around the canvas as packing material. If it is an oil painting be extra careful that the bags to not touch the surface of the canvas as it could stick to it.

Our beloved dog of 11 years, Buster passed away shortly after I furnished Scooby's portrait.  I'm glad I had finished the painting a few weeks before Buster left us.  Buster and Scooby look they could be long lost relatives and I know it would have been a struggle to finish if the timing had been otherwise.  We love and miss him so much.  He was a great dog, always standing guard, he such a snuggler (loved to give hugs and lean on you when you sat beside him on the couch), Buster never missed a meal and always knew when you needed a friend.  He was especially helpful during those messy toddler years cleaning up after the boys at every opportunity.  Thank you for being part of our family.  Rest in Peace Buster. You will forever be in our hearts. xoxo

brand consistency

 Hi! I'm guest blogging on Soft Flex Company's blog today. Today's post is about brand consistency. Last month I touched upon the basics for Logo Design so, naturally a discussion about branding comes next. Click to see today's post.

custom bottlecap magnet set

My handmade bottlecap magnet sets are a wonderful gift idea and now they can be customized! These little treasures are made from recycled bottlecaps featuring your choice of 6 of my original art prints or custom image(s) supplied by you!

Custom images can be family photos, child's artwork, nature photos, anything you want! The super duper 1/2 inch magnet will hold several sheets of paper making these beautiful and functional. Sold as a set of 6 magnets and packaged in a gift tin.

I also posted a few single magnets  featuring my original art prints if you don't want to buy a whole set.

♥ Like these? See my Etsy shop for more!