Love & Joy come to you....

...and this 

is the house 

that love 

built...

love & joy

Paper and glue, paper and glue... 

this is my month for paper and glue. 
I long to pick up a brush and paint colors, 
but November and December are always 
the month's for paper and glue.

I'm tickled with my "new" holiday birdhouses. 
I'm spending lot's of time creating and showing in the next 2 weeks.
I have a tendency to get a little nuts at the beginning of December, 
as I am sure a lot of us do... 
but always trying 
to be mindful to 
stop, 
see, 
breathe,
&
soak up some joy
 in this 
season of beauty.

What are you creating this season 
that brings you joy? 
(Baking, decorating, crafting, and more?)


I hope you are all soaking in some joy, 
as we prepare for this month of 
friends, family, faith, 
and thoughtfulness.


To celebrate this month of joy
be the first to know about my ...
H E A R T S I E   O R N A M E N T
S A L E!
Just in time to spread some joy..
regularly $10 each
on sale ~2 for $15


check them out at...
www.twig2neststudio.etsy.com

Holidays Next...

“sometimes... 

you don't need 

a goal in life, 

you don't need 

to know the big picture.

you just need to know 

what 

you're going 

to do next!” 

~Sophie Kinsella, 

The Undomestic Goddess

I had to giggle when I read this quote. 

I am a list maker, a goal setter, a big picture dreamer...

and lately, 

a chaser of my tail. 

With the holidays fast approaching,

I've been working my tail off, making & creating 

holiday ornaments, plates, birdhouses,

small paintings and more. 

Getting ready for holiday boutiques

brings me to the same place very year... 

trying to start a little earlier- 

trying to be organized

trying to make a general plan...

and it 

always 

get's 

crazy!!!

So once again, I am approaching,

 this lovely season of craziness,

with joy and deep breathes,

remembering this verse...

For I know the plans 

I have for you,

plans to give you 

hope and a future.

Jeremiah 29:11

because His plans are always 

bigger and better!

A little sneak peek at some of my holiday offerings...

 little heartsie ornaments- just listed on etsy.

Keep an eye open for Black Friday & Cyber Monday Specials... 

I'll be listing the discount promo on Wednesday!

Spread the word, if you like!

  and these are just the beginning!

happy T H A N K S G I V I N G week friends!

In giving... we receive.

"For it is in
giving
that we
receive."
St Francis of Assisi

After choosing in a most traditional way...

(by putting everyone's name into a bowl, and having my nephew pull one out),

I am happy to say, that I have a winner of my "grateful giveaway"!

Congratulations to Melissa Prell!!

This lovely little birdie house will be personalized

 and find it's way to your house,

by the end of this week.

So it was in the spirit of doing this giveaway,

that I had the pleasure of reading about everyone else's creative process

and a shared personal word, or quote of inspiration.

I couldn't help but include everyone's words here, and a link, to each one's lovely blog.

What joy to receive
the gift of words...

"The word that has been rolling around in my head lately is 

connect or connection,

 as in to God, myself and others. 

I also love peace, love, joy, and beauty. "

Melissa Prell

(http://www.lissabeecreations.net)

"I am with Mark Twain and his "20 years from now" quote. 

"Explore. Dream. Discover."

Carola Bartz

(http://carolabartz.blogspot.com)

"and I will have to go with the quote by Marisa of creative Thursday:

 "I am a Thriving Artist"

Jacqueline

(http://jqlinesocuteithurts.typepad.com)

Inspiring words, hmmmm. . . how about, "see beauty".

Jennifer

(http://apoemlife.blogspot.com)

My favourite art quote for inspiration is
"Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures"

Lee

(http://artfulleedesigned.blogspot.com)

"help mommy!" 
Robin Norgren
(http://mycreativepeace.blogspot.com)

"...DARE TO BELIEVE is the quote I live by today..."

Jill
(http://www.truoriginal.blogspot.com)

oh... and by the way~ the watercolor above, is another piece I am working on.  

I am creating a grouping of watercolor birds 

that I plan to use in a mixed media series... 

so true to my process, 

I am creating, stopping observing, and creating again...

Soon 

will be the post,

 where I share, all of the final discoveries 

that these little watercolors will yield.

haPPy creating!

Creating Yourself... and a Grateful Giveaway

"Life isn't about finding yourself.

Life is about creating yourself."

— George Bernard Shaw

Oh, do I love your inspiration Georgie!

I think I am in a perpetual George Bernard Shaw state of mind.
Exploring~ creating~ exploring~ creating. 


So I've had this burning desire to use the backgrounds I painted. 
Funny, but I wasn't sure how I wanted to approach them. 
I got to thinking perhaps my watercolors 
would look interesting collaged on top.
(With other interesting things of course...)


I tried laying one of my pears on top...
Wasn't sure if the colors worked, or if  would even look good- 
but after looking at it a while, 
I'm feeling it may have potential. 

I don't know about you, 
but I have this habit of having to look at the steps I am taking,
 for a while, and then continuing on. 
It's a broken up process for sure, but I've never been able to crank out pieces.
I am not really sure if that's a good thing or not. 
There's a rhythm to my process, that is like a dance... 
take some steps~ stop~ observe~ feel~ think... 
take some steps~ stop~ observe~ feel~ think...
hmmm... maybe a visual cha cha cha!
How about you? 


What kind of process do you go through when you create?
We all have one~ 
much like the individuality of our strokes on the canvas,
the medium that we choose to work with,
and the things that "move us to create".

ahhh... but the best part of today's post is 
my  g r a t e f u l  giveaway... 

I've been wanting to do a giveaway 

of one of my more recent birdie houses.

I have been overwhelmed with the encouragement, 

the cheering on of my journey,

and the ever so kind comments that everyone has been leaving.

So it is with much  g r a t i t u d e,  that I am going to offer 

the item below, as a sweet giveaway

for all of that kind support, friends.

To participate, become a follower of my blog 

(and thanks in advance if you already are).

Leave a comment, and tell me what your inspirational words would be...

because, if your name is drawn,

I will personalize this birdie house with those very words.

One lucky winner will be posted Friday September 2nd. 

thank-you friends!

A little time off & some creative coffee....

 

I really love coffee... 

and now I know  
it loves me back!

I guess you can see something creative even in your coffee... 

just have to be on the lookout... 

I love all of the heart shapes that fellow creatives post~ 

heart stones, heart leaves, heart hands... 

so needless to say,

I was smiling from ear to ear when I saw 

this little heart staring back at me.

It was really calling me to get back on track.

I didn't intend to skip out on posting... 

but sometimes it's like church, classes, making dinner, volunteer work... 

you know one of those things that are part of your daily life, 

that when you miss a couple of days on your daily path,

it becomes hard to get back on track

or easy to just continue on 
the new one you are blazing.

A couple of weeks ago, I had my parents here for a visit. 

It was a lovely time spent doing family things... cooking and eating together,

(like yummy french toast I made above)

running errands, a little travel to local areas, 

enjoying the sunshine and just being family. 

(My parents try to come out once a year, and I try to get back to see them as well, 

once a year or more, "IF" I am so fortunate).

I cherish that time together.

But when they leave, there is that in-between space of time, 

That breath of fresh air to gain your time back, 

yet that sad space of time to miss their presence.

I've been playing catch-up ever since, 

and have been trying desperately to get to a paint brush.

So, finally this week I got to warm up my hand 

and get started again.

"Art is the giving by each man of his evidence to the world. 

Those who wish to give, love to give, discover the pleasure of giving. 

Those who give are tremendously strong."
— Robert Henri

A little time spent with the watercolor paints 

and a few 

new ideas started fluttering around, 

(hint: involving some larger birdhouses & mixed media decoupage)~

... commitments to more shows starting mid-July came to be...

... the honor of an interview (TBA) at Robin Norgren's 

my creative peace 

is on the radar...

(you've got to check out her wonderful workbook ~ I just ordered mine~ can't wait!)

 and more gift shops to be explored.

Good to take a little unintentional break, 

but good to be back trying to work through 

the art process... and live an 

artfull life.

p.s. I missed linking up at studiojru ~

but it's always fun to see what everyone was up to last week.

Listening to the Inner Voice Chick...

 

It's been a couple of weeks since I've linked to StudioJRU~ Sneak Peek Fridays. 

There are so many talented artists there, that share their blogs 

throughout the weekend. 

It's always inspiring to see what everyone has been up to. 

I feel like I am missing  c o f f e e  with my friends 

when I haven't gotten a chance to link up and visit. 

So, today I'm sitting here with cappucino in hand, reading and sharing....

I'm getting excited about something that I have been planning for a while, 

and now am feeling like may come to fruition. 

I love to work in watercolor, and I love making my decoupage plates. 

I've been thinking about applying  m y  o w n  graphic watercolor art 

to the plates rather than the usual graphic patterned papers I find to create with. 

I have done this in the past, but with existing watercolor pieces that I'd already done. 

The difference here, is that I am actually creating the art for a specific plate, and words. 

It's coming together and feeling good.

And if it's  f e e l i n g  g o o d,  then I must 

be listening to that i n n e r   v o i c e!

(do you ever wonder what she looks like- that inner voice chick?

I wonder if she's cute- young- old- floating around or buzzing like a hummingbird- 

maybe even sporting red hair like me?)

So- this week, you get an unofficial peek at the process...

the "inner voice chick" is still giving direction, 

but I am happy with the path she's put me on.

~my graphic blooms~

~sweet little birdie~

~playing with placement~

~leaves:: one of my favorite things~

~another beginning~

All of the plates are in process- should be fun to see what develops through the week!

What does your i n n e r   v o i c e chick look like? 

I may have to paint mine- she's starting to reveal herself more and more.

p.s. a sneak peek at another "soon-to-be" listing on etsy at twig2neststudio

~link-up at studiojru for more inspiration!