This & That... Fun Finds!

This past couple of weeks seem like a blur. My last post I was prepping for a food 

and wine event and concluding my "heartsie' giveaway~ 

both of which were incredibly rewarding and fun. 

I was so touched that Cindy of 12 Tribes gave a sweet shout out on her blog. 

And Ms. Sonya who basically had me in tears at Starbucks, as I was reading her post about receiving her "heartsie" in the mail. I am truly grateful for the giving 

and receiving of love, with our very special "flying group"!

I've been wanting to share a few "fun finds", that I found along the way 

while prepping for the last event. I came across this sweet bulletin board at a close out store, and snatched up a few. When it came down to crunch time for my last show, 

I decided to use one to display my sign. I got to thinking, how easy it would be,

to make one with some decorative moulding, paint, a sheet of cork and a few push pins 

(of the very creative variety from etsy). 

Take a peek~ and to think... there are endless varieties of cool push pins on etsy!

*fabric push pins    *flower push pins

I love this board! I've used another, as a jewelry board 

to display my resin keychains and necklaces.

 Another little "ditty", that seems to draw a lot of attention when I do a show, 

is this little birdcage that I found in the dollar section of Michaels.

 I use this little gem for my business cards and it 
always seems to attract a lot of attention. 

It's always fun to have some props that work with your style, 
and the pieces you are showing.

Okay- off the show path and onto the personal side of life.... I have been going crazy 

for the new application I picked up for my iphone... hipstamatic

So many of you may already know about this, but I thought it was 

still worth the mention. I think this is the coolest iphone app. ever! 

I've been taking pictures like crazy using the various lenses and film choices 

that come with it. It basically puts various retro filters 

onto your image, to give that polaroid look, old school look, etc. 

There are more filters for purchase, but I have been having so much fun 

with the ones included, I haven't had the bug to get more yet. 

The pictures are decent quality and save on photoshop time. 

Check out hipstamatic to get an idea of what fun you can have!

Fun in the Big Bear snow last weekend! 

(Or was it New York snow from 1960-NOT! I'm not that old yet.)

great painting inspirations... for color, mood, atmosphere...etc.

local mountains

Off-roading adventures in the local mountains last month.

(Retro son-- he likes this picture too!)

And I couldn't complete my post without a little peek into a quickie watercolor 

that I was playing with this week. 

I am trying a few fun and colorful sketches to plan for a bigger piece. 

My family is beginning to wonder about all of the birds lately. 

I went from fruit and veggies, to birds and organic leaves pods and flowers.

Who knows where the brush will lead next week.

Where is your brush leading?  What is inspiring you this week?

Artfully yours... v a L e r i e

Looking for inspiration... check out some other creative blogs on Sneak Peek Fridays...

thanks sweet JENNIFER!

link up here...

studioJRU

And the winner is...

A short... but very  s w e e t  post to complete Valentines Day for all 

who entered my little blog giveaway. 

I am happy to announce the two recipients of the "heartsie giveaway" are... fellow creatives Sonya & Cindy.

I had a lovely surprise for Valentines Day- a visit from my daughter who came down 

from San Francisco to see us.

So, in all fairness- I asked her to do the honors and pick the winners.

Choosing winner 1... Sonya

 and here's choosing winner 2... Cindy

It was so rewarding to know, that many of you left comments and participated. 

What fun!

  I will have to do this more often.

Happy "heartsie" Day!

Time for Some Giving Back...

 

 A short and sweet post to end of a week of craziness. 

It always get's a little nuts before a show.The kitchen table is full of paper, 

the counter's are full of glass pieces. The dining room table is loaded with more paper, 

glass and the containers used to transport everything.

 The food and wine lovers festival

 that I am showing at this weekend looks like a fabulous way to start Valentines Day.

"Handy Husband" is joining me, and I understand we receive 

2 wine glasses when we check in.
A  "h a p p y   d a y"  it will be-  sales or not!

Above, is the plate that I donated, for the auction to benefit Foodshare.

I always love to give an auction item. I have a "huge soft spot" 

for food programs, so this one is a true "heartfelt" donation.

Since it was my 2 year anniversary on etsy this past week,

I was thinking it was time for a giveaway. The friendships, the support, 

and the kindness of everyone I've been connected with on this artful journey 

is beyond words~ 

so a "grateful giveaway" is in order.

I've decided to offer 2 of my "Heartsie's" as a "thank-you" 

for friendship and support.

That means 2 winners! 

To enter the "grateful giveaway" choose from the list below:

1- leave a comment on this blog page. (1 entry)

2- become a follower of this blog. (1 entry)

3- post one of my blog buttons on your blog. (1 entry)

4- tell me if you are a coffee or tea drinker. (1 entry)

Feel free to enter as many as you like. If you already follow or have a button on your blog,

just let me know in your comments. I'll make sure you have the proper entry's. 

The winner will be chosen on Valentine's Day. 

I'll post the winner's here and get mailing addresses then.

 

Since I don't have any connections with "the accounting firm for the Academy Awards", 

I'll use the pick from the bowl technique~ sound good?

Have fun! Looking forward to giving back!

1 happy winner will receive some love...

1 happy winner will receive some joy...

To see a wonderful group of creatives at work... take a peek and click the link!

Sneak Peek Friday:: Hearts, a Show & Small Stuff

I'm back to In the Studio Fridays, hosted by Jennifer at  StudioJRU. I love seeing what everyone else is up to, while kicking myself in the boot-tey to make sure I post. Enjoy the link- it's always fun to see what creatives are up to.

For me, there  has been a   

v a r i e t y of work this week. I am showing my plates at a Food & Wine event next Sunday at the 4 Seasons Hotel in Westlake. Secretly, I 

am jumping out of my skin, 

as I have it on my  "d r e a m"  

list this year to try to make it into some wineries with my plates. This event is being sponsored by venturacountywinetrail which sounds like a possible "door opening"... can you hear it? I'm listening...

I also got busy with my little "heart ornaments" which have turned out to be a popular little piece. I've sold quite a few of them privately, and am going to throw out a little surprise on February 8th... check back- hint hint!

Along with the heart ornaments I've been playing with these darling little heart dishes that coordinate with the ornaments. I always like to have a couple of smaller price point items at a show- they usually create interest and tend to give people a "buy" if they want a little something.

 so many  h e a r t s...  hoping to share some love, or maybe just hold candy...

 

or maybe just hang around.

And the final part of the week, was planning some "n e w" plate designs 

that have a "food and wine" feel. Just started on that part of the plan, 

but next week will hopefully yield more creativity. 

So, that's what's been glued, torn and bejeweled this week.

What's whispering to you in your creative  h e a r t ?