OWOH - Come along with me...

On a Magic Carpet Ride....
Hello everyone! I am so happy to be participating in the One World One Heart  event.
This global blogging even is the brainchild of Lisa Swifka . The idea was to bring bloggers together from around the world, and to possibly win some prizes.  I participated last year and had so much fun,  met  many new people, and made some wonderful friends.
This year already there are so many blogs for you to visit. If you click on the link on the side of my blog, or above this post, it will take you to the main page, there you will see who is participating.


First Prize:  I will be offering an original 6"x12" painting I created last winter called Victorian Snow Girl. This painting was woodburned on wood, then I added various media, including lots of texture and even Swarovksi crystal beads.

Second Prize: I will be offering a large print of your choice from my Etsy Shop. 

 

To join in my giveaway, all  you have to do is leave a comment on this post, and on Feb 15th, I will  pick the winners. You do not need a blog to participate, my giveaway is open to everyone. Please make sure that I can reach you if you win - leave your email if you don't have a blog.

Have fun everyone!
betty

The case of the disappearing blogger...

Yup, that would be me. This is only my second post this year.  I better get moving though, since the great One World One Heart event starts next Monday! It will be so much fun, just like last year.  I haven't yet decided what my giveaway will be, if I will paint something new, or give away one of my previously done paintings. Guess we will find out on Monday, lol!

I'm still painting my little ACEOs, the cat you see above I took from my sister's fridge. I drew her cat 'Zeus' on black paper, and since she won't let me have it back, I will be re-doing a similar one to put in my shop. I should mention Zeus is a female. She was a Birthday gift for my sister, and when we were at the pet store we were told she was a boy. Fast forward a few months,  Zeus was acting very strange, clingy, wouldn't leave you alone, so I got a little suspicious about the behavior. I told a friend at work who grew up with cats, we called my sis at home and had her flip the cat over to take a look, and yes, Zeus was a girl! lol! The name stayed, even though I was hoping she'd change it to Zena.
 
That's it for now, check back on Monday and join me on a magic carpet ride

My Newest Angel

I hope everyone had a great holiday break. Did you make any resolutions? I can't think of any to make, or at least any I may have a chance at keeping, lol! I decided a long time ago, that the best thing to do if you want to make changes in your life, is to take each day as a fresh start. If you fail today, try again tomorrow.  No guilt. Guilt is the thing that keeps us back, for it makes us feel like failures.  I like the quote : 'A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step'. Anything can be accomplished, if you take it one step at a time.

The angel you see here is the first girl I painted in a long time. If you are a new blog follower, you may think that I only paint owl ACEOs, haha! but actually this is more typical of what I do.
I started her before Christmas, and left her until I could figure out how to proceed. Last night I decided it was time to work on it, so what you don't see  is layers of  vintage pages, tissue, stamping, and other old and new techniques I have learned. Sometimes I wonder why I bother, since I cover it all up, but I guess I know what's beneath my art. I feel it is more interesting rather than a quick and easy background.

Now I also painted  a few more ACEOs - (and for anyone who is unsure what they are, they are artwork, the size of playing cards. Very collectible, and popular on Ebay and Etsy).
I started a new series for Valentines Day featuring my owl characters..people seem to love them, and I really enjoy them as well.

thanks for reading!

Happy New Year!

I'm looking forward to spending a nice quiet evening alone. It has been a busy season, and soon it will be back to normal. As I was cooking my dinner, I got caught up in painting and ended up burning the bottom of my pot. I was steaming veggies and didn't realize the water evaporated, but boy did it smell in the kitchen...then as I added water to try and clean it, the fire alarm went off. I hope this isn't a preview of next year, haha! I sometimes can be a bit absent minded.

I have a postive feeling for 2010, and I hope it turns out to be wonderful for all of us. We can choose to make it our best year ever! Let's try and count our blessings, focus on what is right in the world instead of the negative, and be kinder to everyone we meet.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all of my blog readers for your friendship over the last year. I appreciate each and every one of you, and am grateful for your support. May the next year bring you many blessings, much joy, and abundance!

Merry Christmas!

I'd like to wish all my friends a very blessed season. May the new year bring you much joy and happiness, and may we come one step closer to peace on earth. 

Christmas is almost here...

I was at the mall today, getting some last minute shopping done. It was packed, lineups everywhere, and I loved every second of it! It is a great sign, that people are starting to feel confident again after the economic train wreck of the last couple of years. At least I hope we are on the mend.

Why is it that people  seem friendlier at this time of year? There seems to be some positivity in the air, almost like a magical spell has been cast. Yes I know what you may be thinking, there are also those who get so stressed and cranky, and the crazy drivers that almost run you over to get to a parking spot...but other than that, haha! I'm taking about people smiling more, even when in a line up, of wishing strangers a Merry Christmas, and connecting with each other if only for a brief moment.

Contrast this with the fact that this time of year can also be the most depressing for some people dealing with loss of a loved one, loneliness, depression, or illness. Christmas seems to magnify their pain. Watching others smile and feel joyful can make you seem smaller and lonelier. I wish I could do something make them feel better, unfortunately we all have to walk our paths alone, but if you can possible reach out to someone who may need a helping hand, please consider doing so. There are many people struggling right now, I have seen it in person, and in the blogging world. Sometimes all it takes is a kind word to let them know they matter.
What if we took just a single moment to look in someone's eyes, wish them a Happy Holiday, and silently bless them? Just so they know that they are not alone? Not only would they feel better, but you would too. The giver of the blessing receives as much as the recipient . Let's try and fill this beautiful  earth of ours with loving energy!


Well, we are getting down to the wire, and after I finish this post, I will sit down and watch another Christmas movie. One I saw a few days ago called 'Eve's Christmas' was sooooo boring! The bridal shop scene was so bizarre, it didn't belong in this movie. I had such high hopes, and felt like I wasted 2 hours of my life....consider yourself warned :-)

Yesterday I watched 'A Boyfriend for Christmas'  a cute sweet romantic movie. It's the perfect movie to pop into the DVD player, and relax with. It is about a woman who gave up on Christmas a young girl when she didn't get her wish. Fast forward 20 years, she is still single, but Santa has other plans.


Next on my list to watch in the next few days is National Lampoons Christmas Vacation, a classic! I never tire of this one, or 'A Christmas Story' , or even Elf, which I think will be around for a long time. So many movies, so little time!! Ok, enough of me babbling on about movies, I am off to watch one.
Feel free to comment with your favorite movies, or music,

Lost Mojo and Movies

hi everyone. I can't believe Christmas is only a few days away!! I've been busy painting little ACEOs, lots of them! the ideas keep coming. I find that around this time of year, for some reason I enjoy working small. I've done snowmen, whimsical owls, crows, but not a single girl. In fact, I need to make an angel before Christmas, and I am stuck. It's almost like I forgot how to paint girls. I see some of my favorite artists coming up with new stuff almost daily, and I feel like I'm wandering in a desert with no direction. It's not the first time this has happened, and it may have happened to you. How do you get your mojo back?

 I was hoping to create a magical piece for the season, but time is ticking, and I don't know if I can pull it off. This is very disappointing, to have all these great ideas and grand plans, and to fail.
On a positive note, I am happy with the ACEOs I've been creating, an am having lots of fun with them.

On to the movie talk.....Last night, I turned on all my Christmas lights, made a nice big mug of coffee,  sat under a warm blanket and watched 'The Christmas Shoes'. I love that movie! I know I mentioned it last year in a post, but it is one of my favorite new holiday movies. It is well done, not a cheap production. Very sad too, but hopeful. I would highly recommend it to anyone, but have your kleenex handy, lol!

Another great movie is a comedy called 'Call me Claus' starring Whoopi Goldberg. Hilarious, fun for the family, it is about a grumpy woman, who is told that she is to become the new Santa. I haven't watched it this year, but will be doing so before the holidays.

 A newer movie I discovered last year is 'The Christmas Card', and it is about soldier in Afghanistan who is touched by a card sent by a stranger, and on his return, decides to meet her. It is a cozy film, with gorgeous scenery, a nice enjoyable treat. 

There are lots of other movies I really want to see. One is 'The Christmas Choir' which I saw a preview of...unfortunately it's a Hallmark movie, and is not playing on any channels I can find. I want the DVD, but it may have to wait until next year. If anyone has seen it, I would love to hear your thoughts.

New ACEO - The Cat Carol

 The Cat Carol

The cat wanted in to the warm warm house,
but no one would let the cat in
It was cold outside on Christmas Eve,
She meowed and meowed by the door.

The cat was not let in the warm warm house,
And her tiny cries were ignored.
'twas a blizzard now, the worst of the year,
There was no place for her to hide.

Just then a poor little mouse crept by,
He had lost his way in the snow.
He was on his last legs and was almost froze,
The cat lifted him with her paw.

She said "Poor mouse do not be afraid,
because this is Christmas Eve.
"On this freezing night we both need a friend,
"I won’t hurt you - stay by my side."

She dug a small hole in an icy drift,
This is where they would spent the night.
She curled herself 'round her helpless friend,
Protecting him from the cold.

When Santa came by near the end of the night,
the reindeer started to cry.
They found the cat lying there in the snow,
and they could see that she had died.

They lifted her up from the frozen ground,
and placed her into the sleigh.
It was then they saw the little mouse wrapped up,
she had kept him warm in her fur.

"Oh thank you Santa for finding us!
"Dear cat wake up we are saved!"
..."I’m sorry mouse but your friend has died,
there’s nothing more we can do.

"On Christmas Eve she gave you her life,
the greatest gift of them all."
Santa lifted her up into the night sky,
and laid her to rest among the stars.

"Dear mouse don’t cry you are not alone,
you will see your friend every year.
"Each Christmas a Cat Constellation will shine,
to remind us that her love’s still here."

Written by Bruce Evans
Sung by Meryn Cadell
Info can be found at www.catcarol.com


The above is a song I heard on a Christmas CD a few years ago, but it is available again on a CD called
'A Winter's Night'.  I wanted to do artwork based on it for a long time, and even though my skill level isn't quite where I would like it to be, I did it anyway. When I first had my sister listen to this song she got mad at me, because it is very sad, and any cat lover cannot get through it with dry eyes.
I put the artwork up on Ebay, in case someone is crazy enough to want a depressing ACEO, lol!

***UPDATE: You can hear the song on Youtube:   here is the link:  The Cat Carol

Christmas movies, music and more

This will feel like a scattered post, but that's the way I am these days. The time is flying! and Christmas will be here before you know it.
If you look on the right side of my blog you will notice I added a widget for you to listen to an all Christmas music radio station, or if you like, further down, I have added a playlist of music I chose, for your listening pleasure :-)
The sun finally came out this weekend, so I photographed some of my decorations, but then my computer decided not to accept my camera card! So no pics for now, however, I did watch a couple of Christmas movies.

The first one is called 'Fallen Angel' with Gary Sinese. It was a nice, slow paced but enjoyable movie, about a workaholic man who is alienated from his father for many years, and goes back home after getting a call from the hospital saying his father is ill.  I won't spoil it, but anyone who enjoys a nice slow romance will enjoy it. Worth watching.

Next was a movie called 'Silver Bells' about a Nova Scotia tree farmer who is raising his 2 kids since the death of his wife. A few minutes into it, I realized I had read the book a while ago. This is a Hallmark film, as was the previous one I wrote about, and I would also recommend this. Again, there is a romantic element to it, and of course, a happy ending. Great movies to sit on a cozy couch, make yourself a hot beverage, and enjoy.
One that I thought I would like but was very disappointed in is 'Snow 2: Brain Freeze'. I watched 'Snow' last year, and it was a cute film! I would recommend the first if you get a chance, in fact, I may rent it again.

Now if you are looking for a nice Christmas CD as background music, for when you have friends over, I discovered 'A Black Tie Christmas' by Atilla Fias. I purchased through iTunes, and it is a wonderful addition to my hundreds of Christmas CDs, lol!
It is instrumental, and very laid back, not at all my style, but for some reason, it is very easy to listen to. Preview the album on iTunes and let me know what you think.

Can you believe I got another Blog award? this time from the talented Nicola Toms. I appreciate it when people still think of me, (even though I am notoriously bad at following
through). Thank you again Nicola!

thanks for indulging me dear readers....
I would love to hear your thoughts on any Christmas movies you have enjoyed. Feel free to recommend or talk about them in the comments section. From now till Christmas, let's share our thoughts of music and movies, or anything else you enjoy about the season.

Back from Montreal

Late last night we got back from our 2 day trip to Montreal. I love it there! the food, the shopping....there are malls  downtown that go on and on, you could wander all day, and not see everything.
I spent more than I should have, but we only do this once a year. I am disappointed that there was no snow. It's been a strange fall here too, nothing at all for the month of November, you would never know this was Canada.  Before I left I was working mostly on ACEOs - like the mermaid you see above.  I've done a few more of the owls, more of my whimsical Sugarbugs, including one of my favorites with her snowman too. Can you tell I have snow on my mind, lol?

 

I am still waiting for a sunny day so that I can photograph some of my Christmas decorations....
and shortly I will begin discussing Christmas movies. I'm a wee bit behind this week, so thought I'd give a quick update.
I'm feeling the urge to paint larger angels and icons, since it has been a while since I did that.  I sketched for hours on the train back, and have some interesting ideas to work on. Some interesting girls made their way onto my pages, now the trick is to see how well I can make them happen on canvas, that's the tough part!
I will leave you with this photo of an over 3 storey high Christmas tree, filled with cute little scenes like this one. I went to 3 different floors photographing different angles of it, but found most of the pics ended up blurry :-(

Wanna see my hooters?

You naughty thing! I meant my owls, lol! Here are a couple of the ACEOs I've been working on, called my Holiday owls. They look better in person, but I give up, I can't seem to get good scans. So far I think I have done about 6 of them...and am working on some more penguins, and my little sugarbugs.
(For those asking, they are up on Ebay).

It feels nice to create something new, I was in a bit of a slump. Although I haven't made any angel or Christmas fairies yet, but they are coming soon. So are pendants once my supplies get in, yay!


Today a few of us went to see 'Disney's Christmas Carol' in 3-D which was great! You felt like you could reach out and touch Mr. Scrooge's face. They did an incredible job with the cinematography Some of the angles were clever. I especially enjoyed the scenes in the streets of London, I could almost pretend I was walking in Victorian England in the snow, with horse drawn carriages going by. I would recommend this to everyone, except small children.
They showed a preview of Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland which comes out next March, and I can't wait! Johnny Depp is the Mad Hatter, and he looks fabulous! The best part is it is in 3-D as well!

I updated to the more advanced version of blogger, which
is supposed to make it easier to  for add photos, but I can't figure
out how to move them where I want them. If my page looks goofy, I apologize, I keep clicking and dragging, but they won't go where I
want. Until I press the 'publish' button, I won't know how it looks.

Last but not least, I want to say Happy Thanksgiving to my
American friends! May you all have a safe and happy holiday, filled with blessings.

Seasonal Art and an update

It's been a while since my last blog post! If I recall correctly, I was going to decorate my home that weekend...well, that did not happen. In fact I got up Saturday, looked around at all the things I had to remove to make way for the Christmas stuff, and couldn't get motivated. I may have gone shopping instead, lol!
I finally did make myself get it all done last week, and will share pictures, if the sun ever comes out! It's been gloomy out the last couple of days when I come home from work.

Artwise I haven't done much...only a few new ACEOs I'm working on, including a series of Christmas owls, yes you heard that correct, lol! I've found myself busy with other things, and it's just a matter of time before I sit down, and paint for several hours straight. I don't feel like I have been creative lately, and it bothers me every day that goes by without art. ( the painting you see here of my Snow girl was done earlier in the year).

Anyway, enough of that....is anyone watching the Vampire Diaries? How about Survivor? I love those shows, and look forward to my Thursday evenings.
The new Twilight movie -New Moon - is out tomorrow, can't wait to see it! Now you know I love Edward, but this Youtube clip is hilarious! I can't remember if I ever added it to my blog, but here it is, Buffy vs. Edward. Being a Buffy fan from way back, this one made me laugh...
 

Right now I am sitting here eating the last of the $10 package of Chocolate crunch that I bought at a craft show today. Damn chocolate! I can't eat just one piece, it is so irresistible!  Chocolate and sweets are my weakness. I say to myself if I eat it all now, I won't have any to tempt me tomorrow, is that not crazy??

I know I am late but I would like to take the time to thank Abi, a member of the  ArtDollsOnly blog for awarding me the Creaviv blogger award! I am truly thankful that you would include my wee blog :-)

This weekend I hope to work on a Christmas fairy painting, time is running out!

So what are your plans for the weekend?

Quick update

First off, I want to say thanks to all who commented on my previous post. It's nice to know you are not alone in feeling scattered when it comes to art. I love comments and appreciate you sharing your stories. Keep 'em coming :-)

Yesterday we had our first snow...but not the pretty fluffy kind. We had some crazy driving winds that almost knocked me over, and little ice pellets that were hitting your face,  making it difficult to walk. It did however, start me thinking about decorating,which is what I will be doing this weekend. I want it done as soon as possible, rather than a bit each night, which is what I normally do.  It should be interesting to see how long I last, lol, as it is a very exhausting process. I will post some photos.

The painting you see here was done early this year, after the holidays. It was too late for me to list it so I stored it away until now. 
I am working on some ideas for Christmas cards. I'd like to offer packages of cards, but it is not practical to do them myself. Does anyone have any advice? Do you print your own cards, or is there somewhere to send them?
There will also be pendants coming soon. I've wanted to make my own for a while, but haven't found the time yet.

Lastly, if you are looking to get some of your shopping done early, consider the ACEO bounty holiday sale, going on until Nov 22nd. There are 11 shops participating so far, and super deals. I even did a bit of shopping there myself tonight.  The link above takes you to the blog where you can see links to each Etsy shop.

Aimless Drifters Unite!

As you may know I love reading art blogs. I enjoy taking a peek at the person behind the art, and watching them grow artistically. It also feels like I am reading a letter from a friend, as that is how I see a lot of the art community here.

So I thought I'd offer a peek into this artist's mind. I have been thinking about my direction in art lately. I've always believed that learning new techniques is very important for growth. I love the thrill of learning something new, and especially the friendships found in workshops, and various Ning groups. However, I seem to be drifting from one thing to the next. I am pulled in many directions: art journaling, ACEOs, mixed media, illustration, folk art...on and on... The problem is, I love all them all, and refuse to pick one or two to focus on.

Reading some blogs today made me wish for a bit of direction. Some artists talk about how they feel guided on this path, and how things just fall into place for them. They say this is an exciting adventure, and feel they are growing spiritually as well as artistically.

Am I the only one who feels kind of left out? like where is my path? and why don't I have things falling into place to let me know I am where I should be? I don't feel like I am being guided in my 'journey'. It's just me and my paints, working late into the night, trying to make the image on paper reflect the vision in my mind. It sometimes gets lonely being an artist.

I do what I do because I love it, it brings me joy, and I can't imagine a world without creating...I like to think I am inspired to do so.
Maybe the problem is I love art too much, and let myself get frustrated over the fact that there is so much I want to do, but never enough time. After working full time, doing errands, and all the other stuff that needs to be done, sometimes you think: 'why bother'?

I hope this doesn't sound like I'm feeling sorry for myself, lol! The point of this post was to show people that I don't have it all together, that I am working through these issues one at a time. Things have never just magically fallen into place for me, I have to work for everything I get. It is determination, and a strong desire that keeps me going, even when I want to give up.
For those of you who can relate, just know that you don't need any outside guidance, or approval. You are enough. You have enough right now, where you are. There is no one, or nothing that can stop you but yourself. And it is your own soul, your own inner voice that will never let you down. Don't listen to the other voice that says 'its too late', or 'why bother'...that voice will paralyze you.

We're all in this together folks, so lets continue supporting each other.

*The painting above is one of my older works, before I discovered mixed media.

Time for a Sale

hi everyone, hope your Halloween was fun! I ended up dressing up as a witch and going to a restaurant with friends for a bit. Not too many kids came by our house, maybe it was due to the high winds, and fear of them blowing away, lol!

Or, perhaps the fact that we don't have front stairs at the moment :-)
Me or my sis would watch out the door for any kids coming by, and have to lean down and drop the chocolates in their bags.

Now that Halloween is over, it's time for me to think of Christmas art. Therefore, I am taking part in the Aceo Bounty Holiday Sale with some Etsy sellers. I'd like to clear out my shop a bit to make room for other art, so am offering all ACEO's for half price. If you don't know what an ACEO is, it is a miniature work of art, the size of a playing card.
Some original paintings are marked down too.
Please check out the blog for more details, you can see all other sellers participating as well.


I'm not sure what to work on next..In one week I will slowly start bringing out my Christmas decorations, which means my house will be a mess while I move non-Christmas items to the basement, and bring the decorations up. Lots of planning, and lots of headaches, I don't know why I put myself through this every year! but in the end it is always worth it. This would be a good week to work on some new ideas I have had, but as of yet, I've spent most of the day on my computer, getting caught up on my fave blogs.
I need a serious dose of motivation right about now, lol!