A Giveaway!

 My friend Tracy has a new blog called Copic Classroom. We went to copic certification together, sat at the same table, and talked a little, but really got to know each other a bit more here online afterwards.

 Tracy's blog is relatively new and she is trying to build her reader base. One way she is doing this is by offering a TGIF Giveaway.

 This week Tracy will be posting several of her beautiful handmade cards (these photos are a sampling of her work, not specifically the ones for the giveaway.) The lucky winner will be able to choose one of Tracy's cards to receive in the mail.

All you have to do to be eligible is to follow Tracy's blog, then check back at her blog next Friday to see who the lucky winner is. Easy peasy! Go here - Copic Classroom - and join her site at the top right-hand side. And share this with your friends! Easy peasy!

Blog Makeovers

Cindy has been so diligently working on my blog - making beautiful boxes and buttons and badges and a banner! Tonight she sent me this name block she made for me - using my artwork! I love this, Cindy! I don't know how I am going to use it yet, but I wanted it posted here for everyone to see :).
Cindy has done some beautiful work with my blog. She is ready to help you with your blog, as well - if you are interested. You can see more of her work at her blog Ethereal Dreams Graphics located here. You should go check it out right now! Thank you again, Cindy!

Happy Birthday, Pop Art Minis!

My friend Joni, and Pop Art Minis, are celebrating their 3rd birthday!!!

Joni has some incredible artwork! I found her and her cute little big-eyed girls on someone's Pinterest board. (Thank you, random pinterest person!) And I've been following her blog ever since! You can see Joni's blog here - Pop Art Minis World.

Joni also has one awesome Zazzle store - you can check out her merchandise for sale here.

I recently bought this sweet little beach goer from Joni's shop. It arrived quickly and I love it! Joni's art just speaks to my heart. All the artwork in this post is Joni's - every picture!
To celebrate Pop Art Minis 3rd birthday, Joni hosted a giveaway and I just found out this morning that I won a $50.00 shopping spree in Joni's Zazzle store - yay!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you, Joni!!!!!! It's time for this girl to go shopping! And while I do that, why don't you go check out Joni's blog and her Zazzle store. Hmmmm, I wonder what I should get?
(note - all artwork in this post by Joni Nickrent.)

Fairy Wings and Flangles

Thank you, Lori!!!


Happy day here! My package from Lori Bradford arrived today with this beautiful original drawing of hers - Fairy Wings and Flangles. Watercolored, hand-drawn. Bright and fun and wonderful. I love it! You can find Lori's artwork on Facebook - go here: Lori Bradford's Art and like her page. You can also check out her blog at http://loribradfordsart.blogspot.com . Thank you, Lori! You totally made my day!

"What is steampunk?" you might ask

Lately I've been a bit obsessed with steampunk. I've been collecting tangle patterns that would work with the genre, and drawing a couple tiles that I've posted. I've had a couple people message me to ask - what is steampunk? 


One of the blogs I follow - Pop Art Minis - posted a definition today, and I am borrowing it to share here:

Joni at Pop Art Minis has a wonderful, unique style that I love! Her designs are always fresh, colorful, bright, exciting, and fun! I was so thrilled today when I opened her new post and saw this little girl!

Isn't she adorable???  I did mention that Joni's work was "colorful, bright!" Well, to see that for yourself - you are going to have to go to her blog - Pop Art Minis - and check out her completed, colorized steampunk mini! Join her site here, so you can keep up with her work! You will be glad you did!

This little piggy

Meet my little piggies and my little birdies!
Before I show you close-ups and explain, let me say that I can not take credit for these ideas. 
My favorite art-journalist is Lori at Elvie Studio. She provided the step-by-step in her post that you can find here. Check out her blog - there is plenty there to get excited about!

Let's look at my little piggies first. I worked on watercolor paper and I basically just made 5 blobs of color on my page - I opted for yellow, and 2 different shades of pink. Just make blobs - they don't have to resemble anything. One of my better purchases lately has been a heat gun, which I used to quickly dry the watercolor blobs. Then you use a pen and outline your blobs - making them into piggies. I added ears, snout, feet, and curly tails. Slop on some muddy brown color and blue sky and you're all set.

Then I moved on to the little birdies. Same thing, make random blobs of color on your page.  I used a bit more color for these. Dry them, then use your pen to add beaks, eyes, legs, tail feathers, and wings if you want them. Add some ground - I added bird seed - some sky and then you're done. I tried to tie my "farm" together with the colors and I love the verse that popped to mind, especially as far as the piggies in mud - "People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." I Samuel 16:7


I hope you have enjoyed my little piggies and birdies. And I reiterate - I can not take credit for the idea. Please check out Elvie Studio at www.elviestudio.blogspot.com. You will be glad that you did!