Little Giraffe Details...

Little Wilcox!
We have a name... we have spotty details...
A bell that our girl found in
a stash of antique buttons...

Now we begin the search for eyes...
The perfect jacket...
Or...
A cardigan sweater... hmmmm...
What do you think Wilcox should wear?
Red?

Boot buttons galore!

Little eyes... big eyes?

Vintage jam jars fit into studio drawers perfectly...
Buttons sorted by style, color, medium...
Well... sometimes pretties get mixed in!

Hope your week is off to a great start!

Translate Gadget and Something New...

Family weddings are always special...
People visiting from out of town~
Everyone scurrying about getting ready~
Details...
Late minutes...

I draw... ha! ha!
Late last night everyone wanted to watch a movie.
I gathered my scraps and pieces and began to sketch.
Otherwise I would fall fast asleep within minutes...
No matter how good the movie is!

I've listed a few of the birds on etsy...
More will come tomorrow, as my camera battery fizzled.
It was a good thing~
No battery... no pictures!
We need snapshots of the lovely couple!!

I made two bird originals into
feather keeps!
They could hold needles and pins, too~
But feathers are so much fun!

I hand stitched them... thankful the shabby chic style
is hot~ my not-so-perfect stitching
has a primitive feel! hee! hee!

Hope your weekends are off to a great start~
I have been searching for a "button" so that my words
could be translated for all of my blogging friends.
Please let me know if the translate button works for you.
Many thanks!

Here a Teddy... There A Teddy...

Friday afternoon and Teddy friends to share!
Makes me smile!
Hope it makes you smile, too~

A sneak peak of what I'm going to list in my
Etsy shop!
Well... a mouse got in there, too!
He was suppose to be listed with my new birds~
Birds & mice will be pressed and ready to list
tomorrow morning...
I'll give you another sneak peek then!

Hope you have a nice evening!

New Little Tags... Deco Blue!

I love to tuck little extras in with my
fabric illustrations...
Small gift tags are great fun to make!
This collection of tags began with a watercolor wash.

Denim scrapbook paper...
When I saw it I purchased 20 pages!
I use it on all types of projects~

This is one of my retired Prismacolor pencils...
"Deco Blue"
If you ever find this color~ you will fall in love!

More teddy bears will be listed later today!
Unique, fun and furry!!

Hope your day is wonderful~

Teddy Bear and My Thoughts on Art Shared...

A beautiful sunny day... perfect for picture taking!
Little Miss selected this new teddy as her favorite...
... she pinned him close to her heart~
He is going to be listed in my Etsy store
with fourteen other teddy friends!

All pressed...

Little Miss kept me company while I
selected a few vintage buttons to share with you!

Bright yellow for the bee hive bear...
Sweet soft pink for the delicate girl...
Rich blue for the Americana bear and his star charm...
LOVE finding buttons... LOVE sharing them!

Artist thoughts...
Many friends, family, students ask me about art.

How do you become one?
How do you get ideas?
How do you keep people from stealing your ideas?
How do you know they're not just buying it...
and copying it?
How can I sell my art?

Ooodles of questions from VERY talented,
creative and unique people!
Each answer I give starts the same way...
"BE UNIQUE. BE YOURSELF. DON'T COPY...
DON'T TRACE... Come up with your own ideas."
Art is from inside of each of us.
We all see the world in a unique way...
We add our own personality...
TRUST YOURSELF
to be one of a kind.
I rarely purchase from copycats.
I can tell the original artist because it's details
are fine. It's feeling, moving.
It's quality... top notch.

You can be awesome.
Step out of the box to discover your own style.

Don't be afraid of people stealing your art~
They do.
It's not fun.
It's not fair.
I Federal Copyright EVERY piece I design.

Don't let cheaters stop you from being creative!
There is an amazing amount of fun to be had~
And a world of WONDERFUL PEOPLE who enjoy
collecting pieces from people like
YOU!

Mice and Tiny Bears Play Here...

These are the photographs that I use throughout
the year... Primrose in teacups~
Grape Hyacinth clusters in blue bottles~

Last fall I added peat, compost and manure
to a small bed that was struggling...
I found several bulbs in there that never blossomed.
I tossed them aside for the chipmunks and squirrels...

Instead of the critters eating them~
They survived the winter and are in full bloom!

Now that I know what they are... and that they
are eager to live~ I'll find a special place for them!

This afternoon I've set aside time for
some new fabric illustrations!

I think mice and teddy bears...
...and, well~
BIRDS!

I'll share my new pieces with you here and
in my Etsy store~

Hope you have a sweet and sunny day!

Daughter's Treasures...

Our daughter's bedroom has sixteen years of
"cool things" collected...
This needle felted giraffe proves there is
ALWAYS room for more!

I worked on this for a few hours the other night...
A little adventure away from watercolors and sketches.
She thinks giraffes are sweet...
She keeps hugging my
Kipper~ Keeper of the Studio!
That I made last year...

A basic shape, here.
I'm having her select colors as we go.

She's thinking a mustard-tone coat...
Bins of buttons will need to be scoured... for that perfect look!
Or maybe a belt with a vintage buckle?

These are fun supplies that my in-laws share with us!
They are furniture upholsters by trade...
Retired sample books!
OOOOoooooh! All of the owl tummies,
bird wings... make do's that will be made!

I will have to add another shelf!

So many wonderful colors and textures...

Hope your week is off to a great start!

Special People...

I purchased another treasure from Valerie Greeley!
Her blog, Acorn Moon is a joy~

I love to visit her Etsy Store!

As I unwrapped my new treasure...
I had goosebumps!
It is gorgeous!

Valerie enclosed an adorable egg tin~
Printed with one of her BEAUTIFUL paintings...
Wonderful artist... sweet, sweet gal~

Her signature...

This sweet bird was a wonderful surprise yesterday!
A gift from...
Kristin, from Kleas
Such an adorable, little bird that made this
empty bird nest come to life!

Her blog always makes me smile!

I met Kathy from Kat Collects
She's a gem! LOVE her blog...
Kathy asked if I would draw a special bunny
piece with five bunnies... her sweet babies.
I thought it would be fun to draw them to look like
her family of bunnies...
She has posted about her piece today~

I enjoy meeting each of you through your blogs...
Throughout my day~ while the paint is drying~
I love to stop by and share in your joy, projects
creative decorating... hurts, sadness... celebrations!

It is so nice to meet wonderful people
from every corner of America and around the world!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend~

Sweet Dancing Bea is going home to Russia!

Natalia! Sweet, dancing Bea is yours!
Natalia's blog is wonderful...
The most amazing teddy bears~ from Russia!

Thank you for leaving so many sweet, sweet
comments... another give away is
just around the corner!

Fedria, Fanny and Fay...

A few new friends have been very busy in our gardens!
Johnny Jump Ups are disappearing!

Let's hope they pick the dandelions, too!

Be sure to comment below for a chance to win
my little dancing "Bea"!

Fedria, Fanny and Fay are available from my
Etsy Store...
Antique buttons and all!

Sweet smiles for sweet friends~

Another Giveaway! Thanks to You!!

"Bea Dancing with the Butterflies"
is my latest giveaway!

Thank you for loving my sketches~ as much as I do!
I was packaging up my latest Etsy sales and noticed...
We have passed 200 sales!!!
THANK YOU!

Please leave a comment on this post...
I'll put your name in the basket!
The drawing will be Friday night~ April 9th

She has her red shoes on...
They are her favorite dancing shoes!

Bea is ready to go!

The next round of fabric illustrations are
fanciful birds and mice~ dressed much like Bea.
They'll be here soon...
Must behave and finish my deadline work first!

Mellow Yellow... Colored Pencils...

Yellow pencils today...
Our Forsythia is so beautiful!
The yellow dandelions will soon follow~

Containers of colored pencils line desks in my studio.
Each sorted... but not precisely...
I'm not patient enough to sort through a rainbow
when I'm in need of gray...

I add details to my watercolor paintings with them.
They give a vibrant "pop" or a rich shadow etc.
I still have some pencils from twenty years ago~
Many colors have retired...
Some manufacturers have closed...
So I am careful to not waste.
I use metal sharpeners... they shave off just a little.

Thrifty... frugal... sparing... but not cheap.
It's not because these pencils are expensive...
It's when I need "that certain color"
That perfect color, at 2 am when the deadline is near~
That I'm glad I save the 2" nubs!

Sunny yellow... sunny wishes for you!

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, Turn Around...

The weather has been turning around!
We have sunny days and warmer temps...
All I kept singing today was the teddy bear song~
So I drew some for my Etsy shop!

...and some early Pansies~ Johnny Jump Ups!

I can hear an owl in the wood...
Each time I hear the "Whoooo... who..." I picture a
new little fluffy baby owl!

I hope your week is off to a great start, friends!

Happy Easter, Sweet Friends...

Happy Easter, Sweet Friends!

So many things to be thankful for...
I'm thankful for each of you!

Hope your day is filled with blessings and love~