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Monday, November 30, 2009

And we have a winner!

Thanks again to all who entered, check back soon, I'll be posting another drawing sometime during this next week! 
Based on the drawing compiled by http://www.random.org/, the winner is..............

Sheila!
Congrats, Sheila!!!
I've emailed Susan with instructions on how to redeem her $15.00 credit.

Thanks again!









Sunday, November 29, 2009

Weekly Challenge at Inspiration Avenue- French

For this weeks challenge, I'm submitting an altered book from my "Joie de Vivre" series. 


The theme of this 7 1/2" X 5 1/2" altered board book is part of my "Joie de Vivre" series with the emphasis placed on friendship and journeys. I used a replica of an antique map of France to create the outer edge of the front cover which was then covered with lush cotton rag paper.

The inside pages were glued together, covered with recycled book pages and cut to create a frame for the print of my painting depicting a figure celebrating life or "Joie de Vivre".
The four tags each carries a different quote representing friendship and/or travels;
"A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles" Tim Cahill,
"Be Like the flower, turn your face to the sun" Kahil Gilbran,
"Two roads diverged in a wood and I- I took the one less traveled by" Robert Frost,
"Let your best be for your friend" Kahil Gilbran.

I guess it doesn't *technically* hit the theme of French except through its' title and the map I used.  But since my work consists mostly of flowers and books, I'll probably be going with "loose interpretations" each week!
Cheers,
Stephanie

Saturday, November 28, 2009

New painting- Parrot Tulips En Masse

I just finished my newest painting this morning!  Between getting the house together for hosting Thanksgiving and making all fixings for dinner, I've had NO time to paint this week; well hardly any to be honest.  I can't stay away from it for too long, or I start getting antsy.
Anyway, here's my newest creative effort: "Parrot Tulips En Masse" 

Anyone who's interested in seeing more images of it or just getting more info can go to my Etsy store.
Thanks for checking in with me!

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

We Have a WINNER!!!

The double giveaway and interview I shared with Felicia Kramer on her blog ended today. I've had a blast working with Felicia and introducing you to her fabulous artwork in her Etsy shop. Felicia is also choosing a winner on her blog today for my set of 6 greeting cards with YOUR choice of images.


So without further ado, the winner of Felicia's wonderful vintage styled Christmas blocks is:
Linda, Greg & Drew- CONGRATS!!!


Congratulations! I'll be contacting you with instructions on how to claim your prize.


Thanks to all of you who responded. If you haven't already entered my OTHER giveaway, please do so now!  You have till Monday, November 30th!
http://dragonflydegignstudios.blogspot.com/2009/11/enter-to-win-my-contest.html
Thanks again for all the wonderful responses!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Etsy HOLIDAY SALE- HURRY OVER TO MY SHOP!

Happpppy Holllidaaays!!! 
It's my favorite time of the year!  And in honor of that fact, I'm having a sale at my Etsy Shop!  ANY item priced at $75.00 or more will be refunded $25.00 after checkout!  And shipping is still FREE on most of my items!  So check it out!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/stefny68
Some examples of offerings.....

This painting is currently listed for $145, which means after the discount, you'll get it for $120- WITH FREE SHIPPING!



I have this painting listed at $150- you'd get it for $125.00!



This painting is listed at $145.00
so you would get it for $120.00!







I also just started offering wreaths and they're eligible for the same discount!


Monday, November 23, 2009

Times a Wastin'

Hurry, hurry to enter my contests if you haven't already!  I've got a double Giveaway ending on this Wednesday http://dragonflydegignstudios.blogspot.com/2009/11/felicia-kramer-is-in-house-and-were.html where you can win a beautiful Vintage Christmas block and I also have an offering of $15.00  towards your choice of anything in my shop ending on the 30th http://dragonflydegignstudios.blogspot.com/2009/11/enter-to-win-my-contest.html
So, don't delay and enter now!

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Weekly Challenge at Inspiration Avenue

I've joined a wonderful group called Inspiration Avenue and one of the cool things they/we do is have weekly art challenges.  This week's challenge was "Romance" and I chose to do a painting of a tulip which means Perfect Love" which I thought it related very well with romance.....anyway, I've been working all week at my Mom's helping put verything back in order from the home show, which of course meant my painting time got cut WAYYYY down....but, c'est la vie, clean up is part of the job!
So, I just wanted to post my Tulip in it's current state, even tho it's not done-I'll probably finish tomorrow, and you can bet I'll IMMEDIATELY begin working on the challenge for next week!  I HATE being late!


Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Felicia Kramer is in the house and we're doing a DOUBLE GIVEAWAY!


Today, I have Felicia Kramer in the house, a very talented artist, who has been a really good friend to me on Etsy, always generous with her suggestions and ideas.  Also, I do a LOT of treasuries on Etsy, and Felicia's art covers so many facets and fits my themes, her name always pops up no matter what theme  I'm looking for to put in my collections.  Anyway, we've been talking a good bit thoughout all this and decided we'd like to do a double giveaway!  Felicia is featuring me on her blog today and we're both offering giveaways.  I'm offering a set of 6 blank cards; with YOUR choice of the image on them and she's offering your choice of one of her delightful vintage wooden blocks.  So without further ado, HERE'S FELICIA!
What’s your morning “cuppa?”
Coffee, coffee, coffee – can’t function without it.
Oh me too, I don't feel human till I've had at least two cups......
Tell me about your online venues …
My Etsy shop is http://anotherbrightidea.etsy.com/; my blog is http://www.feliciakramer.blogspot.com/. I’m in the process of setting up a shop on Zazzle, but it’s not ready yet – I keep running out of time to stock it properly.

Do you have a family? Where do you live?
I’m the quintessential middle child – right smack in the middle of nine children.

I am single (previously married), no children of my own, but I have a huge extended family and tons of nieces and nephews that I adore. I love being “Auntie Felicia” to all of them!

I was born and have lived most of my life in Michigan. I’m in Bloomfield Hills, which is due north of Detroit. My previous career was as a producer for automotive training programs and if I hadn’t retired early for medical reasons I could easily have been a downsizing statistic. I lived a few years in San Francisco, still my favorite city, and didn’t want to leave. But that’s a story for another day!

How long have you been on Etsy and what do you sell?
I’ve been on Etsy just over a year. I found Etsy while recuperating at home from yet another back surgery (I have had four, and that’s another story for another day). I had plenty of time to surf the net so I started investigating Etsy and opened my shop about a year later. I have digital collage prints, handmade paper collages, photography, greeting cards and ACEOs. I absolutely love doing digital collages and altered photographs, although I don’t think I’ll ever learn everything there is to know about Photoshop.

My main focus now is on Christmas items. I have several vintage style decorated wooden blocks, holiday wreaths, card/photo holders, and greeting cards. I love Christmas – the decorations, the carols, warm family feelings, sharing traditions. It’s my very favorite holiday.
Oh me too, I adore Christmas, it totally brings out the silly little kid in me!


How long have you been an artist? Are you formally trained or self-taught?
I always wanted to be an artist and I did art and crafts for fun, but I was never encouraged to pursue it seriously. I finally enrolled in college at the ripe old age of 30 and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Michigan State University. I have never regretted that decision.

What inspires you? Where’s your “quiet place” – somewhere you go to rest, refresh, meditate?
Nature inspires me. The change of seasons in Michigan is breath-taking. I have a small enclosed garden which I have crammed with as much as I can fit in that small space, and flowers and natural materials appear in a lot of my art. My garden is also my quiet space. If I need to take time out to refresh and meditate, I’ll sit on my garden bench and just watch the birds at their feeder and the chipmunks chasing each other. It calms me down.


What part of being an artist is hardest for you, or that you dislike the most?

One thing I didn’t anticipate when I chose to become a full-time artist was the amount of time that must be spent on getting yourself and your work known. Like most artists, I’m not very comfortable selling myself and my art, and would much rather spend all that time creating instead of being in the business of marketing and advertising. I wish I had some great marketing whiz standing outside my studio door and when I completed some work, I could toss it out and say, “go sell it!” Until that angel shows up I guess I have to do it myself.

What do you do when you’re not being an artist? What activities do you enjoy?
When I’m not doing my art, thinking about my art, or thinking about doing my art, I enjoy gardening, reading, decorating, spending time with family and friends, and traveling, although I haven’t been able to do much traveling lately. After the holidays I have a huge family history album to put together with all the photos, letters and ephemera from my parents and their siblings.

Tell us something that most people – maybe even your family – don’t know about you.

My friends and family would find it hilarious if I told them that at times I’m very shy and insecure. I can hear the raucous laughter now ….

NOW for the Giveaway!  All you have to do is make a comment to this post to be eligible to win one of these fabulous vintage Christmas blocks! That’s all! But be sure to wander on over and visit Felicia's shop, and take a look at her fabulous selections, she offers far more variety than I could list here! 
Also, don't forget to enter my giveaway at Felicia’s blog: http://feliciakramer.blogspot.com/2009/11/double-giveaway.html


A name will be drawn from all the comments by random number generator AFTER NOON NEXT WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25. That’s the day before Thanksgiving and, yes, this giveaway is just for one week. It is open to anyone, domestic and worldwide, with free shipping. So don't wait!

Thank you for taking time with us, Felicia, it's been great fun, and thanks for offering that lovely giveaway!




Tuesday, November 17, 2009

New Treasury Featuring my "Reverberations of Zinnia"

Bliss of Blissfully Random featured me in a new treasury this week!  You can see link HERE and visit all the wonderful artist's shops until Wednesday evening.  In the meantime, here's a scanned image of it:


Monday, November 16, 2009

Woot, woot- My Blog recieved a Kreativ Blogger Award!!!


I was just nominated for a Kreativ Blogger Award, by one of MY personal favorite bloggers; Felicia Kramer of "Another Bright Idea" 

The rules are for accepting the award are:
1. Thank the person who gave this to you.
2. Copy the logo and place it in your blog.
3. Link the person who nominated you.
4. Name 7 things about yourself that no one would really know.
5. Nominate seven 'Kreativ Bloggers'
6. Post links to the seven blogs you nominate
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know you nominated them


For starters, I MUST thank Felicia!  Not only has she been a wonderful help with her advice for my Etsy shop, her blog really inspired me to get my blog up and active! She does the most amazing things with her blog, always creative and fun; from having a monthly Art Charades giveaway to her current feature of Thankfulness, and much more. Felicia has a fabulous range of offerings in her Etsy Shop including but not limited to; digital prints, handmade papers and her charming vintage themed wooden Christmas blocks.


Here's my list of seven things about me:
1. My favorite seasons are Spring and Fall- I really enjoy checking my garden every couple of days to see new and exciting signs of life, and I love the bright blue sky in Autumn with the brillant trees against it.
2.My husband and I moved our family to the Virgin Islands for seven years.  Because my children's school did not have an art program, and art is so important to me, I designed and taught the curriculum for three years.  My last year teaching, I received the "Teacher of the Year" award from my school.
3.It was teaching that made me realize how much I missed painting- I'd stopped doing art except for gifts since my children were born.
4.My garden inspires most of my paintings.
5.One of my favorite things is risotto- I think I could eat it just about every day!
6.My favorite color is purple, but for some reason, I rarely use it in my paintings.......
7. I LOVE dragonflies, I collect them to decorate my house and garden with.


OK, now onto MY nominations; how FUN is this!!!!

Luthien of Pimp & Paint has the most wonderfully whimsical creations in her Etsy Shop,
full of sparkle, glitter and just plain MAGIC!  I adore the feel of her work!




Tammy's blog at Art & Inspirations is  a pleasure to visit, she always has some life observation to share, whether it be regarding glitter adorned artists, or the shape of an almond or just artistic musings in general.....And her Etsy Shop is filled with lovely things!




Victoria Webb is an amazing painter dealing mostly in abstract interpertations of nature.Her blog, "Furious Dreams" is always very interesting to read, with excerpts from her life and features of other artists.  And you can find more information on her work at her Etsy Shop.




Daniel Montoya's   blog is charming, filled with interesting thoughts and AMAZING art as is his Etsy Shop!  His work has a great range from still life, flowers, architectural landscape, portraiture, and the human figure. And of course, I LOVE his flowers!
 
 

"Miz Katie" has an amazing style both in her blog and in her Etsy Shop.  She paints people, cities, and the characters in her head all with  a great sense of style and color!





Christine's blog called "A Work in Progress" is totally full of eye candy, always great fun to visit! She is a freelance graphic artist,and she likes making pretty things, from jewelry and collages, to brochures and logos.
She is quite active on Flickr, and this is a a mosaic she did for her series featuring a Year of Color blog, available at her Etsy Shop.





Sherry Dole is an artist who creates whimsical paintings  of animals and nature; her detail is amazing!  Her blog, The Art of Sherry Dole, is a running commentary on her life and art, very well worth checking out!
You can also find her art for sale in her Etsy Shop.



              




Saturday, November 14, 2009

And now for a preview of our Decatur Home & Studio Show......

My Mom and I have been hard at work this week, setting up for the Home Show and we had a fabulous first night!  Mom's already incredible home has been transformed into a wonderful artist's market.  Each artisan has their own table and in addition, there are two vignettes with groupings of everyone's creations.  I must say the end result is STUNNING!

Some of Heidi Staven Carpenter's hilarious puppetry.....



Lindsey Mahaffey O'Dell designs the beautifully unique jewelry you've ever seen!



Tastefully Simple offers some incredible selections to create delicious shortcuts in your kitchen!



Some of our selections for less than $35.00............



Nicole Wimber's gorgeous bags, totes, and bibs.......



Some of my altered tins........






The sudstress has some gorgeous soaps, just make sure you don't eat them by mistake!




And last but not least, my paintings, altered books and cards......
Come on by this afternoon for day two-it starts at 4:00 and ends at 9:00! 
We look forward to seeing you there!
Decatur Home & Studio Show
249 Forkner Drive
November 13th & 14th



Friday, November 6, 2009

New Treasury

Chris of Paint1Chris on Etsy just included me in a treasury collection of ACEO (Artist Cards Editions and Originals) cards!  The treasury will be up until early Monday, and you can click HERE to see it.  Chris is a contemporary artist based in Canada, and has been creating a diverse collection of oil, watercolour, pastel and mixed media paintings for more than 20 years.  She describes her inspiration for her work as, "The textures in nature are varied and abundant, whether it is the softness of a single flower, the forest floor or more majestic views. By experimenting with techniques to create texture in my paintings, I intensify my work and challenge the viewer to look closer to the subtle details."  Scroll down to see some examples of her wonderful style.



"Sunflowers an original mixed media painting" Chris used tissue paper, and acrylic paints to create this fantastic piece.  For more info, click HERE.

"This painting captures the glowing colours of Autumn in Marmora. It’s a fresh, crisp and colourful painting of the Crowe River in the quaint village of Marmora (Latin for Marble) in Hastings County, Ontario".  For more info on this piece, click HERE.




Chris says, "Just a Flower was created using a watercolour splatter technique and India ink. The results of the splatter suggested this subject of this painting which was brought out with the India ink."  Click HERE for more info.

About her painting, "Scottich Urrn"Chris says this, "This original painting is of an urn I saw when I was visiting Scotland. It is a watercolour done on 140lb cold press paper coated with gesso."  You can find more info HERE.




New painting!

Just got my newest painting listed and wanted to share it here as well. I must be on a white kick (tho' I must say, I often want to kick myself in the rear for choosing to work in white- which is really hard for me!) because this is the second painting in a row that was composed in this color palette. And guess what, my next painting is of another primarily white iris......what AM I thinking? Anyway, here it is, I'm actually very excited about how it turned out.

And just by a quirck of fate, this painting happened to fit the theme for the weekly challenge at Inspiration Avenue; the theme was "Frosty".  Since I used a palette of winter whites, I think it fits!  I'd meant to do an ACEO from a cropped down section but with the Home Show happening later this week, there was simply no more time!
If you're interested in learning more information re: this painting, you can visit it and me at my Etsy Shop.
Have a great day!
Stephanie

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

A Garden View; Garden Design by Tara Dillard


Tara Dillard is the epitome of garden design; she is a true artist, both in her vision and implementation of composition.  Words, eyes, and trowel serve as her paintbrush.  Not only does she design and install gardens, write books and lecture about landscaping; she does all this with emphasis on creativity and harmony.  With regard to gardening and combining house-garden life, her theories revolve around what she terms as "Vanishing Thresholds".   Her landscapes- both in home and garden, consist of a series of vignettes; small still lifes meant to make you stop, take a moment and just look.  Beautiful! 

In describing herself, Tara says, "Landscapes begin inside your home looking out key window views.  Place focal points on axis with those views and you've begun bringing the outside in and the inside out.  Knowing, A penny saved is a plant bought. Combining landscapes with lives. Boldly simple." 

To "meet" her in person, check out her wonderful blog at Vanishing Threshold: Home Garden, Life.  

In looking at the photography in Tara's blog, I feel like I'm wandering through a wonderful book featuring design, gardening, and above all harmony.  Her photos range from still lifes composed of garden tools, dining tables to wonderful Halloween vignettes, It leads me to think of paintings that make me feel the same way.
Scroll down for some examples of truly stunning art.  This time in honor of Tara, the theme is gardening and flower vignettes.
tries to convey a sense of eerie or otherworldly beauty
 found unexpectedly in everyday life through her work.
features the wrought iron gates at Kensington Palace,
allowing glimpses of the autumnal loveliness can be caught through the intricate iron flowers and vines.


 
Felicia Kramer's most recent passion is digital collage.
She manipulates her original photos
and combines them with
all sorts of ephemera to create a particular mood.
This piece is titled, "Angel Gate in my Neighbor's Garden"
She has an ecclectic variety of art
well worth viewing in her Etsy Store.

This piece by
Beautiful Dark Light
is titled,
 featuring a gorgeous green window framing
 an enticing garden view.  For more examples of her work, check out her Etsy Shop.


Maria-Thérèse Andersson is a full-time artist,
writer and maker of notebooks.
She lives in the beautiful seaside town of Härnösand, Sweden.
full of mystery and secret paths.  To see more of her work, check out her  Etsy Shop


Shelagh Duffett
lives in the gorgeous province of Nova Scotia, Canada
and strives to capture the world around her
 in the format of photography.
This piece captures the view from Monet's window in Giverny
 To see more beautiful pieces
by Shelagh, visit her Etsy Shop.


Emmy
has a beautiful selection of photography
in her Etsy Shop working to
emmulate history and a sense of timelessness. 
This piece is entitled,

Lauren loves to travel and share
her views of the world
through the lens of her camera. 
This piece is entitled, "A door, a threshold, a passage"  She has written extensively on the symbolism of doors in her description of the piece.  For more of her work, click HERE.  





Monday, November 2, 2009

Enter to win my contest!

I have submitted another contest entry on Etsy Giveaways
The prize will be $15.00 towards any item of your choice in my Etsy shop and the winning number will be drawn by Random Number Generator!
Congrats to the winner of my last contest; Susan!

So how to enter and win you ask...
It's quite simple plus being quick and easy!
1. Comment on this post
2. Link to my giveaway from your blog or website
3. Become a follower, don't worry about getting annoying emails every time I post an entry-that's entirely optional!

Don't forget, the winner's name will be drawn Monday, November 30th!
Please limit your entries to 3 per person.
Good luck!