Happy Holidays to You!

I hope everyone is where they want to be, celebrating with loved ones.  I am.

All my loves on Christmas.


And a little Christmas Bokeh for all you Bokeh lovers!

I'll be back after the new year, excited to start a new year of creating, learning, and flying!  but for now, I'm off to California to play!

New shop coming, and 1 print, and iphone cover up for sale!!!

Whole shop coming in January. And I totally just ordered my own iphone cover, for my new iphone, with my own art. Too much fun! Adding lots of colorful fun soon!

Artist Swap

and let me tell you, I am the luckiest girl in the land! You all know Kristin, Twinkle Twinkle! She hosted Summer of Color...you know her!  She is the sweetest mama in the land, an extraordinary colorful artist, and so pretty too!  We started talking about how we needed to use our pictures more in our art, and one thing led to another, and we agreed to an artist swap using shots of our babies as the focal point. She sent me pics of her darling Kendra, and I sent her ones of my Paige. Lots of anticipation and excitement, our packages arrived at the same time!  I called her, and we opened our gifts together, giddy and happy the whole way.

I seriously cannot explain the happiness of opening my gift.  I was so so so so nervous making her piece, but I knew her gift to me would be so fabulous.  And, it could not be more perfect.  Kristin's style shines in every corner.  The colors are her, the text is her, the sparkles and darling details, so her.  So with so much joy...Kristin's gift to me!

 Paige loves her new bracelet!

Kristin used the back of a watercolor pad as the canvas.  If you have been following me, you know I am always finding whatever, garbage really, to use as my base.  And, then she did this for me.  Do you feel the love?

Here is the original pic I sent her...

and her is the whole piece.  Paige calls it "My Special".  "Mama, can I hold my special?"

Thank you so so so much Kristin, from the bottom of my heart.

You can visit her blog Twinkle Twinkle to see what I made her!

Paint Party Friday! Woot!

I have lit up inside.  I love my my new girl.  And she loves her hat!

ok, I do have one little fixy-do, but then I wouldn't be able to take another photo and share with you now!  I am going to balance out those pinky-do dots, as they are irregularly irregular. I like to find balance in such things as dots, and when I was fixing a messy-uppy, I covered up my favorite dots.  Favorite dots are essential, don'tcha think?

Happy Wintery Day, and remember to wear your favorite hat!

Fusing Plastic

I gave it a go.  My first time, not bad.  I think I need to practice a bit, but I don't have lots of fun bags.  I can see that different plastics work better, but what fun to take some discarded blah and make...

 do you know what I used yet?

 How about now?

 ok, you should be able to guess with this last one!

This was made for my Kels, but my model is Maddy.  She now wants one too!  I think I will show her how to do it and let her do the work!

oh btw, has anyone ever had Sam'l Smith Organic Fruit Ale?  It is the best beer in the world, of course out of England...love England!!!, and I am happily drinking the Cherry brew before my 10 day cleanse starts tomorrow.  No alcohol, no sugar.  boo.  My hubs is doing it too.  We try to mix health with beer!

Picture Happy

First a few from our weekend and then a few from a shoot...

My Paiger!

and a few of cute boys!

We went to a winterfest fun thingy in the FREEZING cold... Lot of lights and crowds, and really expensive food!  Lots of shots, but it was one of those nights I didn't get many good ones.  Boo Boo!  But I think I may be able to put something together to share soon!

I love all the lights during the holidays, but man, I need to walk around with a tripod and mannequins for kids if I want good shots!  Oh well, maybe next year I'll invest in some dummies!  hehe, kidding!

and I am hating the big watermarks, but I am also hating people swiping my shots.  It has been done, multiple times.  One was my baby's butt.  So, no more bootie online, even when it is young baby bootie!  Boo.

Time to learn how to store my own prettier watermark in LR.  I know how to make it in PS, but how do I use it in LR?  I know there is an answer!

Friday Free Night

This week has been busy, and fast and busy and fast!  I worked out 6 times, sweat pouring off my eyelids hard, in the past 5 days.  Girls to school, Xmas party, hangin' with my mom, baking, homework, and some more sweat!  I have never felt so much relief, as I do today, for a friday to roll around.  I feel I can breathe.  And I want to paint!  I have been inspired by so much this week, but no time to do anything about it.  And then Christmas, and soon-to-be traveling with my gaggle, and I feel I shouldn't stop.  ...but tonight I will.  I don't know what I will do, but do I will!

Oh, and this week, I did my first plastic fusing, and make Kelsey a belt from garbage!  Woot!  I will take fotos this weekend, and share so soon!

happy friday free night!

oh, and one last thing!  Do not, ever, bite a rock. You will chip your tooth!  Boo!

Supporting Artists. Lia Lane

Well hello!  On Cyber Monday I bought a darling ornament from Lia Lane, she's on facebook and Etsy!  I adore it!  Lia Lane makes darling encaustic pieces and I fell head over heals with this little lady!

Forget buying a collage print from Target and Pottery Barn, support the real artists who make these lovelies.  And they come wrapped so cute!  It makes me simply giddy inside and out!  Seriously giddy.

When Christmas is over, I am adding her to my wall of awesomeness! (My wall of awesomeness is currently being redone...I will share it with you when it is all ready!  Giddy!!!)

Potato Stamp Christmas Wrap

I do not pretend to have invented this concept. I have done this before, and see it often.  I just thought I'd share how I am wrapping presents this year.

Start with a potato, or a sweet potato, or yam...or an eraser!   Carve shape!

Add dots of paint with pencil erasers, and outline with crayons, or watercolor crayons/pencils!

  then I tried it with Stayz On Ink.  Worked great too!  I love how the ink stayzzzz on my tree!

This is a fun projects for the kids too and the results are endless.  Make it neat and pretty, or messy like I did.  Here, a blog friend of mine, made a beautiful rose pattern with celery.  Celery Stamping Art !!!  Scarlett's blog is by far the most beautiful blog out there.  She is so inspiring and her beauty shines everywhere, even through celery!

So grab some newspaper, and make your own one of a kind wrap art!  I think I'll be making more all week!

Photo Session with some Besties!

Now I need to find someone who will do this fun stuff for me and my family!!!

Painting Styrofoam!

So, this here is just my practice book, made from cereal boxed and such.  I really just wanted to get a feel for possibility.  Here I just broke up a styrofoam cup and glued it together in the ice cream form, painted with acrylics, and added gel medium and glitter.  Like I said, this was just a practice, but just imagine...

So go out there, find garbage, and use it!

And...

Last night I braved the slick roads and went to Whimsy, a paint studio and bar!!!, my favorite little outing.     It was one of those nights where they teach you a painting, but of course you can do as you wish.  I always choose to do as I wish, but still keeping in with the theme for the night.  It was all about colorful butterflies, and I knew this would be a perfect Christmas gift for my little painter.  She adores painting faces now, and loves girl everything.  This measures 16x24, I think. A colorful addition to Maddy's new space. A little mix of me, and a whole lot of her!  I was a bit sad not to start with collaged papers, but even I, at the young age of 35, must let it go once in a while!

a little piece of my home, a gift, and a question

I thought it would be fun to share a little piece of my home once a week or so.  Isn't our home a reflection of us, and an art within itself.  For today, I am starting with a messy board I made out of packaging from my dishwasher.  It is just a wood frame.  I added chicken wire and there you have it.  The problem is I can't stop adding, and now it is just a big ol' mess.  I sorta like chaos in a clean space.  Funny!  A happy mess!

 Can you see the chicken wire in the upper right hand corner?

 That pic in the lower left corner is my first babe, when she was a babe, and Mister Husband.  I like to add cute cards people give me, random scraps, old and new pics, and anything I need to put away, but I don't know where to put it!

This was a recycled lid project I made last year.  The boxes on the right are old cereal boxes, one for each girl, to throw more random things in, to be put away...someday!

I am wrapping up this to send to my Grandma for Christmas.  Somerset has had it for a some time, and decided they didn't want it.  I think Grandma will love it!

So here is my question, my thoughts?  I would love to talk about rejection.  I want to know why I care so much anyhow?  Isn't this all for me, and my family?  Apparently, I need more.  This month Somerset has sent back 5 of my favorite pieces from last year.  I seriously think they are some of my best, but I guess not.  The funny thing is they have been publishing the stuff that I don't really thing is so great! So what now?  I don't want to create for the masses, but I still like to send in my stuff, I guess to be acknowledged.  I would also like to make art into a business soon, and that is a whole world of scary!

I was honestly pretty bummed about the whole thing.  I got over it, of course.  But it is still with me.  And I wonder why I submit my stuff, and if I should still.  I have been in the past 6 issues of Somerset Memories, but I would love to branch out.  Creating time is a huge hurdle.  I don't honestly think I have found my groove completely; I am still figuring myself out.

I would love to hear any thoughts about rejection, or why you create.  I would love to hear it all!

And I did just post a late PPF in the post below.  And as you'll discover, I am just in a artistic rut this week!

It's all good though, I promise.  I had an incredible cup of coffee and a run this morning!  Woot!~

a late late PPF piece

and I am not so certain I am happy.  I made this for a trade gift for a wonderful woman who knits old sweaters into new everything.  She is so awesome, and she asked me if I would paint her something.  Well, I sat down, grabbed what I had closest, this clipboard, and went to town.  She told me she likes the faces on the little people I paint, so this is all I had in mind when I began.  Sadly, it is just not working for me.  I have been struggling to send it.  I added the finishing touches last night, and I am just not sure.  My husband says I have to send it to her, as I painted it for her.  I have lost my confidence here.  What to do? I'm vexed, and I did not send it out today. Boo.  I am so critical of my work.  I have had issues with some of my photography lately too, although the receivers have been so pleased.

Well, here it is.  For better or worse, she is done.

this joyful lady is also pregnant, as my trade's daughter was expecting when I started this.  Sadly, I just found out she has miscarried.  She has a little one now, and I am certain there will be more.  When I think of my trade friend, I think mother, grandmother, woman, friend, optimist.  I wonder if this would now be a sad reminder.  Ah, vexed I am!

and so late this week, linking to the fabulous Paint Party Friday! party!

Thanksgiving Happiness

After feast fun at Grandma's! 

I love Thanksgiving so much.  I feel it is the most important holiday and changes our focus, hopefully, to what we actually have and to appreciate it.  There is always so much to moan about.  This is true for everyone, as everything really is relative.  This past year I have tried so hard to change my focus from venting, I leave it for my husband, mom, and besties, and focus on what I really do have.  I have an abundance of love in my life.

For our Thanksgiving we spent it with my mom in her first first home in Colorado.  This retired woman is living the life now!  Beautiful home, here with us, and a visitor to share in the celebrations. 

Then we decorated my mother's first tree in her new home...and all is well.

EEEeee!

I am so excited.  I just had a little blog make-over and I am loving it!!!  Erika @ The Fairy Blogmother helped me all week to make my blog, really mine.  She was so patient with me, and I am thrilled.  I made the little border around the header, and if you scroll down, she used the border also for post dividers!  I am just so giddy!

So, I am thinking it is time for a little photo session of ME!!! so I can add a shot of my lovely face, haha!  Speaking of photo sessions, I have been swamped in editing. I should be done this week, and I think that will do it for me this year.  I learned lots and will share soon!

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving. There really and truly is so very much to be thankful for!

Happy Day to you!

Love Daniele!

and one last thing. I have had many people ask me to purchase this print, or make cards.  I loaded it to  Fine Art America and you can purchase it through them.  Or you can ask me directly.  I also have it set up so you can order cards, and very soon I will have it set up to make my own.  There will be no watermark on the prints!

Thank you Thank you!

edit:  I guess the link didn't work. I will get back to it later!

Art Angel

I started this way back during Tam's Heart Art and Healing Course. Well, baby and I were at the table today, baby painting and making a massive mess, and I thought I would take those pieces she was tearing up and collage with them.  Then, I saw this lonely little angel and just went to work.  She was a mess to put together, and has a rather messy face, but it all fits, doesn't it?  Ok, in all honesty, I am not happy with her face, and will most certainly change it tomorrow.  I am done for the night! ...um and the color, not right.  Indoor nasty lighting, but I will make amends tomorrow, when she tells me she is ready!

Last week, I wasn't able to link up, but I did paint a piece for the party!

and here SHE is...

I wonder what her story is?  I don't know it, but I know where she is headed!

I am so happy to have found this great party.  Keeps me working, learning, and connecting.  Thank you thank you ladies!

Missed my puter and bloggy friends!

I am been gone, yes indeedy, but I am back.  My puter Max crashed on me, and it was a whole week of retrieving all my goods!  I love Max so much, and I just don't want him leaving me.

But I have been busy.  I took lots of photos this week, and now I have loads of editing fun to do!  This photo is of my friend Shannon and her hubs, and I took lots of their whole family.  So excited.  I feel these are my best fotos ever.

I also played lots and lots of pics I took of my trio, for Christmas. Then I put them all over FB and now I have no surpise pics for cards.  But honestly, do people keep these cards?  If the family pic is just tossed, should I bother?  I don't keep each and every photo card I get!  Ya, I said it.  I don't.

So, here is a sneaky peak of my first little 5 min session I did with my girls.

and this last one is from another family, way behind in their editing too, but loving this one.