not your grandma's corsage

the all new love bugs corsage

baby shower corsages

My friend Mariana is having a baby boy!
I made her a corsage to wear at her baby shower.

Last year, I made a similar corsage for my friend Stacey who
was having a baby girl. I bought the mini-babies at the flea market
and combine them with vintage and new floral trims, velvet leaves
and fashion it all together with floral tape.

illustration friday - Repair

When things are beyond repair.....
(sadly) immersing oneself in pie and cookies
only provides temporary relief.

for www.illustrationfriday.com

Frogs sightings and big rocks

While walking around my new favorite pond in downtown Austin, I spotted several leopard frogs and a HUGE bullfrog - sorry for the blurry photo but I had to include it - this frog was easily 8-10 inches and fat fat fat (and of course so pretty).

cute little leopard frog

huge, gorgeous Bull frog

Today I am making large size toad rocks featuring toads hibernating in underground dens - which they will do when it is hot and dry and also in the winter months when it is cold. These rocks are 6"-8" and larger - perfect for your garden, patio, front porch or keep them inside with your plants......

let's pretend

ok - so let's pretend that i am moving - you know - to a parallel universe were we exist as stuffed animals. Are you with me? I am wondering what i would look like - could i even choose? if so, here's a few options i like.......

yes! this could be me - all pink and sass.

made by beezmiller on etsy

or maybe her? I love her pattern and the bouncy hair would be fun!

made by mintconspiracy on etsy

And I think I would encourage Nel (my husband) to be all cute and green like this guy.

illustration friday - Late

Late night snack.........

for www.illustrationfriday.com

A few new things.........

A few weeks ago the bead show came town.
It was exciting to add some new inventory to my collections
and inspired me to make a few more necklaces.

happiness is........

Having my art at Happiness!

(2213-B South First Street, Austin tx)

froggy news

Lots of news of the frog and toad kind.

(red-eyed tree frog in the san antonio zoo)

We went to the San Antonio zoo to see their "Toadally" exhibit. It is part of the Amphibian Ark campaign to raise awareness about the amphibian extinction crisis.


I was so surprised and almost cried when i got a certificate from frogwatch U.S.A. I monitor the frog and toad population around my house. which has been low with the recent heat and drought but with the rain yesterday and today, I have already begun to see toads.



We rescued this toad from the park - she is unable to use one of her back legs and was stranded in the grass - maybe as a result of an encounter with a dog - i don't know - but i have made her a habitat and buy her crickets so she has a safe place to recover.

dream

I had this really vivid dream last night. I Lived near a big mountain and wanted to climb to the top to watch the sun set. I got on my hiking boots and took a flashlight for the trek back. My parents chimed in their concerns for such a dangerous hike and regardless, off i went. It started with a series of wooden stairs that got more like ladders the higher I got.

flickr photo from Madra Rua

Eventually the ladders ended and i was scaling up a mountainside covered with roots and weeds and big trees when I arrived at a clearing half-way up. The mountain side was flat and open. There was a huge Buddha statue and lots of people milling around.

mbell1975

Here I discovered a gift shop(!) and eagerly entered. Within the gift shop was a TOY STORE filled with all the cool Asian toys I ever wanted and I spent the rest of my dream running around playing with all the cool stuff.

flickr photo from luisvilla

So this morning I am asking myself the meaning of this dream?
Did I abandon my uphill climb to simply spend my days playing in a toy store? Or am I reminded to take a break from life's journey and play. Certainly we all arrive at the eternal sunset too soon...

illustration friday - Strings

I thought it would be an amazing site to see
huge balls of string waiting to be harvested like big round hay bales.
...a different color in every field!
for www.illustrationfriday.com

Delighted to be a part of the Blue Genie Art Bazaar

I was mega-excited to find out that I will be part of
the amazing Blue Genie Art Bazaar again this year!
More info to follow as we get closer to the show...

illustration friday - Sugary

Sugary hairstyles attract a lot of bees.
for www.illustrationfriday.com