dreaming in green

Tell me...

2011-08-23T17:26:00.001-07:00

more color studies.....

2011-05-13T11:50:00.001-07:00

color

2011-04-25T10:25:00.000-07:00

happy Spring!

2011-03-23T10:53:00.000-07:00

See the Spring Showing

Did you ever have a crazy day at the office? followed by a noisy, rushed, train ride home - only to be greeted by a begging dog? And despite all of it, you were still full of pep and vigor?! It was your Leggs Sheer Energy pantyhose wasn't it? getting a woman though the day. The gods of pantyhose. Do a little dance around the kitchen. or wait - maybe it was the dr. scholls insoles in your high heels? Whatever it was, advertise it by hanging this collage in your office or home.

purchase a print here...

Did a Bit of Traveling..... (in a colorful place)

2011-03-02T20:33:00.000-08:00

Left-out Lester

2010-08-11T09:20:00.001-07:00

Left-out Lester never understood why he wasn't part of the popular gang in the office. He was "cool." He could be "funny". It didn't bother him so much during spin the bottle breaks or friday beef and beer lunches, but it really got under his collar when the company chipmunks got more attention than he did. Maybe he should have stayed at the insurance company. The office salamander never out-shined him. Some say it was because that salamander was too engrossed in the day to day activities of an up and coming gecko. whatever it was, Lester certainly was invited to a lot more water-cooler dance parties when he was in insurance.

If you find your job or co-workers to be less than perfect or perhaps you just like chipmunks, maybe a copy of this collage will brighten your cubicle.

prints are available in my society6 shop.

Saturday Night Sing-A-Longs

2010-08-11T09:12:00.000-07:00

Saturday nights got a lot more exciting after Howard and Lucy purchased a Hammond Organ for the family from the store in the mall. Now those delicious casseroles and homemade desserts are followed by hours of singing classic songs like Muskrat Love, Harper Valley P.T.A. and Monday, Monday. They never even miss the saturday night TV line-up of CHips, Love Boat and Fantasy Island. And speaking of that, I think Mr Roarke and Tattoo would be proud could they hear the singing from the living room in this suburbia fantasy island.

prints of this collage and other are available in my society6 shop.

Gloomy Bear collage

2010-01-07T11:27:00.000-08:00

I love Gloomy bear. She is a character created by Japanese graphic designer, Mori Chack. I have a "stuffed" gloomy that lives in my car and another here in my studio. I recently made this collage in a burst of creativity. It is pretty large - 3 feet by 4 feet. I would like to turn it into a series and make all my favorite cartoon characters or advertising icons, like diggum the frog, the smurfs, bloo, spongebob, Zoidberg, Bender, frankenberry etc etc. Maybe i can get a grant, a ton of magazines and a gallery to support me in the making and showing of these collages. Thanks go out to Natalie Tischler for the magazines to make Gloomy.

felt hamsters

2010-01-07T11:22:00.000-08:00

Every year we make felt ornaments for the christmas tree. This year, I made our hamsters, past and present. Pictured are Snowball (white), Bun-E (grey and white), Rosie (tan and grey rainbow) and Baby (grey).

You and Me and Ice Cream

2009-08-28T16:45:00.000-07:00

Remember that time we were walking home from school and looked into the window of the ice cream parlor and saw the tiny mountain goats walking on the sundaes? that was the coolest thing ever. Our parents never did believe us. Your dad wouldn't let you eat ice cream for a month! I guess that's what started your fascination with goats, huh? that was an awesome day.
I was just thinking about it and made this collage. It's not as cool as the real thing but I think it's pretty close.

prints of this collage are available in my society6 shop.

Taco Truck Heals all Wounds

2009-08-11T10:28:00.000-07:00

It is a tough thing to lose a pet. When my hamster, Baby, died, we had her funeral and buried her under the tree in the backyard. After that, it was hard to be in the house and see her empty habitat so we went out. We ended up at our favorite taco truck and enjoyed dinner outside under an amazing blue sky full of billowing clouds. During dinner we talked about Baby, who was now in heaven with her sister (also known as Baby). This collage is about that day. The hamsters are watching from the sky as the taco truck cooks up a tasty meal and provides a place to relax and move through the loss. Taco Truck Heals all Wounds. sometimes it is true.

This collage is available in my society6 shop.

Chillin' with Hot Dog

2009-08-07T09:54:00.000-07:00

Food sensation Hot Dog opened the doors of his Beverly Hills Mansion to MTV Cribs recently, allowing for this rare collage opportunity. Visiting Hot Dog was his usual posse which included "Catsup", who had just finished filming a segment on "Hamburger Talk show" and was excited to announce his roll in the upcoming Bond film where he will be playing Blood. Hot Dog was particularly excited to show off his extensive art collection which includes many nudes and a rare photo of the early wiener mobile. Who knows if Hot Dog will ever allow such a rare glimpse into his life again. But alas, we can all own this collage to remember the day.

This collage is available for purchase in my society6 shop.

BTW - the theme for illustration friday went up late today. I was up early and ready to make my collage and grew impatient so I created "Chillin' With Hot Dog" in the meantime - then wahla - the theme was up and it was "impatient" so I said yipee, i can feature the collage I made out of Impatience for the theme posting! worked well didn't it!

the problem with pandas

2009-07-27T15:12:00.000-07:00

When Gladys planned her dinner party she didn't realize the problem with Pandas. You see, female Pandas breed only once a year and their reproductive period is only a few days...and guess what? this happened..... So let this be a lesson to you, if you invite pandas over to dinner during the mating season, you just may have some unexpected entertainment. Or you can always do what Gladys did in the end and modify your plans and serve dinner elsewhere.

This collage is part of my roomscape series featuring animals making the best of it. Check out the others and maybe hang a little grouping of them over your couch or next to your energy-efficient flat panel T.V.
buy a print here......

cats in control collage

2009-07-20T16:11:00.000-07:00

So I read this article last week that claimed cats are really in control of their owners. hmm. I doubt that. I think if cats were really in control the world would look like this here collage. Our feline friends would use their mind control skills to make us levitate so they could fly to nearby cities and hunt pigeons. And they would of course wait until we were in our underwear to do this. Do you have cats? do you agree with me? or maybe i've just always had weird cats. I don't know. Feel free to purchase a print of this collage while you sort it all out.

to purchase a print of this collage please visit my society6 shop.

Hamburger Talk Show

2009-07-12T20:43:00.000-07:00

catsup vs ketchup? - cheddar vs american? - iceberg or romaine? bacon or mushrooms or both? All these topics and more discussed on everybody's favorite series "Hamburger Talk Show" Set your TIVO and buy your official HTS collage (in the society6 shop)

love - sit down and stay a while

2009-07-12T20:40:00.000-07:00

Remember that day love came knocking at your heart? you were a little cautious but eventually welcomed it in. well that's what this collage is all about. That moment when we invite love to sit down and stay for a while. It's nice to have it's company isn't it?
(limited edition prints in my society6 shop)

Roomscape Groundhog collage

2009-06-23T17:05:00.000-07:00

These groundhogs may have lost their den to commercial development but they don't care. They just moved into a furnished basement apartment complete with shag carpet and a velour sofa. Groundhogs dig groovy 70's decor. This collage is part of my roomscape series featuring animals making the best of it. Check out the others and maybe hang a few of them in your basement if it's furnished or in the den over the ping pong table.

for a print of this and other collages, please visit my society6 shop.

Dog Days of Summer collage

2009-06-18T12:44:00.000-07:00

Sorry Scamp! Obedience school is out for the Summer and you want to spend all your time at the public pool but they have that strict "No Dogs" policy. You can drool all you want, but I don't think anyone is going to let you swim. If you are a dog and have the same problem, you can hang this print in your doghouse and maybe it will make you feel better or you can move to Austin and swim in our lake... (the print is in my society6 shop)

Math is not my friend

2009-06-16T17:29:00.000-07:00

So the other day, i get this message from Facebook saying that MATH wants to be my friend!? What?! Math is NOT my friend and never will be. How could it have the nerve to request to be my friend? Did it completely forget what happened in high school? Does it think the weekly success I have had recently with balancing my checkbook means we are all good now? I don't know, but i made this collage which should clear things up. You can have a copy of it too, if you are also not a friend of Math. it's in my society shop......

guess who is coming to dinner?

2009-06-16T12:38:00.000-07:00

This beaver, that's who.... and he isn't waiting for the first course to be served, he's taking it upon himself to enjoy a little bit of oak picture frame. Who can blame him? with habitat loss and all.....
This collage is part of my roomscape series featuring animals making the best of it. Check out the others and maybe hang a little grouping of them over your couch or next to your energy-efficient flat panel T.V.

buy a print in my society6 shop....

snack attack

2009-06-16T12:33:00.001-07:00

When this Owl's home was destroyed by commercial loggers, He moved into a mid-century modern ranch house on the coast. Now he spends his nights hunting rodents in the kitchen.
This collage is part of my roomscape series featuring animals making the best of it. Check out the others and maybe hang a few of them in the den next to your Wii console or over the fireplace. it is available in my society6 shop......

The Dangers of Food Shopping

2009-06-13T09:05:00.000-07:00

I call this collage "The Dangers of Food Shopping"

Who thought going to the grocery store could be so dangerous! You're hungry - you go to the supermarket to get something good for dinner - you're just not expecting to be "the something good for dinner". This giant Leopard sure has found himself a good thing. Buy this collage to remind you to always watch your back when food shopping. You just never know.

prints of this collage are available in my society6 shop.

Mashed potato island

2009-06-05T16:45:00.001-07:00

mmmmmmmmm comfort food! who doesn't love it!? mashed potatoes - gravy - meatloaf - peas and carrots - my mouth is watering. This collage is about one family that loved comfort food SO much, they spent their summer vacation on mashed potato island. A perfect destination for die hard foodies. If you dream of such a vacation but are unable to make it a reality, hanging this collage in your house should help.

prints are available in my society6 shop.....

Breakfast Sausage collage

2009-06-02T17:54:00.001-07:00

"Do you dream of hot Sausage in the morning? Wouldn't you enjoy the luxury of breakfast in bed? Why not treat yourself to Beefcake Farms Breakfast Sausage. It's the sausage that's full of wholesome goodness! Add pep to your morning with beefcake farms"

This could be a real ad, but it isn't. It's just a silly collage I made. If you want, you can hang it in your kitchen or in your bedroom and it can kind of be like an ad. It is available in my society6 shop....

sour puss collage

2009-06-01T17:40:00.000-07:00

Sour Puss baby don't you fret! We are going to clean up this planet so you and your kids won't have to live on the moon. We promise! it will be raining roses before you know it. Now cheer up and get on with your baby stuff child. we've got this under control.
* If you are chipping in to do your part to save the planet, this collage will help keep you focused *
it's available in my society6 shop.

illustration friday - Adapt

2009-05-29T09:45:00.000-07:00

ok so right now you may be asking "What the heck does this collage have to do with the theme adapt???" well here's a little about the evolution of this morning's art:

I was excited to see the theme "adapt" for illustration friday since I have so many collages that speak of animals adapting to new environments. "I can just upload something I already created" i thought - but then that would totally not be cool. So I began to think about adapting and things I could and couldn't adapt too. At the same time, I started flipping through a Life magazine from the 60's. When I saw the photo of the dancers I immediately thought - wow - i would love to be a professional dancer but i don't know if i could adapt to the lifestyle - the long rehearsals, workouts etc.

So in went the dancing girls. Now my collage was started. I asked myself - what kind of dancer would I be? - aquatic ballet would be mega cool but then my mind wondered to something I read yesterday:

"As part of the 15th Annual Republic of Texas Biker Rally, motorcycle daredevil Robbie Knievel will kick off his farewell tour with a jump over 180 feet of Budweiser trucks on Congress Avenue in front of the Texas Capitol."

and I thought - a daredevil dancer would be awesome!!!!!! So into the collage went the 1960's cars the girls are dancing on and then the final car jumping over them. And wahla! a lifestyle I could never adapt to - the DRAMA - the DANGER. but a fun collage to make and much safer than the real thing!

Hola Spanish Olives

2009-05-26T22:05:00.001-07:00

I had this dream that I was in a field of flowers. In front of me were two identical green modern chairs and in them were two Spanish Olives. They were carrying on quite an animated conversation. It was fascinating!!!! - i think - the only word i understood was "hola" - (I really need to learn Spanish...) If you also want to learn Spanish or have had a similar dream or already know Spanish and find my predicament amusing, you may want to purchase a print of this collage. (just go to my society6 shop)

illustration friday - Cracked!

2009-05-23T08:25:00.001-07:00

You have to be a bit cracked to create stuff like this!

what?! I missed it AGAIN!?

2009-05-20T10:15:00.000-07:00

Sad but true, I missed the Houston Art Car Parade again this year.

I actually had it on my calendar but didn't feel like driving so far,
until I saw the pictures from the event on kvue.com.
Now I would totally drive the 2.5 hours! oh well, maybe next year!..........

super mega wow

2009-05-19T17:39:00.000-07:00

I simply had to share the incredibly cool and fun and
colorful work of designer and illustrator Helen Dardik.
Please check out more on her website - www.oneluckyhelen.com
and read her blog - www.orangeyoulucky.blogspot.com.
I am so in love with her designs.
Here are some of my favorites.

new collage - Anatomy of a Crafted Dog

2009-05-19T10:52:00.000-07:00

Cherry Blossoms on Her Swing

2009-05-09T12:27:00.000-07:00

Remember that day you put on your favorite pink skirt and got on the swing? the one on the cherry tree in your backyard? didn't the blossoms smell amazing? It was right after you baked that cherry pie and left it on the windowsill to cool. What a day that was!

(print now available in my society shop....)

new collages in the etsy shop!

2009-05-09T09:00:00.001-07:00

"Sweet Dreams"

"chain of love of sewing"

illustration friday - Parade

2009-05-08T10:50:00.000-07:00

"Pyrex bowls on parade"
I created this collage for Illustration Friday this morning. It started with the pyrex bowls and slowly became a homage to my grandmother, Hilda Gable. The quilted piece in the background was made by her. While creating this piece, i began thinking about her life as a homemaker - tending to the duties of the house, cooking and cleaning but also making her home a lovely place with a garden and handmade quilts and other crafty things she would create - like papercut lampshades and collaged jewery boxes.

So as I was working, I incorporated the quilted panel she made then filled the bowls with gladiolas which she may have grown in her flower garden. I am sure she owned a set of pyrex bowls - everyone did in the 50's and 60's didn't they?

anyway - i hope you enjoy this collage. i will offer prints for sale in my etsy shop.

art for your kitchen

2009-05-01T09:03:00.000-07:00

I made 5 of these collages using mostly items from the 1940's. I started with either a vintage apron or some sort of kitchen fabric (tablecloths, curtains etc), then created a collage on the fabric with images from women's magazines. I adhered the paper to the fabric with bookbinder's paste.

Next, i stretched it onto 12" canvas stretchers and stapled it in the back. Then i added some decorative stitching and for additional texture and interest, an old jar lid which i punctured to make it easy to sew on. The end result is a lovely vintage assembled piece for your kitchen!

at the show

2009-04-20T12:07:00.000-07:00

Here is a lovely photo of Nel and I selling
at "the Lone Star ladies present: Shop Austin" on Saturday.
It was taken by my friend Natalie of Ornamental Things.
This was a fun show and hopefully the first of many!

cards in the etsy shop!

2009-04-10T10:09:00.000-07:00

I just added some of the new cards to my etsy shop!!!!!
www.onecreativegirl.etsy.com

birdie corsages

2009-04-09T09:04:00.000-07:00

I found these amazing little birds
at "Uncommon Objects" last week!
thought they'd be perfect for my corsages.....

hey! what's new! Handmade cards, that's what!

2009-04-08T09:39:00.000-07:00

Looking for a cool notecard that's environmentally friendly?
Have I got a card for you! I start with recycled chip board and add a few images, hand drawn text and sometimes a doodle or two then finish it off with a handmade envelope upcycled from discarded encyclopedias and text books and wahlah! a cool "green" card!!!!!!!

I am just now checking into places around Austin to offer these guys and will be listing some in my Etsy shop and sending a few off to the Moore Art Shop in Philadelphia. They are also available in wholesale lots if you should know of a savvy shop that would like to carry such a card. Spread the word people!

gift tags!!!!!!!

2009-04-08T09:35:00.000-07:00

I am making funky retro gift tags.
Use them when wrapping birthday gifts
or write a note on the back and hang it
somewhere for a friend. be creative
and have fun with these!

vintage tin art altars

2009-03-30T09:27:00.001-07:00

I love to make assembled art pieces.
There are several styles I work in - the first being assembled art dolls -
the second, assembled altoids or vintage tin altars (pictured here)
and the third is my assembled art using
bones and feathers and found objects from nature.
Check out my Flickr photos for more of my work.

illustration friday - Poise

2009-03-27T10:24:00.001-07:00

"Despite the usual distractions, Herbert kept perfect poise through his whole speech"
- created for illustration friday theme "poise" -

illustration friday - Subtract

2009-03-20T10:41:00.000-07:00

Subtracting from cake is always fun!
Created for illustration friday theme "subtract"

illustration friday - Legendary

2009-03-17T13:10:00.000-07:00

A collage of the legendary turtle who loved art.
Posted for Illustration Friday theme "Legendary"

Clipping wall

2009-01-31T10:36:00.001-08:00

My husband hung up a "yarn clothesline" in my studio.
I have already begun to fill it with clippings of things I love,
dream about and am inspired by..............

art altars

2009-01-31T10:33:00.000-08:00

These 2 art altars are now for sale in the ArtShop in Philadelphia.

terrariums

2009-01-31T10:27:00.001-08:00

I made 3 terrariums in vintage jars. I got the jars from the trash in N.J many years ago. They used to hold my collection of shopping lists (over 200). I decided to move my lists to my studio and use the jars for an indoor moss-scape. We went to a nearby creek to collect the moss and used pebbles, aquarium charcoal and potting soil in the terrarium. cute huh?

Silly Scrapbook

2009-01-12T14:07:00.001-08:00

Here are a few pages from a scrapbook I bought at an estate sale in New Jersey about 12 years ago. It is dated May 10th, 1946 and is a hilarious, quirky series of collages a woman made of her friends. Basically just heads cut out and pasted on cartoons and illustrations with silly made up names. I am sure not everyone was laughing............ enjoy!

I love Christmas almost as much as I love Frogs!

2008-12-19T13:50:00.000-08:00

A classic photo of me and a long-lost frog pal of mine.

looks like I also got a Slinky, the Sesame Street Fisher Price
Playset and a doll. But I KNOW that frog was my favorite and
remember having him for a really long time.

snowball

2008-12-19T13:47:00.000-08:00

We adopted a hamster just in time for christmas!
her name is "Snowball" - fits her well, i'd say...

Playing in my dollhouse

2008-12-03T17:58:00.000-08:00

I am loving my dollhouse play time.
Got some cool "re-ment" Japanese miniatures at Domy bookstore in East Austin - donuts and jello which came with a coffee and soda and donut boxes and jello molds. I am officially addicted to Re-ment. It's hard to find around here - but there's a lot on Ebay.

Do a little shopping at Blue Genie Art Bazaar

2008-12-02T16:05:00.000-08:00

My booth is all set-up and ready for opening day (tomorrow).
There are tons of cool vendors and fabulous art.
A great place to begin your holiday shopping.
All the info is here:

The 8th Annual
Blue Genie Art Bazaar
A FREE 22–day Art Show & Sale
featuring 100+ Artists!
----------------------
December 3rd through December 24th
Open at 10:00am Daily
• Sunday through Thursday 10am to 10pm
• Friday and Saturday 10am to Midnight
• Sunday December 24th 10am to 6pm
----------------------
Monarch Events Center
(at Lincoln Village)
6406 North IH–35, Suite 3100
Austin, Texas

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

2008-11-26T09:21:00.001-08:00

This is the fabulous stove I got for my dollhouse!
wait until you see the fridge!!!!!
Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Dollhouse

2008-11-26T09:00:00.000-08:00

My dad made me a dollhouse when I was about 10 years old. He built the entire thing secretly in his garage workshop - I never suspected a thing. On christmas morning, my brother Sean took a sneak peak at the gifts and immediately ran to tell me that I was getting a dollhouse, so I knew even before I got downstairs to see. It was so exciting. My mom and I used to go to dollhouse shops all over New Jersey to find furniture and wallpaper, fixtures etc.

I have kept it all these years and just recently decided that i wanted to re-decorate it. Make it colorful and artistic - find lots of vintage furniture and minatures from the 1940's and 50's.

The first thing I did was to have my husband Nel paint it GREEN - as you know i LOVE green and if i owned a house, it would need to be green. I chose a mint/jadeite green - one of my fav shades.

Next I made a trip to Uncommon Objects knowing they always have fabulous vintage minatures and scored a 1950's pink metal stove and refrigerator - which i LOVE so much. I carried them with me in my purse for a few days, showing everyone I ran into - including the people at Hobby Lobby, where i purchased a tiny turkey for the oven.

Then I began looking online at Re-ment japanese minatures - they make everything from donuts to laundry detergent to mini jadeite dishes. So far I have a box of donuts and am trying to find a complete set of jadeite.

I have also been searching for handmade papers and artistic gift wrap to use for wallpaper. I also want to find a vintage piece of linolium for the kitchen and bathroom floors.

Nel started removing the old wallpaper which was stained and the old flooring which was coming up. Here are some pics of the kitchen - thought it would be fun to have some shots of work in progress.

chick corsage

2008-11-18T15:36:00.000-08:00

I've always loved these chenille chicks.
I had a bunch of them in the studio and
decided to fashion up a corsage for myself.
I made 2 others in case YOU would like one too.......

holiday crafting fun

2008-11-18T15:29:00.001-08:00

made a bunch of holiday corsages and cards!
here's a sneak peek......

veggie love altar

2008-11-14T13:49:00.001-08:00

Yay vegetables!
this is an altoids tin altar i made today....
It will most likely be available for purchase at
the blue genie art bazaar or the cherrywood art fair,
two cool events i will be a part of this december.

illustration friday - pretend

2008-11-14T08:39:00.000-08:00

kids have such great abilities when it comes to pretending.
When I was young, whatever it was I was imagining seemed SO real.
I've tried it lately and it just doesn't work the same.

for: www.illustration friday.com

Design Sponge!

2008-11-04T08:28:00.000-08:00

I was featured in todays regional round-up
for Austin on Design Sponge!
how exciting is that :)

you can see the interview here....

Dia De Los Muertos

2008-11-02T08:55:00.000-08:00

Today I made my altar for Dia de los muertos. I was a little late to make it since i was kind of *depressed*. One of our hamsters died on friday and I was bummed. Plus my dad died 2 years ago this tuesday, so I have been thinking about him a lot. Today, I feel much better and am ready to celebrate the lives of all those who have left us. Nel and I were up early (yay time change). He is making food for our 2nd annual dia de los muertos dinner - which is actually a lunch this year and I decorated and made the altar.

illustration friday - Vacant

2008-11-01T08:58:00.000-07:00

Just thinking about you and
wishing you could visit
(you know who you are!)

Collage Created for Illustration Friday - theme "vacant"

not your grandma's corsage

2008-10-26T10:07:00.000-07:00

the all new love bugs corsage

baby shower corsages

2008-10-26T09:54:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-26T09:33:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-20T14:57:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-20T09:28:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-17T20:30:00.000-07:00

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

for www.illustrationfriday.com

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

2008-10-15T11:05:00.000-07:00

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........

2008-10-15T10:56:00.000-07:00

Having my art at Happiness!

(2213-B South First Street, Austin tx)

froggy news

2008-10-15T10:04:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-15T07:25:00.001-07:00

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

2008-10-11T20:59:00.001-07:00

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

2008-10-09T12:34:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-03T09:01:00.001-07:00

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

art dolls

2008-09-27T11:47:00.000-07:00

Art Doll Group

I was sorting through photos of the 60+ art dolls I have made and thought I should post a few for you to see, including a sketch that eventually materialized into a doll with a skirt made from a lampshade frame covered in buttons. enjoy! I will post more for you if you like! just let me know......

Art Doll Zelda

Art Doll Sydney

sketch.......

finished doll

illustration friday - Packed

2008-09-26T09:32:00.000-07:00

Packed and ready to hibernate!
www.illustrationfriday.com

Holiday stuff

2008-09-22T13:05:00.000-07:00

... just a sneak peak ...

It's 90º in Austin and i am working on designs for holiday cards.

The amazing art of APAK!

2008-09-22T10:56:00.000-07:00

For the past year or more, I have been following the art created at APAK studio. I LOVE LOVE LOVE their creations. Delightful and fun and magical and colorful - i would love to pack up and move into one of their paintings!

Here's a bio from their website:
Aaron and Ayumi Piland are the fantastical magical duo known as APAK. They are a little husband and wife collaborative art group who live among the fury conifer giants in a little cottage on the outskirts of Portland, Oregon. They create artwork together as a way exploring the beauty, mystery, and magic of the universe as well as expressing their love for life and each other. They explore, play, learn, discover, and grow…just like children do.

Explore their blog, flickr photos and website here!

Some of my best friends are stuffed (part 1)

2008-09-22T07:18:00.000-07:00

If you know me, then you know my love for stuffed animals. It started when i was around 4 and has not stopped. Today i am featuring portraits of those who are with me now for part 1 of this post. In part 2, I will round-up photos of those I would like to "adopt." I always see incredibly cute and creative stuffies on Etsy and thought i should share so you can see just how cute i am talking about. But first let's talk about some of the stuffed friends who live with me now. I could not write this blog without starting with Mr. Beeps. a LOT of you know (and love) him - he has been with me for many many years.....

mr beeps in Guanjuato, Mexico

Mr Beeps at At Stonehenge

In addition to Mr Beeps - I have a huge stuffed red-eyed tree frog named Manny:

Manny surfing the net

chillaxing

and then there's Gloomy Bear - who is a really good dancer - maybe i will post a video sometime - evidently, making stuffed animals dance is one of my talents.

Any one else out there have an affinity for stuffed animals? There used to be a blog about stuffed friends - www.stuffedster.blogspot.com - but it stopped in 2006. I would love to find something similar out there......

illustration friday - clique

2008-09-19T09:27:00.001-07:00

This weeks topic for www.illustrationfriday.com is "clique."
I immediately thought of the old cliché of cliques - cheerleaders.
In my high school, it was the girly chicks who became
the cheerleaders who also made up the biggest clique at school.
If we had an art chick clique i would've have definitely been in!

painting rocks

2008-09-16T08:18:00.000-07:00

I love rocks. Sometimes i am a little like Lucille Ball in "The Long, Long, Trailer", hauling way too many rocks in the car on road trips or weighing down my suitcase when i am flying.

I also love to paint rocks. It was something I did with my neighbor, Mrs. Gilardi, when i was little. She was an artist who enjoyed a good rock painting session. So combine my love of rocks with my love of frogs and toads and you get this:

... a series of toads in their houses. I just put the finishing touches on these today then decided to search on flickr to see what other kind of frog rocks were out there and was surprised to see there are a lot of really big rocks painted as frogs - big as in "landmarks".... here are a few. Who knew? maybe i need to plan a road trip to one of these guys.....collecting rocks along the way......

in Missouri
from flickr member localozarkian

in Pennsylvania
from flickr user faceraser .

in Arizona

from flickr user stephen clancy

in Seattle

from flickr user no one nels

in Mexico
from flicker user ezbngrn

illustration friday - island

2008-09-12T09:00:00.001-07:00

I think they are in for a long wait.

(collage for www.illustrationfriday.com. this week's theme is "island")

graphic design - cherrywood art fair

2008-09-11T09:21:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun designing the promo materials for the Cherrywood Art Fair! can you tell? Everyone working on the event is super cool and creative and gave me total freedom to design the collage and new logo. I will be offering a version of the collage for sale around the event - which happens in December and is one of my favorite places to sell! If you're an Austinite, you will not want to miss this show. I will post all the details in early December.

green and yellow

2008-09-08T14:25:00.001-07:00

This weekend I made a lot of new jewelry including this GREEN and YELLOW necklace. I thought with this post, i would show you some other things i have been seeing and loving in green and yellow.........

my husband Nel gets the photo credit on this one.

I bought these candies at the asian supermarket - I thought the images and typography on the box was so freakin' cool, i couldn't pass them up - plus they're chocolate covered so i think that factored in somewhere........

I love all of the bold designs of Pata Pri - how cute are the little birds on one of her hand silkscreened kitchen towels? fabulous stuff - visit her Etsy shop here.

and in my favorite FLICKR photos, an amazing frog photo by soulsister. lovely (you know how i feel about frogs.) this could be one of my all-time fav photos......

Clutter - Illustration Friday 9.8.08

2008-09-08T11:00:00.000-07:00

The theme for this week over at Illustrationfriday.com is "clutter"
I immediately thought of T.V. It's been way hot in Texas this summer and sometimes i find myself just staying in the air conditioning, flipping through the channels, looking for a good movie. The reality is, I usually spend a lot of time going from one ridiculous show to another before i give up.
I am amazed by how much mindless clutter is on T.V. Need i mention the names of the shows I am thinking of?????? I am sure you know of a few utterly useless broadcasts.........

glitter hamsters

2008-09-05T09:19:00.001-07:00

yesterday I got to hang with Faron,
the 7 year old daughter of a friend,
and we had a lot of fun drawing and making stuff.
My favorite is by far the glitter hamsters which she drew
and i cut out and added pink glitter.
i wish they were real!!!!!!
(I do have 2 grey dwarf hamsters btw and they are equally cute sans the sparkles)

tiny collages

2008-09-03T14:00:00.000-07:00

Something New!
I am making tiny 2" square collages
framed under glass and ready to hang.
I will be making a ton of these for the Etsy shop,
ArtShop at Moore college of art and holiday shows.
--- Fun to collect and easy to display, start your collection today! ---

These are the first ones I made..... a series of belted dresses
on a background illustration from a 1940's food ad.
(Maybe you can make out the olives and celery.)
I guess i have been thinking about food and the old waistline lately......

earrings in the shop

2008-09-03T13:49:00.001-07:00

Earrings are now in the Etsy Shop.........

new necklaces

2008-09-02T07:54:00.000-07:00

These are just a few of the new necklaces i made last week after
my friend Lisa purchased the Green Buddha necklace i featured on the blog
and totally inspired me to make some more........
I think all of these are going to the ArtShop at Moore College of Art.
I have been making earrings too, which i will be listing on Etsy later today.

again with the jewelry......

2008-08-28T14:00:00.000-07:00

Just got a newsletter from my (amazing, talented) friend Natalie Tischler over at Ornamental Things and WOW she has made tons of fabulous things in GREEN (for me?) - it's my favorite color and i am loving these 3 necklaces. Take a peek and if green isn't your favorite color, she has lots of other fab things for you. visit her website or stop by her booth at Austin City Limits Music Festival.........

boy do i love jewelry

2008-08-26T09:33:00.000-07:00

I have been working part time at a jewelry store and starting to make some new things for myself. I finished this really cool green buddha necklace and matching bracelet a few days ago.

Ok, so i love it a lot but it seems i can never have enough when it comes to swanky adornments. If i had an unlimited budget, here are some things i found that i really am wanting to own and wear and just sit and look at (i know it is weird but sometimes i just sit and stare at my beads and jewelry - it's all so yummy - it inspires me to make more or just create really colorful things)I think this Kenneth Jay Lane bracelet is gloriously gaudy - found on regencies.com

S.W.A.K. - I love this "Adoring Fans" bracelet by Clever girl. I actually had 5-6 wonderfully funky, colorful designs of hers picked to show but chose this one as my most fav. Check out her jewelry - it's fab!

I really need to carry a bit of moss with me wherever i go - being a frog and all......... Isn't this just the coolest ring? Let's all get one today - check it out on etsy.

You all know how i groove on the vintage ads and images - so you are not surprised to see that i would be oh so happy happy to own this joy necklace by gee lizzie.

and last but not least - i am SO obsessed with this betsey johnson horse necklace - i tried it on at Neiman Marcus and haven't stopped thinking about it since. Hopefullly i will be wearing it the next time you see me! wouldn't that be great!?

honey Bees

2008-08-10T10:13:00.000-07:00

new collage - "roomscape - bee"
just thinking about the struggle our honey bees are
having and hoping we can save their populations.
http://www.honeybeequiet.com/

turtle collage

2008-07-07T17:06:00.000-07:00

A new collage in my roomscape series

art fair logo

2008-07-07T14:04:00.001-07:00

just finished designing the Cherrywood Art Fair logo.
Next i will be creating an original collage
for the poster and postcard.

Alley Stencils

2008-06-19T15:55:00.000-07:00

These designs will be made into stencils and
spray painted onto a street here in Austin
as part of an alley beautification project.

Logo and Business Card design

2008-06-10T15:35:00.000-07:00

I am currently working on several logo designs for
Austin crafty businesses and events.
Hoping to post them soon, but in the meantime,
here's a recent fave of mine........

Studio re-do

2008-06-10T15:24:00.001-07:00

i have recently been cleaning and updating my studio space,
which means i am parting with some of my vintage craft supplies.
I have packed them up and am offering them for sale at *awesome* prices
at Craft-o-rama here in austin. Stop in today to treat yourself to something
unique for that crafty endeavor of yours.

Austin Craft-o-rama 3100 S. Congress Ave., #3B Austin, Texas 78704 (directly behind Amy’s Ice Cream and across from St. Edwards University)

Illustration Friday - Fail

2008-04-14T12:18:00.000-07:00

This week's illustration friday theme is "FAIL" ...

which makes me think of my failed attempts at cooking and
the hope I place in burning a candle for "culinary skills".
I created this collage and many others for a series of altar candles.
Can't say it helps but at least i can let go of my failures
and trust that better dinners will come! LOL!

Art Dog - China Rose

2008-03-31T08:23:00.001-07:00

I made this little art doggie for a friend several years back.
At the time, i was making a lot of art dolls and wanted to try something different.
She is made from 4 flattened cans, an altoids tin, spools of thread,
keys, a piece from an old trophy (on the tail)
and a silk flower and leaves (tail and ears).
Her name is China Rose.

Ilustration Friday - Homage - Eva Zeisel

2008-03-28T14:33:00.000-07:00

Homage to Eva Zeisel

Her lovely organic forms
and modern designs delight and inspire me.
perhaps you feel the same?!
(this is my submission to illustrationfriday.com
each week a new subject to play with)