Featured on a Lovely Blog

Melissa from So About What I Said… just put me in her Sponsor Spotlight! So if you are interested in a little interview about my Etsy shop and bookmarks, you can head on over there. And I urge you to check out her blog in general.

Melissa writes such a great blend of posts. She likes to share pretty things, but doesn't shy away from more serious life issues either. She'll make you smile and think. So if that sounds like your cup of tea, I suggest you pay her a visit.

In the Mail...

Melissa recently hosted a giveaway on her blog So About What I Said. Up for grabs was a beautiful jewelry set by ADesignJewelry in exactly my style and colors. I'm so very happy I actually won! And it just arrived!

I love purple and often wear it with green. Fluorite has both of those colors in it, and it's such a nice combination with the ceramic beads! That floral touch is wonderful! I am also impressed by the beautiful closure with shop logo.

ADesignJewelry has a lot of unique necklaces in loads of different styles and in all the colors of the rainbow. Some are more classic, others have an ethnic feel. And a lot of the pieces are made with gemstones even.

Anyway, I'm so happy with my necklace and earrings! I can't wait to wear it and match it with the clothes in my wardrobe! I can already think of some fun combinations, but I'm sure I'll discover some unexpected ones over time.

In the Mail...

Earlier this month the lovely Suki threw a wonderful giveaway with an amazing assortment of all the lovely things she makes -buttons, a lavender heart, a puzzle brooch and a beautiful Christmassy owl!- and I turned out to be the lucky winner!

As you can probably guess, the arrival of these things really brightened my day. The lavender heart will get a prime spot in my new walk-in closet so I can see it everyday. And all the pins will be flaunted regularly.

Thank you so much for everything, Suki! Even the gift wrapping was perfect!

Anyway, don't forget to pop by her blog if you're not a follower already, and her shop if you're looking for some wonderful handmade, yet affordable Christmas gifts.

Drumroll, Please...

This past week you all had the chance to join Olga's giveaway to win the wonderful owl brooch. But only one of you will find this cute creature in her mail box soon. 

Eeka from Live.Love.Random

Congrats!

If you didn't win but do want one of those brooches for yourself -or maybe some other pretty item- be sure to visit wassupbrothers! Olga is always working on new things, like the amazing owl hoops she just added. And new creatures get made every week as well!

And don't forget to visit her blog if you want to stay in the loop and find out more about new releases and contests.

Interview with Ashlie from Painting Bliss

Well, I'm sure you spotted Ashlie's banner in my sidebar last month, because those amazing little birds are not easily overlooked! I am a huge fan of her art work, a regular reader of her lovely blog and also lucky enough to own a custom portrait. And I was very excited to interview Ashlie and learn more about all the lovely things she does. Hope you'll enjoy the interview too!

It seems art has always been a part of me as I have been drawing since I could lift a pencil. Always encouraged by those around me and nurtured whilst growing up I couldn't help but continue to create. I found my way to mixed media art only in the last 3 years after trying everything separately. It never occurred to me that it was "okay" to combine mediums until I picked up an issue of Somerset Studio. My world was opened wide open and once I allowed myself to create with an array of materials, I knew I found my happy little niche.  

Always always. I was always the kid in art class who completed the project before the teacher fully explained the instruction, sitting idly waiting for others to finish up. At home I would wield the hot glue gun like a cowboy with his pistol, making and creating all sorts of things. In fact, I don't think I was ever NOT in a project of some sort. 

Inspiration comes from many sources for me, but I am deeply inspired by nature. I love wildlife, rolling hills, and the way sun hits the hills around 4pm on a late autumn evening. I am an observer. I see all sorts of things that others may not notice, and this is inspirational. I like having the ability to notice the small things. At times I am inspired by my children's musings or ideas. Other times I am inspired by a dream I might have had. I am often visited in the night by whatever it is that plants ideas in ones head. It's not rare for me to come up with an idea on the verge of sleep or as I wake in the morn. 

A pair of pink zebra print headphones, music, and something to sip... which I often mistake for my paint water. Always a smile and an ooops as I wash a brush off in my coffee! 

My perfect Sunday consists of a hot cup of coffee piled high with swirling sweet whipped cream from the can. From there it's table time with the hubby while responding to emails and sharing that day's blog post with twitter and facebook. Once the essentials are taken care of it's into the studio where first I warm my buns by my personal gas powered wall heater. Some paper, my scissors, music, and other assorted materials I get lost in the lyrics of my tunes while pouring forth onto paper. The perfect Sunday afternoon is spent napping in bed. Every day is better with a nap. 

 Oh I plan to take over the world in the next year! Ok, maybe not literally... but I do plan to push myself even farther than I did last year. So far I have an upcoming article in Cloth Paper Scissors come their May/June issue. I have high expectations of myself and my talent, so if I have it my own way... that won't be the only publication. This coming year I plan to increase my studio time and do a lot more drawing in between actual art pieces so that I can hone in and perfect my skills. Personally, I like to have goals but I also love the things that come my way. The best projects or ideas come unplanned because they are spontaneous and spontaneity brings forth powerful inspiration. So visit me at my blog and you'll be sure to see what I am up to at the moment, I would love to have you! 

If you can't get enough of Ashlie and her work be sure to subscribe to her blog and heart her on Etsy. She's a very busy bee, so you'll find new things on both sites very regularly!

In the Mail...

I love the wonderful vintage and handmade items Louise sent me! The buttons look so nice on those cards that I might have to hang them on my wall as they are. But I definitely will wear the jewelry!

If you're as smitten with that ship brooch as I am, you'll be pleased to find there's still one available in Louise's Etsy. The shop is full of vintage and nautical inspired jewelry by the way! And her blog is also worth a visit.

Thanks, Louise!

Amazing Art: Lauryn Green

A little while ago I came across this wonderful person! Lauryn Green has a lovely blog and a great Etsy as well. Both are full of her amazing illustrations. I loved her work from the moment I saw it.

Besides our name, it turned out we had a lot of other things in common too. And thankfully she has many prints that include favorite things of mine.

So when she had a nice deal for Black Friday, I jumped at the opportunity. My two prints came in the mail today and they're even prettier in real life. I won't show you those now though, as I'll be posting pictures of them once they're framed in my new place!

 Anyway, if you like what you see here, I recommend you check out her blog for illustrations and more, and her shop for lots of prints and pretty totes!

Wishlist

If you know Kate from Scathingly Brilliant, you might also know she has a bunch of adorable shops. I recently spotted some items in her "Sweet and Lovely" shop, that really are sweet and lovely.

These rainbow sweater clips for instance. I absolutely love this idea!

And this is one of the best collars I've ever seen. It might not be for every day, but I suppose special things should be saved for special occasions, right?

And up last is this lovely simple cat brooch. Don't you love that color? I just finished knitting a dress -pictures coming soon- in that exact shade. So I think they'd be a perfect match!

Amazing accessories, right? Click here to see more.

Interview with Julia from EarlybirdPrints

My friend Julia is here today to answer some questions! She's not only responsible for the lovely blog "a Girl with Horn-Rimmed Glasses", but she recently opened up an Etsy shop as well. She very kindly gave away a print a little while ago and today she's back so you can get to know her a bit better. Enjoy!

-Have you always enjoyed creating things?-

As far as I can remember, yes. I've had times where I wasn't too interested into crafty things, but I've always drawn as a child. When I got older I started using graphic programs on my computer and that's how I got interested in being a graphic designer. I've always wanted to make things that other people will see. Only logical that I got into advertising. ;) 

-Where does your inspiration comes from?-

Everywhere! It can be little things, shapes or colors of an object I see. It can be food, or furniture. Or it can be a picture I see that sparks a thought of something completely different or a solution to a design/conceptual problem that I had before and couldn't solve. Of course I love collecting pretty stuff I see in books or online (thanks for Pinterest!), and I love reading all kinds of creative blogs. 

Music and movies can be quite inspiring too. 

-Do you have a certain ritual for when you create? Do you listen to music or do certain other things?-

It depends on what kind of creative work I do. If it's work or uni-related, I tend to make my workplace ready, all clean, everything aligned and in it's place, have a cup of tea, and start. If it's "recreational", like the Etsy prints, I like to draw while lounging on the sofa and having some TV or music as "background noise".  

-When do you feel a project is finished?

When I'm sick of seeing it! ;D When it comes to illustrations, I start with a clear picture in mind of how it should look, and what parts it consists of. I'm always scared of ruining an illustration when I draw too much in it. With graphic design work, I usually spend quite some time with a project, and after a while, you will think "Ugh, did I really think this was the ideal look?" even if it's fine. That always happens to me after I finish a project. One never stops thinking "I could have done more". 

-What does your perfect Sunday look like?-

As my Sundays at the moment are full of work, my perfect Sunday would contain none of that. I'd love to spend it reading, going on a walk, and some kind of crafty work – I'd like to get into knitting or sewing. 

I like my Sundays as "boring" as possible, as it's my least favorite day in the week.

-Do you have any plans for your blog or shop that you'd like to share already?-

As for my blog, it's been a little neglected for the last months because I was so busy doing uni projects. Same goes for the shop. I hope to blog more regularly with more interesting posts in the next months. I would also like to get crafty a bit more often and share those experiences on the blog. Next month, Hamburg will host a lovely handmade market ("Hello Handmade!" at the Kampnagel) again, and I want to show my readers all the great Etsy and DaWanda sellers I will see there. 

For my shop, I would love to draw more and add new items. Maybe add items that aren't prints as well?! If anyone has any suggestions, I would love to hear them…! :) 

-Is there anything else you want to tell the Blue Eyed Night Owl readers?-

Hi there?! I hope you found reading at least a bit interesting compared to Laura's usual awesome posts. (My favs are the Owl Things Considered because I love owls so much, what are yours?) Have a great day and maybe pop by my blog sometime? :) 

In the Mail...

Polly from This Enchanted Pixie has been very busy renewing her shop. Some of the old things had to go too, so she could make room for the new collection. And I was lucky enough to receive a lucky dip bag full of jewelry!

When I saw the little bag I got really excited. I hadn't really thought about the bag itself, but when it came I was blown away. Doesn't it look lovely?

It's contents were equally as amazing! And though there were many, I'll just show you a few, perhaps half of what was actually in there.

The bird cage above actually holds a tiny silver bird. And I'm smitten with these owls as well. What a perfect color for summer!

There were some more earrings, a ring and a necklace. And these two even made a lovely set:

I thought I'd give you a peek at Polly's new collection as well. This time she has gone with a more bohemian look with lots of gemstones, lace and feathers.

Looking good, right?

Be sure to check out her shop. And if you're not familiar with her blog yet, I suggest you hop on over there as well.

Pretty Paintings

Today I'd like to show you the work of a very versatile artist, and fellow blogger. Kate Dolamore really is a Jack-of-all-trades!

 She does stunning watercolors and mixed media pieces. And luckily for us, she seems to love owls too!

 In fact she's done an amazing field guide full of them!

All of her other field guides are amazing too. And I love that she used all her images in a collage to show you what birds she's seen this June.

I recommend you check out Kate's blog for beautiful nature posts as well as project updates. And if you'd love to see more of her work, and perhaps get a nice print for your home, go visit her Etsy shop.

Pretty Paintings: Kat Cameron

Today I bring you the amazing digital art of Kat Cameron. It's so beautiful and delicate and sometimes just a tad bit dark. I love it!

And of course she scores extra points for making a stellar owl!

In each of her works she really seems to think about color. To me, it's even one of the things that stand out most. The color somehow really sets the tone and atmosphere for the story behind the image.

And often I wish I knew the story behind the girl in each piece. They just seem so interesting and full of life and even history.

     

 Kat Cameron not only has a beautiful shop on Etsy, but she also has an Envelop store with pillow cases and totes.

   

 

And for all you fashionistas out there, she can even draw you a custom What I Wore portrait. Isn't that amazing?!

And on top of all that, she runs an awesome blog! I'm definitely keeping my eye on this girl, I sense great things coming.