published! and a free issue!

Guess What!?! I was just published in heART Journal Magazine again! I have created a simple mandala tutorial for this issue and there is an interview with me in this issue as well. I haven't seen the whole issue yet myself but I am going to read it now...

To celebrate heART Journal Magazine has a given me a free issue bonus code to share with others. I hope you love it!

Get your free issue of heART Journal Magazine today!

Simply download the app on iTunes bit.ly/heARTMag or Google Play bit.ly/Heartjournal

Then on your device follow these directions using subscriber code : art4march (case sensitive)

• Install the App on your device

• Launch the Magazine

• On the Home Page, Tap on the Yellow subscribe button

• Tap on the Current Subscribers button

• Enter this: art4march (case sensitive)



or go to our cart for a pdf version choose the March 2016 Issue and use coupon code art4march in the check out process.


You will now be able to access your free issue. Remember, the code is case sensitive. Since this is a sample issue, your current device on iTunes or Google Play will be granted access. If/when you may change devices any sample issues will not follow your account and cannot be restored. ( FYI, any purchases will switch to your new device. For some reason Apple doesn't let the sample issues move with your account and we are unable to manually restore all the free issues) For help with the coupon code, please email heartjournalmag@gmail.com This code is good until March 15th 2016.

5 random things

1. I have added so much to my charm quilt pinterest board that I needed to make another one... called english paper piecing. They are my most popular boards. One thing from it I would love to try is making this fabric scrap twine....

Or to make these with scrap fabric instead of scrap paper...

Or buy this book... 

2. I have put no effort into my cafe press shop in over a year but I have had one thing continue to sell regularly....

This peacock mandala on wall clocks, throw blankets and magnets.  

I really don't make much per sale but it is really great knowing people out there in the world have a clock with an image I painted!

3. Another thing that seems to sell with no help from me anymore is the 8x8 swatch of fabric for the Bee Queen doll on my spoonflower account....

I love thinking a little girl (or adult) has a little Bee Queen doll on her shelf or in her pocket!

I keep telling myself to get the picture book done. 

Technically the art is done and it has been all completed in book form on blurb except for the last page. All I have to do is add the artwork to the page and finish the back book cover and click "done". It has been 3-4 months since I finished the art work yet I cannot get myself to click done. What am I waiting for? why am I procrastinating?

Am I afraid of failure once it is out there?
sometimes i think I should redo the art as it's not quite right...

I just don't know.

Maybe saying this "out loud" on here will force me to get with it and finish it.....

we shall see!?!

4. I have been painting daily again!
But i don't have them photographed to show yet, except this little guy...
My latest addition to my etsy shop is here.

I painted this little owl named Worsted a year ago and kept him in the box with the other painted stones but I never photographed him or listed him. He's been biding his time in the dark but now he needs to go out into the world. Maybe he was just a slow learner or maybe he had failure to launch but I think he is finally ready now. 

5. The winter here in the Fingerlakes region of NY has been very mild but we did get a storm recently.
The roads were really bad but it was beautiful.
My photos don't do it justice at all. The best parts of the road are too dangerous to stop for a photograph because there's no place to pull over on the side. These were taken a day after the storm and bad roads...
It was like driving through a glass forest with bright sun shining through it. and then snow on top of that!
so pretty....

some new fabrics at spoonflower.....

I have been designing fabric again this week. I started as I wanted some specific designs for the quilt I was working on, then got sidetracked and entered a few of their weekly contests...

This one was done for their last weeks contest, "interspecies friendships"with hardly any changes from the small sketchbook page it was on, (i posted the sketchbook page here)

This one was for this week's contest, using just these 4 colors.... you could still vote by going here

but I think I like this color version better...

then I did one for next week's "love is in the air" contest.

then these are just for my quilt....

and here are the little index cards I painted them on, or rather doodled them on using pens and markers....this little mandala one was just a pen doodle on scrap paper.... cropped and
altered right on the spoonflower website. I wanted a design that would have a repeat about every inch and a half so when I cut them for the quilt's hexagons I could get a lot out of a small 8x8 piece of fabric. It doesn't cost anything to design on spoonflower, and you can sell your designs once you have purchased them at least once to see if the size and color is correct. They give you 16- 21 8x8 samples for $20 (or that or thereabout) so I can get all of these pretty reasonable if I want, and if I decide I don't like them enough to buy them I am out nothing but time. Too bad they don't pay me to talk them up, but I really do enjoy their site. It'll be awhile before I can show you the fabric because I want to play around and pick and choose designs first.

13 favorite Valentine gifts on etsy

1. I am always drawn to tiny houses......

and...(I have a ton of tiny houses saved to my pinterest board; little houses here)

2.I love wine and homemade marshmallows so why not homemade wine marshmallows? mmmmm!

3. chunky blankets...more MMMMM!

4. a stuffed hedgehog of course.

5. I thought about getting this ceramic tag for my daughter who hikes often but ended up with a different quote. I won't show which one just in case she reads my blog before it arrives at her house.

 
6. The flavors of the lollipops in this shop make me want to buy them ALL! But these are marshmallow and hibiscus!!

7. This Body Mousse looks sooooooo soft and rich. It isYlang Ylang, Rose Geranium, Litsea, Orange & Patchouli.

8. I would love this Friedrich Nietzsche quote on a bracelet .... but there are so many other wonderful choices in this shop it would be hard to settle on just one.....

9. I fell in love with this  falcon pendant.

 10. There are so many wonderful handmade soaps on etsy it is hard to chose so I am usually swayed by the wrapping or the  interesting flavors. This one I think i just have to have...

11.You need to click on this link to see what is on this locket.

12. I got one of these mugs for my daughter as well.....

 13. And last but not least.....a tiny bear!

Lists

I am ruled by my lists

I need them

can't stop making them

and even put some of  them in my sketchbooks and make them pretty.

I wrote a bit about it here

everyday this year i have written down at least one thing that makes me happy,

something that I am thankful for,

something that makes my SOUL sing,

little everyday things

my mother and I have been doing this off and on for many years 

because of that book:

'10,000 things that make me happy'

I think that's the name at least....

here's most of January's list...