Always Artistic

Movies we've watched recently...

2012-01-19T14:11:00.004-07:00

Now that we have digital TV we have a lot more channels to watch. Here are some of the movies we have watched recently. I have taped a bunch more to watch too. I love movies and our video stores went bankrupt, so we haven't been able to rent them for a while, and so it is nice to be able to get back to watching them regularly.

Really Good movie. We watched it at a friends house and I loved it so much I ran out and bought it at the first store I was in. lol Will watch it again many times! Starring Freddie Highmore, Keri Russell, Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Robin Williams.

~click here~ to view the trailer.

Loved this movie. Based on a really inspiring true story. Thought the casting was great too! Starring AnnaSophia Robb, Helen Hunt, Dennis Quaid, and Carrie Underwood.

~click here~ to view the trailer.

Pretty good movie. I probably would have enjoyed it if I was a sports / boxing fan, but I am not. Another one that is based on a true story. And I have to say I am glad I am not a part of his family. lol Starring Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams and Melissa Leo.

~click here~ to view the trailer.

Was a good movie. I always love alien invasion movies lol Although I hope to never have the same problems they had. Great cast. Starring Aaron Eckhart, Ramon Rodriquez, Will Rothhaar, and many more.

~click here~ to view the trailer.

This is the 4th in the Free Willy series. I loved the first 3 movies, but wasn't crazy about this one. It was an ok movie, but not as good as the originals. I wish they wouldn't make sequels if they are going to change all the people. Starring Bindi Irwin, Beau Bridges, Mike Falkow, and Darrin Meyer.

~click here~ to view the trailer.

Redecorating my bedroom... Part 2

2012-01-13T19:46:00.000-07:00

Here is my room so far today... after putting my bed set on, and putting the throw on the wall (love the throw - found it at Zellers before Christmas)

Wish I had taken before pictures, but oh well. Before I did not have the 3x3 cube on top of the dresser, it was in my spare room with all my camera stuff and other stuff on it, all that stuff is going to be organized into the black cubbies.

My curtains were blue with pink butterflies and flowers on them, my old comforter set was blue, light purple, silver, green and white. Didn't match perfect but I never got around to changing it from when I was younger, and was close enough.

The throw on the wall was not there before. And the cork board above the right dresser is new too... not sure I like how I decorated it though so may change it later!

The craft cubes were 3x3, now they are 3 stacks of 3 high, they never lined up properly, and as you can see one of them fell apart, I think I will have to get some wood glue and fix it, the parts don't line up properly on it for some reason. Then I have a craft table that I moved from the window wall to the other wall opposite the bed. Looks so much nicer now and also a lot more room.

My theme was giraffes and African animals before, now it is lighthouses. I kept the African animals just put them downstairs in the spare bedroom, love them too!

My craft table is still piled high while I reorganize things, but I love how it is set up now, feels refreshing.

And I didn't wash the curtains, too lazy right now, so they are all wrinkled, eventually I will get around to washing them and they'll look better! But for now I am running out of energy and just want to get it all done lol

Here are a couple more pictures...

Redecorating my bedroom... Part 1

2012-01-13T00:41:00.001-07:00

I had an asthma attack on Tuesday and ended up in the ER, and they gave me 5 days of prednizone, which is great. I can breathe so much better. Well, all I did today was go go go on high speed, lol like a mouse on a wheel. Seriously. This prednizone is awesome for energy. ha ha ha a weeks worth of work in a day. I have felt like I can't sit still for a second today... lol

Anyways I had the urge to get my bedroom started, I had bought a beautiful bed set and new curtains to change my room, it's been about 9 years since I have changed it, and it was time...

So I tore my bedroom / craftroom / everything else room... all appart! Had stuff all over the living room, all over my bed and floor and hall, lol spare room too. See I took my 3x3 cube out of the spare room, put it up on top of my lower dresser, and been organizing like crazy, moved my 3x3 craft cubes, into 1x3 tall sections and have them separated in 3 areas. They never lined up properly and it drove me nuts. And I moved my craft table to another wall. So now my room has much more room and looks nicer. Also got my curtains up

Will take a few more days to finish my room! Here are a few pictures (not great) of my 3x3 cube up on my smaller dresser... The black cubes are empty, as I haven't decided what's going in them just yet. I also need to reorganize what is in the craft cubes... so much more work to be done.

For anyone curious, the black cubbies were $4.99 on sale at Zellers (Regular $9.99), The 4 Lighthouse statues I picked up at Value Village, $5 each a while ago. The Seashells I bought a big box for $5 at Salvation army last Spring, they are gorgeous, feel like from the real ocean. The glass vase I have some seashells in (very top) was $6.97 at Wal-Mart, and the cube I can't remember bought a year or two ago at staples. Oh and the framed ACEO's are in beautiful dollar store frames, the artists are leepierce (3 are hers), christydekoning, and LDphotography. lol can you tell I LOVE Lighthouses... :)

Christmas Movies...

2011-12-13T19:39:00.003-07:00

I love Christmas movies... so much! I just went and picked up a few movies to add to my collection... can't wait to get started watching them. A few I have seen... and some are new to me. Sharing them here as I have at least 1 friend who absolutely loves them. Betty, you may like to check your local Zellers... these are the exact packaging. The first and last were $5.99 and the 3 pack was $14.99 in Canada.

A Holiday Romance: Starring Randy Travis and Connie Selleca. Really good Christmas movie, have seen it many times throughout the years on tv. IMDB Page is here.

The Most Wonderful Time of The Year: Starring Brooke Burns and Henry Winkler. We saw this one last year and it was pretty good. IMDB Page is here.

Moonlight & Mistletoe: Starring Tom Arnold and Candace Cameron-Bure. Haven't seen this one yet. IMDB Page is here.

Christmas Choir: Starring Jason Gedrick & Marianne Farley. Haven't seen this one yet. IMDB Page is here.

What I Did For Love: Starring Jeremy London and Dorie Barton. Haven't Seen this one yet. IMDB Page is here.

A Song For The Season: (also known as A Holiday Romance) Starring Gerald McRaney & Naomi Judd. Pretty good movie. IMDB Page is here.

A Christmas Romance: Starring Olivia Newton-John and Gregory Harrison. Really good one. IMDB Page is here.

The Sons of Mistletoe: Starring Roma Downey and George Newburn. Haven't seen this for a few years but I remember I liked it! IMDB Page is here.

Merry Christmas...

2011-12-05T06:42:00.000-07:00

I haven't made a treasury in ages and decided to put one together this morning... Hope you like it! You can visit the treasury here.

It's official... I am hooked...

2011-11-22T18:51:00.000-07:00

on making baskets. I just can't stop. lol They are so much fun to put together and give as gifts. Here is a basket I started tonight for a gift we need. I am thinking of filling it with a onesie, a sleeper, some rubber duckies and other baby stuff in a yellow / green theme. So that it can be for a boy or girl.

One person's junk... is another person's treasure.

2011-11-22T18:46:00.000-07:00

About a week ago I was at Value Village and came across these 2 Lighthouse statues. I am redoing my bedroom and am changing it to a Lighthouse theme, as I have always loved them.

The smallest one says Newfoundland, and the bigger one says Fisgard, B.C. Canada.

Then 2 days ago I was back at Value Village with a friend and couldn't believe my luck, I found 2 more larger statues.

Christmas Gift Basket...

2011-11-10T02:07:00.007-07:00

This is the 2nd gift basket I have put together. They are fun to make and give as gifts. I made this for a Chinese Gift Exchange for an upcoming Christmas party. This one has pink, burgundy and dark green shredded paper, in a basket. The basket has pale pink ribbon, and burgundy with pale pink dots ribbon. Then the cellophane has white snowflakes on it.

Inside, 2 large mugs (red/white candy cane stripes), hot chocolate, candy canes and 2 caramilk bars!

Gift Basket Fun...

2011-10-22T20:12:00.004-06:00

I haven't blogged in forever and so I thought I'd share today's fun project with you! As it may give you an idea for a gift for someone you know...

A co-worker of mine is retiring in a little over a month and today I put a little gift basket together for her. Pretty easy to dress a plain old basket up. I bought the basket for under $5 on sale. The ribbon I had bought a while ago 2 for $1.00, used 2 colors dark turquoise and light turquoise and wrapped them around the handle and did 2 bows at the 2 sides and a bit bigger one in front.

Then instead of buying a bag of shredded paper which the craft store wanted $5 for, I took 5 sheets of turquoise, light blue and light green paper and put it through my shredder. I put the box for the ornament underneath to raise everything up and to save on paper.

Then I filled it with an ornament I bought. A calendar from me, a post card and ACEO from my artist friend Christy Dekoning. I added a magnet strip to the back of the ACEO. My friend loves cats so I know she will love them!

I am going to add a few more little things to it, then cellophane wrap it and tie it off with the matching ribbon. Should look pretty nice when all done!

America's Got Talent... The Top 48... 2nd Week...

2011-07-21T01:09:00.000-06:00

The Quarter Finals ... Week 2

EPISODE 15 - Aired July 19, 2011 - My favorites of the second group of 12...

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Wow. Cold Chills, this was such a special performance.

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EPISODE 16 - Aired July 20, 2011

4 acts got through... they are...

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Silhouettes
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Steven Retchless
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Daniel Joseph Baker
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Smage Bros. Riding Shows
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And on the results show a group called "TRACES" performed, wow.

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America's Got Talent... The Top 48...

2011-07-16T01:20:00.001-06:00

Episodes 11 & 12 were set in Las Vegas and from there the judges chose the top 48 Acts... It was too hard to find good clips of those performances so I am not blogging them.

The Quarter Finals Begin... Week 1

EPISODE 13 - Aired July 12, 2011 - My favorites of the first 12...
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EPISODE 12 - Aired July 14, 2011

4 acts got through... they are...

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Snap Boogie
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Sandou Trio Russian Bar
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Anna Graceman
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Miami Allstars
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America's Got Talent... Best of episodes 6-10...

2011-07-16T00:45:00.001-06:00

For anyone who has missed the episodes or just wants to watch some clips again. Here are my favorite acts from episodes 6 to 10. Really some talented performers.

EPISODE 6 - Aired June 21, 2011
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EPISODE 7 - Aired June 22, 2011
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EPISODE 8 - Aired June 28, 2011
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EPISODE 9 - Aired June 29, 2011
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EPISODE 10 - Aired July 05, 2011
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Need a new addiction...

2011-06-21T23:54:00.003-06:00

If your looking for some fun new games to play on your i phone or i pod. Here are a few that I am hooked on and highly recommend... Listed alphabetically as I can't choose a favorite lol

Angry Birds
Available as a free ap, or $0.99 to buy the full version.
Look for Angry Birds Rio / Angry Birds Seasons when your fully addicted.

Chicks
Paid Ap - $0.99

Nuts
Paid Ap - $0.99
3GS / 4GS or higher required.

Tiny Wings
Paid Ap - $0.99

America's Got Talent... Best of the first 5 episodes

2011-06-15T18:58:00.002-06:00

Hi All, well I haven't had much to blog about recently, so haven't been posting much. There really isn't much on tv in the summer so we are watching America's Got Talent again. I kept meaning to work on this post, but never get to it. These are my favorite acts from the first 5 episodes. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do...

EPISODE 1 - Aired May 31, 2011
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EPISODE 2 - Aired June 07, 2011
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Also a group called Electrolight - Hip Hop Dancers but I can't find a video.
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EPISODE 3 - Aired June 08, 2011
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EPISODE 4 - Aired June 09, 2011
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EPISODE 5 - Aired June 14, 2011
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Buy 1 Get 1 Free ACEO Sale...

2011-06-05T14:40:00.001-06:00

I'm having a sale while Canada post is on strike, buy 1 ACEO get 1 free.

Buy 1 ACEO and Get 1 Equal or Lower Priced ACEO Free. Purchase the equal or higher priced ACEO and then Convo me with the one you want free.

Anything purchased will be mailed after the strike is over, hopefully it won't last too long.

Artworks of Jessie framed...

2011-04-28T01:24:00.001-06:00

Over the last few years many artists have painted Jessie James, my sun conure parrot. And when Kathy of tapestry316 surprised me with a 4x6 painting of him I decided they would all be nice to frame. I had 7 ACEO's and I commissioned an 8th from Karen Anne of IrelandBrady. This isn't the greatest picture but will have to do as it's the best one I can get so far - if I get a better picture I will update it later...

These beautiful pieces of art are in a variety of mediums... Center 4x6 artwork is a by tapestry316. Then starting at the top center and going clockwise the ACEO's are by... IrelandBrady, harvestorm, Lazyhawk, WorldofMoments, tapestry316, christydekoning, KisforKaligraphy, and artistsuetaylor.

He was also portrayed on a beautiful box by my good friend Valle Pegg.

Need a unique gift...

2011-04-20T14:22:00.004-06:00

These are just a few of the items my friend Debi has for sale on Ebay. She paints beautiful animals on wooden rings, rocks and more. To see what she has for sale on Ebay, click here.

Items for sale by Debi Y (robdale54 on Ebay)

Jessie's latest portraits...

2011-03-27T00:51:00.001-06:00

A few weeks ago my good friend Kathy of tapestry316 sent me a surprise in the mail, an original watercolor painting of my sun conure parrot Jessie James on a 4x6 piece of paper. It was so beautiful I thought of all of the other artworks that have been done of Jessie by others which I love and decided it would be nice to have them all framed together. Well I found a really nice frame and it fits the 4x6 by Kathy in the middle and room for 10 ACEO's around the outside, perfect. The colors in this are not exact as it is a photo of the original.

Jessie James - by Kathy Roeth of tapestry316

The frame will fit 10 ACEO's but Jessie had only been portrayed 7 times on ACEO's, and so I decided to ask another good friend of mine, Karen Anne Brady of IrelandBrady if she would be interested in trying her hand at doing a portrait of him. This original illustration is also available in her shop as a fine art print.

Jessie James by Karen Anne Brady of IrelandBrady

I am so happy with all of my Jessie portraits and can't wait to get them all framed together. I will be sure and blog the final piece when all done.

Add A Little Monster...

2011-03-20T00:40:00.000-06:00

If you love Monsters, big and small, this is the treasury for you. I felt like having a bit of fun. You can see my newest treasury here.

P.S. If you are in this treasury, feel free to use this screen capture. Copyright belongs to the original artists and photographers. Click the image to see the it on Flickr.

I'm having a giveaway, starting tomorrow...

2011-03-18T16:33:00.000-06:00

on my other blog. I will be participating in the Wizard of Oz blog hop / party being run by Olde Baggs 'n Stuft Shirts. The prize is a calendar and 2 ACEO prints... My other blog can be found here.

Items that define Elegance...

2011-03-04T15:33:00.000-07:00

Thank you to ljangphotography for featuring my "The Power of One" print in this beautiful treasury. You can view the treasury here.

Lady love, blue green with envy, what you see in a girls eye...

2011-02-28T16:20:00.000-07:00

Thank you to johnniebelinda for featuring my "Woodpecker" print in her beautiful treasury. You can view the treasury here.

What's Black and White and Red All Over?

2011-02-28T16:17:00.000-07:00

Thank you to AngelaMichikoDesigns for featuring my "After the Rain" print in this beautiful treasury. You can view the treasury here.

Spin me round and round...

2011-02-28T16:08:00.002-07:00

Thank you to CitySistersShop for featuring my "Fun at the Fair" print in this beautiful treasury. You can view the treasury here.

Peachy ACEO's by the ACEO ETSY Team...

2011-02-23T19:35:00.001-07:00

Another treasury focusing on the ACEO ETSY Team. Today I focused on peachy colors. To find more art from our members search "ACETSY" on Etsy here.

You can view this treasury on Etsy here.

P.S. If you are in this treasury, feel free to use this screen capture. Copyright belongs to the original artists and photographers. Click the image to see the it on Flickr.

Recent ACEO's from the ACEO ETSY Team...

2011-02-21T19:51:00.001-07:00

Time to focus on the ACEO ETSY Team... Currently we have around 200 very talented members who enjoy creating ACEO's in many different mediums. To find more art from our members search "ACETSY" on Etsy here.

P.S. If you are in this treasury, feel free to use this screen capture. Copyright belongs to the original artists and photographers. Click the image to see the it on Flickr.

On Feathered Wings...

2011-02-20T23:16:00.000-07:00

Ahhh finally an ACEO treasury. I just love ACEO's and hope you do too. Don't know what an ACEO is ? ACEO Stands for Art Cards Editions and Originals. They measure 2.5 x 3.5 inches in size and are highly addictive whether creating or collecting.

You can visit the treasury here.

P.S. If you are in this treasury, feel free to use this screen capture. Copyright belongs to the original artists. Click the image to see the it on Flickr.

Serenity...

2011-02-19T13:02:00.000-07:00

I hope by now your not getting sick of all these treasuries, I am just a bit addicted. I totally forgot how much I love making them. I have been focusing on The Photographers of Etsy street team as they are easier to get a color scheme or theme together, but soon I hope to start doing other treasuries as well.

This one took a while to figure out a title, hope you like the one I chose.

This treasury was inspired by the colors in firstlightphoto's "A Golden Ride"

This one features The Photographers of Etsy Street Team. To see more photos from the team, search Etsy by clicking here, or visit our blog by clicking here.

You can visit the treasury here.

P.S. If you are in this treasury, feel free to use this screen capture. Copyright belongs to the original artists and photographers. Click the image to see the it on Flickr.

Cool. Hip. Chic. Unique and completely Creative Items...

2011-02-19T12:46:00.001-07:00

Thank you to ljangphotography for featuring my "Gorgeous Giraffe" print in his cool treasury. You can view the treasury here.

Be Still...

2011-02-19T01:22:00.000-07:00

I am really loving getting back to creating treasuries regularly again. I don't usually start with a theme, after searching through all of the photos 1 or 2 images pop out at me and a theme starts to emerge.

This treasury was inspired by SeaLilyStudio's "Turbine" AND by ljangphotography's "Pan Flutes", the theme is pretty much still life / objects.

This one features The Photographers of Etsy Street Team. To see more photos from the team, search Etsy by clicking here, or visit our blog by clicking here.

You can visit the treasury here.

P.S. If you are in this treasury, feel free to use this screen capture. Copyright belongs to the original artists and photographers. Click the image to see the it on Flickr.

Aceo's... You Have To Love Them!

2011-02-18T00:47:00.001-07:00

Thank you to Stacy of MagicLoveCrow for featuring my "Gorgeous Giraffe" ACEO Print in her wonderful treasury. ACEO's are so much fun and I bet you can't stop at just 1, doesn't matter if your buying them or collecting them. You can view the treasury here.

Add A Little Color...

2011-02-17T17:57:00.001-07:00

I actually started out with a totally different theme and it just wasn't coming together.This treasury was inspired by eyeshuttertoforget's "Color Your World"

This one features The Photographers of Etsy Street Team. To see more photos from the team, search Etsy by clicking here, or visit our blog by clicking here.

You can visit the treasury here.

P.S. If you are in this treasury, feel free to use this screen capture. Copyright belongs to the original artists and photographers. Click the image to see the it on Flickr.

Shades of Green...

2011-02-16T14:04:00.001-07:00

I am trying to get back to making treasuries once in a while, they really are fun to make. Here is my next one. Inspired by the colors in erinaasland's "Undreamed Shores".

This one features The Photographers of Etsy Street Team. To see more photos from the team, search Etsy by clicking here, or visit our blog by clicking here.

You can visit the treasury by clicking here.

P.S. If you are in this treasury, feel free to use this screen capture. Copyright belongs to the original artists and photographers. Click the image to see the it on Flickr.

To Brighten Your Day...

2011-02-13T22:15:00.002-07:00

I haven't made a treasury in ages and so I thought it was time to get back to it. I have always loved making them.

This one features The Photographers of Etsy Street Team. To see more photos from the team, search Etsy by clicking here, or visit our blog by clicking here.

You can visit this treasury here.

P.S. If you are in this treasury, feel free to use this screen capture. Copyright belongs to the original artists and photographers. Click the image to see the it on Flickr.

ACEOs Mini works of Art...

2011-02-06T20:52:00.000-07:00

Thank you to NeonSun for featuring my flower ACEO Print in her wonderful treasury. You can view it here.

i pod accessories...

2011-02-04T19:19:00.002-07:00

I am looking into buying my very first i pod and I thought I'd start looking for a case. There are a lot of really cool cases and accessories to be found on Etsy. Here are a few of my favorites...

To see more i pod accessories on Etsy, click here.

KapomCrafts - Case / Sleeve

rockitbot - Escape Pod Wallet

ElisaLou - Small Gadget Pouch

DebbyZooKeeper - Case

ModDiva - Protective Case

dognamedbanjo - PodPillow

Wondering which case I am going with, it is one similar to this one from KapomCrafts, I couldn't resist the birds design! lol I am paying a little bit extra to customize mine, it will not have the key ring and clasp but instead will have a matching wristlet.

Winter's not so bad...

2011-02-03T19:04:00.001-07:00

Thank you to photomcgee for featuring my "Ice and Snow" Set of 3 ACEO Prints in their beautiful treasury. You can view it here.

tropics...

2011-01-13T00:40:00.000-07:00

Thank you to photomcgee for featuring my "Beauty In Bloom" greeting card in their beautiful treasury. You can view it here.

All My Babies...

2011-01-13T00:34:00.001-07:00

Thank you to SparkleSoda for featuring my "Santa" print in her beautiful treasury. You can view it here.

The Wonder of White

2011-01-13T00:21:00.005-07:00

Thank you to Patti of LovesParis for featuring my "Oh Deer" print in her beautiful treasury. You can view it here.

Why the chicken crossed the road...

2011-01-09T16:48:00.001-07:00

The truth... lol I received this in my email and just had to share!

Weird Christmas Movies...

2010-12-23T17:56:00.003-07:00

Like I said a few days ago I have been watching Christmas movies like crazy. We just finished a few more. Some of the ones we have seen this season have been so weird. lol Like Deck The Halls, Christmas on Chestnut Street, Christmas Vacation, etc.

I think my favorite of them all would have to be "Trapped in Paradise" - it was so weird / stupid that we couldn't turn it off. But I think I really enjoyed it anyways, it was hilarious!

Merry Christmas Everyone

And The Winners Are....

2010-12-20T18:10:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who entered my 2011 calendar giveaway. I put all the names in a small empty box and had my mother draw the names. The winners are...

Stacy of MagicLoveCrow

And Joanne and Kiwi

Congratulations girls. I will be able to mail your calendars to you in the next few days!

2011 Calendar Giveaway...

2010-12-17T23:11:00.000-07:00

I wasn't able to find a commercial use template to make 4x6 calendars to sell this year, and the big calendars are way to expensive to sell and so I settled on a personal use template. I printed a bunch off for Christmas gifts plus I did a few extras.

Just comment on this post to have a chance to win one of two calendars. I will draw 2 different names out of a hat on December 20th. I will post the names of the winners then also.

This is what they look like... The calendar has 14 4x6 pages, on glossy photo paper, the 12 months plus front and back. Below is an example of the 12 images, that page is not included. Also they do not have a black border around them, I just wanted you to be able to see the white border. They come with a small string and 3 mini clothespins. Images are copyright Pam Hardy.

Christmas Movies...

2010-12-15T19:13:00.002-07:00

I have been watching Christmas movies like crazy, I just love them. This year there are so many on tv. I use Zap2it's tv guide to look for them, and then if I want more info I go to the Internet Movie Database.

My favorites this year have been... Hallmark's November Christmas, Hallmark's The Most Wonderful Time of The Year, and A Nanny For Christmas.

The other movies we have watched so far are: Unaccompanied Minors, Christmas Crash, The Last Christmas, Deck The Halls, The Night Before The Night Before, plus a few others that I can't remember the titles.

Well my art diet is done...

2010-10-19T07:30:00.018-06:00

3 months is the longest time I have went without buying an ACEO since I discovered them in 2008. They are so much fun. I wasn't sure I could make it, so many tempting pieces of art, here are just a few that I resisted.

Lazyhawk - PEGASUS, I LOVE YOU

divinedesignstudios - Spooky Pumpkin

carterdealejos - Catchin A Ride

Another Fun Giveaway...

2010-10-05T13:32:00.000-06:00

I just came across this cool giveaway on this blog. To enter visit thecartbeforethehorse. The details are below.

3 chances. 3 winners. 3 skellies.

Just leave a comment for a chance to win the skeleton of your choice.

If you spread the word (blog/twitter/facebook/whatever) leave another comment for another chance. If you're a follower, leave another comment for another chance.

We'll randomly pick 3 winners

on Friday, October 15.

Good luck!

Fun with shadows...

2010-09-21T14:52:00.001-06:00

I noticed some shadows on the wall a few weeks ago and had some fun, here are my 2 favorite images of Jessie my sun conure...

Awesome Halloween Giveaway...

2010-09-16T00:29:00.000-06:00

Do you love Halloween ? Well this is a very cool giveaway. Some really talented artists are giving away 31 prizes daily starting October 1st...

Enter now at the HALLOWEEN QUEENS blog ~here~ through October 15 for a chance to win one of these fabulous prizes below, just click on the banner for a larger view. Drawing will start October 1st and go through the entire month with a grand prize on October 31st! The grand prize will be revealed October 1st!

All you have to do is leave a comment in the HALLOWEEN QUEENS blog post, found ~here~ telling them about one of your favorite Halloween traditions. Please don’t forget to leave your email addy so they can contact you if chosen!

Also leave a comment if you post this giveaway on your blog or facebook linking it to this post for more chances to win. Remember you must leave a separate comment for each entry you complete. Participants may win more than one prize!!

America's Got Talent... Top 10 performances

2010-09-09T00:07:00.001-06:00

Posting this for those of you that do not watch the show, just in case you are curious... If you have it taped and haven't watched it yet skip this post. The whole 10 10 show was phenomenal. What a night

These are the 4 acts that were voted in to the top 4, I can't wait to see what they do next week.

Some of my newest ACEO's...

2010-09-08T14:35:00.000-06:00

Well I am half way done my 3 month art diet (I know hard to believe, I started it July 19th, see my post here) and I have not bought an ACEO. But, I have done some swaps, won one, and one was sent as a gift.

This first ACEO came from Lorrie. You can see her work in her Etsy shop here and her Zibbet shop here. She also has a blog here.

It is done in pen, ink and watercolors. And was done for the ACEO Etsy Street Team Swap in August. I am so happy to have her in my collection. She is beautiful. I love mermaids!

This ACEO came from Marlene. She was celebrating 200 posts on her blog with a contest and I am one of the people who won. You can see her Etsy shop here and her Ebay shop here. She also has a blog here.

I just had to choose this ACEO. I just love the curls and the circles and the colors. How beautiful.

This ACEO came from Stacy and was a complete surprise. She sent it to me for helping her with her blog and also because I sent her an ACEO. You can see her Etsy shop here and her blog here.

I just love Halloween and so I was so happy to get this in the mail.

Thank you girls for your beautiful ACEO's. I can't wait until my 3 month art diet is over. I have seen so many tempting ACEO's lately. There are some really talented artists out there.

TUTORIALS: Mosaic using Etsy's Poster Sketch Tool...

2010-09-04T07:30:00.022-06:00

In my previous tutorial which can be found here I showed how to create an Etsy treasury and how to take a screen capture of it. In this tutorial you will learn how to turn that screen capture into a mosaic, removing all of the text. Here is an example of a few mosaics I made. See how clean they look.

These mosaics are for the Photographers of Etsy "Mosaic Monday" feature. To see a list of photographers and titles of the photos visit these posts: Make Your Own Kind of Music, Holy Macro, and Broken Beauty. Click on the images for a bigger view.

Now as I showed you in my previous tutorial found here, use the poster sketch tool which is found here and add 9 to 12 images to it which will be used in the mosaic, I like to use 3 wide by 4 long. But for this tutorial I will use 4 by 4. And it is best to choose images that go all the way to the edge of the thumbnail. You can use them if there is white on the listing edges, but it makes it much harder to put the mosaic together, so leave that until you know what you are doing.

Now in the previous tutorial I told you that you can crop using your photo editing program. That works great and is a fast solution, if you are just sharing your screen capture. But to make a mosaic we want to get a more accurate crop around the image.

Microsoft Paint is a powerful tool. Just to look at it you would think you can only do basic tasks. But take a closer look and the possibilities are endless. Here is a run down of all of the tools, with their names and where to find them.

Take a screen capture by viewing the full poster sketch in your browser. Then on your keyboard click the "Print Scr" button, which will take a screen capture of it. You have now copied everything you see on your screen to your clipboard.

Next go to your start menu > Accessories > then to Microsoft Paint.

In Microsoft Paint, at the top menu to the left go to VIEW, then Zoom, then to Large size.

Then go to Edit and then Paste. Now drag the top left hand corner of the first image right to the edge of the paint. If it doesn't move for you, you may have hit the wrong button, no worries, just go to EDIT, then select all and drag it to the top corner.

Now scroll down to the bottom right corner and drag the edge to the bottom of the last image.

Now if you go to VIEW then Normal Size your image should look like this...

Now go to VIEW, then to Large size and choose the rectangle shape tool, and select the 3rd option, which is a solid rectangle. And choose the bright red color.

Now go back to VIEW, then Zoom, then Large Size.

Now with your tool start in between the images and pull the red rectangles to the edges of the images until all of the text and white spaces are filled with red.

Now once you are done all of that, click the fill tool (looks like a paint can tipped) and change the color to white and click on the red with your paint can. It will turn it all white.

Make sure the box the bigger arrow points to is highlighted in blue, this makes anything white transparent. Now take 1 image at a time with your selection tool, and drag them up to each other. I like to leave 2 pixels in between each or so, I think it looks cleaner. If you need to know how much 2 pixels are turn the color red, and use your pencil tool and click 2 dots with it beside each other. That is 2 pixels. You can turn the red to white later.

When your done scroll down to the bottom and drag the bottom right corner to the edge of the bottom right image. Your mosaic is now done. To save it I always use PNG file format as I find JPEG distorts any images with text. PNG is just a lot cleaner. Your mosaic should look like this.

I also used these images for a treasury, you can find it here. It features images from the ACEO Etsy Street Team.

Once you learn how to maneuver Microsoft Paint you can create Mosaics using a variety of image sizes.

This is a screen shot so you can see how I like to link to the shops and put the titles beside them. Thie mosaic below features images from the Photographers of Etsy Street Team.

Have any other tips, feel free to add them to the comments!

TUTORIALS: Treasuries...

2010-09-03T22:34:00.001-06:00

I plan to post a few tutorials to help anyone who would like to learn to to do something new. This first tutorial will show you how to create a treasury on Etsy and then take a screen capture of it to share on your blog, flickr, facebook or where ever you need it.

First open the "Poster Sketch" tool in one tab, and open Etsy in another.

Then enter the search terms to find the items you want to use in your treasury. I used poe team hummingbirds, then right click on the images you want to use and choose "open in new tab". Now if your browser does not support tabs, I recommend either upgrading or installing a new browser. The newest version of Internet Explorer can be found here, Mozilla Firefox here, and Google Chrome here. My favorite browser is Mozilla Firefox.

Now go to each tab and copy the listing id, and paste into the poster sketch where you see listing id, and click ok. I have highlighted where to find the listing id in the address bar below.

After you have added the items to the poster sketch that you want to feature, you can drag them around the page however you like. You can also replace items as many times as you need until you are happy with it.

Next you can close the listings that you may still have open, only leaving the poster sketch open, then open the treasury in another tab, the treasury can be found here. Next click on create a list.

Now enter a title, description and tags to your treasury. Then go back to the poster sketch, copy each listing id to the place you want it displayed in the new treasury. And when all done, save it. It will be live and you can share your new treasury link with friends. This hummingbird treasury can be found here.

Now for anyone who wants to save an image of your new treasury to share on your blog, or anywhere else. View the full treasury in your browser. Then on your keyboard click the "Print Scr" button, which will take a screen capture of it.

Next open up your photo editing program and crop it, and save. I save any images that contain text in PNG file format. It doesn't distort the image like I find JPEGs do.

Have any other tips, feel free to add them to the comments!

Mermaid Tails #2...

2010-08-20T01:37:00.000-06:00

Here is my 2nd ACEO with this theme, you can see the first here. I hope to make more soon. They are a lot of fun. This one is listed in my Etsy shop alwaysartistic here.

Art Night Light... CUPCAKES

2010-08-19T16:05:00.001-06:00

I am proud to offer this collaborative Art Night light. Images are by me, Pam Hardy C 2009 and the Night light is created by HouseofSixCats, Bill Fantini C 2009.

alwaysartistic -CUPCAKES Art Night Light

His night lights are hand-crafted using a special, translucent polymer that creates a beautiful visual display during the day, similar to a true, photographic print. At night, using the illumination provided by a standard, night light bulb, the image transforms into a glowing work of art.

These night lights are non-flammable, are safe to use in any room of your house, and are UL/CSA listed. For those who have horizontal instead of vertical outlets, the night light fixture rotates, providing for limitless decorating possibilities.

ACEO Etsy swap - Mermaids...

2010-08-18T22:08:00.000-06:00

I showed you the ACEO that I made this morning for the swap here, but I didn't have time to show you the card I received. So here it is. This ACEO came from Lorrie of divinedesignstudios. Her ACEO is titled "Treasure" and is done with Pen, Ink and Watercolor.

It arrived beautifully packaged, the front of the envelope was decorated, see below. And the back had some on it too. It also had a note with a beautiful pen illistration on it inside, and a note about Recycling. I was very impressed. Thank you Lorrie!

Mermaid Tails #1...

2010-08-18T07:56:00.000-06:00

Martha of AyalaArt had an idea to run a swap on the ACEO Etsy Street Team, the theme is mermaids. It took me forever to figure out what to do. Here is the ACEO I sent to Martha as she was my person.

I am going to be doing a series of these as I get time, so far I have made 2, 1 for the swap and 1 I will list when I get some time. Each ACEO will have an original poem.

ART THAT MAKES YOU SMILE ;O)

2010-08-13T23:03:00.004-06:00

Thank you to Stacy of MagicLoveCrow for featuring my "Santa" ACEO print in her very colorful and beautiful treasury. To view the treasury click here.

If you are in this treasury feel free to grab it for your blog or anywhere else you would like to use it.

Wow...

2010-08-11T17:29:00.001-06:00

If you missed last night's America's Got Talent, you have got to see this little girl. 10 years old and what an amazing voice. I really hope she gets to the finals and goes a long way...

Up, Up and Away

2010-08-09T00:38:00.002-06:00

My newest treasury featuring images from the Photographers of Etsy Street Team... If you would like to view it on Etsy you can find it here.

If you are in this treasury, feel free to use this screen capture. Copyright belongs to the original artists and photographers. Click the image to see the it on Flickr.

Versatile Blogger Award...

2010-08-08T23:09:00.009-06:00

Thank you to Stacy for passing this award on to me. You can see her shop here and her blog here. You can read her 7 answers here.

The rules are, that I am to disclose 7 things about me and pass the award on to other bloggers. I have done quite a few of these awards and tag games so each time it gets harder to come up with unique answers. Some of these you may have heard before but I am trying to think up new answers too...

Ok, here are my 7 things.....

1. I love to collect. I have quite a few different collections. One of my collections is giraffes and African statues. And a friend asked me to show her some pictures and so I just uploaded my African collection to my flickr. You can see them here.

2. I love jigsaw puzzles. Some of my very favorites have lighthouses, barns, covered bridges. I remember when I was around 12 or so we did a puzzle with something like 5000 pieces. We had out 2 huge closet doors taken off and used them as tables. Took us months and it was so much fun. lol

3. I love to make art and participate in many different things that include art. For example, I run "the aceo challenge blog", and help to run the "7 Card Draw" on Etsy and also recently participated in a fun ACEO swap for the Etsy team "ACEO Etsy". If I am having a bad day art really turns it around.

4. I really don't like reality tv usually. But I do enjoy America's Got Talent. One of my favorites from this week were Anna and Patryk, who did not get past the top 48 unfortunately. They are really talented. I really love ballroom dancing.

5. I have never been to the ocean, seen a lighthouse in person, or been to a real beach. They are all on my list of things I want to do one day. I just love lighthouses and even have an ACEO collection of them in frames on my shelf.

6. One of my favorite poets is Shel Silverstein. If you haven't read his poems you are missing out. I have 2 of his books. "Where The Sidewalk Ends" and "A Light In The Attic" - They are short poems and well worth the read.

7. I love wildlife. Some of my favorites are... Deer, Great Blue Heron, Woodpeckers, and Butterflies. Oh year and of course Giraffes! lol

Well, that's all. Hopefully you learned a few new things about me that I haven't shared before.

I am not going to mention any names as I have done so many awards and passed on to many people, so I can't remember who I have tagged before. If you would like to answer the questions, either as a comment on this post or by blogging on your blog you are welcome too. Have fun!

Worth a Look (The View From The "Big End")

2010-07-28T23:13:00.003-06:00

Thank you to Steve of PhotoGrunt for featuring my "Sand Dollar" ACEO print on his blog, to see the article featuring my print, click here.

Beautiful Bokeh

2010-07-25T23:46:00.003-06:00

My newest treasury featuring images from the Photographers of Etsy Street Team... If you would like to view it on Etsy you can find it here.

If you are in this treasury, feel free to use this screen capture. Copyright belongs to the original artists and photographers. Click the image to see the it on Flickr.

Summer afternoon

2010-07-23T15:57:00.003-06:00

Thank you to munieca for featuring my "The Power of One" ACEO print in her beautiful treasury. To view the treasury click on the picture.

Christmas in July

2010-07-23T15:50:00.003-06:00

Thank you to laure807 for featuring my "Oh Deer" print in her lovely treasury. To view the treasury click on the picture.

You can now search the treasury for your username and it will bring up all treasuries you are featured in or have created which is how I found this one, and 1 more I will post next. To do a search click here and enter your username in the search in the top right hand corner.

Shop Makeover...

2010-07-23T00:17:00.005-06:00

I have decided to totally revamp my shop. I have an idea on how I want things to eventually look and I have been reading in the Etsy forums and doing a lot of research too.

I have already done the profile, shop policies, raising my prices and adding shipping. It may change as I do more research. And I am researching how I want to do my descriptions, tags, titles and more.

Here is my shop alwaysartistic

Can anyone tell me what sizes sell best for you and which ones you prefer to buy? I am working on deciding which sizes to order.

And for anyone with time, I would love it if you could tell me which images you would order if you were me! My flickr.

Thank you everyone!

BEFORE - My shop

BEFORE - Item descriptions... I haven't changed them yet as I am still researching how I want to word them. But they will be changing.

Speak to me SOFTLY...

2010-07-21T22:59:00.004-06:00

My newest treasury featuring images from the Photographers of Etsy Street Team... If you would like to view it on Etsy you can find it here.

P.S. If you are in this treasury, feel free to use this screen capture. Copyright belongs to the original artists and photographers. Click the image to see the it on Flickr.

Sick of spending summers in doors...

2010-07-21T11:43:00.003-06:00

I have a deadly allergy to bees, wasps, etc and so I always hibernate in the summers!

Well I just ordered an expensive bug jacket. I had seen it in an allergy magazine but never gave it another thought because of the price. But it will save money in the long run as I spend so much in cabs in the summers.

Although I will look a bit silly but who cares I am a silly person lol.

What do you think...

2010-07-19T15:35:00.004-06:00

Can go 3 months without buying a single ACEO ? lol I am sure going to try. They are so addictive. But I want to save up for other things! Wonder how long I will last. ha ha ha

Hmmm and this morning doesn't count as it was planned last night! lmao

I bought this gorgeous frog from Karen Anne of IrelandBrady. This is my very first card from her and I can't wait to add it to my collection as I love her work. She also has 5 more original frogs and a set of 6 limited addition prints, also you can also buy the limited addition prints separately as well.

I used to catch frogs as a kid - we used to call them squeakers but according to my mother they were baby bull frogs and these frogs really remind me of that. I can remember chasing them under logs, and in the leaves and other places. I even caught an adult bull fog once. That was the highlight of my summer! lol I also used to love to find tree frogs.

Karen Anne created this card in response to my "Long Legs" challenge on "the aceo challenge" blog. Do you need some inspiration, stop by and check it out here.

Photo of the Week #46...

2010-07-16T20:26:00.004-06:00

Thank you to Jessica Rogers for hosting her Photo of the Week challenge on her blog. I was finally able to submit something as it has been quite a while since I participated. Check out her post here to see all of the wonderful entries.

This image was taken with my Canon Rebel Xti through the lens of my Kodak Duaflex camera. I love TTV photography but haven't done very much of it.

alwaysartistic - Antique Lock & Key

Bet you can't stop at ONE

2010-07-16T15:43:00.006-06:00

Ok I am trying to create treasuries more often and here is one with a theme of birds. ACEO stands for Art Cards Editions and Originals. They are 2.5 x 3.5 inches and are really fun to collect and also to create.

This treasury expires Sunday July 18th at 5:39 pm, but until then you can view it here.

P.S. If you are in this treasury, feel free to use this screen capture. Copyright belongs to the original artists and photographers. Click the image to see the it on Flickr.

Christmas in Black and White...

2010-07-16T08:41:00.003-06:00

Thank you to BlackStar for featuring my Sand Dollar ACEO print in her treasury. It is filled with items involved in the "Christmas in July" sale running on Etsy between July 15 and July 25th. To see more items search Etsy using the tags "christmasinjuly" and "cij". You can view the treasury here.

FUN AT THE FAIR Ceramic Coaster Set

2010-07-15T12:49:00.005-06:00

This is my fourth coaster set with Bill. Images are by me alwaysartistic and the coasters are made by HouseofSixCats. They are $20 with free shipping within the USA, $10 to ship to Canada and $15 to anywhere else. You can see the listing here.

These are the other 3 sets we have done!

Christmas in July...

2010-07-15T00:31:00.005-06:00

officially starts today and runs until July 25th. If you are participating and need a banner / avatar / blog / listing icon set, I made 4 sets and they are free. Very simple but they work.

Just convo alwaysartistic with what set you would like and I will send it to you.

I am running my sale for the full month of July. Most of my items are on sale and have free shipping too.

Up Close and Personal

2010-07-14T11:35:00.003-06:00

I haven't done a treasury in quite some time and so I decided to do one for each of my teams I am on. This is the 2nd one and is for the Photographers of Etsy Street Team. It has Macro and up close images.

P.S. If you are in this treasury, feel free to use this screen capture. Copyright belongs to the original artists and photographers. Click the image to see the it on Flickr.

ACEO's Collectible Art

2010-07-14T11:07:00.004-06:00

I haven't done a treasury in quite some time and so I decided to do one for each of my teams I am on. This first one is for the ACETSY Street Team. It includes original ACEO's.

ACEO stands for Art Cards Editions and Originals. They are 2.5 x 3.5 inches and are really fun to collect and also to create.

This treasury expires Friday July 16th at 9:06 am, but until then you can view it here.

P.S. If you are in this treasury, feel free to use this screen capture. Copyright belongs to the original artists and photographers. Click the image to see the it on Flickr.

Work In Progress: Beaded Aligators ACEO

2010-07-13T16:55:00.012-06:00

Summer Buddies by alwaysartistic

Those of you who use Google Reader to read your blogs may have noticed I blogged about this ACEO when I was about 3/4 done. But then I finished it and then decided to do a Work In Progress post instead. No one had commented yet so I just unpublished the post.

I started out by taping the edges of my Strathmore 140 lb cold press paper down on all 4 sides to my plastic utility table. I then used scraps of paper and watercolor paints to stamp the back ground in various places. And I let it sit until it was completely dry, and then removed the tape and cut to ACEO size - 2.5 inches x 3.5 inches.

They were beaded right on to the ACEO instead of adding the alligators after. I thought it would be more fun and more challenging. I was right. 1 area on the back where I attached a leg looked like it might come undone if pulled on it too hard and so I added some paper in between the loop on the back to make it more sturdy.

Next I cut 2 slits in the background to start my 1st alligator. I tied a few knots at the back to make sure it doesn't come undone, and started beading.

I added the legs, I fastened down 1 top leg and 1 bottom leg leaving the other 2 alone.

Then I started the next one.

Added the eyes and continued...

Here is my sun conure Jessie helping me. He didn't try to go after the beads or anything just sat inside my shirt watching every move. lol

Here they are finished.

A close up!

More images that will be included when I list it.

Here I tried it in one of my plastic ACEO frames without the glass.

Fun with watercolors...

2010-07-12T20:01:00.003-06:00

I always love to experiment and try new things, and I couldn't sleep the last two nights so you can just guess what I was up to! lol

Kathy (tapestry316) issued a challenge in the July "7 Card Draw" thread to "Create several ACEOs to make one large painting or several small ones. You can pick however many you want to use" which got me thinking... and then I had read a post on using saran wrap at Marlene's (Lazyhawk) blog and I wanted to try it. You can view her post here.

I did a few like this over the last few days I am still trying to figure out what I want to do with the other backgrounds... For these paintings I measured out enough to paper to cover 2 or 3 ACEO's and taped the full pieces down onto my plastic utility table (if you need a good craft table these are awesome, paints wash off so nice and tape comes off too) and then I tried different ideas.

I made this one last night! I can't decide if I should add something to it or just leave it. But I like it how it looks so hopefully that's ok. It is kind of abstract I guess!

alwaysartistic - Splash

Aceo's from Team Acetsy

2010-07-12T18:41:00.004-06:00

Thank you to Debbie of Craftymoose for featuring my beaded ACEO in her treasury. I love ACEO's and really love all the artwork by the ACETSY Team.

Happy Canada Day / 4th of July everyone...

2010-07-04T20:10:00.001-06:00

I was going through my picture cd's looking for something and came across my fireworks pictures from last year after an outdoor concert. Hope everyone is enjoying the fireworks and having some fun!

I won an ACEO...

2010-07-01T12:03:00.007-06:00

I won this ACEO from artist Lee Pierce today! Skyward measures 3.5 x 2.5 inches and is done in watercolors. To see more of her artwork, visit the links below...

Etsy Shop - Ebay Shop - Blog - Flickr

Thank you so much Lee!

Christmas in JULY

2010-06-30T04:15:00.007-06:00

Many Etsy sellers will be participating in the "Christmas in July" sale running July 15 - 25. I will be running mine for the whole month of July. I will be adding items regularly as I get them listed.

I am a day early setting my sale up as I had some free time, (some nearby neighbors partying with loud thumping music lol It is 4:24am and they are still going strong) - the early bird gets the worm so take a look around.

I have already adjusted the sale prices on my items.

ACEO PRINTS – Was $4 each
ACEO ORIGINALS / CARDS – Was $5 + up
5x5 PRINTS – Was $7
5x7 PRINTS – Was $8

Also all items have FREE SHIPPING to the USA and Canada. And $2 everywhere else. Items will be shipped out once to twice a week.

Hallmark Hall of Fame: A Dog Named Christmas

2010-06-29T08:00:00.000-06:00

I know, I know, your thinking "a Christmas movie" ? It's almost July.

I bought 4 Hallmark Hall of Fame movies at a garage sale recently, they were only $5 each, which they sell for $20 or more in the stores. So I was pretty happy, I love Hallmark movies!

We watched this movie last night. It was a really heartwarming movie, and I enjoyed it. I always love Hallmark movies. You can see the IMDB page here.

I have been thinking about "Christmas In July" the last few days. A lot of Etsy sellers get together and run the sale. So what better way to get yourself in the spirit. I hope this will help me do some Christmas themed projects for my sale. Don't worry I have not hauled my Christmas tree out or put on Christmas Music (although I LOVE Christmas music and it could happen lol).

The "Christmas In July" sale runs July 15 - 25th, but I have decided to run my sale the whole month of July. If you would like more info on the sale, check out an Etsy thread here and a Storque article here.

Work In Progress: Jet ACEO

2010-06-29T07:30:00.001-06:00

It has been quite a while since I did an iris folding ACEO. So today I decided to print off some patterns. So far I have only done 1, I started with a Jet. Some patterns you have to shrink a bit if you are making a ACEO, as they are more the size for cards.

First I chose my papers, then with my exacto knife I cut the pattern out. And taped the patten down to the table, my table is a hard plastic utility table so the tape is really easy to get off. Do not tape to a good kitchen table.

Next I cut out triangle corners from hard card stock and taped them and the pattern down where I wanted them.

Next I consulted my bird... Jessie James to make sure I was doing everything correctly. He said I was so I continued. He helped with the whole process unlike the other day when he really didn't feel like helping! lol

Then I started following the pattern using my 4 colors, light brown, darker green brown, dark green and orange.

I kept going until every piece of the pattern was done.

Here is the finished back. I use scotch double sided tape, it is sometimes hard to find but I find it works nicely.

Here is the finished front before I cut it down to ACEO size.

After cutting it down I added more tape around the sides and areas that were not taped to make it a bit more even. Then I added glue, I used API's Crafter's Pick Memory Mount. I then wiped off the excess glue and stuck it under a pile of pop can boxes.

This is the finished ACEO. I noticed that some glue leaked out right in the center and tried to gently take it off, but you can still see it unfortunately. But oh well it was fun to make!

Here it is having some pressure on 3 parts that were thicker, making sure it doesn't come apart!

America's Got Talent - June 23...

2010-06-24T22:38:00.015-06:00

Just watched it today, and wow this one was packed full of talent.

This was the last act of the show, but it was the most inspiring. Gives me chills every time I listen to it, so I will start with it!

Singers...

Tap Dancers...

Hip Hop Dancers...

And there were a lot more really talented acts (and quite a few not so talented too lol), here are a few more of my favorites if you are interested... Sky Sirens, AscenDance, and a lot more you can find them on youtube.

America's Got Talent - June 22 - Part 2...

2010-06-24T19:27:00.007-06:00

Well I am a few days late posting the rest of my favorites. I forgot! lol Sorry everyone. The second half didn't have as many good acts.

This first guy was awesome!

Some young Dancers

And for the artists out there, I bet you haven't tried this form of art! lol

Work of Art: The Next Great Artist

2010-06-23T20:30:00.006-06:00

I just came across an article mentioning this show. I normally don't like reality tv, but I love art. So I just set a season pass on my Tivo. Looks interesting!

Also in the article it had a list of "8 Kids Who Were Better Artists Than We'll Ever Be", very interesting videos telling about the kids. They are some very talented kids.

One of my favorite child artists of all time is Akaine, you can see her art here. She started at a very young age. I think she is about 15 now!

Featured Artist: artistsuetaylor

2010-06-23T12:40:00.010-06:00

I was browsing Etsy the other day looking at all the art for sale and came across some larger work by Sue of artistsuetaylor. She is a really talented artist. I don't realize I am doing it but sometimes I forget to look at the larger pieces and mostly pay attention to ACEO size and so totally missed these... click on the images to see the listing.

Floral Swallowtail Butterfly - Watercolor and Pastel

Floral Monarch Butterfly - Watercolor and Pastel

Horse - Color Pencil and Pastel

Abstract Wrought Iron Detail - Color Pencil and Pastel

And I can't feature Sue without sharing a few of her ACEO's, to see more check out her shop!

America's Got Talent - June 22 - Part 1...

2010-06-22T23:06:00.005-06:00

We only watched the first hour tonight, we will have to finish it tomorrow, but these were our favorites!

America's Got Talent...

2010-06-22T21:32:00.010-06:00

We've been watching since it started and here are a few that we loved!

Also from that week, we also loved Future Funk, and Haspop.

Also from that week, we also loved Taylor Matthews.

Also Nina Waga Mojares and Legit, who are the only one that did not get through, but were really good as well!

And we really liked Michael Grasso.

And one of the episodes did not tape, will have to try and figure out what we missed!

Ok off to watch this week's episode! Will post our favorites after the show!

Fun with tissue paper...

2010-06-20T21:26:00.002-06:00

You should see my bedroom where I have my art table. What a MESS! But I am having fun, so that's all that matters right ? I decided to try some ACEO's with tissue paper! I started out with a set of 3 but cut 2 of them too small! So this one will have to do! I hope to do more as I have some other ideas in mind!

Set of 3 Original ACEO's - Pretty Pinks...

2010-06-20T19:19:00.004-06:00

I have been playing around yesterday and today and making a mess (which is ALWAYS fun), and have been trying to create sets that match somehow! I have a bunch of backgrounds made but I haven't decided what I will do with them quite yet! Here is the first set I have finished...

alwaysartistic - Pretty Pinks

Beyond A Reasonable Doubt...

2010-06-17T23:05:00.013-06:00

We just finished watching this movie. Staring Jesse Metcalfe, Amber Tamblyn and Michael Douglas. I have been wanting to see it since it came out in 2009 and finally rented it. It started out slow and so I didn't think it was going to be anywhere as good as it looked. Then I kept thinking some of the characters needed their heads examined. lol But oh what an ending. I love movies that leave you thinking about them after. By the end it was pretty good when you thought about the whole storyline.

I also rented 2 other movies this week, the first one "Home of the Giants" starred Haley Joel Osment, Ryan Merriman, and Danielle Panabaker. It was kind of strange. I defiantly would not buy it. It was ok by the end but didn't enjoy most of the movie. Although I do like all 3 of the main cast members.

And the 2nd movie was "Flicka 2" the sequel to "Flicka". It starred Tammin Sursok, Patrick Warburton and Clint Black.

The movie was ok, but no where near as good as the original.

Ceramic Coaster Sets...

2010-06-16T18:20:00.005-06:00

I was looking for something on Etsy and stumbled upon this wonderful Etsy shop raising money for the Gulf Coast, and so I am happy to donate a Coaster Set. This Coaster Set features images by me alwaysartistic and is made by HouseofSixCats.

HelpTheGulfCoast - MARIGOLDS Ceramic Coaster Set

Images by alwaysartistic, Coasters by HouseofSixCats

This Set can only be shipped within the USA. Shipping is Free.

If you would like to donate items to this wonderful shop, check out their page on how to donate here.

I won a $25 certificate...

2010-06-16T11:26:00.009-06:00

yesterday, for one of my favorite artists... Christy Dekoning. She is a really talented watercolor artist, I love to see the new art she creates! Want to see more by Christy ? You can check out her shops... ArtFire and Etsy, her website and her blog. Thank you Christy!

These are all ACEO's, which means they are 3.5 x 2.5 inches, the same size as a hockey card. The first is an original and the others are prints.

And while trying to decide what to choose, I found I wanted this one too so I purchased it! What a beautiful kitty! It is a print as well!

Alice in Wonderland...

2010-06-05T23:10:00.006-06:00

We just watched ALICE IN WONDERLAND, the new version with Johnnie Depp, it was really good. A little hard to understand the British accents, so I would like to watch it again some time. But worth renting for sure! I had seen the kids version but not since I was a kid, so kind of forgot most about it.

They really did a good job making it true to the original.

I normally don't like Helena Bonham Carter, but I have to say I really enjoyed her in this movie as the red queen.

And just in case you haven't seen the trailer, here it is below. And to see the IMDB page click here.

Life is Good AWARD...

2010-06-03T20:15:00.023-06:00

Carole nominated me for this award. You can see her blog "Art Plus", and her 3 Etsy shops are readingsully2, rsully2sphotography, and rsully2spendants. She makes beautiful ACEO's, prints, iris folding cards and pendants.

She asked me to answer six of her questions and then nominate 6 others to answer the six questions that I come up with for them.

Instead of nominating 6 people who I am sure I have nominated several other times on other awards, I am going to leave it open to anyone who wants to answer. I don't read a lot of blogs and so it gets harder and harder to choose who to pass them on to! You can answer in the comments, and if you like you can blog on your blog as well.

OK so my answers to her questions are:

1. What is your favorite fantasy? I would have to say taking a trip around the world visiting every light house I could find.

2. Have you ever experienced anything in the supernatural realm....deja vu, premonitions, ghosts, or feel you experienced some kind of miracle....religious, spiritual, health wise, etc. No but I did love the show Ghost Whisperer, I have a semi open mind to that stuff.

3. If you were going to write a book, what would you write about? Hmmm I think it would be either Poetry or a book for children.

4. Would you choose to live your life differently if you had the option of starting all over again? Or would you just stick with the life you have. Well there are things I would do a bit differently maybe but then you wouldn't be the person you are today, so I am happy with what I have!

5. What is your number one item on your bucket list? To take a trip one day, whether it be in the same province or somewhere else in the world! A few places I would love to see are Alaska, Australia, and many places in Canada and the USA!

6. If you could meet someone, dead or alive, who would it be and what would you ask them? Hmmm that is a hard question, I would love to meet many of my extended family of online friends, and also a few celebrities who seem like normal down to earth regular people... Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Martina McBride, Reba... LOL

And My questions to anyone who wants to answer are:
Just comment here and if you like post to your blog.

1. What is something you can't do that you wish you could ?

2. What is something you can't live without ?

3. What is something you collect ?

4. What is your favorite type of store to shop in ?

5. What is your favorite memory as a kid ?

6. What is one word that most describes you ?

Oh boy it was hard thinking up unique questions! lol Have fun answering them!

Edge of Darkness...

2010-06-03T19:28:00.006-06:00

I haven't watched many movies lately, mostly been watching tv shows, but I rented 2 last night. So today I ordered some pizzas and we watched Mel Gibson in "Edge of Darkness". It was pretty good.

I wanted to see this one ever since I saw the preview as I like Mel Gibsons movies usually. It did have a lot of swear words in it but wouldn't have been as good without! Click here to see the IMDB page on it.

The 2nd movie we rented is "Alice in Wonderland" with Johnnie Depp, will be watching it tomorrow or the next day!

Affordable mini art...

2010-05-23T23:20:00.002-06:00

Thank you to ldphotography for featuring my "Oh Deer" ACEO print in her beautiful treasury. She created it on Sunday May 23rd. You can view it on Etsy here.

Great Music...

2010-05-21T20:06:00.006-06:00

Most of us have heard of Justin Bieber, but here are some talented kids you might not have heard of yet. They all have beautiful voices...

Declan should be about 19 now, but I first saw "Tell Me Why" a few years ago and loved it so I have had it in my favorites. "An Angel" is from when he was about 15, what a beautiful voice.

I just recently discovered Greyson Chance on the Ellen show, he did a cover of Lady Gaga's Paparazzi song.