On the front page, sort of

I have been selling my books on commission at a number of places and one of them is a shop in Milwaukee called Fasten Collective. They have a few of their items on Etsy, and I just found out that one of them is my Birdcage Journal. I saw the front page, and said "Aww man, someone is using the paper I use", I then clicked on it, and found out is was actually my journal...

Ho hum

Well I actually have a lot to post, that needs catching up with, but this one is (because I am feeling a bit down and out today and because of time constrictions) a short one.




Today I will only mention a few things, one being that I am "self portrait" number 82 on The Self Portrait Gallery which you can view here.

Secondly I have had the opportunity in the past few weeks to be on the front page, which has made me please to say the least. The Wonderful Peach Tree snapped this image for me and the second one I was able to see with my own eyes. The Peach Tree is quite the treasury queen herself, as is Michelle Maule, who curated the second front page treasury I was in.










That is it for now. Teaching is going well, I had my students do an Artist Trading Card assignment, which was really successful (I want to keep them all!) and now one class is working on a comic book and the other is doing linoleum cuts. Fun fun.

Worky work

I started my summer job as a high school art teacher last week, and this is my reason for being so absent. It has its ups and definitely its downs, but it keeps me busy. If I get permission I will post some of their art later. I have some talented ones. In the mean time this weekend I went to the Summer Craftacular here in Madison for a bit and checked out some awesome artists, including some from Etsy! Here are some examples of the talent:


This cute kitten coaster is from the Glitter Workshop, the person who put the Craftacular together


This is one of the crisply designed and beautiful bags by Pravina



Pretty Little letterpress cards by Lucky Bee Press

Don't we have some wonderful talent in Madison? And this was just a small handful of what I saw. I was seriously drooling.

Thankful

Diana, at A Muted Palette is just about the coolest ever. So I knew that Strathmore was going to use my ACEO in an ad campaign, but I had not seen anything about it yet, until I was contacted by Diana with a surprise on her blog. And there it was, my self portrait in her local art supply store! I have been having a little bit of my 15 minutes lately. Not only am I in Strathmore's ads, but I am also in this issue of Venus Zine magazine. I was contacted by Amy, the founder, telling me that she liked my art, asking me if I would like to be their "Reader of the Ish" so right now I am in two magazines, Venus Zine, and The Artist's Magazine, on their Strathmore Ad. Pretty cool.

"Delve"

Also, I am not the only fan in my family of Diana's beautiful and haunting artwork, my dad really likes her work too, and just bought a copy of Delve (my favorite, I am so jealous!).

On another note, I finally had time to make a few books for my shop. I have been a bit bogged down with custom orders and making books for shops outside of Etsy, that I haven't had the time to give Etsy much time. Now if I could get some time to paint I would be a very happy girl.


Aspen Journal


Plum Blossom Guest Book


Blue and Brown Guest Book


Silver Flowers Guest Book

Till next time, thank you for all your support!

In love

Right at this very moment I have the sweetest, softest little bundle of cuteness curled up on my lap asleep. His name is Buttermilk, and he is a sweet Holland Lop/Netherlands Dwarf mix baby bunny. He is so tiny I can cup him in my hands.

We took Maya on Saturday to go and get him from a rabbit breeder as a surprise for her. She was a very excited and happy little girl when she realized what we were doing! When we brought him home at first he was a little timid, but now he is a part of the family. He runs around my house like a crazy person and then jumps up on my lap and grooms me. He and I have really bonded together. He likes Nathaniel and Maya as well, but Maya needs to learn to sit still if she wants him to jump up onto her lap!

Now if only we could get him litter trained completely (we have nicknamed him Sir Poops A Lot)

Lush Plush

My find for today is the work of Waffle Brown, a newbie on Etsy who creates idiosyncratic plush creatures. His creations are not only works of art, but look at how snuggly they are! I am having a hard time resisting them! Find his work here.


"Kingsley"


"Molly"


"Cupcake"

Memorial Day

It is a week past Memorial Day, but I have been busy snuggling with my husband , who returned from Japan on Wednesday. Nathaniel was gone for a week, not that long, but having him so far away made me miss him more. Anyway to take my mind away from missing him I decided to have a little "me" time and go on a little vacation by myself. This was the first time I have ever done this and I LOVED it, I think I may make a habit of once a year going off by myself. On Saturday, I left for Door County with the radio turned up. I stopped in Sturgeon Bay and walked around a little arts and crafts fair, and then made my way up to Ephraim. At around 5 I made it to the little bed and breakfast I was staying at called The French Country Inn of Ephraim and met Walt, the innkeeper. The French Country Inn was perfect! It was exactly what I expected. The decor was simple and beautiful and the rooms were cozy and comfortable. Walt was the nicest innkeeper, as were the other guests. I loved the late night conversations over tea and homemade cookies. The best part of my vacation were the delicious homemade breakfasts Walt would make and sitting around for hours at breakfast talking with him and the other guests. It was so comfortable it felt like home. Walt made homemade pancakes and scones, and there was fresh rhubarb sauce and cherry yogurt parfaits just to name a few of the delectable items. (mmmm... I have been craving cherries since I got back!) I did not do too many activities while there, but I did go to a few gallery openings, walked around a folk school, visited the Ridges Sanctuary and went to a fish boil. I had an absolutely wonderful time and am looking forward to my next trip to Door County.



The French Country Inn of Ephraim, Ephraim, Wisconsin


My room



Walt and the other guests, Walt is the man in the plaid shirt



The breathtaking view of Peninsula State Park


The Fish Boil



The fish boil dinner, so yummy!



The Cliffside Room at The Clearing Folk School


You can't take a trip to Door County without seeing the goats on the roof in Sister Bay!


The view of Bailey's Harber from the beach by The Ridges Santuary