Christmas is coming and so are the sales!!!

christmas lights, originally uploaded by matt-pearson.

I've cleaned up the inventory in my shops, marked some things down, added back some items and have decided to have a BIG sale! I want and NEED to get rid of the art that I have in stock, I'm running out of room to store new art. So I'm on an art break until I can make more room. Seriously I'm bursting at the seams!!! Sooooo here are my offers to you from now until Dec. 18th:

From now until Dec. 18th - BUY 2 GET ONE FREE ON ALL PRINTS!

I will refund the third print via Paypal. Also FREE shipping on the 3rd print which will also be refunded via Paypal. Most prints have been marked down from $15 to $10, need to freshen up the shop. May never print these again once they're gone.

***BLACK FRIDAY - CYBER MONDAY***

FREE SHIPPING ON ALL ORIGINALS!!
Black Friday - Cyber Monday only. Shipping will be refunded via Paypal.

Please take advantage of this sale, I need the room!!!! :) I think I have lots of great original gifts for your loved ones and hope you agree too! HAPPY SHOPPING!

Etsy

ArtFire

OK I'm putting this out there!!!

I'm overweight! According to the Wii I'm OBESE! YIKES! What a horrible word! I've never been called that before! How rude! Well it was rude enough to get me to act on it! With all the sickness going on in the world right now I've decided to quit my gym membership and not bring my daughter into the germfest that is the gym and bought myself a Wii! I am going to work out at home for at least 30 minutes a day using my Wii and various fitness games on the Wii. I will do more than 30 if time and toddler allows but I am saying this right here and now that I am going to commit to 30 minutes a day! I NEED to lose this baby weight - she's going to be 3 (how ridiculous!) and I need to feel good about myself again! Want to join me??? I've started a group on Facebook and will be logging in daily to keep up with it. I need others to help keep me motivated and I'm sure you need it too. Along with working out I am doing the Low Carb diet and cutting out sugars and white flowers as much as possible. If this sounds good and fun to you please join me!!! I'm having so much fun with the Wii it doesn't even feel like working out but I am breaking a sweat!

Some great workout games on the Wii are:

Wii Fit with the balance board,
Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum
EA Active

and I'm sure there is more.

So join me your OBESE friend and let's get rid of this weight!!!

Bad Girls Project 52, Challenge #3 Reveal!

The "Me" Box - I had to keep this project simple because I was on vacation and didn't have a lot of time to complete it. I wanted a piece that had little elements about me inside so it's really like a treasure box. The theme I chose to do about me was my love for Fall, Fall elements and it all just came together with that in mind.

This is me circa 1975 or 1976. I was a Fall baby! To this day Fall is my favorite season, especially in the Northeast. Fast forward many many years and you see my little mini-me Lorelei enjoying the leaves like I did around the same age!

Just taken last week in our front yard! My muse, my life, my Lorelei!

My "Me" Box (book)

My Nana's old amber pendant (I chose elements with meaning)

I carried on the Fall theme with the copper skeleton leaves

I have boxes of found objects so it was hard to choose items to use
which is why I chose Fall-like elements.

My favorite part are the buttons!

I have some comedic elements as well like "I grew up with fake legs in my house", my dad was a prosthetist orthotist and made fake arms and legs! LOL No joke!

My keepsakes which I'm sure I'll add to over the years.

My jeweled box to keep my precious elements.

Something I strive for is to always learn, create & grow.

My process:

I started out by gessoing the paper mache blank inside and out and then rubbed on various colors of distress ink. I picked a photo of me and framed it in fall ribbon. I knew I wanted to do a Fall theme because I LOVE Fall and I was born in the fall. Once I had the theme it just pulled itself together. I cut off the back of a vintage book cover and glued it on the base. I also distressed and gessoed that a bit as well. I then glued on my photo, canvas stickers, leaves, door plate and buttons. Let the glue dry overnight to make sure everything is secure. I then traced the elements with my sketch and wash pencil to bring them out a bit more. Next I glued the smaller paper mache box inside in the center. I stamped a leaf stamp with Brown Staz On Ink. I cut out a place in the top of the box to embed the green leaf pendant and secured that with glue and gold paper on the back of that. I distressed the smaller box as well. Then found my elements that meant a lot to me, created tags and attached them with white string. I chose items that were all about me, part of me and that meant a lot to me. Last but not least I glued on the skeleton leaves around the edge, glued on the pearls, glued on the large ribbon and attached an old amber pendant that was my Nana's to the bottom of the ribbon with copper wire and voila that is my treasure box!

Supplies: Paper Mache Blank (I chose a book shaped box); smaller paper mache box for the inside; found items (door plate, vintage book cover, items for inside); string; paper; vintage buttons; e6000 glue; ribbon; Christmas Tree Ornament (copper leaves that I tore apart); Copper skeleton leaves; copper wire; pencil; old earring or pendant for ribbon ornament; Ranger Distress Ink in purple, green and brown; Gesso; Tacky glue; photo printout; Gold Pearl Ex; Pitt Pens various colors; Generals Sketch & Wash pencil; freshwater pearls; white string; little tags I hand punched; tag punch;
jewelry pendant for inside box; scrapbook paper; canvas stickers; Brown Staz On Ink; Leaf Stamp

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Are you bad--- enough? You'll be asked to reach out of your box once again, as well as look deep inside!!!! One lucky random drawing winner for Challenge #3 will receive a $20 Gift Card to shop like a Bad Girl in the cherished Bad Girls Boutique! (We have decided to rotate prizes.) Sound intriguing? We give you the rules below- just 6 steps!

NOW IT'S YOUR TURN!

*Challenge 3 – Paper Mache Blank (any shape or subject, usually craft store item)

• Theme – Self-Portrait (about you, present/past/future, serious or fun, etc…)
• Required material – Found Objects (junk drawer stuff related to theme/story)

SIX RULES TO FOLLOW
TO WIN $20 GIFT CARD TO BAD GIRLS BOUTIQUE:

1. You must leave a comment here on this blog post with one word that describes YOU

2. You must incorporate a paper mache (papier-mâché) form (any shape or subject) in your project that is pre-made or that you make (allow overnight dry time between layers)

3. You must use the theme Self-Portrait (about you, present/past/future, serious or fun, etc…)

4. You must use Found Objects/Junk Drawer Stuff related to theme/story(such as trinkets/baubles/pieces/charms/hardware you find/collect or purchase at scrap/stamp stores, flea markets, etsy, antique, etc.)

5. Upload Your One Photo, yes, ONE Photo, of Your Project to Our Project 52 Gallery by November 21, Midnight Pacific Time (time zone converter) If you have additional photos, link to them in the description from either your blog or from photobucket.com

6. FINAL RULE: You must post a link to your project in the gallery before November 21st Midnight to our Challenge #3 thread in the forum - don't forget to do this!

New Traditions

Hello Blogland!

Sorry I've been MIA for the last few weeks. It's been a whirlwind! I had a friend visiting for a week at the beginning of the month then a few days after that we were in FL for 10 days!! I haven't really created much lately. I wanted you to know that I hope to get back into the swing of things soon! I did manage to create a little piece while down in Florida. Actually the highlight of my trip was creating art with my beautiful sisters-in-law Jenny & Jessica. We have started a new tradition! We raided the local Michael's and grabbed some paint, canvases and extra goodies and went to town!! I was so shocked and amazed at how fast their art came together. I brought a few of my mixed media tools with me and showed them some techniques and they were off and running with it!! Here are the pieces we created! It was so fun!!

Jenny is going to be doing a triptych this is the middle piece.

Jessica created this all with her fingers! She used a quote from
Sir Francis Bacon,

“It's not what we eat but what we digest that makes us strong; not what we gain but what we save that makes us rich; not what we read but what we remember that makes us learned; and not what we profess but what we practice that gives us integrity.”

my little piece

I will be revealing my 3rd challenge piece for Project 52 in a few days!! Get ready for that!! :) Now off to do a bit of raking with my sweet little munchkin!!

Happy Fall Y'all!