Frames for Sale!

Finally this batch of frames is finished! I know it doesn't seem like much, but each frame just take lots of steps. And the final step is nailing the nails and adding the feet, both which I have my husband do because hammering bothers the carpal tunnel I have. And sometimes that last step takes a while to get done....ahem, if you know what I mean....umm, I guess I probably shouldn't say much more about that if I still want a helper next time, right?

But anyway, please leave me a comment with your email address if you'd like one! I can take Paypal or check by mail. Shipping is $9 for priority mail.

In a few days, I'll put those that haven't sold up on Etsy.

SOLD $38- 4 x 6" photo size- "learn"

$43- 4 x 4" photo size- "adore"

SOLD $30- 2 1/2 x 2 1/2" photo size- "afternoon"

SOLD $33- 2 1/2 x 2 1/2" photo size- "sweet"

$43- 2 1/2 x 2 1/2" photo size- "play, smile, sing"

SOLD $38- 2 1/2 x 2 1/2" photo size- "goodness, sweetness"

$35- 4 x 6" photo size- "heart, soul"

SOLD $38- 4 x 6" photo size- "just because"

SOLD $30- 2 1/2 x 2 1/2" photo size- "fly"

Wow-ee!

Riley's at the age now (almost 2) where he is beginning to relish new experiences. Things that I wouldn't think twice about fascinate him, and it's so fun to be able to look at the world through those kind of eyes! For example, climbing on a tractor and playing in a cardboard box "house" both elicited great excitement recently.

Our favorite expression of his these days is "Wow-ee!", which we hear quite frequently during these new adventures. "Oh yeah!" is a close second, and just as endearing. It's a gift to be able to see this wonder, and to be the ones who show him these new experiences.

I'm very pleased with the way these pages came out. I followed the color cues from the photos, and I love the pallette as a result. It also helps that I had such a cute subject to inspire me!

Sweet Slide Show!

This slide show makes us tear up every time we see it. The music is so hauntingly beautiful, combined with the photos of the kids....sniff!

I'm going to be gone for about a week, but when I get back I'll have photoframes for sale! Have a great week, everyone!

Six Months Old!

Well, it's hard to believe, but Noah was six months old yesterday! How did that happen? I swear I was just pregnant yesterday! On Riley's six month "birthday", I did a spread for him with a poem about a mother and her eldest child. Here is that spread:

So I thought I would follow suit and do something similar for Noah. Hmmm, easier said than done. Apparently nobody out there has written a poem about a second child! I searched on the internet forever, and couldn't find anything suitable. So, change of plans. Since I couldn't find a poem, I decided to just write a little bit about him instead.

He's becoming such a happy little boy who does a wonderful job of keeping himself busy, which is certainly a gift when I've got a 21 month old running around, demanding my attention. So I wrote this on his pages, to remind myself of what his personality was like at this stage.

The pages came about a little differently than they usually do for me. I can't remember the last time I didn't partially paint over a patterned paper to mask it somewhat. But on these pages, I didn't feel the need to cover the pattern on the right-hand page -- maybe since it's such a subtle, vintage-y feeling pattern. It bothers me a touch to have the mass-produced paper so visible, but oh well, I guess I just need to trust what the artwork tells me, and don't mess with it if I don't need to.

Happy 6 months, little Noah!

Self

Just a quick post to show you the next piece I've done in my "me" journal. This one doesn't necessarily have a story behind it, other than lately, I've had the urge to do some painting. Every so often, I get this urge, and self-portraits have always been a favorite of mine. Mostly because they don't require any thought- just set up a mirror and you're ready to go!

I tend to like the crop of just my eyes and nose the best, as those are the features that I think I've captured most accurately. I know that a lot of people have difficulties with eyes, but for me, that's the one feature that I'm able to capture every time. The mouth is a different story- and the hair- those two things stump me every single time!

It's been fun hearing from those of you who share some of my bizarre traits (from the last post). I have a feeling that maybe a lot of us artists are probably more similar than we realize, personality-wise. Especially regarding the shyness. Isn't it interesting that a lot of us are shy, yet we choose to be so "assertive" with our artwork?