Somerset Studio Gallery!

The Grapes of Wrath 1 & 2

Page 47 

Eeeee! I was thrilled to find a contributors copy of the new Somerset Studio Gallery (Winter, 2012) in my mailbox the other day - I had no idea I would be in it, and am so grateful for the opportunity. They selected a couple of pieces that I completed last February for a call on art inspired by The Classics. I choose The Grapes of Wrath as I felt that it's words were as true today as they were at the time it was created. . . you can read more about it here or pick up a copy as of December 1st. For more information, please feel free to check out the direct link on my sidebar.

Thank you for letting me share this with you!

Kristin xo

How Cute is This?!

Mug from Bird on Her Head

Hellooo everyone! 

I hope the Holidays are treating you well and that you're enjoying the beginning of the festivities . . . since it's Cyber Monday, I thought I'd share with you the cutest ever mug that I recently bought from Joanna. A series of her little girls with big eyes (which are usually accompanied by Daisy the Dog ;) are now available on mugs for the Holidays! Truth be told, I bought this as a gift for someone else . . . but the quality was so fab and the colors were so bright, that I, well . . . I am really enjoying my new mug!  

Check out her Etsy Site when you can (she is on vacation until the weekend), I know you (or okay, someone else if you're strong enough to part with it) will love this as much as I do. . .

Have fun & Happy Shopping,

Kristin xo

Happy Thanksgiving . . .

"To succeed in life, you need three things: 

a wishbone, a backbone and a funny bone."

- Reba McEntire

With much love to you & yours,

Kristin xo

Paint Party Friday (Week 36)

"Her"

8 x 12 Journal Spread (Moleskine)

Hey Party People! So happy to be here: my Muse was on strike for a while, but I found that a new Moleskine was the perfect lure to bring her back . . . . 

This is the second page I've done this week and I have to say, I'm really enjoying having a journal by my side. I know this isn't a new concept, but although I've done journal entries before, I've never actually gotten to the journal part.  . . . or to be honest, the being-okay-with-it-not-being-"perfect"-part. That's what I'm working on at the moment: being free, loose and more spontaneous with my art. In other words, I purposely allowed myself to make "Her" messy. Messy strokes, rough outlines and even finger painting played a role - see, I took (really close-up) photos to prove it . . .

I also played with a new body style inspired by Manon's work (don't you just love her!) - check out her site (also on my sidebar) to read about a free class she's hosting this weekend. . . the camaraderie and creativity over there is too fun to miss.

Thank you Kristin and Eva: you always throw the best parties! 

Kristin xo

Childhood Friends . . .

(She made her own bed)

"There is a garden in every childhood, an enchanted place where colors are brighter, the air softer, and the morning more fragrant than ever again."

- Elizabeth Lawrence

Kristin xo

Journal Play

"You Are What You Eat"

8 x 12 Moleskine Journal

Images from Retro Cafe Art

A new Moleskine + A few hours to play . . .

Thanks for looking!

Kristin xo

Nine Years Today . . .

"Memory Jar" adorned with Swarovski crystals and beads

(made several years ago)

"A man doesn't know what happiness is until he's married. By then it's too late."

-- Frank Sinatra

Kristin xo

The Sweetest Part of Blogging

Kendra & "Dina" (The Dinosaur Girl)

In my opinion, the sweetest part of blogging is the relationships we build along the way . . . I'll never forget how - in my first foray into Blog Land - I was surprised to find that so many people seemed to know each other in "real life." I would see people comment that they loved, missed and admired each other so - they would sign off with "Hugs" or "Kisses" and I thought, "wow, this really is a small world . . ." At that time there was also a blog button that many people were sporting that read, "Blog Friends ARE Real Friends." Which back then, I thought was rather odd. 

Of course it's two years later and now I totally get it. I would even venture to say that those of us who share our art, love and life with one another in Blog Land are closer in spirit than some out there in the "real world." Our common love of this community and our heart-felt connections brings us to a place that's hard to find elsewhere . . . . 

Which brings me to my friend Tahnya and a post she recently shared called Dino Love. Being that my little one is a HUGE dinosaur fan, I couldn't wait to read what she had done . . . imagine then my surprise when she shared the cutest handmade doll that she made inspired by Kendra! It had a dinosaur fabric body, a dino button by her neck and a hand-stitched face that was the sweetest ever. I commented that I adored what she'd made and that Kendra would absolutely love her. . . . So she sent it to her all the way from Canada!

I cannot tell you how much that meant to me and how honored I was to have been given such an incredible gift. It even came with this handmade card as well:

Thank you Tahnya for all the love and care you put into this beautiful gift for my baby. Thank you for sharing your time, energy and talent with our family in this special way. I am forever grateful. 

And that connection, I think, is the sweetest part of blogging . . . .

Kristin xo

What Art Offers . . .

"What art offers is space - a certain breathing room for the spirit."

--John Updike

Kristin xo