Big Project

So those who have been wondering where I've been:

A few years ago I did a large project for the Mayor of Miami,  a limited edition run of 20 of these:

 Well, there's a new mayor in town, and he's asked for 20 more!  WooHoo!  I know, they look small.  But anyone who does stained glass will tell you...the smaller the pieces, the MORE work it is.


In other news, guess to turned a whole year old this week?

Happy birthday to my baby girl Alice!

Crochet Kimono Baby Jacket

While I was pregnant, I started on a beautiful crochet coat for my baby-to-be.

I just finished it.

That baby turns 1 year old in a couple weeks.

But I finished it. You can't tell me I never finish anything.

Good thing I had the foresight to make it in the biggest size, huh?

The stitch pattern used is called 'basketweave', and is a lot simpler than it looks.  Just a bunch of front and back post double crochets.  I also love the kimono front styling.  The yarn is a sport weight bamboo/modal blend, which makes for a buttery soft texture, even if it was a bit slippery on the hook.  Because of the density of the stitch pattern and the fine yarn, this is a very warm coat.  Where we are, there aren't many cold days, so I'm hoping that this stretches into next winter, after we move to a slightly chillier climate.

The applique for the original pattern called for a pink moose.  Yes, a pink moose.  No thank you.
 
Using some scrap denim trimmings and a cute button I had around (because I save stuff like that), I got out some web fusing and PRESTO!  Flower!

And PRESTO!  I need a new iron!

And finally, here's your lovely model:

Baby Alice, with room to grow!

Thanksgiving SALE

I hope everyone else had an awesome Thanksgiving!  I had a quiet day with my husband and Baby Alice, and had fun making some yellow squash bread and muffins, which I am pleased to say turned out very well.  Can't even tell there's a vegetable in there.  On the subject of vegetables though, I did enjoy the Science Channel's  Punkin Chunkin alternative to football, while eating pumpkin pie.  Where else is 'pie' used as a verb?


We're skipping the coffee and hot cocoa fueled all-nighter outside the local store this year, opting to get some sleep instead, and go get my caffeine after the wave has come and gone.   For those of you who are doing the same, here's a little treat:  from now through Monday, use coupon code PUMPKINS2010 and get an immediate 20% off anything in my Artfire and Etsy shops!

Happy shopping!

On the Carousel of Progress

Mama is having a VERY productive naptime today!

Highlights of the last couple weeks:

• My newest design was featured on this fantastic Christmas list by VickyVK
• Got my first International Order --to Switzerland!
• Baby Alice learned to drink from her sippy cup--what a big girl!
• I finished crocheting her first coat--just in time for the cold weather!  (This thing will be getting it's own post shortly--I'm THAT pleased with it!)
• Playing with some ACEO-sized art.  I've got the drawing bug, just not the time to focus on bigger paper.  This is Coriandre, a halfling chef/cleric I play on an Eberron IRC chat. (If you're into the RP thing, we're looking for more players--ask me!)

Yay poison immunity!

 And some updates in pictures of some other projects in various stages of work.

Yes...still working on it.

I call it "Upside Down Box, with Primer"

Something's cookin' in the kiln...

 

FP is for Front Page (not Fist Pump)

So here I sit in bed trying to get over tangling with a nasty bout of the flu :sniffle:.  My trusty laptop in hand, I was looking over some Google Analytics data.  Normal results, the numbers continuing their slow but steady rise since I've started paying attention to these things again :yay sniffle: and then...hey!  What's that big spike?


Holy bottom dwelling river fish Batman!  I had Etsy Front Page real estate!

And so off I flew to Craftcult.com to confirm this.  Indeed, noonish last Tuesday, while everyone was pulling levers and waiting for those oh so unsurprising election results, my Great White Shark glasses were hanging out on the FP in this awesome manly man treasury by simplyriveting (whose rings, by the way, totally are just that).  I had seen this collection earlier, and thought it was really nicely done.  "The Etsy admins might even notice this one." I remember thinking to myself.

I must be developing an Etsy-sense.

:tingle sniffle:

Works in progress

No completed projects to show for this week.  I've got a few things in progress, just haven't managed to reach the finish line on anything this crazy week.

There's a crochet jacket for the baby that sits there, taunting me with it's half of a sleeve left to go.

There's a Mod Podge box project, at a standstill while I wait for a sign from above regarding whether or not spray paint is necessary.

And of course, the coffee table/chest also waits patiently.  It's so understanding like that.

I did manage to play mad scientist with some glass painting and kiln firing though.  And only one batch ended up in a puddle of melted glass!  That's good odds for me!

"Trash" Bag Project

It used to be one of my favorite wrap skirts from my thinner days.  I wore it to the beach all summer.  It's amazing how much sentimental attachment you can have for a couple yards of paint-spotted fabric.

Now some of it can live on in a cute bag!

As part of beefing up my sewing skills, I try to choose projects that give me a chance to learn a new stitch or technique.  This time, it was the 'box stitch.

It looks like a box.

The idea of a box stitch is to reinforce where your handle attaches to the rest of the bag on the inside to help it stand up to the stress of use.  This thing isn't coming off anytime soon

The pattern (from the One Yard Wonders book) calls this a "trash bag to keep your car tidy".  I'm don't know what this bag is saying to me, but I'm pretty sure it's not 'trash bag'.

Maybe I'll hang it off my bike or something.

Giveaway Winner!

The results are in via the Random.org number generator.  And the winner is.....(drum roll)

Commenter #1 - Amy!  (her 4th of July flags gave me a giggle as well).

Congratulations Amy!  You'll be hearing from me soon to get your address so I can send your bowl.

A big thank you and a round of applause to all who entered, and for all of your wonderful comments and compliments.  And last but not least, a happy hello and welcome to all my new followers and fans, both from the giveaway and from the Aquariann's Autumn Blog Hop!

I had a lot of fun doing this and getting to talk to everyone, so keep an eye out for another contest soon.  I'm thinking a winter-themed item next time.

Coffee Chest Refurb--another update

Since the eventual home of the coffee chest will be the entertainment/TV room in our new house (whenever we get it), I've had some strict limitations as to what I could cover it with.  My husband insists on having alot of input in this room.  And he's as particular as they come. 

We agreed on a contemporary-retro style for the room, mostly blacks, grays, and blues.  After the long search I found this vintage 1960's wallpaper on Etsy:

I really hope it turns out like the picture in my head.


Don't forget to enter in my giveaway contest! 

My First Giveaway!

After having been a ghost of an Artfire member for over a year, I decided to take the plunge.  Their recent Out-Of-Beta promotion was just too good to pass up.   I signed on for one of their Pro accounts and, so far, I'm really liking their setup.  Lots of nifty little features and an ease of use that Etsy has yet to match.  (Note: I'm by no means closing my Etsy shop.  I love Etsy.  I'm thinking of my Artfire shop as a complimentary venue.)

And what kind of online businesswoman would I be if I didn't dazzle your eyes with the link to RadianceArt's new Artfire shop?

In order to celebrate this new venture, as well as my ongoing triumph over the dreaded "Mom Brain", I'm hosting my Very First Giving Away of a Thing!

Up for grabs is this cute little glass dish from the Autumn Breeze collection.  This is part of my new line of hand-painted glassware, which is so far finding a respectable amount of success.

If you're one of those industrious folks who labors to make your house reflect the passage of seasons and holidays, this is gorgeous for your fall decorating.  If you're kinda lazy and your house is no different now then it was in April well...you probably like candy, don't you?

Dump some Hershey Kisses in there and call it good.

To enter, tell me what kind of seasonal decorator you are.  Do you color coordinate the rubber totes your decorations are stored in?  Does your potpourri blend change monthly? Or do you still have Christmas lights up from 1998?  Do you even know (or care) what potpourri is?  Reveal your deepest darkest decorating secrets in the comments below.

Tweeting, blogging or Facebooking the giveaway gets you an additional entry--just be sure to leave a separate comment about it!  And, as always, be sure to leave me some way to contact you with your winnings!

Giveaway ends at 12:00 midnight (Eastern Time) next Tuesday, Oct. 12, with the winner to be selected via random.org and announced Wednesday.

Good luck!

Coffee Chest Refurb: an update

It's lovebug season here in Florida. (pause so those who know what this means can shudder).  For those of you outside the "Sunshine" state, a lovebug is a gross little beetley gnat thing whose only purpose for existence is to apparently replicate more lovebugs...with gusto.  Twice a year, they take to the air in swarms.

Funny thing about them is how much they LOVE car exhaust fumes.  Hence, they tend to congregate on highways and in parking lots.  However, the moment they go splat on your car, the clock is ticking for you to rush over to the car wash and remove them before their little bug goop eats into your paint job.  Wretched little things.

I dragged the chest into the driveway to put a coat of primer and spray paint on the areas I want to cover.  I also brought out a great little birchwoord storage cabinet I found on clearance at Micheal's.  Storage is good.  Storage I can craft up is even better.  And at rock bottom price: super awesome!

Then the problems began.

My paint didn't cover the remnants of the rough and ugly parts of the chest the way I thought it would.  Oh well, trial and error.  Now I've just changed the requisites of the fabric/wallpaper I'm looking for to heavier and/ or darker colored.  Let's just move on to the cabinet.

As I'm spraying the cabinet with this lovely hyacinth purple paint, I notice...visitors.  It would seem that, to a lovebug, there's not a whole lot of distinction between car exhaust and spray paint fumes.  And so, to save what I had done so far, I dragged everything in, closed the garage, and fled inside to wander the internet for vintage fabric and wallpaper for another week or so until the bugs are done doing their thing.

And that is why this post is NOT entitled "Coffee Chest Refurb: Part II".

Stupid bugs.

Baby Hulk and Coffee Chest Refurb, Part One

For years, our coffee table has been a cheap press board affair, recently mounted on caster wheels because every little scoot earned a loud, creaky complaint from one of the shaky legs.  I won't go through my list but, suffice to say, I was done with this thing.

My nine month old daughter obliged me a few mornings ago by somehow managing to flip it over and snap off a leg.  (Don't worry, she's fine.  Quite pleased with herself, as a matter of fact.)  After observing a minimum of disappointment solely for my husbands benefit (he actually liked the darn thing!), I headed out to my favorite thrift store, where I found this:

Its gonna take some work.  There's some water damage and it looks like its been not-so-lovingly stored for quite some time. And it smells like mothballs.  Blech.
The first thing I did (after leaving it in the sun to air out for, like, all day) was attack it with some sandpaper.  I discovered that although the hardware was rusted and beyond saving, the studs on the corners cleaned up very nicely.

Next task: stripping off that icky black canvas!

There, much better.

I'm keeping the edge strips because I like the idea of leaving a little momento of this trunk's former life and humble origins.  That, and those studs look like they'd be a pain to take apart.

Taking my inspiration from the great furniture rescues from the ladies of Mod Podge Rocks and infarrantly creative, I plan to decoupage this baby with whatever funky fabric or wallpaper that presents itself and speaks to me.  Hopefully that happens soon.  In the meantime, a coat or two of primer is in order.  Stay tuned for Part Two!

Craft Apron Sewing Project

I've recently started teaching stained glass classes for a local arts/crafts center.  I'm really enjoying it because it helps me keep my skills sharp and I love seeing folks hold up their project and see the light pouring through it for the first time.  I'm a firm believer that when people know just how much work and heart go into creating stained glass, they'll have more appreciation for those of us who are trying to make a living from it (and understand why it's so darn expensive!).  Nothing wrong with educating the public about what we do.  We're artists, not magicians.

Stained glass is a very tool-heavy craft, and I wanted a nice little apron to keep a few things on hand while I'm bouncing around the room.  One Yard Wonders to the rescue!

I used a bit of an old skirt and a few scraps of some faux denim I had lying around.  Since I'm a bit lazy whenever the instructions say anything like "press with an iron" or "fold, then fold, then fold some more", I opted to just buy some bias tape for the binding rather than make my own.  I'll do it someday, I promise.

After a few uses, I think i might adjust some of the pockets to hold more things of the pen/marker nature but other than that, this is perfect!

Jokes of a Piratic Nature

Ahoy there, Matey!  It be Talk Like a Pirate Day in these here parts.  In honor of such event, I be wantin' to share with all ye scallywags some of me favorite observations of our brethren. 

-How do pirates like to vacation?       In an aaaaaaaaRV!

-What kind of socks do pirates prefer?     Aaaaaaargyle!

-Whats a pirates favorite letter of the alphabet?  (R?)  No, the C!

And last, but by no means the least:

-What do pirates use to clean up spills on the deck?      Bouuuuunty!



Credit for these treasures goes to me pappy, who be captain of a vessel in the Disney World fleet and the scourge of the Seven Seas Lagoon!  He and his mates torture their prisoners with these voyage after voyage.

And if ye don't be liken' it, ye can walk the plank!

Obi Hot/Cold Pack Sewing Project

And so my personal challenge begins.

My grandmother was an amazing seamstress, and pretty wicked with a crochet needle.  Been thinking about her alot the past few days, as I'm finishing up a pretty involved crochet project.  I inherited some of her nice steel crochet hooks which I use all the time.  My mom says I must be channeling her through them, because the stitches seem to almost make themselves.

But when I sit down at my sewing machine it's a different story.  My sewing skills are kinda dismal.  My bobbins tangle, I misread patterns, and I can't stitch a straight line to save my life.  However, I come from a family of amazing sewers, so I know it's gotta be in me somewhere.  That, and I get SO much inspiration from Project Runway every week.

I'll just have to learn to make it work.

 Hi, I'm on the blog again.

I love fabric.  For this reason, I've hung on to a lot of my skirts and dresses I've outgrown over the years.  I've placed the limitation on myself that I need to find a way to use up some of these and the other random remnants I have around.  No buying fabric until I've got the sewing chops to earn it.


One Yard Wonders has been my go-to pattern book for using up all these fabric scraps.  The projects are easy and the instructions simple to follow, yet there's plenty of room for creativity and customization.  There's a glossary of stitches and how tos if you come across something you don't know.  Tons of projects, and almost all of them (I'm looking at you, spats) are stylish and usable/wearable.

The first off the machine: an obi-style hot/cold pack.  Inside the pocket is a matching pad into which dry rice is sewn.  I also added some nice dried lavender buds I had around for some nice aromatherapy. 45 seconds in the microwave then into the pocket, and then it all ties around your waist obi/kimono style.  This is perfect for those days when my back is hurting, but I've still got a baby to chase around.

The best part is that I used some wonderfully soft cotton from an old but much loved hippie dress I couldn't bear to throw away.  Cheap as free!

New Painted Glass on Etsy

I know some of these have already been live in my Etsy Shop for a little while, but I realized I forgot to make an Official Blog Announcement regarding my new line of painted glassware.

I find these poor lonely pieces of beautiful glassware in the thrift stores.  I bring them home, clean them well, and paint them.  Pretty, utilitarian, AND recycled.  I think it's a great combination.

I've got the beginnings of several collections:

Autumn Breeze

Peacock Glam

Winter Snow

Poker

 

 

Surf

 

 

 

  

Double challenge

Once again, the dreaded ‘Mom Brain"’ is proving to be a formidable foe.  So I’ve decided to do what seems to be every craft bloggers favorite theme: challenge to the death!

Ok, probably not the death part.

Starting now, I’m challenging myself to:

• Complete one craft project per week.  This is any craft, from creating an Etsy listing to working on my sewing skills to finally finishing some of these crochet projects i have stashed away.
• Write a blog post highlighting said completed project.

I think I’m setting a reasonable goal for myself.  Not like I’m trying to cook my way through some doorstop of a cookbook or anything.  Besides, I tend to work better if I’ve got some sort of a deadline.

If you notice that I’ve missed a week, feel free to harass me about.  Go ahead.  You have my permission.

And away we go!

Apron Project

I recently got a position teaching stained glass and ceramics at a nearby arts center, woot!  Now I need an apron/tool belt to schlep all my glass tools to class and back.

I’m thinking about this pattern, using some leftover denim and Indian-style cotton scraps I’ve got lying around.

See Crafty Tool Belt and 1000's of others - or share your own on Cut Out + Keep

I’ll let you know how it turns out.

Dungeons and Dragons

This is a bit off topic from my usual subject matter, but I thought there might be a few folks out there that would be interested in this.  WARNING: GEEK CONTENT ABOUT TO REACH CRITICAL LEVELS.

Wednesday nights are our game nights.  My husband is a walking Dungeons and Dragons encyclopedia, as well as a talented storyteller/DM.  Recently, he started a site where he and a couple other DM’s are running, among other things, a text-based Ebberon DnD campaign at www.kerlathis.com.

If you’re not terribly familiar with the Ebberon setting, there’s a Wiki built into the site to quickly look up anything, as well as an automatic dice roller, character sheets, and anything else you might need.  If you want any character creation tips or site orientation, we’re happy to help in any way.

The nice thing about an online based game is that playtime isn’t limited to just the set times and places.  There’s usually a couple people hanging out in the tavern or throughout the ‘city’ roleplaying their characters just going about their normal day.  Smashing things and taking their stuff is a blast, but it’s also nice to get lost in a character while keeping my writing and storytelling skills sharp.

As of now, we have a set gametime of Wednesday nights at 8pm eastern time, with more sessions to be added.  Impromptu adventures are also known to occur randomly.

If you’ve got an itch to roll some dice, come on by tonight!

(If you’re looking for me, I’m the halfling cleric/sous-chef.)

Monday Monday

I woke up this morning with the Monday blahs.  Kinda odd, since our offbeat schedule means that Saturday night is our Monday around here.

However, I had a Convo from Jennifer Garry and her Monday Mood Board in my inbox, bright and happy and just what I needed to chase the blues away!

Or at least give me enough motivation to get a pot of coffee going.

Thanks for featuring my Sunburst glass, Jennifer, as well as giving me a jumpstart to my day!

Somebody had a brainstorm…

One of my favorite things about selling on Etsy is how the site is always expanding and evolving.  On the forums earlier, I stumbled across a recent announcement.  In an effort to make the Treasuries even more user friendly, they’ve added a SEARCH option. 

I’m really happy with the revamping Etsy been doing to the entire Treasury function.  Adding the Facebook, Twitter, etc. buttons to the page has made it a breeze to click and share.  I can give mine and other artists’ great work some necessary promotion, and still have time left to get off the computer and make more art!

A glaring issue, however, has been that, unless the Treasury curator Convos you individually with a link, you don’t know if you have something you ought to be visiting and sharing.  I have heard that many Etsians regard these notifications as spam and get very irritated by them. I personally cannot wrap my head around this concept, and greatly appreciate when someone drops me a line.  However, I have wondered: for each Treasury feature I’m aware of, how many am I not?

Etsy Admin Sean11 to the rescue.

On the Treasury page, type shop:yourname.

  This will pull up all of the treasuries that items in your shop are currently featured in.

Here’s a sample of some nice ones I found including yours truly, RadianceArt:

Good work Admins!  Keep the good stuff coming!

Blogger lovin’s

I’ve been meaning to do a post to thank everyone who has lavished so much attention on my Mario Mushroom stained glass panel.

Thanks to my recent discovery of Social Mention , I’ve been able to see everyone who helped make this one of the most talked about pieces I’ve ever done.  Thank you!

Gamer Grrlz

Reino do Cogumelo (it’s in Portuguese, but I think it’s good!)

Technabob

Arch.itect.us

Moses Wolfenstein

gamefreaks

Kotaku

Sprite Stitch

geekadelphia

Perez Start

The dark side of Etsy

(Those of you with delicate sensibilities, consider yourself warned regarding the link.)

Wandering the Etsy Fae forums during baby’s naptime, I came across mention of a website know as ‘Regretsy’.

Regretsy?" I said to myself. "I've never heard of that. I should stop what I'm doing and Google it right away to satisfy my burning curiosity!"

<cringe>

Wow.  Curiosity satisfied.

Adventures…and a sale!

I'm still alive everyone!  Sorry to be so scarce, been some busy times with Baby Alice, who is now 7 months old, almost walking, and into EVERYTHING.

First beach day!

Also had an interesting trip to the homeland (Sussex County, Delaware) with my parents in their new-to-them RV.  Took us 4 days, 2 blown tires and a popped sparkplug to get there.  Waiting on the shoulder for a mechanic has never been so comfortable, though.

But our biggest news is:  we're buying a house and moving to Austin, TX next year!  Can't wait, we're so excited!  Love that town!

So, as a result of our impending move to awesome Austin, as well as the logistics of having a small baby in the house, I'm taking a hiatus from my Tiffany stained glass for a while. I'm working on some new painted glass items that are easier to do with my limited time and space which I'm happy with so far.  I used to do custom painted hurricane lamp centerpieces for weddings many years back, so this is a bit like returning to my roots now.

But meanwhile, I've got a whole bunch of one-of-a-kind stained glass artwork that I really don't want to pack into a U-Haul.

Therefore, all stained glass items in my store are on clearance! Everything has been discounted AT LEAST 20% off my original prices!

The fantasy stuff...the geeky stuff...the clocks...ALL OF IT MUST GO! Come and visit!

RADIANCEART ON ETSY

PS.  Through the end of July, mention 'SLOWERLOWER' in your buyer notes, and get free shipping off any item in the shop!

Sprucing up the joint

Also, I'm reworking the look of things.  So expect some different looks and disappearing widgets over the next couple days while I figure out just what I'm wanting to do here.

Rock Band etched glasses

Rock Band etched glasses
Originally uploaded by melusian

I would take a moment to address my lax posting habits, but we've already done that before.

Ridiculously demanding job: over! (of my own choice, don't worry).

Baby: bouncing, beautiful, and now capable of entertaining herself for up to ten minutes at a time.

Result: I have time to be creative again (and write about it!).

Coming Attractions:
-Pics of my new (to me at least) craft room, because babies and art supplies are best kept away from one another.
-I'm sewing again, so of course I'll be needing to show all of those projects off.
-Paintings in progress

In the meantime, I finally got around to taking a photo of these pub glasses I etched a few months back. Good way of keeping track of your drink during a Rock Band party. Until someone decides to switch instruments. Or you're harmonizing.

Movie review: Alice in Wonderland

With Baby Alice visiting with Mommom and Poppop, we found ourselves with the golden opportunity to take in a movie.  Top of the list:  Alice in Wonderland.

Pros:  Like all Tim Burton movies, it is if nothing else a decadent double chocolate gourmet hot fudge sundae for the eyes.  I wanted nothing more than to run home and start drawing.  In fact, I shall be doing so as soon as I finish typing this.  The theming and contrasting of everything Red Queen/White Queen was especially well-done, as well as the transitions of Alice’s costuming as she shrank and grew. 

My favorite costuming, though, would have to be in the “real world” of Alice.   While being unmistakably Victorian, there were still very subtle elements in little places.   A quirky fabric choice or a pattern with contemporary flair took them a step further than the standard period look, emphasizing the general “off” feeling of the entire film.

As far as performances go, new starlet Mia Wasikowski does a great job as Alice.  I’m looking forward to seeing more of her.  I loved Anne Hathaway’s affectations as the ethereal White Queen.  She is one of my favorite actresses, and it was great to see her do something so different from her usual roles.  Of everyone in the film, she looked like she was actually having a lot of fun!  Alan Rickman was very well cast as the voice of the Caterpillar.  But then, I just adore the sound of his voice.  Seriously.  I want him to be my ringtone.

And Johnny Depp’s Mad Hatter?  Not bad, just…a standard Johnny Depp performance for a Tim Burton movie.  While an amazingly versatile actor, its getting hard to differentiate  between his '”crazy” roles (i.e. Wonka).  Although his recitation of “Jabberwocky” did give me a happy chill.

Cons:  Don’t be fooled—this is still a Disney film.  And like everything Disney, there is an insistence on a plotline, even if it has to be shoehorned in there.  Anyone ever been on the original version of Kilimanjaro Safari at Animal Kingdom?  “Little Red is OK!” Heaven forbid we just ride in the truck and let the real animals be the stars.

The original Alice in Wonderland is less an actual story, and more a series of vignettes.  Yes, there is the overall little-girl-has-a-dream-and-then-wakes-up arch, but really, it’s about exploring what’s around the next corner of Wonderland, and watching Alice interact with the characters she encounters.

I realize this version takes place years after and apart from the original story.  However, (and the SyFy Channel’s recent version of ‘Alice’ is guilty of this also), the wacky personalities of Wonderland are meant to be simply visited and observed for a short while.  They aren’t meant to DO things.  Not to fight epic battles.  Not to have romantic entanglements with Alice.  Not to get down with their bad selves in a pop-style victory block party dance off. 

Oh Johnny.  You were about 10 more dancing seconds away from a movie ending FAIL.

While it doesn’t quite live up to the hype, it is still a good and quite enjoyable movie, and a must see for any Alice or Johnny Depp fan. 

And while I’m on the subject of cinema:  is anyone else tired of everything being in 3D?  I’ve lived through the 80’s once already, thanks.

Getting back in the saddle

Yes, I’m still alive.

So now I have two months of motherhood under my belt.  Little Miss Alice is doing fantastic, is very wiggly, and always seems to have something to say about everything (not her fault that it all just comes out in eeee’s and ooooo’s)

   I was told how much having a baby would change my life, but I didn’t realize just how much that would be until I experienced it for myself. The past couple months have just flown by.  With babies, there’s ALWAYS something to do!

However, everyone is beginning to settle down, allowing me to take up pencils and keyboard once again.  It feels good to do some drawing.  Here’s a couple sketches I’ve done for some fantasy painting ideas:

  Hopefully I’ll get the chance soon to transfer and paint!

I’m also sketching for one of my husband’s tabletop game setting projects, and brainstorming some new stained glass ideas.  I would like to rejoin the outdoor festivals and art shows this fall, and now is the time to start building inventory. 

I’m also sharing some photos of commissions from the past few months, now that I have gotten around to uploading the photos:

    All in all, my plan for the year is to refresh my business, what I offer, and how I market.  And, of course, push myself to be a better artist.  It’s time to evolve!