Amazing Art: Kendra Binney

The lovely items I ordered at Kendra Binney's Etsy came in today. I am really excited about it! All the creatures are spot-on, the colors are incredible and it will look great in my new place!

I'm sure you'll see them on some future pictures of my house as well, but I couldn't wait till then to show you.

Anyway, Kendra Binney's shop is still full of amazing art, pendants and magnets. She uses pretty much all the colors of the rainbow, so there should be something in there for every person and every home. Enjoy!

Owl Things Considered

There are often other uses for the things you throw out. Sure, you can put things in the recycling bin, but I always like it when someone turns their trash into unexpected treasures. Like these little critters from Altered Perceptions.

Aren't they cute? To think that a simple damaged cardboard box, that one could easily throw out, can be turned into such a lovely little animal!

 The squirrel and the owls are my favorite, but you can find a few others in the shop as well.

Circle Songs #25

"How are you? Isn't it the hardest question to answer to...?"

How Are You? - Soko

{picture sources: 1 - 2 - 3}

I went out for groceries today but it was freezing cold. Later on it even started snowing. But by then I was nicely wrapped up in blankets, with a cup of tea and a good book. The perfect way to hibernate!

Cheshire Cat 2.0

Ever since my new sweater arrived, I've been walking around with a similar grin. It's just such a wonderful concept and so well executed. It's also incredibly soft and comfortable. And I love those little ears!

Wise Words

  {art by Su Blackwell - quote from C.S. Lewis - merged by me}

Lovely Movies: the Object of My Affection

Maybe it's because I was born at the start of that decade, maybe I just like the guarantee of a happy ending, either way I have a bit of a soft spot for '90s romantic comedies. And as it seems I'm growing to like Jennifer Aniston, and always seem to love Paul Rudd, I could not resist watching the Object of My Affection.

I loved that it's a bit different. A woman falling in love with her gay best friend isn't one of those storylines that's been done over and over and over again. Sure, it could've been turned into an awful movie. But thankfully it didn't.

It explored a lot those grey areas in life. And it encompassed a lot more than just romantic love. Of course it's mostly about a fine line between friendship and love, but it also shows a lot about the value of friendship -no matter what age or sex- and the way you sometimes have to create your own family.

Wishlist

One of the things I hope to get for my new home is an oddly-shaped shelf. I know I'll be needing a lot of regular ones, but it would be nice to have a bit of an eye-catcher as well. Like this amazing cloud!

Or a lovely bird like the one below. I imagine there might be more fun shelves out there, but I'm not sure they could top these.

What do you think? Wouldn't they look great with a few knick-knacks? Or a little pile of the books you're currently reading?

Interview with Ashlie from Painting Bliss

Well, I'm sure you spotted Ashlie's banner in my sidebar last month, because those amazing little birds are not easily overlooked! I am a huge fan of her art work, a regular reader of her lovely blog and also lucky enough to own a custom portrait. And I was very excited to interview Ashlie and learn more about all the lovely things she does. Hope you'll enjoy the interview too!

It seems art has always been a part of me as I have been drawing since I could lift a pencil. Always encouraged by those around me and nurtured whilst growing up I couldn't help but continue to create. I found my way to mixed media art only in the last 3 years after trying everything separately. It never occurred to me that it was "okay" to combine mediums until I picked up an issue of Somerset Studio. My world was opened wide open and once I allowed myself to create with an array of materials, I knew I found my happy little niche.  

Always always. I was always the kid in art class who completed the project before the teacher fully explained the instruction, sitting idly waiting for others to finish up. At home I would wield the hot glue gun like a cowboy with his pistol, making and creating all sorts of things. In fact, I don't think I was ever NOT in a project of some sort. 

Inspiration comes from many sources for me, but I am deeply inspired by nature. I love wildlife, rolling hills, and the way sun hits the hills around 4pm on a late autumn evening. I am an observer. I see all sorts of things that others may not notice, and this is inspirational. I like having the ability to notice the small things. At times I am inspired by my children's musings or ideas. Other times I am inspired by a dream I might have had. I am often visited in the night by whatever it is that plants ideas in ones head. It's not rare for me to come up with an idea on the verge of sleep or as I wake in the morn. 

A pair of pink zebra print headphones, music, and something to sip... which I often mistake for my paint water. Always a smile and an ooops as I wash a brush off in my coffee! 

My perfect Sunday consists of a hot cup of coffee piled high with swirling sweet whipped cream from the can. From there it's table time with the hubby while responding to emails and sharing that day's blog post with twitter and facebook. Once the essentials are taken care of it's into the studio where first I warm my buns by my personal gas powered wall heater. Some paper, my scissors, music, and other assorted materials I get lost in the lyrics of my tunes while pouring forth onto paper. The perfect Sunday afternoon is spent napping in bed. Every day is better with a nap. 

 Oh I plan to take over the world in the next year! Ok, maybe not literally... but I do plan to push myself even farther than I did last year. So far I have an upcoming article in Cloth Paper Scissors come their May/June issue. I have high expectations of myself and my talent, so if I have it my own way... that won't be the only publication. This coming year I plan to increase my studio time and do a lot more drawing in between actual art pieces so that I can hone in and perfect my skills. Personally, I like to have goals but I also love the things that come my way. The best projects or ideas come unplanned because they are spontaneous and spontaneity brings forth powerful inspiration. So visit me at my blog and you'll be sure to see what I am up to at the moment, I would love to have you! 

If you can't get enough of Ashlie and her work be sure to subscribe to her blog and heart her on Etsy. She's a very busy bee, so you'll find new things on both sites very regularly!

Owl Things Considered

A while back Donkey & Friends' DIY lamps caught my attention. I really loved all their creatures, but the owl was my absolute favorite of course! So today, when it went on sale over at Fab I jumped at the opportunity and ordered one.

I'll have to assemble it myself when it arrives, but I'm looking quite forward to that. And though you can also use it purely for decoration, I will definitely use it as a lamp.

You can order one here if you want one as well, or you can get a fox, or a cat, or a bunny. And even a donkey or a penguin!

-You can also get them here at Etsy when the Fab deal ends!-

Plans & Goals: 2013

2012 was a year full of change, but I'm expecting 2013 to top that. I know it will be a busy year, and making a long list of plans will probably make that worse, but I also like to stay focused. So here we go:

• Move into my new -and very own!- place.
• Start painting again.
• Work on a larger stock for Etsy.
• And start offering subscriptions to monthly bookmarks.
• Make extremely healthy eating my new routine.
• Try my hand at baking bread.
• Make nice things with washi tape.
• Don't buy any skin care with any chemicals whatsoever. 100% natural as of 2013!
• Learn to clean up after myself more.
• Finally do some proper digital drawing.
• Get back into sewing on a machine.
• Read at least double the amount of books I read last year.
• Knit a summer project.
• Get an ice cream maker.
• Start a newsletter.
• Go on a nice vacation.
• Post more pictures on my blog again.

So what do you have planned?

In the Mail...

I love the wonderful vintage and handmade items Louise sent me! The buttons look so nice on those cards that I might have to hang them on my wall as they are. But I definitely will wear the jewelry!

If you're as smitten with that ship brooch as I am, you'll be pleased to find there's still one available in Louise's Etsy. The shop is full of vintage and nautical inspired jewelry by the way! And her blog is also worth a visit.

Thanks, Louise!

Spotted

To my surprise the sound of birds is still present this winter. Though some feathery friends have stayed throughout the cold, I can't say the same for other winged creatures. I miss them a bit, so I made a pretty collection of orange and blue monarch butterflies.

I am completely and utterly in love with these shoes. I love the print, the stunning colors and the amazing elegance.

Fused glass can be so mesmerizing and these butterfly wings definitely are.

Quite an afforable accessory for a wedding. But this clip seems wonderful for everyday use too.

I imagine wearing this Luly Yang dress might actually feel like one has just gotten out of a cocoon and turned into a genuine butterfly.

An original and, I assume, incredibly comfortable necklace.

Ever since I first joined Etsy I've been marvelling at this brooch. It's so beautiful! And available in lots of other colors too.

These earrings would look great with a long floral summer dress, don't you think?

This headband is a real eye catcher! I really love the casual placement of the butterflies.

If I ever find myself with extra time to kill, I might have to practise doing these nails.

Another pair of earrings! These are so cute and delicate!

And finally, some lovely fake ones to use for whatever project you choose.

Lovely Movies: the Tourist

When the Tourist first came out I was somewhat curious about it, that curiousity had faded, until yesterday evening when I found myself with nothing else to watch.

I used to be quite fond of Angelina in the olden days -think "Girl, Interrupted"- but as the hype around her looks got bigger, and she started taking advantage of that, I lost interest. In fact I found her ridiculous "sexy"-walk in this movie quite distracting.

And is it just me, or is the combination of two of, perhaps, the most famous and talked-about celebrities in Hollywood, so over the top that it is almost surreal?

But other than that I quite liked this film. The acting is pretty decent, and in Johnny's case very decent.
And I absolutely loved the ending. That alone made it well worth watching this.

Wishlist

I found the most perfect mug! It has the cutest print I've ever seen and it's also in the colors I'm using for my new place! I can totally see myself drinking my morning tea from it. Also, it looks like it's made for my blog, doesn't it?

These and other mugs are available at Jilly Bird.

Wise Words

 {picture from here - quote from Gandhi - merged by me}

Looking Back on 2012

It is not an understatement to say a lot happened this year. I did lots of things I didn't even dream of the year before. Let's take a look at some of the highlights!

• I went to Singapore! You can catch up on that adventure here.
• Made some lovely new friends, both on and offline.
• Found a new place to live.
• Knitted a few wonderful big projects with some new techniques (most of which I have yet to show you).
• Started learning needle felting, slide guitar and tarot.
• Became even more aware and passionate about environmental issues and going "green".
• Realised I wanted to read more. And I did.
• My music posts made place for Circle Songs.
• The blog had it's 3rd anniversary and it's 600th GFC and even 700th (combined) follower!

What were your favorite things of 2012?