Flashback Friday

It has been rainy and yucky here the last two days, so I haven't been able to get any new pictures. I thought I would show you some of my "older" pieces that have been in my archives. Let's call it Flashback Friday, and I think I'll do it for at least a few weeks. I've got 10 years worth of art pieces!

I started this piece in 2001, I think. It was big, and very heavy! I think it ended up being 5 feet high. It was my first attempt at mixed-media mosaics. It ended up being on the cover of a local newspaper magazine, and I sold it the very next day. "Love" is one of my all-time favorites...

I made this mixed-media mosaic mirror last year. A daddy had me make it for his daughter. He was very specific in all the things he wanted incorporated. I thought it was so sweet for a father to go to all that trouble for his daughter. It was one of my favorite custom orders ever, because he spent a lot of time thinking about it.

This is one of my mosaic panels that was custom made for some friends in 2007. I think it measures about 5 feet across and about 2 feet high. There are lots of handcut tiles in there, mirror, glass beads, pebble rock, and paint. I love how it turned out.

Don't forget to enter my contest here. I'll be drawing a name Monday morning. Have an awesome weekend!

Peanuts, anyone?

A couple of my friends got a strange message from me on their answering machines yesterday.
It went something like this:
"If and when your children put a peanut up their nose, feel free to call me for advice."

After trying all the google inspired methods (which didn't work), a trip to the pediatrician's office (which didn't work) an Ears, Throat and Nose doctor successfully removed the peanut!

Apparently getting peanuts stuck up your nose is not an uncommon event. Who knew?...

Fabric Cards

These cards will be in my etsy shop soon. They are hand-made with paper and fabric, and sewn on a sewing machine. Some people use them as cards, some people have been framing them as little pieces of art. They are $3.50 each.

Happy Hump Day y'all...it's a beautiful day!

Ballerina Girl

Hi there Cheri! This one's for you...:)

...and Hi everyone else too! Dance has always been a large part of my life, so I didn't consider it bribery to promise my 2 year old ballet lessons if she stopped wearing pull-ups. She is OFFICIALLY potty-trained (YAY), so I signed her up for dance lessons today. Now get this...her teacher (who will be her first obviously), well, I was her first dance teacher. Does that make sense? It makes me feel old!:)

This ballerina piece will go in Ava's room, but I'm thinking of making lots more. I love the silhouette, and it could have many different themes with different silhouettes. I'm thinking:

• gymnast
• soccer player
• musical instruments (guitar, harp, etc.)
• baby boy or girl (with binky silhouette)
• holidays (like a bunny with "Happy Easter" for example)

Ok, you get the drift. Now I only need about 6-8 more hours in the day!

Scroll down and enter the give-away. No, you do not have to have a blog to enter. As long as you have an email address where I can contact you, feel free to leave a comment. Good luck:)

A Give-Away and Shameless Promotion

I promised some pictures of our precious baby, AKA Dimples Jackson. This baby is so happy and sweet. He loves life!

And we love him! Some days I think I'm just going to eat him up!

I hope everyone had a great weekend. We BBQ'ed with neighbors, went to Ashton's soccer game, and Mike went surfing while we were at church. Logan got to go to Monster Jam with his Grandpa, and I must say, I am not sorry I missed that. :) I spent a frustrating 2-3 hours today trying to solder some new pendants, but they are unfortunately not etsy-worthy. I will be working on that this week.

So...here is the give-away and shameless promotion part:

If you win, you get to pick out an 8 x 8" print, a 4 x 4" print in a cute little frame, and a magnet, all from my updated Etsy shop. That's a fun deal! Any prints you want!

So, how do you play? There are a few ways to enter.

1. You can go to my Etsy shop and check it out, come back here and leave a comment on what you would pick if you win.

2. Become one of my followers. (If you are already a follower, I will automatically enter your name once.)

3. Buy something from the Etsy shop.

4. Go to my website shop and check it out, come back here and leave a comment on what your favorite item is.

5. Order something from my website shop.

6. Send a friend over here...

Whew...now anytime you do any of these six things, I will enter your name again! So you've got lots of chances to win!:) Enter six times if you want to! I know there is some pretty shameless promotion going on here, but that's okay, right?;)

I will close comments on Monday, February 1st. Thanks in advance for playing.

I'll be back on Tuesday with some new art pictures.

xo,

Chrissie

Heart with Wings

Hey everyone...This is my heart with wings. I painted the words as they came to me, no rhyme or reason, just what felt right.

I will be loading up my shops this weekend and on Monday I'll be having a pretty nice give-away! So make sure you have a great weekend, and then check back so you can enter the contest.

By the way, my itty bitty baby is 6 months old today! (insert weeping...)It is going toooooooo fast! I want to slow it down. I will be taking some photos of my little Jax this weekend, so I'll be sharing those next week too.

Brrrrrrrrrr....

Can you say freezing? We're not snowed under, but it's 30 degrees here in Central Florida. Which means hats, and gloves, and lots of layers. I wish there was snow to go with it!

I've been working on lots of goodies for my etsy shop. I found these 4 x4 " frames and I've been filling them with the She Said series. I'll let you know as soon as I update the shop.

These are some beautiful magnets I'm having made. They measure 2 1/2 x 2 1/2" and have a nice quarter inch acrylic base. They are heavy duty and very well made. They will be in the shop update too!

Side view of the magnets...

A new painting just for mommy's. It measures 12 x 12 and is handpainted on scrapwood. I used a beautiful scrapbooking paper for the flowers.

And some "bling"...It is sealed with a glossy varnish and ready to hang!

I want to share with you one of my favorite poems. I've always loved poetry and this poem comes from one of my favorite books: Claiming the Spirit Within.

I Stop Writing the Poem

to fold the clothes. No matter who lives

or who dies, I'm still a woman.

I'll always have plenty to do.

I bring the arms of his shirt

together. Nothing can stop

our tenderness. I'll get back

to the poem. I'll get back to being

a woman. But for now

there's a shirt, a giant shirt

in my hands, and somewhere a small girl

standing next to her mother

watching to see how it's done.

- Tess Gallagher

Daddy's Little Princess

Sorry for the shabby photos. I was trying to get the shot on the lavendar walls, but it seems like I have much more luck taking photos with natural light outside.

Anyway, this fun little painting has hearts collaged around the border and the edges are painted with lots of pretty polka dots! It measures 12 x 12" and it'll be listed in my shop later today.

Speaking of Daddy's Little Princess, look what I found yesterday:

It had gotten eerily quiet. Mom's of two year olds know this...Quiet usually means Trouble!

I called out to her, "Ava, what are you doing?" and I heard "I'm doing make-up Momma!" The make-up was my box of glitter and embossing powder. All 10 bottles that I had were dumped out on the carpet and being used as "make-up". Let me tell you, it was not easy to clean up!

Do you other mom's document your children's naughty moments? I think in a few years I may have enough to make a whole photo album worth LOL

Have a great day, and stay warm, wherever you are!

Fly Free

Here's my favorite new piece I've made lately. I love the combination of blue and orange!

I made the letters out of newspaper. I love the different textures going on...

The butterfly is cut out of plywood again for a 3D effect. I made the (antlers?) out of wire.

Great way to use scraps of scrapbooking paper. Love all these colors!

Side view. I think it's really important that the sides look good too.

Are y'all freezing where you are? It's cold and windy here in Florida. I took the kids to the park this afternoon and we had to leave after 30 minutes...everyone's little nosies were red and lips were getting chapped. Sunny but too cold for us floridians!

Have a great weekend everyone. I'll be back on Monday with some more art:)

Oh, Honey!

This piece measures 16 x 24". It's pretty big! The flower is cut from scrap plywood and then placed on top of the background. I love the 3D effect. I am working on my new website and etsy shop and hope to reveal everything by February 1st. This will be in my new shop.

Ok, so everyone is playing the old meme 10 things about me. I wasn't officially tagged, but I thought I'd play too!

1. I didn't touch caffeinated drinks for about 10 years. Since having baby #4, I can't get through the day without morning coffee! I love Starbucks drinks, but make it a treat. We make a pot in the morning and I fill up my cup with lots of flavored creamer and sugar.

2. I graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelors Degree in Art Education. I only taught for 2 years before I started working from home. I liked teaching, but childcare became too expensive. Now I love being a SAHM.

3. We are doing Dave Ramsey's financial plan. I can't wait to finish!!

4. I have known most of my best friend's since either elementary or middle school.

5. I don't drink. My biggest form of relaxation is either a hot bath or some artmaking!

6. I watch the Hills, the City, and Real Housewives. I know, I know...

7. I get excited for church, but have a hard time waking up early to do my devotions. I need to work on this one!

8. If you would have asked me 10 years ago how many children I'd end up having, I never would have imagined this many!:) But I love it and I wouldn't have it any other way.

9. I dream a lot of owning a brand new house with 6 bedrooms, a fireplace, hardwood floors, and a large studio in the back.

10.I consider myself very blessed to have my husband. He balances me out...and I love to laugh with him.

Ok, consider yourself tagged. Let me know if you play!

Name Art

I made these last week for some twin girls who turned nine. The sisters look exactly alike but are as different as night and day. You can tell that by the colors they wanted me to use!
Devyn is a girly-girl...

And Hanna is into skulls and rocker stuff...

I used scrap wood, paint, decoupaged a 3-D star, a little mosaic, scrapbooking paper, and hung the back with hooks and wire. Great gifts for girls who are in the third grade-dontcha think?

On another note, we've had a little bit of a cold front here in Florida. My kids actually had to wear (gasp!) jackets this morning. On the way to Preschool this morning, my 2 year old said "Momma, is it Winter now?" and when I told her "yes", she said "I think it will snow tonite!" Hmmm, that would be close to a miracle!