Whooos the best?

I saw my sister Lauren today, and she gave me this beautiful owl bead she made....for no reason. It's not my birthday, it's not a holiday, I didn't have her over for dinner. What a nice surprise! Lauren has always been a great, generous sister, and she's a fabulous lampwork artist as well. You can check out her shop, Maybeads. Infact, if you want to see better pictures of her adorable critter beads (she has everything from owls to dogs, cats and turtles), you should definitely see her shop. Her husband takes professional photos of her beads. I had trouble getting a good shot of the intricate details with my small camera. This picture really doesn't do her work justice. THANKS LAUREN!!

Since I'm working on animals for my own shop, I might try owls next! In the meantime, here's a sneak peek at the turtle I'm working on now. Meet Scooter (named by my daughter Samantha).

BAM!

I love this picture my daughter drew a while back. I finally had a chance to work on it, and I was happy to have Sam help me with the colors. There were some things I needed clarifying too. I thought the dots were fireworks. When it was time to color them, she decided on white. That reminded me more of stars. But then, she told me it was confetti or the lights from a disco ball (no, we do not have a disco ball in our dining room, but what a great idea!). 

I also wasn't sure what the tall pillars were. I asked if they were candles or drinks. She said drinks and then she asked what color wine was. So, I gave us each a glass of red wine (why is his glass bigger than mine?).

Kids' art can be interpreted differently depending on the viewer, but it's always nice to hear what things are from the artists themselves.

Oh, and I'm planning on listing this one on etsy as well, so please check out my shop when you have a chance: 

We are a Family

What's that old saying...the cobbler's kids never have new shoes? Something like that right? Well, if I was a cobbler, my kids would be running around barefoot (ok, they do anyways). As it is, they have been lacking in the custom art area lately. I originally started turning Ethan's art into Raspberries, and even though he's been busy working on Pokemon battle drawings and a new comic  ("Hot Dog and the Stampede of Evil Popcorn" about a hot dog with super powers), I have thankfully saved much of his older work, when he was more into drawing girls, fairies and mermaids.

That being said, I haven't done nearly as much with Samantha's drawings (let's not even get into the issues of being the 2nd child!). And she has so many adorable drawings that have inspired me. I finally carved out some time to finish a piece she created a while back. I'm looking forward to doing more. : )

That Was Fast!

Thanks so much to everyone who entered my pig-naming contest. I love all of the names! It was hard for me to decide on a winner. Initially, I thought "Porkchop" has to be it. Then I changed my mind to "Magnum PIg." It seems to fit my pig perfectly, as he likes to do so many things and dress up in different outfits, just like a private investigator. The winner is Karen from Runs With Scissors!  Check out her shop when you have a chance. She chose the Hawaiian PIg as her prize.

I'm hoping to list Magnum PIg in my shop soon. I'll let everyone know through facebook, so if you're not linked to me there, you can do so here.

In the meantime, I'd love to hear what you want to see Magnum PIg doing next. My kids have come up with a bunch of things already, and I'd love to hear from you too!

Mighty Blackhawks!

When the Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup this year, many people went out and bought championship t-shirts. Here's a better way to commemorate the win. 7-1/2 year-old Luke made this great picture that his mom sent me to have enhanced and matted.

This Little Piggy Needs a Name

Introducing my new pig line! This little piggy can do anything: touch his toes, fly through the air, jumprope, juggle, dance...you name it! Speaking of "naming it," that's the one thing this pig does not have. A name! I'm looking for a name that will suit this pig in all of his adventures. He's ready to make his first appearance on etsy, but how do I introduce him without a name?Whomever comes up with the name I end up using will get an 8x10 matted print of their choice (choose from the pig pictures below).

Just comment here and let me know what you think he should be named. Remember to leave a way for me to contact you if your name is the chosen one!

If this doesn't make you smile....

I'm not sure what will! : )

Let's Get Personal

You've probably seen those cute pictures in some kids' rooms of their names in bubble letters decorated with dots, flowers, hearts, etc. You might have even had one in your own room as a child. Well, why not take that a step further and get even more personal? Have your child design the picture themselves. That's what Claudia did. I love how creative she got with her name. And below her picture are a couple done by her brothers, Ben and Owen. A family of artists!