Holiday Recipe card....They Draw and Cook.....

Way back when They Draw and Cook started I created a recipe postcard with my famous Guacamole recipe.....and now they have a special contest.....so I created this recipe card for some fun Holiday Cookies.....you can click on the photo above to get a closer look at the recipe card.....I have been watching Food Network for years now and I love it!!! so I just had to participate in this fun challenge......

They Draw and Cook Holiday Recipe Contest
$2,000 in cash prizes and 31 favorite recipes will be featured ONE per day on Food Network's blog - The FN Dish!!

1ST PRIZE $1,000 - announced on December 31
2ND PRIZE $500 - announced on December 30
3RD PRIZE $300 - announced on December 29
4TH PRIZE $200 - announced on December 28

You can learn more about the contest here.....

you can head to the FN Dish blog here ......

It was a lot of fun to just take the day off and work on this Recipe card.....I hope you all love it too!!!

Happy Tuesday!!!

On a packaging kick...free snowman box templates...and who and what inspired these....

I am working on all kinds of fun projects and took some extra time this weekend to make these special little boxes that I think would make cool place settings at a dinner party or house special little candy treats for guests as they leave....Imagine a bunch of these on a cool dessert table with all kinds of cake stands all in white.....or perhaps you can host a snowman building event in your backyard when it snows and give these out to all the people that participate....maybe use the snowballs to write 1st place, 2nd place, etc....

Anyways...you can head here to get your own free snowman box template so you can use these however you like....

Cole inspired these this week as he has been creating all kinds of fun snowmen lately....from cute cutout snowmen to special framed art pieces....

We were out an about shopping and found this cute toy shop that had these super cool pads of paper from Melissa & Doug....each page has a custom frame so your art is all ready for hanging....He is so cute when he draws....and my heart is filled when I see him enjoy what I am doing as a full time job....what a dream!!!

We are adding this to Sunday Sketches over at Sophia's blog...Blue Chair Diary

Illustration Friday - Savour...mmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmm good!

These sisters are always trying to make things taste better for their clients....When Emma, Rosie and Daphne get into the kitchen they always try new things....they want all of their clients to savour their food so today they are adding ground peanuts to their chili to add a subtle nuance that will affect the sense of taste.

Even Chef Robert Irvine makes Peanut Butter Chili..... who knew!!!

 

Wishing all of my amazing friends in the USA a very Happy Thanksgiving!!!

We celebrated our Thanksgiving in October...but I am Thankful each and every day...and I am so grateful to have met so many amazing blog friends...you really are amazing and I wish you and your families all the best as you celebrate Thanksgiving....

I am watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade.....and celebrating along with you...minus the Turkey...

Happy Thanksgiving!!!! Everyday should be thanksgiving...we have so much to be grateful for.......

Taking a drawing and turning it into a product.....

I love to draw up a lot of the stuff that becomes a 3d object....it is so much fun to see it on paper and then see it live....here are some snowman ornaments that I worked on for Christmas 2010....I have a thing for creating snowmen every year...so this cute one is the signature piece for 2010.....I would love to create keepsake ornaments for shops like Hallmark....

who knows maybe I will have a whole Annual line one of these years....it would be a dream come true.....

Next time you head out for some Holiday shopping look at all the cool things people created as an illustration before it ever became a product....everything out there was on paper at one time....a little seed of an idea...that either got approved and was mass produced or special art pieces that only had a limited run....either way I bet you have somethings special that was drawn up in the minds of some really neat Illustrators.....Technically....it is called Product Development.....and it is so much fun!!!!

I love drawing each and every day.....

Happy Creating!!!!

The fun of surface design.....and some really cool packaging.....

I love working on surface designs....you can create a few pieces and collage them together to make something totally new...or place them in a circle for a paper plate or in a line for some fun party napkins.....Above I have my initial sketch and then I took the piece and created some fun designs for paper surfaces...from scrap book pages to gift wrap....so much furn to create and change something in to many new things.....and just by changing the background you can achieve so many new looks.........

I also love looking at things in shops that use art for surface designs...from cards, to fabric to gift wrap and party supplies....it is always so much fun to see all the new designs that come out each year....and it is a wonderful market to get into....licensing art for surface designs.....so if you're into art or illustration you should think about whether or not licensing is a good fit for you.....

I also love packaging design....and a company that I really think is nifty creates the coolest boxes for their chipboard collections....K and Company has been creating neatest boxes filled with the cutest chipboard pieces that are double sided and glittered....I would love to work for K and Company designing these boxes and the wonderful fillings.....

I buy them and leave them in my studio for inspiration when it comes to packaging.....the Halloween one and the new Christmas one is my favorite.....

Well I am off to work on some more surface designs and some freebies for all of you....so thank you for popping by!!!!

Happy Creating!

More Spun Cotton work.....Meet Santa and The Dark Angel of Paris

I am having so much fun with this old art of Spun Cotton figures....these pieces are my latest creations....Santa bearing gifts and the Dark Angel of Paris....

I think they will look great propped on a glass ....or added to the Christmas tree with your ornaments.... Over 150 years ago in Germany cottage industries produced handmade ornaments spun from cotton. Each was unique. Later, the craft expanded to Occupied Japan and Russia. Today these ornaments are highly prized and collectible but little information is available about how they were made.

This is the way I think they were made...and I enjoy creating each piece.....

Happy Monday Everyone!!!! and thanks for popping by....I always love your visits here.....

New Custom Piece....Cottage Art ....the Moose.....

Hi Everyone....I have been a busy little bee working on all kinds of fun custom work....today I am sharing with you a piece I did on a slice of wood...this is a moose that will be heading to a cottage up North....it is done with my pyrography tools and is in a rustic style....This is my Sunday Sketch piece...if it's ok that I sketched with a wood burning tool.......

Well I am taking the day off to enjoy some time with family.....so back to the Studio bright and early tomorrow!!!

Have a wonderful day!

Illustration Friday - "Sneaky"

Marty would do anything to get into the tasty stash of cookies left out for Santa...so he hosted a craft night with all his friends and they created a really cool Santa mask.....

When the big night came....Marty used it to look just like Santa....and he headed out to get his treats.....

His plan worked!!!!

He was one sneaky mouse...and a very clever one at that......

Happy Friday !!!!

Would you rather be at the beach?

The weather is getting chillier here .....so I thought it would be a perfect time to show a piece inspired by the beach........another nod to the old 1950s pin ups....this is an ink and watercolour piece.....

This girl has the brightest red hair and tons of attitude....

The above image is another fan art piece I created as inspired by Illustrator Al Moore. I love taking a look at Illustrators from the past and how their surroundings and era directed their work.....pretty cool to take a look back in time.....

Moore was a busy illustrator from the 1940s to the late 50s, generating advertising, fashion, story art, and pin-ups. Covers for Saturday Evening Post and Collier's and interior work for these and Woman's Home Companion, American Magazine, Woman's Day, McCall's, Cosmopolitan. Ads for Hertz, Whitman's Chocolates, Ford, Camay, Nash, US Rubber, Coke, Old Gold, Botany. Replaced Vargas and Petty as Esquire's main pin-up man. Moore's girls are less glossy and impossible than those of his talented predecessors, being more girl-next door realistic and natural. He provided calendars for Esquire, Brown and Bigelow. Last illustrations for Pan Am and US Olympics.

Free Vintage inspired Santa Tags and some of my new cupcake toppers...

In the Spirit of giving I will be creating fun new freebies from now till the Holidays so be sure to pop back often ...These tags are inspired by my latest love for creating a lot of Vintage inspired pieces....I am also creating a variety of fun Christmas Cupcake toppers that will be in my shop from time to time...these little reindeer are so cute....I think this year we may be leaving Santa some cupcakes with his big glass of milk.....

Have a wonderful day and Happy Creating!!!!

When do you start your Holiday Decorating?

Introducing Emily....the main character in my latest picture book....and another Spun cotton Doll....

Thanks to all of you who visit my blog, my Facebook Fan Page , my twitter and all the children that did polls....Emily has been chosen...

It was so much fun to host a series of reviews on characters and see what everyone picked....

There were a few that were also very close...and I will have to use these as some of Emily's friends in the book....

Thank you so much...your input always makes my day and I am thrilled to hear from you all....so here she is...Emily.....

When you work in a Studio all day and sometimes in the wee hours of the night....it is nice that I get some visitors in this virtual world we call the world wide web....

So thank you!!!!!

I also finished a new Spun Cotton Figure....she is titled...Pink in Paris....and is so so cute!!! I took a bunch of fun photos with her and she is now heading to my Etsy Shop.....These Cotton Spun Pieces are so much fun to work on and I love that people appreciate this old art form and collect these pieces.....

I think I have some more inspiration for a new book.....more to come so keep you're eyes peeled!!!!

Happy Tuesday!!!!

Busy Bee of Paris....

I am having so much fun creating these vintage Spun Cotton figures....once you get into this art form you start thinking of all kinds of fun characters....and you know me and bees...so here is a special Busy Bee of Paris that is as sweet as can be........

I prop these up on glasses and things so they add a little touch of fun to a special vignette in any room....They will make you smile and remember a time when hand crafted vintage things were very special gifts.....

Over 150 years ago in Germany cottage industries produced handmade ornaments spun from cotton. Each one was unique. Later, the craft expanded to Occupied Japan and Russia. Today these ornaments are highly prized and collectible but little information is available about how they were made.

This is the way I think they were made...and I enjoy creating each and every piece.....

I hope you love this cute Busy Bee of Paris....She is off to my Etsy Shop....I sold my last two pieces....and I am thrilled to be shipped them all the way to California....they will be nice and warm down there!!!

Happy Monday!!!

The art of pop ups....wow!

I am always collecting cool pop up books...to me they are magical works of art...that come to life...and I could leaf through them over and over...and never ever tire of seeing the work....much like having a wonderful painting in your home that you never ever tire of....I share my pop ups but no one can ever really hold them ...I hold them and turn the pages...that is how much I love these works of art......pure magic....and pure happiness.....

Imagine what a dream it would be to work on one of these projects....I think it would be amazing.....

I think I need to add this to my bucket list.....

Meanwhile...check this out for some inspiration....

Illustration Friday - "burning"

As soon as I read the theme this week....and since it is breakfast time here...I immediately thought of something I hate...burning toast....

so I did a quick little 5 minute sketch and these guys came to life...

meet Sally the Toaster....she always thought way too hard when she was working and sometimes she really burned her friends Larry and Moe....needless to say it wasn't a good way to start the day.....but after some scrapping and a JAM session....things were back to normal....

Happy Friday Everyone!!!!

p.s. Illustrators....don't forget to start thinking about your 2011 Marketing ...you can have a jump start and get a really cool deal from this project!!!

A nod to the art of Spun Cotton Vintage Ornaments....

I recently learned how to make spun cotton ornaments and now I am addicted to created all kinds of these cute figures....I love this art....If you have collected these over the years you will know what I mean when I say it can be addicting....

Over 150 years ago in Germany cottage industries produced handmade ornaments spun from cotton. Each was unique. Later, the craft expanded to Occupied Japan and Russia. Today these ornaments are highly prized and collectible but little information is available about how they were made.

When I first learned this...I couldn't believe how hard it was to get the spun cotton to work with each doll....as I try more of these I am mastering this wonderful way to create some really cool keepsakes...I am creating these for a few local shops and I am also adding some to my Etsy shop...Imagine all the ideas you can come up with .... I have so many ideas for these cotton spun pieces....and I love adding some vintage papers and vintage faces to the mix.....

I just love thinking about all the people back then that felt the need and had the inspiration to create....it just makes me smile!!!!

Happy Friday!!!

Let us all Remember .....

In Flanders Fields
By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)
Canadian Army

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.







May we all take a moment and remember those that gave their lives so that we could all be free....

My latest inspiration.....I wonder what these will turn out to be....

I found these amazing cute little bird cages and was immediately inspired by them...today I am working on some of my bird cages and will show you what I come up with once I am happy with the results....I have so many ideas for these....

What do you think I will make with these?

I also made these yummy baked eggs...they were so good....I highly recommend this as a nice late breakfast or a nice quick lunch....

I took two baking dishes...buttered the dishes...added two eggs in each dish...
some salt and pepper....cut cherry tomatoes....cheddar cheese, a little milk, salt and pepper and a drizzle of taco sauce on mine.....then some chopped scallions over the eggs and everything....served it with some yummy bread and it was delish!

If you want to do this for a brunch you can use a larger dish and try this recipe out too....This recipe is from Foodnetwork ....A quick and easy egg dish from Roger Mooking that's great for brunch, or breakfast-for-dinner.

Ingredients

* 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
* 1 small shallot, thinly sliced
* 8 fresh eggs, room temperature
* 1 plum tomato, seeded and finely diced
* 1 tablespoon butter
* 1/3 cup 35% cream
* salt and pepper
* 1/2 bunch chives, finely sliced
* 4 slices of toast


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Divide vegetable oil and shallots evenly among four oven proof wide-mouthed
ramekins.
3. Gently crack 2 eggs per ramekin.
4. Top eggs evenly with tomato, butter and cream.
5. Season with salt and pepper, place in oven for approximately 8-10 minutes
until whites of egg have set.
6. Remove from oven and garnish with chives, serve immediately with toast.

Twas the Month before Chirstmas....what a cute collection....

oh wow...time sure does fly when you're having fun!!!

Pretty soon it will be time to deck the halls .....and bake some yummy treats...

I just got a lovely note from the Shop Owner over at totally legal pot

She curated this fun Collection that will get everyone in the mood for the holidays....

She was sweet enough to include my snowman dried gourds....



Pop by and show us some love....head here....