Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Some of my last projects for 2010....where has the year gone?

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oh wow!!! as 2010 winds down I have been working on my Business Planning for 2011 and also organizing and updating my Studio....and you know I have to do some fun stuff as the year winds down...so I just finished up a few cool necklaces ....these were fun to paint and create....
all necklaces

now I also have to take a look at 2010 and see what I have learned and much like they walk down the path at the end of Survivor and place things in the fire...I will do the same as I learn from the year and put away things and start all fresh for 2011....I always look forward to a new start...a clean slate.....

are you making a master plan for 2011? Much like this butterfly my focus and overlying theme for 2011 will be transformation....a theme I go to every few years....it really helps to allow for change and growth....

bytterfly3

Monday, December 27, 2010

Illustration Friday on a Monday....Winter!!!

winter skating Bryant Park

skates

skating dog

skating cat 2

snowmanscene

The Best Part about Winter is the Snow and ICE!!!! Skating outdoors and making snowmen....oh what fun....oh and it also is nice that Christmas happens in the winter....it wouldn't be the same without a nice white blanket of snow......
These are my submissions to IF this week since the theme is Winter and I love Winter!!!!!

Friday, December 24, 2010

The traditions started...and now we wait for the big day....Merry Christmas Everyone!!!!

December 23th 2010 Angel
Hi Everyone....it is amazing how quickly time flies....hard to imagine that Christmas is already here.....wow!!!!

I would like to wish you and your families all the best during the Holidays....your friendships and visits have been so welcoming and warm and I am ever so grateful to have met so many amazing people through blogging......

May you all enjoy each and every moment of this Magical time and share in old traditions and create new ones that many can pass down and enjoy for years to come......I wish you all Happiness and Health and Prosperity....and may you all enjoy the true meaning of this amazing time of year....


I created this special Angel to send you all blessings during the holidays and throughout 2011....

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!!!!


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Cole and I started a tradition his first Christmas....we bake together....now that he is older he is my sous chef and he loves to help make these yummy treats for our family and for Santa !!!

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Here are some of our yummy creations....

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Vanilla and spicy Christmas trees....and below...some chocolate thumbprint cookies with peppermint chocolate ganache and crushed candy canes....yummy!!!!

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and you know how much Cole and I love snowmen...so this is our new snowman cookie design for 2010....

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some Anise gifts....my favorite recipe I came up with............

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my spicy gingerbread cookies......

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and this special plate I made for Cole on his first Christmas....we use it each year for Santa's treats!!!!
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and one more of our traditions is to head over to a park that is lit up!!! We have been going for years now...and it is always fun to sip hot drinks and walk around and see all the cool lights and decorations.....

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and how can you get even more Canadian....with one of these cool Moose....all decked out for the holidays too!!!!

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and Santa and his reindeer are all ready for the big night!!!!
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Thursday, December 23, 2010

I'm dreaming of a ........Nautical Christmas...???

coastal snowwoman


coastal snowman


coastal palm tree


coastal seagull


nautical lifesaver


nauticalchristmas tree2


nauticallighthouse


sunning santa


surfer santa


I worked on a whole series of fun pieces for Holiday Greeting cards....the theme was all about a Sea Side Christmas...and these are some of my roughs for the project....I love the sandman and sandlady.....and Surfer Santa is another one of my favorites....what about you?

are you dreaming of a Nautical Christmas?

What are some of your favorites from this bunch?

Happy Holidays!!!!

We will start our Holiday Baking later today!!! and I always love playing Christmas songs and making all kinds of fun treats we can share with our family and friends....have you started your baking yet?

What are some of your favorite Holiday Treats?

I love all the wonderfully decorated Christmas cookies...they are like little gifts!!! and who knew I would love art on my food too!!! 

Have a wonderful day!!!!!

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

do you like nutcrackers?

the nutcracker

I have never been a fan of these decorated men called nutcrackers....but after some time and seeing my Mother in Law's collection they seem to have grown on me....Each one is so different in design and colour....and they have their own personality....then I saw these huge ones on my trip to NYC a few weeks ago and it inspired this piece....
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I was going to create these guys all in white so when I print them they I would be able to add some glitter for fun....but I ended up going in the traditional Christmas colours of green and red.....

Do you like these? do you collect or own any?

There is not much information on these pieces...only the two act ballet....here is a little blurb about the show from Wikipedia......
The Nutcracker  is a two-act ballet, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The libretto is adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann's story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King". It was given its premiere at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg on 18 December 1892, on a double-bill with Tchaikovsky's opera, Iolanta.
Although the original production was not a success, the twenty-minute suite that Tchaikovsky extracted from the ballet was. However, the complete Nutcracker has enjoyed enormous popularity since the mid-20th century and is now performed by countless ballet companies, primarily during the Christmas season, especially in the U.S Tchaikovsky's score has become one of his most famous compositions, in particular the pieces featured in the suite.Among other things, the score is noted for its use of the celesta, an instrument that the composer had already employed in his much lesser known symphonic ballad The Voyevoda. Although known primarily as the featured solo instrument in the "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" from Act II of The Nutcracker, it is also employed elsewhere in the same act.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Some free gift tags for all of my wonderful blog friends....Happy Holidays!!!

snowman gift labels-blog

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Hi Everyone....I have been getting into a lot of fun projects for the Holidays and attending all kinds of fun parties and events...so in the Spirit of the Season I created some freebies for all of you....you can print these out and cut them and add them to all of your gifts...from cookies to presents to bottles of wine....

just click on the pictures above and you will head to a PDF that you can save and print to your hearts content!!!

Hope you have a wonderful Holiday Season!!!!

Friday, December 17, 2010

IF - Mail ....Mice on ice with Sammy the Bluebird and their Mail to Santa.....and our Angel has his first school play........

mice on ice letter


Here is a piece I finished tonight....Mice on Ice.....I am all about the skating these days and as you can see what you have on your mind...comes out on paper when you're an illustrator.....hope you love these cute little mice and Sammy the Bluebird.....they are all ready for the Holidays.....they are ready to mail their letters to Santa!!!! My IF piece for this week...the theme is mail.....

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Cole had his first ever school play and it was so so sweet!!! he played an Angel in the Nativity and recited a sweet little song....It melted my heart as anything with him involved does.....I am so blessed to be a Mom and so blessed to share in these moments that take my breath away....

my heart grows bigger with each new experience with Cole......

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I am so grateful each and every day......
Happy Holidays!!!!!

oh and every year I add this link....you will be singing this song all day!!! Have a wonderful day!!!!


and since the song is all about Santa....some photos from our visits with Santa this year....

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Cole and Santa 2010 blog


and one of the biggest Gingerbread cookies ever...lol

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Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Skating at Rockefeller Center and Bryant Park inspired my little skating kitty....

skating cats together

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I love everything about skating outside...so much fun to be outdoors on ice...so after the trip to NYC and experiencing the outdoor skating at Bryant Park and Rockefeller Center I created a whole bunch of cute characters on ice....the first piece is this little skating kitty.....

My question to you is does she look better with the pink accents or the orange???

Thanks for your help!!!!

Wishing you a wonderful day!!!!

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This "odd couple" of skating cats is my entry to Three Muses this week....

Sunday, December 12, 2010

What do you think Santa is watching?

santa


I just worked on the finished Santa sketch and thank you all for the feedback and ideas for shows that should be on his TV....so here are some of the shows Santa will be watching this season.....what do you think ? Here are all of the pieces finished with different TV shows....These are submitted as my Sunday Sketches...

Food Network - Diners Drive-ins and Dives....

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It's a Wonderful Life......

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How the Grinch Stole Christmas......

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Hot Vacation Spots.......

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Frosty the Snowman.....

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The Young and the Restless......

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What do you think Santa will be watching????

Have a wonderful day!!!!
 
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