Something new...Thursday Cupcake Topper Fun....Free for my sweet blog friends!!!

I will be creating some fun cupcake topper art weekly that you can use for your personal parties for free........so if you have any special requests....send them my way....This week...I create this fun little dog with a party hat.....so just head here and save a copy for your next party.....and if you do create these please show me a photo!!! love seeing all of your cupcake parties!!!

Pop back next week and I will give you some details of how I make my toppers....

Happy Creating!!!!

The last day of school...wow

Today is all about our little munchkin Cole....it is his last day of School....I can't believe how quickly his first year in Junior Kindergarten went....it was so much fun to see him excited about school and creating things...I have a special box where I have placed all of the amazing things he has made this year....and I wanted today to be all about him and his wonderful work throughout the school year....he is reading books now and writing and he loves to do homework each and every night....what a sweet little man.....

I am getting him a special cake for tonight and making him a little after School party to celebrate!!!! but I want to share some of my favorite pieces from the year with you!!! so please enjoy !!!!

Sunday Sketches turned into a keepsake for my cousins....

What an amazing weekend....this weekend my cousin got married and it was an entire weekend of fun.....They had an amazing Wedding and I wanted to make them a special keepsake so in the wee hours of the morning I sketched and painted them this painting.I presented it to them today at the After Party Luncheon.....

I hope they love it!!!!

As I worked on this sketch today I am submitting this as my Sunday Sketch also....

We wish them all the best as they start a whole new journey together!!!! Congratulations David and Marianne!!!!

Happy Sunday!!!! So tired from all the amazing festivities...now time for a nap!!!!

Sweet Saturdays week #013 - come join in the fun!

Hi Everyone!!! and welcome to week # 013 of Sweet Saturdays.....Sweet Saturdays is all about blogging about something sweet in your lives...it could be art, illustrations, food or a sweet photo....or a sweet find in your favorite shop...so create your blog post and pop back and share your link with all of us....

So welcome and we look forward to seeing your posts.....
Happy Saturday!!!!

A little early.....but it is "jam" packed.....Illustration Friday...Paint Party Friday...Sweet Saturdays week #013....

In light of the wonderful season of Strawberries right now I decided that all of my submissions this week would be created with a nod to the wonderful Berries we pick each year...so here we go!!!!

Illustration Friday.....theme "Launch"

Paint Party Friday.....Painted Rocks and a watercolour piece.....

and finally Sweet Saturdays....week # 013

my favorite thing to do with fresh picked Strawberries....making my Strawberry lemon layer cake...yummmy.....I will post the recipe on Sweet Saturdays this weekend!!!

<a href="http://dianaevans.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" width="190" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5268/5581699725_e0497f37c3_o.jpg" height="190" /></a><br />

So pop back here Saturday to share your Sweet Saturday link....

Happy Creating Everyone!!!

Sangria.....made 5 bottles worth of this stuff at our party this weekend...it was so good!

Diana's Sangria......

1 bottle good Spanish red wine.....I also like to make this with a nice Zinfandel....I love to use Beringer 2009 California White Zinfandel....yummy!!!
1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
2 ripe nectarines pitted and sliced into wedges
1 lime sliced
1 orange sliced
1/2 cup red raspberries
1/2 cup slice fresh strawberries

Place everything in a pitcher and let stand over night....Once your guests arrive pour in carbonated juice or soda water and enjoy! I like to add carbonated real orange juice....like President's Choice 100% Sparkling Fruit Juice-Orange Tangerine it is made with real juice and has no refined sugars....to me adding sugar just doesn't seem right....just adding good quality fruit is perfect!!!

This is one of my favorite ways to drink wine al fresco!!!

Enjoy!!!

Happy Father's Day!

Wishing my amazing Father a wonderful Father's Day ....he was my inspiration when I was growing up....he is the reason I started to paint as a child and I am forever grateful to him for showing me how to create things and weld metal sculptures...he can turn any idea you throw at him into a live project and have it done super quick....he is the greatest Dad and also my best friend....I feel truly blessed to have him in our lives.....

I also want to remember my amazing Father in Law who passed away....he was always a huge supporter of my work too....and he always made me laugh....You will forever be in our hearts and we think about you every day!!!

and finally....to my Dearest Husband....who makes me cry with Happiness when I see him with our munchkin Cole....he learned from the best and I love that he is such an amazing Dad.....I especially cry when I see him reading my books to our son!! what a dream.....

and to all of you out there....I wish you a Happy Father's Day....near or far....here or in heaven...you are all cherished...always!!!!

Sweet Saturdays week #012

Hi Everyone!!! and welcome to week # 012 of Sweet Saturdays.....Sweet Saturdays is all about blogging about something sweet in your lives...it could be art, illustrations, food or a sweet photo....or a sweet find in your favorite shop...so create your blog post and pop back and share your link with all of us....

This week I thought I would create a sweet illustration ...with none other than my favorite insect...the honey bee.....as most of you know I create a lot of bee art....and I even have a bee tattoo that I illustrated for my tattoo artist....it is one of the bees I have on my blog's background.........

So I wish you all the best today and always and may you have a Sweet Saturday and a Sweet Father's day tomorrow....now say hello in the comments and please leave your Sweet Saturday link below.....

Paint Party Friday .....a few pugs

Hi Everyone....Firstly I would like to thank you all for the kind words last week...you really made my day....I spent some time away and have come back inspired and ready for just about anything....

This week for PPF I am sharing a few custom pug watercolours I worked on this week...

The colours are very subdued and very different from my usual work...

They are picked to fit with the clients decor....so I hope they are a hit.....

I hope you enjoy these...

Happy Friday Everyone....and please pop back for Sweet Saturdays and share some sweet art with us!!!!

Garden and Butterflies oh my....do you garden?

Hi Everyone...I am so happy when I am in my gardens....I love to grow things that look beautiful, have a purpose and things that we can eat....I think the best feeling is just heading outside and working in the garden...so much to see and so inspiring....

I have several gardens....flower ones....annuals, perennials, and a vegetable garden...This year I am growing the following in my vegetable garden....Vintage purple tomatoes, grape tomatoes, yellow sweet tomatoes, peppers, jalapenos, garlic planted on Thanksgiving day last year, herbs....like lavender, Tarragon, Lemon Thyme, Dill, Cilantro, Rosemary, strawberries and broccoli.....and some flowers around the border of my vegetable garden.....I will take some photos and show you the growth this summer.....

Today I snapped these cool shots of my cosmos...so I had to share them....I also did an illustration of a butterfly for all of you...Wishing you a wonderful day filled with warm weather and lots to see and enjoy.....

Happy Wednesday!!!

Hugs
Diana

I'm back from a little escape...with a whole new perspective.....

I spent a few days away with family and it was just what I needed....some time to just un-plug and re-evaluate the important things in life.....so this is just what I did....by the water all weekend....I feel much much better now and am ready to tackle just about anything that life may throw our way.....The only thing I painted when I was at the cottage was my room...and it was a lot of work...three coats of paint...and now a serene and pretty place to just get away.....


Lastnight was the first night I got back to my art....and this is the first thing that popped into my head....a ballet dancing bee....of all things....I guess I merged my love of bees with my love of ballet...and voila....Stacie came to life....she loves to work and dance on the job...hovering from flower to flower with her pirouettes...and pointy toes.....

I just want to thank you all for the wonderful messages of support and kindness...your friendships really touch my heart and I am so grateful to have met you all.....

This is a photo on our lake...where I get away and most times create work for my picture books.....below is a flower I had to share with you....since bees remind me to take care of my plants...and flowers are so beautiful...so I took a shot of these....

and here are a group of dancing bees....they will hang in my Studio and remind me to dance and to enjoy life....we have limited time for everything so I will be trying to cram extra stuff into my life.......

wishing you all a wonderful day....may the bees dance for you and may you always be aware of the amazing things in your lives!!!!

Happy Tuesday!!!

Sweet Saturdays week #011 - come join us!

Hi Everyone!!! and welcome to week # 011 of Sweet Saturdays.....Sweet Saturdays is all about blogging about something sweet in your lives...it could be art, illustrations, food or a sweet photo....or a sweet find in your favorite shop...

This week I thought I would share with you one of my favorite fruits....and a a sweet place I love to eat at.....and another things I love....trees....

so let me begin with my favorite fruit....can you guess what this is???? I could eat 10 of these a day!!! very yummy......

one of our favorite bistros.... this is Bistro Six-One in Niagara on the Lake....a great place we love to go to whenever we can..... and the food is so good here....We had a variety of yummy treats here....we started with this appetizer......

BISTRO ANTIPASTO Dried Sausage/Salami/Prosciutto Ham/Aged White Cheddar/Grilled Peppers

and shared these two dishes....


POTATO BACON Wood Fired Pizza.... Potatoes/Bacon/Caramelized Onions/Truffle Oil/
Mozzarella/Mushroom Sherry Cream Sauce

DELMONICO STEAK & FRITS 12 oz. Rib Eye Steak/Fresh Cut Fries/Tomato

Here is my little munchkin by a very old tree .....just the size of it makes me happy....Imagine all that this tree witnessed...amazing!!!!

Wishing you all a very sweet weekend....may you enjoy special moments with your families and friends...and may you remember to always be grateful....

Hugs
Diana

Share something sweet with us ....add your link here!!!!

Paint Party Friday - and Illustration Friday....The little bird and .....by the sea.......

I am feeling a little lost these days......so I am sorry I haven't popped in to see you all lately....there have been some deaths in the family and I feel like I just need a breather.....so that is exactly what I am doing....taking a breather and limiting my time on the computer....I need to get back on track and start moving ahead with many of my dreams.....so some time to re-fresh and re-focus is much needed....I have a book I need to finish that I wrote last year...and it is such a great story that I will turn into my next picture book...so this will be my focus once I get back on track....

This week I did the bird piece above as a warm up piece....something not planned...just went with the flow of things.......I am submitting it and my painting below to Paint Party Friday and Illustration Friday this week....She looks swept away in her own world...just like me right about now....

Wishing you all the best as you create and I hope to get back into the groove of things soon!!!

This is a special painting I did for my Brother and my Sister-in-Law.....they are as sweet as can be and I love creating art for them....this piece is a seaside escape....an ink and watercolour.....


I also love being close to any water body....a river, a lake the sea ....funny how we are all drawn to water in a special way.....maybe this is what I need.... a little seaside escape.....

Have a wonderful day!!!

Happy 12th Anniversary !!! My Sunday Sketch .......

Hi Everyone and Happy Sunday.....Twelve years ago today I married the man of my dreams...and he still makes each and every day amazing.....I feel very blessed ......Happy Anniversary Brad!!!

I created this little piece for my sweetie.....and am submitting it to Sunday Sketches this week.....Our little family....Brad , Diana & our munchkin Cole.....

Happy Creating Everyone!!!!

Sweet Saturdays week #010 - come join in the fun.....

Hi Everyone!!! and welcome to week # 010 of Sweet Saturdays.....Sweet Saturdays is all about blogging about something sweet in your lives...it could be art, illustrations, food or a sweet photo....or a sweet find in your favorite shop...

This week I thought I would share a little Illustration montage I created about one of my favorite summer time sweets...ice cream....We love to sit on our patio al fresco and enjoy a nice cool treat or at our favorite ice cream parlour....

I also thought I would show you a project I worked on this past week for a special Birthday party...these toppers will be added to some yummy sweet cupcakes at a very cute Birthday party.....

Custom designed a little treat for my client too as a little surprise........a set of Birthday stickers I designed....

Well here is where you all add your sweet links...so please leave me a comment and add your link to our list....we all want to see the Sweet Saturday posts you have...

Paint Party Friday....who doesn't love their four legged friends....

I have been blessed to have some amazing clients and working on special keepsakes for them really makes me feel like I am leaving a mark in the world....so even when I am long gone my paintings,  my art, my picture books and all the things that come out of my Studio will be floating around family collections...and I always imagine what they would say many years from now........

This week for Paint Party Friday I am sharing this ink and watercolour Custom Commission I created for a very special daughter of one of my clients....this will be part of her Birthday gift and I hope it brings her joy to get a painting of her special four legged friend......








Wishing you all a very creative and wonderful week....

Happy Friday Everyone!!!