what i've been working on...

the word of the day is: earrings.  i've been making earrings like nobody's business lately, and i love that the stud earrings i've been making for my shop allow me to use such a wide variety of stones.  the newest earrings include pyrite, black quartz, and chrysocolla.  and aside from that i've been working on watercolor portraits and a 2013 calendar for my art shop!

maybe the biggest and most exciting bit of news (for me at least) is that two of my prints were featured on design*sponge on monday!  AAAHHHHH!!!!!  so that's about it ;)  what have you been working on?  or do you have plans to start on a special project soon?  i always love to know what other people are working on or have made!

also, don't forget to enter the TUMBLEWEEDS SUNGLASSES GIVEAWAY because a winner will be chosen on monday!  and second, be sure to sign up for the SOUTHERN BLOGGER MIXER happening on october 20th in chattanooga, tn, because i'd love to meet you!

what i've been working on...

lately i've been up to my elbows, almost literally, in paint, paper, and eraser dust, and i love it!  i just don't know if i can put into words how honored and excited i am each time someone buys a little piece of my art, and even more so when someone wants a custom portrait!  that feeling never gets old.  so here's a peek at a few things i've been working on the last two weeks...

do you recognize the sunglasses in the last picture?  i'm constantly amazed and inspired by my friend beca from tumbleweeds, so if you didn't know, they're tumbleweeds sunnies, and they're being used on tumbleweeds product tags!  also, if you look in my sidebar you'll find a discount code to her shop.

i have a few other ideas for watercolor paintings and ink drawings that i'm trying really hard not to forget, so hopefully i'll be able to sneak in some time to work on those between a family picnic, helping my sister with her wedding preparations, and taking a quick beach trip later this month!

have you been working on anything new lately, artsy or otherwise?

stars, stripes, sales

i just wanted to do a quick post to let you know about two pretty exciting things.  the first - most exciting of all - is the fact that WE HAVE POWER!!!  chris and i had fun living in the camper and eating sandwiches and grapes (and we even talked about how we wish we could do that on a more long term basis and live like gypsies), but it's nice to have running water and air conditioning again.

second, i haven't given too much thought to what i'd blog about once the power was back on, but one thing i wanted to share was a little sale i'm having for the rest of the week in my art shop...

from now through sunday night (because let's face it, monday really begins a new week) get 10% off your order - whether it's one item or twenty - by using the coupon code STARSSTRIPESSALE in my art shop Girl + Parrot!  and yes, the discount even applies to the custom watercolor family portraits!

so happy independence day american friends, and happy hump day everyone else!

feathers

uhhhmmmm, i didn't really know what to blog about today. i always like to have a few days or even a week of posts planned out, but sometimes that just doesn't happen. so how about if i show you what i worked on this weekend?

since chris left at about 6am on saturday morning and wouldn't be back until shortly before i went to bed, i knew i had the house to myself and could really spread out (translation: make a huge mess of supplies) and listen to the grease soundtrack all day long! in addition to doing my usual boring cleaning, i knew i wanted to play around with watercolors. i kind of liked the way the one feather turned out, so i tried to make pretty much the same feather, but with different colors. i've never been very good with watercolors, but i still enjoy painting from time to time!

i've also been air plant farming. i have a little collection of several air plant species that i've been watering and sunning just waiting to get babies and blooms! this weekend i decided to use some of the plants and stones to make these babies. i guess plants are the big home thing right now because i've been seeing them used in the most creative ways, so i figured i'd have a little fun with them as well!

i guess that's all i've got for now. how has your week been so far? have you been working on any fun projects?

few times in life you discover something that stops your heart

to have your heart stop from discovering pure awesomeness pretty much greater than any other awesomeness the world has ever known is an amazing feeling. it's like, it makes you want to hug strangers, make bushels full of donuts that magically don't contain calories OR fat, do backflips, and most of all, share it with everyone you know! i happened to find this page on facebook today called, "dinosaurs died of boredom" and i was curious, because hey, it's a funny name. first, i saw a watercolor painting of christopher walken and thought, "holy shit!" and then i saw a watercolor painting of marie antoinette's head and thought, "i must have this!!!" and then, maybe better than any other watercolor to have ever graced the face of this earth, i saw one of oscar wilde. that, kids, is when my heart ceased to beat; my breath came short, if at all; my eyes most likely crossed and/or bulged, but probably both.

just a little side note, when i saw the christopher walken painting, i kind of wanted to say, "babies, before we're done here, y'all be wearing gold plated diapers" only there was no one to say it to, and if i just started quoting that skit out loud, i'd seem a little crazy, wouldn't i?

much to my dismay, the amazing shop is currently closed thanks to the canadian postal strike (at this point i start shaking my fist toward the heavens), but you can still add it to your favorites so you'll know when paintings are once again made available! i know i will. i also know i'll forgo food and maybe even shelter to own one. well, scratch the shelter part, because what good would it do me to have a painting and no wall to hang it on? exactly. so just food, then.

from my friend little owl arts: A GIVEAWAY!

i know i've talked about her before, but i feel like i just can't say how much talent brittan possesses. she's an amazing friend, and her art makes me really want to sit down and spend more time with my sketchbook. brittan and i have been talking lately about her watercolor paintings (one of which i'm lucky enough to have displayed in my home), and she was generous enough to offer this original to you! she has more prints listed in her shop, and i'm trying to decide which one i like the best! be sure to take a look at the entry rules below...

now, here come the rules:

1. visit brittan's shop and leave a comment with your favorite item and your email address.

2. for an extra entry, follow brittan's blog (and yes, we do check) and leave a comment saying you've done so.

3. for one more entry, tweet what's below, and then leave a comment with a link to your tweet. enter the @littleowlarts giveaway on @dinosaurtoes blog for an original watercolor! http://tinyurl.com/6cy3343

4. earn an additional entry by purchasing something from brittan's shop! if you do, leave a comment letting us know.

good luck!