Duda Daze - silly little works of art

I am...

2012-01-31T12:32:00.003-05:00

..playing around with some new tools that

my ancient computer didn't have,

working on a special request for my niece,

and looking forward to a productive February.

2012-01-30T17:37:00.000-05:00

One last mini before I get back to my list.

"I Love You, The End"

There's a little owl in my shop

2012-01-26T11:06:00.000-05:00

Just thought you might want to know.

She is here.

Crossing things off the list...

2012-01-25T11:49:00.000-05:00

A pink monkey for Elma

with scallop-y sides.

I call it "The Tail of a Lovely Monkey".

And I was able put the blue background stripes that I needed

for another project to use in this painting for my friend, Meg.

That's a pitiful looking dog, right?

I really want to say thanks to all of my loyal customers

who continue to buy my art even though they

probably have more then they need already.

You know who you are. :)

Okay, I may stray from the list today and try to do

a few little paintings on wood.

They're fun and easy and that's sounds perfect for a

dreary Wednesday in January.

IF - Twirl

2012-01-23T18:05:00.002-05:00

Well, she was originally called "She Believed in Spontaneous Dancing".

Demdaco did some playing around and she became the

Twist and Twirl girl.

Either way. It's fun to twirl.

See more twirlers at Illustration Friday.

My Normal and a Give-Away

2012-01-20T12:24:00.001-05:00

Sometimes you just see a piece of cardboard

that needs painting' on.

And when your kitty is there making it difficult,

this is what comes out.

"My Normal"

Also stopping by to let you know that there is a

new blogger in town.

The town being Pittsburgh and the blog being

Get Your Mom On

Jen was kind enough to blog about

me and my shop in her very first

Friday Feature.

So it's only fair that I supply her with a few "give-away" items.

So why not head on over to say Hi and enter for a chance to win 3 prints ofyour choice

from my shop.

Go on. It's right here.

You can get all the details when you get there.

Have a great weekend!

More favorite things

2012-01-19T16:34:00.002-05:00

Pin It

Still doing my best to try a build a complete collection

with the

"Favorite Things"

theme.

The little painting on the plate stand is the latest.

You can find it here.

Okay back to work!

Just for me and The Cookie Shelf

2012-01-18T10:48:00.000-05:00

(click on image to see entire post)

One of the things on my 2012 to-do list was:

#1,000,000,001 - Keep an art journal!

I love art journals. All kinds.

But I never can manage to start one of my own.

No more!

I'm not going to give myself any rules about writing or sketching

everyday.

Or about what can go in it and what can't.

I know me and that would just be setting me up for a fail.

It's just "whatever" and "whenever".

Just for me!

Mike being the amazing Print Production Specialist that he is,

gets a lot of paper samples from various printers.

So, I claimed this sample, that came in the form of a spiral-bound book,

as my own.

It has nice sturdy paper of all different sizes.

And some pages even have pop-outs.

Fun!

And when the first page already says this,

how can you go wrong?

As for the second part of my post title, well....

...there you go.

Imagine

2012-01-15T00:39:00.001-05:00

Love letter

2012-01-13T09:26:00.001-05:00

(Click on the image to see more photos)

Here's what I've been working on this week. More sweet little monkeys for my

Monkey Love collection.

"I Love You, Monkey"

"I Feel the Same"

I'm offering them as a set over in my Etsy Shop.

(Oops. Already sold. Prints will be added soon.)

I still need to make some coordinating pattern pieces, maybe with flowers and hearts

and mushy stuff like that.

I'd also like to show what is written in the letter itself, but

will have to think on that a bit longer.

How would a monkey profess his love?

Anyway, sorry for my wishy-washy-ness where the

layout of this blog is concerned.

I really love the simple, clean look of this Dynamic view,

but miss some of the extras that come with the old format.

Like the "Follow Me" feature.

Need to figure out how to get that back.

Links to all of my shops, Pinterest, Facebook, etc

can be found by clicking on the tabs at the top of the blog.

Please let me know if you have trouble finding your way around

and I will revert back to the old layout.

Again. :)

Happy Weekend to you all!

Getting to know you

2012-01-11T12:21:00.000-05:00

The Evolution of a Friendship

Monkey Love

2012-01-06T17:50:00.000-05:00

Hey look! I finally painted something in 2012!!!

I did absolutely nothing else today, but so what.

The post office will still be there tomorrow.

As will the laundry and pet hair.

Anyway, haha, monkeys. :)

Hope you like them. I think they are pretty cute.

Given that my word for the year is "Simplicity"

I was trying to stick with the cream, white and red color palette.

Could not resist sneaking a bit of aqua in though.

Speaking of cute.

Cookie is cute.

"Monkey Love" is here.

If you like monkeys.

And love. :)

I'm Still Here

2012-01-05T11:48:00.000-05:00

I can't believe we are already 5 days into this month and I am only just now posting.

I'm so busy trying to get organized so that I can get things done, that I'm not getting anything done.

Well to get you all caught up, we had a really fun Christmas Eve with Mike's family.

Followed by a Christmas morning full of surprises.

Like this one:

Mike surprised the family with that new grill we've been needing...

or did he?

A new iMac! What?

And if that wasn't enough,

he surprised me with this

Cookie!

We named her/him (we're not 100% sure yet)

after one of our own Pittsburgh Penguins, Matt Cook, because she's an

instigator. Haha!

I promise to take some more pictures of the front of her/his face soon. :)

Mike really is the best gift giver.

I mean, he did give me these guys.

That middle one there turned 20 today. TWENTY!

VENTI!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AARON!

YOU ARE LOVED!!!

So on that note, I will leave you with a sketch of what I plan

on painting today.

I've been saying that for days, but this time I mean it.

Year End Sale!

2011-12-26T15:49:00.003-05:00

I had such a great Christmas that I wanted to share some love!

I re-opened the shop early for a year end sale.

Use the coupon code 2011END

to get 25% off anything in the shop.

Back soon to show you why our Christmas was so wonderful.

2011-12-24T23:32:00.001-05:00

It won't be long now!

2011-12-20T09:36:00.001-05:00

Sure, there are a lot of things on your "to do" list.

But don't forget the most important one:

BE JOLLY!

Around the house...

2011-12-18T12:18:00.000-05:00

Well, just around the dining room at this point.

These were taken last week, when this was the only room that was semi-decorated.

We went and cut our tree last week and it is up now and decorated.

It's in the foyer again this year, because try as we might we still can't manage

to find a skinny enough tree to fit in the living room.

I was hoping to have more excess greenery leftover from the tree

to tuck in on the mantle and well, just anywhere, but not this year. :(

It's hard to decorate when you don't have Christmas music playing.

We finally replaced our broken CD player yesterday and I think that will do

wonders for the holiday vibe around here.

I see/hear a great deal of Johnny Mathis in my immediate future. :)

Hope everyone is plowing through there Christmas lists.

We are pretty much done, I think.

Josh had his first Christmas concert at the high school this year.

He plays the guitar in the jazz band.

Tomorrow night we'll be heading to my alma mater for my nephew's Christmas concert.

It really is nice to have the craziness stop for those few hours and listen

to the kids sing and play.

I'll miss that when these last one's are all grown up.

Anyway, just thought I'd stop in for a few minutes.

I have been painting a bit, but just gifts, so you can't see.

Sorry.

Hope you enjoy this last week of preparations!

Snow Ball 2011

2011-12-12T09:46:00.002-05:00

Josh and Jess (and Buddy) before the Snow BAll on Saturday.

Buddy ended up staying home, but word is the other two had big fun!

I am busy working making Christmas gifts, shopping, and decorating.

Just like everyone else.

The shop closed for the holidays on Saturday night,

but you can still purchase this girl right here.

She is painted with acrylics on a background of canvas and papers.

8 x 8 x 1 3/8".

Price has been lowered a bit

$50 + $5 shipping

Will send out via priority mail.

It's a perfect representation of their personalities! :)

Last original of 2011?

2011-12-06T10:13:00.001-05:00

Sorry for the bad picture taken with my phone, but I'm in a holiday hurry. :)

I've finally added these two to the shop, but one has already been spoken for.

This one was still there last time I checked.

As I said I'm closing the shop on Dec. 10.

If I do end up getting the third girl,

"Silver White Winters that Melt into springs"

done, I will offer it here on the blog.

Gotta run!

I know I've done this theme before...

2011-12-04T23:37:00.001-05:00

...but, well, it's one of my favorite things. :)

Hope to get a few more done to go along with this collection during the week,

but I really need to get moving on the decorating and the shopping.

How on earth does Christmas sneak up on me year after year after year.

Oh well, it will all get done. It always does.

Just a few things you should know...

2011-11-28T09:25:00.001-05:00

1) I just added a coupon code to my Etsy shop.

Use code NovEnd20 to get 20% off everything in my shop

now thru Nov. 30 at 11:59pm EST

2) I plan on closing the Etsy shop a little early this year so

I'm less stressed while I'm getting ready for the holidays here

at home.

Last day to order is December 10.

3) But you can still order from my Zazzle shop.

They always have tons of deals and there is also a schedule showing the

last day to order for standard, two day and express shipping.

Be careful when ordering ornaments. On some of the ceramic ones that I created

last year I have a 2010 date on the back. You can change this before ordering.

If time permits, I am going to try to make those changes myself.

But please check, just in case you beat me there.

Other than that, I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving/weekend.

I know I did.

Well, except when Josh and I were driving home from my mom's and the

back window of the van suddenly exploded!

That wasn't so great...but other than that...

Oh yeah, there is a number 4

I don't think that I mentioned my Demdaco contract

ends at the end of the year.

This may be your last chance to get something from my line of figures, shadow boxes, or wall art from Demdaco.

I have a couple of links in my sidebar to places that carry them online.

Or click licensing at the top of the page for more info.

Thanks!

A Rainbow of Santas

2011-11-23T10:46:00.001-05:00

Once again, I disappeared for a whole week!

You can blame these guys for that.

Sure they are small, but they still take some time.

Maybe even more time because of the smallness.

But I'm very happy with them!

I have the listings all drafted and they will be in the shop

at 2:00 PM EST.

If I'm a little late it will be because I got stuck in the Thanksgiving Eve

madness at Foodland.

But I just need a few things and am heading out soon, so I should be good.

I have a few things to prepare here at home for tomorrow.

These and my version of this, and another thing or two that mom knows I can't mess up. :)

Then heading out to my mom's for pizza and more visiting with my

cousins who are in from Washington state.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving

and don't forget to save room for dessert!

My Christmas Wish. Number 1 of...

2011-11-16T13:39:00.001-05:00

...well, maybe 1. We'll see. :)

"A Star for Every Christmas Tree"

Shop has been updated

2011-11-14T14:32:00.001-05:00

Won't you stop by?

DudaDaze on Etsy

A little update on Monday

2011-11-13T13:06:00.001-05:00

Turns out I just love painting these tiny little wood blocks!

I'm going to add the ones I have so far to my shop

on Monday at 2:00 pm est

The sides and back are done up all pretty too.

You'll be able to see all that in the listings.

I think they are just the right size for stocking stuffing. :)

I'm going to work on another right now.

And we bought a piece of wood yesterday which will yield 20 more!

FUN!

Also, my little frog did not quite fit with the original Hulafrogs,

so I am going to be including it in the update as well.

Hope to see you there!

Illustration Friday - Silent

2011-11-11T09:10:00.001-05:00

All about the frogs

2011-11-09T15:06:00.001-05:00

Ballerina Frog - girl's t-shirt by DudaDaze

I've been given the go ahead to use my Hulafrog Images on gift items.

I've added a few to Zazzle and will add more soon.

I'm also working on a new one for them. Here my so-far sketch.

Dare to Dream

2011-11-04T11:47:00.000-04:00

Sorry, I didn't get to post this here before she sold.

I did add the print to my shop, though. :)

Trying new things

2011-11-02T11:56:00.000-04:00

Like this tiny aceo-sized original landscape painting!

It so simple...but I just love it.

The back looks like this. It's a print of a vintage

postcard (with the first line of a very well-know, very lovely poem)

You could easily add a little message and tuck it in someone's pocket, or lunchbox, or Christmas stocking.

"A Tree"

Sorry, I've not been posting much.

I've been making a detailed to-do list each morning and trying very hard to stick to it.

I'm even on day 6 of using the ancient Stairclimber machine in the attic.

I grab a sweatshirt, an old Home Companion and climb away.

Okay, I should go do that now.

This blog post was not even on my list. :(

Coughing and painting

2011-10-28T08:23:00.001-04:00

mostly coughing.

It's Friday again already?!?

Hope everyone had a great week. I spent most of mine sick on the couch/chair/bed.

Feeling much better now and looking forward to a fun-filled Halloween weekend.

Just finished up the above painting for a certain squirrel/disney princess- loving girl who

turns 19 on Monday.

Happy Birthday, Taylor!

(hope she doesn't see this before her party tomorrow)

I'm a bit behind on just about everything because of my cold.

Still have to get trick or treat candy and we don't even have a pumpkin yet.

I'm heading out with Eli when he gets home from class today so I better get a move on.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

IF - Fuel

2011-10-21T10:04:00.000-04:00

My latest painting, "Life is All About the Ride"

and the car commercial (of all things) that inspired it.

Beep Beep!

Love The Clarks!!!

The Duda Daze 2012 Calendar

2011-10-18T13:00:00.000-04:00

The Duda Daze 2012 Calendar by DudaDaze

In my Zazzle shop now! Finally!!!

Swept Away

2011-10-14T16:27:00.001-04:00

Here's where you can find out everything about her.

Keeping it short today because I've been sitting here way too long.

I'm working on my new calendar over at Zazzle and the always take longer than it should.

Hope you all have a lovely fall weekend!

What I'm working on today.

2011-10-12T14:53:00.000-04:00

If life's journey was all smooth sailing,

how would we ever be swept away?

Busy pinning

2011-10-11T10:21:00.002-04:00

Like I needed another obsession.

I've been pinning for the last few days and I don't see an end in sight.
Click on the button to see what I've collected so far.

I did manage to get these two custom moleskines almost done.

Just need to add a sisterly quote to each and they'll be on their way.

They are going to travel farther than I ever will. Or is it further?

Anyway, first they will go to Australia.

Then they are taking a trip to Fiji where two sisters will write about

their adventures and then exchange journals.

Isn't that the best idea?!?

I also got two coats of paint on the porch floor and started painting the railing as well.

Our house is covered with "color tests"all on a background of it's current "filthy white".

Doesn't that sound lovely. :)

Must run!

Porch pictures and new art coming soon.

Stay tuned.

You Have a Beautiful Heart

2011-10-07T10:12:00.000-04:00

New painting.

Find it here.

Red and white striped sides make me happy.

Beautiful Heart - Greeting Card by DudaDaze

Also a slightly different version available in Greeting Card form.

Happy Weekend, All!!!

That's my boy!

2011-10-06T14:13:00.000-04:00

Well, one of them anyway.

Sure, there's no more Flyght, but he's still singing.

In fact he got his brand new Bose sound system yesterday and he's already booked a show.

He'll be one of the openers for Everlast at the Altar Bar on November 8.

Maybe we'll see you there. :)

Partners in Crime

2011-10-04T11:16:00.000-04:00

I've been painting so much the last few day it's, well, it's a crime.

Just listed this one moments ago.

You can find it here.

Also finished up this large (my largest to date) custom piece.

Mom and Grandma seem to like it.

And that makes me happy.

Now all that's left it to pack it up

and send it on it's way.

One more small custom order to finish up, and then that's it for awhile.

I mean it this time! :)

Too many notebooks full of ideas that I need to put to canvas.

You all understand, right?

It's been raining here since Friday!

Perhaps that is the reason why I'm getting so much painting done.

I do want to share some more pictures of the finished porch

and as soon as it's not all soggy outside I will.

That's all for now.

Bye.

A little bird told me...

2011-10-01T08:57:00.000-04:00

A nice surprise was waiting in my inbox today.

My little bird was featured on

The Brave Girls' Club Daily Truth email.

Thanks girls!

Come Along Home

2011-09-27T13:36:00.000-04:00

Look at me! I maintained my focus long enough to make four pieces of

art that all go together.

Sure, they're all pretty small...but still.

I just listed them (separately) over in my shop.

Sorry, but this one already sold.

It was fun working with so much color.

I'm also working on a much larger custom piece.

I'll be showing some pictures of it soon.

In the mean time, here's the rest of these:

"HOME"

"THE JOURNEY HOME"

"A HAPPY TREE"

Also thought I'd share some more photos of our porch progress.

We now have columns, railings, and the beginnings of some steps!

I really hope that we will be able to paint the house before it gets cold.

I'm not sure that even a good power washin' is going to get rid of that "ghost column"!

Okay. More soon. Bye.

Made

2011-09-23T12:32:00.001-04:00

I made this yesterday.

But, more importantly, the porch guys made these!

They came back and installed the third one today, but they are already gone for

the day due to rain.:(

The Key to Happiness

2011-09-22T08:37:00.001-04:00

That's the name of the painting.

Not sure that I really know "the key", but I do have a pretty good list at this point in my life

of things that make me happy.

One of them is certainly that little white dog. Making her painting debut!

Really her brown spot is on the other side. Artistic license.

This one isn't quite done. I still have to paint the sides.

I almost painted over the whole thing, but once I changed the girl's dress (and gave her a neck)

I decided she was presentable. And I REALLY did not want to paint over that puppy.

And here's something else that I'm happy about this week.

We are finally getting a new porch!

If you recall we had just got the permit to start rebuilding it when

Mike lost his job. That was back in June 2009.

At this point the supports holding up the roof have weathered to a nice patina.

But it won't be long before they are gone for good.

Here is the progress so far:

Day ONe: Old porch removed

As you can see, the next thing we are going to have to do is paint the house.

Can't have the porch all new and shiny and the house all dirty and dingy. :(

Day Two: New floorboards

Sounds like Day Three is starting out there right now. I can't wait to see

what the accomplish today.

I'll keep you posted.

Updated at 11:30ish am

Sides are painted.

And she's living in my shop.

Ahhh, the things you will see at the Butterfly Ball

2011-09-14T11:39:00.002-04:00

"The Belle of the Butterfly Ball by DudaDAze"

I dream of a grand hall with a sparkly chandelier

Hanging Garden Chandelier by tiquelight

Precious floral china upon which

Salisbury Bone China by maggiemaevintage

cupcakes will be served.

Edible Butterflies by CakesbyChristi

Music will play

1920 Redheaded French Flapper matted Sheet Music by SusabellaBrownstein

Fancy drinks will be served

Goblet Set by JosephineMarchons

And the smell of expensive perfume will fill the air.

Vintage French Perfume Bottle and Atomizer by vintageperfume

The girls will be wearing the most beautiful dresses

Vintage Cocktail dress by SpoonbreadVintEdge

Vintage white dress with pink trim from muffyscloset

And everywhere you look

BUTTERFLIES

Stunning Butterfly Hair comb by sofisticata

Autumn Butterfly Mask by artisanmaskers

Autumn Monarch Tiara by mairzydozy

What a grand time we'll have at the Butterfly BAll

Madame De Pompadour French Art Print by CafeBaudelaire

a bit tattered...

2011-09-13T14:07:00.001-04:00

...but still quite lovely.

I was just playing around, but I think I may add it to my shop.

Speaking of tattered/distressed, I painted my dining room table. Again.

I really love the color. And good thing because although we asked for a quart the sales girl

mixed up a gallon

We chose not to say anything. No need to ruin a nice young girl's day. :)

Anywho. It looked like this for awhile.

But it was a bit too bright for my liking.

Just a light wash of brown and it's just right.

Now. What to do with 3/4 of a gallon that's left???

9/11/11

2011-09-11T14:01:00.001-04:00

I'm proud to be an American.

Opening Night

2011-09-10T09:55:00.000-04:00

TOOT TOOT

2011-09-09T12:30:00.000-04:00

The sound you hear is me...

...tooting my own horn.

Sorry, but I am thrilled to have my Take My Hand, Little Monkey print

featured on the pages of Pregnancy and Newborn Magazine's Fall 2011 Buyer's Guide

I was contacted a few months ago about sending them prints but
didn't find out until yesterday that I'd actually been included.
Can't wait to hold a hard copy!

And as a bonus, I woke up today to find that "Being Ourselves"
was featured on Cuteable today.

The original is still in my shop.
Here they are hanging out with George and J.P. DuVall on
my dining room mantle.

and closer.

This background was so easy. I see more like it in my future. :)

Okay, all done.

See ya soon!

A funny thing happened...

2011-09-08T13:38:00.000-04:00

...while I was trying to come up with a background

color for my new frog painting.

I sat down and painted a whole 'nother completely

different painting. :)

"Being Ourselves"

It will be in my shop in the blink of an eye.

(or a wiggle of the nose if you prefer)

I'm back to add this to Illustration Friday for this week's prompt:

Boundaries

The look so much alike you can barely tell where one witch ends and the other begins. :)

It's the 7th day of September

2011-09-07T10:36:00.000-04:00

I've been doing a lot of sketching.
Witches,

Frogs,

Witches holding frogs.

You get the idea. Hopefully today is the day I get some of these transferred to canvas.

We had ourselves a very good, very full holiday weekend.

South Park Ribfest on Saturday with family

and Flyght.

It was ridiculously hot and humid.

Unfortunately, this will go down in history as Flyght's last show.

After the show they decided to go their separate ways.

It's very sad, but I guess we all saw it coming.

Hopefully they will all end up just where they are supposed to be. :)

Sunday was spent in the company of lots 'o Duda's.

Reunion day started out sunny, though thankfully nowhere near as hot as Saturday.

Fewer people than usual, but still a good showing.

The Rex Duda bunch (sporting gray t-shirts...mostly) claimed their usual

spot under the trees. They provided good cover when the rain started.

For those of us who chose not to participate in this activity, that is:

Leave it to Mike to always come prepared...this time with a GIANT piece of plastic

that he's been saving for the last 6 years... for just such an occasion.

I missed getting a group shot photo, but here is Mike's Dad, Uncle Pete, and Aunt Donna.

(Powitanie means Welcome in Polish. We looked it up.)

Then on Monday I turned forty-freakin'-seven. Gah!

I didn't break the camera out that day.

I do wish I would have taken a picture of Mike grillin' in the rain.

Everyone gathered at my mom's for lots of food and indoor fun including a "How I Met Your Mother" marathon, and several rounds of Telestrations.

So that was our weekend.

Hope you had as much fun as I did.

Back to work!

Celebrate Autumn!!!

2011-09-01T17:21:00.000-04:00

Nature will provide the confetti.

The last of 'em...

2011-08-29T13:42:00.001-04:00

...for now

"I Welcome You With Open Arms"

"Three Happy Snowmen"

Both originals are in my shop right now.

Now I feel a strong need to get back to painting girls.

See ya soon.

I'm still playin' in the snow.

2011-08-27T09:10:00.000-04:00

Back from the beach and some snowmen in the shop.

2011-08-23T15:52:00.000-04:00

First of all just wanted to let you know that he Snowmen are finally in the shop.

(one's already gone)

And that we had a fine time at the beach.
In the company of some of my favorite people.

Got to enjoy Flyght two nights in a row.

The weather was perfect!

And the water was cold. Although only my feet were aware of this.

Most everyone rode the waves but me. I'm not as brave as I once was.

Oh well. Still fun!

3 down 1(?) to go

2011-08-17T20:31:00.000-04:00

Headin' over to close my shop for the weekend.

I'll get back to these guys next week.

If you're in Ocean City, MD this weekend stop by The Pour House around 9ish.

And be 21 or older. :)

See ya soon!

GIRL - weekly planner

2011-08-15T10:31:00.000-04:00

Just dropping in to let you know about a lovely collaboration that I am a part of.

You can read about it here.

And buy one of your own here.

Thanks Anke for all of your hard work.

I can't wait to get my hands on this.

Many of my favorite Etsy artists are featured and I bet I'll even discover some new favorites.

My page will have this image.

"Make your Own Happy"

Spending the next few days getting ready for our mini-getaway to Ocean City.

The highlight of (and reason for) our trip is to see Flyght at The Pour House.

Stop in on Friday night if you happen to be in the area.

IF - Swell

2011-08-12T11:59:00.002-04:00

It would be swell if I could make this cat's face

look as cute as it did in the original sketch.

Back to the old drawing board.

IF - Imperfect

2011-08-09T10:26:00.000-04:00

Disturbed by this morning's news.

Imagining a slightly more perfect world.

I did it!

2011-08-04T08:28:00.000-04:00

Honest. I did get this done yesterday. It's just that I didn't get it listed today.

But now I did. You can find it here.

HAPPY THURSDAY!

A simple sketch...

2011-08-03T10:41:00.000-04:00

...that I am determined to turn into a painting today.

Stay tuned.

???

2011-07-29T16:04:00.003-04:00

Not really simple. But definitely "me".

Okay, let's do this!

2011-07-28T09:26:00.000-04:00

If you are one of my Facebook friends you already know what's been keeping me busy for the last week or so. I'm very happy to say that I'm signing with the Painted Planet Licensing Group.

They represent a wonderful group of amazing artists and I'm thrilled to be joining their family.

With these girls in my corner I'll be able to devote my time to painting pretty pictures and that's just what I want to be doing.
So I've been sitting for the last 4 days organizing/editing all of my artwork. I really did not realize just how many images there were!
I swear it's taking me longer to do this than it did to paint it all!
But the end is in sight and soon I'll be back to making new things.

Actually I did borrow a few hours the other night to work on this.

This is a custom piece and no it's not even close to done. But it's a pretty good start I think.

They also need me to come up with a simple little logo.

I think this is the one I've decided on.
What do you think?
Be honest.

I hope everyone is enjoying the last few days of July. The summer is flying by as usual.

We are also scurrying to get all of the paperwork done for Eli and Aaron so that they can start classes at their various schools next month.

Every time we finish one form two more show up in it's place.

Oh well, must get back to it.

I'll be back soon. :)

Illustration Friday - Gesture

2011-07-20T07:49:00.001-04:00

A curtsy is a gesture that says "Hello. I'm delighted to meet you."

(For Illustration Friday)

What I've been up to...

2011-07-19T09:41:00.000-04:00

I can't believe I haven't painted a picture in over a week!

That's not like me. I have been doing some doodling though.

Let's see...what have I been doing that's been keeping me from my paints?

Well, we visited Cal U on Friday and got Eli's schedule finalized.

He'll be commuting for the first year, so I'll still have all my boys at home for a while longer.
Here's one last photo of he and Taylor as high school kids. :)

:) they're all shiny.

Aaron's says he's heading to LA in January.

I guess he's not likely to get discovered here in the valley, but I can't imagine not seeing his face everyday. I think he should head down to Jack White's studio in Nashville.
Much closer. :)
He went to the American Idol try-outs in Pittsburgh last week but he
"wasn't what they were looking for".
I guess he'll just have to do it the hard way.
He's also starting online classes at Full Sail in August to learn more about the music business.

As for Josh, he's just been hanging out. Probably not his most exciting summer...but still summer!

Aaron got his curls cut off on Sunday and Mike shaved Josh's off last night.

See. Haha. Just took this. :)

Hmmm. I guess I got off track as to what's been keeping ME busy.

Who even knows. Housework, groceries, laundry, paperwork...the ususal.

We did go out to dinner the other night and then to see Harry Potter, which we loved!

Have you heard of it? ;)

Eli already went a second time yesterday.

Now we are looking forward to a visit from my Uncle and his family next weekend.

It's hot and getting hotter so I see much time by mom's pool in our future.

Okay I'm going to paint now. I MEAN IT!

On this day 21 years ago.

2011-07-14T11:58:00.000-04:00

With all the graduation party planning going on our anniversary kind of got lost in the shuffle.

That's okay. Eli will only have one high school graduation and I plan on us having many

more wedding anniversaries.

But happy 21st, honey!

I love you.

Illustration Friday - Stay

2011-07-08T16:26:00.000-04:00

Stay True to Your Heart

Illustration FRiday - Remedy

2011-07-07T10:06:00.000-04:00

Most days this will do the trick...

...but some days require a little bit more.

For Illustration Friday prompt - Remedy

This and that

2011-07-05T09:59:00.000-04:00

Remember this?

Well just look what it inspired!

Aren't they beautiful? I just love what she did with her hair.

You can go here to see more photos and to see what I'm talking about.

Makes me wish I had better sewing skills.

Thanks Evdokimova Elena for sharing the image with me and allowing me to share it here.

I love it!!!

Okay, what else.

Hope you all enjoyed your long holiday weekend. Ours just flew by, what with all the family get-togethers and what-not.

My sister celebrated a birthday on Sunday as did my nephew, Brant.

Now that all of that is over, I must kick the grad-party planning in to high gear this week.
Party is Sunday!

So there will probably not be much going on around here as far as new artwork goes.

I did have a lot of print orders over the weekend, which is good because June was very slow in that area.

The Lion Tamer is finally heading off to it's forever home, so I made the print available in my Etsy shop today.

That's all for now. I'll pop in when I can. :0

Moon on a String

2011-06-30T11:59:00.000-04:00

Remember this face?

Painted it awhile back.

I kinda forgot about her even though she has been perching in my living room and I do walk past her many times a day.

But when I saw these sweet polka dot clips while out shopping the other day she popped back into my head.

I think they add the perfect touch of pretty to her "primness".

(click for a closer look)

Even though I think my original paintings are pretty affordable as originals go, I've been wanting to offer some less costly items.
Times are tough and don't I know it. Art is probably not high on most people's lists these days.
But it can cheer you up when you're feeling down, so I'm going to try to come up with some new ideas for smaller, more pocketbook friendly items.

"Moon on a String" can be found here.
To have the moon on a string means to have everything just right...to be sitting pretty!
Wouldn't that be something!?!

Do what makes you happy.

2011-06-28T15:04:00.001-04:00

If you want to dance, then dance.

I can't sing, but I do it anyway.

I used to say I couldn't draw.
I'm so glad I did it any way.
I don't think I'll ever stop loving it. :)

"Who Says"

I made this

2011-06-25T19:47:00.000-04:00

You know, cause boys have BIG dreams too!

It is here.

And I really need to be in the shower right now.

Bye.

Illustration Friday - Midsummer Night

2011-06-25T10:17:00.000-04:00

Yeah, you caught me. This is an old image entitled "Eve".

I do have another image in my head for this IF theme, but will it make it's way to canvas before the week is up? Doubtful.

Still delighting in the fact that all my boys are back home again.

Eli had a nice trip to the beach. He's returned a bit redder and flakier than he would have liked, but with some good stories to share.

Hold On

2011-06-22T12:09:00.000-04:00

"Hold On"

Painted this last night. It has already found a new home.

In fact, the new home it found is my old home, where I lived as a teenager.

That is where most of my red-headed girls go these days and that is comforting somehow.

Thanks Meg and Molly. She'll be on her way soon. :)

Speaking of holding on, I can't wait to hold on to Mike tonight.

He's been away since Saturday tending to a family emergency. I know the last few days have been really rough for him and that he'll certainly be needing a hug too.

I also did some re-imagining of this girl and her goose.

I've brightened her smile, striped her socks, and changed the text/title.

"Young Mother Goose".

Okay, must run! Lots to do before Mike gets home.

Have a great day!!!

Re worked

2011-06-21T10:55:00.000-04:00

This little painting has been hanging in my nook for far too long.

I decided to give it another look and see how I could improve it.

These words came to mind and so I patched them together, gave her a new title,

and I think she is all the better for it. :)

"Her Little Corner"

And it now pretty much sums up how I feel about home.

No matter where I am some part of me is always looking forward to getting back here.

BIG

2011-06-19T12:16:00.000-04:00

Well, this sold before I got a chance to show it here.

(on account-a i have the best customers/friends ever!)

But I have already added the print to my shop.

Happy Father's Day to my Dad, who I will get to spend the day with :),

and to my husband who I won't get to spend the day with. :(

(I don't think we've ever spent one apart before since he's been a father. )

And Happy Father's Day to all you other Dads too!

Illustration Friday - Launch

2011-06-17T09:03:00.000-04:00

Spur of the moment Etsy sale

2011-06-16T17:43:00.000-04:00

Let's say it's in honor of Father's Day.

Use coupon code NO1DADSALE when you checkout to get 15% off of everything in the shop.

Good on originals (there are quite a few), prints, atc prints...everything. :)

I'll probably end it sometime Sunday evening so don't dilly dally.

And if I don't post again before then

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!

Bees Rule!

2011-06-15T09:13:00.000-04:00

"Queen Bee"

Aerodynamically, the bumble bee shouldn't be able to fly,

but the bumble bee doesn't know it so it goes on flying anyway.
Mary Kay Ash

Cinderella Story

2011-06-12T13:42:00.000-04:00

Found myself home alone last night, so I played around with some paints and some papers.

Didn't really have a plan when I started, but when I saw the words "Cinderella Story" among

the text that I had haphazardly collaged onto my canvas it gave me some direction.

I found this girl in a pile of old sketches, and well, there you go.

Cinderella Story

Illustration Friday - Swept

2011-06-10T10:40:00.000-04:00

Swept up in the moment.

Just another doodle page

2011-06-07T10:05:00.001-04:00

about the moon and the stars.

there's a wee/we type-o (write-o?)

fixed now but i'm too ~~lazy~~ busy to rescan.

Two caps and a crown

2011-06-06T09:22:00.000-04:00

Eli and his cousin, Roni, are both graduating on the same day, but from different schools.

So we had to get them together yesterday to take some photos.

Aren't they cute? Eli will be wearing pants for the actual graduation ceremony.

Here's what they used to look like. Haha!

On the art-y side of things, here's what I did yesterday.

I didn't mean too. I just picked up the piece of wood to move it out of the way.

Now I don't know what to do with her. I was going to put her in my shop, but I'll have to find a box to fit her since she's kinda on the tall side... 27" x 2.5". I wonder if she'd fit into one of those mailing tubes?

Or maybe I'll just keep her. I'll let you know if she ends up in the shop.

Okay, lot's of errands.

Have a happy, happy, Monday!

Weekend Doodles

2011-06-05T12:53:00.001-04:00

Because all of the best days begin with S.

My Carrot Sweater

2011-06-04T09:48:00.000-04:00

Just dropping in to make you aware that there is one very lonely bunny in my shop.

He's handpainted on a moleskine journal and has a little tag for marking your place.

June 3, 2011 Today

2011-06-03T13:19:00.000-04:00

Today is Eli's last day of high school.

Today I am working on some random, half-done stuff that has been cluttering up my desk.

Today started out chilly and is now sunny and perfect.

Later today we are headin' to the drive-in to see Hangover 2 (finally) and Bridesmaids (again!).

TGIF

See you tomorrow.

Oh, here's the colored version of yesterday's doodle page that I promised.

Y.O.U.

2011-06-02T10:45:00.000-04:00

Today's doodle page. My main inspiration came from this photo in Small Magazine.

So much lovliness to be found there.

I'll be back to update this post with the colored version...just like yesterday.

So yeah, I hope to get some doodlin' in every day. In addition to my regular, "doodlin' with a purpose" of course.

I did do a "piece with purpose" this week, but it's a gift for a family friend (from a family friend) so I better not show it here yet.

Do you know how hard that is for me!?! :)

It's Ringgold's Kennywood day so...no school today.

Eli and Josh aren't planning to go so I'm not sure what we'll do.

Aaron's at work. Mike's at work.
I do need to go buy some food. Boo.

How is it Thursday already?!?

June's calendar is filling up quickly.

Eli graduates next Wednesday!

Thanks to everyone who's already sent him cards, gifts, and good wishes.
I'll try to make him quicker with the Thank You's than Aaron was.
I think I still have two of Aaron's Thank You's to give out at Eli's graduation party. Not cool.

So yeah, graduation parties every weekend.

Eli's Taylor on the 11th, my niece, Roni's on the 18th and then it will be time to do some serious gettin' ready for Eli's.

In addition to that, Flyght will be one of the bands opening for

Ace Frehley (of KISS fame) at Ribs on the River on June 17.

Let me know if you want tickets! Flyght plays early-ish...like 6:30...so if you work in Pittsburgh you can stop by for some Flyght and some ribs before headin' back to the 'burbs.

As you can see we are busy as usual. But it's good busy, so I'm not complaining. Yet. :)

June 1st seems like a good day to...

2011-06-01T09:35:00.002-04:00

...shine!
revised to shine more brightly

Illustration Friday - Asleep

2011-05-27T11:04:00.000-04:00

"Juggling Act"

Reginald Bear had been performing this act for so long, he could do it in his sleep.

I miss playing jump rope in the driveway.

2011-05-26T13:25:00.000-04:00

"Jump Rope Frog"

Original is gone, but there are prints in my shop.

I wish that I...

2011-05-24T09:10:00.000-04:00

...could just doodle the day away.

Illustration Friday - Soaked

2011-05-20T11:46:00.001-04:00

Yay! One of my favorite things is when I check the IF topic and it just happens to be a perfect fit with what I'm working on.

"Bathtime Fun"

"Soaking" (revised after photo was taken)

Working on these inspired me to go looking for these

Weren't they so cute. Our bathroom may not have been the prettiest thing pre-renovation,

but it sure was roomy. Bath time was always a family affair. There was even a whole litter of puppies in the closet at one point. :)

Done

2011-05-18T10:43:00.001-04:00

She'll be chillin' with a good book in my shop at 12 noon (EST)

Yes, that's Ruca's foot. She's not allowed on our bed, but she does like to get a close look at how we do things. Now she can add photography to her growing list of skills.

I'm guessing that she just wants to know how to do things if something should happen to us.

She likes to be prepared.

I'm working on this...

2011-05-17T09:43:00.000-04:00

...but wish I was cuddling with this.

P is for Prom.

2011-05-16T09:52:00.000-04:00

And P is for Penguins!

Oh sure, they went with the penguin theme last year, just not as literal.

That's because junior prom is about fancy and senior prom is about fun. :)

It was Taylor's idea and Eli kept changing his mind. He bought the Penguin tie and was just going to go with that until he saw her dress.

Luckily these guys were able to get his jacket done on very short notice.

And also thanks to Loren for doing such a great job on the flowers even though she had very little information.

So now it's on to the next thing... getting those graduation invitations in the mail!

Didn't we just do this last year? :)

Illustration FRiday - Beginner

2011-05-11T16:08:00.000-04:00

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T11:31:00.000-04:00

A cherished photo of my mom and her mom.

Top on the list of my things to grab if my house were on fire. :)

Love you, Mom!

I'm still here.

2011-05-05T11:31:00.002-04:00

Just paintin' pictures and nibbling on Easter candy.

Just a few things to report...

2011-05-02T18:26:00.000-04:00

ONe: There's another new frog painting in my shop.

It's been there since this morning, but Mike stayed home today and hogged the computer so I didn't get a chance to post about it here until now.

TWo: You can now find my artwork on Fabric blocks and iron-on transfers

at Fantasy Fabric Blocks and Art Supplies.

There are a few images there already, but many more to come.

I'm still working feverishly on Dish and Spoon products...mostly frogs as you can see.

I think I'm going to have to take a break soon and paint a human so's I don't forget how.

Hope everyone is enjoying the spring weather. It's a bit soggy around here but still nice.

Some girls like frogs

2011-04-27T10:06:00.001-04:00

'some girls...' by DUDADAZE

like frogs.

DUDADAZE $65.00	quiltsbydebbie $275.00	suezcues $320.00	ILikeThemOld $8.50
Somethingcharm... $16.50	januaryhart $22.00	GryphonVintage $	emmabgood $68.00
PeculiarMomma $28.00	paintedcottage... $495.00	RevivedVintage $139.00	whimsicalcolle... $98.50
MademoiselleCh... $95.00	blueberryfield... $7.50	bluebonnetfiel... $35.00	VintageScraps $18.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

Circus Girls

2011-04-25T10:57:00.000-04:00

The Circus Girl paintings are all done and listed separately in my Etsy shop.

If you are interested in buying all 3, send me a convo. thru Etsy and I will

come up with a discounted price.

Hope you all had a lovely holiday weekend.

My kids have one last day off and it looks like it's going to be a pretty nice one.

I'm headin' out to take Penny for a walk now.

She doesn't know yet, but I bet she'll be excited. ;)

Good Night Little Frog.

2011-04-22T08:59:00.000-04:00

I've begun working on some image for Dish and Spoon Productions.

You remember. We talked about this, people. :)

I get to do what I wish with the originals.

I wish to add them to my Etsy shop.

This one is there now.

Mike is off today and we have lots of running around to do.

I haven't bought a stitch of Easter candy yet and we are totally unprepared for Eli's prom which is coming up fast!

And, of course, there is play off hockey to watch.

Hard to believe Eli will be graduating before the play offs end!

Oh yeah, here's another thing I worked on this week.

It's for my nephew's girlfriend's sister's baby shower.

She is going to use it on the invitations and then I will add the birth info. once

the baby is born.

I think it's kinda cute. :)

Gotta run! Have a lovely spring/Easter weekend.