Christmas Hustle and Bustle

December is a crazy, busy, silly month...and this year is no exception. I decided not to do any markets this year, as Baby A is still so little, and the month really is busy enough. Thank goodness I made that decision because I really don't know where I would've fit them in. Print orders have been coming in steadily, and despite saying that I wasn't taking on any new commissioned paintings, I still had a few to finish with Christmas deadlines. Not to mention Christmas parties, preschool graduation, kids parties, present shopping, ipad repairs, family visits and endless trips to the post office. It just hasn't stopped. It's all mostly fun, but busy!

Then there's Christmas cards. There's a lack of paper cards arriving in my letterbox in recent years (thanks internet!), but I do think there's something nice about receiving a special card via snail mail sometimes. I also love when Miss 5 recieves little Christmas cards from her preschool friends - each with their own unique spin on them (whether it's a candy cane or carefully handwritten note with newly learnt handwriting - so cute!). So this year I made 33 of these little cards for her friends, thanks to the idea from MakerLand (via Giggleberry Creations).

Merry Christmas Lollipop Cards!

I really have to stop and check myself sometimes. What am I doing all this for? Oh that's right, to have fun. So that Christmas is enjoyable. So that my family is happy and I'm happy and everyone's having a good time. So stop...breathe...and don't freak out if the ribbon doesn't match the gift wrap. 

R-E-L-A-X!

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 Here's one of the paintings I finished for a lady this week. She has previously purchased two of my other paintings and wanted a third to add to the set. This is simply "Pretty Pink Flower Fairy".

Rough sketch of the painting

Finished painting "Pretty Pink Flower Fairy"

Obviously the original painting has already sold, but if you like her, there are 8x10" prints available here.

As I write, it's now 2 minutes to midnight, and I could really use some sleep before another busy weekend/week ahead. If you are reading this, I hope in this week leading up to Christmas you have lots of little moments where you can stop, enjoy it, and take it all in. And I hope that I can take some of my own advice! 

Goodnight!

The Watch Flower

Last night I listed a little mini painting (4"x4") up for auction here. It's an eye study I painted over a few nights last week and I decided to add a few petals around it and create my first "Watch Flower". It reminds me of something Alice might find in Wonderland.

 

Side View:

I've signed and dated it on the back.

Back View:

At 4"x4" it is tiny so it would look cute sitting on a desk, or in a little nook somewhere.

I've had a big day today - ending with Miss 5's preschool graduation. Yes, complete with cap and gown and all! So incredibly cute. I'm going to bed one tired but very proud Mumma. 

Goodnight!

Growing and growing!

Lots of things are growing here. My babies are growing at a rapid rate, baby A is nearly 8 months old, and Miss 5 will soon be graduating preschool. Waaaaah!

Art orders are growing in the lead up to Christmas. The majority of my work is done at night when the kids are in bed, but I also work on bits and pieces through the day if I can. I have a couple of commissioned paintings with Christmas deadlines on them too. eek!

Packaging art prints at my desk.

(You can find a list of my online stores HERE.)

My little garden is also growing!

I starting to find a few tomatoes popping up on the vine. I'm so happy - these are the first fruits I've grown from the seeds of scraps.

This is a photo update on my passionfruit plant that I spoke about in an earlier post. It's also grown from seeds from scraps of a passionfruit I had in my fridge. There are two new little shoots also popping up in the pot - but I think they're weeds.

I grabbed some garlic cloves that were on the clearance table at the fruit shop ($1 for heaps of single cloves!), and I've been planting them as they sprout. The second photo is of the shoots that popped up only a couple of days after planting them.

While I'm far from being a farmer yet - I'm having fun watching how things grow and I get a kick out of it when I actually get something right. Like, when I saw an actual tomato on the plant I grew from smooshing a few old tomato seeds into the ground. It's kind of magic.

 It's nearly time to put the Christmas decorations up! I think I'll put the tree up in the next week or so. Is your tree up yet? Do you believe it's bad luck to put the tree up before December 1st? Let me know in the comments below. Also - let me know what you're growing in your backyard/kitchen bench/pots...

Halloween 2013

For Halloween this year Miss 5 dressed as "Princess Bubblegum" from Adventure Time!

 

While Baby A (7 months) dressed as the cutest jack-o-lantern I've ever seen.

We went trick-or-treating again which was a big success, and we all ate too many lollies (except Baby A of course!), and Miss 5 was dancing around all silly all night, but it was all worth it.



I forgot how cold it still gets in October when the sun goes down though, and we ended up freezing by the end of it. Needless to say, Baby A has a sniffly nose today and I feel like a terrible Mother! Note for next year: warmer costumes.

Congratulations to Julie O'Keefe who won my original "Pumpkinlings" painting!

I had fun doing a competition, so keep an eye out on my Facebook page for more giveaways in the future.

Today is Friday! Woo hoo! I'm looking foward to a relaxing weekend. We are supposed to be going away to the Coast, but I'm hoping bub isn't too sick. I guess we'll see how he goes today. I've got a mountain of housework to do, but beside from that, today I will be working on a commissioned painting as well as a new painting in my Zodiac series. Which sign do you think it is??

Parties and a Tiny Painting.

It's Sunday night and another busy weekend has flown by! How is it Sunday night again already??

After dinner last night we decided to check out the Manly Harbour Village Halloween Street Party. I've always wanted to go, and Miss 5 wanted to wear her Halloween costume (Princess Bubblegum this year!). So we battled the enormous crowd, stayed around an hour to have a look at the market stalls and Miss 5 went on the mini ferris wheel. To be honest the whole thing was a bit overwhelming in general. SO many people! I think the only reason I would go back next year would be if I had an art stall there. That would be pretty cool.

Speaking of Halloween art! My competition to win my original "Pumpkinlings" painting ends tonight at midnight! Have you entered yet?

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Today we went to a 5th birthday party at The Plaster Fun House! I haven't been there since I was a kid, and it was exactly how I remember it. Miss 5 painted a turtle and finished it off with glitter and a bow. So cute. When we got home I finished off a little 3"x3" painting called "Tiny Witch" and put her up for auction HERE.

Work in progress...

The finished mini painting on my desk.

It's now 10:49pm, and I'm so tired, so I'll be heading off to bed...I look forward to picking a competition winner in the morning!

Night.

WIN an original painting!

It's no secret I love Halloween, so in between working on some commissioned paintings I've been sketching and painting away on this 8x8" jack-o-lantern piece. These are baby "pumpkinlings" - little baby jack-o-lanterns with bat wings! You can enter to win this original painting by entering the competition below! It's very easy! :)

Win this "Pumpkinlings" Original Painting!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I loved painting these little guys and I'm hoping to feature them in other paintings in the future.

I bought Baby A his very first Halloween outfit today, which I'll keep a secret until I can show you. It's so cute! I'm still working on Miss 5's. She wants to be Marceline the Vampire Queen. 

Today was Miss 5's birthday party with some of her preschool friends. Needless to say I'm pretty tired and looking forward to hitting the pillow tonight. But for now - GO ENTER the competition to win an original painting! :)