Hello my lovelies,
I understand it has been a while… and that you’re probably not talking to me, but hopefully this will bring you round!
Entitled Bang Bang II
Yay! New art! You probably recognise this style. She is the sister of Bang Bang I
I’m planning on making a whole series of them. With some boys as well. 
I have also been creating some crafty things too! I’ve bought myself a purple hot glue gun and am making fun brooches and magnets! I’ll post more tomorrow!
Bed time!
A few weeks ago, I received my 13 month project subscription in the mail! YAY! They are the prettiest most eclectic zines I have encountered in a long while!
As you can probably guess, there is a new zine each month, for 13 months: December 2009 – December 2010. It features art, writing and thoughts from artists all over the place! I received the my first zine (May) in a Grab Bag from Bird in the Hand Zine Shop. I loved it so much, and saw that “Anyone can submit!”
So, I did.
Here are the zines I received, I’ve got two copies of May, but I’ll let you see the different covers (the insides are the same!)
WARNING. This post is IMAGE HEAVY.
(I have no January)
May number 2.
June was one of my favourites, here is my favourite snippet of June.
Pretty cool huh? This is written by Phoebe Macdonald. She has exactly the same kind of synesthesia as me!
I am also a big fan of August, here is one of my favourite bits.
This is by Mark Whittaker
Here is September, and here is my painting inside:
Here is my painting inside:
Sweet!
In my next post, I’ll include all the other goodies I received in the package!
Love and stardust!
Well it’s officially 2011. Wow last year has been a … huge one. EFFING HUGE in fact. A big, big, big year of HUGE firsts and some lasts as well.
In Feburary I started back at my last ever year of uni, and also celebrated my 5th anniversary with my lovely boy (not a first or a last!)
In March I opened my etsy.com store and made my first sale in June. Not long after that I was featured in a blog (Cute Stew) for the first time and had my first giveaway at the same place.
In June I had a painting in an exhibition for the first time (Drawgasmic) and will (when the book arrives) see my art in a book for the first time. I’m planning on submitting again this year! Yay!
I’ve even got published for the first time this year, in Blanket Magazine and the Thirteen Month Project (twice!). Much like my Drawgasmic book, my subscription to the Thirteen Month Project is still coming in the mail, so thought I have been published, I have yet to see any of my art in a book in the flesh (paper).
I submitted art to the Indie Fixx Feed Your Soul - Free Art Project, and will be submitting a downloadble Valentine’s Day card soon!
I’ve painted four commissioned portraits this year, and have another commission for the new year (and it’s a biggun!) I have yet to post about my most recent one, but I will soon!
As the year drew to a close I had to practically abandon my art and blog and YOU dear reader to focus on my (cough) career! I still feel so strange even saying that out loud.
I graduated from my Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Education in Dec with Second Class honours, and (before I had even graduated) got my dream job at a little Anglican College teaching Prep – Year 9 music to boys and girls. I start on the 17th and am pretty much beside myself with excitement.
As for this year, I have some resolutions (many of which are the same from last year!) Some of them are already underway.
1. Eat better. For pete’s sake EAT BETTER. Well, I eat pretty well, but I need to eat more raw vegetables, more fruit and less carbs (I am a sucker for bread and pasta). Also, more water, more green tea, less cofee, less alchol and more vitamins (particularly vitamin B).
2. Get up early and walk every day. This is partnered with going to bed early too. I honestly, don’t know why I don’t do this, when I know that I feel amazing afterwards.
3. Meditate. At the beginning and end of each day. This is a habit that is yet to stick, it’s a tricky one, but my mind makes more sense when I do.
4. Get organised. I am starting a new job and a new life this year, and my life is an organisational nightmare!
5. Get your art out there. This I have already started doing, I have posted ads to Gala Darling
and on The Curious Pug! Click here to read about Alycia’s sponsers!
I also (DUN DUN DUN) mailed two of my prints to Frankie Magazine today.
Frankie is quite possibly my favourite magazine, and the most delicious publication ever. Just the thought that someone at Frankie will see my paintings fills me with delight!
I hope that this year will be equally huge and as exciting as last year, for me and all of you.
xo
I few post ago, I mentioned that I had bought some lovely wooden nesting frames from Typo. I bought them with the intention of filling them with some kind of art for my parents for Christmas, because they are always talking about how they don’t have any of my art in the house (which is true! Unless you count my drawings from when I was a bubba).
Anyway, I went with collages in the end. This is what I came up with! Hopefully my parents won’t read this! 
This is collage number 1, the smallest one, it’s only a few inches across.
Here are some close ups.
Here it is in the frame. I was a bit worried about the film strip at first, but I really like it in the frame.
Collage number 2.
Close ups.
And in the frame.
They’re called nesting frames, because obviously they all fit inside each other, so you can gather how big the smaller one is but this.
Collage number 3. This one is probably my favourite. It took me the longest too.
In the frame.
The last and largest collage.
Framed. WIth me in the reflection. 
Here they are all wrapped up, ready to go under the tree.
I hope you all have a delightful Christmas with your family.
Love and presents and cookies and milk!
I know, I know. I make these promises to you that I just can’t keep at the moment! I’m on holidays and I still hardly have time to blog!
I’ll have to ask you to cut me some slack, it’s been a busy week. I had a bit of pampering this weekend which was nice.
Friday: hair cut, then finished a commission portrait.
Saturday: got my hair dyed and watched the Grinch wrapped up in towels on the couch with my adoptive sister Shea.
Sunday: went on a crazy Christmas baked fest with Shea and some of her lovely friends. Here are some photos from the day, and a festive recipe of mine for you all.
Festive Princess Shea making chocolate chip and MnM cookies.
Becca-Jane sampling her caramel brownie mix.
Dr Katie being helper elf.
Now onto my little recipe gift for you all.
1 1/2 cups of rolled oats
2 cups plain flour
2/3 cup of sugar (possible even less because the craisins are extra sweet)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon soda
1/2 cup melted shortening (I used butter)
100 grams of craisins (dried cranberries)
50 grams pistachios (shelled and unsalted)
Mixed all the dry ingredients:
Add craisins and the pistachios:
Eat some craisins and pistachios… Or failing that, eat some Christmas snacks.
Mix in the melted shortening. Add some cold water, a little bit at a time until the dough is not too sticky, but ready to be rolled into balls. (The original recipe calls for the cookies to be rolled flat and cut with a cutter, but mine are too chunky for that).
Ew… yum.
Roll them into little balls, and cook in a moderate for 10 – 15 minutes or until they are golden brown and crispy looking.
While they are baking do a Christmas dance in the kitchen.
Note the mess. It got about 1000 x worse that this.
Voila:
Now I know. as far as cookies go, they’re not real attractive, but they are red and green, and festive and DELICIOUS.
Here are some snaps of the other delicious treats we created:
Blurry brownies.
Little Xmas Trees! Plus we got to eat all the off cuts. NOM.
Choc chip and MnM cookies, and Choc chip and candy candy cookies! Festive!
Pre cooked ginger bread.
Post cooked ginger bread! (clearly it became apparent that I should stick to painting)
Here is the whole haul:
As you can imagine, just by eating the ugly cookies and off cuts, we sent ourselves into a sugar high of epic proportions, and then had to sleep off the sugar coma.
Sunday night I spent handing out cookies to my friends. Monday, I got my nails done with my bestie. And on Tuesday (yesterday) I graduated!
B.Mus. B.Ed. Excitement! It was so lovely to be there with my family, and to graduate with my best friend. THEN, I came out from the ceremony, met up with my lovely boy, and met my OTHER best friend who has been on holiday over seas for three months, as a surprise! Which was totally lovely.
We all went out for dinner and champagne, and my parents bought me two beautiful pandora charms so I can remember the day.
I’ve just finished a commission, and have had another requested, so I’ll post pics as soon as I (assuming I do) get permission to do so.
We’ll chat again soon darlings!
I know you’ve probably been wondering what’s happened to me, but I assure you, I do still actually exist.
I am officially on holidays. I graduate from my uni degree on the 14th (v. excited to wear the silly outfit!) This last month has been a terribly stressful, uncertain time for me and a lot of my friends. When you graduate from education, the system can pretty much send you anywhere. Luckily, I got an interview at a lovely college about 20 minutes away from my house, and four nail-biting days after the interview I got the job.
I am absolutely DYING with excitement. I’ll be teaching Prep to Grade 9 Music (yeah not art I know, but music is my major). I got to visit the school this week, and the staff are lovely, and I’ve been spending these last few days planning for next year.
Now I’m finally giving myself a break. I’ve read two books in three days, and I’ve just started another.
I have just finished these two books, which were recommended to me by my writer friend Ryan (and believe me he knows books).
This one was my favourite of the two, it is so funny and lovely lovely lovely.
I only finished this one today, only a few hours ago. This is unlike anything I have ever read before, and really got me thinking. I can’t recommend these two enough! Go forth and read!
I’m also really close to finishing a comission portrait for a lovely guy in America. It’s a portrait of his girlfriend for Christmas (I know – Romantic!!) Hopefully I’ll get it done today and mail it away, then I’ll probably post picture after Xmas (with his permission).
I’ve bought a set of four really lovely wooden frames, that I’d like to fill with artwork for my parents for Christmas, because they are always complaining that they have none of my art in the house. Which is true.
It will have to be one artwork, across four different sized square frames. Ideas? Thoughts? Inspiration?
So, I know I had said my next post was going to be a zine review. To bad, I’ve got some other things to post about. You’ll get zines tomorrow.
I don’t remember if I ever posted about the Paper Chain Project. It’s a collage project hosted by Claire B + Claire C = Claire². Fun!
It’s a social collage chain, which means you receive a collage in the mail, create a collage in response to the one they have received and send it to the next person on the chain.
I was a chain starter, so I had nothing to respond to (which was daunting but kind of fun). This is what I came up with.
I’m thinking of creating some brooches or hair clips in the same style as that flower. What do you think? Would they sell?
It was really lovely creating something, all the while knowing that I would send it away to someone I had never met, and I would never see it again. It was strange yet nice to part with her.
If you’re at all interested in participating in the Paper Chain, you can contact Claire² at their facebook page here.
Next post: ZINES!
Happy Collaging!
Well. I’m back. Officially. I haven’t had a moment to do anything, let along blog or make art. But, now I’m on holidays! So I’m back dear blog. I’m back! I know I have neglected you, but I promise I’m going to treat you better from now on.
Did you miss me?
Anyway! Now that I’m back in business I’ve finally had a chance to get into my newest project.
That’s right! I’ve finally gotten started on my Sketchbook project Sketchbook. Today is the last day to sign up if you’re interested in participating!
Thousands of sketchbooks will be exhibited at galleries and museums as they make their way on tour across America. After the tour, all sketchbooks will enter into the permanent collection of The Brooklyn Art Library, where they will be barcoded and available for the public to view.
Anyone – from anywhere in the world – can be a part of the project. Cool huh?
Here are some pics from my sketchbook so far. The theme for mine is Boys and Girls.
Boring moleskine front cover, but I’m going to decorate it to make sure people pick it up and look inside!
I even get my own barcode! Fun! That’s my arthouse user url by the way if you’d like to have a look.
Ok. Now for the inside!
Page one, some shameless self promotion.
Page 2
Page 3 (this one is a work in progress)
Page 4
Page 5 – looks what’s inside!
Page 6. This is a concept I’ve been sitting on for ages, and it’s nice to finally see her in real life. I’m going to edit this one into a nice etsy print later.
Next post I’m going to be doing some zine reviews!! YAY! And hopefully some more sketchbook pics. I’m going to document the WHOLE thing before I send it away! Don’t forget you can sign up here:
Exciting no?
Lovely news darlings! You can now download a free print of mine! That’s right, FREE!
It’s the most recent download from the Feed Your Soul Free Art Project.
Which is being hosted by Indie Fixx which is one of my most favourite blogs ever!
Have a click, download and you can print it for free!
Love and cupcakes!
A few weeks ago I had a brain wave, and ordered some stamps to make business cards.
Yay! They finally arrived!
Here they are:
Cute no? This is for the front of the card.
And this one was for the back. They are from a LOVELY etsy store called Terbear Collectables and they do all sorts of customer rubber stamps.
I also got these two darlings as a surprise freebie!
The owl is my favourite!
As soon as they arrived I raced out and bought myself a red stamp pad.
Here are the finished cards:
Front.
Pretty cute huh?
AND to hold my lovely new creations I also picked up this gorgeous business card holder from J.Carter Handmade.
Isn’t it just the loveliest? All her things are SO divine I could just go crazy.
In other news I just painted my toenails pink and yellow, and am about to head off for an rainy, cold, Sunday afternoon nap with my boy.
Paradise.
xoxo
