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The new Woogie Wednesday site/shop/blog is now up and running. Go check it out and add to her college fund :)

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Good Morning:

I'm just on my second cup of coffee and finally coming awake. I was given the go-ahead from my mom's nurse to take her home yesterday, so she spent her first night in 11 nights in her own bed. For me, I spent the night in my own bed for the first time in 11 nights as well...I slept hard. Too hard. I don't remember enjoying the opportunity to stretch out as I must have fallen asleep, literally, the second my head hit the pillow. Before I knew it, it was morning once again.

For those of you who have had a newborn at home, I'm sure you know that almost "zombie" like feeling that overtakes you after many long nights without any sleep. I can remember taking care of my restless babies during the night, and running on a complete deficit of sleep for days. I remember almost feeling sick and sort of seeing silver just at the lack of sleep. But dealing with a newborn is a good thing!! Taking care of my mom left me feeling that same constant sleep deficit except you didn't have the overwhelming joy of holding your sleeping baby once they finally dozed off.

I haven't spoken to my mom yet this morning, because I know she has been sleeping late and I don't want to disturb her. I will, however, call her in an hour or so. I am so hopeful that all went well.

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At this point, I still haven't sat down to work. I'm finding it difficult to justify the time spent as I can no longer list my art in my Etsy shop. I wasn't able to pay the fees this month, so my listing priviledges have been suspended. I can still sell what's already in my shop, but I can't list anything new until I can manage to get my fees paid. I just feel defeated...

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As many of you know, I am a gardener. Well, let me rephrase that: I love to garden. I'm not sure that loving to garden necessarily qualifies you as an actual "gardener". Nevertheless, I love to garden. Until this morning, I hadn't been out to my garden in literally months. Normally, even throughout the winter, I would take the time to stroll around and look for the hope of new life. The hope of Springtime. But this winter, I just couldn't find the heart to stroll or the interest to look for Spring. This morning, I found myself wandering around with time on my hands. With no desire to collage, I forced myself to grab my camera and step out back. I can see that, in my garden's lack of being nurtured throughout these last months, it is suffering. The Lavendar needs to be cut back, the Geraniums need to be dead-headed, and the hummingbird feeder needs to be replenished. I have one dead Apricot tree and lots of cleaning up to do. All of this will have to wait for another day. BUT...I did manage to find some hint of life...





And my little turtle is still loyaly watching out for my garden...



The Geraniums are trying hard to pretend it's April...



as they must take advantage of the cooler days before the heat sets in and brings with it their hideous enemy: The cut worm. Just as my Geraniums are extravagent in bloom, they will be overtaken by this green and plumpy foe...



My heart is sad for my garden as I have not been as loyal to it as my little turtle has. He's stood strong through hot days and cold nights, wind and rain. I, on the other hand, have turned my back on the fruit and flowers that I made a commitment to nurture and care for.

Until Next Time:
Kim

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Check out the very cool shark the talented Marion Gillins made from my Triangle Toys pattern!


Here's a snippet of the nice email she sent me:

I was immediately inspired to make these, it's just a matter of finding the time! I managed to get both kiddos to sleep AT THE SAME TIME today and I made one! I don't have much quilting fabric in my house, I usually sew with more "unusual" fabrics so I made do.

I have attached pictures of a shark, who I have named Bruce (not from nemo because as my daughter reminded me, "fish are friends, not food", but from Jaws. Or because of the Monty Python sketch. Or both.) I am also plotting an octopus with ribbon loops instead of points, a fish, and a mermaid. My daughter has requested princesses which I think will involve tulle coming out the top like a cascade from a hat and fancy fabric for the triangles.

I am having so much fun thinking about these and it is so nice to be able to sit down and whip one out in one sitting!

First of all - can I say that it was absolute GENIUS to change the sweet mama kangaroo pocket into the rick-rack-lined gaping maw of a shark?! Here's a picture of the kangaroo for those who haven't seen the original post.

Ms. Gillins did exactly what I hope people will do with my patterns - make them their own! I was inspired by the Built By Wendy (no relation) book with sewing patterns. She gives basic patterns for a shirt, a skirt, and a pair of pants - and then shows readers a kajillion different ways to modify those patterns. Add/subtract/gather the sleeves, lenthen/widen/narrow the skirt, etc. It's inspiring and fun - and freeing. With the Triangle Toys I showed how to make the basic shape, how to add feet, a beak, back plates, and a pouch, and how to embed rick-rack in a seam. I hoped that seeing one shape and several variations would invite people to come up with their own variations - and look what happened! A shiny silver shark named Bruce is now chomping down on a little orange fish who is NOT named Nemo. Awesome!

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I've been under the weather since late yesterday morning (fever and all) and trying to get work done was pretty painful, but I met my deadlines and hope to be back up and running better tomorrow. One of my goals for the New Year has been to try and to do something creative everyday. And of course, I've got a blog for that. The pieces above are from the last 2 days. This "theme" has been in my sketchbook for well over a year so I'm glad I forced myself to take some time to create, even when I felt like poo. These print (and more will come) are available for purchase here.

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I'd like to be able to say "Good Morning", but alas...the morning has come and gone. Officially, it is afternoon. 12:15 to be exact. Although the afternoon has made it's way into my home, I am still in my pajamas. Normally, this would be unusual for me, but with my mom convalescing/recuperating here at my home, it's become quite the norm over the last week. I will make every effort to, at least, slip on a pair of jeans at some point.

I woke this morning to find that one of my favorite collages had sold at my Etsy shop...



It was the original piece that sold as opposed to the print. I do believe this piece has become my all-time favorite. I will prettily package her and send her on her way, all the while feeling a little melancholy at the thought of her absence. Knowing I can keep her for myself in print form makes it easier to say good-bye.

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As it has become the norm, I find no surprise in the fact that today will be a busy day without even leaving the house. My mom's nurse will be here for his twice weekly visit. Which, I might add, is always delightful, believe it or not. He is a kind hearted and funny man with a booming voice and quite a contagious laugh. He is larger than life in so many ways (physically as well). His calling to hospice is perfection. It is exactly where he needs to be and wants to be. He is a true blessing. If all goes as hoped, my mom may be able to go back to her place on Wednesday or Thursday. We will see how it goes.

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As I knew when I started tap tap tapping the keys on this computer, this would be a shortish blog entry today, for it is oh so late and my mom is ready for lunch. I intend to make every effort to come back tomorrow.

And....Marie, yes, the illustration of Alice with the longneck still scares me. I shan't drink from a small bottle myself!!

Until Next Time:
Kim
Garden Painter Art

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Good Morning:

I thought I might take this opportunity to stop by this morning while my mom's resting. I had a look out the window a moment ago and it looks windy and crisp. The Palm Trees across the street are whipping every which-a-way. The howling wind makes my mini-schnauzer nervous and/or giddy (he's not sure yet which way he feels). Personally, I love the wind. I love the sound of it creeping around the corners of the house. I love the movement it brings. Everything in the garden is alive in the wind. The birds can be seen riding the waves, soaring and darting. Outside my windows, there's life in the wind. How I envy those soaring birds...

I've found it comes very easily lately to get lost in sights, lost in thoughts and lost in books. Late at night and early in the morning hours, while my mom is sleeping/waking...sleeping/waking I've re-discovered "Alice". I haven't read "Alice's Adventures In Wonderland" and "Through The Looking Glass" for years. What a lovely place to run away to...so many Anthropomorphic animals and flowers. I remember as a little girl (maybe seven and a half exactly?) being fascinated by Anthropomorphic animals and I reckon that may be why I portray my own animals in such a way within my collages. And...although I was never a fan of Disney's portrayal of "Alice", I do remember the "Alice In Wonderland" ride being my most favorite ride in Disneyland. Well, that's neither here nor there, but I truly am inspired by the magic within the books. I am currently enjoying the silly banter between Alice and Humpty Dumpty.

Oops...I hear my mom calling. She's ready for some oatmeal. I'll quickly share a few pictures of my newer pieces. I haven't worked this last week, but these are current as of a couple weeks ago.

And speaking of Anthropomorphic animals, this collage is called "Rabbit's Celebration". It's a 6" x 8" on canvas



Here's a close-up of the Celebrating Rabbit



And these are my two newest ACEOs...

Rabbit Visits The Country ~ my 203rd ACEO



Amelia's Lovely Girls ~ my 204th ACEO



I haven't the time to post a link to my Etsy shop, but these are all available there. You can find the link in the upper left hand corner.

I'm off...back to reality.

Thanks for having a peek at my blog as I truly appreciate it.

Kim
Garden Painter Art

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I designed these toys ages ago. The first time around I made the dinosaur and the chick. I also tried making a square pig with a little curly tail. He was ok, but it was the triangle-shaped ones that I really liked. They looked very "Martha Stewart Kids" to me. I still miss that magazine. Sigh.

Anyway, I thought I kept the toys, but I was putting together proposals a couple of weeks ago for a book of baby projects from Lark Books and I turned my sewing room upside-down looking for them - with no luck. The construction was so easy - and these have stuck in my head for so long - that I decided to remake them, expand the group, and make a pattern available. So here they are! And the pattern is now available in my Etsy shop. It's a PDF pattern with full-sized pattern pieces, detailed instructions, and loads of step-by-step photos.
Here's the penguin. I love how these toys stick to simple shapes and let the colors and one embellishment suggest the type of animal. I tried the penguin first without feet, thinking that penguins are defined by their black & white-ness, not their feet. But it really needed the feet to make it work. Otherwise is was a geometry toy. Cool, but not a penguin.
I love the chick, and I love the fabric he's made from. I only have a few tiny scraps left - maybe enough for a couple of yoyos - and then it's gone. :-(
The dinosaur is the first one I came up with. I saw someone on Simply Quilts do something with prairie points and I immediately imagined this toy dino with a whole ridge of prairie points running down his back.
Jo is pretty convinced that it's a dragon, not a dinosaur, though she concedes that in green it could be either. So I decided to make her a very dragony dragon out of velvet and tissue lame. I had to fuse the tissue lame to some muslin for the tummy piece - to give it enough strength to hold some stuffing. That lame frays like crazy and it doesn't hold a crease for crap, plus it sticks to my iron if (when) I forget to use a pressing cloth - so it wasn't very fun to sew, but it was fun to see how excited Jo was when I told her it was for her. That girl really likes her glitzy, sparkly stuff. It makes me think of this post at Angry Chicken - I would swear she was writing about Jo. Besides liking things to be "very beautiful" (by which she usually means very gaudy) Jo's favorite word is also "actually." She's also very fond of "presumably" and "if I'm not mistaken." As in, "If I'm not mistaken, I think this gift is for you Mommy." Awesome. But I digress. . .
The kangaroo is the newest addition to the bunch. Jo loves tucking things into pockets so I decided to make a triangle toy with a pocket. And now we have a kangaroo. I gave her a baby joey attached on a ribbon, but I like it just as well without.

I'll be selling some of my prototypes on Etsy as soon as I have a chance to get them listed. But really - these are just too easy to make yourself. All but the kangaroo are super-easy, even for absolute beginners with no sewing experience at all. The kangaroo is easy too - she just has a few extra steps and will be easier to make once you've made one of the others.

I really enjoyed making up the pattern so there will be more to come. Next up - my poseable dolls.

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Yep! I'm going to open my very own shop! I will be selling my items on Etsy once I make a larger inventory. These items are just a sneek peak!! One is a strawberry shortcake iphone pouch (some call them iphone cozys!). The other is a cute mushroom print pouch/coin purse. It can even fit a wallet inside!

Strawberry Shortcake iPhone Cozy: $8
Mushroom Pouch: $10

Leave a comment if you are interested in purchasing!

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Good Morning:

Well, here it is, the 17th day of December. Only a few more days until Christmas and I've yet to buy a single Christmas gift. Money has been extra tight over the last few months, so we are doing a "Christmas Simple". Meaning, less gifts and less expensive gifts. I won't even start my shopping until this Friday. Normally, I am well on my way to being done with my shopping by now. This has been an unusual Christmas season so far...But, I do think that we've been able to enjoy the season for what it is, rather than being caught up in "consumerism". That's a good thing!

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One good thing...my Etsy shop has done fairly well this year. I've sold many prints and even a couple of my original collages. I'm off to the post office today, hoping that what I'm mailing will reach it's destination before Christmas. The two originals that I sold were bought for presents!!

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I have some new prints being offered in My Etsy Shop. They are all new to print:

"And The Birds Are Singing" ~ 6" x 8" collage print


"Simple Bird #16" 2.5" x 3.5" ACEO collage print


"Chickadee At The Manor" 2.5" x 3.5" ACEO collage print


"Simple Bird #2" 2.5" x 3.5" ACEO collage print


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This will be a short blog today, as I really need to get to the post office. For those of you who tagged me recently, I haven't forgotten and I'll be back with my answers soon!!

As always, if you are interested in purchasing any of the art you see here or in my Etsy shop, but you don't have an Etsy account, feel free to email me directly for information. Just click on my blog profile and from there, you can email me.

Until Next Time:
Kim
Garden Painter Art

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 I mentioned that I was excited about a couple craft projects that weren't done yet. I love how they turned out! 
For a girly girl...


For a girly mom...

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 HipWriterMama asked a couple questions that I decided to make a post out of. She asked how I have time to do all that I do. Well, I have three secrets that help a lot. 

1. I don't try to do it all at once. Yesterday, I crafted quite a bit (more on that in a moment), but I didn't write. I did read and I'm always mothering, but I don't try to write and craft and take my kids on outings and make cookies and visit neighbors and do the laundry all every day. I limit my reading, too. I almost always read books in a day or two, but when I finish one, I make a list of things I have to do before I start the next.

2. I have good kids. Sorry. I know this isn't something you can necessarily choose to have. My little ones were both very hard babies but have grown into relatively easy preschoolers. They play together. They love to draw and create and pretend and read all day. They're even better when I take them out. Even to the store. They're good kids. Now my little princess certainly has her diva moments and she's working on controlling her anger, but for the most part, they play well and spend a lot of time entertaining themselves.

3. I don't mind a mess. I have to make myself care that my house is messy so I'll clean it, but there are many things I put ahead of cleaning when prioritizing. I DO believe it is important, but I prefer making things with the kids, reading, and basically everything else I do. And, yeah, I can be rather sssssssssssllllllllothful. My mom somehow managed to be the most amazing mother and keep an immaculate house. I haven't figured out her secret yet.


And one last thing that helps, I'm pretty easy going.


On to the next question...what Gingerbread recipe I used...I found it on allrecipes.com because the one I have from my family has eggs in it (and my princess is allergic...actually I think she just grew out of it...)

Gingerbread Cookies

1 cup sugar
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup melted margarine
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 cup molasses
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp lemon extract
4 cups flour

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 (Although these were delish, they were kind of crunchy. I will lower the temp next time I make them.) Lightly grease cookie sheets.
2. In a large bowl, stir together sugar, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. Mix in margarine, evap. milk, molasses, vanilla, and lemon extract. Stir in flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing well. The dough should be stiff enough to handle without sticking to fingers. If necessary, increase flour by up to 1/2 cup to prevent sticking.
3. When the dough is smooth, roll it out to 1/4 inch thick on a floured surface, and cut into cookies. Place cookies on prepared cookie sheets.
4. Bake 10-12 minutes. Cookies are done when top springs back when touched. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.


Lastly, I mentioned I was crafting yesterday. I'm really excited about what I came up with. I bought several glass jars of varying shapes and sizes at IKEA. Then I used my new Cricut Personal Electronic Cutter (squee), which is my Christmas present from Husband to cut letters and snowflakes out of adhesive vinyl. Here are the two that are already up at my etsy shop, Whimsy Daisy.



I made a few others that I LOVE, but they aren't listed yet because they need a little extra work that involves ANOTHER trip to the craft store.

 

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Well, some of the things I've been busy doing have been really fun.

I started an etsy shop. It's called Whimsy Daisy. I only have two things for sale right now.

All Buttoned Up: The Kissing Ball for Button-Lovers... 

and this Butterflies Flutter By frame....

We also spent HOURS yesterday making gingerbread cookies and bringing them to neighbors. They turned out cute but crunchy.

Hope your busyness is fun, too!

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Good Morning:

It's been such a very long time since I've added an entry to my blog. I want to thank all of you who continue to check and read my blog.

Things are hectic around here right now, to say the least, but I still intend to put forth an effort to blog once a week or so. I miss blogging on a daily basis, but currently, my life just doesn't allow for that luxury of time.

I do have a few spare moments this morning, so I thought I would quickly share a little bit of the holidays with you. (And show you my newest collage print).

We had a very nice and quiet Thanksgiving. Each year sort of blends into the previous and will blend into the next. Our Thanksgivings are always enjoyable, but ultimately predictible. Although, I must say, our turkey was better than usual, as Ava (my daughter) prepared it this year. She added a few tasty items inside the bird and stuffed butter under the skin. It truly did make a difference....



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Now, we've just about finished putting our Christmas decorations up indoors and out. Mind you, it's taken over a week!! My main Christmas tree in the formal living room is huge. It measures 9 ft. high by 6 ft. wide. Being that I am only
5 feet 4-1/2", decorating the tree is quite a task. Obviously there is a ladder involved!! I will admit, the task is more difficult than it need be, considering the technique that I choose to use for the lights. Instead of roping the lights around the tree like so many sane folks do, I insist on wrapping each limb up, then twist the strand around the tip and back down the limb, twist around the limb base and over to the next. I'm not sure if that makes sense, but basically it gives such a big tree a lot of depth when the lights are on. There are lights all through the tree instead of just on the outside. Once the lights are done, it's on to the decorating. I really love my tree AFTER it's decorated, and I wish I could get a better picture, so you could really see the colors....



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Last Sunday, we went to the Orange County Fair Grounds to see Cirque Du Soleil's newest show "Corteo". We bought the tickets almost a year ago, and have been waiting patiently to see the show. We were fortunate to have been able to purchase front row tickets at the time. The show was fabulous, as always, and it's the first time that my daughter Ava has come with us to a Cirque show. She really had a great time, and was so intrigued by the fact that we were in the front row. The performers make eye contact with you and talk to you. Unfortunately, my two teen-age sons have never had any interest in seeing Cirque Du Soleil. As a matter of fact, they are entirely repulsed by them!! I suppose that's fairly common. Not too many teen boys are fans of Cirque. They just don't know what they're missing!! Here's a picture of the "Grand Chapiteau"...



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And....one last bit. Here's my newest 5" x 7" collage print freshly listed in My Etsy Shop.

George Takes Safari


Obviously, the little boy in the original vintage photo was named George. I think he just looks ready for any adventure that may come his way. This collage has also been made into a greeting card in my Greeting Card Universe shop.

And...one more brutal sales pitch before signing off, if you don't mind !! With Christmas quickly approaching, lots of people are shopping online to avoid the crowds. Here's the address to our online shopping mall: All Around The Mall.com
Each evening, Gary (my husband) posts some of the great deals and special sales on the Mall blog, which can be found HERE...

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Thanks ever so much for your continued curiosity with my blog.

Until Next Time:
Kim
Garden Painter Art

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Thanks to Kat over at Smidge who showcased my holiday cards. I really appreciate the mention!

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I had to remove all of the cards in my Etsy shop for the time being due to a problem with the products. I will have more items in my shop soon. Thanks for reading and your support during this little blip... Read the rest of this post

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It's been a long time coming, but I have *finally* started my Etsy shop! I only have three greeting card designs in there thus far, but I am proud of the work. I am excited to have these vibrant and whimsical designs to share with you this year!! :)

If you would like to, please check out my little (...tiny, right now ;) ) shop and tell me what you think!!

If you are saying to yourself, "Why is Kathy opening an Etsy shop? She already has a Cafe Press shop.. What's the difference??" The answer to that is this: Cafe Press creates all of the actual product for you. You upload your design onto their own stocked product, and you "design" the product online with their tools. They also pack it, ship it and deal with returns. This is all great stuff, but if you want to craft something yourself, or have your original design printed by your own chosen printer and have the most quality control over the final product, Etsy's where it's at. You do all the shipping, packing, and any returns yourself. But it is nice to be able to sell one of a kind art pieces in a unique, safe "online shopping mall" where people visit specifically to purchase hand-crafted or otherwise original works of art and crafts!! It's GREAT!!

while you are at Etsy, visit my sister's jewelry shop, Nancy Rosetta! She's got some cool stuff..

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Robert's Snow auction week two

Here is another chance to own unique pieces of artwork created by children's illustrators. All the proceeds got to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Happy bidding: Robert's Snow

Things have been pretty quiet around here - lot's and lot's of work to do. Lately, I have been listening to Librivox while I paint. Volunteers have recorded books for your listening pleasure. I get completely transported while I paint. So far, I have got through Jane Eyre, Little Women and The Secret Garden. Some books are read by just one person and others can have each chapter read by a different person, so it can make for entertaining listening.

In between work, I have been trying to do a little Christmas shopping on Etsy. I haven't got time to make any of my own gifts this year or to go shopping. There is such a wide of variety of unique and lovely things to choose from, and I can browse while I am sitting in my cosy house. I just have to remember that I am shopping for other people and not for myself!

And it was exciting to see our book in the Scholastic flyer today!

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Good Morning Friends:

I just wanted to pop by and give you a little peek at my newest ACEO print that I just listed in MY ETSY SHOP.

The Generous Giant


I've always liked this particular ACEO collage because the vintage photo of the little boy/girl that I used is so odd.

Firstly: I think the child was either sick or had a condition of some kind.

Secondly: I'm not sure of the sex of this child. He/she is wearing an obvious "male" outfit, with pants and little boy shoes. BUT... the boy/girl is wearing a large boy in his/her hair.

The original photo is another one of my "obsession photos". I keep a print of the photo on my desk, as I am still studying it. I so wish I knew the real story behind this child and his/her life.

Anyway...this is my newest print. The original was long ago sold.

As always, if you are interested in any of the art you see on my blog, but you don't have an Etsy account, go to my blog profile and give me an email. I'm always more than happy to work with you personally.

At the moment, Gary (my husband) is working on setting up a store for me complete with paypal buttons. It will be attached to this blog. This, I'm sure is in the very distant future!!

Thanks for stopping by.

Until Next Time
Kim
Garden Painter Art

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Good Morning Friends:

As always, I've been busy beyond belief the last week. I have a full house to cook for, my mom to take care of, and countless other "little things" to attend to. The constant busi-ness has kept me on the run without a minute to blog. But...this morning, I have a few quiet hours to myself, and I intend to catch up with some of my "own" things.

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Here we are, only a week away from Thanksgiving, and like so many Thanksgivings of my childhood, it's nearing the 90 degree mark. I close my eyes and pretend I smell a blustery day. I can hear the whish of the wind and the crackle of red leaves under my feet. But alas... it is only a daydream. The unwelcome ring of my cell phone has brought me back to the hot and dry reality of the Thanksgiving season in the desert of Southern California.

Even with the unusually warm holidays that we have here, we always manage to enjoy ourselves completely. We have our Thanksgiving meal later than many other folks do. I've found that if we wait until it's dark outside to eat, it feels cooler, AND...I can light candles.

I always look forward to setting the table with my antique Noritake, and pink and green depression glass. I don't even mind the fact that all of my antique dishes must be washed by hand. It keeps me connected to my history. All of my dishes and glasswear have been given to me by my mom and my aunts, and even a few friends. I wash each piece in the sink. I like to remember who gave it to me and how they acquired it in the first place.

I have a fabulous set of dark green goblets that were given to me by my aunt (my dad's sister). Originally, each goblet came with oatmeal, and she managed to collect a set of 6 during the depression. She's 93 now and still going. My antique Noritake was brought back from Japan after WWII by a soldier and given to my grandma
(my mom's mom). The teapot has been broken and glued back together and can't be used, but the thin, beautiful tea cups and plates and saucers are lovingly used for the holidays and teas with my friends.

After each piece is carefully washed and dried, they are put back in the china cabinet, awaiting patiently until the next time they are called to duty.

So today, I will attend to my daily comings and goings. I will finish planning the Thanksgiving menu and maybe or maybe not do a little shopping. And through it all, I will look forward to carefully setting the holiday table with the old dishes. The dishes that hold our memories and our history.

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Just a little aside: I managed to get some work done in my studio and I've listed the new piece in My Etsy Shop. I've listed the original piece instead of a print.

On With The Honeymoon



I've also listed a gnarly-doll. It's a big Jack Frost Humpty Dumpty....





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As always, I so appreciate your interest in my blog as well as my art.

Until Next Time:
Kim
Garden Painter Art

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It's been a busy day here at Gratz Industries. Alan's off at a Tennessee Reading Association conference and I spent the workday prepping for a presentation in NY on Wednesday. I spent the night tonight packing up wholesale and Etsy orders to go out. Soon you'll find bookmarks, pendants, and Christmas ornaments at Little Shop of Stories - a fabulous children's only store in Decatur, GA.
I was reeeeeeeeeally tempted to keep the Calef Brown snowman ornament for myself. The back says, "Kick it, funky snowman!"
Happy Bookseller - a terrific general bookstore with a great children's section in Columbia, SC - is carrying bookmarks and Christmas ornaments. These are two of my favorite bookstores in the region so I'm thrilled that they're carrying my work!

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Good Morning:

What a lovely morning it is. Chilly and dense with fog. The Santiago fire is almost fully contained and I can no longer smell even a hint of smoke. A lovely morning indeed!!

The dense, thick morning could not stop me from taking my 3 mile morning walk. It was a pleasant walk that left me covered in a damp veil of beaded fog. Dripping from my hair and steaming my sunglasses. This is the kind of morning that makes me want to curl up in front of the fireplace with a cup of tea and a good book. But alas... I've too many chores to do and no time for curling up today.

As always, I'm ridiculously hopeful that I'll find time to work in my studio, but something tells me that I will be pulled in other directions today. I need to organize my mom's weekly meds and do some grocery shopping. I should continue cleaning up the ash in the backyard, but after the foggy morning, I think I'll wait for everything to dry up again.

I did manage to list a few older ACEO prints in My Etsy Shop this week. They're a little wintery in theme....

Santa Lucia Fairy


Winter Fairy


Simple Santa Bird


These are all prints from some of my earlier ACEO work, but I thought since they are sort of winter/Christmas themed, I'd go ahead and run a few prints of each.

As always, I hope this blog entry finds you blessed and having a nice Autumn day.

Until Next Time:
Kim
Garden Painter Art

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Well - I'm off to fabulous NYC for fun, games, shopping, and a much-needed vacation. Ha! I wish. I'm actually headed for Garden City, NJ for several days of back-to-back meetings and an introduction to the Random House Children's Books list for Summer 2008. Before I go I'm sending a quick peek at a couple of new things I've been doing with my poor cut-up children's books. It's like I'm running a chop-shop - breaking them down for parts - but in a good way.

A week or so ago I showed a couple of cards I made for Jo's teachers. Here's what I'm making for everyone else. The first set features art from How the Grinch Stole Christmas. It's six cards and envelopes and each card has a bit of the book stitched down in red thread. The inside is blank for your own message. Here's what the package looks like. . .
frontbackinsideI like this vinyl portfolio thing because it lets people see four of the six cards. Since each card is one of a kind I can't exactly print out one of those things on the back of most card sets that shows you exactly what's inside. I tried that once
and it took as long to do this as it took to make the cards. No thanks! You can find this set here in my Etsy shop.
I've also been working on some bookmarks that I'm really excited about. When I was cutting out pendant pieces I was left with some scraps that were bookmark shaped and I remembered some laminated stamp bookmarks that we used to sell like crazy when I worked at Davis-Kidd. Voila! I laminate some strips (carefully cropped to show off the art) and they make fabulous bookmarks. I've been selling them as fast as I can make them but I finally got a little extra to photograph.Even if you read grown-up books now you can still have a cool slice of a fun picture book. This one is the great scene in Dinosaur Bob where the boy (I forget his name) brings Bob back to camp shouting, "Look what I caught!" If you look closely you can see the boy dangling from a rope around Bob's neck. I love that! I've been thinking it would also be fun to make these from mass market bodice rippers - make bookmarks out of the naughty bits.
I know from many years as a buyer that display is always an issue, so I came up with a fun idea to display these bookmarks too.
Cute, eh? Of course, I forgot to take a picture with bookmarks in the can, but you get the idea.
Probably no new updates from me for the rest of the week. Maybe Alan will finish the house while I'm gone. Well, maybe just make a dent in the big pile o' junk.

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