A Dress Inspired By A Lexus Ad

I'm not proud of being inspired by a commercial, but I'm pretty proud of the outcome...

If you stop the ad at the 8 second mark, you will see my momentary flash of inspiration. On TV, that frame only lasts for a second, and I found myself watching for that ad so I could catch the glimpse of my current muse, my passion du jour... it's the colors, the mood, the intensity. Then scroll down to see how my inspiration manifested itself...

Recycled wool, needle felting and embroidery. Sorry about the photos... not so good. I usually prefer to take them in the daylight. But it's late, and Talmadge is tomorrow. Just had to post my last minute inspiration. Did I mention that I work best under pressure? Just give me a deadline, and I jump through hoops to get things done :o) Now off to packing up and all the rest of what needs to be done at 9pm the night before a show...

See you tomorrow!

Talmadge!

Is this Sunday from 10-4! Yep! Have you been to the Talmadge Art Show before? What? You haven't?? Well, let me tell you, you are missing out, girl/guy! Heck!!!

Woodpecker+Bug quilt style art pillow by Val's Art Studio

Talmadge's winter show will be held at NTC Promenade at Liberty Station, at 2875 Dewey Road, building 177. Click here to get more information on how to find the location. If you are good with maps, here's one for you to study...

So, I have been a l i t t l e - b i t - b u s y with life lately... you will notice my new items are a bit sparse, so make sure to get there early if you want a Val Original. The few new pieces I have are extra special. The magical Woodpecker+Bug pillow above is made in a quilt fashion, and I am in love with it. I know you will love it too as soon as you see it in it's wonderful glory.

So, come out and have a visit, see some art, check it out! Talmadge... makes for a creative day :o) See you there!

Time for a Little Bling

(hee hee!) I bet you thought I was talking about jewelry! Am I right?! Well, Bling is a jewel in her own right. I know you agree with me. What dog in the world is more adorable than little Bling? She's just the cutest! This photo (right) was taken when she was just 9 weeks old. Sheesh, what a pose. I can't stop staring at this little lovable!

I met Bling's owner when she came into Austin's Gallery to film me for an internet spot. I had no idea this was going to happen,

and since I'm at Austin's so infrequently, it was amazing she happened to come in on the right day and time. The interview was all about the pillows I make out of recycled wool, with irresistible needle felted art. Of course I had to talk about the custom dog pillows I make. They are truly more special then you can see in the photos. The texture of the felted wool, the tactile quality of the needle felted art, the wonderful finishing details in ribbon and trims... these make a wonderful gift, even if it's for yourself. :o) Well, Bling's owner fell for my spiel, hook, line and sinker. So, now she will have this awesome pillow to last a lifetime. I know Bling is still a pup, but now she'll have Bling to hug forever in this pillow.

So, did you watch the Westminster Dog Show last night? We did, and we love watching this wonderful production each year. I can't get enough of seeing all the dog breeds, and love the short historical descriptions of each breed, as well as what they have been bred to do. We were so thrilled that our beloved breed won best in class for the Working Dogs: yes, the Portuguese Water Dog won in it's group! We tried to rouse Lola from her nap to celebrate the prancing pup on TV, but she had no interest. However, when we turned on the TV at the beginning of the evening, she couldn't take her eyes off the Curly Coated Retriever... we see where her tastes lie...

Happy Dog Days to you. It's that kind of day for me today :o) and that's a good thing!

From the Val in Valentine...

Photo courtesy of Going Home to Roost. Thanks Bonnie!

Not really. The Val in Valerie, but I just thought I'd take the opportunity to say it. Just because of the day :o) I hope your day is the sweetest, most lovable, huggable, pinkest, kissable, cuddliest, red-hot day. Ever. That's what I wish for you.

xxoo, Val

Upcoming Classes + A Show!

Heck, yes! Finally... I've lined up several classes over the next couple of months at Paper Tales, so get your groove on and sign up now! Paper Tales is a place where you can meet like minded souls, learn all kinds of crafty things to make your heart sing, and find the cutest things on the planet. Paper Tales is the creative place, and a great place for classes!

Here's what you can find on the schedule now:

* Feb 20, Sunday 12:30-4:30: Mixed Media Art Journal class. Prepare your journal cover using a multitude of artistic techniques, and embellish your journal withinspirational images or words. Add a painted heartfelt scene, or a hand stitched element. All the techniques you will learn in this class can be applied to painting, scrapbooking, card making and more! More about this class here.

* March 12, Saturday, 12:30-4:30: Mixed Media Art Painting class. This class is similar to the Art Journal

class, but you will be creating a 6 x 6" painting on board. Painting instruction includes paint mixing and some color theory. Add ons (like the flowers you see here) can be purchased the day of the class at Paper Tales. Find out more about taking this class here.

* March 27, Sunday, 12:30-4:30: Needle Felted Russian Doll class. Learn to make one of these fabulous dolls by needle felting, a wonderful craft involving pushing barbed needles through loose wool. Then take your new skills home to finish making the other two. We will make the medium doll in this class, which measures 2 1/2" tall. Embellish your doll with colors or patterns you love. You will fall in love with this amazing and surprisingly easy craft. More here.

And then, a couple of classes where I'm trying to gage interest level. The Needle Felted Birdie Brooch class (by popular demand!). It's the best class for learning the flat needle felting technique. More here. **Please note, that link takes you to an old class date. Just let me know if you are interested in attending an upcoming class. You can leave a comment here on the blog, or email me at valsart@me.com.

New class! A laminated felted wool heart in any shape of your choosing. Embellishing techniques include beading, needle felting, embroidery, button sewing, wire wrapping... the sky's the limit. Turn your woolie creation into a pendant, a brooch, or a woolen wonderful to gift a heartfelt message to a special friend. Once I determine the interest level, I will figure out the cost for this class. The class will contain a kit with the basics. Add ons can be purchased at Paper Tales for a discounted price on the day of the class. Email me or leave a comment if you are interested in this class.

Then, I will be at the Talmadge Art Show at Liberty Station, which is coming up on Sunday, Feb. 27 from 10-4. Mark your calendar, and don't miss out on this great Art Fair!

An Amazing Journey

Photo courtesy of Follow My Bliss. Thanks Barb!

What a gift this life is! Every single day, we have a choice. No matter what the circumstances are, we have a choice. A choice for goodness, a choice to help, a choice to smile, a choice to love. And the best part of it, is that when we choose positive things like these, they all come back to us! Sometimes not right away, and sometimes not in a way we even notice. But, we get the goodness gift in return! Just think, the more goodness we choose, the more that comes our way. Wow, that's powerful.

I just had to put that out there, in case you needed a little reminder :o) Next up, classes! So, stay tuned ... yes! They are finally on the schedule. Hooray!!!

No Bitchy Bunny Today

Sweet bunny today. But yesterday was an entirely different story... Here's how things went down.

Watercolor paintings were the order of the day, and I managed to get 5 done. Wow, that's a great day of work for me! Pirate friendly sorts were how I began. Things got a little fierce by the end of painting #2. A good fierce, though...

Then, well, things got sort of messy. Bad cats, etc. You can see here how it went.

Just went south from there...

I hope I got it out of my system. Today my first painting is titled, 'love me with a big heart'. It's kind of a relief, back to being me, and all. Not a nasty me, didn't like that much...