Baby's Favorite...Awww!

I know the photo quality is poor... and for that I am sooo sorry! It's just me at one of my shows trying to snap a photo in a moments notice, without checking the settings... and noticing too late that the flash was OFF... urrrgh! But, I just love these two, and have to share them with you! She just took one look... and it was love at first sight!

Lately, people have been buying my sweet Friendly plushies (well, they have been a good seller all along, and for that, I thank you!), and then they have been telling me that the Friendly is their little one's favorite. Awww, nothing can make my day like this kind of news! I have received custom orders here and there, and the news about the new love bond between baby and Friendly is so wonderful, it just makes my heart puff with love. When I put that love right back into the next Friendly I make, well... they just keep getting cuter and cuter all the time. What's with that??!! Love, love, love! Take a look, and tell me what you think...

Aww, I just want to give you a big, ol' hug... and a great BIG thank you for all the love :o) You make my world!

x, Val

Summertime Boardwalk Fun

... In Santa Cruz! During the time I attended UC Santa Cruz, I never went to the Boardwalk, and I never went to The Mystery Spot. Maybe they were just too touristy for a college student... heck, who knows why I never went. Guess I made up for it during our recent trip. Went to both, and loved it!! See what you think looking through my "Hipstamatic" lens on my iPhone. Too fun, I say! Enjoy, and hope it takes you back to a special remembrance of summer fun at the boardwalk. :o)

Happy Summer!

x, Val

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig!

Photo courtesy of Barb at Follow My Bliss. Thanks, Barb!

Yes, we are back, and are quite recharged. Lots of time in the car, we drove over 2000 miles, and traveled from San Diego as far north as Napa and Sonoma county. We saw amazing and spectacular things, the most impressive was our niece, Julia, graduating from Los Gatos High School! We are so proud of Julia, and are thrilled that she's heading down to our area in the fall to attend the University of San Diego. (I'm about to burst, I'm so excited she'll be here on our "turf", I just can't wait for her to be so close!) Here's a picture of my whole family, including Julia's French grandparents on her dad's side of the family (Roger has on the pink shirt, with Amie next to him). It was such a gift for us all to be together, and it went by much too fast... (big sigh)

We spent the following weekend with family and friends in Santa Cruz, and took the boys to see The Mystery Spot in Santa Cruz (according to our boys, the best $5 we've ever spent!) Here's kind of a freakish shot of me doing some sort of Spiderman pose in the Mystery Spot house. I know it looks weird, but it's completely normal for that place...

From there, we headed north to Napa, where we spend a few days in our Coronado neighbor's fabulous 1880's Victorian house they are restoring. (I'm saving those photos for another day, that house is too fabulous- it needs a post all it's own!)

From there we headed off to Yosemite Valley. O M G! First time we'd been there, and we were blown away by the awesomeness and beauty of the valley. Lots more photos to share once I download the shots from my camera. These are a few Greg took. The 3 of us enjoyed it immensely, unfortunately, or 4th (that would be Drew) refused to get out of the car the entire day... oh my heck, what's with that??! We didn't let it ruin our time though, we trekked and were rained on by waterfalls galore, and were tourists on parade within that beautiful place, kissed by the hand of God.

I'll leave you for now with this amazing picture taken at the Quixote Winery in Napa. Though it doesn't show the amazing structure of the winery built in the Hundertwasser style, it's irresistible due to one of my favorite flowers in full bloom. I call them "Fried Egg Poppies". I love them so :o)

Happy to be back... hope you've been well... back to work over here... off I go!

x, Val

7 Days to Dream

A new mixed media painting called "7 Days to Dream"

What a day to dream,

What a day to inspire,

What a day to live,

A day to be alive...

We are taking a few (7) days, and then some... we are taking a family road trip up the California coast. Seeing my niece graduate high school, visiting with family and friends in the Bay area, a trip up to Napa, then into the mountains to explore Kings Canyon area, finally dropping our boys off in central CA at Jameson Ranch sustainable farm camp. They will be there for 2 weeks, and hopefully getting a taste of what it means to organically farm everything you eat, along with a dose of animal husbandry. I wish I was going to that camp!

We'll be taking a very rare break, my husband and I, and so, I'll be back in a couple of weeks. Hopefully refreshed and rejuvenated by some much needed "time away", and artistically invigorated too :o)

I hope you are enjoying a wonderful start to your summer. How will you reinvigorate yourself this summer? I hope you have some dream days planned in the very near future!

I'll see you soon!

x, Val

Peace and Love... and time to Party!

Make Good is celebrating their One Year Anniversary with a Party! Tomorrow evening from 7-10... come out and party with the artists who like to make some happy handmade goodness... and their clients too :o)

In an effort to have my Friends there in full force, I am creating a batch of my Handmade Friendlys, and am scrambling to get them completed in time for the festivities. Yes, these Guys are pretty happy to be involved with the "goings-on", and are hurrying me towards the sewing machine (no time to stop for photos!!)

Mr. Peace and Mr. Love are ready for the next step in the completion process... they are on the Left...

... and here are Belly and Button (hee hee!)

OK! Off to the sewing machine now. Hope to see you tomorrow night in the hubbub of Artistic Goodness over at Make Good. Cheers!!

~x, Val

We're In Puppy Love

Awww! We are having some serious puppy love happening over here. But, we do have one slight problem. That would be Mr. Greg, who has declared he needs a new computer, not a puppy. What? Really??? Greg!!! Who can resist a puppy?? I for one, cannot! and, I'm so happy to witness that my boys are following right along in my footsteps. Good puppies! Good!!! :o)

If you are in the market for a puppy, I seriously recommend a Portuguese Water Dog. They do not shed, they make the most incredible, lovable companions, they are incredibly smart, and a dog you will treasure every moment. Well, except for some sure-to-be-bad-puppy-moments! Our friends, Bob and Adina have 9 wonderful puppies that will be looking for new homes. You can check their web page out here.

Perfect Together

Do you remember this post, when a sweet look-alike dolly was ordered for a very special birthday girl? Well, they are together now, and I must say, they look perfect together. Don't you agree?! Best friends... makes my heart happy :o)

My World This Week

I've kind of taken this week off for a wee bit of "me" time. Of course it didn't help that things were so busy in my etsy shop last weekend, and here I am fulfilling all kinds of custom orders. (Girl, it's a good thing!) Thanks to some prodding from my bloggie friend (and awesome journal artist), Junelle, here I am taking my very first online class (yea!), and I'm loving it! The Three Hearts Workshop is an art journaling workshop taught by Christy Tomlinson, and it's kind of like going back to art school for all these crazy new art products I'm not even aware of! In the first week, there were about 28 videos to watch alone. Wow, my head was spinning, and I seriously needed to take a Motrin!

So, I've been trying to spend some time learning new techniques, pushing my boundries, and plunging myself into the unknown. For me, it's kind of like standing at the edge of the high dive and willing myself to "jump, just JUMP!" It's so funny that I did just that the first week, but this week, I seem to be back to my little safe place with watercolor, pens, and colored pencil (the page pictured at the top of this post)... come on, Val! You can totally do this!

Yes, I'm creative, but a bit of a stick in the mud, careful sort... not too big on making messes. I've seriously got to lighten UP!

In other news this week, my younger son, Kyle, graduated from 7th grade, yea! Here is Kyle on the last day of school. He and his friends decided to get "all dolled up" (not sure how to say that in 'guy' terms!) for the big yearbook signing and walk around "lookin' good" after school. Coronado is a small town with a big main street, and all the kids are walkin' talkin' Orange Ave fools on the main street!

The other thing that has been keeping me seriously busy, with a joyful heart, can be seen in the video below... Puppies!!! Oh my golly!! I am so in love with these 9 wiggling bundles of love! My friends Bob and Adina own Mia, a Portie (like our lovie Lola), and she just had 9 puppies! Every so often, Bob asks me to come and watch the pups so he and Adina can get out together for a while. They are 2 1/2 weeks old now, and are just starting to get social... I took this video yesterday right after they fed. They are good for about 5 minutes before they fall into a milk induced coma. They were all sitting at the edge of their pen imploring me to pick them up and give them some kisses... No! Me! Wait, pick ME! Me...wei wei... MEEE!

Enjoy!

x, Val

Teeny Tiny Summertime World

Whew! Glad that Giveaway is over. I'm not used to getting so many comments on my blog, and was actually stressing out a bit. Silly girl! In times of stress, what's one to do? Why, needle felt a tiny scene, is what! Here's my latest "Teeny Tiny". I call it "Summertime".

You can get a better sense of the scale with my hand in the picture.

Look at this silly little clothesline! (My husband thinks I've gone off the deep end!)

Here's the backyard. I was thinking of adding a teeny tiny dog, but

then I came to my senses. Sometimes, things actually get too small.

Hope you are having a brilliant holiday weekend, and enjoying it in a really BIG way!

x, Val

And the Pincushion Giveaway Winners are.......!

,#1: Magpie Shinies!-#26 on the True Random Generator(but I couldn't make the winning number show up on my post .... grrrh

Winner: Magpie Shinies

said...

Those are adorable!
Kimberlee at Magpie Shinies
kimbahleigh666 at gmail dot com

#2: Robin Scott!-#36 on the True Random Generator

Winner: Robin said...

follow you on twitter
robinlscott
robinlscott4 at hotmail dot com

#3: Dana!-#9 on the True Random Generator

Winner: Dana said...

I am so excited about your pin cushion giveaway!! I have been drooling over them since our class! =) http://www.danadooner.blogspot.com/

Congratulations to the winners, and thank you all so much for participating! Winners, email me at ValsArt@me.com with your addresses so I can get these cutie pie pincushions in the mail to you. Also, let me know what your favorite color is and I'll do my best to find roses you will like :o)

-x, Val

Yes Please, Miss

That dolly, Miss. Yes, that one there. miss, can you make another one for me, and make it look a bit like my sweet girl? She's got brown hair and eyes, and a smile as sweet as sugar. Miss, it's her birthday soon, and she'd so love a dolly just like that!

What's a girl to say to that? Why, YES, of course! Yes, yes, yes. So, the dolly came together in one whoosh of fabric messiness, and sewing stitch-stitch-stitches, and stuffing puffs, needle felting face love, embroidery stitches, capped off by wonderful crochet flowers I found at Paper Tales for $1.50 a packet.

(A deal 'cause I didn't have to crochet them myself... and the colors were perfect!)

Missy Dolly has gone to live with her new friend, but she won't be revealed until this weekend, upon a brand new "big girl bed", which is going to be a fantastic surprise too. Ahhh, to be a sweet little miss again, clapping hands in joy over a big girl bed, and a sweet dolly to love.

Enjoy sweet girl. You are so lucky and loved by a mommy who will order up a dolly who looks a tiny wee bit like you :o)

The Pincushion Giveaway will be chosen tomorrow afternoon. Get those last minute names in quick!!!!

Giveaway Update

I am listed on this great site, Blog Giveaways, which features a TON of Giveaways every week, if you are into that sort of thing! Of course, if you are a regular bloggy reader, one knows you could easily spend your ENTIRE day reading and entering into blog giveaways... it's not too pretty.

On another note, I have had a great response to my Giveaway, but I want MORE! (Why is it always that way?!) So, if you are an entering fool (and I know you are), I am offering a way for you to get BONUS POINTS! This is actually due to one very generous contestant, Dana, who posted a lovely and moving tribute to one of my classes on her blog. So, she gets Bonus Points! I was thrilled to hear how Dana felt about her afternoon at Val's Art Studio. Thank you, Dana!! A mention on your blog or Facebook page would suffice, but if you write an entire post, yes! you get BONUS POINTS (2). (And make sure to leave me a comment linking back to your post...) Hooray! So, get busy, Girls :o)

It's A Giveaway!!

Yes! ... In honor of finishing up a big order with a new gallery (including many pincushions), I am hosting a Pincushion giveaway! I will be giving away 3 Pincushions, so there are many opportunities for you to win one of these cutie pies!!! Perfect for you sewing fanatics, beading peeps, pincushion collectors, or fans of all things cute... this pincushion brings a happy cheer to any space.

There are many different ways to win, and it's possible for you to enter up to 5 times. Here's how:

-Leave a comment on this blog for one entry.

-For another chance to win, head over to my Etsy shop, and tell me what your favorite item is in my shop. Leave me your answer in the comments.

-For yet another chance to win, "like" my new Facebook page. Check it out here!

-Post about my giveaway on your blog, and that gets you another entry... make sure to leave me a link to your post in the comments!

-Follow me on Twitter, you get another entry! Remember to leave me a note in the comments...

So, there you have it! The winners will be chosen next

Friday, May 27th. Good luck!!!

Coronado's History Matters!

The Wells House, "Let History Speak", painted for the Coronado Historic Home Tour, 2011

History matters so much, and that's one reason why I am so happy to be invited to be a Plein Air painting artist at Coronado's Historic Home Tour each year. It's the one thing I feel my paints can speak loudly about, and I am so happy to be the artist to paint them.

I am so worried about the fabric of my lovely home town, Coronado. It's beautiful and historic homes are being bulldozed at an alarming rate. Once they are gone, they're gone for good. New crackerjack construction built in the name of "progress" and under the auspices of "larger square footage", cry of mediocracy and sadly

reek of greedy lowball construction.

There are a few notable construction companies in Coronado who do really fine work. I am always so impressed by the care and concern of one (unnamed) company, who lately offers the buyer of an old home a package which (for a tidy sum) includes a complete building renovation all the way down to the studs and foundation work. Their finished projects speak of care and compassion towards Coronado's historic character. If only every historic property in Coronado could attain this level of attention.

In bringing my message to people who care for historic homes, and in being able to talk with them during the tour, in being able to see their appreciation for my work, and appreciating their support in buying my paintings and prints, I feel I am doing my part. It makes my heart glad to stand up for the buildings that have stood up for us over these last 100 years. In painting them, I feel I am protecting them. In naming them, I announce their praises. I am in love with these places of beauty, and wish to bring love back to them by way of appreciation. Don't tear them down, cherish them, and build them up. Add on to them in a sensitive manner. Respect their heritage. They have much to tell, if you'll just take the time to really listen...

The painting I worked on during this year's tour,

The Hughes House on 8th and A Ave.

This is a commissioned work I just finished for

the proud owners of The Purvis Home on C Ave.

(The Giveaway post is coming up very soon... I promise!)

My Budding Artists

Today I'm so proud to feature my rising glass star artist, ... my son, Drew. These are three of the 6 pieces he made during his very first blowing glass lesson. They are incredible...

Wow, give a kid a choice, and he will go to town. Andy Cohn, Drew's glass blowing teacher, said we should be really impressed with the work Drew is turning out. Not knowing what to expect from glass blowing (one art form I have never attempted), I replied "He's got it in his blood!" Well, it's true. I am so proud of him!! Andy is so impressed, and said she's never had a student like Drew before, who just steps right in like he knows what he's doing... at his age, no less! (He just turned 15)

We put several pieces for sale at Austin's Gallery, (in hopes he can start putting some $ towards his lessons!), and he was so funny. He called me within 30 minutes of putting them in the gallery to see if anything had sold yet :o) I'm not sure we even had a customer in that 30 minute timeframe. I told him that Father's Day is right around the corner, plus, there are many people that collect paperweights!

Later this month, Drew, Kyle and I are set to start taking ceramics, another art form I haven't tried. I'm certain it will have it's challenges (mainly for me... I'm not big on caked mud hands :o), but I'm so excited to see what more my artsy boys will create. Kyle is my amazing drawing artist. I will post photos of Kyle's work very soon.

And, stay tuned, for I'm planning a giveaway later this week!! I have been working nonstop on an order for a new gallery in Arizona I'm going into, and one line I've worked on nonstop for 5 days... making a whole batch... one might just come your way! Check back very soon!

We are all good enough

... just the way we are.

I have watched this video about a hundred times over the last couple of days, and I actually think it's beginning to set into my consciousness... Last night, I stood my ground, gave my reasons, did not feel inadequate or shamed by myself and my beliefs. My reasons are heartfelt, they understood my side, agreed to my stance, and I felt so dang powerful! Who-hoo! These life lessons can be so tricky when we are dealing with ourselves. Lordy, really; I am 50 years old, and I feel like I have a lifetime of learning still to do... Thank goodness I have Brene Brown during times of stress to help me out over here!

So, well, here she is... enjoy. And I really don't mind if you sit there and watch it about 100 times. You will get more from it each time. I know. I speak from experience on this one...

Happy Mother's Day to YOU!

... from me, Val, and the Friendlys :o)

We are feeling very friendly over here on this Mother's Day, 2011, and are wishing your Mother's Day is extra special too. It doesn't matter whether you are the Mom to a brood, a few, or a cat, or a fish, or even just a house of books... We are wishing a day full of special cheer and relaxation coming your way.

I will be a busy Plein Air painting artist at the Coronado Historic Home Tour, so my day will be filled with doing what I love best. Though I have to admit, the weather is due to be spitty and gloomy, which puts a damper on my spirit... those sorts of days are best suited in the studio stitching up Friendlys. Wondering now if I will need to take an umbrella.... dress in woolies, wonder if my paints will be smeared with raindrops? We will keep the chin up over here, and paint our way through Mother's Day.

Loving this furry face!

xx, Val

A Video and The Dress

I hope you are able to enjoy the video. I do apologize, I know it's not easy to hear what's being said, or to take the slight wobble of my iPhone while taping. Ok, I might be good at needle felting, but videography is definitely not my strength! I was hoping Channel 6 News might put up a link so we can view the professional version, but I think we were a pretty small time news story. So, turn up the volume - all the way up - and turn off any distractions in order to hear our tiny mouse voices... And yes, that's the Dress. Though I think I might have put on a wee few lbs since I wore it on that promising evening. Such is the life, right?! Again, that professional photo quality... not my strength. Well, this is better than nothing!

And please say a small prayer for sweet Linda. She nearly didn't make the taping due to her poor dog being on his death bed. Bless her heart, she had to be cheerful for the camera, then had to head to the vet where she had to put her sweet Toby down. How she did this, I'll never know...