The time to be happy is now.

Bosco is here!

2012-02-28T06:55:00.001-06:00

Hello friends! Just popping in with a quick hello to introduce you to the newest member of The Dreaming Bear family! His name is Bosco, a two year old chocolate lab. We adopted him from the local city shelter, and he is just sweet as can be.

Having loved Luke so much, and now, loving Elsie so much, we've often thought how great it would've been to have them both together. We imagined all the funny things they would do together, and what a calming influence Luke would've been on Elsie. We got serious about looking for a new companion on Friday, and found Bosco right away. Perfect timing!

We've spent a few days acclimating him to the house...and this afternoon, we are going to try a couple of hours in the studio and at the store. He is doing pretty well with his training...but his favorite thing is to jump up and lick...so we will have to work on that! Not everyone wants a tongue bath from a lab!

As the weeks go on, you'll be seeing more and more of him around The Dreaming Bear...stop in and say hi! He loves making new friends!!

Paper Painting Is Great FUN!!!

2012-02-23T14:43:00.000-06:00

Howdy! I'm sitting just inside the window here at The Dreaming Bear, watching the most gorgeous snowflakes falling all around! It's beautiful! It's a good day for a hot cocoa and some fuzzy socks!

It's also a good day for some paper painting! For my birthday, my hubby gave me the latest video from Interweave: All About Faces by Julie Fei-Fan Balzer. (yes, he is THAT good at gift giving!!! I'm a lucky girl!) I watched this video over the weekend a couple of times...and it's great! Julie is a fabulous teacher...very upbeat and fun to watch! She shares all sorts of tips and techniques for incorporating faces into our artwork. A certain project really caught my eye...and that was making a collage face out of all sorts of patterned fabrics. In my case, I'm going to start with paper....so Angie and I have been making lots of different patterned papers using acrylics, watercolors, free hand drawing, and stamps. FUN!!

This is really free....no overthinking allowed.....just slapping colors and patterns together on a whim. However it turns out is just fine, because these pieces will be cut up into smaller bits that will be used in a collage!

We are off to a pretty good start....building up a stash.....but we still need more!!!

I love the zig zags that Angie made....

This one ended up being my favorite....it reminds me a little of a batik.

Soon, I'll get to work on those collages and share them with you. What are you doing today?

Fun with faces!

2012-02-19T11:32:00.000-06:00

I've recently completed a grouping of faces....something I've avoided over the years....intimidation, mostly. (believing they needed to look a certain way) But when I started really paying attention to the faces in art that I responded to, those faces were the quirky ones.....the "not so perfect" faces were the ones I loved the most. So one day, I said, "to heck with it" and just started painting these fun and lively girls with their giant eyes, and strange proportions.

And you know what?

It was fun! Yes, fun!!

Wishing you a day of fun!

Another Project Finished! Woo Hoo!

2012-02-15T10:50:00.000-06:00

I've been thinking about spring a lot these days....and it's starting to show up in my work...bumblebees....flowers......yes!

This is an old rocking chair that has been given a second chance at life. A little rough around the edges, but with the top layer of colorful goodness, it's ready to rock again!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-13T19:56:00.000-06:00

"Those who love deeply never grow old; they may die of old age, but they die young."
-Sir Arthur Wing Pinero

"When you love someone, you love the whole person, just as he or she is,
and not as you would like them to be." -Leo Tolstoy

"Love is the true means by which the world is enjoyed: our love to others, and others' love to us."
-Thomas Trahern

Peeking Around the Store.

2012-02-10T16:36:00.000-06:00

The Dreaming Bear is just brimmin' with all sorts of goodies that would make the perfect Valentine gift!
Stop in and see us!!! Or visit the art studio tomorrow between 10am-4pm, and make a special handmade goody! See you soon!

Feeling the Love!

2012-02-08T07:14:00.000-06:00

Today is my birthday. And on my birthday this year, I'm going to take some of my own advice that I recently gave to a friend: "Allow yourself to accept the love and support that your friends and family want to give you. Let them surround you, hug you, kiss you, and treat you well. Don't be afraid of taking too much. We all have times when we need to feel cherished."

Thank you to all who are reaching out to me today...I am cherishing every minute of it!

I Heart Hearts.

2012-02-07T15:48:00.000-06:00

Greetings, fellow earthlings! Here's a little peek at what I've been up to lately! I'm obsessed with hearts year round....but even more so in February! These little lovelies get their texture from joint compound from the home improvement store! So cheap (less than 4 dollars for a tub of it) and easy to use! The only problem is my lack of patience...waiting for it to dry...this takes a few hours, depending on how thick you slap it on, and how dry the room is. I had to wait until the next day to start painting on them....

but loving the outcome! Who says Valentine's Day has to be just red and pink? :-)

Lovin' Man and I are throwing a Valentine shin dig this weekend for our neighbors....I've had fun cutting and pasting, hanging decorations, and planning.....can't wait! Stay tuned!

Happy February!

2012-02-02T06:59:00.000-06:00

January and February are the months that we slow down, clean up, organize, think about future events, and I've been enjoying finishing up some lingering projects, such as this one....an old coffee table. I started it months ago, and it didn't go the way I wanted to at first, so I set it aside and revisited it in January.

It started out with lots of colorful circles....and that's where it stopped. But eventually, when I got back to it, I saw flowers....so I drew them over the top, exposing some of the circle patterns, and masking out the rest of the pattern. As you can see in the bottom photo, I allowed some of the pattern to peek through the green, which gives me all kinds of fun shades, even better in person!

On Saturdays, we have been nice and busy back in the art studio too. It's such a great way to keep the kids occupied on these dreary winter days. This is a new project available in the studio....OWLS! I don't know what took me so long to get these in our inventory...owls have been hot for some time now. So thrilled to have them! Two sizes are available....the large one is about 12 inches tall, and perfect for hanging on the wall...and the "baby" owls on stands are approx 7 inches tall, and would be sweet lined up on a shelf. Don't you agree?

Have a fab Thursday, everyone!

Another Snow (and ice) Day!

2012-01-23T08:05:00.000-06:00

We've just received word that school has been cancelled due to some freezing rain overnight. I can deal with that! We don't have anywhere to be. We'll just stay snuggled in, maybe do some reading, some baking and some art making. The kids are still snoozing (teenagers!) but I might try to talk them into a card game later on.

To cheer you on this winter day, you've gotta check out this huge art project by Japanese artist, Yayoi Kusama. AMAZING and INSPIRING! Thank you, Erin, for sharing this with me. It makes my heart skip a beat!

Snow Day!

2012-01-20T17:14:00.000-06:00

We just got a bunch of snow here in Dreaming Bear land. I decided to call a snow day, so the girls and I could stay home with our families. It was nice to just stay inside, where it's warm, and putz around on a couple of projects. I enjoyed finishing up a few things, and being comfy in the process!

And in case you were wondering...Elsie had a fine day too....

January Snuggles

2012-01-19T08:24:00.000-06:00

Hello there. How are you? Are you staying nice and warm? I hope so. We haven't really had winter weather very long....but when it came, it came with the crack of a whip. It's supposed to hover just above or around zero today. I'm enjoying the lull of January. After the hustle and bustle of show season in the fall, and then a super busy holiday at the store (thank you!), I'm enjoying a little peace and quiet.

I've been working on finishing up some things that keep hanging around, haunting me. Man, doesn't it feel good to finally finish that "thing", whatever it is, and send it out into the universe? Especially after you've been delaying for so long. Feels so good. And it also feels great to try some new things....I'm painting some faces on canvases, some furniture, and doing some surface design projects as well.

And we spend a lot of time snuggling with and staring at her.....

....seriously....a lot of time.

She's at it again!

2012-01-03T07:44:00.000-06:00

One of my resolutions for 2012 is to journal more. I got sort of slackish towards the end of 2011, and missed out on documenting several things. One of my hang ups is that I simply cannot journal on just a plain piece of paper! (heaven forbid!) And I got behind on prepping pages for journaling...so yesterday, I finished prepping the pages in my first pink journal. Only a few more pages, and this one will go on the shelf...and I will move on to the BLUE one for 2012!! Yippee! Sorry for the poor lighting in these shots...I snapped them before the sun came up this morning!

Lots of snippets from my favorite art magazines, and pieces of advertisements.....

Layers of acrylics and crayons.....

Cutting random holes through the pages for the heck of it.....

Bits of an article featuring Anna Maria Horner's studio...so inspiring!

The panda page was created by my niece, Katie...when she visits us, I love handing my journal over to her to create something to remember our time together.....

More fun decorating ideas.....found in magazines!

More pages that Katie made for me....

From a cereal ad: My favorite quote of all: "No two flakes are alike." Ha!

And the inside cover....and a number from a cancer walk...I've been meaning to tape that in as a page...will have to do that.

Thanks for peeking....hope you enjoyed! More to come soon!

Hello 2012!

2011-12-31T11:27:00.000-06:00

Happy, Happy New Year!!! Wishing you a kick butt 2012!!!

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-24T07:06:00.000-06:00

Wishing all of you a very merry holiday.....peace in your heart....contentment in your soul.....a glimmer of light during dark times.....comfort and warmth. May this season be one filled with cozy quilts, crackling fires, footie pajamas and smiles on your loved ones faces.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, for another wonderful year at The Dreaming Bear. Thanks to our customers who support us, to our staff who work so hard, to our family who cheers us on, and our friends and neighbors, who make everything fun. We are blessed and lucky indeed. Happy Holidays!!

Halfway Through December Already!

2011-12-15T06:41:00.000-06:00

Oh me....oh my.....it's the 15th of December already? How can this be? Mom was right about time flying faster as you get older. Sigh. How have you been? We have been enjoying mild temps so far here in Iowa.....40's and rainy. It's kind of nice....but the kids want snow. Kids always want snow...it's fun for them. They don't have to worry about driving through it to get to work, etc.

We have been blessed with a very busy holiday season so far!!! There seems to really be a shift in the way people are thinking about doing their shopping this year. Folks are really making an effort to buy local, and support small businesses! This makes us SO happy, of course!!! And we are working hard to keep up with the demand. Feeling so grateful for my helpful staff, and supportive family who help to make it all happen!

Soon I'll post some pics of the store, before all of our holiday finery gets packed up for another year!

Christmas in the Park and The Peppermint Walk

2011-12-01T20:30:00.000-06:00

The Peppermint Walk!

When: Friday, December 2nd 4-8pm

Where: downtown Marion....where else?

Hi again! Things are moving and shaking in downtown Marion, folks!!! Join us Friday, December 2nd for Christmas in the Park, and The Peppermint Walk!!! Santa is coming to town. Meet him in City Square park! All of the downtown merchants are going to be open late, showing off their holiday finery, and serving yummy peppermint treats! Our very own Emily is making some tasty sugar cookies...you've gotta come by and try one! Click HERE for event details! Can't wait to see you!!

Dreaming Bear is open late on Thursday evenings!

2011-12-01T06:55:00.000-06:00

Howdy friends! Just a friendly reminder that The Dreaming Bear store is open 10-7 on Thursdays in December!!! We are also having open art studio every Thursday evening, 4-7!! Stop in, say hi to Emily, and she'll help you get going on a super cool handmade gift for the holidays!! Ornaments, glassware, picture frames, and a fresh crop of canvases are ready for your creative touch! See you soon!

Small Business Saturday coming up!!

2011-11-21T17:55:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone! Small Business Saturday is a day dedicated to supporting small businesses on one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year. On November 26, please join your friends and neighbors in shopping small at your favorite local stores and help fuel the economy. As the owner of a small business, you gotta know that I really, really love this idea! When we all shop small, it will be huge.

Click HERE for additional info.

Home again, home again, jiggity jog.

2011-11-20T09:27:00.000-06:00

Thank you, Des Moines customers, for your support during the Junior League Gift Mart! A big thank you goes out to The Dreaming Bear girls for keeping the store running smoothly: Angie, Dawny, and Emily! Also thanks to my Little Man for being such a great helper at my show....so helpful and patient.

I am back home now, resting in my jammies today. Waiting for Lovin' Man to come home from conferences in Chicago. Looks like a good day for staying in, and relaxing...but is that what we will do? We shall see!

Happenings in the Home Studio

2011-11-14T08:20:00.000-06:00

Hello there! If you've visited The Dreaming Bear lately, you've likely seen one or all of us working away behind the counter, painting and sanding, and doing all we can to get ready for our upcoming visit to Des Moines, and getting the store ready for the busy holiday season! I've been working away during my evenings at home as well...here's a little peek at my work table currently.

I've been trying to "shake up" my normal painting routine, by trying some new paints (currently loving Liquitex fluid acrylics) and lots more layering than I usually do. I'm obsessed with simple leaf and bubble shapes, and find that I can easily lose myself for an entire evening, just playing and swishing these lovely colors around!

I did the canvases first...but then thought to myself, "Self, I wonder if you could achieve the same effect with your glass paints, on glass items." The answer is yes I can, however it requires more patience, as these paints remain sticky far longer...so I have to wait a bit before layering more colors on.

And below, you see some more patchwork hearts I've been sewing up, and flower pins that are in progress. Wishing you all a colorful, spunky holiday season! More news to come soon! Cheers!

Des Moines Junior League Gift Mart coming up!!!

2011-11-07T07:02:00.000-06:00

Dreaming Bear will be selling at the Des Moines Junior League Gift Mart next weekend!

C'mon out and get a jumpstart on your holiday shopping! It's gonna be a FUN time!!!

Thursday, November 17th 6-9pm

Friday, November 18th 9am-9pm

Saturday, November 19th 9am-3pm

Here's a link to their website for more details! See you there!!!

More Goodies in the Etsy Shop, Yo.

2011-11-06T17:06:00.000-06:00

Click HERE to see what's new in the Etsy shop!

Time to start thinking about the holidays! Woo hoo!

We were Queens for the Evening last Thursday!

2011-11-02T07:05:00.001-05:00

Last Thursday evening, I hosted "Queen for the Evening" in the studio, where I was joined by 4 lovely ladies, Jane, Braden, Megan and Mary Ella. We had a great time embellishing our crowns and crafting the perfect magic wand for all of our upcoming decrees that must be brought forth. Sorry to say, I didn't get any pics of the ladies actually wearing the crowns...we ended up sizing them at the last minute, and then scarfed down some cupcakes! Eeeep! Thank you all for joining me....it was great! Schedule your own Queen for the Evening party by calling us at the store!

Kansas City booth pics!

2011-11-01T08:15:00.000-05:00

Last weekend, we sold Dreaming Bear goodies at the Kansas City Junior League's Holiday Gift Mart! It was a great event! Lots of fun to meet so many new friends! Here are some pics of what our booth looked like before we sold lots of stuff! And I was worried about having enough! Ha! We could barely fit it all in! Top sellers this show were bookmarks, moustaches on a stick, and lazy susans! Time to get back to work making more!

Pics from our Zombie Party!!

2011-10-31T07:38:00.000-05:00

Hello humans! I am finally getting around to sharing the pics from our Zombie Party during this year's CHOCOLATE WALK!!! We had so much fun!!! And thanks to all of our customers who gave so generously to the Marion food bank! We collected 18 bags of groceries, and approximately $250 in cash!
Woo hoo!!! And a big THANK YOU to Melody Smith with Image Nouveau Photography for taking all of these wonderful pics for us! Visit her website HERE, and her blog HERE!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-30T21:12:00.000-05:00

Hi again! Thought you might get a chuckle out of our Halloween costumes this year. The fabulous Gettys, our neighbors, threw such a wonderful party on Saturday....it is so cool to have your wedding anniversary near Halloween. I don't think we will ever have a DULL anniversary! Ha! Above you see me, and my date: Pai Mei (the master instructor from Kill Bill 2). Sigh. He was a dreamy date....until the facial hair slowly started falling off! Ha! Happy Halloween, y'all!

Happy Anniversary, Lovin' Man!

2011-10-30T19:26:00.002-05:00

Happy Thursday!

2011-10-27T07:01:00.000-05:00

Hello freiends! How have you been? I have so much to share with you.....zombie party pics, recent completed projects, and more. Still recovering from our trip to K.C. It was great fun, and we were happy to meet many new friends and customers! K.C. is such a cool town, with lots of yummy food at every turn! And guess who they have coming in concert on Halloween night: Cyndi Lauper!! Wouldn't that be fun? We can't go though...we have duties here at home to tend to....especially on Halloween....our neighborhood just comes alive on Halloween....it's great! Well, hope you are doing great....and your fall is lovely so far. I will check in again very soon!

Kansas City, here we come!

2011-10-19T06:05:00.000-05:00

Thanks to everyone who came to the zombie party and gave generously to the Marion Food Pantry! We were able to raise $250 in cash, PLUS EIGHTEEN bags of groceries! Hooray! I have some fun photos to share from that night...but right now, getting ready to head out to Kansas City, where Dreaming Bear goodies will be available at the Junior League Holiday Mart! Come on by if you are in the neighborhood and visit us at booth #221

You're invited to a zombie party!

2011-09-23T07:16:00.000-05:00

Howdy friends! It's that time of year again...the chocolate walk is around the corner...please save the date and join us for a super fun time!!!

SAVE THE DATE!!!

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7TH 8-11pm

CHOCOLATE WALK ZOMBIE PARTY!!!

The Dreaming Bear invites you to our Harvest Moon Chocolate Walk Zombie Party!!! Downtown Marion merchants will be open late for your enjoyment! Delicious chocolate treats at every turn!

Come dressed as a zombie to The Dreaming Bear and be entered for a chance to win several prizes, including a $75 gift card to start your holiday shopping! There will be treats for everyone, but only zombies and those with food donations will be able to partake in our special selection of ghoulish delights in the studio! We are collecting cash and non-perishable food items for the Marion food pantry...please donate generously!!

Love us some Emily!

2011-09-16T07:09:00.000-05:00

Greetings, friends! How have you been? I hope you are enjoying some lovely cool fall days! We are thoroughly loving this cooler weather, planning trips to the apple orchard, thinking about getting some pumpkins on the stoop, and more. We are still painting our little fingers to the bone in The Dreaming Bear studio...preparing for a few events.....I haven't taken the time to take many photos lately, but thought I would share some of my favorite pics of our dear Emily: an uplifting soul, a hard worker, a positive, unstoppable force in this world. We are so lucky to have her around to help us get stuff done. These pics are from an early summer photo shoot. Isn't she cute? Photos taken by the equally lovely Karen Seltrecht. Enjoy, and have a great weekend!

Have a great holiday!

2011-09-04T06:28:00.000-05:00

Hi there! Found these pics from Mother's Day weekend of Chalk the Walk in Mt. Vernon!

Aren't they amazing?

This was such a fun day for me, just wandering around with the family and enjoying the beautiful day. Hope you all are having a fabulous holiday weekend! Any big plans? I'm going to see The Help with some girlfriends, and then off to a neighbor's Low Country Boil!!! YUM. Ta ta for now!!!

Super Cute Aprons and Chef Hats!

2011-08-31T19:56:00.000-05:00

Howdy! Peeps, when you get a chance, check out our friend Diane's Etsy shop....she is making ADORABLE aprons and chef hats out of the latest Dreaming Bear line of fabric, Bubble Trouble. They are so cute!!! And it looks like you can have their name embroidered as well! What a sweet lil' gift for a sweet lil' girl in your life!!! Thanks Diane, for sharing with us!!!

Various Stages of "Done-ness"

2011-08-28T08:09:00.000-05:00

Hi there! We are in big time, hyper drive production mode at the Bear! I've got some big events coming up this fall that we are busily preparing for....our studios have piles of projects in varying stages of "done-ness". Wanna peek? Above is an old drawer turned into wall art. Below, a set of pretty wooden bowls.....

A forest of whimsical Christmas trees.....

These "ladies in waiting" stand over me at my desk, waiting for paint and collage to pretty them up....

A coffee table in progress.....

Candlesticks are awating their polka dots and stripes....

Canvases and keepsake boxes also awaiting their details....

And a fresh batch of canvases, not yet out of the bags.....

Yep, we've got a lot to do. Happy Sunday to you and yours....hope you are staying nice and busy too!

No supplies, so let's play!

2011-08-22T09:22:00.000-05:00

Do you ever find yourself with lots of little projects to work on, but you don't have what you need to finish them? I've got pillows to stuff, but I'm out of stuffing. I've got sachets to fill, but I'm out of lavender. And I've got glass items to paint, but have run out of crucial colors. Argh. Well, it's going to be a play day with the kids instead....it's our last day of summer vacation....so a little fun is in order!!!

Ice Cream Social 2011

2011-08-15T07:49:00.000-05:00

Hello, and happy Monday! I believe I've mentioned here at least a million times that I love our neighborhood, right? Well, we had another wonderful afternoon that sealed the deal....again. :-) Yesterday afternoon, we hosted the 2011 Ice Cream Social! I'm a lucky girl....my Lovin' Man has a great hobby...making homemade ice cream. Yes, it's as wonderful as it sounds.

And he doesn't hold back....we had all of the traditional flavors you would expect...chocolate, vanilla, strawberry....but he also likes to shake things up with flavors like candied bacon, sweet corn, basil and honey lavender. My favorite combo was a 2 to 1 ratio of burnt sugar and sea salt. It tasted like a sea salt caramel. YUM.

We had the most gorgeous afternoon....it was so perfect! And there was bubble blowing.....

Adorable chocolatey faces......

Lots of relaxing.......

And silliness......

I'm hanging on to this guy.......

In Case No One's Told you Lately......

2011-08-11T07:06:00.000-05:00

An old journal page.

Happy Birthday Katie!

2011-08-10T12:57:00.001-05:00

Our niece, Katie, turns 11 today! She and her friend, Olivia stopped in for a little crafty goodness today...they created BFF boxes!!!

Happy Birthday Katie!

Two More Days of Summer Studio!

2011-08-09T21:59:00.000-05:00

Hey everybody! We only have two more days left in our special summer studio hours!!! Tomorrow, August 10th, and Thursday, August 11th, from 10-2!! Come by for one more crafty summer fling!!! We will continue to have the studio open every Saturday 10-4 throughout the rest of the year....hours will extend again when we get closer to the holidays.

Thursday Morning Rambling

2011-07-28T07:02:00.000-05:00

Good morning! I'm writing this at my dining room table, having just returned from walking Puppers. It's starting to rain, and thunder seems to be rolling in as well. It's HUMID out there. Oh my, is it humid. I come back from our walks just soaked with sweat....but I will still take this over a bone chilling February day....anyday. Seriously. Any day. Finding as I get older, the less I like the cold. Although, I don't see myself being one of those little ladies that migrates to Arizona or Florida later in life. I love Iowa too much...and I love spring and autumn enough to trump the miserable winter.

I've noticed a lot of bloggers are apologizing for their lack of posts due to summertime. I should be apologizing too...but I bet you're bored with that. I'm going to keep on blogging....but it is true...there's something different about summertime....it's easy to get off your schedule and routine. I partly love summer for that reason, and partly loathe it for that reason. I really love the late nights any old day of the week, sleeping in occasionally, and just not worrying about things like homework, lunch money, and school functions in general. Ugh....let's not think about that yet.

Things here at Dreaming Bear have been humming right along. We've had a nice busy summer, with lots of visitors, old and new...that makes me smile. As mentioned before, I traveled to the Dallas Gift Show in June, so in addition to running the store and studio, we've been busy fulfilling orders for stores hither and yon. That's fun. The last box I shipped out went to Florida. The one before that, Louisiana! In the pictures you see above, I'm working on a big candlestick order!!! Yahoo! I'm so thankful to my gals, Emma, Emily, Dawny and Angie for helping me with these big tasks. They just keep on smiling, and jump right into the next task, without missing a beat! So grateful for that! We have lots ahead of us this fall....will keep you posted!

Just wanted to say hey!!! What's keeping you busy this summer? Do tell.....
P.S. Photos taken by Melody at Image Nouveau. Check her out!

My Lon Ornament

2011-07-14T06:54:00.000-05:00

Hello pals! THANK YOU for all of the positive messages you are sending out about our little story on TV! Thank you!!! It really was fun, and I love how it turned out! Just wanted to bop in and show you something that makes me smile. Last Saturday night, our neighbors, Dan and Bridget hosted a lawn ornament exchange party. CLEVER!!! The whole thing was so well done....right down to the decor. After our exchange we watched Gnomeo and Juliet on a screen in the backyard! So fun!

Above is a picture of my contribution to the ornament exchange....the rock...not the man.....the man's name is Lon. Get it?! It's a "LON Ornament". I painted LON on the ornament. Oh man, I crack myself up. We had a few laughs over it....but alas, Lon and his wife didn't win his own ornament....Mike and Drinda got to take him home. (again, the rock, not the man)

This project has now led me into another obsession...painting faces on rocks. Wouldn't it be great to have a bunch of funny faces looking up at you in the evening when you weed your garden? I rather think so.

KWWL visits The Dreaming Bear!

2011-07-07T06:42:00.000-05:00

Hi all! Yesterday we had the pleasure to meet Molly from KWWL, who did a sweet lil' story about our store and studio! One of our favorite girls, Dani, was visiting the art studio, and was gracious enough to let us interview her! She's a star!!! You can watch the video HERE. Check it out!!!

Moodling

2011-06-30T06:41:00.001-05:00

Our sweet Emily posing for us during a photo shoot.

This picture ended up on my postcards and banner in Dallas.
Photo by Karen Seltrecht

"So you see, imagination needs moodling - long, inefficient, happy idling, dawdling, and puttering." - Brenda Ueland

Back from the Dallas Show!

2011-06-28T19:31:00.000-05:00

Hello friends!!! By now you have probably deserted this pathetic attempt at a blog....oh me, oh my. There has been a lot going on....we just returned from Dallas Gift Market. It was oh so warm down there. Always hot. Even over night, in my opinion. Lordie! But we ducked from one air conditioned space to another, and survived just fine! Here are some pics of our booth. I forgot to take my camera with me....aaaarrrrgh!!! So these are the only two pics we took the whole show, with Lovin' Man's I-Phone. Oh well. We had a really great visit.....saw old friends, made new ones.....it was all good.

Do you love the bunting hanging in my booth as much as I do? My mama made it just for this show...and it stopped everyone in their tracks! I was asked several times if I was selling it. Well, now I've got something new to work on!!! Dreaming Bear bunting!!! Ha!

Sending out a GIANT thank you to Mike and Susie, our gracious hosts who gave us a peaceful place to rest at the end of those long show days....and they always had the wine flowing....bless 'em. And thanks to Angie, Dawny, Emily and Emma who kept the train on the tracks back home while we were gone. Don't know what we would do without them!!! More news soon...but for now, going to head out to the balloon glow....it's a gorgeous night for it!
Cheers!

Bubble Trouble is in the Etsy shop!

2011-06-13T08:19:00.000-05:00

Hello friends! It has been a whirlwind of activity here in Dreaming Bear land. Lots of projects being juggled in the air all at once! Still working hard at home, freshening up the patio with paint and accessories...and working really hard in the studio, creating samples for the upcoming Dallas Gift Market. We just had a mini photo shoot, starring our adorable Emily and some of the popular Dreaming Bear products. Too cute...will show you some of the pics soon.

For now, though, I wanted to let you know that the Bubble Trouble fabric line is now available in our Etsy shop! So those of you who can't find it locally, or can't make it into our store, you can get your hands on some now! Woo hoo!

Click HERE for the Etsy shop. If you need larger amounts, just email me, and we'll see if we can make it happen. Wishing you a sunshiney day!

Summer Studio Hours Begin Today!

2011-06-07T06:28:00.000-05:00

Howdy! Just a quick reminder that our extended summer studio hours begin today!!! Yahoo!!!! In addition to our regular studio hours on Saturdays from 10 to 4, we will have the studio open during the week as well! Come join us, and have some fun!!!!

June 7th-August 11th
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays
10am-2pm

Stop by and decorate a bird house for grandma's garden......or decoupage a plate for mom....or create something beautiful for your room....the possibilities are endless...and we have new supplies arriving daily!
Happy Summer!!!

We are A-List Winners! Yay!

2011-06-06T17:00:00.000-05:00

Hiya! How's it going? I've been a bad little blogger...I'm not sure why....maybe it's the official transition into summertime. So glad summer is here! The kids were done with school last Thursday...and we are beginning our first week of sleeping in, playing around, and working on our tans. Life is good.

Lovin' Man has been busy with his "honey do" lists that just keep growing and growing. We recently had our house repainted...which has led to other things naturally....new flower pots out front and more. Currently, the back patio is getting a makeover, and we are working our way through the backyard. I've been clearing away overgrowth, planting new things, and have had fun putting little accessories here and there. Totally loving garden accessories! Will show you some pics very soon....but first I would like to say THANK YOU for making us the number one gift shop on KCRG's A-List!!!

We are so very honored and happy!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! We will continue to work hard to make you smile. Thanks for making us smile!!!

Peeking Around the Store

2011-05-27T06:57:00.000-05:00

Candlesticks and painted bottles. Oh my!

Quirky house pillows in many sizes.

Garden art. Fun!

And this is Patricia with her big lips and scratchy claws.

Don't mess with her!

A recent piece of window art. It says "Breathe."

Have a very happy holiday weekend, friends!!!

Thanks for a great weekend!

2011-05-23T21:34:00.000-05:00

Wowee!!! A great big thank you to everyone who came out to see us on Saturday during the Marion Arts Festival!!! It was so nice to see all of you, and we appreciate your support so very much!

I hope you all had a splendid time!!! We were so happy to see the weather clear up, and the sun peeking out! Yay!

Here are some pics of canvases that I did for Saturday. Enjoy!!!

Marion Arts Festival this Saturday!!!

2011-05-16T06:34:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone! It's that time of year again! Our favorite day of the year is almost upon us! If you are in the Marion/Cedar Rapids area this Saturday, do come by for this fun event!

MARION ARTS FESTIVAL
Saturday, May 21st 9am-5pm
City Square Park

We've been working around the clock to get lots of artsy goodies done for this wonderful day! Be sure to stop by and say hello at The Dreaming Bear! We will have lots of new wall art, garden art, jewelry, and novelties out. My son will be selling his usual delicious homemade treats, and my daughter will have her one of a kind fabric creations for sale, such as clutches, tote bags, skirts, summer dresses and more! It's gonna be good, people! Stop into the art studio to pick up a summer schedule and learn about upcoming workshoops this fall. Hooray! See you this Saturday! Rain or shine, we'll see you this Saturday!!!

For details on the exhibiting artists, and various activities, visit the Marion Arts Fest website.

Katie's Journal Pages

2011-05-10T07:10:00.000-05:00

Hi friends! I just need to babble on about what a stellar Mother's Day I had on Sunday! In the morning, we hosted Lovin' Man's mother, sister and nieces at our house, while Lovin' Man made the most delicious brunch for us!!! It was so yummy, and I ate a lot of it. :-) I guess I knew I would need to keep my strength up for the day! While they visited us, our niece, Katie was hanging out with me at the dining room table. I pulled out my journal and asked her to doodle something in it for me. She did...a lovely little doodle! This led to showing her the rest of my journal...all of the colored pages...and I showed her how I just put things in there that I love, magazine clippings, quotes, photos, ticket stubs, etc. When it was time to go, she whispered to me that she would love to start one of her own journals and make it "nice and fat" like mine. Of course, I said yes!!! Well, later that day, we heard from them again, and apparantly Katie couldn't stifle the creativity bubbling inside her...and got to work on her own journal!!!! And these are the pages she's done so far!!! Aren't they great?! I'm so excited for her!! Above is a photo from a mag that she liked. Below, there are actual gems from her dance costume on the artwork!

And more pages.....

Katie, you did such a good job on all of your pages! Keep up the great work! Can't wait to see what you come up with next!!!!

P.S. This is leading me to believe that we might be hosting an Art Journaling workshop for girls this fall. Stay tuned!

Giveaway Winner!!!

2011-05-08T23:54:00.000-05:00

Hello gang!!!! I hope you all had a restful, enjoyable Mother's Day!!! I was treated to a wonderful day by my family...lots of fun and food and quality time spent with loved ones. Now I'm pooped!

I'm happy to announce the winner of our giveaway!!!! It is.....KAREN BLADOS!!!
Karen's comment:
"I took German and my name was Katrin. I think if I was going to go latin, I'd like Kamille. "
Karen, please get in touch with me at thedreamingbear(at)gmail(dot)com and tell me where to send your goodies!!! Congrats! And thanks to everyone for their lovely comments....I read all of them, and they really made me smile. Thanks!!!! Have a good week!!!

Giveaway Time!

2011-05-05T11:43:00.001-05:00

Hola amigos! It's Cinco de Mayo, and I'm feelin' feisty....so let's have a giveaway!!! I am reminded today of Spanish class waaay back in the day with Mrs. Valenta and Mrs. Keating (Hey Molly! Tell your mom hi!) and what fun we had, learning that beautiful language. I'm sure we were quite amusing to our teachers, confusing when to use "el" and when to use "la," and awkwardly rolling our "rrrrrrzzzzz". Ha! The name I adopted in Spanish class was "Yolanda." Lovin' Man loves to joke around and calls me that on occasion. He's so funny. Not.

Soooo.....on to the giveaway.....one lucky winner will receive everything pictured here: a Dreaming Bear tote bag, 3 Dreaming Bear postcards, 2 packages of bath salts, a pinwheel pen, a "rocket girl" notebook, and a sweet necklace with a quote about family on the back. Sweet!!!

You can enter this giveaway by leaving me a comment on this post, telling me what your name would be if you were back in Spanish class!!! The winner will be drawn randomly on Sunday evening! Woo hoo!
Be back again soon! Have a great day!

Journal Pages!

2011-05-02T07:30:00.000-05:00

Wow....amazing how the world can change over the course of one night, isn't it?! So grateful for our men and women in uniform who risk their lives to make this world a safer place for all of us. I'm still in shock...it's hard to believe.

I was able to share a lovely afternoon walk with Lovin' Man and Elsie yesterday on the Sac and Fox Trail. Have you ever been? It was my first time on this trail....and it was so delightful! And such a gorgeous day! Loved it!

It's about time for me to share a few more pages in the journal...all gussied up and ready for me to scrawl my dailing ramblings on!! It's getting harder for me to show you flat pics of my journal, as I'm getting very close to the end of this book...it's fat and full of goodies....and it doesn't lie flat AT ALL. Ha!

The pages above were created with a bit of marker, paper, pencil and water soluble crayons. On the left hand side is a teeny little pocket given to me by my friend Barb. I forgot to show you what's inside..but it's an itty bitty picture of a girl with braids. On the right hand side, a heart, more doodles, and a business card for Garden Gate floral. I rec'd a bouquet from them, and wanted to remember them, as it was gorgeous!

And on these pages, I placed some printouts of some recent artwork I've completed...funky flowers and multiple moustaches. Can you tell I love to draw scallops? :-)

And a crown was added to the corner for good measure. It needs something else..just haven't decided what yet.

More doodling....including a flower on the left that reminds me of my dahlia's in the front flower bed at my home. Can't wait for them to pop their little heads up again this summer! On the right hand side, are real pressed leaves that I "oh so carefully" attached to the page. Also, a magazine clipping for a book that I want to remember called The Nook Book.

A snippet of gift wrap from Barb. Her names pops up a lot here....because she is so sweet...she is always giving us little goodies that are perfect for journaling!

Another heart (I think these all came from one of those pages in Stampington magazine), some doodling, and stamping. "Ride Life's Waves" is a magazine clipping that caused me to sketch a little sailboat in the background.

Below on the left is one of my fave pages.....I showed it earlier.....but over the course of a couple of evenings, vegging out on the couch, I've filled it in with lots of color. On the right page, more magazine clippings with ideas that I wanted to remember.....love the jar with photos inside. Very cool!

And I also colored in the "Irene Goodnight" page which reminds me of a very special neighborhood party not long ago. I printed a photo of my neighbors singing that song, and added it as a little page to seal the deal.

And this cute little house was made with a Traci Bautista magazine image and some scrapbook paper. Her collage work is so colorful and inspiring! Well, that's it for today. I'm off to the studio to crank out the whimsy....counting down the days until the Marion Arts Festival....we've gotta be ready!!!

Wishing you all a fun, artful day!!!

Saturday Shenanigans

2011-05-01T12:21:00.000-05:00

Wow....so far this has been an extremely enjoyable weekend for me! You too, I hope! While the super cool Dreaming Bear girls rocked the store and studio, I was able to escape yesterday with my friend Lu to the Women's Walking Workshop at the Indian Creek Nature Center. We spent all day walking the trails, learning about nutrition, proper shoe selection, some ladies spoke about their adventure hiking the Grand Canyon (very inspiring), a tasty lunch, a foot massage (eeep!) and more. It was soooo nice to just turn my phone off, assume the world will go on without me (and it did, of course!) and truly invest some time in myself, and a friendship. GOOD STUFF!

Saturday night, I attended the Recycle in Style Fashion Show...hosted by Goodwill and the Linn County Solid Waste Agency! I took my girlie and a couple of friends....we had front row seats, and it was a blast!!!! It featured 4 designers, primarily, sharing their creations made from thrifted items. So much fun!!!

Check out their blogs here:
Sonya Darrow - Ladyfits
Ramona Muse - Patterned Piles
Carissa Starleaf - Luxe Debris
Brooke Dearborn - The Broke Brog

Wishing you all a very restful Sunday!!!

Funky Leaves and This Week's Events

2011-04-28T07:18:00.000-05:00

Good morning! I forgot to ask how your Easter was....how was it? We ended up not getting together with family, as a few members have been pretty sick. But we turned our energy towards our overgrown, weedy yard! It was a lovely day...nice and sunshiney....we cleared away a lot of weeds, old leaves, etc, and Lovin' man and I planted a teeny tiny herb/veggie garden on the sunny side of our house. (we pretty much have ONE sunny spot in our yard! Ha!) It felt so good to dig in the dirt and make some progress. Still much to do though.

These are some silly little leaves that I doodled not too long ago...thought they might make you smile. I'm currently obsessed with drawing tiny details and filling them in with markers.

Hey...if you are looking for something inspiring to do this week...here are a couple of local events happening.....

The Cedar Rapids Museum of Art is hosting its FINAL WEEK of the Wizards of Pop exhibit. Get in there, people! It's crazy cool! I'm going to try to stop by one more time....it's fabulous, complex pop up art, and it's amazing as they show it from beginning stages to the final product.

And....for the fashionista in you....this Saturday evening is the Recycle in Style Fashion Show! Goodwill of the Heartland and the Linn County Solid Waste Agency are hosting this 3rd annual event featuring fashions made from thrift store materials. Super cool! Super fun! Seating is limited, so you'll need to RSVP at the link listed.

Well, off for another day of painting!!! Have a fabulous day!!!! Too doo loo!!!

Please vote for us on the A-List!

2011-04-26T21:36:00.000-05:00

Hi friends! The A-List competition on KCRG is still going strong! We sure would LOVE to have your vote! We are competing for Best Gift Shop and Arts and Crafts. Please vote by clicking HERE. You can use your old login from last year, or your facebook/google/yahoo I.D. It will accept one vote per email/I.D. It's easy peasy!

Do you love The Dreaming Bear? Please support us with your vote! Thanks a million!

Pictures from the Bunny Hop!

2011-04-26T07:11:00.000-05:00

Howdy!!!! I'm finally posting the pictures from Saturday's Bunny Hop! Wow...it was so much fun! Thanks to everyone who came out to see us! There was food, fun and frolicking...and not necessarily in that order! Ha! Enjoy the pictures from our super fun day!

A mother/daughter bunny duo.....aren't they adorable??

Here at The Dreaming Bear, we believe in critter equality....so when this sweet group came by with their bunny friend, of course we would let them in to play!

Even a gorilla!!!

Everyone stayed busy in the studio making Easter crafts...Emily made this "Dori" bunny.....

Then she made a Lovin' Man bunny to keep her company. :-)

Dawny did some wild face painting......

When she painted my face, I couldn't stop giggling.....it took forever because I couldn't sit still!

And here is Dawny....contemplating her next design....

My friend Sophie, working on a coloring page......

Treats galore in the studio. Yum!

A few of the teeny tiny Easter bunnies that were made......

Twin bunnies!!!

Here is our own sweet Emma, striking a pose at the craft table.....
And there's Elsie's butt....what is she doing down there?

Don't you love her bunny ears too? So cute!

And more of our bunny friends.....

And here's our Emily, workin' it at the craft table after Emma! Check out the whiskers!

THANK YOU, THANK YOU for all of your support the past seven years! We truly appreciate being able to do work that we love, and bring smiles to your faces! Hope you all had a very "Hoppy" Easter!

Get to Know an Up and Coming Artist! Dani!

2011-04-22T08:56:00.001-05:00

Dani and Elsie hanging out in the store

Hello there! It's time to start a new segment on the Dreaming Bear blog, called "Get to Know an Upcoming Artist!" This is where we feature a youngster (with mom and dad's permission) who we think is really cool and super creative! Today I'd like to introduce you to Dani!!!

Dori and Dani hamming it up at her birthday party

Dani is what we call a "regular" in the art studio. (smile) We have the pleasure of playing around together and watching her creativity unleash itself into the world. She is a really, really great kid. She's kind, friendly, greets us with hugs, and she has this awesome winter coat that she lets us doodle on whenever she comes to visit!!! What more could we ask for, really?!

Dani and Emily, same party

We hosted her birthday party recently in the art studio...Emily was in charge...I mostly darted in and out, teasing Dani and stealing birthday cake. Hee hee. Here are some things she delivered to us as a thank you.

Even a card for Elsie.....which she loved, by the way!

Okay, now check out some of her fab creations....and she was nice enough to answer a few questions for us too!!!

Artwork by Dani, made into a sticker!

DB: What do you like most about being creative?

Dani: You can draw whatever you want!

Dani's Christmas tree masterpiece

DB: What's your favorite medium to work with? (paint, pencil, marker, etc)

Dani: All of them!!!

DB: What is your favorite piece that you've created at The Dreaming Bear?

Dani: The tree I made over Christmas break.

DB: What are your all time favorite colors? Name 3.
Dani: Pink, light blue, and inchworm green.

A painted puppy.

Dani's decoupage project

DB: Finish this sentence: The world would be a better place if......
Dani: we would plant more trees and help the world survive by picking up garbage.

Well said, Dani!!! Thanks for being you. We think you are great! Local folks, if your child loves the Dreaming Bear studio and would like to be featured here as an up and coming artist, drop me a line, and we'll chat! Thanks! Have a great day everyone! And don't forget....tomorrow is the BUNNY HOP!!!

Stop on by and say howdy!!!

Cindy's Fun House

2011-04-21T08:09:00.000-05:00

Hello there! Is this week flying by or what? Today, I'm sharing some pics from my friend and good customer, Cindy's house. I visited her early this year, to plan some projects with her, and I snapped some pics to show you a few things I've done for her, and mostly, to show you what a kick a$$ color scheme she has in her house! And I apologize in advance for my terrible photography skills (plus it was a very gray day in the wintertime)....but anyway.....

She has a fabulous "beachy" vibe going on, inspired by her love for the Bahamas....shades of greens, aquas, pinks and a pop of yellow here and there.....it's such a happy space. Isn't that clock amazing? It's not staying there...we're going to hang it with some surprise art around it. Cindy got that clock in the Bahamas....made of driftwood...so cool. And it's HUGE. It will make a great statement piece for that wall! And those couches....sigh.

And these gorgeous chairs are nestled in a sweet nook in the dining room. I polka dotted the legs on the chairs before the upholsterer worked his magic with that fabric!!!

This greets you in the entryway.....more chair legs for me to work on....and that sweet round table was really fun to do.....I love harlequin prints!

And look at those dining room chairs!!! I didn't paint these....someone else had the....um...pleasure....but aren't they just stunning?

I painted some knobs for her laundry room.....cute, no?

I painted knobs for her craft room too, but I forgot to photograph those. And the biggest project of all....she asked me to paint the bar stools for her kitchen! This was a lot of work, (7 chairs total, I believe) but the end result was worth it! Cindy tells me that even the men who visit her home love everything going on in here!

What a splendid space to drink your morning cup of joe!

And below is an old chandelier that I prettied up for her downstairs bathroom. I fell in love with it, and told her I wanted to steal it....and sweet gal that she is, she found one at a sale for me...and it's the one now hanging in my dining room. BIG SMILES. I'm a dork about it too.....not a week passes by that I don't look at my painted chandelier, think of her, and smile.

And finally, her WONDERFUL sun porch off of the kitchen! I want to move into this room, overlooking the pond. It's amazing! My contributions to this room are the painted tea cart and the coffee table. Thank you, thank you Cindy for sharing this beautiful space, and for keeping me so busy! I'm looking forward to sharing a few more art pieces with you guys that I'm working on for Cindy...my poor customers...they have to wait so long for me to finish things.

Cheers! Hope it's sunshiney where you are today!

Postcards from iHanna's Swap!

2011-04-20T17:30:00.000-05:00

Howdy! Would you like to see the postcards I received in iHanna's DIY Postcard Swap? Eh? Eh? Of course you do! It was so much fun to "meet" people from all over the world! They are all little treasures to me...I love them all! I've included links to their blogs when available. Check 'em out! The one shown above is from Charlotte in Sweden.

These great stars are from Kelly Warren, in Florida.

This lovely is from Regina Lord in Arizona. Her blog is found HERE.

This one is really cool....it's from S. Arden Hill in Manitoba, Canada.

Danielle Nelson made this one, and she has a blog HERE.

This is the one I received first, from Bridget in New York.

This was hand painted by Mary at Joyful Ploys. So pretty!

Last, but certainly not least...this came from iHanna! Love all that stitching!

That's all for now folks! Be back again soon! I'm on a creative rampage!

You're Invited to the Bunny Hop!

2011-04-19T08:22:00.001-05:00

Join us at the hop!

It's our 7th Anniversary at The Dreaming Bear!
Can you believe it?

You are invited to celebrate with us this

Saturday, April 23rd, 10-4

Wear your bunny ears and you'll receive a free goody bag! (while supplies last)

Wear a bunny suit, and we'll give you an even bigger goody bag!

We'll be serving up yummy treats, and there will be free Easter crafts in the studio all day long!

It's our way of saying THANKS for a great 7 years!!!

We wouldn't be here without you!!!

Kids: Enter our coloring contest by printing off THIS COLORING PAGE from our website, and bring it in that day to enter! Winners will be announced the next day, and your art will be put on display in The Dreaming Bear Studio!!!

P.S. There will be no regular open studio this day, due to all the hooplah. Sorry for any inconvenience.

A Few More Journal Pages

2011-04-15T07:14:00.000-05:00

Hello friends! It's been a while since I've doodled in my journal...but these are pages that have been done for a little bit. I'm very happy with my system of "jazzing up" several pages in one sitting...then I have pages ready for me to write on during those times that are too crazy for much play time. Because, heaven forbid that I have to write on a BLANK WHITE PAGE! Perish the thought! Ha! Well, here's another peek into my journal....

I love saving little notes and adding them in as extra pages....little surprises here and there. On the left, is a magazine clipping reminding me about the book, "Embellish Your Home." Have you checked this book out? I thought it sounded interesting, and the cover is so lovely!!

And I don't remember what prompted me to write "It Will Be Good." Perhaps feeling anxious? Dunno.

More doodles....and the woman holding birds is a tag off of a ceramic piece I bought. I just love her.

I found this quote in a magazine too....just had to add it!!!

And there are some pages that are awaiting some color......

Okay, so this next page was literally scribbled down, so I would not forget my favorite part of a recent neighborhood get together we had. If I haven't already told you, we are BLESSED with a fabulous, fun group of neighbors!!! I mean, we are talking vibrant, happy, active people. Some of them young, some of them old....and we all get along and really enjoy each other. And we have some kick a$$ parties together. The last party we had, someone lugged over their electronic keyboard, which Karl started playing, and we all began belting out various songs...and this was the one I wanted to remember, because we were add libbing and it was hysterical. Not sure exactly what I'll do with this one yet...we'll see.

And this is part of a card that Auntie Susie sent me.....a great quote from Ben Franklin. Can you read it? It says, "The U.S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself."

Have a lovely tax day!!!

iHanna's Postcard Swap!

2011-04-14T11:56:00.000-05:00

Hi there! How could I forget to share the postcards I made for iHanna's DIY Postcard Swap???
What fun!!! Everyone involved in the swap makes 10 postcards, and then sends them to 10 other participants around the world that iHanna has matched us up with!!

For these, I used the paper mache postcards in our studio, gave them a base coat of black acrylic paint, and then just painted squares of various colors. I cut out random circles from scraps I had lying around, then finished the look with water soluble crayons and black marker. I sealed the front with a gloss finish to hopefully hold everything in place to survive the trip! Some of my cards are going to Spain, Canada, Germany and the US!

I've started receiving cards from my new friends and it's such a delightful surprise to find a colorful piece of art in the mailbox!!! Soon, I'll share those with you...but they are still coming!
Have a great day, and be sure to check out iHanna's blog for lots of inspiration!! Thank you, iHanna for such a fun project!!! Cheers!

Bubble Trouble Fabric Line is Here!

2011-04-09T20:39:00.000-05:00

Hello!!!! Guess what! The Bubble Trouble fabric line has arrived at The Dreaming Bear!!! Woo hoo!
Sixteen fat and juicy bolts of crazy, colorful, cotton goodness!!! We are selling it by the yard here at The Bear, and I hope to have it soon in the Etsy shop for those of you who can't visit us in person. In the meantime, if you're interested, drop me a line, and I'll be happy to answer any questions you have! Soon, I hope to have a list of retailers to post here. Hope you all are having a great weekend so far! Cheers!

This and That and some New Goodies on Etsy!

2011-04-07T17:01:00.000-05:00

Howdy! We've been busy, busy little bees here in Dreaming Bear land!!! Lots of fun events on the horizon for us, so we need to get lots of goodies made!!! Above is a painting I've completed recently, called April Flower. I just PLAYED....and loved every minute of it!!!

Must. Do. More. Of. This.

Also, we've added some goodies to the Dreaming Bear Etsy shop!!! More necklaces and some giclee prints on canvas! Woo hoo!!

Giclee prints are $30 each and the necklaces are $16. Enjoy!!!

Mrs. F's Classroom

2011-04-05T07:38:00.000-05:00

Hello there! My friend Jenny sent me some photos of her classroom yesterday, and I thought it would be fun to share them with you! Jenny teaches at the Marion middle school, and is a good friend of mine. (and customer!) We jokingly call her classroom the Dreaming Bear Outlet! Ha! This is why.....she has a Dreaming Bear chair at her desk...and those magic wands are in a vase in the window. So sweet!

Why weren't my classrooms growing up THIS MUCH FUN?? Look at this sitting area!

She has inspiring messages all over the room.....

Many of her students come into my store and say, "You must know Mrs. F! We love her, and we love her room!!!" Thanks to Jenny for sharing these pics! Her room will soon be packed up and moved to the new part of the school....I'll be curious if we can continue with the "Dreaming Bear outlet" in the new space too. Ha! Have a great day!

Devotchka in Iowa City!

2011-04-03T08:24:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was such an awesome day!!! The weather was so beautiful that we kept the front door of the store open all day! We hosted two birthday parties in the studio...one for Ashley and one for Delaney....sweet girls with very sweet friends! It was a busy, busy day. Then, Lovin' Man took me on a date to see Devotchka, down in Iowa City, at the First United Methodist Church. GOOD STUFF. The church was a wonderful venue for this band....just gorgeous! If you are not yet familiar with their music, I highly recommend it. The lead singer, Nick Urata, has a haunting, dreamy voice that is unlike anyone else out there. They put on an amazing show....it was a great night.

THIS is their latest album. But THIS is also a great one. Heck they are all great...get 'em all!
It's been a busy week...I'm looking forward to doing some boring old housework, and getting caught up on my to do list today. Happy Sunday everyone!

A Couple of Great Causes Within 24 Hours

2011-04-02T07:26:00.000-05:00

Natalie, Katie and I at the "Y"ze Guys table

Hi gang! Lovin' Man and I have been busy little bees, having fun for the sake of causes we believe in. Oh my, it's a tough job, but someone has to do it!! Ha! Thursday night was the Whine and Wags event, raising much needed funds for the Cedar Valley Humane Society. Wow! There were LOTS of folks there! It was wall to wall people, and the auction items, including my donated piece of art were going up and up! I had to resist the urge to take home one of the dogs they had out front. There was one named Happy who was too cute!!! I think we need to let our Elsie get a little older before we contemplate a second one though. Thanks to Daniel Arthur's for putting on such a wonderful event!

Last night, we joined some friends for the YMCA's Trivia Night. Fun, fun, fun! Each table had a theme...ours was "Wise Guys", or "Y"ze guys. Ha! (Hence the cigars, which help to make up an extremely inappropriate photograph, but it's the only one we've got. Sorry!) Thank you to everyone there for organizing a HOOT of an event! We definitely want to come back next year!

Here it is, Saturday morning already! Where does the time go? We've got a couple of parties happening, and the sun is shining, so it's time to start this day! Woo hoo! Have a good weekend, everyone!

A Peek Into My World Today

2011-03-28T13:31:00.001-05:00

Hello! Just snapping some random shots from the day so far....enjoy!! Above are some recycled metal letters from Urban Outfitters....they greet us in the front entryway of our house.

Doing some doodling with my markers.....

My journal and the cute little clutch was made by my girlie. I store my most important journaling supplies in it so I can take it with me on the run if I need to......

Her clutches are for sale in the store now......lots of great patterns!!!

Back to the journal.....this is a scrap of kraft paper that I worked out a new design on.....just couldn't bear to part with it when the paper needed to be changed out....so I stuck it in the journal as an extra page.....

More doodling in the journal....preparing pages for writing.....

And here I drew some funky patterned leaves and colored them in.... I did this last night when I couldn't get to sleep.....

I've been working on a big batch of new tokens of affection....thinking of doing some sort of finding/tracking experiment with these.....hmmmm......

My friend Gae gave me some goodies with my power numbers on them. Long story....it's a numerology thing....but I love having my power numbers around me in my space....as well as powerful words....these are resting on an old window with a heart that says FLY.

This hand sits on our computer desk in the family room....

A candy jar in our dining room...filled with Smarties and Dum Dums. (heh, get the irony?)
Anyway......

A clay fish sculpture made by one of the kids when they were little....in the background is a baby picture of my girlie.....

This is a coffee table I've recently completed...now available in the store. I seem to be putting these flowers on everything lately.....they make me happy.....

An old drawer became a shadow box for a collage.....

Handbags made from my new fabric line......still waiting for my shipment to arrive!!!

An extra large lazy susan now available in the store.....

Took the puppy for a walk in the park this morning.....she loves all the "action." The birds, other dogs, people walking...although, today it was pretty quiet out there....

Someone left a teeny tiny bat behind...must have been used in a teeny tiny baseball game.

Can't wait for everything to turn green and lush again!
Wishing you all a lovely, creative day!!!! Ta ta for now!

Reminder: Whine and Wags this Thursday!!!

2011-03-27T07:40:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone!!! Did you all have a great spring break? A BIG thank you to everyone who stopped by for our spring break open studio! It was so much fun!!! So many fabulous creations came to life back there...it was great!!! Yesterday, we hosted our freind Dani's birthday party in the studio....one of the coolest families ever. A week or so ago, Dani gave me a gorgeous handmade book she wrote about creativity....I'm going to photograph it and show it to you. It's wonderful! Last night, Lovin' Man and I were hosted by our freinds Steve and Kim for dinner. We had a YUMMY cockney stew, with delicious dumplings floating on top. So good! There's something very special about going to someone's home for a homemade meal. It's such a loving gesture....we appreciated it so much! Thank you Steve and Kim!

Just a quick reminder that the Whine and Wags event is this Thursday, March 31st. Come out and have some fun...plus your money is going to a great cause!!! Here are the details:

Whine and Wags

Cedar Valley Humane Society Wine Tasting and Silent Auction
Thursday, March 31st 5-8pm
Daniel Arthur’s
821 3rd Ave SE, Cedar Rapids
Admission is $25

Reserve your tickets in advance by contacting Jan Clarke at 319-362-6288 or email: jan.clarke@cvhumane.org
CVHS website: CLICK HERE

Enjoy an evening of fabulous silent auction items, live guitar music, fine wine tasting by 7G Distributing and hors d’oeuvres compliments of Daniel Arthur’s. Dreaming Bear is donating a piece of window art that will be up for auction that night. We hope to see many of you there! Woo hoo! Have a great Sunday!

More Goodies in our CafePress Shop!!

2011-03-23T21:15:00.001-05:00

Howdy guys! We added a few more designs and items to the CafePress shop!!! Check 'em out!!!

Above is a picture of the "Just Be You" tote bag, with another one of my girls on wheels with pink hair!
Ha! I love how this turned out!

A patchwork heart water bottle that says "Be True to Yourself."

A framed print of my "Many Moustaches" collage. Did I tell you that I have a moustache themed bathroom? Well, I do! I'll show it to you sometime!

Finally, a "SWEET" apron. So cute!!! Thanks for letting me share these with you.

Now, head on over to the CafePress shop and shop away!

Creative, Crafty Folks!

2011-03-23T07:16:00.000-05:00

2 More Days of Spring Break Open Studio!!!

Wed, March 23rd and

Thurs, March 24th 10am-2pm

We hope you will come by and join us for some artsy craftsy fun!!!

Above is our friend Jodie, and her daughter and niece, who stopped by the studio not long ago.

Just look at the fun things they created!!! And speaking of creating, Jodie is also an excellent seamstress, who makes really original handbags and accessories. Look what she made out of my Fiesta line of fabric!

Soooo cute!!!

Thanks for sharing, Jodie! Love it! Have a great day, everyone!!!

Happy Birthday Lovin' Man!!

2011-03-17T14:54:00.001-05:00

Happy, Happy Birthday to my Lovin' Man! This is what he looked like the day he married me. I know....soooo cute. Thank you, Lovin' Man, for everything you do all year long for all of us. You are a wonderful treasure.

Extended Hours in Studio for Spring Break!

2011-03-09T06:29:00.001-06:00

Soon.....the flowers will be blooming and the bees will be buzzing again!!! And soon, it will be SPRING BREAK!!! We've got just the thing to infuse a little fun into your vacation! We are extending our studio hours!!! So stop by and get crafty with us!!!!

We have everything you need to complete a really fun art project of your choice...paint a canvas, mosaic a picture frame or glitter a cupcake. Fun, fun, fun!!!

SPRING BREAK STUDIO HOURS:

10am-2pm on the following days.....

Tues, Wed, Thurs March 15, 16, 17 and

Tues, Wed, Thurs March 22, 23, 24

Join us, won't you???

All ages are welcome!!!!

Big Pile of Little Canvases

2011-03-08T21:18:00.000-06:00

Hi there! Check it out!!! I just completed a little pile of canvases....most of these are either 4x6 or 6x8. Nice and petite, and super fun to work with! These are all collages, using misc papers, acrylic paints, pencil and ink. A couple are gone already!!! Wowwee! But most are available in the store. Feel free to email me for info if you are not local.

Flowers, moustaches, and whales. Oh my!

A nice little stack of birds too.....

I'm dreaming of tulips....are you?

Happy Tuesday!!!!

Happy Sunday from Elsie.

2011-03-06T07:26:00.000-06:00

Greetings from Elsie in her favorite Sunday morning lounging spot.

Life is good.

Bubble Trouble - The Fabric Line!

2011-03-04T07:03:00.002-06:00

Hello friends! Can I tell you why I'm so happy?

I have finally received the first batch of samples from my next fabric line: "Bubble Trouble!"

This line is being produced by Studio E Fabrics and will be shipping to stores in May! Yeehaw!

And yes, it will be available at The Dreaming Bear, and also in our Etsy shop!

The quality of these coordinating cottons is superb. They feel amazing. And the color! These colors are not for shrinking violets! They are bold, bright, and ready to inspire!

I'll let you know once we receive our own complete order, but for now, I would love to show you all of the print samples! As you can see from the above picture, Elsie has already picked out her favorite print!

Hee hee. Okay, here we go.....

The first two prints are what started the whole thing....

I painted these crazy, colorful "bubbles" and then it took off from there.

I added some stripes. You gotta have stripes! Am I right?

These are a couple of my favorites. I can imagine these as crazy fun curtains, and oversized pillows.

Some checkerboard prints for good measure.

Some running stitches....I LOVE how these turned out. This print was a little "iffy" in my mind in the beginning, but I'm already thinking about how versatile this pattern can be in a quilt.

Lots of busy pattern per square inch!

These bubbles are so much fun!!!

And finally, I offer you some good old fashioned polka dots....but in punchy color combos!

I'm in love with the pink and red! Remember back in the day, when they would tell us you couldn't put pink and red together? Psssshhhh. Whatevah!

So that's it, gang! I hope you love it! Soon, you will see projects and info popping up once it starts shipping! One very special project that I'm dying to tell you about, and will soon.

Ta ta for now!!!

A Peek Around the Store

2011-03-03T12:16:00.000-06:00

Hola! Que pasa? How about a little peek around our store today? Yes? Okay, good. Above is a bench I just finished painting....it would be darling on a sun porch. The seat opens up for a small amount of storage.

We have lots of fun, flowery rings for spring.....

And plenty more colorful jewelry and scarves!!!

Dreaming Bear bookmarks are a perfect lil' gift.

And we now have three styles of heavy duty canvas bags with Dreaming Bear art on them!

I'm thinking these would be good beach or book bags.

A Buddha butter dish will make meals more contemplative.

A graffiti bird is easy to drop in the mail to a friend.

Hope you enjoyed your visit! Thanks for stopping by today!!!

If you're local, stop by our store Tuesdays-Fridays 10-5:30 and Saturdays 10-4!!

One More Batch of Pages, and then I'll Prove that I Really Am Doing More than Just Journaling!

2011-03-02T07:16:00.000-06:00

Hello again, friends! I have just a few more pages in the journal that you haven't seen. I know...hard to believe, but true. Hee. Above on the left is an elephant from some funky gift wrap, a paper doily that I glued down for the heck of it, and an old photograph from a magazine from the 60's. On the right, a pocket, containing a teeny tiny card from my friend Chris!

More doodling and snippets of papers......

I've noticed a lot of chatter about "the word for the year." I decided mine was going to be "DO". No more wishing, wondering or hoping. DOING. The pictures on the right are also from a mag...they are products created by the talented designer, Angela Adams. Very inspiring, cool stuff!

Dancing Chili Peppers in the upper left corner remind me of a yummy birthday dinner at one of my favorite Mexican restaurants. A picture of a gorgeous Halloween party reminds me of my favorite holiday. A picture of a squirrel pillow makes me giggle.

Tulips are another obsession of mine...been doodling them all over the place. A picture of a party crown is what inspired our Queen for the Evening party idea.

I have always loved this Tepper Jackson pattern. We carried these totes in our store back in the day. And I adore the sticker on the right...from my friend Erin. A fabulous sock company in Portland called Sock Dreams.

And back to the left page...a doodle of a bicycle with flowers in the basket.....aaaahhh...yes, dreaming of spring!!! Always dreaming of spring. Have a great Wednesday!

And More Journal Pages.......

2011-03-01T06:23:00.001-06:00

By now, you might think that this is all I've done over a very short period of time, ha! I don't really have a "process" for my journal...and probably never will. But I do try to touch it every day, even if it's only to jot a couple of things down for a few minutes. On other days, there is more time, and on those days, I sit at my work table and wash color over my pages, doodle, and paste goodies into it. I attached a pocket to the inside cover, so I can tuck "goodies" into it until I have time to work with them again. This pocket will contain bits of magazines, little notes and cards given to me by friends, fortunes from fortune cookies, stickers and more. Collecting the goodies is a really fun part of the process.

For example, adorable napkins from the adorable Curly Girl!!!!

More bits of collage pages from Teesha Moore, and the quirky bird is actually a dog toy from an ad in one of Martha Stewart's mags......

Misc images from magazines in my stash......

"10 Thoughts on Whole Living" from Whole Living Magazine....

Whole Living Info continued....and on the lower left hand side, you will find the paint chip for my upstairs studio! We just painted it a couple of weeks ago, and I love it. The color is called Pageant Song.

The funny little "person" on the right was a drawing I found on the floor of our studio at the end of a busy Saturday. I just had to keep it! I turned it into a page in the journal.

I'm obsessed with round and teardrop shapes.

The monkeys are from adorable gift wrap on a birthday present from my friend Chris!!

Thanks for visiting, have a great Tuesday!!!

A Few More Journal Pages

2011-02-28T06:26:00.000-06:00

Hello friends! Well, we made it to the last day of February! March arrives tomorrow! Yay! We have a light dusting of snow on the lawn...but every time I take the Pup out to do her business, I'm eyeballing the yard.....mentally noting all the things I want to do with it. We did some landscaping/bulb planting in the front of our house last year....but now it's time to work our way around the sides of the house and into the back yard. Our house's previous owner, bless his heart, really let the "natural" look take over the lawn, but not in a good way. Ha! It will be nice to dig in the dirt again!

Here are some more journal pages, from the same book as before. Thought you might enjoy a peek!

This is a copy of a poem that Lovin' man sent me on Valentine's Day a few years ago. I had saved it in my Inbox for a long time, and thought it would be good to bring it out into the world.

I scribbled down some notes for a project on the left side....but hated not having any color...so worked it around my notes! On the right, a cool article a friend gave us about a man building with Legos. (we love Legos at our house)

More pages with favorite magazine clippings.....

Doodles and more doodles with markers and water soluble crayons......on the right, a snippet from an old Home Companion magazine....remember that mag? It was my favorite, and I miss it!!!

Loved this pic of a colorful garden stone. We will have lots of garden stones to decorate in our studio this spring/summer! Come and make one!!!

More to come very soon. Hope you all had a restful weekend! Ta ta for now!

Whine and Wags March 31st

2011-02-23T19:49:00.004-06:00

Hey there! Elsie says thanks for all the Cafe Press love, y'all! A few of you are ordering onesies for teeny babies, some of you will be sipping your morning joe from a snazzy new mug....cool! Love it!

Elsie was my sidekick all day today, up in the studio. I finished up this little side table....

and I'm working on a few other large projects for the store and for clients.

As many of you know, our sweet Elsie is a rescue dog, and we are so grateful for organizations who donate their time, talent and hard work to save the animals out there who are down on their luck.

I'd like to let you local folks know about an upcoming fund raiser for Cedar Valley Humane Society....we are going to be there!!! Come and join us!! You can register HERE. There will also be a surprise piece of Dreaming Bear art up for silent auction. They need your financial support to give these animals the food, shelter and medical care. Even if you can't attend, please consider sending a donation anyway.

Whine and Wags

Cedar Valley Humane Society Wine Tasting and Silent Auction
Thursday, March 31st 5-8pm
Daniel Arthur’s
821 3rd Ave SE, Cedar Rapids
Admission is $25

Reserve your tickets in advance by contacting Jan Clarke at 319-362-6288 or email: jan.clarke@cvhumane.org
Enjoy an evening of fabulous silent auction items, live guitar music, fine wine tasting by 7G Distributing and hors d’oeuvres compliments of Daniel Arthur’s.

Hope you are all having a good week so far!!!!

New Cafe Press Shop!

2011-02-18T06:27:00.001-06:00

Hello friends! I'm tickled to announce that Dreaming Bear products are now available on Cafe Press! Yahoo!!!! We have taken some of our most popular designs and put them on T-shirts, tote bags, posters, and more! It's so cool, and Cafe Press is an easy, safe way to shop online! I made a "test purchase" before our announcement, and our order arrived very quickly (within the week) and the quality was superb. Love it! Can I interest you in an adorable Robot Love tote bag?

Or perhaps a "Keep On Keepin' On" water bottle, featuring one of the pink hair girls?

"Happy Cloud" notecards will make snail mail much more bearable.......

And many of you have asked for prints of our very popular "Determination" collage....here it is, in poster form!!! (and available in several other "forms" as well!)

Isn't this fun?! I'm really thrilled with how everything turned out. I know you will be too! Click HERE to get to the main storefront, and then you can browse by desired image. Enjoy!!!

P.S. Is it warming up where you are? It was sixty degrees yesterday here!! Almost all of our snow is gone! Those temps won't last, of course, but it was a much needed boost to the spirits!!! In other news, our window is supposed to be replaced today at the shop! Yahoo!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T06:36:00.000-06:00

Wishing you all a Valentine's Day that makes your heart sing!

XOXO

More Journal Pages!

2011-02-07T16:51:00.000-06:00

Hello there friends! Thanks for all the great feedback on my current journaling obsession! Here are a few more journal pages from the aforementioned book that I'm currently having a BLAST playing around in! Above, a fast page where I was playing with my water soluble pastels. It's hard to read, but at the bottom of the page is a quote from Barbara Sher, "Whatever your dreams are, start taking them very, very seriously." Amen, sister! And below, more playing with pastels...the flower on the right is a color scan of a collage flower I made a long time ago.....

I recently purchased a couple of tees from Kalidarling, and she sent me this ADORABLE monster sticker!!! Oh lookie! She's selling the stickers too!! Check 'em out!

Then I played with my markers for a while......that dresser is a snippet from a mag that someone gave me for inspiration. Harlequin is such a great pattern on just about anything, no?

More images from mags, and lots of doodles. That circular pattern is a plate design by Susan Sargent. Love her work!! I hope to own some of her dinnerware someday.

Bits of gift wrap...and on the right, a brochure from the latest exhibit at the CR Art Museum...Pop Up Art!!! If you are in the Cedar Rapids area, get your booty down there....it's such a fun exhibit, and lasts until May!!!

The kitty cat is a scan of old artwork.....it's fun to look back sometimes......

I don't think this picture does it much justice, but I dig this border, and the fact that my writing on previous pages has pressed through and left a "ghost-like" mark on this page.....

More snippets from my paper collection. The funny girl is from a Teesha collage sheet......

Cheers!!!! And Happy Monday!!!!!

Journaling Obsession

2011-02-06T17:53:00.001-06:00

Howdy everyone! A few weeks ago, my friend Gae visited me at the store. Gae owns Temptations Fine Candies....her store is up around the corner from mine. We have become good buds over the years, sharing the common interest of having store fronts in downtown Marion. Little did I know we had so much more in common! As we share and talk, we find we are alike in many ways! (don't you just love it when that happens?!)

During her visit, I asked how their new building was coming along. (they will be moving to a new location not far from the current one) To illustrate, she pulled out her moleskin notebook, flipped around a little bit, and showed me some pictures of the inside of the building. It was really cool to see the progress they are making on the new place....but I gotta say, what stuck with me hours later was that NOTEBOOK!!! Ha! I just couldn't get it out of my head.

So I sent her an email, telling her I realize that I'm being weird and nosey, but I was so intrigued by her notebook, which was full of notes, doodles, pictures, sketches, bits, pieces and stuff. I asked if she would share a little bit about her method of journaling....and she did so much more that that!!! The following week, she dropped off three of her notebooks so that I could browse through them! Wasn't that nice? She fills a notebook a month, and has done this for about a year and a half. Below is a picture of her journals, piled in a basket in her home. Wouldn't it be so much fun to paw through all of these??!!! Eeek!

Well, this little exchange with my friend Gae has lit a FIRE in me!!! She really got me excited about documenting the little moments in this crazy thing called life. One thing I noted about Gae is that she mostly journals about the good stuff.....sweet things people say, tickets to a concert, quotes she runs across, doodles by her grandson, and more. I like this. This suits me too. I am not one to put the icky stuff in my journal. I just don't care to record negativity. I'm not judging folks who do....everyone should make their journal THEIR OWN. But seeing her method of journaling really resonated with me, and got me movin'. I'm mean, MOVIN', people!!!

I became obsessed for a few days, and for a while, I was really kicking myself for not documenting the many months and years before this!!! But as they say, better late than never, right?? Would you like to take a little peek? I would just like to point out quickly, that this is not the same as my altered book or my art journal. Soooo.....you will see snippets of magazine pages, post cards, pieces of gift wrap that I love, and little bits that I find and love. Some of the doodles are my own, but some of it is not....just things that inspire me and everyday stuff. I journaled about the day we brought Elsie home....

Love my Iowa Native stickers that arrived in my Christmas stocking......

I found old newspaper and magazine articles that I had been hanging onto for a long time.....

Random pictures of things that make me happy...like my tokens of affection......

Snippets of funky gift wrap, and doodled pages waiting for my notes.......

Saved concert tickets from a favorite band....

and on the right, a postcard from Tara Ross, an artist I admire......

Doodly doodles....

A funny face that Lovin' Man drew for me to cheer me up....note the nose hair.....cracks me up!!!

Did you notice that I'm adding more color as we go along? I thought you would. (Smile.)

More to come soon. Hope you had a great weekend!!!

A Day in the Life of Elsie.

2011-02-03T16:35:00.000-06:00

"Mama, I'm tired of being cooped up.

I'm soooooo booooorrrrred. (whine, whimper)."

"Oh, okay!! A bone!! Yummy."

"Crunch, munch, slurp."

"Mmmmm.." (contented sigh)

"Eeep! What was that? Is someone after my bone?"

"Aaaaahhhh....all is well."

Winter is Making Us Crack.

2011-02-03T11:44:00.002-06:00

Sooooo.... this is what the front window of the store looks like this morning!!! Yippee!!! (not)

I stopped by the office yesterday to grab some paperwork, and found this, as I walked by the outside of our store. Apparently someone was parked right outside our store, stuck in a snow drift, and in his attempts to free himself, his wheels spun, and we are guessing that a chunk of ice or a rock flew up and hit the store window. ARRGGHH. The guys in my building were kind enough to tape it up for us in my absence, and we are awaiting the replacement. And so it goes. We got a foot of snow on Tuesday night. Our backyard looks like a winter wonderland.....and it would be for us, but the temps are so bitterly cold, we just sit inside and stare out at it all.

Snow Day Coming Soon.

2011-02-01T07:20:00.000-06:00

Hey there!!! Happy Tuesday everyone! Here in Iowa we are getting ready to hunker down as a blizzard works its way through our area later today. We have a regular school day today, as it won't start until later this afternoon. (much to my kid's dismay) But I'm betting tomorrow will be a snow day!!! I'm a little disappointed cuz I had some appointments set up regarding some exciting projects, but those will have to wait a few days. Sigh.

Thanks for all of the Etsy love! Thanks to Rosebud for the extra sweet shoutout on her blog!!! Drop in over there and say hi!!! Hope you all are staying warm and healthy.

Shout it from the Hilltop! The Etsy Shop Has Been Updated!

2011-01-27T21:40:00.000-06:00

Hello again! I did it! I got some new goodies in the Etsy shop!!! Hooray!!! It was long overdue!

Several of you have asked for paintings, so I threw some of those into the mix too! The above collage is one of my favorites....so much layering, and lots of smooshy paint! You can learn more about it HERE. So run, don't walk.....to my little corner of the Etsy world, and enjoy!!!

You will find some of these........

And some of these.......(chirp, chirp!)......

And just in time for Valentine's Day.....some of these....

There can never be too many "I Love You's". Right?! :-)