Oiseaux

The Bright Side Project... A Giveaway

 

I just learned about The Bright Side Project a few weeks ago when the lovely Miss B. and Miss K. introduced themselves via email. How did I not know about this wonderful site?:

"The Bright Side Project is here to bring you sunshine every day with themed, daily giveaways, We hope to inspire you to stop for a second and remember life is (still) beautiful and there is goodness in the world."

This December is Handmade Holiday month over at TBSP... they are giving away anything and everything handmade, to support independent artists and designers everywhere. Today's featured giveaway is from my shop, Oiseaux! To win a personalized set of bookplates or a print, all you need to do is answer the question, "What children's book helped shape you as a child, and why?" on this post, here. You have until Saturday, Dec. 19th to enter. And while you're there, look at all the other things they're giving away!

 

What I've Been Up To

 *saturday*

 

*sunday*

*monday*  

*today* 

Giving

I have been so busy! That's not a complaint, I've just been bloody busy. Last week I finished two big commissioned pieces of art (I will post pictures later, I promise) and since then I have been working like a dervish on bookplate orders from the shop. And as I work, I think about Christmas.. and things I want to make.. and buy, and give. 

In my wee waking hours before I get down to business, I sit at my computer, coffee in hand, and I visit my favorite blogs. What I've noticed in the past few days is a lot of GIVING. Here's what I've found:

Kristi's Twelve Days of Christmas started yesterday. She is giving something fabulous away every day for the next twelve days! Today's giveaway is a silver necklace from Amy Cornwell Designs, and yesterday's giveaway is a set of my personalized bookplates or a personalized print from my shop! Visit here for the details.

Sycamore Street Press is giving away a free limited edition letterpress print by RoxyMarj.

 
The deliriously talented and generous Yasmine from A Print A Day is offering a free downloadable Matryoshka Calendar as well as downloadable holiday patterns to use as you wish.
 

Trudy Callan (above, isn't she cute?) is giving away free art supplies. Yes, you read correctly: free art supplies. And she is offering to ship them anywhere in the world.

 

How About Orange is giving away Two (2) $50 gift certificates to Sears! I can think of ten things right now that I need from Sears.

Shona Cole, a very talented lady (and mommy to a brand new baby) is giving away this handmade tote and matching journal. Lovely.

  
Anahata Katkin is offering this beautiful tote and a free print with every Papaya order of $35 or more! And I could think of ten things right now that I need from Papaya.

And Gina from Joyful Purpose is giving away these adorable hand-crocheted dish cloths. Love. 

************

I've been thinking about different ways to give this year. I always give a little bit here and a little bit there (to the Santas outside the store, to the Salvation Army folks ringing the bells), and this year I've decided to give a little bit more of myself: yesterday I signed up to become a registered bone marrow donor. The cheek-swabbing kit is coming in the mail. I'm excited, and I'll be honest, I'm a touch nervous.. I think about the day that might come in the future when I am a match for someone very sick, and I have the awesome responsibility of making a difference.

Also, I'm going to give a holiday donation to Kiva. If you're not familiar with Kiva: for $25 you can help an entrepreneur in another country start up or grow his or her business, thus changing a life. After time the business owner repays the loan, and you can reinvest your money in another Kiva entrepreneur, or accept your money back. Coming from a family of entrepreneurs, I find this incredibly exciting!

 
These two women are Isadora De Los Angel Sanchez from Nicaragua (left) and Gun Keshari Maharjan from Nepal, two entrepreneurs who I've helped through Kiva. Isadora owns a traveling sales business, and Gun owns a grocery store. I'm looking forward to sitting down with my family and choosing someone new to help.

I would love to hear how any of you are deciding to give this season. And if anyone out there has a giveaway you'd like me to add, please let me know!  

 
  

 

1000

1000 sales x 24 bookplates per set = 24,000 bookplates, hand-cut by me.

I would like to thank my brilliant, sage Mac G4, my hard-working-never-say-die Epson printer, my stainless steel ruler that I've had since art school, and my trusty yellow X-acto knife.

And you. To anyone who has ever bought something from my little shop: thank you. 

 

Joutomaa

A new art store is born in Finland: hooray for Joutomaa!

When Reetta Isotupa-Siltanen contacted me a while back with her plans to open a store of her very own, I was very excited. Her plan was to feature her art, as well as other artists and crafters that she admired. When she told me I was one of those people, I was doubly excited! Reetta's artwork is fun, nonsensical, and playful, and her shop reflects her personality perfectly. And she's got this crazy thing for polka dots; I wasn't a bit surprised to see them all over the walls and on the floor.

 

 
Some of Reetta's prints, above...

.. and here are my prints, next to beautiful prints by Marjorie Liucci. They look great, don't they? 

Joutomaa also carries work by Amy Earles, Tilly Bloom, and Barbara Rodruguez & Marcos Suarez, as well as finnish artists Kajsa Wikman, Maija Onnela, Mia Jauho, and Markette Eerikainen.

    

Joutomaa has its own blog, where you can see how the shop evolved (it's in finnish, but there are tons of great pictures) and if you happen to be in Finland, stop by and say hello to Reetta: Joutomaa, Kellonsoittajankatu 8, 20500 Turku, Finland, Phone: +38 50 362 8003

Me Shopping

I am seriously avoiding work right now; I have a project that needs to be finished soon, and I have no idea how to get there. This is supposed to be the time where I buck up, right? Put on some coffee and trudge through?

But alas, it's cold in my house and my mind turns to the holidays.. and beautiful things.. and "me shopping". "Me Shopping" is what I used to do before I was a mom, and when I had a lot more time to actually go to stores where they sell things that I like. My favorite time to "Me Shop" was in December when I was supposed to be choosing gifts for people on my Christmas list.

So in order to waste time and avoid my project while my daughter is having a nap, I've done some virtual me shopping. Santa, this is what is on my list this year:

1. Winter white gloves by Moocowhandknits
2. Truffle in Burnt Red Purse by Morelle
3. Coral silver belt by dafnadagan
4. Blackened Branch Necklace by Odette NY
5. Raw Circle Solitaire Ring by singleBbeautiful
6. Big, airy, beautiful home I found somewhere on the web
7. Bird Mask papercut print by Elsita
8. Sweet Horse Chestnut Hoops by Abigail Percy
9. Wish Love bracelet by meltemsem
10. SimBa earrings by Amaia
11. Milky White Cowl sweater by larimeloom
12. Crow print by Hadley Hutton
13. High Cherry Wedge Mohops by mohop
14. Full Bloom adjustable sterling flower ring by eRosasjewelry
15. Blowing Tree long-sleeved shirt by Ahpeele  

Holiday Hair

I've been getting in the mood for the holidays and fancied a little photoshop today.. this is a take-off of a holiday illustration I did years ago, recreated with clip art. My favorite is the Santa Hair.

Autumn Swap 2009, or: Rampant Joyful Generosity

Last year I participated in Sofia Barão's Autumn Swap: I put together a surprise package for Kate in Australia, and received one from Danielle in Ohio, and in the process gained two new brilliant, creative friends.

This year I signed up again, and was so occupied with pulling together a package for my new recipient (more on that later) that I completely forgot I had a package coming to me. I was just returning from the post office with Beau when we drove up to find a big box on top of the mailbox. Beau said, "Look, Mommy, it might be from Santa!" and we ran inside to open it up.

The package came from Liz Kalloch, and talk about rampant joyful generosity! It might as well have been from Santa... a really cool, artistic Santa...

.. and I've been having a lot of synchronicities in my life lately, and Liz's package was full of them.

First of all, Liz lives in San Rafael, CA, where I used to live as a little girl.

Secondly, I open up a card from LIz (one she designed) and the message on the card is exactly the same sentiment as two pieces of art I've been working on.

Then I open up a custom-made aromatherapy oil blend that LIz made herself ("for Joy & Creativity") and a beautiful burner.. I open up the oil, and the scent is a dead ringer for one of my favorite aromatherapy candles that's been discontinued for years!

The rest of the box is like Christmas morning:

• Two (two!) books: The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner (I've been needing a new book for months now) and The Vision Board by Joyce Schwarz.
• Raspberries in dark chocolate.. danger!
• Shimmering gel pens (had to hide them from Beau)
• beautifully designed sticky notes (ditto)
• a "Oiseaux" CD of mixed songs, that included one of my favorite songs ever, "Golden" by Jill Scott
• a collection of goodies designed by Liz: a bird journal, magnets, a gorgeous pocket calendar for 2010, and six greeting cards!

At this point there was paper and bubble wrap everywhere, and Beau's attention had been happily diverted when I noticed there was a secret trap door at the bottom of the box, and in it was a beautiful matted piece of art, entitled Song of Revival!

 

Such incredible generosity.. I was so humbled.

 

Liz is an exceptional artist and designer, with two blogs: one for design and one for knitting. She also has an etsy shop that you must visit. I so look forward to enjoying all of her gifts, and for getting to know her better.. I am already a fan of her blogs.

***Thank you, Liz!!!!!***

.....................................

Add on:

Jennifer from Odette New York just received my package, you can take a peek here! And check out her beautiful jewelry, I have a few items already on my Christmas list.

Snow Flower

New Bookplates

I found the most gorgeous children's book from 1917, and now there are two new bookplate designs coming to my shop:

 

 

and a set of Blank Mixed Bird bookplates, to boot:

 

Holiday presents, anyone???

:)