toothies (the friendly tooth monsters)

since my nieces live so far away in the land of potatoes, i am always looking for ways to be close to them in hopes that they don't forget their "ya-ya." in recent weeks, caelan and riley have started the tooth-losing process of growing up (it is strange to think that they are now kids instead of babies). i came up with this idea that would make the tooth fairy excited to visit...friendly tooth monsters called "toothies." the girls can put their tooth in the pocket and the tooth fairy can exchange it with money in the belly pocket of the toothie. i am just crazy over the idea and the final result. in fact, before i even had a chance to send louski and raerae their toothies, i made my first international sale with one of the toothies on my etsy shop! the girls will soon receive their toothies and hopefully they love them just as much as i do.

all toothies are made of upcyled materials. many more will be added in the coming days as i have created a bunch of toothies, each with their own character and personality.

black apple doll for haylee.

besides the art for haylee, i wanted to make an attempt at "the black apple" doll pattern. i have seen the black apple dolls on etsy and watched her appearance on martha stewart. i am very happy with the final result. hopefully this little doll gets lots of love from her new friend. (if you are interested in "the black apple" shop, go to www.theblackapple.etsy.com.

make room for haylee.

my dear friend jolie has just given birth to a very sweet little girl, haylee. of course, i was over the moon to help her decorate the nursery. jolie picked a polka dot quilt that was the jumping off point for the artwork. we bought loads of canvases and painted circles on each of them to coordinate with the bedding. this labor of love (no pun intended) continued by painting each letter of the alphabet on each of the canvases in varying fonts. we also painted a larger canvas with tons of circles in which we painted her name in the coordinating fonts. i just LOVE the final result. glad we finished just in time for her arrival. (tia elena could not be happier for haylee to finally be here!)

new items for sale!

i have a few new items for sale on etsy! i have been busy with new creations for the shop! i am posting more throughout the week, so check out my etsy site: www.sweetbirds.etsy.com. i also have some clutches that i have been working on and hope to have done within the next few weeks (if all goes well). happy shopping!

it has been weeks since i have posted anything new...my apologies. i suppose i have been caught up in my day job. if only art paid all the bills. =) i promise, i have been sketching and the wheels in my head are quickly at work awaiting for summer to shine through. there are birds, creatures, and all kinds of other little pieces of whimsy waiting for the paint to meet paper. my little sweetbirds need to be revived. it would do much good for my soul...

soaring.

my latest piece is this eagle. it was done for an Eagle Scout. i have other pieces in the works as many have been patiently waiting. i promise, i am working away, especially for all the new little babies that have arrived recently...thanks for waiting.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

it is a new year and a fresh start. i am happy to say that i am continuing to create and to sell. i hope that as the year unfolds, my business will expand and explore new opportunities. may this be a year of fresh beginnings, fond memories, and future adventures. HAPPY 2009 to all!

bigger and better things.

the show is over. thank God. it was not quite as successful as i had hoped, though the experience was great. i will not join that particular event again as i was disappointed with the layout and turn-out. i definitely enjoyed the process and have made some new connections. please visit my shop as i have added new pieces and prints! some are quite fun! merry christmas! the countdown to the holiday is definitely underway!

life is sweet.

.ellen.  

getting ready! the show is coming december 13!

i've been hard at work, preparing for the la habra high school christmas show on december 13. i have about 28 pieces which i will have for sale. i am currently working on card sets (sold in 3s) as well as other random things. if there is something you are looking for, let me know so i can perhaps get it done for the show. some of these things are already for sale in my etsy shop, but if you want to save the shipping costs, you can buy at the show (let me know if you want to reserve anything and i can take it out of the shop for you). have a looksie at some of my new creations...

freeway complex fire--firestorm 2008

it still seems surreal, but this last saturday took an unexpected turn. the plans for the day included dog beach with stella and my sister's family. we could smell fire in the morning, but went to the beach anyways (quite an adventure on its own if i do say so myself). when we got back from the beach, i immediately hurried to my car as we saw the plumes of smoke filling the air near the freeways. i drove home wanting to get out of the smoke smell and floating ash. 

little did i know that as i drove over the hill to my house, the fire was actually in my neighborhood. i watered down the yards and the side of the house with what little water pressure we had. i made a few phone calls, then stared blankly at my things wondering what would come of it all if fire struck. it is an eerie feeling.  

once my roommate came home, we walked to the corner and watched the many planes and helicopters fly overhead with water and such. sirens from passing fire trucks were a welcome relief. we saw engines from napa, fremont, alhambra, huntington beach, and monterey park all racing down birch street. 

my roommate and i packed our cars of all we considered to be precious, then anxiously waited and watched the fire come down the hill. after a few hours, many phone calls, and one long walk to the grocery store, we knew that by God's grace our house would be spared. 

not all families were as lucky. it is a devastating sight to see the smoldering ash and remains of what was. i pray for those people. as i washed the dishes left in the sink and dusted off all of the furniture, i did so with a thankful heart.  i can't complain that at least there are dishes in my cupboard. at least the furniture is still in tact and needing to be cleaned. and at least the roof over my head is untouched. God is good. 

back in the saddle...again.

well folks, it has been a slow go lately. i have not had the time to paint and create. what little time i have had, the pieces have not come out as i hoped, so discouragement set in. thankfully, i am back in the saddle...again. yesterday, i sat at my art desk, turned on the music and painted for a good couple of hours. these poppies were my final product for the day. i also progressed on a few other pieces, which is much needed since i have that art show approaching december 13. 

oh the circus! the circus!

lions and tigers and bears--oh my! actually, more like elephants, pigs, and giraffes. this circus carousel is a work in progress. i am creating the circus for a friend from my childhood. ironically, i had this idea sketched out already, so it is a happy coincidence. once the set is complete, i will post the final product. for now, you can see my paint process. 

tulips, my deary, tulips.

lately, i have been working on a series of flowers including tulips and poppies. it is a bit of a stray from my whimsical characters, however, i enjoy some sophistication every now and then. i will have some of my floral creations for sale soon in my etsy shop. for those of you that like the whimsys, the circus is coming to town! 

invitation to a craft show?!

it is time for school to begin again. summer fun has come to an end. though the madness begins, i plan to get back into my art creations. unexpectedly, as i looked through my etsy shop today, i found an invitation to join a craft show this december over at la habra high school. i was asked to join the fair because the woman liked my shop. (definitely a welcomed affirmation!) i will keep you all posted on the happenings of it all, but please expect it to be my big debut this december! the show will feature ONLY handmade creations. i guess this means i need to kick it into high gear for the shop and the upcoming fair! please look for new "friends" to join the bubblegum betsy brood. 

good golly miss molly!

my very good friend jessica was here this summer on a quick visit from her new home in malawi, africa. i wanted to make sure to send her home with a bit of sweetbirds. jessica has been an inspiration to me, always in my corner nudging me to dream big with my paintbrush. so for her, i have created: miss molly. 

birthday traditions.

            

the tradition continues for my nieces' birthdays. i create a signature bird for them each year. caelan's bird is ready for school as caelan has just begun the kindergarten adventure. riley's green bird is dripping ice cream--no cares in the world, much like riley. 

ahoy mateys!

meet the pirate and his peg leg bird. he is the latest in my creation of friends for betsy (even though she is living elsewhere and a new betsy has not come along to replace her). i really like the way he came out. he is up for sale on my etsy shop so we will see how long i get to enjoy him. watch out--he is out to steal your booty. arrrrgh!

another surgery conquered.

my latest (and hopefully last) surgery is over. good news--my cancer has not returned! i am just a bit sore and hoping to be back in action soon. i will get back to my paintings soon enough. at least i had visions of fairy plums dancing in my head during my sleep. thanks for all the prayers. 

hello, ladybird.

i think that little miss raindrop is just about finished. i am ready for her to be put up for adoption (or sale, whichever you prefer) in my etsy shop. you will soon be able to see her in all her glory. i like her so much though, i think that i may need to sell her as a print. that way she can hang on my wall and keep the other girls and critters company. 

her other friend is now almost finished too--meet ladybird.

sale! sale! sale!

i just posted that betsy needed some friends and now after today, her friends are the ones left lonely! bubblegum betsy is officially my first online etsy sale! it feels like such an accomplishment to conquer the first deal. she is definitely one of my favorites, so it feels good to have that validated with someone else thinking she is pretty cute too. betsy is on her way to her new home and i am back to work creating a new betsy.