Arts Afire

How We're Journaling for Scarlet

2011-09-25T10:55:00.001-07:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales!

2010-11-26T16:30:00.000-08:00

Ah! It's been so long since I've posted! So much has happened, including me getting pregnant (EEK!!), that I haven't had time (or felt well enough) to keep up here. But better late than never, huh? :)

On to Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales!!

At ArtsAfire everything is 20% off through Monday at midnight. Facebook fans (visit http://www.facebook.com/artsafire) are receiving special codes throughout the weekend for extra percentages off for limited time periods, so be sure to head over to ArtsAfire on Facebook and hit "Like" so you can receive the discount codes, too!

Newsletter subscribers also get a special extra discount this weekend! Unlike the Facebook codes, it's good ALL weekend! To get that, sign up for the newsletter to the right and I'll send you the Black Friday edition of the newsletter so you can take advantage of that secret code!

TiddelyPoms, my newest shop for nursery and children's art at http://tiddelypoms.etsy.com, is also having a Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale! All of my Winnie the Pooh art and Classic Pooh quotes are now located at TiddelyPoms, so be sure to check it out for some wisdom from Eeyore and Pooh!

Happy Shopping, everyone! Have a wonderful Holiday weekend and a wonderful Holiday season!

Guinea Pig Giveaway!!

2010-08-11T14:24:00.001-07:00

Anyone who knows me knows I love my piggies. Let's just take a moment to look at them and savor the adorableness.

Perfection all wrapped up in a guinea pig package. :)

Anyway, Patricia Ann over at Patricia Anne's Shenanigans is hosting a giveaway of one of Ellencho's adorable cuddle cups for small animals.

Every piggy needs a cuddle cup or a cuddle sack. So if you have a guinea pig and you love them, head on over here and enter.

Also, don't forgot about my shop closing sale. I'll pop back up around the holidays--I've done the accounting and the math and I can't continue to afford my shop for the rest of the year until the holiday season, when my shop actually pays for itself and makes a profit. Any thing in the shop now, will not be back. It's all drastically reduced. So definitely take advantage of the prices if you've had your eye on something!

Shop Closing

2010-08-04T23:43:00.001-07:00

Frankly, I'm too stressed right now to run the shop and keep up the paintings at my current rate. My husband is in his last semester of college so I'm applying for jobs for him, I have a day job and I usually don't get home until 7 p.m. or later, and I need more time to spend with my husband and my guinea pigs.

I might come back with new stuff for the holiday season, but for right now, the shop is most definitely closing. Everything is already marked down. Most definitely priced to move.

I also have some new Winnie the Pooh alphabet prints up. I'm still going to continue to do those until the shop closes--they're relaxing and fun.

Even these are on sale right now!

So everything is 50% or more off. Feel free to shop. :)

http://artsafire.etsy.com

P.S. Facebook fans get an extra 10% off. Become a fan for the code--it'll be in your updates

Disneyland! And new paintings!

2010-08-01T00:50:00.003-07:00

We just got back from Disneyland last week. It was great. It always is. Here, I'm enjoying dinner at Naples Pizzeria in Downtown Disney with Jeremy.

We also happened to be there on the weekend of the Annual Annual Passholder sale. And no, "Annual Annual" was not a typo. So since we're annual passholders, that sale applied to us! So we got up at 5:45 a.m. on Saturday and went to Downtown Disney to see what we could get for our limited souvenir budget for this trip.

The getting up that early was SO worth it. $50 items for $5, limited edition Pluto's for $5, dresses were 50% off and then another 10% off with our annual passes, t-shirts were $6. Basically, we cleaned up. I'm wearing my new dress in the photo above--it was a steal. And I've never received so many compliments in my life on any other article of clothing.

I have more pictures to come, but I just need to download them from my husband's phone. I'll be doing that tomorrow.

And I also have three new paintings in the shop (with more to come tomorrow):

There is Nothing... - 12" x 12" original painting

Red Flower Fields - 11" x 14" original painting

Ancient - 18" x 24" original painting

What I'm working on...

2010-07-19T09:37:00.000-07:00

GETTING MONEY FOR DISNEYLAND!

So in pursuit of that goal, my prints are all Buy One Get One Free--two prints for $14! This includes my pointillism flowers, my Japanese character print, my Classic Pooh quotes, and the majority of my paintings--even my new one is available as a print. Just purchase one and put your choice for the second in the Notes to Seller. I'll send them both!

Also, I'm working on a new line of abstract trees against really cool backgrounds. That and some acrylic flow paintings.

Here's the first of the tree paintings:

Wind on a Blue Day - 11 x 14 - $40 for Christmas in July sale

I'm working on an 18 x 24 one today, as well as some Classic Pooh alphabet prints that are great for kid's rooms!

And here's some cuteness to brighten your day!

My boys, Darwin (bottom) and Einstein (top)

Nobody Can be Uncheered by a Balloon

2010-07-16T19:18:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, I think this is probably true. I do like a cheerful balloon.

Nobody Can be Uncheered by a Balloon 8 x 10 print - $16

And then sometimes I think that $100 would probably cheer me up more. Especially this weekend, with my Disneyland trip coming up this week! A vacation is much needed right now! I'm out of my mind excited about it.

In the meantime, I've been soaking up the rays at the pool here. And this weekend will be a great pool weekend. 106 degrees here in Utah today. In-sane. Supposed to be around 100 tomorrow and Sunday. I think I'll just invest in some snorkeling equipment and stay underwater all day. :) Oddly enough, we'll be escaping the heat by going to California next week. Supposed to be about 20 degrees cooler there next week than it is here. 78 degrees with no chance of rain. Could there be a more perfect vacation weather forecast?

Has anyone reading ever been on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride at Disneyland? Have you ever noticed there is no happy ending? He drives drunk, sets off explosives, goes to jail, escapes, gets hit by a train, and then goes to hell. And hell is hot (which is particularly nice in the winter time!). And then the ride is over. Absolutely no "Disney" ending. It makes me laugh every time.

Me with Mr. Toad

Don't forget about the "Christmas in July" sale at Etsy.com! In my shop, all prints are $16 or less, the majority of paintings are $25, and large paintings are up to 70% off!

We Hope, 16 x 20 original painting for USAA Magazine - $75 down from $135

And at ArtByJay all prints are $14, ACEOs are $5, and originals are marked down 30%!

Canyon Landscape has been a huge hit as an ACEO and a print, and the original is now only $175! Other paintings are as low as $122!

So be sure to check out the sales before Christmas in July ends on July 25th!

To see the gorgeous Christmas in July treasuries I've been featured in, visit my Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/artsafire. While you're there, hit "like" and you'll receive special sales and discounts exclusive to my Facebook friends.

Last but not least, I want to put a new freezer where this painting is currently being stored:

Complementary Crashes - 30 x 80 original painting - $225

It's currently $525 off. It's a great focal point painting and fits perfectly over any couch. Looks great in just about any room--especially if you have a neutral room. Surprisingly, the tones of blue and orange in the painting balance each other out to give a neutral effect when viewed in a room.

So as much as I love it and wish I could keep it for myself, I have another 3' x 5' painting in the works akin to the latest custom painting I did. So to move it in order to make room for a freezer, I'm offering not only the sale price of $225, but a free $35 gift certificate to whoever buys it. Just enter "GC35" in the notes to seller when you check out and you'll get the $35 gift certificate with your order (valid on your next purchase from ArtsAfire).

Have a wonderful weekend everyone. I'm going to the pool. :)

Great if you love Classic Pooh Bear

2010-07-14T11:58:00.000-07:00

I'm a Winnie the Pooh fanatic. (We're going to Disneyland again next week--my poor guinea pigs! I'll miss them so much!--and one of my favorite rides there is The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. A total kiddie ride. And yes, I definitely sing along the whole time.) The original books are just beyond great and I recommend them to anyone and everyone--especially if you're an adult. You'll get it more than more children will, I promise. :)

So I'm working on several new Classic Pooh Quote prints. These will be available later tonight! (After some Prismacolor art marker action and some Photoshop touch-ups--I get really nervous towards the end of the lettering because I've gotten that far without screwing up and I don't want to waste that hard work--both of these only need minimal touchups! Whew!) Excuse the shoddy camera and coloring--it's my camera phone. These actually are on white paper, not gray.

Introducing $10 Tuesdays! And Einstein, our new Piggy!

2010-07-13T09:36:00.000-07:00

All my 8 x 10 prints are $10 until Midnight tonight!! If you've had your eye on a Classic Pooh quote, a pointillism flower, or my Japanese love print, today is a great day to jump on it!

Also, look for some really cool science prints coming soon (the originals will be paper sculptures that will be framed and going up our staircase)! Molecules with meanings, courtesy of my husband, the scientist.

My Christmas in July sale at ArtsAfire and ArtByJay are still going, too! Make sure to take advantage of the savings! $25 paintings at ArtsAfire and up to $83 off at ArtByJay on original watercolors!

And on the sale note, here's my latest custom painting. I love how it turned out and so does my client! :) Custom paintings are currently 25% off during my Christmas in July sale! Feel free to contact me at artsafire.etsy [@] gmail dot com if you'd like to discuss any custom work!

And last but not least, we got Darwin a new friend. Einstein! He has crazy hair when it's not smoothed down. He's half albino and he's adorable. We built them a great cage this weekend with a hay loft and a ramp and tons of floor space for them to run and popcorn around in! I'll post pictures of that later. But in the meantime, here's your daily dose of adorableness:

Cuddle bugs, Einstein hiding under my computer, and salad time!

Happy 4th of July!

2010-07-02T11:01:00.000-07:00

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!

To celebrate, ArtsAfire and ArtByJay are both having HUGE 4th of July sales!

Most paintings are $25 or less at ArtsAfire. Large or time-intensive paintings are over 50% off!

All original 18 x 24 paintings at ArtByJay are 30% off (for a savings of up to $83!), ACEOs are marked down to $5, and 8 x 10 prints are marked down to $14!

Now, moving on from the sale announcement, how are you planning on spending your 4th of July?

Me? I'm going to be resting my ankle so that it will finally be 1) less swollen, and 2) better. I'm going to be doing this resting at the pool. I have a "basic pool noodle" (so-named by Wal-Mart's price tag) and it allows me to float nicely in the pool without using my ankle. It's a good situation.

For anyone who isn't receiving updates on ArtsAfire and ArtByJay through Facebook and would like to, visit http://www.facebook.com/artsafire and http://www.facebook.com/artbyjayh to sign up to receive those updates! Facebook fans even get special deals and sales. Shhhh.

Also, new in ArtsAfire's shop:
Japanese character for "Love" - 8 x 10 digital print of an original intaglio print

And finally, I'm continuing my poll from two entries down. I'm re-stocking my shop but having a hard time deciding what to focus on, so any help would be appreciated. Please please pick your favorite from these choices and let me know which one you would like to see more of (so far, I have votes for pretty much each of them, so right now the consensus is to just keep doing them all):

A) More Winnie the Pooh Quotes

B) More sculpted canvas paintings

C) More circular "wave" paintings

D) More Ray of Hope paintings

E) More color panel paintings in different colors and sizes

Any insight you could give me would be great! Just leave your choice(s) in the comments. :) Thanks!!

Team Edward or Team Jacob?

2010-06-30T13:43:00.001-07:00

I am a Twilight fan.

But I am not a "Twihard." *cringe* I don't know how a word that...stupid...ever got popular and caught on to describe Twilight fans.

However, I am going to see the movie tonight at 7 p.m. because I won tickets on the radio. (I'm really good at winning things on the radio so I don't have to pay for stuff.)

But in honor of the movie tonight, what side are you on?

I Love Edward shelf sign by The Homespun Raven

I Love Jacob shelf sign by The Homespun Raven

I was actually asked by the radio announcer when I won if I was on Team Jacob or Team Bella...if anyone wants to clear that up for me, that'd be a great. Team Bella?

As for me, I'm on Team Edward for the whole Bella-relationship-thing, but I'm on Team Jacob for the rock hard abs.

While you're here, please please please answer the poll I have on the entry below? It'd give me some direction! :)

New Paintings, Still having a Sale, and a Poll

2010-06-28T09:49:00.001-07:00

I have a bunch of new paintings available for sale! They all turned out great and I'm way proud of them! There are about 6 or 7 new ones up with a few more to come later tonight. Here's one of my favorites:

Blue Flowers - 8 x 10
I still haven't received my copy of USAA magazine, but someone sent me a scan of the page my husband and I are on:

You can buy this painting in my shop now. It was kind of hard to decide to part with it, but hey, a girl's gotta pay the bills. :) It's available for $175 in my Etsy shop, ArtsAfire. Isn't my husband handsome? :)

Darwin is doing great. He loves hanging out in my hair, playing in the backyard, and watching us watch movies while he occasionally takes a nap on my lap. I love my life and my men. :)

I sprained my ankle something fierce this weekend. It's the ankle I broke playing football with my friends way back when--it injures easily.There was a massive depression in the grass at the park and I fell right in because I was paying attention to the inflatable hammer that Jeremy had just won by winning that "hit the thing with the hammer and hit the bell at the top" strong-man contest. My ankle bone looks like a golf ball and I now have one fat ankle. I spent my entire day at the pool yesterday, floating on my "basic pool noodle" (that's what Wal-Mart calls it) in the water and building up my tan because I couldn't do anything else. No walking for Sara.

I won tickets to Twilight: Eclipse opening night this weekend. I actually sprained my ankle while I was at the park for the meet and greet with Demetri and Leah (the characters in the movie) that was part of my prize package. They didn't trump my throbbing ankle so I gave up on waiting for them to get there and instead, like a genius, insisted on going shopping because Ann Taylor Loft was having a sale and I NEEDED this dress (and it's out online):

Nope, nevermind. Can't show you because that's how out-of-stock it is. I got it. It's gorgeous on me. But my ankle hates me more now. Anyway, best $22 I've ever suffered through.

And finally, a poll. I'm re-stocking my shop but having a hard time deciding what to focus on, so any help would be appreciated. Please please pick your favorite from these choices and let me know which one you would like to see more of:

A) More Winnie the Pooh Quotes

B) More sculpted canvas paintings

C) More circular "wave" paintings

D) More Ray of Hope paintings

E) More color panel paintings in different colors and sizes

Any insight you could give me would be great! Just leave your choice(s) in the comments. :) Thanks!!

Marathon Training

2010-06-22T10:31:00.000-07:00

I bought an elliptical machine awhile ago, as I blogged about previously. However, it hasn't gotten as much action as I would like. What with moving and that awful bout of pneumonia (3 WEEKS!!), I have not been as diligent as I would have liked to be on my elliptical. So today, we're taking a break from blogging about art and etsy and business and we're going to talk about Sara's summer goal: to run a marathon on the elliptical machine.

I've posted my Marathon Training Schedule here should anyone like to join me. It doesn't have to be on an elliptical. Should you prefer to actually run, go for it! If you'd rather stair step for 26.2 miles, go right ahead! You'd be crazy, but go right ahead! Point is, I don't care how it's done, I just think it's a good goal and the end results will be a better fitness level and I'll be skinnier. I got the schedule from marathontraining.com and I added in my yoga and weight lifting days. If you haven't exercised in the past, I suggest you go there and use the Mileage Buildup Schedule and then come and do the marathon schedule with me.

It starts today! And marathon day is on October 17th!! I'll be checking in here weekly and anyone who wants to join in is more than welcome to report their progress here, too!

In the meantime, here's an obligatory Darwin picture. A little blurry, but still cute. He loves hanging out on my shoulder, especially when my hair is down--it's like a Darwin fort or something.

USAA Magazine article! and Other News

2010-06-17T08:18:00.000-07:00

So, I've been hearing that it's come out. But I haven't seen it! It hasn't made it's way to my mailbox as of yet! If you're a USAA member, look for it coming soon!

In other news, our townhouse is almost completely decorated. Almost all the walls are painted (they were RED--not cool and a complete surprise for us--yay...). We only have one wall left in the kitchen which we'll finish tonight. And that one is white, so it's not offending us. We've become master painters--seriously, I don't even need to tape corners because I'm that good with a paint brush (but then, I'd better be, right? Otherwise I'm fooling anyone who buys one of my paintings).

Also, I'm not as "face-fat" as the USAA Magazine picture makes me look (see?)--the photographer chose a picture of me LAUGHING. This is why I hate photographers. Pick the most flattering one, not the most candid one. Anyway, here I am, sans-makeup and sans a good hair day, painting a Stick-Darwin on the wall we painted last night.
After the walls are finished, all we have to do is figure out what art goes where, and I have a few paintings that I need to paint to finish it up.

We love our new place. The pool is amazing. Our back patio is one of our favorite places. I have so many cupboards that I can't fill them all. (This would not be the case for someone with a real, full-size kitchen--but I come from a little tiny half-kitchen without a dishwasher. My new kitchen is a mansion-kitchen compared to what I had.)

Here's a shot of Jeremy at the pool with our mountain in the background (we're about half-way up it).
Hang gliders and paragliders over our new townhouse
We got a guinea pig!! His name is Darwin and he's the cutest, sweetest, best baby guinea pig in the history of guinea pig-dom.

Left to Right: Darwin eating his salad in his playpen while we paint--he loves those green peppers!; Darwin watching the Celtics (go Celtics!) v. Lakers game with us; Darwin enjoying the grass--yummy grass!
As far as the shop goes--I'm lowering the prices on my BIG/HUGE paintings. I don't have anywhere to store them easily and I have no walls where I want to use them. So if you've had your eye on any of them (the Spring Blossom tree, the two-canas Space painting, or the 30 x 80 Complementary Crashes (my favorite set of all time)), now is your chance to get them!

I also have new paintings to put up (in the same style as my USAA Magazine painting along with some new Ray of Hope series canvases) but I couldn't find my camera battery charger for the life of me. Found it late last night. Oh, the joys of moving!

I believe that's all I have to say at the moment...my next newsletter comes out next week! If you want to receive it, make sure you sign up on the right hand side of this page!

One more thing--the book I wrote for my work (Maximize Your Retirement Income: A Guide to Financial Decision Making at Retirement) is hitting the shelves the first of September.

I've started a blog around it--it gives retirement tips, Social Security information, etc...It's really helpful and gives great advice and tips on prepping for retirement. It could really use some followers and some blog-love. If you or anyone you know is nearing retirement or is thinking about their future retirement, please refer them to it! It's at http://maximizeretirement.blogspot.com.

$25 MOVING SALE!!!

2010-05-20T12:48:00.000-07:00

That's right! Nearly everything in my store is $25. We're moving into our new townhouse next weekend and I don't want to take it all with me! Once this sale is over, these paintings will not be available again. They'll be either 1) on my new walls, or 2) on my friends' walls. So, head on over to my shop and get something for $25!

Our New Townhouse

2010-04-15T20:22:00.000-07:00

I've been MIA again. I know. We've been busy looking for a new place, going on vacation, and just all around being lazy for a change. It's been nice. But I'll be closing my shop to catch up on some painting and get all ready to move to our new townhouse!!

We love it. Gorgeous views of the valley from the front of the house because we're halfway up the mountain, gorgeous views of the top half of the mountain from the backyard and the (HUGE!) master bedroom. Huge windows with great natural light. Vaulted ceilings. 2.5 baths. In a nice and quiet community. AND!!! A DISHWASHER! Four years of marriage and we still don't have a dishwasher because we've never moved out of our little newlywed apartment. Also, we'll now have our own washer and dryer and we won't have to use my grandparent's washer and dryer every week. They'll only be 5 minutes away now, too, so I can just go hang out with them without lugging over 8 loads of dirty laundry. It's much more fun if I'm not tethered to the laundry room every 40 minutes while I'm over there.

Like I said, we've never moved out of our newlywed apartment. Which has been fine--we've liked it here. And we've done it up really nice for a cheap little apartment. But really--we've got to get out of Utah Valley and the Provo/Orem area. People here are downright crazy and while I'm Mormon, I'm NOT "Utah Valley Mormon." Yes, I have my ears pierced. THREE TIMES! Therefore, I am a pariah.

So we're moving up to Salt Lake County to Draper. Now I can be snooty and look down at everyone else in the valley because Draper is where the rich people live. I'll probably just stay cool, though. ;) But at least I have the option!

At the Antique Store with the Husband

2010-03-15T22:43:00.001-07:00

Straight up awesome.

I've always liked trying on hats. This hat? Was huge.

This made me laugh. Naked man flying with the eagles.

We left with a tin "Salts" box for my bath salts, a piece of coral, some seashells, and some antique rhinestone bobby pins for my hair. Hair accessories are my weakness.

Also, the photo shoot for the magazine article was tonight. Here I am afterward with the two paintings that were featured in the pictures.

What makes me an artist?

2010-03-12T22:32:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I have a down moment and think I'm not a real artist because I'm not saying anything with my paintings like all the great artists throughout history. I spent my entire college career studying art history and what all the great painters said and did with their artwork. Politics, history, religion, paganism, science, etc...it was all deeply involved with the art that I studied. And so I often think, "I'm not saying anything with my art...it's just pretty and it just makes me happy."

And then I think, "Of course. It makes me happy, and that's all that matters."

So who cares whether I'm saying something? I'm adding happiness to the world one painting at a time. As long as my art speaks to someone or evokes an emotion in someone, even if it's just me, then I'm okay with that.

But my recent painting actually does say something. SAVE FOR RETIREMENT! :) I work in the retirement financial planning industry during the day, so I "get it"--"it" being the importance of saving for your retirement. And I see a lot of people who don't get it. So, to go with the magazine article (on my retirement plans), I was asked to work on paintings have to do with cash. And here it is:

"Retirement Red Zone" - Hands down, coolest and funnest painting I've ever done!

Photo shoot is on Monday evening. I need to lose 50 lbs by then. Wish me luck.

The painting is finished!

2010-03-10T21:29:00.000-08:00

Before...

After!

I love it! It turned out just like I wanted it. And it took a long time! I just posted it on my Etsy shop today! You can purchase it here!

Now I'm working on others in this same style/technique, including a couple for the upcoming magazine shoot this Saturday. Here's an in progress one. I'll post the finished product when it's done! A couple more layers, some sanding, and hopefully it'll be done! Otherwise, more layers and more sanding. :)

Oops, we did it again

2010-03-05T09:00:00.000-08:00

We got a second PS3 for the bedroom. It's much easier to work with than the Apple TV. And on a stroke of good fortune, we found a buyer for the Apple TV!

There are no PS3's at any Best Buy's in the western United States. We called all over town and no one else has them either. But then we called the local ShopKo, which is extremely under-attended. They had one coming in on the truck that night. Talk about luck. They were easy to find right after Christmas, but now they're almost non-existent! Happy birthday, Jeremy!

These are a few of my favorite things...

2010-03-03T22:25:00.000-08:00

My owl bookends, and the book I forgot to bring with me to read at lunch

My Anthropologie flowers and vase--I eyed these flowers for 2 years before I spent the $24 on them. My mom found me the vase. I was still a teenager. By the time I got them, I could appreciate them more I guess. They've been through college and multiple moves with me.

Original Winnie-the-Pooh books. They're filled with wisdom and really adult humor.

My abstract clock. My mom really does have great taste.

My Disneyland Enchanted Tiki Room print. I sing along every time we visit. And I sing it while I'm showering.

New Paintings, New Techniques

2010-03-02T20:32:00.000-08:00

I've been working on some paintings this week that are technically completely different from my other paintings. Usually I incorporate texture into the majority of my paintings through the use of some acrylic mediums, but the paintings I'm working on now are completely made using a light molding paste that has been tinted with color. The hard part is what I've got to do now:

SAND SAND SAND!!!

There are 7 layers of molding paste there, all in varying shades of blue (and white, with a layer of asparagus-colored green thrown in for an occasional burst of color). Now I need to sand back the layers to show parts of all 7 layers on the canvas at random. The layers alternate between a layer of a flat color and a layer of designs followed by another layer of a flat color, etc... a la this picture:

Same concept, same technique, but this one will be completely black, white, and grey

Unfortunately, once it was all dry today and ready to sand, I discovered that my electric palm sander is not up to the task. So during my lunch break tomorrow I've gotta go to Lowe's and pick up a higher powered circular sander and not skimp on it this time--Hitachi here I come. Once I get it done I'll post a finished picture. It's going to be gorgeous!

I've also got a few ideas that I've discussed with the art director for an upcoming photo shoot I'm doing for a magazine, but I'm not releasing those details yet. You'll have to stick around for the details of those paintings!

We went to Disneyland again!

2010-03-01T14:19:00.001-08:00

This time it was for Jeremy's birthday, and we had a blast! We stayed three days and overspent, but hey, it was a party!

We saw "It's Tough to be a Bug" in 3-D in California Adventure

We bought rocks in the Indiana Jones-themed store

We met Disney characters

And we tried on hats!

But best of all, I've been waiting for almost 10 years to get a picture with Eeyore--he's never out at Pooh Corner when we go. But he was out this time!!! I love Eeyore.

My Latest Classic Pooh Drawing

2010-02-16T10:00:00.000-08:00

Here's the latest in the Classic Pooh collection. I don't think it gets much better than Eeyore.

To purchase, click here.

I Just Bought an Elliptical Machine!

2010-02-15T20:38:00.000-08:00

I've wanted one for years. I hate going to the gym because I can't ever seem to find the time with working full time and running my Etsy businesses. I like my workout DVDs (P90X, Jillian Michaels), but I hate having to set up and move furniture in order to do the cardio portions. So tonight I was watching the Olympics and there was a commercial for the Nordic Trac Incline Trainer and I remembered that they had that at Costco, and if I remembered correctly, it was a pretty good deal. So I went and looked. And decided I'd rather have an elliptical (the Incline Trainer wasn't available online) machine because hey, I can run or walk outside. I can't elliptical train outside. So it'll be here in about 10 days! Combined with my new Reebok RunTones (the blue and white ones and my P90X weight lifting routine (LOVE it!) and my new elliptical machine, I'm soon to be a Svelte Sara!

I like to Make Brain Slugs

2010-02-05T10:39:00.000-08:00

So, if you read my post about my studio remodel a couple of days ago, you probably noticed that mixed in among my painting supplies on my new shelves were three bins for crocheting and knitting supplies. This is why:

Pikachu and the Brain Slugs
I did not make Pikachu, but I like to make brain slugs. And I like to crochet dish rags--you'd be surprised how great they are for scrubbing while doing the dishes. Plus, it's a good way to keep yourself from eating while watching TV.

As Promised, New Apartment Remodel!

2010-02-04T10:37:00.000-08:00

So, like I said yesterday, when my husband and I get bored and think it's time for a change, we remodel. We can do it for around $2,000 if we hit the sales right (and we hit the sales so right this time it's hard to imagine--a $1500 rug for $299--that's how hard we hit the sales) and it's way cheaper than adding $600 a month onto our rent (we're locked in a pre-economic meltdown price that we're not willing to loosen our grasp on). So here it is!

I already posted about the studio yesterday, so this is a repeat picture, but allow me to draw attention to the rug. That's the rug!! It's 8' x 11', over 100 lbs (I cannot move the thing), and it's so plush that you can't help but stand on it barefoot. Love it.

Our bedroom. We got this four poster bed with a new latex mattress last year, but I don't think I've blogged about it. It's our dream bed and the mattress is like sleeping on a cloud.

Our bathroom. Not much we can do here because it's a rental apartment, but we got the new over-the-toilet organizer from Ikea this past weekend and it's been a dream come true. It alleviates way more under-the-sink space than you'd think by looking at it. Plus, it's so pretty with those bottles (also from Ikea) and, believe it or not, my Victoria's Secret laundry detergent. I really like that bottle. And yes, we have a Mickey Mouse shower curtain (with a matching bathmat, but that's in the laundry).

And oh, how I love my new living room. Our couch has proven to be not-so-sturdy, so when we saw this solid construction, like-butter-leather loveseat this weekend for 50% off at Bassett Furniture, we had to jump on it (literally--it's sturdy). We gave our old couch to Jeremy's sister, who will be moving out of her mom's house soon, so she'll have a couch for the move.

Another living room view.

And my husband's new baby--the new home theater. PS3 (my portion of the purchase--I don't know how we got by without it) and a whole set of surround sound speakers. We now spend most of our time in the living room enjoying 5.1 surround sound and playing video games.

And if you follow my blog, you've seen the kitchen, but here it is again to round out the full apartment tour. I still love my kitchen. But I think it's time for a change on the walls--still formulating that plan in my head.

We love car shows!

2010-02-03T14:00:00.000-08:00

My husband and I get really excited right after the holidays because it means the Utah Auto Expo is coming up. This does not mean that we want the holidays over with--no, no, no. They are our favorite time of the year and mark the season of pine scented home fragrance oils, compulsive over shopping, white hot chocolate, and cozy nights playing video games. But when the holidays are over, we don't despair as much as we would if there weren't the auto expo around the 15th of January.

And it was pretty good this year. For some reason there were no BMWs, which I can handle, I own a Mini and prefer it over the purebred BMWs, and there was no unlocked Corvette for me to sit in this year, but they did have a few choice vehicles.

There is, of course, the 2010 Taurus SHO (me with the engine). I have never been impressed by Taurus' in the past. Hated them, as a matter of fact. So when the Taurus came back, I didn't expect much. But that Taurus SHO--woah. Not only does it have a twin turbo and a quarter mile time of 13 seconds flat and is as fast 0-60 as our last Cobra, it's a family car. It has four doors and miles of leg room. And it's sexy.

So yes, I dream about that car. If we have kids by the time it's time to turn in the Mini, I can't guarantee that I won't want to drop the Mini leasing deals and turn to the Taurus SHO. More likely, however, we'll garage the Cobra as a weekend car, continue leasing Minis, and get an SHO.

And there is, hopefully, our retirement car. The ZR1 Corvette. Meow.

After the car show we almost always head over to the Barnes & Noble down the street and grab a drink. This year was no exception. After that, we went furniture shopping and discovered a massive massive sale at our furniture store, which resulted in the apartment remodel which will be posted tomorrow!

And one more shout out to my new line of Classic Pooh art. I'm working on a lot more of them tonight, but the first one is available for sale by clicking here!

New Studio Remodel!

2010-02-03T09:17:00.000-08:00

My studio has been a complete wreck since Christmas. I really needed to get organized, and after the Christmas rush the last thing I wanted to do was clean and organize. As a result, nothing got done. No art got done, not even vacuuming happened in that room.

But this past weekend my husband and I got the bug to remodel our apartment. This is what we do when we get bored and think that it's time for a change (i.e. moving somewhere new). Rather than move and tack on what is nowadays $600 more than we currently pay in rent each month, we take $2,000 and remodel the apartment in a fairly simple way. Pictures of the apartment remodel will be posted tomorrow--new couch, new home theater, new bathroom look, etc.

But today, I want to show you my studio! It's done and it's glorious and organized and so inviting! It's actually comfortable in there and it's not too crowded with supplies and "stuff."

Ta da!! As I said, it's glorious. I know where everything is. It's not too dark. It's not too crowded. And I have organization ABOVE MY DESK for my most used items. I know this is not a revelation to people--lots of people have this. But this is my first time with it and I love it love it love it!

When I was working on my Winnie the Pooh drawing (see yesterday's blog post) I had all my pencils handy and I grabbed my cup of erasers from the shelves, pulled my markers down, and I was ready to go. It was so fun!

My shelves hold everything I need, very neatly. Everything from my markers to my canvases to my crocheting and knitting supplies to my painting supplies! And the best part? Each shelf was only $14.99 from Ikea and they actually look pretty darn good!! All the boxes were from Ikea, all the storage cups, and all the wall storage. :) Gotta love Ikea when you're setting up an art studio.

Come back tomorrow to see pictures of the rest of the apartment! The living room has done a 180! :)

New Line of Classic Pooh Art

2010-02-02T09:54:00.001-08:00

I'm starting a new line of Classic Pooh art. You can purchase it by clicking here. Previously I've just given my Winnie the Pooh art away as gifts, but my dream is to be a Disney illustrator and drawing these things are my favorite things to do, so I figured I'd devote more time to it. And this is my first one.

Here are some detail shots:

(The image quality is small/not the greatest to prevent any printing at full size.)

I've got more to come, too. Especially some Eeyore ones--Eeyore is the best!

I am a neglectful, bad blog owner...

2010-01-06T12:41:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted in forever. And my last post was just to get some votes for the shoes I designed. :/ I promise to get better at this. I was going strong for awhile, but then everything just got neglected once my birthday came around at the beginning of November.

The good news is that I had a great holiday season in my shop! I more than doubled my sales between Thanksgiving and Christmas. It was a great feeling to know that many people wanted my art! And things are still selling now that the holidays are over, which is a good sign.

Here's one of my latest pieces. I'm playing with layering of modeling paste and color to achieve paintings like this:

I'll be adding some more paintings over the next month--my stock is kind of limited right now. I've also started offering gift certificates! Just visit http://artsafire.etsy.com to purchase them!

Also, my grandfather sold one of his originals over the holidays!

He still has some great originals available in his Etsy shop! Visit http://artbyjay.etsy.com to see them all!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Years! My parents were in town visiting, and we all had a blast together while they were here!

Help me win these shoes, please!!!

2009-12-07T21:00:00.001-08:00

So, I entered the Reebok Women's Easytone Design contest on Facebook. If I get enough "likes" on my photo/design, I'll win the pair! I could really use some new running/walking shoes, so if you could take a minute (if you have a Facebook account) and vote for my shoes by

CLICKING HERE!!!

I would be eternally grateful. :) It'd help me in my quest for a better butt and better thighs.

A $20 art sale? Feedback, please.

2009-12-01T09:19:00.000-08:00

I've found that I've been going in a different direction lately with my art and I'd really like to have a more cohesive look to my shop starting in the new year. But to do that, I need to move most of my current inventory.

I have a day job that I like, so I'm not terribly concerned about massive profits on my current stuff--I'm mostly concerned with moving it out and perhaps picking up some money for the holidays.

So here's my thought: a 2-day $20 art sale. Everything for $20. Big huge stuff for $50, probably. Or maybe $75?

I need some feedback before I decide to do it, though, since it's kind of a big step.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated!

Also, I no have Google Wave and I don't know anyone else who has it. It's kind of boring when there's no one else on it. If you have it, feel free to add me or whatever you do on there: saramharris@googlewave.com. I'm still figuring it out.

Cyber Monday! 30% to 50% off of everything!

2009-11-29T19:18:00.000-08:00

Plus, free shipping on all items!

Prices start today (Sunday) and go until I think I'm tired of having a sale. Probably not more than a week.

Everything is 30% to 50% off with free shipping. Most is 50% off, so the deals are incredible! I'd like to empty my current inventory for the new year.

I've got some great stocking stuffers and paintings available for sale!

I've listed my new art necklaces and they're currently 50% off! They're glass lockets with prints of my pointillism flowers. Large lockets are $15 and small glass pendants are $12.50 right now!

Black Friday Shopping

2009-11-24T09:20:00.000-08:00

I'll be at the Provo Posh & Chic Boutique on Black Friday! All vendors will be handmade and/or local businesses. It really is a one-stop destination for your Black Friday shopping! Without having to wait in lines all night long, by the way. :) Who doesn't love that? Free covered parking for shoppers! It will be at the Provo Marriott Hotel and Conference Center from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information, click here.

Poison Ring

2009-11-22T21:30:00.000-08:00

I went to an antique shop with my friend a couple of weeks ago and we tried on all the antique rings. One of the ones that caught my eye turned out to be a poison ring, or a cyanide ring. The gem opens up to hold a poison tablet or poison powder. I didn't immediately buy it, but I haven't been able to keep it off of my mind since then, so I went back yesterday and bought it. After all, that's a sign that you really want it and it's not just an impulse purchase, right?

Disclaimer: That is not a cyanide tablet. It's a sugar pill. Purely for display purposes. :)

Basically, Jack Skellington is awesome.

2009-11-14T22:19:00.000-08:00

My birthday present from my husband since we spent my birthday in Disneyland:

Best necklace ever.

My traditional Eeyore purchase (I must make one Eeyore purchase on every trip, because I fancy Eeyore and I to be good, nay, best, friends):

Best mini Eeyore ever.

I also got the First Frost Coat from Anthropologie from my husband. I hate winter a little less now because 1) I am toasty-warm, and 2) I am stylish beyond reproach.

Best coat ever.

Great, Easy-to-Make Art Show Walls!

2009-11-11T12:52:00.000-08:00

This idea comes from The Willows Nest and it's how she displays her art inexpensively while still looking really professional. Be sure to check it out! I'll be making a couple for my upcoming show on Black Friday!

Click Here to Learn How to Make Great Looking, Inexpensive Walls!

On an unrelated note, Disneyland for my birthday was simply spectacular!

I LOVE Stitch!

Ch-ch-ch-Chip 'n' Dale, Rescue Rangers! One of my favorite cartoons of all time.

TIGGER! Eeyore wasn't out that day. He's my favorite, but I also love Tigger and Pooh!

In line for Space Mountain! Such a great roller coaster!

Introducing: Free Shipping. All the time.

2009-11-02T20:48:00.000-08:00

Free shipping on everything. From small paintings to big paintings. From now on. (And I didn't raise the prices to adjust for the free shipping--no worries there.)

http://artsafire.etsy.com

- and -

http://artbyjay.etsy.com

Be sure to read the next post down about my trippy space dreams. They're pretty entertaining.

Dream Recap: Trippy Space Dreams

2009-11-01T23:07:00.001-08:00

Lately I've been having a lot of space dreams. Really crazy, sometimes terrifying, space dreams. And then, of course, there was the "Professor Snape is trying to kill us with an electrified dimension-hopping piano!" dream.

So, for posterity, and kicks and giggles, here's a recap of my last week or so of dreams (and nope, not pregnant):

1) I had a dream that groceries cost $1599 because sour cream rang up at $1107. Instead of just putting the sour cream back, I said, "Wow, we're only shopping at Costco from now on" and we abandoned our cart. And then, as we left the store and Jeremy went to get the car, evil transformer-like things that absorbed people (like Cartman's evil trapper keeper on South Park) took over the world and I have no idea where Jeremy went. I ended up in space with Stan from South Park (who had been absorbed by the trapper keeper evil transformer, but turned the machine good) in a Chips Ahoy galaxy with a caramel swirl center (we got there through a really trippy wormhole) and Kyle (also from South Park--noticing a theme?) was the commander at the resistance headquarters in space and I had to jump down no less than 8 swirly canyons to get away from the evil robot chasing me and I hit a lot of trees on the way down. Overall, it was terrifying and quite painful.

2) I had a dream that our friends Derek and Tiffany were illegal spicy burrito dealers. They got their burrito supply from Mexico.

3) I had a dream that I was an intergalactic foreign ambassador to the alien nations and I worked for NASA. I drove a Z06 Corvette (that looked more like an Audi R8 than a Corvette) through space as my primary mode of transportation. And my name was Jane because "Sara" was offensive to the aliens, and I cared more about my "intergalactic foreign ambassador" dream job than my name. I went to a space school to deliver something and ran into my old old old friends Justin and Cameron, neither of whom I have seen or spoken to in years. Then Justin made me miss my flight to Minneapolis.

4) I had a dream that wasps took over the world and when they stung people they turned them into zombies. So we had to build an underground shelter to escape the wasps and the zombies. It took eight years to complete and there was a lot of close calls (running from wasps and zombies). And then when we finally got down to the shelter and we realized we didn't have any batteries. So we had to go topside again.

5) I had a dream that Professor Snape was trying to kill all of us (students) with an electrified piano. The piano was basically a black baby grand piano and when you played a certain note, electricity would shoot out and wrap around your arms and suck you into a blue and black wormhole that sent you to another dimension. And when that didn't work, he tried to kill you by pouring watered down popcorn on you. I don't really remember how that worked...So, after saving people and running from him (all around my grandparent's house, which is where the entire dream took place), I told him that I wished he'd die because he was evil and he tried to put watered down popcorn on me. When I woke up from the dream, I fell back to sleep and the dream started up again--but Spock had taken the place of Snape.

I'll let you know what happens tonight.

New paintings!

2009-10-26T14:34:00.000-07:00

Today I listed three new paintings on Etsy, all of which I think have a certain fall flair to them.

Ray of Hope - 8 x 10 - Currently on Sale through Friday - Textured canvas with black, brown, and gold accents around a solitary tree on a dark plain

Fall Leaves Under Glass - 8 x 10 - Currently on Sale through Friday - Under drawing of fall leaves with an overlay of clear crystal gel, painted with fall colored airbrush paints

Abstract Butterfly Collage - 8 x 10 - Currently on Sale through Friday - Textured canvas with an iridescent cream/gold glaze, with paper collage decorated with dark blue tar gel and cut out in the shape of abstract butterflies on branches

Tomorrow I'll blog about the process of creating the Fall Leaves Under Glass painting. For now, though, it's nap time. I have a flu-like something and my head is pounding and I'd like to sleep through some of it. Have a wonderful day! And don't forget to visit my shop. My sale is good through Friday, and everything is on sale, even my new pieces!

"Process Blogs" this week! And simply the best coat ever.

2009-10-25T16:32:00.000-07:00

I've been creating various paintings this weekend and I'll be "process blogging" about how I created them throughout this week. Here are some in progress pictures. I'm currently waiting for layers to dry on all of these so I can start the next phase.

Underpainting awaiting various glazes

Crackle paste in the process of drying/cracking, awaiting a mosaic overpainting

Modeling paste textured canvas with distressed glaze awaiting foreground painting

Under drawing with clear granular gel being applied

As the clear granular gel dries, it becomes transparent and awaits glazes and paint

To be kept up to date about new blogs, paintings, and news, visit ArtsAfire's Facebook Page and become a fan! Fans also get exclusive coupons and sale codes!

My inventory clearance sale is still going through October 30th! Be sure to visit throughout this week for new paintings that will be introduced on sale. :)

On an unrelated note, my birthday is in a little less than two weeks and I've found what I want:

My husband and I went shopping a couple of weeks ago and he found this coat at Anthropologie. It's simply the best coat ever (along with my yellow Ann Taylor coat, but that's more of a "Fall jacket" than a winter coat) and I need a warm winter coat. I always go for cuteness, not warmth, so finding this gem that offers both is pretty much a once-in-a-decade event for me.

New ACEO prints! And a bathroom remodel!

2009-10-23T12:38:00.000-07:00

I've made my pointillism flowers available as ACEO prints! They're for sale individually and right now, to coincide with my sale, they're 20% off! Only $4 for these beauties! With an oversized mat, these make a really elegant statement. In fact, I'm thinking of framing one to put next to my pretty silver lamp on my bedside table in lieu of a vase of flowers, which I think is actually too overpowering on my bedside table since my lamp is of a larger size. When I get it framed I'll take a picture. Anyway, here they are!

You know how I get bored and instead of moving I remodel a room (so much cheaper in the long run)? Well, I bought a new shower curtain. It's black and white and vintage Mickey Mouse. Trust me, it's classy. It's not one of those plastic ones like most Disney shower curtains--it's a heavy fabric and it's got really pretty designs around the edge. Anyway. I liked it so much that I bought the matching rug. But that's as Disney-fied as I'm going to make the bathroom (it makes us really happy, though). But now I'm itching to change the rest of it up! Make it more sleek and clean and less frou-frou to better match the new Mickey Mouse shower curtain and bath mat (really, it's Disney, but it's not frou-frou--it's making me look around at my bathroom and think, "PINK? REALLY?!" And yes, it's a really gorgeous coral-y Anthropologie based bathroom. And I still get completely giddy over my matching rugs and towels from there, but I think it's time for a change.) So, over the next month I'll be buying new accessories and towels. Replacing the pink with black and white with a touch of green. And replacing flowers with milk bottles and other pretty glass containers.

Can't wait to post pictures!

I love California

2009-10-21T14:15:00.000-07:00

And this piece right here, totally reminds me of the California sun. (The word "totally" also reminds me of California because of it's "Valley Girl" connotations.) It's only $16 right now. Can't pass that up. Just click here. :)

Just got back from a business trip to California where I had an intensive day of Redtail CRM training. I've come to the conclusion that California and I get along well. I mean, I'd like to avoid L.A. I think it might be scary living there. I feel safer walking around in NYC late at night than I do going into a gas station in L.A. That's where I was this weekend.

But I would still like to live in Southern California. The fact that it's near Disneyland is a big bonus, too, since that's our favorite thing to do. We're going back for my birthday in 2 weeks.

My official "birthday season" started this weekend. Yes, my birthday is a big event. Jeremy and I went shopping and I got two new pairs of shoes from ATL, two necklaces and some gorgeous earrings from Anthropologie, and two new shirts ($12 and $14 on sale at Ann Taylor Loft and NOT summer clothing--sale on fall clothing!). Overall, it was a good haul.

If you'd like to contribute to my birthday fund...

my sale is still going on!

Just click here. I have things from $4 on up. And everything is 20% to 50% off. Really, it can't be beat.

byhand.me

2009-10-15T12:17:00.000-07:00

I don't know much about byhand.me, but I've been meaning to look more into it. Today I received a message from WinterGarden on Etsy saying that she was a big fan of my work and had included me in her byhand.me spotlight!

I think it's curated gorgeously and I'm so honored to be a part of it! It all looks so great together!

I was looking around the byhand.me site and I really like it! I still need to do some more looking into it to fully understand what's going on there, though. Does anyone have first hand experience with byhand.me? What kinds of things do you do there? Is it a very big community?

All You Want for Christmas...

2009-10-14T10:42:00.001-07:00

My birthday is coming up in less than a month, marking the beginning of the best time of the year!

And in traditional birthday fashion, I thought, "I need to make a birthday wishlist to give my husband ideas!" And then I remembered we're going to Disneyland for my birthday and in all likelihood my birthday present will come from there. Which pleases me.

But at this point, I wanted to make a wishlist or at least some kind of list.

Hence, the "What I'm Giving for Christmas" list was born!

I found presents for everyone on my list on Etsy. For those of you on my list, can you guess what you'll be getting?

To help ease my purchasing of these items, I'm hoping that my pre-holiday inventory clearance sale going on right now (click here, hint, hint) with prices slashed up to 50% (click here, hint, hint) will expand my current Christmas budget.

Here's to holiday sales and the joy of handmade gift giving!

SALE!!! And a new car!

2009-10-12T14:31:00.000-07:00

First off! SALES!! Sales sales everywhere. I'm having an inventory clearance sale to make room in my husband's closet for more of my paintings while not taking anymore of his "clothing room." Everything is 20 to 50% off!! And custom orders are 15% off! On the big paintings, this is a big huge discount. On the small paintings, you're still looking at $10 to $20 to $30 off! Can't beat that!

Simply click here to mosey on over to ArtsAfire and see what you'd like to buy for your walls today!

Also! ArtByJay is having a huge ACEO and art print sale! They are all 40% off! This means you only pay $4 for ACEOs and $12 for prints! Much like you can't beat the sale in my shop, you can't beat this sale, either!

So, if you're of the watercolor persuasion, simply click here to mosey on over to ArtByJay to pick out a gorgeous print to adorn your walls!

So since we went to Disneyland right before my last post...

we went again. And we bought a car! (Which is why we went again--the car was 10 miles from Disneyland!) So we ended up just getting our Annual Passports while we were there. Believe me, we were kicking ourselves for not just upgrading our tickets since we'd been there TWO WEEKS BEFORE, but hey, we didn't think we'd be going back until April so that's when we'd buy our Annual Passes! But now we can also go for my birthday on November 6th since it's the Birthday Celebration year and I'll get free money since I don't need a free ticket.

But anyway. Here's our BEAUTIFUL car!

We're still waiting for the bank to send us the title, hence the Cali license plates. The Utah DMV is the most obnoxious DMV I've ever encountered. Can't get a temporary "no title" permit without receipt of title, but can't get receipt of title without the title, and then why would you NEED a temporary "no title" permit if you had the title? You could just get your registration!

Ever since our last Cobra (1996 Mustang SVT Cobra) was totaled in January...

...we've been aching for another one. So when we found this baby (1997 Mustange SVT Cobra with only 52,000 miles on it, already supercharged and fully awesome) we had to jump on it!

So now we have our two cars. Which was the plan when we ordered the Mini Cooper S back in October of last year.

Here I am with the cars. And this picture shows just how short I am.

Disneyland!!

2009-09-18T10:55:00.000-07:00

Single best vacation ever. We stayed at Paradise Pier in the Disneyland Resort and they had a roof top pool where we enjoyed our afternoon breaks.

I got a great tan, we did some awesome shopping (I got a Jack Skellington alarm clock--one of the traditional ones with bells on top), ate some great food, and had the time of our lives!

A Disneyland employee told me, very seriously, that I was eating my churro upside down. I actually stopped to check. So this is me proving that a churro can be eaten from both ends.

We are SO getting annual passes for Christmas. We didn't get our fill.

Now that I'm back from vacation and I came home to a big box of art supplies, I'm getting started on art again. :) Stay tuned!

I apologize. I am still on vacation.

2009-09-01T14:23:00.000-07:00

Ya know how I haven't blogged about anything in a long time?

That's because I've been on vacation. And will continue to be on vacation until September 12th. I have a lot of new art supplies coming my way, though, so new things will begin to pop up soon. I have many, many ideas.

As a testament to my vacation, my Etsy bill was $4.00 this month. That is how much of a vacation I am on. In June, it was $90.00 with sales and renewals and new items. This month: $4.00. Pleasant financial surprise/ugly reminder that I have not done a thing with my business for two months.

I have not been paying any attention to anything except getting semi-swimsuit-ready. (Yes, at the end of the summer. Paradise Pier has a roof-top pool with waterslides and we like to take breaks from Disneyland crowds from 2-5 p.m.) Still not exactly happy with my thighs (ugh) but at least my arms look good and I'm tan (because I have braved the world in my Victoria's Secret push-up tankini two weekends in a row now) and I've still got three days to do lunges and squats and calf-raises and Jillian Michaels workouts.

That's all for now. Just thought I'd let you all know that I will be back soon, just not yet. I haven't forgotten about my blog or my blog friends or even my newsletter--though that has suffered from my summer vacation as well.

Also, I now love yoga. Just throwing that out there. I can wrap my hands around the bottoms of my feet. And I can get into crane for like, 2 seconds before I fall flat on my face (into my "crane pose safety pillow" to protect my face, of course). I think I deserve a trophy.

Though my crane is not nearly as pretty as this lady's (and where is her safety pillow?!):

I swear that I remember I have a blog...

2009-08-13T15:31:00.000-07:00

It's just that I completely forgot to say, "Hey, I'm gonna be sparse because I'm on vacation." My mom came into town and we had a great time and I completely forgot about my business and my blog and everything that has to do with it. But now I'm back! And I have a ton of new ideas for paintings that I can get started on once I get some supplies! Because I was in a creative dry spell my husband bought me this:

One look through this book and I am filled with tons of new ideas using all the new mediums I discovered! On my list of needs: a circular sander, more modeling paste and other mediums, a hot plate, and some tuna cans.

I actually had that as my facebook status a couple of days ago and my friend asked if I watched Pinky and the Brain back in the day and whether I was planning to take over the world. I answered no, I needed that stuff for artistic purposes, but now that I think about it, I'll bet those would be useful. Macguyver style, you know? (Note: I've never seen Macguyver, I've just heard the jokes.)

Pet peeve of the day: When you get an e-mail from a credit card company (of a credit card you only keep for medical purposes that currently has no balanace) that says, "IMPORTANT! changes to your account" and you go into it and it just says stuff about promotional periods for new purchases. That is not an IMPORTANT! change to my account. Caps are not needed. Thank you for the mild heart attack.

By the way, I totally hit most of my goals. Including the 10 lbs. lost one. :) Go me. It helps that all food currently repulses me. For about the past week I've had constant nausea and all I want is french bread and watermelon...either I've got a stomach bug, I've got anxiety issues, or I'm pregnant. It's a little better today. Less constant. For the first time, if I were pregnant, it wouldn't be a financial crisis. But, as I'm still slightly scared of children (they still intimidate me), I'd prefer a bug. Plus, pregnant women can't ride California Screamin' at Disneyland, and that's where I'll be in three weeks!

Everything that is new, condensed for your reading pleasure

2009-07-30T13:46:00.000-07:00

1. My painting greetings are FINALLY available for sale!! Right now only the abstract line is up. More styles are coming. You can personalize the message and there are multiple colors to choose from!

2. Both ArtByJay and ArtsAfire are open on 1000 Markets! We're still adding items, but it's up and running!

3. I'm only 3 items away from my goal of having 50 items in my Etsy shop by August 1st! And I'll have 15 in my Artfire shop tonight so when I do my goals recap, I'll be able to mark off quite a few!

4. I really need to make a sale. Getting slightly down here.

5. But, on a positive note, I've been really great about my fitness and nutrition lately! I'm down 3 lbs in the last week! Well on my way to fitting into the best jeans ever (my Ann Taylor curvy jeans--they have a smaller waistband than hips so there's no weird gapping) for our Disneyland trip!

Let's Recap, Shall We?

2009-07-21T13:27:00.001-07:00

**Be sure to see the end of this entry for a link to a great giveaway hosted by Amanda at After the Bump! You could win an awesome crib quilt!**

It's past the middle of the month and therefore past my "goal recap" time, but seeing as my life has been a whole lot of exercising (because I weighed myself the other day and I just about died), eating salad, and painting lately, I haven't been by to give love to my usually love-filled blog.

So, here it goes:

1. ~~Stock Artfire shop with at least 15 items (I think I really should do this, despite my lack of enthusiasm for Artfire--even if I just stock it with my cheaper items)~~ - While not technically listed yet, all I've got left to do is take pictures. I'm starting my Artfire shop with a line of mini paintings that include a greeting. Mini painting greetings! So much cooler than Hallmark.
2. 50 items in Etsy shop by end of July - 34 in shop right now - 37 in shop right now. I still have time, don't worry, I will get there. Plus, I removed one of my paintings because I just couldn't part with it. Otherwise I'd be at 38!
3. ~~Finish printing business cards~~ - Done!
4. Make a flier and post on community bulletin boards - Forgot about this...
5. Spend at least 1 hour painting each night (make a calendar to mark off progress--I will post the calendar at recap time) - I can't mark this off yet because it isn't the end of the month, but I've spent 1 hour (on average, some nights it's just not possible because there's dinner and P90X and running) each night painting so far.
6. Sell 10 paintings this month - So far I've only sold one...this isn't looking good. I had a second sale which resulted in my first non-paying buyer. So sad.
7. Finish 3 large paintings/painting sets - I have one done. I still have time.
8. ~~Finish 5 small paintings/painting sets~~ - So totally finished.
9. ~~Try new things~~ - Done! Modeling paste was a discovery from this month. It's my new love.
10. Give Encaustic painting a whirl (since I recently bought a starter set from Jamie Ribisi on Etsy) - Still haven't done this. I just don't have the money for a heat gun right now. Does anyone know if a blow dryer on the hottest setting would work? Something to explore.

Personal Goals:
1. WAKE UP!!! and let Jillian Michaels kick my butt - So far, okay. I did her twice yesterday. I've noticed when my husband is there "keeping me company" I work out twice as hard.
2. Walk/Run with Jeremy after work 4 days a week - Hasn't happened once. I forgot Jeremy had bad knees...
3. Lose 10 lbs. - I'm down two...not good enough for me because Disneyland and a roof top pool is in my near future
4. ~~Keep the house clean~~ - You could white glove that place!
5. ~~Stick to the meal plan~~ - Nothing like homemade mashed potatoes and chicken.
6. ~~Limit video games to 1-2 hours per night and ONLY after I've finished painting~~ - Confession Time: I'm not in a gaming mood this month. I haven't played at all, so this is not a terrific example of my awe-inspiring willpower.

Overall, I'm doing pretty good this month. Minus the weight loss goal. But I've recently (read: yesterday) started tracking what I eat (The Daily Plate at livestrong.com is the best. tool. ever.), and recently (read: yesterday) I started eating salads for lunch and oatmeal for breakfast and having a well-balanced dinner. And I've kept it up! (For these two days.) I'm so hitting that 10 lbs goals. And with Jillian Michaels' help, and her promise of diet + her 30-Day Shred = 20 lbs lighter in 30 days, I'll be swimsuit-okay by the time we go to Disneyland and take our "nap time" around the roof top pool.

Now, about that giveaway.

After the Bump is hosting an amazing giveaway sponsored by BeddingSets.com! The winner will receive a beautiful piece of bedding: a Noah's Ark themed crib quilt from Banian. This giveaway ends on Thursday, July 23, 2009, so don't miss out on your chance to win!

Only two days left! Get on over there!

UPDATE: I'm down 1 pound since yesterday. Hooray for Dr. Allsen and Fitness for Life (look it up--not the high school version, but the program written by Phillip Allsen--he works with my husband and met with me and helped me learn how to eat right and gave me a copy of his book--it's great!), P90X, and Jillian Michaels! Now let's see if I can pull it off again tomorrow morning after another round of the Dr. Allsen diet, P90X, and Jillian Michaels. I'll let you know.

My Body Hurts

2009-07-09T21:43:00.001-07:00

For the last two days, since posting my July goals, I have allowed Jillian Michaels to kick my butt by subjecting myself to her "30 Day Shred."

One word: Ouch.

When I got the DVD I thought, "20 lbs in 30 days? Highly unlikely."

But after doing that 20 minutes of crazy intensity (and I'm only on level 1!) for two days in a row, I'm thinking, "20 lbs in 30 days? Very likely if I keep this up and I don't eat a lot of Snickers bars."

So, all in all, I recommend it. But know that walking down stairs or sitting on any low chairs for the first few days is going to be difficult and your quadriceps are going to scream for chairs that have arms to help them out a little bit. Ouch.

I have to take my bike back. It's pretty crappy--makes a lot of noises, and its one gear is set on "really hard." And, the toughest obstacle, which I can't get used to by getting stronger legs--I'm short. And an adult bike with the standard 26" wheels is pretty much impossible. I have to start and stop using a curb, and even THAT is stretching my limits.

So I found a youth bike at Target with hand grip gears and hand brakes (because let me be honest here--even the 24" youth bike is a little bit high for me and having to peddle backward to stop while trying to catch myself before the bike falls over is a delicate juggling act). Because it's a youth bike, it's $50 cheaper than the adult version and so is still only $99, $16 more than I paid for mine. I can handle that.

I can't find the exact bike on the Target website, but I believe it's this one, minus those extra weird handlebars. Anyway, it's purple and it's a Magna and it's 24" like this one. And it's pretty. And I don't fall over as easily because I can touch the ground.

For the next two days (until Sunday afternoon) I'll be out of town. Going camping with my family!

Update: I JUST WON SNOW PATROL CONCERT TICKETS ON THE RADIO!! I never win anything, so I said, "Really? Are you joking?"

Goals for July and Giveaway Winners!

2009-07-06T20:05:00.000-07:00

First off, congrats to our giveaway winners! In order of being picked out of the hat by my husband:

Grand Prize (free 8 x 10 print and 3 ACEOs): Aik!
First Prize #1 (free 8 x 10 print): Nascarnana!
First Prize #2 (3 free ACEOs): Xenia!

I'll e-mail the winners tonight so I can get your prizes shipped off! If you didn't win, don't worry, there will be another chance!

Now, on to my monthly goals (which I skipped last month--oops!).

If you've been following my blog you know I set monthly goals and then re-cap them at the end of the month (and sometimes in the middle of the month). In May I didn't hit all my goals, but I did a pretty awesome job. Despite this, I still have some areas I need to work on. So, here we go again!

1. Stock Artfire shop with at least 15 items (I think I really should do this, despite my lack of enthusiasm for Artfire--even if I just stock it with my cheaper items)
2. 50 items in Etsy shop by end of July - 34 in shop right now
3. Finish printing business cards
4. Make a flier and post on community bulletin boards
5. Spend at least 1 hour painting each night (make a calendar to mark off progress--I will post the calendar at recap time)
6. Sell 10 paintings this month
7. Finish 3 large paintings/painting sets
8. Finish 5 small paintings/painting sets
9. Try new things
10. Give Encaustic painting a whirl (since I recently bought a starter set from Jamie Ribisi on Etsy)

Personal Goals:
1. WAKE UP!!! and let Jillian Michaels kick my butt
2. Walk/Run with Jeremy after work 4 days a week
3. Lose 10 lbs.
4. Keep the house clean
5. Stick to the meal plan
6. Limit video games to 1-2 hours per night and ONLY after I've finished painting

I'll let you know how it goes. :)

And the bike I mentioned I was buying in the last post? Was sold out. I'm gonna call around and see if it is in stock at any of the other stores nearby.

New Paintings! And a New Bike!

2009-07-06T14:50:00.000-07:00

I've added a few new paintings today to my Etsy shop and I still have more to add! Go and check out my shop to see all of them!

I also re-listed a set that I sold and re-painted--the Ocean Tide set. They are painted on stretched canvases this time rather than canvas boards, so they most definitely do not need to be framed and are ready-to-hang right out of the box!

And don't forget! Only ONE HOUR LEFT to enter my giveaway!!!

Also, I'm buying this sweet, cheap ride after work tonight. I'm excited!

Custom Request for a "War" Drum

2009-07-01T13:25:00.000-07:00

My dad goes to the re-enactments back East every summer. He just took Williamsburg for the British this past weekend--yes, he's a Red Coat. (Tangent: Look at all that wool that he's wearing. In Virginia. In the middle of the summer. They should really do these re-enactments in the dead of winter.)

A guy in his regiment needs to have a drum (you know, the drum that one unlucky, unarmed guy in the army played in front of the army while they marched) painted with their seal/coat of arms/what-have-you so tonight I will be trying this out on paper and then I'll accept the commission to paint it on a drum:

They already have one drum painted and it's a bit worn, so I'll need to paint this one to match the semi-worn drum. It's actually supposed to have the crown above it (you know, God Save the Queen!) like in the picture below on the tent, but I'm just going to practice the shield tonight since he didn't have a better picture including the crown right now:

Contrary to what I sell in my Etsy shop I actually started as a realistic artist, not an abstract artist. It'll be fun to do something that calls for an incredibly steady hand and minute detail--it's been a while. The last time I did something realistic was for my dad for Christmas this past year. He really likes this Charles Scheeler lithograph, so I drew it for him:

Don't forget to enter my giveaway! Three prizes and up to five entries per person--the odds are pretty good you'll get pulled out of the hat.

Giveaway! CLOSED

2009-06-29T13:42:00.000-07:00

To celebrate over 100 followers AND the 4th of July and the legal holiday of the 3rd of July so I still get a long weekend even though the 4th is on a Saturday this year, I'm having a giveaway!! The last giveaway was using my paintings, so this one will be using my Grandpa's artwork! (I'm ArtsAfire, he's ArtByJay, I manage both.)

Here are the prizes:

Grand Prize: One (1) 8x10 print from ArtByJay of your choice! PLUS three (3) ACEOs from ArtByJay of your choice!

1st prize #1: An 8x10 print from ArtByJay of your choice!

1st prize #2: 3 ACEOs from ArtByJay of your choice!

Here's how to enter (each method gets you one entry):
1. Visit ArtByJay on Etsy and tell me which painting/print/ACEO is your favorite.
2. Twitter about this contest and provide me with the link.
3. Become a fan of ArtByJay on Facebook and leave a comment telling me (if you're already a fan, leave me a comment letting me know that, too).
4. Blog about this giveaway and provide me with the link.
5. Tell me which of the two "1st Prizes" you'd prefer to win (because if you get picked out of the hat for one of those prizes, that's the one you'll get!)

Each person can have up to FIVE entries! That's a lot of chances to win! And you have to leave a contact e-mail in at least one of your entries, otherwise I won't know how to let you know that you've won!!

Deadline: Deadline is Monday, July 6 at 5 p.m. MST!!

Good Luck!!

Currently suffering from...

2009-06-26T22:34:00.000-07:00

...a painting block.

I bought some new supplies this week. Hopefully when they get here the creative juices will flow. Gotta try out my new modeling paste and my encaustic paints.

I sold my most "Treasuried" painting this week (by "Treasuried" I mean that it's been my most popular and has been put in more Etsy treasuries than any of my others).

I ordered more canvases of this size and plan on doing variations of this in different colors and adding texture.

And Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen was great. I really enjoyed it. Though I'm really attached to Bumblebee (the yellow Camaro) and every time he ended up in a fight I'd get nervous that he would be hurt.

Which is really unnecessary because it's a movie. I know this.

Transformers and NieNie's Birthday

2009-06-26T09:42:00.000-07:00

Friday is here at last! Has this week been the longest week ever for everyone else? It's probably been so long for me because I've been hobbling along really slowly on my scabby, swollen foot and I think when you move slower for an entire week, time actually slows down. I've been looking down at my foot all week because the scabs burn something fierce and I just want them to go away and I've been thinking, "Man...why is my foot so fat?" It wasn't until last night that I realized that it's swollen. My other foot, thankfully, does not look fat.

I got ready for work in record time this morning (seriously, 5-7 minutes) and so I had 30 minutes before I needed to leave for work. I settled down into the couch and flipped through the TV stations. Morning television sucks. Of course there were several Michael Jackson tributes going on all the music stations (I used to be a huge Michael fan, but can I just say that the Jam music video with Michael Jordan is slightly weird?) and a ton of P90X infomercials (I have the workouts, thank you very much) and Down With Love, which I've never seen because I don't much like Renee Zellweger's "lemon" face. But I found myself kind of liking it and wishing I didn't have to come to work and so I was subsequently 10 minutes late for work.

Anyway, the whole point of posting today was to encourage everyone to celebrate NieNie's birthday this weekend by either going to or ordering from The Sweet Tooth Fairy in South Provo. All proceeds go to NieNie's family and the Arizona Burn Center. And the cupcakes are to die for. Absolutely sinful.

We're going to see Transformers tonight. I'm trying to figure out if there's a way I can smuggle some cupcakes in...

Also, bought my Harry Potter tickets this week after re-reading the last two books. Cannot wait!

Now, despite my husband's protests that I need to keep reading the book series that he is reading, I think I will start Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows again.

Black & Yellow Treasury

2009-06-23T10:38:00.001-07:00

My Yellow "Pure Color" painting from the Mix & Match series is in a gorgeous black and yellow treasury!

This is probably all I'll post today because I'm busy at work with book-writing stuff, but yesterday's post below about my fall down ONE stair, how that affects my musical monday selection, and the 30 candy bars my husband bought as a "treat for a hurt foot" has given some people some laughs. :)

Musical Monday. And I fell down one stair.

2009-06-22T09:11:00.001-07:00

And those two things DO go together when it comes to my Musical Monday selection. So the subtitle to Musical Monday is "What moves you?" Today I'm going to take that literally and tell you what's been moving me lately--literally. Maino ft. T-Pain, "All the Above."

Best. Running. Song. Ever. I dare you to not feel pumped up when you hear these awesome beats.

So that's the song that's been moving my feet in my quest for weight loss and better health.

BUT. I was at my aunt and uncle's house to kick start our family health/fitness challenge this weekend. We were going to run the mile together but it was raining, so we all did a Jillian Michaels' workout video together. I hate that woman--she is pure evil. But she's also a former chubby chick and since she's pretty much the most svelte person ever now, she's pretty trustworthy when it comes to "what works."

After we were all done we had a Skinny Cow ice cream pop (Yum! And only 80 calories!) and then we went to leave.

Cue Sara biffing it (I haven't used that term since, oh, the 90s) on their garage stairs. There are only two or three of them. I overstepped the first one and then there was just no hope whatsoever of saving myself. My ankle rolled one way, I tried to steady myself but over corrected and my ankle rolled the other way, then I stepped forward hoping to catch myself on the next stair with my other foot (I was relatively okay at this point--my ankle was limbered up from working out or something and the rolling didn't hurt it) but since I'd overstepped the first step I also overstepped the second step.

I went down. With my ankle underneath me and my foot was super-ballerina-flexed backward. Wanting to get it out from under me since it was in a not-so-pleasant position, I scraped it out from under me on the concrete steps. So I scraped off quite a bit of skin--it just kept getting bigger as the evening went on after Jeremy and I got home, which was weird. But anyway. Nothing is broken or even sprained, but man those scabs/not-yet-scabs hurt when I put any weight on my foot and my shin muscles and the arch of my foot are a mass of pulled muscles.

I'm a pretty useless person right now.

But all this ties into Musical Monday! Because right now, "All the Above" can only "move me" figuratively. Jeremy has forbidden me from even trying to walk slowly around a track until at least Wednesday. But as soon as I'm able to fully move again, you can bet this song will be at the top of my "Run!" playlist (and yes, it does have an exclamation point--I find it provides motivation when an exclamation point is used in my running playlist).

(Side note: I sent my husband to the grocery store for a Snickers bar because it's like Advil to a hurt person (a.k.a. me) and he came home with 30 candy bars. "Because the 6 packs were 2 for $6 and a hurt foot deserves treats." He is officially a hazard to my diet.)

Five of my Favorite Etsy Painters

2009-06-18T09:18:00.000-07:00

Being a painter who sells on Etsy, I know about the vast amount of wonderful abstract "canvas" artists on Etsy who I look up to and today I wanted to introduce you all to five of my very favorites. I'm just going to post my favorite pieces with links to their shops. I encourage you all to go and visit their shops to learn more about them.

JMJStudio

MADART

MattsArt

hwinfield (Hilary Winfield)

Andrada

Today is the first day I've seen that particular Andrada painting. I can't stop looking at it. It might have to be added to my collection.

The Deal: An Etsy Prize for Every 10lbs Lost

2009-06-16T09:20:00.000-07:00

You remember "The Ryan J. and Ann B. Race for the Cure for Obesity in 42 Year Old Men" fitness challenge that I am participating in with my family this summer (Ryan and Ann are my uncle and aunt)?

I have found the perfect motivator.

Rainbow Swirlz!

There is nothing in this shop that I don't want. I love the styles, I love her hedgehog, I love her owl, I love her bags.

So, here's the deal. My husband said that for every 10 lbs I lose this summer, I can buy one thing from her shop! I really really want that hedgehog tote. So cute!

Rainbow Swirlz currently has a 3 totes (like the ones in the last picture) for $23 deal! You can choose from any of her cute, simple cotton totes. 3 for only $23!

Gotta get started on those first 10 lbs tonight.

I'm currently using the Nike+.com site to keep track of my runs (my gosh I hate running) and my current goals. Currently I would just like to run a mile 10 times this month, each under 12 minutes. I've always sucked at running. I always passed the Presidential physical fitness test until it came to the mile. And then suddenly I was completely unfit and stupid and ran it in abysmal times, such as 12:15. Which means I failed.

So that's my goal this month. The next month will be 11 minute miles. The next month will be 10 minute miles. And the last month will be 9 minute miles. If I can shave 3 minutes off of my mile I'm pretty sure I will win the "award of noteworthy value at the awards ceremony" in September. And actually, my mile is currently 14 minutes (I cringe as I admit that, but I have to get that out there and make myself publicly accountable) and the first time trial is this Saturday. I'd really like to shave off at least 30 seconds over the course of this week, but if I can't, that means if I can meet my goals I will have shaved off FIVE minutes. That is definitely worthy of a substantial, noteworthy prize at the awards ceremony. I have until September 26th to meet this ultimate goal. I'd definitely win.

I have another motivator, too.

Disneyland!

We're staying at the Paradise Pier Hotel in Disneyland Resort in September and they have a roof top pool. I would like to be able to use that roof top pool during our afternoon breaks (when the park is unbearable and our feet need a rest) without being fully dressed from head to toe due to embarrassment about my thighs.

And I would like to get a tan while I'm there, which means that I simply must be able to wear less clothing than I would currently be comfortable with. And how cute would one of Rainbow Swirlz's tank tops be as a mini swimsuit cover up?

So here's to a new start. And yes, oatmeal will be a key part of this. This morning, it was maple and brown sugar.

Ogden Arts Festival Canceled

2009-06-12T21:05:00.000-07:00

For us, anyway.

I was going to represent my grandfather at the Ogden Arts Festival tomorrow, but Jeremy's uncle died unexpectedly and, it appears, accidentally, today. He had no known health problems.

Jeremy isn't up to going to the festival and I'm definitely not up for doing my first outdoor festival all by myself in the rain (since it's supposed to rain from 3 a.m. to 9 p.m., which encompasses all the hours of the festival, from "set-up" to "take down,") and my grandfather can't do it because he has Multiple Sclerosis.

I called and talked to the Art Festival directors today and they said I was welcome back next year and they were sorry for our loss.

But anyone who was planning on attending tomorrow still should! There will be tons of great artists and crafters at the show and tons of opportunities to purchase some wonderful handmade crafts and art.

And thank you to everyone who has been supporting me and my grandfather and to my new followers! I appreciate each and every one of you!

Have a great weekend!

I ate oatmeal! And sold paintings!

2009-06-08T08:45:00.000-07:00

Those two things aren't necessarily linked.

First. Oatmeal. My arch nemesis since I was a little girl and just the sight of it nearly made me throw up. I remembered while we were at Costco on Saturday that I liked that packet oatmeal with the strawberries and marshmallows a few years back, and I needed something easy for breakfasts (and sometimes lunches) here at work. So we picked up a variety pack of instant oatmeal for me. 55 packets.

And spare me any lectures about how the "instant" oatmeal isn't nearly as good for you as the oats that you cook on the stove. It's better than Reese's Puffs.

Sadly the pack doesn't contain the strawberry one. But it has apples and cinnamon, maple and brown sugar, cinnamon roll, and regular. Probably never gonna eat the regular. Ick. Even adding your own sugar to the regular one doesn't make it good.

I had the Maple & Brown Sugar one for breakfast this morning--and I LIKED IT!! Miraculous. I think the gods must be smiling on me and my crazy eating habits because I want to do well in the family fitness challenge this summer, so the gods are letting me not choke and gag over the thought of oatmeal. And I had an apple. And I took my Lifepak Nano vitamins. (Which I would NEVER pay over $150 per month for even though I've gotta admit--they make me feel really great and energized--but someone Jeremy works with gave him a full month supply of the vitamin packs--Jeremy's always getting presents for doing his job--a golf club here, a football team issue hat there, a shirt here, $20 there, expensive vitamins here, etc...) And I had a bottle of water. And we're running tonight. I feel amazing.

Now. On to the reason(s) why I've been MIA for the past week.

1. It was my anniversary this week so there was a lot of celebrating going on.
2. I sold 7 paintings this week between my grandfather's shop and my shop, so I've been busy with orders.
3. I'm getting ready to take my grandpa to the Ogden Arts Festival this weekend, which is a ton of work.
4. I've had nothing to say.

So, there you go.

Sold this week on Art By Jay:

Sold this week on ArtsAfire:

And Jeremy got me these from the beside on Etsy for our anniversary:

And. I lost half of my Nike + iPod thing. The receiver is in my shoe, but the little dongle that you plug into your iPod--totally fell out of my purse at some unknown location. So I have to buy a new one this week.

Also, new prints are available on Art By Jay! Only $20! And the ACEOs are still only $7!

My Family Fitness Challenge

2009-06-01T09:25:00.000-07:00

This summer my aunt and uncle are sponsoring a fitness challenge through September. And I think it's a great idea because what better motivation is there than the possible humiliation of sucking at running the mile month after month thereby proving that you have not been training, or exercising in any form, at all? This will give me a butt! So far, pretty much everyone is in. Some of us are pregnant, have recently had knee surgery, or are unable to run due to old age/disability, so there is a weight loss category for non-exercisers, too.

If you want to have a similar family challenge, here's the gist of what we're doing:

From an e-mail from my uncle Ryan:

Okay, I came up with this concept while on the stairmaster at the gym on the verge of passing out when the thousands of cookies, pounds of peanut m&ms, and billions of donuts were flasing before my eyes. That's when I pictured myself 20 years and.....um....many pounds ago. I remembered that while I was at BYU I was forced to take a fitness class and was actually expected to make progress toward a goal. Can you EVEN believe that? Anyway, I remembered how it felt to not just to be in better shape, but how good it felt as I was getting there. Feeling a little stronger from week to week. And knowing I had to prove to someone else that I was making progress, I did much better than I could do on my own.

So that's where the "Ryan J. and Ann B. Race for the Cure for Obesity in 42 Year Old Men" comes in. We're (I'm dragging Ann into this because she's the brains of this organization, I'm just an idea guy) sponsoring the above mentioned "race" or fitness challenge, if you will, because I need some motivation and some people behind me pushing me. [Sara's Note: I, too, do much better when I know there's a monthly schedule that I will be held to.]

The Challenge, should you choose to accept it....
On a monthly basis we meet at the track at the stadium - chosen because it gives no one in the family home field advantage and and also because it offers evening shade and I like shade if I'm going to sweat. We will run or walk - your choice - a mile. The objective is to improve your time. The idea being that to improve your time, you (and especially me) will have to be training on the other days in order to do so. The person with the most improved time at the end of September, will receive an award of noteworthy value at an awards ceremony the weekend of October General Conference. After each monthly time trial, we will meet at our house for a healthy snack or "treat" of some kind. It will be good I promise. That way you can get ideas and recipes to take back and help you in your own quest, if you are on one.

What if I can't run or walk for distances like that?
If you have physical difficulties that prevent you from this sort of exercise, there's something for you too. If exercise won't work for you, there's a simple weight loss category, and a prize for the non-exerciser who loses the greatest percentage of their starting weight. However, if you can do the walking or running, I encourage you to participate in that category.

What if the H.S. stadium is too far from my house?
If you live too far away and don't think you can get to the stadium each month, we still welcome you to participate. This is a nationwide event. In addition, should you plan to be in SLC Conference weekend, please plan to attend the big Awards Gala and Fireworks Show. Simply track your time or weight loss and email me. If you can manage to run on the same day, that would be good just because I think it would be really cool.

What else?
* I'm likely to schedule some optional fitness related group activities in between time trials. Examples of these activities may include bowling, short hikes, walks along the JR parkway, etc.
* If you've not been exercising, be sure to start slow and mix up your exercise so you can avoid any repetitive use injuries that will take you out of the game.
* If you're doing the run/walk challenge you might want to incorporate some healthy eating choices, as it will help in the fitness quest. If you need ideas, we can do a group therapy session on the kick off night.

Timeline:
* Saturday June 20 - Kick off - Meet at the stadium, 7:30 PM for first time trial. No sandbagging this just to have a good final time, you better be sweating profusely or breathing so hard you can't talk when you cross the finish line. Snacks at our house and recording of times, weights, etc.
* Saturday July 18 - Second time trial, 7:30 PM, Snacks after at our house
* Saturday August 22 - Third time trial, same time same place, Snacks, ditto
* Saturday September 12 - there's a 5k in conjunction with the Greek Festival that I'm challenging you all to participate in.
* Saturday September 26 - Final time trial, snacks again.
* Sunday October 4 - Awards Gala, Fireworks Show, Concert, laser show and group hug.

So. How about it blogging friends? Are you up for a little summer fitness challenge? If so, do this with your family and your friends! And anyone who wants to participate in a summer fitness challenge but doesn't have anyone to check in with or to race against, I'd be happy to virtually work with you. We can keep the same schedule of time trials to keep each other motivated!

And I strongly suggest the Nike + iPod set up (shown in the picture above) if you're going to be keeping track of how well your training is going. It's just way easier than writing everything down. I use it. It keeps track of how far you've gone, how far you have left to go if you have set a distance, calorie, or time goal, how many calories you've burned, etc... Plus, you can upload each training session onto the free online site (the site is in the information that comes with the receiver--it's accessed through Nike.com) and keep track of your progress with graphs and everything.

And you don't need the special Nike + iPod shoes for it. They're handy because they have a spot underneath the insole for the iPod receiver/pedometer, but in my last pair of shoes I just hollowed out a little spot underneath the insole for the receiver--couldn't feel it at all. But if it IS time for some new shoes for you, I'd seriously give these some consideration. There are a TON to choose from--at least three pages at Nike.com, and you can find them locally--got mine at Kohl's. It just clicks in and you go--you never have to remove it. You can wear them all day and if you keep your iPod in your pocket and you're walking around, it'll keep track of how far you've gone that day, how many calories you've burned, etc...And my particular pair are pretty and green.

It's a great $29 invention. Plus, someone comes over your music occasionally and says something like, "You've burned 250 calories. Only 100 left to go." Keeps you going!

But, of course, pen and paper work just as well. :)

Saliva? Not the problem here.

2009-05-28T13:48:00.000-07:00

We'll get to the title in a second.

First off, I've been MIA for several days for no good reason, really. I suppose I just didn't have anything to say. Quick rundown of the past week:

1. Memorial Day was spent with Jeremy mostly reading and looking around town for a canopy for the upcoming art show (June 13th--Art By Jay will be selling--Ogden, UT Arts Festival). Wal-Mart is a godsend. Same tent as the sporting goods stores, only $50 cheaper. And close-out walls for $29.

2. A negligent and inept 24 Hour Fitness employee put my new debit card number onto someone else's account so I've been paying HER dues for the last two months while they couldn't get my last month of dues (because I canceled in March) from my account because that card number no longer existed because it had "potentially been compromised" (said my bank). No one at 24 Hour Fitness corporate offices speaks English or understands it--an unnatural hatred for that gym has taken root in me. Finally got it fixed locally. Though I'm watching my bank statement next month like a hawk come the 26th of the month. This will have been the fourth time in four years that they messed up my billing. Hence my cancellation of my membership.

3. My filling chipped in the middle of The Terminator on Friday night (which was boring). Lame. So I had to use that DentTemp stuff from Wal-Greens all weekend (though really, that stuff is AMAZING--it's like a temporary filling or crown glue). I kept eating it with my meals though and I'd have to start all over again. Dentist said I probably needed a crown. I said, "Hey, you did this two months ago, if it needs one now, it needed one then. NO." So he just filled it. I'll worry about it in a year. We're not going back to that dentist anyway because he makes me cry. We're going to Jeremy's old dentist who he says is nice. Direct quote from dentist that makes me cry: "If you wouldn't let saliva pool at the bottom of your lip and sit there, you wouldn't get cavities." EXCUSE ME?! How long does he think I sit around with a drool-filled lip? And who doesn't have the natural reflex to swallow excess saliva? So not the problem here. Lame genes are the problem here. All the brushing and flossing in the world doesn't get my anywhere. And I use the stupid toothpaste you tell me to, Mr. Dentist, and it's. not. helping.

4. My 3 year anniversary is this weekend. Yay! Still have no big plans. That's okay though.

5. Umm....that's it. Oh! Only TWO chapters left to go in the book I'm writing at work. The celebration of this being done might be worth taking up drinking for.

Now. I've listed a new custom listing on my Etsy shop for any color you want for the Pure Color: Mix and Match series.

Colors in the picture are just some samples of ones that I've already done. So if you want a color that isn't pre-painted and currently for sale, now there's an easy way to order it! Just buy that listing, follow the instructions in the listing for the "Notes to Seller," and then I'll paint it for you! Want one in hot pink? You got it. Want a purely black and white one? No problem! (Thinking I'll do one of those tonight, actually. I think it'd be cool!)

First ACEO sale for Art By Jay! And a Memorial Day Sale!

2009-05-22T16:57:00.000-07:00

My grandpa sold his first ACEO print today! I'm ridiculously excited! It's been a good month on Etsy!

The original of this painting has already been sold, but the ACEO will still be available (no larger prints, though). ACEOs at Art By Jay on Etsy are all only $7!

Buying ACEOs are a great way to become an art collector, and since they're the size of a trading card they can be kept in a binder together, or they can be framed museum style with a large mat around them!

Trust me, you need some ACEOs in your life!

And don't forget, my shop, ArtsAfire, is having a Memorial Day sale this weekend! 10% off of everything in the store, plus an extra discount code for Facebook fans! So, are you a fan?? Click here if you want to be!

And definitely don't forget to visit my Grandpa's Facebook page! Special discounts and giveaways will be available for fans there, too!

New Custom Paintings and a Memorial Day (Shh!) Secret Sale

2009-05-21T10:16:00.000-07:00

I just finished my custom paintings last night and delivered them today. Whew. The custom tree painting was much more work than I thought it was going to be (she asked for a sunset sky with blues, purples, reds, and oranges) and so I ended up completely undercharging for it because I thought I could charge the same as I charged for "Spring Branch" painting and it wouldn't take any longer. It was exactly the same size, same configuration, just a different sky. BUT a much more labor intensive process. But you live and you learn!

Here's the finished product!

I also sold a custom color of the Pure Color Mix & Match series. She had previously purchased purple, red, and green and wanted a teal/turquoise one. So I sold her one similar to the one I currently have for sale for the general public.

It's much more "teal" in person. Gotta work on capturing that color better. Some just don't like to cooperate with the camera or with Photoshop.

Also, there will be a secret sale for my Facebook fans over Memorial Day Weekend. So if you haven't headed over there yet, now is a great time to do it. Sale code will be announced tomorrow on Facebook!

Click Here

Also, please check out this gorgeous "sand & sea" themed treasury that I am in!

Next up for me, I'm trying out Encaustic painting (painting with colored beeswax)! I just received my "Hot Mess" Encaustic tutorial and sample paints from Jamie Ribisi and I can't wait to try it out! I just need to buy an electric griddle, some tuna (for the cans so I can melt the paint in them on the griddle, not for painting with because otherwise that'd be one fishy smelling painting), some natural bristle brushes, and a heat gun! I can't wait to get started!

Now for sale!

2009-05-19T12:19:00.000-07:00

I have some of the new Mix & Match sets available for purchase in my Etsy shop!

More coming later!

New paintings! Available tonight!

2009-05-18T09:32:00.000-07:00

Here's a sneak peak at what will be available tonight in my Etsy shop!

New Mix & Match sets (four 4" x 4" x 1 3/8" paintings)! And I've realized I'm undercharging so the price will be going up this week. They're currently $25, so if you want them at that price, there are still a few sets available in my shop! There are still two shades of blue and an orange set available in my shop. Coming tonight: teal, yellow, orange, jewel green, purple, and red! As well as a listing for a custom color, so you can order exactly the colors that you want! Please provide either a real color swatch--I'll give you my address when you order--or a virtual swatch if you want a custom color. Though please be aware of screen discrepancies. I calibrate my colors regularly, but colors may still differ on my screen from yours if we do not use the same calibration techniques. It will still be close, though. :)

And I know I've been promising these forever but I really am almost done with mini painting greeting "cards," so those will be available by the end of the week. Why give a Hallmark card that will eventually be thrown away when you can give a painting that will last forever? For roughly the same price!

Also, don't forget to visit me and my grandfather on Facebook! Facebook fans receive special promotions and giveaways!

Anniversary Ideas: Help?

2009-05-14T12:03:00.000-07:00

So, our three year anniversary is coming up and I'm trying to think of things we could do. We were thinking we'd get couples massages at Aveda, but I'm not feeling that right now. So Jeremy put me in charge of coming up with something to do since he said the present he is buying me is actually good for both of us and should be our main present and then we'd each get a little spending money while we're out and about. He got me the letterpress print of the SLC temple (by Cameron Moll) where we were married--so much cooler than a photograph and so much more "us" than a photograph.

Back to anniversary ideas. We've done the romantic getaway things before and really they're never as fun as we'd like them to be (we're Disneyland people, not "admire a pretty themed hotel room" people). So we're not staying anywhere fancy or anything, but we definitely want to do some fun. I was thinking about going to Color Me Mine and painting some plates or other ceramic things. But other than that, I'm drawing a complete blank on what to do this year!

So I need your help. What have you done for past anniversaries with husbands/boyfriends that was fun?

Cupcakes! And Other Fun Friday Things.

2009-05-08T08:34:00.000-07:00

The other day I read about The Sweet Tooth Fairy on NieNie's blog. And the cupcakes looked amazing. In the pursuit of free KFC that night we ended up in that part of Provo and when I saw the KFC line I decided that cupcakes for dinner would be a better option. So I told Jeremy that I was pretty sure the awesome cupcake place was across the street. And it was! I have cupcake radar.

I've always said that cupcakes are not as fun and fantastic as the name implies. And up until Wednesday night, they hadn't been. They were always crumbly or too dry and the frosting is never as good as it is on a regular cake (even though it's the same frosting). But now, cupcakes are all I can think about!

Peanut Butter Chocolate cupcakes--AMAZING!
Va-NIE-lla Squared cupcakes--they named them for NieNie after she had one and said on her blog that they should name them that since she was single-handedly going to keep those cupcakes going

Nie now has a partner. Those cupcakes were love at first bite. I've never tasted such amazing frosting and such moist cake. It was like fireworks and drunkenness and orchestra AND mardi-gras music in my mouth--all at the same time.

So, if you live anywhere near Utah, it's worth the trip.

Booked our 5 day Disneyland vacation! Woohoo! We're going over Labor Day (and past Labor Day when Jeremy should be in school but is skipping because other people will be in school and hopefully Disneyland won't be too busy--but if it is, that's okay) and we're staying IN DISNEYLAND!! YES! Paradise Pier Hotel (so, technically, in California Adventure, but hey, all the hotels are accessed from Downtown Disney (a.k.a. Heaven) so it's all the same to me. I cannot wait. And the new goal is to lose 30 lbs by the time we leave. The journey starts tomorrow. Glad I made a calendar to keep track of my exercise progress.

This will be the third time we've gone to Disneyland in as many years of marriage. We're definitely setting up a good precedent here. Each time we've gone to Disneyland I have come home and cut my hair off. Hopefully by the time we go my hair will be long again and I won't cut it when I get back. Don't let me cut it.

Also, if you're on Facebook, both my grandfather and I have fan pages! Just started his yesterday! Please visit and become a fan to receive exclusive updates, secret sales, and giveaways for Facebook fans!

Also, I have a new Flickr photostream and will be starting one for ArtByJay this weekend. I really don't know what's going on over there, so any advice would be greatly appreciated. It appears that friends can be added at Flickr. If you're on there, add me please!

Calendars and Pretty Things

2009-05-06T13:58:00.000-07:00

Going along with my post yesterday regarding goals, I figured I needed a calendar system that would help me easily keep track of how I was going. And I wanted everything on one calendar (minus dinner, because that goes on the fridge and I want the goals calendar in my studio). So I just made a quick little calendar in Microsoft Word. I'll probably buy one of those purchase and print calendars that Etsy sellers sell at some point for the added cuteness, but for right now this is working just fine. I have six goals each day. That might sound like a lot, but they're relatively small goals. Morning Yoga (20-30 minutes), 1 hour of painting, evening exercise (racquetball with Jeremy, weight lifting, P90X, etc...), make dinner, pick up what needs picking up in the house, spend time with Jeremy. Then at the bottom I have the monthly goals for May that don't necessarily need to be done daily.

If you need a quick little calendar for these purposes, feel free to steal mine. Here they are:

May 2009 Dinner Calendar

May 2009 Goals Calender

And here are my recipes again. Lots have changed. Simplified to require the least amount of prep time possible. And some have been added.

Sara's Monthly Recipes

Now, onto the pretty things!

My friend Amanda did a Mother's Day Gift Guide on her shop's blog today and she showcased this bag:

the artist satchel, marigold

I HAVE to have that bag! And it comes in different colors, like a gorgeous leaf or pomegranate color! And they tailor the straps to fit you and the inside to fit your tools. I wouldn't really carry my paintbrushes around in it, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't use it until it was completely useless. My husband has been bugging me to get a "good purse" rather than something for $19.95 at TJ Maxx. I'm going to give this link to him. Our anniversary is coming up.

And how great would these earrings look with that bag:

Gold and Green Crystal Earrings from GlamKate

GlamKate is a blog friend of mine and I absolutely 100% love her style. So of course when she opened her Etsy shop I found myself loving everything in it. Especially these earrings. Love them. Can't stop thinking about them. Will be buying them this weekend (so please don't buy them out from under me).

And lastly, I don't know why this dress from Anthropologie is nearly $400 (besides being silk), but I find myself willing.

First Days Dress from Anthropologie

Especially with that bag and those earrings!

I'm wondering if I should take up sewing just to learn how to make a dress that pretty.

And last, a bit of news. I'll be finishing up some mini paintings tonight that will act as greeting cards! Yay! Great alternative to Hallmark (and seriously, Hallmark is expensive and gets thrown out--paintings last forever and will be pretty much the same price).

Goals for May

2009-05-05T13:29:00.000-07:00

In the post below I recapped my April goals. Didn't hit all of them, but I did a pretty awesome job. Despite this, I still have some areas I need to work on. So, here we go again!

1. Stock Artfire shop with at least 15 items (I think I really should do this, despite my lack of enthusiasm for Artfire--even if I just stock it with my cheaper items)
2. 50 items in Etsy shop by end of May - 27 in shop right now
3. Print business cards
5. Spend at least 1 hour painting each night (make a calendar to mark off progress--I will post the calendar at recap time)
6. Sell 10 paintings this month
7. Finish 3 large paintings/painting sets
8. Finish 5 small paintings/painting sets
9. Try new things
10. Give Encaustic painting a whirl (which means, buy tutorial set from Jamie Ribisi)

Personal Goals:
1. WAKE UP!!! and do yoga (I canceled my gym membership, I'm totally preferring P90X--such a great workout--can't slack like I can on an elliptical machine while reading a trashy novel)
2. Lose 10 lbs.
3. Keep the house clean
4. Stick to the meal plan
5. Limit video games to 1-2 hours per night and ONLY after I've finished painting

April Goals Recap: Much Better Than Last Month

2009-05-01T15:23:00.000-07:00

Last month I recapped my March goals. Didn't hit all of them. It wasn't quite an epic fail, but it was close.

This month, however, I have done better. My April goals are much less fail and much more succeed. Score one for me!

1. Stock Artfire shop with at least 15 items - Nope. Just can't get into Artfire...
2. 50 items in Etsy shop by end of April (23 in shop now) - I almost made it! I made it to 34!
3. Print business cards - Completely forgot about that one...
5. ~~Spend at least 1 hour painting each night (minus weekends)~~ (I'm making a calendar for this so I can keep track) - Crossed half off because I succeeded half of the time
6. Sell 10 paintings this month - Cue "shoot" and a finger-snapped motion because I was so close! I sold 7! All this week!
7. ~~Finish 3 large~~ paintings/painting sets - Crossed half off because I finished 2! Then ran out of canvases. They're on their way.
8. ~~Finish 5 small paintings/painting sets~~ - BOOM! I am awesome!
9. ~~Try new things~~ - Check! Check! And Sold! Sold! Sold!
10. ~~Get my studio organized once and for all~~ - I am on fire!

Personal Goals:
1. WAKE UP!!! and go to the gym - no more "But it's too cold" excuses - Ha! Not once. And it's not even cold.
2. Lose 10 lbs. - I'm afraid of the scale...so I don't know.
3. ~~Keep the house clean~~ - It's been clean for an entire month now.
4. Stick to the meal plan - Didn't do so hot this month...not sure why. Start up again tomorrow.
5. ~~Watch less TV~~ - I have been foregoing television (except Gossip Girl and The Office) in favor of painting and playing Viva Pinata on the X-Box. Yes, filling the TV spot with video games is less productive than say, not playing video games, but hey, I'm working on it.

All in all, I'm pleased. May goals to come on Monday.

Hahahahaha!

2009-05-01T12:54:00.000-07:00

I went to the Aldo Shoes website because I'm going to Anthropologie and there's an Aldo next door and their shoes are always comfortable and cute so I figured I'd get a feel for what they had to go with whatever dress or two I decide to buy this weekend.

I clicked on "fashion flats" after visiting the wedge and strappy heels page.

And what I saw the the single worst (and largest) page of the worst. shoes. ever.

There were probably about 100 pairs of shoes on this page, each worse than the last.

First off, if these are fashionable, then I'm fine with being a fashion pariah. Second, can you imagine these shoes with the dresses that I have in the post below?

The gladiator look has got to go!

So, I retreated back to Anthropologie.com (because it's safe there) and looked at their shoes. All is well with the world (for the most part).

I should suck more often

2009-04-30T14:54:00.001-07:00

That's what my husband said. (Get your mind out of the gutter!)

Two days ago I was lamenting the fact that my Etsy shop wasn't just slow like molasses, it was completely void of any activity, like frozen molasses.

Then yesterday I sold 6 paintings and today I sold another one! What is going on? I haven't even been promoting lately because I've been too busy with work and playing Viva Pinata on my Xbox 360. Looks like inflow = outflow is working. Add new paintings, you'll sell old (and new) paintings!

I wonder how Jeremy would feel if I decided I wanted to blow my newly earned money on summery dresses for work from Anthropologie rather than putting it back into my business this time...

The more I see the long dresses the more I think I could get back into the "long dress" habit--except I'd totally have to take them to my grandmother to help me shorten them all.

Update:

Me: "I'm going to buy a dress. We're going to Anthropologie this weekend."
Jeremy: "You can buy whatever you want."

Awesome.

Exactly

2009-04-29T14:55:00.000-07:00

That's all for today. :)

Not much worth writing about has happened (besides the 6 paintings I sold yesterday, but I already mentioned that and I'm busy figuring out the custom works and setting myself up for credit card payments at art shows, so, this is the reason I am scarce).

Weekend Shopping Mini-Spree and Custom Orders!

2009-04-28T09:36:00.000-07:00

My boss gave me some gift checks last week to our local mall and I used them this weekend on products to pamper myself with. The whole time I was buying stuff I was thinking, "What am I doing? I shouldn't be spending this money this weekend--this weekend is not an extra money weekend. I should just wait until next weekend." And then I'd remind myself that I was not spending a penny of my own money (except $3 of cash in my wallet) and I'd stop scolding myself. My haul? Here it is:

Nike Yoga Block. I'm can't quite reach the floor.

Aveda Pure Abundance hair potion. Love this stuff. When I sprinkle in onto my hair I feel a cold, trickling sensation. I imagine that's what it feels like for Harry Potter to be Disillusioned in The Order of the Pheonix.

Rosemary Mint body bar. I'm constantly looking for something to soothe my skin and keep it from itching. I have very sensitive skin. So far, this is working and it's a great, relaxing smell that helps get me in the mood for sleeping

Aveda Calming Body Wash. Another attempt on top of the Rosemary Mint body bar to curb my itching and soothe my skin. So far, also working. Also, great nighttime smell.

I also bought a new shirt from Express and it's HUGE. I hate dressing rooms so I always just guess. I guessed wrong this time. I look like a circus tent in it--must trade it in tomorrow for a smaller size.

Other than that I spent my weekend painting my new paintings seen two posts below and for sale in my shop. And I played a lot of Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise on the Xbox 360. All in all, a great weekend.

Then today I received two custom orders! One for my "Spring Branch" painting and one for a different color for my new Pure Color series (turquoise)! And, she's buying a few paintings that are already in my shop! Exciting!!

Treasury!

2009-04-27T18:14:00.000-07:00

I was included (twice!) in this gorgeous "Blue Skies" treasury! Please go and check it out and click through the images! It'd be great if it could make it to the front page!

New Mix & Match Painting Series!

2009-04-26T21:46:00.000-07:00

I have six new abstract painting sets in my Etsy shop! They're part of an affordable new art series that allows you to choose which colors and sets you want to buy, as well as how you want to arrange them. The first Mix & Match set up is solely based on color and texture. I'm working on other canvases that fit into this set as well as other styles for the Mix & Match series.

Each set for $25 consists of four 4" x 4" gallery stretched canvases and can be displayed on their own or combined with other sets from the series to create a larger piece of art. Here are some of the sets currently available in my shop!

Each of these sets is available for purchase separately, with discounted shipping if you want to purchase more than one set.

More sets will be coming over the week and then even more once I get my new shipment of canvases!

I told you I deserved a present! Then I won one!!

2009-04-23T12:12:00.001-07:00

Today I got a message from Jan of Jan's Crafty Nest. I had entered her giveaway a few days back and never expected to win because I never win these things. I enter and just get lost in the huge amount of comment and my name never gets drawn. Well, thank goodness for her son and his Winnie-the-Pooh bag! Because he draw my name out of that bag!

She was giving away three separate prize packs and I got the one that I wanted!

Prize Pack #1 - Evil eye necklace - Suna, wildflower tags - GeckoJewelry, mirrors - LookingGlassStudios, butterfly card - KateEschbach, butterfly pendant - C.A., earrings - ThePeachTree, embellishments - EarthCookie

Doesn't it look like a fun box of goodies to receive? I can't wait!

Tuesday Temptations: I Deserve a Present

2009-04-21T14:26:00.000-07:00

I deserve a present.

1) I just finished writing a chapter on Social Security for our book at work. Only like, 12 chapters to go. This might kill me.

2) I pulled together an awesome roundtable this morning (but note to self: Tuesdays = smaller turnout) for work--thanks a million to my friend Amanda (we grew up together in Minnesota, you can find her on Etsy at after the bump for all your cute baby accessory needs) for coming and talking about nutrition and exercise.

3) I just want a present. Jeremy owes me one and he hasn't delivered yet.

So I thought I'd browse (where else?) Etsy! (Well, an answer to "where else?" would be Anthropologie because that's been my shopping place of choice since I was 14, but today I'm surfing Etsy.)

So here are a few of the things that I'm loving right now:

First off, let's give a little love to my friend Amanda and her new Etsy shop. She just started at Etsy last Monday. She already has several adorable items for babies and while I do not yet have a child (no, I don't know when I'll have one, do not ask, I'm sick of that question--explanation: I live in Utah) I will definitely be buying my kid one of Amanda's hats when I do have one:

Chunky urban newsboy cap, size 3-6 months--Free shipping

How cute are those?

Now. Moving on to something that I could use in an artistic endeavor. Jamie Ribisi is one of my favorite Etsy artists. He's amazing. And he paints with encaustic which I would LOVE to learn how to do. I seriously envy his talent. Lucky for me he sells starter kits with instructions!!

Encaustic Painting Kit sampler set of handmade paint with Hot Mess tutorial

Jamie, you are my encaustic idol.

Speaking of Idol, anyone watching tonight? I can't seem to stop caring...two people go home this week.

And then finally, because this is pure awesome:

Water Bottle Cozy - Monster Shark in Silver Grey by Handamade

Okay. I can't stop laughing about this and maybe I have a stupid sense of humor, but here you go:

What's funny is that farts really can be lit on fire.

Swear/Rant/Panic/Cry/Give Up

2009-04-20T19:01:00.000-07:00

Or: Damn it/WTF?! Why don't they have a tech support number?!/What do I do?!/Cry/Oh well, guess there's always next year.

Tonight at midnight is the application deadline for the Ogden Arts Festival. I would've had my application in weeks ago, only I didn't know about the show until this weekend. I've been trying for the better part of this afternoon and this evening to submit my application. I created new logins, I tried to submit myself and my grandfather; it never worked. I can fill out the application but when I hit "checkout" it says there are no shows ready for checkout. So I go to the application and re-fill it out and it says, "Ready for Checkout" and I click "checkout" and it says there are no shows ready for checkout.

I contacted Zapp (zapplication.org--where you apply for art shows) and they never got back to me before they closed for the day. The deadline changed on Zapp to tomorrow night at midnight so maybe it's a site-wide problem, but the rules for the show still say tonight and there's nothing on the forums or official announcements about it. And the show's coordinator didn't answer when I called. I left a message though.

So hopefully, when I try later tonight it'll work. Or, the deadline really has been moved. Or the show will get a ton of e-mails about no one being able to apply today and they'll extend it (if the extension on Zapp isn't really an exception.

I'm hoping I won't have to wait for next year.

UPDATE: Yes! They know and they postponed it. Everyone is having that problem.

New Painting!

2009-04-19T20:07:00.001-07:00

First off, I've noticed I've been having a real love affair with blue paintings lately. I bought some gorgeous blue paints and i can't stop using them. I think I'll branch out into other colors sometime soon. My shop and my personal art collection are both woefully devoid of any reds, oranges, and yellows.

Moving on.

I actually stumbled across the technique I used to paint this painting several years back during a college art class. I painted a three panel final project using this technique. And then I painted over it two years later when I thought I was tired of it. I don't regret the painting I got out of painting over that piece (wonderful pre-textured surface for what I wanted), but I do regret losing the original. This new piece has no similarities in color, but it does follow the basic scheme of what I did years ago.

Untitled No. 3 - 24" x 24" x 1 3/8"

Only this time I think it's cooler.

Painted using acrylics on a 24" x 24" x 1 3/8" stretch canvas. There are roughly ten layers of paint (3 base layers, each manipulated to enhance texture and then allowed to dry, and roughly 6-8 layers of the final surface painting), giving the canvas remarkable amounts of texture to both the eye and the touch. Paint has been allowed to drip down the sides of the canvas, giving the painting a raw, yet finished feeling since the sides have been painted black so there is no need to frame it unless you want to.

Painting is signed, titled and dated by me on the back of the canvas so as not to delineate a "top" or "bottom." It is completely up to you. I painted it so the "top" for me started with the white, but that's just my preference--it can be hung from all four sides. You could even hang it from one of it's corners if you wanted to.

Staging image is not to scale

Business Cards: Which Would Catch Your Interest?

2009-04-18T23:16:00.000-07:00

On a side note before I get into the bulk of my post: Tonight my freshman roommate Janel came into town (yay!) and so I hosted a dessert giveaway (Okay. Complete typo/slip of the mind. Giveaway=Party.) for our college 1911/202 group (the six boys who lived in apartment 1911 and the 6 girls who lived in 202). We're more than 12 now with marriages and all that, but half of us have moved away so tonight it was only 8 of us (1 was sick, 2 had to work, 2 had prior plans, 2 had finals, 3 live in another state, 1 is in another country). Despite the fact that some of us are spread out we're all still really close and I have to say that I have the best friends I could ever dream of having. It is always SO much fun when we get together. Now, on to other news.

I contacted the art festival and asked them about the booth shot since it would be my first show--they said I should just submit a description of my booth and how I plan to hang my paintings. Perfect! Thanks a million to @ArtbyChristi on Twitter for that tip--she had to do that when she entered her first show and she still got selected to be one of the exhibiting artists!

I've decided which four paintings I'm going to submit based upon your votes and the opinions of my friends and family. Though I am submitting one that got no votes because it's currently my favorite one, plus one that I did this weekend specifically for the art show application--it will be available on Monday. The three that I currently have good photos of and am submitting are:

And this is the one I've worked on this weekend that will be available on Monday:

Over ten layers of paint for crazy amounts of texture.

Now. I have a few business cards that I can't decide between. The designs have been sitting here for a couple of months and I'm out of my cheap little ones so I figured it was time to make some better one. Any favorites here?

Art Show: I Need Your Opinions!

2009-04-16T14:43:00.000-07:00

Just realized my last post was post #100. At least it had a funny picture in it. I giggle every time I see it. That giant rubber duck is the stuff children's nightmares are made of, but I think it's hilarious.

Anyway. I found out yesterday about a local art show (!! They're never local!) coming up in June and the deadline is Monday at midnight for applications. Which means I can either spend my weekend scrambling to make a temporary (because there's no way gridwalls will make it to me by Monday through snail mail) booth for the required booth photo, or I can wait until next year. That's a long time to wait...so I think I'll try my hand at scrambling to make a booth. I plan on entering both my grandfather and I (he's too sick to go--with his Multiple Sclerosis it's much too hot for him to stay outside all day in the middle of the summer--but two artists can share a booth as long as the artist or the artist's representative is there, and since I'm the artist for me, and I'm my grandfather's representative, it'd work out just fine) and so Jeremy and I are going up to my grandparents' house on Saturday to: 1) buy primed MDF for the walls (1 x 3 x 6 for $2.42--perfect!) from Lowe's because my grandpa has a truck and 2) have my grandpa help me build it. He's totally awesome with carpentry and coming up with useful and practical ideas for building things. I'm thinking 9 x 9 (since the booths at the festival are 10 x 10 this will appear to be about the same size in the photos) with the panels connected by hinges. Or duct tape (on the outside, of course). Either one.

Duct tape holds anything together, especially if it's only for a short period of time

I'll post pictures when it's done.

The thing is, I'm really nervous. Putting up my art on my Etsy shop was really nerve-wracking because I'd never really shown it to anyone besides family and people who came over to my house and would inevitably see it on my walls. And they all loved it and I haven't received one negative comment regarding my art since I brought it out into the world for all to see, but I'm still really nervous. I'm positive my grandfather will be accepted. He's always accepted. And then he wins prizes. But I've never done this before for myself. But I want to find out whether I have what it takes to pass a juried selection process for future art shows. If I do, I'm totally applying for next year's Edina Art Festival in Minnesota. For one, it's on my favorite street in the entire world. France Avenue. And two, it's an excuse to go home and visit my family!

Here's where I need your opinions. Could you please visit my Etsy shop and give me opinions on which five works you think I should submit for the juried selection process? I have to submit four works and one booth photo. I need help deciding. If you could just leave a comment with the titles of 2 or 3 that you think would be winners (figuratively, there are no prizes at the art festival), I would REALLY appreciate it!

Voting so far:
Untitled No. 1 - 3
Pointillism Flowers - 2
Color Theory - 2
Berry Tree - 3
Winter Blossoms - 4
Spring Branch - 7
Abstract Circles - 1
Bubbles - 3
Windswept Dandelion - 1
Space - 1
Complementary Crashes - 1
Dragonflies - 2
Ocean Tide - 3

Little Bit of Funny

2009-04-15T21:58:00.001-07:00

Giant Rubber Ducky by artist Florentijn Hofman

I'll have more paintings up this weekend. Hopefully. I'm working on getting ready to apply for a local art show, meaning I have to set up a booth to take a photo of, so I can't really make any promises. But I'm going to try to have more paintings up this weekend.

Gorgeous Letterpress Temple Print

2009-04-15T11:37:00.001-07:00

Being LDS (Mormon) and living in Utah I can go up to Salt Lake and see the Salt Lake City temple any time I want. It's where I was married (fantastic photo opportunities all over those grounds!).

On our wedding day
It is architecturally gorgeous inside and out. Built by hand years and year and years ago (how they moved those blocks of granite from the mountains to the valley without trucks and mechanical equipment is something I will never understand--I mean, I get the concept just like I understand how the pyramids were built, but man, the work!) it's amazing how perfect it is. Anyway. People who don't live in Utah can't witness the magnitude and beauty of this temple in person, so there are myriads of different prints available for purchase throughout the world. Most are photographic prints. Last night I found what I deem to be the coolest, most original, and most beautiful representation of the Salt Lake temple that I have ever seen.

Last night I found the blog for Australia's Inside Out magazine and two entries down there was an image of the Salt Lake City temple. I thought, "Hmm...weird. This is an Australian magazine...and it's an interior design magazine, not a religious one." They were showcasing Utah web designer and artist Cameron Moll. Who has created a gorgeous letterpress (yes, letterpress!) image of the Salt Lake City temple.

Wait until you see the closeups!

It's all letters!

You can bet I'm ordering one of these! We don't have any photos of the temple in our home (besides our wedding pictures, which currently aren't displayed) and I think this would be a very "Sara and Jeremy" temple print. We're all about the artsy. Plus, the talent and the time and the absolute originality of this astounds me! I would love to look at that every day.

You can buy a 16 x 24 reproduction of the original letterpress print at Cameron Moll's website. If you want to go directly to the order page, click here to go to his Big Cartel page. It's $75 for an unsigned print, $100 for a signed print. Hopefully he'll be offering 11 x 14 giclee prints soon. He got a request for them yesterday and I seconded that request on Twitter.

I think even if you aren't LDS this is still a gorgeous print of a piece of beautiful architecture and it would look great in any home.

I'm not sappy, but...

2009-04-14T09:55:00.000-07:00

I've been finding all these amazing "married"/"love"/etc... things on Etsy lately and I want to snap them all up! The beauty is, it's not sappy married/love/etc... stuff. It's cute and quirky and original stuff. None of that "today is a dewdrop on the ocean of our love" sappy stuff (I just made that up, I haven't actually seen anything that says that, which is good because it really makes no sense).

Like this. I want this. Except I want it to say Jeremy and Sara, June 1, 2006. And I want to put it on a shelf in my living room. Because I think it's 1) cool, and 2) a good conversation piece. For example: "Your living room is just filled with awesomeness. Where did you get that non-sappy marriage date print?"

Cross My Heart print by nella designs
Also, props to nella designs for not capitalizing on the whole Twilight thing and putting Edward and Bella. I mean, I love Twilight, but it can be taken too far.

And this! I generally hate jewelry that has hearts on it. Can't stand it. I lived in fear that the man I married would NOT consult me before buying an engagement ring and get me a heart shaped diamond (nothing wrong with those if you like them--they're pretty--I just hate the shape of hearts--personal preference) so I always worked into conversation that I hate hearts and ovals. No rational reason, just hate hearts and ovals. Whether in jewelry or on paper. But then I saw this necklace today in my Google Reader (best internet blog tool ever) on Chris Parry's blog and despite my first thought being "I wonder if it comes on a circle or a square pendant" I found that I liked it on the heart. Symbolism and all, you know. And I would gladly wear this necklace daily if it had Jeremy's fingerprint on it. I mean, how cool is that? It's just so original.

Fingerprint Pendant from Chris Parry
And lately I've been way into the personalized jewelry idea. Like, simple rings and stuff. I've found several on Etsy that I like.

Domed personalized sterling silver ring from La Belle Dame
I like this one because of the meaning of the infinity symbol.

Stackable Personalized Sterling Silver Ring from Chris Parry
And I'd totally get this one and just have our wedding date stamped into it. What's great about these personalized rings is they don't appear to be sappy at all. So even though there's a romantic meaning behind it, it's not blatant like a marriage cross stitch with that quote I made up. So for those of us that tend to be more private (like myself), these are great solutions while still celebrating our marriages!

I typed up my husband's biology paper last night while he told me what he wanted to say. 3 hours later we were done. I told him he so owed me a present. Perhaps I'll send him this blog entry to give him ideas. He'll probably buy me a paint brush, though. And I'm okay with that!