If you celebrated I hope your Christmas was great. Ours was. We indulged in lots of food and play. We enjoyed our time with family so much. They were all so generous and they are really appreciated!

My parents did the nicest thing for me. They took my piece that was published in Somerset Studio magazine last year and had it framed. It was so sweet. My mom even crocheted a beautiful granny square blanket for me too!

My husband gave me two new sketch books and a great book by SARK (among other things). There were many other wonderful and thoughtful gifts and I feel so thankful.

The new toys are being loved by all and we are slowly easing back into a normal routine. My son is off for holiday break so we are hoping to go sledding.

Just before Christmas I read this post started in the Etsy message boards by Etsy seller soapdeli. I just read the first few comments (need to go and read the rest) but I learned that you can purchase a domain name and have it directed to your blog. I love when people are so open and share useful info. I am really still in the upside of the learning curve with blogging, marketing, etc. so when I come across a nugget of useful info it makes be so happy. So now the address for this blog is www.danabarbieri.com. It still works with the blogspot address as well.

I will be back soon to show you what I have been working on.
Cheers,
Dana

Hello

Time is flying around here. It seems we went from Halloween to holiday season. At least that is how things have been progressing around here. I didn't get as much done as I had planned during this little blogging break. No winter inspiration board, no pages in my art book. But I did manage to create and add two new wreaths to my shop (see below). I will be doing two more and then that is it for a bit. The next one will be called Merry and Bright, reds, pinks, purples?, greens. I have it in my head but it will come about on its own. I think the last one will be another all white. So I want to be done by next weekend so I can work on my kids advent stockings. Also, I am making up an advent bag for my mom. I made her a woven paper advent basket last year and she thought it was so much fun. 24 small gifts to open every day starting Dec. 1.

I found some great ideas for presents for little or no money here. He used to have the comments open and people had so many wonderful ideas. Here is a great little read about gratitude during the holidays.

I borrowed the Artists Guide from my library. I am really enjoying it but I will order it since I need it for longer then the library allows.

So that is about it. I am waiting to find out who my partners are for the ornament swap and come up with and idea.

I hope you all had a great weekend. Off to make dinner.


Kids advent stockings in progress.
New holiday wreath. Dec the halls.
This was the wreath before it became a wreath.
New holiday wreath. FaLaLa

I have been a little quiet lately. I have been feverishly working on the Halloween costume for my son and it should all come together tomorrow-please, please, please. I finished all that I could but my husband is going to finish the assembly. It was ALOT of work and I don't feel like doing another costume for a long time. He seems to be excited about so it should be alot of fun. My daughter is going to be a clown. A costume we were gifted with. Easy. Will post a pic soon.

I am making some paper floral winter wreaths for my shop that I have with my mom. You can see wreaths I have made and sold here. The shop has been empty for awhile but I wanted to make some wreaths for the upcoming holiday season. They will mostly be white, some with silver, some with red. I am using assorted papers, some papers I paint and I am using felt accents. I really enjoy making the wreaths but they are labor intensive.

I am heading off to bed right now. We have been keeping the kids up later in preparation for the upcoming time change here and my little girl has been waking up still when the sky is black. This makes for a worn out mama. Tonight is the last night of the e-course but I will wait until tomorrow when my brain isn't so foggy to listen.

Be back soon. Have a great weekend and a Happy Halloween everyone.

It has been a long time since I posted and I have to admit I have been feeling unmotivated. Sorry about that. I have been creating some art to submit to Crane and feeling a bit unsure of it as well as unsure in what step to take next in my art. Our Etsy shop is pretty much dead in the water so I am not feeling so motivated to make anything new for it. It could just be this week this is how I am feeling and things will change. I really don't know. I hope to get out of this funk.

I just wanted to share my fall wreath that I made for a friend. The picture isn't great sorry. My mom and I are going to clear out our Etsy shop at the end of the summer. It hasn't been going so well over there and I am not even sure if I will continue with it. Exploring different ideas and directions right now. And I am now going to concentrate on working on my Crane submittal.. I only have until August 1. Yikes! I hope your weekend was great! Mine was.

ABC Collage-Done

I finished this piece this morning. My great husband gave me an hour to myself! Thanks honey.
I will post it in the shop tomorrow. Have a great weekend!

I have been a very bad blogger lately. Life was a bit busier then normal these past few days.
Drs. appts., playground build week, a rare chance to go out with my mom to a book fair and some shopping. Also, I am excited to to tell you that our shop was accepted in the Indie Fixx Galleria. It went live today!! Go check it out if you have a second. There are some amazing items over there. So I was busy entering all the pertinent info for a galleria space as well. I haven't had a chance to make much art but I have been thinking about alot.
Does anyone have a bookstore near them that sells Marie Claire Idees? I was searching at Barnes and Noble yesterday but only could find the Maison copy. I would love to get this magazine and would happily pay for all shipping and handling if someone could get there hands on it. I am going to subscribe soon.

I will be back later (I hope) to share some art. What have you been working on?

New wreath available tomorrow

The weather was a bit overcast today but I got some shots. What do you think? What do you think I should call it? I was thinking either seaside or sea and sky. Available Thursday in the shop.

Almost done...

with a blue and white wreath. I hope to add it to the shop in the next 2 days. Lots of hand painted papers. I wanted it to have a very beach casual feel. Soothing and calming.

Working on a new wreath

Sorry this pic is not so great.. the weather was very grey and rainy hence dark photo.
This is going to be a very beach, casual type of wreath. Lots of blues and whites-canvas, tracing paper, blue/white stripes, hand splattered paper. The leaves were just laying there and I thought it all looked nice together.

Have a great weekend!! We are going stawberry picking today with the kids. Yummy strawberry jam coming and strawberry inspired art I am sure.

Coneflower-Original Collage

This is the small collage I made based on my sketchbook. 4"x6". I used recycled security envelopes, vintage wallpaper and gouache on Arches watercolor paper. I added it to my Etsy shop.

Today...

...My all white wreath made a treasury, then the Front Page!!! I missed seeing it by an hour. I am waiting to see if it shows up on Flickr. Then Hanna from Hanna's Life is Cool sent me a nice note about my wreath and posted it on her blog. Thanks Hanna. This was the second time for the white wreath to be on the FP and it is so exciting!! First, I am honored just to be included in a treasury among such wonderfully talented people and then to make it to the FP... it is so great :).

....I got to open up my new Moleskin watercolor journal and sketchbook. I am so behind on the discovery of these little books. Can't wait to start working in them. I had an idea today when I was outside with my kids. I had to fumble around in my car and bag for a pen and paper to jot it down, it would of been great to have my moleskin. So I think I will carry my sketchbook around at all times for when an idea hits or I see something that I have to record just then. So I say this but I don't know how realistic it is with two little ones. Chances are they will want to draw in it and all over it and my idea may just disappear. I will give it a shot and let you know how it goes.

...I hung out my clothes on our new clothes line.

....My husband had to rescue a baby robin that was either pushed out of his nest or fell out. I felt so bad for it.

Now available

Available in the shop... various papers used... alot were handpainted/dyed. All hand cut. Bright and cheery colorway!!

Sneak Peek

New wreath coming to the shop later today.

New artwork available soon

Treasuries

It is always so nice to be included in a treasury. My all white wreath made it into two this week!! Thanks so much Erin and eclu!

Creating Cupcakes

Thanks so much to Holly from Creating Cupcakes for posting my wreath! Cute blog!

So all white it is

So I stayed with the all white since you know what? That is exactly how nature is. Not all white flowers are the same white. Some are warmer and some are cooler. I am happy with the way this turned out and I think it would fit nicely in a variety of spaces.

All whites aren't created equal

So this is where I am with my white wreath. I love using different types and textures of paper but all white isn't the same and I don't know if I can keep it that way. Some are cool, some are warm and I don't know yet if it bugs me too much that they aren't all the same. So I may just go ahead and paint them with beautiful color. What do you think?

Etsy Front Page

Yesterday my wreath made it to the Front Page on Etsy after MonicaJ added it to her treasury! That was super exciting. My wreath was sold!! Thanks so much Monica!!