Hi friends. I just wanted to share that I have 4 paper floral wreaths left and they are now selling for just 25.00 (down from 50.00)! Click here to find out more! Thank you to everyone who has been so kind with your lovely comments on the wreaths. They really are a labor of  love and I am not going to be making anymore for quite some time.

Still working on painting. The bottom pick is me trying to do an acrylic transfer as per Beatriz Milhazes.
It should be a fun weekend. What are you up to?

Custom Wreaths

The holidays are really just right around the corner.  I have decided to take custom wreath orders for the holidays. All wreaths are original creations. I use assorted papers that I paint or leave as is to cut and sculpt each flower. What is great about these wreaths is that you can leave them up all year if you wish. You can hang them on your wall or your door. I currently have the blue/yellow/white on my door.

The wreaths are approximately 14" in diameter. This size sell for $50.  If you are looking for specific size or color I will be happy to work with you. Here is a link to two large custom wreaths I created last year for a company holiday party.

If you are interested in ordering one please contact me at dana.barbieri@gmail.com.

xo,
dana

So thankful... Somerset HOME

The dryer had stopped drying and the kids were starting to fight yet again and then the mail lady dropped this into our mail slot in our front door. I was totally surprised. I knew the issue was out I just didn't know that I was getting the issue complimentary. So thankful for that. I just feel so grateful and honored to be a part of this beautiful Stampington publication.

There is something so surreal about seeing your work in a magazine. It is very gratifying and amazing! I encourage anyone who is thinking about getting their work published to go for it!

There are lots of great projects. One from Jen Swift and another from Regina at Creative Kismet who is going to be next weeks Art Biz Mama. 

Check it out if you have the chance and have a GREAT weekend!

Sketchbook of Jane Reiseger
Sketchbook of Jane Reiseger
Sketchbook of Jane Reiseger
Sketchbook of Dee Beale.
Sketchbook of Dee Beale


The other day I was reading Stephanie Levy's blog and she shared that she had an interview with Nottingham Craft Mafia. They took a sneak peek into her sketchbook, which is wonderful. It led me to the sidebar and to sketchbook peeks. You know I love sketchbooks and seeing other peoples sketches. So I was in heaven. You really must go check it out. I really love the sketchbooks of Jane Reisger and Dee Beale. I love the raw creativity that is found in a sketchbook. They are free and unrestricted. It really is a place to play and have fun.



I created two new wreaths this week. Very springy... I am enjoying winter but I am looking forward to spring!!

Last night snow fell... about 5 inches and as I write this more snow mixed with ice is coming down. It is a winter wonderland out there. Very pretty. So we may have a white Christmas :) We haven't put the tree up yet ( this weekend). We have been decorating a bit. I made a wreath for our door....
we made mixed media snowmen....
and Santa. The snowmen and Santa were activities from the countdown to Christmas calendar. Tonight we were going to attend a Winter Wonderland at school but it has been postponed due to the snow. My son doesn't mind. He is outside shoveling with his dad now.
I have begun to paint/collage. I have been unhappy with the attempts so far. So I am doing it anyway. I feel like there is so much to try and explore but I feel like I have been here before. Afraid. Afraid of not being good enough. Afraid of this and that. So I am just going to feel it and do it anyway. So what if it isn't the result I want yet. That is o.k. So I have been sketching ideas, gathering images for inspiration boards and just going for it. I may wind up with tons of not so good, but maybe a few will be good. I know I am not the only one who has felt this way. So I just want to say if you are here too that it is o.k. You will get through it. We will get through it. Inner critic take a hike!

Sneak Peek

A new all white wreath. Available here tomorrow.

Swimming in a sea of flowers

I have a large custom order I have been working on. Two 30" wreaths. Flowers, flowers everywhere. This has been a learning process for sure. Ups and downs to it which I won't go into here. I think they will come out very pretty and festive and I hope the customer is pleased. I just wanted to say "hi" and I hope you are having a great weekend.

Some fun things we did/are doing this weekend:
*Took the kids to a puppet show. Based on the book Caps for Sale. They loved it!

*Making/eating gucamole, wish I was going to have a margarita with it. :)

*I don't have a love for cooking/baking but I do enjoy doing it with the kids. We make a pizza and calzone at least once a week. After I broke our cheap pizza wheel I just ordered this one.
It is supposed to be wonderful.

*And I ordered The Artists Guide. Since it is due in a few days and there is no way I will be done.

* Also, I read this post on treasuring by Jessica Gonacha Swift. Here is a bit about it:
Spring is a collaborative project that has a single, overarching theme: inspiration. Through videos, blog posts, and the website itself, Spring is opening an insightful dialogue that focuses on helping you design a life you love.
Here is the link if you want to read more.

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

Halloween + A wreath + A day off

Halloween came and went. The weather turned from cloudy to rain so we loaded the kids into the car and drove to the mall for trick or treating. They really had a great time. It was safe and dry. The costumes went over well. Even though the train was alot of work and a bit frustrating it was really fun to make and it looked great. After a couple of falls on the trains face (bottom photo) we did a couple of adjustments and my son did great walking around. My daughter loved being a clown. It was so cute. I don't know what they will want to be next year but I better start early.
So mixed in with the blue paint and cardboard I managed to make a wreath. I am going to list it in the shop on Monday. It is a mix of assorted papers with white felt accents. It was alot of fun making this. I already have the next one going in my mind.

So Sunday came and my husband heard my plea for a day off. He took our kids out in the morning for 2+ hours. I didn't do a single thing I had to do. I stepped over the toys, ignored the laundry and neglected the crumbs. This is what I did instead:
-took a long, hot shower
- breathed deeply
- took photos
-painted
-took a walk to the local bakery for fresh rolls

Then in the afternoon I drove over this
to go here. Once there I went to this art store and for a cup o joe here.

I bought some new art supplies (really had to restrain myself), enjoyed my hot coffee and just sat.
This is so important to me and to anyone who is a caregiver. It helps me to be a better mom. I came home and gave my kids and husband a big hug and kiss.

I am going to come back soon with some thoughts on the e-course (it wrapped up on Thursday) and then take a short blog break. I want to be in create mode with my wreaths. I want to finish the winter inspiration board I started and work on my Art Book. I am going to get going on the making/buying of x-mas gifts and just focus. I hope your weekend was relaxing, joyful and of course creative!

P.S. I forgot to mention that I was pleasantly surprised the other day to learn I won a give away on Jacqueline's blog. A super cute spoon. Go check out her blog!

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.

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.

Working on this week..

This week I am working on a new wreath in fall colors for a friend who has a birthday coming up. I am trying something new with my flowers. I made some templates and traced them onto watercolor paper and painted them in. I also did some book page flowers as well. I am thinking of doing some kraft paper flowers as well. The bottom pic has a small painting I am working on that I was going to give as well. I would love to see what you are working on. Leave a comment with a link if you are working on anything this week.

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.

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.

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!