And The Winners Are

Well, this has been quite a day.  I have been so excited about my giveaway for the last several days and have made a special effort to be sure to include everyone's name into the drawing.  I placed each folded paper into my favorite antique suitcase and hid it in a safe place.  This morning I went to retrieve the suitcase and it had disappeared from it's hiding place....poof it was gone and no where to be found. 

I was so distraught that I consulted my friend Mr. Rabbit hoping he could perform his magic and make the suitcase appear. 

Mr. Rabbit suggested I ask all of his forest friends if they had seen the suitcase.  He eagerly coached me from behind, interpreting each report, lead and whisper.  I listened intently, trying to glean any clues to the whereabouts of my suitcase with all of your names in it.

I was becoming desperate as I followed every clue, endlessly with no success.  I was losing my head with anxiety.

Little did I know that Mr. Rabbit was messing with me and playing a joke on me as he smugly guarded the suitcase's hiding place....chuckling softly.

Finally Mr. Rabbit had to leave his post to feast upon his afternoon tea and sweets.  Just then another rabbit in the forest looking for the suitcase came upon this suspicious looking hole and investigated.

And lo and behold he found and recovered my beloved suitcase.  I was so excited and relieved.  Now I could draw the three lucky winning names for my Christmas Giveaway.

I quickly set about my task and randomly selected the three winning names.  As Mr. Rabbit was dining on his cookies and tea, a forest creature came running in and told him I had recovered the suitcase and would soon be announcing the winners.  By this time, Mr. Rabbit started to feel guilty about playing such a mean joke on his friend (that would be me) and offered to make the announcement of the winners himself.

Mr. Sparrow quickly flew the winning names to Mr. Rabbit. 

Mr. Rabbit stood on stage ready to make the announcement.  He cleared his throat, put his horn up to his whiskered lips and shouted:

The winners of Diana's Christmas Giveaway are:

Lana Manis

Halle Gustafson

Sandy Navarro

Congratulations!!!!!!

I would appreciate it if each of the winners could contact me and give me their mailing addresses.  (email:  belladonna1351@charter.net)

The response to this giveaway was phenomenal.  Thank you to all of you who left comments and took the time to sign up to be a follower of my blog.

Wishing you all a very, merry Christmas season and fabulous New Year! 

Hugs

Diana

(artwork by Maggie Taylor)



Holiday Giveaway

A holiday giveaway for you my blogging friends.

 

As I mentioned to you in my last post (just a few hours ago), I have been working on going through my studio and pulling things that I just haven't been using.  I don't know if any of you are like me, but when I get inspired or jazzed about something or take a class and learn something new, I have to purchase everything I need for that new project.  And sometimes, just sometimes, all those supplies get forgotten as I am quickly off onto another idea, another project.  So over the past five years, I have accumulated all kinds of scrapbooking, cardmaking, book making and other paper and fabric art supplies. 

I've decided to give those supplies and goodies away to three lucky winners.  Each winner will receive a box approximately 12"x7"x6" filled to the brim with as many items that I can get into it.  I am hoping that each box will hold a bit of inspiration for each of you.

To qualify for the giveaway:

1.   Become a follower of my blog

2.   Leave a comment to this post.

  The lucky winners will be randomly selected on Sunday, December 19th. 

Good luck everyone. 

Thank you so very much for visiting my blog.  You are so appreciated.  I treasure your friendship, kind words throughout the year and support. 

Happy Holidays to you and your family!

Hugs

Diana

Inspiration

Where Do You Find Inspiration?

Whether it be in a particular color palatte; an antique photograph; a found object; the way the warm autumn light plays its magic; the formation of a beautiful succulent; learning something new; being challenged by a friend; a holiday; a visit to farmer's market or antique faire; a good read; or a walk in nature -- we are surrounded by inspirational moments everyday if we allow ourselves to be open to it.

During the last few weeks, I have gradually cleaned out my studio.  Going through every drawer, every container and every nook and cranny, I discovered I have a plethora of supplies that I am not currently using.  As a result, I decided to share some of my goodies with you and created what I am calling my "Inspiration Kits".  Each kit contains a selection of fabric, antique cabinet card wrapped with trims and ribbon, a tea-dyed shipping tag full of vintage/antique buttons; and French ephemera.  Each kit features a different color and is wrapped in a clear bag sealed with ephemera, torn silk fabric, vintage velvet leaves and a tea-dyed gift tag.  Perfect for the holidays!  Take a look in my Etsy store to see if any of them appeals to your sense of inspiration.

Learning Something New

Inspiration can come as we learn new techniques and surround ourselves with other creative spirits.  There is still room in "Queen For A Day" and registration is still open.  I will be team teaching this weekend class again with my dear friend, Riki Schumacher February 26 and 27 here on the beautiful central coast of California. 

Students will learn to etch; cut, shape and form sheet metal; cold joining; basic soldering with a micro torch and basic wire wrapping.  You will make your very own shadow box to showcase a found object of your choosing.

You can't be "Queen for a Day" without your crown or a box to keep your treasures.  A lot of you have seen these amazing embellished boxes that Riki has featured on her blog.  She is actually going to share how she created this fabulous crown.  Yes, you will be fabricating this crown structure yourself and enhancing it with jewels.  A lot of the supplies for this workshop will be supplied so the student supply list will be minimal.  Just show up and let us pamper you. See the flyer under "Teaching" in my right hand sidebar. Space is limited.  You may contact me via email:  belladonna1351@charter.net.

Being Challenged

Sometimes we are prodded by friends to take on a creative challenge.  My dear friend, Diane Cook has done just that.  She has not only challenged me but all of you as well.  Check out the information regarding this challenge HERE on the Brass Bouquet blog.  Okay I know I am a little late in sharing this with you as Diane asked for entries to be sent to her by Nov. 30....however, you can still take the challenge yourself.

No matter where you find your inspiration, not only in your artwork but your personal life as well, keep in mind that you, yourself, are the greatest piece of art work you will ever create. 

"I like to think of myself as an artist, and my life is my greatest work of art.  Every moment is a moment of creation, and each moment of creation contains infinite possibilities.  I can do things the way I've always done them, or I can look at all the different alternatives, and try something new and different and potentially rewarding.  Every  moment presents a new opportunity and a new decision.  What a wonderful game we are all playing, and what a magnificent art form...." ~Shakti Gawain~

Tootles

Diana