I woke up like this

THE GREAT BIG GIVEAWAY!!!!

I am in the giving mood and so here are a few giveaways! Just please leave a comment and I will pick at random who it goes to! there are 4 of them! This is the first one:

Tree Farm, a very popular design I did that actually was in the Container Store windows during christmas season. There are giftbags, tags, sitckers, cards, photo cards, and a mini photo album. I got this inspiration for the design in a Martha Stewart magazine that had vintage aprons.

This Pet Holiday collection is one of my most popular ones too. I still keep getting questions on where to buy a certain greeting card I do not have here because they are all gone. It was a dog one that had swinging legs!
Anyway here are some cards, tags, giftbags and a magnetic post it list.

The Ladies who Lunch Christmas Collection is one I really love that was out this year and last year. There are these cute bags that look like purses and a beautiful boxed greeting card that has a little dress and pretty embelishments on the shoes and purse. There is also giftwrap to go along with it.

Lastly there is the Snowman Collection. Here I have bags, boxed cards, tags, and stickers! I am always doing snowmen for all kinds of clients and here is just a few popular ones.

I have enjoyed putting together this giveaway, and found it hard to pick just a few items. I have sooo many samples all over my house it's crazy. I keep them for my use and to give as presents to friends and family.
I did not choose to put in any heavy items such as ceramics and candles and ornaments just because I did not want the postage to get out of hand. I am thinking going forward that I will do that when its the 100th post or a special event like a big client or job I get.

I am looking forward to hearing from all of you out there in blog land!! and Happy Decorating to all!

LOL

Ellen

Let it Snow Let it Snow!

Hello all, it seems like it is snowing here in the studio, but really it is just me getting geared up for Christmas! I have been thinking about all the things the boys and I will do in the upcoming weeks and I am getting excited. My husband has not become fond of the Holiday due to it's commercialism but I always love it because it gives me a chance to decorate and create more. This design I did is a mix medium, the snowman is painted and his scarf, present, hat, nose and border are all fabric. Some of these fabrics are vintage.I used to do this allot quite a few years ago when I worked in a print studio in NYC. They would sell like crazy and now that I do it for licensing it's less so, but people still like the look. I find it fun to mix the two mediums and it give me a chance to play around some. I think this would be great on a card or giftbag, I am sure that will be the case sooner or later. I was playing around on the web yesterday and found this placemat I did awhile back, and this tablecolth

on Fred Meyer's flyer. I think I posted back in Sept the goodies that came to me that are now in these stores.

Here is the box I recieved awhile back!

I always like getting artist samples, but then I have the problem of where to put it all! I am thinking I should do a give away to get rid of the clutter! I have soo many boxes of Xmas cards and products that I think I will have to post a giveaway asap! I will keep you posted!
In the meantime I have to work on some Easter designs if you can believe it.

So back to making coffee and painting!

Ellen

Turkey, crafting and skating!

Well the Turkey day is finally over, and we were stuffed and sleepy, but satisfied. This year it was a quite one
just my immediate family at my mom's house. The boys had fun playing with their cousin and we enjoyed eating loads of food! We spent the weekend hanging out playing and doing a little crafting, well I was anyway.
I decided late on Thanksgiving to create this cute little ornament. I do not know why but I guess I felt like it!
Get it Felt like it! yes I know I am a cut-up! Anyway this little guy was created out of your basic felt you see in Jo-Ann's or any other fabric store. I simply just cut out 2 of the white snowman pieces, and put in his nose first with a basic stitch, then put in the eyes and mouth with simple stiches as well. I then did a blanket stitch around the whole guy but left a space to stuff him and then finished him up.
I then cut out 2 pieces of another color for his hat and 2 skinny ones in yellow for the stripes on his hat. I first sewed the stripes and then the hat and then placed the hat on the snowman and did another blanket stitch to
connect them. Lastly I added a pom-pom and then the ribbon and cut a piece of polar fleece in green and just tied it around him, but I did cut little slits at the ends to give it the scarf look. Very simple here are the tools you need:

You can go nuts on all kinds of different snowmen. My oldest came down the next day and saw the ornament and had to have one but without a hat attached and ribbon. Colby my little guy wanted one like mine but with green stripes and green pom-pom. So that was fun creating these, now onto the end of the weekend where we all went ice skating in Boston. It was soo beautiful on Sunday we could not resist! Lots of fun , but I left feeling the next day a little sick and sore.I guess I have to take a little better care of myself, especially with my brother's wedding coming up next weekend. Well folks there you have it, now on to work!

Everyone get your Christmas craft on!

Ellen

Time for Turkey!

Well it's almost here, that day when we stuff ourselves to the size of an exercise ball and gather around with family and friends. This will be the first year in awhile that we have not gone to New York for Thanksgiving. The reason for that is my husbands grandmother Flo has moved to Florida to be with her son and daughter-in -law. God love this woman who is 97!! and still has her wits about her. We spent last year with her in Brooklyn and since she has now moved well no reason to go to NY this time except of course to see our fabo friends! I am actually looking forward to not driving 4 hrs on Thanksgiving morning, because the day before was always crazy! This year is a quite one, just our family and my parents and my sister. I say that and you never know what will happen. We took the kids 2 weekends ago to the Mayflower and Plymouth Plantation and they loved it. I had not been there in about 30 years, it's so close that I never felt the need. It is funny how when you grow up surrounded by all this history you forget about revisiting it until you have kids. Massachusetts is just chalk full of it. My grandmother grew up in Concord, Ma which if you know your history is where the first shot was heard around the world! The redcoats and all that! Boston of course is not without exception and then we have Plymouth, Ma where it all began.
I grew up only ten minutes from Plymouth, Ma so for me it has always been oh whatever, but when you bring the kids to show them our history it just seems to come alive! I think we always take for granted what an amazing place this country is and how it came to be. This all gets lost in the everyday life because of all the privledges we have today. As I was listening to the radio yesterday I heard a song that was dubbed over it were there werewishes from the troups to their families. I cannot help but feel soo sorry for those boys and girls who do not get to see their mommies and daddies during the holidays because they are on duty.
I like most people want to bring them home from such a wasted war! I cannot wait to cast my ballot for the next Democratic president it's time the people mattered and not corporations and oil!!!!
So I would just like to say to all you lovely poeple out there be thankful for the time you get to spend with your love ones on this day, make the most of all you have together!, and yes eat to your hearts content!!

Gobble, Gobble!

Ellen

Let's go shopping!

Is everyone ready to grab their purse and go shopping? I am not but I thought I would share some more goodies that arrived last week. I did this design a couple of years ago and always loved it and now finally someone made something from it!

Here are some cute giftbags and gift tags for Christmas! These are not sold in stores but in places like that! They are
for school fundraising and if you see some come your way well sign on!!

Here is the coordinating giftwrap! I think I will have to wrap some of my gal pal gifts in this. I always love seeing how the products come out from the actual design. The usually work out great, I have only had a couple of products that I did not like which is good considering I have allot! Well now that Thanksgiving is upon us that lovely Holiday is just around the corner. I am trying very hard this year to shop early since I have my brother's wedding the first weekend in December and I will not get any done then.
Okay off to work!

Ellen

Up tooo late! Feeling Crabby!

These two guys had me up past 1am last night and I sure am feeling it now. My oldest boy Hayden had wanted me to make him a lobster suffed animal but then decided to have a crab instead. He apparently told his classmates I was making it for him so I had to do it! Naturally little Colby had to have one and well after I finished working out and watching " The Biggest Loser", I continued to finish the little crabs. They kind of remind me of my two boys, little brothers who are completely opposite yet love to hang out together. It always amazes me how different they are so much so I wrote a children's book about it, and hoping to shop it around. The differences are what make us all special and that is the beauty of it all!

They seem so content just hanging around, like there is not a care in the world. I on the other hand are in need of allot of coffee and I think I will have to make a strong batch today! So if you are feeling a little crabby like me today, no need to worry it's only temporary.

Ellen

Life is a circus!

Did you ever get the feeling your life has turned into a 3 ring circus? Well mine has and it's driving me crazy. The boys are home from school today and I am trying to work and fit in a birthday party and many other projects. How did things ever get soo crazy? I used to think I would never turn into my mother but sometimes I feel like her, especially when I have to yell at the boys to stop trying to kill each other. These days I find that there is no way to keep up with work, cleaning and taking care of 2 wild boys. I woke up today hoping for a miracle, a tropical vacation just my husband and I, but here I am!! Oh well at least I could always draw my vacation!!

These illustrations I did awhile ago hoping to get them in baby bedding. I had some clients interested but it never happend. You never know when they will be needed somtimes it's all in timing other times it is just that they cannot fit it in. Well off to juggle, flip and release the Lion!!

Ellen

Girl Talk

Well I think it's time for some girl talk. One of my friends called me this morning to talk about how she could not come to my Halloween party and we made a date to try and get together, just us for a night out. I am so often craving a night out since I work at home and I feel like I live in a cave 24/7. I can remember the days when I worked in the garment district in NYC and would go out after work with all my friends for dinner and drinks and would have soooo much fun. These days I am caught up in work and home life with the hubby and kids and sometimes feel like a lost soul wandering the desert. I can not tell you how important it is to have some girl time, especially since I am the only girl in my house! Most of my closest friends live far away and it's so hard to get to see them. I have this wish that we were all neighbors and could hang out all the time for BBQ's and playdates. I think of my mother's generation and how that was possible for them and how for me I seem to have no time for all that. I think I will have to make a plan to have a gal night once a month with the friends close by and we could make it a theme such as poker night or facial night or even a decorative project. Whatever it may be at least we will be together. So to all you gals out there make a date with a friend and just hang out.

Girl power!!

Ellen

Weekend of cleaning and creating

Yes, it was a weekend of cleaning out the Halloween stuff and putting the house back in order, and creating a little fun along the way. My husband and I can not believe all the stuff we had to put away on Sunday, and I cannot believe I wanted to buy more Halloween decorations! It took about 3 hrs to finally put everything away and get our house back in order. The kids wanted another stuffed animal so here is what they came up with.This guy is Hayden's Ice Type and I cannot remember his name but look at the drawing it came from!

I think we will put him to work soon! What a little talent this guy has. He is constantly coming up with all kinds of new and imaginary creatures. It's just amazing how those little minds work. Although I remember doing similar things at his age as well. Here is another guy he wanted but then changed his mind so he gave it to Colby.

Colby just loves him. His guy was helped a little from Hayden since he is not quite good yet at coloring in the characters so I can see them. He tends to color all outside and around him which is normal for his age.
So Hayden helped him out by drawing what he was looking for and it was quite the crazy character.

All in all I think they came out okay. Mind you that I gave up my dream of becoming a fashion designer in college because of the fact I was not the best seamstress! So for me not bad. I am hoping I can find the love of the stitch again but for now I will stick to paint, it is more forgiving. I do not know how anyone has time to craft since these took about over and hour to make. You see this is why I gave up on the sewing, it just takes too much time and I am an instant gradification gal!!!

Ellen

Cock-a-doodle-do!

The day after Halloween feels like Cock-a-doodle-do to me! Too much to clean up, the house is a mess work is a little chaotic and my mind is on a million things. I can now concentrate on work and getting my body in shape for my brother's upcoming wedding. The workouts are easy for me it is always the food I eat too much of. I am finding it soo much harder to control my sugar intake these days since I love my sweets, but I have to make an effort to take it out of my diet. I have tried Splenda in my coffee but it's just not the same as my Sugar in the raw. I just have to keep my mind on the big picture, skinny... skinny.. skinny..!

Ellen