Bee's Buzzings

Love Notes - for Valentine's Day

I had so much fun painting the designs for these sweet Love Notes earlier this week!  New heart mini notes (or gift tags) are just in time for Valentine's Day and come in 15 different designs in red, hot pink, purple and light pink.  This line joins the other sets of mini notes and gift tags already in the shop (Dragonflies, Owls, Mittens and Assortments).  Available in the shop at BeeDazzlesGifts, they retail for only $8 for a sweet box of 15 notes and envelopes.

I've used the other designs to surprise the girls with a note of cheer from time to time - they always love getting an unexpected word of encouragement tucked into their bag or backpack.  And with the addition of these Valentine notes - I'm thinking up some great ideas to use these for a little surprise for Jim. 

Are you planning on playing cupid this year, too?

Illustration Friday - "Clumsy"

The art challenge this week is to represent "clumsy".  I think the three birds in my "Peeps" painting convey this quite easily.  After all, who of us hasn't been in this situation before?  Hope your upcoming Valentine's Day isn't quite so complicated ♥

Illustration Friday - Wilderness

Better late than never . . . but I had to resort to something out of the archives for this week's topic "Wilderness".  Having the kids home definitely makes it harder to get in the studio time I need.  But beginning next Tuesday, they'll ALL be back at school and I'll be back to a more productive schedule.

My submission for Illustration Friday's topic is called "Tranquility".  It's what I see when I envision the most tranquil scene in nature.  I find this painting to be very serene and peaceful.  I hope you think so, too.

Hello . . . some cheery notes for Spring

Well, we're finally past the coldest week of the year.  Historically speaking, that is.  But warmer days are definitely ahead!  And with the longer periods of sunlight each day, I can't help but think of Springtime and Easter.  Which prompted this set of 4 cheery note cards.  In my Etsy shop, sometime tomorrow.

Last night Jim and I went to see The Blind Side, and really enjoyed it.  Tonight we had "Game Night" with the kids and some of their friends and played Apples to Apples. I've really enjoyed my down time these past 5 weeks, but am also definitely ready to get all the kids back to school (next week Katie returns for her Spring semester) and have the house - and my studio - quiet.  I seem to do my best painting when I'm alone, something that has worked against me since Katie's fall semester ended in mid December.

In the next few weeks I'm also hoping to get some gardening plans finalized.  Though here in Minneapolis the last frost can occur quiet late in the year so it's really not a top priority right now - just something I really enjoy!

Hope you're thinking of Spring, too!

Frosty Minneapolis Morning

What can I say?  I love the way the bare trees and shrubs look on those glorious winter mornings when the air temperatures exceed the ground temps.  Voila!  An instant Winter Wonderland.  Today was another such morning, so these shots were taken before the moisture was wicked away by the sunshine that's just broken through.

Think I've taken similar photos every year when this has happened.  And probably always will - since the effect never fails to enchant me. I especially love the way this shot of our side yard hydrangea turned out.

Off to a movie and dinner later this afternoon with Katie.  Think we're going to catch "New Moon" since it's still in the theaters.  She'll be starting her spring semester at U-W, River Falls in another couple of weeks, so we're getting in some together-time before her schedule once again becomes too hectic.

Hope you are staying warm, and discovering similar little blessings as we round the corner towards Spring! 

Illustration Friday - Confined

My submission for Illustration Friday's "Confined" category.  It feels great to finally submit - participating in Illustration Friday* has been on my To Do List for oh, about 2 years now.  And I'm only a day late.  New routines are a good thing :)

* Illustration Friday is a weekly illustration challenge. A topic is posted every Friday and then participants have all week to come up with their own interpretation.(from Illustration Friday's web site)

Packing Away the Vintage Ornaments. . . until Next Christmas

I love the freshness of a New Year, but saying 'good-bye' to cherished ornaments can sometimes tug at the heart.  These vintage Shiny Brites and Die-Cuts are especially hard to pack away. 

Will likely hold back a small selection of the glass ornaments for my studio - the colors are so inspiring.  And a little extra motivation would certainly come in handy to offset the cocooning I've been wanting to do with the sub-zero temperatures and bitter wind chills we've been experiencing lately.  I'm definitely looking forward to the warmer days ahead and the longer periods of daylight - just the catalysts I need to get the new artwork finished, and posted here.

Hope you're staying warm, or have a fun vacation planned to somewhere a bit more tropical in the weeks ahead...