Come December, Win Some Vouchers!

Hey all! Are you excited about the coming holiday season? There's always such magic during these busy times for sellers over at Etsy. I've only been selling my art there for a couple of years and already I feel so thankful to be part of their family! The Black Friday-Cyber Monday sale I had previously was my first and it really was a great experience. I loved seeing friends shouting out their bargains, teammates supporting each other, and most of all getting a few sales on the way. If you have a shop there, I hope you've had some good times too! :)

So anyway, here are some new works I have in the shop... (click on image to visit the link)

As you can see, I've been busy creating some children and nursery art these past months. The first piece above was done for a special project and I'm so happy that I can now share it with everyone. The last two were also from a project I've been working on, maybe you remember the last time I mentioned it?

Well anyway, December is coming in a few days and I have LOADS of awesome plans to share with you here! I'm always so excited to welcome this special month because even though the year is ending, I know that there will be plenty of wonderful things to experience in the coming year. Don't you agree? So, to celebrate the excitement, I'm giving away...

Wouldn't that be a good start to December?? Just leave a comment here (followers only) and I'll be announcing the winners on Friday, 7th December.

Hugs to you, my lovely friends! XOXO

A Little Detour

I haven't been feeling too well lately. Up there in my head, that is. Not that I'm losing my sanity (because that went out the window ages ago. LOL!), but more like experiencing an "off" feeling... unfocused, dreamlike moments. Like sleep walking. Have you ever felt like that before? The first thing that came to mind was that it's probably the outcome of being sleep deprived, but then I have been sleep deprived for so long, I'm already used to it. Of course, the pile of work waiting on my drawing table is probably contributing some amount of stress and I guess it's normal that my mind wander off whenever I try to get them done.

Funny, isn't it? How your heart tends to rebel when you force yourself to work, when really what you want to do is play? I have to admit that my "working switch" has been on for far too long than I usually allow it. It almost feels like I'm slowing down and I'm getting behind on deadlines. *SIGH* I guess that's a classic working hazard, even if you're blessed enough to do what you love for a living.

Anyway, are you wondering how Alice fits into all this? Well she is actually a little "detour" I took one afternoon while working on a project. At first she started out as a doodle, but then before I knew it the day was half spent and she was nearly done. Maybe we both experienced that same unbelievable boredom and decided to jump into the rabbit hole instead. :D

Alice up there is now mingling with the others over at The Wish Forest, and here is a fabulous Etsy treasury with the same theme that included my Pink Bunny (it's so gorgeous, I just had to share it with you!)...

If I Had a World of My Own... by Ania Cooper

The Mad Hatter's Te... UtterMabness $10.00	seance. lily dale spiri... BloodMilk $275.00	Ocean - Limited edition... miquemoriuchi $125.00	Moss and Ivy - natural ... ForStrangeWome... $40.00
Original photograph - O... thecoloursofli... $34.00	Eat Me Toppers Alice in... seasonaldeligh... $19.00	Black Friday gifts, Lon... pattydear $32.50	Grey Occasion Flower Gi... VesperClothier $95.00
WINTER SALE Fine Art Pr... TheWishForest $17.00	Black Friday Etsy-Hair ... Dariami $9.00	Sweet grey teapot detai... Dprintsclayful $58.98	Hand Painted Skeleton K... PortugueseVint... $12.00
Drink me bottle necklac... Mandyscharms $7.00	vintage otigiri bird de... barleyandrye $14.00	Alice in Wonderland Bra... GiftsofTansy $3.29	The Little Blue and Gre... MagicHouses $15.00

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

I hope whatever you're doing today, is keeping you lively and cheerful. But should you feel like taking a detour, be sure to come back and check in with reality! :)

Hugs,

Strength in Simplicity

Oh my. I can't believe I've been gone for so long! Sorry about that. I've been so caught up at home, spending more time with my kids that the blog got a little neglected. But hey! Wait till you see what I have for you now. :)

As you may already know, I love, love, love working with graphite pencils. There's a kind of simplicity and strength in graphite drawings that somehow makes you want to dwell inside them and just...be. Well, if you feel the same way I do, then you'll love this parade of stunning graphite works from some of my favorite artists over at Society6... (click on image to visit the link)

Incredible, aren't they? They make me want to lock myself inside the studio and draw one graphite piece in perfect details! LOL. I realize that most artists like to sketch their ideas, and some of these sketches sometimes end up as finished black and white drawings. So, how about you? Have you created any graphite drawings lately?

Big hug,

PS: Remember, I still have an awesome giveaway running with prizes from artist Melissa Kojima... so please join us if you haven't already! :)

A Giveaway from La La Land

Hello, hello! So good to be able to pop in and show you peeks to some artsome goodness! This time I'm taking you into the wonderfully curious world of Melissa Kojima, the creative and talented lady of Artist in La La Land. Claims to have been blessed by an abundance of energy, a playful spirit and uproarious laughter, she finds her mark at creating fun, playful art with plenty of influence from Victorian culture, the circus and exotic animals.

See what I meant by creative and talented? Melissa creates many forms of art from her endless imagination...from paintings to paper dolls, cards to ornaments, even three dimensional work! Check out her website and shop for more of fantastic creations. And if this little feast to the eyes isn't already awesome enough, I'm also very happy and excited to announce that I'm hosting a giveaway for her right here, on Pencils and Fireflies!!

In this giveaway you can win...
A set of two Lion Paper Puppets Gift Tags
A set of two Gingerbread Girls Christmas Cards
Gingerbread Family Christmas garland

And all you need to do is use the Rafflecopter below to enter and get your chance to win these great prizes. Please remember to leave the mandatory comment on the blog post with the same name you use to fill out the Rafflecopter. The giveaway will end on the 30th November, and all entries by winner must be easily verified or a new winner will be chosen.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

So good luck to everyone! I'm sure these prizes will bring lots of playful fun and magic to your holiday. :)

Dear Diary

Dear Diary, watercolor & pencils on paper, 2012

Did you have a diary when you were young? Did you pour your heart and soul into the pages of your precious journal every day? Remember feeling safe and content that every tiny secret is guarded by its lock? Well to be honest, I don't think I could have gotten through childhood without mine...

Yes, I was quite an introvert back then. I spent most of my days in the comfort of my room with a stack of papers and a pencil in hand. The first time I wrote in a diary, I didn’t even know what to write. It seemed silly at first to write what I thought, since I already talked to myself about everything. LOL. But when I started doodling in my diary, throwing words and doodles together, my diary and I became inseparable. It was like finding a friend who willingly listened to everything I had to say. A very rare thing to have, wouldn’t you say? I think one of the best things about having a diary or journal as a child was the thought that it was okay to express my feelings. Whether I was sad, angry or just plain happy.

Not to mention that doodling also made it so much more fun and creatively enticing for my growing soul. Something that has helped shaped my personality as an artist today, if I may say so myself. I guess that is why art journaling has become a popular form of art. It’s such a brilliant way to express your ideas and creativity, both with words and images. Here are some inspiring art journals from the wonderful land of bloggers... (please click the image to visit the link)

I'm sorry to say, though, that I have not written in a journal ever since I was a teenage girl. I guess the newly found excitement in life back then took over all interests, and as most girls that age, I also learned the art of confiding in real friends. But after writing this post, I strongly feel that I might start an art journal of my own. Wouldn't that be fabulous? How about you? Do you write an art journal? Do tell! :)

The Night Sky Calling

Wow. Last week was definitely a whirlwind. I think dealing with a sick baby is something that requires full horse power and a mental of steel. LOL. Thank you so much for the kind wishes you've left me, it really added some cheer to read your lovely comments after a hard day (well, that and a huge tub of ice cream!). See that owl up there? He's a new addition to my owl parade, also a little outcome of one quiet night when the baby was finally sound asleep. And with many sleepless nights spent in the studio, I became more friendly with the night sky. How I enjoyed those moments of peeking outside my window and gazed at the stars.

Here are some inspirations I found especially for you... Just a little solitude to a tired mind. :)

Links: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4/ 5 / 6

Hugs,