Muted Palette

Just a tint of inspirations for the day...

Links: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7

...to bring out the heavenly muted colors to life.

Myria, 4x6 inches, pencils and watercolor on paper

Have a wonderful week ahead, my lovelies! :)

Morning Muse

Hi everyone. I can't believe a week has gone by without a post from me! My apologies... I guess I have been too caught up with life and work that I lost count of days. It's a tad disappointing that my first days of 2013 were spent catching up with deadlines, when I remember promising myself that I would be finding more time just getting my personal ideas out and drawn onto paper. So that's exactly what I did today. I put my work aside, grab the nearest piece of paper I could find and just drew the first thing that came to me.

And it sure felt good. It's amazing how a little change of "scenery" could refresh the mind! I'm really happy at how this muse turned out, I think I may even make more of the same style. Mind you, she's quite small, so that would put less pressure on me. You know how nerve wrecking it is to work with large pieces...I think the anticipation of finishing just one would be a slow death for me right now. LOL. :D

So anyway, what kind of projects are you working on early this year? Any tips on how to keep yourself refreshed and motivated while trying to fulfill your deadlines? I could sure use some! :)

First Giveaway of the Year

Hello 2013! 

Isn't it incredible that thirteen years have gone by after we entered the year 2000? I think I never would have guessed that my life would be the way it is now thirteen years ago from today. I am thankful that I'm still fortunately blessed to be able to stand on solid ground with the lovely sun shining down above me. So in celebration of the new year, I'm here to host the very first giveaway of 2013, with gorgeous prizes from Whimsy Whimsical!! For those of you who aren't already familiar with this wonderful shop, Whimsy Whimsical Paper Goods is a series of paper goods inspired by whimsical forest animals, illustrated and designed by Yee Von. Here are some of the beautiful things you can find there...

I'm so lucky to have met Yee Von through her blog a few years ago, who is the sweet lovely lady behind these creations. I absolutely love her whimsical world and adorable woodland creatures. She's created them with such perfect simplicity that makes me want to smile and hug someone! The fabulous news is, she's generously giving away these two gorgeous prints for two winners (one print for each winner) just for us at Pencils and Fireflies...

Overcome Fear, Behold Wonder, 42cm x 29.7cm

Not All Who Wander Are Lost, 42cm x 29.7cm

Aren't they beautiful? Both prints are part of Yee Von's new design series of silkscreen prints, inspired by her favorite quotes and they are coming very soon to her shop. What's more fabulous is, that these are limited editions of only 9 (yes, nine!!), and you now have the chance to win them! Here are what you need to do to enter the giveaway:

♥ Enter by using the Rafflecopter widget below.
♥ Be a follower of Pencils and Fireflies.
♥ Like Yee Von's page on Facebook.
♥ Leave a comment within this post, telling us your favorite quote and which print you would like to win. Please make sure to leave the mandatory comment with the same name you use to fill out the Rafflecopter to avoid confusion.

For extra credits:
♥ Share the link to this giveaway on Twitter (+1 )
♥ Share the link to this giveaway on Facebook (+1)

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Easy, right? Well, let's get crackin' because this giveaway will end on Friday, 18 January and I will announce the winners the following week. So good luck, you! I hope this helps kick up your spirit a few notches up as you start the new year. :)