AOM's April Windows...

I like showing you the window displays at Art On Main. My pal Rachael always does a great job. These are April's windows... ...and my sweet Nubbin "Ellie Ebben Grey" made it into the showcase, hooray! I've heard quite a few times that these little art dolls of mine are what prompts some people to come in the store so that's always great to hear.

The right side window looks great too...(the big blue textile on the wall is one of Rachael's, I am trying to convince her to open an Etsy shop because she makes fantastic jewelry)...

...and my little birdies look great hanging in there too:D

Also, making life at AOM much lovelier these days is my new friend and our new intern Jenn...I am so glad she's joined us and I look forward to my shifts much more knowing I get to spend some time with her...and she's just as huggy as me, ha ha.

There are ups and downs to being part of an art collective...alot of different temperaments, work ethics and personalities and well honestly things don't always jive together quite as well as they should but I assume it's like this in most collectives and it's a learning experience that I welcome. For the most part I feel pretty lucky to be part of the organization because it's the only one of it's kind here in our Northern Area. There are only 15 of us, with only 8 more spots for new comers in the new location and half of those are filled up already...so if your local and interested send in an application cause spots are very limited.

Wee Whispy 3...

This Little Gal is full of sugar:D Ha ha, I think she's pretty darn cute...

I think they look pretty great all grouped together. This little lady is the last one I've made, but I do have a few more drawn up and ready to go. It's not going to be a large series, I don't think. (The original for this little sweetie has just sold, hooray;D)

Well that's it for today, short and sweet:D Have a great day everyone.

Wee Whispy 2...

This Wee Whispy is wishing you love and light... Another mixed media piece on a wood block measuring approx. 5.5 x 9 inches.

Once again she's up for adoption for $60.00 plus shipping and she's really anxious to go to a new home and inspire someone other than me:D Email me if your interested.

I think in a couple weeks I am going to do 'Rabbit Week' and that week I will do posts on things I've been wanting to chat about such as G.I. Stasus in bunnies, Tummy Sludge in bunnies and also Adding Bunnies to you family and what that really entails.

Hopping back to my sweeties now but join me tomorrow for a 3rd Wee Whispy.

Wee Whispy 1....

This is a new little series I've been having fun with. Mixed media on pine blocks and I think they are so sweet. I wanted to come up with something abit quicker to sell for abit cheaper at the AOM gallery BUT they still took me a fair amount of time and I've faced the fact that I am just not an artists who can 'whip' things out willy nilly, quickly or cheaply...and I think that's good to realize and come to terms with because ultimately it's me first who has to appreciate my work and than hopefully everyone else will follow!

But I also really like the ideal of once in awhile making some 'simpler' pieces that are still unique and in my style, that still contain my heart and are still made with quality that I am always a stickler for but that are also very affordable, (well I think I price most of my work very affordable actually but anyhow, ha ha) this little original is ready to hang and ready to inspire a new person and is going for only $60 u.s. plus shipping (Note: This Wee Whispy is now Sold)...so if your interested please email me and I'll create a listing in my etsy shop just for you to purchase it with ease and than it'll be packaged up and sent to it's new home.

I call them 'Wee Whispys" cause they are teeny weeny and measure only about 5 x 9 in. and because the words they are whispering are inspiring and bright. Hope you like them, I'll be showing you the other 2 I have made this week as well, a few more will be coming after that.

They may be prints as well but I am not sure about that yet as I don't know how the buttons will translate to a print, once I do some test runs I'll let you all know.

If you have any suggestions for words or very short quotations you'd like to see on a Wee Whispy do send a comment and I'll possibly use it on a future ene:D

Some New Rabbity Treasures..

Told you I couldn't stay away for too long:D! I've gotten sooo many illustration sketches underway and I am so excited to get back to some of my more serious conceptual work so it was defiantly good to take some time off from my normal routine. Today I am hopping in cause I just had to show you some new treasures that I've been spoiled with over the last couple months and which I finally got around to taking some shots of... These beauties all come from Etsy shops... I can't believe the tiny carving detail and I have 1 other necklace from this carver and I just love his work. Jon said he had to get me this one cause it looks like our Roo all curled up. This little guy is from the Lavender Rabbit's shop. ...and than a couple weeks later these beauties arrived. Hand carved wooden brooches from Barabara and Marcos Suarez, I love their shop and you can see abit of similarities between their quirky style to Elsita Moras, if you a fan of her, I sure am...I have to say these are the top of my favourite rabbity things list. I haven't attached them to anything yet cause I want to make sure they are in a safe place and not in danger of falling off and getting lost. This etsy order was one of the most nicely wrapped orders yet...

and okay now this one IS my current favourite....I love the symbolism, it reminds me that all our bunnies are angels just here to visit on earth for a short time so to enjoy that time everyday no matter how long or short...this piece is beautifully made and has a nice heaviness to it...I still have to find out where this one's from, it was unwrapped awhile ago and it's the one business card I've misplaced!

That guy of mine sure does have good taste in rabbity thingies:D

Join me pn Monday for some new work and those 'wee whispys' I was telling you about.

Well, I am off to a busy day; I will bring bunnies outside for a quick romp (Jaks is finally mastering the stairs, oh I was squealing with excitement and my heart was squeezing with pride the first time he went down and up all on his little own self:D ha ha ) it's abit chilly so I'll have to bundle up. Than it'll be time for a tussle with tax papers, but I promised myself only a few hours of that crap and than on to working some more with my new linears but first before all that some lunch, some yoga and a than a cappuccino:D

Have a great day too everyone.

4 Years Ago Today....

Four years ago today we brought Jinny home. At the time it was Jinny and her two sisters Hazel and Snicker-Noodle (aka Noo Noo). They were in a pretty bad place, not being properly cared for and really needing a kind, warm and forever home, so Jonathan and I took them in gladly. I could get into a really long story here about what they went through and how we adapted them to our home and bonded them with other bunnies, etc etc...but really all I want to say today is that I am so glad 4 years ago today we decided to add this precious heart to our home. She has lost two sisters, Noo Noo about 2 years ago and her bonded friend and sister Hazel just last summer (Oh my heart still aches for Hazzy), now she is buddies and seems pretty content with Jaks but I know she misses Hazel alot...she's such a tough nut, a real trooper, very intelligent, very strong, very gentle, very very sweet and we are so proud of her as the wonderful bunny that she is and as one of the integral and warm parts of our family. We think Jinny is about 6 now...she was apparently around 2 when we rescued her but there's no real way of telling. I hope she's with us for years to come. Today this blog post is dedicated to her, to our sweet girl Jin....Happy 4th Home Coming Jin Jin, We love you:D XOXO.

Happy Birthday To My Niece

I couldn't let today pass by without a special birthday post for my niece. 8 years ago today this cool little lady was born... She is my only niece and the only grandkid in my family and she's growing up so so fast...Already not wanting to hang out with her Auntie quite so much anymore...She's a cool kid with a sensitive heart, she's unique, she's serious but at the same time a silly goof who loves nothing more than to make people laugh, she's just abunch of things that all pretty wonderful...

And today Jonathan and I and the bunnies are all sending out a big "Happy Birthday Karly" shout...

...cause we LOVE YOU MUNCHKIN....Have a great day Karly....LOVE LOVE LOVE you.

Taking a Few Days Off...

Hi everyone...I just wanted to hop in and let you all know that though I have lots of new stuff to show you all, I realize there is no rush to do so, that you'll all be back for a visit sooner or later and catch up on what's going on over here...and right now, in this present day and at the start of a new week, I feel the need to get away from my computer and the Internet for a few days. So I am taking a blogging break, just for a few days...If I am not back on Thursday or Friday with a new post than it'll defiantly be next Monday. Right now my creative heart is demanding full attention and it's stretching to the outdoors....to being in the yard with romping rabbits.....to letting the sun warm my back whiles new books welcome me in like delicious friends....to some weeding, raking, gardening, planting and taking some garden furniture out of winter storage....But mostly it's just time for me to spend some quality time with my sketch pad and work on some illustration ideals I've had for some time and have been craving to get to but I just have been pushing aside...and if I can do that whiles outside with the bunnies and alittle bit of all that other stuff mentioned thrown in, well really why would I fight it!.... Just wanted to give a heads up...have a fantastic week and the bunnies say "Hi":D!

Funky Fish

Introducing another of my fun and funky fish...I've made over 10 now and I just LOVE making them, colouring them in after I design them feels just so lovely and relaxing and satisfying...yes satisfying is the key feeling. I really never thought I'd enjoy doing work in a series, but I was told that it was perhaps what I needed to do to get more opportunities, so I reluctantly gave it a try and started with the small series of 5 "Avian Birds"....but now that I've tried it, I love it and now I can see why so many other artists work this way...it's not debilitating at all, if anything it opens up the imagination and creative process even more...

Anyhow, I hope you enjoy this guy, my newest Funky Fish. The originals have flecks of gold paint and sometime silver, which looks so lovely...I don't know how that will translate to the prints yet but I'll see soon as I'll be putting some in the Etsy shop . The originals are already available at Art On Main . (The original has been sold) I have started on a few other series on top of the Beautiful Birds and Funky Fish series. Sometimes I get so excited about them I can't sleep!

I've also been slowly converting the upstairs studio space to include space for sewing and stuffie making and I am hyped about that because I've been craving to make more...this weekend I am on a mission to find a bolt of quilters muslin. I've also been playing with clay:D...Really there just isn't enough time in a day is there!

Otherwise it's been a hard week for me, a bad migraine set in late Tuesday, got abit better Wednesday but hit again hard Thursday so I did have to endure my gallery shifts with another bad pounding...people say I make migraines and headaches look easy but that's just because I have a high pain threshold and I am a tough cookie, ha ha but I have to clarify that it's defiantly not easy...especially when your walking around for days on end feeling like puking all over, on top of the pain but because of the pain...ugh...but I have no choice but to punch through the pain and carry on as best I can because if I didn't I'd be in bed with ice and heat packs probably 75% of my life! I think also that I've had this head pain since I was quite young just makes it something I have to deal with, I am not giving up on decreasing the frequency or intensity, don't get me wrong and some days I do defiantly get defeated and end up in a dark bedroom for a day or two...Anyhow, enough about that, I just want to share this with you because it is defiantly part of my daily life and part of my artistic struggle/journey.. Before I head out I must mention my beautiful dear friend Judit Gueth, wallpaper and carpet designer extraordinaire, she's been incredibly busy with the birth of her first baby yet she's still managed to carry on with her business and get some incredible coverage/showcases head on over to her blog to see two new exciting publications she's in.

I posted alot this week so I might take abit of a blogging break, maybe until next Wednesday, but we'll see I usually can't stay away for too long cause I am always so anxious to share new things with you...in the meantime, be well and Happy Hoppings to you:D

A New Funky Fish...A Recap...And Thanks...

Just hopping in to show you a new Funky Fish...this guy is abit different, more of a worm/fish I suppose, ha ha...but I am pretty obsessed with BBC learning shows and I've been enjoying alot of underwater ones and in those I see ALL kinds of creatures that don't look real...so I figure mine is okay too, ha ha.

Now onto to what I hope will be a good day, late Tuesday I had a super bad migraine where I was almost throwing up all over so I hope today is a good one because my day will be spent at the gallery doing 2 of my 4 monthly shifts but my evening will be full of art making (if the pain lets up) and bunny snuggling(regardless of pain)...hope you enjoy this newest funky fish of mine and hope you have a great day too, thanks for popping in.

p.s. thanks for the responses from my last post, some people emailed me instead of leaving a post comment and I appreciate those letters just as much, thanks guys, especially Katalin Koos and Michelle May. I just had to express and chat about my happy place in life right now. And the fact that you can always still dream, want, desire and seek things out without it meaning your unhappy with your current place.

Some Thoughts On Life and Favourite New Photos...

My heart feels so full these days, so warm and content... ...sure, not everything is perfect, but whose life is... ....sure, there are things I crave for like being able to travel. It feels like ages since we've gone anywhere exciting. I'd even be content with little trips to the city (which is 4 hours away) where I can take in some jazz, indulge in vegetarian restaurants, visit my friends, spend happy hours in Chapters and Starbucks and real art supply stores! BUT I know I wouldn't trade the buns for a trip around the world... ...and sure, I crave a 'normal' existence without all the pain I have, I don't know really what it's like to walk around without pain in my head, not for long stretches anyways BUT I also know it could be much worse... ....and sure, I wish I had more success with my work, it's not at all going the way I planned, BUT at the end of the day it doesn't matter what level of success I find myself at because what does matter is that I create and keep making things despite that..and that is success of it's very own merit. And, okay sure, I do feel a bit of a disconnect with people lately. It does have to do with my own sensitive heart and expectations of what friends/family/ acquaintances should do to keep even the most basic of connections flowing. BUT, I do have a small group of wonderful people around me, friends and family who are just so lovely...so I can look past all those who do disappoint to all those who lend kindness and light. And I love that some of the people I now consider lovely friends are kindred spirits scattered around the world and people I've never even met in person, but through my blog, my art and my love for animals...I am also so thankful for those people who reach out through the miles and make me feel as though we've been friends for ages. I say all of this because I am feeling reflective but also because today as I work from my studio in our cozy home filled with beautiful furry souls and my wonderful and unbelievable guy about to get home from work well I just feel like I could do this life of mine exactly how it is forever and ever and I really just need to express my joy...(and this is all with a pounding head!)... ....I confess all of this today because well who knows, tomorrow might suck... Anyhoo, ha ha most of you guys know that I love taking pictures and these new ones of my Jonathan and our Apple-Jaks are some of my new favs:D... I joke and call them 'My Two Furry Boys', ha ha...

...whiles most of the other buns are slightly more partial to me (only cause I am the one home with them constantly however) Jaks is very partial to Jonathan....

Oh I just love these shots. They capture the soft sweetness of Jaks so perfectly and the beautiful gentleness in that sweet guy of mine:D...

I feel so lucky to have a partner whose as in love with our bunnies as I am, whose just as nurturing and sweet to them and who loves them completely. As a young girl, I always knew the guy I'd end up with had to love animals and also be very very kind....well I've found that...and guess what, he doesn't eat meat either, bonus:D ha ha. I am told all the time how lucky I am with Jon and today since I am confessing, I send out a big loud "Don't I know it...":D Anyhoo, thanks for visiting, thanks for listening and I truly hope your all able to navigate your days with cozy and comfortable hearts too.

A New Funky Fish...

Ahhh a good weekend was had...Friday I made some Etsy sales, Yayyyyy. Also, Friday I 'meet' a lovely soul all the way from Germany who actually knows the village and area my grandparents lived in:D Saturday we napped alot and caught up on our sleep from when Roo was ill...Sunday we got abunch of wood cut for more art projects, enjoyed some more snow fall, ha ha, let the buns romp around the yard, cleaned the house up and I even popped out to see Alice In Wonderland at the theatres with my favourite movie date, my mom...it was a good weekend...now onto what will hopefully be an equally great week. Today I wanted to show you one of my latest "Funky Fish", isn't she so serene and sweet:D?

I am up to a new series that I am having so much fun with. It's a series I am calling "Wee Whispies" cause they're tiny (except for a few larger versions) and cause they whisper lovely things to you:D I can't wait to show you, they are oozing sweetness that just has to be shared. Don't forget my Etsy Shop sale ends at the end of the day today, it's been on for a month and a half and I think that's long enough...though I may keep the featured items on sale, but I've yet to decide, I'll keep you posted. Please do visit again...thanks for hopping in...all the buns are great and send 'nudges':D

A New Beautiful Bird

It's Snowing!!!...Easter Weekend the temperatures reached about +26 and today it's about -5! Craziness, ha ha...but truthfully, I kinda like it, snow and winter always makes me feel cozy and calmer than summer, I think cause theres always so much to do in the summer. Roo is happy about it, he was bucking all over the deck being the snow bunny that he is, the others mmmm not quite so happy about it. I have so many new 'Funky Fish' that I am anxious to show you but I do like to keep to only one new image per post and only 2 times a week so they get abit of attention before moving onto a new image. This little lovely is the 16th Beautiful Bird I've made and I am really happy with him. I think next week I'll be posting prints of the first 10 Beautiful Birds in my Etsy Shop. The Sale on Prints in my shop ends in a few days actually so head on over there to take advantage of the deals before it's over...I only plan my next sale sometimes next winter.

Update On Roo Boo...

Our Handsome boy is doing great. Thanks to all you lovely souls who wrote little messages and left little comments wishing him well. He started to feel better late in the evening Sunday. Tummy Sludge was defiantly a problem, the worse case he's had. Usually his pee goes abit milky and we know to back off on any high calcium foods for a few days and normally it clears up on it's own but this time there was no warning. He started straining and peeing out calcium dust! Our solution was almost 48 hours of flipping him on his back in my arms and force feeding him abit of water pretty much every hour, flipping him upside down allows the calcium sediment to dislodge from the bottom of the tummy (if you look at a diagram of how a bunnies bladder is shaped you'll understand why the sediment gets stuck!), than we would flip him back over and would massage his tummy right away (you have to know to apply gentle pressure and where to do it before you attempt this) after just seconds of massaging his bladder, he would pee and we'd see lots of calcium expelling. This was our routine until we saw consistently clear pee coming out...but than!...

...he still wouldn't eat! Roo also has teeth problems, he has since he was a little babe. So we took a closer inspection of his teeth, which is never easy! and sure enough they were badly aligned again!

I whipped up this quick sketch to show proper alignment and how Roo's teeth looked...

...so it was pretty clear to us that this was a problem also, perhaps leading to the calcium build up possibly. So, we grinded down his teeth with our dremel tool. I don't suggest this for the faint of heart! But we've done it before for Roo and whiles it's tricky and takes alot of patience to get him into the right position, get his tongue and lower teeth and lips covered and therefore protected etc, we were able to grind them down to a normal length and alignment. Grinding them down is much safer than clipping the teeth, when you get rabbit teeth clipped they can actually swallow fragments and it can also lead to hairline fractures of the teeth which would be a whole other ball of trouble...so grinding always works for us... ...about 30 minutes later after doing this, he started to eat with beautiful gusto, ha ha... ...Tummy Sludge totally cleared up...Teeth alignment once again perfect...everyone is good and everyone is happy, thank goodness! p.s. If anyone had tummy sludge or teeth stories/advice they'd like to share, please don't hesitate to leave a comment or email me. p.p.s. Don't forget about my print giveaway over at Gotta Lot To Give.

More Rabbit Drama and a Sponsor GiveAway at 'Gotta Lot To Give'...

Cross out all that planned stuff and relaxation from the previous post because there's more stress and worry happening here at the Peterson-Saile Warren! Late Thursday Roo suddenly became ill, curled up in a ball in an unusual corner and suddenly refused to eat a single thing. It took us a few hours to pinpoint the problem as Tummy Sludge. We've been through this with Roo before, just not such a severe case. It's partly his fault because he doesn't drink enough water, it's partly our fault because we were giving him too much greens high in calcium and it's partly no ones' fault because from the get go his little system just never seemed to process calcium quite right. We've been up over 24 hours, again...every 30 minutes we're force feeding him water, massaging his tummy and laying him on his back to help dislodge the sludge. At first his pee was coming out as a fine dust, much like baking soda, poor thing. It's very scary and alarming but the constant hydration and other tlc seems to have dislodged most of it and now we're seeing some clear pee coming out without him straining so much...we'll keep doing the same as we've been doing and now we're just hoping he'll start to eat again....how much stress can my little heart take, I don't know!

BUT for some good news....if your interested in a chance to win a free print of mine (the one shown above), please head on over to Melissa's cool blog called "Gotta Lot To Give". I am sponsoring a giveaway with her and there are multiple ways you can have your name entered to win. She hosts a blog that gives things away almost daily and there have been some lovely things up for grabs...I am happy to be included in her oodles of goodies and really thank her for her kind words...let's hope lots of people enter their name, the giveaway is on from today and for the next 10 days...

and let's hope Roo is okay very soon....send us some good energy pretty please. I don't know when I'll post next, most likely only when Roo's better.

Happy Weekend...Happy Easter...

Ahhh Happy Easter Everyone...it will be a very good long weekend I think...not only do I get to have Jonathan home with me for 4 days straight but also... ...this past week Ella and Roo said goodbye to the very last snow hump and look forward to a weekend of romping around in the yard whiles we start spring clean up...

...some new books were purchased this week which I can't wait to dive into...also newly purchased was a pile of wool so I can start to crochet us a new blanket:D....

...bunny blankets have been freshly laundered and Jinster just loves her fresh and clean and puffy binkies so we know she'll spend some happy dozy hours this Easter Weekend in the sun and on her binkies...

...I just finished a little side project, which was painting this little shelf Jon made ages ago, it was for plants outside but I brought it into the house and put it in the dining room, this was part 1 of a 2 part project and part 2 will get finished over the weekend....

...and Jaks seems pretty content to head into another weekend of sun napping and human snuggling after a good week and lots of treats stolen from the kitchen...if you think of Jaks I think it's safe to picture him in a similar position as seen here, ha ha....

...it was a good week full of much needed relaxation, productive work and promising warmth, despite the head pain...now onto a long weekend with much to be grateful for and look forward to...wishing you all a good one... Happy Easter and Happy Spring and See you next week XO from all of us in The Land of Bijou:D