happy day studio

Ten Years Ago

2011-09-11T17:18:00.002-04:00

9.10.01 I remember driving in my car. Blue sky. Sun shining. Radio blaring. My arm dancing outside the car window, feeling the cool breeze. I remember smiling and thinking, " This is such a beautiful day!" 9.11.01 My then boyfriend and I were fast asleep when I received a phonecall from my mom. "Turn on the tv," she said. Lazily I turned it on, but couldn't understand what I was seeing. It was a news report with a split-screen image labeled "New York" and "Washington, D.C." Things were smoking and on fire. I thought I was witnessing the end of the world. I thought Boston would be next. I suppose it was - in a way - the end of the world as we all knew it to be. I woke my boyfriend up and we sat huddled together on the edge of the bed, clutching one another in fear and confusion. I remember seeing the towers fall, but not making any sense of the images. The news reporters were slow to explain what we were seeing... I think they were stunned too. "What is happening!?!" I kept saying, but there were no answers that I wanted to hear. 9.12.01 and the days that followed:

The silence in the skies was deafening, marked only by the occasional military jet circling overhead. This was real and happening to us all. Flags were everywhere, on cars, trucks, and homes. Some of my roommates didn't want to talk about it anymore, some couldn't stop talking about it. None of us knew how we were supposed to deal. We just kind of went on living. I went to a mall to be near people, but the few who were there were walking around like zombies. I guess we all wanted to feel a little normal, but everyone knew it wasn't working. I kept a votive candle on the front steps, in a jar. There wasn't much more I could do. 4.21.03

My husband and I were on our honeymoon in Washington D.C. No tours were being held, and most things were closed down to the public due to 9/11. We couldn't get very close to the White House, because of the extra rows of barriers in the street.

We saw a newly opened 9/11 exhibit in one of the museums on the National Mall. It was too sad, and we ran out of the building crying into the sunshine. We laid down on the green grass and took photos of ourselves. A honeymoon is supposed to be happy, but it was a struggle to stop thinking about the tragedy.

9.11.11

Ten year anniversary. Still feels just like it happened yesterday. I cannot see the images of the towers without crying for the people who were trapped on the upper floors. The people who jumped. The happy kids on rooftop tours, who had torturous last moments.

We are now used to the words "post 9/11" or "pre 9/11." We are now used to "security" searches at airports, taking our shoes off, and having our bags searched. We are used to seeing images of war with unseen foes, and hearing casualty reports, and deployment reports. We are used to the words "suspicious package" and "powdery substance." We know that you can't bring a bottle of water on a plane and your shampoo must be in a clear container. We are used to hearing about national security levels and the Department of Homeland Security.

Since 9/11, the police and fire departments come through the beginning of a parade to a standing ovation, instead of the end to people heading home.

As I looked at people today, going about their lives, I knew the events of past were in the backs of their minds. I felt connected to my fellow Americans. We all share a common bond. We all know where we were ten years ago today. We all have a story. What's yours?

Changes

2011-09-10T11:50:00.001-04:00

I've been hearing on the news lately that the post office is in real danger of being phased out. People are using social media, and email to communicate while the written word is becoming extinct. I suppose I can't stress enough the importance of passing on writing skills to our kids. I just had my son choose his own birthday invitations, then write addresses of his friends on all the envelopes. We went to the post office, where he chose fun (Pixar themed) stamps. We mailed them out. It was quite a bit of work for a five year old, but in the end, he was so proud and excited to think his mail would soon be in his friends' mailbox! What do you think? Are you okay with emails replacing paper letters or cards? I'm guilty of this... I'm worse, because I'd rather text chat than write an email! I think it's time to get serious now, because not only are jobs at risk, but the entire US mail system. Do you think fifty years from now, your great-great grandkids are going to be searching through an old box, and be amazed and excited when they find.... the hard drive to your computer? I'd rather find photos and letters. It's like, when I go to an art museum... I get very close to the paintings so I can see where the artist made his/her marks. Same thing with letters... Find an old letter... Look at the script. Someone's hand wrote that, held that piece of paper... So what's next? Get a piece of paper and write a letter to a friend. Don't think they'll write back? Pop a pre-stamped/addressed envelope in with your letter, so they have no excuse. Go to your local craft fair and buy some pretty notecards. Go to Etsy.com and buy some! I promise a card in the mailbox is worth a thousand emails.

xoxo Kelly

Hey Ice Cream!

2011-07-08T00:26:00.001-04:00

Snail Mail

2011-07-08T00:14:00.001-04:00

I'm a broken record when it comes to talking about the art of writing letters and sending cards. It's dying folks, but you can save it!! I GUARANTEE you, a friend opening their mailbox to a handwritten card is better than a Facebook "happy birthday" message.... I'm teaching my son to write thank you notes, and send written correspondence. He's five and knows not only about addressing envelopes and where the stamp goes, but that is a nice gesture to send a card to a friend! Today, he made a thank you "card" - as his cards end up being full page drawings with the sentiments written among the pictures. He also made a few notes and drawings to send to his little friend from school, who he has not seen in a while.

I had him tell me different things he wanted to say, and I wrote them out clearly on a sheet of paper. He chose which sentences to copy onto his cards, and they came out awesome! I could tell he was proud of himself, and he is SO excited to mail his creations out.

Take ten minutes and do this with your kids! They will learn invaluable lessons about gratitude, friendship, and the importance of handmade! Pass it on!!

Christmas in July

2011-07-08T00:04:00.001-04:00

As much as I love painting and drawing, my new fun escape is playing around with stamps! Some, close to me, consider stamped cards to be "cheating," since they want me to hand draw everything I do. That's okay, stamping is just addicting and mindless fun for me. I love the beautiful paper, and the layering of pretty inks. It's a fun craft for me... You should try it too! It's a great stress reliever and you get nice cards out of it. ;) Today, my niece joined me in a Christmas in July stamping extravaganza!

We have a grand scheme to hand make all our cards this summer, to keep us out of the sun (damn Irish skin), and one step ahead of our Xmas rush. I am waaay to involved with my cards - layering ink and cut paper, layering stamps.

My niece likes to use ribbons, and simple cut shapes. In the time it took me to make three cards, she made fourteen! HA!

Hers are super cute. We just have different styles, and that's the fun of it... You can get as involved as you want!

Happy crafting!

Mobile Blogging!

2011-05-17T14:47:00.001-04:00

I have been waiting for a mobile blogger that works with blogspot for a long time! This is a test post, and I hope it works well! Here goes! This is a link to my Etsy shop !

Let's give this test post a whirl.. Shall we?! Wheee....

Crochet Baby Skates!

2011-01-08T01:45:00.001-05:00

Cheers to the New Year!

2010-12-31T16:16:00.002-05:00

My sister-in-law asked if I could make some handpainted wine glasses for her family Christmas swap this year. I said, "Sure!" even though I'd never done it before... Ha! It turned out to be so easy and fun. I used a different glass painting technique than I've used in the past (for ornaments, etc.)... I bought some enamel paints that you can let air dry for a number of days, or you can make them permanent just by firing the finished work in your oven! (No, your glasses will not crack or explode if you follow the directions.) :)

Here are the final pieces:

The glasses for the swap.

The paint is not food-safe, so leave it away from anywhere your food will touch.

I decided to make her a set as a gift too :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Evolution of the Happy House Ornament

2010-12-31T15:37:00.010-05:00

Sketches of houses.

Draw it out after tracing the house pattern.

Paint it in.

Seal it up.

Glue together...

GLITTER TIME!

Ready to give :)

Can't Wait to Create!

2010-12-30T22:35:00.000-05:00

Got this super-huge art set for Christmas, from my brother! Its in a wooden suitcase, and it all folds out to reveal tons of art supplies. Its so full of color! I can't wait to see what I can make with all this! He's so great, he got my son a smaller version too :) Guess we'll be working on more projects together soon! Thanks bro :)

Handmade Surprise in My Email!

2010-12-29T08:36:00.000-05:00

After starting a discussion on my facebook fan page , I received some photos in my email from my cousin! She was telling me stories about all the handmade ornaments on her tree. She uses them every year, and some are thirty years old! I thought I would share her special ornaments with you...

Packed with handmade ornaments!

Each handmade ornament holds a special memory...

What about you? Do you have a special handmade tradition for the holidays? If you'd like to share with me and have your story or photo featured on my blog, send me an email! happydaystudio@gmail.com

Forever Handprint Ornaments

2010-12-28T10:31:00.002-05:00

While searching through the Christmas Tree Shop, for something completely unimportant but something I'm sure I NEEDED to have (haha), I came across some ornament kits in a clearance bin. They were only $1.99 - sweet deal!! Handprint ornament kits....

I'd never worked with plaster before, but these seemed like the perfect special gift to give to my son's grandparents! The kits came with plastic molds and little bags of plaster that you mix with water. I added too much water by accident, so I had to let the molds set for much longer than the instructions recommended before my son could stick his hand in... (It was a soppy plastery mess! Ewww!)

Eventually the molds did start to harden, and my son had a blast while I pressed each of his fingers into the plaster. He seemed very excited when he lifted his hand out, and the impression of his hand was still there :)

After the molds were dry (I left them out overnight), I carefully popped them out of the plastic. The plaster was super smooth and bright white! I gave my son some red and green acrylic paint, and let him paint in the hands. He was very meticulous, and made sure to get inside each finger!

When he was done, I went around the edges with contrasting color paint just to give them an extra boost. I made sure to leave his markings intact! When the paint was dry (which was only a few minutes), I had him write his name on the back of each one with a permanent black marker. I added his age and the date. If I had more time in my holiday rush, I would have loved to seal them with an acrylic sealer... But they turned out just fine anyway.

The molds allowed for a hole in the top, and I strung them with ribbon. The grandparents loved them!! When my mother opened hers, she took my son into my old bedroom and showed him a plaque on the wall... It was an ink handprint I had made in kindergarten, same age as my son is now. It was very special. Perfect memories - worth much more than that $2.00! :)

Kids Cookie Decorating Extravaganza

2010-12-27T11:57:00.001-05:00

I can't take the credit for this one, but it sure was a good idea and lots of fun! We were invited to a holiday cookie decorating party at a friend's house. She had premade the dough and baked up lots of gingerbread cut outs while we were there.

The guests were to bring decorating supplies. I went through the cabinet and pulled out an assortment of random goodies. I didn't have anything that was in traditional Christmas colors... As a result, the cookies came out really colorful and fun! Other guests brought red/green/white, so it was quite a mix!

The kids ate the cookies as they finished decorating them...

There were a few kids (ages 4-6), and it probably got as messy as you can imagine it would! We let the kids go crazy, and they made some funky-delicious treats!

Don't be afraid to make a mess! You can clean it up later :)

The ones that didn't get eaten were packed up as gifts from the kids for their parents and grandparents. This was an awesome tradition to start, and would be fun as a family event too! I hope we do it again next year :)

Non-traditional holiday colors are just as fun!

Don't think the adults didn't get in on the cookie decorating action! ;)

Handmade Christmas ReCap!

2010-12-26T23:26:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone! Happy Christmas! :)
I hope you all had wonderful holidays!

This year, I tried my hardest NOT to have my annual Christmas-mental-stress-breakdown. I did get a bit rushed during the last week, but I made peace with the fact that I couldn't possibly get everything finished. (ex: sending out my Xmas cards!! They are still on my counter, after a failed attempt at getting them printed at a certain huge chain store.. rrgh I'm still fuming!) I did, however, make a few gifts that I will share with you in my posts this week!

Cutest wrapping paper ever!

I'll have these stories and more: kids super-duper Christmas cookie party, painted plaster handprint ornaments, paper 3D houses, painted wine glasses, etc!

My boy surrounded by happy handmade goodness!

As the year comes to a close, I'm also thinking about the future of my happy day studio and where I will take things from here. I would love to reopen but there will be some changes to make my processes speedier and more effecient. I am really excited about what I have in mind, and I'll share it with you soon!

For now, I'm cozied up at home during a snowstorm. I'm enjoying my Christmas tree and all the lights before they come down on New Years. Stay warm and crafty!

xoxo
~Kelly

Handmade Holiday Discussion... Join me!

2010-12-11T08:53:00.000-05:00

Hi friends! I hope you are all covered with glitter and gingerbread for the holidays right now :) While my shop has been closed, I've had a chance to take a look at what other crafters and artists are doing. I've also had time to make a bunch of gifts, as well as shop for some.. hee hee! My holiday shopping has all been online, since I've had no time with my crazy schedule to get to any craft fairs this year.... What about you?

Come to my happy day studio facebook page, and discuss this (and more!) with me! I've started a group discussion there to hear your thoughts on giving and getting handmade for the holidays.... Can't wait to hear your thoughts! :)

Click on this link for my discussion page on facebook:
http://tinyurl.com/36fbxog

Are you a fan of my happy day studio facebook page? No??!?
Bummer....
But, its not too late! Here's a link!!
http://tinyurl.com/3adqgu9

Getting Our Fall Crafty On....

2010-11-15T19:08:00.000-05:00

We got inspired recently to start some fall crafts... I cut out a big acorn shape, then we tore apart an egg carton. I added some brown paint to craft glue. The boy had fun dipping the egg carton pieces into the mixture, and adding them to the acorn cut-out to make the bumpy "cap" of the acorn. It was super messy, and he loved it! We added glitter at the bottom of the acorn.... just because we like glitter.

Next, we made suncatchers by tearing/cutting up fall-colored tissue paper, and sticking it onto clear laminating film. Then, of course, we added glitter, and covered the top with another piece of laminating film. I cut them up into leaf shapes. They look SO pretty in the windows! They are bright and colorful... I wish we had some to put in every room :)

Here's the (condensed) Story, Morning Glory...

2010-11-13T20:47:00.002-05:00

If you've been wondering what happened to me, why I closed my shop, why orders were taking so long, why I gave everyeone a refund, and will I ever be back..... Here it is, because I feel I owe it to all of you to know, in a quick version:

Healing from a torn ligament in my knee.
Got my flu shot, two days later became seriously ill for two weeks and my son got a form of strep.
Had an order come back to me in the mail destroyed, and it missed the person's special occasion.
I was finally okay and made up a whole bunch of orders.
I become seriously ill again and so does my son, no work, no school.
I find out a friend has cancer, the same day I find out another friend's mother has terminal cancer.
Halloween: sick but I go out anyway because I don't want the boy to miss out.
My depression medicine stops working - which was super handy.
I find out another friend's leukemia relapsed and is given a 30% chance of survival.
Guess what... I'm sick again! My son gets two ear infections and conjuncitivitis in both eyes.
On the way home from urgent care for my son, my husband (four cars in front of us) gets into a head-on collision with another car that crossed the center line.

Those are the major points. I have really been trying to stay positive through all of this stuff, but the car accident was the end for me. I want to thank all of you for being so supportive while I give my family and friends all of my attention right now. I can never stop creating, and as soon as things slow down I'll be back to my shop, I just don't know when as of now. You are all amazing, and I will still be on facebook, twitter, and my blog. (I need something to distract me!) Thanks everyone and I am sorry for all the inconveniences I've caused for my customers. I really have the best customers EVER. Love you all...

~Kelly

My husband will eventually heal and luckily we were not in the car with him. We did not see the accident happen, but came upon the scene less than a minute after it occurred. Ten minutes before, my husband had asked my son if he wanted to ride with mommy or daddy... He picked me.

home away from home

------------------------------------------------

There is a bone marrow donation registration and fundraiser for my friend Amiee coming up. We met when we both joined the New Hampshire Roller Derby League in July. She is a strong, beautiful, fun, and amazing person. If you are in the NH area, please consider going. There is a fund being set up for her little son (she's a 29yr old single mom), and a toy drive for her son with the excess going to charity, as well as a bake sale. You can also possibly save someone's life by joining the bone marrow registry through the mail. Visit the National Marrow Donor Program's website for more information.

Half Pint O'Rage of NHRD, is currently undergoing treatment for the return of her AML (Leukemia). She is 29 years and relapsed after obtaining remission in January of this year. She has been told that her prognosis is between 20-30%. She has a 6 year old son, Ayden and started her treatment today (Novemer 10). Her treatment entails 4 weeks of inpatient chemotherapy followed (hopefully) by a bone marrow transplant. If the transplant is not available they will attempt a stem cell transplant and a second round of chemotherapy. Her chances are increased with a bone marrow transplant.

How can you help? NHRD was invited to a donor drive help by her High School friends - we are inviting you to help in the fight!

Saturday, November 20 · 10:00am - 3:00pm

Alvirne High School, 200 Derry Road, Hudson, NH

Handmade Halloween Featuring "Mr. Powerful Man!"

2010-11-03T18:45:00.000-04:00

The boy wanted to be Optimus Prime from the Transformers AGAIN this year... But, unfortunately, with his new bigger glasses, the mask didn't fit! booo...So, the night before trick-or-treating we decided to make a new mask to accomodate his glasses! I cut up a shipping box (go recycling!), and traced the shape of the old mask onto the cardboard. I cut it out, with much larger holes for the eyes and mouth, and drew the basic shapes with a marker (so it would at least Kind Of resemble O.P.)! I attached a couple pieces of craft foam on the back of the mask, so it would be more comfortable to wear and added an elastic around the back. My son had a super fun time looking at the old mask and deciding where the colors should go on the new mask. He colored them in, and then we put glue and glitter.

(What fun is it really without glitter!?!)

He decided as we were finishing up that he was no longer going to be a Transformer, but "Mr. Powerful Man!" (He made that up, in case you were wondering... Oh.. and he's "electrical"!!!)

Here are a few pumpkins carved amazingly by my sister and friends:

This picture shows (although poorly) a bazillion strings of lights going across some people's whole front yard. It created an awesome effect, and I wish my camera had been able to capture it better! Totally cool for Halloween night... Orange and purple glowing EVERYWHERE! :)

It's that time again!

2010-10-05T22:03:00.000-04:00

Halloween is coming! It's fall, and the temperature here in MA is finally cooling off! Leaves are changing color, pumpkin patches and apple orchards are the busiest spots in town... This is definetly my favorite season :) So, Happy Fall everyone! Where's my candy corn.....

Another Front Page!

2010-06-15T12:14:00.001-04:00

My "hello bird on red flowers" card made it to the front page of etsy.com on June 10, 2010! Yippee! Many thanks to TheLittleRooster for adding me to her Treasury! I really love the color combination of red and robin's egg blue...

Boys and Girls

2010-06-04T17:21:00.001-04:00

Boys are silly!

I would have thought having a little son would make it easier to come up with boy-themed designs, but to tell the truth, I really like drawing little girls and cupcakes! I have had alot of people ask me why I don't have more boy designs, and really when I sit down to try it my mind goes blank! What do boys like? I should know this..... think! think!

Well, I racked my brain and came up with a few this week... They, of course, all have funny things on their heads, and they are themed... pirate, cowboy, etc. I'm thinking I need a super hero, or a beachy-snorkeler, maybe a fireman... but I'm not sure what they'd be carrying. Any ideas? I left plenty of room for personalization on these cards, like names and birthdays.

Oh, I almost forgot! The other thing I've been working on is zooming out so you can see the FEET! haha yay for feet!

Wowza!

2010-06-03T11:02:00.001-04:00

One of my cards made it to Etsy's Front Page (for everyone to see!) Yipee! Yahoo! Thanks to Glass Etc. of Etsy for including my love birdies card in their treasury! :) I wondered why my shop was made a favorite by so many people on May 26... COOL!

PB + J = 4 EVA

2010-05-27T13:34:00.000-04:00

Ahoy!

2010-05-11T09:11:00.000-04:00

Worcester Art Museum - Who Shot Rock and Roll

2010-05-10T22:09:00.001-04:00

Are you anywhere in the vicinity of Worcester, MA? Did you know Worcester has a really great Art Museum? Well, you won't want to miss this fantastic exhibit called, "Who Shot Rock and Roll"! Showcasing about 100 photographs, the exhibit lets you peer into the public and private lives of iconic music stars from the 50's to the present.

Music has such a huge impact on all our lives... It can bring us back to moments in time where we remember just what we were doing, where we were, and experiences we had. A song can do that. These photos do it too. A great aspect of the exhibit is reading the little blurbs next to the photos, which tell you about the photographer... who they were, their relationship to the artist, and sometimes noting how it was the first time they had picked up a camera!

From Elvis and Buddy Holly, to Eminem and Madonna... This exhibit blew me away, and I plan on seeing it a few more times! I dragged my four year old son in with me (because really, how else am I going to see it??)... He was fairly bored, but it was fun to see which photos caught his interest. He was completely intrigued by a floor to ceiling montage of hundreds of images of Michael Jackson dancing. When we were on our way out, he asked me if we could listen to music really loud in the car, specifically one of his favorite Green Day songs... Ha!

Please read more about the exhibit, and the other goings on at the Worcester Art Museum HERE. They also offer art classes for all ages, there is a library, ancient art, and more... This exhibit closes on May 30, 2010!! See it soon, or you lose!

Custom Thank You Cards

2010-05-10T17:19:00.000-04:00

Making "Valentimes" :)

2010-02-13T23:23:00.003-05:00

After days of non-stop cleaning, there was finally enough room for my son to do projects at his new art table! Yipeeee! (And by "new" I mean, a really old desk that the lady who lived in this house before us left here... I sawed the legs to make them shorter and voila! PROJECT TIME!!) :)

So, after much deliberation on my part, I decided to go with storebought/handmade valentines for the boy to bring to his school Valentine party... He was SO into making these... He painted, glued, glittered, stickered... glued some more... and wrote all the names on each one! He was also the ONLY one in his class who made his own valentines, and the only child who wrote all the to/from names... It was awesome sharing this time with my son, and really look at his face in these photos! Making "Valentimes" is SERIOUS BUSINESS!!! ;)

They came out so pretty! He did a great job :)

And you know we couldn't go to a school party without happy treats... so yeah... There ya go!

Under Construction...

2010-02-13T00:31:00.000-05:00

I'm currently in the process of updating my website www.happydaystudio.net... I hope to make it a functional site quickly! I can't wait to get it up and running, and to have it be something that really represents my art and my business... Okay, back to work!

Mommy Hugs :)

2010-02-10T23:12:00.002-05:00

(or big sister hugs!! Those are great too!)

I'm finally ahead of myself for Mother's Day this year... Go me! These cards will be up in my Etsy Shop soon!

Love.

2010-02-07T23:02:00.000-05:00

Just Because...

2010-02-07T22:55:00.000-05:00

Sweet Ellie!

2010-02-07T00:11:00.007-05:00

I had a customer request a special Valentine's Day bookmark, today, inspired by my happy elephant birthday card....

Actually I misread her request (oopsie!) and thought she wanted a Valentine version... She had originally just asked for the birthday ellie on a bookmark to give as a Valentine gift! I drew up a Valentiney sketch and she ended up liking it more! :) (yay!)

Here it is:

Cute, cute! :)

Pinkey-Orangey!

2010-02-02T22:30:00.001-05:00

Studio Stuff

2010-02-02T22:10:00.005-05:00

I was thinking the other day that it is so sad my son doesn't have a place to do art projects! He LOVES to paint when I'm painting, and I have been so beyond disorganized, it wasn't possible!! S - A - D!!! So, for the past two days I have been literally sweating it out.... throwing things away, unpacking boxes, moving furniture... Its starting to come out awesome and I am SO EXCITED!!! (My son is too!!! He keeps coming over to check on my progress, and looking in his new craft cabinet to make sure its all good. HA! He's so cute...)

Anyway, there will be no "before" photo because its so embarassing! But, trust me... It was baaaad.... *CRINGE*

Newly organized paints!! These have been in drawers for years and years... Don't they look so much more inviting when you can see them??? It makes me want to paint! I LOVE the COLORS!! My father built this cubby for me a long time ago out of scrap wood. Its heavy and I never really knew what to put in it... but, this works!! :)

Storage boxes from a large chain store that starts with a "W"... haha... only $6.00 for a set of four (perfect size for my cards!!) They are sturdy and they look expensive! They make me really happy ;) Sure beats that old shoe box I had all the cards in before! Woo!

More to come! Can't wait :)

Doodle!

2010-02-02T22:06:00.001-05:00

Oh, I'm back! I'm back! :)

2010-01-31T15:05:00.008-05:00

Hi friends! I'm so happy to be back after a couple of crazy months!! Unfortunately, it was not fun and games that kept me away, but a family emergency that left no room in my brain to think about anything else. Things are coming back down to their acceptable chaotic speed, and I really can't wait to start creating again. I think that pent-up creative energy is ready to come out, and hopefully it will manifest iteself into something cute and colorful haha :)

So what is coming up? Valentine's Day! I love making valentines! Did you know the first official valentine in the United States was made in my hometown of Worcester, MA?? It's true! Thank you Esther Howland! GO WORCESTER! ;)

I remember learning about Esther and her valentines in elementary school. My class made victorian style valentines using paper doilies, lace, and ribbon... I brought in a sample of my parent's wallpaper which had victorian style drawings on it for kids to cut apart and use. Obviously I loved this project!

I know that I always thought the boxes of cheap storebought valentine's were cool too, but now that I have a son in school I'm wondering if he should make his or if I should let him choose what he wants from the store? Decisions, decisions! Will you be making your own valentines this year? How about your kids?

This was last year's glittery heart project... He only made one and it was for me! Awww so cute ;)

Be Merry Banner

2009-12-07T00:19:00.008-05:00

I made a super cute holiday banner to hang on my fireplace this year... So much fun to make, and yet again... another project where I made a ginormous mess and covered myself with glitter!

To make this I used leftover cardstock from my paper chain project (so it would match!), white cardstock, glitter, 3-D dots, glue, ribbon, a sharpie, scallop edge scissors, and some sheets of scrapbooking paper (that I painstakingly took FOREVER picking out at the craft store, only to cut it up into little letters where you can't see the pattern anyway... HAHA yup! Go me!)

I traced circles of two different sizes, and used the shaped scissors to cut the larger circle. I covered the white paper with glue and glitter (in my "I need instant results" manner, I used a quick dry glue... Next time I would just suck it up and wait for the regular glue to dry. I wasn't quick enough with the glittering, so the paper is only half as sparkly as I hoped!!)

The letters I drew freehand, cut them out, and traced them with a black sharpie. The "spacer" in between the words is a tree covered with glitter. I used 3-D glue dots to make the letters and the white circles pop a bit.

My living room is kind of dark, so it was tough to get a good photo.. It looks so much better in person! Make one, and you'll see ;)

Stay Crafty! :)

Paper Snowflakes and Glittery Pinecones

2009-12-06T15:14:00.006-05:00

I thought it might be fun to get a whole bunch of random art supplies and have my son craft some stuff with me. Glue, pom poms, pipe cleaners, tons of glitter, popsicle sticks... You name it! We ended up making a huge mess, and eventually he went off to play while I continued covering myself with white glue and glitter lol

It has been so many years since I made paper snowflakes, I didn't remember how to do it! (sad) This is reason #3482 that the internet is your friend... I found this great sight that teaches you how to make some cool snowflakes... Check it out!! http://highhopes.com/snowflakes.html

My son had a little trouble with the scissors, so I started making some and let him decorate them any way he wanted. Pom poms and glitter were the tools of choice ;) He had a blast doing this!
You may also notice that my snowflakes look in no way like the nice ones on the website... I didn't really get the hang of until later, when I started practicing after my son went to bed! haha!

We had also collected some pine cones from our yard (before we had all of this snow!), in the hopes of making some glittery pinecone ornaments to give as gifts. Although our yard has about fifty pine trees in it, they only seem to be the kind that produce tiny pinecones! Turns out, they look just as pretty as the big ones with ice flake, sparkling white, and lime green glitter on them! (They are still waiting to be turned into something giftable...)

What do you like to make with your kids? Any cute ideas for holiday gifts? Please share!
Stay Crafty!

Chocolate-Peppermint Sticks YUM! YUM!

2009-12-05T23:38:00.009-05:00

Today I made some SUPER easy and DELICIOUS holiday treats!! I even enlisted the help of my husband, who admits he had fun making them! (Then, of course, we had more fun eating them!)

You need:
pretzel rods
chocolate chips (We used milk chocolate, but white or dark would be delicious!)
candy canes
wax paper
hammer, rolling pin, or back end of a maglite flashlight!(Guess which one we used!?)
plastic baggy
spoons and dish

This whole process went really fast and was so easy with two people. I got excited and started melting the chocolate before I had anything else set up (insert help from husband HERE!)... I'm sure it would go fine with one person if you set everything else up for yourself beforehand!

Lay out a sheet of wax paper on the table.
To crush the candy canes, put them in a sealed baggy (take alot of the air out) and put it on a hard surface. Break the candy canes with the rolling pin... Try not to pulverize the candy! It looks prettier (I think) when its in small chips. P.S: This step is extremely satisfying!!! haha
Put the crushed candies on a dish and set aside.

I melted the chocolate chips easily in the microwave... In a container, do one minute at a time... take it out and stir in between until completely melted.

Dip a pretzel rod in the chocolate and use a spoon to spread it out about halfway down the rod. Try not to make it too goopy, or too thin!

Bring the chocolatey pretzel over to the crushed candy dish, and (I used a spoon) sprinkle the candies all around the pretzel.

Lay the finished treat on the wax paper to harden. There's no need to refrigerate. They harden in just a few minutes (yay!).... This certainly isn't a new concept but it so fast and easy... and it looks like a gourmet treat! (especially if you use really GOOD chocolate!!) Try it with crushed nuts, dried fruit, jimmies/sprinkles, other crushed candies (butterfinger?? MMM! I'm trying that next!!)

We had some left over melted chocolate, so I spooned the rest in one-two inch circles on the wax paper. We sprinkled the rest of the crushed candy canes onto the circles and let them harden! Little choco-peppermint candies!! When they are hard, they peel right off the wax paper.

These would be great to put in pretty packaging and give as little gifts... I know I'm doing it this year! Yum! :)

DON'T FORGET TO LICK THE SPOON!!!

Stay crafty! Enjoy ;)

Paper Chain Garland

2009-12-05T23:25:00.005-05:00

It took me about thirty minutes to decide on the perfect package of cardstock for this project!! The paper crafting supplies at Michael's are sooo much cooler than when I worked there, what seems like ages ago.... I would have spent my paycheck on paper!!!
Making this chain took no time at all! I cut the sheets into strips (three sheets at a time), and glued them with a glue stick! That's it!!

It looks so cute! I LOVE IT!!! :)

Meeting Rosemary Wells at the Eric Carle Museum! 11.22.09

2009-11-23T21:15:00.010-05:00

On Sunday, my son and I traveled about an hour and a half to Amherst, MA to the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. We went to meet Rosemary Wells, author and illustrator of tons of kids books (such as Max and Ruby! My son's favorite!!) It was a really great day, and I am a HUGE fan of this museum!!

Rosemary Wells was there to give a talk and celebrate 30 years of Max and Ruby (amazing!)... We headed into the spacious and colorful art studio where everyone was encouraged to make a party hat for the "bunny party"! (My son was a little disappointed there was no cake... but there were decorations and balloons! haha)

It is incredibly fun to sit down with a bunch of brightly colored scrap paper and ribbons, and all sorts of other odds and ends, and make whatever you want out of it! "Grown-ups" don't get to do this often enough!!!

So, we made our hats...

Then we modeled them:

Next it was over to the auditorium where we sat and listened to Mrs. Wells give a talk about her artistic process. She showed some slides of her studio and artwork... and even her favorite paints and supplies. This part was especially enjoyable for me, because she also works alot with watercolors, as I do, and it was fun to hear her naming her favorite colors to use (I believe "scarlet lake" was one of her favorites). :)

My son sat so quietly and listened to her talking. He was so interested, even in the slides of the paints and brushes! (yay)
She read one of her stories (Yoko Writes Her Name) and described her thought process for writing the book and illustrating as she went along. Her dog Sophie was sleeping at her feet the entire time, obviously used to traveling around and giving talks in front of large groups of people. :) Mrs. Wells described how Sophie is the inspiration for her McDuff books.

We didn't actually have a Max and Ruby book for her to sign, because we usually get them from the library! So, we went to the absolutely awesome museum store, which is just FILLED with any children's book you can think of, as well as tons of other goodies and toys. (They also have an online store!) We ended up buying the book she read at the presentation... Then it was off to wait in the big line!
Sporting our party hats, of course:

She signed the book with my son's name in it...

Then she chatted with him for a moment. He made her laugh and it was very cute. :)

We will definetly be back to the museum for the upcoming celebration and exhibit of original Golden Books art!! (I took a sneak peek in the closed off gallery - through a window - and it looks amazing! I can't wait!) Read about it HERE!

Holiday prints are here! Yippee!

2009-11-20T15:05:00.004-05:00

I finally finished my prints and they are now available IN MY ETSY SHOP! They are all "choose your own sets" in quantities of 4, 6, 10, and 20! Pick the ones you like and send them to your friends! Yay! :)

p.s. The set of 20 has free shipping to the U.S. and Canada! Sweet Treat!

Done!

2009-11-20T11:16:00.003-05:00

Christmas Prints!

2009-11-16T01:20:00.003-05:00

Coming VERY soon to my online shop... Printed Christmas and Holiday card sets! Yippee!! Here's a little sample:

(How cute are these?! I love 'em!) :)

Oh So Cute!

2009-11-15T11:20:00.001-05:00

I love how these are turning out! Hee hee!!

Works in Progress - Spring, Summer, Winter

2009-11-15T11:05:00.001-05:00

Sneak Peak...

2009-11-15T00:09:00.002-05:00

Work in progress on some really cute elfy holiday cards... yay!

Holidays on My Mind...

2009-11-14T23:11:00.003-05:00

I am loading gifts and Christmas cards into my shop... I can't seem to stop making new holiday designs! I'm going to try some printed sets of Christmas cards too, with a few super cute designs I came up with tonight. I was, of course, working on something else at the time but as usual that's when I get my ideas! I ended up working on about six things at the same time, and I'm anxious to finish them up (after this quick blogging break)! :)

I am absolutely determined to have a fun and happy holiday season this year! I always love Thanksgiving and Christmas... but it also never fails that I have my annual holiday breakdown! I am normally making things right up until the night before... often wrapping presents IN THE CAR on the way to the family party! (Who does that!?) There's usually crying involved...
Its not happening this year. I'm pledging it now! I want to enjoy my holidays! I can't wait to spend time with my family and friends... and all the other fun stuff that comes along with this time of year! Anyone with me? :)

Stay Crafty!
~Kelly

Ornaments Now Available in My Shop! :)

2009-11-10T23:54:00.003-05:00

I have a few of the larger ones listed, and the smaller ones are still to come. Each is one-of-a-kind... so if you like it, remember its the only one!! I had alot of fun making these, and each one is very special to me... I hope you enjoy them too! :)

See the ornaments HERE!

Blog Feature! (Vote for me!)

2009-11-10T23:13:00.003-05:00

I found out today I am one of a few Etsy artists to be featured on the blog of Fantazya! She also has a cute Etsy shop which you should check out.. I see a journal on her site that I'd love to have right now!!!

Anyway, visit her blog and choose your favorite holiday card! She has a little survey going... (I hope you pick me!) :)

CHECK IT OUT HERE!

Sweet Tweet ;)

2009-11-09T21:53:00.001-05:00

Ornaments Are Coming!

2009-11-08T21:30:00.004-05:00

I spent a while today, while the sunlight was good, taking photos of my ornaments. I'm kind of nervous about shipping glass through the mail, but I think the humongous roll of bubble wrap I bought will help me out on that! :) (I'm hoping - fingers crossed!!)

EAT CAKE!

2009-11-08T11:37:00.002-05:00

Part of the Process :)

2009-11-08T11:21:00.002-05:00

Checking In...

2009-11-06T00:43:00.005-05:00

Hi everyone... I just wanted to let you know that I haven't forgotten about ANY of you! Things have been totally crazy at my house, and its just starting to die down now (I wish I had some wood to knock on!!) My little son has been quite sick for a while, but he's much better as of today (Yippee!!) and I'm eager to get back to a normal schedule... (as normal as it gets around here haha!)

On this note, I've decided not to do anymore craft fairs this season, and I'll be attempting to sell my handpainted ornaments online! (I just got my shipment of boxes and bubble wrap in... giant rolls of bubble wrap are AWESOME! haha!) I love doing the fairs, but I really need to de-stress right now. In fact, as soon as I made the decision not to do the fairs, I felt like a weight had been lifted! Its really hard to say no sometimes, and think of your own well-being but it really feels good to just make time for yourself! I recommend it!!

SO... I'm going to be finishing my huge custom orders this weekend and taking photos of my ornaments and some other goodies to post online. That's the plan anyway... we'll see how it goes!

Hope you're all well...
Stay Crafty! ;)

~Kelly

My First Glitter Card Listed in My Online Shop!

2009-11-03T23:43:00.004-05:00

happydaystudio.etsy.com
Yippee!! :)

Feelin' Halloweeny!

2009-10-30T01:12:00.005-04:00

Lots of things have been happening around here this week! Some good, some not so good... but the best part of the week has been getting ready for Halloween! I thought I would share some of the highlights with you! :) Enjoy!

My son had a blast at the local farmstand picking out pumpkins! He was really trying to get the big ones and pick them up himself... That didn't work too great, so he insisted on pulling them all in the wagon instead. Strong! :) We have yet to carve the pumpkins due to a slight family emergency but things are getting back to normal now, and I wanna eat some toasted pupkin seeds!!

My son was inspecting the decorative gourds.. Trying to figure out just what those things were, actually! They looked so colorful and shiny in that bin! I'll admit, I prompted him to check out the gourds so I could take a photo ;) haha!

My mantel looking spooky :)

My son had his first school Halloween party this week. I made some delicious and super easy treats! I made ghost pops, which are just melted white chocolate chips (which I did in the microwave), about a teaspoon of vegetable oil... Mix it up and spoon out a tablespoon or so onto some waxed paper. I formed it into a "ghost shape" with the spoon, put in two mini chocolate chips for eyes, and a lollipop stick. I added a little extra white chocolate to cover up the stick.. and its done! Let it harden on the waxed paper. I didn't even refrigerate them... just left them set on the counter.
I took this idea from Martha Stewart! Ha! Sometimes her site has the best ideas ;) CHECK IT OUT HERE AND MAKE YOUR OWN!!! :) (super super fast and looks amazing!)

I also finally bought a mini cupcake pan to make treats for the school party... It is awesome, and the little paper cupcake cups are just adorable!! I made these tiny cupcakes, and decorated them with two different types of jimmies, and a candy corn! CUTE!!! (bite sized and yummy!)

My son couldn't decide what to wear to his party at school... We found his pirate costume from last year and he had fun running around in it! I got the hat and mask at Michael's last Halloween. They are just made from flexible foam... I bought them premade, but I'm sure its super easy to make them yourself!

Making Time.

2009-10-24T23:00:00.004-04:00

Ever have one of those days where you're just rushing around like a crazy person... Stressed out... Doing five things at once and feeling like nothing is actually getting done?? Hey, me too! All week!

So, in between playing with my son, the usual chores, a million orders, and finding time to take care of my own sanity... eating and sleeping somewhere in there too, I'm sure... I did manage to list a few new items in my shop! I am loving the extra large 3D glue dots lately, and the way they really make the images pop out! I would love to make a ton of different kinds of these cards, but you know... It's on the list. ;)

happy cupcake wishes! (new listing in my Etsy shop)

2009-10-22T20:45:00.001-04:00

Colors of the Season...

2009-10-14T14:49:00.001-04:00

Have A Sketchy Halloween! ;)

2009-10-14T14:43:00.003-04:00

Glimpses of Holiday Cheer...

2009-10-12T23:58:00.005-04:00

Here's a preview of some new Christmas cards I've been working on... Funny, at my house all we've been talking about is Halloween, but I sit down at my desk and there's Santa haha! Happy, Merry! ;)

Shine On...

2009-10-06T13:26:00.006-04:00

I started playing around with some new holiday designs, and I sketched out these:

They struck me as pretty cute, so I started painting em up! I don't always have colors picked out before I start painting, as I didn't this time... I just kind of sit down and start painting whatever seems right when I put my brush to the paints. These turned out to be pretty pastel, and cutesy. The ornaments reminded me of some old ones that my mom has, which I love. Pastel pinks, mints, and blues... and always with white glitter!

"Too bad I don't have any glitter," I thought... and no, I couldn't just go buy some cause I'm cheap and if I did have some I wouldn't want to use it because its too beautiful, and too expensive!! (Thanks to my mother for that trait!) ;)
I searched through my piles of craft stuff and found some glitter mod podge! "Hooray!" Unfortunately, I hadn't used it in so long it was a chunk of glop. "Boo!" :( I tried it anyway, and it certainly was not turning out the way I had imagined. "Maybe I have another container of it," I hoped.... Back to the pile I went and FOUND THIS:

Cue the angelic singers and the beams of light:

I was shocked! I have no idea where this came from. Did I make some splurge of a purchase when I worked at Michael's? How many years ago was that?? (Told ya if I had it I'd never use it!) I clutched it in my hand like it was made of real diamond dust. It was exactly what I wanted, and still I was afraid to open it and especially afraid to use it on a project that is really just an overblown sketch. What if I waste it!!! It took all of my willpower to just open the vial, but once I started sprinkling it on, I felt free hahaha

To look at me, you probably wouldn't even know I love the sparkle. I don't wear much jewelry and I dress mostly in black, but from somewhere in me comes all these cute little drawings, pink paint, and love of all things patent and shiny! Now the trouble is... I want more. I'm not totally freed from my fear of wasting glitter, but damnit... I'm hooked.

Have a sparkly day! :D

Fall!

2009-10-04T01:12:00.000-04:00

I'm gearing up for Halloween, which is a holiday I was never really super excited about as a kid, but now I LOVE it! I love all the costumes, carving pumpkins, and especially the fun decorations! Oh, I'm also a fan of candy corn, those little creme pumpkins, spiced pumpkin seeds, and warm mulled cider! Mmmmm yummy! :)
My son and I took a trip to Boston just the other day, and here are a few photos from our outing... It was a beautiful fall day! Just chilly enough for a sweater, and the leaves in the park were starting to cover the ground. (Which my son had some fun with!) Enjoy!

Museum of Fine Arts - Boston

2009-10-03T23:56:00.004-04:00

I went to the MFA on Friday... A short excursion while my son was at school! It was so relaxing to be by myself in the museum (aside from all the college kids and high schoolers on field trips!), and take the time to read the fine print on the different exhibits... To be able to really stop and look at the art. It was SO inspiring and just a great experience. It's been so long since I've been to the museum... That has to change!

Here's a photo I took of an amazing installation in the hallway of the museum. It's by an artist named Jim Lambie and you can CLICK HERE to read all about the artist and what he has to say about his work and the installation! CHECK IT OUT! (An article from the MFA website)

Declutter, Recycle, and Inspire!

2009-10-03T23:14:00.008-04:00

For the past few weeks I've really been trying to declutter my life, on all levels, and something I've been finding everywhere in my house are magazines... magazines... magazines!! Piles of them... Some from 2007! Really?? What was I thinking!? What's sad is that a few months ago I went through and put a bunch in the recycling, but I'm still finding them all over the place. I know I kept them because I liked one image, one article, any one thing about them and I couldn't let them go, in case I wanted to refer to those pages later.... haha! Yeah right ;)

SO...I've decided to make an inspiration journal with them. I took about 30 or so of the random mags... Went through page by page (who has this kind of time really...) and pulled out the images that struck a chord with me. Color combinations, images, articles... anything that sparked my interest. I cut them all up and I'm going to put them back together into ONE book that I can open up and will bring me into a world of color and imagery that will hopefully spark my imagination! (And take up less room around here!) :)
Here's a sampling of some of the pages that I'm keeping:

Better Homes and Gardens has a concept that I just love! Every month they focus on a different color set, and dedicate a few pages to just those colors...

I'm going to add this to the many other half-finished projects I have going on around here! Custom orders, regular orders, oil painting, paper mache, craft fairs... Put it on the list!! I'll let you know how this turns out ;)
P.S. DON'T FORGET TO RECYCLE YOUR OLD MAGAZINES!!!

Custom Order - Newborn Twins Card

2009-09-28T14:36:00.001-04:00

Studio Wall

2009-09-28T13:54:00.001-04:00

Ornaments!

2009-09-27T20:09:00.005-04:00

I had fun painting some glass ornaments for the last fair. I'd love to be able to make them and sell them online, but I'm not too confident about shipping them out! I'm sure people ship glass every day, but it would make me incredibly nervous! I made about twenty, but here's a small sample... They really make me happy, and I wouldn't mind all that much if they don't sell and I get to keep them all! haha

Side Project - Lamps!

2009-09-25T14:59:00.005-04:00

I have coveted some beautiful red lamps that my mother-in-law has for a while now. They look like this:

While my lamps looked like this: (UGLY yard sale finds, and one of them was missing a shade!)

So with a little primer:

And some red spraypaint:

Add some new rounded shades, and yippeee! Matching lamps that are similar to the original but super cheap to create! The flowers are SOO GONE... HOORAY for "new" lamps! :)

Some photos from stART on the Street - Worcester, MA - 2009

2009-09-24T20:30:00.012-04:00

The weather was absolutely fantastic! It was actually kind of hot out, and the street was packed with people from the time the fair opened till much later than it was supposed to be over! The tents went pretty much as far as you could see in both directions down the middle of the street. I was only able to take a quick look at a few booths, but everything I saw was amazing!! I wish I had more time to shop!!!

My dad, Ed, of Ed's Old House Three Deckers.... The number one question asked, probably about a hundred times throughout the day: "What are those made of?" The answer, folks... scrap wood, or "recycled wood" as my dad likes to say... (but you wouldn't know it, would ya!?) ;)

Some Worcester police men were totally enthralled with my dad's work... You can see some of my stuff over on the right. About four different people popped into my booth to take photos of that pink onesie with the pink cupcake on it (hanging on the right)... It made me laugh everytime. Someone finally bought it ;)

Hey, it's me! (and my new haircut haha!!) I threw on some random t-shirt the morning of the fair, while I was in a huge rush to get out the door. Turned out it was HUGE and didn't fit me at all! Luckily, an awesome stART volunteer was walking around before it started selling these tees... I tracked her down, bought one, and put it on!!! She saved my day!! :) (The shirt rocks, by the way... I LOVE IT!)

Finally, our booth. Dad was amazing enough to get a new tent for us (after the last tent fiasco where it completely broke into pieces the morning of the last fair...). The new one was brown, but the white top from my old one fit perfectly... Sweet! It looked great and was a breeze to set up! (and take down)

I had a great time spending the day with my dad, seeing family and friends, and meeting all the people that came in! Can't wait for the next one! Visit stART on the STREET's website for more information on upcoming events! See you then :)

Birthday Wishes!

2009-09-24T09:03:00.004-04:00

Today my son turns four! We'll be celebrating for the next few days, but I wanted to let you know I haven't forgotten about you :) I still have some custom orders to work on, and piles of news to share with you!
In the next few days I'll be sharing a bunch of photos and telling all about my time at stART on the Street that took place last Sunday. It really was a great day!

Still to come:
- debut of handpainted glass ornaments!
- new 3D card designs!
- Halloween!
- more screenprinting!
- new shrinky dink jewelry!
- FUN!!!! :)

Stay tuned! And for now, I'm off to the birthday party :)

New Shrinky Dinks!

2009-09-19T16:07:00.009-04:00

I bought some white shrink film this week, in hopes to have some cool new necklaces for the craft fair...I'm not sure that's going to happen for tomorrow, since I'm running out of time, but definetly for the next one! (I always seem to start new projects at the last minute... that's when I get my best ideas! I guess you have to take the inspiration when it comes haha) Anyway, I've never worked with the white kind of shrink plastic before... I'm not sure how I like it, but I made a necklace for myself that I LOVE! :)

Here's a mini-step-by-step:

draw out the designs with a sharpie...

cut them out and make sure to remember to PUNCH THE HOLES!

preheat the oven to around 300 degrees... put the designs on a cut up paper bag...

Here is where I made a mistake and actually had to scrap this batch (which is unfortunate because I loved the designs)... I should have put another piece of paper bag on top of the cut-outs so they didn't curl so much and stick together (D'oh!!) The photo is cool though lol

take two: I tried again and the paper bag on top worked! (yahoo!)

I added some jump rings and a chain, and voila! CUTENESS :)

the end.

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday...

2009-09-19T15:48:00.003-04:00

I will be at stART on the STREET tomorrow - Sunday September 19 - from 11am to 5pm. It takes place on Park Ave. in Worcester, MA (near Elm Park). Check out the stART website for more info!!
Should be a great day filled with music, food, art, and crafts! Come out and say hi! :)

I'm sharing a booth with my dad, Ed of Ed's Old House Three Deckers...

Doodles

2009-09-16T10:50:00.001-04:00

Starting the Glue...

2009-09-12T00:40:00.002-04:00

Glue, glue, everywhere..... I wonder if it will ever dry!

Trying Paper Mache!

2009-09-11T15:20:00.004-04:00

I've had this project in mind for weeks... I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing, but I'm trying anyway :) I've sculpted a couple ornaments and a doll from newspaper and masking tape, and I'm going to paper mache and paint over them... Here's my progress so far on the girl...

Faces - 2007

2009-09-10T22:19:00.000-04:00

The Big Clean - Phase One

2009-09-09T12:44:00.005-04:00

I spent about two hours last night finding my desk... Oh hey! There it is!! :)

I also started gathering up some supplies that were spread around the house and started putting them together in bins... Imagine that! The prettiest one by far is the box of ribbons... I mean seriously, who could look at this and not be inspired to do something colorful! ;)

Doodles

2009-09-08T16:54:00.002-04:00

This Week's Custom Cards

2009-09-08T14:52:00.002-04:00

Eric Carle Museum and More Custom Work

2009-09-03T11:07:00.008-04:00

I took my son to the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art the other day. It's in Amherst, MA. I'm sure you know Eric Carle's work, even if you don't recognize his name... He's the author and artist of many great children's books like The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, among countless others. The artwork for the Hungry Caterpillar is on display until September 6 to celebrate Carle's 80th birthday, and I'm so glad I was able to see it! He uses a process of layering tissue paper, and the pieces are very delicate so they can't be on display all the time. I recommend checking it out if you can before the exhibit closes!

The museum also houses the artwork of other picture book artists, which rotate every six months. I saw the work of Tomie de Paola who wrote and illustrated some books that really touched me and I remember reading them as a kid, like "The Art Lesson" and "Nana Upstairs & Nana Downstairs." Seeing his artwork for the books, and especially his non-book art was awesome!

Also in the gallery was the amazingly detailed watercolor and ink work of E.H. Shepard who illustrated the classic Winnie the Pooh stories.
The museum also has a great library where the books are sorted by artist... and a huge art studio where kids and adults can make projects! It was a really great day and we'll definetly be back for more visits!

I also just finished some personalized bookmarks for a customer. I think they came out cute!

Hour and a Half - Happy September!

2009-09-01T14:56:00.005-04:00

Did a little more on my painting today. Its going painfully slow because I don't have alot of time. I can't work on it at night (which is when I like to work!) because of a poor lighting situation. I guess I should invest in some lamps! That's all for now.. I'm currently working on about eight custom projects for different people, so back to work I go! By the way.... Fall is here...

2 More Hours.

2009-08-25T14:14:00.003-04:00

Work in Progress... oil on canvas.

Hello Old Friends...

2009-08-24T23:05:00.002-04:00

Phew!

2009-08-24T16:51:00.002-04:00

One Down...

2009-08-24T09:17:00.004-04:00

Here is the finished bus. I used an image that the customer sent to me on the computer. My first ever drawing of a city bus! My son was thrilled....... (He's 3 1/2 and loves busses! haha!)

Now, onto the hotel...

Hotel and a Bus

2009-08-23T16:05:00.006-04:00

This is what I've been working on for a customer... The hotel where she was married, and her father driving a city bus! Challenging for me but fun! Here they are finally painted and ready for inking.

2 Hours.

2009-08-20T14:37:00.005-04:00

Work in progress. Sketched out in two hours, on a 36" x 48" canvas. Needs work, but almost looks likes what I envisioned it to be. Yay! Scary part of adding color next...

When my hand looks like this that means its been a good day ;) Wow its probably been years...

Barnes and Noble, Michael's, and Jack Black

2009-08-19T16:53:00.008-04:00

I went to Barnes and Noble a couple days ago... toting along my 3 1/2 year old son. I took a chance and had him sit quietly while I actually browsed the racks for magazines for me! (Don't worry, we spent plenty of time in the good 'ole kids section like we normally do!) Anyway, I found some absolutely fantastic art mags and I ended up putting one back at the last minute... I spent the rest of the night wishing I had bought it, and so I made a trip back the next day. Oddly enough, the August issue of JUXTAPOZ was GONE and replaced with the new September issue!!!! Nooooooooo!!
Luckily, I can order back issues online... and so can you!!! CHECK IT OUT!! *phew* ;)

Click here to get this awesome issue.. You are missing out!!

I've also been hit with the painting bug, and that hasn't happened in years..... I realize I paint with watercolors almost every day, but I'm talking about oils on canvas. And not just any canvas... THE BIGGEST CANVAS EVER! (It almost didn't fit in my car haha) So, apparently Michael's was having a sale on their stretched canvases... 50% off! After dragging my son around the craft store now, I get to the register only to find out the one I chose was not one that was on sale!! *figures!* But, it worked out in the end... I ended up getting the better-quality canvas for the same price as the lesser-quality due to the sale... sweet! I've certainly never spent money on one of these giant canvases before... Not even when I used to work there!! ;)

Here it is:

I usually don't like anyone to see my work until its finished, but I'll try and post some pictures as I go.

On a random note, I was taking a photo of the canvas and saw that Jack Black was making a guest appearance on my favorite kids show: Yo Gabba, Gabba! He's dressed up like DJ Lance... Its a little bit awesome... I'm just sayin'! Enjoy! :)

Houses and Spring Cleaning...

2009-08-18T09:04:00.006-04:00

So, can it still be called "spring cleaning" when summer's almost over and fall is nearly here? The mess that is my desk and studio work area has finally beaten me haha How many times can I search for my eraser?? Here... Let's see if you can find it:

Seriously... out of control! This is what happens when I'm in a hurry and start flying through projects. I don't take that extra two minutes to clean up or put things where they belong (if they even have a place to go!)...

Stay tuned for the big clean-up... I'm hoping a trip to IKEA on Friday will help with some of these storage issues, but I usually get distracted by all the fun stuff while I'm there and never get down to business... We'll see! I guess now that I've located my eraser in this photo, I can just use it for reference for a while.... ;)

On an up note, I'm working on some custom orders for an awesome customer. I just did a "sketched out version" of her house, and now I'm working on the hotel where she was married... Tricky, tricky! Here's the house... She liked it! Yay :)

good morning!

2009-08-13T11:33:00.001-04:00

good morning!, originally uploaded by happy day studio.

I'm hoping I've finally got this mobile blogging figured out! It will allow me to post photos from anywhere... Yipee! :)

Back to work!

2009-08-10T09:18:00.005-04:00

I'm back from vacation, and catching up on a bunch of custom orders... I'm also getting ready for some craft shows coming up... So much to do!! In the meantime, here are some custom orders that will hopefully make you smile ;)

Happy Summer!

2009-07-11T23:06:00.004-04:00

Here are a few recent custom orders... Fun stuff! I hope to have a new batch of cards ready this fall, along with new holiday cards. For now, I'm enjoying what's left of this summer! There's been an extreme amount of rainfall here, and its finally been sunny for a few days... Time to get out of the studio and head outside for summer fun! :)

Screenprinting Fun and Facebook!

2009-06-22T08:16:00.003-04:00

I've also recently become addicted to Facebook ;) Are you? Come visit my site!! Search for happy day studio or click the badge at the right ---->

Spring Craft Fair - West Boylston, MA (June 6, 2009)

2009-06-16T11:00:00.006-04:00

My tent broke into pieces when we tried to set it up! Oh nooo....

My screenprinted kids shirts and adult tanks :) Bought a new rack for displaying these... Looked good!

Table display... magnets, necklaces, bookmarks, art, and price list...

Printed sets...

Dad being shady... :)

Card diplay racks...

Screenprinting!

2009-06-05T00:11:00.003-04:00

Well I finally bought a screenprinting kit! I've always wanted to try this and its really fun!!! I'm getting ready for the craft fair on Saturday, but I'll have more on the printing process soon! :)
Here is a happy cupcake onesie ;) CUTE!!!

Spring Craft Fair -- JUNE 6

2009-05-18T17:16:00.003-04:00

I will be participating in the Holden Assembly Rainbow Girls 2nd Annual Spring Craft Fair!!

12 Church Street West Boylston MA 01583

Saturday, June 6th

9am to 3pm

Come on down and visit me! :)

Blog Feature!

2009-05-14T22:47:00.004-04:00

I just wanted to give a big THANK YOU to Little B Bunny for featuring one of my cards on her blog! Here is the post----> http://littlebbunny.blogspot.com/2009/05/etsygreetings-street-team.html

It actually features a few different artists from the EtsyGreetings group that I am so proud to be a part of! ;) Check it out!!

Little B Bunny also makes some really pretty cards! Take a look at HER ETSY SHOP! Here are some of my favorites ;)

D'oh!!!!

2009-05-14T01:08:00.004-04:00

That's right folks! The price of US stamps went up aggaaaiinnn.... But, to ease our pain this time, the welcoming faces of The Simpsons greet us on each new stamp! Maggie doesn't look too happy on the stamps though, but that's because she knows .44 for a stamp is a rip-off... She's such a smart baby! ;)
Enjoy!