It's hard to believe that it has been a whole year since this little butterfly spread it's wings and tried out Etsy! I feel like I have come so far, the fact that I'm writing this is evidence of that, I certainly never even thought of having a blog a year ago, and this week I passed my 100th blog post. Thanks to all of you who have become my friends, shared with me your knowledge, encouraged & supported me in all aspects of my life. ~Kat~
Sunday, November 15, 2009
It's hard to believe that it has been a whole year since this little butterfly spread it's wings and tried out Etsy! I feel like I have come so far, the fact that I'm writing this is evidence of that, I certainly never even thought of having a blog a year ago, and this week I passed my 100th blog post. Thanks to all of you who have become my friends, shared with me your knowledge, encouraged & supported me in all aspects of my life. ~Kat~
Friday, November 13, 2009
Kendra's Pumpkin Bars
This recipe was given to me by "My Bestest Art Buddy" in the whole wide world. I had the honor of working with Kendra for over 5 years at Lamar Advertising. Everyone who knows & loves my friend, knows this recipe just as well, as this is one of her signature dishes.With the onset of Fall, I had been craving it, and last weekend's company gave me a great excuse to make it again...YUM! This is a great recipe to have in your arsenal with Thanksgiving just around the corner. Believe me, it's fantastic and fairly easy to make!!!
Kendra's Pumpkin Bars
1 box Yellow Cake Mix (Save out 1 cup)
3 Eggs, divided
1/2 C Margarine, softened
1/4 C Margarine, cold
1 (1lb. 14-oz.) can Pumpkin Pie Mix
2/3 C Milk
1/4 C Sugar
1 tsp. Cinnamon
Cool Whip
Mix cake mix (minus 1C), 1 egg, softened margarine. Press into a greased 9x13 pan. In a bowl, mix pumpkin, 2 eggs and milk; pour over crust. Mix the remaining cake mix with sugar, cold margarine and cinnamon. Sprinkle over the top. Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes. To test if done, put a knife in the center to see if it comes out clean. Serve topped with Cool Whip.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
ACEO-X (2.0) Submissions
Time's up! Everyone has submitted their ACEO's for the trade, and my, what beauties! I haven't received mine yet, so I'm not sure which one I'm getting. I'm just SO excited!!! The ACEOs can all be seen on Uli's Blog, go check them out. Which one would you like to own?
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Wordless Wednesday - Great Ads, Graphics, Etc.
Life's Too Short for the Wrong Job!
(Click on images look at all the details.)Tuesday, November 10, 2009
This Week's Featured Items >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
In appreciation for supporting my blog & my Etsy Shop, I am now going to feature 3 items weekly. Each week, you may select one of these items to purchase, and depending on the item get either
10 % DISCOUNT PLUS FREE SHIPPING
on normal items
OR
20% DISCOUNT
on items that already have Free Shipping
Requirements, simply follow this blog and tune in weekly, it's that simple, really!
When you decide to purchase one of these featured items, please convo me first and I will adjust the listing with your discounts. Thanks for your support!
~Kat~
♥♥♥♥♥♥ ♥♥♥♥♥♥ ♥♥♥♥♥♥ ♥♥♥♥♥♥
Friday, November 6, 2009
New York Street Ad Takeover w/Jerise Fogel
~~~INTERVIEW~~~
Event Name: New York Street Ad Takeover
Event Date: Sunday, October 25, 2009
Event Name: New York Street Ad Takeover
Event Date: Sunday, October 25, 2009
I'd like you to meet my friend, Jerise. She has more passion in her little finger than most have in their whole bodies. When she finds a cause she truly believes in, I see her go at it full force. Such is the case with the New York Street Ad Takeover (NYSAT), an event that happened in the streets of New York a few weeks back. I did an interview with her...ach, I'll let her tell you! :)
1: What was the New York Street Art Takeover (NYSAT)
NYSAT (this was the second one, actually; the first was six months ago) was one action organized and sponsored by Public Ad Campaign, an organization committed to the concept of public space and public art. Public Ad Campaign (www.publicadcampaign.com)was begun by Jordan Seiler and other artists with a view to taking back from private corporations much of the visual space that's been given to them through the sale of highly visible signage points, etc. Public Ad Campaign is committed to taking back public space for art and beauty. :)
2: Who is the NPA?
NPA is National Promotions and Advertising (http://www.npacityoutdoor.com). These folks are one of the several large companies (another upstart new one is Mediacy, Inc.) that have captured (created, really) a growing market for "street level advertising", "outdoor advertising", aka "out-of-home advertising",--that is, poster and billboard style advertising aimed at people who are simply walking outside, mainly in cities (but small towns are not immune to this). Their method is to place dozens of the same poster at once over an outdoor space (construction site barricades, for instance, or billboard spaces that they create and maintain on the sides of buildings otherwise unrelated to the ads) so as to make their clients' wares (everything from blockbuster films, CD/DVD releases, upcoming TV series, and magazines, to HIV/AIDS drugs, local concerts, and Lotto/Lotteries) inescapable for the eye of the average person walking down the street. They call this kind of street-level poster saturation "wildposting" (it's also called "sniping"), and they actively advertise it to their clients as the most effective way of getting their message to their customers.
3: Explain NPA's Visual Domination of Space theory.
That's more or less the "Visual Domination of Space theory", actually. By repeat postings that are inescapable, you essentially monopolize public areas with your ads. "Wildposting" was made illegal in NYC and some other cities because of the visual pollution of the landscape that it entails, among other things; it is also illegal because it uses space theoretically owned by others (whether those be private construction contractors or the public itself in the case of sides of buildings and
walkways) for profit; it's stealing space. It includes actions like posting on construction sheds, etc., and it is so widespread that no matter how many times someone cries out it's illegal! There has been no real pause in it; NPA sends out their posting-people daily (mainly from NJ and Long Island, it seems from their license plates, and probably paid minimum wage, possibly because they are desperate for work). NPA sponsors “wildposting” openly and vocally, in fact brags
about it on their website, and even tried a while back to get it legalized by the NY City Council (http://www.publicadcampaign.comlabelsWildposting.html). The city has done little to apply the appropriate fines to the advertisers (primarily NPA) who do this kind of sniping/wildposting, partly because it is a bigger problem than the infrastructure can handle, but also partly because they probably think of it as somewhat harmless. But the truth is, the dominating of public visual space in the service of advertising means less room for walkers in cities to think, less space in
their brains to take in the beauty of the city, and more time pondering the wonders of, say, the latest movie blockbuster that is opening in a week.
I don't like it, also, because I think it commercializes noncommercial public areas. It gives people the strong impression that there is absolutely NOTHING that is not for sale in our society; and it intrudes on the consciousness of children, who grow up swathed in a big fuzzy towel of corporate advertising, and have very little chance of becoming independent thinkers. Obviously, NPA is just a piece of a very large puzzle.
4: Did any interesting events happen, personally to you while you were participating in the NYSAT?
Well, during the whitewashing, my partner & I were accosted by a Sopranos-type guy (I’m not kidding!) who got out of a car & started screaming at us that we were destroying his property; we asked whether he worked for NPA, and he said “yes”; we said, well, you don’t have a permit from the city to place this billboard here, and he just started screaming, “yes, I do have a permit! and I have contracts! and you are...” etc., etc. So I asked to see the permit, and he said he didn’t have to show me any f-ing permit; that he was going to call the police. We said “go ahead,” and kept whitewashing. He called his friend (it sounded like) on his cell phone, saying very loudly, “Yes, they’re here right now! Yes, call the cops! Get the cops here now!” We ignored him & kept on whitewashing. He made remarks about how we’d be taken away by the cops, etc., etc., and that we’d better make sure we have a ton of BLACK paint because we were getting white paint on his billboard frame (!) and would have to repaint it. He also made unpleasant comments about how the previous billboard whitewashers had “fried” in court, that the NPA would prosecute, etc. All of this we knew to be untrue there had been 4 people arrested during the last NYSAT, and all of them had been let go without any charges, because NPA really doesn’t have permits, and didn’t want to press charges publicly (they would possibly then have to pay fines), so didn’t show up at the arraignments.
As we were walking away to our next whitewashing place (we had a list of 8 to hit), he yelled after us, “If you’re not afraid of the cops, why are you running away?” This was pretty funny, since we were just walking, with all our stuff. It was a little scary, but my partner said he’d been amused at least seeing that the guy was drawing the attention of a lot of restaurant-goers eating outside opposite to where we were whitewashing. :)
When I went back to put my artwork up, I got the four panels all wheatpasted up, and one of the videographers from Public Ad Campaign was even there & got footage, then I took some pics, and looked at it proudly for around 5 minutes. Then the NPA guy who’d been waiting in a car just behind me, watching and saying things like, “Why are you doing this? You’re not supposed to be putting anything up there...” (very mild-mannered compared to the earlier goon), walked over and before my very eyes just took the panels down and left them crumpled on the ground. I got a pic of that, too. Then afterwards (I didn’t want to watch, so I told the guy to watch out for NPA because they would probably leave him holding the bag for their illegal activities & lack of permits, then left) I assume he just postered over the space with posters he had with him. Sigh.
5: Can you share any links where we can get more information.
Well, the main one is the Public Ad Campaign site, which updates regularly (several times a day), and is keeping everyone posted www.publicadcampaign.com Another one is the NPA site, which is quite blatant about its methods. You can go to other sites from the Public Ad Campaign site. :)
NYSAT (this was the second one, actually; the first was six months ago) was one action organized and sponsored by Public Ad Campaign, an organization committed to the concept of public space and public art. Public Ad Campaign (www.publicadcampaign.com)was begun by Jordan Seiler and other artists with a view to taking back from private corporations much of the visual space that's been given to them through the sale of highly visible signage points, etc. Public Ad Campaign is committed to taking back public space for art and beauty. :)
2: Who is the NPA?
NPA is National Promotions and Advertising (http://www.npacityoutdoor.com). These folks are one of the several large companies (another upstart new one is Mediacy, Inc.) that have captured (created, really) a growing market for "street level advertising", "outdoor advertising", aka "out-of-home advertising",--that is, poster and billboard style advertising aimed at people who are simply walking outside, mainly in cities (but small towns are not immune to this). Their method is to place dozens of the same poster at once over an outdoor space (construction site barricades, for instance, or billboard spaces that they create and maintain on the sides of buildings otherwise unrelated to the ads) so as to make their clients' wares (everything from blockbuster films, CD/DVD releases, upcoming TV series, and magazines, to HIV/AIDS drugs, local concerts, and Lotto/Lotteries) inescapable for the eye of the average person walking down the street. They call this kind of street-level poster saturation "wildposting" (it's also called "sniping"), and they actively advertise it to their clients as the most effective way of getting their message to their customers.
3: Explain NPA's Visual Domination of Space theory.
That's more or less the "Visual Domination of Space theory", actually. By repeat postings that are inescapable, you essentially monopolize public areas with your ads. "Wildposting" was made illegal in NYC and some other cities because of the visual pollution of the landscape that it entails, among other things; it is also illegal because it uses space theoretically owned by others (whether those be private construction contractors or the public itself in the case of sides of buildings and
walkways) for profit; it's stealing space. It includes actions like posting on construction sheds, etc., and it is so widespread that no matter how many times someone cries out it's illegal! There has been no real pause in it; NPA sends out their posting-people daily (mainly from NJ and Long Island, it seems from their license plates, and probably paid minimum wage, possibly because they are desperate for work). NPA sponsors “wildposting” openly and vocally, in fact brags
about it on their website, and even tried a while back to get it legalized by the NY City Council (http://www.publicadcampaign.comlabelsWildposting.html). The city has done little to apply the appropriate fines to the advertisers (primarily NPA) who do this kind of sniping/wildposting, partly because it is a bigger problem than the infrastructure can handle, but also partly because they probably think of it as somewhat harmless. But the truth is, the dominating of public visual space in the service of advertising means less room for walkers in cities to think, less space in
their brains to take in the beauty of the city, and more time pondering the wonders of, say, the latest movie blockbuster that is opening in a week.
I don't like it, also, because I think it commercializes noncommercial public areas. It gives people the strong impression that there is absolutely NOTHING that is not for sale in our society; and it intrudes on the consciousness of children, who grow up swathed in a big fuzzy towel of corporate advertising, and have very little chance of becoming independent thinkers. Obviously, NPA is just a piece of a very large puzzle.
4: Did any interesting events happen, personally to you while you were participating in the NYSAT?
Well, during the whitewashing, my partner & I were accosted by a Sopranos-type guy (I’m not kidding!) who got out of a car & started screaming at us that we were destroying his property; we asked whether he worked for NPA, and he said “yes”; we said, well, you don’t have a permit from the city to place this billboard here, and he just started screaming, “yes, I do have a permit! and I have contracts! and you are...” etc., etc. So I asked to see the permit, and he said he didn’t have to show me any f-ing permit; that he was going to call the police. We said “go ahead,” and kept whitewashing. He called his friend (it sounded like) on his cell phone, saying very loudly, “Yes, they’re here right now! Yes, call the cops! Get the cops here now!” We ignored him & kept on whitewashing. He made remarks about how we’d be taken away by the cops, etc., etc., and that we’d better make sure we have a ton of BLACK paint because we were getting white paint on his billboard frame (!) and would have to repaint it. He also made unpleasant comments about how the previous billboard whitewashers had “fried” in court, that the NPA would prosecute, etc. All of this we knew to be untrue there had been 4 people arrested during the last NYSAT, and all of them had been let go without any charges, because NPA really doesn’t have permits, and didn’t want to press charges publicly (they would possibly then have to pay fines), so didn’t show up at the arraignments.
As we were walking away to our next whitewashing place (we had a list of 8 to hit), he yelled after us, “If you’re not afraid of the cops, why are you running away?” This was pretty funny, since we were just walking, with all our stuff. It was a little scary, but my partner said he’d been amused at least seeing that the guy was drawing the attention of a lot of restaurant-goers eating outside opposite to where we were whitewashing. :)
When I went back to put my artwork up, I got the four panels all wheatpasted up, and one of the videographers from Public Ad Campaign was even there & got footage, then I took some pics, and looked at it proudly for around 5 minutes. Then the NPA guy who’d been waiting in a car just behind me, watching and saying things like, “Why are you doing this? You’re not supposed to be putting anything up there...” (very mild-mannered compared to the earlier goon), walked over and before my very eyes just took the panels down and left them crumpled on the ground. I got a pic of that, too. Then afterwards (I didn’t want to watch, so I told the guy to watch out for NPA because they would probably leave him holding the bag for their illegal activities & lack of permits, then left) I assume he just postered over the space with posters he had with him. Sigh.
5: Can you share any links where we can get more information.
Well, the main one is the Public Ad Campaign site, which updates regularly (several times a day), and is keeping everyone posted www.publicadcampaign.com Another one is the NPA site, which is quite blatant about its methods. You can go to other sites from the Public Ad Campaign site. :)
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Another Custom Flyer / Vendor Table Sign
This is one of the custom design jobs I have been working on this past week. I just love this lady! I met Jo Ann Gallagher through the Shopper's Paradise forum thread, and we hit it off instantly. As we got to conversing, we found out that we were both down in Houston, Texas and we even worked at the same mall at about the same time. Small world! I have purchased several beautiful things from Jo, go check out her gallagj shop, she's got a lot of beautiful jewelry offered at very reasonable prices.I have worked with Jo in the past to create her custom banner, and she wanted me to come up with a custom flyer she can display on the tables at her craft fairs. These flyers/table signs/banners can be created at any size for the same price. Contact me, through my Etsy shop, for further information. You can view another custom flyer/table sign that I recently made here.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Wordless Wednesday - Great Ads, Graphics, Etc.
Life's Too Short for the Wrong Job!
(Click on images look at all the details.)Tuesday, November 3, 2009
My ACEO-X (2.0) Submission
Autumn Days by Kat Wauters (aka H20works)
Monday, November 2, 2009
This Week's Featured Items >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
In appreciation for supporting my blog & my Etsy Shop, I am now going to feature 3 items weekly. Each week, you may select one of these items to purchase, and depending on the item get either
10 % DISCOUNT PLUS FREE SHIPPING
on normal items
OR
20% DISCOUNT
on items that already have Free Shipping
Requirements, simply follow this blog and tune in weekly, it's that simple, really!
When you decide to purchase one of these featured items, please convo me first and I will adjust the listing with your discounts. Thanks for your support!
~Kat~
♥♥♥♥♥♥ ♥♥♥♥♥♥ ♥♥♥♥♥♥ ♥♥♥♥♥♥
Friday, October 30, 2009
Custom Flyer for DeslynnDesigns
Just thought I'd share with you a Custom Flyer I did for DeslynnDesigns. Des is having her very first craft show this weekend and asked that I create a flyer that she can put in a frame on her vendor table. She wanted it like her banner, avatar & business card. As I wasn't the original artist for those items, and I didn't have access to those layered files, I told her I could come up with something close.Des is very special to me, as I have pretty much adopted her as my "Etsy Daughter", so I wanted to do an extra special job. She loved the way it turned out, and so do I. What do you think? I don't have listings for everything I can do, so if there is ever something any of you think I can help you out with like this, please let me know.
PS. Good Luck on the craft show Saturday Des, I hope you sell tons! :)
Monday, October 26, 2009
This Week's Featured Items >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
In appreciation for supporting my blog & my Etsy Shop, I am now going to feature 3 items weekly. Each week, you may select one of these items to purchase, and depending on the item get either
10 % DISCOUNT PLUS FREE SHIPPING
on normal items
OR
20% DISCOUNT
on items that already have Free Shipping
Requirements, simply follow this blog and tune in weekly, it's that simple, really!
When you decide to purchase one of these featured items, please convo me first and I will adjust the listing with your discounts. Thanks for your support!
~Kat~
♥♥♥♥♥♥ ♥♥♥♥♥♥ ♥♥♥♥♥♥ ♥♥♥♥♥♥
Sunday, October 25, 2009
New Discoveries
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
New Discoveries...a chance to show off some of the works of other Etsy shops that I find amazing. These are a few artists that I have stumbled upon recently, those that have earned a heart from me for their talents.
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
"When Friends Drop In" by TummyMountain has just got to bring a smile to your face. I actually discovered this artist this morning in a treasury I was viewing for somebody else. One step into TummyMountain's shop and you'll feel like you just walked into your favorite childhood book. Her characters are full of curiosity and mischief, I found myself hard-pressed to come up with just one favorite to show you.
While using "Pounce" the other day, I discovered this very cool soap shop named Clean Confections. The owners of the shop are a mother and daughter team from Michigan, who want to help you ''wash away your cravings'' and endulge in your guilty pleasures. Indeed, their are soaps look like real edible treats, but what blows this artist's mind is their phenomenal product photography! I doubt this new shop will remain at zero sales for long. ;)
G is for Grasshopper...and Great, as is LindsayArt's Alphabet series. Lindsay offers most every letter in original papercut collages and the whole collection can be purchased in complete set of 4x4 prints. In addition, LindsayArt has some very cool illustrations, mostly
fairytale-like girls. I just love her very whimsical, fresh style!
New Discoveries...a chance to show off some of the works of other Etsy shops that I find amazing. These are a few artists that I have stumbled upon recently, those that have earned a heart from me for their talents.
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
"When Friends Drop In" by TummyMountain has just got to bring a smile to your face. I actually discovered this artist this morning in a treasury I was viewing for somebody else. One step into TummyMountain's shop and you'll feel like you just walked into your favorite childhood book. Her characters are full of curiosity and mischief, I found myself hard-pressed to come up with just one favorite to show you.
While using "Pounce" the other day, I discovered this very cool soap shop named Clean Confections. The owners of the shop are a mother and daughter team from Michigan, who want to help you ''wash away your cravings'' and endulge in your guilty pleasures. Indeed, their are soaps look like real edible treats, but what blows this artist's mind is their phenomenal product photography! I doubt this new shop will remain at zero sales for long. ;)
G is for Grasshopper...and Great, as is LindsayArt's Alphabet series. Lindsay offers most every letter in original papercut collages and the whole collection can be purchased in complete set of 4x4 prints. In addition, LindsayArt has some very cool illustrations, mostly
fairytale-like girls. I just love her very whimsical, fresh style!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
New Custom PETITE Minis
(Click to Enlarge Image)Would you like to see one of your shop items shown on the front along with your shop info on the back of the thank you notes that you give to your customers? This is a great week to take advantage of my services then, as my Custom PETITE Mini Notecards are one of this week's Blog Follower's Specials. Get your own set of Custom PETITEs for 10% off and FREE Shipping this week by simply following this blog.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
This Week's Featured Items >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
In appreciation for supporting my blog & my Etsy Shop, I am now going to feature 3 items weekly. Each week, you may select one of these items to purchase, and depending on the item get either
10 % DISCOUNT PLUS FREE SHIPPING
on normal items
OR
20% DISCOUNT
on items that already have Free Shipping
Requirements, simply follow this blog and tune in weekly, it's that simple, really!
When you decide to purchase one of these featured items, please convo me first and I will adjust the listing with your discounts. Thanks for your support!
~Kat~
♥♥♥♥♥♥ ♥♥♥♥♥♥ ♥♥♥♥♥♥ ♥♥♥♥♥♥
Sunday, October 11, 2009
New Discoveries
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
New Discoveries...a chance to show off some of the works of other Etsy shops that I find amazing. These are a few artists that I have stumbled upon recently, those that have earned a heart from me for their talents.
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
There is just something about these poppies that sing out to me . I love their stunning brightness and the way they pop against their stark background. I discovered Wood Pigeon this week on the Shopper's Paradise forum thread, she took up one of our "newbie" spots, a spot reserved for free until the shop gets it's first sale with Etsy. I encourage you to look at WoodPigeon's shop and her other works, and check out the one she sold (her first Etsy sale, yay!) called "Dove Among Dandelions". Beautiful work!
Isn't Romeo the most adorable little stained glass bird you ever saw? Attached to his body is a little perfume bottle vase of vintage button flowers that can be removed and replaced with others. I can picture him bringing a smile to my face, hanging on my window on a cold blustery winter's day. Pinkflourish also has several other beautifully styled birds in her shop, be sure to check them out.
Three in a Row by Janice10art
It was so hard for me to pick JUST one piece of artwork to show you from Janice10art's shop. All of them provoke such warm, and comfortable feelings, things that fit right into any cozy home. In this piece, I love how the lovely hydrangeas fall gracefully, leading your eye to the subject below, the three beautiful apples. Stunning work!
New Discoveries...a chance to show off some of the works of other Etsy shops that I find amazing. These are a few artists that I have stumbled upon recently, those that have earned a heart from me for their talents.
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
There is just something about these poppies that sing out to me . I love their stunning brightness and the way they pop against their stark background. I discovered Wood Pigeon this week on the Shopper's Paradise forum thread, she took up one of our "newbie" spots, a spot reserved for free until the shop gets it's first sale with Etsy. I encourage you to look at WoodPigeon's shop and her other works, and check out the one she sold (her first Etsy sale, yay!) called "Dove Among Dandelions". Beautiful work!
Isn't Romeo the most adorable little stained glass bird you ever saw? Attached to his body is a little perfume bottle vase of vintage button flowers that can be removed and replaced with others. I can picture him bringing a smile to my face, hanging on my window on a cold blustery winter's day. Pinkflourish also has several other beautifully styled birds in her shop, be sure to check them out.
Three in a Row by Janice10art
It was so hard for me to pick JUST one piece of artwork to show you from Janice10art's shop. All of them provoke such warm, and comfortable feelings, things that fit right into any cozy home. In this piece, I love how the lovely hydrangeas fall gracefully, leading your eye to the subject below, the three beautiful apples. Stunning work!
Friday, October 9, 2009
Pork, Stuffing & Apple Pie
Tis the season for great apples and great apple recipes! I have worked on perfecting this recipe, and I think it is pretty much there. Originally, this recipe called for canned apple pie filling. The day I decided to try it out, I didn't have canned pie filling, and I did have a surplus of apples in my bin that needed to get used up. So I decided to try to converting the recipe I use when I make home-canned applesauce, and boy did it come out good!
Pork, Stuffing & Apple Pie
Ingredients:
8-9 medium-sized Apples (any variety except Red Delicious)
1 C Water
1 C Brown Sugar
1 Tbs Cinnamon
½ Tbs Nutmeg
1 Tbs Cornstarch
1/3 Water
6 Boneless Pork Loin chops about 1” thick
1 pkt. Dried Onion Soup Mix
1 Tbs Oil
½ canister Stove-Top Chicken Stuffing (4 servings worth)
1 C Water
1 C Brown Sugar
1 Tbs Cinnamon
½ Tbs Nutmeg
1 Tbs Cornstarch
1/3 Water
6 Boneless Pork Loin chops about 1” thick
1 pkt. Dried Onion Soup Mix
1 Tbs Oil
½ canister Stove-Top Chicken Stuffing (4 servings worth)
First make the Apple Pie Filling: Wash, peel & slice apples; place in a large saucepan with water, brown sugar, cinnamon & nutmeg.
Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 45 minutes until apples are tender.
Mix cornstarch together with 1/3 C water, bring apples back up to a boil and add the cornstarch mixture. Stir, and continue stirring until mixture thickens a little. Remove from heat and set
aside. Pre-heat oven to 350 °. Trim all visible fat from pork chops. Put onion soup mix in a gallon Ziploc.
aside. Pre-heat oven to 350 °. Trim all visible fat from pork chops. Put onion soup mix in a gallon Ziploc.
Toss pork chops around in bag then place in skillet with oil to brown. While that is cooking, prepare stuffing according to package directions; when done set aside.
Spread apple pie mixture into the bottom of a sprayed 13x9-in. baking dish. Place the browned pork chops on top, spoon stuffing over chops. Cover with foil and bake for about 25-30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 minutes longer.
Enjoy!
For a printable recipe without all the pictures, see comments.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
My First "Real-Time" Etsy Encounter
Amore & H20Just got home from having lunch with Michele of AmoreVivo & AmoreBride. Michele and I met through our More Meaningful Gifts forum thread. We had such a fun time, and I have to say it was great to finally meet in real life someone from my virtual life. Good Food, Good Company, hope that we can do it again! :)
If you get the chance visit either of Amore's shops, she does such a nice job with both of them. (I made her banner and avatar for her AmoreBride shop, and I have recently designed business cards to go with them too.)
If you get the chance visit either of Amore's shops, she does such a nice job with both of them. (I made her banner and avatar for her AmoreBride shop, and I have recently designed business cards to go with them too.)
ACEO-X (2.0)
Time to gear up for the 2nd ACEO-X. Yay!!! Sign up has just begun and ends Oct 23rd. See our host Ulixis Crafts Blog to sign up and for all the rules and more details. For those of you who do not know, an ACEO is a trading card sized piece of artwork. They can be made from any medium, I.E. paper, knit, clay, etc. The only rule is they have to be 2.5" x 3.5" in dimension. They are highly popular, and highly addictive. I've been making and collecting ACEOs for some time now.
For the swap, you will need to make one original ACEO and be willing to send it internationally. This one will be Fall/Thanksgiving themed. The last exchange was a blast, once all the ACEOs have been made, Uli posts them on her blog (Click HERE to see the ACEO-X (1.0) submissions), so we can see them. But, we don't know until it arrives at our door whose ACEO will be the one we receive. The anticipation and excitement of waiting to find out is great!
So, what are you waiting for? Time to put on those creative hats and make some ACEOs!
Monday, October 5, 2009
This Week's Featured Items >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
In appreciation for supporting my blog & my Etsy Shop, I am now going to feature 3 items weekly. Each week, you may select one of these items to purchase, and depending on the item get either
10 % DISCOUNT PLUS FREE SHIPPING
on normal items
OR
20% DISCOUNT
on items that already have Free Shipping
Requirements, simply follow this blog and tune in weekly, it's that simple, really!
When you decide to purchase one of these featured items, please convo me first and I will adjust the listing with your discounts. Thanks for your support!
~Kat~
♥♥♥♥♥♥ ♥♥♥♥♥♥ ♥♥♥♥♥♥ ♥♥♥♥♥♥
Sunday, October 4, 2009
New Discoveries
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
New Discoveries...a chance to show off some of the works of other Etsy shops that I find amazing. These are a few artists that I have stumbled upon recently, those that have earned a heart from me for their talents.
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
Sometimes we can find New Discoveries in our own backyard! Amanda, of PaperUlixis is my friend from the More Meaningful Gifts forum thread. Amongst the other cool things she creates in her three shops, she makes these most fabulous Goddess ACEOs. I swear every one that she makes comes out better than the last. I love the way she combines different patterned papers with her drawing techniques. And besides, anything that honors women is okay in my book!
Flower Power to the extreme, man! These bright beauties are such a work of art, I'd hate to wear them and scuff them up...but I would! As I'm not too much a pastel type of girl, I really appreciate DonnaDidIt's shop. Almost everything in it is done in bright, bold and fantastic color. Just love these shoes!
I discovered Illusio in a treasury this week, I can't even remember if this was the piece in the treasury or not. I was in awe when I went to look through her shop. I'm a big fan of textures and I just love all the hand-drawn textures and shapes involved in her artwork. The colors in "Tidal", and the way it just flows together is just so appealing. Illusio earned quite a few hearts from me, and she has ACEOS!
New Discoveries...a chance to show off some of the works of other Etsy shops that I find amazing. These are a few artists that I have stumbled upon recently, those that have earned a heart from me for their talents.
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
Sometimes we can find New Discoveries in our own backyard! Amanda, of PaperUlixis is my friend from the More Meaningful Gifts forum thread. Amongst the other cool things she creates in her three shops, she makes these most fabulous Goddess ACEOs. I swear every one that she makes comes out better than the last. I love the way she combines different patterned papers with her drawing techniques. And besides, anything that honors women is okay in my book!
Flower Power to the extreme, man! These bright beauties are such a work of art, I'd hate to wear them and scuff them up...but I would! As I'm not too much a pastel type of girl, I really appreciate DonnaDidIt's shop. Almost everything in it is done in bright, bold and fantastic color. Just love these shoes!
I discovered Illusio in a treasury this week, I can't even remember if this was the piece in the treasury or not. I was in awe when I went to look through her shop. I'm a big fan of textures and I just love all the hand-drawn textures and shapes involved in her artwork. The colors in "Tidal", and the way it just flows together is just so appealing. Illusio earned quite a few hearts from me, and she has ACEOS!
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Newest PETITE Mini Sets
My new 2" PETITE mini notecards seem to be going over really well, especially now that they are available (for a limited time) with
FREE PERSONALIZATION* on the backs. I just wanted to share with you the sets that I've introduced this week. For awhile now, I have been wanting to do a sentiments pack, one that says all the little sayings we could use to send our customers at any given time. Thanks to nikid for asking me to make a set especially for her shop. She is offering them to her customers at a very low, low price to add to gift orders for her fabulous chocolates & treats.
Here's another set I introduced this week. No sentiments, just beautiful warm fall colors and images. As always, my petite sets are available in sets of 10 with envelopes or 20 without. Be sure to click on the links right under the pictures to take you right to that item in my shop. :)
FREE PERSONALIZATION* on the backs. I just wanted to share with you the sets that I've introduced this week. For awhile now, I have been wanting to do a sentiments pack, one that says all the little sayings we could use to send our customers at any given time. Thanks to nikid for asking me to make a set especially for her shop. She is offering them to her customers at a very low, low price to add to gift orders for her fabulous chocolates & treats.
Here's another set I introduced this week. No sentiments, just beautiful warm fall colors and images. As always, my petite sets are available in sets of 10 with envelopes or 20 without. Be sure to click on the links right under the pictures to take you right to that item in my shop. :)
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
This Week's Featured Items >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
In appreciation for supporting my blog & my Etsy Shop, I am now going to feature 3 items weekly. Each week, you may select one of these items to purchase, and depending on the item get either
10 % DISCOUNT PLUS FREE SHIPPING
on normal items
OR
20% DISCOUNT
on items that already have Free Shipping
Requirements, simply follow this blog and tune in weekly, it's that simple, really!
When you decide to purchase one of these featured items, please convo me first and I will adjust the listing with your discounts. Thanks for your support!
~Kat~
♥♥♥♥♥♥ ♥♥♥♥♥♥ ♥♥♥♥♥♥ ♥♥♥♥♥♥
Saturday, September 26, 2009
New Discoveries
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
New Discoveries...a chance to show off some of the works of other Etsy shops that I find amazing. These are a few artists that I have stumbled upon recently, those that have earned a heart from me for their talents.
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
This artist was pointed out to me this week by my friend, Jerise. She pegged Bluebird Hill as someone I would like not only because of her style, but because she offers ACEOs!!! I have since hearted several items in her shop. It astounds me the clarity, and yet softness, Bluebird achieves by using colored pencils. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! (Image used is © Ann Thompson Nemcosky.)
Petunias by BluebirdHill
After much persuasion, this young man succumbed to creating ACEOs, much to the delight of all his wife's MMG threadmates and the rest of the art world. This is Quwwa's first attempt at creating art on a small scale...and WOW! What a magnificent job! His subjects tend not to be of the light and airy nature, but more the bitterness of reality, and what we as a society tend to ignore. By bringing these realities up in his artwork, he hopes to lend a hand to humanity.
New Discoveries...a chance to show off some of the works of other Etsy shops that I find amazing. These are a few artists that I have stumbled upon recently, those that have earned a heart from me for their talents.
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
This artist was pointed out to me this week by my friend, Jerise. She pegged Bluebird Hill as someone I would like not only because of her style, but because she offers ACEOs!!! I have since hearted several items in her shop. It astounds me the clarity, and yet softness, Bluebird achieves by using colored pencils. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! (Image used is © Ann Thompson Nemcosky.)
Petunias by BluebirdHill
I've had Creative with Clay in my favorites for awhile now. I am a big fan of textures, and I just love all the ones in this fabulous shop, inspired by Indian designs, fabrics, embroidery, colors and Bollywood. The colors of the pottery are fresh, too! There are so many unique one-of-a-kind pottery pieces in this shop that I would just love to own.
After much persuasion, this young man succumbed to creating ACEOs, much to the delight of all his wife's MMG threadmates and the rest of the art world. This is Quwwa's first attempt at creating art on a small scale...and WOW! What a magnificent job! His subjects tend not to be of the light and airy nature, but more the bitterness of reality, and what we as a society tend to ignore. By bringing these realities up in his artwork, he hopes to lend a hand to humanity.
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