I’ve been working on these for the past few days.   Love inspired art.  I have a pretty amazing relationship with my husband and feel completely fueled to believe that true love does exist and it is, well, awesome.

always – 8 x 8 art print

These are in my shop now as prints, just in time for Valentine’s Day.

together – 8.5 x 11 art print

I also added a cute kitty print and italian vineyard print in my shop as well. Go over and take a looksey.

P.S. Thank you for all the lovely birthday wishes.  The cake was divine!!

It’s cooold. Well, for me any way. So, I’m just trying to keep warm.  We decided to start up the fireplace for the first time ever.  It’s nice to have a toasty glow fill the room.  And, the kids aren’t as interested in it as I thought they would be.

The tree is up in all it’s glory. Twinkling lights and it’s sweet piney scent filling the room.  I just love it.

The birds are visiting in masses which is lovely. I’ve been trying to catch little shots of them, which is tricky.

And finally, I have completed the last update for my shop. A few more tea wallets. I had planned more, but I need to call it quits.

Now I will be tackling my list for this week, plus we have a good friend visiting.

* Tamales
* Cookies
* Paper snowflakes
* Dolls
* PJ pants

I am really looking forward to my list of projects, especially those dolls!!

Sorry about the shameless self-promotion, but I need a little help.  I’ve been working hard to fill my shop with art and goodies. Things that I have truly loved making. I’ve found art to be my daily therapy, my calm and quiet, my creative happiness.

Unfortunately, I get only 10 to 40 visitors to my shop per day. The bigger Etsy gets, the more lost I become in the enormous sea of creative people. My bad self likes to think that my stuff is just no good, but my good self tries hard to remember that I’m just not being found.

I recently I took Marisa’s “In the Fish Bowl” e-course.  She spoke a lot about holding tight to your dreams, staying true to yourself, and not being afraid to put yourself out there.  That’s the hardest part for me, taking risks.

So here I am, asking you for a small favor. In return, I will throw your name into a drawing to win one of my art prints.  Your choice.

*First, leave a comment with a tip, suggestions, or your favorite item in my shop.  You can even just say Hi

**For a second entry, blog about my shop– I am offering Free Shipping on selected items until Dec 31st. Come back and leave another comment letting me know. Please feel free to use my image below.

**Lastly, you can Twitter about my shop, adding the hashtag #ckismet, so that I can keep track . Come back and leave another comment letting me know.

In my shop, you’ll find lots of art prints, postcards, ornaments, tea wallets and patchwork pincusions. I’ve even added some 5 x 7 prints too.  So, please stop by and take a look around. I am hoping to add holiday ornaments today or tomorrow, so please check back.

I’ll announce a winner December 1st.  Thank you so much for your support. I couldn’t do all this without you!!

I thought I’d do a nice little black & white photo of my kitty.  She loves that spot by the window where she can warm up and watch the birds.   I have been meaning to make her a new cushion, something like THIS would be cool.

Here is a sneak peak of my ornaments in progress. Little glittery owls with button eyes.  They still need some finishing touches.

Other cool things you should check out:
Flossy-p is hosting her 4th annual Thanksgiving Giveaway.  She is giving away a commissioned illustration!!! If you don’t know Flossy-p, well then, you better check out her work, because I think she is pretty amazing.

Angela at Clothesline Chronicles is also hosting a giveaway for $25 gift certificate at ecostore.  I love trying new eco stuff, don’t you?

Dana at create-share-inspire is giving away a very lovely paper tree ornament.

Just hop on over to these spots and leave a comment to win.

Lastly, I wanted announce free US shipping on seleted items in my shop. Please take a look. I will also be adding new items through out the week. Maybe some Christmas ornaments, a few new wallets and some more new art.

Connect (available in my shop)

Still more connecting going on over here.  Can’t be enough of that, right?  Connectedness with your inner self is the most important kind of connecting, I think.  Being true to yourself, having peace within, giving yourself what you need to be whole, mindful and complete. Then, and only then can you fully connect with everyone and everything around you.

I am creating, singing, dancing, drinking tea, reading, getting enough sleep, writing, drawing, hugging, kissing and doing my yoga to keep myself centered.  What are doing?  What makes you feel the most centered and connected? I’d love to know.

Sunshine Bird Ornament

I’ve had a lot of things half finished for the past 6 months that I needed to get done in order to move on with other craft stuff.  Pincushions in need of buttons and birds in need of wire and beads. I finished them all and couldn’t be more pleased.  They are all in my shop now. I’ve had a goal to list at least one thing a week and  to get at least 50 things in my shop before October 1st.  I have 41 now so I think I’ll be able to make it.

I also have lots of ideas for Day of the Dead stuff floating around in my head. Autumn, DOTD and Halloween are my most favorite time of the year.  I’m hoping to be able to work on that now that I’ve finished this other stuff.

Pretty Patchwork Pincushions

Also, my Eyeball t-shirt show on Martha Stewart will air again tomorrow, Aug 27th.  Weird.  I am a re-run.

be happy & dance

11 x 14 mixed-media on canvas

weather: HOT ~ 105 degrees. Too hot to go out, but sunny and bright inside
mood: happy, cheerful
time: day off from work, enough time to create
kids:  one at school, the other playing happily with LEGOs and a bit of watercolor painting
to-do list: morning errands completed
inspiration: Creative Every Day August theme–Move

Yep, perfect setting for a bit of afternoon painting. Good light, good mood and some good inspiration.

This is the first of three painting that I created for the breastfeeding art show, in celebration of women, babies and breastfeeding.  I will share the other two through out the week.

My Sunshine

11 x 14 Multimedia on canvas

Related Breastfeeding posts:

World Breastfeeding Week 2008

World Breastfeeding Week 2007

On a completely different note, I have seriously been thinking about registering for Artfest 2010.  It makes me giddy, nervous, excited, and anxious to even think about going to this, all by-my-self!!  I’ve been wanting to go since I first heard about it two years ago.  I think I can manage working several extra shifts to pay for it and I have till September then next March to save, but still…  Seems like such a BIG decision to make.  Eeeks!  Anyone else going?  Gone before?  I’d love to hear about it!!

Yay, it’s Bench Monday.  I totally dig it. I thoroughly enjoy checking out some of the beautifully creative & colorful bench shots that have been popping up in the group. Amazing!  It’s inspired me to look at the benches around my house a little differently. I may even have to fix a couple of them up.

The tattoo?  It’s one of the two that I have.  It’s been 11 years since I allowed some crazy dude to torture me with an ink and needle device.  I don’t regret it in any way, but it’s a funny/strange memory and I do sometimes forget I have them on my body. My ankle tattoo is the Japanese symbol for peace/harmony.

On another note,0f the shameless self promotion sort,  I have added some postcard sets to my shop.  Please check’em out.

I just had to play.  I have been meaning to for a few weeks now.

There is my wonderful little Rocky, hanging with me on our bench.  Have I mentioned how flippin’ cool Rocky is?  We just adore him.

A few things:

**Thank you to those who ordered my Eyeball patch kits.  They are all packaged up and ready to go out first thing tomorrow morning.  I am unable to make any more kits at this time.  I have to work 4 out of the next 7 days and am getting ready for a big 2 week trip to California!!!

**Just a little reminder that I am still offering free shipping on all art prints (sorry, US orders only)  in my shop until Friday, May 29th.  Just leave a comment with the words “kismet reader” in the Messages to Seller section upon checkout and wait for an amended invoice.

**I’ve got yet another giveaway this week, this time for the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway.  Should be really fun!

** Lastly, I have received several Kreativ Blogger awards over the last several months.  I am horrible at doing these, but very honored, so please accept my apologies on not respondong.  A HUGE thank you to the following bloggers for nominating me: Green Mamma, Sewing Magpie, Sew and So, Ivy’s Attic and Montessori Mama (forgive me if I have forgotten anyone).  All are amazing artsy/crafty/thoughtful bloggers that make and do truly wonderful things.  Please give them a visit.