new Christmas designs

OooooWeeeee! Anybody still out there?

I was chatting with some new friends the other day about how our long cherished blogs had been dismissed due to the likes of that floosy Facebook, and I felt sad. So as little time as I have right now, I thought I'd pop back in and do a little show and tell.

My new Christmas tea-towels (hopefully up in my Etsy store by the end of the weekend).

As hinted, more updates are often on my facebook : http://flossy.p.art

facebook killed my blog

I'm embarrassed to admit it, after what?... 6, 7 years of blogging, but sadly the truth is my albeit late involvement in Facebook has meant the demise of my blog. Sorry guys, sorry blog.  :(

The good news is I'm here to let you know I'm doing a little giveaway on my facebook page this week:

flossy-p facebook page

Come check it out.

portrait for a wedding

A portrait for a wedding, NOT a portrait of a wedding. Cool huh?




In 17 more sleeps this fine looking pair will be getting married!

They wanted a casual family portrait to have on display at their wedding; a rustic, country, vintage wedding. (Just the way I like 'em.)

Along with their beautiful little girl and their beloved dog, I placed them on the creek which runs through their wedding venue, set the backdrop to the one they will see from their wedding location, and wrapped them in a vintage doily, (like the ones they plan to have there).

Mel and her daughter came to my mothers group for a wee while before moving away to another state. So when she looked me up and asked me to do this for them I was so honoured. I feel so lucky to be able to have something I've painted for them as part of their special day.

PLUS, I'm giving them the lampshades we had hanging from the trees at our wedding, to hang at theirs.. so I feel like I'll be there in spirit in more ways than one. :)

It's going to be a veeeery beautiful wedding! Wishing them the most splendid day, and magical life beyond!

calendar fixation

Every year I spend hours and hours online, searching high and low for just the right calendar. I’m lost without one, but I’m very very fussy about them, I mean you’re going to be looking at it for a whole year right?!

For me it’s not just about the pictures, though obviously that does play a big part. My scrupulous list includes:

• I like the pictures to be predominantly hand painted artworks, not photos, not digital.

• I like the theme to be original, not done to death a thousand times before

• It needs to be cheerful, not gloomy

• The whole calendar has to fit in my "spot" in the kitchen

• I like the days to be laid out in a grid, week by week, not a long list. I like to be able to identify a week in a very quick glance. (I LOVE LOVE LOVE Camilla Engman's calendars, but they fail in this point).

• The days each need a big spacious square/shape for me to write lots of stuff in.

Umm, I think that covers it. The secret is out, I'm cale-anal. 

Last year I found a great free, customisable, printable one online at My Owl Barn.

The year prior to that I got it from Be Happy Now. (Actually I got one from her two years in a row because I loved them so much.)

Anyway, Lalaland have put together a 2013 calendar featuring lots of great illustrations. And upon first look it seems to tick all of my boxes. Good job Lalaland! And I'm not just saying that because one of my pictures is in there.

You can buy it online now for just shy of $20, right here!

envy

Right now my Mum is on a 7 week trip around the United States. Arghhh. She's sending me daily updates of places they've been and sights they've seen. Mesa Verde, Rocky Mountains, Monument Valley, the Grand Canyon, Sedona... And next they're are off to N.Y.C and up the East coast.

My good friend just spent 2 weeks in San Francisco.

AND Mr You is, as I write this, on his way to work at an arts festival in Beijing, China.

Arhhhhhh, so so envious!!!!

foxy

Inspired by amazing crafty mums, I decided early on that I would like to create a tradition where I make something for Millipede for his birthday each year.

6 months late, but I've finally finished foxy for his first birthday.

Here's how it all started...


And here's where it is now...






I originally made pattern pieces as I went thinking at the end I would be able to offer a free pattern and tutorial. BUT I have since decided I have no intention of inflicting the torture upon anyone else. Let me just say, I learnt the hard way that there is a very very good reason why most softies have short limbs and wide bodies.

Regardless, I must say I'm quite pleased with my first softie attempt, and was VERY happy when upon first meeting, Millipede tucked him under his arm and merrily took him off to meet the rest of his soft toys.

interviews x 2

Today I am lucky enough to be featured in the "interviews" section of Jodi's Art by Wiley site!

Why am I so excited by this? Well, for one Jodi is an amazing artist herself (I would JUMP on the opportunity to do an art swap with her if the opportunity ever arose), and secondly I've been a fan of her interviews for a while. She has interviewed some of my favourite illustrators and crafters, and I've gained new favourites from there too.

Here's a snippet of my interview:

"Nature is the biggest inspiration for me. I find it oddly alien, and that fascinates me! It's such great irony that the very stuff that makes up this planet can still seem so freakish and unreal. Show me one of those BBC nature documentaries and I'm all astonishment... take me into the backyard and hand me a teensy seedpod and I'm just as enamoured, sit me in front of a hyper-coloured sunset and well...you can imagine, I pretty much turn into the "double rainbow" guy."

For the rest click here!

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



Last month I was also interviewed by Molly from Balancing the Tide.

Molly and I have "known" each other online for quite some time, she is a writer, poet, exquisite photographer, and she owns quite a few pieces of my art. Since we first encountered one another we've since both had our first babies. Now she runs "Balancing the Tide", a site dedicated to interviewing artistic mums, asking how their creative lives have changed since having children. "A LOT" is of course the answer... at least it is in my case.

Here's a snippet:

"My art-making used to occupy half of the studio we have out the back of our house, but as I tried to squeeze small moments of art into the calm moments of each day, I moved my computer inside onto the kitchen table. This made a big difference, I could be a mum, and answer an email on the way to change a nappy."

For the rest click here!

Many thanks to both Jodie and Molly.xx.