"cute as a button"

Cara- Who knew my husband had one in the garage?!

Recipe for super fun ruler star just in time for the 4th-

1.  Take the carpenter's ruler from the workbench when the hubby isn't looking.

2.  Bend.  Bend.  Bend.  Bend.  Bend.

3.  Voila!  Fab-U-lous!

Gearing up...

This year in particular, I decided to really analyze my creative business and make the leap to stretch what I was doing.  I made a plan.  I would revise my business cards, launch a blog and push myself to create more (much more!) than I ever had.

With being a stay-at-home mom, creating inventory is a bit of a challenge.  There are days...sometimes weeks...that I don't step foot into the studio.  

Well, I have to admit that after submitting my designs for The Hearthside Collection's recent due date, I enjoyed a few weeks of 'downtime'.  This year though, with what I want to achieve, I have to cut that 'downtime' short.  The fall/holiday boutique season will be here before we know it.  I want to have loads and loads of creations for both Prairie Hearth and the Weeping Willow Boutique.  Pumpkins, crows and bittersweet...oh my!

Drumroll please.....

The winner of the 'CReaTe' ornie give-away is....

SANDRA!

Congratulations!

(Sandra- Zip me an e-mail with your address and I'll pop it in the mail asap.  Thank you again for your support.  Enjoy!)

Win this!

Time for some fun!...

For the rest of this week, if you leave me a comment, become a follower of my blog or zip me an e-mail at michellekildowdesigns@gmail.com you will be put into a drawing to win the ornament shown above.

I created this ornie using a paper mache base and embellished it with fun scrapbook paper, ribbon around the edge, rub-on transfers, a painted paper clay heart, found watch face, etc.

'Anxious to hear from you! 

something new...

Today we packed up the kids and went for a stroll at a local outdoor arts festival.  I had such a ball.  The weather was unusually pleasant and the Ring Pops I packed for the kids bought me some time to look around.  It was nice to be around other creative people and to 'oooo' and 'ahhh'.

When I got home I decided to allow myself time to stretch what I currently do....to "play".

 

So....the above painting, which started out the day with my usual black background, got a coat of spunky blue over the black and I tried to jazz up the piece with my new secret (ha ha) weapon- - a black charcoal pencil.

I have to admit that I am kinda excited about it.  And, although it was much more time-consuming than my usual painting process, I want to do more.

BLOOM

During quiet moments in the studio my mind starts to wander.  I get to thinking about how blessed I am...to have my family...my friends...and to be able to create for a living.

These tissue paper paintings were an ideal reminder for me of how supportive my family and friends are of my work.  This particular piece is created on the bottom panel of a dresser drawer.  Many thanks to my friend, Lisa, for thinking of me and hauling 9 dresser drawers home so that I could use them to create!

Sara, my cousin, thank you for re-introducing me to the charcoal pencil.  I LOVE IT!

To my dear hubby- thank you for always cheering me on, allowing me to dream and watching the kiddos so that I can sneak away to the studio to create.

I am so blessed.

something new...

A while back I took a great class (for my Masters in Education program) that allowed us the studio time to 'play'.  I worked with layering tissue paper onto my plaster creations.  FUN! 

So...I think somewhere in my heart I wanted to get back to that.  Recently, as in the example shown above, I've been working with painting backgrounds and layering tissue paper cut outs onto them.  The tissue presents a challenge, but it's really got me excited to be in the studio.  In fact, one morning I got up before the kids...at the crack of dawn!...just to get into the studio to work.  Oh, P.S., I didn't even have coffee!  :)

My favorite aspect about these works is my 'secret weapon' (it's really not so secret!)...my black charcoal pencil!  I am still amazed at how the charcoal pencil step transforms the artwork.