One World One Heart offering...

http://awhimsicalbohemian.typepad.com/a_whimsical_bohemian/one-world-one-heart-1.html

Welcome to my stop on the One World One Heart worldwide blog event!

This blog is my "home" on the worldwide web... Here, I share a little of my personal life and a lot of my artistic one.  I am a member of Paper Traders, an online artists community and most of the projects I do are for swaps with my fellow group members.  Thank you for visiting my blog.  I hope you will come back soon!

For my offering, I will be giving away one book to each of TWO lucky visitors - either The Wreath Book or Making Decorative Fabric-Covered Boxes.  Just leave a comment on this post and I will select two random winners on February 17th.  If you have a preference for which book you would like to receive, please indicate that in your comment.  Also, make sure I have a way to contact you if you win!

COMMENTS ARE NOW CLOSED... WILL BE ANNOUNCING WINNER SHORTLY...!

Valentine Steampunk

 Utilizing some of my recent swap meet finds, I completed these Valentine Steampunk assemblages for Cathy's swap on Paper Traders.  These were a ton of fun to make!

Paper Traders

http://papertraders-art.blogspot.com/search/label/Home

As I'm sure you know, I am a member of Paper Traders - an online artists' community.  Several years ago, I became one of the group moderators along with my mom, Connie Holso, and Keron Lee - a wonderful artist from Melbourne.  Being a moderator can be challenging at times but immensely rewarding.  I have gotten to know so many talented and kind artists from around the globe who have inspired me with their creations.  Recently, Keron decided to step down as moderator for personal and artistic reasons.  In her place, Cathy Calamas from South Carolina has stepped up to the task of helping to make Paper Traders a fun and creative place to be.

With that goal in mind, we have jointly created a new blog just for the Paper Traders group - a public face for our private group.  This forum will give us a chance to show other artists what we are all about... and hopefully entice them to join in our artistic journey  =)   We'll have tutorials, free downloads, and galleries of our members' artwork.  I'll still have my personal blog here but I hope you'll have fun finding out what my art friends and I like to do in our spare time...

2011 One World One Heart blog event

One World One Heart is a worldwide event for bloggers only.  It gives all those who blog a chance to meet and mingle and form connections with those they may not have otherwise met from all over the world.  In the past 4 years this event has grown to over 1,000 participants with lasting friendships formed along the way.  It's like a gigantic open house allowing you to travel without ever leaving your home… going from blog to blog (in various countries), seeing the wonder each one has created, and meeting all the fabulous people behind those blogs.  As a bonus, each blogger participant will offer up a door prize just for dropping by, saying hello, and seeing their world.  It’s really that easy.  The fifth (and final) One World One Heart will begin on January 30 and run until February 17, 2011.  If you're interested in participating, click HERE for all the information.

I will each be offering something for the blog event - details will be unveiled when the event begins on January 30th.  I encourage you to join in the fun!

Scavengering for Art Supplies

Yesterday, I spent the morning at the swap meet and then checked out some of the local thrift stores... all in my search for cool stuff to use in my art.  I'm trying to come up with something for a Valentine Steampunk Assemblage swap we're doing on Paper Traders.  I found this store called Architectural Salvage that is awesome!  Most of their stuff is too pricey for my pocketbook but it sure was fun to browse  =)

Catching up on the past six months...

Moving back to San Diego has been terrific although I still feel like I'm in my adjustment period.  It took me several weeks to find a new home and even longer to get unpacked... I still am not completely settled in but I'm getting there.  I found a cute duplex in the suburbs and am blessed to have a nice landlord, a friendly neighbor, my own laundry room, a garage, a yard, and the best part - a whole room to dedicate to my art studio/office!

I used my birthday gift cards to buy shelving for the studio and I am almost done getting everything put in its place.  I would have been done ages ago if I didn't keep hauling stuff out and making messes (along with art) along the way.

Shortly after moving into my new home, I discovered this nest of baby birds right outside my window.

I've really enjoyed catching up with old friends and making new ones since coming back to San Diego. 

Sadly, my best friends relocated to the Monterey Bay area shortly after I arrived.  I was lucky enough to get to spend a long weekend with them over Halloween.  On the way home, I took the scenic route down the famous Highway 1...

Being back in Southern California gave me the opportunity to attend one of my online artist friend's art showing... and to finally meet her in person.  Kate Carvellas was as sweet in person as I'd come to know her online and a talented artist too!

Although I went home for Thanksgiving, I spent a lovely quiet Christmas at home this year.

I'm looking forward to the new year and good things  =)

Asian Influence

 If you follow my art, you probably know how much I love asian themes in my art.  Here are some items I've done recently - all for Paper Traders swaps.  At the top, small chipboard houses using some really great joss paper I found for backgrounds.  Above, some paper thread bobbins for a tiny bobbin book.

Below is the triptych and handmade envelope I created for another swap.  The lady in this one is a pop-up... a little trick my mom taught me  =)

A couple more ATC swaps

 As you can tell from the short random posts, I'm trying to get caught up from my half-year hiatus.  Here are my contributions to a couple of ATC swaps I did for Paper Traders.  For the one above, the challenge was to use a postage stamp; the swap below was to use a silly take on a movie title... both were lots of fun!

Recent ATCs

Our Paper Traders group hosts a monthly ATC lottery.  Here are some recent ATCs I made for them.  Now, if I could just remember to get them sent off to the corresponding winners!