And the winners are........

Thank you so very much to all of you who entered my 5x7 print giveaway! I truly appreciate your reading and participating, and it was fun to read about your favorite seasons and why they are your favorites! I was surprised that fall was the most popular, but I definitely understand - it is my favorite, with spring a very close second.

So without further ado.......drum roll, please..........

In third place, and winner of a greeting card of her choice, is earth baby (visit her incredible etsy shop here)!

In second place, and winner of this little magnet set, is Julie Magers Soulen (See more or her amazing photography in her etsy shop here.)!


And the grand prize winner, of a 5x7 print of her choice from my etsy shop ("giving", seen below), is MJ!



Thank you all again for participating! Stay tuned for my next giveaway coming up very soon!

I received this lovely award from April, the incredible talent behind the beautiful creations in applelovesorange and appleblossomfl, via her blog, the Musings of the Momma.


Proximidade is described as follows:'This blog invests and believes in PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes for self-aggrandizement! Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers!' This blog award should be sent to your favorite eight bloggers and they, in turn should forward to eight of their favorites. You should include the text for Proximidade (above) in your announcement blog. And so I award the following eight bloggers for their Proximidade attributes:

Handicrafts
mkc photography by Michelle Ciarlo-Hayes
Felted Treasures
Finding Inspiration Every Day
CurlyfrySC's Collage
GiggleberryCreations
Personal Treasure
Photography, Art and Motherhood

Please visit their blogs and their etsy shops!

New in my etsy shop....

This is one of my favorite photographs from an amazing vacation to the bay area of California with my mother and stepfather. We had taken a day trip down the coast toward Carmel. It was cold, windy and gray. We were fascinated by the churning water off the coast near Point Lobos. These little birds were all around, hoping for a snack from one of the groups of people nearby. I love the starkness of their black feathers against the gray sand. And this little group reminded me of a group of friends meeting for dinner....


"Table for Seven" now available in my etsy shop.

Saturday Night Special!!!

Happy Saturday, everyone!

My Saturday night special is a BOGO free sale! With each purchase, you receive a second item of lesser or equal value free! Just let me know which item you choose for your second item in the notes to seller section. I can either send you an revised invoice or refund your discount through paypal.....so take a minute and browse through my etsy shop - find something for someone you love or maybe even a treat for yourself......


Glimmer (available as an ACEO or a print)



blank photo greeting cards



"sail away with me"



"Dinner and a Movie"



Lovely, glass photo pendants



"Gift"

A Pleasant Good Morning Surprise

What a wonderful surprise when I woke up this morning! I received an email that I was included in a feature on the blog Confessions of an Etsy Stalker ! The feature also includes other artists who donate a portion of their proceeds to charitable causes.

Curator Beatrice chose my downtown architecture cards, which are available in the EtsyforCharity shop to include in the feature......




Thank you so very much, Curator Beatrice! Please visit her blog, Confessions of an Etsy Stalker , for thoughtfully curated collections of incredible etsy finds. But be careful....if you are like me and have trouble resisting etsy temptations, you will have to muster a lot of restraint before enjoying her collections!

My Favorite Holiday Card

We received a Christmas card from a dear friend made by Kathy Davis Studios, with the most incredible message. I loved it so much that I wanted to share:

The Greatest Gifts

May we break boundaries, tear down walls, and build the foundation of goodness inside each of us.



May we look past differences, gain understanding, and embrace acceptance. May we reach out to each other, rather than resist.

May we be better stewards of the earth, protecting, nurturing, and replenishing the beauties of nature.



May we practice gratitude for all we have, rather than complain about our needs.



May we seek cures for the sick, help for the hungry, and love for the lonely.

May we share our talents, give our time, and teach our children.

May we hold hope for the future very tenderly in our hearts and do all we can to build for bright tomorrows.



And may we love with our whole hearts, for that's the only way to love.

You may read more on Kathy Davis' blog. All of my photographs included here are available in my etsy shop. Enjoy!

2 New ACEO's in my etsy shop!

New in my etsy shop , two new ACEO's! I have listed two of my popular prints as ACEO's. ACEO's are fun little pieces of art (2.5x3.5 inches) to collect, trade, or give. A few ideas to display your ACEO's - a special photo album for them, a little basket of them on your coffee table for your friends and family to flip through, tuck them in a card as a sweet little "thinking of you," or matte and frame them to display in your home.

Here are my new ACEO's:


Ruby Red




Starfall

You may learn more about ACEO's and see some beautiful examples in this etsy thread. View all of my ACEO's here.

Have fun, and enjoy getting to know this fun little art form!

FAM - Made Holiday Holiday Gift Guide

I am thankful to be a member of the Etsy FAM team (Fabulous Artistic Moms). The women in this group are incredibly supportive, super talented, and a lot of fun.

The FAM-Made for the Holidays promo is under way! You will be entered to win FAM Bucks if you buy from my shop between Dec 1 and Dec 12! There are daily deals and surprise specials! The special for today is reduced shipping!




Take a look at the Holiday gift guide for teens on the FAM blog.