Peace, Love, Foxes

 

Last year, Maggie's Spy Party was a lot of fun....but EXTREMELY labor intensive and stressful.  As soon as it was over, I told her that the next year was going to be an "easy" party for Mommy and Daddy.....haha!

 

We did simplify a bit, but I hope it didn't look like we did ;P

 

These were her invitations this year.  I had quite a few extra, so I tried to incorporate them into the décor.

 

 

 

The colors were white and green polka dots, brown and accents of yellow. 

 

 

 

 I went to our local park to pick up lots of free, natural elements for our décor :)

 

 

The little hedgehog was a thrift store find.

 

 

I tried to add a woodland touch to everything in the house.  I just took the above photo tonight, so sorry for the lighting!  But, I forgot to take pics of everything on the day.

 

 

I found some cute woodland fabric to use as a tablecloth, but I also made Mags a special shirt from it for her special day.  The owl is an iron-on.

 

 

We had 2 craft stations for the kids. 1 for making painted rocks and another for coloring and beading their own bookmarks. 

 

 

I purchased digistamps and made the templates for the bookmarks in Photoshop.  I had them printed on cardstock and cut them out myself.

 

See the cute snail on that rock? :)

 

These were the Goodie Bags.

 

 

I hot-glued raffia and ribbon bows to clothespins to clip onto simple white bags.

 

 

Inside (again, night picture, sorry) was a sheet of Woodland Stickers, a fox bookplate that I turned into a sticker using my handy Xyron machine, a foldable owl friend, animal crackers, fruit snacks and a Tootsie Pop.  I'm not big on giving lots of candy.  I thought these things and the crafts were good enough :)

 

I found this cool guy here.

 

It was a super hot day.  I wanted the drinks to be super accessible. 

 

I made 2 kinds of iced tea and offered juice boxes and water, as well.  I decided not to put out food this year which was the biggest stress reliever of all!  The kids arrived, started their crafts, had a drink......then......

 

Went outside for the main event!

 

An Animal Show!

 

 

We were able to go to their Website and pick 5 animals for the show.  These were Maggie's choices.

 

 

A sweet little Hedgehog :)

 

 

A funny Armadillo :)

 

 

A fierce-looking Alligator. 

 I just love this windswept picture of Maggie...cheeks rosy from the heat.

 

 

A Fennec Fox.

This little critter made all the girls squeal with delight :)

 

 

The adults loved the animals as much as the kids. 

They were all asking questions and waiting their turn to pet. :)

 

This next animal stole the show and made everyone gasp.

 

 

This is Gizmo the Barn Owl.

It is so hard to describe just how beautiful they are up close....and how soft....

 

 

It really was so neat to have an event like this in our own backyard.  5 animals was just enough, though.  Everyone was getting thirsty and a bit over-heated. 

 

 It was time to go in and cool off with some cake!

 

 

Those rocks on the cake are actually candy. 

I think this is my favorite cake of all her Birthdays so far.

 

 

After cake and presents, some girls danced while others finished their crafts.  It was a very nice day!

 

Maggie has told me, though, that she's looking forward to the "hard" party she's going to have next year! She's already started making plans.

Uh oh! Haha!

 

Thank you so much for stopping by our little woodsy gathering!

 

I'll be back with some art soon :)

Hugs,

Cameron

A Zebra and a Deer Walk onto a Blog....

I've been trying to stick to a weekly schedule now that I'm trying to fit more on my plate.  Tuesdays have become my painting day and Wednesday my blogging day.

I worked 2 hours on a piece last night that I disliked so much, I gessoed over it and made a new background.  Usually I can salvage a piece, but this one just wasn't heading where I wanted it to go.
It was getting very late, but I didn't want to be empty-handed for blogging today :)

So I pulled out those 2 mini canvas panels I had left and looked for some animals to paint.

A zebra trotted over first.
This one is called "Polka Dots and Stripes"

 

I've never painted a zebra before.  It was fun!  Especially since there was no way to make a mistake on the stripes.  They are not symmetrical or perfect.  Great for me....my paintings never are :)

 

 

Then there is this guy....

 

 

"Love You Deerly"

Hee hee....I just love stupid humor like that ;)

 

 

They are available in Ye Olde Etsy Shoppe if you have a shilling to spend :)

 

Also, the wonderful Sharon at Plumrose Lane who designed my Blog Badge for me, is having to change where her work is stored.  I have new code now for my badge, so if you have been a Sweetie that has me on your sidebar, I kindly (and gratefully) ask you to delete the old and copy the new....now on my sidebar to the right.

Thank you so much for your support and friendship...and to Sharon for making a beautiful Badge!

 

Off I go to make dinner now....I've had chicken in the fridge for 3 days.  Probably cuz I have no designated "cooking" day and frequently choose to go out instead....haha!

 

Love you all, dearly,

Cam

 

Whimsical Critters

Doesn't it feel good to make good on a promise....

Now, I don't make promises lightly, but, I have to admit....sometimes I don't get them met until long after most have forgotten I made the promise to begin with....haha!
Not this time :)

I promised you guys more art.
...and more art I have :)

 

For inspiration, I flipped through some of Maggie's nature magazines.  When I saw a creature that made me stop and pause, or grin to myself, I earmarked them. 

Elephants are one of those animals that draws me in.  Such interesting features, kind eyes and an overall silliness in their wrinkles.

 

This is entitled "Lady Grey"

Is that her favorite tea or her name? Hmmm....

 

I saw a raccoon in the pages, too, all fuzzy and sneaky.  I had to paint one! Here's my version.

 

 

I call him "The Star Thief"

 

 

They are each painted on 4 x 4 inch (10cm x 10cm) canvas panels and come with a cute little wood easel for displaying.

 

I have 2 more of these little panels left.  We'll have to see what animals catch my eye and imagination next....heehee!

 

I'm off to yoga now, but when I come back, I'm going to spend the afternoon visiting with all of you.  I feel like I'm just not in Blogland as much anymore....and I really miss seeing what has been keeping everyone busy!

 

Til later, Namaste :)

Cam

M and L Hockman Ranch 1st Annual Artist Event!

I've been soooo looking forward to this day, Fellow Animal Lovers!

Today is the brainchild of the wonderful Kitty Hockman....owner/operator of M & L Hockman Ranch.  Her idea was to bring together creative, like-minded folks to make art of any sort for the benefit of animalkind.  The pieces were to be inspired by the Ranch and/or the critters that reside there.  You can read her description HERE.

Kitty wants animals to be helped so badly, that proceeds of the sales could be donated to any animal charity of the creator's choice.  The monies did not have to go to her facility! Gotta love her :)



Of course I decided I would give 100% of the sales of my piece to Kitty and her beautiful furry friends. I've gotten to know her and her brood at her blog and am just smitten by them all....

I mean look at Jax and Merlin up there with her....such handsome boys! 
...and this picture of Merlin with his mate Leona.....adorable!


I enjoyed reading through past posts and getting to know everyone better.
I saw this gorgeous guy and thought that maybe I'd paint Lucas (below) or Laverne and Shirley?

That is Shirley above.
Or maybe Pretty Meggie (whose name reminds me of my daughter Maggie).

Or Elvira, the hen with an awesome hairdo :)

 

I was taking notes and drawing quick sketches as I read each post.....and then I happened upon a photo that just instantly put me at ease.  Fi was just a kitten herself (less than 6 months old) when Kitty took her in as a feral cat.

 

 

Much to Kitty's surprise, Fi had a litter of 4 little black and white cuties not long after arriving.  I used a photo Kitty took of Fi (which I can't seem to find now) lying comfortably in her bed enjoying a ray of sunshine.

I couldn't help but think the whole concept poetic.....

A cat that once had no home, now finds a warm ray of light to bask in and a human to love her.  Kitty was her ray of light when Fi had none.....

 

 

This is a mixed media painting created on an 8 x 10 inch canvas panel.

It is entitled, "Ray of Light"

 

 

It is available in my Etsy store with 100% of the sale going to M & L Hockman Ranch. 

Also, from Sunday, January 27th to Wednesday, January 30th, I'll be donating 20% of all sales in my shop to the Ranch.  So, even if you prefer to purchase a pair of earrings rather than art, you can still help :)

 

....and, if you don't see anything in my store you like, Kitty has an Etsy store, too.

 

Hockman Girl Handcrafted

 

There are other Participants, as well, so please visit her site to see what other lovely items have been created for this event.

Well, thank you for sticking with me through this important post.  I'm so happy to use my art for a good cause...and to have Blog Friends like you to share it with!

 

Have a fantastic week....and please give your furbabies an extra cuddle from me :)

Cam

Home at Last!

Hey there, Hi there....Heeelllloooo!!!!
Yes!  We are finally back....and let me just say, I missed you guys!!

We were delayed a few days due to car trouble, but we got back late Friday night travel weary, but safe.  Despite a few hiccups, we had a lovely time!
Here are a few highlights... (if you are not a vacation photo person, click away now...this could take a while ;P)

But, before I get started, I wanted to share my new Blog Button with you...made for me by Sharon at Plumrose Lane!  Isn't it gorgeous!  Please take it, if you wish, (html code is on my sidebar) and consider Sharon for any of your badge, banner or background needs.  She does wonderful work!  :)

Most of you already know that we take this trip every year, meandering our way up the California and Oregon Coasts.

We stay in motels when we are just passing through....or in the larger cities that don't offer camping.  But, whenever possible, we stay in our trusty tent.  We just can't get enough of the fresh air, ancient trees, birdsongs during the day and bright stars at night. 

This campsite, in particular, was my favorite.

I loved falling asleep to the sound of the river below us.

A wonderful thing about camping is that it forces you to slow down a bit.  Everything takes longer ie., cooking, washing dishes, getting ready for bed....so, we don't feel the need to rush leisure activities, either.

Maggie and Daddy made a list of the animals they wanted to see in the campground.

She is coloring a butterfly.  Looks like she couldn't decide how many chipmunks to look for :)

We make it a point to return to the Redwood National Park every year to hike the stream trail in Fern Canyon.

Aqua socks are a must on this trail.

Oh, and it seems I'm looking for love in all the right places :)

Maggie adores water.  She's a little fish.

This was her first Summer without her floaties....and she is turning out to be quite a strong swimmer.

We drove all the way up to Seattle this year.

We saw the Space Needle.  We picnicked at the park watching people get drenched in this awesome water fountain.  It was actually cold and on the verge of raining at the time!

Some raindrops were sitting perfectly on this hydrangea....and I just had to capture them...

We also had fun in a Children's Museum nearby.

Maggie and her Daddy worked hard on their building project.

And made a house big enough for her to play in......

....we had fun with clay.

I made a slug in honor of these amazing ones we discovered in Washington!

Here's a view of Puget Sound on a cool, gray day.

 We visit lots of museums, aquariums and zoos when we vacation. They are filled with things my Science Teacher husband, animal-loving daughter and I can all enjoy.

I saw this sign in one of the Science Museums we visited....and it made me think of you, my beloved Bloggy Buddies...heehee!

While the photos of Maggie frolicking in water usually have Jim nearby, anytime there are animals involved, I'm right there with her....haha!  I just love touch pools and petting zoos :)

That's a baby opossum above.  We also got to pet a bobcat kitten :D

....and a puma kitten!

Maggie wants to be a Veterinarian  (of course, she does adds other things in the mix....Dolphin Trainer, Baker, Spy, Zookeeper....but Vet is consistently at the top of the list :P)

She sure seems happy around animals, that's for sure.

This apricot skunk seemed happy with her, too :)

We got the priviledge of seeing so many incredible creatures! 

 From this beautiful butterfly....

...to this wise elephant....

....an attentive Mother Swallow and her hungry babies.....

...a red panda...

....a tufted puffin....

....and a swan family....

Inspiration was plentiful...

From murals...

...to sculptures....

...to architecture....

Palace of the Arts, San Francisco

Creative sparks were ignited :)

We celebrated the 4th of July in Salem, Oregon...

...and, what's more, I met up with blog friend, Heather Henry, while I was there!! She was so sweet and we shared a lovely chat whilst perusing the racks of a local consignment store and getting a bit of Fro Yo.  You can read about our meet up (and see some of her amazing art) HERE :)

So, despite a bit of car trouble....

Our trip was definately an experience to remember!

Because you don't get rainbows without a little rain :)

...and as long as we have eachother....

Life is Grand!

Thank you so much for missing me as much as I've missed you!  So glad to be back to share our adventure! 

 Now, I need to go catch up....so, if you don't see me right away, please know, I'm making my way to you to give a big hug and find out what you've been up to lately!

Grabbing some coffee and stretching my fingers in preparation...haha!

XO,

Cam