Random Bits

Hello my Dears!
Just a simple post filled with random goodness! 

We put a beautiful creation in our bouganvillea today.....you can't see it, but she decorated the inside for the birds to enjoy, too...
...and just in case they didn't know it was for them...she labeled it...haha!

We sat on the porch and admired the happy flowers....

I've decided a pot filled to the brim with pansies is going to always be a Spring tradition!

I love having them by the front door welcoming me home ;)

Those flowers smell so wonderful when you walk by them....

The roses are in full bloom now, too :)

Hope you've been enjoying random bits of pleasure, too!  You deserve it!!
Love ya' guys,
Cameron

Believing

Hello Fellow Blog Friends!

The word of my trading ways has been spreading, it seems....this time to beautiful New Zealand!

I was introduced to dear Joyce van der Lely during the OWOH event...funny that we've never met before, since we've now seen how many mutual circles we travel in...haha!  Lucky for me, she invited me to do a swap with her...

She named a few favorite pieces of mine...saying that Jewel of the Forest (the uni on the sidebar), was by far the leader....since he has gone to live in the UK and settling in quite nicely there, I might add....I decided to paint something special...just for her :o)

I don't usually spend a lot of time sketching in advance, but this being just my 2nd unicorn, I wanted to practice a bit...

I chose a prepared canvas (when I say prepared, I mean that I paint the canvas, then layer with patterned papers, then paint again...to obtain my working surface) and sketched out my design.  Something new I tried this time was outlining in prismacolor pencil before painting...I usually just use pencil lines as a guide.

I stamped the background and tried the "drip" method...both new techniques to me, as well!

I layered acrylics and prismacolors and oil pastels to create him....

...and used irridescent medium on his magical horn...

I decided to make his eyes blue.  I'm so glad I did! They are my absolute favorite part of the painting!!

I've named this piece "Believe"
8x10 on canvas

I'm just so pleased with this elegant creature...I truly hope you love him, Joyce!  Thank you for letting me introduce him to you, and everyone else, right here...right now...heehee!

I've put him in the Print Shop just in case his eyes have captured you too :) 

All my best,

Cameron

California Dreaming

Okay, I know the last thing some of you want to hear about is snow...haha!

...and I debated whether to even post this...but since, I'm working more on my daughter's Birthday preparations (I know it's not til May, but when you get the brilliant idea to make everything from invites to cupcake toppers by hand...you gotta start early...lol!) I don't have much else to share with you.....yet!

But, it was such a sweet gesture on the part of my Hubby and Little Girl...I thought I'd share nonetheless....

It's warm here in Southern California....everyone knows that, but for those of you still in snow, I envy the gradualness of your upcoming warmth....we had to drive with the A/C on in the car today cuz it was too darn hot for open windows....in March!  We stopped for smoothies and skipped the park.....and just hid in the house the rest of the afternoon.  We're in for a scorching Summer :(

But anyways...what I wanted to show you was this!

An itty bitty snowman made from 2 bags of snow my family brought back for me from their trip to the mountains....  They said there wasn't much left up there....probably mostly gone now....

...but I thought it was sweet of them to think of me....especially since we make an effort to go see snow maybe once every couple years....and I chose to skip it this year.

This poor little guy was melting even before he was finished....

So if you are dreaming of warm days like we're experiencing here.....just remember, that while we're breaking a sweat just breathing....we'll be dreaming of where you live :D

Thinking about you all....warmly :)
Cameron

Little Pink Houses for You and Me

Hi There, Sweet Friends!

I'm so excited about this post!  As, you know....I adore doing trades....it's so fun to fall head over heels for something and be able to acquire it with something else you made...

The wonderful and talented (and newly engaged!) Lauren at Fair Rosamund and I have done a trade like that before where I became the proud owner of this adorable piece entitled "The Strange Garden".

Her style is so different then mine....and that's what I love!  I couldn't paint like her if I tried...the whimsy just flows from her brush!

...and so, for this trade, we took it up a notch...heehee!

She fell in love with my "Cozy Street" painting a while back...and so, with that as inspiration, she asked me to do a painting of a pink house for her...no parameters....just 8 x 10...and PINK :)

Well, with that kind of freedom, how could I go wrong?!  I just really wanted to incorporate things that she adores and personalize it for her :)

I know she enjoys Nature and butterflies....

...pretty flowers, of course....

...and, it had to be all about LOVE!  The perfection of a heart full to overflowing and a Special Someone to spill it all over!  So...lots of hearts....lots of Love....lots of Pink...haha!

Lauren, this is your painting, My Dear!  "Love Lives Here"
I hope it's everything you wanted and more :)

I had so much fun making this Garden Cottage....Thank you, Lauren!
But I didn't stop at one!  Lauren's came out so cute, I made another.....

This one is "Home Sweet Home"...all about the playfulness of togetherness and what it means to "make" a home together....

We all know the house is just 4 walls....it's what you do there that makes the memories fond :)

....like sharing a bench in a garden you planted together....

...or flying kites side by side....

I feel so much emotion stir up from these little paintings!  I wish a long marriage for you, Lauren, stuffed full with Life's best and brightest gifts :)

"Home Sweet Home" is avail here and as a print here....

Lauren is doing a special request painting for me in return that I'm giddy with excitement about...and I haven't even seen it yet...haha!!  She is so nice....please poke around her shop...you'll see why I (and so many others) are fans of her wonderful work :)

*UPDATE* I have now seen the adorable commission painting she did for me and am one cloud 9!!!  It is so perfect!!! Yay!*
Have a fantastic weekend...fill it with memories!
Sending you all the warm and fuzzies....with a decidedly pinky hue :)
XO, Cameron

P.S. I also made cards...heehee!  They are avail here :)  Okay, one more hug...and I'll go :D

OWOH Winners!

What an exciting journey this has been!  I started blogging last year right at the end of this event....and knew, instantly, that I wouldn't miss the opportunity this year!  What an absolute dream it has been to meet so many talented, spirited individuals....to have more new inspiring Blogs to visit....and have the great beginnings to many more lasting friendships! 

.....And isn't it cool that we'll have the chance to party again next year, afterall?!  I'll be there!

Thank you, thank you, thank you.... to all who've come to my little place in Blogland.....and an extra squeeze to those who come back again :)

Okay....so on to announcing the winners.

I wanted to find a way.....haha...thought I was just going to blurt it out, didn't ya'?!  I'm going to leave you in suspense a tad, but hopefully, I'll entertain you a bit along the way..........well, hear me out :)

So, I wanted to find a way to choose the winners in a different and playful manner...as to match the whole theme of my original OWOH post.....
I decided to employ the help of my trusty Assistant!

Okay, so the look on her face here doesn't look like she was willing, but she really was. Really!  I'm just a bad photographer...haha!

So, my brilliant idea was to cut tiny pieces of paper, write down consequetive numbers from 1 to 271......I know, 271!....blew me away how many that actually is!  I have the hand cramps to prove it :).....fold them into tinier pieces... that is what my helpful Assistant is doing here...

And....

Stuff them into a balloon!  Yes, seriously!  Maggie picked out two colors, cuz there were just too many pieces to shove into 1 balloon....and these were pretty big balloons!

See!

My Assistant loved it when I blew them up and all the little paper bits went swirling around like a little tornado in there!  There you all are!

Now when someone says you live in a bubble, you can tell them you've visited at least :)

So the plan was to pop the balloon over my kid's head with her hands cupped to see if anything fell in....thought she'd like the magical shower of paper dancing around her..... but not one to pass up a chance to do something seemingly daring with something sharp....she decided she was to pop them.

Well, at least I could take pictures this way!  I wasn't sure how I was going to pop and click at the same time anyways :)

So she stood over the table on a step stool with an eager cup awaiting beneath her....

2 loud pops.....271 scattered bits of paper....everywhere.....

Except for in the darn cup!

Oh man, what was I going to do now!  The time, the effort, the hand cramps.... Houston, we have a problem!

But wait, what's this?

My Cherub opens her hand and says, "Look, Mommy!" One stuck to her hand!

...and there on her shoulder...a speck of white....yes! The eagle has landed!

Are you tired of my corniness, yet....sorry.....but, isn't that amazing!  I'm so glad those bits of paper made themselves known, cuz I was about to tell Mags to just pick 2 up from anywhere she liked...haha!

We went back up to the Art room and I happily proceeded to package up my offerings....

Now, those of you who know me or have done trades with me before.......you understand....I do loves me a pretty package :)

As much as I love getting special somethings....I absolutely adore giving them!

I get a kick out of imagining someone's reaction to a bit of sparkle and polish :)

I know, I know....I've stalled long enough!  Those numbers were:

Wow!  If there were only a way of knowing ahead of time I could've stopped at 15....I would have avoided the whole cramping issue entirely ;P

The journals you'll be receiving will be a total surprise, I can't even remember which package is which!  Please enjoy them with my compliments!

Thank you again to you all!  It's because of you that Blogging is my favorite hobby....and why my Hubby yells at me to get some sleep at 1am in the morning :D

I'll be seeing you~

Cam



Mermaid Dreams

Hello Sweet Friends!

 I can't tell you how excited I am to have you along with me....over 100 followers (not that size matters, right :P) is just a humbling and incredible feat!  I thank you all so much for finding enough in me to spark your interest....and in a lot of cases, earn your friendship!  I truly am so tickled to have you here!

Well, that being said....and it NEEDED to be said....

I wanted to give you a look at some new Hair Clips I made from those wonderful sea glass bits I collected last Summer......(and some new art if you can wait til the end...heehee!)

Do you think a Mermaid might dream of this?  Well, hopefully a few of the land-dwelling kind do :)

I love that this one reminds me of Mermaid scales, all shimmering and shiny, washed ashore for me to find....

I tried something new with the freshwater pearls perched atop the sea glass....I just really enjoyed the punches of color and interest it gave....

I really like the hodge podge ones that incorporate bits of everything in them....this one features, sea glass, pitted shell and sea tumbled pottery.....

Most of you who've visited here know that we just bought a house....well, while we were on vacation we were waiting to hear about whether our offer would be accepted, and we were trying not to get our spirits up too high just in case it didn't go our way.....

Well, as I sifted thru the sand in search of lovely bits (every year they are getting harder and harder to find) this appeared!

Can you see that little house on that tumbled piece of pottery?!  Amazing to have this gem fall into my possession at a time of wonder and unease.... I took it as a sign!  It wasn't but 3 months later we were moving into our very own abode!

I'm thinking there's something special about this little green cottage :)

...and don't you just love those wonderfully crackled pieces flanking it?!  All natural!  I haven't altered these babies one little bit ;)

...And what brought all this Sea Stuff to mind anyways?

This new painting.....

"Among Friends" 8 x 10 inch mixed media acrylic on canvas....

I used a page from an old dictionary for her tail....

Doilies made perfect seashells for her top.....

I love the way she turned out....all except this!

Can you see that smudge in her hair?  Aaargggh!  I used watercolor pencil on parts of her hair, and when I brushed the sealer on....it smudged!  Oh well....it's definately a mistake I won't repeat!  At least it's an underwater scene.  I'll just try to pretend it's the motion of the water instead of letting it bug me...

Well, thanks again, my Blog Buddies for checking out what I've been up to....it makes me feel like one of the popular people for once....haha :)

Smiles,
Cam