Where has the time gone?....wow! almost the start of a whole new fresh year....time to reflect on 2009 and make some plans for 2010....

Hi Everyone....Wishing you all a wonderful last week in 2009....I can't believe how quickly time has flown by this year....and it has been a wonderful year....This week I will take some time to reflect on the year and see what I am most proud of....see what I would have changed or things I wanted to do but never had the time to ....I think taking the time to look at the past always helps us with our goals for the future.....I know one thing is for sure...I feel very blessed to have made so many wonderful friends through my blogging....sharing my art with you all over this last year has really inspired me and filled my heart....so thank you so much for your friendships and your kind words of encouragement and your feedback...I have grown as an artist because of you all...and I thank you from the heart.....

I hope that you enjoy these last few days of 2009 and reflect on the year with family and friends...

Happy 2010!!! and may you all be blessed with Health, Happiness and much success in the coming year.....

I am also submitting this to Three Muses this week....theme...something old ...something new....the old is the memories of 2009....and the new is the possibilities that 2010 may bring!!!


Hugs
Diana

Back from Christmas and ready for some more fun....Mixed Media Monday - Use your least favorite colour

Hi Everyone....I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with family and friends....We were on the go and had a wonderful time with our families and friends....for me Christmas is in my heart every day of the year....everyone seems so much kinder at this time of year...and it almost seems like we actually pause and take everything in....I think we should pause more often and take a minute to be grateful each and every day...

I have really enjoyed meeting all of you and am grateful for your wonderful friendships...I look forward to meeting more of you and sharing in our daily lives.......so on with the latest MMM challenge.....this week's theme is to create using your least favorite colour...and I have an issue...I love every colour...the more the merrier....then there are shades and tints and I love them all too....and I know that white isn't a colour...but I love to use it in my home...but when I illustrate I can never just use black and white....so I created this special clown for you all...since I was always the class clown...lol....and created him in black and white for MMM and then added my version of him in colour.....hope you have a wonderful week!!!!

Hugs
Diana

The black and white seems to drain me...then I look at the colour piece and I feel alive again!!!

Merry Christmas!!! The lights at the Grand mills in Caledonia....even more amazing in person....

To all of you...I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a healthy and happy and prosperous New Year....Thank you for your friendship.....

Hi Everyone....holy moly....I can hardly believe that it is Christmas Eve....where has the time gone....I am taking in every second of this wonderful Holiday where we all come together as a family and just enjoy great company....great food and a laugh and a smile...and make many memories that will become new traditions for the future.....

I hope you all know how much your friendships mean to me....I feel so blessed to have met so many of you and love your visits and your kind gestures of wonderful friendship....I am so grateful to have met so many talented and wonderful people through blogging and I hope that we can share our lives more and more.....I thought you would all get a kick out of my cupcake tree...all decorated with yummy treats.....I also thought I would add a few more images to share with you.....My snowflake ornament I made last year....to remind us all about the true meaning of Christmas.....and my white roses....this year I am longing even more for a white Christmas and everything around the house is in white....and I just love it.....I am also packing up my home baked treats and delivering them to our family and friends....

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas filled with Family, Friends and love....and I hope you all take a moment to be grateful ....

Merry Christmas Dear Blog Friends....
Hugs
Diana

I still believe!!!

I am dreaming of a white Christmas....and having everything in white this year makes everything so fresh....

my hard work baking looks pretty festive all together like that....

my homemade tags for the cookie boxes....hand painted pieces I cut using my cricut machine...I love it!

Busy as little elves...getting ready for Christmas...baking some sweet treats!!!!

I am adding our gingerbread house to the Three Muses Challenge this week....theme "home sweet home" since we have been home baking and creating all week...

Hi Everyone.... We have been so busy this weekend and today....We went to Brad's work party Saturday and had a wonderful time...Sunday we made our family gingerbread house....Cole was so meticulous with his candies...he is so sweeeeeeeeeeeeeet!!! and Monday we spent about 8 hours baking up yummy sweet treats for Christmas.....I will make some trays for all the people we love....and send you all some virtual treats!!! We are busy as Santa's elves...but having the greatest time ever!!!

I also wanted to share this catchy tune with you all...I hope you enjoy it and I hope it becomes a favorite...I know once I hear it I keep singing it....lol.....

Hugs

Diana

I am the hostess on Mixed Media Monday this week....theme "Frosty" my take these dried mexican mini bottle gourds ...and please vote for me!!!

Hi Everyone...I am so thrilled to be the hostess this week on Mixed Media Monday...my submission is my frosty snowmen...these are made with dried Mexican bottle gourds and I had Brad drill a hole in the tops so I could use these as special ornaments. Every year I have a new ornament I create.

I also would love for you to vote for these over at the CIC Team (Crafting in Color )
December Challenge...to vote you can head here and leave a comment.... only vote for my snowmen if my frosty pieces are your choice!!!

Hope you have a Happy Weekend filled with family, friends and love....

Hugs

Diana

Art Creations Friday - Challenge #54 - Let it snow...Let it snow...let it snow!!

Hi Everyone....I created this piece for Art Creations Friday this week....I love these challenges and they are so much fun...I get to practice more on my tablet....and always fun to just create without any boundaries.....I am longing for a White Christmas so I hope we get some snow soon!!!

Hugs

Diana

Illustration Friday - undone and the best homemade pizza ever!!!

Hi Everyone....this week's theme on IF is "undone" and this is all I could come up with....nothing like having your laces undone....these baby shoes are a reminder of how far I have come and also a reminder of all the steps that were taken.....

I also made some super yummy homemade pizzas the other night.....Tons of sauteed onions, meatballs, cremini mushrooms, red peppers, tomatoe sauce and a special mushroom thyme sauce...these pies were awesome!!! I need to come up with more ideas....

Have a wonderful Friday!!!!

Hugs
Diana

Happy Birthday Grandma and my submission for Theme Thursday - legs

Hi Everyone....Today is my Grandmother's Birthday!!! She is one strong and wonderful woman...and I am so thrilled Cole gets to see his Great Grandmother all the time........My fondest times are the times we cook together and shop together....she is a riot with her own opinions on how to do things better....I love it!!!...

My Grandmother...oh boy the stories I could tell if you all had a lot of time....

I wish her a wonderful day with Family and Friends....and want her to know how much she means to us....We love you Grandma!!!

I created a piece for Theme Thursday ....all I can think of on Birthdays is cake and cupcakes...so I had to take the theme legs and make a nice cupcake stand with legs!!!

Virtual cupcakes for everyone!!!
Happy Birthday!!!
Hugs
Diana

Three Muses Challenge - Mail Art - here are the Christmas cards I made to send out....

Hi Everyone....these are the 2009 Christmas Cards I created....I created the tree as the base and then created circle ornaments that are added with those pop dots to give the card dimension...you can't tell from these photos ...but they look neat with the ornaments raised....

This week on the Three Muses Challenge the theme is "Mail Art" and these are in the mail as we speak....so I thought they would make a fun submission.....

I also wanted to show some of my watercolour tags in use...I decorated a Birthday gift this past weekend with some flowers and a hand painted Lady Bug....I love making these hand painted tags!!! I will have to make more and add them to my new line up in 2010!!!

Created by Hand Challenge - vintage - My minitaure watercolours....

Hi Everyone....this is one busy time of year...I am getting all my custom work done so I can mail it this week...in time for Christmas...thank heavens for Express post!!!! I am also enjoying time with family and friends and want to start my Christmas cookies this week....and sip on some eggnog too....

The theme this week on Created by Hand is "Vintage" and I thought my miniature paintings would be perfect for the theme....

Have a wonderful Tuesday!!!

Hugs

Diana

Mixed Media Monday - Just hanging out! nothing like a nice Holiday Dinner....

Hi Everyone....for me the Holidays are all about "Just hanging out" with Family and Friends...sharing in wonderful Holiday Traditions and wonderful Holiday food....

Here is a piece I created with a wonderful Christmas Dinner...I hope you all have time to pop in and enjoy a virtual bite to eat and share in some Holiday Cheer...

Have a wonderful Monday!!! and Holiday Season....

Hugs
Diana

I always wondered where baby snowmen came from.....Illustration Friday - Hatched.....

Hi Everyone....meet Peppermint....he was just hatched and is ready to enjoy some wonderful company....He is the perfect friend and is watching red Bird's cute nest while bunny sits with him.....

Peppermint is also craving some snow cones so he will send bunny out to get a few for everyone....do you want to share a snow cone? What flavour would you like?

Happy Friday Everyone!!!

Hugs
Diana

Art Creations Friday and a new custom watercolour for Cynthia...my November Giveaway winner....

Hi Everyone....this is my second week taking part in these wonderful and fun challenges on Art Creations Friday....a cool blog where you get to create a piece using a picture they provide....My piece is the first piece and you can see the original picture they provided...you should try it out...it is so much fun to just take a break and make something for the challenges....my piece is all about Rosa and her love for Roses...even during the holidays....

I also just got a note from Cynthia that her custom watercolour arrived all safe and sound so I can finally show you it....I have so much fun creating these paintings as inspired by photos of people....if you want to get one of your own you can head to my Custom Stuff Etsy Shop and check it out....

I created her piece by incorporating one of my favorite places ...Paris....and it was a surprise to her...so I am thrilled she loves it!!

Have a wonderful day!!!!

Hugs,

Diana

Theme Thursday - Vintage - my vintage cards for a Victorian Christmas shop and my hand painted gift tags!!!

hi Everyone!!! Years ago I was in a Victorian craft show and I created a ton of Vintage Christmas cards using old postcards....these were a few of the cards I created ....the images from back then always seem so warm and sweet.....

I also made some gift tags....I cut these with my cricut machine on watercolour paper....then watercoloured them and embellished them so they are more handmade....I love the machine because cutting things out with scissors is so much work...this makes it easy....I think watercolouring each piece makes them more me .....

Hope you have a wonderful Thursday!!!

Hugs,
Diana