Artistic Darla Is The Winner and Studio Madness!

GREETINGS & SALUTATIONS

First of, thank you all for participating in my Blog Giveaway, and don't worry if you didn't win this time. I will be having a few more Blog Giveaways in January. Don't forget about the MAJOR BLOG GIVEAWAY From ONE WORLD ONE HEART BLOG EVENT...Click Sidebar Badge for Details. I believe it's starting sometime in January. Last year I participated and it was massive. It took a good month to get through every one's blogs. LOL

OKAY...now for the Winner...the Magical Hat picked ARTISTIC DARLA! Congrats Darla on winning the "Bottle of Believe" and just in time for the Holidays! May she always keep you believing! Cheers my Friend!

I haven working like a mad woman trying to get some Holiday Art Dolls finished to take some of the local shops here in Pennsylvania...here are some that have been dropped off ... I actually wanted to keep them all! LOL

My Studio is a MESS, but I'm working away to get some more Gossip Girls completed before Christmas...these little girls take so much time, but I love creating them. Look for some new ones over at my Website come Mid January 2010

Lots of arms and legs!

Some New Art Dolls for DAG...Creepy Goth Girls

I'm taking a workshop over at Gritty Jane on creating Clay Folk Art Movable Art Dolls. I'm having fun making these!

Here they are...aren't they just so much fun. My new ones you will be able to hang them on the wall or have them sitting! Watch for these new gals over at my new Website!
I WISH ALL OF YOU A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR.

I WILL BE BUSY IN THE STUDIO COMPLETING MORE ART DOLLS AND WORKING ON MY PAINTINGS, SKETCHES AND OF COURSE...MY JOURNALS.

ENJOY, BE SAFE AND ALWAYS REMEMBER TO GIGGLE.

UNTIL NEXT TIME

CHEERS!

***It's A Blog Giveaway...Happy Holidays***

GREETINGS & SALUTATIONS

It's time for Blog Giveaway here at the STUDIO...so make sure you enter to WIN!

***A BOTTLE OF BELIEVE***With the Music in the Air, the Pumpkin Rolls being baked (by the way, my Sister-In-Law makes the worlds greatest Pumpkin Rolls), Christmas Cookies getting decorated, People singing while Decorating their Trees, the Egg Nog flowing (you should try my Egg Nog...it will make you giggle for days! LOL), and the warmth in our hearts (wouldn't it be great if the world had Christmas in their hearts 365 days of the year?), My Christmas Wish for all of you ... is to be Happy, Create Art, and always remember to GIGGLE...it helps when things seem overwhelming!

I will be collecting all of your comments, and the Magic Hat will be picking the Winner Thursday, December 17, 2009.

Good Luck to you all, and a BIG THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT and the many laughs you all have given me over the past year!

Until Next Time...CHEERS!

Snow, Movies, Studio Time, New Website, and Breathing

GREETINGS AND SALUTATIONS!

LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW...I know a lot of us are getting hit with SNOW, and I'm so loving it! We took these pictures on December 5th...The First Snow of 2009! LOL

The forecast this weekend is SNOW, SNOW, SNOW, SNOW! WHOOOOOHOOOOOOO

NEW WEBSITE LAUNCHING 2010
Crow Abbey Designs by Michelle Schafer

I've been working on my new Website, getting tags, business cards, and all of the goodies ready to launch in 2010. I'm working on getting new items to offer through Crow Abbey Designs, so make sure you sign-up and follow me for updates!

I asked LuLu Kellogg from Coastal Sisters (and a DAG Member) to design some Certificate of Authenticity's for my designs under "Crow Abbey Designs by Michelle Schafer." LuLu did a fantastic job in capturing what I wanted. LuLu will design anything for you and send you the design so you can have them printed. I had mine printed over at www.vistaprint.com. They did a fantastic job and shipping was really fast!

Thank you so much LuLu for your help! I absolutely love them!!!

Make sure you stop by and get your orders in. LuLu also designs blog banners, etsy banners, and all kinds of other goodies. Any Artist that creates and sells their works, should have these for their customers!

Check out Coastal Sisters Blog/Website

The other day, I finally got my Diary for 2010 from the "DIARY PROJECT" that I participated in. Here is my page that will appear in the Daily Diary for 2010. Fantazya did a wonderful job getting these Diaries together!

You can order your Daily Diary for 2010 by going here: http://www.fantazya.ca/diary2010.html Make sure you check out the link to see all of the fabulous artists that were involved with this project.

Okay, many of you have been asking me about DAG "Dark Artists Guild." DAG has decided to move the Forum to DAG GrimCity. We will no longer be on NING. Our new Forum is under construction, and will be ready for new Members and Fans on January 1, 2010. MarZel, The Goblin, and Myself are very excited for 2010 and what we have planed for DAG GrimCity. Stay tuned for more details.

I'm looking forward to getting home from work...yes, I'm posting my blog from WORK (shhhhhh don't tell anyone)...and settling in to watch some Christmas DVDs in my big chair with my pencils and sketchbooks. Since we don't have TV, we load up on DVDs. I just got the newest Harry Potter (the 6th movie), and was a little disappointed. I guess that is what happens when a new Director takes over. Oh well, at least the book was good! LOL
As for my weekend...I will be working in the STUDIO, watching my workshop videos from the newest Suzi Blu Workshop on "ANGELS" and getting some Holiday Art Dolls Completed. I hope you all have a wonderful and creative weekend. Always make time to create art, even if it's for 5 min a day...you will thank yourself!

UNTIL NEXT TIME

CHEERS

***Share The Joy Blog Party Event*** Happy Holidays!

Welcome to "Share the Joy" Blog Event being hosted by Denise of Bella Dreams http://www.bella-dreams.blogspot.com/ Please make sure you stop by and say hello to all of the other participants of this beautiful event. Click the Badge on the right side-bar and it will take to the official post.

Share the Joy Blog Event is about sharing Holiday Traditions, Music, Movies, Decorating Ideas, Holiday Recipes, and all kinds of other things.

From decorating your fireplace mantels, to bowls or jars full of Christmas Ornaments, you can get some ideas for Holiday Cheer during this amazing Blog Party!

Now this is a "Martini" Glass!

Look what you can do with Pine Cones!

MUST HAVE CANDLES!

Christmas Ornaments on Old Vintage Candlesticks

I have taken some the ideas above, and started to incorporate them into our Home. Welcome to our Home...It's still early, and we have more to do, but it's a start!
OH CHRISTMAS TREE, OH CHRISTMAS TREE

Tradition...what does it mean to you?

Over the years and ever since I was born, I get an ornament each year, mark the date on the ornament and hang it on the tree. Now from the looks of our tree I should be about 300 years old (well, sometime I feel like I'm 300, but I'm not)! LOL

One of our traditions that we do on Christmas Eve...we grab our sleeping bags and snuggle ourselves under the Christmas Tree, listening to music, watching the fireplace crackle and reading Twas the Night before Christmas.

Love collecting various types of Snowmen

What would the Holiday's be without Music...Have it playing from Thanksgiving Day right up through January!

Take a little tree and make it your Center Piece!

Vase full of Christmas Ornaments

Away in the Manger

This Manger is very old and has been in my husband's family for many years. I love laying next to our tree and gazing into this beautiful Manger.
Another Family Tradition, on Christmas Eve we all gather over at my in-laws, watch old movies, eat, laugh, and just be together. Christmas...we head back over to the in-laws and continue where we left off on Christmas Eve. It's a wonderful time of year!

Aquarius LOVES CHRISTMAS. We emptied the water and filled him with Silver Christmas Ornaments and lots of White Lights.

See how simple it is to make center pieces...Grab a Jar, Christmas Ornaments, some tinsel and pine cones.

We are still working on our Porch...The lights have to go up and the poinsettias and wreaths need to be added.

THE NUTCRACKERS STAND GUARD!

Back inside for some warm Java and more pictures of Christmas Decorating.

Collecting other artists Christmas works. Etsy is great place to find unique Christmas Decorations!

It is my wish that all of you have a WONDERFUL, CHEERFUL, BEAUTIFUL, SAFE HOLIDAY SEASON...May the JOY you feel during these times, fill your HEART with LOVE all YEAR ROUND!

PEACE & CHEERS TO ALL!

Playing in the Studio

I don't know about the rest of you guys, but my tummy could use a break from all of the eating that I've been doing for the past few days! LOL One of the things that I absolutely love about having Thanksgiving Day at our house...LEFTOVERS for the next few days! There is absolutely nothing like waking up after a kip and walking into the kitchen and making yourself another plate or a big fresh sandwich, popping in some old movies, and settling back in for another kip!

However, I did manage to get up to the Studio and work on ... "My Art Journals." My newest obsession. This lovely art form is such a relaxing and fun way to just let your mind and fingers play. There is no pressure, no final image that you have in your head, no rush, no agenda...it's just you and your Art Journal(s) having fun together. I have noticed that a lot of my pages that I start, just keep getting busier and busier. I like to get a bunch of pages down... collage papers, tissue papers, magazine pages, stencils, found objects to stamp with and of course stamps, before I start adding paint over the images.

As you can see from this picture, I have many Art Journals going at once. I strictly use my Moleskine (to the right), for my sketches and then I will go in and add paint, collages papers, etc. I also go back in and add more depth to my sketches and continue to add more elements to the pages.

This page here is not done...there is so much more to do with this page, but sometimes you want to move on to the next page...so you leave your page for awhile and wait for it to speak to you. This is the beauty of Art Journaling...no rush, just you and your pages whenever your muse speaks to you!

Here are some pages, that for some reason or another, loads up on Blogger sideways...Sorry...can't seem to fix this!

Remember my "DAG" Journal that I had custom made...well over Thanksgiving Break...I broke it out and started adding paint, collage papers, etc. the pages...Magazines are great! You already have them in your arsenal, so why not use them!

This Page I started laying down oil pastels on the pages. Get yourself a box of the Crayola Oil Pastels. You can get a box of 24 different colors for under $8.00! Mix them with paint, water and start finger painting...it's so much fun!

I also did a bit of sculpting...I finished "Weeping Hag" I thought she needed some hair, but she informed me that she didn't want any...so she is bald!

This little thing is not completed. This is part of the 4 part workshop over at www.suziblu.ning.com that Suzi has offered us. My little Skull Girl. I should have her finished up by next weekend.

These little gals..."Alice"... have been in the WIP for awhile now. I am working on some sitter dolls and these are the two that came together over the weekend. I love how the crackle came out these gals. It's so easy to get this effect on cloth & clay. Make sure you get DecoArt One Step Crackle. This product seems to work best for me, but if you have another source...do share!

Okay, who hasn't seen "YOU GOT MAIL?" If you haven't get this movie and add it to your collection. This movie kept me company as worked away in the Studio! LOVE THIS MOVIE! LOL

I sure hope that my Art Journal Pages have inspired you to break open your Art Journals and get busy! Remember, there is no agenda...JUST HAVE FUN and REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS LIKE WHEN YOU WERE FIVE YEARS OLD...FINGER PAINTING!

UNTIL NEXT TIME

CHEERS!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!

*****A VERY HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU ALL*****

"Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them,is the true measure of our thanksgiving." W.T. Purkiser

"Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow." Melody Beattie

"We can always find something to be thankful for, and there may be reasons why we ought to be thankful for even those dispensations which appear dark and frowning." Albert Barnes
"If a fellow isn't thankful for what he's got,he isn't likely to be thankful for what he's going to get." Frank A. Clark

"When asked if my cup is half-full or half-empty my only response is that I am thankful I have a cup." Sam Lefkowitz

"Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action." W. J. Cameron

"In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit." Albert Schweitzer

"Feeling grateful or appreciative of someone or something in your life actually attracts more of the things that you appreciate and value into your life." Northrup Christiane

CHEERS!

Monster Swap Exchange, New Workshops and Bella-Dreams Holiday Blog Event

Greetings and Salutations from the Studio.

It's Thursday...One week until Turkey Day! I hope I'm not the only one behind on everything in their lives! LOL So much to do and so little time to get it all done, but hey...Now is NOW and we must live in the moment and that moment is posting on my blog! LOL

Well, our Monster Swap is over and all of the Monsters should be hanging out in their new homes. I know mine is! WHOOOHOOO DellaRae, Bless this artist...Look at my MONSTER! I just love her and she is keeping me company in my studio...watching every move I make and doesn't hesitate to let me know...I need more Java and more Fruit Loops (just because she wants them)...LOL! I want to thank Zan, (a gorgeous little firecracker) who Hosted this wonderful event and my swap partner, DellaRae of www.dellaraedzines.blogspot.com and check out her amazing art dolls over at http://www.dellaraedzines.etsy.com/ for creating such a wonderful Monster for me! I will cherish her forever!

My MONSTER KEEPS ME COMPANY IN MY STUDIO!

It's time for another workshop with the so ever clever Gritty Jane over at www.clothandclay.ning.com. Jane is offering a wonderful workshop for only $15.00. Make sure you check out this awesome workshop. I can't wait to make my dollies for the Holidays!

There is another Blog Event that is coming up shortly. December 5, 2009 to be exact. Denise over at www.bella-dreams.blogspot.com is Hosting a Christmas Event. However, on December 4th she is giving a special preview and hosting a dinner party before the big event! Make sure you stop over and read about the event. Looking forward to seeing every one's creative holiday displays!

If you click on the badge on my side-bar it will take you directly to the Blog Post on the details of this event. Go ahead, click and see the magic that Denise has coming for all of us!

My Continued Journey with my Moleskines

Grab Your Moleskines and Let's Journal...COMING SOON TO THE STUDIO!
Check out www.moleskiners.com I will have announcement coming forthwith! Stay Tuned!

I am so loving my workshops with Suzi Blu www.suziblu.ning.com!

HAVE A WONDERFUL AND CREATIVE WEEK AND WEEKEND

GIGGLE, PLAY and JUST BE!

Until Next Time...

CHEERS!