CREATE CREATE CREATE, a linky, long post

I love to see Mr. Cardinal in my garden, but I would really like to see Robins ushering in the Spring.


There is a fire in the fireplace and a beautiful snow scene outside my window, lots of time to dream, create and explore in blogland.






This month as I long for Spring, I have been creating up a storm and traveling through blogland looking for inspiration. I have made a few purchases from Etsy and have some wonderful people to share with you.

When I purchased Stampington’s latest edition of The Art of Paper and Mixed Media I was in heaven.

Full of inspiration and wonderful things and then I saw this incredible artwork. Venessa Valencia creates the most magnificent and lovely things. I found her web site which is equally as delightful and called A Fanciful Twist. She has an Etsy Fanciful Twist shop that is so filled with gorgeous inspiration. I popped on her site last night just to see what this creative soul was up to and found a wonderful tutorial on making the most glittery shamrock for St. Patrick’s Day. Her blog, by the way is quite an adventure and equally as creative as her artwork.

Here is the lovely print that I purchased, and even the envelope it came in, was totally adorable...





I have been enjoying the whole concept of Etsy hand-made and especially shopping from people I actually know or know about. My friend Judy of JUJUZ BEADS has just added some lovely new bracelets.




My personal favorite is her little denim number called Denim Delight which would look great with jeans! My sister, Susan is knitting these A-dorable doggie sweaters. She is working on perfecting a little You Tube commercial where she will feature cutie Fiona as her star model. We three are very new to Etsy and I created a little ETSY STREET Mall on my sidebar called INSPIRATIONAL SHOPS ON ETSY STREET. The shops are created using my daughter Sarah's dollhouse that she made and decorated. I changed the colors to suit the shops, added a bit of digital bling and ta dahhhh, a mall was born. There is plenty of parking!








A lovely lady on Etsy named Sadie Lou who is Sadie Lou Who on Etsy, seems to spend so much time promoting everyone, stopped by and invited me to join a group she founded called The Cottage Street Team , which is a made up of wonderful artisans on Etsy who love Cottage style. That is where I discovered Julie from Pieceful Bits and found her lovely little Easter cottages, which I just had to have for Easter.





I signed up for Tersea Mc Fayden’s Sweet Bella, which continues to be filled with oodles of inspiration.
Here is a photo of the fussie tussie mussie I learned how to do through her tutorial on Sweet Bella:


I love tutorials and I find myself so enjoying the ones I find on You Tube. I must say that one of the most professional ones that I have seen done recently was done by my friend Wendy of Windy Angels. She created this magnificent art quilt on her You Tube tutorial. Here is the link to her tutorial.

There was a class offered at my favorite shop nearby. This wonderful place called Ink About It. We learned how to make shaker cards. I was so pleased with the results. I am working on designing shaker cards for Easter using the techniques I learned in class. I love this shop and the people that work there and the staff that teaches are incredible. I always leave with a lovely new product, oodles of techniques and so much inspiration.




Our local art store has been featuring these adorable mini canvas and easels. I have been painting miniatures for my Etsy shop. I call these mini originals, which are painted using acrylic paint on linen canvas.






I trim the canvas with satin ribbon and include this sweet little easel. I also have created tiny miniatures prints of some of my original paintings, which I have adhered to these baby canvases.

I have been designing new ones this week, and I will add them to my shop soon.





Everyone is anticipating Spring, especially those of us that are still experiencing snow. Bling Your Birdhouse Challenge is being hosting by Karla and Beth on March 27th. An opportunity to decorate a birdhouse and enjoy a fun swap. This Monday Karla from Karla’s Cottage will be having a tutorial to give you ideas on how to decorate your birdhouse. Karla has been working on some wonderful Spring things for her Etsy shop. I purchased two glittery doves sitting in glittery teacups. I can't wait to receive them in the mail.



You will find the link and logo for Bling Your Birdhouse Challenge on the top of my sidebar. Have a peek it looks like so much fun. Expect to find mine on my post for March 27th on A Scrapbook of Inspiration.

Here is a little mosaic of my sister's Etsy products, featuring her little doggie, Fiona.





Well, I am inspired to create some mini original paintings of birdhouses as I sip my coffee and look out the window at our snow globe.



I always love listening to this kind of music when I create because it seems to lighten the mood. I chose Blossom Season for this post because I wish it were Blossom Season. Thank you for stopping by and I hope you leave with inspiration and lots of ideas. If you are having a snowy day like we are here in New England...grab those crafts and dream about Spring blossoms.