Preparing for the Holidays

Its been a busy week finishing up the fall semester at school...after a 2 day snow day break...but now its over and I'm trying to get busy with preparations for Christmas! I can't believe that it is already next week! I will be working on another painting this week that is going to be a Christmas gift, plus I have more shopping to do! So this week will be hectic, but relaxing at the same time. Time at home with family is always good. Cookies are being baked right now...and the good thing is...my daughter is doing the baking! But I've been told I will be helping decorate them soon. I will post pictures when they are done.

Hope you are all having a wonderful holiday season!
Beth

Time is Short!

Well, you know how they say time flies when your having fun? Well I guess I've been having too much fun because this semester has flown by! (Well, I have been so busy that I haven't had any time to be bored!) Time has gone so fast that this is the last week of school and I'm realizing how soon Christmas will be here! I am not ready for this! Is it because there was one less week after Thanksgiving? I have done very little Christmas shopping. I've got 2 paintings to finish for Christmas gifts. I'm praying for a snow day tomorrow, just so I can get those paintings started. We are under a winter weather warning for tonight and the morning, so there is a good chance of it! Can't show you my ideas yet, but I'll show you the subjects of the 2 paintings. Lets just say my nieces are very proud of their dogs! As we all are of our wonderful pets. I have my idea sketched out on the canvas and they are ready to paint. I think they will be fun to paint so I'm ready to get started. Meet Georgia and Bella. Aren't they sweet?

In the Spirit of Giving...

Christmas is many things to many people, but it gives people great opportunities to give of yourself to others. Some people have that special way of making other people feel special and always find ways to give to other people. I have met many people that are well liked by many people because of their loving and generous personalities. Since I've been blogging, I have been lucky to have come to know, through the internet, one of those generous personalities. This week she is spotlighting me and some other artists' Etsy shops on her blog, Fannie Narte. She has purchased items from our shops and is giving them away to her blog readers! Now that, to me, is a beautiful example of the spirit of giving!
She has been very helpful and supportive of me and my art, I want to give her some of the spotlight. She has an Etsy shop too where she sells journals, mixed media art, fiber arts, and cards. Please go check out her shop. She is very creative!

Thank you Fannie!

Beth

Decorating the Tree

"Angel on the Tree"

Beth S. Macre © 2008

I haven't put up my Christmas tree yet. My plans are to do that next weekend before the kids come home for the holidays. But I did work on this colored pencil drawing of my tree and a couple of the ornaments that I have created in the past. I love handmade ornaments and other Christmas decorations. They can have such special meaning. I made these ornaments along with several others that decorate my tree. The angels are made of lace and the gold ball ornament is a glass ornament with paint swirled inside. Some were also given as gifts that year. Some of my favorite ornaments are the ones that the kids made when they were in school. I'm looking forward to bringing out the memories.

Holiday Season is Here!

Santas Making His List!

Well now that Thanksgiving is over, the rush of the holiday season has begun! Only a few weeks of school is left until Christmas Holiday begins! Which means only 25 days until Christmas! I've only purchased a few Christmas gifts so far. I really wish I were one of those organized people who finishes all of their shopping long before the crowds at the malls and stores. In the past few years I have begun to dread shopping because of all of the crowds, lines, and not knowing what to buy for my loved ones. So some of my shopping will be done online this year for that reason. Tomorrow is supposedly the beginning of cyber shopping and it even has its own name... "Cyber Monday". Well I don't know if that is really the case, because I think many people shop online all year round these days. But just in case anyone wishes to buy from my Etsy shop...I am running a special for $50 purchases this week. Any $50 or more purchased from my Etsy shop will receive Free Shipping to anywhere in the US Special this week only! So stop by my shop to browse. The special ends Friday December 5th.

Happy shopping to all!
Beth

Lake House Tile

Lake House Tile

Beth S. Macre © 2008

Click here if you would like purchase this tile!

Sold

I created this tile a couple of months ago, but just now got it fired and ready to list in my Etsy shop. I've been so busy with work at school and bringing work home from school that I just haven't had much spare time for my own work. But I have managed to get a few clay pieces fired recently but I haven't had much luck with the results. I've been less than happy with some of the pieces that I glazed fired recently. But I am happy with the this tile.

Sales have been slow on Etsy anyway and I'm blaming it on the economy for now. Its either that or I need to stop creating these tiles. I'm going to run out of room storing them in my art room! So I guess I need to concentrate on working with my colored pencils for awhile. I've really been missing my time using my colored pencils lately, so that's what I will be working on next...as soon as I finish a painting that I'm working on. I will post that when I get it to a stage where I'm satisfied with it. I know, I'm all over the place with different mediums. I think that is because I'm an art teacher. I'm usually working on something similar to an assignment that I've given my students. Plus I don't get bored when I changed up often.

On another note, today was my last day for jury duty! I've been doing my civic duty for about the last 6 weeks. Although it is a pain to have to plan to be out of work, I really would like to have been chosen for a jury...just for the experience. But I wasn't. Out of the 4 times that we actually had to show up to the courthouse, they only picked one jury. My number wasn't picked, so I missed my one chance to actually be on a jury! Maybe next time.

ATC Trade

I've participated in ATC exchanges on ScribbleTalk many times and it is very exciting to receive one of these little packages in the mail. One of those little packages came from Paula Pertile last year. It is the beautiful fortune cookie image in this post. Paula Pertile © 2007 -2008

Thanks Paula, I proudly have this on display in my studio! So I found out about this Holiday ATC exchange from visiting Paula Pertile's blog about this Strathmore Artist Papers Holiday ATC Swap. I'm thinking about participating if I can get one done by November 26th, which is the postmark deadline. It says the theme is Holiday or Winter Theme, so maybe I can come up with something, if I can come up with the time. I've been sick for the past week and I'm finally feeling human again, so hopefully I can get back into a creative mood soon!
I do have a holiday themed colored pencil drawing that is on the drawing board and waiting to be finished...I started it last year, so my goal is to finish it this year!