Treasury challenge

A couple weeks ago, I stumbled across the Treasury Challenge Non-team, and this week, I decided to participate.

The basics of how it works is an item is chosen, and anyone who wishes to creates a treasury on Etsy using that item. The judge chooses a winner based on whatever criteria he/she chooses, and the creator of the winning treasury then becomes the judge for the next week, and one of that person's items becomes the inspiration item for that week. It's a really fun idea, so I had to try it.

This week's inspiration item was this heart necklace from Chronopolis on Etsy.

I decided to go with a theme of intricate hearts. I looked through dozens of pages in my search for hearts on Etsy, and chose 16 hearts for my treasury Intricacies of the Heart. Go check it out, and let me know what you think!

If you participate in this challenge, leave me a link to your treasury. I'd love to check it out!


By the way, how are we liking the new blog design? Let me know if you have any problems at all reading this font. I love the hand-written look, but I know sometimes it's hard to read. I tried to choose the most legible, but I do work at a newspaper, and I've learned to be able to read all kinds of bad handwriting!

Friday favorites June 3

Since I'm big on unique perspectives in art, I'm naturally drawn to this painting from cindypriceart on Etsy.

Look at this deer sketch from pigatopia on ArtFire.

Simple but beautiful drawing of birch trees from SarahsArtPlus on Etsy.

I want to get lost in this mysterious photograph from thebqe on ArtFire.

This slave bracelet from Stoa on Etsy is very unique - never seen anything like it before.

Beautiful pendant from HouseofBeads on ArtFire.

This carving/mirror is adorable!

This woodburned cross from signsofspirit on ArtFire is just gorgeous!

As if this little dragon ornament isn't fun enough, read the captivating description!

Another fun little dragon from kellscreations on ArtFire.

Which one is your favorite?

Quite possibly my favorite treasury to date

Take a look at this Horses in Greyscale treasury by Dear1Heart on Etsy.

Of all the treasuries, I've had my work featured in, I think this one is my very favorite! :)

Friday Favorites May 27

I've been in love with this shirt from marcellamoda on Etsy for a while now. Wish I had the body to pull off something like this!

I have a strange fascination with medieval style clothing. If I ever start drawing unicorns and dragons, I'm going to buy a fun costume like this from EclecticOddities on ArtFire and sell my work at renaissance fairs. :)

Here's another one from DungeonDudsNJewels on Etsy - wish this was a shirt instead of a dress. Although then I'd be even more tempted to buy it!

These little fairies from ViridianMuse on ArtFire are adorable!

This necklace from LuciusJewelry on Etsy is just gorgeous! I'm in love with the design!

Put an amethyst in the center of these unique earrings from SandyToesJewelry, and they'd go perfectly with that necklace.

I'm not into the whole chakra thing, but nevertheless, this bracelet from assiadesigns on Etsy is very pretty - I especially like the angle of the photography letting the light shine through the stones.

This rainbow bridge memorial bracelet from DesignsbyDebi on ArtFire makes me think of my beloved Sugar who I lost in January of 2004.

Look at how much detail is in the tiny drawing on this bookmark from KateHollArt on Etsy!

And I leave you with this absolutely stunning pencil print from Virgil C. Stephens on ArtFire. I have to have a longer look through this shop!

I'm a student again!

I'd posted a while back about how I'd been "released" from my course with The Art Instruction Schools due to surpassing a time constraint I didn't know existed. I was given three months to come up with $900 to continue with the course, and I knew right away that would never happen. (Honestly, I was peeved enough with them to say "to heck with you!" and not give them another dime just out of spite!)

Fortunately, my husband could see through my "I could care less" attitude to how sad I was about not being able to finish. A few weeks ago, with cattle prices at an all-time high, he took one of our yearling calves to the sale barn, and with the money, he paid my way back into the course. Do I have a wonderful husband or what? :)

I now have until April 26, 2013 to finish the course. I'm on lesson 20 of 27, and they suggest around six weeks for each lesson, so I should be able to finish easily as long as I keep working at it.

Lesson 20 is called "Practical Lettering". It's studying the ins and outs of different styles of lettering and what message they convey. I'm having mixed feelings about the lesson. Lettering styles do interest me, but reading about them is quite dull. I love creating my own fonts, but practicing basic lines bores me.

So here's a look at what I'm working on now - row after row, page after page of practicing perfect letters. Pretty snore-worthy, but hopefully it gets better. :)

Friday favorites May 20

As you're reading this, I'm on my way to Chicago. First time in the big city, and my first time away from my husband for two consecutive nights - wish me luck!

Love these peacock wine glasses from marywibis on Etsy. I think they would make beautiful candle holders!

Embellished paper cranes from localcolorist on ArtFire. I loved doing origami when I was a kid. Never did a crane though.

Peacock colored pendant from AzureTreasures on Etsy. This struck me because it would go perfectly with my bridesmaid dress!

This necklace from binichohan on Etsy. The design of this necklace is so unique!

These earrings from Pinkymonkey on ArtFire. I also like the silver and blue pair (see the other product photos).

How fun is this agate cuff from EzzaExclusive on Etsy? I had an obsession with these stones when I was younger, and I sure would've loved to have had this!

My little sister's wedding is in a month, so I've been looking at lots of wedding stuff like this ring pillow and flower girl basket from All4Brides on ArtFire. My whole family likes orchids, and the fuschia/white combo is very striking (unfortunately not the right colors for the wedding though).

My first blog giveaway win!

Yep, I finally won one of the giveaways I entered! I'm so excited to win something! But beyond that, if I could have chosen only one giveaway out of all the ones I've entered, this would've been it!
I won.... are you ready for this?.....

6 MONTHS of ad space!!!

(I got to practice my Photoshop skills too in designing the ad!) :)

I've been considering using some of my limited art funds on advertising on blogs, but I didn't know if it'd be worth the money, not to mention, which blogs would I choose? Now I get to see how much traffic actually comes from a blog ad and if it's something I want to do more of in the future.

Just in case you couldn't tell, I'm super excited! :)


Make sure you drop by and have a look at my ad at Cinders Says. She's doing a giveaway every day in May, so it's well worth checking out!