Some Happy Times

Half term has been and gone, and I took the opportunity to lay down the paint brushes and have some heavenly time out.  Above is a mosaic, capturing some snapshots of that delicious week.  First off, a trip the seaside with my sister and her family; we went to the Norfolk coast and took a long walk on the sea front breathing in the deep gulps of tangy salted air.  The sea was like a mill pond, as calm as you like and dark silhouettes were framed on the shore line as folks walked their dogs, stark against the milky blue sea.

In the park, the aconites were a bright carpet of yellow and a cheery sight for a winter weary soul...there was also time indoors, leisurely breakfasts, time spent baking with my little girl and the acquisition of some new, shiny tins to put our freshly iced fairy buns in.  There were lots of sofa moments too where we just collapsed in front of the telly, where I crocheted or sipped hot, frothy coffee in my pyjamas.

I think we all need time out like this, time away from the computer, from work, from our commitments.  It's a chance to recharge, reflect and relax.  It was bliss.

Back to work though this week - paintings for the exhibition continue to emerge and I'm on with this one at the moment:

And I'm also on with some of these...

These Easter hearts have been a nice little diversion for me, and I continue to sneak the odd one in here and there between my more Serious Paintings.  I am currently offering these through my Facebook Page, so if you are interested in acquiring one for yourself, you are welcome to message me although I must hasten to add that they are very Limited Edition due to time constraints and so only a very small number will be made.

I have some extra time on my hands today, my little girl is at an after school craft club so I'm away now to take advantage of this extra hour, and get busy with my paint brushes again.

See you soon x

Giveaway Time!!

            

'Christmas Kiss'

Hello to you!

I know, I know...it's only October but I couldn't wait to share my newly completed Christmas Card design with you all.  Please feel free to leave now if you can't bear All Things Christmas this early (I totally understand)...or prepare to hang about and read on if you'd like to hear about a little giveaway I'm proposing!!

I thought it would be fun to celebrate getting 1000 likers on my Facebook Page - and I'm almost there, currently at 960 as I write this.  It never ceases to amaze me that people are both curious and supportive about what I do, and I thought it would be a nice gesture to have a little giveaway to say Thank You for that.

  

One of the reasons I'm hosting the giveaway here is that it also gives me an opportunity to thank all of you lovely souls who come via my blog to visit and keep in touch with me.  It's wonderful that you take the time to read and leave your comments, and if you're a silent visitor who reads and leaves quietly, I value you just as much as the ones who comment.  I want to say 'Thank You' because through FB and Blogging I have got to know some great people.  I know that online friendships are a bit Woo-Woo to some, but the fact I may not have met you in 'real life' doesn't matter ~ your presence on the internet is a fabulous thing and my life is brighter because of it.  

So how to take part!  

All you have to do is hop over to FB (find the link in the right side bar there) and 'Like' my art page - the quicker the number goes up, the quicker we'll have a winner!  Feel free to share about my giveaway on your blogs and FB pages too, as the more who take part the merrier.  TO BE INCLUDED IN THE DRAW (that's the super important bit) you need to leave me a comment below this post!

So what's in the giveaway?

Right, well that's the special bit.  As yet unreleased (I'm currently working on building my Sparkly Christmas Emporium for you), I will be gifting a pack of my brand new Christmas Cards 'Christmas Kiss' to the winner (as shown above), along with a secret treat that I know you will enjoy.

The cards are all created by hand here in my little riverside house.  They're printed using fine, light-fast inks onto archival matte art card, which is in turn mounted onto a white greetings card.  Each card will be hand titled and signed, and the pack wrapped in a cheerful red raffia ribbon with a tag.  It's a lovely gift to win and I hope you'll join in the fun and take part.

Sending you oodles of gratitude and love ~ good luck!

Julia x x x