Oiseaux

Stacked... a giveaway

It's been the summer of giveaways here at Oiseaux, and now that we're heading into back-to-school time, I thought one more giveaway might be in order. 

Christina Oppold is the editor of a wonderful literary blog, Stacked, and she's hosting said giveaway: a set of Oiseaux personalized bookplates! All you need to do is leave a comment on this post before Friday September 4th to be in the running. And while you're there, poke around a bit. Stack's goal is "to inspire you to read, to find the joy in books... to use books as an inspiration to creating a rich and full life".

Happy September!

Four

My little beauty is four years old today. Happy Birthday, Beau!

We had a big *princess* bash for her yesterday with the family, everyone was in full princess regalia: crowns, pink and sequins, grandfathers included. I wish I had photos to share, it was pretty fantastic.

***

And on another note: a belated congratulations to Daniela, she is the winner of my print giveaway! (Daniela, please shoot me an email with your address.) Thank you to everyone who left a comment on the last post. I attended the LAAA orientation last saturday and left very inspired and excited... now I just need to create some new work. This summer has been so lazy.

Me + LAAA = A Giveaway

I'm very excited to announce that I've been accepted into the Los Angeles Art Association! 

Deborah Baca, an artist who's work I very much admire, encouraged me to apply a few months ago, saying that it would be a great way to get my work seen. In order to apply I had to submit several pieces of original work, a few prints, artist statement, etc. and I felt pretty blasé about the whole deal until I actually walked into the gallery and saw all the amazing art and the very professional staff eying the hopefuls (me) walking in the door. Eeek!

But I made it in.. happily.. and now I get to submit my work for shows year 'round at Gallery 825. 

And here is where my giveaway comes in: I have the three prints that I submitted to the LAAA, and nowhere to put them. I have art coming out of my ears, so won't you take them off my hands? The prints are 8 1/2 x 11 and printed on fine Epson paper, ready for framing. They are: The Bug Catcher, Things That Pull on Us, and New In Town. Just leave a comment before saturday midnight and I'll pick a winner.

:)

 

Courage

Courage is an interesting thing, isn't it? When I first hear the word, I think: "fortitude in the face of danger". But to me courage is a quiet, inside spark.

I made this piece for Vicki Sheehan, winner of my custom collage giveaway through Sofia Barão's Creative Ones series. Vicki had asked that her collage theme be "courage" because she's trying to find courage in her own creative journey. I can completely identify with that: just two years ago I was stuck in a creative hole that I'd been in forever. If anyone had asked me for a quality I wished for, it would have been courage!

So I guess this collage is for me, too.

This piece measures 7 x 10 inches, and the yellow string extends off the top a few inches so Vicki can frame it with or without the extra string. (I am such a fan of strings hanging off of things, I couldn't cut it off.) One of my favorite parts of this collage is the tiny plane taking off on the yellow runway at the bottom. It's the last thing you notice, but it gives the collage a happy, "go for it" feeling.

Vicki, I hope you like it! And all the *creative courage* in the world to you.

Creative Ones ~ Giveaway

French artist Sofia Barão has started a wonderful tradition this summer: Creative Ones. Each week she interviews artists, asks about their top 10 loves, and hosts a giveaway. I've been reading her blog for several years now.. it is always an inspiration.. and I think her Creative Ones series is so, so great. What makes an artist tick is very interesting to me, and I love to see what inspires people's lives.

And, who can resist a giveaway? I was lucky enough to win a necklace by Miranda Van Dijk a few weeks ago, and it's now on the way to me from the Netherlands. Yay!

This week I am lucky enough to be Sofia's Creative One. Click here to see my top 10 loves and to enter to win the Creative Ones giveaway:

*A custom collage made by me* 

Give me a theme, a word, a color, and I'll make you an original piece of art and send it happily on its way to you. I'm very excited about this. I love making things for people. So please enter!

Bluebirdbaby... and a giveaway

Totally last minute here: Erin at the wonderful blog, Bluebirdbaby, is hosting a giveaway for a free set of my personalized vintage bookplates! 

Erin is one of those amazing artist/photographer super-creative mothers who sews clothes for her little one then makes homemade sushi for dinner. "Inspiring" is not a big enough word for her. Please go spend some time with her blog, it's truly lovely.

Erin is announcing the winner friday (tomorrow) at 12:00 noon EST... so visit now and enter your comment!

One for you, and one for me...

I've been thinking about doing a two-for-one sale, and what better time than now, Post-Inauguration and Pre-Valentine's Day?

Buy one print or original piece of art, get a second print free.

Yes, free!

For five days, ending Feb, 6th.

Winner!

Well, I'm one day late, but we have a winner for my etsy shop's One Year Anniversary Giveaway...

Congratulations, Khairun!

Please email me with your address and let me know if you've changed your mind on the designs you'd like.

I hope everyone here in the states had a wonderful Thanksgiving. My dad out-cooked himself, as usual, and it was a lovely, beautiful day. It had just rained here in LA, and the view was amazing; all sparkly ocean and greenness.

I leave you with a sweet image: in preschool, all the kids were asked what they were most thankful for, and then they decorated the wall with their answers. Here's my daughter's response...

There's so much to be thankful for, isn't there?

:)

Lullabies, Turkey, and things to be thankful for

I have been (thankfully!) so busy this past week. Orders from my etsy shop have been pouring in, and I've got a fun project designing the cover/packaging for a CD of lullabies. The artist's name is Susan Frye, and she has a voice like an angel. I can't wait until it comes out so I can give everyone the link on Amazon, it is truly, truly gorgeous.

Here are a few designs, the first one I really love, and the second one Susan loves and is close to the one we'll end up with:

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Now, I am very belatedly thanking Leah for this wonderful blog award! Thank you, Leah!

In order to accept, I have to post six random things about me, and then nominate six bloggers for an award, too. 

:)

Random Bits:

1. I sometimes forget how to spell the simplest of words. One day I stalled on "of". (There's a v in there, right?)

2. My biggest pet peeve in the word is litter, especially people who litter. If someone ahead of me on the road flicks a cigarette out the window, I turn into a raving madwoman.

3. My favorite words are "oiseaux" and "puce". 

4. I get the heebie-jeevies from most sixties music.

5. The song, "Les Poissons" from the movie "The Little Mermaid" makes me laugh so hard that I turn beet red and sweaty, it's really terrific, I need a nap afterward.

6. I have a biggish head. You'd never notice, but I do, all of my hats are size large.

Out of the many blogs that I read on a regular basis, I'm going to choose some new ones that I've come across lately, plus an old favorite:

1. ill seen ill said

2. love you big

3. room service cleveland

4. abigail percy

5. pia jane bijkerk

6. pretty little pendant

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And one more thing: you have until tomorrow night at midnight to enter my bookplate giveaway! Think of this: a little bit of your holiday shopping could be handled with just one tiny little comment!

One Year Anniversary Giveaway

Here's a fun little giveaway: in celebration of my One Year Anniversary of my etsy shop Oiseaux, I am going to be giving away -- to one lucky person-- two sets of personalized vintage bookplates: one for you, and one for a friend. 

Holidays, anyone?

All you need to do is leave a comment on this post with the desired bookplate designs for both you and for your friend, and please let me know what name you'd like on each set. (And yes, you can have both sets for yourself!) Your last chance to comment is 12 midnight on Thanksgiving, November 27th. The lucky winner will be chosen by random by my daughter, Beau, on Friday the 28th, over a breakfast of rice crispies and fig yogurt before preschool. There will be no cheating on her end, she is very scrupulous.

I will mail out the winner's bookplates the following Monday, with plenty of time to arrive by the holidays for presents and merry-making. I will ship anywhere in the world, so please enter, and good luck!

:)

(Please note: my winner will be receiving two sets of bookplates with 12 bookplates apiece. Mixed Blank sets in my shop do not qualify. As I have 40 different designs, please use the bookplate titles that I use in my shop so I can be sure I know which ones you want. Thanks!)