Holiday Overload!

My oh my do things fall by the wayside when the holidays come around. Even though I hate hate hate winter I am looking forward to some down time to possibly paint something for me instead of for everyone else. Don't get me wrong I had a wonderful holiday!! The best one in awhile, my kids got completely spoiled of course and I got some lovely gifts. Now I need to recharge and refocus! First with laundry mountain!

Have a great New Year Everyone!

some of my new projects

Well the 30 projects in 30 days didn't get completed but it did really motivate me to get a lot of projects done. I happily got more than half done and that to me is still a success.

"Arianna waits" Angel Folk Art Painting UrbanekDesign

Here is another of my new paintings. I just love her.

My new painting

Hi again everyone,
Well my 30 projects in 30 days was a great idea but so far I have only got done about 10. Here is my favorite so far. This is my painting "Eve". It is listed on ebay right now under my user name UrbanekDesign. Hopefully I will get closer to my goal.

30 projects in 30 days

Well those loose ends I was supposed tie up..... didn't happen so I am challenging myself to 30 projects in 30 days. I have pins and paintings and necklaces halfway done. I have a whole sketchbook that needs to come to life so here I go. Today is July 21st so we'll see what happens within the 30 days. Hopefully instead of being so frazzled this will take some stress off by not looking at the unfinished projects anymore.

As if I didn't have enough to do!

Well creative ADD has struck again. I bought a sewing machine. I know I probably shouldn't have but I couldn't stop myself. I neeed a 12 step program. I'm going to start making me and my daughter some tote bags and I got this really awesome book called cute stuff so I think I will try to make some stuff out of that. I definitely need to tie up some loose ends of projects that are halfway done. I'm going to finish my princess scrabble tile necklaces this week and finish up my line of photography greeting cards. Then and only then will I let myself dabble in my sewing. I see so many purses and bags online and on etsy that are so expensive that I'm hoping to make my own at a fraction of the cost.
Wish me luck!

My New Flower Brooches

I am absolutely in LOVE with these! I have been thinking about making them for months and yesterday I got off of my but and made them. They turned out even better than I had hoped. The price tag is wonderful! Only $3 each. I made 15 but I will definitely be making more. I would love your comments.

Happy Easter!

I have totally wasted a whole night doing nothing on Etsy

Well let me tell you that I have happily completely wasted an evening doing nothing worthwhile on Etsy. I just chatted away in the forums while watching dancing with the stars. I have been so crazy running around and trying to work down at the studio that I haven't had any quality down time. Well not tonight. Now I am happily relaxed but I'm up too late and will probably be tired tomorrow but who cares.
I have 5 kids coming for art class, I have a birthday party coming Friday night and I am going to be working on my flower brooches this week. It's going to be a good week.

Such a crazy life!

You know just when I didn't think I could cram anything else into my schedule...
I thought things were going to lighten up when hockey and basketball season came to an end but no luck. We had all of the St. Patricks day festivities (daughter is an Irish dancer) then my son broke his foot. UGH. Well his foot is about better and he is starting track and soccer and this year he is a soccer ref. I know he's only 14 but can I just give him the keys? Kelsie is about to be in her talent show at school. 2 separate show performances with her dance school as well as her yearly recital then we have a bout 5 competitions for her to dance in... On top of that I am increasing the number of classes I am teaching at my studio as well as finishing up the summer schedule. I know I'm ranting but I just needed to vent. On a good note I got to go to the flower show twice and got some really beautiful shots. I'll put a new one on here. Let me know what you think.
Happy Tuesday

My New Vintage Cardset

These are my brand new Vintage cardsets.
This first set is my Buddy Jim set 1

For quite some time I knew that I wanted to make greeting cards from vintage images. I just couldn't find the right book. Well, I was in my moms attic helping her clean it out and here it was. I fell in love with it. I think the images are so prescious.
I'm hoping to get some sales so we'll see.

Not sure why the process from idea to fruition takes me so long, maybe because I have an ocean of ideas in my head and could use some ritalin to focus on just one.

Well have a great day
Life is good!

Happy St. Patricks Day

Top o the mornin to ya!

St. Patricks day is very happily celebrated in our home. It's mine and my husbands 17th anniversary. My daughter is an Irish dancer so the whole week is filled with performances, parades and parties! I'm sure to be exhausted by the end of it. But until then I will celebrate with tons of green.
Have a great day!
This pic is from my back deck. It is my lucky clovers print. I had some other flowers in the box the year before but last year I neglected my gardens completely. Including the deck boxes. Well I am happy I did because this happy little family of clovers took up residence. I love them and I hope they come back this year. This print is for sale in my etsy shop

I made it to a treasury!!!!

Well I made it to my first treasury!!! I'm so excited. Who doesn't love to be appreciated. It is for my blazing beauty pic. Here is the link!!!!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=44291

UGH! Why can't the kids just pick up!!!!!

Ok, today I am just here to rant. Not talk oh so sweetly about my wonderful artwork that you should buy just rant!!!! All the kids need to do is pick up a sock or two and make their beds. Is that too much to ask? I certainly don't think so but when the dogs knock over the trash do they stop and pick it up? I'm sure you can guess tha answer NO! They actually stepped over it. UGH!!!! My kids get to do everything and want for nothing but they still can't help out. I think I'm going to channel my inner drill sargeant and let them have it.
Thanks for letting me vent and happy Tuesday.

My First Award and the 50th follower is...

Well look what I got today!!!
Award!

I've received the PROXIMIDADE Blog Award!
Thank you RASA



The following is a description of what the PROXIMIDADE Blog Award represents: "This blog invests and believes in the PROXIMITY-nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement! Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers!”

So I accept!!! I will be passing it on.
Also,

My 50th follower is Heather Purvis
Heather please convo me at my etsy shop and I will get your greeting cards out in the mail to you.
www.urbanekdesign.etsy.com
Happy Weekend everyone

My New Necklace

Well when I was in a crappy mood last week I hopped on Etsy and got lost for an hour or two. I put in an alchemy request for an out of the box item. I got a bunch of stuff that was ok I guess but nothing jumped out of the screen like this necklace. I bought it right away and it came just a few days later. I have gotten tons of compliments on it, well except from my mom. She doesn't get it...
Anyway I wanted to give her the spotlight for a day and tell you that if you like this kind of art go and visit her.
www.steel.etsy.com
So it's Happy Friday, Thank God. I have put some of my photos on deviant art. Another of my new favorite places. Like I need more of my life taken up on the computer.
So I'm off to my etsy shop for no more than 20 minutes!!!!

Featured etsian of the week, Spiderbite

You all have to see this sellers shop on Etsy
Spiderbite.etsy.com
It is soo cool and she is on her way to her 700th sale and I can see why. These journals are the cutest things I have ever seen. As soon as I start making some money from etsy I am going to buy them for the kids. The one on this pic is a nightmare snatcher. There is a great poem that goes with it. So if you want something completely out of the ordinary then check out the Spiderbite boutique.

50th follower gets a set of greeting cards

Well I have been shamelessly asking for followers. I promise to be an interesting read. I will give my 50th follower a set of my photography greeting cards. Just convo me at my etsy shop
www.urbanekdesign.etsy.com

What a wonderful world

Well as many of you know last week was pretty crappy when I found out that I had been ripped off. Out of all that I have to tell you the bright spot I had. There was a wonderful seller on etsy that sent me a whole bag of beads for my daughters birthday just to help make it better. I can't tell you what that meant to me. So many people are out for number one and this great girl just wanted to help make my daughters birthday great! Well it was. The girls had tons of fun with the beads and got WAY too loud. (It was a long 2 hours) But thanks to her it was so much better. Her shop is Rverk47 and she makes absolutely beautiful lampwork beads and lovely jewelry. I am definitely hearting her and you should do the same.

Featuring Nomadcraftsect

Hi everyone,
Well this week was sort of a hard one for me. I ordered a 16 sets of chef hats and aprons for my daughters birthday party which is tomorrow and it turns out that the person never shipped them. I got completely ripped off. so that being said I don't feel warm and fuzzy to write about myself so I thought I would feature someone else.

Their etsy shop is Nomadcraftsect They are a family of artists that aspire to travel the country like nomads meeting wonderful people along the way. I can tell you that I love their beads. They have these beautiful lampwork pendants. I haven't seen anything like them. check them out and maybe we can help them live their dream of becoming real life nomads.

The Etsy Life is taking over!!!

I had NO idea what would be involved in the ETSY world. I think posting your items is the least of your worries. I have gotten completely overwhelmed so I have decided to only do 1 or 2 things with my etsy promotions a day. I have just done my etsy mini and I registered on Facebook which I also don't understand. So I am going to pop into a forum for no more than 10 minutes and say Hi and then go about my day like a normal person.
Have a great day

My new etsy mini

Happy Friday,

Well I think I could've been much more productive this week. Sometimes my days get away from me and then they're gone. I did take some great pics in last weeks ice storm. Here is one. I have to learn more about this blogging life. I know nothing about it. But live and learn. I'll get there.

I'm adding some photography greeting cards on my etsy shop by Sunday! I am still working on my fine art painting series my Funky Party Trees. I would like to list some by the end of the month. I need to have more than 1 or 2 to sell so I look more professional I guess.

My first etsy sale!

Horray!! I have gotten my first etsy sale.

I thought I was invisible.

Here is what I sold. 8x10 of Beautiful Blue

Blazing Beauty

This is "Blazing Beauty"

I was out a day this past summer. I took about 100 pictures. When I brought the camera back inside I thougt the majority of the pics were awful. Then this one came up. I was really taken aback. I think it is absolutely beautiful. It gave me the confidence to keep taking pictures and adding photography to the list of things I am pretty good at.

Here she is...

Well Off I go

Well I'm now officially a blogger!

I have just started my own art studio this past fall and I have realized that opening a business in the middle of a huge recession may not have been the best idea but it's mine and I love it with all of my heart.

Since I am working full time with my art I am creatively finding ways to expand that I may not have looked at before. I am also making things that I had not interest in doing before but now I find that as long as it is helping me live my dream I love it.

I am teaching different kinds of art including cartoon drawing for kids, which might I add is a blast. Although with the boys even the nicest of characters end up with guns and horns.

I have started going to personal care and retirement homes to teach and found it is much more fun and rewarding than I would've thought.

I have also Started a full line of Fine Art Photography Greeting Cards. As I was talking to Diana yesterday I never really knew that I had an eye until I got my new camera with super macro. I usually don't pat myself on the back but this time I can't help myself.

I am starting my shops in ebay and etsy under Urbanek Design
It is kind of scary since I've only really dabbled in it a little but I think the time is now to dive right in.

Right now I have listed Hand stamped notecards and Fine art photography. I will be adding quite a few paintings and greeting cards within the month. So please visit UrbanekDesign at etsy or ebay so see what is offered