Helloooooo baybeh!

Hope you’re havin a kick ass day, which means either Monday is your day off, or you love your job! Woohoo for job loving freaks, haha. Seriously, if that’s you, A.W.E.S.O.M.E!

So, today I’m just doin’ a little fly by. Wanted to let you in on what’s going on around here!

I’ve been busy working on my NEW LOOK. Yeah baby, gettin’ ready to make some changes. By the way, I love change. Do you? I know a lot of people don’t, it’s work, but it’s just so exciting! 🙂

But really, I kind of HAVE to change. Since taking Smart Creative Women by Monica Lee, I have a better idea where I want to take this, here, little website!! Yes, it took a lot of time and yes, it was totally worth it. It’s a fab course, especially for anyone who feels their inner workings are a great mystery <—-um, me, haha. Also, it will help you to not get swept away, from your true self, as you grow your business. No on likes a copy cat. Yay, I have my North!! Onward —————————>

I found that while I thought I liked EVERYTHING, I actually am very particular. And while I love street wear, I’m a total hippie at heart. It was no surprise that NATURE is my hugest love. Gosh I love this amazing thing we call our planet and the amazing God who created it. And I love natural beauty and finding the upside of things…. and and and… stick around, you’ll surely hear more!

How about you, are you a pessimist or an optimist? I think I could make you sick with all my optimism, so if you need more of that, might as well CLICK THE FOLLOW BUTTON BELOW, haha.

So, I’ve decided to finally create myself a logo and get the party started… up in this piece! Yay ya. Today, I’m gonna be a total tease, and show you part of my new design….

Here:

and

What, that’s it? Yep, for now. I guess you could always follow my Instagram if you want to see more, I always post there first, it’s quicker. I still have some things to work out. But I can’t wait for you to see what else I have in store. I know I haven’t been the best blogging buddy, hoping to fix that as well…mmm soon haha.  Will you join me on my little journey?

❤ Vivayne

My sweet friend Jo showed me these gorgeous Chanel designs from the 2015 show and can I just say WOW!

This TOP!

Exquisite work, right!

Look at the detail, seriously?!

Talk about a PARTY dress!

Okay, this one (below) is my absolute fav! I mean the blue with that yellow! But what really gets me excited are those OMBRE flowers… so mushy and look at that texture! YES please!! I love how the center is dark but the purple seams to naturally turn to a red, and then orange and yellow.

 

Plus those shimmery  sequins, talk about icing on the cake! I spotted this trend about 6 months ago, but it’s Chanel official now!

The colors CALL to me!

My friend Mary found this Post by Vogue México, where Lagerfeld talks about his collection.
Here’s the full Video of the Spring-Summer 2015 Haute Couture Chanel Show:

Not too sure about the boxy shirts with pencil skirts for my own style, but the photos I posted here, love ’em! I love the low ballerina skirts too! … And this black top!!

Love this top and the skirt!

Perhaps a bra though, or some pasties, hahaha 🙂

I noticed a tad bit of the 20’s to 40’s coming back in some of the other outfits, which I LOVE in the traditional flapper styles.

You know what else I like, besides those ombre flowers? Ombre hair styles!

Eeek, OMBRE is coming in, what did I tell you!

Okay, one last thing, a little uplifting

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Journal – Happy New Year 2015

Hi guys!! Sorry I haven’t written sooner. I’ve been so busy getting ready for Christmas AND dut dut dun…. surgery. Ugh. I know, it’s crap, but I had to have, yet, another surgery on my shoulder. Still couldn’t lift my arm over my head, without it being painful. Yes, still from that car accident! I was able to do this design in my journal yesterday but it took much longer than it should have, grrr. Do you have any goals for the new year? Wanna turn over a new leaf? Tell me!

Journal – Happy New Year 2015

Journal – Happy New Year 2015 Detail

Here I am, a few days after my surgery, happy to have had a shower! Don’t look too close, no makeup, didn’t even brush my hair, but no worries, I gave myself an Instagram glow, that app works miracles 😉

Okay so I just wanted to GIVE YOU A HEADS UP: I’m restructuring my website. I’m not sure how long it will take. I’m hoping to:

1. change up the navigation
2. get it properly categorized
3. redo the front page

If you’re following the blog, WordPress may send you more emails than I would ever send. I have looked up how to avoid this.  By making my blog private, you won’t get an email for every updated post I have to do. Here’s to hoping it works! Hope you can bear with me while I try to get everything in order!

I’m gearing up for the new year! Sure hope you’ll come along for the ride!

❤ Vivayne

Hello again 🙂 Was your Thanksgiving awesome?

Mine was very nice.  We went out this year, for the first time in over 3 years.  Nice steakhouse!  My favorite was the acorn squash soup, very decadent and rich.  But the best part?  NO DISHES!  Okay, I admit I did miss our own home cooking, but it was a lovely change. And… Since I didn’t have to do any cooking on Thanksgiving Day (score!), I sat, all cozy, on the couch and did some hand lettering. I still have to add textures but I’ll share anyway.

I enjoyed taking the holiday off and now I’m feeling those warm fuzzy feelings that come with the season. Here is a little snapshot of our tree. Isn’t it magical?! Have you gotten yours up yet?

Aaaand, either my neighbor is super cool and loves Pink Floyd, or he is an engineer? Look!

You didn’t know, but it was my Birthday on the 7th. Yep, Pearl Harbor Day (several years later though). I got some very cool gifts this year… a color guide, Lisa Congdon’s Art inc, some pens (because a girl never has enough of those!), a Silhouette Cameo (to cut my designs out with, eek, exciting), a delicious smelling candle and more. Here is a picture of a gift from my dear friend, Violet. I’m kind of crushing on sea glass lately. There are some pieces in there.

My husband made a beautiful crown roast with loaded baked potatoes and vegies. Oh my gosh, that roast was so savory…mmm! I think he’s mastered that Trager grill! Have you heard of the Trager, you should check it out!

This year felt especially sweet though. While we can’t always get along with everyone (because people suck, naturally, they can’t help it lol), I felt that I was given the gift of sight, to see how beautiful my friends were and how sweet their wishes for me were.  I felt the love and blessings of friendship, familiar faces and truly caring friends and family.

I’ll let you in on a little secret. I am not big on celebrating my birthday. While I am an extrovert and love attention, somehow I feel self absorbed to have a huge deal made over it. Funny huh? How do you feel about your birthday? Share in the comments, I wanna hear!

This was the cake. It was simple, but coconutty & delicious. My (super) husband made it!

Okay, so…. That was nice to catch up with you! I’ll leave you with this little doodle, a reminder to keep your focus on the thing that matters most, LOVE!

See you again soon,
❤ Vivayne

If you DON”T want to MISS A THING, hit that little BLUE button below that says Follow This Blog to receive blog posts in your e-mail inbox! It’s super easy to unfollow, if once per week turns out to be too often for you.  🙂

Seeking your inner bad ass? Here’s a little bucket list for ya!   p.s. do them at your own risk 😉  [Click to Tweet]

Who doesn’t love a good adventure? Here we go, the easy stuff first:

1. Wear black
2. Hit the batting cages
3. Take a workout class (get ripped!)
4. Go rollerskating/rollerblading (up your game – join the derby!)
5. Ride horses (run horses, it’s amazing – or a trail ride.)
6. Organize a flash mob & execute (even if it’s not so tough, it’ll be awesome)
7. Go to a demolition derby (up your game – be in one!)
8. Race BMX
9. Take a road trip
10. Go mudboggin’ (who’s got a truck?)
11. Ride atv’s or dirt bikes  (races are fun even to watch)
12. Learn to shoot guns (It’s not as hard as some think. Get your ccw)
    
    

    
13. Learn to shoot cross bows (or anything for that matter)
14. Learn self defense
15. Wakeboard, knee board, water ski (it’s the best!)
16. Drive a suped-up classic muscle car
17. Surf or windsurf (someday I’ll learn)
18. Ride motorcycle (community colleges offer amazing course and licensing)
19. Get a tattoo (hope you don’t change your mind as much as I do!)
20. Take a dance class (Hip Hop, Salsa, Swing, Belly Dancing, Break Dancing)
21. Take Boxing (make ’em bleed, better them, than you! lol)
22. Snow Board (I’ve got no skills, how about you?)
23. Bubble Soccer! (tell me that does not look fun!)
    
24. Go river rafting
25. Sword fight (take fencing or learn Samurai Kembu)
26. Zip lining (wee)
27. Bungee jumping (getting nervous)
28. Skydiving (hmmm, maybe. It’s less expensive than one might think)
29. Nevis Arc – Worlds Highest Swing (um, not for me)
    
30. Try Climbing (maybe not this extreme)(p.s. just watching this gets me high, phew)
    

Okay! So, to be bad ass, learn something new, conquer it, own it, work it. Crush your fears! What? Share your creation for everyone to critique? Yep, we gotta be brave!

Do something extraordinary! Society? Give it the middle finger and do what you do, regardless (this is not legal advice)!

Be carefree! Shun haters! Unless you look ridiculous, then get a grip, lol. Less talk, more action!

Aaaaand Finally, just know that if you brave life daily, you are already a bad ass! I’m dyin’ to know which of the above YOU are game for???? Let me know in the comments below! Have a blessed week!

❤ Vivayne

Don’t forget to hit that little BLUE button below that says Follow This Blog to receive blog posts in your e-mail inbox! It’s super easy to unfollow, if once a week turns out to be too much for you.

Happy Veteran’s Day to all those who have served, have supported someone who served (family), and who are serving now. Many of you know, that even though I am disappointed with our corporate run politics, I am a patriot through and through.

Just for a little throwback fun, I dug up some of my old photos to show you.

Also found my medal (for good conduct), certificates, and letters of recommendation.

Hope your day was full of appreciation and blessings!

❤ Vivayne

Do you ever get yourself gifts? I really don’t shop often lately. If you get a chance though, you gotta pick up one of these adorable bags from Stephanie Corfee, grab it! They are super cute and just the right size. Amidst the chaos that IS Halloween, mine arrived. It actually came earlier, but I didn’t know right away! It was a quick ‘cheer me up’ when I did finally realize it was there, in my mail box.  I’m a huge fan of upcycling! It’s the perfect bag to put my favorite pens in. Besides, one can never have enough cute pencil bags, especially if they are one of a kind!

Ooh, here’s a great find I had this week! I stopped by Joanns to pick up some glue and happened upon this book in the clearance! I’ve never had a travel sized, mixed media journal before, so I’m excited to give it a try. I’ll have to keep my inner perfectionist at bay since these pages don’t tear out. Did the cover in a more abstract style to set the stage for exploration. Whatta ya think?

Here it is opened. Lays flat, pretty well, and the paper is nice and thick. Do any of you keep something like this for your ideas or sketches?

If that goes well, I think I’ll get this vellum one next. I’ll let ya know how it goes!

Till next week!

❤ Vivayne

Check this little project out. I went upstairs to fix some of the kids clothes, cleared off my sewing desk and ended up making something else too. Looks like I’m gonna have to re wash it, couldn’t get those dang wrinkles out. But, it’s not bad, for scrap fabric, right! Not sure what it would be good for, maybe a bed pillow? It’s about 18 in x 14.

Anyway ya’all, can I just tell you how excited I am? I’m on this new artistic adventure! I feel like I just can’t contain all this creativity! Have you ever felt like that? I have all these ideas, and I can’t get ’em all out quick enough. I have to admit, I have been holding back a bit. I have tons of sketches that I want to turn into collections, patterns and artworks (for commercial use), but I’m concerned that I don’t have a style pinned down. I don’t want to do this half assed.  I need to figure out my brand values and make sure everything is cohesive… consistent. So, I have been busy taking business courses, branding courses, illustrator courses, everything courses! So much to learn! Right now I feel like I am expanding….I’m gonna burst! (not that way, I actually lost 10 lbs, yay me!)

Also, thinking forward: I’m wondering who would love my artwork most? Who could I MOST impact? and… How can I really make a difference? The more I think about it, the more I think of crafters, like me. This is causing me to think about what I can provide, that would help people be creative… Or, what would enable people to hand make beautiful things themselves, with my artwork. I’m not sure how I can move forward with this AND do commercial art, but it sounds kind of fun, right?

Right now I’m taking some classes on Illustrator, something I have put off for way too long. And I’m taking the Smart Creative Women class, to help me get my aesthetic pinned down. If you’ve been following my Pinterest, you’ll notice I’ve been pinning a crap ton lately. I’m trying to really curate boards of things that really appeal to me, so I can move forward with my business vision.

Some things I noticed so far:

I LOVE:
1. handmade, heart made, special
2. anything of or like nature
3. intimate settings, ambiance, low roar
4. grandeur, massive, amazing
5. beauty, pretty things, cuteness
6. vitality, fervency, energy
7. liberty, freedom
8. playfulness, silliness, fun
9. loyalty, friendship, togetherness
10. contentedness, satisfaction
11. adventure, exploration, wanderlust, discovery
12. inspiration, encouragement, faith, spiritual connectedness
13. light, reflection, bouncing rays
14. modern, simple, eye catching
15. feelings of nostalgia, vintage, aged, distressed, of another time
16. edginess, pushing boundaries, spunk
17. strength, bravery
18. cleverness, thoughtfulness, wittiness
19. intelligence, smartness, crafty
20. soft, dreamlike
21. excellence

Phew, that was a long list. But you know, it’s easy to say, ya, I really value that, in hindsight but until you really dig in, you might not realize what really resonates with you… maybe you value Assurance, Attentiveness, Giving, Entertainment, Fashion, Health, Extravagance, Justice, Obedience, Logic, Perfection, Truth, Stability.

Does something in that list resonate with you? I’m curious to know what? Leave it in the comments below 😀

Have a fab day!
❤ Vivayne

Hey guys!
How’s your week?  Oh my gosh, I have to share this with you. There’s a course, coming up I have to take! Maybe you wanna take it with me?

So, …. you know that I absolutely LOVE to create. Well, I ran across this course that April Bowles is teaching. You remember, I blogged about her from  Marketing for Creatives, that e-book? It was the bees knees! This course is called ‘Create Digital Products That Sell While You Sleep’.

That sounds awesome, right?! Who doesn’t wanna make money while they sleep? 😀

So anyway, it’s a live class and it’s free, but you can pay for it if you want to watch it later. I already clicked over and RSVP’d so I could get the workbook, plus I wanted the reminder. You should totally check it out. It might be something you would like.

Here are some ideas on what you could maybe sell:

1. books
2. digital art
3. printable art
4. craft projects
5. instructional materials
6. recipes
7. activities
8. music
9. apps
10. tutorials

Most of you already know that I have a background creating and selling digital scrapbooking stuff (pretty consistently before having kids.) At this point, my littlest miss, is in Kindergarten and I’m dying to get back to designing. So, I’m stoked about this class! I totally want to sell some digital art products and printables, for crafting and DIY.

Yep! Love all that stuff. You didn’t know? You NEED to check out my PINTEREST and get to know me better. 😀 This CUTE & CRAFTY  board is especially great for ‘do it yourself’ ideas!

Okay, so I had to share that with you. I hope you check out her class.

You HAVE TO share what you would sell! Or…. what you think I should sell! What kind of printables would you love to have access to? What will you create and sell? CAN’T WAIT TO HEAR from you! Maybe even drop a link in the comments below when you get your item up for sale!

Okay, gotta run, but if you’re in the live chat, be sure to say Hi!

❤ Vivayne

HERE’S WHAT APRIL HAS TO SAY:
“Are you ready to make your creative work more lucrative, stable, and sustainable in the long-term? Join April Bowles-Olin for an introduction to digital products and how they can enhance your creative business. This course will show you how to produce and position viable products for generating multiple revenue streams and passive income. RSVP right here to watch it live and get access to the workbook for FREE. This post is part of the Create Digital Products blog tour.”

OH YA:
Don’t forget to follow my blog so you get updates right to your email! Right there, below. Don’t worry, I usually only post once per week and it’s easy to unfollow 😀

Just playing around with some pretty colors. I love that song, makes me think lots about life…plus it’s a good tune 🙂

❤ Vivayne

A few posts ago, I posted a cool movie clip. It was based on this quote by Marianne Williamson. I wanted to share the proper version with you. Every time I read this quote, it just touches me beyond words.

This is for all of you who are SHY, all of you who are OUTGOING, all of you who don’t want to be noticed, all who do want to be noticed, all of you who are meek. Just a little encouragement to tell you that, however you are, it’s okay.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” ~ by Marianne Williamson.

Hi!
Hope you are having a great week. It’s Wednesday and you’re over the hump, hurray, only a couple days and TGIF.

Today I’m sharing a sweet little fox I painted on a rock, a month or so back.  Painted them with the kids, but they ran off with theirs before I could shoot pictures. Okay, I took a picture of them in the garden and posted them below.

and here is the other one I painted:

and some that my kids created, to include a painted donut! Eeek, it is so cute in person! lol  🙂

Aaaaand, in the spirit of Foxy Rocksie, I leave you with this link: FOXY LADY

❤ Vivayne

Aren’t these flamingos beautiful. I pulled these pictures from my Pinterest board to show you how much I love them and share some memories with you.

When I was a child, we would go to Disney Land the San Diego Zoo often. The first thing we would see, when we walked in, was the flamingos and their beautiful grey babies. It became a sort of tradition and they remind me of good times growing up.

I just love the baby flamingos, they are so adorable! Also, I just love the colors in the photo below, aren’t they gorgeous! Do you have a childhood memory, that makes you feel nostalgic when you see a certain animal?? Please tell me below in the comments 🙂

♥ Vivayne

Hi!

Hope you’re having a fab week. Either way, you HAVE to watch the video clip below!

But first, I need to ask you a favor! Please, if you could, take the time to vote for my GOOD friends who entered into a contest of over ONE THOUSAND entrants, creating art, under a specific brief. They made top 50!! It was amazing that they all made it through the first round, but please help them along to the next! I have submitted my email before to this site, they send aprox once per month and it’s usually just showing off adorable art! Also, easy to unsubscribe!

Please click the photos below to TOSS YOUR VOTE IN THE HAT and enter your email address to vote for them. You get 5 votes for each email address! I do hope you can help them out!

On another note, I just love this movie clip:

It further explicates what I was talking about in the blog post, Let it Shine.

‘It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us’ ~Coach Carter Clip (CLICK TO TWEET)

Hope you have a fabulous week.
❤ Vivayne

Hope you are having a great week. I just wanted to share my latest design with you. I named it Wild Abandon. The reason? All care has been thrown to the wind, for a fun and explorative graphic look at different animal prints, all mixed together. As you can see, from the different color palettes, it has been fun to play around with the colors too.

I really couldn’t pick a favorite, so you have to tell me if you have a preference, in the comments, below!?!  Back to “Wild Abandon,” I love that saying….

When was the last time you did something with wild abandon?? (CLICK TO TWEET)

When was the last time you were free spirited, care free and brilliantly you? (CLICK TO TWEET)

When was the last time you did something (besides eating, lol), without restraining yourself ?Yep, I just went there, haha…..

And I don’t mean Wreckless Abandon, that’s easy! haha. Have you danced in the rain? Went down a kids slide? Rolled down a grassy hill? When was the last time you said, screw society, I think I’ll have a little fun!?!  YES, I really want to hear from you, down there, in the comments.

My challenge: I’m a big girl.  I thank my precious children for that, lol… Working on it, but in the mean time, I say screw society, I’m still gonna have fun, in a bathing suit, with my kids, even with aaaaall this goodness, haha… so there 🙂 I hope whatever is holding you back today, you will have that same spunk!

Have a fab week. See you next Tues!

❤ Vivayne

p.s. I post weekly, so if you would like it delivered right into your email, click the follow button that is right below this post. If once per week is too much for you, it’s super easy to just unfollow….  And don’t forget to comment below! YES, I really do want to know, what you have done with ‘Wild Abandon’ lately!

So, in the previous post, Winner Winner Chicken Dinner, I told you about how I’ve been getting lucky lately (pun, lol) Well, this week I’m back to share with you how I’ve been getting along, after reading:

This book was easy on the eyes, with it’s pretty photos injected into it. It was an easy read and really helped me tap into the core values that I want to portray in my art brand. For artists, this can really be a difficult thing to do… Especially, when we just want to make art. But…

If we want to make a business out of our art, it’s very important to consider the business side of things. (CLICK TO TWEET)

Some of my core values I tapped into are:

• Creativity
• Being genuine & honest
• A sort of Wanderlust in my art
• Reliability
• Courage
• Intuitive (seeing trends early)
• Leading the way
• Outgoing in nature
• Impactful
• Inspiring
• Nature loving

The business ideas, in the e-book, are easily translatable into real life use. I love that about it. The section on Trust really helped me to understand the bigger picture and the other areas showed me where I need to make adjustments.

April really spoke to my creative side, getting me to be thoughtful & creative, in my own business. I also liked that it didn’t have a lot of fluff. I don’t have time for that.

I’d rather be creating! (CLICK TO TWEET)

Speaking of time, I felt like it took no time at all, to go through the book, to get some ideas. I feel comfortable that I won’t be wasting precious time, when I want to come back and implement more ideas.

This book got me thinking about how companies have brands, and how they protect that brand. When we are working with large companies, our art becomes part of that brand, in a sense. So, it’s important for us to recognize that and the importance it has for that company.

After reading ‘Marketing for Creatives’  I have lots of new ideas to implement, but first I have to fill my portfolio!

Final Note: I am not being rewarded for doing this review. I simply did it because it’s a great book, that spoke my language. If you would like more proof reviews, check out With a K: Writing Services. There are much more detailed reviews on her blog.

Hi everyone,

My lovely art colleague Feng Liang has invited me to join artists, designers, writers, illustrators, and more from around the world. We are answering 4 questions on our blogs and linking up, so you can continue the hop. Here is an adorable watercolor she did!

If you’re new here, this is me:

Read more at my About Me page 🙂 I also have a small but growing portfolio,on my home page.

HERE on August 25th, to read what my friend Eva has to say on her blog: Twinkling Journeys. Here is a sample of her art, that I love:

Everyone wants success, right? We aim high and work hard, to accomplish success. For what? Why do we seek success?

Do we do it for money…for ego… for spirit? Sometimes we do it because we are passionate, or have an inner desire that pushes us. Your idea of success might be different than mine…

If your idea of success is to care for your family, raise your children with values, invest in people, then I’m willing to guess that you will look back and feel that you  have spent your time wisely. I know I never regret decisions that involve being with my family!

But… if your idea of success is following your burning passion, building amazing companies, climbing the long corporate ladder, I’m willing to guess that you MAY look back with some regrets. Why?

Today, I want to talk about the cost of success. What is that cost? Some would say the costs are the relationships that suffer, for others it may be personal care, health, or home.

My biggest cost is time. Yep, time. In order to say, “yes” to success, I have to say no to time spent on other things or with other people. In order to succeed, we have to apply ourselves daily, step by step.

“In order to say yes to success, do we have to say no to time spent on personal life, family, friends and children?” (CLICK TO TWEET)

This is why it is so important to break away from your burning passion, your obsession, your high goals,  to actually LIVE life. Because, if you knew you would die in 5 years, would you work even harder? I’m not sure I would. What would you do? hmmmm?

I know that I would still be creating because I have this innate NEED to make things… draw… create… but I also  know that I would spend more ‘quality’ time with my family. I would read my kids more books. I would write some personal letters to them, for when I’m not around. I would paint WITH them, not without them, I would take them horseback riding so they could have a taste of what I had growing up. I would enjoy their joy, that much more. I might jump out of an airplane, go do things, build memories, take pictures, and of course, EAT many:

… Because cotton candy rocks, that’s why! Haha.

The thing is, in 5 years, the ‘old’ you will be dead because you will be a NEW, 5 year older, you. Your children will be the new, 5 year older them, and our chance to live THAT moment will be 5 years too gone.

‘There will never be another day, like today, to LIVE life the way you want to live it.” (CLICK TO TWEET)

If we don’t make time to MAKE the best out of the time we have now, we will look back and wonder what we did with it. Don’t let this make you feel guilty. Don’t waste time on that. Just DO something, right now to make good use of your time!

Take a couple of moments to think of 3 things you would do this week, if you thought you would not be around to do it in the next couple of years… Write them down. Out of those 3 things, could you do one of them this week? Mine is to break away from art, and reading, and marketing, and electronics, to play pretend with the kids.

I suppose success would cost a lot less, if you are able to make good use of your time, by including your kids, family, friends… Sort of a time maximization. That way you are following your passion AND doing something on your list.

Build a happy life people, because you only have one! Our most important asset in life IS time, don’t waste it.

What did this post make you feel? Did you feel proud by the use of your time? Did some things come to surface that maybe you want to work on? Did it piss you off?  I would love to hear from you in the comments below, don’t be shy!

I’ve been meaning to blog about this fantastic news, for a bit now. I just feel like such a winner lately!!

First, I won a signed copy of this book. It was about a month or so ago!

Yay, so fun. Since I had already bought a copy, I decided to share the love 🙂 It was very hard not to write & draw in it. I was dying to follow the prompts, but decided to save it for my friend who makes the cutest little drawings on plates ‘n things.

If you love gift wrap and beautiful packaging like me, you’ll like this 🙂 Just threw in some vintage atc papers, raised stickers, a doily and some odd bits to sweeten the pot (poker reference there, anyone else like to play holdem?)

If you liked this, check out my Pinterest page on packaging!

After watching the best workshop ever, called  ‘Build a Successful Creative Blog’ by April Bowles, about improving your blog techniques, I joined in this blog train:

Here I actually won this awesome e-book called Marketing for Creatives! So much excitement because I don’t usually win anything 🙂 YAY! Aaaand, it’s perfect timing! Just what I needed to get this ball rollin’. The book is great so far. Easy to look at, easy to break down, not overly fluffed, and gets ya thinking. I’ll write a review in a couple weeks when I’ve finished reading it!

If you get a chance, check it out. I’m trying to follow the marketing tips suggested in her book and it seams to be helpful. A lot of it has to do with bringing out our own personality into your branding. The first advice I need to work on is to build my portfolio though 🙂 lol. I have lots of unfinished art that needs refining. You will love the tips on her website and the class was excellent! Click on the picture above to check it out 🙂

See the full review on Aug 19th, RIGHT HERE.

I’m back this week to share another painting in progress.

I was suppose to be painting THIS, but ended up making the fun mixed media painting (below) instead. It doesn’t resemble my delicious morning cappuccino or any beverage for that matter, haha. Whatever, goin with it!

Time to fill in some of the stark white with some more pink and blue. I added a distressing wash to set the mood. The white looks much creamier now, yay. I gotta put some raised diamonds and circles on this, just can’t help it.

This is fun, so I can’t stop now! Played with some silk flowers, but it’s just not right for this one. Maybe next time. I decide to make some of my own flowers, these red half flowers are just right. Painted a couple of wood pieces, shanked some white vintage buttons. Here’s a side view of all the elements.

Okay, looks like I’m about done. Needs a little bling! Ooh, and some stitching.  There we go. Here’s the close up view:

Alright… let’s see it in action! Here you have it, Bubblegum Dreams on canvas:

Hope you enjoyed this little show and tell. And…

‘Let’s be honest, I do have Bubblegum Dreams and Lollipop wishes, who doesn’t?’  (CLICK TO TWEET)

Be sure to let me know you stopped in, with a little comment below!

Pieces for my Portfolio

This months bootcamp challenge was to illustrate something I like to drink, on a product that I would like to use or have.  Tea or cappuccino? I’m faced with decisions right away, haha. It’s too early for this crap 😉

This is what my morning usually looks like. His and hers cups, awww:) … Tea NEVER goes in his cup….. EVER! haha.

Lets Start with Some Play

Started out with some loose play. I drew my tall cappuccino glass. I drink one almost everyday with a spoonful of sugar (plus we just love Mary Poppins) so I couldn’t resist  🙂  The glass has a cozy around it, that I sewed. I think I’ll put some cute designs on the drawing later.

You know? I live in Vegas and still like my drinks extra hot! Strange, haha! Whatever…

Ok, I’m diggin’ it but I’m itchin’ to paint.

Plan A

I started out with an idea to make an abstract painting to hang in the kitchen. Lots of pretty cups in rows, with one cup viewed from the top and a pretty design in it’s foam. Well, that painting decided to take on a life of it’s own, so I just went with it. Yep, it looks nothing like I had envisioned with it’s soft pink and blue hues…. but, hey, that’s part of letting it flow. (Let it flow, let it flow… I bet you can take one guess, haha.) I’ll share more on that painting next week.  Onto what I did create!

Plan B

I decide to just go with it now, I’m in the zone.

‘I love distressing… Inking, stamping, spraying, sanding, rubbing,  wrinkling, you name it, I like it!’ (CLICK TO TWEET)

So, I decide to start there! Call it the tomboy in me, It’s fun! Plus I love the vintage feel it gives.

I dig a few pieces of trash out of my studio bin; gotta do my part to upcycle 🙂 Yep, looks like it’s gonna be mixed media. …. A bit of brown acrylic paint and some inks, a pretty paper lantern from the last birthday torn up and glued down.

If you haven’t tried distressing something, you totally should, it’s so freeing 🙂

Ahhh, that’s more like it 🙂 Got some cups painted, did some hand drawing, distressing, coloring. Still needs something, some flowers perhaps… A title, still playing with that here… paint splotches and coffee beans… starting to get somewhere.

Add a title, some more line drawings and splotches, some more strips of paper and I’m ready to call it a day! Finished! Here’s the close up.Click on each picture to see the detail!

Below they are shown in my kitchen. Already getting a great response. It was suggested that I make this into a repeat pattern for fabric. I actually think I might do that, just to see how it would turn out.

If you could put these designs on anything, what would you do with it?  I think they would look quite nice as couch pillows, actually.

So, that’s the lowdown on my creating “Cuppa Java”. If you like this sort of post, be sure to let me know in the comments below and follow this blog for the next time!

Hi everyone! I have been working on following my passions, you know, like enjoying life. But what does that mean, following our passion? Well, in my soul searching, this question was posed to me:

What gives you energy?

Ooohh, good one right… What does give me energy? What gives you energy?

‘Some things, they are hard work, but they don’t suck the life outa you, right?’ (CLICK TO TWEET)

You wake up and actually feel energized to do these things. I hope you will take time to really think about this and even share in the comments!

Here’s my list, in no particular order:

• creating (art, painting, drawing, scrapbooking, cross-stitch, embroidery, sewing, on & on!)
• singing
• learning
• traveling
• leading
• giving advice
• thinking
• riding horses
• playing softball
• boating, skiing, wakeboarding
• walking and swimming at the ocean
• quiet time in nature
• the cool wind in my hair
• new adventures
• writing poems
• inspiring others
• being in a setting where I can be myself

I’m sure I’ve missed a few, so I will be popping in and out for the next week to update as things come to mind! PLEASE share yours below, I would love to hear about your passions!

Share your energy boosting activities below!

Oh goodness, are these the cutest little flip flops you have ever seen? Whistle & Ivy is giving away this free, ADORABLE, crochet pattern and I just had to pass it along to you.  I mean, look at those sweet little baby toes!

Here ya go, my daily.

This is where I sit in the morning to do some reading or sketching.  The berries in the bowl, there, are huckleberries grown from my tiny little, front yard garden. They are my reminder to make huckleberry jam, here pretty quick 🙂

Pretty much everyday, me & hubby drink cappuccino from tall glasses, with cozies I made from fabric.

If I decide on tea for the morning, I make it in that tall glass pitcher from Teavana (my fav tea store) and drink it all day in this favorite milk glass cup. He really hates tea… Seriously, what did it ever do to him? lol. I love tea!!

So, there’s a peak into mine, what does your morning look like?

Just wanted to share this with you all. It’s something I have struggled with recently, and I’m trying to put my foot down and break out! Raaaaaaawwwwrr! It’s time we allow ourselves the freedom to be who we are, who we want to be, who we aspire to be, imperfections and all…

For me, I don’t know if it was because I had kids or because I became a Christian, but around that time,  my concept of self and ego went right out the door. It seams like I lost myself.

‘I gave my children everything I had, but I think I let my own light diminish a little.’ (CLICK TO TWEET)

For a long time, I felt like I was at the grind, trying to just be a good parent and a good person. Trying to be PERFECT… and failing completely because we can’t be perfect, right, no matter how hard we try. Realizing my imperfections, I thought, why not take it even further?  I proceeded to (figuratively) flog myself for my failures.

I do this with art, too. I have even projected my perfectionism onto my oldest daughter (Ok, that was hard to share, but it’s true. She tries so hard to be perfect, just like me.)  After constantly scrutinizing myself, I started to feel like a failure, as a person. Can you relate to this at all?

Gosh, this is pretty heavy conversation here… So, why am I telling you all this? Well, for starters, I want to change.  A good way to change, is to verbalize it. Second, maybe you feel similar and we can relate. Or maybe you (like me) need to give yourself permission go let YOUR light shine!

Let’s see what Christine has to say about it, over on The Daily Love, and then please do come back to share how YOU feel! Isn’t it time we consciously seek joy and goodness, and spend our time  laughing…. playing…. joking….!

Finally, here is a fabulous little affirmation graphic from my sweet friend and cohort, Ohn Mar Win. Remember YOU ARE enough!

So, what is it, to LIVE AUTHENTIC?

I mean…..  Doesn’t everyone want to live authentic? It’s not as if we want to live fake, haha. But seriously, can we ever truly live totally authentic? Can we ever truly ‘Let Go’ and just be who we want to be? And why am I asking this question after all?  Well, when it comes to blogging, I feel like a total failure, seriously. I never know what you would like to ‘get’ from my blog, what can I give to make it worthwhile? I know I totally rock 😛 but will you? And then, how much of me do I let you see?

Of course, we probably all wonder if others even have time to stop in. Why should they, they have busy lives, right? …..And I’m practically a stranger? So, I decided to take a nice little online course at Creative Live called Build a Successful Creative Blog, by April Bowles, to find out  how to carry on with this bloggy stuff.

So, that class was awesome! It gave me tons of ideas and thoughts on blogging…. In honor of it, we are doing a blog tour where we all give our favorite blogging take-aways from the course. If you can catch the free rebroadcast, totally do it, but it’s way worth the purchase, if you can swing it (plus then you can re watch at your own convenience) So….What was all that GOOD STUFF!?!  Well, I couldn’t possibly tell it all here. So, I will tell you 11 of MY take-aways:

CLICK TO TWEET

1. Give freely
   Build trust with your readers by giving them something of use.
   Hmmm… What would you like?? Feel free to comment below.
2. Build anticipation
   Anticipation builds excitement, which in turn makes your business fun. Yay fun!
3. Share your best (don’t be scurred, there will be more)
   Always share your best. Don’t hold onto it in fear that you won’t create something new and wonderful. The act of sharing actually helps you to generate the new ideas and acts like fuel to your creativity and business.
   Plus, your gift will be totally awesome, rather than less than best.
4. Ways to monetize
   April gets you thinking about how you can monetize your blog with your own business and talents. Think monthly subscriptions, retreats etc.
5. How to find and build your tribe… and add them to your circle
   Joining groups, comment on blogs of people you would like to be buds with. Don’t lurk and stalk, engage.
6. Be yourself (be authentic)
   But how? 🙂 …. Write like you’re talking to your BFF, that way you attract similar people. Oooh good idea! Plus, fake people suck and eventually, others will see who you really are, so it’s better to be yourself, no surprises.
7. Make subscribing easy (oops, I blew it)
   You should make it easy for people to follow your blog and have a newsletter for easy sign up
8. How to generate blogging ideas (yes please!)
   April gives us some blogging ideas in the course that pertain to our businesses and she also blogged
   “52 Blog Post Topics for Creative Entrepreneurs.“
9. Blog regularly
   People like consistency. They like to know when to expect another post. Plus, it’s more professional. It gives you credibility.
10. Get a notebook  (Love this idea!! Great way to infuse yourself into your blog!)
    Divide it into sections and write down ideas when they come into your mind.
    Stuff I love, Stuff I hate, Stories of my Life, Things I Find Funny, Favorite Words, Attention grabbing headlines, things to remember
11. You’re suppose to struggle
    Remember, it takes time to get there. Have faith, you will get there! Enjoy the process, YOLO.

These were just the tip of the iceberg! Check out these links to continue on with the tour and hear from other bloggers who took the class:

MORE BLOGGING TIPS:
Consu Tolosa Art Blog and Baby Portraits
Scrapping Wonders by Beth Soler

More noteworthy sites April refers us to:
The Middle Finger Project
HeartMade

So, back to living authentic…. Do you ever feel like you have bottled yourself up so much in perfectionism, that you don’t even know where to begin cracking the glass you’ve encapsulated yourself in? …To get to the person you want to be? Well, I do. You ever just want to break out of your norm? I love change. What exactly does living authentic mean?  Well, you don’t need a list on this one, just follow your heart. Problem is, what if your heart changes depending on how the wind blows?

Today I am a watercolor painting, Roxy or OP kind of girl. It is Summer after all. On a cool day, it might  be acrylic painting with a scarf tied around my head, long brown hair flowing, no make up, puffy eyes, Boho style kind of girl. What does your ‘authentic’ look like?

My totally awesome hubby of 19 years got me these awesome artisan earrings! EEk! Now, I don’t get excited about jewelry often, but these are breathtaking! Love them! and him! He is so thoughtful!

Okay, so, if you want to see this artists other amazing work, check out her BOLDB Etsy page!

The care instructions that I received from Britta:

The best way to clean the wood and resin would be with conventional spray cleaner which you first spray on a cloth and then clean the surface with the cloth. Later you can put 1 or 2 drops of vegetable oil on a cloth and rub it in ( not too much). This makes the wood and resin look more shiny.

To clean the earring hooks a disinfection spray which you can usually get from jewellery would be a good choice.

Make Art That Sells * REVIEW *

There was a time when I never thought I could become a professional artist because I wasn’t sure how I could embrace new work (and still keep it mine). I felt resistance & doubt about my own abilities. Lilla Rogers reassuringly maps it out for you, but this is no get “commercial art” quick scheme, where you just read the directions and now you know…. It’s the experience, as a whole, that teaches you. It’s everything! … The directions, the guidance, the gentle reassurance, the experiences, the community, the freshness, the explosion of ideas!

Wow! Mats A and B have really taught me how to get past those issues, and SO much more!! These are invaluable lesson to ANYONE even considering commercial art, and most definitely, your straightest path to your commercial art goals! I feel confident now, that the only thing that could possibly hold me back, is my own inactivity.

Thanks so much for EVERYTHING, Lilla and Beth, for the fabulous course & art soul nourishment!

Please, don’t hesitate to ASK questions below or make comments based on your own experiences!

Vivayne 🙂

Let me share this cute little video made by  Antonija M, a MATS alumni.

Trying to smile through the pain for a selfie. just had shoulder surgery on Friday. Hey, can we just count this as my no make up breast cancer awareness pic, its all the rage on FB right now.. Thank goodness for instagram editing! I’m out of commission from drawing at the time. It’s putting a cramp in my creativity for sure.

This is really effecting my MATS class. Hooked up to calf compressor & icing machine. Compression socks & shoulder sling…ugh. Kind of stuck being attached to this machine.

But as you can see, I made it through the surgery,  safe & sound yay, so it’s on to physical therapy, bleh.  I will try to post some pictures of some previously made arts. I have a jello project to share with you, when I am up to sitting with the laptop. I’m posting from my cell phone.

Right now, it might be sleepy time.

Guess what? I received the following email about my newest cuckoo design, it said:

Hello Vivayne,
Congrats! We’re excited to let you know that your Print “The Great Cuckoo Escape” has been selected to be included in the Society6 Shop.

That means, not only is my newest cuckoo design in my personal Society6 store, it is also in the main Society6 store! Yay.

….And, even better news is that they gave me an AWESOME discount to promote my shop, so of course, I placed my order!! See the picture above 🙂 I can’t wait for it to arrive!

So, the deal is FREE SHIPPING and 5 BUCKS OFF and here is a PROMOTION link in case you feel like shopping too! I have only a few designs up so far. I should get some more in there!

Here is the original design I have posted on the Lilla Rogers website. I ended up cleaning up some of the texture for the phone case in Society6 though:

Hi there. Just wanted to show you these adorable little Valentines printouts by artist Anda Corrie at Etsy. Best yet, they are free!! They are available at etsy, click the pictures to go there. Your little ones can decorate them however they want. Shoot, even I would decorate and give them out!! lol.  So fun and creative!

You will need:
Downloadable PDF (Go Here)
Thick paper or cardstock
Crayons
Markers
Watercolors
Yarn
Glue

Here is Anda’s cute blog!

Today I come with a personal post. At some point for everyone, I think life gets heavy. Wrought with working, and surviving and trying to get ahead, raising kids (or whatever it is for you) life just gets heavy, ya know.

My friend Violet would say, it’s called growing into an adult, haha. Right, but I don’t know, I guess sometimes I wish I didn’t grow into an adult. I think the turning moment for me was when I joined the military. Yes, being in the Air Force taught me a lot. But at some point, I think I got a little too serious. I think I learned that perfection is a requirement.  You ever feel like you are just so wound tight that you are gonna blow your top? Maybe it’s part of our culture here. Busy is successful.

Today, I’m still fighting back that stupid idea of perfection that I have. Trying to allow myself to laugh more and joke more… yes even play more. Do I do all that already? Yes, but maybe with a filter. Wouldn’t it be nice to just allow yourself to just be you and maybe not hold back so much? Or let others just be them?

For example: As a child, our eyes were filled with wonder, we got excited, maybe even jumped up and down, pointing. When something wowed us, we really lit up. But, now we are like… been there, done that, or we temper our smile. But you know, even as an adult, I  see a rainbow or beautiful scenery, and my heart smiles, but then it is as if I have a filter that suppresses my outward expression of that, as if by being an adult, we have to be calm and cool. Maybe I am the only one that ever feels that way. But today I ran into this article by Rebelle Society, and it struck a chord. It made me want to ‘just let go’ and let others (especially my kids) let go, without judging (for talking too loudly or being imperfect, as we all are) The article is called, “Human Fire.” Hope it helps you to ‘let go’ a little.

Vivayne

Painted with acrylics

So, I finished the amazing Mats course earlier this month & I’ve hit the ground running!  What can I say about it? Well….

I finally feel like I have some sense of what I need to do, to make MY art viable in the commercial art arena! Yes, it was that good. Not only did we gain a whole slew of knowledge,  but Lilla further enriched our experience by  cultivating an emotionally safe environment for us to flourish & connect in. This was an intensive course. A lot like an art boot camp, packed full of information and productive exercises.

I didn’t make a video like some of my classmates, however I was inspired by our Fairy Art Mother, Lilla Rogers, to keep trying new things, and here was the result…

Below is one of the screenshots of Lilla in our final class, in the video that inspired the portrait above. I would love to hear what you think.

Thanks a million to Lilla Rogers and Beth Kempton for an amazing 5 weeks!

If you would like to see other designs done during the course, take a look at my Portfolio. I posted a few of them there.

Blessings!

Vivayne 🙂

Hi there!

I have something new, well old, okay !!VINTAGE!! and newly altered, to share with you! Hahahaha.

I think you will love what it has to offer! Papers, ATC’s and ephemera created with authentic vintage floral images. I haven’t seen anything else quite like it…. romantic and lovely as ever!

Check out the new “MY VINTAGE LOVE” page kit:

Here you can see just the papers:

And of course, I have a FREEBIE for you, which you can pick up in my shop!!

Also NEW in the shop, are some beautiful vintage stamps, curled and distressed:

and these beautiful frames:

Sure hope you enjoy these GENUINE vintage images and kit creations! I can’t wait to see what you make with them!

…….a little birdie told me……shhhhhh…. there is a free vintage sampler kit coming to my shop soon…… check in soon to find it!

So, my 1 and a half year old (H) has a favorite color. You guessed it, pink. Yesterday I tried to giver her a pair of pants and she absolutely refused. She started yelling, “pink, pink, pink” and didn’t stop till I pulled out a pair of pink shorts to wear. Lovely, now my littlest one wants to pick her own clothes too! Ha! Other than that, she just basically loves to dance and lights up when the music starts.

On another note, my 3 and a half year old (A) has decided to cut her own hair! Yep, again. As I made her lunch, she gave herself a mullet. I immediately started damage control and cut some layers in, but she definitely needs to go get a hair cut… ugh. She is my fiesty one. Hard on the outside and soft on the inside. She says she likes her hair. That’s my girl.

My 6 year old (K) loves to roller skate and dance around the house in ballet shoes and any pretty skirt or dress she can find. I catch her picking books out and sitting quietly to read. I love that. She really is quite sweet. Right now she is playing her first season of baseball. She loves to do that.

I just started playing softball again after not playing for about 6 years. Once I got my prescription for contacts fixed, I’m suprised at how I just jumped back in and played like before. Only difference is I’m bigger and a bit slower. I am looking forward to losing some weight and feeling athletic in my body as I do in my mind. Monday we played ball. Almost everyone pulled their quads, we were missing a few players and everyone was out of position, but hey, we played with heart and I was proud of everyone for that.

Hubby brought home some flowers for me. He is a sweetie pie.

My mom is going to be here to visit in a week. Haven’t seen her for a while and the kids miss her much, so that will be nice.

Well, that’s about it for now. TTFN!