Hello everyone, my time is a flying we really are on the countdown to the 'most wonderful time of the year'. So as my attempt to feature a favourite artist has slackened off over the last few weeks/months i decided to feature some of my favourite Etsy sellers.

Meet KimsCottageArt.

I am a bit of a sucker for anything Christmassy but have had this shop saved in my favourites for some long while. This is one of my favourite pieces in the Christmas shop currently. Stop by and have a browse :)

'She always had her head stuck in the clouds'

It is rare that i post much of my own on here but today i thought i would. This is my 6th painting of recent weeks. Not sure where the inspiration came from but i think it's just a mixture of what goes on in my head and some of the magic i see everywhere around me. I'm pretty pleased I'm getting better at being happy with what i do considering this is all quite new to me. I'd be pleased to know what you think. What magic is going on around you?

Fannie Narte: Surround Yourself With Magic

Fannie Narte: Surround Yourself With Magic

A Few Of My Favourite Things

Etsy Buy Handmade Fairytastic

kathy hare illustration: Impatience...

kathy hare illustration: Impatience... Please take a look at Kathys latest works, beautiful and worth taking note of! :-)

Twit Twoo

Hello, it's been a while. I have been a bit slow in updating Ivy's Attic so i am back with a trio of artists...

My love of Owls seemed to me to be a fairly recent one. Recent in the sense of the last six months but to my surprise i am becoming aware that maybe they have been coming to me for longer than i realised. I bought some photo albums around Christmas time, or new year as mostly i off-load my pictures onto the PC and no further but i got some printed and wanted to display them. For some reason the photos didn't quite fit, i think they just need trimming. I pulled them out the other day and realised one was covered in owls. Then it occurred to me that as far back as 3+++ years ago i bought a little blue owl novelty keyring called 'Bobble' that was an affectionate term for my 'bump'. He still hangs on hubbies work bag but looks somewhat worn now. Anyhow i digress. Owls still intrigue me hence the following (well two of them at least!).

The piece above is called 'Owls Hollow' by Carmen Keys. I love stopping by Carmens blog to see what she is working on and what is growing in her garden. This her latest piece really grabbed me.

Please stop by http://carmenkeysart.blogspot.com/ and enjoy.

This piece is called 'The Keeper of Time' by Karen Davies. Karen is one of the only ladies i visit regularly that lives in England. I love Karen's work, particularly this piece and the relaxing atmosphere that awaits me when i visit her blog. Images that are magical and words that conjure up magical images.

Please stop by http://moonlightandhares.blogspot.com/ and enjoy.

Kathy has been a featured 'Star of the Week' and i think you can see why. She never ceases to amaze me with her beautiful pieces and i couldn't resist adding this one to today's post. Please scroll down the page for the link to her blog :-)

Ivys Attic Etsy Store

These are my newest creations and all but one are listed on my recently opened Etsy Store Ivys Attic. Please take a look around i hope you like what you see :-)

Blogs that make us smile

I was lucky enough to receive this award from my dear friend Michelle of Enchanted Inspirations who is featured on Ivy's Attic. It is so warming when someone tells you that you make them 'smile' or that they like what you do which is pretty much why i originally set up this blog so that i could highlight those blogs that make me sit up and take notice for whatever reason, maybe in the artistry, words or sentiments behind their posts. So thanks again Michelle and i would like to give this award to each and everyone that i have featured so far, keep with the smiling :-)

Star of the Week

Meet Kathy, she is my Star of the Week.

Kathy of 'thedreamygiraffe' hails from South Carolina. I came across her work some time ago and we have chatted from time to time. Kathy describes herself as a mixed media artist. I love her bright, cheerful, whimsical yet inspiring and encouraging paintings and prints. I know Kathy has been having a bit of a hard time of late so i hope things are looking up. Please stop by and take a look by following the linked piece below :-)

Star of the Week

Meet Kathy, she is my Star of the Week.

Kathy of ‘Moongazing Hare’ never ceases to amaze me with her artistic talent. At Christmas I was taken by her drawing of a girl with a reindeer shown above, adorable.
Kathy describes herself as a traditional artist working mainly with coloured pencils and pastels. You can see the detail that goes into her work, millions of strokes of the pencil. Kathy definitely enriches my life with her abilities. Stop by and take a look for yourself by following the linked piece below :-)

Star of the Week

Meet Lisa, she is my Star of the Week.

I so enjoy finding new artists and love to check in and find out what new pieces they are working on. Art on the net is kind of like a spiders web. On most blogs you’ll find a list of the owners favourite blogs. I’m guessing that’s how I came across Lisa but once you get hooked you keep coming back for more.

Lisa’s work is just like that, for me anyway, makes you want more. Lisa paints but what they in the know call ‘Mixed Media’ allowing for raised images that come alive from the page and her work sure does come alive. I don’t yet own a piece of Lisa’s work but hope to one day, in the mean time I visit her blog for my fix :-) Please take the time to check out her art. Lisa's blog can be found at http://llcreations.blogspot.com/

Kreativ Blogger Award

My seven is to become eight as eight is my lucky number :-) Eight of my favourite things followed by eight of my favourite blogs.

1) Writing, stories, mostly children’s although I have one adult piece in the works. Poetry, whatever moves me to put pen to paper.

2) Owls are my most recent ‘thing’. I’m not obsessed but everywhere I turn they keep appearing. I’m making my own now from paper and felt (you can see them on Constellations).

3) Crafting, in the past I’ve made jewellery and done glass painting. More recently scrapbooking, card making Atcs and now felt crafting.

4) Hearing bird song. I find it so therapeutic and always think it’s a sign of spring.

5) I love seeing all the wonderful art that my fellow bloggers cre8. I am constantly blown away.

6) I love my family and my son who entertains me with his Michael Jackson impressions, he’s good too!

7) I love trees, love looking at their arms reaching out, stretching out into the universe, to see them come into bud and change colour in the Autumn.

8) I love CHOCOLATE, CHRISTMAS AND COINTREAU!

Thanks Michelle for awarding me Kreative Blogger and I would now like to present this award to the following:-

Michelle of http://michelleperkett.blogspot.com/

Senta of http://sentaplyer.blogspot.com/

Lisa of http://llcreations.blogspot.com/

Kathy of http://moongazinghareillustration.blogspot.com/

Sapphire of http://pinkglitterfae.blogspot.com/

Karen of http://moonlightandhares.blogspot.com/

Regina of http://blog.creativekismet.com/

Gaia of http://i-piccolini-di-gaia.blogspot.com/

Star

Let me introduce you to my mum. She is my star. My mum has been there for me every step of the way and I sometimes wonder what I would do without her.

When we were children mum was always creative, helping to decorate and furnish dolls houses, making an amazing hat shop, you had to see it, unfortunately it’s no longer around to be seen. Think about that when you’re cleaning out the closet!

Mum has a wonderful folder full of art, some drawn, collaged, and painted. Many period ladies, hairstyles (mum was also a hairdresser). Mum in her time has done PC courses but is mostly self-taught. She is great at web design, and digital art and more recently tried her hand at blog layouts. Mum is not what you would anticipate a typical sixty plus lady in this day and age to be but she loves her computer, like me it’s her lifeline.

Please take the time to go check out her blog and Website by following the linked pieces below.
Thanks Mum x

Star of the Week

Meet Heather, she is my Star of the week.

Again I came across Heather when I was looking at her work on the Flickr group Fairiezine.

I always think it’s fascinating to see the vast variation in what artists produce. Heather builds up and paints on collaged backgrounds, something I had never see before, or not noticed. So you can see (as in life) the many layers behind the painting. In her words ‘Mixed media folk art inspired by love, family, faith, history and life out on the prairie’.

Heather was producing a very eye-catching collection of Angels or winged ladies rather than the traditional idea of an angel and mother and child paintings. Eventually I gave in and purchased a print called ‘Cherish’ which you can see above. I have yet to frame it and give it a place on the wall above my PC but until then it sits in front of me while I am on here.

It is interesting to see how Heathers inspiration varies from time to time and yet still maintains that ‘eclectic’ feel. Go take a look by following the linked picture below, enjoy :-)

Star of the Week

Meet Annette, she is this weeks Star of the week.
(Iris, pictured above)

Annette was the first artist I met on the Internet. She is from Norway and we became ‘long distance’ friends after I commented on her work on a Flickr group I joined. At the time Annette was making beautiful Atc’s. ‘Iris’ caught my eye and inspired me to put pen to paper and write. My story as yet is unfinished but Annette continues to produce and ever expanding portfolio that now includes some stunning Owls :-)

I have several of her Atcs that were part of a swap we did. Please take a look at her work by following the linked peice below :-)

Star of the Week

This i hope is going to be a weekly showcase of some of my favourite Blogs, Websites and Artists.

My artist of the week is Michelle Perkett of Enchanted Inspirations.I think Michelle and i met when i commented on her 'Enchanting' designs while browsing her work on Etsy. Since then we have become great 'long distance' friends. I have one or two of Michelle's vibrant cards one of which sits on my PC table.


A bit about the Artist


Michelle Perkett is an artist who believes the world can always use more happiness, innocence, colour and inspiration - all of what she strives for in each of her designs. Michelle's studio is in Southern California where she creates her art among the fairies, mermaids and angels all around her.

Michelle enjoys her work looking for inspiration in everything around her.Hope you enjoy looking at her work and finding that something special for someone special in your life by following the linked peice below :-)