SALE - Two for One! Fat Quarters at Spoonflower.

All this week, Spoonflower is running a 2-for-1 fat quarter sale. Get two fat quarters for the price of one. It's a great time to stock up on different designs or order a tea towel calendar!

Looking for a unique gift for the sewing or crafty person on your list this holiday season? I have 92 designs ready-to-order. 

Or maybe you want to stock up for your own projects? Here are two of my designs, but you can find much more at my shop - have a look!  

Red and yellow tulip squares                                                           Maple Tree Buds on Green

                                                 

Small Business Saturday! Support Your Local Small Business, Including Artists!

Today is the 2nd annual Small Business Saturday! 

It is a wonderful opportunity to support your local small business owners, including artists and craftspeople, during this busy holiday shopping season. There are many talented artisans offering unique, high-quality handmade goods as well as artists offering original art of all genres on practical and fun products from print-on-demand companies like Zazzle.

Here are some great resources to get you started - check them out! I think you will find some terrific gift items for both the hard-to-buy folks in your life as well as some great gifts and stocking stuffers.

• indiExhibit Holiday Gift Guide on Pinterest - Offers a wide variety of styles and products, from both handmade and print-on-demand artists and craftspeople for everyone from kids and teens to men and women. All items are produced by the very talented members of The indiExhibit, a global group of independent artists and creatives. 
• CCreech Studio on Zazzle - my original botanical, nature, travel, and wildife artwork featured on a wide variety of print-on-demand products including cards, t-shirts, mugs, coasters, tote bags, iPad cases, and more. I have been creating a number of new products on newly offered items by Zazzle including gel mousepads (great stocking stuffer!), puzzles, notebooks, ceramic tiles and gift boxes, and plates. Definitely worth a look around! Lots of great discounts being offered as well - check out Zazzle coupons as well as weekend deals. 

 Other artists worth checking out:

• Country Mouse Studio - Zazzle store of artist Carole Barkett offers original watercolor and digital paintings of favorite subjects including birds, wildlife and all of nature.
• Lynne Reichhart Fine Art - Zazzle store of artist Lynne Reichhart offers original artwork including archival prints.
• Bugs, Beasts, & Botanicals - Etsy shop featuring the art of Mindy Lighthipe.
• Bibliographica - Etsy shop of Louise Thompson, a New Zealand artist offering unique hand made journals, botanical photographic studies, & miniature wearable treasures.
• Mary's Jewelry Designs - Texas-based jewelry artist Mary Bishop creates beautiful and affordable pieces, many of which use some of my favorite semiprecious stones like jasper and agate.

Whether you shop from any of the above stores or your favorite local artist or small business, be sure to show your support this holiday season and all year 'round! 

Happy shopping!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing all of my readers a very Happy Thanksgiving! 

Hope you have a chance to enjoy the day with family and friends and lots of good food. :)

Bracelet For Sale! Double Leather Wrap with Botswana Agate.

Bracelet For Sale! 

Botswana Agate with Warm Gray Leather.

This double-wrap bracelet features gorgeous 6mm Botswana agate stones in swirling banded patterns of apricots, dark grays and dusty purples. The 1.5 mm warm gray leather and antiqued metal button complete the look. This has two closures to fit wrist sizes 6 - 7.5 inches.

Metaphysically, Botswana agate is said to be a stone of harmony, giving courage, energy, strength, and emotional comfort. Agate also enhances creativity and stimulates the intellect.

 $35.00 plus shipping. Michigan residents add 6% tax. 

Email me if you are interested: carol @ ccreechstudio.com  (Don't forget to eliminate the spaces in the address!)

FREE Standard Shipping for 24 Hours! Spoonflower Custom Fabric.

Check it out! Spoonflower is offering FREE standard shipping on all orders for 24 hours!

My shop offers custom fabric designs featuring my original illustrations available in 9 different types of fabric including a wonderful organic cotton sateen, new cotton silk and a limited quantity of cotton poplin. 

Take a browse through my shop to see if my designs fit any of your project needs! 

Here are just 3 of my 51 currently available designs. If you see something and would like it in a different scale (smaller print or larger), just let me know.

Happy shopping!

House Portrait - Finished!

I have completed another house portrait in pen and ink! 

This was done on smooth Bristol with my 3x0 (.25) width Rapidograph pen. The drawing is 10 x 8 inches and will mat up to 14 x 11 and fit into a standard frame. I like working with the thinner pen width as I feel it gives me a little more control, especially with the size of the drawing.

This one is for a friend and her family who are building a new home at the same site. Her children, especially her youngest, expressed 'missing the old house' as they await moving into the new one, so I thought it would be a nice little memento to have of the original home. I worked from a photo of the house early-demolition, so I hope that it comes close to the original!

I hope to deliver it either in person or via mail over Thanksgiving. They may actually be close to moving into the new home then as well, so the timing is good!

Bracelet For Sale! Mookaite Jasper with Dark Brown Leather.

Bracelet For Sale! 

Mookaite Jasper with Dark Brown Leather.

This beautiful single-wrap bracelet features 6mm Mookaite jasper stones in rich tones ranging from dark reds and golds to creamy white. They come wrapped in dark brown leather with a natural wooden button closure.

Mookaite, like other jaspers, is said to be a very protective stone, and is particularly good as an emotional protector. 

Fits wrist size 7-8".

$25.00 plus shipping. Michigan residents add 6% tax. 

Email me if you are interested: carol @ ccreechstudio.com  (Don't forget to eliminate the spaces in the address!)

Fabric Fun! More on Spoonflower...

I have been having some fun on Spoonflower again :)

I am practicing creating better repeats in my patterns and have two new ones to show you:

This one features my new autumn leaf drawing. See the other leaf designs, which are in my Trees collection!

Also, I have been playing around with my graphite drawing of Orange Star blossoms and created a 'ditsy' or scattered print:

Check out the rest of the Orange Star designs!

 

And the Giveaway Winner is....

Congratulations to Leticia who is the winner of my bracelet giveaway!

Thanks to everyone who participated in the contest!

Giveaway! One More Day To Enter!

You have one more day to enter my blog anniversary giveaway of this beautiful bracelet! It would make a great gift for yourself or for someone else this holiday season.

See the original post for details on how to enter. I will choose a winner by random number generator tomorrow, Tues., Nov. 8!

http://ccreechstudio.blogspot.com/2011/11/giveaway-time-my-3-year-blog.html

A Beautiful Fall Leaf!

Finally, some new artwork! I had a rare opportunity this afternoon - toddler was napping and my older daughter and her friend were out in the yard playing on this gorgeous, fall day. They were bringing me leaves and this little gem was in the stash. 

I haven't looked up what tree this is from - any ideas?

I was able to do an ink and colored pencil drawing on Fabriano Artistico (extra white) 140 lb hot press watercolor paper. I used my Faber Castell Polychromos pencils. 

I really love the green and yellow mottling in the center and the rich reds throughout the leaf. Glad I drew it as soon as they brought it in as it's already mostly brown and the vibrant colors have faded.

What fun, autumn arts and crafts have you been up to lately?

Giveaway Time! My 3-Year Blog Anniversary!

It's Giveaway Time!!

3 years - already?! Wow. Time sure does fly! 

As a thank-you to all of you who have followed along on my wide-ranging artistic endeavors, I am giving away my latest creation - this beautiful, double-wrap leather beaded bracelet:

 

This earthy adornment has 16 inches of light-gray leather (1.5 mm wide) with a gorgeous strand of 4mm Rainforest Agate gemstones. The multi-colored stones include tones of moss green, rich red and light cream and the closure is a small, dusty-purple/red pearly vintage button.

Metaphysically, agate is said to balance yin/yang energy, enhance creativity, strengthen the intellect and give courage. It is a protective stone and one that eases anxiety and stress. 

To enter the giveaway:

• Leave a comment on this post.
• For a second chance to win, visit my Facebook page and leave a comment on the giveaway post there.

I will choose a winner via random number generator next Tuesday, November 8, my 3rd blogiversary! 

Be sure to let your friends know about the giveaway. This would make a wonderful gift for someone for the upcoming holidays!

As always, thanks for reading and good luck!