To all my lovely customers.....

Thank you for making 2009 a truly wonderful year. I have enjoyed getting to know you, hearing your stories and being a small part of welcoming your little ones into your lives. It has meant a lot to me.......

What Color Is Your Nursery Or Child's Room?

I recently got a request to do a painting for a nursery that was painted black, bright yellow and white. What bold and interesting colors! I don't know if I could ever be that brave - but I admire people who are. I put together a little lamb with a yellow background, creamy white wool and black accents like the eyes and nose. The request got me thinking about the different colors that can be used in a nursery or child's room. What color is your child's space? Take our poll. I would love to know!

Baby lambs.....

This little guy will be making his appearance soon.....

And then came Harry....

When a boutique near New Orleans recently placed an order for some paintings they asked if I could include a painting of a Giraffe. I had never painted one before but after doing some research, I gave it a shot. And then came Harry. Harry has since become one of my most popular paintings to date. It is always so interesting and such a fun surprise to see what people will like.....

Looking for Decorating Tips and Other Ideas for Your Nursery? You HAVE to check out Project Nursery!

I am so lucky this month to be featured on a great website called Project Nursery. It has all kinds of decorating ideas for your little one's room. Besides giveaways, tips and great finds, Project Nursery also includes pictures of amazing nurseries decorated by readers. You can get so many great ideas on this site. And if you look soon - you might even get a chance to win an Animal Cracker print. Check it out - you will be glad you did! www.projectnursery.com

And the winner is....

Congratulations to Bookworm for winning our Mother's Day Print Give-away. We hope your daughter enjoys her Animal Cracker Monkey. He is such a fun and smiley guy! Please email me at 1animalcracker@gmail.com so we can send you the print! Hope you had a great day.

Thanks Moms! Mother's Day Giveaway

To say "Thank You" to all you amazing moms, I am giving away a free print from my Etsy store. Just check out the prints section at animalcracker.etsy.com then come back here and leave a comment telling me which one you would like. The winner will be chosen in honor of Mother's Day! Have A Great Day. (pic. is of my son giving his mommy some flowers he picked)

30 Blissful Minutes of "Mini" Fun

I think all the Mom's out there will get this one... I wish I could spend a fews hours every day painting. But with my often crazy schedule, it rarely happens that way. So the other day, after getting frustrated with the lack of time to myself, I decided to take it on the road. I loaded a "mini" 6x8 canvas board and my paints in my car and - after runninng 3,000 errands - I sat in the parking lot and painted while waiting for my son to get out of preschool! Thirty blissful minutes to myself doing something I truly enjoy. I am not the most neat painter - so my car interior - at least some spots - got a bit of a makeover. Who Cares! In case you were wondering, the little bear is the one I worked on in the car. Here's wishing all you Mom's 30 blissful minutes of Fun! (Sorry so short but need to run. My son just tied himself up with an entire box of floss and can't get free.) Happy Mother's Day!

Have you ever done anything a little crazy to get ten minutes to yourself? Take our poll to let us know or leave a comment telling us the lengths you have gone for some much deserved Me time.

The ones you just can't give up...

There was an interesting post in the Etsy forums the other day. One of the shop owners asked if people ever felt sad about selling some of their items. Most people replied - YES - including me. Some of the paintings I have done, for whatever reason, are just too difficult for me to sell. Like this painting I did last year of a bear. I have done many bear paintings so I am not exactly sure what it is about this little guy - maybe his sweet little face. But he hangs in my son's room. And that is where he will stay.

A New Cowboy in Town

You never know when inspiration might grab you..

This little cowpoke - the newest addition to the Animal Cracker clan - is based in part on a vintage lamp I found in a tucked-away middle of no-where antique shop in upstate NY. I was passing by in my car one day when I saw this great storefront - a beautiful old building that looked like an old bus depot. It was all decorated for the 4th of July with flags and streamers. I found the vintage lamp with the happy-faced little cowboy and blue horse for my son's room. (I love the vintage colors especially that blue) Now, the lamp - it works! - sits on his bedside table. Someday, I will try and duplicate those great colors. Maybe even take a crack at the horse too. But for now, I have added this little cowpoke to the Animal Cracker family...

Orange Bear or Blue?

One of the most interesting things about having your artwork in public is seeing how people respond. I recently tried a little experiment. I changed the background color of one of my bear paintings from orange to blue. The classic blue color immediately got more hits and hearts.. What do you think? Take our poll.

Wander in, look around.....

A few paintings, some prints......

A sailboat in red....

I was at an outdoor fair this past summer and a woman said she really wanted a sailboat with some red in it for her son's room. That conversation resulted in this painting..... Send me your thoughts, I am really interested in hearing them....