A Question And A Giveaway!

Is there anything you would like Animal Cracker to offer that we aren't? A different size canvas, a new image, a different design? A product you would really love? Leave your comments here to win one of our new Animal Cracker keychains!

Some Stuff For Moms..

I am going to be introducing some items just for Moms over the next month or so. Like these great key chains that are just the right size so you won't lose them! You have enough to worry about when you are rushing out the door. Diapers, bottles, wipes, snacks, toys. The last thing you need to think about is finding your keys!

Decals Are Here!

Weekly Special - May 4 thru May 10

This Week! You Pick Which 2 Prints Sized 8x10 You Would Like for Only $10. All Prints Included. See "Weekly Special" Listing in the Shop for All the Details!

www.animalcracker.etsy.com

Weekly Special!

I am starting a new feature in the shop - Weekly Specials. Every week a different item in the shop will be discounted. This week - Harry the Giraffe with a Green Background. The 11x14 Harry Print is just $10. It comes with a great 16x20 bright white mat for framing. The 8x10 Harry Print is just $7.50 (it comes with an 11x14 bright white mat). Keep checking in each week to see what item is discounted next!

Vinyl Wall Decals On Their Way!

Vinyl wall decals will be arriving at Animal Cracker in the next few weeks. Some of our most popular animals - like Harry the Giraffe and Lambchop the Baby Lamb - will be available in the super easy to use wall decals. Just peel off the back and stick the cute little piggy right to the wall. Can't get any easier than that! I know for busy parents wall decals are a quick and fun way to decorate your tot's room! My first test runs will be going to the printer this week. I am also busy tweaking a few of my most popular images to get them ready to go. One of my biggest challenges? Giving that long-necked guy Harry the Giraffe some legs - so he can find a comfy spot to sit in your little one's nursery!

Hank

After many trials and errors this is the final version of Hank the Cow that I settled on. I will be painting him with different background colors including pink and blue over the next few weeks. I have also decided to start having Vinyl Wall Decals made of my artwork, so he will be available as a decal as well. MOO!

Work In Progress - How Now Little Brown Cow

When I introduce a new painting it often takes a few tries to get the look and colors just right. I have been working on this cute little cow. I started with this brown guy to look just at color and also feet placement. Then I thought I would try a black and white version, only to be reminded of how difficult it is work with black paint. After many failed attempts, that little guy was abandoned. So the work continues to get it just right.....I hope to have the final version in the shop this week.

Vinyl Wall Decals - Coming Soon?

I have been researching starting a new line of vinyl wall decals for my shop. The kind that easily adhere to the wall - no tape or nails needed. I would probably start with some of my most popular animals - like lambchop the baby lamb - and sell them in addition to my prints and paintings. Would you be interested in Animal Cracker Vinyl Wall Decals? Do you have a specific Animal Cracker image you would like to see as a wall decal? Please leave a comment and let me know! I would love to hear from you!

Studio Shots

Space is tight in my studio, so when I came across this little round stool in an antique shop I snapped it up. I would guess it is from the 1970s because of the funky olive and gold colored vinyl it is covered in. The best part? The top comes off so it doubles as a place to store paint.

It's A Bird, It's A Plane......

It's a Giant Giraffe.

A customer in Florida recently asked if I could paint a giraffe for her daughter Emerson's nursery. However, there was one thing - she needed it to be larger than my usual 16x20 canvas size. So off to the art store I went where I found a 24x36 canvas. The proportion turned out just right for this extra tall guy. Too cute!

Yeah Spring

At the end of winter I always try to fill my house with as many tulips and daffodils as possible to add a little sunshine to our space. I was so happy to see this pretty little bloom this morning sitting on my dining room table. It looks very fine in a little galvanized pot I got during a trip to IKEA. I think the pot was only about a dollar. Happy Spring!

This Little Piggy

I am always trying to figure out what new prints and paintings to add to the shop. This little piggy will soon be making an appearance. However, I still can't decide on what new animal paintings to introduce. I have been thinking about painting a dinosaur, a cow or a mouse. I would love to hear from you and what you would like me to paint next.

Before and After

In between working on custom orders and trying to get my shop restocked with paintings, I have also been doing some sketching. This little girl is part of the "flower girls" series I have been working on. She is based on the cover of the 1960s sewing patterns I have fallen in love with (and purchased from lovely Etsy shops). You can see her "before" as the original sketch and "after" she was lightly digitally colored. Off to the printer she goes...

Win A Print!

Win an Animal Cracker Print! I will be giving away one 8x10 print on March 1. Just visit http://www.animalcracker.etsy.com/ then come back and leave a comment about which print you like the best and why. All prints from the shop included.

Flower Girls

This little Flower Girl will soon be making her appearance in the shop....along with a few of her friends....

It's A Baby.......Shower!

I am happy to be participating in the Winter 2010 Etsy Baby Shower. For those of you who might not know about the Etsy Baby Shower - here is the scoop! A few times a year, several Etsy shops that sell items for babies and children get together and hold a baby shower for recent Moms and Moms to Be. Each Mom receives 2 or 3 free shower gifts from participating shops. It is a lot of fun for everyone!

Although the slots for this current shower are filled - all you Moms to be out there keep it in mind for the future! Check-out the Etsy Baby Shower blog for more information and updates on upcoming events!

http://www.etsybabyshower.blogspot.com

Some fun......

My new animal prints are arriving....feels like Christmas! Yippie. I will be adding them to my shop over the next week or so.

The waiting game.....

As many of you may know, all of my prints are printed at a real print shop. One of the trade-offs of not zipping an image thru my own printer is the waiting game. After I send everything to my printer, I have to wait for the proofs to come back. Then I have to make changes to the proofs and then wait again for the final images to be printed. In the end it is worth it. The quality of the final product - the kind of paper used, the overall look and feel of the print is first rate. But in the meantime the waiting continues......

Here are a couple examples of the new prints that will be making their way into my shop over the next week or so.

Spring Cleaning - A Little Early

In order to get ready for the new prints I have coming in a few weeks, I am doing a little Spring cleaning. Over the next few weeks, I will be marking down many older prints to just $5. Check Out the New $5 Print Section at

http://www.animalcracker.etsy.com

A sketch I have been working on...

My husband gave me my first sketch book for Christmas, so I have started sketching. Something I have never done before. When I started painting I went straight to the canvas - brush in hand. No time to plan or think. Just paint. Most of my time was spent keeping my son from flushing things down the toilet, or riding his trike down the cellar stairs or doing all the things Moms who have boys spend their days doing. Now my son is in Kindergarten and I have 6 hours a day to devote to my work. And I have found sketching. What a joy. Recently, I stumbled on these really great 1960 Vintage sewing patterns in several wonderful Etsy shops. I was totally smitten with the little girls on the cover of the pattern, with their little dresses with Peter Pan collars, white socks and mary janes. So I started to sketch. I am not quite sure what I am going to do with them or how I might incorporate them into my shop...But for now I just like drawing their happy little faces.