DeannaMaree is Moving!

Hi there! I have a suprise today - something that I've been in the process of doing for months and months! I have officially moved over to my own domain, onto bigger and better things! As you would know my heart hasn't been here for many months, I've felt my direction changing and it's time to make the offical move! I've valued your friendship, and I hope you will follow me over to http://www.deannamaree.com where I plan to continue blogging, but with much more dedication!

This blog will remain just the way it is - I often look back through my posts and see where my journey has taken me and how my artwork and outlook has evolved over time.

Just before I wrap up here though, I wanted to share this photo! I have been busier than ever before lately, and today I had my first ever stall at the markets!(The Olive Tree Markets). So here we are.. frantically trying to get everything together before opening time!

In progress..

This is a painting that has put the love back into painting for me lately, it has been a pleasure to sit in front of and mixing up all those colours has been so much fun!

Life goes on..

A tiny Blue Wren

I was spoilt on our 2nd anniversary.. taken to a little cabin in the woods.

I couldn't decide what I thought of this - cute in a strange kind of way?

Puppy - not such a puppy anymore, but still adorable!

Stay a while longer?

I know my presence has been lacking here in the last few months, and without giving you a whole lot of reasons and justifications for my absence.. I just wanted to tell you to stick around if you don't mind - I have something much bigger and better than this blog just around the corner. It has been a work in progress for some time, so please don't go anywhere just yet! xx

Iyla

If you follow me on twitter, you will know I've spent my last month or more (in between long hours at my day job) working on a custom portrait of a little girl named Iyla. The painting is quite large, and was by far the biggest challenge I've taken on at the easel. Ever. I've never met this little girl, yet she reduced me to tears on so many occasions! At last this painting is all boxed up, and is on its journey to Iyla's bedroom wall!

Puppy Feet & Set Me Free!

Here's one little (and very cute) reason for my absence here lately! I have the pitter-patter of four little demanding feet following me around! We named this little boy Buddy, and we're loving him and his puppy antics.

I have this week away from the office to do a custom portrait of a little girl, and I am loving it. Going back to work full time, and feeling like a caged bird within those grey office walls has given me a whole new level of determination to free myself.

I am very frustrated that I do have to go back to work next week, I know within myself that success for me as an entrepreneur is just around the corner. I can feel it, and it is so frustrating that it is just out of my reach at the moment! I plan to use my frustration as the motivation I need to get things moving - to get my blog re-designed, to dust my Etsy shop off and freshen it up with new work/prints.

If you are a designer, with Wordpress skills (or you know someone) - I'd like to hear from you. It's time for some major changes!

Sandra Juto

I adore this Granny square blanket by Sandra Juto. And her photostream on flickr - wow!

The moment we've been waiting for!

Some very exciting news for us girls in Australia today! Anthropologie are now shipping here! I am very excited, and I know you will be too. If you haven't heard of this delightful shop until now, don't wait around here any longer (as much as I like having you).. go check it out!

A little about me - February 2010

1. This is me. February 2010. In my pyjamas, about to hop into bed

2. This is where I like to go walking. I take my camera here most afternoons

3. This is something I often see.

4. This is where our new house is soon to be built.

5. This is what is sitting on my easel, awaiting some finishing touches!

Blown Away!

Wowwwww! I don't even know what to say - other than it won't be long before some of Whitney Smith's pottery finds its way to my house! I know I've featured Whitney's etsy shop here before, but I stumbled across her flickr stream today and these images just blew me away! These pieces were part of a huge order Whitney did for a shop in Japan, which I can only imagine is one amazing shop!

Test prints!

Look! Here's one of my test prints, all framed up! I'm happy with how they're turning out - now I just need to decide on a fancy paper/canvas to print on! I have a whole pack of Hahnemuhle sample papers to play with! I decided today that the standard print size will be 8 x 10 (as opposed to either A4/US Letter size), that way customers worldwide will be able to find a frame easily.

An Update

Hello there, guess what I've been doing? Lately I've been using every spare moment to work on a complete redesign of my blog. I figured it was time.. I have tossed up many ideas, and I'm still not sure what the end result will be.

I've thought about changing to wordpress, or starting a completely new blog with content that focuses on handmade/indie as a whole rather than my own artwork so much. I'm not sure which way my path is about to take career wise, but if I do keep blogging here under DeannaMaree, a blog makeover is long overdue anyway!

In other news.. I am so close to having prints available! Just in the process of finding the paper/canvas that produces the best print. Also trying to figure out how to make prints available in US letter size, and A4 as well. So keep dropping by, one day in the next couple of weeks I will start releasing prints!

I wanted to share this beautiful artwork with you today, by Jane Hill. I love her work because it combines so many of my favourite things - painting, home decor, flowers, colour, clothes, shoes... Have a look through Jane's portfolio here, or her Etsy shop here.

I'm back!

Hello, and Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and a relaxing break. We had a great holiday - travelling north a long way, and spending a lot of time catching up with family and friends. The highlight of my holidays was finally getting that fancy camera I've wanted for so long! This means I am even closer to being able to offer prints of my artwork!

We're back at home now, back to work and life as normal. I've been making the most of daylight savings, and going for evening walks with my camera! We are lucky enough to have a beautiful park/reserve just down the road from our house. There are many winged and legged subjects there that are just to happy to smile for me!

Colors of the Season..

Minty Fresh!

I finally got another treasury today! I've had this one ready to go for days.. turns out that a lot of the original items I was going to include were sold.. but I found some perfect substitutes anyway! Check it out here..

New Painting "My Friend.."

Hi there, and happy Saturday! This time last week I was at my easel - covered in pink and yellow paint! I did this painting for my best friend, for her birthday yesterday - so now she's seen it I can now share it here!

Knock Knocking

I often hesitate when I go to share something with you here, as I know from time to time different things do the 'rounds' of the blogosphere. The last thing I want to do is be an echo, so when I find something I like I sometimes assume that everyone would already have seen it. But I was thinking today - is this really true? I mean there is so much out there, even within the handmade/indie niche! I'm sure our tracks around this niche are somewhat varied, and I hope that occaisonally I am able to bring something here that is new to you!

Today I'd like to share these beautiful mixed media yarn wreaths by Agnes Blum of Knock Knocking. Most of these photos where taken from Knock Knocking's flickr photstream. You can also check out her Etsy shop and blog. Enjoy!

Happy December!

Hello there, and happy December! I am sitting here this evening looking out over our neighbourhood which is slowly lighting up with Christmas lights. Such a buzz in the air! I've been munching away on candy canes all afternoon, and I've created a candy cane inspired treasury in Etsy Poster Sketch that I can't wait to share with you! Just have to get myself a treasury again!

Speaking of treasuries, did you see my Teal Appeal treasury on the front page of Etsy on Sunday? I just happened to log in at the right time (how lucky is that?) and I saw it! So happy for the sellers that were featured, and all the sales that they made!

A couple of days ago at work, I spent quite some time signing my name on dozens and dozens of Christmas cards that we send out to our customers. I thought I would put together a little collection of some of my favourites from Etsy. Enjoy!

Holiday Cards - Skate Away by Cathy Nichols

Holiday Tree Card Set by Naokosstoop

Bear and Squirrel Christmas and Holiday Cards by Amber Alexander

Winter Wonderland Greeting Cards by The Nebulous Kingdom