Merry Christmas to you ALL

Wishing you a lovely festive day today... Here are some pics from our Christmas.

The pics are not in order as I am blogging from my phone...
I am looking forward to wishing you all a Merry Christmas today.

Hugs
Char.x

steps till the end...

 So...I've been on the computer most of this day so far...apart from a few hours whilst working on this piece.

It's for this lovely lady over HERE.

 she has such adorable kids...these pictures I create of a mother and her "load" first came about whenever I would struggle when our girls were much smaller...and I would think of MY mother with 3...and say to myself "suck it up...if Mum could do it...so can I"...

 From those words...many drawings, commissions have been requested...I think it's a great gift to either give yourself to honour your journey as a mother...or to a friend,sister,mother...

4 children...I could only imagine how little I would get done in a day. I really do bow down to all these fabulous Mamas who have more than 2 children...you give up your all.

 Lisa has a wonderful Blog called Earth Mama...and she's constantly crafting with her youngans...very inspiring!

































Well...it's finished and in the mailbox...
Hope you love it Lisa as much as I loved drawing it. You have a beautiful family.

Don't miss MONDAY's MENTIONS in the post below!!!

OH...and I am opening up Sponsorship spots on our Blog again...(I've placed a page above for all of you which are interested!) just email me for more INFO.

HUGS
Char.x

a FABULOUS 2011...to you ALL.

 Hey everyone...HAPPY New Year! it's really great to be back...sometimes taking a break from your everyday routines is not a bad thing...I still had a few projects on the go...and will show you what I go upto over the weeks spent in the UK when I didn't Blog...but tonight I want to share with you this FABULOUS tree...

 This tree...is an ancient  OAK  BEECH(I was corrected by my Mum...)which takes my breath away each year when we take our trip up to the woods of Kent to find our Christmas Tree...isn't it stunning?
It's MASSIVE...you could LIVE in the trunk!
I wonder how many years old it is?

 400 maybe? Perhaps many more...

All I know is that those Christmas trees in the above picture are almost 50ft high...
QUITE FABULOUS...
Well, this year...I am treating my year as if I were a tree...wishing to be grounded...reaching for the stars...opening my branches in MANY directions and hoping for healthy growth.
I know many of you are on similar paths...I am very grateful for the inspiration and encouragement each one of you gives me on a daily bases...
I wish you ALL a healthy and prosperous 2011.

HUG a tree...for me!
Char.x
(p.s.we're back in Canada...no snow...but soon to get some-hope you're keeping warm! )

remembering...

Today we remember how our Country fights to keep us all safe...we remember the past and present...and we should also remember all those families who have lost love ones due to their bravery...

Moms and Dads who are left without their loved ones should also be remembered...they carry on with their lives and hold the home fort...

This was a piece I finished for a friend who in the past 4 years has always bought Art from me for others...today was when she honoured herself and bought something to hang on her walls.

She's a busy Mum with twin boys...she's creative and works from home whilst raising her family...
I love how she stepped up to buy something for herself...Thanks S!

I have to dash...I have another one of these to finish...it's for another fabulous Mum who has 4 kids.

WHAT have YOU bought for YOURSELF recently???

HUGS
Char.x
I will make an effort to pass by and say hi today...sorry it's been a while...I wanted to post yesterday but blogger was acting up.

Thanksgiving SUNDAY...

!!HAPPY THANKSGIVING CANADA!!

Thanks to my Family,friends and blog friends...our health and happiness...and ALL of the above...isn't Nature just amazing!

I hope you'll all forgive me for my absence...we're FAST approaching the Mamas and Chicks Show...so you'll have to excuse if I don't get to visit your Worlds so often as I would like...

This morning we went for a beautiful walk in a very pretty conservation area not far from our home...I took LOTS of pictures...but here are a few of them with just our point and shoot digital camera...

I'm not getting much sleep recently...and am short with our girls...I think I need to make running a regular occurance to burn some stress...although going for walks in Nature as we did this morning sure did help unwind me.

I have the Turkey in the oven...I better get back to prepping.

Making more pins...check back tomorrow for the progress...

OH, and our Tell ALL Tuesdays  spot is being filled this week by Jordan Owens...some of you may know her and her awesome work...if not you can preview her work on her blog.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Canada...and Columbus Day USA...and may the rest of the World enjoy your day too...

What are you all up to?

Back tomorrow...

HUGS

Char.x

Family is everything...

hello...it's been a little while since I played and had fun...I love collaging with paper and drawing on top...
Beth, a friend, gave birth to her 5th daughter just a few months ago...AND just 2  days ago another friend,Hailie, gave birth to her 5th daughter...10 girls between them!
I finished Beth's picture (above) now to finish Hailie's.
I thought they were a lovely way to celebrate their journey of Motherhood.
CONGRATS ladies...you're amazing women, your girls are very fortunate to have you.

Thanks for stopping by...
HUGS
Char.x
P.S.tomorrow I have some new material to show you...check back in the morning...OH, and Tuesday we have another Artist interview for our Tell ALL Tuesdays.

Portrait in pencil and pen - UP ALL night!!!

Hello lovelies,

Actually, I was up a couple of nights...and days...and hours...it's not that easy when you're trying to finish(or start) commissions when you're a stay at home Mum. Especially when they're this time consuming.

I haven't ever done a group portrait like this before ....so it was a great challenge.

The photo which I was given was just a 4x6 snapshot...and the finished portrait measures 16x20...

Like I said it was a challenge!!! (scroll down to see the finished and framed piece)

Et Voila....the finished piece.
Do you recognise the little girl in the front left? Yes, it's the same girl as I did the Pastel Portrait of the other week.
So...check back later to see what they think of this...I'm delivering it today on the basis of..."thank you very much" and moving on!(yup, not expecting anything this time...I think it will be better for me:-)
Yeah, I know...the above sounds cold, and pehaps I should care...but I am happy with my work, and really,does it matter if they are? (because I'm NOT changing this one!)

Have you had any challenges this week?

HUGS until later.
Char,ON
 DELIVERY UPDATE:: They loved it...but I was sent home with the Pastel Portrait from 2 weeks ago...the mother thought her daughter looks too old and big? Hey...keeping my funders (word? think not) happy...a girl (and family) gotta eat!!