From the Wintergarden

Halloween is right around the corner and I can’t believe I’ve sold over 100 of these in the last month! I made them for myself last year to use up some wood rounds I’d had laying around since 2007 and decided to put them up on my website and Etsy. I didn’t expect much, and I only had about 100 pieces of wood, but all of a sudden in August I started getting multiple orders a day and panicked when I couldn’t find more wood. Luckily, I found a reliable supply and can continue filling orders, because apparently this listing ended up in an Etsy promotional ad and is now a ‘bestseller’… 👻

Halloween Ornament Multiple Designs Available - Etsy This Ornaments & Accents item by FromtheWintergarden has 469 favorites from Etsy shoppers. Ships from Duvall, WA. Listed on Oct 10, 2022

In the Wintergarden today…designing new gift tags!

I was supposed to be printing new Christmas cards for the shop this week but they got my paper order wrong so I had to come up with something else. Not mad about it, actually…I kind of love these and it gave me something to do with my digital drawings!

Gift tags printed on heavy, curious metallics ice gold card stock. These will be available in sets of 8 in the shop soon!

Tiny seascapes are on the drawing board this week in the Wintergarden. It’s funny, I had no idea I had created three pieces that fit together until I went to photograph them. Subconscious, perhaps…or I just put details at the exact same place in everything I do…

3” colored pencil on black board

Poe is dreaming about the ocean...or just worn out from knocking every pencil off of my workspace for the last 2 hours and trying to eat my kneaded eraser.

On the drawing board in the Wintergarden today...

On the drawing board in the Wintergarden this week...a pile of unfinished pieces I've pulled out to complete. They are all so different so there are plenty of choices to play with each day!

I’ve felt a little yucky from my vaccine yesterday but I have a hard time not being productive, so I spent the day sitting in my office making bookmarks. It’s nice to see artworks I had given up on find another purpose.

I read many books every year, and I often find myself becoming bored with one and moving on to another at the same time so I can pick which one to read at night depending on mood. I recently found myself at various points in six books at the same time. My OCD won't allow me to simply abandon a book I hate so I will eventually finish all of them, but a few might lay there for a while....they are just that bad.

Aaaanyway...I needed more bookmarks, so I made some out of incomplete artworks and doodles on mat board that I had abandoned, much like the stack of books I despise.

I'll be making more to put into the shop on the website with various designs, ribbons, suede cords, and beads. I'll also have some with stretchy elastic that can be wrapped around the book or pages to keep them open or closed.

Printing, cutting, packaging, and mailing out ‘Hidden Heart’ card sets today. Valentines Day is Sunday for those of you procrastinating! I can also make these into pendants...

original rainbow set:
https://www.fromthewintergarden.com/cards/minicards-hiddenheartwarm

cool tones:
https://www.fromthewintergarden.com/cards/minicards-hiddenheartcool

Owl love on a rainy evening. I think I’ll finish this one up tonight. 🦉❤️🎨

It was a wonderful, peaceful day to sit and doodle some wintery, festive, flowery things.

I'm down to the last 6-7 sets of gift tags in both designs. These come in packages of 12 and are ready for pickup or delivery today or tomorrow.

:: Printed on heavy 92lb, curious metallics gold leaf cover stock
:: Tags are printed with my original circle designs or florals on one side and are blank on the reverse.

https://www.fromthewintergarden.com/cards/gift-tags-gold-leaf

Here are a couple last-minute gift ideas for anyone that loves this bridge across our valley... 'Almost Home' is mounted on a 4" or 6" wood block that is ready to hang or just sit on a shelf. I also have 2-8" and 1-10" block left in stock.
For stocking stuffers, tiny prints in glass pendants with black or stainless settings with or without an attached keyring are available in limited quantities and will be ready for pickup or delivery on Wednesday.

Wood Block Print is available here:
https://www.fromthewintergarden.com/shop-wood-blocks/almosthome

Pendant is available here:
https://www.fromthewintergarden.com/wearable-art/pendant-almosthome

For free local delivery or pick up this week at my studio use code LOCAL at checkout to remove shipping charges.

Well, lookie what I found in an envelope, my 1960s/70s Christmas card collection. I had no idea I still had these...interesting story...

As a child I wanted to decorate my room for Christmas but my mom wouldn’t let me put multicolored lights around my window like I wanted because it faced the front of the house and colored lights were a big nope from her. So instead, I gathered all of the Christmas cards sent to our family each year and had a stash of them in an old roller skate box. Each day I would put a different one up in my window in a cardboard frame so people going by would delight in the ever changing greeting in my window. I was convinced that everyone driving or walking past would notice my art offerings and come back each day to see my new display. Given the distance they were viewed from I doubt anyone ever noticed.

I was absolutely fascinated with card art and thought I wanted to design them when I grew up. I do design a few here and there, but oddly enough, I also grew up to be a visual merchandising manager for several major department stores and got to do the window displays for Frederick and Nelson, The Bon Marche and Nordstrom. I never thought about these things being connected to my childhood card displays until I found these!

I think it’s time to let these 50 year old artworks go 🎄

Matted and taking off from the Wintergarden today, urchin no.1.
Please, please USPS, I know you are stressed out, but be kind to this package and help it find it’s way to a new home in one, unbent piece...preferably before next Thursday. 🎄🎁

Wrapping these three little originals that are off to their forever home this week, I’ll miss them looking down from the shelf in my office. I do love it when they journey off together in groups so they have each other for company. It’s wonderful to know that they will be in the room of a classmates granddaughter, although I still find myself shocked we’re all old enough to have grandchildren!
❤️🦝 🦊 🦉

Perhaps I had a premonition a few weeks ago when I decided to draw things with tentacles. While matting and framing one of these for a friend today I decided they were not simply octopuses, but the more fierce (and currently newsworthy) kraken instead. I shall (No.1) to its new owner this weekend.

In progress...something a little different this weekend.

I have seen this amazing photo and video of the Capital Hill gathering so many times. Please, if you share, give credit to the photographer and to the artists that came together to create this iconic piece of history.

I.C.Y.M.I.: The Artists Behind Seattle's Black Lives Matter Mural in Capitol Hill You may have seen the mural, but do you know its artists? Check out the Instagram accounts for each of the creators responsible for Seattle's Black Lives Matter artwork in the city's Capitol Hill neighborhood. (mage via Kyle Kotajarvi)

I draw every night to relax and find something to focus on and find some peace from the daily news and constant stress lately. The best part about this is that I often forget what I’ve done the night before and in the morning find something that makes me smile to start the day...this was one of those days.

The option to order glass pendants on a 1” stainless steel keyring is now available on the website and coming soon to Etsy and Amazon Handmade.
Custom orders are welcome using any current or sold illustration or photograph.
::
@ Wintergarden Studio

Friday night art in progress
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Well, the great white Prismacolor shortage of 2020 continues. All 3 orders I had placed that were on backorder have now been canceled by the companies. They apparently have little faith that they will have the goods to ship in the foreseeable future.
So, I dug through old art boxes and found a few more little remnants...this will not do. My only option was to order a full set of 150 pencils just to get the white one. It is a satisfactory solution. And I’m not totally upset that I get to open a big new box of colors.
::
@ Wintergarden Studio

Tonight’s offering is not so much about the artwork, but that stub of white pencil in the background. That, is the last, tiny, remnants of white prismacolor in the US, apparently. I ordered from 3 places last month and all are on back order with no delivery estimate. Amazon says the soonest available is the end of May, and my last resort craft store that I usually refuse to buy from wants to charge a shipping fee 3x the cost of the pencil. I would order a dozen at this point to make it worthwhile, but I already have 18 white pencils arriving sometime in the future, maybe, probably, hopefully.
::

It was all about the nests again today. Mini notecard sets and pendants will be available tomorrow!
::
@ Wintergarden Studio

Weekend color palette...keeping it cool in the heat.
::
@ Wintergarden Studio

Let Mom choose art!

Digital gift cards are available from $20-$200 and are delivered immediately and include a personal note. Or send the card to yourself and forward it to Mom on Sunday during a video call brunch!

The code can be used to purchase anything on the website or a custom piece and never expire.

Mother's Day :: Digital Gift Card — From the Wintergarden Mother’s Day is going to be difficult this year for those that are usually able to get together with Moms and Grandmothers in person. A digital gift card lets Mom pick out a piece of art or pendant that she loves, or order card sets to send notes out to friends and loved ones that she is unable to...