Animals' Carnival Baby Nursery Photos

Just thought I'd share the creative project that consumed me for the first few months of this year...mini Murtha's nursery! It was a true labor of love! I enjoyed every second of designing our baby's nursery and watching it come to life. This week, I entered an online baby nursery contest, so if you feel like commenting and rating it, please head over to this link: http://www.unique-baby-gear-ideas.com/carnival-at-the-babys-animal-sanctuary-nursery.html The nursery has a circus-y feel but since we aren't big on real circuses and the way they treat animals, we call our nursery theme "Carnival at the Animal Sanctuary" :).

Circus Elephant Painting

...and here is no. 2! I put the finishing touches on this one this morning and had hoped to get the kitten painting done, but I had to take 3 cats to the vet and went on a wild goose chase tracking down heart medicine for another one of my furkids. They keep me busy that is for sure! So, it's back to painting momentarily. Happy Tuesday!

STJ update tonight!

The other two pieces in my Halloween Circus animal trio will be available tonight at midnight for the Spookytime Jingles update. I am thrilled that the giraffe and owl piece sold this weekend, so that is great news for the auto body shop cats! 100% of the sales of the pig and elephant will also go toward feral villas and feeding stations for them. (See previous post for more details.)

More progress on the Halloween circus....

It is the perfect day to stay in and create....chilly and rainy here in Lexington! This weather is so wacky. It was in the high 90s on Thursday, Friday and Saturday breaking records for September and today a high of 68 is predicted...not exactly a smooth transition to fall. Oh well, I am going to turn on my space heater and speed up the clay drying process so that I can hopefully sand and prime my Halloween circus trio later today.

Happy Labor Day to all of you!

Halloween WIPs

It hit me this week that Halloween is only 2 months away!!! Where the heck did summer go?!! I think it flew by faster than ever before. It's time to get crackin' on some Halloween creations, so here is what I have in the works....

A few circus inspired Halloween animals! Envision an orange giraffe with black spots....and still deciding on the exact color scheme for the ellie. I also have a spooky cute pig clown sketched and will be making the armature shortly.

Cupcakes and bunnies du jour :)

I cannot begin to tell you how happy I am right now. I battled severe back pain for about 12 days and yesterday, I was finally pain free and functioning normally. So, first I cleaned the house and then made some cupcakes :)! I also went cat trapping to try to finish TNRing a nearby colony but had no luck...won't even go into the wild goose chase debacle that occurred :(. And today, I am thrilled to be back at the art table. Thank goodness!

Here are the cupcakes of the day...chocolate mint!



and two custom rabbits completed and ready to go to their new home.

B is for Bunny! Finally finished a pull toy.....

This week got a little crazy and I was a bit scattered, but I super glued myself to the art table all day yesterday and managed to complete this piece. There are so many parts to these pull toys which means lots of color decisions. I do quite a bit of staring and thinking and pondering colors. The only thing I was sure of was that I wanted a turquoise blue spotted ellie! Still trying to come up with a name for this one...

I haven't decided when or where this will be available for purchase. I want to live with it for a little bit and finish the other two. I'll keep you posted!

I had a horrible time with photographing this piece. I spent an hour changing backgrounds and lighting and am still not happy with the outcome. The rabbit's head looked washed out against a brown background yet the white is not great either. I'll keep trying, but here is the best I could do for now....

Happy weekend, everyone!!

SnipPet Giveaway to Celebrate YOU!

When i woke up this morning and checked my blogger dashboard, I had hit 100 followers!!! WOWEE! I can't quite express how much my blog friends mean to me. You guys keep me motivated, encouraged, inspired and feeling connected. So many of you have lifted me up when i have been feeling down...especially when it comes to disheartening kitty situations. Your kind, supportive words often restore my hope and faith in the goodness of humanity. THANK YOU for being there! And your enthusiasm and special comments about my artwork fills me with pure glee :). Soooooo, it seems like it is the perfect day for a big giveaway to honor you!

In order to have a chance to win, please leave a comment on this post and tell me about a special pet (past or present). I love hearing about other people's furry or feathery or scaly friends :)!

There will be two prizes...my three ducks in a row painting and an itty bitty circus kitty! I will be plucking the winners' names out of the hat on Mother's Day night, so make sure you sign up by 10 pm on Sunday!

Creative displays and SnipPet SALE reminder~~

As I wait for a layer of paint to dry on my current creations, I thought i would remind you about my Super SnipPet Sale. Many of my circus critters are 40% off in honor of Mother's Day!! This sale will end on May 10, so head on over to the SnipPet shop soon!



Now for some fun display ideas! Last fall, I bought 3 antique wheel molds at a local flea market. I thought they would be the perfect, unique, sculptural accent for our family room. Of course, since i am not a minimalist (and have to embellish everything!!!), I decided to paint the wall within the molds in a sky pattern and use them as frames for my circus themed artwork and special finds (the carousel horse is an ebay treasure). And then, it hit me! This was meant to be...a 3 ring circus on my wall!!! I love when things magically fall into place like that.



Here is another whimsical spot in my house.... these carved wooden deer are my best bargain finds EVER!!!! I saw them online and in Atlanta at one of my favorite shops selling for several hundred dollars each and fell in love with them. Then, months later, i went to the Ballard's Design outlet warehouse, and they were desperate to move merchandise out that day. I almost fell over when i saw that they had the deer sculptures marked down to $20 each!! I kept asking the manager, "Are you suuuure???? Really??" I never get THAT lucky. The manager wanted me to take the 5 that they had, so he ended up giving me an extra 20% off of the sale price. Unbelievable. So, here they are living in a little painted forest on my stairwell.

Super SnipPet Sale!

Head on over to the SnipPet shop on Etsy for a HUGE sale on some of my one-of-a-kind, circus inspired animal dolls! Woohoo for sales in this dreadful economy, right?! We all need a break, so I am giving you one :). Maybe you will find a special gift for mom or a treasure for yourself. Here's a little hint at one of the pieces you will see....



Happy Sunday to all of my SnipPet friends! And many thanks from the bottom of my heart to those who left me SUCH kind comments on my sad little post yesterday. I can't tell you how much your words meant. xoxo

Miss Ophelia takes the stage....

The sun just came out and Miss Ophelia just took the stage! I added the finishing touches to this playful pig today. Yippee for completion!

I am totally out of paperclay and UPS was supposed to deliver a big stash of it to me today...still waiting.... eeeks, it better arrive tomorrow. I have lots to accomplish this week!!

I have decided to start naming all of my animal creations. They just seem more lively and distinct with their own names. I am always laboring over the purrfect cat and kitten names for my rescues and fosters, so now I'll be doing the same with these.

Happy Monday to all!

Le Cirque d' Amour et Gentillesse!

Presenting the leopard ringmaster of my circus...the master of ceremonies...the keeper of kindness! A few years ago, i did a sculpted piece with a cat standing above a birdbath holding birds in her hands. It was entitled "A True Friend is a Rare Bird". This piece was inspired a bit by that.

Truth be told, i am not big at all on actual circuses...not a fan of using animals as entertainment. But I love the magic and creativity behind it all. My circus animals have human qualities which makes you think that they ARE humans costumed as animals (as it should be in circuses...think Cirque du Soleil). The lettering at the top of the shadow box is the french translation of "The Circus of Love and Kindness". I think that sums up my concept purrrrrfectly :)1
This piece is available in my etsy shop.

Juggling Kitty No. 2

I think this is my favorite circus creation so far. On Saturday, i had him half finished and then i couldn't decide what he should be juggling. I knew that he needed something more than just the felt balls. So, yesterday morning I sculpted a few little fish for him. This is going to sound silly, but i keep hearing this crazy, ridiculous McDonald's filet of fish commercial...can't get it out of my head...and i think that's why i decided that i HAD to add some fish to this! Ha! It's amazing where inspiration comes from. In addition, I have 2 black and white cats that i adore, so it was high time that i made a tuxedo kitty sculpture.

I have been glued to the sculpting/painting table for 7 days straight, so today i am off to catch up on errands and mindless chores. Yuck...but it needs to be done. I also need to get back to my TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return) efforts....a new unneutered male cat has been showing up on my front porch and he is fighting with the others. It's almost that season again....mating time and territorial squabbles arise! I will be out spaying/neutering like crazy!

March Etsy Promo and a perky Panda!

Happy March 1, everyone! Oh, i hope spring is on its way! I am anxious to get outside and play in the yard and feel some sunshine on my back.

I am having a March promotion in my etsy shop. If you spend $50 or more, you will get a free gift....one of my handmade heart pincushions (a $12.50 value). They are sure to brighten your desk, sewing corner or art studio. Just click on my Etsy shop link to the right.

And last but not least, here is my newest circus inspired art doll...an accordion playing Panda! A clown kitty juggling fish is on the table for today. He is QUITE A character.

Polka dotted clown critters!

I just finished this juggling cat lady and these two mini clowns. The little kitty and rabbit clowns remind me of those weeble wobbles i used to play with as a child...i love those chubby round bodies! These pieces defintely show my fondness for polka dots!!! All three will be available in my etsy shop shortly.

Ta Daaaaa! Introducing a performing elephant...

My new little circus elephant is giving a superb performance with his rings! I just finished this creation....will be up for grabs in my Etsy shop shortly.

One World One Heart Blog Giveaway...Win my Lion Juggler!

FUN! FUN! FUN! Big, Big, HUGE Giveaway for my special blog friends! I have decided to join in the One World One Heart Blog Giveaway.DEADLINE for entries: Midnight Eastern Time on February 12. Will announce winner on Friday, February 13

What is One World One Heart Giveaway?
It is a blog-wide giveaway event. The original idea behind this was to bring bloggers together from around the world who may never ordinarily meet. It closes the gap of the blog community and enables us to interact, discover new and wonderful people, and in the process possibly win a prize or many prizes along the way. Right now, there are over 800 participants

To enter my giveaway all you have to do is leave a comment on this particular post. The winner, to be announced on February 12, 2009 will receive this one-of-a-kind LION JUGGLER (worth $250)!!! He was meticulously hand sculpted with paperclay, painted with acrylics and embellished with ribbons and felt balls. Measures 18" and hangs on the wall.

Circus Hare Leads the March....

Hello everyone! I am excited to present my new mixed media rabbit art doll! This is the first in a series that i will be working on for the next few months. It has been great to get back into sculpting costumed animals....it's defintely what i love to do!

I made this circus hare with paperclay, wooden dowels,wire, felt and grosgrain ribbon.