Here comes the new beginning...

To all of you from all of me - Happy and Prosperous New Year! May all of your champagne wishes and caviar dreams come true in 2012!

Love,

Helen:)

blue pears. . .

Wanted to leave you with some blue pears before I went on a little holiday break.

Green and red have been hogging the spotlight lately:)

a bit of light. . .

Made a couple of new bright watercolors (to part the dark winter sky and let some light in).

thank you for playing!

Thank you all so much for playing along and leaving me a comment on my little Mudpuppy Mermaid Castle giveaway. I loved reading them! As it is Monday already, I went to random.org and it has generated #29 for me... therefore the winner is Shivani (My Owl Barn). Please contact me (dardik@sympatico.ca) with your address:)

mermaid castle for mudpuppy . . . giveaway

Today I had the pleasure to receive samples of the Mermaid Castle Playspace that I've designed for mudpuppy. It turned out great! Me and the girls had fun playing the underwater merfamily that lives in a four room castle with its octopus doors and coral clocks. I've got a few, and so I've decided to give one away! Leave me a comment before Monday afternoon for your chance to win this fun castle:)

Wishing . . .

Wishing I could print my own wrapping paper. Wouldn't that be great:)

escapism . . .

Watercoloring... The colder and gloomier it gets, the more I want to paint flowers and happy people. My little escape:)

little wolf prince and his garden . . .

A new pattern. Two colours. There's a little story in there... somewhere... about a little wolf prince and his wondrous garden:)

2011 holiday gift tags . . .

As per my annual holiday tradition - I've designed and am sharing these gift tags with you:)

Hope they come in handy!

FEEL FREE TO COPY:

• click on the image - it will open in its own window at high resolution (300 dpi)

• copy that to your desktop.

• print as many as you'd like in any size you'd like:)

Goodbye November. . . Hello New Print . . .

November cantine has only got a few drops left in it (although it is using all of it to make as much rain as it can over at my end of the world). Gloomy and chilly. I've chosen a strong, contrasty and cheerful palette for my new print. Begone rainy gloom!:)

pattern uphill . . .

Life is a mountain... and I'm a mountain goat. Well, at least that's the way I've been feeling about it this week. Steep climb uphill.

Hope this pattern brightens and lightens your climb:)

early snow angels . . .

I know, I know... It's too early to think of Holiday. I usually wait until December (for Holiday posts)... but this year I started getting e-mails about '2011 gift tags' and 'festive embroideries' middle of November... Therefore, I feel that you are ready to see my latest Target Card!

sweet little cards . . .

I've designed these little cards for Japanese Otto Trading Stationery Products company. Sadly, only available in Japan.

November Foliage . . .

Well, this is it, no more leaves on the trees. Days are getting shorter and gloomier. November... at least the leaves in my pattern are bright and cheerful.

wildwood . . .

How often, when you are trying to shop for other people do you come across unexpected treasures that you must have? For me, it's an 'every time' kind of occurrence. Last time it happened I was in Toronto, in a little 'hipster type' store (full of expensive little nothings) when I came across 'WILDWOOD'. I have not read any reviews (or even heard of it) but the illustrations (by Carson Ellis - and the book is peppered with them) were just so good - I had to buy the book by it's cover! No regrets. It turned out to be a great read, and I can't wait until the girls read it (ages 9 UP) and we could have a little chat about it:)

wheat, straw & color pencils . . .

It's been a long while since I've used a color pencils... a very long while... but, here I am. Like riding a bicycle (also, haven't done that in a while:).

Color pencils - Reeves (a gift from my friend Rigel).

Paper - 100% Wheat & Straw from Ecojot (Thanks Carolyn!:)

Exciting news!

I've got some exiting news to share with you! Today, a lovely new wall graphics company Kowallaa opens the 'doors' of it's online shop! The store is full of fun decals (including 3 of my own designs) that would make any kids room instantly funner:)

P.S.: 11 just happens to be my very favourite number:). Good day to start something new!

OK . . . or maybe even awesome . . .

I hope you are all having a great day... but, just in case you aren't, maybe my new print will cheer you up:)