merry... merry... merry...

Happy whatever it is you are celebrating! I'm celebrating good food and time with my family:)!

Hope you all are feeling cheery and bright!

I'm leaving you with the Christmas images I did for Family Fun magazine (Christmas issue).

elfin' around...

I almost forgot about this 'Elfin' Around' interactive giftcard I had part in designing for Target. With this one you can record a message on your giftcard in a voice of one of the six elves. Who wouldn't want to hear an elf version of their voice? The kid in me thinks it's a fantastic idea:)

posh puzzle books...

A couple of my patterns - working hard as covers for little pocket puzzle books:) You can find them here.

botanical explosion...

I always seem to work on spring projects in the beginning of winter and summer projects in the beginning of spring. It helps me not to think of the white winter land outside my window. I love the holidays and watching kids having snow ball fights... but the darkness and the cold - not my favourite. Living in Canada doesn't help. I know I'll be looking at the snow until the end of April... and so, whenever I can - I escape into the flowery spring - at least mentally:)

Here's the result of the last escape - a botanical explosion:) Hope it warms you up too:)

holiday gift-tags...

It's a 'wrap & label' workshop over here! I'm Edward Scissor-hands and I'm Santa's helper - all at ones!:)

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

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:)

chikismiqui...

Chikismiqui - this tiny adorable magazine came in the mail today - all the way from Argentina. A few of my patterns and work from one of my favourite illustrators inside and outside - Kirsten Ulve (cover art). Very fun!

Check it out right here.

Santa and friends:)

One of my new gift-cards for Target this year:)!

good to be back...

It snowed the day before the big move... and it has been snowing (and occasionally raining) almost every day since. It's a true winter scene outside my window right now.

The move was long and hard. I'm grateful for the tremendous help from friends and family:) Without them it would have taken another two weeks. I've pulled every muscle in my body - but it was totally worth it. The new place is silent, solid and all mine! And - there's no dangerous black mould in the walls! What a nasty surprise that turned out to be when I've moved the furniture in my ex-bedroom:( No wonder we were feeling slightly off lately... Here's to a healthier winter!

There's still lots of little things to be done (a few more boxes to unpack, a few more things to hang and clean) but It's all small potatoes compared to what went down in the past few weeks:)

+ I can't wait to fill the walls with artwork:)!

Oh... and here's my new wintery pattern inspired by the weather and the anticipation of the impending holidays:)

It's good to be back in the land of blogging and working.

sweet escape...

Half my house is in boxes... and the other half I'm putting into boxes. To procrastinate packing I draw girls feeding berries to friendly bear among fantastical flowers. It takes the boxes out of my mind and puts the stress ball into the garbage bin at the curb. That's better!

I'll see you in early December... from my new office:)

elfing around...

Next time you are in Walgreens getting stocking stuffers... or whatever... check out my elf girl and deer boy characters - making it festive and cheery!

There's no Walgreens where I live... but I'm sure it looks great:)

there's no place like home...

I did not expect myself to ever do anything so adult... so heavy and rooting... but I did it - I bought a house! and am moving all this month - thus - serious lack of time and excess of stress. No picnic... but it's worth it:)

To celebrate this grand move - I've made a new print! There's no place like home... there's no place like home...

new mara mi...

It was such a pleasant surprise today to receive the samples of mara mi stationery - featuring my designs:) I love the 'click & roll' mouse pad and it's proving to be pretty useful:)

top of the Monday:)

I'm trying to start this week with a healthy doze of bright shiny optimism and a pinch of denial about the mountain of work that awaits me. Here's to a productive week! Hope to see you on the other side of the mountain:)

bunny love...

With this pattern I wanted to take your eyes away from Christmas for a minute... and towards spring... since that's my happy thought all through the winter.

Where I am in the world - it has already snowed a few times... and the cold air and naked trees tell me that fall is done.

78 & 56...

Thank you all so very much for participating in my little giveaway! It was great fun reading all of your comments and finding out all sorts of new silly ways to have a hot beverage:)

Once again - there were more comments than my little bingo machine can handle.... and so I had to use an online random number generator....

Oh... and since there were so many comments I decided to give away 2 mugs!

and the lucky winning numbers are:

#78 - Melissa Saylor & #56 Moira Millman

S0... Dear Melissa and Moira - please e-mail me your addresses so I can sand you your insulated BlueQ coffee mug!

(dardik at sympatico dot ca)

berry foxy...

Have you stashed enough nuts and berries away for the winter?:) If not... hurry into your nearby forrest. Our friendly forrest representative (a.k.a. Mr. Foxy) will show you the very best nature has to offer!

This message has been brought to you by my latest pattern:)