Happy Doodle Land

New Old Books and Happy New Year!

2011-12-30T12:59:00.006-06:00

I got a couple of new old books for myself and I'd like to share some of the beautiful illustrations from the books with you guys. The first 3 is a set called "The Bible Speaks" by Hella Taubes and illustrated by Dan Bar-Giora, first published in 1971 by The Soncino Press. They are bible stories from the Old Testaments for kids with beautiful artworks. These are big books, too, with hard covers. I got my copies directly from The Soncino Press, but seems like they are out of stock right now.

And the second book I actually bought a couple of months ago. It's "Love and Joy About Letters" by Ben Shahn, published in 1963 by Grossman Publishers, with gorgeous lettering and illustrations inside. You can find old copies at Amazon or Ebay.

Hope you've enjoyed them all. And as the last image said, Happy New Year! I wish you all a blessed and healthy 2012! Xx

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

2011-12-23T23:52:00.003-06:00

I can't believe this year has come to an end (almost). I so appreciate all your friendship, kind comments and encouragements throughout this year. May this holiday season bring you love, peace and lots of blessings. Remember to share your fortune with those who are less fortunate, spend time with your loved ones, eat lots of yummy food, and relax. Merry Christmas and happy holidays to you all! Xx

Doodle Wares Photo Album on My Flickr

2011-11-26T19:24:00.003-06:00

I finally uploaded all my Doodle Wares' photos to my Flickr. If you are so inclined, you can click here to see them all. :)

November Wallpapers

2011-11-02T00:55:00.002-05:00

I can't believe it's already November and soon it will be the end of 2011! Our weather over here has been pretty nice, but I heard that we will get some rain mixed with snowflakes tomorrow; praying that it won't be too bad though. Hope you guys are staying warm and cozy, too. Xx

Click here to download 1600 x 1200 wallpaper
Click here to download 1920 x 1080 wallpaper

(As usual, please know that these wallpapers are for your personal desktop use only. So be nice and don't use the graphic on other stuff. Thank you so much!)

Free 2012 Owl Calendar Download

2011-10-22T16:06:00.004-05:00

It's finally out. This is my 2nd year participating in the Owl Lover calendar download at My Owl Barn. This year there are total of 45 beautiful owl artworks for you to choose to customize you own calendar. The best part? It's free! Hoot doesn't like free stuff, right? (Haha... I tried.) : )

Sake Bottles and Tea Cup

2011-10-11T14:17:00.003-05:00

I drew on 2 little sake bottles/bud vases and a tea cup over the weekend. I had no idea that it would take me a whole afternoon and into the evening just to finish these little guys. I like the blue color a lot; it reminds me of the traditional blue and white porcelain. Also this time I signed my name in Chinese; the character is pronounced "Chia" (which is my official name) and it means "home". : )

Floral Skulls Print

2011-10-05T19:25:00.003-05:00

Thank you so much for all your kind feedbacks about my October wallpaper. A few of you have asked me if I have this one as a print, so I did it. It turned out quite nice even though originally it was designed as a desktop wallpaper. So here it is, just in case you are interested to hang it on your wall. :)

Ceramic Doodle Bowl

2011-10-04T10:32:00.004-05:00

It is so much fun drawing on a blank bowl with a ceramic marker. I drew this one Sunday night, waited for 24 hours for the ink to completely dry and then baked it last night. It turned out pretty good (the actual piece looks way better than the photo). My goal is to take a lesson and learn how to build my own ceramic pieces in organic forms, but for now this is a fun thing to do. :)

October Wallpaper

2011-10-02T21:06:00.002-05:00

October's wallpaper is here! Do you like it? : )

Click here to download 1600 x 1200 wallpaper
Click here to download 1920 x 1080 wallpaper

Please know that these wallpapers are for your personal desktop use only. So be nice and don't use the graphic on other stuff. Thank you so much!

Hallmarket 2011

2011-10-02T09:36:00.005-05:00

Yesterday's Hallmarket was a success, and I had so much fun! Sharing a booth with my best buddy Mimi, we had many visitors and lots of positive feedbacks. Thank you so much if you made to the art fair and even purchased something from me. I now have a little extra money to replace a few drafty windows so hopefully I can stay a little warmer this winter. I am very grateful. Thank you and hugs!

(Mimi's adorable mini paintings and magnets.)

Article on Guioteca

2011-09-26T11:24:00.003-05:00

If you can read Spanish, there is a little article about me on Guioteca. :)

All done!

2011-09-25T19:21:00.004-05:00

Yay!!! I finally finished all my doodle bowls/trays for next week's Hallmarket, 35 pieces total! Here are some of the last few pieces. I am almost ready for the art fair, but I still need to run the sweatshop a little bit more to make hundreds of buttons for my interchangeable necklaces and also print out bunch of prints. Almost done. Feeling good. : )

If you are in the Kansas City area on 10/1, please come over and check out the art fair. It will be good. I promise.

a big cake stand

a big tray

a giant deep bowl with happy faces

New Prints

2011-09-22T10:47:00.003-05:00

Added two new prints to my shop this morning. I did two versions, one with black and white oil pastel texture and one in color. They will also be available during the art fair next weekend.

A Few More Pieces

2011-09-18T19:47:00.004-05:00

Still in the sweatshop mode, I finished a few more pieces over the weekend and here are some of them. I love these vintage footed bowls; they are really cute and a little harder to find. I am almost done with all my doodle pieces, only 2 big ones left to do (a cake stand and a giant bowl). Also since my good friend's mom bought my previous one, I did another happy faces bowl in yellow. :)

Domain Name

2011-09-11T20:23:00.006-05:00

Finally I bought myself the domain name! (Should've done this years ago...) I am taking online Dreamweaver tutorials little by little, and it might take awhile before I learn how to build a simple website. My goal is to have a basic online portfolio, so people can see the highlights of my work in one place. Right now there is only a home page, but at least there is something, and I've put all my links on that page so they all under one roof. Here you go. :)

Many Faces Doodle Bowl

2011-09-09T12:58:00.003-05:00

My friend Mimi's mom bought this from me. I will make another similar one for the show. :)

2 Doodle Plates

2011-09-06T11:17:00.004-05:00

Did these two plates last night. And also here is one of the doodle bowls I did over the weekend. I am planning to bring 35 doodle bowls/plates to the art fair; hopefully I can finish.

Busy Busy Busy + Hallmarket 2011

2011-09-03T19:54:00.010-05:00

(Poster designed by Dick Daniels)

It's the 3-day Labor day weekend and I am in my full blown sweat shop mode! It's officially one month counting down to Hallmarket. Hallmarket is a Hallmark artist art fair and this is the second year (it was so successful last year, our company decides to make it happen again.) Better yet, there will be double the participating artists from last year and it will be so much fun! I am sharing a booth with my good friend and I will have art prints, my improved interchangeable jewelries, and my doodles bowls/plates for sale. I am hoping to make a fun and colorful display and a lot of stuff have to be done, so I probably won't get much rest until the show. If you are in Kansas City during that weekend, please make sure to stop by and check it out. I guarantee it will be a wonderful event!

Here are two of my doodle bowls that will be available at the art fair, and also, my post from last year's Hallmarket.

PS: Since I am making new stuff for the art fair, I now have a few silver color interchangeable necklaces available, and a new simple interchangeable brooch as well.

Have a wonderful weekend! Xx

Free September Wallpaper

2011-09-01T00:45:00.004-05:00

September wallpapers are here! : )
Click here for 1600 x 1200 size
Click here for 1920x1080 size

PS: These wallpapers are for your personal desktop use only, please be nice and don't use the graphic on other stuff. Thank you so much!

New Print: Birds and Flowers

2011-08-28T17:05:00.003-05:00

Worked on this print today. Like it? :)

Magazine feature and new prints

2011-08-27T20:03:00.005-05:00

I am so excited that my Yarn Hair print appears in the Fall issue of Vogue Knitting International magazine! A big thank you to the magazine; they did a lovely job with the photo shoot. I am very grateful.

Also, I've added two customizable prints to my shop: Cowboy and Cowgirl Kitty. Like them?

Collage Doodle Plates

2011-08-14T18:51:00.003-05:00

Cut out the watercolor birds I did yesterday and made two collage doodle plates.

Playing with watercolor today

2011-08-13T22:24:00.003-05:00

Are you having a wonderful weekend so far? : )

Pieces for Art Unleashed 2011

2011-08-10T13:45:00.006-05:00

Here are a couple of pieces I am donating to this year's Art Unleashed, a yearly silent auction event and all proceed goes to help the Humane Society of Greater Kansas City. The first one is a wooden bowl I got from the thrift store. I painted and distressed it, then doodled all over it. I love the folk art/imperfect quality of the end result. I am also making more of these for two art shows in October. Whatever didn't sell during the show will then be put into my Etsy shop.

Then there are these two little pieces, both done with pencil and watercolor. (The sleeping cat was originally a little sketch in my sketchbook. I enlarged the linework drawing and printed it out on a heavy stock, then colored it with watercolor pencils.)

Six Legged Kitty

2011-08-10T00:25:00.004-05:00

Just playing with watercolor. I don't really paint by hand at work; it's fun to just play! : )

Painted Cats

2011-08-08T02:20:00.002-05:00

My friend Donna brought me a "Paint Your Own Postcard" deck from England last year. I finally used it today, painted some kitties just for fun. : )

August Wallpapers

2011-07-31T00:00:00.004-05:00

How are you lovelies? Here are the August wallpapers for your desktop. Meanwhile I am working on a few things for the annual Art Unleashed and a couple of art fairs later in October. Hopefully I will have photos to share soon. Xx

Click here to download 1600 x 1200 wallpaper
Click here to download 1920 x 1080 wallpaper

PS: These wallpapers are for your personal desktop use only, please be nice and don't use the graphic on other stuff. Thank you so much!

July Desktop Wallpaper

2011-07-02T22:56:00.004-05:00

It's too too too hot over here! Melting, but I like it though. Made a seafoam blue desktop, one of my favorite color. Hope you like it!

Click here to download 1600 x 1200 wallpaper
Click here to download 1920 x 1080 wallpaper

PS: These wallpapers are for your personal desktop use only, please be nice and don't use the graphic on other stuff. Thank you so much!

Eugene

2011-07-01T13:21:00.002-05:00

Got this buy at a garage sale this morning on my way to work; it's an old and dirty squeaky toy (I gave him a bath at work). My co-worker named him Eugene. His face cracks me up! :)

July desktop will be posted during this weekend. Thanks for your patience my love! Xx

What makes you happy today?

2011-06-20T15:43:00.002-05:00

This makes me so happy! ^__^

Weekend Treasure Hunt

2011-06-12T22:25:00.006-05:00

This weekend is our annual Crown Center Antique Show. I got lucky and found this big old cement planter (weights a ton!) with not just one, or two, but THREE owlies plus the cute turtle and snail at the bottom! I put it on the coffee table and use it as a candle holder. : )
(Please pardon the messy background; I wish I could take a better photo but I couldn't move the planter to a different spot by myself.)

June Desktop Wallpaper

2011-06-02T22:33:00.003-05:00

June wallpaper is here! Ice creams for June! Hope you like it. : )

Click here to download 1600 x 1200 wallpaper
Click here to download 1920 x 1080 wallpaper

PS: These wallpapers are for your personal desktop use only, please be nice and don't use the graphic on other stuff. Thank you so much!

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T02:47:00.004-05:00

Wishing all the mommies a Happy Mother's Day! Here is a photo of my mom in her 20s. I wish I had her hair... ^-^

May Desktop Wallpaper

2011-05-01T22:17:00.006-05:00

Yay the wallpaper is here again! I am so sorry that I haven't been doing the wallpaper for months, but I just did one for May! Yay! Also I changed the calendar part as you can see, the circled days are all Sundays. Hope you like it. :)

Please click here for the 1600 x 1200 wallpaper
Please click here for the 1920 x 1080 wallpaper

PS: These wallpapers are for your personal desktop use only, please be nice and don't use the graphic on other stuff. Thank you so much!

Sweet Suprise From Paris

2011-05-01T17:08:00.006-05:00

Look what I have here! I received a lovely package from Patricia (a.k.a. Memi The Rainbow) about 2 weeks ago. She did a post about me on her blog and hand-carved these really sweet stamps based on my doodles and mailed them to me as a surprise. What a sweetheart! Thank you so much, Patricia! I am so flattered. Xx

You have to head over to Patricia's lovely blog and see what she is making; trust me, they will melt your heart! There is also an open studio interview about her as well on Etsy, please click here to read it.

What I Found Today

2011-04-16T19:57:00.004-05:00

Went to our local antique mall today (one of my favorite activity) and brought home this adorable vintage Peter Cottontail wind-up toy. His ears are missing but that doesn't bothers me at all (He looks like a seal without the ears, so funny! I'm planning to find a little hat for him to cover up the holes.) The wind-up part works, too, click the movie to hear it.

Bunch of Brooches

2011-03-20T20:00:00.007-05:00

It was gray and rainy yesterday, so I stayed inside, cranked up Jimi Hendrix on my iPod and burned away, from around 3pm all the way into midnight... Well, I did cook dinner and finished my laundry in between.; it was nice! Made bunch of little buttons; they have lots of details packed inside the tiny area (15/16" in diameter) and the process did take a toll on my eyes after a while. Also, for each 10 pieces you see here, another 10 failed pieces were attempted. But I really enjoy working on these tiny things, I don't know why, maybe because they look more precious since they are small. I've just added them into my shop; would you like to adopt one?

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2011-03-17T11:34:00.005-05:00

Just something really quick to wish you all a happy St. Patrick's Day! Do a little dance and be safe if you go out and party!

PS: I am totally PSYCHED about the corned beef & cabbage offered in our company restaurant today! My yearly treat!

Little Burnt Buttons

2011-03-15T11:41:00.005-05:00

Made a batch of little burnt buttons last night (the center part is only 1" in diameter). They remind me of the snacks that we eat since our childhood (something like this.) They are yummy! I am thinking about turning them into brooches. How about pendant for necklace? Or rings, maybe? (If rings, it will just be the center part and not including the wooded base.)

Two Kokeshi Dolls

2011-03-11T15:06:00.004-06:00

There are from last night; they are 2 3/8" tall. There is an animated GIF on my flick so you can see all 4 sides. Click here to view.

Also, my prayer goes to people in Japan. I grew up in Taiwan (all of my family are still there); we are used to earthquakes, but this is something that none of us have ever seen before. Please be very safe as much as you can if you are in the nearby area. Love you and praying for you. If you like to donate for the earthquake fund, American Red Cross has set up a link via Amazon and it's here.

More burnt doodles

2011-03-10T13:09:00.003-06:00

Some wood burnt doodles from last night. Comparing to the 4"x6" block below, these wood discs are harder so you can tell the lines are cleaner and crispier. The 4"x6" wood panel has a softer texture so the lines are mushier. All bigger discs are about 1.5" in diameter while the smaller ones are 1.25" in diameter.

Wood-Burnt Doodles

2011-03-09T16:18:00.006-06:00

I did some wood-burnt doodles in 2008 (here and here); I loved it because it's just like drawing on wood (with a slower pace). But the tool I used back then was the basic kind which you can purchase from most craft stores. It's inexpensive but the down side is that you can't adjust temperature on it. Last week (yeah, only took me 3 years), I finally made up my mind and treated myself with a good set of Razertip burner and pens. I tested it last night and I can really tell the difference (still need to experiment on adjusting the temperature setting, though). The pen I used is a really fine 0.08mm ballpoint pen. The wood discs I used are the same kind in the first link, but you can tell the difference in the linework quality.

PS: If you are looking for a set of good burner and pens, I ordered mine from Nedra; she is a professional wood-burning artist and is so helpful.

Flower Girl

2011-03-05T02:54:00.002-06:00

Just added another new print into the shop. Lots of flowers for spring. : )

Shop Update: Butterflies

2011-03-03T00:13:00.006-06:00

Just added the Butterflies print into my shop. Also, after last week's snow, we've been having a couple of really lovely sunny days since Monday. Boy, I can't wait for spring to come and stay. No more snow, please! (Keeping my fingers crossed...)

New Print: Friends

2011-03-01T22:39:00.003-06:00

A brand new print is now in the shop. Also, for color inspiration, here are 2 amazing photos for you: this and this.

Color Play: Doodle Scallops

2011-02-27T19:12:00.005-06:00

Today's color plays. I drew colors from two amazing photos: this one for the top and this one for the bottom. You know, nature really is the best inspiration. :)

Color Play: 6 Patterns

2011-02-26T22:25:00.001-06:00

Today's color plays and patterns

IF: Swarm

2011-02-25T16:29:00.005-06:00

For this week's Illustration Friday topic "Swarm". This is actually another coincidence. I doodled a page of butterflies in my sketchbook earlier this week (see the original doodle below), and yesterday I turned them into an illustration/a new print for my shop. It actually fits this week's new topic perfectly. : )

Color Play: Four Seasons

2011-02-24T13:35:00.010-06:00

Playing with pattern and colors this morning. Here is one pattern with 4 different color combos representing spring, summer, fall, and winter.

And also, here is the pattern with all colors together, one big happy family.

Fun Book Alert!

2011-02-22T14:23:00.009-06:00

My super talented friend/co-worker Kelly Green illustrated this book- The Amazing Extraordinary {and a little bit gross} Adventures of Digger & Tug, and it's now available in Hallmark Gold Crown stores near you. The story is different and really fun(ny). I got my copy during lunch hour, and I need to have Kelly sign it for me. If you have never visited Kelly's blog and seen his works before, you need to go there right now. :)

PS: Kelly has also done this really fun card game, too.

IF: Layer

2011-02-20T21:54:00.009-06:00

I love playing with colors and shapes. Drew some scallop borders with color pens while watching TV and then scanned them into Photoshop and played a little bit. Then I checked for this week's Illustration Friday and found out the topic is "Layer"... Guess I am gonna use this one for it then. Perfect! : )

Sweater print and a jar of goodies

2011-02-19T16:34:00.007-06:00

Sweater is now a print in my shop. Also, my friend Diane (the mommy from Tag Team Tompkins) gave me a jar of old bits and pieces which a lot of them I can use in my jewelries. Can't wait to play with them. : )

Illustration Friday: Sweater

2011-02-16T23:00:00.001-06:00

For this week's Illustration Friday

Happy Heart Day!

2011-02-14T12:53:00.006-06:00

I am spending today as usual, no special gift or any crazy plan other than making Mexican food later for my guy (which is the daily routine, anyway). What about you? Whatever you do, I hope you are all going to have a sweet and wonderful day! Love you guys! XOXO

Added: This is our Valentine' Day dinner, tostadas!

Artists Show Photos

2011-02-13T18:05:00.008-06:00

Had a fun show yesterday, although we could've had more customers (the weather was nice, too nice as a matter of fact, for what we've been having, so I guess people were just playing and doing their own stuff outdoors), it was a great day indeed. Our host lady has a super sweet shop called "Main Street Goods and Goodies" in Liberty, MO. They carry artist handmades, antiques, pops and all kinds of candies, the kind of store I want to have for myself if we ever open a shop. So lovely! Thanks, Gail, for inviting me to be part of the show and for the free lunch! Here are some photos from the show, and there are more photos in my Facebook fan page if you are interested to look at them.

This Weekend Only: Give Away On My Facebook

2011-02-05T00:07:00.004-06:00

I am running a this-weekend-only give away on my Facebook fan page right now. I am giving away a red Sweet Alpaca print (perfect for Valentine's Day) to one lucky fan on Facebook. Come to my fan page and check it out.

Artists Show

2011-02-02T15:18:00.009-06:00

A couple of my friends and I are going to have an artists show on Saturday, 2/12, just in time for the last-minute Valentine's Day shopping. Participating artists include:
Jeanee Duval
Cindy Ross
Diane & Madeline Tompkins
and yours truly

The show is hosted by Main Street Goods and Goodies in Liberty, Missouri. On top of the artists show, there will also be a retro soda pop tasting event from 11 am to 1 pm. It will be super sweet! Hope to see you there if you are in town. :)

New Necklaces and Big Snow Storm

2011-02-01T19:30:00.003-06:00

Two new necklaces were added to my shop. Also, we are getting POUNDED by big snow storm right now. A few brave souls managed to go to work today (we don't have snow days); not me. I stayed at home and watched the blizzard outside, and it is still coming down. I don't think I will be able to go to work tomorrow, either, since it won't stop snowing until tomorrow morning. Oh well. What can I do? It is really pretty though, I must say that.

Copper Rings Necklace

2011-01-30T20:41:00.003-06:00

These rings are real copper; they come from the plumbing section in the home improvement store. I really do love them. After sanding away the coating, the copper is revealed. I then distressed, hammered, oxidized and then sanded again to create the texture. I like how simple this one looks; it's great for both men and women. Since they are real copper, they will darken and develop patina as time goes by.

New Bracelet and Some Antiquing Photos

2011-01-29T20:36:00.004-06:00

A new bracelet is in the shop. Also, here are some new photos from one of my favorite antique mall in KC. If you love antiquing, I have a Flickr set with lots of photos from different antique places here in town. They are very inspiring to look at.

Three-Tone Bracelet

2011-01-27T00:08:00.003-06:00

Just added this bracelet to the shop. I am actually more of a bracelet person myself. I love how this one is girly and a little rough at the same time.

Gems in my drawer!

2011-01-26T13:00:00.008-06:00

My whole team at work just relocated to a different building. One good thing about moving the office is that you are forced to clean up all your junks and probably will find some good stuff in the bottom of the drawers that you've forgotten about. Well, I found these little doodles by my friend Steph who used to sit next to me years ago. She used to draw these everyday, rolled them into tiny balls and tossed over the wall into my cubicle. For whatever strange reason, she kept drawing this one face and just gave her a different body each time. CRACKS ME UP!!!!!! I have to share! To see a big and clear photo, please click here.

PS: Steph also did the doodle in this post, and she made this card.

Orbit Necklace

2011-01-24T23:54:00.004-06:00

I don't know why but I love jewelry that has moving parts, maybe it reminds me of toys? I remember when I was little, my mom always brought me along whenever she went to the jewelry shop. I was so bored! Obviously, diamonds just didn't really tickle my fancy at that time (notice I said "at that time"... ha). But I remember being really drawn into one necklace; its pendant was a little glass box with numerous tiny colorful gem stones dancing inside, so shiny and full of movement. Until now I still love seeing motion in jewelry design. Here is a piece I just added to the shop. I love how all parts move separately. And you know what, how that I'm looking at it, it also makes the perfect hypnosis tools... really. :)

Aqua Dream Necklace

2011-01-23T18:00:00.005-06:00

Found a box of old chandelier parts in my basement, something I got years and years ago. I am in love with the gorgeous aqua color on the glass. It's kind of like milk glass; really really pretty shade of blue with the slightest bit of gradation toward the bottom part of the tear drop. I had to turn it into a necklace. How could I not to?

PS: Long necklace is so hard to photograph... 0_0

Three Rings Necklace

2011-01-23T15:44:00.002-06:00

Made this one last night. It's a little different; I really like it.

Chicken Doodles

2011-01-22T01:50:00.002-06:00

I really need to go back and start doing more Illustration Friday again. I got to know many talented artists online because of that site. I was trying to do something for the past week's topic "Chicken"... Oh well, didn't make it in time. So here are some of my chicken doodles from the sketchbook. :)

Pink and Red

2011-01-21T22:52:00.001-06:00

Added these two in the shop, just in time for the sweet holiday! :)

Mesh Grid Oxidized Hardware Necklace

2011-01-19T01:45:00.003-06:00

The center part was made using mesh screen for doors. Metal hardware has been oxidized and then sanded. Available now.

Hoot In The Loop and Tiny Infinity

2011-01-17T12:58:00.005-06:00

Another necklace with a sweet little owl dangling in the hardware loop. I really love how this one turns out. Also, here is a dainty infinity necklace I just made. It's not a true infinity but sure looks like it. It's been hammered and beaten up, then distressed and polished a couple of times to achieve the rugged look.

Both are available now.

Luck + Harmony Hardware Necklace

2011-01-17T00:58:00.006-06:00

This one was freshly made today and just added to the shop. I love how these two pieces of horseshoe-shaped hardware hugging and curving around each other. All the parts move individually, too. When I look at it, I also thought, "Hmmm, this one can represent parents and their kids, too." Maybe?

One highlight of my day today: when I was in the hardware store searching high and low of the parts I want, I asked an older gentleman who works there to help me. He asked, while leading me to the area, "So what size do you want?" I told him I have to see it in person because I am using it to make jewelry. He laughed and said, "Well... I guess that's how young minds work, huh?" :)

Necklace Giveaway Winner

2011-01-16T23:10:00.008-06:00

Thank you so much for liking my Facebook page and participate in the little giveaway from my new shop. 20 of you have entered the giveaway and the random number generator (www.random.org) picked number 16 as the lucky winner! Congratulations, va!!! Please email your shipping address to me at DoodlingJellyfish [at] yahoo.com so I can mail the necklace to you. Thanks everyone! Xx

I am now on Facebook!

2011-01-16T01:08:00.009-06:00

Just a very quick post to let you know that I finally opened a fan page on Facebook. All the blog and shop related stuff will be posted there from now on (this blog is not going away, by the way; it's just I will post on my Facebook as well). I will also share inspirations I found and other stuff. Also you will know about my free give-away or any discount information first hand when you become a fan. Now, would you come and "like" my page?

PS: There is only one Etsy tab allowed per fan page, but I will post updates on both of my shops there on the wall.

Dangling Owl

2011-01-15T17:07:00.005-06:00

Made this one last night; I really love how it turns out. It dangles really nicely. :)

I am so happy that we are having a long weekend over here. Are you doing anything special? I just spent 3 hours in the hardware store looking for possible parts. I am going to another one in a little bit, after I eat my lunch/dinner. So glad it's not too cold today, about 27 degrees F (yes that's not too cold at all, comparing to what we've been having in the past couple of days).

Thank you so much for participating in the necklace giveaway! My Etsy store is brand new and needs lots of helps to launch. It's a very tough market on Etsy for any jewelery shops, really hard to get noticed by people. So I really appreciate you guys spreading the words for my humble little store. Love you all! Xx

Made These Last Night + Dress Form

2011-01-13T12:08:00.007-06:00

The one on the top were actually 2 washers fixed back to back, so both sides look the same. I first added patina and then took the patina away by polishing and sanding the pendant. This process adds depth to the metal. I am thinking this one can work for guys, too, since the finished look is so simple.

The one on the bottom is made from hardware, wood, metal findings and a root beer can. The short silver color bead necklace is very delicate and almost disappears when you wear in, leaving the pendant being the focus. Both necklaces will be added into my shop soon.

Also, I ordered a life-size dress form; it should arrive today. It's a new one though. I'd love to have one of those vintage Wolf form but they cost a fortune. Yikes! Still I am very excited. That means I can model my jewelries on a real-sized form so people can get a better sense of how the jewelries look like with different outfits on. Will post photos when I have it!

Here is a very interesting film of the manufacturing process of a Wolf dress form, if you are interested.

PS: Thank you all so much for participating in the give-away, There is still time to enter, so spread the words! Keep warm! Xx

Give Away Time: Hardware Necklace from Leporis

2011-01-12T00:53:00.013-06:00

Since I just opened my new Etsy shop, it will be nice do to a give away, isn't it? :)

Prize:
I made this necklace last night just for the give-away (not listed in the shop). It has a gray linen button in the center and is embellished with metal hardware, wood and other findings. The pendant is 1.5" wide and comes with a 24" antique bronze chain. It will go nicely with pretty much any outfit.

Rule:
Anybody can enter; the rule is simple and as usual: it's an honor system! Please mention about this give-away and the link of this post via your blog, or you Twitter, your Facebook, or any social media you prefer. Leave me your comment and let me know how you spread the word, and I will pick a lucky winner at the end (using random.org) and mail you the necklace.

The deadline is this coming Sunday at 11 p.m. (central U.S. time). Good luck! Xx

Facebook Question + Leporis Shop Update

2011-01-11T15:02:00.007-06:00

I have a question... I've been fighting the idea of getting a Facebook fan page for my blog/shop. I don't want to spam people's Facebook; when I don't have a fan page, my friends are forced to see my blog/shop updates when some of them might not care for that (probably already hid me anyway). If I have a fan page then I won't have to post any blog/shop related stuff on my personal FB account. Should I just go ahead and start a FB fan page??? How many of you use Facebook? I need your input. : )

In the meantime, I am trying to build up the inventory for Laporis. Just added these two babies.

I have a new Etsy shop

2011-01-09T21:32:00.010-06:00

I've been thinking about opening another Etsy shop to host my new jewelry pieces because they look so different from my doodle stuff. My new shop's name is Leporis, from the constellation Lepus (the rabbit). I was born in the year of rabbit, but I don't want to name my shop "rabbit" or "bunny". I want a name with a single word that sounds gender neutral and not too cute.

Here are some of the brand new creations in my shop. I went to our local home improvement center and gathered bunch of different parts and hardwares. I played and arranged all the parts until I found a solution that's visually appealing. I then add patinas to all the metal hardwares so they have an aged antique look, then I buffed some of the patina off with sand papers so not all of them have the same colors.

Would you come take a look and give me your feedback if you'd like? And if you have an Etsy account, it will be so wonderful if you can add me into your favorite shop and I will add yours to my fav as well. Let's help each other out.

Stay warm; have a great and safe week! xXxxX

Something I Am Trying

2011-01-08T16:38:00.003-06:00

I am trying to come up with some new necklace settings that incorporate my fabric buttons. Here is the first possibility. They are all going to have a longer 24" chain, too.

YouTube Find: Music Painting

2011-01-05T11:18:00.003-06:00

This is too good not to share it with you. Pure genius. :)

Happy New Year and New Creations

2011-01-01T18:23:00.012-06:00

Happy New Year, my friends! How did you spend your new year's eve? Did you spend it with family, friends, or by yourself? Did you count down? Or you fell asleep before the ball dropped? :) I am sure that we all received tons of new years wishes on our blogs, Facebook, or Twitter. I just want to say that no matter what kind of adventures 2011 brings, I hope we can all face our journeys with courage, grace, and the spirit of thanksgiving. May lots and lots of blessings, love, and creativity fill up your new year to come.

That being said, I've been enjoy a nice Christmas/New Year break (our company shuts down between Christmas and New Year, so we are "forced" to take vacation days anyway). Didn't doodle or craft much during the break, but I did read a lot though (PS: I got a new Amazon Kindle; it's the BEST THING ever! If you are thinking about buying one, just get it!) I ate and slept, and then ate and slept again... haha; it's been nice! But yesterday I finally felt like getting back to normal and making something with my hands. I experimented by making jewelries using soda cans, and today I tweaked the designs a little bit. My goal is to make something that a guy could wear, too, and I made a necklace and a bracelet as starters. Now I just need to raid the office recycle bin for a variety of soda cans after going back to work next week. :)

I just have to share this!

2010-12-24T00:01:00.005-06:00

This video made me so happy! What a cool dad! ^-^

Merry Christmas and Happy New year

2010-12-22T10:02:00.005-06:00

Remember these two from last year? They are back again singing us Jingle Bell. They really crack me up! Hopefully they bring a smile on your face during this crazy busy time. I hope you're all having a joyful Christmas time with family and friends, travel safe, and come back rested and renewed for the brand new year. Merry Christmas! xx

(Thanks Jeanee for letting me about the video! :P)

Woodland Cluster Necklace

2010-12-16T15:15:00.009-06:00

Just added to my shop!

Shop Update: Brass Interchangeable Necklace

2010-12-14T15:39:00.006-06:00

Here is the latest version of my interchangeable necklace, just added into my shop. It has antique brass details, a sweet little birdie and a pearl white bead, and the length is 24", a little longer so you can wear it over your winter turtleneck shirt. It drapes really beautifully around your neck, too. This is the only one I've made right now. Hopefully I will have supplies to make more. :)

Quick Shop Update

2010-12-12T19:19:00.008-06:00

Just added this little mushroom necklace into my shop. It's dainty and really sweet. It will make a perfect Christmas gift! (PS: For domestic U.S. order, the last day to ship for Christmas is 12/19, so make sure you order before that so I have time to pack and ship your items.)

Shop Update: Chunky Bubble Necklaces

2010-12-10T12:31:00.008-06:00

Just added these bubble necklaces in my Etsy shop. I really love them (wearing one right now). The length is about 11" on each side, and the beads rest comfortably about 3" below the collar bone. They make a real statement (it's about 3.5" wide across all beads). I have them in limited quantity since I use whatever beads I can find to craft my jewelries. If you like it, please get it now. :)

Little Necklaces for Friends

2010-12-06T22:36:00.004-06:00

Ok today I gave away all the necklaces I made for my girlfriends, so now I can post some photos and not ruin the surprise. I had fun making these; it was even more fun to see my friends' reaction. Here they are. :)

New Necklaces

2010-12-05T17:55:00.010-06:00

Now that all the craft shows were done for the year, I finally got some time to play with new ideas for my jewelries. I've been wanting to embellish them with warm and fun findings, and here are two of the latest ones I came up with during the weekend. They are now both in my shop.

During the week, I also took a lampworking workshop at work (sounds like a tongue twister) and made some glass beads. It was so much fun!!! It's probably one of my favorite workshop so far and makes me want to set up a little studio at home, although the idea of a gas tank freaks me out. I can't sell those beads, but I am making them into necklaces for my friends. I will show them once I give them away, since I don't want to ruin the surprise. PS: If you are not familiar with lampworking, here is a nice YouTube video. It's a very nice and therapeutic activity, especially now it's cold and the fire really warms me up.

Cyber Week Sale

2010-11-28T20:35:00.006-06:00

Cyber Monday is for wimps! Thanks to Etsy for their new coupon feature, instead of one day only, I am going to run a 6-day sale for my shop. Everything will be 10% off during the next 6 days, from 11/29, 1 am until 12/5 , 1 am (central U.S.A. standard time). Please use coupon code: HDLCW2010 when you check out and receive 10% off your entire order. Happy shopping! : )

Also, I have re-listed some of my original artworks on my Etsy with reduced price, in order to free up some space in my studio. They are included in the Cyber Week sale, too. Wink wink.

Last Craft Show in 2010 - Crafty Chicks (It's tomorrow!)

2010-11-26T20:32:00.005-06:00

Yay! Long Thanksgiving weekend over here! Did you get to spend Thanksgiving with friends or family and eat a lot of yummy foods yesterday? No matter where you are, I am thankful for you and wish you all have many many blessings to come. (And if you are one of the brave souls who dared to challenge the Black Friday sales, I am thankful that you've survived the possible human stampede and are reading this right now.)

I just came back from setting up my table for the Crafty Chicks sale tomorrow. This will be my last craft show in 2010. The sale is tomorrow (11/27/2010) from 9 am - 4 pm, at Heritage Hall (117 West Kansas Street, Liberty, Missouri). There are SO MANY cool stuff! Come by if you are in town, even just to say hi. : )

Where I am at this weekend...

2010-11-12T15:22:00.008-06:00

I will be at the 9th Annual Cool Stuff sale tonight and tomorrow. As you can see, I've been busy cranking up stuff (also I've been really busy at work too)... The sale will be officially open tonight from 5-9 and continues tomorrow from 9-4. There are lots of fun stuff, made by 13 local artists. If you are in the greater Kansas City area, come by, make some friends, and do some fun holiday shopping with us. Hope to see you there!

Rug Hooking Workshop

2010-10-22T22:17:00.003-05:00

I attended a rug hooking workshop at work. It's my first try, though I've wanted to take it for the longest time. My first attempt is a design that's 9.5" x 12"; had to simplify the design when I actually started to do it. I love folk art + colors, so this is the perfect workshop for me. I had lots of fun! : )

This is 1.5-day worth of work. We have a follow up workshop in 2 weeks; hopefully I can finish my piece by then.

Free October Desktop Wallpaper

2010-10-09T18:26:00.005-05:00

Sorry guys, this is 10 days late since I was so swamped preparing for the art fair last week. Well, here it is! I had to use an old illustration I did years ago... hope you wouldn't mind. : )

1600x1200 wallpaper

1920x1080 wallpaper

Shop Update

2010-10-09T17:31:00.008-05:00

Finally I had a little time to update my Etsy and added bunch of new interchangeable jewelries (also now there is a interchangeable brooch!) I had these during the art fair last weekend and they were a hit. On top of my original doodle buttons, I added new colorful fabric buttons which are more grown-up and will coordinate with different outfits nicely (pick any 4 buttons to create a unique set.) Come take a peek! :)

Create Your Own Free Owl Calendar at My Owl Barn

2010-10-06T17:38:00.008-05:00

A while back Shivani from My Owl Barn invited me, along with other 29 artists, to be part of this really cool owl calendar project. Of course I had to sat yes! Today she emailed us and let us know that the free calendar is ready for you to customize and download on her blog. Please go take a look! You can choose a different owl for each month, download it and print it out on nice card stocks and use it yourself or give away as gift; the possibilities are endless! Also don't forget to click on artists' names which will lead you to their personal sites for more illustrated awesomeness! Thanks Shivani for letting me be part of this! :)

More Hallmarkets Photos

2010-10-04T13:45:00.008-05:00

(photo by Jeanee)

My pal Jeanee Duval from Dirty Laundry (also a Hallmarker) wrote about the event on her blog. If you would like to see more photos, please check out her posts here and here. Also I will share them with you later if more related posts pop up among my friends.

Add: here is Jen's post with photos; commentary to come soon.

Hallmarket

2010-10-04T01:06:00.011-05:00

We had our very first Hallmarker art fair on Saturday, and it's called "Hallmarket", perfect, right? It was a great success and totally worth all the sweatshop action leading to the event. I slept only one hour the night before, stood up for 11 hours with only one egg McMuffin, a cup of mocha, and a banana in my stomach, but it was SO MUCH fun! I really enjoyed talking to people. Thank you all so much if you made to the event; I might not remember all your names or who bought what, but I really appreciate all of you! Hopefully we will get to do it again next year. :)

Here are more photos of my booth. I really wish I could break away from my area and take photos of other artists' works because everything looked so FABULOUS!

HILARIOUS!!!

2010-09-30T11:21:00.003-05:00

I DIED when I saw these! My buddies at work threw me a greencard lunch party and made me this hilarious card and photo montage board (lots of bizarre photos of me indeed, don't ask). Love the bald eagle with a hog dog and the fancy American flag nails! Isn't it so great to have creative friends? :)

And again...

2010-09-26T19:58:00.005-05:00

All right, I do have something else to share with you. First, this weekend was the annual Plaza Art Fair, one of my favorite event. Every year I try to buy a piece from a different artist. This is what I got yesterday: a Fobot (meaning "found object robot). His name is Geisler, and his birthday is 7/17/2010, about 10" tall. He is created by North Carolina artist Amy Flynn. Check out her fobot website. There are so many incredible robots, and I already know I can't only have just one. Waiting patiently for their annual sale at the end of the year. :)

I put him on my piano so I can look at him when I play.

Also here is a funny doodle that my buddy Steph Allen (who also made this card for me last year) drew and stuck on my windshield 2 weeks ago. It was regarding me receiving my greencard. Isn't it hilarious?

Now i really must return to my sweatshop. See you later!

Oh well...

2010-09-26T18:28:00.008-05:00

...I wish I have more to share with you, but I've been so busy preparing for three coming art fairs (one of them will be this coming Saturday; I will tell you more about it) that I don't even have time to take a break. I think I need to change my shop name to "Happy Sweatshop" instead... -_- Also we have been battling against little mousies in my garage in the past 2 weeks. At first my boyfriend found mouse poops all over my garage (how could I not notice those poops? Maybe I did but I was in denial...) So mouse traps were set all over the garage and we caught 7 during the period of 4 days. Also we found the mousies have gnawed through my garage door and created a very convenient opening for them to get in and out. I might as well put a neon WELCOME sign with an arrow pointing at it. (We did seal it since then.) Anyhoo, eventually the mouse traps stop catching any more critters, but it doesn't mean that they are gone, because we found out on 2 of the traps, instead of getting inside to eat the peanut butter bait, it looked like somebody had tried to peel the sticker off the top instead. Very smart mousies I must say. Also, just now, I think I saw 3 tiny poops in my basement laundry room. 3!!!!!! 3 tiny poops that can drive a human crazy. So pathetic. Maybe it's time to call the exterminator.

Enough said, here is a funny photo to entertain you. It's my real life Engrish encounter at the Asian market today. It a packaging for slim tea, and the name is meant to be saying "I need to stop getting fatter". Look at the translation... And being a fattie of course I bought it.

And here is the whole collection. From left to right their names are: "I've been working too hard", "I need to stop getting fatter", and "I can't fall asleep". Nice... I definitely need the pink one, too.