The Movie I'm Most Looking Forward To and Least Looking Forward To

Everyone that knows me, knows that I LOVE Harry Potter...perhaps I'm even a little obsessed with it. I've read all of the books multiple times and watched the movies more times than I can count. I just recently had the opportunity to visit the new theme park in Orlando last year and wanted to move into Hogwarts Castle. So, I think saying that I'm really looking forward to the Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2 movie coming out on July 15th would be a massive understatement.

There really are no words to describe just how excited I am to see it. I just can't wait to see the epic battles and see how the movie ties everything up. I'm really looking forward to the very last scene of the movie if it is going to be similar to the book. I won't give away any plot spoilers for those who haven't read the whole series, but those who have read the book probably know what I'm referring to.

I've watched the trailer so many times and I still get chills when I watch it. If you haven't seen the trailer yet, you can watch the official trailer on You Tube here.

Even though I'm really looking forward to it, I am also not looking forward to it. Sounds weird huh? Well, the last movie really marks the end of the whole series for me. It is the last thing coming out for the Harry Potter series as far as we know. I wasn't even as sad when the last book came out, because we always had the movies to look forward to. But now those will be over as well. It will definitely be bittersweet watching the last movie.

I was excited when news broke a couple weeks ago about a new website called www.pottermore.com. It's an official website started by J.K. Rowling herself. For around 15 days, it was just a teaser saying to come back on a certain date for more information. Now there's a video from J.K Rowling explaining about what the site will be. It is going to be a community for Harry Potter fans with new content written by J.K. Rowling to supplement the Harry Potter books. It sounds like there is going to be interactive content as well. She says it will be a new way to experience and read the Harry Potter books. I'm definitely excited about seeing what it's all about when it fully launches in October.

So fellow Harry Potter fans...what are your feelings going into the last movie? And are you looking forward to www.pottermore.com launching in October? Let me know your thoughts!

New Blueberry Witch Sketch + Naming Contest!

I have a brand new sketch to share with you all tonight! I will be working on this piece next along with a commissioned piece that I'm currently sketching. This new sketch is the 2nd in my series of fruit witches and this one will be the blueberry witch! I had a lot of fun coming up with her cute outfit. I decided on patterns of circles to go with the blueberry theme. This is also the first witch I've done with a little mini witch hat! I hope you all enjoy her. =)

I will also be having a naming contest for her! Just post your name suggestion below. I think that I will choose a name that starts with B, so just a little tip! My strawberry witch is named Sydney, so I thought it would be cute if their names started with the same letter as their fruit. The person who suggests the name I choose will win a 5x7" print of the finished piece! I will announce the winner of the contest as soon as I'm done creating the digital linework. I'm not sure when that will be exactly, so make sure to get your suggestions in. =)

I have changed my settings to allow anonymous posts, so just make sure to put your Facebook name below so that I know how to contact you if you win. If you have any issues making a post, just send me an email to nikki@aurella-art.com with your name suggestion and Facebook name. I will add your suggestion to the list.

Thanks so much to everyone who participates!

Weekly Wrap-Up #21!

Hi everyone! It's been a few weeks since my last weekly wrap-up. I should probably call them bi or tri-weekly wrap-ups since I can't seem to keep up weekly. I have had a lot of things going on in the month of June, some good, some not so good! We'll get the not-so-good out of the way first. My computer bit the dust! I think it was a storm that did it. Even though it's on a surge protector, I really have no other idea why it would suddenly go bad after a thunderstorm. The mother board went on it and it just wouldn't fire up. Luckily, I have the best husband in the world, so he decided to build me a brand new computer! It has a solid state hard drive on it or something? All I know is it goes super fast and I can bring up multiple large art files at the same time and it doesn't even hesitate.

Me and my husband also finally decided to buy bikes! We have been thinking about it for almost a year now. We don't have the ideal cars for bikes, nor do we have the ideal housing situation (2 bedroom apartment on the second floor) for bikes, so we were kind of putting it off. But for his birthday this year, we decided to finally get them! Mine is so cute. It looks like one of those old style cruiser bikes. It has chrome on the wheels and stitching on the leather seat and handles. We both got hybrid bikes which are nice for riding on paved trails. We've taken them out a few times and really had fun. We're looking forward to the fall and cooler months when we can take them out all the time. During the summer, we have to go super early in the morning before it gets so hot. But, I'm glad we got them!

Other than that, I've been busy working on my fall art show lineup! I was waiting on confirmation from one show before I started booking others and I was happy to receive that confirmation last week. I will be at the Duluth Fall Festival September 24 and 25! It is a juried arts and crafts show, so I was thrilled to be accepted. They get thousands upon thousands of visitors. I'm really looking forward to it and need to get started planning right away! I'm also working on lining up a couple of other ones. When I receive confirmation on those, I'll be sure to let you all know.

Now art wise, I've been busy as always! I have a new original painting to tell you all about, I'm having a huge 4th of July sale in my Etsy store, I have new handcut stickers that I just adore, I have a new original sketch up for sale, Heaven and Earth Designs has released a new cross stitch chart of mine, and I have a new printable coloring page that is available for sale!

New Original Painting - Strawberry Witch - Sydney

I just finished my latest watercolor painting last night! Sydney is the first in a new series that I'm working on. The series will feature adorable, sassy, pinup style witches perched atop fruit. All of the backgrounds will be the same design, so they are going to look fantastic framed altogether on a wall, especially in a kitchen.

Sydney is the strawberry witch and she's sitting on top of a delicious, juicy strawberry. Her clothes accent the strawberry theme with adorable mini strawberries, cute striped tights, corset with strings, and a striped witch hat. Her clothes are painted in shades of red and pink with green accents to further the strawberry theme. Even her hair is painted in the color of a strawberry! I hope that you enjoy her and will consider adding her to your collection.

She is painted on an 8.5 x 11" piece of hot press watercolor paper. The image only measures 8x10", so there is a small white border to make it easier to frame. Sydney is signed, titled and dated on the back.

Sydney will soon be available on all my prints and products and will be sent to all the companies I license with. I'll be sure to let you know when these are available for sale.

To view my original painting, Sydney, click here.

20% Off Everything in My Etsy Store - Coupon Code JULY42011

I'm having a huge sale in my Etsy store! Everything is currently 20% off and I mean everything. My original paintings, sketches, prints, stickers, magnets, bookmarks, pocket mirrors, printables and more are all 20% off. Just enter coupon code JULY42011 upon checkout and it will update the prices in your shopping cart.

Visit my Etsy store here.

New Hand Cut Stickers Available - Arden and Mina

I am so happy to show you all a brand new product that I've been working on! I have developed sets of hand cut stickers featuring my fantasy girls! They come in sets of 4 and are each hand cut by myself. These stickers are printed in my studio on a high quality vinyl sticker paper using an 8-color printing process.They are vibrant and very colorful, just like the original painting. They are permanent stickers measuring around 4x5 inches, though that will vary depending on the image.

I then package them beautifully in a crystal clear cellophane bag. They are topped off with a topper with custom artwork designed specifically for the sticker set. They make excellent gifts for people who love to scrapbook or decorate journals.

Right now, I currently have Mina and Arden up for sale. I also have Telsa and Cassia made. I just need to take pictures of them. I have plans to have even more coming out, so I'll be sure to let you all know when they're available.

To view my new hand cut sticker sets, click here.

New Original Sketch Available for Sale - Mina

My original concept sketch for my painting Mina is now available for sale on Etsy! This is the sketch that I use to create the finished painting. The painting of Mina sold very quickly, so this is a great opportunity to own the sketch that painting was based on. You will receive the sketch itself plus an open edition ACEO print of the finished piece.

To view and purchase my original sketch Mina, click here.

New Cross Stitch Chart from Heaven and Earth Designs

Heaven and Earth Designs has released a new cross stitch chart of mine! This one features my Roman inspired mermaid, Giselle. And, they are currently having a sale! You can receive 25% off through July 5th at midnight.

To see all my available cross stitch charts, click here.

New Printable Coloring Page - Stella

And last but not least, I have a new printable coloring page up for sale on Etsy. This one features Stella, one of my cute witches. She's standing in a spooky forest with a cat and stars dangling from trees all around her. She's holding a beautiful umbrella. She's definitely a lot of fun to color, so I hope you all enjoy her!

To see my new printable coloring page, Stella, click here.

To see all my available printable coloring pages, click here.

Well, that's it for this week! Next week is sure to be fun and busy as well. I'm going to be working on adding more cut out sticker packs and printable coloring pages to my Etsy shop. I will also be working on two paintings next. I have a commissioned piece that I still need to sketch and I will be working on my 2nd fruit witch at the same time - blueberry. Blueberry witch is all sketched. I just need to scan her in to show her to you all! I hope you all have a fantastic weekend and if you're from the USA a wonderful and safe 4th of July! =)

Have You Ever Pounced?

For all of us that love Etsy, we all have our favorite ways of browsing I'm sure! My favorite way to browse Etsy is to use the "Pounce" tool. Not only is it fun, but it's a great way to see what's trending on Etsy and see the kinds of things that are actually selling. I use it to make sure I'm up on the trends and to find new supply ideas for products. I also use it to find gifts for birthdays and holidays.

If you've never pounced before, you should definitely give it a try. Just go to www.etsy.com. Click on the "buy" button at the very top left. Then scroll down until you see "Pounce" and click on that. You can choose to pounce either the "Undiscovered" shops which have yet to have their first sale or the "Recently Sold" items. Both choices are a good way to find neat things. After that, just hit "Pounce." It will bring up 3 items. You can keep pouncing and it will keep refreshing the items.

This is my favorite way to browse because it's completely random! You will find all sorts of things that you never thought to search for. And if you want to look at an item or a shop, it opens a new window automatically, so you don't lose your place. It's a great way to spend a few extra minutes here or there.

With all the new avenues to browse Etsy (circles, taste test, etc...), share your favorite way in a comment below! Maybe we can all learn a new way to find our favorite things. =)

A Tip When Buying Original Artwork to Save Money on Framing

Are you new to buying original watercolor artwork? If so, my one big tip is to think about the size of the painting before you buy it! Unless your new original painting is ready-to-frame (i.e. painted on a stretched canvas, panel or already matted and framed), you will need to figure out how to display it yourself. Custom matting and framing can be super expensive, so it really pays to purchase a painting that is already a standard frame size.

Here in the United States, some of the most common frame sizes that you can find ready made are 5x7, 8x10, 11x14, and 16x20 inches. If you purchase a painting that is one of those standard frame sizes, you will easily be able to find a frame to frame it yourself cheaply and easily at home! My best resource for beautiful standard size wall or table frames is Hobby Lobby or Michael's.

If you live by a Hobby Lobby, make sure to wait until their frames are on sale. To check current sales, visit this link. They will eventually be up to 50% off, so I'd wait to purchase until they are running that special. Also, another good tip is Hobby Lobby usually only has either their wall frames or table frames on sale and not both. Table frames (those are the ones with the little stand on the back so they can sit on a table) generally only go up to 8x10", so if you want something bigger, wait for the wall frames to go on sale. If Michael's is your store of choice, they usually have a 40% off coupon every week in the newspaper and it's good for one non-sale item, so make sure to grab that before you head to the store.

I definitely suggest matting your new piece of original artwork. Matting can really complement the piece and help to make a statement on your wall. Just because the painting may be smaller, doesn't mean that it can't have a huge impact on your wall. You can also find standard frame size mats very cheap at Hobby Lobby and Michael's. If you purchase a 5x7, you can mat up your painting to an 8x10. If you purchase an 8x10, you can mat your painting up to an 11x14 and so on. This is another reason why it's great to purchase an original painting in a standard frame size.

I have gotten in the habit of painting my original watercolor paintings in standard frame sizes to allow my customers to easily frame and mat their pieces. You can see all of my fantasy original watercolor paintings in my Etsy store here. However, that's not to say that originals painted in non-standard frame sizes aren't incredibly beautiful and deserving of being purchased! Having a very uniquely shaped original painting, like a long skinny piece or a round piece, can also be very lovely and eye-catching. But just keep in mind the expense to mat and frame a piece like this will be much higher.

If you purchase a piece of original artwork that is not a standard frame size, don't fret! You can still cut your costs significantly by just purchasing a custom mat that will mat your painting to a standard frame size. Say for instance your painting is 6x7." You could purchase a custom mat that would mat it up to an 8x10" size. Just talk to the friendly people at your Hobby Lobby or Michael's frame counter. Then you can purchase a ready-made 5x7, 8x10, 11x14 or 16x20 frame as I mentioned above. You will save a lot more money doing this than if you were to purchase both a custom frame and a custom mat.

Here's an example of a framing job that I did for my own wall. This is an 8x10" print of my fairy painting, Arden. The original has sold and gone to a good home, but I loved the piece and thought that she was deserving of a place on my wall, so I decided to hang a print of her! I found this gorgeous, ornate frame at Joanne Fabrics on sale. The total price was around $20. This particular frame was great, because  it came ready with a mat that mimics elaborate carving. This also shows that even though the print is only 8x10", it can still look big and impressive on a wall just by matting and framing it a certain way.

Of course it all comes down to personal preference and what works best for your budget. Most of the time, when we have our heart set on a new piece of art we will buy it no matter what the size! But hopefully you all found this little guide helpful so that you can save a few extra dollars which you can then use towards investing in your next original painting!

Weekly Wrap-Up #20!

Hi everyone!! I have had a really great past couple of weeks and have lots to share with you about what's been going on with me and my artwork!

My family and I went to celebrate my sister's birthday at the lake this past weekend. We rented a big house by the lake and everyone stayed for three days. We had an absolute blast! It was great being able to see everyone for a concentrated amount of time. My sister and her husband have a boat, so we had a great time boating, tubing, skiing, hanging out on the dock, swimming, etc...! Lots of great food and good times. =)

And this weekend, my husband and I have our good friends visiting us from Ohio! We are absolutely thrilled they decided to come down to see us. I'm typing this as everyone's sleeping! I'm trying to finish it up before everyone gets up because we'll probably head out to do something fun! We may go to Stone Mountain or Helen or...who knows! But we'll definitely have fun. =)

There has been so much going on with my artwork that I wanted to tell you all about! I have released my tattoo inspired mermaid, Mina, on all my products, I have a new painting in the works, I have an awesome giveaway to tell you about, Uniquely Different Bags has created new bags featuring my artwork, and I also took pictures of my inventory and production area that I wanted to share with you all.

Mina - Now Available on All Products

This past week, I made Mina available on all my prints and products! The original of Mina sold very quickly, so if you had your eye on her, now is a great time to pick up something with her on it! She is now available in my Etsy store and my website on ACEO, 5x7 and 8x10 prints, stickers, magnets, bookmarks, pocket mirrors, buttons and printable coloring pages.

To view my Mina products in my Etsy store, click here.

To view my Mina products in my website store, click here.

New Work in Progress - Strawberry Witch, Sydney

I am hard at work on a brand new painting and a brand new series! I decided to create a series of fruit inspired witches. All the witches will be sitting on fruit and have outfits inspired by that fruit! They will also have similar backgrounds so they will look fantastic arranged on a wall all together...maybe in a kitchen? =)

The first installment is strawberry! I had a naming contest which Heather Savino won! I decided to name her Sydney. I thought it fit her perfectly.

Here are a few pictures of Sydney's work in progress. The first picture is the sketch which will be available for purchase at some point. The second picture is the black and white digital lines I created in Photoshop which will be available as a coloring page very soon. The third picture is the current state of the painting. I just got the background finished and will be starting on the witch next. I hope you all enjoy her!

Printables Giveaway

I recently hit 200 fans on my Facebook Fan page and wanted to have a giveaway to celebrate and to thank everyone for their support! I am giving away 3 of my printable items (including coloring pages and printable collage sheets). Please see this blog entry for more details!

Uniquely Different Bags - New Purses 

Uniquely Different Bags is the company that makes all of my purses and they have some fantastic new purses available featuring my newest and most popular images! Be sure to visit my section in their Etsy shop to see all of the possible selections. Also, if there is a particular image of mine you would like on a purse, but don't see it listed, just contact their store or myself and they will make one custom for you!

To view and purchase my purses, click here.

 

Where I Work

One of my favorite things, is when artists take pictures of their studios and the places where they create their artwork. It's so interesting to see how everyone else organizes their things and sets up their work areas. I recently just reorganized and cleaned my production/inventory area, so I wanted to take pictures to show you all!

 

This is the main area where I make all my products and also where I keep all my inventory! The left shelf is mostly where all my inventory is. I don't keep a huge inventory as I make a lot of things to order. On the right side, is where I keep all my papers and other materials that I use in product creation. The table is where I create everything! You can also see some of my paintings hanging in a grouping in a wall and also a fun acrylic flower painting that I did.

This is the side where I keep all my inventory. Most everything that I have made is on the first two shelves in a lot of bins. Luckily, pretty much everything I make is really small (stickers, mirrors, bookmarks, etc...), so you can actually fit a LOT of inventory in those small bins. The prints are all on the top shelf. On the bottom shelf you can see some of the bins that I keep my button maker and button parts in. And there's also some cardboard on the bottom shelf that I use for shipping.

 

This is the side where I keep all my paper. I have so many different types of paper, so I try to keep it organized. You can also see some of my reference/inspiration books - though there are many more spread out lol.

 

I'm so excited to finally have some of my very own artwork hanging up in my home! I chose Arden, Tracey, Mina and Heather...matted and framed them, then hung them up in a grouping. I really like how it came out!

 

And a picture of my production area wouldn't be completely without my two cats! They are always around me and helping me make your products lol. That's Jensen on the left our tuxedo cat we've had for about 6 years now and that's Willow on the right, a torti who we just got this past Christmas.

Well, that's all for this week! I am probably not going to have a lot of time to do much of anything this coming week. It seems to be that time of year where there are just so many things going on in my personal life. My husband's birthday is this Tuesday, I have a graduation party and Father's Day this weekend. So I may be a little quiet, but you know me, I always find time to do a few things! I will definitely be working on Sydney. I think she will paint up quickly, so you may be seeing the finished version very soon. Hope you all have a great week!

 

Printables Giveaway!

I just recently hit 200 fans on my Facebook Fan Page! To celebrate and to thank all of my wonderful fans, I am going to have a giveaway!

What you get:

The person who wins the giveaway, will receive any 3 of my printable items. This includes my coloring pages and digital collage sheets! To see all my available printable items, please visit the printables section in my store here. 

How you enter:

In order to enter you must be a Facebook Fan. So if you haven't, make sure to visit my Facebook Fan Page and click the little "Like" button at the top.

Secondly, you must make a post on my blog under this entry and let me know what your favorite piece of mine is and why! You don't have to be super descriptive. You can just say "Cassia because I like witches" or "Vienna because I like hearts." You can see all my images here.

And lastly, make sure to put the name you use on Facebook so that I can verify you are a Facebook Fan!

My blog is set up to accept anonymous comments, so you can post if you don't have an account. If for some reason, you are having difficulties posting on my blog, you can email your favorite piece, reason and Facebook name to nikki@aurella-art.com!

Deadline:

You must post below before Wednesday, June 15th at noon EST. I will randomly select one person that posts and announce that winner sometime Wednesday, June 15th after noon.

If you have any questions, let me know and thank you so much for your support of my artwork!