If anyone would like to trade Etsy minis with me, let me know. I will be featuring a couple Etsy shops here in my blog each week, probably on Fridays. Leave a comment or email me - mizkatie228 @ gmail.com if you’d like to do a swap. Close up the spaces around the @ sign before sending email.

Oh, and when sending the mini code, my blog can only use flash. You can make it whatever size you like. My blog is wide enough for 5 x 5. Please let me know what size is good for your blog.

i had no idea that lilies only last one day. sort of disappointing, really. just one day of pretty and then they dry up and turn crispy brown.

anyway, this is another one of those choppy entries. I’m pretty excited. i was approved to join the VAST (Visual Artists Street Team) last weekend. I’ve been feeling my way around a little bit, and trying to figure the ins and outs of the group.

Honestly, I’m a little nervous about being new in groups. i just joined 5 or 6 yahoo groups, and I’m always afraid I’m going to mess up and do something wrong. Each one I join always has a different set of rules, and I often times can’t remember which one has what rule. ACK! So, i’m cautious, but I did post tonight on the VAST blog. I figure they’ll let me know if i messed it up too badly.

some of those yahoo art groups, though..man, you really get your hands slapped and a stern talking to if you do something not according to the rules. well, that was a couple years ago, hopefully things have calmed down by now. relax people, it’s only art.

speaking of yahoo groups, my fairy house collage made the home page of collagecats on Sunday. Collage cats is a cool group. No hand slapping or stern talking going on there. Just a bunch of ladies doing collages every Saturday. it seems like a pretty cool bunch. i know the head lady cat because she had a livejournal a couple years ago. maybe she still does? i tend to lose track sometimes.

oh yeah.., the reason i posted on the VAST blog is because i finally got all the note cards from the last post listed on etsy. i hate to complain, but etsy really needs an overhaul of sorts. i know they are working on it, but it is just sooo unstable. yesterday all my hearts disappeared, then reappeared, then disappeared again. Listing was impossibly slow and too unpredictable for me, so i only listed two cards and ran off. sometimes it’s just not worth the effort.

Hey! The Alchemist: a fable about following your dreams is available for FREE on iTunes in the audio books section until July 14th (i think it said). I just downloaded it. Jeremy Irons narrates. Should be interesting, considering his English accent and all. I think it will be lovely to listen to while painting. so, i shall.

deep breath! okay, i think i’m done. i’m going to go paint now. and listen to the alchemist. hopefully, if i turn it up loud enough it will drown out those very annoying dogs barking next door. grr!

i spent most of the afternoon scanning and gathering together prints of my collages. i mounted them onto notecards and made 11 cards so far. whew! it was fun, but tiring. i haven’t put any of them in my etsy shop yet. i’m thinking the price will be $3 each or 4 for $10.

some of the original collages have already sold, but this will give others a chance to own a print. the cards would look great framed or just standing up on a mantle or shelf. or, you could send it to someone you love with a note inside.

i’m trying to make the cards look similar to the collages. i’ve added a slight bit of beeswax to the images, so the front of the card is soft and sweet smelling. mmm..

what else have i been doing? oh, i’m trying to catch up on the blogs i read tonight. kelly snelling has THE best fireworks picture i’ve ever seen. it is fabulous.

Katie Kendrick has been painting a series of faces. Absolutely stunning!! you must see them!! each one seems to get better and better.

speaking of blogs i read..i have updated my site today and added artist links over in the side bar. take a look, you won’t be disappointed.

If you’d like to swap links with me, please let me know. i only require that you be an artist, and i must like your style of work. i won’t link to website i don’t like. i keep it real that way, k? but, please! if you’re reading and you have a blog, let me know about it..leave a comment or email me. i’d love to hear from you.

okay, i’m going to get off the computer now. notecards will be up in my etsy shop tomorrow.