happy halloween!!!!

Will fresh back from a much needed vacation. I tried posting but could not figure out my tablet to get it done! So today joining in with Natasha May's Art World Halloween Party! Love her spooky girls!... So Mark and I were at the biggest Halloween Party ever for vacation, FANTASY FEST IN KEY WEST Florida!!! WOW, WOW, and OMG, OMG is all we kept saying!!! I have some crazy pictures on my facebook page and that was the mild stuff! I felt amazingly free and creative while there... hummmmm, need to go more often! Here is my Fantasy Fest inspired girl:



Fantasy Fest Girl



Bewitched!

                                                       

                                                    

 

and then to be in the spirit I sketched out "bewitched" on a journal page that I used          to clean brushes off... I love her!

                        and one of the street partiers really fits here as soon will be the day of the dead to be celebrated:

So HAPPY HAUNTING - STAY SAFE BUT HAVE FUN! Thanks to Natasha for hosting our trick or treat!

cheers, dana
make art, make friends - share art, share souls

all work copyright Dana Strickland/Sinderells's Studio 2012



fantasy fest 2012

> make art, make friends - share art, share souls checkout my fb page because I can't figure out how to get my picture of the page onto my tab!!! frustrating!

PPF and motivation

You are A "rock" Star

We have created  Motivational Monday at work.  It will last to just about Thanksgiving.  Each optician within our district of  the company passes something inspirational-motivational out to each of our 5 locations to share!  That optician then picks the next person to take charge of Motivational Monday.  So, this upcoming Monday is my turn and I spent my day off yesterday getting ready.  I believe that inspiration/motivation can have huge impact on individuals.  I worked for a motivation speaker for 12 years and his teachings gave me skills that are part of my successes!  I hope that these tangible sayings give people a moment to pause, think, smile and improve!
You are A Star is painted on the rock!  Rock Star, get it!  and the ATC says, Positively ROCK your World
on the back I have written:
Positive Appearance, Attitude and Performance = Positive Experience for YOU & OTHERS!

  Sophie and Ollie patiently waited while I worked on this project most of the day.
Have a great weekend and fun checking out all the incredible art at Paint Party Friday!  Thanks to Kristin and Eva for hosting!

cheers, dana
make art, make friends - share art, share souls

LOVE IS . . .

Love is... when your husband takes your art out of the trash - puts it together and hangs it in the
living room!!!




If you have been with me for awhile you will remember that in June of 2011 my husband and I participated in Scrapfest lead by one of our artist friends.  It is an annual event where you run through a scrapyard pick your scraps and create a sculpture. We were part of a team of 5 and it was an incredible experience.  While we were working like madmen in our garage after work every night (we had 2 weeks to complete the task) we generated a lot of onlookers.  I had made a poster for the end of the driveway signifying what we were doing!  Throughout the process I took a lot of pics and we had pieces of metal leftover from cut outs that I used for some of the pics!

When the event ended, my husband and were left with the chaos and some of it I just couldn't toss out.  ( I do have a problem with that )  My plan was to have Mark (the said my husband) rivet the poster to one of the metal cut outs to be hung in the garage in remembrance of the experience.  Somehow, more than a year has gone by and the pieces were still sitting on the landing in the garage. So, a week ago, he asks me what am I doing with this stuff?  Hummmm, well, I thought the plan was blah blah blah but I guess not.  He went back into the house and I stood there staring at my kooky treasures.  I picked it up and took it to the dumpster.  I didn't say a word.  I figured he wouldn't even notice.  I knew he would notice it was gone but assumed he would think I put in the basement or somewhere in my room of art chaos!

Trash day had come and gone - I didn't think another thing of it!  Yesterday I come home from work and hanging on our living room wall is my trash!  You have got to love a guy that understands the depths of your soul!!!!  I never saw it removed from the garbage... or him working to put it together!  XXOO!!!

Thanks to Alexandra for hosting Sunday Sketches!!!!!  Can't wait to see all the art!

cheers, dana
make art, make friends - share art, share souls

wow.... Blogtoberfest ...

I would so love to participate in BlogtoberFest but know that I will not be able to post everyday.  So I decided not to torture myself with guilt by signing up and then falling short of the task.  It looks incredible though.  I do plan on checking out some of the post and just enjoying my new finds!

Today though, I want to show you my finished wreath!  We have friends that just purchased their first home and they are hosting a Halloween / House Warming party.  So this is a gift to help celebrate!  I am also labeling a pitcher for their "blood" bar - AB+ blood of Sir Cran of Berry... so 2 jugs of cranberry juice a 5th of Vodka and wha-lah!

We will be unable to attend as we'll be finishing up our vacation in the Keys!!!  The vampire themed party will be a blast I am sure! 
Enjoy your travels through blogland!  and this incredible October - here in Michigan the colors are changing, the air is fresh, and the night sky mesmerizing!

cheers, dana
make art, make friends - share art, share souls

PPF and yesterday's day off

Paint Party Friday and my day off...
It was the best day off in awhile... no one had a doctors appointment!!!  YAY!!! SOOOOOOOOOOO,  continuing my efforts to raise money for Optometry Giving Sight  I was working with POWER TOOLS! 
I had used the plasma cutter last year after we completed Scrap Fest to cut out our local University block letters.  It is quite the rivalry in this part of the state.  The big Blue Block "M" for the University of Michigan and the big GREEN Block "S" for Michigan State University!

I then drilled and pop riveted stakes that Mark was kind enough to make for me and put it all together.  Spray paint and sponge in hand, wha-lah!
$24 a piece or 2 for $40... a portion of the proceeds to Optometry Giving Sight!
  GO TEAM!!!

I also worked on a wreath for a gift I am making!  Spray painted it mat black and am working on the bats that will be added along with some other spirited items!  The bats have a reddish/pinkish metallic undercoat that will end up being the outline!

I can't wait to finish the bats....

Then, just to finish the day with a bang, I baked my secret awesome vanilla

pumpkin cake with a new kick.  Mark's daughter just returned from a trip to

Montreal and brought back the most incredible maple rum sryup!  Yep, put

that in - in place of the vanilla extract and cinnamon..... OMG!  to die for!

I added praline sauce using the sryup again with a splash of dark rum for the topping!  Talk about YUMMMOOOOOO!

So, a very productive day that did include PAINT !  

Here's to a wonderful fall weekend and visits to all the participating artists'.  Thanks to Kristin and Eva for hosting such a great place to share!

cheers, dana

make art, make friends - share art, share souls

Sunday Sketches and life is busy

I feel like it has been forever since I have been in touch with my art!!!  The last few weeks have gotten taken over with medical issues and car issues... as I consider 13 my lucky number - I am really looking forward to next year.  Get all these "issues" taken care of and move on!  On a high note - we do have our vacation planned in the middle of diagnosises and minor surgeries to resolve issues... Both of us - how crazy is that!  So Key West be ready because we will be!!!  I plan on really taking some painting gear and seeing if I can't recapture some of the essence of Sanford Birdsey and my trip in 2008!

Dracu-ella !!!

Just a quick watercolor sketch this morning... feeling very Halloween-ish today!  Thanks to Alexandra for hosting!!!  Be sure to visit as many artists' as you can!

cheers, dana
make art, make friends - share art, share souls