More Houses for a good cause!

May your home always be too small to hold all of your friends.
~Author Unknown

Joy Mixed Media Wall Assemblage by Chrisy McConnell
Visit her blog and
See more of Chrisy's art atArtDecadence on etsy

3 More unique houses are available now in the OzBushFireAppeal etsy shop. The shop was created in response to the Australian wildfires. Over 900 items have been sold since Feb.8 with all proceeds going to the Australian Red Cross. That's over $15,ooo.oo (AU) so far. All sorts of items have been donated by generous Etsy Sellers. Several METSY Team members donated their time & talent to create these one of a kind houses for the cause.

Little Dutch House by Aimee Wheaton
Check out her blog.
See more of Aimee's art at MazerDesign on etsy

To visit a specific house listing, click on any photo on this page. Also, here is the link to all of the METSY Team Houses in the Oz shop. There are 11 so far. More may be listed before the shop closes it's doors on March 31st, so please check back. If you haven't visited the OzBushfireAppeal shop yet, please do. You might find just what you are looking for & donate to a worthy cause while you're at it!

We Are One by Stacey Merrill
Read about my little house here.
See more of my art at ArtSnark'sArtifacts on etsy

Many many thanks to everyone who has helped with this project. To see my posts about previously donated houses with links to the artists' blogs & shops click here & here . Special thanks to FeliciaFairy, VanillaPixie , & the Etsy DUST Team for creating & operating the shop. They have been just swamped and have done so much to help in such a short period of time. It really blows me away! Please visit these wonderful - generous - creative folks & show them some love!!

Sneak Peek- My little house

Someday is not a day of the week ~Author Unknown

I should tattoo this to my forehead - in reverse of course ;D

After a major attack of Duh, a couple of ugly blunders, 2 dying printers & an inordinate amount of procrastinating ....FINITO. Sheesh! To quote that learned sage Anonymous once more: If it weren't for the last minute, I wouldn't get anything done.

While fussing over partners for the Hot House Flower - I (thankfully) got a clue...hot house...wildfire charity...duhuhuha...my Freudian slip was showing (again). Really, I'm not tacky on purpose...I just let my subconscious take over more than I should. Thought I was channeling this whole Spicy Diva/Orchid kind of theme...nahhh

Ok. Searched thru the hundreds of unprinted images I've hidden in the computer & found a piece I made for ZNE Verses last year. I'd digitally collaged a charcoal drawing from 20+ yrs ago with a couple of my photos & a leaf skeleton to accompany a St Patrick's Day poem. Resized the piece to house specs and ...nothin....printers died. Back burner time.

Unfortunately "the back burner" is code for no man's land in this studio. Finally got it together, printed, cut, pasted, painted, drawn over & scribbled on.. Coated with UV resistant finish, felted bottom & .....hated it. Too clean. More scribbles, a couple small tears, sandpapered & grungy markers on edges and....blah...but so overdue I'm calling it done. Will photo sides in the sun tomorrow (note to self: get better lighting) and submit to the OzBushfireAppeal shop.

Won't You Be My Neighbor?

My home is where I want to be and
it looks like all my dreams

- from The Big Orange Splot by Daniel Pinkwater

Play House by Juli Waller
Read about her house on her blog.
See more of Juli's art at Grrraphics on etsy

3 more fabulous houses have been added to the OzBushFireAppeal etsy shop. Each unique house has been altered & generously donated by a different talented etsy artist. The OzBushfire shop was created by the owner of FeliciaFairy & the Etsy Dust Team in response to the recent fires in Australia. 100% of proceeds from the shop's sales goes to the Australian Red Cross. Since February 8th, 889 sales have brought in "about $15,000 "(AU) .

Choices by Yin Hoong Lai
See more of Yin's art (& popcorn)
at What's Eating Yin on etsy

Also Every Item Has Free Shipping! Now you can't beat that: help others in need, get cool stuff & free shipping - please take a few minutes & check out some of the 190 items still available. They might have just what you're looking for...Cottage House by Shiela Bradley

Read about her house on her blog.
See more of Juli's art at CreateItCottageArt on etsy

To visit all the available houses, click here. For a direct link to each house, click on a photo. If you get a chance, please visit the shops & blogs of these wonderful artists and tell them just how cool they really are! Also please check back before March 31 (when OzBushfireAppeal closes) to see more one of a kind houses.

Just a quickie & New WIP

Scheduled a few too many things today so I'll try to be brief....

1st I really want to thank all of you who have taken the time to stop by & leave your encouraging comments. I've been lax on responding & for that I apologize.

There are some great new houses on the OzBushfire Etsy shop. I will post pics & artist links soon, probably tomorrow. Went to do it yesterday but got distracted - after a challenging day, I really needed some "art therapy". Little Red was on the prowl last night so I let her stretch her legs on a new canvas.

WIP - 2 in the bush

I've never been a series kind of person, always flitted from 1 technique or idea to the next before getting all the ideas out. But Red's become an icon - figure I'll just let her hang out a while. Once she has her say, she'll move on.

Speaking of....gotta fly...if you time pop by papercutsbyjoe & check out this amazing piece - a merging of his wife's profile & tree branches. My newest fave!

New Houses! Good Prices ! Great Cause!

Fairies 'Round My House by Heather Holbrook
Read about her house on her blog.
See more of Heathers art at PisforPaper on etsy

The 1st altered houses for the OzBushfireAppeal shop have been listed for sale. Each house is a one of a kind creation by a different talented artist & was designed specifially to be donated to the Oz shop. 100% of proceeds from every sale goes to the Australian Red Cross. (Since Feb 8 they have made over $15,000 AU). For more details on the shop & the artists involved, click here.

Where My Heart Resides by Nancy Lefko
Read about her house on her blog.
See more of Nancy's art at CollageArtGirl on etsy

To visit a specific house listing, click on any photo on this page. Also, here is the link to the METSY Team Houses section of the shop. Another dozen or so houses to be listed for sale soon.

Flower Cottage by Jen Maddison
Read about Jen on her blog.
See more of her art at jemjoop on etsy

Keep checking back, more houses will be featured here as they are listed in the OzBushfireAppeal shop. Some things to remember (& hopefully send you shopping): your money is going to a great cause, You get to be the proud new owner of a one of a kind piece of art, And there is also Free Shipping on every item. Don't wait too long though as the Oz shop will be shutting down on March 31.

Home Is Where The Heart Is by Pam Carriker
See what Pam is doing on her blog.
See more of her art at The BagladysArt on etsy

Originally I wanted to interview each artist, while showcasing their house. But I dropped the ball on this one (hmm... seems to be happening a lot lately). Here's a thought! How about YOU interview them for me ?! Simply leave your questions. I'll gather them into a survey & post the artists' responses in a week or so.... Look forward to seeing what you come up with.

Play House by Alisa Norholt-Dean
Read about her house on her blog.

See more of Alisa's art at PrettyLittlePendant on etsy

If you get a chance, please visit the blogs & etsy shops of these generous & talented volunteers. Show them some love & tell them how great they are, k?

WIP - Hot House Flower

Decided to finally start on my little house. Thought about paint or collage but it just wouldn't coalesce. When all else fails I turn to my ginormous stack of scrapbook paper for ideas. This paper jumped out & screamed Diva! Then this chick- part superhero, part Sunset Blvd - started spinning thru my head. She's only 1 of 2 but it's getting late, so I'll tackle her partner tomorrow.

Monday's Muse -Be Inspired! Make a Difference

February 8th the OzBushFireAppeal shop opened on etsy.

8 days later it has sold 544 items for around $ 10,000 (AU).

100% of Proceeds goes to the Australian Red Cross.

At this writing there are 210 items in stock, with "new items listed almost around the clock..." All items have been donated by Etsians worldwide.

IF YOU ARE ON ETSY and would like to donate an item click here for more information.

IF YOU LIKE TO SHOP get a great handcrafted item (with free shipping ) & donate the full amount of your purchase to a worthy cause.

IF YOU HAVE A MOMENT think - who can you share this info with? Please pass it on. It will only take a minute.

I heard about this shop on Thursday & donated a necklace. Looking around my studio for some art supplies to contribute, I came across some little houses

I was about to donate them when I realized that a one of a kind altered house would fetch more money than a blank one. I put out a call to the gifted members of the METSY Mixed Media Team. I would send each volunteer a house to decorate & they would work their magic. The final pieces will be donated to the Australian wild fire relief shop. So far 14 generous Artists have offered up their time & talent for this project. I am very excited! Please stop by and visit them when you get a chance:

Pam Carriker - thebagladysart & pamcarriker.com - thebagladysart.blogspot.com

Jennifer Moore -dragonrags -dragnrags.blogspot.com

Nancy Lefko - collageartgirl & mycollageart.com - nancylefko.blogspot.com

Chrisy McConnell -artdecadence & VintageDecadence - sophismpress.blogspot.com

Kathy Maximo - VintageSnapsandScrap & rememberyesterday -
vintagesnapsandscraps.blogspot.com

Heather Holbrook - PisforPaper - PisforPaper.com

Sheila Bradley - Createitcottageart & Creatitcottage - createitcottage.blogspot.com

Juli Waller - grraphics - grrrdesign.blogspot.com

Aimee Wheaton - mazerdesign & Mazerdesign.com - creativeflutter.blogspot.com

Carmen McCullough - ArtsyJutsu - artsyjutsu.ning.com

Alisa Nordholt-Dean - PrettyLittlePendant - prettylittlependant.blogspot.com

Jen Maddison - jemjoop - emjoop.blogspot.com

Jodi Ohl - lucysweetlucy - sweetrepeats.blogspot.com

Vivian Bonder - desertbloom

Once these talented ladies send me photos of their creations, I will post them here for you to enjoy. I would also like to share a brief interview with each artist, if I can get them to agree. Dunno about you, but I always enjoy reading a bit about the person behind the creation.

Now, what else can you do to help? In addition to the suggestions above, let's get the word out! I'm too behind the times to twitter. So after phone calls & emails, I went the old fashioned route printing up fliers to promote OzBushfireAppeal. Then posted them at my son's school as well as at some local businesses. Will anyone notice them & respond? I don't know. But I had to try.

I truly believe everyone can make a difference. So does FeliciaFairy and The Etsy Dust Team. They are the kind souls behind this generous shop. I don't know what type of response they initially anticipated. Lets blow them away....be generous....go shopping....and spread the word!