Fresh New Print!

New print available! This print won't be hitting my etsy shop because it's for a fundraiser for our camp building fund, (we desperately need a new mess hall) and I want to keep the fees as minimal as possible so that more will go towards the camp itself. 

There will be a limited number of only 50 printed (and 10 are already spoken for)-so if you're interested in purchasing one of these, please send me a message!

8x10, $15 each, $2 shipping within Canada and the USA. I can ship multiples for the $2 shipping fee.

If you're interested, just send me an email! themayberrysparrow@yahoo.ca

DIY Travel Tape Tutorial

Yesterday, I posted a tutorial on my personal blog for making craft tape out of vintage maps-but since it was on my personal blog I thought i'd share it here as well so that no one would be left out!
If you're curious or want to make some of your own, you can find the tutorial here


Happy crafting!



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The Struggle

A glimpse of my life lately, from my perspective.

I've been a hesitant blogger, and a reluctant "site" owner these last few months.

I love blogging, and writing, and keeping my business up to date. I think the problem is though, that it's been all under one roof. -That, and I'll admit, I have been insanely busy, with various life happenings.

I've been slow to post about life's events and daily interests because they aren't really "business" related, and this is supposed to be my *business* site.

However, I've also been slow to post about my artwork and business life, because I feel like I'm "spamming" the people who are here to read about crafting, recipes, canning, homeschooling and daily ramblings. (I know that you folks are out there!)

So I've come to the conclusion that I need another home for my true "blog". So much has been happening that I'd love to share, and so much is going to be happening soon (baby on the way!) but I just don't know if this should be the place for that.

This site, The Mayberry Sparrow, is going to continue to be my business site. I'll be posting new artwork, gallery event dates and related topics here, with the occasional link to my new blog, in case anyone should want to take a peek at that.

If you want to read more about the other side of things, outside the realm of illustration and rubber stamps,  you can wander on over to my new blog, The Mayberry Home Journal.

Hope to see you there!

On My Desk

Due to this week's postal strike, I've had to put both of my shops on vacation until the situation is resolved. (Which we've been told will be soon, thank goodness!)

The only bright side to this, is that I have a wee bit more play time. Here's some of today's *play*.

I've been playing with florals a little too much lately, can you tell?

Royal Wedding Printables

Unlike some enthusiasts, we won't be waking at 3 am tomorrow to watch the big event, however we ARE recording it so that we can watch it on Saturday while we have "high tea".

Just for this event, I've made up some little flags and buntings to add a little Royal flare to our party.

Feel free to print some off for your own celebrations!

Just click to enlarge, and print, or right click save etc. You know the drill!

Then cut, glue, staple...whatever method of ensuring permanency suits your fancy.

Flags...

Buntings

Have a marvey celebration, daahlings!

A sneak peek at some new spring prints...

We've had nothing but rain here for the last few weeks...which has left a lot of time for painting, and dreaming about spring!

I feel like these poor little birds are playing the waiting game..."hurry up tree, grow some leaves!"

Was missing my southern family members when I painted this.

Fiona needed a brother...so I finally gave her one.  

The Kansas Wheatfield-where everything always smells of warm sunshine and fresh red dirt.

All will be made into prints shortly!

I've also got some new originals listed here:)

Back

I just noticed in this picture that only one of my office doors had "frost" on the windows..I still haven't finished that!!

And, I should clarify, that's a TOY gun leaning against the cabinet...haha.

I apologize-I've been AWOL for the last while. A lot has been happening around here! Illness, house/bedroom re-arranging/renovating (does it ever end?)

It all started on Chinese new year.

We celebrate this holiday most years, sometimes with a little more enthusiasm than others. (We have several families of Chinese friends that introduced us to the festivities a long time ago, and we fell in love with Chinese cuisine.)

 Often, for us, the holiday just means making dumplings, chicken, buying 12 different kinds of vinegar and having family over.

This year though, the boys really wanted to go all out. I don't blame them-after all, February is a really boring month, and little extra flair couldn't hurt.

So I let them thoroughly decorate our dining room (which kept them busy all day!) while I prepared food for dinner.

That day, I also woke up with the urge to pickle just about everything in the house. I had just run out of my favorite spicy pickled green beans that aren't even available in Canadian stores. I was gung-ho to make my own. (I know, this has nothing to do with Chinese new year. Don't ask me why...)

I pickled the green beans, which turned out really well. But I figured, while I was at it, sterilizing jars and such, I may as well make some other things.
I found a recipe for Moroccan pickled oranges, and made those too. And then I started in on the garlic. I already had huge trays of peeled garlic cloves that I had just bought at the Vietnamese grocery store. ( which, by the way, is the cheapest way to buy garlic, in case you're wondering!)

I found myself at the end of the day with more pickled fruits and vegetables than I knew what to do with! I ended up handing out the little jars as party favours. (I know. Not very Chinese!)

Long story short, it wasn't until my head hit the pillow that night with a combination of happiness and exhaustion, that I began to wonder....
Why on earth did I choose an already busy day to get out the canning equipment, and pickle fresh vegetables, in February?? Why was it so necessary that the pickling happen that day?

Sure enough...in two days, I had my answer.

Little did I know that I wouldn't be eating anything but tiny pieces of toast chased by shots of earl grey tea for the next three months.

The nausea is getting better now, I can actually eat again. I still have some major food aversions though.

Guess the last foods on earth I'd want to eat right now?! My all time favorite- Chinese (or anything Asian for that matter...) Go figure.

p.s. I almost posted this on April Fools...but I decided that was just kinda mean.