new blog post featuring Dutch artist Isabella Baudelaire magical shadow puppets...



http://darklingwoods.blogspot.com

I'm offering some work at speical sale prices to contribute to the Red Cross Haiti earthquake relief.

. "Fairy Market" original 7x9 inch watercolor only 60.00



available here darklingwoods.etsy.com

Proceeds will be donated to earthquake relief ..every penny.

Capt. Jack is bovvered by a Dalek on Christmas morning (but not bovvered enough to move from his cushion in front of the fire! )

Sooo cold here, our girls are spending the night with their cool aunt so we have a rare chance to go out on our own today.  I'm such a loser though  instead of painting the town I'm feeling more inclined to make a pot of tea and steal Jack's spot by the fire!

btw... if I'm missing any of you on Facebook or twitter here I am http://www.facebook.com/cat.mallard  or if you just want the art http://facebook.com/darklingwoods     on twitter ---   http://twitter.com/darklingwoods )

Is everyone out there knee deep in snow?  I just love scrolling through the flist and seeing magical landscapes of white fluffy goodness!  Of course I live where it hasn't snowed in 20 years so easy for me to say its magical!  We've actually had fun pulling out scarves and hats to wear (I don't think my teen girls have worn such things since they were toddlers :)

Here is another member of my new Alice Family

"I'm late"



Mixed Media painting of the White Rabbit, brown wrapping paper, watercolor papers, acrylic paints and watercolors,findings and such :)

Prints available here darklingwoods.etsy.com

Having a few friends over for New Years eve tomorrow,  Think I'll make a rum cake mmmm and maybe stuffed mushrooms :)

Spent my Christmas money at Hot Topic today, have you seen the Alice in Wonderland collection? *squeee* loving my Mad Hatter Hat ring, and Cheshire Cat wallet! Looked for boots that I can use with a Steampunk costume but no luck yet.... anyone have tips on places to look?

Here is a new custom piece I recently completed for the wonderful artist Merle and her twin sister. 

  I just love working with the Bride of Frankenstein for inspiration!

I'm so tired and feeling behind on everything!  I always overestimate how much I can accomplish on holidays and winter break is the worst for time management. 

Well I'm off to the shop to find cake mix then hopefully paint when I get home!

Newest Alice Trailer .... www.slashfilm.com/2009/12/16/alice-in-wonderland-movie-trailer-3/ I'm ridiculously excited about this movie.... the more I see the more I like! I'm also getting a little excited about Christmas.. y I think its because I can't wait to play with this remote control Dalek...errrr I mean I can't wait for my daughter to open it! She's also getting a Tardis door poster, so she can put in on her door and tell people her room is bigger on the inside ;) and is it wrong that I'm much more excited about December 26th than Christmas day?

A student asked me today if I celebrated Christmas (we were happily painting snow men and reindeer) I told him I was a Unitarian and could celebrated everything if I wanted... which gained me some curious looks. I wondered to myself later why I didn't give him my pat reply of "I don't discuss religion or politics at school" and decided I'm very tired of people assuming they know what I believe or that it really matters like some sort of litmus test.
Anyway only two more exam days and we are off for the holidays, taking the girls to Disney for a few days to enjoy the lights and festivities (the castle is unbelievably beautiful with lights) Having friends over for Christmas eve and family on Christmas day .. so its all good!

one more little Torchwood Myfanwy for your holiday cheer!
thank you sassysailorgirl for the idea :)

Against better judgment and with holiday cheer I broke out the glitter in my junior high classroom today... came away looking like one of the Cullen's. Complete fail!

Demetri Martin is right glitter is the herpes of craft supplies, once you get glitter on you it will always be there!

I adore glitter though, when I was a kid I got in trouble for drizzling the glitter around my room, to catch and twinkle like little fairies. So I have no room to get mad at the mess but this was crazy.. they just took the lids off and poured it out in piles!

grrrrrr!!!!

But this made my day


Squeeee!

"Down The Rabbit Hole"

Mixed media, sharing a new theme I'm working with, a sort of paper doll figure in watercolor and clothes made from various papers (this one is sewn with needle and thread)


----
Went to yoga class with a girl friend tonight .. first time outside of meditation type yoga at church. I thought it was a beginner class (and was I ever struggling!) was more than a bit relieved to find out after wards that is was the intermediate class! This reminds of a death valley esque bike trail a few years ago when the kids and I drug our selves and bikes out the end of the trail we noticed the sign * extreme challenge trail* ack!

So I'm going to give it one more go before I decide if I should join the class, I still really miss belly dance class but its just to far to drive after work. *sigh* but the scarves and ankle bells do call, maybe yoga just needs better costuming.

how do you make custom mood images? I see people with the cutest ones!

(and if you give a mouse a cookie.... where do you find the images? I know there are communities for icons but for moods?)

bedawyn was kind enough to make icons from my Torchwood Christmas painting


http://sapphirekeep.livejournal.com/6110.html

Please leave her a kind words and credit when using

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving, we had a really great day which is saying a lot for me. Thanksgiving is at the bottom of the list of my favorite holidays. Cooking and eating is a big stress in my life and since we host the feast its harder to focus on the thankful part. But you know what? I did feel very thankful by the end of the day *sigh of relief* so maybe I'm not such a Thanksgiving day scrooge after all :P

I'm now smugly catching up on LJ, while the rest of the world seems to be shopping. (since 4 am? are you for real people?)

A bit of fan art, my little Yule gift for all those Torchwood fans out there missing the old team. A Cardiff Christmas :)

Inspired by the delightful Torchwood Babiez by
spastasmagoria and jigglykat who will be at Chicago Tardis this weekend

(this fan art is a gift ...but please be kind and give credit!)

and a detail ... so you can see Gwen's gift to Rhys and Ianto's pocket watch :)

Catching up...

Well the few weeks have been a whirl wind!  Halloween weekend we headed to Orlando for the double dippin treat of Mickey's Not so Scary Halloween Party (we went Halloween night!) then Sunday we caught the last day of the Hurricane Who convention!  We went with our next door neighbor and her daughter (they are so awesome, I found out about the convention a week or so before the trip and the mum agreed to go stop by the Dr. Who convention even though she'd never heard of Dr. Who or Torchwood.
I loaned her my Torchwood DVD's so she would at least know who Gareth David Llyod was (one of the main draws for us, that and the writers panels)   I think i've converted her lol!  I introduced her to Firefly a few months ago too so I'm spreading the geeky love here!

So now I have a coffee mug signed by Ianto Jones, the girls got to meet K-9 and my oldest wants to be the TARDIS for Dragon con.

Never a dull moment!

Had a great service today on proverbs reminding us not to give up the good fight just because it seems lost. Today is Stand on the Side love Sunday for us UU's and we sang the same song we sung in protest at our national convention, Since then here in Fl proposition 2 was passed last year, (not only banning gay marriage but disallowing rights of of couples that aren't married (impacting the elderly population who often can't remarry or they will loose benefits)
So I hope you will forgive what may seem to be a political post today, but for me its simply about the right to you love who you choose.

Being from the South a lot of the opposition reminds me of the disapproval of mixed marriages I heard as a child. I can only hope we are making progress.

getting in the Halloween spirit .... Here's your chance to win an original piece of Halloween art
  Handpainted little Halloween box, with pom pom trim!

Just leave a comment here darklingwoods.blogspot.com and please spread the word!

 How are my Atlanta sibs? 

*flails* 

role call please! 

I know many of you are packing your elvish gowns, Vulcan ears and pirate boots and booty and heading to Atlanta for Dragon Con.  So sad I won't be able to make it this time (last year was a blast!)

So as I sit and polish boots and keep costumes packed for next time I'm wishing you.....

Safe and rapid transport, many meetings with friends old and new and a maybe a wee bit of brew ;).  Swords and daggers, pointed ears and cloaks and don't forget to find good company in long ques! And finally  fannish highlights and pictures to share online!

*hugs*