Cyber Monday - Christmas Cards

I usually post on Mondays and today is no exception! Happy Cyber Monday! Cyber Monday, if you don't know already, is the Monday after Thanksgiving when people return to work and instead of doing what they should be doing, instead are hitting websites and ordering all their Christmas gifts. So, that being said, have you visited any of my online stores?? :)

As far as Christmas goes, orders have been pretty steady coming in and keeping me busy. I had sent out my newsletter last week and mentioned that I would be taking orders until Dec 14th for Christmas. I also have the First Church fair this weekend in JP. Can't tell you the last time I did a show... August? Holy Crap!

Christmas cards are available from me. Box of 20 for $35. They will be blank inside except for the title of the artwork on the front. Below is a collection of Christmas images that I offer. Email me if you're interested at christinewinship@yahoo.com

This picture is of more work going out. On the right is "Bonnie". Bonnie's owner, Christine F., was the winner of my gift certificate at the Scituate Animal Shelter fundraiser. On the left is a print of "Sweet D". The original hangs in my bedroom in honor of that beloved cat of mine. It's the one portrait that I did that looks most like him.

Saturday went out to do some errands in Harvard Square and walked by a cat rescue C.A.R.E on Massachusetts Ave. that I had never seen before. With 3 grey tabby kittens in the window, I had to go in! Oh they were so cute. I've been thinking of getting Luna girl a friend, but she's a bit under the weather and I'm still trying to figure out her issues and think that if I were to get another cat, the last thing I want is 2 sick kitties.... Besides, I think J would not dig it. But I spoke with the organizer there and gave her my card letting her know that if they were ever to have a fundraiser that I'd be glad to donate my gift certificate for a 5x7" painting. They did have an all black girl who was about 2 years old and she just started purring the moment I walked up to her cage.... aw!

But enough about the kitties. I have to get an email newsletter out and I'm thinking of doing custom orders for Christmas cards, but I don't want to do it through Kinko's anymore because I don't like their big stupid logo on the back of my card. Is there anywhere out there that I can order cards on line that work out to under a $1.00 a piece and has a minimum that's less than 500 cards? I don't have the room for that kind of inventory!! Let me know!

This is a picture of a painting that I did on Saturday morning. I did it for my Dad as his birthday card. He turned 73 on Friday HAPPY BIRTHDAY POPS!!! Anyway, if the clams look familiar to you, they're off a package for some candy shot glasses that I never used, but the cartoons on the box cracked me up so I kept those. It's a lousy camera phone picture but you can tell what I did this weekend.

Sunday, I finished a pet portrait that was from a purchased gift cert last year. Then went out to the Allston open studios. There was some great things there and got to chat with some of the artists. The studios themselves are FREAKIN beautiful, but I also know that they rent for about $1,200 a month. I just need to find 3 other artists to split the space with. They're plenty big enough!! Anyone interested?? Shelley Reed was one artist that I talked to. Here's a link to her site, but her stuff is WAY more impressive in person. What a treat!! http://www.shelleyreed.com

Work going out... Must be the Holidays

Here's a picture of my messy work area with 2 prints (on the right) and 2 originals (Left) going out in the mail the next day. I felt that I should be posted some pictures that gave me a sense of accomplishment. I'm also going to start posting photos and their paintings just so you can see comparisons and such.

Unfortunely, my website isnt' big enough to do all that without spending mo' money and this is something that I'm trying to avoid. So they will all be done here.

I am going out to Vermont this weekend with Jason to do some deer 'scouting'. (Hunting starts next week). And that may be my last time in the great outdoors until ice fishing starts in January. So I'm looking forward to some nature time and then it's time to get busy!!!

New month of November

November is here and there are thoughts of the upcoming holiday festivities....

I had a great weekend getting 2 paintings out, one an order from a returning customer and the other a gift certificate winner. One more to go on the table and in the downtime, I'm going to start working on my Christmas presents. There are new pets in my circle, so that means they need to get their portraits done, right? :)

And my boyfriend has finally bought himself a car so there's no more sharing of my van WHOO-HOO!!! No more fishing sh*t cluttering it up and I can finally go places on the weekends when we're not together. But I have been spending a lot of time in my fair city. Makes me think that I would loose my mind if I were ever go and live in the suburbs.

In fact, I've spent so much time in and around Boston that I'm tempted to start another blog of where to go and what's to do. And of course to be a music critic. I always have something to say in that regards!! What do you think? Would you be interested in what I have to say about the Boston scene???