Pink Poodle

Well if you read my last entry I am sure that you can conclude that I got my inspiration for this piece last night. Not that I was drinking Pink Poodles but you get the picture. I am a strict rum and coke girl, always have been always will be. My mom and I were both bartenders for several years. Although I have never had this drink before, it sure does sound good. Reminds me of a Grasshopper minus the chocolate.
I hope everyone is having a great weekend. Nice and gloomy outside just the way I like it. But of course it makes it hard to have any outside plans. I know Adam is itching to get out and do something and I don't blame him. He is sitting here watching the Bruce Willis Marathon..... Hostage being one of my favorite movies I am okay with this.
Last night was a lot of fun we met up with a bunch of our college friends about 10 people in call. Certainly was nice to see everyone .. a bit of a blast from the past. Although we see Corey almost every weekend it is still fun! If anyone has a good suggestions on what to do today let me know.

Tip of the Day:
Don't limit your mediums. .... ... it is called mixed media for a reason. Make sure you try all different things, including texture, this element can bring you piece to a whole new level.

Keep On Smiling

Smooches,
Steph

NIGHT ON THE TOWN

Hello Hello,
Adam (my long time boyfriend) and I are getting ready for a night on the town with our good friends.. Always promises to be a great time!!!! Nothing better then spending a warm summer night out with people who make you laugh. The day I stop laughing is the day I stop breathing. I probably won't be on too early tomorrow to write ...(cross your fingers for no hang overs) But I do have a new painting that I am DEFINITELY going to post. I think you will all really like it. Also by the end of the weekend I am going to make a few posts on my ebay before I go on vacation that are going to run the length of the time I am gone.. STAAAAYYYY TUNED

Smooches,
Steph

I never thought I would be so happy for Friday to roll around. Okay well I say that every Friday but it is always true! Last night I didn't do a paper doll painting, but I did attend a 1 stroke painting class with my mom. I will put up a photo of what we did soon. SOOOO cute I loved it, we did a little snowman on a glass plate. The class was fun and it was nice to do something different and take a little break.

Lately I have been doing some real soul searching regarding my career. I have a degree in Public Communication and I do well with it, but I just know that isn't what I want to do for the rest of my life. I think I am going to go back and get my art teaching degree. Might be a long process but if you aren't happy doing what you are doing than why do it! Life is way to short not to have fun and first and foremost be happy! You only go around once. For my visitors today, was there any big career change that you took or large move in your life that you did to make you a happier person? Let me know I am interested. When we stop changing we stop learning.

The panting above I did on Wednesday. This went along with my Travel painting. I saw the papers and thought they meshed nice together. I myself am not a beach person. Really not a beach person at all I much rather be in the mountain on a cool crisp fall day. As you continue to stay with me and read my entries you will definitely notice I am 100% head over heels in love with Fall and Halloween. They give me inspiration and make me happy! What are some things that make you happy?

Tip of the day:
1 stroke painting. If you haven't tried it, try it. Take a class they host them everywhere. If you always felt like you had no painting talent and the stick figure was your best friend this will change your mind. I was a skeptic since I have been painting the majority of my life, but it was fun and was a bit of a challenge. All different techniques. Plus, this little guys you can bang out in about an hour and they make GREAT gifts. If you try it let me know what you think.

Getting Ready!

'Text' May I go with you on this bright sunny morning

I made this soothing piece about 11pm last night. There is some turmoil going on in my life right now. Nothing awful but enough to make it uneasy. I am lucky I have the support of such a great guy. Anyway this picture represents where I want to be so I will stay positive and soon enough I will be there. Remebering to keep a positive attitude is important.

There is some exciting news!!! I am going on vacation next week (well Thursday the 7th), so that has been an inspiration for me as well. I am not going anywhere exotic just a weeks trip to Maryland to catch up with family, but this is my first vacation in a year! So I am very much looking forward to a little R & R. I am sure everyone could agree that it is easy to burn out and taking a little me time is VERY important. During that time I am not sure if I will be painting (I know I know) I am not sure if I am going to know what to do with myself!

I sold a painting on eBay last night. Getting your name out there sure isn't easy but I am slowly working on it! Please remeber to check out my auctions I post frequently and try to keep multiple pieces up. I will be putting some more on tonight.

http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZseppie_inc

Tip Of The Day: Never underestimate the amazing wonder known as a Sharpie. I use them for many different purposes in my paintings. Look around, there are soooo many different colors and shade and are prefect for doing the smallest detail work!

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Thank You!

Be Careful

Be careful with your heart! Oh so true. I have several inspirations for this painting, one of which is very near and dear to my own heart. Too often I see young women so readily giving away their hearts (and other things) to 'boys' who do nothing but take advantage and abuse such a wonderful gift. And telling a young lady that the love she is feeling is worng is.. is... is.. HARD! Not only hard but juxtapositional, we don't know what she is feeling, they very well might be in love, but on the other hand we too often whitness the 'signs' that tells us THIS ISN'T RIGHT. We try to reach out and help but more often than not we forget that we don't have the ability to change a person. SOOOOOOO, this is why at an early age we have to teach our daughters, sisters, cousins, friends, classmates, etc... that your heart, your feelings, your body, your mind, and your soul is precious and not meant to be given away on a whim. Our job is to start sooner than later in the process of instilling values in our future women. Love them, tell them you love them, and above all show them you love them. Becuase once they understand what real unconditional love is there can never be any false subsitutes.

Tip of the day:
For anyone who shops at AC Moore Crafting stores here is a tip. And for those who know this tip already ... sorry... if you go to their website and scroll all the way to the bottom and click store locator/promotions it will take you to a place to enter your zip code, then you will see the contact info for your store, but it will also have an option to click flyer or coupons. Take advantage of these offers especially the coupon which is usually about 40% a regular priced item. There is a deal up almost everyday and they last about a week until another coupon replaces it. I am always looking for a deal. Yesterday I bought 12 canvas boards and a whole big book of scrapbooking paper for $20 CAN"T BEAT IT!

Have a wonderful day
Love
Steph

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

New Day New Painting

Ah yes my favorite holiday Halloween is slowly approaching and I couldn't be happier! I painted this last night while watching Shark Week on the Discovery Channel. Nothing more terrifying than a shark attack.

This whimsical piece is made from my usual haunts, acrylic, water color paper, canvas board, water color, pen, scarp book paper, sparkles, pencil, and markers. And please don't forget the bees wax. But a new addition, the type " Mary Jane walked along and the wagon went bump, bump, bump, and the pumpkin went jump, jump, jump on Halloween night," was taken from a 1930's children's book.

TIP OF THE DAY!

In addition, this painting has some great effects. The background was done with a palette knife. They can be purchased at any paint supply store. A knife isn't only great for mixing colors but also to spread the color thinly and then build layers to give a great texture. The knife can be used for ALL different types of art genres. If you like nature pieces try using the knife to make the mountains. The sharp edge of the knife will give you a great even line. Don't forget about the knife great blending abilities, try painting a mountain and then blending a touch of snow on the peaks! Play around with the knife (although you might not want to run with it) in art the knife has wonderful purposes and should never be left out of your collection.

Howdy All,

Another update from the fine world of Stephanie's Fantastic Figments! For all of you who do not know, I started painting part time and it has really taken off. My art is considered by genre Multi-Media Folk/Outsider Art but I feel Whimsical is a much more descriptive title. The art is very unique in aesthetic and makes great conversation pieces. The pictures do them no justice. They have a very 3-d quality that cannot be captured on film.




The exciting news is that my eBay auctions have really taken off! I have sold three paintings and continue to list more. I have a fan base in the US, France, and Britain and look forward to expanding farther but I need your help! Word of mouth is the greatest tool out there so help me spread the word.


Currently I have three items listed on eBay and you should really take a look. These will make fantastic gifts for young and old. I also do commission, so if you have a spot on your wall that you have been waiting to fill LET ME KNOW.

MUST VISIT LINKS!!!!

My Website http://www.freewebs.com/enigmaart

EBay Auctions: http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/seppie_inc





Stephanie Mannuci