Hey lovlies, I'm writing a new blog called Honey & Huckleberries.  It's my non-art blog, so if you want to see my adorable children and all the fun food we make check it out!  I'm also doing a Project 365, so I'm taking a photo a day in 2013, also posted on this blog.  So photography, cute kids, yummy (mostly paleo) food.  Check it: [link]

I'll still post art on my other blog.  When I do some.  I'm in a bit of a funk this month.

Anyone?  We just finished Legend of Korra and need something to amuse.  When we aren't watching Eureka, which is quite amusing.

Anyone playing?  I'm Hanasu, naturally.

So the other day I was flipping through my April copy of ImagineFX...la la dee da when...
BAM!




Wait a second...that's ME!

I made a strange choking screaming noise and started hyperventilating.  Craig, from the other room (I was eating lunch in the kitchen with the toddler, he was eating in the living room because the baby was asleep on him.  Story of our lives) asked "are you okay!  Did you cut yourself?"  I found myself unable to answer and so just ran in and showed him.  Once he saw what was going on (which was tricky as I was bouncing up and down) he was suitably impress, but couldn't get up and dance with me because....well sleeping baby.

I had sent my art in months ago and never heard back.  I figured I would keep at it and try again someday when I had newer and more wonderful art.

What a nice treat while I'm on Mat leave to get me all pumped up to start freelancing again!

So my second little girl (who were are referring to as little A on the internets) was born on Friday the 3rd at 9:30 in the morning.  She was 7 lbs 9 oz and pretty much perfect.  My mom says she looks just like me as a baby   I'm feeling fantastic (except the obvious crazy sleep deprivation) this time around which is such a relief as I was a complete mess after I had little S.  She snuggled up in my lap right now as I'm typing. Love.  Here's one of the photos from her newborn shoot on Monday (at 10 days old).



And one of little S, I can't believe that she will be turning two in a couple weeks!  I love being a mom

My friend (for reals, her parents live across the yard from me) Jen has just opened up an account! Go show some love, she's just getting started out with the fun of digital art.

This is excellent: [link]
Also, her post on pricing is gold: [link]

Have you seen this nonsense?  I want one.  Stat.  Good thing my birthday is coming up!
[link]

Greetings peeps.  I just want to excuse my crappy participation lately by letting you know that I'm pregnant again!  Which means I feel crappity crap crap and mostly lie on the couch and read instead of drawing.  And then when I do draw, it's for work projects that I can't show off for months to come.  Which is lame, because some of them are super cute, but that's what they pay me for!  Due in February.  Reminding myself that I did this on purpose.  Dude, I hate gestating.

Deviantart is totally messed on Chrome today, I can only view it with firefox.  Anyone else having issues?

Okay for reals this time, what do you think?
[link]

Opinions on my portfolio split?

Okay, as I am currently trying to get freelance work, I am a having second thoughts about how my portfolio is arranged ([link] now the layout is geared more towards my stylized work, and I fear that won't help at all when I'm also trying to get work with my realistic fantasy stuff.  Any and all opinions on the following problems would be delightful:
- Should I split the site into two sites?
- Should I keep it as it is but have the paintings section go to a seperate site?
- Should that site still have it's own domain name?
- What would you label my galleries as? (right now it's Childrens, General and Paintings)

Anyone?

Three journal entries in one week?  Crazy talk.  I would remind you that if you actually happen to care about my ramblings on a more daily basis, I have a blog: [link]

I uploaded all of my bases for pixel dolls.  For those of you wondering why my gallery was suddenly flooded with naked pixelled people.  My pixel site is down because I switched servers and haven't bothered to load it back up, so if you use my bases you can link back to this account.  

It's been about 5 years since I last dolled, and sometimes I get the urge (I mean, they were so darn cute!) but it quickly passes.  I am, however, doing a lot of cross stitch lately, so maybe that's similar.  Or at least it will be if I start making my own patterns and many of them end up in inaccurate kimonos.  Who knows.  Oh nostalgia.

Anyone else on Pintrest?  You can find me here: [link]

Let me know if you want an invite!

I am in the process of trying to go from being a-person-who-draws-for-people-sometimes-and-they-give-her-money to a Professional Freelance Illustrator.  I am splitting my business finances from my personal finances.  I am getting a business license.  I am trying to figure out how much I should save for income taxes.  I am emailing a million places a day trying to find work.  I am working on my promo postcards.  I am researching canvas prints.

I have a headache.

I am a better artist than I am business woman.

I want to try out painting with gouache. Any experts out there have an opinion what I need to start out? Favourite paint brand? Paper?

I have the urge to paint a bit, and oils just aren't a good fit into my tiny house with baby and limited time life.  How's that for a sentance?  I was never a huge fan of acrylic and watercolour and me just don't get along either.  I don't know why I think gouache will be much better, but I like the look of it.

I cheated and used jalbum for most of it, which should make it much easier to update than my hand coded site was. Easy is good, as I am lazy about updating! Check it out here: [link]. Let me know what you think, and if it seems to be working well for your computer set-up

Now on to get some more work and take over the world!  I mean...draw.

To my Canadian buddies.  I made a turkey today that I am taking to my cousins tomorrow for dinner (long story, I don't know how this happened but I have the turkey and won't arrive in time to cook it there).  It's my very first time roasting a turkey and I brined it overnight then stuffed it with sausage cornbread stuffing.  Butter under the skin.  I'm eating it right now.  Baby just woke up, maybe she wants some turkey?

Hope your turkey is as yummy as mine.  I'm thankful for all of YOU!

I don't usually cross post from my blog but I thought this was pretty fun.  What's on your to-do list?

I turn 29 in less than two weeks. Kinda crazy, but I don't mind. My theory is that approaching milestones should only bother you if you aren't happy with how your life is going. And I'm happy. Still, I thought it would be fun to jump on the blogger bandwagon and make a list of 30 things I'd like to do in the next year. I'll post on my blog when I accomplish them.

1 Lose 20 lbs (which would bring me back to my pre-baby weight)
2 Recover chair
3 Paint desk
4 Redo portfolio site
5 Get kids book ready to send out
6 Do a craft fair
7 Learn to use goache
8 Sew s's quilt
9 Finish baby book
10 Be published for something
11 Draw some more little houses and send out a press release
12 Sew S a dress
13 Sew myself something to wear
14 Finish reading all of Jane Austen's work
15 Get my art in a local shop or gallery (other than just greeting cards)
16 Perfect cupcakes
17 Grow garlic
18 Build a bookcase
19 Learn to shoot manually (camera...not guns. I mean I'm fine with guns, but that's not the point)
20 Organize basement
21 Organize my jewelry
22 Make 100 sales on etsy (I am at 32)
23 Totally finish s's nursery
24 Memorize a chapter in the bible
25 Learn a new Chilean dish
26 Watch every Audrey Hepburn Movie (or at least the ones she starred in)
27 Totally finish the kitchen
28 Draw a family portrait
29 Make bagels
30 Make lasagna from scratch including noodles and cheese.

Hi guys! It's a little crazy around here this week, my cousin (and her two year old) came over to help me paint my kitchen and my daughter is teething hardcore (crying fits, fever...it's pretty awesome). Good times. Also my printer died. I couldn't just choose a cheap printer, I really want the Epson Stylus R1900. It can print on canvas! And do 13x44 inch prints! And it's shiny! (By the way, if you have an opinion on this printer, I'm all ears). And I need to save up some change. Anyone want a picture?

I've been drawing these cute little houses lately, and I'm really enjoying them (I have a bunch in my moleskin that I need to scan). If you want a 5x7 of your house done in this style it is only $25! Full colour, print sized jpg. All you have to do is take a snapshot of your house (or condo, or barn, whatever you live in) and I will make it cute. Even if it is not cute to start with. I'm that good. Send me an email if you're interested! hannasandvig @ gmail.com (remove the spaces)