Alliecatbeads + Owl Silhouette
Thanks to a super sweet new friend on the etsy website, I had a perfect subject to paint for the owl contest starting tomorrow over on ebay! She found out I was doing an owl contest and asking for opinions on what type of owl painting and she began telling me about the great picture she snapped. Imagine this…it’s sunset and you are looking outside…you see an owl swoop up and land on a wire…the owl, pole and trees are in silhouette. Well, that’s the scene as she captured on film!
Here’s the finished piece, which be an entry in the contest:
If you are interested in some lovely bookmarks, jewelry, cards and other adorable items, please check out her shop by clicking here: alliecatbeads
Thanks so much Gina for the inspiring piece! I absolutely loved recreating that scene!!
Spooky Hauntings
Those are just a few of my latest paintings that are currently for sale. See all of them, or available prints of these:
Click here to see my current listings on ebay
Click here to see my etsy shop
Just in time for the hauntings of the Halloween season…that just makes me fill with delight. 
Sachet Giveaway!
Etsy is one of the most wonderful places to me. People are friendly and the community is so full of creative and wonderful artists!
One such artist contacted me recently and we have exchanged several emails back and forth. Her name is Dev and she has this super sweet blog called “Dev’s Favorite Giveaways”.
She is doing a feature on my shop “The Cozy Loft” and I’ve offered one of my sachets as a prize! Please click here to go by and leave a comment if you would like to enter to win. Plus, you will probably want to bookmark this lovely blog as she does so many nice things on there!
Remember to read her instructions because you can enter in different ways.
I feel so special that I am featured there and the kind things she said about me and my little cottage industry. Thank you so much Dev!! ♥
Beautiful Steal of a Deal
During my time on etsy, I have met some really great friends. This particular post spotlights a lady who’s been a rock for me! Her name is Bette and her shop is called lvsbeadsnthings. (Just click her shop name to go straight to her shop.)
One new creation she has is such a perfect and affordable Mother’s Day gift. Her new birthstone rings:
How gorgeous are these? I love them! Plus she makes them herself, so they can’t be found anywhere else. They can be special ordered by just contacting her and they are only $12.99 each!!! What a BARGAIN!
Such a beautiful idea from a beautiful lady!
What a Way to Wake Up!
It’s always such an honor to make a friend through my blog. I have actually made several and am so proud to have discovered them. They have allowed me to become a part of their lives and the reverse is true too!
Today, I woke up and groggily stumbled to the computer to check my emails which is generally the first thing I do in the mornings. Imagine my surprise to find myself in not one, but two wonderful blog features!
I would love to share these with you and hope that you’ll visit if you can. Here are the addresses:
http://voleurdebijoux.blogspot.com/
Thank you Lynseyand Tran for these awesome features. I am so very touched!
Awwwww Foohy!
Being from the South, we have some quirky sayings and exclamations. One of the funniest to me is when something doesn’t quite go my way, I might say “Awwwww Foohy!”
Imagine my delight to find a seller on etsy named “Foohy” with all sorts of wonderful goodies. How cute is that name and please, please look at her avatar – so perfectly cute. Who says there’s not innocent fun anymore!?!? I have visited her shop multiple times and she’s become such a dear friend. She actually has another shop in addition to her Foohy shop called “Mootsie“. Both of them are equally as fabulous. Foohy sells all sorts of wonderful supplies – paper, vintage, beads, charms and more. I am consistently inspired when I look through her things!!
Some petite pink pearls (imagine the possibilities!):
And some vintage brass lockets:
Then, Mootsie has so many lovely things like this Sense and Sensibility bracelet:
and this shabby/cottage/chic banner:
This lady is super nice and you will be oh-so-happy with anything you get from her. I happily sing her praises because she is so very worthy!
Love you Audrey!!
All photos courtesy of Foohy and Mootsie.
Cottage Accents and Owls
I just had to show you two of my newest creations that I just listed in my etsy shops. The first is a paper mache box that I have had around here for some time. The inspiration actually came from some of your lovely blogs I’ve had the pleasure of reading lately with all kinds of blue backgrounds and pink roses. Here’s the little box currently listed at The Cozy Loft:
The second is an ACEO painting that I really loved painting. I have entitled it “Mesmerizing” because I always feel mesmerized when looking at a full moon. (Just imagine the view this little fella has!) It is cute and mysterious at the same time, making me love it all the more and it’s currently in The Owl Barn:
Changes
It’s time to tell you what I’ve been working on. For a while now, I’ve felt my shop “The Cozy Loft” was getting a little too “all over the place” and was really not quite consistent. My vision for it was really cottage, shabby, chic, pink, victorian, and romantic. An example:
While doing all these fantastic things, I discovered other passions of mine as well which, while similar in some ways, are vastly different in others. I have found a true passion for owls that I didn’t know I had. I ADORE them!! In every shape, size, color, style, material, oh my! So, I created a shop just for my owls called “The Owl Barn” . Here’s a sampling:
Next, I realized I had a really vast array of different types of paintings. Those are the things that I create that are freeing to my soul. They are close to my heart and make me feel youthful…thus the name of that shop “Painting Girl” . A sampling from there:
I joke with my friends and say that I must have 3 different personalities. No, that’s not true. Really there are probably more. ;D
Ok, all joking aside, I really feel like this will do me well. I already feel more organized and as if I have things where they need to be. For a while I contemplated having a separate blog for each shop but I realized that’s not me either. I want everything contained in one lovely blog.
The next dilemma is working on either keeping this blog with the same name or get one that would easily capsulate all my adventures. I realize that all can be right here together and I will keep “thecozyloft.wordpress.com” just as it is. The only difference will be that I will talk about all the facets of my world as it is…good and bad.
There will be lots more to see around here and I’m really, really excited about all that is to come! I hope you are too!
400th Sale – Sooooo Close!!
It’s almost time!! I’m at 399 sales. The next buyer in my shop will be my 400th sale!!!!! That person will receive a super sweet prize package for being a milestone sale in my shop!
So hurry, hurry and grab something…anything!! You will not be disappointed!!
Update: The 400th sale was achieved!! Thank you so much Anita! I will have your goodies out in tomorrow’s mail!
Treasury Feature
I am so incredibly honored to be in treasuries. Any time it happens, it absolutely makes my day!! I need to start showing you those here, so I can remember who did what and repay them in some of my future treasuries, as well. I always try to include some of my friends, some people I don’t know, and some people who have featured one of my things, when I can. I think it’s just the right thing to do
Here’s the latest one made by acottagehearth:
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=39351
She features a treasury all about laundry and called it, appropriately, “Off Balance”. This is the item from my shop that she features:
Thanks so much, acottagehearth! It is adorable!!
400th Sale Milestone Approaching!
I’m at 393 sales!! YEAH!!! I can’t believe in less than a year my little cottage industry has seen such success. With so many shops out there, I wanted to say thank you for choosing mine. I am ever so touched and grateful to each of my wonderful friends.
As I approach 400 sales, I want to do something special. How about a new contest? Yes!!
Each and every person making a purchase in my shop this entire month and anyone else making a purchase up to and including number 400 will be entered, as will all those who comment here!! Buyers receive 2 entries per purchased item, commenters receive 1 entry.
The lucky winner will receive a similar heart sachet pillow:
Good luck!!
Be Mine + Advice Needed
I’m really looking forward to Valentine’s Day. I assume this may be apparent by my most recent paintings? 
This is my newest piece that I finished this morning and just listed in my shop:
I work on all sorts of projects and set them aside for drying and then work on something else. It continues over the course of several days and then seems like I’m finishing several things all at once. So, I think what I may start doing is a weekly shop update. This might be easier than finishing something, then doing all the things necessary for listing…but I’m just not sure how it would be. Any opinions and advice? Anyone tried it this way?
Black White Beautiful
I am up to it again!! My treasury is on the front page of etsy and I couldn’t be more thrilled!! Here’s a shot of it:
I realize this may be too small to tell much about it, but it’s also on my flickr. You can see it better by clicking here.
I’m so excited about it!! YAY! Happy Friday!!
