Snow Day!

We just got a bunch of snow here in Dreaming Bear land.  I decided to call a snow day, so the girls and I could stay home with our families.  It was nice to just stay inside, where it's warm, and putz around on a couple of projects.  I enjoyed finishing up a few things, and being comfy in the process!

And in case you were wondering...Elsie had a fine day too....

January Snuggles

Hello there.  How are you?  Are you staying nice and warm?  I hope so.  We haven't really had winter weather very long....but when it came, it came with the crack of a whip.  It's supposed to hover just above or around zero today.  I'm enjoying the lull of January.  After the hustle and bustle of show season in the fall, and then a super busy holiday at the store (thank you!), I'm enjoying a little peace and quiet. 

I've been working on finishing up some things that keep hanging around, haunting me.  Man, doesn't it feel good to finally finish that "thing", whatever it is, and send it out into the universe?  Especially after you've been delaying for so long.  Feels so good.  And it also feels great to try some new things....I'm painting some faces on canvases, some furniture, and doing some surface design projects as well. 

And we spend a lot of time snuggling with and staring at her.....

....seriously....a lot of time.

She's at it again!

 One of my resolutions for 2012 is to journal more.  I got sort of slackish towards the end of 2011, and missed out on documenting several things.  One of my hang ups is that I simply cannot journal on just a plain piece of paper!  (heaven forbid!)  And I got behind on prepping pages for journaling...so yesterday, I finished prepping the pages in my first pink journal.  Only a few more pages, and this one will go on the shelf...and I will move on to the BLUE one for 2012!!  Yippee!  Sorry for the poor lighting in these shots...I snapped them before the sun came up this morning!

 Lots of snippets from my favorite art magazines, and pieces of advertisements.....

Layers of acrylics and crayons.....

Cutting random holes through the pages for the heck of it.....

Bits of an article featuring Anna Maria Horner's studio...so inspiring!

The panda page was created by my niece, Katie...when she visits us, I love handing my journal over to her to create something to remember our time together.....

More fun decorating ideas.....found in magazines!

More pages that Katie made for me....

From a cereal ad:  My favorite quote of all:  "No two flakes are alike."  Ha!

And the inside cover....and a number from a cancer walk...I've been meaning to tape that in as a page...will have to do that.

Thanks for peeking....hope you enjoyed!  More to come soon!

Hello 2012!

Happy, Happy New Year!!!  Wishing you a kick butt 2012!!!

Happy Holidays!

Wishing all of you a very merry holiday.....peace in your heart....contentment in your soul.....a glimmer of light during dark times.....comfort and warmth.  May this season be one filled with cozy quilts, crackling fires, footie pajamas and smiles on your loved ones faces. 

Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you, for another wonderful year at The Dreaming Bear.  Thanks to our customers who support us, to our staff who work so hard, to our family who cheers us on, and our friends and neighbors, who make everything fun.  We are blessed and lucky indeed.  Happy Holidays!!

Halfway Through December Already!

Oh me....oh my.....it's the 15th of December already?  How can this be?  Mom was right about time flying faster as you get older.  Sigh.  How have you been?  We have been enjoying mild temps so far here in Iowa.....40's and rainy.  It's kind of nice....but the kids want snow.  Kids always want snow...it's fun for them.  They don't have to worry about driving through it to get to work, etc. 

We have been blessed with a very busy holiday season so far!!!  There seems to really be a shift in the way people are thinking about doing their shopping this year.  Folks are really making an effort to buy local, and support small businesses!  This makes us SO happy, of course!!!  And we are working hard to keep up with the demand.  Feeling so grateful for my helpful staff, and supportive family who help to make it all happen!

Soon I'll post some pics of the store, before all of our holiday finery gets packed up for another year! 

Christmas in the Park and The Peppermint Walk

The Peppermint Walk!

When:  Friday, December 2nd 4-8pm

Where:  downtown Marion....where else?



Hi again!  Things are moving and shaking in downtown Marion, folks!!!  Join us Friday, December 2nd for Christmas in the Park, and The Peppermint Walk!!!  Santa is coming to town. Meet him in City Square park! All of the downtown merchants are going to be open late, showing off their holiday finery, and serving yummy peppermint treats!  Our very own Emily is making some tasty sugar cookies...you've gotta come by and try one!   Click HERE for event details!  Can't wait to see you!!

Dreaming Bear is open late on Thursday evenings!

Howdy friends!  Just a friendly reminder that The Dreaming Bear store is open 10-7 on Thursdays in December!!!  We are also having open art studio every Thursday evening, 4-7!!  Stop in, say hi to Emily, and she'll help you get going on a super cool handmade gift for the holidays!!  Ornaments, glassware, picture frames, and a fresh crop of canvases are ready for your creative touch!  See you soon!

Small Business Saturday coming up!!

Hey everyone!  Small Business Saturday is a day dedicated to supporting small businesses on one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year. On November 26, please join your friends and neighbors in shopping small at your favorite local stores and help fuel the economy. As the owner of a small business, you gotta know that I really, really love this idea!  When we all shop small, it will be huge.

Click HERE for additional info.

Home again, home again, jiggity jog.

Thank you, Des Moines customers, for your support during the Junior League Gift Mart!  A big thank you goes out to The Dreaming Bear girls for keeping the store running smoothly:  Angie, Dawny, and Emily!  Also thanks to my Little Man for being such a great helper at my show....so helpful and patient.

I am back home now, resting in my jammies today.  Waiting for Lovin' Man to come home from conferences in Chicago.  Looks like a good day for staying in, and relaxing...but is that what we will do?  We shall see!

Happenings in the Home Studio

Hello there!  If you've visited The Dreaming Bear lately, you've likely seen one or all of us working away behind the counter, painting and sanding, and doing all we can to get ready for our upcoming visit to Des Moines, and getting the store ready for the busy holiday season!  I've been working away during my evenings at home as well...here's a little peek at my work table currently.

I've been trying to "shake up" my normal painting routine, by trying some new paints (currently loving Liquitex fluid acrylics) and lots more layering than I usually do.  I'm obsessed with simple leaf and bubble shapes, and find that I can easily lose myself for an entire evening, just playing and swishing these lovely colors around!

  

I did the canvases first...but then thought to myself, "Self, I wonder if you could achieve the same effect with your glass paints, on glass items."  The answer is yes I can, however it requires more patience, as these paints remain sticky far longer...so I have to wait a bit before layering more colors on.

And below, you see some more patchwork hearts I've been sewing up, and flower pins that are in progress.    Wishing you all a colorful, spunky holiday season!  More news to come soon!  Cheers!

Des Moines Junior League Gift Mart coming up!!!

Dreaming Bear will be selling at the Des Moines Junior League Gift Mart next weekend! 

 C'mon out and get a jumpstart on your holiday shopping!  It's gonna be a FUN time!!!

Thursday, November 17th 6-9pm

Friday, November 18th  9am-9pm

Saturday, November 19th  9am-3pm

Here's a link to their website for more details!  See you there!!!

More Goodies in the Etsy Shop, Yo.

Click HERE to see what's new in the Etsy shop! 

Time to start thinking about the holidays!  Woo hoo!

We were Queens for the Evening last Thursday!

Last Thursday evening, I hosted "Queen for the Evening" in the studio, where I was joined by 4 lovely ladies, Jane, Braden, Megan and Mary Ella.  We had a great time embellishing our crowns and crafting the perfect magic wand for all of our upcoming decrees that must be brought forth.  Sorry to say, I didn't get any pics of the ladies actually wearing the crowns...we ended up sizing them at the last minute, and then scarfed down some cupcakes!  Eeeep!  Thank you all for joining me....it was great!  Schedule your own Queen for the Evening party by calling us at the store!

Kansas City booth pics!

Last weekend, we sold Dreaming Bear goodies at the Kansas City Junior League's Holiday Gift Mart!  It was a great event!  Lots of fun to meet so many new friends!  Here are some pics of what our booth looked like before we sold lots of stuff!  And I was worried about having enough!  Ha!  We could barely fit it all in!  Top sellers this show were bookmarks, moustaches on a stick, and lazy susans!  Time to get back to work making more!