Time to pay tribute

I am sitting here listening to Colbie Caillait's new song, "brighter than the sun". It is a song with a great hook, very catchy. She is singing about a love that is brighter than the sun.

It is funny how the words can be applied to each of us in our own lives in various ways to something or someone we admire greatly.

It is these lyrics especially that have me paying tribute today:

I swear you hit me like a vision
I, I, I wasn’t expecting
But who am I to tell fate where it’s supposed to go with it?

Oh, this is how it starts, lighting strikes the heart

It goes off like a gun, brighter than the sun

Today is the very day 3 years ago that my silly dream became a real living thing. SpookyTime Jingles. STJ was my vision and lightening to the heart.

Bittersweet in some ways, I suppose. I love the growth and am really humbled by all we have grown but also misty of the good days behind us that I would love to relive and how fun an early dream can be. I guess kinda before the reality of " hey, you really have something here, so get your butt back to work"!

Such a wonderful place to be, and I know it.

I have made some of the truest friends I have ever known in my life. I have met such genuinely sweet people who are so beautifully talented that "inspiring" seems to not be a big enough word to describe the feelings I have. I have experienced some amazing experiences that would not have been in my life without my silly little dream

come true.

Looking back today, I want to say....

Thank you to every artist who has ever been part of SpookyTime Jingles. Thank you to every person who has ever purchased a piece of our art or helped us spread the word in anyway. It really all helps tremendously! Sometimes people can forget or not realize that artists' create not just for love but also money. These are not occasional crafters nor hobbyists but tried and true artisans. Souls need to be nourished and the bills need to be paid...mortgages covered, doctor's visited, school supplies gathered, clothing worn and food in the tummy's of our lil pumpkins.

The success of SpookyTime Jingles helps insure that, for everyone affiliated with STJ. I thank you from the bottom of my soul for allowing my silly little dream to flourish so that I could help other artist's follow their own "silly" little dreams.

With much Love and gratitude, thank you~

*Please consider visiting our "giving page" where we are accepting donations for The Make a Wish Foundation of America! Each Anniversary we choose a new charity to benefit. The Make A wish Foundation, grants wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses. You can donate directly or purchase a piece of art from us that shows a portion of the sale going to this charity in YOUR NAME! Starts tonight at midnight~

This year we chose this charity in honor of our surprise guest artist, whose son had 4 years of fighting for his life from a blood cancer. The foundation granted his wish in the dark days when nothing was guaranteed in this sweet young boys future. The wonderful news is he MADE IT and is now a grown young man and doing wonderfully considering the harsh side effects that chemo leaves in ones body. So please consider donating in honor of someone you love. You may just grant a child their last wish.

http://friends.wish.org/100-000/page/Dani-Nelson/SpookyTime-Jingles-Donates!.htm

Stampington Holiday & Celebrations Annual Issue is out and SpookyTime Jingles looks great!

I am so pleased with the Stampington Holiday and Celebrations annual issue-2010! It is their best issue yet. I am SOO happy we decided to kick up our ad campaign with them this year.

The issue has not even officially hit the stands yet (tomorrow 9/1) and it already seems to be their best selling issue. This issue will be featured in EVERY Barnes and Nobles, nationwide through October 2010 on end caps to showcase it!

We are on the first page in..

And the back cover!

I know that there are VERY FEW left to order. No exaggeration. So if you plan on ordering one, I suggest you hustle up! link below to order

http://www.stampington.com/html/holidays_celebrations_2010.html

Plus a big congrats to my STJ artists and friends Iva Wilcox, Jenn McGlon, Tracy Nuskey-Dodson and Melissa Valeriote for their wonderful features inside this amazing issue!

Studio Photo Shoot Pictures that didn't make the STUDIOS magaine issue

So the day finally arrived when the Fall Studio's Issue came out. It was so fun to see myself in print and those pieces of who I have collected over the years.

Below are a bunches of the pictures that I enjoyed from the photo shoot but did not make it into the magazine. The issue would have been all me if they all made it..lol
I hope you enjoy, I have been lucky enough to collect some amazing pieces over the years. See if you can pick out your favs ~

My 1st Magazine feature!

this is my best Halloween pose ;)

I am soo pleased to announce that I will have a SIX page feature in the upcoming Fall issue of Studios! Studio's magazine is an extension of Cloth, Paper, Scissors and will feature my Halloween Studio. My studio is part work space and part Halloween Gallery. I worked with a wonderful photographer named Andrew Wilkinson, owner of WilkinsonMedia.net.

He was wonderful and guided me through the entire process. He was even excited to shoot my studio space and liked looking at all of my collected works and especially my cabinet of curiosities. We actually live in the same town and have since attended some of the same art shows. He was kind enough to drop off a goodie bag filled with doll parts for me to alter! Amazing how things work, you just never know who you will meet and if you will make a new friend. The entire experience has been magical and I am grateful for these Happy Days!

I really adore the fact that my favorite artists that I have collected Halloween pieces from will be seen in print in my article!! I hope it brings them some extra exposure and maybe even sales! How cool would that be?!

page 102 -A Visual Treat! Yeah, I made it to the Table of Contents too! ;)

Studios by Cloth, Paper, Scissors can be purchased at many Barnes & Noble, Joann's, Michaels, Hobby Lobby and AC Moore's. They tend to sell out quickly so you may find ordering easier.

You can pre-order the issue now by clicking here!

howdy do!

Hi all. I hope everyone is doing well. As usual I am a month late in coming to the party ;)

These pictures give you a pictorial time line of my last 6 weeks. hugs~

Went to see Nickelback in Atlantic City (thank you Lord above...was beyond amazing)

Turned another year older :)

Miss Brandi Mckenna flew in from North Carolina to help me knock out the STJ collector Tree that we are raffling off (winner drawn any day now) in all of it's Halloween glory! I love me some Brandi and know in my hear she is my long lost sister ;)

Wicked ass tree topper Brandi made for the Halloween raffle Tree

Went into NYC for a second time to see the Tim Burton exhibit at the MOMA

We also got to spend the day in NYC with Miss Marie and her simply awesome daughter Laura
Please note only the Patterson girls could be this happy in a NYC taxi ;)

Got to finally meet the sweet Zan, she is a true blue soul for sure ;)

We all had lunch together and I had what may be my last Bento Box from Takashimaya, NYC :(
they close June 5th, 2010

Went Buck wild in M&J trim

I got to meet a Jenny of Polka Dot Pixie (a personal fav of mine) for a quick 10 minutes at the airport. We had a small window until she flew home from Newark from a teaching event she just finished...from when I dropped Brandi at the airport to get back home to NC.

Was meant to be ;)

I unwrapped (to inspect) and rewrapped HUNDREDS of pieces of original Halloween art for The NHC (Nat'l Halloween Con). All art from my SpookyTimeJingles.com artisans. The BEAUTIFUL Marie Patterson helped me and saved my sanity (what is left)

I stuffed Miss Wendy Leaumont in my car with loads of boxes for the National Halloween Convention. This doll of a friend flew in from Louisiana just for me..well ok for the National Halloween Con too but..whatever ;)

~Wendy's Art business- My Brain Child~

I met some amazing peeps at The NHC and Loved it!!
~Made some new friends and hugged some old ones~

I kept the "staff" in line..ha!







Photo ops everywhere!!

Wore my Queen of Halloween Crown made for me by Marie Patterson
plus she gave me The Art of Tim Burton book as a bday gift! SCORE!



We SOOO Flippin RAWKED the NHC!!










We had FOUR full Booths!!!

I had a dreamy photographer come to my abode and shoot me and some studio/art pics for an upcoming publication! How exciting. Andrew's photography skills and English accent left me smitten ;)

And truly there is much more but this is enough, yes?



So, I know I act like "it" is no biggie and I flit around like a tweaked up chickie. But the truth is, I have amazing friends and family that support and help me at every turn. I could NOT have gotten everything done without my Dr.'s, meds, friends, family and the power naps that saved me ;)
Fibromyalgia does sometimes knock me out for the count but I am getting better at managing it and asking for help. My point in sharing this is, that chronic pain and illness suck the big one BUT I am not giving up until someday I am pain free and not just pretending like I am.
~Go give a "soft" hug to the chronic pain sufferer in your life.~

Oh.....

I leave you with these pics I just found in my iphone.
I need iphone anonymous..I LOVE this phone!

And at some point I took these stupid random pics of myself..HA!







~Hugs abound~