Strike Up The Band...(and a big THANK YOU!)

WOO-HOO!

.....I am SO excited I can hardly stand it!!! I am at sale #999 in my Etsy Shop. Fellow Etsians will know how exciting it is to be this close to a benchmark like No. One Thousand. I am so grateful to each and every customer who has supported my creative endeavors over the past two and a half years!

I've joked a bit about my little cottage studio being "Susan Faye World Headquarters", but just over the past month I've sent my little creations off to faraway lands like Spain, Great Britain, Australia, Canada, The Netherlands, Israel, Norway, and Bermuda so I guess I'm not joking anymore!!

To celebrate this impending milestone, each of my next 20 Etsy customers will receive -absolutely free- their choice of one of the kitty lavender sachets pictured above with your order!-- (I'll contact you to find out your choice). It's a $7.50 value; one free sachet per customer.

Thanks again to each and every one of you who have supported me and my dream of being a NON-starving artist!! I am deeply GRATEFUL!

More Bunny Haiku and a New Rabbit Mom Tableau For Inspiration

Still waiting for inspiration to strike before diving into the fun-filled world of Bunny Haiku? Here is a brand new mini diorama/shrine that I just finished, celebrating Spring and Motherhood. Perhaps it will get the creative juices flowing!


Thank you to everyone so far who has helped to celebrate the beginning of Spring by writing bunny haiku! So far there have been 25+ entries both here and on an identical post at The Hive, which means I will be donating at least $25 to the Red Cross for disaster relief ($1 for each haiku submitted; each person may submit up to 3 haiku).

We've had some seasoned haiku writers contributing their little gems. Haiku has different forms, some a little more complex. Here is a beautiful example from Cat Lady Lulu of My Pink Turtle:

White bunny
in white snow
Orange dream
of carrot growing
Brown dream
of chocolate melting

Here is an intriguing one from the viewpoint of a bobcat in captivity, written by artist Robert Sloan who says "it came to mind because I've been watching Skip the Bobcat at Big Cat Rescue. BCR rehabilitates many bobcats, but poor Skip will be eating ground food all his life because his hips are too narrow to pass it if he eats live prey. So he never can go back to the wild."

Title: Prey

I dream of rabbits
while I eat soft mush inside
my Big Cat Rescue cage.

And here is one by dt.haase who writes haiku on a regular basis. You can read all of his collected haiku here for more inspiration: poetic lines

the steel tin of life
behold imagination
warren of wonder

There is one day left to join in the fun and try your hand at writing your own haiku --one name will be drawn at random to win one of my new "Desktop Dioramas" (winner's choice). To read all of the other entries and to add your own, visit the original blog post : Bunny Haiku...A Spring Giveaway!

Thanks for participating!

Now available in my Etsy Shop: Bunny Mom Desktop Diorama

Bunny Haiku Galore! Three Days Left to Enter the Giveaway...

Thank you to everyone so far who has helped to celebrate the beginning of Spring by writing bunny haiku! So far there have been 25 entries both here and on an identical post at The Hive, which means I will be donating at least $25 to the Red Cross for disaster relief ($1 for each haiku submitted; each person may submit up to 3 haiku).

For quite a few participants, this has been their first try at writing haiku and the results have been wonderful!

Deb~Paxton Valley Folk Art was inspired by the bunny twins to write her first haiku:

Sweet twin rabbits share

carroty goodness between
their paws and their hearts.

Cat Lady Jeanie also wrote about the twins:

Twin bunnies have lunch
Eating carrots together
In a cute tin box



Here is Cat Lady Laura's first-ever haiku:

Soft pink tulip patch
Beautiful spring is such joy
To Rhonda's sweet heart

And here is David's first (very romantic) haiku:

Our hearts beat as one
we are so spectacular
must get hopping now

There are three days left to join in the fun and try your hand at writing your own haiku --one name will be drawn at random to win one of my new "Desktop Dioramas". To read all of the other entries and to add your own, visit the original blog post : Bunny Haiku...A Spring Giveaway!

Thanks for participating!

Play Time!

Illustration Friday

(theme:"toy")

This calico kitten has mastered the fine art of mouse-play: maintain an air of total disinterest and disdain until the perfect moment to pounce arrives, then give that toy a thrashing!

Thanks for visiting!

Just added to my Etsy shop: a brand new pendant for Calico-Crazed Cat Ladies! Click on image for more details...

I'm A Wizard of Whimsy! You Can Be Too!

whimsy, whimsey [ˈwɪmzɪ]:

1. a capricious idea or notion

2. light or fanciful humor

3. something quaint or unusual

Pen and ink artist and college professor dt. haase describes himself as "a wanderer for wonder, whimsy, & wisdom". He is also the host of "Whimsical Wednesday" where artists may share their creations of whimsy, wonder, and delight each week.

As Haase notes, one of the common human experiences we all share is suffering in one form or another. He says, "My invitation is to bring a bit of delight into the despair. I spend a lot of time with children and in turn they have taught me how to play. So, come and join the fun."

Speaking of delight, I was delighted to return from my vacation yesterday and discover that the title of "Wizard of Whimsy" had been bestowed upon me in last week's round of submissions! It is an honor that I do not take lightly, as I believe whimsy should be spread liberally whenever and wherever possible. In fact, I've been searching for a job title that describes what I do, and "Whimsy Wizard" is about the best thing I can think of to aspire to!

You can share your own whimsical creations here any day of the week (not just Wednesdays), or enjoy the creations of others:

* Whimsical Wednesday

HAVE FUN!

My Bags Are Packed...

...Well, sort of. (Don't tell Buttonwillow that she's not coming along).

I'm heading out on Wednesday with fellow adventurer Dave as we embark on a whale quest! It's the peak week to spot whales from the Oregon coast as they migrate back north, so we've got binoculars packed and plan to hit as many lookout points as we can over four days.

I'll be closing up my Etsy shop tomorrow night and will re-open it Saturday night. Any current orders should be shipped out by tomorrow.

Hope I have some whale-of-a-tales to tell you upon my return! In the mean time, keep working on those Bunny Haiku, then enter them in the comments section at the end of this post for a chance to win one of my new desktop dioramas!

Eat Your Veggies!

Illustration Friday

(theme:"cultivate")

This little rabbit family knows the secret to good health and great eyesight: cultivate a taste for colorful veggies.

Babs, Bibs, Binkie and Cousin Harey would like to share

8 Really Good Reasons to Eat Your Veggies:

• They come in lots of pretty colors
• They are inexpensive
  
• They are low in calories, fat and sodium
  
• They are high in vitamins and other nutrients
• They are high in fiber
• You help out the environment when you eat more vegetables and less (or no) meat.
• They are fun to grow
• They make your nose a rosy pink, your fur shiny and soft, and they put a spring in your hop!

What are you waiting for? There are lots of websites devoted to vegetable gardens and vegetable recipes. Vegetarian Times is a great place to find resources, recipes, and other great information.

Thanks for visiting!


Eat Your Veggies is my newest 8 x 10" print, now available in my Etsy online shop! Hop on over and find out more by clicking the link...