Yay for summer!

(After I got out of the water and was done packing up, I looked and saw this picture of my my happy surf stuff)

Midweek some plans in my busy schedule got canceled, and I found myself with no kids
(my mom had them).What a strange predicament! What to do? So I spontaneously packed up my surf gear and headed to the beach! I had so much fun, a little mini vacay! It was cold and overcast, kinda cold and windy and the water was surprisingly colder than the week before, but I had a great few hours alone with the ocean!


My hubby is off work for a week, so we plan on logging in lots of beach time, maybe some camping, and little excursion to Disneyland.
My posts may be sparse here for awhile, but I still plan on posting at least once a week,
(just not every other day like before).

Wishing you all a wonderfully happy and relaxing summer!
XO Shell

And the winner is...

For my Caribbean Dream Tote Giveaway the names were first
sweetly and carefully copied down by Dylan
from my master list

He wrote Georgia B., then began Digsie, but had to stop midway for a spontaneous kitty drawing...

that took quite a long while,
so
I ended up doing the rest...
We placed them in a bowl out in the grass, stirred them up...

And The Winner IS...

Sandy K!

You are the lucky winner!
Congratulations!
You won the Purple Caribbean Dream Tote!

Later, I saw the bowl sitting there and had to draw just one more name,
its just too fun!
So...
we also have a runner up...
PEN!
Pen you have won a Caribbean Dream blue tote!

Sandy K. and Pen, please e-mail me your mailing addresses.
Thanks everyone for playing! I had a lot of fun and can't wait to do another one!

Please visit www.shelldransart.com
to see more Wildflower Studio home grown goods infused with love!
~thanks for the love and support~
xo Shell

PS Don't Worry
I didn't forget
Pen, Grace and Freshly Found,
on the list (pictured in the photo)
they just hadn't been written down yet when I took the picture :)

~Happy Summer Solstice! Images from the Garden~

With this new intensive online class taking up the small amount of spare time I had, I feel like I have been neglecting this blog, and I truly miss connecting with all my lovely blogging friends as often as I was previously.
I wanted to post something new for you all,
so here are just a few quick glimpses of a few goodies growing in our garden.

wispy, blooming cilantro (before cutting the blooms)

tasty chives

Cherry tomatoes slowly growing and ripening on the vine

I hope this post finds you all well and that you are having a beautiful summer so far!
(Happy Summer Solstice!)
xo Shell

Wildflower Studio News and My Own Giveaway! :)

just picture me in that little bungalow creating away :)

Lots of changes going on around here! And I am so grateful to be making this journey with loving support from so many of you from all over the world! It makes change a lot less scary and do-able knowing there are gentle souls out there taking the journey with me by reading my words.

First in the Wildflower Studio news:
I am enrolled in an online Adobe illustrator class this summer (started Monday), dubbed "Digital Drawing", another way to create! Its really hard/frustrating because I have never used the program before (I just bought it yesterday).
I love taking online classes because you don't have to drive anywhere and can work any time of day (perfect for me and my crazy schedule), but I have so many questions! I am not sure if I can do this with out a classroom environment. This is a really intense class- a 6 month semester crammed into a 6 week summer program, so we already had assignments and projects due! (So bare with me if I have slowed down on posting here. I'll be back to normal soon... I hope!) Have any of you know Adobe Illustrator?

At the studio:
I have a lovely new workspace, a whole room to create and manufacture my products (up until now it was all done mainly at the dining room table). Yay! Organization!!! (although, things are already slowly being stored in there... surfboards, unused baby gear, hiking gear... its all slowly creeping in. Its funny, its more of a storage room for my art supplies, which feels so good. I am more of a social being, so I still love to create at the dining room table or the on couch just to be around my munchkins! And I am so excited to announce that I have purchased some equipment and materials for my "Wearable Art", totes, and more! I will post more details below...

Webstore News:
I have added a few things to my site: Namely, a call to stores and boutiques to carry my products. (up until now I didn't really advertise to stores or boutiques outside of my own area. I am not sure why, I just didn't think about it! If you are a store owner, or online boutique owner and interested in carrying my products or greeting cards, please contact me. I'd love to connect with you!
I am also interested in suggestions. If you have any stores or boutiques that you love or think my products would do well in, please feel free to suggest them to me! Its a great help and I totally appreciate it.

**New equipment!** Now for most important news: I have purchased some wonderful new (very expensive) equipment and technology that just raises the bar on the quality of my "Wearable Art"(hand-signed onesies and tees), totes, and other products printed with my art. I am so excited to upgrade the quality of my products! I feel so good about this and I can't wait to get my stuff out there to a wider audience! The images I am making promise to "outlast the garments they are printed on". So exciting! So far I have only experimented with my Caribbean Dream image (as seen above).

Now, I'd like to do a giveaway! Just leave me a comment and you'll be entered to win a small colorful totebag (not seen on my website) with my Caribbean Dream Printed on it with my new equipment and material, and signed by moi! ~Click to enlarge~
(the actual image on the bag is much more vibrant than it looks on here. I took the picture with the sun shining behind it and through it, so it kind of gave it a faded look when I uploaded this picture on this post)

I would love to give something to each and everyone of you! In due time, maybe I can... In the meantime you have my friendship and dedication :)
Lots of love to you all! And good luck!
I will draw the names in about a week, and announce the winner!
xoxo,
Shell
PS. I was just given word from Annie's shop blog that she wanted to do a review and maybe host a giveaway as well. Go to Annie's Shop for more details.
Thanks!

A rite of passage for little ones~Graduating Preschool

the proud graduate

My Son D graduated from preschool last week.
He is so excited to go to a big school and be a kindergartner. He was a little sad to leave some of his best friends who will go to different elementary schools, but we live in a very small town so I know we can't help but run into them. We also plan on keeping in touch through letters and "play dates"(I am still adjusting to that word). Also, he is attending a fun summer program that has a lot of his old friends and new friends in it, so he is a happy camper.

I was not really emotional about the rite of passage, too busy handling my active 1 year old,
and busy talking to other families, my own family, getting my camera ready, etc.
Then, right before the ceremony, I had to sneak into D's class and grab something.
I quietly went in and saw their little bodies sitting in circle time.
They were all sitting gleefully, with glowing faces,
taking turns reminiscing about their favorite moments in preschool.
It was the cutest thing I have ever seen.
Their sweet little voices describing their favorite preschool activities
and moments before their last moments in preschool.
They felt so proud to be growing up, and such a bond about sharing their favorite times together before they would be departing their little school, their first school experience, as big kids.
It touched me so deeply, I was so overcome with emotion (and even now, as I write about it).
It got me good. I was a mess. It took me a couple minutes, (and a lot of willpower) but I was finally able to compose myself and join the bustling audience. I was taken aback how I went from normal to weeping within a second.

Anyway, it was a sweet ceremony, a peace theme with a 60's flair. The kids all wore colorful tie-dye shirts they had made, and they all sang fun songs together for the audience. Then they had their names called one-by-one and received graduation certificates. It was really cute.

I love you D! I am so proud of you and love being your mom. You have learned so much and are such a sweet little guy. I hope you continue to use your imagination and preserve that love of learning and your fascination with the earth and how things work, nature and space, and art.
You fascinate me and inspire me everyday.

relaxing after the big event

Children grow up so fast! Someday I feel like I am literally watching them grow before my eyes!
They have so much to teach us with with their raw, innocent wisdom.
The challenge is to somehow harness that raw, innocent wisdom, and preserve it.
xo Shell

morning sojourn

Although I didn't go to sleep until 1am, was woken up by G at 3am, and again for good at 5:45am, I loaded up my car at 8am with all of my surf stuff and headed to the beach. I promised myself on Wednesday that this Saturday morning I was going to wake up, feed G and go to the beach alone and have some girl time.
I had only been out surfing once since G was born. That's one time in 2 years (including pregnancy)! I was a little nervous in the cold salty early morning air, but guess what?
I had so much fun!
I stayed in the water for 2 hours straight, and it cleansed me of stress and connected me to myself and nature.
I came home a new woman. A better mom and a happy wife.
Yay! :)
(I always like to try and put a photo with my posts if I can. I found this photo from a couple of years ago of me and Dylan waxing my board. I can't wait till we all go as a family!
But for now I will treasure these solo trips :) )

Wishing you all some time alone to connect with yourself
and whatever brings you happiness.
Sometimes just a little adventure, or change in your everyday routine can make you feel more alive.
Happy Sunday! D and I are off to the beach!

Custom Order for Father's Day

Happy Father's Day
To A Real Catch!

From daughters to dad

I was hired to make a custom card for a mom of 2 adorable girls who love to go fishing with their dad. That was all I was told, no details or vision. I had total freedom.
I was thrilled to make this design.
I literally envisioned the design as I was given the order, and sat down to create it during my boys nap time, and then finished it later that night after they were tucked into bed.
It was already in my heart and soul and
came immediately out on to the page with no thinking involved really.
I love that! And I love how it turned out.
And just to be fair and equal, I altered it a bit, turning it into 3 separate cards:
one from daughters to a dad, one from sons to a dad, and one from a son and daughter to a dad!

They all read:
"Happy Father's day~To a real catch!

from sons to dad

from son and daughter to dad

For orders or to view other cards and gifts made by me,
Please visit shelldransart.com
(for some reason the link isn't working here, so you'll have to retype the web address above)

Thanks for visiting!

PS. Congratulations to:
Aik (all the way from from Malasia), who won the giveaway of
any 3 Wildflower Studio greeting cards,
and also
Mia from California, who won a gift bundle of
a onesie, tote bag and cards!
Thanks for playing!

~Shell

follow

If you take the time to follow a child

they will lead you to magical spaces,
show you tiny wonders
and overlooked miracles
and
you will remember
yourself
and what it feels
to live in the moment
in blissful simplicity

(fine print: that is if they are not teething, as mine has been. But luckily we are pretty much back to blissland again. It was constant screaming there for awhile, not fun! But usually its just as I say above, and I am in constant wonder, and feel so blessed.)

Father's Day Cards and Gift Ideas

Looking for a unique card for Dad on Father's Day?
Here are a few ideas perfect to give to husbands with children, or to your own dad.
I made sure I had a design for both father and son, and father and daughter.

Above is a nice card symbolizing the journey taken together.
Fatherhood is a journey and an adventure as well.
You can also order this as a print, hand-signed by me.

This is a beautiful card for Dad. This also makes a great gift when given as a T-shirt.
(My own husband where's his all of the time!)

Cards are sold in packs of 5, but mixing and matching is fine!
Go to Wildflower Studio, and pick any 5 cards to make a 5 pack, in any theme or category.
Just type your choices in the message box in Pay Pal when you go to order any card pack.
I will be sure to send you your variety of choice.
Of course you can always contact me with any questions.

For more ideas, cards, gifts and more visit Wildflower Studio,
where you can find "Home grown goods infused with love"
All products are made my me, Michelle (Shell) Dransart.
~Feel free to pass this on to friends or family who love
original, whimsical art and photography~
Thanks for visiting!

A sweet and unexpected gift/ Summerfest 2009

Shokoofeh from A New Simple Something gave me the sweetest gift of making a whole post just for me and blessing me with a beautiful bouquet of various pink jasmine photos! Its just such a sweet and unexpected gift. It just made me smile big.
Go to her lovely blog here and see all of here lovely images.
I swear I can smell the sweet pink jasmine right here in my home at my computer!
Thanks again Shokoofeh!
(which means blossom, by the way. Isn't that perfect?)
(I wish I had some photos of Daffodils to post for you! (That's her favorite flower.)
Please accept these pretty pink flowers instead!
_____________________________________________________
I will be selling my goods tomorrow at the "SummerFest" event in Thousand Oaks.
I have never been to this event, but was invited by the people who run it while I was at my booth at the Arbor/Earth Day event in April. Whether its a successful day or not, it will be nice to meet new people, and I am especially looking forward to hanging out with my good friend Niki, who I am sharing a booth with. She sells wonderful and luxurious Arbonne face and body products. Between the 2 of us we have something for everyone!

And here is a stargazer lily for all of you, another one of my favorite flowers.
(I have many favorites, so hard to pick just one!)
PS. A big thanks for all of you who read my interview (in the post below)
and gave me great feedback! I really appreciate it.

An honor to be interviewed

I was honored to be asked for an interview by Clover and Violet, a sweet online boutique and blog run by 2 talented ladies. I had fun talking with Jennie who ran the interview, she is so sweet.

Here is the interview quoted from The Clover and Violet blog:

Behind The Scenes With Wildflower Studio, an interview:

"As you may have noticed, we tweet on Twitter. Today's Behind the Scenes interview is actually the result of an artist/shop discovered on Twitter. Michelle of Wildflower Studio agreed to do an interview and a little giveaway for us. So, please read on to learn a little about this amazing lady and enjoy a sampling of her art and photography. As an added bonus, some of Michelle's photographs and prints are available on T-shirts, onesies, and the cutest tote bags. Enjoy.

1. How did you get started in art and photography? I am definitely self-taught, although I would love to give myself the gift of taking some classes as my kids get older.

2. How did art and photography go from a hobby to a business for you? As a child I planned on having my own greeting card business and also becoming a photographer. As I grew older I outgrew my confidence and what was before an affirmative statement of doing those things, became a far off dream that I longed for but wasn’t sure how to get it going, and was paralyzed with fear of judgment and critique from others. In 2006 I had a devastating miscarriage and I was stopped in my tracks. I wanted so badly to make a baby, but I needed some time to heal. I looked at my life and how delicate and short it is. I sort of stopped everything I was doing and looked within and asked myself what I wanted out of life. I re-realized my dreams that I had been putting on the back burner for so long. I decided I would do all I could before I got pregnant again. I turned off the critical voices in my head, put some blinders on and went for it.

3. What do you do when you’re not painting/photographing? Playing with my kids, hanging out with my hubby, connecting with friends and family, managing the business side of Wildflower Studio: restocking stores, putting orders together, updating my blog and website, returning e-mails, oh and trying to clean my house, lol!

4. Do you have other hobbies? Yes, I just wish I had more time to do them! Creating in general, Sewing, surfing, hiking, travel (that one is on the backburner for awhile, but before kids was a big one for me), writing. I love to try new things. Life is so short, so whatever sounds fun,I write it down to try it at some point.

5. What is your favorite way to unwind? I love going to the beach in late afternoon/evening with my little family. It really benefits all of us.

6. Favorite vacation location? Before kids I loved to travel the world, backpacking to remote locations, trying to go to a new place each time. Now, with children I try and choose places that are in the states and have natural resources and space to run and explore.

7. What would you like to be doing in 10 years? Ohh, what a good question! In 10 years my kids will be 11 and 15! That seems like a lifetime away from a 1 and 5 year old. By then I hope to be traveling and camping with my family more often. That is really important to me, to take special time away with my family and create more memories. I know they benefit from the local day trips I take them on now, to the beach and hiking, etc. But you can do so much more with an 11 and 15 year old! (My dream would be to travel the world with them, showing them amazing works of art, architecture, and different cultures, but that may have to happen a little later than 10 years.)

In 10 years I would like to be more knowledgeable in the business world (I know I will be because in just 3 years I have learned so much just by getting out there!) I hope to have a solid foundation for my company, and more freedom to let it work by itself.

I really look forward to having more opportunities to create! Also, I plan to continue learning new ways of self expression and creativity my whole life, so learning new processes is something I definitely would like to be doing as well.

One thing high on my priority list is to continue learning more and more about photography. I want to be able to continue to improve my skills not just for myself, but so I can provide others with amazing memories. OK, I know I am going off on a tangent here, but I also plan to write a book at some point. Nothing crazy and long, just something simple and sweet to inspire and lift people's spirits. Along that note, I am actually in the process of illustrating a children's book for my husband. It keeps getting put off, and he gets really frustrated with me. So by then my illustrations better be done, Lol! Lastly, in 10 years, and beyond I want to continue to meet more interesting and authentic people. I am so inspired by genuine, authentic people.

8. What is your favorite handmade/small business/local purchase? I have this beautiful Kimono style robe made by Sophie Golightly from a local boutique called “Rituals”. Unfortunately the store is now closed! It was owned by a wonderful woman, Beth, who carried my cards and “Wearable Art”.

9. What inspires you? My Inspirations include nature, the ocean, simple details and overlooked beauty, my children, my husband, and my dearest friends and family (especially those few who are supportive of my work and give me wonderful feedback and support, it means the world to me!). All the amazing creative souls out there, as well as all of the wonderful supportive comments I receive on my blog, on my face book page, through e-mail, letters, over the phone, or in person from these lovely people from all over the world. The positive feedback really keeps me inspired and keeps me going, and I treasure them all."
--------------------------------------------------

Now, Make sure you go to Clover and Violet and enter the Giveaway for any 2 cards from Wildflower Studio of your choice! Details are at Clover and Violet!
Thanks for reading! And thank you Jennie for such a nice interview!
PS If you wish to leave me a comment, please scroll down a bit, my blog is acting a bit funny today. As always, I'd love to hear from you :)
~Shell

Remembering that secret formula

For those who commented on my last post, I want to thank you for the riding this wave with me. I am slowly remembering my needs, and although they don't cost a dime, I just need to figure out how to attain them.
I am finding all I really need is some alone time, to breathe, think, and ideally to be in nature. I require exercise as part of my formula to really function in the most clear and joyful state. It keeps me sane and keeps me going. It helps me breathe and rids me of stress. I have been trying to accomplish this with kids, but its just not the same as having that special time to myself. Ideally I would walk/ run /or surf (exercising in nature is the best!) EVERYDAY. Being in nature while getting exercise is like medication, or is it like water, a survival requirement for me? Anyway, its my magic formula for long term happiness and keeps me balanced. Everyone has something that makes them happy, that's it for me.
Ever since I had my second baby I haven't had a chance to be alone much. I appreciate all the the gentle supportive comments. It nice to relate with others who understand what I am going through and know I am not alone! Its such a balancing act, and one that I forget to include my own needs in. I am working on this!
Over the weekend I went on 2 hikes (with out kids!) and got to think! It was so nice! I actually ran through the hills both days and I feel cleansed. I wish I could do this everyday!
In the meantime, I will do what I can to stay mindful of the balance in my life.
So many of my friends (including Dagmar) have told me to have a spa day. I have never done that for myself. I Am excited to try it out! I think I may have a girl day with my sweet friend, Kayley, yay!
I will keep you posted on operation rejuvenation!
In the meantime, I have an event to prepare for this Friday!
Love to you all~
(PS. The above photo was actually taken while hiking in the Swiss Alps, long before kids. I have fond memories of my long solo hikes there.)