what i’ve been up to…

it’s been a while since i’ve blogged…

every time i tell myself i’m going to blog consistently – life happens.

the end of october brought with it the first anniversary of losing my sister patty

then, on november 2nd, my mother unexpectedly lost her sister, josefina (my Tia Chepa). once again, we were faced with the loss of a loved one right before the holiday season.

i won’t go into emotions right now…i’m just dealing with making sure my mom’s okay and that she not get ill, as she did when we lost my sister. she’s still recuperating from that…

i’m just getting back to work again. on a personal level, i am not thinking of celebrating holidays right now. from a business level – life goes on…shops remain open…

this past week or so i’ve been working on Christmas ornaments. i just listed some to our website – i’d love for you to check them out!

wood ornaments by Susie Carranza for www.ArtedeNuestroCorazon.com

wood ornaments by Susie Carranza for http://www.ArtedeNuestroCorazon.com

pot of marigolds with mini serape & heart milagro...

ornament: pot of marigolds with mini serape & heart milagro…

ornament: Frida with El Venado Loteria card...

ornament: Frida with El Venado Loteria card…

ornament: large orange rose with miniature clay pottery...

ornament: large orange rose with miniature clay pottery…

ornament: Frida with wing milagros & flowers...

ornament: Frida with wing milagros & flowers…

for these and lots of other handmade art pieces, please go to http://www.ArtedeNuestroCorazon.com

i’ll also be adding new items to my Etsy art shop and Etsy supply shop in the next few weeks. please support the handmade community and original artists this holiday season! ❤️

(i bought the raw handmade wood ornaments i used here from Terramaya on Etsy – make sure to check out her shop!)

’til next time…

lots of heart art going on!

just wanted to share some of the heart/love inspired items i have in my Etsy shop

heart art collage

and in our website Arte de Nuestro Corazon

Arte de Nuestro Corazon heart art collage

if you’re a creative soul, i have also been busy adding NEW items to my Etsy supply shop – my 2nd shop for destashing art & craft supplies –

feather butterflies in Etsy supply shop

 

heart milagro from Etsy supply shop

i had planned on doing a blog post on what i’m currently working on – hand painting canvas tote bags, and more mixed media hearts – but my computer is giving me SO much trouble right now, especially when i’m doing any edits to my photographs.  i’m hoping to get some help working out the kinks very soon…

til next time…

new items for a new year…

i’ve been busy working on my Etsy shop! i created a “SALE” section, to which i’ll be adding certain items at reduced prices. i’ve also been creating new hand painted pieces to add to the shop, and with Valentine’s Day around the corner, i’m hoping my new mixed media hearts, with inspirational words and phrases, will find new homes soon…

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these hearts were inspired by the art badge i shared in my last post (2014: create every day…). i loved the art badge so much i recreated it onto a paper mache heart (excuse the photo – it’s from my phone)…

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…and enjoyed that process so much i wanted to make more! i used recycled papers (tissue papers, Gelli Plate prints, junk mail envelopes, book pages, and more), acrylic paints, stamps, and miniature flowers – i love being able to reuse items i already have.

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(another phone pic)….

each heart is one of a kind and available in my Etsy shop now!

happy holidays…

can you believe Christmas Eve is here?!

December ends with me trying to do more painting…

purple, red, gold canvas WIP/instagram pic

excited about the reaction to my hand painted wood ornaments & seeing the last of my hand stitched ornaments sold (as seen on the beautiful Christmas tree from Frozen Ropes Sports Training Facility in Glendora where several of my ornaments hang) …

Frozen Ropes Christmas tree/my ornaments/Instagram pic

and  hoping for a peaceful, no-drama Christmas Eve with my familia.

merrychristmasfromsusiecarranzastudio2013

I want to wish everyone a merry Christmas. 2013 was rough & I’m happy to see it end. hoping 2014 brings lots of love, laughter, and dreams finally coming true…♥

(the beautiful angel figurine in photo is from my mother’s Nativity scene.)

around here…

i’m not in a celebrating-the-holidays mood.  losing my sister in october and losing my father-in-law in february did not leave me in a party mood. our thanksgiving here was a quiet meal with my parents, my brother, and my nephew. (my husband lawrence was with his mother.)  it was quiet, peaceful, and simple.  we also had a small cake for my mom; that day was also her 79th birthday.

lawrence and i did visit Huntington Library again a couple of weeks ago. (read my other post about the gorgeous library and botanical gardens here.) this visit was more about just clearing our heads and getting some exercise, so i was not concerned about taking too many photographs…

zen garden, huntington library, nov. 2013(i love how lawrence’s shadow looks in this photo!)

huntingtonlibrary_nov2013_2we watched some ducks for a while…

huntingtonlibrary_nov2013_4bridge in the japanese garden…

so – not many pictures to share this time, but we enjoyed the day.  we even finally had lunch in the tea room: garlic shrimp spring rolls with jasmine tea.  it was delicious!

i haven’t been painting as much as i should be, but i did start up again.  funny thing – even though i don’t feeling much in the holiday spirit, i have been painting ornaments for my Etsy art shop – and enjoying it!

starpaintedwoodsparkleshinesetWMbirdwoodglitteryhotpinkHOLIDAYWM2birdwoodglitteryblueHOLIDAYWM2

i added a pretty metal heart charm on sheer ribbon around the birds’ necks…

birdwoodglitteryblueHOLIDAYWM3

birdwoodglitterygreenHOLIDAYWMif you’d like to see what i’ve been adding to my Etsy shop, please check it out – hopefully you’ll find some holiday gifts you can check off your list! ♥