My studio, my dad, a Christmas painting and gifts on Etsy

Hi! Today I'm sharing a few things I wanted to share, so I am. 

I'm sharing :)

Above, a sketch - Birds, suitable for framing.

My dad turned 73 on Tuesday Dec 2nd - hard for me to believe. Happy Birthday dad!

He likes waving to me once I'm on the train at the Amtrak station in Richmond. 

Always makes me happy.

Lately, I've been attempting to declutter my space where I live and work.

It's not easy for me. I hang onto things, but it feels nice to let go. I feel lighter. I think.

I moved a couple of paintings. Cata Caquinho, above, now hangs in my living room. 

This is Cattie, a cute Steiff cat from childhood. No, I would never give her up.

This is a corner of my studio/kitchen area. It probably still looks cluttered to many of you, 

but for me, it's good. And, I've moved a bit more since this, too!

Crash Bunnies is now above my drawing table, along with dogs, Ruben & Cooper

Pirate bird and others...

I painted this little winter scene last week.

It's bun's 1st Christmas.

I recently had to get a crown after cracking my back tooth on a pistachio :/

My new dentist is Pasha on 5th Ave and 17th St, Brooklyn.

I think he did a fine job, although my temp popped out eating a breakfast burrito!

Time will tell.

This photo was taken along 4th Ave and you can see, the light was fantastic that day. 

Above, is the lovely, talented Yuko Katakawa at this year's CBIG portfolio review.

It's held each year at a public school on the Upper east Side.

I just love this little cape-coat! 

I thoroughly enjoyed my meetings with Beth Terrill, editor North South Books

and Patti Ann Harris, now at Scholastic. It was a great experience. 

CBIG does a good job of organizing it all. I'm really happy to be a part of this group.

Now, onto gifts! I gave this to my friend, Margaret as a little house warming present. 

She likes whales and this one from Clayopera on Etsy couldn't be sweeter! 

Take a look at her other ceramic pieces, all fun and whimsical.

My sticker :)

If you're shopping for charming toys this year, Hazel Village makes super cute animals,

like these two. I found them at the Union Square Holiday Market last winter.

little tree

My Christmas and holiday cards are available in my Etsy shop, Blip Blop Shop 

take a peek :)

An inkling of an idea - overindulgent animals...

You know who you are!

:::

It's almost the weekend. Have a fun one!

xo, A

It's a Capybara world after all

or is it?

Some would say it's a Dog Eat Dog world, but I wouldn't worry about these guys.

Speaking of dogs,

Doggy Bag and most products & prints in my Society6 Shop are shipped FREE this week!

Lotta Buns, Gingham Bear, Hello Love and Doggy bags, available in several sizes

Hello Love pillows and covers, available in several sizes 

Little Darlings is available as a print, bag or pillow, comes in several sizes

Nice catch, Cat! art print available in several sizes - Venice Gustavo gondolier series

One of the loveliest girls I know turns 11 tomorrow, her party was Saturday. 

Zex and baby Mirabelle

Time sure flies!

In Venice last month with her mom

*Happy* *Birthday* *Mirabelle*

May you experience many wonderful adventures in life! Travel is a great start :) 

It's Monday. There's no telling how the week will unfold.

I hope there are some nice surprises in store for us all!

:::

See more illustration work, browse some products or see more pics on Instagram

why not?

xo, A

Happy Birthday

Blipadee Blog is celebrating it's 1st Anniversary! I posted a simple introduction on April 20th of last year and began profiling some of my neighborhood favorites in May.


As I've mentioned before, I started Blipadee on a whim after my mom forwarded Luca Barney's blog to me. His was up & running only a few days after his birth mid April '09. I was confident that if a newborn could do it, I could ;)

Here he is, the son of my mom's lovely friend & Italian teacher, Paola. Baby blogs are a wonderful way to share photos and information with friends and family. I love the way it's written in his voice & very funny. Hope they decide to start it up again (no posts in awhile, but I keep checking :)

I greatly appreciate the generosity of the people who first let me profile their businesses. They really had nothing to go on at that point.

A big Thank You to Jessica whose store Ruby Moriarty is full of cute hand-made clothing (including my tees!) funny books, art and a relaxed fun atmosphere!

Thanks to Cozbi, whose store is pure charm & beauty! I love it all and buy when I can, beautiful clothing for women and children. She's a total inspiration, too.

Thanks to Tommy who has made Le Petit a staple of the Carroll Gardens neighborhood. He was a virtual pioneer, opening up long before others took a chance below 4th street. It's since become a destination spot with restaurants like Frankies, Buttermilk Channel and Luna Rossa, to name a few.



Of course, Blipadee is a great showcase for artwork. I enjoy posting about my experiences, whether on a scenic job or mural project. It's nice to have a place to share my designs for licensing and to show paintings in the works or on exhibit (if I'm lucky!)

If any of you are considering a blog of your own, it can be time consuming and one more thing that's in need of exposure, but I think it's a great companion to a website. It has "life" to it because it continually changes. I love reading other people's blogs and I'm still amazed at what a small world the internet has created. Last, but not least, it's very fulfilling to interview people you are curious about and who inspire you!


It's May and Mothers Day is this Sunday, so it was time to paint a new door mural for If I Were A Toy :)

Check back this weekend for my Mothers Day Post!
Grazie!! xo, Allyn