okay....who's getting hitched?

Hey beautiful person! Are you or is someone you know getting married soon? Did you know I'm having a contest and the winner gets a custom wedding cake topper designed and made especially for them of whatever they want? There's just a few weeks left to enter--here's the rules again for those of you who need to know:

Tell us your cutest, goofiest, or most swoonfully romantic story of your "I do moment." Then choose one of the designs on my Etsy site or one you spotted hanging out at the Chapel of Bunny Love that I can use to illustrate your saga on my blog. Send a picture of the two of you to sweeten the pot, but not required. I'll publish your stories between now and 11:59 PM, Pacific Standard Time on April 30th, 2010 and then we'll open it up for the readers to vote on which story made them go "awwww!" or "ohhhhhh!" or "mmmmmmmmm!"

The grand prize winner will get a custom cake topper set that I'll make with whatever critters make their hears go purrrrrrr!! I will also give you the keys to the castle where you can order custom invitations, big gifts for the wedding party, or little ones for the guests--all with the picture of your adorable Bunny with a Toolbelt wedding cake topper on them and whatever personalized text you like!

Please limit your entries to 500 words. This contest is intended for currently engaged couples. I'll post them as they come in. Email them to me at bunnywithatoolbelt@gmail.com. Thanks for playing!

Indian Inspirations

I had a recent commission that was really fun--a couple saw my bride and groom elephant figures, but wanted their set to reflect their Indian heritage. I was sent a few images of traditional outfits worn by Indian brides and grooms, and we talked about options, finally deciding to do a pattern on each elephant inspired by the elegant fabrics. Jasmine flowers and a sparkly bindi on the bride too!

oranges are not the only fruit

...because as everyone well knows, there's also apples, bananas, pears, lemons, and strange purple things. I just filled up the Flora and Fauna section with a fruity-delicious assortment of pieces to make you smile. Here's a sneak preview--see the whole gang by clicking here!

look who just swam in

I have shipped thousands of packages in the past 21 years of my art career, and finding ways to re-use packing materials has always been important to me. I often find little surprises in the packing peanuts I get from multiple sources. Today, these two little wood duckies showed up to say hi.

sweet little easter birdy

Hey all! I made a limited edition of 16 original Easter eggs, all smartly priced at $35. Grab yours now before someone else does! They're all in the "holidays" section of my Etsy site, which you can see by clicking here.

Hey Kids! Looking for a screaming deal on some of my work, while simultaneously supporting a groovy community mural project in my neighborhood? Here's just a tiny sample of what you will find in the sale section of the Bunny with a Toolbelt Etsy site!

Monday

it's a brand....new.....contest!

Dearest ye who art recently engaged (and those who love them,)


Tell us your cutest, goofiest, or most swoonfully romantic story of your "I do moment." Then choose one of the designs on my Etsy site or one you spotted hanging out at the Chapel of Bunny Love that I can use to illustrate your saga on my blog. Send a picture of the two of you to sweeten the pot, but not required. I'll publish your stories between now and 11:59 PM, Pacific Standard Time on April 30th, 2010 and then we'll open it up for the readers to vote on which story made them go "awwww!" or "ohhhhhh!" or "mmmmmmmmm!"

The grand prize winner will get a custom cake topper set that I'll make with whatever critters make their hears go purrrrrrr!! I will also give you the keys to the castle where you can order custom invitations, big gifts for the wedding party, or little ones for the guests--all with the picture of your adorable Bunny with a Toolbelt wedding cake topper on them and whatever personalized text you like!

Please limit your entries to 500 words. This contest is intended for currently engaged couples. I'll post them as they come in. Email them to me at bunnywithatoolbelt@gmail.com. Thanks for playing!

tribute to a good dog

I recently made this sweet little commission for a customer who saw my "Best Dog in the World" piece on Etsy. She asked me to do a version that had a custom dog on top that looks just like their dearly departed pooch, who in their eyes, was the Best Dog in the World. I think it's a great way to remember the furry friends who make life just a little bit more awesome.

One new aspect to this piece is the patterning I did in the land masses on the globe. For some reason, the plain green in the original wasn't working for me, and I've recently had a lot of fun painting grass on the bases of some of my new wedding cake toppers:

got pink?

I have been meaning to make a flamingo for some time.....finally someone asked. Voila!

going to the chapel of Bunny Love!

I finished another little animation recently featuring my favorite old and new wedding cake toppers! So that means that now I have about 50 different designs to choose from. Phew, that makes me tired just typing it.... Click here to see what's on the Etsy site!

simple touches to customize your favorite piece

here's a cute commission I did last week, adding a heart balloon to a customer's custom pet commission:


and then one of the doggies who starred in my For the Love of Dog video was bought and the customer asked to have a yellow birdie added to its back. Super cute!

Yay! Instant Party took GOLD!

Thanks to everyone who voted for me in the rikrak Handmade Olympics! We did it!!!

it's always the season for LOVE

A few pictures from my life....my mother sent me the above image of their two penguins and a greeting card I made when I was an illustrious card designer. She piled a few quarters under the shorter one so it could kiss the taller one. Awwwww! Below is the beautiful bouquet my sweetie brought home for me yesterday. I think it's one of the most beautiful bouquets I ever received and the color combination is inspiring me today. I think it might find its way into the palette in the bathroom I'm painting, and maybe a few new elephants. This week is all about finishing up my brand new animation and showing you the 35+ new wedding cake toppers that will be added to the lineup this spring. Stay tuned!

all the bunnies and Ron wish Erika would get better soon.

This is starting to feel a lot like dedicating a song to the one you love on the radio! Love it!!! Click here to download your free all purpose sentimental card, color it in, write a message on it, and I'll post it on the blog for you.

valentine freebie!

Hey Kids! I designed a coloring page that you can download free and give to your favorite valentine, just by clicking here! It's just my little way of saying I have soooooo much love for my fans.

ps. If you send me your finished pieces today, I'll even post them here on the Bunny with a Toolbelt blog! Click here to submit your valentine.

me gustas tu

your vote really DOES count!

Hey kids! Bunny with a Toolbelt's Instant Party is neck in neck for the race for the gold in the Handmade Olympics! Only a few days left to vote, so I hope you'll participate in the hottest competition in craft! Click here to vote!!

can I muster one more vote from you this week?

Hey kids! My Instant Party figures were nominated in the Handmade Olympics, sponsored by Rikrak studio. What a fun event with many categories--I'm proud to have been nominated in the "favourite handmade item that's FUN" category. Click here if you'd like to cast your vote for Bunny with a Toolbelt!

and the winner is.....

Well, the public voted and the winner of the Bunny with a Toolbelt 2010 Love Poem contest was....Poem #6 about the lovebirds sitting in the tree! Congratulations Deanna!! Thanks everyone for participating!

In the next few weeks, I'll be launching my new wedding cake topper line and a new contest. The winner will win a custom cake topper set! Stay tuned for the scintillating details when they unfold.

Punxsutawney predicts....

Hello Beautiful People! Well, Punxsutawney Phil had his say today and the word is....well....we've still got some winter to get through. On a similar note, I wanted to show you a cute little groundhog commission I got recently. A customer who is a big squash player/fan asked me to make a little gift for someone in his athletic club who organizes an annual Groundhog Day Tournament. Here's the little guy, showing us exactly how he's going to spend the next six weeks:


Don't forget to vote for your favorite Love Poem this week! Details are below in yesterday's post.

time to vote! which love poem is the very best?

Okay...the final entries are in! And now it's YOUR turn to vote! Below are our seven contestants for the Bunny with a Toolbelt Love Poem Contest!

The way it will work this time is similar to our holiday photo extravaganza--leave a comment in the comments section below the poem you vote for. One vote per person and you have until Friday, February 5 at midnight PST to cast your vote.

Here's a recap of our entries--click the entry number to re-read the poem associated with each image. (Don't forget--you're voting on the poem, not the artwork!!)


Entry #1 (about the Nasty Little Secret figures)


Entry #2 (about the bride and groom penguins!)

Entry #3 (about the sweet squirrel!)


Entry #4 (about the rainbow dog and the bulldog characters from my new movie!)

Entry #5 (regarding the smiling gator with the toothy bird on its back)

Entry #6 (which involves my lovebirds sitting in the pear tree wedding cake topper display stand)

Entry #7 (also about the gator and bird piece from the previous entry)


Thanks everyone--this has been really fun!!