New Photo in My Shop ~ Citrus Bouquet

You can see this photo here!

Hello! I'm leaving in a few minutes to meet a friend for coffee but thought I'd post my newest photo real quick. How are you? Anything new? Sometimes I wish I could actually talk to you face to face. lol. Blogging can be a bit impersonal, huh? Anyways, I do care and hope you're doing well. Thanks for all of your comments this week! I read each one and love hearing from you. :)

A Thing for Antlers....Yep, Antlers

1 ~ Factory Girl, 2 ~ Steph Chard, 3 ~ Hisss Illustration, 4 ~ Hip Chick Crochet

I know antlers are a funny thing to have "a thing for" but I've been seeing them everywhere lately and am obsessed with finding just the perfect set of white painted antlers to place on my mantel or a shelf. There's even a fun stylish magazine called Antler that I'm sure many of you have already heard of. It's probably just a trend, but I'm onboard atleast for now. ;) Are you onboard for the antler trend? What are your thoughts?

Hope you're having a good week so far everyone! For a blog about art and creativity I don't think I've even done one creative thing. lol. xo

Picks from the Creative Challenge Group!

1 ~ jan@twoscoopz, 2 ~ what_marty_sees, 3 ~ echo

Good morning! How was your weekend? Anything fun or memorable? Our play was great... it really took you away to a small southern town. Most of it took place on the rickety back porch with four elderly ladies who loved to gossip! Kept me laughing the entire time. :)

I'm feeling a little under the weather today so this will be a short post. I wanted to atleast post three of my favorites from the Creative Challenge group and let you know next weeks Creative Challenge. Last weeks prompt was the word "INSPIRE". I love what members of the group came up with...so much creativity and inspiration! These three photos inspired me but you may have others that inspired you. I would love to hear a couple of your favorites if you want to describe them or leave a link to them in the comments section. :)

Here's this weeks challenge:

AUTUMN COLOR

O.k., have at it and let's see your most beautiful representations of Fall color through any art medium you choose! xo

Weekend Inspiration

Beautiful photo by Cathy Lyons. Thanks so much for sending this encouraging verse to me, Cathy. You made my day. :)

Framed or Unframed?

Well, Happy Friday! How was your week? Mine was good, although I've been extra tired for some reason. What are your plans this weekend? Anything fun? I'm way behind on laundry and have some housework to catch up on (are we ever really caught up?) but also have plans to go see a play tomorrow in Seattle with my husband. It sounds like it's going to be an entertaining one! It's called "Wedding Belles" and it's about a bedraggled bride who is found stranded at an East Texas bus station in 1942. The determined ladies of the local garden club leap into action! They round up a wedding cake and a gown but still have to find a groom. We've heard it's really funny so we're looking forward to it! There's also a salmon event going on in Seattle (dinner for $10.00) so I think we'll be going to that before the play unless there's the torrential downpour the weatherman is predicting. ;)

O.k., I'll quit babbling and ask you which of the above photos you prefer...the framed version or the unframed version? Thanks so much for your input. I love reading your suggestions. They help me decide which version to sell in my shop. :)

Have a great weekend everyone!!! xo

Lovely Clusters Fall Catalog

Sigh.....Rachel from Lovely Clusters has put together the most beautiful Fall Catalog!!! I don't use 3 explanation marks too often, so when I do, you know I'm serious! lol. I've been a little sad that Summer's over but these photos remind me of how wonderful Fall can be. I love the smell of cinnamon candles, pumpkin spice lattes, and the sight of colorful leaves scattered everywhere.

What about you? What's your favorite thing about this time of year?

*** Oh, before I close I wanted to announce the winner of the generous GIVEAWAY from Simply Me Art! The winner (selected randomly) is............ Amy from Ribbons and Twiggs! Good for you, Amy! I'll send your email address to Jamie and she'll be in touch soon. :)

Have a great day everyone!

Last Week's Picks from the Creative Challenge!

1 ~ Ania Maria, 2 ~ RebeccaVC1, 3 ~ Leefee Studio, 4 ~ Isabelle LaFrance

Something about the color GREEN is so soothing and refreshing! Our subject last week for the Creative Challenge Group was "Mostly Green". Here are just a few of my favorite submissions. Hope you enjoy them, too. :)

Ah, here's a question for you. What's your favorite color and why? I actually have two favorite colors. One of them is GREEN and the other is BROWN. The reason I like green so much is because it's the main color you see in nature. It's refreshing and calming and brings back good memories for me. My Dad was a forest and park ranger for years so we did a lot of camping and hiking as I grew up. He taught us so many plant names I think I could give you a Botany lesson to this day!

I like BROWN because of it's warmth and because it's also a soothing and earthy color....and, it reminds me of chocolate. ;)

O.k, your turn. What's your favorite color and why?



P.S. It's the last day to enter this GIVEAWAY. I'll announce the winner tomorrow!

This Week's Creative Challenge ~ INSPIRE

Good morning! How's your Monday going so far? I hope it's not feeling like a Monday. ;)

Ready for this week's Creative Challenge? As you know, artwork can have a huge influence on those who view it. Just like music, it can evoke different emotions...happiness, sadness, anger, peace, etc. For this week's challenge I want to encourage you to inspire others with what you create. Whether it's a photograph, a collage, a painting, or a sketch try to come up with something that will make the viewer feel inspired. I know this one's more challenging than the one's I've posted other weeks, so if you have any questions or want ideas just post them in the discussion section on Flickr.

Btw, when I took the photo above I had not only my family and friends in mind, I was thinking of YOU, my generous sweet readers. Many of you have become friends over the months and I just want you to know how much I appreciate you and all of the sweet encouragement you leave here. Hope your new week is a beautiful one! :)

Happy Friday and Updates

This photo is in my shop. :)

Can this week be coming to a close already? Sorry I was MIA the last few days. Hope your week was a good one. :) Mine was pretty difficult because I wasn't feeling well and also received a diagnosis of MS (Multiple Sclerosis) yesterday. I'm actually feeling some relief since I've had these concerning neurological symptoms for several years. Now I can get started on the med's. that help with flareups and slow down progression....kind of bittersweet.

Anyway, before I head out the door, I'm sure you've noticed that I've had my blog design updated (again)! I'm making some changes in the format of Simply Hue and wanted the design to reflect that. I'll tell you more about the new format next week. Until then, have a great weekend and take care of yourself. xo!

This Week's Creative Challenge!

You can find this photo in my shop, Simply Hue Designs. :)

Good Morning! How was your weekend? Ours was relaxing...nothing too eventful but nice. This morning was a little crazy, though. My daughter called us at 2:30 a.m. and needed us to drive her to the emergency room for some pain she was having in her lower back. It ended up she had a kidney stone! We were at the ER until almost 7 a.m.! She's here resting now so I get to play nurse. :) She's feeling a lot better and even asking for a taco. That's a good sign for sure!

Anyway, I wanted to pop in and let you know this week's Creative Challenge theme. This week's challenge is:

MOSTLY GREEN! Post photos and artwork that are mostly green. Feel free to use other colors in moderation but a majority of your artwork should be....you guessed it....GREEN! Have fun, relax, and let you creativity flow. :)

Picks from the Creative Challenge Group!

1 ~ happy-mami(Rebe), 2 ~ {eva}, 3 ~ Carol Yepes

Aren't these photos sweet? Last week's creative challenge was "SMILES". I think the best smiles in the world are children's smiles so my picks for this week were pretty easy. Great work, Ladies! :0)

With the weekend here (wow, this week went by fast!) do you have any plans? I'm hoping to go to the state fair to take some photos and stuff my face with corn on the cob and scones. lol. We'll see....today's opening day so I have plenty of time to get down there. I'm just in a hurry to get photos of the ferris wheel and vintage carousel, I guess.

Have a great weekend, sweet friends! Thanks again for all of your kind and encouraging comments this week. xo

What does it need?

You were all so helpful last week when I asked you what my Paris Collage needed (I did make some minor changes to it thanks to your suggestions) that I thought I'd ask you what you think this photo needs? Does it need a frame, more color? Hmmm, I think it's missing something but I don't know what.

What do YOU think?

UPDATE ~ Just edited one with a frame (below). Which do you like better? See how much I value your opinions? :0)

Loley's and Company

Good morning! How was your weekend? I hope it was relaxing with some fun sprinkled in. That's how ours was. My husband and I took a drive to a small harbor town (Gig Harbor Washington) and had a laid back day browsing the shops and art galleries and walking by the water. I love towns by the water and hope (oh, I so hope) that we can live in one someday. Something about water is so therapeutic and rejuvenating!

How do you like the jewelry photos above? They might not be something you would wear (or they might) but after you pay a visit to Loley & Company, I think you'll agree that the designer has such a fun and whimsical style to her jewelry! When I first spotted her Etsy shop it made me smile....so much cheerful color and (here's that word again) whimsical designs, and unique ideas. Here's what the designer says about her shop:

"We like to make pretty little things for others to enjoy! We mostly use vintage items, and on occasion new and antique when we are so lucky . We prefer to make one of a kind pieces, but will sometimes offer a limited production of an item . We are easy going and fairy friendly, so feel free to contact us! We would love to hear from you."

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT LOLEY & COMPANY? I'd love to hear your feedback in the comments section. :)

*** For this week's CREATIVE CHALLENGE look HERE! I'll be posting a few photos from the group sometime this week. Oh, and stay tuned for A GIVEAWAY from Simply Me Art tomorrow! :)

Road Tripping

I'm not actually going on a road trip, but I wish I was! I love these retro trailers from the 50's and 60's. Am I the only one? I don't know...there seems to be a movement towards all things vintage and retro. I felt so fortunate to find these trailers at a dealership by the side of the road. They seemed to be just waiting to have their photos taken!

Any more road trips for you this Summer? I'd love to hear about them. :0) Btw, this collage is for sale in my shop!

A Multi Talented Artist

Good morning! How's your week been so far? Summer is lingering in the Seattle area with some warmer temps. and blue skys so I'm pretty happy about that. :) Today I'll be running a bunch of earrands and hopefully taking a few photos. Any special plans for you? I'm sure many of you are confined to an office and working hard today. I hope you get some relaxing time for yourself this evening. Maybe you can plan on carving out even a few minutes for yourself...take a bubble bath or a calming walk in the fresh air. You deserve it and need it. xo

I found this collection of drawings on Flickr a few days ago and wanted to share them with you. I love the feminine subjects of her illustrations along with the soft pastels and even the crinkly paper she uses to draw them on. I tried to do some research on the artist but didn't come up with much info. other than her name is Merche Grosso, she lives in Madrid, and she also designs the most adorable tutu's and confetti necklaces in her Big Cartel shop!

I would love to hear your opinions on her work and also if any of you know what type of paper she uses for her illustrations.

Have a great day today! :)

What Does it Need?

O.k., I'm working on a Paris collage (above) but I'm just not that happy with it. I would love some suggestions from you since you're such a creative bunch. What do you think this collage needs? I promise I won't be hurt. xo

P.S. I feel so bad...I reposted this and lost all of your comments. If you would be willing to write your comment over, I would appreciate it. :)

Sorry I didn't post this sooner...this is the new and updated version. ;) I followed one of your suggestions and just made some of the reds a little deeper to match the rose. I'm not skilled enough in photo editing programs to know how to replace the rose, so this was the best I could do. Ha, ha. Thanks for your input! :)