Sweeet...

I'm, well let's just say it... tickled pink that my new line of artwork is featured on SweetMama.ca. Thanks very much to everyone there, (especially Shan Roth, word-crafter extraordinaire)!

New on PinkPaws... Decorated Initials! Sized at 5.5" x 5.5" (perfect for the 'Ribba' frame available at Ikea), they're perfect for grouping.

Shown here: 'Daisy Daisy'. Watch for more coming soon, in this line of decorated initials.

All available to order online (safe and easy through PayPal) at
www.pinkpaws.ca.

Mother's Day Tribute to Moms Everywhere

For 15 years, I've designed all sorts of interesting projects for both companies and individuals. However, it's been through my work designing and illustrating books, that I've gotten to know my clients the best. Writing and creating a book is a huge, heartfelt project for most folks. In helping them bring their vision to life, I learn more about their dreams, lives, and families, than with many other projects I've worked on. Dr. Melanie Beingessner (aka 'Dr. Melanie Bee') and her work has been no exception. Her dedication to her work and family, combined with her seemingly never-ending energy and positive outlook on life, makes Dr. Beingessner a unique professional. She able to problem-solve and create workable solutions for her clients, but she is also able to connect with and care for them in a way that only personal understanding and experience can provide.

In addition to being a mom to three great kids and a chiropractor, Dr. Beingessner specializes in working with pregnant and new mothers. Not only is she a Breastfeeding Counsellor and Certified Infant Massage Instructor, she is also is Co-founder of the 'Becoming Parents' Prenatal Program. You can learn more about her background and work at www.drmelaniebee.org.

I've had the priviledge of designing and illustrating two books for Dr. Beingessner now. Her newest book, Getting Ready for Baby is geared at helping pregnant moms, and moms-to-be. It is a 5-step guide to helping moms prepare for labour, birth and life as a family. This guide starts off helping the mom-to-be create a birth plan and select a health care team to support her choices for pregnancy, labour and birth. Then, a user-friendly planner section helps her track her body's changes, plus prepare for appointments with caregivers and support professionals. Finally, the last three steps help her organize, prepare – emotionally, physically and spiritually – and plan ahead to make life easier during those energy-charged first weeks after baby is born.

The Calm Baby Cookbook, Dr. Beingessner's first book, identifies that a baby who fusses, cries or displays other colicky symptoms is most likely reacting quite negatively to something that his or her mother is eating. If a breastfeeding mother can eliminate certain foods on a short-term basis, her baby will become calmer and more relaxed. In it, Dr. Beingessner outlines the foods that commonly causes breastfeeding babies discomfort, and provides 85 great tasting recipes to get new moms started.

Dr. Beingessner continues to help moms and their spouses stay happy and healthy, as they create a new life as a family. She is currently co-writing a book about the 'Becoming Parents' Prenatal Program. She can be contacted by telephone at (403) 273-5653, or via email at melanie@drmelaniebee.org. Visit her blog at www.melaniebee.com.

Thanks for reading. You can read more about me and my design work at emergecreative.ca. To see my line of art for kids, please visit PinkPaws.ca. All the best, Cheryl Peddie.

On the Right Side

I'm always surprised by the number of folks who tell me that they couldn't possibly learn to draw because they 'can't draw a straight line'. The idea that creativity and the ability to draw is an innate talent is quite a misperception. Drawing, painting, or any other form of artistic creativity is actually a learned skill. There's an excellent book that has been a favourite of mine for years, that speaks directly to that fact. The book is called "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain", by Betty Edwards. In it, the author takes her students – most of whom have no artistic background at all – through a variety of artistic excercises. There are many 'before and after' pictures documenting their exciting progress, which shows how 'learned' the whole process really is.

So fear not. There are lots of great spots in Calgary to take an art class. I always recommend Swinton's, because that's where I take classes; but there's lots of other great places. Most art supply stores either have in-house instruction, or can refer you to a great teacher. Have fun!

PinkPaws Artwork is finally here

The last time I updated my blog, the trees I could see through my office window were frost-covered, and snow was scouring my windowpane. This morning, the trees are bathed in the misty green of new leaf buds, and I can hear robins twittering to the morning. What a difference a couple of months make.

The reason for my absense as of late, is that my new website and line of artwork for kids (and kids-at-heart) is finally 'live'. You can have a look at PinkPaws.ca. A few years ago, I began creating these little watercolors, full of happy people walking fuzzy dogs, big pink hippos, and skunk-moms bathing their skunk-babies in clawfoot tubs. They weren't high-minded, intricate artistic extravaganzas; just fun little picture-stories I'd doodle when my brain needed some relieve from work, housecleaning and responsibility.

Well, you know what happened? Folks loved them. The first time I showed them at my painting group's yearly show, they were a hit. I sold a bunch, which was a great surprise, but what really caught my attention was seeing how people would react to them. Some laughed right out loud. Others would smile and get a far-off look in their eyes, like they were remembering a happy time. And the kids – the kids loved them. I think our youngest art-buyer was all of 6 (she negotiated a loan for the purchase at an excellent rate from her mother).

It felt great to see everyone's free-spirited delight with the work. So I kept painting, and my customers kept buying. Finally, creating PinkPaws.ca seemed like a great way to offer my work to even more folks. You'll find a great selection of prints there – birth announcements, signs for the kid's bedroom doors, and art that's just-for-fun. Because they're prints, they're at a family-friendly price (great for gifting). And they're sized perfectly for scrapbooking, or easy off-the-shelf framing.

Many thanks go out to my web programmer/designer/guru, Michael Fleming. If you'd like to check out his expertise, visit him at www.ehmjay.com. You'll be glad you did. Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to read my blatant self-promotion. I really appreciate your time.

~ Cheryl