fantasy art and tree chatter of aquariann

The wizard of Pacific Coast Designs & Vintage Finds has dreamed of a place where troubles melt like lemon drops. But the journey there can't be all rainbows and bluebirds - my flying monkey magnet has swooped in to spy upon Dorothy and Toto's trek down the yellow brick road. "Somewhere, over the rainbow, skies are blue. And the dreams that you dare to dream Really do come true." -The Wizard of Oz

Comic books deserve a lot of credit for the existence of my art. I was a big fan of the X-Men cartoon back in elementary school, but it wasn't until college that I avidly started collecting the comic books. After marveling at the line art and vibrant colors of the first lot of Uncanny X-Men books that I acquired from eBay, I knew I had to try drawing the characters myself. My first attempt was a mushy embrace of Gambit and Rogue scrawled in Bic pen and Crayola markers. I had so much fun that I branched out to my favorite characters from anime and 80's cartoons, and then into original fairies , dragons and other magical creatures of my own. I haven't drawn fan art in several years, but my comic book adoration is still superhero strong. Although I collect many different series, my longboxes are mostly filled with X-Men titles. And I will be raiding the Baltimore Comic-Con this weekend for even more. Hence why I decided that my first Friday Finds blog entry ever be X-Men the...

I opened my fantasy art Etsy shop four years ago, after a super sweet jewelry artist, Aimee of Jewel Street Designs discovered my work at a craft fair and enthusiastically insisted I check out Etsy. I had been halfheartedly trying to sell my art online at deviantArt and eBay , but both venues had made me feel akin to microscopic plankton drifting silently through infinite waters. The amount of support from fellow Etsians in the first month alone could have powered a rocket to Saturn. My first sale was on July 17, 2006, only days after I listed my first item. Can you imagine my elation as I packed my very first fantasy art magnet to ship to Jenny of Sneddonia Designs , all the way across the sea in the United Kingdom? I've been just as excited for every sale since - I can barely believe I received my 300th last week from Brenda of Brenda's Beads & More in Washington! *tap dances* It's amazing to ponder my artwork residing in so many places around the world. After br...

Stretch your fairy wings and take flight with Fantasy Artist of Etsy , Kelly of She's That Girl Soap Shop . My Ashley fairy and her butterfly friend are taking a moment to breathe in this whimsical collection of vivacious purples.

I'm as giddy as a grasshopper to announce that my fantasy art 8x10 prints and bookmarks are now available at The Yoga Studio on Rt. 24 in Lewes, Delaware! I take bellydance classes there and my teacher, Viviana Matthews (you may remember me mentioning her on National Dance Day ) was kind enough to show my online etsy shop to the owner, Andrea Kennedy. Oh dearie my, was I nervous when I brought my art by for her to see in person! I've been trying for months to get the guts to start approaching brick and mortar galleries and shops, but the kamikaze butterflies in my tummy have always convinced me otherwise. However, Andrea was very sweet so I didn't rush out crying. She carries several items from local businesses and students, including jewelry from the Heidi Lowe Gallery and skin care products from Essensia Spa. I think my art will mesh quite well with the energy of her studio!

This week is your last chance to swim through the Fantasy Artists of Etsy exhibition, Secrets of the Sea , before it bubbles away to reveal our next theme, Hearth and Harvest . Meri of Elfling Creations has managed to lure her favorites from the exhibition into the magnificent collection below. I'm floating because my Treasure mermaid bookmark is included amongst the intricate shells and scales.

Take that, feelings of insecurity - Tara thinks my blog is fabulous.

Glitter me impressed. I not only got an automated message from Artfire that my Aware fairy print is showcased in one of their new Artfire Member Curated Collections - they also provided the code to embed a widget into a website, with the option of four different sizes and background colors. Thank you fairy much to Katrina Marie for including my art in her enchanting collection and enlightening me to this hot new Artfire feature! Fairy Dreams Curated By: KatrinaMarieD... ArtFire.com

Tracy of mztracyr designs and Rita of Rita's Creations have concocted treasuries that will turn you positively emerald. My Peridot dragon is featured in both. Jealous, aren't you?

Wow, it's only been a little over a month since I cawed out my 100th blog follower and another 100 have fluttered after her. Debbie of Debs Crochet is my 200th blog follower! Debbie has 30 years experience in crocheting, and it certainly shows. Dish towels and rag rugs are her specialty, but she can crochet almost anything. You must check out her etsy shop below, if only to see the adorable penguin in her avatar.

Mauby's shop must have a mammoth dream catcher hanging in its imaginary window - just gaze at all the vibrant colors she's strung together from Etsy Twitter Team members' art. My damsel ... in distress? and her dragon friend are pleased to crash at this magnificent castle in the air. "Sweet dreams are made of this Who am I to disagree? Travel the world and the seven seas Everybody's looking for something" -Eurythmics

Nihan of nihanatakan design studio has cast a collection of olivine proportions. And not a month too soon, as peridot is the birthstone for August. My Peridot dragon clutches his jewel close for success and strength of heart. The gem also protects from nightmares and helps turn dreams to reality. Like dragons, peridot is born of fire and has even fallen from the sky in meteorites. It's most commonly uncovered in volcanoes, hence once being cherished by native Hawaiians as the tears of the goddess Pele. But don't cry if you can't afford any of these handmade treasures this moment - add it to your wish list and perhaps the power of peridot will make it come true.