*Painting for Life Christmas Card Give-Away*

This week we are giving away two new “Something to Cherish” Christmas cards, hot of the press to one of you! These are a special part of our 2009 Painting for Life Christmas card collection. They are blank inside and can be used as Christmas greeting cards or even an after-holiday thank you! For the chance to win, just leave a comment in this post with your e-mail address as well as a random fun fact about yourself. On November 24th, just in time to give thanks, we will randomly select a winner from the comments on the blog and a very special gift will be on its way.

*Special Craft Project*

Embroidered Name Christmas Gift Tag & Keepsake Ornament

Download the PDF craft directions here -For your personal use only please.

*5 things that really inspire you*

1. Relationships – family, friends, clients & students
2. Color
3. Exploring nature
4. Traveling to new and old places
5. Music

*5 things we might not know about you that you’d like to share*

1. I am married to an awesome guy, Benjamin Hummel, who survived not one but TWO liver transplants when he was a teenager due to an auto immune disorder that he was born with. He is an artist, too. I am so lucky to have him in my life. You can see some of his work at www.Painting for Life.com.
2. During the summer of 2008 I had my first rib removed (the one under my left clavicle) since it was damaged in a car accident (I was not at fault). The dislocated rib caused a huge clot in my left arm several hundred blot clots broke off and passed through my heart and into my lungs. I am EXCEPTIONALLY grateful to God that I am still alive and back in the studio making new art!
3. I wake up almost every morning with a purring cat on my good shoulder. Her name is Lady Guinevere (Gwinny for short), my little sister named her after she was rescued as a kitten from the streets of Kansas.
4. To read the last two items, visit the article that CraftForHealth.com just posted HERE.

*5 things going on in your creative world*

1. I am learning Corel Painter for the 3rd time since its release. I am really excited about the watercolor brushes. Thinking about some hybrid art making possibilities.
2. I will be exhibiting at CHA for the 3rd year in the License & Design section in Anaheim, CA. My lightbox it stacked with a ton of ideas and paintings for new watercolor embroidery art licensing collections.
3. Also, as a part of CHA 2010 I am participating in the crafting around the world exhibit and will share art inspired by Sweden.
4. Our studio is also working on some new digital art products for computers and the iPhone with a new licensing partner . . . stayed tuned for details.
5. Oh, and did I mention that my husband and I are also excited to share our collection of Christmas cards? You can check those out and sign up for a friends only e-mail update list at www.PaintingForLife.com.

*What’s Next?*

Tomorrow be sure to check out the wonderful work of Joy Hall and feel free to visit and comment on each artist’s blog before the 24th – the more the merrier!

Terri Conrad Designs November 14th

Brenda Pinnick November 15th

Tori Higa November 16th

Joyce Shelton November 17th

Phyllis Dobbs November 18th

Cherish Flieder November 19th

Joy Hall November 20th

Barbara Johansen Newman November 21st

Sharyn Sowell November 22nd

*Ok, now don’t forget to post your comments for a chance to win!*

This week I sent out a mailing of 700 postcards to announce my first international trade show exhibition in the License & Design section of the Craft & Hobby Association’s Winter 2008 trade show. It would have been a little easier, but the post office mailed me 700 GUM backed stamps instead of sticker backed stamps! I didn’t even know that they still made this old fashioned format, but it made for a pretty exhibit to see that many stamps in a Ball jar since I didn’t have time to wait for them to mail me corrected pieces. Nancy Stahl’s painterly Florida Panther,created for the United States Postal service, made for a “Ball of Stahl.” I especially love the contrast to my own feline friend “Lady Gwuinivere” AKA “Gwinny” and not a very productive studio mate, but a load of entertainment. Needless to say they mailing still got out on time with a little help from a giant sponge!

For media inquiries contact:
Cherish Flieder
720-298-9069
PO Box 49
Golden, CO 80402
Press@SomethingToCherish.com
www.SomethingToCherish.com

There is “Something to Cherish™” this Valentine’s Day
Cherish Flieder launches & licenses watercolor/embroidery art style

PDF RELEASE

Anaheim, CA (Feb. 10-13, 2008) – Artist/Licensor Cherish Flieder invites viewers to be her valentine with a new style of art called Something to Cherish™. This début will take place in the License & Design section of the Craft and Hobby Association Winter Show, booth #3096.

Combining whimsy and sophistication, Cherish paints designs with watercolor in a sentimental and colorful way. What makes these images so unique is the additional care that she adds when she enhances each painting with hand-stitched embroidery. This extra time and touch creates warmth, personality and charm. The results resonate in a positive emotional way with her female target market.

Cherish Flieder says, “Every square inch is created by hand. Although I have the skills to create any of these images digitally in a lot less time, there is something authentic and honest about creating this style with an actual needle and thread. It was a thrilling moment when I realized that I could combine the time honored techniques of embroidery with my love for watercolor in a fresh and fascinating way.”

This added three-dimensional allure pushes the images over the edge into new realms of manufacturing possibility. Reproducing this artwork does not have to be flat and boring. Art can be embossed, stitched, or flocked. This style is also ideal for craft kits where consumers can embroider key details in a fun and relaxing format. These embroidered paintings are the perfect solution to add texture to any manufacturer’s line and make their next collection “Something to Cherish ™.”

Art is available for licensing, further development and customization upon request. Current collections featuring trend-setting color palettes include:

• Tree Top Birthday (Birthday)
• Aloha Baby (Baby)
• Lovey Dovey (Valentine’s Day)
• Poinsettia Angelika (Christmas)
• Floating Flowers (Birthday & Everyday)

“My mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother each taught me the joy and connections that can be made through embroidery,” comments Cherish Flieder. “Every stitch captures a moment in time and years later it carries a memory that is to be cherished.”

The modern day craft and scrapbooking market, with its memory-making focus, will eagerly embrace this fresh style its their beautiful, mixed-media projects.

In addition to unveiling Something to Cherish™, Cherish Flieder’s wedding art and crafts can be viewed in the CHA display “Fashion: Crafting Wearables and Accessories with Style!” Cherish and the rest of team #14 (Danlyn Iantorno, Karen Windness, and Roberta Collier-Morales) present CHA with a doggie fashion show called “Pooch Parlor” that invites you to “come, sit and stay.”

# # #

For media inquiries contact:
Cherish Flieder
720-298-9069
PO Box 49
Golden, CO 80402
Press@SomethingToCherish.com
www.SomethingToCherish.com

Something to Cherish™ is listed as a Craft and Hobby Association (CHA) exhibitor in the Winter 2008 issue of Total Art Licensing. Something to Cherish™ will be exhibiting in booth 3096 in the License and Design section at CHA’s Winter 2008 show in Anaheim, CA.

Total Art Licensing is published in May and January and has a readership made up of manufacturers and retailers around the world. It covers key art licensing-related trade events such as Surtex, Licensing Show and the International Spring Fair.

To find out how you can subscribe digitally to Total Licensing magazines, go to: totallicensing.com