Tuesday, November 9

Homemade Holidays Giveaway #1!

These past few years I've been leaning towards handmade/recycled gifts and Christmas is no exception. This year will be a special exception in that I'll be making all the gifts I give to use up part of my stash and save money at the same time. 
Hmmm, I imagine a sort of Little House on the Prairie Christmas...

But if I were buying, it would be handmade and small artist goods dominating the tree for sure... In that spirit I'd like to do a series (my first) on homemade holidays and have some giveaways for you (also my first!).

So, without further ado, please let me introduce you to our first giveaway sponsor: 


I had the extreme pleasure of recently meeting a very talented photographer, Jessica Ceason. She lives here in Germany and is a friend of a very lovable (persistent) friend, and now I'm fortunate enough to call her a friend of my own! 

As she explains about herself:

"When I was four years old, I found a camera in my grandmother's China cabinet. I begged her to let me take it home, to no avail. I stared at her, disappointed, wondering how I could convince her. With her legs crossed, she fit cozily in her easy chair, her crochet needle flicking against her long fingernails, "On your 5th birthday" she said with a whisper. My 5th birthday came. The promise, she kept. I haven't stopped taking pictures since.

My grandmother painted with oils. Her paintings were sometimes whimsicle, sometimes scenic, sometimes moody. No two were ever alike. I picked up a paint brush once. My trees were never as straight as hers, my deer never as proportionate. My mood never conveyed. I decided to paint with light instead. I received a compliment recently that was intended to be criticism. I was told that no two of my shoots are alike."

I just love that, paint with light...


This adorable little lady takes some of the prettiest photos I've ever seen. She took our family photos and I couldn't be more in love with them, she has a way of capturing the most perfect moments in the most perfect ways. Her travels have afforded her some classic European shots and her eye offers you an extraordinary perspective.

One of the things I admire about them is the lack of photo-shopping, 99% of it is artist and camera working together in perfect harmony and there is something very simple and beautiful (and old-school) about that.



She will be giving away a canvas art print of your choosing! Just drop by her Art Gallery, have a look around, and leave a comment here letting us know which print you L-O-V-E. A winner will be picked randomly in one week and you will get the photo of your choice!!! I personally like the Irish cows, but that may be a given ;}

I'm excited for the holiday season to begin and even more excited to offer you some really creative and fun giveaways from some amazingly talented people! Thank you for reading and happy commenting! Xoxo! 

(P.s. ANYONE can enter! No friend/family limitations, I love you all!!)
 

24 comments:

  1. beautiful! The apples would be so cute in my dining room, but the colored pencils would be great for the playroom.

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  2. the cows definitely are cute, but i'd choose the bicycle with the basket full of bread. beautiful!

    -mary

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  3. Choosing a favorite is incredibly hard. I love her work! I also love the cows :) I have a black and white theme in my dining room, so I think I'm going to go with the benches in the snow. LOVE her work. Fantastic giveaway!

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  4. They are all amazing. I love the colored pencil one for my daughters' bedroom, but I love the stone walkway and the doors for my living room.

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  5. I like the lonely leaf on the cobblestones. Nice work!

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  6. The red poppy fields in Germany are my favorites theme... I really like the wheat and red poppy in this collection.

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  7. I love love love the one with the bread and bike on the cobble stone... reminds me of Germany soo much!! Beautiful pictures she is very talented!!

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  8. Do we have to pick? Her work is amazing :) I love the poppy/wheat one and also the oranges with the one cut open is beautiful!

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  9. My favorite is 11/40 (two doors). and here's the haiku that came to mind when I saw it...

    shifting perspective
    in and out and back again
    two worlds colliding

    ~ Cora

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  10. Very beautiful photos. If I had to pick, I like the red poppy/wheat field.
    Shelley

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  11. What absolutely beautiful photographs! My favourite is #15 (the blue VW van)

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  12. I love them ALL! The Kurhaus would have to be my #1 pick and the bottles with barrels in the background would be my #2.

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  13. ive always loved the vw bus in the garage ever since the first day i saw it has nothing to do with im a wanna be hippie minus the dirt

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  14. They are all beautiful! My favorites are all the flower ones but if I had to pick just one the blue door.

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  15. Jessica is such an amazing photog, choosing just one is almost impossible.
    But there is one that I have pictured hanging on my wall since the 1st time I saw it:) It is #12 in the Art collection. (blue door)
    ~Krista Stark

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  16. these pictures are awesome! i just L-O-V-E the apple picture :) perfect for my kitchen.... :)

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  17. The pictures are all awesome! I love the one with the bike holding the bread in the basket! It's really hard to pick though. Love you Kari!

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  18. *Posting a comment for Beth and the blue door!*

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  19. all right..this is really hard..they all have beautiful perspective...but I was torn between #17 and the Stonehendge pic..but I would have to say, even though I have a collection of pics from Stonehendge..the sunset through Queen Anne's lace and other wildflowers is my fav #17!

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  20. These are amazing, and it brings back beautiful memories of Germany! I love the bike leaning against the building one and the city street one. They are all amazing.

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  21. They are all so beautiful! It's very hard to narrow down, but I love the poppy/wheat field and the two doors. She really does do great work!

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  22. Her photographs are gorgeous. I LOVE your family photos. It's so hard to choose. I love the poppies in the wheat, and also the yellow courtyard. But if I have to choose, I think it's the leaf on the cobblestone... no the poppies... no the leaf...(sigh).

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  23. I'm torn between the cow picture and the red flower in the wheat field. Both remind me so much of Germany.

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