fantasy art and tree chatter of aquariann

Inspired by the butterflies I've seen outside recently, I decided to flutter back here to share my butterfly alphabet series. First up is my drawing of the Adonis Blue butterfly. A is also the first letter of my mom's name, Annette. Several products like throw pillows are now available through Fine Art America at aquariann.pixels.com . The original piece is drawn on 3.5"x2.5" Strathmore Smooth Bristol Paper with Prismacolor pencils .

EDIT: Giveaway is officially over. Congratulations to Sherry Strode for winning. Please email me back within 3 days to claim your prize. I wish winter would be as warm as possible before sliding aside for spring to take the wheel. We already had snow in southern Delaware, so that marks enough of the cold weather for me. If you're still wishing for snow, I am giving you a chance to win a magnet of my Snowflake Fairy . All my art magnets are printed on semi-gloss photo paper, then turned through a Xyron 900 laminate/magnet cartridge. They measure approximately 2.25x3.5 inches. Use the Rafflecopter below to enter to win giveaway before 11:59pm EST, January 31, 2022. Then scroll past it to find more great giveaways to enter from participating bloggers in the Winter Wishes Giveaway Hop! When commenting on the blog post for the mandatory entry, please be sure to include the same name you use to fill out the Rafflecopter - all entries by winner must be easily verified or a new w...

My daily blogging days have melted away ... but I haven't completely given up on this haven! Thus I'm sharing my new holiday drawing that was inspired by my mom wanting a snowman image to make jewelry to sell at the Milton Holly Festival last weekend. Milton used to be known as The Land of the Holly. According to Delaware Public Media, a family in the 1930s could earn up to $500 in a season harvesting holly for about 10,000 wreaths. Now some artisans can make that in one day at the annual craft fair that happens the second Saturday of December! If you missed my Snow Angel art at the Milton Arts Guild, don't pout! Several products like fleece blankets are now available through Fine Art America at aquariann.pixels.com . The original piece is drawn on 4"x4" Strathmore Smooth Bristol Paper with Prismacolor pencils .

Ahoy, me hearties! Instead of burying yer treasure, add it to me giveaway chest so entrants can battle over winning yer prize. This be an ongoing giveaway linky, so me mates shan't waste time anchoring down the same sweepstakes to enter more than once. Links that don't include the prize, end date AND what countries are eligible to enter might get removed. And it's first come, first sailed for group giveaways - any duplicate giveaway on a different blog will be deleted. Please follow this format when typing the Name: Month/Day It Expires: Giveaway Prize Description (Shipping Restrictions) . (WW = Worldwide, US/CAN = United States and Canada, and US = United States.) You are invited to the Inlinkz link party! Click here to enter Sail me button on yer blog at will. Pretty please with skull and crossbones?

Happy Spring! The daffodils are blooming again, and so is my blog. Who knows how long I'll be back this time, as my brick-and-mortar comic book store is always branching out in new ways and keeping me busy. But since I discovered Jamberry nail wraps in 2014 and no longer have to use paint to make my nails pretty, I make time at least every few weeks to do my nails. I've tried many, many brands of nail stickers, including Sally Hansen polish strips and Color Street nail strips . The black and gold nail polish stickers I'm wearing above came from Wish. The design is A169 , but there's dozens of other options. They are currently being offered for free, with $3 shipping, but prices on Wish fluctuate constantly. Plus, checkout using my referral code, nzvwwgk, to get $5 to spend on Wish.com ! Even if you're already a member, you can still claim the credit if you haven't made a purchase within 30 days. Featured Flower Picks: Snow-On-The-Mountai...

I've been stalking the Kwanzan cherry trees in Nassau Commons since the first spring I worked there in 2005. It wasn't until 2009 that I started participating in Wordless Wednesdays, which led to my love of nature photography. 2012 was the first year I posted a photo of the Kwanzan cherry tree blooming , and then again in 2014 , 2016 , and twice in 2017, April 21 and 28 . Then we were in full swing with Ogre's Grove so I didn't blog much in 2018 and not at all in 2019 - but I was still sharing flower photographs on instagram.com/AquariannArt , just like I did earlier in week when I saw the first double blossom appear near the trunk of one of the trees. In anticipation of the rest of the flowers flourishing, I found this pink flower photo from last year and added it to my Fine Art America gallery. When researching for inspiration on what to write in the description, I was shocked to learn that the type of cherry tree only has a lifespan of 15-25 years! I naively...

Has it really been almost a year and a half since I last blogged here? Times flies, whether you're having fun or not! Don't get me wrong, I have had a lot of fun in my absence. But, just like this beautiful butterfly I met in the Pollinator Preserve in historic Milton, my wings were wounded and it took me awhile to fly again. Or perhaps flutter is a better word. I still hover low enough to occasionally crash into things. In any case, my monthly goal is to upload a new flower photo to my Fine Art America gallery and blog about it here for Flower Friday. Happy New Year! Featured Flower Picks: Dogwood Blossoms • Serruria Plant • Hibiscus Bloom

It's been a stressful summer. So last Thursday my parents and I decided we needed flower therapy, and took a day trip to Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA. I was delighted that the waterlilies were in bloom. Don't worry, this purple waterlily wasn't harmed to be in my Manicure Monday photo - it was part of an information station where guests could get a closer look at the flower without falling into the man-made ponds. I took more than a hundred photos of plants and will be slowly sharing them in future Flower Fridays. Featured Flower Picks: Purple Roses Nail Art • Dune Sunflower • Gold Leaf Nail Art

I have been a busy, busy bee, growing Ogre's Grove and collaborating with other artists and small business owners. Recently I was invited to tour the Mansion Farm Inn in Milton, Delaware. I'll be writing more about that exciting experience at my Photography Field of Flowers blog on BeachPaper.com later this month. For now, I just wanted to assure all of my fellow flower fans that I am still stopping to smell the ... mandevillas! Featured Flower Picks: Mandevilla Macro • Mandevilla Vine • Mandevilla Bouquet

After the wicked way winter started, I was in desperate need of some flower therapy. Fortunately, First State Comic Con was only 20 minutes away from Longwood Gardens, so Ogre took me there for lunch last Sunday. We had a marvelous meal at The Terrace Café, then strolled around the conservatory before heading back to the comic convention. I posted a profile photo at facebook.com/Aquariann , peering at this fluffy flower. It was my first time meeting this type of adorable blossom, so all I knew about it came from the plaque beside it that read: Scarlet Powder-Puff-Tree, Calliandra haematocephala , Bean Family, Bolivia. My friends were quick to point out that it was from a Mimosa tree, which is also a fun name to say. Featured Flower Picks: Double Pink Blossoms • Hellebores • Pink Simplicity Rose

EDIT: Giveaway is officially over. Congratulations to Amanda Stovall for submitting the randomly-chosen 568th entry. Please email me back within 72 hours to claim your prize. A week into winter in our new, very old house and the pipes have already frozen. It was a summer home for years, and our area rarely gets and stays this cold for so long. Even ice is forming on the Delaware Bay ! Just so my nails wouldn't feel left out in the cold, I chose a jamicure that fits into the rest of the cool surroundings. Then I skated into the Jeepers! It's January Giveaway Hop. I'm sharing half a nail art sheet of Snow and Ice, a Jamberry Junior design that retired several seasons ago. If you don't have a little girl and would rather use them yourself, I'm also including two of the largest Sapphire wraps that can be cut down into at least four adult-size thumb nail wraps. If you haven't ever tried Jamberry nail wraps, read my Jamberry Nail Wraps Tutorial on my friend K...

I started blogging in 2001 (high fives to the early LiveJournalers out there), whenever something in my life begged me to write about it. My blog fever hit full force in 2010. Then finally broke in 2018, when my blog entries dropped drastically, from a few times a week to very rarely. Now the best way to follow and contact me is through instagram.com/aquariannart .

Rarely does it snow in December in Delaware ... but it did last Friday, just in time for the Milton Holly Festival . After the snow stopped, I pranced around in the park taking photographs. Featured Photo Picks: Scabiosa 'Red Velvet' Macro • Waxwings • Hosta Leaves How To Plant Your Own Post for Flower Friday: The only rule to play is that you can only add one link per week! The post doesn't even have to mention flowers, but only ones that do will be eligible for being picked as a feature next week. I will be sharing my flower image on other blog hops, namely Floral Friday Fotos and Wordless Wednesday , and welcome all family-friendly links from fellow bloggers. Crafters can even link up an Etsy listing or other shop product! But if you want to promote a prize, please add it to my Giveaway Chest Linky instead to entice more treasure hunters. Please follow my blog through any of the social media icons in the upper right sidebar to receive ...

What's better than red glitter on my nails? Red glitter on my Christmas tree! I've been eying Katie Crafts' handmade ornaments since I saw her Santa Cam on Instagram last year. Now that I have Ogre's Grove to stock, I was able to order glittery goods for my fellow geeks to gawk over. Deadpool, Flash, Punisher and Darth Vader ornaments arrived in time to take a set to Ocean City Comic Con this Saturday, Dec. 9 - that is, unless Katie's creations sell out at 129 Union St. in Milton, Delaware first! And we're still days away from Friday, but I am wearing Jamberry's Tinsel Poinsettia design as an accent nail, so I hope you'll linky up some flowers anyway!

I am thankful my readers have still been checking into my hop, despite how inconsistent my blogging has been now that I have a brick and mortar business to grow! It's exciting to have a Fairy Corner in Ogre's Grove to display my handmade trove. The beautiful bracelet I'm wearing with my Thanksgiving manicure is designed by Sarah Artisan Jewelry , who has a mermaid shell necklace and earring set available to buy at 129 Union St. in Milton, Delaware. I'm also getting to share my love of nail art at the Grove! Last month, my friend Janet Stoy came to the shop to demonstrate how to apply Color Street nail polish strips for Halloween. And of course I had to gather up delightful designs for myself. I saved Autumn Harvest to wear until today. I hope your Thanksgiving is stuffed with what you love about life, too!

EDIT: Giveaway is officially over. Congratulations to Kristi C for submitting the randomly-chosen 134th entry. Please email me back within 72 hours to claim your prize. Brrr, it finally got cold in Delaware! Thus I have been drinking more Irish coffees to stay cozy on notably nippy nights. To help my readers warm up their winter fashion, I'm sharing half a nail art sheet of Hot Toddy , plus an accent nail of Autumn Romance , both of which I was gifted from my fellow nail art addict, Janet Stoy . If you haven't ever tried Jamberry nail wraps, read my Jamberry Nail Wraps Tutorial on my friend Katie's blog. If their product sticks with you, comment on this post and fill out the Rafflecopter to enter to win before November 29, 2017. Sharing the worldwide giveaway and following my social media accounts will also earn you extra entries and glittery glee from me. I will ship anywhere, but will be super sad if the winner's country won't allow nail stickers through cus...

Somebody pluck me! Am I dreaming that our dream of opening a comic shop came true decades before we planned? Or that this delightful daisy was still blooming in our new, very old flower bed until the end of October? Featured Flower Picks: Fall Leaves • Velvetleaf Hybrid • Rose Macro How To Plant Your Own Post for Flower Friday: The only rule to play is that you can only add one link per week! The post doesn't even have to mention flowers, but only ones that do will be eligible for being picked as a feature next week. I will be sharing my flower image on other blog hops, namely Floral Friday Fotos and Wordless Wednesday , and welcome all family-friendly links from fellow bloggers. Crafters can even link up an Etsy listing or other shop product! But if you want to promote a prize, please add it to my Giveaway Chest Linky instead to entice more treasure hunters. Please follow my blog through any of the social media icons in the upper right sidebar to rec...