"She Was So Much More" Canvas Print Release!

I know I can't speak for everyone, but I bet if you're like me, many of you just read the title of this blog & thought "No Doubt" or "I so wish I could believe that" or "If only (fill in the blank) knew this." My heart aches because I think we, as a society, expect perfection from imperfect people & unfortunately there is absolutely no hope that comes from this expectation!

My husband & I have a set of 8 year old identical twin daughters. When they were in 3 year old pre-school, another 3 year old girl in their class went up to one of our daughters & said very matter-of-factly, "your legs are ugly" & then turned around & left. Although I didn't hear exactly what was said, I knew it wasn't something nice when I saw my little girl look down at her legs & begin to cry! The look I saw in our daughters eyes was beyond devastating! Not only because someone said something unkind, but because she believed what the other little girl said to her. At that moment, my world stopped! My husband & I knew it was going to be a daily battle to teach our girls about self-confidence & identity because we live in a world where the "world" tends to tell us what we are supposed to look like & who we are supposed to be. And while we happily accepted the challenge, we didn't think we would have to jump into damage control this soon! (And because of those unkind words, our daughter refused to wear shorts for 2 years (no lie!)!!!!) Even though that event happened 5 years ago, this particular twin has continued to struggle with her identity. I can assure you though, we pour scripture into (& over) both of our daughters & are intentional about reminding them that God created them with a HUGE purpose & because of that they can walk in full confidence knowing that God created them in His image! Not because it sounds nice & might add a little hope for the time being, but because it is the bedrock of who we are!

Psalm 139:13-14 says "For you created my inmost being;  you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;  your works are wonderful,  I know that full well." If we could just grab a hold of this truth & believe it, I think we would be able to see that WE are so much more than WE give ourselves credit for! My prayer for you is that you would be able to begin to see yourself through our Creators eyes & not the world's expectations! God has given us the tools & ability to walk in confidence, we just have to figure out how to give ourselves grace to do it!

Beginning today, Valerie's newest Canvas Art Print titled "She Was So Much More" will be ON SALE! 8x10's are $10 (reg. $15) & 5x7's are $5 (reg. $10) through tomorrow night at 11:59 pm! These make perfect Valentine's Day gifts, birthday gifts or even graduation gifts so go ahead & grab a few while they're hot off the presses!

We hope you have a fabulous week! Make sure you check back next Monday for Valerie's newest Canvas Art Print release!

Blessings!

~ Jill

New Canvas Print Released!

Uh Oh!!! Guess what day it is? Guess what Day.... It... IS.....(Extra points if you know what commercial I'm referring to...haha!) It's Hump Day which means we are almost to the weekend! And, I know I told everyone last week that I would be releasing a new print every Monday & I obviously failed to do that this week....I'm so sorry!!! I hope you can give me a little bit of grace..... pretty, pretty please?!?! 

My newest Canvas Print is a quote from William Shakespeare's play "A Midsummer Night's Dream". I've had so many of my Instagram & Facebook followers say that this quote fits their daughters (or nieces or grand-daughters) PERFECTLY (which I TOTALLY LOVE)! Beginning today & going through THIS FRIDAY at Midnight, this print will be available at a DISCOUNTED PRICE! So RUN (don't walk) on over to my shop & grab a few prints for all those sweet girls in your family! 

You are BEAUTIFUL, Believe It!

~ Valerie

New Product Launch!

I can't tell you how excited I am about today!!! Today's the day I get to launch a new product I've been wanting to release for such a long time! Before I tell you what the product is, let me give you a little background as to how it came to be....

After I finish a custom canvas order, I normally post a picture of it on my Instagram page, Facebook page, & Twitter for everyone to see. When I do that, I normally have a few people ask if I can make a duplicate of that specific custom canvas. Don't get me wrong... I'm totally flattered that someone would want a duplicate of what I've just finished, the problem is that it's impossible for me to duplicate a one-of-a-kind piece of art (plus I LOVE the idea that each piece of art I finish is unique). This got me thinking...."What if I were able to make digital copies of my custom canvas'?" The 2 biggest perks of having digital copies are: #1: They are available to any & everyone, not just the person who placed the original order & #2: They are WAY more economical to purchase than purchasing a hand-painted custom canvas. With that in mind, I took my idea (& a few of my finished canvas's) to one of my graphic designers & he started working on converting them into digital prints. A couple weeks later he printed off a few copies for me & I was SHOCKED by how much the digital copy looked like the original canvas!

Sooooo.....Beginning today, my new line of "Canvas Prints" will be available! My plan is to release a new Canvas Print every Monday & as an added bonus...I'm going to put that print on sale for the first 48 hours after it's been released! And since today just happens to be Monday, that means I'm officially releasing my very first Canvas Print! I hope you enjoy this new line as much as I enjoy creating them! 

"Charm Is..." Canvas Print

Don't forget to come back next Monday to see what Canvas Art Print will be released! Have a wonderful Monday!

You are BEAUTIFUL, Believe It!

~ Valerie

And The Winner Is....

Happy Sunday afternoon everyone! I can't tell you how much I have enjoyed reading each of your stories about who you would share your gifts with & why! This just proves to me that in a society where A LOT of people are focused on "what can you do for me" or "what will I get out of it", there are still people with selfless & giving hearts....and that makes me incredibly happy (& thankful!)! 

The winner of my Giant Giveaway is Angie Staley! Congratulations! If you will email me at valeriewienersart@gmail.com, I need to get a little information from you before I ship your items to you!

I know I said this in an early post, but I want you to know how incredibly thankful I am to each of you for your support these last 3 months! Because of you, a dream I've had for years is beginning to come true! The Lord continues to show me that He is who He says He is...Faithful (which means: loyal, constant, steadfast) & Trustworthy! 

Please continue to check back throughout the new year for new products (& of course the occasional giveaways!)! I'm currently working on some new Art Prints & will hopefully have a few new coloring pages up before Valentine's Day (which is only 47 days from today!!!). I hope each of you have a fun & safe New Years & will be praying that 2014 will be a year of extraordinary favor for each & every one of you!

You are BEAUTIFUL, Believe It!

My "VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS" Giveaway (Days 9-12)!

Merry Christmas Everyone!!! As many of you know, this is my most favorite time of the year and this year is no different! Thanks to the acapella group "Pentatonix" this year I have a brand new favorite Christmas song (replacing Jessica Simpson’s “I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus”). If you haven't heard their version of “Drummer Boy”, I suggest you go listen to it on repeat for the rest of the day (I’m not kidding either)! 

This Christmas break has been full of sickness in our family. My Mom has had something that has kept her on the couch for the past 5 days, my niece and nephew were both sick so we couldn't see them yesterday or today, and my cousin’s son Hanley was also sick. Although my Dad wont admit it, I think he’s getting sick too because I saw him poppin’ "Emergen-C" while my Grandma, Mom, and I were playing a ‘aggravation’ --- a Marble Game.

During this Marble game I asked both of them what their favorite gifts they ever received were. My Mom instantly said “GO-GO BOOTS” & my Grandma being the typical sweet granny she is said having her family together. I asked again telling her to pick something tangible, she then said “a wooden doll house I never got to play with". When I asked her why she didn't get to play with it and she simply said her mom would never let her and her 5 sisters play inside because they would “mess up” the house. She then proceeded to tell me that when it was cold outside they sat in the car, her & her 5 sisters, in a cold car, on cold days… I don't like the thought of that one bit!   

This made me start thinking about my "someday kids". I don't want to be that kind of mom for them, And I also started thinking about how I want a "someday husband" who is active in "our" "someday little peoples" lives. Every holiday I see a father who honestly doesn't care what’s going on or where the family is gathered. Instead he sits in front of the t.v. watching a mixture of sports and cops…. I personally think the solution would be more Jesus! I so look forward to finding my "someone" who loves Jesus more than me and then create mini people who love Jesus from a young age with him!  I sometimes wonder how different my life would have been had I been raised according to Proverbs 22:6 which says "Train up a child in the way he should go, & when he is old he will not depart from it.”.  I am so very thankful for this Baby who was brought into the world though, the baby that lived a perfect life and was crucified so my sins would be white as snow. My sins have been covered by grace! I think about that this Christmas, MY SINS… are washed and I've done terrible things. I’m coming up on 5 years since i overdosed and I’m still Alive and I’m still drug free!!! My Jesus forgave and still forgives me daily! That's something to remember on this Christmas Day and not all the gifts I do or don't get, I have a very active and present Heavenly Father who Is with me in my everyday, ordinary life and who loves me and knows me. And that, my friends, is gift enough!!!

Because this is Christmas Day and also because I love giving things away, I've decided to do the remainder of the 12 days of giveaways as a BIG GIVEAWAY GIFT that will include the remaining 4 days (a necklace made by my AMAZING Mom (lettered by me!), a Coloring Book of your choice, a set of personalized notecards, & a 5x7 Art Print of your choice)! In order to enter this last Christmas Giveaway, I’m asking that you comment/tag with a friend’s name that you would like to share your gift with. It would be fun to hear why you’re picking them too but I realize some of that may want to keep that private. Maybe it’s someone who is having a rough season and they need a little extra encouragement, or maybe it’s your child who doesn't yet know the love of our God, or maybe it’s your mom (I know I would tag mine!).  Enter every day if you’d like, I don't mind... the more the merrier!!! Get your entries in by THIS SATURDAY at 8pm for your chance to win! The winner will be announced this Sunday, December 29th at 12pm and then Jill (one of my #VWELF's) and I will split and ship your gifts packaged all sorts of pretty!

Hand-made Necklace made by my uber-talented Mom (hand-lettered by me)

Coloring Book (Boy, Girl, or Big...Your Choice!)

Personalized note-cards

5x7 of ANY of my Art Prints! (This is just an example!)

Have fun and start sharing, commenting, Pinteresting (is that even a word?!), Tweeting, & tagging!  We can't wait to read all of your comments!

Finally, I just want to say a HUGE Thank You again for an amazing first 3 months!. Jill and I work super hard to respond to every message you send us and we have been working incredibly hard this holiday season to help lessen the stress of gift giving! We look forward to a Great 2014 with all of you! You’re making my childhood dreams come true with every purchase and for that, I am also grateful!

Hold on right quick!!!! I can't forget to announce the winner of Day 8's Giveaway! The winner of my watercolor "Merry & Bright" print is Vickie Martindale Downey! Congratulations! If you will email me at valeriewienersart@gmail.com I need to get some information from you so I can get this in the mail to you!

You are Beautiful, Believe It!

Day 8 Giveaway & HUGE DISCOUNT on my Instant Downloadable Christmas Coloring Pages!

I'm sooooo sorry today's giveaway is a little late! Before I tell you about today's giveaway, I wanted to let you know that from today until December 31st, I will be having a HUGE sale on ALL of my Instant Downloadable Christmas Coloring Pages! The Special is: Buy 5 get 5 FREE (coupon code: JINGLE5), Buy 10 get 10 FREE (coupon code: JINGLE10), & Buy 14 get 14 FREE (coupon code: JINGLE14)! So head on over to my shop & grab a few to have on hand during the next week to help keep everyone occupied during those family get-togethers!

The winner of yesterday's 8x10 Ornament Canvas is Gracie Carr! Congratulations Gracie! Please email me at valeriewienersart@gmail.com so I can get some information from you!

For today's giveaway, I'm giving away my "Merry & Bright" original water color. Just leave a comment about what your favorite family tradition is. 

***FOR ADDITIONAL ENTRIES***

#1: Like & Share my page on Facebook: "Valerie Wieners Art":          https://www.facebook.com/ValerieWienersArt

#2: Follow me & share today's Giveaway link on Twitter (include: #VWElf):  https://twitter.com/valeriewart

#3: Follow me & share today's Giveaway link on Pinterest (include: #VWElf):  http://www.pinterest.com/valeriewart

#4: Follow me & share today's Giveaway link on Instagram (include: #VWElf):  http://instagram.com/valeriewieners

#5: Sign up to receive my Exclusive Email Specials! (I promise not to fill your Inbox with needless junk!)

(So I know to enter your name again, please leave an additional comment below letting me know which ones you did! And like I tell my 5th graders..."Nobody likes a cheater"!)

Just a friendly reminder, my Christmas & Big Coloring Books are still on sale for $12 (normally $17)!!! Good luck & I will see you back here tomorrow! 

Day 7 Giveaway

Happy Sunday! I hope you are all enjoying the end of the weekend! Before we go onto today's winners, let me announce the two winners of yesterday's giveaways. Shannon Dietz & Cayla Cato, you have both won an 8x10 Art Print of your choice! Please email me at valeriewienersart@gmail.com so I can get your prints in the mail!

Today I'm giving away one of my original 8x10 hand painted canvas'. Just leave a comment below about what your favorite Christmas Ornament is!

***FOR ADDITIONAL ENTRIES***

#1: Like & Share my page on Facebook: "Valerie Wieners Art":          https://www.facebook.com/ValerieWienersArt

#2: Follow me & share today's Giveaway link on Twitter (include: #VWElf):  https://twitter.com/valeriewart

#3: Follow me & share today's Giveaway link on Pinterest (include: #VWElf):  http://www.pinterest.com/valeriewart

#4: Follow me & share today's Giveaway link on Instagram (include: #VWElf):  http://instagram.com/valeriewieners

#5: Sign up to receive my Exclusive Email Specials! (I promise not to fill your Inbox with needless junk!)

(So I know to enter your name again, please leave an additional comment below letting me know which ones you did! And like I tell my 5th graders..."Nobody likes a cheater"!)

Just a friendly reminder, my Christmas & Big Coloring Books are still on sale for $12 (normally $17)!!! NOW'S the time to stock up on those Christmas AND Birthday gifts! Good luck & I will see you back here tomorrow! 

MY CHRISTMAS LOVE STORY

I LOVE CHRISTMAS SOOOOO MUCH! 

It's not really because of the gifts (well, it kind of is), but it's because I love giving (and getting) gifts! When I was little, I would find stuff around my room (toys, stuffed animals, rocks and paper flowers) and I would grab some wrapping paper and begin to "do my Christmas shopping". I always have, and I believe I always will, make my gifts. For me, I think it's a waste of money to buy something I'm just going to forget about in a year. Seriously, think about what you got last year, do you remember? I can't remember it all, but I do remember the things people took the time and effort to make.

In our house we always go big on the wrapping. My mom is the best wrapper I have ever met! Seriously! She does something different each year and somehow each year it gets better! No matter what's inside, it's just fun (& pretty) to look at. When I was in Fifth grade or Sixth grade, my dad just lost his job due to his alcoholism & therefore had very little money for gifts so I only asked for a few things. Once everything was wrapped, I saw a purple package with a silver star ribbon, amazing curls and a silver bell. Y'all, this was the prettiest present I had ever seen and I still think it is to this day! That Christmas morning I opened this pretty purple package with my name on it and it was computer paper. Fear not guys, I was happy! My mom didn't have a lot of money to buy me a fancy Nintendo system or something crazy like that, but she absolutely made sure that my paper was taken wonderful care of a when she wrapped it with love. (Side-note: I love being surprised and I love surprising people. However, I was a really bad present peaker...real bad! So bad in fact my mom wrapped boxes in fake boxes to throw me off! Mom: 1 Valerie: 0....)

On Christmas Eve of 2008 I was sitting in a massive tent in a back yard doing a whole bunch of drugs. I knew it was Christmas Eve and I knew I needed to go home because deep down I loved Christmas, but at this time I loved drugs just a little bit more. The hours passed and at 6:30 am I started to drive home and drove for a while before I actually got there. I didn't want to face my family after not sleeping and being high for more than 24 hours. I knew they would know I wasn't OK. Sure enough, I walked in and everyone was there unwrapping their gifts and in walks a very strung out Valerie...a disappointment, to myself and to them as well.

I overdosed 10 days after that and I tell you what, Christmas of 2009 was the best Christmas ever. I sang carols all the time (and I still do), we baked Christmas cookies and I made my usual gifts, this time a little bit better than a paper flower or a rock, and we actually enjoyed it! I won't ever be able to get back my wasted Christmas, but I did promise myself after that night there would never ever again be another Christmas like that.
Christmas is a time when all is well for me! Even if it's not, there's something more important, and that's Jesus. Like the sign says, Jesus is the reason for the season!

You are Beautiful, Believe it!

HUGE Christmas Coloring Book Sale!

Did you know Christmas is only 2 weeks away?!?! As a way to celebrate my most favorite holiday of the year, I've decided to put both my Christmas Coloring Book & Big Coloring Book on Sale! From today THROUGH this Sunday (the 15th at 11:59pm) you can purchase each of these books for $12 (originally $17)!

Each of these 8 1/2 x 11 bound Coloring Books are a collection of all my current hand-drawn, one of a kind Coloring Pages! Perfect for kids of all ages, these coloring books make perfect birthday gifts,  (early) Christmas gifts, or entertainment for those long road trips! 

Bound with sturdy coil binding, each coloring book comes with 28 pages & each sheet includes a "cut-out" line so that when your little artist is finished with his work of art, you can cut around the art & display it in an 8x10 frame for years to come!

Hurry & get yours ordered TODAY! Also, ALL of my Art Prints are still on sale so go ahead & grab a few while you're in the shop! Have a fabulous Wednesday!

Cyber Monday Sale EXTENDED & FREE Christmas Gift Tags!

Happy Wednesday everyone! I wanted to let you know that I have extended my HUGE sale on all my Art Prints! From now until Sunday, all of my 5x7 Art Prints have gone from $10 to $5 & all my 8x10 Art Prints have gone from $15 to $10! These make PERFECT Christmas gifts for EVERYONE!!! So get yours ordered TODAY!

Also, because I'm so Thankful to all of you for all your support these past 3 months, I want to give  something back to you! Beginning today you can receive my Christmas Gift Tags for FREE! I've made it super simple to get them!  All you need to do is go to my store, add my two "Christmas Gift Tags" to your cart, & then check-out (unless you want to do a little more shopping...wink, wink!). The best part is, you don't have to purchase anything else to get your free Tags & there are no strings attached! It's just my way of saying Thank You for all you have done for me! Once you receive the link in your email (which should be almost instantly), you can print off as many copies as you would like & get to tagging (legally of course...haha!!).

A fun idea would be to use a piece of 8 1/2 x 11 colored or textured paper to add that extra special touch! OR if you have kiddo's (or if you're feeling EXTRA crafty) print them off on a piece of white or light colored paper (I would suggest cardstock) & then grab your crayons or markers & get to coloring! 

Enjoy the rest of your day!

You are BEAUTIFUL, Believe It!