...did you know?

Did you know that back in the hay day I was super into make up, hair and photography?

True story: In high school I did all of my friend's hair and make up for homecoming, Prom and even weddings. I always had to be the one to get ready in 20 minutes since I was so busy getting 10 girls hurr all did up. (there goes my inner gangsta again)

My friend, Courtney, wanted to do 60's inspired photo shoot for one of her photo assignments.

So we went back in time hard, real hard.

60's leonora, look at that lip snarl. Photography by Courtney Webber

60's Courtney. Hair, make up and photography by yours truly

and for fun I turned one of the photos I took of Courtney into an old school LIFE magazine cover.

not sure if this is "sad" or "awesome" but we used all own own clothes and jewelry to "60's" it up. We had to get really creative. Oh, and that yellow fuzzy bolero that court is rockin? We just happened to find it lying in the photo lab, and it totally worked.

who wants to go all 80's with me next weekend? Party at my place! you bring the legwarmers I'll being the snap bracelets.

Freebie Friday! Imagine Wallpapers for your Smart Phones

Hey I'm on a roll with this whole freebie friday thang.

Hope you guys like these new wallpapers! They're geometric mountains with the word "imagine" placed at the base of one of the triangles.

iphone 4

iPhone 5

Just open up this blog post on your phone, tap the image with your finger (so it opens at full size) then press and hold and save it to your phone's camera roll! Please remember these are for personal use only, let's all play nice and use them for just that :) artwork can not be copied, used or produced.

Oh and in other news I have been super  busy preparing for Yellow Heart Art's spring collection launch! There will be new stamp designs, more motivational prints, fun geometric patterns AND a completely new product!

Just a warning, if you had your eye on some prints, plushes or necklaces they will be taken away from the "Last Chance" section once the new line hits. I want to start off fresh, so nab them now before they're gone.

HAPPY FRIDAY! (or as Phil on duck dynasty says "Happy Happy Happy") (yeah, I watch duck dynasty, and frankly so should you, its a diamond in the rough) (also, what does "frankly" mean? Is it from a guy named frank? Can I start a phrase that says "And quite Leonora-ly you should"?) (its a work in progress...)

Oops...I did it again

Ha after writing the blog title to this post I started to hum to myself "I'm not that innocent...oops I did it again to your hAaaaAart...." (Brit and I go way back guys)

Anyway, here's the thing about being a graphic designer. Its a frekkin curse and a blessing.

Blessing: I get to create pieces of art from scratch using my imagination.

Curse: I can not for the life of me pick my own frekkin brand style.

sigh, so I did it again. I changed up my brand *one more time*

BUT I am proud of myself because I didn't veer too far off track here, I still kept the same font in the word "ART" as well as some arrow/geometic elements and my signature crisp heart.

So, props for that? No? No props? I'll also take high 5s and a stale doughnut (oh yeah spoiler alert: I re-started weight watchers, so I would do anything right now for a slab of cheese and a milk shake) (do you hear me? Anything) (so stale doughnuts are welcomed)

Before:

after:

somebody, anybody, please make me stop? I always do this to myself when I have, like, 1,000 business cards on hand full of old branding *face palm*

Happy Birthday Yellow Heart Art! (and some Friday Freebies)

Today the shop turns 2. Today is the day I opened up my shop on etsy, listed my first few prints, and made a sale with in the first 5 minutes of listing an item. (ok, so Bub might have been my first sale...) 

When I had opened up shop I thought it was just going to be that, "a shop". I had no idea I was going to be joining such an amazing community filled with people who I now consider close friends.

As a thank you for stickin' with me these past 2 years I wanted to start to introduce a new series on the blog (or "Blawg" as we Long Islanders say it) called "Freebie Friday". This probably wont be an every Friday occurrence but when I have time I want to make free wallpapers for your phones and desk tops for you guys to download!

I want to thank one of my handmade bee eff effs heather for suggesting this to me! (Smooch)

I hope you like this weeks freebie! They are sized for iPhone4 and iPhone5 screens. In honor of my shop turning 2 I used my current branding colors! (you can also save these to your phone and just "crop" as need be if you don't have an iPhone!) 

iPhone4:

iPhone5:

Just open up this blog post on your phone, tap the image with your finger (so it opens at full size) then press and hold and save it to your phone's camera roll!

There will be more in the upcoming weeks! Please remember these are for personal use only, let's all play nice and use them for just that :) artwork can not be copied, used or produced.

Oh and as an extra thank you for you guys sticking through this entire blog post you can use code "HAPPY2YEAR" at check out for 20% off, offer ends at 12am EST January 19th 2013 (gaah thats less that 24 hours! hurry!) (offer excludes pre-orders, hurricane sandy relief print and grab bag)

Sneak Peek of New Spring Inventory and a WINNER!

I have been so busy lately prepping for Yellow Heart Art's Spring 2013 Launch! I also have a new product in the works (I know, I didn't think I could come up with more stuff either…)

There will be a slightly different look to some of the Yellow Heart Art products, and I can not wait to show you guys everything I am working on!

For the time being some of my current inventory is on sale so I can make room for new stuff! Also, some of my prints & plushes will not be available once I launch the new collection, so if you have been eying anything in the "Last Chance" section be sure to nab them before they retire permanently :)

But for now here is a sneak peek of one of the new stamps that will make its way into the shop soon!

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in case you missed it: 

We picked a winner for the giveaway we hosted last week! Congrats I'm A Walking Fashion Crime you won an Etsy gift card, book of choice AND A Yellow Heart Art necklace! Make sure to contact me in one week to claim your prize!!

Now offering a "Surprise Grab Bag" Package of (2) Yellow Heart Art Prints, (2) Yellow Heart Art necklaces & other fun items for only $29 (retails for over $70) supplies are limited so please email me with your paypal email if you are interested! yellowheartart at gmail dot com

Interested in the stamp above? It is available for pre-order! All stamps sell for $15, if you pre-order the happy mail day stamp we will waive shipping fees! If you want in email me to reserve one, yellowheartart at gmail dot com

I'm A...and He's A...

My bud Erika posted this really cute post about her and the hubs and how they are total opposites.

It got me thinking about Bub and I. Him and I are completely different yet we make it work :)

 love ya so much via

I'm a Mac, He's a PC (It makes me cringe putting the letters "P" and "C" together, this shows you how much I love him)

I'm a tall light caramel frappucino hold the whip, He's a regular cup of coffee.

I'm Penna a la Vodka, he's steak and potatoes

I play with glitter and paint, he plays with power tools and sawdust

I'm TLC, he's History Channel

I'm a blanket hog, he's a bed hog

I'm pale, he's tan

I take pictures of abandoned buildings, he takes pictures of planes

I'm a planner, he just goes with it

I make art, he makes a mess

I'm swedish fish, he's kit kats

I hate flying, he's in the airforce

I love him, he loves me (oh hey look we got one!)


Thank you Erika for the inspiration for this post! Love ya boo ;) (Yeah, I call Erika boo, its our thang)

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in case you missed it:

There is a giveaway going on for an Etsy Gift Card, a Necklace & Your Choice of Book! Enter Here.

Now taking pre-order requests for our best selling stamp "Happy Mail Day". All pre-orders come with free shipping, please email me if you want on the list! yellowheartart at gmail dot com

Help me make room for completely new inventory! Now offering a "Surprise Grab Bag" Package of (2) Yellow Heart Art Prints, (2) Yellow Heart Art necklaces & other fun items for only $29 (retails for over $70) supplies are limited so please email me with your paypal email if you are interested! yellowheartart at gmail dot com

Favorite Valentine Day Cards and a discount!

Yes, I know, Christmas like *JUST* happened and all but let's get real guys Valentine's day is coming soon, real soon. And that baby in the over sized diaper carrying arrows is not going to wait for you if you procrastinate on getting some cards for your homies (Side Note: Why does cupid carry sharp objects with him? Last I checked babies aren't suppose to be playing with something that can slice a vital artery or 2)

My favorite shop on Etsy to get any kind of card from is my girl Julie of Julie Ann Art. She's got sass, quirk and class (yes, that is possible guys) (triple threat and whaaat) I even got to hang with her a few months back at a creative retreat we both attended!

 me.ilene.erika.julie

The best part? Not only does she make valentines day cards for your boo (boo: see also Husband, Boyfriend, Fiance or baby daddy) but she also makes cards to give to your bitches best girlfriends! Because lets face it, your girlfriends are kind of your soul mates too, am I right?

bitch you best be my valentine by Julie Ann Art

My Favorite Bed Hog by Julie Ann Art

You are my Happy Thought by Julie Ann Art

aaaaand this is by far my favorite

I'm Glad You're as Random as me, PS-Chickens

it literally made me laugh out loud. I mean come on...chickens?

ha.

and wanna hear something super awesome? Now till February 7th Julie is giving you guys 10% off all her cards with the code "YELLOWHEART"

you, my friends, are welcome.

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oh hey in case you missed it:

There is a giveaway going on for an Etsy Gift Card, a Necklace & Your Choice of Book! Enter Here.

Now taking pre-order requests for our best selling stamp "Happy Mail Day". All pre-orders come with free shipping, please email me if you want on the list! yellowheartart at gmail dot com

Help me make room for completely new inventory! Now offering a "Grab Bag" Package of (2) Yellow Heart Art Prints, (2) Yellow Heart Art necklaces & other fun items for only $29 (retails for over $70) supplies are limited so please email me with your paypal email if you are interested! yellowheartart at gmail dot com

My Handmade Picks, Win an Etsy Gift Card and More!

You guys are gonna be so stoked over the giveaway I have for you!

Maria from I Believe in Story is hooking you guys up with a ton of loot. Maria's blog highlights the inspiration and influence in literature in all of its forms. She is a total sweet heart and also has a soft spot for Dawson's Creek (any chick who analyzes the Creek is an A Plus in my book)

I had a chance to ask her some totally strange and really random questions, check 'em out!

• Which would you rather have: A hover craft or the ability to fly on command?

Fly on command. I can't think of anything that would be as exciting. Imagine being able to fly above your city and take in all of the sights. There's a reason why birds are the symbols of freedom!

• If tomorrow was your birthday, what kind of swag would be on your birthday list?

A record player. I have this ridiculous habit of collecting vintage vinyls even though I don't have a record player. I keep telling myself to buy one - and then coming up with an excuse not to (which usually has something to do with paying bills or buying groceries). Maybe this year will be the year!

• What is your go-to word when describing something fab-o-licious? 

Awesome. I wanted to come up with a better answer, but nothing else came to mind. I'll blame my lackluster word choice on Barney Stinson.

• Something new you want to try out in the next few months?

Opening an Etsy store. It's something I have always wanted to do and I am finally forcing myself to make it happen. I have a tentative opening date set in mind and, until then, I am working on creating awesome products, coming up with packaging/mailing materials, and writing a well-structured business plan. Wish me luck!

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Thanks Maria!

Wanna see what she is giving all you lovely Yellow Heart Art readers this week??

ONE PERSON WILL WIN:

a $25 Etsy Gift Card!

Their choice of book from Maria's Recent blog post review

*and*

Any Wooden Necklace from Yellow Heart Art!

Here are some of my Etsy Favorites that I would spend that gift card on!

1•2•3•4•5 

want in? Just do the rafflecopter prompts below! Giveaway open for 1 week :) U.S. Residents only please!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Taking Chances

We all have "words", something that triggers us to feel good or motivate us into a better person. "My word" for quite some time has always been "create". I love it so much I am contemplating tattooing that bad boy to my wrist. Whenever I see that word it just makes me feel good, makes me realize that I get to create physical objects from nothing at all. Its kind of awesome actually, one second there is a hunk of square clay sitting on my desk and the next second it turns into a rad bowling shoe.

I saw a bunch of people having a "word" for 2013. Since I didn't want to pick "create" again I decided to choose another word instead.

Chance. I want to take more chances in 2013, whether it be something super small like trying eel for the first time or something huge like going to the airport, finding the first available flight out of NY, and going there.

I don't want to look back on 2013 with any regrets. I'm at an age where I can take risks and chances and hopefully have enough time to bounce back from them if they turn out to be failures learning experiences.

Are ya ready for me 2013? Hold on, its gonna be frekkin rad. I should probably stock up on hairspray for this roller coaster, if I'm going to take a chance I might as well look cute doing so, right?

What is your word for 2013?

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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT! we are still having a ha-uge close out sale! Select prints are 50% off, all necklaces 50% off too! Help me make way for new Spring 2013 inventory :)