Revive

Please forgive me for the lack of posts lately. But it is true that with the supposed absence of activity, there is usually a lot going on behind the scenes.
That's how God works, and I am finding the increasing importance in trusting Him with my life and work! It's when He is quiet that I know He is working on big things "behind the curtain."
Lately I have been taking more chances, pushing myself outside of my comfort zone, which honestly, is not the easiest thing for me. BUT so worth it.

Incase you haven't heard I am having a show in August (first once since my college days 6 years ago). The show will display some of my favorite Lisscat Creations paintings, along with my freakishly talented friend Jason Duran of Elegant Interior Painting.

For years, its been on my mind to get back out there and display my art. Fear held me back. But pushing that aside, God was faithful in providing divine connections and some great opportunities.

The show is August 3rd in Franklin, TN (and dont worry, I will be sending you all many friendly reminders as it draws closer) :-)

But for now, I leave you with a brand new painting titled "REVIVE" and the ever comforting reminder to go after your dreams because GOD IS FAITHFUL!

It comes in THREE's...

Whenever the good Lord is trying to get my attention, he alway's does it in sets of threes. The topic of this week's post was brought to my attention, not surprisingly, 3 times before I thought "maybe I should write about this!"
1) To Write Love On Her Arms - The featured "charity of the month" that Lisscat Creations is choosing to proudly support. TWLOHA is an organization that brings hope and healing to those who are suffering from depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide. www.twloha.com

2) Whole Body Grace - My favorite health and wellness blog out there! (Ok, its my sister's organization, so I may be a little biased, but still, its awesome!) Last week WBG shared a blog post that was not only personal, but very deep, comforting and inspirational. Click here to read a young woman's struggles that almost brought her down, and how she bounced back from them.

3) Death - Recently we have lost two young, beautiful and talented woman.  Leslie Carter Ashton and Whitney Houston. Each of these woman had impacted the lives of those around them. They each shared a passion for music, had beautiful daughters, and both sadly lost their lives this past month.
I do not know them, and am only going off information released by the media, but it appears drug abuse may have played a role in these tragedies. Drug abuse is an addiction and often associated with feelings of depression or dark thoughts.

And so three times, I was reminded that there are so many people out there who are hurting. Just because they are smiling, does not mean their hearts are not silently breaking.

I feel a strong confirmation about donating to TWLOHA this month. As taken from TWLOHA's vision statement:

You were created to love and be loved.  You were meant to live life in relationship with other people, to know and be known. You need to know that your story is important and that you're part of a bigger story.  You need to know that your life matters.


Please consider purchasing an original Lisscat Creations "ARMED WITH LOVE" handmade card.
Each card is only $12.50 and 10% will be donated directly back to To Write Love On Her Arms.
Keep it for yourself as a reminder of your self worth on your 'rainy days', or even better, purchase one for a friend who needs a smile.
You can order "ARMED WITH LOVE" cards directly at www.lisscatcreations.com/shop or email me at melissa@lisscatcreations.com. I'll even ship it for free! In the continental US only.


Be blessed,
Me-

What's LOVE got to do with it?

Here's our take on the age old question "What's LOVE got to do with it?"

LUV BUGZ - Two 4" x 4" hand painted wooden plaques. Acrylic on wood, with decorative ribbon for hanging. ($31.50 for the set)



1. Valentine's Day - Presenting the first ever Lisscat Creations Valentine's Day plaques. A cute way to celebrate the holiday that's all about chocolate... oh, we mean love! ;-)

ARMED WITH LOVE CARD -  5" x 7" hand crafted card. Featuring a print of the "Armed with Love" watercolor painting, set on black textured paper. Fashioned with a rhinestone between the 'love - hope' text. Comes with 1 white envelope. ($12.50)

2. This month, thanks to your great suggestions, we have made "To Write Love On Her Arms" the charity of the month! 

What does that mean? It means that 10% of all artwork sold will be donated back to TWLOHA.

We were so inspired by the hope that TWLOHA brings, we created the "Armed with Love" painting.

This original watercolor painting was such a hit, it sold within 10 minutes of its premier online.

So to help raise money for TWLOHA, and to share the hope, we created the "Armed with Love" card.

We'd love for you to pick one up for your friends, or for yourself and help share the hope!

To get your "Armed with Love" card and other great artwork, click here!

For information on "To Write Love On Her Arms" visit : http://www.twloha.com/

Be. Inspired.

  BE INSPIRED - Two 4" x 4" hand painted wooden plaques.

 Acrylic on wood, with decorative ribbon for hanging. ($31.50 for the set).

Just a quick post for you this week with some updates and questions for you all.

How has your new years been? Been sticking with those dreams/ goals? Don't let discouragement take you down, even for a moment. Its never too late to get back up on the horse and continue the journey!
In honor of the new year, and new dreams, I've just released our newest hand-painted plaque set titled "Be Inspired." Different style than our traditional holiday themed plaques but its received a lot of good feedback so far!

So today we are donating $20 to the Make-A-Wish foundation! This was raised with YOUR help last month as you purchased artwork and cards! On behalf of Lisscat Creations and the kids at Make-A-Wish, THANK YOU for your support!

If you are new to Lisscat Creations, we have a little thing we like to call "charity of the month." Every month we pick a great organization (nominated by you) and donate 10% + of the proceeds of all artwork sold to the charity!"

Who would you like to see Lisscat Creations give back to next month? We have had some amazing suggestions for "To Write Love On Her Arms" and orgs to stop human trafficking.

Let us know your thoughts! And be on the look out for new featured artwork all month long!

Love you guys, you rok!

Hard work, Risk, & Prayer

It is that time of year for beginnings. Risks. Resolutions. Goals. Shaking off the old and taking a big deep breath as you dive into something new.

                                            Happy New Years!!!! -2012-

Now can anyone tell me where December 2011 went? I am so thankful that I was blessed to be painting what seemed to be non-stop, up until Christmas. Thank you to each and everyone of you who showed Lisscat Creations some love in 2011. Whether it was purchasing artwork, reposting tweets/ FB posts, or just shooting us a sweet compliment, please know it was all appreciated! 

It's so crazy to think another year has come and gone. We shared with you the struggles of losing our beloved Bliss last year. I am still amazed when I remember all of the support and love that was received.

I'm sure your 2011 had its share of ups-and-downs too. But is a a new year! A time for a fresh start. It's not like there is something magical in the air that allows us to suddenly become productive and successful upon the new year.... but there is a sense of letting the past be in the past, and allowing ourselves to dream and be prepared to be better in the coming months.

Today I read a great post by the very talented, John Tesh. I posted this to our facebook page. (Click HERE to check it out!) It is about not being afraid to take risks. We can never really grow if we are living in fear. I'm sure this is something we can all relate to. So I know for me personally, and for Lisscat Creations, I want 2012 to be a year about taking risks. It might bring us up, it might bring us down, but in the end it will help us to grow and reach other people.

So I leave you with this - Figure out what it is you want this year. No matter how far away it seems, you can go after it with a lot of hard work, risk, & prayer! (Thanks J. Tesh for this!)

Blessings to you all and Happy New Year!

Special Delivery

In disbelief that it is already mid-November? So am I!

It's already that time of year for Christmas cards, sweet holiday scented candles, and BABIES!

I want to welcome my first and favorite niece, baby Rhea, to the world!

She came into the world weighing 7lbs 14 oz. (same as her Aunty was!) on November 9th, 2011.

Please feel free to gush over her pictures, as this little girl is already so loved and has already brought me so much inspiration!

Here are the personalized nursery room letters for Rhea, courtesy of Lisscat Creations. They were made to match the fun animals and patterns in her bed set. I've gotten a lot of good feed back on these and thoroughly enjoyed making them! If you are interested in a customized set for your own little one, or some one you know, please email me at Melissa@lisscatcreations.com

Also, here is a sneak-peek at the Christmas card collection premiering this week! Stay tuned....

Pumpkins, Pumpkins Everywhere!

FINALLY, the first glorious day of my favorite season has arrived.... FALL!

There is nothing better than crisp Autumn air, cinnamon, pumpkin spice latte's, pumpkin muffins, vibrantly colored leaves, and Halloween Candy. This weekend I've been haunted by more advertisements for pumpkin spice lattes. After searching 4 stores, there is no pumpkin coffee creamer out yet! Come on International Delight and Coffeemate, get with the new season, I beg you!

Anyway, I couldn't be happier to welcome in this new season. Especially after this draining summer, I'm ready for a change!
So in honor of our first Fall weekend, I bring you the first official Lisscat Creations Halloween decoration.
Check em out and let me know what you think!

SPOOKS! - Two 4" x 4" hand painted wooden plaques. Acrylic on wood, shiny clear varnish. With decorative ribbon for hanging. ($31.50 for the set).

These are available now so email me (melissa@lisscatcreations.com) or comment below if interested!