Giveaway & Guest Blog – Shelly Kennedy of Drooz Studio
Shelly Kennedy turns whimsy and enchantment into an art form. Creative mastermind behind drooz studio, blogger and one of the featured artists for Oopsy Daisy, we’ve long loved the stunning colors and artistic creativity of her personalized designs. We’re delighted to introduce you to her holiday collection of unique ornaments and wall pieces, and to the artist herself!
Tell us how drooz studio came to be
I have a formal background in Art & Illustration and a bachelor’s degree in Marketing that translated to working in various creative jobs. I had often worked weekends during and after college painting residential murals, but when my first child was born in 1998, we lived in an apartment where I wasn’t able to paint or “mural” the walls of our nursery. To solve my design dilemma, I hung some giant loose canvas on the walls and began mural painting those instead of the walls. Four months later I was pregnant with baby number two, and quickly realized I wouldn’t be re-entering the job scene any time soon! I created a studio in our dining room and started to design a line of original art. Soon I began selling to local designers and baby boutiques in Chicago… and drooz studio was born.
Where does the name drooz studio come from?
Drooz is a word that my daughter used as a toddler to describe her finger paints, play-dough, crayons, a plain piece of paper or newly finished masterpiece! “Drooz” was her word for creation & color, expression & enchantment … the perfect word for what we love at drooz studio!
What art inspires you, what art do you have in your own home?
I’m inspired by color. I tend to gravitate towards realism. Our house is full of family photography, and bright, bold original artwork. I have collected some amazing pieces of original art from ebay and etsy. Some of my favorite artists are Toni Grote, Bonnie Taylor Talbot, J Shears and Lindsey Tull.
What future projects can we look forward to from drooz studio?
Lots of new stuff in the works! A new “teen” themed art line (vintage/modern imagery mixed with encouraging & positive messaging) and a new children’s “party” line out this Fall – embellished party hats, pendant pins, flags and frames. I’m creating more “home” based design collections – and would love to venture into fabrics and papers.
Let’s get to know Shelly a little better with a “quick-fire” round of questions:
- Blogs I check daily: The Cottage Nest, Just Something I Made, Flourish Design and Style, and Lala Lovely Things.
- My first job was: working at a florist at 15 yrs old. The first day I was taught how to make a fluffy bow. My boss was incredibly supportive and a great inspiration. We are still great friends today!
- My favorite color is: black. Sorry, but it is (and yes, it IS a color!)
- I cannot live without: Sharpie pens
- My favorite guilty pleasure is: napping
- The best advice I ever received is: “a smile goes a long way”
- A cause I care deeply about is: The maintenance and growth of arts education in public schools
It’s giveaway time: Holiday Gift Giving Begins! Shelly has generously offered one lucky winner a 24 x 24 Merry and Bright Wall Hanging in either pink and green or red and green. To enter for a chance to win, leave a comment here or on our Facebook page telling us about your most merry holiday tradition. Contest ends Friday, November 5th at 6pm EDT.
Photo Credit for painting: Oopsy Daisy Fine Art for Kids
Pam Petrich is the winner for Drooz Studio Merry and Bright Wall Hanging!
Categories: Giveaway,Guest Blog,Holidays,Wall Decor
November 1st, 2010 at 10:01 am
What a great idea and so beautiful! i would love a red and green wall hanging!
November 1st, 2010 at 10:13 am
Our Merriest holiday tradition is celebrating my baby girl “Noelle’s” birthday.
November 1st, 2010 at 10:14 am
Since most of our family is of Cuban ancestry, one of our holiday traditions is to get together for Noche Buena (what we call Christmas Eve) and have lots of good food (including roast suckling pig). There’s a lot of eating, drinking, laughing and celebrating and sometimes, the children put on a Nativity play for us.
Having just lost our four-year old niece to cancer a few weeks ago, I’m not sure that the celebration will be the same. We’ll all still gather together though, because, especially at Christmas, family is the most important thing in our lives.
I’m so looking forward to reading all of your Christmas traditions.
November 1st, 2010 at 10:21 am
One of our favorite traditions is to bake lots of different sweets then assemble an assortment on a tray for friends, neighbors and family. Sometimes we sing a carol when we drop them off, sometimes we play ‘ding dong ditch’. One guess as to what the kids’(and hubby’s) fav. method is!
November 1st, 2010 at 10:22 am
We have a beautiful prime rib dinner on Christmas eve with all the family. I look forward to it every year!
November 1st, 2010 at 10:24 am
Our Merriest holiday tradition is singing together as a family before opening presents. We’ve done it ever since I was a child at my grandparents house. I love that the tradition has carried on.
November 1st, 2010 at 10:30 am
Every year, we pick one person in our family who’s done something funny (or embarassing) during the year and do gag gifts for them. It’s a silly tradition that started about 6 years ago and now it’s a running joke on who’s going to be in the “hot seat” each Christmas. Everyone has such a fun time with it, if you can’t laugh with family, who can you laugh with.
November 1st, 2010 at 10:39 am
OH My Goodness, just found you! Gorgeous Work!
You have a Great talent, love everything, doesn’t look like all the other stuff out there.
God has surely Blessed you.
November 1st, 2010 at 10:44 am
Just about forgot what I was on here for, one side of our family always gather at our house, cousins, Aunts, Uncles and new babies! We have a bingo game that will last until all gifts are given out, we save things all during the year, wrap them all and it is a Frenzy! Crowded and loud, so much fun, I always think I will do a new game, but doesn’t yelling BINGO just sound soooo Good?
Happy Holidays to all!!!!
November 1st, 2010 at 10:46 am
We have so many holiday tradition, it’s hard to choose!
The most longstanding is our Christmas Eve family dinner (and now that we have kids outside the home, family sleep-over).
November 1st, 2010 at 10:47 am
Our holiday tradition I love the most we have been doing since I was born..and Ive continued it to this day with my own children. We get matching xmas jammies..the whole family..adults and kids alike and they are wrapped in special paper under the tree and the only present we unwrap on xmas eve are those pjs..then we take out annual family pj photo with us all in the pjs and sitting by the tree…the next year we hang that picture in a spcial frame as an ornement on our tree with the date…so now our tree is filled with these photos we can look back on and as the kids get older they love this even more!
November 1st, 2010 at 10:50 am
I have a favorite “mom” tradition that I have inherited from my own mother. Every year my mom wrapped the most beautiful presents for under the tree. Everything was well coordinated and most importantly, extra time was taken in wrapping each gift and carefully placing them under the tree. The result was a stunning display of beautiful gifts on Christmas morning. My mom enjoyed this part of Christmas so much – it was like a little piece of joy for her. Both my sister and I have inherited this joy from her!
So with a smile on my face and a little extra joy in my heart, each year I plan my wrapping theme and enjoy the time I receive to wrap every gift with a little piece of my heart.
I play Christmas music and have a lovely cup of tea as well.
It is a nice treat for me to get to slow down from the madness and enjoy all there is to love about the Holiday season!
November 1st, 2010 at 10:58 am
Love the art! My most merriest tradition is attending Christmas Eve Mass with my family. It is always so beautiful and truely reminds us what Christmas is all about! After spending time giving thanks and celebrating at church, we go home for an amazing dinner and to open presents from each other (Santa’s of course in the morning). We usually top the night off with a Christmas movie. This is my favorite night of the yaer! Happy Holidays everyone!
November 1st, 2010 at 10:59 am
What a beautiful piece!
We have SO many Christmas traditions from hay rides at my Grandfathers farm, viewing lights with friends, to a special present left at the foot of the bed telling everyone Santa has come. Even with all the things we’ve been doing for years, one of my favorites is a “new” one that my husband and I started the year before we were married. We live in Texas and while everyone is getting ready for the holidays, with the warm weather it’s hard to get into the Christmas state of mind. Every year we make a point to go someplace that has cool weather and a big holiday tradition. We’ve gone to places like New York and Chicago. Now that we have kids we are doing things that are more their pace. Last year we went to North Carolina and rode on the Polar Express. We have a newborn this year, so we won’t get to travel, but we are going to find someway to make the holiday extra special and do something that we won’t soon forget.
November 1st, 2010 at 11:16 am
My merriest holiday tradition is when we offer each family member and friend a sincere “wish” for them in the upcoming year. It is done right after our appetizers and before the main meal. We cheer everyone and look forward to what’s to come…along with what is right now in the moment.
November 1st, 2010 at 11:40 am
I love this!! Soo pretty!! Pick me
November 1st, 2010 at 11:50 am
I have quite a few fond merry holiday traditions, but the one I will always cherish the most is (this was started by my husband’s family) on early Christmas morning… our very excited and eager children had to wait on the top of the staircase as we set-up our camera, put on Christmas carols and started the coffee!! We “recorded” their reactions to the lit Christmas tree and all the goodies that Santa brought the night before. The excitement and wonder on their faces will always remain in my heart. I hope my beautiful grown children will someday carry on this tradition with their family.
November 1st, 2010 at 12:00 pm
I have to win this! My last name is Winn so it was extra fun seeing the inspiration mantle. My favorite tradition is opening new PJ’s Chirtmas Eve before bed. Love it!
November 1st, 2010 at 12:12 pm
What charming holiday decor! Our favorite family tradition is putting the tree up and decorating together. The kids love to help and some of my mother-in-law’s decorations are over 60 years old. It takes days to get it all down from the attic, but so worth it in the end!
November 1st, 2010 at 12:21 pm
My favorite holiday tradition is on Christmas eve after church, we gather around the tree and open a special gift…. Matching Pajamas for the whole family that we wear that night and almost all day long on Christmas. When we look back year to year we can tell which Christmas it was because of the PJ’s.
My kids love it.
November 1st, 2010 at 12:31 pm
Our traditions every year we buy a new ornament for our tree.
November 1st, 2010 at 12:37 pm
We have the tradition of not being traditional. instead of opening presents on Christmas morning we open them on Christmas eve. and Christmas day a big family dinner
November 1st, 2010 at 1:17 pm
As far back as I can remember my mom, brother and I have been reading “The Polar Express” on Christmas Eve, wearing new pajamas that Santa brought us (a little early) and eating peppermint ice cream. Even as we get older and new members get added to the family (a stepdad and stepsiblings, my husband) we continue the tradition and are never too old to curl up with this wonderful classic. It’s such a sweet memory for me and sums up the cozy holiday feeling.
November 1st, 2010 at 2:09 pm
Since my daughter and her friends were in kindergarten we have had a tradition of making chocolate Christmas candies/lollipops and Gingerbread houses. This year, the next generation is going to be joining us in this well loved tradition! The red and green Merry and Bright wall hanging would look perfect in our kitchen as the backdrop to our Gingerbread House making!
November 1st, 2010 at 2:23 pm
We have so many wonderful holiday traditions, but my favorite holiday tradition with our children is our Elf on the Shelf, KeKe. I love to see the excitement on my kids faces each morning when they are searching for him or when I catch them out of the corner of my eye whispering to him.
November 1st, 2010 at 3:26 pm
I adore these wall hangings! My favorite tradition is opening one gift each night on the week leading up to Christmas. So much fun!
November 1st, 2010 at 4:34 pm
something we always do in my little family is that we open one gift on christmas eve.. which is usually christmas pj’s to wear to bed & we’re all in cute pj’s when we open our gifts on christmas morning. we do our christmas before we go to my in-laws on christmas eve & do christmas with my family.
November 1st, 2010 at 6:27 pm
I love the red and green one! Our favorite holiday tradition is the night we put the tree up. We all put our PJs on early and make some good apple cider. We spend the evening listenig to christmas music and dancing around while we decorate the tree. It is so special unwrapping the ornaments and remembering all the christmases before!
November 1st, 2010 at 7:19 pm
I love your work and when I saw the Miller decoration I knew this was meant to be (that’s my last name)! My favorite tradition is having surf and turf on Christmas Eve…I love the coast and seafood makes me feel closer to home (I’m landlocked now).
November 2nd, 2010 at 12:02 am
Ours is making cookies from my grandmother’s recipe; they’re delicious!
November 2nd, 2010 at 1:48 am
I love making our Christmas season magical! It starts after the Thanksgiving turkey goes in the oven – the Christmas carols are played. Then the decorating starts the day after so we can enjoy the crazy- busy month. Now that our children are grown, we have added some new traditions. My son and daughter-in-law host an ugly sweater party and we have fun shopping for the “best” sweater!
November 2nd, 2010 at 6:03 am
Our most merry tradition is to look at photos from previous holidays!
look forward to it every year!
November 2nd, 2010 at 8:43 pm
Favorite tradition? Putting up the tree the day after Thanksgiving… It’s an event in our family–appetizers, movies, music, hot chocolate (or wine)… we celebrate the moment pretty well!
November 3rd, 2010 at 12:28 pm
We love decorating the Christmas Tree. We do that every year. We always have a different theme.
We also love baking cookies! My favorite are the mint chocolate chip.
November 3rd, 2010 at 1:09 pm
My new tradition is watching “Love Actually.”
November 4th, 2010 at 9:08 am
My side of the family goes to the late church service on Christmas Eve. They have candles to light as we sing Silent Night with the lights off in church. It is so humbling. Afterwards, we drive through our small town to see the lights. Ending with homemade cookies and Christmas music before heading to bed. It is a perfect evening with family.
November 4th, 2010 at 5:40 pm
Listening to Nat King Cole’s Christmas Album is our family tradition. It’s constantly playing from the moment the tree goes up all the way until the presents are unwrapped!
November 4th, 2010 at 7:57 pm
spiked egg nog
November 5th, 2010 at 8:21 am
how fun! every year we as a family make our advent wreath and celebrate christmas day at our house eating a yummy dinner with the main course being lamb! yum! cant wait! thanks for the chance!
November 5th, 2010 at 10:39 am
Since my cousin has a birthday Christmas Eve, even though we are all adults now, we head out of town to his city where we celebrate his birthday. It’s so much fun and on the drive home (which goes down a mountain) the lit up city is amazing. The anticipation for Christmas morning is at it’s peak and I used to look up in the sky hoping to see Rudolph and now my kids too. When we get home, we set out Santa’s cookies and the reindeer’s carrots and head off to bed… bliss.
November 5th, 2010 at 12:32 pm
we make tons of christmas cookies every year to hand out to friends!
November 5th, 2010 at 4:32 pm
I love the wall hanging! They are gorgeous!Ever since I was little my mom would dress my 3 sisters and I in matching or color coordinated outfits. We use to hate it especially as we got older. I am the oldest so as soon as I went away to college I told my mom I was done dressing a like.
Now we are in our late 20′s and early 30′s and have started the tradition back up again. The first year we did it, it was totally unplanned. My husband and I host xmas eve every year for our families. When my sister’s arrived we realized we were wearing the same color. We were on the same wave length. It was pretty funny! A tradition we ended up not liking has come back to us again and we are loving it! I also have my kids and my hubby in coordinating colors!