Hi folks…just wanted to say happy new year and may all your hopes and dreams come to fruition in 2010.  A new year means a new beginning, a new opportunity to do whatever you want to do.  Feel good…be happy…all the best from my little town in Tuscany See you next week in 2010!

Posted on December 31, 2009 at 7:45 pm | thoughts + discussion | 8 comments

Hello to you this lovely Wednesday!  With the new year just around the corner, no doubt we’ve all seen an amazing release of calendar designs and roundups on many design sites.  I’ve seen so many great designs and usually end up with way too many calendars than actually needed.  But I figure that having one in each room can’t be bad, since it’s entirely functional as well as pretty to look at!  I was a bit late in starting this year to add any calendar designs to my Etsy shop, so I decided to create a last minute printable coloring calendar for kids and grown-ups alike.  It’s a compilation of designs I created this past year, plus a few new quick sketches.  I think it’s perfect for a little downtime because coloring is a great way to relax – regression baby!

I created a high-quality and high-resolution PDF file to be printed full-page, but you can also use Adobe Reader with the multiple page printer setting for a smaller sized calendar, as I did shown above.  I wanted to attach it onto my clip flower and remind myself to do some coloring at least once a month in 2010.  I hope you like this little freebie I created…please pass along to anyone who might still need a calendar or perhaps just someone who needs some coloring relaxation The preview of the pages are below – Enjoy!

Download the 2010 Printable Color Calendar PDF (21.1MB)

Posted on December 30, 2009 at 4:21 pm | free goodies | 2 comments

Can you believe a new year is fast approaching? 2009 has been a year of many beginnings for me…lots of trials, errors and failures.  However, in just a few short months of experimentation I feel that I’ve already learned an overwhelming amount.  I’ve digitally connected with great bloggers and readers alike – people just like you and I’ve definitely enjoyed sharing my work no matter what the result.  It is slightly bittersweet that the time has flown by so quickly and I still feel behind in realizing my goals – but I do feel excited for 2010.  After all, a new year means a new opportunity to explore, share and connect.  I hope you’ll stick around for all the great updates I have planned!  You can subscribe to the tortagialla newsletter to stay updated on big announcements and receive freebies as well as follow the blog RSS feed so you don’t miss out on any posts.  Remember that Wednesdays I always post a freebie for my lovely readers.  Also, don’t ever hesitate to email me directly: linda [at] tortagialla.com.  I have to say again that I really do appreciate your time.  Grazie mille for your support!

To round off 2009 I’ve updated my Etsy store, Spoonflower fabric designs and Zazzle store as much as possible.  Let me know what you think and if you have any comments, suggestions or requests.  I welcome all your thoughts and thank you in advance.    I’ve actually just started my “Notes to Myself” series of graphic art prints…see the first one below…

For the new year, I have a big book of many more ideas and art series in the works.  There will be originals, art prints and of course digital stamp designs, sets and scrapbooking kits posted on Etsy…with all designs transferred to apply for fabrics on Spoonflower and products on Zazzle as well.  It’s all written down, so hopefully the workflow on paper will work as planned in 2010! I wish you all a great end of year…I think my next big task will be clean-up and organization.  Until tomorrow where I have a cute freebie waiting for you…ciao ciao!

Posted on December 29, 2009 at 11:44 pm | store | 2 comments

Even during the happy holiday season there can be ups and downs, but I always try to find inspiration and look to the brighter side no matter what. I recently saw the music video for George Michael’s single titled, December Song (I Dreamed of Christmas) and it touched me so much.  The aesthetic of the music video first attracted me because I always love animated and illustrated stories, but if you read the lyrics you’ll find the poetry and meaning in the song as well.

The idea that every year is a new year, believing in peace and dreaming of better days always holds true for me. As a whole, I think the song is about finding that happy place, so no matter what happens you can move forward and look towards better days. There’s always a new beginning…perhaps Christmas time and the end of year just brings out that feeling a bit in everyone. I love how these dreams and fantastical worlds can be so well conveyed in illustration, because you can just draw it – whatever’s in your mind. I hope you find this video as inspiring and touching as I did, happy Monday to all!

Posted on December 28, 2009 at 10:21 am | inspiration | 2 comments

As I head off to our family get together this morning, I got to thinking about how lucky I am to have all the things that I have.  It’s so easy to take for granted anything and everything…but sometimes a big change in your life shakes up your point of view.  Moving to Italy was a big change for me and many of the aspects of everyday life that seemed normal in the States, sometimes just doesn’t match up here in Italy.  I’ve certainly gone through difficult times, frustrating processes and seemingly impossible situations that wouldn’t ever occur in the States, but I realized that you have to give and take no matter what situation you are in.  There are always the pros and the cons, it’s finding the balance in all of it that really matters.

The fixation many have on the negative things really creates a very sad life. I try to steer away from that and be thankful for all that I have now, even if I’m working towards more and better things. I think I can appreciate even the little things so much more after living here in Italy and witnessing so many differences.  Not to say I succumb to all the Italian ways of thinking or doing things…just perhaps that I can step back and see a bigger picture than previously.  Maybe it comes with age, experience and going abroad…something like that.

I hope that you can change your perspective on things for the better as well.  Have a fabulous Christmas day, whether with family, friends or even alone out there…just cherish and enjoy what you have.  Half the battle is simply your outlook on life.  You have the power to choose what you do, how you react and how you feel in the end.  So have a merry day, no matter what.  Ciao ciao!

Posted on December 25, 2009 at 11:45 am | thoughts + discussion | 4 comments