Anyone here?

Well I am, I promise....... :) I know I have all but left my blog for lost, but what's important is that I am back. The focus if you have started to notice has turned to Scentsy.......while I still love to paint and continue to do so in my spare time, Scentsy has become a true business to me. For both my friends and customers, you know that I have been a Director for awhile now and I am working hard to be promoted, so that is my goal for 2012.....to become a Star Director. With a group of over 200+, I train, mentor and also continue to work my own business----------without all of you it would not have been possible, so I thank you! "Calorie-Free Creations" will now be the place to get information on new Scentsy products, as well as what's going on in my life....I would love for you all to continue on with me on my journey :)





With that being said, if you HAVEN'T heard, we are now in our new Spring/Summer catalog! Hugely exciting for all of us involved because of not only the new products (warmers, scents, etc)....but also the arrival of new BABY Buddies, and the arrival of the new Layers by Scentsy line!



Layers is *amazing* and along with bath & body products, also offers laundry care items to make sure that EVERYTHING is Scentsy fresh!


Back to those Baby Buddies.............. SO CUTE. That about sums them up. At about half the size of their counterparts, they are the PERFECT addition to Easter baskets and are just about too cute for words.




So......if you would like to see more of these amazing products....

"Bride" for example.... head on over to www.laurenbowen.scentsy.us to check them out!

Well HELLO 2011!!

So being that I am still not 100% after my surgery I have no new paintings to "report" :) I am up to my ears in Scentsy....so it's a good combination for now!

As it stands, right now is a VERY busy time for everyone involved with Scentsy being that we are about to go through *Transition*....."What is this Transition?" you say? Well...it happens twice a year and it's when we either go from our Fall/Winter catalog to our Spring/Summer (like in this case) or when we are going from our Spring/Summer to our Fall/Winter catalog (like we usually do in August). It is a larger undertaking in that we are discontinuing a large number of items, coming out (usually) with even more, and to me...I like to make sure that ALL of my customers know about it so they don't miss out on buying their favorite items!

*****Almost NOTHING bugs me more than going to buy something I love and finding out it has been "discontinued".... FAIL!

So.......with that all being said, HERE is what will be discontinued as of February 28,2011:

Guava Nectar

Sentimental Cider

Central Park Pralines

Christmas Cottage

Christmas Tree

Cozy Fireside

Eskimo Kiss

Gingersnap

PoinsettiaPine

Snowberry

Spiced Grapefruit

Winter Wonderland

Twilight

Vanilla Suede

Peligro

Rustic Lodge

Clarity

Rainforest

Pineapple Paradise

Tropical Twist

Cranberry Spice

Just Peachy Ginger

Pumpkin Roll

Toasted Caramel Sugar

Vanilla Walnut

Maple Butter

Silver Bells



*******So if any of those were your FAVORITES.....you might want to start saving up because there is no guarantee that they will ever be brought back (sigh...Lemon Lavender...learn from MY mistake!)

Order online at wwww.laurenbowen.scentsy.us Or just send me a message on Facebook as to what you love/hate in scents and we can find you the perfect match out of our 80+.

Love & Cupcakes,
Lo

My What a Holiday Season it was!

First to catch up on a few more of the bangles I did during the amazing Holiday season........ This has to have been one of my favorites, even with as simple as it was. "Sparrow" was a custom order...though I will say that I totally can see one of these in my future...... ;)





This "Rams" bangle was also a custom order with polka dots wrapped around it......made for a coach's wife, the woman who ordered it was very particular about the specifications....but she was dead-on about the look and I LOVED how it turned out, totally perfect for Football season!




I apologize for not having been on top of posting over the holiday season.....with as busy as the season can get for everyone in general...2 very important things also happened for my family. My husband came home from deployment overseas & I had major surgery just 1 1/2 wks after Christmas.






So.......now that we are all caught up.........

Let it Snow....or at least let it get cold!!

Here in California at least.....I don't want to be wearing shorts on Christmas! :)

This bangle is only the 2nd of many Christmas bangles I'm sure...but this one, well this one is for ME! This bangle was modeled after a painting I did last year that I LOVED......plus I just love snowmen in general. When I started doing bangles earlier this year I remembered this painting and immediately sketched out a design of him for when I "had time" to paint for myself.
The "sketchy" designs are the same, right down to the ridges on the carrot nose. There were also some added touches of Swarovski crystal "berries" to make him sparkle.....you can never have too much sparkle right?


On the back I also added a single raised white snowflake and both larger and smaller Swarovski crystals......it reminds me of how the snow use to sparkle as it fell when my husband and I were stationed in Maine, there was truly nothing more magical.

As this design was modeled after my previous painting, it can be used as an example of a Christmas design....but will not be replicated.


Love & Cupcakes,
Lo

Christmas time is here again!

So this particular bangle is very special to me.....as you all know I LIVE for bright colorful (and mostly obnoxious designs :) And this is as close to traditional as I will get. My Momma asked me to make her a bangle for Christmas which was really touching.....she asked that it be "cherry red and have Holly on it"....when I pointed out that Holly has red berries (and thus it wouldn't show up that great on a red background) her response? "You'll figure something out" lol

So I did.....While I adore and live for painting I can honestly say that I stressed most about making this piece for her. I wanted something that was both my "style" and fun for the Holidays...but that was traditional enough where she would actually wear it! LOL

I think I accomplished both goals with my "Holly" bangle.....So this being my first actual Christmas bangle and it being for my Momma...well it has Sentimental value to me.......adding in Swarovski crystal "berries" also gave it a fun touch that both made it festive AND solved my berry "problem"!



So I have posted this to share with all of you as an example of a Christmas design ....but I will not be replicating this bangle, it is special and truly one-of-a-kind for a one-of-a-kind woman <3
I hope all of you are having fun gearing up for the Holiday season, feel free to message me if you would love to have a special one-of-a-kind gift for YOUR special someone!

Love & Cupcakes,
Lo

Monograms, Art Deco and Zebra Galore!

And here come the custom orders!! SO excited to have these completed....and they have been a blast to work on :) Monograms are hot as usual this year....as are Polka Dots




























This Design is what I am calling my "Art Deco" style and I love it! In fact I liked it so much after the fact I am wanting to make one for myself lol......my customers give me the best ideas! This one came from an order that was simply "I want something hot pink and black, but sophisticated.....something a little different. No monogram or normal pattern like stripes or polka dots....something more mature." I hope she loves it for Christmas!

Busy Bee

So I have officially completed the 1st of several "Arm Candy" Christmas orders! I have taken pictures of each and will be posting tomorrow------but wowzers, I seriously was bombarded with about 5 orders in a day....and then promptly came down with Step throat. Yep, that's my luck lol.

Oh well, I got them done and they turned out beautiful----also, tried out and love the new Christmas gift wrap....still has the Arm Candy flair, but with a Christmas twist! I have been busy non-stop.....and yet, have never been happier :) Also, TONS going on with Scentsy, my team was flat out AMAZING this last month breaking sales records left and right......I am blessed to have 30+ girls in over 10 states with a passion for a great product and a love to talk about it as much as I do!

Pictured below is "Prancer" our November Warmer-of-the-Month, available all month long for 10% off!

Want this little beauty for YOUR holiday decorating? Swing on over to my site at www.laurenbowen.scentsy.us and you can have one of your very own ;)

Until tomorrow (with pics!), Love and Cupcakes
Lo

Going forward

Roll Tide!!!!!
I have gotten in my newest shipment of bangles and I have to say I.Am.Excited. :) For the first time in awhile I have so many ideas I have had to pull out my sketchpad and try and keep up! I have already gotten in requests for a few so I have some to work on for now, but I am in the process of trying to figure out my Holiday deadline-----
Not only do I make your bangles custom, I also gift-wrap and ship (either to you or your recipient) for free, and since I am a one-woman operation it all takes time. PLUS......I have a Homecoming to prepare for in the not too distant future ;) And for that I will be taking some time off.

SO....if YOU have an idea in mind, or a custom requests for now or for a potential Christmas present, let me know! I accept paypal, and I DO do trades (I <3 other Etsy shop owners!)----prices for my bangles range from:

1in wooden bangle- $10-15 (no monogram available on this size)

2 in wooden bangle- $20 for patterns (zebra/polka dots/.etc)
$20-25 for Team designs (contact me for exact quote)
$25 for design with Monogram
(this is my most popular size!)

2 1/2 in grooved wooden bangle- $30, with 1/2 proceeds benefiting the Susan G. Komen
Foundation for Breast Cancer Awareness.
(contact me for availability!)


***As always, I love a challenge, so if YOU have a design you would love to have brought to life....let me know! You can contact me at Caloriefreecreations@yahoo.com

Love & Cupcakes,
Lo

Scentsy Time!

So I have *somewhat* caught you up on what's going on in my ART world....what about in the world o' Scentsy?

Well a LOT of new things are happening! I now have a fantastic team of almost 32 girls in over 10 states helping to spread the word about what a great product Scentsy is.....WHAT??!$#$ You are new to my page and don't know what Scentsy is?? Here's a quick recap:

Scentsy is a Godsend for people like me who are forgetful and/or have a bazillion things going on (usually at the same time), some will call Scentsy a "candle", and though...YES it will make your home smell *AMAZING* Scentsy is very different because:

*Scentsy has NO WICKS
*NO SOOT
*NO FLAME
*NO HASSLE!
*and perhaps most important, our wax warms just above body temperature....huh? What that means is that should curious hands get ahold of the melted wax, there will be NO burns! Unlike candle wax which can scorch and scar, this paraffin based wax is just like your hand/foot treatments at the nail salon! So you can be assured that your little ones are safe AND that your warmer can be left on when you leave the house.

Basically you have these super cool warmers (full-sized, mid-sized or plug-ins) that would fit every decor that plug in and warm a super scented wax by the heat of a 15/20 or 25 watt lightbulb......pretty cool huh? And with 80+ scents to choose from don't tell me you can't find at least a *few* you like!

Here is my site: laurenbowen.scentsy.us

And HERE are some of the cool NEW items that Scentsy has come out with for Fall (yes, you could TOTALLY get a real catalog from me, I'll mail it to you! But in case you are impatient :)

That's right, you can use scent AND support your favorite team (ROLL TIDE btw!).......we are adding new teams all the time....what? You can't see yours? Head over to my site and check out ALL the teams we have available now in our "Campus Collection"....oh, and know that with the purchase of each of *these* warmers, a portion goes to support that college as well!

"Love, Life, Hope" a beautiful sentiment for a beautiful cause.....if you have read previous post, you know that Breast Cancer Awareness is a cause that's very dear to me, as I type this I have this particular warmer on my kitchen counter.
Oorah! That's right...Scentsy now has a Marine Corps warmer!! (And Army, Navy and Air Force) My husband is a Marine so you can imagine how thrilled I was to see this collection come out------This warmer along with the other branches make up our "Patriot Collection", as as with the college warmers.....whichever branch you buy (MARINES...just sayin' lol), get a certain amount of the proceeds. I don't know many people who DON'T have someone connected to the military in their life, again a great present that supports a great organization.

Imagine sneaking in to peek on your little one all snuggled in their crib.....*sigh*.....now imagine being able to sneak in and out WITHOUT waking them up! Scentsy's new Nursery Collection allows you to do just that.....not only can you warm a soft sweet scent, the warmer has a soft glow that works perfectly as a nightlight. Illuminating such nursery rhymes as "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", "The Cow Jumped Over the Moon" and "Mary Had a Little Lamb"....it will give YOU peace of mind knowing YOUR little one is having sweet peaceful dreams.

And possibly our most fun new addition, the Scentsy Buddies! Amazingly cute stuffed critters with a secret zippered compartment in the back where you can slip a scent pak (a smallish ouch full of Scentsy-scented beads) to smell delicious! I gave my youngest son the Monkey with the Mochadoodle scent pak and his exact words were "my Monkey smells like hot cocoa!!" :) My oldest is a huge Bama fan (yep, mama is proud!), so he HAD to have the elephant and I ordered the French Lavender to go inside. Not only do I think that it helps him sleep...it makes his room smell pretty good too! Also, each Buddy comes WITH a scent pak....when you're tired of that scent there are 15 more you can choose from. Also, each Buddy comes with a secret code that you can register at www.scentsybuddy.com where you can learn about their favorite foods, their best friends....and also print off coloring pages and other games. These are already proving to be a massive hit for Christmas and it's not even Halloween yet!
Which brings me to the Holidays......Our "Give Thanks" warmer is the "warmer-of-the-month" for October, meaning that you get an extra 10% if you purchase this month, but we have a HUGE selection of Holiday warmers.....a Menorah warmer, Gingerbread Man, Heavenly (a beautiful non-glazed warmer with angels) and even a new glossy blue warmer with the Nativity scene. In later post I will post more pictures, but if you want to see them now & get a jump start on your holiday buying (who wants to wait until Black Friday??), head on over to my site!
www.laurenbowen.scents.us


Love & Cupcakes
Lo

My October

"HOPE".....it has a great ring to it doesn't it? It also is what millions of women who have been diagnosed with Breast Cancer cling to in order to get through treatment. I have had several women in my family affected as I'm sure many of you have too......but I thought it was even more important this "Breast Cancer Awareness" Month to remind people that this ISN'T our *grandmother's* disease anymore!
*Men
*Women in their 20s
*Women in their 30s

THESE are people being diagnosed as well----early detection is EVERYTHING. I fully believe in what my mom has told me since I was little, "you know your body better than ANYONE," it doesn't mean that I think everyone should go running screaming to their Dr for a mammogram, but if you feel something suspicious, do NOT let "you're too young to get Breast Cancer" be the reason you don't.


I made the first "HOPE" Bangle for a teacher friend of my Sister-in-law, a wonderful woman who had just recently been diagnosed and had begun treatment. I have always had kind of a gut feeling when I saw those pink ribbons....but I didn't want them to just be a reminder of what she "had", I wanted them to be a reminder of what she would conquer. When I made this bangle I also had no idea how it would grow in popularity! I posted a picture of it into my online album of "Arm Candy" on Facebook and was hit with requests for orders-------so in total I have made 5 this month, with 1/2 of the proceeds benefiting the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

As I have said before, I love to paint and have loved that people can now *wear* my artwork....what better than to have artwork with a purpose?


Love & Cupcakes,
Lo

While I was away......

So I have filled you in on WHY I was away......how about I show you what I MADE while I was away??

Back in Business!!!

So.......

I can't believe it's been almost a year. I HAVE been working in that period, but because of medical issues....kid issues and LIFE issues, well I hadn't had time to really dedicate to Calorie Free Creations.

I also was very blessed to be able to work on some wonderful pieces for friends and family that have kept me VERY busy this last year....so there really hasn't been any time!! Time....who has any these days right?


Anywho, Calorie-Free Creations is now back in business......but you will notice things are a bit different. I am still doing paintings (they are and always will be my first love....sorry Cliff! lol), but I have now added to my painted little family in the form of my new line of jewelry called
"Arm Candy"......wonderful wooden bangles...all handpainted and varnished and ready to be worn and lusted after :)

"Arm Candy" started with a very simple idea......I wanted to make matching bangles for my SIL and I with our monograms.......something that NO ONE else had, and more importantly, something from the heart. Thus...the "Arm Candy" line was born. It has recently expended to include a few College teams ROLL TIDE!!!!!!!! As well as my most recent addition, one named "HOPE", a pink ribbon-themed bangle created for a friend of my SIL who was recently diagnosed with Breast Cancer.

So all in all......painting for family......a hubby still deployed......a new line of jewelry...oh, and a promotion to Director with Scentsy! I am now a Director over my team of TWENTY-SEVEN girls........amazing, blessed by each and every one of them. So....busy busy....and headed into the Holiday season I don't see that stopping anytime soon!

The one other change you might notice is that I (for now) will not be listing things in my Etsy shop. I WILL still be taking custom requests/orders...but I am staying busy with those close to home with all of you & those from my Facebook page, so for now....my Etsy shop is on Holiday!

Message me if you want something done or would like to see more of my work, or mosey on over to my Facebook page: GeorgiaSmile1@aol.com to see my work OR the newest news with Scentsy.

Have a wonderful Day & I am thrilled to be back!

Love & Cupcakes
Lo

Adding to the Christmas List......

So I am a MASSIVE fan of the website/blog/addiction otherwise known as www.allthingscupcake.com .........on this site I have found some amazing recipes and some of the cutest cupcake *STUFF*.....thus the name huh?


Well one of the massively wonderful things I cam across were from the Etsy shop of Littleanu

She has several cute things, but her hand-painted cupcake pillows just take the (cup)cake! ha!

They range in size from "Snackie-Size (7"-8"), to Regular-size (13"-14"), all the way up to Large...otherwise known as "Be thankful it's fat free!" (16"-17")

Backed with recycled & cozy t-shirts, they are a sure fit for ANY cupcake lover.......and that is exactly why I have one headed MY way!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/littleanu <-------check her out!








Also worth mentioning is the CUTEST soap dish ever.....(GREAT idea honey for Christmas.....wink wink) from the Etsy shop Edwood.

Made from natural cedar & a mere 5"x5"x3/4", this cupcake soap dish is a MUST..........ok maybe not a must, but a "I really really want it!"










This will almost make standing at the sink fun!

Though it is is completely functional, I think I would have to display this on the wall......



To get one of your very own (and at a SUPER low price of $8), head here------>
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=34381634

What a difference a year makes......

So,

This was something I posted right around this time last year.....

I am happy to say that my husband WILL be spending this Christmas at home with me & our boys.......but I know there are SO many military families missing one or more loved ones this Holiday season.

Please keep these families in your thoughts-----often time I have heard that people don't know what to say to someone who has a spouse deployed.....well, the right words aren't necessarily important. Just letting them know that they are not forgotten and that you are there to lean on, well that mean a lot.

*****Also, in case you are one of those 3 or so people living under a rock and you HAVEN'T heard about Toys For Tots....it is an AMAZING charity benefiting military families (should you feel so inclined), with donation spots as close as your local Recruiting Office or Wal-mart, it is also one of the easiest to give to.


Love & Cupcakes.....and you know what, MERRY CHRISTMAS! I'm tired of everything I see saying Happy Holidays or Seasons Greetings.........it has ans always will be (to me and my family at least) CHRISTMAS! :)


Lauren

Oh the Weather Outside is Frightful...........more like 53 and heavy rain!

Where has the time gone?? More importantly, where did all this rain come from? I thought it never rained in Southern California!



Over this last month in a half I have been:

Painting,
cleaning,
wrapping presents,
decorating for Christmas,
helping my oldest with school projects,
shopping,
baking,
working on Scentsy orders,
wrapping more presents,
cleaning,

....oh, and painting!


I have included a picture from the Marine Corps Ball that my hubby & I attended last month. Very big deal for the Marine Corps, and for us as well.........this was our 7th!

Seeing as he was deployed for the Ball last year and will be again for 2010, it was especially bittersweet.


As for all of my new and wonderful paintings......well you are just going to have to wait to see them! I painted most of the presents for family & seeing as they read this, well I don't want to give them a sneak peek! ::laugh:: Though I will say that a few of the items are rather different than what I usually tend to do, I am very pleased with how they turned out.

****As for all the cleaning mentioned above......my in-laws will be here in 4 DAYS! With all the painting and wrapping and such, let's just say that it was very much needed (in-laws or not!) We are thrilled to have them out here as I have not seen them (or my own parents :( in almost a year. My boys are also thrilled, it is always such a treat to have family make the journey out here.

I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season, no matter how stressful things may get remember to always count your blessings........and to think of those less fortunate.

Love & Cupcakes,

Lo

December Preview------Candy Shoppe

Available starting December 1st.......and remember to get your orders in as this Holidays season will be CRAZY!!!



Love & Cupcakes,
lO

Snips, and Snails & Puppy Dog Tails.....

This piece was a true labor of love. As I said in an earlier post, my dear friend "J" and her husband just welcomed a new addition into their home this month, I had wanted to do something for the baby's nursery.......and chose to base it off of the bedding. With the deep colors & such a clear theme, it was a fun piece to do. Never mind that it is also going to some amazing friends...I hope that they enjoy it as well----------------Welcome to the World Baby Alex!












Love & Cupcakes Everyone-----My husband will actually be HOME this weekend....shocker I know, so I will be out having some much needed family time with ALL of my boys! Have a great weekend ya'll!


Lo

FINISHED....for now :)

The beginning of my Holiday pieces.....


I have been collecting Snowmen for several years.....a collection that started rather reluctantly I might add.


First I was given a Snowman for decoration...then the boys picked out cute Snowmen ornaments.....and well, downhill it went until it turned into a big ball of Snowman love :)


This one is one I had in my sketchbook for a few weeks now & I decided it was time to bring him to *life*.......and what would one of MY snowmen be without a cupcake to offer??



A 16x20 wrapped canvas, painted with acrylics, sparkle and a little bit of magic*


















This was also a idea in my sketchbook that I am pleased to have finished. A trio of 5x7 canvas boards to prop up for decoration or hang.

The first set being for the more Traditional, and the 2nd for people like myself & my Sister-in-Crime, Jess.























My new addition to my otherwise red/black/white "Fat Chef" kitchen......as you can imagine it matches marvelously :)


Will hopefully learn to take my advice by reading this each day.








A 5x5 wooden square painted with acrylics (what else?), and about 3 coats of high-gloss varnish for a shiny hard finish.














This I had actually seen elsewhere on shirts, etc.......but when I came across this perfect 16in round canvas, well, I knew that it was time that the Hostess cupcake paid a visit to MY kitchen :)


Painted with acrylics and a high-gloss varnish, I even tried to see how it would look wrapped in cellophane....(you know, like the REAL thing).....


Let's just say that didn't go so well! I am planning sometime soon to take my friend Rosa up on her idea to paint another......that way it can have a pair like it should :)










Of COURSE it belongs between an ice cream & spoon painting.........what else would you expect my kitchen area to look like?















SOOOOOO, that is it for now, but my wheels are still turning I can assure you. If there is something YOU would like to order for someone for the holidays (or yourself.....:) Just send me a message and we can get started.



Love & Cupcakes Everyone...and TGIF!
Lo