Sunday, November 30, 2008

The Re-Birth Of Me...

Recently, I have been doing a lot of soul searching and can actually say that I am finding myself. And as I discover new things (or old things) about me, I learn that there are things I want to improve about who I am and how I interact with this world.

Recently, I picked up a copy of Feel The Fear and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers. I finished the book and am excited to begin on a journey to be the author of my own life... as scary as that might be for someone like me!

In the final chapter, where she sums up how this process might unfold, she cites a quote from the Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams. In the story, two nursery toys are talking about becoming Real. This passage brought me to tears because... I get it!

"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.
"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real, you don't mind being hurt."
"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?"
"It doesn't happen all at once, " said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't often happen to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Happy ThanksGiving Everyone!

Hope you all had a wonderfully thankful day filled with good food, family and friends! Today, I am thankful for:

• Being surrounded by family
• My health
• A good job that is also fun
• My two kitty cats
• Many friends
• My art studio, and my whole house for that matter!
• Time for creativity
• Being on vacation this week!

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Pick-A-Photo Tuesday: Me and Mom

Here's a photo of my mom and I when I was only a couple months old. My dad was an American in the army and was stationed in Munich, Germany. I was born there in the army hospital and my mom and I stayed until I was 9 months old. She liked to make matching outfits for us. Doesn't she look so mod!

Monday, November 24, 2008

Nesting...

This week I am lucky enough to be on vacation. It usually works out that I have a couple of days left before the super busy season at work... and it's nice to have a full holiday week to relax and do fun stuff at home.

But much to my surprise, I did not want to have fun. I wanted to nest! I guess like a little birdie who's settling down for quite some time, I really wanted a clean home in which to while away the time. I have a few more rooms to get to, some laundry to do, and some items to categorize in my studio... then it's play time!

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Ahhhhhh...Sweet Relief...

Over the weekend I took a bath in my very vintage claw-footed bathtub. During the fall and winter months, I love to fill the tub with hot water and open the window for a nice cool breeze. It's almost like bathing outside! This time, I actually stayed in so long the tops of my toes were wrinkled!

Thursday, November 20, 2008

The Scrapbooker's Creativity Kit...

This really cool book by talented artist Claudine Hellmuth, has a "guest layout" by yours truly. I was honored to be a part of this interesting publication that comes complete with a deck of inspiration cards and an 80-page book with samples from all types of designers. To get a sneak peek inside, visit Claudine's blog here! The book won't be out until January, but it's available for pre-order on Amazon.
© photo courtesy of Amazon.com

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Little Pink Houses, For You And Me...

Now see... here's a chipboard house from Maya Road that I started and it knew exactly what it wanted to be. Maybe I'm a pink girl? Maybe I'm more inspired when it comes to pink? Hmmmmmm....

I do love this house, though. The top is removable and it comes with little windows and 6 tags that fit neatly inside. I've already worked on a couple of them... a few affirmations for the "House of Me."

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Pick-A-Photo Tuesday: Let's Hit The Bottle...




I really enjoy antiques of many kinds, but I have a soft spot (or should I say soft drink spot) for items with any kind of advertising on them... such as these vintage soda bottles.

I photographed them in black and white, hand colored them with dye inks and roughed up the surface with sandpaper to age them a bit. One of my all-time favorite techniques.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Chips, Candies...

It seems like as soon as Halloween is over, and you made it without stealing too much candy from little children... that all of a sudden the cold weather kicks in... and all you want are chips and chocolate? Funny.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Sometimes You Just Feel Stuck...

Hey, maybe if I stare at this thing long enough it'll turn into something wonderful! That's what I've been saying about this little starry house I've been working on. Last June, I purchased a bunch of really cool house boxes from a local yard sale. I started to work on this one and just fizzled out. I'm not quite sure why. Perhaps I might be thinking about it too much and maybe the answer is to just... do what I know. Use some techniques and embellishments that I've used before on projects of this type... and stop trying so hard!

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Campfire Girl...

Fall is really here. Cool air, brisk winds, leaves already turned the colors of fire drifting to the ground. I just love stepping outside to the scent of burning wood from a nearby neighbor's fireplace, most likely keeping them warm and toasty. It's one of my favorite olfactory pleasures, reminiscent of all my years being the fire-tender when camping. It's still my favorite task (and my favorite smell!). If I could change one thing about my current home, it would be to have a real fireplace. One day...

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Let It Snow...Man!

So, I kept my promise to myself and got busy this weekend having fun painting and working on all my snowman assemblages. I'm very happy with the way they turned out. They all have their own personalities, but I think my favorite is the one with the ladder to the moon. And I really love the Claudine Hellmuth Studio Paints, Brushes, Mediums, and Gesso that I used to create these cigar box scenes.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Pick-A-Photo Tuesday: Cabin On The Lake

A while back, my mom had gone to a funeral. At this funeral, she had spoken to one of the family members about having to "go through things". The woman mentioned that she had so many old photographs that she had to just throw many of them away. Mom said that was too bad as her daughter (me!) uses them in her artwork. Surprisingly, the woman mentioned that she did not "empty" the trash yet and could take them out and send them to me. And so she did. How very sweet.

As I was going through the photos, I kept noticing several that had this cabin on the lake pictured. It looked just like a cabin of a distant Uncle who I used to visit with my family when I was young. That cabin was in New York on one of the many lakes upstate. Last week, I had the opportunity to pass the photos on to a visiting relative and ask if it was my Uncle's cabin. And guess what? It was! Pretty cool.

photo courtesy of Ms. Bobbi Cidern

Monday, November 10, 2008

Still Finding Myself...

I can see myself out there... floating at the edge of the stratosphere... peeking out from behind my heart that has been bound... only temporarily... until I am found.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Feeling A Little Blue Today...

I'm feeling a little blue today. Maybe it's the weather... it's been cloudy and raining all week long here. Maybe it's because I'm so busy at work. Or maybe it's that I've had a lot of obligations this week... albeit fun ones, I just haven't had enough me time. Tomorrow I think I'll just stay home and paint some snowmen. Now that sounds like fun!

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

I've gone to PinkBerry Land..

Yeah, I did it! I got a Blackberry... okay a Pinkberry! I really wasn't interested in getting a new phone, until they made the Blackberry in pink. It takes a little getting used to, but I really love a lot of the features: the calendar, memo pad, voice recorder, e-mail, internet, and so much more. And... it's PINK!

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Pick-A-Photo Tuesday: Skee Ball

As a child, I loved to go down to the boardwalk arcades and play Skee Ball. For this game of skill you'd throw a clunky wooden ball up a ramp and into a bullseye-style area of rimmed holes with different point values for the degree of difficulty. You typically got 9 tries for each token... enough to rack up some tickets and buy yourself a pencil eraser or a bird water whistle. Boy, things were much simpler then.

Monday, November 3, 2008

My Weakness...

Ahhhh, yes... here they are. Two of the most adorable, sugary sweet cupcakes you'd ever lay your teeth on. Tenderly purchased from the Ocean Grove Bakery in town, these yummy delights are my every-once-in-awhile treat. Okay, so every two weeks. I cannot resist!

Sunday, November 2, 2008

A Veritable Snowman Factory...

In an effort to brush up on my mass production skills— and finish a few more snowman assemblages—I really went to town this weekend! I even made some awnings with the Claudine Hellmuth Studio Sticky-Back Canvas that I had left over. Bonus!