Happy New Year!!!

I am saying bye to this year with a cold that caught me in a split second, or so it seems. I may have a little fever or something so I can't think of anything original to say. Actually, I took some medicine and can't wait to lay down. What a celebration!
I will borrow words from my dear blog friend Claire. I can't think of better wishes for everyone I know than:

Wishing you wonderful things for this New Year -
may it be a time of growth and exploration and a deepening of love for life :o)
My resolution, goal, wish, quest.... is to be able to say "I found myself" at the end of the year (any year). I think that having the privilege to look at this wonderful painting every day will help.

Thank you sweet Misty.

Latch hooking with fabric is NOT EASY!!!!!!!! I had the best time painting the fabric, sewing little art quilts for journal covers, even cutting fabric for the spine.... But the latch thing AARRGGGHHHH!!!!! It took me hours to finish it! Maybe I need more practice? I'll try it again (when I calm down).

So, how are you? Are you sorting out this year, planning for the new one, thinking about resolutions? I am.
I am also waiting for our children to return home from their trip... My dh and I spent several relaxing, wonderful days... but we want them back :-)

Happy Holidays! Warm hugs and lots of love to my visitors and friends!
Stay warm, cozy and safe!
xoxoxo

...with romantic dreams of becoming the confidante

of your beautiful soul...

8" x 8"

!!!Happy 12th Birthday!!!

My favorite little monster turned 12 today! I know... it's wrong... most mothers call their daughters princesses or something gentle as that... but Hana has always been my favorite lovable monster and we are celebrating that fact today with a monster cake. It is a no-bake cake that my children love (a mixture of petit beurre cookies, butter, chocolate, walnuts, raisins, pineapple bits etc.)
The monsters are not edible... I found them at the lovely Paper Source store (they were completely out of place there, but I was happy to see them).
I had the best intention of making a dozen 1" squares with Hana's photos today. I picked some that show her in different situations. I cropped, printed and cut them; thought of all the appropriate words... but just couldn't finish it. Maybe I will some other day.

Sketching birds

I can't seem to find the time to play as I usually do... I don't even have anything listed on eBay (and that doesn't happen often). That doesn't mean that I am not creating. Good thing is that I finally realized (at 42) that I have to create.... it makes me happy, no matter if it is big or small, good or bad... I have to make something every day. So, I've been sketching birds...
They are not shaded, not because I don't have the time, but because I don't know how to do that. I wish my mother were here; she would shade and bring life to them. Speaking of my mother, I visited the Art Store today and bought her a set of Derwent Graphitint pencils. I had to try them... Don't look at my example and judge the pencils, because I was coloring like a child - not in the way you are really supposed to do.

photo details of my day

Frost on the grass = extra cold weather.
Deserted beach.
Early morning walk with my darling.
A puddle of much needed coffee... wasted.
A broken glass... broke it while trying to clean the coffee...
Burnt finger. No picture because it's "that" finger.
Low energy.
No art.

Illustration Friday - Help

She desperately needed help.... Time was flying by and she couldn't stop looking at the computer monitor... So many things to do, stuff to try.... She will turn into a virtual non-being if she doesn't get help SOON!!!
This is a quick sketch - a reflection of how I spent this lovely day (blogged about it here). Sad.

Etsy love

Do you love Etsy? Do you get hypnotized by the "recently listed items" line... or the amazing "time machine"? Do you like to toss and throw items in the "sampler"? I spend countless minutes (hours) just playing with all the super cool flash features. They just call you to click on items... and then you visit the seller's store, find their blogs... and more hours get spent by the computer.
Do you know about 'PIF' (pay it forward)? You can get a free item that has PIF in the title and then list something you made as a gift to someone else. That's how I got the orange earrings. The cute cat is one of gifts for Hana (she saw it, loved it and has no idea that I ordered it). The handmade journal was a lovely find. It has real (shedded) snake skin on the cover. I never saw anything like it... And the little cell phone holder is a gift from one of my buyers on etsy. I did something nice for the lady, and she surprised me with a lovely present.
Speaking of etsy, I wasn't only browsing today. I listed a Coptic journal/collage kit. I included a ton of my favorite things (even a glue stick, rubber stamp and caran d'ache crayon).
And another journal with heavy pages.... just calling to be painted, collaged, written in...

Experimenting with resin

Sorry for the blurry photo... It's midnight and I can't turn on the proper lights and for some reason I want to post it now. I made this little bird today from paper and polymer clay and although I think it's cute I feel like it needs something more. A little voice whispered to me (maybe the bird) "resin paper, resin paper" and I had to listen to it. I remember reading about the technique that explained how to make transparent resin paper in some magazine.... but I can't remember which one. I searched through my stash and couldn't find it. I'll probably sell my magazines soon. What's the use of having them if I can never find what I want?
Anyway, I knew that I could not sleep if I didn't try it.... so I found the resin (I bought 5 years ago and used once), laid down some papers and brushed it over.
Is that how it's supposed to be done? Seems too simple.
We'll see what will happen in the morning. Now I can't wait to fall asleep..... and wake up and see my papers.

!!!!!Happy 20th Birthday!!!!!

My baby boy is not a teenager any more! I don't think he ever was a 'real teenager' (I'm very lucky). It is unreal to look at this young man and to know that I gave birth to him... I don't feel old enough (does that make sense?)... but I'm very proud and happy.

Trees and birds.... again

Look at the wonderful, flaming red tree! The photo is not sharp because I took it from my car this morning. You can even see the rain drops on my windshield. I stare at trees all the time and always have a "favorite" one. My daughter just rolls her pretty eyes and says that all of them are my favorites... True. But this one is really magnificent... it just refuses to accept that it's mid December.

This is what I played with today:

The scans really don't do them justice... I printed my bird sketches on a transparency sheet, reverse painted it, cut into different shapes and added some glittery accents on the top. I used only metallic paints, and of course they don't show at all when scanned... but they look pretty in regular light.

Seize the Day

I was feeling very grateful today for my friends and family... They read about my hurting back and offered warm words, help and understanding. There could be no better medicine. Thank you so much!

Allowing my warm feelings to surface I played with almost all of my art supplies, made a glorious mess everywhere and enjoyed the strong, happy colors. Oh, the joy of creating... I think you'll agree that the message is good... we should seize the day. Every day.******

Just eBay...

I have some mysterious, horrible back pain... It is not a regular back pain issue; this is something unpleasant in a different way. I wish I could be gracious and write about it positively as some of the brave bloggers do... but I can't. It hurts and I can't move, breathe or live in the way I'm used to and it doesn't do anything good for my mood... I've went from tears to anger and all the emotions/behaviors between. I'll try to find a position in which I can function and try to transform my negative energy into some journal art... that should make me feel better.
It's a good thing that I prepared my auctions earlier this week, so at least I can feel like I accomplished something today. All items on the photo are listed on eBay.

- click here -

I love birds.

Metamorphosis

I created this canvas collage for the first "Try it Tuesdays" challenge. I liked the words and thought that the creature I used looks mysterious... My kids and sister said it looks like death. Not what I was going for... It bothered me for months and I finally did something with it.

I'm not sure that the second version looks happier...

Maybe it is not supposed to be a happy canvas.

Flower petals

It has been a while since I played with flower petals and transparencies. I added mica flakes and some glitter and was transported into a magical, happy world. And I need that today after hearing so many sad things on the news.

ACEO holders

I think that I should re-work my website because the
busy, busy home page is not making me happy any more. For now - I just updated the shop page. I was working on some ACEO holders and instead on listing them on my usual places - I parked them on my website. Hope to add more very soon.

1" Square Swap

Do you want to swap some little squares with me? I have about 10 left.... click here if you're interested. I received Chrysti's wonderful squares. The scan doesn't do them justice... the colors are richer, there is more depth.... they are just pure joy to hold. I was thinking about a way to display the squares without attaching them so that I can see the back side if I want to. I used an ACEO sleeve and my sewing machine and I think that it will work. I will probably make a little square book that will hold even smaller collage squares and will bring BIG smiles to everyone that sees it. Here is my test model - a card with squares I sent to Chrysti.
Staying with the little things subject - I finished a charm for a bracelet for JoAnnA. It will accompany the collaborative book that Lelainia organized. It doesn't show.... but it's little.

Take a look - a completely different take on the same inspiration:

DOLLS

How unbelievably wonderful!

Anita - the Queen of Inspiration

Mina found a new home this evening. Her sister Anita is living on etsy at the moment.

I had the best time creating this doll! Hours of time completely lost in that wonderful state where only one part of your brain functions and you paint, cut, combine and just enjoy the process. She holds an old key (thank you Connie) and a little journal on her back. Most of her body is made from fabric that I painted... and she has a ring! FuN!
Here are some other new things:











Hope you all have a wonderful week!

My Favorite Monkey

Page in my journal

I woke up with a headache and it got only worse as the day went by. I couldn't function most of the day. Late in the afternoon I was a little better and just had to express my unhappy feelings. A new Target catalog arrived today, and I guessed that there had to be some coffee machine images in it. I was right. I painted the background with strong coffee (and was surprised by the light color... I expected a dark brown), cut up the images from catalog, found a photo of myself and made a quick collage. I have a love/hate relationship with coffee. I LOVE to drink it... and I HATE that I'm addicted so much that I get sick if I don't drink it.

Thank you for the positive comments on my doll. They gave me the needed push to play more. Anita is hoping that I'll feel better tomorrow and that I will finish her so that she can sit a little with Mina before she leaves for her new home. Fonts are tiny because most people will think that I lost it completely because I'm writing like this about fabric dolls and I'm over 6 years old :O)

Mina - the Dream Keeper

She is done! Finished. Isn't she sweet?She is holding a fabric ACEO... something like a 'mini me' doll.

She also has a pocket on her back and there is a journal where she keeps dreams. That's why she is a dream keeper.

You can see her on eBay.
I think that it will be a fun auction - $1.00 (no reserve).

Is she likable or do I like her because I made her?

Not finished...

I have no clue what I'm doing... I even managed to sew in the pins in the batting/muslin sandwich (and had to cut it open to fish them out)... To figure how to attach the arms was almost too much (until I realized that it is simple)... My scissors are everything but not sharp, so everything is fighting me... But I'm enjoying the process; it is fun. My girl with dreams will (hopefully) be finished tomorrow.

Faces

Katie Kendrick has a lovely article in "Cloth, Paper, Scissors" magazine where she explains how she creates her fun cloth dolls. I wanted to try it for the longest time and today seemed like a perfect day for it. Unfortunately, I managed to finish only the first two steps... but it was really fun and very relaxing.
Hana and I started by quickly drawing (with black paint and a paintbrush) a series of faces on paper torn from a telephone book.
Then we painted the faces using craft acrylic paints. This was an extremely freeing experience for me. Probably the fact that I was using cheap (free) printed paper and that I didn't expect anything from it made it so much fun. We'll see how it continues...