Inspire Me Thursday - Word Art

After reading a post on one of my favorite blogs I quickly bought a used "Journal of a Solitude" on eBay. It arrived today just in the most perfect moment. I started reading it and stopped after only a few pages. So many times I feel different... not belonging to 'the rest of the world', so many times I hide what I really feel because I know I will not be understood..... it was so refreshing to read that I'm not different, thoughts written so well, explaining 'me to myself'. I will be reading this book slowly.

"The value of solitude – one of its values – is, of course, that there is nothing to cushion against attacks from within, just as there is nothing to help balance at times of particular stress or depression.."

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Journal entry - revisited.

I didn't like how this page turned out. So funny how sometimes things "call you". She was staring at me whole afternoon. Finally I sat down and wrote all over her face and hair and changed some other details. Now I know that this page is done. And it will be easy for me to read my favorite excerpts (from the first 30 pages of the book) whenever I need to.

Angel Island

This was a well lived day. We visited Angel Island, had a lovely 5 mile hike all around it and a fun ferry ride back home. Day is much longer when you're out in the sun and not sitting in front of the computer. We made several stops - here are my husband and daughter sketching the SF skyline.

There are many abandoned (military) buildings on the island. Here are some details that caught my eye:


I made grilled muchroom salad sandwiches and they were a big hit! They tasted 'healthy' and made us feel good. Hope you all had a lovely day! My feet hurt....

Try It Tuesdays - Easy Transparency Alternative

This week on Try it Tuesdays an easy and quick technique. If you haven't tried it before - read the tutorial and give it a try. I think I like it even more than transparencies... they blend easier in the collage. I used the tape transfer before. Here is an ACEO that I created last year. I used packaging tape to 'pick' the text from a book and played with it over an image.

This time I used contact paper (piano keys) and I loved the result! It was so easy! I finished the card with bleached beeswax and it removed any shiny trace from the transfer. Can't wait to play with this technique more!

Artwords - Dream

Barely made it... A new word will be posted tomorrow on Artwords, but I really wanted to create something for this week's challenge - DREAM. I use the word dream very often in my work, but it is always in a very light, romantic or whimsical way. For some reason I've been thinking all week about my own dream... not a very pleasant one and not romantic at all.

Imagine a lovely sunny day. I'm enjoying the blue sky, sun on my face, fragrant grass and flowers beneath my feet. I'm walking to my home - it is always my real home, the big building where I used to live. Suddenly there is no ground where it's supposed to be.... I'm left 'floating', completely out of balance - my feet barely touching the ground, my hands pressed to the building. There is no way that I can get back.... I can only hope for someone to come by and pull me back to safety. And I stay there for a long time.... feeling the strength leaving my arms and getting more and more scared of the big hole under me. I know what to expect and I am terrified. At the same time I think how it would be easy for someone to reach and easily pull me back. I often think about that thin line between our 'normal' lifes and disaster. Everything can change in a split second. Scary. There is one more meaning of this dream - I don't like to need help... or ask for help..... or receive it.... but that's another story.

Tag folios

I love making these folio books and I can never get tired of looking at the images I use so often on tags. A happy thing happened - I listed them on eBay today and two of them sold almost immediately! How I wonder what people that buy things from me do with them... Wouldn't it be nice to be able to see their creations?

Unfinished Altered Book

- on eBay -

More flowers...

Please tell me is this candle turning around? It shows well on my computer, but you never know what happens on different settings. Also, does it take ages for the page to load?

I was playing the domestic diva game today. Not the best way to spend the day, but I noticed the mountain of laundry, empty refrigerator (in my home???) and to say it gently - many other neglected things that needed my attention. It's a never ending job and after all these years I have not found a way to enjoy it. Any secrets?

Flower therapy

Just what I needed today - flowers. I found it therapeutic to paint roses and lilacs; to pay attention to every brush stroke, add carefully layers of colors - only to slap paint over it to distress it.

Nothing....

I have nothing to show. Second day in a row I created - nothing. I looked through different books, my old work, other artist's work.... sat at my table and played with some backgrounds.... but nothing is speaking to me. Isn't that scary? It is to me. I usually have plenty of ideas dancing in my head and now it seems like nothing will ever show up. Am I being overly dramatic? Probably, but that's how I feel now.

Isn't it great that Nature always has something beautiful on display? Maybe I'll paint flowers tomorrow.

Misty would like to know:

Who are you?
The standard words - mother, wife, daughter, sister, friend..... describe me in relation to someone, but they don't answer the question - who am I. I'm trying to find that out.

Why do you visit me?
Because you express MY feelings and emotions much better than I do. I feel like I'm in every artwork you create.

What's a perfect day?
A long hot summer day. A tavern in Greece. My husband and I sitting on old wooden chairs, drinking Retzina from a metal pitcher (so cold that the pitcher is covered in water droplets), looking at the beach and people and sketching everything in sight.

What one song could you listen to over and over again...why?
Let me Fall (Josh Groban).
His voice goes well with my pink dreamworld. Why this song? Lyrics.

Rain, wind, snow, sun, clouds, or hail....which are you?
Clouds. Fluffy or fierce, gentle or powerful....... definitely clouds... flowing in the middle of something but disconected from everything.

What do you dream about?
"La vie en rose"......... a world from Lennon's 'Imagine' song.

What's the silliest thing you have ever done?
Long time ago someone gave me mask (realistic looking, kind of similar to me, but in a scary way) I put it on my face in the middle of the night and woke up my husband.... His face expression was priceless... and he was a good sport about it. I would be angry at him forever if he scared me like that.

Do you take your self too seriously?
I take everything too seriously. I'm no fun at all.

Pick one person, where would you go, what would you do and for how long?
:-) :-) :-) :-) :-) Can't say. :-) :-) :-) :-)

Artwords - Balance

This is my entry for ARTWORDS - an online collaborative art journal. Balance is the topic for this week. Click on the link to see some amazing entries. It is interesting to see that we are all searching for balance in our lives. I wonder is it attainable and would we be happy if everything was balanced. I don't know. Would life be easier?

My boy

My baby boy......all grown up.
Caught him today and made him pose for me with his swimming plaque. Did he change from my baby to this cool guy over night? Where did the time go?

Try It Tuesdays - Easy Acrylic Background

We can never know enough techniques and it is fun to try something new - especially if you have great tutorials. Check out "Try It Tuesdays" - Chrysti’s new venture. First week, wonderful tutorial about backgrounds by The Altered Diva! This is s my first try and my entry. It was fun. Hope you like it.

- ebay -

Spam comments

I receive emails when there is a comment left on my blog and when I checked this morning there were 61 new comments. SIXTY ONE!!! I knew that something was very wrong. All of them were spams! Thankfully, they were written in kind words with a little spam link at the end. It could have been worse. For some reason I felt violated and sad and angry. I'm so happy to receive comments from known and unknown friends and to have someone play with it like that was just wrong. I went and deleted them - one by one. I wonder what should I do and how to change my settings? If I allow comments from only registered people I wouldn't be able to get a comment from a "Mrs. Sweetie" and wouldn't it be a shame not to see a sweet name like that. On the other hand - deleting 61 comments takes time... If you have any advice - please let me know.

I wanted to work on a canvas today but couldn't focus at all.... Couldn't even decide on the color scheme or anything else... So, I played with my stamps and made some glass embellishments and two ACEO holders. They are all on eBay.

Inspire Me Thursday - Journaling

I have been journaling all my life. I used to doodle and draw and paste pictures in my journals... but I never had an art journal. I just bought a BIG blank journal for that purpose one day before this challenge! Talk about timing... My first page. I felt ungrateful for wanting something when I already have this much... but journals are for the truth so I created just what was in my mind.

Painted butterflies, wish birds.... gentle stuff

Maybe I shouldn't write about this..... but I wonder - am I the only person that doesn't like holidays like Valentine's, Mother's Day etc.? It all seems fake to me... and I don't like anything that's forced. It just doesn't work for me. There are days when I don't feel appreciated by my kids and days when I feel surrounded by love so much that it's like floating. I like them all. I love being a mom. I just don't like when someone says that this is the day you should buy flowers and be nice to your mother. Maybe I'm wrong.... but that's me. I don't like it.

Because I always feel so weird when I'm the only one not understanding something I needed some gentle flower therapy today. I painted butterflies and lilacs and stamped lovely words on pretty papers.... There is a lot of things going on in this journal... and more than 15 photos on eBay. Hope you like it.

Live Life (with intention) NOW

I finished a new canvas today, but didn't have time to put it on eBay. I decided to create without restraint, start all auctions at $9.99 and see what happens. First two canvases sold with multiple bids... so I'm hopeful for this one.

After I finished it seemed like something was missing..... I added a tiny bottle filled with glass glitter, gold beads and sparkly stuff to remind us to look for gold moments in our life. We all have them.

Five Things ...

I've been tagged by Chel to list Five Things in my fridge, closet, purse and car. Here it goes:

5 items in my fridge:
I cook all the time so there is always a lot of stuff in my fridge.
1. Tofu and asparagus stir fry
2. Leftover pesto
3. Wonderful spread made from grilled peppers, eggplant and garlic
4. Tons of fresh vegetables
5. Feta cheese

5 items in my closet:
1. My extra old favorite red blouse (I don't know what I'll do without it when it completely disintegrates)
2. Many other red blouses.....
3. Black exercise pants
4. Several purple things (and I hate how I look in purple)
5. Nothing that I really like.

5 items in my purse:
I have the most organized purse in the world :-)
1. iPod
2. camera
3. Bare escentuals make up
4. cell phone
5. Hand sanitizer

5 items in my car:
1. My daughter's ice skates
2. Somerset magazine
3. Vanilla and chocolate mints that I buy at Trader Joe's
4. sunglasses
5. a row of quarters

5 people I tag for 5 Things:
1. Lauri
2. Andy
3. Gillian
4. Emma
5. How sad..... I don't know five people (well, I do..... but they were already tagged)

Time waits for no one...

I started the day with big plans and managed to do almost nothing. My energy level is so low that I finished this little journal and had a nap after that. I DON'T LIKE to sleep during the day, it is such a waist of time, but for the last week it happened more than once. I wonder is it because of the spring weather... the time of the month... or is something wrong with me. Whatever it is I hope it will pass soon.

Journal is waiting here or someone that needs to be reminded that time waits for no one.

Flowers & Transparencies

Pressed flower petals, mica flakes and transparencies.
Two new ACEOs on eBay.

Monday Mail

I just love the internet and the way it allows people to connect! I had a fun mail day. There was an envelope from Great Britain with lovely stamps on it. Inside - a delightful watercolor ACEO from Marie-Dom. She was nice to swap with me. I love this card! My husband says that it is the two of us gazing at life...Another envelope came with three ACEOs from Diana (redandgreenbutterfly). ZNE had a 'duds swap'... big fun and you never receive real duds. I love my cards.

This is where they will live - in an ACEO holder I made last year. I didn't make the spine wide enough so the book cannot close, but I love it just the way it is - overflowing with wonderful art.

Playing with kittens

Four ATC size charcoal sketches of kittens. After I sketched them I had to play with papers and colors... so they turned out to be mixed media cats after all.

"New" old books

I went to a library sale today. I was so excited that I couldn't sleep last night. And I must admit - I got a little lightheaded while I was there. All those books... it was impossible to look through all of them! I love the smell of old books, I love the yellow pages, I love the worn book covers. I guess that is one the things that make me happy – a mountain of books and unlimited time to look through them. My husband asked if I was going to play the Chopin Concerto... I wish. Those days are gone (BTW - I was never good enough to play something like that).

Look who decided to fly to my corner of the world - one of Misty's birds! She'll be happy living on my wall from now to forever.

Without music life would be a mistake

Did you know that Teesha Moore has a blog? How cool!