Merry Christmas!

A very Merry Christmas to all of my readers :)

Crazy Time

I think they should rename the holidays "crazy time" because that is exactly what it is. Crazy. In a good way, though. Here is a list of things I have been up to:

• I made 60+ salt dough ornaments for school parties...they are going to decorate them using this great, easy and super cute tutorial found here. The boys and I made some examples last night and they are not only fun to make but they are also sort of addictive, too.

• I have made some photo journals for gifts using this tutorial. I have discovered some ways to make this even easier and, when I get a spare moment, I will post about my discoveries. FYI they turned out great and are really easy and fast to make.

• I have started making some of these lovely paper whites to give as gifts to teachers, friends, family and myself of course:)

• I also made a bunch of tote bags, scarves, handmade cards, books, furoshiki...lots of stuff. I still have to get those pictures off of my camera and onto this blog so that you can see them.

• The boys and I are going to make a few of these for gifts for the grandparents. They are so neat!

Anyway, that at least gets you up to date on what I have been up to. What about you? I would love to hear from you.

MIA again

Sorry for being MIA again! I was working like mad to get ready for my very first craft show, making Christmas presents, getting more freelance work lined up, etc. But this week I am back to my normal schedule and have a bunch of posts planned for you...so stay tuned and check back very soon!

PS...I remembered to take pictures! YAHOOO! On my to-do list is to make a studio in my basement so that I can take better product pictures. It should be fun!

Confession Time

Do you ever let yourself get overwhelmed and intimidated by the amount of talented people out there and by the amazing things they make and create? I do. As I embark on my new journey into the world of freelance artist, I must admit that I get intimidated easily, distracted easily and overwhelmed easily. That thought of "holy crap...people are going to see MY work" and "what if they do not like it?" ring constantly in my ears. The others that I ALWAYS wrestle with are "no one wants to hire me...look what John Doe can do" and "will someone actually buy this from me?" Seriously, that is not why one should make art nor is it the reason why you become an artist. Yes, the artist depends on the public to view the art and interact with it but, ultimately, isn't art all about the artist? About an artist's idea(s), feeling(s), observation(s), fear(s), doubt(s), etc........

Well, today I have decided to ignore those thoughts and feelings. I have decided to change my daily routine and to not become overwhelmed, intimidated, distracted, frustrated, etc., by the work of others. I LOVE looking at art and becoming inspired by the work of others but, dang it, I have a voice, too. I have something I want to say and something I need you to see and hear. So today, I am going to become fearless, brave, courageous and bold. I am going to trust my instincts because I have found that, when I do, good things happen.

I have also decided that this new attitude requires a journal to write in and doodle in. A support system of sorts, where I can be brutally honest, spontaneous and just let creativity flow out from my head, to my hand and onto the paper. So, I am going to start a new journal. I know I have one since I just started organizing my studio (again) and purging it of things I "might use one day in the distant future." My plan is to scan in my daily writings, drawings, whatever, and share them with you, here. If you want to join me, please leave a comment. I would love to have some support! Now go get started!

Some more goodies!

Does anyone out there know what kind of flowers are in this photo? I have no idea, but they sure are beautiful.

Here's another one....

I've been working

More posts and things to come soon...but for now, I thought I would give you an in-progress teaser of what I have been doing.

Gift Idea Tutorial Round-Up

Hello, dear Bunny readers!

I thought I would post some tutorials to things that I would like to make for gifts this holiday season. I hope you enjoy this little mini round-up of tutorials :)

• 2010 Photo Calendar from Shutter Sisters

• This FABULOUS linen scarf

• Recycled magazine bows

• Burlap placements that the kiddos can make

• This linen bag

• Some funky artwork using this technique here

This is only the short list...I always have WAY too many things I want to make for people. This year, however, with the economy being yucky, I think I am going to make more of an effort to actually do them. Ahead of time :)

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for my two wonderful boys, who make me laugh, smile and cry. I love them dearly! I am also thankful for my husband, who is always supportive of me and my artistic endeavors. I love you! I am also thankful for my art supplies, paper, my camera, my sewing machine, my fabric stash and my computer. Silly, I know, but they are an integral part of who I am and what I do.

I also wanted to post two things that I think are WONDERFUL ideas:

• Help-Portrait...if you are a photographer, I think you should sign-up for this wonderful event.

• Shutter Sisters' One Word Project. This month's word is gratitude.

What about you? What are you thankful for?

I won!

Wow. I was one of three people chosen to get 2,000 diecut business cards printed for FREE!!! I cannot wait to see them printed in person. I will have to post pictures once they arrive. I found the contest over at You the Designer and it was sponsored by the folks over at UPrinting. Both are great websites. I found UPrinting's file uploader to be REALLY easy to use and their online proofing system allowed you to remove a file and re-attach it if you accidentally uploaded the wrong thing, which is nice. I will have to report back on the quality of the prints once I receive them.

Printmaking Experiment

In the spirit of my Recycle Bin Project, I decided to start making prints again (see this post here for an explanation of my experimental process). I used this tutorial, here via Jezze, for a homemade ink pad in the very first picture. This thing was awesome, but the plate did not work so well. It was slightly convex; I will DEFINITELY use my plexi-glass panel the next time I want to print. BTW the salt trick really does work! The second image is a stamp I made using a peanut butter jar lid from the recycle bin and some self-stick foam scraps. This ended up being my favorite stamp of the day. The peanut butter jar lid has a raised edge, so I had to wipe off ink before I printed. I have some stamps I made with a double layer of foam and will have to let you know how these work out. I also think I might try another type of lid...who knows! The last image is a test print on some scrap fabric I had. I L-O-V-E using masking tape as a guide. Plus it will catch any extra ink that I forgot to wipe off from the lid. I also cannot stress the importance of the test print. As excited as you may be to just get started, it is HIGHLY recommended that you do several test prints and edit, refine, revise your design, if needed. Seriously!

Let me know if you have any tips or tricks up your sleeves.

An Altered Book: 2009

I thought I would give you a sneak peek on an altered book I started working on. Right now, I loaned it to a friend to show her art class but once I get it back I will post some more images. It is still a work in progress, but I like seeing the progress pictures as well as the finished product pictures. The first image is a detail shot of the texture on one of the pages. The second shot is a detail of the inside front cover. I decided to use mail that my boys have received throughout the year as collage material. They participated in a bunch of different mail swaps and I wanted a fun way to document this without it being scrapbook-y. Make sure to come back for more pictures!

I have also started some more altered books and am planning on selling them for doodling, drawing, writing, whatever. They are still in progress and at the experiment stage. I am really pleased with how they are turning out, though. It's great when things work out like you want them to!

Help Portrait

I just discovered this today while on Twitter and immediately signed up to participate. What a great idea! Anyway I think you should sign up, too, and help someone smile :)

via Help Portrait

Inspiration....

I have been so inspired lately by what others are doing in the art world. I thought I would share a few of my favorites here:

Spirograph Wedding ( I LOVED spirographs as a kid!) via Design*Sponge

Share Some Candy...seriously this site is LOADED with good stuff.

We Love Indie...this is a site that organizes the best of the best from the world of craft/design/art blogs. FABULOUS.

Bookbinding Etsy Street Team....made me want to get back into making my own books, which I have already started doing :)

Creative Nerds...need I say more?

More giraffes

I know, I know...another giraffe picture.

Thankful Thursday on Friday

Oh, "Thankful Thursday." I have not written a "Thankful Thursday" post in such a long, long, long time. I think now is the perfect time to catch up. So:

• I am thankful for my husband

• I am thankful for the two wonderful sons of mine who continually make me laugh.

• I am thankful for the ability to work from home on my art/design, on my own terms and on my own time. Awesome!

How about you? What are you thankful for? I would love to hear from you.

In progress show-and-tell, continued

So, what do you think? I think I like them, a lot. It was so nice to sit back and design something for ME to use. Sigh. The photos in the background are examples of my work. The fun paint splatters came from art of leo, via vector for free. I am going to have to create some of my own paint splatters soon, since I seem to be using them a lot lately.

Update 11.12.09: I just found this tutorial on how to make splatter brushes in PhotoShop. What perfect timing? via Colorburned

Spreading some link love

Okay, so I FINALLY got a Twitter account. Holy cow! Twitter is amazing! I found so many great tutorials, posts, links, people, etc. So, I thought I would share some of what caught my eye:

Great business card designs and inspiration (via designrfix)

Portrait Photographers...I LOVE portrait photography (via ReadyPhotoSite blog)

The Part-Time Professional Photographer (via Freelance Switch)

That is the short list of what I have discovered just this morning. I have to get some work done today, so I signed out of Twitter. I am sure I will have some more to post about later today so check back soon!

In progress show-and-tell

I am working on some new business cards, since I am almost out of the old ones. I found this contest...you should enter, too! If you need a designer, I know one right here ;) Anyway, I decided to use images of places that inspire me...this is Lake Michigan. Beautiful. What do you think? If you enter the contest, I would love to see your work. Please leave a comment with your twit pic link!

PS they are having another contest, too, that I am thinking of entering.

More truth from quotes

"An idea not coupled with action will never get any bigger than the brain cell it occupied." Glascow

Yup. I am guilty of having LOADS of ideas that never come to fruition. So from now on I am going to keep thinking, generating ideas and then actually doing those ideas. Phew. In order to get started, here is a list of my ideas:

• I would like to make proton packs for the boys for Christmas and write a tutorial about it to share here, if it works. BTW the prototype looks FABULOUS in my head :)

• I am going to start an inspiration box (or something like that) to look at when I am doing my work.

• Write and illustrate a story with my boys, who are always inspiring me.

• Start my own Etsy store and sell my handmade goodies

• Blog more often!

• Brush up on web design and animation stuff, since, truth be told, I am a little rusty.

There. That should keep me busy for awhile! What about you? Do you have an idea that you have never done anything with? I challenge you to do it....just go for it...be brave. You'll surprise yourself. I promise!

Happy Friday

It's Friday. It has been one heck of a week over here! My boys are going to spend the weekend with Grandma and I am hoping to make up some lost studio time while they are having fun. Hopefully I will have some images to post soon. Have a great weekend!

An Idea

I have been thinking about turning this photo (and the others I have of these birds) into mixed media drawings. Here is my inspiration:

I love the spontaneous watercolor used on Free People

Heather Smith Jones

Inspiration

I have always liked this quote. It reminds me to be brave and try something new; to be creative and not worry about the outcome.

Discovery

Yesterday I was doing some stenciling on fabric. Everything was going great. The prints looked awesome and funky at the same time. But then I noticed that I had smudged a gob of screen printing ink on my fabric. EEEK! Usually when this happens, I try to incorporate it into the design, but that was not an option here. I decided to act fast...I ran and grabbed two washcloths, getting one of them pretty wet. Then, I ran back to the work table and I just blotted the unwanted ink spot with the wet washcloth and then soaked it up with the dry one. It only took a few times repeating this, but it worked! I was using white ink (acrylic) on dark fabric, though, and am curious to see if it would work with dark ink on light fabric. I just might have to experiment with this idea. But, now a damp cloth and a dry cloth are going to be out on the table whenever I print! I would like to believe that I will be careful, but, honestly, I get carried away very easily. And I was singing....so I was a little distracted.

How about you? Do you have any tips/tricks for removing those unwanted ink blobs from fabric?

This is my post today

The boys have the day off of school today, so I thought I would make a super short and sweet post, complete with grapevine tendrils (do these things really have a name?). We have already had lunch, dug into the Halloween candy stash, made our way to the library and are currently looking for something else to do...well, okay, I am, but they are quietly playing with each other. On that note, I better go see why it is so quiet.....

Opportunites for Artists

Hi. I thought I would post some opportunities I have found for artists. Here they are, in no particular order:

Participate in Uppercase Magazine

Let's Do Lunch Photo Contest

10 Ways a Designer Can Make Some Extra Money via Creative Overflow

Hey, Hot Shot! this one is currently closed for new entries, but it never hurts to get inspired to enter their new show once it is up.

What about you? Do you have any opportunities you would like to share with your fellow artists? If so, please leave a link in a comment...let's support the artists and help them find new, cool ways to make money and get noticed :)

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween, everyone. I will post some pictures as long as the rain goes away. Rain on Halloween is no fun!

Experimenting

I think it is good to just experiment with different art mediums every once in awhile. You never know when you may discover a new medium to fall in love with. Plus, I am starting to think that this is the perfect way to start my day off in the studio...experimenting with no goal in mind, no expectations, just time to play, explore, discover and be.

So this is what I have been experimenting with, along with some links that have inspired me:

• Watercolor (check out Heather Smith Jones)

• Block Printing using this technique found via the lovely Jezze (FYI I did not have any felt, so I used an old baby washcloth and it worked beautifully. I suspect flannel would work, too)

• Self-stick foam on peanut butter jar lids (here is a version of this; I cut out my own foam pieces with the technique described in Lena Corwin's "Printing by Hand" book)

I will post pictures once I have finished working. I actually REMEMBERED to take pictures before, during and after. Hooray! Now if I could just find a tutorial on how to take pictures of your art when you have paint on your hands...guess it's time to break out the tripod. Or I could wash my hands or use a washcloth or something.......

Just Because It's Moss

This picture really has no reason for being here, other than I really like moss. I would like to start a story about little tiny creatures living in this moss....

Some Inspiration

This is one of my all-time favorite quotes to get me motivated and inspired. I hope you find it motivational and inspirational, too. Do you have a favorite quote? Please leave your favorite in the comment section. I would love to read yours.

Fabulousness

A whole bucketful of it. On that note, I am signing off. Until later.

Why Freelancing Could Be Bad For Your Hygeine

See there is an advantage to actually going to work somewhere OTHER THAN your house. You have to get out of your jammies, shower, put on deodorant, brush your teeth, etc., etc., etc. Not that I do not do those things...but I have definitely taken full advantage of working from home. I am just being honest.

But I really think there is something to be said about a daily schedule and about getting ready for the day, "properly." So I have decided that, starting tomorrow, I am going to set my alarm clock for 7:00 am, NOT push snooze, get ready BEFORE the boys need to go to school and then start the day off that way. Eventually I would like to get up earlier and add a workout or a walk with my dog to this list. But let's just start with getting out of bed earlier, shall we? I will let you know how this is working out tomorrow ;)

How about you? What motivates you to start the day and be motivated, inspired, successful and/or creative? I would love to hear from you.

Update: I did not get up as early as I had originally intended, but I did get up earlier than normal, showered and got dressed. That's a start AND it gave me extra studio time, which is what I was really hoping for! Hooray! Hopefully I will keep this up in the days to come.

Project Idea: The Recycle Bin Project

So I started working again in the studio...love it....but do you ever find yourself stuck for an idea and have the urge to create something? Anything? Enter the recycle bin project. I am sure that I am not the only one out there with this idea, but it sure did work for me! The idea is to grab some glue, brushes, an old book or magazine, paper from the recycle bin, old postcards, whatever, and just create something. Anything! The theory is that this will motivate you once you get lost in the creative process. It did for me! Check back here for some pictures to come. In the mean time here is a tiny round up of what other artists do to get going everyday:

The cardboard stampede with Ann Wood via Design*Sponge

A Collage A Day with Randel Plowman

The Artist's Survival Kit with Keri Smith

Just for fun

I thought I would give you a conceptual blog post today. Do you know what story I am trying to tell with these three images? Or maybe you have a story all your own about how they are connected? Let me know your story in the comments...and I will tell mine tomorrow :)

Update: My story? Well, the clouds represent me daydreaming...daydreaming about making my art, selling it, opening an Etsy shop, teaching art. Sigh. The cars were my motivation to get to work; the sidewalk paint represents the mess I made on my kitchen table with watercolor paint, glue and screen printing ink because I actually DID some work yesterday :)

A Chance to Win FREE Stuff

Oh boy, look what the procrastinating artist found this morning:

Free Fabric, via Fabric Fusion

More free art and craft supplies to get your creative juices going, via Totally Tutorials

And this one, just to brighten your day!

Enjoy, my friends, and get going! Make something fabulous and tell me all about it in the comments. I would love to hear from you!

A PhotoShop Tutorial Round-Up

So, I love editing images in PhotoShop. Since I love it SO much, I decided to post some links to some of my favorite tutorials to get your editing grove on:

PhotoShop Essentials (this site is packed FULL of great stuff)

PhotoShop Support (again, packed FULL o-stuff)

One of my favorite tutorials for smoothing skin, by Steve Weinrebe via double exposure

And from Steve Weinrebe's Mode Studio blog

Enjoy! I would like to know if you have a favorite PhotoShop tutorial or perhaps a site I do not know about yet...which is entirely possible and highly likely. Leave a link in the comments. Thanks!

A Book Giveaway

Check out this book giveaway that I just discovered here. Now go and leave a comment for your chance to win!

Found via Life As Art

Don't worry, I am still here.

And to prove it, here is a picture of a giraffe. We have been a bit under the weather over here, but are feeling MUCH better. In the mean time here are some fun links for you to check out and waste a little time looking at:

Make, Grow, Gather....I just found this one and am really digging it.

Obsessive Consumption....I found this one today and am TOTALLY inspired. TOTALLY.

Recession Recipes...I am thinking about hosting a recession potluck.

Have fun browsing and I will be back soon.

It's been too long, again

Boy how life goes by when you are busy. Both ArtPrize and ArtPeers shows are finished and I am now starting to get my personal and freelance life back to normal. I have started to work out a schedule for myself, you know to be "more organized" and all that stuff. We'll see how it works out. So far, I have started planning weekly meals, which I think will be good. No more standing in front of the fridge, staring blankly at its contents and thinking, "can't we just order pizza?"

I also have been busy with my portfolio site! I know! Aren't you proud of me...I FINALLY did it. Please check it out and let me know what you think. I am hoping to add Etsy shop info soon!

The other thing that is still in the works...I am trying to find somewhere to display all of the community created artwork that was done during ArtPrize. I think these are fantastic, since it is a totally different way to document the inaugural event. If you have any suggestions, I would be happy to read them in the comments.

Have a great day and, believe me when I say, that blogging here will be on my daily schedule :)

More on my lily pads

I thought it would be nice to give you my artist's statement that accompanies this series...the first of many more lily pad prints:

I love the creative process and were it takes you. My Lily Pad series is about how your senses play a role in that creative process and how that process has a voice of its own....often resulting in something that was not originally intended. My original intention was to do five pieces, one for each of the senses. I started working on “sight” first since, to me, it was the easiest one to do. I chose a photograph of lily pads and then found myself remembering Monet’s numerous water lily paintings and wanted to do a modern interpretation of them. Why did I have to do a piece that represented each of the five senses? Why couldn’t I do a piece that implied the use of all five senses in the creative process? I started to run with this idea....

This new idea started with my camera, a walk down to the lake and the inspiration I got from the lily pads. I wanted to fuse modern technology with older, more “traditional” art mediums. I wanted to use that technology to capture the spirit of Monet’s painting technique and the

texture the paint creates. I listened to the sounds around me, studied the lily pads in the water, smelled the clean, lake air and touched the weeds by the shore in order to get that perfect shot of the lily pads.

Once I had the photographs, I started working on my computer. I scanned in some line drawings I had made and a piece of paper that I had dyed and aged. I combined these handmade elements with the digital photograph, collaging them and combining them digitally with some vector graphic paint drips I have, again to pay tribute to Monet and his medium. I then chose to experiment with mounting them. I did not want to hang them in a frame and behind glass. I wanted them to be on canvas, but not printed on canvas. I chose to mount the photograph to canvas, to play with the idea of new and old, painting vs. photograph. It is this idea that I will build upon for the next pieces in this series.

And now, like Monet, I have become smitten by the beauty of lily pads, by the serenity they create and by the environment they invade. And, like Monet, I will continue to visit them, study them and create with them.

The Lily Pad Series

This is the beginning of my Lily Pad series...I can totally understand why Monet planted these guys in his pond, carefully took care of them for years and then painted them, repeatedly. I am pretty sure that they change daily if not hourly and are so fascinating to watch. In fact, I am going to go see them tomorrow morning, early, with camera in hand and get started on some lily pads in the fall.

These pieces are going to be in the ArtPeers show at the Winchester Pub. I am also showing with Mark Rumsey at this venue. He is showing pieces from his lotus series. Come check it out!

Beautiful

I love flowers. Don't you?

ArtPeers Venue Update and "the badge"

Pretty sweet, eh? I feel very official now...better than getting a badge as a girl scout :)

Also, my venue for the ArtPeers show is the Winchester Pub, which I am REALLY excited about. The owners are great people and have graciously offered to display my work for a longer time period as well as more of my artwork! I will definitely keep you updated, here, once I work out all the details.

More show and tell

Aren't dogs the best? I thought I would give you a little update on what I have been working on for ArtPrize. Make sure to check out my team's blog right here for more info! Oh, yeah, I will have venue information for the ArtPeers show, too. This is so exciting!

Show and tell

This is one of five images for the ArtPeers show. It's a work in progress so come check out the final pieces!

Procrastination

That is what I am doing right now. Procrastinating in the form of blogging. Ugh. I have to get five images done tonight before midnight....there's lots of time left, right? No problem. I think I work better under pressure anyway.

The images I am working on are for ArtPeers. All I am going to say is that they use Monet's water lilies and da Vinci's sketchbooks as inspiration and are starting to look pretty cool. Come and see it if you can!

Stimulate

Go check out the Stimulate blog....it's for the collaborative piece I am in for ArtPrize. Oh, and don't forget to come and see us. And vote for us! The best part about our installation is that its success depends on your involvement!

Good News

I have good news to share with you.....I am back, in full swing and ready to make art. More details to come, but for now, I will be in ArtPrize (as a collaboration) and ArtPeers! Woot!

Hi, I'm back

I am sorry that I was gone for such a long time. Summer got the best of me...beach days, road trips, catching fireflies, bonfires, etc. To make up for it, here is a picture of a kitten. We found her when we went to visit Grandpa in Texas. Her name is Smudge, since it looks like she has smudges of dirt on her nose, and she is a Manx. She is very sweet and even eats dog treats.

Well, I have so many plans and ideas and things in store for this blog. So check back often and soon. I am in the middle of organizing my studio and am hoping to post pictures of the process AND my art, too. See you later!

I love moss and art

This is a back to a business card I designed this week. I really like it and thought I would share it with you.

Time management and the art of saying no

Wow. What a post title! In fact this is exactly what I am doing right now...learning how to better manage my time and learning how to say no to projects. I know. Wow. The time management thing is still a work in progress. I am trying to do my freelance work at home with both boys home now, which proves to be difficult sometimes. I am hoping to find someone who is willing to do some babysit swapping or something. We'll see.

The art of saying no is a bit trickier....I love to please people and make them happy. But I have to say no to some things, such as pro-bono design work. It absolutely SHOCKS me to the core that people do not and will not pay for good design work. I am not saying that I am the best or anything like that, but good design speaks for itself. There is a reason why people get degrees in this. Sigh.

On that note, I am going to go organize and clean my house. I have been so busy this week with freelance projects (which is a good thing) that the house needs some serious TLC. So please check back often and soon....I will be around here more. I promise!

More about Poladroid

This is the octopus at John Ball Zoo. Pretty cool. I love Poladroid.

I have been really sick these past few days. I am feeling MUCH better now and am able to join the land of the living and the blogging again.

The Art of De-Cluttering

I think it is an art.....de-cluttering. So satisfying when it is done but sort of painful during the process. So many decisions to make; to keep or not to keep? That is THE question and that is what I am in the midst of doing right now. Well, okay, I am blogging right now. I have found a few things to keep me going: music playing, keeping my shoes on inside the house and wearing an apron. That apron is sort of like putting on a uniform, of sorts. And with that, I must get back to the art of de-cluttering!

I did think it would be fun to post a few web sites with some tutorial goodness for y'all to keep you busy. I have filed these in my brain and am going to do them with, or without, the boys. Enjoy!

paper mache goodness

spin art using a salad spinner ( I found mine at Goodwill for only $3!)

A new list for a more motivated me

Here is yet another list, to join the others:

•make some paper mache projects (see this website)

•create some hanging lamps like these here...I am thinking of making them out of paper mache....definitely an experiment (scroll down to the "Beautiful Duo" article)

•make some art daily....I got the idea from this post at Design*Sponge. FYI I also want to make those horses!

•de-clutter the house and decorate it to make it look cool and fun and inviting....this will be an ongoing project.

•back up my hard drive and organize my photos/art so that I can find things easier.

That's all I am saying for now. Better get to work. Enjoy your Monday!

It's me again

I promise to write here more often, make more art AND take pictures of it so that you can see. But right now, I N-E-E-D to organize my studio (and garden). I am ready to start making things! I can't wait to get started and share with you. Hopefully I can start that Etsy shop, too :) I am planning some tutorials and maybe, just maybe, some kind of a giveaway once I open shop.

Gardening

I have that gardening urge....I planted a bunch of seeds and would really LOVE it if the weather would cooperate so that I can plant them outside. I think I am going to plant the hardier ones and then save the others for a little while longer. On that note...I am off!

For you

Distracted

The weather has been sooooooo nice over here....I get distracted easily by the sunshine. I promise not to let it distract me too much in the near future ;)

To update you, dear reader, I have been updating my resume, organizing my portfolio images, finishing up some pending projects and having fun at Little League games. I am planning to be here more often, but need to do more organizing right now...in the form of backing up my hard drive. Blech. But necessary!

I've been playing

What do you think of the new header? It is really blurry, for some reason. I just got Adobe Creative Suite 4 on my Mac...and I have been playing and getting acquainted with it. SO far, I am in love. I bet I will come up with another one, since I am not to thrilled with this one.

And now on to the next project

That project, dear friends, is self promotion. Oi. I really, really, really would love to have a home based art/design business and I think I am finally motivated enough to get serious and start. For real this time. Sorta scary and kinda cool all at the same time. I just feel like I am at a good place in my life to start one. The husband has a good job and I have made some serious extra cash lately...which reminds me to send an invoice out...so here we go. It will be crazy, hectic, stressful and totally, totally worth it.

This is a GREAT idea. Better get to work!

Check this out over at Angry Chicken. So. Dang. Cute. And. Funny.

A mostly blanco bunny

Isn't he/she cute? I love all of the black spots. This bunny lives at Binder Park Zoo. If you are ever in Battle Creek, MI, you should definitely go and visit!

Blog world, meet Toulouse

This is my Toulouse. The best cat in the whole wide world. This photo was taken last summer, right before he jumped through the screen to be outside with us in the backyard. Now he is obsessed with the backyard. He is pretty funny.

By the way my husband just found an AMAZING deal on a digital video camera. L-O-V-E it!

I have sewing on the brain

I just completed testing and de-bugging "that" website. It is a very simple web site...nothing fancy. It was really nice to get back to web design; I discovered that I actually really like it and want to learn more about it! SO, I think I will be doing some tutorials and raising some funds to get some software (namely the Adobe Creative Suite) to further develop my skills all around. If I find cool things, I will definitely post them here. I found this, for example. And they have a design contest, too, so check it out.

So now I am going to reward my efforts and hard work with some sewing, in order to prepare myself for the Fulton Street Artists' Market. I have BIG plans to make some hand dyed fabrics that are hand printed, batiked, etc., and sell just yardage or fat quarters as well as sewn goods, such as tote bags or something. It's still in the working stages; I also want to make some affordable art prints, too, to sell. So many ideas and so little time! And, on that note, I am going to go get started.

It's done and now I can play

I just finished "that" website. I have to send it over to the tech gurus to post it to their server. Once it is up and running, I will link to it. I have not designed a website in sooooo long. This proved to be a good, challenging refresher crash course for me. Now I want to learn more.

I also learned about this. Which is amazing! It inspired me and got me thinking...more to come on that. I also signed up to be a part of this. Sweet. I feel so good about FINALLY getting my artistic rear in gear. Thanks for being part of the ride and I hope you will stay with me for the rest of it.

Taking care of business

I have the next two days off from work. Paid. SWEET! So, I am going to combat my procrastination inclination and get my work done (aka "the" website that has given me all kinds of problems). I really do not like this project anymore...I don't mean to complain, but there is always one of "those" projects no matter what type of work you do. The reason why I am telling you this is so that tomorrow, hopefully, this thing will be done. Both boys will be in school during the day, so I will have several hours to sit and fix and debug. Fun, fun, fun. Plus, I was preparing a file for press today, all day long at work. Making pdfs, fixing fonts, changing graphics, etc., etc., etc. Ugh. None of it was hard, just really boring, techno-geeky and repetitive. I am rewarding myself with time to paint furniture and sew things AFTER I get "that" website done. So, on that note, I am going to go lay in bed, watch television and turn off my brain. No more technical, nerdy stuff for me. At least, not until tomorrow.

Poor bird

I hit a bird this morning. It flew into the windshield of my car while I was driving to work. I am not sure what kind of a bird it was; I even slowed down to find where it landed and did not see it anywhere. I hope it was alright...the only thing that was on my windshield was a bunch of water splashed everywhere. Maybe it was a duck??? I know it was a pretty big bird and I was driving by a swamp and a lake. Poor, poor bird.

The funny part about this was that I ducked when the bird hit my windshield. I ducked. On the inside of my car. The bird was outside the car and I was DRIVING still. Oh man.

Speaking of Seuss...

...I know I just wrote a new post, but this one was too good to wait until tomorrow. I can hear Ammon in the shower reciting "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas." He started off quoting verbatim and then went on to paraphrasing and improvisation. Nice.

Dioramas

I love dioramas. I love looking at them. I love making them. Now it is Ammon's turn to make them. I am hoping that he will enjoy them as much as I do. He has to make one for class to use as a habitat for the clay birds they will be making next week. So far he has painted the inside. He has over a week to finish, and my plan is to have him do a little bit of work every night. So far, so good.

By the way, did I mention how hard it is to not help him and interfere? I guess I will have to make my own diorama. I think I will make one, and then photograph it. Yeah...that's what I will do.

When I was at work...

...my wonderful husband cleaned the house a little, put away some laundry AND had dinner ready on the table when I got home. My boys VOLUNTARILY picked up their toys from the living room and kitchen floors (awesome). The best part though....Ammon brought home a "Magic Tree House" book from the library at his school. He chose a book that would be sort of a challenge for him to read! Yeah! I have been trying to gently push him with his reading, slowly building up his confidence without squashing it. I think it paid off. Not only did he pick the book, not mom, but he had the first chapter read ALL BY HIMSELF before I got home. I love that boy! That is success, ladies and gentlemen. And success, this time, involved mummies and a qhost queen in a pyramid in Egypt. So, I think today was a fabulous day, even if I was bored at work and the weather is cold and rainy. I am looking at the glass and seeing it as half full, not half empty.

Oh, I almost forgot. Ammon, Eli and I made up a song game to "Green Eggs and Ham." It's so much fun...you should try to sing that book instead of just read it. That was Ammon's idea, too. He saw Seussical, the musical, a little over a month ago and has been smitten with Seuss ever since. Then again, Dr. Seuss books are fabulous...do you think he gets his love of Seuss from his mother or from the musical? Hard to tell.

Where did she go?

Well...the weather was beautiful here. It has been a really long winter, so the boys and I took full advantage of the nice weather. Therefore, no blog posts! Today, however, it is cold and raining outside. Bummer! But this gave me time to blog...

I bought some date sugar at the health food store and was wondering if any of my readers has ever worked with it? I know that it does not dissolve in water, like regular granulated sugar, but does it change the flavor and texture of a baked good? Can you substitute it one for one? I guess I will have to do some research on this! Once I use it, I will report back.

Right now, I have to go listen to a brand new Indiana Jones story written by Ammon. Toodles!

Confessions of a procrastinator

Yes, I will admit it. I am a procrastinator. It is a hard thing to overcome...but I am getting there. I have two freelance projects that I am working on right now and am not digging either one of them, especially the website. I should have put my designer foot down and pushed for the design I submitted that, in my opinion, is more effective. Live and learn, right? You cannot learn if you do not make mistakes. I am a firm believer in this. You just have to remember not to make the same mistake again.

Anyway I think I am not digging these projects because I have so many art things I want to do instead. Plus I have designer's/artist's block. B-I-G T-I-M-E. Which leads to, yes you guessed it, more procrastinating! I say it is "research and inspiration." Some would say I am procrastinating by surfing the web and looking for things. Call it what you want.

A friend of mine once told me to do the "thing" that you are procrastinating on, such as your freelance work or your artwork, for eighteen minutes. I am not sure why eighteen specifically, but you get the idea. The theory is that, once you start, you will not want to stop. It does work, too, because you give yourself the opportunity to stop at the end of those eighteen minutes. Chances are once you get started, you won't want to stop.

Another thing that motivates me to work...well, two things really...leaving my shoes on inside the house or studio and wearing my apron. I know, I know. You can laugh. It's funny. It's especially funny to see when I am sitting at my computer, wearing my very favorite apron and new Rocketdogs. But it works.

So, on that note, I am going to do some work. And no longer procrastinate! I told myself that if I get all my work done, then I can play with whatever I want...paper pulp, dye vats, my sewing machine, some crayons, dirt......endless, endless, fabulous possibilities.

Hello

Just thought I would say hi. This is a photo of me taken by my eight year old son, Ammon. I think we were on our way to the zoo in this picture. Anyway I just wanted to say hi and that I am back.

Another week off = more time to blog

Yup. I am excited. I do have some freelance projects to finish up..but I will be posting a lot! I have a lot to talk about and a lot of pictures to post. For now, dear readers, I am off to the grocery store and then I have a lunch date with my wonderful husband. So far, it has been a great week off...I even found a five dollar bill in the road by my driveway. I have to keep this five dollar bill, according to Ammon, in case its owner comes looking for it. He even shouted out the door yesterday, "Hey if anyone out there lost $5 my mom has it!" At least he is honest, people.

On that note, I am off to the grocery store to get food and buckets, for dyeing fabric, and possibly some curtains, too. Stay tuned and check back often!

Wow...I need some of this!

Check this out. Got me thinking...seriously thinking. I guess I know what to do with all of that down time at work now!

What goes on during the day when you are at work, part 1

I now know what happens when all three boys are home without mom. They have tons of fun, that's what. Don't get me wrong...it's a good thing. But one does wonder how long it took Ammon, the eight year old, to learn how to sing the theme song to the Japanese Spider-Man in JAPANESE. Yes. My child actually sings the words in JAPANESE. All of them. Correctly, too. Hilarious. Even Eli, the four year old, tries to sing it. I see a video post coming as soon as my camera is recharged. Hilarious, people. I love my boys.

Presents

What a great post title. Presents. Who doesn't like presents, right? Well I bought myself some presents this past week. Two new cookbooks, one by Cat Cora (which I found at a grocery store bargain book sale for $7!!!) and the other by Rebecca Rather, and, drumroll please, wool roving. I see some felted rocks and other goodies coming to a blog near you! Oh and some soup, roasted eggplant dip and perhaps a cake. YUM!

We also took the boys to the zoo this last weekend and, well, I discovered that I need to buy myself another new present. Another battery for my camera. A back-up battery. I really do need one...it seems that every time something really cool happens I either (a) forget my camera or (b) the battery goes dead on my camera BEFORE I get the picture. Sigh. This time I missed two grizzly bears wrestling and playing with each other. Bummer.

I am going to have a lot of down time at work, too, so I am hoping to write about posts during the day and post them at night along with any sketching or doodling, etc., that I get done during the day. I love getting paid to sit, doodle and wait for work to come my way. Now if I could only figure out a way to do this at home.......

It's a start

I scanned this baby in to make a stencil and/or a linoleum block. I told you that I just got started! And I remembered to post about it...yay me! But right now I need to spend some time with my boys, read some books, tuck them in and then play in my studio. I think I am going to iron my linen and then rip seams out of some old linen curtains so that I can dye it. Good times, people. Good times!

I am gonna do it this time!

I just found this blog. So lovely. Now I am inspired and ready...ready to dive in head first. And swim.

I did manage to make a tea wallet and two pirate pajama bags for the boys. Tomorrow it's back to the daily grind for me, but I plan to keep blogging, writing, creating, thinking, doodling, dreaming and making.

Monkey See, Monkey Do

Or perhaps a better title would be "Giraffe See, Giraffe Do." This bottom image is Eli pretending to be a giraffe. If you ask my Eli what a giraffe says, he sticks out his tongue as far as he can and then makes a noise sort of like this, "thffffffpppppptttth." I can't wait to take the boys back to the zoo to see the giraffes.