My Artful Life

I'm Still Here

2009-11-03T10:48:00.000-06:00

It has been way too long since my last post! I just wanted to let everyone know that I am still here, and to thank each and everyone of you who have emailed me and contacted me wanting to know how I am doing or just to let me know that you are thinking of me. I really appreciate each and every one of you!

We finally got moved down here to Stephenville on the 4th of July. It was soooooo hot - if I remember right, it got up to 105 the day we moved in. What I didn't count on was the move taking such a toll on me physically. I have been in and out of the hospital 3 different times since moving down here. The last visit, I ended up being in the hospital for 3 days because I had gotten a sepsis infection in my intestines caused by another new diagnosis of Chron's disease and diverticulitis. I am finally getting over it and trying to build myself back up strength wise as much as possible.

Because I have basically been sick since moving down here, I still haven't finished unpacking my studio yet. I miss it terribly because it is always comforting to do artwork, but I am getting there. I hope to have it all done soon. I kept thinking I would get it done so that I could make new things to add to the blog, but I promise I will soon.

Besides all of that, we really do love it here. It is a totally different dynamic than living in the big city area. Things are slower paced here, and I like it that way. I was raised in a small town just an hour away from here, and it feels much more like home. They girls absolutely love their school and are just thriving here. They have made so many new friends that it is like they never missed a beat. I'm glad we did this move while they are still young, because it is so much easier on them. Doug really loves working for the University, and is well underway with his Master's. He hopes to have it soon so that he can get his Doctorate started. I love it as well, and am really happy here. I am already making some wonderful friends here as well.

My girls are 7 and 8 now and I can't believe it! Ashlyn's birthday was Sunday, and Megan's is today. They are growing up way too fast!

I promise to get some pieces of art done soon and get them posted here. I am having withdraws from not being able to create, so I have to do something soon! Thank you again everyone for your prayers and concerns, and for checking in on me. I will be replying to each and everyone of you over the next couple of days.

Finding Inspiration

2009-05-03T21:27:00.004-05:00

I have been waiting to update my blog in hopes that inspiration would strike and I would have new artwork to share. Unfortunately, I have been stuck in an artist block, writer's block, and blogger block. I think this is one of the longest periods of time that I have gone since I can even remember without creating something. I kept thinking that if I just waited another couple of days, something would strike, but to no avail. I think the pressures of moving and selling our house and basically being a single Mom while my husband works so far away has just put a damper on my creativity lately.

Fortunately, things are now looking up - our house will be on the market this week, my parents are coming to help me with the final touches, the school year is almost over in which the girls and I will be able to move to Stephenville as well, and life will be much more like normal. Just the thought of all of those things I just listed leveling out seems to lift just about all of that dark stress cloud that has been looming over my head and preventing me from being my creative self.

I have started on a new painting, but have been slow on getting it finished. I am hoping to be able to finish it this week. Until then, I thought since I didn't have any of my artwork to share, I would share a couple more collage sheets for you to use in your artwork.

Ascension

2009-03-20T18:53:00.003-06:00

The definition for ascension is "rise up", "move upward from a lower level." I thought this title and what I call "power words" that I use in my work was very fitting not only for what is going on in my life currently, but for the new Spring and the true reason for Easter. I have been all by my lonesome this week. It is Spring Break here, and my girls have been staying with my parents for the week so that I can work on packing up the house, and my Husband is in Stephenville (we moved him to a temporary apartment last weekend to live in during the week until we find a house for all of us to move there as well.

While I was packing this week I was thinking about how we are taking a huge risk with all of this. But, the more I thought about it the more I realized that sometimes life is about taking risks in order to rise up or move ahead. I have been working on this painting during my breaks and the word "ascension" came to me, and I thought it would be a perfect power word and title.

It is up in my Etsy shop. I will be adding a couple other things over the weekend.

Have a great weekend!

My Topsy Turvey World....

2009-03-10T19:23:00.007-06:00

I am finding that this whole moving thing is turning my world upside down it seems like. Last Monday, my husband started his new job. He called me that morning and said that he forgot to bring his social security card, and since this is a federal job, he could not start or do anything without it. They couldn't even give him a computer. So, I frantically call my parents if they could come stay with the girls and pick them up from school so that I could make the 160 mile trip to Stephenville to take him his card. While there, I decided to stay an extra day and start looking for places for us to rent until our house sells. Next thing you know, I'm there the entire week, and still had not found anything by Friday. We finally decided to rent him a small apartment until we find something there rather than rushing into anything and ending up being stuck under a contract if we ended up not being happy with it.

In the meantime, the girls and I are staying here in Wylie getting the house ready to be put up on the market while my husband stays in Stephenville during the week and comes home on the weekends. Everything seems so surreal, and topsy turvey. I feel like a single Mom, and it is difficult at times because I also have a lot to do with the house. The girls have both been sick and home from school which has really thrown a wrench in my plans of getting things done. I already felt out of sorts after last week's unexpected "vacation." Even through all of this though, it is still really exciting because we get to start a whole new life closer to our families and in a town that we love. Just getting there is the hard part, but it can be done!

Now for some art work...first of all these two paintings will be up in my Etsy shop sometime tomorrow morning...hopefully.

This past weekend I made this painting for a friend of mine who once told me that she loved Celtic things, so I thought I would surprise her with this Celtic knot. I first printed off the design and then cut it out on a stencil sheet with my Xacto knife. Then I applied modeling paste over the stencil onto the canvas to create the raised effect of the knot itself. I'm not real pleased with how grainy the picture turned out because my camera is not wanting to cooperate with me lately.

Finally, here's a peak at some of the art journal pages I have been working on lately. I still haven't finished a few of them. I will be posting more of them later in the week.

Have a great week!

More Free Collage Sheets

2009-02-28T09:20:00.006-06:00

Well, I thought I would add a couple more free collage sheets for your artwork. My paintings for the NY exhibit have made it there and ready for the show. I had to pick 5 out of the 6 that I made, and will posting a picture of the ones chosen and the one that didn't I will be adding to my Etsy shop over the weekend. I will post all of that over the next couple of days. For now, I have to get busy packing. My husband starts his new job on Monday, and the girls and I will be ready to go as soon as possible.

Have a great weekend!

Two More...

2009-02-18T19:31:00.002-06:00

As you can see, I went ahead and did two more paintings so that I could have a few to pick from for the gallery exhibit. I have a pretty good idea of which ones I will send, but I will post my choices as soon as I make them.

Now, I have a huge announcement to make. We are moving to Stephenville, which is about 146 miles from here. My head is spinning because this has happened so fast. My husband was approached by Tarleton State University for a director position in their mathematical research and IT department in conjunction with the USDA. He wasn't really looking although he was probably going to have to pretty soon. Being in the IT industry right now is a very unstable thing. The company he works for is doing what lots of other big companies are doing by replacing all of their IT employees with off shore companies. Not a very good thing - especially right now. With literally thousands of these people losing their jobs every day around here that are in this particular field, finding another job is next to impossible.

I just think that God was watching out for us. We have talked about wanting to get out of the busy metroplex/busy city life and return more to our roots of small town living. We just weren't sure how that was going to happen until they offered him this job. This is the same University he graduated from, and so he is already familiar with the town. As for me, well it is only about 45 miles from where I grew up and where all of my family lives. I have been to Stephenville many times growing up. We will both now be closer to our families as well as getting to live in a small town. It will be better for all of us in the long run, but getting there is going to be a challenge. Selling our house with the market the way it is right now might be difficult, but hopefully it won't take too long to sell. Doug starts his new job on March 1, so he will go during the week and the girls and I will stay here until we get the house ready to sell and then we will go with him.

I will try to keep up with my blog as much as possible during all of this, but if you don't hear much from me until we get settled, you now know why.

Now on to my next project....

Four Down & One to Go (I Think)

2009-02-10T21:17:00.003-06:00

I finally finished painting number 4 after starting over 3 different times. I guess for some reason, I hit a block and just couldn't get past a certain point, and once I did do that, I HATED the way it turned out, and so I would start over. Any way, I finally got it to where I kindof like it. I'm just still not that sure, maybe it's because it's not what I first intended, or maybe it's just that I'm my own worst critic. Either way, I think I miss counted on my post of my previous painting saying that it was number four, but this one actually is. I will post some pics of a few of my art journal pages tomorrow.

Have a good evening!
Stacy

Free Collage Sheets

2009-02-08T16:32:00.005-06:00

I have been taking Pam Carriker's wonderful Visual Journalism 101 class. I have to admit, I have never kept up with an art journal like I should. I have started and stopped I don't know how many times, but not ever consistently. After taking Pam's class, I am totally hooked! I work in my art journal a lot now - daily, sometimes even several times daily. I see now how important keeping an art journal is as an artist, and just for myself. I have always been an artist for as long as I can remember, and my background from college is "Professional Writing and Literature." As you can see with all of that put together, it's really ridiculous that I have not embraced this concept until now. I have already made several discoveries and future artistic plans in the few short weeks that I have been doing this.

Since this has all been going on, I have been creating lots of collage sheets for my journals and work instead of just printing things off as I need them. I thought I would share a couple of them with you today for everyone in the class as well as you wonderful readers of my blog. I will also be sharing these from time to time, so check back often, as I am sure I will do this quite a bit.

Gotta add my little "disclaimer" ~
All that I ask is that you use these for your personal artwork. Just please don't sell these in your own collage sheets or as single images.

Enjoy~If you create anything with any of these images, I would LOVE to see what you come up with!

I will be posting some of my pages this week. My camera is giving me problems right now, and even Photoshop can't fix it. I may have to revert to just scanning them in. I've about got my husband ready to buy me a new camera! WhooHoo!!

Happy Creating!
Stacy

I Really Did Do It....

2009-02-04T19:28:00.002-06:00

I have now finished the 4th of 5 paintings that I have to finish for an upcoming gallery show. I was actually in an "artist block" mode and decided to look to my favorite artist for some inspiration. I have loved Monet's work since I was a little girl and I can always look at some of his paintings and immediately feel inspired. I love his water lilly paintings and I owe him credit for giving me the inspiration for this piece.

Onward on to my announcement of what "I really did do".... Earlier in January, I made a promise to myself and everyone else that I was going to have my Etsy shop up and running by the end of the month of January. Well, I did - I actually got it up earlier last week, but just haven't had a chance to make the announcement here until today. I still have some tweaking to do, but it is up and going, and I made my first sale within a few minutes of having the store up! You can click on my link on the sidebar if you'd like to take a look. If you do, let me know what you think.

I am in the middle of finishing my 4th painting and as soon as I am finished I will upload it as well.

Cheers~
Stacy

Passage of Time

2009-01-19T12:49:00.004-06:00

I have been very busy working on my paintings for an upcoming gallery exhibit. This is my latest creation that I finished last night. I have already started the next one - getting closer and closer to having them all completed way ahead of schedule. I have several other projects that I need and want to work on as well but for some reason, I just can't seem to let myself start anything else until I get all of these paintings completed. Normally, it's not uncommon for me to have several projects going at once so that I can move around to each one as I feel inspired. This is different for me. I think it is partly because lately I have been on an artistic high - meaning I haven't hit any artist's blocks in the last few days. That tends to happen to me from time to time, but I might as well "make hay while the sun shines." Can you tell I'm a Texas girl? How much more yee haw can you get? I grew up in a small town and my grandparents owned a large dairy where my Papaw always said that phrase - especially when he really was working in his hay field!

Tuscan Sunset

2009-01-12T13:17:00.004-06:00

This is a piece that I finished yesterday. Although I have never been to Italy (it is my husband and I's dream vacation) this is how I imagine it. In my "dream" of looking out of a beautiful Tuscan balcony, the golden sunset casts a warm glow on the landscape around me. O.K. back to reality - this is one of several paintings that I am making for a gallery exhibit coming up soon.

Finding Strength

2009-01-10T17:27:00.003-06:00

This is a painting of an oak tree I just finished for my brother who just got home from the hospital recovering from septic pneumonia. Like I have said before, I love trees. They have always intrigued me with their natural beauty and the way that, to me, they have always had special meaning and felt like a sense of strength. The oak tree is actually considered the symbol of strength. My favorite thing about the fall and winter months is that I get to observe God's beautiful trees, and their amazing branches are there for the world to see without their leaves covering them up. These are just some of the many reasons that I love painting trees so much.

My Plan

2009-01-05T11:03:00.003-06:00

I have been thinking about doing something for the past several months, and because of my health issues and just life being it's normal, busy self, I haven't done it. I am planning on getting my Etsy shop up and running. I figured if I documented it in writing, then I would be much more likely to get it done, so I have made a promise to myself to have it ready by the end of January. Since things seem to be getting better, I don't have any excuses. Believe it or not, it looks like I may actually have it ready much sooner.

There...I said it, now I have to do it! Here is a peak at some of the things I have finished over the last few days. Seems like I have been on a roll of creativity lately!

I created this second Santa for a very special person as a Christmas present as well as a thank you. I post the story behind this probably tomorrow. It is somewhat of a long story, and I have my hands full with Ashlyn being home sick today with tonsillitis.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T11:32:00.004-06:00

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! It has been a whirlwind for us traveling to see family and just the normal hustle and bustle of the season. I always hate it when New Year's is over because that means it's time to take down the Christmas decorations for another year.

There has been a lot happening around hear over the last few days, so I have been on a creating frenzy I guess from nervous energy. I will have a lot more to post over the next few days once I get all of the pictures taken.

These are what I made for my girls' teachers for Christmas presents. The pictures turned out a little blurry so it's hard to see that these ornaments are actually 3D on the inside. I cut out different parts of the pictures and raised them as well as added other embellishments too.

This is a mixed media assemblage that I finished yesterday. I have not created many assemblage pieces, but this is very addicting! I'm sure I will be making more. I have all kinds of ideas for more running through my head...maybe I should sketch them out in my sketch book before I forget!

I do ask for as many prayers for my brother as possible right now. He is in ICU fighting for his life with severe pneumonia and sepsis. He was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday with what they thought was just severe pneumonia, but shortly after they got there he began having seizures and they quickly determined that he was in septic shock. He put off going to the doctor because he didn't realize how sick he was. It is really hard for me because of my health and immune system the way that it is I can't go to the hospital or even in the house at my parents' where he has been. I just sit an wait between their visiting hours every 2 hours for updates and word for the slightest improvement. Anyways, he (as well as my parents) can use all of the prayers they can get right now.

My Favorite Time of the Year

2008-12-13T09:06:00.002-06:00

I love this time of year. There is something about the Christmas season that tends to bring out the best in people. You see more people smiling and sharing during this time more than any other time of the year. The Christmas music is another one of my favorite things. I LOVE listening to Christmas music while I do things around the house and in my art studio. The best part of all, though is watching the excitement in my girls. Just seeing how what may be simple things to us are just amazing to them. It is easy to remember the special parts of Christmas and the Reason why we have Christmas by watching them. They truly are inspiring, and they make everyone enjoy this time even more.

I do dread the day that they no longer believe in Santa. There are several reasons for this as well. The first is something that I used to never understand why my parents said this, but now being a parent myself I totally understand: I enjoy "being" Santa as much, if not more than how I loved it when I was a little girl that believed in Santa. The other reason, well let's just say I might be put on Santa's naughty list for this one: I use it as my weapon on the girls (shame on me). I have them believing that Santa is always watching and that he has special ways of watching them when they are at home through the Christmas trees in the house and their advent calendar, and that we have a conference call with Santa every night to talk about how good they have been each day. Believe me, they are on their very best of behavior for the month of December, and all I have to say is that he is watching and they quickly straighten up. I am sure one of these days that will come back to bite me when they realize that all of that is not true, but as for now, it helps! This is also the first year that I have pictures of them with Santa when at least one of them is not either terrified and crying, or trying to escape as quicly as possible, or both!

I have been able to spend more time in my art studio lately, and have several things to show pictures of, but for now, these are my two latest creations.

Several people have asked about what is going on with my possible leukemia, and to make it as short as possible, the doctors have determined that I do not have leukemia "....yet." What this means is that the tests and biopsies all came back showing that it is currently negative, but could turn to leukemia at any time. I have all of the things in my blood that apparently shows all of the signs of it, but aren't quite high enough to be considered leukemia just yet. We just have to hope and pray that it never turns into that, but as for now they have determined that I have advanced Lupus and Vasculitis. I go back this week to get the final results on all of that and to begin a treatment plan that will hopefullly, start getting me back on track to feel at least a little better.

Seeking Answers

2008-10-31T18:34:00.005-06:00

You would think as much waiting for answers as we have had to do lately that I would be getting better at this waiting game, but I am starting to run out of patience. I know it takes a while to determine a serious diagnosis, but my gosh! this is ridiculous! Every time I turn around I am having to do another blood test, ct scan, and x-ray then waiting in between for answers and just news of more tests. I did have a bone marrow biopsy yesterday (ouch!), and we are hoping that this will finally give us some answers. They are telling me it should be some time Monday or Tuesday before we have any kind of preliminary results. I am anxious and scared, but also just ready for some sort of answer and treatment. I am at the point where all I want is to just figure this out so that I can get some form of treatment and to get on with my life. Anyways, as soon as I know something I will try to post it.

I am still on "house rest" so I am not really supposed to leave the house and get into public places besides going to the doctor, but sometimes I get cabin fever and have to get out a little. I am very weak however, and do have to rest a lot. I try to spend time in my studio when I feel like it, but it is getting to where I feel like it less and less now. I do have a couple pictures of some paintings that I have made that are in this post, and I have several other projects that I have ready to take pictures to upload, but have not had a chance yet.

On a much lighter note - aren't my two little trick-or-treaters adorable!? Ashlyn is a car hop, Megan is a soda pop girl, and Memphis was an angel for about 2 minutes until we just had to put on her light up t shirt!

Hugs!
Stacy

Waiting and Hoping...

2008-09-29T12:41:00.007-05:00

Once again, it's been a while since I have posted. I have had quite a bit going on since my last post, and mine and my family's lives right now are turned upside down. I have a lot of family and friends out there that would like to know how everything is going, and I was hoping to know more before I posted.

For those of you who don't know, my doctors seem to think that I have leukemia. They have been watching my blood work over the past few years, and my numbers keep climbing higher and higher. I have started showing a lot of symptoms of it, and they are running tons of tests on me. We just have to keep waiting and waiting for results, each time getting reports back that are pointing to leukemia. There is a small glimmer of hope that it could be something else related to medications that they have had me on, but not that likely because the numbers started climbing before those were given to me. More than likely, if I do have it, it will hopefully be the chronic kind and not the acute form. The "chronic" form of leukemia is easier to treat with a higher life expectancy rate, which is good. Not to fret, I am a survivor and have been through a lot of medical things the last few years, and I can handle whatever comes my way. That's what I have to keep telling myself. I have two beautiful girls, a wonderful husband, and an amazing family to live for and to fight for. We just keep holding on to that small glimmer of hope that it is something else.

During all of this, I don't know what we would have done without my parents. Like my Father-in-law said, "they are the angel wings" holding our family together right now. They stay with us during the week and do everything for me - cooking, cleaning, laundry, getting the girls to and from school, grocery shopping, etc. I have been confined to "house rest" meaning I can't do anything at all except rest and cannot leave the house except to go to the doctor so as not to put myself at risk for any form of infection. I don't know what we would do without them, and it is so hard and frustrating to me to have to let go of the reigns and let these two wonderful people who are twice my age handle everything for me. It is such an amazing act of love and selfless thing to do to give up their lives for me during this time. Hopefully we will know something for sure soon so that I can get on with my treatment and work on getting well. They just have to do every test possible so as to make an accurate diagnosis, and we just have to be patient. That's the hard part...I'm running out of patience. I want to find out what it is and get on with it. This waiting is hard...very hard.

On a lighter note, because of all of this I have been spending a lot of time in my studio, and have done quite a few pieces. I will be posting them as I get the pictures taken. It is interesting to step back and look at what I've done and how the current situation affects my work. It is much deeper than before, and you can see my form of expression without me even realizing at the time that I am doing it. I have always said that my art is my release, my therapy, and my form of expressing my deepest feelings, and this is definitely true right now. I'm so glad I can turn to it right now and to be able to forget about what's going on around me while I am in the "create mode." I have run into artist block several times, but am usually able to get past it by browsing through my books, magazines, and internet for inspiration. It doesn't take long before I am back in there creating.

I will try to keep everyone posted as much as possible through my blog, I know a lot of family and friends visit often to see if I have posted anything that I have learned, and I promise I will keep you updated as I get results back.

These are ATC's that I created for the "A Little Birdie Told Me" swap from one of my Yahoo ATC groups.

Trying to Catch Up

2008-09-10T12:00:00.004-05:00

Wow, I am having the hardest time catching up! As I mentioned before, I ended up getting really sick with severe bronchitis, and finally after 3 weeks, I am finally getting better. I am just trying to get my strength back while fighting this flare, and it has really put me behind on things - especially my blog. I have only painted just a few things during this time, and am so ready to get back into my studio! Since my last post, my girls have both started school - now my baby is in kindergarten! sniff..sniff... They have also started gymnastics. I decided it was time after I tried to show them a straight somersault, and I swear I heard every bone in my body crack! I just laid there for a while doing a system check - o.k. my toes move, now my legs move, etc. To sum it up - it's best to leave that stuff to the professionals to teach my girls. I officially think I am too old.
This is a picture of the girls on their first day of school. They looked so cute! Although, I'm not sure how much longer they are going to let me dress them alike. They let me occasionally, but it is getting fewer and farther between. The only thing different about what they were wearing, is that Ashlyn absolutely refuses to wear bows anymore. "First graders do NOT wear bows, Mommy!"

Here are a few paintings that I did manage to finish over the last couple of weeks. I have to explain how my very creative daughter had a part in the "Bird on a Tree" painting. The girls had been down at my parents for a few days. Both of them are extremely creative, and good little artists in their own right. They both are fully aware of how I am always on the lookout for something to put in my art. They love to help me look through old books for pages for backgrounds and looking at different ephemera. Well, while they were all supposed to be getting ready to leave to come back home, and Ashlyn slipped off and collected several pieces of the prettiest thin bark pieces for me to use in my art. She put them in a little gift sack and wrote my name on it. She managed to get in their car with it, and make it all the way home without anyone noticing her precious little gift. Everyone was just amazed when she presented it to me that she for one, was so sneaky about it, but mainly that she put that much creative thought into finding me something that I could use in my paintings. I was just so touched and amazed that she did this. So, the first painting I did after that, I incorporated into the bird painting. She is very pleased and just tickled pink that I used something that she found in my painting!

Big Journey

2008-08-20T08:16:00.003-05:00

As promised here are the pictures of the large Journey painting I did. Luckily, the customers were very happy with it, and I have to admit it is probably my favorite painting that I have created so far. The pictures don't really show the true colors too good. They appear more blue but there is a lot of green, pink, and yellow as well.

I Love Your Blog Award!!

2008-08-18T15:13:00.004-05:00

This is going to be a quick entry because I am rather sick right now from an upper respiratory infection. I will be posting either later today or tomorrow pictures of the large commissioned "Journey" piece! I completed it and the happy owners have received it, so I will be posting pics of that and our little trip to the Circus along with some pics of other works I have completed lately.

I was awarded the I LOVE YOUR BLOG AWARD by the very sweet and talented artist Lorri. I am so honored and am thankful that my blog is inspiring to others! So, I have the honors of choosing 7 blogs that I find inspiring and enjoy reading. It was hard to pick just 7 because there are so many talented people out there. So.....here goes (Oh yeah, I just had to pick 8 - there's no way I could get it down to 7) he he he:

Tonya at Collage Artistry
Heather at Audry Eclectic
Sue at Earthtone Studios
Fannie at Imagine Create Inspire
Lory at Weeping Wax Studio
Shonna at Twisted Figures
Sharron at All Norah's Art
Mare at Moon and Stars Studio

Be sure and check out these talented ladies' blogs. They are full of inspiration!

Busy Summer

2008-08-01T16:19:00.011-05:00

I hope everyone is having a good summer! Ours has been very busy so far. I have had quite a lot of creative time because the girls have spent several days off an on with my parents, and I have been able to rest up a lot. This summer heat really is hard on my body. I was finally diagnosed with RA and Secondary Sjogren's (which is a form of Lupus) about two weeks ago, and found out that is why I don't tolerate the heat so well. I am definitely ready for some cooler weather! Anyways, I have created and traded several trading cards and have painted a few canvases. I will post a few now and more to come, I just don't want to give it all away in one entry. I am going to do my best to update my blog more often. Also for my creative time, I was commissioned to paint a large 22x28 inch canvas of my "Journey" painting! I have never painted on that large of a canvas, but I loved it! I plan on doing more. I'm not going to post the pictures of it yet though, before the person sees it first.

The girls and I met their Granny at the Dallas World Aquarium a few weeks ago, and we had a great time. I am really mad at myself though, because I brought my camera alright, but totally forgot to check the batteries, and of course, when I go to take the first picture - it was as dead as it could be. I was so mad! I missed so many great shots, and to top it all off, I have a great camera on my phone and didn't even think to use it! Oh well, I'm sure we will return many other times.

My next post, I will tell you about our trip to the Great Wolf Lodge a couple of weeks ago with some pictures, and also more pictures of ATC's and my latest paintings.

It's Been A While

2008-06-20T00:20:00.014-05:00

Wow! It has been quite a long time since my last post! It has been extremely busy around here lately and a lot going on. First, I had been working on giving my blog a face lift, which I am pretty much done for the moment. There are several other things I want to add and more link lists, but that will just have to be a work in progress. Two weeks ago was the last week of school (June 4) and that week was just a whirl wind! I felt like I was at the school just about as much as Ashlyn was. They had all kinds of programs and parties - it was a very busy week. On top of that, both of the girls got sick with sinus infections.

Every person in this house has been sick over the last couple of weeks. The girls had sinus infections, I have had a bad flare that I have been battling along with adjusting to some new medication that is making me extremely sick, and my poor husband got salmonella poisoning from the cafeteria in his office building. The girls have been at my parents almost 2 weeks, and I am really missing them! They will be back on Saturday thank goodness, and they came up for Father's Day, but went back for the 2nd week since my husband and I were so sick. They've been able to enjoy some good quality/spoiling time with Granna and Gramps, though.

My and Mom and Dad surprised us and had the girl's pictures taken for Father's Day. What a great surprise at that! I am so proud of these pictures - I think they are some of the best they have ever taken. Of course, it helps now that they are older and cooperate a lot better when taking pictures. In the past, it took at least two of us to attempt to control them, chase them down, make silly faces, etc. Now, it goes much more smoothly than before. I can't thank my parents enough for these pictures!

While they've been gone, I have had some time to create and try to get my studio in order. I still have a lot to go on getting the room organized. I never thought it would be this difficult trying to figure out how I want everything set up. This is mostly my fault because I am a perfectionist and over-thinker when it comes to these sorts of things. One of the pieces I did was "Create." I guess I thought it would help to have some words of inspiration on the wall!

I met a wonderful new online artist friend named Tonya Ashe. She saw my "Bliss" piece and asked if she could buy it. I couldn't believe it! Someone wanted to buy one of my paintings and just happened to find it by looking through my Flicker pictures. Once she and I got to talking through email, we realized that we eerily have a lot in common. She asked me if I made and traded ATC's. I had always admired them, but never had tried to do it myself mostly because I didn't know how to start trading once I did make some. Well, when I told her this, she gave me all kinds of information on these amazing little pieces of art and told me exactly how to go about making and trading them. So, I decided to try to make a few and just see what happens, and low and behold - I had people wanting to trade immediately, and all but 1 traded by the evening on the afternoon that I posted them. The four that you see above are the ones I traded. I can't wait to get the ones that I traded these for! I am so gracious to Tonya for leading me into this fun new way of creating my art. I am totally hooked! If you haven't tried it - I certainly suggest it. What an awesome thing to not only share your artwork with someone, but to get some back in return from amazing artists all around the world!

Well, I am off to bed. I just realized what time it is and I am getting blurry eyed looking at the computer. Have a good evening/morning. I will try to keep up now that things are slowing down a bit and post more often!

Updating My Blog

2008-05-29T07:32:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone! I am in the process of updating my blog with a new layout and some new elements. If you notice things look different and things disappearing and reappearing, just bare with me - I should have it all finished hopefully by tomorrow!

The Princess and her Castle - Oh, and a Field Trip

2008-05-24T21:43:00.003-05:00

My latest painting that my daughter specifically requested and named "The Princess and Her Castle." She said she had to have red hair, but brown eyes like her. Ashlyn loves red hair and has been saying that she wishes she had red hair, but she likes her brown eyes because they are "just like Daddy's." My girls are my biggest fans, no matter what I draw or paint, they think it's a masterpiece!

I finished the painting today while still recovering from the field trip with Ashlyn's Kindergarten class yesterday. Oh my, have things have changed! I used to think my parents sounded like such old fogies when they would say things like that, but now I'm the old fogy. It was all I could do to keep up. Myself and one other Mom were the only 2 parents from their class of 25 kids. All kindergarten classes from their school went to the ASI Gym and then to the park for lunch and play time. They put all of us parents to work at the gym helping to run the obstacle courses for a few hundred kindergarteners. I was wiped after that part, but then we had to go to the park! It was hot, and the kids were tired, and surprisingly not to disappointed when told that they wouldn't get to stay to long since it was so hot - that was until the teachers discovered the bus drivers all left without telling anyone! They got them back, and I was so glad just to get in my car with air conditioning and go home!! I will say that I was a little disappointed because I had to work the whole time and wasn't able to take hardly any pictures. I was able to snap just a couple that didn't turn out to well between groups in our course. The kids really had a wonderful time, and I know Ashlyn was more than ready to go to bed last night - I think it was just us "old fogies" that were the ones really wiped out! I am very thankful, though, that I am fortunate enough to be able to do these types of things with my girls.

I think I am off to bed, so everyone have a good holiday weekend if I don't post again in the next couple of days.

Artwork for the Home

2008-05-20T15:20:00.007-05:00

I recently decided that I wanted to redo our home in "Old World" kind of rustic/Tuscan/antique like if that's even a style. Basically, warm earth tone colors and pictures similar to the one above. I purchased some ironwork for the walls, and then after pricing some paintings for the walls, I decided they were just way to expensive right now, and why not try my hand at painting some. Besides, not only will they (hopefully) turn out the way I would like them to look, they would also have more sentimental meaning since I created them. I was pleasantly surprised with my first shot at it. I painted this 11x14 painting that I finished this week. It turned into a project that took way longer than I expected, but I am pleased with it.

I have had this picture up on Flicker for a week now, and have not had a chance to write about it on my blog. Week before last was teacher appreciation week. The students were sent home with a list of things their teacher likes, and one of the things Mrs. Payton said she collected was pins. So, Ashlyn and I decided to maker her one out of PMC Silver Clay. I had her draw a picture of herself, and we transferred (carved) it into the silver. I then took one of Ashlyn's hearts that she has drawn and cut out around it, textured the edges, and then attached a pin to the back after I fired and polished it. It turned out to be a really unique and well loved gift! I wrapped it all pretty, and ready to go, and 10 minutes before we needed to leave for school, I realized I had not taken a picture of it. So, I had to unwrap it and snap a couple of quick pictures. Hence, the reason for the poor quality of this photo. It really doesn't do it justice. At least I remembered before giving it to Mrs. Payton : )

I have been working on my blog lately trying to spruce it up a little. I am hoping to have my new additions ready to add within the next week or so. I decided it needed sprucing up as well along with my house!

I now have to go police my house that is full of 5 and 6 year old girls right now! Take care!

Tag You're It!!

2008-05-18T23:36:00.005-05:00

I have been tagged by the amazing artist, Shonna Bucaroff (http://twistedfigures.blogspot.com/)!!

The rules of the game are as follows:

1. Link back to the person that tagged you.
2. Post these rules on your blog.
3. Share six unimportant things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your entry.

OMG! This is what I get for typing this thing up at 5:30 am! Thank you, Shonna, for pointing out my absent mind and forgetting to list the 6 things about myself! Here goes:

1. I am a self proclaimed coke aholic - coca cola that is! I love to get a bottled coke, put it in the freezer and get it good and slushy!

2. I started painting with oils when I was about 3 years old. My Dad is an artist, and I always painted with him.

3. I won "best in show" in our local science and craft fair for a soft pastels painting I did when I was in the 3rd grade.

4. My favorite color is blue. It always seems to turn up in my art some how. Rarely does a piece that I create not have blue in it some where.

5. I LOVE "Pink Lady" apples!

6. I am maxed out on the stress level when I whip out the Ben and Jerry's "Karmel Sutra" - believe me,it cures all ills!

I am adding an extra one! 7. I am very forgetful at 5:30am!

O.K. So here goes - I have tagged the following 6 ladies whose work I absolutely admire!

1. Heather http://reverieart.blogspot.com

Fannie http://fannienartefineart.blogspot.com

Lorri http://auslorri.blogspot.com

Sara http://heartbreakart.typepad.com/

Mare http://moonstarsstudio.blogspot.com

crimsoncat http://crimsoncat05.blogspot.com

Have a good day!

Happy "Smothers" Day

2008-05-11T12:21:00.003-05:00

For all you Moms out there - Happy Mother's Day!! If you are fortunate enough to still have your Mother like I am, please be sure and tell her you love her. It's important every day, but especially today!

For my Mom - Happy Mother's Day - I love you very much!! This painting I made for you, Mom, after you saw some of the others that I had done and really liked them, I decided to paint you one based on some of the things I heard you say you liked about the other ones. I didn't realize until I uploaded it that the picture looks a little blown out, but the actual painting is full of rich color!

This is the first year that I was not greeted with "Happy Smother's Day!" from my girls. Now that they are both 5 and 6, they said it correctly this morning, and I have to admit, it made me a little sad. Although I am enjoying watching them grow and mature every day, little things like this remind me just exactly how fast they are growing. I didn't realize how I would get that little twinge of sadness when they both said "Happy Mother's Day!" and not "Happy Smother's Day!" - they are growing just way to fast. It still gives me a warm fuzzy feeling just thinking about them saying it either way, though.

To you Mom - once again, I love you and thank you for all that you do. Through every thing the last few years with my health, and just becoming a Mom myself, I couldn't have done it without you. You give yourself 100% without ever asking for anything in return. To me, that is the epitome of what a Mother is and should be. All those times you would give everything to us and not anything for yourself, I never could understand that. Now that I am a Mom, I understand fully and it makes me appreciate what you did and continue to do even more now than ever. Thank you.

Mommy Sick Day

2008-05-09T16:44:00.006-05:00

It's not often that Mommy's actually get a sick day. Unfortunately, I have come down with a throat infection, and my mono is active again - so basically, I have the "icks." My Mom was gracious enough to take the girls and give me a full sick day, actually a full sick weekend to try to get some much needed rest. Mommies aren't supposed to get sick, and when we do, it is hard on everyone in the family! I don't know what I would do without my parents to help me out when these flares hit me like this. I am definitely blessed! It's my girls, though, that come out ahead on the whole deal. They get to go to Granna and Gramp's house and get spoiled absolutely rotten!

I did take advantage of some of my free time and finished up a few projects that I have been working on and paintings that needed finishing. One of them is my picture from my "All About Faces" class with Paulette Insall. This was the last week for the class and I can't believe it has already been six weeks! I learned a lot from her and am so glad I took the class. I love learning new things, and my background is mostly landscape and still life painting, so painting human faces was a whole new world to me that I was quite intimidated by in the beginning. Now, I feel like I have overcome a "little fear" and learned a lot of new techniques that I can use for my paintings.
I am going to hang out on the couch this evening, watch T.V. with my hubby and just relax!

Collective Artwerx Design Team!

2008-04-26T10:53:00.002-05:00

It has officially been announced that I am a member of the creative design team for Collective Artwerx! Be sure to stop by and have a look around Tracy's shop. She has lots of great things to choose from.

Not much going on around here. We are having a pretty relaxed weekend just hanging out and taking it easy.

Have a great weekend!

New Journey

2008-04-24T07:49:00.005-05:00

Well, I have already done what I told myself that I wouldn't, and that's neglect my blog. It has been rather busy around here and my blog has kind of taken a back seat. I'm back on track now, so hopefully I can keep up better.

A lot has happened since my last post - let's see...I have been very busy with my online painting class "All About Faces" with Paulette Insall, I registered my baby for Kindergarten, I have been chosen as a member of the design team at Collective Artwerx, and oh yeah - turned 35.

Probably the most exciting thing that has happened was being chosen as a member of the design team for Tracy Webster's online store Collective Artwerx. I am so excited about this new venture! I saw her posting that she was looking for people to be on her design team. I almost didn't do it thinking that I probably wouldn't get chosen, but I did! I just decided to go for it and it paid off! I cannot wait to get to start designing for her. This is a new creative challenge for me and something that I have dreamed of doing at some point. I just realized that I had to just go for it, put myself out there and see what happens. I am honored to have been chosen for this.

On a much more sad note - I turned 35! The dreaded birthday arrived April 10 way too soon! I have dreaded this one for a long time thinking that it sounded so old! The worst part of it all though, and the worst present ever...I had to sign my baby up for kindergarten that day! What a sad day it was for me because it was hard enough signing my oldest one up for school last year, but now my youngest just makes me realize even more that they grow up way to quickly. I don't know where the time has gone. It seems like all of the sudden they are little girls and not babies anymore!

I did make a revelation to myself, however, regarding my being the big 3 - 5. It hit me that I am now in my mid 30's cruising full speed ahead to 40! Unfortunately, I feel almost robbed of my early 30's. I have had so many health issues that have taken over my life since I was 30, that it all seems like one big giant blur when I look back. I had an emergency hysterectomy two weeks before my 31st birthday, and from that point on, my body has protested immensely! Since then I have been through so many doctors, tests, and health problems that it has been a rough few years. They are still trying to determine a definite diagnosis, but as of now they say I have Sjogren's disease (a form of lupus), severe arthritis, chronic fatigue, chronic mono, fibromyalgia, and a skin disease that they are not sure if it is psoriasis or dermatomyositis. Basically it is all auto immune and it all tends to run together, so making a specific diagnosis is hard to do. All of this gradually started while I was in the hospital recovering from the hysterectomy. To make a very long story short, I realized that I am finally at terms and peace with the way my life is now. So what if I have health issues - I just have to learn to live with them and to adjust my life accordingly. I refuse to let it "rob" me of any more of my life as much as I possibly can. What is important is my family and children who depend on me to be there regardless. I can't succumb to it, and have gotten really good at adjusting my life to everything day by day. I have realized that I will have days or even weeks where I am in a flare and don't feel well, but at least I am still breathing - it could be worse! Anyways....I don't like to talk about my health issues much, so this was another obstacle to overcome and that is facing it and I feel like I have finally done that. Our 30's are supposed to be some of the best years of our lives anyways, right?!

The bluebonnets here in Texas have really been blooming lately. A couple of weekends ago, my parents came up to visit and we stopped on our way back from lunch and snapped a few pics in a beautiful patch of them. It's funny around this time of year, at least some where along the road, you will more than likely see people taking pictures of their little ones in the bluebonnets.

One Proud Mama!

2008-03-30T19:40:00.007-06:00

I am still bursting with pride for Ashlyn this weekend. Out of all of the kindergarten students at her elementary school, she was one of four students whose art project was chosen from the art director to be on display at the "Celebrate the Arts" exhibition this weekend at the high school with all grades from kindergarten to seniors. Imagine my excitement when I received the letter that her work had been chosen! I couldn't have been more proud, and being that it was an art piece made me even more excited. All of those countless hours we spent together painting, drawing, scrap booking, and doing crafts paid off. She does so well in her art class, and the teacher is amazing too. Every time she brings home something she has made, I am just in awe at what these kindergarteners are doing in class now! I just can't believe it, and that my baby is such an amazing little artist already at such a young age. This is the second time already that she has been noticed for her artwork.

The art show began Friday evening, and my parents and Doug's Mom and step dad came up so that they could all see her exhibit. Doug and I had not seen her work before the show, so it was a surprise to all of us. She did an oil pastel piece of the ocean with starfish, a turtle, and a sting ray in the water with Memphis on the beach. I just couldn't get over her detail of everything even down to the sea weed on the bottom. She was so proud describing her work to us. I couldn't be a more proud Mommy either. I think I have been beaming all weekend (actually, since I first got the letter!).

I have a couple of pieces that I have done over the last few days and will post them within the next couple of days. I just don't want to take anything away from her special post.

I am taking an online painting class from Paulette Insall called "All About Faces" that starts tomorrow. I am so excited, I cannot wait. I have been admiring her work for some time now, and am thrilled to be able to take her class and learn from such a great artist. If you are not familiar with her work, you should check her out - her work is amazing!

Well I am ready to enjoy a little quiet time with my husband before the crazy week starts now that the girls are asleep.

Spring Break

2008-03-20T19:24:00.006-06:00

It is Spring Break for the kids here, and for me as well. My Mom and Dad graciously offered to keep my girls during Spring Break to give me one as well. Unfortunately, I wound up coming down with a terrible cold at the beginning of the week. It sure has helped being able to rest, though. With a 5 and 6 year old, that is a rarity around here! Thanks Granna and Gramps!

I have spent most of the week resting, but I have managed to squeeze in some creative time as well. I was inspired by my morning cup (more like cups) of coffee. This is the first one-

I wasn't too pleased with how my letter stamps turned out, so I will probably work on it some more. Anyway, here is the second one -

I was much happier with this one. I am working on a couple of other things that I will post when I have completed.

The most amazing thing happened today! My Dad found what he believed was some form of butterfly pupae in their backyard a few weeks ago. He made a tall cage for it and brought it up here so that the girls could watch it to see if anything happens. Needless to say my husband, Mom, and I have to admit, myself were all a little skeptical. It didn't really look like anything we had seen, and we sort of gave him a hard time about it. Well, earlier today, my husband came out of the room where we are keeping it and said, "You have got to come see this - it is absolutely the most beautiful thing I have seen!" I couldn't imagine what it might be, in fact, honestly I thought he was playing a joke on me and going to show me a "prize" that maybe our new puppy, Memphis, had left. Imagine my surprise when he shows me the most beautiful thing I had ever seen! It is a Luna moth with some amazing colors. It is lime green with purple and fuchsia tipped wings, and brightly colored "eyes." Here is a picture which can't possibly do this amazing creature justice, but here you go:

This beauty is totally inspiring me to make an attempt to paint him. We will see - I am working on it now, but I am not too pleased so far. I will post it if it turns out o.k.

For now, I am going to finish my Ben and Jerry's "Karmel Sutra" - YUM! and enjoy the rest of my quiet evening while my husband is at the Mason's lodge.

Have a great Spring Break!

Two in One Day

2008-03-12T15:25:00.005-06:00

O.K. I am actually creating two entries in one day - a lot can happen since 5:30 am when I first wrote my other post. Seems like my daughter is somehow miraculously better - no more red throat. I think it must just be allergies. I know mine and my husband's are bad right now. She still is very inquisitive in whether or not she will have to have a shot if she has to go to the doctor.
My husband came home early from work today and spent some good quality time with Megan and Memphis playing the Wii. I was actually able to paint a little bit while they did. It's just something I made rather quickly, so it's not that great because I was experimenting with the tree. I seem to be fascinated with painting (or wanting to) trees lately. Actually, trees have always been my favorite things to paint. There is such beauty that can be found in trees, and I can always find a way that they symbolize something in my life at any given point. This time, it symbolizes growth because I feel like I am at a point in my life that I am growing - I think we all are at all times in some way or another.
Anyways, here's the picture I have been working on and also a picture of my girls and Memphis.

Million Dollar Question

2008-03-12T05:10:00.004-06:00

Looks like more than likely, I will be taking Megan to the doctor today (again). While we were out running errands yesterday, she started asking questions just one after the other. Now, her questions aren't like what I would think most 5 year old questions would be, but rather very intuitive and in depth. Some of her questions went something like this:

"Why does Memphis have to have shots?" ,"What do they put in shots to make you better?","Can puppies dance?","If I were a puppy, could I dance?"....throughout the store "what did they make this out of?", "what makes stickers stick to paper?", "why do some stick better than others?" Then we start getting a little deeper:

Q: "How do you have a baby" I tried gently explaining that you have to be married and then you get to have a baby.
Q: "How do you get married?" A: I explained that you fall in love with someone and then get married.
Q: "What does fall in love mean?" A: I explained this as carefully and best that I could. She then says I am not ever falling in love or getting married." "Why?" I asked....."Because I don't want to have any babies because it will hurt!!"

This continues and I start cluing in that something is not right because she is getting more and more emotional with her questions, and she reverts back to questions about shots. Then, the million dollar question:

Q: "What makes your neck hurt?" -she always says that her neck hurts when it is actually her throat. A: "Does your throat hurt?" Q: "Will I have to get a shot if my throat hurts?" A: "More than likely not, they will just give you medicine?" Q: "O.K. then....my neck hurts!" BINGO!!

Sure enough, we get home and I look at her throat and low and behold, swollen red tonsils and a white pocket. She never ran any fever last night, but it still looks as though we will be making a trip to the doctor's office today. Seems like we just keep cycling back through this stuff. She gets it, then Ashlyn, gets it, and round and round we go. It doesn't help having several kids in the neighborhood who pass it around either. So, it looks like my day will involve a trip to Dr. Dan's office.
I did have about 30 minutes free yesterday where I played around with some color, and I made this:

My First Post

2008-03-10T05:13:00.006-06:00

Well, this is obviously my first post. I have been lurking around the blog world for about 3 years now wishing that I could do this. I have blogs that I look at daily for inspiration and interest, and am amazed by other people's creativity. I am inspired by so many people and things, and I only dreamed of having an outlet like that to share my creations if not for anyone else, but for myself.
It finally hit me recently that why not stop wishing for all that, and just do it. I had to realize that I had to get over my fear of what other people would think about it so much, and realized what I have to say and what artwork I share is from my heart and that is what matters most. This is for me more than anything, and the thought of possibly inspiring someone else and meeting a community of others with the same interests as me is an added special bonus.
I was bitten by the creative bug at a very early age. My Dad is an artist and my Mom always has had some needlework project going on. Some of my first memories are of holding a paint brush and painting right along side my Dad before I ever even knew how to write. I guess that is why painting is my favorite art form, but I have always been one to love a challenge and want to try something new. Over the years my love of art grew as I expanded my creative world by trying new art forms and crafts. I have taken many painting classes, classes in pastels, and needlework. I later developed a love of jewelry making and working with pmc silver clay, an absolute obsession with scrap booking, and the list goes on and on.
It wasn't until recently that I discovered why I have such a love for art and crafts. I realized that it is my form of expression, it is basically my self journal. When I create I am sharing my true self, sometimes my deepest feelings without even realizing it completely until the piece is finished. I am a very private person who likes to keep my feelings to myself (not always a good thing to do), but when I create, that is my way of expressing myself, and there's always some little piece of that which I can find in what I create. It's probably not obvious to other onlookers, but I know it's there. There's something very healing and therapeutic about creating from the heart.
I now have two young daughters, Ashlyn who is 6 and Megan who is 5. They too will now be able to say that they have been holding a paintbrush before they knew how to hold a pencil and write. I can tell even at an early age, that they share my passion for creating. I am so inspired by them and my world around me and the pure beauty of our life. I try to create something every day, even if it is just doodling on a piece of paper, showing my girls how to do something, or taking a simple photo. I am creating is some way. By no means do I consider myself and expert, a pro, and a lot of the times even good at what I do, but I enjoy doing it.
I am a stay at home Mom of my two beautiful girls, a wife to a wonderful husband, Doug, and a Mommy to our newest "addition," our new Pug puppy, Memphis. My girls are exactly 1 year and 2 days apart. I have been so busy the last few years with my family, that I didn't create near as much as I would have liked or was able to. Now that they are older and most often like to create right along side of me, I am able to do it more. This to me is a beautiful thing.