creating=breathing

I found this quote on Lynn Davis’ blog (I condensed it a bit). This is how I feel about making stuff. I think I am happiest when I am creating.

I used a digital tag from one of my Artella kits. Isn’t it pretty? I would love to know how to make something like that.

generations
I was thinking the other night about a common thread that runs through the art magazines I read. When the artists (mostly female) discuss their childhoods/backgrounds, inevitably they mention another family member who was artistic or creative in some way. And usually it is a female family member, particularly a mother or grandmother, and usually they created using a needle and thread, whether it was the grandmother who was a seamstress or the mother who made Halloween costumes.

These unknown artists, creating perhaps more out of necessity than purely as a form of self-expression, imbued in their daughters/granddaughters the love of creating. Female artists seem always to have another female artist in their family, and it made me think about the importance of sharing what you love to do.

My own family is filled with creative women. My Mom has been a baker for decades – baking all sorts of goodies, and making beautifully decorated cakes. She also quilts, has made clothes, and does needlework. My one grandmother used to make clothes, and my other grandmother also made clothes and did needlework. My sister does needlework too.

I hope that Lily will be interested in art and creating – I dream of spending afternoons together, creating, sharing, and enjoying being together.

don’t mess with the t.
Tabatha is back. I love Tabatha. She is one tough cookie. I admire her integrity and her high standards of salon excellence. And I like her clothes too!

off for an affaire
Tomorrow (of course at the last possible minute. Here I go paying a fortune for overnight shipping yet again! I don’t know why I can’t get it together to get this stuff mailed earlier.) I am sending off my pieces to Jewelry Affaire. Here is the last set I made, called Sea Dreams.

I think these two pieces turned out really well – very elegant, but not complicated to make.

I’m still not sure if this is what the editors are looking for, but the idea of the magazine is elegant jewelry that a beginner can make. All the pieces I am sending are, I think, simple for a beginner. The wrapped loops do take a bit of practice, but I made certain in the instructions to say that you could make simple loops instead. I hope the editors like at least something!

Artbeads discount
I have a coupon code to share for Artbeads – SCF10P-ARTBEADS-0424. This is good for 10% off and expires 12/31/09. Artbeads carries some unique jewlery-making supplies, as well as the more typical ones. Enjoy!

cookies for a cause
I found a great website dedicated to providing a bit of comfort to those serving in the military – bakinggals. These baking gals bake cookies and other treats and send them off to a designated military personnel. If you want to do some good with your baking skills check it out.

~toodles~

designer painted pumpkins.

This one I did.

An appropriately-themed pumpkin by Marc.

Lily’s pink glitter pumpkin.

This one is mine…

And this one too.

These are two of the tags I made.

trick or treat

My Mom and the girls.

My mother-in-law and the girls. Lily was Dorothy, in case you couldn’t figure it out from the blue shirt and pink jumper. She did have red glitter shoes, at least! She was her own version of Dorothy. And Gwen was a very adorable pirate.

Not sure who these two dreadful characters are…

~trick or treat~

new goodies
I bought some new goodies from AC Moore (and I finally got an AC Moore rewards card – I might as well put my shopping to good use!):

First, some beautiful 12″x12″ paper by Basic Grey, called Porcelain.

Isn’t that so pretty? I immediately thought it would be great for springtime birthday cards.

Some gold-glitter alphabet stickers by K&Company.

Cute but with a vintage-look Halloween rubber stamps by Hampton Art.

And the newest Somerset Memories.

a rainy day kind of girl
The other morning, as I was driving to work, I remarked to myself what a perfect, lovely autumn morning it was. It was raining a bit, a little chilly, and the wind was blowing the leaves around. The leaves are still changing colors, so they were red and yellow and half-green. Rain makes the colors of nature more vibrant and rich, and I loved the contrast of the dark tree trunks against the bright leaves. Pretty!

~singing in the rain~

time. time. time.
Time. Lately I have felt, more than ever, this crushing sense of time. I wake up in the morning and immediately feel pressure and stress, thinking about all the things I need to do just to get out the door in the morning, not to mention all the things I have to/need to/and dare I say want to, accomplish that day. I’ve turned into quite a good little clock-watcher – I find myself constantly looking at the clock, which drives me crazy and does nothing to alleviate the pressure I feel.

What time is it? How much time do I have? How much time is left?

I wonder what it would be like to get rid of all the clocks, and live the day according to my own pace.

Between taking care of Lily and Julian (who both need attention although in very different ways), working, taking care of the house, and shopping, I can barely squeeze in time to do the things I want to do for myself. And then it makes me feel selfish for even saying that!

I know I have too much to do, but I honestly don’t know what to cut out. I don’t think that I’m doing anything that isn’t necessary. But something isn’t right. When I’m in tears in the morning because of the stress, then all I can say is this is not working, and I need to either cut things out, or accept the fact that I want to do all this stuff and have a better attitude about it. I’ll let you know how that turns out!

but on the other hand
But somehow (and I’m not really sure how) I always do manage to find time for my creativity. Probably because if I didn’t I would be utterly miserable and crazy.

Here is a necklace I made to submit to Stampington’s new publication, Jewelry Affaire –

They are looking for elegant jewelry that is simple for a beginner to make. I have another necklace I am working on, and an idea for one more. Plus I have a few things made already that I am sending as well. I figure if I send a bunch of stuff, there’s got to be something they’ll like!

bad mommy
My sweet little daughter had her first visit to the dentist a few days ago – and she already has a cavity! I feel like I must be the worst mother in the world – how can my three-year old have a cavity already? We brush her teeth twice a day, although sometimes it can be rather a challenge to do it well. I just pray that when we go back to get it fixed, everything goes smoothly.

~toodles.

a pumpkin adventure

Last autumn in Somerset Life was an article by Carla Buchanan about her designer pumpkins – pumpkins that she had painted in a “way cool, shabby-chic” fashion, to borrow her words. I made a note in my calendar book for September 2009 – “consider designer painted pumpkins as in Somerset Life”. That way I would be sure to remember.

Miss Buchanan’s pretty painted pumpkin.

So dutifully last weekend I purchased two small pumpkins (from Wegman’s, alas, not a local pumpkin patch. But I figure they’re good enough). I haven’t painted them yet. I’m a little nervous, since I’ve never done anything like that before. I’m afraid I’ll mess them up! Plus I need to get some paints.

And I need to get more pumpkins, too, because my husband and son want to paint some as well.

So my pumpkin adventure has begun!

and a birthday card
Here’s a little birthday card I pretty much threw together for my mom. I think it turned out cute, n’est-ce pas?

~sweet dreams~

digital art galore
I picked up my first copy of Somerset Digital Studio (at AC Moore, using my 40% off coupon, of course – those magazines are expensive!).

So far I have merely paged through, but I am completely in awe of the artwork in this magazine. It is beautiful, amazing, and stunning.

With every page I turned two thoughts kept popping into my head:
1. wow!
2. how’d she do that?!

I really want to learn more about digital art, but it’s daunting trying to learn Photoshop on my own. Plus I have my usual time issues. But this magazine is filled with inspiration and enough how-to’s to get me on my way.

Neat stuff!

happy birthday
Last weekend we went to a birthday party for the son of a friend of ours (he turned three). It was at a local park; it was a bit chilly outside, and cloudy, but luckily it was not too bad.

Here are a few pictures:

Lily enjoying the chocolate birthday cake.

Lily at the playground.

Lily, asleep on the way home. (She took a long nap too – yay!)

~toodles~

a jewelry affaire
Here are a few of the things I’m sending to Jewelry Affaire for consideration.

I also sent off an order to Accessories Susan for some lovely antiqued-brass supplies to make my charm earrings. I ordered some birds, dragonflies, leaves, and hearts, as well as some beads, drops, and chain. It’s so nice to know that one day next week I’ll have new treasures to add to my collection.

more ocean city pictures
I got a few more Ocean City pictures from my mother-in-law.

Lily, on the beach in style.

Our men, napping after a hard day of…um, something.

Marc and Julian heading into the water for some boogy-boarding.

Lily, on the balcony at the condo.

another magazine down
I finished reading the July/August issue of Somerset Studio. Two articles stand out in my mind – With One Palette, by Rande Hanson, and Faded Beauty: The Artwork of Priscilla Jones, by Beth Livesay.

I love the colors chosen for this issue’s With One Palette – blue, turquoise, parchment, and rust. I think blue and brown is a lovely combination. And Miss Hanson made such lovely things…

See? Very pretty.

Miss Jones’ work is also lovely, and very different. I would love to know how she makes her objects. They look as if they are from another century, and yet are whimsical and delightful. You can see some of her work on Flickr.

Isn’t her stuff cool?

~filled with inspiration, but regrettably suffering a lack of time~

just trust
Look what I bought today – the Sept/Oct 2009 issue of Somerset Studio, aka the Vintage Halloween issue.

So I was paging through, and I have to admit I was feeling a bit jealous and despairing. My thoughts went something like, no wonder my work hasn’t been accepted yet, look at the stuff that’s in here, it’s amazing, even better than last year, my work isn’t this good, it may never be this good.

Then I came to page 109…

I didn’t even notice at first. I was busy looking at the skeleton and pumpkin puppet theaters, admiring how adorable they are.

Then I looked at the top of the page. Gasp! What?! My tags. In Somerset Studio? In the Vintage Halloween issue? I had to sit down for a moment.

(Universe, please feel free to smack me for my previous bad attitude.)

I’ve dreamed of having my work in Somerset Studio -the creme de la creme of collage and mixed media. And the funny thing is I didn’t think my Halloween tags were good enough. I thought I went too far with them and added too much stuff. But there they are. In the big league. With the real art.

So cool! I’m so happy and excited to be in Somerset Studio. It is such a fabulous magazine, and I can’t even say what it means to me that someone there thought my work was good enough to be included.

I had no idea they were going to include my tags, but what a delightful surprise. I was thinking that, since I hadn’t heard anything regarding my “aubergine” projects, they hadn’t been accepted, but perhaps that’s not correct. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see when that issue comes out.

In the meantime I’m grateful to the powers that be for such wonderful opportunities and for blessing me with this gift of creativity.

~hangin’ with the scary ladies~

more pictures

The view from the balcony of the condo. I love that there is at least a partial view of the ocean.

Marc and Julian playing with their boogie boards.

Lily with her Bubbie and Poppy.

My handsome young man.

La mer.

~still have sand in my car~