Challenge

Well, tomorrow is April 1st. I will be 40 in 22 days! Today while I was in my studio playing I was thinking about how I always tell my kids 'don't buy me anything, make me something, something from your heart.' for my birthday gift. I would take a hand made gift over a store bought gift anyday! That thought started a whole chain of thoughts, (yes, my blonde roots go very deep, but I do have thoughts that make sense now and then! ha!) What if I gave myself a handmade gift for this birthday. What if that gift was something to challenge me, and help me grow. Most of what I do artistically I plan. I think about, alot. When I play in my studio I have found ideas begin to breed like bunnies on a warm spring day! When I do not play, the ideas stop cold. What if I challenge myself to make 22 pieces of art in 22 days. No thinking or planning allowed. I just let it all flow and see what happens? Twenty two days in my studio, letting one idea lead to another, what would that do to the whole process of creating? What could I create? Could I really do this? There are a million techniques and ideas I want to try.......Hmmm.....it's a thought...........

Totally Tribal

After we exchanged ATC's we made polymer night lights (not pictured) and then I made these polymer tribal men.

F.L.Y. - ATC for Artistic Big Chicks swap

This is the ATC I made to exchange with my good friends when we got together for a play date Saturday.

I AM - Wife, Mom, Artist

I made this just a few minutes ago. I bought the piece at an estate sale many, many years ago. I could not walk away from it, but had no idea what I woul do with it. It was purchased years before I was doing this sort of art. Last night while working and cleaning in my studio I picked this piece up to move it and my muse must have whispered in my ear. Suddenly I saw this, the finished product. This morning I came down to my studio and put it together in about an hour!

F. L. Y. - The definition

The definition of FLY - Finally Loving Yourself. A lesson in self discovery.

I have always wanted people to accept me and like me, but I have realized I needed to love me and accept me and truly believe in me and be me first before I could expect others to. I have found that by not being afraid to let the real person I am be it has made me feel free, and that has helped the creative process tremendously ! I am more relaxed and I feel like when I am in my studio the ideas and the actual process seems to flow more easily. It feels more natural now, not forced.

I use to think when I was a teenager that 40 was the end. Now that I am almost there I am finding it is only the beginning. It is fun and exciting! If only I had this need to learn when I was younger like I do now!

I taught myself to solder several months ago and this is one of the first pieces I did! 

Aren't these leaves just to dye for....................

I saw a dyeing demo at Redlead last Saturday, and I spent the next 3 days dyeing everything I could get my hands on, including my hands! I punched the leaves from cardstock and folded each of the veins by hand. I did about 100 leaves!

In the Spirit of Fall

This Fall Spirit necklace was made from polymerclay and shaded with Pearl Ex. The Fall Spirit is from a mold I made from an antique picture frame. I added beads and a real branch from a tree I had recently pruned.

......and he promised her the moon and stars

I painted this canvas with Golden fluid acrylics, and added the stars about 8 months ago. Three months ago I found the polymer moon I had made quite some time ago. I added the couple (family members of Bill) and the tag and tada!

Polymer Clay - Faux Woodgrain....looks like wood, huh Denise!

These are 2 of the pieces I made from the faux woodgrain polymer. Denise came up with the idea to make the acorns! Aren't they just too neat! She is soooo creative and sooo sweet.

Fairy ATC for Redlead ATC swap March 2005. 

Valentine ATC for Redlead ATC swap February 2005 

Cowboy ATC for Redlead ATC swap March 2005.  

My scanner is up and running.......

Today we got my scanner up and running and I have scanned in a few pieces of artwork. I have no idea how I have mangaged to make it work, and have no idea if tomorrow I can get it to work but we will see. Today I also started a Yahoo group. The members to this group are the same women that meet for playdates about once a month. I have an absolute blast spending the day with these women! At our last get together we worked with polymer clay. My mom had seen a show where polymer was made to appear woodgrained, and by mixing different colors it simulated different kinds of woods. We then assembled the pieces to look like inlayed wood! How cool is that!