Artbrat's Bits and Pieces

Fantasy Fest

2011-11-03T16:35:00.001-04:00

We had an amazing time in Key West. Its definetly one of the craziest things I've ever experienced and I loved every minute of it.

Our first night out had us dressed as matching German Beer Girls. Craig got much more attention than I did with his fun costume that included his own taps. Can you guess where those are?

Night two had us out as vampires. I'm pretty happy with the makeup job I did on Craig.

Both nights one and two were our storebought costumes, although I did make the pendant and the white flouncy "shirt" part of Craigs.

Night three Craig went out as "Swamp Thing" and I was an ocean reef. I glittered up dollar store fish, used sparkly floral stems bought from Micheals, used some tulle to line it and make it more comfortable and added some twinkly lights inside (you cant really see these so well in the pic's, but they were great for after dark!)

On our fourth night we participated in a parade that anyone could walk in. It is led by musicians (ours was a bucket drum corp). It starts by half the people taking one route and half going a different route. You finish up on Duval St. where the 2 directions meet. It was a fun time for the goldfish and the jellyfish. I had lost my arm fins by the time this pic was taken (they got soggy in a rainshower and I took them off, and please excuse the rainy hairstyle!) Craig's jelly fish costume had glowsticks in all the tendrils and twinkly lights on top. The coolest thing happened with these costumes. Wyland, my very favorite artist, stopped us and took our picture! Not to shabby for hand-made costumes!

Our last night of the festival was the big parade. I was a mermaid and Craig was Poseidon.

It was a great vacation and really fun to have handmade costumes that no one else had the exact duplicate of while walking around.

Vacation!!

2011-10-23T14:25:00.001-04:00

I'm officially on vacation for 2 weeks! No students, no church services, no choir rehearsals.

Instead, we're hopping on a plane Tuesday and heading to Key West to enjoy Fantasy Fest!

I am beyond excited.

I have been making costumes for a month in preperation for this trip.

6 costumes.

3 for me.

3 for C.

I'm not revealing full, but can't resist a sneak peak.

Costume no. 1 is an underwater scene filled with glittery seaweed and sparkly fish.

Costume No. 2 is a goldfish!

And costume No. 3 is a mermaid

No, no preview of the mermaid outfit yet!

I used the same pair of shoes and made decorative clips to match each outfit to accomodate the airline baggage costs and restrictions.

Craig's costumes are "swamp thing" to match my "underwater scene" although he refused to let me glitter his, A light-up jellyfish (did I forget to mention that my underwater scene has twinkle lights in it?!) to match my goldfish costume, and King Poseidon to match my mermaid.

I had a blast working out each costume, using my imagination and just playing. My dining room table is now clean again (except for the glitter that I'll still be finding til after Christmas!) and its kinda sad to be done with the costumes.

I am sure this vacation will be an unforgettable one and I'll return recharged and ready to take on the holidays and all the extra things that entails with my jobs.

Thanks so much for stopping by. I'll try to be back soon!

Sisterhood of the Traveling Sketchbook-June/Lori, July/Kathy and Aug/Nicole

2011-08-24T09:35:00.001-04:00

June entry in Lori's sketchbook

July entry in Kathy's sketchbook

2nd spread in July entry

August entry in Nicole's sketchbook

2nd spread in August book

It has been a very busy summer and blogging has not been foremost on my list of things I want to spend time doing. I've been walking, fundraising, participating in Susan G. Komen 3-Day's for the Cure, doing art both for myself and for others and just enjoying a beautiful summer. Here are my last 3 entries in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Sketchbook. I cant find an image of my 2nd spread for June and I don't know that Lori has a blog. (Sorry if you do and I missed it!) These entries are always fun for me. It is funny how I can go from no idea, to a fully formed idea, and then again how it changes as I am working. It has been a challenge to think of how to display the months in new, personal ways.

Sisterhood of the Traveling Sketchbook-May/Jaime

2011-05-16T19:06:00.000-04:00

I was able to spend the entire afternoon with Jaime's sketchbook. This is my spread for the month of May. To me, May represents beginnings and endings. It is my birthday which always makes me reflect on the past year, give thanks for the good and hopefully the bad seems less severe when revisited. It is a time of celebration, of gathering my family around me and of hopes for what will come in the year ahead.

May is the end to my teaching year. It is celebrated by a nice recital where all my students can showcase their developing skills. It is when I can sit and think about the progress each one has made, and begin to plan the directions I'd like to take them in the fall.

May is a time of stepping back my studio teaching obligations so that I may enjoy a more relaxed, free summer. It allows me more time to spend outdoors during the beautiful Michigan summer. It gives me time to devote to my art and time to really enjoy being by myself.

Finally, May is planting season (usually, but we've had so much rain everything is delayed this year!). I love seeing all the freshly plowed fields while I'm out walking. They look so neat and orderly and I've always wanted to go and play in one. (I've managed to avoid doing this so my farmer neighbors wont be upset with me). I also love to plant flowers while I'm surrounded by the fragrance of lilacs in bloom and the flutterings of the first butterflies of the year. May brings many things to a close in my life, but it also opens many new and exciting doors.

I hope that Jaime likes my entry in her sketchbook. I had a relaxing and fun time painting it.

And the winners are...

2011-05-09T07:30:00.001-04:00

Jenn F (from Facebook) will be giving the box a new home

and

the little fishy will be swimming its way to Kathy.

Congratulations!

Happy Monday to you all!

Happy Birthday Giveaway

2011-05-03T10:21:00.001-04:00

I love my birthday.

I celebrate it in a big way every year.

Craig and I take a short vacation, this year we went to Grand Rapids, MI and visited breweries.

6 breweries in 3 days.

We have fun.

I also have a family picnic.

This is the official first day of "Sangria Season"

This was celebrated on Sunday

and although we picniced inside due to more rain, it was a great day.

I also like to give something away on my birthday.

I give to charity, and as gifts I ask for donations to my favorite charity, the Breast Cancer 3 Day.

I sometimes donate blood but I'm off schedule for that and can't this year.

This year I'm giving something away on my blog.

This box.

And maybe something else, but its still being finished.

**edited 11:37, yes, that something else is finished and pictured at the end of the post**

So, if you'd like to help me celebrate my birthday, leave me a comment here.

Or like Artbrat's Bits & Pieces on facebook and leave me a comment on my wall.

If you do both, I'll enter your name in the hat twice.

I'll draw a winner on Saturday at noon so you'll have til then to be entered.

(and if the something other turns out, I'll edit this page with the 2nd giveaway)

I hope you have a wonderful day!

This little fishy with the big bulging eyes serves no purpose other than making someone smile. I love his big eyes! This will be the other giveaway. I think I'll draw 2 names so I can spread the joy and fun a bit further.

Good luck!

A Package!!

2011-04-25T07:42:00.000-04:00

Dont you just love getting packages in the mail? It has to be one of my favorite things, especially if I am not expecting something (or simply have forgotten about it!) Heck, I even adore it when I know its coming, and I'm waiting for the delivery man, bouncing around with excitement chanting "where are you? where are you? O, come on and freakin get here!!". There is something so much fun about tearing a package open and getting at what's inside. (Can you tell I'm gearing myself up for my birthday where I get SHINY packages all wrapped up for me!!)

I received a terrific package in the mail a few weeks ago (shame on me for just now getting around to sharing it. Time has been flying and I've been busy.) This package came from Cat and was part of her One World, One Heart giveaway. Cat also blogs with her sister Cricket here. Both blogs are beautiful. Full of wonderful images and thoughtful words. I hope you'll take a moment and explore both of the links. I find myself visiting them often. When I won, Cat asked what I'd like to receive. I looked through those blogs and etsy shops and just loved everything so I pretty much told her that and asked her to suprise me. I gotta say, she did a superb job of picking. I absolutely love this tank. The sentiment expressed on the back is so much how I want to live my life. (Somedays I do better at staying true to this than others. Hey, I'm a work in progress.) I've never seen the brand Love this Life before, but you can be sure I'll be looking into getting more from them. Thank you so much Cat. I couldn't love it more. Tanks are my summer staple and I cant wait for it to warm up here so I can wear this! She also included a lovely "live large"card and a fun chalkboard heart ornament that will soon hang in my kitchen so I can leave love notes to my hubby, or just remind myself that I am out of milk.

Thanks again Cat! I love it!!! And thank you for stopping by for a visit. I hope your week is off to a great start.

Sisterhood of the Traveling Sketchbook

2011-04-15T17:32:00.000-04:00

Here's my introductory spread for the "Sisterhood of the Traveling Sketchbook". This Sisterhood is a group of 13 artists located around the world. We'll be mailing our books through a chain every month and in a year we'll get our books back filled with all kinds of artistic goodness. Our theme after the introductory spread is months. We'll be painting our interpertation of the current month, loosely based. That means that May, to me is the beginning of "Sangria season", so my spread might just revolve around that instead of a traditional "May Flowers" spread. Its all open to how we want to interpert the month which I love! I'm excited to get my journal on its way. Hopefully it'll mail out tomorrow or Monday.

My first spread we were to use color. My favorite color is orange. I love how vibrant and cheerful it is. The text serves as an introduction, however brief to me so the others involved with this project can get a feel for me. Its so much fun to "meet" these ladies. Most of us have just been introduced over the past month or two! Its always interesting to see how much us artsy types have in common. Including a serious ZumaBlitz obsession and competition I'm in over my head with against Cam.

For my sign in page I had an idea of cutting out butterfly shapes that each person can alter and then attach to the opening page and also the back cover if more space is needed. I thought we could include all our info either on the butterfly as I did, or surrounding the butterfly on the page. I hope that's not to quirky for any of the participants. Once I got the idea in my head there was no turning away from it.

I can't wait to receive my first book in the mail. I'm still brainstorming ideas to use for the spread of May. This is all so exciting!!

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you're having a beautiful mid-April day!

self portrait fun and boobies to boot!

2011-04-07T17:49:00.000-04:00

I've been working on a journal page for the Sisterhood of the Traveling Sketchbook. The Sisterhood is a group of 13 artist who will be mailing our journals to each other over the coming year. Each of us will do a spread inspired by the current month and in a year we'll all get our sketchbooks back filled with everyones wonderful art. I've never participated in anything of this manner so I'm really excited and a little intimidated. My opening journal spread will be color based and an introduction to who I am. Most people form ideas about me from my pink hair, and I'm ok with that. It all goes along with not conforming and I expect it. The page will include this self-portrait with entries of "I am ________, but____________." I'll share it when I'm finished, but so far just have the background started. Why is it I can always see my mistakes clear as day when I look at a photo of my work, but I can stare at the work itself for hours and not see the same thing?! Dang oddball lips...

I have a question for all of you. How do you keep the surrounding pages clean when working in a journal/sketchbook with paint? I put paper underneath both pages I was working background on and still managed to muck up the next page. If there is a better way around this I'd appreciate you sharing your tricks. I'm feeling awful to send not pristine pages to someone.

In other events, I've been slowly working my way toward my fundraising goal of $2,300 for the Breast Cancer 3-Day. This year I'm trying to do a lot of art/craft commissions, along with CD sales to fund things without asking for straight donations. I'm doing pretty well and just hope things continue to fall into place for that. My latest "commission" is a boob scarf. I was sent a picture and asked if I could make one. I gotta say, I was super excited to try.

I laughed my way through this project. Especially after realizing I'd been considering how to make the nipples "hard" for a good 4 hours! There are just to many thoughts that kept popping into my head. Anyways, it was lots of fun and I thought they turned out pretty well.

Button fun, You need more flair!

2011-03-29T15:04:00.000-04:00

I had so much fun designing this button. I started with paint, but I have digitally altered the image so much, you can hardly tell it was paint on paper. In Cleveland, the route safety team goes with a pirate theme every year. We get to dress and talk like pirates for 3 days (4 if you count our crazy crew day!). We tell horribly bad pirate jokes and have a great time with the walkers. I recently bought a button maker and I'm very excited. Buttons are like gold on the 3-Day, everyone wants them! This was my original idea, and then as I was working on it I thought, hey, you could make them say different things. Like, I treasure my wife's pirate chest, or I treasure my itty bitty pirate chest, or like the one I've designed for our team this year, Protecting all the pirate chests.

I think they'll be so much fun on the walk. Heck, I wanna wear mine around now and see who notices and comments about it ;)

I also threw this one together.

What movie is it where Jennifer Aniston gets yelled at for only having the required amount of flair? If you've ever seem my 3-Day pictures, you know I go way beyond the minimum for flair. I think we all need as much flair as possible each and every day. It makes life so much more fun.

Butterfly earrings bring Spring to mind

2011-03-22T14:57:00.000-04:00

I haven't made any a lot of jewelry in awhile. I'll make some stamped metal jewelry when the mood strikes, but I haven't gone in depth with beading or wire work in years. I used to do it all the time and even taught it at two local bead stores. I think I got a little burned out and a lot distracted by other art possibilities.

Now that I have my pixie hair, earrings are much more fun to wear. I have a pair of nice chandelier style earrings that I bought and love because they are very lightweight and dont hurt to wear. I was trying to figure out how I could make something really cool and a bit unusual. I went to the craft store and they had these findings on sale for just 50 cents. I knew I had to get them.

I looked around my stash of crafty goods and found these

I poked a hole through the butterfly, used some thin beading wire to make sparkly beaded dangles from the 8 posts of each earring. That's pretty much all it was. I did some quick wirewrapping to attach everything. I added an extra butterfly on the long part of the finding just to make it a little bit prettier and now I have some extra cute one of a kind earrings to wear! They're light and dont pull on my earlobes so I'm hoping that I enjoy wearing them.

Pretty quick and easy and very inexpensive considering the clearance cost of the finding and using stash I already had for everything else. So, what do you think? I've got my mind spinning on what to do for another pair so we'll see what happens.

Fun watering cans

2011-03-19T09:18:00.000-04:00

I have started to collect the cutest watering cans. Anything that is animal shaped is fair gain. I have found all of these already this year. I have another frog one from last year, but he was outside the day I was taking photos. Aren't they just adorable?

Dare to be outrageous

2011-03-18T08:50:00.001-04:00

More from my altered book of me from Tam’s class. When I started this book, I went through my parents old photo albums looking for pictures to copy and use. I came across this one of me and my decorated, tin foil covered bike. I remember decorating the bike and riding it in a parade in the small town we lived in at the time. I was so proud of how we spiffed up the bike! I get to decorate up my bike doing crazy things twice a year now as part of the route safety teams for 2 of the 3-Day for the Cure Breast Cancer Walks. We decorate as pirates in Cleveland and I have a magical pink treasure chest I strap on the back along with a pirate flag, decorated bras and whatever else catches my eye. In Michigan we are the Pink Panthers and my bike gets decorated with as many Pinkies as I can attach (and of course includes a few bras too!). I even made a pink panther bike helmet cover and a pink panther bra that I wore this year! It is fun to see the walkers perk up and laugh as they discover all the things on my bike. Sometimes that one little smile can change the course of their day and that is worth pedaling around all the extra weight of the decorations.

This spread is all about embracing the unusual and loving it. One of the quotes I have on there says “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” I believe it is a quote from George Bernard Shaw. I love this as it reminds me that we can go beyond what seems like our limits and really do anything that we set out to do. It goes right along with the feelings of the last post on not letting others decide what you can or should be. I choose to be unusual, remarkable in my own way and no one else will ever be the exact same. Isn’t that amazing? We are all one of a kind and bring so many special qualities to this world. We are all irreplaceable and that is incredible! So I challenge each of you to do something you’ve always wanted to do, but were held back from for some reason. Be outrageous and enjoy every moment of it!

Talent

2011-03-16T07:22:00.001-04:00

This page is from my Altered Book of Me that I’ve been sharing. Again, I want to thank Tam for providing such an awesome class for free! I may be slow in getting through the projects, but they have all been wonderful to work on.

This spread is all about using my talents. I was a very shy child. It was hard for me to make friends because of this. I loved music because I could express myself without stumbling over words or feeling awkward. When I sat down at the piano, my insecurities lessened and I let the music absorb my overthinking mind and just let my emotions flow out of me in the music I played. Having that form of expression available to me growing up really helped me cope through troubling times. I still use playing as a sort of therapy. If something is troubling me I can sit down and play. Sometimes I play notes off of the page and just get absorbed into the feelings that the music seems to project. A lot of the time now, I’ll just sit down and make up things. I think this impromptu creating of my own music has been the most amazing way to express emotions that I cant seem to voice any other way.

I also have loved to draw since I was very little. I grew up being the “musical” one and my brother was the “artist”. It kinda pisses me off that we were labeled as such because I think it limited both of us. I didn’t fully embraced my artist side until well into my 30’s. That’s a lot of years that I could have used to further develop my skills. I also could have used art as another form of self-expression and self-discovery that would have been quite useful in my teens and twenties. I let someone else’s idea of who I was shape what I did. Thankfully, I have grown into some self confidence, and lots of stubborness, so I will never again let someone else’s ideas limit me from who I really am. It seems as time passes I let what others think of me impact me less and less. Its a very freeing aspect of aging that no one ever tells you about. I may not enjoy my body growing older and developing aches and wrinkles, but I love that at this age, I can do what I want without worries that others will think I’m crazy, or weird. I am a little weird and crazy and I love who I am.

So, that’s how I use my talents. I express myself in a way that I’ve never been able to with spoken or written words. It soothes me and allows me an outlet for my over emotional self. How do you use your talents?

Hymns from the Piano

2011-03-13T14:44:00.002-04:00

Well, on my last post I said I’d hopefully have something exciting to share with you and I do! Hopefully if you click above, you'll hear a short sampling from the CD I’ve been working on for awhile now. It is a compilation of 23 hymns performed by me. All the piano arrangements are my very own creations. It is a very peaceful CD that encompasses many of the older, more traditional hymns of the church.

I am selling this as a fundraiser for the 60 mile, 3-Day for the Cure Breast Cancer walk that I’ll be doing in Boston. The selling price is $15 and all the profits will go into my walk account to help me reach the $2300 minimum requirement to participate. Any profits from sales after I reach this goal will be donated to charity, I’m just not sure which ones will benefit next.

The cover art for the CD is a copy of an original painting done by me. It is of the church that I have attended since I was in first grade. I’ve also been the organist there on and off since 1987! I owe special thanks to my pastor, Bruce Lucas for taking the photograph I based my painting on.

Putting together a CD is much harder than I thought. I did my first CD’s right before Christmas of 2009 and it was amazing what all had to be done. This time around, I was much better prepared for all the steps, but that didn’t mean that they were much easier. For this CD, since I was recording my own arrangements, I decided that I’d just sit down at the piano with the hymn in front of me and improvise. Sometimes these improvisations worked out well and the result is what you can hear on the finished CD. Other times, I’d would hit a rough note, the phone would ring, or the dogs would bark and I’d have to start the recording all over again. I cant even tell you how many hours I spent recording to get the 48 minutes of material on the CD! Beyond the music, I wanted to design the cover myself. I’ve wanted to try to paint the church for years and now that we have a new front porch the time was right for me to give it a try. The painting was actually the easiest part of the entire process for me. It just turned out really well without a lot of struggles. Trying to design the labels that go onto the actual CD was a huge struggle this time. I kept trying to get the entire church on the label but then there wasn’t any room for the playlist. I finally used just the church steeple for the label and then everything fit on and I like how it turned out.

The CD booklet was a bit of a struggle just to get things the proper dimensions for the case. The booklet opens up and has the playlist, copyright info and also some special thank you notes.

After all of that was put together and ready to go then I had to do the entire production of all the elements. The booklets needed to be copied then trimmed down to the proper size. The CD labels needed to be printed out (and I cant find CD labels that I can run through a copy machine, so all of these were printed from my printer at home!). The CD’s had to be burned which is not hard, just very time consuming when doing them one by one from my laptop. Finally, after stuffing everything into the jewel case, the project is ready to go!

Its no wonder I’ve been exhausted and had a headache this past week! I’m hopeful that my hard work will pay off and sales will be good.

OWOH goodies

2011-03-12T06:47:00.001-05:00

I won the most beautiful art tag from Wendy as part of what she gave away for the One World One Heart blog event. I just love the different textures and mediums she used on this. I also adore that it includes music in its background. Its like it was customized for me! She also included a cute bookmark that I know I’ll be using all the time. Thank you so much Wendy. Your gifts really brightened my day and they make me smile when I see them!

I have been busy, busy, busy here. Hope to be ready to reveal something new here on the next post. Thanks for stopping by.

Altered Book music spread

2011-03-09T10:27:00.001-05:00

I’m still sharing from my altered book of me. This spread represents the powerful role that music has in my life. I started playing the piano when I was 7 or 8 years old. I had been begging for lessons for about 2 years prior to being allowed to start. I fell in love with the piano. The touch, the sound, the possibilities, all of it. It opened up a whole new way for me to express myself. I have played, and still play many instruments but the piano is the biggest love. I love that I can sit down and play and make my troubles lesson. I can play music that I adore and put my own spin on it through my performance. I can make up my own songs and express my innermost thoughts without worrying about using the proper words. Its an amazing outlet for me and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

This spread celebrates my family and all the laughter and fun we had growing up together. We didn’t always get along, that whole sibling rivalry thing often reared its head, but overall it was a fun way to grow up. My brother and sister are very close in age to me, there’s just 3 years separating all of us. We were often into playing the same things and it was rare to not have someone to do something with. The harder thing was to find some privacy when it was needed!

Music and family both had huge impacts on forming who I am today so I wanted to celebrate each of them with spreads in the “Book of Me.” So, what has impacted you in your life?

Dream Big

2011-03-03T08:58:00.001-05:00

It’s a bright and cheerful morning here although still cold. We’ve been having some beautiful pink sunrises that I really need to get out and capture with the camera.

It has been a very busy week here. Monday’s appt. lasted over 3 hours, Tuesday I had an allergy scratch test that lasted about 1 1/2 hours and then went to visit my Grandma at the nursing home. She wasn’t in her room and when I asked where she was found out she had been sent to the hospital. She is ok, but I spent a portion of my afternoon sitting with her there. I’m hoping to stay away from any more doctors offices or hospitals for a good long time!

Today I’d like to share a bit more of my Altered Book of Me. Again, thanks to Tam for giving away the Art, Heart & Healing class. I’ve gotten a lot out of the class and have really enjoyed the projects. This spread was all about not giving up on your dreams, and enjoying all the steps that might be involved with reaching some of your dreams. I feel that you really can reach your dreams, no matter how big, but they often require a lot more work than one would expect. I think its important to take pleasure not just in the attainment of your goals, but in all the hard work that helps you meet them. Think of all the things you’ve learned along the way to each goal. Its usually much more rewarding and involved than you would have initially thought and the lessons you learn along the way are just as priceless as the satisfaction of reaching the goal itself.

Most of all its important to believe in yourself and give value your dreams. Fight for what you believe in. If you don’t fight for what you want, no one else will. Be strong, be happy, be you.

Tank the bulldog

2011-02-28T15:26:00.001-05:00

I’m interrupting the presentation of my altered book for a short time. I was up all night dealing with two pups who are terrified of thunderstorms so I got just about no sleep. Then this morning I had an appointment with a neuro-opthalmologist that lasted over 3 hours. I’m feeling raw and tired and not like sharing those personal pages.

I am excited to share today’s project. I am doing a pay-it-forward through facebook. I met up with one of the friends on my list and finally got to share what I made for her. It was a good time just to see some friends, but it was so much fun to be able to give her something I think is special. She has a great dog and she spoils him rotten (as any dog owner should!) I love seeing her photography that he stars in. As soon as she signed up, I knew I wanted to try and paint her “Tank”. I wasn’t sure it would turn out, but I was going to try. I “stole” one of her pics to use as my reference (you can see she is a superb photographer as she took the photo you’re seeing.

I started with prismacolor pencils and was really happy with it, but it seemed really faint (I had started this on a piece of wood and the color of the wood just wasn’t allowing the pencils to really show well enough, so I started painting. I used acrylics, mostly golden, and just took my time and enjoyed the process. I had a great friend who I emailed my progress to so I could get some constructive feedback and that was really helpful. She saw things that my eye just passed over and really helped me get it to the final stage.

Anyways, I am very happy with how he turned out and I really think that my friend loves it which makes me feel good. It is such a pleasure to make something special for someone. My favorite projects are the ones I start off intending to gift away to someone in particular. What are your favorite projects? Thanks for stopping by.

More altered book of Me

2011-02-25T07:34:00.001-05:00

This is the second spread in my altered book made for the Art, Heart & Healing class. As you can see I had a terrible time with doing transfers. I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong. These are “fuzzy” and I left them at this stage because they were starting to rub completely off the page. I don’t really mind the rough effect of them, but would like to be able to figure out how to do the process properly. Guess I’ll play with that technique some more.

For my third spread I didn’t use any photo’s. I simply painted a girl with her mother and talked about unconditional love. Every child should feel support and love from her home. I was fortunate to grow up in a loving family. That doesn’t mean things were perfect, but I knew my parents were there when I needed them.

We are having yet more winter weather today. Everything is closed and I’ll be calling to reschedule the appointments I had for the day. I have everything I need for the painting I want to start today and I’ll be moving down to the art palace to get started after enjoying a little more coffee. My hubby called and made it to his office safely so I’m free from worry til he calls to say he’s on his way home. I’m hoping for a productive, enjoyable day.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit. Happy Friday!

Altered book spread “advice”

2011-02-24T06:05:00.001-05:00

As promised, I’m showing more of the pages from my altered book of me, made as part of the Art, Heart and Healing class done by Willow.

This page spread is full of advice and positive comments that I think every child needs to hear repeatedly. I didn’t grow up with a lot of confidence and felt awkward in my body so I focused on sentiments that would help ease those pains.

I still struggle with body image on a daily basis. I was underweight until after I was married. So that is the norm that I associate with my body. After settling into our married routine, I gained and was in a “normal” weight zone, but I felt fat. Its stupid, ,I know, but that is how I felt. A few years at this weight and I had a major stress with my dad getting very ill, very suddenly and some food allergies/intolerances that I now realize I had had all my life, kicked into overdrive and I got sick. I couldn’t eat anything without spending hours in the bathroom. I spent about 2 years eating very little and going to many specialists who couldn’t help me. I was back to “underweight” but very sick most of every day.

I finally tried a natural treatment that combines energy medicine with accupressure and got my reactions to food back to a manageable level. That meant that I could once again eat foods I loved and not get sick. And that is just what I did. I ate. Everything. And I gained lots of weight and actually tipped out at an “obese” (don’t you just love the terms for weight) level. I have to say that I enjoyed every bite that got me there. It was wonderful to eat and rarely get sick and I took pleasure in tasting things I hadn’t been able to have for a long time.

Of course, I did not take pleasure in my body. It led to my depression flaring and lots of self-worth issues. It was a very rough time where it seemed my only pleasure was in eating (kinda a double edged sword huh?). I stayed at this extra large size for about 2-3 years. Then I took action.

I worked hard. I did daily workouts (many times 2 a day), and I ate very carefully. The weight came off and I returned to the “normal” weight zone (which I still sometimes feel fat in) and have remained there for the past 5 years. Most days my body image is ok now, but their are days I look in the mirror and see all the faults instead of the strong able body that I have. I am still a work in progress.

I know many women struggle with body image and I wish that our society would lend itself to celebrating the diversity of our bodies instead of idealizing those few and far between perfect ones. So, my spread focuses on the words that I wish I had heard more growing up (I did hear them, but I think every little girl should be able to hear them ALL the time). I try to say these things to my nieces so that they hopefully they can celebrate their individuality rather than struggle with it. And I try to be a positive, healthy role model for my students. I celebrate their uniqueness with them and I hope they grow into strong, beautiful women.

So, dear readers if you’ve made it this far in my lengthy post I hope you’ll respond with compassion. I’ve bared a part of me that is raw. I’m hoping that by doing so I’ll reach a better level of acceptance of my body and be stronger overall. Thanks.

Altered book of Me

2011-02-23T07:33:00.001-05:00

I’ve slowly been working through the projects from Willow’s awesome Art, Heart, and Healing class from last fall. (You can see my empathy monsters here.) I finished my altered board book over the weekend. This was a great project for me. I was able to come to terms with some things from my childhood that sometimes still bothered me. I was able to do this in a loving, constructive, and unforced manner and I feel good better about these things now. I’m sure they’ll reappear when life gets to me, but I think I’ve found a way to deal with them in a more positive manner now. That should allow me to get through these feelings to a more positive place when they do bother me.

The photo I scratched up and used for the cover of my book was taken by my hubby on our last trip to Key West. He had run something back to the car while I waited at the bar and he tried to sneak taking some pictures but I turned and spotted him. I was so relaxed and happy and just living in the moment when that was taken. I want to live in the moment more often and I hope seeing this picture will remind me to do that.

I’ll share more of the book in the coming days. We’re still covered in ice here with all the schools on their 3rd day of closings. That means that I haven’t been teaching either. A forced break. Good for catching up on some things that needed to be done, but bad for the pocketbook. I know what I want to work on today, just trying to find the one thing necessary to execute my plan. I’m not sure I have it in the house. I’m hoping I do so I can get moving on this fun project. I hope all of you have time today to play. Thanks for stopping by.

Ice, Ice Baby

2011-02-21T17:08:00.001-05:00

We got our typical late winter ice storm. It usually happens right after we have a few spring-like days and this year was no exception. Friday our temps were in the 50’s and this storm came in Sunday afternoon and continued overnight.

I’m not sure exactly when it stopped, but it was noisy to listen to as it came down. Some places even had snow thunder, but I cant say I heard it with this storm.

We are lucky as we haven’t lost power and I am very thankful for that! I’m also thankful that my hubby could and did work from home today and I was able to reschedule my things and neither of us has had to go out and try to drive on the still very icy roads.

So, for us, this storm has delivered a bit of peace and quiet and I’ve quite enjoyed it!

Don’t you just love socks, and the OWOH Winner!

2011-02-18T05:10:00.001-05:00

I made these socks for a magazine challenge entry about 2 years ago. I actually assumed they were lost because they had been gone so long and then early this week a package arrived in the mail with them inside. The package also contained a rejection letter from the magazine, but that was brushed aside because my socks were back!

I love wearing crazy, often mismatched socks and these were hard to mail away right after I made them. I finally got to wear them for the first time and they kept a smile on my face for the entire day.

And, now for my drawing…

I’m happy to announce that the name I drew from my bowl of entries was

of the beautifully creative blog ArtsyFartsyMe. Congratulations Jaime. I’ll be emailing you shortly so I can get your prize shipped your way!

Toilet Pater Tube Art

2011-02-05T08:40:00.001-05:00

I cant remember where I saw someone making these cute journals/art pieces, but I know I wanted to make one as soon as I saw them. I actually started hoarding our empty toilet paper rolls and for the first time in our marriage I was thankful that my hubby seldom throws the empty tube away!

This piece is not a journal-although I have 2 of those in the works-its just a little pretty with an inspirational quote tucked inside. I started making it with the intention of mailing it off to someone. I don’t know who I’ll mail it to, but I’m sure that will fall into place when the time is right.

It was fun to play with paper and glue again. I found it kinda soothing to sit and pick out coordinating papers and then the ribbons to trim it out with. I always love adding the embellishing fibers and the cute little charms and sparklies at the end! Its like the finishing touch and then I can sit back and smile. As I’m typing this I’ve thought of one more thing I want to do to this piece. I’m going to go back and take an ink pad to the edges of the tag and create a border. Its just to white and plain right now.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a lovely weekend!

One World, One Heart 2011

2011-01-31T14:46:00.005-05:00

I am excited to again take part in the wonderful One World, One heart blog event. I think it is an incredible way to make new friends and also give away a little goodness and the same time.

For any new visitors to my blog, thank you for taking time to stop by. I wanted to tell you a little bit about me. I am a professional piano teacher and church organist. I love sharing my knowledge of music with others, and incorporating their developing skills as a method to help them express themselves. I have a degree in piano and harpsichord performance and also an advanced degree in music theory and literature. So I have a strong background to share with my students. I also play the harp and still have much to learn with that instrument.

I've lived in Michigan my entire life but I spent my college years in the northern part of the state compared to my southeastern home. I share my home with my hubby of a little over 14 years and our two dogs. I am new to eating a whole food diet and love the richer tastes that I get to enjoy by using fresh, clean food. I just signed up to participate in a CSA for the first time this year and can't wait for the growing season to get underway so I can receive my portion of the harvested crops.

I love playing with art. I find it soothing to spend time surrounded with paint, clay, beads, and many other mediums. I’ve taken a few community ed. classes in polymer clay, but mostly I am self taught in my art making. I love taking on the challenge of working in new mediums and seeing how my skills develop.

For this year’s giveaway, I have a beautiful box. I made this a few years ago and love it, I painted, collaged, included copies of some of my artwork and glittered the heck out of the box. Its not huge, maybe about 3.5” round. The perfect size to store precious trinkets inside.

To enter please you need to have a current blog, and leave me a comment on this post. I'll be selecting a winner on Feb. 17th. Please make sure your comment allows a link to your blog so I can follow up if your name is drawn. Make sure you check out all the amazing participants in the One World, One Heart event. There is an amazing amount of talent represented in the event.

Thank you so much for stopping by. I hope you’ll visit again soon.

Empathy monsters have invaded! They like the cold…

2011-01-26T11:22:00.002-05:00

Its been really cold here and my art palace has been freezing. Add to it the fact that I broke my kerosene heater, and its not much fun to be down there right now. I decided it was a great time to pull out my sewing machine and finally make an empathy monster from the Art, Heart & Healing class that Willow so graciously gave away this past fall.

I have tons of fabric stashed away and I made a royal mess of my house by pulling it all out and creating a huge pile that I could pick through and see/feel it all at once. The orange one was my first attempt. I was feeling a bit rushed because I had students coming so I didn’t do such a great job with embellishing her. I do like her, in fact I think she’s so ugly she’s cute. Her yellow belly is actually a pocket so she can store things that need to be kept safe.

I had a bit more imagination while working on the blue monster. He got some warts sewn on his back and a pretty cool mohawk hairdo. He got some extra hand and feet embellishment too. He also has a pocket on his belly, but his is a tulle overlay so whatever is stashed there can be seen so its not such a great place for deep, dark secrets to be held. I really like his ruffly tail that ends in a tassle and his blinged out eye with a shimmery heart birthmark by it. He loves his spiral striped horns and the stripe on his cheek. Again, so ugly you just have to fall in love with him!

They make quite the pair dont they?

Gratitude box

2011-01-22T12:28:00.001-05:00

I’m participating in the Mystery Mentor program put on by Artella. It has been lots of fun getting uplifting messages of comfort and support from my mentor, and equally fun to send encouragement out to the person I’m supporting for the month. (Actually, I’m hoping to continue these buds of friendship way past January, but that’s because of how cool I think they both are!)

My mentee chose the word Gratitude for 2011. We were to do at least one thing through snail mail as part of our commitment to the project. I decided to make a gratitude box where she could write down the many things in her life that she is thankful for. I thought that on down days, she could open the box and be reminded of the plethora of good that surrounds her, and hopefully be uplifted by reading them.

I haven’t heard that the box has arrived at its destination yet, but I sure hope she likes the small gift.

I’m off to run errands soon and then I’m spending the evening with my mom, sister and niece for a girls night. I hope you have a lovely weekend.

Grasping at the tranquil moments

2011-01-17T14:27:00.002-05:00

Life threw my family a curve this past week. My mother in law was diagnosed with colon cancer. She is getting a port put into her chest as I am typing this, and will start chemotherapy on Thursday. This came as a surprise to the entire family and we are still in the adjustment period and trying to adapt to this diagnosis. Any prayers and good wishes you can send are greatly appreciated.

I am trying to look at the good parts of life and really participate fully in those moments. I want to remain as optimistic as possible so I can be there for my husband as he deals with these new emotions. So, I am grasping at the tranquil moments and enjoying the happy moments and just putting one foot in front of the other. Life may be changed, but it continues and we need to keep moving. I picked up a copy of Sark’s latest book “Glad No Matter What” late last week. (Usually I buy her books the minute they are released, but I hadn’t gotten around to this one. I think it was meant so that reading it can be fresh, and help me deal with what I’m feeling now.) I have only just begun this book but it talks about feeling multiple emotions at once. I may be sad and fearful for my MIL, but at the same time last week I experienced the extreme joy and satisfaction of a job well done that I shared with you in my last post. I was actually feeling a bit guilty about being happy when so much was falling apart around me. Now I know that I can experience both emotions simultaneously, and that they don’t reduce each other. This photograph expresses a peacefulness to me, and that is how I want to be able to feel. I know I can’t always feel calm and content, I am a natural worrier, but I want to remember to try to find at least a moment each day to experience the pleasure of those feelings.

I’m happy to announce the winner of my 100th post giveaway was Mrs. Nesbitt. I’ll be contacting you soon to get your address. Congratulations and thank you to all who stopped by.

The power of words

2011-01-13T16:04:00.001-05:00

I received a phone call this morning from a mom of one of my students. She called to thank me for what I said to her daughter during her lesson. She wanted me to know that the student said how good, self-confident and enthusiastic my comment made her feel. The mom went on for about 10 minutes saying how I made a difference in her daughters life. This is the kind of phone call that every teacher dreams of receiving. It really was incredible for me to hear. Now, here’s the thing. I don’t remember saying anything profound, or even that far off from a normal lesson. This student is tackling something new. She is going to accompany another instrumentalist for the first time. She received the music and after playing through it on her own was feeling overwhelmed and like she wasn’t going to be able to do what was necessary. After hearing her initial play through, I started to tweak where it needed and offered advice in other spots, and just in general encouraged her and told her I was positive she could do this. I tried to highlight how accompanying is different from solo work and told her some hints I’ve accumulated over the years. I also told her I was proud of her for taking on the challenge. Her mom said she was positively beaming because I said I was proud of her.

I think we often don’t realize the impact our words have on others. I never thought what I was saying would have any effect beyond our lesson time. I was not stretching the truth or trying to make her feel good. I was simply telling her the positives I was seeing from her and providing guidance and encouragement as I helped her make improvements where they were needed.

So, my simple little piano lesson made a difference to her, and you know what, it made a difference to me too. By calling and thanking me, the mom reminded me that I am good at what I do. She renewed my passion in my job. She made a difference in my life.

The long in coming 100th post and a giveaway to celebrate

2011-01-11T09:18:00.002-05:00

It took me over 3 years, but I finally have reached the 100th post for this blog. (Slacker blogger, I know). When I started this blog, I didn’t know what I was doing. It has been a trial and error process and it can be very frustrating for me, even now. I am a hands on learner and to read how to do something sometimes (ok, usually) doesn’t click in place and it takes multiple tries before I figure it out. But I continue to try and I learn small things and move to the next challenge. I don’t mean to have long time periods away from the blog, but sometimes life gets in the way. I’m trying really hard to stay committed to posting on a regular basis (a few times a week) throughout 2011.

As a thank you to the few readers who visit me here, I wanted to offer a giveaway as a thank you. I really do appreciate the time you take to click over here and “see how I’m doing.” I cant decide what to offer. So here’s my idea. I have this mixed media piece. It is done with prismacolor pencils, acrylics, and collage. It has lots of sparkly glitter and rhinestones and even some gold leafing. It also has some fabric flowers attached. It hangs from a sheer ribbon. Its not real big, 6” x 12”.

I also have a poppy jasper pendant with sterling silver spiderweb detail that I beaded into a necklace. It has a garnet center in the spiderweb. The poppy jasper donut freely spins. It is about 19” long and has a sterling silver toggle clasp.

I will let the winner of the giveaway choose which prize they would like.

So, how do you enter? Just leave me a comment on this post. I’ll pick a winner (random names in a hat method) on Friday. Well say cutoff for entry is noon Eastern Standard Time on Friday.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you’ll visit again.

Bad Dog Brew

2011-01-08T11:30:00.001-05:00

My hubby brews beer, makes wine and roasts coffee. We can’t remember how many years ago we started this. It started with a small kit that we got as a Christmas gift. We made a few batches of beer and then decided to try wine. We drank more wine than beer back then, so he started to do more and more batches using different fruit concentrates. He’s done a few straight from fruit too. He also blends some batches to make new concoctions. Our most recent trip to the homebrew supply had me deciding he needs to try to make a cherry berry wine. (The wine guys roll their eyes when I walk in.) It’ll be awhile before I know if that is a good combo or not. The wine that was the most fun to make was a wild grape wine. It was fun because we spent a day at my parents house, along with our niece and nephew, and my dad, picking all the wild grapes that grow on his land. It was a day I have fond memories of. We did 2 batches of wild grape. One we did the traditional way, add the yeast. The other we let go natural. The natural wine turned out superb! The other is not bad, but it was neat to do a comparison and see. Recently we’ve been drinking beer more, so he’s returned to brewing beer. He made a coffee porter right before Christmas that is rich and roasty and oh so yummy. The coffee roasting is fun, because the green coffee beans are fairly inexpensive so we can try some coffees we usually cant afford. My favorites are Kauai Peaberry and Kona.

The name Bad Dog Brew is in homage to our furbabies. A few years ago I photo-shopped a label with the namesakes looking like they are happy side by side. (They are good together, they just would never pose for such a photo.) I gave him the label as a Christmas gift. Its fun because I can update it and add whatever label info for all 3 things. For Christmas this year, I made him a tavern style sign of Bad Dog Brew. I printed out a picture of the label, cut out the dogs, collage glued it down on the sign and then painted the lettering and the foot prints. I had really wanted to put an Est. date like you see on tavern signs, but like I said, we can’t really remember that info. The sign now hangs over the door to our kitchen. Its pretty neat to find versatile ways to use a bit of the same basic design. Thanks for stopping by.

Handmade Christmas Gifts

2011-01-07T06:42:00.003-05:00

A branch of my family no longer exchange gifts in the traditional Christmas way. We draw names and make a homemade gift for that person. We've been doing this for about 10 years now and I love this tradition. The gifts I have received from others are cherished for the thought and work that my loved one put into making it just for me. I also love making my gift each year. Its funny, we select the name at Christmas and you have the whole year to decide and work on your gift, but we all tend to wait to the last minute to execute our gift. For me this is not about finding the time to make the gift. Its about thinking about what the person is into, exploring all the things I could make for them, and then trying to narrow it down to one thing. This year I was making for a great aunt. I really struggled to decide what to make her. I thought about jewelry, but my uncle does some really nice beadwork so I didn't want to go along that line. I thought about painting her a picture, but I dont know their decorating style or the colors of the roooms in their house. I thought about a garden whirl-i-gig and really liked that idea, but I couldn't quite figure out how to build the mechanics for that one. I settled on making her some wine stoppers. I found the blanks at Hobby Lobby. Their intended for fused glass, which I've made some with in the past. I wanted to use polymer clay. I have huge piles of canes that I've made through the years and they just sit there. Some of them are really spectacular, I just dont use them to make jewelry anymore and haven't done many other projects that incorporate them.

I coated the metal blanks in white glue and let that dry so the clay would adhere to the metal. I then chose my designs. The round stopper is just a slice of a fairly large cane. I wrapped it with a black and white striped edging to make it more polished and then stuck a crystal in the center to give it a sparkle. The oval one, I used a basketweave cane to lay down a background. I then sliced rosebuds and leaves and pieced them together to form an arrangement. On one side I added some slices from a daisylike flower. I again added some crystals to make it shine.

These were fun to make and since I had the canes already made, very easy. I like the circle one best, but the other is growing on me. It was fun to watch my aunt open the gift. I think she likes them.

Butterfly Bowl

2011-01-05T08:44:00.003-05:00

I spent a wonderful day at Creatopia

with a friend. I picked out the "popcorn bowl" and decided to try my hand at butterflies. Painting on the pottery is a bit weird in that you aren't supposed to mix the paints together to achieve shading. You paint everything 3 times and to get a shading I think you paint different layers a bit differently. I'm not sure about that. I havent figured it out. The butterflies are pretty much just blocks of color seperated by lines to define the sections so I didn't have to worry so much about shading. Another weird thing about painting on pottery is that you really cant see exactly how your painting will look until after it is fired. The colors are really muted and the details are hard to see prior to the firing. I had brought a magazine with pictures to look at as I painted and kept picking them out til the bowl had them all around. I joked that this was going to be my ice cream bowl. It is huge, but I really like ice cream!! In reality, it was serving as a fruit bowl and now I've begun mixing my bread in it for its rising time. I love how it turned out. It brings a spot of cheer to the kitchen.

Its a good excuse to spend some time with a friend and talk and catch up as you paint. We've gone twice now and had a blast each time.

Actually, I think we're about due for another trip.

My neice's mermaid

2011-01-03T17:50:00.009-05:00

Here is the box I made for my neice. I gave it to her as her birthday gift and I think she likes it. I didn't woodburn the quote and words on this one like I did the first. Decided just to paint them on and I think it made for neater wording.

I was able to spend some time in the Art Palace this afternoon and feel refreshed and relaxed. Here's to being able to spend time doing what you love.

A love affair with boxes

2011-01-02T12:02:00.007-05:00

I have always, for as long as I can remember, had a fascination with pretty boxes. Any shape, any size, any material. It's almost an obsession and it runs in my family as my grandmother and my sister are the same. One of the projects in SuziBlu's La Sirena class was to woodburn a box. Can you imagine my excitement to start this project?! It turned out just as I had pictured in my head. I love it when a project falls into place like that. I glued on sea glass, used lots of glass bead gel, and embelished away with glitter. It was so much fun, I made another for my niece. I was going to give her this one because when I found the quote I just really wanted to share it with her. But then I found my brain and realized that I had painted her topless-which I usually do for mermaids-and my brother would not approve. So anyways, I'll show you the other box on another day.

I still haven't figured out what to stow in my box, but she's sitting in a place of honor in the art palace and I smile everytime I see it!

2011 Possibilities

2011-01-01T17:43:00.004-05:00

There's something wonderful about the way so many people embrace change at the start of a new year. Unfortunately, I can not count myself among those loving resolutions and changes in their lives. I am afraid of change. I don't embrace it or look forward to the opportunities it may bring. I mourn for what I'm losing when change comes my way. I know that is not a great outlook and I've been working to adapt and approach change in a more positive, optimistic manner. Some days I do better than others.

I've been experiencing more episodes where I temporarily lose the vision in one of my eyes. The neurologist is stumped at the moment and I'm stressed. I tried not to let the most recent episodes get to me, but they are scary and I can't put them out of my mind for long. It is frustrating that the doctors don't know why it happens and therefore, they can't prevent it from happening again. Anyways, I am instituting a change this year. Of my own free will. I'm trying to move to a more whole food, local food, organic lifestyle. I cant do completely organic as my bank account would shriek in response, so I'm picking and choosing and trying to change the ones where I feel it will make a difference. I'm reading labels and if it has an ingredient I can't pronounce, I'm putting the product back on the shelf. If there are more than 5 ingrediants on the label, I'm really thinking before I buy. Its almost frightening to see all the chemicals I've been consuming without realizing it up til now. I am not sure that this change will prevent future attacks of vision loss, but I'm pretty sure its a good change and will help me feel that I am doing everything I can to maintain a healthy body and soul.

So here's to changes, however scary they may be. I hope that 2011 proves to be the best year yet.

Still here

2010-09-24T07:38:00.004-04:00

Just a quickie post before I head out for another long training walk. I wanted to let everyone know that I'm still around and doing well. I just cant seem to get in the blogging groove enough to be consistent with it. I'm sorry for that.

I've been working hard in Suzi Blu's La Sirene class. This is the cover I made for my mermaid journal. I used various yarns to make seaweed and have crystals hidden in to give an occasional sparkle. I needed something to place to her side and I adore sea turtles so worked one in to the piece. I love how the background turned out with all the "bubbles and swirls". You can't really see them well in the picture, but they're there and they make me smile.

Sorry to cut this short, but I really want to get my 11 miles done before it gets to hot. Have a wonderful day!

Adventures of a Pink Panther Bra

2010-08-20T08:09:00.010-04:00

My friend Amy started something in Cleveland. She talked a fireman into posing for a photo wearing her bra. We later got another group of firemen to pose with both of us, and two of them were wearing our bras. I haven't gotten copies of those pics yet.
In Michigan, I designed and created a pink panther bra (our team is the Pink Panther Patrol) When I spotted a fireman on day two, I couldn't resist carrying on the tradition, and from there it blossomed.

Final count, 2 firemen (one is in a red medical shirt) 3 firemen/EMT's, a doctor, a policeman (he was the hardest to coerce), my walking partner for San Diego, and my sweet hubby!

Love, Kindness and Compassion

2010-08-16T19:20:00.010-04:00

I was on another Susan G Komen 3-Day for the Cure event this past weekend. I cannot express how meaningful these events are and how firmly I believe in what they support and do for the community and breast cancer research and detection.

On Saturday night, while we were dancing, this beautiful rainbow appeared over our camp. To me it was like a sign from all of those we have lost to breast cancer. I think they were trying to tell us how proud they are of what we're doing, and that even though they may not physically be with us, they continue to be with us on the 3-Day walk.

I had someone ask me how this past weekends event went and I honestly think it was my favorite one out of the 12 I have participated in over the years. Well, that got me wondering why. At first, I really wasn't sure why myself. I just knew I had a great time with my teammates, and the walkers. But that always is true. So what made this one stand out as my favorite? It surely wasn't the 90+ degrees and high humidity. It also wasn't due to no problems. We had a few bicycle repairs that were necessary throughout the weekend. So why? I think it was because last year was so overly emotional for me after losing my Grandfather the night before the event started, and these people, these teammates and walkers were a tremendous support system for me during that time. They showed me the true love and compassion that people have for each other. Some of the support came from people I'd never met before, and wouldn't have recognized if they were there this year. Some support touched me in a way I'll never forget. Being able to be back in this community, without the raw pain of loss, allowed me to recognize the love they had shared and then let me share that same love with others over this event. This community of people represents the very best in humankind. They are out there year round fundraising and training so that someday none of us will suffer another loss to cancer. They are there with smiles and laughter even though their feet are covered in blisters and each step is excrutiating. They are up at an ungodly hour so we can all have a hot breakfast to start our hard day off in a great way. They are massaging sweaty bodies to give someone a bit of relief. They are cleaning up after someone so they don't have to take those few extra steps after a long day of walking. They are making you laugh on every street corner. They, both walkers and crew, are everyday heros.

Our Michigan Route Safety Bicyclists have a tradition. We go out for breakfast away from camp on Saturday morning. This started as a fluke one year when we were passing a place known for their potato pancakes and we had some time before our designated spots to work. It continues because it allows us to reconnect with each other and also get to know our new members in a little bit quieter environment than the 3 day breakfast. While we were dining this year, we had the most amazing waitress. Before we were finished with our meal she came up and pointed out her vehicle. She asked us to please go out and each take a hat she had in the back. They were breast cancer ball hats with fiber optic lights in the ribbon. She just gave them to us! She was hoping to get off her shift in time to go out and cheer for the walkers, and giving us these hats was a way she could contribute to the event. She also offered to help us come up with some things to sell as fundraisers for next years event. She displayed the type of kindness one encounters throughout a 3 day event.

On Day 1, I stopped where a boy was passing out cups of lemonade. I thanked him for taking time out of his summer day to support the walkers and the adult that was with him told me that he knows the value of what we are doing. He has already lost his mother to this dreadful disease. He had to have been under 9 years old. I cried as I rode away from them.

I saw survivors in their yards with signs of thanks, I saw young and old passing out treats and cold water through the weekend. I saw almost an entire block in Dearborn with the best decorated lawns and sprinklers and people cheering. I saw a cheering station in Plymouth that was so crowded, I couldn't find my sister. I saw a walker who had just lost her Dad on Tuesday who was still walking.

I saw love, kindness and compassion everywhere! I hope that someday there will not be a need for the Breast Cancer walks, but until that day I will continue to participate in these events.

Strength

2010-08-04T07:52:00.007-04:00

Have you ever been blown away by the amount of strength a person has within themselves?

You think about how they just keep doing, no matter how bad things are. Sometimes there isn't even the slightest whimper of complaint. Other times there are sobs of heart-wrenching sadness. But they just keep moving, living, loving.

This past weekend I was crewing the Cleveland Susan G. Komen 3-Day for a Cure. The strength I witnessed in people was amazing. These women and men, both walkers and crew persevere through a very trying 3 days. They overcome emotional trauma and physical limitations as they are on this event. They walk through blisters that are sometimes larger than toes. They cheer until their voices are gone. They wake up at the butt-crack of dawn so that others may have a hearty breakfast. They pop blisters on sweaty feet so others may take a few more steps. They support someone else even when they are in need of support. They laugh, they cry, they hug, they yell-both in frustration and in joy, they cheer and they keep doing. No matter what.

I dont believe I have the strength that these people do, but I was able to be a part of their lives for the event. This year, a friend lost her loving husband to a very quick battle with cancer. She buried him on Thursday and showed up on Friday to walk 60 miles. As she walked, a heart-shaped blister formed on her foot. You never walk a 3 day alone, those you walk for are with you each step even if they have lost their fight. In her words, she was there because "It's important to me now more than ever" and "it was very therapeutic". She is in the 2nd picture of this post, flanked by 2 of her safety girls. She's a pillar of strength as I struggle through one of the more emotional moments I had on the event.

A teammate struggled with a kidney stone. Passing it in a dark porta-potty. He never uttered a complaint that I heard. I didn't even know he was struggling. Strength. He made a commitment and he followed through on that even though most people would have bowed out and gone home.

A walker still in chemo woke up sick every morning and her body ached even before the walk began because of those treatments pushed to walked on one painful step after another. When she could no longer continue for the day, her husband who had severe shin splints refused to give up because he was walking ALL 60 miles to support his wife who is in chemo. They met at the last pit stop of the day and journeyed into camp hand in hand. Strenth and love displayed in the finest manner.

Everyone who participates has a story. We all have our reasons why, and people we are there in honor of, or remembrance of. There are painful moments, yet we know that we are doing something that might someday help others avoid losing their loved ones. There are happy moments as friends laugh and play together. There are moments when you're not sure you can go on, yet there is always someone there to help you, to support you. Each person on the event is an inspiration. Each person involved shows you the very best in life. Each person is a pillar of strength and it was an honor to be with all of them this past weekend.

Fourth of July, just a little delayed

2010-07-05T15:21:00.004-04:00

It has been a very hot weekend here in Michigan. We spent Saturday celebrating my nephew's 15th birthday, Sunday was a fun outing with my Sis-in-law to shop Ann Arbor, and then today my hubby joined me for a 6 mile training walk that I turned into almost 8 miles by accident. Thankfully the walk was over before it got to the true heat of the day. It has been a pretty relaxing weekend considering everything and except for the firecrackers scaring my dog to the point of her hiding in the bathtub, its been very enjoyable.

Miss Suzi sent out a challenge I believe on Thursday to put together a patriotic Petit Girl and I've been working on mine in small bits here and there since then. I wasn't sure if I'd get her done. I missed the holiday, but the actual deadline was today so I did it! Suzi teaches the most amazing courses and I've been able to elevate the level of my drawings and painting to a new level thanks to her classes. She is amazingly supportive of her students and lots of fun as well. If you've never heard of her or her classes I encourage you to take a look. I'm sure you'll enjoy what you see at her site.

My Nook's new home

2010-06-29T07:15:00.007-04:00

I love the grafitti ipod cases that Violette shared in a tutorial a while back. I really didn't need an ipod cover but the project kept creeping back into my mind. I finally realized that I could modify it a bit and put it to good use as a cover for my Nook. I was lucky enough to receive the Nook as a Christmas gift and had been looking for a carrying case, but they've been slow to release accessories to it in the stores. They had covers available online, but I wanted to touch and feel before I selected. Anyways, I had some scraps left over from a white sheet I had cut apart and made into a skirt so I slathered a bunch of paint on top of that to form my base. I tried looking for a quote about books and reading that grabbed my attention, but I came up short. I was trying to figure out what it is I love about reading and this phrase popped into my mind and I chose to use it. "A good book lets your imagination grow." I love that I can get lost in a book. All my troubles and worries take a break and there is just the story. Its such a nice reprieve sometimes.

By the way, I absolutely love my Nook. It is lightweight, very easy on the eyes when reading, and the biggest plus, has gotten rid of the stacks and stacks of read books that I usually have lying around the house.

I wanted a soft lining to help protect the screen of the nook and I had some furry/fluffy fleece in my scraps that would not only be soft on the screen, but would also add a bit of padding to protect from bumps while traveling with the Nook. My sewing skills are pretty non existent as you can see my the uneven seems and the wonky angles. I'm gonna say that it all adds to the quirky charm of the piece. I just really don't get bothered by such things anymore. I added some painted flowers, some rhinestone flowers and butterflies, sewed on some velcor to clasp it shut for added security and trimmed the flap with some green bubble tassling I had laying around. It was fun to see that I made this entire thing without a trip to the store and I love this case much more than anything I could have purchased. Thanks Violette for the inspiration!

I did all the painting on this project outside at the patio table adjacent to my rose garden. It was that one week where the first blooms explode from all the bushes and its an amazing array of color and scent. It was so nice to create right next to natures masterpiece. (Fozzy was my little helper throughout the project)

Where am I??

2010-06-25T08:47:00.005-04:00

I've been to concerts. I've been playing. I've been rethinking a job that I've had for the better portion of 20 years. I've been a matron of honor. I've been a musician. I've been a friend. I've been rediscovering. I've been exploring both internally and externally. I've been fundraising. I've been successful. I've failed. I've laughed. I've cried. I've created. I've ripped apart. I've over-analyzed. I've brushed things off. I've fallen. I've picked myself up. I've been walking. I've been running. I've dyed my hair hot pink. I've been learning. I've been enjoying a slower pace this summer. I've been wishing. I've been praying. I've been looking for direction. I've been forging my own path. I've been living.

I'm sorry I've been away and thank you for checking up on me. I'm ok. Just haven't been focused enough to post. It seems to be a time of change for me. I fear change. I'm doing the best I can to find the positive in every change. It is scary, exciting, and unsettling all at the same time.

2010 Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure

2010-03-22T13:05:00.003-04:00

I am embarking on a great journey this year. I have decided to walk another Breast Cancer 3-Day, 60 mile event. I walked my first 3-Day in 2004, along side my Aunt Bev. It was a challenging event for me, but I did it with Bev's help in both the fundraising and the motivation to keep putting one blistered foot in front of the other. We both finished all 60 miles that year, and I wish I could put into words, the total experience of being a part of that walk. Amazing, incredible, powerful and significant just dont seem to explain what the event is like.

In 2005, I did my second 3-Day, participating as a crew member. My main reason for switching to a crew position was due to the fundraising requirement every walker must reach in order to participate. I couldn't walk away from the charity, but I also couldn't commit to that amount of fundraising after struggling to make my goal the first time. Over the last 6 years, I have participated in 10 events. This year, I will be doing 3. I am crewing in Cleveland and Michigan and walking with a friend in San Diego.

Last year, while I was on the Michigan 3-Day, my grandfather passed away. It was the hardest 3-Day I've ever done. it reminded me of the importance and value in every fundraising dollar raised. He was a victim of a different form of cancer, but I, like many people, feel that if we can find a cure for one cancer it will lead to advancements and cures for all the other forms. When I walked my first 3-Day, I was one of the lucky ones. I knew very few people who had suffered from breast cancer. The people I was aware of were all survivors and thriving. Since that time, I have met many people of all ages, race, and sex-- yes, men do get breast cancer--who have faced this disease. Some of them are survivors, but many of them are still in the middle of their battle, and sadly, some of them have lost their fight. Watching these people and the raw strength and determination they demonstrate while they fight the battle of their life is humbling. Their stories prove how vicious and unrelenting breast cancer can be. I walk for all of them and for all of us. So that the next time one of us finds a suspicious lump we may be a little less terrified. So that I never have to see another young mother wonder if she will get to see her little girl graduate from kindergarten. So that none of us ever loses a best friend, a mother, a sister or anyone else to this horrific disease. I walk because I can't walk away.

I am required to fundraise a minimum of $2,300 to walk in this event. As of today, I have raised over $1,400. I need your help in reaching my goal. I know that money is tight these days and I truly would not ask for your donation if I did not completely believe in the charity it will be supporting. Do you know 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in their life? That's a pretty startling percentage. That number all but guarantees that each of us will have a close experience with this horrific disease at some point in our life. Do you also know that every major advance in the fight against breast cancer in the last 27 years has been impacted by a Susan G. Komen for the Cure grant. It is stunning that this charity, something that started as a promise made between sisters, has come so far. It reminds us that with enough hard work we are all capable of reaching amazing goals and doing incredible things. Please be a part of this incredible event be donating toward my walk today. To make a donation, go here. If you don't want to donate online, you can download and print a donation form from that page that you can mail in with your donation. You can also call 800-996-3DAY to donate over the phone. If you have someone who you'd like to make your donation in memory of, or in honor of, please let me know and I will carry their name with me through my 60 mile journey.

As extra incentive for your donation, I will dye my hair hot pink shortly after reaching my goal. (Although it will be delayed until after my sister's May wedding if this were to happen quickly). I will keep my pink hair from that time until the end of the San Diego walk in mid November. That could mean half a year as a pink haired church organist! I admit that I'm a little hesitant to make this change, but it will be worth it if it brings in just one more donation. I figure that it will be a great way to strike up conversations about the 3-Day and allow me to raise awareness as I go through my everyday routine and my pre-walk training.

Thank you very much for helping me reach my goal. We can all make a difference and someday we will find a cure and live in a world without breast cancer.

Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure, and Mother Henna's heART exchange

2010-01-12T15:50:00.010-05:00

I participated in Mother Henna's heART Christmas art exchange last month. I was paired up with Bev Baird for this fun endeavor. She was so thoughtful in sending me a watercolor she has painted that will match my teaching studio perfectly. I love it and hopefullyBev and I will continue to keep in touch by visiting each other's blogs. It was fun to meet her through this swap.

I struggled with what to send her way for a little while. You see, I got distracted.

I have signed up to walk the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for a Cure in 2010. This is a huge fundraising commitment. In order to participate, I need to raise $2,300. I feel very strongly about the importance of funding the fight for a cure. I also like the 3-day events because they raise breast cancer awareness as well as funds. Some of you may know I have been involved with the 3-day events since 2004 as both a walker and a crew member. When I walk in San Diego it will be my 13th event. I'm terrified at the prospect of raising so much money in Michigan with the state of our economy, but I am committed. I have done some brainstorming for fundraisers and have constructed a list of both tried and true things, and a few things I'm hoping will work. One of my brainstorms was to compile a cd of me performing Christmas music. I have 2 degree's in music and make my living playing and teaching music so this was something I thought this would be a wonderful way to share my talents and help me toward my fundraising. I did a quick investigation on what kind of copyright laws there are and a quick look through my many stacks of Christmas music. I found out I'd need a mechanical license to be copyright legit, and one of the publisher's who I have a bunch of music from had an online form to apply for the license. I quickly filled it out, just glancing through the music and thinking, "Well, that looks like it'd be nice." To my suprise, I got a reply back within hours telling me the fee that would be involved for my very limited production run and it seemed very reasonable so I started practicing. (Silly me had picked out some songs I'd never even played through before!) I bought a USB mic and set things up in my office so I could record at home on my beloved piano. Things were going slow, but they were progressing when disastor struck. The motherboard in my laptop quit working. Done, kaput, finite. Oh Crap!

My sis came to my rescue and loaned me her laptop for the rest of the recording process. Recording really is much harder than I thought, but I'm starting to get the hang of all the levels and tricks. Since it was already late November, I was on a very tight schedule. I wanted these out in time that people would buy them for this Christmas season. My stress level was pretty high but I kept working at it. When I needed a break from actually playing/recording the music I was working on liner notes and buying the blank cd's and labels.

I sat down one morning to design the cover art for the cd. I kept tossing around ideas that involved the pink ribbon, but nothing was sparking my interest enough to get to work. Then I was thinking about Christmas in general and the idea of a simple snowflake jumped in my head. It wouldn't leave so I pulled out my paints, made a pink, mottled backgroun with watercolors and then used acrylics and gel pens to make the actual snowflake. From there I scanned it, photoshopped my title and name and this is what it looks like.

I ended up making 2 volumes of music. Vol. I is a grouping of upbeat, faster music with some jazz added into the mix. Vol. II is full of soft, flowing "pretty" music. I have sold out of my Vol. II's and only have about 4 Vol. I's left. This fundraiser has been a wonderful start and I am now over half way to my goal! Not only that, I have recorded my first 2 CD's and gotten incredible feedback from people that have purchased them! What a great experience.

So, to make the connection to the start of this post, Bev received a copy of each CD for her gift in the exchange. It wasn't a typical art exchange item, but I sure put my heart and soul into making the gift. I received a nice email saying how much she enjoys them and that makes me very happy.

If you've never heard of the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure I urge you to look into it. It is a life changing event.

A Portable Art Journal Kit

2010-01-08T16:43:00.002-05:00

I've been having a wonderful time in my new "Art Palace." While I have spent some time working on arranging things to where they are more conducive to accomplishing my projects with less hunting around, I have also been working in my Art Journal. I was skimming through the book "Journal Spilling" by Diana Trout and came across the concept of putting together a journaling kit with the bare basics so that everything truly required is within arms reach. I thought that was a great idea since I have the worst habit of starting something, deciding I need such and such, going to find it, getting distracted with something totally different and never really finishing my journal pages.

I had this old Whitman's chocolate tin lying around (somehow it survived the purging of stuff from the basement) and its just the right size. I base painted the sides of the tin, collaged the top with some awesome art paper I had laying around. I used chipboard/plastic letters I've been collecting to put "Art Journal Kit" on the front and then painted my name above it because I didn't like the open space at the top. I had a face I sketched Sunday while waiting for a bible class to begin laying nearby and I glued that on as well. I then added some rub and buff to soften the edges of the face. I went around all the lettering with black marker to help the words stand out from the busy background better. Its got glue sticks, pens, markers, pencils, scissors, some lace/ribbon scraps, gum wrappers, etc. inside. I can't say that I still dont reach for things outside of the kit while I'm journaling, but this has definetly helped me to get started without a 10 minute gathering of materials ordeal.

What tricks or pointers can you share with me to make art journaling more spontaneous? I'd love to hear from you. Thanks for stopping by.

A New Banner with a Gentle Reminder

2010-01-06T17:34:00.003-05:00

I made this banner over the summer by cutting newspaper into diamond shapes, folding them over a length of string and Modge Podging the heck out of them. I meant to decorate and hang them shortly after making it but as it was, by the time the glue dried I was off in a different direction and didn't come back until today.

I've been reading McCabe's creative assignment and although I haven't decided if I want to commit to every assignment, reading about hanging something pretty inspired me to pull out the banner and finish it up. (Having the new art studio to work in, and hang it in also made me excited about this process.) I chose the phrase "Enjoy Today" because I need to remind myself to truly do that. At this point, I can recognize the beginning signs of a bout with depression. I am doing everything I know of to keep this attack at bay and then some, but truly, to "Enjoy Today" is something I struggle with even when my depression is at a "good" level. I let little things consume me with worry and and when I see a calendar full of committments I get very overwhelmed and anxious. I need to live in the moment and I'm trying. Its very frustrating to know these things and still have my mind succumb to being pulled down to the depths of despair. I guess we all have different demons we need to deal with in life and this is one of mine.

Sorry this is a bit of a downer post. I do hope that you were able to enjoy today and also to continue doing the same thing every day of your life. Thanks for stopping by.

New Year, New Art Space

2010-01-04T11:11:00.004-05:00

I went on a cleaning spree in our house that started in the fall and continued until I had gutted our attic and basement of stuff. I'm not sure what we were thinking when we moved into the house 13 years ago, but we seemed to have kept every box anything we'd ever bought. Our attic was full of them. (And plenty of other junk as well.) I spent 2 weeks cleaning and organizing that area and felt such a sense of order and happiness that I tackled the basement shortly after finishing the attic.

Our basement had furniture built in. No, not like a dining nook built into the walls, but old, yucky, uncomfortable upholstered furniture from the 1950's actually stuck down there because some previous owners changed the entry to the basement and it would not fit up the stairs to get taken out! We had a sofa, 2 chairs, a refridgerator, and a stove/oven stuck down there. Not to mention a shower stall that sat just underneat the live electric lines. (That has to be up to code, right?!) That's why we haven't done anything about the situation until now. I finally thought "Hey, that's alot of wasted space that I could really have fun using" so I developed a plan. My first plan was-hey it'd be fun to smash the furniture with a sledgehammer. So I found a sledgehammer, took aim at a chair, swung with all my might and the hammer bounced right off the damn chair. I returned the hammer to its spot and noticed my hubby's sawsall. New Plan!!

I actually had a blast cutting the furniture up and was able to even physically do almost all of the removal by myself. My hubby got in on the very tail end of the action by cutting the metal beams of the sofa and he hauled that out. With the furniture gone, I started putting my misc. craft things in totes and cleaning. I must have sparked something in my hubby because after he saw the space that getting rid of the furniture created and discussing putting in an art area down there I asked him if he could run an electric plug and a cable wire for me. He did so much more.

He and his dad worked on the space for about a month. They removed the cheap, damaged panelling and drywalled my 2 inner walls. Gave me about 10 electrical outlets, a cable line, and installed 3 times the lighting that was down there. (I'm still not sure how I got all of that after asking for so little!) My FIL also said he could build me some workbenches and asked me what I would desire in them. So, after a few discussions, I opened my Christmas gift from him and my MIL and found a picture of one of the completed benches. (There are actually 3 so I can change the configuration if I want to!) What a wonderful gift!!

I knew I wanted to store totes under 2 of the benches and I didn't want to see them so I decided I would hang fabric to cover them. That's where the color scheme originated. I looked for just the right fabric and found 2 I loved. One in oranges and pinks and the green/blue/purple combo you see. I bought all they had left and it worked out just about perfect. After selecting the fabric, I took it to the paint counter and had them mix me the blue and purple for the walls, and my favorite, the lime green for the floor paint. I thought my hubby's eyes were going to bulge out of his head when he came back and she had just popped the top after mixing and he saw the color! So after lots of cleaning and painting and arranging I now have an art workspace that I never imagined having. Its amazing! So here's what I got, Pic 1 is my awesome workspace. Its 18 feet long and hides a bunch of storage totes. Pic. 2 is "media control" so I can veg out if I want. Pic. 3 is my storage area. It still might undergo some tweaking to make it more appealing to look at daily, but its a great start. Pic. 4 is my "relaxation station" complete with our wine storage. (I gotta remember to move a corkscrew down there!) Pic. 5 shows the only section not done. I still need to paint the floor and organize that corner. The wine barrels will go there and also the smaller wine racks.

Thanks you so much for taking the time to stop by and read what I'm up to. I'm feeling very lucky right now and still just in shock that its all mine. Sometimes life gives you amazing things and this area for me is such a blessing.

Marie Antoinette

2009-09-16T17:04:00.004-04:00

This artwork was done for SuziBlu's "Petit Marie" class. I had a fantastic time working on this and really allowed myself to take my time and enjoy every layer without rushing to the final project. She is waiting at the bottom of the grand staircase for her beloved puppies. I think they're getting ready for a serene walk through the rose gardens. The mushroom birds are twittering in her ear that they are anxious to be in the sunshine. She cant wait to see the sparkling reflection of her new diamond necklace glint back at her from the pond. Her molded paper underskirt will surely twinkle as well since it has flakes of gold for embellishment.

I have always loved Vanessa's paper molded dresses and have wanted to try them out for quite some time. Marie seemed like just the over the top fashonista who would simply adore such a creation. The technique was lots of fun and I'll be continuing on with it employed in new work to see what else might evolve from this start.

In the real world away from art play, my studio is back to its full capacity and I'm really excited about this years students. Only 1 lesson that is a bit trying sometimes. Thats pretty darn good. I think this will be my favorite group of students as a whole that I've ever had. I have 3 adult students, who I adore teaching, and only 1 true beginning level child so we're going to be able to tackle some real music and have lots of fun instead of just learning how to read notes and rhythms. Very fun!!!!

Breast Cancer 3 Day Cleveland 2009

2009-08-12T08:33:00.005-04:00

I spent a wonderful weekend working as a route safety crew member for the Breast Cancer 3 day event in Cleveland. If you've never heard of, seen or participated in one of these events I suggest you have a look for yourself. If you're close to an event think about going out and cheering for the walkers. If you want a personal physical challenge consider trying to walk 60 miles in 3 days. If you want to help find a cure commit to fundraising and walking for the cure. If you cant do any of these things, consider giving a small donation to someone who is taking on the journey of their lives. The events truly are life-changing in so many ways I'm not sure where to start. They not only support a cause I feel strongly about, they show you the true goodness that lies within everyone. Every 3 day event I have ever done exemplifies the way each of us wants to live their life. Kindness, love and helpfullness shine out in a magnitude that just isn't witnessed in our normal lives.

My top photograph shows most of the route safety team. We decided on a pirate theme and had a great time telling bad pirate jokes to make the walkers smile. As you can see we really got into the costumes this year with cool pirate skirts that even the guys were willing to wear. Fancy pirate hats covered our bicycle helmets (although the motorcyclists couldn't do this!) Our job on the event is to help make sure walkers are safe when they cross through busy intersections. You would think a mass of 1000 walkers would be visible to drivers, but its amazing how distracted some of them can be. (Especially those driving, eating, and talking on the phone :(

The walkers walk about 20 miles each day. There are pit stops where they can get snacks, water and gatorade, and medical help, and of course there's always a long row of porta-potties every 2.5 to 3 miles. The walkers and crew eat lunch in one of the biggest picnics you'll ever see. Its always amazing to see the community support along the route as little kids pass out lemonades, freezer pops, ice, candy, and make great supportive posters, or simply set out a sprinkler for the walkers to cool off in. Its also very

emotional to see survivors out with signs thanking the walkers for their work and fundraising.

My second picture is our camp. Thats right, we stay in a sea of pink tents, shower in the back of a special semi-trailer, eat lunch under the biggest tent I've ever seen, and can even get massages, watch tv, send emails, or shop at camp. Of course there are also the fine people who man the medical tent and keep everyone healthy.

The 3rd picture is of the flag raising at the closing ceremony. At this point a small circle of survivors clasp hands and raise them in victory surrounding a flag that states "A world without breast cancer". I truly cannot express the emotions experienced at closing ceremony. It is something someone can talk about in detail and until you attend one you just dont get it.

My last picture is of my friends Amy and Rob, and that is Craig and I in the middle. I am truly blessed by a husband who supports the Breast Cancer cause just as much as I do. It is so much fun to be on event with him and work together in a small way that just might someday lead to a world where our neices can grow up without seeing their friends and family suffer from this horrid disease.

Enjoying life

2009-05-30T05:44:00.003-04:00

My heart has not been in this blog lately. I've been spending my time playing music and doing art instead of talking or sharing either. I actually have been doing lots and enjoying life so I'm not going to stress about a mismanaged blog.

I finished off my piano teaching "year" with the student recital and all in all it went well. I had 2 students who could have done better, but they did ok. One poor girl had a terrible memory blank but was able to get back on track, finish her first song and then perform her second flawlessly. I was so very proud of her. That is the hardest part of recital time for me. I really want all my students to have a good experience and it usually turns "bad" for 1 student a year. I can tell them that its happened to me before and share my horror experiences, highlight the good things they did, but its hard for me to get them not to focus on the mistakes they made. It is part of being a musician and they need to learn these things on their own but I always fear that it will put them off music and that would break my heart.

I'm gearing up to participate in 2 "Breast Cancer 3 Day Walks" this summer. We're going to Cleveland end of July/August and then doing Michigan 2 weeks later. My "Breast Cancer Pirate" was created in honor of our Cleveland Route Safety team. We are doing a pirate theme this year and having lots of fun designing costumes and thinking up piratish ideas that will make the walkers smile and brighten their long journey. Everyone needs to "protect and treasure their chests!" So please remember to do your monthly exams and your suggested mammogram screenings. Early detection saves lives.

My second piece of art was created as a possible baby shower gift for a second cousin who I don't really see now that we're all adults. I've never even met his wife! (Big families are like that which is so weird after being close through your childhood). Anyways, their registry was mostly filled and I truly couldn't afford the things that were left unpurchased. I think-if the pictures I used are fairly recent-the man and woman resemble the couple. I am nervous to give this to them, but I'm going to do it. I sure hope that if they hate it they at least dont tell me!

I dont have much more to share today. I'm working at a Breast Cancer Poker Run today. I've never been to one of these and am looking forward to seeing some old friends there. It looks to be a gorgeous weekend here and I hope all you have an equally nice one. Thanks for stopping by.

Mother Henna's Hero/Shadow Collaboration

2009-04-22T14:32:00.003-04:00

I've been struggling making my submission for Mother Henna's latest artist collaborative project. I had many things cross my mind while I considered my interpertation of both a hero and a shadow. At first, I really thought I would push myself and try my hand at a typical comic book style. I even went out and purchased my very first comic books. Well, after really digging deep and doing some further reading, I changed my mind.

I researched the shadow archetype quite a bit and the thing that kept grabbing me was that we all need to face our demons in order to conquer them and live a more fully developed life. I have faced a few of my demons, but know that I have many more to confront. My shadow art depicts me "uncovering" a demon. The text on the art says "Reveal your shadow, Acknowledge it and Heal." I think acknowledgement over conquering is more of what we must do. Our demons never really go away. We simply learn how to live with in a way where we know our weaknesses and can work around them, or even sometimes use these weaknesses to become better in certain areas of our life. I know I have used some of my "demons" that I have dealt with to help other people going through some of the struggles I've already faced. All aspects of our life, both we deem good or bad can be useful if we learn how to approach them.

My Hero art depicts women in my family. Four generations worth of feminine willpower, strength, courage, compassion, hope and most of all unsurpassed love. Each of these women contribute different attributes that, when combined, form the greatest hero one could ever hope to encounter. The main transfer picture is of my Grandmother, the head of the family. She has lived a life full of trials and tribulations. She has shown me that you can smile and find the good if you dig deep enough. She's also shown me that you're never to old to have fun and be silly. (Notice her wax lips in the picture!) Underneath Gramma is the group of us at our annual family "girls weekend". (Lots of wax lips donned for this pic) These women support me through good and bad and I know that they are always there when I need them. That's what being a hero really is. Good times OR bad, they share your life and make it a divine adventure.

This project did not come easily for me, but I met my deadline and sometimes that's what life is all about. Pulling through and getting what needs to be done- done. No matter what struggles you face.

Mixed-media meditation

2009-03-23T16:32:00.003-04:00

I think the latest girl for my class is surely the most in-depth mixed media piece I have ever done. I lost track of the numbers of layers involved with her and I used just about everything you could imagine. Stamps, collage, modeling compound, gold leaf, glass beads, glitter, mica powders, rhinestones, stencils, colored pencils, acrylics, and I'm sure I'm forgetting a few things. Once I got the initial layers down it turned into a theraputic project. I cant really describe it, but I had some music on and allowed myself to get lost in the process and not overthink anything. I just kept pulling out new things, adding them in and repeating. No worries over misplacement or misuse of material. I think it was a very freeing experience for me. Hopefully I will remember some of that freeness the next time I sit down to do art. I really need to be better about controlling my worries about it being perfect. Really nothing in life is perfect and by striving and failing I allow myself to become stagnant and afraid to make any move.

Here's to getting past our various fears, warranted or not, and finding enjoyment in trying new things.

Have a wonderful week.

More pretty girls

2009-03-17T18:22:00.005-04:00

I'm still working on pretty girls by following SuziBlu's Petite Doll course. I'm not strictly following her instructions even though they are wonderful. I needed to get the girl in front of the piano out of my mind and onto paper/wood. She'll hang in my office for all my piano students to see on their arrival. The quote, from Plato, says: "Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything." Those aspects of communication are the reasons that music has been and always will be an integral part of my world. I have always expressed my emotions better through music than a spoken or written word. Unfortunatly, I feel that my spoken word truly deteriorated after my little mini stroke. I'm not truly complaining, I am very lucky at the mildness of the episode, but at times I truly cant find words, simple words, and it is very frustrating to the well-educated side of me to be lacking in this respect. Thankfully my musical skills seem to have withstood without a lasting negative effect. I can sit down and pour out every last drop of emotion. Happiness, sadness, grief, playfullness, just about anything can be articulately expressed through a song. It pours out any emotion and truly leave me feeling better, more level, like I've just been through some intensive therapy.
Anyways, once again my words are jumbling. I hope that each of you has that "something" that allows your world to be more peaceful and soothing. Take care.

Rodeo Girl Class with SuziBlu

2009-02-28T10:35:00.004-05:00

I finally had the time to sign up for one of SuziBlu's online classes. I've been wanting to since she introduced the Petite Dolls, but didn't have the time to commit. The Rodeo Girl class is a series of 4 videos that allow you to finish a complete piece. It covered everything from lining up a face, using colored pencils (which I desperatly needed help with!), collage techniques,adding "grubbiness" and finally coating with beeswax.
I had a great time with this course. Her instructions on using and blending the colored pencils was invaluable for me. I could not be happier. She provides a pdf of the sketch with the class, but I choose to sketch my own versus tracing her pattern even though I stuck with the exact same design. I simply wanted to push my drawing/proportion skills and try my had at the body and face dimensions. Anyways, I really enjoyed this project and would highly recommend her classes to anyone wanting a class in developing faces.

I have begun to get back into my art, mostly due to this class. I've been busy drawing and coloring faces trying to get my shading better and better. Its nice to be back into art and relax through the process once again.

I hope you are doing well. Thanks for stopping by.

Sister Art Doll

2009-02-16T15:13:00.003-05:00

I made this doll way back when Stampington & Co. first put out the challenge for "sister art." I decided to made a wonderful sister doll and I wanted her to open up so she could store all the secrets that sisters develope over their lifetimes. I started with a plain old wooden box from the craft store. I painted it a very messy blue/purple smear that appealled to me. I then went about collecting quotes on sisterhood from around the web. I formed legs and arms from polymer clay and used store bought molds to form her hands and feet. I shot wire through all her appendages so that she is loose and moveable. I painted the polymer segments and cut up quotes and glued them all over. Her torso, which includes boobs I sculpted out of a gluey paper mess, highlights the quote:

She is your mirror.

She is your mirror,

shining back at you with a world of possibilities.

She is your witness,

who sees you at your worst and best,

and loves you anyway.

She is your partner in crime,

your midnight companion,

someone who knows when you are smiling,

even in the dark.

She is your teacher,

your defense attorney,

your personal press agent,

even your shrink.

Some days,

she's the reason you wish you were an only child.

~Barbara Alpert

She opens up to show a mirror, words that brought my sister to minds, a paper heart that is multi-layered-just as my sisters heart, a locking drawer-because even sisters need to have some privacy, bottles holding precious shared memories and secrets.

Her head is made from a Mrs. Buttersworth syrup bottle. She had to be sacrificed and now I'm still using syrup stored in a tupperware. Her brain has the deepest sister secrets all balled up together with enough glue involved that those secrets will never escape.

She is embellished with many more quotes and topped off with some raffia type curls. I opted to not submit this for the magazine I originally crafted it for. Instead, I gave this to my sis for her birthday yesterday. I think she really likes it.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you're doing well.

A very merry christmas

2008-12-29T09:09:00.001-05:00

I hope everyone had a great Christmas. I'm sorry I've been such a bad blogger. Things get pretty hectic around Christmas when you're a church musician. Thankfully everything went well and all my big services are over. I even pulled up the nerve and played the harp for 3 different services.

Every year my family draws names and makes a gift for someone. This year I got my cousin Sarah. She loves frogs so I made her this puzzle box. I used 5 different boxes to modify and put together the final design. I used magnets to help everything stay in place when its closed. The frog sits on a dowel which must be removed in order to open the box and get the lid covering the drawers off. Lots of clay and paint made the box pretty. I think that she really loves it.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Long weekend away,

2008-11-05T12:07:00.006-05:00

I have had a fabulous week. First of all I had a wonderfully fun halloween. We did our usual small family party at our house where we have a bunch of crock pots out for good eating, costumes if you want, trick or treating rounds with the kiddies if desired, sitting on the porch passing out treats, and new this year relaxing in the newly installed hot tub out back. As you can see this year I was Little Red Riding Hood. I had fun carrying around beers in my basket to pass out to deserving parents. (My first recipient was a man dressed in a pink ballerina tutu who actually pirrouetted for me!) I must admit that some trades were done with the beers as I was very open to accepting them as well as giving them away.

I made my nephew into a globe decoration as I had previously done with my neices. I just couldn't make him into a fairy, so we made him pose (rather reluctantly) in a dragon costume and then I glittered him up and surrounded him with his own treasure. He seems to be happy with the results.

We left fairly early on Saturday for our long weekend to Ohio wine country (east of Cleveland). It was beautiful weather with temps reaching in the high 60's and even along the lakeshore it wasn't to cold. We visited many of the wineries and ended up coming home with over a case of assorted wines! Such wino's huh? Craig's favorite winery was housed in the church you see above. The dismantled the building and moved it to where it now stands. It still has pews inside and you can clearly see where the alter was placed. The beautiful field picture is the view from across the street. We were pulling out and had to stop and get the camera back out because the lone tree amidst all the well kept rows of vines was stunning. We rented a beautiful house along the Grand River and the picture below is the backyard from where we stayed. It was very peaceful and relaxing. It was a perfect anniversary trip in celebration of 12 years of wedded bliss.

'Thank you so much for stopping by.

Halloween Extravaganza

2008-10-18T07:21:00.008-04:00

I'm joining in the fun with Vanessa and the festive Halloween Extravaganza. After all, Halloween is one of my mostest favoritest days of the year. Who could resist a day where you can dress up however you wish, visit with neighbors and receive yummy goodies?

The wise old fortune teller warns me. According to her open minds are dangerous-your brains could fall out!

She's full of other advise as well, but I think you can believe that she doesn't know quite as much as she thinks she does. I guess that's what happens when you are stuck in a crystal ball.

Actually, the type of halloween I simply adore is filled with fantasy and dress up and letting those childhood dreams of fairy tales and magical kingdoms come to life. In honor of this, I have followed the lead of Tina Wright and her magical fairies she shared in Somerset Studion Gallery-Summer 2008. I loved her creations and the fact that she made them out of a wine glass really intrigued me. As soon as I saw them I wanted to make one of my own.

I used some fun photos of my 3 neices and went to work. Of course I had to add wings and glitter and fluffy furs. Crystals and crowns and fairy wands too. I stuck with themes of believing in yourself, play, and dreams because I hope that all 3 of these beautiful girls allows herself to do what she wants in life. And I think these 3 factors-if sufficiently explored-allow someone to truly know oneself and leads one to know what they will be happy doing in life.

The beautiful fairy wearing the black skirt has been expressing her creative self in amazing ways lately. She made this art all by herself. I love the way she's naturally employing mixed-media techniques of layering and using multiple materials. I visited her yesterday and loved that she wrote out the words, cut them off and then glued them on instead of just writing them where they ended. The cat cutout has been embellished with flower shaped crystals too. I thought this was pretty impressive for a kindergartener to accomplish all on her own.

Thank you so much for stopping by. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and a fantastic upcoming halloween

She's back!!!!

2008-10-10T16:13:00.007-04:00

She's back! My friend and therapist has finally returned and she looks damn good too! Lets go back to May when she left for her spa visit. She had an old crackled finish which covered her beauty. Her keys were chipped and in many cases completely missing. She was tired and scuffed all over on the outside. Inside she seemed to be falling apart more every moment. Not holding a tune like she used to and basically just old and abused. One ugly toad of a man told me to scrap her-there was no hope of fixing her and she was junk. Thankfully my hubby and dad talked some sense into me and I got a second opinion.
I found a lovely woman who looked her over and said "Oh yes, she's fixable" and "I think she's worth it." So much was sorted out here on the home front as far as timing and finances and in May she left for some much needed rejuvinating work. As you can see she got a manicure and a pedicure (with such shiny metallic polish!)

She got her name freshened up over her nails as well with a tattoo that is a replica of the one she wore for so many years. She has some authentic name tags and serial information preserved

inside her.

She had a very nice rest and even got to lay down for a portion of her visit while she had new strings put inside. Nickel plated pins and German hammers restored her voice and she can once again boom with authority. Her face lift is truly a remarkable thing as all her fine lines and age spots have disappeared. She received no stain, just a high gloss laquer finish to allow her beauty to show. And to hear her sing, oh I wish I knew a way to share that with you. She truly is amazing. Her low notes boom and her high notes sparkle. She has an amazing feel when you play her now. She simply springs to life the minute you sit down with her.
So what am I doing taking pictures and posting here? Simply a small break from playing. You see its been 4 months without much practice and while my friend had a nice spa visit, I haven't been restored and my back is complaining after playing her for 4 1/2 hours. I'll be going back for more in just a minute though. I just wanted to allow each of you to see that this story did have a happy ending and share in my joy.

Thanks for stopping by.

Michigan Breast Cancer 3 Day

2008-09-30T00:27:00.004-04:00

This past weekend was beautiful for the Breast Cancer 3 Day in Michigan. Walkers and crew alike had a life changing time and this is a tribute to all of you incredible people.

Cleveland Breast Cancer 3-Day

2008-08-27T11:50:00.004-04:00

I had a wonderful time at the Cleveland 3-Day. Enjoy!

The Return of my Muse...

2008-08-06T08:13:00.014-04:00

August has been a whirlwind already! I just dont know what goodness to share first. After focusing primarily on the harp music, my muse wanted to play with mixed media again and she truly outdid herself. Earlier this year Kara at Mother Henna organized a personal healing and inspiration card deck. She did a marvelous job of coordinating between all the artists and we were rewarded with a gorgeous deck of cards. I've been wanting an appropriate place to keep my treasured deck, but just didn't know what I really wanted. My polymer clay was calling me so I went there to start. I love playing with UTEE overtop of my clay to give nice depth to pieces. I began to wonder if I could recreate one of my cards in clay. I started by sculpting out some fish in a pearly orange mix. I added some scales and fin detail then brushed over a layer of a yellow pearlx to make the little guys shimmer. OK, I decided that these were useable. Now I had to make a pond for the little swimmers. My first try, I painted a pond right on the box lid, surrounded it with clay rocks and filled with UTEE. When I baked this one, the UTEE bubbled up really bad. I ended up scraping it all out and redoing. I still had alot of bubbles, but it was ok. Unfortunately the rocks weren't creating a seal and the UTEE was leaking out of the pond and I couldn't achieve the depth I was looking for. It still turned out cute, and you can see the first one in finished form atop the purple box.

My second attempt, I made the blue water out of clay also, made sure I had a good seal around the rock bottoms, and tried again. Success!! Much better level of depth on the orange box topper. I continued to play with the purple box. I used a mixture of 4 or 5 paints to do a mottled background. I made large polymer clay rocks, drilled holes in the bottom corners of the box, and added the rocks for legs.

I added swirls of glue and coated them in 2 colors of glitter. I glued down a braid of fibers to add more texture. On the end of the fibers I tied 2 polymer clay hearts. Finally I added metal word tags such as dream, inspire, hope. Some of the metal tags have a glass bauble glued over them to make them pop.
The orange box was made using many of the same techniques. I used various stamps to add a discreet pattern that adds interest and depth. I sculpted a large goldfish to dangle off the fiber braid end. I added a star crystal to dangle from the middle of the braid, and a small swarovski crystal to brighten up the other end. I used letter stamps to add words as well as metal tag words.

Oops, I almost forgot about the inside. I used sticky backed felt, cut it to size and lined the bottom and sides of both the lid and the base to give a cozy finished look to the project.

So, what do you think? I had so much fun making these because I got to play with paint, clay, stamps and fibers all at once!

Lets see, I have adventures at the fair and an overnight camping trip pictures (I went dragonfly hunting with my camera) to share but I think that will wait until my next post. It seems amazing that its August 6th already. I want the remainder of summer to crawl by because it has been beautifully relaxing and rejuvenating. I do hope all of you are experiencing the same.

Glitter Toes

2008-07-26T00:01:00.004-04:00

Craftyhala came up with the grand idea of having a "Glitter your Toes Day!" and picked out today to do the sharing. If you go to my sidebar I'll guess that many of the Glitter Power Sisters are doing the same.

I'm off to do route safety on a training walk for the MI Breast Cancer 3-Day walk. If you're not familiar with these walks, they are 3 day walks that cover 60 miles in total. Each walker must raise over $2,200.00 in order to participate. Each year they raise millions of dollars to further research and fund underpriveledged women in getting screened and treated. I have been involved with the walks for 5 years now, and will be on event for my 7th and 8th event in August and September. A very talented quilter from my church made and donated a quilt for me to use in my fundraising. I am selling raffle tickets for the quilt for $2 each, or 3 for $5. If you're interested you can donate online here and then let me know where to mail you tickets.

Dad's Birthday

2008-07-19T10:32:00.004-04:00

This painting was done for my Dad's birthday. This photo is of him and me a LONG time ago. It has always been his favorite. I really struggled trying to think of something to give him this year, and then I thought I'd try to paint a version. You can see my painting on the left and the photo on the right. I'm not really great at painting people, but I was really happy with how this turned out. Dad seemed to really love it and that's really all that matters.

Well, it seems I've been a very bad blogger and not posting in a long time. I've been busy enjoying my summer. My harp lessons are going well and thankfully I'm improving quickly. I don't feel quite so uncordinated now, but I still cant play what I want to since I'm still learning. Its definetly been a good thing to do, and I think it'll help my teaching when my piano students return in the fall. I know fully remember what its like to be brand new to an instrument.

My piano is progressing nicely according to my last report. The soundboard is in good shape, so I'll come in under the estimated cost! Wonderful news. I'm anxious for its return. I find myself walking into my office and wanting to just play and not having it there is so sad.

In other summer activities my softball team is doing well, we're tied for first and we're still having fun. My art has been a little slow. I had a week of not being inspired to do anything. I think that has passed now. Maybe I just needed a short break. We went to the Ann Arbor Art Fairs this week and saw so many great artists. What talent all gathered together.

I'm off to run errands. Have a wonderful weekend.

Rockclimbing and Whitewater Rafting Adventure

2008-06-27T15:29:00.003-04:00

For about the past 5 years I've chaperoned our church youth group on a trip to West Virginia. We go whitewater rafting on the New River for one day and can choose from a list of activities what to do the other day. I volunteer to be the rockclimbing chaperone. This year we had a wonderful day with perfect weather and 2 fabulous guides. We did 7 different climbing routes and a 100' rapell as well. I had so much fun. I suprised myself by finishing every route they gave us including doing the hardest of the day, an 85' climb twice!! I did better than usual on the rapell also. Usually I am a bit intimidated at the first time stepping off the top of that 100'. This year I didn't even hesitate, just stepped off and stopped myself about 15' down to look around and enjoy the incredible view of the gorge. All in all I held up pretty well physically and did 4 rapells and 8 climbs.

The following day, we rafted the river. The New River is a fun time with rapids ranging from 2 to 5 on the scale. The water was slightly low this year and the rapids not nearly as big as they've been in years past, but we still had a great time. We were able to swim through one of the smaller rapids, and purposely flip our boat on another one and that increased the excitement a bit. The adults on the trip had a much more relaxing time than usual as we only had a group of 21 as opposed to the 70+ we had 2 years ago. Its always a great group of kids and an easy trip to accompany them on. It seems we get pulled aside every year and complimented on their behavior. Its a joy to be able to spend some time with them away from church service.

The first picture today is at about 1/3 of the way up the biggest climb of the day. One of the guides was awesome and took my camera (with my permission) and literally tied in and hung out over the cliff edge to get these pics. The second is about 2/3 of the way up. This was the first time I had ever followed a crack and climbed in that manner. It was actually easier than some of the other techniques necessary. The last photo is when I was at the very top and starting to be lowered. Can you see the ground WAY down there?

I hope all of you are living your adventures to the fullest.

June Honey Moon

2008-06-14T16:58:00.003-04:00

I'm late for the party due to being slow on finishing my art and having commitments for the entire morning, but I have finally arrived for the wedding festivities. Tinker has decided to honor love and marriage by hosting a fun day of memories and sentiments. Can you think of anything better to celebrate on a beautiful June Saturday? The weather here is absolutely beautiful and I'm imagining many young ladies smiling into the sun, dressed in their gorgeous gowns, and laughing with abandon. I was wed in November, and it was the first snowfall of the year. It was just barely coming down and beautiful. I love snow so this seemed like the perfect start to my marriage. We had a 5:30 ceremony in the church I grew up in, and now am the organist for. We lit the aisle candleabras and dimmed the lights. My old piano teacher was our organist and we were surrounded by our friends and family. I married my best friend. We were high school sweethearts. We dated for 6 years, making it through a long distance relationship period while I attended school 500 miles away. We were and are in love. This year we will celebrate 12 years of wedded bliss. Craig always jokes of the importance of us being able to make each other laugh, so my humorous art is in reference to that.

It reads - Having been told to "Marry someone who makes you laugh" She wed the clownfish.

The canvas is covered with torn pages painted with a blue glittery wash of ocean. I painted the mermaid, and fish on cardstock and cut them out like paper dolls.

I also cut out the tiara, top hat and bow tie seperatly and later glued them in place . I used a piece of lace tucked under the tiara for her veil.

I embellished her with a sparkling "diamond" necklace, emerald belly ring and bracelet, and the handsome groom is holding out the diamond ring she will wear to honor their union.

Dont you think the groom looks very handsome? He was a nervous wreck before the ceremony, but as soon as she began swimming down the aisle, his face lit up with love for his blushing bride. Have you ever peaked at the groom when he first sees his bride coming down the aisle? Most people miss it because their attention is on the bride. It is usually quite a site to see the look of nerves switch over to complete happiness. I hope you'll take a glance the next time you attend a wedding.

Thanks for stopping by.

Harppy Days

2008-06-11T16:57:00.006-04:00

I have the harp and I've finished one lesson. Its very weird for me to feel awkward at an instrument. Its been a very long time since I started learning a new instrument from scratch. I'm finding my posture unsure and strange, but I am really loving trying things out. I've played through the songs I was assigned so many times and was to eager to move on so I went to the library and checked out another book of music and I'm challenging myself to do more. I hate being bored when it comes to music. Music should be inspiring and soothing, not boring and tedious. Anyways, I am having fun with the challenge. The only down side to the instrument is that I'm spending all my free moments at the harp instead of making art. It will balance out after the newness of the instrument wears away. I have sketched some things, but haven't finished anything.

Its been hot here. Really hot. We've also had some horrendous storms with winds like I cant remember ever having before. They actually were strong enough to blow a train off the tracks the other night. I'm thankful that we've not been one of the many who has lost power lately. I'm also thankful that the new fence has withstood the winds in its incomplete state. Having the fence up for about half of the yard so far has made an incredible difference in the atmosphere out back. It feels very secluded and private already. We are loving it and have returned to eating our meals outside which we did not do at all last year because of the new neighbors and their yelling. You can see the fence in the background of the rose garden. Wow are the roses ever in bloom. I just love how thick and lush they are this week. They smell fabulous too!

That's about all I've been up to. I haven't even made time to visit anyones blogs this week. I have a softball game this evening but I'm going to try to do some visiting before I leave. I hope all of you are doing well. Thanks so very much for stopping by.

The rewards of nature

2008-06-02T16:54:00.006-04:00

The neatest thing happened yesterday. I started to work on this garden sign as soon as I got home from church. I found it at the craft store and it had the ugliest picture of a life preserver with the quote "Welcome Aboard" on it, but I loved the idea of painting on a garden stake. I quickly covered up the ugly and started sketching a butterfly. I was using a picture from a magazine I picked up early this spring. I worked on the painting all afternoon while my hubby and FIL worked on erecting a privacy fence. I stopped occasionally to talk with my SIL and nephew, but mostly painted for about 5 hours. It was a beautiful day here and I set up everything at the patio table and enjoyed being out in the sun. Anyways, after working on it all afternoon I was finally finishing up putting the sealer on when a butterfly flew over me and into my garden a few feet away. It was the one and only butterfly I'd seen all day and it landed on my purple weeds that I love and let stay in the garden every year since its a "pretty" weed. I walked over to look at the butterfly and nature rewarded me by sending a real yellow swallowtail to match the one I had just finished. It even landed on the purple flowers like I had put in the background of my painting. What a neat moment. I had to run in the house and get the camera so I wouldn't loose the memory. Even my husband thought it was pretty cool. My heart was so happy with the whole thing.

My piano finally was moved on Friday. It was a moment of mixed emotions watching it being loaded up and leaving. I was sad yet excited at the same time. My harp will be arriving on Wednesday along with my first lesson. I'm hoping that having a new instrument to play with will ease the seperation anxiety of the piano being gone. I'm sure I'll be relaying updates on the piano as they come, and also progress on the harp.

It's going to be another busy week here. I started out by playing a funeral today and have many other tedious things that must be done soon. Luckily there are some fun things thrown in to lighten my days. My nephew graduates from Kindergarten on Friday and I'm going to go watch. I think that will definetly be the highlight of the week. Its such fun to be an aunt! I hope all of you are doing well and having fun. Thanks for stopping by.

Good news

2008-05-27T16:13:00.006-04:00

I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend. We had beautiful weather and time to enjoy ourselves so I'm feeling refreshed.

Todays art is a mixed media piece I did for my neice. She has just gotten her own room and its all princessy. I drew the head and torso, painted it in and cut it out. Then drew some legs and did the same. I used acrylics to paint her name and the background colors. I glued scalloped pages from an old book to the top and bottom of the canvas, glued down the 2 parts to my "doll" and then used some lace I found laying around to make a precious ballerina type skirt. I'll wait and give this to her on her birthday in a few weeks.

The frog was discovered on my walk at the state park on Saturday. I love frogs, on our way home I stopped and got 6 fish and 10 tadpoles for our garden pond. I cant wait to have frogs in my backyard.

I had my dr. appt. for the most recent test results and it was all good news. My hormones are out of whack and my periods have stopped, but they're not off in the way to indicate an early menopause. Because of the history of the mini stroke, and a blood clotting factor I have, they cant give me hormones to restart anything. The gynecologist diagnosed me with PCOS after doing a vaginal ultrasound, but she wanted me to go back to the neurologist because there was a small cyst in my pituitary found after my mini stroke. They wanted to make sure it hasnt grown, or producing something to effect the hormone levels. Anyways, my MRI showed that the cyst is not in the pituitary like they said last year, its in the pineal gland, it hasnt grown and it is not producing anything. So, good news all around. I think that leaves it as just a case of PCOS, and right now I'm not suffering any of the common things that happen with that. I'll just need to keep getting ultrasounds every 6 months if my periods dont return. Fertility problems aren't an issue as Craig and I had decided long ago to not have children, so that takes away a big concern of those with PCOS. Thanks so much for the good thoughts and concern you all voiced, it made waiting for results easier.

OK, I've been tagged by Alberta, so here are the rules:

1. Each player answers questions about themselves.

2. At the end of the post, tag 5 people by posting their names.

3.Go to their site/blog and leave a comment telling them they've been tagged. Invite them to your site/blog so they can read the tagged post.

4. Let the person who tagged you know when you've completed your tagged post.

I have to answer these 6 questions:

1. What were you doing 10 years ago? Lets see, I started my piano studio out of the house in January. Back then I gave lessons year round, so I think I had about 12-15 students at this time. I was also enjoying our second spring in our house and was planting roses. An entire garden of English roses.

2. What are 5 things on your To Do list? Return my office to normal from the piano move (right now everything is moved so it can get out), clean the bathroom, finish painting the bathroom door, clean the inside of my kitchen cupboards, weed the garden.

3. What are 5 snacks you really enjoy (in no particular order)? Ice cream, dark chocolate, bananas and peanut butter, string cheese, raspberries.

4. Name some places where you've lived. OK, this is sad, I've never left Michigan. I have lived in Petersburg, Ida and LaSalle which are all within 15 miles of each other, and I lived in Marquette while in college (a 500 mile move, but still in the same state!)

5. Name some bad habits you have. Taking on more than is comfortable, saying no and not feeling guilty, inflexability, obsessive/compulsive to a degree.

6. Name some jobs you've had. piano teacher, Beaded Jewelry Designer and Instructor, organist, music director, bookkeeper, customer service, waitress,

Now, here's who I'm going to tag: No one in particular. If you're feeling inclined to answer them, please do.

I hope all of you are having a wonderful day. Hugs to you.

Busy busy

2008-05-14T11:40:00.005-04:00

Edited to add that Janet won my birthday drawing and received the polymer lion. Congratulations to my lovely blog friend and thank all of you for stopping by and the well wishes.

Life has been really busy lately. Its not bad, just a bit different for me. Things for the loan are done and approved and we'll sign the papers on Friday so that means hopefully the piano will go out next week to begin the restoration. I've also been playing the doctor shuffle and going for lots of tests. I'm confident that nothing super bad is going on, but they need to check something and make sure its still ok. Hopefully after todays test and the follow up visit life can return to normal.

The recital I hold for my students yearly performance is Friday so I've been busy perfecting everyones songs and easing their nerves. I finished teaching last night and I am free from lessons until my piano returns hopefully close to Labor day. Mentally it will be wonderful to be away from teaching, but financially I'll have to be more careful than I have been lately. Again, this isn't a bad thing, just different.

In preperation for the piano to be moved, I've been cleaning and organizing my office. This is a monster task as I'm far from an organized person. I bought some inexpensive storage units and assembled them to line one wall of the office, and sorted through my stacks of stuff. Its looking really good in there. I actually wanted to spend my evening in there and laid on the futon and read a book for a bit last night. Its amazing that I didn't think the mess of that room bothered me, but now that its all neat and arranged, I absolutely love it. I sure hope I can keep on top of things and keep it nice.

So my exciting news is that I'll be starting harp lessons the last week of May. I've commited to 3 months of lessons and rental. I figure by that time I'll know for sure if I want to continue to persue learning another instrument. I've wanted to learn the harp for about 10 years, but just recently found the opportunity to rent an instrument. It seems like this was meant to be considering that my piano wont be here for the summer and I was worried about how I would deal with that. I played the organ for a wedding last Friday and they had an aunt perform a harp solo in the ceremony. It was really beautiful and made me even more eager to begin my lessons.

My softball league started up last week. We played a fun game against the team we lost the championship to last year. We won and it was a very sweet victory. I was catching and every throw they made to me when there was a runner trying to score I was able to tag them out. It was a good fielding day for me. I didnt hit so well, but it was the first game so hopefully I'll get back in the groove. I at least got on base and scored twice. It was fun and that is the only reason I play. FUN!

The 2 pendants pictured today are made of polymer clay. I have tons of molds that I have made from many buttons and charms. We made these pendant together in class so I also had access to some other molds. Anyways, we pushed the clay in the molds and then sat them on a sheet of clay in a pleasing arrangement and then cut out the shape we wanted. We filled in any open space with little balls of clay to make it appear more complete. I did the orange one in class, but wanted to see what an all frog one would look like. I used a color to imitate jade for the frogs. I actually like the orange one better, but the frogs are cool too.

Thanks for all the birthday wishes. I had a wonderful birthday complete with a trip to a winery and finding a hopping dog birthday party in full swing. To say that I had fun would be such an understatement! I'm sorry this post is so scattered, but that seems to be how life is at the moment. It keeps things new and unexpected and makes for some fun and interesting times. I hope you are all doing well and experiencing lots of joy in your lives.

Another birthday...

2008-05-03T10:18:00.002-04:00

35 today. It feels pretty good. Craig and I are going to visit some wineries and maybe do some geocaching along the way. Then we'll go out to dinner, but I haven't decided where yet. It'll be a nice, relaxed pace day and we'll have the family over for a party tomorrow after church.

I made this lion yesterday in the car as we did errands. Its in the style of Christie Friesen. Its embellished with carnelian and I think picture jasper. I know its a jasper, but not positive on which one. Anyways, he's my first try at a lion. I've done a dragon, mermaid, turtle and frog in her style. I love her books. They're easy to follow and have lots of whimsy in them.

I cant decide what to giveaway for my birthday. It might be this. He's designed to hang on a wall. He's maybe 4" x 3". I thought he turned out cute. To be entered into my birthday giveaway just leave a comment and I'll draw a name tomorrow.

Birthday giveaway teaser

2008-05-02T09:28:00.003-04:00

I dont have much time to write today, I need to do lots of errands in preperation of having my family over for a birthday party on Sunday. Thankfully most of the housecleaning is finished.

I painted this frog earlier this week. It on a metal sign I picked up on clearance from Michaels last year. I peeled off the glued on art and painted directly on the metal. I still need to seal it, but I wanted to share it. I am really loving this one. I had found a picture of the frog in a newspaper ad a few weeks ago and saved it to use as a model. Anyways, this might be the giveaway for my birthday, or it might get snapped up by the family while its here on Sunday. Anyways, if you'd like to be in the drawing, leave a comment and I'll choose from all late Sunday.

Birthday Giveaway!

2008-04-30T08:08:00.002-04:00

On Saturday I will be 35. Most of the time I dont feel like that is possible. It seems like it was just yesterday I was finishing up graduate school, enjoying being a newlywed when in actuality it was over a decade ago! I look in the mirror and see the beginning of wrinkles and gray hairs that have escaped the coloring at the salon. Although I'm not so thrilled about the physical changes age is making, I love my life right now. I'm blessed to still do many of the things that have always brought me great enjoyment and I'm also more open to new adventures and ideas than I ever have been before. I am able to embrace those special moments with friends and family in a much more relaxed manner now, and truly appreciate the gift these people are to me. There is a great variety in my days that I love. Part of the new that I have come to love is blogging and finding a great, artistic community right at my fingertips. So, to honor all the visitors who may stop by, I'll be giving away something for my birthday Saturday. If you leave a comment on any of the posts I make starting today until Sunday, I'll draw a name to recieve a special gift from me. I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to giveaway. I'll be thinking that over today, but I hope you will still sign up. Sometimes surprises are the best.

Ladies of the family

2008-04-25T16:02:00.004-04:00

The ladies of my family on my dads side have one night a year where we all get together for a little girl time. We've done this for 5 or 6 years now. We started out staying at one of the aunts houses, but now we rent some adjoining rooms in a hotel. (That way no one is stuck with major clean up the next day!) This overnight has turned into such a wonderful celebration for all of us. Its fun to see all of us doing goofy things. We have aunts, great aunts, and of course Gramma. Gramma is the biggest instigator for doing fun and wild things. She is the one in the white long sleaved shirt-front row. You should have seen her having a field day playing with those wax lips. Our tradition is we order pizzas and make the delivery boy (Its always been a boy) take our picture so we have one of the whole group. Then we throw him a wildly large tip and kick him out. It is a girls night after all. We have developed the habit of gifting each other on this special occassion. The matching pink/lavendar sweatshirts were done by my mom, sis and I a few years ago. Aunt Brenda made us all coordinating pj pants this year. We each also recieved a handkerchief that Gramma hand crocheted an adging on, a cute little bear with his own tiny quilt sewn by Aunt Bev, a nice cushy pair of socks from Great Aunt Nancy, wax lips from mom, and other various little things. This year I made everyone angels because the women in my family really are some of my angels. This tradition has become one of my favorite nights of the year. I wish that everyone could experience something like this. I know a group of the Glitter Power sisters recently met up and did their 2nd gathering which is wonderful. Why not give it a go for yourself? Gather up some family, or friends, or your very best blogging buds and set something up. Life is so much richer when we allow ourselves the luxury of time well spent.

I had a scary week of waiting that is blessedly over in a great manner. Last week while I was at a gynecologist for a different problem, she felt a lump in my breast and scheduled me for a mammogram and ultrasound. Everything is ok, but it sure was scary, especially when they called me back from the waiting room to do more mammogram films. I am very thankful for the support and comfort my friends showed me through the week. Thank you.

Spring Walk

2008-04-18T19:29:00.000-04:00

We had a glorious day of weather here with lots of sun and the temp almost hitting 80. I decided to take the camera and wander the lagoon loop of the state park. Come along and see what I found.

This muskrat didn't seem to mind me peeking into his world. He was cleaning himself up, balancing on a log not far from the shoreline. A turtle was sharing the log, but you cant see him. I found that combination a bit odd. I never really thought about those 2 animals sharing a space. I actually saw 3 muskrats today. They seemed to be taking advantage of the sun while there still aren't many people about.

This egret posed for the first picture, but the camera beep as it focused scared him in to flight and I was able to capture this shot. When I kayak out here, these birds let us get fairly close. They kinda do a leap frog through our journeys, moving a bit further up the channel, allowing us to get near, and then moving further down. If you dont see one of them and get to close, they make a huge amount of noise when they take off in flight. They have scared me many times when I've been busy studying the nearby turtles and never noticed them until I hear a big commotion. They have a smorgasboard in the lagoons here with all the fish.

I'm still surprised I found this prince. He was hiding kind of under a bush purched on this log throne. I actually was trying to find a turtle when I found him. I didn't seem to bother his highness as he allowed me to bow to him and snap this picture. He was awfully big, and a little further on my walk I found another that was his equal in size. Of course, the second was in a seperate lagoon and I quickly realized I had walked through to another kingdom with a different prince.

This swan was all alone in the back lagoon. There were a group of swans near where I began my walk. They are always in that area near the lotus beds. Dont swans mate for life? I wonder what happened to this guys mate? He was very serene, stretching his neck down to dip into the water. He did get a bit territorial when a muskrat got a little to close. It made me glad I kept my distance.

These 2 geese were busy protecting their 3 eggs. Can you see the eggs? There was a blue heron not 20 feet away and I dont think the geese were real happy to have an egg predator so close. They built their nest on top of a muskrat or a beaver den. I actually hadn't noticed they had eggs until a nice bicyclist saw me with my camera and told me what they had out there. Not only did they have to fend off the heron, there were 3 other white egrets so close that you can see them and the heron in one of the other pictures I took of the geese. I guess its not all fun and games in the wild as they must protect their eggs from such close enemies.

I set out today hoping to see turtles. I love seeing them sun themselves on the logs. They are my favorite part of visiting the lagoons. When I'm in the kayak I try to see how close I can get to the logs. The turtles are pretty skitish and jump in the water at the first noise. By the time I snapped this picuture, at least 4 turtles had jumped off the log, but that still left these 14 brave ones for me to enjoy. There were lots of turtles everywhere today. Most of them were to far away to really discern what type, but usually they are painted turtles, with the occasional snapper thrown in. I grew up close to a river and I remember going down and finding turtles all the time. My dad would let me bring one home for the night, and then we'd go back and release him the next day. I've been fascinated with them since. I once stopped my car in the middle of a fairly busy road, put on my hazzards and then rescued a big snapper from the middle of the street and relocated him to the ditch where he would be safe.

I ended my walk by having this lovely creature flutter along with me for the last 1/4 mile. It looked like a monarch, but I really dont know. He was kind enough to land on a leaf so I could capture him before I had to go.

I hope that you enjoyed my walk. It was so delightful for me to slow down and really notice what was going on around me. I wish you all a beautiful weekend.

Music therapy and an art submission

2008-04-11T12:09:00.000-04:00

I did it! I mustered up the courage to submit some art for a magazine challenge. I feel like this is a huge step for me. Its totally fine if nothing comes out of it, but I thought about the challenge, formed my idea, created it, and then did the entire submission process which really isn’t that hard, but had me a little stressed. My art was knee socks for the Belle Armoire challenge. I really want to post the picture of them, but I’m unsure of all the legal parts of that. Is it allowable to post something that you’ve submitted? If anyone knows, please inform me.

In other things life has been ok. I got the $ total for the piano restoration and that was a bit of a shock. It was quite a bit more than I was prepared for. I’m diligently trying to not freak out over that fact. Some moments I even succeed. The symphony last weekend was delightful. It was just what I needed to inspire me. I wish I could capsulate the beauty of the symphony-the whole experience-and open it whenever. I guess then it wouldn’t be so special and would turn into something I take for granted. I also attended an organ recital early in the week. I am an organist, not a very good one, but quite adequate for church music, but I really don’t “love” the organ. I play it because I was a pianist who got asked to do it in high school and has stuck with it and learned the pedaling and such. I find organ concerts tend to give me headaches because of the sheer volume of the instrument. Anyways, the recital was nice and it was rewarding to hear a true organist play with such skill and poise. Attending concerts is my own form of “music therapy” which makes my world such a nicer place.

This weekend is fun, fun, fun as the women of my family gather in a hotel for an overnight adventure. Food, fun, wine and just being surrounded by immeasureable love make this overnight the very best night of the year. I am so excited I can hardly stand it!

OK, todays art. “Focus” was painted after really struggling with my migraines last week. I woke up the morning after a bad one and this came out. Its dark and not very detailed, but something in it speaks of how I feel when I’m experiencing those darn things. Edited: I went back and found Miss KoolAid's art that she left a comment about and I am shocked to see my subconscious immitated her. I hope she takes this as a form of flattery because I certainly didnt mean to copy her. Heck, I can barely remember what I ate for lunch today let alone something I looked at months ago.

The mixed-media collage will be a gift to my aunt. She is attending a womens retreat next weekend. As part of the weekend they asked family members to send in letters saying how that person is important, or great memories with that person, etc. I don’t feel that I’m such a great writer, so I started making her this art instead. She loves kids although she never had any of her own and I included my niece and nephew with her in the art since she loves to single them out at family events and play with them. I used silk flowers, polymer clay (for the flower centers), my paintings of the people, book pages, acrylic paint, and I coated it in beeswax which was really fun to work with.
OK, this is on the long side and I’ve gotta get busy making something. Have a great weekend and be kind to everyone.

A Day with Gramma

2008-04-04T17:22:00.001-04:00

Life in Michigan has been pretty good lately. It is finally starting to warm up and the snow is melted! I can see daffodills and tulips sprouting out of the ground and grass beginning to turn green. Its beginning to be light out near the end of my morning walks and I'm seeing more activity in the birds and bunnies who accompany me each morning. Spring is even more miraculous after a very snowy winter.

I spent the afternoon with my Gramma yesterday. My Grandpa is still recovering from some broken ribs so we were not able to venture out. We stayed home and planted a calla lilly bulb together. We then talked for a few hours while she made oyster stew and I sketched some Johnny Jump ups she wanted me to try to draw. I used to spend every Friday afternoon with her and we would paint together. She has definetly been the most influential person in my life as far as being artistic. She taught me so much without ever limiting me to the way that she did things. Grammas arthritist got worse and I had to babysit my neice and nephew and our Fridays fell apart. I'm trying to rekindle some kind of pattern to visit again now that my responsibilities with the kids is over. I love spending time with her and she always brings sunshine to my day. Todays art journal entry is in honor of her-Right down to more Johnny Jump-ups. Never in all my life has a visit to her not put a smile in my heart that has lasted long after I've departed. Its gotta be some special Gramma power.

I'm going to the symphony tonight. I am very excited as they are playing a Beethoven symphony and a Brahms piano concerto! Their opening piece is a Schonberg composition which I'd rather skip because its 20th century dissonance, but its on the short side and then I get to be swallowed up by the pure beauty of the music. Maybe it'll inspire my muse in a new direction.

I hope that all of you have a gorgeous spring weekend. We're hitting the low 60's and I'm going to take advantage of it as best I can.

Polymer clay class

2008-03-26T09:32:00.000-04:00

These polymer clay pendants were made in my class taught by Kimberly Arden. I've been taking classes from her for years now. She is a wonderful artist and a fun teacher who encourages adapting things to be more "you". (That's how the curlique shape came about. The straightforward shape just isn't really my thing right now.) We constructed the rose and leaf canes in class and then put them together for the pendants. You could either do yellow, purple or red roses so of course I chose yellow because it has orange in it. I still havent put either of these on a necklace, but maybe someday I'll get around to doing that.

I had a very nice relaxing Easter. After I was finished playing services at church we went to my parents house for a nice dinner and just hung out with extended family. We got to catch up on what everyone has been up to and shared lots of laughter. I really enjoyed not having to run between my family and my hubbys (we had spent the previous Saturday with them). Usually I get stressed out from traveling and making sure we see everyone. It was very nice to do it differently this year.

Good Friday and a Snow Storm

2008-03-21T11:24:00.000-04:00

I started a new art journal today. I have always drawn my pictures in my journal and then either pulled them out and painted/colored them, or copy them and embelish the copy. This new journal is more of a true art journal. I opened it up, dumped a bunch of blue paint on the pages and began. I didn't use a pencil at all, just started painting. I have a bouquet of tulips on my table right now that I was using as inspiration, but I think my painting looks more like poppies. Either way, it was fun to just dive in first thing with paint. Sometimes a new approach works out so well. I'm going to try to do my art both ways for a bit and see if I what I produce varies depending on which way I go. The flower inspiration was from Suziblu's prompt for the week. I've never done her prompts either. I guess I'm just in a mood to try something new this week.

I sent out my first art entry of my life this week. It is for a poster contest held by the Breast Cancer 3 Day. The contest is only open to 3 day participants. Anyways, I worked on my entry for over a month, asked a few people for critiques, worked on an artist's bio, signed my rights away in a waiver and posed while my hubby took my head shot. I FedExed the package on Wednesday and was almost in tears letting it go. I'm not sure what came over me. I made the art specifically to submit, but still freaked out sending it off. I guess I've never worried about someone "judging" my art before and now I know people will be for the contest. Anyways, I was and still am perplexed to my emotional response. I guess I'm just weird.

We're getting another snow storm today. Can you believe it. They're saying 5"+ for my area! I love snow but even I am getting tired of this. I want to see the tulips out in the yard, not in a vase. I want to go dig and tend to my roses. I want to take a walk not bundled in many layers. I want to lay in the hammock with a good book. OK, enough whining. I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter weekend.

Easter Penguin

2008-03-18T20:13:00.001-04:00

I made this piece of art in the midst of the snowstorms we were encountering a week or so ago. I had decided with the weather being so cold and nasty, the easter bunny would boycott us. We were having weather fit for a penguin, so I threw some bunny ears on one and gave him a basket of eggs. It is a bit warmer this week and most of the snow is gone, but I still think the Easter Penguin has a lot going for him. I meant to make him into cards, but I encountered some scheduling problems and couldnt get to a copy shop. I still might take it and make some copies to have on Easter.

I have had incredibly good lessons this week. I'm not sure whats going on with my students, but they were all so enjoyable and attuned to their lesson. If every week were like this one my job would be pure bliss. I started picking out recital music for most of them so for the next 2 months, lessons will be very focused. I hope "summer vacation fever" that usually starts right after Easter will hold off since its so early this year. I'd prefer not to have that struggle quite yet.

I received this in an email today and thought it was beautiful. I loved that I received this message from a MAN who truly respects and celebrates the beauty and power of a woman.

Why Women Cry

A little boy asked his mother, 'Why are you crying?' 'Because I am a woman,’ she told him. 'I don't understand,' he said. His Mom just hugged him and said, 'And you never will.' Later the little boy asked his father, 'Why does mother seem to cry for no reason?' 'All women cry for no reason,' was all his dad could say. The little boy grew up and became a man, still wondering why women cry. Finally he put in a call to God. When God got on the 'phone, he asked, 'God, why do women cry so easily?' God said: 'When I made the woman she had to be special. I made her shoulders strong enough to carry the weight of the world, yet gentle enough to give comfort I gave her an inner strength to endure childbirth and the rejection that many times comes from her children. I gave her a hardness that allows her to keep going when everyone else gives up, and take care of her family through sickness and fatigue without complaining. I gave her the sensitivity to love her children under any and all circumstances, even when her child has hurt her very badly. I gave her strength to carry her husband through his faults and fashioned her from his rib to protect his heart. I gave her wisdom to know that a good husband never hurts his wife, but sometimes tests her strengths and her resolve to stand beside him unfalteringly. And finally, I gave her a tear to shed. This is hers exclusively to use whenever it is needed.' 'You see my son,' said God, 'the beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman must be seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart - the place where love resides.'

I hope all of you embrace the qualities touched upon in this message both in yourself and in the women around you. Take a moment to reflect on those women who have sacraficed for you and let the goodness of those memories surround you with love.

Another card for the deck

2008-03-13T20:20:00.001-04:00

Sorry for the long time since the last post. Time just seems to slip away sometimes. I have been doing art, but just haven’t gotten to posting anything. Anyways, for today I would like your opinion again. I made both of these cards with thoughts for the Healing deck by Mother Henna. I'm not sure which would be better for the deck.

“Beauty Lies Beneath” was made for all the times we judge by first impressions or someone’s outer appearance. When we fall into this trap we miss out on getting to know the true person we have encountered. If we keep an open mind and block out judgment we can look with our heart and discover the treasures and beauty present within others.

“Love Unconditionally” was inspired by my dogs. They are always there with a friendly face and soft fur to bury tears into. They seem to know when you need something. They cuddly up right next to you and look at you with their big soft eyes and say “its gonna be alright” or “you’re the best.” Its been proven that spending time with your pets can lower your blood pressure and improve your health. I would love to see a thorough study of what having a pet does for your emotional health.

The text of both is not really on the card yet, I photoshopped it to see what it might look like, so that may change a bit. The “Nurture with Nature” card will be one of my two. Which of the other two would you rather see included in the deck?

In other matters, my Gramma spent some time in the hospital this week. I am very thankful that she is okay and home now. If you are lucky enough to still have your grandparents around you go tell them you love them. In fact, make a point today of telling people what they mean to you. So often we assume that they “know” how we feel, but can one ever get tired of hearing those precious words “I love you”? Embrace what you’ve been given and enjoy it while you have it.

Mother Henna's Personal Healing Deck

2008-03-06T14:09:00.000-05:00

I worked on one of my cards today for the personal healing deck project sponsored by Mother Henna. I'm showing it here in hopes of getting some constructive feedback. I want to add the words "Nurture with Nature" or "Nurture in Nature". Originally I was going to use a monarch butterfuly, but I loved the spots on this one. Its a buckeye butterfly. It is done with acrylics on cardstock. I used the 2.75 x 4 inch size so I wouldn't have to worry about reduction later. The corners will be rounded for the deck, but I was afraid to round them myself in case they wouldn't fit the deck.
I chose the theme of nature because it is a source for much of my creativity. Things I see on my morning walk will often come out in sketches later in the day. When I'm feeling emotional just going out and sitting by my garden helps me work out what is bothering me. There are so many tiny miracles that happen without notice everyday. The transformation element of the butterfly is extremely useful to us when we are feeling uncreative, or in need of a change. If a caterpillar can complete such a drastic metamorphosis, what prohibits us from changing anything? It is very easy to become comfortable with routine. I am one of the worst offenders for this trait. The problem is that my routine can prevent me from branching out to new things, new people and new ideas. Stagnation may be comfortable, but it doesn't help me achieve all that is possible. Watching how things change in nature reminds me that change is not a bad thing. Change is necessary to growth. By embracing the miracles of nature, I open myself to seeing things in a new way and not being afraid to test out new things.
What makes you expand your views or try new things? What holds you back?

Another Sunday

2008-03-02T14:18:00.000-05:00

I made this mermaid a while ago, but she never got posted. It was nice to have something to show as I've got lots in the works, but nothing finished. She is done with acrylics over a watercolor background. She's got a polymer clay face (from a mold) and some outrageous art yarn hair. The face is off in color from the body, but in real life it doesn't look quite so drastic. I like how her tail hangs over the 5x7 base. I'm not sure what I'll do with her but for now she is sitting on my mantel.

I purchased a spirit doll from Groggy Froggy Lisa last weekend. She arrived a few days ago and she is even more amazing than her pictures were. The colors are so vibrant. She is a definetly a wild woman and I love her.

The young adults of my church have started a new fellowship between services and they are having members share things on a voluntary basis. Today a physician started things off by talking about how even the most educated among us dont know so many things. In particular he focused on the phrase "Beyond Human Comprehension". It is "Beyond Human Comprehension" how vast the universe is. We only see what our eyes allow and to be told that beyond that furthest start there is still an endless universe is simply not understandable. It is "Beyond Human Comprehension" how one person gets sick while doing everything right yet another can do many abuses to their body and remain physically stable. While our human nature cannot explain many things I know there is a greater force in charge. I may not understand why God allows for bad things to happen, but I do know that he is there. I feel his presence always, but especially in the little things like the first shoots coming up in the spring or a squeeze of a hand from a loved one. When things get difficult cling to those little things.

I have many of you in my prayers and hope you feel goodness and love coming your way.

Good news and a snow day to boot!

2008-02-26T18:21:00.001-05:00

A wonderful piano technician helped me yesterday. She squeezed me in with the hopes that the piano would be useable for my afternoon lessons. What a difference experience with this caring lady. She looked the piano over and went to work. She got the whole thing tuned (which the other guy said was impossible) and had some very viable ideas for restorating the piano. It wont be inexpensive, but I'd much rather invest in my dear piano than invest in buying a new one. She'll be back later this week to fix the string I broke and give me some numbers to look at. I'll probably have to let her take it to her shop for the summer, but I dont teach then anyways so it wont hurt my income at that time. I'm so very happy and relieved to know that she can be saved. With the investment, she'll be good to go for another 3-4 generations after me. It makes me furious that that man came into my home and said all those horrible lies. I will be writing a letter to the company who sent him my way. I need to write instead of calling to complain because I'd just start yelling and not get my point across as professionally as I can in a letter.

Today we had a big snow storm come through. Everything shut down including the community college so my polymer clay class was cancelled. I dug out my supplies and put together the 2 books pictured here. I made the covers out of double layer clay with some of the top layer peeled away to reveal some texture I had added to the bottom. I used Pearlx and acrylic paint to make the stampings I added pop out. I cut out some cardstock and tried to sew together the pages. I'm not sure they'll stand up, but they look good tonight. I glued in a tie to keep the journal closed and then glued a black piece of cardstock into the inner covers to cover where I had glued all the strings on. The books are approx. 3" x 4.5". I need to investigate how to hold the pages in better if I'm going to attempt this again.

The snow picture is from about 7 this morning. I had just finished up my morning walk and the world was so beautiful with the snow clinging to everything. I ran in grabbed the camera and then stood in the middle of the road to take this picture.

Thank you to everyone who left such nice posts to try and cheer me up. You all added hope when I really didn't think there was any. I'm so thankful things are going to work out with this new ladies help. What a difference between the 2. I wish I had never called the first man, but he is from the "elite" shop in Toledo so I thought I was going to get the best-definetly didn't expect to get screwed. Live and learn. You can bet every student I deal with from now on will be educated on who not to call for help.

Possible loss of a good friend

2008-02-24T17:02:00.001-05:00

She has always been there. From my very earliest memories, she sat in a place of honor in the dining room. She was overlooked in terms of playing, but she was dutifully dusted and always had a shine to her. I begged to learn how to play her. I think I really started asking to around age 4. I still remember the excitement when mom said I could finally start taking lessons. Once a week, I'd get off the bus at my aunts house and she would guide me. I used the little red "Teaching Little Fingers to Play" by John Thompson. It was love from the start. I've had many teachers since then, some terrific inspirations who I try to emulated when I teach now, and some that I learned what not to do while teaching. I truly love the piano. I was the kid who would sit for hours and play. I didn't care what my brother and sister were out "doing" I could immerse myself in song after song and just drain all that adolescent angst right out of me. Every tiny emotion that I was feeling could come out as notes in a song. I was never great at writing, or speaking, but I could express myself in music. My piano was always there. It was my great grandmothers piano. It was built in the 1890's. She traveled all over the U.S., and the piano went with her. My parents gave her to me when I got married. We put her in the back of my dads truck and I played her the entire 8 mile move. I'll never forget the wind whipping through my hair, dad driving and singing along and me just playing away with a huge smile on my face. I started teaching on her shortly after I finished my graduate degree. I didn't like classroom teaching, but I loved the one on one private lesson. She's heard so many student turn into talented musicians. She has been a true blessing. On Saturday I had a technician out to give her a tuning. He came in with bad energy surrounding him and I tried to ignore it at first. He looked at her and started grunting away. I soon moved to another room of the house to get away from his attitude. Shortly thereafter he emerged and stated that she was junk, wouldn't hold a tuning and I should scrap her. I was almost in tears. I asked if I could pay for some restorative work and he was adamant that it wasn't worth it and he wouldn't do it. Then he charged me a service fee and left her with only a few noted tuned and sounding much worse than when he came in. All day yesterday I was on the verge of a breakdown. This morning wasn't much better. I have lessons scheduled for Monday afternoon and she was not useable the way he left her. I did some talking at church and found someone who had a tuning tool that I could borrow. I came home and started working on her. I was doing ok, and then a horrible - BOING - I broke a string. The tears did come then. I tried to pull myself together and got out the list of tuners who I was going to call to come give a 2nd opinion. I dialed the first one who was somewhat local and said they did "piano restoration". A nice lady picked up while I was in the middle of leaving my message. I explained my predicament. I told her what the first man had said and I told her that I really dont want to scrap the piano and am willing to pay for some restorations, but that I really need her tuned for lessons. I even swallowed my pride and admitted to trying to tune her on my own and that darn broken string. She was very nice and she is squeezing me into her schedule tomorrow to get her tuned! She'll have to do the string another day, but it'll work for my lessons and she's got some good energy about fixing instead of scrapping. I truly hope she can help my dear friend. I dont want to lose her

My hubby is the greatest. He went out to get our groceries while I was freaking out trying to tune my friend. He came back with this. I see these every week when we go shopping and I've always said that someday I was going to buy one just because they made me happy to look at. He wanted to cheer me up so he brought this home for me. Wasn't that the sweetest?

I've stopped all my tears and am hopeful that the piano lady will have better news tomorrow. In the meantime, I have gone and played with my friend a few times today to try to release some of the stress I've had build up. She's still there for me and is still helping.

Running Love

2008-02-18T18:12:00.000-05:00

What kind of dreams do you hold deep down inside? About 3 years ago my hubby and I started doing the Body for Life diet/exercise program. We both lost weight and built muscle by doing the program in its initial time frame-I think it was a 3 month thing. Anyways, after we finished doing those months, I tapered off and eventually went back to my old ways. (I can tell you this now because since then, I have lost the weight and I now exercise regularly and have stayed within my weight "range" for 2 years now.) My hubby however, never stopped exercising and eating well. He started running races. We both did a 5K on Labor day of 2005. It was the first race either of us had ever attempted. He ran it, I walked the majority of it. He tried his first duathalon later that fall (Run 5K, Bike 10K, Run 5K), and has since finished many 5Ks (which I now can run the whole thing), 10Ks, half-marathons, duathalons, triathalons, and his first full marathon. He is truly an inspiration to see progress with better times and longer distances. For valentines day I made him this race record altered book. It is divided into sections for each type of race and I've written in date, race name, and finishing time. Its made on industrial (carpet?) tags I found at a garage sale and "had" to have. By using the tags, I can easily expand the pages as necessary. I used acrylic paints and mulberry paper to embellish it, but not my typical glitter as he just wouldn't of appreciated that. On the reverse of each tag I included a quote about strength, commitment, and other values I see in him. This is one of my favorite things I've done in awhile and watching him open it was so rewarding.

So, what are your dreams and what are you doing to reach them? Nothing is impossible with the right amount of patience and practice. Go for it.

Wonderful day

2008-02-15T08:07:00.000-05:00

I had such a wonderful day yesterday. I think my favorite V-day ever. I was the lucky winner of 3! OWOH giveaways. I am so thankful to be choosen and cant wait to receive art in the mail. Laurie is sending me a lovely heart pin, Lisa has created a beautiful poetic postcard that I'll be getting, and Kaycee is sending some original notecards! I'm feeling so lucky and blessed. Thank you ladies for adding to my happiness.

I had a lovely day with my DH too. We went for a nice lunch and then stayed in for the evening. I went to a new Borders bookstore after lunch yesterday. It was incredible. They had a whole digital section where you can download music straight to your ipod, they're hooked with Shutterfly so you can make your own digital albums there, and had many other cool things. In the cooking section they actually had 2 computers with printers where you could find and print out recipes (no limit to how many either!) It was such a comfortable place. They have a stage in the back (not just in the kids section) and a long list of people coming (both authors and musicians) and I was just blown away by the whole thing. I love bookstores anyways, but this went beyond anything I've experienced before. It was such a nice part of my afternoon to browse this new store.

I found a new craft book that looks really cool. Its "The Big-a@@ Book of Crafts" by Mark Montano. The project on page 148 is how to make your own Ultrasuede art case. I remember seeing these cases maybe 2 years ago on the Oprah O list and then in a shop, but they were way out of my price range. I will need to dig out my sewing machine, but if I can make one of these it'll be so cool!

Todays art is a mixed media collage. I love frogs and this one just popped into my art journal one night, peeking out of the tiara. I just love it. I painted, modgepodged some art paper accents, glittered, and glued on fake jewels. I used lots of metallic paints of course too. It was fun.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you had a lovely Valentines day and have something special happen to you today.

Pink Artist

2008-02-07T15:32:00.000-05:00

I made this 2" x 2" square as my contribution to the pinkartist group. " 'the pink artist' is a community of artists joining togetherto create one joint art doll to benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure.When doll is complete, it will be mailed in to Art Doll Quarterly™before finally being auctioned off on eBay at a later date." I was very excited when I found out about this project as I've been an active participant in the Breast Cancer 3 day walks for years now. (This year will be the 7th and 8th I'll have participated in). I love how innovative people can be in fundraising when they really put their mind to it. My square has a beaded ribbon and polymer clay holding hands. I think the importance of friendship and support are irreplaceable when someone goes through a hard diagnosis and treatment. It is in honor of the friendships I have formed and have witnessed at the walks that I dedicate my square. My deepest desire is to have this devastating disease irradicated within my lifetime.

On to a happier subject. I have spent my entire day working on something I thought about last night. It was incredible to dive in and have the whole thing go so smooth. Everything worked out just as I had envisioned. Where a vision hadn't been forthright, I just "knew" what to do when the step came up. I cant wait to share it here, but it will have to wait as its a gift for someone who might be reading this. What an incredible day its been.

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday-the first day of Lent. At my church service I had to laugh at how some pop culture really invades our thougth process. Pastor said something about the ashes being symbolic of us originating from dust, and in our death returning to dust. All that popped into my head was a quote from "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure" "Dust...Wind...Dude." I almost laughed out loud. I just love those movies. Maybe I'll watch one tonight. I hope each of you finds something that makes you laugh today. Thanks for stopping by.

Confidence

2008-02-06T08:33:00.000-05:00

I've been having so much fun visiting all the participants in the One World, One Heart event. It is so inspiring to see all the talent that is being displayed. Its so inspiring to see all the varieties of mediums and everyones special style. I've definetly found blogs I'll stop by often. I'd like to thank everyone who has stopped by and left so many encouraging words. The effect of them you may never know, but I've felt such a boost in confidence that I'm tackling being a pink artist which I was draggin my feet about before. I'm also going to enter a contest that I've know about for a long time, but had pretty much brushed off the idea of participating with. I know I probably wont be a finalist in the contest, but I can challenge myself to do a big project and work with a deadline. These are both things that I need to tackle head on right now. Its so easy to be scared off from trying new things but I really feel I need to put myself out there in new ways no matter how frightening it may be.

I made this art doll using the same technique as the fish. Lots of paper, tape and modge podge. Its the first art doll I've tried. I wanted to be able to look at here and be inspired. I definetly need to work with fibers more so I can become more comfortable with them. I'm not real thrilled with her hair or arms, but I used what I had on hand and she's a good start. I'm working on the pink project and the other bigger contest right now, but I think I'll try another doll in the future. I might even break out my sewing machine and sew a fabric base the next time. I really hate sewing, but I love other art dolls I've seen with the fabric so I think thats the direction I'll go next time.

One World One Heart

2008-02-01T07:20:00.000-05:00

Here are my giveaways for the one world one heart event
I could not choose what media I wanted to giveaway, so I'm going to draw 3 names (assuming at least 3 people show up here). The rules for the event are to leave a comment on this days post, you need to be a blogger, and I'll draw names on Feb. 14th. I'll leave the winners names on my blog and also try to follow your comment link to notify you and gather your shipping information.

The first prize is my colorful "Be Yourself". I used Pinata inks for the background, metallic acrylics for the dress, arms and legs, trimmed the piece with an art yarn. I used a polymer clay face (made with a Maureen Carlson mold) and gave her hair trimmed from a boa. She's a very wild woman.

My second prize is an original design beaded necklace. I used 2 shades of pink seed beads and accented with fire polished glass beads. A flower design appeared when I started playing. I finished the piece with a sterling silver s clasp.

My last prize is one of the stuffed paper fish. This one is the prototype I used before my girls night. She is made by cutting out 2 paper shapes, stuffing and taping shut modgepodging tissue over top and then decorating.

I am really excited about this event as its the first time I've done something like this. I did go through a bit of panic and stress when picking out what to offer because that old fear of no one will want your work came up. Sometimes my confidence just disappears on me and I have to go look for it again. It has been a blessing for me to recently discover the artistic blogging community. Its therapeutic to see other souls inspiring, encouraging and supporting each other. I thank each and every one of you.

And the winners are:
Junierose who will be getting the necklace,
Kathy was will receive the fish, and
Stacyzimmerman has won the "Be Yourself"

Thanks to all of you. Your supportive comments have made a tremendous difference to my self confidence. It will be a pleasure to peruse all the new blogs I've found throughout the coming months.

2008-01-29T12:59:00.000-05:00

My bathroom is mostly done. The the tub is in, the new tile is up and grouted, the painting is finally done (6 coats later) and the new shower curtain is up. We still need to change the vanity faucet, paint the door, hang the trim and hang whatever pictures we want. It is so nice to finally have a nice looking bathroom. I'm enjoing it every moment I'm in there. Thats kinda unusual for a bathroom dont ya think? Oh well find pleasure wherever you can.

My DH is done traveling for at least a few weeks to. See the beautiful roses he sent?

I love the orange pink one. They were definetly a great joy to receive. Its so nice to have him back home. Beyond that my walking partner is healing up enough that we've resumed our walks (although we're taking tomorrow off due to the icy cold we're supposed to have). Life is back on track and I'm feeling much happier.

I'm off to work on my One World One heart giveaway now. I have a pretty good idea of what it'll be, I just need to get to work. Peace and love to everyone.

2008-01-23T11:42:00.000-05:00

Well, DH has been away all last week, home for about 36 hours and won't be home til late on Fri. I've been shoved off my normal schedule and its effecting everything. Add to that my walking partner is very sick so I haven't even been doing that. (We've encountered a situation that makes us both very wary of walking alone, and skitish even when we're out together. Better to be safe than sorry.)

I'm very schedule oriented in my life and go into a funk whenever it gets to disrupted. Its a character flaw that I try to overcome, but haven't mastered. Today, I'm hoping to decide what I want to do for the One heart, one world giveaway that Lisa has organized. What fun will be in store for all of us!

I finally did some sketching and I finished this one yesterday. I love the faces of SuzyBlu so I tried to emulate the eyes and face. It was fun to try a new style. I had to add the doggie cuz my little beagle was helping me draw the night I did her.

Love and peace to all.