It's Been A While

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

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
















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

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













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

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

Updating My Blog

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

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

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

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

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

Artwork for the Home

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

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

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

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

Tag You're It!!

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

The rules of the game are as follows:

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

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

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

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

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

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

5. I LOVE "Pink Lady" apples!

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

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

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

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

Fannie http://fannienartefineart.blogspot.com

Lorri http://auslorri.blogspot.com

Sara http://heartbreakart.typepad.com/

Mare http://moonstarsstudio.blogspot.com

crimsoncat http://crimsoncat05.blogspot.com


Have a good day!