My Birthday Present...

Hello! I'm sorry I was away...I was in Virginia for a friend's wedding...a friend all the way back from Brownies!! What a treat it was to be with two of my oldest friends again! I "journaled" my trip through ATC cards and will share soon. For now, look at the class I just signed up for! It is an early birthday present...it's really on the 3rd, but there is an earlybird special. :) Gritty Jane is going to share her wisdom! I am excited to learn about shading, adding depth and shape to my faces, and applying it to my own style. Maybe I'll even conquer painting a nose! :)

I <3 My Girls...

One of My Favorite Songs...Enjoy!

It's a Mad, Mad, World....

Hello! :) I hope you are all recovering from the holiday weekend! We hung out at my parents...my mom makes a great sloppy joe! :) I'm so lucky in that they are my parents, but also my friends too. :) How was your holiday?!

A big thanks to all who came to our Mad Hatter Tea Party...it was so great to have you! :) This painting of Alice is *finally* up on ebay...I'm hoping to have the story doll finished soon as well.

Last night while I was reheating said sloppy joes, I heard a song that gave me an idea for a painting. More like the idea slapped me on the head and screamed, "Paint Me!" I love that! I've got some things to do first, but I can't wait to get to it! :)

This painting is also hanging out on ebay. She was one of those, end of the day, everyone's asleep, just have to create SoMeThInG kind of paintings. Those are fun...you don't think ahead, you just start grabbing and glueing and smush paint around. This is my first time piecing the background together...I think I might just be hooked. :) The blues are mostly scraps of wallpaper that I use to package my prints, with bits of sewing from when I make them envelopes. The pink floral is from a past painting and the bottom was the ringmaster's hat from the circus video. I loved the way the paint went over the embossed pattern...that is definitely my kind of fun! Oh! And this painting is sealed with beeswax too...another new favorite...I love the feel of the wax over all the pieces, threads...

It's fitting that this painting was a combination of all things "These Are the Days" and the quote about friends. I'm grateful for your visits and support and definitely consider you my friend. :)

Thank you for that!

Oh! And the winner of the Alice in Wonderland tassle is.....Tumbleweed Trails! Email me girlie! :)

Toodles!

2nd Annual Mad Hatter's Tea Party

I'm late! I'm late! But I still made it! :) Here is my contribution for A Fanciful Twist's 2nd Annual Mad Hatter Tea Party!

"Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end: then stop."

In honor of this great event, I'm having a giveaway! Become one of my kindred spirits by following my blog to be entered to win an Alice in Wonderland tassle! :) Drawing will be held on July 4th.

Have a great day!

The Mad Hatter Was Here!

See? He really was! It was quite a party! A party in honor of this:


Come back tomorrow for the video! Toodles! :)

Happy Father's Day!!

Going to be cooking today for the men in my life! :) Here's the post I did last year for Father's Day...it's worth repeating!
Have a great day everyone! :)

Click here

Hey...how was your day?

Hello Dolls! How was your day? Did you attack that never ending to-do list? Blow it off and play hookey doing something fun? Tell me about it! I'd love to know! :)

Here's what happened in this house:

Packed and shipped off some paintings...Lillian helped with this one...she wants to learn. Since I'm new to it all, we are figuring it out together. :)

Can you guess which one this box was for?Worked on our silly faces and played with Little People...this might as well be a picture of me as a kid. :)Worked on my Alice story doll...hey didn't that Queen of Hearts say, "Off with her head?!" I better make one...quick!Started a girl bonding tradition with my Lil. She was all light up inside over this!! My girl is growing up!

Your turn! :)

New House on the Market! lol

Hello all! I'm taking a break from playing around with my first adventures with beeswax and joint compound (but so far not together....hmmm?) to do Broomhilda a favor. Seems she's changed careers a bit and is dabbling in real estate. She asked me to post this here...for the full listing, you can go here. lol (Can you tell I'm in a quirky mood this morning?)
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Where do witches live?

In a witch house of course! Up for sale today, offered by Spell Real Estate is a 3 bedroom, 2 bath, with a beautiful potion room, uh, I mean kitchen.
This house was a custom build for a very particular witch. She loved polka dots...had her house painted that way with lots of texture. They are a bit hard to see in this photo...there was a full moon out that night and it produced some glare.

She was an great gardener too...those teal flowers are also used in love potion #9, just in case you need to make any.

The previous owner also had a great appreciation for all that glitters, so much so that her roof is nice and sparkly.Don't miss out on this great buy...properties like this are rare and get snatched up quickly! This one is only available because the owner had a fight with her sister and she turned her into a...well, you don't want to know that now, do you?

House stands approximately 11" tall...a spooky addition to your lot!

Cackle Cackle Cackle!!

Materials: armature, paper mache, tissue paper, glitter, polymer clay, frog legs, eye of newt, and a dash of ground bat bone

P.S. Thanks ladies. If Broomhilda starts to sell for Avon, I promise not to post about it here! lol

Paint Here, There, and Everywhere!

I just adore Mystele...it's so nice to have such a great friend in blogland! Watch her work her magic in this video! :)

May Your House Be a Fun House!

I wanted to make a house that would remind me to keep my OWN home FUN...a FUN HOUSE!

This lovable house has LOTS of texture...love love love texture I tell ya!

This house may have a red roof, but it is green, green, GREEN! :) The fun house is made out of recyclables!

May your home always be fun...and covered in polka dots too! :)

It's appropriate that I post about my fun house on a Saturday! I hope you all enjoy your weekend!

YART SALE!!!

I love yard sales! :) When I heard that etsy was having a y-art sale, I knew I wanted to participate! I have original paintings, mini paintings, and even some home decor discounted for the yart sale...right here in my etsy shop.
You can find lots more by searching for yart as well! So go on, have some fun! Here's hoping you find yourself a treasure!

Toodles!

I Get By with a Little Help from My Friends...

Just a shout out to let you know I'm on facebook...are you on it too?
I'd love to have you as a friend!

Today's my Mom's birthday...Happy Birthday Mom!!

Allowing Yourself to Bloom! :)

Good Morning Ladies! :) I want to thank you for stopping by and thank you for all your recent comments! I save them all to reply to or come visit you on your blog. I really enjoy seeing what you are up to, in art and in life as well. I got so wrapped up in a visitor's blog yesterday, I'd like to find a way to feature those that follow my blog...there are just so many amazing women out there and everything you share is such a gift to me. :) Can you tell I'm loving blogland? :)

Anyway, I have another painting to share with you...it's different, but I think the way it came about it is kind of neat.

I was waiting in line at McDonald's when a gardener came up and started hacking at an oleander bush. It was a beautiful bush, flowering and round growing along an already bare fence.

He chopped and hacked this gorgeous bush into a rectangle, cutting off all of the blooms. I watched in amazement as someone was getting paid to make something look worse, not better.

It frustrated me because that bush is meant to bloom! It's meant to flower and be a source of beauty for us and whatever pollinating insects would happen to come by as well.

It made me think about how people do the same things to themselves. They try to fit themselves into a box. More often than not it is used as an excuse.

"I can't make art, I'm _____."

"I couldn't possibly do the thing I most desire most- I am a mom, accountant, woman, ______."

There were things that you were meant to do on this planet during this time, right now. You are fighting nature just like that gardener if you keep trying to put yourself in a box and have perfect 90 degree hair.

You were meant to grow in all directions, and you can flower in all directions too.

My hope for you, as well as myself, is that we not limit ourselves and try new things. The thing you may be meant to do may be something you've never tried before. How sad it would be if we missed any of that.

The result of my time in the drive through was some added inches to my thighs and oh yeah, this painting! Maybe the next painting should be a girl who is blooming!

Are you blooming? Have you found what you're meant to do? What thrills your soul? Are you at least having fun trying? I'd love to hear all about it!

Girl and Bluebird in the Rain

She is so sad, did you know? She's standing in the rain, all cold and wet. She's shivering as the happy bluebird passes by. He's nice and dry carrying his pretty red umbrella. Sad girl has an umbrella too...why doesn't she just pick it up so she can be happy too? I'm not sure. I know sometimes I don't pick it up either.



Sometimes in life we have problems that we can fix ourselves. The answer, tool, or umbrella is right there within our reach. All we have to do is pick up the umbrella and just allow ourselves to be happy. We are in charge of the actions we take and responsible for the ones we don't.

In my house, this painting has inspired the cheerful phrase, "Just pick up the stupid umbrella!" We say this with a laugh, but the point is coming across. My nephew got his cell phone taken away because his grades were falling...all because he didn't do the in class assignments.He was sad and I asked him, "Why didn't you just pick up the stupid umbrella?!" It was up to him whether he did the assignment or chatted in class. He laughed, but understood. I'm sure he was imagining himself standing in the rain just like my sad girl.

This painting just sort of happened and I'm glad it did. :) I wanted to do a red umbrella and work on my girls showing more expression in their faces. There was a good discussion going on over at Gritty Jane's and by the end of it, I was determined to find a new way to do an eye. I got to the point that I would add the pupil and decided not to. I wasn't sure if it was cool or a little bit creepy, but in the end, I think it makes her look more soulful.

She has joined my Dorothy and another painting on ebay.

Have a great day...and don't forget to pick up your umbrella! :)

Happy Birthday Beckie! :)

If Happy Little Bluebirds Fly...

Why oh why can't I?

At least that is what my Dorothy wants to know! I've had the idea of a story doll for a long time and she is finally done! It took a Prim and Whimsy challenge to get my wheels rolling...I submitted her on the very last day just in time! I wanted to make Dorothy and show what she really wants, what is her heart's desire. What better place to put it than where her heart is? The diorama part of her is my most favorite.

Then her hair. :) And ruby mary janes!She's up one ebay now, with more explanation too. I learned a lot from making her and have several more versions of story dolls in my head. So fun!
I couldn't do this post without adding this clip. If you ever have the chance to get the soundtrack, do so! Listening to this song in the car...so crystal clear...it's like she's singing it in the passenger seat. Sigh...Judy is the best.

And so are you, for stopping by to visit...thanks!

The Last Art Masterpiece of the Year

I just finished my second year of teaching art masterpiece to the children in Lillian's class. In case you don't know, it is a volunteer program to supplement their art classes. We bring in a huge print, discuss it, and do an activity based on the artist we are talking about. I've really enjoyed teaching the kids and have tried to emphasize that they should enjoy the process and not be afraid to make mistakes.For the last class, I wanted them to play with clay and decided to showcase artists that are alive today and make their living with this medium. I brought in pictures of cute clay creations by Jenny of Polka Dot Pixie, Jenn of Noodle and Lou, and Dani of Ambitions Design.The morning of the class, a light bulb went off in my head. How GREAT would it be if the children could actually interview one of these fantastic women?! I knew they would be blown away by their art, but to talk to one of them would be like talking to a celebrity! I sent out an email to them to see if anyone was available and willing on such late notice.

You have to love blogland, you really do. All three artist were so sweet and supportive in their response! Dani was available to call in during my time with the kids and generous enough to offer her time and knowledge as well.

As expected, the kids loved all the whimsical creatures and people I showed them. Just as I was passing out the clay, the phone rang in the classroom. We put it on speaker and when Dani said her name, there was a series of gasps that swept over the room! They could not believe it! It was so long and such a shock to them that we had to laugh. :)Dani prepared a little speech for them and I hope she doesn't mind if I post it here. I think it's great advice for everyone, not just first graders! :)

I would explain how I make my living from art by sculpting..mainly Halloween characters (of all things..lol) all year long. It took me years to realize that I could make money on what seemed like a silly idea. The point is you never know until you try.

My love for Holiday arts also inspired me to start SpookyTimeJingles an online website where we sell Halloween and Christmas handmade arts all year long!

Also...often in art we can be hard on ourselves b/c we may think what we are doing is never quite good enough. We often think it should have been better.

When the truth is we are right where we are supposed to be. Art is a process just like anything else we learn to do. It can take us many tries to learn how to ride a bike or tie our shoes. It is the same with art, except the fun part is we can always learn something new to do in art. So you can never get bored!

Finally, the next time you are working on an art project and you think you messed it up or made a mistake. I say don't start over! Use that so called mistake and make it part of your project. Every single time I have made a "mistake" I have not given up but instead used in my work and it has always worked out and most times made the piece even better! So the next time you think you made a mistake-turn it into something else... Paint drops can become -polka dots or clouds. Smears can become mountains or even faces...whatever comes from your imagination!

Never feel like you have to color in the lines. Only do that if you want to. Those lines are only a guideline not a rule..so have fun!!

Afterwards, the children got to ask Dani questions. Lots of them were asking, "How do I make a ________?" Such patience Dani exhibited as she went through each creature...her best advice being to start with the belly...I'm going to try that because I always start with the head. As she talked about armatures, they nodded in their understanding...they loved her tips! One girl asked why her favorite holiday is Halloween...Dani replied because it's the one holiday that you can be as silly and free as you want to be...what a lovely answer.

I can't THANK Dani enough for taking the time to help me out this way. She definitely made a difference in their lives that day. Art isn't just something you do to pass the time, it's an everyday part of life and a wonderful outlet for all the little things going on in their little brains!

I'm posting some of their clay creations...check out the cat! I see a future Spookytime Jingles artist!

Here's a video of them saying thank you...they are always a bit on the quiet side because they've been taught not to disrupt the other classes, but they loved it! Thank you Dani! :)

Friday Freeze...a Moment of Why Not?!

WAY back, when I was going to ASU, our sociology class had to go out on campus and break social norms. As result, we created scenes. The old standby is to stand backwards in an elevator. My objective was to walk next to someone, at the same pace. She went faster, I went faster, and eventually the poor woman ran away from me.

Then comes youtube, and Improv Everywhere. When I watched them freeze in Grand Central Station, I thought, "I want to do that!" How fun would it be to take a normal day and make it just a little bit unique? I found a group in my area that pulls little pranks like these and it has been so much fun. The first one we did was a date night for Awesome Guy and I... a lot more fun than dinner and a movie! They even had a giant pillowfight at our outdoor mall! Then I got my niece and her friends in on the act...below is a video of our second "mission" together. For more info or see past missions, you can go to ImprovAZ, or look for a group in your area...there are SO many out there. :)

This was our group's first freeze. Another group found out about our prank and came to prank us! They decorated us and played finger gunfights around us, trying to make us lose our pose and laugh.

I love this group...it's one of those things I'll be glad I did when I'm old and gray in a retirement home somewhere. Carpe Diem! :)

Feeling Glamourous

I hope you all had a great Mother's Day! We went up to Thumb Butte for a hike. There was a hard way and an easier way and I decided we'd do the hard way. I just about died. lol We pushed Maddie in the stoller too! I'm not a hiker, but it felt great afterwards knowing I survived. :)

I painted this before we went up. The text I've been using lately is from a book set in th 1940's (my favorite time period!). It's very Casablanca-esque. It's done on a thick sided paper mache base. I ripped out one of the sentences that caught my eye and it gave me the idea for the painting.

"He still detained her, wishing she would look straight at him, so that he could really see her face."

Funny thing is on the hike I was wearing a big, floppy straw hat to shade me from the sun. The wind was blowing so hard that it was putting the hat in the same way as the painting. Guess what? It felt just as glamourous as I imagine a woman during the 40's felt. As glamourous as you can feel as your hiking up a dusty mountain with prickly pear everywhere dragging a stroller. lol

Afterwards, we went to an arts and crafts fair on the Courthouse Plaza in Prescott...just about my favorite place in the whole state. I did not want to come home.

So my question to you is, in this day and age, what do you do or what makes you feel glamourous? Time to get your glam on girls!

Have a great day!