Color!

I love working with color in unexpected ways! This is a color combo that I would not normally sit down and use. Not because I don't like the colors. These are just not colors that I wear or have in my home. I found a turquoise paper with purple flowers on it and thought it was beautiful! There is the tiniest strip of it on this piece that inspired me to use the 2 colors together and I really love the combo. Sometimes we get into color ruts and have to move in a complete opposite direction. It's very refreshing to me when this happens. I'm sure this cutie will find a home filled with purples and teals somewhere and she will be quite happy!




"Lulu" can be found at http://www.trashallamode.etsy.com/

Published!

Print available at http://www.trashallamode.etsy.com/

Yea! I'm in the July issue of Somerset Studio magazine. I just got my copy and love it! I have an article featuring  fashion art made of trash. I used lots of newspaper for these 3 pieces. I had papers from Montrreal, France, Italy and Thailand. I so hope there's nothing bad written in these languages because the girls and their dresses are so cute!
 
 

What i've Been Up To This Week

There are those days when I think to myself  "what made me ever think I could do this?" Last August on a whim I wrote a book proposal to North Light books, one of the top arts and crafts publishers in the country. On that day I honestly thought it would never happen but it would be good experience for me. Much to my surprise, the aquisition editor loved the idea! By December I signed the contract. I worked daily for 3 months on the artwork and the featured projects. About 30 pieces later I was whisked off to Cincinnati for the photo shoot. It was an amazing time. I felt like I was supposed to be doing this. For the first time in my life I felt like I was in my element.
Well.....let me tell you....the last few weeks have been the extreme opposite! Literally for weeks I could not sit and write. I was completely paralyzed, wondering how I was going to pull things off. This week out of the blue, I have been able to write. Yep, 6600 words yesterday. Call it a deadline, prayer, panic or a bit of all three. I could write! The first chapter is absolutely the hardest and I finished it last night. It's about sketching and it's not easy instruction at all! But I am happy with the way it turned out. I am happy with the voice I finally found. These 2 fashionistas will be in the beginning of chapter one. Well, I best get off and start chapter two.

Urban Barn Class

I am so lucky to be teaching a class at the Grand Opening of The Urban Barn in Escodido. When I first walked into this shop I was in total ahh. Crystal chandeliers dripping from the ceiling, vintage tiaras and my favorite, French script everywhere! It was in one word... heaven. Beautiful jewelry, home decor...I couldn't even begin to describe all of the yummy goodies here. You have to visit their site to see it all!

              http://urbanbarn155.blogspot.com/

Letting Go and Moving On

I received a few emails regarding my post where I decided to have a tantrum and rant and rave. I think I need to clear a few things up. I am not losing  my house and I am not starving (believe me, I think i would live a long time without food with this bod!) Was just feeling some frustrations and after putting them out there, it gave me a huge feeling of letting go. I have such great things happening in my life right now and am forever grateful for them. Any woman at a crossroad in her life is bound to feel a bit down and I really feel you must acknowledge those feelings (just not more than one day) and then move on.
Thank you to all for your good wishes and positive thoughts. It's amazing how a few words from people you don't even know can help!
I had a most productive weekend. I talked to the owner of Stamp Your Heart Out in Clarremont and will be teaching a class in her shop in July. I can't wait. This is such a great little shop that has supported my endeavors since starting this creative biz. I also designed some new ceramic pieces and will be painting them this week in hopes of getting them fired by the end of the week. I'm working on teacups and saucers as well as a vase. I made a few of these little wooden chunkies (pictured) that I will be selling in a local fair this month. I liked the way they came out so I made more only painting my girls onto them. Adorable! Because they are only 3 inches square. So cute!

Gratitude

I have had some major mood swings lately and that can make for some difficult postings, so I have avoided this whole blogging thing! I am taking the Kelly Rae Taking Flight class and today's post happened to on blogging so I thought I needed to post whether I want to or not! I decided to focus on gratitude today. This photo is a view that I get to see every time I walk in my front door. When you walk in the door you look beyond the living and dining rooms into the backyard. This was taken a couple of months ago when most of the country was still getting snowstorms! I am so grateful that I get to see color almost every day of the year from my windows. It can be so inspiring!
I am grateful for this class because it is making me slow down and think, where I want and need to go next with my creative journey. I am grateful for the art show I am participating in next month even tho it is small and has no major following. I am also grateful that I met a most wonderful woman Mary, who has asked me to teach a class at The Urban Barn which has a huge following of the most delightful ladies you could ever imagine. I am grateful I was asked by Jenny Doh to share my story on Crescendoh.com. By the way it's posted this week! My journey has been a crazy one...baby steps and huge steps with no reasonable order but I suppose most journeys are that way. I am grateful no matter the size of the steps, I am always moving foward.