Destination and Reflection

The Cabinet of Curiosity Challenge has come to an end and the final prompt offered by Kari is DESTINATION & REFLECTION. This theme seemed like a natural for me because I spend a lot of time reflecting. Self-discovery equals growth as far as I'm concerned. Not that I spend all my time living in the past, but I do think that we can learn a lot about ourselves and life from our history. My creative process usually begins by looking within. Before I can reach my ultimate destination I must first reflect upon where I have been. To illustrate this I used photographs of suitcases and other travel related elements such as a map and compass. The journaling reads, "Always remember - the journey is more important than the destination."

Happiness

I finally had some time to work on a little art today. Good thing because I was able to complete my HAPPINESS page for Kari and Bonnie's "Cabinet of Curiosity Challenge." Only one more prompt to complete. As soon as I saw this theme, I immediately thought of the title of Will Smith's latest movie, "The Pursuit of Happyness." {The Declaration of Independence came to mind as well.} Unlike the movie title, I chose to use the proper spelling of HAPPINESS because quite frankly the misspelling annoys me. I suppose it is the school teacher in me that is bothered by it. I haven't seen the movie and so I don't know if the way it is spelled is an integral part of the film or not. If there is, please let me know so I can stop being annoyed. I chose to use a lot of pink on this collage because I think pink is a happy color. . . i.e. bubble gum, cotton candy, roses, Barbie dolls, baby girls, etc. I printed the title on a transparency and adhered it with vellum dots. The blue paper lace, the vintage rose paper, and the quote are scraps from the wrappings Kari used when she sent me her swap pin {see previous post}. I love to recycle those kind of little bits and pieces. {I guess you could say it makes me HAPPY to reuse them!} The rest of the papers used in the collage {with the exception of the background paper} are from my scrap basket. I like projects where I can use papers leftover from other projects. I never throw any of my scraps out.

Monday Pick-Me-Up

Look what arrived in my mailbox today from Kari (aka Artsymama). What a perfect "pick-me-up" for a dreary Monday morning! She organized this darling little swap and I just couldn't resist being a part of it. Kari is an extremely talented artist who inspires me (and others) with her work and the challenges she posts. Last year she hosted the BOOK OF DREAMS challenge and currently she is hosting (along with Bonnie) the CABINET OF CURIOSITY challenge on her blog. Participating in swaps, challenges, round-robins, etc. is such a wonderful way to grow as an artist as well as meet new people, be inspired by their work and learn more about the artistic world. I encourage any of you who have not signed up for one of these events to take the plunge and give it a try. You will be amazed at how much you will gain from them.

Checking In

I just realized it has been a week since my last post....Yikes! Time sure does fly, doesn't it? However, we have had friends visiting from Florida this week and my regular schedule goes by the wayside when my friends are in town. They have been doing a lot of shopping at Land's End, Old Navy, Anthropologie, Macy's, Nordstroms, Restoration Hardware, IKEA, Homegoods, Container Store, etc. etc. As for me, I was looking for just the right color taper candles and discovered that tapers in yummy colors are practically non-existent these days. After checking at every store I could think of, I finally found the color I wanted at Restoration Hardware, but had to pay more than I planned to and also had to buy 2 boxes of six candles just to get two candles in the colors I wanted. That's fine with me though, as it gives me an excuse to burn candles more often.

We are having another snow and ice storm tonight, so I am wondering what the morning will bring. I am tired of snow now....ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! But then I really shouldn't whine too much as I think Colorado has had much worse weather than we have. Keep warm...

All Caught Up!

I am happy to say that I am officially all caught up on my Cabinet of Curiosity challenge prompts! Hooray!!! (Cue the confetti and balloons!!) I have always been a person who works best under the gun. But then I also like the feeling of having things completed. Go figure! Anyway, prompt number six was COLLECTIONS. Well, I didn't exactly know where to begin because as my DH would say, "You collect EVERYTHING!" Being a mixed media artist, it is difficult to part with anything that you see as a potention design element! I am sure you all can relate to that feeling. I wanted my collage to have a vintage feel to it since I collect mostly vintage items such as white ironstone pitchers, antique salt cellars, vintage cameras, old ribbons, lace and buttons, anything bird or nest related, garden themed items, vintage postcards, and so on and so on and so on. . . . . I know that all this collecting is part of the large problem I have been experiencing recently, which for those of you new to this blog is TOO MUCH STUFF in too little of a house! Even when I have the good intention to seriously start to purge, when I am actually faced with the decision of whether or not to toss out that tattered handkerchief or book I no longer use, I end up keeping them for that elusive project someday in the future! Bad, I know. Someday I will overcome this addiction. But then when I see photos of other artist's studios or work spaces and see the fabulous amounts of baubles, treats, and doo-dads that they have crammed into their areas, I no longer feel that I am the only one with this "collect and save" mentality. I guess it must just be an occupational hazard that I must learn to accept and live with. That concept is especially difficult to for someone who happens to be a Virgo and by nature likes things organized and tidy. But until I figure out how to solve this dilemma, I will continue to collect beautiful things that catch my eye and tug at my heart because "someday" may be just around the corner!

What Inspires Me?

The fifth prompt from Kari and Bonnie's Cabinet of Curiosity Challenge was INSPIRATION. This is a favorite theme of mine to use in my artwork. There is inspiration all around us...you just have open your eyes and take it all in! This collage highlights my favorite inspirations du jour. I used an example of each of them as elements of the design. These are listed inside the little quotation tag. They are Books, Magazines, Nature, Cavallini Papers, Color, Famous (or not so famous) Quotes, Music, Catalogs, and Other Artists. If you look closely you will find a snippet of Kari's layout from this post where she included a photo I sent her. I was thrilled to see it used in her artwork, so I found a way to immortalize it in my artwork.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Dream and Wonder Pages

I was able to complete two more pages this morning for the Cabinet of Curiosity Challenge which is running here and here. Bonnie and Kari are giving us fabulous prompts and thoughts to ponder. The DREAM page is all about goals and dreams. I used a photo of our "Dream House" that we just finished building and also a wee version of a "Dream Big in 2007" layout that I did after the first of the year. Inside the polka-dot organza bag is a clock face to remind me to "take time to dream."

I created the WONDER page with a shell chandelier from an old Anthropologie catalog, which I glittered up to make it seem like it was lit. For me the word wonder evokes a sort of a lighting up in our brain about all the possibilities life has to offer. I used bright colors to help carry out that theme.

Amazing!

Isn't this amazing? This is a sculpture by Jennifer Maestre that is made entirely of colored pencils! To see more go here.

Cabinet of Curiosity

Can you believe it? I actually have two pages of the Cabinet of Curiosity Challenge completed. I am thrilled to finally have some time to work on this project. I'm creating these pages on 9 x 12 sheets of watercolor paper instead of in an album. I am not sure how I am going to house these pages yet - I have a couple of ideas cooking in my head - so I thought it would be best to just keep the pages loose for now. The watercolor paper (140 lb) is great for collage work because the stiffness of the paper adds stability to the artwork.

The first page of the challenge is EXPLORE. I concentrated on exploring nature through walks in the woods and on nature trails. There are so many things to discover on these outdoor excursions -bird nests, flowers, leaves, butterflies, trees, etc. I love all the colors in nature....you can find any color you imaginable. The greens and browns are especially appealing to me because there are unlimited variations of each.

The second page of the challenge is CURIOSITY. My focus here was the typical questions people ask when they are curious about something - Who, What, When, Where, Why and How. Being curious about things is how we expand our minds and learn about new things. It's the secret to personal growth. Be sure to ask questions of yourself as well as those around you. You'll be amazed at how much knowledge we all have to share.

Weekend Clutter Control

And I wonder why I wasn't in the mood to be creative? Well I actually did know why, but just couldn't get motivated to find a place for the huge pile of stuff that had accumulated on my desk. Being a collector of ephemera and having a tiny work space just don't mix well. HOWEVER, after a very busy weekend of cleaning, the desk is now spic and span again:
I drank lots of coffee during the process....in m favorite Anne Taintor designed coffee mug. Experts say it's good to keep your goals posted in front of you: I just watched Oprah this morning and I am thinking that maybe I need to make a run to Barnes and Noble to buy Peter Walsh's new book.

More Shadow-Boxes

Here are some more shadow boxes I just made. These are smaller that the previous ones, measuring approximately 5 x 7 inches. I love working with tags and am greatly inspired by Sarah Lugg and her tag art. The one above has a Valentine theme. Below are two more - one I made for St. Patrick's Day and the other I made for my daughter. The tags are made of wood and I purchased them at Michaels. I believe the frames, which came unfinished, may have been from Micheals as well. I have had these unfinished items lying around my studio for quite some time now and finally have gotten around to doing something with them!

GO BEARS!

My Retreat

I just sent this photo to Kari in response to her photo request on her blog. This is the inside of the little potting shed/garden house that my DH built me a few summers ago after I found a picture of one in an issue of Country Living Magazine. I ooohed and aaahed over that picture (and all the others I started to collect after that) so much that I think he built it for me so he wouldn't have to listen to me exclaim over the idea of a potting shed anymore. There is a funny story that happened when he was building it for me. All the neighborhood men would come over and check out the manly-sized shed he was building and my DH never once told them it was for me and all my pretties and not for him and his tools. Well, once the men saw us staining the floorboards a robin's egg blue color and the lace curtains being hung in the windows, they never came over again. It was their wives that started coming over to check it out then. Too funny!

Dreamland

These are pictures of the view from our cottage - back and front. Yesterday it started snowing in the morning and everything looked so pristine and beautiful. Unlike at home in the city where soon after the snow falls, it starts to look dirty and slushy. Things stay pure and white for a much longer time out in the country. We spent the weekend painting again. All doors and trimwork are finished now - on the first floor at least. Next time we will be staining the railing and newel post. We also now have a bed! No more sleeping on the floor on air mattresses. That is a HUGE improvement. The place is starting to look more like a home everyday. Sometimes it is hard to leave and go back to our home to our other house. It still is hard for me to believe this dream has actually come to fruition. What seemed like such an impossible dream, one that would never actually become a reality, has now been attained. The lesson here is to never give up on your hopes and dreams...when the time is right, everything will fall into place.

Getting To Know You...and Me!

A friend of mine sent me this "Getting To Know You" survey to fill out, so I thought I would share it with all of you. Maybe you'll want to try it too. If you do then post your link in the comment section at the bottom of this post. I'd love to see how other people answer these questions.

1. What is your occupation? Full Time Artist/Designer, Part Time Office Manager
2. What color are your socks right now? Navy Blue
3. What are you listening to right now? The Dr. Phil Show
4. What was the last thing that you ate? A Granola Bar
5. Can you drive a stick shift? No. My husband tried to teach me when we were dating and I've never tried it again.
6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Any shade of green
7. Last person you spoke to on the phone? My Friend, Sybil
8. What is your favorite drink? Starbuck's Caramel Macchiato
9. What is your favorite sport to watch? At the moment, football....Go Bears!
10. Have you ever dyed your hair? I have added highlights to cover the gray!
11. Pets? A 13 yr. old black cat named Midnight. We've found him by a loading dock when he was a few days old and abandoned by his mother.
12. Favorite food? Stuffed French Toast
13. What was the last movie you watched? It's been a while....But I think it was Little Miss Sunshine.
14. Favorite day of the year? The First Day of Spring.
15. What do you do to vent anger? Clean the House...Weird, I Know.
16. Your favorite toy as a child? Barbie Dolls
17. What is your favorite Season? Definitely Spring.
18. Hugs or kisses? Hugs
19. Favorite Meal? Breakfast
20. Living arrangements? House on a half-acre in suburbia
21. When was the last time you cried? During the Christmas Program at Church.
22. What is on the floor of your closet? Shoes
23. Who is the friend you have had the longest. Nancy - We've known each other for 47 years....Yikes!
24. What did you do last night? Watched the State of the Union speech on TV.
25. Favorite smells? Freshly mown grass and new born babies.
26. What inspires you? Books, Magazines, Nature, Fashion, Other Artist's Work, Quotations - I could go on and on.
27. What are you most afraid of? Failure.
28. What country you would most like to visit? France
29. Favorite dog breed? Beagle
30. Number of keys on your key ring? Six
31. States you have lived in? So far only one - Illinois
32. Favorite holiday? Christmas
33. Ever driven a Motorcycle? No, but I rode on the back of one when I was in college.
34. Where do you work on your art? In a spare bedroom dedicated for all things creative.
35. Favorite Artist? Monet

Weekend Work Zone

We went up to the cottage for a long weekend and spent our first nights there. How exciting! What wasn't so exciting was sleeping on the floor on air mattresses. I have come to the conclusion that we are way too old for that kind of discomfort! After spending one night on the floor, we made a beeline to the mattress store and ordered one to be delivered this Friday. I can't wait! We had hoped to wait a bit on any big purchases until we replenished our savings account a bit after building the cottage, but we both gave in and agreed that a bed is sort of a necessity.
We spent most of of time at the cottage working. I made a simple crisp white curtain to hang in the bathoom window for a little privacy. My DH cleaned out the crawl space as he wasn't too impressed with the builder's quality of cleaning. I also put down shelf liner in all the kitchen cupboards. For a tiny kitchen it certainly needed an awful lot of shelf liner! I ran out once and had to go buy more and that still wasn't enough! We hung a bamboo blind in the kitchen window. I like how the wood adds a little warmth to the room. Then we started to fill nail holes, sand and repaint all the wood trim in the house. The carpenter installed the wood trim, but we elected to do all the painting in the house to cut down on costs. What seemed like a good idea back when we began this process, has turned into somewhat of a boring chore now. But if I think of all the $$$$ we saved, it makes the whole thing a lot less painful.

Due to our trip to the cottage, I am now two days behind on the Cabinet of Natural Curiosities challenge I signed up for. Yikes! Sorry Kari and Bonnie....I have lots of catching up to do now! But check out their websites to see what truly amazing work they have done for the first two prompts.

Show and Tell

Thought I would share this collage I did in a shadow box frame for my soon to be 95 year old aunt. That is her in the photograph along with my uncle who passed away several years ago. She misses him a lot and I thought this would be a nice remembrance for her to look at. They were married in 1938 and the white card in the lower left side is their wedding invitation (back when the bride sent engraved invitations to their wedding).

Here is another shadow box frame that I did for a baby shower gift. Simple and sweet. I love making things like this to give as gifts, but sometimes I hate parting with them. After creating them they become almost like offspring. But just like children, eventually you must set them free.

The Door to a New Challenge

I am so excited about a new challenge that I am going to participate in starting January 18th. Kari and Bonnie are hosting it and you can read about it here and here. If you are like me and need to jump start your creative juices you may want to join in on the fun!

Just a Quick Hello

Gee, it's been a while since I sat down at my computer. So this morning I took my cup of coffee and forced myself to fire up the laptop and check my email. Wowee!! It's amazing how much stuff accumulates in your "inbox" when you haven't been online for a while. So after I answered all the email (and deleted all the spam) I thought I would enter a post here just to say howdy! We have been so busy with the cottage - closing with the builder, shopping for essentials, on the phone setting up accounts for electric and gas service and homeowner's insurance - plus my DH has taken some vacation days and my daughter is on break from school, so my normal schedule has been totally out the window. I haven't even had time to work on any artwork since the new year began. Yikes! So thought I would let you peek at some of my favorite places to get inspired...like here and here and here. Oh and here too. And I can't forget my all-time favorite here.

Nearing Completion

It's almost finished! Hard to believe that soon we will have a place to go to recharge, relax and maybe retire to. A dream brought to fruition. Somebody pinch me!!