It's My Birthday

It's a Saturday, so I don't anticipate doing anything really. Yesterday I got to go to Barnes and Noble and hang out by myself, which is probably on my favorite top five things to do. If we had one in my town, I would treat it like a Library.....although, I stopped going to my local library years ago. It's so much easier just finding what I want on the internet and either reading it there, or purchasing used copies from ABE.com .

Last night I was a little misconjumbled, and I looked through a lot of things and handled a lot of things for inspiration, but I just couldn't find my groove.......so, after some surfing on Etsy
(problems posting) (argh!) anyway, I found this online painting class for mixed media backgrounds! OhMy! Just what I was looking for, only I didn't think I would actually find a class. It might be a problem because I start shows shortly, and it is a rat-race to keep up all the stuff I have to do. Paulette has six seven minute painting videos on You Tube that I watched last nite. They are lightening speed, but very inspirational. Since I enjoy doing faces most of all, I cannot wait to try some of her technique. Hopefully, I will allow myself some messy painting!!!

Since I enjoy painting on other surfaces besides white backgrounds, I think I will like adding things and playing with templates, etc.

I used my heat transfer machine for postcard backgrounds, but I ran into a glitch that I hadn't expected when planning......I cannot iron on appliques to them, because they cannot be ironed......that will make me have to hand-applique the additions I wanted to do to them. Overall, I am happy with the transfers themselves, and more time should prove worthy.

I think today I will probably spend mostly in the studio, creating. I have my second show next weekend and I really need it to count.

Besides that, my friend, Mary gave me a basket of gardening goodies to start me off when the ground gets workable. There are gloves, and a spade, seeds, a little shepherd's hook with plaque, a welcome sign for my studio, hand lotion and body spray in the fragrance of "cucumber"---which I like, because besides "vanilla", I don't like smelling like fruit or candy.....lol. Actually, there was a store in the mall that used to carry a scent called "fresh cut grass"----I LOVE that. But, they don't anymore. Anyway, that's my day!

Spilling the Beans.......

I still find each day too short for all the walks I want to take, all the thoughts I want to think, all the books I want to read and all the friends I want to see......John Burroughs.
John left out a few more things I can't find time for.......projects. All the projects I want to learn and do before I cannot see or use my hands......I feel like the robot on the eighties film which I cannot remember the title for: "Input, Input"......I seem to walk around sucking in whatever my eyes and ears can take. My hands just can't keep up with it all.


Since moving my things (most of them) out to the studio, I find I don't work so long into the night and so I am not putting in the hours and not getting to as much as I would like to, either. I know summer will bring more daylight hours and so I will work out there longer, but I am in a little panic just now. Don't get me wrong, I love being able to shut the door and walk away without having to put everything away only to have to take it all out again in a few hours. I do like being able to differentiate home work with house work. I do like the feel of it being two different tasks. I just feel off-balance a little.

It feels a little like a grind trying to balance on-line production with off-line production. I have two different audiences and it is a little of a juggling act. My plan is to diminish my off-line trail somewhat. I do far too many road shows. Currently I am booking around 43 shows. It is just too much. Some of them I never get to do because of inclimate weather, but I still have to plan and oft times "show up".

And even though I am "pressed" for time, I LOVE it all and couldn't ask for a better way to make my living. I am glad that I got in when it was first a "hobby" and then by the time it had to earn my keep, I got a lot of the "kinks" worked out. Now, I find myself changing direction again, but with the risk of having to "earn my keep" while changing up----a little more intimidating. At any rate........
I plan to keep it a good "brew". Stay tuned.........♥

I love painted dishes

It's not like I don't have enough dishes, but these painted ones get me all the time. I don't know what it is about dishes that looked like they have been newly water-colored, but I can't resist lingering in their presence and touching and handling them, and even doing a bit of fantasizing........

If I were a potter, I know I would definitely have to paint on my dishes like this. When Tracey Porter was new in the field, I liked her things very much, but something happened to her designs, they are not as appealing as I once thought they were. They are not fresh and simple, but more foreign looking and overkill.

I like dishes that look like vegetables and fruit, too. Like bowls shaped like watermelon, or head lettuce, or dishes that are a half carrot. At Easter there seems to be an abundance of vegetable shaped dishes.

This particular set came from Mackenzie-childs and run a whopping $98.00 per dinner plate, $65.00 per mug, $65.00 per tea cup and the saucer another $40.00. The wonderful tea pot $185.00. They sure are delicious to look at, though.

I may post some pictures of the dishes I actually own.....I have some really neat ones and I use them, too. Take care until I write again!

Just Me Blog

I joined a group of artists that do softies on Flickr and they started a blog about their work as a joint effort, so I had to get a google account to post to it. It seemed only logical to use my account to have another blog----afterall, what am I ever going to do with all my free time??????LOL.
The blog is called PlushParade
and it will be fun to be a part of it. This blog I desire it to be more of a natural flow of me, and not strictly for my crafting as Shebrews
is. Shebrews is all about what I am doing in the art and craft field. This blog I just want to be about anything.
I wanted to sign up for a blogger account at first try, but for some reason my computer would never load it. I tried and tried. The good news is now I can post on other blogger blogs that don't have open invitations. So many I have wanted to write a comment, but they were not accessible through type pad bloggers.

Two blogs will be quite challenging, but since I love to write, perhaps a little serendipitis? If you find me, let me know.