autumn postcards

Fighting a bug & laying low last weekend allowed me to start working on a postcard swap I signed up for with one of the groups I belong to. I hadn't done any paper crafting for awhile, and it felt surprisingly foreign at first, but it came back to me. I finished the five cards today, so will drop them in the mail Monday.

Now to grab some lunch & a nap before moving over to the other side of the studio..... I hope you're enjoying a good day too!

clove & our first snow

I awoke this morning congested & with a sore throat. Boy, did that hit fast, as I felt great last night. Hopefully it'll pass as quickly as it came. To help in that regard, I cancelled today's plans and am laying low. I did some online research about which essentials oils are good for my condition and unfortunately, didn't find a lot of consistency amongst the various websites I visited. A couple mentioned clove, and since that's one of my favorites and I have it on hand, I chose it. If it doesn't work, at least I'll enjoy the aroma. It's such a warm fall scent.

I had another surprise when I awoke this morning ~ our first snow of the season. Large, fluffy flakes floated gently about, bringing a crisp freshness to the air. I took these photos early in the day, from our patio door. A little over an inch accumulated before it all melted away this afternoon. The photo below shows it on a cob web ~ interesting, huh?

Stay healthy out there!

postscript to virtual studio tour

I had a great time this past weekend visiting all the studios on the tour (at least I think I made it to all of them). What a visual treat to see such varied work spaces, each enabling those creative souls to express themselves and make this world a better place. My special thanks to those of you who visited my studio via my blog and especially those who left a kind comment. You truly brightened my day.

Speaking of comments, I received several comments about the metal strip at the bottom of one of the shelving units. I'd like to share a few more of these little niceties that make the area so functional. If you can take away a helpful idea from here, my mission is complete {smile}.

Drawer slides work great for printers that open on top for scanning and for other items that need to be opened from the top when used (like my Silhouette).

An eight-outlet electrical strip attached under the work surface makes getting power easy, without the inconvenience of cords draped across the work surface. A peel-n-stick ruler (this one is 48") attached to the work surface means there's one less item to get in the way.

Modular shelving made from inexpensive mdf (medium density fiberboard) allows for wonderful flexibility. The majority of the shelves in my area are like the one pictured above. They can be hung (see next photo) or stacked. The slots allow thin panels to be inserted either horizontally or vertically as needed.

The shelves can be hung any number of ways, but we found this method to be the most flexible. A wedge-shaped board is screwed to the back of the shelf and two boards, the top one also wedge-shaped, are screwed to the wall. The board attached to the shelves nestles into the top board on the wall while the bottom board on the wall keeps the entire shelving unit equal distance from the wall, top to bottom.

Last but not least, is handy parcel paper and gift wrap storage (please ignore the dust ~ I'd rather be creating than cleaning).

If you have any questions or tips you'd like to share, please post a comment or send an email to me. I welcome your input!

welcome to my studio

Welcome to my studio! Latin guitar is playing on the stereo & cedar incense is burning to sooth the senses. There are warm glows here & there from various little lamps, dragonfly lights, etc. Make yourself at home, be inspired, get paint/ink/clay/whatever on your hands & under your fingernails. Indulge & have fun!

This photo shows the room overall (the other half, behind me as I'm taking the picture, is the yoga/exercise area ~ a very important part of my life too). My very best four-legged friend and puppy soul mate is there in his bed.... with me wherever I go.

This side is set up for card making & painting (the easel is mostly cut off in the picture ~ off to the left with my denim apron hanging from it). Recently gessoed canvas frames are drying on the work surface, calling for me to express myself. If you're interested, you can click on the photo to see more detail.

As you can see, I have a weakness for stuffed animals ~ a weakness my wonderful husband indulges me in. There are several stuffed animals sprinkled about the room, helping to lighten the mood when needed, as well as giving me someone else to talk to when our dog stops listening {smile}.

Oh, and speaking of my husband, he's the talented individual who built this studio for me, to my exact specifications. I'm very blessed... and very grateful. He didn't miss a detail. For example, the bottom front edge of the shelf in the third photo has a metal strip, painted black, so I can easily use a magnet to hang instructions in front of me when I'm trying new techniques.

This area is set up for jewelry work, metals, sewing, UTEE, Friendly Plastic (the griddle is a few shelves under the stuffed animals in the last picture) and polymer clay (the oven is behind the butterfly photo on the upper shelf to the right). I don't really need two dremels, but my dad didn't use his anymore and offered it to me, so hey, why not? It's actually come in handy a few times.... having one with a sanding disk attached all the time and the other open for whatever attachment is needed has saved a little time.

Here is, unfortunately, where I am a lot of the time, instead of creating in the other work areas. There's just so much eye candy in blogland, that I get pulled in. Does this happen to you too? I now have a timer next to the keyboard, to help me manage my time better. Saturday, however, that's going out the window. I'm going to take my time and enjoy the Open Studios Virtual Tour. Come along with me, won't you?

The words on the lampshade, repeated in at least three other places in the room are a constant reminder to myself. BELIEVE.....

Thanks for visiting. If you'd like, leave a comment with your questions or feedback. As most bloggers will tell you, it's not why we blog, but it's a very nice fringe benefit!

open studios virtual tour

A friend turned me onto Cloth Paper Scissors earlier this month (thanks, Terry!). I don't know how I've missed this great publication all these years. I won't miss it going forward. In it, I learned of their sister publication, Studios. This I've gotta have, as I love looking at other people's work spaces. I study the organization, the practicality, the comfort, colors, you name it and I'm enjoying it & learning from it. Then yesterday, I discovered the blogs for these publications. Better yet, they are hosting a virtual open studios event this Saturday! What a great way to get to see others' studios while sharing my little slice of heaven. Grab a cup of coffee Saturday morning & join me as we take in the sights!

Virtual Open Studios Tour, beginning Saturday, October 3, 2009.

rule of thirds

It was a beautiful day here today, so before the sun set, I grabbed my camera and enjoyed the fresh air. Since my primary goal was to enjoy the moment, I kept my photo-shoot simple using the rule of thirds.

I liked how the shadows played on the wood path...

Here they played on the fence. If you squint a little, can you see the face ~ forehead, eyes & nose?

Last winter was tough on my climbing roses, but somehow my favorites hung on and blessed us with a handful of blooms this year. This might be the last one of the season...

Have a great week!

FP dragonflies & 100 days

It's been awhile since I posted. Unwanted family drama visited, taking my time & energy. Before that, I was able to play a tad, and the last two nights catch up on some sleep, so I'm back & ready to engage again.

Here are a couple of dragonflies I made using Friendly Plastic (click on the image to see a closer view). I added glass beads to the bottom one before coating with gloss glaze. The effect is a little like the veins on real wings. The top dragonfly shows the veins that were part of the original metal charm I used to press into the FP.

Did you know, counting today, there are 100 days left in 2009? Time flies fast. Life passes quickly. Get out there & enjoy it while you can! And don't forget to come back & visit!

what's your focus?

I got my first camera while in junior high school. I think I sent away for it from one of those ads in the back of a magazine. Unlike the pink-paddled breast-enhancer (you know them.... you'd squeeze the paddles together in front of your chest) that only gave me sore arms when it promised a larger bosom, the cheap plastic camera actually worked. Here's what was probably the first picture taken with that camera (my sis took it ~ it's of me ~ age 14).

In high school I received a 110 pocket Instamatic as well as a Polaroid self-developing camera. It wasn't until digital came around that I decided to invest in something new. I chose an Olympus Camedia C3000. It was one of the best non-SLR cameras available in 2001 and worked well for me for several years. It still works, but this year I wanted something more ~ something with more zoom that I could easily carry with me. Not finding one camera to fit both needs, I purchased two. In my purse, I carry a Canon PowerShot SD1100 IS Digital Elph. When I'm after good photographs, I use my Canon PowerShot SX1 IS. The SX1 IS is as close as I could find to an SLR without the price tag, challenges & higher learning curve of an SLR (I hope to get there someday).

Anyhoo..... to the point of this blog post... The auto-focus of most cameras zeros in on what is exactly in the center of your viewfinder/ LCD screen. What if that's not the section of your photo that you want to be the sharpest? For example, here's a picture I took without thinking about the auto-focus.


The fence is more in focus than the metal ring. This was not my intent. When I realized my mistake, I went back for another photo. This time, I shifted the camera so a portion of the metal ring was in the center then held the focus button half-way to 'lock' it. I then shifted the camera so the fence was again in the center of the photo and snapped the picture. See the difference?


Is this earth-shattering? Umm, no. It is something, however, that novice photographers might easily forget. Discovering a problem when we get home and view the photo on our computer monitor is not the time to shift the focus. Whenever we can, it behooves us to take a few moments before taking a picture to think through everything, then after snapping the picture, zoom in to view the photo on the camera's LCD screen before moving on.

Happy photographing!

let your life speak

This evening I finished reading "Let Your Life Speak - Listening for the Voice of Vocation" by Parker J. Palmer. It's insightful and thought-provoking. As I thought through what the author had shared, I noticed I'd highlighted & tabbed at least a dozen pages. With that much good stuff, I decided to share a few paragraphs. I went to the publisher's website to find the correct form to request permission. That's where I saw notice that it will take approximately 4 to 6 weeks to process my request. I'm not that patient, so must forgo sharing the paragraphs I'd selected and opt instead for just one sentence (which I hope won't get me in trouble with copyright laws).

"We are here not only to transform the world but also to be transformed." ~ Parker J. Palmer

You can read more about this book on Amazon.com (and I suppose several other sites that sell books). It's a great little book that I highly recommend. My thanks to Patti Digh for suggesting it.

Oh, and yes, I need a fourth category for my blogging (see yesterday's post) entitled "other." {smile}

a little organization please

Taking a cue from Melissa Haren who hosts a delightful & diverse blog, I'm going to put some structure around my blogging. I intend for this to not only help me stay on track with my goals, but be informational (and with any luck, inspirational) for anyone who reads my blog as well. My focus will be on three main categories:

• arts & crafts (greeting cards, jewelry, mixed media, etc. made with Friendly Plastic, metal, polymer clay, acrylics, UTEE, the possibilities are endless... )

• photography (anything from composition to camera settings to links to some great pictures &/or informational sites)


• aromatherapy (information about essential oils, etc.)

Each week, I intend to learn something new &/or play in at least one, if not all three of these areas, and pass along that knowledge/ share the results with you. Are any of these areas you're interested in?

Please come along with me, and if you have skills and/or knowledge you'd like to share, I welcome it! If you have questions or comments, post them! I'm determined to engage & experience this life we're given and I'd love to do that with like-minded souls.

They say when you know you must teach others, you put more focus on retaining what you learn. I'm going to test that theory {smile}.

volunteers, reflection, remains & whimsy

I wondered around our yard with my camera today. As I didn't plant any veggies this year, I was delighted a month or two ago to see volunteer tomato plants growing from the previous year's fallen tomatoes. What a luscious treat a ripe tomato is eaten fresh from/in the garden!

Here I caught my reflection, along with the clouds, in the water of our pool.

This is the remains of a clematis flower. As beautiful & interesting as the blossom itself, don't you think? Looks like something Tim Burton would dream up.


And what would a garden/home be without some whimsy here & there? This is just one of several smiles we've sprinkled about.

time & the holiday weekend

For most of us, this is a three-day weekend ~ WOO-HOO! Here at our house, we're doing home maintenance projects & enjoying time with family. We've also set aside play time for creating. I'll share a photo or two in the next couple of days, but just want to plant a couple seeds this morning for everyone....

"Do we really need more time, or do we simply need to use our time more wisely?" ~ Amy Jones

"The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot." ~ Michael Altshuler

I hope you have a wonderful & creative holiday weekend!

fall jewelry set & discovering my purpose

I had high hopes going into this weekend to play with Friendly Plastic &/or polymer clay to make some unique jewelry pieces. Alas, it wasn't meant to be this weekend. I did, however, squeeze in some time last night to bead/wire a necklace & earring set for one of my favorite fall blouses.

Today I browsed through the fall calendar of local adult education classes. I seriously considered the precious metal clay class, but decided I have enough stuff to play with already, without adding something new just now. I want to play with what I've got first! I did, however, sign up for a class (almost always do... just can't resist). It's entitled, "Discover Your Purpose." My husband just smiled & laughed a little when I told him the two classes I'd considered & which one I chose, saying he knew it would be either arts/crafts or self-discovery/help. What can I say? {smile}...

How about you? What's the last class you signed up for?

getting arboreal: a nature collection

If you follow my blog, you know I have a thing for trees, so when I learned Julie over at The Land of Lost Luggage was teaming up with JeriAnn for their second annual photo excursion and the subject was trees, I grabbed my camera. Meet my tree....

This tree is one of two river birches my husband & I planted a couple of years ago. Isn't the bark interesting? And what a deal we got.... as part of a special program sponsored by our local energy company and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, we purchased them for only $25 each. What a bargain!

Be sure to come back around November 8-14 for a new photo or two, as each of us participating in the excursion will post a total of three times (the last being the week of April 4-10). In the meantime, act like a tree frog and hop (or click) on over to Julie's blog to see her tree, as well as links to all the other participant's photos.

delighted!

I'm delighted to share that today my Friendly Plastic charm from my last post is featured on the Friendly Plastic blog. How fun is that?! Do a gal a favor and check it out, will ya? I'm betting you'll see something you like over there. It's full of inspiration, eye candy, techniques with step-by-step instructions and links to other fun, inspiring sites.

A special thanks to Linda Peterson of Linda Peterson Designs for reaching out to me for this opportunity. Every day holds something special in store!

"It makes no difference how many peaks you reach if there was no pleasure in the climb." ~ Oprah Winfrey

Enjoy the journey.

my first charm swap

front

back

This month I participated in a charm swap with the Yahoo group Altered Art of Visions and Dreams. Each of us created three charms no larger than 1-1/2", and each with a silver jump ring. I decided to use Friendly Plastic for mine. Considering this was only my second time using Friendly Plastic, there was some trial & error, but it was all fun. Instead of using a rubber stamp to create a recessed image, I used a broken broach of my Grandmother's. For the back, I cut a circle from the metal portion of an old floppy diskette (remember those?), hammered it to create texture, then applied metal ink to it. After attaching the front to the back, I dipped each charm in gloss glaze for protection along with a nice shine.

These charms were a lot of fun to make and I'm anxious to make more Friendly Plastic pieces, as a variety of ideas have been swimming in my head.

What about you? Have you played with Friendly Plastic? Do tell....

renewed enthusiasm & goal setting

I enjoy photography. I am not educated in the craft, knowing next-to-nothing about aperture, shutter speed, etc., but I enjoy taking photos none-the-less.

Those of you that follow my blog know I submitted photos to the Iowa State Fair this year and none of them were accepted. While disappointing, it was really a gift in disguise (most disappointments are). We attended the Iowa State Fair on Friday and as we do every year, visited the Photography Salon first to see all the beautiful and inspiring photographs, paying particular attention to those on the wall with ribbons. Afterwards, I asked to retrieve my photos from the back room and was lucky enough to have the Superintendent of the event assist me. He asked if I'd like his feedback on my work. Did I ever?! He looked at each of my photos with me, telling me specifically what I could've done differently that most likely would've earned entrance into the show and even ribbons for a couple of them. He said it was clear I have a good eye and he knew if I worked at it, I'd be in the event next year, giving me all kinds of tips & suggestions. Now, obviously, he wants to grow the event (they broke records again this year) but he was so truly passionate and enthusiastic about photography and helping me learn & understand things, that I believe him. Spending 10-15 minutes with him was the highlight of my day! When we left the building, I sat down and made notes from everything he'd told me, so as not to forget a thing!

After that, and some fair food, we took in all the fantastic pieces at the Fine Arts event and then the Arts & Crafts area. Usually I gravitate to the mixed media pieces, but this year, it was a color-washed pen & ink drawing that caught my eye. The piece has so much going on in it I could look at it for hours. Most importantly, it stirred a feeling in me I cannot describe. That's what I someday want my art/photos/whatever to do. Tell a story ~ evoke emotions ~ transport the viewer somewhere.

At the working artist tent, I met the air brush artist my DH recently took classes from. What a talented & nice guy and wow, his work blew me away. What an inspirational morning it was! I just love our fair...

Today's task? I'm goal driven. If I don't have specific goals, I sway all over the place without purpose. Today I'm going to check the status of my 2009 goals and consider tweaking them. I was bad, putting them away a few months ago, which is a big no-no. Out of sight is out of mind for me. The year is more than half over already. Things change and need re-evaluated from time to time. There's no better day than today!

How about you? Do you have specific goals? I'm curious.... how often do you review and possibly modify them?

shadows on layers

When I was photographing one of the backgrounds I made while taking Julie Prichard's Layer Lover class, I decided to play around with how shadows looked on the piece. Interesting...

What do you see in the shadows?

forget tarot cards...

What do you think toenails say about a woman? Are perfectly tended feet & toenails a telling sign of something, and if so, what? Is she pampered, or just taking good care of herself? I don't wear polish on my finger nails as my art, yard-work, etc. make it too much effort to maintain. I do, however, indulge my feet. Lately, however, I've forgone luscious reds & oranges for clear polish. What does this mean? Am I being indecisive, or increasing my apparel options? One of life's mysteries, I guess.... {smile....}


So tell me, what color polish is on your toes right now?

Snow White in July

The current challenge for Mixed Media Mischief Makers is Snow White. Personally, I don't care for the story; it's far too dark for my taste. However, I love a challenge and the members of MMMM are great, so I gave it a try. Here's my piece. I like it much more than my Alice in Wonderland piece. That one was far too busy for my taste. This one is simpler....more focused on what I wanted to draw attention to from the story.

This 8 x 8 mixed media on canvas includes acrylics, polymer clay, floral tape & UTEE. My photo doesn't show the color variation & texture of the background, but I think you get the gist. I tried to focus on the contrast between how ugly & cruel deception is and how it can deceive us with shiny, luscious beauty.

Tell me.... what part of Snow White captures your imagination?

Jane, I've got a blow

Tonight, as I read the results I'd been waiting a month for, all I could think of was the line in Jane Eyre where Mr. Rochester learns Mason is in his house.... "Jane, I've got a blow; I've got a blow, Jane." Now, granted, my blow is much less by comparison, but it's definitely a let down. Allow me to explain.

As with many state fairs, having your photo selected for exhibit at the Photography Salon at the Iowa State Fair is an honor. I first entered in 2003 and all four of my photos were exhibited. One received honorable mention. I was shocked and thrilled. That year, 39% of the photos entered were exhibited. The next year, two of my four photos were exhibited. Overall, 36% of those entered were shown. I skipped five years and tried again this year. Tonight I learned none of my four were selected. I knew it would be tough since last year, only 22% were selected, but still..... it's disappointing.

As the news sank in, I kept thinking of the positive feedback I've received from my family, online friends & blog visitors. That feedback really helps put things in perspective for me. So what if the judges at our fair this year didn't care for my work, I like it, and so do others. I'll continue to photograph my way and be happy about it. And to those who've ever offered a positive comment on my work, I thank you!

If you're interested, I entered two of the photos already posted on my blog along with these two (without the watermarks, of course)...

circus rose

deck chair

movement

Today I worked on my piece for the "Snow White" challenge I'm participating in. If I'd been thinking, I'd have taken a picture of my Sculpey Glaze mishap & share it as a blooper, but I thought of it too late. Suffice it to say when they say you can bake the glaze a few minutes to help seal it, they mean 1 or 2 minutes ~ not 5 or 6. LOL. Anyway, the background paint isn't dry so I can't yet assemble the piece. Thus, I'm sharing a photo I took today which captures some of my very favorite colors. I'll share the challenge piece yet this week (it's due 8/1).

a little push

"Our own well-being is always the result of healthy decisions for ourselves coupled with disengagement from the choices of others."
~ Karen Casey

I'll tell ya up front the sole reason I'm publishing this post is to push myself to create something today. I want to. I need to. I will. I've been taking care of family & other things for a month now with little/no down time. Today I'm taking a much-needed break to replenish myself. I'll be of no good to others if I don't stop & take care of myself. And, like most of you who visit my blog know, one of the very best ways to do that is through creative expression/escape. Whether it's good or bad, done or not, I'll post something tonight, then hopefully catch up on all the blogs I love to visit. You might see me tip-toeing through your blog in the next couple of days! Leave the porch light on.....

create where you can

I haven't had any studio time for three or four weeks (yes, I'm going through withdrawals) so I express myself wherever I can. Yesterday, it was mowing the front lawn. I think it looks like pond ripples around the tree. What do you see?

it's how you look at things

Life threw a nasty curve my way a couple weeks ago, one I certainly didn't see coming. Ever. But with every painful, unhappy situation there's an opportunity. An opportunity to grow & become a better person, to help someone else, and yes, to be happy in spite of situations. Sometimes it takes us awhile to see it, but it's there. We need only look for it. That might mean changing our position.

This photo visually expresses what I'm saying. These plants are less then 1" tall. People rarely even notice them. They're growing out of the moss that grows in between our cobblestone patio. Lying on the ground with my camera on macro, I see another world. I can almost see the fairies dancing about. Can you?