Week 2-3 Journal (First try)

I used the paper which was from one of my childhood bedrooms. I recently had been tagged in a photo from Kindergarten and thought the two seemed to go hand in hand. I also used oil pastels for the first time. I must say it is definately true - the better the materials the better the end result. I didn't find this project as fun and enticing as making the background papers but that is because it is outside of my comfort zone. (Not that background papers are in my comfort zone but are more familiar than anything I have done in the past.) I will not be giving up - I will do more journals - practice makes perfect or more satisfaction.

Oh and - the words on the picture are symbolic of my motto "Why Not Both".....I remember being "fought" over and asking to choose - Baby Wart or Sugar Pie....really, who could choose between those two prime choice names?

On Location

This week the big draw in Springfield was Dog the Bounty Hunter. He was at a local bookstore...I avoided the crowd and went across the street. This is a much better choice and we should have a book signing with long lines for this book. (PS - I was really tempted to move the Mxxxxx Sxxxxxx books below and replace with The Artistic Mother. Too afraid I would be in trouble. I did however move the "Big A$$ Book of something or other book from the picture"!)

Happy First Day of Spring

How exciting is this? Friday Night at 9:30pm it was 60 degrees and Saturday Morning 7:30am it was 34 degrees. And now tonight it's ice covered snow...at this point the temperature doesn't matter.

HAPPY SPRING 2010!

Such a sad ending to a fairly good week....

I took my book The Artistic Mother to work and showed several people. I should have never let it leave my office.....lesson learned. Hopefully they will be inspired. But more selfishly it will show up next week.

Now I'm off to create flyers and brochures for an event to benefit our church's food pantry The Warehouse.

Here Goes It.....(GULP!)

I've finished my papers. The best I can say is: I had fun, I lost myself for awhile and I completed the task. I may have missed steps, not be entirely happy with the end result or might have torn some edges but then again....that is everyday life.

The top two papers are inspired by my childhood bedrooms. Growing up my wall colors were turquoise, purple and lime green. In High School my room changed to pink and green. (Yes I am an 80's girl.) Kind of strange that my mother would pick vibrant colors for my bedrooms when she is such a earth tone color person. (Thank goodness she is branching out into color now even if it does mean lime green toenails and Birkenstock!)

The middle two papers are just my typical color tendencies. Nothing too inspiring. (Maybe I need some lime green toenails.)

The bottom two papers as well as the background papers were inspired by nature. (Ironic since I am not an outdoorsy girl.) The background is liken to the sunset I saw while driving home from work one night last week. The green makes me think of a Hobbit hole but really is suppose to be Spring, which will hopefully truly be here for good soon. The black is NOT like the tornadoes of the Midwest that Spring brings. To me it is the Ocean at night in the darkest hour: constant, moving, subtle and just waiting to be brilliant in the sunlight.

I've really enjoyed this and learned a lot. I definitely look forward to learning more - I have a lot to learn about color, technique and subjectivity. Hopefully each week gets easier when it comes to publicly posting too!

My vision statement is a short term one for now

While I am very excited about this group and the projects; I am most thankful we have two weeks to complete them. Why is it that everytime I think "I'm going to do so much this week" when Friday comes I look back and say "Where did the week go and why didn't I get anything done"?

SO.....my short term vision is this: Friday night I WILL begin my papers and Saturday before I do my work at the Food Pantry the Warehouse I WILL stamp my papers. I WILL be finished by the close of Sunday.

If this group is about challenging and accountability then this is my pledge and open invitation to anyone to question me on Monday if I have not posted my project.

Testing the mobile blogger

How does TWO years fly by so fast?

It's time to get back to truly "WHY NOT BOTH" I need to find the balance of working and living life.

I'm going to start this journey by joining the group "The Artistic Mother by Shona Cole". No, I'm not a mother but I am a busy woman that loves being creative and finds it hard to find the time. This is going to be a great transition for me!

I'm very excited!