I had a friend just send me the dictionary definition of audacious and thought I'd share. Here's what I found at dictionary.com for the word audacious - extremely original; without restriction to prior ideas; highly inventive. Also - extremely bold or daring; lively; unrestrained; uninhibited.

The Cherry On Top

Sometimes in life we hope and pray for what we need and really don't expect anything more. Then it comes, not just what we'd asked for- but above and beyond. It's as if God is showing us how much more he could give. It's the cherry on top. Last week I had one of those experiences. Not only did the photo shoot go incredibly well but all week long I was excited for Friday night. Yes, that was the end of the week and I knew I'd be so glad to have it over, but I was also looking forward to celebrating with a friend. That was the Cherry on top.

So Friday night after the shoot was over, I was able to "meet" my friend Shelley for the first time. We've been e-mail friends for over a year now. We met on Etsy way back when I'd first started. She was one of my first customers and when I looked up her shop I had to convo her and tell her how WONDERFUL and truly AMAZING I thought her work was. I've convo'd many of my customers but somehow Shelley and I really hit it off. We're both artists and we're both Christians and I think that gave us a base to start from that really helped the relationship along. I now count her as one of my very best friends and so, when I found out that my publisher was in Cincinnati- as is Shelley- I suggested we get together at the end of the week. It was so fun to anticipate and all week long I told people about it. It was funny to see the caution that came to people's eyes when I told them I was going to meet a friend from the internet. It does sound like the beginning to some horror flick, but I was confident we'd have a blast. And it was so fun!!! Definitely the cherry on top for the whole wonderful experience.

And really, finding friends and kindred spirits has been the best thing about all of my adventures of the last year. Any of you who are artists know how special it is to find those kindred spirits. You know, the people who just get you and you don't have to explain yourself to, I count so many of you in that group. Strangers who leave comments and become friends. Some of you I know well, and some I've yet to get to know. I appreciate each and every one of you though- and want each of you to know that in this adventure, you're all the cherry on top for me. Thank you!

More Spooky Fun!

Just a head's up to head over to Shelley's blog for some more spooky fun. She's got pumpkins and crows and my personal fave- a papier mache skull covered with a baroque pattern. Ooooh! Just lovin' it! She got creative and used the same pumpkin piece in both her harvest and halloween pieces which is just so clever! So click here for the details!You'll boo amazed!

A Question for us all-

Over at Singlestone Studios blog, Shelley asked the question- "What keeps you going?" I thought it was an interesting question about motivation. What keeps you going? Is it the next idea? The latest new product or material you can't wait to try? Is it your goals? For me it's all of the above. But more than anything it's the desire to be whole. There were dark years where I didn't have the energy or motivation to create. Although my mother nagged me to death about it- I just couldn't do it. She saw what I knew too- I was an artist and to be an artist- not creating art- it's miserable. I felt drained and unhappy all the time.

If you look at it one way- it's that darkness that now propels me. I don't want to go there again and so I do the opposite of everything I did then. If I have an idea now I don't stop to see if it'll go anywhere. I think about it, but don't obsess completely. I follow it and find out. Sometimes it's a dead end but more often then not it's a path that continues on. I play a lot more. I don't worry about making "serious" art any more. I create from a joy within myself instead of a horror toward myself. I'm self encouraging instead of condemning.

Lately I've heard people make a few comments about my work I thought was interesting. A couple of people referred to how joy-filled it can be. Another mentioned it was "uncensored". I'm not sure what I think of that. I honestly don't think too hard about what my work portrays to others. I make it because making it makes me happy. I also have a deep sense of being grateful. I am now able to be the person I was created by God to be. It makes me just really really glad to be doing what I do. But I'm curious- what makes you go on? What keeps you busy and creating? It might be something worth thinking about!

Aaah...Paree!

It's officially Spring now but today it's sleeting outside. Luckily I have my new and beautiful stamp set, Paris in Love, to focus me on much lovelier things and buoy my spirits! This is the third set Shelley of Singlestone Studios designed for her April 1st release. I LOVE this set. More than any of the other sets this one seems to speak to me. Yes I love the images but I love the way you can look at the images and see a story. As if they are illustrations to some great romance that has yet to be written. There is great music out that will paint a picture in your head while you listen to it. That is the best way I can describe how I feel about this collection of text and images. The rose tossed to the ground, the looming Eiffel Tower in silhouette, the swirl seems like a breeze, the postmark, they all point to a place and a story. Maybe there was a love letter? Maybe some secret assignation between two lovers who's hearts pound as they meet. They don't need to speak, they've written all their thoughts in letters. Now they only whisper little phrases that say nothing but that speak to each heart of a great love.

I don't know how Shelley chose the images and text she did for this set but I really do LOVE how it all comes together in my imagination and tells me this story. The first piece of artwork I did with this set is kind of a memory board of this love story that didn't actually happen. I chose postcard papers and pages from a French-English Dictionary to create the background. Then I added some ink, some paint, and the stamped imagery. I loved the scratched up, mixed media feel of the piece. So I really accentuated that. I added some paper patterned with script that made me think of the love letters I was envisioning. The red acrylic was to add a sense of passion and romance. I think the addition of the wire flower, because of the way it's attached, gave me the sense that this was a sign of sorts. In another form it would have been hanging over the entrance to a cafe but here, it merely points the way to my story of lovers. I really loved how this piece came together and I had a ton of fun creating it.

After this piece I thought it would be fun to make an invitation with the stamps. I created some ink blots, and used a credit card in black acrylic to frame the Tower. Then, because I was having waaayy too much fun with this set, I threw together this little clay pendant. Again it has the roughed up aged quality that just screams romance to me. The final project I have in mind I haven't done yet. But can't you just imagine a pair of white undies embellished with red lace and some of these stamped images? I have to try it! When I do I'll post so you can see what I mean. Trust me, it will be sooo cute you're gonna want your own!

The Paris set, the Tweet set, and the Butterfly Garden set all go on sale TOMORROW- April 1st! To purchase go to www. singlestonestudios.com! Then when you've done you're own projects I would LOVE to see pics!!

Just a little Tweet

Today's projects were inspired by the So Tweet set of art stamps designed by Shelley of Singlestone Studios! The So Tweet set is much more mod in styling then the Butterfly Garden set I showed you a post ago. SO the projects it inspired in me have a totally different look than the accordion book.

The first project I did was this clipboard. I used papers that Shelley designed, then ripped them, painted over them, and continued to layer them. The colors of these papers are purple, yellow, chartreuse, and pink and all very very tweet. After layering the papers and paint I added some stamps from the Tweet set. I love the birds and flowers. The little birdhouse stamp is adorable as well. Then I stamped tweet all over and then to finish added rub-on's from memory makers (Chloe's Closet).

I love the way you can mix and match the text stamps in this set. Shelley included words like "home", "tweet", "shower", "your so", "baby","our new nest", and "thanks so much". In the birdhouse piece I used the home and tweet stamps but other combo's include "your so tweet", "tweet so much", "tweet shower", "tweet baby", "home- our new nest", and "baby- your so tweet" the applications are endless.

In fact, all the images are scaled just right to really mix and match everything.The tree was a blast to work with and I think stamping a little line of trees- and adding elements to show the change of seasons would be sooo fun. Did I mention I LOVE the versatility of this set? I love the way all the projects I did turned out. My favorite however, is the birdhouse. To create this piece I first glued on torn pieces from an old french-english dictionary I found. Then I painted over the entire piece, adding more or less as I wanted the pages to show through. After this I set it aside and played with the stamps. I used Sculpey and pressed the tulip stamp into it then cut apart the stem from the flower and baked them seperately. That way I was able to paint them red or green with more ease. Plus, when I glued them to the birdhouse I was able to position the flower heads at different angles for a slightly more natural and engaging look.

TIP= When I cut out around the image prior to stamping I left a little border all the way around the image. That gave me the raised outline on all the finished images. SO CUTE!!!!

After gluing on the clay pieces I stamped on the bird on the roof,the text, and the butterflies using my ink pads. The leaves of the branch I stamped on with acrylic. The doodling was all done with a black wax pencil. Then I went back over the entire piece with more white and added some purple paint to highlight- which I then brushed right over with a bit more white to blend it in to the rest of the piece. Finally, I used my black wax pencil to doodle in the butterflies' flight pattern and to add a few more finishing details. I'm really lovin' how cute it is. By the way, should you want to make your own birdhouse, I purchased the wood form complete with the little fence out front, from my nearby JoAnn Etc. for under $5 bucks!

For more information and actual images of the stamps I used check out www.singlestonestudios.blogspot.com. Shelley has been posting sneak peeks all week along with photos of projects created by the other design team members. So go and check it out to see all the cool frames, tags, and super trendy cards YOU could make with this set!!! The sets will be available for purchase April 1st!

The Fab 5- Update

My time the last couple of days has been devoted to creating some sample projects for Singlestone Studios new line of ART STAMPS! It's been nice to have the chance to get back into the paper arts. Although I couldn't leave it all behind- many of the sample projects did get a little sculptural. Shelley, of Singlestone, designed these beautiful stamps. Lucky me, as a member of her design team (the fab 5) I was able to get an advance copy of the stamps and then told to run with them. PLAY!!! I think I did a total of 6 projects. I tried to vary between easy and wild. But the birdhouse was just me having some fun. Shelley will be introducing the stamps this week along with projects from the other design team members as well. Her hope is that they inspire other artists to create their own fun and imaginative projects. SOoo.. check them out! They go on sale April 1st and for the sneak peek check out Shelley's blog.

I think for pics I'll show you a few each day as she unveils the stamp set I used. There are three sets. The first, Butterfly Garden, was very easy to use. The stamp images are beautiful and vary in size- which was helpful. I created an accordian book with pictures of my son Jasper. He loves to pick me flowers- and he knows he'll always get a hug and kiss for them, so as he presents them he braces immediately for the hug. He didn't quit when the flowers died either. He's been breaking off the seed heads all winter and "surprising" me with them. It's pretty cute. It was really fun to get a chance to put together in an album the different pictures I have of him with these flowers.

A quick note- the papers I used in the book were also designed by Shelley. They coordinate with the stamps and will be available as downloadable PDF's sometime in the near future. Using the two together made this project really simple to design.

A New Creation

So I wasn't going to post tonight but when I checked my e-mail I found this gorgeous little piece of art waiting for me. It's a sample from my friend Shelley's Spring '09 collection and is a new style for her. But chatting with her she says it is more of an expression of her personal style then anything she's done yet. I absolutely love it. She's also been sweet enough to say that the constructed piece I created partially inspired the first piece she did in this style. Which ties in wonderfully enough to something I heard in church this morning. The pastor told the story of the man who penned Amazing Grace. He was captain of a slave ship and saw nothing wrong with his life until one night. That night there was a storm and he cried out to God. God listened and this man changed his life. Later, this man's story inspired someone else who became a powerful advocate for the abolition of slavery in America.

Stories are powerful. Art too can be powerful. The connection is inspiration. When we are inspired by something, or someone we are moved to action in response. Our reaction can result in something new and beautiful or something great, that in turn might inspire someone else. It's a natural, internalized reaction that has its root in our Great Creator God. Our ability to be inspired and to react to this inspiration with the creation of something else is one of the ways God created us to be like Him. Shelley had no idea that her response to my work would inspire me to make this connection, or to share with you this idea, but isn't that one of the most surprising and wonderful things about this life? Maybe reading this and seeing her work will inspire one of you, the readers. Maybe this is the beginning of a chain of loveliness and creation that spans the globe. My little piece was just a little piece, but who knows- this whisper could one day become the shout of someone else. Every bit of creation becomes extremely valuable in this light.

So take a look, be inspired and maybe it will motivate you to create a work, a thought, or a writing that will then continue on as an inspiration to someone else.

Make Friends

Last August I took the leap and started an Etsy site. I was a wreck for weeks before we launched. It was just so intimidating to actually put my work out there. I was far more concerned that no one would like it than I was that anyone would buy it. That came later :). It was so worth it! I found validation on Etsy. People did like my work and I even do pretty well selling it. YEAH! But FAR more importantly I found a community of people that are incredibly supportive of each other. One of my favorite Etsy finds was Shelley from Singlestone Studios. She is an amazing artist who's vinyl wall graphics are truly unique and extremely well crafted. She has been extremely supportive and has even gone so far as to surprise me with matching graphics for this blog and my etsy site. I LOVE them!!! Many artists try to operate in a vacuum. They are missing so much by not "making friends". We don't create in a vacuum. We absorb everything around us, including the work of other artists, I truly believe that it is part of who we are. I have been so blessed by the Etsy community, the sellers and the buyers, that I truly consider them to be the best thing about my time there.

So anyways, please check out Shelley's etsy site and her blog- they are both full of eye candy for the color and design enthusiasts! Here is one of my all time favorite wall graphics from her site. Wouldn't it look lovely in your home?