Disappointed- but dealing with it.

Today's an up and down day. Actually, down then up I guess. It started whenI ran over to my local JoAnn Etc. to buy Ruth Rae's Layered Tattered, and Stitched. I had flipped through it before, loved the book, and keep thinking of it so I figure I should hand over one of my 50% coupons and get me one.

Alas, they had every book BUT that one. On the way out I found the latest Sew Somerset on the rack. Instantly a thundercloud must have appeared over me 'cause I just started grumbling because my last submission wasn't in it. Which is a dumb thing to be upset over- cause they might still use it for another issue. I was just disappointed. Besides- I have a BOOK coming out. Talk about needing some perspective.

It came as soon as I got home. First, the issue is great. I love everything in it. They seem to get better and better each time. If my work didn't get in, then at least it's because they has so much cool stuff to put in. Kind of consoling. Then I checked my e-mail. In it I found an e-mail from my editor with a lovely little attachment that made my heart actually leap. It was my book cover!!!! I can't show it yet but it's bright and pretty and will definitely stand out on the shelf. It's so much better than I imagined.

Down then up. I know as an artist that putting my work out there is putting myself out there. Sometimes I face rejection. Perhaps even a nasty critique or two. But I know it'll be worth it. It IS worth it. Every time I write something that encourages someone else it makes it totally worth it. Putting my work out there is the price I pay so that I have that voice. So that it will be heard. Totally worth it!

From One Holiday to the Next!!!

Like all of you we had an extremely busy holiday weekend. Friday was Cookie Baking Day at my aunt's, and Saturday morning my mom informed us all that it was Decorating Day. So while Jasper and my mother were scouring the storage area for Christmas decorations I got the upstairs holiday ready.

I hung garlands and wreaths and then switched over the fireplace area. This is a focal point in many people's homes. Especially at Christmas! I thought the contrast in colors and decor was interesting so I snapped a few photos to share with you. You'll notice that the basic composition is similar. Two larger arrangements bookmarking a central area. The other difference is the candles. It's a small detail to change them but it really helps to pull the primary accent color up the wall. Creating a larger visual impression overall.

The deep red is repeated in the berry wreaths hung in front of the windows as well as the stairway garlands. My parents have been adding to their Christmas decor each year for years. It makes putting the decorations in place simple. I already know what they have and where it goes.

Which is why I was able to decorate the entire upstairs while Jasper and my Mom did the tree in his bedroom. But in their defense, Jasper did manage to cram on that little tree the entire assortment of ornaments usually left for the 10 foot tree upstairs.

As you can see in the photo I snapped, he is very very proud of his tree! Enjoy the holidays!!!

Holiday To -do's

The holidays are almost here and my little boy has been asking everyday WHEN can we start to decorate? I'm making him wait til after Thanksgiving. Poor child! It's hard to wait- at any age. So today we are starting to get together what we'll need to celebrate Thanksgiving and then for the Cookie Baking Day which follows on Friday. So now that I'm thinking ahead I thought I'd share what's on my to do list these next few days.

• Pouring through recipes to choose just the right cookies to add to our usuals this year.
• Buying containers for all the cookies.
• Taking a trip to Costco to buy all the ingredients- IN BULK!!!
• Mixing up gingerbread dough and baking it in little house molds to assemble later.
• Writing out our Christmas lists.
• Listening to LOTS of Charlie Brown Christmas music
• Listening to LOTS of other Christmas music.
• Decorating Gingerbread houses with the boys.
• Teaching them that more has to actually go on the house than goes in their mouths. (There's a ratio there...)
• Putting up Christmas Lights.
• Making sure no one falls and hurts themselves while putting up said lights.
• Enjoying some time with family and friends- I hope you do too!!!

What do you do to prepare? I'd love to know...

Hope you have a wonderful start to the season!!! Happy Holidays!

Creating a Focal Point

This weekend I was reminded of how amazing a good focal point can be. I'd been called in to create the floral decorations for a church dinner that was being held Sunday morning in our building's gymnasium. It's a huge space and very very gym-ish. Basketball hoops, court lines on the floor, and banners on all 4 walls. Impossible to disguise any of it. So instead of trying to disguise it I used a trick I'd learned as a wedding and events floral designer. I used the concept of a focal point. In event design this would usually be somewhere that was immediately visible to the eye upon entering the room. It would be big and glorious and immediately set the mood in the mind of the attendee that this was an occasion. By drawing the eye and creating that first impression I kept the attendees from noticing the room en large- at least until after that first impression was made. Secondly, they would notice the tables set with matching arrangements. I like to have two or three different styles of varying heights to add interest.

I also placed the arrangement on a round table sitting on top of a beautiful golden rug. The round shape contrasted nicely with squares and rectangles of all the satellite tables. Again, adding to the visual weight of the focal arrangement.
When I was doing weddings I would always visit the sites with the bride prior to creating a design. This way I was able to walk through and take notice of the places that the guests would linger. This might be the entrance, or an alcove, the dining table, or a staircase. Placing flowers in these places enhanced their value to my mind because they would register longer in the mind of the guest. Thus, they would make a bigger impression. It was also much more elegant than throwing money at everything because if you followed that tact the guest would tune out almost immediately because of the visual overload. As in a painting, the eye needs a chance to rest, and if you don't give it that rest it becomes fatigued quite easily.

Recently, a friend mentioned that a good party planner would plan their evening so it included high and low moments over the course of the night. If you constantly strive to keep the evening strung high the guest can feel overwhelmed and emotionally exhausted.

But now I'm thinking. I guess this might be true of life as well. If not for the depressions we might not appreciate as acutely the high moments. I guess we need both.

Just an idea I had...

I'm been waiting to show you a photo of my little fabric and wire cuff until I had it finished. It still needed some snaps. I've never tried to add snaps before and I should probably have attempted it on something OTHER than this cuff to start. Live and learn. Well, maybe. I do this kind of thing a lot. Sometimes it pays off big and sometimes I have to start over.

So the snap thing didn't go real well and I have no finished photo for you so I'll share this. You can still get an idea of what I was thinking... and when I get version 2 done I'll give you all a peek at that as well! In the meantime, happy crafting!!!

Inspirational Quote

I was reading quotes about art tonight and found this from what I consider an unlikely source.

”Beginning with audacity is a very great part of the art of painting.” -- Winston Churchill.

Blank Beauties

So my funk lasted two days and I said ENOUGH and decided the best solution was laughing with my 4 year old and playing with my art. I enjoy them both so much and they do my soul so much good. The playing part came easy since I'm still obsessed by the possibilities for my new angel forms. I'm thinking gardening angel with seed packets collaged to the thread form around her middle, and I'm seeing "wings" everywhere I look. So I spent a little time and made up two more "blank canvases". They're the basic form but without the personalities yet. Although I couldn't resist adding a little heart to them both. And maybe I'll just keep one of these as is. Sometimes simple is good.

But I find it's more fun to embellish.

Monday's

It's funny how those "Monday" kinds of days so often fall on Monday. For whatever reason, today has been one of those kinds of days for me. It's been a struggle from the moment I woke up. I even went back to bed thinking that might salvage the day but, no. Still a Monday.

How do you deal with these days?

Actually, I feel like I need to clean house. I sort of let everything slide on the weekends thinking that Monday I'll clean it all up and start the week fresh. I've had that attitude toward my life lately too. I let it slide knowing that I have the book to finish. But it seems that if you let life slip just a little, before long it's a landslide and you're trying to figure out what to do with all the rubble.

I know what to do. I need to take care of myself. I need to give myself permission to cook some nice meals instead of just throwing everything together at 5 o'clock. I need to stock some yummy good for me eats in the cupboard instead of raiding the Halloween stash when I hit that 3 o'clock low. I need to get outside and soak up some Vitamin D and I need to exercise daily to keep my serotonin levels up.

I need to do a little self nurturing and spend some time with my husband by the fireplace and cultivate that comfy feeling. Instead of burning the candle at both ends. What is there about work that makes us think that we have to sacrifice everything else for it? I don't know. But I do know that if I take a little time to recharge I'll feel a lot better.

Maybe that's the lesson of Mondays.

Whoo-hoo!! 100 Sales!!

My Etsy shop reached a milestone yesterday- 100 sales!!!! I'm really excited. To reach 100 sales was one of my very first whispered goals when I started my shop and it feels really really good to see it. In fact, I copied it from my site so you could see it too. LOL!! It feels great. I know there are other shops out there that saw 100 sales the first month ( you shall remain nameless...) but my work is unique and not for everyone and so to see this is still a HUGE thrill for me.

other items

21 items for sale

100 sales

Thank you Thank you Thank you to all who've made this possible through your purchases or through your encouragement!!!

A special thank you to Terraworks who was the 100th sale!!! I appreciate your support!!!

And then there were TWO!!!

So the angel I created on Thursday night was so fun I went ahead and made another one yesterday. I don't think she's quite done yet but she was loads of fun to make. I love the idea of using art materials in my sculpture- not just to create it but to decorate it as well. So yesterday I grabbed a whole bunch of dried up Golden tubes I had left over from college and tried to wire them on to this girl's skirt. It ended up being a little too bulky seeming- but still a cool idea so I think I might have to work with it for another piece. Instead of the tubes of acrylic this little girl got a Tim Holtz ideology pendant that's stamped with the word "believe" and some yummy little clay fragments I had in my stash.

The fragments were made by Teri of Terraworks studio on Etsy, several months ago. I'd had the idea of creating a wire ball and then stitching in the clay pieces but the clay sticked out a little too much when I tried it, upsetting the rounded shape of the ball. Which I hated admitting to myself because they were just too cool. So I reluctantly set them aside trusting that I'd find a place for them in the future. And wouldn't you know they are the perfect accents for this angel. I love her so much more with these little fragmented bits of art wired into her skirt. They help to give her a personality and I just love that.

So now the ideas are just flowing in and I want to try all sorts of things with this form. But not today. Today I have to work on writing the introductions for each project in the book. So I will stop using you all as an excuse to procrastinate. Have a good weekend!