wall paint ...

She loves my painting and makes requests of my work more than any other. My template is glass and dish work and any other non porous material. The paint is an acrylic glass paint that you bake to make it stick. I do venture off road a bit but not a lot because I don't want to invest in all the different forms of acrylic paint, brushes etc. I want to keep it simple.

She has a beautiful daughter full of golden brown ringlets that look all natural. Her cute daughter is turning 3 on August 3rd and for the birthday it is a 'big girl' room which the little one will not be allowed to see until Tuesday. How fun is that?! The walls are yellow on top with white panelling on the bottom. So in the corner the request is for a vine with flowers and also some by the door.

Yes, I was nervous and still nervous. She provided the bright colored wall paint and a huge dose of confidence in me. I had about couple hours in the house alone with Tyler their dog who is darling with his sad eyes and quiet stealth like moves. Up went the green vine and that was scary but I thought that any little smudge could be fixed. Then the leaves took shape. Then I tried my hand at the flowers. Whew, I just could not get the hang of the paint. The edges where rough and not taking the paint! I kept at it and broke the motto of stopping before I made a mess of it. I never used water before to control the paint. There is such a fine line when it comes to water. It helps to apply it smoothly to the wall but too much and it muddies up. Plus, I felt like I was running out of time. The hubs was to come home but I really didn't know when. I work best alone. I was getting hot and flustered.

I am home now and more nervous than before! I hope she loves it. Just don't get to close and you will see all my mistakes. I just need to let it be like my motto of stopping before I make a mess of it!!!! So I suppose it is time to close and get on with painting on white 'dream' letters so I can give them to her tomorrow.... Argh, still nervous!

UPDATE:
She called soon after I posted this entry and she ..... uh ....
loved it! Whew! She always makes me feel so good about my painting. She asked if I would do it again ... I said yes.

Paint has a personality as well as what you are painting. An artist has to artistic talent but also has to know how to marry the paint with the object. So this dabbler is still in the learning process but guess what my favorite thing to do is? LEARN!!!! woohooo!!!

giving homemade ...

This season I have been acutely aware of the giving of gifts. I had a co-worker tell of her gift giving. She gives of what she has no matter if that means re-gifting. Money is tight, but I think this is the norm for her. I don't think I can do that because I am usually using my gifts! I think re-gifting isn't too bad especially if the gift can be used or is needed by someone else. I have to admit that as crunch time approached, I did look around my house to see if there was anything worthy of giving. I didn't find anything.... lol.

I have had quite a bit of of painted glass leftover from a craft show flop in 2007 that I used and allowed others to dip into this year for gift giving. It came in quite handy especially when I felt moved twice to give something homemade and special. Mom is always making requests and I welcome them. One of my sister-in-laws need teacher gifts for her little preschooler and of course I was quite happy to do so. I want to paint but won't because I have too much crowding my tiny kitchen. The glass stash is getting lower and I will be happy to finally see the end to it. No more mass painting for craft shows. It is too painful to have my little masterpieces go without homes. Forget the encouraging comments! If you really like, buy! Oh well. I have become very self conscious of my painting and crafting abilities. If people won't buy them, do they really want to receive them? And don't tell me that I have them priced too high. I have them at decent rates and even marked them down this year to account for the empty pockets. Grrr! (think I better hush up & change the subject!)

So it has been hard on me to paint and craft without it really going anywhere. So I have decided not to create for money but for giving. I am sick of the last minute rush I find myself every time I make a prezzie. With January being a more quiet month, I am planning the gifts I am giving this year and making a place somewhere in this tiny home to stow them until it is time. I will tag them with the name and event. I will also make 'gift-extras' for those times one might need a gift on the fly. I have been doing some mental note taking on what gifts to make for my special people and I am quite excited. My dream is to have a stress free gift giving at birthdays and at Christmas. I also want the gifts to have good turn around. No more storage of vast amounts!

I will see how my confidence is at the end of the year. Maybe I will have end my quest of the homemade gift. Oh, that will be a hard day ..

junkie stage ...

I have been in a very excited state of late. I can't seem to get enough. All I want to do is get home and try my hand at amigurumi. I have a collected a stash of patterns from the web as well as a book. I want to create all the little 'amies' at once but can only do one thing at a time!

I just finished a bear with a honey pot. It is a prezzie for my little niece. I didn't like the head and I am thinking that when I find a better head, I will use it and attach the small body too. I have plans for the monkey once I get that warm chocolate brown color if they would only stock it! The nephew has a birthday coming up fast. I need to make these things quick for the boy before he out grows them.

I have plans for Easter with the egg patterns I have. Super excited to put that into action. I just might make them for the whole family if I can get started soon enough. Then I found a rather cute bird pattern that I just can't wait to make. Then there is this heart pattern that just didn't make much sense until I worked out the math and I finally got it. The pattern wasn't as clear as it should be but I was surprised that I finally got it. Now the trick is to make it and hopefully it turns out well. If so I will have to make pix and then add the photo to the pattern.

I have other talents that have been sitting dormant and I hate that but I just can't get enough of this. I do want to incorporate all my crafts together. They may seem very different from each other but who knows... I say that I am a creative sort so I just will have to do some daydreaming and get down and creative!

Hmmm, words, paper, paint, glass, amigurumi, loom, yo-yos, crochet flowers.....

E & M

What a beautiful wedding! The bride is 20 and I think the groom is 22 at the most. The are a young christian couple and boldly shared the gospel by having the pastor preach a little 'sermonette' about the wedding picture being a reflection of the sinner coming to Christ. All a sinner has is a broken contrite heart but Jesus Christ has the Cross and His dying for the sinner. This single girl knows from the bottom of her heart that the joining of man and woman is a picture of God but had not really visually viewed it like this. Definitely a keeper for me to keep pondering over. LOVED IT. I think this was the best part of the wedding for me.

I only know of Mitch through Erica. So I paid attention to his actions. Oh, he looked like a boy in the candy factory. His face was just a glow in a smile all the time and with his red hair it was so adorable. I have been to a good share of weddings in my day and I think this is the first time I saw a young man very excited and contented and very ready for this new thing to be. Most grooms are scared to dead and very much looks it!

Of course the whole place was beautiful. I have been getting to hear snippets of the preparation and I couldn't wait to get to see it. Erica is so very organized and she never seemed to stress over any part. She was frugal and creative. I just can see this marriage as something that is loved filled and will last a lifetime.

I wanted to see her hard work and I don't mind going to the wedding part. I do not like the reception and I usually leave after the wedding. But I wanted to see the decorations and the slide show. I went and made it all by myself. I did have work peeps that I could sit with. Even though there was lettuce, candy, and cake, I was quite happily surprised that the meal of pork, potatoes and green beans where foods that I could eat!!!! You don't know how it feels to have everyone eat around you and you can't because you are allergic. People commit - AWKWARD. I saw a family friend that I went up to and talked a bit. We were both surprised to know that Erica was the common link to why we attended.

I still was ill at ease but I know God's peace was with me. Weddings are hard and having to go to them by yourself is even harder. Being in the deep in of thirty, I still wonder if I will have to endure being a loner all my life. Too hard, I say. But God says no, it isn't. So by faith, I keep walking with my hand in His.

Be calm within your soul...
Even the restless waves,
which break upon the shore,
find their way, from time to time,
into peaceful, tranquil harbors.

I did have a great time creating a painted gift for her. She loves my stuff so I had to do something so cool that would blow her mind. She loves the wine bottles that I do for dish soap but she is into browns and the soft colors that go with it. I just so happened to have a brown wine bottle not a beer bottle but a brown wine bottle. She is in love with daisies and is wanting to go sage in her kitchen. I also found a great copper round tray at my favorite place - TARGET. I did daisies up the side and put their last name and date on it. I didn't forget to put butterflies on it too.

no more craft shows ...

Zippo. El fin. No more, no more. I have done 3 'explicative' craft shows. All have broken my heart. This is the last straw. I will not waste my time, my passion, my love on these 'shows'. I paid $55 to this show that is well known christmas stop for unique gifts. I sold 5 items to the amount of $35 dollars. This is pennies compared to the show in the spring that was a new one and very few people showed up and where I sold 12 items for the tune of $155. Again I say no more.

I know I mentally hope for huge dreams and every time they burst like a broken ornament pieces so fine and dust like you know you can never clean up all the pieces. As I process this, I have a new and a better fitting goal. I hope that to my family and those who will ask how it went that I don't sound bitter but I am! They are the ones that keep saying that I should go into business and do this. Sorry, can't went it wouldn't even feed me let alone give me a roof over my head. I do hope I sound joyful and hopeful because that is still there. This desire to paint started when I was a child and those are the dreams to keep. However, I have other dreams that are getting crowded and I cannot let that happen.

Fact - What went right? Mom helping me this time. It is such a help to have someone to this with. I was able to this big show and now I know that it isn't any better than a small one. I needed to know. I tried and now it is time to regoal.

Emotions - What are the positive feelings? I love completing new things or trying new things like the 15 piggy banks and the Snowie ornaments I tried. Pretty fun.

Encouragement - Wellllll, I did get a lot of 'oh, how pretty. Who is the artist?' Still doesn't fix the boxes of unchoosen glass that is in my kitchen. What personal encouragement can I give myself? Painting was something I wanted to since childhood and I will keep painting because it feels good to me.

Learning - What have I learned? - I have learned that what I do is more art than craft and it doesn't do well in a craft show.

Implications - I am 'downsizing'. Meaning all glass will be spoken for and I will allow myself 5 new pieces that I must sell or gift before I can paint more.

New Goal - Downsizing will allow me to be even more push to give or present my art with more flare. As I am trying to be creative on getting rid of the boxes of glass, I see that I am going more on the details which is exciting. ie: I have two christmas vases done on blue glass. What if I took it into the floral shop and ask them to use the vase to make an arrangement to send to someone????

I know I have some bitter, some anger, some sadness going on in my heart. I don't want to be ungrateful but I have allllll kinds of emotions that I have felt Saturday. I don't think I am wrong because I felt these feelings. Plus, I am moving unto new goals and not staying stuck in bitter. Just because I am solid on no more shows doesn't mean I am saying no more painting. You should hear others when they respond to my answer to 'Did you have a good show?' I swear they do not listen and jump down my throat! Oh well, I say you do it. Stop telling me how to run my dream!!!! Yikes, I know settle down ol girl, settle down. I just need a hug! {smiles}

crowed mind ...

I have a hot topic brewing in my from the weekend and wanted to digest it here this past Sunday. Even though this issue can put me to a boil other things have crowed in and taken over mind space!

I have a major prayer request for a step-dad in the hospital for unknown pain...

then I have a huge craft show on Saturday that I am nervous and excited about. I am so thankful Mom will be doing this with me. I've been painting every evening and with my day off today, I have a few odds and ends to finish off. Early start for me tomorrow. Ugh! So to bed early tonight? I hope.

No matter if this is a success or a bust, I will focus on enjoying every minute with Mom...

See you on the flip side ...

maybe I will find the time to wash clothes and decorate for Christmas! Ahhh, maybe a glass clutter free kitchen???? toooo much on my list... still not going to allow the enemy to steal my joy! he is thief, you know...

crushed glass beaches!

So they are finally making sand out of glass! What a great way to recycle! Why didn't I think of that???

Some are critical about it saying that there are probably an unknown environmental hazard like the tire dump off the state of Florida. Come on! Glass is one product I have a lot of trust in and is one step away from nature. In fact God probably made the first glass by lighting striking sand!

crushed glass beach

red glass, white flowers to add in the blue...

A Russian proverb states "The darker the night, the brighter the stars." We appreciate so much in the world through contrast: warmth after we have been cold, coolness after sweating, rest after hard work, health after sickness, joy after sorrow. This accounts for our spring thrill. It is only because many of us bave been color deprived that we feel so ecsttic as pinks, reds, yellows, lavenders, oranges, and periwinkles pop from the ground and effusively decorate trees.
taken from a beautiful and a visual vacation magazine called La Vie Claire

I do love winter and this spring I have been enjoying the colors spilling out. I love to make flowers with my paint. Today it was red glass that I choose white flowers with green blue leaves and swirls to adorn it. I know where I am putting it. There is a shelf in my living den where it will dazzle along with all the red, white, and blue things I find so comforting...

my 2nd glass show ...

Yesturday I had my second craft show where I took my painted glasswork to show and to see if anyone would be willing to part ways with their 'greenbacks' enough to take my artwork into their home and enjoy. In my first show I sold only 3 pieces and this show I sold 12. I guess on the bright side I sold four times what I did three years ago. I am still bummed. I packed four boxes and I am returning with four boxes. They are still stacked in the kitchen unopened. My apartment is a small one. I want to be able to live in it simply. My craftroom doubles as the kitchen and it is often a battle each Saturday when I want to paint and eat. It doesn't help that I am being my reflective sad mood again. Here is my best atempt to think well and balanced so read on.

~F~acts : (focus on what was done NOT wasn't)
I learned a lot about myself and my art. I learned that I could step outside my comfort colors and try other colors like orange and yellow. I learned that certain color combos can take a piece and elevate it to an elegant artwork like the purple velvet pansy with teal white leaves on a teal frosted Riesling wine bottle that curve and angled in with an breath of debonair. I learned that I can and have edged away from the teacher. I learned to look at pictures of the Master's creations and have tried my best to copy them even I will never be able too. I have learned that spring colors and flowers are a favorite of mine - it is right up there with landscapes. I learned more about God's romance for me through His beautiful landscapes and His detailed beauty of a flower as simple as a violet or as artisan as an orchid.

~E~motions : (focus on the positive feelings)
I had a lot of excitement going into this glass show even some good anxiety. I had some major good thoughts about presentation. I had found a cornflower blue tablecloth that all the glass I had painted would look their very best. I also used square and corner tiles with purple blue flowers to accent as price tags. I even transformed my neglected dry erase board with my purple blue flowers as well. I know that when I go to craft shows my shy side doesn't ask questions like I should so the dry erase board had info if they where shy and even could prompt questions. I was very excited as I keep hearing voices say I do well or 'I wish I could see all you do'. I love painting what I enjoy painting. It isn't much fun to paint what I don't want to. All that I was painting was what I wanted or what I say the glass says to me and even what others ooooed and ahhhhed over. I really thought my pansies would sell even thought it would sell out.

I wiggled in my skin when I finished what I call my show stopper. It was that teal bottle. I loved it and I couldn't wait to get others reaction. It didn't make it to the show. A lady at work bought it. I am now glad that it didn't make it to the show. It would have been a real downer to have no one buy it as it probably would have just stood their looking pretty just like a beautiful girl at a party where no one pays attention to. Oh yeah, the emotions are suppose to be good ones. Like I said before I am glad the teal pansy bottle didn't make it to the show.

~E~ncourage : short, simple, sweet acknowledgement. be generous!)
I must send a thank you to Mrs. Bennett. She made me feel very good about being there. She knew me in a life past but it was great that she remembered and was attentive. The event had a theme and a ton of detail was put into it all. I knew they really had to work hard at planning and advertising. They outdid themselves with the signs and the decor. They aimed to love with their details and it showed.

I must say thank yous to those I invited and who showed up. I had invited most of those who thought I did great work and wanted to see the whole of what I do, but the vast majority did not show. No family made it either. So to those who showed up and really encouraged me and I must encourage them back. Like mamma said, you do what is important to you...

~L~earning : (focus on NEW insights not the details
I learned to do what I love. Yes, I need to try to paint things that scare me to expand my work, but to get lost in color and flowers is quite intoxicating. At this point I could turn down a very dark path but from those four boxes of my glasswork, I need to celebrate them... I guess a new insight is to learn to celebrate the pieces... and figuring out how...

~I~mplications : (focus on new wiring, new maps)
My goal is to paint for myself. I have a few projects I wanted to complete. Now is the time. I won't be painting any more candles. It is not what I want to do - maybe for a gift but not to sell. I will not buy any more glass. I might even have to reject glass because I have no room nor outlet to sell. If and when I get an office of my own, I will bring in glass weekly like some of the women bring in flowers. Seems frivolous but if they can enjoy the whif of smelly flowers while crunching numbers, I can enjoy artwork like taking in a whif of sight that carries me away to someplace special.

~N~ew
~G~oal:
Well, I don't think I am doing well with thinking but I must get it out and start fresh. I plan to rearrange my studio aka. kitchen so that I can work better and not fight it every time I want to eat. I plan to enjoy my painted flowers at work since I kill plants on the side. My lasted victim? the pansies I bought for a buck. I need to be creative in cross stitching and looming so the painting will slow down dramatically over the summer months. I have gifts to make so I will doing those.

~current reality~
I have to much of my artwork in my over crowded living space.

~explore alternatives~
1. super stocked when it comes to gifts. Time to give them for all occasions and just because. Could unload on college friends that don't live near.
2. have a glass sale instead of a yard sale at my parent's place.
3. wait it out until September when the craft shows begin again.
4. take in a piece of glass each week to enjoy and possibly get rid of...
5. consignment
6.
7.

I need more alternatives. At this moment in time, I won't be doing any more shows. Especially since they begin in the fall for Christmas and all I have now is spring stuff. 1, 2 and 4 look ok to do.

~tap energy~
Uh, what energy? I have none! Maybe tomorrow or next week or next year ... I don't even have energy to clean my brushes and put them away! Oh well, I am in a mood. This too will past like my mother always says. ARRRgh! Blah!

{sticks fingers in my ears and blammbers and hides under the covers}

Ok, I will act grown up only because I should. I need to think on beauty. Focus my energy on the good facts and the good feelings. I am energizes by God Beauty. Maybe that is my calling ... to be energized by God's Beauty through my painting and vocally say it aloud when others ask what I do or why I paint...

Why do you paint? How did you know you could paint?
I love glass and I love God's flowers and colors. I like to express the Joy of God though my humble attempts to paint His Masterpieces. I like the joy I feel inside when I stand back and take it all in. I enjoy the figuring out how to make the strokes of the brush to create a flower. I express my gratitude often for His Beauty. It takes my breath away to imagine the Creator as He creates and the Joy He has when He stands back and marvels. I know He loves it much more than I could ever...

I loved glass and had a whisper of wanting to paint since I was a child. I searched to see if there was paint for glass and was pleasantly surprised to find it! I bought 3 different colors and daddled. The rest is history. The rest is the expression of my romance with God ...