I am a self taught mixed media artist and instructor living in Virginia with my Husband and our family of fur babies. I love all things vintage and strive to use those discarded bits of artistic flotsam and jetsum in my creations. I also love finding those treasures that others can use to feather their souls and their nests so please check out my Etsy Shop as well. Thank you for stopping by.
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I came across this today and wanted to share it with all of you out there in this vast Land O' Blog......
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I am very grateful for each and every one of my friends...old and new....future and past....thank you for being a part of my journey.
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The other day I saw a card that said something about telling people that your super woman cape was in the dryer. I’ve been thinking about that card a lot. I mean it was this sarcastic, in your face, kind of humor that sometimes we all need to be equipped with. To be quite honest, there are times I wish I pushed around a cart full of cards so that when someone said something to me I could just hand them the appropriate card with the appropriate saying and just move on without having to waste any of my own oxygen supply. That’s another story for another day because today I want to talk about the capes we all wear.
Now before I delve real deep into this please know that this is not a “women unite” kind of post but I am directing this at the females out there although it can and does pertain to men too (although they don’t seem to have some of the cattiness that we females do). During my life I have worn the cape of daughter, wife, abuse survivor, lover, employee, artist, caregiver, friend, sister, aunt, granddaughter, daughter….you get the picture here. Now these capes are a versatile thing. They are interchangeable, tradeable (as in wife could become ex-wife, friend to ex-friend, etc.), can be worn together or separate, some are tough like thick canvas and others are frail like strands of well-worn silk and these capes are invisible. Nobody knows what cape or set of capes we are wearing on any given day or, for that matter, at any given moment. I can’t look at you and see that your cape is as light as a breeze and blowing in the wind or that you are burdened down under layers and layers of them.
What I can know is that you are wearing at least one cape and I can also bet, with a good bit of certainty, that that you are wearing multiple capes. I can also be very assured that I don’t know what all of these capes may be. Let’s look at my friend Kecia she is a woman, daughter, friend, sister, mother, wife, granddaughter, care-giver, aunt, artist, teacher, studio owner, gardener, bargain hunter extraordinaire, traveler, design artist, cook, bookkeeper, etsy shop owner. Now I can look at this list (17 capes by the way) and know without one doubt that I am missing something and it may even be something I know about her or her life but there are those things that I don’t know too . Now imagine the responsibility that goes along with each of those capes.
WOW! When you look at things like that how much more respect will you have for the people that enter into your life? How much more tolerant would you be if you took into consideration the number of capes that person may be wearing at the moment you connect with them? I’m not saying you have to be friends with everyone but I guess I’m wondering why we just can’t be tolerant.
To be quite honest I’m okay with someone not liking me but I hate knowing that someone is talking badly behind my back. I don’t mind you telling me something bothered you but don’t discount my apology by making what I did an issue for all to see on your blog or Facebook. I’ve seen some awful rants in very public forums and my thought has always been if you can’t respect the other person at least respect yourself enough not to do that. Perhaps taking into consideration the number of capes someone is wearing will help us all be more tolerant.
I’m going to strive to always remember the capes……it’s just the easier path to take….don’t you think?
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Happy Hump Day Everyone!!
I feel like I got something accomplished on my blog yesterday with the addition of the Blog Roll button that I created.
I've added a few more links to the site and if you blog would love to add you too. Just let me know the link or send me your button and I will add it to the list. As I go through my prior list I will be adding more buttons.
Wow, Wednesday already!! It has been in the 80's here during the day with temps in the upper 60's at night. The best thing? Less humidity!!! You might think that I would be used to humidity being from Louisiana but you would be amazed at how quickly you can lose that tolerance.
Did I tell you all that my youngest nephew is getting married in February??? We are all so excited and I have been trying to think of something to create for their new home together. Any ideas?
Well, I am off to the necessary job so have a great day and I'll see you later!
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Hi Everyone!!
Are you ready for some inspiration??? Me too!!!! It seems like I keep putting off getting my new blog "all together" so today I have decided to look at my blog roll. You know those blogs you like to read, ogle and salivate over get inspired by.
How does this involve you? Well, I want to do a trade of sorts. You know, you show me yours and I'll show you mine......blog button that is!!! <smile> If you blog and want to be on my blog roll and are willing to add me to yours send me your button!!!! Don't have a button don't worry just post your blog addie in your comment and I will get you on the list too. You can grab the code for my button in my upper right sidebar.
Once you post that I have been added to your blog roll I will add you to my blog roll. I only have two on there right now but I wanted you to see how it will appear....
Click HERE.
Pretty cool, huh?
Website links are welcome too as long as you can post a link back to my blog on your site. I love win-win situations don't you?
Hope to see you on my blog roll soon!!!
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There is something to say about Art Days. Days set aside to create art by trying new things, new ideas, making mistakes and finding ways to make them work. These are the days not spent in a rush to put class proposals together but days just spent creating. Putting whatever is in your imagination into a tangible, tactile, existing thing (i.e. painting, box, necklace, photograph, etc.).
I was recently reintroduced to these days when my friend Kecia was visiting in June. We sat at my dining room table and drew, painted, journaled, and talked about the process. Today another friend, Colleen, was talking about how we adults should spend more time jumping in rain puddles rather than going around them. It is the ability to abandon what we should be doing rather than what we want to be doing.
What is the worst that could happen? I mean I'm not talking about giving up our morals or integrity here. It could be as simple as dropping the paint brush and dipping our fingers into the wetness of the colors. How about trying a new technique and then posting a photograph of the outcome no matter what the outcome? How about a day in phone photos where you post an image to your FaceBook account each hour on the hour no matter where you are?
Making time to create for fun should be something we all strive for. It gives our artistic side the chance to stretch beyond the norm and to grow in ways we may have believed impossible. It gives us permission, even as adults, to have fun, to color outside of the lines (or our mental boundaries) and to not care what someone else thinks of us, our process or our creations.
Set a time to be freely joyous with your art, to jump in the puddles of your imagination and to embrace what is uniquely yours. Give yourself permission to play.
xo,
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Hi Everyone,
The Artful Gathering Online Retreat has been an amazing event and I am super excited to have been a part of it. As the classes wind down on the Artful Gathering Site you will find that many of hte teachers are offering DVDs of their classes.
Tom and I have not gone the DVD route, yet, but I will be moving the videos/class onto our NING group and will be offering it there which is the reason for this post today.
For this weekend only (Friday, Saturday & Sunday - August 12, 13, 14) and only for the first 40 people I am going to offer the class at a discount of just over 40% which will make the class cost $55. Also, if you are among the ones that register this weekend you will have the chance to be the lucky winner of not only this class but another class, of your choosing, that is being offered on our NING site. Now I don't know where all of you are from but where I come from that's a pretty amazing thing. The odds are 40 (or whatever the number is up to 40) to 1 that you will win this plus another class!!!
So what is this Collector's Conundrum class about? Well, I'm glad you asked....
Here's some of the things you will be learning in the class:
Remember only 40, only this weekend, only $55.00........
< This class will go live on September 2nd for those registering this weekend and you will receive your invitation into the group at that time. The class will not accept any other registrations until December 1st. Hope to see you there!!
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Sometimes I can walk into my studio, sit down and absolutely nothing sparks my creative imagination. My mind goes blank like an abandoned canvas sitting on an easel in the corner.
To help me in those times I created a studio muse.....something that, when gazed upon, would get the gears going. This is one of the classes that I taught at Art In The Rough and we had so much fun going through the process of discovery. Each muse was different with items and creations that spoke directly to the indivudual artist. That's what it's all about right?
After everyone determined what their "muse" would be telling them it was a hunt for just the right pieces, learning new techniques (wire wrapping, resin applications, images, transfers, cold connections, composition and more), putting it all together and seeing those beautiful ideas come to life.
Here are a few images.....
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I cannot wait to take this creative journey with more students.
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Just getting back in the swing of things after our trip to Maine to be a part of The Art In The Rough retreat. What an awesome time we had!!!! I will be posting images soon so be on the lookout.
Here is a treasury celebrating the fast approaching Fall Season....
Be sure to visit and favorite the treasury to help support your fellow etsians.
xo,
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