Better Than Nothin'

The creative juices haven't really kicked in yet, but the challenge continues:

Give it the Old College Try

I suck at art challenges, just sayin'.  I've tried about a million and get behind and eventually quit each and every time.  I'm going to try this one anyway, you know give it the old college try.

I'm already 3 days behind now, but I'm going to just start today!  Here are the prompts for the first week if you want to play along.

And here is my first index card:

ICAD #4

Marking Milestones

Have you heard about Maya?  She set off on a grand adventure on May 5, 2012, the day she turned 40.  

She is riding her bike from Amherst, MA to Milwaukee, WI toting this fabulous aqua typewriter behind her and stopping all along the way in towns and communities and inviting others to contribute to her ever-evolving poem.  I have exactly 122 days left in my 40th year, and although I had all sorts of grand and romantic ideas about how I would mark the milestone, I've pretty much done none of them.  That's not to say that I haven't had a great year, just that I haven't done that one great milestone-marking thing.  Do you think my family would mind if I just took off to join Maya for a few weeks?  Because seriously, is this not the coolest idea ever?  You can follow her adventure here.

It Seems So Simple

I need to put this list on a constant loop in my mind!

What I Love About Preschool

So I Did

We were having a glass of wine and she said, "You know, you should paint your dining room orange."

So I did.  How else should one spend a weekend when the husband is out of town?  

In Over My Head

I've been wanting to change the look of my blog for quite some time, but just didn't have the knowledge, time, or energy!  I have been blogging for awhile but mostly in fits and starts.  In an effort to improve, I had been searching the great wide interweb for some friendly Blogger advice.  That's when I stumbled across this awesome e-book while checking out fellow Full Tilt Boogie classmate, Nancy Lynn's blog.  Now I know that's a lot of links in one sentence, but I promise you, taking the time to click each one will be well worth your time!  In the name of expediency, I used a free template, but Karen's easy to follow directions were oh so helpful (and you feel like you've gotten a mini html lesson too)!  Now I feel a little more confident and not so far in over my head.  My blog feels a lot more like me now which might just get me posting a little more often (insert crossed fingers here).


Completely off the subject, but enjoy the picture below of my daughter Julia, taken my oldest budding photographer daughter Ali

Class Collage

Class Collage by jdo918 featuring heart bracelets

My first attempt at a digital collage on polyvore.com for Misty Mawn's class.  I definitely need to work on my composition, and I think I much more enjoy getting my hand messy with paint and glue!


So after posting the original collage above, I imported it into Picnik and did a little more work there.  Now there is much more depth and color.  Here is the end result

The Apple of My Eye

I'm taking my FIRST EVER art class.  It is an online course taught by the amazingly talented Misty Mawn.  We are nearing the end of week one and although I haven't even gotten close to finishing ALL of the assignments, this sketch of an apple is about the only recognizable work I have produced.  

Hopefully I'll have more to share over the next 4 weeks!

Getting Sparked

I recently joined The Gritty Bird Academy and decided to give Becky's Creative Spark Fridays a try.  Here are the sparks for the week of 9/3-9/10:

**CREATIVE SPARK ONE**

•Artistic Theme•

Kaleidoscope of Color

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**CREATIVE SPARK TWO**

•Theme Words, Poem or Phrase•

the kaleidoscope turns

in patterns and colors

a swirl of blend

continually tossed

by each turn of the hand

within the tube are

prisms of light

easily colored

by the direction

it's pointed

and what was a star

becomes a flower

a shape disappears and

becomes a pattern

then shifts again

into the blend

beautiful glimpses

that tumble around

each small piece

a part of the whole

pieces of stardust

pockets of glitter

you know with each turn

nothing much matters

just that you turned

and looked at the colors

admired its moment

and swirled in the blend

- Debby Rosenberg

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**Creative SPARK THREE**

•Theme Color Palette•

You'll notice that the punch of pink in the image is missing from the color palette. I am not sure why it did not come through the generator but I am plan to add into my sparks, so please feel free to as well if you like!

And here's my Sparked Creation:

I've spent the last 2 1/2 weeks learning some metal-smithing techniques from Stephanie Lee.  I can't tell you what an absolute blast it has been!  Here's just a peek at what I've been creating.

Keeping Promises

I promised in my post on December 6 of last year that I would post photos of the finished hat I was getting ready to start knitting.  It is suddenly sad to me that this much time has gotten away from me.  I've made a promise to myself to spend more time doing the things that bring me joy and to slow down and savor my wonderful life.  So here's to promises.  Pictures of finished hats, and a return to blogging, knitting, sewing, writing, loving, laughing, living...

The promised finished product.  Maybe Julia will decide she likes hats this year... or not

A bonnet made from a recycled wool sweater and corduroy skirt

In honor of Journalfest... potholder journals

A Bo Peep skirt made from a recycled pillowcase

I'm Back!

It's been too long.  I have stayed away from my blog for so long now, it seems a lifetime ago.  I just returned from a beautiful few days in Port Townsend, WA and now I am truly reinspired!  It just takes a short time surrounded by wonderfully creative people and the juices begin to flow again.  I must stay focused though. So many new techniques to try, so many new things to learn! I understand now why so many people go to the Northwest to find their creative muse.  What a supremely beautiful place!

The views from Fort Worden State Park are incredible! This place will forever call to me.  A big thank you to Teesha and Tracy Moore for the first ever Journalfest!  You can check them out at
http://www.teeshamoore.com/ and http://www.zettiology.com/
I've learned so much.  Now, I must honor it all by continuing my creative journey.