we're all mad here!

ring! ring!

I truly believe that when life rings you up, you need to wake up and take the call!

As you've heard me say before, I've been receiving Tiny Buddha newsletters in my inbox for awhile now. I go through little spurts where I will read them about once a weekish all the way to months of just deleting them without even a glance. It's kinda a mood thing I guess. Anyhoo, the last two weeks or so I've read three of them, and all three were things I REALLY needed to hear right now! Are you feelin' me? Ever have that happen ... where you're kinda floating through life when all of a sudden you hear this RING! RING! and realize it's life calling to tell you to listen up?

Well, these 3 tiny emails were things I had been struggling with lately ... one of them without even really realizing I was doing it until I read the message. Today's was kinda the icing on my listen up! cupcake:

Tiny Wisdom: Let Your Light Shine Bright

Sep 07, 2011 12:23 am | Lori Deschene

“As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.” -Nelson Mandela

I've mentioned this already recently, but I've had this whispering worry about letting mine shine too bright in the past. I guess I worry it will seem too much like boasting or bragging, but there is also such a thing as not tooting your own horn loud enough. SO, I'm going to work on letting my light shine a little brighter, and not be so frightend of the commitments that MAY follow. I can always say no, can't I? {oh goodness ... something I'm terrible at}.

So, with that in mind, I'm tickled to announce that I made it to the 25 finalists {5 from each catagory} in Cloth Paper Scissors ARTISAN SEARCH 2012 in the Art Journaling & Bookmaking catagory!!! I really feel like once I get my journals into their hot little hands I stand a good chance of winning. 

Speaking of journaling here are 3 totally awesome things to journal about:

• What have you been holding back at in life?
• Are you letting your own light shine as bright as it can or are you hiding it under the proverbial bushel?
• What do you need to work on within yourself ... no finger pointing ... just admitting a need for work?

I love working through my dreams, goals, and personal areas of work in the pages of my journals. I use a lot of visual ques in my art journals, and don't do a whole lot of actual writing because I find I work and express myself better when I don't. My journal pages rely heavily on quotes, words, and my drawings. For a long time now they have been full of houses and homes because that's where I was feeling the need for the most focus and purging. My worries about all the trauma and chaos my family kept having to endure leaked out onto all the pages. There wasn't a lot of time or space to worry about anything else especially letting my light shine.

Another thing I love to include in my journals is lines and quotes from movies I'm watching while journaling. This is one of my favorites by far - it's delivered by Anthony Hopkins in Wolfman, to his son upon his untimely return to the family estate. It goes hand in hand with something my dad told me awhile back, "Don't ruin all your todays and tomorrows worrying about your yesterdays." That's not to say you shouldn't remember what you've done or even reflect on it now and again, but you can't stay mired there ... bogged down in the horribleness of the past. You can't change the past, you can only try to do better from today on. 1 single day at a time ... 1 single breath ... 1 single moment of loving someone special.

happy birthday Larry!
YOU are the icing on my cupcake of life :)

NOW GO MAKE ART! 

I choose the glass half-full, thankyoumuch!

There is this wonderful thing happening inside all my art girls ... an awesome and inspiring transformation! Lots of talk about what is REAL versus what is PERCEPTION in our daily lives or about the MYTH that happy people don't have problems (or somehow as if by magic their problems don't trouble them). From photos on facebook of our overflowing laundry piles to gory details about our messy lives on our blogs ... the truth is starting to trickle out drop by precious drop. Here's the secret truth folks:

EVERYONE has problems in their life! 
everyone
period 
exclamation point
the end 

I know when you are in the middle of big problems they are all encompassing, but sometimes lots of tiny bits of daily turmoil can coalesc and become the perfect storm just as easily. Happy people have simply come to terms with the fact that LIFE GOES ON regardless of whether you are ready for it or not. My theory is: you can either sit in the corner and cry or learn to shrug it off and try to find something humorous in your dilema to laugh about. Now, I understand this may sound silly or maybe even unrealistic, but I promise you it's not. Just look back at all the problems you've already faced ... did you rise to the occasion and conquer all of them with grace and splendor?

No?

Me neither, but I'm still here, and they have come and gone ... so the lesson is that life marches on with or without you. Do you want to cry and moan and stomp your feet on the sidewalk as life parades on past you OR do you want to pick up your instrument and join in?

I have zero control over some of my problems ... I can bang my head against the wall trying to change them or learn to look for ways of working through them. Which sometimes can be something as small as hosting game night for your family or friends. Cooking out and laughing at all the b.s. there is to put up with in life. Getting together for coffee talk, and most definitely helping each other get through these real, difficult, messy times on the phone or in person.

I love this Brave Girl's quote by my friend Melody: Motivation is when your dreams put on work cloths.

Take a moment to stop and really soak up this tiny little sentance. Getting through life - just like achieving your dreams - requires you to pull on your big girl panties and get a little dirty. Navigating the murky waters of life is dirty business my friends, but the rewards of living a REAL, messy life are endless! Your relationships with be so much better when you are honest about the problems you are having, and ask for help or guidance, your workdays will be tolerable, you may even decide you CAN suck it up and have lunch with your mother-in-law ... you get my point. 

Jenny Doh just wrote about choosing the burdens we bear in the latest CRESCENDOh newsletter. {You can sign up to receive it in your inbox here: CRESCENDOh .} She posted this quote at the begininning of her letter: "Freedom means choosing your burden." {Hephzibah Menuhin} I love this quote. It reminds me of my choice to ALWAYS put my family first ... something that Jenny and I talk about often. When I started publishing and writing almost 10 years ago {facepalm} I made the CHOICE to never put my art before my family. Am I amazing and awesome at doing this all the time? Nope ... and that's okay. Because I am most of the time so they let me slide when I get a little compulsive about writing, sewing, and making things.

It's so completely amazing to be loved and accepted for who you REALLY are instead of who you want people to think you are. REALITY VS. PERCEPTION I know your reality might be scary, and a burden, or just a downright incredible mess ... but if you quit hiding it away and trying to take care of it all yourself things will get so much better!

So, I've rambled on forever, but in case your eyeballs still have some juice left in them you can read more about REAL life over on some of my art girls blogs:

Melody Ross and her FB detox 

Jeanne Oliver's ART SAVES story

Lara Blair's confession @ being a soccer mom

Kolleen Harrison on her journey into healing thru art

This is only a smidgen of the wisdom out there ... but I wouldn't want your noodle to pop :)

NOW GO MAKE ART!

an irrational fear of success

I just love when life gifts you exactly what you need at the EXACT right moment!

Mine came today in the form of an email from tiny buddha about the Fear of Success. I have been spending a lot of time talking about this to my art girl circle, because it's a fear that runs so deep inside me. I could never really find the exact right words to describe my feelings, but Lori came so very close today :

"Success in any pursuit requires responsibility. At one point, I decided this was one thing I didn’t want. I didn’t want people to depend on me. I didn’t want to create conditions in my life that I needed to maintain with consistency, both in effort and earning.

I wanted the freedom to drop everything in a heartbeat so that I never had to feel trapped. This felt safe to me. If I never chose to rise too high, I’d never have to fall too far if I messed up; I’d never had to worry about disappointing anyone ..."

All these bolded purple parts are EXACTLY the feelings I have bouncing around inside my noodle when I wonder about being successful. Acknowleding a fear of success ... a fear that must seem so silly to most of you ... is really hard for me because everyone around me is so eager and excited for me to become successful. I'm sure in part because they think that's what I must really want too. It's a confusing feeling especially when you really look at your dreams and goals.

All of these steps I've been taking - publishing, writing, blogging, etc. all propell you on a course directly towards SUCCESS. I think that's part of this hiatus I've been taking from writing/blogging/FB. I just needed to hibernate for awhile in preperation for all this growing! All this though about the fear of success brings to mind a poem by Marianne Williamson:

Our Deepest Fear

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us. It is not just in some; it is in everyone.

And, as we let our own light shine, we consciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

I don't know about you, but I find myself truly inspired to shine my light as bright as possible without fear of success nor of failing when I read this poem. In the spirit of letting my light shine {and with a lot of reassurance from Larry}, I pulled on my big girl panties and entered Cloth Paper Scissors 2012 Artisan Search - Art Journaling & Bookmaking. I have been doing a ton of journaling lately, and am really excited to see if I can make the top 5 finalists! I know that if I can get my journals in their hot little hands I stand an honest chance of winning! 

I'm also writing an article for an upcoming issue of Sarah Fishburn & Angela Cartwright's Pasticcio Quartz zine, and it's something new and exciting for me. I recently started rolling my hair up in "rag" style rollers {really they are cloth with a foam & wire inside}, and I fell in love with Vera Neumann headkerchiefs over on Etsy! I love the Rat Rod look, and think it would be really fun to have a nice selection of vintage headkerchiefs to wrap around my rollered-up head when I have to leave home to run errands. I don't mind wearing them around the house, but I get a little funny about running around town .

a peek at what's to come:

+ Larry and I did a lot of talking about drinking during activities - he had a really insightful moment that I'm really looking forward to sharing with all of you tomorrow!

+ tomorrow is "what are U up to?" Wednesday's again finally!

NOW GO MAKE ART!

embracing the new normal

did'ja miss me?

I missed me! I went on a little self-imposed online hiatus these past couple months to tend to some LIFE, but it's been long enough now and it's time to poke my head out of the deep, dark forest I've been hiding away in. "What?! YOU... hidden away in the woods ... why that can't be! You're always so happy.", you say. Yep ... hiding out in my safe little ole cottage deep in the woods. Let's be honest here folks, even the most opptimistic of us goes through times of distress despite our sunny outlook on life. In fact, I'd even wager that those of us who make the CHOICE to be happy daily, crawl much deeper into that dark forest when the mood strikes. I think when we finally succomb to the "terrible, no good, very bad days" they are just a touch more troubling because we're accustomed to soldiering on regardless.

Well, the simple truth of the matter is that my husband has been battling alcoholism for the past 10 years, and this last horrendous year that our family has gone through simply got the better of him. He went on a little spiral of self-destruction that really came to a head these past two months. He's been sober for a little over two weeks now, and I couldn't be prouder or more in love with him than I am this very moment! (I'll write more next time on his recovery path} There is nothing worse than watching someone you love go through something like this. It breaks your heart in ways I can't even begin to describe here in words. I can only say that it makes you ache in places you cannot soothe despite how hard you try.

To many of you this may come as a complete shock ... to others it will finally make complete sense ... and to the few of you we've shared this with, I know my writing about it finally brings a sad smile to your face. I have chosen in the past not to talk about this, not because I was ashamed, but because I felt like it was private and really Larry's story to tell, not mine. But after going through this crazy horrible last year, I've decided that it's okay to talk about it here, and in fact may help some of you deal with what you and your family are going through right now. Because none of us are immune to this fact of life ... times can get tougher than you ever feared they might, and when you are in the middle of them, no one else's problems can compare in agony.

For a long time I ran around trying to keep a lid on the volcano that was Larry's drinking. I was for the most part very succesful in this role, but it was exhausting. After going to Brave Girl Camp last October, I decided that I couldn't do it any more. That I was too tired of running around cleaning up messes, and trying to keep everything under control. I'm only human after all, and it was time to hang up my Wonder Woman costume in exchange for a calmer, simpler life. 

Change is often painful, and the changes that took place in our family as a result of all this chaos were no exception. At the time I thought it felt like the most hateful, hurtful joke life could play on us. Now, I understand that all these terrible things needed to happen for us to get to this new peaceful normal that we are living. I also now understand that it's okay to share this part of my story with you ... if you choose to judge me for it that's on you ... not me, and I'm at a place where I'm okay with that too.  Because those of you that I've chosen to keep close to my heart through all of this understand ... you've been there yourself in your own way ... you've found your own new normal.

My friend Jeanne does this really awesome thing over on her blog where she lets her reader's ask questions, and writes about the answers in follow-up posts. So, I'm going to offer you the same opportunity - you can ask me about my art & process / you can ask me about how I achieve certain techniques / you can ask me about living with an alcoholic / you can pretty much ask me anything. In return, I'll respond in some fun and creative ways - with videos / with artwork / with patterns ... you get the idea. You can send your questions to:

themessynest@me.com
subject line: questions - round 1

I promise to keep all of you safe & secret in my replies so no worries if you are still hiding your truths and stories away safe in your pocket! I guess in the end, my hope for you is that you finally embrace your own new normal - or work to make it happen, that you don't cringe at the thought of sharing the secretmost parts of your story or life. Just know that I totally believe in you, and you are so very very loved!

NEXT POST GLIMPS:
 
I'll be writing a tutorial
for my Sea Glass doll quilt :)

 NOW GO MAKE ART!

CHA was amazing!

It's that time again:

Starting today you can hop on over to the Cloth Paper Scissors website and download a free ebook full of handmade book tutorials. I'm so excited to be featured right smack at the top:

Article #1: Creating Mixed Media Books "Creating Treasure Booklets"

click here to open the link in another window: free ebook from Cloth Paper Scissors

7 things I love this week:

• volunteering with Holly - passing out chips & salsa from Houlihan's to all the Lansing Kidney Walk participants
• chobani greek yogurt - pomegranate
• kokka's linen fabric - new bird echino prints
• poach pods - thanks Mom!
• having buckets of patience
• fresh paint - April Mist
• getting together with my longtime art girls

Last week Tracie Lampe invited me to tag along to CHA in Chicaco with her, and we had the most amazing time. It was the first time attending for both of us, and I have to admit we had more fun than should be aloud for grown-ups!

Other than meeting some amazing contacts, and getting talks going about licensing my illustrations for all sorts of goodness, the highlight of my trip was finding Mixed and Stitched on the showfloor which I was totally not expecting.

It was so wondeful to run into Facebook friends like Margo Potter, Sarah Hodsdon, Julianna Hudgins, and Marisa Pawelko and finally get to see them in 3D as Margo likes to call it. Catching up with Jen Cushman, Bernie Berlin, Tracie Lampe, and Barbe St. John led to intense fits fo giggles, and some frank talks about our views on the differences between the Mixed Media and Craft world. Jen summed it up best by calling them fishbowls that sit next to each other on the same shelf, but are sometimes hard to hop between. Overall, I think we really recharged each other's creative tanks, and helped cheer each other on to new and amazing goals!

We all did a group interview with Elena over at Charity Wings, and you can catch our little bit of sillyness over on their site. You can find the link over on my side bar under Brave Girls links.

By the end of Wednesday, we had all gotten a little punchy and started coming up with funny ways to incorporate ourselves into our favorite booths displays. You can find some VERY funny shots on all our facebook pages, and I promise they will deliver intense giggling.

I have lots of amazing opportunities to share with you tomorrow, but today I'm resting on the couch after another round of spinal injections, and should really get back to resting. A HUGE thank you to all my art mentors who gave me the best advice ever on how to achieve my goals. I couldn't have done it without all of you!

So, what are U up to today?
Tell us all about it here or over on your blog :)

NOW GO MAKE ART!

i am a forest stream

i am a forest stream
born in the cold tippy top
of a faraway mountain
only to end in the mouth
of some tumultuous ocean
born again as snow
on another mountain
far away ... ever changing
and becoming i am nothing
and yet i can be anything

 

i am a bringer of life
i nurture those around me
i make music with my soul
i glitter like diamonds
under the gaze of the sun
and shimmer like silver
as i dance with the moon
i do all this day after day
even as i evaporate into nothing
only mist and memory

 

i weep at the twists
and turns along my journey
i laugh as I tumble
over stones and obstacles
i give my gifts never asking
for anything in return
nothing but your touch
and tender loving care

 

i am a forest stream
always flowing somewhere
new every moment of my day
i can become anything
or nothing more than me

 

washtub planter how-to - what are U up to today? - wednesday no. 5

what are U up to today?

Today, I'm reading through the newest copy of Art Doll quarterly, drawing on moleskine notebooks for my etsy, oogling some new lace I got in the mail yesterday, and still rolling around inside the pages of Mixed and Stitched.

This week I'd like to share a quick & easy little garden project:

washtub herb garden

On Mother's Day I decided to plant some grape tomatoes and an herb garden in an old two-sided washtub I found at a local antique store. This is what is looks like 2 weeks later after buckets of rain, and lots of pep talks. I've already started to nibble on the arugula, but I'm really excited about the tomatoes. I left my washtub battered and rusty, but you could easily buy some outdoor furniture paint and spruce it up even more. {how fabulous would it look like with polka dots or flowers or birds painted all over it!} I've gone and planted herbs in mine, but I think it would make a fabulous strawberry grower or a beautiful deck flower planter too!  Your imagination, and the garden center are your only limitations. Here's how easy it is:

SUPPLIES:

• double-sided washtub or something similar
• 2 large bags potting soil
• 8 - 12 herbs / plants / flowers
• lots of sun & water

step 1:

If your washtub/container doesn't have a drain in the bottom you want to create one in each side so you don't drown your plants. You can either use a drill to make them or simply a hammer & nail to make about 5 holes in the middle of each side if it slopes or randomly around the bottom if your washtub has a flat bottom. Next, buy two big bags of potting soil, and pour one in each side of your washtub. If you only have one big basin you just need to put both bags in. If you want to cut down on cost you could fill the bottom half with fill dirt and rocks, but then you're looking at needing to fertilize. If you buy potting soil, that's usually mixed in and you can just plant and grow.

step 2:

Dig a softball size hole for each herb you want to plant. You want to give each plant enough room to grow so don't crowd them all together. The plant spike should tell you how far it needs to be from another plant, but I find about 4 to 6 inches is good. I like to use garden gloves so my fingernails don't get all grimy, but they are certainly not necessary if you don't already have a pair. You could use a trowel if you like too, but I find it easier to just dig them with my own two hands. The idea here is to keep cost down as much as possible, but still keep it capable of producing a nice harvest.

step 3:

I only did herbs in half because I wanted to try growing grape tomatoes to snack on in the other side. Last year I grew one to make sure they were tasty, and this year I have 4 going in the right half of my washtub garden. Just turn your plant upside down, and give it a little shake or wiggle to free it from the plastic container they come in. You want to break off about 1/4 of the rootball from the bottom to encourage growth, and then drop them into the holes you made in the soil. Push the soil in around your plant, and gently push down all the way around the stem making sure it's packed lightly so your plant won't fall over. You don't want to pack it in firm though or you risk injuring your plant.

step 4:

Continue on till both sides of your planter are filled and planted. In this side I planted:

top row - garlic & cilantro (not in the planter yet for this pic)

middle row - horseradish & basil

bottom row - arugula (yuhummy!)

The garlic and horseradish won't be ready until fall, but I love them both so they're worth the wait. Make sure you keep the plant info spikes that came with your herbs so you know what kind of care they need, and when you can harvest them. Most herbs need full sun to thrive so don't worry about needing a shady spot ... you can stick them right out in the sunniest spots, just remember to water regularly!

step 5:

After you've planted everything, you need to give it a BIG drink of water. The potting soil comes a little moist, but it dries out really quick in the sun so don't forget this step! Now all you have to do is sit back and watch your herb garden grow. As you can see from my rainy picture up top, it doesn't take very long for it to flourish. After two weeks of on and off rain, mine is growing like gangbusters! Don't forget to go out and talk to them too ... everybody needs a little encouragement to grow :)

So, that's it ... lickety split! Took me about a 1/2 hour from start to finish and cost under $50 including the planter, soil, and plants. I would love to see what you do with this How-To so please post links to your planters so we can take a peek!

NOW GO MAKE ART!

{or plant somethin'}

:)

getting away from it all

This past weekend, Larry & I snuck away for a rare weekend alone. I found this fabulous little cottage in the woods online for us, and it was a truly magical place! I got to do lots of sitting by the fire, drawing ... thinking ... journaling ... listening to the magical quiet of Le Pin Cottage. I really needed this time away to re-center myself, and brainstorm how to get back into writing after taking this hiatus.

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about what I want to get out of my day to day life, and how I want to spend so much more time reconnecting with my art girls. All of this deep thinking started when I hired Laura Bray last year as my art coach to help get me through the process of writing Mixed and Stitched. One of the first things she did was challenge me to really stop and think about how I was utilizing my time, and what my fall back crutches are in times of stress. 

For me, that means procrastination ... avoiding ... getting sucked into the computer ... and isolation from friends. All terrible terrible habits that I'm trying to break out of! I've started writing letters to friends again ... gotten back into some fabulous exchanges on Flickr ... started a journal of goals & dreams {SO important if you want to achieve them!} ... planted an herb garden {you will get a fun little project tutorial about this tomorrow} ... started repainting the rooms in our house. All things that I WANT to spend more time on lately, and put off to write my book.

I'm not the only one who's been thinking deep thoughts about life either:
my beautiful friend Kolleen had the most awesome FB update the other day:

"the grass is greener where you water it"

Really makes you stop, think, and nod in agreement, huh!? Are you watering your own grass or just wishing it was greener? What is keeping you from making your own grass greener? Do you even know? Maybe what you need to do is really stop and think about what it will take to make YOUR grass the greener one!

Another wonderful friend of mine, Melody has decided to take a 90 day break from FB and technology to focus on making art, soul searching, and deep writing. I would love for you to hop over to her blog, and read more about it. I really like that she's brave enough to give this a try! I know that when I spend too much time getting sucked into FB, I don't get the things done that I wanted to for the day. When I feel super stressed out I know it's time to step away from the internet, and focus on the causes of my stress.

What are the monsters that go BUMP! in your head? Melody talks about her worry of being forgotten if she stays away from FB for too long ... I think many of us artists are afraid of being forgotten or passed by if we take time for ourselves to water our gardens so to speak. I know I've worried about it way too much in the past. So much so, that I was accepting every opportunity out there whether or not I could really fit it in to my schedule. That was another one of the things Laura and Melody helped me with ... learning that it's not only okay, but extremely healthy to say no. So, I started only accepting opportunities that fell in with my goals & dreams. Really hard to do because again, as artists we're always worried about being missed or missing out.

What I found when I unplugged and stepped away a little bit is that I need mail art & love to keep going. That I need to tend to my messy nest to feel happy and fulfilled. How sharing my problems with close friends helps me to feel strong enough to conquer them. How important it is to stay connected to my art girls ... because they are the fuel of my artistic fire. Most of all that it's okay to take time away to recharge, refocus, and get back on track.

There's lots of thoughts banging around upstairs, and you'll be reading lots more of them ... cause I like sharing with all of you, and hearing your thoughts on schtuff :) 

NOW GO MAKE ART!

do you tickle or sting? - what are U up to today? - wednesdays no. 4

At the end of last week I got hives. All the women in my family have a tendency for them, and usually we're very careful about trying new products. It's been a LOOOOONG time since I've had the hives really bad, so I got lax last week and tried 4 new things in one week ... 3 of them all in the same evening. What a mistake that was! So, what do I wake up to Friday morning, but a nice case of the hives. And when I say a "case of the hives" I'm not talking a couple here or there or even a bunch in one spot ... I'm talking hives as big as oranges EVERYWHERE! There's a movie starring Lilly Tomlin called The Incredible Shrinking Woman ... in it Lilly plays a housewife who one day is exposed to just too many chemicals. They react wildly and cause her to start shrinking thus the title. It is an incredibly funny movie that still causes you to stop and think about what we expose ourselves to on a daily basis as not just women, housewives, and mothers, but as artists as well. 

So, here I am with hives, and the ability to narrow down the cause to only 3 things and not a stitch further. I was so mad at myself! What in the world was I thinking trying all these new things at once when I knew better? What happens inside our brains to suddenly switch us into doing things we know we shouldn't? Thank goodness the advance copy of my book came on Monday or I might be bonkers by now! This brings me to my next question:

do you tickle or sting?

What could I possibly mean by this you ask.  Well, I've been doing a lot of housekeeping lately in my personal life, and one of the things I've worked REALLY hard to get rid of is people who like to focus on the negative instead of CHOOSING to focus on the positive. I've started to notice that there are basically two kinds of people in this world - those who choose to say positive things {aka tickle you} and lift us up & those who can't help but focus on the negative of EVERYTHING {aka sting you with every word}. Having those types of people in your life can be so draining. It might seem exciting at first, since they seem to know the dirt on everyone, but after awhile you begin to notice that everything that trickles out of their mouth is something negative. They're quick to point out when your husband doesn't do things they think he should, they bag on mutual friends, they spend your whole phone conversation complaining about everything in their life, and when it's time for you to talk they suddenly "have to run". 

Now, I'm not talking about the occasional gossip or agreeing with you that your husband is being a jerk ... I'm talking about actively trying to talk you out of liking your husband & kids because they don't like theirs. I'm talking about bagging your job because they aren't happy at work ... on and on and on it goes until your ears are ringing and you can't find the good in anything around you. Get rid of those people and pull the people who lift you up and accentuate your positive as close as you can get them. These are the people in your life who are going to be truly happy when you soar instead of trying to belittle your accomplishments ... these are the people who remind you how lucky you are when you feel low and useless. These my peeps are TRUE friends and sisters!

On that note I'm going back to roll around inside the pages of Mixed and Stitched ... mouth watering at every juicy picture. Believe me, I'd photograph and share EVERY page with you right now if I could ... you'll have to suffice with taking a peek inside over on Amazon, and getting what you can over here on my blog until it comes out in June.  Sorry :)

NOW GO MAKE ART!

 

what are U up to today? - wednesdays - no. 3

did'ya miss me?

I've been CRAZY busy, and enjoying every minute of it!
{well ... let's be honest, not EVERY minute, but a heck of a lot of 'em}

I have so much to talk about I hardly know where to start, but  my what are U up to today? photo seems like a good enough place. As you can see this week I'm earning my messy nest title wholeheartedly. blech ... what a mess I have to clean up after Artfest!

I know I'll get right on it though, cause I got lots of ideas goin' on upstairs & my fingers are itching to sew some more. One of the wonderful things I've been working on is the pillow above as a congratulations present to my friend Melody on making her Brave Girls Clubhouse a dream come true! I just kinda made up my own wonky house pattern as I went, and I love these colors together! I used a felt tip fabric pen to write little messages of encouragement all over for Mel and all her Brave Girls. Today, I packed it up and tomorrow it will be flying off to it's new home soaking up love & tears of all the future Brave Girls to come.

I had lunch with my best girl Holly today, so I'll update the what are U up to today? blogroll tomorrow which means you still have time to sneak your post in today!

NOW GO MAKE ART!

What are U up to today? - wednesdays - no. 2

It's that time again folks - What are U up to today?

I've been working on another little peek inside my art journal video for you these past two days, and I have to say that my patience was tested a bit this time. It took FOREVER, and then when it was 92% uploaded onto You Tube my computer froze and I totally had to start over again. GRRRRR! 

but

I persevered, and here it is:

 

  

I'm putting the finishing touches on the last one for this spread in my journal, and will have it up later today over on 365 days of 40. If you'd like to see what everyone else is up to today just click on the icon above for a list of participating blogs! It also tells you what you need to do if you'd like to participate. This is a no-end-in-sight project so feel free to join us whenever!

NOW GO MAKE ART!

 

What are U up to today? wednesdays - no. 1

I'm always thinking about ways that we can connect, stay in touch, and learn more about each other without having to commit to phone time. There are many of you out there who I long to learn more about, I'm just not a big phone talker. I feel awkward and anxious which leads to the nervous babbling and interrupting. Two things I'm REALLY working on getting rid of in my life. SO ... I came up with this idea to do What are U up to today? Wednesdays starting today.

The idea is to take a picture of your lap, your sewing table, your workbench, your journal, your placemat, your coffee table, your kitchen counter, whatever ... somewhere where you are working on something today. Here's mine:

 and then either post a quote or a very short & sweet explanation of what you have going on in the photo.

I'm getting ready to film the last part of my journaling video to post over on 365 days of 40 later today :)

Now it's your turn. All you have to do is grab the badge from above, and put it on your blog to show you're participating. Then every Wednesday {or however often you like} post your What are U up to today? photo for us all to peek at. Easy peasy as a wonderful friend likes to say :) Leave your main blog link here in the comments section, and I will add it to the main blogroll page here:

http://identityseven.typepad.com/themessynest/what-are-u-up-to-today.html

All we have to do to keep up with each other is go on a little blog trip Wednesdays, and my hope is it will generate some traffic to our blogs as a bonus. I would REALLY love for you all to play along!

WHAT ARE U UP TO TODAY?

get your hand-drawn bookplate

MIXED and STITCHED is now available for pre-order on AMAZON!  

I cannot believe that we’re finally here! I’m beyond excited, and to celebrate I’m running a little special to help sell advanced copies. Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project has been talking in her newsletter recently about how important pre-sales are to books. That got me thinking about pre-sales for my book, and what I could do to increase sales. Gretchen has been offering to send bookplates to anyone who pre-orders a copy of her book, and I think it's a brilliant idea! So, I'm going to be a naughty copy cat, and do something along the same lines as Gretchen. 

If you purchase MIXED and STITCHED via pre-order I will send you a personalized - hand drawn bookplate to slap inside the front cover! That’s right, you’ll get a bookplate drawn by little ole me, and we’re not talking just a printed out version folks. We’re talking drawn by ME just for YOU. Each one will be personalized, and ONE OF A KIND!

 All you have to do to receive yours is email or snail mail me a copy of your receipt, and I’ll draw one up and pop it in the mail to you. You don’t need to send postage ... just an copy of your receipt with the payment method blacked out. I’ll do all the rest. A week later you’ll get a bookplate made just for  your copy in your mailbox with a thank you note for your support!

JUST CLICK THE LINK TO BUY YOUR COPY!

pre-order MIXED and STITCHED on AMAZON

{ this offer is good March 1st, 2011 - official release date of MIXED and STITCHED }

[ after that time you will still be able to receive a personalized bookplate, but it will be a printed copy of 1 design and not an original drawing - if you purchased a copy prior to 3/1/11 I will still honor your receipt, just not after the release date ]

 now go make art!

just a quick peek

Every year I exchange handmade Valentine's with a handful of friends. The only condition for the exchange is that they be handmade with love. This year I decided to try something a little different, and make mug rugs { little quilts for under your coffee cup} for my part of the exchange.

I started with 3 blue + 3 red + 3 neutral brown cuts of fabric. I quilted them using a basic strip pattern, and finished up the front with some modern quilting in white thread.

For the back I used some amazing brown suit tweed from work, and  some quilted fabric I dyed red during my whole book process. It looks a little of in this photo because I took it indoors at night, but it is what it is.

To finish them off, I made binding out of a natural muslin, and sewed it neat and tidy in the front and scrappy in the back. It's a new way I read about doing binding, and I really like the process. Lastly, I sewed on a snippet of white muslin and wrote "LOVE every day" on the front, and hugs and kisses on the back. The little piece of red you see at the bottom left is some ribbon I also dyed red during my dye phase. All three of them will be flying off to a new home by the end of this week.

This is some new twine I ordered from The Twinery. I splurged and bought the sampler pack because I couldn't decide on a color. What have you been up to this February?

NOW GO MAKE ART!

hibernation

Every year I go into hibernation about this time. Even though I'm not here I'm still creating, and thinking, and coming up with new articles and projects. I'll be back tomorrow with a proper New Year's post, but just know that today I hope you are happy, and smiling like me!

NOW GO MAKE ART!

can I get a WOOT! WOOT!

I finished up the bulk of my manuscript on Friday, and I can't tell you how incredible it feels! I've been working on it in one form or another since November 2008, and typing up that last little bit felt as if a HUGE weight was finally lifted off my shoulders. One of the things I had to type up was my acknowledgements, and it really got me thinking about mentors, and how incredibly lucky I've been in that department. On the left is a sneak peek of the cover for my book. You can see a tiny bit of it poking out from behing two amazing pieces of artwork from one of my favorite peeps, Sarah Fishburn :) She sent a box home recently with all kinds of goodies, and older artwork of mine, and she snuck these two prints into a Hansel & Gretel  that was included. I didn't realize they were in there until I finally sat down with a spare minute to read. I love the Peter Pan one, but the red and orange one on the left just really kind of summed up how I'm feeling now that I can sew, and play, and do all the fun things I've had to decline in favor of writing.

One of the projects I really want to work on is a quilt made from these amazing orange and gray fabrics. Jules and I had a little girls day out today, and hit Michael's and the quilt store to celebrate my newfound freedom. It's been a couple weeks of VERY late nights, no food in the house, and less clothes to wear than everyone is used to, but they were champs, and only grumbled a little. I think I'm going to give one of those quilts with the plus signs on it a go maybe or I might make them up into 1 1/2 inch hexies.  I haven't decided yet, but I'm sure I'll have an update photo for you later this week!

Do you have anything looming over your head right now, threatening to suck the life out of you? If you do, I highly suggest you GET IT DONE, and move on to rewarding yourself for doing so.  It's a MUCH better feeling!

NOW GO MAKE ART!

Fat Quarter Pillow Class

Join me for FABRIC, FOOD, and FUN while learning how to sew an amazing, yet simple pillow for your home, studio, or as a gift for someone you love!

WHERE: kean's in mason - michigan 

WHEN: tuesday - September 21st - 11 am to 1:30 pm 

COST: $35

 
*** LUNCH & DRINKS WILL BE PROVIDED ***

please call kean's to sign-up 517-676-5144

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Keans

As a special thank-you from Kean's you will receive 10% off your class supplies only at the time your class payment is paid.

This is going to be a really fun class where you'll learn how to make an 18 inch zipper bottomed pillowcase. You WILL leave class with a completed pillowcase. [getting a second one at least started is possible if you're a speedy sewer] We'll be having a break halfway through for a simple lunch of Michigan Chicken salad, strawberries, egg roll, and crackers with cheese. We'll also have plenty of drink choices to keep you hydrated. I hope you'll join us!

 

SUPPLIES:

• fabric: 3 co-ordinating fat quarters 
  [you can bring more to patchwork your pillow]
• 1 yard 18" quilt batting or 1/2 yard regular batting
• scissors / rotary cutter
• ruled straight edge
• self-healing mat
• sewing machine
• thread
• 18" zipper 
  [longer will work]
• sense of humor
• buttons & ribbon 
  [these are optional]
• 18" pillow form 
  [you don't need to bring this to class, but will need it to fill your pillow]

Kean's will provide an ironing board and irons for us all to use, and there is ample electrical outlets for all our machines.

SEE YOU THERE

:D

 

365 days of 40

I'm gearing up for my 40th birthday this December, and thought it would be interesting to map the journey. You can read some excerpts from my journal, and lots of other things over "there":

 

fun pouch tutorial over on pink penguin's blog:

click on the image of the pouch to jump to the tutorial :D

I'm writing and "quilting as you go" all weekend, and wanted to share something fun I found today!

NOW GO MAKE ART!

something fun - Palette Pingpong (No.2)

Hellohello. How's your Thursday been so far?

via kirstyneale.typepad.com

I found this through one of my flickr groups and thought you might have fun printing out the hexie card :)

In other news, I've been typing up a storm and working on this modern log cabin quilt using all my favorites out of my scrap bag for Doll Quilt Swap 9:

thinking about summer vacation

here's a peek inside my sewing bag today:

 

      

I'll tell you what everything is tomorrow :)

NOW GO MAKE ART!

86400 Seconds in a Day

This weekend was AMAZING!
Saturday morning started with buckets of sunshine and 
this huge bee warming itself on the edge of our rooftop. 

 Larry and I watched as it soaked up the sun, and put together this fantastic new pergola that we found for our deck. It's been such a pain to find one. Our table is rectangular, and most of them come square, so you can see why we were so excited to find this Saturday morning at Sears. The icing on the cake was this little fire pot that I found at Lowe's - it has a spot in the center where you put fire gel. It has the most peaceful flame and even crackles like a real fire!

So much has happened in the past couple weeks that I don't even know where to start: 
Mom and I went to Artfest and had the best time ever! This was our 6th time, and I am now completely addicted to copper enameling. This is a picture of all the goodies I made. The bird charm was made in Susan's class and the rest of the beads were done in Melissa Manley's class Hard Candy. As soon as all this book art is mailed off I will be going out to buy all the supplies and be a torching tornado! Much more on enameling to come this summer I'm sure :)

This is a little peek at one of the projects from my book. I wish I could share the entire finished thing with you because it is so amazing and inspiring. Sorry, you'll just have to be satisfied with a peek! You can get another one over on my Facebook page {see the link on the right to get there}. 

All week long, I will be a Guest Curator over on Jenny Doh's website Crescendoh! You can read my ART SAVES story, and every day this week I will have two links to blog and artists who inspire me. When I chose my links, many of them ended up being women who have been wonderful friends and mentors to me over the past 10 year. There is a quote by Thurgood Marshall that really sums up my feelings:

"None of us has gotten were we are solely by pulling ourselves up from our own bootstraps. We got there because somebody bent down and helped us."

How true this statement is for me! If it weren't for the love and gentle pushing of people like Bernie Berlin, Anna Barrow, and Sarah Fishburn, I would NEVER have published my art. How lucky I am to count these people as not only  amazing friends, but incredible mentors who challenged me to become more than I ever knew I could on my own. Please take a moment today to thank someone who has helped you believe in yourself, and take that giant leap of faith.

Last, but not least, is one of my favorite songs right now. It's a song that was written by The Script, and performed beautifully by Kris Allen. I try to have a positive attitude EVERY day, look on the bright side of things, laugh at what I can, and definitely live like every day is a precious gift!

NOW GO MAKE ART!

Live Like We're Dying

Sometimes we fall down, can't get back up
We're hiding behind skin that's too tough
How come we don't say I love you enough
Till it's to late, it's not too late

Our hearts are hungry for a food that won't come
And we could make a feast from these crumbs
And we're all staring down the barrel of a gun
So if your life flashed before you,
What would you wish you would've done

Yeah, we gotta start
Looking at the hands of the time we've been given
If this is all we got and we gotta start thinking
If every second counts on a clock that's ticking
Gotta live like we're dying

We only got 86,400 seconds in a day to
Turn it all around or to throw it all away
We gotta tell them that we love them
While we got the chance to say
Gotta live like we're dying

And if your plane fell out of the skies
Who would you call with your last goodbye
Should be so careful who we let leave our lives
So when we long for absolution,
There'll no one on the line, yeah

You never know a good thing till it's gone
You never see a crash till it's head on
Why do we think we're right when we're dead wrong
You never know a good thing till it's gone

Yeah, we gotta start
Looking at the hands of the time we've been given
If this is all we got and we gotta start thinking
If every second counts on a clock that's ticking
Gotta live like we're dying

Like we're dying, oh, like we're dying..

We only got 86,400 seconds in a day to
Turn it all around or to throw it all away
We gotta tell them that we love them
While we got the chance to say
Gotta live like we're dying..

Sunny Mondays

 Spring has sprung in Michigan, and it's so lovely to have the sun shining on your face as you wake each day!

I'm busy as a bee in my studio making all the art for my upcoming book. This is the most rewarding art I think I have ever made. It's all for me, and I'm pulling out all the stops :) I'll have a few sneak peeks tomorrow along with a nice lengthy blog post about Artfest, Spring Break, my kitchen remodel, and taking advantage of spring cleaning fever.

To tide you over until then, you can read my ART SAVES story over on Jenny Doh's website Crescendoh!

I'm a Guest Curator all week, and every day from now til Sunday, I will have links to 2 of my favorite sites.
Each day has a different theme, and two new artists so check there every morning.

NOW GO MAKE ART!

There's something cookin' in my kitchen.

"My recipe for dealing with anger and frustration; set the kitchen timer for twenty minutes - cry, rant, and rave, but at the sound of the bell, simmer down and go about business as usual."

+Phyllis Diller+

      When we bought our home nine years ago, and decided to completely remodel the kitchen, we never dreamed it would be such an enormous project, nor take this long to get done! This past week, a friend of ours has been toiling away, turning horsehair plaster and slats into beautiful drywall. Whomever built our home 100+ years ago, most certainly had a sense of humor. The wallpaper behind the cabinets is a very yellow, flowery stripe with layers of even more interesting papers slathered on top :) Plus, when the owners before us remodeled, they were apparently VERY afraid of the cabinets falling down because they're attached with 4 inch screws EVERYWHERE. Even places that defy the laws of physics and human hand size! 

We managed to squeak out a new Pergo floor ... then came a new chandelier, followed up by a new refrigerator {which was NOT in the master plan, but had to be replaced when our puked}, and last was a new thermometer to replace the one they left hanging off the wall by the wires. We even had a local flooring company come in and lay down some beautiful vinyl flooring, but sadly, it turns out he didn't know how to install flooring that needs to be heat seamed, and what started out as a beautiful piece of flooring started to peel up at the corners after only a few months. 

All that was left was the very difficult job of replacing the plaster with drywall, and figuring out what to do with cupboards we hate, and a countertop they left scorched from their cigarettes. What started out as humorous, quickly became frustrating for my husband, and bit by bit our drive to finish was eaten up by the dreaded OVERWHELM.

Today, however, our kitchen and dining room are starting to bring smiles to our faces instead of furrowed brows and frowns, and we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel! Tonight, we're off to look at counter tops and tile for the floor and backsplash. The toughest job will be agreeing on a color {you know what I'm talking about, don't you?}! I would love to hear how you've survived a kitchen remodel, or any important room in the house for that matter.

NOW GO MAKE ART! 

Still smiling in the sunshine!

We're on day 9 of perfect sunshine, and it seems like everyone is in a good mood because of it! It's hard to make it through the winter here in Michigan - every day is cold and grey, there's lots of snow and ice, we're all stuck indoors, and your toes freeze when they hit the bed at night. All things that make even the cheeriest of us crabby and unsociable until the sun peeks it's head out to cheer us up. All three of our pets love laying in the sunshine {what a hard life, huh?}, and have been hoarding it from each other in the family room. Ginger figured out a solution to the problem and found an empty box next to my chair that just happens to catch the afternoon sun. What you can't see in this picture is that the dogs are just off to the right {less than a foot away}. She's decided that if she's in the box they can't see her, and she's safe from harm {or wet, curious noses}.

  
 
I received the most wonderful parcel from my penpal yesterday! Above are just a few of the goodies from my lovely friend, Kelley Frisby. We stumbled upon each other through a moleskine Flickr group called Sketch Connection, and became fast friends. The idea behind the group was to partner up with someone and exchange moleskine sketchbooks back and forth until they're full. In doing so you are supposed to learn about your penpal through their sketches {i.e. no text}. We're rule breakers, and have decided to give each other tidbits about ourselves in writing alongside our sketches. It quickly became apparent that Kelley and I love many of the same things - Alice in Wonderland being one of them. We decided to add a monochromatic experiment into the mix, and I started it in my moley with this sketch of The Red Queen. Kelley kept it going with this amazing illustration of Alice meeting Humpty Dumpty that I just adore! On top of that as part of Pay It Forward over on her blog, she sent me this handmade Humpty doll that just makes you smile when you give him a sqoosh in your hands :) The last little sketch is one she did in shades of purple/violet, and it's so much like Larry that it puts a huge grin on my face just to think of it! Please hop over to her website to check out more photos of her illustrations - she mentioned posting more of the pictures herself, so I don't want to steal her thunder.

 One of my other favorite exchanges right now is The Pillow Talk { Swap } [which is also over on Flickr]. I had a really hard time picking out fabric for my partner this time. Dare I say I may have too much fabric to choose from? Nah :) In the end I decided that since we both like virtually the same colors/designs that I would just make a pillow I would really like to keep and send that. I started with linen and this fabulous green print linen from Kokka. I ironed on interfacing, and cut along the edge in a wavy pattern to give the pillow flow. I then used my sketchy style of sewing and three different threads to "draw" lines up and down the edge. Today, I cut out a few of the flowers, and ironed them over on the linen side. Next, I will stitch around the cut-out flowers by hand before starting on the back of the pillow. Oh, how I hope they will love it as much as I do! I'm off to work on my pillow, but I'll be back soon with a wonderful spring Give Away for March!

NOW GO MAKE ART!

I almost forgot - today is Catherine Witherell's birthday! Go visit her blog and leave her a birthday message :)

Good Morning Sunshine!

  (an embroidery kit I'm working on for my Etsy store)  

After a week of punishing snow, we have had 5 days in a row of glorious sunshine!
To celebrate I'm giving you a tasty little recipe to enjoy with your morning coffee.

My Aunt Nancy introduced my mom {who introduced me} to this candy recipe that she fondly calls Candy Crack. It's completely unsafe to have a batch in the house because you are guaranteed to eat it until it is gone. Each bite will be followed by a promise to yourself that you will be done after this one last piece! Because I love you all so much {and don't want to be the only one addicted} I'm going to share it with you here. It's very similar to a Heath or Skore candy bar, with a dark chocolaty, caramel crunch :)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Ingredients:
2 sticks of butter
1 bag of bittersweet chocolate chips
1/2 bag Heath Toffee or Peppermint pieces
1/2 cup of brown sugar
(or 1/4 cup Spenda brown sugar)
1/4 Tsp baking soda
Townhouse (aka soda) Crackers

Directions:
1. Line a cookie sheet that has sides with foil or parchment paper.

2. Line with club crackers until it is full.

3. Melt the butter in a saucepan.

4. Add sugar, stir until disovled, and then add soda.

5. bring to a rolling boil. 

  

6. Pour over crackers, making sure they are all covered. 

 
7. Bake for exactly 8 minutes. 

8. Drizzle the chocolate chips on top and as they melt spread them evenly. 

 
 

9. Sprinkle on toppings such as peppermint or Heath crumbles. 

 

10. Freeze until hard.

11. Break into pieces.

12. Bake another batch to replace the one you have just eaten! 

February Giveaway #1

This month I'm giving away two original pieces of artwork. The first one is a piece that was featured in Somerset Studio's With One Palette. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post between now and Sunday, February 14th 11:59 pm EST telling me what you love about Valentine's Day or a special way you celebrate it with those you love. I'll draw a random name on Monday morning and announce it here on my blog

This piece is lovely and textured as well as 3 dimensional.  It measures roughly 5 x 12 inches and I'll also be including a little surprise Valentine in your parcel, too. I'll post the second Giveaway as soon as this one is over :)

GOOD LUCK, and I can't wait to hear all about how you make Valentine's Day special!

-----------------------------------------------------------------

AND THE LUCKY WINNER IS {drumroll please}:

number 9

Linda Peterson

CONGRATULATIONS LINDA!

I left you a message over on Facebook to email me your mailing address, and I'll get it off in the mail to you tomorrow. It tickles me that you won :) How have you been?

{Linda is one of my students from Kean's in Mason, and a joy to have in class!}

THANK YOU to everyone who left comments! I will be posting another Giveaway tomorrow, and it will be another piece or original artwork so come back tomorrow for another chance to win :)

Now, I'd say go make art, but it's late all over and you should go to bed and get rest instead :)

nighty nighty

SNOW DAY!

 My kids are home with me today because of a snow day, and while they're too old to go outside and build snow forts, they still love the day off! Today's snow day was celebrated with re-runs of the Millionaire Matchmaker, a Family Guy-a-thon, the movie Smart People, and an evening of Little Big Planet {which I love to death}. It was so wonderful to stitch away to the sound of the two of them laughing out loud and threatening each other in "adult" voices.

Even though the ground in covered with snow, I am dreaming of spring. Two days ago it was freezing cold, but the sun was shining, and I could hear birdsong coming from the bare bushes around our home. It seems that I've had birds on the brain lately, and they keep growing from my fingertips in ink and fabric form. One of the things I've had difficulty with is the wing forms, so I've been sketching them to try and work out how to sew them from fabric for a special Valentine.

 Every year I try and exchange handmade Valentine's with different artist friends. My hope is to one day have a collection from as many of them as possible. This year I'm exchanging them with Kristen Robinson and Catherine Witherell, and making a very special one for my new friend Melody Ross as a thank you for coming along just when I needed her most. There's a Buddhist Proverb that says, "when the student is ready, the teacher appears", and this is so true for my stumbling upon Melody. In the short time I've known her, she's touched my heart and soul in ways I can't describe without sounding cliché or corny. She runs a wonderful retreat called Brave Girls Camp, and I'm so excited to be going there in October!

I've talked about hiring Laura Bray as my Art Coach before, and I can't tell you enough what a wonderful job she's doing! I sketched this a couple weeks into our "job", and just after "meeting" Melody. REACH is a word that has so many important meanings to me {the most common being the literal since I'm only 5'5" & have to stand tippy-toed to reach just about everything}. One goal that Laura has helped me reach for is the long-time dream/goal of publishing in Cloth Paper Scissors magazine. I'm so proud to say that I shipped off a very special handmade book to them this week, and it will be in the May/June issue :) I can't tell you how exciting this is for me - a big thank you to everyone over at CPS who gave me the thumbs up!

NOW GO MAKE ART!

thinking about my ten things

I was going to just post this over on my FB page, but then it struck me that it would be perfect for a blog post. [Laura - what an AHA moment!] I originally read about this over on Linda Woods blog, and loved how witty and funny her 10 Things were [but even more so the reasoning behind adding it to the list]. It got me thinking about my 10 Things:

1. Larry - [sappy I know, but it eliminates quite a few other must have things]
2. my glasses - have you ever tried looking for them without them on ... I'm blind and would surely stumble into traffic or off the precipice of something high!
3. Nilla wafers - I was going to put this: lemon luna bars - I'm thinking this would lead to a refrigerator because I like a lot of snacks cold, but I'm sure I could adapt to room temperature [especially if you only get to have 10 Things!], but decided that Nilla's are great at room temperature so no adjust period would be necessary :)
4. a black Tikky 0.2 pen - I don't even need paper ... I've been drawing on myself since I was in grade school [right Mom?!]
5. lip balm - "Hi - my name is Jennifer and I'm addicted to Aveda lip saver." "Hi Jennifer", the room.
6. a needle and thread - I have to have something to keep my hands busy, and need a creative outlet. I'll sew on hand-me-downs, and broken down boxer shorts if that's all that's available!
7. fresh Red Vines - the thicker ones, not the skinny minnies ... and they HAVE to be fresh
8. my down pillows - I can't sleep without them, and they already travel wherever I do.
9. my Kindle - I actually prefer the feel of paper beneath my fingertips when I read, but I couldn't pick just one book. This way I get to continually read new ones, and still only take up 1 space. I considered my iPod for a moment, but even though I could get audio books, there's something about seeing the words that makes the experience whole.
10. yoga pants - I like to wear jeans most days, but if I had to choose between them and yoga pants I think yoga pants would wrestle the jeans down with an arm bar. There's nothing like putting them on at the end of the day [especially if the bra has come off just prior!].

<--- Here's a peek at some of the fabrics I'm using for one of the my book projects. The piece of art in the middle is something I made a long time ago, and was just relocating to another place in my studio. These aren't colors I work with often, but they are luscious and perfect for this particular item :) Wait until you see what I'm making ... you may have to stitch your socks on!

Well, I'm off to get back to work on some very special things. I just really loved Linda's post, and couldn't stop thinking about what 10 Things I can't live without. I really would love to see yours, either here as a comment or a link to your blog.

NOW GO MAKE ART!

Are we mental because we're artists or are we artists because we're mental?

I've wondered this for years now, but it was hit home again on Saturday night while watching Cops with Larry. A woman was asked if she had any history of mental illness, and she quickly answered no. Then after an awkward pause she tittered and said, "Well, I am an artist?" My family laughed out loud at this, because living with an artist they understand how certain artist behaviors can be interpreted as mental illness. I started wondering 10 years ago if all artists have some form of depression or serious mental disorder. My scientific brain then made the leap to wondering if that is what makes us [artists] so sensitive to the world around us and in turn so enamored with creating things. I still wonder, and my thoughts waffle back and forth depending on the day. This is how I decided on "we're all mad here!" as my blog's name when I got started blogging 

... it's a nod to Alice of course, but it's also a nod to artists being a bit "mad" in general.

Thoughts?

I've been busy making art for my book, which includes not just making the art itself, but also putting aside duplicates of all the materials in ziplocks so I can remake them when I go down to Cinci for the photoshoot with Jules. I fell behind on mail, but have been shipping out parcels in the past 2 weeks so just a bit more patients please! Before all the madness started I stitched up this little square on the right. I used a Sublime Stitching pattern by Julie West that I bought awhile back and never had a chance to use. My theme is Into the Forest, and I'm hoping to turn it into a wall quilt after all my squares come home.

Tomorrow, I'll be reviewing the current issue of ART journaling over on Glitter & Grunge, and posting my January Give Away here. 

What are you up to? NOW GO MAKE ART!

 

See You Later Alligator 2009

  What a year 2009 has been for me! I was thinking the other day about all the changes my family and I have gone through this year, and realized that it was a lengthy, painful, and yet exhilarating list. I get just as squirmy as you when it comes to tooting my own horn, but for fun and the sake of prosperity let's just take a look at a few of the big ones:

+ Jake got into MSU for 2010

+ I got a book deal with North Light Craft

+ Larry's company survived the "death" of manufacturing in Michigan

+ Jules made it to 15 without being strangled to death

+ I made some AMAZING new friends

+ I hired Laura Bray to kick my business butt into high gear

+ I kept & rekindled the friendships that matter most

+ My sister had her second baby

+ We are all healthy, happy, and safe

Phew! and that's not even everything that happened this year ... just the great stuff I can remember off the top of my head.

So, I'm now looking forward to a hectic 2010, but I'm just so "cloud 9" I can't help but feel fueled up and ready to take on the art world! The two biggest changes for me artwise are all the deadlines I'm committed to for the book, and bringing Laura in. She will be helping me focus on new income and opportunities, keeping a healthy balance between my art life and my family life, blogging more, and creating lots of new habits. I've come to realize that I have some pretty unhealthy work habits that need to change pronto if my book is going to be bought by anyone {let alone done and on time!}.

 I know I say this all the time, but I just can't get a handle on my blogging neglect issue. All I know is I dread doing it more often than not. Maybe I just don't know what to share with all of you versus keeping a somewhat private life. I know I don't feel like I always have the photos I want to share with you, and that is a turn off for me blogging. Regardless of whatever it is, I'm determined to conquer it, and share what I'm doing over here on a more consistent basis. My goal for right now is weekly, but I'd really like it to be 2 or 3 times a week over here, and more consistently on Tuesdays over on Glitter & Grunge about my adventures in art journaling! This Alice falling down the rabbit hole sketch is from a penpal exchange Kelley Frisby and I are having to learn more about each other without having to yak on the phone.

I think two of the things I'd like to set as goals for my blog in 2010 is to have a Give Away, and a free How To Project once a month on top of just sharing my art and life junk. I thought of the How To Project idea yesterday as I was brainstorming about what brings me to other artists/crafters blogs. It's almost always pictures of projects, or even more frequently stepped out ones that I'd like to try for myself. So, come Monday the 4th I'll have the first Give Away of the new year up for you to oogle over, and the How To on Monday the 18th. [ I'm setting these out loud here so Laura can make sure I keep to my goals :) ] Procrastination and flaking out on stuff seem to be my two biggest problems, and I'm really looking forward to putting them behind me.

2010 is going to be simply FANTASTIC! I'm really looking forward to all the crazy and amazing opportunities that have opened up for me once again. I'm entering another phase of SYNCHRONICITY and last time things felt like this I started publishing with Somerset and this wild ride began.

 My sketching has been getting so much better that even I'm astounded at the strides I've made. I still can't draw hands or feet to save my life, but I can finally do some justice to the face. This is a sketch a did for a project Jules had at school. She wanted big curly hair and her "uggs" in the sketch, and since she is the Queen of Purple she needed an outfit in the appropriate hue. I'm going to try and do a nice blog post over on G&G tomorrow before heading off to my mom's to celebrate the new year with my parents and my sister's family. I'll have all kinds of wonderful new art journal pages and sketches to share with you!

Now, I'm off to take the teenagers shopping to spend their Christmas moohlah. If you don't hear from me again I was eaten by the teenage mob I'm sure will be there today!

 What are you plans for the New Year? Are you doing anything exciting or just laying low and spending time with family?
 

NOW GO MAKE ART!