Time to CREATE!!

Creating isn't always writing. It isn't always paintings or illustrations or portfolio pieces either.
It is not even always about jewelry ~~~~



sometimes it is about helping friends, creating meaningful friendships.
sometimes it is about spending down time with our sons and family.
sometimes it is about painting the living room and creating a comfortable home.
lately, the creating has been of the house kind;

But we went over and got the air conditioner working in the studio, so I get back there....  I am excited to get back to painting!
I have 6 clean new 10 x 10 canvas's!

I am ready to CREATE!

JEWELRY WEEK!!!

I am almost finished with this revision of a picture book manuscript!! That means that I can FINALLY create some new jewelry pieces for my site!!

www.SilverFreckles.com

Focus

I have had some very positive feedback, and great support for the story I am writing.  It is going to be a funny middle grade novel, but for now I can only call it a story, because it doesn't feel like a "novel" to me.
For some reason when I get a lot of encouragement it can freeze me up. I am afraid of disappointing the people who believe in me. Failure. oyks!
But, then today a lightbulb goes on.... we have a puppy. I never thought I couldn't train him.
Isn't he cute?

He is 7 months old. He is house trained, and crate trained. He knows "sit", and "stay" and "treats" and "hurry up go potty" and he comes when I call him. I never thought of failure. I took it one day, one plan, one treat at a time. If he had a success I built on that. A mistake, a day that was a "failure" I just ignored it and went back to the beginning. We stayed on course. OH! HELLO!!! LIGHTBULB MOMENT...
I will get this story finished, because I will. That is it. No fear, no freezing, just writing...........

This is a picture of me at Robin's cabin, writing. Writing without fear. Just doing it. So, the same as puppy training... I am moving forward, building on success, one day at a time!! : )

It has been a busy spring.  We have been rethinking space in our house. We had a too big tv cabinet, and decided to change it to something more suited to the way we really live.  So we spent a few days building the long shelf bench. We love it. It works with the space and gives us more places for books! We have book in every room, so I am trying to create different kinds of storage for all these very loved books!  

In art-news I am taking an e-course by Kelly Rae Roberts, . It is always fun to start a new adventure!!!!  As a matter of fact, I think you could probably still sign up if you are interested. I am pretty sure this is the only time Kelly will offer the class this year.  

Today's favorite quote: 

LIFE IS NOT ABOUT FINDING YOURSELF. IT IS ABOUT CREATING YOURSELF!

Old stuff from the attic!

I finally got back to some sketching picture book stuff yesterday. I was away on Long Island, NY at the Nassau BOCES arts in education showcase! It was great to meet the representatives from so many school districts! I look forward to lots of fun trips next school year!!

That trip was followed by SPRING! The house needs a redo boost. I am starting it off with the living room. I pulled out a bunch of frames I had in the attic. They are from my grandmother and John's mom and grandmother.
Here is the before ~~~



AND now they look like this ~~~~~~~~~~~~



I think the white frames on a newly painted cream wall will be graphic and not too distracting!
Today-- off to paint frames and work on the middle grade novel!

FREE JOY PROJECT

It's spring! It is wet and muddy outside. But our puppy, Mr. Gibbs knows how to jump in and make the most of it!

In the spirit of SPRINGTIME ~~ and Mr. Gibbs, I am jumping in too ~~~~~~~~~

I am in Rachel Maddox' FREE JOY PROJECT...
you can read about it here>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> http://rachmadlove.blogspot.com/
scroll down and you can read the first posts all the way to the present ones.

and you can play too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU SHOULD!!!
QUANTITY OVER QUALITY!!! Let's pump out some joyful art!!

JUMP IN!!! Meet me there!!

Spring is peeking through.. well at least there is melt!

The sun made an appearance this week! It was a warm, sunny 52 degrees!
This winter has been a blur of puppy training and our son's fun basketball games. I have been writing a new picture book and also working on revisions of my middle grade story. And now I need to get back to ART!! I miss spending days and days in my studio.
I picked up three art magazines that look just delish!...
SOMERSET STUDIO The Art of Paper and Mixed-Media
and CLOTH-PAPER SCISSORS STUDIO inspiration & ideas for your art and craft space...
AND.... ARTIST'S CAFE Best of Somerset Studio Art & Design !!!!!!!!
What a treat! I am taking them with us this weekend.. while we watch some hoops!