A little time off & some creative coffee....

 

I really love coffee... 

and now I know  
it loves me back!

I guess you can see something creative even in your coffee... 

just have to be on the lookout... 

I love all of the heart shapes that fellow creatives post~ 

heart stones, heart leaves, heart hands... 

so needless to say,

I was smiling from ear to ear when I saw 

this little heart staring back at me.

It was really calling me to get back on track.

I didn't intend to skip out on posting... 

but sometimes it's like church, classes, making dinner, volunteer work... 

you know one of those things that are part of your daily life, 

that when you miss a couple of days on your daily path,

it becomes hard to get back on track

or easy to just continue on 
the new one you are blazing.

A couple of weeks ago, I had my parents here for a visit. 

It was a lovely time spent doing family things... cooking and eating together,

(like yummy french toast I made above)

running errands, a little travel to local areas, 

enjoying the sunshine and just being family. 

(My parents try to come out once a year, and I try to get back to see them as well, 

once a year or more, "IF" I am so fortunate).

I cherish that time together.

But when they leave, there is that in-between space of time, 

That breath of fresh air to gain your time back, 

yet that sad space of time to miss their presence.

I've been playing catch-up ever since, 

and have been trying desperately to get to a paint brush.

So, finally this week I got to warm up my hand 

and get started again.

"Art is the giving by each man of his evidence to the world. 

Those who wish to give, love to give, discover the pleasure of giving. 

Those who give are tremendously strong."
— Robert Henri

A little time spent with the watercolor paints 

and a few 

new ideas started fluttering around, 

(hint: involving some larger birdhouses & mixed media decoupage)~

... commitments to more shows starting mid-July came to be...

... the honor of an interview (TBA) at Robin Norgren's 

my creative peace 

is on the radar...

(you've got to check out her wonderful workbook ~ I just ordered mine~ can't wait!)

 and more gift shops to be explored.

Good to take a little unintentional break, 

but good to be back trying to work through 

the art process... and live an 

artfull life.

p.s. I missed linking up at studiojru ~

but it's always fun to see what everyone was up to last week.

How does your garden grow...?

I cultivate my garden, 

and my garden 

cultivates me.  

~Robert Brault

(a little watercolor sketch of veggies~ beets or radishes... hmmm?)

It's funny, but I tend to think of working in my garden,

and the whole, bird building it's nest from pieces of straw and twig,

as the metaphor for my personal art process.

Kind of like a "life verse" of sorts... 

my "life metaphor". 

I've always gravitate towards the organic nature of art...

whether it be my subject matter, 

the materials I am working with,

or the kind of classes I like to take.

(And these days, I am sure lusting after a Flora Bowley workshop big time!)

The concept of planting seeds,

the cultivating process,

the growth... 

the end result...

it all fits together most artistically to me.

Maybe that's why I find...
 that I keep posting several areas of the art that I am developing in...

 decoupage... watercolor... oil and mixed media. 
(Rather than focusing on one solid part of this garden- like the tomatoes- 
they seem to be a lot easier to grow).


Maybe that's why some of my art pieces are just little exercises, 
and other's are more finished.


Maybe I am being shaped through this process 
(by the weeds, as well as the water and the soil).
The weeds, being those pesky things 
that get in the way of "creating"...


The more I turn the soil,
 I am starting to see how this process 
"is cultivating me".


What's growing in your "art" garden this week? 

finishing off~ with a grateful

s h o u t   o u t...

to a fellow creative, with a most beautiful line of 

delicate, sweet, elegant and tender jewelry pieces.

I had the pleasure of creating an updated logo for 

Amy Friend 
of 
Cypress Sun Jewelry.

I was honored to be able to collaborate together 

to update her identity, 

that reflects the elegance and simplicity of her most lovely designs.

I am proud to say I own the pieces above.

Major love people.... major love!

and... a  g r a t e f u l shout out 

to another wonderfully creative artist...

that I am so fortunate to know from 

the Kelly Rae flying lessons ecourse last year~

Elizabeth Gonzalez

a lovely ceramic and mixed media artist with a whimsical style.

I am so happy to have received one of her prints 

from her anniversary blog giveaway.

(I have a little secret... to own a piece of art from each of my "fellow flying artistic friends"... 

I have started my collection, and have been adding to it, as I can afford 

or as I was blessed to win~ it just makes me smile!)

grateful!

Hanging out with Jennifer and other creatives at STUDIOJRU

Click the link to take a peek at what everyone has been up to this week.

Where I am at today, is where I am supposed to be.

Nothing feeds the center of being 

so much 

as creative work.

~Anne Morrow Lindbergh

I've been thinking a lot lately about this process... this artistic journey we are on. 

So I'm jotting down some artistic ramblings today...

(heart thoughts...)

where I am at today, is where I am supposed to be~ 

even though there are so many parts of myself that feel 

like they are being pulled in different directions.

where I am at today is where I am supposed to be~ 

even though, I feel like I am not doing enough to make more happen.

where I am at today is where I am supposed to be~ 

because I know that I am one who believes in "trust"~ 

trust in the process~ 

trust in the ONE who gives me all that I have.

where I am at today is where I am supposed to be~ 

because I know that there is growth happening

because I've always believed that dreams 

are made to be sought after

and

because the soil in the garden has been tended to 

and is rich and dark and fertile.

I am where I am supposed to be...

So a few new pieces and some exciting news...

(twig2nestStudio.etsy.com)

I made these new designs for a little gift shop 

that has taken me on consignment. 

This is my first consignment venture and 

I am doing a major "happy dance."

It's a beautiful church store in Westlake, California 

with a lovely proprietor.

I created a line of pieces that are Spring like, 

softer in color and can be personalized for Weddings.

St. Maximilian Kolbe Church of Westlake

My pieces are at home in this beautiful place...

and I am where I am supposed to be.

Hanging out with Jennifer and other creatives at STUDIOJRU

Click the link to take a peek at what everyone has been up to this week.

BTW... next post I've got some shout outs to some lovely creatives, 

their work, and some beautiful gifts... pop back anytime!

It's all about a sign....

It thought it would be fun to share what I think may have eased 

my nervousness before the Patchwork event last week. 

I was so worried about preparing a booth, 

sharing with a friend and coordinating our styles.

And in the end, I realized... 

it was all just an extension of what I normally do,

 when I take a table at an event! 

But with a cool sign! 

I wanted to share how I made this pendant sign, 

because I see so many versions of these at shows, 

and I think they are really a sweet way to identify a booth.

When I saw these fabrics, I went crazy~ the perfect addition 

to my colors, and logo for the booth.

I bought a yard of each, but used probably only a quarter yard for the sign pendants. 

I was sooooo happy to have left over for some outdoor cushions, 

since I'm spray painting some fun color onto my bistro table in the yard.

I measured and cut the triangles with a sharp scissor, 

but a rotary cutter would give an even cleaner edge.

And... heat bond... what a wonderful invention!

Basically Heat bond is a transfer glue sheet that allows you

 to not "have" to sew on certain types of projects.

(Although, a zig-zag stitch would have made it look 

even cooler and more finished.)

I chose a typeface on my computer and ran the letters out large 

for me to lightly trace. 

I used white duck cloth for the inner pendant piece. 

After ironing the heat bond onto the one side of the white pendant material, 

I then ironed the white pendant onto the patterned fabric, and voila! 

A sweet pendant letter.

A sharpie marker worked really well to draw the letters on. 

I was afraid of bleed, but it held the ink well. 

(Of course, sewing fabric letters on, would have looked fabulous- but you know....)

Okay- so here I am in all my nervousness...

Here's the side of my display area. 

It was a fun show with great vendors, a lot of traffic, 

and a touch of nervousness.

linking up to StudioJRU... where there are always some fun artists to visit.

Thanks for stopping for a peek at what I've been up to.

Preparation & Fear.. with a CAPITAL P & F

Just when 

the caterpillar 

thought the world 

was over, 

it became 

a butterfly

~ proverb

Don't laugh everyone, but I am going to write a brief post this time...  really!

I found that sweet quote above, and was thinking about it 

all week in the middle of my madness.

I've been prepping for PATCHWORK Indie Arts & Crafts, 

(as you know from my past couple of posts). 

I don't know why it is that I get so nervous- you'd think I'd be 

getting used to this process by now. 

This particular event, I am sharing a "B O O T H" 

with a vendor that I met at a previous show~ 

zazu faure

She makes the sweetest and hip plush designs out of reclaimed materials. 

I bought a kitty for my daughter, before she had a cat of her own. 

She set it in the window of her apartment, and now 

her real kitty and plush, share the window together. 

Fabulous creations by Zazu.

So back to my meltdown... 

it's not planning the items that scare me, it's not meeting new people, 

it's not the setting up and tearing down... 

This time... it's the concept of a BOOTH that's scaring the begeebies out of me! 

I've attended so many shows, where the space is so planned out and done so well.

This will be a totally new experience- out of the comfort zone for sure!

The good news, is that I am anticipating learning a bunch 

to help me along with the next one.

And when the event is over, 

I'm hoping to be a butterfly, 

or at the very least, 

a much smarter caterpillar...

making the fun stuff! 

Hearts & birdie houses at www.twig2neststudio.etsy.com

 And yes, the wine was good- 

I needed the cork for texture on my hearts, 

so I had to drink it.

Linking up again with Studio JRU~ 

Enjoy taking a sneak peek, at the work of many talented artistes