Just a slice from my life as a designer, artist and, as mom

Enjoying my miracle

2009-03-21T20:31:00.000-07:00

The child must know that he is a miracle, that since the beginning of the world there hasn't been, and until the end of the world there will not be, another child like him. {Pablo Casals}

Holiday crafting crunch

2008-12-14T20:25:00.000-08:00

As I’ve posted here before, (the cupcakes, remember?) I have heavily been into crafting projects from wool sweaters that are felted since the release of Betz White's book, Warm Fuzzies, from the North Light line last year.

I took a break from sweater buying during my pregnancy to save money and towards the end the thought of sitting at a sewing machine was a little too rough to do—although I did get a chance to make Ahren a blanket around the time I was six months along that goes with us every time we walk out the door (so glad I mustered up the energy to do that!.)

A couple of weeks ago I decided to make the mittens out the book for some family members for Christmas and I ended up having to make Hope some as well. They turned out very cute and I will more than likely be making a few more pair before Christmas for even more family and friends.

And lastly for a Christmas party gift exchange last night, I made this great tree made out of the sweater scraps that have virtually overtaken my house. This is not in Warm Fuzzies, but was found online from a link just trying to find some Christmas decoration made from recycled sweaters. It turned out VERY cute, and now I’ve been talked into making at least a few more for teachers, etc. It is a great easy thing to make with all of the sweater scraps you have from prior projects, you just have to get over cutting out 32 circles! It took maybe 1-2 hours, tops.

I’m back!

2008-12-08T10:29:00.000-08:00

Life’s turn of expecting a third has now turned into reality for our family and I’m back for what I hope to be more blogging, more creativity, more projects to show and more design inspiration to share. Here is a look at our family’s newest addition ...

12 days or sooner

2008-11-06T19:04:00.000-08:00

The bags are being packed, the crib and changing table are all ready. My house is not, (an absolute mess!) but that should be fixed this weekend. I have the urge to nest and clean, but my body doesn’t quite want to as I start to think of it, I get too tired to do it.

It has been a crazy week, of anticipation about the election, let down and then moving on ... and moving on to more anticipation and excitement about our new baby boy.

I have 4 more days at the day job before leaving for 8-10 weeks; at a time when change and consolidation is happening within the company — something that makes me nervous about being out for such a long period. But work is work, and it will all just be there when I return, right?

I picked up this cute little onesie and bib at a craft show back in the summer. I’m contemplating taking his obligatory baby picture in it at the hospital. It is just too funny and cute, don’t you think? The bib is from kunklebaby who sold stuff at that same craft show, but also has a lovely little etsy store here.

OMG it has been a month

2008-10-11T18:21:00.000-07:00

A month since blogging. If I have any avid readers out there, I apologize for dropping the ball on this blogging thing.

First, I can blame it on joining the land of Facebook. What a fun timesucker that is. In just one month I have 73 friends/contacts. Some people I haven’t talked to or seen in five years, some in fifteen years, and others I get the lucky chance to see everyday. What an absolutely ingenious idea this facebook concept is. And, also, timesucker. But, a great tool for networking I’ve found too. (It has made me miss my people in Tennessee dearly, though.)

Second, lots of cleaning, prepping, procrastinating for Ahren’s arrival in about 1 month, 6 days. Started nesting a little today, but still a LOT more to do. Anyone want to come and clean my closets out so the little guy has a spot for his clothes? Anyone?

Lastly, I’m bettering myself professionally by becoming more committed to design and photography as a solo artist. I’ve had some fun requests from co-workers and family to do some photography for them, and I've had a wonderful time doing it. Next week I embark on bettering myself as a semi-pro photographer and take on online class to make me love and understand my camera and its functions even more. The first step towards dropping that semi- off the front of that description. The key, of course, is to find the time to market myself as ”me” and maybe my wings can take flight.

Here is my future Cosmo cover girl on her school picture day this week. She has been asking lately about getting into modeling, professionally, herself. I thought about inquiring about it a couple of years ago when we started doing the knitting books for F+W. But I wanted to wait until she could ask, and have interest in doing it. But am I ready to be a mom to a superstar? Probably not.

When evil calls itself a martyr

2008-09-11T18:54:00.000-07:00

I am a fireman's wife. I spent this morning seven years ago at a fire station where doors were locked as we watched it all unfold on tv because we didn't know what would happen; and firefighters in a totally different state watched 343 of their own die.

I am a conservative who believes that seven years later the evil that preceded this day, and carried out their mission, still threatens us today and that national security is at the top of the value chain on my decision on who I will vote for in November. It is also why I will encourage my undecided friends and family to vote for the same.

I am a woman who had a baby ten months later after this day in history. For ten months I feared what the world would be like for her and the children that followed; and again is what persuades me why I will vote for the right choice in November.

I am a mother who will teach her children, by watching the events of that day every year so we don't forget, but to remember those who sacrificed all this day ... and also so they understand why fifty percent of this country who encourages people to forget about it will be part of why it could happen again.

Entering the grown-up world

2008-09-01T13:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had the awesome opportunity to do an engagement photo session for one of my co-workers, Kim. I must admit to having butterflies just before the session, as it was my first time shooting grown ups and not kids semi-professionally. I’m so very pleased with what has turned out, though. Go take a peek over at my Flickr link to see the photos I’ve processed and posted so far.

I shot these in an area of Cincinnati called Northside, an area where we will be doing a photo shoot for a F+W book coming up in a couple of weeks. I think I’ll be traveling back there often for photos, there are so many great spots!

The awesomeness of star power

2008-08-27T17:11:00.000-07:00

Last night I took my little girl to her first ever concert. For some who grew up near a city with cool stuff to do, this may not seem like the biggest deal. But I sat there last night in the stadium and watched her take it all in for the first time. I didn’t get a chance to see TV, movie or radio idols in person as a kid until I got much older than she is now, probably not even REALLY until high school. As a pre-teen I may have been excited to see the local newscasters at the state fair, but that was really the extent of star power you could get growing up in rural Ohio.

In high school, there was a really popular song on the radio, called “Place In This World” by a singer I had never even heard of until then, named Michael W. Smith. About one year later I would meet my now-hubbie Ted at a high school sweet 16 party of a mutual friend and what was one of our shared passions that night? Singer Michael W. Smith.

A click, a connection, a passion for somebody’s type and style of music that we still share to this day, 17 years later. We’ve been to many of Michael’s concerts (my first ever concert was one of his that Ted took me to on a date), and we have purchased every album he has released since to carry on his awesome music to generations long after us. Michael and his music is like an old friend to us—a reminder and pathway to our shared past, our first connection as teenagers in love with each other, and he and his music will always be a part of our family. It doesn’t make us stalkers (although living in Nashville and being very close to Michael by ‘six degrees of someone’ it became hard not to be perceived as a stalker LOL). I still get giddy over thinking about a new album or seeing that he is going to be in concert somewhere nearby. OK and maybe, like a stalker, we did have a dog named Smitty by no coincidence. (And so maybe the line between stalker and fan remains blurry, and maybe our friends back in Nashville were right.)

Last night Hope got to see her favorite Disney stars, Corbin Bleu and Vanessa Hudgens of High School Musical fame. For the first time, in person. And she couldn’t believe it. That is all she kept saying. “I can’t believe Corbin is up there, singing to me. I can’t believe Vanessa is talking to us.” It’s that intimate fan level that a singer can bring to a fan at a concert that can spark something in anyone at any age, from age 6 to 106.

For appreciative stars, there cannot be anything more awesome than this. The feeling/the knowing that you’re touching thousands—if not millions—of people, in this way. And I couldn’t have been more proud as a mom last night than providing that first connection for my own daughter. I hope she remembers that feeling forever. I know I will.

Now she’s ready to hit every concert that comes through Ohio. I see Michael is coming this way in October. It might just be time for Daddy & I to conjure up some old memories, and introduce her to someone new — but to us, an old familiar friend.

The wheels on the truck

2008-08-02T15:35:00.000-07:00

Drawing for Daddy Brennan, age 3, Father’s Day 2008

Keeping my eyes open

2008-08-01T18:23:00.000-07:00

I feel like my excuses for few and far between posts the last few months are probably worn into the ground by now—the excuses of pregnancy, tiredness, life , work and kids. All which I’ve had plenty of. I’ve been up and down with great successes and news the last few months (both personally with the baby news and professionally with awesome new freelance clients and wonderful new books coming out to claim that I designed); and low with uncertainty (unexplained spotting at 9 weeks, gestational diabetes diagnosed very early), weakness and just plain exhaustion.

The thought and promise of a new baby in the house is suddenly so real, since we now know he is a ‘he’, he has a name (see post below) and the topic of his arrival by Thanksgiving-ish begins to become a daily conversation around the house. I bought some new bottles last night at the store, because like an idiot I had given all mine away. I absolutely had hardly no baby things left, as friends and family have had babies and I was tired of stowing them away in a closet and at the time had no intention of entering babyhood again. Last week I hit yard sales and thrift stores buying up all the preemie and infant baby boy sleepers and sacks I could find because I have none of those, either. As those things start to stack up in the house, it all begins to seem so real. (Oh, and that kick or jab from his arm in my uterus fairly often is a pretty firm reminder he’s coming soon, too.)

My wishes for him are this:
1) I hope he comes out with curly hair and brown eyes. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a third and final child that I bear to actually look like, oh, me? (Hope and Brennan have Ted’s straight hair and blue eyes.) Apparently I have all recessive genes. They did get my eyelashes, though.

2) That he knows even though he was a complete surprise, he is a complete and total blessing from above. I took months of fertility drugs with Hope and still needed a little help with Brennan. I mean .. this is miracle stuff here going on in my body right now.

3) He’s happy and healthy and all that good stuff. It is amazing what your mind and body begins to think when the unknown is growing inside of you. It’s almost like you wanna peek with one eye open and one closed when they come out, ten fingers, ten toes, good crying lungs? Check, check and check. It’s the most exhilarating thing when you first lay eyes on them for the first time.

The posting will pick up soon. Although I haven’t been doing much crafty in the way of shadowboxes and the like lately, I have been taking some photos of others (and not just my own kids), I’ve been designing for children’s books and music companies ... so yes, I’ve still been fostering that creative gene.

Announcement, it‘s gonna be another boy!

2008-07-26T19:40:00.001-07:00

6 years ago today I became Mom

2008-07-09T20:16:00.000-07:00

Normally, I’d post a cute little baby picture of her the day she was born, talk about how much bigger she is today ... and believe me part of me is longing to do that but today I want to be different. She’s 6 today, no longer on the other side of five, but on that side where she doesn’t want to watch Dora or the Wiggles but would rather listen to and watch the Teen Disney stuff. (The stuff that adults secretly like, too.) Over the weekend she sat and watched every Harry Potter movie that has been made and seemed to really like them. Soon, she’ll have her nose buried in the books, reading about Harry Potter and his mystical cohorts and have no time to play with that Polly Pocket or Strawberry Shortcake that is now sitting on the floor. Instead of asking for Gabriella and Sharpey dolls, she’ll ask for a cell phone and a new car. Incredible how time flies. (Oh, and after the birthday celebrations this weekend — there will be pictures of her, at 6.)

Today I treated myself on HER birthday. I read years ago in a Life’s Little Instruction book that on your birthday, you should send your mom flowers. And I did that one year, too, sent flowers to my Mom after I read that. Yes, it is your birthday but on that day your Mom became a Mom, and it was and is and always will be one of her most incredible accomplishments in life. She should be rewarded on your day. She did all the work to make that glorious you, right?

I got myself a haircut. I hate to admit it, but I hadn't had my hair cut since my birthday, almost 10 months ago. I always find excuses for better things to do with the money than spend it on myself (a mom curse, I believe) but today I said screw it and I did it. And ironically, I think I got a ‘mom-do’ which I think I kind of like.

So in a rare instance, I’m posting a photo of myself and not my kids. Incredibly hard to do, but what I did 6 years ago was hard, too ... so what’s another accomplishment? This time I’m getting over the fear of .. admiring myself.

What I believe in on my 32nd Independence Day

2008-07-04T18:16:00.001-07:00

I stood in Washington D.C. last week and took a moment to think about what I’m teaching my own children to believe in. And I was overwhelmed with the burden of teaching them the right things (in my mind) at the right times in their life. I thought of a friend of mine, who -- although she had many opportunities in her life to think and believe what she wanted to, even if it meant going against her upbringing, being “artsy”, liberal and free-thinking -- and how she was still heavily influenced by her parent’s positive and conservative thinking. And even though now, well into her 50s (and to the dismay of her artist friends and community around her) she still holds true to her values that her parents taught her. She, her parents and many like her are an inspiration to me and I will strive my entire life wishing I will be able to accomplish the same with my children.

It also got me to thinking about what I believe in after all of these year’s of influence, media and community. And just like my friend—my beliefs—(especially in this time of our country), are not the norm. Yet, if I teach my children that that is ok, that if you believe what is right and just and true to your values, then you’re accomplishing just what you were intended to do when this country was founded. No matter if that makes you popular, or unpopular, among the masses.

So here are just a few things that make me who I am—and what makes me proud every day to live where I do.

* I believe there is no other country like ours and that I am so blessed to be here.

* I believe that you cannot see things like the hills of Tennessee, the blue waters of the ocean and everything in between and not know that there is a God that created them.

* I believe I am about one of five people left in the country who truly honors and values George W. as our president. I am glad he was president on 9.11.01 and I am just as glad he is still our president today. And that he will be the president in office for all 3 of my children’s births.

* I believe I became a different person after 9.11.01, like so many others did ... and that because of this my children, and others like them, will lead our country to newer heights of patriotism that we’ve never seen in this country and never will again. Just give it about 25-30 years and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

* I believe the word Hope should not be used for political gain (are you listening, Mr. Obama?) but should be reserved for patriotism, optimism and Faith; all things you should whole-heartedly believe in, not an emotion you use to stir up people with.

* I believe that I will look at this 32 years from now, when I’m 64, and still feel exactly the same way. And that my children will reflect the same values and beliefs, because I stood so strongly for it. THAT is what makes this nation who it is.

Gone vacationing

2008-06-27T21:38:00.000-07:00

I’m back from a few weeks’ stint of hard work; and then vacationing in our nation’s capital and relaxing by the sea. It was our first ever family vacation together and it was delightful. I’m slowly starting to sift through the 500+ photos taken and uploading them to Flickr.

We spent two days in D.C. and then traveled through the Chesapeake Bay to a sleepy little beach town in Virginia just south of Ocean City, Maryland called Chincoteague Island (famous for its ponies!)

More to come on what we did and found on our travels, but in the meantime check out the photos being batched to my Flickr as I go through them.

A picture meme by me

2008-06-14T06:16:00.001-07:00

A picture meme by me
Originally uploaded by hopefuldz9er

I had fun creating this flickr meme, an idea I got from the inspirational Tonya Doughty. I sent it to my design team on Thursday as a fabulous idea for a creativity exercise.

Go do the same, and see what kind of pics you can find!

Here are the questions/answers to the pictures, from left to right.

1. What is your first name? Marissa
2. What is your favorite food? Chicago-style pizza
3. What high school did you go to? Miami Trace
4. What is your favorite color? Green
5. Who is your celebrity crush? Taylor Kitsch (Friday Night Lights)
6. Favorite drink? Cosmopolitans
7. Favorite dessert? Portillo’s chocolate cake, Chicago
8. What do you want to be when you grow up? A good mama
9. What do you love most in life? These two (and that fireman, too)
10. One word to desribe you. Procrastinator
11. Dream vacation? California beaches/coastline
12. Your flickr name. Hopefuldz9er

Living life in fire engine red

2008-05-25T14:02:00.000-07:00

FOUND QUOTE:
Scratch a firefighter and you’re likely to find
a little kid just underneath.

First trimester = bad blogger

2008-05-19T18:14:00.000-07:00

Boy I could throw out a dozen excuses here explaining why I seemed to announce that I was pregnant, then fall of the face of the earth.

I’ll just recap a few high and low lights of the last month for the family and friends who really want to know, and if you aren’t interested, then just believe me when I promise I’ll be back to creative blogging really soon. One thing that I have learned being pregnant already twice before is that as my body is changing and a new life is created inside of me, my creative life also blossoms once the the miracle of birth concludes ... after all, when Brennan joined the world I cranked out some of my best books that year, Visual Chronicles and Pretty Little Things happened just months after. I can only hope that the coming 9-12 months could bring something equally as good. Those are both hard to follow up on.

What I have discovered in the last 30 days:
Being pregnant three times does cause my belly to pop out instantly when a small person is growing inside. The baby is only the size of a lime right now, but my jeans - uh no fit. I walk like I’m nine months pregnant when I’m only 3. I must look really funny to the people at work who don’t know I’m pregnant.

I’m REALLY REALLY tired. I remember being this way with both Hope and Brennan, but with Hope I could come home, enjoy that Ted was on shift and sleep for 3 hours, get up and eat some chips and cheese dip for supper, then go back to bed. I can’t do that now. There are other diapers to change, 5 year olds to talk into going to bed at a decent time, story reading, homework, dishes, a never ending pile of laundry, well ... I could go on. All to get done before my eyes automatically shut for the night at 10:00 (when I typically stay up until midnight. I miss my 2 hours all to myself.)

Morning sickness also hits hard during pregnancy #3. It is like clockwork, puking the same time every morning and getting nauseous at the same points during the day. I usually handle being sick ok, but this much is just insane. I’ve been contemplating buying a sea sick bracelet to see if that would work.

I try very hard to be a good mom and not yell as much as I did before finding out I was pregnant, because I don’t want this little one to hear and be scared to join the family. Ridiculous, I know, but your mind does think these things.

My doctor tried to talk me out of getting my tubes tied because ‘I am young.’ Uh, do you see my gray hair? I know I’m early 30s and that is considered young now for having babies, but 3 is a plenty. But honestly I’m glad he did for now because I’ve read lots of stories on the internet of chronic pain associated with getting your tubes tied. Maybe I can still talk Ted into buying a bag of peas for the day and being done with it. Or, back on the pill. Whatever the solution, it still sounds better than chronic ovarian pain.

Attached is a picture from a recent session I did for a friend of mine. A chance to finally photograph someone else’s little ones besides my own. And I loved every minute of it. Her baby is 9 months old, and completely adorable. These little baby toes makes me happy inside!

And another reason I find myself not blogging

2008-04-30T18:13:00.000-07:00

Not that it is an excuse or anything, but I found this out about a week ago and have been absolutely positively turned upside down ever since.

After the initial shock (we were done at 2 kids, so we thought) we are completely excited and happy that our family of four will someday in late November or early December be a family of five. (Yipes!!!!!!)

I’m flooded with emotion, ranging from the good to the bad. We tried so hard (me on a combination of different fertility drug concoctions for the first two) . . . how in the world did my body, after 32 years, just finally ‘get it’ and work properly during the month of March 2008? My body also has a tough time with the pregnancy part as well, as I was on bed rest with Hope for a good 12 weeks just so she wouldn’t come early; and with Brennan it was smooth sailing until my water broke at 32 weeks and he decided to greet this world on his own terms. I’ve felt like having a 3rd would be tempting fate—both for my body’s ability to handle it and my sanity. I’m not complaining, believe me. I understand how it feels to want to be pregnant so badly and to be completely sick with myself when it couldn’t work the way it is supposed to; but I also am just plain nervous, scared, ecstatic, happy, excited—all in one. No wonder I’m so incredibly exhausted. All of these emotions can wear a person down.

We’ve decided not to find out, this time around we will wait to the doctor calls it in the delivery room. And life just keeps getting more interesting . . .

My new toy

2008-04-18T18:35:00.000-07:00

Today I got a lovely new little lens for my camera. My first lens purchase for this fabulous play thing of mine, and it is magnificent. The light out at five o’clock was a little too harsh for fantastic photos, but I did get some good ones regardless. I purchased this one, the Canon EF 50mm f1.4. I’ve been dreaming/reading about since seeing it recommended on Danielle Thompson’s blog.

This is one I captured I especially like, and I have to say, where has this red brick been all along? I’ve lived in my house for two years and just noticed it across the street. And yes, we’ve gotten just a smidge of hair cut off this week. And she had enough to send to Locks of Love! See more new photos over at my Flickr.

This is the post where I blame it on life

2008-04-17T19:20:00.000-07:00

I’ve been MIA for almost two weeks. I can blame it on:

1) work. The day job has been HARD for weeks now. I’m a designer at heart and that part of the job is easy for me, it’s the managing part that is getting harder the longer I do it. For my co-workers who read this blog this does not mean I don’t want to be manager. I’m just making a public confession it is HARD. Hard isn’t necessarily good or bad at certain times, at this point ... I just want it all to get easier. That part is probably up to me to make it that way. I’ve learned, being the manager and all, that most things rely on ME to make myself happier.

2) D + T. Wow, it’s been a long two weeks of firefighters dying and taxes needing to be paid. Death and taxes are always the most certain things, right? And ironically, they’ve both been whammied on the family the last couple of weeks. I’ve still got a blog building up about the deaths of these two great local firefighters, but it’s gotta be just right before I can share it. One night I will let the words flow out of me. And then, you can go hug your local fireman just for me.

3) getting the computer stolen from me on a regular basis. See the pic. I cannot give in to a five year old to get her her own computer. But boy am I tempted just so I can get my seat back. At least, in my head, she could be a little mac geek in training. Now that’s gonna be so cool to talk about to her. I only can wish I had a mac like this when I was 5.

So I’ve been a little off kilter and out of whack. But I feel the old me coming back just around the bend. I’ve got books with butterflies and wings, kids with cute haircuts, beautiful smiles, pictures drawn on the driveway with chalk, and a husband who misses me when he works for hours on end—to bring me back to the place where I need to be.

The bed is here

2008-04-06T20:35:00.001-07:00

I made up this quick digital scrap page tonight to overview what we did all day yesterday. It was so exciting for him and Hope. And the room still smells like fresh pine! You can see it better here (weird horizontal page skewing going on).

A pb!

2008-04-06T17:12:00.000-07:00

Back in high school when I was a track stat (I couldn’t run or even come close to it, but I did enjoy a track meet when I was a sophomore so my bff and I signed up to be a stat so we could go to every meet. I’m also sure this had to do with boys on the track team, too) the runners had to set the pb’s, their personal best’s. There have been many self help books since the early 90s when I was first introduced to this concept speaking of the very same thing.

I’ve been setting pb’s left and right lately, as a wife, mother, design manager, photographer and friend. One of my photo pb’s was to be apart of this phenom blog I’ve been following for some time, Shutter Sisters. And today, one of my photos from last week was named their daily click. I was so excited to see it today, and just wanted to share it with my blog readers. Take a look, and then check out the rest of the blog, I have a feeling you’ll get just as addicted to it as I am, if you haven’t already.

Busted

2008-04-04T19:28:00.000-07:00

I pull out the school papers today and I see this. Cuce cesis translation = Chuck E. Cheese’s. But do you see the word she can spell perfectly? Yeah, I might have a little something to do with that. I love her detail, even down to the flags outside of IKEA. Her teacher is probably on to my addiction. But what can you do?

(P.S. She had me digitally edit her IKEA building. She had drawn a roof on it and when I scanned it in and she saw me doing it she said, “I know IKEA doesn’t have a roof, I just drew one on.” And I said, “Well, Mommy can fix that” and I erased it. And she wanted me to keep it that way. Now I have skewed her perception. She’ll want me to edit anything she doesn’t like. Oh no!)

The amazing world of online crafties

2008-04-01T21:06:00.001-07:00

First of all ... I’d like to point out that Kelly Rae was first to respond with High School Musical 2 as the lyrics to my last post, and she was right! I secretly love this teenage songfest, and don’t mind listening to it from my computer while Hope gazingly stares at the entire movie minute by minute on the boob tube.

And also, I had a great time at my first ever craft show (as a seller) this weekend in lovely downtown Oxford, Ohio. (see pic here and more in my flickr) I hadn’t been to this college town tucked away in western Ohio since thespian theatre camp back in high school. (Yeah, that was a BIG deal to me then.) It was amazing to me that, only 15 some years later, I didn’t really remember anything about this campus or what it looked like. I thought it would all come rushing back, but I drove in Saturday morning with no recollections, no anything. I couldn’t even remember where my thespian classes were, in what building, or what dorm we stayed in. Funny thing about memory, I guess that is why we all must take pictures!!!!

And lastly, at this show I met the tealtown ink folks (visit their respective blogs here and here and drool over their Etsy shop here) and it still blows my mind how this online crafting world can lead to people we would have otherwise never met or come across. It hits home to me when I meet someone in my own backyard, so to speak; like I did this weekend — or communicate with someone weekly that is thousands of miles away. Just this week a lovely girl from RUSSIA commented on one of my Flickr pictures looking for a Tazo tea tag that I had shown in one my pictures, as she collects tea bags. And I’ll gladly send her one, too, and delight in my little tea tag traveling across the world.

Sure, some of the great bloggers and crafters I have met are due to the day job, but it is with their blogs and online chatting and Flickr’ing and etsy’ing that I really get to know them, and other people who follow them; and this six degrees of craftiness thing comes alive and before you know it it is just one big giant land of common people, with common interests, making and collecting wonderful things.

Late night crafting + a GIVEAWAY

2008-03-26T21:08:00.001-07:00

So I’m taking the next two days off of book making and staying home crafting. What fun is that? On Saturday, I’m participating in my first ever craft show as a seller. Believe me, I’ve been to my fair share of craft shows as a buyer, but I’ve always had an interest to sell. A couple of months back I was visiting one of my fave new find Etsy shops, TealTown Ink, and saw that they were located in a college town about an hour from here, and they were blogging about a -FREE for a table- local craft show happening at the end of March and I thought what the heck. I’ll be selling photo prints of some of my finest work and maybe some iPod sweaters (everyone in college has an iPod that needs a sweater, right?)

So I’m up late night crafting and listening to my iTunes library and I have a guilty confession to make. This is my favorite song in my library right now, and a hint: it wasn’t downloaded for me. Comment here and get the song matched to the lyrics below and your name will be put in the song hat for a free ‘beauty in a bowl’ print (like seen here).

What about us? What about everything we’ve been through? What about trust? You know I never wanted to hurt you And what about me? What am I supposed to do? I gotta leave but I’ll miss you

Post away!

mycraftivity.com

2008-03-21T19:21:00.001-07:00

So at the day job we’ve been working on launching something crafty, as far as websites go. And although it has been in beta (and I’ve had some involvement with it since early December; I helped create the logo direction) for awhile, this past Monday was our official launch day.

It’s premise is simple; a community of crafters getting together and sharing photos, blogs and ideas. A myspace for crafters, if you will.

This week, in a launch week newsletter nonetheless, I was named one of the site’s featured crafters (more than 600+ and counting) and I could not have been more surprised.

It really is a cool community, hop on by -- check it out, and become a part of something that is becoming really cool. It is addicting and could take up minutes, hours, days of your time, but it is worth it. And think of all the crafty friends you could meet!

Spring fever

2008-03-20T20:48:00.000-07:00

It’s spring fever. That is what the name of it is.
And when you’ve got it, you want - oh, you don’t quite know what it is you do want,
but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!

Mark Twain

Felted goodness

2008-03-16T19:49:00.001-07:00

I’ve been sucked into the world of recycled felt sweaters and the theory of buying them and using them in a craft project ever since I saw how cute the projects were last year at this time when I wandered back to the craft team at North Light. There are some books that were in process at the time of me coming back on the craft team from Memory Makers, and I ‘missed the boat’ on actually getting to work on. This was one of them. I was very sad, because I tell you -- there is not one project in this book, Warm Fuzzies by Betz White, that isn’t insanely too cute for words.

Hope got to model for the book’s photography, but that was about the extent of my involvement with the book. But boy did my creative mind drool at the thought of all of Betz’s stuff once I saw it, and I anxiously awaited the book’s arrival and my quest and search to find 100% wool sweaters at local thrift stores. After all (if you’ve been reading this blog at all), you know that I don’t pass up any good excuse to go thrift.

Last week, Betz posted an awesome tutorial on her site for an Easter bag/purse. I had to make this my first project (I still haven’t quite found the best color of sweaters for cupcake making, which of course is the first project I wanted to make out of the book), but the purse I could make with the handful of felt I’ve collected.

Last night I sat down and made it, and I am VERY pleased with my results. And I have a very happy little five year old, too. Go mommy, go mommy. (Can anyone guess where the cat came from this week? HINT: yellow, blue, four letters, my fave store ever. OK, you guessed it. Cat from IKEA.)

You can see the rest of the shots of the bag in my flickr photos.

Trees

2008-03-15T17:16:00.000-07:00

We can learn a lot from trees:
they’re always grounded but never stop reaching heavenward.
Everett Mámor

Opening day

2008-03-12T00:16:00.001-07:00

And not the baseball kind, either. It’s here, it’s here! And in the craziest of crazy fashion, the hubbie and I (and Brennan) are going to try and go this afternoon -- just to experience a grand opening, IKEA style. Every single person we’ve told we are going told us we are crazy, and they just may be right. But you only live once, and only get one chance to see an IKEA open in your town, so yeah. (I see more shadow boxes coming in the future, finally!!)

Things to do when there is a blizzard outside and you’re locked up in your house because your husband is on shift for 36 hours and you can’t get out

2008-03-08T12:50:00.000-08:00

1. Decorate the downstairs bathroom with some fine floral photography you took yourself (see pic).

2. Cold turkey potty train your 3 year old because you only have one diaper left and you’re not getting any more anytime soon.

3. Have a Disney movie marathon. We’ve already made it through High School Musical, Cars and now we’re on Monsters, Inc. Next up Ratatouille. Some people would call this bad parenting, I call it sanity.

4. Paint the bookshelf in your office so it will get you motivated to finish the rest when the sun melts all the snow away.

5. Pray your internet connection becomes less screwy than it has all day.

6. Make brownies.

7. Put off cleaning your bedroom and doing laundry until you absolutely have to.

8. Wash Superman underwear over and over again (see #2 above.)

9. Go through all of your crafting things and organize, organize, organize. (Or, at least dream about it.)

10. Build a new website/blog to showcase your design + photography samples for potential new clients.

11. Blog, if your internet connection will hold long enough (must be too much snow weighing down the lines, I guess.)

12. Dream of summer vacation.

6 days till IKEA

2008-03-05T21:49:00.000-08:00

The countdown continues ...
don’t you think it is time this little tall one needs a new bed?

I call this ...

2008-03-05T05:46:00.000-08:00

Mommy, true to form
by Brennan, age 3
__

It is amazing as a mom to see your kids take the leap from one phase/learning level to another. This year all the focus has been on Hope; going to kindergarten, starting to read, learning numbers and money and while I am focusing on that — Brennan has his own transformations going on that I forgot happened at the turn from 2 to 3. (Toddler to preschooler.)

This week he went from scribbling on paper to making people. And he brought this to me last night, saying ‘that mommy, that mommy.’ Just absolutely adorable. Of course, daddy looks just the same, except with no hair. I’ll post daddy later.

Finding my niche

2008-03-02T23:20:00.001-08:00

I’m gearing up for something new and hopefully—BIG—for me. And I’m frightened by/encouraged by/creatively stifled by all the talent I see every day in my job and the blogging/flickr’ing community around me. I’ve been an artist for 10+ years, a designer who digitally composes her art on the computer, and hasn’t done much besides that. But I’ve always had a love affair with a camera, and now I’m hoping, within the next year, that my passion and talent for both digital, (on a computer and in camera), can be merged to give those who can’t long-lasting mementos of their families.

I’ve wrestled for months on how I could be different. Different from the local chain stores, different from the others in town who already have offered photography services, different enough even in my own mind of those I continually compare myself to online and wonder why I can’t ever get my stuff to look as good, or at least have an edge to someone who is doing something similar.

Tonight ... I think I’ve stumbled upon the start of something good. Word art? Something I’ve enjoyed participating in on the flickr groups, something I could offer these clients of mine. Of course, I’ll offer traditional poses and nice simple shots -- but this could be something as a bonus that most clients will just *love* I think. What do you think? I’ve already got 3 sessions booked for spring and I’m already looking forward to creating.

(Click on it to see it bigger for best effect.)

Reasons for happiness

2008-03-02T14:20:00.000-08:00

I’ve been a photo taking fool this weekend ... partially in part to the beautiful tulips I inherited from the photo stylist while working on Kelly Rae’s book chapter openers this week. I used to be so partial to daisies as being a favorite flower, but these tulips are making me so incredibly happy.

Another thing to be happy for—a decent weekend with decent weather. (no ice, snow, combo of both, yucky blah winter weather.) Basketball/cheerleading season is OVER (sis-boom-bah, hip-hip-hurrah!), over burdening time at work is freeing up a little, and the creative rush of spring is about to bloom.

Hope on over to my Flickr set and see all of these delicious photos from a very refreshing weekend.

Please don’t stop the music

2008-02-25T17:42:00.000-08:00

So my baby girl put on the roller skates for the first time this weekend. It was rough and I completely forgot how hard it was to keep your balance when first putting on the skates. It wasn’t like back in the day when I did it and heard Joan Jett playing in the background (for some reason, listening to Rhianna is a tad bit different) but it was still fun. She fell down so many times, she was pretty sure she didn’t want to go back and do it ever again. But then, when she got home and saw me making this fauxto strip, she said, ‘Mommy, let’s go skating again tomorrow!’

Isn’t that the great thing about pictures?

Frilly dresses

2008-02-22T19:14:00.000-08:00

Next up on the ‘My Life in Pictures’ track ... this photo of me, in a frilly dress, around age 1-2. I seem to have lots of these so you might want to get used to seeing them (me in frilly dresses.)

I’m not sure what I want to talk about in this one, I need a prompt of some sort; but I do know I want to use lace and sewing. Now let’s see where that takes me .........

Snowy days

2008-02-21T16:18:00.000-08:00

These are Hope’s favorite jeans, ones that I don’t have the heart to tell her are getting a touch too small and will have to go in the Goodwill bag soon.

The snow is falling down here, and it just took me 2 hours to get home (a trip that usually takes 20-25 minutes), with Girl Scout cookies next to me nonetheless; and I didn’t even eat all of them! Even after being locked in your car for two hours, it is fun to get out of the car and step in the heaping mounds of white stuff.

Today was a busy day working on her book cover, working on this duo’s beauty shots and getting excited about the release of this book. (More to come on that book soon ... maybe when, (crossing fingers here) or if, we get a snow day tomorrow!

I’m off to eat pizza for dinner — the perfect meal when you don’t have any food in the house and it is snowing too much to stop at the store.

My Life in Pictures No. 1

2008-02-16T21:20:00.000-08:00

I’ve started a Flickr set for these as I finish each page. This was so much fun to work on tonight.

PROCESS
I painted the background with acrylics and watercolor paper. I used a resist of contact paper in the shape of the state of Ohio before I started painting to keep the ‘shape’ at the top. I printed the photo and journaling strips off of my printer and adhered to the watercolor paper with gel medium. I stamped/inked all the other areas. I added some more border/grunge and the arrow and dots in photoshop after I scanned the image in.

If you’re following along with your own childhood photos and ‘my life in pictures’ story post your links in the comments. I’d love to see what you create ... and if we have enough interest we can start a Flickr group of our own!

Hints of spring

2008-02-16T15:55:00.000-08:00

Today it was sunny and actually reached the 40s here. After a long morning of birthday parties, sick toddlers and solo coaching for cheerleading ... we’re home and just enjoying the rest of the Saturday. I’ve been taking lots of pics lately, along with playing with some new Photoshop actions (some bought, some downloaded for free); so if you haven’t taken a look in awhile, travel on over to my Flickr and look at what I’ve been seeing through the lens lately.

I posted this shot today, along with some ‘springy’ others.

Now I’m off to clean off my art/craft table and maybe I can finally get to my first ‘My Life in Pictures’ journaling page, like I promised, two weeks ago.

Kindergarten valentine’s

2008-02-13T20:09:00.000-08:00

So I’ve been busy this week crafting Hope’s valentines for her class. A few weeks ago I discovered the work of Carla Sonheim through her Etsy shop. I think it was a mermaid print that caught my eye and clicked on it and found her cute shop. And score! Not only did I find more things I wanted to get for Hope’s room ... I found downloadable free Valentine’s.

I printed out the sheet, and mod podged to scrapbook paper on the back. Hope signed them, and then last night I inked the edges up all nice and pretty. (And yes, I got made fun of for doing that from the hubby. I guess some just don’t understand finishing touches go a long way, I suppose.)

I explained to her last night we were ‘making’ these, and she would be unique and one-of-a-kind. I then had to explain what unique meant.

Each second we live is a new and unique moment of the universe, a moment that will never be again. And what do we teach our children? We teach them that two and two make four, and that Paris is the capital of France. When will we also teach them what they are? We should say to each of them: Do you know what you are? You are a marvel. You are unique. In all the years that have passed, there has never been another child like you.
Pablo Picasso

It’s been awhile

2008-02-10T21:22:00.001-08:00

Since I’ve posted some design work ... I just finished up this theatre poster concept tonight, still some info to plug in but thought I would share how its ending up.

I’m really liking how all the colors ended up pulling together.

And what is most exciting about this poster is that I did my own photo shoot for it Friday night, took off the auto setting on my Rebel and started shooting on the ‘creative side’ of the dial. I put up some lighting, cleared off my table and sort of became a set photographer for about an hour on Friday night. (I also just scanned in the lace for texture.) I bought the glass cow at a local antique shop. I think it all came together, quite nicely and it is mostly how I pictured it in my head about a week ago.

Countdown to the big blue building

2008-02-07T19:59:00.000-08:00

In approx. 33 days and 8 hours I will have an IKEA only 15 minutes from my house. (I know some of you live close to one already, but I’m so excited about this because I have to drive 4 or 6 hours to the nearest one to us right now.) This is exciting because (1) my boy needs a new bed and I vowed never to buy children’s furniture, only if it came from IKEA when I was pregnant with Hope, and (2) we need a new kitchen revamp and Ted and I walked right into our kitchen, and how we’d like it to look — at the IKEA in Pittsburgh back in the fall.

While I’m still dreaming of IKEA and its arrival where I’m sure the bed will come first, and the kitchen much later ... (but hopefully not TOO much later), I had to find something that would keep me happy and homey in my current kitchen get up. Tonight, I walked into one of our local cute little shops in our sleepy downtown area, and I found these. A couple of weeks ago I found the best little Japanese fabric at this Etsy shop, then it quickly got snapped up before I got a chance to purchase it. (I was hoping to make curtains with it!) But, tonight I found these and I felt much better about losing out on the fabric. These were just too cute to pass up, and the best part, only $3 a panel! I really like the way they are made with the loops at the top, and if I ever do come across that fabric again, I could use these curtains as the pattern and make the same pair, with that fabric. Gotta love that, too.

My Life in Pictures — artful blogging fun!

2008-02-01T21:44:00.000-08:00

I’ve decided to take on a project. I know, I know, it isn’t like I don’t have enough projects, right? But for some time I’ve wanted to get my baby/kid photos from my mom and do something with them other than have them sitting in a binder just waiting for my own kids to find them 30 years from now and laugh at my hair and the sweaters I wore in 3rd grade. Well, last month I remembered and got them from her and have started the process of scanning them in and having ‘digital’ versions of them for long term safekeeping.

I thought as I was scanning last night, what CAN I do with these? Then as I stared at the J Rev laying on my table, it came to me. As I scan and archive, I also plan to journal a quick page about the photo and my memory of it, and what images/thoughts/sounds/smells/feelings each of those photos bring to me when I look at it. Isn’t a project like that going to be a much cooler memory for my kids to see years from now?

I kept a handwritten journal when I was pregnant with Hope (sorry Brennan) in hopes that someday she’ll find it, read it on her own, and realize what elation/trials/joyfulness/anxiousness was going on inside of my heart and body everyday she grew inside of me. I did a pretty good job of keeping up with it, something I committed to early on and still am very proud of doing (and mostly finishing for once!). This project, when it is completed, will give me the same feelings ... and I can’t wait to begin and share the journey with you.

So join me on the journey, back to 1975 and wrapping up in 1993 (the year I got married and the year that seems to be a good stopping point and a new artful journal idea to start in ‘09) throughout the year. I would love it if some of you picked up on the idea and started doing it with me. Some arty folks out there are doing the 365 photo project, which I love the thought of, too, but this year I feel called to do this. A year to look back at my life as a child and realize, with pictures and words, how I got here—to 2008.

I’ll begin posting the scans and a digital look at what I’ll be journaling to (starting with this post), and then within a couple of days, I’ll share my journal creation to go along with it.

Here’s to artistic memories!

More crafty goodness

2008-01-29T20:44:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend I stumbled upon Heather Bailey’s blog and fell in love with her delicious fabrics. And, of course, I was lead right over to click on her free patterns, well ... because everyone loves something free.

I found a headband pattern I was dying to try on some vintage fabric that I bought at a National Guard yard sale 2 yrs ago. See, being all ‘pack-ratty’ so pays off some times, honey! (I still don’t think the hubby will buy it, but it’s worth a try.) See my flickr images for other views.

I cut the pattern pieces out last night and sewed it up tonight. It was that simple. And then I had the perfect model to show it off for you, an extra bonus.

If you’ve got a sewing machine and some fabric, download it and make it. And mark Heather’s crafty blog. I know I will be returning.

And I just have to say, isn’t amazing how one crafty, creative thing turns your wheels for another? Since picking up sewing, photographing on Flickr, and various and sundry other crafty things .. I feel like I’m more creative as a designer. I love the interlocking magic of it all. I just do.

Amazing inspiration

2008-01-27T18:16:00.000-08:00

THIS is a picture of my new workspace. A space I’ve dreamed about for some time now. A space that is finally a reality. Life got in the way and I’ve been in a holding pattern for this dream desk space since we moved into our house 2 years ago. But recently, thanks to good friends and good fortune I have everything I need to feel productive again. Thank you Steve Jobs, Canon, and the Big Guy upstairs. I’m positive He played a big role in it, and as I was reminded at church today, I seem to channel that out most of the time. Well, not this year. This year, He’s the first one I thank for anything having to do anything. It’s not a Secret, it’s not positive thinking (but that certainly does help) ... for me personally it comes from putting Him first, and the rest will follow.

Yesterday I spent almost an entire day on it, loading up my fonts, cleaning out what I hadn’t used since college (something like —Fajita—unless you’re doing the menu for Chili’s you should never use this font, and even then ... maybe not so much); listening to Zac Effron, Vanessa Hudgens and Miley Cyrus on an iTunes that has only been loaded up with a certain 5 year old’s songs. (I should say so far—soon enough it will contain, yet again, all the 80s hair band ballads Ted and I love so much.)

Being a designer for 10+ years causes one to get TOO MANY fonts. It felt good to purge. But I still have a lot. But I do feel, 10 years later, I can easily identify what works well quickly and the ones that I should never use. It feels good to have knowledge. (I’m thankful for that, too!)

I’ll leave you with a little quote from Steve Jobs’ that I read on a blog over a year ago—one that inspired me to be at the very point of my life where I am today, a year later. I went looking for other Jobs’ quotes to put up here tonight, yet this one is the one that still speaks to me over all of the others. And I couldn’t let it slip by again, without sharing it with all of you.

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” - Steve Jobs

Fauxto Booth Strips (the digital kind)

2008-01-22T20:38:00.001-08:00

I am constantly awestruck by how different my kids look in each photograph I take of them. Some are cute, some are devil-ish, some are sweet, etc. I love how different photos can be taken throughout a short span of two weeks, and you can see the personality of your child in each photograph; and in each of them, they look like different little beings. I guess you could say this shows their ‘personality’ — I tend to think that at different times the camera just captures ‘us’ as individuals. That is the amazing thing about a camera.

What better way to doc this, than in a fauxto booth style strip, a project that I’ve loved since I saw the projects for the book, Journal Revolution since I began working on it over a year ago. It is exciting to me to see that the art journaling and scrapping communities are embracing this book and starting to post projects that they were inspired by in the book. So today — I’m jumping on that bandwagon and I made a digital fauxto booth strip in Photoshop and added some digital cut text journaling, and voilá, an instant memory for me of these photos taken between Brennan’s birthday and now, “B @ 3.”

Now, when I get my new printer this weekend, I can print it out—and add it to his scrapbook. Gotta love it!

Just a little nippy outside

2008-01-20T13:11:00.000-08:00

So here in Ohio this weekend it is a whopping 5 degrees outside. I keep turning the heat up and wincing every time I do it, anticipating what the gas bill could look like next month.

I’ve survived the birthday party, the week at work and getting my new machine up and running. And I’ve been getting some new pics up on Flickr while I’ve been having fun with my new camera, my Rebel XT (my wish, remember?) Wishes do come true!!

Hop on over to my Flickr set and see what I’ve been up to with the new toy. My personal faves are some flower shots I took this weekend that, with a little photoshop help, have just turned out absolutely gorgeous.

Also, I’ve been having fun getting to know Maria Hammon through our mutual pal Linda. She and I just this morning started a new pool in Flickr for all the mug lovers of the world out there called Cups for creativity, just to see if we can get folks motivated with a camera and their favorite mug and take a picture of it. Mugs are fun, and conjure up so many memories for most. Get your camera out, and send us your best shot!

On safari

2008-01-18T21:08:00.001-08:00

There’s nothing better than getting a safari tent for your 3rd birthday and getting to sleep in it when you go to bed, right?

Sorry for the lack of posting ... I’ve been busy with birthday parties, new computers and a kajillion things at work. Next week I’ll be back on my game, pinky swear.

Good reminders

2008-01-14T19:53:00.000-08:00

I’ve been trying to build inspiration around my home more, consciously making an effort to remind me of good things and good intentions.

On days like today; when even the most rested would feel ragged with the amount of work I’ve been asked to do at the day job — I come home to this stack of books on my living room shelf and I’m reminded that at the end of the process a book is made; books that inspire, ignite a passion and teach a craft to someone who may not have even tried it had it not been for this book. This is why, in the morning, I’ll head in and make it through another day.

(These are all books I’ve designed minus the YarnPlay book which my good pal Karla designed, but I have it on my shelf because my baby boy modeled in it. This stack makes me smile every time I pass it. Check out that new one on top!)

3 years ago

2008-01-11T20:48:00.000-08:00

“The God to whom little boys say their prayers has a face very like their mother’s.”
James Matthew Barrie

3 years ago today I was very pregnant, but thought I had six weeks left to see this sweet little face. This little one thought otherwise, and wanted to come out and see the world and bless it with his existence, sooner, rather than later.

Six weeks early, yet already at close to 6 pounds, he would only remain in the hospital a few days longer than I was released, (the HARDEST thing we ever had to do in our life was to leave him at that hospital without carrying him in my arms home to his big sister) and for a preemie, he did just great. It truly was a miracle, one that I had prayed for so fervishly on that operating table during my C-section about the unknown (Would he have all his fingers? Would there be something that wasn't ‘finished’ yet? Would his little lungs be ready enough to breathe the outside air?). And with faith and a miracle from heaven above he was born with no issues; and we were blessed, yet again—not with one beautiful healthy child, but two.

Yes, I must admit that on days of late it is hard to remember this miracle—when toilet paper is flushed by the roll, or pillows are stacked to the ceiling and jumped off of, or matchbox cars are left on the floor for Mommys to step on in the middle of the night—but I also realize at the end of the night when my head hits the pillow that 3 years ago today I was given a gift. And he’s mine forever to teach, to enjoy life with and most importantly, to love.

A light bulb moment

2008-01-10T20:31:00.000-08:00

I’m sure I’m probably not the first to point this out, but tonight I just realized an awesome thing to do with the tag sets sites like Flickr, or maybe even your blog, creates for you.

Look at this list. This is my tag set from Flickr. I think I have 150 prompts for journal pages/scrapbooking and/or picture taking. I think I’ve found something to keep me even busier this year. Wait! I thought I was trying to SIMPLIFY in ’08.

I just can’t stop this kick

2008-01-07T18:02:00.001-08:00

Prints now available in my Etsy shop.

And with that thought of tea ...

2008-01-06T18:23:00.000-08:00

I’m happy to announce I have made good use of that Christmas gift I got (a sewing machine!) and started making these cute little tea bag wallets for everyone to enjoy! I won a handcrafted fabric wallet online a couple of years ago from an indie crafter newsletter contest and I’ve loved it and used it over several purse changes. And it is still holding on strong. This new one for smaller uses will surely last as many years.

Hop on over to my etsy shop to take a look at it from different views and in different interior colors. (And keep in mind, it’s more versatile than just tea bags. Mini pens and notebooks, business cards, credit cards, wallet-sized photos—the list could go on and on ... they all would have a little home in there.)

Tea

2008-01-06T14:57:00.000-08:00

Each cup of tea represents an imaginary voyage.

Catherine Douzel

Discovering my place in ’08

2008-01-02T20:24:00.000-08:00

Be brave enough to live creatively.
The creative is the place where no one else has even been.
You have to leave the city of your comfort
and go into the wilderness of your intuition.
What you will discover will be wonderful.
What you will discover will be yourself.
Alan Alda

Around the house #5 - CHRISTMAS EDITION

2007-12-27T20:40:00.001-08:00

Clockwise from top to the bottom left corner:
1. Santa key from Longaberger that hangs on the door, since we don’t have a chimney!
2. Papier-mâché stars that are cracking, but look cooler that way.
3. Cute bird and bulb window clings bought at Target for $7. Hurry and get some tomorrow, and I’ll betcha they are $3 now.
4. Starbucks dessert plate gifted to me from my good friend Jan, coupled with a retro star plate I bought at a yard sale years ago, and voilá!, a great ledge display for the holidays.
5. A gift to Jesus from Hope she made at church last week. We aren’t allowed to open it, I guess we’ll just put it out every year for our special house guest, Jesus. :)
6. An aged wooden stocking hung from our shutters in the living room window.
7. Santa’s candy cane sugar cookies on his special ‘Hope’ plate, on a cool beaded peppermint mat I picked up last year after Christmas. I made these as a kid for Santa, and now Hope and I make them, too. Did I mention I love tradition?

And Santa brought ...

2007-12-26T20:41:00.000-08:00

My favorite gift to ‘play’ with of the kids’ is this spiffy blue iDog that we now fondly call Bo. Somthing I would have definitely wanted as a kid — because I’m sort of a geek like that. Now, I get to make my daughter one, too.

Coming tomorrow .. Around the House special christmas edition.

Rev it up!

2007-12-24T11:41:00.000-08:00

I’m excited to post that I have been asked to be a regular contributor over at the Rev it Up! list, a new companion blog to sisters Linda Woods and Karen Dinino’s Visual Chronicles/Journal Revolution blog. The crack team that Linda has compiled are experts and trendsetters (and can spot those who are, too!) in the fields of art journaling, scrapbooking and the paper arts. We also have combined passions for photography, screen printing and the written word .. so expect to see a lot of posts about that, too. (And we love purses, jewelry and food, so I’m guessing a little of that, too!)

Get your bookmark clicker ready, you’re going to want to mark this one right now.

The thing about snowflakes

2007-12-23T11:22:00.000-08:00

No snowflake ever falls in the wrong place.

ZEN SAYING

This week I’ve been faced with challenge, stress, fear and anticipation. Yet, in the midst of it all
I’ve been reminded of generosity, kindness, humor and love from the kind souls in my life. This
quote reminds me of the philosophy I’ve adopted as I became an adult, a wife and a mother;
that God brings me life lessons from those I meet — and that if I don’t recognize it, then I’ve
lost an incredible chance from every snowflake He’s created.

Digi Christmas card

2007-12-18T19:00:00.000-08:00

I confess — I’m terrible at making/addressing/sending Christmas cards. I always have had grand intentions, but I just usually get to 1 of the 3 things mentioned in the previous sentence. Yes, for the last few years, I’ve made cute handmade cards, addressed even some of them, but more likely than not, never actually got to the post office to send them. Which is why I always have an endless supply of cards to give on short notice every year. (I’m sure lots of close friends and family think, didn’t I get that card last year?)

Last year I went digital and just made my own 4 x 6 photoshop doc, designed it and sent it to Costco and printed 20 prints. I passed it out to family and friends (still didn’t mail any!!) and called it done. I’ve decided to do the same this year and even if I don’t get them mailed, I can email it to long distance friends and relatives. If you’re an Al Gore follower, you could call this going green with your Christmas cards; I however don’t ... so I’ll just call it ‘I’m never going to get to the post office so I’ll email it instead.’

I downloaded a digital kit from the Memory Makers magazine site from digi-talented Michelle Colman. The photo shoot was done Saturday afternoon when it was supposed to be snowing, but really wasn’t. This was the only shot I could get of my booger not trying to tear down the tree. What is really amazing—my babysitter told me today—is in this photo Brennan looks like the angel and Hope looks like trouble, which in reality it is the other way around. Go figure.

I love it when a plan comes together

2007-12-15T19:42:00.000-08:00

May your days be merry,
your sorrows be small
May the ones you love be near you
That’s the happiest Christmas of all.

The Happiest Christmas, Michael W. Smith

* On a snowy day *

2007-12-15T10:58:00.000-08:00

As the snow falls down outside, I felt inspired to share a wood frame I decoupaged with tissue paper and snowflake stickers a couple of years back. I bring it out and put it around the house every year around Christmas, and leave it up until spring.

Directions: start with a blank piece of scrap wood, then use mod podge to adhere holiday themed tissue paper; I used white with metallic stars and light blue tissue paper layered on top of one another. I then brushed a glaze of white acrylic paint very lightly, (almost dry brushing it) where I wanted the white to show up. I added glittery snowflake stickers to the right side, then dry brushed those with a little white as well. Lastly I added a piece of plexi glass to where I wanted the photo to be; and just used pounded in small nails to hold it in place (NOT putting nails in the top so I could change out the photo if I wanted). I also used a light blue piece of cardstock, and typed from a vintage typewrite; * on a snowy day *, and adhered it under the photo.

The thing about trains

2007-12-13T19:51:00.001-08:00

You can’t get through a holiday season without seeing a train or two. I know I’m a little late to this game; but I just saw most of The Polar Express this year, finally. I’ve never gone too far on a train ... but I think I would like it. Note to self for ’08: ride on a train—to somewhere. (I took this photo last week of our historic train here in our little town. Doesn’t it look .. nostalgic?)

The thing about trains... it doesn’t matter where they’re going.
What matters is deciding to get on.
Quote from The Polar Express

Holiday shoppin’

2007-12-13T19:21:00.000-08:00

Well, happy holidays to me. I’ve had great luck today selling out my etsy shop items at the F+W Bizarre Bazaar. Thanks to my co-workers for buying my remaining items and forcing me to think of new things and jump start my thoughts for new creations for a new round of : boxed thoughts : for the New Year. I also made bottle cap magnets to sell that were a huge hit for $1 a piece. Thanks to Ali for that project last year that still seems to be a hit with a crowd, a year later. I’ve decided to make a few more this weekend as a teacher’s gift for Hope’s teacher.

I’m off to Etsy to shop with my wad of cash!

It takes a village (of fireman)

2007-12-09T19:32:00.000-08:00

I’ve survived my whirlwind week and now it’s time to actually decorate for Christmas. Saturday morning was spent trekking to the local “chop your own tree down’ Christmas tree farm that gets even cooler to do as the kids get older and look forward to it. Ted and I spent some time remembering the days 10 years ago when it was just us doing the same thing in Illinois at Grandpa’s Christmas tree farm in Woodstock. Having two kids in tow makes it feel a little different, not a bad different—just different. Regardless, I hope that our trips become a tradition for the kids that they will want to do with their own spouses and children, in the many Christmas moons to come.

And, in somewhat of ‘around the house’ fashion, I’m also giving a glimpse of our firefighter Christmas village that Hope and I put up today. I know, lots of folks have these little villages, but I boast a collection of a firehouse only village. This village is not burning down anytime soon, it is VERY well protected. Three of them were actually painted by me back in my ceramic painting days.

Around the house #4

2007-12-07T05:12:00.000-08:00

My dad came home with this for Hope from Branson, MO a couple of years ago. At first I thought, what the heck are we going to do with a cuckoo clock? But is actually quite cute and painted beautifully. It is a House of 1,000 Clocks original, and adds a nice touch to the area right outside of her room. And yes, there are no batteries in it at the moment and there haven’t been for over a year. Did Mommy forget to do that? So sorry honey, I’ll get right on that.

Ballet at a parade, anyone?

2007-12-03T21:16:00.000-08:00

Saturday was our first ballet performance at our town’s annual horse-drawn carriage Christmas parade. This was the 19th year of the parade, where it is literally all horses, no ‘vehicles’, only carriages and coaches and the rumbling of beautiful, very large Clydesdales pulling wagons. The rumor last year was that Martha Stewart herself was to be in attendance with her very own horses, but alas ... no Martha was ever seen last year or this year.

I must apologize that after the ballet performance I had a Mom moment and left the camera in the car, and if it hadn’t been 20 degrees outside and the car parked several blocks away I would have gone back for it to share with you the lovely horses on parade (we went to the night parade where most of the horse have lights on their reigns, etc., so it is really spectacular ...) So a performance pic will have to do; there’s always next year to share pics of the beautiful creatures with manes!

LINKITY LINK: Here is last year’s parade on YouTube if you’re interested in seeing what it is all about.

Boo Hoo

2007-11-30T14:03:00.001-08:00

I’ve had all the pieces cut out for this scrap page for about 4 months now. I recently cleaned my desk and found it at the bottom of the stack, so I put it all together last night.

I’m particularly fond of the story I told with the cut text. An alternative to journaling, but still cute, nonetheless!

The cut journaling text reads, “the tears ran down his face/and the sparks flew up./said Teddy’s mother.” And on the photo I stamped directly on it ‘BOO HOO’/ and added another cut text, /he said.

Around the house #3

2007-11-30T08:39:00.000-08:00

I started collecting these Willow Tree figurines several years ago. I’m actually not a collector of too many things, but these things really appeal to me for some reason. Because we’ve moved so much the last few years ago, I’ve struggled with having a place for them in our house somewhere and keeping my collection out for all to see. What I decided to do recently is take one of those candle votive ‘blocks’ or ‘strips’ and take the candles out and put my figures in there, alternating with some glass jars with old keys in them.

TrunkT

2007-11-29T18:35:00.000-08:00

Have you heard of TrunkT yet? Thanks to Kelly Rae’s mention, I clicked on over there and found that — I think I’m in love. Click on it yourself and get some shopping done for the holidays. Just as addictive as Etsy, and most seem to link to their own etsy shop. How cool is this, designers, artists and crafters hooking up through not one, but two online communities? Good for art online, not good for the old bank account.

I particularly love this piece I found over there tonight. I’m such a sucker for things with type on it.

SUPER-Mommmmmmmm!

2007-11-29T17:34:00.000-08:00

Next week begins the week I’ve knew would come since I held this baby/bundle of joy in my arms in the hospital. The inevitable has arrived and there is nothing I can do to stop it.

Please see supermom schedule for next week below:
Saturday / ballet performance
Monday / cheer practice (and did I mention I’m a coach (What the HECK am I doing?))
Tuesday / ballet practice
Wednesday / Wed night church activity
Thursday / ballet performance at mall 45 minutes away
Friday / fire department Christmas party

The only foreseeable sanity in all of this was that I wisely took Monday and Tuesday off at the Dub in an effort to use up my remaining vacation time for the year. So that means I get to veg in my pajamas and practice cheering for 5 year olds all day. Sis-boom-bah!

Please, someone, say a prayer for me now. Much appreciated, thank you.

Things That are Good

2007-11-24T21:26:00.000-08:00

I picked up a cookbook by this name back in the summer at a backyard/garage estate shop called “Junktique.” I saw their sign and was intrigued at what I could find, so I drove a few miles only to find a little place near nowhere that had all kinds of goodies I liked. I came away with this cookbook and a crocheted thingamabob.

This cookbook is incredibly unique. It looks like it was printed at a very small local publisher, and a web search got me some info that it could have been printed in the 50s. Maybe a housewife with printing connections put it out for her circle of friends?

I looked through it again (it’s been high up on a shelf in my kitchen since I bought it) just before Thanksgiving to see if I found any killer recipes that I had to serve. I didn’t try anything out of it, but was amused by the scattering of fun worded ‘toasts’ throughout the book.

One ‘toast’ out of the cookbook reads:
“Here’s to the girl I love best, I picked her out from all the rest; She’s not here to take her part, So I’ll drink to her with all my heart.”

Things that are good is actually a nice way to journal or reflect on life during this time of year; sort of with a Martha Stewart-ish meditative spin.

Things that are good for me this Thanksgiving:
1. My family. I’m still amazed that this fine husband of mine and myself created these beautiful kids with beautiful souls.
2. My town. I’ve spent 5 years comparing it to where we were. I need to start thinking of it more as ‘home’, and that my kids will call it ‘home’ and how I can help my home by becoming more involved with it.
3. Becoming myself. I have been through some very rough yet wonderful twists and turns this year. A year ago things were happening, a year later things are still happening. I’ve met new friends and mentors and I’ve been introduced to new dreams because of it, them, etc. However you look at it, I’VE grown. And for that I’m thankful.

Black Friday sale

2007-11-23T17:11:00.000-08:00

After getting up at 4 a.m. and going all over town to Black Friday sales, I’ve come home in a sale spirit tonight and put my pumpkin shadow box on sale.

Over in my Etsy shop, I’ve slashed the price! This price really is a steal for the time I put in to making the box, the pleasure you’ll have looking at it year after year during this gorgeous season and having a one-of-a-kind piece of art for your home.

Also, for any lurkers that are thinking of buying a box in my shop for the holidays—I plan on taking these to a holiday craft bazaar in mid-December if they don’t sell by then. I would much rather sell them on Etsy of course, so buy ’em when you can—there is no better time than today!

Around the house #2

2007-11-21T19:28:00.000-08:00

I’ve had the thought since we moved into our house to dedicate little areas in our bedroom to each of the places we’ve lived during our marriage. We’ll have areas dedicated to Chicago, Nashville and Ohio and I’ve started to collect the ‘ephemera’ to make that happen. Not much of it is going up, though, until I decide what color to paint the bedroom.

Last summer I picked up this cute little globe for our dresser at a yard sale for a quarter (speaking to what world travelers we are, right?), and this summer I found these little dog tag style license plates for free at another - you guessed it - yard sale. Although we’ve never lived in West Virginia, my family does come from there, so I felt a connection to it and picked them up. I’m glad I did, they look so cute hanging off of this globe.

Love notes in journals

2007-11-20T20:13:00.001-08:00

A few years ago I had the pleasure of doing a cute little book cover for a Christian publishing client in Alabama called Love Notes in Lunchboxes. My little kindergartener isn’t quite having school lunches yet, but I did get the bright idea last week to leave her a note in her drawing ‘journal’ (so she calls it) so she could find it one day while I was at work.

Since she found it, though ... she asks me to make a new one every night. I’m not sure I can keep up with this kind of instant inspiration that she expects now, but I’m sure going to try.

Around the house #1

2007-11-18T12:44:00.000-08:00

I constantly search blogs and the internet, as I think most of you do, to find inspiration. Whether it be for graphic design (my job), scrapbook design (a hobby), or interior design (something I want to be better at) I’m constantly scouring for more ideas. I do this in magazines, too .. but why not the internet as well?

In an effort to help others who may like to do the same thing, I’m going to start a series of blog posts called “Around the house” showing you my favorite areas in my house.

My first pic is not a favorite area, but one that I just wanted to share because it was my most expensive purchase this weekend to better my house; a new toilet. $100 later and we have ourselves a new throne. I could have thought of better ways to spend $100, but it is well worth it to have it not leak or overflow anymore. And please excuse the bird/sun wallpaper behind; we have not redecorated this room yet.

The remaining pics are a little photo/frame area in our dining room I created just this weekend. It is near the table and I just love looking at it. I bought the house quilt piece at a yard sale this summer, the H-O-M-E candle votives are from Hallmark (Big Lots) back in September, and I’ve strung some of favorite Tennessee photo prints in the open frames.

I hope this spawns some ideas for your own little frame area in your home that is rather unconventional.

Speaking of Etsy shops I heart

2007-11-15T18:29:00.000-08:00

Found this shop tonight. Bought this print shown here on the blog for my office. And this one for Brennan’s room. And I really want the type ones to hang in the kitchen, kid’s rooms, and their playroom. Especially the one that says this for the playroom.

ARTWORK Copyright and by JOHN W GOLDEN

Blog rockstar

2007-11-14T19:57:00.001-08:00

Ok, so maybe not THAT, but I have to say being featured on the Journal Revolution blog was a thrill and today - yet another thrill and glimmer of hope that doors are opening for me; just as my head starts to turn with all kinds of ideas about where I can take this crafting/design/love of photography thing and spin it all together in one awesome company of my very own.

Today my Etsy shop, ‘boxed thoughts’ was featured over on the Funky Finds blog, a blog that I have followed for months and been sucked in to many Etsy shops because of it (I wish I had enough money to buy from them all!)

Go take a peek, not for my own shop—because if you’re here, you know about mine—go find more over at Funky Finds. Warning:: you can spend hours there. Don’t try this at work.

Last days of autumn

2007-11-14T05:12:00.000-08:00

It’s set to turn cold here later today, and the leaves are at their prettiest here in Ohio. Hello winter, goodbye beautiful trees. But this quote made me well, smile.

Autumn, the year’s last, loveliest smile. William Cullen Bryant

Winners!

2007-11-12T20:36:00.000-08:00

First off, I want to say thank you to everyone who posted on my 100th blog post. For someone who is used to seeing 5 comments and thinking that is an awesome day, 39 is enough to make me scream with glee. I love connecting with this many people, thanks to the internet. I was filled with happiness to see comments all the way from the UK and Barcelona. Wow!

Drum roll please ...

The winner of Sally Jean’s book Pretty Little Things (that I so smittenly designed for weeks on end and immersed myself in everything “Sally Jean blue” for what seemed like months is ... SALLY. How incredibly fitting is this?

And the winner of my own little boxed thought that reads ‘my joy .. art’ is ... CINDY.

Email me and I’ll get your goodies out ASAP.

I hope that my giveaway has given my blog many new readers, and I dedicate myself to inspiring each and every one of you when I can, whether it be with scrapbooking, mixed-media art, graphic design or all three.

One final note, the pics attached are of my own experimental project that stemmed from one of Sally Jean’s in her book. Most of the book is soldering techniques, (which I have yet to try but really want to,) but this is simply some cut glass with collage and paper in between the glass. Some bent wire holds the glass together. For those of you familiar with Sally Jean’s work you know she mostly uses ephemera photos; I chose to do this with a scrapbook twist, and use a favorite picture of my daughter in it. She absolutely loves it every time I wear it.

More than techniques

2007-11-10T20:26:00.000-08:00

Last week I got in my scrappy, grubby little hands my own copy of Scraptastic! by well-known scrapbook artist Ashley Calder. I was so fortunate to have been able to work on this book, as it came at a time that I was crossing back over from Memory Makers land to North Light Craft land ... but I still wished and wanted to design this book. The powers that be said ok, and I secretly screamed a heck, yeah! because I literally wanted to learn and try every technique Ashley mentions in her book.

For every artistic lovin’ fool out there, from the scrappiest of scrappies (and even the mixed-media-ites), you want this book. Ashley covers techniques from watercolors to sewing; using ribbons in the most creative way I have ever seen, to using your kid’s artwork in a very cool way ... it all will knock your altered socks off. It is the most jam packed technique book I have seen from any scrapbook artist/publisher, and trust me -- I’ve seen them all.

Besides wanting to try the 50 techniques, I even learned something from art directing the photos for the section openers of this book. Ashley sent me some shots of her studio space, and what I wanted to come across in the photos was for it to feel like you were right there, looking at Ashley’s worktable and studio space. She uses the cutest things to store her scrap stuff in. I stole one of her ideas for my own space and picked up an old grungy muffin tin at a yard sale this summer. And this is now what it holds for me. Forget a space that looks like it is pulled from Martha’s high end crafting area, I’ll take this vintage found look any old day.

LINKITY LINK: Go get this book if you want to learn something new and be inspired.

Stranger days

2007-11-09T21:25:00.000-08:00

I’ve had such a weird week—tonight I just wanted to come home, and think about nothing. I ate pizza, and watched Evan Almighty. Contrary to the bad reports I thought it was a pretty funny movie and proved a good point, while still being funny. I wish there were more movies like this one. Ones where I can laugh, and my kids can watch it and laugh too.

Speaking of movies, I’m pretty sure I bought a coat at Stein Mart last night that makes me look just like Lloyd Christmas when he gets to Aspen. All I need is some fringe on the bottom and I’d be just like him. But I sort of like it. For safe measure, I may take it back to the store tomorrow and get a darker color, in fear that I may want to travel cross country on a moped and not spill the salt, or drink big gulps. If you’re not a fan of the movie Dumb and Dumber, you completely don’t get this paragraph. If you are, then you are probably on the floor laughing right now as you read. (I’m a huge fan of that movie, by the way.)

Attached is a pic of some yummy cupcakes and the green punch (that I made!) that made my niece's birthday party feel very Oz-like. She had a Wizard of Oz theme and it was so cute. Everybody likes a good cupcake image, I know I do. I applied a technique in Photoshop I learned back in college, but was reminded of it over on the Dooce blog. It makes your pic appear almost ‘dreamlike’ and slightly blurry. Yummy!

100th post!

2007-11-09T03:57:00.000-08:00

I can’t believe I’ve made it to the 100th post already. I mean it was last year at this time that I was all “I really should post to my blog more, it would connect me to so many more people, blah blah blah”. And it has! (I finally got it in gear back in the summer and haven’t looked back.)

I’ve had such a busy week at the Dub, putting finishing touches on Stephanie Lee’s book, doing the photo shoot for projects for Josie’s next book, thinking/coming up with a plan for books coming forth from these great ladies, Kelly Rae and Julie Collings and designing a book for Cosette. Is that a enough to keep a girl busy or what?

To celebrate my 100th post I’m giving away 2 things. You see the pics attached, I’m giving away an extra copy of Pretty Little Things AND one of my very own special 3 x 3 shadow boxes that I normally put up on Etsy. This one I hadn't got up in the shop yet, and I thought, what the heck, let’s give it away in the spirit of starting this holiday giving season.

So post here with your favorite North Light craft book that has inspired you in the past to make things (like Pretty Little Things and others did for me) by 6 p.m. on Monday evening, and I’ll pick out two winners Monday night. Happy crafting! (Or, if you don’t have one (a book) and just want to say hi! do that, too -- anything to get your name in the comments will get you in the contest!)

Valor

2007-11-06T05:15:00.000-08:00

Today, I’ll be guest blogging over at the Journal Revolution blog. I’ll be unveiling a piece of art, creating change for a charity of my choice. I am so excited on so many levels.

Travel on over there, link up to my Etsy shop and take a look at the art I’ve created.

The next post is my 100th post! Besides this fab chance guest blogging, I’ll also come up with a giveaway. Since I’m not an author, I’ll have to pick from the many books I get to work on and design. What to choose .. what to choose. Stay tuned!

Triple overtime results

2007-11-04T12:20:00.000-08:00

In this. After spending a heart-breaking afternoon at Notre Dame Stadium (where our team lost to Navy after a 40-some year winning streak) I did manage to come away with some awesome arty shots of Touchdown Jesus. Gotta think something good could come of it. Thanks, divine power!

Celebrate fall!

2007-10-31T21:23:00.000-07:00

A new item in my Etsy shop, a pumpkin art box -- as promised. Wouldn’t this look lovely in your kitchen or on your table decoration for Thanksgiving dinner?

Halloween fun

2007-10-31T20:52:00.000-07:00

Backward, turn backward,
O Time, in your flight
make me a child again
just for to-night!
~Elizabeth Akers Allen

A quick post tonight to show my little vogue-ish witch, her cousin the crazy fashion witch, and their little brother Sir Brennan the Pirate, or Pépé the Magician (when he didn’t have his pirate hat on, we thought he looked a little like that persona rather than a pirate.)

Sunday morning inspiration

2007-10-28T06:28:00.000-07:00

I have been unbroken

I have been unmended
I have been uneasy
And I’ve been unapproachable

I’ve been unemotional
I’ve been unexceptional
I’ve been undecided
And I have been unqualified

Unaware, I have been unfair
I’ve been unfit for blessings from above
But even I can see the sacrifice you made for me
To show that I have never been unloved

Never Been Unloved, Michael W. Smith

My designs this week

2007-10-25T18:24:00.001-07:00

I was put to the test last night and did my own commission of sorts, for a very high maintenance 5 year old client. She told me she had a vision - one that included a regular jack-o-lantern’s eyes, but a witch in between its eyes. I had her do her own sketch, and I would copy that.

This is where we ended up, and she said it was exactly like she pictured. Whew, she would have been a tough client to please had I not done it right the first time around!

The great Pumpkin

2007-10-21T21:31:00.000-07:00

Today was spent on our annual pilgrimage to the local Pumpkin farm. We had a lot of fun and I liked toting the camera around taking artsy shots of pumpkins the best (hopefully to be made into a fun little shadow box by the end of the month, by the way.)

For Hope, the day was ruined when she discovered that Brennan secured the most perfect little pumpkin with no dents or hideous blemishes before her, and there were no perfect ones left for her to pick. I then told her there never is a PERFECT pumpkin, only ones we find that are cute and fall in love with despite their obvious flaws. Wise motherly advice, right? (She didn’t buy it, and went to bed tonight still tormented by the fact.)

(Look for more fall fancy photos in my Flickr account tomorrow!)

Being an art army member

2007-10-15T17:16:00.000-07:00

People grow through experience if they meet life honestly and courageously.
This is how character is built.
Eleanor Roosevelt

I’ve said time and again on this blog how life changes for me once I get to meet the authors of the books I work on and begin to picture in my head what their book can become. I often become one with the design of the book because I am making THEIR art MY art. I first felt like this when I designed Visual Chronicles, then Sally Jean’s book followed, and I’ve been blessed to feel this sense of becoming one with the art in my books since then, many books later.

When Journal Revolution came around, I wanted Linda and Karen to know I indeed myself had become an artist on my own accord after reading/experimenting after their first book. My own style began to emerge, even though I technically already was an ‘artist’ in my job. But seriously, I never really thought of myself as an artist until these sisters taught me otherwise.

In J-Rev, page 120, you get the opportunity to see my first ever published piece of art. I had dreamed of doing this piece forever, chronicling the story of the house that we lost to a senseless fire (thanks in part to some dunce people we shared the home with) and I wanted to chronicle what this place meant to Ted and I, our marriage, and our story years later. I held on to this picture of the house at it’s prime and knew I would make art from it someday. This house was built in 1865, it had a history long before us. And because of the fire, its story ended with us. I wanted to pay tribute to it in a way only my thoughts could. I left that space black to the left for many weeks, and looked at it every night in my office trying to figure out what to put there. Then, one night, I opened up some old books and let the words write my story of the house. It was poetry in motion as my eyes glanced back and forth finding words I related to, words that conjured the memories and story of that house. It took me 20 minutes, and my story was there and it fit the space perfectly!

Since then, I’ve found that this is my art style. I let the words take me there when I open up and brush off an old dusty book, and I always find the story or statement I’m looking for to pair with the imagery I have in mind. You can see this by checking out the pieces in my etsy shop. Sure, it will evolve over time ... but I will never journal or create art without cut text. Because this is what speaks to ME. I AM ART. And I do indeed rise up and create every day. And it feels so right when I let it (the art alone) take me there.

I’m fast approaching 100 blog posts. In celebration of that, and as a secondary piece to my J-Rev artwork, I’ve started to work on this. A tribute to fireman in general ... because I love one in particular, because I connect to those who lost their life in 9-11 (hence the 343 cut text you see in the pic here), and because I know lots of other people who love them, too. It will not be posted here however, take a peek over at those famous sisters’ blog in a few days and you’ll see its complete beauty.

Dear Tooth Fairy,

2007-10-14T18:45:00.000-07:00

Please come tonight and leave a nice treat. I screamed bloody murder for 5 bloody minutes (and what seemed like an eternity to Mommy) and this is what I have to show for it. Tomorrow I get my name on the board like some other kids already at school. Thanks to some Scooby Doo gum, this thing started to wiggle like Murray with his guitar. When I realized it didn’t hurt when Daddy pushed it back and forth a couple of times with a Q-tip and it came right out, I stopped screaming and starting laughing and elation set in because this meant you were coming tonight.

I’m still trying to figure out how you get in my house, but I’m thinking it is probably a lot like Tinkerbell. I hope your butt doesn’t get stuck in my window.

Love, Hope

(P.S. Mommy says it is a good thing this didn’t happen a couple of weeks ago or she would have had to find a model with all of her teeth. Wink, wink.)

Randomness

2007-10-13T20:53:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posting this week. As you can see by the blog entries below, I was busy with the day job doing some off-site photography for an upcoming knitted hats, mittens and scarves book. I had a week of catch up because I was out of the office, and we still had 3 more shots of Hope in some hats to finish up this past week.

First, I probably should address that I indeed do, have another child—a boy. He does get lack of posting time here on the blog and will probably (10 years from now) resent his sister for that. He is actually very photogenic, too. However, he moves too fast for the camera most of the time and almost all pictures I have of him are blurry. That, or he’s trying to grab the camera from me and take some pictures himself. Maybe he is destined to be a photographer, something Mommy has always WANTED to be. That would be O-K with me.

Second, the photo attached to this post is of me and Hope crossing the street to do the last project of the shoot. I’m not sure if Adam took the shot accidentally or not, but it was in my folder of proofing and curiosity got the best of me and I opened it up. I like it, even though it shows a very unflattering back view of me. But, that back view is better than it was 6 months ago (27 lbs better), so looking at it gives me motivation to move on and lose 20 more pounds during this next 12 week session. (And, my hair looks pretty darn good in it, too.)

Lastly, I’m working on lots of projects now I can’t wait to share here on the blog with everyone. The first has to do with that fabulous book by those fabulous sisters, J-Rev. I can’t share quite yet but everyone will see it very soon. I am so excited this book is out now for the masses to read. And if you haven’t got a copy of your own, get one now.

Old books

2007-10-07T18:54:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I acquired some old, very old bibles and hymnals. Both of the bibles date back to the mid to late 1800s. One had lots of fun stuff tucked into it, like the Cincinnati Post front page from 1897, among other cool tidbits. It was like Christmas to me going through and pulling out all the stuff tucked in it. Bibles always seem to be the best books to do this in. People like to tuck ‘stuff’ in their bibles, don’t they? I actually could look back at mine from college and probably read so into my head then just by the notes I wrote in it alone. Like “Take note, you need to listen here! God is trying to tell you something in this verse.”

One of the papers I ran across was a leaflet from a printer in Cincinnati, I’m sure someone who had printed in that same era the bible was dated in.

I've pictured it here, but I thought some would appreciate what it says, too. I’m pretty positive W.H. Andrews, the printer, won’t mind me copying it here.

FACTS ABOUT THE BIBLE
The Bible contains 3,586,489 letters, 773,692 words, 31,173 verses, 1,189 chapters, and 66 books.

The word AND occurs 46,277 times. The word LORD occurs 1,855 times. The finest chapter to read is the 26th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. The longest verse is the 9th verse of the 8th chapter of Esther. The shortest verse is the 35th verse of the 11th chapter of St. John. The middle verse is the 8th verse of the 118th Psalm.

W.H. Andrews, printer, No. 163 State Ave., Cincinnati, O.

Twirl

2007-10-06T06:34:00.000-07:00

I’ve been intrigued by encaustic painting for a few months now, but I decided to try my hand at it a couple of weeks back. I ended up using oil paint over top of the wax, and I think it is has finally dried.

This piece I created for nothing but play. I wanted to play with wax, a stamp I’ve wanted to use in some art for Hope now for some time, and some layered hymnal paper lives underneath the wax to bring some music notes into the art. I ended up using a couple of run-ons from 7gypsies to finish it off.

It was interesting, when I started it and the first day or two I really didn’t like it. But as I looked at the little details as it has hung on my wall drying the last couple of weeks, it has grown on me and now I can’t wait to frame it and hang it in Hope’s room. My true goal for this piece was to create something she would want to keep forever.

Being five

2007-10-05T20:44:00.000-07:00

A child of five would understand this. Send someone to fetch a child of five. Groucho Marx

She has been in school five weeks. I am completely amazed by what her teacher has already taught her and how much that brain has pulled in in such a short amount of time. Tonight she sat down and wrote all of the letters of the alphabet and numbered 1-9, mostly without my help. She memorizes stories and reads them back to me. And she likes to tell me about her friend Lauren. The other day I proudly displayed some new candles that I picked up that had type on them, and says H-O-M-E on them. She walked out, took a look, and said hooooooommmme. She read it! An actual spoken word, without my help or me sounding it out for her, but completely on her own. There will be many more proud moments like this in the years to come, but for now this was the biggest yet. Soon enough she’ll be buried in a book, reading Judy Blume’s books just like me. It never stops amazing me that she is here, and that she is mine; even five years after, almost six, that I knew she was coming to join us in this journey called life.

{photograph by Alias Imaging}

Finding courage

2007-10-04T19:50:00.000-07:00

“Don’t forget to pack your courage for your journey to greatness.”

David Weinbaum

Way better than Sears

2007-10-02T19:55:00.000-07:00

I have lots of perks with my job. I get to meet great authors, I get to be inspired everyday by the books we work on, and occasionally our budgets call for free models when we can get ’em and I’m always quick to offer up my kids so I don’t have to take them to Sears or the Target portrait studio (not that there’s anything wrong with it, I’ve done it plenty of times.)

I’ve posted photos earlier in the blog of some shots of both of my little ones in the upcoming Soft + Simple Knits for Little Ones coming out soon from North Light.

Today Hope was a pro at getting some shots done in these adorable hats for the upcoming Knit One, Embellish Too ... releasing from North Light in 2008. The hook of this book is to take your knitting an extra step and add a little embellishment. The book should be up soon on Amazon pre-order, but until then here is a sneak preview of some of the shots we took today.

LINKITY LINK: I’m shooting with great guys at an awesome photo studio in Cincinnati, Alias Imaging. Adam, Adam and John are so much fun and I have learned so much from these guys already, and we’ve only really been shooting together on separate jobs for less than a year. Go take a peek at their website for instant photographic inspiration. And, if you need some photography work done in the Midwest, or the entire country actually, give these guys a call. You’ll be happy you did, just I have been the last year.

The city of Steel

2007-09-30T19:00:00.000-07:00

This weekend I’ve traveled 600 miles and Ted and I went on a trip to Pittburgh, PA. In all of my travels through the Midwest, we both were amazed that we had actually not been to this city.

Our reason for going — so Ted could take his paramedic test (a last, teeny little part he had to retake before it was official.) Well, for those of you who read my blog and want to know -- he passed! We have to wait a couple of weeks for the official card in the mail, but it is done. Finis. Finito! And we couldn’t be happier. I am so proud and pleased as punch for him. This was a long time coming and lots of struggling to get there. First, he had to find the courage to do it. Then, he found it and had a year of schooling, hospital hours and homework to endure. And finally the testing and the waiting to get it all complete. Hug a paramedic today if you can, because they deserve it! What does this means for us? Time shall tell. All I know is is that our family will grow our dreams together, and nothing is impossible ... this past year has taught us that.

Pittsburgh is a great city. It is very cool in the fact that you drive through this tunnel, wondering where the city is, you get to the other side of the tunnel and — BAM!, there it is. It was the neatest thing.

We visited the Strip (a great area of town with shops, food and goods for sale and was SWEET!), looked at bridges, and shopped at IKEA. What more could you ask for in a weekend away? Oh, and of course, we had to visit the nearest fire station while in the Strip, close to where we parked. See Linda, I told you that not a visit to a city goes by where I don’t get to meet the inside of a fire station. And now I can do it and look at the Medic with renewed favor.

Parting with some shots from the ’Burgh .. I’m going back someday with a better camera and lots more time .. this city was full of texture. Enjoy!