New Beginnings

paper bag book

Today is a day for new beginnings.

I am currently participating in a summer paper bag book round robin, and the time has come for me to design the cover and sign in pages for my book.

I'm struggling. I really am.

I have no vision, no theme...nothing is coming to my mind. I am lost in my own creative void.

Ordinarily this would upset me; but today is different somehow.

Somehow, I sense that if I can just quiet myself and settle into the interior space of my own heart, something will emerge....

...something wonderful,

something beautiful,

something worthy of this day that I've set aside for new beginnings!

So check back later...something wonderful is coming!

I can feel it!

Pooh on you!

collage in progress

The voices are back.

I hear them telling me that I am no good.

I hear them telling me that I am not an artist.

I hear them laughing at me.

"Why do you bother?" they ask.

...and...

"Who do you think you are?"

Some days the voices are louder than others, and some days the questions are more hurtful; but I have learned that the only way I can quiet their noise is to invite them in for some huckleberry tea.

Together we sip, and as we do, the voices sweeten.

My friends tell me that I should banish my inner critics forever. Perhaps that works for some.

Me?

I prefer to invite my inner critics to tea and woe them with love.

Bloom where you are planted!

I've learned a lot of things during the past 45 years that I've walked this earth.

Perhaps the most valuable of these is this, "Bloom where you are planted."

.....or in other words, enjoy what you have, right where you are, TODAY!

Today, is all we have.

Ok, so enough of my philosophizing!

Let's get to the business of creating art, shall we?

This is a mini ATC, which means of course that it measures 1 1/2 inches by 2 1/2 inches.

I made it using royal purple and ivory felt. The face in the center of the flower was heat seared onto a piece of muslin. Don't ask me how, because I don't know. My friend Annie gave me a sheet of little faces to use in my art and this is one from that sheet!

I used embroidery floss to stitch the petals, and the word, "Bloom". Each layer of felt is both hand stitched and glued (using fabric glue) together for added durability!

I placed a piece of heavy duty cardboard in between the front and back layers of the felt to give the ATC its requisite stiffness. I then stitched the two felt layers together using a three bead fret stitch, fireline and some Toho beads.

Voila!

A sweet little ATC was born!

Mini ATC!

Oh Boy!

I've spent the past hour or so playing with felt and I've created the sweetest mini ATC!

It's just the cutest little thing...measures 1 1/2 inch by 2 1/2 inch! Cute! Cute! Cute!

I'll have photos on Friday, so check back soon!

Flower Power!

Well, I haven't been very artsy for the past few weeks or so.

I did paint up some wood flower cut outs and adhered them to the back door steps.

All in all, it looks very sweet!

I've also painted some wooden dragonflies that I will be adhering to the rise between each step...

Yessirreee, spring is springing in my neck of the woods!

I'm enjoying the exterior modification of my home so much that I think I'm going to attack the milkbox next. It's rather drab and desperately needs a face lift!

Maybe painting the milkbox will be an especially "mooving" experience! LOLOL! (Yeah, that was bad, I know!)

Anyhow, here's another shot of the stairs, just for those of you who are curious enough to care!

Fun stuff, wouldn't you say?