Hearts Alight

Wow! 2.5 weeks down after Mikes spinal surgery, and I've left the house only 2 times so far. Banking and pharmacy. You would think that means alot of work is getting accomplished. You would think. However, the reality of it is that except for the week my in laws were here to help out, I've gotten NOTHING done on my list of goals. NOTHING! And I am frustrated! I have tons on my plate, enough to keep anyone busy for a year! And the faster I go the more I get behind. So I decided I WILL get at least one thing done today. I will be teaching 2 separate sessions of "Hearts Alight" at Red Letter Journals- one on Jan 28th, and one on February 11. So today, I will carve out some time from nursing duties and take and post photos of the sample pieces I created for the class. And, I will deliver the samples to Red Letter Journals to go on display if you want to see them for yourself in person.

"Hearts Alight"

A fast paced, yet lighthearted mixed media class. Artists will enjoy combining collage techniques, painting techniques, Distress Inks and Distress Paints, rub-ons, stamps and paperclay sculpting to fashion 3D focal points for their creations.
Supplies needed: Apron, paintbrush or 2, 2 different pieces of printed scrapbook paper. All other supplies will be provided. Artists will go home with a completed piece of art!

Art and Soul Virginia Beach 2012

Besides caring for Mike, I am slammed to the mat busy prepping for Art & Soul Virginia Beach! March 1-6 will be here before we know it, and I've got many extra special things up my sleeve for this fabulous event!

First of all, my stamp line has EXPLODED! I have over a dozen 8.5 x 11 designs, and the response has been overwhelming. So far, they have sold out everywhere we've vended since their debut in Aug. They've been so hot, I've not even had time to get an online store set-up yet! I will have a full stock of all current stamps at Art & Soul Vendors night, and I am noodling around with a collectors stamp only available to students in my classes as well. I will be doing drawings in my class, and giving away stamps to several winners, so don't delay in signing up!

Friday March 2, is Stamp Carving and Beautiful Papers

Saturday is VENDORS night! Make sure and stop by to see my booth! Mike and I've shopped from one end of the country to the other and it's Bigger and Better than last year!
Sunday March 4, is Stamps and Stencils Journal

Monday March 5, is A Fluid Romance

It's the Merry Christmas Season!

I've been busy busy busy on the road, off again, on the road and off again! (Thank goodness Mike is here to hold down the fort! I certainly couldn't do it without him!) SO much to tell! More classes, more long term projects and more stamp designs! I couldn't be happier! All arty goodness!

One of the most recent trips was a great time visiting my In-laws, then over to Chattanooga to teach 2 fun workshops at Townsend Atelier. They were so much fun, the artists who gathered were all in fine form open to any ideas I pitched out to them! They jumped in with enthusiasm and great talent, each making the projects with their very own artistic voice! I'll be back April 28, and 29, 2012 for 2 more workshops!

I had only a day or two and then taught 2 Holiday Journals classes in my hometown. Wonderful to have an opportunity to teach close to home again. If you are going to be in Grove City, Ohio please pop in to Red Letter Journals and check out one of my classes. I'll be teaching a valentines class on Jan 28th and again Feb 11th!

Right after Thanksgiving, Mike had to have spinal surgery, and we've been down for the count ever since. He's doing better, but they had real difficulty reviving him after surgery, and was on 2 different breathing machines. Scary times. But the Lord was good to us, and he is getting stronger every day. It is round the clock care right now, but in 4 weeks, he should be at least able to leave the house and go for a short ride in the car. I've been so busy taking care of him, we haven't even had time to open all our Christmas presents yet!

My wonderful In Laws came up from TN to help me take care of him for a week, so I can rest, and get some much needed paperwork done, and get some art work done! They came New Years Eve, and God Bless her heart, my MIL took down all my holiday decorations for me, while my FIL watched over Mike. She's also doing all the cooking for a week to give me more time!

So I've been in the studio for 2 days finishing projects and turning in proposals, and packing kits for upcoming classes!

My heart has been with all our you and hoping everyone was having a wonderful season, and the start of a lovely and promising new year! I wish you all, health, peace, love, art, and sparkles!

Giving Thanks

I feel so blessed in my life, so happy with the way things are happening in my art life right now. All day everyday, I think we are bombarded by negativity about the economy, the environment, our fellow man, and I just wanted to combat that.

I started another Gratitude journal, which really focuses me on the good, and the positive. It also happens to be coming up on Thanksgiving season, thus the color scheme. I also thoroughly enjoyed playing with some of my new line of Polymer art stamps. The faces and the birds all just jump off the pages don't you think?

I love making these as holiday journals, and if you wish to join me, I will be teaching local classes at Red Letter Journals in Grove City, Ohio on Saturday November 19 2011, and again on Saturday December 10, 2011. They are perfect for recording special holiday memories, and are great as gifts! For more info, Heather and Tonya can help you out at 614.539.3900.

I'll be teaching you how to make and personalize the books themselves, as well as give you demos on the fancy writing techniques I love to use.

Happy Anniversary! Syrup alert!

Today was Mike and my 9th Anniversary! We spent it the way we seem to spend many days- going to Dr. appointments, shopping for tools and shopping for art workshop supplies! But as a special treat, we celebrated with dinner at The Columbus Fish Market- yummo! Food was wonderful, and the staff was so sweet- even gave us a rose and a happy anniversary card they all signed!I am so blessed to have Mike in my life. I could not do what I do, without him helping and supporting me. He is the natural calm that my natural hyper needs. We are happy to spend all of our days together. We can work together all day, and then still be happy to spend the evening together too. We laugh together, play together, work together and dream together. For better or worse, in sickness and in health, through all the days of our lives we are so happy together. Our basic views and morals are so similar, it makes it easy to always get along! We wish this happiness for all of you, our friends and loved ones. Here's a peek back at that happy day 9 years ago!

Here's the week we got engaged, with our Sophie. Wasn't she a pretty baby?

Tenneessee anyone?

November 5 and 6 I am heading to Chattanooga to teach workshops at Townsend Atelier! An awesome art studio, run by Stan and Peggy Townsend. The space is phenomenal, and the hosts are so warm and friendly! The workshops they host want for nothing, and I am so honored to be in their line-up!

Handmade Journals
Saturday Nov 5, 2011 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

Sculpture and functional journal all rolled into one!

Perfect for the gift giving season!

More information & Registration

Re-purposed Books

Sunday Nov 6, 2011 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

Green Art at it's very best!

Very few supplies needed!

More information & Registration

I have so many online friends from the Chattanooga Area, it would be so wonderful to make some of you IRL friends and share the day or weekend with you! C'mon down and create with us!

Home from Art & Soul

This beautiful smile came all the way down from Alaska to be in my "Happy Birds Sing" class! Didn't she make a lovely book?

Its been a week, and the suitcases are unpacked, studio is half cleaned up, and I'm *almost* caught up on the 800 plus emails from when I was gone to Portland Art & Soul. When you see what all we did, you'll know why it's taken me a week to get back into the groove- lol!

Here's Glenny officially opening Portland Art & Soul 2011 at the kick off party!

Ricë Freeman Zachery telling us how the Altered Project Runway was going to work...

Poor Earl Zachery... Altered beyond belief! I decided he needed pink lemonade lipgloss...

(Thanks to the Art & Soul girls for the photo!)

As ALWAYS, Glenny, Marie and the Art & Soul gang put on a FABULOUS Do. I swear, each one I go to, I love more than the last! (And I didn't know it COULD get any better, because I've always had such an awesome time!!!) It was just such a joy to meet up with new friends, and spend time with other friends I'd met before!

Starting out, Sunday night was the kick off party! Ty Shulz, Earl (EGE) Zachery, and Dan Carrel all were great sports as the models for an altered project artway... And boy was it ever altered! Let's just put it this way...I was caught on film in the act of applying strawberry lemonade lip gloss to Earl Zachery...go here to see the brutal evidence. (I DO insist it WAS his perfect color!) I helped with the pink and green slashed t-shirt too- (Tough to do with 10 minutes and garden snips!) For the whole recap, in living color, visit the Art & Soul Facebook page.

I had wonderful Roomies- Jean Van Brederode and Stephanie Rubiano. Both creative and wonderful women who are busy busy busy talented artists and instructors. We had a great time, just wish it would have been longer!

Monday I taught my Happy Birds Sing clay covered journal class. Awesome students I was so BLESSED to have had the help of a wonderful new friend Gina Goodling who just made the day fly-by for me. Normally, after a full day of being on my feet, I am done for, because I forget to drink fluids or eat because I am so focused on my teaching. Wonderful Gina not only provided the toaster ovens to bake the clay (helping keep the cost of the class down), but also kept me fed and watered. You can bet I'll reserve her for next year if she's in the assisting business!
Got to meet up with my friend Deb who I've been able to see all over the country now! It feels like we are long lost sisters from another mother! Never enough time to spend, but good to get to see her for awhile!

Tuesday was the Green Art Goodness class. Wonderful lively students, much sharing as well as art going on! We were so wrapped up in the art, that we forgot to take photos! We made awesome journals out of stuff we no longer liked the color, shape or pattern. We used up parts of our stash to create journals to fall in love with! Llewellen, A & S' s resident wonderful octogenarian kept us all in stitches. The stories she can tell! Well worth sitting down for a chinwag with!

Wednesday was the Fluid Romance class! Always a popular class, I had such wonderful and open students! All took artistic risks, and went home with completed paintings! I am so proud of the work they did! Wish I could show you some of their paintings- each and every one a successful piece~ but crazy me- I ALWAYS forget to take class photos before the class is half gone and cleaning up!

Out to dinner with the roomies, and meeting up and laughing with roomie Jean and Jen Crossley from Australia, and Sondra Barrington from Rings & Things all night, then off to pack my suitcases (thankfully lighter) and to bed. Thursday morning was off to the airport, only to arrive home on Friday morning! Sigh...the fun goes by in the blink of an eye!