Making Time

A phrase my mother has told me at many points in my life is, "You'll never have more time than you have right now." Being an author and an artsy person herself, what she meant was that I would never have more time in my life to be creative--I would have to make time. (Darn it, but she has a knack of being right.)


This has been especially important for me to remember right now, especially since Boog is hellbent on being danced around the apartment for a good portion of the day. At 18-months-old, every day is like Christmas; and she is diggin' it! Which means that I am usually digging her out of stuff and not digging into my art projects.

So I have been revamping my schedule and trying to squeeze in creative time whenever possible. I think a lie that I tell myself is that tomorrow (you know, that magical tomorrow that somehow eludes us), I'll have more time, more money, more talent, more drive, more whatever. But the truth of the matter is, my life is RIGHT NOW. And I know that there are times when art does have to be put on the back burner. (Being pregnant and not able to stand the smell of acrylics made painting somewhat difficult!) But a lot of the time, I find myself waiting when I should be doing. Something. No matter how small.

So while I'm not going to push myself to the snapping point like I did in December, it might mean that I have some late nights hunched over a painting or textile piece like Quasimodo. Not pretty; but when I'm not creatively pursuing something, I'm simply not me.

This fabric necklace is a sweet and simple little number. I worked on it over a period of days--not because it was difficult but because I had to grab snippets of time here and there. The detail that I love about it is the vintage tablecloth flower. Have I mentioned my love of vintage linen? I'm mad about it, I tell you, MAD!!! The stories tablecloths could tell! I just love 'em! And I am equally unapologetic about my love of owls. It is a joy for me to share this piece with you because I was able to carve out the time to make it, hunched back and all!

Listening

Hello!!!

Hello?

Anyone out there???


{{{Crickets}}}


Well, hello, crickets! And, hello, to you sweet people in blogland! It's true that I haven't blogged in ages, and I am terribly sorry for that fact. Truth be told, I was put out of commission with an unexpected illness for the greater part of December, and it all boils down to a very bad habit that I have. I don't listen very well. My body was giving me all sorts of hints that things weren't going so hot, but I trudged forward anyway. That is, until I woke up one morning and couldn't do much of anything. When I was dancing, I was much more in tune with my body. (We did exercises for our toes, for cripe's sake!) But several years, some unfortunate injuries, and a Boog later, I'm afraid that my radar is slightly out-of-whack. So I'm making it a point to try to slow down a little for my body's sake and to listen more. And I don't want to go all "zen" on you; but, grasshoppers, we're being told things all the time. So here's to an attentive 2010 for me and for you, too! I hope that everyone's year has kicked off to a lovely start. I'm excited about blogging more, listening more, and blowing more bath bubbles with Boog! Happy New Year!!!

Hoot! Hoot! And the Winner Is...!!!

First off, THANK YOU, fellow tweeters, for RTing like pros! Your love for the owl necklace made my heart glad! :-)

Without further ado, the winner is lifeonprint!!!
lifeonprint, please convo me through Etsy with your address; and I'll give you the details when your necklace will be finished and on its way!

And for the rest of you sweet followers (and, I'm assuming, owl lovers!), my Black Friday/Cyber Monday special is extended to you early! 20% off of ANY JEWELRY piece in my shop!!! Please convo me if you're interested, and I'll mark down the listing and reserve it for you!!!

Much hugs and hoots to you all! Oh, would you stay and look around a bit? I love visitors!

Letting Go...

Let go.

That was a really hard sentence to write. I think I'll write it again for good measure!

Let go.

I've decided that there is an area in my artistic life that I need to let go. And let go with intention. Sometimes things happen and things are pulled from you. That is not what I'm talking about here. I'm talking about purposefully walking away from things that no longer feed you. For me, that is portrait work.

I can't tell you how many gummy smiles I've drawn of adorable, chubby babies. Or touching portraits drawn to commemorate a life cut too short. Or sweet, furry portraits of the family pooch. I'll miss the stories. I'll also miss watching my wildly supportive hubby hawking my wares in stores in lovably weird Austin and LA.

So why am I letting portrait work go? Well, empathetic reader, I'm just no longer in that head space. It is such a gear shift to draw again that it takes from me instead of giving. I'm letting go. For the record, I am thrilled that my last portraits are for sweet friends and their equally sweet babies...what a way to go!



















So here are my "Kick-to-the-Curb" boots! Every artista should have a fab pair of boots. :-) (Flowy skirt, favorite jeans--you name it--they make everything look "cha-ching"!) I think I'm going to don these boots every time I need to purposefully walk away from something. So how about you? What areas in your artistic life maybe need a trim? All I can say is that when you make up your mind, you will be walking on dangerous yet lovely ground.

Let go.

Nurturing Whimsy...

I wanted to share with you the burgeoning artistic talent known simply as "Boog." She has recently been introduced to the world of crayons; and except for a brief moment when I thought she was going to permanently maim "Mr. Blue," she has been in Crayola-colored bliss!

We are proudly displaying her first work.

Please note the free-form scribbles and the lovely tear here and there. Future collage artist? Hmmm. . .

I have been struck lately by the newness of things for Boog. A new song to hum along with or to dance to (she's a mean dancer, folks!). The first time seeing the color "Violet Red." And my responsibility to her becomes a tad more clear. It is part of my job and privilege to nurture her whimsy. Her passion. Her joy. Whatever it may be. And though it's terrifying (I truly don't know what I'm doing!), it's also amazing!!!


I just read in a magazine that we are most in tune with our whimsy, our passions, when we are 10-14 years old. While I don't know how true this is (and I'm not quite sure you can draw super clear parallels in the manner of, "Well, I was a connoisseur of the mud pie, dahling, so, of course, I would have my own bakery!"), it is an interesting window into who we were and are. And, perhaps, a way to bring back that "newness" again. For me, it was dancing and singing and the start of musical theater. And drawing, of course! What was your whimsy? Who were you at 10 years old?

This painting was a custom piece that I did a while ago with the theme of being rooted in love, but its message has changed for me. It seems to speak of being rooted in our passions--what we love. I hope it speaks to you, too . . .

Here is Boog on Halloween. She was a dancer. Oh, excuse me, a modern dancer. Preferably in the "Twila Tharp" or "Martha Graham" veins. :-) She was a whirling dervish and so excited.

In case you're wondering, the "D" on the wall is an old marquee letter from an opera/movie house from the early 1900's. Fab!

Red Sets Out....To Your Home? My First Blog Giveaway!

And the winner is: Girl216Designs!!!

Thank you to everyone who left a comment and for the offers of custard! You are near and dear to my heart! I would have had Boog draw the name, but I was fearful for a couple of reasons:

1.) I was afraid that she would fall head-first into aforementioned tall, stylish hat.
And 2.) I was afraid that she would eat the winning name. She has a fondness for small bits of paper, and the drawn name would have been a goner!
(Seriously. When do babies stop eating everything that they find? It is so bad (and comical!) that if I could attach wheels to her and push her around, she would hoover the floor!)

Much love to you all! And thank you to the new followers! Have a lovely, creative, and handmade rest of your week, and I'll be adding new posts soon! :-)



One handmade red cape = $65
One stinkin' cute nickname = $50
Homemade custards for ailing grandmother = $25
Dog whistle = $12
RED's chutzpah to make it through the wood to YOUR home? = PRICELESS!!!

Hello, everyone near and far! I hope that you have had a lovely and creative week and that you have had the courage to go through whatever "woods" you are facing! To celebrate the fact that we are all courageous artists (!), I'm having my FIRST GIVEAWAY! (I'm just a tad excited, so I hope that my writing is coherent!)

It's very simple and very sweet. Just leave a comment. I love them, you know! (I toyed with asking for custards. But I figured that would be quite time-consuming and messy, and the weight gain would be unforgivable.)

In a week's time, I'll draw a random name out of a very tall, yet fashionable hat!



Oh, you could do one other thing... Stop by my Etsy shop! (Click on the small banner above.) Browse a little. Heart a few items, if you're so inclined! I would "heart" your visits very much.

I have a few "thank you's" that I must, must, must extend! Thank you's to Jolie of JolieArt, to Melissa at Sew Sweet Stiches, and to Tara at Jewelry by Tara for the lovely blog features. You didn't have to do it, and I'm so thankful for your thoughtfulness! Please check out their blogs and then click through to their wonderful Etsy shops!!!

It's a Handmade Revolution!

Yeah!!! I was awarded my first blogger award!!! Actually, I was awarded the "Kreativ Blogger" award twice! (So is that two separate awards if it's for the same award? I don't care! I'll take what I can get! :-) "Thank you's" to the lovely and talented Michelle Eaton and to the lovely and talented Shonna Bucaroff. Check out the fab work of these two wonderful artistas!!!

So here goes. 7 facts about me:

1. I was an actor in LA which meant that I did a lot of odds-and-ends jobs, including background work on a gob of television shows and a game show where I had to stay awake for 24 hours and then perform physical tasks while answering questions. The game-show bit is not all that different from my life now. :-) And the rest sounds way more glamorous than it was. But, oh, the stories...
2. I think Indian food is divine. I could go for that right now.
3. If I had the means and time to do it, I would be a total groupie for "WovenHand."
4. I danced for 18 years, and I have the creaky joints to show for it.
5. I successfully avoided diapers until I had a Boog of my own.
6. I enjoy a good cigar. BAD, I know!!!
7. I'm Scottish, German, Cherokee, and Osage. So I guess that makes me a Scotch-German-Native American.

And the 7 bloggers that I am bestowing the award to are (drumroll please!):
1. Jolie
2. Julie-Anne
3. Darla
4. Pinkglitterfae
5. Amy
6. Nicola
7. Lisa

I know that I should probably write a new post, but leap with me. There is continuity here, I promise! These blog awards are fantastic, and what an amazing opportunity to be able to see each other's work and to gain insight about each wonderful artist and to offer feedback. It's just dawning on me how connected we are and how we are a part of something truly special! We are in a Handmade Revolution!

No matter if things are slow for you right now in finding your particular audience or if you are rockin' out, I am thankful to be a part of such an inspiring group!

So here are my latest creations: "Alice's Reign" and a little owl bib necklace.

In the meantime, I'm thinking of slogans for our movement. "Make crafts. Not war."--too cliche. "Artisans do it with their hands." --kind of makes me giggle like a 14-year-old. "Handmade...embracing the human touch."