L,G, & M...

Okay, so I'm going out of order here...and I'm skipping letters for now. J is giving me issues and I wanted to fast forward and do "M is for Mushrooms" anyway. I'm really quite fond of mushrooms. I'm sickly today, and exhausted...perhaps I shall have more to say tomorrow :)

H,I, K...Yes, I skipped J

D,E, and F

A,B,C,D,E, & F

This is the first batch of papercuts I'm working on. There will be 26 originals total, each measuring 6x6 on 140lb. Arches Watercolor Paper. Each one will be accented with a tiny bit of embroidery. I'm debating on whether or not to stitch on the letters of the alphabet, or add them digitally using different fonts...hmmm...what do you think? Also I'm open to suggestions for future letters. G has me stumped. Not grapes, gorilla, or goat...perhaps guitar or grasshopper...must put on my thinking cap :)

ABC's....

A new addition to the family...

My baby brother, (okay so he's almost 25), had his first child yesterday. A baby boy, named Ashton Cole. I love these fresh out of the oven pictures! Red faced babies, kicking and screaming, letting everyone know they've arrived. He's a cutie, that's for sure :)

I'm starting a special little project this week...a series of 26 original papercuts, 6x6 each...I'll scan the progress soon and post pics! ta ta for now...

Finished art...

"Star Gazer" 9 x12 on Etsy . -Sold *Prints available

Watercolor, ink, acrylics, embroidery.

I miss nights of starlit skies. The city is always very lit up, the sky doesn't seem to get any darker than dusty greyish-blue. You can spot a twinkle here and there, but it in no way compares to the blackest of night skies, filled to the brim with diamonds. The type you see, say in the wilderness, smack dab in the middle of nowhere...Sometimes I miss the middle of nowhere too.

Starry nights and sunny days...

A little piece I'm working on, inspired by Van Gogh's Starry Night... I believe you can click on the tiny photos for more detail.

I spent most of today gardening, until the mosquitos kicked me out of my own backyard that is. I think it was their way of telling me to call it a night. I suppose one must save some energy for showering. We started a new flower garden in the back of our yard. My mother-in-law served as the Official Transplant Consultant. I have no problem planting, watering, weeding, nurturing plants into maturity...but digging them up, and stabbing a shovel through their middle?...seems so brutal to me. I figure I'd surely kill them. My mother in law on the other hand shows them no mercy, and they do survive. Slowly, I'm learning...

Rewind...

"Home Sweet Home" available on Etsy.

I have decided there really is no place like home. The smell of fresh coffee in the pot, birds singing outside the windows, trees swaying in the breeze...the sound of kids enjoying summer. That's where I want to be. More on that later...

READ THIS...

While flipping through my daily reads, I stumbled upon this little post by guest blogger Kelly Niland over at sfgirlbybay, entitled A Craft Project That Will Change Your Life! It's a great story, a quick inspiring read about someone using their creative skills to improve their neighborhood! Go check it out :)

Working on...

Another layer of subtle details and she should be finished. Off to get ready for date night with my mate and our friends. Dinner and a Jack Johnson concert at Pine Knob!

When the water spills...

"Soak It All In" 9x 12, available in my Etsy shop ! (sold)

Here is the finished piece I've been working on for several days...If you've followed my work in the past, you'll remember a time when my paintings were much looser, layered and a bit undone...this is nod to that process of creating art. While I love crisp lines and precise pattern, I'm also fond of a little imperfection and carelessness. Are ya feelin' me? :)

Groovy Etsy Finds...

Union Jack Cushion @ KarenHiltonDesigns

Mod Porcelain Vase @ Shoshonasnow

Red Wing "Pepe" Plates @ Gibbyloves

Etsy is full of MOD goodness these days! I'm absolutely loving the color and patterns shown here. Seriously, shopping in your pj's never had it so good :)

A work in progress...

A work in progress...inspired by peonies, Balenciaga and spilled water.

I heart Craigslist...

Craigslist! If you've never been on the site, go now! I needed a cabinet of some sort, to hold all my brushes, papers, pens, etc. I wanted something with shallow drawers and this piece fit the bill perfectly. A mid century Thomasville sideboard for $50! The chairs are also from Craigslist, though I will have to say they were much more of a lemon-y yellow, than a mustard yellow in the ad. But alas, they will do for now. I managed to get two coats of paint on my door,

only one more to go...Then I have to pick a color for the floor. (I'm thinking the sixth color from the left, Behr's Evening Hush. ) It has to be dark or I"ll be mopping 24-7!

and then there was light...

Here's a shot of my new studio, warts and all...TRUST me, it will be fabulous when I'm done with it. First of all, it needs a good clean. Apparently the tentant before me didn't even own a broom. It's very dusty. Second, the windows need cleaning...which I tackled, kinda...I made it four rows up, then I looked down and out. We're several stories high, it's a looooooong way down. So my husband will finish that job off. Also there's some plastic taped to the windows, which are not broken??? We figure there is a reason for it, we just haven't figured it out yet, maybe a leak? Sunday we filled all the tiny holes in the walls, sanded them, prepping them for a fresh coat of white paint. Then my super duper handyman husband ran electrical wire, for the new Knappa pendant lamps from IKEA. Next order of business is to remove the giant industrial lights. Ewww! Today I bought heat resistant paint to white out the radiators and selected this shade of red for my door. Hopefully tomorrow I can tackle those two jobs...

Also, thanks to Jena for notifying me of this sweet little post on Modish about my art!

Meet me in the meadow....

"The Visit" 9x12 on Etsy.
Inspired by sisterhood.
(Click pics for more detail.)
SOLD- Prints now available in the shop!

This is what I've been working on for the past two days....and I will never look at a little embroidered pillow the same. It takes a lot of planning, alot of hole punching, alot of stitching and many tiny tiny knots! But I love the effect of pattern & dimension it adds. I went with a mostly watercolor background on this one, which was a bit of an experiment for me too. I think it provides some movement to the overall composition, and it's a nice loose contrast to the tight precise stitching. Stayed tuned for sneak peaks of my new studio..... :)