Happy WOYWW #591

Good Wednesday all my crafty friends! :) It feels so good to be back in the saddle!!  Last week's post really helped "jump-start" me back in cyber-land! LOL It feels weird on one hand, but then at home on another!  You know, our art community is like a lifetime friend......you may not see them for weeks, months or even years, but when you come back together, it's like you haven't missed a beat.....like you just saw them yesterday!! Well, that's how it feels to me! So....Gene Autry.....I'm riding in the art saddle again! LOL

So last week, I posted the Octo Art that I made for my sister!!! I mentioned it was for a friend, but just in case she happened to read my blog....I had to play it off!!! LOL  It was for her birthday, which was Sunday.  She is a great lover of octopus's and I had always wanted to do her one, so there you have it! The awkward bit is that her husband is an actual "professional artist," so I always feel a little beneath his amazing artistic talent when I send her things, but hey.....throw caution to the wind, right!!?? LOL  So below, you will find the finished piece!

"Octo" in all his glory!!

As I stated last week, this was all done in dip pen and ink.  I have long loved dip pen and ink art.  There is something very cathartic about it to me.  Yes, it may take a little more time, but that is the beauty about it to me.  Yes, I could use Micron pens for the same look, but it's the whole dipping and inking that I love.  This was done on Arches cold-pressed watercolor paper. Because of the tooth of the paper, sometimes I get a little "catch" when drawing, but I love the feel of cold-pressed paper and so I just press on! I may try some hot-pressed in the future just to see the difference, which I know will be significant in terms of flow.  

I did a real quick watercolor wash on Octo and around with my AMAZING Schmincke watercolor paints!  I got this lovely set several years ago as a gift to myself and have never regretted it!! Now, I am certainly NOT a seasoned watercolor artist, but I am learning. It may take a lifetime, but I'm willing! By far, it is one of the more complex mediums I have worked with, but nevertheless, I am having fun!  I did do some shading with a woodless graphite pencil afterward.  I like a woodless graphite pencil, because I don't have to sharpen it as much (I am inherently lazy) and I can shade on the side better without the wood.  And voila, it's done and put in the mail!!! I would usually try to frame things in a "floating frame," but I was already out of time and needed to get it in the mail! LOL

So what's on my desk today????? Well my next fun piece of course!!!  This one I have been wanting to do for awhile as well!! But guess what.........it's FOR ME!!!!! LOL  Yep, this one I want on my own wall!  I'm still in the process and when I'm done, I will post it as well.

I'm getting there! LOL

In the home I moved from, I had a huge walk-in closet that not only housed my clothes and shoes, you know thing it is actually supposed to do....hee hee....but it also housed my art station (that my ex husband built in) on one end and my spiritual station on the other.  It was wonderful because it was my true "she cave!"  I think I spent A LOT of time in that closet! LOL  When I moved into my new apartment, I was real worried I wouldn't have a designated "art space," so all my art supplies stayed in the garage until I could figure it out!  I actually found an amazing art drafting table at Walmart last year on sale for $99 and I snapped it up!! I love it! It inverts so I have a great incline for canvases and then sets down like a desk for other crafting!  I thought even if it was less than quality, and at least lasted me a couple of  years, I was only out $99!! LOL  I have so enjoyed it!  Now here it is in my "new" art space with lots of great natural light in my bedroom!  I'm a happy "art-er" again! LOL

My Happy Place!!!!!

Well, that's it for me today folks! I hope you all have a FABULOUS Wednesday!!  I will post next week the "other project" that I have been wanting to post that I will call the "Mom Project!" It was amazing fun to do and I can't wait to share!!

Happy crafting and blessings!

New Beginnings! WOYWW #590

Well hello and long time no see all my crafty friends! To say it has been a hot minute since I have posted on my Blog is an understatement!! LOL I have been on hiatus since 2018 and let me just say that, that went by in a flash!  I have heard that as you get older, time moves a lot faster!  Something about that seems a little backward, especially if you are a kid and you are waiting on Christmas! LOL But there you have it!

I have missed so many of my crafty friends over the last couple of years, however, I have heard from a few of you in my hiatus.  That being said, I have been trolling art pages and blogs during this time and keeping up with all of your amazing talents even if I haven't blogged or commented to that effect.  I pray each and every one of you have been growing in all your crafty goodness!

Without splashing too much of myself on the internet airways, I will give a snippet of my whereabouts.  The last, almost two years, has been a whirlwind! And predominately NOT good whirlwinds either! 2018 was a very difficult year taking care of my beloved father. Those of you who have been on my blog before know that my sisters and I were caregivers for my elderly father, which was a complete joy.  But in November of 2018, Jesus called him home!  I know that my father was ready to go and quite frankly, I was ready for him to be wrapped in Jesus's arms where there is no more suffering and no more pain.  I know now that he is in Heaven surrounded by family, friends and all the birds of the air, which he loved so much! His is missed DAILY!

My sweet Daddy and my personal Aaron & Hur Sisters!

In December of that same year, my husband and I separated after close to 30 years of being together.  As 2019 rolled around the rest of the terrible unfolded. In February I was diagnosed with endometrial cancer and also possibly faced throat cancer.  Immediately after the cancer diagnosis, I went through the whole divorce battle and finalization. The rest of the year saw three surgeries, cancer treatment, selling my home, finding a new place to live, and moving to that said new place! The throat tumor, was benign thank the Lord! The doctor opted not to remove the tumor in my throat due to the fact that I had already been through quite a few surgeries and we will just continue to keep a watch on it.

Through all that, I had so many friends and family who prayed and continue to pray for me and my two sweet daughters' well being! I'm so thankful for the gift of SISTERS!! My two sisters were with me EVERY STEP of the way! They went to every treatment and were my Aaron and Hur! In the Bible when Moses became weary on the mount, Aaron and Hur held up his arms until the battle was finished!  And that's what they did!  I am such a blessed woman to have powerful women of spiritual strength and prayer by my side!!  Had it not been for that amazing power of prayer and my faith in an amazing Father in Heaven, I would have been a mess!  Through it all, I had complete peace in knowing that Father God had me every step of the way!

All the above stated, not a whole lot of art went on. There were moments that I wanted to so badly, but then there just never seemed to be the right time or even "mojo" for it!  It saddens me because I feel like I am out of the loop, so to speak and have to get my "mojo" back on! LOL  I have started back slowly with some watercolor play.  I actually treated myself last Christmas with a new paintbrush and watercolor palette, both that I have been craving for several years and just didn't really have the funds for it at the time. Good ole Santa pulled through again! LOL

My new year (I don't make resolutions, just goals) was plans for restoration!!  AND....I didn't look back or drag things into 2019.  Of course, that's always a challenge, but again, that is where faith comes in.  Currently, I am trying to revamp this blog to something fresh and new, but as I am not a "real" techy person, this is also a challenge. It may go through several phases before I get it right, but all good things usually do! LOL

I know a lot of my art community has changed in my hiatus, things have ceased to exist (Google+) and some of the challenges I used to partake in, but hopefully, as I get back into it, I can find new ones and reconnect with a lot of old art pals and make new ones!

As a part of What's on Your Workdesk #590 over on Julia Dunnit's Stamping Ground blog, here is what is currently on my workdesk.......FINALLY!  I am making this for a gift for someone one whom I love dearly who LOVES octopuses's!!  It's still in process, but it was all done in dip pen and ink (which I simply LOVE to do) and then eventually a wash of watercolor will finish it off!  I will post when complete.....if I didn't mess it up too badly! LOLOL  I also have another project going on that maybe I can post next week!  I hope to get over and see all of your happenings today!!

Dip pen & ink Octo in the making!!

As this year is nearing its end, my prayer is that through 2019 and all it's MANY challenges and disasters, was filled with LOTS of arty goodness and HEALTH through the storm of our country right now for you ALL!! Many, many blessings of light, love, and prosperity!  Happy Wednesday! :)

Blessings!

WOYWW #455

So Good Wednesday all my crafty friends! I'm glad to be posting this week, and actually earlier than I usually do, because I didn't get to post last week! Work got in the way!! Can you believe that????? Wonders never cease! :) LOL I'm thankful to have a job that DOES get in the way! And let me assure you that I thank my Father in Heaven for that every day as well! :)

So some of the photos that I show you today are actually what was on my work desk LAST week that I didn't get to post as a part of WOYWW!! I assure you there is WAY MORE menagerie on my desk this week.....and not in a good way! So much for keeping my work space clean and void of clutter! LOLOL Anywho.....if you want to play along with us, step on over to Julia's blog Stamping Ground and see what crafters around the world are up to on their own desks! :)

So I believe the last time I posted I mentioned that I did have a few more lovely items coming in the mail to me, BUT IT IS THE LAST for awhile! It was all still part of using the last bits of Santa funds! LOL As I have been soooooo into my watercolor painting and journaling lately, I simply HAD (hee hee) to get this set of Dr. Ph Martin's Bombay India Inks!! I have been lusting after those puppies for quite some time! There are actually two or maybe three sets of them and I knew I wanted this set because the tone of the colors is more to my liking. I'm not a real "flashy or bright" color person, which is the first set, so these were perfect! I actually have some others, that I have bought individually, which are the pearlescents. They are fabulous as well!

So when these guys came in the mail, and I opened them up, I think I heard choirs of angels in the background!! LOL LOL I think I ewwwhheed and awwhheed for a good 5 minutes! LOL These guys are luscious and I really have been wanting them to use in tandem with my GORGEOUS Schmincke watercolor paints. The aim is to use with my dip pen, but I'm know I can use them in all sorts of mixed media projects as well!

So the other items that came in the mail with the puppies are this lovely Pentalic Aqua Watercolor Journal and this Blu Tack adhesive. I did not have a proper watercolor art journal and also really wanted to have one to start down my watercolor/sketch journaling road! I had other journals, but not with proper quality paper. So far, I am really loving this guy!

The Blu Tack, I bought after much research online to stick to the bottom of my watercolor pans in my Schmincke palette because they kept sliding around everywhere and I couldn't figure out how to make them stay put. Well, funny story, just before this came in the mail, I came across a YouTube video where the person actually showed me just what to do that REALLY worked (unlike other YouTube videos I had watched!) So now, I have this adhesive that I guess I will put to use elsewhere! LOL Story of my life! LOL

So push ahead to this week, I will show you the first journal pages that I couldn't wait to get started on! My hope is to continue this right on as long as I'm on this earth and leave something for my girls and their children. You know, kind of like diaries, but in a different way! So they will see who I was through my journals. What I saw and how it made me feel or respond to life around me! That's something tangible that I can leave!

So, on these first two pages I really just wanted to spell out, if for nothing but in my mind, what I would be using in this journal. Because I only want to use my watercolors, sketch pencil, dip pens and ink in these journals, I wanted to show those. So I simply sketched out my tools and my watercolor box with the pencil then went over with my dip pens and then washed with my watercolors. I then noted that it was Journal #1 (of many, I hope) and that it signified "Beginnings" for me. A little elementary, I know, but for me, this is an all new journey and it put it right in my mind!

So, just a few close-ups of those pages! The lines on the page with my watercolor box are nib lines. I just wanted to clarify the nibs for myself and see which I could use for various projects. I love the outdoors and am constantly taking photos of trees, plants and landscape. Especially when I am hiking and those are the things that speak to me, express "me," and where I feel like I can express my love for God's creations in my journal. I can be driving down the road and see something and stop to take a photo! I get honked at A LOT, but I don't want to miss the "moment," so to speak! LOL So I have years of photos from my phone that I can use to start me off on my memory road!

Well that's it for me today folks! What's on your work desk today? I'll go have a look see and share in your moments as well! Have a great Wednesday and blessed rest of the week!

Blessings

WOYWW #453

Good Wednesday all my dear crafty friends!!! I hope today finds you joyous in whatever part of the world you are in!!! It's a rainy day here in my neck of the woods and after my heartfelt post last week about wearing my father's coat, would you believe today that, that coat is already back in the closet!!! Yep right now it's 61 degrees and it is supposed to be up to a high of 71!!! Uggghhhh is all I can say!! Oh well, if only for a moment right??? LOLOL

Well it's time for our weekly desk visits as a part of WOYWW over on Julia's blog Stamping Ground! Come over and take a peek, join in the fun and browse other crafters desks! It's great fun to play along!

So last week, you remember I showed off my new Schmincke watercolor paints and was starting a small piece? Well this week, I will share the finished product. Can I just say that it was glorious using those paints????? They were simply yummy! If ever there were a time that I felt right about spending a pretty penny on something, this would definitely be one of those! You won't regret it. They are just lovely!

So this "little birdie" got its start with a sketch in pencil because I am not confident enough to do anything straight from paint to paper. Then after I was satisfied with that, I then used my new dip pen and india ink to further sketch the little guy. Then came those fabulous paints! I had great fun doing this little guy. I got the idea from watching the birds over at my father's house. He loves birds and has many bird feeders outside his kitchen window. In the mornings when I go to administer his meds, we sit and watch those lovely birds and its precious time together. So it got me wanting to draw one!

My hope is to take a class from a resident artist here in my small town. We are lucky to have him here and I happened to catch him one day and ask if he would be willing to teach a class. We haven't made it happen yet, but hopefully soon. I would love to learn some techniques as I don't know ANY! LOL I've always been a "fly by the seat of your pants" kind of girl! LOL It would be nice to actually know what I was doing sometime! LOL Hopefully this year I can do that!

I've never been fond of drawing people or animals, I am a HUGE nature lover and landscapes have always been my "dream" to paint! People connect with God in different ways, but I connect with Father God through His lovely creation, earth! We've made a mess of it, to be sure, but nevertheless, I see the beauty underneath all that, that He intended! I'm astounded and my breath is taken away, EVERY TIME I gaze upon a vast landscape, an amazing soulful tree, a whispy, intricately colorful flower, a powerful sunset or sunrise or even a tiny mushroom! God is in them all! So my dream is to try to depict that through watercolor! We shall see! Until then, I will keep plugging away at it! LOL

So that's it for me today guys! I hope you all have a great week! I hope to share another goody (I know, I know, I just need to chill out! BUT this IS the last goody for awhile) that I have coming in the mail next week! Eeeek! It's those darned sales, I tell you! LOLOLOL

Peace and blessings!

Friends from Afar!

Happy Thursday all my crafty friends!!! I can't believe I am posting two days in a row! LOL Wonders never cease, right???? LOL I hope today is finding you all healthy, at peace and FULL OF JOY! :)

Today, I am not going to be sharing any of my craftiness partly because my project is not done yet, but MOSTLY because I want it to be about someone else's craftiness!! I came home several days ago (I know.....what took me so long to share!!!) and found surprise HAPPY, SPECIAL, PRECIOUS mail! Yep, that's right! For those of you who get "happy mail," I'm two up on you cause mine was happy, special...andddd...precious mail! LOL Ok, I'll share the floor with you! LOL I went by the postbox fully intending to find yet ANOTHER bill but instead found love in an envelope!

Look at that goodness right there folks! My wonderful friend Jackie P Neal, who incidentally is a published star.....you can check out her claim to fame RIGHT HERE...... and yea, I know her......hee hee, sent me this envelope of love! I bet anyone passing by who saw my face as I pulled that precious envelope out of the box probably thought.....boy that's the biggest cheese grin I've ever seen! LOLOLOL I couldn't wait to get inside and open it!

Jackie, like so many of you out there, is just a gifted artist! She creates some of the most wonderful pieces and I'm grateful to call her friend! When you have the opportunity, go check out ALL of her GORGEOUSNESS on her wonderful blog Creating Without Crayons!

I'm a tag girl and I love creating them as well as receiving them. I have been on several online tag swaps and really need to get back into another one! They are great fun and you meet so many wonderfully talented people and learn some lovely techniques when you receive their goodness! As I have been involved in many swaps, I have so many art pieces displayed on my art closet wall. But a tip from another wonderful online friend Zsuzsa, who is also an amazing artist,  brought out the discussion of a "Friendship Wall!" How cool is that right??? So the current wall that I do have will at some point have a "billboard" on it and all of my precious online friends's art displayed. I have so much that needs to be put up that I still haven't displayed yet, so it will be a work in progress!

So all that got my thoughts flowing. I have spoken about this before, but I really want to express my EXTREME GRATITUDE for my online arty friends!! I've never personally met you, but you all still feel like family as I take a peek into your every day lives either on social media or on your blog. Online friends can be like your at home friends......they come and go...., but there are some of you (and you know who you are) who I met over five years ago online and we have all followed each other and shared our art with one another all that time! You develop just as special a relationship as if they were right down the road! Now, I'll admit, I wish you WERE right down the road, to hob nob with across a craft table, go to the coffee house with or even sit by the fire with a glass of wine and laugh with, but even though I don't have that luxury, YOU are still just so special to my heart!

Thank you never seems quite enough, but know it's NO LESS sincere and heart felt! So today, THANK YOU sweet, sweet Jackie and all my other online friends who bring a smile to my face and heart each and every day, who inspire me, encourage me and bless me without even ever knowing it!

Today, I encourage you to take the time to share a smile, a hug, a text or even a "blog post" with those who mean so much to you! We aren't assured another day, so live today, like there is no tomorrow!

"I thank my God upon every remembrance of YOU!" Philippians 1:3

Blessings

WOYWW #452

Good Wednesday all my crafty friends! I don't know about anywhere else in the world, BUT...it's frosty here! Brrrhhhhh! Particularly for the South! It was 28 degrees this morning and let me tell you, that made this girl happy because that means I got to put on my treasured leather coat that was my father's. I had always loved that coat and when he passed away, my sisters made sure I got it! It's from the old school and it is VERY warm. They don't make clothing (or anything for that matter) like they used to. They used to last,  hence why it's still around, but today, it's all about greed and how much money can be made. I better stop, or I will get on my soap box! Anywho.....isn't nice to have something like that to treasure? What about you? Do you have a favorite something from a past loved one? Those are God's little blessings for you! Isn't He just the best?

So, today is WOYWW! Hurray!! Because last week....it was a "no show" for me! I have been extremely busy of late! This is big convention time for my elected officials. I do all the coordinating for those conventions, so it's all deadlines and building conference packages! I love it, but it's time consuming! So, if you are able to play along this week, go on over to Julia's blog Stamping Ground and check out the fun! You won't be sorry!

This week I will show you what's on my desk that I promised I would show two WOYWW''s ago! And dunt dunt duhhhhhhhh........

Helloooooo mama!!! LOLOL If you could have been in my presence when this package came in, you would have exited the building!!! LOLI have been lusting (I know, I know) after these guys for some time. I have some student grade watercolor paints that aren't bad, but after much research and lots of book reading from professionals, they convinced me that its important to really have professional grade to learn the true craft with! Soooooo, OF COURSE, I HAD to have them! LOL Thank you Santa Clause! LOLOL

So,these guys are just stinking gorgeous! I've been working on the swatch card that came with the set. At the time of this writing, I am now finished with it and I tell you, it's so handy to have that in your kit to refer to while painting! I have already started on some new bookmark ideas and below I have already started on a small painting.

In this picture, you can see that all I have done thus far is sketched out my "little birdie" scene (you'd have to zoom in to really see it, sorry) with that FABULOUS Pentel Graph Gear mechanical pencil that Santa brought me, but the next step will be to use my Tachikawa dip pen that you see above it to further sketch my "little birdie." I keep my nibs in that cute little Altoid tin you see there and OF COURSE there are my new GORGEOUS Schmincke paints at the wait!

Above my dip pen, can you see those cute little whales? They are dip pen and paint brush rest/holders! Aren't they the cutest! They are so great to have so that I don't have my dip pen or paint brush rolling around and getting product everywhere! That's important because I LOVE sticking my arm in things! LOLOL Also you will see two of my inks in cute little jars and next to them two "shading" pen packs from Faber Castell. The last thing to the right is one of my favorite coffee mugs from my "bestie" that says "Don't forget to be AWESOME!" I love having that to encourage me as I craft......and, of course....the fabulous coffee inside that mug helps! LOLOL

Well that is truly what is on my desk as of this morning! Trouble is......I CAN'T WAIT to get home to finish the said piece!! Ohhhhh to be a full time artist!!! Good on those of you who can do the thing you love most ALLLLLL DAYYYY!!! For now, mama's got to bring home the bacon! LOL That being said, I am a TRULY BLESSED WOMAN to have a Father in Heaven who provides for me with my wonderful job and because He knows the desires in my heart, provides that I may enjoy the gift that He placed on the inside of me! Thank you Father God! :)

Well I hope you all have a FANTABULOUS Wednesday and rest of the week! I am going to try to get around to as many of your desks today that I can and see what you have been up to!

Blessings

WOYWW #450

Happy COLD, brrhhhh..... Wednesday all my crafty friends!! I love it!! It's FINALLY cold here in the south! LOL And guess what????? It's SNOWING!! Yep! A cold front has moved across the southeast and our little ole town has gotten some snow! You guys above the Mason Dixon Line will laugh at that because, of course, it's not really snow....it's flurries! LOL Regardless, in the south, the danger for us is not so much the snow, but the freezing. We aren't equipped here in the south to drive in that kind of element, so, we pretty much shut down! Funny, but folks in the south already CAN'T drive, can you imagine on ice!! LOLOL  If any of my crafty friends are in it like I am...stay warm and safe!

Well, It's another WOYWW and I can't wait to show the goods on my desk today! You can always get on the band wagon by going on over to Julia's blog Stamping Ground and play along! You will love to see what EVERYONE around the world is mashing around on their desks!

So last week, you will remember that I shared some of my "Santa goodies" and how stoked I was? Well today, I will show you the results of what I was waiting on some of those goodies for! I have been in love with watercolor / pen and ink for some time and have been playing around with what I had on hand. But now that I have half of what I wanted Santa to bring me to achieve some craftiness, I have been able to do more. I still have one more thing that Santa is to bring me that will be arriving hopefully by next WOYWW and I will reveal it then. But that last little treasure will COMPLETE my newest "art addiction!" LOL

Many of you crafty friends are very familiar with Cee Cee over on Cee Cee's Creations and I just love her! She is an amazing artist who I love to follow! She had been doing some awesome watercolor line art that I fell in love with and because I have been fascinated with watercolor lately, I knew this was something that would fall right in line with what I had been doing and so the share's from my desk today are attributed to her creative share with us all! Thanks Cee Cee for your inspiration!

I did these bookmarks for some friends of mine and I just had a ball! I took some 140lb cold press paper and stretched onto a board that I bought over the holidays that my wonderful husband finished out for me so that I could get wet mediums and what not on it without its warping.....thanks hubs! :) Then I simply washed over with watercolor in colors that I just happened to be feeling at that moment. After letting dry, I cut down to the size of bookmarks that I wanted and then the rest of the joy began!

Now let me just say that I have always loved drawing even at a young age, but have never had lessons as far as painting my drawings....it has always been intimidating to me....therefore that is why this style is so yummy to me because the wash is in the background and I'm not actually painting the flowers! LOL I know, I know, easy way out huh? Going to have to face that fear eventually! LOL I used my brand new dip pen and my new nibs and I was like a kid in a ca
ndy store! I had so much fun! This is something I think I will be doing on a regular basis to have on hand for gifts on the quick! Much like I do my crosses! But, that being said, I am hoping I will grow in this and the plan is to take a watercolor class at some point in time this year and flourish further in this art medium!

After finishing, I went to a local print shop and had them laminated and will send them out to my sweet pals for a new year blessing! Hopefully the lamination will preserve the art and not have a reverse effect on it!! YIKES! LOL All three of these pals that I am sending these to are avid readers so even if they have these bookmarks through a couple of book readings, at least they will know I was thinking of them! What do you think? 

My last treasure, that should come in this week, will help me continue in this newest love and I am sooooo looking forward to it's arrival! I want to try all sorts of new things in 2018....for me....the sky is the limit!! How about you?

Well, happy WOWWW guys and I look forward to seeing what you all are sharing today!

Blessings