10 great things about (my) life right now...

I can only see my life from my perspective, but I know we can all relate to the same ideas. This morning I was petting my cat, Bailey, and I had an idea for a blog post.  Why not focus on the positive?  :)  It gives me a lot more joy than being down in the dumps. Joy lasts through the day if we let it...

1)  It makes me happy to slowly pull my hand down Bailey's incredibly soft, newly grown winter fur.  (Yes, they grow winter fur in FL too.)

2)  After six weeks of drought, it rained for two days!  All of nature is smiling around me, and the fresh scent is so intoxicating.

3)  I got a set of almost new Maytag washer and dryer for FREE!

4)  My computer geek friend fixed an ongoing online problem in an hour for FREE and speeded up my computer!

5)  A horse and two goats next door remind me to be grounded every time I walk by (often with slices of bread, which they love.)

6)  I have fabulous friends.  A friend of mine had a scary mammagram result, and she said "I'm amazed at how many friends I have."  I said, "That's because you're such a good friend to others."  (I think she'll be okay.)

7)  Learning new things...

8)  Amazingly beautiful Morning Glories growing on the old wood pile (they are late this year.)

9)  My Vitamix blender that makes great green smoothies, and just about everything else.

10)  People stopping me at the grocery store and asking when the next collage class is happening. :)

Bold and Beautiful...

I created a Treasury on etsy, and tried to post a link here.  It doesn't work.  Blogger is giving me more and more grievances, can't link, can't comment on friends' posts.  Aargh!  But you can check out the treasury on Morna Crites Moore's fantastic  blog, or go to etsy directly.  Bold and Beautiful...

Mermaid at Home, mixed media collage... how to...

A friend of mine, Marla, asked me to do a commission for her.  She makes beautiful dolls and other kinds of art, a truly creative soul.  She sent me a box of things I might put into it, but I only ended up using some of the background papers.  I knew she likes mermaids, so I thought I couldn't go wrong with that!  :)  So I made a how to post with this project.

This collage is smaller than the usual sizes I work with, about 9x8" so the design got a bit more challenging since the elements have to fit the format.  I tore pieces of decorative papers and glued them on good with medium. Make sure the edges are glued down. The shells are from wallpaper border remnants, the butterfly from wrapping paper, and the others are decorative papers from the craft store.  I have gazillion in every color you can imagine...

When it's really dry, I like to smear on acrylic paints with a paper towel.  I like soft blended edges.  If you want bolder lines, use an old credit card.  Torn paper edges lend themselves well to smeared paint. 

When the paint was dry, I added on elements and blended them into the background with more layers of paint.

I added on more elements and some stamped images with permanent ink, and I outlined the mermaid and painted her tail with paint pens, also permanent.

More detail, and I worked on her hair.  Wasn't all that thrilled, but I kept on going.

 

I ended up adding more details with some inspirational words and two women who are friends at the bottom, symbolizing our friendship that has lasted for many years.   I fiddled a lot with her hair and face, and painted some fish, plus added some fish pictures I found, which were tiny!  Then I let it all dry before I varnished it.  The acrylic varnish really deepens the colors and the details. 

I took the last picture outside, and also captured a picture of my "rioting" mum on the front step.

Art reception at the City Hall...

Had a great time at the art reception, and my art was very well received.  I even heard some people talking about it without knowing that I was the artist.  At least you know they meant it!  :)  As the weather is cooling I'm having more inspiration to work, and my cat is getting friskier.  He ran around like a "mad person" this morning.  My neighbor's cat came in and ate Bailey's food, and then left...  A cat's life. :) 
Here are some pictures from the reception, most of them of local friends, artists mostly. 

 Rhonda Hancock and I.  Rhonda is the director of the City Hall art gallery.   She's also a great watercolor artist.

 Brian Brjibag, photographer.  These pictures were from a mission to Equador.

Jana, Larry, and Diane, and a fantastic quilt.  There's is an ongoing quilt exhibit at the City Hall.

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The spread!  OMG!  Supplied by the Brooksville Junior Service League and the drinks and service ware by Hernando Fine Arts Council.

Angles of the mezzanine.  I like angles.  :)  One of my pictures at the very end of the corridor.
 

"Balance." 
 

Mermaid.  Mixed media collage with polymer clay tiles on the tail.
 

Karen and Joey.  Karen is a fine watercolorist.
 

 "Moon Goddess."

 I'm wondering what Lynne was saying. :)  Pastel artist extraordinaire!

"Rainbow Rose." 
 

"Before the oil spill..."

A great time was had by all, and I'd do it again for sure.  Some of these are going up on etsy for sale.  

 Sitting down....

Mosaics galore!

There are many ways to skin a cat as they say (what a nasty saying anyway...)  There are many ways to put together a mosaic.  I'm a "controlled" addict of mosaics. :)  Some will mosaic anything as long as it doesn't move.  Christmas is coming so I've been making boxes after a long hiatus, and also some mosaic mirrors.  Some are with stained glass, some with broken china.  The boxes are going to a local shop, and the mirrors are going up on etsy.  Not easy to ship mirrors since they are both heavy and fragile, but maybe?  I need to make more boxes to put on etsy and artfire, but I have to say I've been lazy keeping new things in the shops, due to the writing frenzy that I went through lately.  Well, rewrites are A LOT easier, so I'm on the home stretch with those, and I'm really happy with the story. 
The weather finally "broke" here in Florida and the evenings are cool.  Yay!  It's weird to wear pants again.  It was so nice today that I washed my car and detailed it, yessiree.  I deserve a medal or something. :)  It's something that doesn't happen often enough--car washing.  Never ever received a medal, but I remember a few gold stars.
It was a gold star kind of a day today, no procrastination, no excuses, no whining or swearing, a "just do it" attitude.  Aren't those days great?  They should happen a lot more often.  By the way, my car looks like new!

What a deal!  The small boxes are only $32.  Can be personalized.

Smoky blue....

Live from the heart!

Follow your heart!  The only way to live...

Wedding and Mom...

I had a great time at my niece's wedding in Sweden.  Isabella and her sweetheart Luciano tied the knot and we all danced the night away!  She's studying to become an Opera singer and a bunch of her friends and teachers offered some GREAT music during the night.  That was really one of the highlights.  I didn't score any Opera wear, but a little black dress and an embroiders scarf.  But I got some good pictures of those who did dress up for the event.
And the cakes ... OMG!  Not one cake, but ten of them!  I gained a lot of pounds during the trip.

It rained, but they say it's lucky...

 

The vows... 

Cute, cute, cute...

 Opera theme, and some dressed like this!

And some like this!

 

Mother of the bride and one of Isabella's buddies from her music program

An entire family of Carmens!

Mother of the groom, his son, and myself..Some of us are tall....

First dance--not such a great picture, but the expression is great!

 

And some like this.  My other niece, Karin, her hubby, my two nephews.  She's expecting a baby at the end of December...

Obi One ...  There's actually a caftan worn in some opera.  My brother checked it out online.

 The picture says it all...
Weddings are such happy events.  I still have a few nephews to "give away." 

I spent lots of time with my mom during my two weeks away.  We had some quality time together.  She was like the Energizer bunny, and I'm pleased that she's better health-wise than she was last year.  Isn't she sweet?

Today I'm jetlagged and tired.  It's raining here in Florida, and fall is definitely coming.  The heat hasn't "broken" yet,  but it will, very soon.  The nights are cooler.  Sweden was in the sixties during the day and about 45-50 at night.  Brrr.  Back to some creativity soon!  I'm raring to go...

First draft finished--Trials of Hallion is born!

Should I take out an ad?  I don't think so, but it should be celebrated with champagne.  I don't have any on hand alas.  So maybe I have a bit of postpartum depression, but only for a day.  It's a great feeling, a burden off the mind, to birth a book, all 425 pages.  It gnaws at you and gnaws until you do something about it.  I made a marathon mental run, and it feels good to be done.  Now I'm going back to the colorful and the visual.  The brain must rest before the revisions. 

I'm going to a wedding in Sweden.  My niece is getting married, and the theme is "opera."  My brother's girlfriend has some connection with opera costumes and it looks like I might score something to wear there.  Yay.  I was getting stressed out about what to wear.  I admit I know VERY little about Opera.  My niece, Isabella is studying to be an opera singer, so you might see her on the great stages some day.  She just had a baby boy in April: Florian.  Sounds opera-ish, don't you think?   New born picture.  Just divine.

The wedding invitation!  Aren't they handsome?

Lazy art journal entry, but so true!  This is what I live by now.

I also get to spend time with my 92 year old mom, and I really look forward to that.  She's such a sweetheart.  I have to say LIFE IS GOOD!