SOMETIMES SERENDIPITY...

 So much fun at this past weekend's mixed media workshop. Five hours of creative energy, laughter, good food, shared stories and more. These workshops sure do feed my soul. Guess I'll have to just keep doing them.

The pieces pictured here are not both from the workshop. I was digging around in a box of 'fodder' and discovered the piece shown on the bottom that I had done about four years ago. I had completely forgotten about the process to do this, but as we played and explored on Sunday the techniques came back bit by bit. I was able to pull off the one shown at top and a couple of others. Think I'll have to keep playing and exploring the ways to go with this as it's a whole lot of fun.

MY, OH MY, WHAT A WONDERFUL DAY...

 "Mr. Bluebird's on my shoulder..."

The song has always brought a smile to my face and joy to my heart, lightening my step on what could be a challenging day as well as lifting me higher on good days. So to find that it is getting such a bad rep from its association with the film "Song of the South" makes me sad.

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah was my first "favorite song" at a very young age. I would listen to the record over and over and even today often find myself  humming the tune. It feels kind of like having a BFF who is a bit less than wholesome and yet you love them just the same.

Please, world, don't throw this  "baby out with the bath water."  It just seems like this is carrying things a mile too far. I wish the "happiest place on earth" had chosen to see the joy in the song rather than its political downside of things.

Just sayin'!

LEMONS TO LEMONADE?

Something about this image calms my cluttered mind. It is tranquil in so many ways. The first of several vintage pieces I've been working on, I just keep returning to gaze on it for some reason.

Sure, the recent storms have been rattling my cage--high winds, heavy rain, and more keep me cooped up and restless. And yet....So many others have it so much worse. Who am I to complain? So I turn to focusing on some of what brings me joy...yes, creating. It never fails.

Color, texture, image....all of it softens the edges of the restlessness.

What do you do when things are our of whack, when life seems to bring lemons?

ROUND AND ROUND WE GO

 

Have you ever taken part in a Round Robin Journal? If not, I highly recommend it. 

Some years back a former student--Cindy-- invited me to join a group in which she was participating. What a treat! You start with creating a book using watercolor paper. You need half as many 8 x 11 sheets as there are participants. Fold each sheet in half, poke some holes in the fold, insert binding thread and off you go. 

Using a variety of mixed media techniques each person creates cover art before sending on to the next person on the list. Once a month you get a journal to create and experiment in and at the end of the time you have a journal to keep with a variety of art techniques to enjoy.

Sound like fun? Give it a try!

WHAT A GOOD WORD TO SAVOR FOR THE YEAR OF THE RABBIT...LET'S HOP TO IT!

 

When I participated in the Winter Fantasy at the Sawdust Art Festival the past two months I was a little handicapped for space to do my demonstration time.  Luckily, I came across a fun way to fold and cut bird ornaments that I then offered to attendees and fellow artists as "Freebirds."

Using strips of magazine pages and maps and whatever other papers struck my fancy I could walk about with scissors in my pocket and create these fun birds, which could be hung on a holiday tree or whatever else struck someone's fancy.

In cutting these creatures there was a bit of discard, which I simply dropped into a bag at my feet. When I took this bag home and dumped it I realized that I had an abundance of holiday trees. So....

A good start to the hop down the joy rode I'd say !!

And as Corrie ten Boom has reminded us..."joy runs deeper than despair."

TICK TOCK...

 This book tree kinda serves two purposes here for me: a reminder to all of you that it is the holiday season and time to shop local artists is running out. The Sawdust Winter Fantasy runs 10 am to 7 pm through this Sunday, December 18th. So come enjoy Santa's Village and all the lovingly decorated trees and artist booths while listening to music and shopping handmade items for gift-giving.

And...when that is all over I can get back to my love of reading for the next few months :)

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

HOLIDAY BUSY-NESS

 

I guess you would have to say it's holiday busy-ness for holiday business since I'm busily working to re-stock on cards at the Sawdust Art Festival's Winter Fantasy.

While the snow at the Sawdust is artificial, it sure feels cold enough there as the sun goes down for the real thing. Definitely all should bring layers if planning to stay late.

There is a lot of holiday cheer and so very many handmade gifts to buy for family and friends (and even for yourself.) Music. Santa. Good food. Good cheer...and, then, there's also that snow 😀 So take the time to head to Laguna to get into the spirit of things.

Happy Holidays!!