NEWS and new art!

Ok, for my news. . . hold on to your seats. . .my husband and I. . . .are BUYING A HOUSE!!!!!!!! Yes, we found an awesome home about 30 minutes north of where we are currently living. It is a 3 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom house with a gorgeous pool! We are very excited! We found out yesterday that they accepted our bid! Now, we have lots of other things to do to get the house purchased and our stuff packed to move!!!

I'm very excited. Kevin and I haven't owned a home. We've done an apartment and we lived with his Grandmother at her house for two years. Now, we can live our own lives! I can hardly believe we will be getting this house! Woo-hoo!

As for my new art, I made it as a 'thank you' to our realtor, Toni. She has worked so hard to get us the perfect house. She is a Christian, so she knows exactly where Kevin and I are coming from!! She is truly incredible. I wanted to thank her, and the only way I knew how was to paint! What do you think??

More art

Do you remember my autumn painting? Well, here is Spring. She is part of the series that goes with Autumn. It will be a series of girls in seasons. SPring isn't as good as Autumn, but oh well. She is different!
What do you think? She's be in the works a very long time. I'm glad to see her finally finished!!!

Summer is approaching

Ok, for those of you who don't work in the school system, this means nothing to you! However, I have just finished my school year job yesterday. I will go back in August. Friday, I start my summer school job- which is half days! Days of art and painting, and photography, etc are coming!!! I'm off today and tomorrow- =). I'm off to look at houses this morning and tomorrow to the doctor- he has to check my toe. I had a toenail removed about a month or so ago. He is constantly checking to be sure it is ok. So far so good!

I'm just so glad summer is coming. Even though I have to work summer school (my hubby and I NEED the money however little it may be!), I know I'm only working half days, so I can come home and play: paint, stamp, etc and get things ready to open my Etsy shop! I really hope to get it up and going this summer, but I haven't finished enough pieces yet. Hopefully, I'll get a jump on it this summer. It will be called Purple Starfish Designs! I'm very, very excited!! I just have tons of work to do!!! =)

(What is Etsy, you ask?? It is a website where lots of talented people sell their handmade items or supplies to make handmade items. There are also lots of vintage items for sale as well. Check it out!!! Support the handmade cause!!)

I just bought some new stamps and embellishments at a scrapbook convention, so I am chomping at the bit to get going on cards and other stamped items! Watch out. . .here I come!

I hope everyone is having a good summer even if you have to work! I hope to post more on my blog this summer. I'm also on facebook and trying to understand twitter. We will see! I LOVE SUMMER!

Art Journal Pages

Today is an easy day for me. Painting and laundry and movies! I've been so tired this week that this is about all I can do! It is a great Saturday!

I realized I haven't shared a great many art journal pages with you. I've included them here. Enjoy!

This is a study of the artwork of Jasmine Becket-Griffith.




Just couldn't resist at Valentine's time!

My try at Mandalas!

House Hunting and Art!

Hello! Sorry I haven't been around in a while. My husband and I are still house hunting. We've been looking most evenings we have off (no church, etc). It has been crazy. We thought we'd found a home we liked, but upon a second investigation, we found evidence of foundation problems. We decided that wasn't the house for us! Or well!

We were out of town last week to a wedding of a friend of family we known since she was born. Her parents actually got my parents together! It was fun. Since we've been back, it has been crazy with houses and the end of the year at school- all kinds of stuff!!

Oh, I wanted to post my latest artwork. I couldn't post it until I gave it to my mom because she reads my blog from time to time. It was her mother's day present! She liked it very much!!

I'm glad she was pleased with it. It took me lots of time to complete! I'm still working on other art, but is slow going. I just don't have the time I'd like to have. I'm nearly finished with a house-warming triptic for some friends of mine. It is three large 12x24 canvases that all go together. It is meant to go over their couch. I should have it finished soon!

Today, I'm off to make a few ribbon bookmarks for the librarian at the school where I work. She asked me to make them as gifts for her parent volunteers! I HAVE to get them done today because Kevin and I might be off to the lake tomorrow or Monday!

I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe Memorial Day, and I'll try to be back more often. (This summer, I'll be doing a lot more posting since I will have more time!) See you soon!

Back with new art! (And an Award!)

Ok, so I've been gone for a while. My husband and I have had so much happen! My husband's grandmother (who we have been living with) took a fall at the end of February. She broke her hip. She had replacement surgery. She was in rehab and then a nursing home (to continue the rehab). Well, last Thursday, she fell and hit her head. She died that morning. My husband was devastated since she raised him. He took all of Easter weekend off for her and for the Easter play we were in at church! That weekend was nuts. I'm glad to say my husband is doing much better now- he misses her, but he isn't sorry about the choices he made. We are now trying to get her stuff taken care of, the house cleaned up and fixed up and then we plan to sell it. We are starting to look for a house of our own. We basically put our lives on hold to help her out; we moved in to help her not even a year after we were married. Now, it is our time to have a home and live as newly weds! (Please don't think I'm selfish!)

Second, I have many paintings in the works, etc. This one got finished this weekend!

What do you think? I really like her. I've been a member of the World of Whimsy class with Tam here. She has taught me so much! This is one of the first works I've done since the class. I actually based my girl's clothing off of Emily at the Black Apple. Here is her post where she is wearing those clothes (more or less!) She has an incredible blog if you haven't run across it yet!!!!

I guess that is all for now. I hope to have more art and more posts! Don't forget me even if I'm gone for a while.

ETA: I just found out that Anne nominated me for the Renee Award!

The Renee Award was created by Bella and Ces in honor of their friend Renee.

In Bella's own words: "this is a brand new award and I have the pleasure and honor of spreading the seed, watching it grow. I hope it finds it's way to those who are like Renee: the acorn, a small package becoming a tall and sturdy oak, giving more acorns, becoming tall and sturdy oaks, giving acorns..."

There are no "rules" for claiming this award, but I would suggest the following:

• Thank the person who nominated you for the Renee Award.


• Click on the picture above to see it larger, then download it and post it on your blog.


• Mention the person who nominated you and link back to their blog.


• Nominate others to receive the award.


• Comment on their blogs to let them know you nominated them.


• Visit Bella, Ces, and Renee and let them know you received the award and passed it on. Consider linking your blog post to them, too.

Now, I need to nominate others for the award. I know so few of the actual bloggers of the blogs I read. I'll post the ones who have really inspired me (in no order)

Emily at the Black Apple

Shonna at Twisted Figures

Tam (Willowing) at Willowing.org or her ning network here.

Nicole at A Roof of Ones Own

Nancy at Vintage Papers


Those are just to name a few. There are so many! Maybe I can add some more later.

Kristin

Good News and Bad News

Good News: There is another giveaway of some very beautiful cutout (collage) sheets! Check out Kristin at Retro Cafe Art Gallery! She is giving away some awesome collage sheets and cutout packs! Go check her out- but do it soon. Her giveaway happens tomorrow!!!

Bad news: my husband and I lost another cat today. Our cats live outside- they are basically strays we feed and take care of. They live in our backyard which isn't fenced. Well, this morning, there were two pit bulls and another mutt running around. They attacked one of our cats. She had been picked up by the dogs. I believed she died instantly. We chased the dogs off and buried her. She was still warm when we put her in the ground. This is the third cat we've had to buried due to violence. Two were attacked by dogs- pit bulls at that. One was shot with a beebee gun!

It aggravates me greatly that I live in a neighborhood where people are so careless to let their dogs run free with out consideration of the consequences. Please, I beg you, take care of your animals, and whatever you do- DON'T take them for granted.

As far as my art goes, I hope to post some more soon! Sorry for the delay in posting new art! Hope to be back soon!

PS: I'm attempting Macarons again today. Cross your fingers!