Thursday Distractions

I really planned to be responsible today. I woke up with a list of to-dos that I should be diligent about. But I've been distracted by:

* the laughter of children playing monopoly (calling it 'math' for homeschooling)
* the dog chewing up her bone by my feet, looking up with a smile of satisfaction
* the vibrant green of the lawn and trees after the spring rain we had last night. The birds are loving it too!
* the pile of library books that need to go back. I'd bagged them up and then promptly sat down to read a few that I forgot I had checked out.
* the need to draw.

Both children are now watching separate videos for art. One on charcoal drawings that look like Da Vinci's sketches. I love it and want to try. The other is watching beginning drawing of contours and shading using pencil and colored pencils. Who can think of dishes and laundry when art is afoot?!

I started my morning out with a blog run. Right down the right side of my blog. Almost everyone had new posts that I 'must read' with my breakfast. Vanessa is so self assured and knows exactly what makes here happy. MiddleofNowhere is tempting me to start my own circus collection. JoAnna's post today has reminded me once again to hold my family tighter and to be even more thankful for the God that holds me closer than anyone. Mrs. Pom has the most lovely tea time with family. The candied ginger calls my name. Suzan has been painting again, which always inspires me to do the same. I am so envious of the Denyse Schmidt quilt shown at The Purl Bee. I need to make one now. Scrap basket, here I come!

No pictures today. The camera is in the studio downstairs and I know if I go down there I'll want to stay and play. I think I'll do dishes so I can feel semi-responsible and then maybe I'll make some banana bread. That sounds more fun! (Oh, and read the book I found in the library pile; On What Grounds - by Cleo Coyle. So far so good! I love a good mystery!)

Remind me to show you where I hung my Suzan Buckner art piece and the garage sale find that goes with it so perfectly! Plus, check out the pics of my babies on my homeschool blog. They had a recital this week!

Caged Bird Canvas

I've been dreaming of birdcages lately. Also time crunches and missed recitals of the children, and ice cream sundaes (but those are besides the point!) ha) DH took the kids to the lake tonight to walk and take pics. So I had a little art time. I think it's done, maybe... still thinking on it. (Click for closeup details.)

It has a little distressing/crackle (see around eggs). Its freehand painted. It has a touch of fabric and a vintage button from my great grandma's collection.

I added a bit of dictionary paper to the bird's tray. The quote is by Maya Angelou.

P.S. - Added a few things to the Etsy Supplies shop (click pics for listing.):

Etsy, Blogs & New Arts

Yes, you know where I am. Sitting in the studio, deftly avoiding cleaning. I did organize all my flowers into 2 boxes and put up a pile of magazines. That counts right? Oh! and I listed these on my Collage Contessa Etsy store...

and this in the Collage Curiosities Supplies Etsy store (I had an extra for some reason.)

So, comme ci, comme ca. I did a bit. DH and I spent hours yesterday finding the floor to the basement. It's been covered with leftover boxes to go through, baskets of laundry, art stuff, etc...

I am avoiding the massive mile high pile of clothes to fold upstairs. I don't know how it grew but I think I've washed every winter and summer piece of clothing as well as most of our collection of sheets, blankets and rugs. And believe you me, I love older linens so we have a lot! I anticipate folding all day long during homeschool. I will feel just downright domestic when I finish!

Anyway, blog hopping again. I was looking at the people visiting my blog and found this one:
Michelle Rafter - seems she visited me back after I found her blog with the list of participants to her blogathon.
Floating Ink - one of the afore mentioned blogathon participants. Great art going on there.
Woolpets Flickr - recommended by Floating ink, gorgeous real life woolfelted animals.
Contemplating the Moon - Floating Ink also talked about this blog. She does beautiful encaustic wax paintings. I'm intrigued and have wanted to try painting this way. She wrote this on her blog: "I find peace in my son's laughter, in the solitude of nature, and in my art. Not the final product, but in the act of creating. I find that the chatter that goes on in my head, quiets itself. I need that." I would love to have the chatter in my head quiet while I do art. Maybe I haven't found my true medium for that feeling yet... Something to think on.
Painting and Painting - the Contemplating blog led to this intuitive painter and teacher. I've never really understood this type of painting. Maybe I'm not as in touch with my head as I think I am? It seems to be all about painting and spirituality and free flowing. I'm not a free flow-er I don't think. I have to have a goal or some idea or shapes to paint? But I do love this artist I discovered through Vivian's blog: a canadian artist, Carlito Dalceggio. He seems to be a big 'free flow-er.' Here's the video I saw on Vivian's blog. It's my fav of his work so far:

Speaking of Vivian, she has started a new weekly creativity challenge that seems very interesting. In case you're needing a little shove back into arting, here's the link.

Okay, hand held high... I solemnly swear to clean through 1 more box before I go to bed and then its off to dreamland, considering its the middle of the night.

If you're a Facebooker and want to connect, I finally figured out how to put a link to my profile. It's over there, top right column. Just send me a request to be friends!

Distractions

I'm no good tonight... I'm down in my studio, trying to straighten it for guests coming on Mother's Day. Yes, I'm working on it this early. It will take that long. However, at the rate I'm going, It may be NEXT Mother's Day before it's finished. I did start out honest enough. I threw in a load of clothes from the massive pile I have to do down here (no, I'm not sharing a picture. You'd drum me out of the blogosphere.) But then I sat down to read emails 'real quick.' That was my first mistake.

An email from Vanessa led me to her blog, which kicked me over to Collage Diva's blog that led to Michelle Ward's Green Pepper Press blog. I've always thought of joining in on her challenges but haven't yet. I then hopped over to Michelle's blog itself and read about these Wall Notebooks. I must have one. You can get one here for only $11.53. I even doodled here to see how much I'd like it. It's a keeper. Although I guess it brought out my inner 4 year old.

The doodling reminded me that I have several moleskines collecting dust. I pulled those out and found this rudimentary sketch I did of my feet sitting on those wooden cabana type chairs at St. Pete Beach in January.


* Note* I ran off to put a load of clothes in and came back to this little guy dead on my open book. I guess he was as tired as I feel and just couldn't hack it anymore. He died at my 'feet'. ha I crack myself up tonight.


I sketched over the pencil with a 'waterproof' pen I have. Couldn't find my watercolors (probably stolen by some child) so I pulled out the fluid acrylics to try. They're made with water or something right? So I added water. So much for the 'waterproof' pen...


and I'm not a sketcher or a watercolor artist (paint bleeds!) but I still like how this simple painting came out. It brings back a good memory anyway, even though I have fat feet in my Birkenstocks. hehe


After looking up the wall notebook, I was then distracted by the remembrance that I have a GC to Amazon! Yippee! Shopping time! I checked out my wishlist. Hmm, I think I have half of what is in there. Time to update apparently. So I searched for possibly purchase candidates:
Zakka Sewing - really caught my eye. I always fawn over the Japanese crafting magazines but am reluctant to pay so much for one plus the exorbitant shipping costs.
Pretty Little Felts - Oh goodness. Anything felty is catching my eye lately now that I bought one of those hand felters that holds 5 needles. I found this helpful tutorial by Betz White on felting using this tool too!
Rethinking Acrylic - I LOVE this book! I picked it up from the library but love it so much I might just purchase it. Lots of texture, layering, unusual ways to use all sorts of acrylic paints including my fluid acrylics. Vivid pics too.
500 Handmade Books - Have you seen this gorgeous book?! I don't know if I need to own it but just looking through it makes me want to start folding, tearing, burning, piercing, painting papers and collecting nature items to use in my art.
Crafty Chica's Guide to Artful Sewing - I'm just sure this is going to be a perfectly fun book to do all the projects out of. Can't go wrong with the Chica.
Stitched in time - Has anyone bought this book yet? I love little sewing projects and this adorable book by Posy Gets Cozy has me yearning to create.

With too many choices and not enough decision making power in my brain, I gave up on the shopping. I hate to purchase something I'm not sure I'll LOVE and it will just sit around and collect dust. I hate dust.

I decided to look up images to use as stencils. Do you remember my stencils post? I get so many visits from people because of that one post. I have to tell you about this new tool I purchased to make my stencil cutting life easier. After you get the hang of it, it's much easier than an exacto. And I used my 50% off Michaels coupon to get it! Yippee!

Last Saturday I collaged this canvas using a peacock stencil I cut out. I forgot to use stencil adhesive so the paint bled a bit. (Using gel pen around the edge covers a multitude of sins.) I like the effect though. * Quote is by William Shakespeare *


Anyway, the picture looking up led me to many fascinating blogs.

Check out this one. The post I popped in on, she was talking about a month long blogathon. Great blogs to check out that are participating.
I saw a blog for this assemblage artist. Beautiful creations. Reminded me I wanted to look up Dale Copeland. I think I just saw something about her in a recent magazine. Don't ask me which, I'll have to check. Anyway, I found her blog and website. Gorgeous!

Always fun to peek at another person's life.

And now I'm blogging my evening. Anything to avoid being productive apparently. So there you have it. Hopefully I didn't bore anyone to tears by now with the walk through my scattered brain. I told you all it needed a spring cleaning!