I love Fridays!!!

I absolutely love Fridays. I look forward to Richard coming home...knowing that I get to have him home for two whole days!!! I just love that!!!

We are helping Richard's sister with a graduation party for our niece, Brianna!!! I love parties (you can just imagine!!!) and I love to cook. I use to work for a caterer and so party preparation is easy for me. This will be Brianna's graduation present from us. We're expecting 50 people for lunch!!! Tonight promises to be very busy!

I'm really glad that I have something to look forward to. I've been very up and down with my emotions lately and sometimes that scares me. I've struggled with depression throughout my life... I think it's pretty normal for someone to be depressed when they deal, on a daily basis, with chronic illness. I don't like to talk about it too much....but suffice it to say that I am feeling better, mentally, than I ever have and feel like I have a handle on it. But....no matter if you have a history of depression or not.....there isn't any kind of treatment that is going to take all of our sad days away. Swinging emotions are pretty common for women my age....but with me when it happens I always get afraid that my darkness is approaching again. I should feel confident by now about how "in-tune" to my psyche I am and that I am able to recognize the signs of a problem. Also.....I have tons of coping strategies now.....little tricks.....that really help keep things level....the biggest one being my art!!!!!

Well...enough.... I have tons to do!!! I love going to these family functions with Richard's family. Sometimes, I know that I freak them out.....but they're learning to accept and even enjoy, a little bit, the crazy, creative Sherri. I carry my pink purse, wear my glitter make-up, throw confetti all over the buffet table, wear purple crocs and sparkly outfits...and they're learning to just enjoy it. I love that!!! My own family has a difficult time of just letting me be me. They don't get me.....neither does Richard's family....but the difference is that Richard's family enjoys just watching and waiting for what may be coming next. They don't have to figure it out. They even join me every once in a while!!! That is amazing!!! Richard has brought me so many beautiful things!!! I am so blessed to have that man in my life!!!!

Have a wonderful weekend!!!

New Art for You to See!

Finally!!! I have been successful and Blogger has let me download some images of my recent work!!! I'm sosososo excited.

At Artfest I took a class from Traci Bautista. It was wonderful. It was fun watching one of my favorite artist in action. Since Artfest I've been tweeking with the techniques that she taught us and these are some of my finished pieces! I love the colors and textures. Of course I have deemed myself the Doodle Queen and I love that part too! Let me know what you think.

I am working on many things right now....including more of these collages, some jewelry, various fabric projects and a whole series of embellishment making. Also, at this time, I am teaching a Level 2 journaling class. This group of women are really charming. I so enjoy standing beside them as they learn more about their creative voices. I love to teach!!! I will be doing a demo at Stampadoodle this week on embellishments. I can't wait! I feel "busy" in my artist's world and I love that.

Personally there are always things happening...ebbing and flowing.....changes being made, adjustments in how I do things, who I do things with, how much energy I have, where I want to spend my time, etc. I certainly feel like a moving target sometimes.....not very stable....ever changing. It is at these moments that I feel very "onely" and solitary. I've learned that it is OK and that I don't need to be afraid. Often....this is when my most momentus decisions get made and when I make, what I see, as my most moving art. Times of change shouldn't be frightening. It's exciting.

I have so many things to be thankful for. These things are all part of the beautiful quilt of my life. I do revel in my abundance!!!

The Ritual Has Begun!!!

Oh my gosh!!! It is in the morning and I have found some precious time to scan some recent work, I have finally been successful at doing that and saving it on my computer, and I am sitting here actually ready to write. I am quick to remember the rythym of my morning ritual and it seems to be such a familiar tune. I feel so comfy and sosososo relieved.

In between all the work on our new house I've spent alot of time thinking about where I want to go with my art. This seems to be a constant stream of thought for me. I feel like I often get stuck at this place and it has become exhausting! It's almost like....what can of artist do I want to be when I grow up!!!! Interesting....do you think that maybe instead of thinking about where I want to go I may need to be thinking about where I already am??????? What a concept! It is so easy to get caught up in looking backwards or at looking ahead....I forget that right now I have work to do. My spirit is crying out for creative attention and time and I often find myself not listening. How sad is that?

As I remove myself from the "home" projects for a few minutes....my breath gets caught and I feel so sad that I have forgotten to tend the most important part of me.....my true creative spirit. I have forgotten to rejoice in who I really am.....getting lost in all the details of life.....all the decisions about remodeling, health issues, tending to family needs, trying to get things organized....feeling so overwhelmed. My soul has been shoved around....screaming in the only way it knows how to....leaving me feeling overwhelmed, frustrated and even angry (that is my soul's voice when it is unhappy)...but until I finally stop for a while I really have been unable to see the situation clearly. Is this my own private struggle or do others have similar moments of artistic confusion?

I've tried to download my recent work....but Blogger seems to be having difficulty this morning and I can't seem to get things downloaded..... How disappointing!!! But....I guess it leaves something for all of us to look forward to!!! I will try to download later....I can't wait for you to see what I've been working on.

Have a wonderful day!

OOOOPPPPSSSS!!!

Obviously it's been so long since I've blogged, it seems as though I have forgotten how to do it! So much time has gone by.....I am in awe!!! We have been so busy....with the selling of two homes, with putting in a new yard, with planting a veggie garden, with starting the studio remodel, with starting a brand new deck, with trips with friends to Lummi Island, with saying good-bye to our daughter (who just left today for a move to Kauai!!!), with Mother's day, with my health, with............it just goes on and on. How easy it is to forget or let go of my soulwork! How easy it is to get so overwhelmed and let things slip away....weeks, months.....and then when you come up for air....you look back and see such a rush and haze. I don't want to live my life like that......but sometimes it just has to be. Responsible living demands attention and I quickly let go of my "center". It's a continued battle for me.

Part of the problem is trying to figure out how to catch you all up. I've finally realized that there is no way to explain all that has gone on. It just needs to begin....and I hope that you can put the many pieces together as I begin blogging again. Writing is truly a priority. I can only try to remember my priorities and push to remember that my "artist work" is my soulwork!!!!

I feel you all out there....waiting patiently for me to get going. I will get better at this. I promise.

Time Flies!!!

La la...It's Wednesday!!!

Wednesday are my days at Stampadoodle and I LOVE seeing all the customers and the people I work with. I got my monthly medication on Tuesday and often I can't get going on the following day but today I was doing the demo....(a little class we do at noon for a hour) so I had to go. In the end it was good for me. Showing people one of my new favorite art techniques and getting to see everyone can make these "icky" days a little easier. Sometimes it doesn't work...but today was fun, fun, fun.

Here are some samples of what I did today for my demo:

All these techniques were done with magazine images that I cut into tiles. Some I scrunched up and some I just cut and "quilted" on the page. Then with a dry brush I put a little gesso over the collage. The top photo I colored with oil pastels and then collaged the flowers and doodled. The bottom two photos were the scrunched images. After the gesson I brushed ink over the surface. The first one I used versamark with platinum embossing powder and then a bordeaux and a green ink pad. The second one I just used the bordeaux ink pad. I got this technique from an on-line yahoo group....Art Techniques. I've played around with both techniques quite a bit and it is amazing the way the final products differ accoring to the magazine colors, the amount of gesso and then the inks that you use. Fun, fun, fun background techniques!!!

It feels awesome to be creating again!!! Moving has really seemed to make doing art difficult. My studio is all set up (thanks to my awesome friend Julie who is an organization guru) and everything is at my fingertips. Everyday, I think I feel stronger and more settled which I'm sure will lead me back to my usual rituals. Moving has been an amazing journey!

My goal for tomorrow is to take some photos of our new home. I want to share them with you! Our little house is truly becoming a home.

Time...Is it on my side?

Recently I've been continually reminded about how fast time can get away from you. Moving is such a huge life shift....add to that the added stress of selling our previous home and our rental property....and well....before I know it weeks have gone by and I am totally overwhelmed. Life provides so many opportunities for us to constantly practice the things that we are here to learn. For me...that is to remember to slow down and rejoice in the moments, be aware of how powerful my own thoughts are in creating my reality and to focus on gratitude, compassion and love. Of course there is much more I have to learn...but during this moving experience these seem to be the most important.

Since our move it's been challenging to get back to my daily rituals. I miss these routines and I'm trying to get settled enough so that I can resume them a.s.a.p!!! In Twyla Tharp's book, The Creative Habit (one that I highly recommend!!!), she talks alot about the importance of "ritual" especially at the beginning of your day. When I am disciplined about this idea I find that my entire day flows a little easier. Phew.....it is a huge challenge not to let distractions get in the way of the things that are so good for us!!!!

Everyday Richard and I are feeling more comfy in our new home. I'm excited about how it is all coming together. I'm really trying to make this a "home" and to remember that creating a home is a huge part of my own creative pallette. Our old house was way too huge and fancy for me to add my own personal "funk" to the decorating. The house that I owned before Richard and I got married was truly totally mine in terms or color and my own signature (lime green kitchen with shiny jewels around the window, fucsia, orange and purple art studio with paint splattered floors and a wonderful garden with special little things tucked everywhere!). I really missed that....the house we're selling was absolutely beautiful but it required a somewhat grown-up style. It was fun to pretend I was a grown up...especially when the kids were home...I think my eccentric decorating style sometimes embarrassed them....but I am sosososo ready to get back to "me". Poor Richard promised that he would let me "go wild". He's more of a earth tone guy....but so far he's hanging on and I think secretly loving it! My camera isn't working (horrors of all horrors) but I promise to include pictures as soon as it is up and running!!!

Well...these are my thoughts for a Monday morning. Blessings to all and thank you for being there!!!