What I've Been Doing...

Well, today has been quite productive, after a week of being under the weather! Now fall is in the air, and I have the "re-organize, inventory, purge, simplify, sort" bug! Clothes - both Angel's and mine - have been sorted and some given away, some in a pile to embellish, and mostly, inventory for the cool weather has been accomplished!

Now today, the kitchen!!!! I have counters once again, the plastic container cabinet has been R.I.P.S.S. as well - mostly initiated by my younger son's generous donation of RUBBERMAID STACKABLE STORAGE CONTAINERS! Wow! That WAS organization!

I have decluttered countertops, decorated for fall, and even lit an apple-cinnamon candle....ahhhh, caramel apples coming up!

Here is the proof, my counters are clear! This is my first attempt to upload a video - and I think sound and video may not be working together...but at the very end, you will see my little girl's "Science Genius Lab" a.k.a a Barbie kitchen!

(Note the fall centerpiece - yes, I was on a roll!)

I just reviewed the video and there are dishes in the sink!!! Seed dishes...know what I mean?

Come check out ETC's Design Challenge - "Enchanted"

Y'all Come on Over Now, ya he'r!

Our Etsy Texas Crafters group is hosting their design challenge RIGHT NOW - till midnight Wednesday, September 30th! Click here to see all the entries for this months theme "Enchanted"...you have to scroll all the way down to the bottom to find the "vote" link...there are some really clever ideas here, plus, I DO have an entry...another item that will be at ArtsGoggle this weekend...

OMG - My little fledgling has just graced me with a BEAUTIFUL lullaby

I wish I could include the melody - but I don't have the capability!!!

Here it is...


Moonlight, starbright
My light is shining on you…
Somewhere,
out there,
Someone is praying for you!


Is she awesome or what!!!!???

Check out these projects!

You know I have an 8 year old fledgling....and any of you who have little girls (or not so little girls!) might enjoy this post by Sharon Tomlinson of AllNorahsArt. Especially check out the Castle Towers - wouldn't this make a great art activity for girls of all ages?!



Be sure you click on the link and look at all the photos of her art party to get inspired!

Genius Defined!

Another one with a vintage novel page from 1891 and mounted on mahogany. The text of the page has some adjectives that define what is NOT a genius, but in the story, the one this is written about achieves all that he had hoped to...

You know, I think I already posted this, but I can't find it! Who knows! I don't know if it is the anesthesia left in my system or the fact that I am 50 - or maybe it is simply trying to prepare for this upcoming art thing!

heARTfilled blessings,
Cindy

A Gift Tonight

Tonight I was gifted with new friendships - deep friendships - some that I have had for quite a while, and others that were new...but the thing in common was our hearts for God. We are a group committed to prayer - we are women - of various ages - of various life stages - all with unique giftings and leadings and anointings - all with the same passion for Jesus! Thank you Julie for being such a wonderful leader; for being such a transparent vessel; for being pure of heart and hearing from God!

I came home and continued painting a new piece for the upcoming ArtsGoggle - and as I was painting, I began to "see" another painting - my head and heart were still full of joy and anticipation over what God is putting together! The painting would be a tribute to this group, to prayer. I could "see" our hands, the hands of our hearts, lifted to the Lord in worship and prayer...

And then I remembered my friend Gwen and her inspired paintings! Perhaps she already had something like what I was seeing! And she did!

You can see more of Gwen's work here

I will paint what I saw in my spirit, but for now, this will commemorate tonight's knitting together of hearts.

Getting ready for ArtsGoggle

Just thought I would share another mixed media piece I finished up tonight - getting ready for ArtsGoggle on October 3rd. You can read more about this Fort Worth Near Southside Event here.

The vintage novel page is from a book published in 1891. The things you can find for a quarter at a garage sale!!

THE STUDIO

Here is my messy office/studio. You can see some "works in progress" leaned up against the case of my embroidery machine. Note the knee space with carpet showing!!! And the box full of kindergarten memorabilia still in place!!! Some other "works in progress" leaning up against a desk leg (to the left of the box), some of Angel's artwork - definitely inspirational - to the right of the laptop. I have a great window that you can see (sort of - the gleam of light at the top), and Angel's desk and chair is positioned in front of that window. She likes the "wall of separation" that the sewing machine creates - and she added some shoeboxes...no wonder things get a little cramped!!!

Below is a close-up of my carpet showing under the knee space - hooray for a little bit of organization lately!



Uuuuuummmmm, can someone get my cleaning lady to vacuum in here? Ha, ha!

Creative Studio Spaces!

Today Pamela Angus invited all readers in to her studio - so pristine and beautiful - shows off her glass exquisitely!



Tomorrow I will show where I create - the infamous home office/art studio! But till then, you can check out other creative spaces here...

To "CafePress" or Not To "CafePress" - that is the question

sidesaddlecard2, originally uploaded by Deb Trotter - Cowboy's Sweetheart.

Ready for things a little bit Cowgirl? I loved this!

Check out this little bit of interesting info about Cafepress I found on Deb Trotter's "Cowboy's Sweetheart" blog

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

I thought I would go ahead and leave this in - though as it says "This is just a test". I highly recommend you install this in your blogs if you are going to blog your own photos or promote what others have done - it is soooooooooo easy!

PROCRASTINATION!!! Or, the Pre-K Scrapbook is DONE!

Finally! I have the pictures, artwork, and those special worksheets I saved from my daughter's Pre-K year placed in a "scrapbook" - not just any scrapbook mind you, but a big 11 x 17 inch legal binder...special to hold those big sheets of construction paper art projects that the teachers of younger children are so fond of using!

You would think that it was elaborate, creative, beautiful...but it's not...functional - a place to have it all contained neat and organized and in some sort of chronological order...

Did I mention that all that STUFF lived under the desk in my home office/art studio? In a low, yet long and wide cardboard box? Kindergarten and VBS crafts for those two years still live in that box - still under my desk! My toes always bump the side of the box! The good news is - Pre-k is finished. The stack of folders that leaned up against the side of the desk (between the box and the desk drawer) can now fit inside the box - yep - that is how I kept Kindergarten and Pre-K separate...

Now - you will just be amazed by this - do you know how old my daughter is? Go ahead, guess....whew, well, OK, she isn't a teenager YET! But she is 8!!!! I have had Pre-K under this desk for FOUR WHOLE YEARS!!!! And it took me about 3 hours to organize it in the scrapbook...what do you think that says about me??????

PROCRASTINATOR!!!!

But since it is a holiday weekend, I may get Kindergarten done too!!!! Just need to find some more adhesive!!!

HeARTfilled blessings,
Cindy

A fun little art video from YouTube

I was browsing around some artists' blogs and found this really clever little video on one...at Gritty Arts Studio Blog.







Andyradorfman is one creative person!

First of September

We have been having something of a "cold snap" for Texas at least! Around 80 degrees in the day, dropping to 70 degrees at night! It feels like it is finally time to go out to the garage and do a little stained glass work....I did have to battle the mosquitoes a little (thank you Avon Skin so Soft bug repellent!)

But, I did manage to fix Angel's kaleidoscope that I had made her a couple of years ago (lead-free solder of course). You know, I should have taken a "before" picture! It had gotten quite oxidized for some reason (even tho' it was kept inside our house!), and the last time we tried to turn it, the little brass piece that holds the wheels to the scope actually broke off! Well, I have it soldered REALLY good now!! Almost couldn't get the mirrors back in!



The first image is a side view - pink is the color of choice for this little girl! I enhanced the next picture a little, so that you could really see the way the glass looks!



Finally, I took a picture through the eye-piece to see if I could capture some of the kaleidoscope images...I love the changing beauty of the images!!!! Remember you can click on any image to have it enlarged in another window of your browser!

Finally!!! The final fruit of the Spirit picture (for now!

Here is the last installment of the "Fruit of the Spirit" art creation I was inspired to do during Paulette Insall's "Faces" class...not all of my art was faces, but having seen the collection all together, I may add four more faces as inspiration leads me...I do think I like this face the most, and next is the Angel face attached to "Love"...

And of course I am busy on other half- finished canvasses/boards started before my surgery...speaking of boards - I still definitely need a pillow to sit in the chairs in my counseling office/art studio for any length of time!!!

HeARTfilled Blessings!
Cindy

Next up - Gentleness

I usually scan my canvases, but the only way to do this one was to photograph the picture, as the nest and eggs are copper wire with beads woven in...

No face, but the next to the last piece of the "Fruit of the Spirit" series!

Joy is...love smiling

I am finally back in my messy home office/art studio and creating! Although, I still need a pillow to sit on, but a small price to pay to get to so many unfinished projects! So many backgrounds and half-completed faces...I will feel like I am whizzing through to some of these finished paintings!

Anyway, here is the next (and almost last) installment to the "Fruit of the Spirit" series I started in the spring! Yippee!

Hey, I just figured out that you can click on the image and it will enlarge in the same window that you are viewing the blog in! I am getting so computer literate!!!

Finally!

Today marks 4 weeks post-op and I am finally feeling a little more energetic and almost pain free. Hooray! I have done about 4 loads of laundry, cleaned the kitty litter pan (yes, I am really the only one at home who can handle it...I made a deal with hubby that I would do the litter if he would make supper, and he gladly agreed!). I even pushed a shopping cart through the super Wal-Mart, but that sort of did me in.

The good news is that with all this down time, I have almost completed a cross-stitch bell pull that I began about 18 months ago! I got hubby to lift the sewing machine up onto the dining room table/part-time sewing studio so when I complete the handwork I will be able to back it and finish it for hanging in my home office/art studio.

Well, back to cross-stitching (or maybe cuddling with Angel).

Look at this great book on Estonian knitted lace I found through Knitting Daily! It looks awesome! There are 8 various pages of the book that you can browse...it just might be worth getting!

8 year old dreams

While watching the "Love Comes Softly" and etc. marathon on the Hallmark channel, Angel turned to us and asked "Poppa, will you 'give me away'?" A lengthy pause followed, as Poppa considered that future day...I teasingly interjected "No, he won't give you away because he doesn't want you to go anywhere!!!" But she smiled widely at the thought, contentedly knowing she "belongs" with us and in that belonging rests protection, provision, and parenting...

I wonder who will earn her heart away from her Poppa's!!