My First Artistamp!
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Amber Alexander's Miss Kitty Hearing Things...
The redheaded mermaids and I spent a lovely afternoon with my dear friend Wyanne and her daughter Logan and friends yesterday afternoon for Logan's birthday. We painted pictures, made shrink art jewerly, played "Who's got the button?" and "Don't Spill the Beans", decorated a butterfly cookie cake and cooled off with water balloons. Much fun. Wy's "wine husband" and 14-year-old son and friend were quite the troopers hanging out with us and helping out. If you are in need of some inspiration, whether artful or just about life in general, Wy has posted an incredibly inspiring video about following your dreams on her blog (she really does the coolest videos..check them all out). Check it out here. I feel very blessed to call her friend.
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Free Bling Friday Number 42!
Two Little Mermaids at it Again
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Jennifer Squires...Speaking of Being Good With a Camera
"I am constantly inspired by the world around me and I use photography to search for simplicity and meaning in the beauty of the everyday. I live and work in London, Ontario, and when I’m not photographing I can be found tending my urban vegetable garden." Jennifer contacted me after reading my post in which I talked about my struggles with photographing my jewelry and gave me some good pointers. Thanks again, Jennifer! You can check out Jennifer's work on her website here and in her Etsy store here.
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When You Can't Paint, Shoot!
I'll readily admit to never being very talented with a paintbrush (though, of course, that won't stop me from trying as evidenced by the collection of painted birdhouses that peek out from the greenery on top of my kitchen cabinets...yep, painted every one of them), but I've always been pretty good with a camera. So if you take a nice picture and then play around with it in Adobe Photoshop, you can get some pretty fun results. I took this photo of some wild azaleas while I was on my little excusion in Havana a few weeks back and turned it into a "painting" using Photoshop. This could be addicting. Click on the picture to enlarge for the full effect.
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Funny Where Inspiration Strikes
When I was in 10th grade, I got very sick with a virus called Quincy. While DH and I were visiting the DC area and toured Mount Vernon way back in 1992, I learned that is the same virus George Washington died of, so at least I had a famous historical connection for my misery. Anywho, while I was dealing with that, I also had tonsillitis and needed to have my tonsils removed, but that couldn’t be done until the virus was gone, so to make a long story short, I ended up stuck in the hospital for about three weeks. To keep me entertained, my mom brought me a sketch book and some nice pencils. Luckily I had a room facing the river and Memorial Park (this was the old Riverside Hospital for those in you in Jacksonville), so for three weeks, I sketched the scenes outside my window. Lots of scenes of trees and flowers, street scenes with cars going by, the buildings around me, etc. Then I remembered that I took two drawing classes my first year in college. Since my first two years of college were on the very same campus I now work, I pulled up my old records and, lo and behold, I got an “A” and “B” in those classes. I must have done okay but I don’t think I’ve drawn anything more than a chalk mermaid on the side porch since! This has now inspired me. I’ve been carrying my camera around more (took a photography class in college, too, and a clothing construction class—are you seeing trend here?) and so now I’m going to attempt to carry around a little sketch book and some pencils with me most times to see if I get further inspired. Maybe I can do something with them… We’ll see what happens!
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Sometimes When You're Feeling Puny...
...is that really a word? puny? I put on my big girl shoes Friday while posting Free Bling, but the touch of flu I mentioned Wednesday turned out to be walking pneumonia by the time I broke down and went to the doctor Thursday. And I still had to take my students to a leadership awards banquet Friday and Saturday in Wakulla Springs. That required I put on my SUPER big girl shoes. More on that later. So when I got home today, I decided to just kick back on the couch and let the girls do my hair for me. They did such a fabulous job, I thought I'd share with it you.
Nothing like your daughters doing your hair, followed by some funny faces trying to entertain them with the camera (if you want the full effect, feel free to click on the photos to enlarge)...
...to bring out a happy face and try to forget you feel like something the dog left in the backyard in that special place by the back fence. If you can't laugh at yourself, you aren't allowed to laugh at anyone else.
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Free Bling Friday Number 41!
Cyndia Reddish's Black Water Siren Studio
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Lilly Cat Design Studio
Gorgeous day to be home with the flu so I think I'll go take a nap on the back porch swing with Isabelle. Click here to sign up for free weekly email reminders. Click here for the Happy Shack Designs website.
Sweet Smelling Spring Greens
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New Pieces Coming Soon!
Springtime Morning’s Blossoms
On Friday, I had an early lunch with another friend (yes, I have a lot of friends in Tallahassee!) and then spent the afternoon poking around Havana, which is a cute little town just north of Tallahassee with great little antique shops and a couple nice art and fine craft galleries. I took my camera with me and played around with a few shots. Starting to get back into photography a little more. I was really happy with these two. I may even list them in my Etsy store! Let me know what you think. Morning glories, I believe? Click here to sign up for free weekly email reminders. Click here for the Happy Shack Designs website.