A brand New Year, but first a look at the craziness of November and December

I love the beginning of the Year, it is a time to reflect on the things I accomplished last year and to set goals and make plans for this year. I haven't shared much this last few months as I have been deeply committed to finishing up some projects along with spending time with my family.

Last year I worked on revamping my artist look, redefining myself and my different looks as well as getting organized.  I took a few online classes, attended some seminars and that really helped me with the business side of my art, the uglier side of business that many artists, including myself try to avoid like money, expenses etc. I first took a class with Jennifer Lee called "The Right Brain Business Plan" the book is available on Amazon but its also as a online class. Great insights and help in tackling some of those business issues. Then to help conquer the "beast of STUFF", I took a great class with Alyson Stanfield on How to Organize my Art Biz, a step by step that really made my demons more manageable, like the monster piles of paperwork and piles of other things in my office that I don't know what to do with. I hope it will help to keep me better organized so I can be a better artist. The link is an affiliate link but I wouldn't recommend anything unless I truly believed in it. I am still working on completing many of the organization things I learned through out my studio, my closets etc. Its hard work but well worth the rewards. Check this out....

From this to...

THIS!

I know, impressed right!? I have more just like this but I will share later. I started this in November and worked on a new class every few days. It was great but tough during the holidays, I added some organizational apps on my phone too. Its all part of the new me! 

Before Thanksgiving arrived I made time to finish the new baby's room and mural! Barely made it since they were doing a C section the day after Thanksgiving. I did manage to find time to cook Thanksgiving dinner for 16 people and the next day welcome our newest grand baby to the family. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Jennifer holding Bryce

I took some time to be with Melissa and the baby as Matt dealt with Blake being sick and then him getting sick. It was nice since I was so tired and needed the rest, holding the baby was very relaxing!

 Before the craziness of Christmas was in full swing I had a Art quilt show in Poway to attend, I had two of my art quilts accepted into this amazing show. It was a beautiful exhibit and I was able to connect with some very talented women! 

Then, in a flash it seemed like it was time for Christmas! Did it seem like that extra week we usually have between Thanksgiving and Christmas makes that much of a difference? It did this year, I couldn't believe how fast Christmas seemed to come. I managed to get a bit of baking done,snowballs and peanut brittle are a must have for when my mom arrives. Its her favorite and I love to have it ready for her, she always notices it!  I also received my Twelve Days of Christmas ornaments that hit the shelves for sale this year! I was able to get a few sets from the manufacturer and gave them to my kids for their family tree. I also got the ornament from the Riverside Art Museum that I gave them also, it was my year for ornaments.

Snowballs, a family tradition in our house!

One of my ornaments from my Twelve Days of Christmas design

My mom and sister came down from northern California to spend the holidays with everyone. It was wonderful to see them and to have a few weeks to just be with my mom! I would try to paint in the mornings but really I just spent most of my time with her, shopping, baking, visiting. She is such a blessing to our family and I love her so much! Here she is opening the gift the girls made at the ceramic shop for her and they are so excited to see her reaction.

Mom even got an iphone and finally gave up her flip phone. It is proving to be a challenge and we ended up doing lessons throughout our days together. Then my sister arrived and we all had some wonderful time together, visiting and baking and eating! After mom left to stay at my brothers, my sister and I sat outside in the sunshine one morning and I gave her an art lesson as we had our morning coffee. She loved it and took home her little masterpiece after first making it the wallpaper on her phone!

She was painting berries off of one of my trees.

Christmas Day was full of family and it was close to perfect. I managed to finish the painting for my niece and she loved it!  She is so beautiful and tall everyone thinks she should be a model and she is my moms shadow. She just sticks to her like glue!

I know you are thinking wow, how does she do it all. I am sure if you were to sit down and write down all the things you have done over the last few months you would shock yourself. You will now better understand my need to be very organized and structured. My time is so valuable and limited since I am a full time caregiver on top of it! Phew, enough already. Well with all that was going on I still found some time to work on my new website!! I am happy to see it become a  more professional looking site. After all is said and done it appears that I did manage to still have an artsy Christmas, full of blessings and creative energy. 

My new website for my patterns only is ready to launch and I will be working on my new art website soon, its all very exciting! I will be teaching more this year coming up with all new workshops and letting go of some other things as I make room for these new projects. I have been busy designing, creating and making art for some deadlines that are coming up but I can't share the details yet, its a secret!

I am so excited with all the changes and things that are happening, many blessing to all of you! I so appreciate your visits, the time you take to stop by and comment. To look at my art and read my thoughts. I hope that 2014 will be even better! More posts, more art, more insights and tutorials.
Blessings!

Surtex is around the corner

I thank God everyday for this wonderful gift of art. It is amazing to be able to see the world through an artists eye. To see the colors, the shapes the patterns and be able to capture them if just for a moment. I always think to myself that I will never pass this way again so capture it now. Get your idea out and on paper, jot yourself a note, make a thumbnail sketch and then I have these tiny treasures waiting on me to come back to and develop. I have been working on artwork for the Surtex show in New York. It is a huge licensing show and manufactures and companies come in and shop for images for their products for the next year. It is a huge opportunity to get some of my images seen by lots of people. It is also a huge Christmas market, they always want new Christmas stuff so I am painting Snowmen, Santa's etc in March.

 I am feeling so over the holidays but try to remember how excited I get every time it rolls around again, seeing all the new holiday stuff in the stores! When Christmas was here I would sit in bed at night and make Christmas sketches, jot down ideas for themes etc. Now as the crunch is upon me I refer back to these priceless little pieces of art and ideas to jump start my designs. This year I should have some of my snowmen on tins and notepads etc which will be so exciting! Please keep your fingers crossed for me that I have more art picked up this year. I have lots of deadlines this next few months and will probably have little creative blisters on these busy fingers!!! What are you up too??

Getting ready for Spring Market!

I am working on some new quiltlettes for Spring Market. I thought I would concentrate on Christmas although I have another youth quilt I hope to get done that is not Christmas. The show is in Missouri and I am thinking that most of my patterns will be new to the shops back there. I have never done a midwest show. We are going to make a vacation out of it and we are all getting very excited. Here is one of my new 12"x12" quiltlettes. I love these little quilts, they are fast and can be made into pillows, wall hangings, or little lap quilts by adding the others. There will be 3 in this set and I have another set of snowmen, I will post soon. What do think?

Getting ready for Christmas

A few weeks ago as I was unpacking my ornaments for the tree I took the time to take some pictures to share. Years ago, when I was a young mom and didn't have alot of money I would have ornament parties. Everyone would make 12 ornaments and then we would get together and we each got one of each persons handmade ornament. It was so much fun, fun to create something new every year but more than that the fun was having something that a friend made. Every year as I pull out my ornaments, I think of those people, many of which have moved away and I say a prayer for them. I remember the good times we all had together in those early years. Decorating my tree is much more than just putting up store purchased ornaments its a trip down memory lane every year. Even after all this time these are my favorite ornaments, they are priceless. 



This was my ornament, I collected eggs from my brothers mad goose and cleaned then out and painted on them, sealed them and made a hanger for them. This one is dated 1989



This one was made by Roxanne, I love the cinnamon sticks for legs.



This one was Dorothys, the little mouse is made from felt and it was amazing she made all those clothes and everything!



This one was made and painted by Sabina, she was a tole painter and made some really cute things over the years.



This ornament was china painted by Ramona, her and her mom used to do a lot of china painting. I got three of these for my kids that year, Missy wasn't born yet. The picture is of Jennifer



This is Judy's hand embroidered ornaments, she made 12 different ones all heavily embroidered that year.

Merry Christmas to all of my friends, both near and far, I appreciate how you have touch my life through the years.

Christmas Traditions Day 2

The truth be told, ok I am confessing here, I was inspired to do this daily traditions postings after visiting a special persons blog. She is such an amazingly talented person and although we have not met, although I did try, she inspires me with her amazing art and wonderful recipes that are perfectly displayed on her blogs. Yes I said blogs, she has a art blog and a food blog. I don't know how she finds time to cook the way she does and paint but she not only manages it but she excels in both. Her blog is never boring or dull but full of entertaining musings and insights that keep you begging for more. Picture from My French Kitchen

Thank you Ronell for being my inspiration once again. Check out Ronell's French Kitchen blog for a wonderful Christmas tradition that her family does on Dec. 1. I think it sounds wonderful, I may have to add it to ours. I would love for her to come during the holidays and fix me some of her wonderful treats like that picture of white chocolate panacotta and dark chocolate mousse. In the US we need to use a conversion table to make the recipes but it is well worth it. For an added treat check out Ronell's Art blog called Africantapestry for her wonderful sketches of her beloved France. While Randy and I were in Paris this year we did try to visit but the timing didn't work out and we missed each other. We are determined to try again!! I look forward to spending some painting time with her as she creates her magic.

December Traditions

This month I thought it would be fun to share Christmas/holiday traditions that we all have during this time of year. I will be sharing some of our families traditions and I will be sharing other peoples traditions with links to their blogs so you can share the season with other people around the world. If you have anything special please let me know so I can post it and share a link to your blog. I will also be posting ideas and projects.

Every year I like to paint my cards, I paint one painting and then send it out to have cards made. It is a way to personalize the holidays for me and I get to share my artworks with family and friends. I start early, usually October so I have time to get them printed.

In the USA it feels as if Christmas has started to encroach on all the other holidays, I even saw decorations for sale at the end of summer! I know its all about moving the merchandise and not about the meaning of Christmas. So my family decorates for fall, pumpkins and leaves, gourds and sunflowers. We don't allow ourselves to decorate for Christmas until we have finished with the Thanksgiving celebration, remembering the importance and being thankful is the best place to start the whole Christmas celebration.

We usually start to decorate the weekend after Thanksgiving. Filling the house with decorations and a tree. I usually decorate outside too, our yard has a outdoor fireplace and room that is lovely during the holidays.

We fill the fireplace mantles with bows of greeniery and lights. Hang stockings and I love to set up my villages low enough that the grandkids can come in and see them. I have a ice skating rink in the village that has skaters that dance around thanks to a magnetic turning motor underneath. But the kids think they are skating. The fireplaces all have fires and the house is full of Christmas music. I love this time of the year, when all the popular singers are singing Christian music!

So here we go into December, I hope you will check in often to see what new things I have found to share. Send me your links or traditions so we can all share together.

Christmas Presents III

Another perfume bottle, these bottles are so small and cute! I haven't tried any of the fragrances yet but I will.

Christmas Presents II

Jennifer got me a box of small Ralph Lauren fragances, which I love. Each one is in a unique glass bottle. This is the first one, called Notorious, fitting for the New Year!

Family Traditions

We have lots of family traditions that surround this time of the year. Some are silly and some are more serious but we all love them. I continued things my mom started in an effort to make Christmas special for us when we were young. She was raised on a cotton farm in Alabama with 14 brothers and sisters. Their family was very poor and they didn't have much. It was so important to her to do special things during the holidays that would make them extra special and she always made all our dreams come true. I have added my own things to her list and one of the things I added was a Gingerbread House party. I started it when the girls were young, maybe 11-12. Although it has evolved throughout the years it basically was, I supplied the houses and invited moms and kids to come and decorate a house to take home. They have to bring 2 bags of candy to the party that will be shared by everyone. At the end I hand out ballots to vote for the most original, best candy etc and there are prizes plus they get to take home their decorated house. I loved this party, I always let the girls invite their friends and I invited some of my friends and it was a house full of kids, candy and the wonderful smell of gingerbread. This year, my oldest daughter, Kim had the party at her home. I handed it off to her this year as it seemed more appropriate for her to throw it for her friends who now have their own children old enough to enjoy it. She carefully asked if she could do it this year and I knew it was time. For myself, it was a bittersweet moment. I was so thrilled to see her love it so much she wanted to keep it going yet sad that I would not be hosting it anymore. I passed the baton and she did such a great job. I got to help decorate and make the royal frosting and she got to get all the oooohhh and awes over her home and the party etc. It felt so good to see her shine, its her turn, its her time. I guess that is part of growing older, learning when its time to take a step back and watch as the reflection of ourselves continues. She will make it her own special yearly event and it will evolve her way and I am so excited to watch! Here are some pictures of that day, I was the photographer and I love the faces of the younger kids as they are still full of wonder and amazement in anticipation of Christmas.