Giggle

Nice Day

I stayed home.

Sometimes when I figure out why I think I want to do something, then I don't need to do it. That sort of happened. But there were lots of other reasons too.

Actually, it is a good thing I didn't get on the road as I seem to have stomach bug. I really think it is because I have been on antibiotics for so long (ear) ........ohhhhhh there is a beautiful woodpecker at my bird bath.

Sorry, I wish you could have seen him.

The baby wrens are hatching.

I got a new stamp the other day. So I used it just now. Maybe I can show you more tomorrow.

I have also been playing with my new computer, my monster printer, and trying to teach myself a little photoshop elements.

Having said that, I am going to list some prints tonight. They are going to be real deals. Because today while I talked to the monster printer, I tried several different Epson papers as well as different sizes of prints. Nothing too consistent about the paper and print sizes that I will be listing. Eventually, I hope to be more consistent. I am deciding which paper I like the best and which sizes work best with each piece of art.

I am also going to list, "Night Letter", "Sisters Reunion", "Good Enough Friends", and "Stringing Dreams and Memories" originals. I guess I better get to it.

Enough for now,
Sharon

So Much

.....to show....
She kept flying out of my hand. Look closely and you will see her tiny little feet between my fingers. Now, look at your hand and you will have a vision of how tiny she it. Or he. Before they flew the other day, I had to try to get another picture where my thumbs weren't flying.

Can you guess where this beautiful little nest is? If I tell you it is a beautiful little house wren, would you know it is about three feet from my back door and under the bbq grill in the charcoal catcher thing. Needless to say, we haven't had steak for a while.
Seems like it has been a while since we had a visit. Maybe not. But it wasn't that I had nothing to show...and tell. I seemed to have a problem because I had so much. I didn't know where to begin.

Remember the treasure hunt last Friday? This is just a few of my 25 mile antique alley finds. Look at my 1908 Sears, Roebuck Catalogue. I wish I could fan the pages for you to see all the wonderful images. Just pure inspiration jumps out at me.

And this one is for you. Go ahead copy/save/print it with my permission. That is if you like and and feel inspired by it. I sure would like to see what you create, if you do.

And did I tell you about my desk? No? I didn't think so. It's just and old oak desk that I have had in the garage at least 12 years. I wanted you to see the faux finish I did to it with spray paint. It's now in my studio and I am so happy to at last have a place to sit comfortably and paint. I first spray painted the desk with a red. Then I used an old broken candle and rubbed all the edges before spraying again but with black. As soon as it was dry, I used an old sock and rubbed the edges to reveal the red. Love it. And oh my if I had realized how much drawer storage I was getting, I would have finished this project long ago.

Next.

My friend Rella swapped with me. She made a beautiful paper fairy that I lusted for. So she made me one too and I sent her one of my paperdolls. Love that stamp that she used. Notice she sent me a sheet of cardstock that she has stamped the image three times. InSpiRatioN!!! hit me the moment I saw it.

Faerieluna is so clever. Can you see the faerie is held in a slit in the card. Love that. You can click on the pictures to check that out. She is one smart Faerieluna! Thank you my friend.

Look at this sweet little birdie from Paris. My new blogging friend LouLoupi sent this to me. I'm going to send her a little something too. Don't you know I will show you when I get it done.

I love love it. Thank you. Oh yes and when you visit LouLoupi, browse her gardens....beautiful.

OK, here is one last treasure. Can you tell what it is? My friend Susan and I bought the whole lot. Cheap. This is my share. Now, what can we do with them. They are glass (a few plastic) domed clock faces. Just one of those treasures a person can't pass up.

OK, it is 9:30 and I haven't made a decision about tomorrow. We had a storm pass through here this evening and I'm ..... thinking .... ????? Well, OK, if my Etsy shop is empty, you will know that I have deleted the items to take with me. It not, it means I didn't go and will be adding more to the shop Saturday evening.

I can't believe you read the whole thing.
Thanks,
Sharon

My Hands

We Can Fly

6 x 6

The box of chickadees are about to fly.

As a matter of fact, their maiden flight may have been yesterday.

Mr Wingkeeper helped me with this photo Saturday.

I visited again on Sunday after painting this to see if I could get photo with three of them in

my hands.

I couldn't keep them in my hands

because

they kept flying to the ground.

and

Mom returned with a juicy fat green worm and was not a bit happy with me.

*****

This is another poppy painting that I plan to take to Georgetown's Red Poppy Festival Saturday.

However, if I can stay off the couch tonight, I plan to list some prints at my Etsy Gallery.

I hope you will watch for that.

****

Now, I really must get some desk work done. So,

Enough for now,

Sharon

Sisters Sharing

Stringing Dreams and Memories

12 X 12

There is a story in my head about these sisters. But I just can't seem to say it right now. It is about how the sisters each have dreams as beautiful as butterflies. Of course they still carry the memories they took from the big house. They meet near the poppy garden to share dreams and memories with each other. With a beautiful poppy colored silk ribbon they take turns

Stringing Dreams and Memories.

Enough for now,

Sharon

A Beginning

More "Sisters" in progress. I can't stop myself from showing. If I snap a photo....you get to see it whether you won't to or not.

Excited that our internet guy came this evening and we might be fixed for a little while. It's working!!!!!

Will be out of the office tomorrow so don't call for any insurance and there will be no art-at-the desk either.

My junkin friend and I are going to the 25 mile treasure hunt thing. And if you see me and I have an armload of old books, remind me that I don't need anymore right now.

I'll be back Saturday with more of the above painting. It's going pretty well and I'm about to get back to it.

Thank You Etsy shoppers....for shopping. And Thank You again blogger buddies for all your commenting. I have tried to get back to each of you but with my puter here on strike, it has been slow. If I missed thanking you, give me another chance.
Enough for now,
Sharon
Sharon

Thank You

I want to say Thank You and Thank You again for all of your beautiful comments, encouragement and support on my last post. You just don't know how much I have enjoyed reading and reading again all that you have said.

I didn't plan for it to take me this long to start listing my gallery on Etsy. I found many obstacles to keep me from doing that. I admit, it was very hard to do but I have started.

So, "Twins" shown above was the first to sell. I'm celebrating.....with a few tears.

Here is my plan. I still have a few that I haven't listed partly because I ran out of time today here at the office. Since I'm still having internet issues at home, I don't expect to list anymore today. I am holding off on listing the larger "sisters" paintings until I can get better photographs of them. I am going to show at my Daughter-in-laws shop in Georgetown at the Red Poppy Festival the last weekend of this month. Therefore, on Friday, April 25th, I will delete the listing from Etsy so I can show them in Georgetown. Then when I get back, I will relist them.

In the meantime I have another in the works but I have been diligently reorganizing and cleaning up my studio. More on that later.

Enough for now.

Except Thank You so very very much!

Sharon

Big Project

Have you wondered what I do with my finished canvases? Someone ask me not so long ago and here they are. Cluttering my table and floor.

I'm on a new mission to clear off the table and floor and do a little changing around in my studio. That is my on-going mission that led me to the "big project".

This big project has been stewing in my head and for a while. And I can tell you exactly when and how this pot was filled. I was reading Kal Barteski's blog and in this post in mid February, she said this, "Normally, I find it hard to let paintings go - they're my babies. I really do. But, I'm literally running out of room and I'm really loving the idea that all things you let go - just take pieces of yourself to different places and that's cool."

Yes, ..."pieces of yourself to different places" struck a cord with me and. That's how this started and I even wrote that down in my inspiration journal. It was like permission. I needed.


A few days later on February 20th Kal wrote this, "...And yes, I hang the artwork - I breathe the artwork. It's wholly and completely mine...AND when it leaves I sort of enjoy the dull pains in my heart because I know is was something that meant something to me..."

Wow! another profound statement.

That is how and when and why I started thinking about.....

BIG GALLERY PROJECT

I have a place for a gallery right here at my office, so that was no obstacle.

I needed to come up with a way to hang "the artwork" so it can become

"wholly and completely mine"

before I

send pieces of myself to different places.

Here is what I came up with:
Purchased a plank of 1 X 2 lumber and collaged some music on it.

Then I chopped is into 3" blocks.


24 of them to be exact.

Next I just picked up any scrap of leftover napkins and papers and collaged them.
Added a stamp here and there and some text on some.

I sealed with Mod Podge and used a little brown ink on them to unify.

I added 3M picture hanging strips to the backs.
You see, my gallery wall is concrete block and I didn't want to use nails.

So what I did was stick these little collaged blocks up to act as a little shelf

for the gallery wrapped canvases to hang on.

Cool yes?

You see, when one is removed (read sold here)
the collaged block can be left in place and waiting for my next painting.

There is my gallery. I should have done this long ago.

Next, I'm am going to list all my paintings on Etsy ASAP.

But not today.

I will let you know when in my next post.

Sort of related to all of this is the fact that my home computer is having Internet issues and so I'm having to work around that.

Enough for now,

Sharon

Watching

You wanna watch?

Like over my shoulder?

Yes? Well, sit quietly.

Started with plain paper transfer (above).

"Watching Shadows"

10 X 10 gallery wrapped canvas

Things don't always end up like you think they will.

Also, I must be going to finish this tomorrow as I have dated it so.

Enough for today,

Sharon

Watching Shadows

I'm just checking in. I have three projects progressing and three more waiting on the front burner. A new painting titled "Watching Shadows" will be finished today...I hope. It really has nothing to do with this picture of a view out my bedroom and studio windows. What a beautiful day we are having. I'm wishing an ARTful day for you.
Enough for now,
Sharon

All about mail

This one winged out of here yesterday.

I wanted to show how I used an already-been-used stamp. I cut the lion out and collaged it behind the envelope window. Cool.

I have been accumulating a few of the security envelopes and they are fun to use on mail. I know they would be fun to use on a journal page too if I could ever find time to do a journal page. Maybe this weekend.

This weekend. Yes. Many missions on my mind for this weekend. I'm not going to list them but surely will show if accomplished.

This envelope and the one shown in Monday's post were inspired by .......................
*********************************************************************************

.........This mail
Check this out. Mail from Deryn Mentock. She has used her two newly carved stamps to make this beautiful envelope. She also enclosed some really cool stuff. You know stuff. Stuff to glue and paste down. Just click on the link to visit Deryn's page where she shows the beginning of this very envelope. Also browse around to see some really cool jewelry that Deryn makes. She's another Texas girl. Yea! Thank you Deryn.
*********************************************************

Next.......

I received this fun bit of mail from Joanne. Fun mail with a few goodies inside, some of which I have already glued down. Scroll on down to see my new "desk dawg". She said she was inspired to make a "paper dawg" from our paper doll session earlier this year.

Thank you Joanne for my new desk dawg. W are having so much fun as you can see.

Enough for now,

Sharon

April Fool

I showed up for work today....but so far all I've done is mail art. That's a pretty good April Fool joke...don't cha think? I didn't get finished in March with my mail art. So, I'm still at it. Have some to show you that I received too. It is really cool but I didn't take time to photo yet. Cause I'm at work. And I really should do a little work.

Enough for now,

Sharon