Dear Friend

Good Morning sleeping person,
I sure hope you are still sleeping because I can't. So I'm up at 5am (3am for you). I really really planned to stay in bed today but my brain just started up anyway weather my body wanted to or not and so I at least waited until 5:00 to sneak out.

I was thrilled to have a "good morning" from you waiting. I usually try to be real quiet ...no finger talking....this early because it even seems too loud for me so early but I wanted to write and not do what I sometimes do....think I will come back in just a short bit and answer back and then 5 days go by.

The paella tradition sounds great, mouth watering and amazing. Wish I could sample. I don't think I have ever had it (the real thing) here but I had the real thing when we went to Spain so many years. Oh my, what a memory that is. Our group went up into a little village that was near the coast. I remember the winding gravel road up the hills to get to it. We could see it from a distance because it shined like a jewel. They surely had white-washed every building just the day before our arrival and we arrived early in the morning when they were still mopping the streets. I swear they were. You know how the houses/buildings are right up next to the narrow streets and every balcony has beautiful flora cascading from it. We did various activities (very touristy) and then lunch was this wonderful, aromatic, amazing dish they called paella. This Texas girl had never had such a dish where chicken, fish, pork, shrimp, mussels, bones, shells and all were served up. Oh my!

I am so glad you told me about your new outfit and evening out. I have been wondering ever since the day before and thought I was going to have to ask. Sounds like it was perfect. I'm glad you know how to go out and take care of yourself with a new outfit and even jewelry for an outing rather than like me, making do with something from my closet only to get to the event and feel so utterly out of place, embarrassed, wanting to crawl into a hole or just melt away. I recently did something like that where there were all women and I will not talk about it except to say, all I could think about was that I truly am or could be a recluse and be OK with never having to go into a group like that again. Which is really how my DH feels and I sat there thinking that after nearly 50 years, I had turned into him.

But it sounds like one of those kismet things where you were just meant to be and meet these SF artists! It is amusing, not funny amusing and not a surprise that someone would pay you that compliment. It is true. Wasn't that a great time to get to actually talk about art with a new person. What a visual, you sitting there perched on a bar stool chatting away the night with art talk. I hope you will be able to meet up with them again. Do they have a web site? I'm curious about what kind of art. Are they both French? Did I just assume that?

I guess a belly full of paella and beer will put you to sleep no matter how bloody the movie is. Sounds like it was all good and also good that you had control of the off button. Will there be cooking again today? It is cold there now and did you have any snow? I think our weekend is suppose to be nice...maybe rain on Sunday. I have so much to do out in the yard but I'm afraid I won't get to it this weekend.

Yes I finished recording the class last night. I have been keeping up with the initial editing of the clips. So I plan to sit this weekend and do the final editing which means I will sit and watch it all from start to finish and make notes about supplies, as well as write the instructions for the sewing part. etc. Do you mind if I just make my to-do list here instead of on another piece of paper? OK, I knew you wouldn't.

1. Make final decision on the name of the class: I'm thinking just "Tree Castle Apron" with a sub-title of "a face painting, mixed media, fabric collage project" .....that's just all I can come up with and sometimes I think naming the class is the hardest part.
2. Final edit of all (or at least three-quarters) of the videos.
3. Final supply List
4. Class description
5. Record short promo and photograph close-ups to go with that...edit and post on blog, Viemo, Youtube and Ning.
6. Write the sewing directions to go with pattern PDFs
7. Take breaks while the videos are converting and get the studios back into order because I am ready for a burst of inspiration.
8. Set up Paypal button for class.
9. Get "lecture hall" ready for the class at Ning.
10. Start uploading the videos to Viemo. There are over 20! (This is a monster class)
11. Finish a bit of the stamping on the class apron sampling.
12. Photograph the apron. I was thinking it would be so cool to have a little runway show with the apron. It is so cool! I want to ask a couple or three of my friends to let me record them (or take still shots) modeling the apron. I could use that in my videos somewhere. OK this just added another 6 or 10 hours to my weekend. Will have to think about that.
13. Get the class listed on my Ning "main" page and ready for registration Tuesday.

Well, I think I will stop with that. I'm sure more things to-do will come to mind when I get started. And if I can possible manage, I will bless the floors here and put away the Christmas stockings and Christmas tree. I think I should get that done before March. Or not.

Going now to START.
Hey did you ever notice that "art" is in the word start? And also did you ever notice this.....SharonTomlinsonART = START.
Gonna be one of those days when my brain will not stop talking to me.
Have a great weekend.
xoxo ♥ sharon

A Gift from Donna

I hope this has happened to you before.

Out of the blue on a perfect day when I was feeling frazzled,

I received a package full of the most beautiful hand made,

sweet sweet hearts and flowers along with little bundles of vintage lace and tatting.

I'm thinking the tatting and doilies were made by Donna too.

I know you want to see them closer.

Oh my! This .....leaves me speechless.

Beautiful tag. I'm going to use is as a book mark in my inspiration journal.

She calls these little puffs "attic flowers".  Isn't that the coolest!

Donna doesn't have  blog but she does blog hop.

Thank you Donna for hopping past my blog and thank you from the bottom of my heart for sending me such a thoughtful gift.  

If you've been around my blog from the beginning, you might remember that I have a thing about using new possessions (ASAP) immediately. 

Otherwise, I might be tempted to hoard thinking they are too pretty to use etc etc.

Well, don't you think this little "attic flower" is the perfect embellishment for my Apron Princess.

Speaking of Apron Princess....my new class is almost ready to start registration.

Here is some more unofficial information about the class.

I plan to open for registration March 1st.

The cost will be $75.00

The class start date will be March 18th or 25th (not sure)

and

I will have an "official" class description with photos at the time registration opens.

It is going to be a fabulous class and you will love love love it!

Thank you Dear Donna and All of my 500 Dear Dear Followers for stopping by.

I love knowing that you find what I share interesting or helpful because you know how I love to show and share.    

♥ Sharon

Tree Castle E-Course

I'm wanting to share even though I might not be really ready to do that.  The fact is when I'm working my ever spare moment on a project, I miss the time blogging and sharing and showing and telling.

So, I'm going to show (as it is) and tell anyway because you see, I get to make up my own rules.  I can share with you here what I'm up to even though I haven't written the "official" class description.

You've no doubt figured out that I'm working on a new online E-course.  My delay has been the fact that I have new camera. Well it was new last August and I am just now becoming friends with it.  I mean really good friends.  In the above picture, can you imagine me straddling the tripod and painting?  Yep, you are going to be amazed at this view of my demonstration.

Don't you know it will be about face painting!   If you love painting faces, you will love discovering one more medium to paint with and one more substrate to paint on.

But this is more than a technique class.  It is all about function and beauty inspired by this apron and this apron .  I will guide you in making a beautiful functional apron that will inspire you ever time you put it on to do your arting and crafting.

Until I get an "official" class description written, i can tell you my Tree Castle Apron class is a mixed media class including painting faces, fabric collage, sewing, and even journaling.

I think you are going to love it!
♥ Sharon

Ice Day

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

I took an ice day yesterday.  Soooo fun to be at home on Wednesdays.  Unfortunately, the ice is over with and here I am back at the desk-in-town.  That's OK because I started my Valentines while at home yesterday and today I will add the finishing touches to them here at the desk.

♥♥♥♥♥♥

and pop them in the mail

some will make it on time and some want

(love all these eyes)

And then I played with painting on muslin.

More about that soon.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Sharon

Good Moring Zorana

Hey Hello my friend,

All day yesterday I meant to show you my new walk path.  Yes, the weather here was beautiful and I did go for a walk.  We had snow on the ground Friday and I stayed home from the office for a great and productive three day weekend, but as you can see the snow is all gone now.  I put on my new mud boots because I could indeed encounter mud in this pasture that is bordered by the creek on two sides.

As I start walking here, and go through the gate, I am reminded of this Navajo Prayer that I recently discovered.

Walking in Beauty
In beauty I walk
With beauty before me I walk
With beauty behind me I walk
With beauty above me I walk
With beauty around me I walk
It has become beauty again
Today I will walk out, today everything negative will leave me
I will be as I was before, I will have a cool breeze over my body.
I will have a light body, I will be happy forever, nothing will hinder me.
I walk with beauty before me.
I walk with beauty behind me.
I walk with beauty below me.
I walk with beauty above me.
I walk with beauty around me.
My words will be beautiful.
In beauty all day long may I walk.

Through the returning seasons, may I walk.

On the trail marked with pollen may I walk.

With dew about my feet, may I walk.
With beauty before me may I walk.
With beauty behind me may I walk.
With beauty below me may I walk.

With beauty above me may I walk.

With beauty all around me may I walk.

In old age wandering on a trail of beauty, lively, may I walk.

In old age wandering on a trail of beauty, living again, may I walk.

My words will be beautiful

So here is my starting point with the gate to my back. I walk straight to toward the dark clump.

and turn and walk to the next corner

to another corner and turn

"I walk with beauty before me"

"I walk with beauty above me"

I could hear the flock of blackbirds that were passing through.

I turn at the third corner.

When I get to the gate,

I walk it again and again and again.

Yesterday, I walked 4 laps which is almost a mile.

Today, I will walk again.

♥ Sharon

PS....until I memorize the Navajo Prayer, I will carry a copy with me to read while walking.

It feels so spiritual.

Cut Hem

I'm still at it and having great fun.

♥ Sharon

PS....it is cold down here in Texas