The State of My Work Table

Okay, I admit it, I haven't done anything art related in weeks. I would say that I have wanted to, but if I really did I would have cleaned off my desk and made the time. I can say that I have wanted to want to create. Instead I have been trying to get caught up with all the other things around the house and yard. We are also considering moving closer to my husbands work. His commute would be cut from an hour to around ten minutes. Plus we desperately need a larger house. Six people, arts and crafts supplies, and lots of hobbies in 1350 square feet just isn't working very well. We'll see what the summer brings. For now it is time to get disciplined and finish up my water quilt for this weekend's reveal.

Home Again

This is my lovely family, enjoying the sunset at Point Pinos, near Monterey, CA. The wind was cold and the jackets were back at the hotel, so we made due with towels.

We arrived home last night from six days in California and over 2000 miles in the car. After a rather rough start--think car sickness, migraine, trying to sleep in the car--we had a wonderful time in Monterey. The west coast was suffering through a heat wave, which made the weather perfect at the beach. We played in the waves, went to the boardwalk in Santa Cruz, visited the Aquarium and enjoyed each other's company without all the distractions and to do lists of home. For some reason, the camera always seemed to be back at the hotel or in the car. I just can't seem to remember everything.

Now it is back to the real world, and hopefully I will have time to create soon. Maybe when I tackle the mountain in the laundry room and restock the refrigerator.

The Tide is Turning

I feel like I might finally be emerging from the chaos and mental funk. The last month has been marked by snow in mid-April, a broken water heater, a trip to the emergency room and a dead opossum in our garden, along with the regular challenges of life. The kids are recovering from the flu and we have a vacation planned for late next week. I finally have hope that life will settle down to a manageable level of chaos and we will have some fun again. (I'm a little afraid to put it in writing though! That old superstitious me coming out I guess.)

My creative time and focus has been a little limited. I did have a bit of energy to make some bookmarks. I love how they turned out. As a hopeless fiber girl, the ribbons and yarns satisfy my need to touch and stroke something soft. I love the way they cascade out of a book. And I don't need to worry about loosing the bookmark in the covers of the bed when I am reading at night. The painted watercolor paper gives me a chance to play with color and the messy nature of paint. I don't usually paint with a brush. I like to use a scrap of cloth and really spread the paint around. Then I also end up with some fun fabric to play with too. Finally the plus sized inchies let me sew away with fabric and thread. The only things missing are thicker embellishments. But I thought beads, buttons and wire wouldn't be the best things to put inside a book.

On another possitive note, I applied for a business license yesterday. Now I can write all these craft supplies off on my taxes! I would really like to make and sell more, not necessarily for the money, but for the joy of creating. Right now, I'm just kind of fumbling along, but I am trying to be easy on myself and take my time. The part I hate is marketing and selling. If somebody else would just do that for me, I would be a happy camper. I have a feeling most artist probably feel the same way. For now, it's baby steps.

Trying to Recover My Sanity

The last couple of weeks have been the type that make me question if I have what it takes to be a good mom, homeschool teacher, and wife, let alone friend, artist or any of my other roles. I've been in a mental funk and the kids have been being kids, no desire to to their school work or think of others. On top of the daily grind, my oldest daughter fainted last week and we took a trip to the emergency room. Now her and her sister have a nasty virus with a high fever. I'm just waiting now for the rest of us to get sick.

On the positive side, I did sign up for Artfiberfest in Port Townsend next October. I am so excited about a three day, four night break just for art. It should be the perfect preparation for the craziness of the holidays and a long winter. My husband is also very willing to send me off to other classes or retreats. The old saying, "if mom's not happy, noboby's happy!" is very real in his mind and he is very anxious to not be reminded of it again.

Through all of this I have been trying to do a little creating to improve my spirits and regain my sanity. These are a few mini, 2"x3" quilts that I have been working on. I'm hoping to paint some frames soon and get these into my etsy soon.