UPDATED: The end of the road....blog hop, sale and more!

Final Destination Blog Visit!


Our last and final blog destination belongs to and this is the final location where you'll find the last TWO words left in our secret word collection.


Pick up the last two words here.
Bring ALL your secret words here.

CLICK HERE FOR THE SECRET WORD

All Entries will Close May 5

Winners will be Announced May 7 at : ArtfulGathering.com

Hello Friends...well this is the last blog hop post and it ends with our very good friends at Jerry's Artarama, so if you've collected all the secret words, this will be your final pick up point where you can submit to enter to win an awesome gift certificate to our favorite art store!! Read on for more details. At the end of this post I am also including some very special reminders about things I have going on so don't miss out on all the goodness!!

Winners will be drawn at random through random.org. One winner will be chosen to win the $200 e-card gift certificate to Jerry's Artarama, and two winners will be chosen at random to win a $25 e-gift card to Jerry's Artarama.

Please leave all the necessary contact info with your secret words in the moderated comment section of Artful Gathering's Hop Page.

Thank you so much for hopping with us and we look forward to seeing you at Artful Gathering 2012. Special thanks to Jerry's Artarama, Artful Gathering's prize sponsor of the blog hop event.

Good Luck, and thank you for playing!


***********

Maybe you're getting Spring fever and wanting to unleash your creative juices....maybe you are looking for some new techniques to try out or some familiar ones to brush up on....maybe you want to enjoy an art class but you can't get away to go to one.....you're curious, you are talented, you are adventurous, and have a desire to learn, grown and be all that you can be. I can help you with that!! I am offering 4 online classes currently over at Creative Workshops and they are now on sale for $20.00 off the list price!!  This offer is a LIMITED time only offer, good now thru 

April 30th so don't delay, stop by today and sign up.

Oh did I mention that all classes are open ended and available 24/7.  This means you can work at your leisure, you can finish your projects in 6 weeks or you can finish them in 6 months...whatever is best for you!!

To purchase the classes , click on the links here:

Fun with Faux Encaustics

Artistic Journaling Your Way

Let's Face It

Fearless Faux Encaustics

Hope to 'see' you in class!!!


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Today is the last day for my 20% off discount sale in my Etsy shop...so if you have your eye on something today is the day to pick it up!!

Stop over to see what's going on at Sweet Repeats Studio Shoppe  

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Don't forget, next Saturday I will be showing my new work at Springfest in Southern Pines, NC from 10-4.  The festival is located in the historic downtown area on both sides of Broad street...with over 150 vendors, there will be something for everyone (especially in my booth!..lol....I've been working really hard to fill price points at every level so my art is accessible to all...hope you come out and take a look!!)

Till we meet again, may your life be a "Sea of Love" hope, happiness, and gratitude...

Grab a cup of Coffee and Come Join Me in My Studio~

Stop over to Stacey Merrill's Art Snark's Artifacts for a little tour of my Studio!
And...enter to win a $25.00 gift certificate to my Etsy Shoppe!
Thank you Stacey for inviting me for a visit in your fun studio series!
While you are out visiting links, be sure to stop by Stacey's Etsy shop as well and enjoy a delightful assortment of mixed media art from this talented individual and dear friend that I admire :) Enjoy!

Spring Journey: Mixed Media Work In Progress

All I can say is wow--my blog readers are the best. The last couple of posts have really brought out some raw emotion, true sharing of feelings and experiences-it's been heartwarming to read through all your comments and share a few moments of your life. Thank you to those who stopped by and entered my contest and left comments about how art and creativity has helped to heal you! I am always amazed at what connections are created through blogging and the online community. The world seems much less smaller when you find ways to connect and glimpse into the lives of those who may be miles and miles away, but are close in spirit and experience.



Okay so who is my winner of my artful goody pack, chock full of items to get your creative juices flowing?? Well, I picked a number through the random number generator and the winner of my contest is TRISHA T! Funny how things work out, I met Trisha not too long ago at a local shop where she works (which just happens to be one of my favorite shops in town). She's also an artist who just started her blog recently. She had the good news that she is going to be in an upcoming Stampington issue featuring one of her pieces. My little town is full of creative peeps in every corner. I never realized how much so until I joined the Carolina Mixed Media Guild and started to connect with other area artists. Since that time, I've made many new friends that have a lot in common with me, primarily, we are all passionate about the creative process and leading a creative life. Anyway, I digress, please visit Trisha and give her some beginning blog love-encourage her to post some of her work!!! I'm not sure Trisha can use anymore art supplies, she probably already has a ton of her own but it's always fun getting different items, at least that's how I feel! Just because I have a ton of supplies, it doesn't stop me from visiting Michael's or Jerry's ....or stopping by Etsy, Ebay, or any number of online shops! I'm an addict (to art) that's for sure!



These are some work in progress pics for my newest painting, Spring Journey. It's a 30 x 40 piece that is really turning into one of my favorite pieces. A few posts ago, I had a call for ideas on colors and my friend Jeanne had a suggestion that just really stuck with me.

...pink, white, black, and lime green.....perfect. Bright, bold, and springy. Good vibes will come to those who see my painting :) Thanks Jeanne for the suggestion!


I already know this month will be chaotic for me as I am preparing for my first ever show, April 25th---or rather, my first ever OUTDOOR show. I am driving everyone nuts that is helping me with it...lol.... That's just me, I stress about things A LOT. Did you know that about me? I tend to worry myself to pieces over things I know I can do so why I get so worked up about it, I have no idea. I guess even though I know I can do it, I fear failure despite my competence. Doing a show was on my goal list this year, so at least I can cross that off. Completing a large piece a month was also on my list and this is my first one for the year, so you can see how that's going. I just have not had the time to devote to really large pieces like I wanted to. Maybe the last 3/4 of the year I'll do better on that front.

How are your New Year resolutions going?? Is it time to do a check in and see where we are and if we are on track?? (I'm raising my hand and nodding head....ohhh yes, I need to do that for sure!)

Thank you again for all that have stopped by over this last week, for your comments about my friend's tragic death and for sharing your stories of artistic triumph. I have truly enjoyed your thoughts and messages.

Upward and onward!

New work and February Winner!

Here's a sneak peek at a project I just finished for the Carolina Mixed Media Guild. The project itself was a stretch for me because although I do use several different elements in my pieces, mostly they are paper and medium related, this project included about a bazillion seemingly unrelated pieces. Our challenge was to put them all together into a work that represented ourselves (or our art style). In the end, I found that by taking a leap of faith and jumping outside of my comfort zone, I was able to find new ways to grow in what I do. I may not continue to add a lot of artifacts in my art, but I'm definitely going to look at the possibility ephemera holds in adding new dimension to my work.

What else have I been doing this week? Over the last few weeks I've been working on opening a new bank and FINALLY we had our opening Monday. Phew. What a project but it's been fun. It's been stressful, and it's still in it's infant stage but I finally feel like I'm on solid ground again and focus on what I do. That's a good feeling.

Personally, well....as many of you know. My stepmother passed last week and that's definitely been heavy on my heart. It's tough when some you love and care about pass away. She will definitely be missed. Thank you again for all of your thoughts and concern. It's definitely been a great source of comfort.

Artistically, as you can see from the above picture, I've been immersed in the guild project. In addition to that, I had a custom order I finished this month, then I signed up for my first art/craft show in April. There's no turning back now. It's going to be something I either sink or swim at doing. I think the biggest thing I worry about is my display. I don't have anything to display with..lol...so I'm fearful I'll go out and spend a bucketload of money on display fixtures and then make zilcho on the show. I need to find out if I can buy anything used from someone that no longer does art shows. hmmmm. I'n going to try to have fun with this and not get worked up and stressed out about it. Anyone that knows me though, knows that it's in my nature to throw myself into what I do but to also STRESS OUT about it at the same time..lol. I'm trying to change but....it's hard to teach a 40 year old dog new tricks!!

Question of the post: Have you ever done an art show/craft show and what did you use for displays?? Any tips you wish to pass on to me for a successful show?

Last but not least, I used the random number generator to pick one of you artfully talented and wonderful Sweet Repeaters from my February giveaway post and the winner is.....ta dahhhh:

Shara!! Whooooohoooo
Shara happens to be in a group of my first bloggedy blog friends I met online a couple of years ago. Since I first started visiting with Shara on her blog, I have been in awe of her thrifty talent, heart warmed by her generosity and, entertained by her wonderful story telling ability.

Her prize? A $25 gift certificate to my Etsy shop and a free print!

Congrats, Shara!!

Now y'all answer my craft show question and then go visit Shara!!

Life is Good---read on!

Life is good :)

I have been blessed to be published in the new Cloth Paper Scissors (March/April) issue! I'm really excited to share this new piece which unveils one of my signature techniques with a bit of a twist! Be sure to check it out next week when it arrives on the news stands!

In addition to the article, a few of my tips and prompts are sprinkled throughout some of their new sections! I'm so excited :) This is the last article I have submitted so I need to get busy so I can meet my goal of being published a few times this year.

I'm loving all the comments in my last post about what you LOVE, it's so fun to get to know all of the Sweet Repeaters better! Speaking of getting to know each other better, I was asked to participate in the lovely and uber talented Chrysti Hydeck's 29 days of giving feature she has been doing on her blog. In doing so, I was interviewed and offered up 3 GREAT prizes, one of which is an ORIGINAL painting!

Go and check it out here and let me know what you think :)

((My February giveaway is open until the 25th so if you haven't signed up...whatchya waiting for???)))

CMMAG Interview--check it out!

I'm excited to share this interview I did for the Carolina Mixed Media Guild for which I've been a member of for a little over a year. This group has a huge pool of wonderful mixed media artists. I'm honored to be a part of such a diverse and talented group.

Thanks Michelle for doing the interview with me, it was lots of fun!!

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On the creative front, not much going on this week. I've been struck with some sort of flu bug that has left me pretty much useless. It came on all of a sudden but when it hit, it felt like someone took a sledgehammer against my chest and then hit my head for good measure! I even missed my beloved First Friday at the Artist Alley.....wahhhh...that's one event that I've grown to enjoy with all my local artists friends. We meet monthly, share goodies, network, and then often meet afterward for dinner and or a drink. Always lots of fun and many laughs.

The good news is that I did have a chance to meet up with several of the gals over at Nanette's for another creative Art Play Night--a tradition I think we are going to keep! Check out the fun!

Penny, Nanette (our lovely hostess with the mostess), Amy and Kathy all enjoying some wine and creative time

My project for the evening--working on some Valentine ATC's. The hearts are made from from some cool fabric paper I made with a combination of fabric, tissue, paper, paint, stamps, stencils and more. Lots of fun :)

Hope you have an opportunity this week to share your creativity with the world :)

Flexibility and Structure are the Secrets!

What AWESOME comments left on my last post which was a call for YOUR time management and organizational tips. I was able to get some really great ideas from you all and I'm sure I can come up answers to my 'homework' question for my local art group at our next meeting :) Thank you!

Well....wait no more, the winner of the signed copy of Cloth Paper Scissors is:
Carol B...or Queen B as she is known on Etsy.

What secrets did Carol share for this contest?

Here is her comments:

"The trick I couldn't live without is my LIST. Every Saturday or Sunday, I start my list for every day of that upcoming week. I only add things on a particular day when I can tell I will have time for it. If I have a double header baseball game and vet appointment and bills to pay on one day, I know I better not ad much extra when there is laundry, housework, extra errands and every day stuff to do. Every week I "try" and save just one day where I don't add much at all, and that is the day I know I can either play catch up, or just completely throw myself into whatever I want to do ( etsy, creating, shopping, whatever). The feeling of scratching things off my list as I accomplish them is so relieving. My mind is chaos without my list, but when I go to bed at night and everything is scratched off for the day that just ended, I cannot tell you what a relief it is. KEEP A LIST!"

Thanks Carol for sharing your thoughts! And thank you to everyone that took the time to stop by and give us all some great tips!


(((New original art, "Home is Where The Heart Is" 12 x 12 on canvas"
So many great ideas, I really feel that they all could be tailored to my life in one way or another.

I really like the idea Cathie shared about having a massive cleaning 'date' that's on Thursday of each week. While tired by the time all the chores are done, her and her husband are able to enjoy the weekend without having mopping and laundry hanging over their heads. What a great idea!

I also feel that Jean hit the nail on the head as far as letting go those things we are never going to use or never going to wear again---with good intentions all things were bought or kept but the a only service to us now is a bunch of clutter and create stress with the feeling of obligation we have to these items..we should be doing something with all items (supplies, clothes, vintage collections, books, trinkets) but are not. Letting those things go out of our life that we no longer need is a lot harder than one would think but worth the peace of mind we achieve for doing so.


I had to stop and think about whats STOPPING me from having organization in my life or having a handle on my time and I came up with this list:

*Clutter
*The feeling of being overwhelmed (not knowing what to do first with so many things begging to be at the front of the line)
*Time or the lack there of
*Money (if only I had storage, or a bigger place, or more closet space, or all the organizational bins that I really need....I'd be so much better off)
*Direction (what are my priorities, what should I do first, what needs to be done verus what I want to do)
*Distractions (ummm computer distractions, tv, email, to name a few)
*Having no one to turn to but myself to help me around the house or yard
*Unrealistic expectations I place on myself


So I've been thinking about what I need to do to fix these things based on your comments and my own realizations and I came to a few conclusions:

1) I need to set boundaries on myself. While I don't have a lot of free time, I have more than others but that's not always the best of situations as I find that the more time I have, the more unproductive I can be. Truthfully, I need to set a schedule for myself. A schedule with flexibility so if something comes up I can attend to it, but overall more structure.

2) A list is a must. This is one thing I do utilize. But, I need to utilize it in a calender format. I love keeping a journal as a list but then I don't have a calender to reference for due dates and upcoming events. Having something I could keep a list with but also make references on the calender would be ideal. Does such an animal exist??

3) While on the topic of the calender, what i think I need to do is look at things on a monthly basis and schedule what I need to schedule at the beginning of one month or end of the previous month. The schedule needs to be updated every week on Friday for the upcoming week, then I can adjust each day as needed.

4) I need to really think long and hard on when I want my creative time to be and reserve that time for ME. If this is going to be my dream and I"m going to see it to fruition, it's going to need enough time to foster and develop so I can achieve my goals. Am I a morning person or night person? How much time can I dedicate to this endeavor?

5) Rewards vs Obligations: Right now, my reward is art time but I've been rewarding myself a lot more than fulfilling my obligations of keeping up my house which has caused the most stress for me. It's overwhelming to me to do it all. To be responsible for it all...so I don't or rather I do only enough to get by but it still adds up eventually---as does the stress! Anyway, I need to say to myself, you can do this AFTER you do this. Reward myself but still keep my obligations under control. Whats that word?? Oh ya. Balance!

6)Prioritize. I got myself into a schedule bind because I was working on a February project when January one was close to being overdue. What's wrong with that picture? I need to prioritize in all aspects of my life.

7) Respect. Your family, mine, need to respect the fact we are artists, crafters, writers, and we need our time to develop our craft. Respect for our endeavors is imperative to our success. Respect without the guilt trip laid on us. Assistance with the family chores, kids, car pooling, whatever should be shared responsibilities. I'm not sure who I'm going to share my responsibilities with...lol..but it's something I'm going to insist upon if a 'someone' should come into my life.

8) Flexibility--schedules need to have built in flexibility. I would not follow one that is so rigid and scheduled down to the minute anyway. I just know me. Know yourself and your own limitations or tendencies.

9) Limit the excuses. I'm pretty good about this one but I see it sneak in my vocabulary here and there and they just need to go away. I really that if you constantly complain about something, that's time wasted on what you should have been doing in the first place. Take action and limit the excuses. Yes ma'am!

I'm sure I'll think of more down the road. We'll see how this works out. I'm 'flexible' if it doesn't :)



**Carol send me your addy via: johl3@windstream.net so I can mail your prize out to you!

Stay tuned for a couple cool interviews I had with some great art/blog pals!!

*This weekend, I'll announce my February giveaway, don't miss it!

If you are on Facebook, join my fan page!!

New Directions and the January Sweet Repeats Winner!

Here are your random numbers:

6

Timestamp: 2009-01-10 13:12:12 UTC

And who is that???

None other than the Uber Talented and Charming, Kim G of Persimmons Gal!
Kim wrote for her greatest accomplishment in 2008:

"Jodi it has been a treat watching your art career grow to new heights!

My greatest accomplishment this year was pulling of a community festival that brought about 8,000 people downtown...Sputnikfest. Also getting published.

Happy New Year!!"

I've had the pleasure of getting to know Kim over the last year as we are involved in a great group called Metsy together on Etsy, as well as her and I working on a collaboration of sorts with several other artists that we are hoping to promote come this Spring (stay tuned). Kim has a great Etsy shop herself, full of wonderful creations of a variety of artful mediums, from paintings to jewelry and everything in between.

Congrats Kim on all of YOUR accomplishments in 2008-you are one of kind, beautiful, generous, and an all around courageous person!


One of the items on my 2009 list of goals to achieve is to learn how to use photoshop. I've played with a few of my archive pics and wanted to show you this piece. I took a regular photo of the train station in downtown Southern Pines, NC and added a layer of color, 2 different pieces of digital ephermera, and messed with the opacity and the result is the transformation of our dear train station into a old world picture, romantic, dreamy and truly unique! Lots of fun! ((Mind you, this took me two hours to do, so maybe next time I can speed up the process now that I have 'sorta' the hang of how to merge layers and control the settings.

What is that you want to try to learn this year???


Last but not least--thank you all for helping me get off my pity pot this week! I should have thicker skin than I do--and sometimes I do, but when it comes to something so personal, I guess my defenses were down and my skin very thin. I'm over it and ready to move upward and onward. In fact, I have a special project I'm working on coming up for early spring that brightened my day, I'm working on 2 custom orders, embarking on entering a new gallery in a new part of the state this weekend, and had an ephiphany of sort for a new line of paintings to come (not sure when but soon).....so, perhaps getting knocked down a bit was good. It forced me to readjust my thinking, look for new directions, and listen to my heart. Thanks for being the whispers that allowed me to forge ahead!

Question of the post to reveal:

What is that you want to learn in 2009?

I loved hearing your greatest accomplishment comments, so lets keep em going!

Art Play Night in Aberdeen, NC

***Thank YOU for all the encouraging comments regarding my latest feature in Cloth Paper Scissors, I sincerely appreciate all your support and inspiration you've provided me in 2008! Here's to a 2009 that brings great things to all who dare to dream :)***

It's been great having some vacation time this last week. I've been able to do so many things I normally don't have time to do at the house. Don't get me wrong, going on a cruise or a trip to some island getaway would have been nice, too, but sometimes it's good to just decompress and relax in your very own nest and not have to do much.

Yesterday was a good example of doing what I normally don't have time to do. On a whim, I asked some of my friends who are all wildly creative themselves to come over to my humble abode to join in our first at home Art Play Night. Above is some of the treats we munched on before we started to get our creative groove on.

And then out came the supplies (including some wine and some really good creamy rum/eggnog but not really drink that Nanette brought). Pictured from left to right, Amy, Nanette, and Nancy. It was very cool to sit around with some girlfriends and work on our projects together and just talk about what our goals were, what we've been doing with ourselves, laugh a lot, and really just enjoy the company.
I've come to realize that I've shut myself up in a cocoon for way too long. I used to be a social person way back in the day but somewhere along the way, I turned into a workaholic who had no time for friends nor any inclination on how to make friends in a strange town other than those I worked with. Back at home in NY which now seems a lifetime away, I had oodles of people I grew up with, went to school with, hung around with--but moving far away and not having those connections or support system...well, it has been hard for me to find my way again and have those same relationships I had back home.

As we talked away we pulled out our projects for the night--here's Amy's adorable pendants and earring bases she assembled from an assortment of her painted papers and canvases. They are adorable!!

Each one is unique and lovely as the creator herself :) Amy has a shop on Etsy which you can click on and is an established mixed media artist who's art is in Artist Alley in Southern Pines as well as several other regional galleries in North Carolina. Amy has been a great inspiration to me and is a totally giving and supportive as anyone could ever be.

Nancy brought some of her beads and completed these lovely necklaces--the beads and stones are so versatile, you could virtually wear it with any color. She had a lovely butter cream yellow sweater on last night and the stones just radiated off of her shirt. Nancy and I used to work together for 7 years until this year (actually in November) when she started a shop in town this which showcases her unique and one of a kind floral arrangements, custom jewelry, and various other local artisans wares, in a funky store called 'Twas Brillig' in downtown Southern Pines. (Please stop in the shop on Broad Street and say hello if you are in the area)! Despite leaving behind the comfort and security of her job, Nancy is happier and more at peace than she has ever been. I am soooo proud of her for taking this leap UPWARD!

Nanette worked on a WAYY cool project using felt to create this lovely fox--I've never seen felting completed in person. I was fascinated by the process. To see strands of fiber magically take shape into first a "turd" then a "ball" LOL until waloah, it turns into a fox...well, it's just extremely intriguing! Nanette is an extremely talented fiber artist who quilts, sews, knits, paints and combines all of these processes in unique works of art that invite you to touch and discover the layers of love put into each piece. Nanette also has a variety of items at Artist Alley as well as teaches several classes at Linderella's Quilt shop in Pinehurst (a modern fabric and fiber shop over in Olmstead Village). Nanette is the backbone of our local group, she organizes get togethers, leads a local group several of us are members of, makes sure that we all are involved and connected whenever possible, and is just an all around caring and sincere person who I'm so happyI've met and connected with.

What did I do? Well, you know my magnets that I make? Well just before Christmas a potential client emailed me and asked if I could make some in a larger size on wood. I didn't have time to complete them before Christmas but since I've been on vacation I worked on prepping the boards, layering on the paper and cutting out the hearts so last night I assembled them and added some fun touches to the pieces. I'm not sure which one if any my client will want but so far they are turning out adorable! I think my favorite is the one in the center with the journaling behind the heart. It's just a stream of consciousness journalling of things "I Want"...I want to be creative. I want to be inspired. I want to believe. I want to dream......and so on....so many things I want in life. I could have gone on and on if the wood was bigger...LOL. Anyway, just a few more details and then add the hangers and they will be done. Simple but so sweet and inspiring.

So there you go. Art Play Night in all it's glory. Something that I think we should do more of. More so, its the connections and bonds that are fostered when we open ourselves up to being around people that raise us up in our own journey. We all benefit from being around positive, happy, inspiring, caring people.

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Next post I'll delve in to some of my plans for the new year and talk about my new 'Theme' for 2009. While I will have goals and resolutions of sorts, I'm going to intrepret them as a theme for how I want to live my life this next year.
Stay tuned for more details!!

*****
Last but not least--I'm having a little sale in my shop for the next couple of days--

$10.00 off any of my original mixed media paintings in this category:
Mixed Media Originals

Check it out and see if something you've been eyeing up is available!

Happy New Year!

Show and Tell Christmas Edition

It's show and tell day at Sweet Repeats!
Paper Heart Earrings from Amy Smith.

Awesome spread at our Carolina Mixed Media Guild Christmas Party! This is just a portion of our wonderful spread staged in Viveanne's uber fabulous studio.

What's a party without some wine, dip and crackers??

Would you look at Viv's fabric and bins?? Did I say her studio is fabulous? Creativity and inspiration in every corner!

Examples of our Ornament swap that was held Thursday evening. No two were even close to being a like. So many wonderful creations by all of our mixed media artists!

Had to show Jeanne's hostess gift--gotta love the ta-ta's on this naughty gingerbread girl..LOL

This closeup courtesy of Amy's delightful budding artist and son, Adam!! LOL

Here's the ornament I received in the swap from our other Jean, jewelry designer extraordinnaire!

Love the swirly at the bottom and detail on this piece!

It doesn't get much cuter than this, a fabulous ornament from a longtime blog pal and part of the 3 musketeers of Goodness Girls of our Sweet Goodness Swaps, Miss Heidi!!

Delightful prize I won from Gifts of Creation--2 sets of note cards! Big thank you Magdalene

Super Sweet ornament from Rebecca, another LONG TIME pal and fellow Goodness Girl. Love the vintage shadowbox ornament!!

Last but not least--here's a picture of my new piece hanging up at a local shop in downtown Southern Pines. It's always exciting to see your work hanging from a store wall. I love it!

***

Lots of goodness everywhere in my world. Thank you friends!
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Hope everyone is fairing well in their Christmas preparations. For me, this season has totally snuck up on me. I haven't done nearly the amount of cooking, decorating, and shopping that I normally do-but there again, I have done a lot of other things that are working towards my artistic goals. There's not enough hours in the day to do it all. In 2009, I hope I become better at organizing my time and achieving everything on my list. I do accomplish a lot, but it seems like lately I chase my tail more than anything..lol.

Oh well, nothing that half price martini's can't fix tonight ;)

Hope the rest of your week is full of creativity and inspiration!

Shop Local, buy Hand Made this Season!

Just in the nick of time for the holidays--new prints in my shop, ACEO (Art Cards, Editions, and Originals in the standard size of 2 1/2 by 3 1/2). My prints are adhered to matte board for additional stability, printed professionally on Kodak Endura Lustre paper.
Each of the prints are only $6.00 and include FREE SHIPPING for the holiday sales!

As a part time working Artist, I would like to encourage you to buy hand made this year for the holidays.

If you are looking for some deals 'ala' Black Friday style, check out some of our Metsy team members shops for some great specials for the 4 day span of Friday thru Monday after Thanksgiving.

Or perhaps the thought of shipping turns you off from shopping online--check out these shops highlighted on the forum thread on Etsy that will be offering FREE SHIPPING.
When I signed up, I believe the thread was on page 17 or so--now there's over 70 pages and counting of sellers offering this tremendous value!!

If you are a bargain hunter, then no doubt you should check out these shops for even MORE DEALS--again, I signed up near the beginning of this post and now there are 900 pages worth of sellers offering free gifts, discounts on many unique and one of kind items. Perhaps you have someone hard to buy for or you are wanting a treat for yourself--Etsy is the place to shop this season!!!

In the mail this week, I received a special treat from a blog contest from dear Magdalene , a lovely person and wonderful artist. She sent me 2 (not just one--but 2!) sets of her beautiful note cards of her paintings. They are absolutely wonderful. I haven't had a chance to take a picture of them yet but please take the time to visit her shop, Gifts of Creation or blog and say hello!! I will get a picture up this week to show you how lovely they are.
A great big Thank you, Magdalene for picking me out of so many entries!!

I can hardly believe Thanksgiving is almost here. I woke up today in sheer panic. I hadn't done any food shopping, hadn't made a cohesive list until yesterday--had no idea what I was making or who was coming over, the house wasn't clean enough to have guests over, I had 25 magnets sitting on my table waiting to be finished, 25 ACEO cards prepped but not finished, these prints that needed to be cut and adhered to matte board, pictures to be taken, scans to be done of the finished product, regular prints that need to be listed, 3 originals that I'm working on for a new article that is due next Monday and just barely started, 2 orders that need to be sent out next week, another grouping for my Winter in NY set that needs to be finalized (scanned and signed and sent over to the store), a meeting on Tuesday night, cooking to be done, not to mention my regular day job and mothering that is built in---oh my. I am not well...lol. I have been sleeping maybe 3 hours a day lately.
I got up at 4 am to start on all the above projects and I'm happy to say I got the majority of them done so I feel better. ACEO's are listed. Magnets completed. Cleaning done. Pictures taken. Grocery shopping done. 3 originals started. Article started. I even managed to cook today. Haha.

I'm trying my best to keep up and do things right for everyone and myself but it's not easy. If I haven't replied to a message or visited your blog lately--please don't take offense, I will be back to normal soon. I have one more show that I'm featured in on December 5th at Flynne's coffee shop in Southern Pines. She is featuring an artist in each of the genre's she has in her store and having an Artist Reception to induct her new gallery attached to the shop. I'll be representing the Mixed Media category. I want so very badly to have several new pieces to send to her so that's my last big push after this article is written.
If you are in Southern Pines, NC on December 5th--please stop by Flynne's on Broad Street, downtown Southern Pines, NC from 5-7 for a great show of local talent!! I'd love to meet you!

Okay so everyone, wish me luck. I hope I can keep up on this pace for the next couple of weeks. No matter how tired I am, I am no where near as drained as I was when I worked retail during the holidays!!!! Perhaps that's where I learned the trait of endurance?!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!