Well, today is February the 5th, but you sure wouldn't know it if you were to guess by the weather we are having here. Not that I am complaining or anything, but my local weather station is forecasting a high of 84 today, so I guess my air conditioner will be getting a good workout.
Speaking of workouts, my studio could sure use a good cleaning.
It's a mess (mainly my fault), and pretty dusty, but for some odd reason, my DH has assumed that it also doubles as a storage facility, or what I like to call "The Graveyard."
I call it that, because it's where everything that we don't have a specific place for, or what I like to call, "all of our junk," goes to die.
Anyhow, he decided a while back to "temporarily" store his appliance collection (don't even ask) in MY studio. "Temporary" turned into almost 2 years later, so I've decided that today, since it's so nice outside and all, is the day that it will finally all go away.
Wish me lots of luck, because I'm gonna need it.....lol
After getting all of those appliances out of the way, along with all of the other junk that has been collecting dust there, I will have a LOT more room, and then I'll be able to build myself another 2 torch workbench!
As you can see by the following pics, my daughter and niece have teamed up, and have attempted to take over my dry erase board. The dry erase board which is supposed to be for my work. The one in which I (attempt to) write my monthly schedule.
It will be dutifully erased today.
And every once in a while, I will post pics of my progress, so you can see the transformation.
This man truly inspires me unlike any before him, and he gives me hope for the future.
It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation.
Yes we can.
It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail toward freedom.
Yes we can.
It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness.
Yes we can.
It was the call of workers who organized... Women who reached for the ballots... A President who chose the moon as our new frontier... And a King who took us to the mountaintop and pointed the way to the Promised Land.
Yes we can to justice and equality. Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity. Yes we can heal this nation. Yes we can repair this world.
Yes we can.
We know the battle ahead will be long, but always remember that no matter what obstacles stand in our way, nothing can stand in the way of the power of millions of voices calling for change.
We have been told we cannot do this by a chorus of cynics… They will only grow louder and more dissonant ……….. We’ve been asked to pause for a reality check. We’ve been warned against offering the people of this nation false hope.
But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope.
Now the hopes of the little girl who goes to a crumbling school in Dillon are the same as the dreams of the boy who learns on the streets of LA... We will remember that there is something happening in America... That we are not as divided as our politics suggests... That we are one people; we are one nation... And together, we will begin the next great chapter in the American story with three words that will ring from coast to coast; from sea to shining sea –
While browsing You Tube a few months ago, I discovered a wonderful folk artist named Suzi Blu who produces instructional videos/tutorials, or what she likes to call Art Playshops, and then very graciously shares them with the world on the internet.
The video that caught my eye, and made me inquire further, was a video called, "How To Keep An Art Journal."
Now, art journals are nothing new to me, I remember creating, and keeping them throughout my childhood, but I must admit that I have slacked off quite a bit in the art journal keeping department since then.
But after seeing these series of videos from Suzi Blu, I have been inspired to start doing it again, and I just had to share my discovery with all of you.
I showed it to my daughter, and now she is keeping an art journal too! We've turned it into a mother/daughter activity, and are having a blast doing this together. I highly recommend this for everyone, as it is extremely inspiring, and so much fun to do!
Thanks so much to Suzi Blu for the inspiration, and for giving me a fun, new & creative way to spend time with my daughter!
You can check out her auctions on eBay at this link. And you can watch her whole series of videos here.
Thanks again Suzi Blu, and Happy Journaling everyone!!
Lampwork Source is an on-going project that was created by a good friend of mine in order to provide a directory of information for the glass art community, so that anyone can locate glass resources around the globe with just a click of their mouse.
Now how awesome is that???
For example - Let's say you are traveling to California..... You could click on CA on the interactive map and see all of the information the server has in that specific area.
To check out the site, you can click on the banner above, or just click here. If you've already decided to get listed, you can just go directly to the Sign Up link to be listed for FREE. Yes, I said FREE!!
If you don't see your favorite teacher, studio or vendor listed, then please send them an email with a link to Lampwork Source.
A name with a link of choice is 100% FREE!!
Please don't hesitate to pass this info along to your friends & colleagues, if so desired.....it is very much appreciated!!
Just remember, you can't beat FREE when it comes to exposure for you & your work!!
Knowing how talented she is, I highly recommend this book, and I plan on buying a copy for my personal collection.
Becky is a very friendly, sharing and kind person, and she also happens to be an extremely talented artist, who has made appearances on "The Carol Duvall Show" many times.
And don't forget to read her blog! She writes about her adventures in crafting, as she lives in Suwon, South Korea for 3 years.
It's an excellent read, very interesting and entertaining. And if you are half as fascinated as I am about art and learning about other cultures, you'll absolutely love it! Congratulations Becky!!
I have been reflecting on my life quite a bit this past weekend, and I have decided, that since I've been such a good girl (not an easy thing to do all of the time....lol), and have worked so hard, for such a long time, that I deserved a little reward.
Well, to be perfectly honest, my list has more than just one little reward....
So....as of today, I promise myself that I will treat myself a LOT better than I have been treating myself, these past few years.
I will start by doing something that a very good friend of mine suggested I do...... I will start by putting myself first (for a change), once in a while. I plan on accomplishing this by doing the things that I have always wanted to do, but never got a chance to do, or haven't done in a very long time.
It's that simple.
I may not get to do it all this year, but you can bet the farm that I will put a big dent in it (my reward to do list) before this year ends.
Yes, I am very determined to be good to myself.
OK, so here goes.....
I will finish the design for my full back tattoo, and I will get it done (tattooed on my back) sometime this summer.
I will get my nose pierced. I will either buy myself a new sports car, or a custom built Harley Davidson motorcycle.
I will take a trip to the Florida Keys, and lay on the beach all day, drinking frozen margaritas & relaxing.
I will take a trip to Tennessee, to see some old friends.
I will see Jonny Lang, The Counting Crows AND Ben Harper in concert.
I will focus more on my glass beads & my jewelry work. (Yes, that is a reward) I will allow myself that pleasure.
I will enjoy my family more.
I will enjoy the company of my friends more, I will smile more.
My house, and studio are set way back off the main road, so I have a really long driveway.....over 300 feet long. On trash day, which is today, I don't carry the trash barrels out to the curb, because in all honesty, that would probably kill me..... And that's what pickup trucks are for.
Anyhow, when I drove the trash barrels down this morning, I couldn't help but notice that my neighbor's horse, who I like to call "Houdini" escaped his corral yet again, and decided to graze for a while in the ditch in front of another neighbor's house on our street.
Today being trash day & all, I was very concerned about the little guy getting spooked, and possibly injured by the HUGE garbage truck that usually drives like a bat out of hell down our road, and then picks up our trash. So because of my concern for him, I stayed with "Houdini" until his owner came to put him back in his corral.
Here's a couple of pics I took while he was grazing in the ditch....
Maybe he just couldn't resist getting out & about on such a beautiful day. Or maybe he had a hankering for some ditch grass. Who knows? I can't say that I blame him, because it's absolutely gorgeous here today.... PERFECT weather for torching!
I hope that everyone has a GREAT Weekend.....because I know I will!!
Well, 2007 is finally over, and I am breathing a big sigh of relief, because I am so happy that a new year has just begun. For me, it's a time for new beginnings, fresh starts, and a new outlook on life.
2007 was a very hard year for me, as it was for many of my friends, and loved ones. Among other things, I had been taking care of my in-laws, both in their 80's, when we lost my mother-in-law on December 2nd, due to advanced Alzheimer's Disease.
The past few years have been hard, the worst being this past year, because she was in the last stage of the disease, and was completely dependent on us for her care. Alzheimer's turned our lives upside down, and it was a horrible thing to go through, helplessly watching someone you care about suffer with such a slow, cruel, and debilitating disease, while it slowly killed her, robbing her mind of all of her precious memories, and her body and soul of her dignity.
As the disease progressed, it took up more, and more of my time and energy, and I found myself putting my life, career and business on hold, in order for me to be able to care for her.
Now that her suffering is over, and she is no longer with us, I am slowly getting my life back together.
A very dear friend of mine, and fellow artist Vonna Maslanka, has also suffered a tremendous loss this past holiday season, when her beloved son Jonathon passed away. I cannot even imagine how I would begin to deal with losing a child so young, and my heart breaks for her. And although her loss is terrible, and she is in a great deal of pain and grief, she has bent over backwards to make sure that I am doing ok. Her strength, courage, and compassion for others truly enlightens my soul. And it motivates me to do more....to be more....and to live my life to it's fullest potential. She is truly an inspiration, and I am so grateful that she came into my life. And so my new year begins, with lots of work to catch up on, and many obstacles to overcome. But I do so knowing that I have the love, and support of my family, and my very dear friends.
And a girl can't ask for much more than that. In Loving Memory Of Nana January 28, 1924 - December 2, 2007
In Loving Memory of Jonathon December 26, 1986 - November 30, 2007
