IF - Popularity

Although J.R.'s audition was the best, everyone said it was 

his popularity that landed him the lead in the school play. 

On opening night, J.R.'s amazing performance proved

he was the best choice for the part.

* * * * *

The Process of Creating J.R.

I'm going to be creating a bunch of robots in the near future for a project

and this little guy was my first attempt to see if it fits my style. They will likely

 change but J.R. wanted to help me out with Illustration Friday.

Recently I was asked about my process so I decided to snap some 

pictures as I worked. 

Also, to answer the question of how I come up with what I create... 

I am a visual thinker. Ideas are vivid pictures in 

my mind - they pop in my head fully formed. Many times

they show up with a name and a story.

The final piece may change, especially if I am 

creating for a client, but the first draft is always what I see in my head. 

Here is the beginning sketch.

I do almost all my sketches with a Steadtler Mechanical Pencil.

I use ranges .3 - .7 and use .5 the most.

Below is J.R. after inking and making adjustments.

My favorite pens to ink with are my ink well

& dip pen and Y&C Permawriter II. This

was done with the Permawriter and it works

well on paper with a rough texture. Very smooth

and doesn't catch and skip. 

I did this one in watercolor so the next step

was to mix the paints. The colors I used were

a slate blue mix, a terracotta color 

mixed with a dark violet and

a bit of the slate blue mix for the rust.

Adding the first layer of color.

Watercolor was a hard medium for me to learn

because of its hard line effect. Took a while to learn

to soften those lines and make the colors blend. But now

I love it - probably my favorite medium for illustration.

Most of my work is done in an All Prima style and

 not in layers of washes. Looking to do some video of my 

watercolors in the future.

More color. Almost there but not quite. 

Needs a few more adjustments before

I can call him finished. And I need an actual

scan of the final image instead of a 

quick snap with my phone.

(Final image is at the top.)

Thanks for stopping by and I always enjoy your emails and comments.

IF - Twirl

Pickle loves to twirl in her new ballerina outfit.

Color, Pattern, Texture and Design

Everywhere I go I see color, pattern, and texture that I can incorporate into my work. I have a large collection of photos I've taken over the last couple of years that I use for design reference, and I thought I would share some of my reference library with you. Below is a small sampling of those photos and more have been uploaded to the Pattern & Texture page.  Also check out the new Color tab as I will be adding color schemes that catch my eye. (see tabs in menu bar or links below). Enjoy.

Pattern & Texture
Color

Parrots in my back yard!

Parrots at the bird feeders in my back yard! 

I apologize for the poor quality of the pictures. I took them through my window 

(um... and looks like I need to wash that window... ick). 

I 've never seen parrots in this area and was quite surprised to see so many of them all at once. They were on every feeder! Just gorgeous! I got a bit worried that they had escaped some warm home and would freeze this winter so decided to see what I could find out. It seems there are large nests around Dallas and one is located at White Rock Lake near my home. The parrots live on electric substations and the substations generate enough heat so they can live outdoors year round. I hope they come back to dine at my feeders again soon.

Hand Illustrated Designer Artwork/Clipart - New In My Etsy Shop.

I wanted to share my new art kit now available on Etsy. Hand illustrated, designer artwork/clipart available in digital format and is perfect for invitations, baby journals, scrapbooking, greeting cards, and much more.


This artwork is a perfect addition to your baby's keepsake journal with illustrations for waiting for baby, baby shower, making a room for baby, doctor visits, going to the hospital, hospital call list, coming home, growing baby, baby's special things, first birthday. Great for shower and baby birthday invitations. 


There are many uses for this artwork as well as non baby type creations. If a piece of artwork is shown with text you will receive an additional piece that is without text. Check out my last post in my blog "IF-Round" to see how I used the clock from this set in a whimsical piece for Illustration Friday. I have also used many of these illustrations on my writing and art journal covers for my last show and they flew off the table into hands of their new owners. I'll be posting pictures of this years journals in the near future as they are listed in my Etsy shop.


Please click on the link below for further details.
Two Over Coffee, LLC

IF - Round

As the hands on the clock seem to go 'round faster and faster this time of year, make sure to take time for yourself to enjoy this beautiful season.

IF - Influence

Social media is a huge influence in our lives.
(Click to enlarge for more detail.)

IF - Imperfect

I'm very lucky to have wonderful relationships in my life. It hasn't always been this way. I remember times, in what seems like another lifetime, when a new friend or romantic interest would walk into my life and they would seem so perfect. Those relationships would be great for a time and then the new would wear off and all the yucky stuff would start to rise to the surface, and as it happens to most of us on occasion, some of those relationships ended badly.

I have had a few of the bad ones in my past and some have taken years to heal. But now that I am in a much better place in my life, I look back and am thankful for those people and those times. They are part of the reason I am in a much better place.  I gained strength and found out more about who I am with each and every difficult situation.

I now realize there is no perfect person or relationship and sometimes the most perfect people to have in my life are the ones who make me feel so imperfect, the ones where I have only 2 choices, to fall flat on my face, or gain strength and move forward. Sometimes imperfect is perfect because it's what is needed at the time in order to grow.

Digital Scrapbooking Kits in My Etsy Shop

Little Bit of Sunshine

(To see more detail click on images to enlarge)

Years ago I, along with a group of friends, would head to IHOP every Monday night to work on our scrapbooks. We laughingly called our little club ICROP and would drag in all of our bags and boxes and set up in a large private dining area and scrap for hours. Business was really slow at IHOP on Monday nights, and we were nice and left big tips for the wait person "lucky" enough to have our tables, so they put up with us. We would laugh and create beautiful pages, trade papers and other goodies, and best of all, we would dream of what we would do if...  It was wonderful fun and we ate lots yummy, greasy, fattening food. After we were finished we would pack up all of our supplies and head off with our newly completed pages for our albums. We did this week after week until life got in the way of our Monday night get togethers.

Over the years I have collected so many scrapbooking tools, papers, stickers, you name it, and I still love scrapbooking. However, I don't love the mess and can't imagine finding the time to pack up everything and head anywhere for a scrap meet. I even started to find it hard to find time and space to get everything out to work on my albums. So, when I found digital scrapbooking it seemed like the best of both worlds. Lots of stuff to create fabulous scrapbook pages but without the mess, and great online sites where you can share what you have created and chat about everything scrapbooking. I still like to pull out the boxes and bags on occasion but I am in love with the ease and limitless creativity with the digital process. And I am addicted to buying other's digital scrapbooking kits, as well as making my own.

I am now offering original scrapbooking kits and other digital art for sale in my Etsy Shop at Two Over Coffee. And if you would like to use any of my designs in your small business just check out the Limited Use Commercial License for sale in the shop and see if it fits your needs. This is great if you like to make cards or other paper arts that you sell in your online shops or craft/art shows and don't want to create your own papers and embellishments, or have to run to the store to buy them. Everyone seems to be time poor these days so every minute saved helps, right?

If you haven't tried digital scrapbooking and are still a bit overwhelmed at having to put it all together, you can check out the Premade Pages in my shop. Below is the one currently for sale. It is easy to use, just add pictures and text and your new page is finished. If you're not sure what software to use, there are many choices out there. Photoshop Elements is a great one and is inexpensive and user friendly. But any software that allows you to use PSD files would work. Many digital scrappers use Photoshop Elements and there are lots of tutorials online for this program and others.

So, whether you are a seasoned digital scrapper or a beginner, or just thinking about trying the process, I hope you will think of my shop when you are looking to fill your digital scrapbooking wish list.

Beginners... I warn you, digital scrapbooking is as addictive as paper scrapping, maybe more so. All the time you save by not having to set up, organize and clean up can now be devoted to making more pages for your albums. The supplies are inexpensive and can be used over and over, fixing mistakes is as easy and hitting the undo button, and clean up is as fast as shutting down your computer. Your finished pages look great and can still have that paper scrapped look with the addition of drop shadows and other fun digital effects.

Happy scrapping and paper crafting everyone! I hope to see you in my shop soon - it's open 24 hours a day.   :)

Two Over Coffee

IF - Remedy

A good remedy for the blues is a bouquet of fresh 

flowers and a bit of Sunshine!

Opening Doors

When I was a kid my older sister, by 10 years, was the coolest person I knew. She had the best room and the craziest friends and got to do so much more than me. We lived in an old house and the doors had the old skeleton key type locks. I would hang outside her door, peering through the keyhole, and watch her dance in front of the mirror, and put on makeup - that is until she heard me and chased me away. I thought it would be forever until I got to live the life I wanted... to be all grown up.

That same feeling stuck around even into my adult years, always thinking I'd find something better if I could just get through the right door, but feeling like all the doors are locked and I don't have the right key. But in reality those doors weren't locked, I just never tried to open them. I finally realized that the only way to get where I want to be is to turn the knob, open the door, and step over the threshold.

At the end of 2010 I decided to open some doors for myself by making some major changes in my life (scary). The biggest change... I quit selling real estate (which I have done forever) and decided to be a full time artist. It has been great so far and I just wish I had done it sooner.

I will be uploading more artwork in the near future. I have missed all my blog friends and hope everyone is doing well.

Take care!
Lainey

IF - Surrender

Surrender, Painty, and play with us

or things are gonna get ugly!

IF - Dusty

IF - Chicken

Stylish Blogger Award

Yea! The Stylish Blogger award has made it to my blog and I am happy to accept it from this wonderful person. Check out her blog when you get a chance. Being mentioned in her list made my day! Thank you Janet.

One of the things about me (extra bonus to the 7 things I will be telling you about - hee hee) is that I never ever do chain letters. I have broken every chain letter I have ever received... until now. This is an award/chain letter but it is totally cool (did I really just say totally cool). First of all it's nice to be named by another artist - made me feel very good. And I was super excited to find out what a wonderful way this is to network with other artists and find new blogs. So far I have a new Facebook friend (Love friends!) and blog subscriber (Hi, Susi!), and I found several new artists to connect with who I did not even know were out there (huge bonus). And its always good to have your blog linked in someone else's blog post because more people can find you that way.

I am really not saying all of this to get those I name to participate (well, maybe a little) because most everyone seems to be time poor these days. But if you do participate then I hope you find many new friends to connect with. Again, thank you Janet. And to those I do name, no pressure because I won't check up on you to see if you did this. But it will be nice for the people who visit here to find you easily by just clicking on your link. I enjoy all of your blogs and I spend many of my coffee breaks with you guys whether you know it or not (I will try to comment more so you will know it).

So, let's see... part of this process is to name 7 things about yourself that people don't know. I will do this and then I will add my list of blogs. Here are my 7 things:

1. I am an ovo lacto vegetarian (means I do on occasion eat eggs and dairy) and have been for many years now. I cheat when I go on my yearly trip to Cape Cod and will eat some fish (which actually makes me a pescetarian, for that week anyway). Yep, I feel a bit guilty when I eat fish. No, I don't push my way of eating on others. I would love to say I am thin and fit due to being a vegetarian, but no, I fight weight gain because I am addicted to chocolate, cake (love cake), cookies, and real half and half in my coffee with real sugar (raw sugar - yum). If I don't ride my bike and go to the gym regularly I will not be wearing my clothes and will have to go buy new ones (which is a problem and you will understand after you read thing number 2).

2. I hate to shop unless it's for art supplies or books. I cringe when I have to go to a mall and not crazy about the grocery store.

3. I don't want to go places where I have to dress in anything other than casual attire, preferably jeans and comfy shoes. So, I work at home most of the week because no one cares what I wear here (and most of the time I am in sweats, pajamas or yoga pants). But if I have to go out I will worry over what I am going to wear and won't leave without my hair done and full makeup.

3. I love going to coffee shops. Just the atmosphere makes me want to be creative so I make sure I have my idea journal with me when I go. Favorites in Dallas are The Pearl Cup, Urban Dog Coffee, and White Rock Coffee.

4. I had a near death experience when I was little.

5. I have a 35 year old cactus named Charlie. I purchased him for $1.00 at a flea market when I was a kid and I have had him all these years. Yes, I know he is a plant but I have had him so long he feels like family.

6. I am addicted to Pinkberry frozen yogurt. Coconut flavor with dark chocolate crisps and almonds. I keep sampling the other flavors but always get the same thing.

7. I can do a pretty good Miss Piggy voice.

Now I am supposed to add blogs that I would like to pass the award to. I think the rules of this is to name 1-15 blogs. I know I won't make all 15 due to my own time issues but will try to get close to 10.

1. http://chibijanine.blogspot.com/ A blog that keeps your interest. I always find myself clicking around this blog - it just flows well (trying to figure out her secret for capturing attention). Shows her process in many post and just good sharing.

2. http://debbiesartworks.blogspot.com/ A blog that always makes me smile - filled with whimsy and I love that she shows many of her sketches before she paints them. Makes me want to do this so am going to try to show more of the process in my work and not just the final piece.

3. http://bronsonhillarts.blogspot.com/ A blog I just started following recently and she has really interesting posts and I love her art - very colorful.

4. http://designsbylindar.blogspot.com/ Love reading her posts and her jewelry is just gorgeous!

5. http://dianesalter.blogspot.com/ Amazing mixed media paintings and a very unique style. The girls she paints are just beautiful and I love how she paints hair.

6. http://sungheereginahong.blogspot.com/ A very uplifting blog with a lot of beautiful artwork. She can take something I would never think would make a good art piece, like an empty plastic bottle, and will make a gorgeous piece of art out of it. Very inspiring.

7. http://lenaemay.blogspot.com/ If you haven't seen her creations, especially her caged fairies, you must take a look. This blog always makes me smile and she is such a sweet person.

Well, I made it to 7. So many blogs, so little time. I must stop here and wrap this up because I have a very long list of things to do. Please check out these blogs and follow them if you haven't already. Now, I am supposed to notify everyone that they have been named. I may not get to this part until tomorrow. (Yep, this is where I am going to mess up and forget to let someone know - sorry in advance guys!)


If you plan to participate, here are the rules.

- Copy the award and post it on your blog
- Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them in your post
- List 7 things about you that others don't know
- List 15 blogs that you would like to give this award to - does not have to be all 15 and can be anywhere from 1-15
- Notify all the people you list that the award is coming to them if they would like to accept it

This has been a lot of fun!

IF - Déjà Vu

I read somewhere that déjà vu is the universe's way of telling you to pay attention. Like a completion of a timeline and something important is about to happen - mile markers in the timeline of our lives. Something is going to be shown to you that could be life changing and you can choose to continue on the same timeline or you can move in the new direction. It could be as simple as something you see in a window that sparks a dream - you choose to live that dream or continue on without it in your life. So, when you get that déjà vu feeling, pay attention to what passes through your life shortly after. It could be something really good and you might miss it if you are not aware. Then of course there is the scientific explanation of déjà vu but it isn't nearly as much fun to think about. :)

IF - Resolutions

One of my resolutions for this year is no reality television. This will be an easy one since I don't really care for reality television. Thought I would set myself up for success.  :)

It's Hard To Switch Gears

I decided since it's a new year it's time for a new blog background so I spent yesterday working on that and playing in my art supplies, trying not to think about my holiday vacation quickly coming to an end. I have to admit that I had a hard time switching gears this morning. I woke up and really wanted to grab a cup of coffee and head to my studio as I have so many other mornings over the past week and a half. I always have a hard time getting back into the swing of things after time off. I am an artist who has a job. It's a great job and I do get to use my creative side quite a bit but it isn't the same as being in my studio. So, this morning I gave myself a bit of a pep talk and realized that just because I have to do something else, I don't have to stop being an artist (you think I would have figured that out by now).

Today I left the house still wearing my artist hat. I decided it would be like being on a secret mission (okay, yes, I cater to my inner child - and yes, I have to bribe her much of the time - and yes, my inner child likes secret missions). As I went about my work day I looked for art ideas. Even going through my massive stack of mail was more fun. I found some great color schemes and some new ideas sparked. Even dealing with angry people turned out to be a good source of inspiration (there seems to be a lot ot them out there right now) and some of these people will make funny cartoon characters. *laughs wickedly* All in all it was a good day and who knows what I will find tomorrow.

Did anyone else find it hard to get back to the normal day to day after the holiday vacation? What did you do to make it easier? How do you take the world around you and turn it into art? Please leave a comment or email me at Lainey@LaineyParker.com. I love hearing other people's stories and always appreciate the comments and emails I receive.

Art Studio Tour

I spent the week rearranging and organizing my studio and wanted to share before and after pictures.

BEFORE:

Although this space was functional before, having my art desk in the center of the room facing a wall was not the best for me.

AFTER:

I added a new shelving unit but still need to buy one more.

 I like having special things in my studio. This is a little step stool my dad made for me when I was little. It is also a tiny chair when turned on its side. Now I use it under my art desk as a foot rest.

 I still need to touch up the paint above the shelves and the trim still needs to be painted.

Much better with my computer in the center of the room and not in the back corner.

Never enough drawers!

This is one of my favorite pieces of furniture. It is an old Globe Wernicke bookcase that was being thrown away. It matches my art desk perfectly and I love having all my art books behind the glass doors. Mollie likes to display her certificates of bravery from the vet behind the glass on the shelf closest to her.

A little Mollie LOVE!

She is always in my studio when I am working. She has two favorite spots - on her toy crate just under the window and in her house under the art desk.

Let Your Dreams Shine!

I have been rearranging my studio and organizing my art supplies this past week (pictures to follow in the next post) and as I was going through old stuff I found the words above scribbled on a piece of paper with little stars done in colored pencil. I wrote this years ago when I was in my early 20's and thought it fitting for now.

Many people (me included) keep our dreams inside, eeking them out in little bits and then pulling them back in when we fear we have shown too much of ourselves, afraid of judgement and failure. But what if those dreams were brought out into the open and never pulled back inside, taking a risk just to see what would happen? Would being judged or failing be worse than dreams that never had a chance? 

I know I trade many of my dreams for security and I am not sure that makes me as happy as I could be. After giving this lots of thought in the past year, I think I would rather try to live my dreams to the fullest and fall flat on my face than to just be okay in my day to day. And who knows what security will come when my dreams are allowed to manifest - could be a much better and happier life. Art is going to take a bigger place in my life this year and beyond. I don't want my dreams floating around wishing to be born. I want them out in the sunlight and hopefully shining an extra bit of light into the world.

So, my new year's resolution is to start living my dreams and see where they take me.

May all your dreams shine

in 2011 and beyond.

Happy New Year!

Wishing you...

Depression and the Artist

"Fading"

(A page from my art journal)

I often wonder how personal a blog should be and if anyone even wants to read those kinds of stories. I rather like it when I find a blog that has a bit of a human touch to it (maybe I'm in the minority here). There are many things that happen to me that greatly affect my art, most of the time it's good, but once in a while it's something that makes creativity a bit more of a challenge. Since this is a personal blog I will, on occasion, share some of these stories here.

Depression has hit me time and again throughout my life but the darkest period happened in 2002. My world had pretty much crumbled around me and a big part of that crumbling surrounded my world of art. I went to bed and barely got out of it for months. Death seemed like a friend knocking on my door, and I really wanted to answer it. But, instead of that option I chose finding someone to help me deal with my depression. Actually someone I knew made an appointment and dragged me to a therapist, but I chose to go back so I will take some of the credit. I was totally numb, void of all feeling, by the time I walked into that office. My world was very dark, no color, no art, no tears, nothing. I am not even sure I showered that day or did my hair. It was a very long time before I started to feel anything again and what brought feeling back was returning to art and learning to use it to work through depression.

Although my depression was not cured, it does go away for long periods of time. And when it starts to come back I can almost always recognize it and deal with it immediately using tools I've learned. But on occasion a trigger will hit head on like a freight train crashing into me. It is unexpected and can knock my spirit right out of my body because it is just too much too fast. I find myself spiraling downward into darkness and feeling as if there is no firm place to plant my feet. At those times all the tools go out the window, at least for a while. This is where I've found  myself lately.

"Nightmare"

A picture of what the downward sprial 
of depression feels like to me.

 

My depression will often hit when I start to create after taking a break from my art. It has been this way my entire life. Does anyone else experience this? If I am creating on a regular basis then all is well but it is after a separation from my creative side, such as going on vacation or doing back to back shows (my life since the end of September) which takes me away from the studio - this is when I notice things beginning to change. When I get back to work the emotional roller coaster will start going again until I get settled back into my routine.

There are statistics that show a higher percentage of artists, writers, and other creative souls  deal with depression more so than other types of people. I even read that mental illness (don’t like that term) is the reason many artists are creative – that the creativity is the result of a problem. I don’t agree with that, not completely anyway.

Creative people spend a lot of time swimming in the sea of their subconscious while they are creating. Maybe many of us (not all) who suffer depressive states might do so because of our time spent in our subconscious where our life’s experiences are stored, the good, bad, ugly, and repressed (guess that would fall into the ugly category). While we are moving around in there trying to find a place to create from, we sometimes hit a dark spot hidden below the surface. We don’t mean to tread in the dark waters, it just happens. We may not even know it in the moment, but things start to change, the mood darkens and depression is close. I don't know whether creativity is the result or the reason of depression, but I do know artists who use their depression to fuel their creativity usually create some powerful artwork because it's full of personal feeling. I actually think I do my best work when I have deep feeling pouring out of me - good or bad. And I know when I am feeling bad, art has the power to heal.

Full on depression is where I find myself right now. Time to get to work I guess. So I open my "tool box" and choose art and writing to work through this time in my life. I will get my depression on the outside so I can look at it and change it. I will do artwork that shows exactly how I feel right now and will write in my journal. I will get some of my work done and have a sense of accomplishment. And tomorrow things may even be brighter. And if not, then the next day.

"Thought Storm"
The many thoughts that run through my head can be

overwhelming and sometimes paralyzing when feeling

depressed. Learning to grab just one thought and

work with it and let the others go has been a huge help.

I know there are many people who have a hard time throughout the year, and during the holidays can be especially difficult for some. Here is a list of what helps get me moving on an upward spiral. No, it isn't easy but it gets easier with every step and it doesn't take that long to make a big change in mood.

Journaling – writing, writing, writing. Just getting some of it out will help. Even if it is just writing that you feel bad, over and over and over. Get different colored pens to write with and try to pick a color that best expresses how you're feeling - or just assign a color to that feeling.

Art journaling – you don’t have to be a Rembrandt or a Picasso to do this, just some crayons and notebook paper is a start. Making random marks on paper is a place to begin and you may be surprised at what you come up with. You may find that some of your best art comes from a place of sadness and depression. And it can make you feel so much better.

Exercise – boosting serotonin through exercise is another fast way to lift your mood. Try to get outside for a brisk walk or a bike ride. Or open the blinds on a window and do a workout in the sunlight. Turn on music and dance freestyle. (Don't laugh - this really helps.)

Rest - get on a good sleep schedule. Try to recognize when you are tired. Artists will often burn the midnight oil when having good creative flow. This can wear you down and make small problems seem much bigger than they really are.

Aromatherapy - Lavendar, Jasmine, Peppermint, Rose, Sandalwood - these are a few uplifting scents. Find a lotion or an essential oil, even a candle that will fill a room with a scent you like.

Therapy – Seeing a therapist is nothing to be ashamed of. This was the best gift to myself and it changed my life. I would not hesitate to go again and know this is always an option. If you are having an issue with money there may be free or low cost services available to you. Call your local place of worship or community center. Check online for services in your area.

These are just a few ways to make positive changes in how you feel. The list is long so search for what works for you. I know that none of this is easy but one tiny effort will lead to another. Take a shower, wash your hair and dress for the day. Do one thing and then do just one more. Soon you will be feeling better.

As always I am happy to hear your story. Leave a comment or you can email at lainey@laineyparker.com. I always appreciate the comments and emails I receive.

IF - Mail

Letters being delivered by airmail.

Cyber Monday Sale - Etsy Shop!

I began my art career in the design and illustration side of the keepsake journal business in 2000, mostly selling through reps at markets throughout the country. With the start up of Two Over Coffee, LLC in 2004 I was able to continue offering special journals as well as other product lines and I now have a following of repeat customers.

I'm a huge fan of Etsy, both for shopping and selling, and I'm excited to announce that I now have a line of journals available in my Etsy shop, Two Over Coffee (link at bottom of post). I'll be adding more product soon with various type and styles of journals in a range of price points. I sell everything from fun journals to high end boutique styles. If you like art journaling or just recording your thoughts, I have a journal for you. If you don't see that special journal right away, check back often to see what has been added.

The journals in the store right now represent a line that has been doing well at shows this season. I have set low prices for the holidays and these books make great stocking stuffers or a nice gift when given in a set of 3 or more. They are sure to bring a smile to you or someone you love. I smile everytime I make one.

I am having a Cyber Monday sale in the shop so enter CYBERMONDAY10 (no spaces) at check out  and you will receive 10% off your purchase. This sale begins at midnight tonight and runs through midnight tomorrow, 11-29-10.

Happy shopping and don't forget to buy handmade and support artists and crafters. We all make our product with an extra measure of love!

(Update as of  July, 2011 - all journals are sold out. I will update my blog when new journals are available in the shop.)

Two Over Coffee - Click Here

Black Friday Sale In My Etsy Shop!

I haven't blogged about my Etsy shop until now because it has been pretty empty as I keep robbing product for shows. But now I have created enough for upcoming shows and for the Etsy shop. Two Over Coffee, LLC, is a joint venture with my partner and we have been in business since 2004. In preparation for holiday shopping we slashed our prices and are also offering a Black Friday discount of 10%. Just enter the coupon code BlackFriday10 (no spaces) at checkout. We will be uploading more items throughout the day so check back for even more great buys.

http://www.twoovercoffee.com/

Good Memories, Great Inspiration!

I ran across this photo the other day while tripping down memory lane. I am the tall one on the far right and the other two girls were my closest childhood friends. Angela was my best friend and is in the middle. Dixie, my cousin but more like a sister, is on the far left (she is adorable in this photo and I am very inspired to create a new character modeled after her).

Angela lived with her grandmother who had the coolest trunk of old formals and she let us play with them whenever we wanted. The stunning number I am wearing was The Dress that we all fought over. I won the battle that day. I remember going over to Angela's and we would put on our dresses and, like magic, our lives were transformed. We became princesses and dancers, whatever our imaginations dreamed. Then we would run barefoot all over town feeling amazing in our special dresses. It was even more perfect if it rained and we would dance in the mud puddles in our gorgeous gowns.

Looking back at this picture, I realize how much of that old me still exists. I am still that goofy little girl (and still have the same hair - oh my!) and would love to play dress up again and run through mud puddles, but I'd probably be locked up so I won't do it... or maybe I will ... so, if you don't hear from me for a bit... :-)

If you haven't done so in a while, go back through the old family photos. There's a wealth of inspiration for an artist. It will take your emotions on a ride and that emotion, when channeled properly, can be invaluable to a creative soul.

If you do this I would love to hear your story. Please email or share in comments and feel free to link to your  post about a similar topic.