Tulips

I have always loved tulips. When I was a young girl living home with my family, I planted hundreds of red and yellow tulip bulbs under our plum tree. Each year I loved when the catalog of tulips from Holland came in the mail. I would sit for hours, pouring over each page, taking the time to select just the right tulips for our area. I would have to plant many new bulbs each year as before the first frost, the squirrels would often dig up my prized possessions. I loved waiting for them to pop through the soil and then slowly and steadily reach for the sun. It was very sad when my parents sold our home after we all grew up and moved away. I often thought about my tulips under our plum tree and wondered if the new owners ever realized their beauty as I did.

I am in New Jersey, where I grew up, visiting my mother for her birthday this weekend. I snapped this picture of the tulips growing outside of my mom's assisted living facility. Living in Florida, the only tulips I see are in the flower buckets at the grocery store. I can't begin to explain how I felt when I saw these tulips today. While I love living in Florida, there are some things remembered from days gone by that just cannot be replaced. The lilacs, the daffodils, the buds on the trees, there is nothing like the renewal of Spring.

Inchies and ATC's

Hope everyone had a great Easter! I thoroughly enjoyed the day relaxing with family and dear friends. Church was wonderful, dinner was yummy and the togetherness was special.

Last Sunday was Art Day for me. My monthly clubs met and we had a great time. We started something new for this month - Inchies. They are exactly that - a one inch piece of art. Our theme for this month was "The Color Pink". Here are mine . . .

We had to make eight sets of four different inchies. Here they are all together. Don't they look nice with all the sets together? I'm going to put them in a little book with removable adhesive dots so I can easily access if good for a project.

We also traded ATC's. Our theme this month was "Shaped ATC's". I made mine in a gothic arch shape.

Here are the others. It's such fun to see how everyone interprets the theme.



Look at this one. Isn't this an adorable little turtle?

Lift his shell and what do you find . . . How cute is that?


And how appropriate for today, Easter Sunday . . .

It's always such fun to see what the others have created. Next month's theme is "Children". I will enjoy making those.

I've been making art for a couple of years now and just cannot believe how much I enjoy it. I've learned a lot and am feeling more confident from when I first began. Makes life more fun!!

Rainbows

Love this rainbow I saw on my drive to work this week! I was driving on a big, open, empty highway and snapped this with my phone so it's not the greatest, but still beautiful.

When I lived in New Jersey, I rarely saw rainbows. I was probably ninety minutes out of NYC and it was a heavily populated area, not offering numerous opportunities for rainbows to show their true colors. Since moving to Florida over twenty years ago, I have seen numerous rainbows and I am in awe each and every time.

And yes, if you look closely at this photo, you can see the reflection of my hand on the steering wheel. Thank goodness I didn't need to look closely at what I was doing as this rainbow was beaming in all its glory!

Cheryl's Hearts

I have a blog friend named Cheryl. She lives in Maine and is a truly superb photographer. Living in South Florida, I find Cheryl's pictures quite different from mine and I savor each one of her beautiful photographs.

Cheryl has a real knack for finding hearts in many of her landscape photo's. It's really quite amazing to see where she finds them. Her posts often show the many hearts she finds. Now I have a heart to share as my tribute to Cheryl. This heart of mine can be found along the walkway to my home. I often think of Cheryl when I see it and had to post this for her.



You should take a moment and see how many hearts you can find along your daily travels. I think you'll be surprised.

Prom

Not only is today Logan's official 21st birthday, it is also Rachel's prom. Though she is a junior, she chose to go to the prom this year with a group of friends.

The parents had fun snapping away at a pretty local park where we all gathered for Kodak moments and for the kids to hitch a ride.

I wonder how long those 5 inch stiletto's will stay on their feet.

And I wonder how I will survive waiting while Rachel dances the night away and Logan heads to Fort Lauderdale to play blackjack at the Hard Rock.

I think I'll go organize my rubber stamps . . .

April 1, 2011

It's been two months since I've posted on my blog and I am missing it. About a week ago, a previous post came to mind so I spent some time going back through my blog to find it. I had such a fun time doing that as it brought back many memories of things I've done, places I've visited and some milestones too.

My word for 2011 was "determination" and I need to reel myself back in and focus on determination. We're through the first quarter of the year already and we've all had 90 days of living. I've enjoyed my 90 days and plan to reflect upon them right here.

My son, Logan, will be 21 years old tomorrow. Twenty one years ago today I went to the hospital to get prepped to be induced to give birth to my first child. All my life I looked forward to the day I would have my very own child. The anticipation I felt 21 years ago today is vivid still. I never thought I would physically be able to handle it, but I did and I have loved just about every moment since then.

We took Logan to his favorite restaurant last night as he has to work on his special day. It was so very nice for the four of us to sit together to celebrate Logan. It actually was a celebration of all of us . . . our immediate family unit. We've all been through so much these past 21 years, of course good and bad, but it was so nice to sit with Tom and look across the table at our children and feel pride in what they have both become.



Life's changes can sometimes be hard. Watching your child grow into an admirable man is bittersweet. It is nice to hear now how he handles some of life's challenges, but it was also such fun to hear years ago about driving those Hot Wheels cars and trucks through the pathways built in the sandbox.



Happy Birthday Logan!

Pride and Prejudice

I should probably be ashamed to admit this but I have just watched the movie, "Pride and Prejudice" for the first time ever and absolutely loved it!!! After the movie last night, I started reading the book, which was free on my Nook, and yes, I must admit, I've never read the book either. Oh my! Cannot believe what I've been missing!

Clay Stamping

It's such fun to try new techniques, things that I may never have tried before. One of my Yahoo groups, "Art For The Creative Mind", offered an opportunity to participate in a Technique Book. We were grouped into teams of eight and we needed to create one page for each member in our group describing a technique from a random assortment. I selected clay stamping. I chose a stamp that was deeply etched to get a good impression.

Since Valentine's Day is right around the corner, I felt a red heart was very appropriate.

This past weekend I sat outside and played with the clay, kneading it until it was soft and pliable. Firm pressure of the stamp onto the clay gave a nice result.

I cut the heart out with a craft knife and then baked it on a cookie sheet in the oven for about 15 minutes at a low temperature. The clay darkened significantly from the baking. I could've painted it or dusted it with Perfect Pearls, but I chose to leave it in its naked beauty.

This was a fun, new technique that I plan to experiment with for a variety of results. Gosh do I love to create!

A Day to Play

What a great Saturday! I started the day with a cup of tea on the patio, enjoying the cool morning breezes. Had lots of fun at my favorite scrapbooking store making three more of the Tim Holtz Christmas tags that I mentioned in yesterday's post. Here are all four . . .

These tags were such fun to make. There are two more that I plan to make tomorrow. It actually was quite enjoyable to make a Christmas item now, after the fact. It was so much more relaxing to just sit and play without having to worry about getting it done in time. I must remember this.

I've been faithful about devoting ten minutes daily to the Art Journal Every Day project. It's all a work in progress, but that's the idea. Here are some of the pages I'm working on. Remember I'm no pro, but I am having fun.

I know I'm probably not supposed to use scrapbooking diecuts, but I really like this vintage-looking little boy.

Had to add some zentangles. They are such fun to do. I'm really liking pink and turquoise lately.


I find it interesting that I have so many different ideas floating around in my head of journal pages I'd like to do. When I was out walking my dogs this afternoon, I was thinking that I would like to look like my shadow when the sun is behind me. What an interesting journal page that thought would be. In light of that thought, I went for a nice, long bicycle ride today and enjoyed it immensely. It was a good day.

Holding On To Tim

Tim Holtz, that is. Tim did his 12 Days of Christmas tags again this year - the fourth time. They are magnificent! I know Christmas is now a fading memory, but I went to my favorite scrapbooking store to make a variation of one of his tags before all of the supplies are shelved. Here's the result.

While I love all twelve of his tags, there are three more I plan to make on Saturday. I'll share the results then. There is something about creating that just fills me with such a sense of peace and contentment. I'm so happy that I'm finally in the space where I have time to do some of the things I enjoy doing.

Found a butterfly stamp to use for this month's ATC's. It's still a work in progress, but this is how it's coming along.

This picture gives a better glimpse of the shimmer from the Perfect Pearls Mist. I've also been faithful about the Art Journal Every Day project. The thought of spending ten minutes a day in my art journal is so appealing that I am eager to play in it and it's amazing the progress that can be made in a short period of time. Hope you're taking time to enjoy your leisure time!

In Living Color

I am in love with Adirondack Color Wash and Perfect Pearls Mists. Oh my!


They are products that produce beauty. I don't really think these photo's can truly capture the shimmery sheen, but the color is fabulous!



This is the background for the ATC's I'm making for my Artists Trading Card Club. The theme this month is "Butterflies". I'm envisioning some vibrant blue, purple and red on this. Won't that look great?



I had to go back and buy 5 more shades. These are going to be such fun on so many things!! Now back to my butterflies . . .

Could It Be?

There's a last time for everything, though many times we don't realize at the time that it could be the last time. I'm weird and sometimes I think about stuff like that. I did not know last Christmas in 2009 that it would be the last Christmas I would be spending with my sister living next door to me. How sad that would've been! Would we have cherished the moments more?

My son has a girlfriend that he really likes. He's not home much anymore, which is sad in a way. I know that is how life goes, but that doesn't make it less sad. I'm not ready for my chicks to leave the nest just yet but I guess I don't get to pick the time, do I? If I did, I probably would've picked age 16 or 17, but now that he's pushing 21, he's sweet again and I really like having him around.

So my point is . . . could this have been the last Christmas with him home with me? I surely hope not. But if it was, I had fun and I will cherish the moments . . . just in case.

Art Journal Every Day

Just came across this blog that is motivating all interested to art journal every day. Who doesn't have ten minutes to add any little something to an art journal? It started January 1st, but I'll start today, because why not today?

I have the perfect little journal to use just for this project. My journal is tiny, only about 5X7, with a turquoise cover with baby blue and navy polka dots, spiral bound, full of watercolor paper!! The size will be perfect for a project such as this. I'm so excited! I can't wait to start. I have some new products I'm anxious to use as well . . .Perfect Pearls Mists in Heirloom Gold and Turquoise and Adirondack Color Wash in Denim and Cranberry. Amazing how the colors go perfectly with my journal and the button above. Sounds like this is meant to be. What fun!!

Grace

What a beautiful word. It's something I say before my meals. It's innocence. It's beauty. When the monthly ATC swap came up in my Yahoo group, "Art For The Creative Mind", and the theme was "Grace", I knew just the look I wanted.

That's what grace is to me.

Determination

That's my word for 2011. I love words. They have so many meanings and the interpretation is all in the ears of the beholder. Last years word turned out to be "adaptability". Lots of things went wrong in 2010 but you've got to adapt and keep on going or it will suck you up and spit you out and that's not gonna happen to me. So after making it through the trials and tribulations of 2010, I'm determined to reach some goals in 2011.

I was inspired by a fellow bloggers post stating that she achieved all three of the goals she set for herself in 2010. I did not achieve any because I had to adapt to the changing times . . . and yes, I know that's just an excuse.

In 2011 I plan to be determined in all that I do. I must, once and for all, lose weight. I used to be a cute, skinny little chickee. In my minds eye, I'm still that person. Everyone else needs to know that now. I want to ride my bike more often. I bought it for a reason. It's a beautiful bike. I need to lose weight so I need to add exercise to this list. I want to spend more time making art. I want to read more. I want to not be such a great procrastinator. There you have it. My goals for 2011. Determination. Remember it. Live it.

Happy New Year!

We went to the beach on New Year's Eve to rejuvinate the soul. No sense living near the beach if you don't enjoy its beauty, right?

It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed the atmosphere.

The pier was renovated recently after the destruction from one of the many hurricanes we were hit with a couple years ago.

Got lucky with a couple of good shots of some of the locals.

A great way to start a new year. Happy 2011!!