Volunteering - An Important Part of My Work, and What I Do

Have you every thought to yourself, what can I do to make a difference, then stop yourself short because you don't have a lot of money.

Giving is not always about money.

Your time is as much of a generous gift as a monetary donation.

You may have a special talent that you can donate  - singing, dancing, puppetry, design, baking - pick one and share it.

You may have an knack for listening - so many people what to be heard, and know they matter - share it

You work so hard, and you want to spend time with your family, but you can't get everyone on the same page - Volunteer as a family!

My dog Rose and I  volunteer - 30 minutes 2x a week at assisted living facilities in our area. I am not a dog trainer, I was blessed with a great dog who loves to love. I am sharing her and she lights up a room. She doesn't do special tricks to entertain. What she does is give you a soft head or back to rub your troubles away on. She can carry that burden away for you - she is a dog and doesn't hold onto that energy. She lets it go in the wind when we walk, or leaves it in the grass with a good leg kicking, snorting roll.

 Rose is always so glad to see you, and from our visits, they are happy to see Rose too.

A quick Google search can show you volunteer needs in your community, or you can start with these national sites that help you connect locally.

Volunteer Match

National Service

Habitat for Humanity


 Think about giving, and share who you are. You are so important and have so much to offer, it is a shame to keep it all to yourself!

Layers of an Acrylic Painting "De-Stressing Distress"

I am in awe of how artists can create a painting in one sitting.

Mine take days and days of layers and layers. Sometimes the suspense is overwhelming, I can't wait to see what it will look like.

I never know where I am going to go with the color or the texture. It changes with each layer.

Here is how I started

It is a lot to take in, it screams at you. It makes me feel like I am driving on the interstate, hell bent on getting to work, so much traffic, my knuckles are white on the wheel. I hate that feeling. There is A lot of color, A LOT of paint. So thick took 5 days to dry. In the thickness of the paint I scrawled in words and shapes. Kept it positive. I NEED that positive. Kinda like my mantra I guess.

Now it is dry, lets add more color!

I mixed three colors to get this one. Slapped it on, and then with a damp towel and a wet paint brush, removed color in patches. Removed that screaming - I was nearly deaf!

Let it dry.

How bout some more color!!

This was a bit much. I really scared myself. Thought I had went to far. The screaming started again. Same process, used a damp towel, wet brush, and A LOT of water to remove this paint in areas of the work area, and to lighten the over all color.

Finally I did a coat of white - (forgot to take a picture) the coat of white was really watered down. I had to stop the screaming. I applied it with a wet washcloth. It had a white wash look to it, made the painting very opaque. Didn't have the look I wanted yet. So I kept rubbing, and wetting, and rubbing. Even rubbed the paint off in one spot, but I liked the look of it and kept going. Finally - with the white wash just right, and still wet, I went over it with a high gloss glaze.

PERFECT!!! 

The glaze reacted with the white washing and gave a great look to the final painting. I am in love.

I have named it "De-Stressing Distress".

It reminds me of an old pair of blue jeans. Soft, and torn. When you pull them on, they button just right and  you sigh with comfort. You can trace your finger around the stains on the thigh and remember the party where you danced and danced, and spilled your drink. How about the rip in the knee. The memory of bending down to pick up your child at the park, and they ripped, and smile. The hole in the pocket where all your change drops thru, and you silently cuss, because you keep meaning to mend it. Deep in the threads of these jeans hold the secrets of your happiness and when you pull them on nothing else matters.

Like the painting, if you look, the words and shapes can be seen, words like love and passion, words that are so important to us, and we tend to forget in our busy lives.

I want you to get lost in this painting, and feel the comfort it gives.

"Follow Me" Acrylic Painting

This painting is titled "Follow Me".

Ever have those dreams where you are flying, chasing nothing as fast as you can thru the clouds?
Giggling and lost in the thrill of the flight, follow me and leave your troubles in the sky!

Innovative? Creative? Edgy? Sizzix Wants You!

My inbox had a blurb in the subject line - Sizzix wants to know who you are.

Hrm.....ok, I'll bite ;)

Sizzix is die cutters, embossers, paper (PAPER!) and all the support you need as a paper artist. They have the best tag - The start of something YOU! - genius!

The art we create is about us, what we are feeling, what has just inspired us. We are drawn to particular colors, textures and shapes. Yes, your art is something you.

Sizzix is having some fun with advertising that promotes themselves, and some lucky adventurer. On their site, they want you to create a log in, and then they want you to submit an image of yourself and your work you have made with their products - include 3 words that describe who you are. You may be the next face for Sizzix!

 Click on their banner and follow the directions. Will you be picked?

They are also all over the web at Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and just about everywhere else.

I like what I saw, it looks fun. Maybe I will start making cards :)

Sterling, Sapphire, September!

YAY for alliterations!

I love them :)

Still on my sapphire kick, this morning I made this little pendant.

Sapphires are a stone of hope where all else is hopeless. It is a stone of creative expression. Pulling on this creative expression, I did a very simple free form design from 12 ga sterling wire. The piece has some heft to it, so pendant hangs really nice on a cord.

I love this little nugget of sapphire. It has so much character. The blue is just screaming to get out!

September is Sapphires!

I have held onto this strand of raw sapphires for a couple of years now, just waiting on a bit of inspiration. I was at the annual Rings and Things Bead Tour as it came thru my area, and completely, as always, lost my mind at the selection and the prices.

September is the month to celebrate sapphires. Did you know sapphire is a stone of creative expression? Sapphires come in all colors, and if you have a red sapphire, it is a ruby :) What I love about sapphires is they are the stone of hope - they bring hope where there is hopelessness. Isn't that awesome.
This week I am celebrating sapphires and this is the first of a few designs I want to show you.

These tumbled and raw sapphire beads do not diminish in elegance. The swarovski crystals between the beads allow for more flow of the stones due to their irregular shape, and the copper bead caps just finish off the design.

How are you celebrating sapphires this month?