Hard to let go...

...of my art! ;) These ladies are for another creative swap. The theme was "fairies/angels/divas" and we had to use images from Carol Murphy's "Altered by Design" collage sheets. This is what I created using the "Maidens of Avalon" collage sheet. I also used some butterfly and flower images by Crafty Individuals.
I like how these ATCs are so different than my first attempts. I can see a lot of journaling influence in these. I wonder if I kept working on them what would happen...

I try to take photos of everything I make, but it's getting harder to give them away! I started doing swaps because it motivated me to make art...but now I find I almost can't bear giving them up. Maybe I will just pretend to sign up for swaps to keep the illusion of a deadline for motivational purposes. I can make my art and keep it, too.

Happy Mother's Day

I love the above photo. There's nothing like taking in the sweet scent of a fresh rose. I see so much of myself in my daughter--everything from facial expressions to the way her fingers look when she's handling delicate flowers or concentrating on a work of art.
Hmmm...
Maya has taken up an interest in gardening...in the house! She has a little toy ironing board by the window in the dining room where she's lined up little pots, flowers, seeds and soil. It all started with a bean seed from school and a tomato seed from a kids garden workshop. Every day after school, she'd go to her little indoor garden, water her plants, make some soil-and-water mixtures, sing to her plants and check how much they've grown. The tomato seed is now a full-fledged plant--it outgrew it's pot and we planted it in the backyard along with the bean plant. I am amazed at how much being a mom has changed every part of my life. I couldn't imagine it any other way now.

Inchies and Art Journaling

I just received my complimentary inchie collage sheets from Artchix Studio. I participated in an inchies swap back in January and two of my inchies were chosen to be included on the sheets! :) What fun! It's encouraging to see my art in print and on sites like Artchix. It just makes me realize how possible it is to have an artful life. Some day, I will support my family with art! There, I've said it. It's only a matter of time now. My goal for the end of this year is to set up an Etsy shop. Coming soon!.... ;)
I've also been at it again in my art journal. It is such a great way to experiment and also to work through stressful or painful times. And I'm having too much fun in the process! :) I even made my own art journal following the step-by-step instructions by Teesha Moore. I've got the process down pretty good...now I want to learn how to make an art quilt cover!