Tubby Magic

Right there in her "princess tub" she descends to the depths of the ocean where she has a chat with an octopus and rides a seahorse all the way to her meeting with a good friend in mermaid country.

And lucky for me I just happened to overhear the magic happening in my bathroom! it is this incredible 6 year old world of imagination that fills my days with sparkly moments I wouldn't pass up for anything!

 It is the mind of a child I hope to always manage to cling to, I hope to see the world through such a whimsical perspective,

there really is wonder around every corner when we stop being busy grown-ups and simply skip along ready to embrace it all!
I am so so very privileged to be able to capture these perfectly delightful little journeys as my girls go about their make believe adventures.

 Treasure, perfect
delightful simple treasure...every last little moment of it!

Think about it

The Story of "Strength"

Sooo...my girl from this post who got her second chance to shine is finally finished! 

She is "strength", and I am so glad she didn't end up in the trash because she had a story to share... here is a peek at her journey.

First I played around with different colors holding up different combos of watercolor crayons until I had what I was looking for. I Love this cuz it's easy to grab and put back colors until I get what I want without actually making a big mess.

She got dressed, pretty in Pink, and decided to go for lacy frills to show how soft her heart really is. Then it was time to build a background using different tones and shades of happy green

I Finished up with some nice wavy whirly grasses, gently embracing her, careful not to cover the definition she was based on.

Then she got her lovely details..ribbon, stitching and beading.

And last but definitely not least, it was time to write her story. a story based on a real woman ( or two in this case) and a story that had to be told!
If you can't read it in the image below it says: " Her Quiet Strength held up her family in Love, and with hardly a word they just knew she could hold them All; in her arms and in her heart. for her great strength came from within, came from above. it was far Deeper, Wider and Higher than anyone could understand."

 Her prints have been ordered and will be up for sale as soon as we get our cart all figured out.
Here's to Beautiful women with a quiet strength far greater than the loudest voices or the biggest muscles!

World wide awake

If only I could capture for you how this tree SMELLS right there in my photos, I would bottle it up and throw it in just before the shutter clicks.
I walk under this beautiful bloom filled tree as I come up my driveway and I just look up and close my eyes and breathe in as deeply as my lungs will allow, oh the sweet notes of spring are soooo deliciously delightful. Creation all around is awake and at it's best, and that is just so incredibly AWESOME! I challenge you to Take yourself out today; put on your walking shoes, grab your camera and really look with eyes wide open at the world around you and how it is right there ready to bless you with these amazing sights and smells and sounds...look way up and look way down, lay in the grass or swing as high as you can and try to touch the sky! snap some of your own awesomeness ( trust me it will make you take notice and be more thankful) and of course share your "world wide awake" in the comments cuz we wanna go there with you!!!

Sharing a space

I think the only time I have shared pictures of my creative space was in this post Here way back in November of 2006 right after being named CKs first scrapbooker of the year, and at that it is only a glimpse. I don't know why, but I just really didn't take many pictures of my happy creating place. Too bad cuz I really miss it. So after recording a super fun show with the paperclipping roundtable today; talking about shared scrap spaces. I dug up the only photos I do have, taken before we moved. They are mostly quick, far away, wide angle, trying to see the whole room kind of shots, and so they look a little chaotic and don't really capture the happy creative warmth of the place, but at least they give a bit of an idea of some of the storage solutions I talk about on the show, like my ribbon rod, and using glass jars and open shelves to see all of my threads and beads and bits. In my cubes you can see some storage boxes holding the uglier things like gesso and fixative, and peeking behind the typewriter you can see where my big baskets lived for grabbing recyled bits as I worked, On the wall I had fave papers in wall pockets, and some layouts in progress were always up on a magnet strip behind my computer. The blue buckets on my computer desk held different kinds of tapes, and paints, and inks and things so I could just grab a bucket and use what I pleased. Scanner and printer was just under my desk- nothing special.  Other than my old typewriter, you can't really see any of the yummy vintage pieces...guess I'll have to be sure to capture it better here in this house as I work on creating that studio space. It is Cool to start fresh because the furniture pieces I have and my taste in decor and color have changed quite a lot over the years. I am more a lover of things rustic and worn now, the older the better, and though I still love color I most likely wouldn't do stripes again, but it WAS the "play room" and that is what life is for, right? evolving and changing and loving the ride!

 

Sooo... you can hear most of our thoughts on sharing a space on the show  , seriously, go and listen, it is always a bunch of fun! 

But I will add here that I LOVED being together with everyone during those years, sitting at my island and chatting with Cam as he relaxed for the evening, or being able to glance across the open floor and see the kids in the playroom and hear the little song they are singing or answer their most burning questions. 

On their end of the floor We had little bags on the wall for doll clothes, and great open shelves that Cam made for me to organize the toy madness that ensued there over the years. It was bright and happy and super fun! 

I have no shelves up here yet, no organizing or displaying going on and I NEED it badly, but that is a whole other conversation...

 I miss having a creative space in with everyone. I do. And so now I haul my workings out into our current family room and make a giant mess there. Sorry Cam!

But I have also learned to appreciate the depths of what I can create when I take the time to find quiet, and so I think on the whole, my new little studio with the door that closes will be a good thing, just something new to get used to.

Check out Lisa Dickinsons wonderful pictures of her serene space...mmmm, delightful, I am IN LOVE with her big bookshelf cabinet, might possibly want to go and live in it.

Today; getting ready to celebrate my mama's birthday, attacking my to-do list- which includes sending some new art out for prints, finishing up a few designs, drinking wonderful tea, and taking one of my girls out on a date tonight.

Enjoy your Thursday!