{brick wall} blessings

if nothing else, i think that my run-in with the brick wall yesterday may have knocked some much needed sense into me.  i tend to roam around in many different directions at once, and sometimes a sturdy road block is exactly what i need as motivation to focus and make some overdue decisions.  for example, my original ACEO cards have been available in my etsy shop for so long that even the spiders have moved on to make new cobwebs somewhere else.  so, i've pulled out the originals and made some prints to create note card sets.  and it's very possible that the spiders may move back in, but in the meantime, i'm reminded that blessings can even be seen in brick walls.  and speaking of blessings....

i received these cute, cute tags in the mail yesterday from my sweet friend jes as a result of winning her give-away!   each one of these tags has been hand-stamped, with sparkly hearts glued on, and adorned with fun, colorful ribbons!  i absolutely love these, jes...thank you so much!

bricks plus mortar equals setback

after a morning spent in my studio, this is what i have to show.  oh, i didn't create it, i just ran right into it.  and, i'm actually still seeing stars!  thankfully, i have a very hard head and i'll be back at it tomorrow...with a sledgehammer to knock that brick wall down so that i can continue to move forward (that's the plan, anyway!).  ugh!

photo courtesy of bigfoto

a tag and a jackpot

i've been tagged by the very sweet and very talented lisa lectura!  the rules on this are simple:  share the fourth photo from the fourth folder in your computer files.  so, here is my "apple a day" print that i finished several months ago.  the apple was painted with watercolor and then i used gouache for the hand lettering.  and....

tess hosted a giveaway recently and my name was chosen out of the hat!   look at all of these goodies that she sent!  lots of bits and doodads to make some fun cards, a handmade ATC card, and, most importantly a piece of original artwork by tess!  thanks so much for your generosity, tess!  :)

book of faith

this is the third journal in my "book of..." series, and i think that it may be my favorite.  not only am i happy with the way it looks on the outside, but i'm especially loving this book's purpose...a special place to record scriptures, prayers and inspirations.  

small envelopes in coordinating colors are scattered throughout the inside pages...perfect for holding special thoughts, prayers, blessings, or praise.  you can see more photos of this journal here on flickr.  

inspiration monday

                       

art, art, i want you.

art, you make it pretty hard not to.

and my heart is trying hard here, to follow you,

but i can't always tell if i ought to.

during those times of creative block, you may find yourself repeating that frustrating question, "what is my creative purpose?".  and i believe that part of the answer is found in the word "passion".  if you have a passion for, say, painting, but just can't seem to paint right now, have peace in knowing that you'll paint again when it's the perfect time for you to paint.  it's in you....it's part of who you are.  so, consider this interruption to be a time of rest...we all get a vacation from work, summer is our reprieve from school, and so it goes to expect a break from our artwork as well!  and while you're resting,  you never know when inspiration will strike...i understand that "great ideas come from great bike rides!"  :)