girly girl art

So much happening

2012-01-29T13:05:00.000-08:00

Howdy folks! It's been awhile and yet it seems like yesterday. It's been a busy time for me. Traveling at Christmas, then getting back and settling into life at home. My father-in-law is very ill, so a lot of time has been spent on the phone, giving as much support as I can from so far away.

I've been crafting as well, and have a few things to show you. I'll stick to one project per post. My first project I'd like to share is this necklace I made using Industrial Chic components from Michael's. I learned how to string and knot beads together on beading thread a few months back and have been so excited to add that element to my pieces. I call this necklace "Excavation".

Some glass Czech beads that I knotted together to form a chain...

Tis the Season

2011-12-04T17:17:00.000-08:00

I have been a busy little elf since arriving back in Portland from a lovely Thanksgiving in Arizona. I have been making many gifts, including one for myself which I will show you today.

I got an Amazon Kindle a few weeks back, but I didn't have a cover for it so I decided to make one myself. It's not the best in terms of construction. For whatever reason, I just couldn't do the math and make sense of how to put it together, so it has some rough edges. But that's ok, it's just for me.

I had a little fun with appliques and had some cool fat quarters from a wonderful shop here in Portland called Bolt fabric on Alberta St.

I'll try to continue posting my projects as I go thru the holiday season. See you soon!

A busy and productive few weeks

2011-11-13T17:26:00.000-08:00

It seems I start every blog post with apologies for not posting more frequently. It's such a conundrum; I want to post more, yet I get busy and the time slips by me and before I know it, a week (or three or four!) have passed. It means so much to me when people stop by to visit, yet I don't do more to keep you coming. Sigh. This is an issue that keeps coming up, and I don't have a solution as yet.

But enough about that! Let me share what's been keeping me so busy. First off, I did a holiday craft bazaar a couple of weekends ago at a local elementary school here in Portland. It was a lot of work, but a lot of fun and I'm so glad I did it! I met some wonderful folks, made some good connections and made a little money.Here are some photos of my booth. We had a fairly small area and were crammed in like sardines, but that just added to the neighborly feel among us vendors.

These are an overview of my booth. I spent the weekend before busily coming up with some display options.

I found this Eiffel tower wine rack at Marshall's that is the perfect display rack for necklaces, I was so excited!

The white object with the earrings hanging from it is a candle lantern that my friend loaned me. Perfect!

Ok, enough boring photos of the craft show! Let me show you what I made this weekend (with a little back story). On Friday, one of the local thrift store chains had a 50% off everything in the store sale. So I booked over there after work to check out the goods. I found a slightly dated brown tweedy blazer and a maroon sweatshirt. Total cost: $6.00. I spent much of yesterday deconstructing and reconstructing those two pieces into one. I embellished and this is what I ended up with:

This is a pin that can be removed and used on other things...

here's where I cut the sleeves off both items and rejoined them together...

Here is a close-up of the front.

Today I went to a monthly craft show to scope out a possible vending opportunity. I wore my new jacket and got loads of interest in it, so I will be making lots of fabric flower pins at the very least. I'd love to hit one of the shows before Christmas, so we'll see...

Prep time!

2011-10-22T08:35:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a couple of busy weeks it's been! I traveled to Phoenix last weekend and this week was a really hectic one at work.

I also am doing a holiday craft show in two weeks that I just found out about, so I have a TON to do to get ready for that. I won't be around much on my blog for the next little bit as I will be working my fingers to the bone making pretties to sell.

I'll try to put up a few eye candy photos over the next bit. Here's one I'll leave you with, a glove form I got at a local antique mall. Enjoy, and talk soon!

kitchen re-do completed!

2011-10-09T18:12:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy weekend. Yesterday I helped a couple of friends with their garage sale. We had a lot of fun, but it was also a lot of work. I brought my jewelry with me and sold quite a few pieces, so that was great. Also got a line on a holiday show at one of the schools that sounds great, so I'm hoping to get into that.

Today was push to complete my kitchen freshening. I'm so happy with it! It looks so much better and is so much more functional with the new shelves. I love, love, love, it! The photos don't quite do it justice as it's evening and the kitchen isn't near any windows...

I had forgotten about these two photos that I had bought from a local artist several months back at the Saturday Market here in Portland. They are absolutely perfect for the new kitchen look and they add so much to the overall look of the space. Love them!!

I hope you enjoyed taking a peak; let me know what you think...

a fun class yesterday

2011-09-26T18:37:00.000-07:00

I took a basic beading class yesterday and though I have been making jewelry for several years, I've never taken a basics class. It was great and I learned how to do a few things a bit better than I have been doing them, and I learned how to do a knotted strand of beads, which is something I've been wanting to do for awhile now. I made a necklace after I got home from class using my new skills and it came out really nicely. Since it was too dark to take a photo last night and tonight, I'll have to wait on the photo till later in the week. In the meantime, here's new bracelet that I just put up in my etsy shop...enjoy!

Nesting

2011-09-25T10:11:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but fall brings out the nesting instincts in me. Maybe it's similar to the squirrel storing acorns for winter, but I am overcome with an urge to organize and prettify my space.

Also, I wanted to show you my little space on my blog, and when I started looking around I thought, "Oh, I need a bit of a revamp before I can show my place!"

So I've decided to show you pieces of my apartment as I get them started and done.

In that vein, I'm focusing on my large kitchen wall. I've been wanting to do something with it for quite awhile now, and I'm feeling ready to tackle it. Here's what it looks like now:

Before, I had this painting hanging next to the two you see in the first photo. Yesterday I moved her to the dining room and I like her much better in her new spot.

I would like to put up some shelving and maybe a rack for hanging coffee cups. The kitchen is very small, so some extra storage space will be great. A trip to IKEA will be in order, and then a plea to my dear friend here who has a drill and a knack for decorating. I'll keep you posted.

In the meantime, I will post some more jewelry and other crafty projects I've completed...stay tuned!

A little flea-ing

2011-09-24T16:44:00.000-07:00

Today I took some time to visit a wonderful antiques mall here in Portland that I read about in one of the home decorating magazines and came home with a couple of treasures. I'll give you a peak today, then a little more tomorrow...

bead soup party!

2011-09-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

Today's the day! It's time for show and tell with the beads I received from the lovely Joyce Becker. She was such a generous swapper that I was able to use her beads almost exclusively in the two pieces I made. First I'll talk about the bracelet.Here's an overview of the whole piece. The beads she gave me have a very earthy feel which I love, so I wanted to highlight their earthiness.

Here's a closeup of the clasp. Joyce made the clasp and distressed it. She also patinaed the leaf. Aren't they beautiful?

She included this elegantly marbled blue and amber glass bead, and handstamped the word "create" on the round brass charm.

The only things I included from my stash are the brass bead caps and the gold divider beads. I LOVE my new bracelet!!

The second thing I made was a necklace. I made the pendant first using Joyce's beads (the blue oblong one and the round blue marbled one). I added a hammered silver circle, gold divider beads and brass bead caps.

For the rest of the necklace I used the dark amber beads sent by Joyce, a couple of dichroitic beads in amber tones, two more marbled beads (all sent by Joyce).

I added brass chain to add a little interest, a lobster clasp, charm on the extender made with Joyce's beads and voila, an earthy, totally cool necklace!

Here's a link to Joyce's blog. I can't wait to see what she made with the beads I gave her!

silver and flowers

2011-09-12T18:10:00.000-07:00

My oh my, has it been a week since I posted last? Where does the time go? I've been busy finishing up my bead soup party projects and am looking forward to posting them this weekend and seeing what other folks have been up to. Am very much looking forward to what my swap buddy has come up with!

Above are a couple of photos of a necklace that I made for myself. I love it and have been wearing it quite a bit. I used a couple of components from the Industrial Chic line from Michael's and silver beads strung into a chain. It's simple but effective I think.

I also finished another bag over the weekend, so I'll get some pics and post that soon.

my finally finished bag

2011-09-05T15:24:00.000-07:00

I started this bag about 4 months ago and FINALLY finished it! You know how that goes; start a new project, all fired up raring to go. You get started, then some things don't go quite the way you planned, you're unsure of how to take the next step. Then another really cool project comes to mind, and the other project disappears into the UFO pile. Where it languishes.

I don't know what inspired me to pick it up again, but I did. And somehow the things I was unsure of fell into place and I love the result. I used mostly vintage fabrics and buttons, some new pompom trim, and new fabric for the lining.

Now I want to start something in fall colors; oh dear...

Recovery

2011-08-31T19:39:00.000-07:00

Sorry I've been incommunicado for the last several days. Last weekend was my birthday and my honey came to visit me. We had a great weekend together, and now I am recovering from all the birthday fun.

I've been very tired this week and not feeling at all creative. It was all I could do to drag my butt in here and sit down to write this post. Nothing's been exciting me or revving me up to create. And that's ok.

I've learned in all my years of living that this is the natural flow of things. There are times when I can barely sleep I have so many ideas in my head and I spend every moment I can making things, painting, etc. Then there are times like this. Times when I feel exhausted and dry.

I never know how long the dry spells will last, but hopefully it won't be too long. I'll hope for a return of creative juices this weekend, since it's a long one.

In the meantime, I've just finished an incredible book by River Jordan (yes, that's really her name) called "praying for strangers; an adventure of the human spirit". I got it for free from work and thought I'd give it a whirl. I'm so glad I did! I wasn't sure what to expect, if it was going to be a story with heavy religious overtones. It wasn't. It was spiritual, but not religious. And the stories she tells about connection, the universe, and our energy and power to influence the lives of others fills the heart. I highly recommend it.

Beautiful Interiors

2011-08-23T09:31:00.000-07:00

I'm one of those weird people that loves to take a walk in the evening during the fall/winter months and see the lights on in the homes I pass. I love to look at their decorating schemes, to see how they have fashioned their interiors. I imagine what the occupants of the house are doing. Maybe making dinner, talking about their day with their spouse, petting their dog or cat, or just reading by lamplight.

And another one of the things I love is seeing blog posts with photos of the author's home, how they decorate, and what inspires them. So very soon I will do a post of photos of my little apartment and talk about what makes it home to me.

In the meantime, here's a little eye candy of a necklace I made for me. I love it! It combines the Vintage Groove line and the Industrial Chic line from Michael's. Enjoy!

Bead soup party beads have arrived!

2011-08-21T15:00:00.000-07:00

Let me first start off by saying what a small world it is. As you've seen, I'm doing the bead soup party through Lori Anderson's blog. The gal that I've been partnered with is currently living in Peoria, AZ and is here in Portland this week visiting her sister. Out of 360ish people and random match-ups, what are the odds that I would be paired with someone from AZ (where I lived for 10 years) who is here in Portland now. It's amazing!

We got together this week to have a treat at Peet's coffee house on Broadway and exchange beads. Here we are smiling for the camera...

And here are our delicious treats. I got a trail mix bar and caramel frappachino thing and they were delish!

Here are pics of all the luscious beads she put together for me:

Here is an overview of the beads, and not one, but two toggles!...

Here are the blue beads, in ceramics, stone and glass. Tribal and earthy...

Look at that handmade toggle Joyce made; exquisite!

Joyce treated both of these charms, and stamped the word "create" on the copper disc...

Here's the second toggle. I got not one but two! How cool is that?

And here is the focal bead in glass; aren't the mix of colors lovely?

I'm looking forward to getting started!

photos and more photos!

2011-08-14T17:29:00.000-07:00

Today was all about taking bunches of photos for my etsy shop, and trying to organize my stock a bit. It's a big job and I made a dent, but still have much more to go. I really wish I had one more day at home before having to go back to my 9-5 job tomorrow, but I am extremely grateful that I HAVE a job to go to. So many people, especially in Oregon, don't have the good fortune that I do.

It is amazing, though, how quickly the weekends pass. It seems it was Friday night about 10 minutes ago! I always have so much more I would've liked to accomplish before the commitments of the week begin.

Today I signed up for a basic bead stringing class with a friend of mine who is just getting into making jewelry. Even though I've been making jewelry for several years now, I never really learned technique, so figure I can pick up a few pointers to make my pieces more polished. I'm also hoping to take a metal clay class and resin class as well.

I'll leave you with a photo of one of my necklaces that was part of the big photo shoot, plus a very blurry picture of my kitty "helping". She thought head butting the camera and pawing at the necklace I was trying to photograph would be great fun. I love kitties! :)

I hope you all had an excellent weekend and I'll be talking with you soon!

So many blogs!

2011-08-10T18:53:00.000-07:00

Today I spent some time happily perusing several wonderful blogs out there in blogland and updated my links. I will be adding more as the days progress. So many talented people, so much beauty to be enjoyed. In these uncertain and turbulent times, it is a real comfort to see people (many women) chronicling the beauty in their little corner of the world. Thank you to each and every one of you who choose to focus on the good and beauty in the world. It's a real inspiration to me.

I'll leave you with a bracelet that I made that reminds me to see the joy in every day...

Bead soup party

2011-08-08T19:49:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited to be participating in my very first bead soup party, hosted by the wonderful Lori Anderson! Miss Sweet Pea is also excited...can't you tell? Here's the link to her blog for more info: http://www.prettythingsblog.com/p/bead-soup-blog-party.html

I'm already planning which beads to send out to my bead partner...

A busy week and blog frustration

2011-08-07T11:49:00.000-07:00

Sometimes computers frustrate the h-e-double hockey sticks out of me. I just spent about 20 minutes putting together a post, and when I wanted to edit the pics, it went wonky on me and I lost the whole thing. Sigh. Anyway, this week was spent designing new marketing materials for my etsy shop and business. I have a new logo, new business cards that I have to get printed and a new banner for my etsy shop.

There's so much to do and consider when doing online selling. I admit it's a bit overwhelming to me. Sometimes I don't know where to start so I don't start at all. I'm not a big fan of the business side of selling one's wares and I tend to avoid it. So I was proud of myself for getting at least some of the things I need to do done.

I'll leave you with a bit of eye candy, and a promise that I will post more frequently this week...enjoy!

P.S. Blogger changed the way to do a post and add pics. I've added these pics three times now and they aren't coming out in the order I want. ARGGGGH!!! So I apologize for the order they are in, but frankly I am so frustrated right now that I want to throw my computer across the room. Therefore I will not mess with them any further...

earring frenzy

2011-07-25T17:32:00.000-07:00

I wanted to get some stock made for my etsy shop, so I put together 14 pairs of earrings yesterday. Whew! I'll highlight a few pairs over the next few days. Enjoy!

a vintage weekend

2011-07-24T16:19:00.000-07:00

I had fun playing in my stash this weekend and dug out a vintage flower pin I had in one of my drawers. I combined it with a litte chain and beads, and I really like the result.

a little vintage fun

2011-07-18T18:22:00.000-07:00

I got a pair of sweet vintage earrings at a garage sale recently and decided to add a little funk to them yesterday. I wanted a kind of bohemian, global feel to them. The big center part that kind of looks like a flower is the original earring. Everything else I added on. What do you think?

neutral territory

2011-07-17T13:08:00.000-07:00

I have been in a neutrals color mood lately. Usually I'm all about bright colors, but lately I've been drawn to whites, creams, grays and browns. It's being reflected in my jewelry, as you can see from the piece above. I'll be listing this bracelet in my etsy shop this week.

cowboy boot bracelet

2011-07-16T09:58:00.000-07:00

I made this bracelet awhile back, and it didn't quite feel finished. That is until I found the coolest cowboy boot charm at one of my local bead shops. Now it feels satisfyingly finished and I can't decide if I want to put it in my etsy shop or keep it for myself!

Another recent creation

2011-07-13T17:53:00.000-07:00

I played with my stash over the weekend, and I made several new pieces of jewelry. For this piece I combined a vintage earring with beads and accents, and hung it all from a delicate brass chain. This is in my Etsy shop now...

golden flower pendant

2011-07-12T19:23:00.000-07:00

Here is another necklace using Vintage Groove. I LOVE this stuff!! So far none of these are going in my etsy shop because I can't bear to let them go.

summer hike

2011-07-11T18:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went with a few friends on a hike to Beacon Rock in Washington State, about 45 minutes drive from Portland. What a ride! The highway runs parallel to the river and all around are breathtaking views of the Gorge area.

The hike is straight up and a little less than a mile long, with amazing views of the valley, river and mountains as you went up. I took photos all the way up, so you could hike with me. Hope you enjoy it!

Summer is finally here!

2011-07-10T18:10:00.000-07:00

And with its arrival, a lot of traveling. I just got back from almost two weeks of traveling on the east coast and Arizona.

I have been crafting a bit this weekend, tho and will post pics soon...

more vintage jewelry goodness

2011-06-14T18:47:00.000-07:00

I found these great vintage 60's earrings at a flea market here in Portland last fall, and finally got around to playing with them over the weekend. The necklace combines the vintage earring, a chandelier crystal and some beads and vintage findings. I'm very happy with the result.

Accidents and other news

2011-06-13T19:15:00.000-07:00

I must apologize for being absent these last few weeks. I can't believe it's been almost a month since I posted last!

Let me fill you in on some of the reasons for my absence. First, I had a nasty run-in with the lid of a tuna can. That curtailed my crafting efforts for a couple of weeks. Then I traveled, and now I am finally back to something of a routine. I got busy this past weekend and made some new jewelry using a line from Jill Schwartz called Vintage Groove. Michael's is carrying it, and I love the designs! Check out the sample above...

I'll be sharing more jewelry projects with you over the next few days...enjoy!

Fly away

2011-05-18T20:49:00.000-07:00

I'm off to Phoenix tomorrow for the weekend, so I'll be posting again next week. Till then, I'll leave you with a lovely bracelet that my dear friend made for me. Isn't it beautiful?..

more jewelry

2011-05-17T17:37:00.000-07:00

Here's another piece I made over the weekend. It was really fun to play with different shapes and a combination of stringing and wire wrapping.

jewelry weekend

2011-05-15T15:10:00.000-07:00

This weekend has been all about making jewelry. I found some beautiful components at Michael's a couple of weeks ago and have been itching to play with them ever since. They are called Vintage Goods by Jill Schwartz, an amazing artist and jewelry designer. You can check her out on YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OV3QMo62F6E

I've been so inspired by her work and have felt a quantum leap happening in my own jewelry-making. I have so many ideas running around in my head now that I can't wait to make. Her work helped me to think outside of the box, get out of the rut we get into sometimes. I made a few pieces, so I'll post a few over the next several days. I can't wait to wear what I've made...Enjoy!

more flower goodness

2011-05-11T18:58:00.000-07:00

My flower theme continues with this necklace I created over the weekend. I took an old t-shirt, cut it into strips and made the fabric flower. Then I sewed some wire on the back of the flower to attach beads and chain to. And, voila, a pretty spring necklace...

Spring flowers

2011-05-09T19:11:00.001-07:00

Spring is finally coming to the Pacific Northwest, so this weekend it was all about making flowers. I found this tutorial that Calli at http://www.make-it-do.com/make-it/peony-clips/ was kind enough to share and made this sweet pink ribbon peony. I love it! Tonight I think I'll make a yellow one, or maybe a cream one...

Also, I hope this link thing works; we'll see after I publish this. I'll get the hang of all this techno stuff eventually!

jewelry cabinet ta-da

2011-05-08T11:51:00.000-07:00

Here I am, back again after more traveling and a crazy few weeks at work. I'm so tired by the time I get home, that it's all I can do to eat something and do a few rows of crochet or knitting before I fall into bed.

That being said, I finally finished painting the jewelry cabinet my dad made me for Christmas. I posted a small peek a little while back, but here's the finished piece hanging on my wall. I really like the bright colors; they help brighten up the gray and cold spring we're having in Portland. I'm pretty pleased with the result...I hope you like it too.

A painting for a friend

2011-04-16T16:30:00.000-07:00

I have a housewarming party to attend tonight and I thought, "What a perfect time for a painting!" I really like how this one turned out; I want to keep it! Sounds funny, huh? I guess we create what we like, so it's no surprise that we are enamored of our creations sometimes.

I have also been doing some crocheting and knitting today, as well as making jewelry. I have to get my butt in gear as a few of us at work are bringing in some handcrafted goodness for folks to purchase. Jewelry is the fastest craft, I can turn out a bunch much more quickly than other crafts. So I will be spending the rest of the weekend working feverishly in my studio. Somehow things always seem to take much longer than you think. We'll see how I do.

I'll also have a "ta da" post coming up on the jewelry cabinet my dad made for me and I painted. It was really fun and I have about a million ideas for other designs. Maybe my dad and I will go into the handcrafted jewelry cabinet business!

Thanks for stopping by and have a great rest of your day!

new goodies to play with

2011-04-06T19:10:00.000-07:00

I went to Michael's the other day and they had a sale on their jewelry stuff...heaven! Here are some of the wonderful finds I came home with. I'll show you what they turn into...

flower corcheted mitts

2011-04-05T18:43:00.000-07:00

I made these about three weeks ago and have been enjoying them ever since. I combined a couple of simple crochet stitches, then used a rose pattern from the Crochet Bouquet book. They're warm and pretty cute. I like them and I hope you do too. Thanks for visiting!

April art show

2011-04-04T18:55:00.000-07:00

This month I'm the featured artist of the month at TaborSpace, a Presbyterian church in SE Portland that has become a multiple use facility. The church faced the same challenges many are these days and didn't have enough parishioners to keep it going. They looked for a unique solution to enable them to keep the church open. That solution involved turning the school into office space for healing professionals, artists and the like, and changing part of the church into a coffee house. It's quite successful and wonderful for the community.

Anyway, I am thrilled to be the artist for April! Thanks for visiting and hope you've enjoyed stopping by!

Cowl #2

2011-04-03T09:38:00.001-07:00

Here is the rose one I made as well. I love these cowls; it feels like wool jewelry! And really fun to make. I'm making another lariat type as well. Will share when done. Thanks for stopping by!

I'm back with pics!

2011-04-02T11:37:00.000-07:00

I've been on a real knitting and crocheting binge lately. As we're coming into spring; go figure! Part of it is it's so cold at my workplace that I can happily wear a cowl and fingerless mitts indoors for most of the day.

So today I'm going to show you one of the cowls I recently made that's been keeping me nice and toasty and feeling pretty. I'm very pleased with how it turned out; I hope you like it too!

I can't tell you how nice it is to have a computer that runs fast and really works, is quiet and easy to work with! I didn't realize how hard it was to do the simplest things, how long things took on the old one. This new baby will really help me in so many ways, including making it TONS easier to blog! You'll be hearing from me much more frequently now.

I'm still here!

2011-04-01T15:50:00.001-07:00

I have been beset with issue after issue these past few weeks. My computer finally gave up the ghost after a few months of problems. I have a new one now, but a friend of mine set it all up for me and now the password he gave me isn't working. Sigh...so now I have to wait to hear from him so I can get back on, upload pics and start blogging again. I'm also sick with a bad head cold, and that's throwing a wrench in all my plans.

I have so much to show you! Many projects have been completed these last few weeks and many more are buzzing around in my head.

Hopefully I'll be back in business in a few days. Thanks for being patient, whoever might be left!

sun here I come!

2011-03-10T13:34:00.002-08:00

I'm off to sunny Phoenix, AZ after work today. Am really looking forward to some sun and warmth. Mid 80's this weekend...woo hoo!

I'll be back next week with some new completed projects. Till then, stay warm, dry and comfy!

2011-03-10T13:34:00.001-08:00

Sneak peek

2011-02-27T13:13:00.000-08:00

I'm working on a project and wanted to post a little piece of it...will reveal the whole thing when done. Enjoy!

snow

2011-02-26T11:25:00.000-08:00

It snowed here in Portland on Wednesday night and Thursday morning. Something we don't see very often. I went outside to begin my commute to work and fat flakes were falling all around me. I grabbed my camera and shot some photos as I headed out. It was so beautiful. Really. Really. Beautiful. I felt my heart expanding, felt a little tightness in my chest and the tears came. Tears of joy, of thankfulness for the beauty. Tears of gratitude that I'm here, that I'm alive. Sometimes we get a glimpse of how deeply, quietly magnificent the world is, nature is. And I'll treasure the gift of this snowy morning the rest of my life.

A Tale of Two Mitts

2011-02-20T12:44:00.001-08:00

So the project started out well enough. I crocheted the fingerless mitt from a pattern on Ravelry and felt quite happy with it. Then I started the second mitt. I crocheted along happily, so excited to have my mitts done for the weekend. I pictured where me and my newly finished mitts would go; to the grocery store, to dinner with friends, on a lovely walk perhaps. The possibilities were endless. I finished the final stitch on the second mitt, sewed in the ends, then enthusiastically held it up to the other mitt. As you can see, I was quite sad. Somehow my second mitt ended up significantly smaller than the first. I still can't figure out what happened. So I did what any tried and true crocheter would do; I sniffed back a small tear, then started another mitt. And I was rewarded with success!

I'm wearing my finished pair of mitts right now. And we're going out this afternoon on a walk with a friend. Yay!

Kitty approves...

My little art buddy

2011-02-06T13:02:00.001-08:00

This is my little art buddy, Miss Princess Sweet Pea. She's adopted my sewing chair in the studio as her hangout while I craft, blog, and dream. I love having her near me while I create. No studio is complete without a furry baby to keep a solitary crafter company.

A bit of color

2011-02-05T08:53:00.001-08:00

Some new and vintage beads waiting to become a fabulous piece of jewelry...

My new coat from Old Navy, in a wonderful mustard color. It just makes me happy looking at it. And, I got it on sale!

New year, new goals

2011-01-30T13:48:00.000-08:00

I'm finally back to posting after a very busy January. I can't believe the month is almost over! Travel and work played a big part of my absence as well as the incredibly gray and rainy weather in Portland. It made it impossible to get any good photos. Finally a bit of sun yesterday, so I jumped on it and took some snaps.

I have a few goals for the new year that I've been working on steadily this month. One is to simplify. Which means more time just to be quiet. Time to do handwork that soothes and grounds me. Time to really savor that first cup on coffee on the weekends. More time in my pajamas snuggling with my kitty.

The next is to spend more time outside seeing this beautiful city I'm living in. Exploring neighborhoods and hiking trails, walking and taking pictures. Which leads me to my next goal; attempting to become a better blogger. I got the book "Blogging for Bliss" by Tara Frey a few weeks back and am hoping it will help me improve my blog.

And the next is to FINISH MY UFOs! And, NOT start any new projects until I've finished the ones I have. I know, I know, you're all shaking your heads at the lunacy of this plan. But I'm holding firm so far and have finished the above pair of socks. Yay, me! I'm also making great progress on a couple of crochet projects that have been languishing for awhile. Now, on to that purse I started before Christmas...

happy January!

2011-01-08T10:21:00.000-08:00

Finally getting a chance to post after the busy holiday season. I was in Massachusetts visiting my family over the Christmas holidays. It was a wonderful holiday filled with good food, relaxation, shopping, and rousing games of Rummikub.

We got a big storm a couple of days after we arrived, and it was beautiful. Winter is a favorite season for me. The fairy lights and candles illuminating the darkness, a time of reflection and renewal. And the beauty of snow. This was our view from the house windows..

We drove down to the ocean after the storm had abated and this is what we saw...

We also took a walk on the Audubon trail at the Cape. It was a perfect day to walk. Sunny, cool but not freezing, and very still. We came across a young red-tailed hawk that modeled perfectly for me...

And this is what the marsh looks like in winter...

We also found a lonely boat on our walk...

And of course I crafted while there. I saw a beautiful blanket here: http://www.yvestown.com/archive/2009/11/how-to-crochet-a-blanket-part-1.html that I decided to start making (hopefully I connected this link properly). I got several circles done. I will walk to my LYS this weekend to get the color to complete the squares. I'm thinking a very pale pink would be lovely. I will show you the results as I work on it. I also made a hat as a Christmas gift and started a pair of socks.

a little embellishing

2010-12-19T09:37:00.001-08:00

I got this hat on sale at Gap a couple of weeks ago, and thought it needed a little something to spruce it up a bit. So I took some time yesterday and girly girl'ed it. A little cutting, a little zigzagging and it was done. Snap!

Farm Chicks Christmas

2010-12-11T16:21:00.001-08:00

I was in the mood for a little Christmas mojo and stumbled upon the Farm Chicks Christmas book that just came out. It was exactly the spark I needed to get me into the Christmas spirit! I love everything about it. The only drawback I found is that I wanted more. More pages of inspiration, more pages of eye candy, more luscious Christmas goodness. The book is so good that it's sad when one comes to the end. But like all good things, it must end.

Spent the day cleaning and organizing my studio, then making some Christmas gifts, which I'm quite happy with. Now it's time for some lounging, and maybe watching "A Christmas Story". Hope you're enjoying a little Christmas cheer...

A Christmas gift for you - a fast and easy knitting pattern

2010-12-08T08:56:00.000-08:00

So the pressure's on, Christmas is only 17 days away and you're looking for the perfect gift for your best friend, mom, Billy's teacher, and Aunt Tilly. Well, here's the ticket. A cute little wrap scarf I created that's a cinch to make. It's super easy and can be knitted up in about an hour. Here's the skinny:

Open Weave wrap scarf

I skein Lion's Brand Wool Ease (in any color you like - the scarf pictured above is in Butterscotch)
Size 13 needles (I've used size 15 before and it works just fine, too)
Scissors
Darning Needle
Button
Thread

Cast on 8 stitches.
Knit 8 rows.
On the 9th row, knit the first stitch then wrap yarn around needle from front to back twice. Knit the next stitch, then wrap the yarn around the needle twice. Do this to the end of the row, then knit the last stitch.
*Knit two rows. Repeat row 9.* Repeat the instructions between the astericks till you have a total of 7 open weave sections.
Knit 4 rows.
On the 5th row, make a buttonhole. The size of the buttonhole depends on the size of the button. For the scarf shown above, I bound off two stitches, but on other scarves I only needed to bind off 1 stitch.
Knit the next row, casting on however many stitches you bound off.
Knit 2 or 3 more rows, then bind off.
Weave in ends, then sew your button onto the scarf using your preferred method. I use regular needle and thread to sew mine on, but you can use yarn or embroidery thread, whatever you like.

Easy Peesy!

Turkey pasta soup

2010-12-07T08:55:00.000-08:00

As it was a chilly weekend in Portland, I was craving some nice, hearty soup. I went to the grocery store, grabbed a few ingredients and got to work. It turned out quite yummy in the end, and was quick and super easy to make. So I feel good sharing the recipe with you.

Turkey Pasta Soup

1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove minced garlic
1 lb ground turkey
2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings
1-2 32 oz box chicken broth (I used about one and a half boxes of the organic Swanson)
1 tsp salt
1 bag frozen mixed vegetables
1/3 box pasta (I used whole wheat medium shells, but you can use any kind you like, and can increase the amount of pasta you cook)

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in the bottom of a soup pot. Add onions and cook for about 5 min, or until softened. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add ground turkey and cook through. Pour in the tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes. Add the broth and salt, and bring to a boil. Throw in the mixed veggies and pasta, and cook for about 10 minutes. Serve.

A couple of notes: I cooked my pasta separately, because I knew I wouldn't finish the soup the night I made it. I made some cornbread to go with it, and voila, delicious dinner!

before and after and a yummy recipe

2010-12-05T08:34:00.001-08:00

This purse is one I got at a discount store about 4 years ago. Very plain, nothing fancy. I decided a couple of weeks ago to dress it up a bit. So, above is the before picture, BORING!

And here are the after pictures. The one thing I didn't consider was that the purse was already sewn together, so decorating the front pocket was a real trick. I had to do a lot of hand sewing, but that's ok. Hand work like that is very soothing and I enjoyed it. I love my "new old purse"!

Now, a yummy recipe that I threw together a couple of weekends back. It's super easy and cooks in the slow cooker. Here you go...

CHICKEN TAGINE

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
A 6 oz bag of dried apricots
About 1/2 of a container of dried plums
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
enough chicken broth to cover the chicken

Place chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker. Add fruit. Add spices. Pour chicken broth over all just until chicken is covered (I used 1 and a half boxes of chicken broth). Let cook in slow cooker on low for 8-10 hours.

I cooked up some brown rice to go with the tagine. If you like, you can cook some onion and garlic in a little olive oil and put that in with the chicken before cooking in the slow cooker. This rich, flavorful recipe is a great fall/winter dish. Warm and comforting. Enjoy!

How I spent my thanksgiving vacation

2010-12-04T16:02:00.001-08:00

I spent this Thanksgiving in Arizona with my partner and her family. We drove up to Bagdad, AZ to spend a couple of days enjoying wonderful food, lots of card games, and general relaxation. I brought some crocheting with me; it was the first time I spent a good chunk of time working with yarn since my elbow tendinitis set in a few weeks ago. It was OK that weekend, which was good. Unfortunately, it's far from healed, so I still have to pace myself when it comes to crafting.
Bagdad is a VERY small mining town in the middle of the desert. It's sparsely populated, which means nature is all around. It was incredibly quiet. One doesn't realize how much ambient noise there is until one visits a place like Bagdad. The quiet fed my soul. And the stars at night! What a show! It got quite cold at night, going down into the 20's and the first day we were there it only went up to the mid 40's. The second day it got into the mid 60's with the sun blazing. A perfect day for a little walk, which M and I did. Here are some other views:
We headed back to Tempe on Saturday and enjoyed a lovely rest of the weekend together. Now I'm in full Christmas mode, getting ready to travel back east to Massachusetts to visit my family there.

Tomorrow I'll post a before and after project I finished, and give you the recipe for a yummy chicken tagine I threw together recently. Till then, enjoy your weekend!

trunk show last weekend

2010-11-20T14:21:00.000-08:00

Last weekend was my trunk show and it was a lot of fun. The weather was typical Portland in November; rainy and chilly. But that didn't stop the folks ready to shop! Set up went pretty smoothly and I was happy with the results.

Isn't this home gorgeous? My dear friend lives here and graciously offered her space for my use. She also was my main go to person, stylist extraordinare, and chairman of my "board of directors". She scraped me off the ceiling the Monday before the show and got me back on track.

So here are some of my wares...

There's a side view of my thrift store cotton slip that I embellished and made into a dress...

And here's me with my variety of knitted things, paintings, etc...

More crafty goodness...

More thrift store finds transformed...

And here is a photo of my gorgeous friend, hostess to the event, in her dining room modeling one of my necklaces...

All in all it was a lovely time and a great kick-off to the holiday season.
.

A little hooky goodness

2010-11-07T11:36:00.001-08:00

I've been working like a mad fiend on getting projects done before my trunk show next Sunday. I have the tennis elbow to prove it! I craft a little, get the ice pack out, do a little more crafting, get the ice pack out. Sigh. The hazards of being a crafter..

I spent some time this morning crocheting a little neck wrap. I'm almost done, and the jar of buttons awaits.

thrifting has a bright spot

2010-11-02T19:26:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been crazy for thrifting. Looking for wonderful treasures to alter, use parts of, or just enjoy as is. A couple of weekends ago I traveled to a Goodwill in another part of town and was rewarded with some fantastic items. I got a few yards of vintage fabric, pure 70's eye-popping color. I'm planning to make a bag with it initially, then see what other projects need a color injection.

Meanwhile, I'm focusing on my trunk show coming up in a couple of weekends. Here's a sneak peek of a couple of items that will be for sale:

New studio!

2010-10-17T17:32:00.000-07:00

Finally, after 2 months of traveling, working on my craft business, illness, and re-doing my studio, I am ready to share pics of my new space. Above is the overview of the room. Since I live in an apartment, sadly the walls have to stay white. I'll dream of painting when I own a home again.

I carved out different work stations. This one is for my jewelry making

These are the shelves I put up on my own; I'm so proud! Perfectly level and lovely...as is the framed bird card that my friend made for my birthday.

I have friends to keep me company...

this is the sewing station. I'll be sharing more about that in the future...

This is the storage area for all my mixed media materials, paper and what not...

This is the painting station...

This is where all the bits and bobs for jewelry-making are stored...

My wonderful vintage typewriter that I got at a garage sale while I still lived in Phoenix

Another shot of the shelf area ( can you tell I'm proud of this?)

And last, but not least, storage for yarn...

I love my new space and have been enjoying some quality crafting time in here. Coming up, fabric finds, new jewelry and more!

ARGHH!!

2010-08-16T11:46:00.000-07:00

Computer problems have kept me out of the blogsphere for a bit now. Still experiencing problems which may result in a new computer purchase. Hopefully soon all will be resolved and I'll be back up...

girl painting

2010-07-25T11:21:00.001-07:00

another girl painting...

Fierce

2010-07-18T14:50:00.001-07:00

This girl somehow ended up looking really fierce. I like her toughness, however...

more sparkly goodness

2010-06-24T20:31:00.000-07:00

number painting

2010-06-20T11:49:00.000-07:00

Here's another in the series of number paintings I've been doing...

Yum

2010-06-13T17:14:00.000-07:00

I can't believe a couple of weeks have passed since I last posted. Travel and weekend guests have kept me pretty busy. But there's always time for a little art...enjoy!

Three

2010-05-23T17:26:00.001-07:00

sing

2010-05-16T17:15:00.001-07:00

spring green

2010-05-11T20:25:00.000-07:00

Something light and springy that I made recently for my etsy shop, kathywelshart.

Be

2010-05-02T21:05:00.001-07:00

A girl and her bird

2010-04-27T20:08:00.000-07:00

A fun piece...

I'm back!

2010-04-24T11:04:00.000-07:00

After a long absence, I've finally decided to start blogging again. I've been doing so much art and other crafts lately that I feel excited to share. This time it will be a bit different; my posts will be pictures for the most part, and very light on the words.

knitting like a fiend

2007-11-20T08:27:00.000-08:00

Sorry all, no art post today. I have been furiously knitting with Christmas approaching, so all my creative energy is being taken up with that right now. I do have a journal page that I will post soon. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

It's been a month already!

2007-11-08T16:49:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's been a month since I posted last! The last few weeks have flown by. Working my new job has completely taken over my life..Pretty much I go to work, come home, eat dinner, do a few chores, get ready for the next day, then go to bed and do it all over again.

My Grandma is back in the hospital with a blood clot on her brain and one on her heart; it's very touch and go right now. So I talk with my Mom everyday after work also.

My energy has been very limited, and I feel badly that I've neglected some of my faraway friends. But I can only do so much. I'm trying to be gentle with myself, and take one day at a time..

fun with magazine photos

2007-10-09T19:06:00.000-07:00

Saw this doggie photo in a magazine recently and just had to play with it. I did this page with my friend Dawn in mind, and used some of her drawing inspirations to do this. It was great fun just to sit and doodle on the page, making shapes and coloring. Just like a grownup coloring book!

2007-10-06T10:37:00.000-07:00

This is a painting I did for my living room. I like the peaceful, flowing feel of it. In other news, my Grandmother is doing much better - it's been almost miraculous, her rate of recovery. She's improving a little bit each day. Thank you for all your good thoughts and prayers.

good thoughts for Grammy

2007-09-26T19:57:00.001-07:00

The painting above was birthday present for a friend of mine...

What's been happening in my life these past several days. My grandmother has had 3 strokes in six days. Miraculously, she's still with us, but has suffered significant damage. She is able to talk, but has widespread paralysis. Please send her good energy, say a prayer, whatever works for you. I feel so helpless here, so far away from my parents and grandmother on the east coast.

I also started my new job on Monday. I think it will work for me. It's started out very slow, but once I am able to get going, get calling on customers, it will improve. We'll see...

2007-09-19T10:37:00.001-07:00

Here's a little something I did last week. It's not my favorite piece, but it was fun to do. I'm ready to get back to figure drawing. I don't want to lose the skills I gained in school. I need to do some investigating to find open studio times somewhere around town.

my walk today

2007-09-18T16:42:00.001-07:00

A wooly bear caterpillar going about his day

A really cool tree trunk

An Osprey nest

A guaranteed blue heron sighting...on the mausoleum; go figure...

The beginning of the trail...

part way down the hill

view of the marsh

a beautiful complement of colors

the Willamette River

Today I walked the trail at Sellwood Park. It's hard to believe this is a city. Wild areas are everywhere! While I hiked, I saw all sorts of birds, most notably a little duck that was happily paddling away in a swampy area about 8 ft from me, and some great blue herons. There's something about those birds that fills me with awe every time I see one. Just gorgeous.

Decided I better take advantage of the beautiful sunny day we had and my last few days of freedom before I go back to work. I got my official offer today; I start on Monday. Yeah!

the finished scarf

2007-09-17T19:58:00.001-07:00

Here's the flower scarf I finally finished. It was really fun to do, and I'm already looking for my next crochet project. I signed up for a knitted sock class with one of my crafty Portland friends in early October that I'm looking forward to. I'll post the results.

I'm fairly certain I'll be an employed person by the end of this week. That's a good thing. Tomorrow morning I'm thinking I'll take a walk on the trail I went bird watching on on Sunday. I'll post some photos. Then clean my house, do some grocery shopping and prepare to become a working stiff once again.

A quick post

2007-09-11T16:05:00.001-07:00

Ok, so I'm back. I finished this self-portrait today and wanted to put it up. I'm pretty happy with it overall. It felt good to just paint. I've been feeling a little stuck lately, so this was a good exercise for me. I'm working on two other paintings right now as well, but am not happy with the way they're going. So it's nice to have completed something I like. It looks like me too!

I'm still looking for work and waiting for possible offers, so I'm making the best use of my free time while I still have it. Later I'm going to work on my crocheted flower scarf and finish it hopefully, while watching the WNBA finals game tonight (I'm finally going to finish that darn scarf, Dawn!).

taking a break

2007-08-31T13:16:00.000-07:00

I'm going to take a break from blogging for a little bit. I attended a class on blogging about a week ago, and I want to consider some of the things I learned from the class to make this blog better. I'm not even sure how many people are reading it at this point, and I feel like if I've lost interest (which I kind of have the past few months) then my readers probably have to.

So I'm going to rethink, re-format, and come back with a stronger blog that hopefully you the reader will enjoy. Till then, thanks for keeping up with me, and check back in a few weeks for the all new and improved girly girl art blog.

finished projects

2007-08-23T14:25:00.001-07:00

Here are my little canvases lined up in a row in my bedroom. I'm really happy with how they turned out. I may embellish that wall a bit more. I think I have to live with it for a bit, ruminate on it. Tomorrow I'll post a photo of my finished shower curtain.

the start of something small

2007-08-20T16:41:00.001-07:00

Here's the start of a series of small paintings that are meant to hang together. The canvases are about 5 x 5. Haven't decided yet if I'm going to go in an abstract direction or do something figurative. Probably figurative, a series of birds. I'll post the finished results.

Tomorrow night I'm going to a blog class to learn how to improve your blogging, etc. I'll let you know how that goes.

Also tomorrow I'm heading down to the Oregon DMV to take their written test (Bah!) and get my license, so I can be official. In Arizona, I just had to show up and hand in my old license for the new one. I liked that a lot better.

The search for work is progressing nicely, and I'm hopeful I'll have a job by the beginning of September, mid-September at the latest. So far sales jobs are what I'm able to get interviews for, so I guess it's back to sales for awhile.

shower curtain

2007-08-14T16:54:00.000-07:00

My creative endeavor today has been to work on my shower curtain; finally! I have it pieced. Now I have to add the top panel, put buttonholes in the top, hem the entire thing, then add the trim (the little pink ball trim you see here). It's much straighter in person; I had to lay it out in a bit of floor space, hence the crooked lines. I'll post another photo of the finished project. I'm hoping to get it done tomorrow, though I've never done buttonholes. I'm a little nervous!

I also went on a job interview today at Portland Monthly, a glossy, high-end magazine here in Portland. I have two more interviews coming up and am still applying to others, so things are starting to happen. Hopefully I'll have a j0b by the end of the month.

anti art school Portland

2007-08-12T10:58:00.000-07:00

They do it differently in Portland, that's for sure. I attended the Anti Art School session this past Wednesday night. It was in a bar called Dante's Sinferno (yes, it's true) on 3rd Ave and Burnside. Almost next to the homeless mission and a very sketchy (no pun intended) part of town. I found a parking lot right next to Dante's, so that was a great relief. It was not the kind of neighborhood I wanted to be walking around in by myself.

I entered the bar and found a spot to sit. The lighting at that point was terrible; it was bar lighting, dim and dark. Not the kind of light you want to be drawing in. That got fixed after about the first 20 minutes of drawing, thankfully. Until then it was like drawing in braille. I looked around me and seemed to be the oldest person there. It had much more of a party atmosphere than the one in Phoenix. In Phoenix folks are quiet and very focused on their drawing. Not so here. To give you an idea, they were going to give out prizes for the most inebriated drawing. Yeah, it was like that. People were talking and yelling up at the models and to each other. A little distracting. Also, the poses were no more than 15 minutes long. The one above is a 10 minute drawing.

On to the models. Our first model was a young man, dressed in an interesting mix of clothes (that's a pair of little fur bear ears on his head). He was fun to draw and a good model; the poses could have been a bit more challenging, but he did just fine. Our second model was a young woman dressed as an East Indian, sari wrap, kohl around the eyes, dots on her forehead. She was a striking girl, and an extremely good model pose wise. She did some great poses that I would've loved to have seen be an hour or more. But when she got up on the stage, they changed the music. They started playing something that seemed to be just reverberation from the base of the speakers, like when you're passing someone in one of those tricked out car and the base is booming, you can feel the vibration in your own body. It was intense. Then as she's posing, she begins to do this sort of humming, squealing, screeching kind of noise to go with the "music" (I use the term loosely). This went on for about a half hour. Thankfully, it finally stopped. And we went back to normal music.

By then, I had a bit of a headache, and it was past 9pm, so I decided to call it quits. I'll go again, because it was so good to draw and practice. Even though they were short poses, I still got a workout, and got my mind and fingers warmed up. I'm going to look for some other open session figure drawing opportunities here. Something a bit quieter.

my afternoon in the park

2007-08-08T09:43:00.001-07:00

This past Saturday I went to Laurelhurst park not too far from my home. It was a glorious day and lots of people were out, walking their dogs, having picnics, and just generally enjoying each other and the day. I sat on a bench parallel to this little dog and his owners, a group of elderly, jovial folks. He was just so cute I had to draw him. Most of the drawing I had to construct on my own; dogs don't stay still all that well sometimes. But I managed to capture the spirit of him.

I admit to feeling a bit melancholy and lonely out there that day. Everyone around me was with others, having picnics and laughing, tight family groups and groups of friends, of co-workers. And there I was, knowing not a soul, in this city that I'm growing to love but isn't home yet.

I've been traveling back and forth between being very happy to be here, to feeling lost and lonely. Really enjoying my own company, and feeling an emptiness, a hollow lonely feeling. All part and parcel of making a new life in a new place.

The employment search is turning out to be a bit more of a challenge than I anticipated as well. So far I've sent out dozens of resumes, answered countless employment ads, and have yet to get even an response, let alone an interview. Yesterday I broke down and started applying for sales jobs. Not what I want, but I have to get some work.

I am working on networking here with some business organizations, so hoping something will come of that.

my new neighborhood

2007-08-02T12:50:00.001-07:00

This is my street, as I was walking towards my apt complex...

This is the street around the corner...

This was in someone's window on 21st Ave; don't know what it's about, but it's pretty cool.

I love this neo
And the little robot on the sign!

Some graffiti I spied on an earlier walk; I love the shapes

more of the same...

They call this the city of roses and I know why; they're absolutely everywhere!

I took a walk this morning around my neighborhood looking for some interesting shots. Most of these are on a main drag (21st Ave), but a couple are the street around the corner from me and my own street. The weather has been flawless and I'm taking as much advantage of it as I can.

Part of every day is spent inside on the computer looking for work. I've responded to a ton off Craigslist, and some of the online job sites, but so far no calls or emails to interview. Kinda bummed about that. Hopefully soon some things will start to happen. I've been sending out feelers in all directions. Yesterday I attended PABA (Portland Area Business Association) an LGBT business organization in town. I'm hoping some leads will come from that. And in a couple of weeks the AIGA chapter is meeting as well, so more contacts will come from that. So I just have to keep "stuffing the pipe" as we used to say in sales, and work will come.

I started a new painting the other day, and hope to get some work on it done this afternoon. I also am working on a mail piece to send out to prospective employers. And I STILL have to start on my shower curtain!

I've been reading the last Harry Potter book, and tonight I'm finishing it. I only have about 45 pages to go. I'm excited to finish, but also a little sad as once it's done, that's it. There are no more. But, wow, what a story!

I'm back in business!

2007-07-27T11:23:00.000-07:00

I got my scanner hooked up yesterday, so I'm able to post some art once more...yeah! This is a piece that I'm working on. I'm doing some painting on it in Photoshop and will try to post when finished. But this is the sketch.

Yesterday was interesting. I had to go downtown again to the temp agency I'm working with. Of course I got kind of lost, ended up on a REALLY seedy end of the street I wanted to be on, going the opposite way. I ended up having to stop in a bar and ask directions. Yes, there I am at 9:15 in the morning, in this totally seedy, dark bar full of men (me in my heels and skirt) asking them to tell me how to get to the address I needed. It was fun.

Anyway, I got there, in time too, and it looks like I'll be starting temp work next week. I'm ready to get back into the work force again and am actually looking forward to it. The "real" job search continues, of course, but this will give me some money coming in.

Now I'm off to lunch with a new friend here, so will post more another day.

Ok, that's funny

2007-07-25T16:43:00.000-07:00

Well, after I finished that last post and turned around, there in the box behind me was the camera cord! So I'm posting a few photos of my life the past few weeks:

This was a truck I found out at ASU campus shortly before I left. Great texture and color!

This is a park in Ashland. Funny to have a park so thick with foliage in basically a desert landscape.

This is an overview of the town as I gazed on a rooftop.

This was on the way to Ashland. Spectacular mountain, isn't it? Now, if I could only remember its name...

Yes, I was driving and taking pictures. I know, I know....

This was July 4th at the beach. It was super windy and kinda cold, but wow, what a view!

Here's me on the beach. In my borrowed wool sweater. Trying not to freeze to death.

And here's a shot of the water lilies on the lake kind of behind the ocean being enjoyed by the dogs who accompanied us on our walk. They had so much fun, but they smelled SO BAD afterwards!

still unpacking

2007-07-25T16:21:00.000-07:00

The unpacking continues. I wanted to post photos today that I've taken over the past few weeks, but I can't find my cord for the camera to transfer the pics. Sigh. I'll have to keep looking.

Things are coming together though. My place is really shaping up. IKEA just opened today in Portland, so I'll be getting my desks, etc. soon and be able to set up my studio (and find my errant camera cord!).

Hang in there with me...the best is yet to come!

I'm alive!

2007-07-13T11:35:00.001-07:00

I finally have internet, so here I am! In beautiful, sunny Portland, OR. Yes, sunny! It's been beautiful since I got here a week and a half ago. From what I hear, this is summer in Portland. Yeah, I'm lovin it.

Let me start with my road trip. It was hard leaving AZ, there were a lot of tears, but once I got on the road, I started to feel excited. I drove by myself, and I'm glad I did. It was nice to have the time to myself, and only have to worry about me. I drove about 10 hours the first day, but hit a major traffic jam in California that set me back about 2 hours. Spent the night in a Best Western in the middle of nowhere. Seriously, there was NOTHING there! Flat farmland for miles in every direction. Probably much like Kansas in spots (remember "Children of the Corn"?).

Got up the next morning and hit the road early. In my travels that day I saw about 20 paintings I would've liked to have done. Many beautiful pastoral landscapes. Drove all day till I reached Ashland, OR and spent the night there. What a great little town! I took a walk in the park just around the corner from the hotel I stayed in shortly after I got there in the evening. It was filled with young families playing with their kids, some dreadlocked "travelers" hanging out playing guitars and drums, and older folks enjoying the trees and park benches. The next morning I walked up to town and stopped into the shops. They had some great little places there and I got a few things for my new home. Then I hit the road again around 1 pm and got into Portland about 5:30p.

July4, J and I drove up to Cape Meares for the day, just missing the July 4th parade. It started at 12N, and we arrived at 12:10p. Yep, it's pretty small. Then there was a town picnic/potluck loaded with yummy food that we enjoyed. A walk by the water after lunch, some visiting with new friends and watching the pelicans completed our day. It's so beautiful up there; rugged cliffs, crashing waves and a stiff wind. Wild.

The rest of the time so far has been spent getting settled, shopping for furniture and household goods and getting the cable,etc. hooked up. Am having a difficult time with my wireless router, so am confined to the living room floor to work online for now. I won't have a printer or scanner set up for a bit yet as I'm trying to fix my router. As soon as I have things set up, I'll post pictures and new art.

waiting...

2007-06-26T10:36:00.000-07:00

The packing is finished, now it's just a matter of waiting till the movers get here in a couple of days. I leave this weekend. So I will be offline for a little while till I get to Portland. Till, then, take care everyone and I will be posting in a couple of weeks.

2007-06-20T10:18:00.001-07:00

Another journal page....

more old journal pages

2007-06-18T19:55:00.000-07:00

Another old journal page.....

open figure drawing session

2007-06-17T11:03:00.001-07:00

There was an open figure drawing session yesterday at MCC, arranged by my life drawing teacher. It was so good to go, to draw and spend some time doing art. I didn't realize how much I needed to do this until afterwards. On the way there, I was in an out of sorts mood, feeling pretty annoyed at everything. Then I drew, and I felt better. I think the drawing helped me regain some balance that I sorely needed. There's another session coming up the week of 6/25 that I'll be attending, so I'll have another chance to draw from life.

another page

2007-06-13T16:28:00.001-07:00

Another old journal page. This one needs some writing and doodling to finish it. Will post again when it's in the final stage.

items found while packing

2007-06-12T16:56:00.000-07:00

Found a journal buried under a pile of other books while packing today, and scanned in some pages. The journal is from about 3 years ago while I was making the decision to accept the buyout my business partners offered me. I wanted to do more art at that time, and this journal was a start in that direction. Will be sharing more pages in the days ahead.

journal page

2007-06-10T11:07:00.001-07:00

Am working in my little journal, just drawing as things are being packed up every day and I don't have access to my usual supplies. Maybe it's good; it's forcing me to draw, to think creatively with very few materials. Not having the security of everything handy has been interesting.