For the Birds?

I created this nature shrine for an art challenge i signed up for. It's made from a little wooden hinged box and i cut a piece of foam core to make a shelf and found some blue/green eggs to add to the bottom with moss from our woods behind the eggs. The top shelf has a tiny bird image that i glued onto a piece of foam core and then carefully cut out with a craft knife so it is 2D and the image behind the little bird in front is 2D also and glued to foamcore and then cut out after it dried so its has depth. The other side has an image of a nest and i glued moss to make a realistic birds nest and cut an egg in half and adhered it inside the "nest",added some tiny paper flowers and the wording. The front cover of the box is also collaged and the technique i used for the paint base was so much fun! I painted the entire box a robins egg blue let it dry (actually speed up the process by using a heat gun lol) and then i rubbed petrolyem gel on diff spots so that when i gessoed over the blue the gessoe would not adhere to the places i added the oil based gel and you end up with a very weathered surface with paint looking like it has been bubbling under the hot sun for years. after the gesso drys you rub off the paint with a paper towel where you used the petro gel. Next stop to post this photo to be voted on, how exciting!!

Hark the Herald , Angels sing!!!!!!

This was SOO much fun to make! It is for an ornament swap I'm in a One on One. I used a flat bulb and cut the angel image from Inka's Christmas collage sheet ,But first i added some angelina fibers in gold to the bottom of the bulb and then curled the image and inserted it and then had to use all kinds of stuff and finally got the image the way I wanted using wire(!). I edged around the bulb with rub n buff in gold and added stickles to the wings and headband before inserting the image. I glues the top metal cap on with glue so it won't come off. I used organza ribbon in light pink shimmer and attached an aged tiny tag to the top using another tiny image from the same sheet. It is really sparkley in person and i'm pleased with the outcome! I Love the christmas collage sheets Inka has! I Love angels at Christmas time. The way she sits in the bulb makes you wonder how she got in there! I took a gold krylon paint pen and wote the words "peace,joy and love " on the back, its subtle but there like angel whispers :) The next Angel ornie i make is going to have a white fluffy feather in the bulb to !! The ideas never stop!

a Tad of Whimsy in the air.......

OHH Looky A Charlie in a box!!! He was created out of paperclay and a purchased paper mache box ( I feel uncomfortable calling a circle container a box!). This was inspired by a book and one of my favorites too! The book is by one of my favorite artists known for her whimsical arty ways , Sandra Evertson and the name of the book escapes me right now and seems to have been pulled from my book collection. I have both of her books and they are wonderful! The other book is whimsical paper flowers and is filled with emphera and ideas and directions to make paper flowers! These are not your ordinary tissue paper flowers either. Take A peek on Amazon, I'm sure you'll enjoy the eye candy as well. Just type in the Artists name in the search bar.
Hope you enjoy him as much as I did creating him!

New News

I'm soo excited I can finally write about this.... I was asked to be on Inka Stamps design team!!! This is such a wonderful opportunity for me and will be a challenge I'm looking forward to. Inka emailed me and if you mention the design team when ordering she will give you a 30% discount on rubber stamps!!! OMGosh could it get any better then that??? Fly over to Inka Stamps
She's also got awesome collage sheets and long awaited Cut Glass in shapes of houses and so you can either make 2-D houses for ornaments or 3D houses to make your own little village!! I'm so thankful to all my friends and how suportive you've all been to me during difficult times. My Mom is having alot of problems with her memory and I can't leave her alone at all anymore, Less sleep as i wake up when i hear her get out of bed. She stood at the fridge the other day and was making a racket and came in to me in the living room telling me she couldn't figure out how to open the fridge and tore the panel for the water and ice dispencer off trying to get the fridge open. She is terribly bothered by this and worrys that she will lose her memory completly. I took her to the dr and they want to do some tests and she has to see another neuroligist, I am late mailing everything out as being sick myse3lf and taking care of mom kinda threw a wrench in the works. I apoligise for anyone waiting for mail from me. it will be taken care of asap.
Many Blessings,
Dawn

Bee's wax??

This is a very small piece of art, 3"x 4" and was really fun to do! I wrapped hannah silk ribbon around the outside edges of the canvas with the bow at the top. My grandma would have loved this! I love to do work on a small scale,But really want to try something big. I have a blank canvas just sitting there waiting for the "someday". I've got so many things swirling in my head, But i've decided to quit for the nightand start fresh in the morning!! I'm helping mom make all of our christmas cards this year and already have a good start.



This is the first time I've used bee's wax to collage with and I'm so pleased with the results!! I started with a 9x12 canvas and then used emulsion paints to create the background. I LOVE the smell of bee's wax when its melted and even when it hardens it has the faint sweet smell. I used the hot pot to melt the wax in and it worked Great! I call this collage "born innocence". The look on the little guys face makes me want scoop him up and cuddle him! Enjoy !!!

It's that time of year......

I'm SOO excited for Christmas!! I am determined to be prepared this year and start early on my cards and gifts. I wont be able to post ALL the gifts I make untill people receive them,but I am taking pictures to post! The above card was made using one of the New Christmas collage sheets from Inka Stamps and the photo corners and the ticket were made using stamps by Inka! I stamped the ticket on patterened scrapbook paper and using a hole punch to indent the corners and a bit of inking and I made myself an aged ticket! I love using the paper edgers they have out to make paper look well worn. I have more stamps by Inka and am excited and inspired to use them all!! I made an ornament with another image from a collage sheet of an angel (which I will post later) using Inkas Christmas collage sheets and enclosed the image in a glass flat bulb ornament. I've never tried image transfer and am looking forward to trying it soon to make my own polyclay dominos or pendants. I put my order in for the NEW Glass houses Inka has on her site and can't wait to get them to create my own little village and for gift giving. The link to Inka stamps is under my list of favorite places to shop or you can click this link. www.inkastamps.com
Back to creating.. so many ideas and so little time!
Hugs!!!

Sorry

I was going to update and redue some things on my blog,but have not been able to do so yet. enjoy!!

The Artists Muse...

Ok so i have some time right now as everyone is sleeping!! I got a book from amazon and this is what transpired from one of the techniques in it! I used acrylic watercolors and a coffee filter,a scrap of lace and some drops of the pearl alcohol inks. This was fun to do and I love the colors and the way they blend together and make differant colors. The book I used for technique is called The Artists Muse. It comes with cards that you can pick if your stuck for ideas or if you want to try something new.There are 3 sets of cards that come with the book and its got lots of eye candy and good info! I love amazon for books and most the time I buy used and in new or great condition and they come to me brand new in gift giving condition and for alot less then the price on the book! I am trying to learn my way around Photo Shop CS and I've gotten several books to learn from and all come with disks so that you learn by doing not only by reading. I'm very hands on, I learn more by doing or trying. Thanks for stopping by :) come again soon....

Where did the time go???

I guess time has slipped by on me again! I'm so greatful this is a choice to blog and not a requirement with deadlines!! I read from cover to cover the Artful Blogger by somerset and I'm so inspired!!! WOW what a bunch of creative people! I'm not surprised, I'm impressed!!! I've wanted to start a blog link spot on my blog,so if you'd like to leave me a comment and your blog link,I will add it to a list and add as I'm able! I've got some new art to post,just need to find time. Tomarrows lookin good so far , But we all know how that can change in a second. I've stopped smoking and I hope that by blogging more it will help over come the tad bit of cravings I have only when I think about it. The Dr. prescribed both DH and I some meds to aid in the fight of addiction, so far so good!! I hate smoking and it's only become a nasty habbit and one I'm so happy to drop! I don't smoke while I do Art for 2 reasons, 1. I dont want my work to reak of smoke and 2. it's my healthy time, as I do art most the time as therapy for the soul. Thus drinking lots of water and not smoking and eating good food while i am in my Art mode kinda forces me to be healthier! So thats my goal and i'm stickin to it!! I've browsed so many awesome blogs, I stated to book mark and the list got so long I had to stop adding or DH wouldnt be able to find his own bookmarks. So I'd really like to add your blog links,as with alot of bloggers and artists I find i jump from one blog to the next just by links! How awesome it that??
have a Great day, come back soon as I will be adding new Art soon!

Whimsy and fact

It's been awhile since my last entry Due to my own illness I will be in and out as I am able. Dean and I celebrated our B-days on the 29th, He took me to dinner at our fav Mex. place. It felt good to get out and let the cool Fall air blow on me! I will update the facts as they come and try to keep up. I thought I was having Hot Flashes and then we thought meds, tomarrow I go to see about my heart, I'm really scared as I was adopted and don't know if heart disease runs in my Bio. I've been praying really hard for everyone and myself to. I hate being sick and when I do get sick I really get sick! I can't be up and running around like I had been and don't fret I'm only up at this hour because i've been in bed most the day and sleeping. I guess my trying to do it all and not in moderation is having it's toll on me. Ok so now on to the fun stuff!!!
LOOK at Baby Rudy!!! I created him while watching tv laying on the couch (coz DH wont let me run around ). He's made out of paper clay and wire! he was so much fun to create and I could see him come to life as soon as I molded his lil face in my hands! He is not a big guy, he's small. Its gona be his first Halloween and he's excited, he grabbed a lil bag he found on my tray and is ready to go!!! He stands watch over me on the night stand and my mom wants me to make him a sibling for her to have so i will have to see what i can come up with! I also created a little round paper mache box (why do they call round containers with lids box's?) and he has a paper clay head and a fluffy white polka doted collar and a spiffy party hat. His name is Charlie in the box, but I havn't taken his picture yet, but hope to tomarrow . Dean took a picture of me during our dinner date and I've lost more weight but i don't think i aged any LOL. and i set the camera up on the booth behind dean and had him come sit with me and turned the timer on and I love this pic of US!!! This was a monumental picture and time for me as I've NEVER been away from my son to eat diner alone with DH. I always worried he'd get upset or be lonly or feel bad, but he told me he would watch grama for me and I was so thankful. He's such a good guy, I love him dearly!! Hope you enjoy the pics. Hugs to you all!!
Dawn and baby Rudy :) ( I'm so attached to him already!)

Magical Fairy Orb

Here is the fairy orb I created. The directions for this are in a couple posts below. This is a close up of the FO and the post under this one is the way it looks hanging,But wait theres more.....:) when i hung the orb by a window and the view came thru the orb, I was to say the least very excited!!! The trick is to not put to much ink on the glass and to dab it not smoosh it around , unless oyu want to of course:) Go for it....enjoy
Fae Hugs,
Dawn

The Sun was upon us!!

today was a much better day :) Thanks for the well wishes and prayers they all helped more then you know! Mom was put thru some therapy today to get her on her feet. she can walk with the aid of a walker. She can talk and she doesn't remeber much of last night and swears half of it never happened! Thank goodness DH was with so I know i'm not crazy!! they are keeping her in the hospital for observation and untill they get her blood to thin. They believe that her stroke was due to her thicker blood which her ins # was way down 1.9 and its sposed to be 2.5-3.5 so she's got to relax as it is hard for her sweet heart to pump thick blood ! She misses the dog's:) imagine that lol. I called her this morning and she was going to be having more tests done and therapy and then shower/bath and then lunch and nap WOW i'm not sure i'd be up for all that!!! poor mom. anyhoo she told us to go to the fall festival in our town and then have dinner and call her, as she would not be in her room most the day and then she'd be resting. SO hard as it was not to rush there anyways i listened(oooo thats new for me LOL) we went to the fall fest. It was not as much fun without my mom but she wanted us to be there and have fun and if we cud sneak her some ribs, well NO ribs for momma sorry ma. I got a hand knit bolivian wool sweater from DH and DS for my B-day early :) oh and with losing so much sleep i'm a bit chilled now, so it felt good to wear even tho it was a BEAUTIFUL day today! I went to bed with a positive thoughts and woke up to sunshine and warmer weather which was well received! I at first i wished i had put a tent booth up, but now with mom not well i would have lost my money on the booth so there is a reason for everything. I am going to add some pics to my flikr and maybe i will post a teaser here :) my latest work. hope you enjoy!! And many blessings and good vibes are being sent to you all right now!
lov n hugs,
Dawn

Tonight my life changed...

Tonight was not as much fun as i had planned. My mom had been acting kind of strange today and having a hard time walking and staying awake. I kept checking on her all day and she seemed to get worse with time. My Hubby came home and i asked him to come with me pls to "interview" mom as at times i feel as though i am crazy, coz mom will act out of sorts and when i tell Dh about it she denys it, thus making me feel as tho i was overreacting.
God has plans for us and I'm so very sure of this now... We managed to get mom in the car after being threatened that 911 would be called if she did not come on her own. By this time she could hardly walk. I had to practically carry her to the car, DH drove as i was turned around in the seat watching over my mom, well she had a stroke in the back seat while i was watching and it's the worst thing i've ever witnessed ! Worse then that, there was NOTHING i could do as we were half way to the hospital ER. I have no idea how i got to the hospital without totally flipping out. I guess survival instincts kick in and you concentrate on helping and getting the job done untill its safe to break down. By the time we got to the hospital, she could not talk other then babble some senceless words and she just kinda slumped over in the seat and she looked as though she was looking thru me. I prayed so hard that God please keep her safe and to please let me have more time with her. I've lost my dad and she is the only parent i have left and she's a young 79 most the time. Well the thought entered my mind "what if".... what if she was paralized and couldn't function, what if she was in pain and couldn't tell us.,alot of what if's went thru my mind that were not so pretty nor would i wish to live like that in any of those "what if "cases... so I asked God to please do what is best for her and please dont let her live in pain and please make the best decision for her, and if it was her time I wouldnt be selfish. Sure i got kinda angry, hurt, all kinds of emotions started flowing while we waited for the ER DR to assess her. Now anyone who knows me knows how attached to my mom i am, we've been living with and caring for her for 5 years now and we were close before and now she's like half the time my mom and half time my second child. I was so scared of what the Dr would tell us when we could go in the room. So finally they opened the door, i was crying and so panicked and scared. The dr told us she had a stroke and when they were hooking her up to all the monitors, DR. asked if she had a recusatation wishes and she said " yes, do it".. OMG i'm still crying!! this is so hard but if i dont write it out i can't get past it. I truely believe that by letting God make the decision and my not being selfish gave us more time together. I hope she lives a long long time, but if its going to be in agony , then i dont wish her to live that way. I have no clue what tomarrow holds but i am going to wake up positive ! Tonight i think i learned that life is so very short and it is so worth living and living to the fullest! Tonight has changed my life in big ways and in positive ways. would i want to go thru that again ? I'd rather not. But i am so thankful for my family and friends. You all make life worth living and I know when it's time you will be here for me to cry on your cyber shoulder and help me through it. Mom needs prayers, good vibes whatever you believe in thats positive and good energy. Thanks for reading this far, knowing your a true friend is a blessing.
lots of hugs and love to you all,
Dawn xo

Where to begin?........

I have learned so much in the past couple days and i will pass it on to you ......Grab a pen and paper and if you get a grand idea while your writing by all means write it down!!!
I've created some pretty cool things last night. One being a teeny tiny faerie in a teeny bottle! she's about an inch tall! I had to make her living environment with a tweezers! I will be adding pics in a bit to show you! The faerie is 3D she has a front and a back and her wings stick out of her back! she's adorable.... Her name you ask? I have to think about that and in time she will let me know the name she wishes to be called!
I then created a faerie Orb... my safe place when i get scared is in a lavender bubble kinda irridecent with pinks, blues .... imagine....... So my magic mind went to work and i gathered my materials i would need ..
a glass ball ornament
some alcohol inks
glue (my fav is crafters pick The ultimate) and super glue
fishing line
scotch tape
some fun fur fibers to add to the top
printed images of a fairy or yu could put wings on one of your favorite people, just make sure they will fit in the ball with room above and under the fairy .
some book pages (i used photo copied vintage book pages copied on cardstock)
A seed bead or other small holed bead to use as the stopper when tieing the fishing line off.

First i took the image of the fairy and glued her to the wrong side of the book print. I cut her out and laid her aside.
next i inked the ball, with the exception of the front which i left an oval blank spot and go lite on the ink for a dreamy effect.
I then set the glass ball on a cup to dry while i took and added some glitter on the fairys wings and where you think you'd like it. let dry or MAKE it dry by using a heat gun from a distance you dont want to burn the glitter or the paper! Sometimes i turn my oven on low and let things dry in there for a few minutes.
After your glitter is dry take the fairy and cut some fishing line so that it will go far beyond the ball when she's put in the ball, thus making room for error:)
attch the fishing line to the center of the fairy's BACK and i poked a hole thru the center of the metal cap for the glass ball so she wud hang in the middle!
Ok now is the time your gona ruff up the fairy a bit, but no worries she will recover if your not to ruff! BE CAREFUL NOT TO BREAK THE GLASS! DO NOT SQUEEZE OR FORCE, THE BALL WILL BREAK!
ok now that we have that settled :) carefully bend the wings to the back of the fairy and kind of roll her towards the back to get her in the hole at the top of the ball.
Next string the fish line thru the center hole you poked
and take a teeny piece of tape and after you decide how far down or up you want her to hang , tape the line at the hole and put the seed bead on. Tie the line so your going thru the bead and making it part of the knot, once you knot it several times put a tad of super glue if oyu have it so that it wont slide.
once your happy with the placement, making sure she is facing out where you left the blank spot on the ball for her to look out,carefull life the metal cap and stick the ultimate glue around the top of the glass opening so that it will seal when its dry. Don't worry there are air holes in the cap for her to breath. I'm a member of PETA! and also PETFairys!!!!
fond some vintage ribbon or take some brown ink and kind of lightly make it look old and string that thru the loop to hang.
Then you can use fun fur or some fancy edging around the top under the bottom of the cap for the ball to hang. you can add any fun things you'd like and there ya go! Don't forget to hang her where you will see her and talk to them often, they get lonly!
i will post pics in a bit, need to see if they are charged!
Ok another thing i learned today was to make your own alcohol inks.. using any fabric dye and rubbing alcohol! yep thats easy peezy! you should be able to find some small bottle for applying in and art store or where they sell fabric paint.
If you'd like to make some awesome transparent embossing powders mix a couple drops of alcohol ink in a small measuring cup for like medicine and the embossing powder and oyu will have rich colored transparent embossing powder. just mix untill the clumps are gone and your set!
ok i've given you some amo NOW GO MAKE ART!
FAE HUGS<
DAWN M

Time... I need more

Well allot has been happening since my last entry! Been so busy with artwork and my groups I need more time!!! I'm proud to be a new member of "The Latest Trends in Mixed Media Art" yahoo group and also was invited to be a member of both the ebay group and the flikr group for "The Fairy Zine"!!! I am so inspired by all the talent i've seen. The help i've gotten from Jenny at the "Polka Dot Pixie" is truely amazing1 I've found that Lisa Kettel from the fairy zine to be like a sister/mentor to me as well. I'm so excited to be involved with such talented Artists,it's almost overwhelming! But trust me i'll adjust :) In the near future my class will be on the ARTchix web sight,i'll let you know when i get notified, this is exciting from me especially because I did not ask I was asked by Helga to write up the class for altered charms!!! I'm so humbled and honored to know all of you Artists and to be in your company is so inspiring! I have so many new links to add to my lists, that if you dont see your store or a link to your blog or artwork could oyu pls give me a tiny bit of your time to email me the direct links so i may add them.I have so many bookmarked i'm a bit overwhelmed! My DH is going to be making some wood shrines soon and i will post a pic so oyu can see, if your interested after seeing the pics , he will be selling them, We are pondering ebay, But if you come here and email me first you'll save money by ordering them here. I'm also working on some collage sheets from the awesome postcards and cabinet cards I've found during the summer!!! We will be offering those as well. What's next you wonder?? Rubber stamps! I've wanted to create rubber stamps for so long and I'm just going to do it! So I'm working on the sheets and will have some UM stamps in the future also. The next step is to create a web store. hehe I told ya i need more time!!! It's not going to be a huge store , just something thats easy to handle and offer some of our talent to you to use in your artwork or projects. Pls take a minute and take a peek at my art! I have more to add , in time it will happen! Big hgs to all my artsy friends I do cherish you all!! Alos my fairy art will be published in The Fairy Zine's next edition!!!

living in the now

I have really been living in the "what if" mode while creating's new art. I seem to have overcome my fears of messing something up! Let me tell ya , it's a great feeling and so much more freedom. I used something new to me just last night and i love this product! Goldens moldling paste. Its like frosting ,dries kinda foamy and retains its shape when u poke at it LOL. I also tried paperclay for the first time and LOVE that to! It"s so light weight. I am a bit impatient waiting for things to dry so i keep the oven on warm and stick my work in the oven for about 10-20 minutes and its dry. i'm going to be adding some new links to my favs hopefully tonight .Received my order from Dharma and can't wait to start dying silk! i ordered some silk scarves and a silk skirt and that company is so reasonable and fast shipping to ! I added new art to my flickr and i am so proud of my fairie art pieces! The naughty kitty ATC is kinda funny to, go take a peek.. I've also brought out the beads and took a trip to the bead store and bought some really awesome one of a kind beads and natural semi precious stones. I do art everyday , it makes me feel so great when i finish! I have also found and have been burning sage and sweetgrass as it helps calm my nerves and gets rid of the jitters. I found some really awesome incense to at the floral boutique, its temple incence and its from India. It smells GREAT and really wakes up the mind and sences. I was told the other day I was very fairy like! LOL maybe its the positive attitude and the Bohemian skirts and being me instead of doing what everyone else is doing or wearing?? I made a really nice jewelry piece last weekend. i found an amethyst pendant in a rectangle slab shape so its thin and its so pretty and i added some sterling chain and some other purple semi precious stones and sterling charms and made some dangles! I will have to find something dark enough to take a picture of it! well till next time, happy arting and sweet fae wishes blowing your way!!
xo

What A Weekend!

It's been a long creative weekend for me! I was busy as a bee most the time creating Art to offer at my spot at the crafters market and create i did! I will be uploading all the photos of the art i did to flikr, there is a link to the right for my artwork.
I am so excited!!!! I was invited to "the Fairy Zine"!!!! I was asked to submit artwork for the upcoming issue in a halloween/maquarade theme!! I feel so blessed as when things seem to get really unbearable God seems to cast his hands on mine and then things are wonderful again and even better! The prospect of having my own small E-store is looking good, and i am really excited. Ok i noticed i say i'm excited alot! If you knew me you'd know i REALLY am excited! Thats when i talk fast and i dont take frequent breaths and my heart is goin crazy and the ideas seem to plow into my mind. I guess that i get inspired and its overwhelming sometimes!!! And thanks to Lisa at the Fairy Zine for sparling my newest creative endeavor, I made a captured Fae!!! I am going to be creating a small journal to keep track of her progress in captivity and all the things i learn.This should be fun! Don't worry Lisa, I still plan on adopting one of your so very awesome captured fae's!! Well I am going to watch Tim Holtz's Video before closing down the castle!!!
Lots of Good Faerie Energy to all of you!
Hugs,
Dawn

Lots to share!!

Alot has happened since i last entered this world of mine.... A dear friend of ours called to let us know he was diagnosed with cancer. This is very tramatic for me as he is like a brother to me.. Pls pray for him and his family to find strength and healing In all the prayers being said for them.
I am ready to set up my spot at the crafters market!!! Dean and i went and got some sheer fantasy fabric for the backdrop as i refuse to keep the pegwalls as a backdrop for my ART! YUK!
we've been making packaging headers and bussiness cards etc. I tell Dean and Jake they are in charge of marketing LOL. I will be having some ARTchix items and Lisa's altered art images for sale also. and will be making ATC kits and goodie bags!! Speaking of ARTchix..I emailed Helga and wanted to show her pictures( i used her images) of the charms i made for a charm swap for Nervousness. Well much to my surprise she replied asking me to write up a class for her E-store!!! I am both excited and honored! I have been doing alot of thinking and talking to my DH and we've been kicking around the idea of opening an online store. It would be a dream come true and PLS people it does not mean i will stop shopping at your stores, so have no fear!!! Dh will get a tax id number and will be doing the work with my help. I can keep books and play with the stock!!! shhhh dont tell. I was already told i have to pay for anything i take! Geesh give him some power and look at him go! I want this to be a success and i have several good friends whom own E-stores and I have faith in us and know we can do it.I have a new found confidence! I have been praying for an answer to some questions and this is it. I got my stamp to mark my art ... Original Art By Dawn Marie under that it says ARTifact & Whimsy! It's in black ink and It makes things real for me!!! so most of my art including my ATC's will be marked with that stamp as it will make it an original. We ran this all past the accountant we chose to handle the tax's etc and we were given the thumbs up! Solid bussiness plan is a good thing!
Dean is also thinking about going to school for small engine repair as he inquired about having one of our boat motors tuned up and was told the labor alone is 119.00 an HOUR! OMG we'd be rich!!! he ended up fixing this one on his own and it had been worked on and off for 9 yrs with no luck and he spent a day with it and it runs like a top, well a motor LOL the little propellor turns thats good isn't it?? So i think we have turned some negatives in our lives into positives and am so excited and proud about it. Even my son is creating digital art to be printed off and to be made into prints etc. very exciting for all of us.
Mom , oh my she needs her hair done! I offered to take her where i go and pay for it but she refuses to go and pay that much. She likes her own little lady who does everyones hair the same and you'd swear they have barbie hair machines as i swear they all look the same! but her hairlady's father passed away and so I am having fun putting little clips in her hair that we got for my neices and she looks like a young old lady LOL. AWW mom i love ya!!! We are creating a great sign for the booth with the paper mache sign i found at ben franklin and will try some new techniques on it to make it look weathered and awesome! i promise to post pics! if this comes out the way i have pictured in my head i will be so happy! If the E-store works for us, we thought maybe during the summer we cud rent space in town and get a small store and we cud hold classes etc after hours. My DH is very talented. he can do anything he puts his mind to his jewerly and beading is amazing!! I have some amazing animal sculpts he did out of polymer clay and he made me a laptop desk for my lap when i sit in bed to play with the laptop. I figured the only way we are going to get ahead in this world is to MAKE things happen. We have the desire and the smarts and just need to make sure our ducks are in a row so this will be a success!!! Now this is in the planning stages , we are not going to run out and jump into something we havnt thought totally out . So as we pray for all of you pls pray for us to. I dont want to be a poor old lady:(. I bought some dye for shirts, fabric, ribbon etc so we can do some art shirts! There isnt a store around me within 200 miles that sells what we want to. Mixed media, thats new to this area and getting a jump on it before someone else does is a good thing or so i'm told. Advice is always welcome. I was in a swap to make fantasy wedding ATC's and well it didn't go as planned so i have a card to scan to show you and i'm really impressed with myself as i did the triptech card. i think thats what you call it, it has a middle and 2 sides that close and it's like entering a church at the doors to the wedding couple waiting inside with flowers and doves and as i know of to date one will be going to someone special as she made me one in return! Anyone who has gotten packages from me knows that i dont just stop at the ATC's i have to make gifts etc and i made an altered charm braclett and some other lovelys to send to. I love to make people feel really special!
I am thrilled to be INVITED to join some special swaps and was asked to swap a collage canvas. this is all so exciting for me and i couldn't be happier! God does answer prayers and he gave me some really awesome friends and i so appreciate you all! I've got boxes coming this week and weekend and am on pins and needles waiting there arrival! I received some awesome gifts in the mail yesterday, a watercolor card hand painted and ATC card and a tag and i love them all!!! Who needs to win the lottery when i already did with the blessing of friends i have in my life! Anyone can have money, but few people are blessed with true friends who r there no matter what happens and forgive and forget and move on with more love then before! thanks for your emails and well wishes and to answer your question of the name for the whole bussiness..... drum roll you guessed it ARTifact & Whimsy !!! Happy ARTing! Keep the emails coming your suport is so appreciated!! Blessings to you all...

Good things to come!!!

I just got the email i've been waiting for... I requested to join the international charm exchange and i was excepted!!!! I am so excited! Dh brought me to Ben Franklin today and I ended up getting some things for my store front at the crafters market. I am going to make a collaged sign , I found a 3 foot by 1 1/2 foot paper mache sign and i was so excited, i wanted it then thought i could make my sign out of that and i have some brand new foam letters i got for scrapbooking i have never used and i can stamp my store name on top of the collage. i want it to be simple and whimsical. so i am seeing some baby fairys or maybe a little girl with wings.... OMG if you guys cud see in my head! It's spinning with ideas! I have so many ideas and i want to do them all right now! I always get really inspired at this time of the night, then i end up staying up all night creating. since i did not sleep well last night i think i should go to bed after i sketch my ideas in my art journal. The art journal is a whole nother story, i end up spending alot of time coz i can't simply write stuff down i have to make it pretty or grungy or however i feel! ohh sometimes i wish i cud shut my mind off! thanks to all who have sent your continued support of my art endeavors and encouragement to my wanting to do a bit more then i have. I am blown away at the many friends i do have and i thank God for you all !!! sleep tight....................

Bad Links

if anyone experiances any links that don't work Please let me know if you have time and I will fix them. So far I have repaired a couple. Enjoy......

Bad news

after having a happy day with no sleep, my mom came home from her dr apt today and she has lost to much weight to fast , so the dr is going to give her a bunch of tests and we know what they r looking for, the big C. I am devestated! my mom and i have our differances but i can't be without her! i need for you all to pray real hard for her that its something simple to fix and that she's ok. she's the only parent i have left and i am having a really hard time. I need to keep busy so i dont dwell on this. I will pray like never before! i feel so helpless. shes so worried and i feel so bad for her, i've been in tears with a lump in my throat since i heard this. I am far from perfect,and i dont want my mother to suffer for anything. if i've hurt anyone or made you feel bad in any way i am truely sorry! I try real hard not to hurt people, sometimes and especially when i go without sleep i sometimes do things i probably wouldn't had i not been so tired. Just remember mom in your prayers .
hugs to you all,
Dawn

I'm still awake!

it's 5 am and I still have not gone to bed. I sit and think best when everyone else is sleeping and its my alone time as even the doggies are sleeping and all i have to do is drink coffee and design my new blog! I am so excited as I have a new venture in my life. I was able to get the LAST space at the crafters market and will start to set up on wednesday when DH comes home from work to help. I will take pictures to show when I have my space the way I want it. I have BIG plans for this and for my life. It seems it's taken 41 yrs for me to start to have a life! I had to go thru all kinds of wild woods to get to where I am now. I am so happy with how my life is going now. I have great family and friends who are supportive and helpful and I so appreciate you all! Today I am going to create a canvas, I have a couple sizes to choose from. I believe i will use the larger size as i want this to be the front and center of my spot at the market. I also have to create 12 ATC's (artists trading cards) and 12 tags for swaps this coming month which OMG starts tomarrow!!! I will be fine, I havn't missed a deadline yet and don't plan to either. I hope you will share your thoughts and comments with me as this is the first time I have ever had a blog. I have completed my ATC vintage nude cards and the 20 handmade charms for another swap. I have a few one on one swaps i need to finish up and i'll be so ready for the next project to come along. I like to hang out at Hannahgrey's yahoo group, the artist there are so fun to talk to and see all the differant art people create. I need to learn to use photoshopCS so I to can play around like most of you already do. I learned something new today, the coffee shop where i buy my fresh roasted beans want to barter coffee for art for the shop and I also have art pieces there to offer the customers who come. I live in a tourist town and we are the most bussiest in the summer time. Feel free to email me , I love to get mail! I'm going to go grab some fresh coffee and wait for DH to wake up to go to work and then i can start to play with my art supplys!!!