Repurposing

You all know my friend, Vintage Susie, don't you? If you don't, then take a moment and hop over to her blog and prepare to smile. A lot.

So, Miss Susie came over to my house. She has this aMAZing ability to take what you have and rearrange it into the most gorgeous way I have ever seen.  I kept saying, "this is all my stuff???" And she kept saying, "yep." It has put me into a flurry of re-doing, cleaning, sorting and storing. Well, a flurry because I'm on a ton of Mucinex-D and I actually somewhat have energy for a while during the day from the pseudoephedrine. No, I'm not repurposing my house into a meth lab. I just have some energy.

Even my husband says I'm more chipper. Poor guy.

O.K., so back to the house thing.

Lots of sorting. And moving around. And dusting. yeesh.

All of this has gotten my inspiration juices flowing, and what I do in my home begins to come out in my art. Has anyone had this experience?

I have a bazillion ideas for creating!

This is getting repurposed:

This set of sconces is getting a face lift:

New vingettes await:

I'm taking old canvases and making new pieces of art, I have an idea for our words that I'm putting work into-

I can't wait to show you!!! 

I'm still working on the reliquaries, but I'm not happy with the mica sheets I bought and need to find a different kind. Does anyone know where to get them???

"You had better find it!!!" Miss Big-Girl tells me.

Stay tuned and have a Happy Valentine's Day!!

~Lynn

 

Spring Will Come

Take heart!

Spring is coming...

It might come earlier out here, but it will come to you as well!

The first whispers of the Calla Lilies...

promising new life.

linking to Inspiration Friday.

Soldering On...

For the One Heart One World post, click
HERE.



Soldering or Soldiering on?

A little of both.

I haven't given up on our words for the New Year.

Do you recall your word?

hope 

go  authentic (autentico)

renewal  shine  inspiring  focus 

patience    inquiry   compassion 

playfulness invest trust  wanting

I am making small reliquaries with our words in them.

So far they look like this:

I make a little, tiny collage and then make a box to go around it.

After that, I'll put some sheets of mica on the front and then solder the edges.

Here is the definition of reliquary:

A receptacle, such as a coffer or shrine, for keeping or displaying sacred relics.

I think our words are sacred in a way, and I would like them to be in a safe place to remind me of what we began our year with.

.

Do you see your word yet?

I found this quote and decided to put it in a reliquary of it's own:

It was fitting for my year of being Intentional with my art..

and how could I resist this face?

She is a great-Aunt of mine, my Grandfather's sister.

I do believe I can hear her saying, "Get your big girl panties on and be intentional!"

Have a great day!!

~Lynn

Til Monday

Hi Friends...

I am feeling a bit under the weather sinus wise and Colitis wise, so I'll be back by Monday.

Hopefully my fairy godmother will wave her magic wand and make it all better!

image courtesy of Graphics Fairy

One World, One Heart

"Let's get together, yeah, yeah, yeah!"

O.K.! A little late, but I'm in!!!

If you have found me at the end of the 1,000 people that entered the ONE WORLD ONE HEART postings, 

congratulations!!!!

I'm honored that you have persisted this far.

This is the first time I've participated in this wonderful adventure and, like many, sad it will be the last one. To read more about One World One Heart, please visit Lisa's blog here.

To view a list of participants, click here.

My name is Lynn and I live in Southern California, in what we like to refer to as the I.E. (Inland Empire), as compared to the O.C. (Orange County.)

Do not get these two mixed up. The O.C. gets a little ruffled if you do, and I can't say that I blame them.

I have a wonderful husband and a marriage built on faith over the last 25 years, and two of the best daughters anyone could ask for.

Add to the mix one slightly neurotic dog, and you have a whole lot of fun!

We love to be with friends and I will never pass up an opportunity for Starbucks.

Or the beach.

Never, never will I pass up an opportunity for the beach.

I have always had an artistic bent and have spent most of my life trying to see where it fits into my days. The last several years I have been diligently (intentionally) finding time to put art into my days and have fallen in love with:

collage

altering mah jong tiles,

dominoes,

I love photography and someday will take a class to learn more about my camera!

Cooking.

The best.

And this year, learning to solder.

"Learning to"...two of the best words in the English language and two words that get me into more fun and trouble!

Two of my favorite posts are

Why We Do What We Do pt. 2

and

Jack In The Boxes

Which I hope you enjoy.

Now for the most fun part- (besides meeting people all over the world)...

the give away!

Open to all active bloggers..... 

Please leave a comment on this post and a way to contact you, should you win.

I will pick a name by FEBRUARY 17 to win.....

This sweet soldered necklace!

(I confess, I almost offered up the neurotic dog as well, but I think shipping would be a bit of a problem.)

A sweet stamp of a bird and the littlest bit of an old hymnal, with just a bit of bling at the end soldered and put onto 16" drop necklace of ball chain.

Best of luck to all who enter and I look forward to meeting all of you!

Lynn

Tuesday Musings

Morning, friends!

I came to the realization yesterday that it was the third Monday in a row without my "non-negotiable studio time." Apparently driving to Los Angeles Int'l. Airport takes precedence. As does running around trying to find a wool coat in Southern California in January. As does spending every minute I could with my eldest before she left.

The fallout hit this Monday.

Seriously? I spent ALL DAY picking up, sorting, washing, putting away, etc., etc.

All. Day.

The good part is, I can think clearly (well. as clear as any 49 year old female can) and am  committed to getting back on track with the month of soldering. Even if that said month is gone.

The other good part is that instead of showing my stuff, I get to brag on my friend, Susan DeGeneres.

You will have to come check out her blog, and her newest endeavor,

The Daily Bird

It is a wonderful journey toward building our creative selves. This is a process I am craving right now! Susan expresses herself beautifully here.

The book she refers to, The Creative Entrepreneur, by Lisa Senora Beam, is one I actually have.

This made me laugh out loud. The creative mandala Susan set to work on and is making great progress on is something I have looked at in complete confusion in the book. I haven't gotten past the first chapter because of the mandala. But with Susan, it is beginning to sink in what the purpose of the mandala is and how it can be a useful tool. 

It baffles me that this mandala has me completely stymied. I mean, honestly! I can usually fake my way through a lot of things, but not this one....But with Susan, and how she breaks down each thought and process, I think I can break through the barrier and be honest with myself and learn quite a bit.

Won't you join us on this creative journey?

The other blog I would like to introduce you to is....

Avventura!!

It's a little bit close to my heart, as it is Lauren's blog. It is all about her adventures in Italy, which, by the way is so far so good!! We have gotten to speak to her twice by phone and it's like she is next door. Did you know that Lauren now has a Greek Aunt? My sweetest friend, Manya has made contact with her and has put my heart at ease knowing she is close to my girl and is there for her.

I think that's about it. 

Now I'm off to get caught up on all your posts and figure out what happened to my sweet birdie and signature at the end of my posts!!

much love

lynn

fun at night

Here's something fun to do in the middle of the night.

Find a comfy position early on in the evening.

Fall dead asleep.

Around 2:00 a.m., have your daughter come in and wake you out of dead sleep by announcing:

"MOM. I accidentally took out my rubber bands."

Get up and straggle to the bathroom. 

Make sure you do not run into the door.

Grab two miniscule rubber bands and try to put them on without your glasses and sleep in your eyes.

Pick pink because you can see them.

Put child back to bed.

Go back to bed your self.  Curl up, listen to your husband snore, and give yourself time to write this adventure into a blog post in your head, wondering all the while if you will ever fall back asleep.

Repeat at random times.

Really.

Tons 'o fun.

Have a fabulous day.

Lynn