Speaking Of Feeling Like A Little Kid...

I found this photo buried in a bunch of stuff over the holiday weekend. It's my First Grade Class Picture from when I went to the Wayside School in NJ, circa 1973! Can you guess which one is me? (you can click on the photo to enlarge it). If you haven't met me in person, here's what I look like today. Seeing this photo brought back a lot of memories—including some of those invincible feelings that you have as a child—before all the responsibilities in your life take over! The look on my face is just priceless!

Play Time?

I've been admiring, sorting, and enjoying my purchases from the Bead Expo this weekend... freshwater pearls, vintage lucite, unique glass beads, faceted rondelles and porcelain eggs. I've also been sifting through much of my old flea market finds... mini metal purses, antique pill boxes, brass stampings, costume jewelry, pins and other oddities. Creative inspiration at its finest!

But I've noticed something... sitting down to play as an adult is so much harder than it was when you were a kid, isn't it? You want to just let go and be free but the clock is ticking, the bills are coming, and the obligations keep tugging at your mind. Now if only I could call upon that childlike fearlessness and pretend that I am no longer bound by the constraints of time, money, and task. I think I'll give it a try...

6 Months Already! Happy Anniversary To Me!

Wow! I cannot believe that 6 months ago I took a leap of faith from the absolute into the unknown when I left my full-time job as Art Director for Ranger Ink and decided to pursue my own personal art career. So, how the heck is it going?

Well... let's see... 462 tweets tweeted, 23 blog posts written, 4 retail stores carrying my art, 2 craft shows done, 1 Etsy Shop open for business, YouTube channel created, Facebook Page up and "liked", blog look revamped, website updated and expanded... I'm probably forgetting something! And that's just the business stuff!

I've gotten a chance to play... a little. But now that I have a good foundation with the business agenda completed and in the works... I am finally free to play a lot. So now comes the fun part. I'm both excited and nervous! Excited to sit down and be free to let my creativity take its own course... and still nervous about how I'm going to make this really pay off. But right now... I cannot wait to "get to work" every day, I am so very happy with myself and my choices,  and I have plenty of creative ideas to fuel the passion...

Photo credit: By the way, this very sweet good luck sign was made by my BFF Jackie McLaughlin, using lots of Ranger's Stickles and Liquid Pearls! Thanks, girl!

Let's Talk Dirty!

I don't know about you... but I love for everything new to look old. And while these very cool 2-pocket construction aprons I recently acquired were nice and broken-in... I wanted them to look even older! So I dirtied them up with a strong mixture of tea and coffee and now they have more of a vintage feel. Sometimes when the tea and coffee aren't enough, I'll add a little bit of watered down Van Dyke Brown acrylic paint... but for some reason, this time I'm thinking... pink! You may see me sporting one of these at my next craft show as a money belt! Fun, fun, fun...

Things I'm Drawn To...

Artist extraordinaire Claudine Hellmuth once said... make a list of all the things you like. And so I did. That list grew into about 5 pages of "stuff" and is still growing today! I thought I'd share a couple of my favorite things with all of you...

I definitely have a thing for well-loved paintbrushes. I make sure to only clean the bristles, so that I can see the history of the fun projects I've worked on.

I love a good leather-bound journal with a decorative front. Makes it so inviting, doesn't it?

I absolutely adore stripes. I think it has to do with my fondness of carnivals and growing up around the boardwalk. The page shown here was one I originally didn't like. I pulled off some of the items, gessoed over some others,  then painted stripes over top. Now I love it! It's ready for a new story.

I encourage you to start noticing the things that seem to repeat themselves in your art... or your life! What things are you drawn to?

*Oh, and can you tell I love the color pink?

Yesterday's Trash Etsy Shop Now Open!

That's right, folks... I am pleased and excited to announce that my Etsy Shop is now up and running... we're open for business!

Here you'll find all handmade one-of-a-kind merchandise made by me... like collage, assemblage, jewelry, dolls, home decor items, holiday ornaments, fashion accessories and more! It's mixed media madness.

I'm adding more daily, as I get items photograhed and written up... so check back often! Thanks for looking!