Still Killing Time . . .

Well hello Blogger Friends. I thought I'd share a little bit about what's keeping me busy these days. Seems I have a new creative obsession. That's right - I am really enjoying making these mixed media type canvases. I have made 3 since Friday. Michael's had their canvas on sale this past weekend for 50% off plus they had an additional 15% off coupon so I treated myself to a few.

I made this first one on Sunday before the family came over for Mother's Day. It is an 11x14 canvas and I put an Audrey Hepburn quote on it that says"Nothing is impossible, the word it's self says I'm Possible". I love that quote! I did the background with cut up strips of Sundays newspaper and used up some old Rusty Pickle papers that I have held onto. I also used up some old rub ons that I had laying around. I can't tell you how fun doing this is for me.

This one I made today. I started on it when the girls laid down for their naps today. And surprisingly enough they didn't even try to "help" me when they got up! This one is a 9x12 canvas that simply says "Love makes our house a Home"Once again I used up some old papers that aren't even made any more and I used an old punch I haven't used in forever. I did the 4 hearts coming out of the chimney to represent the 4 of us (Gary, our 2 girls and myself) and I used the # 8 as the door to represent that there are now 8 of us (with grandkids and the girls' men).

I just love quotes and have collected so many over the years. I think these canvases are a great way to display some of my favorites!

 This next one is an 8x10 canvas board that I did on Friday night after everyone went to bed. This one is totally different but just as much fun to make! It says MartaA. This piece was inspired by my friend Ann. A few weeks ago she was talking about how appropriate it was that the center of my name was the word "art". I had never noticed that before in my whole life! I new that at some point I would have to do something with that. So this is what I did. It was very hard to photograph since the whole thing is metal and the glare was terrible! But you will have to trust me that it looks cool in real life.

 Like I said before I have more canvases in my garage and they are calling out to me! My Mom asked me what I was going to do with all of these "Are you going to decorate the whole store (the Occasional Artist) in your artwork?" Nope - I am keeping these for myself! I told her I was just going to hang them in my studio even though they didn't match. It seems pointless to try to keep it "perfect" when I can't spend any time in there.
But then I started thinking that maybe they would work in the girls' room - it is a Mary Engelbriet room. I took them in there and it was not a great match but it got me thinking. . .
Gary and I have talked about switching rooms between my studio and the girls' room as a way to get me a usable studio and so I don't have to work at the kitchen counter anymore. As I stood there in that room with my new artwork I thought this might be a great thing! We had decided that if we switched rooms that we would dispose of all of the cabinetry in my studio and that I would have to start out with little to no furnishings in the new studio. That I would look for some older, real wood pieces at thrift stores/yard sales to furnish it. It would be a warmer, more eclectic space and will be a work in progress rather than a quickly completed space.
We wont have the girls everyday as of August so it wont be as important for them to have a space and Bryanna was okay with the fact that the girls would play in a space that has made me so sick. And of course all of their Mary Engelbreit stuff will match the black walls in the old studio.

I think I am kind of excited about starting on this new studio space and I am hoping that between doing this and seeing the 3 new doctors I am seeing this week will start me on a path to being well again. So keep me in mind if you hear of any great (cheap) finds on some old wood furniture. And if any of you know anyone that is in need of some white cabinetry I will be getting rid of mine here real soon.

These last few pictures are from Mother's Day this past Sunday. My girls are so sweet, they prepared dinner and dessert and brought it over for us. They made my favorite grilled chicken and strawberry salad with lemon/poppy seed dressing, french bread with fancy olive oil and balsamic vinegars for dipping and we had strawberry shortcakes for dessert.

There was tons of laughter and loud voices - I think my Mom wished they would all be quiet. But I LOVE the noise!!!! It reminds me of when I was raising them and all of the laughing and noise at the dinner table each night.

Bryanna wants to get special group pictures each year on Mother's Day -

her with her daughters (as you can see the girls would rather be doing anything else than get their pictures taken). Me with my 2 daughters, Mom with Me and then all of us together. We managed to get them all taken but not one of them is good! But we tried for her.

 I love my big dinning room table. I love seeing everyone around it. I don't care if we have the table set with my china & crystal eating a beautiful meal or if we are using paper plates and eating PB&J. I just love having them all together! I love that I get to sit at the head of the table and can see everyone's face. I love how Lizzy & Monkey play at the table showing each other their "see-food" (they sit across from each other. I love how Gary and Bug chat and share food (her high chair is next to him). I love how Bryanna just laughs all through dinner. How Darwin always has 2 plates to keep his food separated and not touching. I love watching Richard and Lizzy interact and how easily he has become part of the family. I wont say I love it but it is kinda funny how Mom tries so hard not to watch everyone eat and tries to cover her ears because of the noise, and how she rolls her eyes at the not quite  "dinner time conversations" that are had at dinnertime around here. I guess you could say I just love my whole crazy family!

I hope you all had a great Mother's Day and have had some time to indulge in your own creative obsessions.
Till we meet again. . . .