The Reflection

When I moved into the apartment I bought one of those over the door mirrors, but found that the door would not shut with the mirror on it.  Plus, do I really need to see a full body image…ummm…No!

I was going to donate it to Goodwill but ended up trying to collage on the surface.  Old book pages were the base, some papers, chalk and oil sticks and it became something else. It was a great large surface for little cost!

During the holidays with my daughter coming to visit, I rushed to get projects complete, this being one of them.  She admired her mama’s work, which always makes me feel like I have talent.

One night during the visit as we laid on the bed, she read an old journal of mine from some 25 years ago.  I was rambling on about motherhood and the feeling of what must have been insecurity.  Even when they were only tiny little ones, I felt the insecurities of what I was doing to these little beings.  All these years later, I find I still question what I did to mold their lives.

Tonight as I sit alone in the bed and I see the words on the mirror…hope, faith and love.  I was a good mother, if nothing else I always have these three things for my daughters. The mirror, the words, the reflection.

The Merry

I AM sorry ... I CANNOT resist dressing up Annie for one picture at Christmas....she on the other hand will have nothing to do with it!

See a bit of what looks like the dog on the Grinch's sleigh???

Merry to YOU!

The Corner

Thank you red light in Atlanta... you gave me a moment to notice the wall art!

The Ball

It all started with Christmas disco ball at Hobby Lobby!!

My co-workers reward each other with the rotating possession of a disco ball anytime one of us does something above and beyond.  So when I saw the red and green holiday versions I knew I had to create something.  Plus, I wanted to make book trees. 

Well, as with most of my projects the first thought didn’t quite work out and so I create.

Instead of making cone trees from book pages, I collaged book page strips... like tinsel on the cone shaped card stock

A little glitter, stamping and some old images ….

Vintage button or bobble on the top of the ball…

 Music pages on the inside to hide the glue mistakes….

And, I feel the creating of Christmas

The Occasion

Since moving I haven't an art room, organization or much inspiration...but give me an occasion and I will create!
For a friend's B-Day back in Ohio it was a pretty simple (don't tell her) project.  A template...

Photos, papers, stamps and found stuff

Glue and tape

ribbon and dangling charms

Thank you occassion... for the present of creating!

The Hill

Right across the street from we live, at the elementary school, on a hill, right next to the road, things started to pop up?

Shiny, colorful things...that I would drive by each day.
Until I HAD to stop...now I HAVE to share.

Love to see we are taking teaching out of the classroom, out of the books and making it creative!

The Assignment

The assignment was a self portrait… which is very hard for someone (me) who does not paint anything that resembles the object in front of them. So, that lovely old wood box, that made its trip from Ohio …hmmm…three sections…perfect!!



My base...layers and worn...my roots and branches

My head...where all the ideas nest

My heart...almost filled with faith and still holding on

And, add a favorite saying:

You become.

It takes a long time.

That is why it does not happen to people who break easily or have sharp edges or who have to be carefully kept.

Generally, by the time you are real most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose joints and very shabby.

But, these things don't matter at all because when your real you can't be ugly, except to people who do not understand.

The Velveteen Rabbit

 

The Transplanting

I have landed, been transplanted and repotted.  It really is like moving a pot bound plant to a larger home.  Birmingham is HUGE … it is not a sloooow southern life ... this silly northern thought it would be. 

It is fast and scary at times. 

My roots some days seem pulled, torn and broken, but just like a plant ... I will adapt …living things do. 

And, then we grow and then we BLOOM!

Art in the south is harder to find or should I say to explore...but, I am starting to see it... all around me...I just had to look. 

The Theme

So perfect for a blogger leaving Ohio to live in Alabama ... will be on the road for a bit...will be on the journey forever!

The Birds

Something about birds really inspires me ... maybe it's their ability to fly ... or to gather and nest ... and then there is their individual beauty...who wouldn't have a bird thing? 

So many of my inspirations are for the birds...

 and they usually start out as such ugly ducklings...

The Thank You

Sometimes I want to do the little things a bit BIGGER....like saying Thank You.  So some paper, string, stamps and these wonderful treats....make Thank You a bit sweeter...

These AMAZING treats are from

This Charming Candy

The Cow

Every once in awhile I have to venture out for work...and sometimes my GPS decides I need to go on the road less traveled.  I never fight the GPS's lead because I enjoy the sights off the normal path.
Today the trip to "there" was filled with baby goats, an albino turkey (yes, I had to back up and make sure it was not a goose) and signs in front yards telling how they are pretty sure Jesus is coming next week and am I ready.
The trip back from "there" brought snow ...ughhh... only in Ohio do we see the sweet signs of spring and then get slapped with a snowstorm.  So my focus is turned more toward watching the roads and grumbling about the weather... when I see a black cow (I am sure there is a more proper name...but I am city girl) standing in his field ... his head tilted up and back ... his mouth open ... catching snowflakes!  Once again, I had to back up and reconfirm that I was not having a hallucination... that cow was catching snowflakes on his tongue!
Note to Nora, somethings that I don't enjoy may be just the things that make someone else's day.
I did try to capture a pic... but that made him stop catching flakes and watch me.

The remaining miles were spend in appreciate of the snow falling on that cows tongue and a flashback to my childhood and another cow ...OK, bull.

The Sillhouettes

Remember those old silhouette prints you could have made at your local department store on special occasions?

  Recently my mother gave me three that she had, one of me and  one of each of my girls. Love the little images in those pictures ... but not the blandness of the prints. So with the help of this wonderful paper artist on Etsy and just a bit of glue… we are updated.

 niklindesigns on Etsy