morning coffee talk

Last sunday night on my evening walk I had an amazing gift given to me. Just a small thing but it evoked a powerful response in me to make another big push in growing  . I believe that our life is kind of like school and that the  experiences  we face in our life  are spiritual growth classes . Some experiences we are handed are " tough test" and then some can be seen as "spring break". But what ever we are given in life it goes to say we will  feel great times of joy and also great times of sorrow. The sorrow that comes is natural but requires us to  learn how to heal ourselves and in doing so we grow stronger and closer to being the whole and complete  person we  are here to be . Anyway my  gift last sunday night was a baby Great Horned owl  sighting !! Folk lore says that an owl will  only show himself to those who are wise and intuitive like the owl or those who have those traits in them but need to get more in touch with those traits. I feel the latter was the reason  the owl showed himself to  me.   So this week  I decide to search for sites and info that dealt more with my personal  issues that need further healing.  My hope was to find places that   help me embrace my weaknesses  with stronger tools of knowledge and support .  One  of my  crippling issues is constant " fear "  as I work for myself and support myself on my art . In searching I  came on a great blog  site I would like to share with those of you who also   have  fears that go along with wanting to start  your own  business or if you already are working for yourself then the fears that come with the "job".   Here is is  the blog site . I love the Name- Itty biz .                                                                http://ittybiz.com/entrepreneurship-what-to-do-when-youre-scared-shtless/

I think I can... I think I can ...

I can solder !!!!! I have taken several soldering classes in the past and  just could not get the hang of it!!! So I packed my tools, glass and ideas away and just accepted that that was not my thing , That isssssss..... Until Terri Brush insisted it was easy and she would show me how if I would just please be willing to try again and take a class from her. Well, I finally agreed and she was right!  I was finally shown how very easy it is  . Terri gave a simple sweet demo , provided all the right and best tools and  it just flowed... I am hooked!! When a class I take is special like this one was to me. I like to make little frames for my pieces to remind me of the classes and the  wonderful teachers that shared  their  talents  with me. These 2 little peices are in honor of Terri and what she taught me and yes I can do Shabby Chic too!!!

 Kim Caldwell  created an artistic  challenge  for me when she asked  me if I would teach a tiara  class at her event this summer  Artistic Affaire Les Sirens  . HMMM I was stumped a bit .Those who know me know I am not the soldering type , I just never could  get the hang of it and yet I have 2 years of College in fine metal smithing but the 2 styles are WAY different . So any way I thought why not a head band instead !!! Kind of something a 1920 mermaid would wear . So this is what I  came up with . Kim's event will be   July 15 - 17th  at a sweet little  beach town boutique hotel  in Manhattan Beach  CA . A town I once called  
home.

A must see!!

 I always forget to take my camera to my classes .So I hope you guys will pop over to the FrenzyStamper
And take a peek at the students work for my class last week called "Controlled Burn". Their work  turned out  so great !!! I was so proud of them !!   Everyone had a lot of  fun with this technique. If you want to take this class I will be teaching it again at Art and Soul in Portland It's new class name is My Paper Heart. Your  creative juices will just flow as to how many uses you will have for this fun technique with its many layers and textures and you will get to play with a wood burning tool too. Now ain't that just an awesome thought!! I also have 2 other fun classes on this line up "walking  Rusty" and
 "Julie's World"

                          

Prim

                                                    Prim!!!

Ok Maybe not so wordless wed. For those who know me .They know I do not do wordless very easily. I just wanted let eveyone know about the new Sommerset Magizine called Prim .It is one of  my  new favs. All about making things from a by gone era. Mostly dolls. I am so lucky to have a feature in it too. And it is perfect as I happen to be teaching the class on one of the dolls  featured in my article .I will teach it at ART and SOUL May in Vriginia !!!Here is is

                                                    Walking Rusty

wordless wednesday

Simple Abundance

Often people attempt to live their lives backwards: They try to have more things , or money in order to do more of what they want so they will be happier .The way it actually works is the reverse .You must first be who you really are, then , do what you need to do, in order to have what you want. 

-Margaret Young

United we Stand

We as woman much more then men know the importance of supporting each other .It is a gift we are born with. As we entered the work force we were forced to compete with men and for years ,and maybe still  our pay scales  reflect  that competition.  I just read JULIE'S ART LIFE  this morning commenting  on how the paintings  she created had been  influenced by so many artist and she named them, how wonderfully thoughtful, yet her work was soooo her!! That is how art is created we SHARE and so grow. Never fear sharing it can only grow into something good!!  She said it  takes a village to create art  TRUE!!. This in turn  reminded  me of my dear friend  Jane Pollack  She has a charity business that is called "Art takes a village"  she gives  creative workshops that help women  with addictions . Now I have another friend Karen Valentine. Karen is very talented. She loves beauty, old things and knows how to but it all together in a very  stylish, professional look. She recently lost her job and has creatively come up with a new plan to hopefully fill the need to make an income and to do what  she loves -Blog design- and is she good at it !!!! Here is her site . Valentine Designs  I have watched the followers just flock to Karen's  own blog it is a warm , beautiful blog,  filled with much sharing, beauty and love . My point is that we as women need to support each other, help each other grow and most of all share . I am asked about this when I teach art . At first when you learn something new like say when you take an art class , learn,  a new  technique from a self teach book, etc... it  may feel like  being a mimic or the dreaded work "copy" But that is how we learn it is the old and tried way and it works. We then over come our fears if we stay with the process and find  our own  artistic voice and this is done  when the process  continues  by  sharing. I always  learn new things from my students and taking classes.  I hope I am never to old to learn as I love to grow and learn and I need others to help me do so .  Where would we be if no one ever supported each other and  shared  each others   ideas and everyone just lived in isolation. I for one might have saddle sores or worse yet no saddle at  all and be sitting  in the dark. ( but I must say I would have loved no telephone. My how I  hate that thing!) Think about it, we as woman can do so much for each other when we work together . So woman go forth create, share and  support each other! United we stand and divided we fall. ! Look how far we have all come with just blogging and what  we have done for each other with our blogs  Way to go... keep up the good LOVE !!!!  ALL my  love and support to every one OF YOU !!!! Hugs Julie