Life's kicks in the butt...

So much of my life has felt like a balance between disaster and bliss. I think many of us have that same journey. The joys of new life mingled with the sadness of losing a parent. Celebrations of graduations mingled with the hospitalization of a loved one. The list goes on and on. I guess that's life.

Our family has been living in a bit of a state of limbo for quite some time. After some hardships that hit a few years back, we were dealing with a possible foreclosure. We have been waiting for 16 months for the mortgage company to make a decision in regards to a loan modification. Weeks ago, we received the letter of denial. They apparently were missing information regarding my husband's second job, so again.... we are in limbo.

It's hard not to let it all get to you. But I have so much to be joyful about. Other than this huge mat being pulled out from under us, I'm pretty thrilled with my life. I've decided to trust that there must be amazing things ahead. Every time something drastic has happened in the past, something better has been around the corner. I never would have turned that corner unless things had kicked my butt to do so. Seems that maybe things are no different this time. I have been diving head first into painting, promotion, networking, trying to focus on working harder to improve things rather than to give in to worries. I've sold three paintings this week, was contacted by a New England gallery to place my artwork there, and reconnected with another gallery owner and friend. I'll be sending paintings to her gallery in South Dakota.

Who knows what is right around the corner? All I do know is I'm not waiting for life to happen to me. I am marching forward, and trusting that this is all a kick in the butt to make me move in the direction where my dreams will stop being dreams and become the reality of working hard and taking chances.

 

 



Working Hard and Enjoying Life :)

You know that debate that goes on in your head when you realize it's been a shameful amount of time since you last updated your blog? Goes something like this, "Do I make a big deal of this, and post apologies and promises to do better? Do I share a mile long post about everything that's been keeping me away from blogging? Do I post a million photos of the new puppy to make people forget I even create art? Or do I just pretend I've been blogging all along, and post as if it's only been days?"

Oh, the drama of it all ;)

I think I'll do a little of all of them. I am sorry I've been such a pathetic blogger of late.  New puppy, sick kiddos, and refinishing our home have all been taking the center stage. Every night when my head hits the pillow, I think, "I should have blogged a little about this". Then I think, "tomorrrow", and drift off to sleep with the best of intentions, only to be greeted by a new crazy day.

I actually have been busy getting A LOT of paintings done. I am very excited to announce that my work will be on exhibit throughout the month of December at the Barrington Library, in Barrington, RI. I've been enjoying every moment creating in my new studio. And the best part is, I can make all the mess I want, then just leave it to be with my family. No worries about buried dining room tables! This was the first Thanksgiving in more years than I can count, that I worked throughout the week, and still hosted a family gathering without any insanity!!! The room is filled with such delightful creative energy. I feel so at home here, listening to my favorite tunes and pumping out glittered and grungy angels :)

I will post more about Barrington once the display is set up tomorrow, but here is a little sampling of what I've been up to:

 

 Dozens of paintings in various stages are shuffled about waiting for the next layer to be lovingly added! 

 

 

 Stacks of finished pieces...

 

 

 I've got pieces drying EVERYWHERE! Ran out of surfaces, and had to resort to my paper cutting station. (Yes... the floor... LOL)

 

 

 Made lots of Angel and Ragamuffin Ornaments!

 

They are hanging everywhere drying in various stages!!!

 

 

I had to create a small business sign to place with the display. Love how this charming frame keeps it looking crisp and clean with just a little bling. Can't really see it in the photo, but the soft glitter sprinkled on the graphics looks great!

 

 

And I couldn't resist just 1 puppy photo!!! Isn't she the cutest little thing on earth??? I am so in love with this sweet girl :)

With a studio to work in, and this big Barrington project finished, I can spend a little time this week adding some Christmas trimmings to the living room, work on some more special pieces, and hopefully, spend some time here in blogland with my artsy friends. Oh... and take lots more puppy pics!!! She's already quite a bit bigger than in that last photo. She is learning her commands, enjoying her walks, and sleeping through the night... YAHOO!!! Less than two weeks of taking her out every two hours. She's a doll!!!

Be back soon with that Barrington Library update! Enjoy this gorgeous first weekend of December. It's snowing here. How 'bout where you are?

Blessings...
Linda xo

Housework, Homework, New Work, and Sold Work!

It's been quite a crazy month or so. As many of you probably read on the main Glitter & Grunge Studio blog, my dear mother-in-law passed on a few weeks ago. Our family is adjusting to life's changes, trying to manage closing out her apartment, etc., and still enjoy these precious summer days with our children.  We need to bring some of her furniture here, so this is also a big kick in the back end to get some major realignments of bedrooms and other household repairs and organizing done. These things have been neglected for a long time due to illness and caring for mom, and it feels good to be able to focus on them, finally. But time is of the essence, and it's been putting a cramp on my work hours. Good news is that one of the changes will finally be a seperate space to work!!! Yay! Cannot wait to move all of my supplies and equipment into the new studio space, and give my family back the dining room, and parlor, and kitchen table, and upstairs hall... LOL... You get the picture! 

I'm also working on pieces for a small exhibit I will be doing throughout December at the Barrington Library, as well as another special project which I can share more about once the technical part is completed.

I did get around to listing one of my alltime favorites today. It's a bit of a raggamuffin AND an angel :) Love the innocence of his or her face. Thus, I named this painting "Tamah", which is Hebrew for innocence.

"Tamah"

8x10 Abstract Raggamuffin/Angel

(Click image for details)

I also want to take an extra moment  to say "Thank You" to all of you who take the time to share your kind words about my artwork, and to those of you who appreciate collecting original art. It means a lot to those of us who pour our hearts out on the canvas to know that others feel that love, and want to bring it into their homes.

These are the paintings that sold this week:

I really do get emotionally attached to my paintings, and it tugs at my heartstrings to let them go. But sharing the art is what it's all about. I'm so happy they are going home to some special collectors this week. One is staying local, three are traveling south west, and one is heading all the way to Australia. sure hope the lil' ragamuffin has a safe trip ;)

Thanks again
<3

Friday Feature... Renee Sendlebach

This week's Feature Friday is the last in the series of posts from the gals in the Building A Creatively Made Business workshop. It has been a pleasure sharing their stories and their shops with you. I will be doing ongoing Feature Fridays where I will feature shops, artists, products, and some neat finds.

But this week, I am thrilled to share about a wonderfully inspiring woman, who also happened to coordinate this entire blog hop. I know it was a lot of hard work, and we all appreciate the time and effort she put into helping all of us.

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Please Meet...

Renee Sendelbach of Embracing Life, Love, & Art. Don't forget to visit her website, etsy shop, etc. And share some Love!

Website
Facebook Page

Etsy Shop

Hi all-

It is so exciting to be able to take part in the blog feature series.

A little bit about me: I am a stage IV breast cancer “thriver,” wife, mommy, artist, friend and so much more.  I try my hardest to listen to the small whispers of my heart on a daily basis and more importantly – follow those whispers as I believe that is how God communicates with us…through our hearts.

I am a firm believer in God and that we should all strive to be how Jesus was – loving to all, compassionate, giving, empathetic, understanding and so much more.

I started painting mixed media canvases about a year ago.  I had dabbled in card making and scrapbooking (which I have still yet to complete a whole book…that is a whole other story!) and took a lot of the tools I had for those two hobbies to create my canvas – a name canvas for my son.

I posted a picture of it on Facebook, and I had 6 friends message me almost instantly asking if they could purchase one like it for their child’s room.  At first I was hesitant – I was still going through full-out chemo and didn’t know if this was what I should be doing. Then, there it was – my heart whispering to me…”DO IT!!”

Then I started dabbling more into painting and fell head over heals in love with it.

Since then, I decided I want to create affordable inspirational mixed-media art for all.

I have several lines I am currently working on:

My Cancer Love Girls:

These girls represent so much to me.  They are a way to show hope, grace, strength and so much more through the journey of cancer.  I have had so many people buy these and give them as gifts to friends/family members going through their own cancer journey and have said that this was the best gift they could have given.

Project Sending Love:

These are postcards created from original works.  It is my dream to have all of us tell each other on a daily basis how much we love one another, why someone is important to you, what that person does to make this world a better place and so much more.  With Project Sending Love it makes that easy to do with fun postcards.

I hope you have enjoyed this little journey into who I am and why I do this. Please visit me at my blog:

http://www.facebook.com/EmbracingLifeLoveArt

etsy:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/EmbracingLifeLoveArt

I love custom work, so please feel free to email me at

EmbracingLifeLoveArt@gmail.com

With love,

Renee



New Painting Available! "The Blue Barn"

I just listed a new Abstract Painting from my Roadside New England series. It's my new favorite painting to date. It's the kind of painting I've wanted to do for a long time. I've posted before about my ongoing obsession with abstract art. I always start off with the best of intentions, but I end up adding too many details, until finally I'm not sure it's fair to call it abstract anymore. I guess I'm just programmed to to include "stuff". But I'm working at it. It's a challenge I'm embracing in my art and in my life... minimalism. I would love to eventually create a piece with no recognizable objects at all, just focal points. But I do love these minimalist scenes as well. This painting really expresses my New England  and artistic heart.

"The Blue Barn"
18x24 on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

(Click Image for Details)

I've got another one in this series ready for listing, as well as a very detail filled, delightfully joyful mixed media piece :) I will post those both tomorrow.

Have a blessed weekend everyone!
~Linda

Friday Feature... Lis Dunn Designs

This week's Friday Feature is Lis Dunn of Lis Dunn Designs. Stop by and show some love :)

Etsy Shop: Lis Dunn Designs
Blog: Papermellie
Facebook: Lis Dunn Designs
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"Hi all! My name is Lis and I am the owner/ designer of Lis Dunn Designs!  I am the proud wife of a very hardworking {hot} and amazing man named Dennis and the mommy to 4 very uniquely spirited children...Melanie-17, Mikah-12, Mason-10 and Maximus-5!  I have been abundantly blessed to stay home to raise our children and have always created things as an outlet.

My first love of fashion, began when I was just a little girl.  My grandmother was a seamstress and Dress Shop owner, who taught me to sew. She would always allow me to use her scraps to create clothing for my Barbies and later I would create designs for myself:}  I loved to draw, so the sketching came easy.

When I was about 9 years old, another grandmother gave me a large tackle box of beading materials for Christmas and my love of jewelry design was born! I have always been passionate about fashion and creating a unique look on a frugal budget. I was 18 when I did my first craft show {my designs were much less desirable back then:}} I have continued to do shows and online sales more as a hobby and not necessarily as a business... until now!  My baby will be going into Kindergarten in the fall {sniff, sniff} and I feel like now is my time to really explore those soul gifts and passions that God has placed within me. 

I have recently launched my very first {official} collection called "Dream a little dream".  With that, I designed my first look book! Imagine gorgeous, soft and feminine colors, meant to make the bearer feel beautifully empowered .  The items from this line can be found in my Etsy Shop.

I am so excited to see what God has in store for me in the fall!! Perhaps some clothing designs???  Whatever it is, I know it will be amazing because these are the dreams that are my heart beat and I believe if you are bold with those dreams, great things will follow!

I am so super excited about today's feature and will be doing a giveaway on my blog to one lucky reader!  {Sash, valued at $69.00}"

(click image to visit give-a-way!)

My Look book: http://issuu.com/lisdunndesigns/docs/look_book
My Etsy Shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/lisdunndesigns
My FB Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/LisDunnDesigns
*My Blog: http://www.papermellie.typepad.com/

Friday Feature... Gina Smith of Thoughtful Art by Gina

Today's "Friday Feature" is Gina Smith of Thoughtful Art by Gina. Please read her greeting below, and visit her shop and sites. Show some love by "following", "favoriting", "liking", etc!
Blog    
Etsy Shop
Facebook

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Hello everyone!! My name is Gina Smith, otherwise known as Thoughtful Art by Gina.

I live outside of Atlanta Georgia with my college age daughter Megan and my puppy Henry. 
I am an art school drop out that has rediscovered my love for art.  After attending the Art Institute of Atlanta, I realized that I would have a difficult time making enough money to take careof my family, so I was thrown into the world of health insurance sales.
20 years later I have finally decided what I want to be when I grow up.

I am a Mixed Media Artist that creates in all kinds of mediums, Acrylics, Watercolors,Pastels, Markers, Leather and Metals. 

I create canvas art as well as prints of most of my items.  I also have begun creating Hand Tooled and Hand Painted Leather Cuffs.

My motto is to "Create Art that speaks to your Soul".  I want my pieces to provide a spark and make you think for a bit.

My art is continuously evolving so I would love for you visit me from time to time tosee my new creations.

I sell my art and take commission projects through Etsy at www.etsy.com/shop/thoughtfulart .

Youcan also visit me on my blog at www.thoughtfulartbygina.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thoughtfulartbygina

I will be holding a give-a-way over on my blog beginning today.  If you leave me a comment on my current blogpost anytime beginning today through Wed. July 11, your name will be put into a random drawing to win this beautiful Leather Cuff.  Drawing will be held and winner posted on Wed. July 11.

So stop by and say hello, I would love to meet you.

Wishing you a creative day!!