So Close!!!

Ok my new painting is so close to be doing done, I'm expecting another hour or two of work and this thing will be ready to hang. I had been sitting too long on hardwood floors painting that I just HAD to stop and rest so it didn't get finished last night. I'm a wimp...but I also like being able to walk and stand up straight.
My impetus for finishing is this beautiful SNOW! I want to go play, I want to go play! But can't play until work is finished. WAH!
I'll post the photo of the painting later. I am feeling it is one of my best yet and already see some forms I want to explore in my next canvas.
Everyone enjoy this beautiful rare white snow!

Motivation

This is yesterdays HOUR SWAP painting which fetched $33! The cats meow...thats my half of the electric bill! These have been well received and really I can't believe how the project has taken off in so short a time.
I am set to appear on Good Morning Texas on Feb 11th! So excited!
But I've already blogged all about this on my other blog and I wanted to talk about motivation here.
Lately I have been getting messages from friends telling me I am really inspiring them and motivating them. Some people are contemplating quitting their jobs and trying to make a go of their dreams. Others are motivated to be more productive, creative...work on their artwork or own businesses. While all the wonderful words telling me that I inspire you are very humbling I must pass your thank yous on to the Universe. Not to sound like a hokey hippie dippy chick but I am just a person who has learned to "receive" and through receiving "giving". Anything I have learned through other people, reading or my own mistakes and successes in life I pass on to you but I am not the source. I am a small transmitter in the Universe, we all are. This may not make any sense and thats ok, I probably need a second cup of coffee.
I will say that one thing I think is very important in trying to make a go of your dreams is believing that you can....sounds very Disney but you'd be surprised at how simple and real this is. Also you must learn to look at your obstacles as "opportunity". Obstacles challenge you, your obstacles are your own very unique problems. No one else might have just the same obstacles as you and therefore you must find your own unique solutions to the obstacles. Not viewing them as obstacles but your own special tools to build on. Aren't these how great inventions are made? Someone sees a problem and therefore a great invention must be made to solve it.
And last but not least and really this should right up there with believing you can- THANKFULNESS. You did not get all the way where you are in life all by yourself. You have existed in a world where people have helped you in some way or fashion. Either by encouraging, teaching or giving you tools you need. Even those bad people in your life who try your patience are giving you something. Thank them all! I thank my really bad job situation for lighting a wildfire in me to get the hell out of there. I thank the people who have been mean to me for showing me that is NOT the way to go through life. Thank everyone and everything for strengthening your armor, for giving you fuel for your fire, for training you for an amazingly hard track you're about to run and the only race that will mean anything in your life. Chasing your dreams. Don't let life slip you by, just decide that you want it and that you WILL get it.

I've not changed my status in life since making my own way in the world as an artist. In fact I'm broke. Poor by the worlds standards. But damn if I am not SO happy to be doing what I love to do everyday. Something that fulfills me and that other people can enjoy. What I was meant to do. My goal is not to be rich and famous but simply succeed at doing what I love to do. My purpose. Everyone has one. JUST DO IT!

1/24 Get Movin'

Spent a lot of time in the studio working on orders this weekend and finished these "Tiger and Honey Bear" themed pieces. Today is Pilates and supply day so almost no time in the studio but I am going to try and push myself to do my Hour Swap. It's going to be a tight squeeze.
Then I have another box order in the queue and then...time to get serious. I have the UNDERGROUND show to prepare for and won't be able to do much but get ready for that- all extraneous projects will have to wait until after Feb 12. There will be -if all accounts are true- a LOT of people at this show and the more pieces I have prepared for it the greater my chance of selling and I need to sell bad. Going to be putting some major mileage on my studio...consider me Miss Hermit until this show is over.
And if you know any artist you know this is the equivalent of hanging a sign on your hotel room doorknob that says DO NOT DISTURB. :)
It's go time and I feel the fire under me! Everyone have a great Monday!

Morning Coffee

I spend most mornings here at my computer with my morning coffee. I may wake up full of creative ideas and itching to get into the studio but sometimes the world wide web is a little distracting...especially youtube, etsy and facebook....which seem to eat a good part of the morning for me. Before I know it the morning is over and it's time to make lunch and there my whole morning has been wasted. So before I head into the new week I am going to start utilizing an old friend of mine called "Morning Coffee" which is an app designed to open up all the sites you frequent daily. You can even configure it to open certain ones on certain days etc... Then every morning I will systematically go through each site. Email- check. Other email- check. Website analytics-check. Etsy store peek- check. My blogs updated-check. Any blogs I wanna follow- check...and then last but not least Facebook- and here is where I am going to implement another old friend. My watch. I'm going to give myself a set amount of time and then LOG OFF when the watch goes beep! Seeing the tabs open will remind me Im on a mission- get through each one and close it.
I should then be able to get more done in a day. Like go to the park and get a good run in, visit my duck friends (shown in the photo above) and enjoy the outside world before heading into the studio and working. I have found this to be a vital part of my creative process- going outside and getting my blood flowing.
I will have to log in at various points in the day to post stuff to Etsy or communicate with people about orders, etc. But I am going to use the watch method this week and really monitor my time. I feel like I didn't get as much done last week as I should've. My creative challenge to everyone this week is to monitor how much time you waste online, by waste I mean staring at the computer screen waiting for someone to comment on your facebook or boredly scrolling through the internet when you need to get your laundry done. Sometimes we just need that down time. But sometimes I think my downtime might be more fulfilling if it was spent in a bubble bath, reading a book or doing some good old fashioned meditation.
Namaste!

Too Cold

It is just much too cold for waiting on downtown streets in sweaty clothes for late buses. I'm going to do my yoga and Pilates here at the house today and hope to get some running in this weekend when the temps climb up a little. Wuss....yes.
Plus I'm doing a studio lock down day and working on orders and getting some stuff done.
Featured above is yesterdays Hour Swap piece, you'll have to visit my other blog to find out it's fate!
I've been featured in some treasuries this week so I'll try to do my gratitude blog either today or tomorrow.
Everyone have a great Friday and weekend!

Monday Motivation

In light of me doing a hardcore grocery run on my bike yesterday (in the mist and cold) and my body telling me to CHILL- I'm skipping Pilates class today. I know, I know.....shameful. I suppose at the last minute I may still jump on the bus but doubtful. Theres a big parade downtown and the buses will be running wonky. Yes, I can make up excuses till the cows come home :)
BUT-I will be doing a neighborhood run and possibly a bike ride to celebrate the 60 degrees we're climbing up to today! WOOHOO!
Yesterday I started a new blog called "Experiments in Unemployment" here http://theartofpoverty.blogspot.com and it is pretty much self explanatory. Check it out if you wanna see me try to stave off impending doom! Oh no!
I also baked my first gluten free loaf of bread yesterday and must say- pretty tasty! Not sure that I have gluten problems but am experimenting with various known problem makers and trying to cut stuff out of my diet to see if I can't find the culprit of my ailments.
There is really too much to do to even wrap my brain around right now so I leave you with a photo of my delicious loaf of bread!

Lockdown!

Today I am locking myself in my studio in a right proper LOCKDOWN DAY! So much stuff I needed to do this week didn't get done, plans popped up, plans fell through and I lost a solid day of work that I need to catch up on. Lockdown day means I DON'T check facebook ten times a day and my cellphone gets left in another part of the house where it can't interrupt. (Thats actually a general rule for me on most days anyway)
I am at work. At Work! It is really hard to get into the work zone when you know you have something to do at some point in the day or know you will have to stop for some reason or other so today I do not exist to anyone and hopefully I will get stuff done.
Yesterday I did get a mandala record done that I'm donating to a charitable event and group. I also primed a box and wrote some business proposals to a couple of places.
Funds are dying every day and I'm trying my best not to stress out about it but OUCH this seat is HOT!
Working for yourself has it's ups and it's downs, this is the downside- STRESS OVER FINANCES.
Have you peeped my Etsy shop lately? :)
http://www.tigerbee.etsy.com
Everyone have a productive day!

BRRR!

It's cold mornings like this that make it REALLY hard to climb out of warm pj's and leave the house. 30 degrees. BRRRR! Have to, have to, have to (trying to motivate myself), have to, have to.
I got quite a lot done yesterday in the creative department. I finished this TIGER AND BLOSSOM AND BEE record, some valentine cards and almost finished an order for a Mondrian record set. When that is done I want to take some photos of it because those look really cool as a set on the walls.
I also laid the groundwork for another mandala record and a new box...but I have to go to the post office this morning and then Pilates so all my projects have to wait.
Oh Monday! You are so busy!
Hope everyone has an awesome week, hopefully I can get a treasury up by tonight. It is my goal!

Rainy Day Sunday

Was greeted yesterday morning with a SALE! Sold my "Year of the Rabbit" box and now have a whole little bevy of stuff to ship out next week. Packing stuff up this afternoon amidst creating some new record pieces and hopefully some more valentines.
It's raining and cold here, theres a little cloud icon with snow flakes on my weather alert...skeptical but will welcome snow any ol' day. We don't see it much here in Texas.
Hopefully this week I will have tigers, a little French flair and maybe some ginkgo's to show in the shop!
Have a great weekend everyone!

Creative Weekend!

Yesterday I finished this little jaguar box! I was so thrilled to be able to work with my new onlays (the little carved wood decoration on top of the box) and glad I picked some more up at the store yesterday. I have lots of blank boxes and valentine carding supplies to work with now. I love supply runs! I also snagged a little wooden box purse and some wood panels...new experiments to try. I'm also going to try putting little "feet" on some of the boxes and see how that goes. So much to do, so many ideas in my brain so it's a good thing the weather forecast is calling for SNOW tomorrow and I can lock myself away all weekend and work on stuff. Although I am sad my hike tomorrow will have to be postponed, I really needed a good hike to recharge the senses.
Yesterday was also my first YOGA class which I have added onto my already exercise-centric schedule of Pilates, biking and running. Yoga made my wrists and shoulders sore, I'm doing something wrong I'm sure. Downward dog is a struggle, hopefully in time I'll get the hang of this.
I finally had my first sale of the year yesterday evening and sold a few records from the Etsy shop! WOOOOHHOOOOOO! I was getting scared since I just went and bought supplies and my funds are dying slowly every day that I don't sell anything. Marked almost everything in my shop down so hopefully I can get some more sales rolling in.
Featured in another treasury, these make my day! Check out this cool homage to Brittania called "Dreaming Of A British Vacation" by OhCanada on Etsy.
Today is priming records day....laundry, sweeping, mopping and general maintenance and then a very creative weekend in the studio.
Everyone have a great weekend, throw a snowball or two!
(Jaguar box can be found at my etsy shop)

Jan 4- Bicycle Around the World Day

I just looked at my calendar and noticed two things. One is that it says "Bicycle Around the World Day" on Jan 4th and the second that I hadn't blogged since the New Year began.
Not really sure what Bicycle Around The World Day is but I'm pretty sure I won't be able to participate in it. I did participate in Run Around The Park Day today though, hopefully it's in the same spirit!
I started the year with a little sugar in my gas tank. Uncertain news about my health that could be nothing or could be something, either way I'm trying to stay positive about the whole thing. And how do we do that? By staying busy as hell and creative in the studio.....and by running around the park! Started the week off with Pilates and strength training at the gym along with my usual elliptical training. On my off days from the gym I'm tracking my mileage with neighborhood runs, in the cold, in the sun...I am there, running!

I'm adding Yoga to my schedule this week and also the first hike of the year this weekend with the Texas Trail Trekkers. Texas Trail Trekkers is a hiking group I organized because I LOVE being outside. It's a total inspiration, refresher, recharger for me. So very physical week for me and feeling great about it.
Cleaned the studio right proper and regained my working table from the clutter monster. Working on some boxes today and some records if time allows. Busy bee me.
Hope everyone is enjoying a creative start to the New Year as well. If you're interested in the Trail Trekkers click the link!

Last Day of The Year

It's the Last Day of the Year and I'm feeling better. Not completely free of the cold- but better. Spent yesterday working on a Tea Box (pictured above) and a record piece I'm posting to Etsy later. The last days of 2010 have been kind in the Treasury dept. I've been featured in a few and also a blog! Check these lovely treasuries out:

Year of The Rabbit Treasury and A List For Our Mondrian Times with the Mondrian inspired blog http://amoronia.blogspot.com/2010/12/mondrian-inspired.html

I'll be thanking all the treasury makers and blog writers next week with a blog feature on their Etsy Shops, so heads up for that!
Keeping my head up and looking forward to 2011. Itching to get some more creating done today but the house can't go into the New Year looking like this so it's cleaning day for me.
Everyone have a safe and enjoyable end to the New Year and I wish you lots of good Health, Happiness and Creative Time!

Bzzzy!

Yesterday was spent in the studio working on another box. My English Tea Time got lots of hearts so I decided to make another in time for the big sale this weekend. Also worked on some Christmas cards and hand delivered a painted record. Busy day!
Today may find me biking to the nearest post office to shoot off that Ramones box which brings me to the subject of packing and packaging! I've been seeing some very nice eco-friendly ways of packaging and need to wrap my brain around my own idea about what works for my items. HMMMM! Any ideas? Simple but eco-friendly, not a lot of paper and frills. If I come up with any ideas I'll fill you in.
On my walk home from the doctors I noticed a lot of nice little things I could use for my natural wreath I'm planning on making. I plan on doing a HOW TO on the blog when I get that started. I really should go scoop up those little holly boughs and nice vines before someone gets the wise idea to rake their yard.
My Mom gave me some nice little pieces of wood she found, they came off some old drawers and have the nice dovetails and everything. I am inspired to make me a sign to hang outside. Going to poke around the web for ideas on using these little niceties!
Today will be THANK YOU card making day and that will be my Creative Challenge offering this week. Will post pics when they're done.
Everyone is off enjoying the holidays this week but a busy bees work is never done. Am definitely looking forward to doing NOTHING on Thanksgiving day..nothing but eating and enjoying my family. Buzzing off, keep it kind!