a little piece of my home, a gift, and a question

I thought it would be fun to share a little piece of my home once a week or so.  Isn't our home a reflection of us, and an art within itself.  For today, I am starting with a messy board I made out of packaging from my dishwasher.  It is just a wood frame.  I added chicken wire and there you have it.  The problem is I can't stop adding, and now it is just a big ol' mess.  I sorta like chaos in a clean space.  Funny!  A happy mess!

 Can you see the chicken wire in the upper right hand corner?

 That pic in the lower left corner is my first babe, when she was a babe, and Mister Husband.  I like to add cute cards people give me, random scraps, old and new pics, and anything I need to put away, but I don't know where to put it!

This was a recycled lid project I made last year.  The boxes on the right are old cereal boxes, one for each girl, to throw more random things in, to be put away...someday!

I am wrapping up this to send to my Grandma for Christmas.  Somerset has had it for a some time, and decided they didn't want it.  I think Grandma will love it!

So here is my question, my thoughts?  I would love to talk about rejection.  I want to know why I care so much anyhow?  Isn't this all for me, and my family?  Apparently, I need more.  This month Somerset has sent back 5 of my favorite pieces from last year.  I seriously think they are some of my best, but I guess not.  The funny thing is they have been publishing the stuff that I don't really thing is so great! So what now?  I don't want to create for the masses, but I still like to send in my stuff, I guess to be acknowledged.  I would also like to make art into a business soon, and that is a whole world of scary!

I was honestly pretty bummed about the whole thing.  I got over it, of course.  But it is still with me.  And I wonder why I submit my stuff, and if I should still.  I have been in the past 6 issues of Somerset Memories, but I would love to branch out.  Creating time is a huge hurdle.  I don't honestly think I have found my groove completely; I am still figuring myself out.

I would love to hear any thoughts about rejection, or why you create.  I would love to hear it all!

And I did just post a late PPF in the post below.  And as you'll discover, I am just in a artistic rut this week!

It's all good though, I promise.  I had an incredible cup of coffee and a run this morning!  Woot!~

a late late PPF piece

and I am not so certain I am happy.  I made this for a trade gift for a wonderful woman who knits old sweaters into new everything.  She is so awesome, and she asked me if I would paint her something.  Well, I sat down, grabbed what I had closest, this clipboard, and went to town.  She told me she likes the faces on the little people I paint, so this is all I had in mind when I began.  Sadly, it is just not working for me.  I have been struggling to send it.  I added the finishing touches last night, and I am just not sure.  My husband says I have to send it to her, as I painted it for her.  I have lost my confidence here.  What to do? I'm vexed, and I did not send it out today. Boo.  I am so critical of my work.  I have had issues with some of my photography lately too, although the receivers have been so pleased.

Well, here it is.  For better or worse, she is done.

this joyful lady is also pregnant, as my trade's daughter was expecting when I started this.  Sadly, I just found out she has miscarried.  She has a little one now, and I am certain there will be more.  When I think of my trade friend, I think mother, grandmother, woman, friend, optimist.  I wonder if this would now be a sad reminder.  Ah, vexed I am!

and so late this week, linking to the fabulous Paint Party Friday! party!

Thanksgiving Happiness

After feast fun at Grandma's! 

I love Thanksgiving so much.  I feel it is the most important holiday and changes our focus, hopefully, to what we actually have and to appreciate it.  There is always so much to moan about.  This is true for everyone, as everything really is relative.  This past year I have tried so hard to change my focus from venting, I leave it for my husband, mom, and besties, and focus on what I really do have.  I have an abundance of love in my life.

For our Thanksgiving we spent it with my mom in her first first home in Colorado.  This retired woman is living the life now!  Beautiful home, here with us, and a visitor to share in the celebrations. 

Then we decorated my mother's first tree in her new home...and all is well.

EEEeee!

I am so excited.  I just had a little blog make-over and I am loving it!!!  Erika @ The Fairy Blogmother helped me all week to make my blog, really mine.  She was so patient with me, and I am thrilled.  I made the little border around the header, and if you scroll down, she used the border also for post dividers!  I am just so giddy!

So, I am thinking it is time for a little photo session of ME!!! so I can add a shot of my lovely face, haha!  Speaking of photo sessions, I have been swamped in editing. I should be done this week, and I think that will do it for me this year.  I learned lots and will share soon!

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving. There really and truly is so very much to be thankful for!

Happy Day to you!

Love Daniele!

and one last thing. I have had many people ask me to purchase this print, or make cards.  I loaded it to  Fine Art America and you can purchase it through them.  Or you can ask me directly.  I also have it set up so you can order cards, and very soon I will have it set up to make my own.  There will be no watermark on the prints!

Thank you Thank you!

edit:  I guess the link didn't work. I will get back to it later!

Art Angel

I started this way back during Tam's Heart Art and Healing Course. Well, baby and I were at the table today, baby painting and making a massive mess, and I thought I would take those pieces she was tearing up and collage with them.  Then, I saw this lonely little angel and just went to work.  She was a mess to put together, and has a rather messy face, but it all fits, doesn't it?  Ok, in all honesty, I am not happy with her face, and will most certainly change it tomorrow.  I am done for the night! ...um and the color, not right.  Indoor nasty lighting, but I will make amends tomorrow, when she tells me she is ready!

Last week, I wasn't able to link up, but I did paint a piece for the party!

and here SHE is...

I wonder what her story is?  I don't know it, but I know where she is headed!

I am so happy to have found this great party.  Keeps me working, learning, and connecting.  Thank you thank you ladies!

Missed my puter and bloggy friends!

I am been gone, yes indeedy, but I am back.  My puter Max crashed on me, and it was a whole week of retrieving all my goods!  I love Max so much, and I just don't want him leaving me.

But I have been busy.  I took lots of photos this week, and now I have loads of editing fun to do!  This photo is of my friend Shannon and her hubs, and I took lots of their whole family.  So excited.  I feel these are my best fotos ever.

I also played lots and lots of pics I took of my trio, for Christmas. Then I put them all over FB and now I have no surpise pics for cards.  But honestly, do people keep these cards?  If the family pic is just tossed, should I bother?  I don't keep each and every photo card I get!  Ya, I said it.  I don't.

So, here is a sneaky peak of my first little 5 min session I did with my girls.

and this last one is from another family, way behind in their editing too, but loving this one.

Hold on Tight

This is on an 8x10 canvas board.  I found this pic in a pile.  One of the girls had already cut it up, and discarded it from whatever they were going to do with it.  I took it, found a piece of cardboard, covered in paint, and went to town.  I am in LOVE with how this turned out!  I haven't made anything in a long time that made me this giddy.  The girls, Kelsey and Madison, before Paiger, were about 3 and 5 I think.

Paint Party Friday

I wish that I had something more complete and new to share.  Another busy busy week in my land.  I did share this photo, as well as a few more, in my last post this week.  This was my greatest painting accomplishment, with my babe.  The photo though, in my opinion, is my greatest artistic accomplishment this week.  So here it is, one more time.

This week I also make one scrapbook page, from an album I am trying to finish, from 2007!  It is nearly done, and thank goodness for that!  I am also finishing up 2008, a completely different style, and would love to move on to more current memories!

This page is pretty important to me.  I journaled on the base layer, then taped, then journaled, then gessoed, then journaled, and taped and gessoed some more.  There is lots of journaling depth here.  I love how it turned out, even with silly chip board letters that I found in an old stash, very hidden away!

And in keeping with the PPF theme, there is gesso and paint all over this page!

Cereal box is a layer under the pic!  Love those boxes...I use them in everything!

The photo color is horrible, I know.  I always, until this very night, take my pics in natural light, but I really wanted to get my post up and done!  The overhead light makes for a yellow mess, but you get the idea.

and my table tonight.  Starting some new new... and an awful happy mess!

2 full weeks

and I was really sick!  wow.  Today I woke up, and felt pretty ok.  Horrible voice, and coughing, but I really did feel good.  So I took myself to the gym!!! ...and.... walked!  ha.  I walked!  I have been so sick my whole body has turned to mush and crud.  Well, I am eager to become me again, and get back to all that I do.  And my house, remember 2 weeks!, needs some serious cleaning!

What I did do...was have a fun Halloween with my babes, hubs, and mother.  I did paint pumpkins with baby, and I did do a whole lot of editing in Lightroom!

A few pics from the week.  Some shots are old, but I just got around to editing!

Painted pumpkins!

(These pumpkin shots are unedited.  I think they look rad as they are!)

and editing...

  and this one is from today.  Babe eating snow!