Shop Sale!

I decided to get a jump start on the holiday season (did I mention that all my gifts for everyone are already wrapped and hidden?) by having a 15% off sale in my etsy shop!

Use the code 2011HOLIDAYS to get the deal!

CLICK HERE!

Money Clips

I started making money clips for my etsy shop. Carolyn from Autumn Leaves Jewelry asked for me to make a video blog of the process. So here it is, in all its glory.
Enjoy!

Raw Bisbee Blue Turquoise

Every year here in Bisbee the Mining and Historical Museum hosts a fundraiser to dig for Bisbee Blue Turquoise.
This year I went with my mother and boyfriend.

A month later I finally found time to go through the turquoise me and my main squeeze found.



The stones in the little Tupperware container are the ones I felt were the best.



Tomorrow I will take the raw turquoise into town and have one of our local jewelers see what can and what can not be used to make cabochons from.

Stay tuned!

2 Shops or Not

A while back I opened another etsy shop, but didn't get any sales so I closed it.

I am considering opening another etsy shop.
The reason? I think it is important to keep my jewelry and my paintings separate. I think with both in one shop it confuses people. Am I a metalsmith or a painter? Both?

It would seem a little less confusing if I opened a new shop for my prints, paintings, and other doo dads which I am planning on making for the upcoming holiday season.

Thoughts and suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

CONTEST WINNER ANNOUNCED!

Congrats to the winner!

GIVEAWAY TIME!

To celebrate my 170th Etsy sale I am having a Halloween Giveaway!
WOOT!
Watch the video and then leave your guess below or send me a private message via facebook!

Busy Bisbee Bee

I have been extremely busy this last week.

Took a two day marathon art class session at Bliss Bee. I learned so many new techniques for making all sorts of fun stuff that I have been trying desperately to get into my studio!

I've also added new pieces to my etsy shop and decided to have a pre-Halloween sale!

Use the code 'PreHalloweenSale' to get 20% off everything in my shop!
CLICK HERE to take advantage of my etsy shop sale!



Candy Corn Ring...don't you want to eat it up!



Spiderweb earrings made using my rolling mill. Oh how I am loving my new toy!



Jack o Lantern necklace!



Gone batty earrings!



I also recieved my photos back from Flash In The Past. Ramsey did a lovely photo shoot for the ghost tours. I am so excited about them! I can't wait to get them up on the website (that will be my Friday project!)

In the meantime here is a teaser for you!

Halloween Time

The stores are starting to get all their Halloween goodies in. The air is getting a bit of a chill (yes even here in S. Arizona). Usually by this time of the year my costume has already been designed and made. Halloween jewelry for my shop has been made and listed. The bins and bins of Halloween decorations (the ones that are not out all year round) have been rummaged through and the best decorations have been picked to be put out on Oct. 1st.

Yet this year I have not done any of the above.

I have tried really hard to work on some batty earrings, candy corn rings, graveyard & jack o lantern necklaces, yet for some reason I am not feeling it.

I have not even decided what to be for Halloween this year. I could simply pull out a costume from my 5 huge costume bins, but what fun would that be?

The bins of Halloween decorations have been organized, but not gone through.

I'm just not in the Halloween spirit this year and it depresses me more then you know. It is my favorite time of the year, my favorite holiday, my favorite everything, yet I can't seem to get myself out of this funk and get myself ready for the big day.

Help!

Studio Time

Yesterday morning I went into my jewelry studio for a half hour. It was felt really good! I started designing some Halloween earrings and a necklace. It felt so liberating to finally go back, and work with the metal. To anneal it, and then feel it being pressed into something fun while I turned the handle of my rolling mill.
This weekend I am hosting Fairy Fun Days at the Source Within. If you want to know more about Fairy Fun Days click here. Though I really really enjoy holiday weekends, I wish more then anything I would have time to go into my studio to finish my pieces.
In more jewelry news, this week my mother and I are going to the mini Gem & Mineral Show in Tucson. I have to set a strict budget and stick with it! I know what I need and what I want, so it shouldn't be too difficult, unless I find another ruby octopus ring!
While we are in Tucson we have a photo shoot scheduled at Flash In The Past. Ramsey asked if she could photograph me in a Halloween theme to help promote the day job. I didn't hesitate when she offered! My mother is going to get a shoot as well. Its going to be so much fun. I love getting made up to look beautiful. Every woman needs to feel that way every once in a while!

Studio & Soul Cleaning

The past few weeks have been tough. Not so much bad or sad, just hard.

I decided the other day it was time to do some cleaning in my studio. Cleaning somehow helps clean out the cobwebs in my mind and soul sometimes.
So as I was cleaning my studio I was thinking about the future. Thinking about how good it is going to be. Thinking about how up until now everything was just practice. Now I am ready to live my life the way I am suppose to live it.

The way I am going to live my life is going to be full of love, creativity and happiness. End of story. Those who get in the way or try to take any of those three things away will immediately be voted off my island!

So yesterday I cleaned, cleaned, cleaned and then cleaned my studio some more.

Today I went into my studio, without knowing what I wanted to make. I took out some Halloween crafty supplies and started having fun. Letting my mind wander and my creativity flow.

After a while I was looking at a beautiful candle. I couldn't stop, so I made two more.



It wasn't until the flies started bugging me that I stopped.



How wonderful it felt. How freeing. How fun!



Everything is going to be great. I can tell.
Hopefully within the next couple of weeks I will start working on my jewelry again. I think it is almost time!

Art Show and why my lack of art.

I finally had a chance to download some photos from my Art Show Spectacular!


A photo of my mother taking a photo of me in front of my display


Me and my mother!


YIPPIE! I love my dress. It is by Jessica Louise. She is one of my favorite designers!


Friends and family come into the Source Within to check out Pirate Days and my art show.



Recently I have not been in a very creative mood. Instead I have been trying to find ways to occupy my mind. Trying to get it to focus on stuff other then the current situation I am in. Therefore my creativity has been put on hold. I am a strong believer of making art only when in a good mental place. If you are in a negative state of mind some of that negative energy will rub off into your art, and who wants all that bad gugu? Sometimes its good, for fine artists, but for what I do, I don't want it.

I like change. I welcome change. Change is good! Change is very good, but at the same time stressful. Hopefully things will start to calm down after next week and I will be able to get back into my studio, find my creativity (I think it is hiding under the couch along with the dust bunnies) and get working on some Halloween goodies for my etsy shop!

Life Gets In The Way Of Progress

It has been a busy couple of months, personally and artistically, so my poor blog has been ignored for a while.

Where to begin where to begin?



I had an art show at the Source Within. It consisted of my new paintings, which I love and adore and have opened up a whole new world to me. It was a lot of hard work and due to space limitations I didn't get to show all my work. I made prints, books and cards, those sold really well. They sold so well in fact that I had to make more and bring them down to the shop yesterday.

I also have been busy practicing for Bisbee's Got Talent. It was last night. I performed Cabaret and won. Yep I rock.


A new boutique opened in town called Bliss Bee, it is owned by renowned artist Julie Thompson. She got a kick out of my skirts that I have been making and asked me to make a bunch for the shop. Sew I have been a busy sewing bee over the past couple of months as well. Julie is so great and such a talented artist, she offers all sorts of classes. My mother and I took a few and enjoyed them immensely! So if you are ever in town make sure to check out Bliss Bee!

My jewelry has been put on the back burner at the moment. Not sure why. Just have not felt the urge to make any in a while. I think I need to revitalize my creative spark somehow. Go on a vacation and get some much needed inspiration. A hike would do. Maybe just a couple days to the Grand Canyon. I don't know what to do. Its hard to be in a creative funk but everyone goes through it.

I promise to not ignore my blog for such long periods of time anymore. Sometimes you can't control what happens in life, and have to go with the flow. Hopefully things will calm down and all will be right with the world again!

Happy July

SHOP SALE SHOP SALE SHOP SALE! 40% OFF EVERYTHING! USE CODE JULYSALE AT CHECKOUT!!!!



I have been busy! Busy busy busy! My normal (if you can call anything I do normal) job is keeping me on my toes. In fact I have way too much to do and it is a bit overwhelming.
We are redoing the top of our hearse, which you wouldn't think is artsy fartsy, but it kind of is. It reminds me of college projects. Having to sand, prime, paint, add glitter! It is all too familiar. Luckily we have cool friends who help us with advice and know more about hearses then we do!


Look at me getting all down and dirty with the rust on our hearse. Take that you rust!



So to help pay for the overwhelming costs of having a hearse I decided to have a HUGE etsy shop sale. I have had some of my pieces sitting for too long. Time to find them a new home!

If you use the code JULYSALE at the time of checkout you will receive 40% off your purchase!

In other news we had a huge turnout for our Fairy Fun Days July 4th weekend. It was so huge we ran out of fairy wings. We had to order more from the fairy folk and hopefully they will be delivered to us this week. We decided to hold the next Fairy Fun Days Labor Day Weekend. I can't wait. It was so much fun!

So we decided to add Pirate Days the weekend of August 13th & 14th to give little boys something to do. Girls have fairies boys have pirates. Bisbee is doing a huge pirate themed weekend which is arrrrrrsome! Who does not love pirates! There are still treasure maps to make and treasure to find. Mwah ha ha.

All info on the events can be found HERE.

Bisbee Burlesque Performance

Gay Pride is always a fun time in Bisbee.
This year I was asked to sing for the Bisbee Burlesque show. So I did.

Here is a video of me singing Cabaret. I opened the show with it. Apparently I got a standing ovation, I couldn't tell since the spot light was in my eyes and I couldn't see anything!




So does anyone ever read this blog?

Shop Update

Over the past year or so I have been trying my hand at painting, and through lots of practice, at home classes, and advice, I think I found my style.

In August I am having an art show at the Source Within. Until then I will be selling prints of my paintings in my etsy shop.

So now I am not just selling jewelry but prints of my watercolors as well.

This is very exciting, and scary.

Please have a looksy!

Jellyfish

Peter and I in the walk through aquarium

For Memorial Day Peter and I went up to Phoenix to go to the aquarium. Its a small one, in the mall, but still worth seeing.
Unfortunately we could not find the octopus, but we did however find lots of JELLYFISH!
I love jellyfish. I know it sounds weird, but I do love them. They are beautiful, graceful yet can be deadly.

The cool jellyfish that inspired my newest jellyfish necklaces

Last year around this time I made a couple jellyfish necklaces and seeing those jellyfish inspired me to make some more!

More Jellyfish Necklaces can be found in my etsy shop

Yesterday I made two with copper bodies, sterling silver tentacles, and gemstone beads incorporated into the tentacles. In less then 24 hours one sold!
Yes I am bragging. This makes me extremely happy. This sale gave me a boost of confidence in my work which I desperately needed. SO YAY!

The underside of a starfish. kind of cool!

In other news, my mother and her artwork were featured in an article in today's paper.Here is a linky. I hardly ever post about my family, other then my K9 and Feline pets and my husband. So take a look at the article to read about my creative mother! Enjoy.

Taking the Plunge

I decided to start selling my new paintings in my etsy shop. Small investment in promotional materials and packaging materials was made yesterday. I spent the entire morning designing business cards and postcards.

Once they arrive from the printers I will start posting glicee prints in my etsy shop. The originals will be still be exhibited at the art show I am having at the Source Within in August. I decided not to open an entirely new shop to hopefully get crossover sales.

This makes me a bit nervous. I don't like to fail and sometimes feel that I my work won't sell. If it does I will be overjoyed. Eventually I want to apply my designs to clothing and accessories. Goals. Its so good to have goals!

New Art and stuff

It has been a long time since I made a real blog post.
Things are busy! Super busy! Which is good. Busy is always good. It is better then being bored!

Sales in my etsy shop have been keeping me busy. Things are picking up which is really good! But despite sales slowing increasing I started an ArtFire store. I figured it couldn't hurt to have two shops. It is a smaller version of my etsy store. No sales yet in my ArtFire store but I have hope since I bought advertising space on their handmade page. So hopefully that will start the sales coming in!

In August I am having an art show at the Source Within in Bisbee, so I have been super crazy busy making paintings for that. I discovered water soluble crayons which seem to be my choice of medium right now. I sit for hours everyday (while watching Medium on Netflix Instant Watch) and just paint and paint and paint the day away. With each new painting I try something different and I think my style is starting to emerge.



I have scanned in my favorite paintings, and I am considering selling prints, postcards, and maybe a few other surprises in my etsy shop as well as my jewelry. I don't want to open another etsy shop since I tried that once and didn't like having to manage two of them.

In other news, I have been super crazy busy practicing for the pride show in two weeks. I will be performing Mein Herr, Cabaret, and Somewhere Over the Rainbow. I find it really funny that I will be performing as Judy Garland and her daughter Liza! I am doing the Mein Herr chair dance from the movie, and I have discovered that it is really hard to sing and dance at the same time. Even if it is just on a chair! I couldn't find my Sally Bowles costume, so I have been piecing a new one together, which is also occupying a lot of my time.

Not to mention the ghost tour and our Paranormal & Ghost Hunting Weekend which I have been busy planning.

This past Sunday I had a kidney stone attack. Not fun. Had to go to the ER in Sierra Vista. I was pretty much useless for the entire week afterwords since they put me on such heavy pain meds. Yesterday I got an ultrasound of my kidneys and will get the results from my doctor next week.

Wow I am exhausted from just typing up this blog post!

I promise to add a few new jewelry pieces to my etsy shop in the next week or so. They are slowly being made.

Its been a while

So I made a Vlog to explain why! Also, I am happy to announce that I reached my goal of the year of getting at least 30 followers! WOOT!!!

Enjoy the video and me in all my giddiness!

Our New Babies

I think I am an animal hoarder. But these guys were begging me to take them home, so I did. Enjoy the video!

Paintings and Stuff

A few weeks ago I started taking an online painting class by Juliette Crane, it is called How to Paint an Owl.
It is an amazing class, the techniques are kind of addicting. The class offers a weekly step by step process and with each step a background, then character, then environment emerges. It has been such a rewarding experience.

I also finished two online painting classes by Wyanne whose artwork just blows me away! The first class was Paint Free where you learn to just let go and paint and have fun while doing it. The other class I took by Wyanne was her Mixed Media with the Girls class. Where we were taught how to paint adorable girls.

So lately I have been painting more then I have been making jewelry. The knowledge from these three classes has opened up an entirely new world for me. Our AZ Room which was suppose to be turned into my Tea Room/Alice in Wonderland Room has been taken over by paint, pastels and canvases. I have been working on at least 2 paintings at a time. Working on them and then letting them sit for a day, then revisiting them to discover new parts which need paint or color.

Here are two I finished today.


Flamingos In Love.

They were so happy to find a romantic spot among the blooming flowers.


Lost Bunny Amongst the Blooms

Poor Bunny lost his way, and somehow ended up in a field of flowers, where the clouds were made of glitter and there wasn't a care in the world. He decided he wasn't lost at all.


Am I going to sell these paintings? Who knows. Are they good enough to sell? Who knows. What matters is that I am building my own style and techniques while having FUN!

Here are the links for those of you who are interested in any of the online classes these two women have.

Juliette Crane's How to Paint an Owl E Course

&

Wyanne's Online Classes. She offers something for everyone!!!




Owl Paintings in progress



Backgrounds painted and owls drawn in and colored.


Details added to the owls.

On Monday we learn about building environments for our owls. Ohhh so excited!

Inspiration

Inspiration and Muse where are you two?
Please come back. I am lonely without you!

Let Them Eat Cake

Today I finished my Marie Antoinette painting. I call it 'Let Them Eat Cake'.
I stepped away from the painting for a few weeks as I tried to figure out how to do her hair.
Here is a before and after photo of her.

Before.



After.







Sometimes it is best to walk away for a while instead of rushing to finish.

How Much is Too Much?

This weekend I switched out my winter closet with my summer closet.
What I realized is that I have WAY too much clothes!
The number of T Shirts I have is stupid. It is honestly stupid! Why does someone need so many?

I decided that for 1 year I will not purchase any new clothing. None. Zip. Same goes for shoes. How many pairs of shoes does a girl need? No more!

I decided to take my T Shirts and make myself a quilt with them. In the winter Peter and I try not to run our heater over night, and our quilts are used often and sometimes we are in need of another one. Now you might think this selfish, and it is. I could donate them, yet they would sit on the thrift store shelves forever because who would want a t shirt with a skeleton with a broken leg that says 'oh snap'??

I will take progress photos and post them either here or on my cutoutandkeep.net site.

New Vlog!

I can't explain my craziness in this video. It is just the way I am! Please ignore my giant zit!

Figured It Out

I think I figured it out.
I think the reason I have been so down is because 1) we need rain and the dryness in AZ makes me depressed...and my skin all flakey and nasty.
2) My designs don't sell very well.


A random photo of me and Captain Hook at Not So Scary Halloween at DisneyWorld last October. I added it to make me happy because there is nothing better then DisneyWorld, Captain Hook and Halloween!!



I have a few designs in my etsy shop that are staples. They sell so well. I almost get tired of making them because of how many times I have had to make them.
But when I make one of a kind items, they don't sell so well. I don't know why. I try my best to make them pretty and of high quality and for a reasonable price. Yet for some reason they don't sell. When I have a sale in my shop they sell, but I can't keep selling my pieces for the less then what it costs me to make them. That doesn't make any sense.

So what do I do? Do I take a break? An inspiration vacation?
I need some help here. If my one of a kind pieces sold as well as my made to order pieces I think it would boost my confidence and help me out of my funk.
Maybe today I will bring my sketchbook to work with me and sketch new designs.

Spring and Creativity

I have been in a blah type of creative mood lately. Maybe it is because it is spring break the the ghost tours have been unbelievably busy. Or maybe it is because I am in a rut.

It is so warm and spring is starting to show its face with little buds and plants sprouting out from the winter's ground. Except half of my bushes and trees died during the hard freeze we had. Our house looks like something out of a Halloween book. Dead trees and naked bushes. It is a bit depressing. My carnivorous plant garden isn't showing any signs of life either and I am a bit worried.







I built myself a raised garden. It really wasn't for me, but for my gnomes. They were upset at their first location by the side of the house, so I built them a flower bed in the front yard, around a tree that amazingly enough has some green buds sprouting from its branches. It was my creative endeavor of the week. The pink deer is named Pinky. I bought him at a thrift store, painted him pink and gave him glittery antlers. He is a much happier deer now!

My rut is not very productive. I don't want to make any jewelry. The thought of going into my studio makes my shoulders sag. I see other artists posting their work on their blogs and Facebook and it makes me a bit depressed. I can't find my inspiration in this brown ugly part of the world I live in. I need to see green. I need colors. I need to see water. Living in the desert is not the most inspirational place to be. It is a bit depressing, and will be until summer when the monsoons come to visit us.

So if you can please send thoughts for wildly imaginative inspiration my way.

Spring is almost here!

The sun is out! Yesterday I saw my first Hummingbird of the season! Today I filled my hummingbird feeders! I can't wait until Lowes and Home Depot get in their plants! I want to play in the dirt and get all messy!

Today I finished up a few paintings and listed a bunch of earrings on etsy.


This is my Vampire Flying Cupcake painting. I love it. I love it so much. I love it so much I am hanging it above my computer so I can look at it all day. I wish more then anything these little guys could fly off the canvas and into the real world.


Copper and Garnet earrings. I was experimenting with my rolling mill and didn't want the lovely textured copper to go to waste.


Copper and Blue Jade earrings.

Pink Jade, Onyx and Copper earrings.

Don't these stones look like cotton candy? I bought WAY too much druzy at the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show. Now I have to use them up. Hehe.

All the earrings are available in my etsy shop. JUST CLICK HERE TO SEE IT ALL!

Weirdness

Every night while my husband is brushing his teeth I sit and sketch in my sketchbook (the one I lost is still MIA) for about 2 minutes.

Last night I sketched the most hysterical thing. I couldn't stop laughing.
Today I will try to put into a painting, I love it that much!

Though my painting session will be interrupted later this afternoon, because I have a 'Faceted Stone Setting' session with a local jeweler in town. WOO HOO! I have been wanting to learn how to set faceted stones forever! Of course the settings are pre-made, but that is OK because making those are too much of a pain in my tushie!

Photos of my painting to come...but only if it turns out good :)

GIVEAWAY time!

Guess here or on facebook!
Good luck!

And don't forget to check out Wyanne.com to take her awesome online classes!

Snow in our front yard

I love the snow. LOVE IT! I think the only thing I really love about living in Bisbee is that it snows here once or twice a year. Enough to make everything pretty for the afternoon and then melt. No shoveling!
The video is of the snow in our front yard. Its not a lot of snow, but it is enough to put a huge smile on my face!!
This video was taken about an hour ago, the snow is already beginning to melt. :(

SNOW

When the Snow Queen of Bisbee speaks, the Snow listens! It only took all winter to get some snow, but heck it snowed! YAY!
Here is Tootsie the Puglet experiencing snow for the first time!

And one more before bed time

I finished this piece today also.
I call it 'Don't Mess With Me Today'.
Sometimes you have to come out of the woods with an axe and a bloody dress in order for people to stop before pissing you off!!
Water color paper with watered down acrylics.
She will be mounted on wood and will get a beeswax finish...but that will wait until tomorrow.

October Friends

This is my latest painting for my Mixed Media with the Girls class taught by Wyanne.

Done on water color paper painting with mostly watered down acrylics.

Tomorrow I plan on buying some wood. I want to adhere the paper to the wood and then cover it with bees wax.

Please let me know what you think :)

Paintings!

I am taking these fab painting classes from Wyanne at www.wyanne.com.

I posted some of my paintings from our Paint Free class on my facebook page, so go there to see those. I just wanted to share a few that I just finished in the Mixed Media Girl's class.

I call it 'Bringing in the Friends Before the Rain'.



The second painting was really my final assignment for the Paint Free class Wyanne offers. But I wanted to use techniques from the MMGs class...so I did! :P
I call this one 'Walking Alone'.

You can't really see it from the photograph, but there is glitter in the background because I truly believe that everything in the world is better with glitter!!



Please let me know what you guys think!!!

One Day Sale in my Etsy Shop!
Use code LOVE2YOU to receive a 15% off discount! This includes all sale items as well!!

Shall we discuss how much I love animals?!?

Oh yes I love animals. I think people should have fur babies over human babies.
But my obsession has reached an all time low!

A few months back we found a used 55 gallon aquarium at a really really really good price! So we bought it, set it up and put angel fish and mollie fish . I even planted real water plant bulbs in it and watched them grow and grow and grow.

Everyday I watch them swim around their tank.

One day I noticed that one of our mollie fish had a HUGE tummy! I showed it to my husband, he did some research and as it turns out she is pregnant.

We are expecting baby fish!

Except my husband warned me that if she had the babies in the tank with the angel fish then the babies would become food. YIKES! Ahhhhh! Nooooo! Not MY baby fishies!!!!

So on Tuesday my husband and I went out and spent over $100 on a new fish tank to put the pregnant fish in. HONESTLY! Mind you mollies cost $2.00. Though I couldn't stand the thought of her baby fishies being eaten! The horror!

Photos of the new fish tank (with erupting volcano...oh yes I went all out) will be posted as soon as the fish are put introduced to their new home.

What is Zentangle!!

Care from Autumn Leaves Jewelry asked me about my Zentangles. So here is a quick video of me (not having my coffee yet) showing off my Zentangles, my Zentangle Books, and my little box I carry them around in.

Enjoy!

Cat Lover Ring

I had a request for a custom order on etsy. My new Hummingbird Love ring, but instead of a hummingbird they wanted a cat. I am shocked that I didn't think of this idea before, being the crazy cat lady that I am. 6 cats and counting!

Here is a preliminary drawing of the cat part of the ring done in illustrator.




Here is a photo of some of my cute kitties and the neighborhood stray cat who I call Georgie. Georgie was trying to get into my office via the window, and my cats were protecting their territory! Georgie use to have a family, but they moved (we think) and he is now the neighborhood stray. I feed him, gave him a warm bed on our back porch, and in return he marks our front door. We hope to find him a permanent home where he will be loved!




Here is another version of the cat after feedback from my customer! I love when I get custom orders and the client helps make the designs better. I love getting input on design elements that I would never have thought of!

DOH! Moment!

Have you ever designed something, only to discover that almost the exact design already exists. You had seen it somewhere before, put it in the back of your mind, and forgotten about it. Then you draw it out on paper, start working it into metal, only to discover that it has already been done. DOH!

Skip This Post if You Don't Like Poop or if You Just Ate!

My birthday was spent at the doctor's office.

Long story short I have to get a colonoscopy even though the doc said that he doesn't think there is anything wrong. FUN FUN JOY JOY!
I know this is a normal procedure and most people have to do it at least once if not yearly, but I am 33 and it seems a bit premature.
Now being put under and having a probe stuck into my colon does not bother me as much as the ritual leading up to this!
I have to collect samples of my poop. Yummy! How do I do this? It is too gross for me to even think about! It does involve a sterile bowl that I have to place in my toilet and little containers (pet owners who have had to collect stool samples are familiar with this) that I need to fill up. Each container needs 3 separate samples.
And that is not the worst part! The worst part is that the week leading up to the procedure I am only allowed to eat certain foods. I am the world pickiest eater (I am a racist eater, I only eat white food) and limiting my food intake is going to be very difficult and make me super dooper cranky!
Then I have to fast for 24 hours. I am however allowed to drink and eat jello as long as whatever I drink of the jello I eat are not red, purple or orange. Lime and Lemon flavored jello = yuck! Not to mention that I also have to take a laxative to (as the nurse put it) clean out my system.

Is it me or is this torture? I have had kidney stones, surgeries, and other procedures done and none have had this type of torturous preparations!

So I needless to say walked out of the doc's office crying, my husband trying not to laugh. It just seems so unnecessary especially when the doc does not think there is anything wrong!!

Because I was so extremely upset hubby took me to the mall after my doc's appointment. I was so upset I couldn't find anything at H&M to buy (someone should take my temperature)!

I did however make a Build A Bear, but it was an owl not a bear. I named him Hoot Hoot. I love Owls! I love them so much!

Stopped off at a dive shop to pick up information on dive classes.

We went to the Disney Store and I got some reusable Alice in Wonderland bags and 2 Vinalnations (if you don't know what these are google them! So much fun! Especially if you are a Disney freak like Peter and myself).

We had lunch at the Cheesecake Factory (memories of Pasadena and how much I miss having that place on the corner).

We then went to the Museum of Miniatures in Tucson which was too cool! They had an entire section on haunted miniature houses and it made me want to finish the one I started 3 years ago. Maybe I will do that this summer...just add it onto the list of projects I have.

Afterwords we went to Micheal's so I could get supplies for my online painting class which I am enjoying greatly! And we stopped by Barnes and Noble where I purchased a book on Gypsy Rose Lee.

That was my Birthday in a nutshell.

New Pieces

I worked on these two new pieces yesterday and this morning. I am feeling kind of sick (yuck) so I didn't work on my butterfly pieces that I have fluttering around in my head.





These were inspired by a recent trip to DisneyWorld. We went for their Not So Scary Halloween party. It was fun. I love it there. I want to retire and work at WDW as a cast member. Just for the fun of it.

In other news I don't feel good. I think I am getting a cold. Tomorrow is my 33rd Birthday and my husband and I are going to be spending it at the doctor's office. After my doctor's visit we will be going to the Tucson Museum of Miniatures which I am really looking forward too!!!

http://www.theminitimemachine.org/

I love miniatures and have been trying to find time to go to the museum for a very long time! So hopefully that counteracts the yuckiness of having to go to the doctors!!

Blah

I have been feeling kind of BLAH lately.
I can't get myself into my studio to do anything!
I try, but then I can't make it.

I am not overloaded with the normal job or anything like that. I have ideas in my brain. I just can't force myself into my studio to do anything.

Maybe my body is trying to tell me that it is time to relax and not work too hard? Maybe I need to get out of the house and take a walk or sit in the sun (71 degrees here...someone please send us some snow).

I don't know what is going on. Though it would be really appreciated if someone could send me some 'get into your studio' thoughts and nudges!!!

Thanks!

Butterflies

My husband had off of work on Monday so we dropped the puppy off at my parent's house and went to Tucson for the day.
We went to the Reid Zoo so that I could sketch some animals (scans will be posted later) and then we went to the Botanical Gardens to see their Butterfly exhibit.



It was nice to get out of the house and to do something together that didn't involve doctors (I won't bore you or gross you out with my health issues).
I love butterflies have since I was a teenager. Around October they flock to S. Arizona and when I find dead ones on the ground I keep them. Don't know why, just do.




I think that the butterfly exhibit inspired me to finally do something with those butterfly wings! Mwah ha ha.




I do however have a few commission pieces I must complete, but once they are done I will dive head first into my studio with dead butterflies in hand.

IMAGINE

I am so distraught about what occurred in Tucson on Saturday afternoon.
I just can't understand why someone would do such a thing.
It is so sad and unnecessary.

While taking my bath this evening I started singing Imagine by John Lennon (his death makes me questions why someone would do such a thing).

It is the perfect anthem.

Tomorrow I am going into my studio with IMAGINE on my mind and playing on my iPod.

Change is Good!

Change is good.
Changing your clothes, makeup, furniture, surroundings, wall color, and hair!
I say this because I cut off all my hair. It was a decision I made after a friend posted on her Facebook about how she wanted to cut all her hair off. Memories of my college days came back to me at full speed and I remembered how fun and funky my hair was. I dyed it, spiked it, put little bows in it, and all the while remaining feminine. I think if a girl can pull off a short pixie cut (and it is really all in the attitude) then they can pull off anything! They can also be more feminine then with long hair!

My hair dresser cut it a bit too short, but it is just hair and it will grow! So no worries.


So here are photos of my new hair! My mother compared my new cut to our new fur baby, Tootsie. I made her apologize to me for that! Tootsie is way cuter then me!









Tootsie Pop the Super Pug!!!