Nerissa Alford: Creative Musings

New Year & a Clean Slate

2012-01-12T09:49:00.002+03:00

Breathe, Love, Share Digital Journaling
Currently a student in Jessica Sprague & Nancie Rowe Janitz's Digital Art Journaling

It's been forever & a day since I've posted. I have a list a mile long of posts that I never got to. I've decided to forgive myself & Let It Go! Sometimes I wonder if blogging is the correct vehicle for me. I spent so much time & energy on the minutia of protecting my work via digital editing - scaling the photos down, putting a watermark... Sometimes it took away the joy of posting & sharing. Since we're so far away from loved ones, I posted all the time on FB, which also has potential issues, but still not to the extent of how often I'd love to share my work. I guess I'm going to have to figure this out!

WIP Background in Traci Bautista's Doodles Unleashed Class
FYI, it's a FREE class & Traci is Awesome!
Acrylic paints, india ink on 8x10 canvas board

I am currently taking a few classes on-line. I need to learn to pace myself. There have been a few times I've gotten in a pickle & not finished a class. Ha ha, something else to add to "the list" - I don't do resolutions, more goal setting if you will. I stumbled upon Michelle Ward's current crusade - Make a Tada list. I am so on that & hopefully it gets posted as another Jan blog post & not a few months down.

I promise to not be a stranger on my own blog!

Happy New Year! This was Kuwait on New Year's Day

Love & Lucky 13

2011-11-04T23:30:00.001+03:00

I had a bizzar last week full up life's ups & downs. I never posted this & I want to, so better late than never!

13 years ago I married the love of my life. I always talk about fate & God & how we were meant to be. After graduating from college I picked up & moved to Mobile, AL for a new job & life. I didn't know a soul. I even laugh now because the job I turned down was a buying job in Miami, FL. Anyone who knew me back then would have pegged me for the Miami job. But 13 years, 2 boys, 2 dogs 7 states & 2 countries later I love you as much now as I did when it all began. Thanks to my hubby I never turned out to be a broke bitter single gal with a bunch of designer shoes chewed up by my untrained dog. I love you sweetheart!

Join Us at the Trashion Show

2011-10-31T21:26:00.000+03:00

Last year I attended this show as a judge, spectator & whatever else they needed me for. I'm happy to say the 2nd annual Trashion Show will be tomorrow night at the Holiday Inn Salymia. All proceeds benefit women in need here in Kuwait.

I'll be working with Trash to Treasure again this year as a photographer. I have not had any sort of sneak peek of the work & cannot wait to see it. My volunteer work has been more behind the scenes & unfortunately has been placed on the back burner of late date. I hope to one day be as involved as I used to.

The pictures that follow are from last year's event. The last photo is of my good friend Cheryl Spessert. She was one of the visionaries that began Trash to Treasure. She is no longer in Kuwait but she will be at the event in spirit.

Come out & see the show Tuesday November 1st at the Holiday Inn Salymia at 7pm. Tickets are available at the door.

Perspective Series: Looking Up

2011-09-19T17:03:00.001+03:00

I've been on a photography roll lately. I wanted to do a series of posts on perspectives. My favorite challenge of photography is finding that perspective that tells the story you may not see right away. The first one is looking up...

All these photos were taken in Athens last year. I did not post many photos from our trip & really should have. I have some beautiful shots - not to mention silly ones of the boys. They were bored to death of all the "old stuff". (Note: the photos without captions are because I can't find my notes on the names of the actual places. Sad!)

Acropolis

My favorite shot of the Acropolis

Acropolis

Acropolis - notice the scaffolding on the side - there was some major work going on while we were there

Acropolis

I have a fascination with looking up & shooting a picture. What do you see when you look up?

I'll have more pictures "looking up" in Kuwait.

Blue

2011-09-17T10:35:00.000+03:00

Blue Flower Doodles WIP 8x10 canvas panel - ink

WIP crochet necklace with Czech firepolish beads

Blue WIP 3x12 gallery canvas - acrylics

I've been thinking a lot lately. There has got to be an end to these feelings. 3 1/2 months of emotions due to all the change came piling on me this week. I feel like I'm at a crossroads - roll up in a ball & disappear or take the bull by the horns & run.

Blue Flower Doodles WIP detail

We Remember

2011-09-11T07:59:00.001+03:00

I had a discussion with my children this morning about the somberness of today. I got goosebumps just speaking with them about September 11, 2001. After I began the conversation, then I started having the questions of "how do I describe this to my 6 & 8 year olds?" (I probably should have thought that through first) The important part is that they know about the sacrifice many innocent people made that day for our country, the professionals in the first responder sectors that worked so hard to help others, and the sacrifice those that protect our country continue to make.

God Bless America

The Week in Pictures

2011-09-10T21:01:00.000+03:00

The last hurrah for summer! Did some last minute shoe shopping with my oldest son (lunch included) & lunch (again) near the Kuwait Towers.

Momma cat is back! I've missed her. There have been a few sightings but Rick wouldn't pull over the car or loop around. Yes, I love this cat but this cat only!

My Byzantine Queen earring kit

Thanks to LB o'Jzazz for the terrific class. The fruits of our labor. A class picture after finishing our first earring.


Family lunch at Organica - again. Picked by Josh. Yummy fresh lemonade!

Can they be any cuter? The Force Luke, the Force. Thanks to our friends for the Jedi capes - now a necessity to play Star Wars Lego on the Wii.


The training continues. I had a bit of a rocky patch with a sick bout. I was off the treadmill for a week & a half. I'm back on the program & have recently accomplished a personal best. 3 continuous miles under 45 minutes. That is blazing for me! I used to run 18 minute miles & now I'm hanging out in the 14 minute mark.

Is it the shoes?

What is this you ask? I call it the Pile O' Green. This is the pile of herbs & leaves I must maneuver every week when I go grocery shopping. The weekly questions include: "Is there any cilantro here?" "Which one is spinach?" and "Did I just buy parsley 3 ways?"

but I'm not a painter

2011-09-01T11:59:00.001+03:00


Believe 4x6 flat canvas panel - acrylic & ink

Sometimes I just gotta laugh. I get all up in arms about others setting my boundaries, preconceived notions, prejudgement... yet I do it to myself all the time.

Me to my card making group "but I don't really make cards".

Vogue 4x6 card various decorative papers, German foil, stickers & vintage Vogue cover. The fleur de lis & crown transfer are also digital clip art I printed but the seller is no longer on-line.

Me to, not 1 but 2, beading groups "I'm not really a bead weaver or seed beader".

All classes taken from LB o'Jazz. Peyote
Ring Squared, Luscious Lariat, Arabesque Earrings

Me to myself for most of my life "but I'm not really an artist". So down comes, "but I'm not really a painter".

dream WIP 8x10 flat canvas panel - acrylic & ink

Thanks to wonderful classes I have been able to take on-line by Christy Tomlinson & Traci Bautista. I have learned how to become comfortable working on canvas. At this point, it's more than comfort, it's forever love. I'm at the point that I will probably never stop working on canvas. More & more I've become more comfortable using less paper. Don't get me wrong, I still have a strong love for paper, but I've been going a bit out of my comfort zone. I've found a style with ink & acrylics using quotes & words.

the week in pictures

2011-08-30T22:27:00.000+03:00

had to go see the Chihuly myself - still up & mostly intact, thank goodness!

art time with my dudes - it was a fun afternoon!

Some recycled silk sari strips hanging in my studio

fly WIP 4x4 canvas panel - mixed media, acrylics, inks, vintage & new papers, rub ons

Another "I am completely spoiled in this country" moment. Asked if my frozen yogurt was to go. Packed in a bag with a block of ice. I may never get this kind of service again!

New art supplies - perfect pearls sprays - iridescent & right up my alley!

Starting up the bead crochet necklaces again. Love this color combo - she may be a keeper! how embarrassing that I have to reteach myself how to crochet. Perhaps I've stayed away too long.

Technically these are photos from last week! I am completely falling in love with my iPhone. I have it with me all the time & I can always take pictures at a moments notice. I also love instagram - cute square photos, funky filters & "polaroid" frame - I look like a genius!

Keeping Myself Occupied

2011-08-21T11:25:00.000+03:00

My hubby was traveling & I was lonely so I did some retail therapy. I bought myself into a new class Inscribed by the uber talented Traci Bautista. Her book Collage Unleashed was one of the first mixed media books I purchased for my library. By the way, there is a new one coming out the first of the year, Doodles Unleashed, & I can't own this one soon enough.

My inspiration board with color palette & damask pattern on Colourlovers My actual piece bottom left: 4x6 flat canvas panel WIP. Bottom right: another WIP 8x10 flat canvas panel

The class is a art journaling workshop & I'm not much of a journaler. I keep notebooks & journals, but they are not pretty, artsy, fancy ones. I'm pretty much a list maker & that's what you'll see in the notebooks. I sketch a bit, but not very often, & when I do, it's normal pencil or black ink quick sketches. I was so drawn to this class by the preview video. I wanted to learn her techniques & transfer them to my canvas craze. It should be interesting to see where this takes me between Christy's Classes & Traci's.

Beginnings of the background

Ink doodles detail

Current WIP picture of piece

So Many Canvases, So Few Complete...

2011-08-13T22:02:00.000+03:00

Sometimes I have a million ideas in my head & I start getting them all out. Or I have a background or color idea then the inspiration stops there. All I know is, I gotta whole lotta canvases going on at the same time. Actually, I'm perfectly happy with that!

WIP You Inspire Me to Soar 4x6 canvas flat panel: Just started this as a gift for a sweet someone. I'll be adding a quote.

WIP Untitled 8x10 canvas flat panel: Part of my Americana phase. I also have a 4x12 with the same pattern in the works.

So I have lots of canvases I've started. Sometimes the backgrounds will sit there for weeks. Either I get majorly inspired & complete the canvas. Or I get an idea, work on it for a bit then come back another day & another day & another day... one day it's complete

WIP Fashion Plate 4x6 flat canvas panel: LOVE the colors on this one. The picture doesn't do it justice. There are 3 shades of aqua - light to dark, a white damask stamp on the right edge & a lime green dress form stamp. Not sure where I'm going next but it's one of my faves.

Inspiration for the piece below


WIP Untitled 4x6 flat canvas panel: I started with lilac & light blue acrylic paint. The rest of the design will be hand drawn doodles & lettering. Not sure how I'll add color - maybe acrylics & my pitt pens - may add some patterned paper.

I do have a few new pieces done, just need to photograph them, maybe I'll get them posted this week. Just finished another class with Christy Tomlinson Creative Color Workshop. It's a quick 1 week workshop on color but it's jam packed with lots of good info about searching for color inspiration & transposing that onto an art piece. I'm also in the middle of the Three Hearts class. I'm still watching the techniques portion of the class & have not even gotten into the journaling yet. Christy shares so much in these videos that it makes it easy to go off & experiment. As you can see from above, I'm not holding back after that She Art class! Wow, the places my art has gone this year all because of Christy!

I Have Lost My Marbles (make that my expensive Toho seed beads)

2011-08-10T22:43:00.001+03:00

FB update a few days ago & I'm still running!

I'm completely in over my head, but I have 7 months to train. I've run 2 10k's in the past year & have yet to fully complete a training program. I don't know what makes me think I'm gonna do it this time. I do have definite goals though:

First & Foremost: do NOT let the wagon of shame pick me up. If you're running under 16 minutes miles & yes, I can fit in that category at the moment, the paddy wagon is gonna pick you up off the course.
Must complete the race - no completion, no hardware - Must Have Medal!
Get some of this excess weight off me - get out of my large clothes & into some of my mediums &, dare I dream, smalls - I'm not even 5'2", yes I should be in a small!
Completely rock the tiara & tutu!

How lucky am I that my hubby is going to run my first half marathon with me? Also extending my luck, all my immediate family members live in FL & are coming to cheer me on.


what every marathoner needs, deodorant in marathon fresh scent - a complete impulse buy at Target - hee hee marathon fresh scent - hilarious!

So the hubby suggested I blog about my runs to help keep me accountable. I found a program I like that works with my schedule. For awhile I was kinda flailing trying this & that. What a mess! And, my shin on my left leg is Killing Me! I may be in for some shoe shopping but I'm going to have to do that via the internet - which is absolutely Crazy! So this week is my first full week of the training program & I'm sticking to it. I'll let you know how it goes next week.

So if you're wondering I'm running this gem of a half marathon. I'd say perfect for this she-she frou-frou pink glitter tiara kinda gal.

All About the Red, White & Blue

2011-08-09T22:48:00.000+03:00


I took this anklet class from my friends at LB J'Zazz

Land of the Free - 4x6 flat panel mixed media canvas

Hero WIP


Hero Detail - 8x10 flat panel canvas

These last few months I've been inspired & drawn in different directions than my usual path. As an artist, that's okay with me! I'm known for my glitter & pink but have been finding tangents; different color combinations & themes for me. It's been red, white & blue & Americana lately. I don't know if it was because I was feeling a bit homesick or part of the trip home to the US, but I am enjoying it! I have more to show including the finished "Hero girl". She was inspired by something my sweet sis told me - boy am I lucky!

Kuwait Year 3

2011-07-24T23:37:00.000+03:00

Kuwait Tower water station

How quickly time flies! Is it really the third year? We arrived back in country a little over a week ago. This summer has been much harder for me than I thought. Last year I went a full year before traveling out of county. This year we took a trip to Greece, but by the time vacation rolled around I was mentally & physically spent.

detail: Kuwait Towers water station

Many of my friends that arrived with us the Summer of 09 have left for new assignments & I think this has been a huge loss for me. I lost friends left and right. Being a military spouse change is the only constant, yet every year it is probably the single biggest obstacle for me. It will be something I never get used to nor accept without kicking & screaming.

detail of the Real Kuwait Towers

So I have 1 year left in this assignment. Who knew 2 & 1/2 years ago I would ask for a third year in the Middle East? Who knew I would enjoy living here? I've stretched myself personally, spiritually & creatively. I am thankful for the rich life I have lived here, but am so torn right now by feelings of sorrow & fear of change. I hope to snap these wicked feelings. It is here in Kuwait that our family adopted the policy, "The assignment does not make you, you make the assignment." If I am to live by these words & more importantly set the example for my kids I need to find some peace.

Fish & Chips

2011-07-22T21:19:00.001+03:00

Many eons ago, well okay April, my family visited this sweet little restaurant Organica. I had heard from several ex-pat friends that it was a must try. YUMMY! So this is the standard my husband & I now hold our fish & chips. While we were back in the states, Rick was afraid to order fish & chips at another restaurant for fear that they would not live up to the Organica brand. Yes people, our favorite fish & chips joint is here in Kuwait! And that last photo is of a deep fried mars bar.

Home Sweet Home

2011-07-16T07:32:00.001+03:00

Kuwait, see you in a few weeks

goodbye NY

Allie & alpaca sharing a kiss

does this really need a caption?

B picking blueberries

J picking blueberries

blueberries at Homestead Farm

blackberries not quite ripe

running outside enjoying the scenery

The trip started off a bit rocky as we missed our connecting flight but it was great to be home in the states, even if it was the wrong state! For the most part I was able to fight off the jet lag. It seemed to be easier - thank goodness since our trip is not too long this time around.

So I started this post a few days after arriving & now it's the night before we leave. There are such bittersweet emotions of not wanting to leave but wanting to get back to "normal" life. I'll post some more when I get a chance. I know it's been awhile & I need to get back into the swing of blog things. I have so much to share as we squished as much as we could in the less than 3 weeks we had.

I Did That?

2011-05-01T21:53:00.000+03:00


Class: Fab Cab Ring class & kit @ LB O J'zazz Blog Board: Sassy Designs

While taking this class, I realized how crazy it is that I had to move to Kuwait to find an appreciation & passion for seedbeads. I've taken quite a few classes at LB O J'zazz learning new stitches & this was the first bead embroidery class for me. My excuse was, "I don't have the patience to do that!" Well, look what I did! I have a few more pictures to take. I've finished the side "sandwiching" the stiff stuff to the ultrasuede & it's so beautiful. The band is the only thing left to complete. I am so excited to wear this beauty! My selection was the Golden Roses kit but I may have to go back & get the Turquoise one as well!

Thank you to Lubna & Bettina for sharing your talent, love & skill with us!

Note: Excuse the poor pictures. I've "forgotten" how to use my simple point & shoot. I'm lost without a viewfinder & my macro lens.

Happy Birthday

2011-04-24T22:52:00.000+03:00


*Happy 37th Birthday* 8x10 canvas panel: acrylic, marker, ink, rub ons, glitter, vintage dictionary text

I marked my birthday with the creation of a new canvas for myself. It is a great indication of where I am with my art right now. It's playful & whimsical & completely me with the glitter, pink & crown.

Happy Birthday Dad

2011-04-20T22:44:00.000+03:00


The fam in St Augustine (minus my sis & lil J is in my belly)

Mom & Dad celebrating his birthday

Nice Hats

Nice Aprons

I tried to find some vintage photos, but didn't have any luck. I scanned some last time I was home & have no idea what has happened to those files. Bummer, I had some good ones.

Dad, I hope you have a wonderful birthday. I miss being in the same country with you! You are such a special dad & I miss being near you. Looking forward to seeing you this summer. I LOVE you!

Things I've Learned from Christy Tomlinson

2011-04-20T12:40:00.001+03:00

WIP: 8x10 flat canvas panel Acrylic & Modeling Paste

Yellow is awesome! And yellow & grey is just beautiful.
I've been introduced to modeling paste & wondered why I haven't used it before.
It's okay if rub-ons & rubber stamps don't make a complete & perfect impression. Really, it is!
I'm using stuff I've had in my stash for the first time. Seriously, some of my cling stamps, embellishments & canvases were in the original packaging - for a year or two...
I must order more canvases stat! With the canvas shortage I'm looking for new surfaces to ~~attack~~ beautify. I have some birdhouses I bought last summer & they have not been touched.
I've found a use for dried up baby wipes! They make awesome "paper towels" for cleaning brushes, stamps, fingers - all sorts of messes.
It has been liberating to be able to let go of the "perfectness" I feel should be in my art. If I mess up, I work with it. There's always gesso available as well :)

If you are looking for something to do, go join Christy's class. You won't be disappointed! As a matter of fact, I can't stop!

Home is Where the Heart Is

2011-04-08T10:07:00.000+03:00

Being a military family, you move around a lot. My husband & I joke about what we will do when we have to live in an area for more than 3 years - that has been our longest time frame in one area. Our shortest was 8 months. Prior to living in Kuwait we moved every year for 5 years, sometimes twice within a year. The crazy life we lead, but it's ours!

Crystal's creation is on the left, my original is on the right.

Shortly after we got to Kuwait & settled into our life here, I decided to make a canvas, Home is Where the Heart Is. I have all these little hearts of the places we've lived. My sweet & creative friend Crystal made a comment way back when that she'd like one of those canvases for her. Almost a year later we finally got together & made one.

Crystal & her new canvas

We spent the day chatting, laughing & creating. I had to laugh at her FB post that she didn't know if she would be creative enough. The joy of crafting with others is learning from them - you get a whole other perspective. She even taught me a few things :)

Crystal's Home is Where the Heart Is - 10x10 gallery canvas - acrylics, inks, paper

Crystal is one of my friends leaving this year - she'll have a new heart to add. While moving to different locations is a constant in this life we live, you never quite get used to it.

If You Take One Class This Year...

2011-03-22T22:05:00.001+03:00

I just absolutely love Christy Tomlinson & the She Art class. I am just in love with the entire experience I have had. Christy is a completely giving teacher, the class itself is well organized & jam packed, & my fellow classmates have been the bomb!

Debutante ~ WIP ~ 8x10 flat canvas panel ~ mixed media
Acrylic paints, Vintage book paper

Debutante ~ 8x10 flat canvas panel ~ mixed media
Acrylic paints, Vintage book paper, decorative papers, German scrap, markers, ink

Christy is the ultimate teacher. I have so much respect for her. She teaches you her techniques then encourages you to find your own style & go with it. Christy completely shares all her ideas & best practices. She even shares her emotions & you see the passion she has for her art. The cool thing about this class is you can be at any level of mixed media - beginner to advanced. I am somewhere in between & this class has brought my canvases to the next level. I haven't been afraid to experiment & I've been using all these art supplies I've bought (Codeword: hoarded) & never cracked open.

Beloved ~WIP detail ~ 4x4 artist canvas ~ mixed media

Beloved ~ 4x4 mixed media canvas
Acrylics, decorative paper,clip art, rub-ons, ink, rhinestones

Go check out the flickr group, the She Art Workshop, & take a look at what everyone has been creating. It is amazing to see how everyone takes what she has taught & puts their own creative spin. It's incredible to see the work of people that are newbies. So if you're on the fence, get off it!! If you take a look at her blog, she has a tutorial tab with some freebie instruction. As a matter of fact, I was so excited waiting for the class I started my first canvas before the class even started. I watched all her tutorials & picked up some ideas. (My first canvas is at the top of the post titled Debutante)


*Ex-Pat in Kuwait* ~ WIP ~ 8x10 flat canvas panel ~ mixed media Acrylic paints, Vintage book paper, Silk, ink

Christy also has an awesome store. She offered the students a coupon to use & all the basics for the class can be found at one place. May I make a confession? I've already ordered 3 times from her (did I just write that for all the world to see, including my husband). Honestly, if you are a craft hoarder like me you probably have most of the basic supplies. Living in Kuwait, I found out who would ship to an APO (thank you joann.com) & have stockpiled on necessities. I won't tell you what a stockpile of necessities I have on canvases alone. Let's just say I've been stockpiling for almost a year & a half now!


Fashion ~ WIP ~ 8x10 flat canvasAcrylic paints, Decorative papers, markers, ink, embossing powder

Personally, I'm excited about what I've learned. I want to make a canvas for myself with all of my titles (wife, mom, teacher, doctor, taxi driver...) I'm excited to make some canvases with quotes & explore other imagery besides the art girls, which I've already started to do. I'm hoping to turn some of these into teacher gifts - I think they are perfect! I want to make mini canvases to put on cards. I want to make canvases for my boys room. Oh the list is endless.

Fly ~ detail ~ 4x4 Studio Canvas ~ mixed media
Acrylic paints, Decorative papers, Marker, Ink, Rub-ons

So on the personal front, I didn't mean to be gone for so long. I don't plan blog breaks & this one just happened. I am actually still working through a tough creative time for me. I was on such a roll then I just had to stop. This class has helped me keep my creative juices flowing. I don't know what happened, but I hit a wall on all fronts. It's been frustrating but I'm working through it. I know I still owe a few posts: I need to still name the winner of OWOH & I was part of an incredible Valentines Day swap that I still want to get on here. I promise to not be a stranger & to get those posts done this week.

Valentines Sneak Peek

2011-02-11T22:22:00.000+03:00

I just sent a Valentines swap to my partner Robin. Valentines Day is one of my favorite holidays to create for. So here are a few sneak peeks for the box I sent. It's a combination of Valentines & some Kuwaiti goodies. I have some slightly funnier gifts in there as well. I hope Robin enjoys all the goodies. I had a blast putting it together. Once she receives it, I'll post full pictures.

Special Thanks to Tara for hosting & putting all of this together!

Completed

2011-02-05T07:00:00.006+03:00

Here's the completed piece from my previous post. I finished it in almost 1 night. There used to be a time where I abhorred wire wrapping (did I just write that?) Now, it's almost therapeutic. I get a rhythm & go. I love mixing Czech glass - especially firepolish - & making my own chain individually wrapping each bead with brass wire.

It's also my Open House today! If you're local & want to stop by come on over from 10am - 1pm. I'm so darn excited to have a creative place to call my own. If you haven't noticed, I have a new facebook badge on the right sidebar for my jewelry line, kate vee & me. Go become a fan! I'll have new product updates, events & shows listed. If you're not local, I'll have an open house right here all next week & a grand re-opening of my etsy store.

To my friends & family that wrote me words of support public & private, thank you. There has been some action behind the scenes & hopefully some closure for me. I don't know what I'd do without my community of friends & my husband, who is such a rock for me.

A Little Serious Time

2011-02-02T22:41:00.000+03:00

I normally am a pretty happy go lucky kind of gal. Yeah, I have my moments, just like everyone else but I've learned through the years you pick yourself up & go - at least in our household you'd eventually get left behind - ha! I've shared some tough moments here on my blog, but I tend to keep most of that private. Heck this blog started during one of the darkest time of my life. And I'm lucky that I don't have a ton of tough moments. We work through them as a family & continue on. Life as a military wife has made me a stronger better wife, mom & person.

Judge Me Not Canvas 8x10 WIP

This week has been especially tough for me. There is no grave illness & we still have a roof over our head, it's not that serious, but what happened to me earlier on this week has tested me. I go back & forth with guilt, shame, anger, & tears. I can't even completely talk about it without crying. So I'm on day 2 of "dealing with it". How did day one go? I survived, walked through the motions, but I walked around numb. I felt like a shell of a person. Not even sushi, beading & blogging could salvage my day. I normally bounce back after a few hours at most a day, but not this time. I woke up this morning feeling better but there is still a black cloud in my heart. I don't know how long this will last. I am forcing myself to go to my workout tonight. I force a smile, but it's becoming less forced.

So I stick to what I know. I find something to feed my soul. I go back time & again to a canvas with a sentiment. Here's the beginnings of a new one. And many thanks to this little sweetheart & her talented mom. You were the source of inspiration for my canvas. Thank you for sharing.

Judge Me Not detail Acrylic on Canvas 8x10

My Work Table this Week

2011-02-02T06:57:00.000+03:00

Here's a little sneak peek. I made a new necklace with these components. If you want to see it you'll have to tune in tomorrow.

Speaking of work tables, I finally have one again! Here are a few shots of the new & highly improved RECLAIMED studio. I love this space! For awhile I was avoiding this spot like the plague. I had no work area, which was relegated to the floor & in turn turned into a minefield. I'll unveil the new digs as well as New Jewelry for the store next week Wednesday February 9th.

One World One Heart 2011

2011-01-31T14:35:00.004+03:00

WELCOME!

The Amazing Lisa Swifka is our wonderful hostess. Please visit her blog to say thanks for all the hard work she has put into this event & to visit new blogs & make friends. This has been a spectacular event for the last four years, so come join in on the fun (click the link or the picture below to be taken to the list of participants)

If you are a first time visitor, welcome to my blog Creative Musings. My name is Nerissa Alford & I am a jewelry artist, mixed media artist & photographer (I can't just pick one medium). I am an American ex-pat currently living in Kuwait with my family. This is the 5th Year I have participated & the first that I am in the same location as the previous year. We move around quite a bit!

Camel Prints Card: taken during my first camping excursion

Up Close & Personal Card: Another camping excursion

This year I am giving away a little package of things that remind me of Kuwait. The first items in my Kuwait care package are the photographs. I have taken all these photos here & turned into 5x7 greeting cards. You can send them with a sentiment & they are suitable for framing when it's done with it's job as a card.

Camel Silhouette: Ditto - you'd think I was a camping fiend, but really my first camping experiences came right here in Kuwait.

Kuwait Skyline Card: from a Dhow cruise

Kuwait Towers Detail Card: This is a landmark that Kuwait is known for

The second item is a woven ring band. You'll have to send me your ring size & favorite color. I have been so fortunate to find a bead store right here in Kuwait & take classes from the talented owners. I would be so delighted to make you a ring from the techniques I learned from them.

Woven Ring Bands: I took the class here in Kuwait

The last of the items will be some mystery items from Kuwait. Here are some clues:

Since Arabic is read from right to left, all the journals & notebooks here open backwards, although they would argue that my journals open backwards.
Sweets are a big deal here & since it's not so hot, I don't have to worry about them melting.
Some of the food items here are totally cool!!

If you are interested in more of my posts of Kuwait, just type in Kuwait on the search bar on the side or click on the Kuwait label at the end of the post.

To be eligible you must comment on this blog post. You must be an active blogger & leave an email or link back to your blog so I can contact you if you are the winner. It is open to all bloggers world wide.

I hope you enjoy the last year of this event. I am so blessed to have been a part of it & meet so many new bloggers - that is what this is about :) A million thank you's to Lisa! We cannot thank you enough for what you have done for us!

RECLAIM...

2011-01-28T16:30:00.007+03:00


WIP: Reclaim collage oval 15" x 19"

my energy

my body

my health

my art

my creative space

my couple time
my loves

my life

My theme for 2011: Reclaim

I've just about completed by Blast Off class with Alyson Stanfield. In the less than 30 days I have:

cleaned, arranged & decorated my studio space
scheduled & currently prepping for my first open house for the year
made a business plan for the year & committed to it
wrote realistic goals for myself, my business & my art
found daily gratitudes in little & big things
planned my waking hours daily & showed up
finally started up a FB page for my business (it's still in process, so stay tuned)
signed up for the Biggest Loser with our embassy community
consistently worked out (running & weight training) most of my planned 6 days a week
planned healthy dinners on a weekly basis
blogged (this is post 10 of the month - I'm almost up to 20% of the total number of posts I did last year & it's only January!)

This has been a whirlwind of a class. It's been a (mostly) great 7 weeks for me, when my new year resolutions began. I hope to continue moving in the direction I'm going.

On the Work Table

2011-01-18T08:00:00.007+03:00

And the love affair with peyote continues. I experimented & used some 8/0 Czech seed beads instead of Japanese seed beads. I didn't know if I could handle the irregular sizes of Czech beads but it's such a pretty mix of colors. How could I say no? I'm a sucker for Czech mixes & these have a Bronze Aurora Borealis finish. Again, I played a bit & used a very sweet resin flower with a tiny fire polish bead in the middle.

♥ Yep, love ♥

I also got some new cabochons. Lots of pretty colors & shapes to play with. Not enough hours in the day :) I miss the days of staying up all hours of the night crafting, every night. But it's part of being a responsible adult, part of scheduling things I've committed to: working out, running, dates with the hubby. I'll make time to play with the new goodies & make more rings.

Camping Part 3

2011-01-15T22:32:00.001+03:00

My Self Portrait - unfortunately, there was not much sun so I didn't get the traditional shadow picture.

It's amazing what living in Kuwait has done for me. I have checked so many things off my to do list that were never there. I constantly think about how lucky we are to be here & the things we experience as a family.

The area we stopped to camp in was full of rocks & pebbles. More than I normally see. It made the scenery quite beautiful. There were lots of dunes around. I didn't get any camels this time. There were some on our way in, but they were in their pen & it was fully dark when we left. I also missed out on sunset shots since there was no sun.

This was supposed to be the first time I went camping - overnight & in a tent - but it was not to be. The weather was not on our side with strong winds & expected rain the next day. We stayed for the afternoon & packed up to go home in the evening.

One of my guys enjoying marshmallows by the fire.

This trip had a bit of excitement at the end. There were a few cars that got stuck in the sand. Luckily we had tow straps & several SUV's. I, of course, had to document this. After the first few tries didn't work I put the camera down to help dig out sand & push the car. Oh, the things I get to do!

It's a Winner!

2011-01-12T22:12:00.000+03:00

So I took my jewelry class for a Peyote Ring & I think it's love. I selected the kit that was the same as the sample. I finished my project today & completed another one.

My ring, almost done. The band is "zipped" & I'm adding the crystal embellishments.

It's done & she's a beauty (I love the pic from my new lens, too)

I'm so excited to play with different colors & sizes. The second one ended up being skinnier & had less crystals. As a matter of fact, I'm wearing it right now!

On to ring number 2.

The finished one ended up a bit different than planned. I tried to use drops but they didn't work so I went back to bicone crystals.

Thank you LB J'azz! This was the second class I took with them & I'm ready to take more.

My Work Table This Week

2011-01-09T12:00:00.002+03:00

Actually the work table is a bit crowded to work on. I should probably put that at the top of my list to clean off. I just got back into the flow of jewelry making. I took some time off following the holiday bazaars & just enjoyed time with the family - and the new camera lens.

I started my first project this year. This kit was on my Christmas list & I received it thanks to my mother & father in law. It was a first for me to just buy a kit & try it out. The first 2 rows were difficult. It took about 20 minutes to get it sorted out. I had the hardest time keeping track of whether I added a new bead, passed through or skipped. Once I got going it was relaxing but I kept thinking to myself, "I'm going to make an entire bracelet from this? Thank goodness my wrist is small." It's a great prep for this class on Tuesday:

Peyote Ring Squared

I can't wait to take my second class with the LB o J'azz ladies. If you're local & want to come, click on the class name for the link. Picture courtesy of LB o J'azz.

I'm a serious ring junkie & I think this will be fun. Think of all the fun colors :) The class comes with a kit they've put together & they never disappoint with the color choices.

The rest of these projects are hold overs from last year. I don't know how I start or ever finish projects. I am all over the place. When the inspiration hits, I go with it, hence I start a bajillion projects. The last picture is some new crystals in a marea finish, which is a favorite of mine at the moment, paired with some seed beads I already had in my stash.

This post is a result of the Blog Triage Class & one of my goals to blog more frequently in the upcoming year. My list is here. Lots of good stuff to blog about!

Affirmations

2011-01-08T22:22:00.000+03:00

I am working on lesson 3 of the Blast Off class. The last 2 lessons dealt with Vision & Affirmations. Here are mine.

French Labels & Stars - Thank you House of 3

I created the cards digitally in PSE. I plan on cutting these out & adding them to my Vision Board. I made one of these a few years ago & it's about time to make a new one.
I love where I am going with this class!

Grateful

2011-01-06T19:49:00.000+03:00

I don't make New Year's Resolutions, but I use the new year to reflect on accomplishments from the past year & developing points for the upcoming year. So far this year has started well. I jumped in running with the head start I got in December. I vowed to do a few things:

Schedule my time. I've got all sorts of little pieces that are supposed to fit into the puzzle. I wasn't doing a good job of getting them to all fit. I've learned to say no a bit more. I've blocked off the time I can't control; work, kid's homework, dinner, etc. And filled in what I can; workouts, weekly dates with the hubby & time to work on updating the shop. I've got to say, I feel good!

I've taken control of our dinner menu. We were tired of just having whatever & not whatever was healthy. I'm planning dinner & the shopping list on a weekly basis.

My Grateful Journal - A new daily exercise. Just fun pens in a fun journal. I don't want to complicate it quite yet & make it an art journaling project.

I am getting the jewelry business up off the ground. I have been stuck behind the hump the last few years & am determined to make it work. (I love you Tim Gunn!) I get some great news & some momentum, but I can't continue riding the wave. I'd like to become more disciplined & focused with my work. I'm taking another class with Alyson Stanfield, Blast Off, & I've been reading her book when ever I have a spare second - I don't read books unless they are craft books or magazines - & I can't put it down.

What are your plans for the year? I don't even have all my goals written yet - it's still a work in progress - but the past 4 weeks have been full of accomplishments for myself & my family. Here's to a productive January 2011.

My New Toy

2011-01-05T09:30:00.018+03:00

For Christmas I received a new macro lens for my camera. I needed it to take close ups of my jewelry.
(BTW, if you are looking for camera or lens info make sure you check out the link for Ken Rockwell. He and my friend LizNoel have been a source in info for me.

I am having so much fun playing with it. I'm finding a few things as I'm playing with it:

The color is soooo sharp.

Another shot of my fave at the 360 Mall

I don't know what to do with myself because I use the auto-focus feature & I don't have to turn the ring on the lens.

It is really close up. I have to scoot way back sometimes if I'm trying to take pictures of things other than my jewelry.

The Spice Club at 360 Mall

Here are a few jewelry shots
A note on my jewelry store. Updates are coming February 1st. I'll keep adding sneak peaks on my blog. All new pieces & some that have come back from after being published.

Opal Pendant, Czech firepolish beads, Freshwater button pearls

Brass earwires & components, Czech glass seedbeads

Brass setting, wire, clasp & findings, Vintage pearl cabochon, Vintage crown cabochon, Re-purposed rhinestone earring

A Look Back on 2010

2011-01-02T05:00:00.002+03:00

Here are some highlights from the past year:

We took our second dhow cruise this year. This is one of the several hundred pics I snapped. The skyline & sunset were a favorite subject of mine.

Dustmageddon. Some of you get snow, I get dust. Not so much a highlight, but something interesting!

I have a hard time churning out several of the same items - that's why I do so well with the OOAK thing. I made these for Kim Caldwell's Artistic Affaire.


Camel Races in the Spring. This is a must do in Kuwait. Utter chaos as the picture above shows!

The family went to Athens, Greece this year in November. My hubby & I ran as part of the 2500 anniversary of the original marathon. (I did the 10k & hubs did the full!). This self portrait was taken in one of the Colosseum ruins by the Acropolis.

I found beading friends! And took bead weaving class as well. This was my class project & I've made a few more since then.

During the summer, sometimes it was hot (over 100 degrees) & humid (check out the foggy image above). It was so humid that the camera fogged up. This mosque tower is by the 360 Mall


Detail of the Kuwait Towers. We've taken several field trips there when we have visitors. This photo was taken in the evening with my zoom lens.

Some artwork I made for myself. It's 12x12 canvas to commemorate an accomplishment that was not a particularly easy thing for me to do. So I ran back to my artistic comfort zone & had some sushi :)

This year I began taking self portraits. It's the only way to document "I was there" since I'm always the one behind the camera. I had fun taking pictures of this day at someone's private beach.


Fabric shopping at the Fabric Souk. I would have loved having access to this while I was a design student. Heaven!

Westerners here are big on finding products from home. The Lulu Hypermarket opened this year. The building is based on a dhow & has 2 huge domes on the ceiling. The first time I went shopping it took me 2 1/2 hours to get out of there - it's 3 levels. I also kept calling my husband to tell him about all my finds.

We took a cruise & I went swimming & snorkeling with stingrays. Who knew I'd pass up a shopping excursion?

This past year was jam packed & I suspect this coming year will be the same. I was fortunate to get a new camera last year as my Christmas gift, so taking photos was a big part of my year. It's become quite a love & passion of mine. Here's to 2011!

Happy New Year

2011-01-01T19:02:00.000+03:00

I took a few minutes to go by my favorite mosque (Imam Muhammad al-Baqir Mosque) last night. I was on my way to the co-op & it was around dusk so I wanted to snap a couple of pictures. Most of my pictures are during the day. I love the lights shining out.

Who knows how many pictures I'll take of this mosque this year. It's been a favorite subject of mine. Some days I get out of my car, others I stick myself out my sunroof or window. I drive around to get all angles I always find something new. Here's to a creative 2011!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T20:06:00.001+03:00

Christmas Brush: Rhonna Farrer House of 3

Christmas Eve

2010-12-25T04:12:00.000+03:00

Our day started out with brunch at the Radisson. (That's our table up front)


I don't consider myself a portrait photographer. I do so much better with "stuff" but sometimes I get a photograph that captures a moment. This is one of them.

After our church service & brunch we headed to the beach. Two weeks in a row of the beach & pretty pictures!

May you & yours have a Merry Christmas!

Winter Desert Style

2010-12-20T21:01:00.001+03:00

Self portrait in the desert

So what does one do in the winter in these parts? The beach & camping of course!

Look at the eye lashes on this guy!

This was such a cool picture. I just shoot a million pics & look at them when I come home. I never know what I have till it gets dumped on the laptop.

This picture has such a great story. It's so incredibly funny that I can overlook how stupid I look. My friend taking the picture kept telling me to scoot back & next thing you know I'm petrified that this giant beast is gonna take a hunk of my hair.

Loved the different colors of camels.


Sunset

This was the second camping trip our family took. My hubby wasn't able to make it so I couldn't start taking pictures till we reached the camp ground. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures at night. I was busy manning the grill!

I love taking foot prints in the sand. These were made by my boys as they ran towards the water to play.

Playing with perspective. Thanks to the post on the patio for working with me.

The kids played in the sand in long sleeve tees & jeans. I enjoyed hearing the sound of the sea & the birds while reading & playing with photos.

Weekend In Review

2010-12-12T19:42:00.000+03:00

Blog Board: Sassy Designs

Yep, the blog board pretty much sums up my week, holiday bazaars! I even got a write up in the paper. It's funny how that happens. I start talking to someone unbeknown to me, it's a writer for the Arab Times. It's the second time it's happened to me in the last month.
What did you do this weekend?

You're Invited

2010-12-05T07:35:00.000+03:00

To my local friends, the bazaar season is in full swing. With all I have going on I've only decided to do two this year, granted they are in the same week, but I couldn't be more excited. The big one is tomorrow - the British Ladies Society bazaar. Last year I went as a shopper & was impressed by the mix of vendors. Although I'm not sure how much shopping I'll get done as a vendor this year!

BLS Holiday Bazaar Monday December 6 1:30 - 6:30

Crowne Plaza Hotel

Airport Road 55 Farwaniya off 6th Ring Road

Tel: +965 1848111

If you like sushi, there's a great sushi restaurant there. One of my faves!! I've already packed my copy of the menu & will have some delivered to me :)

I got a bit of creating done on Friday night with the Meet & Bead group. Have I mentioned how much I love those LB o J'zazz women? I am so thankful to have a local bead store & group of bead friends.

The other bazaar I'm participating in is the TES Holiday Bazaar. It will be my first year doing this one. I participated in the Spring one & made enough to make it worth my while. Hopefully this one will be a success with the Christmas season.

TES Holiday Bazaar Saturday December 11 2 -5

Mousaed Al-Azmi Street Block 12 Salmiya

If you're here locally come visit me!

Thankful - Year 4

2010-12-01T01:44:00.000+03:00

Thank you Graphics Fairy

So, this has become sort of a tradition for me, blogging about what I am thankful for. I looked at last year's Thanksgiving post & I realized my title is not as creative as I thought it was! I'm a little late, but oh so thankful.

What would I do without my camera? I've been lucky to be able to record our adventures & travels. I've always enjoyed photography but living here in Kuwait has opened up my eyes & heart to new things. Confession: I am a Europe snob - obsessed with Europe! I just recently realized how much I am influenced by a culture I had previously had no interest in.

This year we've been to 3 three countries. How many people can say that? My kids have such a cool life & full passport! That in itself is something to be thankful for.
We celebrated another Thanksgiving with a houseful of people & lots of food. I never thought I would become a party hostess. Over the last year I've been able to host quite a few parties for deployed soldiers here in our area.

I've been preparing for a couple of holiday bazaars. How lucky am I to be doing what I love!

I'm Going There, Again!

2010-11-23T20:48:00.001+03:00

Well the dust settled after my last post. I still get upset when I think about it though. I've been absolutely crazy prepping for the holidays personally & professionally so I haven't been keeping up as well on my blog class. I've vowed to set aside 1 hour each day to get caught up.

I found this gem of a store in Athens.
The frame is option 1 to mark my photos. I love that my name & the copyright is attached to the picture.

So this is one of the changes I'm working on. I'm adding a frame with my title, copyright & name as part of the picture. I'm playing with ideas as to how to mark my photos. I was using a watermark in the corner of all my photos. The frame idea may work with my jewelry pictures but I'm not sure I need it for my photographs. I'm not selling them, well, not right now anyways.


Some WIP's for the upcoming holiday bazaars. How you do deal with the issue of protecting your photographs?

This class has done so much to update my blog and then some. It's getting there but there is still a lot to be done. I have a new header & background. The sidebar & about me page is getting revamped. I have a new title! Talk about giant steps - that's what's been great about the class. Along with the updates, it's been helping me along the journey of where do I want to go with my art. I've been considering who I am as a blogger & artist. How do these moves affect me & my art? Where am I going with all this photography?

So What's Next?

2010-11-08T14:27:00.000+03:00

It's come down to this. I take pictures because I love to. I find joy looking at things from different angles & perspectives. I challenge myself to find interesting views. It is a passion of mine. All this is done for pure love. I make no money off this - I don't even try to; I just know it is a true love & passion.

Seriously, this photo is marked as the one with the obnoxious watermark. Does it come down to having to do this? I hope not. It ruins the joy of taking photos & sharing your perspective.

I started watermarking my photos a few months ago from mostly paranoia. I don't have a huge blog following nor flickr, but I regularly post because I love to share my adventures. I share with family & friends near & far. I share with strangers I meet & later befriend because of similar loves. At first I had a few instances here & there. With the last set I just found, it puts the number of photos lifted from me at a couple of hand fulls & that's a bit too many.

Original posts of photos here & here

It breaks my heart that people would be so selfish to take others photos/artwork without attribution/permission/credit. It breaks my heart that people do not know it is wrong to take things from the internet because it's out there. It hurts me right now that I have to write this post. I was so upset this morning that I was completely distracted getting ready & driving to work. (I almost made it to work without deodorant & make up - thank goodness for the gym bag.) Granted I made it to work just fine & split my pants - it added a giggle to my morning & put things into perspective. It's not the worst thing that has happened to me, but I am upset.

My husband told me to report it & move on. I've done step 1, step 2 will be difficult. It's that passion thing.

What am I Gonna Post Next?

2010-11-03T00:05:00.001+03:00

My current assignment for Blog Triage Class is a list of 20 things to blog about. I Love lists! They make me happy. So here goes:

The Erechtheum


My favorite picture I took at the Acropolis

The pictures above are from my current trip in Athens - having a ball of course taking pictures.

Before & After: I am constantly saving inspiration, tutorials, ideas from the web. I should show the inspiration & how my finished piece turned out.
Post step by step a piece of jewelry from start to finish.
List all the places I've lived & my favorite photo.
New supplies
Weekly post of my work table
Inspiration a day + Photo
Review my extensive jewelry making/beading book library
Sharing art with my kids
Show merchandising/table set up for shows
Write about best practices for shows & ask about other's experiences

Okay, for now I could eek out 10 things can commit to posting about, all topics I'd love to do. What's on your list?

Athens 10K - One Day Later

2010-11-01T08:23:00.001+03:00

I've had to let some time pass before I posted to the blog. What my blog readers don't know is that I've been training to run in my first 10K. The event was held here in Athens along with the marathon & commemorated the 2,500 anniversary of the original marathon from Marathon to Athens.

So I ran the race & I finished - kind of. Yes I finished the race but technically I didn't get to finish it. I was over the allotted 90 minutes so I didn't get to run into the stadium & have my final time recorded. I would have loved to do this. Confession time: I didn't realize I'd have a time limit. I found this out 3 hours before the race. I would have to run what my next goal was, 15 minute miles & I'm not there yet. These little legs don't move so fast!

Start line for the 10K. We were a little crowded & inched up to the start line. My friends that ran the marathon took 20 minutes to get to the start!

The finish at the stadium

There were so many emotions running through my head as I was running (walking). I knew I wasn't going to finish in time. As soon as I let go of that I was able to enjoy the race. I found a groove & was able to have a couple of laps that were personal bests for me. I thought about how lucky I was to be here in this amazing city celebrating a monumental anniversary. I took some pictures along the way (of course). I reminded myself that I was actually here doing what I set out to do. I was also wearing my semi-fitted running pants without scaring anyone, including myself.

The 6k mark & the turnaround point at the arch

A little tiny spec of the moon

The streets of Athens

hospital - medical help anyone?

Getting lapped by the masses. The front runner of the 10K passed me at the 1.2 mile race mark. I got to cheer them on.

a Greek guard

When I got home I was kinda bummed again. It was a bittersweet moment. I was having a hard time celebrating my accomplishments because I had it stuck in my head that I did not have an official finish. Then all the facebook comments from family & friends started coming in. Thanks everyone for reminding me that I accomplished my goal.

The course

So yes, I ran & completed a 10k. I started from not working out at all to running & training in 8 months. When I got home & downloaded my run I realized I am really close to that 15 minute mile goal. I've already got the next big one planned - the Disney Princess Half Marathon. I mean, come on, can it fit me more to a tee?

LizNoel, Colleen, Rick & Linda

A big shout out to my friends in the Kuwait contingency that ran the marathon & completed it (pictured above & all smiles before the start). What an inspiration! They said the hills were killer. Also to Colleen's daughters who completed the 10K in the 90 minutes. Amazing!
Thanks to LizNoel who turned me from spectator & tourist on this trip to runner. I think I'm hooked! And to my husband who encourages me & sometimes has to pull me along kicking & screaming. You always challenge me & sometimes know my limits better than I do.

I am a Blog Triage Participant

2010-10-27T20:54:00.001+03:00

I took the plunge & decided to take a class led by Alyson Stanfield & Cynthia Morris. The class has so many things on my "to do but haven't got to" list.

Our first assignment is to write about who our audience is. I've been staring at a blank screen & sighing for 20 minutes now. I selfishly started this blog for my self during a tough time in my life. It's changed & grown with me, but 4 years later, I can't even write about who my blog is directed to or who my current readers are.

Yikes, my first blog post ever! Thank goodness the blogging & photos have improved.

Well here goes:

Most likely female. Appreciates vintage, pink froufy glittery stuff & handmade one of a kind pieces. May be an artist themselves & fellow blogger. Is or aspires to be a girlie girl.
Someone who is up for a journey & adventures. With my art work, I blog about the process. There are pictures of Works in Progress (WIP's), new supplies, places I shop. In regards to my life, I move all the time & document the multitude of things that inspire me about our current location.
I'd love to connect with other like minded artists or people who have an affinity for artisan crafts. Sometimes the connection begins with having lived in a particular area (I get around!) or loving some of the same blogs. Just the smallest thing can spark a connection & that has happened with several friendships I've made.

What do I want from blogging?

Blogging has been so good for me these past few years. It gives me a place to have a voice, a place to show my art. It's been a place to grow as an artist within my craft & to find confidence in my art. I've been inspired by other bloggers to look at every day things in a different way. I sure am a better photographer these days! I would like to go to the next level with all this & improve
I love the interaction & connection with other bloggers. I enjoy this "network" of artists.
Of course, I'd love to use my blog to showcase my art & drive sales. My ultimate goal is to make income for my family from my art. I am still clearing the path to find my way. Lately there have been many forks in the road & I've been non-committal in selecting one.

About Time For Some Jewelry

2010-10-21T07:07:00.001+03:00

The newest beauty I made. The flowers are from Paula's Kit Club (French General) I love all the shades of blue in this one (you'll see more below). The piece started with the flowers & built from there.

More Arabesque style pendants. I love the class I took from LB o J'zazz. I'm ready to take more. The class has really inspired me to start working with seed beads again. I've pulled out books I purchased eeons ago (Bead Fantasies series) & never made a project from. (I enjoyed looking at them for inspiration)

I bought this pendant when I went home to FL. Maybe I'm still inspired which accounts for the blue kick I'm on. I need to find the artists card. She made all sorts of fun pendants & has an etsy store.

Who knew this lovely would ever be completed? The middle component, all the wired beads, has been sitting in my bead stash forever. I kid you not, it's been years. Finally a beautiful piece I'm happy with!


A grouping of pieces in various stages of completion. I worked on all of these during a local Meet & Bead session (gotta love the LB o J'zazz ladies). I should get my stuff together & finish all of them up. The 2 necklaces are complete :)

So there it is, an update, Finally! I've been busy with my jewelry making but still on the fence about where to go with it. I have a huge holiday bazaar in the pipeline so I'm busy with that. Hopefully I can enjoy the process preparing for the bazaar & find some clarity along the way.

Arab Fund Building

2010-10-20T19:46:00.001+03:00

Welcome

Tile work by front door

Photo of Atrium & Bridge

Table in the Mamluk Room

Looking up in the Atrium - Antique piece on the right

The Tunesian Room - I loved the vibe in this room

The Damascene room

A spiral staircase with inlaid wood & a gorgeous lighting fixture. I couldn't do this justice.

Detail of a massive door.

In love with all the lighting in this place. This one was no exception.

The view up from the Atrium floor

The fountain in the Atrium

My favorite piece of art in the building

It's hard to decide where to begin writing about the Arab Fund Building because there was so much to see & digest in the 2 1/2 hour tour. This massive building is impressive from the moment you walk through the giant doors that greet you.

Each room we toured was decorated in it's own motif. All of the rooms have a particular shape or pattern that is carried through out the designs in the lighting fixtures, furniture, & rugs. Throughout the building are impressive collections of antiques & artwork created by local artists. The smallest detail does not go unlooked. In many of the rooms, great care is taken to hide electrical cords, vents & storage areas. Some highlights include:

The library with its spiral staircase made of inlaid wood leading up to one of the many beautiful chandeliers.
The atrium area, which was just massive. It included tapestries, chandeliers, more antique furniture pieces & a beautiful view of the rooms with glass walls & intricate wood carved paneling. There was a small fountain in the middle surrounded by trees & birdcages complete with birds. Here we were served refreshments during the tour.
One of my favorite rooms (Mamluk Room) was completely full of wood carved wall panels, book cases & included the entire ceiling. The massive table has inlaid mother of pearl shell. We were told this room is a favorite meeting room for the British embassy. Some of the wall panels could be moved to fully expose the windows, otherwise light shines though the carvings.
One of the first rooms we toured on the first floor had some very intricately designed brass tables with Arabic sayings. The sign on top that says "No Smoking" also matches.
The doors to every room is an absolutely stunning work of art.
What tour takes you to the parking garage? Yes, even the garage here is impressive & impeccable.

My "I was there" photo.

For Locals:

They offer tours for small groups so get some of your friends together & go. There is no charge for the tour which includes refreshments & a double DVD set with pictures of the rooms & the artwork. Our tour guide knew so much about the building & its history. He shared his knowledge freely & answered all questions. This is a must see for anyone interested in arts & history, but should be on anyone's list that visits Kuwait.

Obsessed - More Pictures of Kuwait

2010-10-18T15:00:00.000+03:00

I know, I know. It's been picture overload of Kuwait, but I just can't help it. The weather is starting to cool down (yes, 94 degrees constitutes time to use the sunroof) & I've been keeping busy with activities. The Radisson Hotel here in Kuwait does dhow cruises. We went last year & enjoyed it so much that we went again. Good food, good friends & a great opportunity to play with my camera!

A Welcome Delivery

2010-10-17T12:25:00.001+03:00

This is what 150 new mattresses being delivered looks like! It was a happy sight to see. New mattresses & covers were delivered to the Philippine Embassy shelter last week & I was privileged to be there to document it. I've been so busy with my new schedule that I've had to put my volunteer work on the back burner for awhile. I miss it & my friends, but I hope to be back in the thick of things soon!

Views From the Radisson Dhow

2010-10-15T14:26:00.000+03:00

I am truly enjoying finding the beautiful views here in Kuwait!

Playing Catch Up

2010-10-01T22:28:00.000+03:00

Me & Donkey, or is it a Burro?

Handicrafts galore! I love all the colors!

The Mexican flag & horse drawn carriage.

The water in Cozumel. It was so blue it didn't look real.

Out at sea

So here are some of the pictures from our Summer vacation - the cruise. I know it's Fall in many areas, including Kuwait. We finally turned our water heater on. (Our water tank is on the roof & is sufficiently heated for most of the year by our friend the sun.). Cool here is 94 degrees in the evening with a slight breeze - I kid you not!

My hubby & I were super lucky to get away for a few days on a cruise while the kids got Lolo & Lola time. Our port of call was Cozumel. I had never been to Mexico nor had I been in the water with sting rays & snorkeling. I was feeling a bit adventurous & I'm quite glad I did. Sometimes it's great to get out of that comfort zone. All this coming from someone who gets squeamish when small schools of fish swim by my ankles.

Wanted a fancy drink badly. Got one that matched my top :)

The back of the ship.

Me & "my friend" Lupita

So I guess I'll post more vacation pics in another post. At this rate I should have all of them up in time for Christmas!

I'm Inspired

2010-09-29T20:27:00.000+03:00

and that's a good feeling! I took a class with Bettina & Lubna of LB o J'zazz. For my local friends they have a bead store & great classes. I loved Bettina's teaching style & both of the ladies were available to help us individually. I'll be taking another class :)

The above sample, left, was made by Bettina & inspired by the picture on the right:

Iranian glazed ceramic tile work located on the underside of the tomb of Persian poet Hafez at Shiraz, Iran, Province of Fars

My piece

I could not get over how intricate the piece looked & how easy it was to construct. I am hooked & probably in trouble - it's good trouble though. I need to go through my stash & see what I have that is conducive to this design. The nice part is there's room for lots of experimentation: color ways, seed bead sizes, Czech firepolish sizes. Bettina taught the class & came up with the color ways for the kits. It was so hard to pick which one I wanted. In the end I selected the one with purples & browns. I was so excited to wear it this morning that I just added a jump ring at the top & suspended it from a brass chain.

Not Sure of my Direction

2010-09-28T20:04:00.000+03:00

This post was going to start out about the funny anecdote from yesterday. (I parked my car like a Kuwaiti next to the curb, yes in a driving lane, with my hazards on. I did this to run in & use an ATM) Then I did something I normally do. I found a mosque I passed several months ago that caught my eye. I pulled over, this time in a parking lot, to take pictures.

So, back to the title. I'm feeling a bit lost these days. I'm not sure what direction I want to take my jewelry business. I'm not sure where I want to go with my volunteer work. Some days I'm not feeling so creative. It's frustrating as my window of free time has diminished a bit with a part time job. I'm the type of person that's always ready to go. I guess this is one of the ebb & flow periods that I just need to push through.

Creative Goings On

2010-09-10T20:27:00.003+03:00

Frame & Round Swirls: Lileya

It's a 5 day weekend here so I "should" be able to get all my new jewels posted. 2 days down & 3 left. The above picture is a little teaser of some of the new pretties I've made. It's taken me a bit of time to get back to "normal" since we gotten back from the states. I've started my part-time job & the kids start school soon so hopefully I'll be able to get into a routine.
Most of the new pieces are in aqua hues, neutrals & corals/fall orange. I'm a bit surprised about my recent color choices, not the aqua - just the other stuff, but I guess that's part of me & my creative journey.
So I better get off this blog & back to work! :)

Stepping Out of the Box

2010-08-31T22:24:00.000+03:00

Storyboard: Sassy Designs - Border: Allison Pennington - Doodles: Ida

I did quite a few things that were not my norm on this vacation. When do I pass up a shopping tour? Well, I did, in favor of swimming with Sting rays. I'd also like to mention I went & did that on my own. My hubby is a certified diver & I am not so we did separate activities in the morning. We were fortunate enough to take a cruise to Cozumel, a first time visit for me to Mexico. Normally I get very squeamish when fish are swimming around my ankles. Who knows what came over me. String Ray Beach was great. I felt totally at ease feeding & hanging out with them. After the sting rays I went over on the other side to snorkel & yes another first! I can't wait to get my photos developed from the water camera. Other highlights: I wanted a blue drink & I got a pretty aqua martini to match my top, riding the train at Disney with my boys, dressing up for dinner on the cruise (I wore a dress almost every night), attempting to eat healthy on the boat, & visiting Silver Springs for the first time.

So Many Beads...

2010-08-29T23:04:00.001+03:00


Digital Brushes: Hof3 Magical Brush Kit & Class

... so little time. August came & is almost gone. We had a lovely trip back to the states & 3 weeks went by so quickly. We packed so much in there! I even surprised myself & did a few things that aren't really me. Like, I left ALL my jewelry supplies & tools at home. I chose to swim with sting rays over the shopping trip. I took lots of photos to document all this - which is so very me ;) I hope to blog soon to add the photos & post about our experiences. It was great to arrive stateside & have the agent in customs say "Welcome Home". It's kinda cool to have a few places I call home.

New Pics Around Kuwait

2010-07-30T10:30:00.012+03:00

An interior window a Crowne Plaza restaurant

I can tell you what area I was in, but not what building this is. There was some shopping on the bottom floors & a hotel sign. I'll have to go back.

This building is beautiful mall I have yet to go it. It has all the high end designers. Think Lanvin, Balenciaga.. A bit out of my price range, but I think I may still be able to get in with my camera. The front door is below.

This is the "round building with the orange". I seriously need to take a tour of buildings here. I drive around & find amazing architecture & have no idea what they are! I normally have to make a mental note to come back & find a place to park or take pictures at stop lights!

The 360 Mall. This mall has so many different areas. The arches are just stunning.

Not a flattering picture of me, but I love that this was a picture taken in Kuwait at with a Seminole head on the sports wall! BTW, that's Michael Jordan in the left hand corner. His number 23 has been transposed to 32, since Arabic is written & read from right to left. Could.Not.Stop.Laughing

Canvas Work

2010-07-29T21:30:00.001+03:00

Dream Canvas - Digi Swirls Hof3

So I have a bit of a canvas thing going. I've always loved finding meaningful quotes & love this one I used above. This piece was also inspired by Serina Wilson Stubson. I did another canvas not too long ago inspired by her.

Love Canvas - WIP - Digi Elements Hof3

This one is a little 4x4 that I'm still working on. I'm probably going to add a love quote around one of the hearts. I did a spring green base with acrylic paint & added lilac tissue paper for texture & color.

Canvas Fashion Sketch - WIP - Digi Swirls Hof3 - I LOVE this set of digi brushes - if you couldn't tell!

For those of you that don't know, I was a Fashion Design & Merchandising major in college. I never found my footing as an apparel designer, although I'm quite happy with the path I'm on now. I still sketch occasionally & lately I've been running into fashion drawings. I saw some amazing ones at the mall & I'll have to go back & take photos. I don't know why I just didn't whip out my camera while I was there.

Beth just posted about Justine Limpus Parish & I was so inspired that I covered a canvas last night with some acrylics. I planned it out & today I did the sketch on the canvas. I'm not quite sure where I'm going with this piece but I'm liking it already. I plan to add some pen detail but after that who knows!

Spoiled Rotten

2010-07-20T23:48:00.000+03:00

Beth absolutely out did herself. She was my swap partner & I've had to take a few ~~hours~~ days to digest & let it all sink in. Make sure to take a peek at Beth's blog, she's brand new to blogging! Her flickr account is here. We both participated in Molly's Crown Swap. See the blogs of all participants here.

As you can see from my blurry pictures I was shaking with excitement as I opened & tried to document all of the goodies. Also I "artistically" took pictures on my comforter cause I was waayy too excited to take them in the craft room. I am like a little kid sometimes.

Seriously, his & her crown tins with a jeweled handle. AND all the fun goodies inside!

I almost cried when I unwrapped this beauty.

And then I did when I saw these beauties inside. Items from her personal stash that she gifted to me. I am always so lucky to meet talented & giving artists.

Yet more crown/pink themed items for me.

And look, a tiny crown in pink in it's own little storage box. Eek!

Here's the absolutely stunning box my crown came in. Since we move all the time, I'm so darn excited that she has her own box to be packed in.

So here she is! What a beauty! I think she needs a name. I'm working on that, but I'll take suggestions. So don't laugh. These are the only 2 pictures that came out of the crown. I was just a tad on the excited side. I'll have to take more pictures tomorrow when I get some light. In the meanwhile, you can take a look at her photos over here. I'm really laughing that I was so excited & took pictures on my comforter. I do have a nice place set up in the craft room...

Go visit Beth & say hi! I was so touched by her generosity. She very obviously put so much love & thought into my crown & gifts. Everything in that box screams me. We're visiting the states soon & my box made me feel like I was back home. Thank you for bringing some of the states over to the desert.

I've Survived Week 1

2010-07-15T17:42:00.000+03:00

It's been the first week of having both boys home & I've not only survived but enjoyed it. I've been busy everyday trying to come up with some sort of activity for the kids & I. Today we visited the Hilton beach & pool. It's not the easiest thing to come up with activities that take into consideration the weather here & not break the bank.

I love taking pictures here.

We ended the trip with lunch at Pizza Express. The boys made their own pizza. Josh is still wearing his pizza cooker hat. I wonder what next week holds!

360 Mall

2010-07-13T13:22:00.002+03:00

Here are some new images I took from the 360 Mall. I've been meaning to take my camera there & get some pictures. It's impressive inside & out. These large art pieces are made of glass & hang from the domed ceiling. (I'm trying to find links to the artist)

Here are a few images from outside. The boys were so patient as I took my photos.

Craving Spring

2010-06-24T10:20:00.002+03:00

So my last jewelry update I was inspired by Summer. This time around it's Spring. I think the heat is getting to me! New things listed in the store today. Just a little note: I'm gonna have to apologize for the jewelry names. I'm not feeling so inspired so there's lot of French. I don't even speak French - thank you babelfish.

A canvas I just finished! I was inspired by the May/June issue of Cloth Paper Scissors - which I am able to buy here in Kuwait! I saw this project in the magazine & had to do one. The artist is Serena Wilson Stubson.

Here's a close up of the finished piece. I need to find a place to hang it. I've go so many things propped up in my room so I really need to get on the ball & get some decor on the walls.
I just did something that really had me out of my comfort zone & was able to complete the task. I jumped back into the comfort zone & made this for me! Thanks to Serena for the inspiration.

Clip Art from the Graphic Fairy

2010-06-21T20:19:00.001+03:00

Karen is a fellow blogger I met while I lived in the Maryland area. She has the coolest room at the Old Lucketts Store with lots of fun merchandise. She also has a few terrific blogs: The Graphics Fairy, clip art galore, Background Fairy, for blog backgrounds, and her newest one Ciao From Tuscany. What's so fun about this blog is that she & her Italian friend, Daniella, blog about their lives from 2 separate countries. I just love it!

I layered the Mermaid image from Karen's Graphics Fairy blog with a map collage to decorate gift boxes for some special jewelry. I came up with the graphic above & printed it on a tea stained colored piece of cardstock. I put that on top of vintage sheet music then put that on the box.

I finished it with some tulle & a "fishing tail" with some sequins & one of my Moo cards. Voila!

Where Women Create

2010-06-19T17:33:00.002+03:00

NOTE: I'm really bummed I don't have any pictures. I'm having a hard time getting them to load. I'll continue to try loading them & hope you'll come back!

FINALLY: Pictures!!

Thanks for visiting & make sure you pop over to Karen's blog to see her beautiful space & lots of other creative artists. Thank you Karen for hosting!

Did I seriously just post this pic? It's a work in progress. I have most of the junk off the floor, but all the stuff is still on the bed!

This magazine from Stampington & Co is one of my favorites. I draw such inspiration looking at beautiful studios & work areas. Having a creative area is something that fluctuates with each move. We are a military family & move quite often. Just here in Kuwait we have already had an unexpected move to another house. It makes life quite exciting. I've had everything from a corner to an entire room. This past move just got me a room :) It's still a work in progress; I actually just got all the boxes out from the middle of the room so I could take some decent pictures - ha ha!

My "corner" when we lived in Charlottesville

The table is the main area I use. I design my jewelry on the pink tray & most everything is within hands reach. I have some additional storage under the table in clear drawers. I got the spice rack & jars from Ikea. The glass globe was a prize from Katie Runnels. I store baggies of half started projects or components that I plan to make into jewelry. Some of those components have been waiting to be created for years! The right corner of the table has become my photography area. There is an ivory metal accessory I got at Target for $20 (!) with some tulle on top. This window has great lighting. Under the table in one of my bins is the packaging storage - shopping bags, jewelry boxes & rolls of tulle.

Next to my table is this great piece of furniture. It was in our last house stuffed in the laundry room. The first thing I thought of was "craft storage". I was able to move it to the new house. I hope to clear the desk & area & use it for my paper crafting. Having a clear space for me is quite difficult though!

Woo hoo, it's a paper cutting area! I keep all the accessories in the drawers. In the last place, my poor Cricut lived on the floor on top of a box.

And a vignette area! The dresser houses my finished jewelry pieces.

The top of the dresser houses my traveling artist statement (it goes to all my craft shows), a gorgeous vintage fashion plate, jewelry from my volunteer work with Trash to Treasure & some of finished pieces on the end (those are the newbies that need to be tagged)

New Pictures Around Kuwait

2010-06-06T22:29:00.001+03:00

The beautiful view up. This day was so wonderful - I even sat outside on the patio with my coffee & computer. Unfortunately, those days are long gone.

My favoritest street sign...Ever!

Got lost one day (what's new?). Made a mental note about this mosque (I'm so predictable). I happened to be in the same neighborhood & pulled over to take a picture.

Architectural detail.

Even though many of the buildings here are the same color, there are some with incredible detail.

The stained glass dome at the Hard Rock.

More New Jewelry

2010-06-02T09:01:00.000+03:00

A few more new things going into the shop on Thursday!

Coming Today

2010-05-31T11:49:00.000+03:00

Who can believe it's the last day of May? And the end of school is almost here. We're in the triple digits here so it feels like summer has been here awhile.

Come take a peek at the new things in the store. I am so inspired by summer right now! I should start loading the new merchandise around 9AM EST.

Happy Birthday Pink Saturday!

2010-05-29T00:35:00.000+03:00

Blog Board

Happy Happy 2nd Birthday to Pink Saturday & Beverly! You can read all about Pink Saturday right here. It's a fun way to spend your Saturday looking at all things pink. It's such eye candy & inspiration so go take a peek. Also Pink Saturday is featured in the most recent Artful Blogging issue.
If this is your first time to visit, welcome! I am a jewelry designer & mixed media artist & pink happens to be my favorite color! This week I did a collage board of some former Pink Saturday jewelry pieces I've shown in the past year & a few new ones from recent work. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Coming Soon

2010-05-26T07:42:00.000+03:00

Goodies for the store next week!

My Attempt At Digital Scrapbooking

2010-05-24T09:53:00.001+03:00

Kit

Frame

I bought a super cool digital kit from Roben Marie this past weekend. It was so beautiful that I couldn't pass it up. I don't really scrapbook & I'm still fairly green as a digital artist. I was inspired by her blog post & the beautiful layouts she shared, so here's one from me. Thank you for giving me the inspiration & courage to try one out.
I'm not sure where I'm going to go next after this layout. I so rarely craft for myself so I was thinking of making a scrapbook about me - maybe my inspirations or maybe my time here in Kuwait. This is one of my favorite pictures I've taken here. I so rarely end up in pictures since I'm the one taking them & I don't do self portraits.

Show What You Create Blog Party

2010-05-21T00:00:00.003+03:00

To those of you that are first time visitors, Welcome! Thanks for stopping by & thanks to Andrea for hosting. Make sure you stop by her blog to see the list of other participants.

My name is Nerissa & I'm a jewelry artist. I also dabble in mixed media projects, but my love is with jewelry. I'm lucky in that we move frequently with my husband's job so I get to go shopping & run around finding oodles of inspiration where we live. I'm currently in Kuwait City.

Storyboards & digital papers from Sassy Designs.

I took an unplanned break from my webstore & blog & have just gotten back into the swing of things. I've been enjoying my time creating & photographing my jewelry. I love it when I hit the ground running. I'm inspired by lots of things: other artists & the blogs I read, Stampington & Co publications, photography, anything French, & vintage items just to name few things. I'm pretty eclectic & love to try & mix techniques.

Right now I can't get enough of brass, vintage rhinestones, wire wrapping, Czech glass beads & glass pearls. Thanks so much for stopping by to take a look around. If you want to see more, take a look at my photos on flickr.

An Evening Out in Kuwait

2010-05-20T08:29:00.000+03:00

This picture was taken around 7pm.

One night this week I spent the evening out with several close friends. We had dinner, each others good company & lots of laughs at the Kuwait Towers. With the life we lead, we meet so many new people. Then comes the time to say ~~goodbye~~ see you later. This was one last group dinner before we all go our different ways this summer.

I've enjoyed taking food shots since I started blogging but also since we moved to Kuwait. I had to try the seafoam/mint green desert on they tray. It was a really rich coconut custard. Mmmm...

One more picture around 9:30pm. So glad to have the opportunity to play with my "fancy" camera.

So it's the third day in a row I'm posting. I'm not going to try & figure it out. I'll just enjoy it!

Seriously Busy

2010-05-18T15:25:00.002+03:00

Just a Note: Holy Smokes - 2 posts in 2 days! Actually I started this post April 27th & I just finished it today! Insha'Allah

My favorite mosque at dusk. Look at the lights inside.

So this is how it's gonna be - I post 1 huge post with lots of pictures & a summary. I love blogging, as well as lots of other things, & I'm struggling to make it all work. Perhaps I should have taken an artful picture of the embarrassing mound of clean laundry in the guest room.

A new mosque I found a couple of weeks ago while stopped at a red light. I'm always looking in these parts. I made a mental note to come back.

I got to ride on a dhow. It was a date night for me & the hubby. Nice hair! This picture cracks me up & makes me wanna sing Rio.

A special package that I just mailed off.

The Trash to Treasure project with Operation Hope.

We celebrated the completion of the second session. I am so inspired by what the ladies have continued to achieve. This session the ladies have made rugs & jewelry to purchase things for their community living there: meeting tables, laundry detergent, shampoo, soap. We are currently assessing needs to make bigger purchases. This time around I also took on a larger role; in addition to teaching the jewelry makers, I gave 2 lectures: Habit 5 & one on business basics.

The view for my birthday.

Spa Day! I had a birthday weekend :)

Getting Settled - New Wares

2010-05-17T12:07:00.000+03:00

One of my new vignette areas.

Finally! For those that don't know, we've moved, yet again. That makes the sixth year in a row. I realized one night, I lived in 3 different states one year. I'm glad my life is never dull. So what does this all mean for me?

Some things never change! The current ~~mess~~ works in progress on my jewelry table.

I have an art room again! Yippie! It's huge & I've been setting a bit up each day. I have a jewelry station, paper arts area, areas to display & store made products - I even have a Cricut area. I promise to show pictures when it doesn't look like a maze to get through. Sometimes unexpected news turns out for the better.

Spring Flower Necklace

I've made some new things & will list them in the store this week. In addition to having a new space to create I've also been afforded the opportunity to have dedicated time to my business.

From the Rocks Necklace collection: Pink Princess

Thanks for stopping by. With this new found time, I hope to be blogging a bit more. I've missed it!

Playing Tourist

2010-04-11T15:07:00.000+03:00

I'm making a t-shirt that says "I Survived Spring Break 2010"! Ha ha! It started off a bit rough, but I had so much fun with my little dudes. Maybe I should make one for those involved in the Camel Races below. That was a definite fun time! I love that I'm crossing things off my to do list that were never there.

One thing that was on my list is the Kuwait Towers. It was a very overcast day & we even had a few raindrops. I kept cursing the weather for messing up my photo juju. Where was the love?

I'll have to go back when the weather is nicer. It's funny how I take 100 pictures from an outing & I still believe I didn't take enough. Hope you've enjoyed your Spring Break.

Finding My Creative Footing Again

2010-04-06T12:21:00.000+03:00

It's always a weird feeling for me when I don't feel like creating. It's one thing when I hit a creative block; it's quite another when I don't feel like doing something that is as important to me as breathing. I've been backed up with housework & tired & even a bit sick. Then one night I got out of bed & just started creating - This is what I came up with. I bought a whole bunch of these agate slices about 4 years ago & worked with them for a bit then put them aside. I'm glad I shipped them with my craft supplies. I feel a little creative obsession coming on.

Digital frame: Hof3 It's my absolute fave!