♥ Craft Therapy

Moving on and Moving up...

2012-08-02T17:06:00.001-05:00

***EDIT*** I have fixed the faulty links to my new blog. So sorry for the trouble, y’all. ***END EDIT***

I’ve been gone from here for so long now that I doubt anyone will even see this but just in case, I wanted to steer y’all toward my new online blog presence.

You can find me at http://aperfectmelange.blogspot.com/ as of August 1st, 2012.

I plan to include more art journaling, art in general, photography and other creative endeavors as well as other interests (cooking, gardening, family, sewing) and some posts just on my thoughts and philosophies.

I do hope you’ll come join me there. I have lots of great things planned and hope to include you in the fun.

Be sure to bookmark my new space, Mélange.

Thanks for all the love these past few years...I look forward to many more.

Peace & Love,
Barb

How...

2012-03-26T19:05:00.001-05:00

I often wonder how other people do it. How do they (and they is usually women-folk) manage a household, raise kids, cook, clean, work 40+ hours (at least some of them do) outside the home and still have the energy to make art?

I don’t get it. Really, I don’t.

But then I look back to when I was younger, even up until about 5 years ago, when I was able to do all of those things and still have energy left to do lots more. I could stay up late, get up early and go, go, go all the time.

Not now. I haven’t been able to work for almost 2 years and I do good to get the laundry done for just me & Richie in less than 2 full days....I have to take naps, and rest far too often. Guess that’s why it’s called Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, huh? It just gets so tiring having to battle all my health demons. I keep asking my doctor when (or if) I will ever feel better but he doesn’t have any good answers other than to take good care of myself, take my meds and give it time.

Time is something I’m in short supply of...I want to feel better NOW! My life is passing me by and I am tired of not feeling like an active participant in it!

*sigh*

Enough of that! Just more of my thinking.

I have been working for the past few days to get everyone’s supply purchases packed up and ready to mail but I still have a few left to pack up so I should have them all in the mail by Thursday or so. Thanks for your patience, everyone.

We did make it to the beach this past Sunday. Just me, Richie and our little Kirby. We always have the best, most relaxing time when we go on those early morning trips like this. I just sat and took pictures and enjoyed watching Kirby chase the waves as they come in and recede back, Richie testing the water, and the gulls and pelicans swooping down at the water.

Tell me that Kirby isn’t the most precious pup you’ve ever seen1 I just laugh and laugh at him the whole time we’re there.

The beach is very much my peaceful place and I really love our little private spot that we normally go to hang out and enjoy the beach and our privacy.

Doesn’t that just look peaceful?

I hope you’re finding time to relax in your peaceful place.

Peace & Love,
~Barb~

Cold, Cold Beer

2012-03-13T10:26:00.001-05:00

I am most definitely NOT a beer drinker. At least not on a regular basis. But since we moved here to Pensacola we have found the absolute coldest beer I have ever had the pleasure of putting to my lips in the 30 years that I have been tasting beers. (I’m actually more of a wine girl but actually don’t drink much of anything alcoholic these days. Anyway...) Our local Logan’s Roadhouse really does have the absolute coldest beer anywhere.

I swear that I do have a point in telling y”all this...

Saturday was our 6th Anniversary. We aren’t always big on celebrations or even holidays lately (hard to be celebratory when you’re broke, ya know?) but this anniversary was one we wanted to celebrate. Things have just been so rough for us the past few months. Moving here has been wonderful, we love Pensacola, but it isn’t without its share of problems...mostly financial but also my health, too.

But things have began looking up a bit for us...Richie got word that he was getting a nice little raise and he is in line to become a District Manager (either in the Destin, Florida district or in the Tampa area once a group of stores in that area are bought out by the company.) Add to that my upcoming disability appeal hearing this Friday that I am very hopeful will be successful this time.. *crossing fingers* We have hope again...and it’s been a long time coming.

With our hopeful outlook and some good changes coming down the pike added to our Anniversary, we decided to celebrate. Nothing sounded better than a relaxing night out with some very cold beer, a good meal and just being together.

Our celebratory night out didn’t disappoint. Not at all. And it was something we both needed more than we realized. (Not the best pic but it was rather dark in Logan’s and I took it with my iPhone but you get the idea. Oh, and yeah, those are my new teeth. *grin*)

So that’s what our weekend consisted of...well, that and my poor husband working every single day. I couldn’t be prouder of him...he works so hard and does such an awesome job. Not to mention what great care he takes of me. Y’all have no idea of just how much Richie really does for me, especially since I’ve grown sicker.

I just had to brag on him a little...he’s just the best. How did I get so lucky?

Yesterday I tried to get a little more energetic than usual (I have NO energy these days so everything is a struggle) and did a little cleaning, some laundry (the bane of my existence), and made some no bake cookies. You know, the ones made with butter & sugar & cocoa & peanut butter & oats.

I shouldn’t love those dang things so much but I do and I have been jonesing for them for weeks. Now that I’ve made them and eaten a few too many, I think I need to send the rest to work with Richie tomorrow. If I don’t, I’m afraid I may slip into a diabetic coma soon. lol

Thanks for all your great comments on my latest two videos. It really encourages me to do more of them for y’all. In fact, I think I’ll try and work on a new one for ya today or tomorrow.

Hope things in your lives are going smoothly and life is treating each of you with the greatest of kindnesses.

Peace & Love,
Barb

And Another...

2012-03-10T19:39:00.001-06:00

I guess once I got one video completed and uploaded, it opened up the flood gates to even more coming down the pike, eh?

So, here’s a short one I finished and uploaded to YouTube yesterday...

I think the next video I do will be a journal page/spread from start to finish unless y’all have something else you’d rather see. Please let me know in the comments. Thanks!

I hope you’re all having a great weekend. It’s our anniversary so it’s definitely a good one for me.

Peace & Love,
~Barb~

New Video

2012-03-07T18:36:00.001-06:00

I finally got one of my Journal Flip-Through videos done and uploaded to YouTube.

Yay, go me!!!

Anyway, here ya go.

Art Journal Flip-Through 2.1

You are welcome to share this on your own blogs, etc. Also, if you have any questions, leave them in your comments and I’ll do my best to answer them.

I have another one coming in the next couple of days. So be sure to look for it here or on my YouTube Channel.

Peace & Love,
~Barb~

Videos and Editing

2012-03-06T17:16:00.001-06:00

Believe it or not, I’ve been busy recording a new video! I’ve got a few (quite a few) journals that I need to do flip-through videos for and I’ve finally gotten started.

Doing the editing tonight and I hope to have at least one of them up on my YouTube in the morning. YAY!

Anyway, back to what you were doing. Just lettin’ y’all know.

Peace & Love,
Barb

I guess I’m growing old...

2012-03-01T13:27:00.001-06:00

On December 1st, 2001 I was forced to have all of my upper teeth pulled. Thanks to some advanced gum infections that didn’t want to heal (thanks diabetes!) all of my upper teeth became loose almost over night. So having them pulled was unavoidable but also very devastating to me.

I’m only 46 years old, I shouldn’t have to be confronted with getting dentures at my age.. Not yet. Sheesh!

You guys have no idea how hard this entire journey has been for me. I have not had any pictures taken over the past 90 days because who wants to be captured toothless? I have no desire to really remember how I’ve felt or looked for the past 3 months, either (although my daughter came to visit and did sneak a few but was kind enough to catch me with my mouth hidden.) This ordeal has really hit my self-esteem hard. I haven’t even wanted to leave the house out of embarrassment.

All of the emotions this horrid event has caused in me (including crying jags for no apparent reason) has also bled over into most every other part of my life...I haven’t done any of the art journaling videos I want to do, I haven’t felt like being in my art journal the way I normally do, I have began really doubting my creativity and I’ve found myself so depressed and out of sorts and I believe it’s a little related to winter but it’s also related to the loss of my teeth.

I never thought I would be so happy to get dentures but yesterday I got my “new” teeth. It’s strange, for sure, and there is a huge learning curve to eating and drinking with them but I’ll get there. You don’t know how much you depend on your teeth and how intertwined our self-esteem is in those kinds of things until you lose them..

It’s only been a day but I can already tell that my mood is improving. I think that very fact will bring me back around into being my old self again. Up until now I had only told my closest family and one of my girlfriends (who has been kind enough to sorta see me through this since she’s been where I am –Thanks S) but I just felt it was important record this for myself and to somewhat explain my disappearance.

Add to that the death of my wonderful next door neighbor last Thursday! Ms. Nola was the first friend I made here. She was the kindest, most wonderful woman and, at 92 years old, she was still very young at heart. Definitely the coolest 92 y/o I’ve ever had the privilege of knowing.

Almost every single day since I have lived here, she and I had a little daily pow-wow outside our front doors. We talked about all sorts of things...art, feeding the squirrels, family, aging, just every subject under the sun. I never failed to learn something from that dear, sweet lady. In just nine months I learned so much from Ms. Nola.

I miss her each day and the void that her death has left in my life will remain for a very long time. Rest in peace, Ms. Nola...I miss you so very much.

Whew!

Too emotional right now.

Anyway, just sharing my stuff...even though it’s not happy-happy-joy-joy. Just keepin’ it real here, ya know?.

I hope you’re all doing well, feeling artsy, having good days & good times.

Back soon.

Peace & Love,
Barb

Happy Coffee

2012-02-03T08:33:00.001-06:00

I was experimenting with my coffee this morning (see, I am working on getting back to my ritual of morning coffee…go me!) and I have come up with a fabulous little “recipe” for a tasty mocha.

Take about 2/3 cup of steaming hot, brewed:

Add 2-3 (ymmv so more if you like) heaping tablespoons of this:

and stir well. Then grab some cream, half & half (my favorite), or milk and…

Talk about yum*my!!!
It even makes my coffee happy!

Try it, you’ll be glad you did.

Happy Friday, y’all.

Have a great day and an even better weekend.

**MUAH**

Peace & Love,
Barb

Rituals

2012-02-01T19:18:00.001-06:00

I ran across the following picture on the internet and it really made me stop and think about the rituals in my life.

I know that my rituals include my morning coffee and working in my art journals…but even those comforting parts of my day have undergone some changes lately. I hope to get back to my morning routine soon because I miss it dearly.

What is a ritual?

rit·u·al/ˈriCHo͞oəl/

Noun:
a series of actions or type of behavior regularly and invariably followed by someone.

The rituals in our lives do provide a great source of comfort. They give meaning to our everyday lives and provide a feeling of contentment and that all is right in the world. When we lose those same rituals, it can shake our foundations and leave one feeling, not only out of sorts, but also quite lost.

I think that might be what I’m feeling right now…a loss of the rituals in my life. I hadn’t realized just how much our move to Florida has really affected me but it really has, tremendously. I believe that if I can regain those routines that give me a sense of regularity in my life and create new ones that I will feel better and more at peace.

It also makes me wonder what kind of rituals others observe in their life. So tell me, what are the routines and rituals that give you comfort? What do you do daily or weekly that gives you a sense of peace.

I ask because I want to begin new rituals in order to give my life a greater sense of peace and comfort and, hopefully, my days will begin to have more meaning.

Peace & Love,
Barb

Holy Cow!

2012-01-19T21:14:00.001-06:00

Are you on Pinterest yet? I am. In fact, I am on Pinterest way, way too much. It is getting in the way of my blogging and other stuff cause that is one addicting place/activity. I love it so much.

Oh my, I do love it.

If you’re not on it yet, take my advice and don’t do it!! If you do, you’ll be like me and go for days without washing your hair, taking a shower or even getting out of your jammies. It takes over your mind and your whole life! All you can think about is what you might be missing on there; all those glorious finds you could be pinning.

I’m only half kidding here.

Seriously, I am warning you…be careful…Pinterest is like the heroin of the internet.

In other news, It has been one of my goals to start doing more videos for my YouTube channel and I was all ready to do some new ones with the journal pages I’ve been working on, like that one over there <—. Bad part was that I couldn’t find my Flip video camera. I tore my studio apart looking for it and, after 3-4 days of searching high and love, I reasoned that it must have fallen into my big trash can and been thrown out. *Huge sigh*

Know what I found this afternoon? Yep, my Flip…in my nightstand! I have no clue how it got there but it did. I’m just glad to have found it. It was killing me to think I had thrown it away, even if it was accidentally.

So, it looks like I can actually work on doing some videos, like I had planned in the first place. YAY! That is if I can keep up with my video camera.

I also need to get back into my groove and start posting on Art Journaling II, again. Funny how you can be so into something one day and you find you’ve lost all interest in that same thing the very next day. I think it must be my depression/SAD that does that to me. I really hate it but I’m going to work hard to push past it.

Some good news on the creativity front…I do feel like I’ve pulled myself out of my funk cause I have been an art journaling fool lately. Once again I can spend literally hours in my studio, paint flinging like mad. WOW!!! I had no idea how much I had been missing this feeling.

In fact, I think I’ll head back in there for a while before bed. *snicker*

Peace & Love,
~Barb~

Three Days

2012-01-12T23:01:00.001-06:00

Hola, my dear friends.

I’ve sure missed y’all but life has been busy in one way or another continuously for the past week.

I had some really major dental surgery on December 1st and had to have some follow up surgery this week. I really hate the dentist, too. So when I haven’t been completely high on Lortabs or trying to spend time with Richie, I’ve been trying to do some full on creating and art journaling…you can tell by the disaster I call my desk. lol

I have managed to complete two journals and I need to do flip-throughs of both of them…maybe tomorrow or Saturday. I should have plenty of time since I have the next three full days with nothing on tap for me while my hubby is gone to a Managers conference in Nashville, Tennessee.

This will probably make me sound like a 15 y/o girl but he and I seldom spend time apart. In fact other than these yearly conferences and once when I stayed with my sister when she had surgery…we’ve never been apart. Actually, that’s the way we like it. Sappy as it sounds, there is no one I’d rather be around. I realize that I am a very lucky woman.

Isn’t it great when life works out that way?

It’s good to know that so many of you agree with me on Paula Deen’s products being so blasted high priced. It’s just a shame that someone like her has either forgotten where she came from or, more likely, is having her name plastered on these over-priced items in order to get those crazy high prices.

Either way, I think it sucks.

Okay, I need to sign off for now and curl up next to Richie since 3:30am is going to come mighty early in the morning.

Back soon.

Peace & Love,
~Barb~

Thanks!

2012-01-06T17:14:00.001-06:00

Before I say anything else, I really want to tell you guys how much your recent comments and kind words have meant to me. Some of you are commenting for the first time just to let me know you are reading and that thrills me so much. So, thank you, thank you, thank you! I appreciate you all more than you can imagine. It helps this soul of mine just beam.

I’ve been busy in my art journal and hope to have some more photos besides the one over <---- to share with you over the weekend, if we don’t get busy while Richie is off.

His work is stressing about his work and our finances so much right now. I hope to get him out of the house over the weekend and go to the beach…it really works wonders on his stress. It’s like all that tension just floats away and he is a new man after that, completely.

In other news, I thought I would make a little list to clue y’all in on a few things, some strange, I bet you didn’t know about me…

I absolutely swoon for a man in a seersucker suit. It must be some odd Matlock fetish or something. lol
I collect quotations…thousands…and have notebooks full of them.
Even though I have a horrible fear of heights and of flying, I really want to skydive. Badly.
If I had my life to live over again, I would leave for Europe the day after I graduated high school to backpack, cliché as it might sound. Then I would come back to the states and do college then law school. If only.
I have taken lessons for: tennis, guitar, clarinet, swimming, calligraphy…the only ones that stuck with me are swimming & calligraphy. The others were not my things, I guess.
I have had very short hair since I was a kid but I’m finally letting it grow…so I can get dreadlocks! (I’m doing it at the end of the month. YAY!)
Other than a few things from Wal-Mart, I have no clothing that haven’t come from thrift or consignment stores or garage sales.
I’m giving serious consideration to changing my name. I’m not sure what I want to change it to, though. I just know I don’t feel like a Barbara or Barb.
I have voted in every election since I turned 18.
I am disgusted enough with our country that I would leave the US for good if I thought we could make it financially.
I could eat Mexican food three meals a day, for the rest of my life. OMG, I love it so unbelievably much. Nom! lol

I suppose that is enough drivel for now. I think that I am just wanting to open up a bit more and find lists are an easy way to do it.

Do me a favor, won’t you? Leave a comment (anonymously, if you want) and tell me something about yourself that most people don’t know…kind of like a post secret of sorts.

C’mon…you can' tell me.

Peace & Love,
~Barb~

Paula Ain’t Right

2012-01-04T18:14:00.001-06:00

Can someone explain to me what is up with Paula Deen?

I mean, I am the first to pledge my undying love for her Gooey Butter Cake, I could eat my weight in the food from her restaurant, and I agree with her belief that butter makes everything better.

My problem with her is that she has forgotten where she came from. Once upon a time she was long suffering single m,other with agoraphobia (fear of open spaces), stuck in her little Savannah apartment with a terrible fear of going outside. She still had to make a living and that’s how Paula Deen began her cooking empire. She made sack lunches and the boys, her sons, would deliver these lunches all over downtown. Then she made pies for the holidays, and on and on it went.

She was poor as a church mouse back in those days…but now she’s wealthy beyond belief. So why is it with her background that a simple set of measuring cups, pretty as they are, from her website store cost $179.95?!?!?!? Here they are, so tell me…would you pay $179.95 for these?

Are there really that many people out there with more money than sense that will spend these outrageous prices to buy this kind of thing? If so, I am in the wrong business! Well, figuratively speaking, of course, since I’m really in no business. You get what I’m saying.

*hushing now*.

Just something that struck me today.

Peace & Love,
Barb

Shrink and Hide

2012-01-03T10:13:00.001-06:00

I have done so much thinking while I’ve been away from blogging. You would think that when my mind is so full that I would be overflowing with things to talk about here, but that certainly the way it has worked.

I’ve been trying to figure out where my mojo goes when it leaves me (like it has done for the past few weeks…uh, months,) and just this morning, I think I have figured part of it out. Back when I first began blogging, I did it just for fun and to show the crafts and art that I was creating. As time progressed and I turned more toward art and less toward craft, I found myself overwhelmed by comparing myself to others. In the world of art journaling, there are some awesome artists out there, and it’s hard not to compare yourself to some of them. In bathing myself in the work of others and doing these comparisons, I’ve done more damage to myself than I have good.

I guess what that does to my mojo is to make it shrink and hide in the shadows, fearful of failing. I’m well aware that the only way to succeed is to risk failure…but I also feel like this uninspired feeling isn’t something I have chosen. What I know I have to do is to stop with the comparison, stop scouring the internet for inspiration…most of all, I must trust myself and stop being afraid of putting myself out there; to stop being so safe.

I’m not sure how I’m going to accomplish these things, I just know I have to try. That’s what 2012 is going to be about for me, my struggles to let go, to find my voice, to simplify…to IMPROVE (my word for the year!)

Thank you to everyone that commented on my last entry. Although I know I need to stop all of my dependency on acknowledgement from others, it still feels good to know I am noticed. I love each of you…truly I do.

It’s going to be a good year…I can just feel it.

Peace & Love,
Barb

Saying Goodbye

2011-12-30T06:42:00.001-06:00

Yes, I’m saying goodbye…to 2011. I am so happy to welcome the New Year because the old one was far from being on my list of good years in my life. Blech!! So yeah, I am happy to be getting a fresh start; a whole brand new year to work on myself and my life.

I gave up those delusions of grandeur that so many of us have when we start looking toward a New Year…all those totally unrealistic goals (i.e.. resolutions) that we set each January 1st. No, not what I’m doing at all. My goals are not resolutions since we all have those broken within the first 10 days of January. So you won’t hear me resolving to lose 80 lbs. by summer, running a marathon by my birthday, or quitting smoking.

What I do want to do is to improve. Just improve. No unrealistic goals but, instead, something I can actually attain…to improve.

Health-wise, 2011 was a horrible year but I feel certain that 2012 is going to be a much better year for me. I’m not expecting miracles but I really do feel that I will be better and healthier for me.

I hope that 2012 is a great year for you, too.

Peace & Love,
~Barb~

Still Alive

2011-11-29T06:24:00.001-06:00

I am such a bad, bad blogger, I know.

No excuses or anything like that, I just haven’t felt like blogging and, to be honest, there hasn’t been much worthy of blogging about, either.

I have been spending plenty of time painting and experimenting. I’ve been trying very hard to find my authentic artistic voice. I guess you could call it my style or my creative fingerprint. I think I have finally found it.

I had more fun creating this piece. I am aware this is not a style that is for everyone but I can’t worry about that kind of thing. I have to just be true to myself and go with the flow.

This is the result of avoiding my normal scouring of the internet, reading blogs, scouting Flickr for journal pages to post on my Tumblr, etc, etc. I knew I had to step away from the distractions and influence of other art in order to find my own creative voice.

This is the result.

It is the most fun I have ever had painting…it felt so exhilarating as I created it and, I think, that is how I know this is truly me.

Now, to start a new one. I’m so excited.

I will try to keep in better touch but I’m not making any promises. Quite a few major things coming up, including some very major dental work in a couple of days. Dental work that I am dreading beyond belief but I know that I’ll get through it.

I’m not in the holiday mood in the least. I won’t be decorating for Christmas and, unless we go to my sister’s house for Christmas, we really won’t be celebrating it much either. When finances take such a huge nose-dive like ours have, this past year, you don’t really worry too much about decorations and presents. None of it holds its joy or its magic anymore.

Not whining, just being honest. *shrug*

Enough of that stuff, I think I hear my easel calling me….Art on, my friends!

Peace & Love,
~Barb~

Life

2011-11-08T08:41:00.001-06:00

My daughter and grandboy came down week before last and stayed for four days…and it was good. Being with family is always a good thing…sometimes it’s stressful, too, but I still crave that time with them. This visit was a good one and we needed that time together.

When Noah comes to Nana & Richie’s he always sleeps on a thick pallet of blankets beside our bed. He has to be near us so we can talk as we go to sleep.…and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

This is the stuff memories are made of, right?

Then, Richie and I headed back to Alabama last Thursday to visit with his parents, Chad (Richie’s son), and Shelby & Toad (my daughter & son-in-law.) We haven’t been able to go back (due to lack of finances) and see them even once since we moved to Florida…in the entire 6 months!

We had a great visit with everyone. Got there late Thursday night, had dinner at his parents house (we took Chad) on Friday night and got to see Richie’s two brothers then, too. When we got back to Shelby & Toads, we played Phase 10 (a card game) with them & the couple that is their roommates. We went to Chad’s mother’s Birthday Party Saturday evening for a while then brought Chad back with us for Pizza with Shelby & Toad then we played guitar hero for a while. Sunday we vegged with Chad for a while, visited with Shelby & Toad, stopped by his parents house then we hit the road for home, for Florida.

The leaving was tough, though. Richie and I both broke down crying each time we said goodbye to another set of family members…first Shelby & Toad, then Chad, then Harold & Rhemel (Richie’s parents.) Y’all wouldn’t believe how devastated we both felt leaving everyone again.

Pitiful, huh?

I have to admit, though…it feels really good to be home. Really, really good.

Now, back to reality.

Peace & Love,
Barb

Finding Myself

2011-10-28T00:29:00.001-05:00

I don’t feel in touch with much these days. I don’t know what’s wrong with me…I am just so disinterested in life, in my art, in everything! I just know that I can’t keep on sleeping almost all day. Seriously, I can sleep about 20 hours a day and still be tired.

Ugh!

Every day that passes that I don’t post, it gets easier and easier to keep not posting. Such a vicious cycle…a vicious, endless, ugly cycle..

Time to buck up, get my head off the pillow and rejoin life. As my sister once told me, fake it ‘til you make it. So that’s what I’m doing…trying to fake it until I really do feel happy again.

Not doing a real good job at faking it right now, though.

I really think it’s some sort of midlife crisis or something. I have this feeling that I need to find myself. I know, sounds corny but I really do feel it, deep down in my gut. I’m working on finding my true voice in my art…cause I’m just not sure. Nothing I have created in a long while feels right, just feels so forced and so contrived…not true and authentic…not ME.

*shrug*

I think I hate Facebook…but it’s like a train wreck, I just can’t help myself from staring.

Am I the only one that wonders why we care what some acquaintance from high school, twenty-five years ago, is doing at their 11 y/o kid’s soccer game? What is the magnetic pull that keeps us going back there? For that matter, what is it that makes us “friend” these people? I mean, they and us, both, didn’t give a crap about staying in touch so what changed just because of Facebook?

I dunno, just some of my thoughts right now.

Okay, I’ve made it back again. I just gotta hang on. do the writing, and make this whole blogging thing a pleasure again.

Cause it is, you know. A pleasure, I mean. It’s just that sometimes we get so caught up in “life” that we forget what it is to LIVE, we forget what it is that gives our lives pleasure. We can’t keep doing that. What is life without these little pleasures?

I know it certainly isn’t truly LIVING.

Peace & Love,
Barb

I’ve figured it out…

2011-10-06T12:30:00.001-05:00

I know now what I’m going to do, blog-wise..

This has been my blog home for years now and I don’t want to give it up. So I’m not going to give it up, I’m just going to change my focus here…my focus and probably the blog name. Still thinking on that part.

But I do want somewhere that is 100% art journal related…since that is my passion and that’s what I’ve created. A whole brand new blog/class/workshop…yeah, it’s all of those things rolled up into one.

It’s called, quite appropriately, Art Journaling II…basically an extension of my Art Journaling tumblr, where I post photos of awesome art journal pages and journals from all over the net. It’s a way to share something I love in an ongoing class/workshop type format so I can bring art journaling to anyone who has an interest without making them wade through my other “stuff.”

If you are an art journalist or just want to be one, I hope to see you over there. If you don’t know if you might be interested in learning to art journal, why not subscribe to Art Journaling II and see if it might just be something you’d like to try.

What am I going to do here? I plan on keeping here about everything else…my life, my other art, my cooking and baking successes and failures. Two blogs, two different focuses.

So, what do you think?

Peace & Love,
~Barb~

Shifting

2011-09-03T17:30:00.001-05:00

“At some point I believe one has to stop holding back for fear of alienating some imaginary reader or real relative or friend, and come out with personal truth.”
~Journal of a Solitude by May Sarton

# # # # # # # # #

When I came across the quote above. it caused me to do some thinking and this kind of deep thinking usually brings about change for me.

I don’t think I have really held back here in my space but I do believe that it being titled Craft Therapy, this blog of mine comes with certain expectations and I have always tried to live up to them. Bits and pieces of my family life, health, home, etc. have always come in but for the most part Craft Therapy has been centered around my creative exploits.

It’s just that it doesn’t seem to be fulfilling me anymore. I don’t look forward to coming here and sharing things anymore. Not that I believe my artistic self is dying back but more that my needs in the online realm are shifting. I love to blog, I’m just not loving to blog here right now. I want to share but I feel an intense need to do it in a different way and in a fresh space.

It’s kinda scary to think about venturing into a new place and starting over but, let’s be honest here, I don’t really have much of a readership here anymore anyway. I know that’s my fault because I’ve not been regular at posting and I’m not offering much new content. No one’s fault but my own.

Anyway, I’m not going to completely abandon Craft Therapy but I am going on an extended hiatus…at least a month or two…and see where the road takes me. Maybe I’ll be back with renewed interest and energy but even if I’m not, I will keep this space open because I believe there is a whole lot of good content here and I hope that it can still serve to encourage and inspire others that might come across it down the line.

Thank you all for reading, those of you that still do, and for keeping me sane when I felt sanity so far away at times. I do hope to keep in touch and that I’ll see you around the art circles now and again.

I can still be found on my Facebook page, my Art Journaling Tumblr and through email, too.

Until next time….

Peace & Love,
Barb

Happy August 23rd!!!

2011-08-23T07:29:00.001-05:00

I know, I know…it’s been 17 days since I’ve been around. That’s a long time, even in blog time.

It’s been a busy couple of weeks…shipping out lots of goodies that you all ordered (thank you so much for buying…I thank you and my pocketbook thanks you! lol), working on a new Art Journaling Micro-Workshop, spending the weekend with the Grandboy, Noah, as well as my oldest daughter and her boyfriend…just life, you know what I mean.

Noah had never been to the beach, played in “ocean” water or made sand castles…what a joy it was to enjoy this with him.

He was really amazed at the waves in the beginning but he really warmed up and waded right in with the rest of us. What a ball we all had at the beach together.

My daughter brought her boyfriend, Ricky, with them and we really like him. He seems like a good guy…funny as heck! He’s good to Noah, too, and that means so, so much!

As for me, I’m really working lots in my art journals, searching to find my own, true style…my path, if you will. It’s crazy, I’ve looked around at the things I’ve created and they seem to jump around all willy-nilly, style-wise. It makes me question who I am, artistically speaking.

I guess that’s what I’m working through right now in my “art life.”

While I’ve been busy with all my “stuff”, not to mention the health stuff that I seem to continually deal with (doctors appointments, test, etc.), I haven’t been reading a single blog. I know that if I read one or two, I will feel guilty if I don’t read every single blog in my blog list…so I’ve just had to give up reading blogs for a while.

I am going to get back to reading this week, though. I’ve missed all the inspiration and knowing what’s going on in the lives of so many of you, my bloggie friends.

So, tell me…what kind of things are going on in your life? Do tell, I’ve missed you all so much!

Peace & Love,
Barb

P.S. Still lots of goodies in my Artfire shop so be sure to stop in and see if there is something you might need or want! ;-) Thanks bunches!!!

WHEW!!!

2011-08-06T22:48:00.001-05:00

It’s taken me a few days but I think I have all the art supplies that I’m weeding out right now listed in my Artfire shop…including Caran d’Ache Neocolor II’s and PanPastels!

Be sure to use the coupon code only for my blog readers to get 20% off your total order…use coupon code: BLOG-FRIEND! You can get to my shop by clicking >>HERE<<.

Thanks for any purchase that you make, original art or some of these great supplies…you have no idea how much you guys are helping me out by shopping with me.

Back with some artsy stuff in a day or two, I promise…I’ve been busy, busy in my art journals and want to share some of those with ya.

See you soon!

Peace & Love,
Barb

What I Decided…

2011-08-03T15:12:00.001-05:00

Since I know that my readers are from lots of different time zones and that makes it tough for everyone to have an equal chance to grab things that I’m going to be selling, I made an executive decision. lol

I am listing all of my stuff in my Artfire shop and anyone can purchase from there, but…BUT (yeah, that’s a big but!) only the readers of my blog will know about this little extra something…it’s my way of saying thank you for being loyal, being my friend and for sticking with me.

Want to save 20% across the board for your entire purchase from my Artfire shop?

Sure you do!!!

Just use coupon code BLOG-FRIEND (be sure to include the dash) at checkout and get 20% off your entire purchase, supplies and art, excluding shipping.

How does that sound? Great, I hope.

Now, I’m busy listing things today and will probably take me on into the day tomorrow (Thursday) so give me until then if you want to be able to peruse everything I’m sifting out of my supply and art book hoard. lol (I probably won’t get to the books until tomorrow, btw.)

Just so ya know, the coupon code is good for 7 days and can be used as many times as you want during that time.

So, there you have it…now, back to loading up goodies into the shop!

Visit LilyGrace's Studio

SAVE 20.00 % On Order Total

Use Coupon Code:

BLOG-FRIEND

during checkout.

Lonely Tree Studio

Peace & Love,
Barb

Blogger is my Nemesis!!

2011-07-31T14:39:00.001-05:00

Hopefully this will post…Blogger is not being cooperative, at all.

Unable to post yesterday (Saturday) as promised because Blogger kept giving me error messages and refused to post my “BIG SALE” post.

*sigh*

Since I wasn’t able to post at 5pm Saturday like I had planned, y’all tell me when you would like for me to post my sale. I want to make sure that as many of you that want to be available at that time can be there.

Give me your day & time request and we’ll try this whole GIGANTIC SALE thing all over again…and maybe it will work.

Peace & Love,
~Barb~

Bargains Galore!

2011-07-29T12:54:00.001-05:00

Welcome dear friends, fellow art journalists, fellow artists, family…welcome everyone! I am so glad you’re here!

Mind has been spinning non-stop with creative ideas and with creating some of those sparks lately. Not to mention, I had a birthday last weekend and I’ve been having more and more tests done…so it has been a very full couple of weeks around these parts.

I’ve also been doing some Ebay selling and it’s going decently…not great but not totally pitiful, either.

I’m doing my best to raise funds since I have tons of deductibles to meet with all these tests, not to mention the new meds I’m being prescribed (I’m on insulin now…joy, joy!)

I decided that there are things in my studio that are just taking up much needed space and I need to sell them and I thought I’d do it here, instead of on my Artfire shop. This would give dibs to my blog readers, ever so faithful through my ups and downs. I have some original art, a few artsy books, a couple of sets of Sharpie Poster Paint pens, pastels and oil pastels, a heat bookbinder with extra binding glue, some jewelry supplies, a BIG box of beautiful glitters…just all kinds of stuff. I will work on the post tonight and will go live with the items for sale tomorrow, Saturday, at 5pm CST.

I promise GREAT prices and super reasonable shipping, too.

Tell your friends and I will see you all here tomorrow evening!

Thanks so much!

Peace & Love,
Barb

♥ Craft Therapy

Moving on and Moving up...

How...

Cold, Cold Beer

And Another...

New Video

Videos and Editing

I guess I’m growing old...

Happy Coffee

Rituals

rit·u·al/ˈriCHo͞oəl/

Holy Cow!

Three Days

Thanks!

Paula Ain’t Right

Shrink and Hide

Saying Goodbye

Still Alive

Life

Finding Myself

I’ve figured it out…

Shifting

Happy August 23rd!!!

WHEW!!!

What I Decided…

Blogger is my Nemesis!!

Bargains Galore!