How cute is my alibi though!

You can see my dilema......

Writing with Children

You' ve heard of those mothers that say i gave up my dreams to raise you......I want to be that Mom.....but I cant. So my children will be deprived and neglected, and a bit dirty and hungry, and i will be selfishly continueing the  pursuit of writing this novel. As dramatic as it seems it's what goes on in my head. It's not true at all but I think I say it to myself as a sort of escape root just incase I fear failure so much that I want to give up.....and need a good valid "I'm putting my kids first" alibi. It just gets a bit tricky when my older kids take care of so much and they even say "We'll make dinners, you go write." Oh brother! there goes that alibi. It's all just games in my head to manipulate my fears really........so quitting is not an option apparently....there really isn't a choice. I really, really don't have any valid excuses to give up. So I take a big breath, smile at my five year old and organize the next scene in my mind while doing laundry and the dishes, and when i get a chance i write it down...and when I get the next chance I edit....etc.

Workshoppers work! Did I say work? Meant play.

Just few examples of what was made those late Tues afternoons. Here they are using fabric and stitching as another media we can mix in with paint and paper!

Workshop Shots from summer '11

This was an ideal spot really. I love being outside. We had a trellis over our heads and to the right we could witness the sun setting over the sea.

Art and Kraffe Mixed media Workshops

Another summer gone by in Santa Barbara and the outdoor studio is back to being the shed that stores the recycling bins. Its the saddest thing about leaving really....all the media that was not used up and now gets stored for nine lonley months in Grandmas attic. Here is a shot of this magical place where we met once a week on tues.

A Mixed Media painting "landscape" yikes!

So lanscapes are so not my thing....but mom needed a nice painting in her outdoor room that well reflected the garden grounds. So some newspaper mixed with a little encylopedia cut outs, music notes and real leaves....add in some 3d paint, tissue paper and wall paper and we have my idea of a landscape painting.

My handmade "From Scratch" pillow.

A "From Scratch" pillow I designed for my girlfriends birthday. Her mother has passes away and this pillkw is for her to remeber her by. A soft place for her put her head when she wants to cuddle once again. It is made from left over parts and pieces of t-shirts her mother wore alot, some beach class and large seqence.

YARDSALE Queen!

All you see here i got from a yardsale. Apparently an old principal who had some artistic interestes....for 25$. YOU HEARD ME! Like ten christmass's..i tell you i just kept rearranging them like i did when i was a kid and i was finished rearranging the stocking stuffer goodies.

Ok just one more birdhouse.

It was a relaxing little project......i gave it to my sister Lori in thanks for letting us spend a week with her up in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Dark little birdhouse girl challenge.

This birdcage was merely a challenge. The blank wood shell gettin dusty in one sisters garage came alive in my other sisters craft studio in southern California. Rest assure i will try not to get in the habit of making birdhouses.