My Word for the Year....

I have thought of this, and thought of this for a few days now, and finally decided on a word for the year. Yeah, it was tough for me to narrow it down, but here goes....

COURAGE!!



Whats yours? Have you put any thought into it? Try it, create a page, and share!!!

Also, here is my calendar, all ready for January, from Kate's calendar challenge last year...I am hoping to get farther this year! Wish me luck on that one.


One last thing....I, once again, have been thinking of something that I have always wanted to do, but never thought I could...well, its back to the drawing board for me....I WILL learn to DRAW!! Always, always, always wanted to learn....gonna give it my best try!
What about you?
Happy New Year to you all....lets make it the greatest ever!
Until next time,
Ophelia

A Beautiful Sight...

I just love snow....REALLY love snow. It just brings out the kid in me...

Lately, however, I just like to sit inside and enjoy the view....but, my kiddos get up early and can't wait to get outside and play..

I hope you enjoy your day....

Until next time,

Ophelia

Well Everyone....

Today is my BIG DAY!!!! You know that day that I have spoken about for the last six months! My birthday is finally here, and its magical!!! I wanted to thank each and everyone of you for sharing in my journey....

BlogLand is such an amazing place....here, I am safe to share my hopes, dreams, successes, failures, happiness, and sadness....and you all provide such a constant inspiration, encouragement, and well wishes! I wish each of you a magical holiday season, filled with love, laughter, and creativity in the new year! Lets all make it a priority to make art, each and everyday! We have all been given such an incredible talent! I thank each and every one of you for being you!

Make it the BEST day ever! I'm gonna for sure....and, if you have any pull with the BIG GUY....that comes tonight....will you PLEASE let him know that I have been very good...kinda, and ask that he PLEASE bring my wish list from Jerrys!!!!

Until next time,

Ophelia

The Objective for Today...

Get MESSY!!! And, thats exactly what I did!

I started out with watercolor paper...taped down 4, and just went to town!!!

Paint splashing like crazy....talk about brush freedom!

Gotta keep it going...right...off to my journal I went...BLISS!!!

I will play around a bit more on these pages...but just had to share...

I would say....Mission Accomplished!

Until next time,

Ophelia

Look Out World!!!

This gal is going through some changes!

Its almost my birthday, and, well, let the thinking begin. Last night, I had a lightening bolt kind of thought, and, well, there will be some changes happening around here....

I know, I know, I've said it before, but this one is BIG! and believe it or not....I'm ready!

My poor family has to put up with me and my birthday....I start early....89 more days to my birthday....35 more days til my birthday...you get the picture, and yes, I drive them CRAZY! Well, 7 more days until my birthday!!!!!!!! I'm staring down the barrel at 41...gosh, time flies! Turning 40 was great although I didn't really make the most of it as I should have...there were a few things that I left out there, but all in all....I'm happy with the year....but...there is still lots to do..and I always feel that I'm Under Construction, and I see that as a good thing!

I have been thinking for quite time....and, yes, I sometimes think WAY too much for my own good...but, what if I really acted on some of it...how different would my life really look....With that being said....do you know the saying "Create the Life You've Imagined"...Gosh, what if I truly put that in front of me every single day!

Can you imagine how awesome we would be!!

So....last night I was doing some blog looking, and youtubing (it was a snow day...and I had to make the most of it...right??) Totally, and completely inspired definitely, but there was a little bit of something that just made me kind of bummed....you know, that I'll never be as great as...nasty old thinking...

Just be Me is so easy to say, but man, oh man is it hard to live....I'm gonna try though...you'll see

I figured that I had just been up way to late after my bedtime and just wasn't thinking clearly...it was 9pm for heaven sakes! So, I went to my studio, grabbed a few books, and settled in nicely...

If you have ever taken a workshop with Robert Burridge, you will understand why I'm crazy about him! He is such a fantastic artist, and just so incredibly awesome! A few years back, I took his Loosen Up workshop, and because you know me so well, you know that all of my excitement stayed in my seat there in the workshop...somehow, it didn't make it back to my studio with me....I picked up my Loosen Up workshop book last night, and BAM!!! Just like that, it was back! Oh....I could hardly sleep....

This girl wants to be BOLD....BOLD!! You know my issues with canvas..right...I want to break out of the security of my journals and do something BIG and BOLD...

I was asked some time ago why I don't work on canvas, and I only could come up with - I'm too chicken...well, that set me to thinking (see there I go again) but it dawned on me that my journal provides a sense of security, where I can still hide my "work".....I have never really put my art out there...well, here, but never out THERE...definitely too chicken for that....so, my journals stay safely tucked away in my studio for me to enjoy. I want to change that....oh, definitely the journaling EVERY day will continue...that is a ginormous part of me that will never be lost, but I want more!!!! Stay tuned!!!

I have been gifted with an early christmas present as our schools are closed again today.....Christmas vacation begins!!!! My kids and I will get in the car soon and head out to my parents....where I will kiss there little heads, and squeal my tires, so that they can have 5 days of bliss with my parents....and I can enjoy those same 5 days as I please!!!!!!!! YEEEE HAWWWW!!!!

My husband is on call, so we will not be heading there this Christmas as we usually do, and its gonna be a good thing....I think.....or, I'll make it good. Its just so hard to be away from my family during this time, but, we will spend a few days before Christmas with them, then head back home! But...until then, while my kids are enjoying all of the spoiling that only a Granny can give....I will be here playing in my studio....I have play dates planned with some of my firends....LOTS of Christmas shopping to get done....you don't honestly think that I've started anything yet, do you?????and some good ole fashion R&R!!!!

If you've made it to this......thank you for listening to me ramble!!! I hope you enjoy your day....I'm gonna!!!

Until next time,

Ophelia

Color, Color, I LOVE Color!!

The weather here is quite dreary....wet, rainy, cold, just plain yuk.

So, I spent the day playing indoors with color. Today, I had another S.T.A.R.T. class, and there was color, color everywhere!!

I love, love, love using these Liquitex inks....not only do I use them in a nib and write with them in my journals, but I have also starting using them in spray bottles!!! Talk about fun!

I love using watercolors in my journals! Like I said....I just love color!

Paints, crayons, and watercolor pencils...oh, my! I can hardly stand it!

Gouache....adds so much more to the fun!


Mary was off to an amazing start in her journal. She has such a great eye for color....gotta love that!!
Regardless of the the weather outside where you are, I hope you make the most of your day!

Until next time,

Ophelia

Rockin' Art Day....With A Magical Ending!!!

Today was my START class at Jerry's and boy, oh boy, was it great! I could not have asked for more than to spend the day art playing with these ladies!

We played, painted, stamped, and got plain messy!

The journal pages these ladies created were just amazing!!!

Then, as I was leaving the store...like a magical ending to a most perfect day....snow!!!

I hope that you all made the most of your day....I sure did!!

I'll be back at Jerry's tomorrow (I love that store!!!) for a demo with Strathmore Journals...with my FAVS - Liquitex Inks!!

Until next time,

Ophelia

START...

Jerry's Artarama in Raleigh has a program called START. Stop Thinking Art is Really Tough! It is a great program for beginner classes....2 hours of instruction, all supplies included for $30!!!!

I am teaching an Art Journaling class there on this Saturday, December the 4th beginning at 10am!

http://www.startart.com/meet-the-artists/ Go here to check out all the instructors! There are classes being offered all over the area!

I am really tempted by all the art goodness that is out there!!

So, you want to try something new.....this is a great way to, well....START!!

Enjoy your day!

Until next time,

Ophelia

Visual Journaling Fun!

I hope that you all had the best Thanksgiving holiday. We stayed at home this year and it was so great. My kids enjoyed helping us cook an incredible meal (that we all ate way too much of). It was so nice spending time with each other and just hanging out. Since we were at home, I had 4 days of studio time where I could just run up whenever an idea hit me, and play for a bit, so that was especially nice.

I am doing a demo at Jerry's this coming Sunday, December 5th with these new Strathmore Visual Journals, so I have been having a great time playing with them. Since the covers are hard, I have also been playing around with impasto gel and modeling compound through a stencil to decorate the cover before I actually begin.

Here is a bit of what I have been playing with so far....

I hope you have the greatest day ever.

Until next time,

Ophelia

Good Morning Blog Friends....

I am still floating on my creative love cloud...and wanted to share with you a few pages that I created in my journal this weekend....with the hustle and bustle of life, its important for me to find a way to be creative everyday...

Enjoy your day....go out and make the best of it....

Until next time,

Ophelia

All I Can Say...

Is that I was on a cloud....

Art of the Carolinas was just fabulous!!! Completely and utterly amazing! The entire weekend went in minutes. And, although I was dog tired each day at the end of the day, I was up and out of bed super early for the next day to begin. Oh, the life....

This is Allen Clapp and Michele Theberge and I at the show. Allen was also a demo artist for the weekend, and he is so amazing...and Michele, just ROCKS!!

The weekend went so quickly, and I had the best intentions of taking my camera around to capture some of the action, but...well, that didn't happen. I met so many amazing people...even the designer of the Liquitex Acrylic inks that I LOVE!!! (Next time, I will do better at getting pictures!) Here I am with my very first Art Journaling Teacher....Jeniffer Hutchins....I haven't seen her in years and years!! It was so awesome for us to catchup!!

The event was just so amazing...meeting the manufacturers and brains behind my favorite products!!! I could honestly do this king of thing for the rest of my life....but for now, its back to life....so, I'd better get going..

Until next time,

Ophelia

A Sketchbook Project of my own....

Happy Friday, my blog friends.

I have been knee deep in sketchbooks....sketchbooks of all kinds, preparing for my demo at the Art of the Carolinas.

So, my bags are packed...check

My studio is SERIOUSLY trashed.....check

Nervous wreck...and didn't sleep at all last night....well, you get the idea.

I am just completely anxious about what to expect!

I will check in with you all after the weekend!

Wish me luck....I'm going to REALLY need it!!!

Until next time,

Ophelia

Busy, Digging, Updates....and a Question....

Since the fairy must be busy elsewhere, I have been digging. In all honesty, it is kind of fun finding all of that stuff that you "had to have" and then it got lost in the new "had to have" stuff. So, digging is good in that regard! What is not so great is when you find oodles and oodles of stuff, and realize that never in a lifetime will you ever be able to use it all is when it becomes shameful ( I know there has to be someone else out there that can join me on this) I found probably 40 or so thick old ledgers, 100s of dictionaries, zillions of old photographs....bins and bins full of stuff!! I have been putting these and other goodies together in GIGANTIC collage packs for you to enjoy. $20 gets you a Priority box FILLED with collage goodness. Shipping included!! Can't beat that!!! Email me if you are interested in having one!

Also, you may remember that this time of year is my favorite...yes, holiday fun stuff and crazy trick or treat fun....but I'm talking about ART of the CAROLINAS!!! I can hardly wait! Its the art getaway that I so desparately need right about now, and its close to home!!

Its the 10th year!!! and it promises to be magic...and here's some news for ya!! I've been invited to demo there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I could hardly believe it!

So, I am to demo sketchbooks....hhhmmm.... I know what I do in my sketchbooks, but I have been challenged to use other sketchbooks as well....and I wanted to try some different things! So, I've been studying up....and each day, I have put a different sketchbook in my purse to just play around in.....YUM! Isn't art amazing where there really is NO pressure, you just get to play around! I am so excited about being able to demo there! I have been going for about 8 years, and I spend so much time learning all that I can fromt he artists there that demo and really share so much with you.....I sure hope that I can inspire someone out there!!! Check out the event here http://www.jerrysartevents.com/ there are so many amazing classes with incredible artists all under one roof...and the shopping is KILLER!!!

Ok...question time....have you ever starting things with great intentions only to find that you never got back to finishing them....or feel like everything you touch is half done...I drive myself crazy with just spinning my wheels, and going nowhere it seems. I seem lately to not be able to finish anything!!! Just completely overwhelmed! Am I the only one. My to do list is so long I'm completely overwhelmed with it and usually just take a NAP! What do you all do when this type of thing happens...certainly there has to be a way to dig myself out of this craziness and actually get things done. I have been wanting to blog for days now and just haven't even found a second to get to the computer for any length of time...what to do, what to do!!

Whew!!!! If you've been reading with me this long...thanks for sticking in there...sorry for the very, very long post. As you can see, I have been holding this in for a while now!!!
Until next time,

Ophelia

A Quick Hello...

Life seems to get crazier and crazier with each passing day. I'm not even sure of how it happens or what seems to cause it to happen, but its crazy around here.

I found a bit of time to head up to my studio, and realized that the craziness continues there (no, the art fairy has not shown up yet to clean)

While working on something (in my postage stamp table space) I noticed that I had 3 journals lined down my table and had been working in all three....I guess I had gone into a glueing frenzy or something and started one one journal, and when I stepped back, there they all were!!!

Sorry for the poor picture of my cell phone, but the moment had to be captured as it was!

And, another pic of one of my journals....once again, sorry for the poor picture.

Oh, the chaos in which I create!!

Enjoy your day!

Until next time,

Ophelia

Dear Art Fairy...

I have a request....

PLEASE make me GREAT!!!! While I'm away today, please turn everything that I have touched into pure amazement!!! Add your special fairy touch to all of my journal pages....I know you would know what to do when I am stuck!!!
And, while you are up there..... will you PLEASE clean my studio!!!! Please!!!
Enjoy your day!
Until next time,
Ophelia

I've Been Playing....

and playing, and playing some more....more really like glueing stuff in my journals with no particular end in sight, no rhyme or reason...just playing... Here are a few pictures from my play time....they are by no means done, but I'm just goofing off more like it!

Oh yeah...and another rule...

This one totally happened by accident...I'm still so stuck on these tags...

I want to learn every single day...something new that is....just makes the day so much richer...

Learn and Grow...thats my lesson here....

Until next time,

Ophelia

Good Monday Morning!!

How quickly Monday seems to come around....

I've been on my sick bed...some kind of nasty cold or something, but I did manage to create in my little journal...

I was digging around in my studio and found these little shipping tags that just begged to be used....the problem....I now want more.... we used to have a scrapbooking store here that sold them, and I can't find them anymore....I want them by the 100s....you know me!!!

I've searched the internet and have only found them in small packages...any suggestions out there....

Have the best day ever!

Until next time,

Ophelia

More Art Journal RR

Here is the latest page from the Art Journal Round Robin I am participating in....

This one was a blast....here theme was tribe....and man, oh man, was I stumped.....

I got a neat little journal a while back that I found on etsy...By Bastiano....I have purchased several of these as he makes them all different ways...and well, you know me.

I love how small it is...as I have never worked on anything smaller than the 9x12 sketchpads that I use...so this has been fun....these little journals are made from recycled envelopes and such and he sews them up and they are just so neat....so, I pulled it out the other day....

I guess I'm kinda addicted to swirls now....still trying to do better on my doodling and such....this page is by no means finished...

Enjoy your day....

Until next time,

Ophelia