Back to School Day!!!

Good Wednesday Morning...

Where we are, its back to school for all the kiddos.....

My son starting Middle School is seriously about to have a break down...sheer nervousness. I am hoping that he will have a great day!

My daughter will start her first day of kindergarten on Friday....um, look out world!

I am ready to go for my highschoolers this year!

In the studio, I decided that there has to be some ground rules....for art and life...

Rule #1....Lighten up! Stop being so hard on myself! Permission to make ugly art....GRANTED! Permission to fail....GRANTED! That takes a whole lot of pressure off....

Welp, I'd better get ready for the big day!

Until next time,

Ophelia

I've Been Away...

Hi Blog Friends...
I am so sorry that I let so much time get away between my posts. All good things must come to an end and well, summer vacation is over, and I'm back at work.
I did sneak in a bit of a getaway....

I am completely a beach lover, but this year, we decided to try something a bit different and head to the mountains...oh, how refreshing it was. Something about the solitude and fresh air that sucks me in and makes me want to stay. A great time was had by all.
With that being said, I did pack my art supplies, and never even got them out of the car...so, there is no art to report...I am hoping that will change real soon.
I wanted to thank you all so much just for being my blog family who never gives up on me...even when I take off for weeks!!!!
Much, much love to you all.....and Mary thanks so much for checking in on me....I was thinking about you, and then, I got your message....I just love you all!!!!!
Until next time,
Ophelia

Happy Saturday...

Good Morning, blog friends!

First, I can't even begin to explain where the time went since my last post. I signed on this morning and was just shocked that its been over a week since I last posted!

So, lets back up for a second to LAST Sunday.....

What do you do when its a 100 degrees outside and feels like 110!!!!!! Welp, you play BASEBALL!

Thats right....for a non-outdoor gal, thats hard for even me to say...but, we had a blast....lots of cold drinks and frozen fruit...and fans and tents, so honestly, it wasn't so bad!

Now, as far as the studio goes...I finally even got to get to the studio around Wednesday...and had to have a bit of a pep-talk....

As you all know, I am the worst at comparing myself....I visit blogs and I'm truly inspired by the art that I see out there, but I also find that I want to try to "make mine like there's"....that only leads to frustration...and I found that I am frustrated because, well, its not really my work...

I also discovered, that although I have some ginormous dreams yet to accomplish, I stop very short each and every time....I don't know if I am just not willing to put in the work that it takes to get there, or if I am a "want everything YESTERDAY kind of gal, and just give up because "it" hasn't happened yet....so, I dream on, and plan more....only to stop short again...

I decided that I am planning my future - again....but for the last time. I am mapping it out, and gonna just dig in...and stay in this time.

So, I'm Jumping In..... "In" to lilfe...."In" to my dreams...."In" to my goals. Just getting off the sidelines of this game...and getting "In".

Much more to come...but for now....its off to yet another blazing weekend of baseball!

Until next time,

Ophelia

A New Love..and Some Beginner's Magic..

Mama is in LOVE!!!

These PanPastels may be old news to some of you, but I have just found them and I am in LOVE!! Have you all tried these ????Oh, my Goodness! I am in love! I played around, and played around, and there is just so much you can do with these.

I did this background by applying color directly on a non-gessoed page. I just smeared it on with their large sized Sofft tool. I used 2 colors (pink and orange) and applied gesso over the top...what a dream!!!

Same with this page, I didn't add collage stuff yet.

Same here...just green and yellow...very, very sorry for the poor scans...but these pastels are so creamy and smooth and go on like butter! Good Golly Miss Molly!

I had a workshop on yesterday morning at Jerry's....Beautiful Beginnings...and beautiful it was! I just love watching people do something, and they are having such a great time with it, that they lose track of time...well, that is what happened here...it was honestly such a great time! Magic was made all over the place!

As always, I'm totally inspired by supplies!!!!

Anywho, I found this fortune that says Keep true to the dreams of your youth, and that struck a cord with me, so here is my completed page.

Until next time,

Ophelia

Baseball...all the Time!

And....a story of "separated at birth"

After a very brief break in the baseball action...or the switch from regular season to tournament ball, we are back in the heat of baseball...

My husband followed his dream of creating a team, and I must say, they look good! The best part was that the kids had a blast....

Not to mention how very cute they looked in their uniforms...

Meet....42.....Stephen Staton....affectionately called "Boog" by his mom on the sidelines...oh, he hates it...but, well...thats my job..

My husband Steve and his right hand man Assistant Coach Bill Lowery....these two are truly brothers.....

Ok...here's the story....

Meet Cissy....her husband Bill, is pictured above....

Cissy and I met years back on a soccer field as our kids played on opposing teams. I was just beginning to leave the house again after losing our second son, and I honestly don't know what drew us into each others paths, but we started talking - ok, hugging...sounds strange now, but its true...

We met again a couple of years later on the baseball field - of course- and started talking again...getting close to my birthday, I mentioned that I would be 34 that year, and she said she would too....her birthday, December 24th...well, so is mine- the year 1969. We laughed about it, and fast forward a few years, we met again...our kids playing this time on the same team....as we started the conversation, we were geared up for our Big 4-0 and just started yapping about our birthdays.... I said to her ..that I was born in the small town of Sumter, SC....and her face dropped...Me too she said....we were born the same day, year, town, and hospital, same doctor...we of course called our moms who agreed "I was not there to socialize" ....enough said.

So, here was are...living in small town Creedmoor again after being separated at birth all those years ago....and now, our families are together always! We keep thinking of calling Oprah, or getting tattoos!

I'll keep you posted of the decision....

Until next time, and I promise to get back to art...

Ophelia

What Mama Wants....

Mama Gets....and I got it GOOD!!!!!!

For as long as I can remember, I have been wanting and needing a getaway....and thats exactly what I got. My kids went away this week to camp...my son to Camp Oak Hill, and my daughter to Camp Granny's (my mom & dads)!! Which left me home alone with my studio and art supplies! Life couldn't get any better than that right! I of course got sick and the house was way too quiet. My husband worked constantly, but all in all, it was a good week! I didn't get as much art done as I would have liked, but I got the quiet time that I needed, and my son returned home revived and refreshed. A good time was had by all!!

So, from the studio, I started a new journal...or at least decorated the cover of one that I was working in...

and the inside page....

I did a demo at Jerry's last week on watercolor crayons, pencils, and pastels, and here are a few of the backgrounds that I started....I will get busy finishing these up before I head out to pick up my daughter...

And I even got out of the house and took a cardmaking class at Archivers using those Glimmer Mists and Distress Inks....Good Golly Miss Molly....that started a wildfire...

So here is some play in my journal with a stencil that I have....tons of fun!!!

I have a few more days of play until I pick up my daughter on Sunday....so, I'm off this morning to the flea market...then our first tournament game...YAY more baseball...ugh...then scrapbooking tonight....

Tomorrow I am heading to Jerrys for a demo with Phil Garrett with Golden Paints....I will use every ounce of this time that I have been given!!!!!!!

Until next time,

Ophelia

Welcome July!!

My July journal page....time is simply flying by....and July for me is Live It Up month!! My journal is getting so fat that it is really hard to get a good scan these days, but enjoy!

Until next time,

Ophelia