Living Without Guilt (as much as possible)!!

I hereby confirm that I will stop giving excuses as to why my posts are so infrequent. That is really boring to read. And if you are reading this I hope it makes you happy that you no longer have to listen to my sad stories of never having enough time to do the things I want to do.

I really DO wish there were more "me" hours in the day, but it IS my choice to fill my "spare" time (as opposed to "work" time) with the things that bring me the most pleasure so I shall instead tell you about some of the things that are currently making me happy. And I must mention that I am so very fortunate to have an unbelievably supportive husband (Ed) who does all the daily tasks (grocery shopping, cooking, vaccuuming, etc.) that allow me to do the fun things that keep me happy.

I hear you asking.....what are those fun things you do?

1) I entered several pieces of my artwork in the New Mexico State Fair this month and came home with six first place blue ribbons (three dolls, two hand made books and a polymer clay necklace), three second place red ribbons (two books and a 3-D wall hanging), and a Best of Show gorgeous purple ribbon for another hand made book. I was thrilled beyond words.

2) I am working on more pieces of art for a November show that I have been juried into. It is called "Una Vida" and you can see info about the show at www.unavidaartproject.com.

3) I am working on an Inspirational Card Deck to participate in a swap organized by Jessica Brogan. You can get information at www.insearchofdessert.com.

4) I spent a glorious day yesterday with my bestest Albuquerque friend, Cynde shopping for art supplies and books (because neither of us have enough of those things, right?) I wish all of my bestest friends could have come along with us........like Bestest Pam from North Dakota, and Bestest Jane from Florida and Bestest Maureen from Australia, and Bestest Claire from Switzerland, and.......oh heck, why do we all have to live so far apart?? I am so blessed to have wonderful friends from all over the globe and I thank the internet gods for allowing me to stay in touch with them all, even if it is from a distance.

5) I contacted Madison Steiner who runs a fabulous program called Peach's Neet Feet. Please read about it at her website www.peachsneetfeet.com. Peach's Neet Feet (PNF) is a grassroots custom shoe donation project. She organizes artists to paint shoes for children battling cancer, serious illness, and lifelong disabilities. I am excited to get my first pair of shoes to paint.

6) Ed and I are going to Australia in November for two weeks of R&R and he will be teaching at a clogging event there, too. It will be in the same venue where he proposed to me 10 years ago to the day!! So I am making lists of what to take and what to do before I go to get the house ready for the two medical students who will be housesitting and taking care of our animals.

7) I sent off my second deposit for the art retreat next year in Dufort, France with Dayle Doroshow. I've also been surfing www.airbnb.com to find a place to stay when Ed comes over to join me for a week in Paris. Won't that be a wonderful adventure? We will also be able to see the Tour de France live and in person!

So that is just a few of the things I'm doing these days, and the reason I'd really like more hours in the day and days in the week......because believe it or not, there is still much more I'd like to do!!!

hugs to all
Annie

Really?

Really? Another two and a half months gone by? What have I accomplished? Well, certainly not a lot of blogging!! And not a whole lot of art, but hey, I've spent HOURS looking at art and reading about art and Facebooking about art. I joined Mindy Murphy Lacefield's "Paint Your Story" but haven't started actually DOING anything with it yet. But I've sure been inspired. I also just joined The Trodden Path - a ning group of artists, and I've been inspired there, too!! I signed up for the prayer flag swap which should be fun!!

So now I just have to force my inspiration to actually DO something!!!! This weekend I am bringing Ronna Sarvas Weltman in for a polymer clay and wire workshop. I KNOW I will create something wonderful this weekend. Can't wait to see her again and hang out with my polymer tribe.

I signed up to participate in The Color Run on August 25th. What could be more fun that arriving at the start line of a 5K walk/run dressed in white only to be bombarded with neon colors while meandering down the course?? I couldn't find anyone to do it with me, but as an artist, I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to participate in such an awesome event. I'll post photos soon.

So off I go to eat an egg salad sandwich and find the courage to create.

hugs to all

Everything changes - trying to keep up!!

Another two + months have passed with no blogging by yours truly. I've already written about trying not to make excuses, so I won't go there, but.........oh, never mind.

I got online today to blog a bit and everything had changed. I broke my Blackberry so I joined the Apple craze and got an iPhone. I took it home to play with it and everything had changed. We got the new WORD and everything had changed.

Sometimes (actually more and more often) I long to own a little cabin in the woods near a lake with no computer, no flashing billboards, no meth houses in the neighborhood.......just peace and quiet and time to meditate, do some yoga and work in my studio.

I suppose that isn't absolutely realistic because I need the awesome contact with all my artist friends and I do love the movies and the theater. I'm so excited because my favorite musical, Les Miserables (which I have already seen five times) opens here next week and I have tickets for Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday!! Yeah, I'm a little crazy about it.

And it will make me think about France and my dream-coming-true of going to La Cascade for Dayle Doroshow's workshop next year!! I am working very hard toward that goal. Found out that I have enough frequent flyer miles to fly to Paris for FREE, so now I just have to work at selling more art to fund my trip. In three weeks I'll be at the New Mexico Arts & Crafts Fair and hoping to do well.

So I must dash for now..............I have things to create.

In the meantime I'll leave you with a photo of what I'll be seeing next July in France.......fields and fields of them!!

To Artfest I shall go!!!

Tomorrow morning I fly to Seattle, meet up with my friend Ilene (who drives a rental van like nobody's business!!), take the ferry across the water (I love the ferry) and drive to Port Townsend.

A few of us friends are meeting up and we'll have about 24 hours to discover the artsy town, do some shopping, eat some delicious food, stay up too late, laugh, giggle and enjoy each other's company as we become over excited about the start of Artfest on Wednesday evening.

Artfest......the most wonderful art adventure a person could ever have. We stay at Fort Worden (where An Officer & A Gentleman was filmed) and HUNDREDS of artists (over 500....can you believe?) soak in the creative magic of taking classes and hanging out together. There is nothing better. This will be my fourth year, and alas my last year as Teesha Moore has decided not to organize any more Artfests and find a different direction for her fabulous creative talents.

So we are all excited about the coming week but I know there will be LOTS of tears as we say goodby to each other on Sunday. I've made some fabulous friends over the years, and so it is with bittersweet anticipation that I set off on my last Artfest adventure.

So many things to do.....so little time

Another two weeks has passed and I've been a busy little bee (well, ok, a busy big bee). I am still on a high from Kate Church's workshop that I attended in Dallas, and this past weekend I organized, and attended, a polymer workshop with polymer clay artist Barb Fajardo. We had tons of fun and I made some cool beads as you can see by the photo. (well, I am assuming you also think they are cool, but it's ok if you think they are hot!!)

I also decided to get started with my challenge to myself of more exercise so I've signed up for Nia, Salsa Aerobics and Zumba classes. So far I am loving them and it's nice to be moving again instead of just coming home after work to make art. Of course I'm still coming home to make art, but I know I need the exercise, so I dance around and think about art while I'm kicking up my heels!!

I am working on lots of art actually.....just mailed in my chunky book pages for a project with the Art Unravaled group. Working on a Valentine challenge with my local LIBROS Book Guild, writing a lesson plan for my journaling group about stencils, getting ready to make ATCs and Fatbook pages for Artfest in March, thinking about my Art House project, and I have organized an Artfest charm swap and the charms have started arriving!! Did I hear someone say "don't look now, but Annie is addicted to making art"? I guess of all the addictions out there, mine is at least good for me (except for those nights where I can't sleep because I've got an idea for another project!!)

Gotta go......I hear my paints calling me.

Magic with Kate Church

I just got back from a three day workshop in Dallas with Candian artist Kate Church. http://www.katechurch.com/ It was so AWESOME and MAGICAL and FANTASTIC. Kate is a wonderful teacher and the whole class made some fantastic pieces. I loved how mine came out. I just want to sit and make more little people.

Kate and I will be planning soon for a workshop is Albuquerque in 2013. No dates set yet, but I want to learn more from her. Don't miss a fabulous opportunity to work with a master!! More info coming later.