I Know, I Know...

What can i say: I'm a Slacker!


I'm not *exactly* a Slacker, though.  I *have* been busy.
Plus the Sun hasn't shone around here for a few days, so i haven't been able to take any pictures of my latest Painting, so i haven't had a whole lot of desire to post...


Okay, okay!  So i'm *not* a Slacker...


I'm a Procrastinator!   [rolling eyes] Whatever.


Anyway!
The Sun finally decided to shine today, so i got my busy butt out there and took photos of my latest Painting!  Yay!   Go Me!  =-)


I'm sort of proud of this one. 
I  know when you see it, you're gonna think it's a religious Icon, or a Saint, or something similar, but, honestly it's NOT!


...
Wait.  
Let me start from the beginning, which is actually a very good place to begin.


I took an online painting course from Connie that lasted 6 weeks, and i discovered that i ABSOLUTELY LOVE painting!  Her course is about the Process, and not about the Product (the outcome, the actual picture). 
(If you're at all interested, she has a FREE course you can try first to see if you might like her paid course;  Total Alignment.  LOVED it!   Then took a paid course;  BIG.  LOVED IT too!)


Anyway, i took her free course and then took a paid course, and then...
The course ended, as all things much, eventually.


So then i had a decision to make.
Do i wait and take another course with Connie, 
or do i try to decide what to paint...  On My Own?!?!


Well, her next course didn't start until January (this was back in November), and i honestly didn't want to wait that long. 
I wanted to paint, 
and i wanted to paint *now*!


But then i had another decision to make:
...
...what do i paint *about*?!?


Well.
Last month, i got to thinking about "what do i paint about now", and i decided to touch on the subject that i discovered while still in the beginning of the BIG course:
Why do i hold back?
Why do i deny myself so much, and worry so much?
WHY DO I HOLD BACK?!?!


So *that's* what i painted about.


"Why Do I Hold Back?"


It felt good while i was painting.
I thought about the fact that i've been "holding back" all my life.
I thought about how "holding back" stems from Worry.
I thought about lots of things while i was painting, but i didn't allow myself to think about whether my painting "looked right", or whether it was "good".
I Just Painted.
I painted what "felt right", and what felt good.
I talked out loud to myself while i was painting.
I asked myself questions that i didn't *need* to answer at that time.


I talked to myself A LOT while i painted this one.
And if felt Right.
It felt Good.


I didn't come up with any "answers" during this painting time, but at least i was asking myself the "right" questions.  =-)


I *know* they were the right questions, because they "painted out".
(Don't ask me to explain that one; i'm not really sure how to answer it.  I just know in my Heart that what i was doing was Right and Good.)  =-)


Sorry.  I've had coffee, so i tend to yak a lot when i've had coffee.
Without further "ado", here's


"Holding Back & Worry"  (Dec. 2011)

I know it's difficult to tell without anything to "scale"  it, but

it's about 3' wide x 5' tall.

And sorry about the shadows too!

Here's another shot where i moved the Painting a bit 

to effectively "move" the shadows...

I "warned" you before that she looks kinda like a religious Icon or Saint or somemthing.  That was NOT my intention when i was painting it!
NOPE!
I was just "painting what i felt"!
Painting without questioning "why".
Painting that which felt "Right".


...did i mention that i don't like her eyes?
I think they're "fuxxed up"!
But that's not my problem!
That is what "came out", so that's what's there.


...and that's really why i'm not posting any close-ups of this one.
I don't want you to nit-pick either.
It is what it is.




...and i like it.
Now, don't get me wrong!  If i sit around and "analyze" it, then i can see EVERY LITTLE IMPERFECTION!
But that's not the point in Connie's painting courses!
The point is
to paint!
And so that's what i did.


=-)


I hope you're having a marvelous day!


...and if you're not?
Well, then, you'd better turn around!
Lift your head up and LAUGH OUT LOUD!
That always makes me feel a little bit better,
even when i'm in one of my Dark Places.


It's another glorious day!
And you've been given the miracle and blessing of Being a Part of It!!!
=-)


Take care!




=-)

Well... Finally!

I thought, since it's a New Year... a "new beginning"... that today would be a good day to finally post about my Beaded Cuff.

I've been working on it, off and on, for a *while* now.  =-)

Don't ask me how long it took to bead it...  I really don't know. 

I don't keep up with that kind of thing when i'm on a project.

My husband would be good at that type of thing, though.

...but i didn't ask him at the beginning of this project, to do that for me, so...

Sorry.  Just suffice to say that it took 

"a while".  =-)

Part of the reason for that is that there were plenty of times where the cuff simply *sat* on my desk... waiting...  

Waiting for me to pick it up again.

Then, there were those times when i worked on it for *hours* at a time:

boring days,

and most especially on those 4-hour rides to Beaufort, SC to see my Mom.

*Lots* of productive time then!

Before i let you see it (assuming you haven't already scrolled down of your own accord!) please allow me to babble a bit.  =-)

I don't remember how i got the idea for this thing, but once i did, i just *had* to make it.  =-)

I have some crushed velvet in my stash that i've had for a looong time.  

I don't even remember where it came from, or how long i've had it.  I *think* i got it when i used to make purses/bags.  

Anyway.

I got the idea to use up some of these beads i have lying around in my cabinet.  

(I've had them a long time too.  I've always wanted to do something with them, but never knew *what*...) 

Anyway.

I decided i wanted to make me a beaded cuff on that velvet.

(I guess i must tell you that it's not *really* velvet... but i don't know what it is, so... it's "velvet", okay?)

I originally thought i'd use a Coke can as the "underbelly"... the "base"... the "stabilizer" for the cuff,but as i went on with the project, i found out i didn't really wanna do it that way.

Okay.

Pause.

Rewind.

Rethink.

Pause some more.

Talk to friends about "what to do", "what to do".

My friend Pat (from the Y) suggested what i should use to "stiffen" up the "innards" like i was thinking i should.  I forget what the stuff is called, but it was BRIGHT yellow.  I mean brighter than Highlighter Yellow!  And it was kinda canvas-like, and kinda hole-y.  I dunno what it was, but it was some Embroidery or Crewel material that's a bit stiff.

Bingo!

Thanks Pat!  =-)

And, Yes.

I individually hand-sewed *each* and *every* bead onto the "velvet".

Yes. It took a long time.

It took a very long time.

BUT!

I enjoyed it.

For some people, it would drive them batty.

But for me, i truly enjoyed it.  

It's a time to slow down.

A time to think about other things.

A time to relax into a soothing rhythm of string bead, poke needle, pull thread, tie knot, poke needle, pull thread.  Repeat.

Soothing.

For someone like me, anyway.  =-)

And once i finally completed the beading, it was so wonderful!

Satisfying that i accomplished such a "daunting" task; a project i've never really tried before.   

And this is something that's "All Me"!

I didn't have any type of "pattern".

No Tutorial or Instructions from anyone else.

No Pattern whatsoever!

This one is "All Me", Baby!  =-)

So, please enjoy!   =-)

Wendy's Beaded Cuff in the late afternoon Sun

But... See that little "string" up there?

On the upper Left?

...Yeah.

That's where a bead has already been broken off!

Can you believe it?!  I've only worn it like 3 or 4 times, and

i've already *broken* it!

I think i can fix it, though.

And i'm STILL wearing it!

ONE little broke-off bead is NOT gonna make me STOP wearing it!

I love it too much.

=-)

Yep.  There's that little "string"...

Taunting me again

"Nah-nah, nah-nah, nah!" and sticking its tongue out at me.

Well, i'm STILL wearing it, so

THERE!

Hmph!

 Why, yes, it *does* close with Snaps!    (I  originally thought about Velcro, but changed my mind)

 See?!  Those *are* Snaps.  =-)

 And the Inside shot...

 The Centerfold Shot  =-)

(Does this count as "Porn"?)

I've "busted" a bead off of it already!
I'll have to see if i can fix that before any more come off!

But i  love it anyway!  =-)

So, i hope you've enjoyed this post!
I'm pretty proud of my Beaded Cuff (if you couldn't already tell).  =-)
And it goes with pretty much *everything*
which is always a Bonus.  =-)


And the truly flattering part?
My little sister, Z?
The *really* *picky* sister?
She LOVES it and wants me to make one for her!!!  (Just not quite so wide...)


(And i take that as *quite* the Compliment!)


I hope you're having a Super Fantastic Wonderful Day!!!


And
by the way


HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!


=-)