Hello from a new place!

Sorry I've been MIA for a while but my husband and two children and I moved about a month ago and I am just now starting to feel like my life is falling back into a routine somewhat. 

Our new house, which is actually the parsonage because my husband is a minister, is larger than our previous residence.  And with that said I now have an art room!  I am so excited!  It is my little slice of heaven right here on earth plus an escape when I need to step away from Jacob (three years) and Joshua (five years)... somehow they always seem to find me though.  I will definitely be taking pictures soon but I am an organizational freak so I wanted everything labeled before I took pictures.

My art room was one of the first things I unpacked because with the stress of moving I wanted to be able to grab my Sharpie and draw at any given time.  Also I used to swap a lot on Swap-bot and I wanted to start doing that again.  Get the creative juices flowing again by making ATC's, swapping fabric and drawing zentangles.

Here is a picture of our new house.  The circular window (to the left) on the second floor is part of my art room.  My haven.

Revisiting ZENTANGLES

Since the weather is getting nice my boys are playing outside more and more and since they are still too little to leave alone I sit outside with them.  Well if you are a crafter you know there is no such thing as "just sitting".  I have to always be doing something with my hands, whether it's watching my boys outside or watching tv inside, it just drives me nuts to sit still.  So I think that's how I got back into zentangling.  It's extremely portable... just my drawing pad and a pen.  Here are my latest creations:

I started this one a long time ago but didn't finish because I started knitting again.  I had to finish it before I took the picture! It is untitled.

This one I did while I was outside watching the boys.  It's almost too ridged for me, I like them a little more free flowing but it was an experiment.

This one is called DANCING TREES:

My latest two that I haven't named yet:

I should by stock in Sharpie Markers!

New ideas

I love buttons and I love painting on them but lately I've been knitting and water coloring.  Well I've revisited my buttons because I have some new ideas for them.  My first step was to collect aluminum can lids (easy, I had them leftover from another Christmas angel project).  Next I visited the hardware store for washers; big heavy washers.  Who knew that creative people LOVE hardware stores because we NEVER use the supplies for purposes intended.

The next thing I did was to glue the buttons on the aluminum can lids then prime them for painting: 

Then let the fun begin!

So this is almost the finished product.  I can't decide whether to make them pendants or put pin backs on them because some of them are rather large.  The diameter of these 3 measures about 3".  So the front is finished but the back isn't.

And here is another look at some of my creations drying in the sun:

Ideals Magazine

I have a few old issues of this wonderful magazine but it is no longer in print. 
Taken from www.thenewmagazinecity.com they said "Ideals Magazine has ceased publication. Ideals enriched life with inspiring stories, beautiful poetry, and touching reader contributions. Each issue of Ideals Magazine offered page after page of spectacular full-color photographs, wonderful drawings and paintings, as well as heartwarming scenes of seasonal celebration".
Now I know I could go onto ebay and find more Ideals magazines but I just like to stumble upon them every now and then.  I would like to share with you a poem taken from the January 1956 Old Fashioned issue of Ideals:

How Grandma Danced By Mary Mapes Dodge


Grandma told me all about it,
Told me so I couldn't doubt it,
How she danced, my grandma danced:
Long, long ago.


How she held her pretty head,
How her dainty skirt she spread,
How she slowly leaned and rose -
Long, long ago.


Grandma's hair was bright and sunny,
Dimpled cheeks, too, oh, how funny!
Really quite a pretty girl -
Long, long ago.


Bless her! why, she wears a cap,
Grandma does, and takes a nap
Every single day: and yet
Grandma danced the minuet -
Long, long ago.


"Modern ways are quite alarming,"
Grandma says, "but boys were charming"
(Girls and boys she means, of course)
"Long, long ago."


Brave but modest, grandly shy;
She would like to have us try
Just to feel like those who met
In the graceful minuet -
Long, long ago.


When I read this poem it reminded me so much of my grandmother.  She lived to be 100 years old and she was a wonderful woman.  She would tell me stories of how she and my grandfather would dance the night away at the Cavalier Hotel in Virginia Beach; oh how she loved to dance.  She went to be with her one true love, my grandfather, in heaven in 2007 and I believe they are still dancing up there too.

Fun, Fun, Fun

These are two of my favorite watercolors I've done in the past two weeks.  I've tried other subjects but I seem to get the most satisfaction from painting flowers.  My style is still evolving.  I want to try different techniques and styles.  And by that I mean more abstract or loosen up a bit.  In the past I've tried to paint like other people, or have tried to be a realistic painter, but that's not me.  I think my work is somewhere between realistic and folk art.  I like it and to me that's all that matters.

Black Eyed Susans

size 2.5" X 3.5"

Morning Glories size 5" X 7"

Selling on Etsy again!

I am so excited to be selling on Etsy again.  I love creating art and anything and everything inspires me.  There is so much great talent out there and Etsy is definitely the place to find one-of-a-kind pieces.  I am still in the process of uploading my watercolor ACEO's and button pendants to sell but please take a look-see: www.kimagination.etsy.com

The latest

Wow I can't believe it's been a month since I last posted!  I've got to do better.  Anyway, my husband and two children and I just got back from a wonderful vacation out to WI and IL to see family.  I could ramble on and on about our adventures out there but I'm trying to stick to my crafting adventures so here's the latest:

I've told you about ATC's and how much I love creating them.  Artist Trading Cards are 2 1/2" X 3 1/2" and they are made to be traded with other artists.  I trade, or swap, mine on Swap-Bot.  Recently while in IL visiting with my mother-in-law she showed me what she has recently started to collect.  She knew I would be interested because I love to paint.  They are called ACEO's.  I've heard of them and understand that they are like ATC's but I didn't exactly know the difference.  The difference is people pay for ACEO's!  I didn't know people would actually pay money for these little works or art but my mother-in-law does so that got me thinking...hmmm... I could try my hand at that... so right now I'm in the midst of painting ACEO's to sell.  ACEO stands for Artist Cards Editions and Originals.  I have an Etsy store but my mother-in-law buys her's on Ebay so I'm thinking about jumping ship and going over to Ebay.  Another new endeavor for me!

How my sock knitting is coming along

I finished my second ever pair of socks!!!

This pattern is called Syncopated Rib Socks from I Can't Believe I'm Knitting Socks by Cindy Guggemos for Leisure Arts.  It is a super easy pattern for a beginner like me.  It was just enough to challenge me but not so overwhelming that I got frustrated and quit.

Updates on the next two pairs of socks I've started:

I am doing a third pattern from the book  I Can't Believe I'm Knitting Socks.  I do have other sock books but I love the way this book is written.  My coral/pink pair has started out to be the little arrowhead lace socks (on pg. 50) but it doesn't look quite like the picture in the book.

The pattern is a little more complex so I need complete concentration (which does not happen with a two and four year old) and I need to be fully awake which is debatable after 8pm.  I haven't given up on it yet but trust me I've thought about it a few times. 

I think the reason why I haven't given up on my third pair is that I have picked a super easy pattern for my fourth pair.  Remember I said I always wanted to be working on two different pairs at the same time, one difficult and one easy. I found this pattern on Ravelry and it's called Thuja by Bobby Ziegler.

(I will post a picture in the next few days).

The designer is a man and the sock is really a man's sock but I'm using smaller needles.  The reason why I picked this pattern is because the pattern on the leg is carried down all the way on the top of the foot.  If you've noticed on my first two pairs of socks it is just the basic knit stitch once you turn the heal.  I'm challenging myself a little bit more each time and working my way up to the more difficult ones.

I had not planned on mentioning this book in this post (because it deserves a whole post all to itself) but I'm working my way up to this book:

It has some of the neatest designs!  I'll just share one with you in this post because it may be the first one I try from this book.  Again I emphasize MAYBE.

Stay tuned!