Dolls-n-Art by Michelle Eaton

I'M TAKING A BREAK

2010-02-06T10:00:00.004+10:00

from blogging for a little while. I have been hit with a few hard blows lately and just need to take some time out for me. I need to get back on track and figure stuff out.

I hope to not be gone for too long and will still pop on every now and again to see what everyone is up to and say hi.

Thank you xxoo

PHOTO OF THE WEEK - FAVOURITE COFFEE MUG

2010-01-28T17:24:00.004+10:00

I actually won this mug in a giveaway a little while ago from Julie Ann Bowden's blog. I love it and have all of my hot drinks from it.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK - SHADOW

2010-01-19T06:28:00.003+10:00

This is my shadow stretched out on the ground

THIS IS JUST GETTING SILLY!!

2010-01-15T08:48:00.006+10:00

I am in the worst 'funk' at the moment and I can't break myself out of it. It is driving me crazy! I feel so unmotivated and I am not sure why. I want to blog and do my art, but I just can't bring myself to do it at the moment. I think I am just a bit confused about stuff in my life at the moment and what I want to do. Hopefully I will break myself out of it soon. I think I just need to get in there and do it without thinking about it.

Anyway, I just wanted to pop on and let everyone know that I am still here and I am ok. I have been such a bad blogger at the moment and I feel so bad about it. I promise to try and do better.

I am also really looking forward to start participating in our 'photo of the week' group again. It looks like it will be a lot of fun this year with a lot of new ideas.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK - CHRISTMAS DAY

2009-12-31T10:14:00.006+10:00

I hope everyone had a great Christmas! Alex and I spent the day over at my Mum's house with my family. Mum prepared a lovely Chrissy lunch and pudding for dessert. We played games and chatted the day away. We had a lot of fun catching up with all the family.

Grandma, Mum and Grandad on Christmas day

My brother Beau

My brother Reece and his girlfriend Sarina

Sarina and Aaron checking out their bon-bon goodies

I can't believe today is the last day of the year. It has gone by sooo fast, and I must say I had a pretty good year with a lot of positive stuff around me. I, like a lot of other people I have talked to, feel a lot of change is coming for this new year. I am looking forward to it.

Have a Happy and Safe New Year Everyone

PHOTO OF THE WEEK - XMAS LIGHTS

2009-12-24T10:53:00.006+10:00

Alex, Aaron and I went to view some Chrissy lights last weekend. I have wonderful memories from when I was little of going and viewing the lights every year with my family. Everyone went to so much effort with their displays and it really made it feel like Christmas as everyone was happy and friendly.

Nowadays you don't see as many displays anymore which makes me a little sad. I can understand why though with the cost of everything going up and up. Maybe it will change again in years to come.

Here are some pics of a couple of the displays we saw -

I HOPE EVERYONE HAS A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS

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P.S. I also just wanted to mention that Katie is hosting a giveaway for me on her blog. Pop on over and leave a comment here to be in the draw to win your choice of one of my pendants. Good Luck!

AND THE WINNERS ARE...

2009-12-21T17:04:00.006+10:00

Sorry I am a little late with doing this, but I have been really sick all week and have been stuck in bed with no energy to do anything. I am on the mend now though so here we go with the draw for Katie M. Berggren's giveaway -

My Mum and little brother helping me out

Ohhhh who could it be?

The first name out of the bowl was Linda Fleming!

and the second winner is Snicker Doodle Kids!

Congratulations ladies! You now can pop on over to Katie's etsy store and pick out which print you would like for yourself. Email her to let her know your mailing address and which one you have chosen and she will post it off to you as soon as possible.

Go to Katie's blog here

PHOTO OF THE WEEK - WEDDING BELLS

2009-12-15T10:07:00.010+10:00

Alex and I had a very busy weekend just gone by. We were up on the Sunshine Coast for Alex's older sister Kate's wedding.

We were all a bit nervous though as Kate is a huge horse lover and her dream was for her and her flower girl to be lead down the aisle on her horses. We were not sure how either of the horses would react to this situation as they have never done anything like this before.

Coming down the aisle

There were a few hairy scary moments as the flower girls horse (who was suppose to be in front of the bride) refused to go through the arch. He dug his little hooves in and wouldn't budge. Kate's Mum had to just go on ahead with Kate.

Kate having a laugh about it

They seemed to be doing well until they got closer to the crowd and he too started to panic, and to every ones horror started backing up into the other horse and almost stood on one of the bridesmaids who were concentrating on coaxing the other horse to follow. Kate tried to nudge the horse forward but he wouldn't go much further, so she had to get off there. She was quickly collected by her Dad to walk her the rest of the way.

Kate being collected by her Dad

Her nervous groom was waiting for her at the other end. Kate's new husband is Scottish so they all looked snazzy done up in their kilts on the day.

This is the groom just as he saw Kate for the first time

It was a beautiful ceremony. I didn't get many photos of it though as it was really overcast and my camera isn't the best in those conditions.

The happy couple getting photos with the horses after the ceremony

After the we did the family photos the bridal party took off to get more photos done. The rest of the guests where offered drinks a nibbles in the venues courtyard, where we all got to chat and catch up with everyone.

Alex's little brother Josh and his girlfriend Petro, Me and Alex having drinks

~CONGRATULATIONS KATE AND GRAEME~

GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-12-10T12:59:00.005+10:00

I have been following the work of fellow artist Katie m. Berrgren for quite a while now. I am in love with her painting style and the sentimental messages portrayed in each and every one of her beautiful pieces. Ever since I found Katie's work all I have wanted to do is share my discovery with everyone.

So in support of this amazing artist, I would like to host a giveaway for her. Katie has generously offered a print of her work to two lucky readers of my blog who enter this giveaway. It will start today and will be drawn on December 17. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post and you will automatically be in the draw. Easy peasy!

I recommend a visit to Katie's blog here, or check out her portfolio here. You will not be disappointed.

GOOD LUCK!!!!!

HOLIDAY SKETCHING

2009-12-09T13:35:00.003+10:00

I just wanted to share a quick sketch I did while I was sitting by the pool on holiday.

Now I'm thinking about doing a beach series of paintings.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK - I'VE DECKED THE HALLS

2009-12-08T18:03:00.007+10:00

It is getting so close to Christmas now!

I am excited about spending time with the family, but Christmas can be such a hard job. I hate trying to juggle all sets of families at the one time, especially when they don't live anywhere near each other. Then there is also the separated parents who you have to go to individually. It is tough trying not to hurt any ones feelings. I think when Alex and I start our own little family we will just be having Christmas at our own home and who ever wants to see us can come to us, lol. I am sure many of you can relate though.

I put up the few decorations that Alex and I have collected over the years last night. We don't have much, but again, once we have a family it will be a bit better. These are not the best photos due to poor lighting.

This is my table center piece

I have always loved this little snowman

This is our little Christmas tree

This is our lounge with the Christmas tree set up

I hope everyone is happy and safe over this Christmas period. Have a great week :)

I'M IN A CALENDAR!!

2009-12-03T15:48:00.006+10:00

Talented artist Ann Gardner recently contacted me in regards to joining her and 10 other fellow artists in doing a collaborative folk art calendar for 2010 together. I thought it was a wonderful idea and jumped on board straight away. I am the November girl!

Ann has done a wonderful job with the calendar and I feel very proud to have my art displayed here. Every one's artwork looks beautiful!

Here is what Ann has to say about her idea for the calendar -

"The idea for this piece came to me one day. I love art. I love to collect other people's art, but year after year, I run out of space and MONEY. Wouldn't it be fun to have a little snippet of art from artists all over the world? Best thing is, I get to have 12 new pieces each year and all in one spot."

CHECK OUT THE CALENDAR HERE!

I'M ENGAGED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-12-02T15:49:00.010+10:00

Yep, after 5 wonderful years together my beautiful partner Alex finally popped the big question. Of course I said yes straight away. I am so happy!!!

I have been back from our holiday for a few days now, and have been dying to post about my big news, but we have been telling the family and I didn't want them to read it here first before we got to tell them in person.

Our holiday was sooooo much fun! Neither of us wanted to come home. The weather was beautiful the whole time so we spent a lot of time in the pool or at the beach, which was just across the road. I really would love to move up to the Sunshine Coast to live one day soon. It is such an amazing place.

Here are a few pics from our holiday -

My fiance (he he!) out at breakfast one morning

Me enjoying my coffee

The ocean across the road from our hotel room

Me in the hotel pool

This beach had a lot of rock pools and you can see the lighthouse in the distance on the cliff

A view from the cliff where the lighthouse sits. We went up there one evening to watch the sun set. It was so beautiful, the photos just don't do it justice!

Another view from the cliff. A lot of people go surfing down there

I am looking forward to catching up on every ones blogs now and seeing what you have all been up to while I was away. Have a great week :)

I AM GOING AWAY ON A LITTLE HOLIDAY

2009-11-20T17:49:00.002+10:00

Hi everyone, just thought I should pop on and let you know that I won't be blogging for the next week. My partner Alex and I will be heading up to the Sunshine Coast for a week for a much needed holiday. It will be our five year (dating) anniversary too, which I am also excited about. I am really looking forward to this break away with my beautiful partner.

Have a great week everyone! I know I will :)

PHOTO OF THE WEEK - BEACH TRIP

2009-11-17T09:25:00.006+10:00

Hi everyone!

I had a wonderful weekend. I hope you all did too. Alex and I went down the coast on Sunday. The weather was lovely, although quite hot. We stopped in at the Carrara Markets on our way down as we have never been and they are suppose to be really big and quite good.

They were big although not what I would call good markets. I was really disappointed in them. They were basically just a bunch of dollars and cents shops (cheap nick knack imports) all packed together with a few fresh produce stores in between. It was basically all commercial stuff, and there were only a few handmade things being sold there. I probably would not go back again. Just not my style of markets unfortunately.

We headed off to the beach afterwards which was definitely worth the trip down. It was beautiful and the water was perfect. I will let these pictures do the talking though -

Have a great week everyone :)

I CHOSE ORANGE...

2009-11-12T14:21:00.003+10:00

for my background colour. It was one of the colours I was leaning towards as orange is blues complimentary colour. I also got a couple of comments suggesting the orange too which helped make up my mind. I think it turned out well, what do you think?

MORE WIP - CHRISTMAS TAGS AND PAINTING

2009-11-11T09:25:00.003+10:00

I did some more work on my new painting yesterday and base coated the Christmas gift tags. I am having trouble deciding what colour to do the background of my painting though. Any ideas?

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

2009-11-09T14:53:00.006+10:00

Wow, another Monday! Time is just flying at the moment. Hope you all had great weekends.

I am really excited at the moment because during the week I got to catch up with my very good friend Sally who I haven't seen in over two years. We use to work together at Subway after I finished school, and we became really close friends. Unfortunately we ended up losing contact through lost mobiles, job changes and house moves. I have been missing her like crazy, and this week Sally finally tracked me down through my brother's friend and I went over to visit her on Friday. We had heaps of fun catching up and I got to meet her baby girl who is now 10 months old and her son who I last saw just after he was born, he is now 2. We will definitely not be loosing this friendship again.

Me and Sally's little boy Tyler. He is sooo cute!

In other news I have just been busy in my art room preparing new things and finishing old things.

A new piece I have started

Making lots of pendants

and I plan to make Christmas ornaments out of these blank gift tags

Have a great week :)

PHOTO OF THE WEEK - MARKETS

2009-11-02T09:26:00.006+10:00

Thanks everyone for your kind words of encouragement for my first market venture. It gave me a lot of confidence. I was pretty nervous on the day. My Mum, Grandma, and two of my brothers were there though to lend me and hand.

Although we had a nice time on the day, there wasn't really that many people that showed up, and the only ones who did were the residents of the village, no one from outside. I don't think the organisers really advertised there being markets which was a bummer.

I still managed to sell a few items though which I am happy about. Mainly a few dolls and bookmarks sold, none of my art pendants which I was worried about. I don't think it was the right target market to sell my pendants to though since it was at on over 50's retirement village. It was a great learning experience and I wouldn't mind maybe looking into doing the local community markets on a regular basis.

Here are some pics I wanted to share of the day.

My brothers Aaron and Beau at our table

My doll display

Pendants, magnets, bookmarks and felt toys

Mum and Grandma having a look around at the other stalls

MONDAY'S PHOTO OF THE WEEK

2009-10-28T08:02:00.006+10:00

Hi everyone, sorry I haven't been posting much lately. I have been so busy getting ready for an upcoming market event at my Grandparents retirement village this Saturday. I will be selling rag dolls, pendants, magnets, and other arts and crafts. I am pretty excited as it's my very first market venture. I hope it goes well.

Any who, now for this weeks photos. Alex and I decided to invite my Mum and brothers over for a lunch time barbecue on Sunday. It was perfect weather for it and I don't think we have used the BBQ since moving into this house. The food was delicious and the company was even better ;)

Alex on the BBQ

Brad relaxing

Mum and Aaron

ANOTHER PAINTING

2009-10-16T17:16:00.003+10:00

Here is another painting I have just finished today. I am really liking painting on the black background and using the black as the outline. I think it really high lights areas. I also like using the technique of gluing tissue paper onto the canvas to give it texture and movement.

This is done on an 8"x10" flat canvas

LOOKY WHAT I WON

2009-10-14T18:12:00.004+10:00

Hi everyone,

Today has been soooo hot and we are having another dust storm to top it all off. It is too hot to shut up the house to keep all the dust out so we are just suffering with the smell and the dry eyes. It stinks!!!

Anyway, I just wanted to share with you the giveaway prize I won the other day through Val Zdero's art blog. I was so excited and couldn't believe I had won such a wonderful gift! I have been following Val's blog for a while now, she does beautiful painted artwork and has recently started making jewellery with it. If you haven't seen her blog it is definitely worth a look.

I received this print as well as this handmade necklace.

Thanks so much Val for my wonderful gift, you made my day :)

PENDANTS, A NEW ART PIECE AND AN AWARD

2009-10-10T13:11:00.008+10:00

Hi everyone,

I have been trying hard to get some new stuff done in my art room this week. I just thought I would pop on and show you what exactly I have been up to.

First of all I have finally started making some art pendants with prints of my own artwork. I really like how they have turned out, but I want to get in and paint some more paintings to give me a bit more of a variety.

Here is one of the pendants I made.

I have signed the back and it is completely sealed.

I am having a bit of difficulty getting good photos of them all. The sun keeps going behind clouds today and taking away my natural lighting. So I can't put them up on Etsy just yet :(

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I am also trying out a new style of blending and painting at the moment. I am trying to loosen up a bit with my strokes. Which is pretty hard cause I am such a perfectionist.

What do you think?

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I was given this award by Shelley Szczucki at The Charming Place. Thank you so much Shelly for this wonderful award :)

Now I have to tell 7 facts about myself and then pass it on to 7 people. So here goes -

1. I love the Twilight book series.
2. I love listening to music while I paint.
3. I am loving the new series of 'Glee' on TV (all the single ladies, all the single ladies, put you hands up. LOL, too funny!).
4. I would love to go caravaning around Australia one day with my partner Alex.
5. I love the beach.
6. I am 5'6" tall.
7. I drive a Holden Barina hatch back.

the seven people I will pass it onto are -

1. Melissa
2. Serena Lewis
3. Micki Wilde
4. Genie Sea
5. The peanut butter bandit
6. Micah Holden
7. Autumn Davidson

MONDAY'S PHOTO OF THE WEEK

2009-10-05T15:06:00.011+10:00

Happy Monday everyone!

On Sunday Alex (my partner), Aaron (lil brother), and I went for a country drive. Our mission was actually to find a place called Christmas Creek that my parents use to take us to when we were little. I haven't been there for years, but have very fond memories of the place. My Mum and brothers still go there occasionally, so we got directions from them on how to get there. Unfortunately we never found the place :( We ended up just giving up and heading back home.

We still had a nice day out enjoying the country views though. Next time we will go when my Mum and brothers go so they can show us the way.

We stopped in at Beaudessert Park on the way and had KFC for lunch. This is Aaron having his fill,

and Alex enjoying his.

Alex and Aaron having fun on the rides at the park. Aaron quickly realised that KFC and a merry go round do not mix well.

This is a quick snap I took out of the car window while driving along through the country. There were so many baby animals around as well that we saw.
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Here are a couple of photos I couldn't resist putting up -

This cute little guy was out on our out door table the other morning trying to hide from the strong morning sun.

Alex moved him around the side of the house where he was a lot more sheltered and even had some water.

Looking forward to seeing everyone else's Monday photos :) Have a great week!

ARTIST'S WAY CHECK IN - WEEK 4

2009-10-02T17:29:00.003+10:00

Week four of our Artist's way was about recovering a sense of Integrity. Julia Cameron insisted that this week we deprive ourselves of all reading. This task is suppose to help unblock ourselves. She asks us to turn our creativity into coming up with new things to do rather then being in the same old routine. For me this was easy as our Internet was down, so I couldn't read blogs or surf the net like I would usually do on a daily basis. I didn't actually realise how much I depended on having the Internet until it was taken away from me. I painted a lot instead and even did some gardening and household cleaning.

In this chapter Julia also talks about that we may begin to have sudden bursts of feelings. One minute we may feel happy and the very next sad. I can identify with this completely. I thought I was going mad! She describes it as walking away from an old situation and into a new one. Being happy about it, but scared at the same time and unsure of what's ahead. This is a growing period for us.

Check in -

1. How many days this week did you do your morning pages?

I missed one day

2. Did you do your artist's date this week?

No. I am really struggling to do this one each week. I always feel my time is better spent doing something productive rather then waisting it on myself.

3. Did you experience any synchronicity this week?

No, not that I have given myself much of a chance.

4. Were there any other issues this week that you consider significant for your recovery?

I finally threw out old clothing that I could not fit into anymore. I would always look at it and it would get me down and depressed. I realised that it was just causing me to be negative about myself so I decided to get it out of my life. I realised I am not 19 years old anymore and that I am now a woman and of course my body shape will change. I feel I am looking at things more clearly now.

MONDAY'S PHOTO OF THE WEEK

2009-09-30T18:11:00.003+10:00

I know, I know, it's Wednesday, but we can ignore that fact can't we? ;)

Here is a pic I took from my art room window last week during a huge dust storm we had. It was crazy! Although we locked ourselves inside with every door and window shut tight, we could still smell and taste the dust in the air.

Everything got coated in the dust that traveled all the way from Australia's red center, and now everyone is busy cleaning their cars and houses. We are actually on pretty big water restrictions due to the drought, but they have been lifted this week for the clean up. The dust has actually caused a lot of people to get sick (my partner Alex included). I hope to never experience one of these again.

It was so eery and you couldn't see very far

THE ARTIST'S WAY - CHECK IN WEEK 3

2009-09-29T16:51:00.007+10:00

Hi all,

Sorry that I have been absent from my blog, but we lost our Internet connection about mid last week due to something breaking in the line. The phone company has fixed it now (finally) and hopefully nothing else will go wrong.

I am so exhausted with everything that has been going on lately. This has to be the busiest most complicated move I have ever experienced. I thought I would be back on track with everything by now, but obviously that is not the case. Maybe this week will be different and I will finally get a break.

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Anyway, I am here to start catching up with the Artists way journey that I started just before the move. I am a bit behind now, but I will still continue as I think I still have much to learn from this book. I also plan on getting around to all of the group members blogs this week to see how everyone is doing.

Week 3 was all about recovering a sense of power. With all that has been going on around me it seemed like this chapter was meant for me.

1. How many days this week did you do your morning pages? How was the experience for you?

I have only just started to do my morning pages again since the move. I have done the past three mornings and plan to continue.

I missed doing them though. It was weird because although I didn't actually write in my journal because I was so busy I would often find myself thinking about doing them and start mentally jotting down my thoughts just to get them out of my head. It kind of helped me relax and de-stress.

2. Did you do your artist date this week? If so what did you do?

No date sorry :(

3. Did you experience any synchronicity this week? What was it?

Not that I can recall

4. Were there any other issues this week that you consider significant for your recovery?

I am learning to stop my self criticism and replace it with something nice instead. I feel much happier about myself and my art by doing this.

An Exercise (just a few of my answers) -

1. My favourite childhood toy was... these little plastic farm animals that me and my brothers would play with for hours on end.

2. My favourite childhood game was... hands down.

3. The best movie I ever saw as a kid was... The little Mermaid.

4. I don't do it much but I enjoy... playing tennis.

5. If I could lighten up a little, I'd let myself... do Karaoke.

6. If it weren't too late, I'd... pay more attention in class.

7. My favourite musical instrument is... a guitar.

8. If I weren't so stingy with my artist, I'd buy her... a big painting easel.

9. My favourite way to dress is... in flowing dresses.

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Now I'm off to start chapter four :)

MONDAY'S PHOTO OF THE WEEK

2009-09-21T17:14:00.006+10:00

Hi everyone, I hope you all had a great weekend.

I am trying to get back into the swing of things at the moment. All last week Alex was home on holidays, so we spent most of our time finishing unpacking and setting everything up. This week I can get back into my usual routine of painting. I have a couple of orders to finish so they are my main priority at the moment.

Here are a couple of pics of my art room. I still need to add a few things here and there, but it's on its way to being my perfect little studio.

WHAT A WEEK!!

2009-09-14T09:03:00.009+10:00

Hi everyone,

Sorry it has been a while since I have been on my blog or visited any of yours. I have been missing it terribly. I can't wait for things to settle down here so I can get back into my normal routine.

We have almost finished unpacking and are settling into the house, and all I can say is -

"I can't wait for the day we own our own home and don't have to deal with real estates anymore!"

What a nightmare I have been through! Moving is already a stressful time, but to have to deal with an unprofessional, rude and degrading property manager on top of it all has been very upsetting. Never have I been spoken to so rudely in all my life. She has abused me over the phone, made me feel like and idiot and called me a liar! Nothing seems to be going right at the moment. I am just trying to do the right thing and it just keeps blowing up in my face. I think this woman is on a power trip and can tell I am a quite person so she is taking full advantage.

I have also been dealing with a lot of tooth problems at the moment on top of everything else. I originally went in to the dentist to get my wisdom tooth looked at as it started coming through and was causing some pain. He referred me to an oral surgeon as it was too close to the nerve for him to remove it.

While I was there the dentist recommended that I get a filling in one of my teeth as there was some decay. I got the filling done but as soon as the numbness wore off later that night my whole jaw was throbbing. I took some pain killers which helped, but for the next five days it still continued to hurt and was very sensitive to hot and cold foods. I called the dentist back and they told me to come in right away and that I shouldn't be having any pain from a filling.

He then said I would need a root canal on the tooth to stop the pain. I found it weird that I didn't have any problems with this tooth before and now I needed a root canal! It's no wonder so many people hate going to the dentist. Any who, I agreed for him to do the root canal as I wanted the pain to stop and I really didn't have another choice.

(Fast forward) I got the last part of the root canal done the day before we moved, it has now been just over a week and I am getting really bad pain down the left side of my face and numbness that is spreading from my lip to my chin and is getting worse. I am so scared about it, and will be seeing a different dentist today. Obviously something is putting pressure on my facial nerve. I hope it isn't serious and that I didn't just fork out all my money for this root canal just to get it pulled out in the end :(

The worst part is he did another filling on the other side of my mouth and it is starting to have the same sensitivity to cold. I really, really don't want to go through another root canal. Especially with all the trouble I am having with this one.

Has anyone else experienced anything like this before? It would be great to find out what I may be dealing with. I have tried looking on the Internet, but can't really find much *sigh*.

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And since I always like to have a picture to go with my posts, here is a quick one we took yesterday after cleaning our old house -

Alex and I saying goodbye to our first house together

UPDATE: I went to the dentist yesterday and found out that the root canal I just got done has an infection that is putting pressure on my facial nerve which is causing the numbness. I am on antibiotics at the moment, but I will probably have to loose the tooth :(

The dentist who did the root canal left a gap at the base of one of the roots so bacteria is building up in there. I am really upset that I have just wasted over $1200 in getting it done, not to mention the painful process of it all. I am trying not to dwell to much on it though.

At least I still have my wisdom teeth, so the dentist said they would just replace the ones I get removed. I can't wait for this all to be over and done with. It has been a nightmare.

Thanks so much everyone for all of your well wishes, it has made me feel a lot better. Hopefully I will get around to all of your blogs in the next week to see what I have missed.

OUR ARTIST'S WAY - CHECK IN WEEK 2

2009-09-02T14:13:00.004+10:00

How are things going for you this week with your Artists Way journey?

Things are still going well for me this week. I haven't had much time to concentrate on the book though and only got around to reading the second chapter yesterday. I have been really busy organising and packing things for our house move this Saturday.

I find a lot of what Julie Cameron says really hits home with me. It has made me more aware of the people and things around me and the impact they have. I have definitely had crazy makers in my life who have always made everything about them. I didn't realise at the time what this was doing to me, but I can see it so clearly now.

Did you do the morning pages?

Yes, I did my morning pages everyday. I am actually starting to really enjoy doing them. I am definitely feeling more clearer and focused since doing them.

Did you get to do an Artists date this week?

No, I did not do my artist date. Unless you count packing boxes by myself. I really wanted to do it this week and feel like I let myself down. Hopefully once this move is out of the way I can get more organised.

What about the set tasks at the end of the chapter? Did you complete any of these? if so, would you like to share or discuss?

I have been doing my daily affirmations and I believe these are really helping me to focus on the positive rather then let the negative thoughts take over and bring me down.

I haven't really been able to finish the other tasks yet, but intend to as soon as I am settled.

What lives did you discover this time round?

1. Singer

2. Aura reader

3. Dress maker

4. Photographer

5. Craft shop owner

Did you get to go on a walk with your inner artist?

No, I didn't do this either :(

MONDAY'S PHOTO A WEEK

2009-09-01T17:34:00.005+10:00

Even though it's Tuesday, whoops!

I have been busy packing for our move on Saturday, so I haven't really got anything interesting to post about.

Except...

Boxes,

boxes,

and more BOXES!

Sorry it's not more interesting this week. I will try and do better next Monday :)

MIXED MEDIA MAGNETS

2009-08-28T17:47:00.004+10:00

Just wanted to pop on a show you these magnets that I have just painted. They are done on a 4"x4" flat canvas.

I also wanted to let you know that Alex and I got the house we applied for which I am really, really happy about. It is a lovely little town house, it is so much closer to my family, and did I mention I also get my very own art room all to myself!!! I can't wait to move into it! I guess I will be packing all next week as we move in next weekend. I can't believe it has all happened so quickly. So if I appear to be a bit absent from my blog next week, you know where I'll be :)

MIXED MEDIA PIECE COMPLETE AND AWARDS

2009-08-27T11:01:00.006+10:00

This week has been crazy busy. I have been trying to get some artwork done but things just keep popping up each day to stop me.

I did however manage to finish this piece on Tuesday. I will be putting prints of it up on my Etsy store later today. I think it turned out well. I love how the tissue paper gives it texture.

8"x10" flat gallery wrapped canvas

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I also received a couple of blog awards from the wonderful Annette Quirke. Thank you so much for these awards Annette. If you haven't seen her blog yet pop over and check out her wonderful artwork, you won't be disappointed :)

For the Kreativ Blogger award I need to list 7 things that I love -

1. Painting
2. Roast Dinners
3. Newly washed bed sheets
4. My family and Partner
5. Art shopping
6. My morning coffee
7. Day's at the beach

For both of these Awards I would like to give them to all of my followers. I appreciate all of your supportive and encouraging comments. You all mean a lot to me :)

You are not obligated to take these awards if you don't want to. It is just a fun way of spreading the love.

Have a great day everyone!

ARTIST'S WAY - FIRST CHECK IN

2009-08-25T17:40:00.004+10:00

Already I am learning so much about myself that I didn't know before. I can't believe that in only the first week I felt more open and sure about myself.

I have been doing my morning pages everyday, even though I must confess I do have to force myself to do them most days. Once they are done though I am happy and proud of myself for doing them. I can see already how they are helping me to understand myself better and sort out a lot of the clutter in my head.

I was not so great at doing the artist date though. The only thing I could think to do was sit outside on my balcony by myself and relax. I then pottered in my little balcony garden for a while. I am not so sure as to what this part of it actually does, but I will still do them as I am sure Julia Cameron knows what she is doing.

I have started to acknowledge that negative censor in my head and while looking back through my past have discovered monsters I didn't even know existed. I had a real eye opening moment during this task and it actually took me by surprise. I did not realise these past experiences were affecting me so much in the present. I found the letter writing task to be very helpful in letting go of this negativity. I already feel a lot lighter and in control. I am sure it will take a while for these old wounds to heal, but I can feel I am on the right path to doing it.

One of the tasks was to pick 5 imaginary lives for yourself to play with. I picked an art teacher, florist, landscape designer, farmer, and an interior designer. These were just the first ones that popped into my head when I thought about the question. I really liked the art teacher idea and had fun imagining myself being one. I would love to do this one day if I got the chance.

I am looking forward to the text week of Our Artist's Way :)

SOME SKETCHAROONIES

2009-08-23T17:32:00.003+10:00

Hi all,

I just thought I would share some simple sketches from my sketch book.

Hope you are all having a great weekend :)

Mine is almost over :(

TRYING OUT A NEW TECHNIQUE

2009-08-21T15:43:00.007+10:00

Hi everyone,

I have been busy trying to look for houses to rent this week. Alex and I are moving, which I can't wait for. I hate the area we are in now, and I want to be closer to my family. We have put a couple of applications in, so fingers crossed we will get one. I hate house hunting, so I just want it to be easy. I have a really good feeling we have found the one though.

In between calling around and viewing houses I have been doing a little bit of art. I am trying out a new style that Julie-ann from Heavenly Art has been kind enough to show us. I love her art and thought I would give it a go.

Here are some progress pics -

I am having heaps of fun with this one, and can't wait to do more. Thank you so much Julie-ann for sharing this technique with us. You are truly a wonderful person.

MERMAID PAINTING IS COMPLETE

2009-08-19T12:06:00.004+10:00

I think I have finished the Mermaid painting I showed you a couple of posts back. I have added a few little fish to it but, I keep thinking it needs something else, maybe that's just me. It would be great if you could let me know what you think, or if you have any suggestions.

MY HOPES AND DREAMS

2009-08-18T15:56:00.005+10:00

Before we begin our first week of the artist's way challenge, Robyn has given us all something to think about -

what are your hopes, dreams and wishes? what do you wish to create?

I hope to discover who I am as an artist, and to always create what I love. I hope to stay grounded and always be true to myself and to others. I hope to be successful at what I do and to always, always cherish the moment.

My dream is to live a simple life, to be happy with who I am and how things have turned out. I dream of endless love, and a life filled with constant laughter and romance.

I wish to have a happy and healthy family to grow with, to love and to nurture. I wish for endless magical moments, and happily ever afters.

MONDAY'S PHOTO A WEEK

2009-08-17T17:43:00.008+10:00

Hi everyone, I hope you all had wonderful weekends.

I had a great weekend. Although it's suppose to be winter here in Queensland, the weather has been beautifully warm and sunny. Alex and I had a wonderful picnic in the park on Saturday. It was so nice to get out doors and relax. We had yummy food, read books and even had a couple of games of out door pin pong together.

Then on Sunday we felt like getting outdoors again. We invited my Mum and Brothers along to go on a bush walk with us. It was so much fun and for lunch we all headed back to our place and got fish and chips for lunch, yummo!

Can you tell I'm enjoying being healthy again? I have had about 8 treatments of acupuncture now and I am feeling so good! I still have the slightest pain in my back, but it is ignorable and is nothing compared to the pain I have been living with for the past 2 years. It feels like I have my life back again and I am so thrilled! I have so much more energy and just want to get out and make up for lost time.

Any who, here are some pics from our bush walk on Sunday.

This is a tree that has been taken over by a strangler vine

This is Aaron, Beau and Alex. We all found walking sticks along the way

This is Mum, me and Brad being silly with our walking sticks

A view from the lookout we stopped at on our way home

I actually lost my camera in the parking lot when getting in the car to leave after our bush walk. Luckily we only went a few seconds away to another spot when I realised it was missing. Alex and I quickly drove back praying that it would be in the car park still. A nice couple who had actually been there when we left picked it up and were still there when we got back. They were so lovely and so happy that we came back to get it. I was so relieved! I should put a contact number in the camera case just in case this happens again.

MERMAID MIXED MEDIA WIP

2009-08-16T17:54:00.011+10:00

I haven't had much time to get out my paints due to a lot of appointments lately. I have mainly been sketching and getting some ideas onto paper. I hope to scan a few and get them up on here in a few days.

Anyway, I just thought I would quickly share with you a mixed media piece in progress that I was working on a couple of weeks ago. I haven't yet been able to finish and was almost about to give up on it until I received some kind feedback about it from my family who was over visiting today.

I have been wanting to try a mermaid painting for a while now. I still have to do more work to it and add a few little fishes (as my Brother Beau suggested).

Have a great night/day everyone :)

I'M ALL SET

2009-08-14T17:43:00.004+10:00

Today I bought all the things I need to begin my journey through the book 'The Artist's Way' by Julia Cameron. Some of you may know this book and have even worked through it. This will be my first time and I am so excited to be doing it.

It is basically a course in discovering and re-discovering your creative self. It is a great book if you have that dreaded artist's block or would just like to expand yourself and open your self up more creatively.

Robyn has set up this new blog specifically for a group of us who will be working through this book together. Anyone who would like to be involved in working through this book with us is welcome to join. All you have to do is let Robyn know that you would like to join us by dropping her an email, and she will add you to the list of participants. We will begin the 12 week course from August, 19.

A LITTLE TREASURE FOR ME!

2009-08-13T16:24:00.004+10:00

I was so excited when the postman came knocking at the door this morning with the prize I won from Julie-ann's blog giveaway.

I was the lucky recipient of a coffee mug with one of Julie-ann's wonderful Angels printed on it. It is the first giveaway I have ever won, and I am thrilled. I adore Julie-ann's artwork and have been following her blog 'Heavenly Art' for a while now. Pop on over here to take a peek at her blog, it is definitely worth it.

Thank you for being so generous Julie-ann. I will treasure this mug always :)

Unfortunately these photos do not do this wonderful piece of art justice

Thank you again Julie-ann!

MONDAY'S PHOTO A WEEK

2009-08-10T15:20:00.005+10:00

Hi everyone! Another Monday has come around.

For this weeks photo group I took a couple of shots of the wild life while Alex and I were out bike riding on Sunday. It was such a beautiful day and a lot of other people had the same idea as us. So many people where out bike riding and having picnics with there families at the parks and taking their dogs for walks along the creek. It was such a lovely atmosphere. It made me long to start a little family of our own.

Here are some ducks swimming down the creek

Not sure what type of bird this one is. Maybe a type of Heron or something

This white beauty let me get pretty close

but then he flew away
It was our first time down this bike track. It basically follows a creek all the way along. So much bird life was out and there was so much to look at. We would definitely do this track again. I love bike riding :)

BOOKMARKS

2009-08-05T16:23:00.006+10:00

I have been busy painting some new bookmarks yesterday and today, and have finally finished (the painting bit at least). I plan to make prints of them to sell in my Etsy store. They will be laminated and have a tassel at the end.

work in progress

my original sketches with the finished bookmarks

I will be adding words to most of them as well

I hope you like them :)

MONDAY'S PHOTO A WEEK

2009-08-03T17:15:00.008+10:00

Happy Monday everyone!

I have a couple of photos I took while Alex and I were at Red Cliff on Sunday. We both felt like getting out and getting some fresh air for a while. It was beautiful weather and we had a lovely lunch at a local restaurant (mmmm, beer battered chips).

This is a little pier that you can walk out on

Some seagulls and an Ibis

The other side of the pier where some boats where tied against the wave breaker

We also finally went and saw Harry Potter which I thought was ok. They left a lot of the book out and I think if I hadn't read the book before I would have been pretty confused. I definitely like the books a whole lot better then the movies.

Hope you all have a great week :)

PROCRASTINATING, DECORATING, AND ANNOYING WISDOM TEETH

2009-07-31T14:30:00.015+10:00

Boy oh boy, where do the weeks ago. I can't believe it is the end of July all ready. I have been pretty bad this week in getting motivated to do some art, actually I have been pretty bad the last couple of weeks. I just keep putting it off and being lazy instead. I keep thinking about stuff that I want to do in the future, and I let it distract me from concentrating on the here and now. I know I am doing this but I find it hard to pull myself back sometimes. I think I might go somewhere nice this weekend to distract my crazy mind. Hopefully next week will be a better one.

I have managed to do a little bit of art in between my laziness though, but not as much as I could be getting done or want to be getting done.

I have been preparing new canvases to start painting, and sketching some ideas for bookmarks that I want to make

I also managed to paint two canvases too, though I was just experimenting with backgrounds

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DECORATING

My Mum, Serena Lewis has been redecorating her bedroom at the moment and got me in the mood to do a little myself. I felt like bringing a bit more colour to my bedroom, so I took advantage of the end of financial year sales and bought a few more bed linens and cushions to brighten it up a bit. It's not a huge change, but it's big enough to make me happier with it.

My bed before

and my bed after
I really like the colours orange, aqua and chocolate together. Most of my house is decorated in these colours.

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ANNOYING WISDOM TEETH

I have also been dealing with a pretty inflamed wisdom tooth that has been annoying me for about a year now, and I have had enough of it. I had to get x-rays done yesterday to see whether the tooth was too close to the nerve in the gums or not. Luckily it's not to bad and they can take it out without to much of a risk. Though it is still attached to the bone so I will need to get some of that removed to, eep!! I am not the biggest fan of going to the dentist, but I guess it has to get done before the problem gets worse. I also got my very first filling done while I was in there which wasn't a pleasant experience. That needle almost gave me a heart attack! My jaw is so sore today and I still need to go back to get one more filled :(

SMILE!

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY - IDLE

2009-07-28T16:01:00.003+10:00

She spent most of her time on the ocean floor idly passing her days

MONDAY PHOTO OF THE WEEK

2009-07-27T13:35:00.007+10:00

I hope everyone had wonderful weekends :)

My partner Alex and his Dad went on a bush walk up Mount Mitchell this weekend. They have been meaning to do it for a while, but every time they have planned to go it either rains or someone gets sick. This weekend was perfect, the weather was beautiful and everyone was healthy.

While I stayed at home arting it up on Saturday, they set out on their big climb. It's about a 2 hour drive to the mountain and then another 3 hours up to the top and back. I wish I had gone, but I was afraid that my back would cause trouble and I would wreck their outing. They had fun and Alex said I would be able to do the climb no worries. So next time I am definitely going.

Alex bought back some pictures for me and I thought I would share the beautiful view with you for my photo of the week.

This was one of the views from the top of the mountain

Some fungi growing on trees

Isn't nature beautiful

Alex said the top of the mountain was covered in these grass trees. They grow really, really slow and are worth quite a bit to buy because of their age

The winding road down below

ISN'T SHE LOVELY

2009-07-23T15:00:00.006+10:00

Hi! I hope everyone is having a great week so far.

You may have heard me talk about my pregnant friend Melissa before when I was making her this raggedy doll, and painting her this mixed media art piece for her baby shower. Well, Melissa had her baby girl on the 17th of this month weighing in at a beautiful 7 pounds. Baby was due on the 29th so she came a few days early. This is Melissa's first baby and all went well, although she has warned me that giving birth is the worst pain I could ever imagine. They named the baby Chloe which I think is a beautiful name.

I have been dying to see this new little girl and Melissa really wanted me to meet her too. So yesterday I bussed it down to my Mum's house in the morning and we both went and visited Melissa and baby Chloe. All I can say is that she is the most adorable little baby and I instantly fell in love with her.

This is Chloe

Unfortunately little Cloe was asleep the whole time so I didn't get a hold

Melissa was looking so well only 5 days after giving birth

CONGRATULATIONS MELISSA AND ANDREAS ON YOUR BEAUTIFUL BABY GIRL!!!

MONDAY PHOTO OF THE WEEK

2009-07-21T08:19:00.007+10:00

Hi everyone!

I haven't been able to do much art wise this past week due to having a very sick boyfriend to look after. He is back to work this week so I can get back into my art room. I started by trying to organise some stuff that I have been meaning to do for a while now. I wanted to make myself a little sewing needle book to keep all of my needles in one place. I was keeping them all in a zip lock bag and it was very annoying trying to find the one I wanted without getting pricked. So I finally got to work on one.

I really liked how mine turned out so I made three more to sell on my ETSY store. They are made out of felt so you just put your needle trough the pages inside. I also put a big button on the front so the case can be closed by pulling the braided floss attached to the back around it.

That's one job down, and many more to go :)

LATEST MIXED MEDIA PAINTING

2009-07-18T16:16:00.005+10:00

I have finally finished the mixed media piece I have been working on for a while now. I have had a lot of distractions that have kept me from finishing it, but I sat down yesterday and got it done.

When I first started this piece all I had was a blank canvas and no idea what it was going to become. I just started building layers with the background and adding stamps and different textures, and it went from there. If it looks familiar you may have seen the sneak peek of it in progress in my creative everyday post the other day. I am happy with how it turned out in the end. What do you think?

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY - HOLLOW

2009-07-15T16:37:00.004+10:00

The young Aboriginal boy was happy with how his didgeridoo turned out. He hand crafted it from a tree that had been hollowed out by termites.

CREATIVE EVERYDAY

2009-07-14T10:05:00.005+10:00

I recently joined the creative everyday group that is run by Leah Piken Kolidas who is a wonderful artist. I haven't had time to participate yet due to a busy schedule, so thought I would put together a quick picture collage of some of the things that I have been doing creatively over the past couple of weeks. The days go by so fast that it can be really hard to get everything you want done. Sometimes I wish there was two of me.

There has been some new mixed media paintings started and old ones to finish, dolls eyes to be painted and sketching challenges to complete (among other things).

I hope to keep up with the creative everyday posts in the future and to also post more of my artwork as I go.

MONDAY PHOTO A WEEK

2009-07-13T16:53:00.010+10:00

Hi everyone!

I had a lovely weekend just gone by. My little brother Aaron is on school holidays at the moment so he came to stay with us for a few days, but is back home now. We had lots of fun together and I already miss him heaps.

Alex, Aaron and myself all went on a huge bike ride together on Friday through the Boondal wetlands and up to Nudgee beach. Alex and I have been wanting to do this bike track for a while now but we have been waiting for Aaron to come and do it with us. It is a beautiful riding track with nothing but nature on either side, I would definitely do it again. We rode about 20 klms all up and we were getting pretty sore legs by the time we got back to the car. Unfortunately on the way back we had to ride against a pretty strong wind which made it a lot tougher, but we still had fun.

Here are some photos I took on our ride -

This is a pic of Nudgee beach

We had hot chips and burgers for lunch

Alex and Aaron at Nudgee Beach

Mangroves on Nudgee Beach

Alex and Aaron on the boardwalk through the mangroves

ONE LOVELY BLOG AWARD

2009-07-11T15:21:00.005+10:00

I am thrilled to have received an award from the very talented myrarte. If you haven't seen her beautiful artwork pop on over to her blog and take a look, as it is well worth it.

Thank you so much for this award. I truly appreciate it!!!

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY - SHAKY

2009-07-08T17:38:00.005+10:00

Although she was shaking with nerves as she walked out onto the stage, she still put on a happy face as she made her performance

MONDAY PHOTO OF THE WEEK

2009-07-06T16:33:00.013+10:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

For this weeks photo I have some pics from the Paniyiri Greek Festival that myself, my partner Alex, my brother Reece and his girlfriend Sarina went to on Sunday. The festival is held every year at a Musgrave Park to celebrate Greek culture. Even if you are not Greek it is a fun family day out with lots of fun things to do.

We had a great day and thanks to some fantastic acupuncture my back injury didn't get in the way!!! We all played a few Carnival games and won some prizes, ate lots of yummy food, and spent a great day walking around and having lots of laughs.

There was a lot of people there

There were some Spartans walking around too

and some Greek dancing.

Alex and I

Reece and Sarina

Reece bought me this awesome Greek hat

Sarina and I with our prizes that the boys won for us

Alex and Reece with the prizes we won for them

I'M A GREAT AUNT!!

2009-07-02T17:21:00.010+10:00

Hi everyone!

I am so excited to announce that I am now a GREAT Aunt! My niece Sarah-Kay had a healthy little baby boy yesterday at 2.12pm, weighing in at a tiny 5lb 11oz. Mum and bub are doing well and will be out of hospital tomorrow.

My Mum went up and visited them in hospital today, but unfortunately I missed out as I am too far away to drive myself with my back injury :( I would love to have visited, but Mum got me the next best thing... photos!

The proud new Mummy with her bundle of joy

This is little Tristan

Boy, he is a cutie! I can't wait to meet this little guy in person and have a big cuddle. It makes me so excited to start a family of my own one day.

Thanks for the photos Mum xx

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY - WORN

2009-07-01T15:33:00.007+10:00

The word for this weeks Illustration Friday was worn. This is what I came up with -

She still loved her worn old teddy

AND THE WINNERS ARE......

2009-06-30T16:16:00.014+10:00

I had so much fun doing this giveaway. I plan to do many more in the future so don't be sad if you didn't win this time as there will be plenty more chances.

Before we get started I would like to say a big THANK YOU to you all for entering and leaving such wonderful comments. I really appreciate them. They always make my day and so do you!

So here goes.........

Getting all the names ready

names are all in the bucket

and the first magnet goes to....

ANN MARIE!

next up it's...

CARLA!

the third magnet goes to...

MICAH!

and last of all it's...

HELEN!

CONGRATULATIONS!!! Please send me your addresses and I will get your prizes out to you straight away. Thank you all again so much for participating :)

MONDAY PHOTO OF THE WEEK

2009-06-30T10:45:00.006+10:00

Sorry group, it's been another tough week in finding a photo to share. I have been having a lot of trouble with back pain this week so I have been pretty held up with that. I have started acupuncture treatments to try and help witch I have high hopes for. I have heard a lot of good reports from people who have had similar injuries to me with this type of treatment. I can't remember what it feels like to be normal anymore, so fingers crossed that this treatment works and gives me some relief.

Anywho, I just took a couple of shots of my craft room. I have been trying to finish off some unfinished pieces that I have lying around so I can get them up on my Etsy shop.

My very small and cluttered painting desk smooshed onto the end of our computer desk

I am looking forward to one day having a whole room to myself for my art

It's funny how much stuff you accumulate with art

I also bought myself a new pair of uggies on the weekend as it has been so cold at the moment. I love them, they are so warm and comfy!

LAST DAY FOR THE GIVEAWAY!!!

2009-06-29T08:27:00.005+10:00

Hi all! I hope your weekends were all wonderful :)

I am just here to remind everyone that today is the last day to enter my first blog giveaway. Tomorrow I will be drawing the names out of the hat and announcing the winners on my blog. I can't tell you how excited I am!!!

If you haven't entered yet, please feel free to. Everyone is welcome to enter and there is actually 4 chances to win something!!

Just to recap - I have four hand painted mixed media magnets to give away. All you have to do is click here and leave a comment on that post. It is very quick and easy.

GOOD LUCK!!!!!!

**Please do not leave a comment to enter on this post**

YOU WILL BE MISSED

2009-06-26T16:58:00.005+10:00

My heart is sad today as the world has lost two truly magnificent people.

I did not grow up with Farrah Fawcett, but I did watch her long struggle with cancer, and it broke my heart. She seemed like a wonderfully strong and caring person who inspired a lot of people.

Michael Jackson was a legend and will forever be one. I remember learning his dance routines in our lounge room with my brothers from videos of his concerts when we were little. I could never get the moon walk down pat though. I have always loved his inspiring music and his unmatchable talent.

R.I.P Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett.

You will be missed.

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY - DRIFTING

2009-06-24T08:46:00.007+10:00

The word for Illustration Friday this week was drifting. I had sooo many ideas running through my head with this one, but this is what ended up coming out onto paper -

Drifting on a sea of dreams, hope and love

I am having so much fun with IF. It is great for stretching the imagination and tempting you to try new things.

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Entries for my blog giveaway are still open. Everyone is welcome to enter. Good Luck!

MONDAY PHOTO OF THE WEEK

2009-06-23T11:46:00.004+10:00

This week I have a cute picture of Alex and Annie (our budgie) together. Annie often comes and sits with us if we are watching TV or playing a game on the couch. She is a lot more social then her friend Iggy (our other budgie), but that's because we have had Annie a lot longer then Iggy so she only had Alex and I to play with for quite a while.

That white thing on Alex's knee is Annie

How sweet are they

TWO BLOGGING AWARDS!!!

2009-06-20T15:04:00.006+10:00

I was so lucky to receive two blogging awards this week!

THANK YOU so much Maria for this awesome award! I am so honored to receive it from someone I truly admire. Maria does absolutely beautiful artwork so go over and check out her wonderful blog here.

For this Kreative Blogger Award I have to share 7 things I love. So here goes...

1. My beautiful partner Alex who I could not live without.
2. My family who has always supported and been there for me.
3. Art and creating.
4. Beautiful sunny days.
5. My two little budgies Annie and Iggy.
6. Being an Australian.
7. Lime jelly.

I now get to pass this award on to 7 other people whose blogs I love (such a hard decision).

My painted things
Linda Fleming
Bumble Vee
Norma
Kerry
Mary O. Martin
Vania

Come on down girls and collect your awards! There is no obligation to take this award, it is totally up to you.

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My second award comes from my lovely Mum - Serena Lewis. Who has always been the biggest support in my life. Not only is she a fantastic mother but a wonderful artist. Check out her awesome artwork and blog here. THANK YOU!

The rules for this one is to post it on your blog and give it to others. I would like to give this one to all the blogs that I follow (I am sure you know who you are) so please feel free to take this one and pass it on.

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY - UNFOLD

2009-06-19T16:43:00.005+10:00

This is a quick little sketch I did today for my Illustration Friday entry. I haven't had much time for my art this week as Alex is on holidays from work. Hopefully I'll do a little better next week.

New found wings unfolded

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NOTE:

Don't forget it's not to late to enter my first blog giveaway. Just click on the giveaway icon at the top of my sidebar to go to the post so you can leave a comment. Anyone is welcome to enter.

Good Luck!

MORE RAGGEDY DOLLS ON ETSY

2009-06-18T08:33:00.003+10:00

Hi!

I just wanted to pop on quickly and share with you a couple more of my dolls that I have listed on my Etsy store.

I hope you like them :)

MONDAY PHOTO OF THE WEEK

2009-06-15T18:34:00.006+10:00

Hi all! Hope you all had a great weekend.

I had a really nice weekend. I got to see my friend who I haven't seen in ages who is about to have a baby, and Alex and I bought bicycles.

My friend lives at the Gold Coast which is about an hours drive from where we live. The weather was perfect and we had a beautiful lunch at a nice restaurant with a view of the water which was great fun. I made a raggedy doll for the baby and painted a mixed media canvas as well for the babies room. Melissa seemed to really like them both which I was happy and relieved about. It was great catching up with them as I haven't seem them in ages. I can't believe next time I see her she will have a little baby girl :) I am so happy for her!

This is me and my friend Melissa

Alex and I also bought bicycles on Saturday which we have been wanting for a while. I haven't ridden a bike since I was about 13 so it took a few minute to get the hang of it again, but after that I was off ridding the streets like a pro (not quite, lol). I forgot how much fun it is and now I'm addicted. We plan on going on a few bike trails around the area, but at the moment I am still a bit weary as to how my back will cope. I made sure I got the best bike for my injury that will put the least amount of stress on it as possible. So far the only pain is in my butt cheeks as i wear in my bike's seat, lol.

Me and my new bike

Alex and his new bike

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY - CRAVING

2009-06-11T12:12:00.005+10:00

This is my first entry into the Illustration Friday group. The subject for this week was "craving".

She craves to be on a tropical island as she does the housework

It is a mixed media piece done on a 5"x7" flat canvas. I used Acrylic paint, card stock, pages from an old book and gel medium.

Thanks for taking a peek :)

!!!GIVEAWAY!!!

2009-06-09T17:19:00.013+10:00

Yay! My very first giveaway!

I am so excited to be giving away four of my original hand painted mixed media magnets. Each magnet is a separate giveaway so you have 4 chances to win something.

All you have to do is leave a comment in this post to be in the draw.

They were each created using a flat 4x4 canvas, acrylic paint, card stock, gel medium and a magnet. They have been fully varnished for protection and are signed on the back.

I will be drawing the 4 winners at the end of the month - 30th June 2009

I am happy to post anywhere in the world so feel free to spread the word. The more the merrier!

These are the four magnets

MIXED MEDIA WIP CONTINUED

2009-06-09T10:22:00.004+10:00

Here are some more photos of my work in progress from my previous post. It is not quite finished yet as I have been only able to do small amounts of work on it each day because Alex was home for a four day long weekend, and we have been busy with other stuff. Hopefully I will get a chance to finish it this week.

MONDAY PHOTO OF THE WEEK

2009-06-08T17:37:00.009+10:00

Hi everyone!

Boy, the weeks fly by so fast at the moment. Before I know it it's Monday again and I don't have any photos to share :(

I did however manage to russle up a couple that I thought were cute. I took them a little while ago but wanted to show where I started with my dolls.

This is one of my first dolls I made. I got inspiration from De over at Bowles-n-annies. Her dolls are so sweet!

Another firsty. I think she is really cute! The face is inspired by De again

And here are my dolls today. At the moment they hang out in my sewing room.

TWO TOYS IN ONE WEEK

2009-06-07T11:12:00.006+10:00

Yay! I finally got to buy two things that I have been wanting for ages now.

The first is a treadmill that Alex and I bought at the start of the week. I have needed one for ages to help with my whiplash injury. It has been really hard to stay fit since the car accident as my back and neck causes to much pain when I do normal exercise or play sport. Walking is just about the only thing that I can do, but even walking the streets causes to much pain to my lower back due to the uneven roads and paths. I have been wanting one for ages but needed to wait until we had some money. Finally that day has come!!!

The second is my new Canon Pixma IP4600 printer that I bought yesterday. I have been wanting one to do my own prints of my art at home to sell. I was finding that the photo shops that were doing the prints before weren't getting the colours correct and, honestly the staff didn't seem to know much about anything. The prints would be so dull and nothing like the colours I had used. I just wasn't comfortable selling work that I myself was not happy with. Now I can do it all from home and guarantee good quality prints.

CHANGES AND MIXED MEDIA WIP

2009-06-04T12:30:00.006+10:00

I am so obsessed with mixed media art at the moment. I live and breathe it. Which is a bit scary sometimes when I can't get to sleep because it's all I am thinking about. I know it is definitely something that I want to pursue and hopefully make a small business out of someday. You will probably notice a few changes around my blog and my Etsy store as I find my feet and try new things. My blog name is no longer Raggedy Ruckus but, Dolls-n-Art by Michelle. You will probably notice a few changes with my artwork as well as I find my niche in this crazy, fast moving art world. I am so excited about these changes and can't wait to begin my new journey.

---------

I have been working on a new mixed media piece and thought I would show my work in progress. I am quite happy with how it is taking shape so far. I am even a little nervous to continue just in case I wreck what I have already done. I will keep going though cause it obviously needs to be finished.

Stage 1 - I glued down different designed card stock with gel medium and then seal with the same gel medium

Stage 2 and 3 - I painted the background using washes of acrylic paint and then started painting my design onto the piece

It is an 8"x10" flat canvas and I am using card stock, acrylic paint, and a graphite pencil.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

2009-06-02T09:30:00.007+10:00

Hi everyone! Hope you had a nice relaxing weekend :)

I couldn't think of anything to post for this weeks photo. I have had a lot of other stuff on my mind lately. In the end I decided to take some pics of the art around my house to show you. You can probably see from the pics that my favourite colour combo is Aqua, dark brown and orange, he! he!

These are some Chinese symbols I painted for myself years ago. The top one reads harmony, the second love and the third prosperity

Mum painted the matching clock for me and the painting of the flowers

Mum also painted me this butterfly painting for my birthday a couple of years ago

Alex's Dad gave us these photos he took. He is a very talented photographer

Another one from Mum that sits in my art room to keep me motivated. The tags on the wall are from my lovely little brother Aaron (he is becoming quite the artist himself), and the rag doll is one of my very firsts

I'm sure you can tell that I thoroughly enjoy having such a talented artist for a Mum :)

BLESSED

2009-05-29T11:35:00.006+10:00

Here is another mixed media art piece that I just finished. I am really happy with how it turned out. Hope you like it too :)

I had a few people commenting that they like seeing the progression pictures so I thought I would share a couple with you.

©Michelle Eaton

REACH FOR THE STARS

2009-05-27T17:32:00.014+10:00

Here is another mixed media piece that I finished yesterday.

It reads - Reach for the stars

I feel I am learning something knew with every piece I do. Figuring out what I like and what I don't. I feel like I am actually starting to go somewhere I want to be with it all.

and...

SOME BUDGIE MADNESS!!!

Annie decided to come join me in my artroom yesterday when I was working on the above piece. I quickly got out my camera and took these shots while she was exploring my desk.

It kinda looks like she is dancing, he he!

She had fun trying to rip that cotton bud to pieces

She then decided to fly into the bathroom to continue her adventure.

Here she is climbing all over the floor mat that is hung over the shower

Where is she going?

Back on her cage with Iggy

MONDAY PHOTO OF THE WEEK

2009-05-26T10:19:00.018+10:00

So for this weeks photo of the week I thought I would show you some progress pics of the mixed media painting I have been working on for my friends baby shower.

I actually had know idea what I was going to do when I sat down to do this. I only knew that it was for a babies room and that I would be using pink and white. I started by gluing down some different types of overlapping card stock in the middle of the piece leaving a border.

After I painted the background and added some stamps, I drew a lady off center and decided she would look nice with a bubba in her arms

I then painted the border (leaving it slightly raggedy), and cut out some card stock into circles and added them around the border

I then added the words - "You rose into my life like a promised sunrise, brightening my days with the light in your eyes"

I am happy with how it turned out. I just hope my friend likes it.

THE RAGGEDY DOLL IS COMPLETE

2009-05-21T14:11:00.009+10:00

Hi guys!

I promised I would post a pic of the raggedy doll I was making for my friends baby shower when she was complete.

Well here she is completed and I think I am happy with her. I made a few changes from the original pic I showed you, but that was because I just wasn't happy with her. I just had an overwhelming feeling to go with these other changes. I gave her green eyes and changed her hair style. I really like the colour of her dress I think it is bright and cheerful which is perfect for a baby.

The doll will also have a little booklet that I will hand make to go with her. I thought it would be a nice idea, since it is a keepsake doll after all, to have all the details of bubby's birth in it that the mother can fill out after baby is born, such as date of birth, time of birth, weight at birth...etc. I know I would cherish something like that so I hope my friend does.

I am glad to be finished making her though because I hate making things for the people I know, it is too stressful. I don't know if it is just me but I never feel like it is good enough when it is for someone I care about. I always think they arn't going to like it or will laugh at it. I guess that is just me lacking in self confidence.

Let me know what you think of her. Thanks :)

MONDAY PHOTO OF THE WEEK

2009-05-19T10:10:00.007+10:00

Hi everybody!

I started working on a doll yesterday for one of my girlfriends who is heavily pregnant at the moment with a baby girl. I am so excited for her and I will be attending her baby shower in a couple of weekends time, so I thought I should make a start on her gift. She has never seen my dolls before so I hope she likes them. I am also thinking of painting her a mixed media canvas painting that is of coures baby related. I was thinking of putting some affirmation words or something like that on it. She has told me that bubby's room is white and pink so I will be going with this colour scheme.

I am so clucky at the moment with all this baby talk. I can't wait to start a family of my own, but unfortunately it just isn't the write time financially or physically with my back injury. Fate has other ideas so I am just going with the flow, or at least trying to.

Here are some pics of the doll I am working on. She is still a fair way off being finished and I think I might make a few changes still. I will post another pic when she is all finished.

Thanks for taking a peek!

THE STRUGGLING ARTIST

2009-05-15T14:59:00.008+10:00

I find I am struggling to find my niche in the art world at the moment. I love painting and I want to continue going down this track but, I am not completely happy with the work I produce yet. I feel like there is more inside of me that needs to come out but I'm not quite sure how to tap into it. I am finding myself getting quite frustrated and anxious in the art room, but I think it is because I am so excited and there is soooo much I wanna do and explore and I can't get it all done at once. I think I need to be more patient with myself and realise things take time (easier said then done). *sigh* I guess I am only new to painting so I should just relax and see where it takes me.

Any who, I just thought I would share some of my mixed media art work that I have been working on over the past couple of weeks. Please bare in mind that some are not finished yet. Let me know what you think of the art or if you have any advise. Thanks :)

I am not finished with the one on the left

These are magnets

MONDAY PHOTO OF THE WEEK

2009-05-11T16:41:00.014+10:00

~ Happy Mothers Day ~

Yesterday was Mothers day, so of course I went to spend the day with my lovely mother. It was a fun day and I hope Mum enjoyed herself. We had a lovely lunch and played a lot of games. My brothers were all there and even my Grandparents popped over in the arvo for a quick visit. I was exhausted by the time we got home and my back was killing me so I fell promptly asleep on Alex's lap while he played the Wii.

Here are some pictures from yesterday of us eating dessert -

Mum made this delicious cheese cake for dessert

Mum

Reece

Aaron

Alex

Beau

Cody waiting for his bit of cake

MY FIRST BLOG AWARD

2009-05-11T16:32:00.004+10:00

~ Thanks Genie ~

I received my very first blog award the other day from Genie. I am so thrilled that she thought of me and my blog. Genie actually created this award herself and I think it is fantastic. I am very touched and it now sits proudly in my sidebar :)

IVY

2009-05-08T16:23:00.006+10:00

This little green eyed girl is Ivy, she is now for sale on my Etsy store.

MONDAY PHOTO OF THE WEEK

2009-05-04T18:52:00.008+10:00

Hi everyone! This week I thought I would share with you a couple of photos from my little balcony garden. I started my herb garden just after Christmas when my Mum gave me some herbs and pots for my Christmas present. I was so excited because I really wanted it and was even more surprised because she really spoiled me with a lot of them.

I have tried my best to keep them all alive and although a couple have sadley passed away I have managged to keep most of them alive. About a week ago we had non-stop rain and they have just taken off. I love my herbs but I just wish I was a bit better with gardening. I would love to grow heaps more plants and flowers but at the moment I don't have a lot of space to work with living in an apartment. Hopefully one day I will have my very own back yard to work with.

Here are my herbies

My tomatos

I also got the tall cactus from Mum at Christmas and it has grown heaps already.

My partner Alex also has a few bonsai's on the balcony. He got into them a few years ago but at the moment they have been a bit neglected. The poor things :(

PATTY

2009-04-29T12:40:00.004+10:00

Hi everyone! This is little Patty and he is after a good home to go to. He is a little orphaned raggedy doll and is ever so cute. He is now listed on my Etsy store. I also have some prints of my artwork available now so pop over to my etsy store and take a look. I hope you like them :)

This is little Patty

He comes with a little rucksack

MONDAY'S PHOTO OF THE WEEK

2009-04-27T18:09:00.008+10:00

I am a little disappointed because I wanted to get some really nice pics to share with you on my first Monday of the week photo post, but it didn't work out so well. On Saturday Alex and I decided that we would go for a bit of a scenic drive out to the country area to go up a mountain. I thought I could get some nice pics to share with you while we were there, but as we started up the mountain the car started over heating so badly that we could even hear the water in the engine bubbling. We both went into a mad panic and quickly found a safe place to pull over. It didn't look good, we were an hour from home, in the middle of the country, and it was a public holiday. We needed to get home so we turned on the heating vents to full power to try and release some of the hot air in the engine, and all though we got blasted with really hot air all the way home we did make it home. By the time we got home we were dehydrated and upset that our day trip was ruined. I did however get a couple of shots out the window on our way home, but I apologise that they aren't any better.

Leticia

2009-04-22T16:20:00.004+10:00

This is the latest Raggedy listed on my Etsy store. Her name is Leticia and she is looking for a good home to go to. I think she is adorable and it will be hard to give her up :( I hope you like her too.

Leticia is now available on Etsy

FUN AT THE PARK

2009-04-20T10:25:00.011+10:00

It is Easter school holidays at the moment for my little brother Aaron, so he came and stayed with us for a few nights. We dropped him back home yesterday and I already miss him. He certainly made the house a bit more lively. It was great having him here and on Saturday we decided to go to New Farm Park to do some drawings and play a few games of ball. When we got home Alex cooked us a delicious barbecue. I hope you like the pics.

Alex and I on the picnic blanket at the park

Alex and Aaron being silly. Aaron has the ball bag on his head :)

Me with Aaron's little head poking in the corner

Mmmmm, the yummy and filling BBQ when we got home

MY FIRST ETSY LISTINGS!!!!

2009-04-16T15:39:00.007+10:00

I would like to introduce you to Claire and Stacey. They are my very first listings on Etsy and I am sooo excited about it. If you would like any details about these dolls please feel free to pop over to my Etsy store and have a peek.

Claire is now available at my Etsy store

Stacey is now available at my Etsy store

LATEST EDITIONS

2009-04-15T11:30:00.006+10:00

I hope everyone had a happy and safe Easter this year! I spent Easter Sunday with my family playing games and eating. It was a lovely day and we all had heaps of fun. But unfortunately the break is over so it is back to the grind.

I have had a break from sewing dolls these past couple of weeks with some painting instead(which I have greatly enjoyed), but this week I was back behind the sewing machine. I thought I would share with you a couple of pictures of my latest dolls. I haven't given them names yet either so if you have any suggestions on names which you think may suit them I would love to hear them. I hope you like them!

They really start to take on their own personalities at this point

A sneak peak

And here they are

READY FOR THE BALL

2009-04-07T15:41:00.004+10:00

I just wanted to share this piece that I just completed with you

I THINK SHE IS DONE

2009-04-06T13:07:00.007+10:00

MIXED-MEDIA PAINTING

2009-04-03T16:27:00.008+10:00

I have been busy mainly drawing in my sketchbook this week. I have been trying to come up with something of my own that I can use as a subject in my mixed media paintings. I did come up with a human figure that I think is unique and interesting. I wanted a character that I would be able to portray emotions through. I am sure as I go along in my art I will progress and hopefully get better. I decided to try out my new character today outside of my sketchbook, so I set up my painting desk and have been at it most of the day. I haven't quite finished yet but I thought I would share some of my progress so far and maybe even get some advise.

SUNDAY OUTING

2009-03-30T12:09:00.009+10:00

By the time Sunday rolled around this weekend I just needed to get out of the house and take my mind off of things. Alex and I couldn't think of what to do so we just decided to do a couple of odd little jobs, like checking out the local thrift shops (which were all closed anyway), and just see what we felt like afterwards. On our way home we noticed it was getting close to lunch time and neither of us wanted to go home yet. After some umming and ahhing we both decided it would be a nice day to go to the bay side for fish and chips and it's only a half hour drive, so off we went. We went to Wellington Point, a place that I have been going to with my family since I was little, it is always so nice there and I love it.

We started out with a walk along the jetty

We then watched some of the locals

It was then time for lunch

After luch we decided to go for a walk out to King Island. When the tide goes out you can walk along a sand bank out to a little Island. There isn't much out there but it is fun to do.

Alex on our walk

COMPLETE!

2009-03-28T15:55:00.007+10:00

Ok, I have just finished the mixed media art piece I was working on yesterday. I don't think it is great, but it is my first try and I can only improve. I am looking forward to starting a new piece and will hopefully be able to show you some more stuff in the near future.

ART THERAPY

2009-03-27T16:36:00.008+10:00

OMG! I have just had the best art therapy ever. I would just like to thank my lovely Mum for introducing me to Kelly Rae Roberts. What an inspiration! I have just read her book Taking Flight and I absolutely loved it. She has inspired me to venture out of my comfort zone and try something else. I have always loved painting but have never been able to find an area that I am happy and comfortable with. Recently my mum started doing some mixed media collage paintings and it caught my eye. I haven't really seen much of this type of artwork before but something about it interested me so Mum loaned me her book (Taking Flight by Kelly Rae Roberts) and encouraged me to give it a go. I have already ordered a copy for myself I loved it that much.

I have been pretty upset and down in the dumps since getting some bad news yesterday but Mum said it's the perfect time to give this type of artwork a go as it will take my mind off of everything and help me release some stress. After a little bit of hesitation I did it. I decided to start a piece using the book for inspiration. I had heaps of fun doing it and can't wait to finish my piece. I just need to get a few supplies tomorrow at the shops before I can continue. I have added a few photos below of my artwork in progress. I hope you like it.

The Background

Adding a few details

Trying to get and idea of where to place things

This book wasn't far from my side

STOP! PARTY TIME!

2009-03-23T13:57:00.015+10:00

Yesterday (Sunday) we had a bit of a family bash to celebrate my Mum's 50th birthday. My lovely Uncle (Mum's brother) and Aunt offered to have the get together at their house at Beaudessert as they live on property. My Mum had no idea what was coming as we all decided to keep it a surprise, and I have to say it worked out pretty well. It was really hard not to accidentally slip up and say something though.

Mum thought she was off to Mount Tambourine for the day with all of her kids, and she was so excited as she has been wanting a family outing for a while now. We were pretending to be going to Mount Tambourine as it's in the same direction as my Uncle's property so we were praying she wouldn't get suspicious. She didn't know until we were pulling into their driveway that something was going on and then all she could say was "what have you done?". When we got out of the car everyone came outside to wish her happy birthday. Mum was totally stunned and the happy tears began. We haven't really properly seen my Uncle and Aunt and their family for over 4 years now so Mum was so happy and shocked to see them all. My Grandma and Grandad where there as well as some old friends. It was a wonderful day for everyone.

Mum about to cut her cake

Alex, Me, Beau, Mum, Reece, Aaron and Bradley

Mum with Grandma and Grandad

Mum with Uncle Billy and Aunty Debbie

Mum with Uncle Billy and Aunty Debbie's Kids

Alex and I

Aaron (my baby brother) and I

Me and my Brother Reece

Me and my Brother Beau

HAPPY 50TH BIRTHDAY MUM!!!!!

2009-03-23T13:11:00.007+10:00

WOW! I can't believe my mummy is 50 today! You seriously don't look it though. Even after raising 5 kids on your own (which I must say you did an excellent job at) you are still looking more fabulous then ever!!

We all love you and think you are a great person. I couldn't be prouder to call you my Mum. Happy Birthday Mum I hope you have a great day!

Mum as a teenager

Mum and Baby Me (I was always a Mummy's girl)

You are so Beautiful

Mum and Grandma