Passion...unleashed!!!

In an effort to gain focus on "Now and the Future" I have vowed to move forward 

with my art.  And though I don't possess any particular talent or skill, 

like painting, or sculpting, or jewelry making,

I am reminded very clearly of when I began my journey into "altered books".  

For all 3 of my first books came about somewhat effortlessly, without much thought...

it just happened!  And my books came to life!

and they each had a very basic theme...passion.  

 Deep seeded...passion, that is apparent within my creative soul...

    

Creating something helps me to dig deep into my soul 

for additional strength as I seek balance.

  For now that my children are grown, they don't need me as much, 

and I feel somewhat lost and abandoned.

I feel my life going in a new direction, a direction that actually includes my needs and wants, something for ME...not MOM~ME/MOMMY...but just plain old ME. 

I've been busy taking more photos...walking in the woods with my 2 dogs...

picking up perfectly rounded  rocks to stack...

and acorns, still green...making paper cranes...

and blending and rolling my very own incense, thanks to Nina of HAPPY HERBS SOAP.

  So here, drying in my meditation bowl handmade for me by Nina, 

are my newly rolled cones of incense from a special blend 

that I created in the studio at Two Crow Cottage.  

This personal blend never had a name...until now...very simply...I named it, PASSION!

It is reddish in color, which I believe is the color of true passion.

  Red and burning hot!!!

Here are two paper cranes, that I named TRAV & JESS preparing for flight

as Nina's 2 incense crows burn that soaring instinct into their spirited souls.

I am on a mission...a journey to be happy, enlightened with new found wisdom 

that will bring me inner peace and joy, as I struggle to let go!!!

Summertime...grad party season

come in...stay awhile...

don't mind if I do!

the bentwood trellis from our earlier arty tea party...

Andrea's beautiful gardens are an impressive backdrop for a  party.

She even has "Sweet Annie" planted amongst the very tall butterfly bushes.

Can you see her back there?  SWEET ANNIE...

The party was a huge success, with good old-fashioned fun for folks of all ages...even the very competitive volleyball game.  I will leave those pictures and those stories for their families to tell, but it was a rejuvenating gathering of friends, ending with a campfire with Joe spinning some great tunes...I even danced...all by myself... a fabulous event!  THANK YOU ANDREA AND JOE, AND CONGRATULATIONS TO YOUR BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER, NATALIE!

Bathing Beauty...

At the Arty Tea Party held at the wonderful gardens at Two Crow Cottage, Nina assembled a fine space for us to create "CAULK TRANSFERS".  Through Kitty's instruction, (thanks Kitty for jumping in there at the last minute), we made some cool image transfers using caulk, of all things. 

Here is mine...She is sweet!

And here are some pictures of the great gardens of HAPPY HERBS SOAP!

So very inviting!

Come, come into the garden...sit a spell...

Now, use your imagination to discover what's through here...

Affectionately posted by: VICKI, who was completely outofhand yesterday...and for that matter, today, too:)

 

Determination

The chaotic side of my creativity is sometimes counter productive.  For at this moment, I have more unfinished art projects than I care to admit.  I think back to my first altered book that I named, "PASSION'S SLAVE".  It was a tiny little board book that came to life quite effortlessly.  I didn't think about it, I didn't plan it...it just happened.  And my 2nd altered book named, "YOU'RE MY THRILL", came to life the exact same way.  They are tucked away in the bottom drawer of a dresser in my abandoned attic studio.  I have shown them in public only once a few years ago when I participated in the ALTERED BOOK/BOOK SHOW at Hamish and Henry Bookstore in Livingston Manor.  They were not for sale...they were a part of my soul then, as they are now.


Well, tomorrow, I will take them out and put them on display in a very prominent location so as to kick-start the creative chaos into high gear again and dig down deep into my soul for some loving inspiration to perhaps finish some of these projects.


It's late...tomorrow's another day...

Walking Labyrinth

While vacationing in Delaware, I found Lavender Fields and a wonderful
Walking Labyrinth.  

Here I am in the center of it feeling absolutely happy!  Can you tell?

 And below is my lovely daughter in deep thought...always...a Philosophy Major.

For more on the Labyrinth and the beauty of Lavender Fields, visit 

http://lavenderfieldsde.com/

More beauty of the vacation is this terrific cactus that bloomed
just for us on our last day.

It hangs inside the outdoor shower next to the pool, 

and we were careful all week long not to disturb the buds.

Voila...it bloomed for us on our last day! 

And here is my very own personal REHOBOTH BEACH PATROL...

Oh my darling daughters just loved putting those t-shirts on!  

I think the only reason they humored me was so they can say,

"Remember when Mom made us where those goofy shirts?"

I definitely created a memory!!!  And isn't that what

MOMS DO BEST???