Wordless Wednesday: My Little Artist
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Category Archives: Blog
Crocheted Tear Drops
Recently, I made a couple more pairs of lovely crocheted earrings.
So, these are for sale in my shop, of course.
Anything else to report?
My husband and I have planned a home birth, so our midwife came over yesterday. Poor thing, she hadn’t slept in days (due to her job, not me).
Anyway, I’m a bit dialated, but since there is no progress, life goes on as usual.
This past weekend was my birthday. Happy birthday to me! I got to celebrate my birthday in excruciating pain. I did have what is the beginings of real labor pains, as the contractions were awful painful.
But, today I shall be catered on by my darling husband who promised me pumpkin cupcakes and dinner. Nice, right?
Inspiration Thursday: Art Journaling 101
Writer’s block. That’s what today is about: writer’s block. This is of course, because I myself have been suffering from writer’s block this week.
It can be annoying to go through, especially when the blockage seeps into other creative mediums. A friend once gave me the advice of faking it until you feel the inspiration. That works for me. That’s when I do swaps. I know that I HAVE to make something, so then I start, and sure enough, my muse is lured back to me.
Anyway, my journal page:
So for this one, I used my own version of twinkling H20s, copic markers, and a new fun discovery: PAN pastels + water. Oh yes, this was so fun.
You so need to try this.
So, today’s post is a short and sweet message: try something new. On your page, try using more than one color medium.
And your prompt for this week? Describe the things around you. One thing Jim Morrison did, was sit and observe. You can tell in his poems that he would just sit and observe and wrote down what he saw. This week, stick to your house. Describe yourself, your home, the people you live with, whatever. It doesn’t have to make sense. Good poetry rarely makes any sense.
On a personal note, I’ve been having contractions, WOOT! I mean real ones, not the fake teaser ones that you get here and there. So, my doula told me who knows, it could be coming soon. Maybe a day, maybe a couple days, maybe a week (or even two). But soon. So if you don’t see a post for a few days, you will know why.
So that’s mostly why I’ve had some writer’s block. Too much anticipation of the baby coming. Anyway, that’s that for today. Short and sweet, I know.
Wordless Wednesday: A Walk Around the Neighborhood
Merry Christmas Banner
Over the weekend, I made a pretty Christmas banner.
So I had to photograph them separately, because I haven’t hung them up yet, and I have found that photographing banners is a very challenging art.
I used papers by Graphic 45, and inked the edges of each. The red paper with red ink, and the light brown paper with gold ink. I find that pigment ink stamp pads are the best for inking up edges, as you can smudge them a bit if you feel like it.
Anyway, today I have a headache. And I’m a little tired. The long weekend was so nice, that it was difficult to wake up so blasted early in the morning. I really would have rather slept in a bit. But such is life with a child in school.
I need a new camera. The one I’ve got is a few years old, and now has tape on the part where the battery is supposed to go, and also needs to be held or else the battery slips out anyway. Maybe the income tax fairy will be generous this year, and I’ll be able to go to B&H and buy myself a REALLY good camera.
I’m working on a new infinity cowl. I’m actually almost done with it. I can’t wait to show you. AND my favorite local yarn store is having a sale in manhattan which I am UBER excited for. I hope to be able to buy yarn for my winter collection.
I’ve got an idea for a new design, and I need some more. For that, a walk through the city is needed. I get my fashion inspiration from my walks through the city, with my daughter. So tomorow, I suppose? What I wish I could do is walk up to strangers, and say, “excuse me, can i photograph you?” Of course, New Yorkers are too cautious for that, and too selfish. They would either reply to me asking how much am I paying them, or they’d just look at me like I’m nuts and walk away (or think that I was nuts and ignore me-New Yorkers have ignoring down to a science).
So yeah. I have to keep the images in my head. I can’t write my ideas down. I mean, I can, but if I do, I all of the sudden don’t want to do it anymore. So I don’t bother. Weird, I know. So I keep my ideas in my head. I have to.
So that’s all for now.
Inspiration Thursday: Thank You
Today’s thursday. It’s also Thanksgiving. I do not celebrate thanksgiving for the origins of the slaughter of many native americans.
But I do take a minute on ANY given day to be grateful for all that I have.
We should not just take ONE day but EVERY day of the year to thank our god, the universe or whatever you believe in, for all the wonderful things you have. And thank yourself-for the choices you made in your life. In my life, I’ve encountered seen jealousy and envy. When I first met my husband, I used to tell him, “I don’t always feel so sorry for people because everyone in life has a choice to make.” And I still think that, to an extent.
Don’t feel envy for someone. Feel happy that they have something you think is nice. Be happy for them. Life is about choices. You make the choices in life. Life doesn’t just “happen” to you.
Be thankful ALL the time, not just on a designated holiday. I was thinking about a movie I saw a long time ago. This man, he was abused verbally and emotionally by his mother. At the end, he had come up with this amazing career as an athelete, thanks to his response to her abuse towards him growing up. When giving a speech, he actually thanked her. That movie always stuck out in my head, and I was thinking about it yesterday. So I wrote a poem that I thought I’d share with you.
It’s called, Thank You. I should mention that each stanza is a different person.
thank you
for the way you tilt your head when you laugh
thank you
for being the rebel that no one knows you are
thank you
thank you
for helping me realize that life
is about choices
and I
chose you and
my life is splendid indeed
because my choices
were positive
thank you
thank you for being my true love
thank you
for that first time you told me, “diana you ARE an artist”
Thank you.
thank you for the drawings and notes early in the morning
thank you for working hard
thank you
for teaching me
to be romantic
thank you
thank you
for making me a mother
thank you for the smiles and the hugs and the
cute drawings you make for me
I keep them all
thank you
for calling me your best friend
for baking in the kitchen with me like my abuela did with me
thank you
thank you for being a little light of love and hope
thank you
thank you that usually
when you don’t want to say hi to someone i know
they normally turn out to be just
a little
nutty.
thank you
and
thank you
for looking like me
for showing me
teaching me
what it is to truly love
and truly give
thank you
for teaching me the patience of the Buddha
thank you
thank you for giving me a reason
to aim for more in life
thank you
Thank you for teaching me what it means
to bless those who curse you
thank you
thank you for making my life a living hell:
out of the ashes of your shitmouth
came my poems and my art
so
thank you
for the adversity
thank you
thank you for teaching me what God ISN’T
thank you
thank you for teaching me what a mother ISN’T
thank you
I
thank you
thank you
for being there
for listening
for being the mother I never had
for teaching me what a REAL woman is
who God is
what life is about
thank you
and
thank you for teaching me what to look for in a man
thank you abuelita
for the advice by your bed
for the carne esmechada that no one else makes like you
did
for the cooking lessons, you
gave me your passion
in the kitchen
thank you
thank you for the way always smelled of perfume, and
not
the vieja kind
thank you
thank you abuela
thank you for the love
thank you for the stories about life in Colombia
thank you
I
thank you
—————————-
Wordless Wednesday: Crocheted Tear Drop Earrings
Sustainable Me: Coffee Face Scrub
So being pregnant, while wonderfully fabulous, does do a number on your body. With my daughter Dakota, I had HORRIBLE acne.
This time, I have no acne issues. What I do get, is a bit of flakiness on my face. It’s really annoying. So I made a scrub, to exfoliate, and get the blood flowing, and such.
Granted, it doesn’t look that appetizing. But it works, I tell you.
For this, I just mixed a bit of used coffee grinds, with some sugar & oatmeal, and that was that. If you want to, you can add a bit of witch hazel. But I just added a drop or two of coffee. I like to recycle, so I used a recycled jar to put my grinds in.
How much, you ask?
Hmmmm. I normally eye-ball it, since that’s also how I cook. I’d say equal parts of all three, until you get the consistency you like. Sugar softens skin, oatmeal helps clarify, and coffee takes out the toxins. So that’s how I came up with this mixture. You can add a scent if you like. I didn’t tho.
There are a LOT of things you can do with things you have at home, to make scrubs and such things.
For example if you’ve got some acne, and don’t want to buy expensive acne medicine, just dab some honey on the problem area. Toothpaste doesn’t work. It never did for me, anyway. A few days of honey will dry up that acne nicely tho.
Another good thing is avocado & olive oil for the hair. That works nicely. Just blend some avocado with a bit of olive oil, and apply to the hair. Put on a shower cap, and take a nice hot shower, then rinse it out of your hair with cooler water.
Another natural exfoliant is Pineapple. It’s so delicious, but it’s also a good exfoliant. Honestly, just slice off a small piece, and scrub it on your skin when taking a shower or whatever.
My experience with holistic skin care is garbage in, garbage out. So eat healthy, stay away from too much sugar, and drink lots of water, and you’ve got no worries. Your skin will look better. So also, try to adapt a healthier lifestyle. This of course, may be difficult for you, but at least try to keep the sweets to a minimum.
That’s my opinion, anyway.
Sweet Memories Mini Scrapbook
Recently I finished up this cute little scrapbook.
I guess since I’m pregnant, I am feeling like I want to start scrapbooking again. Something about having kids makes me want to do this.
Those flowers were glittered because my daughter thought it would be a good idea. That glittery goodness is by Art Institute Glitter.
I used some papers by Echo Park Paper, from a series called “Country Drive”. I also used a couple of Prima flowers, and some glitter by Art Institute Glitter, to give it a little pizzaz.
That little brown bird is a chipboard thingamajig from Stampin’ Up. I inked him up with brown ink, then added some “dazzler’s” glitter by Art Institute Glitter.
What else? Well, if you want an update, I’m currently 35 weeks pregnant. That means, I’ve got about 2-3 more weeks, realistically. My daughter Dakota came early. My midwife says it’s possible that this one come early too. I can tell you that this one kicks and moves a lot more than my Dakota did in-utero.
And I have to say, it is NOT an easy task to be a mother, AND be pregnant. Not at all. On top of the mood swings, and the cravings, you then have people besides yourself to take care of, and at times you really do want to move far far away where all you hear is silence and no one bothers you. Then you think, but jeez, maybe I’ll miss all the noise, eh? I guess that’s being a mom for you. My way of pampering myself is taking extra long showers. My daughter will start knocking if I’m in there too long, but I don’t care. Normally I go for the eco-friendly 5 minute shower rule, but pregnancy makes me want to not bother with that so much.
Oh and I better start getting ready for Christmas! So much to do. I should hire an intern. Or split myself in half. Either way.
A Little Buddha Matchbox
You might already know that I work at an afterschool program on saturdays. Anyway, this past saturday, I had the kids (teens-middle school & high school) make pendants out of matchboxes. Since I once again forgot my camera, I thought I’d show you the piece that I made.
You like it?
The buddha is a shrink plastic doodad that I made from hand carved stamp that my husband & I designed a long time ago. I had filled him in with color pencils.
Then, there’s a small bottle of glittery goodness there, and some blue beads.
This one tho, is meant to just be decorative art, not a pendant.
Meanwhile, I’m working on a crocheted necklace, and a scarf for a couple friends, then, I’ve got a shawl I started. I’m doing a couple of low-key holiday markets within the next couple weeks. The funny thing about living in New York City is that there almost is no such thing as a low -key or affordable holiday market. On average, the expect you to shell out $200 or so for a one day event. I don’t care what anyone tells you, or how worth it someone else finds it, $200 is way too much to then have to wake up at the crack of dawn, and if you’ve got no car, you need to then haul yer stuff on the train, on the weekends no less, when the subways are nutty, and seem to always work against you. No thanks.
Oh sure, they’ll promise you lots of hype, but eh. No thanks. I can spend $200 putting an ad somewhere online, or in a cool indie magazine. You know? Much better, I think. And I don’t have to wake up too early.
I used to do craft fairs RELIGIOUSLY, so experience is talking. And opinions. I’m a sag, we have strong opinions. But you know what? It’s a part of who I am, right?
I don’t expect much of people except that they be upfront, and not be terribly intimidated by my fast, loud and often talkative manner. It’s a part of who I am. But surprisingly, I’m actually also shy. Weird, but true.
