All Together Now!

I always hate showing up late to a party!

Then, again, I'm never the first and never the last...so I guess that puts me somewhere in the chewy center of things :)

The rules of this party say we need to do a little braggin' about ourselves...not something we get told to do often...so, I'll  do my best...teehee. It's all so exciting really, to sit down and talk about all the stuff you are proud of...and actually do right in Life.  Thanks, Amy!

So here we go!

Welcome!
My name is Cameron...cool name isn't it?!  I've always liked it.

I live with the philosophy that everything will work itself out.  I go with the flow and avoid big crowds, over-packed schedules and stress by saying NO to a lot of things.  This certainly doesn't make me the most popular girl in the group, but it keeps me sane.  I still find myself running out of time as it is.
I'm a Mom to a little girl that makes my heart full and happy...and a wife to a very patient and hardworking man.

I wouldn't win any awards for my housekeeping or parenting....but, they love me anyways!
I am extremely lucky!!

I'm a pretty darn good cook, but usually opt for whatever's easiest most of the time.  Unless, I get a craving for something...then I can't rest until I make it and consume it....

  

I think I could eat dessert for every meal :)

I am an awesome costume designer and take pride in putting things together with bits of this and scavenged that.

A small sampling of my handiwork...

I made this dress by hot gluing fabric pieces onto a black dress from the Thrift store.  I painted the patterns and did some hand stitching to the patches.

A furry vest and some other white clothing gets the spot treatment...

...And I made my girl a bohemian Beauty at last year's Ren Faire :)

I have a great ability to just kind of throw things together and make them work.  I had never sculpted anything before, but one day, I opened a package...and made these!

Now, I'm not saying they came about easily or quickly...but, I figured things out as I played...

...and there really is nothing more satisfying than being pleased with your efforts. 

 Especially when it involves something new ;)

I dabble in felt and jewelry from time to time.

But my true passion, the one thing I can lose myself in, is painting.  I'm lucky if I can get a few hours a week in, but those hours are magical for me....

...an opportunity to unwind and to be alone with my thoughts. 

It's amazing to me that some colors squeezed from a tube and some bristles on a stick can be used to develop a picture formed in our souls....

I made this for one of you.

5 X 7 inches on canvas.

Dream with your eyes wide open.....

...because I don't want you to miss a moment!

I'm also giving away to another lucky All Together Now Partier, these great stickers I ordered from Moo!

There are 10 in this set.  I just love them! 

 They turned out so good, I put some in the Shop, as well.

Hope you are having a lovely time at the Party!  Please visit Amy and the other revelers to see what they have to brag about!

I must go add some ice to my Malibu Coconut and OJ.....and apply to my swelled head!

All my best!

Cameron (still a cool name, eh?) ;P

Favorite Things

Hello Bloggy Babes!!
It is a beautiful sunny day here today....
...a perfect day to think about what some of my favorite things are....and squeak in just in time to join Butterfly Effect :)

I hope I get repetitive when I tell you that sharing my Life and my Art here in Blogland is one of my most favorite things of all....because of you!!  I had never imagined finding a place that offers so much support and inspiration, friendships and talent....I love it here!  I am in awe of you all and enjoy being here on a common journey :)

One of my favorite things to engage in with you is SWAPS!   I can't turn down an invitation to trade a little handmade goodness!  It's a compulsion....an addiction....and so darn much fun! Haha!!
Here are just some of the wonderful works I've been fortunate enough to acquire through swaps....

From L clockwise art by Lauren Startzman of Fair Rosamund, Deedra of Foxy Blue (blog removed), TheresaMacNaughton of Faerie Moon Creations and Joyce van der Lely of Joyce's Art

From L clockwise, art by Amy McDonald of Amy., Micki Wilde of The Secret Hermit, Natasha May of NatshaMay Art World, ,  Karen of I am Rushmore, and Mindy Lacefield of Tim's Sally

Cool, huh?!  Remember I did say these are just some of the lovely art pieces I've received.  Rest assured if yours isn't shown here....it's because I was rushing around like a mad woman trying to gather them quickly to get this post up....not because I don't LOVE them!

I treasure and adore everything I'm sent, so please don't feel left out...Sheree, Michele, Heather, Allison, Kathy...to name a few I've not featured here....thank you, too!   I have the best  Blog Buddies ever! 

Other favorite things include:

Rainy days with nowhere to go

Staying in PJ's all day

DESSERTS!  Isn't it funny that stressed spelled backwards is Desserts :)

Hearing birds singing when my windows are open

Blaring dance music with naughty lyrics in the car when I'm alone ;P

Looking up at the night sky in remote locations & seeing a thousand stars

Picking homegrown fruits & veggies

These 2 together

My morning cup of coffee

Pedicures with extra massage time added.....ahhhhh

Having a dedicated Art Room!

Big commanding moons

This was ours last night...a horrible picture of what was the biggest,

yellowest, lowest in the sky moon I'd ever seen!

Eating scones with all the fixins at a lovely Tea House

Catching my Husband's gaze when I least expect it

Strolling around quaint shops and craft shows

SKYPE

Creating!!

Here's my latest:

"Daydream" 8 1/2 inches square Mixed Media on torn Kids' book cover.

This is the completed project from Amy's magazine paintover class I did on Jan 20th.  I told you I'd show it to you when I finished it.  Hope you like it.   It's in the shop if you really like it...heehee ;)

A few more faves:

Halloween

the color green

Foggy mornings

Blooper Reels on DVDs

Drumstick ice cream cones with the caramel center

Thin Mints cookies kept in the freezer

Okay, I better go....can you tell I'm hungry?! Haha!

Thank you for visiting my little space here....

Have a fantastic weekend....hope it's filled with some of your favorite tthings!

Hugs and other sweet stuff,

Cameron

P.S. If you are participating in the Drawing Lab Lessons, you can link up by clicking the Lesson 1 Link at the top of my sidebar or simply scroll down to the previous post!  Happy to have you join in!

Ode to Nature

This week on Butterfly Effect, the theme is A Poem or A Quote.

Here is what I painted in response.

There were so many quotes about Nature that inspired this painting....

"And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair"

-Kahlil Gibran

I fully intended to pick one and write the words onto the painting....

"Humankind has not woven the web of life.  We are but one thread within it.  Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.  All things are bound together.  All things connect."

-Chief Seattle

But I didn't want to cover up anything once she was done.

So I wrote my chosen quote on the back instead.

"Nature is painting for us, day after day, pictures of infinite beauty

if only we have the eyes to see them."

-John Ruskin

The Beauty of Nature

Mixed Media on Chipboard (from an old scrapbook kit I'd never otherwise use)

7 x 8 3/4 inches

Please visit Butterfly Effect to see what other poems or quotes have made for good art :)

While you're there....go to Amy's site and find out when her next LIVE class is.

I was finally able to attend....woohoo!

I'll have to finish up what we made and show it to you later.

Hope your weekend is abundant with the beauty of Nature!

Biggest Hugs,

Cam

Just for Giggles

Hello All!

With the stress and busyness of the Holidays....I sure have felt the need to decompress in the studio for some much needed play time.  How about you?
I didn't want to start any lengthy projects (I have enough of those still unfinished...haha!) and I didn't want to have to think too hard about shading and facial features like when doing a portrait...

So, the answer came to me...
Cupcakes!

Aren't they always the answer?!  :-D

In one of Amy's classes, she showed us how to sew fabric onto watercolor paper and use that to paint on....
I had prepared some extras and knew that's what I wanted to use.
The paint bleeds a little and gets a nice wash-y kinda effect (I know, very technical...haha!) that I really like.

I saw this saying...and thought it was perfect!

I added some ruffle from a vintage pillowcase, polka dot ribbon, a fancy brad...and some ribbon to hang it with.  A cute little reminder to turn a sour day into a sweet one :)

This next one is definately for the kid in us all...

"Sprinkles make me Smile"

Do you get all giddy when you get to eat something with sprinkles, too?

These were a lot of fun to make...and a lot less fattening than the real thing :)

They are in my Shop now.

Now, I have to start making a coffee cozy for my daughter's teacher! 

Yay!  A good excuse to catch up on some TV...heehee!

Hope you get to have a cupcake kinda day soon...

Did you know your comments and visits are my sprinkles?

You never cease to make me smile,

Cameron