Put Your Love and Your Guts into It...

(sunset over the Gulf, St. Pete's Beach, FLA,2003)

My heart is so heavy for our ocean, the wildlife, the nature, the people, all of us who are being

effected by the oil spill TRAGEDY.

I have to say that these kinds of things that are just so sad and senseless

make me feel

powerless.

My wise friend Kelly at Soul Humming has taken her feelings of sadness and powerlessness

and looked for ways in which we can do at least a little something to help go along with our

prayers for our world.

Check out her post here to see what you can do to empower yourself in spite of the grief.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here is a little bit about the process that went into my latest journal page.

I started off writing in a black permanent brush pen on white paper torn from a small journal.

I wrote about strength and helplessness.

Then I cut the writing into strips.

I was really keeping the "thinking" down to a minimum and just seeing where things were going to go.

No preconceptions...

In my journal I had a page that had these pink circles on it that I had painted around with bright green acrylic paint.

I added some details with Inktense pencils in lime green, blue green and fuchsia.

I glued down the strips of my writing.

The brightness didn't work with where I was. A little to garden/springy somehow..

Out came the beautiful Black Golden Gesso !

I liked this effect but didn't know where else to go with it so I left the page for about a day...

This is where I ended up this morning...

I added the purple door (using a great big paint chip from Behr paints, some more writing strips and some grommets) that could be opened.

And on the underside of the door was a message...

Then I added some "I" phrases that were actually cut out of an old Tarot Card Reading guide that I cut into now and then...

as well as some white detailed pen work.

I love how the page turned out.

I also see lots of sweet spots that could work wonderfully for making cards.

I also love that it was all about the page telling me where it wanted to go.

That intuitive kind of art making is what I love best.

David and I are hanging out together for the first weekend in quite a few.

Feels good !

Planting some garden beauties, getting my back deck up to scratch,

a trip to the beach for wave listening and rock collecting,

smooches and hand holding whenever possible...

Love is good.

I hope you have lots of time to celebrate LOVE this weekend too, Beautiful Ones.

Yellow Lab Love

Did I ever tell you that my incredibly loving, very beautiful Yellow Lab Chica's

full name is

Chiquitita ?

Yes, my girlfriend doggie was named after my favorite Abba song and

one of the best polkas in the world.

The word Chiquitita rough translates to "little girl" in Spanish.

The lyrics of the song say " Sing a new song, Chiqui- ti - ta"...

and spending time with my little blond girl

always makes me sing a new song...

So in celebration of our first trip to the watering hole for Summer 2010

and because I screwed up and missed putting the microphone on my camera

when I was taping

this,

please turn your speakers up loud

and listen to Frida and Agnetha belt it out

as a sound track to some Yellow Lab Love...

Here is "Chiquitita"...

(don't forget to polka at the end...;)

Hit play...

Love you my soggy doggy Friend !

May your long weekend be full of frolicking, Beautiful Ones !

Cheers !

Spreading the Rock My World Love...

So there have been a few exciting things happening in my Rock My World adventures lately.

My meditation teacher, Deb, who is also the owner of Full Spectrum Wellness

where I go for meditation each Monday, purchased a big bag of rocks to keep in a bowl in the lobby of the center.

Deb has told me how clients there have really been enjoying choosing little love messages for themselves and then passing them on. A few of the ladies in my class have shared stories of how they passed on the rocks in their own circles, and had some sweet exchanges with people.

One client who happened by the FSW center was the chef and owner of a local hot spot restaurant call Z Restaurant.

Tom found a rock that said "Do what you love." laying outside on the steps when he came into the building. He said he knew that rock was for him ! Then when he saw the bowl of the rocks in the lobby, he decided this was something he wanted for his restaurant as well.

As of yesterday, all Z Restaurant customers receive a Rock My World rock and a little added love, on the cute crooked white plates that they get their check on

.

This is the rock my friend Lois and I had on our check plate when we were finishing up our delicious dessert of "Almost Frozen Lemon Mousse" - yummmm...

So these events, as well as a generous purchase of some rocks from my Mom's boss in Montreal, have allowed me to start an added little aspect to my adventures.

I would like to offer you the chance to pay it forward, spread the love and rock your own world!

What I propose is that you send me an email with your idea for where you would like to share the Rock My World rocks in your neck of the woods.

It could be like my mom, who has a bowl of the rocks on her front reception desk so that employees at the insurance company where she works can all have an inspiring word to begin their day with.

Or like my friend Patti Digh does, offering rocks at her Life is a Verb retreats as talismans for the participants.

Or my sweet friend Kim and her son Riley, who leave rock love messages on their path on their morning walks with their dogs.

It could be like what Lyle and her daughter, Toni did, giving the rocks to kids who were having brain scans where Toni works as a technician, where the rocks help the kiddos to hold and and be brave in the face of something that can seem pretty scary.

Think of a place where you encounter people and could add a little extra love into their day. Think about how you can have a loving, kindness connection with others in your own life.

Think of where you can spread the LOVE.

Share your ideas with me and I will work with you to get some Rock My World rocks your way. This may mean free shipping or a free bag; we will work it out. I would like to use some of the profits I have made from selling my rocks here and there to make this love circle even wider and to continue to put it out there. The rewards I have received for these adventures are so much more than monetary and I want to keep that flow going.

So send me your ideas at queen-of-arts@comcast.net and let's keep on rocking it, Baby !

Big Love to you, Beautiful Kind Ones.

Semi Wordless Wednesday

I needed to remind myself of this today.

I thought I would share in case you needed the reminder too.

Have an awesome Wednesday, Amazing Ones !

Simple Woman's Daybook for Monday, May 24, 2010

Simple Woman's Daybook - Monday, May 24, 2010

Outside my window, my pretty red and white flowered table cloth has been "decorated" by bird poop.

I am thinking that I love the new coffee cup my Mom bought me that says "It's all good." inside the rim, so I see it with each sip.


I am thankful waking up feeling energized and ALIVE this morning...I was even singing and humming pre-coffee. Also for the sweet visit with my Mommy this weekend. Short but so sweet.

From the kitchen, David's fresh baked and very yummy Pumpkin & Colon Blow Muffins.


I am wearing my favorite paisley pajama bottoms, a grey t-shirt, white flip flops and a yellow daisy behind my ear.

I am creating journal pages that blow me away - where do they come from ?

I am going to be painting lots of Rock My World rocks today as I have an order for ten little bags of them from a local restaurant owner.

I am reading Marian Keyes, The Brightest Star in the Sky for fun and Art & Fear: Observations On the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking by David Bayles & Ted Orland for some brain food.

I am hoping/praying that the way I feel this morning carries me throughout the week...

I am hearing the garbage truck moving on to the next street and the crazy cardinals tweeting on top of it all.

Around the house it is quiet, and things are nice & tidy since my Mom was here for the weekend and the big cleaning was done last week.


One of my favorite things is Gerbera Daisies like the crazy huge Lollipop variety that David talked me into getting to grace my back deck container flowers. (See photos to share below). How can you look at them and not smile ?

A few plans for the rest of the week : Seeing "Sex & the City 2" with Sonia 'cause that's what girlfriends do, get rock orders done, enjoy the summer-like weather and get my doggie to a swimming hole !

A few pictures I'd like to share...

Check out these Gerberas !!!

Pretty red & white table cloth (sans bird poop).

Latest journal page - "Herself" - May 24, 2010 (click to enlarge)

A great quote from Sarah Jessica Parker fit right in on this one.

I look good in hats, don't you think ?

Too bad they aren't more in style.

Such a great accessory.

A reference to my Lollipop, the flowering plant of the season !

********************

Happy Victoria Day to all my Canadian Family & Pals ! Enjoy your Monday off !

It is nice and early as I finish this post.

I will make one promise to myself on this gorgeous, sunny warm day in May :

Get Thee Away from the Computer !!!

Happy Monday, Beautiful Ones!

Thankfulness Thursday - Loosening Up and Going Green

In a world that is trying so hard to make things black or white,

this Queen loves herself some GREEN !

Here's one of her favorite art journal techniques when things are a little too tight,

a little too stiff...

Get thee some ink...

This is what the Queen has on hand...

gorgeous grass green, of course !

Pick up an eye dropper or a spray bottle or mister with water...

(image from Yahoo)

or a Mister With Water

if you are a single lady

not married to a hunka hunka burning love like I am, right David, Honey ?

But I digress....

Ya, like I said, some ink, water, paper (preferably watercolor)

and go to town making ink blobs.

Then take a break.

When the ink has dried,

start looking for what you see in the blobs...

This is what I saw on my page...

Hmmm, big boobs, firemen with hoses...

Hey Queeny, this is a PG blog !

Anyway, that is what I saw...

I started filling it in with paints

- Inktense Water Color Pencils, acrylics, Twinkle H2O's...

Any tools that jumped in...

Then I got out the old faithful black India ink and my dip pen,

as well as the Elmer's Paint Pen in white

and added some detailed pen work...

and I ended up with this Dolly Parton-esque, super loving gymnast hanging out with the birds,

called

"If I ran the Circus"

just like the Dr. Seuss book of the same name.

No tightness or stiffness there...

just some rather fearless play with my favorite tools and favorite COLOR !

For my ability to loosen up and go with the green,

I am truly grateful.

*****************************

Finally feeling a little more like myself after three days of really taking it very easy.

Today is absolutely gorgeous here - sunny and with a high of about 83 (28 Celsius) so I am looking forward to some afternoon time outside.

I am also tidying the house and getting things ready for my Mom's visit this weekend. I am so excited she is coming! Mommy and me time is lovely ! Some shopping, some gardening, lots of chatting on the porch and the best hugs a daughter could ask for. Yay !

I hope you have a beautiful Thursday, Lovely Ones !

Today...

Today,

I am going to face the monsters head on.

(Liz dared me to do this - check it out here and join in. I dare you !)

*** EDIT - No, I did not draw this marvelous creature. I found it waiting for me on my walk yesterday morning. I think a young artist must have been inspired by this great rock - a place that I often leave a Rock My World rock. So cool ! And yes, if all monsters looked like this one, facing them wouldn't be so bad...

Something's Missing

Hi there, Beautiful Ones!

It is Tuesday.

I had a remarkable, full, creative and lovely weekend with my Art Friends Gathering over the weekend. But I do not have photos - yet ! I actually forgot my disk for my camera and also left the photo taking to several of the other ladies. I hope to have some pics to show you soon. I loved it and I am particularly thankful to Colleen for bringing me into such a great circle of women and to Patti who opened her beautiful home to all of us for the whole weekend.

We will be gathering again for an entire week on Cape Cod in September, where each of us will be sharing some of our arty talents with the group and where we will play the days away by the sea. Does that sound like Heaven or what ? I want the summer to go slowly and fully but I am also really looking forward to that treat in the Fall.

(Latest journal page - HIATUS - May, 2010) -click to enlarge

So while the weekend was wonderful, I am feel absolutely and completely drained of energy right now.

I am on an Energy Hiatus, if you will...

I have many creative thoughts, things I want to do, things I feel I should do,

BUT

I seem to have no forward momentum at the moment.

I am on pause, except for the occasional little burst of creative juices that create pages like the one above.

They seem to be followed by the need to do nothing or to nap or to watch the grass grow...

A few of my "teachers" have been telling me that is okay, and that this quiet, resting time must be what I need.

I am trying to give in graciously and accept that this is what my being kind of needs right now

but man, can that feeling guilty crap take over easily if you let it !!!!

I do know in my gut though

that I need to be filled up.

The well is kind of dry and I have very little to share right now.

I think I need to take the advice of my favorite Writer-Lady, and the airlines, and

Put My Own Mask On First.

Now if I can learn to do that and not feel guilty about it, I will have this in the bag !!!

So what will fill me up a little today ?

A gentle walk with the sweet Chica-dog.

A quick grocery stop to get some healthy food for supper tonight for me and my man.

A nap in the pm, preferably in a sunbeam with kitties and dog beside me.

And not a single guilty thought or feeling in sight....

I hope you fill yourself up a little today, Beautiful Ones.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oh, and could you please send out some extra loving prayers for my beautiful , beautiful Teacher-friend, Judy Wise, as she undergoes her surgery on her vocal cords today. I so wish for the return of her sweet voice in this world. I love you, Judy.

Rocking Stones Gather No Moss...

This was this knobby tree last Thursday when I left it :

When I arrived at the same place yesterday, one week later, all the rocks were gone.

Not only the ones on this guy, but all of the ones I placed on my walk

that I posted about here.

Blows me away...

Some of these were not in obvious places at all !

But someone or some bodies found them all and claimed them.

So very cool.

Imagine finding a rock with a message on it in a tree as you walk ?

Like I said, so cool !!!!

Gotta keep it going so the knobby tree looked like this when I left it yesterday :

I know when you put it out there, it comes back to you in some really fine ways...

Maybe one day, there will be a message waiting for me on the tree.

That would be so cool too. ;)

*****Strange Journal Page ALERT !!!!******

Don't know why she is green.

David said she must be related to the Jolly Green Giant.

I said she was the pretty Green Tootsie that the Jolly Green Giant and the Incredible Hulk fight over...

The phrase "Live brightly" came from a Sun Chips ad.

The words just kind of fit after she came out to play...

Told you it was strange.

;)

I am hoping the playful mood continues as I head off to a Art Friend Gathering of 10 or so New England woman, all of whom have been to Squam so I bumped into them there, but several I am meeting for the first time officially. My buddy Colleen is bringing me into her circle of arty friends, which feels really nice.

We are gathering this weekend for food, drinks, conversation, laughter and some artmaking.

This has been in the works for several months.

I am a little nervous but mostly really excited to let the games begin !

I will be back with photos and details

(unless what happens at Patti's house, stays at Patti's house, of course ! )

I hope you have a playful and creative weekend, Beautiful Ones !

Thankfulness Thursday - Spreading the Love...

Art Journal Page - "Everybody Wants to be Loved" - (click to enlarge)

inspired by my new favorite song for

this week that I first heard here :

I am so thankful that every day is a new day to spread the LOVE

and feel it come back to you...

Go LoVE on someone, Beautiful Ones.

Happy Thursday !

Heart Connections...

So this was waiting for me when I got home on Sunday evening...

It came really quickly from CA, filled with beauty, kindness and love

from my friend lynne hoppe.

Every precious detail made me smile and sigh...

from the perfect white feather inside the card to the cloth wrapped treasures inside.

You see, lynne and I share a love for rocks, among many things of beauty in our world,

and she lovingly shared some of her gorgeous hand-painted creationswith me !

Also wrapped in this package was an incredibly smooth black stone...

A rare piece of obsidian,

that lynne had asked for just for me

and the Universe gifted us both with...

I looked up the properties of this special stone and found that

"Black Obsidian is protective and provides support during change. It repels negativity and

disperses unloving thoughts." It is also a stone associated with transformation

and with facing the Self full on.

So very appropriate to where I feel I am these days...

I absolutely marvel at the whole package

and the love and care that lynne put into this gift.

I have a heart connection with this incredible woman whom I have never seen in person,

yet have felt connected to in deep, soul-tingling ways.

It makes me feel truly blessed.

Big loving thanks to you, my friend lynne.

*******************************************

The landing from this last trip up North has been a bit bumpy.

I think I spread myself a little thin energy wise.

Today is the first day since I got home Sunday

that I feel a little more on top of things, which is good.

A day out in the sunshine with my friend Sonia (who drove all day so I didn't have to !)

helped me yesterday.

I feel the need to get things back into the flow today !

I have a package to finish filling that is heading down to Cali... ;)

I have to gather my felting and sewing stuff together for a special Art Friends Gathering weekend coming up...

The house needs a little TLC so that David is comfy while I head out again and so that my nest feels good when I return home...

And I need to get a paint brush in my hand asap to fight off the creating withdrawals !

Here's to a hump day filled with getting it done,

creatively !

Big Love to you, CReative Ones !