The Fruit of Life

I've been inspired lately by the bright colors of spring. I had this piece of plywood I bought for a couple of dollars at this cool art store in Santa Barbara called Art Essentials. It's been sitting in my studio for a couple of months waiting for inspiration to hit. I finally decided to make a little "patchwork" of quotes and words using some things I collected a while back from Chinatown in Los Angeles. I really love how it came out and it is a constant source of brightness in my studio right now!

I chose this quote because I think it sums up this phase of my life's journey right now as I prepare to embark on the adventures and blessings of motherhood: "The thing you are ripening toward is the fruit of your life. It will make you bright inside, no matter what you are outside. It is a shining thing."

Spring Accessorizing

What's spring without a cute little accessory to brighten things up? I just got this in the mail after ordering it a week ago from QVC. They had a Vera Bradley day. Her purses are not usually really my style, but they had a few limited edition pieces like this cute little number. It's called the Rosie Posie Hipster "Sittin' in a Tree".

This is the fabric inside the purse: (A great purse is marked by patterned fabric that's as good on the inside as on the outside!)

And here are some pics of the outside of the purse:

Too cute!! Just love it!! And so happy to have a downsized crossbody bag right now since I'm already carrying around some extra weight around the tummy...a big bag is too cumbersome and tiring!!! Happy light-hearted spring day to you!!!

More than a {pregnant} girl could ask for....

"Among life's precious jewels,

Genuine and rare,

The one that we call friendships,

Has worth beyond compare."

Just wanted to thank this wonderful group of gals (and two others who were there in spirit) who gave their afternoon to celebrating my upcoming motherhood. I cannot begin to thank you enough for all the inspiration, support, and friendship you've given me. Thanks for all the time and thought that went into the beautiful pages you created and the gifts for me and baby. I've missed you all these past couple months as my life is changing with mother-to-be tasks. It was so good to finally spend time with all of you!! Merci!!

{And a special thanks to Gina for planning the luncheon and making it all happen!!}

Sweet Dreams Baby

Been busy creating a few baby boy items for the new room. I just LOVE the new Chic Bebe Boy Collection by Teresa Collins! I kept searching for just the right paper line to create a banner from and when I saw this release, I knew it was just perfect! I apologize that the letters are not posted in order, but the banner spells the word "DREAM". I'm hoping that the power of suggestion will help him to sleep soundly...LOL! I know...I'm probably the one dreaming!! There's no harm in being optimistic!

More Pages of Layers

A few more pictures from my book....

(Love these child's shoe forms I bought for the baby's room)

Statue found in the Huntington Gardens' rose garden...what a beautiful place!!


Have a good rest of the week!! Loving the extra hours of sunshine!!

Creating in Layers

I've been busy experimenting with some new techniques thanks to the inspiration of Donna Downey. She was recently in southern California for CHA and offered a couple of classes at the Scrapbook Oasis. Unfortunately, my energy levels weren't up for taking an evening class so I purchased one of her downloadable videos off her website. She has a couple that you can purchase for a nominal fee and then create at your own pace at home! I had a lot of fun with this project...trying to let go and be a little more messy and free with my art. It was also great to dig into my stash and use up a lot of old stickers and such that I've been saving for "just the right project"...isn't that what we say about all our goodies!! I will try to post a few pages each post in the next week. For now, here are a few of them...

(I love this page... my little baby bird...)

A picture of me from a few years back on a day at Crystal Cove in Laguna....

An Invitation...

"to consider what you ache for and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing." If you have never read the book, The Invitation, by Oriah, it will inspire you to consider all the aspects of life that make each of our human experiences unique and meaningful...fear, betrayal, sorrow, joy, failure, and beauty. Each chapter of the book is derived from a poem that the author initially wrote which subsequently inspired the book. It's the kind of poem that anyone can read and derive meaning or purpose from...it just hits a sweet spot in you and is so beautifully written. My goal is to someday create a large canvas with the entire poem written out on it. For now...I have used little bits of it here and there in my journaling and art. Here is the page I made with the little squares of paper and fabric patch-worked together.

I also used one of the lines in a small piece which I created the other night. I was between projects and wanted to make a little something since I had some free time. I had purchased this yellow canvas at Michaels a few weeks back...it's made by My Minds Eye. I decided to use a mask and then sprayed pink glimmer mist, which ultimately created an orange finish. Then I ripped pieces of Amy Butler fabric and glued those along the left side. A few bits of this and that to finish it and it's ready to be hung in my office to remind me of all the other things in my life that truly, deeply sustain me... since work is not always the end all, be all in life!!