"There's No Place Like Home" !!!!

Jeepers have you been wondering where or why I have been missing from Bloglandia, or if I was ever coming back?? Yeah, so was I! When last I posted we were headed up to the Northlands for Peder's wedding. Which by the way was great, and a wonderful chance for the whole family to celebrate together. You might ask what else have I been up to, that kept me so busy and neglectful? Well, partly it was doing a bit of nursing care for friends recuperating from surgeries, which meant not sleeping in my own bed except one time in a month and staying awake during the night. Oh man I'm just not as young and resilient as I use to be. I mean two weeks stretches  of no sleep but cat naps at a time really take their toll on this middle aged gal, and my physical health took a bit of a beating!

Then when I finally got home and LW and I had a chance to become reacquainted ;) I realized the shelves were bare so to speak at the store. :( Luckily my creative dry spell has diminished and I've been able to build up Little Bird's inventory for Helena and her store...Phhhuuu. Ha, I even remembered to take pictures so I can share them with you guys. Besides feeling pulled in too many directions I was still working through the "to publish" or not issue and if I was still willing to devote the time needed to keeping up this blog. I'm glad to report that for now I have made a few decisions. Although blogging takes up tons of hours each week and cause unnameable frustrations, I find I'm just not ready to chuck it all away yet. I really miss not visiting with you guys and keeping up with all your creative happenings. It didn't take much aloneness to cause a good case of the lonelies!!! So back I am to take up residence in my little corner of Bloglandia, and as soon as I get this posted I'm goin-a-callin!! I can't wait to see what you guys have been up to!

I have however decided to take a sabbatical from submitting artwork for publishing and entering challenges. Mainly because of the restriction they impose on me being me, and the time it takes away from things that truly bring me joy. By the time we arrived in the Northlands, I had decided that I wasn't going to submit any of the work I was taking up with me. Instead I had much more fun giving it away to family and friends who really loved my work. You can't believe how absolutely freeing that was. No worries about whether it was good enough, creative enough, or what someone else thought about publishing it. Ha what a weight to be rid of.  Funny though it was just after that when my creative drought  was no longer there. :)

So I decided I can only be true to myself, to make what I think is a creative expression of me. If it isn't what someone else is looking for so be it. As long as I have done my best work in creating a piece and I am pleased and proud of it that's all I need. I have to tell you it's a good thing I had worked my way through this artistic insecurity cuz waiting for me at my son's was an every Artisan's nightmare.

Remember back last year when I posted this tote that I had made??

 Well after a bit of encouragement I added the finishing touches and submitted it to a national art to wear magazine. It arrived there a few months ahead of the deadline for submissions so I kinda forgot about it. But waiting for me in Idaho was a parcel from the publishers with my bag and a "Dear John Artist" letter. :( Oh man that has to be the true kick in the gut for anyone.

But okay these things happen an not everyone's taste and aesthetics are the same. Oh but the the hours of work and creative energy. But that wasn't the worse of it. The letter didn't say what they didn't like or even what they were looking for, only that the submission committee didn't think it fit with their vision. The only thing is the bag had been rejected and returned (postmarked) even before the deadline for submissions and art work  was to be chosen for the next publication!!!

 Wow how bad did they think it was??? Yeah my chin was dragging in the dirt. SO the next day or so I thought heck I might as well put it to use and proudly carry it as my purse. Within a few hours of doing a bit of "shopping therapy" this very chic woman came up to me and asked me where I had bought my bag. Oh I didn't buy it I made it. Oh my gosh she wanted to buy it from me right then and there. Not only that but would I make more because she wanted to sell them in her boutiques in Carmel, Venice Beach&Sun Valley??!!! Woooo what happen to the "We are sorry but..." letter sitting in the garbage at home?? Well she and I visited and she did her best to persuade me, but in the end I declined her offer. With the difficult/near impossible mailing issue and the amount she wanted made I just knew I'd come to hate doing it. Especially when I had to sacrifice some of my greatest pleasures in order to have the time needed to work. Nope it's just not for me. But I couldn't thank her enough and told her about the rejection notice (to which she found rather entertaining) the poor little bag had gotten. We said our goodbyes with me promising to let her know when I was ready to sell them. And as you can imagine when I got back to Anders' I happily danced a little jig with that letter...

...all the way to the shredder. :)

Yikes so in making up for a long over due posting it seems I have written a loooong wandering epistle. So perhaps I'll bring an end to my ramble with a couple of pictures of one of the new pieces I made. More to follow as we get back in the swing of things.

I had this awesome agate drusy that just screamed to be shown off.

 So I strung it with sterling links from a vintage I.D. bracelet. Added some light blue/gray colored blue lace agate nuggets and some rich brown polished agates.

This is what it looks like completed. Heck I like it so well I think I'll keep it in my stable and test drive it awhile longer. ;)

On that note I'll bring this to an end, pickup my cursor finger while humming "I love to go a-wandering" and do a bit of  well overdue blog visiting!! Have a most audacious art filled day no matter where in the world you are.   p;)

PS. I have more news on the "gettin noticed" front. Tell ya about it next time.