Long time no babble...

I have been so busy doing the next indicated step I have forgot to document it.  That's the thing about time, it really is an illusive thing. Once you think you have more than enough, it evades you and becomes a distant memory.  So, I am forcing myself to document this journey of mine.  I am right now in creative bliss.  I am creating for a wonderful local store of Knot Too Shabby (www.knottooshabbyfurnishings.com) in downtown Glendora .  I am creating for  loved ones, I am creating for the school that has so wonderfully helped raised my three children and I am creating for an upcoming craft show.

Yes I got accepted into the wonderful craft show of Patchwork the same ladies that put together the phenomenal Craftification Seminar I went to in last March.  One of my very first posts.  In fact, they are partially responsible for this surge of follow-through.  My dearest friends will all attest that they, at any given time, have been witness to my Show-n-tells showings of what my latest creative endeavors were. I somehow needing an audience had to not only create but share my art.  I've even had friends that inspired me to do projects together with them only to have me go off like a spark to a wildfire and go ahead and make the project before we even got together. They would chide me,rightly so, saying we were suppose to do that TOGETHER remember?  Sorry.  Now I finally am going to put together a booth in a craft show to sell my works.  I am ready to share them and then release them to new homes.

I have to admit though, I think I am a bit of a craft show snob.  Very few have inspired me to pull out my wallet and spend my husbands hard earned cash.  (He will appreciate that line!!) I've been disappointed by shows when things were clearly not made by the patron of the booth... unless their name is China and they made very familiar stickers to put on the bottom of their products.  HA!  That's what I thought!  Until however,I went to Patchworks last November.  I even asked two friends to tag along with me.  A gut feeling I think, but it was the graphics that sold me.  I'm a big fan of graphics and typography and they had the whole package.  I don't remember where I first heard about it, but as they say when the pupil is ready the teacher will appear.  Somehow it got on my radar and I took a chance and that tapping of the shoulder feeling has led me into a pretty exciting chapter in my life!

So mark your calendars my one reader... November 11, 2012 Mishka Greetings will be at the Long Beach http://www.patchworkshow.com/.  They have three different locations in November but alas I could only do one at this time, so Long Beach it is.

All that being said, here is one of my latest pieces that I adore and I am about to put on my etsy site.  Oh yeah... I finally launched my etsy site!! www.etsy.com/shop/mishkagreetings.  I finally stopped listening to the reasons of why I didn't think I was ready and just did it. Before I kept thinking I needed to wait until I had a lot to put on there, only "a lot" kept changing and more time would go by before I put it up there.  Today  I'm adding slowly but surely.  It won't be long before my one fan will say, I knew her when!!

This photograph was taken from my trip to Kenya six years ago, man I can't believe it...SIX years ago!  There's that thing about time again.  The amazing things about giraffes is that they eat from these acacia trees,which are mostly these very long spiky thorns.  The Masai use them to line their villages to try and keep the lions out.  Natures barbed wire.

Anyway, the wood I used for the background is from my neighbors yard.  Yup!  I was in my driveway when I heard the sound of breaking wood, the sound when I nail is being pried from its home after a very long time.  I located the sound and found the source, they were getting a new fence!  I acted like an excited kid practically dibbing the wood worried that someone would go by and snatch my find.  "Sure."  Again with the Show-n-tell habit, I had to explain why I wanted it and well lets face it a visual has more impact.  It was also important to me that he didn't think I was completely off my rocker.  He and his guy friends carried the best pieces just outside my work shed awaiting my new found handy skills of removing nails, before I washed the wood, primed it and cut it down into workable pieces, then to make my own sizes of pallets.  All of which I never in a million years picturing myself doing one day.

So here is the giraffes on safari...

I love how you can see the texture of the wood through the photograph.

Here's another version of the famous Eiffel Tower inspired from my friend Amy.  Although she absolutely loved the Eiffel Tower door she wanted smaller ones available for those who could perhaps find a space for such a huge piece of art.  So here's to everyone who needs a little bit of Paris to make their hearts smile.

And finally since so much time has gone by here is one more piece of some of my favorite things I have in my home.  My love of vintage suitcases, cameras, a good book, old canning jars and flowers.

So before I go I have one more piece of news.  Somerset Magazine emailed me again and this time they want to publish my recent work and have asked me to write an article as to how I do it!  So in January 2013's edition my work and my article will be published in www.stampington.com/somersetstudio!  Yes I am thriving, thank you for asking.