Growing Popsicle Sticks

Several weeks ago I planted bulbs I received from my first order through Breck’s.

I was mainly looking for perennial flowers that would grow well in the shade, and did not have to be dug up in the fall to store over the winter and be replanted each year. I wanted something that would bloom in the spring and last until frost.

I chose Fiesta Begonias because Breck’s said, – “this colour-balanced mix has the rich reddish-brown foliage you crave for your garden. The stunning flowers come in vibrant shades of pink, white, red and yellow and bloom nonstop all season long. Currently only available from Breck’s, these incredible begonias will make a statement in your borders and containers.”

Zones: 3-10*
*Lift in fall if you live in Zones 3-6 (I live in zone 7 – :0)
Size: 4-5 cm tubers
Light: Part to Full Shade!
Height: 8-10″
Bloom Time: Summer to Frost
Deer Resistant

I love bright colors, and these simply lifted my spirits when I saw the picture in the catalog.  I planted them, carefully following the directions, but it really wasn’t clear which way was ‘up’ on the bulbs.

After several weeks, I finally carefully dug one up to see if I had planted them upside-down. (I hadn’t, thank goodness!)

When I planted them, I used popsicle sticks as markers. Until a couple of days ago, I was seriously thinking I would have to paint the popsicles different colors because NONE of the bulbs was even sprouting…

This is the planter on the left side of our front porch.

And this is the planter on the right side of our front porch.

Though I’m still thinking I might have to paint the popsicle sticks in vibrant colors, there ARE signs that at least SOME of the begonias are actually sprouting!  HOORAY!!!!!!!!!!!

Since I planted begonias in the planters along the whole north side of my home, I can’t tell you how thrilled – and relieved – I am that signs of life are finally showing.

I’ll keep you up on the progress of my ‘begonia planters’ throughout the season….

Are you making changes in your plants?

 

“Bucket-of-Fruit” Hand Painted Gold Bucket

Linda Faber hand painted luscious fruit on this gold bucket, and I’m delighted to display it as the Featured Piece on Creative Artworks today!

“Bucket-of-Fruit” by Linda Faber

It makes my mouth water just looking at it! :0)

The bucket is 5 inches tall and it’s 5 inches across the base. The handle (which folds) adds another 5 inches to the height.

Linda has painted a cluster of rich purple grapes, a ripe peach, and a sweet red apple. Green leaves, touched with a hint of gold, accent the fruit.

The piece is signed and dated by Linda, and the painting is sealed with acrylic sealer so it will last.

This would look beautiful on your dining table, on a divider, buffet, table top or mantle.

Linda’s work on Creative Artworks include beautifully painted gourds, plaques, and more.

See all of Linda Faber’s work on Creative Artworks HERE.

Creative Artworks Blog Header – April 30, 2012

A brand new Creative Artworks blog header for a brand new week! This week’s header features work by Ludmila Penouchkina, Cath Ruggiero, and Joe Parskey.

“Cat-on-Gold”-Acrylic-on-Canvas-Painting by Ludmila Penouchkina 

Mila’s work makes me smile. Isn’t it amazing that just looking at a piece of artwork can lift your spirits? Mila knows the secret to that, and I love it!

 She paints angels, cats,  bears,  fish, horses, deer, donkies, unicorns, zebras and more.

Mila paints her wonderful designs on canvas, on pillows, and on wall hangings

Take a well-earned break and treat yourself to the work of Ludmilla Penouchkina.

You can see all of her work HERE.

Cath Ruggiero loves mysteries. She also specializes in creating small, exquisite things. So it’s no surprise that when she creates paintings, she would choose the ACEO format.

ACEO-Mystery-Book-Cover “Murder-at-35,000″ by Cath Ruggiero

What IS an ACEO, you ask?  ACEOs –  (Art Card Editions and Originals) – are 2.5″ x 3.5″ limited edition artwork created to collect and/or trade. They’re an affordable way to have artwork you love without breaking the bank. These are collected much like baseball cards, with people taking great pride in their collections, and sometimes swapping for other ACEOs to make their collection even better.

This one is part of a series of 9 limited edition ACEO Mystery Book Covers by Cath Ruggiero.

Collect all nine! You can see them HERE.

Joe Parskey takes beautiful photographs of New England and the surrounding area and then makes them gorgeous works of art through an enhancement process he calls, “pixel painting.”

11×14-”After-The-Storm”-Pixel-Painting by Joe Parskey

To say I love his work would be a huge understatement. Every time I look through his work on Creative Artworks, I change my ‘favorite.’ Like this one – I can almost hear the birds ‘ cries and the waves crashing!

Joe photographs ships, lighthouses, the ocean, shops, flowers, woods, and more – bringing each photograph to an art form.

I think buying 3 or 4 pixel paintings on a theme and displaying them together on one wall would be a beautiful way to give focus to something you love in a room in your home, or in your office.

See all of Joe’s pixel paintings HERE

Three more of the wonderful artists whose work I’m proud to display on Creative Artworks!

Have a great week, everyone!

Life-Changing Gift

Several years ago my husband and I started re-collecting our all time favorite songs. We don’t have ALL of them, but we downloaded hours and hours of our favorites. My husband saved them to DVDs and I play them when I’m up in my art room, painting.

My son bought me this Sansa SanDisk MP3 Player before he left for China. He and my husband worked together to save all of my MP3 recordings to this as a surprise gift for no particular occasion – their favorite thing to do. :0)

For me, it’s not only a really, REALLY thoughtful, personalized gift – it’s a life-changing gift!

I’ve always been amazed how hearing music from when you were a teenager took you back there mentally and emotionally, making you feel like you did when you first heard the music.  Problems seem to drift away on the wind. You smile. You dream. You dance – if only in your mind. The years drop off as the memories fill your consciousness.

I say ‘life-changing’ because I’ve become addicted to this!  It’s small enough to clip onto the neckline of my blouse. I put the ear buds in and am instantly transported, whether I’m gardening, working out on the elliptical machine, painting, or simply in a comfortable lounge chair on the deck, relaxing.

The time whizzes past my head while I enjoy dropping some 45 years. Instantly, I feel a rush of energy as the beat grabs me and propels me to dance to the music, or keep time as I pedal the elliptical. I take the time to jump up and move to the music in the middle of the yard. The flowers will wait, uncomplaining.

I’ve rarely had a gift that has increased my quality of life as the MP3 Player has. I’m no longer tied to a particular room in order to listen. I simply clip it on and do whatever I need to do. (I’m listening to “Lie Down – in the September Grass,” by James Taylor as I type this. :0) )

I’ve promised myself NOT to listen while driving. (I tend to close my eyes when one of my all-time favorites starts).

Have you received gifts that you’ve treasured ever since, like I have this one? If so, please tell me about it!

 

“Pink-Irises”-Original-Watercolor

Martha Dollar Efurd is a very talented artist and a good friend, as well. :0)

I’m very proud to display her “Pink Irises” Original Watercolor as the Featured Piece of the day on Creative Artworks!

“Pink-Irises”-Original-Watercolor by Martha Dollar Efurd

This would be a treasured Mother’s Day gift. It is sold without frame. You and your mom could go out and choose the perfect frame for it!

Martha mainly creates fine art – beautiful paintings in oil, watercolor, and prisma pencils. She also paints ceramic tiles, mini-easel paintings, planters, glassware,  and gourds.  You’ll love her hand painted floral note cards and home portraits. When you have a portrait done, you receive  an original 5×7 pen and ink drawing plus 10 printed note cards. You can then reorder printed cards as you wish!

Enjoy browsing through Martha’s work on Creative Artworks!

HERE

A Lovely Gift!

I received a beautiful gift this morning from one of my Creative Artworks artists, DiVoran Lites. 

As you can see, DiVoran paints beautiful watercolors. I particularly love this one. She sent it as a ‘thank you’ for my ‘encouragement and stick-to-it-ive-ness,’ but really just because she’s NICE and extremely generous.

I loved her note for the kind words, but also because it was written on a note card printed with another original painting!

To say I’m thrilled doesn’t begin to cover it!

I get the joy of displaying DiVoran’s work on Creative Artworks AND two wonderful ‘thank yous!’

You can see all of DiVoran’s beautiful work

HERE

Give yourself – or some other lucky person – a wonderful day, too! :0)

“Spa”-Bath-Gift-Box

Vivian Dee is ‘The Soap Lady’ on Creative Artworks.

Today we’re featuring her “Spa” Bath Gift Box. This would be a super gift for any day in a woman’s life.  Reminder: Mother’s Day is May 13th….

“Spa”-Bath-Gift-Box by Vivian Dee

You can make any lady feel super-feminine, super-pampered with the spa bath gift box! She’ll receive a carefully selected assortment of Vivian’s bath confetti, bath ‘fizzers’ , soap sponges, soap flowers, and more!

She can try a new product, with a new fragrance each time she bathes!  This is a FUN way to try a lot of Vivian’s products. She can note which ones she likes the best so that she can order more.

I’m a ‘shower person,’ but I got one of these from Vivian. I can tell you, I thoroughly enjoyed taking the time for a relaxing bath again and again in the evenings.

Pamper yourself, the ladies in your family, and your friends. They’ll love it!

See All of Vivian’s beautiful soaps HERE

“Feeling down? Saddle up.”

“Feeling down? Saddle up.” ~Author Unknown

I always wanted a horse when I was growing up, but I was never lucky enough to have one. My husband had one, though, and he spent most of his childhood on a favorite horse named,”Cinnamon.”

“Ride-a-Cock-Horse”-Limited-Edition-Hand-Coloured-Etching by Jane Daniell

“There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.”  ~Winston Churchill

“Samurai”-Limited-Edition-Print by Jane Daniell

“He knows when you’re happy
He knows when you’re comfortable
He knows when you’re confident
And he always knows when you have carrots.”
~Author Unknown

“Lucky” 2-Pack Card Set by Darlene Fletcher

“When I bestride him, I soar, I am a hawk: he trots the air; the earth sings when
he touches it; the basest horn of his hoof is more musical than the pipe of
Hermes.” ~William Shakespeare, Henry V

“Old Friends” 2-Pack Card Set by Darlene Fletcher

“You know horses are smarter than people. You never heard of a horse going broke betting on people.” ~Will Rogers

“Wild Pony” 2-Pack Card Set by Darlene Fletcher

“A little horseplay… the way best to enjoy a summer day!”

Come visit us at Creative Artworks and find something wonderful!

Handcrafted – Hand-Painted – Unique -AHHHH!

“Shakespearean Full-Deck-of-Playing-Cards”

The Featured Piece on Creative Artworks today is the ”Shakespearean-Collectors-Cards”-Full-Deck-of-Playing-Cards by Jane Daniell!

Card players – and non-card players alike will be blown away by the style and beauty of this deck of playing cards!

“Shakespearean-Collectors-Cards”-Full-Deck-of-Playing-Cards by Jane Daniell

EACH CARD is printed with original artwork by Jane Daniell in a Shakespearean theme. Not just the royals, but the aces and twos, as well. The pack includes a key to the images and a detailed description of the inspiration for the image on all the backs. The picture above gives just a HINT of the beautiful images contained in this deck of playing cards by Jane Daniell of the United Kingdom.

You may want one of these as part of a collection; but they’re affordable – with FREE SHIPPING – so you can actually USE and ENJOY them with your friends! Great as a gift by itself, or included with another for birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas….

See all of Jane Daniell’s work on Creative Artworks

HERE.

Calling all Elliptical Trainer Users!

Hello!

My husband and I bought a used Sole E35 Elliptical Trainer last Saturday, April 21st. It’s rapidly becoming too hot for our daily walks with doggies we started in mid January and we’re planning to use the elliptical trainer as a substitute.

We’ve completed a session on it each day since then (today is Day 7).

• The first day, I was lucky to do 5 minutes on Level 1.
• The 2nd day, I did the 5 minutes, but kept increasing the level on the handle.
• The 3rd day, I did 7.5 minutes, increasing the level a bit.
• The 4th day, I did 5 minutes (I was SORE!), but on Level 5.
• The 5th day, I did 10 minutes on “Fat Burn,” but slowly.
• The 6th day, I did the same as Day 5.
• Today I did 10 minutes, “Fat Burn,” but increased my speed a bit.

I would appreciate feedback from others who use an elliptical machine – with a reminder that you’re speaking to an OLD lady who has been almost completely sedentary (computer type jobs) for about 30 years and now has joint and stamina – as well as fat – issues.

1. A ballpark guess as to how long it will take for me to do a workout and not be really stiff by evening.
2. My plan is to start switching from a 10 minute “FAT BURN” workout, to one day of “Cardio,” another day of “Hill”, etc. Is this a reasonable idea?
3. What would be a good amount of time and speed as a goal, assuming I’m on the machine daily?
4. Are you pleased with your results as to

• weight loss,
• muscle tone,
• loss of fat?

My husband and I are trying to get the lard off, and increase muscle tone and flexibility in an effort to be as active as we can for as long as we can. We’ll never become exercise ‘nuts,’ but we’re hopeful that the machine in the garage used daily – or maybe twice after we get used to it – will do us some good.

Your thoughts, suggestions, experience are GREATLY appreciated!

THANK YOU! :0)

Administrative Professionals Week

I think it’s sad that we only have ONE “Administrative Professionals Day” or week each year.

I think I’m entitled to my strong opinion, since, in my working life I’ve been a

• receptionist for a busy office handling loans and insurance for mobile homes;
• an insurance premiums collection person at the same firm;
• an executive secretary for the V.P. of an automobile rental company;
• office manager; and then
• medical transcriptionist and bookkeeper for an eight surgeon group.

As the artist/owner of my website, Creative Artworks, now, I wear ALL the hats. I really WISH I could afford to hire MANY people to help me – but at the top of the list is someone an OFFICE MANAGER for my business while I concentrate on everything else.

The people in the office carry the load for the business, from greeting customers, answering the phone, handling the huge piles of paperwork, creating reports, keeping up with the huge number of details that are inherent in running any business, and making the higher-ups look good.  The importance of this, and all the ‘duties’ carried out by the people in various positions in the company cannot be overstated.

When I was working for the surgeons, we were considered a ‘necessary evil,’ – (a direct quote not meant to be heard, obviously.)  A staff works its collective head off to be sure all goes as smoothly as humanly possible. If we do a good job, we’re taken for granted. The only time we’re noticed is if something DOESN’T go well….

It’s my opinion that Administrative Professionals are underpaid and under-appreciated. If it’s any consolation, ‘I’ understands and appreciates all you do!

I think we should have at LEAST one special day per month for people to recognize what you’re doing and let you know they appreciate you. It doesn’t have to be a pay raise, though that would be really nice. It doesn’t have to be a gift, since a lot of times, it’s the Administrative Professional that handles making sure the others on the staff get something. A nice lunch would be nice, and a sincere ‘thank you’ would be appreciated.

It would be a good time for US to say, ‘thank you,’ to a good boss, too. He or she is the one who creates the atmosphere in which we all work. EVERYONE likes to be appreciated!

HAPPY ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONALS WEEK!

“9×12 Pencil Portrait – 4 Subjects”

This wonderful portrait was created by Kim Burford using the FOUR separate photos above! Talk about creating a treasure!

9×12-Pencil-Portrait-Four-Subjectsby Kim Burford

I’m so proud to display this pencil portrait as the Featured Piece on Creative Artworks today.

Kim offers pencil portraits of people, homes and pets in sizes

• 8×10
• 9×12
• 11×14
• 14×17  and
• 16×20
• for portraits of ONE subject up to FOUR subjects.

You send him .jpgs online or actual photographs via snail mail, and Kim creates an instant treasure your family will love. Wonderful as gifts, too! It takes him approximately two weeks after he receives the images to create your portrait, so please order ahead of time to give him the time he needs.

REMINDERS:  

Mother’s Day is May 13th

Father’s Day is June 17th

Enjoy browsing through the beautiful portrait samples on Creative Artworks

HERE.

“The Courting Dance” Print

I’m delighted to show you today’s Featured Piece on Creative Artworks!

Michael Bridges‘ main interest as a painter is in surrealism. He has won several local and regional awards. He also received a mention in the Artist Magazine’s national competition.

He gives us an outside-the-box view of the world in his modern paintings and prints of his original work.

“The-Courting-Dance”-Print by Michael Bridges

This is only a sample of the intriguing work on display by Michael Bridges on Creative Artworks!

This print is a gallery quality print on high-end, 9 mil glossy poster paper. This media captures maximum color, depth and intricate image details to give you ultimate photo quality images!

Michael’s great sense of humor is shown in some of his work. All gives you pause as you see the world in a little bit different manner than you’re probably used to.

Enjoy all of Michael’s paintings and prints on Creative Artworks

HERE.

“Basket Case” ArtFire Collection

Vikki, of BanginOutBeads on ArtFire, created a beautiful collection called, “Basket Case.”

“Basket Case” ArtFire Collection

She very kindly included TWO of my hand painted baskets in her collection!

“Patchwork Quilt” Hand-Painted Basket by Linda Lewis

and

“Royal” Hand-Painted Basket by Linda Lewis

Vikki’s ArtFire shop is called BanginOutBeads, where she offers one-of-a-kind, hand-crafted jewelry, supplies, and gift certificates!

Long Leaf Antique Copper Finish Dangle Earrings

This is only a sample of the NICE jewelry Vikki has made! I just LOVE these earrings!

You can find all of Vikki’s work on ArtFire HERE

THANK YOU, Vikki, for including my baskets in your great collection!

A Good Thing Comes to an End

Our wonderful visit with our son came to an end this morning. We took him to the airport for his 6am flight.

To get back to Shanghai, he has to fly from:

• Fort Smith to Dallas/Fort Worth
• Dallas/Fort Worth to Houston
• Houston to Los Angeles
• Los Angeles to Shanghai

Since we had to get up at 4am, we basically didn’t sleep last night. We tried, but each of us, for different reasons, ended up downstairs.

He left at 6am today (Tuesday) and will be flying for approximately 30 hours – including layovers. WHEW! When he gets there, he’ll qualify for another 90 days in China on his multiple-entry visa.

We had SUCH a wonderful week with him! He replenished my ‘Hugs Bucket,’ – a difficult task, since I’m a very greedy lady. He was so generous. I hope I filled HIS, too…

He is determined to stay until he feels ‘fluent’ in reading, writing, and speaking Mandarin. He will look for a part-time job there soon to make his money last as long as possible.

While he’s gone, we’ll communicate through Pidgin Chat, Google Talk, email, blogs, carrier pigeons and smoke signals. :0) We’re lucky he’s a GREAT communicator and set a lot of ways we could stay in touch.

He’s learning to love the food there, though he appreciates it when the restaurant has a brochure he can take home and study so he doesn’t have to point and say, “I want THAT.” (He brought us some walnuts in packages that are very tasty.)

He’s learned to navigate the subway system in Shanghai. In order to get to his apartment from the airport, he needs to change subways twice. He says he’s only gotten to sit down on the subway once in the 90 days he’s been there. Either it’s so crowded there’s no hope of finding a seat, or someone older than he gets on, and he feels they should have any open seat.

His apartment is on the 7th floor of a building, and his Mandarin school is on the 15th floor of a building several subway stops away. He WALKS up and down to each of these…

I look forward to his blog, where he shares pictures of places and people he’s seeing there. He has a great sense of humor, and makes me laugh often.

Though I’m selfishly sad he’s gone again, I admire what he’s trying to do.

Please wish him luck!

 

“Lovely in Lavender”

Mother’s Day – “Lovely-in-Lavender” Handmade Card by Charlene Bodero

Charlene Bodero makes cards for all occasions one at a time, by hand, with lots of love, as well as obvious expertise and style.

The card above is only a sample of what Charlene offers for Mother’s Day.  What mom wouldn’t be delighted to receive this?

Charlene offers cards for ALL holidays, plus

• get well cards
• seasonal cards
• graduation and teacher cards
• thinking of you cards
• thank you cards
• all occasion cards
• birthday cards
• friendship cards
• cards for a new mother and baby
• humorous cards
• baby shower
• invitation cards
• sympathy
• “Twink” – Moose Twinkle Series Cards
• and more!

Enjoy browsing through Charlene Bodero’s designs. Go ahead and order the ones you like so you’ll have them on hand when you’d like to reach out to someone.

You can see all of Charlene’s work on Creative Artworks HERE.

Lucky Lady

I just wanted to tell you how lucky I am!

I’ve had a beautiful week with my son home from Shanghai. He’s there on his own, going to a really good school several hours a day to learn Mandarin. He went to Chengdu a couple of years ago and got a good start, but this time he’s really feeling more confident. He says he’s finally able to understand what he hears better, plus get his ideas across better, though not in perfect Mandarin yet.

He wants to stay until he’s fluent, probably getting a part time job there to have the money to stay there as long as possible. He has a ‘multiple-entry’ passport. This allows him to live there 90 days. Then he has to leave the country and re-enter to get another 90 days. I don’t think there is any limit as to how many times he can do this.

He decided to come home this time, rather than just go to Hong Kong or Taiwan – and though the one way trip is about 30 hours with the layovers, we all think it has been worth it. We have to get him to the airport for a 6am flight tomorrow. :0(

My husband and I started a healthier eating regimen plus exercise in mid-January. Our son has been really happy with our progress to date and has encouraged our efforts.

He walked in the park with me and one of our dogs one day. He helped us program the new Sole E35 Elliptical Trainer we got on Saturday.  He’s helped me chop veggies and cook, introduced us to a new type of apple we hadn’t tried before, brought us weird walnuts from Shanghai, and encouraged me on increasing my daily steps on my pedometer.

HIS levels on each of these things are ones we’ll never reach in a million years. For example:

• He put over 18,000 steps on the pedometer in one day here. (My best day was a little over 7000)
• He worked on the elliptical trainer for 35 minutes. (My longest time so far is 7-1/2 minutes)
• I was out of breath at the park while he didn’t even act like he realized we’d been walking!

If he weren’t so encouraging, I’d hit him. :0)

We’ve been out to eat, enjoyed some movies and games on the Play Station 3.  He’s helped us with mysterious problems on our computers, helped diagnose and fix the new amplifier we got for the shop, fixed the driveway alarm system and more. He’s made me laugh so hard my tummy muscles are screaming. :0)

He’s had time to kick back and relax, eat well, laugh, spend time with his long time buddies, play with our animals, and give us lots of hugs.

The HUGS are the main thing I look forward to. He’s a great communicator, and he set up all sorts of things to help us stay in touch while he’s so far away, like Google Talk, Pidgin Chat, email, Skype, and writes a blog so he can post pictures and give us – and his friends – an idea of his life in Shanghai.

This visit was totally unexpected, and for that, even more cherished. My husband and I are so lucky to have a son we’re proud of, who honestly loves us and seems to enjoy spending time with us. We admire the man he’s become, and his wish to gain skills and experience. We LOVE it  that we get to enjoy what he’s doing vicariously!

New Blog Header – April 23, 2012

I’m delighted to introduce you to three more creative folks from Creative Artworks:

• Lenore Garnhum
• Ed Immar
• Mary Frey

Lenore Garnhum creates hip, sassy, young note cards for ‘diva’s’ of from all walks of life, celebrating careers, hobbies, dreams, and holidays.

“Teacher” (above) is only one sample of the cute cards Lenore has created that you can have on hand to send for any occasion, such as graduation, a card to go with a gift to a hard-working teacher, a fun Christmas card, and more.

Note-Cards-Hip-and-Sassy-”Teacher”- Pkg-of-8 by Lenore Garnhum

Lenore’s card designs are offered in packages of 8. The cards are blank inside for your message. The card above could be sent to a favorite teacher, or used BY teachers for all their correspondence!

See all of Lenore Garnhum’s card designs HERE.

Ed Immar’s photography is sometimes ‘gorgeous’ – sometimes ‘haunting’ – and sometimes thought-provoking. He enjoys developing his photos in creative ways to result in the unusual.

“Rose-Profusion”-Matted-Photograph by Ed Immar

The photograph above is obviously one of the ‘gorgeous’ ones. Isn’t it LUSH!

Ed loves to photograph shacks, lighthouses, boats, and more, making you see them in an outside-the-box light that is intriguing.  He offers 11 x 14 images matted in 16 x 20 white mats ready for you to frame.

Enjoy seeing all of Ed Immar’s unique photography HERE

Mary Frey has been quilling, rakuing, and throwing pottery for the past twenty years.

“Flower-Arrangement”-Vase by Mary Frey 

The cobalts, salts, copper, and fire with reduction have fused to provide this wheel-thrown earthen vessel with the gorgeous, flame-licked colors you see in the picture.  This is one of my favorite pieces. It simply GLOWS!

You’ll be blown away by Mary’s other raku pieces, horsehair pottery, quilled pieces, and more.

You can see all of Mary Frey’s work on Creative Artworks HERE.

And there you have it –  3 more reasons I LOVE my work! I’ve met so many creative people by running  Creative Artworks!

Genuine Sea Glass Beaded Charm Earrings

Earrings – Genuine-Sea-Glass-Beaded-Charm by Marianna Bellantoni

Marianna Bellantoni is the “Sea Glass Lady,” creating beautiful jewelry and other wonderful things from glass polished by the sea.  She says, “I enjoy my ‘play’ (don’t consider it ‘work’ ) and hope others will enjoy my creations as well!” The sea glass she uses in her creations is glass that she has collected herself from the beaches in her area. She also uses sea glass she receives from collectors in other states and other countries, as well. Marianna calls her line of seaglass creations “Beach Baubles”.

In the Feature above, Marianna has created three pairs of earrings featuring  genuine sea glass beads with charms dangling below. All hang from surgical steel ear wires.

You have your choice of

• “white sea glass with gold tone pewter hearts,”
• “Lavender sea glass with gold tone brass sand dollars,” or
• “Seafoam sea glass with gold tone pewter suns.”

I know from personal experience that Marianna’s jewelry is really well made. I love the earrings and pendants I’ve bought, and I get compliments on them every time I wear them.

Unique, fun, and affordable, you’ll want to build a collection!

Enjoy seeing all of Marianna’s work on Creative Artworks 

HERE.

Necklace – “Miami”

Necklace – “Miami” by Cynthia Barnes

The Featured Piece on Creative Artworks today is

this beautiful necklace with bright, happy colors by Cynthia Barnes will make you feel you can party all night long! This is a one-of-a-kind piece made with shell beads and gunmetal gray chain. It’ll make you ‘feel like dancin’…

See this, and all the beautiful necklaces and bracelets by Cynthia Barnes on Creative Artworks

HERE.

Find something FABULOUS!

Elliptical Trainer

I’ve been telling you about my husband’s and my efforts to get the lard off and become more fit. We started in mid January, when my husband had a shortness-of-breath scare and we ended up in the ER. It turned out to be a reaction to his new blood pressure medication, but it really got our attention.

In June, we will celebrate our 43rd wedding anniversary. We dated 9 years before we married. 52 years together isn’t nearly enough!

We are committed to our new lifestyle of eating much healthier and moving more. We’ve been walking at the local park, taking the hiking trail, or walking what my husband calls, “The Geezer Trail” around the city. We take one of our dogs each day. I was really pathetic when we started. (We’ve been sedentary, doing computer work, for over 30 years, so walking every day really takes some effort. ) To date, my husband has lost 32 pounds. I’ve lost 26, plus 10.4 inches.

The biggest problem is the weather in Arkansas. Many days of the year are either too hot, too cold, too wet, too…. We joined the local gym, but my husband really doesn’t want to do that. In our years together, we’ve learned to DO WHAT WORKS and what we’ll stick with, so we started trying to figure out what ELSE we could do when the weather becomes too hot here.

We researched stair stepper machines and elliptical machines on the net. There is a wealth of good information, so we figured out that the elliptical machines would be better for ME, since I have arthritis issues in hips and knees. We looked in Craig’s List for local used elliptical machines, looking up each one listed so we could see a picture and get details.

We bought an E35 Elliptical Trainer yesterday. The man helped us get it into the back of our truck, thank goodness, since it weighs 200 pounds. We put a tarp over it and my husband tied it down carefully with straps and rope and we drove it carefully home.  It took us about 20 minutes of hair pulling to figure out how to get it OUT of the truck without killing ourselves. A combination of my sitting in the truck hanging on one end while my husband guided the other end down some ‘folding ramps’ we purchased on the way over to see the elliptical machine.

We discovered that the machine was too LONG to go where we thought we were going to put it inside the house. We ended up putting it in the garage out of any possible weather problems. We have an extra long, extra wide garage, so this will be a good place for it. We put a nice fan on the shelf in front of the machine, though the machine itself has a small, built-in fan on the front. It also has a drink holder and plug ins for MP3 players or headphones!

I read the manual carefully, and it seems to be much smarter than I. :0(

I decided to simply push MANUAL and START and see what happened.

FIRST IMPRESSION:

I put in my age and weight and 10 minutes into it and began. I got tired after 2 minutes on the lowest setting. I made it to 5 minutes, and one round around the ‘track’ on the display. I decided to admit defeat for one day and will try it again tomorrow – thinking that maybe TWO sessions of 5 minutes tomorrow, depending on how sore I am.

My husband then tried it. It has settings for 2 Users, so we can each keep track of our progress without messing up the other! :0)

He, of course, set it to Level 5 and went at it like a maniac. He lasted 5 minutes, but was pretty winded and rubber-legged for a few minutes. We celebrated our first trial with a large glass of ice water on the porch.

We’ll report our progress from time to time, but we were both impressed that it will be a GOOD workout with lots of room for improvement. On good weather days, we’ll aim for a walk in one part of the day and a five-minute session on the elliptical. On bad weather days, two workouts a day.

Wish us luck?

 

“Radha Krishna in Rain” Painting

Today’s featured piece on Creative Artworks is the ”Radha Krishna in Rain” Painting by Meera Bakshi.

“Radha-Krishna-in-Rain”-Painting – by Meera Bakshi

The dimensions of this original oil painting are 18″ x 24″. It is also available as an 18 x 24 print on foam board.

Meera brings her rich culture and religion from India here to the United States, and I love it! You can almost hear the music as these beautiful ladies dance!

Enjoy all of Meera’s fine work on Creative Artworks HERE.

Car Show!

I’m not really a ‘car buff,’ but I accompanied my husband to the car show in our town this morning.

There were cars from a lot of states outside Arkansas. There were old cars and fairly new ones, all shined within an inch of their lives. Most had the hoods open to show the engines. My husband gobbled all this up – oohing and ahhing over various engines. I appreciated the fact that the engines were so sparkly CLEAN, and the work was obviously done with love.

My husband’s favorite car looked something like this one.

He liked it because of the grill, he said…

I loved the whole atmosphere of the show. Loud, bad country music blared all around us. There was a man who was trying his best to give credit to the local sponsors of the show, but his mike was WAAAAY too loud and his words came out really muffled. He had to compete with the too loud music, too, so it was a real struggle.

There were people EVERYWHERE. The weather this morning was sunny and surprisingly chilly – a perfect day for the show. I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say there were hundreds of people there when we were, with MORE cars and trucks coming to the show, plus more people, as we walked back to our car.

There were booths selling cold drinks – though they probably wouldn’t be really popular until it warms up later today. (I would have bought a cup of coffee, or some hot chocolate, had either been available. )  There were T-shirts being sold to benefit the cheerleaders, other stuff being sold to raise money to buy a new truck to carry band equipment for the high school, and donations being collected to help people in the town pay medical bills.

The newly crowned “Miss Greenwood” was walking around in a pretty dress, heels, and her tiara, clearly freezing to death while trying to smile.

My husband was impressed with the epitome of biker chicks, there with her significant other. They had matching baseball style hats, as well as matching helmets for while they were on their Harley. She wore short jean shorts with leather “chaps” over them and high heels. She had on a leather jacket with lots of decorative metal studs, and long blond hair. There was a gap between her shorts and her chaps.  I smirked while my husband admired the view, holding onto his hand to keep him from walking into something…

My favorite car was the 1934 Ford. Here is a picture that is similar.

 

I think there were 3 or 4 of cars like these at the car show! They were so CUTE! Do you see the incredibly tiny windshield wiper only on the driver’s side of the car?  The insides of the cars were just as immaculate as the outside.  There was one done in purple (I drooled) with an attached little bitty matching trailer. If we had all the money in the world, I would have driven THAT one home today!

Our little town square was jammed with people, cars, trucks, motorcycles (a whole bunch of Cushman Eagle scooter riders came riding in together), food, drink, music – all sharing a love for cars lovingly restored or custom reworked to works of art.  The car show has become more and more popular each year, with more cars – more people, larger show. GOOD FUN!

The owners enjoyed showing off their pride and joys to other owners, plus people like us, who appreciated all the work they did and the money they spent to create such beautiful vehicles.

One of the things that struck me the most was how EMPTY it looked under the hoods! When my husband and I were dating, and for several years after we married, we kept our cars running ourselves. I even helped change engines in a couple. (I’m a good helper and go-fer.) Nowadays you can’t get your hand between the ‘stuff’ under the hood. And if you did, you can’t DO anything.

Our cars are really efficient and reliable when compared to those of long ago, but in my opinion, they don’t have as much uniqueness – style – as they used to. and it would be good if we could fix something on them ourselves when needed.

 

 

Irene Konig – Calligraphy and Art

Irene Konig creates beautiful calligraphy with her original artwork to create prints you, your friends, and your family will treasure.

Irene Konig

Irene returns to Creative Artworks after an absence, and I couldn’t be happier to display her work for you!

She says, “I have always loved to create art, sometimes working in paint, or cut paper, or calligraphy and design.  Over time I created more and more art works and used the print form so that they would be accessible to others who might want to purchase them. The spirit flows through all my artworks. I feel it is time that art becomes a source of love, light and spirit. Art that brings comfort, joy, inspiration and healing, understanding and truth and is beautiful, can stand on its own.”

 ”What is Man without the Animals?” – Calligraphy Print by Irene Konig

Here is a sample of Irene’s calligraphy and artwork. It asks, “What is man without the animals? If all the animals were gone, Men would die from a great Loneliness of spirit.” Chief Seattle.

Irene’s prints are all signed and enclosed is a clear sleeve for protection. They are custom matted, with a finished size of 11×14.

“Strength and Courage” – Matted Calligraphy Print by Irene Konig 

This one says, “Strength and Courage – I was always looking outside myself for strength and courage. I found them within: they were there all the time.” Anna Freud.

Come to Creative Artworks and enjoy seeing all the calligraphy prints by Irene Konig!

“A-Friend”

Today’s Featured Piece on Creative Artworks is “A-Friend”-5×7-Matted-and-Framed-Calligraphy by Buz Williams.

“A-Friend”-5×7-Matted-and-Framed-Calligraphy by Buz Williams

“A friend is someone you want to be around even when you want to be by yourself.” 

This is so true. Do you have a friend you think of when you read this? This beautiful calligraphy by Buz Williams would be a thoughtful way to remind your friend in a concrete way how much you value them.

Buz has created beautiful calligraphy for most holidays that would be nice for your own home, or terrific as gifts for your friends and family.

He also offers some very affordable calligraphy posters you’ll love.

His newest great idea is personalized photo wall clocks!  You can send a favorite .jpg  (or send an actual photograph) plus a first name, and Buz will create a clock recipients will treasure forever.

You can see all of Buz’ work on Creative Artworks HERE.  ENJOY!

Heaven

I’ve told you that our son is in Shanghai, trying to learn Mandarin.

He  got a multiple entry visa – the best kind of visa available now. What this means is that every 90 days he has to LEAVE China and then enter AGAIN in order to get another 90 days in the country.

We thought he would go to Hong Kong, but he decided he would rather come HOME!

We picked him up at the airport yesterday afternoon and will take him back next Tuesday. Almost a whole week to get as many great hugs as he’ll allow. Lucky for me, he’s very generous. :0)

So, if you don’t hear from me much, you’ll know I’m enjoying every minute I can before he goes back. Have a happy week!

 

Mother is a verb, not a noun. ~ Proverb

“The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before.
The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new. “ ~Rajneesh

Motherhood is an awesome role. Is anyone really ever ready to try to be one? We read everything we can get our hands on about taking care of a new baby. We talk to a lot of people. We imagine. We dream.

And suddenly, we ARE.  Joy and an incredibly heavy sense of responsibility descend on us.  Those two feelings never leave, and are joined by pride, intense worry, and a profound wish we could shield our children from all the bad things.

“Grown don’t mean nothing to a mother. A child is a child. They get bigger, older, but grown? What’s that suppose to mean? In my heart it don’t mean a thing.”~Toni Morrison

I’ve learned a LOT from being a mother.

• I have even more respect for those I considered the ‘best’ mothers. When I was growing up, my best friend had one of the ‘best’ mothers. She made everyone in the neighborhood feel a part of the family. We were welcome to spend all day there, enjoying chocolate chip cookies that melted in our mouths. We joyfully said, ‘yes.’ when asked to spend the night, rushing to the phone to get permission. She helped us feel grown up during the summer when we had skads of young kids from the neighborhood to her home and yard, a home-grown ‘day care center’ where ‘we’ provided games, restrooms, swimming lessons, snacks, and more for a gazillion screaming children. Are you getting the picture?
• I learned that there is absolutely no end to the love you give to your children.  You grow up fast when you have a child. You finally learn that there is someone much more important than yourself. You learn to plan your days around your child – fitting in outside work and child care, all the details of food, clothing, and the huge bags of ‘necessities’ you carry around to take care of your child. You learn to go day after day as if you’ve always been able to function on far too little sleep. Your whole world starts to revolve around the health, happiness, and new discoveries your child makes.

“Being a mother is learning about strengths you didn’t know you had, and dealing  with fears you didn’t know existed.” ~Linda Wooten

The love you have for your children is bottomless and never-ending. No matter how old they get, or what they do, they always remain your BABY.  Your heart always goes out to them. You want to make things better for them. You want to heal them.

“A mom reads you like a book, and wherever she goes, people read you like a glowing book review.” ~Robert Brault

No mother is perfect, but that’s okay. All moms aren’t cookie bakers, and don’t need to be. As long as your child knows that no matter what, you’re there for them, that’s the important thing.

My mom was an awesome lady. She could stand on her feet and tell you what she thought. If she was angry, her words would get longer and longer. You might not understand all of them, but you knew you’d been told off – and you were impressed.

My mom wasn’t the baking cookies type. She should have been a lawyer, or run a corporation. She was organized and determined to get things done. She basically ran my father’s one-man advertising agency, keeping the books, scheduling his radio ads, having dinners for clients, and more.

She didn’t want to be tied down when I had my children. She said she would babysit in an emergency, but not to depend on her on a regular basis.  But when I graduated with my Master’s Degree, she was in the crowd of parents.  She was always telling me about ‘decorum,’ but shocked me by yelling, “Yea – 4 point!” as I walked across the stage to get my diploma! :0) And when my son was playing in a rock band in a talent contest at the school, she was right there, cheering him on with great pride.  When my family had a financial crisis years ago, she calmly and matter-of-factly provided the support we desperately needed.

The role of motherhood is a complicated one. The lucky women who become mothers are forever changed, growing into the role one day at a time. Their hearts are forever open with unconditional love. And hopefully, the cycle continues…

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY.

CA Blog Header – April 16, 2012

I love Mondays! Every Monday I have the honor of introducing you to three talented artists who display their work on my website, Creative Artworks! It’s such a joy to be able to choose images from such talented people and create a blog header!

The people whose work I’m highlighting this week are Meera Bakshi, Michael Bridges, and Darlene Fletcher.

Meera Bakshi does all kinds of custom work according to her client’s desires, such as portraits, landscapes, object paintings, or miniature style paintings.

This sweet hummingbird is a sample of one of Meera’s miniature paintings. The original is no longer available, but Meera has agreed to paint another one. Its dimensions are 6″ x 6″.

“Hummingbird”-Original-Painting-on-Canvas by Meera Bakshi

Meera specializes in oil portraits and pencil portraits, and will create one from your photographs.  Enjoy browsing through the samples of what Meera has created. You can see all of her work HERE.

Michael Bridges creates a world ‘outside the box,’ with his main interest as a painter in surrealism.

I love the  “Cat-Puzzle”-Original-Painting by Michael Bridges. The puzzle idea brings so much more interest to this wonderful painting of a cat!  His work will make you think – maybe bring a smile of appreciation or two.

He offers original paintings, plus some nice prints of his original work. You can see all his work HERE.

Darlene Fletcher has created beautiful greeting cards that will be framed by the recipients, or at least put in a scrapbook to save. She shows her love of pets and wildlife in her paintings. She paints richly textured backgrounds, as well, that make you want to reach out and touch them.

“Raven on Canvas” 2-Pack Card Set by Darlene Fletcher

Darlene , her husband Adrian, and their daughter, Jaymie, all work together to create and publish their own line of greeting cards. They sell their designs in two card sets, or 5 card mix-n-match sets. They donate $1.00 per card (and $4.00 for the 5 card mix-n-match set) to organizations that do good work  to protect animals and habitats at risk. When you buy their beautiful cards, you’re making a donation, as well!

You can see all of Darlene’s card designs HERE.

It’s easy to see why I love Mondays, isn’t it?

Come see us at Creative Artworks and find something unique and creative!

Mother Nature

We’re in the middle of Tornado Alley here in Arkansas, so we’re under the gun on the severe weather threat that started yesterday.

My heart goes out to the people in harm’s way yesterday.

I’m getting off the computer now. Stay safe, everyone.

Cat Got Your Tongue?

“Sapphire”-Pastel-Painting by Nora Ruth

“As every cat owner knows, nobody owns a cat.”  Ellen Perry Berkeley

“Cat-and-Fish”-Acrylic-on-Canvas-Painting by Ludmila Penouchkina

“Thousands of years ago, cats were worshipped as gods. Cats have never forgotten this. ” Anonymous

“Fancy Kitty” – Metal Sculpture by Linda Lewis

“Dogs come when they’re called; cats take a message and get back to you later.” Mary Bly

“Harvest-Moon-Cat”-Embroidered-Hand-Towel by Nancy Hearne 

“People that hate cats, will come back as mice in their next life.” Faith Resnick 

Hand-Painted-Glass-Halloween-Black-Cat by Rebecca Kelman

“In a cat’s eye, all things belong to cats.” English Proverb

“A Happy Cat” 2-Pack Card Set by Darlene Fletcher

“Cats are rather delicate creatures and they are subject to a good many ailments, but I never heard of one who suffered from insomnia.” Joseph Wood Krutch 

10 Handmade Cards Package for Cat Lovers! by Linda Lewis

“Cats are smarter than dogs. You can’t get eight cats to pull a sled through snow. ” Jeff Valdez

“Miseries”-Handmade-Paper-Poster by Lisa Richey

“There are two remedies for the miseries of life – music and cats.” Albert Schweitzer

“Cat-in-the-Window”-Print by Michael Bridges

“I have studied many philosophers and many cats. The wisdom of cats is infinitely superior.” Hippolyte Taine 

“Retro-Black-Kitty”-Print by Ines Miller

“Some people say that cats are sneaky, evil, and cruel. True, and they have many other fine qualities as well.” Missy Dizick  

Come see all the cat lovers at Creative Artworks!

The Lard is Coming Off!

In mid January my husband and I decided to DO what we could to get healthier.  This is no small ‘New Year’s Resolution’ – full of hope, but little real dedication. We’re ‘old geezers,’ as my husband describes us, so change – particularly lifestyle change – comes hard.

We spend a LOT of time on the computer ( his career was as a Programmer/Analyst and mine in Administrative Assistant/Medical Transcription/Bookkeeper – now website owner ) and we LOVE movies and our favorite TV programs.  We’ve been really sedentary for over 30 years. My husband is more fit than I, and I have issues with joints, stamina, and balance.  We decided to radically change – and stick to – a healthier diet, plus walk every day possible outside.

DIET:

We eat cereal with milk and fruit for breakfast; a large, chef-type salad for lunch; and Lean Cuisine and steamed veggies for dinner.  For snacks we have a hard boiled egg and some carrots or fruit. This is probably not the perfect diet, but we’re eating LOTS more veggies and fruit than we did, and lots fewer calories.  This is a lifestyle change – NOT a diet. We will eat this way, with variations and with splurges on special occasions, the rest of our lives, trying to increase our exercise gradually.

PROGRESS REPORT:

WEIGHT:

• My husband has lost 31 pounds.
• I’ve lost 25 pounds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

MEASUREMENTS:

• My husband won’t measure, but he’s down two sizes in his jeans.
• I’ve lost 10.5 inches.

 

 

 

 

 

 

EXERCISE:

We walk almost every day. At the beginning, I was quite dramatic, getting really out of breath after very little walking and having to rest ‘every 50 feet,’ according to my husband. I would then huff and puff, pant and wheeze, plus say a few unladylike words…

Now, many days, I can keep up with my husband and one of our two dogs! I still have to push myself quite a bit, and still get quite winded on uphill climbs, but after a rest of a minute or two, I can get up and do another leg of our walk. :0)

We go to the local park, where there is a nice hiking trail. It’s great for me because I really have to pay attention in order not to fall on my head. It’s good for balance, focus, and cardio, because by the end of it, I’m really breathing hard. I used to have to stop several times during this phase of the walk. Sometimes, now, I can do the whole thing BEFORE sitting down to wheeze!

We then walk around the back side of the park and then ‘downhill’ back to the truck. The downhill part my husband thinks isn’t really exercise. My hips tell me differently. That gets to my joints, so sometimes I have to sit on a rock for a minute to give them a rest. Then I can get back up and walk again without problem.

PEDOMETER:

My son got me a pedometer, just for giggles. I think my baseline was about 500 steps for the day at the beginning – on an ‘active’ day. The goal is to do 10,000 steps per day. I’ll probably never get to that level, but just getting up and moving is better than I’ve done for years.

Carrying it in my pocket is a constant gentle reminder that I need to be moving more. It’s become a little ‘contest’ for me, trying to increase my steps, either for the day, or the average for the week.  My best yet was 7200-something steps. Some days I only have 1500…

 

 

HOW DO WE FEEL?

The combination of medicine for joint pain, fish oil, and the daily walking is helping my hips! I can walk much farther (for ME) without pain. The pain I do feel is less, and goes away with just a minute or two of rest. HOORAY!

My husband takes one dog each day on our walks. This makes HIS walk more challenging, as our dogs are VERY active and curious, plus not very well trained – as far as ‘heeling’ or staying in one position on the leash. This gives him something to focus on while he’s waiting for me to catch up. He also is now wearing a backpack that is actually a water supply for hikers. The added weight gives him more of a workout, plus gives us a really nice drink of water when we need it. :0)

I’m more active, generally, than I was. Part of it is that I WANT to get out and work in my flower beds, but we’re also just MOVING more. We seem to have more energy than we did.

FORECAST:

The weight is coming off more slowly than it did at first. I guess at the beginning we were losing water, plus our bodies were reacting to the huge lifestyle change. Now the weight is coming off much more slowly, like 2 tenths of a pound a day, sometimes, or no change for a day or two. I’m hoping that this is due to our building more muscle, but I’m not sure.

Whatever lard we get off is wonderful. We’re certainly eating in a healthier fashion, and the scales and measuring tape are showing pretty good results so far.  We’re encouraging each other to stay with the new lifestyle and walk a bit farther or a bit more quickly than we did yesterday.

LIFE IS GOOD!