Friday, December 31, 2010

Reflections of my self and of the New Year dawning!

It is actually quite interesting how we all get into a hub bub over the "resolution" thing ...some of us either jump on the band wagon or completely off when it comes to the "new year's resolution"! I am one that tends to see it as a fresh start..plus since it is after the holidays and no sports for the kids and before yard work of spring,I actually have the time and energy to launch something new or for renewing something that I have neglected! I love winter...it is my favorite time of the year. I have time for art, time for home improvement and also time for self improvement! On January 7th i will be celebrating 5 years of being smoke free....i didn't hit the new Years day mark that year..but i figure one week off, in the long run won't make much of a difference! So that was a definite successful promise to myself that year!

So on to this years promise to myself....Like i did with quitting smoking, i have been researching and gearing up for making yet another effort at losing all of this extra weight..45 pounds from the last two babies and then another 40 from quitting smoking~! this time though, i am coming with a new approach. Rather than feeling bad and berating myself over it all, I joined an online inspiration site called Inner Weight Loss...and through the lessons that I downloaded and through daily inspirational messages, i am learning to be kind to myself...to treat my poor self with more love and am trying to separate my feelings of self worth from my actual physical size and shape..for me a very hard thing to do. I realized something just today...that I quit smoking as a kindness to myself. I didn't want to die from it, i was tired of trying to hide just to get a quick hit, always planning the next cigarette, getting nervous if it wasn't happening. Not to mention the stink. I researched for several months before hand on the best ways to quit and found the perfect method for myself..i wish i could find the website to share...it had the best advise! Once i came to the decision to really finally do it...that is exactly what i did..no looking back~! However, i unknowingly (at the time)traded one vice for another...my wine..and when i broke out in hives a couple of years ago, my cocktails which wield even higher calories!

So here i am...i finally have convinced myself that these cocktails that i find sooo tasty can be put on hold for a few short months until my behind shrinks back into a more acceptable size. I love myself. I love how I look and feel when i can fit into my 6's and 8's, I love how my body can move effortlessly carrying only 140 lbs instead of 85 more than that...i am sure my knees and feet will like it much better too! So out of love for myself..and my desire to once again feel good about how I look, i am embarking on this journey of shedding pounds once again~! I just started reading a book called " A Course in Weight loss" Well, i read lesson one...and realized that just maybe the adage of excess weight being a protective devise is probably true...when i read through this exercise i recognized many issues that i have hidden deep within...so I am seeing this as a journey not only as physical weight loss but also emotional baggage weightloss....so here is to a New Year and to taking care of me..inside and out....and most of all treating my self with love! I deserve it...i take care of my family, my hubby my 6 kids...now it is my turn....and I know if I am the best i can be..i will also be the best mom to the kids and lover to my man!

So a profound moment..a bit more serious than I intended..but i am actually looking forward to this journey of self love and self improvement...Happy new Year to every one that reads this..and those who don't...God Bless and have a wonderful wonderful New Year

Lesson One....from my Inner Weight Loss; surround yourself with visions of what you want to be....Here is mine:I was 28 in this picture...probably a mere 128 pounds maybe even less. I don't really want to be this tiny....but this sweet girl is still in here....waiting for herself to love herself...but look..here I am at 45..a bit round but still worthy of love..silly woman! let's do this for Us...me myself and I!
and here is my official starting weight picture..i have to stop myself from looking at it and going bleh....all of me at 225 pounds...yup I am going to tell you....225 pounds of lovable me...so now...it is time to get it back into smaller jeans. I am happy to report though after 48 hours of Medical Weight Loss program..i am already almost 5 pounds closer....yay for getting a head start on my New Years resolution!

I have read many weight loss blogs and have found shared journey's to be inspiring and so helpful! To know i am not alone in this sort of battle is comforting..so maybe, just maybe one person might find my sharing helpful as well!
Namaste and Happy New Year to all of my beautiful friends out there!
xoxox
angela

Monday, December 6, 2010

january angel calendar page 2011

here is a non doll version..I plan on doing the whole year in doll and non doll versions!
enjoy!

december 2011 calendar page

here is my original December page for the swap...The swap pages turned out amazing! WE all agreed it was the best calendar that we have done together yet! I love the Altered Sisters and am so happy that i have been able to be aregular attendee again! Those girls are fun to hang out with and all so talented..I told hubby it was as fun as a kiddie craft hour..but in a big girl way!

thank you all for your lovely pages! I will enjoy our calendar all year!

January 2011 calendar page for you to download and enjoy

Playing with photoshop. I was in a collaborative calendar swap with my local artist group the "Altered Sisters" and made a December page...and since i have as of late been all about the Blythe dolls..haha thought i would also start creating a year of calendar pages to share with some of my photos! I used my own paper designs in thise one and my own photo....please feel free to download and use for your personal use...and watch for more!

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Puggy spam...Emmie is growing

I just realize it has been so long since i made an update...so much has happened in the past 4 months...so the dilemma do i recap or just start from here...well i think the easiest would be to just start from here!

Back tracking a couple of weeks ..our newest addition to the family..our baby girl pug: Emmie!

the light of my life..well another light added..all of my children, my hubby and my other pug Oscar are lights too! She sure is a funny girl and quite different than Oscar. She is more aggresive and playful yet sweet too~! She loves her mamma and has made it known her favorite sleeping spot is on my neck! haha! This was taken a couple of weeks ago and i promised to take some more today! I am sure she is even bigger yet...

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

robin eggs ready to hatch..

another fun charm. I was trying to think outside of the box for the charm swap..and was brain storming for things that were different..for som reason this image of an egg with one wing coming out came to my minds eye! I giggled and and decided not only would it be fun and unique t also very symbolic. For me it kind of represents a stage that i am in at the moment..needing to hatch and fly ...so here i am stretching out that first wing to catch the wind...and eventuall i see takin off....one step at a time..gotta finish hatching first...
well i have one more set to come up with this week...an get the fire going under my stragglers butts to get theirs done too..haha

well smooches for now!

hand cut and hammered copper "wing" charm

these were another experiment! I just love the look of metal jewelry. Again with no experience or time to take a class, i decided to play and see if i could come up with something acceptable. I first cut the tag shapes from a sheet of craft copper i had that i use for pin backs when i make my shadow box soldered pins. sanded the edges and corners, hmmered them to make them rustic looking, punched holes..i now knowi seriously need a cropodile if i am going to be punching any more metal. then i inserted the eyelets n then punched to word "wing" into each. then i aged them a bit with alcohol inks and to highlight the words..

faux silver clay charms for swap

I have always loved the look of silver clay, but ave not had the time to take a class to learn how to work with it. So, i got creative and tried my hand at creating the look with a silver polymer clay instead. I am thrilled with how these actually look..not exactly silver clay..but pretty darn close...

Sue's charms for winged thing charm swap

Sue's angel charms for the 'winged thing' charm swap..aren't they cute? Beautiful beads and such....i just love them

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Easter Bunny....

Easter is coming slowly this year...realizing it is only a week away the best way for me to start getting in the mood might beto take a dolly picture....poor Ash gets talked into something yet again...hahha Happy Easter every one!

Sunday, March 7, 2010

steampunk Piece


steampunk Piece
Originally uploaded by gemini angel art
The third piece i have worked on including my own! This particular one belongs to Cat! A fun mix of various unknown items..haha but really cool! I added the metal butterfly and the spring on the right side with the gears! these pieces are getting more and more interesting as people are working on them and making more additions...this is one fun round to be playing in! I hope Cat likes it!

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Garden painting..rainy day

see the last post from today for description

Garden Party dress


Garden Party dress
Originally uploaded by gemini angel art
see the last post from today for description

Bird Watching


Bird Watching
Originally uploaded by gemini angel art
see the last post from today for description

Scooter ride with Pugsley puppy

see the last (first) post from today for description

Owl friend


Owl friend
Originally uploaded by gemini angel art
I have been painting this past week. I love my dolls and I also really enjoy my artwork! I came up with this fun concept of making an interactive canvas with a paper doll concept of a painted doll and various outfits and accessories for her! I have actually never seen anything quite like this before..paper dolls on a canvas!! this was a real fun project to work on! I have more ideas of themes that i am working on...so hopefully i will have more to show soon!

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Steampunk pendant


Steampunk pendant
Originally uploaded by gemini angel art

I originally wanted to use a broken pocket watch given to me by my father and after several failed starts, changed direction a bit. I broke the opening mechanism and lost patience with trying to figure out how to repair it or make a new doo- hickey to open the door. So i abanadoned that and started looking around in my supplies. I came across the box with my tins and found this wonderful mint tin. It is about 2 1/4-1/2" tall or a bit more, the perfect size!! I used my Dremel and sanded off the words..as I was sanding I discovered that it made this really cool texture on the raised leaves..so instead of sanding all of the color off, I left it rough..then drilled holes to add the parts: a knocker, Tim Holtz gears, an old watch face and victorian wings and fan. I primarily used brads to attach the pieces with a bit of E6000 to anchor parts...so it is now ready for the round...despite the rocky start I am thrilled with my piece! The hardest part was stopping and leaving room for more additions..haha The inside is also posted on my flickr...additions can be made to the outside and/or inside of the piece!

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Banners for a winter wonderland swap~!

these are for the Altered Art Diva banner swap that Debi Boring is hosting! hand painted canvas, about 5 layers...stamped with hand carved snowflake stamp, silver and white with glitter on the white snowflakes. I edged them with silver ink and then added a paper tree cut out with my cricut...embellished with a snowflake brad, a sparkly flower and fibers on the bottom...so pretty! I wish i had papers that looked like the back grounds on these...hahaha I might just have to recreate that again....these are really sparklie too..unfortunately you can't see that in pictures!

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Okay Cookie..ready to go out for a ride?

I Have been working all week on creating a stable for my horses for my dolls. I have had a couple of horses for a year or more..and when i got my new Urban Cowgirl themed dolls i just had to get twomore horses and then that led to finally making a stable...i had a blast making this..and ths room is the first in a series of stackable rooms...if you want to see in progress pics..please visit my the link in this post under the picture over to my blog!

the horses in their new home..

a detail shot...for the full story please visit my flickr..follow the link in this post!

Sunday, January 10, 2010

oooh no!!! they got out...

the shenanigans in Sunnyday Blythe Towers continue..Rickie got some new pets and they escaped!

I have to admit the best part about having a doll hobby is creating all of the tiny creatures and accessories and scenes for them! I had always said i wanted to work with miniatures and doll houses once the kids were old enough to leave stuff alone..i never realized how much fun it would be once i finally got to do it...Definitely worth the wait...and i am just getting warmed up! haha! I have lots of projects and scenes planned for this year! If you are interested there are a ton more photos on my flickr site...so please visit!

xo's