Earth Gypsy Studio

Finding Time

With everything going on in my life it has been hard to find the time for art projects. I really need to organize my days better. However when you are a single mom, part time student and have two different kinds of part time jobs it's pretty challenging. I have not really even sat on the sofa and done any knitting. My free time has been spent cleaning and studying and taking care of my daughter. The job is never over!!!

My goal is going to be to do something fun and creative every week. It may not always be a cut and dry art project. I may just see something interesting and write about it here. Or I may just do an update about what I have been doing artistically. The point is I owe to myself to take the time to do something just for me. I deserve it. If I don't put myself first (sometimes) then no one is going to do that for me.

And just for the record, I cannot stand this new format for TypePad.

New Project

I am usually working on some little art or craft project like jewelry or knitting. With everything in my life being topsy turvey lately I feel the need to focus on some things I have been neglecting. Like the state of my house. It needs some TLC and quite frankly I need a change. So I have some ideas and I am doing the needed research. I plan to start in my bathroom. It's small and I can do experiments in there and see how it works out before I do something awful to parts of the house people may see.

The carpet here is awful. I am not a fan of carpet anyway. And my pets have not helped the situation. My labrador is only 7 months old and has learned to pull at the carpet and it runs in long stings leaving bare patches. I can't afford new carpet or tile so I have researched painting plywood. There are some good articles. I think I could do a good job and make it look artsy. And later if I can afford to replace the floors that will be fine too.

So I plan to gather my materials to do the bathroom walls and floor. It may take a few weeks. Then I'll take before and after pictures to post here on my site. I am excited. It is going to be a lot of work, but also a lot of fun. I have to pick out wall and floor colors. The only bad part is the yellowy colored tub. I am stuck with that....for now anyway.

Post Vacation Blues

Well I had five wonderful hot and sunny days in Orlando Florida at Walt Disney World. It was fantastic. Karissa, Aunt Betty and I had a lot of fun. There were so many things to do and see. We did not do everything...as if! Maybe if we had 2 full weeks we could do it all, but probably not.

I still have photos in my Aunt Betty's camera to upload at some point. But I have some cute ones to show for now. Perhaps I can get some creative ideas from all the fantastic scenery we saw while at Disney. The parks are simply amazing. It would be a really fun place to work for an artist or somebody who likes acting.

I'd like to say I am rested and recharged after the trip but I am anything but. I have more stress in my life than ever before. I'm trying to think of my situation as a way to show just how creative I can be. Maybe I can show how I can take whatever I have and make it be enough, make it work, and make it look good too. I can try!!! 

A Surprise Visitor

I keep a pretty clean house. Especially considering that I have a cat, two dogs and a a five year old living here. Sometimes since we live out in the country we have unusual visitors that somehow find their way inside. I was sitting casually on the couch one night, minding my own business and thought I saw something move on the sofa beside me. I slowly looked and saw this HUGE bleeping spider!!! I do not like spiders that get too friendly. I especially do not want them on me or sitting beside me. They have the whole outdoors to make a home in. Here's a picture of the monster. May he be a warning to the rest of you spiders who trespass my personal space!

My First Cake

I have learned a lot in the cake decorating class. It's pretty tedious work and it's an art that requires a lot of practice to perfect. It's fun but time consuming and quite messy! Luckily I remembered to bring an apron.

My Aunt Carol asked me if I was going to decorate cakes for money like my Grandma did. I told her that she had not seen what my cakes looked like, and that no one would want my cakes. I thought it was all very funny. Besides, taking the class was for the fun of it. Being responsible for making someone's cake for a wedding or other important event would be too stressful. I will be content to make cupcakes for Karissa's class or birthday cakes for family and friends.

Here is a picture of the first cake I did. You can see I have not gotten the techniques down, but still I think it's good for someone who has never really decorated a cake before. And it was fun! That's what really matters.