That Time I Started Some Puns

I posted this on Facebook:
Let's play a game...fill the comments with cheesy puns. Bonus points if its flora related!
Oh, my friends did not let me down...

• "Thanks a bunch!" 
• "Not a daisy goes by that I don't think of you."🌸 
• What in carnation do you mean? 
• I rose this morning thinking of you. 
• Lettuce keep this going 
• You ladies look radishing today.
• Hyacinth you a text...did you get it? 
• Today's Friday - this makes me hap-pea. 
• He said what? Artichoke him 
• Bean there, done that. 
• Time to turnip for work. 
• Ketchup later 
• Drop the beets today - it lifts your mood. 
• (my) Tulips kiss you goodnight.

Mandala Class

So I explained how I left my full-time job to teach classes. I decided the first class should be something simple that creates something that looks complicated. Basically my way of displaying to the students that anyone, and everyone can draw.

I came up with the idea to just have them repeat letters to form mandala's. I tried this on my own and it actually worked.

The mandala to the left is what the words, "Aim For the Stars" ended up looking like.

Happy with the outcome I thought a mock-class at a friends home. It turned out to be so much fun. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures from that class.

"Aim For The Stars" 

On to real class time. The first class I had 2 girls from my mock-class take the actual paid class. The next couple of locations I didn't have any students yet. Thursday my best friend brought a friend and we had a blast.

We didn't get finished completely, but they had a great start for an hour class. The top one is for her son's wedding, the Groom and Brides name. The bottom one made one of her sister's name. It amazes me at how just letters can turn into such amazing (and very different) pieces of art. 

That Time I Had Way Too Much Time With Wooden Men

So I am setting up my marketing for my classes and I decided to paint artist mannequins a different color to go with the type of art/craft I would be teaching each week. I originally broke up my month into 4 weeks, each one doing a different discipline (or department if you will).

Week one is dedicated to "fine art", so using the mediums you would find in the Art Supply section. So the mascot for week one is "Art"














Week two is "Paper Art" so I named him "Chip" (after chipboard)

The third week is dedicated to "needle art" so his name is
affectionately "Ned"















Finally we come to what week 4 brings us. Very simply this will be something in the general
"crafting" and/or "jewelry" realm. So his name shall be "Clay"

Regardless of where this ends up, I will always have my buddies to help me in the studio!

That Time I Quit My Job

Do you ever just drive to work and have this mind-blowing "AH-HA" moment? Well that happened to me. I have been so stressed and miserable at my job. It's a decent job with great pay and good benefits. It's just that it's doesn't fit me any more. So I was driving to work and it hit me, I could teach art classes. If I could get 5 students each class at each location that I would be teaching, I would generate the same income, with added benefit of freedom.

I only have a few months to make this work, but it's decided that I have to try! Resignation letter submitted. So it's official, my first class is in June. I have set up a fresh website, made the advertisements for the first round of classes.

June:
Week 1: Art: Adult Coloring
Week 2: Paper Art: Quilling
Week 3: Needle Art: Needle Felting
Week 4: Craft/Jewelry: Glass Etching

He is Legendary

This guy amazes me! Up at 3:30am to work all day, then a show tonight from 9-1am...which gets him home around 3am...just to have to turn around leave for work by 4:30am...(which it is daylight savings so that is 30 minutes)

Why? He is fulfilling a dream...That takes DEDICATION and SACRIFICE. 

That Time I Painted Mugs

I have this coworker (whom I adore) that has been racking her brain for an epic valentine gift for her new boyfriend. She was saying she was trying to get her hands on some Pulp Fiction mugs. Enter in "I can do that". She trusted me...never had seen my work. So yeah, here they are...

"Dots Game" Revisited

You know the old Dots game right? My husband and I have used my gridded notebooks to play it, to pass time waiting for our food to arive at resturants. Today I was with my daughter and pulled out my doodle book and was going to pass time waiting for a parade to start. I decided to bring out the colored pens and use the dots game concept for her and I to "play" filling in my doodles...

It did its job, few minutes passed and time for parade. 

Later on this evening my husband took me out to dinner, so we brought out the journal and started working on our own (leaving my daughters and mine for us to bond over again ;-) 

So here we go, adult coloring trend into a taking turns creative game. 

That One Time I Painted an Ukulele

Once again I acquired my son's musical instrument to give away...Seriously, what is wrong with me. This time it was a Goodwill toy. Don't worry, we are replacing it with a real one this Christmas (shhhh...) I really wish I would have taken a before picture. Awe well, live and learn.

So here is the story:

One of my co-workers is moving away and I wanted to give her something for her going away. Just coming off of the guitar work, this seemed like a cool idea. So some spray paint (2 colors) and an new Molotow acrylic marker in hand,

Ta-Da!

That One Time I Drew on a Guitar

Not only did I draw on it, but I gave it away...well kind-of...

At first it was just an idea to add a little somethin' somethin' on my son's 3/4 acoustic that we picked up for $25 at Aldi (of all places). As the third weekend of August approached, I decided I really wanted to donate it to the raffle for Phat-Phest.  Don't worry, he was cool with it.

So it was a really cool experience. My middle son has been doing caricatures for free-will donation for the last couple of years. Also, this is my husbands first year being a part of a band, and they performed as well. (Exit 181) 

So here is the breakdown...

June:
This is where I had decided to give my son's guitar some life...And then I broke my wrist.

August:
Decided I should donate it, and only have a couple of weeks to make it happen.

Unofficial Again

Every once in a while I'll check my "Time Hop" first thing waking up. This morning was one of those days. What I found was something I was expecting, yet it hit me right in the feels when I saw it in black and white. 

It was 5 years ago today that I registered LMD Studio as a "Doing Business As" in my state. It is a 5 year registration, therefore it has now officially expired. 

I really never had a business to begin with. I had intentions. I had aspirations. I had ideas (many many ideas). What I was lacking was motivation and a spine! 

I had a few projects, I just never got paid. Some were donated services that was intended as free work from the beginning. There were a couple of projects that I did and got completely shafted. 

Honestly though, not having a DBA doesn't mean it's all over. It just means that I will need to make some name changes. 

Hmm, guess some decision making is in order. 

Until next time, I'm officially unofficial. 

Half Full?

It's the second tangent: "Half Full" in http://daisyyellowart.com and her "Tangents and Tactics" series.

This was a pretty quick and simple exploration of the full/empty debat. I've always been a "half full" kinda girl, but see my unfinished projects as a "half empty". So I guess it's safe to say I'm only optimistic with outward perception things, when it comes with my self-perception I'm pretty pessimistic. Makes sense...it's nice to have a new exercise put it in these terms for me. 

I guess knowing IS "half the battle". Half won, or half lost...That, my friends, is one for another day.

Starburst

I've been feeling extremely stagnant in my creative life. Working full-time in retail may have something to do with it. Although I was pretty blocked when I had all the time in the world too. 

The other day I stumbled on http://daisyyellowart.com and her "Tangents and Tactics" series. I was fortunate to catch this challenge series in it's beginning (usually I'm a day late and dollar short). 

Tangent #1 "Starburst" [wip]

I'm doing this in my altered book that I started 8 years ago...more on that to come :-).

Good to be back~Laura

Bridging the Gap

I know, I know it's been a crazy long time since I've posted on my blog. Lets chalk it all up to...

Art, Creativity and the Pursuit of Perfection. 

I've been pursuing perfection to the point of obliterating any hope of art and creativity. Know the feels, bro?

This month has brought some changes. First of all, mamma got her a J.O.B. A part-time cashier position and an AMAZING privately owned, Faith based Arts, Crafts, and Home Decor retail store. I'm loving it!!!

Now that I have less time on my hands to just sit and think and over sit and way over-think, creativity and motivation are making their way back into my life.

I've been mulling over in my mind how to put all this in a post, and just today I found a recent QA from the fabulous Marie Forleo basically helps validate this decision in a way that takes away any shame I may have had. Check her out, yo!

Pi Day

Gangnam Style2, a photo by LMD Studio on Flickr.

"Woody" is doing Gangnam Style in front of "Fibonacci Warm" for Pi Day!

You can purchase "Fibonacci Warm" over at the Etsy

Eye Finally See!

I created this image a few months ago. I felt like sharing it tonight after reading back through some of the quotes that resonated with me then, and still do now.

This weekend I participated in an amazing workshop that opened my eyes to the possibilities and opportunities that have been in me all along. I will share more about that adventure soon. For now, just enjoy my eye :)

○Click for larger image○

Air Light Space Time: Guilty

I saw a comic today that really resonated with what has really been holding me back. Well, really it's the poem, but the comic illustrates it well. I am a visual person, after all.

Air and Light and Space and Time by Charles Bukowski:

“–you know, I’ve either had a family, a job,
something has always been in the
way
but now
I’ve sold my house, I’ve found this
place, a large studio, you should see the space and
the light.
for the first time in my life I’m going to have
a place and the time to
create.”
no baby, if you’re going to create
you’re going to create whether you work
16 hours a day in a coal mine
or
you’re going to create in a small room with 3 children
while you’re on
welfare,
you’re going to create with part of your mind and your body blown
away,
you’re going to create blind
crippled
demented,
you’re going to create with a cat crawling up your
back while
the whole city trembles in earthquake, bombardment,
flood and fire.
baby, air and light and time and space
have nothing to do with it
and don’t create anything
except maybe a longer life to find
new excuses
for.

© Charles Bukowski, Black Sparrow Press

I have a flaw...you ready. I am a procrastinating perfectionist.

If the situation isn't just right...
If I don't have just the right tools...
If I'm not in the right mood...
If I'm not backed up against the wall...
If I am feeling less-than...

I just don't do it! We are talking art, life...anything.

This changes TODAY!

Following my Heart

A few months ago I decided that the best way to help my family was to put my dreams aside and take a position in an area completely new to me. I approached this adventure as I do in most aspects of my life...Head First; All or Nothing!

Soon after starting I had this nagging feeling in my gut that something was "off". I was performing well. I was even promoted to a management position within a few weeks. I still had this uncomfortable feeling in my gut. The long days...I can handle that. The nights away from the family...I delt with that. So what was bugging me.

I had a realization that the job requirements went against my moral code. This may sound bad, but it is so easy to justify little things here and there. What it came down to was that I just couldn't continue with this position because it just didn't feel "right" in my gut.

So here we are again. Here I am again. I'm not saying it was all bad. I'm not saying that I didn't learn anything...actually I grew a lot in areas that I needed help in, through this experience. Specifically, I now have no anxieties driving (opening a world of possibilities for me).

I'm super excited to take the things I learned from that adventure and bring them in to creating a more successful and fulfilling business.

Announcement: Moving On!

LMD Studio is going through some changes. More specifically I am going through some lifestyle and career changes. This week my focus is studying for my licensing exam for this change. I'll have more details as I have more to tell.

The Studio has to take a backseat right now. I do hope to still do some challenges and other personal art, as I will need the cathartic aspect of creating (more than ever). I'm no longer accepting new projects outside of personal work, for the time being.

Free Gift

Every once in awhile I like to thank my fans with a little free gift. So here you go:

Just Right Click on image for full size and "Save As">"Set as desktop background"

{xLarge-1920x1080 Resolution}*

{1280x720 Resolution}

Quotes obtained from Quotegarden.com

*Update: Blogger condensed the xLarge to 1,600px × 900px (if you would like the original, e-mail me and I will send to you :) lmdstudio@live.com

2 Things: Sunday/Pattern

This 2 Things Challenge was perfect for me. One of my favorite things to create is motif's for patterns. This particular one gives me the chance to share my Devotional Journal. I created a few patterns to use on Zentangles, or other uses.

The Patterns: Dogwood {Sketch}

The Journal: Various Patterns {Biblical Based}

*The text:
"It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man."~ Psalms 118:8
                
 "I shall not die but live, and declare the works of the Lord."~Psalms 118:17

Of course the journal is meant to be used daily, but I seem to only be using it on Sunday lately...Need to work on that :)