Oh my goodness! Do I ever have some catching up to do!

First of all:

My piece created with the La Vie Boheme Kit . . . 

"Doorway to Enlightenment"

And then would you believe that I have been gone so long, Tumble Fish Studio has released  THREE amazing kits, in no particular order . . .

SHADES OF RED  

(It's All Perfecto!)

No worries . . . Just let go! Go with it! It's all Perfecto!

SHADES OF BLUE

(Miss Bonnie Blue)

Liked this piece so much I used it as a springboard for another project of mine:

"Little Rosie La Belle" and "Bonnie Blue"
both mounted on wooden plaques with varying mediums used to create background surface

And my personal favorite: so many fantastic elements I think I included them all! haha

YOUTHTOPIA

This piece really reflects where I am right now.  Playing the law of attraction, living life outside of the box, no rules in how I play it! 

I just can't wait any longer . . . .

TOMORROW IS THE BIG DAY!

~HOORAY HOORAY HOORAY!!!~

Created by Marsha Jorgensen

Sneak peek; created by me from the La Vie Boheme kit

(frame from Frames and Words by Tumble Fish Studio)

Naughty Naughty!!

I have been such a bad, bad blogger!

I did not even realize how much time has passed since my last blog post.  Think I may have just gotten caught up in that vast social network known as Facebook, is all, but"Shame on me!"  I will need to see how it is I can spread myself just a tad bit thinner to make room for my dear ole faithful blog.  AND if you happen to be here now but tend to spend more time in Facebook-Land, be sure to visit me there too:

The Persnickety Chick

(Be sure check out the end of this post for links to some of my other favorite spots I am spending my time these days . . .)

So, seeing as it's been three long months since I have posted here's what I have been up to:

Via the wonderful designs of Tumble Fish Studio I have been able to dabble in both

"Shades of Green"

Though not my conscious intention, my intuition clearly guided this piece and it took on a whole Zen sort of symbolism with the butterfly and "Empty Bowl".

 and

"Shades of Purple"

"Miss Violette" does allow her love (or shall we say obsession?)  for the color purple to get away from her at times! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This little lady got to show off her new glasses quite proudly. 
How typical! Or rather shall I say: "how optical!" (heehee).

A journal card titled "An Optical Story"

 While this one, with the help of inspiration from the late great Georges Méliès, got to show those elements clearly who's boss!

Queen Elemental; an ATC

I, the Persnickety Chick, also had the fun of 
participating in a bit of artsy fartsy fun . . .

First: the April ATC swap under the theme "Eye of the Beholder:

"If we all could see the world through eyes of a child, we would see the magic in everything" -Chee Vai Tang

And this month, one of my very favorites:

As part of the Deviant Scrap birthday celebration challenges, an altered portrait of my 2nd great grandmother . . .

 

 

"Little Lotte"- I had so much fun with this gal and am so proud of how she turned out!

I have also been working on some personal projects on the side.  I began work on my first ever altered art book/art journal.

Page two and three of my journal. The left page will contain my journaling and I will be filling in words of importance in the swirls of the tree, my Tree of Life.

This spread showcases the house of my dreams (quite literally based on a dream I had full of symbolism.)

Was enjoying the process so much, at the request of some friends I decided to hold a little workshop/art night at my house. 

Here I am getting my hands "dirty" prepping the pages beforehand.

We had so much fun and the girls really embraced the whole experience.  Even going to make it a regular thing now!

On my own, when I do manage to find some downtime (between my CT work, commissions, my little job at the health food store, and the blog I run with my cousin), I continue to work on my own art journal therapy pages, as well.  Perhaps, if I can get my butt back here before too much time passes, I will do a feature on those.  Until then  . . .

Love, light, and peace to all!!!!

Amber

 

Keep on creating!!! There is a creative being inside of us all!

Once Upon a Time . . .

Once upon a time there was the most amazing designer collaboration ever brought to life in the most sacred of all deviant artistic realms of the universe!

It promised sheer creative power in the form of the most fantastical kits by the greatest of all of the designers in the Deviant Scrap Dot Com world!

It's size too numerous to calculate and its beauty, something which must be seen to be believed!

This post alone can only hold a preview of the goodness to be found.

From the enchanted Tumble Fish Studio

And as an esteemed member (we all are!) of the Tumble Fish Studio creative team, I was privy to put it's magic into effect to create this fairy tale maiden:

She is a follow-up piece of sorts to an earlier piece I did with a sweet girl and her fair froggy prince.

Perhaps this is them, so many many years later. She has aged and perhaps she's a little plumper. He remains his froggy self but she maintains her love for him all the same. 

Here is the earlier piece, also created with magical goodies from Tumble Fish Studio.  Click HERE to see just what sort of magic was used.

And for those who dare, there is even more magical goodness to be bestowed:

THIS incredible bonus kit can be yours!

Well, what are you waiting for?  It isn’t as if you’ve got forever?  Oh wait! Perhaps you do but why wait another moment to start your happily ever after?

Simply close your eyes, think happy thoughts, and Click HERE.

A step back from the digital leads the way for more art!

Well, I had a bit of an incident with my laptop about two weeks ago and I'm sad to report that it's really put a damper on my digital creative time.  Between borrowed time on my son's pc and my hubby's laptop I've been keeping up with my creative team duties but that's about all I've been able to do.  And I am so excited to be a part of something special debuting at Deviant Scrap this coming week.
Here's a sneak peek of the goodness to come!

This is just Tumble Fish Studio's portion.  Wait til you see what the designers have in store for you!

This is a sneak peek of  my participation. Can you guess?

Though I feel a bit of a loss with my digital and graphic artistry endeavors having to take the back seat, I do have to admit it's actually been a really good thing for me in that I have been forced to use my creativity in other areas; waters I have been wanting to dive back into.  Two projects I have been dividing my time between:

An altered art book I intend to use to journal about the incredible turn my life has taken this year and the subsequent growth that has taken place within as a mother, wife, artist and friend.  I know that I shall never forget but I feel it is something I am so grateful for and something that which must be celebrated.  I am so excited at the prospect and hope with all my heart it will be just what I envision it to be!

As you can see, I am still very much in the beginning stages and it is a total lesson in patience for me.  I am so eager to move onto the real fun of gesso, painting, glueing, and journaling!

AND I have returned to my painting after so many many years.  I have some growing to do, for sure but am enjoying relearning the process for myself.
Found this cute little Crayola chipboard book at my local goodwill and set out to decorate it, with no real plan, mind you.  Here's how it's going so far.

Day One-Page One/Cover

Day Two-Page Two

Day Three-Page Three

Welp, that's it for now.  Be sure to come back and share my progress on these projects.  As always, I am so appreciative to have such a wealth of friends who support me in my artistic endeavors and I feel so blessed that I can share with no worries of being judged.  Thanks to you all!

I'm back!

Well, as is usually the case this time of the year (end of the year), my life was chocked full of all sorts of activity that didn't really afford me much creative time though I must say that I am very grateful for the biggest of those distractions: my family.  We were able to fly out to California in December for an extended stay but it took a bit of rearranging with my work schedule at my "job" which meant extra shifts and such. Not to mention that my workload here at home has intensified as we work towards getting our house ready to put on the market; lots of little projects that need to be done.  But I continue to crave my creative time and I suppose I manage to find satisfaction in creating where I can; even if it only be in the pattern of my spackling or the strokes of the paintbrush painting that upstairs bathroom.  heehee

It's also been super cold here which is never a good thing for me.  I am so ready to move onto milder, warmer pastures. I think my one of my newest Tumble Fish Studio layouts makes that clear.

Totally been feeling like I'm trapped in an ice cube 24 hours a day! haha
Created with the new Winter Junque kit available here.

So for now, we do what we can to put ourselves in a better position should opportunity knock and continue to hold out hope for something more like this . . . .

A piece I created a few months back.  CREDITS can be found here.  

So December was busy and January's been downright frigid.  I wonder what February will hold . . .

Created this little "Valentine Beauty" with a combination of two of Tumble Fish Studios' newest arrivals

Warm winter wishes, valentine greetings and oh yes. I almost forgot:

HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone!!

EYES

A bit of fun for the Three Muses challenge this week.
The theme is EYES . . .

For full credits see my gallery here.

Feeling a bit "Fiery" these days!

I call her "Pyra-Phenom of the Fire"

 A tribute to all of us strong willed women of invincible, phenomenal spirit!

And a little art journal therapy . . .

Hallow's Eve is upon us!

For this month's "Haunted Portrait" art swap over at Deviant Scrap.  To join us in all the ghoulish fiendish "deviant" fun, head on over to the thread HERE for all the details.

Created with goodies from Tumble Fish Studio, Hidden Vintage Studios and Holliewood Studios.  All available at www.deviantscrap.com

And in the spirit of Thanksgiving coming next month (Wow! Where did this year go?!) . . .

I present to you:

WORTHINGTON THANKSGIVING

Per her mother in law's insistent request, Matilda Worthington and her husband Igor came "more than prepared' for Thanksgiving dinner . . .
(In addition to bringing their own utensils, the main course substitutes as a fine chapeau until the dinner bell is rung: heehee)
Credits:
background paper from Midnight Reverie
Everything else from Autumn Junque by Tumble Fish Studio, available at Deviant Scrap.

Just a quick post to share two of my latest creations:

"MANY HATS"

Meant to poke fun at all that we "mothers" are supposed to be.  We wear so many different hats, perform so many roles and occupations and so much pressure is put upon us to be so much to so many.  Haha

"THE GREATEST MARVEL"

This was just pure silly fun! haha

Maxine feared "for some reason" that her good luck might turn and that she wouldn't be able to "hold her BLADDER" for much longer. All she think to do was crouch down, "cross her legs" and hope! The "Greatest Marvel" is this: Will she be able to do it? teehee

For FULL credits on designs used in both of these, see my gallery here.http://deviantscrap.com/gallery/showgallery.php?ppuser=130&username=persnicketychick

So, I'm still here!  

Still longing for a change.

Still holding out hope.

Still waiting for my dreams to come true.  

Still "ME"!

Dreamer, Believer, and sometimes total Over-Achiever! haha

Though it may be plain to see, for more of an explanation on this piece see the end of this post.*

It seems these days that I am still trying to find the balance between letting go enough to just let things unfold as they will, patieintly standing by, maintaining hope, despite my mind's protests, that the desires of my heart will come to fruition AND the need to be in control, pushing things forward in my haste to just be there already!  It is and has been a learning experience as I guess LIFE typically is; one long journey to find ourselves, to find that place where we feel we belong, where it just feels right, where we are finally at peace within ourselves.  Kinda deep, I know, but I have been very aware as of late of being on this path and it's made me very excited for what awaits us all.  Patience and practicality are not my strong suits (perhaps that is my lesson to be learned) and there are days when I simply feel I cannot wait any longer!  I am comfortable in my "dreamer" skin and excited at the prospects that lie ahead and I think that my art most of all reflects that.  My latest pieces certainly do and looking back over the years, I realized that the path I have been on is also evident.  That means so much to me, to have not only chronicled my journey of ups and downs and growth as an individual but to have shared it with so many.  We are all on a journey and how wonderful it is to have one another to share it with. 

I am so grateful for all of you!! 

*A tribute to my wonderful hubby and how well we always manage to balance one another out. ♥

Me, the dreamer full of hope always jumping ahead without a care and he the practical analytical one.  So glad we have each other to rub off on.  heehee

It's that time of year again!

Had some real spooky deviant fun with this challenge over at Creative Souls!

Through the peephole (or in this case through the rusted out interior of a European mailbox, haha)
you never know what you will find! 

But remember this:

"What Happens in Oz, Stays in Oz!" 

Credits:

Ode to A Muse 2 and Dramatic Backgrounds by Holliewood Studios

Haunted Library Micro kit , Haunted Heroines and “munchkin” from Debut Freebie all by Hidden Vintage Studios all availabe at Deviant Scrap.

Background from Deviant Art:-RS19 at: http://nitch-stock.deviantart.com/gallery/8475047

Created this last year around this time and am thinking I'd really like to make another. 

Holly Haunted, the shoe fairy . . .