29 FACES IN SEPTEMBER

Hello and welcome to 29 faces in September. This is what I've been working on this month now that the kids are ALL IN SCHOOL. I heard about it thru my talented blog friend Stephanie, she has been impressing me with her drawing skills (esp. her faces) for months now. When she first shared this I had already told myself to dedicate Sept. to the kids and homeschooling, not start anything new for me. That first week of Sept and seeing Stephanie's pages changed my mind and I decided to GO FOR IT!! Not only am I doing this but so is my daughter Renee, she loves drawing faces and thought it would be fun for her also. I didn't want to commit to daily blogging these faces either, figured we'd see how it went first then if all was good would start sharing a group of them at a time. I'm so glad to be doing this, it's been so fun and challenging and good for me, just what I needed with the kids ALL BACK IN SCHOOL. These aren't anything close to what Stephanie has been doing and I haven't checked out the blog who is hosting this challenge, that would freeze me right there, just seeing Stephanies' is enough to motivate me and make this fun. There were no rules in this, even unfinished faces are fine and any medium is accepted. These rules made it even better for me, LESS STRESS!

 

So I decided to make up a mini canvas for each day and fill up the page protector which will be added to my PL at the end of the month. I  LOVE LOVE that this will be in my PL now that I've been filling the canvas up. My daughter is doing hers on computer paper and I haven't decided yet how to add hers into PL or doing something else. Will share her pictures later on, still need to get a picture of them. We have both slipped here in there but catch up right away. I can honestly say thsi is making me very HAPPY and inspired to keep doing more faces and learning more about drawing them.

I'm going to repost the same picture now below so I can explain them to you, hope your hanging in thee with me thru this, just had to explain it all. Oh and I have to share links at the bottom...

Ok, like I said these are just fun not very artistic and WOW but they are MINE and I love them!!

The faces start at the top left and go across..oh and the rule I gave myself is however way it comes out that's ok and no redoing them or starting over again, heck I'd still be on day one, lol...

Day 1... look how tiny she is, haha just had fun and Renee LOVES THIS ONE

Day 2... a little bigger and color on her face, very plain and calm

Day 3... she is happy and excited about Labor Day so she is decked out and BIG

Day 4... decided to just use pencil, uuuhhhh not much else

Day 5... LOVE her, she is me with  my curly hair. The kids like this one

Day 6... UH HELLO THERE! Red sparkly gel pen hair, SAM LOVES HER

Day 7... A BOY FACE, haha not to bad for the first time

Day 8... a pencil face again, BIG and happy, like this one

Day 9... hello pretty face, I didn't know what kinda hair so I left her bald and LOVE IT

So that is my first 9 photos, the next 9 are on the backside and will be shared later on. I pretty much used pencil, pen, sharpie, colored pencils for these. In the newer ones I'm using some paints and other goodies. I sometimes freehand the face shapes and others using a oval cutter.

So this has me thinking of a plan for October and I will share that later with you. So here are the links to Stephanie's blog and the host of this challenge, I hope you can at least check out Stephanie's she is doing an AMAZING JOB WITH HER FACES. I have even named some of her past faces.

Thanks for reading this and for the sweet and supporting comments in my last post. HUGS!

http://stephaineestrin.blogspot.com and the host http://ilove2paint.blogspot.com

sorry the first link won't work, try this one http://Stephanieestrin.blogspot.com  

PROJECT LIFE SEPT. 8-15

Hello and Happy Project Life!! I had a great week of pictures and ordering and putting it together. Took my time and just enjoyed the process, added some fall theme goodies and called it done. Can you belive we are half way thru September already, the days just fly by don't they. The weather has been chilly in the mornings and just right during the day. Thanks for the comments on my apple post, I'm happy to say that I did buy my own cider and have enjoyed it!! How about some close ups now...

Here is the left side, added a little fun to the title card this week. I had to do a collage on the gorgeous sunrise I shared last week. Really love how it turned out. In the bottom right is my sister's PL she just completed and shared it with me. I finally talked her into buying one and sadly she just doesn't "GET IT" or the time and the labor of printing so many photos. Glad she tried it and she does like it but said to count her out next year. SIGH, SNIFF..... Look at those two cuties holding their mini pumpkins!

here is the right side, full of FALL FUN!! Love the apple orchard collage and I decided to add my own apple scrapbook paper to fill up that pocket. Look at Sam playing soccer in the bottom one, it was our first game of the season. MAN DO I LOVE TO WATCH HIM PLAY, MY HEART POUNDS THE WHOLE TIME and yes I do stand at the sides yelling GO SAM, HUSTLE, FIGHT AND PLAY HARD, FOLLOW IT UP, GOOD JOB TEAM, GOOD PASSING, GOOD TRY!! I cheer for them all but especially for my boy!! Rich took the kids to a friend's haunted house and the kids were too scared right away so they came home. I have never liked them and still  don't, guess Rich will have to do this on his own from now on.  I also went scrapping on Sat. will show my pages later, it was finishing up more in my summer journal.  So that's another week done and happy about.

 

On another subject, don't let this take away the FUN FROM THE PL POST HERE, my 2 homeschoolers are back in school now. They really had a different attitude once it started and just couldn't handle the change. I think they should have tried harder and longer but they were both unhappy and not impressed with the online schooling programs. I for one am very upset and sadden by their change of heart. The programs were good, the teachers amazing and sweet and given more time to get use to this new way of learning could have benefitted both of them. It was hard just to type this and tell you after all my excitment about it, thank you for the support you gave me then. Trying not to dwell on it and moving forward with a new mind set on just me and my quiet house again. That's enough talking about this subject now, just wanted to let you know how it was.

Thanks again ladies for being so awesome and sweet! Have a great week!

APPLE ORCHARD WITH MY SISTERS

My sisters and I went on a little outing on Friday, a little orchard about 20mts. away. We usually come with the kids but this year it was SOOOO nice to just be us adults. Rode in my sister's SUV for the first time with the sunroof open,  and just laughing and talking. We should do this more often. This is a cute little family run business and you can always count on the little grandchildren running around and granma and papa helping out when it's busy. We have never been there on a weekday, usually it's a Sat/Sun thing when kids are home so I was quite surprised at how busy they were. I had a hard time taking photos because I'm sure these strangers didn't want to be in them, lol. Just did the best I could and am happy to have them and remember this day with my sisters. There was only one dissappointment about our visit, I will share that part later on. The weather was perfect for us then rained the rest of the day and cleared up and got sunny in time for Friday night football, love that!

My sister is taking a picture in front of me, I love walking into this big building

usually someone is working here but not today

So HAPPY they have my favorite kind, so yummy when freshly picked

My sister Heather got a lemon/dill sauce that they say is great with fish

I love all the cabinets/hutches they have here and filled with goodies to try

this is why we really come, fresh baked cider donuts and other yummy food. They even have a new grape mini pie, Heather bought one for her girls and will let me know what they thought of it. I also tried a oatmeal, apple, carmel cookie that was SOOOO good. This is where the disappointment came.

Remember I've been talking about getting some cider well here it was made fresh and went so well with the donuts. This year they have a new HOT Carmel Cider with foam and cinnamon drink, WHAT NO REGULAR CIDER??? I wasn't too happy about this but got one to try and only sipped a little bit and burnt my tongue on it, threw it out and bought my own cider at the store today, haha. They also have Cider Slushies which are pretty good and the kids like them. Oh well, some things change I guess and I know my sisters didn't like theirs and I heard other's talking about just wanting plain cider also. See the little apple postcard in the photo, hoping that will fit into a PL pocket.

I love that you can sit here and just enjoy the yummy smells and feel the fall in the air. Thanks for a nice trip girls, will have to do this again and wait till the leaves have changed colors.

INSPIRED FALL ART AND RANDOM THOUGHTS

more pumpkins all lined up, sorry just can't enough of them

shared some mini's with the sweetest mini's of my life

a journal page in process, just playing and having fun

PROJECT LIFE AND CLOUDS

I LOOOOVE THIS WEEK'S PROJECT LIFE!!  It's filled with only one subject and from one hour of my day last week. I couldn't resist just filling it all up with my garden pictures from the previous post. Just a little journaling and I am filling that blank card with something soon. The title card has a little magazine clipping on it which I thought was good for this week. LOVE LOVE THIS!!

COME TAKE A WALK THRU MY GARDEN, FALL IS COMING

It's almost the end of summer here in our yard,  would you like to take a walk with me thru the garden. I was quite happy to find some fall surprises for us to use this year, LOVE LOVE FALL!
Just walking thru here made me so happy and inspired me to sketch pumpkins and cornstalks, haha they need some work though before I can show you. Look at that big beautiful sky, never get tired of seeing it. Pretty soon those leaves in the back will be the color of FALL, will share a photo with you when it happens. Ok now are you ready for the walk, please watch your step we have some babies here and some BIG babies, haha!!

before we go in let's see the sunflowers. poor things didn't get enough rain and are pretty droopy right now. We had the best ones this year though, loved all the varities Rich planted.

Look at that, some sunflowers still looking pretty!

Look closely, do you see what I see???

Yes, little mini pumpkins just for me!

My sweet hubby planted them and surprised me!

They are all over the house now bringing me JOY!

just past those little baby pumpkins are these HUGE watermelons!

These are Rich's big babies, he's soooo proud and happy with these.

Watermelons are tricky to grow and so far they've all been wonderful.

How many do you see here? I can see 5 but in the back there is a little one and

off to the left I cut out a baby one by mistake. They are sooo cute when tiny.
Please be sure to walk carefully around these, Rich is very protective of them.

Here we come to another favorite of mine. When the corn is all gone these golden, gorgeous

cornstalks will be used to decorate the front of the house with. I LOVE LOVE decorating for fall, wish it lasted all year, well almost. We also give these away to friends/family and put them out in the yard with a FREE sign so we can spread the JOY OF FALL!! I see myself drawing lots of these this fall. Please don't mind the weeds, Rich does his best to keep up on it then lets it go at the end and with all the heat this summer, it took all his free time just to keep these babies watered everyday!

Here is my big babies, aren't they awesome and gorgeous!!

I LOVE LOVE growing our own pumpkins and watching them turn colors

and picking which ones to carve. These are the first 5 ready for now but in that jungle of a

garden there is more wating to be picked and admired. This might be the best year in a long time for us growing pumpkins. These are just like the watermelon and too much water will kill them. I might

have to go out and buy some white pumpkins for the first time this fall. Can you see me with a black sharpie and doodling like crazy on them or decorating with pretty things. Are you enjoying the walk

thru my garden so far, we are almost done. Just so you know it was about 82 out while taking these and I'm sweating and wishing it was cooler fall temps already. Then of course we will need cider.

I love their stems too, the weirder the better

their not very shy so here's their backsides, haha

not as cute as the fronts but I LOVE THEM

love this big spotted leaf, look at the colors. will have to draw lots of these

did I mention my faithful companion strolls with me too

the pumpkins vines have outgrown into our yard now YIPPEE

awwww look at these 2 babies getting ready to grow big

I think this will be my favorite picture of the bunch,ssshhh don't tell the babies

WOW, is that gorgeous or what!! LOVE THIS!

ok, I couldn't resist giving you a peek. I sat on the deck after all that picture taking and was inspired to start sketching right away. Just the first of many I'm sure, wait till the paint comes out!! Thank you for walking thru the garden with me. Hope it was fun and inspired you like it did me, don't you want to get a sweater on and sip cider and eat pumpkin pie now. I CAN'T WAIT TO DO ALL THAT!

2011 (then) & 2012 (now)... my creative journey

This month makes it a year since taking the famous 30 DAYS OF LIST CLASS and it changed my life for the better. My life has more color and is messier then ever and even more important are the new friends, the old friends who support me and inspire me DAILY!!! I never in a million years could have guessed that by taking this one class so much of my life could change and how badly I NEEDED THAT CHANGE!! So today's post is about all that I've done in this past year, the creative side not the "MOM" side or "PROJECT LIFE" side. Those areas have changed but will be talked about later on. Are you ready to go back a year with me: some of you were there with me and others I've met along the way. I can't say enough how THANKFUL I am for ALL OF YOU!!  In no special order here is what I remember.

Sept. 2011..... 30 Days of Lists... warm community...doodling...sharpies...collage...Bonita...Michelle.. love making lists...helpful friends...inspired...paint...drawing trees and houses...less scrapping...paint.. messy art...sketching...30 Days of Thanks with Deborah...my half of the kitchen table being messy... discovering the CLOUDS AND SUN AND SKY...finding peace within...need to create...COLOR LOTS OF COLOR...PURPLE...Julie Balzar 30day art journal class...Made homemade art for Christmas gifts...painting Christmas trees obsession...Received beautiful gifts and cards from friends...INSPIRATION... color combo....love my Project Life...collages...thankful hearts... using the camera in mode...Donna D....spring wreath...art week in green...happy mail...panchinalla... stencils...
NATURE...TREES...ice imprints...making my own cards....banners...messy hands daily...sketching...
BELIEVING IN ME...Susan...Jumpstart 2012...stephanie x 3...sketching in grids...art journals... notebooks...not much scrapping still...WITL....Dawn... happiness...Lynette...Cathy...Alisa Burke...doodles galore...Painting on poster boards...abstract art...Angie...Karen...Christy...dreams do come true...ARTIST...Sharul...Suzy...Linda...fabric...stitching...sewing...breathe...consuming... inspiring others to start PL... Dream... Sienna...Janine...Reville...discovering...mistakes...inner critic...
GO GO GO...Survivors...paintbrushes...GESSO... tags...doiley...banners...art in all forms...art for my
home...buttons...stamps...dreaming in color...decorating wrapping paper...postcards...prayers...
surprise happy mail.. Ann Margaret... INSPIRED...these and more have made me HAPPY this year.

FOR SEPT. 2012 AND ON I HOPE TO...
scrap again and again nonstop this time... make more art for my house and as gifts to others...sketch..
more classes...learn more...be FREE...write more lists...re-do my past classes and learn again...dream
make a wreath for fall and winter...lots more happy mail...FLORIDA...more thankful hearts...doodle
SEW,SEW,SEW...make homemade cards for Christmas and everyday ones...more trees and houses..
make my own art jouranls...take inspired outings...camera adventures...MORE BANNERS...play more...BE ME...inspire others...be inspired again...create leaves, pumpkins...more Xmas trees and snowmen...quilt...stitches...painting on fabric...paint BIG...a tree for every season...visit and meet online friends (LOTTERY HOPE)...lots of doodles...PROJECT LIFE BABY!!...learn more digital and techie things...pinrest??? fall journal....bright colors and more colors...30 days of thanks...make my own stamps...meet new people...summer of color...Jumpstart 2013...WITL & DD... happier...
art journal everyday...secrets....dreams....holiday doodles...BELIEVE...OPEN...collages...TRUST...
Getting Kristin on this art journey with me... challenges...index cards...calenders...tags...MY MOM...
ENJOY THE PROCESS...draw more houses...THANKFUL FOR ANOTHER YEAR WITH MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY.... MAKE THIS YEAR EVEN BETTER....

So there you have it a years worth of learning and discovering!! I can't wait to do this again and be inspired all over. There is always so much I want to do and create but not alwasy enough time or knowledge or money to do them all. Thankful for what has happened and lucky to be where I am.
I did this just off the top of my head, hope I didn't forget anyone or anything special. I also couldn't remember how to spell a sweet PROJECT LIFER name, darn it, but you know who you are. Starts with an "N" and has the two sweet cuties! thank you for beins such a dear friend to me and inspiring me.

I stopped for just a moment today and wondered what my life would have been like if I hadn't taken that class... without a doubt none or most of it WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED... IT ALL STARTED WITH THAT CLASS.... 30 DAYS OF LISTS.... I REALLY SHOULD GO TAKE IT AGAIN THIS MONTH SHOULDN'T I.... WHAT AM I WAITING FOR.... WHO KNOWS WHAT COULD HAPPEN THIS YEAR IF I TAKE IT.... HOPE ALL OF YOU STAY WITH ME ON THIS CRAZY JOURNEY.... HUGS!!
Thanks for reading if you got thru all this, you know how much I LOVE LOVE LOVE TO WRITE!

PROJECT LIFE

Here is last week's Project Life pictures. It was a not so happy week for me.

Not getting into details today, don't have the energy will share later on.

No extras this week, just enough pictures to fill it up and that's it.

Here is the left side. Wishing Renee's collage wasn't so dark, she leaves so early

before any daylight is outside. I think she looked pretty cute though.

here is the right side. how fun is my colorful collage!!

Just glad to have this week done, moving forward

and hoping to have a better week.

 

Hope everyone enjoyed their long holiday weekend. It got HOT HOT again for us, not enjoying

the heat anymore, makes me tired and lazy. Thank you for all the sweet comments in my last art post, really makes my day to see them. It keeps me motivated to keep creating and sharing so thanks!

Enjoy the short week everyone !!