Deirdra Doan

Miracle: Deirdra's "Grimm TV" Fairlytale story!

2012-02-15T20:19:00.000-08:00

What do I have to do the the NBC TV Series Grimm?

Lets see...I live in Oregon..about 1 hour from Portland and Grimm TV is being filmed...In Portland.

OK and another thing is I advertise my furniture for sale on Craigslist in Portland... Now that is as close as I get to Grimm TV..it is just a little Grimm for me..but maybe I need to watch it now after I tell you my Fairly story.

"A miracle often denotes an event attributed to divine intervention" Wiki...

Some stories take more time then the sound bits of facebook. So I needed to come back to blog land to tell my Cool story of what happened to me today!!

As you know from my post and facebook posts I have been redecorating. It has been a big job and I have been wondering why I was doing it now when I had so many other things to do like book the tour to Europe and Art.

Before with my Shabby Chic Garden look for the past 10 years

But God has had lessons to teach me about what is in my heart and spending money on things will bring up "Fear" and its friend fear of not having enough money like nothing else! It has been a dog fight to walk out of this one and this was the perfect time to start facing it down with Gods strength.

Little table I sold for full price!

Also fear of what color to paint the room has kept me back for the past 10 years of completing the painting of the Great Room. I have started and stopped many times.

The process included the buying a new sofa, TV, and desk along with used Craiglist furniture and accessories. Hiring a painter (more money)and buying more things...for 1 and 1/2 months.
I wanted a more Pottery Barn...Restoration Hardware look...to match my travels in Europe and Napa CA.

I painted 35 pieces of furniture with a spray gun in the yard when we first moved in. Then I had to sand and antique them all. Now it is time to go back to darker colors and warm woods.

This also meant I had to sell lots of my shabby chic white furniture on Craigslist to pay for the changes. Whew....

Old sofa's 2 matching were sold. I had them slip covered a few years ago and added feathers!

One night I tossed and turned while "worry warting" literally..(got a little uncomfortable blemish that was Fear based!) I have been following "Be in Health" with Pastor Henry Wright who wrote

"A more Excellent Way" Spiritual Roots to Disease for the past 8 years. In this process I have learned the danger of many emotions...and how to break their power through recognizing, praying and repenting of them. Each victory has brought more and more health and joy in my life.

French chair to sell..keeping the sofa in the bedroom.

Fear is a little bugger and is held in place by lots of other emotions..like bitterness, self hatred, rejection ...you get the picture..It takes awhile to get to it at the bottom of the pile.

The first new pieces of the decorating project. This is in the bedroom. A real deal on the chair that looks like 1600's in France...I couldn't refuse it.....and a sofa table I thought I would use as a desk from another deal on Craiglist. But it was too narrow. So I changed the knobs, clear coated the cheap thin finish and painted the fake gold elements black..it looks great as a TV stand!

So fast word 8 years and Fear is on center stage!!

So here I am worrying about the money...and if anything on craiglist will sell, and blah blah blah...Going into the mode of how I am going to make it happen by how cleaver my ads are and the workaholic process to control everything.....not Faith and trust.

New Pottery barn L sofa

God says He answers prayers of Faith and He likes it when we believe that He is and that He rewards those that seek Him.

I repented, I cried out, I kept asking for Help to trust Him. I was praying Lord you said "Take no thought for tomorrow but with prayer and thanksgiving make your request known to God'. I am doing this..I am turning to you!!!

Working on getting chairs for the table, a summer project of stripping the table and adding a gray pickle to it..love Retoration Hardwares tables so am going after that look on the new used oak table I bought.

I heard in the wee hours of the morning in my heart. "Give and it will be given unto you, press down shaken together men will give into your bosom". OK..heard that before...but now I HEARD it!!! Then I heard. "In Faith speak to the mountain and it will obey you" To confess Gods truth over my needs..Like Joel Osteen teaches all the time. And this time I Heard that as if for the first time too...it is stronger when you hear it in your heart directly from God!

New look starting to happen..paint and all. Still have furniture to sell.

I got up. Went to the computer and made a gift to the Lord by giving to "Be in Health" so others could learn and be healed like I was being.

Then without a lots of enthusiasm I spoke over the furniture for sale.

craigslist. It is for sale on my craigslist ad...more speaking to furniture..ha.

I said "You are loved by someone you.... are sold for full price"

One of the many white pieces now for sale.

(It poked a finger into the Spirit of Fear that wants to overwhelm me and use my mouth to speak it's foul Fearful worries that things aren't going to sell over me and I don't need to trust God over me!!)

A chair I am speaking sold over!

That weekend it was like a Garage Sale...for for 2 weeks furniture was flying out of the house at full price and the sofa's were being fought over!! My husband said you are great at selling furniture..but I knew in my heart the truth!

Then things slowed down. I started to try and use my own strength with more cleaver craiglist ads. Sales stopped.

Pretty Restoration Hardware "Slate" paint on the wall on one side...with a left over white chest needing a replacement. Still looking.

I need a little more time to get the message. But encouraged I kept speaking over the furniture that was left.

Nice shape on this leather piece..Somebody is going to love you and you are sold she says in Faith!

This morning I felt like I should re post some of my ads. Wow!

The newly painted Hall I walked down with the left over rod iron chairs that are ready to be sold on Craiglist.

1 minute later a women from the a NYC company that does set design called and said this was exactly what the TV crew from Grimm that was filming in Portland needs. She wanted to pick it up right away at my full price.... by the afternoon they picked it up!!

The answer!! Wow...

Look for me...the French white chair on Episode 17 "Love Potion" Grimm NBC Friday nights!

So ta da!! the French white chair I recovered and painted took it's flight from home to be a Star on Episode 17 "Love Potion" of NBC's Grimm!!
It will be interesting to see how the chair is used..hmmm wonder what lesson might be in that???

Well I am truly thankful for this journey I am on..this is only part of Gods story in me but this is the one I wanted to share today..it is so strange and interesting...Grimm ...who would have thought......

As always I am humbled by Gods Love notes to me and the gentle way He works with my broken heart to be strong and trust His Love and care for me!!! May the Blessings of the Lord be with you too in your love story journey though life.....

Redecorating and Squeezed in a Painting...

2012-01-19T12:21:00.000-08:00

This is the table by our bed..with a little girl I made with ~~Sheri Debow~~ the summer..so cute..she is an amazing doll maker and person.

I have been selling furniture and redecorating ..crazy with little time but I squeezed in a painting! Check me out on Facebook where I posted photo's of my trips to CA and WY for Christmas and the redecorating idea's..

I love the blog but I have to make 4 steps..where with one click from iphoto I can post a photo. I love the new look of Facebook..

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T16:08:00.000-08:00

Goth Christmas doll for ADO

Merry Christmas All..come see me on facebook for pics. oxo Deirdra

I love Oil Painting!

2011-10-21T17:22:00.000-07:00

Now that my studio is all organized I am free to paint again.

Today I did three little studies and started a large painting.

I love all I have learned in the mixed media class and it has really helped me grow....but..I just love to paint with oil. I used mixed media to make this litttle study for my big oil.

Oil paint is like butter and I don't have to fight with it to get the look I want...yum....it is a fun day...oxox

Paintings and Dear Friends...

2011-10-21T17:16:00.000-07:00

Last week my husband had over his dear Japanese Students...the girls were so cute..

Today when I was painting this little oil I thought that my these sweet students and friends of mine influenced how the painting came out.

I could just see one of the girls with her hair dyed red..in the painting.

They are such little dolls.

And then here is our friend Tinh. His photo's of his trip in Vietnam are hung on the wall. He is a guitarist and film maker. I love this photo I just took of him...Such a cutie...

I am thankful for such joy in my life even if my art studio did have a little melt down....

Studio Blow up and Basement finished!

2011-10-21T17:03:00.000-07:00

It took 3 weeks to finish the organizing of the garage! I was so happy and then...my gas stove in my studio got all the shoot on the glass...so I vacumed..

And then then!! I started coughing and a gray greasy cloud was all over my studio!..I had to spend the day washing everything..throwing out things and scrubbing the walls..
But the ceiling is a mess..so in Jan. I will paint it again..boo boo Hoo....

I got my ability to organize from my DAD..thanks dad..

Rosie the Riveter Lady : Cleaning the Basement

2011-09-26T11:42:00.000-07:00

OK..today I am Rosie the Riveter Lady...working on cleaning the Garage and going to the dump!! Rather be doing art..and Dolls...but...it will be nice to get my tools organized and know what I have!

I suppose this is going to be a week or two job as I haven't done it in a long long time..so that is why I had to get dressed for the job!

2011-09-22T14:10:00.000-07:00

I have gotten the Doll bug again since spending time with Sheri DeBow this summer. Four wonderful days while she helped me make my own doll as I learned all about Polymer Clay.

It has been a struggle to make my dolls look the way I want them too. It takes time to develop your own personal style. But it still is so fun I need to be easy with myself and just enjoy the process. I think that is the hardest part. I spent way late nights last weekend..sculpting sculpting....

I thought it would be fun to make my own eyes and when I found this tutorial on Marina's Doll blog. Thank you Marina! Now I had the knowledge I needed to start the process.

I am still experimenting.

I like how they came out..I included the commercial blue eye's in this photo.

But after baking the eyes with the resin over the top in the dolls head the colors and texture changes! So I am trying different paints and layers…

I have been visiting a few blogs lately and realized it is so fun.
So I am going to come back and share more here again.

You can see on my facebook more photo's. Of course Facebook is easier but doesn't give you the time to stretch out and show to your bloggie friends what you are up to.

So this is what I did on Sunday! I was at the FaeireWorlds festival. Where my lovely husband John Doan played his wonderful Celtic Music.

I went into the thrift store early in the week to find dollie things and found a beautiful purple dress...It's back was down to my waist and I didn't like that. But after thinking about it... I went looking around and found a little top in Lavender and turned the dress back to front. With a sparkle belt I boutht in Paris at a used clothing shop..where all the model's seemed to hang out...and flowers from the house I was flying to Faeire Land! with a little help from wings from the Goodwill...smile..

What I did this late summer...in CALIFORNIA!

2011-09-08T18:00:00.000-07:00

Hi...please come visit me on my facebook;
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=692489045
I post most of my photos and doings there as it easy..I need to find a faster way to fix my photo's and get them on Blogger..Facebook is instant with one click on my iphoto program on my Mac.

So here is a snatch..and here are the photo's to prove it...

I went to my son's wedding in Baja..Mexico..the dress I made from a 1971 dress..I look like I am at my Senior Prom...but it was fun anyway...more photo's on my facebook...

Made a doll with Sheri DeBow.

More photo's on facebook..

and took a class with Barbara Roth the Water color nerd.

This is the painting I did while sitting on the Beach!!
Thanks so much for visiting me..oxoxoxo

Romantic Antique Spanish Music and Garden...

2011-07-22T09:41:00.000-07:00

This reminds me of my Romantic May in Spain...a little gift for summer to you...

Here is a unfinished work...that supports the video ...hmm..so Romantic...

Off to the Gallery..kids

2011-07-21T09:16:00.000-07:00

Ready for Show!

2011-07-21T08:51:00.000-07:00

Hi...I miss blogging. Please check and friend me at my facebook as I post photo's there and little short notes as it is easy to put up photo's from my iphoto to facebook..

I am getting ready for a show Aug. 3 at Roundtree Gallery.

Loved by the King

I just finished this painting..interesting. There is just something about it..hmm...

Klimt inspired

I repainted her face..I like it better now...but I am ready to use oil instead of acrylics so I can blend the face's easier...

Princes Bug Doll

I freshened up her face..with brighter pink lips and a new necklace.

I have been working in the garden and just bought this cool planter..I love the plants I put in it..The bright green plant is is iridescent! It glows like it has pearl metallic on it..wow..God it amazing.

I added a little darks to this one..

Now I am ready to finish the tags and bio and all for the show!

Interview of John Doan in Austria and Fairy Castle in France

2011-07-13T07:08:00.000-07:00

While in France we went to this most beautiful fairy tale Castle on the river...with amazing modern gardens.

My husband was interviewed in Austria and it came out so deep and wonderful. Have a cup of tea and listen to his words of wisdom about music, life and spirituality. There is also a link to the full music Celtic Pilgrimage show he did in Austria at a theater that was built for puppet shows..very magical!

Click here to find the link to the interview with John Doan if the video is not working below. You can also see it full screen on the link...it is much better large! smile..

Interview with John Doan from kedarvideo on Vimeo.

Back from Europe..and painting!!

2011-06-17T19:42:00.000-07:00

I just got back from the most amazing 5 weeks in Europe...

Not yet unpacked but I had to paint today...it is almost summer....

I post more on my facebook if you want to see some photo's from my trip please check there..

I miss all my blog friends....hope you are having fun!

Off to Paris..Barcelona...Dresden..London..

2011-05-07T08:18:00.000-07:00

Dreaming of Paris..and Barcelona..
I have never been to Spain and Monday morning I will be in Barcelona and the then next Sunday in Paris for my husbands birthday!....Of course I have been working on booking concerts and details since Sept!

Lulu and I painted..last Sat. You can see were my head was..

I am taking the Women in White Novel to read...I hope I like it...

I bought plants at the beautiful Dancing Oaks Nursery and my live in house sitter said he would plants them...so I am hoping to come home to a Garden that looks like France..do you think??? I will be posting on Facebook mostly as it quicker and I can put up photo fast..please friend me and see me there..to look at the adventures...maybe even some video..new Cannon S95..takes great photo's and HD video.. Happy Maying!!!..

Nikki Doll Finished

2011-03-27T20:57:00.000-07:00

It is so amazing to see this little guy in 3 dimension after 7 years of working on the story and the illustrations.

It is becoming very very real and after all the hard work I finally can feel the joy.

When I started this project I couldn't even write a story. I thought it would be fun to illustrate a children's book. Like a child I had no idea what I was getting into or what I desired.

I prayed for a story and a year later this story came to me in a outline..What a moment of answered prayer.
But the flushing out of the story was next.
Writing is not easy..I can write a poem or a little blog but it is another thing to have a story that will stand up to publishers! My husband and several author friends have helped me to complete the story and the editing! I am truly thankful for all their love and help.

When the story of Nikki was finally finished I feel so in love with him I didn't have any desire to illustrate the book. I started the process of sending it to publishers. But I realize quickly that this was a hard task. I new that I would need to illustrate it to have a chance to get it published. But it was overwelming to me. For one thing I didn't have the training and it was a daunting project. But a friends encouraged me to try. It was very very hard for me..it didn't come easy to learn something that was above my level at the time. I took a 2 1/2 month class weekly driving an hour to get there.

With the hardest parts for me now finished it is becoming so much fun! It is so special to use my new skills in photo shop to put even more finishing touches on the illustrations.

I have finally come to the stage to find a publisher... ....the next part of this long journey of Faith!

I have little Nikki doll to keep me company and urge me on to complete this task. It has been very special to look into the faces of the little children who pass me by and think about how they will be blessed by this story.

I really don't have words to explain all the parts of my heart ...I don't think I really know what it all means but the unfolding of Gods answer to the little prayer so long ago will write the rest of my story....

Gnome Elf Tomten Doll

2011-03-27T13:26:00.000-07:00

These are the books that inspired me to write my Nikki Nissa and the Christmas Star story. The Tomten..is the one front left..such a sweet story and then Peter front right..It seems Nikki looks a little like Peter. I read these to my son when he was little. Other books are newer as I learned more about Tomten/Nissa the Scandinavian Elf/Gnomes.

I am going to the SCBWI children's book conference in WA in April. Iam making a Nikki doll from the character in my book to hang off my purse as a door opener ...meeting people.. editors, agents, publishers, and fellow illustrator/writers..connecting..and having fun.

This was my first try for the face. But he looked too much like a girl so I changed him.

This is my first experience with making fiber hair for a doll ....natural sheep wool from local sheep.

It caused me a little stress as I didn't have very much wool. But then I found a source in a yarn shop called "Rose and Ram" in a little village below my house 4 miles away. No one else had any and I didn't want to wait to order. The owner of Rose and Ram has a farm with sheep!

It was hard as I had to wash the wool and pull it out in strands and dry..I had never done this.

But it came out..Yes!

Then I used a razor to cut the hair in levels..the scissors where to straight..so I could pull and razor cut. I tried to pull the fibers when dry but it was hard. That is how I did it when it was wet to make the strands but now they had to be shorter for the doll.

Next I wanted to make the hair with strands..

So I used this product from Sally's and water.

A little drying..

Time to paint and make the shoes..I also put some clear shinny coat on the eyes and mouth to get the wet look.. Now some more drying over the stove.

Wild hair days for me and Nikki..no makeup..just working hard to finish the doll.

I will post him when he is totally finished...Back to work on finishing the dummy book ..formatting the font and pages..has taken more time them I expected..but is so much better now.

With the Spring coming on it is hard to stay inside but..I am determined to finish this project!

Celtic John Doan and Happy St. Patricks Day!

2011-03-17T11:01:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Particks Day by Celtic loving friends.

In honor I have a segment of a DVD called "Celtic Pilgrimage" with John Doan that I filmed.

Here he is in the land of King Arthur and Ireland. Click and to See the DVD segment!!!.

Here I am 8 yrs ago or so...while I was filming.

I think this is the town where the "Queit Man" was filmed.
You can buy the DVD on my husbands web at his shop..great present!

We filmed segment on St. Jo in the Vale of Avalon at the famous Glastonbury Tor and at Chalice Hill.
This is were the Holy Grail was brought and the story and music on the Video tells the story.

Also a wild story of how the Jews came to ancient Celtic lands and why they are so Holy...if your interested you can go to this link .
Ireland was called the Land of the Saints and was saved because the people knew it was Holy and didn't want to sack it..until the Vikings came along and didn't care...
And another story link about Glastonbury Thorn, said to have flowered on Wearyall Hill.

We had so much fun making this DVD and running around filming it. Even going out to sea to film Skellig Michael.
and more about Ireland scared sites..click here.

Happy Happy St. Patty's Day!
and another segment..I have posted before..but maybe you are new to my blog...so here you go..

Yummy Nutritious soups...sprouted lentils..

2011-03-15T16:19:00.000-07:00

Click here

I have been making low carb Nutritious foods...for my new little self..lost 10 lbs since my weight of last Sept..5 lbs if you count last spring..and 15 or more if you count the weight I put on in Europe and Christmas...had to stop somewhere!!

Love the HCG lose the wrong bad fat plan..you keep the good fat and now I am on the staying stable part Phase 4....no more of this silly gaining weight in Euro..and I am having so much eating so much food..wow...
Click here to read about the HCG eating plan.
When I was raw I ate so much too..but was eating and starving eating wrong and that is why I couldn't stay down when I quit the raw food..and had to eat so little. But now I know more about what to eat how to eat and how to love myself!!

Check out the recipes on my comments on my photo's on facebook. Click here

Nikki Nissa Childrens Book Photoshop fun...

2011-03-07T23:47:00.000-08:00

HI..I am having fun with Photoshop and learning to paint with it....

I can't show the book but here are little pieces... of the black and white digital paintings...drawings...

I am on the last couple pages...finally!!! So soon I can paint in color again...and do my own art not just Nikki....!
The publishers want you to send the dummy book in with black and white illustrations and story. It has been interesting. I have reformatted the pages and I used photo shop brushes for little flourishes..snowflakes and stars and ice and such...making the pages more exciting.

The art director of what ever publisher I get will make suggestions and do the page layouts but I get to be the Art Director of my dummy.

I am doing it much more elaborately then necessary but why not as every little bit helps.

I mailed off a more primitive version earlier this year and the one of the publishers liked my drawings! But they didn't want Christmas and the story needed a few things. That was when I went back to the drawing and editing board and revamped the story and illustrations. I really think I have the best possible foot forward I can have and now it is in the hands of God and which publisher has favor with it...Such are dreams and prayers.

Sepia Snow

2011-03-05T11:58:00.000-08:00

What it looked like at my house last week...

I am working on my Children's book..learning to paint in black and white with Photo shop!

I am a Blog Star!!

2011-02-18T18:21:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I became a blog star!!!

Craft Month: A Blog is a Journey Towards Inspiration, Movitation, Connection, and Mehttp://wordcastnet.com/2011/craft-month-a-blog-is-a-journey-towards-inspiration-movitation-connection-and-me/#comments

By Deirdra Doan on 17 February 20111 Comment »

I’m delighted that WordCast has invited me to participate in their Craft Blogging Month. I hope my story will find hope and inspiration in you and help you take the first step towards building your own art blog.

My friend Lorrelle is a blogging and social network QUEEN. She works for big companies helping them with their social networking plans. She also has written books on social networking, she has a hugely popular blog for blogger's and she is the Key note speaker at conferences.

The Beautiful and Talented Lorrelle and her sweet & brilliant Brent VanFossen

I am a star...Click here to see the Blog Article by me..with editing help big time by Lorrell. It is really worth seeing it is a big article with lots of info and links to favorite blogs that have influenced me.

Here is the first comment about what others thought of it. I also was thanked by bloggers I mentioned personally!
Lin Wilson says:

February 18, 2011 at 4:04 pm

I’ve just read Deirdra Doan’s blogging story and am so inspired. I can feel the emotion that this form of networking has created in Deirdra. It makes me want to create a blog straight away! Thanks so much for your beautiful story Deirdra, Lin, Sydney, Australia.

Giving Love and Valentines

2011-02-13T00:30:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines Day! We had an old friend over for dinner...with his new sweetheart. They just meet for the first time in person after 4 years of emails...that is a Valentines story. We played Men are from Mars and Women from Venus board game..it is always good for a laugh.

I found this beautiful hand glazed pottery piece at the Goodwill. I just love how the tulips grow and move each day in the vase.

I found some small little heart boxes of chocolates to use as gifts and decor...
I made a delicious Greek lemon garlic chicken dish with potatoes roasted in the same dish.

I am still on the radical diet I posted about in Jan....so I found a little heart shaped cookie cutter to decorate my plate...I am going to use it as a handle for my little piece of art below. I will screw it into the candle lamp..so cute.
Don't feel sorry for me! I just lost 10 lbs from my set weight..that was over weight at that from all the cheese and gelato in Europe! And I lost the Holiday weight! (10 lbs from old set weight and 17.5 lbs from my after Christmas weight) And now I am lighter then I have been since college!!!! Yeah...This morning I woke up feeling so light..it is amazing..that is the Valentines gift for me..I feel better in every way.

On my birthday Lulu came over to visit and do art with me.
She helped me paint on this little lamp. It was for a auction fund raiser...

To inspire people to make items for Mid Valley Mentors' Brilliant Rubbish fundraiser, planned for 5 to 8 p.m. April 8 at Mission Mill Museum

Look how cute she painted the side..

and this side...

and this is what I painted on my side..It is still not done. I have to screw in the heart handle and hang a key off the tray.
It is the key to my heart..and that turns on my light...fun!
Hope you have a lovely Valentines too....

Happy St. Brigid Day!

2011-02-01T13:06:00.000-08:00

This is a drawing I did for our Celtic Video I filmed of my husband music. It is a DVD called "A Celtic Pilgrimage"
You can see a little clip on the post before this. I made myself a pilgrim which I was while filming in Ireland.

Today is St. Brigid's Day and I wanted to share a great book written by my friend Cindy Thompson who has helped me with my children's book. The book is called "Brigid of Ireland"

Please go to her post to learn about her by clicking here. You can also to read about the origins of St. Brigid Day. It is so interesting.

One World One Heart Giveaway

2011-01-30T23:51:00.000-08:00

(Jan 31st is my Birthday...what a special way to celebrate)

Happy Winter OWOHG snowflake Giveaway!
More info about it at the bottom of the post

The Winner is.....Feb 17th random generated drawing!!!
Jeanie Callaghan
Check out her blog..she makes lovely watercolors and other sweet mixed media things.

Welcome my New Friends! My name is Deirdra and I welcome you to my little corner of the world and Blog. I want to share a little of who I am with you. I have made so many wonderful blog friends on the OWOH giveaway so I hope you take a look around and become my friend. I have even visited my new blog friends in London, New Jersey, PA and California. I travel often so it has been such a pleasure to get to know in person these beautiful friends from blog world.

Frida Art Doll Christmas
I am an artist with many facets, a painter, mixed media artists, film maker, children's book illustrator/author, graphic digital artists, and Art Dolls maker.

Mixed Media painting

Juliet Art Doll
Children's Book Nikki Nissa
My Digital Art
mixed media

My Cover for my husbands CD John Doan

My graphic work

Movie I made in Ireland of my husband John Doan and his award winning Best Celtic CD "Eire Isle of the Saints"

My giveaway is this year is one of these darling little snowflake ornaments hand painted and made by me.
Please leave a comment and will pick a winner randomly on Feb. 17. So make sure you post your comment before midnight Pacific time on Feb. 16th.Please go to the One World One Heart post to join the fun with your own Blog giveaway for this fabulous event!
Thank you so much Lisa. It has been a wonderful magic carpet ride! I will miss it next year.

Love Being a Girl making Dolls& Girls Faces

2011-01-18T13:23:00.000-08:00

I love being a Girl!

I put up a photo of me on my facebook that I took on Christmas Eve when I was out to eat. I like to take photo's of myself as I don't always get from others how I see my self. It was so fun to wear heels and really dress up. It is not often I wear heels.

These heels are so comfortable. I think because the balls are padded.
Any one have idea's on how to buy or pick comfortable Heel??

I love to make dolls and paint girls...
I guess chimps love dolls to.

As a little girl I was a Tomboy and a girlie girl...I loved dolls and dressed my poor cats. But I wanted a train and trucks too. I was also a cowgirl with a horse...I was blessed in that way.

Girl Chimps play with "dolls" too

Some young female chimps treat sticks like dolls, handling them in a manner that evokes maternal play.
The study presents the first evidence of an animal species in the wild in which object play differs between males and females.
Scientists now think there is a biological basis behind toy choices among all primates, including humans.

2011-01-14T17:53:00.000-08:00

I wanted to post my lovely mixed Media Ornament swap tree.
I have traded with some of my professional arty friends the last couple years and love my tree so much. Lulu makes the coolest dolls...Michell is amazing, Janne...Mystele, Micki..thanks so much my dear friends..

I am still here. I am doing the Christmas wind down. Had a beautiful Christmas and New Years. You can see some of it on my Facebook. I am putting more photo's up there as it is easy now that my iphoto and facebook are connected. So please visit there too and lets be friends.

I am working on getting my studio together..had a old oak chest stripped and I am staining, sanding and oiling. Working on my children's book and finally gearing up to do a Social network and video campaign for my our biz..my husband www.johndoan.com boy..And a new web..my real job..
on a new diet (very radical and works) and doing a new exercise program..whew..

Hope you had a wonderful time at Christmas too.
oxox

Merry Christmas!!

2010-12-24T17:05:00.000-08:00

With Love from Deirdra & John...Merry Merry...Christmas.

This video gives me chills.....

Do you know why it is so wonderful at Christmas time?
I felt like I heard the Lord tell me today as I was laying in bed praying...
It is because the whole world is praising him with songs and carols...and His presence is very near as the darkness is held back by the light of Praise!!!

And after I shared this with my husband we sang the Hallelujah Chorus ( the best we could) while making the bed...

Merry Christmas!!!

Canda Christmas White Christmas Musical

2010-12-23T10:01:00.000-08:00

I just saw the most wonderful Musical Version of "White Christmas" in Canada!! We jumped across the boarder to BC for 2 nights. It was so fabulous...I will post more about it.
But the Musical topped it off. Looking at all the Canadian people in the audience and walking the streets with Christmas lights and store windows all with the backdrop of snow capped mountains very near by. I have always said. You don't have to go to Europe or Asia for that matter. Just pop over the boarder and you feel like you are in England...meeting people from all over the world. The stores and shops and food are wonderful. And the arts are in abundance there. Years ago we went to the World Expo where my husband played and I remembered all the amazing arts. Fashion, music, painting...etc. I wanted to go and see what they were up to now days.
Merry Christmas..enjoy the show!

I missed seeing the Woodwards Windows that where saved after the Department store was closed down. They had them on display at Canada Place but you can't do it all. I saved something for next time. But we can enjoy it here.

8 Swans a swiming...

2010-12-22T18:46:00.000-08:00

This was a fun challenge. I love how the swans come floating down from the wall paper like snow. I used the face of my snowflake from the ballerina's head.

Digital Christmas

2010-12-21T23:30:00.001-08:00

More fun from the digital Christmas 12 days...lots of Merry Merry...
My Candy Cane Jane Austin doll is on parade.
Snowy geese!

Four Calling Birds...

2010-12-17T00:55:00.000-08:00

I am having great fun with the Digital Whispers Ning group. We are doing the 12 days of Christmas. Today was the 4 calling birds. I thought I was running out of idea's as I am new with this digital art. But wit the use of the blue bird given to us by the group and going to the Graphicsfairy who gives images away I was a happy Christmas camper...
I thought this came out very sweet...

We had a great day traveling up to Tacoma on our way to Seattle to do my husbands Victorian Christmas concert. We got to Tacoma WA about 4 pm..went to great retro clothing stores and antiques downtown, ate at cool Irish pub..Paddy Coynes http://www.paddycoynes.net/index.php..
The town was decorated with the City Christmas lights..and all so big town festive!

Well our happy hour food was great by the way.. and then off to the art walk..fun and a visit to Art Museum that closed at 8 pm and was free. They had Japanese Prints, Photo's of Tacoma and an Impressionist show. We saw an amazing show of pastel society artists at a gallery that was part of the art walk..inspired me to do pastels again. Now we are in a hotel room and off to Seattle in the morning..Fun ..Christmas fun!

I have been making digital Christmas art for a cool challenge..no idle hands here...pulling a late night...
http://digitalwhisper.ning.com/

Snowfaeiry - Harald Peterstorfer Video Music

2010-12-15T17:14:00.000-08:00

It is so fun to see my painting in a video with music.
I love the little painting part with Harald as the musician in the background..he looks like he jumped out of a Chagall painting.

Digital Whisper's Ning Christmas Challenge

2010-12-15T16:58:00.000-08:00

I have been working on a Digital Art 12 days of Christmas Challenge. Go to Digital Whispers to see or join the fun.

More Digital Art Christmas..

2010-12-15T16:57:00.000-08:00

I used the pumpkin lesson in Susan's book to do this picture.

Icy Princess

2010-12-15T15:36:00.000-08:00

I have been having fun using Susan Tuttles Book trying out some of her techniques. She has a nice blog.
I used the frost on my hot tub photo in the layers and it gave it a snow feel. I also used a photo from the cabin I stayed at recently it is on my blog...Trinity Alps Christmas trip. Then I took a Swedish fashion photo of the ice princess and replaced the face with my art face below. ....so fun! Icy Princess....Check out the fashion gallery Winter 1 ..great little video too...click here.

Digital Art Winter Fun

2010-12-13T11:44:00.001-08:00

While on the road this weekend I messed around with winter Christmas digital fun..as you have seen in my other posts..I used my Nissi from my Children's book to make the card...

This was fun..ice on the pumpkins..I put out my pumpkins and squash before Thanksgiving to hold down my hot tub top before I put the straps on it. The frost was so pretty. It inspired this digital painting.

Christmas at Trinty Alps CA

2010-12-11T17:46:00.000-08:00

I want to share with your a beautiful moment we experienced for Christmas. It was such a gift to have all the joy and love of Christmas hit us as we entered our Alpine Glow cabin for a couple days retreat before our concert on Sat. night.

We arrived about 7 pm after a 7 hour drive in the mountains of Trinity Alps just west of Redding CA. The whole cabin was truly aglow with Christmas cheer. My husbands music was playing and the fridge was filed with dinner and goodies.

We flipped on the gas fireplace..cuddled down to watch a movie "Moonstuck" and eat a lovely pizza and salad. Hedi and Steph our friends and owners have these beautiful cabins on the river in the mountains. (you can rent it for your family too)

They had a little party the next night at our cabin..with homemade tamales and wonderful guests..

so cozy..

It was so fun to a hot tub after exploring the little town earlier in
the day.

They run kayaking tours on the river and whale watching 2 hours away at the coast in Eureka. We spend Dec. making other people Christmas a little cheerier and it is such a blessing to receive back so much love.
It can be a little displacing when you are on the Road for Christmas. But after 24 years I now call it my Christmas tradition. As I am writing this I am on the streets of the little town of Weaverville. An old mining town in the mountains. I am looking at all the little lights twinkling off the the old shop windows. It is fun to see how all the little communities of the West celebrate Christmas. As we ate lunch today in the local restaurant the children came in ..the girl scouts and later an other group singing carols.

What are you doing this weekend...Christmas fun?

Snowflake Babies Ornaments

2010-12-10T13:23:00.001-08:00

It snowed in my Studio....if you need a snowflake at your house go to my Etsy...They were so fun to make. I hope to send them to Somerset Studio's..Maybe next year you can read about how I made them...Fun!!!!

It's Christmas

2010-12-08T10:02:00.001-08:00

Merry Merry Christmas my friends! Please send me a comment when you post your house on your blog..or if you have a favorite Christmas post Blog you have visited.......I would love to visit and have a cup of tea....oxooxox

Won First Prize for Painting

2010-12-06T18:10:00.000-08:00

Receiving the Blue RibbonMy husband joking me with me.

Our friend Tihn hanging out to support me at the award ceremony.

"The Blue Ribbon Winner"
and I painted my favorite things. (just like the claw foot tub...story below)

I was please to find out that my painting one first place for painting in our Something Red show.

I have won 2 first prize ribbons, 1 second place and best of show in the last 7 years. But it seems that I have needed to keep getting the ribbons until I got the message. My husband pointed out the lesson to me late one night after winning this second blue ribbon.......

This is the story.

When I was in college I was young and not really sure of my self. I went to a Art school out of High School. I met students that were much more mature than me. Not only mature but they were guided and pampered and given so much encouragement for their art. They had parents who had enrolled them in art classes and museum schools for Children. I was totally innocent. I just showed up because some Art teacher in my senior year finally told me I had potential. But it was a shock when I got to Art School. California College of Arts and Crafts. It was 1971 and Berkeley...there was so much going on and this was the first time I lived alone from my parents home.

The teachers were not into babysitting me. So I just did the best I could with little encouragement.

I was so shocked when I walked into the sculpture critique one day. A guy student had a paint bucket of white paint. He was from New York and he was painting the wall so his sculpture could be shown off at it's very best!!!

I just buried by self in making apple pies and talking some pottery or core classes instead...like poetry...the art was over my head.

I was depressed and after 2 years moved to sunny Florida to go to college at U of Miami.

I had a plan for a new start. A friend who was a big boy painting student at the college California told me before I left to make some really big canvas's and get a mop and start smearing on color when I got there...

Instant Abstract expressionism. It was so fun and I was an instant star! But the weird thing was that there were other male students taking things very seriously. I didn't know about completion or anything. But I liked what I was doing. It was fun. I put my art in some galleries and then I was invited to a show at a professional art benefit show. I just went with the flow. Enjoying my fame.

I was on a track to be the big artist! I took a private class from the chairmen of the department. He had been the president of Kansas City Art Institute. He had me on a plan to go to France, and hang out in galleries and museums locally, draw everyday..a whole program for fame. He gave the seniors their own studio's..it was a high and heady time. I had a big station wagon to carry my 5 by 4 foot paintings...

But then.....the house of cards fell. I had no foundation growing up. I was just having fun like a child. But just as the scriptures say. "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children imitate their Father." This is how we learn this is how God created us to learn. So I was just imitating with no understanding as yet to who I really was.

Our chairman invited some big shot artist from New York to come an judge our student show. He wanted us to be real artists. Then he asked him to go to some of the students studio's to talk with them and help them. So this blow hard artist had a few beers and visited my studio. He asked me if I knew this artistic style and this artists....systematically tearing me to pieces. I was so innocent I had know idea what was going on. Finally he concluded that I need to give and go home and have babies!

I was devastated as I had no real support. And the only professor with a kind heart was the life drawing teacher. But I didn't take from him and didn't know him. I had all the life drawing I needed already when I got there. He heard from one of the grad students what happened and tried to help but it was too late..I was undone.

I said fooey on it! And I got a little canvas and started to paint a little Victorian bathroom that pleased me. A little stain glass window, claw foot tub...just a like me..I went and took a painting bubble bath..smile. My college teachers were shocked..what happened? They had know idea and I didn't tell them.

Well anyway I left soon after and changed my major to pottery.

But I love to paint. The time has passed and came around......again....the last 8 years. And my husband said to me this Number one prize is vindication for the stupid man who didn't know who he was talking to or seeing. He did not see the beauty and potential in me...(my husband is a University Professor.)

I realized that the judges of the "Something Red" shows that I have won the awards from are all Art college professor's and Gallery owners!

What a wonderful loving Christmas present! I finally got it I have been affirmed by this beautiful group of artists in the mix media world and this art group. And now I see I have been blessed by the professional and academic world too!
I am sure you have stories like this. I am so thankful for my friends, husband and Gods love to fix all the knots and knit me back together blessing me on my true path!

Frida Kahlo Christmas on Etsy

2010-11-26T09:52:00.001-08:00

Just listed Frida Kohlar Christmas Doll. She will be featured in Art Doll Quarterly next Winter 2011. She just got back from her trip to Stampington Studios so I could offer for sale this Christmas! Let the Christmas shopping begin! I am going to decorate my house today.

I am so Thankful to be friends with Jana Holstien at Stampington Studio's. I also have been favored by the rest of editor's there. They have been so supportive of my art. I found out that I had been contacted by Stampington via email would have been in Somerset Studio's or other issues....... but the emails from the editor's have not arrived! I think that they went in my SPAM...boo hoo..and some of my message's from Etsy have also gone in SPAM! I had to put Etsy emails into my contact list. I guess I need to put all the editors at Stampington Studio's in my contacts on my Gmail too.
I was surprised when a few item's where returned and didn't make the cut for the magazines...but now I know what happened!
Just a little warning for you art friends...so you don't have the same fate.

Portrait Mixed Media Art Tutorial

2010-11-23T08:04:00.000-08:00

I just prepared my painting for the "Something Red" show we have each year in Salem OR. It opens on first Wednesday of Decemeber and it has become a tradition for me to make something red each November. If you follow my blog you will see dolls and other art works with red in them. It is usually in the fall this happens of course.
I have been wanting to try my hand at a large canvas. But to be safe I wanted to do Mix media so I could try things out and be intuitive as I went. I have in my mind a scripture that has been comforting me.

The part that blesses me are these words.
"He Crowns Me with Loving Kindness and Tender Mercies"
Psalms 103:4

and this is good too.. "who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion," Not that my life is in the pits at all ..it is just that we have baggage from our past and it is sweet to know we are blessed and loved. And of course the daily struggles to reach our goals and get our art out and sold.

So with that in mind..I painted a face that would have a crown of course.
My favorite books and faces in hand...
but I had to clean my desk..and studio to get that big canvas on it...
It was fun to paint large. I used both acrylic paints and the black Stablilo marking pencil. (It works over glass or anything) You need to paint over the black lines with gel medium to stabilize the black otherwise it can smear all over your art. I also on occasion would paint a layer of gel over the whole face so that I could scrub it back if I made a mistake and wanted to start over on my last version underneath.
Hmm. how to set up the painting.
I really love my studio.. so quiet and warm and clean...to think....Next I took a very large canvas..got out all my stamps and stencils and red paints. I went wild and pushed the paint all around till I had a beautiful Red backdrop for my painting.
I used stencils I bought at a paint store in Venice.
I had to clean my studio again..I just can't work with junk piled everywhere .yeeks...
I also did a red mixture with stencils on her dress. The process of collage has started...
The dress was too red so started over and made a new dress. After using gel to glue down things on the dress I took my sewing machine and outlined items as well as making lines to give the dress definition. Painting back over the stitches when I was finished.

As painting moved on I realized that I was putting all my favorite things into the painting...so I typed the words "Favorite Things" to put somewhere.

I love Venice Italy..so I added a window photo I took this summer while riding down the Grand Canal.....

And then I put a photo of another favorite thing using photo shop into the Venice window of a peacock...symbolizing beauty..the white ones are so lovely. I happened on a white one once while driving the back roads of Scotland years ago. It was sitting on the brick fence in front of a house. So magical.

And then white lilies...ahh....my all time favorite flower. The smell sends me.
A favorite restaurant called Amadeus in Portland Oregon always has them on the tables. It has a beautiful view of the Columbia river and it was built in the 1920's It has the feel of a old men's club..so nostalgic.

and of course wings..and the butterflies...soaring around...I just love them...

So now it is called "Favorite Things". and I wrote the words to the Psalm on her dress and painted over them...our little secret...
I had fun using Photo shop to make my collage items.
I found antique botanical prints on line and made them larger and smaller. I changed their colors in the hue...then I painted on some of them ...and used watercolor crayons and pit pens...so pretty.
Her hair was a challenge. I started with a white Stablilo marking pencil...then I painted it red..I didn't like that so I went back to using the white stablilo marker pencil on black
I finished by drawing in the Venice canals and buildings... sprayed it with clear spray to make sure the water soluble pencils and crayons didn't smear.......

Pretty girl in her Crown...
A week in the making...
Love to see your version if you make one.

Blessings for your Thanksgiving preparations...oxoxo

PS
If I learned many of these original techniques from various teachers on the web blog links, online classes. As well as at Art and Soul, Artfest, and through Somerset Studios magazine and Stampington Magazine group...it is great fun!
Here is my first painting I started using techniques from Misty Mawn's class years ago.
Here is a blog post with a little of the process of making it.

Bug Dude is starting trouble!

2010-11-21T14:29:00.000-08:00

Ever since this morning when Prince Bug Dude heard he was up for sale on etsy he started causing trouble...
I warned them on my Etsy post he could be a handful if they brought him home to their other dollie girls..

hmm....

I just remembered his video ...you might enjoy seeing him dance again.

Prince Bug Dude and Princes Bug Doll for Sale Etsy

2010-11-21T10:50:00.000-08:00

The Bugs are ready to fly the coop....you can see them over at my Christmas shop..etsy...smile..

More Christmas Etsy....

2010-11-18T09:55:00.000-08:00

Filling up the Etsy shop...Jingle Bells..Jingle Bells...
It's Christmas season Fun....cookies...and turkey's and lights..smiles and snowflakes..family love...and Thankgiving.s.....

I found some sweet pieces that look like Christmas..and winter..I posted for Sale..

JACQUELINE LOVES THE SNOW painting

2010-11-14T20:13:00.000-08:00

I love primitive painting and dolls.

Christmas preparations really gets me thinking about snow and fun little images..on cards etc.
So today I tried my hand at my own little folk painting...
Last night I drew my little french girl. My friends came over to do art with me yesterday. After they went early to bed I imagined my new painting.
You may wonder if you don't know me why I am starting so early with Christmas...but I am gone in Dec. making Christmas wonderful for other people with my husband John Doan's Victorian Christmas Shows. So I take Nov. to start celebrating...
I had so much fun..and I posted her on Esty! I hope you enjoy my little chic Jacqueline...

Christmas shop ready at Etsy

2010-11-13T07:55:00.000-08:00

Well I finally got up more art on my Etsy.
Two of these are from classes I taught at Art and Soul and from the Somerset May/June 2010 issue that they were featured in. I explain how I made them.

I posted 3 of my Gold and Silver mixed media paintings in the style of Klimt and the Art Nouvea period.

I just love Gold.

See the sneaky little girls peeking out of her dress..they are dreaming of Klimt!

Hope you have a fun Sat. I am going out to a baby shower of a artist friend of mine, having friends over for a arty PG party, and nibbling cookies at the local fav gift shops Holiday parties...yum...

New Etsy Post "Juliet Doll".

2010-11-07T08:13:00.000-08:00

This week was our first Wednesday Art openings in our town. Shopping around I realized once again that the Christmas shopping has started...
I love the decorations and all the fun Christmas bazaars and Open Houses...in the stores.
So in that spirit I am trying to fill my Etsy with my dolls and paintings..I am a little slow but will let you know each time I post a new item.
Today I posted Juliet. She was my most detailed doll so far.
You can check out my old post on her click here.
She was featured in Art Doll Quarterly Winter 2010

So Happy Thanksgiving preparations.....and Christmas shopping.....and making......

P.S...Christmas wrapping hint...
by the way...Costco has beautiful 50 yard bolts of cloth ribbon and lovely large bolts of paper. I got Silver and then I can put what ever color ribbon I want on them.
My friend told me her secret. She bought the silver and use the red ribbon on it. It is always so pretty..she wraps my presents that way.........great idea! And with all that ribbon you can be generous.

Jane Austin's "Candy Cane Christmas Ball"

2010-10-30T16:37:00.001-07:00

Let me introduce you my newest doll..."Jane Austin" ......

Jane is dressed and ready to go to the "Candy Cane Ball".
She loves to plan her ball gown each year and this time she made her dress look like a Candy Cane!
A cup of tea helps in the planning...
I just posted her for sale on my Etsy site.

I had so much fun making her. I have a little basket full of candy canes I made with baked clay. And of course the shopping..going to my local quilting store to find just the right fabric....and digging through the lace and trims I have collected over the years..

The most wonderful part was using a special piece of metallic trim. Years and years ago I found a very old dusty ribbon and trim shop in Tampa Florida. The store must have been owned by someone in Florida that still existed even in the 70's..They must have been like the original owner of The Tinsel Trading company. For the history click here.

I bought many antiques trims and beads..They were my little treasures...chest. I kept forever. It was my little secret.

Just before I started to make dolls I gave my beaded appliques to a beading friend..not knowing that finally in my future was a way to use my little treasures.

But I kept the old trims. And this is the first time I ever used any of it. The metallic crown on Jane came from this little treasure chest of mine. I am so pleased with her!

Now I am getting my Etsy Shop ready for Christmas. I will be posting new things off and on for the next 2 weeks.

Victorian Christmas with John Doan

2010-10-28T18:45:00.000-07:00

It's Christmas at my house...I have been making Christmas dolls...3. and a new Christmas Poster for my husbands Concert series we do every year.

By the way John has a most Beautiful Christmas CD all icy crystals and romance... you can listen to a song by clicking here you can also buy it on his store at his web here

"John Doan breathes new life into musty tunes with his pristine, intricate picking, which is laced with the delicacy of a snowflake ... that evokes the nostalgic, mystical side of Christmas and leaves the shopping mall sentimentality behind."

Billboard (May 25, 2006)

I am getting better at Photo shop...says my friend Janne from Norway. (who makes part of her full time artist living off her digital art.)

It is fun to understand it more. I look forward to using it just for fun.
It really all started when I took the lovely on line class.

Digital Collage

I can't recommend it enough. I have a button for the class on the right side of this blog as well.

But...thinking of classes online...it would be fun to take from Janne......

(Hey Janne...why don't you do a online class for Digital Art...!!!) her work is beautiful...and she is so special too!!!
Her digital art is the best and this is only a little of it..go to her wonderful blog...Janne Robberstad "spindelmaker" and giveaways too..how cool is it to get a package from Norway!!!!!

"Frida Kahlo Christmas" Doll

2010-10-28T00:24:00.000-07:00

The Doll group I belong to Art Dolls Only was having a Oct challenge..Christmas Nightmares..

I love Frida Kahlo's painting style and works.. but the blood and organs at least for me would be a nightmare. I realize she was using her pain and her Mexican heritage to express her self..but still blood..is a nightmare to me...

I added a my handmade "bracelet of skull beads" that goes in the basket as a little gift to go with her..it is Christmas after all!

It was a little out side of the box for me but I had so much fun and think she came out very special.......

I love the basket with candy looking glass beads, little skulls, berries and handmade candy canes. Also I made a little Candy Skull man for her belt.

My friend Gay had a book of photo's of Frida. She was a lover of a very famous photographer...in between her husband Diego other lovers...in her frustrations with him....to make him jealous...
Her lover, photographer and friend was Jewish..and Frida's father was Jewish..that is interesting...

I so admire the beautiful talents and depth of that culture, religion and peoples. I never realized that her father was Jewish until I read the book.

I used her photo for my backdrop...the old photo's colors are so rich...

Also I made a little Candy Skull man for her belt.

A scary little Christmas basket of treats..

I love the basket with candy looking glass beads, little skulls, berries and handmade candy canes.

and a lovely antique lace cherry shawl...
goodnight....

Art & Soul Portland 2010 Jewelry

2010-10-14T11:56:00.000-07:00

Robert Danick Concrete Pendant
I had the honor of taking some great classes at Art and Soul last week.

The first class was the Concrete Pendant.
I was so impressed Robert Dancik Concrete Class and teaching style. What a great project and new material to work with.

Robert Dancik showed how to use the Jewelry Saw explaining in great detail all the best way to use it and included 2 of the best blades possible in the deal.

He made it easy and fun. He also gave us so many tips on how to go in many different directions to express our own artistic vision.

I would say he is really a wonderful teacher for someone who is just beginning in learning to construct, drill, saw metal. I felt really prepared to go on to my next Jewelery class. He pointed out the best tools, blades, bench pins and other tools. He had many of them for sale in his class so you could go home and get started right away.

I can't say enough about him for a newbie or for an advanced Jewelery artist. And he was kind and considerate to all questions and needs. He spent a lots of time in instruction so that you really understood what you were doing and why. He had more idea's for further use of his techniques than I could even absorb.
I was hesitant to start in Jewelery because of all the new tools and knowledge I would need.

I made a wonderful copper bezel and then filled it with concrete and little items. Because it was my first time I didn't like how it turned out. So I came home and broke the concrete out so I can start over...I can't wait to finish it.

This is a successful classmates piece. She had taken jewelry
classes and made lots of pieces as you can see. Her work was amazing. I hope she contacts me so I can give her credit. I have posted a request on the Art and Soul yahoo group. I can see several parts that were made in other classes.

Susan Leanart Kazmer was amazing!
Next had the pleasure of taking a class with Susan. She was truly a fine artist...she gave her all heart and soul and taught us so... so much. What a cutie she was in her boots, chic top she got in France and her jewelry hanging off her pretty little self. I would take a class with her again and again it I get the chance!

Here rings a so beautiful and she taught us how!
I could only get one project finished in the class. This is the necklace she made..

Here are other necklaces and projects she teaches.

This was really advanced but thanks to Robert I was able to add a few extras and could use the jewelry saw. Susan set it up so that we all were able to be successful.Look how simple...I am going to "get me one of them..."at Lowes..DIY home center wow...my friends and I are going to get together and PLAY!

OK here is mine!
It was a container with words....that is why I wanted to take it I wanted special words near my heart. I put little dictionary words that she had painted resin on pages the day before. So I found words I wanted...
"Lord"....."Faithful" and "Thy Glory" from a little Hymn she also had in her pile.

But now I am fearless and have the tools I need to go for it.........thanks to Robert and Susan and of course Art and Soul and Glenny!

More Harp Guitar under the Stars! Kagaya Yutaka

2010-10-01T10:52:00.000-07:00

I just saw a cool video on youtube that someone made using my husbands song "Farewell".

They used the digital art of a Japanese digital artist named
Kagaya Yutaka. It is interesting because the Video is about the stars and John's new CD is about music of the stars...

John Doan's web click here.
I hope you enjoy the video..it is beautiful and the art is very cool..with the music.

Harp Guitars Under the Stars...CD cover making...

2010-09-28T12:05:00.000-07:00

I have been working on a new CD cover. My husband and his friend Muriel have been recording a new Harp Guitar Duet CD.
She painted a painting from a photo I took of them silhouetted in the window. She added the starry night.
She did a great job!!! Check out her web click here

I took her painting and changed it in Photo Shop by adding the real "Starry Night" Van Gogh painting. And it is in the public domain so there is no copyright on it!! Cool!!!

I like this one too...in pinks and blacks..I could have fun with this one too!

Earlier in the morning I had the opportunity to work on our friend Harald's new CD cover. Not sure if he is going to use it though. But it is so nice to give first when you are in a place that you need help too. I was not sure what to do with the CD cover for my husband. I was a little stressed and then I got this email from Harald asking for help with his CD...how wonderful!! Harald's Web..click

Christmas in Sept Photo shoot

2010-09-26T20:06:00.001-07:00

I have been working on my other life, working for our music business, getting house back together, etc......hmm.

But I know it is my art that brings me so much joy! As wonderful as my life is and traveling and everything else when you an artist you must do your art to feel alive and balanced!

I am thankful for the Gift by God of my talent as an artist. I need to honor it as a part of me that I must do. Even in the midst of all the other to do lists that are very real.

So in the moment of assessing my long list of things I have to do I sat back and thought which of these are full of Art???... and can they give me those moments of Joy I am missing........

I realized that the poster for our Victorian Christmas with John Doan needed to be redone. It has been more years than I can count.

I decided to use my imagination...another gift of God.... so while laying on the couch I sat and dreamed...and prayed about it.

The old poster and PR photo was so strong and wonderful. I didn't think I could top it for design.
We used the Thomas Nast Night before Christmas image as my starting point. I had fun designing the costume..gathering the items needed to dress John etc. I was proud of it...then...
But how could I ever top that????

and then as I mused...it came to me...!!!! I needed to find a top hat..going for the Dickens look...
I was so happy and full of excitement. The next day I went to the University where my husband teaches. I was happy to walk around Willamette University and visit the theater dept. I had a wonderful time talking with the costume designer. The joy was coming..seeing their new shows costumes coming to life...gathering props.....weee..eeee.eeee!

A silk top hat, a little Holly, and a silk ribbon..what magic...

Next came the decorating the mantel....I invited my neighbor girl friend over to help me...
She added more JOY!!!
Dancing around and singing the carols...
Finally our dear friend Neil Haugen came along side with all his lights and camera's and took the most amazing photo's! I will post some when we get them back...but let me tell you they from what I saw in in camera they are so amazing...if you need some great pics of your family and live in Oregon give him a call!! click here.

And finally I had to dress up so I could be in a couple of the shots for our Christmas card picture...It was so so fun.

By the way I am going to be using facebook more as my new Mac uploads pics quickly to facebook and I like the mini bloggy life there..but I really love my real blog more...
come and friend me please! click here to find me on Facebook

Me & my Summer Art Project...Sprinter RV

2010-09-26T20:04:00.001-07:00

Sprinter Van conversion

2010-09-13T21:24:00.001-07:00

It has been a long time since I blogged. I miss you and it.
But after 6 weeks in Europe I came home and went to work on this little RV project.....I had a deadline. It came out so beautiful and I love driving it. It is a Euro diesel van by Mercedes.
It was my main Art project this during the summer.
Now comes the fun...the day we left for California...My trip to California was with my art friend Gay. Once we got to San Diego we visited my son went to his engagement party and had many adventures. Gay flew home and I had my next part of the trip with my husband who had concerts in California on our way home. I only just finished unpacking.

If you want to see the RV Before Blog Post click here...

Now you can see some of the process..of making a Van into a home..RV...touring and art trip van. The van was an ugly white and we had it painted a very hip fashionable middle gray... I also had another friend build the cabinet. We paid to have lights, windows, batteries and wiring done by a RV builder. We had a welder friend build the bed frame. My part was the design, color and finally the interior walls...whew....
So here are the pictures of the project. It included spray glue, screws and various labor kinds of things....

The long ugly parts......
But when the foam and interior upholstery fabric finally where glued to the wood the beauty began.

My friend Alexi had helped me to get all the wood panels finished...but then he needed to go on to other projects.

Fortunately for me my very hard working husband stopped his music and jumped in to help me get it finished!

Next will be a few photo's of the trip...

I am taking a little break from my art to work on our music biz (booking Europe again, making posters and CD covers and finally getting the house and my studio organized. A time for this and a time for that...........

Klimt Painting of Harald and Wedding Plans.....

2010-08-02T07:33:00.000-07:00

While in Austria...Wels we spent time with Harald. It was so fun to see the painting I did of him sitting in his home behind his head...

It looked perfect in his home...how could I have know when I choose the colors..art is like that...knowing what you don't know...

I have been the Van Queen..RV Queen and Happy Camper...everyday!!! It was finished last night..a project started in January...but worked on everyday for 3 weeks. ( I plan to post photos of how I did it and all later)

Now I am leaving for Southern California for our maiden trip. My friend Gay and I are going on the Road trip...stopping in SF and down the coast..painting I hope...visiting Art Museum and Galeries.. Then my husband will meet me and we will do concerts Augs 13 and after in Carlsbad...Chico and Yereka California..calendar of events is on John Doan's web...click here

My son is having an engagement party..I am bringing the antique blue canning jars and shell for the tables..he and beautiful Kristel live at the beach in San Diego. His name is Jade and her name is Kristel...two jewels who found each other...smile...

Glass jars turned vintage

I found this cool blog, She figured a way to paint canning jars to look blue.. Check it out.
Here is an interesting blog on weddings..etc.

She has great links to other sites with idea's...
Busy summer but will post more regular in the Fall..and after...

Gone Native in Tuscany...home shorta....

2010-07-11T09:49:00.000-07:00

Gone Native..................oh Italy.....hmmm....Sienna..and hill towns of Tuscany...and Venice...sorry it will take time to post photo's of my trip...but I will off and on...Go to Italy first if you ever go to Europe...........truly...Tuscany and Venice for sure........The shoes are from near Venice......I felt so roman walking on coral and while marble floors in the remade for conventions old Nunnery were my husband was part of a Guitar Festival......walking around the Cloisters....singing in the Spirit..being blessed by the walls...feeling the hearts and earnest prayers of the young beautiful nuns...

The toes nails were painted in Brighton Beach UK at the top of the trip using my Filipino friends nail polish...they are worse for wear now...
A new dress from Italy....taken in a fabulously designed bathroom mirror at a fancy restaurant.....
Under the Tuscan sun.....in a little guest house in the middle of an Olive grove while my husband was the featured music one night. We stayed at in a hill town...near where they filmed and the book was written "Under Tuscan Sun". I was enchanted...and feeling very native..like Sophia Loren...and an old Italian grandma at night when I put my black shawl over my head to break the cold as I walked the streets....Our hosts were so wonderful and this was Riccardo our friends family land for over 1000 years....I will post all the beauty later.

My computer is on the fritz and have to get another.
So I am not posting too much now..busy getting the Van RV a little more finished and ready to sleep in while I am having 6 guest in my house and giving up my bedroom for a harpguitar school and concert at our home and just getting back together from the Europe trip.

Summer Blessings

Art for Birthday Girl...in magic land of the Franks.....Germany

2010-06-26T12:56:00.000-07:00

Check out Andy Langs music and web...click..
Corien the Birthday girls husband...

Deirdra's painting for Coriens Birthday..... While in the land of the Franks....we spent time with a wonderful musician...Andy Lang...

in German...it is Aundy...he plays the harp and sings...His beautiful Dutch wife is an Art therapist...she gave me a little art therpy while looking at one of my paintings...and the tears came..

So for her birthday I painted her this painting...she is the Queen..Corein..
Andy's muse...he is represented in the little fiqure of the passionate violin player...
the little birds are her children...the wings are from Amsterdam ...her country...

But as I painted I showed her some of the mixed media techniques...and she was so happy...she said it was addictive..the children ran wild realizing mom was so passionate to paint...they took all the bankets...pillows...dolls and a jar of cherries out to the car...to camp while we painted...

by Corien
and then a little God surprise came...her mother at age 20's poped out on her canvas..for her bithday...as she painted...her mother is passed away now but it was so wonderful what came through her brush and out of her heart....

Queen of England who secretly loved France...(my dream)

2010-06-11T23:35:00.001-07:00

The deep call of painting was calling & I had to take a day to or morning to paint while in Germany. John was recording at Peter Fingers studio's. He is the Acoustic Guitar scene in Germany. He has made it popular her. He has a magazine, festivals, world tours and record label. His beautiful wife is from France near Mirecourt where instruments have been made since the 1700's or sooner. There are lovely little valleys and white cows and woods and Baths around.

The Somerset part of England is a little like it and this Mirecourt areas have been a favorite of mine so far.

Anyway Odell and I had fun talking about France and men and french ways. I wanted to paint her a painting for a house gift. So since I was reading a book about Queen Elizabeth and my husband was showing me many photo's of paintings of women with instruments in history out popped this little mixed media art girl.

(I have been learning such amazing things about Elizabeth and Anne Bolyn her mother...more later.)

I used a stencil I picked up in Wales and a collage piece from Amsterdam..the red swirl. And of course a visit to the art store in Germany for the gold paint. Odell loves red..so red she is.

I am looking forward to sharing more photo's and info on my trip as time allows..or when I get home..

Summer Blessings,

Sarah Fairy Doll From London!

2010-06-03T09:16:00.000-07:00

More London...after the V&A museum we got on a bus to go to the Antique and Posh section of London to see the Portobello Market area. It was not really open as it was not a weekend but we saw many fun posh things in stead of antiques..as Sarah of London would say... (More on Sarah at the end of this post.)
Interesting use of box wood and ivy..from the bus window.

Girls coming home from school....
In there very very Posh private school hats and too Cute!

A lovely shop....wish my suit case was bigger.

Girls wearing fun cloths...
I liked these paintings in the back of a handmade clothing shop.

I think Princess Di use to live and shop in this area...
And of course we have Notting Hill.....I know from the movie!!!

My husband and I parted ways..he went home to our hosts home to talk guitars and I took a tub to see Sarah in Greenwich on the South side of the Thames were King Henry the 8th was born...more about that area later... The tube was hot and stinky at rush hour..old and I had to get my little cream out of my belly bag and hold it on my nose...it was like the Tussie-Mussie that the ladies of Old had to put to there noses...but it was worth it when the Darling Sarah picked me up in her new little car.
She is such a cute London Bird....we has fun talking about dolls. She showed me her amazing collection of dolls she has bought. And also her own wonderful doll creations. I couldn't resist one little cutie and so we traded dolls. When I get home I will post the photo's of our trades.
I wish she lived near me. She would fit right into our group of arting friends in Oregon. Here is a photo of her Flat and collections.

Sarah Wallis...click to see more of her lovely dolls..

After a little spot of soup...beet soup that she made we went out side and did a photo session using my Posh camera as she called it. Her dolls looked wonderful in the late evening light. A good camera really does make a difference. I have an older digital SLR Nikon D70. It is a big thing to carry around but worth it! Try B&H cameras NYC used department. I bought mine new and then had to get a used body as I had dropped the camera once and it finally died. (With out a lense I paid about $260.)

More to post time permitted...oxoox

London...first days..

2010-06-03T03:21:00.000-07:00

Hi my friends. It is so hard to have time to blog...when I have the time there is no internet to use..and when I don't have the time I can use and internet...so here is a little of my trip. I am in Germany now but will just post my trip as I have time..in order..even after I get home...I am really having a fabulous time!!!!

So here we go to Merry Old England..

The first day after a little beauty sleep we went out to a pub in the country in Kent that was from 1400's. The Boo Peep. It is a very fine restaurant.
We celebrated with "Bangers and Mash in Yorkshire Pudding" for Johns Birthday. I had a vegi version..nothing liking mash potatoes...Yorkshire pudding on your first Day!

The weather has been sunny and nice and even hot at times.

The next day we went into London. Taking the train from Orpington in Kent...walking by little darling homes with all the wisteria in bloom.

One of the first things I love to do is go to the National Portrait Gallery and see the Tudor portraits.
Here is a wonderful site with portraits for you to enjoy too..click here

Hitting my favorite places. The Royal Art Museums. After getting off in Charing Cross

we went very quickly to the British Portrait Museum.

Heading straight to my favorite part the Tudors. I love portrait paintings from this time. The wifes of King Henry..and other such lovley people..Elizabeth and all.

There were these very interesting people hanging around the large drawing of King Henry the 8th. It was used to paint the mural of Henry in one of his Palaces. A small version of it is at Hampton Court a beautiful Palace of Henry's that you can still visit. I noticed this English tall man with a little white T shirt, curly hair..his belly peeking out from under his T with tight pants that were slim down to his ankles and little shoes. I knew something was up. I cornered a woman with him and his little group...
She told me they were doing an interview in the Tudor section with David Starkey that evening about British portraits for BBC 4 TV series. How fun...

Henry the 8th....Young and handsome...

when I was a used book store I found a book by David Starkey's on Elizabeth. It has been fasinating...I will tell you more as we go along in our tour. (sorry spell check doesn't work in Germany were I am right now except in German! Please forgive the mistakes)

Next we went to the National Art Museum to see and other show...

It was a sunny day...they said we brought the sun for the first time..every were we go they tell us that ...we are in Germany today and it is sunny!

It is so strange coming from Oregon and walking down the streets of London...man at noon with his beer..
Handsome long haired young man with his leather shachel...
We quickly ran off to the Victoria and Albert to see real paintings of Betrixs Potter flowers and Cecily Mary Barkers Flower Faries..
The Flower Faries are just the size of the little books you see and so perfect. When I was in a little shop of prints they had her hedge row and tree faries...yew and chestnuts and so on...lovely...

They wouldn't let me take photos inside the V&A but I got some photo's of the halls, gardens and places that you eat.
I am overwhelmed with all the beauty.

THE GRAND TOUR ...6 WEEKS!

2010-05-15T18:14:00.000-07:00

I will be gone on the Grand Tour...for 6 weeks.. From Bath....my favorite city..to Venice my most favorite city.. I am excited to have a little 2 hour session at the newly opened spa...I can't wait to sit in the real Bath waters. Click here to see..it is a little more modern than I would have designed it but the mineral water is real. The Queens of England went for the cure..and many got pregnant. hmm...I am hoping that my story gets pregnant. I am sure it will not be me.
My husband John Doan will be doing Celtic Pilgrimage concerts and a recording in Germany. We have 11 concerts set up..by me..It will be fun seeing old friends and new. I don't know if I will have time to blog but wanted to let you know in case you are checking my blog and wondered what happened to me.
We have wonderful friends keeping the home fires burning..and the flowers watered..as they will be house sitting 24/7 at our Hotel home...."Harp Cliff Cottage".
We will be home on June 30th.

Our trip includes...England, Wales, Holland (2 days) Germany (I have never been to Holland and Germany) A little side trip to the east side of France and Switzerland. Austria to see dear Harald. And finally Italy..Florence and beloved ....

Venice...the most romantic city in the world!!!
Ciao..and I will save you some Gelato...it is a food staple for me when I am in Italy!

Children's book Submission to first Publisher!

2010-05-15T17:25:00.000-07:00

This is the year of finishing projects. I have been working on an off on my first author illustrated children's book. This March...I sent it off for my first submission of the both the story and the illustrations!

I am really proud of my self. It is like birthing a child and carefully...struggling...pushing...waiting...learning...watching it grow..Then suddenly you send your child off to college! They leave your home..not completed but grown up enough to be put out into the world.

The process is to send a dummy book. It is just black and white drawings with the story. You also send a sample of the finished colored illustrations. I sent 2...you can send 3.

Then you wait and wait and wait!!! The publisher I pick is called "Eerdmans Books for Young Readers". I felt they were the best pick for my work. The book that first turned me on to them was called Bridget's Cloak. My story is fantasy, traditional Scandinavian folk tales, Traditional Christmas myths...and mixed with the nativity story. Bridget's Cloak had some very similar qualities. But Bryce Mulligan the author is an amazing poet. My story relies more on humor and pathos..

The publisher asks for you to give them 6 months before you can send it off to another publisher...!!! So I sent it off in a time when I would be very busy with my trip to Europe and not notice the time passing. But really lately I keep checking my mailbox...

I ask you to please pray for FAVOR my little book...I am believing for it to be a blessing to Children everywhere. My little child book must grown up...and be successful.

Once they accept it then will start the next part. Finishing the paintings..23 of them!

All the Illustrations below are by Harald Wiberg

My story features a Tomten/Nissi. My first exposure to a Scandinavian Elf was through the book "The Tomten" illustrated by Harald Wiberg.
It was so magical..and quiet...I loved the illustrations and the snow. I read it on out loud for my little son and put it on a tape for him to have.

To read more about Tomten's & Nissi click here.
And more about Harald Wiberg the illustrator click here.

My story has a little of Santa Claus in it too..
Santa Claus was a very real figure in my life...I grew up in a Danish American family. Santa came to our home on Christmas Eve at 7 pm....the bells would jingle on the door and I would open it and say "HI Santa!"....I never new till I grew up that the Santa I knew was really from the Tomten/Nissi traditions.

As I said above I discovered the book the Tomten when my son was little...
I was so taken with quiet little figure walking around and whispering to the animals. I grew up with my Grandfather (my hero). We had a little ranch in Southern California. A chicken coop, a cow or pig to raise for meat, a little garden, and finally a horse barn with 2 horse and a hay.

I had all the cats I could want or bring home. The little book hit close to me in so many ways.

Santa's Village 1955...(I was 4 years old..)

Up in the mountains near me was the theme park "Santa's Village". ( I first discovered puppets at the puppet theater there...what a magical life I had. ) Can you imagine how it felt to be a little child and touch the north pole..it is very icy..look at whole tree with candy suckers dangling of just for the taking and seeing Santa any time of the year you showed up! Please go to the link it is a very fun place.

(by the way Disneyland opened around the same time and it was just down the street about 30 Min's from my home..no wonder I am so full of dreams..but my Grandfather was a romantic dreamer too and holiday's were a very fantastical time)

So now I wait....and dream

and HOPE!

Happy Mothers Day

2010-05-09T16:25:00.000-07:00

I am having a lovely mothers day. My son sent me such a wonderful card with so much affirmation and an art book!!

I thought I would post a doll little box I made with an up close photo. She just looks like a loving Mom.... I took a class with Nancy Williams in "Prayer Boxes.

Nancy Williams Prayer boxes class.

Her class is very fun. If you sign up for her class you can join her little giveaway for Moms Day of the prayer box doll she made for the class. Click here to see her online class.

Jesse Reno/Michell Allen

2010-05-07T08:53:00.000-07:00

What do you get when you cross Michell Allen style art with Jesse Reno...all la..Deirdra! A very funny face....with soft colors..smile...

Click here to see cool video's and Jesse's blog..and click here to see Michell Allen's wonderful work..It was really a pleasure to be in the presence of such an amazing natural talent..and very lovely woman such as Michell.

A week ago we all headed over to Lulu's house and new studio to try our hand at the Jesse Reno style Painting. It was so fun meeting a new friend Diane...the one hiding under her painting of a cute kitty...
This photo I took off Lulu's wonderful post on our time together painting. The food was really good by the way! Click here to read more...from Lulu's post. Lulu is also an amazing artist. I feel so very blessed to have meet such great friends..in the fun mixed media world of art.

Lulu and I went to Crafty wonderland in Portland last Sat...more and more creative energy...whew...can't wait to really get in my studio and see what I can do. We had so much fun...love that Lulu girl..

But for now I am content to work on finishing the kitchen ...getting ready for my trip and find a new HD video camcorder to make movies in Bath and Venice..I have been researching how to add a 35 mm lens to my camcorder to make my HD video look like real films! That has taken many of my waking hours the last couple days....

Susan Tuttle:Digital Art book giveaway

2010-04-29T08:34:00.000-07:00

Susan Tuttle's book is out! I took a online class with her. Her work is so beautiful.
The book is called Expressions: Making Digital Art with Adobe Photoshop Elements click to buy.

And click here to go to her wonderful blog and enter her giveaway.

Happy Spring...aren't the flowers just wonderful!!!

Somerset Studio's, Belle Armoire, Art Doll Quarterly!

2010-04-22T09:49:00.001-07:00

What a blessed month! I want to Thank Jana Holstein my friend and editor for Stampington Publications. She has been so kind to me and supportive of my art.

She has introduced me and my work to the other editors. She is the editor for Art Doll Quarterly and their Digital publication and a few others.

If you look in my blog you can see other posts about these different art works and class photo's from were I taught dolls and the collaged ladies.

I am so excited! The articles are so pretty...

1820's Doll inspirtation

2010-04-20T08:20:00.000-07:00

After spending time with Christine and other such Queen Anne Dollie people and their blogs I wanted to try my hand at a doll inspired from 1820's.

It was my friend Lulu's birthday and we made dolls around her new art table. I made a box bust doll inspired by Nancy Williams Prayer Box class.

I tried my hand at a little 1820's girl. Sitting on the right. (I also just got the new issue of Prim...for more inspiration.) She is waiting for her real dress.

I also include Coco doll in her straw hat that I made this past summer. They are thinking about my trip to Europe.........see the Eiffel tower....

Christine LaFever Delightful Dolls

2010-04-19T21:03:00.000-07:00

I had a lovely visit with a gracious doll maker in the Historic town of Oregon City.

I didn't know where to look first it was so full of antiques, art, dolls and wonders.

Christine La Fever has the most beautiful authentically decorated home from the 1800's.

We chatted about all we had in common and I was amazed by her dolls.

Christine sells these doll that are reproductions made by her hand and molds. You can have a authentic doll from the early 1800's!

We had a little cups of tea and she placed beside me a little silver bowl that held the tea bag...I didn't know what it was for as it was such an antique. She severed a delicious unusual carrot salad, greens, my favorite cheese, bread, home made jam and home made yogurt....Her husband was delightful company around the big farm table in her kitchen.

I wanted to share with you the art of my new friend. Visit her blog that I am sure will bring you great joy like visiting her did for me! I can't wait to go back!!!

Seraphine

2010-04-13T02:51:00.000-07:00

This looks like a great movie about a humble artist woman....need to rent it!
Seraphine the movie

New Kitchen Counter tops!

2010-04-10T09:22:00.001-07:00

How can you do art if you are always decorating? So two years ago after spending 8 years (starting in 1999) of building and decorating, recovering and painting furniture and finishing the yard I said enough! I want to do art not just live in art. And I put down my hammer, shovel and house paint brush. And I went to doing my art. It has been wonderful making dolls, oil painting, children's book, mixed media, teaching, sewing...

but then the house said..."come hither.."

I thought when you built a new house you were done...but I was wrong. A new house has to be kept up. The fridge died and a new one had to come but now I need more cabinet doors above...The sink failed..the finish was staining everyday with food. So I wanted to get a new one but the hole was too big for the new sink. And well that meant matching tile. I didn't like the tile because the grout lines where too big and filed with grease and food. It was not done right in many ways..the tile didn't go up to the window and I had to do a stupid fix with little tile pieces...

So I got my wish Yeay! New granite counter tops. I think they are so pretty and so French looking to me.

So now I am busy looking for new used stainless dishwashers to make the look complete and for the cabinet maker to come for the doors..and the tile back splash..(tiles to find, walls to plaster and paint)
But soon and very soon..she hopes I will be back in the studio painting..and in the mean time I have such a wonderful home.

And the lady of the Manor...Of course moments before I was in painted sweats..working away...but Janna skirt that I told you about was so pretty I had to wear it..We are off to the my husband University Graduating students yearly art show. Without a sink the munchies at the refreshment table look good. By the way the show was great! Today my friend Aleskey will have the water back on!

Happy Easter

2010-04-03T09:24:00.000-07:00

My friend was having some hard days. So I felt a need to send a card of HOPE. I have been enjoying using the techniques from the Photoshop Collage online class I took. I have a link to it on the right side of my blog.

I took an oil painting I painted of my friend and added more of the forest to the left side with a the stamping tool. Then I found a wonderful old German steel engraving of Christ knocking at the door of our hearts. Asking to come in and bring His Peace and comfort to our lives.

I have been saving it to show you...on the Day of Resurrection.

I am thrilled at how it came out. Who would have guess....

Have a wonderful Holy weekend...and Happy Easter! OXOXO

New Counters

2010-04-03T09:04:00.000-07:00

It is the day before Easter...I see a few snowflakes floating by my window...often March and April don't seem to know what season it is in Oregon...wind..rain, sun...snow...sleet...daffodils and tulips...

But the house is clean from the Passover celebration and that always gives me the sense of peace.

I am waiting for my friend Alexy to come by. We are going to tear up the kitchen counters today. 10 years ago when we built this home I loved tile...but it had large grout lines and it gets so much grease in it...my white sink finish failed and so I needed a new sink..and of course the size of the hole was wrong for the new sink.......

commercial photo of kitchen with granite and granite sink

I am having wonderful new steel gray granite counters put in next week! I also am having a granite based under mount sink put in. It seems that you have to keep upgrading a new home. I thought I would be finished and not have to do anything again but I was wrong. Also to keep the value of the home up it is necessary. I might as well enjoy the up grades and not just wait till before it is time to sell.

It was nice having one last festival in the old kitchen....and now on to a new more solid life...

Granite has a nice symbolic meaning...for the new season of my life.

Christian Seder

2010-04-03T00:02:00.001-07:00

Over the years I have tried several different ways to celebrate Easter.
I tried the Ukrainian way...making a cake in the shape of a Lamb.
and making Ukraine bees wax colored eggs..having parties where everyone does it.
A few years ago I found a book on celebrating the main fest days of the Jews our roots to Christian Holy Days in a Christian way. I tried doing a Seder for Passover. The communion is when Jesus was celebrating the Passover Seder with his disciples. I found it very beautiful. Quiet...as the sun is setting and spring blooming all around. I liked it better than the hassle of Easter Sunday. My friend Dale made the lamb and Alexy..(from Ukraine..go figure) made the cakes. I made the salads and dressed the table. If you are interested here is a link to the Seder with the instructions on what to do and say.

It seemed right to start with Alexy reading a little children's story call. "You are mine" about Punchinello Click here to see.

Alexy reads it so cute and with such sincerity. Your heart is warmed by the truth in this story.

Everyone brought so many wonderful things. And it was fun to have figs, olives and dates...but we never got to them as there was so much food! I guess that is why they call it a fest day.
Janne from Norway gave me a beautiful bag she made. It is linen and cotton with a heart stamp. It is for bread. I put the passover bread in it.

We finished a wonderful evening with guitar playing and the most fabulous movie..Prince of Egypt. It explains a little about the why of the Passover Seder. The colors are so amazing. I always was impressed with this movie. Then my oil painting teacher told me this story. The man who was the colorist for the film was a famous Russian Impressionistic oil painter. He became allergic to his paints and found a job with George Lucas at Dream Works. It confirmed what I already new about this movie. I bought the film today on DVD because it is truly beautiful. A movie is always part of my celebrations...I guess that happens when you grew up near LA.

April First...

2010-04-01T10:20:00.000-07:00

Janne wrote a cool list of ways to "Celebrate April"! Check it out she has great idea's.

I would add to her list for April..."Be Vulnerable" "Risk Love". Since this is Holy Week...the Vulnerability of Christ is very real...and Risking to Love is very real to me.

A friend of mine has been talking to me about this...I told her it is good to not be hard and try and protect your self all the time..there is a balance. One must know how to love yourself and take care of the little child inside of yourself. But sometimes we go too far when we are hurt and become hard hearted. She was not so sure...but Hardness is not beautiful..it may be safe but it is not Pretty....being like a child is so full of Life..and so full of innocence..but it is a risk. (to trust even if you do know you will do stupid things..it is worth it)

You could be Crucified...

and then resurrected and made new!

Europe Arting Idea's....

2010-04-01T08:49:00.000-07:00

I experimented on how to use my new journal...I want it to look like the beauty of my trip...painting images that moved me. I started with this one. I will paste in tickets and various things I love from Bath and Venice and so so and so...
I used the open acrylics that stay soft for blending...hmm..but will have to have time for them to dry..or put on some heat source..window or hair dryer...

Virgin with child and Angel by Luca Signorelli Student of Piero della Francesca

I used this painting for inspiration..I need to look him up in Italy...

The highest reward for a person's toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it.
John Ruskin, 1819-1900
English critic, essayist, & reformer (1819 - 1900)
One of the rewards I have been given by going to Art and Soul, teaching for them and Teesha Moore....reaching out to meet new women friends...taking the risk has been personal growth...

Photo my Janne at www.spindelmaker.com/
Yesterday I spent a lovely day with Janne and Michelle Allen. We worked on art. They called it Arting...together. It was so much fun to be with meet my new friend Michelle and spend time with Janne from Norway. I meet her last year at Art Fest. Michelle has the most wonderful studio. She is so funny and fun..spending 2 days there was such a joy...each time you looked around you focused on some new wonderful piece of art she created! Check out the blog posts of Janne and Michelle to see the photo's of the studio and fun we had. You have to scroll way down though she posts every day so much cool stuff...

Photo my Janne at www.spindelmaker.com/
stand up straight girl!!!
Janne taught me to make her most wonderful skirt! We had fun she talks about it on her web and shows some other skirts like it she made.
This is us last year at my house...she is wearing the skirt in Green...Janne is a wonderful woman and a real reward of Risking to Love! Thank you Janne for your friendship.

Venitian Muslin Art Journal

2010-03-29T11:52:00.000-07:00

I made this art journal this past week. I wanted something to take with me on my trip to Europe.

I have been following Lynne Hoppe blog and thought that is was a great way to do art on the road.

But I wanted to make it mine and my vision is very romantic...

You can see how to make your own on Lynne's blog...click here. I will keep you posted on how I plan to work in it..I really think it came out lovely...I don't want to mess it up...hmmm what to do?

A Necklace to Wear on the Grand Tour.....

2010-03-27T16:54:00.000-07:00

I won a beautiful necklace at the 9th hour of the One World One Heart giveaway in February.

It was made by the lovely Denise Tucker. She is an author and jewelry maker.
www.thehousemysteries.typepad.com

Denise use the book "French Inspired Jewelry" by Kaari Meng It was so generous of her...thank you Denise!!!

I feel like the most elegant French Princess is this necklace. I am going to take it to Europe with me...it is my little secret...to wear it ....and feel so romantic....from another time of my dreams....I bought our airline tickets yesterday.....Bath England to Tuscany Italy...with about 10 days in Austria/Germany...10 days in England and 10 days in Italy...with a tiny trip into France from Germany....a 6 weeks.....Grand Tour....!!!!
This is my bedroom....it reminds me of Paris, Bath and Venice...I love the new little mantel I bought...and the etchings from the late 1700's & early 18 ths...one little drawing is from a shop in Oxford.....I have women on one side and men on the other....I decorate with things from my trips.....so the romance is always with me....

The Wee People

2010-03-18T09:16:00.000-07:00

Well I made the Bonoffee yesterday and guess who showed up! The Wee people!
I went to Ireland 5 times and never brought home a little one. But the last time I went I bought 5 of them! One for a gift, one is broken...and now I just have these 3.

Sure as you know they popped up the minute the making of the Bonoffee started.

I know desert is really made of things like sugar and milk and stuff that isn't really on my mostly raw food diet but...

So I found organic ingredients with good and organic whole sugars and grains. And it came out tasting wonderful. A couple changes though. I would double the graham cracker crust. I used coconut oil instead of butter and much less oil..I even added a little olive oil.

I cooked the milk in the boiling water too long...the toffee was too hard to pour. I used the 3 hours and the overnight method. I boiled it more like 3 1/2 hours.

So I will work on that for next time. It was hard to just have to dig it out of the can. It did not spread...so I left it in little daps...I used the bananas to flatten the toffee down.

The wee people crowded together to have their photo's taken with the Eiffel towers...they were sure it showed off there green cloths so very well.

I hope you had a nice St. Patricks Day? And we are off now to think about Passover..and then Easter....