TGIF

sea dreamer blog banner, originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

Whew! We survived the first week of school.Yes, there was an auto accident, too many papers to fill out, tired kids... but we made it! Hooray!

banner available in my shop

Finished a few projects today. While I love pastels, color enchants me.

Everything I made today was in rich hues.

FairyLand Theatre

FairyLand Theatre, originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

More fairies! This was so much fun to make! I used the wackiest things... a vintage jello mold, mouth wash box, cut up sequined dress. My studio looks like a tornado hit it. I just can't seem to create in a tidy way. I'd post a photo of how it looks right now, but it is so awful I'd be humiliated. It IS a pretty mess though... glittery, flowery, but a mess, no doubt!

fairy moon garden

fairy moon garden, originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

Oh, how fun to play today with glitter, crepe paper, pages from one of my vintage ledgers, a vintage dolly, pink rose cabachons! I ended up with this little vignette from fairyland. Find it here... http://seadreamstudio.com/
Will and went to the zoo... er, I mean Target for a few school supplies. Looks like a bomb went off and all us poor, distraught mothers hunting for erasers are the refugees. And who's hoarding all the 1 1/2" binders?? Every *&#$@ year I find myself on the hunt for them! They are more elusive than Big Foot!
I did find Will a fabulous Day-of-the-Dead looking swim suit. Was that on the list? Nope, didn't think so.

crow banner

crow banner, originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

As much as I hate to accept it, autumn is on the way. At least I like the colors, if not the weather!
Made this between chores and working on a little fairyland grotto.

Blog banner is available in my Etsy shop.

Angelic Pink blog banner WM

Angelic Pink blog banner WM, originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

Oh, the digi madness will not stop! I can't help myself! It is so fun to make banners!! This one is in my Etsy shop. http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=23439

It appears that everyone got to school safely today! YIPPEE! I am extremely grateful for that!
I have to arrange things with the body shop, but we are so delighted that no one was injured, that dealing with car repairs is a piece of cake! Thank the US Automakers for Ian's ship-of-a-car! I think his big blue Le Sabre protected him!

I am determined to finish up a few art projects today and work on my Paper Cowgirl vendor night items. It is horribly quiet here and I am missing the kids.

whew!

What a day! Got the tots off to school (6th, 10th & college sophomore), poured a cuppa' and marveled at the utter silence that fell over my house. It seemed as if all of suburbia gave a collective sigh. And then... the phone rang. My sweet boy Ian had a fender bender on his first day of driving to school! Poor baby! No one was injured and our insurance deductable is not too awful, but what a way to start the day! No mom wants to hear that their offspring has been in any sort of an accident. I am hoping that this might make a little chink in his teenage armor of invincibility, maybe scare him into being more careful.
After numerous phone calls, the accident was dealt with and I decided to take care of renewing my domain name for my shop. Happily, I was able to purchase the dot com for my shop. It has been unavailable since I've wanted it (several years), but now it is MINE!! Instead of SeaDreamStudio.net , I am SeaDreamStudio.com! Actually I own .net, .com and .biz (it was a deal). I am really glad to have this domain name secured! Sorting this out with my hosting company was a bit of pain, but all is well now. Victory!
Now, the kids have all arrived back home and the normal chaos is happily filling the house. Dinner's in the oven and I am finally going to sit down in my studio for a moment.

back to school

back to school, originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

Well, tomorrow's the day. Summer has flown by and it is time for the kids to hit the books. My 2 younger boys are in 6th and 10th grades and my daughter is in her second year of college. My oldest son is an old married man, all done with school.
It will be really quiet here. We have had a noisy, full house all summer. Our house has been the neighborhood hangout for my boys' friends. I will miss them!
On the plus side, I should be able to get a lot more done. I have a million projects that need my attention. I will have to stay busy to stave off the loneliness.

sticky kitten banner

sticky kitten banner, originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

I had a blast creating this banner for Michelle's Etsy shop. I think it fits her adorable and unique style. Check out her fun shop here... http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5243544

begin again

begin again, originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

Oh, gentle reader, you know me only as a trick of light, not the real person that I am. Here in Blogland we reveal but a sliver of ourselves, so I will tell you a bit more of my true self.
I am a person who strives to be a peaceful, accepting, generous and kind. I read books that promote this, listen to music that feeds my soul and encourages me in these endeavors. I hope to treat all people with understanding, patience and tenderness. This is not something I take lightly, but a true devotion. In the past few years I have become much more purposeful in my attempts to live in a kind and loving manner among my fellow human beings here on this blue planet. I think I have had some success in this. I believe I have grown spiritually and I think this is reflected in my daily life.

But, alas, yesterday I failed terribly! I think I was as angry as I have ever been in my life! I was enraged (yep, that's the word) by the actions of a most difficult person of my aquaintance. The things I said were all true, all valid, but still, I consider this a failure on my part. I tossed all of my lovely zen peacefulness out the window. I will just say that this situation involved a bully and his actions toward my youngest son and some of the other children in the neighborhood, and mostly his parent's basically condoning this behavior for many years . And what is a bully, but a frightened tyrant? Sigh... I shook like a leaf for hours after this encounter, but it was years in the making and yesterday was the day I'd had enough.
So, today I begin again on my path to tranquility. I will not waste this day in regret. I doubt my harsh words will change the aforementioned situation and I can not take them back, so forward I go.

Ian's birthday

Ian's birthday, originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

My sweet, sweet boy! How did he get to be SIXTEEN??? His first car sort of takes away some of the pain of starting school next week. It is pretty cool to be a sophomore with a car.
I adore this boy!

lucky me

lucky me, originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

Am I super lucky, or what?? I won this gorgeous wreath from the uber-talented Katie Runnels!! I adore it! It is so pretty and utterly charming! She wrapped it so sweetly, too! Check out her beautiful blog.

http://theconstantgatherer.blogspot.com/

My picture doesn't do this lovely creation justice!
Thanks Katie!!!!!! You ROCK!

Marie blog banner watermarked

Marie blog banner watermarked, originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

Oh, stop me right now! I must quit this digital obsession!!
This banner is available. Look here http://www.seadreamstudio.net/ if you are interested.
Now, I must go feed my child!

jana's grotto

jana's grotto, originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

My neighbor/friend Jana is an island goddess and a fellow wannabe mermaid. I created this grotto featuring Jana and her adorable daughter, Chloe, as merdivas!! This was an absolute delight to make!!!

Amy's banner

for Amy, originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

This was such a fun blog banner to create! Amy loves old Hollywood, jewels, spring colors and her muse is a FLYING PIG!! LOL! Now how fun is that? I am taking a limited number of commissions for banners, so if you are interested just drop me a line.

for Jessi, originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

Here's a banner I made for Jessi http://scrappyjessi.blogspot.com/. I could absolutely make digital art day and night. It is the so fun!! I swear I feel like a magician!
I have several other digital projects in the works, along with plenty of "real" art projects. Too bad I have to sleep.
I really need to stay busy, as I absolutely hate for summer to end. I love having my kids home. In a little over a week we'll be back to the grind of school. Ugh! Homework! Blah! Projects! Yuck! Makes me tired to think of it! We need more pool time! More lazy days! LOL!
I know, I'm a bad mom... whatever. I WILL send my kids to school and I WILL make them do their work, but I don't have to like it! I think I feel this more keenly each year. The time goes so quickly and my kids are getting too big! What happened to all my babies??
Okay, so I think I just had a little breakdown. Sorry about that! ;)
I am off to read a bit and dream of endless summers and kids that don't grow up overnight!

Oh, I have so many projects in the works! I really have got to get my Paper Cowboy kits and Vendor Night things together. I MUST work on those things tomorrow. The kids and I are enjoying out last weeks before school starts. Summer has flown by. I really must find a way to move closer to the equator. If I never see another bare tree or a single flake of snow I will be just fine. It is a good thing I like warm weather, because it is crazy hot here, again. No worries... look for me in the pool. I'm the one with the big grin and sparkly earrings!

this is how I roll...

this is how I roll..., originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

Well, a cold front has blessed the Dallas suburbs with bone-chilling temps as low as 96!!! Wheee!I'm shivering! Seriously, anything below 100 feels pretty nice. I do love sunshine and heat, but even I wilt a bit when it is over 110!!
So, my heat induced lethargy has lifted and I am back in my studio snipping, gluing and generally making a tremendous mess. I am making mermaid grottoes, Frida shrines, pendants, birdnests, etc...
And of course, my digital obsession only grows! I am making PNG files out of everything I can photograph or scan and tinting black and white pics. I really do need a laptop...
School starts here on the 25th. Poor kids! Why must summer end?? Mine are currently in a frenzy of swimming, lazing about and generally avoiding all thoughts of the classroom. Who can blame them? Summer ROCKS!
Well, I am off to do a few domestic chores (where's that lazy housekeeper? Oh, yeah, that would be moi!) and try to get a little studio time in before I am required poolside!
Hope you are having a lovely August day.

hot time in Dallas

hot time in Dallas, originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

Yes, it is HOT!! Nutty, insane hot, but I am smiling like the Cheshire Cat because I LOVE summer! Yes, the heat cooks your brain, wilts your body and generally turns human beings into smoldering ash, but it still beats the hell (tee hee) out of drab, grey, cold, depressing winter!! We re living in the pool, but that's not so bad, huh?
My house guests are gone. It was wonderful having Bret for a week. He is a sweet and easy-going kid. He is between the ages of my 2 youngest sons so he hung out with both of them. Judy returned to pick him up and hang out for the weekend. Her daughter also stayed with us (she goes to college nearby), so we had a full house.
I have had little time for art, though I did make a few pieces which I will post later. I am in one of those moods where I have too many ideas swirling around in my head. I want to make so many things!! I need to work on class kits for Paper Cowgirl and solder some pendants, but my brain is bubbling with ideas for new projects!!!
I am off to make SOMETHING before I spontaneously COMBUST!!!!