Where to start......

The most sacred place dwells within our heart, where dreams are born and secrets sleep, a mystical refuge of darkness and light, fear and conquest, adventure and discovery, challenge and transformation.  Our heart speaks for our soul every moment while we are alive.  Listen...as the whispering beat repeats: be...gin, be...gin, be...gin.  It's really that simple.  Just begin...again.  Author:  Royce Addington

I am at a turning point in my life where I want to start an online/creative business.... and I am ready to begin!!!!  How you may say?  Well, by learning from other successful creative souls....ones that have gone before me.  I am currently taking Flying Lessons with Kelly Rae Roberts and she is teaching us how to have a successful online presents and business.  It has been wonderful in ideas and ways to get started on creating a business that soars.....one that can reach far and wide and I am loving it!!   I have the class button to the right if you are interested in checking it out.  I thought I would start to blog my process as I begin this journey so I can have a record of it and maybe it will help someone else as they consider starting an online presents too if not for encouragement. 

 

So today's topic is beginnings.  We all have to start somewhere and one of the things I am starting to work on is my blog's appearance.  You don't need to invest in having your own domain right away just start with what you have to get a feel for it before investing money.  This is what I have chosen to do.  I want a blog that has a professional yet not to professional appeal to it so I started with my layout and header.  I tried different templates and found that the "simple" one suits me which I already had.  I did however, change the layout to one with another column  to accommodate some new items I will be adding....one being the classes I am currently taking.  If anyone should be interested in taking one....we could connect and discuss what we are learning...wouldn't that be fun? 

Then it comes to the name...I had one picked out but it will not suit the connection between all my creative outlets and if I should change my product later, so I am still thinking on that one. 

Then the BIG addition.....a couple of days ago I stated on my blog that I AM AN ARTIST!!!  I thought if I want an online creative business I have to be at a place that I considered myself one so I just did it.  I remember as I typed it, saved it, and then went to view my blog I had mixed emotions.  First came the excitement of it but then a sudden panic and then I just plain wanted to cry.  Weird right?  But I guess when you finally realize that you are going to sell your art/product to the world you have to begin with believing it yourself.....and so I did.  Yes, I am an ARTIST....and I will keep believing it even if some days I don't think so.  I know this is hard for aaaalot of people (including me) because we don't feel we measure up to the Picasso's or Van Gogh's with just paint and canvas....but hey if you create something out of something else it is called art so believe it when I say it "you are an artist"!

So this is my starting point on a journey to stretch my wings.  As it states at the top of my blog: Going Beyond the Boundaries in Life, Creative Biz, and Art (this too was part of redesigning my blog) I wanted a statement that reflects what I am trying to do with my life, my new business, and my art/product...and this is what came to me and I will keep it for now.  I am still working on my header so the one up now is just a temporary one since my picture is out of focus and you can't read the statement "be free" but it is a start.  So stay tuned for more updates and thanks for stopping by.

xo

barbara lynn

What brings you peace....

(one of my favorite things to do)

Peacefullness is an inner sense of calm - it comes from becoming still.  A peaceful heart is one that is free from worry and trouble.  It's becoming quiet so we can look at things quietly so we can more clearly understand them and thus come up with creative solutions.  It is learning to live in the present.  author: Barbara Jean

Find something today that brings you peace just by doing it....burning a scented candle......listening to a favorite CD....or taking a wonderful bubble bath.  These things will give you a sense of peace even if it is just for the moment.

xo

barbara lynn

Pumpkin patch.....

(this was taken in vivid color)

Yea they are here....clay pumpkins!!!  I have been waiting for these since last year and now they have arrived!  I spotted these at Lowe's last year but thought it was to soon to buy one and when I decided it was time to get one they were gone!! Yikes, so I asked if they would get anymore in and they said yes since they were new for this year but I would have to wait until next year.  Oh that was hard to take but I waited.......

...until now.  Whoohoo!  It was fun to shop in this little pumpkin patch looking just for the right one....even though my hubby didn't understand the difficulty. Gees...guys right?  Each one had it's own distinct look and it had to be just the right one like when my kids were young.  This is the picture of the patch but I did have to go back the next day to capture it because I didn't bring my camera in and there was no way to go to the car and come back with hubby along.

I was glad I did buy mine because when I came back over half were gone!!!! They were all over the floor but not this day. Wow and that was last weekend they may be gone now

(I am sorry I didn't post sooner..but hurry).

(actual color)

The price is $19.98 and they are made of heavy clay which I absolutely love.  I normally just decorate for fall but these pumpkins reminded my of when my kids were young and how we would go get one every year and carve it out....so I just had to have one.

 This is the one I picked because I thought it just had a happy face and it was looking up at me while I was standing there deciding....so it got a home next to our fireplace in the living room.  What is also cool about these is that the top of it has a nice long handle/stem so you can easily place candle wreaths on them to dress it up.  I also will be buying a pumpkin light that I saw at Home Depot that is extra bright and is used just for them but they haven't come in yet but I am watching for them.  I just love it and if you want one you too you better hurry because they are going fast!

xo

barbara lynn



Capturing Your World: Sunsets

(3rd favorite)

Last night my hubby and I went for a stroll on the beach after dinner and the night couldn't have been more perfect....just the right breeze and temperature.  When ever we set out to go for a walk I always bring my camera because you just never know what you may see.  This was taken in regular mode.

So as we were heading back to our car, because it was getting late, you could see people lining the beach to watch the sunset.  I didn't have the intention of doing this when we set out for our walk but I said to him lets sit and watch it too and I was so glad we did.  I quickly decided that this would be a sunset photo assignment to record. 

This first one I was trying to get us walking with the beautiful color of the sky in the background.  I loved how this turned out because it looks like someone else took it.  Sometimes you just don't get the right shot when you are trying to take the picture yourself without looking at it...and just getting the side of the faces couldn't have been as perfect.  I am also glad that my hubby is taller than me so that you can see the both of us.

This one I wanted to get my hubby watching the dolphins in the water....they were so close but not easy to capture.  I just love when you can really see them jump out of the water and be so close....what a treat for this evenings walk.  When these pictures were taken we were walking the canal so you can see the silhouette in the background which I thought just added something extra. Taken in vivid mode.

(2nd favorite)

This one I took because I loved the reflection of the sky on the water, and the beach.  What I also liked was texture of all the snails that lined the beach because it was low tide.   It was neat to have captured the birds but what was the real bonus is the little peak of the dolphins in the upper right hand corner.  This was taken in vivid mode.

Next is my favorite photo of the night......and you know this because you just have that heart connection to it when you first see it.  That's when you know you hit the mark of the assignment.

(my favorite)

Absolutely beautiful!!!!   I took this in vivid mode just to really capture how breathtaking it was to be there.  What a wonderful mix of pure peace and beauty. 

xo

barbara lynn

52 Week Photography Challenge...

I was talking to my friend Tania this afternoon and we were talking about blog posts we have done and she mentioned that she missed when I posted my 52 Week Photography Challenge for last year 2011.  I told her I haven't finished that task but I missed doing it to.....so to her I am going to finish this task I set out to do.  So I have picked up where I left off and it was on this bonus page after week 12 which I had finished back then plus another one which I will show you later.  Yea, I know I am reaaaaallly behind but I will just go along and not worry about the time schedule I should have kept before life got in the way. Luckily, I have all my photos in date order so that I can pull out for the correct page date and if not I will just fill in what strikes at the moment. 

It will be a wonderful feeling to have this finished but I think it will be something I will continue to do.  I will have to see what kind I will do when I finish this one or maybe now that I have more time I will start on the one I want to do on Street Photography....Capturing Your World that I did a post a few days ago on Rain.   Well,  I hope you enjoy it Tania and thank you for getting me going again!!! 

It was my birthday when this page came up so I thought it would be perfect to do since I am doing my bonus pages on fun self portraits.

Bonus Page: Happy Birthday To Me  March month end

Sorry on these indoor pics just can't wait until I get my new camera for Christmas.  Here is the two page spread.

 I still find that it makes me laugh to look and do these pages this one I added a birthday hat and finally got the picture with the wording not backwards as you can see in the next photo.

I had kept on taking this photo over and over but just couldn't make it clear but then after I realized it the wording in the balloon was backwards because I was taking it in front of a mirror!  Da right?  Well, this is how I left it because it makes me laugh and Tania if you look at my jewelry you can see I am wearing the sea bracelet you got me.  I took off the large starfish and used it as a necklace and just loved it!!  The candles were used on my birthday cake and I just love the multi color and so out of the box which is so me.

So now I am going to give you a quick update on the book and the earlier pages I did just to have them all together on this blog but you can go here to see all the detailed posts. 

This is the journal I used for this challenge....I love to reuse old books and this one was a daily calendar which was perfect I thought for this project.  Here is the original cover.....

the inside of the pages....

and all the tab dividers that I will keep.

Here is the cover once I change it.  I used magazine pictures for the cover and made it look like snapshots.

The content page...

the photo holder page on the left and a unfinished page on the right...

The completed page with a picture of me so they (my kids or whoever will know who did this book).

Week One:  Dinner With Friends Jan 8th

Week 2: Snow Impostor Jan. 15th

Week 3: Blue Toenails & Snowflakes Jan. 22

Week 4: Create Sand Angels Jan 29th

Bonus Page: Photos Jan month end

Week 5: Sisters Feb. 5th

Week 6: Be Mine Feb. 12th

The Valentine Card that fits into the pocket.

Week 7: Sand Dollar  Feb. 9th

Week 8: The Crane Feb. 26th

 

Bonus Page: Charlies Angels Feb month end

Week 9: Pink Magnolia March 5th

Week 10: St. Patrick's Day March 12th

Week 11: St. Patrick's Parade Mar. 19th

 

Week 12: The Queen Bee  March 26th

So the challenge continues.....

xo

barbara lynn



In the studio...mixed-media painting

I thought I would show you what I have been doing in the studio lately.  This is a mixed-media beach painting that I absolutely love how it turned out and adorns our fireplace in our living room.  I know I am an amateur on painting people with all the right colors for the flesh and then there is the proper lighting you want to show on the picture that I haven't quite got yet but you have to start somewhere right?  Well, here is the process in making this painting.  I call it down by the sea and of course since I am a vintage lover you know I couldn't do a painting or two with the bathing caps and swimsuits!

I started with one of my $2.99 canvas I bought at the Goodwill and put a fresh coat of Gesso on it.  I just love reusing canvases not sure why but I guess that is part of who I am in wanting to bring to life something that someone has gotten rid of that I find still has value.

Next I decided to add some fabric to create texture to the background but later changed my mind on the bottom part of the painting.

I decided to use an old encyclopedia book pages to kinda give the rough look of the sand and water.  Plus, you know because it is mixed media you can do anything that you want and any given time which I absolutely love because most of the time when I have a thought or design in mind I will have changed it a couple of times before its done.  I also, used Distress Ink in walnut and ran it across the old book pages and then used a mister to get it damp and ran a sponge brush aross it to give it an antique look that will peek through the paint.

Here I divided it into three sections...one containing the sand, water, and sky.  I used acrylic paints and a brayer for this step. 

Then I went in there and used my paintbrush on the sky and an old credit card on the water.

I had always known I wanted to have a vintage lady with her swimsuit and bathing cap for this painting so I went to the computer and searched for different styles until I found something I liked and drew it out on copy paper.  The reason I do this is because you can erase easily until I get just the right look and size.

Then I cut out the shape and mod podged it down and painted her suit pink of course!  Added some waves on the shore and some shading in the water.

Here is the finished piece and I just loooove it.  I wrote down by the sea in a heavy coat of mod podge and  when it dried I used my brayer to add the sand color and added black paint to the indented letters after it dried. 

I was so excited to show my hubby when he came home and when I did guess what he said?  Wow, you can see a dolphin in there....and when I looked yep I saw it too....right in the waves on the left.  It wasn't intended but cool non-the-less.  It kinda reminds me of the highlights book I would look at at the dentist when I was a kid.  What's cool about it is that we do see dolphins while sitting on the beach sometimes so I love that it was in there.

Since I love vintage things I thought I would show up close what's next to the picture.  I have this vintage camera which was my mother-in-laws and to the right of that is a vintage metal frog with a vintage photo I got at an antique store in Griffin, Ga. 

Cool right?!! I always put this out in the summer.....but not easy to find in the antique stores.  I am always looking at the old photos for these kinds of pictures and buy them when I see them.  Do you see the lady on the right she has a bathing cap on...well it looks like it to me....got to love it.

Here is the other one on the left side of the painting and how cool is this one!  It looks like they are on a dock sun bathing and socializing.  It is held up by another vintage frog and this one is long and square.

Well, that's one of the paintings I finished and proudly have on display.  I am currently working on another one which is much larger and has four ladies and their vintage bathing suits and caps and that one is going to be hung behind our love seat.  I will show you that when I finish it too.  I know I should be focusing on fall but since it is so warm I still find it hard to put out my fall decor so I will enjoy this alittle longer. 

One of the reasons I decided to do these kinds of paintings is because when I recently painted our living room in this pretty grn/blue color it just felt so cottage to me and since we live 15 minutes from the ocean I thought it was fitting.  So, thank you for stopping by and seeing what I have been up to in the studio. I hope also that it may inspire you to make one.

xo

barbara lynn