Whatcha been up to???

So friends what creative endeavors are you up to this month?  What about family fun?  Or new discoveries?  Really what have you been up to?  I want to hear from you all.

I am sticking with my resolution to try new things - to expand my horizons - to shake things up......so far since the last update I have:

1) Subbed as a preschool teacher for the first and second time - and it wasn't mass chaos.  The kids are so sweet.

2) Felted a small piece to use in a bracelet design of some sort, a wonderful bowl and a large ill shaped place mat/table runner of some sort. 

 

(the last felting photo was before the felting)

3)  Made paper clay bowls.  I LOVE these!  I love hearts - all year long.  I have since painted them red.  now I just need to put a antique-ish glaze over them to weather them up. 

4)  Made the sweetest little paper flowers - I had been buying handmade flowers off of etsy - but decided to give it a shot after  I saw a tutorial somewhere online.  Now I am sort of addicted - they are on several of my latest scrapbook pages.

5) Started teaching a sweet 9 year old (soon to be 10 year old) girl creative/art classes once a week.  What a treat this is.  I am not sure if I am a teacher as much as I am just providing her creative freedom....her mom assures me she LOVES it and I LOVE it as well.  So far we have painted canvases, did button balls (instead of buttons trees), and she designed her own pair of earrings.  Such fun!  She is such a great student.  Also, it is getting Xander creating with me again - he used to create with me ALL THE TIME and now seems to pick video games over me.  :(  I didn't get a photo of Katie with her canvas but this is what Xander made:

6)  Made a lemon cake - only from the box - but can you believe I have never made a lemon cake???  I love all things tart and delicious - and this was gooood!  Ok this wasn't really a stretch - but I didn't go for the safe chocolate - I broadened my horizons a tiny bit.  :)

7)  Today I presented materials to a local art studio to teach jewelry classes.  They were happy with my ideas/prices....so I will be teaching two, maybe three classes in the month of March.  I have to say this is huge for me.  I am sooooo NOT good at selling - selling my time or my designs as an artist - I have this HUGE fear of rejection and most of the time it stops me dead in my tracks and I just don't even bother - I give up before I even get there - but I didn't give up.  I was really nervous and stressed a lot about the designs and concepts and pricing.  I didn't want to do the same ole boring basics.  I wanted to teach the basic skills but in a really beautiful way.  So I stayed true to me and it paid off.  Now let's hope the classes fill up and that they beg me for more!  :)  As soon as I have all the details finalized I will post them here so that if you are local you can come join me for a night of fun - learning jewelry basics!!!!

8) Tried Quinoa from Whole Foods - yummy.  Bought some so I could make it at home.  If I discover a great recipe I will share it.

9)  Doing scrapbook page sketches on a regular basis.  I am now offering Sunday Sketch Challenges on my blog.  I have grown to really love this - thanks to being on Feeling Scrappy's design team - it forced me to give it a  try and I grew to love it.  Now that my term is up there I have to share them somewhere - no place better than the blog!  :)

So I am stretching a bit - learning new things, trying new things, branching out - making me a better me.  It really is fun to try new things - I have a creative curiosity lately that it drawing me into all sorts of new creating avenues.....Oh and I am doing yoga (again) at home a few nights a week - I really like it.  Great thing right before bed - really relaxing and a stretches out all those stressed muscles.  Now if I could just get Steve to join me - I wouldn't feel so silly toppling over all by myself. 

I would really love to hear about what you are up to....inspire me please!  :)  Friends enjoy your last few days of February and THINK SPRING....it is just right around the corner after all.