we are home!

I am happy to report that on Wednesday evening we pulled into the driveway of our new house on the Oregon Coast! Our little caravan arrived in one piece- exhausted and nerves shot but in one piece- to the sun shining and fresh Oregon air (there is nothing quite like it). It only took us two days of driving to get here but those two days may have been the longest days of my life! I though going through childbirth was hard- NOTHING compared to being in the car with a 8 month old, teething, tired, wiggly baby!!! Except for a few minor episodes- Lucy did as good as possible and thankfully I had my mom in my car to help out with the driving.

We are now unpacking and getting settled into our new home and really just trying to take a little time to decompress and take some time to rest and just enjoy each other!

I just got back online today and will return Monday with all kinds fun stuff! Happy weekend to everyone!

from the road

the day came

a peek into our weekend

It is crunch time over here and we spent the weekend packing, loading our moving van, prepping the house for our renter- painting, painting and more painting-I am officially sick of painting! Everything is now out of the house except for a mattress on the floor and all of Lucy's gear. We are tired and overworked, we have nearly killed each other numerous times! Taking care of everything (only the two of us, while juggling a baby) was the most challenging task we have yet to conquer but somehow we did it!

fashion friday- floppy hat

a sense of humor

i ♥ cardboard rolls!

If there is one thing I have learned by spending a good part of my life creating on a limited budget- it's that you can always use something- ANYTHING to make art and you don't need lots of money or fancy supplies. My favorite place to go "shopping" is in the trash or the recycling bin and I have a bit of an obsession with cardboard rolls. There a so many different ways to use them when working with painted surfaces- here are a few of my favorites.

I ALWAYS have a paper towel towel roll on hand when I am painting lots of layers. I love dipping it in paint and using it as a stamp- it is a really quick and easy way to add circles to your surface.

You can even bend or manipulate the cardboard into simple shapes.

I tend to work fast so I enjoy applying a layer of texture or pattern in my mixed media surfaces quickly. Inspired by my own creation a while back (see here) I have started using my cardboard rolls to roll on my texture and pattern. I cover the surface with all kinds of everyday things. Bubble wrap makes for great polka dots!

Wrapping string, twine, yarn or just about any fiber is another great way to roll texture onto your surface.

Use scrunched up saran wrap to wrap around a roll, cover in paint and roll onto your surface.

Or tightly wrap saran wrap around the cardboard roll and then paint designs all over it. While the paint is still wet, roll it onto your surface.

Use 3-D paint to cover the surface of the cardboard roll with designs and while the paint is wet roll it across your surface.