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It's been an interesting Autumn for me... one that has held some very unexpected life changes...
Many of you know that I've been working at a preschool for several years, where I've cared for children from infants to four years old. I have LOVED being part of this nurturing community and helping little ones learn in a caring Christian environment!
This fall, however, I've struggled to "stay on top" of home, family, work, & art... and I've finally made the bittersweet decision to leave my job at our sweet preschool. I plan to remain active there as a volunteer... and may even teach some craft classes later in the school year.
The sweet part of this decision is that I'll be working from my home, doing what I LOVE... Creating Art!! :) This is, in many ways, a "Leap of Faith" for me, as I am trusting that God has GOOD things for my family & me in this next "season" of my life.
And so... I've "dusted off" my Zazzle shop in recent days, & have had LOTS of FUN giving it a make-over & filling it with CUTE Baby & Kidswear using my original designs. I'm EXCITED about it!... and I hope you will be too!! Please let me know what you think! :)
"The Princess and the Pea"
Once upon a time, in what seems like a very long time ago, I was the happy (and busy!) Mom of two rambunctious boys. Our home was filled with primary colors and all things little boys love ~ legos, trucks, Playmobil, and Ninja Turtles. My guys liked to dress up and have adventures as cowboys and Indians, pirates and superheroes. As they grew older, we accumulated a basement-full of rollerblades, bikes, and skateboards. Without a doubt, ours was a home geared toward BOYS!
...And so, it should not have been a big surprise to me that taking care of Jane (a sweet baby GIRL, then 8 months old) would be a real learning experience for me.
Even from a young age, Jane seemed drawn to all things pink and sparkly. She loved to play tea party with her many dolls, and delighted in the world of fairytales, princesses, and make believe. Jane's favorite way to spend a rainy day at home was to dress-up in her pink princess dress (the purple one just would not do), and dance in the playroom with great joy and abandon. At lunchtime, she never grew tired of hearing stories about the many adventures of Princess Jane...
Many thanks, Jane, for helping me to remember the wonders of being a little GIRL. This sweet princess is inspired by YOU!!
"This Princess and the Pea" is available in my CafePress store, PHOLKART*BLESSINGS, on a variety of baby & kidswear.
"Space Explorer"
I like to learn new things. I find a lot of satisfaction in being able to search for helpful books and web resources about things that make me curious, and then dive right in and learn things on my own.
So, it made perfect sense to me, after purchasing a basic graphics program called PaintShop Pro (PSP) for my new computer, to wander down to my favorite local bookstore and buy a how-to book. I chose what I thought must surely be a very simple book ~ "PaintShop Pro for Dummies" ~ and eagerly headed home to learn the ins-and-outs of digital manipulation.
Well... it didn't take me long to realize that I might as well have been trying to decipher hieroglyphics! I just didn't seem to be able to "get" it. And so, reluctantly, I put this learning project aside.
Happily, this past summer my college-aged son (who amazes me with his ability to whiz around in Photoshop!) generously agreed to tutor me in PSP. Suddenly, some of those baffling PSP hieroglyphics started to make sense to me! Soon, I was scanning my line drawings into the computer and "painting" them on the screen... what fun!!
I still have a lot to learn about the "art" of PSP. But one thing I did learn this summer ~ some things are just more fun when learned together!
Thanks, Jesse, for all your patience!! Love, Mom
