taking time to play...

hi all!

wow what a week.  it has been a really really rough one for me.  not only do i have ALOT of things i am working on (and wanted to be completely done with by today) but my headaches are back and they are worse than they have ever been.  the pain is so severe i feel nauseous at times and i am still working as much as i can manage.  of course in addition i still have to take care of pezza and the cleaning still needs to be done, the errands, the cooking, the laundry - moms don't get to take sick days, lay in bed and get well KWIM?  i am also struggling a bit with fear - while i am fairly certain what i have is stress/tension induced however i watched two friends die of brain cancer up close and personal.  it's hard not to think of them when i have a severe headache even though i know that's not what it is.  to top it all off my darling little daughter bit a kid at school yesterday.  really.  again.  even weirder - it's always in march....

SO i have been making doctor appointments - i found a very comprehensive neurology office i will be going to in 2 weeks.  meanwhile i went and had my eyes checked just to rule that out - AND got to order new glasses - apparently the reading has not only gotten worse but so has the distance.  so now i get to wear glasses all the time and got some prescription sunglasses as well.  i have always had the $9.99 walmart specials.  i DID pick out some really fun frames for both - purple OF COURSE.  today i will be begging and pleading with my chiropractor to try and get in.  i also have an evaluation set up for little miss contrary next week.

even though i have been unable to get out in the yard like i desperately want to i HAVE been in the studio playing with some Luminarte goodies.  Susana has brought them in and i am doing some video how tos for her - those should be up soon!  and while i don't have any finished projects to show you i was inspired by my friend Jen Balzer's post today to show you what i have been up to.  i love to get messy and experiment with art stuff - it's the best way to learn.  as Jen mentions in her post it can really help feed your creative soul when you are in a rut and don't know what you want to "make."

so here are some pics of my playtime pieces using Luminarte's new Silks Acrylic Glaze and the delicious Primary Elements Artist Pigment colors and various ways of mixing them up:

 This one is my favorite - I mixed Apple Blossom and Ginger Peach Primary Elements powders with some Claudine Hellmuth Multi-medium gloss to make two piles of gorgeous shimmery paint.  then i scraped them onto my card stock using a small plastic spackle thingy (you can easily use an old credit card or gift card.)  i love the colors, i love the streaks and of course i love the shimmer when the light hits it.

i brushed some silks on randomly with a brush and then stamped and embossed them.  i really like the embossed one!  this is Teal Zircon and Fern

here is another technique i love though i am not sure i love the two colors i put together - separately yes - together maybe not.  this is Stargazer & Coral Berry - YUM!

 i also tried some stamping with the Silks - works GREAT!

Silks are also fabulous paired with stencils - you can find lots of stencils by Crafter's Workshop on the SCACD site too, including this Aspen Tree stencil by Victoria Case.

Want to add some of these delicious Luminarte paints to your collection?  there are THREE MORE DAYS left to join in the 2nd challenge in the Mix It Up group over on Color Me Creative.  All you have to do is use a book page on your project!  one random winner will get a $20 gift certificate to SCACD!