My first She Art Girl!

Hello and long time no blog!  I've been busy spending all of my time snuggling my little guy.  I know that I need to snuggle him as much as I can, because they grow up so fast.  Plus, he's just really cuddly! lol

I have a really hard time making free time for myself, but a few weeks ago I stumbled upon Christy Tomlinson's blog and saw her post about a class she was having this month.  I have to admit, that the first thing that pulled me in was the picture she had made just to promote the class.  I loved the colors and the feel to it.  I can't really explain it.  I am such a visual person, like almost to the point to where it controls me. lol  So, once I saw that picture with the colors and the girl.....I just couldn't get it out of my mind.

So, I kept going back to her page and reading about the class and drooling over the amazing mixed media art girls that she was creating.  I probably did this for a couple of weeks!  Then, one day, I finally told myself to just do it!  Sign up!  And to do it for ME.  I haven't been spending hardly any time being creative lately and I miss it.  I miss it deep down inside and it was starting to almost make me depressed.    I spent several months at the end of last year doing tons of sewing, but this is different and I knew that it was something that I needed to do for myself.   So I did!

And, I am loving every single minute of it!  We are just starting Week 3 today.  I have mixed emotions about it, because it's our last week  of the workshop but we are also going to learn how to make a girl that looks like us.  I can't express how much I am enjoying this class.  First of all, I'm on a pretty limited crafty budget and this class is so inexpensive.  I couldn't believe it when I saw that it was only $30.  I have passed up on workshop after workshop just because they were so expensive and right now in my life I can't justify spending a lot on something like that.   If you're a crafty/scrapbooking person you probably already have a lot of the supplies needed to make your own girl.  I did need to go purchase some acrylic paints but you don't need anything fancy, so I got the cheap paints and brushes at Michael's.   I have to admit that I've gone out and bought some other fun supplies, because I just couldn't resist. lol

Now, since I haven't ever done an online workshop like this before, I had no idea what to expect or anything to compare it to.  But, I feel sorry for any other class that I take after this, because I have been nothing but totally impressed with everything that Christy has done!  She is such sweet, honest, and caring person.....and I feel like I'm right there talking with her during the videos.   The webpage that she has set up for the workshop is so well organized, the videos where she teaches you how to make the girls are amazing (oh all of the techniques she shows you are incredible!!!), she has patterns for you to print and use, there's a message board where you can meet, chat and ask questions  to other workshop participants and Christy.....I could go on and on!  Oh, and there is a Flickr group where everyone can share their awesome girls and get inspiration!  I could go on and on, but I'll stop rambling about it and just say that if you want to learn something new, that's totally fun and really easy, express your creativity, meet some wonderfully talented and nice people, then TAKE THIS CLASS!  ;-)

My only regret is that I have not been able to spend enough time meeting everyone in the community board.   I just don't have the time to sit and read/reply to the messages there. :-(  But, I'm hoping to try to more these next couple of months.  Oh, that's the other wonderful thing that I forgot to mention.  Even though the workshop is over in 3 weeks, Christy is being so generous by leaving the site active for us so that we can view all of the videos, PDF's, chat in the community board and share our creations in the Flickr group!  This is such a huge blessing for me, because I wasn't even able to start on my first girl until the second week of the workshop had started.  So, you aren't rushed and have plenty of time to watch the videos, learn the techniques, create your own girls and share!

So, now that I've talked your ears off about this.....I'll show you my first She Art Girl.   I named her Lucy. ;-)

I was so excited to get started on her that I actually did some of the steps in the wrong order.  lol  But, you can't even tell because this is such a fun and creative way to make art!  I thought long and hard about what I wanted my saying to be and I finally decided on, "She is discovering herself through art."  I chose this, because this past month I have decided that it's way past time for me to really find myself and embrace what makes me, me!  I have been a stay-at-home mom for almost 20 years and I have loved every second of it, but I have also let it take over a lot of the other things that I love, that define me.  I always tell myself and others that "I'm just a mom".  Well, I'm realizing that I'm not!  The most important thing that keeps me going is being creative.  And, I've really pushed that aside to be a full-time mom.  For some reason I forgot that I can be both!  That both are equally important to me and I'm only hurting my true self by ignoring my need to be creative.  And, what has really started to open my mind to this and let the light in was deciding to take this class!  I never thought that I could do anything like this.  I haven't ever been sure enough in my own creativity.  I have this mean, little voice in the back in my head that has always told me and that I have quoted to others, "You are really good at copying people, but you can't think up creative ideas on your own."  I still struggle with that every day, but Christy and her workshop have helped give me my own voice to say, "I AM creative!" I can't say it as boldly as I want to, but I'm working on that..... ;-)

So, I hope that you consider joining Christy in April for her next She Art Girl Workshop.  You won't be disappointed!  I promise!  And, I will be sharing another on of my girls next week.  She's actually a surprise for someone special and I get to deliver it soon.  ;-)  

Take care and God Bless!
di

p.s......It took me all day to write this post, in-between dirty diapers, nursing and cuddling for naps, plus chasing around a 3-year old, so I'm sorry for any and all type-o's and other goofy mistakes that I probably made while writing this. lol