My head aches

I have been treating my chronic daily migraines lately with a multi-treatment approach.  Which is good, but everyone says "Oh, my way will cure it!"  They take me for the desperate fool that I am.   Oh, let's give you botox - it's 99% effective, but oh yeah you may have to take it for years for it to work.  Oh, my magic wrap will help, oh, my pt will work, it's all in your neck! Oh, take these pills, but not the good ones, they will take care of the pain, but you will be a zombie, - and you will.  Oh, I know we will give you these shots, oh but insurance says no, costs too much, gave you too much relief!  Oh, but in it all - you know you are still crazy, don't you?  Want to keep up with those ECT treatments - oh yeah, they will most likely make you loose several months of memory, but you will feel better. And oh yeah, you need to loose alot of weight! Go ahead and get started on that! And I don't understand why you are not going out doing things - you just have a headache.  


After a week with several level 10 headaches and the noise of all these people trying to help me - and they are - sometimes I just want to crawl back in my dark, dark hole.  But that won't help either.  There has to be an answer, I don't think one person has it, except maybe me.  Wouldn't that be the joke of it all.

My places of Inspiration

 I have said in the past that I have two homes; one in East Tennessee and one on the islands of Sanibel and Captiva in Florida.  These places have provided me with a plethora of inspired thought over the years.  I have a hard time quieting my mind, but these places have a place in my soul and speak to me with their beautiful imagery.

I was raised to go to church on Sunday mornings, I struggled with this over the years.  The church of my youth is a beautiful, German architectural marvel.  But my heart, my soul was always in the small places around me that moved me by their color, shape, breath, and wisdom.  The nooks and crannies of the places of my heart.  I have spent my life sharing these special places with my friends, family and all people that have been gifted or have purchased my creations.  Each piece has a bit of the ambiance of my environment. 

I feel the typical guilt of not measuring up to what religion asks of me, but I feel blessed to have been touched by the places and the people around me.

Past Projects

One of my favorite works was my first "Home Sweet Home" wall hanging.  It has a sweet orange plaid cottage, I've always wanted one!  Especially with  a swirly window and and a topiary, that never needs watering and never dies.  Lots of windows and fireplaces.  It has a willow tree, they remind me of my childhood, swinging on its branches.  A heart, just one of my top icons.  An owl, just too cute.  


Lots of orange, green and blue, and rick rack too.  Hand stitching always makes a piece personnel.  The background is the wool from one of my mom's skirts, that she has donated to the cause of furthering my art.  The idea of the design came from a dream. And it is hanging in my best friend's living room.  


Truly a blessed work of art.

Tropical Inspiration

I love most everything about the nature of tropical islands.  The trees and plants are very different from my mountain home.  The wildlife is abundant and vibrant.  The smells of salt water, scents of tropical flowers are tantalizing.  


My favorite thing at the beach is where the water meets the sand.  The sparkle, the blue and turquoise of the water and the beige of the soft sand.  I love color and the colors at our vacation spots speak to my soul.  It always feels like a second homecoming when the colors, breeze, and smells overcome my senses.  

So these colors are what inspired "Sparkle" the seahorse.  Beige sand, turquoise water, and the sparkle of the waves.  Sparkle is  embroidered with gold thread and beaded with gold and silver glass.  The batik fabric and the gold stampted turqouise fabric form a stunning border for a special piece.  

Original Designs

When researching design and reworking some ideas for new banner pieces, the design process takes more time than the creation of the piece.  Especially when you are designing a custom work.  Trying to visualize what they want and have in mind, can drive you crazy trying to get the details right.  

Will they get that those are re-imagined dandelion seeds?

 And those leaves in this border, which I redid several times, are truly inspired by using the batik -- who would look at a tree and see a a single color when they saw the leaves?

This house look so welcoming to me, does it to others?  Or would they prefer a red and pink one?


















When making an original design it is the smallest choices you make that make a piece work.  But to me, the designer, it is essential to make original pieces rather that cookie cutter duplicates.  I think my choice definitely defines my income.  I am always willing to duplicate a banner, but it will also be an original -- I always make changes to improve the design.  

T

To Begin Again

How many chances to we get to begin again?  


Well, each day is a new beginning.  The opportunity to face the challenges of the day with a renewed lust for life.  Of course we all have different challenges and opportunities.  I find it good to occasionally step back and take a look.  Last week, I tagged along on a family trip to the beach and took a look.


I have chronic daily migraines.  Sometimes it's hard to even get a glimpse of my opportunities because the challenges are so large.  But a few pain free days due to a bilateral nerve block, made me see that I needed to clear out, clean up, start over on specific opportunities.  


Put new energy into my craft business, spend more time outside, and put more time into building personal relationships.  Things that are easy to set aside in the face of my daily pain.  Take the opportunity of relief from the constant pain and look outside of myself.  Do the things I want to do, have talked about doing.  Grab the moments that I have and put the energy where I want it to go.



Easy to say.  Time to begin.