colour my life

When it comes to painting, I love playing with different colors...seeing what matches, what will blend well together, and how different shapes and patterns of color can make up a piece of artwork.

Vivid colors are all around us in the most ordinary of things. Take notice of small things around you...they might be the most inspiring.

 plants

cinnamon

book cover

peeled paint and rust

a door

What inspires you in your chosen craft? Is it color...lines...shapes....?

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guest post from the citybirds nest!

I am so excited today because Cristie from the citybirds nest is guest posting here! So please give a warm welcome to this special lady. I admire her work and love her paintings and jewelry! When you're done reading, don't forget to check out her shop. She is such a talented individual with a sweet and kind spirit and I am so happy to know her! :)

hi poppy and sunshine readers! a big thanks to the lovely shawna for having me here on her beautiful and inspirational blog! shawna has such great taste and does such an amazing job putting collections of pictures together and i love the inspiration that oozes from her blog, so thank you again for letting me be a part of that!

let me start by introducing myself... i'm cb the writing and lady behind the pictures of the citybirds nest and the crafty lady of citybirds! i wanted to share with shawna's readers my little crafting world.

i have always been an artistic. i grew up with a mother who is an amazing artist who has shaped me into the artist i am today. so being artistic is in my blood and a huge part of who i am. i love it, breath it and if i could eat it i would! 

over the years my art has changed and grown but i never have strayed far from color. it is what moves me and speaks to me as an artist. one of my favorite things is painting and experimenting with color combination and manipulating the color on my palette.

i opened up my first etsy store a couple of years ago and my retro chicks were the first paintings that i started to produce. i love how fun  they are and the bright vibrant color combinations. they are just so darn happy!

 i just started doing water color illustrations again and i love creating them and giggling at them when they are complete. i love the personalities that shine through with just the simple stroke of my quill.

i also LOVE to make jewelry. i am a jewelry hoarder by nature so making jewelry came a bit naturally. i make earrings and necklaces using hand painted porcelain owls with a combination of leather and i love adding a bit of a surprise to them like silver pistol charms.

i am in the midst of coming up with a bit more mature line that is inspired by nature and the inner hippie in me. i can't wait to share when they are ready!

thanks so again shawna for having me, you rock!

xo,

cb

everything you do leaves a mark

I just received an email about one amazing artist, Dalton Ghetti, who is a pencil lead sculptor. It truly is incredible to see these tiny sculptures made from the lead of a pencil! And at the end of the email, it applied lessons that we can learn from these pencils...

"A PENCIL MAKER TOLD THE PENCIL 5 IMPORTANT LESSONS JUST BEFORE PUTTING IT IN THE BOX :

1.) EVERYTHING YOU DO WILL ALWAYS LEAVE A MARK .

2.) YOU CAN ALWAYS CORRECT THE MISTAKES YOU MAKE.

3.) WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS WHAT IS INSIDE OF YOU.

4.) IN LIFE , YOU WILL UNDERGO PAINFUL SHARPENINGS, WHICH WILL ONLY MAKE YOU BETTER.

5.) TO BE THE BEST PENCIL, YOU MUST ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE HELD AND GUIDED BY THE HAND THAT HOLDS YOU. 

We all need to be constantly sharpened. This parable may encourage you to know that you are a special person, with unique God-given talents and abilities. Only you can fulfill the purpose which you were born to accomplish. Never allow yourself to get discouraged and think that your life is insignificant and cannot be changed and, like the pencil, always remember that the most important part of who you are, is what's inside of you and then allow yourself to be guided by the hand of God."

I hope you could find inspiration in these words. 

Remember, you can always correct the mistakes that you make.

a new chapter

Today start

the beginning of a new chapter.

paint a picture.

make a fashion statement.

travel somewhere new.

be brave.

try a new recipe.

love.

 find out where you came from

 ...and where you are going.

And sometimes it only takes making some small changes in your normal routine to get out of the same rut and start a new path...

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Courage Doesn't Always Roar

I have been feeling a lack of inspiration lately.

Sometimes it's hard to know what steps to take to go in the direction of your dreams.

"Everyone knows there's a tremendous intimidation in just getting started...So rather than getting started, think ahead, then reverse engineer it back to the solution...Visualize the success of your idea. Then work your way backward to the solution until you find the obstacle."

-The Imagineering Way

“Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow.”

-Mary Ann Radmacher

“Remember today, for it is the beginning of always. Today marks the start of a brave new future filled with all your dreams can hold. Think truly to the future and make those dreams come true."

-Unknown

“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.”
-Epicurus

"Ideas can be life-changing. Sometimes all you need to open the door is just one more good idea."

-John Rohn

“If you only do what you know you can do- you never do very much.”

-Tom Krause

“Enthusiasm is excitement with inspiration, motivation, and a pinch of creativity.”

-Bo Bennet

As I wait for inspiration, I hope that you are finding inspiration in your life. And remember to go in the direction of your dreams, no matter how big they may seem.

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