I sit here and wonder as I begin to write today's post if you aren't all really tired of hearing of my little Haunted Carousel.
For the past month or so, I have been completely obsessed with creating it, painting it, and building it. It seems that I have had little else to discuss here because it has taken over my entire life.
Yesterday, as I completed the last save on the 77 page pattern (I added some more 'completed' photos in the back of the pattern – everyone likes more pictures!) I had the same feeling return that I felt when I completed my "A Perfect World" embroidery piece.
After working on it for slightly over a year, when I finally tied the last knot of thread and knew I was done, I had a split second of 'loss'. The thought of "what next?" came to mind.
You all may have realized that I am pretty much a self-motivated individual. It wasn't always like that, but as I grew up and learned of all the wonderful possibilities that our world has to offer us, my desire to try new things often won over my desire to be lazy.
In most cases, learning about something only served to create more interest and desire within me and soon my days were filled with learning about things that I would have never thought I would want to know about. It wasn't long before this became a pattern in my life, and each new day brought new opportunities to explore new forms of creating. And my life got happier.
I am the first to admit that I am 'addicted' to color. I wonder if they have a name for such an addiction. Be it paint, thread, wood, or anything else – if it comes in lots of beautiful colors, I am IN!
I love to 'collect' things with color as well. When my shipment of beautiful silk threads from South Africa finally arrived last week, I felt pure pleasure and joy winding the threads and silk ribbon onto the little cards and placing them all in color order in the little box that I use for storage. When I was done, I just gazed at them and thought of all the wonderful things that they would become. It was like a drug.
Two days ago, while I was in the midst of finishing up the huge task at hand, another box of colors were brought to my doorstep. This time it was in the form of a new line of paint from DecoArt. The line is called Mixed Media and the paint is suitable for many different kinds of surfaces and applications. Just look at how wonderful they are!
I KNOW that all of my 'color-junkie' friends out there are drooling! I honestly feel as if Christmas has come in May!
At first when I saw this new line of paint, I told myself that I wasn't going to buy into it. After all, I already have enough paint here to paint from Nova Scotia to New Jersey. What the heck did I need more PAINT for???
But after seeing a couple of videos on these products and reading about the DecoArt Mixed Media Program it got those already over-active gears in my head turning and I thought of some wonderful applications to not only my new painting patterns, but also my WOODWORKING and SCROLL SAWING patterns as well! (Yes – I KNOW that you woodworkers don't like to paint and cover the beautiful wood grains! But that is the reason WHY I think that these products are going to be EMBRACED by you!) They are truly NEW, and will add some really EXCITING options to your scrolled projects. I can't wait to get started with them!
Today I am doing some finishing touches on ornament pattern for the carousel figures. I will also get working on the many pre-ordered kits for the carousel, as I hope to get them shipped out by next week (I am still waiting for magnets to arrive!) In between I will turn my attention to something completely different – creating some cool things using these awesome products. I think it will be fun to explore them and test them on different ideas, and I think you will enjoy seeing what I do with them. I have no doubt that you will be as impressed with them as I am and they will win you over. I am truly excited of the possibilities!
If I have peaked your interest, there are several new videos that you can tune into to see what these products are all about. Follow the link above and look on DecoArt's site. That is a good starting place. But don't let those limit your imagination. Being a woodworker AND a painter, I can see some great promise to use these with my woodworking projects. I think they will be really fun to explore.
It is cloudy here and it is suppose to rain. It may already be raining outside – I can't tell. I am going to take the next five minutes of my day to enjoy my coffee and just 'be'. Then I will jump in with both feet to the next project. I can't wait to get started with all those colors!
(I guess there are worse addictions!)
Have a wonderful Friday and a happy and safe weekend!