UPDATE: The winner is…Shirley Long!
*~*~*

A few days ago, I asked readers to “show me what they made.” I asked for pictures of their art. I chose the winners of that challenge using a random number generator because I’m not going to judge anyone’s art. The two winners of the challenge are listed on the previous blog, but for a chance to win something today (whether you participated in the challenge or not), I’ll give a $5 Amazon gift card to someone who comments here!

Anna Taylor Sweringen

Not only is she an author, Anna makes lovely, seasonal wreaths for her door! If you’d like to see more of her work, check out this blog she did with pictures of some of her artwork: Wreaths

Beckie Lowe

Look at how gorgeous these are! I’m so jealous. My daughter loves gnomes, she’ll flip out seeing Beckie’s!

Bridget

Too cute!

Cindy Bartolotta

Check out the wiremen! Very clever!

Eileen McCall

I’ve always wanted to make a quilt! But it takes patience (which I lack!). So pretty!

Ellen Wulf

Now, I knew Ellen made lovely stained glass art, but I had no idea she was so multi-talented!

Fedora Chen

I was hoping someone would show off their cooking skills! Fedora made a very scrumptious-looking cake. What do you think it is? Looks like there’s chunks of apple, so maybe an applesauce cake?

Plus, she’s showing off her knitting skills! Look at the lovely patterns!

Jennifer Beyer

This is adorable!

UPDATE: The winners are…Bridget and Ellen Wulf!
*~*~*

Tonight, I’ll be leading a Gelli plate class for my local art guild. It’s going to be some messy fun! We’ll create papers we can repurpose to make many cool things. I’ll show them the gift tags I made from papers I painted.

We’re all creative people—creative in many different and beautiful ways. I’d love a chance to showcase what you do!

So, my challenge to you is to send me a picture of something you made. It could be a piece of art, an apron you sewed, a lovely dish you cooked for your family—the possibilities are endless!

Send me a picture of what you’ve made, and I’ll post a blog next week highlighting your “art.” Send the picture to me no later than this coming Sunday for me to post next week! Then I’ll choose a winner at random to receive something I made: a bookmark, a postcard, a couple of these tags, perhaps? Your choice! Send your pictures to me at delilah@delilahdevlin.com then comment below to tell me what you’re going to share, because I’d love everyone to read your comments! In fact, I’ll choose a winner from among the commenters to receive their choice of a download of one of my books, so there’s a second prize to be won!

The winner is…Stacey Kinzebach!
*~*~*

Well, yesterday was the perfect day.

I had so much fun. I blew off writing—which was NOT a smart thing to do when I have to finish a book this week. However, my daughter, who has been ill for several weeks now, was feeling better and wanted to do something artful. I could have demurred and set her up in my studio with everything she needed, but once I began putting out supplies for some monoprinting using a Gelli plate, I had to stay to guide her, right?

We pulled out paint and stencils, and I showed her how to pull some simple prints. Then I showed her how you can use the prints. See that green leafy print in the top right of the photo? Well, I have a tag punch, and cut a bunch of gift tags using that pretty pattern. Plus, you can tear or cut the papers to use in collaging, and on, and on.

We had so much fun! Next time, I’ll pull out some stamps and catalyst tools and show her how to add texture to the prints. Yes, she wants a next time. We both had a blast and felt so relaxed and happy after we finished. Clean-up wasn’t so bad when it was two of us washing stencils and plates. Just wait until I show her how to make cute little booklets using the monoprints for covers…

Oh, I pulled a print using a stencil and loved all the white space it left. So, I spent a couple of hours coloring it in with some oil pastels, which meant a lot of messy blending of colors with my fingertips.

I love how vivid the colors are—it’s almost like looking at an illuminated stained-glass window. And it gives me so many ideas for future art projects!

This week’s going to be balls-to-the-wall. (I’ve never quite understood that phrase.) I have to write. No excuses. If I want to spend another day like I did yesterday, I have to get the work done first.

For a chance to win a free download of a book from my backlist, tell how you would spend your perfect day.

So, it’s Wednesday. Tomorrow, I have to load a book I have to finish today. I have to have my art ready to cart to the festival that begins on Friday. I’m a bit overwhelmed this morning and on my second cup of coffee. Think I’ll make it?

Oh, and do you like the bookmarks? I have a huge stack of them ready, almost as huge a stack of postcards, plus art in plastic ready to be framed and some framed pieces. I’ll take pictures when we’re set up on Friday to share. So nervous!

UPDATE: The winner is…Elaine Howell!
*~*~*

This summer isn’t working out the way I’d hoped. I wanted to have a lazy-ish summer where I could enjoy the pool with the kids, paint some things, and dream about the stories I want to write. It hasn’t worked out that way.

I didn’t even make it through the second day of the art fodder challenge I was hoping to complete this month. Okay, so part of it wasn’t because of lack of time, it was due to lack of interest. The daily projects dropped, and I didn’t want to do them. Some of them were soooo time-consuming. I didn’t have an ENTIRE day to devote to making something I’ll glue on something else. I like quick projects, or at least projects where I can paint part of them and come back the next day to continue another part. The challenge wasn’t what I needed. I had a book to finish, which I did. Plus, I’ve had multiple editing projects, one after the other, some at the same time, to muddle through. So, there went my free time.

What I really want to do is start inventorying the art I have to see what else I need to produce for the Art Festival in October and the Christmas craft fair in December. Maybe I can tackle that a little at a time.

As well, I have some new products I want to try out. I’ve been collecting supplies for encaustic (wax) painting. I have an iron, a heating plate, a variety and many colors of wax, special brushes, scrapers, etc. Now, I just need to carve out an ENTIRE DAY to set up my space and experiment. I hope I love it. I hope I can get good at it. I love moving around mediums (watercolor, acrylic, collage, so far) when I get bored.

My daughter is getting a headstart. Here are a few of the things she’s completed so far. They’re so fun!

She hand-dyed the wooden beads and painted the sign for this pretty garland.

She’s been playing with polymer clay to make jewelry.

 

Aren’t they cute? So, today, I’m hoping to complete one more set of edits. I finished another last night. Tomorrow, I carved out the day for Oppenheimer with my daughter and SIL. I’m looking forward to some “adulting,” movie popcorn, and some Cillian Murphy.

Next Tuesday, we’ll do Barbie with the girls. Yes, we’re doing the “Barbenheimer” challenge—just not all in one day. I need the T-shirt! 🙂

So, for a chance to win a FREE download of one of my books, tell me what you wish you had more time for—something you really, really want to do. Or tell me whether you’re planning to see the movies!

UPDATE: The winner is…Mary Preston!
*~*~*

June

1. I revised and re-published a story that was originally part of an Entangled anthology, Along Came a Spider on June 27th!
2. I began writing the next Montana Bounty Hunters: We Are Dead Horse, MT — Jackson!
3. I settled on the theme for the next Boys Behaving Badly Anthology — Secret Identities!
4. I completed 3 editing projects for other authors in June.

Health-related:

1. I’ve been swimming almost every day. Sometimes, twice a day.
2. Through medicines and some diet tweaking, I’ve managed to get my blood pressure down. Not enough, and not without an occasional spike, but it’s so much better.

Happiness-related: 

1. I have been working on and making great progress organizing my art room, getting ready for the next push for art shows and reopening my Etsy store.
2. I finished #the100dayproject online art challenge! Here are some of my last pieces I completed in the beginning of June…

July

1. To complete writing and publish Jackson, the next in my Montana Bounty Hunters: Dead Horse, MT series which releases on July 11th!
2. To complete 4 editing projects in July!

For health related, I plan:

1. To swim at least once a day!
2. To resume counting those points for my Weight Watchers diet and hopefully shed at least 5 pounds, remembering, as always: Slow is good!
3. To continue to reduce salt, processed food, and incorporate foods good for blood pressure (spinach, broccoli, bananas, red wine).
4. To begin walking and counting my steps.
5. To do more housework because my art room isn’t finished! Cleaning is exercise, too.

For happiness-related, I plan: 

1. To spend quality time with the family—movie nights, swim-time, making fun meals together!
2. To participate in and complete a free art workshop, the Fodder Challenge 2023!

Contest

Comment on anything you’ve read in this post. Tell me what you’re doing to make yourself happier and healthier. Tell me what you plan to read in July…
Like I said, comment on anything for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!

UPDATE: The winner is…Sandra Marlow!
*~*~*

It’s weird, but I thought of myself as a writer when I began writing. “Author” was a title I gave myself when I published my first book. It was easy for me to claim those sobriquets.

Calling myself an artist doesn’t feel as easy or comfortable. And yet, I’ve sold many pieces to people who actually wanted to hang them on their walls. To me, it’s thrilling, but maybe it has to do with my mother whose birthday fell two days ago—and no, I’m not blaming her. She was a wonderful mother. It has more to do with my own confidence.  Now, she was an artist. She could paint very realistic oil paintings and did lovely watercolors and sketches. I pattered about with jewelry making when she was alive, but my art consisted of more crafty endeavors—using stamps and inks on things like tiles and dominoes. It wasn’t until she was in need of 24/7 care here at home, and my daughter and I were providing that care with assistance from nurses who stopped in a couple of times a week, that I began painting and doodling.

She never saw my work, and I know she would’ve encouraged me, but she wouldn’t have taken my efforts seriously because I don’t care about realism or learning “the basics” of color mixing and perspective, etc. Still, it almost felt like the passing of the baton when she left. Suddenly, I found my next passion (the first was writing!). I haven’t looked back, but I’ve certainly grown restless, wanting more time to do what excites me most.

Yes, I have a “day job.” Being an author is work. Editing is more work. They pay the bills, but one day, I would love to spend at least as much time painting as I do writing and editing. Of late, when my local art guild has exhibits, I volunteer to man the center to keep the doors open for the public, because, guess what? I can paint all damn day. Having time as opposed to having minutes here and there makes a huge difference.

Take for example what I accomplished this week:

These are pretty but quick. I can do them very, very easily. They take about 20 minutes each, mostly because of drying time.

And then there’s this, which I accomplished while I sat waiting for “the public” to walk through the doors. This took time, and I’m thrilled with the “depth” I managed with watercolor paints. I used 4 different colors on those yellow flower petals to get that 3-D effect. I was in the zone when I stroked that brush again and again, trying not to let the colors “muddy” up. And the leaves? Don’t they have texture? Can’t you almost feel them?

That doesn’t mean that if I have time I want to do more realistic or well-defined pieces all the time. I also worked on this:

I did the watercolor work at the art center but used my acrylic paint pens to finish up the doodle work last night and this morning. It took easily as much time to complete this as the flowers above. It’s not perfect, and I can see balance issues and so many things I would do differently if I attempt another. Still, painting this brought me joy.

So, yes, I’m carving out time to devote to painting. Time I could be writing. Sorry.

My question to you for a chance to win one of the hand-painted bookmarks above is, what is your passion? Have you found it?