Breaking Free - It's A Process

I found this picture today and had to share it:
 

I did share it also on my personal Facebook page, with some thoughts of my own:

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I'm not there quite yet... but getting a little closer every day I think. I do know that worrying what others think is paralyzing. I'm (slowly) learning that the only person I have control over is me - and even that much to manage is a challenge some days. I'm working on breaking free, coming back to life, and getting back to what I love - painting, writing, creating...
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Finding this picture again today (I've seen it before) is very timely.  Last night I stumbled across another person that I need to contact about a custom order from several years ago.  Of course, I am terrified, waiting to hear the things I've been telling myself all these years, from someone else.  I am encouraged by the last person I contacted; she was happy for me that my life was doing better and when she received her horse, she said she loved him.  I am so thankful for all of that, it was the outcome I had hoped for, but had feared would never happen.

Another encouragement is recently learning of another (MUCH more skilled and well-known) artist having had struggles with clinical depression.  She has been working on her return to sculpting and painting after a long period of depression - and she has now even created a horse for one of the big model horse companies! 

I reached out to her and thanked her so much for sharing her journey through depression.  I told her that I'm battling back from extended period of darkness myself, right now.  She was so nice and encouraged me to keep moving forward, keep painting, keep showing.  I can't express how much her words meant to me.  Her words of encouragement came right on the eve of my very first live show in over 10 years.  Even though I had a paid entry into the show, I was still thinking of backing out, but after her messages, I decided to go... and what a show it was!

Her story gave me hope.  Granted, I would say she has more talent that I do in just her pinky! - but I found hope that there can be life and a continuation of a creative journey, after many dark years.


The next horse I need to finish is already nearly done.  I'd like to get him finished soon and *gulp*, try and make contact with his owner.

On His Way!

Today, this guy finally went out in the mail, back to his owner...

... but not before I took a bunch more pictures of him, including some that turned into artsy headshots. 

I was thinking the black background might look neat for him - and boy did it.  I found that I couldn't stop taking pictures of him in that spot.  I think this shelf might be a new favorite photo location, at least for the light-colored horses.  In the morning the sun shines into the room and provides a nice natural light, without a direct glare, the way this shelf is set up.

He ended up with a neat reverse dappling that looks really cool in person, but..  I wasn't really able to capture it in pictures.  It is pretty subtle I guess and this is about as close as I could get to having a picture of it:

One last shot, before the mummification is complete and into the box he goes.  Farewell, little buddy, I hope your owner likes your new "clothes" and that do well in the show ring!

We're Not in Kansas Anymore

Today is our third straight day of high winds.  I'm waiting for the house to be swept away at any moment and go swirling off to Oz.  I haven't been able to get much of anything done outside of the house, so I've been busy listing items for sale.  I'm slowly working on a plan for the three craft sites that I belong to, as far as what to list where.  I think I've got a plan figured out.

I took more pictures yesterday of a batch of bookmarks I'd missed.  I also took pictures of my new original Nail Necklace designs and used the pictures to design a large avatar picture for my Nail Necklace Facebook fan page.

Here is the avatar pic I put together (complete with sneak peak of the new necklaces!) :

This is the link to the Nail Necklace FB page if you'd like to check it out:

Nail Necklace on Facebook

I was contacted tonight through my Nail Necklace online store about designing a cross for a special cause.  I hate to be so secretive (like I kinda was about the Spanish Mustang resin horse a couple days ago!) but I'm not even sure myself what the details are on this yet either.  I've been invitied to call the gal tomorrow to discuss it.  I'm looking forward to talking with her.  From what I've learned so far, this is a very worthy cause and I'd love to work on a piece for it.  As before, I'll reveal more details as I know them myself.

For now I'm going to get back to listing some things as I listen to the wind roar outside.  I wonder when it's going to let up??

First Etsy Sale - A Special One

Yesterday I had my first sale from my Etsy shop, which was also a custom order. A woman sent me a message on Etsy, asking if I could make a custom cross necklace for her. It was to be given to a dear friend who's mother had passed away from cancer. I told her that I would be honored to make this cross for her.

My Granddad was the only "dad" I ever knew. He was, bar none, the most influential person in my life. We lost him in 2004 to a very aggressive brain cancer. No one in the family had ever suffered from cancer before. It only took 6 months from diagnosis until he was gone, and that was with brain surgery to remove as much of it as they could.

I still miss him greatly.

I made the memorial cross last night and will be sending it out to her today. This was a very special project for me to do and I really hope that she, and her friend, like it.