Monday, October 30, 2017

A Big Mix Of Subjects

 Lots to share for this week so I'll just begin - with this birthday card for a friend:


 Products: lg white notecard; blue, green, yellow, pink cardstock; patterned paper; happy birthday/balloons die set (Our Daily Bread Designs); Spellbinders die cut machine; Versafine Onyx Black in; Versamark ink (Tsukineko); floral stamp (Magenta); assorted rhinestones.

 Linking with the Simon Wednesday Challenge (Anything Goes).

For T Stands For Tuesday I have a few pics from a local winery friends and I visited earlier this month- Black River Farms Winery:

                                                      the tasting bar

                                                      I liked this sign

                                upper level tasting room for private parties

                                  one corner of the vineyard

me and hubby on left along with the friends we go to the beach with for a week every August. The wine was OK but a bit sweet (even the dry ones) and to me local state wines around our area just don't have the depth and richness I enjoy. We had a fun time tho and the owners were really nice, giving us a tour and talk about their equipment and process. Speaking of friends,  Tuesday will be busy for me as I am hosting lunch for my BFFS since elementary(primary) school. Guaranteed fun and lots of laughs!

 I have one more Halloween themed journal page (part of my October calendar journal):


 My page was painted after watching the Art Sherpa You Tube video "Day and Night Cats Willow Tree".  I took the main ideas but changed it a bit :)  Joining Moo Mania and More (theme is Halloween) and Paint Party Friday.

 Going off the art track here- just for a bit , and then I'll end with another journal page.

 This is my cleaned up main art table:


 I am continuing the clean up, clean out, letting go, and purging... and not just things.
Last Friday morning I made the decision to let go of a relationship that was no longer serving me. It has taken me a long time to acknowledge this and although my most supportive tribe has known it quite awhile I had to come to this myself. I was continually compromising over and over again, accepting constant excuses for disappointing behaviors with no apologies. I now realize looking back that this person is  turning a blind eye as to how their actions have affected all of their relationships in one way or another. Although it wasn't easy because there were good times too I know in my heart I made the right decision. Another life lesson that will only help me grow. You know that adage-people come into your life- for a reason, a season, or a lifetime.
 Thanks for listening and now I really would love to hear from you- have you ever had to let go of a friendship that was no longer serving you? How did you handle it? How did you feel afterwards?

 And here is another journal page:


 Background is a combination of Distress Oxide and Distress inks and stencils. Acrylic paint spatters. Silhouette wildflowers stencil (Magenta), Mosaic layering stencil (Tim Holtz), bird stencil (Stencil Girl), circle stamps (Ellen Hutson), stitches stamps (Whimsy stamps), bee stamp (Magenta), Stickles glitter glue.
 Joining Art Journal Journey (thank you Elke for hosting your theme of "Landscapes of the Soul" this month!); Mix It Monthly (autumn); the Simon Monday Challenge (All creatures Great and Small); Try It on Tuesday (Circles), and Paint Party Friday! Talk about serendipity-I didn't know this page would link to so many challenges when I made it over the weekend:)

 Will be around to see what you all are up to - the best part of blogging to me is the connecting!
Leaving you with some words of wisdom...

" Buddhism teaches that joy and happiness arise from letting go. Please sit down and take inventory of your life. There are things you've been hanging on to that really are not useful and deprive you of your freedom. Find the courage to let them go."        Thich Nhat Hanh

38 comments:

  1. Oh Linda ~ all your art is so gorgeous ~ my favorite today is the Halloween one with the bats ~ absolutely divine ~ You are blessed with a wonderful hubby and a great group of friends ~ why hold onto a person who is not a good friend? I think you made the right choice ~ Life is all about 'letting go' like Thich Nhat Hath wrote in his wonderful quote ~ Change is the one constant we have ~ Glad you are feeling the courage to move on and be free ~ like your art work! Thanks for being you ~ Xox

    love and light,
    A ShutterBug Explores
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Beautiful art Linda. I do love that photo of you, the hubby and your friends out at the wine tasting. Too bad the wine was sweet but it still looks like you had a lot of fun. It's always hard to let go, but sometimes you have to think about helping yourself. I don't think this person would think twice about it since obviously they are no longer putting their best face forward to their relationship with you. Hope it all goes well. Loving the art this week. I can see you have a little spooky going with your Halloween page. happy Halloween and Happy T day too. hugs-Erika

    ReplyDelete
  3. No Linda but have had several 'friends' walk away from me... when i no longer fit them.....

    Awww... you all look so happy at your wine tasting! I wish i liked wine... especially during the three years i lived in wine country in CA... I like a little moscato but thats about it.. Now you could talk me into champagne...lol Love your tree painting and the fact you took something from the ArtSherpa and made it your own.... Happy happy T day! Hugs! deb

    ReplyDelete
  4. What a great post, so much to see. Lovely art, and thanks for linking the lovely circles piece to TIOT. Sorry the wine you tasted wasn't to your taste, but it's still a pretty place, love that upstairs room, very elegant. And sorry you lost a friendship, although sometimes I think, when a friendship breaks like that perhaps it was just not right from the start. Keep your good friends close! Happy T Day, hugs, Valerie

    ReplyDelete
  5. Your journal and Halloween page is wonderfully expressed and I can only agree with what the saying of Buddhism says!
    You have to go in time before a friendship is so one-sided and narrow.It brings nothing and have no guilty feelings.
    Thank you for linking to the topic AJJ, I was so happy!
    Happy week
    Elke

    ReplyDelete
  6. i wonder how much you can handle within one week! your artwork is wonderful - the gratitude journaling is adorable, but i like the others, too.
    about friendships: i think your decision was the best you could make, i´m sure you will be glad about it soon. it doesn´t Sound to me that Person really had "friendship" to offer... so no Need to feel guilty. the Buddhist Quote Expresses it quite well, i think.
    happy t-day and happy Halloween!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Linda your art is so beautiful and not just your art - also your heart! You did exactly the right when this friend is obviously not a really good friend. We have to look after ourselves!Yes : Letting go is life!
    Your workdesk is beautiful and I adore the wonderful art journal pages - especially this Gratitude page for AJJ and Try It On Tuesday - thanks a lot for supporting Art Journal Journey & Try It On Tuesday and the Halloween tree is just UNIQUE - so beautiful painted Linda. I am very happy you had linked it to Moo Mania & More! Don't mind too much - I think this person isn't worth it. Life is too short to have false friends!

    I love the beautiful photo of you and Bill and the friends! Lovely!!

    Happy T-Day Linda!
    ♥♥♥
    Susi

    ReplyDelete
  8. What beautiful artwork! The wine tasting sounds fun and that's a lovely photo of you all 😁. I'm pleased to see the girls are all colour coordinated again ... lol 😉. I have had that happen with a friend too, I felt pretty bad about it but life's too short to be disappointed all the time and sometimes you have to move on. Your gratitude page is wonderful with that amazing background of colours and patterns 😁. Wishing you a very Happy T Day! J 😊

    ReplyDelete
  9. HI Linda,
    Your journal pages are amazing! I love the first one especially! That tree is gorgeous with it's fluffy blooms. Certainly a place I would love to sit and read under, minus the bats of course.;)
    It is so disappointing and hurtful to have to end relationships but when they are toxic it is better in the end. Sometimes, that makes you the better friend...because you care enough to not enable bad behavior. I have had to end a friendship and it was a little heartbreaking as that individual seemed like my only friend at the time. But God has a way of working things out and He brought a new friend into my life. We are still friends today even though we are miles apart.
    Happy Tea Day,
    Kate

    ReplyDelete
  10. I loved your art work and I love your big desk-aren't they just the best for crafting? hubs found me one soon after we moved here-I love it.
    The winery sounds fun-we went to visit a winery last spring when a couple came down from wisconsin to visit for a long weekend. it was fun but too pricey and too sweet for us too-the grounds were gorgeous.
    Yes I did have to let a "friend" go. I got to get out and do lots of fun things with her that I miss doing-but she is someone that felt she was superior to me-always putting me down, rude comments in front of people, made me feel really bad about myself. at the time we didn't have a car that I could drive so she would take me with her to town when I also needed to shop-once we got a car she dropped me, and I had also stood up to her a couple of times. I had called to chat and she was so rude to me-never again. I guess it was mutual but I felt so much better not being around her. my husband said she just had dry humor-right lol
    Happy T Day enjoy your day today hugs Kathy

    ReplyDelete
  11. I love your bats!

    It's not the same, I know, but I'm in the middle of unfriending some FB friends, people I knew back in high school but whose only contact with me since has been them maybe "liking" my annual Happy Birthday posts on their FB walls. LOL! Honestly, I have more interaction with the people on FB I have more in common with but have never met face-to-face. I agree with your use of "tribe" as a connection, and my "tribe" includes more people I've never met than ones I have.

    Happy Halloween! And Happy T Tuesday!

    ReplyDelete
  12. I absolutely LOVE the Halloween inspired art you created for your calendar and I would love to be 30 again to receive that card. But possibly my favorite is the Gratitude journal page. It is fabulous.

    Relationships are always about give and take, and of course, communication. If those are lacking, ANY relationship will sour and end quickly. Apparently yours lasted longer than it should have. I always try to talk things through, and if that fails, I just call it quits. I don't bother to say "good bye" because it's simply over and there is nothing more to say.

    As I've told you before, I don't drink alcohol except on very special occasions. I probably haven't had any for at least three years. BUT, as for wine, I actually prefer a sweet wine, so that might be the winery I would enjoy. Too bad it didn't suit your palette. Thanks for sharing your incredible art, your clean desk, and your trip to the winery with us for T this Tuesday. It was a fun experience at least to see where the wine was grown.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Oh what a faszinating post! Oh I love letting go and your clean table! I myself back from a holiday are clearing out too! Feels so good! Love your Autumn piece and HAVE to try out the Distress Oxides too!!Looks sooo awesome!! ♥ Conny http://mix-it-monthly.blogspot.de

    ReplyDelete
  14. Looks like you've had a fun October - winery tour, BFF party today. How nice you've kept in touch all these years.

    Are you taking bets on how long your main art table will stay so neat and bare? ;-)

    Good for you for letting go of a relationship that wasn't good for you as well as for knowing you did the right thing.

    Yes, I did that myself, Linda - just last year. After being yelled at on the phone for costing her "tons of money" by calling her on her cell phone, I knew it was time. I just stopped responding to her e-mails and unfollowed her on Facebook. As I look back, I realize how long and how many times she had come to me when she needed money. I don't mean loans either. How did I feel after? Sad at first and used. But I don't regret helping her financially. It was the right thing at the time. I was a kind friend; she wasn't. Boy, your topic got me going didn't it?

    Happy T-Day! Hugs, Eileen

    ReplyDelete
  15. This was a post from the heart to read today. Sometimes we have to make choices that are good for us, some not easy , but time is a healer and new friends are out there waiting to be found.
    The trip with friends to the winery looked good fun, the photos were great.
    I loved all your art work and your neat table, my work table is a permanent mess, but I do try now and again to clear away.
    thank you for sharing one of your fantastic pieces with us at TioT's.
    Yvonne xx

    ReplyDelete
  16. Love the art today and the Winery visit looks like a lot of fun at a great place. It's hard to let even negative things go but it's usually for the best.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Great artwork Linda, the Halloween page has a wonderful depth. Even though the wine wasn't good looks like a good day with friends. It's always sad loosing a friendship but if it's not working you've got to let go. Love the tidy desk.
    Avril xx

    ReplyDelete
  18. Your studio is so neat ~ and bet the wine tasting was fun ~ ^_^

    light and love,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

    ReplyDelete
  19. The winery looks like an intetesting trip but these days I would have to pass on tastings! I am in a similar situation - everytime I come back and complain hubby asks why I still carry on the friendship. I sometimes make excuses as to why we can't meet up! Once again your ary is wonderful! I love the Halloween page and I am so pleased you joined us at Try It On Tuesday with your Gratitude page! Belated Happy T Day! Chrisx

    ReplyDelete
  20. Happy PPF and a great weekend, hugs, Valerie

    ReplyDelete
  21. Gorgeous bat painting, that tree and the whole scene is deeply atmospheric! I also love your bird and quote, powerful and beautiful, such magical art! Your wine trip looks fun! I always love the wisdom of Buddha and that quote is powerful! I am so glad you let go of that relationship, hugs, takes courage but it does set you free. yay! I can relate, I have had to examine a few friendships too that needed to end. Thanks for sharing your beautiful world and heart, shine on!
    happy PPF
    Victoria #17

    ReplyDelete
  22. What a nice trip to the winery. Your art is wonderful. I too had to let go a friend a few years ago. When a "friendship" becomes toxic it is time to move on. You are right about how friends move in and out of our lives. Another one will show up to fill that place. Have a very nice weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Beautiful birthday card and lovely pages. You have some good friends judging by the photo, so sorry about the 'bad' friend. Once I tried to let go of one but she wouldn't let me go and now...well, we have been getting along famously...fingers crossed.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Hello Linda, I enjoyed your full posting this week. Your art is lovely, wine tasting is always high on my list and yes, i understand the difficulty of letting go of a relationship that no longer serves you. It takes courage to face the truth and to take action on what is best for yourself. I had this experience last year and truthfully, it is easier said than done. I found it gut wrenching for a long time, even knowing that it was the right thing to do. Know that the rewards will come in living the most authentic life for yourself. xo
    ~~ Irene

    ReplyDelete
  25. Linda, this was such a meaningful post. I think we all come to those crossroads in our life and it is good to be reminded. Would love to receive your delightful birthday card. Happy PPF

    ReplyDelete
  26. Wonderfully creative journal page and excellent quote ~ so right ^_^

    light and love,
    A ShutterBug Explores
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

    ReplyDelete
  27. Your journal pages are beautiful, and I love how you made that card. Yes, letting go can be hard, especially when it's someone that has been very dear to you in the past. But I think we all come at a certain point in our lives when we realize letting go is better and healthier than holding on. In the end you will feel better for it... Thanks so much for purchasing my map-calendar! Hope you enjoy it ♥

    ReplyDelete
  28. I know your pain. . . and this too shall pass. It will be lighter on the other side of the hurt and pain. Congratulations. . one of the preachers says Celebrate the temporary. Love the art. Thank you for visiting and the wonderful words. Blessings, Janet

    ReplyDelete
  29. A lovely post Linda, full of gorgeous creativity and wise life philosophy.
    That's a happy and delightful 30th birthday card.
    Your gratitude journal page is wonderful, as is the fun in your halloween painting (love the bats' eyes).
    Enjoy your week, and Happy PPF! xx

    ReplyDelete
  30. Love the beautiful tree art. And your birthday card reminded me I have one to create today. :)

    ReplyDelete
  31. I am very busy taking inventory of my life and so far, not so good. Love your work, your celebrations, your surroundings.

    ReplyDelete
  32. I love your gratitude painting, there is so much good around us, it is beautiful to think about. The card is lovely too as is your Halloween painting!

    ReplyDelete
  33. Thanks, Linda for the identity of the bug on my window and also for your loving support ~ Would love to get an email going with you ~ wonderful if that is possible ~ thanks, Xox ~ need some support 'chat' with a like minded person ~ Let me know ~ Carol ~ Zoe

    ReplyDelete
  34. I really like your art journal page! Love the color combo you used and the words are so deep! Love them!
    Thank you for playing along with us over Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge! We all hope to see you again!
    x zoey

    ReplyDelete
  35. Awesome birthday card. I loved the bat artwork journal page and the other piece as well. So sorry you had to give up on a relationship that was causing you stress and disappointment. That happens so often, when someone just isn't the friend you wish they would be.

    ReplyDelete
  36. I love the art with the gratitude saying, because it is beautiful but also true. When we have gratitude in our life we can see even the smallest miracles on our path. Your friendship is in the past,but you can have gratitude for the precious moments you had and let all the other stuff go. New friends will emerge.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you so much for your comments; it's a pleasure to connect with you!