Bella Cosa Art

Already January 3rd

2012-01-03T11:09:00.000-08:00

I really do not know where the time goes anymore, a bit melancholy about it really. As a result I am trying to enjoy each moment, sometimes hard to do when cleaning the toilets and tackling mountains of laundry but I am going to try. Of course spending quality time with my kids is always a priority. I have one turning 7 this month, one turning 15 next month and one turning 12 this year. So hard to believe time of babies is over and they are growing so fast. I vow to play more games with them, read more stories to them and have more meaningful conversations with them, oh and teach them more....
Speaking of days and years we are getting out our new calendars, I again am going to use one of my own. I am very happy on how these turned out and was proud I got them out a little earlier this year.

Something I made

2012-01-02T18:36:00.000-08:00

Just a little post of something I made a bit ago. I thought I should post something even though I didn't get started on the first it is pretty close being only the second. Of course again I am trying to post more and since it is a new year and it seems we always try to do things we have always wanted to do, here goes one of them, blogging more.
So I am always trying to figure out a cool hand made gift for someone who always says they don't need or want anything but on the other hand would do anything for you. So they finally told me they would like some of my stationary that I make out of my paintings. Well of course I could let it rest there so I went through some things I had on hand and made a little stationary pouch to hold the cards in. I thought it turned out so cute.

The leg warmer craze continues....

2011-11-07T17:19:00.000-08:00

Now that cold weather has crept in again, ugh, I have already gotten out my recycled, felted wool. My friend and I made french press coffee cozies last week. Soon I will be making another pair of the best, warmest slippers in the world, this time with suede bottoms so I can't wear them out so fast.
For the first time I have been selling some of my goods that I have been making out of the recycled sweaters. A little over a month ago, at the first sign of cold weather, I took some leg warmers and arm warmers down to the shop where I rent a spot. I am so happy to report that I sold two pairs so far. yipee I am so glad that someone else loves them as much as me, well, actually not sure if that is possible, they probably just really liked them, as for me I am mildly obsessed. I am so excited I can be wearing mine again, I wear them with dresses, with pants, with tights, with leggings, tucked in the top of boots, they are really the best. Of course too some are smaller and they make the best arm warmers, they keep the wind from going up your sleeves, they are great for 3/4 length sleeves and you can cut a thumb hole in them for extra warmth on your hand. I really can't get enough of either of them and they become even cuter and irresistible with hand embroidery on them.
Here are some pictures of what I had. If you are interested in any for yourself shoot me a note. Right now I am just selling them locally but if there is some demand I can also put some in my shop.

Grapes

2011-11-02T20:14:00.000-07:00

I have to say it and I have to show you, Yes, I did grow these in my yard. I am so proud of my little grapes. I hope to put in more next year, I want to put in a whole row and put a few growing up my pergola over my deck (when I get it some day). I picked up this vine at K-mart one year, I have no idea what kind they are, just thought it would be fun and it was on sale. I moved it around the yard twice before it settled growing up the fence of the dog kennel. I have a bunch of vines growing to cover up the chain link to make it look pretty. This is the second year it produced, giving more each year. They are really tasty and when you pull the stem off the seed come out with it, pretty convenient. I can't wait to see what it does next year and hopefully in the spring I can plant more.

New Mixed Media Piece

2011-11-01T07:37:00.000-07:00

So the other day my daughters teacher called with a special project request and only four days to do it. She would soon be traveling with her family to Florida for her grandparents 40th wedding anniversary. The family was making an album of family events, memories and photos for them. The teacher wanted something special and different for the cover and asked if I could come up with anything. I quickly brainstormed and came up with an idea. I picked up some photos, an album page and gathered any special information that would make it unique to them. I cut out some masonite and drilled holes and then went to work. The mixed media covers were filled with photos and clippings, I used things that had special meaning, including painting on some orchids that were in her bouquet. This project was so fun to do and was very nice to be included in this special memory. Here are some pictures.
p.s. I have a photo of the lovely couple holding the album will try to get it on too, later.

Think Pink - Breast Cancer Awarness Month

2011-10-27T09:00:00.000-07:00

I had the privilege to decorate another "pink" window. This time I helped display the inside along with painting the outside. Last year I had some notice, this year things got confused and I got notice at the very last minute, but it worked out well. It seems I work best under pressure and we got things done. Last year I did pink tulips which are easy peasy, but I wanted to come up with something different since my window also won last year some may remember and see I did the same thing twice. This year I did the window for the Stone Cottage, a new business in town where local artisans and craftspeople rent a spot to show their talents and sell their goods. It is under a year old and I was excited about doing the window because I hoped it would draw attention to it and be discovered by new folks, which would benefit us all.
So to finish the story, after receiving the email that the owners wanted to participate but it was such short notice they may not be able to, I replied to the email, of course we can do it, Monday afternoon, we will meet, I will paint the windows and then we will put the inside together, lickety split all before I pick my kid up for drivers ed. That is all it took. I grabbed a bunch of pink things I had around the house, we grabbed everything pink we had in the store from the vendors and it all came together.
The crown jewel, my window won second year in a row. Here are a few pictures to share. It is so fun to do and it is a great cause. So whatever you can do this month, if it is giving money or raising awareness by some kind of generous act, please do your part.

Mushroom Lovers

2011-10-18T12:21:00.000-07:00

So my 14 year old son loves mushrooms, particular sauteed or fried, particularly over steak, which is one of his favorite foods since he can remember. So whenever mushrooms are on sale I buy them, mainly for him, we all like them but it is fun to see his face light up when I tell him I am making them. I bought a batch recently that had a pair of mushrooms that had grew and merged together. I thought this was so cool and having never seen something like this before I thought I should document it in a photo. I hope you enjoy this photo and whatever thoughts it may bring to mind. It makes me think of how couples, friends and families grow and merge together in life. They still have their own stems to stand on and feed themselves but yet our lives may overlap and merge with love and unity and we become one with others.

2011-10-13T09:00:00.000-07:00

I am in love with these bracelets. I have been selling these mostly locally and recently sold two custom ones, one very petite and one a little bigger. I have one I made for myself years ago and always get compliments on it and that is recently how I sold one, just by wearing mine. They are super sturdy and unique, no one is ever the same. I have had them in a few boutiques and right now they are in town where I rent my spot with other local artisans. They are fun to make, although a bit tedious and time consuming but always so fun to see how great they turn out. I make them in copper, silver or gold colored wire, I do though want to try one with all three of the metal tones together, I think that would be really nice. So far I mostly use the pearls but am soon going to be trying some different beads. They sell for 47 dollars if you are interested in a custom one for your self. Next I will be trying necklaces, something about the way the beads look as if they are floating is so pretty to me that I must try more.
P.S. As I was reading back over this a new idea popped in my head, to incorporate hand stamped charms with the beads. They could have names, dates, initials. That could be really cool. I would have to charge a bit extra for the charms, but I may give this a try.

1 dollar box = Fantastic

2011-10-11T08:33:00.000-07:00

So one day this summer, us as a family, were headed to a work BBQ. Not my favorite summer event but it turned out nice. On our way we decided to first stop off at what is known as the annual Creamery Picnic in Stevensville. It was ok, wasn't overly excited about the vendors, I always prefer to see local artisans, but this was mostly not that. They had some fun events for the kids, the coolest was making ice cream in a baggy, which is now something I want to incorporate into next summer's fun. (google ice cream in a bag or something like that) It was noisy and crowded and hot which made it a bit tough on my one daughter (she has Aspergers), she tried to be tolerant of those things but the balloons put her over the edge. So we had a few meltdowns and then spent some quality quiet time together in the van, which she was happy to do since I got her a new book, to ease the anxiety.
Well, anyway, we were off to the BBQ, it was quite a drive and as we were leaving town I saw a sale in a yard that was outside a antique store, so I got my hubby to make a quick stop, didn't even go in the store, just looked around outside. There were some nice things but since it was a shop they were priced higher but then I stumbled across a 1 dollar box, they are my favorite next to a free box. As you can see above I pulled out some great treasures, a vintage fringed skirt, I wore that the other day under a skirt so the fringe showed, quite fun even if I did shed fringe a lot, also 3 different styles and shades of vintage gloves (love), the greatest pair of vintage red pumps (love even more), seriously these are fantastic and fit perfect, the awesome little beaded shawl and lastly the pink feathered and flowered hat that makes the wearer resemble a wedding cake. These were quite the thrilling finds, so I happily paid my 7 dollars got back in the car and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon, hubby didn't even ask about my treasures, he prefers not to know. :)
Also do you notice the hot pink shaggy wool rug in the background, yes that was free too, got that from cleaning a friends garage. She had a pile in the corner of odds and ends, there was this rug and a white one (they are big) under some other rugs and comforters. We pulled out the pile and the top ones were awful and soon became garbage, I can't even tell you the smell but somehow these rugs were not bad, I pulled them out, they were a bit dirty and had fallen leaves on them but they didn't really smell, whew they were salvageable. So I took them to the laundry mat, ran them thru, of course putting too much soap in them and causing bubbles to fill the floor but they came clean. I laid them out to dry for a few days out side and then vacuumed them a ton and waaala two great big area floor rugs, they are fantastic and free.

An Ode to Summer

2011-10-10T07:19:00.000-07:00

Where did the time go? It went so fast and our summer was so short. At least we made it a lovely one. I spent a lot of fun days with the kids and those are my most cherished. I know each summer will change and before I know it they will be gone, so I am looking to enjoy our family time together and make great memories. Next summer my son will be driving, ugh, so hard to believe.
So long endless summer days, you are missed already. Welcome fall, I hope you linger awhile before winter sets in our valley.

New silk scarves

2011-10-07T08:35:00.000-07:00

Finally painted some new silk scarves. These start out as white silk and all the designs and art is added by me with silk french dyes. The dye is set so that they are quite sturdy, wearable and washable for years to come. They make great gifts as wearable works of art and are so easy to ship. If you are interested in any designs, please let me know via this blog. I also occasionally have these in my etsy shop.

Clothes Line

2011-08-08T07:53:00.001-07:00

clothes lines
Originally uploaded by Bella Cosa Art

I have always loved images of clothes lines. So graphic and colorful and they can show up anywhere.
1. clothes line, 2. clothes line, 3. Clothes line, 4. Clothes Line - Helsinki - Finland, 5. Vernazza through my eyes, 6. The clothes line

Weekend redos

2011-08-07T13:33:00.000-07:00

Here you can see I cut off the drawer front to make a little desk top.

Above is the dresser before, I got it from a garage sale (I think it was in many) and it was blue for a boy. I painted it the lavender color for my girls room. I recently got an antique dresser and matching vanity and so this dresser was no longer needed in their room. I first painted it silver and really wasn't working, so I went with a hammered metallic brown and black to show off the lines and then I free handed the poppies on it. It is sitting in my entry.
I wasn't quite ready to part with this dresser, I really think it is the legs that sold me on it. So I thought I would repurpose it. I cut off the drawer front to make a drop down desk for bill paying. It didn't turn out quite as I had envisioned but still not bad, it works. The first color I chose did not work out at all, so I went with this and I really like how it turned out. The final step is to trade knobs with my mom, she has red ones, I think that will definitely complete it.

2011-08-05T08:27:00.000-07:00

Corner of front porch, sweet rocking chair
I have a little stone area in the flower bed where I have a bistro table, this is hanging in the tree next to it.
Flowers from hubby came in this flower market tin, it looks great with a pot in it.
I planted blue flax one year, it is so pretty and now it sprinkled throughout my beds and property.
One of my beautiful hanging baskets, can't get enough of them.

So yes I haven't blogged all summer, pathetic and really it is because if I stop being so picky I have lots of little things, interesting tidbits (at least I think) that I could blog about.
So in order to get started again, I thought I am just going to keep it light and easy until I can get into a good solid routine. Today I am blogging about one of my favorite things, flowers. These are all photos taken from my front flower garden as you walk to my front porch and door. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do. Many more to come.

Get your Hats and Horses Ready...It's Kentucky Derby Time

2011-05-04T11:58:00.000-07:00

In honor of the Kentucky Derby this weekend, I thought I would reminisce about horses. I grew up with horses and riding. My dad still has horses, he is also my neighbor and while I don't ride much I still like to go over and pet them now and again, in fact my dad just had two foals, one of them is so friendly she is more like a puppy dog. My daughter who has aspergers has always loved them and did equine therapy for a few years, which I think was very beneficial. I also have a very fond memory of going to the horse races with my grandmother, we dressed up, sat behind the glass and had a glorious lunch together rooting for our favorite horses based on looks and colors they were wearing. Funny how certain things are a part of your life and come in and out. Now I also enjoy photographing them and painting them. In honor of horses and this weekend here are a few recent horse paintings I hope you will enjoy.

On vacation

2011-04-17T11:23:00.000-07:00

So right now I am on vacation in sunny California, beside having fun things to do we have dear family and friends to see and stay with. A definite highlight of the trip is some beautiful sunny weather, it is warm and bright, the plants are green and blooming, sooo rejuvenating after such a long winter in Montana which seems to still have a grip.
While I was here I was notified that I was featured on this great blog. I think the article turned out really good. I hope you enjoy reading it and please leave a comment if you like.
Artsy Shark

The finished zipper bags....

2011-03-21T15:19:00.000-07:00

Finished three for myself. I am using the green one for my purse now. I made two others because I have a feeling my girls will ask to use one. They are kind of hard to make, at least when you get to the ends, the sewing the edges with the zipper ends gets a little tricky, but I love how they turn out. I am just making these for myself and as gifts, not to sell, it is too tricky to get the stitching perfect and I just wouldn't be happy with them.

So two happy things, I have three very cool zipper bags and the sewing machine is off the kitchen table again for awhile.

What I am doing right now...

2011-03-18T11:05:00.000-07:00

As usual I have 50 million things going on....but have decided right now I am going to sew. I purchased two bags of zippers at a estate sale this summer. Now these were not some ordinary bags, but two large bags full of probably over 200 great colored zippers. I have finally dived in and separated them by size. With the smallest ones I am making makeup type bags out of them. The first one I gave to my mama for her trip to visit grandma, the second I gave to her to take to my dear cousin who is getting married. They are so bright and fun, I thought it would be great to be thought of each time they use them. So now I am making three for me, since I have two girls I decided at least three was a must. I want to get the machine off the kitchen table so I am going to try to finish them now. I will show you pictures soon, until then here is where I started this weekend.

Collections

2011-03-07T09:16:00.001-08:00

Collection
Originally uploaded by Bella Cosa Art

I cleaned off my dresser which had become kind of a catch all of really things I didn't need. I have the most beautiful collection of pink depression glass given to me by my sweet mother in law. I have quite a collection of new and vintage jewelry, that was in boxes and not getting worn like it should, so it needed to be out. You can see the vintage magazine purse another great gift from a friend. The wreath above with the cream flowers are actual flowers from our wedding cake. The mirror on the wall is from Pennsylvania that I picked up at my husbands grandparents house, it was always fun they would let you scourge through their storage area and take what you want, found some cool treasures that way. Painting by me. Love flowers as you see. Doily was made by my great grandmother, I have a huge collection from her. You can see my favorite perfume right now, Gucci Envy. The dresser was 5 dollars at a garage sale, pulled it out of their garage, did minor repairs and painted it. The mirror on the dresser was a vintage find and is octagon. I love my dresser now, it makes me smile. It also has inspired me to decorate the rest of my house around the things that I love and already have. Will show you the inspiration soon for our bathroom.
You can go hear to see more Mosaic Monday

One of my favorite moments of the week

2011-02-18T15:36:00.001-08:00

cake
Originally uploaded by Bella Cosa Art

Hmmm, maybe I should have a Favorites Friday and post a favorite moment from my week.
Anyway, in another stressful week, this was a moment that was fun. My girls and I made this cake. Favorite color being purple and one loving sprinkles it came out pretty. They both like to watch cake boss and my youngest just got a play dough cake making set, she spent hours decorating and serving us play dough cakes. I tried to make a pastry bag for the purple frosting but it didn't work too well but it was fun anyway. So here it is a moment that makes me smile.

Creative space

2011-02-17T07:59:00.001-08:00

silk hydrangea scarf
Originally uploaded by Bella Cosa Art

So I finished painting the scarf. It has now dried for over 24 hours and is ready to dye set. This is a done with water and a special dye set solution, I have to wash it in the solution for 5 minutes, then rinse well. I then let it partially dry and iron while damp. It is now wearable, hand washable, at this point they become quite sturdy.
This is one of the favorites I have done, it looks very much like a watercolor painting and the colors are pretty.
Head on over to kootoyoo for more creative spaces.

Tangle Love

2011-02-16T13:22:00.001-08:00

Grass that became something else
Originally uploaded by Bella Cosa Art

Not trying to get to deep or anything, but I thought I might share my painting experience yesterday.
I have not been up to doing much creatively lately, first of all I caught a flu bug that seems to want to linger and recur into different things. Also I have had a few stressful life moments recently and some issues I am trying to solve that takes my brain out of creative realm.
So the other day I thought I would get some brown paper sacks ready for Eco Art projects so that when the mood struck I would be ready. I am wanting to paint more abstracts as I enjoy painting them and pushing those boundaries and I also enjoy looking at them. As I started this piece the plan was abstract grass and colors and swirls. After the first few strokes though I saw a heart forming and went from there and it became less about grass and more about feelings. The new title became Tangled Love. These are the thoughts that started going through my head. As we go through life and love there are so many complexities, there is darkness and light, there is withering and regrowth, merges and overlaps, changes in direction. Life isn't always what you think or dream it to be but regardless it continues to happen to you. The painting is quite simple and I am not sure if you can see these things in it but I can and that is what I was thinking as I painted.
Nothing was really resolved from painting it, I don't feel an overwhelming sense of painting therapy, but maybe it will help me in the end, grasp some of the things I am feeling, take ownership and make better where I can.
I definitely know myself to be a mood dresser and find it very hard to pack, but it seems maybe that I have opened up a new part of me that is creating based more on mood. Something to think about or maybe not, we will leave that to be seen.

Can you tell I love color?

2011-02-15T09:50:00.001-08:00

Color of my kitchen
Originally uploaded by Bella Cosa Art

Sneak peek into my home. Those of you who know me and my art probably won't be surprised by this picture. My love of color is apparent in pretty much everything I do, wear and create.
While down loading photos I found this picture on my camera, I am suspecting one of my children. Happy find.

Sewing

2011-02-14T11:42:00.001-08:00

Sewing
Originally uploaded by Bella Cosa Art

1. Sewing machine..., 2. sew, 3. Sew Fine, 4. sewing ttv

Created with fd's Flickr ToysFor some odd reason I thought I would sew a dress. I bought the fabric and pattern to make a versatile Uniform Project dress. I used to sew quite a bit but because of the frustration factor gave it up. I do think that was the best choice, can you hear the frustration in my typing because it has all rushed back in. I am first sewing a dress out of another fabric, hoping that I can have it all figured out by the time I sew with the good fabric, but at this moment I am thinking of scrapping the one that I am close to finishing and seeing if I can find a seamstress to sew my dress.
Not sure how this will turn out... keep you posted.

You can go hear to see more Mosaic Monday

Silk Scarf Painting

2011-02-12T10:15:00.001-08:00

progress
Originally uploaded by Bella Cosa Art

So I got so stressed this week I succumbed to one of the various sicknesses lurking everywhere right now, Big Downer. Woke up with it Wednesday, didn't do much and by Thursday I was completely down and out. As many of you know it really only takes a day before the house looks like a hurricane hit if I am not there to keep up on things, sad but true. Finally Friday I felt better and cleaned the kitchen and cleaned out a few more cabinets (I am trying to clean out the unused clutter in my house, a big job), picked up the kids from school, picked up milk and got gas. I may have over did it a bit but I was getting so bored I thought I might explode. Still not feeling very good today but we have plans for bowling and pizza with friends and I can't disappoint the kids. So I will take some drugs and grin and bear it, as a mom always does.
So today I am catching up on some laundry, helped the girls clean up their rooms and trying to get back in my studio a bit. I am working on a 14x72 inch scarf so as you can imagine it is like having an elephant in the middle of my studio, so I am trying to make some progress so I can move around to do some other things. I really like how it is turning out. I have painted blue hydrangea blossoms on it and am now filling in the background, not sure where I will go from here but so far so good.

Mosaic Monday

2011-02-07T08:53:00.001-08:00

Embace the Snow like our Furry Friends
Originally uploaded by Bella Cosa Art

You can't make it go away, so I thought I should try to enjoy it.
1. Jumping in the snow, 2. I love to play in the snow!, 3. Snow Stalker, 4. Snow Dog, 5. snow pug, 6. SNOW DAY!!

My Creative Space

2011-02-04T07:32:00.000-08:00

Every Thursday on another blog artists posts a link to all of their amazing creative spaces. I have an etsy friend who does it every week, that is how I discovered it. It seems like fun and I love looking at what others are creating so I thought I would join in.
This week in the middle of my studio which has now made it impossible to walk in, I have a 14x72 inch scarf stretched to paint on. In the other pictures you can see the bottles of french dyes I use. At this moment there is a sprinkling of hydrangea blossoms trailing down the scarf.
Head over to this cool blog kootoyoo to see lots of great creative spaces.

Being a Mom is not an easy job....

2011-01-27T07:14:00.000-08:00

We all know this to be true, and with each kid your job description becomes more complicated, then add on a child who see the world differently than you and everyone else you have just made the list of most dangerous jobs. This morning I got a bad job review, "You are the meanest mom in the world", "I don't like you" and "I am not talking to you". Really I know I am not the only mom in the world to hear these words and I fear this won't be the last, but when you do hear them it is never pleasant. I guess the consolation to this is I struck the right cord of discipline or consequence. I will admit that discipline is hard on parents, consistency even harder but we know this to be for their own good, we do it out of love and we do it in an effort to mold them into beautiful, responsible, respectful great adults. We have always found discipline to be a bit harder with our middle, being born with a heart defect and having complications, and then various illness through her first 5 years, having almost lost her at birth, it has always been tough, we have just been so thankful she made it and the flashbacks to the hospital stay with you. On top of it we are always trying to decide wither it is disability (Aspergers) or just plain stubborn, not wanting to listen to the said task. We know her to be very stubborn and tough, part of the fight that is in her to survive, but now we have to train it for good.
So this morning, like every other morning, we are getting ready for school. We ask her to get dressed, we ask her to get her bag ready, brush teeth, wash face, comb hair.... same routine. We know she is easily distracted so we have to remind her many times. Today after warnings upon warnings, some of it being my fault because of maybe not following through as consistently as possible, I finally took away tv after school because of not listening to my requests to get dressed and pack the backpack. I decided then and there we have to crack down, their has to be consistent consequences to not listening. I tried to explain it was her choice and the whole thing that sometimes listening can protect her from getting hurt, that fell on deaf ears, so today after school we will have the talk and all will be explained and the rules will be set. I am sure we will see some extra crabbiness but in the long run it is best. I called her teacher and she is on board and supportive and is also cracking down to get through the heal digging in against learning math, she is smart and the teacher knows it. So I can not say this is going to be the best day for her or for me for that matter, but as we know there is consequence for every action and I do know that in the long run this consequence will be a positive one.

Recycling for Art Sakes

2011-01-26T14:00:00.000-08:00

I would consider myself mainly a canvas artist, but I find it hard to limit myself. In the last couple years I have challenged myself as an artist to take the same time and techniques that I apply to canvases and put them to work on recycled finds. This can include and certainly not limited to, recycled siding from my parents house, silver spoons, brown paper sacks and various wood objects, bowls, boxes, platters and so on. This can take some time and elbow grease that may not be thought of. For example I have to shop, scrounge and rummage to find them (actually one of the funner parts). Then I have to prepare the objects (not as fun). This can include sanding, bending, stapling muslin or prepping things with primer, again with a and so on... added to that. Probably the most frustrating part is that many things are much more porous than a nice store bought primed canvas. So I have learned through trial and error most things must be primed and also still take layers of paint. Of course after that it takes many coats of varnish to make it lasting. I must say though after all this hard work they really do turn out nice and it is fun to turn a discarded or well used piece that is now unloved into an original, one of a kind fine art piece that I hope will be well loved for years to come.

frozen morning

2011-01-25T12:08:00.001-08:00

frozen morning
Originally uploaded by Bella Cosa Art

So today we get the call at 6:11, school will have a 2 hour start delay. In theory that call would be fantastic, we can all sleep, right. I don't know about you, there is no way I can fall back to sleep. So instead of getting up and getting stuff done early in the morning before the rest of the family rises, I choose to lay there... It was nice to have everyone home for awhile this morning and not have the big rush. I was glad the school made the call because everything truly was a sheet of ice. The only glitch is it sets Olivia a little out of sync (she has Aspergers) I never realized how much she likes her routines (mostly because she tries to transition as well as possible and usually when it is just the family and has our support she does it easier) but when it involves other activities and places such as school which already causes extreme amounts of anxiety she buckles more. So this morning was her day to bring snack, she didn't want to take it now because she felt it was too late, this finally had to be solved by calling the teacher and finding out they were indeed going to have snack time. Then I got the barrage of 20 questions. "Will I be getting there late?" Will school have already started?" and so on. She hates having to arrive at class after it has started, not sure if it is just routine or the fact it draws attention to her, but she would rather not go. So after I patiently answered all her questions, she felt a little more at ease and I am sure after getting there all is well. So that is the start to yet another day. I am already feeling a bit tired.

The puzzle

2011-01-21T14:14:00.000-08:00

Nostalgic, comforting, calming, brain exercise, family time or just plain old lady.
So I recently completed this 1000 piece puzzle (probably the hardest one I have ever done). I got the puzzle bug recently on a family ski trip, some friends always bring puzzles to do in the condo, as I started putting pieces together, I was hooked again. So I came home, got out some childhood puzzles out and ventured to the second hand store to pick up a few more. See puzzles have history in my family, my grandma enjoyed doing them and my aunt used to give me really cool ones for presents. I thought it would be fun to have one out on the table so we all could go and come from it and maybe the kids would like it and we could spend some time together putting it together. That last bit happened a little, my 13 year old, really wasn't too interested so whenever he placed a piece it was rocket science. My 10 year old, looses interest fast but at the end, loves helping with the last 20. It is actually my youngest who just turned 6 who shows the most interest and some great promise of being a life long puzzle person, she can really locate a piece. So the puzzle spell was fun and I am kind of missing one on the table. Anyway, I was thinking as I was finishing the puzzle, after crocheting and knitting with one of my dear friends who happen to that day turn 69, hmmm I thought "Am I an old lady" , she told me it wouldn't be a big transition at the rate I was going. haha

P is for Passion

2011-01-18T10:15:00.001-08:00

copper p
Originally uploaded by Bella Cosa Art

I have a passion for creating.
I am happy to announce that soon you will find many new things making its way in to my Etsy shop Bella Cosa Art. For the last few years it has been mainly a Fine Art Gallery and will continue to be that but soon you will find many artistic and creative items that you would fine in Fine Art Boutique. I hope to provide something for everyone. I will be bringing in some jewelry, which you should watch closely because I have a lot of very exciting things brewing in that area. More hand painted silks. I will also soon be doing some lino cut printed cards and maybe even a few surprises. So visit often and drop me a line if you want and we can talk art.

New Moo Business Cards

2011-01-05T11:52:00.000-08:00

I thought these turned out so pretty I wanted to share with you. These are all taken from original paintings of mine, if you go to my etsy shop Bella Cosa Art you may find some paintings still available. On the back is my business info and picture of me painting in my studio. I will be watching the moo cards sales because I want more of these. I took them down to the design shop that I sell at and scattered these around, they looked so great. Before I took them down I turned them into bookmarks, I great idea I got from a friend of mine Amanda of Ulixis on Etsy. I think they are so unique and fun and hoping others think so too, so they will want one and then think of me when they need some great art, right?

Snow pictures

2010-12-31T08:35:00.000-08:00

So we were supposed to get more snow, but we didn't. I am disappointed, we love having lots of snow. Until we get more snow, I can look at these pictures from the last time. It was so pretty and cold and now it is just cold.

Very cold...

2010-12-23T08:26:00.001-08:00

frozen in time
Originally uploaded by Bella Cosa Art

Good thing I took this yesterday, it is much warmer today, thank goodness, although we are all in by the fire and we don't have to go anywhere today, so to us the weather doesn't really matter. I did sneak out for a few shots, it was cold so I didn't stay out long but I had to at least take a few pictures it was so beautiful.
Hope you enjoy this picture, it is my favorite out of all of them. I think it would make a nice card. Will post more winter wonderland pictures later.

so cold....

2010-12-22T10:21:00.000-08:00

It is frosty and cold out, hope to take some winter pictures for you soon, but not ready to bear up to the cold yet. So instead I am painting warm, bright flowers of summer.

Necklace for myself.

2010-12-20T20:20:00.001-08:00

DSC06147
Originally uploaded by Bella Cosa Art

I made this bright necklace to chase away the winter blues. It is fun and colorful on these grey days. I used some vintage beads, brass, a resin flower and a cute sparrow. It makes me smile.

Kids....

2010-12-10T10:27:00.001-08:00

A family story for the day. Most of you know I have three most beautiful, spectacular kids. Well, I am a very hands on, talkative, cuddly mama. For my five year old she loves it,for she is the same way. For my 13 year old son, well you know how they are, but I still make him kiss my cheek and give hugs, no matter how old he gets he will never be too old to do that for me, I do cut him a little slack in public. Then there is Olivia, she is the opposite of me, with the aspergers and such, affection is hard but we have helped her to show more and hug her family and show her love and now she wants to more on her own or with little prompting. Anyway the point of this story is, I just went over to cuddle her for a minute, she has been sick, so I just wanted to check in with her on how she was feeling and hold her a minute, so she let me for a bit and then very softly and kindly said, "Can you leave me along now, Please." I said "sure, thanks for the cuddle", she said "your welcome".
Later in the morning I call Olivia to see if she wants to look at how far I have gotten on the family puzzle we are doing, so she comes over and I show her and she says, "Wow you are really good" I say thanks and start to talk again and she says "now can I go back to watching tv" I say "yes" and thanks for looking she says "welcome".
I think that it is a good start to any day.

Framed Eco Art

2010-11-26T18:10:00.000-08:00

I do a number of Eco Art projects. Paintings painted on recycled products, old wood, second hand wooden objects, spoons and on paper sacks. Sometimes I think it is hard to visualize how great a painting that is done on a paper grocery sack can look. So I bought a simple black frame at my local craft shop (on sale of course) so I could give you an idea. I try to do all my paper sack paintings on a standard size so you can drop into any craft store and be able to frame it inexpensively as you want. It would also look great floated in the really thrifty floating glass frames. The edges look best showing so you can see more of what it is. In this example I painted some poppies on a sack, framed them up and took some pictures. Presto! Great art on a recycled surface. What do you think?

One of the reasons why I was so busy in October

2010-11-23T17:42:00.000-08:00

My garden did so well this year. Every year I learn more and more, what to plant, what not to plant, what to plant more of. I know I want to do more carrots, my youngest and I can't get enough of those sweet little things. My onions and garlic did great and keep well so that will be a big part. Tomatoes are a must. For the first time my leeks did really well, that was very cool.
Job still not quite over though, my tomatoes continue to ripen in the boxes, more salsa on the way.

Farewell to Summer

2010-11-01T09:04:00.001-07:00

My creation
Originally uploaded by Bella Cosa Art

Photos taken this glorious summer with my family.

The other side

2010-10-31T08:52:00.000-07:00

pretty packing station
business desk, with lots of inspiring art work from my kids
love this space
jewelry station, great drop leaf table, always a little messy

Here are some shots of the other side of my studio, I have a packing station, another work table and a "business desk". My packing station is one of my favorite spaces, I don't really like packaging so I thought if it was easy and organized it might make it better, I think it will work. A new thing I did in my studio was bring furniture away from the wall, thus creating more work space and using some of the dead space in the middle of the room, this was brilliant and what allowed me the shelves for the packing station and another wall (the back of the cabinet) to hang a really cool mirror a friend gave me. I hung various shelves around the studio from lumber I already had and brackets too I had, so I spent no money, just a little labor. The shelves are great for storage and decorative. I had some glass shelves and decorative brackets sitting around for years that I used above my desk. One shelf I made out of an old wooden crate, which turned out really nice too. So overall I am happy and just some final organizing and clean out and hopefully maintaining.
See previous post for some of the corresponding images to these ideas.

Studio space clean up....

2010-10-28T07:31:00.000-07:00

So it again became time to clean my studio, this seems to be a reoccurring project because I have trouble keeping it that way. I always have a project spread out on every flat surface, new supplies needing a spot, things I know I will use some day (she said with a smirk) (those are hubbies favorite words, not) and just general mayhem. So it had turned into a hurricane size of a clean up, space for walking was getting limited. Recently hubby had to give up his office so we could separate our two girls that were sharing a room, it just wasn't going to continue to work for them or us. Since hubby had to do the sacrificing of the room, I offered to redo my studio to fit him in and I offered to do all the work of redoing the rooms, which I did. I revamped furniture to make it work for my daughter, I painted a mural for her, moved all her furniture in and presto she had a beautiful little girls room. Then I set out to rearrange my studio, we got a small desk and moved hubby in. He was never happy with it though, never really felt his and he was right. We tried and had good intentions, we moved in some of his decorations, the desk, computer, his curio cabinet with his tin toys but he never moved in himself. So it all sat and collected piles, the computer was never hooked up and he never sat at the desk (plus he has a laptop, explains some of that). I had all these high hopes of sitting side by side working on our projects together but it was never going to happen. So he said take it all out and I have. I gave him a shelf to store all his office things, the computer, printer and desk will go. We did though compromise and move his curio cabinet with vintage tin toys to our bedroom, for now a piece of him is staying and he is happy and it actually looks ok in there, not my first choice of decor for the bedroom but because I love him, it looks great and now I smile when I see that piece of him there. (good thing our bedroom is eclectic vintage, kind of traveled look) So anyway this is where the story ends, with his things out of the studio again, I was able to do a major overall. I moved furniture and I cut lumber and made shelves. I did not spend a dime, I used things in my garage (back to the statement "No, I am not throwing that out I may need it someday) and I did. So now the studio and I have made it past the hurricane, past the initial clean up and now we will strive to maintain and clean out as needed (there are still little things to be organized). I am spending a lot more creative and happy time in here and wanted to show you the progress. Here are a couple shots of two spaces along one wall, my small easel main painting space, big easel and printer, paper cutter, storage space. More pictures to come....

Yes, I said snow

2010-10-27T17:04:00.000-07:00

This is what has been happening here for the last three days and I suspect more is to come.
These beautiful mountains were taken from my back deck.

My Sister's new massage therapy office...

2010-10-26T09:30:00.000-07:00

So my sister LiElla of www.massagemt.com is opening up a new office, it is in the same building but is now on the main floor with all the pretty lights and windows. It is going to be decorated beautifully and will be a most pleasant place to get a quality therapeutic massage. She is very good at her job and now she will have a fabulous office to match. I did a painting for her space, it was a style and subject she picked to go with the rest of her decor, it is a large piece to go over her waiting area chairs, the chairs are paprika colored as too her window art is green and paprika, everything is going to match beautifully. So here is the painting I did for her. Love you sis.

Crook Neck

2010-10-25T08:51:00.000-07:00

This year in the garden my son grew a crook neck squash, he planted it by seed at school brought it home and I gave him a mound of soil in the garden to plant it. I was hoping this would help him to have more of an interest in the garden, it didn't. He does help me in the garden but not with much enthusiasm, but probably to be expected from a 13 year old. His little plant did grow and gave us two little crook necks before the first freeze. Even my zucchini was late and not plentiful this year because of the weird summer weather, so we were glad for the two. My son helped me cook them up, we put some garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper on and grilled them. The skins were a bit tough but otherwise they were good.

crock pot lasagna

2010-10-23T17:43:00.001-07:00

So I had to give it a try, and I liked it, plus it is pretty easy and you start it early before you wear out after a long day. I tweaked it because I do not like eggplant and I had some zucchini left from my garden. Part of the fun of making this was I used fresh herbs from my garden and fresh onions and garlic. I think a key though is to only cook it the three or four hours or until the noodles are done otherwise they get too mushy (thus the Important Note that I didn't read) and I noticed mine was a little runny, so I will be aware of that next time. Here is the recipe with my tweaks.... I used zucchini instead of eggplant, I made my own marinara with tomato sauce, did not use red pepper flakes and instead of thyme, used my own fresh oregano and basil.

Ingredients

Directions

Brown the ground beef in a skillet over moderate heat; drain any excess fat. Stir in red pepper flakes, thyme, tomato sauce, eggplant, and water. In a bowl combine the egg substitute, ricotta, Italian cheese blend, and parsley. Place enough meat sauce to cover the bottom of slow cooker. Top with 2-3 noodles, broken to cover the meat sauce. Repeat layer. Top second layer with cheese mixture and finish with a top layer of the meat mixture. Cover and set slow cooker on low. Cook for 3 1/2 to 4 hours.

Number of Servings: 8

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user CHEF_MEG

Found this recipe, thought this was a little more like I tweaked the last one

Ingredients

Directions

In a skillet, cook turkey or beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add tomato sauce, water tomato paste, and
oregano. Mix well. Spread Â¼ meat sauce in bottom of crock pot. Arrange 1/3 of the noodles over sauce, breaking to fit. Combine cheeses, spoon
1/3 cheese mixture over noodles. Repeat layers twice more. Top with remaining meat sauce. Cover and cook on low 4 to 5 hours or until noodles
are tender.

Number of Servings: 8

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user LEAKAY59.

Number of Servings: 8

Posting more...

2010-10-22T07:54:00.000-07:00

So in an effort to try to post more I have stifled myself, so I decided not to worry so much and to let myself relax and be more random. You see I have had so much going on lately I haven't had a lot of time to be as creative as I want to be. So instead of worrying about what to post and having it be a "creative genius" all the time I am going to also post about what keeps me busy when I am not painting, because that too is what makes me who I am, what inspires me and thus affects what and how I create. So here goes the first of what I am sure to be many, random posts about everyday things, that make me me, the artist that I am.

P.S. This is partly the fault of two creative friends of mine, they know who they are. I told them the other night that no one wants to hear ramblings of a peri menopausal crazy woman, and they said that "those ramblings were the very best kind" LOL be careful what you wish for.

P.S.S. So for today, two images that make me smile, one is a special cup of tea that a sweet friend gave me. The other, a beautiful bouquet from my garden before they all froze. It was a gorgeous garden this year, weedy but still lots of organic produce.

The Inside

2010-10-14T08:25:00.000-07:00

My local seller of my artistic endeavors is a lovely interior design store, Elements, that sells a variety of gorgeous items. I am her main local artist, which is great.
I took a couple pictures of my displays. I am in the front of the shop, because of my colors she says it makes everyone happy the second they walk in and that makes me happy that my art can do that.

Go Pink window I decorated

2010-10-13T13:06:00.000-07:00

We had a city wide contest to decorate shop windows pink in honor of breast cancer awareness month. The shop that carries my art locally wanted to participate, so we decorated the windows pink (mostly by raiding our little girls stashes) and the front of the shop. I volunteered to come down and paint pink tulips on the windows and breast cancer ribbons. It was announced on a first Friday and we Won. We are very excited to be recognized for our support and talent. The reward is an ad in our local newspaper, I will update when that happens.
Side note...You can see one of my paintings, in the bottom left corner of the window.

Happy Customer

2010-10-05T10:34:00.000-07:00

A happy customer is always a great inspiration. It is always fantastic to have someone find your shop fall in love with something and buy it. Oh what a feeling! A bit more challenging but equally rewarding or even more so when they love it, is when someone falls in love with the style of your work but has specifics in mind for a commission piece. This happened recently, a very nice lady contacted me and loved my still life paintings and wanted one of her own with a few specific requests. So we worked together through a few sketches, some items were added some deleted. I then did a few sketches on canvas and showed her some stages to get further approval to continue on. Lastly I came to the last stage before the finish, she was still smitten, so then I added the bold lights and darks, made it come alive and finished piece and happy customer and happy artist.

Feeding Birds

2010-10-04T07:23:00.000-07:00

My two sweet girls got bird seed at the fair parade along with a mountain of candy and some grass seed, yes we live in a rural area, if you hadn't guessed yet. I have to say the seed has actually been more enjoyable than the candy. We used the grass seed to fill in the gopher dirt mounds in the lawn and my girls have been putting the seed in the bird bath (by the way I paid 2 dollars for my concrete bird bath at a garage sale) the bird bath sits on the concrete septic tank cover in our yard, again, told you, rural. So anyway the girls were all excited about the seed and kept checking to see if the birds had discovered it yet, for days no action, but as soon as they went to school they started coming, so I snapped a picture for them to see. If you look closely you can see a bunch of little birds enjoying their lunch provided by the loving hands of my daughters.

Good Start

2010-09-23T07:15:00.000-07:00

Today I am painting, amongst a few house hold chores of course. The three kids are off to school and hubby to work. I am feeling particularly inspired today, there are a few reasons but one of the biggies is my daughter held my hand this morning. You may think What is the big deal. Well let me tell you. We were having a bit of cuddle time before crawling out of a warm bed, this is a regular occurrence with my 5 year old, never met a bigger cuddle bug but for my 9 year old I treasure the moment because they are much less. One, this is logically less frequent because she is 9 almost 10 after all but even less frequent because she has Aspergers/Autism. She most definitely is not one to be cuddled and affection is on her own terms and when she is ready. So this morning I reached out my hand and placed it on hers, she put her other hand on top and gently held mine. She rubbed my arm because she told me she liked how warm it was. I could cry just writing it. So this is why I have an extra boost of inspiration this morning, I feel loved and connected. The rest of the morning was usual, she won't eat breakfast before school because of anxiety so I let her have pringles and a chocolate zinger. I know not healthy but something, usually no matter what I offer she won't eat it, so I am happy with that. Don't sweat the little stuff, I say, she went to school willing and that is great.

Pickling Green Beans

2010-09-21T13:01:00.000-07:00

On top of getting kids settled in school, in fact three back to school nights this week, I am trying to harvest my garden. Last night my children and I picked over 12 pounds of green beans, unbelievable. Today I pickled some, dilly beans or pickled green beans are one of my favorite things. Most of the ingredients came from my garden, I am very proud of this fact, and also I am proud to say that everything is organic, garlic, red peppers and dill. Enjoy some pictures of the project.

A gift

2010-06-10T07:51:00.000-07:00

Gifts come in sooo many forms, some small, some large, some tangible and some not...I love a gift, and try to remember that really everything is a gift, the gift of life, the gift of love, children, nature.

So this may start out pretty profound but really is simple. At my first Friday art show recently I was getting ready to leave and I made a comment of no great significance, can not even remember what it was but it started a quick succession that led to me coming home with a gift. To many it doesn't mean much but to me it is quite useful and was thrilling. The store owner asked if I wanted to take one of the jewelry forms off her hands, " really, I sure will" so I came home with this. A perfect present to show my jewelry and maybe even my silk scarves.
Thank you Paige at Miss Zula's.... You made a small, home business owner very happy.

A Commission Piece

2010-06-09T08:13:00.000-07:00

Awhile back I painted a set of rooster paintings. As an artist you paint and create work that personally you love but naturally you love some more than others. Sometimes I paint a painting that I think is brilliant and is going to fly out of my studio and sometimes I paint something that I think "It is good, pleasing to look at, but may take awhile to find the someone to give a good home to it" Well I am most always shown to be wrong, because usually just the opposite happens. I guess it just shows the diversity of taste that everyone has but regardless it is always a fun game to play with my paintings. So back to these rooster paintings, I thought they would fly out, I thought they were stunning, they had everything going for them, they were something people collect, they were french country, maybe even shabby chic... so many possibilities, but alas Hank and George hung out with me for awhile. Finally some interest was shown in George and he was actually traded to a good home. I received some wonderful jewelry from a silversmith artisan, a grand payment for a grand rooster. Sadly Hank was left behind still awaiting adoption to a good home. That day came recently. A family looking to adopt into their newly remodeled home snatched up the treasure that Hank had become. After arriving into his new home, his family contacted me and wanted to take in George also, but since George was already living a comfortable life in the home of an artist we decided to send George the II, he is just as regal as the first and is happy to be going to a good home and spending his days with Hank. Thanks to the family who took an interest in my roosters, I wish you years of happiness together.

Something new..

2010-06-08T07:46:00.000-07:00

So I have a bunch of random beads that I need to use up and I think I found a perfect way. I saw this crocheted necklace somewhere, crocheting site, jewelry magazine (who knows, maybe in a store check out line), you know how as a crafter you look at everything you see for fun new ideas. Well, I promptly went and bought some hemp, got out one of my smallest crochet needles and started stringing beads. I have to say they are just as fun to make as to wear. What is so great about them is the versatility of how to wear them. They can be a choker, a multi strand necklace, a long necklace, a bracelet or even lanyard style. I used a hook on one end and did a little loop on the other, but the beauty of the hook I used you can connect it on itself anywhere, adding to yet more subtle changes. I will be listing these on etsy very soon, look out for them, I have some great summer colors of hemp.

Spring is in the Air

2010-05-31T08:00:00.000-07:00

The flowers are a bit late with the night freezing, rain and lack of sunshine, but it hasn't stopped my mood of wanting to paint spring flowers over and over again. Here is the first one I did. I really like how it turned out.

Donation for SAFE House Benefit

2010-05-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I attended a very enjoyable benefit for our local SAFE house (it is an organization who helps women and children in trouble) a great cause. I am always happy to donate in order to do a small part to help out. I did a seascape and a Hope bracelet of mixed metals, vintage beads and small gem stones. Here is a look.

Dreary Saturday

2010-05-29T17:16:00.000-07:00

We had thoughts of going camping, but soon left that thought when we saw the forecast, cool, windy and rainy. So instead I spent the day, cleaning out the crawl space. We literally brought up every bin that was stored down there(thank goodness hubby helped to pack bins). Fortunately I had cleaned out about half of it last fall, but the task was still daunting, now though it is complete. Some things going out immediately, for summer consignment, some to be donated and a bag of stuffed animals for the Shriners to give to kids in the hospital. Some bins went back in storage for winter consignment, for my youngest to grow into and three bins that I just couldn't part with, those little clothes that I loved to see my kids in, the special ones that were gifts and made me smile. It feels good to be entering a new phase, no longer hindered by bins of yesteryear. I hope to continue my clean out and organization phase, but for now I am exhausted.

Follow Up--I won the Etsy Voter--Go Green

2010-05-03T08:10:00.000-07:00

It was all very exciting, my eco art recycled spoon won the Etsy Voter and a place on The Daily Green Website. Thanks to all my fellow etsy artisans that supported me, I appreciate it so much.
Congratulations to all the other Green Artists who made it to the voter also, always nice to be seen.
I really enjoy doing my recycled art projects, even though it is not a canvas I paint each one as if it were, so that when finished it is fine art piece. I am always adding new recycled pieces to my shop and coming up with new ideas so keep checking in Bella Cosa Art by Mattos
To view the winning spoon and the articles Please look here The Daily Green Trash to Craft Challenge on Etsy and The Daily Green Website
thanks for looking

Etsy Voter

2010-04-19T09:35:00.000-07:00

I am excited to say that I am in the etsy voter "Which item should be Featured on the Daily Green"
I am really hoping to win and have been quite obsessed with it. I was nominated by a dear etsy friend of mine and then chosen by Etsy powers at be. I am among 60 other fantastic etsy recycled items. There is less than 22 hours to vote, I would love to have your vote here on my recycled hand painted sunflower spoon http://www.etsy.com/voter_list.php?ref=voter&room_id=102
Thanks for your support.
I have a whole recycled section in my shop of paintings painted on recycled material, with many more to come http://www.etsy.com/shop/BELLACOSAART?section_id=5046417

A Very Special Group

2010-04-18T06:54:00.000-07:00

As many of you know I have a shop on Etsy. Not only is Etsy a place to buy and sell hand made items it is a place to meet other artisans, to chat about your crafts and business, to vent, to get advice from how to clean something to how to clear up warts, it is also a place of encouragement and support in art, business and life.....
Over a year ago I found a group that takes all of this to a new level "The More Meaningful Gifts" BNR thread http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6486954&page=1
Here is a group of people that are always supportive, always so smart, always there for encouragement, and always there to help you out, believe me I am a recipient of all these things.
I highly recommend this group to others, they really are the best.
(disclaimer: I know many others on etsy too and belong to a few other groups and I want to say to you that you are no less special to me, if you are reading this you know who you are)

and the Finish

2010-04-15T09:33:00.001-07:00

finished bear on 16x20 gallery wrap canvas

Painting a Bear

2010-04-14T15:24:00.000-07:00

1st Step, blocking in with paint, this is the only sketch I did
Taken from a photo I took.
2nd and 3rd Step, blocking in with colors
4th Step, Another layer of strong colors, working on eyes to make sure I get them right before I go further, if the eyes are not alive and good the painting will not work.

Cooking with my daughter

2010-04-08T09:30:00.000-07:00

So my 5 year old was begging me to bake something. How can I really refuse? So I decided on a recipe with only a few ingredients and something that she could basically do herself with supervision of course. So I decided on Dump Cake, a recipe I got ages ago from a friend and is always great for a quick dessert, especially warmed over vanilla ice cream. I goggled it, just for fun, and found it everywhere with unlimited variations. Here is the recipe we used
1 can cherry pie filling
1 can crushed pineapple
1 box white cake mix (used vanilla)
1 stick of butter
dump cans of fruit (I found out you can use just about any fruit and also 1 cup of applesauce) in bottom of a 9x13 pan now dump on cake mix and finally melt butter and drizzle on cake- no mixing put in 350 degree oven for approx 1 hour and presto, yummy cake

oh Sunday...

2010-03-28T09:51:00.001-07:00

Lazy, dazy Sunday...Thinking of all the things I should be doing and not doing any of them. Eating leftovers for breakfast from over the last few days of enjoyable gorging with family and friends. Made coffee and enjoying every last drop after having given it up a month ago, will go back on rations after today.
Best of all though, creative ideas are starting to creep back in my head after an over a month dry spell, I am hoping they are a beginning of good things to come.
Have a great Sunday everyone.

busy, busy

2010-03-27T07:45:00.000-07:00

This week is spent entertaining guests and enjoying family, it is fun but a bit tiring. I am working on embracing the moment and having a good time because soon the days will be back to normal. Spring break after this, doing a road trip and visiting friends, again fun and tiring. :)
Still working through my creative block. Actually got a sale yesterday, feels good to move a piece to a good home.
Sharing another quote from a friend, she was sharing stories to try to encourage me through my slump, "my second favorite artist story is about how Picasso learned to draw by being forced by his father to draw pigeons' feet all the time... then one day, after concentrating on the feet for so long, he went and drew an entire pigeon. when he showed it to his father, his father told him he had no more to teach him, & he should just keep going!" thanks Jerise. See the post below for her favorite story and link to her fantastic shop.
Picture of my sold painting above.

morning...

2010-03-23T08:08:00.000-07:00

So my creative slump still hasn't lifted, but I am working to climb out of it and I know one day it will lift and there will be artistic light again. I have received encouragement from many great artist friends of mine, who I admire both for their work and as just nice people. One such artist, Jerise, wrote me this today
"Do you know the story about the emperor and the artist? the emperor went to a famous artist and asked him to draw a rooster, because the emperor loved roosters. the artist told him to go away & come back in five years. when the emperor returned five years later, he found the artist sitting. he asked him for the rooster. the artist took out a sheet of paper, and in less than a minute drew the most wonderful rooster and gave it to the emperor. the emperor asked him, if he could do it in one minute, why did he ask him to wait?? the artist said, "it took me five years to learn to do this."

Song of the Day

2010-03-17T18:05:00.000-07:00

Flipping through the TV just now, I heard this song, one I have not heard for quite some time but remembered what a great message it had and how it made me feel when I say along. I think this moment happens too many times for so many people and I think we need to hear it and maybe hear it again and maybe shout it or just sing along. It is a sad thing to get stuck in a moment and let it run and ruin your life. I was reminded today not to let this happen and it is a good thing and as I sing it one more time, I feel the negative leave me, making room for the positive and good things in life.
Enjoy listening, listen to the lyrics and I hope it will help you to let go of your negative moments, leaving room for the good, blessed ones. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlqdyKwqq88

Yipee

2010-03-16T08:15:00.000-07:00

Trip follow up.
Fantastic...rest, good food, hot tub by the lake, fireplace in room and a surprise trip to the local playhouse. Alone time as a couple, priceless.
Pictures to come.
In the meantime I wanted to post a recipe, a home remedy of sorts.
I woke up sick the day before the trip, loaded up on vitamins, gargled and snorted salt water, all which helped but I think what put me over the edge of knocking out the beginnings of a cold was the following recipe.
1 cup water
1 cup vinegar
1Tbls Cayenne
1/2 teas salt

drink it by the tablespoon
especially good for sore throat
felt better the next day and was good for the trip

Going away for the weekend...

2010-03-11T16:16:00.000-08:00

A picture of Flathead Lake

So as anyone knows who has kids and loves them very much, occasionally Mom and Dad need a get away, a breather, a date, a glimmer back of what keeps them together as a couple. This getaway doesn't have to be glamorous or glitzy or to an exotic destination (not that that wouldn't be great) but it just needs to be a change of scenery, where the two of you can regroup, both together and by yourself. So we are taking such weekend tomorrow and coming back on Sunday. We are headed up to Big Fork and Whitefish and staying at a lodge on the lake. I love water by the way. I am very excited and will post pictures later. I will not be posting for the weekend as you can understand but I will be bringing business card as there are some great galleries and shops and you just never know. Wish me clear roads and for my cold not to get worse. thanks

Spring is coming...

2010-03-10T12:48:00.000-08:00

So spring is on its way. I really want to clean more out of my house before the yard work begins, as it is my trees need pruned already. So today I started, baby steps at a time, cleaned out a few of the kids toys for hubby to take to work, and went through a box in the laundry room, that was mostly filled with school papers that needed to be tossed. It felt really good but I do wish I had more will power to really purge but it is not my strong suit, I will though keep pushing ahead and trying my best.

Spring Sprouts

2010-03-08T16:53:00.000-08:00

So my lovely little 5 year old assistant gardener and I planted some seeds for our garden. I find that starting my own plants is not only less expensive, they produce better and I know that they are really organic. In our part of the country you can not plant until May and that is sometimes risky, May isn't always totally frost free, but we like to be adventurous. Alena loves to water them everyday and we can not wait to get up in the morning to see our little sprouts. A few days ago our first seedling broke ground and since there are additions everyday. It is all very exciting. Here is a picture of our first ones.

Recycled Wool Slipper Boots

2010-03-07T08:05:00.000-08:00

Ok so they may look a bit goofy, a bit Robin Hood or a bit Hippie tree hugger, which maybe each of these things may exist in me to some extent.
My friend recently was in San Diego where folks dispose of wool sweaters like they do a kleenex. She hit a few second hand stores and came back with a box full. She learned two things from this errand I sent her on, one-- never buy a wool blend they lint something terrible in your machine two--it is one of the funnest projects she has ever done :)
We try to get together on Fridays, doesn't always happen but when it does we craft or knit or paint. Our last two Fridays has consisted of making things out of our felted wool sweaters.
I will be posting pictures of our projects, but these are my most used, they are incredibly warm and comfy. We both made a pair out of one large mans sweater, hers are out of the arms and mine out of the body.
And Yes, by the color of my legs you can see it has been a long winter :)

Painters Block

2010-03-06T10:06:00.000-08:00

Will I crush that block today?

Collecting Original Art

2010-03-05T07:58:00.000-08:00

Inspiration definitely can come from viewing others art. Too see the passion of how they create, doing what they love inspires you to want to keep going. I have recently made an endeavor to collect original art from other artists, I want to fill my house with it. With each piece I collect I grow happier while at the same time my husband shakes his head wondering where I am going to put it. I tell him "there is always wall space for art" . I wanted to show off my newest pieces, the sketches are originals and aren't they gorgeous, they are done on site in a park in New York, the color is a print, it too is beautiful, the yellow balloon is so enchanting among the city buildings. I have many pieces from this wonderful artist and super nice person, Jerise, please check out her work, you won't be disappointed.

Temple Grandin educating others about Autism

2010-03-04T09:03:00.000-08:00

If you know and love anyone with autism or on the autism spectrum, you are going to want to keep reading. In my case I have quite a few friends with children on the spectrum and I have a beautiful daughter who is too. I am blessed with three fantastic children all different and special in their own way, I love them each beyond words. Our middle child, born 9 years ago with a heart defect has been a fighter from the start. We spent 5 1/2 weeks in Seattle Children's Hospital (let me give a quick shout out to the wonderful facility that it is, thanks Children's) we finally came home with many meds and a beautiful baby girl. Medically life has always been a series of ups and downs with her, from RSV to Kidney reflux to MRSA staph but as she grew we started noticing other challenges and delays, when we finally got the diagnosis which I had already figured out probably over a year earlier it was bittersweet, now we could finally help her having come to know her and how she works but at the same time it was official, my heart broke, not because I loved her any less for now I loved her even more but because I knew and would now see the struggles that everyday life would be for her. We have both come a long ways, I still experience heartbreak everyday but at the same time we have many joys and accomplishments.
I am sure anyone raising a child on the spectrum has read and goggled and researched everything they can get their hands on, I know I have. Recently with the buzz on the movie on HBO Temple Grandin, I began to research more about her, and have come to discover a wealth of amazing info at my fingertips. These links offer great info for so many, believe me, many friends and family and school teachers will be getting these. I highly recommend taking the time to look them over.

five part series of an interview with Temple Grandin, so very
interesting about 50 minutes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46ycu3JFRrA&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-iy7GNsmm0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDWH_Sfnoc0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Epwa0zQ8jx8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aidkSBsyDlA&feature=related

this
one is a little over an hour, it is one of the traveling speeches she
does, again so informative

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgEAhMEgGOQ&feature=related

Contemporary Fine Art International

2010-03-03T07:57:00.000-08:00

I am very proud to be part of a group of extraordinary artists. Thanks to the vision of Kimberly Conrad an exceptional artist, we now have a great blog and now a beautiful website, she has worked very hard to give us a professional and nice place to showcase our work. I appreciate her hard work very much and the encouragement that she always gives. Thank you
Check out my page and the pages of some really amazing artists http://www.contemporaryfineartinternational.com/Deana_Mattos_Diefenbach.html

Good Morning Monday

2010-03-01T10:40:00.000-08:00

Monday morning, deciding to start fresh. Have had a bout of headaches last week and some other health issues and a major painting block. So I have decided I need to get back to regular exercise, continue to purge the clutter and better organize the art business side of my life. I realize that it does not all happen over night but you have to start somewhere...So here goes
The above picture is the inspiration I use to do and be better.

Quote for today...

2010-02-24T16:31:00.000-08:00

"In Order to be irreplaceable one must always be different."---Coco Chanel

Great Blog Post

2010-02-22T18:11:00.000-08:00

It is always fun to be featured on someone's blog, and it is encouraging to think you may be able to reach a whole other group of people with your work and inspiration. A few days ago I submitted to the "I am" Revolution taking place on a blog by Josie Maran, on Sunday I appeared. Please take a look and comment if you like, you can also submit your own "I Am" http://josiemarancosmetics.typepad.com/josie_maran_cosmetics/2010/02/i-am-artistic.html#comments

Sunday Morning

2010-02-21T07:55:00.000-08:00

The sun is shining and there are blue skies out motivating me to get out of bed and soak it all in. As I was laying here thinking about what to blog about, inspiration came to me from another blog. I am working on blogging regularly and am slowing getting better. I am encouraged and inspired by others and their blogs. Today's blog that gave me inspiration is one I always enjoy reading, for one, this person is an amazing cook and chocolate maker, she shares recipes that get me excited to try some new things. She is a smart woman and a mom, I always find pleasure in reading her blog.
I have to admit, a bit selfishly, that she always encourages me artistically and as an artist that makes me smile. So Niki for all you do, thanks....here is her blog for your enjoyment Nicole's Homemade Treats There happens to be a post there that includes myself and some other great items by other artists I admire. While you are there go ahead and indulge and check out her amazing chocolate shop, believe me they are to die for.
As I leave you now, I will leave you with the quote that Niki used on her blog, because as usual she is right on....
"I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way - things I had no words for."
-Georgia O'Keeffe

Love animals

2010-02-20T08:20:00.000-08:00

Favorite part of the fair, the animals and petting zoo. These pictures were very hard to choose because I have so many great ones, guess I should update my flickr with the rest. These are not exactly pictures taken for painting but rather just a love of life and the simple joy of creatures.

At the Fair

2010-02-19T17:45:00.001-08:00

I am always excited about the fair every fall, been attending our home town fair since I was a kid in Idaho and now that I have kids I love sharing it with them here in Montana. We have a great time, eat lots of junk food, pet lots of animals, get really dirty and spend way too much money. My favorite part is the animals and just seeing the kids have fun. I also enjoy taking lots of pictures for future art. Here are a few that I found inspiring. Next I will show some great animal pictures.

Self Portrait

2010-02-17T08:00:00.000-08:00

Sitting in my studio, waiting for inspiration, but even if it hits not sure I have the energy to do anything about it. I wonder if I should try to clean it instead....nah

This may sound lame but this post is also to see if I set the schedule to post feature on my blog right. I know, I am a little behind, but learning everyday.

More Eco Art

2010-02-16T11:33:00.000-08:00

It is so fun going to the second hand stores to find things to paint on. I found a really neat wooden pencil holder the other day. It turned out really cool, the hard thing is I want to keep half of them.
I also painted some spring cherry blossoms on wooden dishes. I can not wait until garage sales this Spring.

Inspiration

2010-02-15T18:19:00.000-08:00

Sometimes inspiration comes from the most unlikely places, not talking about art inspiration particularly but more inspiration for life. It has been unfortunate but lately I have been attending a lot of funerals and having many people whom I know and love pass away. I recently attended a funeral of an 83 year old, who dog sledded in Alaska and experienced the great earthquake there, she also traveled the world almost every place you could go and most of it after age 60. A true adventurer and zeal for life. Today I got a call that a 93 year old woman that I know was in the hospital. After much experience with time spent with loved ones at hospitals and having suffered so much loss lately, I new I had to make time to visit her today. So my mama and I went to go giver her comfort, smiles, a hug, and hand holding. Mary was a good spirits and so happy to see us and here is where the inspiration comes in, she proceeded to tell us what wonderful people we were, how nice and good we were. It brought tears to my eyes listening to her, a woman with so much life experience and wisdom seeing good in us, who I thought I was there to help, made me feel so warm and renewed for life. Her words weren't fancy and she repeated herself many times, but they were so heartfelt and kind, truly uplifting to the spirit and encouraging to live the best life we can and to pass on kindness at every opportunity.

Creative Writing

2010-02-08T10:23:00.001-08:00

This post is not about my art but about one of my creations in a way, well something I helped produce. This is post is not about painting art but about creative writing.
My oldest child, my son, will be 13 this month, he is such a good and kind young man. He has decided to start a blog, I find that as I read it that I need to acknowledge more that he is growing up. I am very proud of him and I wanted him to be able to read in print that I love him and I am happy to call him my son and friend (yes, I know he is 13 and I will get flack for writing this but isn't that what a mom is for).
Please take a look at his blog, comment and follow if you like http://tysgamingblog.blogspot.com/

Spring Studio Sale

2010-02-06T16:39:00.000-08:00

So as most creative folks experience eventually supplies and product start to accumulate. Well I am at that point and having recently merged my husbands office with my studio (we converted his office to one of our daughters rooms) the space has become smaller. So because of need for more space and wanting to buy some more supplies....(shh I know I said more) I am having my biggest sale yet. I am marking down some of my original canvas art paintings. I am happy to say that one has already sold to a high school friend I recently reconnected with on facebook. So if you have wanted a piece now would be the time. I am marking them down for the month of Feb because in March I will be pulling a bunch for a local showing and I am hoping not to bring many back. I am also will consider reasonable offers on pieces, so please get ahold of me if you would like to discuss purchasing a painting.

Murals for the new Bedrooms

2010-01-27T15:00:00.001-08:00

So we have a nice size house not real big but not tiny. We have three bedrooms and three kids, so if you do the math, 2 have been sharing for a number of years. We also have a small office and of course my art studio, which would have been the formal dining room but instead has always been my studio. Well now the youngest is 5, a girl and our middle one is 9, also a girl and they have been sharing. Our middle daughter has Aspergers and we were finding that sharing was starting to cause some issues. So after some discussion my husband gave up his office, I reorganized my studio, made a nice window space for him, we gutted the rest of the small office and turned it into our daughters room. It is a very small room with no closet, I turned our old tv stand into an armor, we used her old bed which is raised and a book shelf that we added bins to for her toys. We have kept everything simple and organized to aid in her being able to keep it clean and not get flustered and now she has a quiet space that she can go to when she needs to decompress. It was all done on a budget mostly with stuff we already had, so to make them special I painted murals of their choice on the walls. As you can see horses and pandas are popular around here.

Cigar box Art

2010-01-26T11:44:00.000-08:00

My newest recycle, reclaim, reuse, Eco Art project in my shop. After painting on a wooden piece found at a second hand store, I was asked to find a wooden cigar box to paint on for use as a jewelry box.
After searching hi and low, I found a beautiful vintage one. I approach these projects in the same way I approach a canvas painting, this is not a technique painting or even like tole painting, it is an original painting just on a different canvas. I have many more wooden things to paint on including some more cigar boxes that I found on etsy this morning, I will be getting three of them so keep checking back to see how they turn out. I have to admit this one is going to be tough to part with.
Weather update, we are finally getting snow in Montana.

Ordering instead of Creating

2010-01-25T13:33:00.000-08:00

So Monday finds me ordering supplies rather than creating anything. Ordered more jewelry supplies, particularly for stamping jewelry. I was tempted to take the leap of buying some supplies for enameling some of my pieces to be used in my jewelry but just not quite ready yet. We will see what this week brings though, may not be able to hold myself back, the temptation of adding more color to my pieces may become overwhelming because as you can see in most of my creations I love using color.
The upside of all of this ordering besides getting fun things to play with, is that I had enough money in my business account to pay for it. That means I have made enough off of my paintings and art jewelry that I can buy my own supplies. That always feels good as a creative person, especially someone who has a family and does not want to take out of house money.
Today's pictures are of some pieces, I have for sale locally, but would be happy to recreate these for you.

On a personal note, Monday also finds me advocating for my daughter who has aspergers. Trying to talk to the school to get some things in place to help her want to be there more. So the struggle to try to take some anxiety out of her day continues, PE and lunch recess are her hurdles that have to be lowered for now. You never know where life is going to take you, so make the most of everyday and every good opportunity. I also doctored my son, who feels he has a cold coming on and played a matching game, colored a picture and have started a reading program with my youngest. Man, I am spent (in a few ways)...

The weekend

2010-01-23T17:01:00.001-08:00

This weekend finds me experimenting with some jewelry designs which means new jewelry for me...Yipee and maybe eventually some that will hit my shop. Having fun with some wire and doing some simple designs. Then also challenging myself with some stamping and metal work including trying to master the art of rivets by watching youtube videos. Oh, what would the self taught artist of everything do without youtube, seriously, I learned how to solder jewelry there. So wish I could take a class but at least I am trying and having fun and mistakenly making some fairly cool things, at least I think so.
Not my new things from today but some newish pieces. Can you tell I enjoy copper?
Oh and it snowed today, finally, enjoyed a invigorating walk outside.

More Eco Art Reclaimed and Recyled Painting surfaces

2010-01-15T09:08:00.000-08:00

I have quite a collection of mat board "scraps" from a local framing/art gallery. They are in perfect condition and make a great painting surface. After finishing them I varnish them and they can be framed like a canvas with no glass. It is a fun way to use something that otherwise is not being used. I am doing them mostly in standard photo frame sizes. So if you wait for a sale on photo frames these become an extremely economical way to have some original art in your life or to give the gift of art to someone else. If you are an ACEO collector I do them too, a great way to add some eco friendly cards to your collection. Here is a sampling.

Some recycled spoon art

2010-01-11T09:01:00.000-08:00

It is very fun to find objects that I can recycle to paint on...
One such found object are silver spoons. I have done several of these to sell in my shop but my most recent one was a wedding gift. My friend was having a red rose themed wedding so I sent her a painted spoon to have at her wedding and for a keepsake of her special day.
What is great about these spoons is they can be placed anywhere, which is nice if you are not allowed to hang on your walls. It is a way that everyone can enjoy original art anywhere.
They would be great as place setting for your next event and they could also be party favors that can be taken home in remembrance of your special event. Fantastic for a tea party or your next baby shower. Or a present for someone special or something unique just to treat yourself. It is a great idea for those who are green and eco conscious.

2010-01-10T17:31:00.000-08:00

Newest abstract buffalo. This was done as a gift for another artist friend of mine as a surprise from his wife. I really like the bold strokes and color of this one. I hope to be doing more like it very soon. These are all taken from original pictures of buffalo I have taken in Yellowstone National park in Montana.

ECO ART ACEO Cards

2009-12-05T11:01:00.000-08:00

Being an artist, a painter for quite some time now, there is always a compelling need to stretch and change things up a bit. One of the ways I have done this is by experimenting with painting on different surfaces in which to apply color to. One such surface has been recycled grocery sacks, brown paper bags. I enjoy the way the paper has a bit of texture and the folds and creases only really add to the uniqueness and beauty of the painting. These particular paintings are also collectable ACEO cards, different from probably what you already have in your collection. If you don't collect cards, then they can be fabulous mini works of art that can be displayed in most any area of your space. Thanks for looking and enjoy.

Coloring Books taken from my Original Paintings

2009-12-02T10:18:00.000-08:00

New coloring books, completely customizable, pick color of cover and ribbon, pick your own five pages (more choices coming soon) and pick what you want stamped on the cover. These pages are all taken from my own original paintings. These are each completely done by hand and a lot of work goes into each page to make a really good print, they are a hand cut generous 5x7 on sketch paper. They will be appearing soon on my website, http://bellacosaart.etsy.com

The Art of Cooking

2009-10-06T16:01:00.000-07:00

This is not about painting art but cooking art.... So this time of year when you now have a billion of tomatoes and the thought of freezing or canning more, makes your head spin and all your friends run when they see you coming with yet another bag, you know it is time to make homemade tomato soup and I have the best recipe for you, to some this may sound familiar as this is the 4Bs soup, I find that with the fresh tomatoes, since they are a bit sweet you can add less sugar. Here goes...

32 ounces of Canned diced tomatoes (for us gardeners, fresh)
9 ounces chicken broth
1 ounce Butter
2 TBLS sugar
1 TBLS chopped onion
1 pinch of Baking soda
2 Cups cream

Directions: Mix together everything but cream, and simmer 1 hour. Heat cream in double boiler, add cream to hot tomato mixture.

so delish...One piece of advice, at least make a double batch, I did a quadruple batch up to the cream part and froze it for winter, just take out, heat up and add cream.
If you try this recipe, please come back and post what you thought, thanks buon appetito