Festive?

Originally uploaded by caralara

i've been busy making xmas cards.....now for sale on folksy

A little test video blog :)

The end of 'journal your dreams'

I really enjoyed participating. I'm no where near finished...but i have many ideas and dreams floating around in my head. Getting them down and creating a dream reality is the hardest part.


So i thank you Amelia Critchlow, for you've allowed me to tap into my head and my needs and allowed me to freely create.


I have learned i need to think bigger now.
I need to believe that its possible.
I know! that through dreams there is reality.
It's out there....not going to fall in your lap....if you want it enough and strive hard to get....you can have!


I will be putting more pics up of my dreaming journey on flickr from time to time if you would like to follow. Maybe you will see some dreams unfold.
x

Day two of journal your dreams

Originally uploaded by caralara

I'm a little behind as i've had a busy day! I need to experiment some more on a couple of blank pages and then tomorrow get ready to find some inspiring images.

I recommend this e-workshop to everyone. It awakens those thoughts and dreams. And mostly...isn't it great to have something to concentrate on......

Having fun and playing

Amazing what happens when creating spontaneously. There, there lies yourself. The child inside appears for some creative nurturing.







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Finding my creativity

Today is the first day of Amelia's 'Journal Your Dreams'.  Although as of yet i haven't done anything, i've spent a few hours browsing blogs and flickr.  So much inspiration out there and i don't think i can compete.  I really don't know i have it in me although its all there in my head.  'A portrait a day' was one of the Flickr groups i came across.  And instantly i thought 'i could do that'.  I tried with my Nikon, but i'm so unphotogenic that i gave up!



The e-workshop has made me think alot about me and my wants/dreams.  I procrastinate way too much....i want so much, but i don't know how to achieve it.  i wonder if i'll just go on like this for years!  

All that really matters.....is love.....isn't it?  Love of life, partner, posibility.  Its all out there.  Waiting for me!!  

LOVE.......

And i love all of my goodies that i can play with :)

I'm so looking forward to getting stuck into this e-course.  Finding myself, finding what i need/want and creating some beautiful journal pages.

Giveaway Winner

As the e-workshop starts tomorrow i've had to cut the giveaway short.  


So....the winner is......

Jeanette (Maisy) House!!

So looking forward to starting this and i hope you are too!


Thanks to those that have entered


Can you contact me with your email details so that i could pass on to Amelia Critchlow.

My old portfolio

I was going through my old portfolio earlier and found these.





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Tuesday Weekly Sponsor Giveaway

I am ubber excited to announce my next sponsored giveaway! 

Amelia Critchlow 'artist, maker, workshop leader, and creator of the 'experimental art e-course' and 'gift grants'' is a fantastically inspirational artist and is currently advertising her e-workshop 'JOURNAL YOUR DREAMS'. 

'first and foremost this is about DECLARING OUR DREAMS in a fully artistic manner (I believe visual and written dreamsetting with clear intentions is really powerful!)'

Of course, i jumped at the chance to enrol!  And guess what?  a spare place has been reserved for one of you lucky people! The workshop is due to commence on Monday 15th November (and is a week long), therefore, this giveaway will only be available until Sunday 14th November when a winner will be announced.  Wow....so excited!  and i hope you will be too.

For those of you who don't win, or can't wait, you can enrol here.  Amelia is offering this at an affordable price too as it's a 'pay what you can' donation scheme!

You can enter 1 of 3 ways and all i require from you is a comment with a reason why YOU should win

1. here
2. www.facebook.com/caralara72
3. @cara_lara on twitter

I'll stop with my excitable babble and declare this giveaway officially open!!! 

Giveaway WINNER!!!

Using the Random Number Generator and numbering all entrants in accordance to date and time, i am now pleased to confirm

drum rollssssssss........................

Sparrow Primitives has won this weeks giveaway.

CONGRATS

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

5 

Timestamp: 2010-11-09 13:00 UTC

Technology!!

Just gets better and better eh? I can now update my blog on the fly :)
And better fonts too !!
How totally cool is that!




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

New Bookmarks

I have to think about getting bits together for my stall in December.  So....an affordable way to buy my artwork is bookmarks!  Signed on the back and ready to go!

Cards, polymer clay xmas decorations, fridge magnets etc are all to come soon.  Trying to find the time is difficult.  But i'm sure i'll get there.  I have oooooodles of jewellery already....might make a few more earrings.  Will just see where it takes me.  Not sure whether i should take original paintings.  Not the kind of thing that would sell on a craft stall???  

So...Sunday is nearly over boo hoo!  back to the grind tomorrow! :(

i've had a nice day though.  Autumn is really growing on me this year and slowly becoming my second fav. season :).  i've been raking leaves...beautifully coloured leaves at that.  

Followed by a lovely brew!  What a lovely day!

Don't forget :)

Caralara: Tuesday Weekly Sponsor Giveaway: "I am really pleased to share with you my very first Weekly Sponsor Giveaway! This gorgeous charm bracelet has been donated by Lisa-Marie Jew..."

Bringing it all together!

I'm slowly managing to create my online presence and gather all of my information into one place.  Slowly, it is looking more uniformed and complete.  Not having a huge amount of knowledge of html and the like, i'm searching the web for help and ideas.  It's getting there.  slowwwwwly.


As for painting this week.....i haven't had that itching urge.  But thats ok! 


This week is all about promotion and my blog. 


Other stuff......Autumn....so gorgeous again this year.  The garden last night was full of beautifully coloured leaves on the trees, this morning however, after a windy night.....those leaves are now laying all forlorn on the grass.


5 weeks 4 days until work finishes for 2 weeks!!!  Xmas here we come.

Tuesday Weekly Sponsor Giveaway

I am really pleased to share with you my very first Weekly Sponsor Giveaway!

This gorgeous charm bracelet has been donated by Lisa-Marie Jewellery.  Lisa-Maries shop is full of affordable accessories.  Colourful, bright and totally one of a kind.  It actually does amaze me how many creatives out there make jewellery, yet i am still to see two items exactly the same.  THAT is what I love about all things handmade.  And i'm sure you will agree, Lisa-Maries charm bracelet is totally OOAK! 

'I handmake a range of unique one off Jewellery and Accessories from my home in Beautiful Cornwall. I never make 2 items the same so you won't see somebody else with the same design! I use a range of different materials and make all of my items affordable'

So, with christmas drawing ever closer, grab yourself a freebie if you dare.

All that is required is a visit to Lisa-Maries shop.....have a browse....get some ideas for xmas....and then come back, leave a comment and i will randomly select a winner next Tuesday.

Lisa-Marie can also be followed here where you can see her beautiful designs unfold. 

Ready.....

Steady.....

GO!



Giveaways

I would like to start a new feature, sponsored giveaways. 
If anyone would like to donate a small item once a week for my featured giveaway, i will promote you and feature you on my blog. 

There are so many fabulous artists, creatives out there and most of us get swallowed up in this big creative online hole never to be seen again.  Believe me, i know!  I have been promoting my work now for over two years....it takes time and lots of patience. 

I will link to your site, blog, shop and promote you as best as i possibly can. 

All YOU have to do is supply and send the item you wish to give away.  Send me a link to your pages.  And thats it.....interested???

Cupcake Sunday

Yes its cupcake sunday.....i'm making them!  

The house smells yummy and really looking forward to getting creative with them.  Lots of colours and big swirly bits me thinks.  

I painted the picture below last night.  Oils are giving me the freedom that i like.  My brush does the talking every time.  I like that.  With acrylics i'm too tight and fussy.....oils are so very free.  The picture isn't fantastic.....but the colours are really dreamy.  Overall....i'm fairly pleased.  

Once the cupcakes are out of the oven....and dinner is in.....i'm going to paint another large canvas.  

My spare room is now a canvas graveyard.  I need to get rid of some....any offers?  ;)

Happy Sunday everyone x

On capturing likeness

I guess i could safely say, i cannot capture a likeness.  Ok so this oil painting is totally unfinished, but surely by now i should be picking up some of their characteristics?  No?  These little ones are 5 and 3....i've made them look about 50!  I am thinking i need some fine art lessons.  Or actually sit down and draw like i used to draw.  These days i'm like a bull in a china shop!  I guess thats because there is so little time these days.

 What are your techniques for capturing the look or spirit of someone on paper?  Ideas please :)

How do people do it?

I am trying to promote, stock and update my shops.  Update my blog on a regular basis.  Tweet like no ones ever tweeted before.  Facebook till i'm blue in the face.  Paint, create, promote, promote, promote...oh and trying to sell!  Plus working the day job and keeping house. 

How is this possible???

I can be found:

http://caralara1972.blogspot.com - BLOG
http://www.dreamaid.com/store/caralara1972 - DREAMAID STORE
http://www.folksy.com/shops/caralara - FOLKSY STORE
http://twitter.com/cara_lara - TWITTER
http://www.facebook.com/caralara72 - FACEBOOK

and i'm struggling to keep it all together.  Ideally, i would like a website that could encompass all of this information for me.  Somewhere to call my online home.  A place where i can just go to a couple of times a day and update. 

It's a struggle out there :)

Randomness

I love this little corner of my conservatory.  The table desperately needs finishing.  I originally painting is blue, but am now changing to a white wash.  The boot on the table i bought when i was on holiday....and i love love love it.  Flowers from the garden.  I just love that space.  Makes me feel nice when i look at it....and i like things that make me feel nice :).

More and more items are being added to my folksy shop.  http://www.folksy.com/shops/caralara.
I'm painting much more frequently again now....sometimes i feel it....sometimes i don't.  These days i just walk away until i get the urge to splodge some more paint. 

Never Give Up

Because sometimes it works out just fine :)

Oils Rock!

I'd tried with oils and hated them. 
But the other week i went on an oils workshop!!
And omg....i love them :)

Still learning :)

Tracey Emin - on being a little obsessed at the mo

Strangely, a little obsessed by the weird and wonderful Tracey Emin, who until a few weeks ago (head in the sand me) hadn't even heard of !!  Maybe i had heard of her, but the contemporary style of her work (much like damien hurst) did nothing for me, therefore, Tracey Emins name probably just slipped out of my head.
But it seems i was destined to learn about her and actually like her.
I heard someone speak her name a few weeks back and refered to her unmade bed piece.  Instantly searched on the internet....hmmm.....much fuss about nothing as per.
After the exhibition i did, there was a write up in the local paper (the bit about me was quite cool and my mum was mentioned too :)).  One of the pieces exhibited was by a local artist.  In the paper it was refered to as like 'Tracey Emin'.  That name again!!!
Then, last week i visited the V&A in london.  In the fashion section was a gorgeous bag that instantly drew my eye.  Full of patchwork words, feeling and emotion.  Of course, this was soooo me and i wanted that bag!  The designer - Tracey Emin. 
Destined.
So i bought her book 'strangeland' and i cannot put it down.  Messed up, mixed up, misunderstood. 
I love it.
Can't stop reading it.
And below....a pic of said bag.

Source of new inspiration maybe?

I'm giving this away!

For the sake of giving away! 

After a disapointing exhibition over the weekend i feel in the mood to give it allllllll away :).
But for now........

.....u can have this!

For nothing!

Just leave a message, follow, here, twitter, facebook....i don't mind.  I will randomly select a winner next monday!

Good Luck all :)

Well, tomorrow is the start of another exhibition.  These are just a few of the paintings which will be exhibited.  Last year i sold two paintings.  Hoping to sell at least one this time. 

I have avidly followed this blog now for over a year.  Kelly Rae Roberts totally inspires me!  So, on reading her last post i totally jumped at the chance to become an affiliate for her ebook.  I am so hoping that i can get some people out there to buy this so that i can buy it myself!  Even if you can't, check out her fantastic blog anyway.  I'm sure the inspiration will spread to you too!

You can find the link in the left hand column!

'The Box: Remembering the Gift'

This makes me think about all the creative whispers in my head.  All the things i want to be.  Life is too short to conform to what is the 'norm'!


what in your life is calling you?

when all the noise is silenced,
the meetings adjourned,
the lists laid aside,
and the wild iris blooms by itself in the dark forest,
what still pulls on your soul?



in the silence between your heartbeats hides a summons.
do you hear it?
name it, if you must,
or leave it nameless,
but why pretend it is not there?

I am so ready to do this!!

Looks great fun!  Who else is going to participate with me?

Searching for inspiration

I've been searching for a while now.  Wanting to find like minded souls who maybe offer e-courses or group art get togethers.  My search continues!!  Although sometimes i feel that i could maybe organise the thing that i am searching for....but then i will need to search for people to jump on this creative train with me!  What is it i am looking for exactly??

Anyway, i found this blog 101 Bird Tales and staring right at me was this quote

'Every child is an artist.  The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up'
Pablo Picasso

How true that is!

'Claude'

'Claude' arrived on my doorstep last week!
With this little note :)
He is the most gorgeous door stop i think i've ever seen because he was made by my friend 'Marti'.  He is much larger than i'd anticipated and looks great proping open my bedroom door!!  I love him....because he was lovingly hand made :)

And here is 'Marti'....go check out her blog and her shop!  My clever lovely little friend :)

New in shop

My newest item in my 'other' shop!  What do you think?

She is soooo clever!!!

#links

Help.....is very much needed!

I have to choose 3 paintings to submit into an exhibition by tomorrow. I'm still totally disorganised as per and not sure what to put in!!!

My choices are.......

All comments welcome :)

Introducing.....Whoopsidasical

My new shop :)

Come see it!!!

A new painting :S

While i've been painting lately i've decided to go with the flow. Go with what colours i fancy at the time, not change any mistakes i've made and basically wing it. The end product is purely hand to canvas. I've enjoyed it. It's freeing. Proportions and drawing are not the best, but i'm happy with how they are turning out.

So....what have i been doing?

All art and crafts came to a stop! It seemed that everything i tried to create/paint pleased me NOT! I couldn't find any inspiration! The art group that i belong too became a struggle as i was wanting to become the fine artists that attend. I have to keep reminding myself...I HAVE MY OWN STYLE. A couple of weeks back i gave a demonstration on glass painting....was v. nervous to say the least....i haven't dabbled in glass painting for years and years. To my surprise...it was thoroughly enjoyable, so painted a couple of clip frames. I will be opening another Etsy shop very soon with my crafts for sale. Caralara will be purely painting.

I visited an art gallery this morning...got talking to the guy who runs/owns it and although they have not space for paintings at the moment he said he would be interested in seeing some of my work. The gallery also holds Life drawing classes....i'm thinking about popping along.

Since finding the Camera Bag App....I'm loving it! Use it when i can...produces the coolest of photos!

Anyway.....my head is always so full of thoughts and ideas, generally when I'm driving! Occasionally i come up with the maddest of ideas, sometimes, i think they're pretty cool. So the above picture is a sketch of my latest idea. That's all I'm saying...but a new shop IS definitely on the cards :)

Also forgotten how to use this! :)

Back on track?

Well, i think i am :) I've managed to finish a painting that i started last year. Also re-opened my shop!

On finding my muse

Which i lost some time ago now!

My head has housed a herd of galloping horses for like forever!! One thought quickly flits to another, one idea replaces the previous idea. The thoughts in my dreamy head excite me.

Endless possibility of what i could achieve and how i could be.

On completion of a personality test i have discovered my personality type. A 'dreamy idealist'. It all makes perfect sense now. I have to listen to the positive voice in my head and ignore the pesimistic one that is voiced. Follow my dreams. Because in my dreams there is some truth and some passion. There is something that i could be. I CAN do the things i want to do. I WILL reach for those goals before i turn 40! I AM going to re-discover my muse and feed my creative soul once more.

New Year....better late than never!

I've had a complete blog shutdown for the last few months! A little to do with the pup.....a bit to do with going for the whole sell sell sell on etsy.....something to do with lacking inspiration.....tied down with day to day monotony.....but today....i feel i'm back on track! For a bit at least.

Saying that....the inspiration for painting/drawing has dwindled totally! I'm hoping to find my passion again soon. Maybe when this dreaded dreary weather is out of the way and spring springs right back into my life.

For the moment.....it's new year....new wants!

I want to learn to play the piano

learn another language

MOVE to a house with a garden for the Mini Moo

I want to have a break from the monotony....a mini one would do :)

I want to learn to cope with life and all that it throws at me

Be more organised and regimented with keeping on top of things

Maybe i want too much!

:)