She Chooses Joy - {A Mixed Media Canvas for the Choose Joy Auction and Benefit for Ashley Hackshaw}

It's done!!! This is my finished canvas, created in honor of Ashley. This item will be up for auction on 2/27/2012. Can you see all the detail here? It's a colorful and whimsical 9x12" canvas layered with papers and ink and paint! There's a piece of a vintage sewing pattern, sheet music, book text, and tissue tape. There's oodles of artsy goodness on here! Click on any of the photos to enlarge them.

The paint is high quality fluid acrylic paint in hues of turquoise and yellow. There are various stamped images including a camera, a dress form and lots of numbers! The piece is also loaded with rub ons and several phrases:

Start your day with a smile and end your day with joy.

Great things are possible!

Life is filled with great treasures.

A little of what you fancy does you good.

And of course, the main phrase is "She chooses joy".

The girl who's the star of the canvas is casual with an an artsy flare, just like Ashley. This girl wears a whimsical heart patch on her knee, a measuring tape belt and a flower in her hair. Finally, the canvas was finished off with 3 dimensional embellishments like a miniature vintage sewing machine, a spool of thread, a pair of scissors and plenty of colorful buttons!

This happy canvas is perfect for anyone who loves to sew, needs a little reminder to choose joy, or simply perfect for anyone who's a fan of Ashley's. So...be sure to visit the auction between 2/27 and 2/29 and bid on this canvas to help alleviate a little of the financial burden of her cancer treatment.

Choose Joy Auction and Benefit - Supporting Ashley Hackshaw

I'm SOOOOO thrilled and proud to be participating in this incredible auction benefiting my dear bloggy friend, Ashley Hackshaw of Lil' Blue Boo. I'm finishing up my donation item; a mixed media canvas in honor of Ashley. The team has stopped accepting items at this time, due to an overwhelming response and hundreds of items being donated! YAY! I'll show some pics of my canvas when it's completed, but in the meantime, I wanted to spread the news about this incredible on-line event.

I was honored to be one of Ashley's first pattern testers when she was starting her Lil' Blue Boo business. I've learned so much about sewing from Ashley. That's a little hint at the theme of my canvas ;). You can read about that first pattern and the crazy backstory of how we got connected, here. I can't believe I've still never met her in real life! Of course, I feel like I already know her through our mutual friends and through reading her blog. Her creativity and her attitude to "Choose Joy" is contagious. If you're part of the crafting world, sewing world, a DIYer, or blogger of any kind, you've probably heard of Ashley, and more recently, of her battle with a very aggressive cancer. Through all of the tragedy of the last year, Ashley remains determined to live her mantra to "Choose Joy".

The auction is being organized by several of Ashley's friends and as I said, hundreds of people have come together and donated items toward the auction. The proceeds will go toward Ashley's medical bills as cancer treatment is VERY expensive.

So, while you're sitting on the edge of your seat waiting for pics of my completed canvas (heee, hee!), head on over to Amy's blog and read more about the Choose Joy Auction and Benefit, which will support Ashley.

I don't know many details of the auction, but as I get more info, I'll be sure to share!

Daily Routine Chart and Behavior Chart

I mentioned in my last post that Taylor's sensory issues have become much more prominent in the last 6 months or so. I'll be blogging more about Sensory Processing Disorder as I have time, but for now I want to share a tool I developed for us to have more structure and less meltdowns in our day.

Taylor is a child who thrives on control. I know all children benefit from structure, but for Taylor, when her routine is out of whack and she doesn't know what to expect next, it sets her up for anxiety, uncertainty and horrible behavior. We had an occupational therapy evaluation last week to help us diagnose and treat the Sensory Processing Disorder that we see emerging with Taylor. One of the suggestions the OT had, was to have more structure in our days. The caveat, of course, being that all kids need time for freedom and free play.

I've been wanting to create a routine chart and a behavioral/reward system for Taylor for quite some time, to give her an added sense of control over her day. So, after looking at various resources, I found Sparkle Box. They offer 1000's of free printables. While most of their resources as aimed at teachers and education, they also have a section for parents and homeschooling. I printed off their daily routine cards, and cut out the ones that apply to us. I then used my Xyron machine and laminated each of the cards.

I included a heading that identifies the day of the week, under that I added what time of day/routine we were working on: Morning, Afterschool, Bedtime. Finally, I went through our routine and the basics of what needed to be done at each time of day and wrote it out on paper to help me organize the cards. This also made me realize that I need to make or find other cards for activities that weren't included in the set I printed. For example, I'm working on having Taylor take more responsibility for household chores, so I need cards that say "set the table" and "fold laundry" and "clean up toys". I also need to create some custom cards that include photos of her medications (asthma and allergy) and some of her sensory activities. You can see from the photo above that we don't have a picture to show the task of getting dressed. We'll be adding that!

Once I had the cards organized, I added velcro dots to the chart and the cards. I was able to determine that at this point, each of our routines has at most, 6 steps, so their are 6 velcro stickers that stay on the board and the cards are attached and removed as the routine is completed.

Other ways she can earn star stickers is by following her rules, and then there is opportunity for us to give her stickers for random good behavior. This makes us more aware of catching her being good. After a week of accumulating lots of stars, on Fridays she will get to choose one thing that she wants: either McDonald's, Wendy's, Dairy Queen or Starbucks. Now, I'm really not fond of offering food as rewards, but when Taylor outgrew her food allergies, we got in the bad habit of often grabbing fast food on the way home from school. This soon turned into her expecting fast food everyday. When I refused her requests, a major tantrum would ensue. So, the new rule is she can have fast food once a week, only on Fridays and this eliminates the daily battle.

I also added a calendar to the chart so we can see upcoming events and talk about them, count down the days until they happen, etc. Finally, I added a place for reminders and important notes/papers. Our fridge is not magnetic and so we can't use it as our central command center. This bulletin board is a great place to keep track of all the little things that I need to see or they get forgotten.

I'm sure I'll end up making changes to the board as we figure out what works for us. But, so far, Taylor loves the board and she's responding really well to the structure and knowing what's going to happen next.

A few weeks ago, during a very trying time of behavior problems, I wrote out a set of rules for Taylor. I decided to include the rules on her routine board and under the rules, I added a star behavior chart that I printed from Sparkle Box. I then purchased star stickers at the dollar store. There are 10 spaces for stars on the chart each day. At this point, Taylor gets one star for following each of her routines without a big fight. I give a little bit of leeway with "not a big fight" because I recognize that I have a very, very strong-willed child. I also like that she's assertive and I recognize that one of the rules she struggles with the most, is rule #1 Do as you are told. She's just not that compliant of a child (at least not at home!). That's not her personality. She often needs to do things "her way". So, as long as she follows her routines without a "big" fight, then we're happy and she gets a sticker.

Our system has quickly become an activity in itself. Taylor likes going to the board to see what's up next, she takes the cards down once she's completed the task, and she's responding really well to the star sticker system.

Do you have a system like this for your child? I'd love to hear how you manage routines and behavior in your home.

Catching up....

Um, OK, so my long blogging breaks are becoming a pattern...See, I have every intention of blogging regularly. I think about blogging everyday. I go about our daily life and take pics and say to myself "that's so blog-worthy" and then the pics sit on my SD card for weeks and don't get edited. And then I think, really, do my readers really care what we did on a Saturday 3 wks ago? Seems kind of odd to post pics of our labor day festivities in the middle of October...Which reminds me I still haven't posted about Taylor's birthday party which was in May...um yeah, I'm a bit of a procrastinator even in my hobbies. But, heck, I've got to jump back in somewhere, right, so let's just play catch up. Who cares if they're not recent events I'm sharing with you...So, here's what we've been living that I should have been blogging about...

Our girl turned 5 and we celebrated with a special tea party with bright colors, cupcakes and closest friends.

We ended our summer with a trip to Canada to visit friends and family. Taylor got a taste of Canadian nature when we spent a couple of days hiking in Algonquin Park. This was the first time Taylor saw a fuzzy caterpillar, and the first time she saw chipmunks and black squirrels. She also had lots of fun playing with frogs in Grandad's pond.

I took lots of pics of these 2 girls. Sweet cousins! I absolutely LOVE this pic!

And when we returned, Taylor had her first day of kindergarten! She's at the same school that she's been at since she was 2. She went to preschool there and we're thankful they have a full-day kindergarten program. So, she'll stay there until next fall when she goes to 1st grade in a public school (gulp! - let's not talk about that yet, OK?)

And...as you can see from these pics, I'm officially a Soccer Mom. And, I'm lovin' it! It's been a challenge finding an activity for Taylor that keeps her interest, is challenging and fits her activity level. She's a very high energy kid and sometimes has trouble with sports or lessons that require her to wait her turn. We've tried gymnastics in the past, and while she loved it, she spent most of the time running around the gym, doing her own thing. Well, it appears as though soccer is her "thing". Taylor's been asking to play soccer since she could walk and talk. the Berenstain Bears play soccer, ya know ;) . We signed her up in the spring, and she asked to play soccer almost every night in the summer. She and John would kick the ball around in the back-yard. And, I'm not at all biased when I say, this girl's got some natural soccer skills. (Really, I'm not biased. at. all. ;) ).

Other very noteworthy events in our lives in the last few months....

- Taylor lost her first tooth and the Tooth Fairy made her first visit to our house and left a crisp $1.oo bill.

- Taylor's adjustment to kindergarten has resulted in an increase in her Sensory Seeking behaviors, and I'm certain we're on our way to a diagnosis of Sensory Processing Disorder. I'm very, very thankful that Taylor is excelling in school, but these behaviors are becoming more prominent and more problematic at home. We were had an appt with our pediatrician today and she'll be submitting a referral for an occupational therapy evaluation. Now, we just need the referral to be approved. I'll definitely be posting more about this complex and often misunderstood issue.

- The highlight of the last few months is that I've reconnected with my brother! I'll spare you the details of my complex family and childhood, but I'll say that I grew up in Canada and I have a brother who is 13 yrs younger than me, who grew up in Pennsylvania. Well, he's now in the military and he's stationed in Southern California! Now that we're about 2 hours from each other, we've been seeing each other 2 or 3 times a month and we're having so much fun together. Taylor absolutely adores having her fun uncle around, and I'm loving having my 6'3" "little"brother around.

So, the last few months have been very busy and full of blessings. So, there ya go...I think we're all caught up!

She Had 3 Hearts Art Journaling Workshop {Christy Tomlinson}

I am SOOOO excited to start the She Had 3 Hearts Art Journaling workshop today! Of course, I have to get through my workday first, and then head to Taylor's first swimming lessons, and then sometime mid-evening, I'll be able to take a peak at all the goodness and then I'll really delve into the videos after Taylor's in bed and I have some uninterrupted time to watch the videos.

I've been working on a few canvases in various stages since my last post. Thank you all SO much for your kind comments. :) I've also been trying to nurse my hand back to health. An arthritis flare last weekend and into Monday, resulted in numbness in my right thumb. As of Tuesday, doc had diagnosed it as tendinitis and put me on oral steroids. Finally, tonight, I've gotten some relief from the pins and needles sensation. Makes it difficult to complete most daily tasks and it has certainly impacted my art making this week. I guess that's what I get for trying to catch up on housework and organizing! ;)

Anyway, now that I seem to be on the mend, I'm definitely looking forward to playing in my journal and absorbing all the creative juice that Christy has to offer. If you'd like to join the workshop, there's still time! Just head on over to her blog and read this post and register. After my experience in her She Art Workshop, I can tell you, Christy does not disappoint!

I'm still working on my collection for The Summer of Color, as well, but I haven't finished my red or brown piece. I'll get back in the groove and post and then link back up with this week's color of Purple! And of course, you can always join in on The Summer of Color, still, too!

She Art - My FIRST finished She Art Girl!

A couple of months ago I registered for Christy's online She Art Workshop. I discovered Christy and her workshop through Donna Downey. You all know about my love affair with Donna. Well, while I'm still loving Donna, I have a new crush on Christy. She is SO inspiring. Through her amazing workshop, I've learned about all kinds of art products and a ton of new techniques. She has really sparked my new passion for ART. Real ART, not crafts and sewing, but actual ART. So, although I wouldn't say I was intimidated to create a piece inspired by Christy, I just haven't had a clear idea of what I wanted my first girl to look like. After watching the first video several weeks ago, I created one that was of a little girl, and Taylor quickly declared she wanted the faceless girl with no hair to be her, so I added hair and a few details, but the canvas still sits on my shelf, unfinished, several weeks later.

Well, I was suddenly hit with a desire to create and complete my first She Art canvas. I absolutely LOVE how it turned out. In fact, that's an understatement. I realize I should probably be a little (or a lot!) more modest, but I think this may very well be the most beautiful thing I've ever created (with the exception of Taylor, of course! ;) ). Goodness, if this is the first post you're reading on my blog, please know that I'm not usually this arrogant!!!

Seriously, THIS is why I create. The amazing high I get once I've completed a piece and once I've discovered a new technique and put it into action, and it all comes together; there are few things that measure up to this incredible feeling. If you are an artist or have a passion for anything creative you know exactly what I'm talking about. (So I know you'll forgive my lack of modesty, right? ;) )

Also, notice the writing in the bottom right corner? Yup. That's my signature. I don't think I've ever signed anything I've created before. Once this piece was finished, I felt compelled to sign it. I officially feel like an artist. :)

Thanks for looking ;)

The Summer of Color Week 4 {Yellow}

When I think of yellow, I think of sunshine! In keeping with the inspirational theme of the whimsical canvas collection I'm making for Taylor, I created a canvas for this week's Summer of Color challenge that is all about scattering sunshine!

I painted a 5x7 canvas panel with various shades of yellow acrylic paints. I then used a stamp wheel and created the black stamped images. Next, I cut the shape of a sun with triangular rays out of yellow paper with white polka-dots. I wanted the paper to be brighter, so I painted it a brighter yellow. I glued the sun down to the panel using Mod Podge. I then painted a small piece of rubber shelf liner with black paint and blotted it randomly on the edges of the panel. Next, I glued down the sentiment using more Mod Podge. Finally, I added gold glitter to the sun and some doodling and outlining.

This is one of my favorite pieces in this collection, so far! And I just have to share this part...Taylor is very, very supportive of all my creations. She's a little artist herself and she's always excited to see what I'm working on and gasps and says "Oh, Mom, that is SOOOOO beautiful!" when I show her my finished work. Well, when I showed her this piece, she had a totally different reaction. (Keep in mind, she's 5 yrs old). She looked at it. Paused. And then BURST out laughing. She laughed and laughed and LAUGHED. Then she said "I'm sorry Mom, but that is SO funny!!!" When I asked why she thought it was so funny, she said (still laughing) "Because the words are in the SKY!" and she continued laughing...