Just be you...Play!

It doesn't have to be
the blue iris, it could be
weeds in a vacant lot, or a few
small stones; just
pay attention, then patch

a few words together and don't try
to make them elaborate, this isn't
a contest but the doorway

into thanks, and a silence in which
another voice may speak.
-Mary Oliver

My daughter doesn't like at all when I work with nudes or when I am making some EXTREME visual journaling. She thinks It is yucky, seriously! but I have no idea why making and working with all of this makes me feel very good, I feel the most liberated and happy, that's for sure! It really pleases my spirit, my soul speaks and my eyes enjoy the results.
Don't get me wrong, I like the very pretty cutie stuff too but I think what it also is the fact that It does feel great to reuse everything sitting around and i don't need to spend lots of money, specially old magazines and little scraps of paper.
And scissors and glue is all I need to put everything together, okay, also paints to make unique backgrounds ;-)
It feels almost like when I go and read my old journal pages and say to myself: Oh My Gosh! I did write this! Was I really feeling that way??? I supposed I did! Upps!
But I am always glad, I wrote it down because I know it did help me and absolutely healed me ;-)
So making tags or working on my extreme visual journal pages which I know they may not be pleasing to other's eyes, but it feels absolutely great to me ;-)
Again, please know, my tags are not ready yet, Sunday will be the day to finish them. I have to go now.
Enjoy life! Life is good ;-)
Hugs,
Carmen

p.s. I can't wait to see the magazine!!! and show it off to everyone! te-hee!!!
And forgive me if I sound too much but this is going to be my very first time seeing my name, my blog url, and my fairy dress in a magazine! This is VERY BIG for me! A very NEW EXPERIENCE and why not to admit that It is a sweet wonderful success in my mermaid life ;-) Do you understand my excitement and joyful tears, right?
xoxo

I am crying...

I want to share my happiness with ALL of you.

Please click HERE



Thank you Lisa for this awesome challenge, for the fun, and then the possibility!!!! and now this! Wonderful SWEET surprise!
YES, yes, yes!!!!
Thank you very much!

Thank you Somerset Studio Magazine!
I can't wait to see your coming Spring Issue!
I can't wait to have it in my hands!
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!!

Life is great!!!
Viva la vida!!!
Yay!
I feel so blessed!



You can read more about that fairy's first wish dress here.

Creativity happens

These collages were made out of all the scraps of papers, old books, gel pens ink, and things leftovers from other projects, the canvas as you can see are inventory tags which lucky me I got for free ;-)
The main goal for this project was to create with all the stuff I have saved from previous projects and things around the mermaid studio.
A kind of "spend less create more" project.
And as you can see, they aren't finished yet, they are still in "the making".
I am planning on doing some more doodling on the mermaid tails, and adding some embellisments and fabric, too, some stitches here and there, maybe some wax, or mica, Or paints, who knows!

When they are done, I will show them again to all of you.

If you are interested on trying this for fun, please let me know, I have some more inventory tags at home to share, make sure you use what you got, this is a great fun creative challenge.

If you want to see more, please visit my friend Lila, she is creating some awesome collage art with them.

Blessings,
Carmen

p.s. Can you see the yellow of the pages from the old books? they sure smell old! I also got them for free, and even better, one is a music book, and another one is a book in German language.
Yay! Free is my favorite word ;-)

Love Shrine

... because LOVE makes the world go round ;-)





I believe in LOVE.
And I really believe that love is everything. And it is everywhere!

When Love is in our life can do and give us lots of wonderful and unique energy. It is a sweet magic with some certain mysterious powers: compassion and the ability to forgive everything, small and big things, too.

And that is something I know for sure .

With LOVE, I see everything different, and notice the good things in people, and in myself, too! and my surroundings, it absolutely fills me with wonder and gives me no time for judgment, which I am so glad and proud of that fact. I do not let the media, tv or internet to rule my thoughts and time. Although, I wish I could fix some problems and pain for others. But then that means, I can only do what it is enough expected from me, so that means: time to nourish my soul playing in the mermaid studio and listen to music or a children's movie, I love bambie! monsters inc, beauty and the beast, toy's story, etc, aren't all of these movies super fun and very enjoyable? I can see you saying yes ;-)

Because of me allowing love EVERYDAY, because yes it is an everyday thing to practice, it is an everyday door to open, to allow to come in, and with that comes your wisdom to know and be open to what may come too, and yes fear and some bad memories from the past may show to try to scare me and take me away from the now and what really matters, but guess what? Love is the only thing which is going to allow me to defy fear, and of course, treasuring what I got going: the living in the present.
Do I feel that sensation of getting hurt again? of course I do!!! Big time! Yes, it may happen again but yes, it may NOT happen, too! so I want to go for my second guess and enjoy the moment, I don't want to put dark thoughts in my head and heart, or feeling confused, and believe me, society expects me to be at my age in a different position, and has asked me how come this or why that, bla bla bla and of course do my life feels at times very far away from what I imagined once? yes, to be honest.

All I know is that I have to keep working in my present to prepare for what tomorrow brings, and I hope that it will be only great things, and if something not good comes, i will be more prepared to face it because I have gained wisdom, and I am brave and courageous in my very own particular way.

One thing, I know for sure, I love the way I am and I know I am loved by others whatever way I am, too, I just know it!
Yay for Love!
And like my friend Gloria says:
Viva la vida!
Viva el AMOR ;-)

Hugs,
Carmen

p.s. Well, I have to tell you that "the love shrine" is no longer with me, Blue eyes merman is the new owner, along with the captured red rose fairy. He loved them and I enjoyed that he loves them so much so they are his!

One world One heart Blog Event

anyone who keeps the ability to see B E A U T Y
never grows old.
-Franz Kafka

Welcome to my blog!
Welcome to ONE WORLD ONE HeART!
Event hosted by our Lisa! Yay for Lisa! Third year in a row! Yes!!!
My giveaway is open for everyone!

On Sunday, I captured these fairies, two girls and one boy! and yes they are keeping me very busy, and happy, too!
And guess what? they learned that my mermaid's name was Sasha and love love her name, so yes, they love people's names, and wish to have it as a middle name so in order to win a CAPTURED FAIRY in A JAR from me, you need to enter your name along with a people's name, I know I know, but that's their ONLY request so if you really REALLY want to have one of them living with you you need to name at least one of them ;-)

and just as a curious detail, Also, On Sunday, I was working on a shrine for Frida Kahlo, and they fall in love with Frida's name. They have good taste, don't ya think so?
LOL ;-)

Just give me a name (besides yours) just one name, and make it fun to you, me, and them of course ;-)

On FEB 12, my daughter, my all star daughter, will choose a winner and then you will need to email me with yor address.

Good Luck!
And thank you very much for your visit, I am hoping you will come back again here to visit me in my blog!

Hugs, and lots of luck!
DON"T STOP BELIEVING!!!
Carmen

p.s. Lisa: Thank you very much AGAIN for this fun for everyone and the VERY creative challenge for me! love you!

UPDATE

And the WINNER is.....

IdaClare

Yay for her!!!

I hear wolves

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This is the way I love to live! This is who I am!

"Let the beauty we love be what we do."
Rumi

gardening, cooking, doodles all day and everywhere, writing little sweet poems, collage, reading, some sewing, some crocheting, collector of rocks and leaves, singing and reading poems real loud, smiling and giving hope to strangers, blogger, mermaid, mother, thinker, searcher, wanderer, dreamer, friend, lover, all of this and more, make me the creator of my own life. I Let the beauty I love be what I do ;-)

Who does she think she is? A mermaid ;-)
hugs,
Carmen

p.s. New Documentary film about women balancing lives and artists and mothers. Directed by Pamela Tanner Boll, co-directed edited by Nancy C Kennedy. Check out their website at www.whodoesshethinksheis.net!

Wax and Ink plus pretty napkins = collages

"there are things you do because they feel right
and they may make no sense and they may make
no money and it may be the real reason we are here:
to love each other and to eat each other's cooking
and say it was good"
—Brian Andreas

I had such a fun playing with these materials.
and I am playing some more Today! Yay!
I love what I do and create that's why it is such a fun and matters!
LOL
How about you? what fun things are you doing on a Sunday?
love and hugs!
Carmen

Wings

That little 5 yr old mermaid girl is me ;-)
Oh! Look! She is wearing her wings, crown, and sparkly pink shoes, thanks to this ;-)
Back then, she was living in a tiny apartment and in a brand big new foggy and gloomy city. His Dad had a new job.
But She find her way to be and do just fine. She was ahead of her time for her age! She will spend lots of hours reading, you bet! she already knew how to read and write, and LOVE, love, love playing with paper, glue and scissors.
But guess what was going on in her head while she was playing and having fun? She will dream of going back where her heart belonged, to that magical sacred garden, to her beloved grandmother's garden...

To be continued.

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Well, this week while reading blogs, I noticed that several of them have chosen a WORD for this new year 2009 to inspire them and help them to accomplish their resolutions, dreams and/or wishes.
And I have chosen a word for me, too.

Wings!

Oh yes! that's a perfect word for me because EVERYDAY, I am looking forward to take flight, to soar! so yes, everyday is a new opportunity for me to enjoy everything, and find the beauty and the sacredness anywhere! Everday a new day to be! to love! to doodle! to play! to smell the roses ;-)

Yes!!! Yes! Yes!
I am growing brand NEW wings to give more power to my mermaid tail ;-)

I have wings!
I am afraid of nothing!
and I am beautiful.
lovable.
compassionate.
wiser.
and smarter ;-)
I am a light.

Hugs and love,
mermaid me

p.s. My weather is so incredible! I am inspired by it! Now, the next two following quotes are fantastic! enjoy them! and I also hope you are being inspired by everything! specially by wings and mermaid tails, yes, grab your pair of scissors, some paper and glue, and please check if you have time for eye candy with my friend Diana and please please ALSO visit my friend Julie, and if you can please leave her some sweet words, her beloved pet just passed away.

I feel my boots trying to leave the ground,
I feel my heart pumping hard.
I want to think again of dangerous and noble things.
I want to be light and frolicsome.
I want to be improbable beautiful and afraid of nothing, as though I had wings.
-Mary Oliver



"I am one of the searchers. There are, I believe, millions of us. We are not unhappy, but neither are we really content. We continue to explore life, hoping to uncover its ultimate secret. We continue to explore ourselves, hoping to understand. We like to walk along the beach, we are drawn by the ocean, taken by its power, its unceasing motion, its mystery and unspeakable beauty. We like forests and mountains, deserts and hidden rivers, and the lonely cities as well. Our sadness is as much a part of our lives as is our laughter. To share our sadness with one we love is perhaps as great a joy as we can know— unless it be to share our laughter. We searchers are ambitious only for life itself, for everything beautiful it can provide. Most of all we love and want to be loved. We want to live in a relationship that will not impede our wandering, nor prevent our search, nor lock us in prison walls; that will take us for what little we have to give. We do not want to prove ourselves to another or compete for love. For wanderers, dreamers, and lovers, for lonely men and women who dare to ask of life everything good and beautiful. It is for those who are too gentle to live among wolves."

—from There Are Men Too Gentle to Live Among Wolves, by James Kavanaugh

Happy New Year!

I have been having such a great time these past days, My celebrations were lovely and very nice. How was your new year's? Hoping great, and very fun ;-)
Tomorrow night I will start thinking of going back to work :-(

Okay, Well, I got tagged by Ileana so now I'm it and this is how the game works:

1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them.
5. Let each person know they’ve been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

Okay, here are my answers ;-)

1. I am a pack rat everything can be reused if you see it with my eyes ;-)

2. I am a professional dreamer. I guess you can see my credentials all over my blog

3. I strongly dislike b...s..., lies and secrets, I have learned that eventually EVERYTHING comes to the light. Don’t live in the shadows, don’t! not good for you, and not good for the persons around you.

4. Okay, to tell you the truth, With number 3 I had to make a strong statement BUT in my real everyday life I don’t say bad words usually. And, I am usually very understanding, and forgiving, too

5. I have had this white gray hair streak in my bangs since I can remember. And I love it! I think it is cool and sexy ;-)

6. I prefer comfy clothes and sparkly sandals, I don't wear make up, but red lipstick is a must for me, I love to wear dresses, and just to let you know, jeans aren't in my list at all but yes, they make my, and (any woman) bootie look sexy. And If I am not wearing my jewelry I feel naked, you betcha! i love bohemian, gypsy, 60's ish fashion looks, Oh! And one more thing. I wear sunglasses all the time, can't live without them, always with me, check me out HERE, lol ;-)

And just to finish this post breaking rules, with a number seven, yes a number seven, LOL (love to break rules, te-hee!)

7. Good food is a must in my mermaid life, I love to eat and enjoy, LOL! I ab-SOUL-tely love to cook, I love food! and wine! and oh yes! you bet I gain weight very easy, too, and yes, of course! carbs are my enemies BUT I have made peace with them and myself. Also, I notice that I can eat whatever I want as long as I walk, and moderate the intake of all the white things.
I think the secret is on NOT being obsessive about it.
This past 2008, I lost so much weight, yikes! but probably, maybe these past weeks, I probably gained some back BUT I am not worry, I did enjoy every single holiday food and desserts;-)
hugs!
Carmen

p.s. Did I mention to you before that everytime I walk into blue eyes merman classroom, I have heard the male students whispering "she is hot"? how about that to make me feel confident and beautiful knowing that I am not totally perfect in my mind at times but I am in other's eyes, LOL ;-)

Okay, I am tagging:
Christine
Diana
Shell
Gloria
Stephanie,
and Amy

Don't worry, take your time, just please let me know, i would like to read your answers, too ;-)
Hugs,
Carmen