A Peculiar Trip Hastypearl

A Peculiar Trip

Hastypearl

As you know, we have a second home in Redstone, Colorado.

Its been a dream of ours for our whole adult lives.

I cant think of a trip, literally since the mid 70's that I wasn't Euphoric 

about every moment we were there.

For me, it has always been...Remarkable!

We spent 9 days there recently for what would be our last trip of 2015.

This trip held no early plans, 

and following a very busy last trip up for an Art Show that I participated in, 

to be honest, I was really just looking forward to chilling and relaxing.

I mentioned on FB, that I would give a report on our trip.

The wheels seemed to come off right from the start.

Really, not any more than a large percent of travelers 

can testify to in modern traveling, 

but it was a challenging trip up.

Period.

To shorten the story significantly...it just went downhill from there.

The details aren't really important, 

although we humans really do Love to tell and hear details :)

What was way more important to me

...was the Peace that I had during the downward spiral.

Yes, we can Practice it in our personal walks, 

but its really about what happens Inside of each of us,

 at those times.

Maybe you aren't even aware of how Peaceful you are, 

because at the time, 

you are really in the Middle of Gods focused Grace on you...

like the pebble that hits in the circle of the waters ripples.

But when people begin to speak back to you, 

that you sure seem to be at Peace about things, 

you Know in your heart, that its True.

At tough times, we have a decision to make...

Am I going to Collapse?...

Or with my (endless) dose of Grace,

am I going to Push through the "assignment against me",

 as a friend recently put it.  

I'm not saying that I get it right every time, 

but I know that the Spirit of Peace is available to me, 

if I'll take it.

As I was downloading and editing these typical Colorado Fall images,

I confess, that for the first time, 

similar shots that have been covered over with Euphoria, 

are this time, colored by a tinged memory of Challenge.

There are soooo many lessons to be learned, 

just from that last sentence.

Still, they represent a time that I KNEW that even with the things 

that were happening to us...

God Was Still In Control.

Regardless of yours and my circumstances... 

THAT wont Ever Change.

The scripture below, is often reserved for funerals, 

to encourage us when we lose a loved one...

but I'd much rather use it for the Living, 

as it is also speaks of an option for Confidence, 

in Challenging times...

Romans 8:38

...And I am Convinced that Nothing can Ever separate us from God's love.

Neither death nor life,

neither angels nor demons,

neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow---

not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love.

Words of life for Confidence 

...even in Challenging times!

Thanks for stopping by.

You know that I love that you do:)

xo Laura

Somerset Studio Said, YES! Hastypearl

Somerset Studio Said, Yes!

Hastypearl

About a year ago, I had a conversation with two amazing 

and much more experienced  ladies in the art world.

I already had it on my "To Do" dream list, but when they said, 

"Start submitting your work to publications", 

I knew it was the conformation that I needed.

My photography skills were severely lacking, but frankly, 

there is ALWAYS going to be some skill that is lacking.

We just have to do the best that we can.

Besides, Designers/Photography Editors can fix big messes :)

This time, I wouldnt even have to worry about that, 

because this particular magazine actually had you 

send OUT your art piece.

OK. Even better!

I'm no expert, but if you are interested in submitting art, 

every magazine, has dates and guidelines for specific calls, 

usually in the back of the issue, 

or you can go to their websites and all of the details will be available, there.

This particular call that I submitted to, 

requested a bit of a Gothic feel.

I knew just the piece!

It was already finished and ready to go.

I packed it up and shipped it out.

Then...I Waited.

MANY months went by, and then this.....:)

I'm NOT going to lie.

I was thrilled!

Out of all of the possible imaginable scenarios, this was a great way to end.

It was so much fun, to see my piece, snuggled right up to great art.

It was curated beautifully and looked so right.

I guess if there were ANY piece that I have ever created that I would say best represents me, 

it would be This One.

I've got this crazy interest in the early 1900's, or better said, 

the High Victorian Era.

Not so much the pastel and ruffly kind of Victorian.

THIS kind of Victorian. 

I thought that I found this image from The Graphics Fairy, but it turns out...no.

Still, Karen's site is FULL of fantastic images that she shares. 

I have always thought her to be very generous in the images that 

she makes available to the public.

Who would think of a strong Victorian woman, 

when most women during those days, weren't considered to be that.

We know however, that women have always had to be strong.

Women run the world in so many essential ways.

So, all of my favorite found objects came out to play.

I love layering and layering.

I love to build pieces that the eye keeps moving around and around. 

It keeps things fresh with the observer, always finding new things to look at.

Most of the items used were seriously Victorian.

From the exquisite tatted lace, to the gold trim and of course...the buttons.

Please...see to it that I am buried in Fantastic Buttons ! :)

(This piece is available at my Hastypearl Etsy shop!)

So, this is a simple story of Trying.

Trying. 

Trying.

We don't have anything to lose if we try and we hear no.

That just means that we try, Again!

Having art published in a magazine, may not be Your Thing, 

but I know that you have One.

Whatever that big dream is, that you've had hidden in your pocket...TRY.

We are all in the same boat. 

Successes and Disappointments even come to your Hero's.

We don't see the background events where they were told No, 

but they've heard it.

They are no different than us.

I hope that this posting encourages you to take that Next Step 

in an area that's special to You!

And when you do...I hope that you will let me know what happens... :)

As Always, thanks so much, for stopping by...

 Laura

p.s. if you would like to receive an email that I have posted on this blog, 

please sign up in the box on the right side of this page.

I hope that you will..:)    

Intro to Encaustics Hastypearl

Intro to Encaustics 

Hastypearl

I have a Confession to make.

Its not a bad thing, its just a way that I function.

I tend to learn something, and stay in it for a Long while.

When something new or at least new to Me comes along, I resist.

Encaustics is an example.

When I first started hearing about encaustics, 

I thought, oh, its ANOTHER new direction and it 

would take a ton of new equipment, 

I dont WANT new equipment, 

where will I store it...blah blah blah.

THEN, 

I recently had 4four4 ladies come to Crystal Neubaurs workshop, 

that I hosted here at my house, 

that were ALL going to Encausticamp 

and I finally let my wheels start turning :)

One of the ladies, later mentioned on FB, 

that Michelle Belto, a San Antonio artist that I had wanted to meet, 

was going to hold an Intro to Encaustics class

 at Southwest School of Art, 

in  San Antonio.

Boom!

" I test drove the car". 

That's my theory for...never test drive a car or you are probably going to Buy it!

Specifically I mean that, I went to SSA's web site and read about Michelle's Class.

You Know what I'm going to say next!

I (BOUGHT the car)...meaning...I signed up for the Class!

Well, I'm happy to say...that I now GET why everyone loves Encaustics.

Michelle was a fantastic teacher.

Her format was indulgent, to say the least.

First, demo time, to show us the steps, 

tell us about the product and safety issues with working with hot beeswax.

Then...

she sent us back to our stations to Explore, Create, and Play!

She quietly stayed right there with each of us, Encouraging all the way.

Knowing how fascinated with architecture and buildings I am, 

I have to digress and tell you how amazing the entire SSA building and classrooms were.

My husband has a built in square footage skill of walking rooms off with his stride.

I couldn't wait to do that for myself, 

just so that I could tell him how HUGE the classrooms were.

This room that the class was held in was !!!!! 3000 sq. ft. !!!!!!

It was a Fantastic space to be in :)

Two of us shared a table, even though there was one table empty.

The tables were so huge, 

that there was PLENTY of room for two...

plus it was fun And I made a new friend :)

This picture shows the perspective of the space with three working tables lined up.

More working ladies.

Here is Michelle at the end of the weekend, 

doing a little gallery showing of all of our finished pieces.

Its always amazing to me, 

to see the versatility and variety of the humans capabilities,

Colors, Styles, Voices.

If there are 10 people, there are going to be 10 wildly different styles.

I LOVE that!

Here I am working on one of my last pieces.

More end of class gallery time.

*

(piece hanging on wall at SSA) 

I've said before, that I've had almost NO art training.

I was a theater student in University, and we had our wonderful fair share of time, 

designing sets, makeup, costumes, etc, 

but with an eventual focus on Learning Differences, 

I ended up getting through without ever taking an art class.

Walking down the halls of Southwest School of Art felt 

like the halls of Trinity University.

All I had to do was read the names of those massive wonderful rooms 

and I knew that I wanted to walk through them and Taste what was inside.

It felt like home.

If felt like sanctuary.

I LOVED the feeling,

It felt like I WOULD be back.

(piece hanging on wall at SSA)

All you had to do was walk up and down the halls,

 and see the great creations on the walls,

 to feel excited about the possibilities!

(piece hanging on wall at SSA)

(I'm sorry that I didn't get the artists names for the above pieces)

*

So, these two are my pieces. 

Such yummy colors and products from R&F 

that were provided for the students, 

to combine with our own papers and ideas.

The sky was the limit!

So, Finally, here's Michelle !

What an honor, to spend three days with such a talented artist, 

and thoughtful, vulnerable and provocative woman.

(who by the way, soldiered on and taught even though, her husband was in hospital)

You're another Door Opener for me, Michelle.

We all meet those Important people in our lives, at Just the right time.

I love the Providence of that.

I love the sweet Adventure of Life!

Don't You ? :)

As always dear reader, thanks for stopping by and spending a little time with hastypearl.

...and Enjoy your Adventures, today :)

...oh, and ps... 

I bought an electric skillet and griddle this week 

and they will store just fine in my studio :)  

Where Women Cook Giveaway....And The Winner Is! Hastypearl

Where Women Cook Giveaway

...And The Winner Is!

Hastypearl

Thanks everyone for supporting me with my Second Hastypearl Giveaway!

In celebration of being featured in the Sept/Oct/Nov 2015 issue, 

I hosted a Giveaway, 

and I extended the fun to Hastypearl's Face Book, 

Instagram and 

You...my Hastypearl Blogger friends.

I left the time frame open, to like or comment on all venues, for 10ten10 days!

It was fun watching the names roll in and thinking...

oh, I'd Love it if SHE won :)

I literally thought that with Every name! 

But, because I promised to be Honest, and because its super fun to 

let the random process do the selecting, 

I wrote your names on paper.

Cut them out.  

Put them in one of my prettiest glasses...

actually, a gift from Tiffany's ;)

...so I took EXCELLENT care of you.....

I put my little fingers, with my fingernails still packing heavenly 

Bees Wax from an amazing over the weekend

 Michelle Belto Encaustics Workshop...

and.....

...........drummmmmmm roll please......

The Winner is....Jean Thompson!

Not her actual New name, as she is a newly wed...

but she will Always be Jean Thompson to me!

Congrats, Jean!

I'll message you for your address and soon you will 

receive a copy of 

Where Women Cook.

I know that you will love reading it.

So, thanks everyone that signed up, 

and those that just enjoyed me celebrating 

a really wonderful event in my life!

I'm still pinching myself and 

pretty sure that I will, for a Long Time!!!

I've said thanks a million times already 

to Anne Christian Lorys photographer Extraordinaire

 and Jo Packham, Amber Demian and Brandy Shay

 of Stampington & Company, Somerset Studios.

I'm almost embarrassed to do it again, 

but I wouldn't have been in the magazine Without them :)

Dreams Do come true!

Hope one of Yours comes true for YOU today !

...thanks again, guys...

and as always

...I'm so glad that you stopped by for a little visit....

Laura aka hastypearl  

Where Women Cook Hastypearl

Where Women Cook 

Hastypearl

Can you read that letter below?

Can you imagine getting that letter?

I had no Idea, that a magazine sent such...until it happened :)

It all started sooo long ago, but it is a testimony to encourage you to 

Never give up on your Dreams.

I wont tell you the whole long tale of it, 

but the Dream would have to have Special and Necessary people in it,

 to fulfill it.

It had to have a photographer.

Not Any photographer.

THE Photographer.

It didn't hurt, that I had followed Anne Christian Lorys on her Fiona and Twig blog 

and it Sure didn't hurt that she lived only 45 minutes from my house in Texas.

But, would she make her way into my Dream?

Yes, she Would!

We spent ONE CRAZY day together, laughing and cooking and tasting.

Much of the time, I didn't even know that she was taking pictures, 

she made it so easy.

The Dream, would take additional wonderful ladies like Jo Packham, 

Amber Demien and Brandy Shay, 

who spend their days encouraging individuals to Cook and Create...

and then making them look beautiful for the Stampington & Company, 

Somerset Studios publications, 

that we Cant get enough of. 

My Dream, had to have Years and Years of eating Fantastic Mexican food, 

to make me think of No Other Topic, to write about.

Eating Mexican food for 40 years...Oh, such a burden!

So, because of a Dream coming true, 

I thought it a very fitting time, to Celebrate and Give Away 

a copy of Where Women Cook, 

to someone in my Hastypearl blog family.

Its over 150 blog postings and I hope 150 MORE to come !

The Giveaway time frame will be 10 days (from September 16, 2015) 

and Larry will do a scientific drawing, 

for a Free Copy of the Sept/Oct/Nov issue of 

Where Women Cook.

If you've never read it, you're going to Love it.

Leave a comment here, or on my Hasty Pearl FB page, 

so that I can find my way back to you for your address 

on announcement day...September 26, 2015 !

If you would like to sign up to receive a notice when I next post on my blog, 

you can do so in the blank on the right column.

I say that column is the Mothership for all things...Hasty!  

As always, I hope that you have days full of Wonder, 

and Thanks so much for stopping by!

Gotta go now...tonight is Mexican Food Night!

:) Best, Laura

One Thing Leads To The Other... Hastypearl

One Thing Leads To The Other...

Hastypearl

As you well know by now, 

half of my heart resides in the Hill Country, in Texas, 

and the other half belongs to the Rocky Mountains, in Colorado.

Right away, you can see that I have Great Taste, right? :)

A while back, one of my favorite Art and Business Mentors, 

(I have quite a few), 

told me to start submitting my art, 

and One Thing Would Lead To The Other.

 I took her advice.

After all, What Would I Have to Lose? 

While I always know that Providence is in control 

of everything 

that happens in my life, 

including the good AND the bad, 

I still love watching it play out.

For instance...

A Colorado Home Owners Association reply letter from me 

and sent to a neighbor Betty Bradley,

with my Hastypearl Etsy and Blog addresses in the signature, 

led her to explore my Etsy shop.

After that, 

she asked if I would submit a piece of my Mixed Media Art 

to a fund raiser for a ministry, that we have known about for years.

Of course I said, Yes!

I didn't know that she was the President of the Redstone Art Foundation, 

that holds an annual Art Show, to raise money for 

Art Scholarships for High School students 

headed to Art Schools.

She asked me to participate in that Art Show

....my very first Show Ever!

Again, I said, YES! 

See?

One Thing Leads To The Other...  

I'm sure that you have had similar things happen to you, both large and small.

This past 2015 Labor Day weekend, was when the Redstone Art Show took place.

It wasn't easy long distance preparing, shipping and setting up

...but I am So Glad that I did it.

It has given me a total new respect, 

for those of you who do this on a regular basis.

Now I can see what you guys go through :)

It was a wonderful learning curve and I feel so much better for it.

I am thrilled that I have been invited back,

 and even asked to make the name tags!

So, while I worked Many hours daily at the Art Show, 

I also found time,

 to practice shooting in Manual mode with my camera

...another wonderfully steep learning curve!

Lets face it, every where in America is beautiful, 

so all you have to do is look around, and snap!

Below, are various photos that my husband took of my space.

The weather was all over the charts, 

but the fantastic enclosure that it was held in, was not only charming, 

but also very safe for the Art.

At closing time, we enjoyed the great restaurants in the Redstone area, 

and as Always, found a few necessary minutes out in nature.

One day at the Art Show, was funny hat day.

I had a hat, but didn't have the Funny!

Larry suggested that I find and attach something that I had made, 

so I used my handmade leathery envelopes and lavender filled pouches.

The side benefit was that it smelled great :)

I'm not sure how people Actually took me serious, but I had to get in the game!

Larry took the following pictures of me with my customers.

I was actually Emotional when I downloaded them and saw them for the first time.

Whether they were buyers or not, it gave me such joy, 

to expose people, and some for the first time, 

to my idea of story telling with Vintage Items.

It was a brand new concept for many.

I told them, that I have a philosophy, that Art doesn't have to be Flat!

And, that there are more kinds of art than Oils and Watercolors

...both of which I love.

I want my Art to reach OUT AT you and beg you to touch it.

I want it to Move.

I want it to flutter in a breeze.

And most of all, I want it to do that Over and Over again.

I have had patrons tell me that they can see something new 

in my pieces, every time that they look at it.

High Compliments...the Best !

So, Look at their body language as I help them find their own stories.

If that is all that I came away with, it would have Been Enough.

Makes me soooooo happy!

These Mixed Media Angels, are a few of the pieces that found new homes.

I was Thrilled to learn that the angel above, named Beauty, was featured in 

Both the Aspen and Glenwood Springs newspapers.

With so much great art to choose from, 

I was Really Honored.

I was surprised when my friend Janette, still wearing her pajamas,

 appeared at my door with one of the newspapers one morning !

Beauty, was sold to a customer, that didn't know about the features!

I have another theory that can be Patience Testing.

Maybe you already know about it.

The piece above, was called, Thimble Heart and 

was far and away, my most "Favorited" Art item on Hastypearl Etsy.

Way over 1000 people gave me the thumbs up on this piece.

The cost was unbelievably Affordable.

(I have a friend on Etsy that tells me that I should raise my prices:)

So, why hadn't it sold?

Poor SEO? Too much Art on Etsy to choose from? Some other reason?

No.

Here's my theory... 

I think its because it was WAITING for its owner.

I've finally learned that Everything that I sell, 

has a special owner just waiting to find it 

and it makes me Crazy Happy 

when I can introduce them !

I had a wonderful time visiting with literally hundreds of people 

from the Aspen area and Much farther afield.

I made New friends, which was High on my trips Goals list, 

and I visited with others that I had already given my heart to.

Wonderful things happen to ALL of us.

Sometimes, we can believe the lie, that things like "That" just don't happen to me, 

but if we live long enough, Things like "That" happen to ALL of us.

For me, this past weekend will be one that I wont Ever Forget.

My Biggest THANKS to All of You that 

contributed to my Very Happy Weekend! xo 

Thanks as always for stopping by my blog...

I'm so glad that you did !

 Laura aka Hastypearl

...please check my shop as I will be listing many new pieces of Art and Vintage Parts.

It may seem early, but many pieces that I sold this weekend, 

will be gifts for the upcoming seasons!

It gave me great Joy, to hear my buyers say that they couldn't 

wait for their loved ones to see their one of a kind, finds!