Youve probably heard "Everyday is a gift, that's why its called the present" but have you ever really considered that? 

I know it sounds cliche but stop and think of just a few things you are thankful for today and see how your thought process changes. Research shows that people who view their world with gratitude are healthier and happier.

Now this certainly doesnt mean you should put on rose colored glasses and skip over reality but shift your perspective and see what happens.

Looking for the good things all around you will also boost your creativity!

Artist Rita Reade of Mammabellarte

  One of my dearest friends, whom I don't see nearly enough is Rita Reade of Mammabellarte. If you have had the pleasure of meeting her, you are quickly a friend and spending time in her home you are no longer a friend but family. Hospitality is a part of Rita's "Italian way". Her and her husband love to cook and entertain. Her home is filled with laughter and creativity as well as lots of paws! Rita is an amazing wood worker, the co-host of The Vintage Marketplace and the queen of soldering.

Rita Reade

Treasures

Rita's amazing work

 I am in a happy place! But take away my creativity and I would be the saddest person in the world. Most importantly to be happy with what you do is having the support from your fellow artists and if possible from your family. I am fortunate to have a husband and boys that seem to be interested when I talk about my creations. I have been making birdhouses, signs, cabinets from vintage windows and much more for 18 years.  Sharon Hughes always says: “Follow your Dreams”, YES do follow them. Surround yourself with people that support you, it’s very important. 

The Vintage Marketplace at The Oaks

Gorgeous farmhouse table

Rita with fellow vendor Amber of Black Rooster Cottage

 A beautiful and rewarding accomplishment has been starting The Vintage Marketplace at the Oaks here in Rainbow, California with my adorable sister in-law Artist Christie Repasy. As an artist I saw a need to have a beautiful venue for fellow artists to sell their creations  so Christie and I started with Chateau de Fleurs in her cottage's garden. We brought together 12 vendors and had an amazing show! Three years later we have 40 vendors and moved to an incredible park and changed the name to "The Vintage Marketplace at the Oaks".The Vintage Marketplace at the Oaks has been featured in several magazines including Romantic Homes and Romantic Country as one of the best flea markets in the state.

That's Italian!

My favorite quote in absolute is:

"Action is the foundational key to all success"
Pablo Picasso

Follow me on my blog: Mammabellarte.blogspot.com

FaceBook Page: Mammabellarte

FaceBook Page: TheVintage Marketplace

The next Vintage Marketplace is Friday & Saturday
June 1-2, 2012
Don't miss out!

Legal Jargon Made Clear

I am so excited to share this information with you. 

Tara Wilson is an amazing jewelry artist, owner of LuluMax, Serendipity Salvage and practiced law for many years. She has a stellar record and any D.A. would be thrilled to have her on board but her passions have changed and she is now following her business bliss which she shared at  Launch Your Creativity in April.

As promised Tara is writing a series of legal information that any savvy 

business owner should be aware of. 

You can read the first installment of her series here:

LuluMax: A head Full of Ideas!

Launch Your Creativity Event Update

What an extraordinary day!

Kay Ellen Hammar, Jickie Torres, Sharon Hughes, Jane Button, Karen Valentine (LtoR)

Every event has been amazing but this one really knocked it out of the park! To be surrounded by talented, creative women that believe so deeply in the power of fulfilling your dreams is an amazing gift! Here is a peek inside the event.

First off these amazing sachets filled with lavender were delivered by Amber Anderson of Black Rooster Cottage and were given to each lady in attendance.

Karen Valentine and I filled chinese take out boxes with treats for our guests, yes it was a pajama party!

Karen can tie bows like nobody's business!

Then, Amber showed up with these goodies for door prizes! Yes I am serious, she gave away 2 of her amazing chandeliers!

Amber & I~ she is one of my dearest friends!

Our lovely guests began to arrive! What is that Im holding? Glad you asked.

photo: Deb Kennedy

Amazing paper flowers by Patti Guerich-Olsen of Truly Tattered.

 All  the ladies also received this inspirational piece and were queen for the day!

Then we ate.....

And ate some more!

Then it was door prize time! We love prizes!! The cutie holding the basket is my daughter, she was camera shy!

Sylvia Assmusen of Paris Cowgirl donated gorgeous pieces from her line(I love this girl).

 The recipient of Mammabellarte's one of a kind vintage perfume bottle necklace. Her expression is priceless! (my cute daughter in the background)

Dreamy isnt it?

More prizes were drawn...

That's the face I make when I don't want to part with a gift! These fabulous fabric covered crates(they are a set of 2)  were donated by Ruth at The Beautiful Life.

Kay Ellen Hammar's mom, Dee Waddel invented Sealah Tape a no sew permanent tape and was so kind to donate samples for everyone and door prizes! This is Kay bragging about her fabulous mom's invention!

Is this the cutest thing ever? I wanted it so bad. It was donated by Karen Agguire of Creative Chaos. Dont you love that name, its so true!
She also teaches classes at Paper Tales in San Diego.

Then we got down to business and Jane Button, a professional business coach, opened our eyes to what we can really accomplish when we are focused and have a plan!

Tara Wilson gave us our "Legal Checklist and Resource Guide". Yes our friend Tara owner of LuluMax Art Jewelry and Serendipity Salavage is a lawyer too! Who knew under that warm smile was a seasoned prosecutor for the D.A.!

 Kay Ellen Hammar, Designer, Photographer and Stylist talked about being passionate and different ways to display and photograph images.

Karen Valentine of Valentine Design and My Desert Cottage and creator of the online party, "Where Bloggers Create" shared her passion for blogging and how she turned her passion into a business. That's what this is all about, doing what you truly love!

And Jickie Torres, Editor of Cottages and Bungalows Magazine was the icing on the cake! She demystified how to work with the media, invaluable information for getting your brand noticed!

I would like to acknowledge again the following ladies for their generous prize donations:

DesignHer Brands

Eclectic Anthology 

Whimsical Musings 

Thank you to all of you who attended, 
YOU are why this event exists!

~Next Saturday the 21st is the 3rd Launch Your Creativity~

Held at the most beautiful tea room in Southern California, Paris In A Cup.

I want to thank all of my generous sponsors for their beautiful donations and the hours they have spent preparing gifts and door prizes.

Visit these ladies for beautiful gifts, Blogland inspiration and encouragement!

Black Rooster Cottage

The Beautiful Life

DesignHer Brands

Eclectic Anthology 

JoDee's Inc. 

Mammabellarte

Paris In A Cup

Pansy Cottage Garden

Truly Tattered

Whimsical Musings 

There are just a few tickets left, make your reservation here:

LaunchYourCreativity

Are you ready to be inspired?

These amazing women are ready to

 Inspire You

Encourage You

Teach You

Join Launch Your Creativity on April 21, 2012 at 

Paris In A Cup 

for a day of inspiration!

Guest Speakers include:

Jickie Torres Editor at Cottages & Bungalows Magazine and 

Romantic Homes Magazine

Jane Button Professional Business Coach, Owner of Design 2 Market Success

Karen Valentine Creator of "Where Women Blog" & owner of Valentine Designs

Kay Ellen Hammar Designer, Photographer and Stylist

Tara Wilson Entrepreneur and Business Lawyer

Cheryl Turner Owner of Paris In A Cup

Sharon Hughes Creator of Launch Your Creativity and Pansy Cottage & Garden.

Registration & Tickets are available HERE.

Meet a Fiber Artist!

 Meet Author and Fiber Artist, Nan Loncharich

Since the 18th century, people have cut long, narrow strips from tattered wool clothing, and looped them through heavy burlap from coffee and grain bags to make hooked rugs. It's part of this country's heritage.

Nan's parents grew up during the Depression and the family continued this tradition by re-purposing clothing for rags and braided rugs. Rolling fabric strips into balls kept Nan busy and happy during evenings before the invention of television. Later, she learned how to crochet and knit with the sound of the TV in the background.

Now, her favorite pastime continues to be making something with her hands. Rather than using a tiny quilting needle for hand-stitched quilts, she feels her hands are better suited to grasping a thick rug hook. And, since hooked rugs are regarded as primitive, Nan loves that she can create informal designs without getting corners perfectly straight!

Nan started creating flowers five years ago shortly after joining a group of rug hookers in southwestern PA. You can hook a flower in 15 minutes -- compared to a rug which may take years! She enjoys adapting various techniques in creative ways, and loves using frayed edges, selecting contrasting colors, spontaneously cutting shapes.

Nan even dyes her own wool, which she buys as old clothing from resale shops and repurposes in wonderful new ways.

Nan shares her marvelous techniques in her very first book, Making Flowers from Wool, published in 2011 by Stackpole Books. It is available, along with a variety of her flowers and hand-dyed wool strips for your own flower-making, at www.spoonwoodgallery.com.

You can also view Nan's video, “Making a Simple Flower Pin”, on her blog, Fancy Wool Flowers.
 Written by Cia Williford; Artist and Author. Briarwood Studio - The Art of Cia Williford www.briarwoodstudio.com

Follow Your Rainbow

Its been a rainy day here in So Cal., the perfect weather for curling up with

 a good book and hot chocolate.

This is the hillside across from my house, I love the way the 

evening sunset casts is golden glow on it.

So I was driving home from shuttling the kids around and saw this beautiful rainbow. I was driving straight towards it and for one magical moment I was lost in childhood memories of chasing rainbows. I can remember riding my bicycle and really believing that somehow I could catch it. 

I remembered the joy and excitement of the chase.

And then there was dissapoinment

until the next time it rained and I would try all over again.

My friends, as you know I want my blog to encourage you and 

inspire you to chase your dreams.

DREAMS unlike rainbows can be chased and can be caught.

As you start on that journey of pursuing your dreams stop and ask yourself, "What am I chasing? Is it worth catching? Will I be satisfied once I have it or longing for something else? What do I need to let go of in order to catch my rainbow?"

Only You can answer those questions. Only You can define what your dream 

looks like when attained.

My sweet friends I wish you days filled with magical rainbows.

Tara Wilson of LuluMax

Launch Your Creativity is proud to welcome Tara Wilson to our guest speaker lineup at the April 21st event! Tara will be covering  your "Small Business Legal Checklist" a must

if you are considering starting a business.

The love of art has been a constant in the life of Tara Wilson. As a young girl she frequented the bead shops in Laguna Beach and often spent her allowance on something sparkly and shiny she found there. Her early jewelry pieces were simple strung necklaces and head-pin earrings. College introduced her to the world of 3 dimensional design, sculpture and painting. Tara could not quite figure out how to pay the bills creating crazy sculptures out of found objects so she earned her degree in business. Art took a back burner as she continued on to graduate school for business and finally law school. After 12 years as an attorney her creative side was badly neglected.

Tara was shopping for that perfect necklace for an outfit and just couldn't find the one that spoke to her. After deciding to make one she popped into Garden of Beaden in Upland and was inspired by Irene Sanchez to make something more elaborate than she usually did. A love of jewelry was reborn and the hunt for cool beads and vintage jewelry was on! After taking an amazing soldering class with Robin Dudley Howes, the creative side was back with a vengeance. With the new techniques learned, Tara was able to combine her love of all things rhinestone and vintage with mixed media art jewelry. With a nod to her two Chihuahuas, Lulu and Max, the brand Lulu Max was born! Tara now works in jewelry full time and is teaching several classes. Tara has been published in Belle Armoire Jewelry and her jewelry is carried in several boutiques around the country.

Her web site is  lulumax.com and her Etsy store is www.etsy.com/shop/lulumaxjewelry