Happy Spring

It's beginning to feel like spring here in northern California. This week we're suppose to get our first day of nearly 80 degree weather. It's still cold in the morning but the sun and heat are definitely on their way and with the time change this weekend and extra daylight at the end of the day it truly means change is on it's way.

 

 

I've taken a break from blogging to take care of old troubles and to embrace new opportunities so between the two my art lies patiently waiting for me to come back again. I always do eventually.

 

For now I'm focused on the other thing that I love which is helping fur babies. Many of you know I'm a big supporter of animal rescue and adoption and I try to help spread the word through my Facebook page Peace Paws Petunias.

 

I decided to finally do volunteer work at my local shelter since I'm there nearly every week just to visit the doggies and kitties. I'm going through their training and fostering program right now but it takes a while to get through all their required classes before you can actually start.

 

However the opportunity to work with a local pit bull rescue came up two weeks ago and last week I officially started as a co-coordinator with a program that trains shelter pit bulls to help them get adopted. I'm sooo excited! I have really developed a love for these dogs.

 

Photo credit: Sacramento Front St Shelter/Anne Chadwick

 

Shelters are filled with pit bulls like pretty Penny here, who was probably used for breeding by a backyard breeder then dumped at the shelter, or worse, turned loose on the streets. They are always the last to get adopted because of the stereotype and negative press they receive in the media. Sadly they are also the first ones to be euthanized at high kill shelters.

 

I have never met a more loving, goofy, eager to please breed than the pit bull. It's the people who abuse and use them for criminal activities by exploiting this dog's strength and desire to please people that give them a bad reputation. Yes they are powerful and like all dogs need proper training and discipline and lots of love but they are also loyal and gentle and there is nothing like a pittie smile.

 

 

I'd love to adopt my own some day but sadly it's not the right time for me to bring a dog into our life. At least for now I get to work and play with them as much as I like and hopefully help a few of them find wonderful homes.

 

By the way, Penny, who was patiently waiting at the shelter since the beginning of January, finally got adopted last week. Yay!!

 

To learn more about pit bulls and the fight against Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) watch Beyond The Myth: A Film About Breed Discrimination.

 

I hope spring

brings you

sunny skies,

beautiful flowers,

a pinch of magic

and new reasons

to smile.

 

 

 



A Very Petunia Anniversary

Are you having a great year so far? January is a special month for me because it's the month I started blogging and this year I'm celebrating my 3 year blog anniversary.

Yes, Frosted Petunias is 3 years old!

Three years. I still can't believe I've been able to stick with it this long. I have a tendency to lose interest in things after a few short months but my little blog seems to have taken on a life of it's own.

I originally wanted to blog about cupcakes and cupcake crafts and art but I soon discovered an entire new world of mixed media art, swaps, giveaways, art challenges and blog parties. I never imagined I would be blogging more than a few months but here I am three years later. Obviously I still love talking about cupcakes :)

 

My Luna also grew up along side my blog. I adopted her a month before I started blogging when she was still a kitten. We have been on this adventure together along with our favorite visitor LaLou. Luna and I still miss her dearly.

I have learned so much and met many wonderful bloggers. I've shared my creative journey and even some of my personal ups and downs and I have been amazed by the amount of support given to me through both the triumphs and tears. Bloggers are awesome people.

My first everything pretty much happened during that first year in blogland -- the weekly Pink Saturday blog hop, a year long paper dress challenge, atc swaps, art challenges, blog parties and eventually hosting my Practical Magic and Witches Tea parties. I also found the courage to try painting and creating mixed media collage. There was so much to blog about my first year!

Years two and three were much slower. I took several months off and at times wondered if I was done with blogging all together. But I always found myself coming back and that has been the biggest surprise.

As I start my fourth year in blogland I look forward to discovering more inspiring treasures, learning more about myself and meeting even more of this growing community of bloggers willing to share their art, pictures and stories with the world. Thank you for keeping me inspired.

I created a little slide show to celebrate my anniversary. It has some of my favorite memories and images from year one. If you've been with me since those early days I hope you'll enjoy looking back with me again.

Click on the image to watch the show.

For optimum viewing turn on sound and view

in full screen mode.

Queen of Star Shine and Glimmer

Only a few hours left until the new year here on the west coast so here are one last post and project for 2012. A touch of whimsy to welcome 2013.

 

 

In the past my son and I have made paper or pipe cleaner crowns to celebrate New Year's eve. I was thinking of what I wanted to make this year when I became inspired to make a fancy frosted crown. I woke up in the middle of the night thinking about it and got started as soon as I got up this morning. I was so excited I even skipped my usual morning hot chocolate.

 

 

For the base I made a circle from a wire hanger then covered it with a strip of black poster board folded in half then stapled it to hold the wire in place.

 

Then I cut out various shapes from glitter card stock and glued them onto the base. The diameter of my mini crown is about 5 inches.

 

 

Each section is backed by another piece of glitter card stock to make it sturdier and also makes it look nice on the inside.

 

 

To give my crown a vintage frosted look I thinned white glue with water, brushed it onto the glitter paper and covered it with crystal glitter in two sizes. The large one gave it texture and muted the silver while the smaller one gave it extra fairy sparkle.

 

 

I also frosted a few glittery green stars.

 

 

 Next I sorted through my jars of baubles and trim.

Tried bits of this and that. Glued and unglued stuff.

Had a waffle for breakfast.

 

Until finally...

 

 

A frosted winter crown for the Queen of Star Shine and Glimmer.

 

 

In honor of my first word for 2013. Glimmer.

 

Glimmer, to me means a subtle glow, unsteady perhaps and sometimes faint but luminous and stunning in its own way. It is a sliver of hope in the darkness. Elusive and mesmerizing but never garish or overt.

 

When I was making my mini falling star bottles this Fall one of the words I cut out from the dictionary to make a label was glim-mer. Doesn't it sound magical? Like a light mist of stardust falling from a velvety night sky.

 

 

I like this word because I have never been the kind of person that constantly burns bright. My passion for anything waxes and wanes dramatically. In my relationships, my art, my whole life in fact, it's always a balancing of light and dark. When I try to stand out and shine darkness never seems to be too far behind. It is simply a part of who I am and the way things tend to turn out for me. I've learned that the brightest light can also burn.

 

 

 

So rather than say this is going to be my year to shine I'm going to embrace what I know about myself and find beauty in moments when I can simply BE. To be comfortable in the shadow of clouds as well as playing among the stars. To be content to whisper my own unsteady light. To glimmer.

 

 Which brings me to my second word. Gratitude

 

Gratitude for blessings, lessons and opportunities. Gratitude for what's good as well as what's not so good because they all make me who I am. Gratitude with a touch of Glimmer. I'll see where they take me in 2013.

 

(Oh and I'll try to post a picture with my crown on too.)

 

 

I wish you love, blessings and inpiration.

 

Happy Beautiful New Year!