now ya see,
on some days she can be sweet as pie…
and it just melts your
insides like chocolate.

mermaid camp started today.
13 little magical girls.
we had so much fun…

i wanted to give you guys a sneak peek at the mermaid book i am making for camp tomorrow. yes, i have surrendered to what truly makes me happy: transforming my cat into a merkitty.

the ink in our printer was not working so justin had to copy delilah’s photo at work. when one of the guys asked what it was for, justin had to answer “mccabe is making delilah into a mermaid.” not only did his friend not find this odd, but then asked, “oh is she mod podging again?”

a little update on delilah:

she was in full cuddle mode right after i wrote my last delilah post, however, now she found a new spot by the shed and has been spending all her time out there, much to my dismay. of course she comes in for treats and water. speaking of which, she still only will drink her water on the table. so much for making this my little breakfast nook.

would you guys want to eat on this table?

delilah is like a child-she hates change if she is not in charge of it. a friend of mine was sleeping on the couch one night last week, and god forbid he put his BAG on the TABLE where HER WATER IS. where her water is. she kindly let me know by meowing as loud as she could at 3 in the morning, just staring up at the table where the bag was next to her water. i moved the bag as quietly as i could, only to have delilah stare approvingly and walk away. because she might want some water later, and that bag better not be there.
*
another spot she is enjoying is under this yellow table. it stays outside but i pull it in for small art groups.

she is pretty much oblivious to a bunch of little girls doing art on the roof of her fort. much artwork is displayed to her under the table by proud artists. the funny thing is she will look at it for a minute as if she is truly interested, moving her eyes all over the page as to not miss a sparkle or a sequence. this act often prompts an excited “delilah likes my flower!”
*
a few weeks ago i was teaching 3 little girls (ages 5, 6, and 7) and delilah came in and did her signature “RAraaaaaaaahs” at me. i thought her food bowl was empty or something tragic like that, so i excused myself to go assist my high maintenance fairy princess. turned out not only was her bowl full, but it was overflowing with cat food. the problem?

she likes me to pet her while her eats. i never even considered this odd until three sets of eyes looked at me in fascination and as i stroked delilah’s back and whispered, “its okay, here is your food. you have enough food, everything is okay….”

what are you doing they wanted to know-

“uh, delilah can’t eat her catfood unless we massage her.”

as soon as the words spilled out of my mouth i realized how ridiculous i sounded. when a 5 year old looks at you like you gotta be kidding me you know its bad.

so then i explained that delilah was a stray when we first got her, and not used to being taken care of. we wanted her to know that this was her home, so when we showed her where her food and water bowl were, we comforted her by saying, “this is your home, this is your food, its okay.”

and now because of this, 2 years later, our cranky cat thinks it is totally normal to be cooed and cuddled while she feasts. because everyone likes to be reassured that their food is theirs and okay, right?

somehow my sweet students understood this,
nodding their heads with compassion in all seriousness.

this activity has now been incorporated into most of
my small art classes:
paint, create, pet delilah while she eats
her treats, snack, and clean-up.

i am sure there is no other art teacher
that has to break up fights that begin with
“no, it is MY turn to pet delilah when she eats tuna!”

not that i am complaining.

you know,
i really don’t know what i am doing either.

i am just finally allowing myself to do
what feels good.

the good feels good,
and i trust that.

i had to give you one more lookie at the sea sheep since i got a clearer picture today. aren’t they so sweet?
*
so i was thinking, you all need a nice colorful place to put your dreams. and who better than you to make such a place?

DREAMBOXES folks, lets get out the crafts and play.

this dreambox was custom made for melissa. she wrote to me and requested a special space to put all her sacred dreams. when asked what colors inspired her she replied: “midnight, magnolias, the caribbean ocean, seaglass, peacock feathers, fairy wings, and tori’s eyes.”

tori’s eyes and midnight jumped out at me as the base color, so i mixed bright blue and a deep violet to get the indigo shade. i just love it and have been using it in everything since.

to make your own dreambox, pick a color (or more) that speaks to you-and don’t be afraid to mix! i would recommend acrylic paint-any brand from the less expensive small tubes to the finer paints like golden-my personal favorite. (they have some blues that look just like a mermaids fin) you will also need a box. the one i got was wood and purchased at michaels.
*
paint your box, inside and out. once dry, decorate the top. i cut out inspiring words from scrapbook paper and mod podged them on. the butterfly is also from michaels and i added a little gold glitter for embellishment. in between the words i used fairy dust glitter, white seed beads, and sea glass. you can use anything on your dreambox-shells, pictures (it is easiest to photocopy personal pictures onto to paper) glass beads, sequence, paper flowers-whatever speaks to you.

for the inside of the box-i layered different shades of blues and green tissue paper with mod podge. the silver letter beads are secured nicely with the mod podge. (you all know my favorite glue now.) the tissue paper can be used on the outside too-and you can also layer with it patterned paper, rice paper, bits of poetry, glitter, dried flowers, etc.

this is the bottom of the box. the star is actually a sticker-even though it looks painted on. details, these little boxes are all about the details.

when i was done, i mod podged the whole thing to get it nice and pretty. however, the box then got stuck shut. once i pried it back open, i sanded the inside of the lid and all was well. just in case this happens to you-that is how you can fix it.

here are teeny fairy wings for melissa, to go in the box. i was thinking this is a really fun project to make for a friend. there are so many personal touches you could add.

something else i wanted to share are these cute vintage lunch trays i scored at a yard sale recently. they are perfect for organizing art things-for you and for when your friends come over to play. i was in the dollar store today and found some fun turquoise trays and of course i had to get those too. i have also seen some at target.

um, i really love letters.

i am such a geek i starting alphabetizing my letter cut-outs.
no i don’t have kids
and yes this is how i spend my free time.

here is another thrifty tip-second hand stores are great for collage supplies. buttons and ribbon and BOOKS. photography books are great to photocopy and use in your art journals. this KISSING book has some beautiful photos.

i also found some pretty oracle cards.

i thought they would be fun to copy and put in
etsy orders.
i love to receive tiny extras,
don’t you?

lastly, creative friends,
i would like to introduce you to 3 new
mermaids that have come to live with me.

my first suzi blu print:

(technically i don’t know if she is a mermaid but she looks like she
may have a tail under that long emerald dress)

more mermie love:

from sweet penny:

and from sophie, age 9.
she made this herself!

on that magical note-

i wish you all joyful creating
and many many moments of bliss
today.

see you all soon-
and keep linking your artwork!

hi there friends.

i so enjoyed your artwork and lovely comments. you all got crafty-i love it! it has inspired me to do more online project ideas/classes. thank you.
*
this past week i started art journaling, inspired by suzi blu and her beautiful art journals. i got a tan moleskin journal which i am all about. i purchased mine at rhino art (if you are local this is the best art supply store ever and the staff is really cool) it came in a pack of three for under 12 bucks. gotta love that. i heart the plain cover (you can get black too) and the simplicity of it. they are skinny so you can stick it in your purse or bag without any bulk.
*
i experimented with some friends/art students of mine and i thought i would share their journals too. kids are so inspiring because they are so free. i want to share their magic with you.
*
rebecca’s art journal cover: age 7

she used a paint pen at the top of the journal, and the mermaid is a card from a friend that i photocopied. the flower was part of a collage kit i received. my favorite part is the glitterati that she placed around the sides of the flower. glitterati is sooooo fun. it feels a little bit like straw and stays put nicely with mod podge, which is the glue we used for everything in these journals. you can actually iron the glitterati if you put it in between two pieces of paper. i have not ventured there yet. a bit of nipple (uh yeah, did not notice that when i gave it to her) was showing on the mermaid, so rebecca put a tiny shell to keep her decent. we called it a breast shell.
*
sophie’s art journal cover: age nine.

she mod podged this fairy cut-out, another one i printed from a card. sophie was really into the gold flecks and completely covered a shell with it. (also with mod podge) i threw out the package to the gold flecks so i don’t know who makes them. (i got them in the glue section at michaels crafts and a picture of mona lisa is on the front). they are a great embellishment-we have been using them in mermaids fins and fairy’s wings.
*
kim’s art journal:
sophie and rebecca’s mom.
i only had three moleskins so
she used paper and is going to make her own journal.

kim started off mod podging (are you guys sick of hearing me say mod podge yet cause i am kinda sick of writing it) colored tissue paper and rice paper onto the page, which gave it a pretty texture. she then incorporated real leaves, shells, a clear gem stone (which are great to put words and cool paper under) gold flecks, letter beads, sequence and glitterati.

this is my first page:
(i left the cover plain)

i started out painting the page with white gesso, which is a great base by the way. i mixed a bright blue with a deep purple to get this rich indigo color that i painted over the gesso. next i layered tissue paper (in similar colors) and rice paper in white.

also used-glitterati, a white button, gold paper, white and pink tinted glitter, silver letter beads, and gold flecks on the wings.

some of sophie’s pages:

materials used-words cut out of scrapbooking paper and copper rub-ons.

materials used: a gold sharpie paint pen, gold flecks (gold turned out to be somewhat of a theme for her) and real leaves. i love the pink and gold together.

it got late and i had to use the flash-this photo does not do this beautiful page justice. inspired by sophie’s art, i used the same colors. she liked my butterfly and added one to her page too. this is the beauty of doing art with others-you can share ideas.

the rose photo is a card from thea (which she also photographed, the girl makes rad cards) i layered the white rice paper over it which kind of gave it a vintage look. the shimmery paint is byzantia in deep metallic turquoise.

here is the other side:

materials layered: coral colored rice paper, light pink rice paper, letter cut-outs, sequence, and russet red fresco flakes. until i added the blue paint later, i was not digging this page at all-now i can’t stop staring at it. this just goes to show that just because you don’t start off liking your page does not mean you will always feel that way. try to trust the process to see what happens next. take a chance, even if it turns out different than you envisioned. you can always paint over it with gesso, or cut it up and use it on a new page.

now for rebecca’s pages:

butterfly stamp in gold. bloom from the dollar bin at michaels. simple yet poignant. you don’t have to fill up a whole page. it is okay to leave space.

copper swirly rub-ons and lavender tissue paper.

materials used: fairy cut-out, green and red sharpie paint pens, an ivory colored button, letter stickers and the word “try” is from a magnetic poetry collection. love how she put the F and A on the button-such a small thing but it makes the page stand out.

more stamping.

above translation:
rose in a field of sparkles.

these little sheep cracked me up! (bad flash pic but gorgeous pages) she embellished them with scrapbook buttons (thanks melanie!) and made a story to go along with it that will continue throughout the journal. apparently the sheep with the snorkeling mask is going to meet a mermaid in hawaii, then marry her and have a baby “shermaid.” i think this is an excellent example that art does not always have to be deep and serious. sometimes it may need to be dark and deep, however, it is also important to honor the playful side of your inner muse.
*
i found that the moleskin pages held up well even though they are quite thin. they also have moleskin watercolor notebooks which look really fun. my art journal would not close because i have so much stuff in it so i tied ribbon around it.

hope this inspires you to experiment and make some art! you can use any of the ideas suggested on paper too-or better yet be bold and get a canvas. as andrea says, “invest in yourself.”
*
an art journal is something safe that you cannot do wrong, a very special book just for you. you deserve something special, don’t you think?
*
i will try to post another project this weekend-it all depends. i start my first camp next week and am feeling slightly overwhelmed. if time permits i will post one. if not then, then soon.
*
on a sidenote-i still have a few fairy jar kits left. i pack these kits full of goodies plus a few surprises. even after you finish your jar you should have extra materials to keep you inspired and creating. the gold flecks are included plus a bunch of letter cut-outs and stickers. its a very decadent gift to receive.

here is how it is packaged:

keep up the wonderful work folks…
and please to share your work here.

i am proud of you for being open to creativity-
even if you have not started creating yet.
it will come when you are ready.

and we will be cheering you on when you are…

surround yourself with things that sparkle.

hang windchimes near your bedroom window.

do art with kids. notice how joyful they are when they create. remember that part of you.

scratch a cat’s belly.

go outside at least once a day and close your eyes. listen.

note what colors and things make you stop and smile during the day. make sure you have this energy in your home as well. it can be as simple as a tiny ceramic hot pink bowl with silver kisses on your nightstand.

schedule art dates with yourself and for your friends. share snacks and art supplies.

encourage others to follow their dreams. be gentle when they are not ready.

when the icecream truck comes around get a popsicle at least once this summer.

when people want to leave, let them. wish them love.

remember nothing is personal. NOTHING.

buy a stack of cool postcards and go to your favorite coffee house and write them to old friends. write 3 sentences per card-and make them good sentences. or write a poem and don’t sign your name.

get up early one morning and go to a yard sale. find a treasure for under a dollar.

forgive somebody.

find a theme song.

pick wildflowers and paint them with yellow, red, and orange paint. gently press them onto watercolor paper. add poetry and quotes. put tiny rhinestones in the center of the flowers. (this project makes me think of you.)

*
make an art journal. excuses are just fear. its ok to be scared. do it anyway.

note that not everyone is going to be comfortable with your freedom, and you may attract crappy comments once and awhile. you may be a reflection of what someone else craves. this is not your stuff, and you don’t have to fix it. just wish love.

be your truest self and teach others how to be free without even trying.

thank flowers for growing. thank the sky for being so blue.

find others who inspire and encourage you. exchange energy.

write notes in the sand.

plan a picnic with someone you love. pack paint and paper instead of desert. or pack both. yes, pack both.

accept that you cannot please everyone, nor would you want to. how would you find time to create if you did?

find a way to be secure in who you are. know that is all you are meant to be.

allow yourself to leave circumstances that bring your spirit down. believe you deserve better and work from there.

give kindness even when you are not receiving it.

find one thing to love about yourself each day. write it on a post-it and hang it on the mirror.

believe that there is enough for everyone. this will attract abundance.

put fresh fruit in bright pretty bowls.

draw with crayons on watercolor paper and press hard. paint over it with watercolors. magic!

love deeply.

sing loudly.

let go.

you are free.

hello all-

and welcome to a day at mermaid camp.
even if it is not day anymore where you are.

(i was hanging out with rockstars last night
and am a little late today. oopsies.)

the far right “fairy white” photo is by the amazing thea
for all who are drooling by the way.
it is even prettier in person and she has one left.

*********

okay, now before we even began,
lets get one thing straight:

there is no such thing as
“not being creative.”

maybe you have not done art in awhile.
maybe you can’t draw a dog.
(i can’t)
maybe you don’t have time.
maybe there are more important things to do.

these things do not matter.
you were born creative.

remember the feeling you got
when you received a new box of crayons
when you were little?

remember the feeling of a new drawing pad,
white and bare, ready for your creation?

remember when the thought of a drawing being
“not good enough” never entered your mind because
you were too excited to play with your new smelly markers?

this is the spirit of your inner child-
the one that wants gold chunky glitter for no reason
and those little white rhinestones you were eyeing at
the craft store.

here at mermaid camp there are:

no rules
no grades.
no pressure.
no comparing-
i am not going to make you hold
it up in front of the class unless you want me to.

take a big, happy, deep breath and repeat after me,

“I AM AN ARTIST.”

i am an artist.

how does that feel?
does it make you excited?
nervous?
angry?

try to notice your feeling
without judging it.

if a cranky little voice speaks up
and says,
“you are not an artist because_______”

gently observe
and know that if you continue this path of creativity,
of rediscovering your truest, most authentic self,
that this voice is eventually going to get tired
and go somewhere else.

now we can play.

lets talk about framing your art. it could be a photograph, a small collage, a postcard, a note from your best friend in the 4th grade-anything that means something to you. by framing it we are giving your art power-saying YES of course it is good enough for a frame.

if you don’t have anything you want to frame, that is okay. you can start with a frame, and perhaps the piece of art that is supposed to go there is going to show up one day. or maybe you will be inspired later to put something in there.

or not.

it does not matter. this is just a little project to get those juices flowing.

frame idea# 1-a mermaid frame.
this is what you need:

a wood frame. (size of your choice)
mod podge in glossy lustre
shells of small and medium size
beach glass
tiny white seed beads
fine white glitter
aqua acylic paint, any brand
(my favorite is LIQUITEX in bright aqua green)
small sponge brush

(you can get all of these items at michaels crafts.)
remove glass from frame.
paint the frame aqua with your sponge brush.
the more layers you do, the darker it will be obviously.
most of this is going to be covered anyways so
it does not matter so much.

allow to dry, and then do the same thing on the back.

(i like to do crafty stuff on tin foil because it does not stick
and is easy clean up.)
step 2:
coat a small section of your frame with mod podge-
put it on pretty thick as it will dry clear.

gently place your shells and sea glass on the glue.
in the tiny spaces that remain in between the shells&glass-
drop in your seed beads and then coat generously with glitter.

you can never have too much glitter by the way.

there ya go-
you have a mermaid frame.

you can also do this with mirrors and boxes.

feel free to mix it up
with letter beads, different colored paint-make it yours.
you can’t do it wrong or ugly.

frame idea #2

you will need:
wood frame
acrylic paint color of your choice
mod podge glossy lustre
letter-cut outs
seed beads (optional)
glitter (optional)
sponge brush
small paintbrush

for these two frames i painted them with the sponge brush. the purple one was painted with liquitex heavy body deep violet and liquitex heavy body light portrait pink (great base for skin color) and the green one was used with liquitex heavy body cadmium yellow and liquitex heavy body vivid lime green. the green one was diluted with water to allow the wood texture to come through. the purple one has two coats of paint.

with the mod podge and paintbrush,
i painted the letters directly onto the frame.

make sure you paint both sides of the letter
front and back.

remember, mod podge is not only a glue
but a finish too.

i painted the whole frame with it once
i was done.

the letters are from K&company
and called letters to go.

you get 5000 letters in various sizes and shapes-
they are worth the cash and something you can
use in many art projects.

they also look great in paintings and on canvas.

don’t feel you have to follow my directions
word for word.

some of you may feel more comfortable
doing that and some of you
may get sparked to do it your own way.

it really does not matter as long as you
are being creative and enjoying yourself.

i have both the colored frames listed in my etsy shop.

also i have available 2 kits for the mermaid frame,
which have everything you need to make one-
geared towards peeps who have limited time, this
saves you a trip to the art store.

they are not listed in my esty shop
but email me if interested.
(mccabe@dancingmermaid.com)

speaking of etsy-

to all you who are playing with idea
of starting your own shop,
this excersie is a good way to allow you to
think outside of the box.

i hear a lot,
“but there are so many photographers and it is hard to sell prints.”

yes there are and yes it can be,
however, no one is going to do it exactly like you.

framing your own work in a clever way
is something you can do to make your art stand out,
as well as spark ideas to make your product uniquely yours.

hope this makes you want to do something crafty.

even if you are not ready to jump on in,
simply opening your heart to creativity is an act
of love too.

this is all about small steps.

my next project for mermaid camp will be posted
on monday.

stay tuned
and please link if this inspires you to make something.

i had justin pick the winner, because he wanted to:

the ever lovely cynthia! cynthia is a gem of a girl and someone i have known in “real life” since i have moved to california. she is also quite the creative diva herself, and i can’t wait to see what she will make with her new kit.

justin suggested a runner-up which i thought was a cute idea:

the beautiful moonroot, who always leaves the sweetest comments on this blog. email me moonroot (mccabe@dancingmermaid.com) for your contact information.

i love to do contests so don’t fret if you did not win this time, i will do a few more this summer.

on a sidenote, my friend and fellow artist karin is holding an artists market at her magic cottage (919 doris drive, encinitas, ca 92024) this sunday, june 22nd, at 12 pm. it is a great group of creative folks having fun and selling art-candles, paintings, prints, jewelry and other treasures. all you local peeps stop on by! and for those of you who cannot make a last minute trip to california-check out karin’s and cat’s (new friend and gifted painter) amazing etsy shops. really magical, bright art and a perfect place to shop for gift giving. these ladies have it going on i tell you…;)

karin’s creations….

all right friends, tomorrow is the first day of virtual mermaid camp. we are going to find new and inexpensive ways to frame your photographs and art.

see you there….

***********

the postcards sold out and a few of you asked if i would be ordering more. yes, i will! if you want to order a package, email me and i will make sure you are the first to know when i list them.

thank you friends for your outpour of love regarding my last post.

it still surprises me how much beauty and tenderness surround this space-
i am so honored YOU visit me here.

you provide inspiration for me as well-every day.
thank you.

i have been trying to update my etsy shop before all my camps/workshops begin for the summer. having the flu for 3 weeks straight motivated me to have everything not only made but wrapped and ready to go before i list it. it is an awful feeling knowing you are behind and not having the energy to catch up, hence the new system. (which will hopefully improve my customer service)

i have some fun new items in my shop. i think my favorite thing are these rock postcards.

they come with the magnets too.

i also have some fairy kits by your request. (and one mermaid kit) they are packed full of goodies and you should have extra for additional projects. (and for fun i added my own creations too.)

i have so many ideas spinning around right now-wish i could clone myself to get them all done. i still am planning a mermaid retreat come fall and will be sending out an email soon to those who are interested.

another thing i thought would be fun is if i start doing projects here with you. it will be a virtual mermaid camp for the onliners. (it is only optional i will not make you do art)
you folks down for some creating this summer?