Heya guys!!

I know....I said I was back and yet I have uploaded next to nothing. Well...there's a reason for that. You see...I am experiencing the worst art block I have ever had. I am almost hesitant to even call it an art block as it seems more severe than that. However....while I was at work the other night I cooked up this idea that I thought I might as well try to pitch and see if anyone is interested in it.

My goals are pretty simple....I greatly enjoyed doing the Wooden Badges before, its always a lot of fun and inspiring to get to work with other fursonas and see what challenges it might pose to accomplish using my wood burning skills. The biggest appeal to the badges for me was the size, they usually made for quick turn arounds and I love seeing just how much personality I can pack into these things to really make them special for you as the commissioner. I really miss that interaction and even getting to make new friends as I have been so blessed to be able to do a few times. So....it seems like a safe way to try and get out of this art funk so I can get back to doing larger things and revive this gallery and....maybe make a little money while I am at it, which leads me to my next goal.....

Some of you may be aware that I finally became a Ferrant last year. I wasn't being greedy, I only wanted 2 so that they could have each other, but somehow.....true to ferret math....I now have 4 XD. Being able to take care of these carpetsharks is definitely a whole new experience for me and have managed to bring a lot of joy to my seemingly dark life. I actually gave up my art room for them....and have since moved myself to the kitchen table. Its not as bad as it sounds, I prefer to work in the sunshine anyway when I can so its kind of a good thing. However, now that I have 4 I really want to give them more room to spread out on the days that I can't let them out for as long as I usually do or theres a day when I can't do it at all. It wasn't so bad with my first 2 because of their small sizes but since adding my 2 big boys I feel like its just a little cramped for them. So....I want to expand their cage by connecting 2 double story Ferret Nation cages. However....the Ferret Nation cage I already have now.....is the outdated model =( It is not compatible with the newer 182 model so....I basically need to buy 2 new cages. For those of you who own ferrets, you know these things are expensive...So....My goal is to buy one cage, sell the one I have (I think I MIGHT be able to get $100-$125 out of it), and then purchase the second one. I am working full time now, which pays pretty decently, but I also have a mortgage, bills, and a trip I am saving up for in September, along with other things I would like to do to my house.

So....after all that explaining, I think you can see that if opening commissions can help jumpstart my art ju ju again, the extra income would go a long way to helping me to achieve these goals. I won't lie, I am slightly nervous that maybe my abilities to complete these commissions may have rusted or won't come back at all, but.....you never know until you try, right?? Besides, I don't even know how well my business will be received, its been quite a long time =) But if you enjoy my art, and missed out on the chance to get a badge before, give me a shot =) I promise I will work hard to deliver the best I can do, as I always do, I just ask that you bare with me a bit. Who knows, maybe after I do one the ball will roll as smoothly as it ever did, if not better!

So......for Commission Info....please visit this journal:
https://www.furaffinity.net/journal/4736302/

If you are not interested in a wooden badge but were interested in something else I do have several other small commission type possibilities that can range in price. I still have several Skullydeer blanks, all of my Wind Chime blanks which can be seen here: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/14547188/

I haven't changed my prices even though I think at one time I said I was thinking of doing so. I have been gone so long I missed out on the new commission and folder feature add ons! Thats cool! So you can also look there as well for the same info thats in the provided journal. I look forward to any feedback from all of you as always, and hope I get to work with you very soon!! <3



[FERRET FRENZIE GOAL TRACKER]
Help these brats get some new digs!!
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/.....04686648_n.jpg

Looking to purchase 2 of these models:
http://www.ferret.com/item/ferret-n.....e-unit/650431/

In order to reach this goal I will need up to possibly 21 commissions!

 ShadowTiger18 PAID and COMPLETE!

After a fairly long hiatus....I am back =)

Well....I should rephrase....
I am back to creating art at a fairly slow pace, but its still creating!
I am still working my full time job, which I am happy to say I am now an official employee!(no longer a temp!)
This means art is still not really in the spotlight, but more of a....recreational sort of thing.
I haven't been doing any of my usual shows with the local carving club I am still a member of, but I did attend my favorite one back at the beginning of August at our local mall,
which.....
the turn out was not too great but considering our mall is pretty much dying it is not all that surprising. I still had a great time, and it felt good to show off my work and talk to people again =)

Life is fairly....different for me these days....I wish there was more I could say but I think I am starting to make friends with my muse again.
(with the help of some very supportive people)

I look forward to posting more again soon! I have another burn I am currently working on and hope to have finished in the near future =)
Also....I celebrated my 30th birthday last month!
Yay!!!
I am old now!!
=P

Thank you so much to everyone that stuck around and didn't delete me from your watch list!

Things have been super quiet here, I apologize for this but as I feared....work has kept me away. However, now that I have been there for over 3 months I think I am starting to find my nitch and adjusting to how things are in my life again. Unfortunately I still have not been creating much, actually....next to nothing =( But....I want to change that!!!

I actually have a goal in mind with what I am about to propose so I shall explain!
My husband made me a little agreement when I was getting ready to start this job. He promised me that if I made it my 90 days I could finally buy something that I have always wanted.....a ferret <3
For the last 2 months, but primarily this month, I have been researching ferrets, watching videos, reading articles, joined a group on Facebook, and browsed many ads on Craigslist and the local garage sale groupes on FB. I've done my best to discourage myself from wanting to add one of these adorable little thieves to my life but once I went to one of our local pet stores over the weekend and held a baby for the first time....I knew it was all over. My decision was made. I MUST own a ferret.

As many of you know....ferrets are not cheap! I may be working and making more money than I ever have, but I do have bills, and they need to be paid. I could save a little every week (which I plan to do) but to gather everything I need to finally buy my new baby (hopefully babies! -x2) might take a while and I am not sure I want to be patient enough to wait that long =P

Sooo......

Thinking about opening for a few new commission options to generate the extra funds to make this little dream of mine happen a little faster =D I am officially opening back up for Wooden Badges which you can find the information here: https://www.furaffinity.net/journal/4736302/ But in addition to them I am going to be opening for Windchimes (example: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/13993715/ ) and a new shape that I recently bought that could be used as an ornament or car mirror hanger or just....able to hang where ever =P Both options are slightly larger than the Wooden Badges and will come ready for whatever intended purpose you choose to use them for so expect the prices to be a bit more than the badges. I will post pictures soon and get a price figured out, but both of these options will be limited due to only having so many blanks on hand. Chances are once they are gone....they could be gone for good. I buy shapes spontaneously and whenever I get the chance to visit a Michaels craft store, which we do not have in the town that I live in. So once these are gone I might never be able to open up for them again and would be your best chance to snag a rare limited time piece of art from me =D I can't promise that...but...just saying....the chances are pretty slim.

I am hoping to have my turn around for these be fairly quickly because the point of all this is to generate the funds faster so I can buy fuzzies =D but I will still have to ask that you keep in mind that I do work full time and have to fit art in around it. I think that just about covers what I wanted to get out there! Please feel free to leave your opinions on these future commissions or even share your ferret stories/experience/advice!

EDIT:
Commission Prices/Templates up NOW! =D
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/14547188/

The day has finally come! I will be employed again =D

To make a long story short for those of you who think they missed something, since May of last year I was forced into a year of unemployment in exchange for buying our first house. Since this is now June (almost the end really) I have been able to apply at places, but had one in particular in mind, and got the call today informing me of my first day!

While I am happy I was able to land a job the first try, I have tons of mixed feelings about all this. Up to this point I have really only worked 2 steady jobs, both being pretty much the same thing just different store names, and both were part time. This new job is factory work and is full time, both of which are a little scary to me but I am trying so hard to remember all the positives that come with this new opportunity. Anxiety, lack of self confidence, these are my biggest problems right now. For the first time in my life, as pathetic as this might sound, I will be making above minimum wage. I might actually be able to buy my own car in a few months! Thats a big deal AND I have been wanting a ferret so bad but my hubby has been saying no. He promised that if I can make it to my 90 day mark I can finally get one!! Most importantly though, I will actually be pulling my own weight financially, really contributing, which makes things like getting a new bed, a privacy fence or saving money in case something should happen to our house and needs repaired. More money is just a really good idea right now and this job will bring in more than I have ever had before!!

The only thing standing in my way now is....myself XD
My socially awkward, anxiety-prone, ridiculous self.
I really need to look into chill out pills....

So what does this mean for commissions?
I am not closing them down, however I really don't know how this new job is going to effect my art output. Its been pretty slow, dribbling out here and there since Christmas. It's like I mentioned in a previous entry, I have been kinda counting on the lack of time to kick-start the urgency to really pump this stuff out, but its all up in the air. Never worked a full time job, never worked a factory full time job. I have no idea what to expect. I know I said I was going to offer some new commission options soon, and I still want to do that, but its going to be put on hold as well.
Recently I have had a couple people keeping me busy with the theme inspired last name signs. I think I am currently commissioned to do 8 as of right now, with the interest of a couple more. This always seems to happen.....there must be some kind of time sensitive magnet out there that pulls people in for commissions when I don't have the time to do them, and then when I have loads of it no one is looking to buy. Isn't it ironic, don't cha think? =P

Commissions will remained PAUSED until further notice.
If you are interested in something and don't mind the wait, feel free to send me a message with your information and I will start a waiting list and contact you in the order that I receive them, possibly a month or two from now when the newness of this new schedule is more routine and comfortable. Gotta find my barrings to better budget my time.

Wish me luck!!

The day has finally come! I will be employed again =D

To make a long story short for those of you who think they missed something, since May of last year I was forced into a year of unemployment in exchange for buying our first house. Since this is now June (almost the end really) I have been able to apply at places, but had one in particular in mind, and got the call today informing me of my first day!

While I am happy I was able to land a job the first try, I have tons of mixed feelings about all this. Up to this point I have really only worked 2 steady jobs, both being pretty much the same thing just different store names, and both were part time. This new job is factory work and is full time, both of which are a little scary to me but I am trying so hard to remember all the positives that come with this new opportunity. Anxiety, lack of self confidence, these are my biggest problems right now. For the first time in my life, as pathetic as this might sound, I will be making above minimum wage. I might actually be able to buy my own car in a few months! Thats a big deal AND I have been wanting a ferret so bad but my hubby has been saying no. He promised that if I can make it to my 90 day mark I can finally get one!! Most importantly though, I will actually be pulling my own weight financially, really contributing, which makes things like getting a new bed, a privacy fence or saving money in case something should happen to our house and needs repaired. More money is just a really good idea right now and this job will bring in more than I have ever had before!!

The only thing standing in my way now is....myself XD
My socially awkward, anxiety-prone, ridiculous self.
I really need to look into chill out pills....

So what does this mean for commissions?
I am not closing them down, however I really don't know how this new job is going to effect my art output. Its been pretty slow, dribbling out here and there since Christmas. It's like I mentioned in a previous entry, I have been kinda counting on the lack of time to kick-start the urgency to really pump this stuff out, but its all up in the air. Never worked a full time job, never worked a factory full time job. I have no idea what to expect. I know I said I was going to offer some new commission options soon, and I still want to do that, but its going to be put on hold as well.
Recently I have had a couple people keeping me busy with the theme inspired last name signs. I think I am currently commissioned to do 8 as of right now, with the interest of a couple more. This always seems to happen.....there must be some kind of time sensitive magnet out there that pulls people in for commissions when I don't have the time to do them, and then when I have loads of it no one is looking to buy. Isn't it ironic, don't cha think? =P

Commissions will remained PAUSED until further notice.
If you are interested in something and don't mind the wait, feel free to send me a message with your information and I will start a waiting list and contact you in the order that I receive them, possibly a month or two from now when the newness of this new schedule is more routine and comfortable. Gotta find my barrings to better budget my time.

Wish me luck!!

http://pyrogirlie85.tumblr.com/

Thats right! Believe it or not....I have had that page for over a year now but kinda left it behind when I let the "complexity" of customizing it get to me.
Still very noobish....figuring almost all of this as I go along LOL
But I have had a lot of fun playing with it and think I have some of it down now....
only after tweaking, and tweaking, and tweaking some more....yeah! Its looks kinda spiffy =D
But no worries!!!!
I still plan to upload here! This is not an "I'm leaving FA" type move. If anything I am probably going to close down my SheezyART account again (if they ever come back online) and possibly my Nabyn account as well. I just don't like spreading myself too thin because I tend to forget to upload to them and it just gets to be a hassle sometimes. Better to keep a little control on it =D

So yeah! If you like using Tumblr more than FA you can watch me there now as well =D

While my parents have been in Hawaii for the past week celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary, I have been staying at their house to watch over the place and look after my little brothers (toy rat terriers =P ).

It's been a long week being here by myself, but I brought my Xbox 360 with a couple of games as well as a watercolor picture I've been working on and my sketchbook, but decided to leave the burner at home simply because I didn't want to have to lug a bunch of stuff over here and possibly forget something, its a 2 hour drive home so its not like I can just run over here and retrieve what might have been left behind.

Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, I still managed to forget a few materials I needed to continue working on my watercolor picture so that went at a stand still....so of course I found myself playing video games for a couple of days until, the battery in my controller died XD
AND....silly me yet again....forgot to bring back up batteries =P.
Not knowing where my parents keep theirs (if they even have any) and not wanting to kill their batteries (because they are expensive now) I had to fall back to the sketchbook and try some doodles and let me tell ya....its been fun =)

I have managed to come up with 3 sketches, two of which were inspired by a good friend on here to help keep me distracted during the nasty weather we had at the beginning of last week.
I simply cannot wait to take these sketches and move forward with them so I can show them off to you guys =D

Aside from doing the Wooden Badges, I have not been drawing much at all these days and was actually afraid that maybe my love for doing art was finally leaving me.
For the past year I have been battling a persistent art block, probably the worst one I have ever had. No matter how much I would try to sit at my desk and work on something, anything, my lack of patience or dare I say...almost disinterest in everything I touched would eventually win out and I would find myself back in the living room playing games or doing other things.

Unemployment has a lot to do with this I think. When I go home in a couple days I get to begin my quest in finding a new job, I already have one in mind that I am really going to try to shoot for but I don't want to let myself become too hopeful lest I set myself up for possible devastation. If I land this job, it will be my first full time position which has me a bit nervous, but I will be making good money for the first time in my life and might actually get somewhere! I am also kinda counting on the lack I time I have jump starting the urgency to want to create art again. Being unemployed for the past year has left me with so much time on my hands there was no sense of urgency to get any of the numerous projects I have going on done. Commissions were the only thing keeping me in check, but as far as personal stuff, I have dragged my feet so bad....

Lots of exciting changes are heading my way which means my gallery should become a little more lively over the next few months =D
Thank you so much for all the favorites, comments, and new watches <3
Its nice to see that even if I am not posting a bunch, my art is still being seen and loved by you guys and your comments are always so encouraging and supportive, it means a lot <3
Take care, and I hope to share some new stuff with you soon!!!

Or at least is has been for a few weeks now XD

Winter has refused to give up its hold on us for quite some time now but I think its finally giving up =D
Unfortunately....I am experiencing a terrible art block . Actually....I am not sure I can even call it that. Ever since I was a kid art has been my passion, my only real talent, or true calling. It was never a doubt that art would always be a part of my life, and something I would always do. Never ever had any doubts about that.

Over the years I have had doubts of my capabilities, the usual stuff any artist goes through when trying to observe their work and recognize where they need to improve and grow, that kinda thing, what direction they need to take to further better their skills and adapt to new knowledge. But for the first time in my life, I have seriously felt....almost afraid, that my art abilities are leaving me. Its hard to explain, almost as if the passionate fire that burns within me to create is just flickering beneath the ashes, threatening to go out at any time.

Maybe I am just over reacting, its probably just the fact that I have so much time on my hands and don't feel the pressure to create. Hopefully when I get a job here in the near future that urgency will come back and the need to create will feel as important as ever. Commissions usually help with this but they have come to a bit of a stand still. The paper burns I mentioned in my last journal, I have at least 3 of them started but can't seem to make myself sit down and make any headway. Its almost to the point where if I do get the urge to create I am afraid to stop to do anything out of fear that I won't come back to it to finish it, and so far that has happened 3 times XD

There are a couple new commission options I want to open up for and have made a little head way on how to post them on here in as simple of a way as possible to help avoid confusion but I just worry that I tend to over complicate things sometimes LOL!

So thats where things are, just thought I would post this out there for yas so you know whats up =P

I am still open for wooden badge commissions!! =D

If you are interested in nabbing yourself one, you can find all the info you need here: https://www.furaffinity.net/journal/4736302/

If you are interested in something other than a badge I do have SEVERAL pieces of wood of all shapes and sizes so feel free to send me a message and we can chat about a possible commission!

I recently bought some brown paper tags that are the same size and similar shapes to the wooden badges and have thought of offering them for the same price as the badges but have not messed with them yet. I will have to get an example out soon to show you guys!

In other news, I have been doing a lot of paper burning lately and find it to be so freaking addicting!!!! So expect to see a lot of that from me soon. I have been pretty under the weather the last few months, more so than ever, but I think I am putting that crap behind me. Trying very hard to live a healthier lifestyle, eating better, and lose some weight. Cliche New Years resolution!!! But its something I have needed to do for over a year now. I am not getting any younger, better do what I can to make my golden years not so miserable LOL!

Anywhoozle...yeah! Commission me =D I wanna make some peoples happy with art, and I could use a bit of green <3 Thanks!!!

I took a nap for like an hour....and had the most vivid, wierdass dream ever! I texted the hubby right after so he got the fresh, crappy version that I was able to turn into a little more sense after being awake to type it

Apparently it was my birthday and my family decided it would be fun to throw a BIG party for me and not only invited family but a BUNCH of people I used to go to school with -most of which I wasn't even friends with . There was even an ex boyfriend I dated from the 6th grade, if you can call that dating, or a boyfriend. I think he had the hots for me, but he must have known I was married because I remember him asking me how many kids K and I had, and I told him none, we weren't interested (like he is trying to sell me cable!) but we have cats!

Anyways, there was this one guy there that was REALLY tall with long stringy arms and legs and dirty blond hair that went passed his shoulders. People were picking on him calling him Stretch Armstrong. I remember having my back to this guy and hearing people taunting him, finally catching a glimpse of him and I instantly knew why and I felt sorry for him. He didn't seem so bad, so I decided to talk to him resulting in him developing a liking to me, most likely because I was the only one being nice to him.

This party was being held at my grandparents house (Shusters, their old one on "main street" not where they live now) but it was out in the country(well...Wharton IS out in the country but I mean like...WAYYYYYY out in the country with no houses around). My family started to notice that I wasn't exactly thrilled with all these people I didn't even like being around, and they started to leave.

I have no idea why but I am talking with Stretch, laughing and smiling, and all the sudden (maybe just out of happiness?) I start running through a field of those weed-flowers that you blow on to make the seeds fly away, what are those called?!? (Seeding dandelions LOL)

ANYWAYS! I am running through a field of those, making all the seed thingies fly through the air and all over the place like a little kid, when all the sudden Stretch comes running after me and he looks SCARY! So I get scared! And start to run! But because hes so tall and long legged he catches up to me super fast and just grabs me up.

This field runs along the road and has a fairly deep ditch which was flooded (I guess it rained the day before this party?). People who are leaving the party are driving by.
Stretch is mad at me for some reason and keeps pushing me down in this ditch trying to drown me, then bringing me back up long enough to catch a breath and then doing it again. I am screaming and flailing my arms around at the cars for help but they just smile and wave back! Somehow I manage to notice all these words on Stretch's neck and start trying to read them out loud and he stops. So I keep reading the words (which were just sticker stamp phrases for a scrapbook taped around the throat of his neck to look like tattoos). I tell him that I think they are very nice and he lets me go and walks away.

I book it back to the party and tell everyone what happened, calling them assholes for not noticing I was almost killed by Stretch Armstrong! And then I woke up

Prior to all this Sage did chase Cynder down the steps, and while I couldn't see it I am almost positive Cynder rolled down the last few (shes pretty chubby -and in case you didn't know they are CATS and they don't exactly get along).
So I get out of bed and go to check on Cynder to make sure she is not broken at the bottom of the steps, she was fine, so I picked her up, carried her back to bed with me and woke up with her still next to me. Maybe that explains the violent dream, all I know is that it was freaking weird!

When proposed with the idea to do an art trade with someone I am always torn on accepting or not after having a few bad experiences with trading (example: they turn out to be very rude or overly picky, or flat out don't come through with their end of the trade).

However, the lovely  Moongara approached me with a possible trade and I have never been happier to have accepted <3 In exchange for some wooden badges, she created two hand made felt dragons with wire cores adorned with elaborate beadwork through out the entire beastie. I thought they were pretty awesome from the examples she has in her gallery but the moment I saw these two in person I was shocked at just how little the pictures give them credit for.
They are simply stunning, and so much fun to pose =) Here are the pictures of them sitting on my art desk:
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/.....n/dragons1.jpg
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/.....n/dragons2.jpg
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/.....n/dragons3.jpg

So go give her gallery a look if you have not already and give her some love! She more than deserves it =)

After faking its death about a month ago our computer finally kicked the bucket for real this time. Farewell computer, may you rest in peace in the technological afterlife!

Unfortunately...we are in no shape to be purchasing a replacement =( At least not until tax return time. We do have a netbook (which is how I am posting this journal) but its pretty much just for the sake of paying our bills and basic surfing, this thing operates at a grandpa snails speed when bogged down with too much which means scanning artwork will not be possible until we have the new computer up and running. I do have a smart phone that takes fairly decent pictures that I can use to upload so there is one saving grace, its just not as easily done without the desktop =/

I am still open for Ornament Commissions as well as Wooden Badges! This will not stop me from sharing progression pictures and taking these on so have no fear! With the holidays approaching fast these make great gifts for your special ones =)

Be careful out there with the crazy shopping crowds! And to everyone that works in retail, I send you my deepest sympathies and hope your stress levels are not raised too high this year. People really can be complete jerks!!

Hi!!! *waves frantically*

Its been a while! I really should get better about posting journals more frequently, I guess I just feel I let myself use my journal a little too personally when I first started on deviantART that I somewhere down the line programed myself to stay away from excessive journal blabbers about my silly, dramatic world. I am pretty socially awkward even on the internet I guess hehe.

The year is calming down as far as shows go for me, so I can finally relax a bit and put stuff back up on my walls. I really do need to post pictures or take another mini video tour of my new work space, I posted one shortly after I moved in on my Facebook account and would share that but I have since moved some things around and made it look a bit better than before.

Its funny, for how excited I was to have this room all to myself it has taken me a long time to really adjust to it and want to spend time in it. I blame the color of the walls mostly XD Every room in this house has had a pretty good color scheme that I don't mind at all except this room, which is perfectly fine because I would probably want to change it sometime down the line anyway LOL But right now it is a terrible shade called Oyster, which during the day has a kind of tan appearance that I can tolerate but at night when I turn my ceiling light on the walls look a puky shade of green. Its nasty and must go! Luckily, I already have the new shade picked out =D While visiting my parents in Columbus I picked up a decorative plaque that reads "CREATE Your world as big as you make it" and its made up of various mauve colors that I rather like so I am thinking of going with the lightest/pale shade.

We really haven't done much to the house to change it since we have moved. My grandfather and I actually turned a doorway into a blu ray/dvd shelving unit! Our house is an older home and has a sort of split living room, part of it is located as soon as you walk through the front door and then there is a second room off to the right that has two doorways. The oversized door is the closest to the front room which leads me to believe it was like a parlor or whatever you wanna call it (I am not fancy shmancy on the lingo here). My husband is using this second room as a game room and he wanted some more wall space while I wanted something to block out the sound when I want to watch tv while he is playing his games.

We wanted something temporary in case we ever wanted to open the doorway back up again. The first idea was to buy bifold doors like you would have on a closet, but because our house is old the doorway is not exactly even and has odd dimensions. So my Grandpa came up with the idea to make shelving on one side and a mock wall on the other. Our living room is movie theater themed so it made sense to create more storage space for our movies while creating something that looked as if it were meant to be there. In the end, I am pretty damn happy with it =D Here are some pics:
Oh! Heres our House =D : http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/.....emon/house.jpg
The doorway facing the living room (movie side): http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/.....170556_780.jpg
The mock wall side: http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/.....170827_382.jpg
How the mock wall looked after completed (my husband is starting his game collection): http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/.....220923_250.jpg
Closer look of the metal tracking and inner frame, this was just a pic I took to show my husband how many movies could fit on a single shelf LOL: http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/.....67344979_o.jpg
How it looked when it was complete(which we have filled the shelves in even more with movies since this pic:
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/.....73553717_n.jpg

I highly recommend this idea to anyone who is looking for a similar solution.
Here is what we did:
We bought a big sheet of plywood, cut it to size, painted one side and stained the other to match the door frame. Grandpa then made an inner frame within the door frame by drilling in 4 pieces of wood. Next we fit the sheet of ply wood into the frame and drilled it to the pieces that made up the inner frame, our mock wall was complete!
Using some of the excess wood from the large sheet of plywood and a few pieces my grandpa had laying around his garage, he cut 6 shelves. We then bought 4 metal tracks for like 78¢ a piece and some metal clips to hold the shelves up (like $3-$4 a bag and we used 2 bags). Drilled the tracks into the door frame, snapped the clips in, and then fitted the shelves into place and it was complete! A fairly inexpensive solution that could easily be removed one day if we chose to =D

Other than the shelf project, I've done a little bit of landscaping to the yard and thats about it. I noticed we get 3 bunny rabbits at night =D I think they like to chill out in our yard because its fenced in and we have an apple tree that they like to gather under and munch on the fallen fruit. Sometimes I will throw my soon to go bad lettuce out there or pieces I don't care for, I just like watching them XD. I take my cat Cynder outside with me all the time, she is such a spoiled brat. I used to take her outside when we lived at the apartment but it wasn't the same. I still keep her on a collar and leash with a really long lead so I can get a hold of her if she strays off to a part of the yard I don't want her in, but for the most part she is content to wander around, eat grass and roll around on the stone paver we have in the yard that the bird bath used to sit on.

That's all I have for house news!

As far as commissions go, I know I posted new prices a couple months ago but I have taken them down again except for the wooden badges. I am not sure if its just bad timing for a lot of people or if my new price revisions were scaring people away or I just made it too difficult, I don't know but I decided to take them down and look over them again. I am by no means a professional at this kind of thing, each time I open for commissions and try to price my work its a learning experience. I wish I could say I am getting better about this but I feel I still have much to learn. Anyone wanna be my agent??? Just kidding =P I couldn't afford to pay you, unless you took payment in the form of loving you forever! XD Ok, too cheesy. So if you are interested in a commission or were interested in a commission just send me a note and we can talk it over. Eventually I will get my prices up again but right now I just have a lot going on. I was also toying with the idea of offering those who want wooden badges the option to have the sketch for their badge colored in watercolor on an art card for a little extra. Sometimes when I am working on these fursonas I want to color them so bad LOL But I don't know, guess I would have to do up an example.

Even though online sales have been down, my local sales have been keeping me pretty busy! It seems pet portraits are a hit, as are Patriotic Eagles X____X. What possessed me to agree to making two more eagles pics I have no idea...I can't believe I even did the first one let alone trying to recreate it two times in a row! But I am going to give it my best shot =D I will be transferring some linework tomorrow for a large burning in the works that I am doing for my dad for Christmas of yet another eagle but this one is quite different from the one I have posted on here, and I can't wait to get it started so I can share it with everyone! I just hope I can make it look even better than the first eagle, feathers are still an area I have to practice on.

As if all of that hasn't kept me busy, a friend of my husband has been trying and trying to get me to start tattooing. Ever since I started wood burning I have met quite a few fellow burners who also tattoo and never really realized the similarity between the two art forms. Hes a really nice guy and has even went so far as to give me his old tattoo set up to mess around with on some practice skin. I have always been hesitant because tattooing is different than anything I have ever done, there is so much more involved. Your canvas is a living thing, so not only do you have to have the skill but you have to cope with the physical and mental part of it. I already said, I am a socially awkward person XD I just don't know....but I would be lying if I said I wasn't interested.
So interested in fact, that I messed around with the gun several months back:
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/.....27891963_n.jpg
I have no idea what I am doing XD It was addicting, just like getting them is LOL But I am still psyching myself out too much over it. I don't know if anything will ever come of it but it is exciting all the same =D

I think I have rambled enough LOL This has to be the longest journal I have ever posted on here! New record! Wooo Hoo!

Also, sorry about the art dump today, I didn't realize how far behind I was in uploads! I am usually on top of that but I have been such a slacker lately XD Thank you so much for all the favorites and comments in advance, and to the couple new watchers I gained from it!

You are awesome <3

A talented friend of mine is writing a children's book for his daughter and it is absolutely adorable! Head on over and give it a Like =D
http://www.facebook.com/dreamingwit.....ed_target_id=0

He is also in search of an artist to illustrate it so I thought I would share this here in hopes someone might be interested! If you or someone you know might want to give it a go please feel free to share this =D Thanks so much!!

Just in case any of you are interested, I am available for pet portraits =D

The reason you will not find a price for these included in my commission info is simply that it is difficult to price these at a set rate. Pricing is difficult for me as it is because I am just...terrible at it >.< I think I am getting better at it though, with the help of other fellow artists suggestions. When I try to come up with a quote or price these are the factors I take into consideration:
The Size of the Wood.
The Cost of the Wood.
The Complexity of the Image/Time it takes to Complete the image
If its a Pattern or an Original Drawing.

Let me explain that last one a bit.
The process I use to do my burnings is a lot like Tattooing: I create a basic stencil/pattern that I apply to the wood using transfer paper. So no matter if I am drawing something completely from scratch or using a reference that someone has provided me, I create a pattern from that image and go from there. Naturally, if I am creating a pattern that I am drawing free hand it is going to cost more.

You can apply this information to any kind of burning you may have been interested in getting from me, not just pet portraits. I will say that I am kinda shying away from family portraits, the pressure to make sure the person looks exactly right is just too overwhelming for me and hangs me up. I have always struggled with humans and always felt more comfortable with animals, but I guess that is not surprising now is it =P

So there you have it! I hope this has been helpful =D

Its been...wow, almost 2 months since I last posted much of anything on here LOL
Where does the time go???

I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer, so far the weather here in Ohio has been absolutely beautiful. We haven't experienced any of that ridiculous heat/humidity that we normally do and have instead been graced with what appears to be an early fall! I guess we can thank global warming for mother natures mix up but I am not complaining, I would be more than happy to have this continue =)

Commissions are, well....not moving at all LOL Seems either everyone is too busy or my new price revisions are scaring you away. Either way, I am not really bothered by it but it just figures that whenever I have loads of time to do art there is never a demand for it, but the moment I get swamped with other things, people decide its a good time to commission me LOL Though online sales have been zilch I have been seeing quite a bit of custom work here in my everyday life which is great =) My biggest hope when being forced to quit my job was to gain enough business so that when May comes around next year I might not have to look for a job after all and can continue to do what I love doing the most <3 Thats still a long ways from now so we will see what happens.

Being unemployed has left me, well...in mood swings I guess. Having a new house and lots of new space there are tons of projects that could be done right now but can't due to limited funds and all I can think about is "Man...if I were still working I could have got this...I could have got that....I could catch the really good clearanced items....and my discount on top of all that!!" Ugh....its frustrating. But If I still had my job, I wouldn't have this house right now, so which is the bigger win?
Aside from the ability to buy things for our new place, I think the biggest mood changing factor is the fact that I no longer have to have much of a schedule....or forced to socialize on a day to day basis. I have mentioned I am shy, and have anxiety issues. When I work they tend to lessen and I can function on a more...normal? level? LOL If there is such a thing. But take that mandatory socializing away from me and I coil back down like a slinky reaching the bottom of the stairs. *sighs* even with people I normal feel comfortable with.....it sucks =/

I still force myself to go to the carving club with my grandfather every Tuesday and Thursday, which helps a bit. Now that I have a more open schedule I do more events with the club, like the county fair thats coming up in a few weeks. Hopefully this nice weather is still going on then because the heat makes sitting in those tents almost unbearable!!!!!

So anyway, thats my latest news =) Nothing real exciting LOL I do have a lot of work to be posting over the next few months, mostly pet portraits and the like but its still work =D
Take care! <3

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:Wooden Badge:
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/.....adgeShapes.jpg
Pendant: $20
Pendant with Suede Cord: $22
*Beads are 2¢ each with the exception of burned beads 5¢ each
*Burned beads are wooden beads I can do slight customization too but the possibilities are limited due to size

*Examples: http://www.furaffinity.net/journals.....e/#jid:3303620
*These Pendants are great for Convention Badges!
Both sides can be burned to allow more room for your fursona and still have your name decoratively done to go along with it! Commission just the badge to further customize it yourself, or spend a little extra and add a cord or beads so it is ready to wear when it arrives!

---

:Terms and Conditions:

**I reserve the right to turn down any possible commissions that I feel are out of my comfort zone, which usually means I find it too difficult, its not my style, or I just do not "feel it".**
**You MAY NOT upload or re-use my sketches or progress scans for any reason. These sketches are for your approval only and are not templates for you to use.
**You MAY upload the finished commission to your gallery if you wish so long as you provide proper credits to me by means of a url/link back to me. This also applies to sharing the image on other websites outside of Fur Affinity.
**You MAY draw correction lines on my sketches to further show your input on how you would like the sketch to change.

:Payment:

Payment should be upfront, before any work is completed or shipped.
I accept personal checks, money orders, and Paypal.

-Here is how payment usually works:
Send me your request/commission form, we can talk about the details of the commission and will I quote/confirm the price.
I will do a rough sketch/pattern and then share it with you to get your approval.
*Commissions larger than a 5x7 require a down payment of at least half the quoted price before I start my sketch simply to compensate for my time in completing the larger sketch. The rest of the payment should be sent once the sketch has been scanned and shown to you for approval.
At this point, you may send your payment.
Once I confirm that I have received payment, I will begin working on your burning!
*I will not do any burning until payment is received.*
*I share many progression scans on burnings larger burnings.


:Shipping:

$1.50 to $2.00 within the U.S
**If you order more than one commission at a time I will not charge you extra for shipping!**
-with the exception of the art going to separate addresses
**I will Ship Internationally!!!!**
-Due to increased shipping rates there is no set amount, but I have been able to ship for as little as $2.50 but it all depends.



To commission me, simply note me with this form:

Commission type: The Letter assigned to the style/size you want and any other materials that might go with it
(Example:Wooden Badge, U, with suede cord and 6 beads)
Payment method: Paypal/Check/MoneyOrder
(-this does not mean you pay me now! I just want to make sure I know which method you will be using)
Location:
(Mainly just looking for US or international here, if you want to put your state thats fine too, it just helps in quoting the cost)
Subject:
(character, design, whatever =P)
Name of the Fursona pictured(if applicable):
(specify if you wish to have the name on the front or the back, but keep in mind the space it takes up!)
Description/Refs of Fursona(if applicable):
(Refs are always appreciated!! Also, include either a word or short description of the personality of the character so I can get a better feel for them.)


If you have any questions please feel free to contact me =D

I apologize for the delay in opening up for commissions once again. Things with the move have finally settled down and my time has returned! My goal is to have the new commission information posted sometime tomorrow, I've been working on the revisions most of the day and can't wait to get them posted. Lots of new stuff on the way, here are a few things you will expect to see!

*New prices:
Prices have went up a little to compensate for the fact that I plan to take on more than just 5 commissions at a time AND new available commission options =D

*New Commission Options:
I am changing up the way I am offering the little charms by creating a Make your Own Station! Instead of set prices for Magnets, Pins, and Pendants, you can now mix and match to create your own!

*Wooden Badges can now come with beads!!
In addition to offering the possibility of adding a suede cord to your badge, you will be able to have beads to go with it!

and my personal favorite....

*Mini Basswood Round Portraits
These small rounds are quite literally mini versions of the larger rounds you may have seen in my gallery. The bark on the edges provides a natural frame which compliments the burnings very nicely, and their oval shape makes the perfect canvas for a mini portrait. These are slightly more expensive due to a limited amount of each size and I do not have easy access to acquire more. The magnets I use are pretty heavy duty so the possibility to turn these into magnets is there should you wish to, otherwise I am just offering these AS IS to display at your discretion.

I am also thinking of periodically opening for limited time commissions of pieces of wood that I have small quantities of in case anyone might find them interesting. These items include Light Switch covers, Picture Frames, and Connecting Puzzle pieces.

Lots of new stuff! So look for a journal from me sometime tomorrow or at the latest sometime Friday! Those of you that have contacted me prior to my opening I will be contacting you as soon as my commission info is posted about your interest in a commission.

Take care!!!!

Commission update at the bottom!

After 2 days of packing, 2 more days of loading/unloading/unpacking, I am happy to say that we have finally moved into our new home!! It was a long and stressful journey, but I couldn't be happier now that it is over!

Today was spent doing nothing but unpacking and trying to finish completing the many rooms in this house. It is so strange to go from living in a tiny apartment to our new home. Its a challenge to put things away in my kitchen, I am positive I will move things around more than once before I am happy with where everything is XD.

If I am having that much trouble in my kitchen....can you imagine what I am like in my new art room??? LOL!! Oh boy...I can't make my mind up on how to do anything in here! I just want things to be more organized, to make sense like I said in my previous entry. I now have the space to do it. I think I am just spreading myself too thin trying to put the whole house together and just need to focus on one room at a time, this one might just have to come last.

My husband already has his game room all set up and has resumed his favorite pastime of getting angry at the television with his friends. At least now I can shut him out!

Our kitties(Cynder and Sage) on the other hand are still trying to adjust. The first two days they seemed to take the stances of Cynder owning the downstairs while Sage banished herself to the upstairs, but today Sage finally came down and has started to come and go as she pleases. They are still stand offish towards each other, which is really nothing new. After living with each other for 9-10 years you would think they would be over this but their relationship is always changing. I am just SO FREAKING HAPPY that they have TONS of windows!!! I can't wait to take Cynder outside when I work on my fairy garden =D

---

*Commission Update/Status*
I have good news....and bad news.
Let's get the BAD news out first!

I know I said I was hoping to be up and running by June but due to our closing date being pushed back a few weeks and the move/unpacking it might not be until late June or even July. I have a lot of organizing to do and I still have to clean our old apartment as best I can in hopes of maybe getting our deposit back.

Now the GOOD news!!!
And its kinda bad but kinda good =D

I was forced to quit my job. It's not something I am happy about but it was out of my hands, it had to be done.

So....the GOOD news is....I will have more time for art =D
Which means I can open for more commissions, and get more work out there!
I have quite a few things lined up already but I really enjoy working on the small stuff and have since gained a few new pieces of wood to offer for possible commissions. I can't wait to share them with you I am just not sure when that will be. As always though, if there is something you are interested in from me please feel free to send me a note and we can discuss it (especially if it is a larger piece).

---

Until next time, thanks everyone for the encouraging words and thoughts throughout my house buying process. Take care!!

As usual....I have been a little quiet lately and thought I would put a little update out here for anyone who is interested.
I do have a bit of commission status news at the bottom so if you wanna skip the personal stuff and get to the business just look for the divider =)

As the title of this journal suggests, something major is going on in my life that has me standing on the brink of sheer joy and relentless worry. It is like nearing the end of reaching a long sought after goal, with the uncertainty of whether or not outside forces will intervene to send you spiraling back to square one looming ominously over your head. You want to let the joy and excitement engulf you, but you have to keep your head until you are guaranteed to win the prize. Luckily, I am not in this journey alone. While my head is so far up in the clouds dreaming most of the time, my husband has been the rock that keeps me tethered to reality. Sometimes it can be a real bummer, but its a good thing. Without at least one person being realistic here...we could be in some serious trouble/heartbreak should things take a sour turn. =P

The dream? Is finally having our own home <3
No more apartment living.
No more inconsiderate/noisy neighbors arguing through the walls, taking our parking space.
No more being cramped up in a shoe box.
No more closet studio!!!!

Not only does owning our own home offer the chance for me and my husband to finally really ground ourselves somewhere, it also gives us the option to expand our family when/if we feel we are ready. =) I am still very much on the fence about that one...which only goes to serve that we are not quite there yet. But...its a choice we can seriously take on one day and be as prepared as one cane be. =) For now, silly as it sounds, I am just excited my furry children will finally have windows to sun bathe in and room to romp around <3

But the even bigger dream than finally owning a house is....my own, PROPER, studio!! <3
It has been nearly 10 years since I had my own space for art. As an only child, I didn't have to share a room growing up. Going from having the entire upstairs/loft to myself to sharing an apartment with my husband was certainly different. I never realized how much I missed my old room until we moved where we are now, where my work area is literally a closet! (http://www.nabyn.com/_we/559-47749_Aliehs.jpg)

My biggest hopes with this new space is ultimately....to be more organized. I am kinda...not really a neat freak, but...I like everything to have its own home =) I hate having trouble finding things, I like systems that work and make sense. Better organization means I can keep track and finish my projects faster which means....HOPEFULLY....more commissions =D Not only is the organization factor exciting but the ability to create a room that is solely dedicated to creating art is just....how can you not lose your head over something like that if you are an artist?!?!?!?!? Just typing this makes me want to make tons of silly, goofy noises =P

I can't wait to be able to properly display artwork that I have been given by friends over the years, commissions I have purchased, and just....fill that space with every bit of inspiration I can. I already have a nice Arphalia set started and can't wait to find the perfect frame to fill them up with!! As far as the actual walls go, its funny that out of all the rooms in the house, this is the only room neither my husband or I like the color of which is awesome because I probably would want to repaint it anyway =P Its currently a very bright yellow-green which stands out considerably from the rest of the house which is made up of very neutral blues/grays/slates. I am still playing with a color in my head...but I did see a neat idea of how to do cherry blossoms easily and entertained the idea of make a very large cherry blossom tree on one of the walls =P We will see!

We are still waiting to hear back if we are even accepted to get this special first time home buyers grant which the bank told us could take up to 3 weeks. Closing is officially May 17th, and we are already on week 2 of the wait......I won't go into details but I will just say we have been given a lot of positive reinforcement that we won't be denied, but that sliver of a chance that we could is not something either of us can ignore. So until we are certain everything is going to work out in our favor, the fingers will remained crossed and the boxes will remained unpacked.

___________________________________________________________________________

Enough with the personal stuff, here's the commission report:

Due to buying a house, I am officially putting all commissions on HOLD until the move is over with and I have things situated again. I would continue to take some on but I just don't want to take on more at this delicate time as I am awaiting the word to start packing any day.

In the meantime, I am filling my days off with work on the few remaining commissions I have that are on a much larger scale than the wooden badges. Maybe some of you have noticed the pet portraits I have been uploading, I have one more portrait in the works and then of course the very large Fairy Tale Wedding burning I posted a snippet of recently.

With the possibility of having a new studio, I hope to become even more organized and better equipped to take one even more commissions as well as introduce the option to commission larger pieces. I have limited myself to smaller things because pricing is something that is very difficult for me, it is a little easier with the small stuff and they are not as time consuming as these larger pieces. Another upside is more storage! I will have a garage and my husband has promised to help me come up with some kind of storage for my wood so I can horde even more!! =P Kidding or course.....or am I? LOL

Anyways, that's all I have. If you really, really want a commission from me and are willing to wait I will start a pending list so that when the craziness subsides I can pick up as soon as possible. Otherwise...I just ask for your patience and good ju ju vibes =D
Thanks so much guys!!!! Hopefully the next time I post something it will be even happier news <3

Just going to throw this out there because...well...its been bothering me.

Its no secret, I am a very sensitive individual. My emotions are fragile, I can be easily hurt, though believe it or not my skin has begun to grow a little thicker. I am not turning this into a pity party, thats not what this journal is about so I will just continue on with what it is I want to say.

Is it me....or have people just completely lost the concept of respect, particularly when it comes to other artists?

I am a silent observer in the art world. I am not gifted in the ways of conversing, critiquing. I don't feel I really have a right to critique another individual when I am by no means a master or expert in what I do. So when I view the work of artists I enjoy I usually read the comments of others and find that most of them tend to say what I could not seem to form into words and much better than I could have ever hoped to attempt. But...also in looking, I am always appalled by some of the negative things I read from some of these viewers, and it leaves me shaking my head.

With the internet it is so much easier to become part of an art community that is made up of many different people from many different walks of life from all across the globe. We can share our work, express ourselves to a wide audience in a vast amount of ways. So many different opinions. Its unrealistic to believe that everyone is going to like the work you choose to share, but is it so unrealistic to expect people to have a little bit of respect? I get so very angry when I read senseless comments under a very gifted artists beautiful piece of work. I know that to them its probably nothing that they have not already dealt with before in their rise to being such a highly viewed artist, but it does not make it any less unnerving. I never could understand the logic behind such negative comments...these artists are not on here for any one person but themselves. We are privileged to be able to see their work, that they are willing to share it with us.

So what kind of comments do I mean? What exactly is it that I am claiming is so disrespectful?

Artists who do web comics that are bombarded with notes, comments, etc. about when the next page will be uploaded, and how whiny they get when pages are delayed. -I am as much a fan girl as anyone else...but come on. What do you hope to gain by harassing the artist, pestering them to hurry along their work?

Commenters who object to things the artist posts.
This one, hits close to home.
When you choose to watch an artist, there was something about their work that drew you to them, you liked them enough to add them to your list right? So when they start posting things you are not really in to, where is it your place to tell them that you don't like it? Or prefer something else they did over what they are doing now?
This has got to be the most disrespectful thing of all, right up there with art theft. Its like buying a CD because you like a certain song only to find out you really don't like the rest of the album. What do you do? Well...you don't listen to the rest of the album. You probably won't even continue to listen to that particular band. And thats fine! Everyone has different tastes, its what makes us all unique. That artist creates the art that they do because its their taste. Its their passion, what they like to do. Its what they enjoy. Don't like it? Well...you can always stop watching them. Simple as that.

I appreciate every new watcher I get. I enjoy reading and responding to comments if I can, sharing whatever knowledge I might have to help others. I do not judge people, and feel that anyone who loves art no matter their skill should be able to do it. Its expression. An outlet. A conversation starter. Art can bring people together and convey many things. Its objective. Ultimately....its a part of the person who created it, and demands respect.

I will not change what I do for anyone because its what I love.
Please understand this, and I am deeply sorry if this means I lose some watchers.
I just want to create pretty things and enjoy myself while doing it.

After seeing my tiny furry pendants (link:http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6738039/ )  arphalia suggested the idea of offering them as an alternative to convention badges so that is kinda the direction I saw in a lot of these. I still have a ton of the smaller tiles in addition to the new finds I purchased today so there is quite a variety of styles for these.

Examples of finished commissions/projects so far:
Rectangle (pin, magnet)
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/8734840
Oval (pin, magnet)
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9076498
Square (pin, magnet)
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/8465333
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/8570689
Circle (pin, magnet)
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/8839573


Small Square Tile/Pendant
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/8791597
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6738039
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6737995
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6759187
Small Rectangle Tile/Pendant
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9626494
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9626509
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6738013

Small Rectangular Pendant
(no example yet)
Small Circular Pendant
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9076521

Rectangular Pendant
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/8244782
Large Circular Pendant
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7704159
Large Square Pendant
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7676849
Heart Pendant
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9073744
Star Pendant
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/8600420

Wooden Badges
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/9626529
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/9691158/
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/9691190/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9955308/

Thanks to the generous invite from Arphalia I now have a gallery up and running over on Nabyn!

EDIT: http://aliehs.nabyn.com
(the goofball that I am forgot to post the link XD)

Gotta say...this is one neat site! At first it started to feel semi-reminiscent of SheezyART but the more I looked around and actually paid attention to the site the more I love it =) The character database alone is enough to appeal to me. I really hope this site does well =)

Fear not! I still plan to upload here! If you read my last journal you already know that I have been having some issues accessing deviantART. The only way I can check up on it is if I use my netbook, for some reason...viruses do not attack me through there (and I use the same antivirus crap on it as I do my desktop?).

Just thought I would share in case you wanna watch me there =D And if you do not know what Nabyn is, head on over and take a gander, its pretty neat!!!!

If you watch my gallery and enjoy my wood burnings or are a fellow wood burner I would like to share with you, my Burning God =D

Everyone has at least someone that inspires them or does something that makes them want to place them high up on a pedestal and say, THIS IS THE BEST! In the art world these icons are sometimes the beacon that other artists worship and hope to one day be as good as their idol. Mr. Ken Potter is that idol for me in the burning world.

A fellow burning friend of mine introduced me to his work on Facebook and I have been a follower ever since. He is a very talented individual with a colorful personality that may not always be for everyone LOL Its entertaining to see the conversations that go on under some of his posts =D

I am one of the lucky ones to have an actual burning of his hanging on my wall(picture from his FB page): http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hpho....._1814745_n.jpg
One of the main reasons I wanted this piece so much is because of the wood he used. PINE!!! I've done a little on pine and have found it to be extremely difficult to work with because of that stubborn grain and the seeping of sap. Though, I used yellow pine where as he uses white so I am not too sure of the difference. All of that Aside....I would also like to add that this is a piece of recycled wood LOL it has nail holes and a huge knot in it, which before I actual saw it in person I was completely blind too. Even with it hanging on my wall I still see the imperfections of the wood second and the art first. Thats what is truly amazing about his work, he can create the most amazing things no matter what the wood looks like. So whenever I am working on a burning and I find myself stuck I look at that piece and think to myself...how the hell does he do it?!?!

As far as I know, he only uploads to Facebook and I have shared his link once before, but due to some personal feelings he took the public page down =( See? It only takes one person to ruin it for everyone!!! Remember that! LOL But I am happy to report that he has created a new public page and is in the process of re-uploading his work.

So, if you enjoy wood burning and want to see some truly amazing work, head on over to his page and give it a Like! Lets help prove to him how awesome his work is =D

Ken Potter: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Woodb.....29214317158895