Okay so, unfortunately the ACS website is going to go down, possibly for the time being, possibly permanently. Not sure just yet.
It's okay, though. Hubby's hours are being cut and the art sale didn't go as planned, but that's understandable and okay.

So instead, I've put together a portfolio site/blog over at blogger. http://artsychicstudio.blogspot.com/
I'll be updating that with the new art and other happenings.

I've also set up a portfolio account with Flickr, which can be viewed here : http://www.flickr.com/photos/artsychicstudio
I originally had it set to private and I think I changed it all, so if you can't see anything, let me know.

And finally, all my art will be over at Zazzle for a while, which can be viewed here: http://www.zazzle.com/faerystore

As I update my portfolio at blogger, I'll cross post over here.

You can find me at the links below:


http://artsychicstudio.blogspot.com/
http://www.zazzle.com/faerystore
http://www.printfection.com/artsychicstudio
http://twitter.com/artsychicstudio
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=logo#/artsychicstudio?ref=profile
http://www.myspace.com/artsychicstudio
http://artsychicstudio.deviantart.com/
http://enchantedfolk.com/
http://www.artwanted.com/artist.cfm?ArtID=41520

Alot of my accounts are being updated, so there may or may not be images there.

I'm hoping to bring the ACS site back up within a month or so, so we'll see what happens.

I hope your weekend is going great for all of you.

K. :)

Okay everyone I pulled out the issues of Faerie Magazine I've been saving for quite a few years and they will also be up on the site. I have 2 premier (first issues) issues of the magazine, plus the issue with Amy Brown and the issue with Brian Froud's sketcbook preview in it.
Lots of originals, prints and reference books, as well as, my copy of Jasmine Becket-Griffth's wonderful book, Fairy.

I'll be putting up more items as the week goes on. I hope you'll join us!

Art Prints, Originals, Books and more! Sale begins at 5pm Eastern Standard time. Checkout artsychicstudio.com for more info

Okay, in order to help our little family out financially, am putting all my fairy prints back up on the site, as well as, letting go of quite a few originals. Some are watercolor on canvas, watercolor on cold press paper and soft pastel on card board. The art consists of fairies, children's illustrations and misc. Will have everything up and ready for viewing by the end of the weekend.

Well, the art hiatus will have to wait.

DH's hours are dwindling at his work and so far, no bites for me on a part time position anywhere.
So, I spoke to him about a new project, that I hope will work. I'll be putting my fairies off to the side and creating greeting cards.
I've been doing up some sketches for the past week, as well as, writing.

It's a bit crazy in trying to do both of those, homeschool the kids, take care of the house and whatever else, but I'll figure it all out and will hopefully come up with a more comfortable schedule.

I do have to wonder, though, if my website is now to graphic intensive since I redid it a couple of weeks ago. The intro and main page do not load automatically for me and DH upgraded my computer and we have broadband, so I can only imagine what it's like for other people on DSL or even dial up.

I will change it, again to make it easier to load. I was aiming for a more unique look to the whole thing.
What do you all think? Go to artsychicstudio.com and let me know. Does it load alright for you or does it take a few minutes? It shouldn't even take 1 minute.

I think that's it for now. I'll be posting some of the greeting card sketches soon. Would love to get your opinion.

Have a good Saturday everyone! :)

I'll be on hiatus from art and more quiet than usual for a while.
There's a couple of big projects in the works. I'll post again when all is back to normal.
Email if you need me. I'll be checking in real quick each night.

K. :)

Finally figured it out. Thanks for the help. ;)
I'm using an Iframe and didn't have it set to allow transparency.
Now it's working in IE and Firefox.

Thanks to all who to the time look. I really appreciate it.

K. :)

So, I finally finished the new layout for my site, but I can't seem to get the transparent background to work in Internet Explorer.
I created it all in Firefox at a 1024 x 768 resolution. Everything works fine in Firefox. It looks great, but it's IE that's giving me a problem.
Can't figure it out. And most likely I'll do up at layout for the people that use 800 x 600 resolution.

If you use Firefox, check it out and let know what you think. www.artsychicstudio.com

K.

So, this past weekend was eventful, to say the least.
We are all, just now, getting over it and to help myself along further, I'm going to post about it and let it go.

Saturday we went to a Mother's Day picnic over hubby's sister's house. Beautiful day, sunny and filled with lots of laughs. Loved it.
Was very tired by the time we got home, have no idea why since it was only a couple of hours, but then again, for awhile now I've been getting up extra early to write, so that's probably what it was.

Hubby and I had promised, or I promised rather, that we would take our daughter to the zoo for her birthday and it just so happens that the day I planned it for was also Mother's Day. It's been a long time since we've done anything for Mother's Day, so I was pretty excited, as were the kids, hubby, not so much.

So, we all get up, head out the door and decide that instead of taking the highway, we're going to do the scenic thing and take the back roads, not bad.

About 45 minutes to an hour into our drive, we're on this little narrow residential road, feeling good, talking, laughing, looking around.
There's a car on the other side of the road, coming up next to us, about to pass, no big deal and there's a car in back of us traveling the same way as we were, again no big deal.

Out of nowhere comes this little red sporty car on the other side of the road. We didn't think anything of it, at first and thought he was going to slow down because of the car in front of him.

He didn't. He did slam on his brakes, bounced up on the curb, onto someone's lawn, backwards, so he wouldn't hit the car in front of him. Now, normally you'd slam on your brakes, right?

Nope, he gunned his car. But his car was aimed for us, head on. We saw him coming. The kids started screaming and crying. Hubby didn't say anything and held onto the wheel tight. As the little red car got closer, I don't know what happened. I didn't scream, but I did cover my eyes and brace for impact. As I covered my eyes, I kept thinking, okay this is it, this is it and waited for the crunch of both cars.

But, at the very last second, hubby swerved as best he could, forcing us to go up someone's lawn, which was a high enbankment.
That did it right there, because the red car swerved a bit at the same time. By now this red car is in between us and the car that was in front of him, but closer to us.

The car missed hitting my son and my husband by a slight inch. They could've shaken hands, that's how close it was.
The kid never stopped, nor did we. Our kids were hysterical, we were all shaking and we kept going to calm our children down.
My son truly thought he was going to die and said so. My daughter was eerily quiet, but her eyes were enormous and both of them continued crying.

After that? Well, we continued on to the zoo and tried to make everything "normal" for the kids. But honestly, the zoo wasn't important anymore and I have no idea why I thought it was to begin with. I wanted to have a nice family day together, which we've never really done, but after all that? I realized that we could've done it at home and been just as happy or at the very least, much more closer to home.

I thank the good Lord above and have been thanking him that we're all okay and here. It was so close and so scary that i can honestly say, I almost lost my family and that scares me more than anything else because they are my whole world.

I try not to take anything or anyone for granted, ever, but I'm human and sometimes I forget or concentrate on the small things and make them far more important than they really are.

I am grateful for all the people in my life, for being able to sit here and write this and for my husband, daughter and son. It's not our time yet. There's so much more to do, see and learn. As grim as that sounds, I don't mean it that way. I am thankful for the chance to wake up this morning, kiss and hug them and begin again to make our life even better. We may not have much at all, but we have each other and nothing can replace that.

Thanks for reading.

Ugh.........gotta redesign website. Feelin' like it's too much work and am being lazy as heck.
It does need a redesign, though. I think it's too dark and there's other things that are wonky with the whole thing.

Can't wait for the weekend. My daughter turned 9 on Monday and hubby and I promised to take her to the zoo on Sunday. Her first time and it should be lots of fun.

Stall, stall, stall. LOL!

I've also been working on that piece I posted the other day (that short story) and I have ALOT of art pieces that have been started and never finished, plus other ideas in the ole noggin that I need to sketch out.

Besides that? Not much else. Just wasting time. :)

Hope everyone is doing okay and feelin' fine.

My son and daughter. Made those animated pixel thingies quite some time ago.



Okay enough. Back to work, schooling, chores, etc.

So, I thought it was time for a quick post. Let ya all know I'm still alive and kicking. LOL!

We had a family Easter party today and the kids, as well as, the adults had a great time.

Hubby and I bought a new digi camera yesterday, as well as, a new web cam, so I've been playing with both. ;) I took a couple of test shots from my web cam and here they are.

Yep, that's me. The pic I use on my site is about 16 - 17 years old.
I was probably 21 or 22 then.






I don't usually like having my picture taken, but today, I thought what the heck. The hubby and the kids weren't up for it, so I figured I've give it a go.

I'll post more pics, as I take them and as I learn this camera more.

I hope you all are doing well and feeling fine.
For those that celebrate Easter, hope it is a happy one for you. And for those that don't, I hope your Sunday (or Monday, whichever it may be) is a good day all the way around.

K.

What are your nicknames?

From my family? Kath, Kat, Hey you (no, I'm just kidding)
From my husband: Mommy girl, honey girl, babe

What's your Chinese Astrology sign? Be specfic, with the element and stuff!

I'm a dog, I think it's metal (not sure) and here it's Sagittarius.

What's the last book you read?

Actually, I haven't finished any of them yet. I've got 1 or 2 Harlequin Blaze novels at hand, then I'm also in the midst of The Secret and Living Rich For Less

What color shirt are you wearing now?

Blue

Are you an introvert or extrovert?

Ummm, I'd probably have to say a little of both, if that's possible.
Long ago, I used to be an extreme introvert, but I'm working on it. ;)

Mozilla Firefox or Internet Explorer?

On a normal basis, Firefox, but not everything is compatible, so I keep Explorer just in case.

Do you nap a lot?

Yep, when I can.

What was/were your favorite childhood toys?

Barbies and books, lots and lots of books.

What's your current fandom/obsession/addiction?

My digital art and writing fiction.

What are you currently reading?

Same as above, Harlequin Blaze, The Secret, Living Rich For Less.

What was the last thing you ate today?

I just ate a piece of chocolate cake that my daughter and I made.

How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?

10 minutes, if that and it depends on where I'm going, but most times, 10 minutes.

What websites do you visit daily?

LiveJournal, DeviantArt, Bloglines, MySpace, Facebook, check my webstats, Perez Hilton, TMZ, Msnbc, Pogo

What's the last movie you watched?

My husband had some movie on called The Hitman.

Do you like to clean?

Hmmm, not really, but I will when the mood strikes.

What time is your usual bedtime?

Between 9 and 10 pm.

Do you read any web comics?

No.

What is your favorite weather?

Sunny and warm with a slight breeze.

Iceland is going bankrupt. If you ended up buying it at the auction, what would you do with it?

Not sure. Probably leave it alone, I guess. What would any one really do with Iceland?

Where would you see yourself in ten years?

Hmmm, the kids will be 20 and 18, I'll be 48 and hubby will be 46 (I like 'em young ;P ), hopefully in our own home for quite some time, happy, comfortable, secure, enjoying life and each other.

Unfortunately, most of my collections are in my head at the moment due to our budget, but if I could I would have the following collections.

List off 20 things that you have collected that others may see as strange. Some may be normal things, but you cannot part with them.

1. Yes, I agree. I, too, would have the following collection, if I could. Possibly in the future. Fairy everything - from art to figurines to toys

2. Gingerbread everything, from scents to home decor (if I could)

3. Retro stuff from the 50's. I would love to have a 1950's kitchen or other furniture or home decor (if I could)

4. Writing books (really do have and have had through the years) I am addicted to these, including magazines on writing.

5. LOL, Harlequin Blaze books. (really do have.)

6. Dreamsicles (if I could) I had a few, but unfortunately with the few moves we've had through the years they were lost.

7. Yummykins (if I could)

8. All Amy Brown stuff (if I could)

9. Watercolor and oil pastel supplies or art supplies in general (really do have) Mostly on the cheaper side, but I can never resist something new from the art supply store.

10. Buddhas, Japanese and Feng Shui items (do and did have)

11. Mugs, coffee mugs...the bigger and weirder looking, the better (have a few)

12. DVDs, whether comedy, romantic comedy, fantasy or kids movies. I just like collecting (purchasing DVDs) (have them)

13. Purses (have them) I can always go for another purse, then of course, you have to have another wallet and whatever else will go with the purse. LOL.

14. Nail polish (do and did have them) Was once very big and doing the nails. Now? Not so much, but still have them. I like odd colors, turquoise, purples, blues, glitter, etc.

15. My bear (have him) Although he's only one, I've had him since I was 12. I sleep with him every night and if I can't find him, I feel naked. His name is Arthur. LOL.

16. Pieces of furniture. (have them) I know it's weird, but if I see someone throwing out small tables, stools and similar items or items that look interesting, I grab them. I want to learn, one day, how to refinish furniture and use them as art pieces.

17. Photos (have them) I LOVE photos of family and friends. When I get them, they are immediately framed or taped up on my photo wall, so I can look at them everyday.

18. Drawing and Illustrating software (have them) Although I'm not rich, I have collected quite a few drawing and paint programs over the years. I like to see if there's anything better out there, but usually I always turn back to Paint Shop Pro 7, Photoshop CS and Illustrator CS.

19. Pens (have them) I write, so I need something that feels and fits well in my hand. I'm always on the look out for another pen.

20. Paper (have them) I love collecting paper. LOL. Whether it's for drawing or writing, got have it.

Do ya think LiveJournal is going under or what?

I hope not. I realy like it here. LJ is one of my first stops in the morning when I wake up. I grab my coffee, check my DeviantArt account, then LJ, etc.

I have all of you here, all in the same spot where I can keep up with all your lives and happenings.

Anyway, last week I ordered a few books from DoubleDay and one of them was The Secret.

Has anyone read that book yet? In the past couple of days, I started reading it and really got into it last night.

It's all about the law of attraction and what happens when you think negative or positive.

I thought back on my life and living in an extremely negative family and I cannot believe just how spot on this book is. The more negative you are, the more negativity comes and the same goes for positivity.

I am going to try my hardest to change how I think and speak. My eyes are more open than they were before and I am going to try my hardest to keep the level of positivity up where it should be.

It states in the book that you shouldn't say "I do not want", because it doesn't matter how you put it, it will happen.
For example, most days I say to the kids, "I do not want you two to fight" and what happens? They fight. So, I switched it up last night, just to try it out. I said, calmly and in a more positive voice, "I WANT you two to play nice"

That's just a very small example. I'm going to work up to bigger things. lol.

All my life I've said what I don't want, rarely saying what I DO want.

It's time to switch.....

I've updated the ACS website.

http://www.artsychicstudio.com

And added a page in memory of my father.

http://artsychicstudio.com/dad.htm

I finished two fairies that helped me get through the past two months, but more so in the past 2-3 weeks.

Unfortunately, they are untitled for the moment.

I'll post more later. I'm going to sit down today and write out my goals for 09, what I need and want to improve on, etc.

Hope you like them:





Definitely have to work on my shading, lighting and folds....

Have a good Friday!

I know I said I would post my thoughts on all that's happened recently, but for the moment, I think I'll wait on that.

So, I've added a seriously boring 2008 meme.

2008 meme

1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
Literally watched someone die.

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I did not make any resolutions in 2008 and previous to that I never kept them

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Yes

5. What countries did you visit?
None

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
Some financial security

7. What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
December 20, 2008. The night my father passed away

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
None. This year has pretty much been on hold, more so in the past 3 months.

9. What was your biggest failure?
My art, my writing, not talking and spending more time with my father, not including him more.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
An infected tooth

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Nothing

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My husband and children for being so supportive

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Appalled? Certain relatives. Depressed, none.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Bills

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Nothing.

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
You are my sunshine

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. Happier or sadder? Half and half
ii. Thinner or fatter? thinner
iii. richer or poorer? poorer or possible the same

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
My art. I've let it slip royally. My writing. I've procrastinated immensely.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Procrastinating.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Christmas Eve will be with the In-laws and Christmas Day will be spent hanging around the house

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?
Already head over heels and have been for 12 years

22. How many one-night stands?
None

23. What was your favorite TV program?
Discovered how much I enjoy the Travel Channel and some programs on the Food Network

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No

25. What was the best book you read?
I'm always into reading or re-reading HP books, the Charlie Bone and Artemis Fowl series and anything similar.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Jason Mraz and Eric Hutchinson

27. What did you want and get?
Nothing

28. What did you want and not get?
Nothing

29. What was your favorite film of this year?
I love anything G rated or teen movies, comedies, HP and similar, so I don't really have a fave.

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Nothing and I turned 38

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?
Same as it's always been. I go for comfort. I like jeans, tshirts, sweatshirts, lounge pants, etc.

32. What kept you sane?
My husband and kids

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Kristin Chenowith. I have found her to be extremely talented vocally, so darn funny and just plain cute.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
None

35. Who did you miss?
My Dad

36. Who was the best new person you met?
No one

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:
Life is unexpectedly short. Actions speak volumes. Do not wait to the last minute to tell someone how you feel about them. Love like there's no tomorrow. If it makes sense, live for today, but plan for the future. ???

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
Don't have one

I'll have to think more on my achievements and goals.

I just wanted to thank everyone for their sweet and wonderful comments/replies and what not.

It truly means alot to me. It really, really does.

I've been trying to keep busy here and there, because it's been a crazy holiday season with celebrating Christmas, but burying my father at the same time.

I've done alot of thinking with eveything that's happened and will post about it probably early tomorrow morning. Changes have to be made, there's lessons to learn in all of this.

On another note, I redid and brought my site back up. Still adding things here and there, but for now, it'll do.

I'm going to stick with my fairies for awhile and not try to switch to drawing children's art or anything else. I have found that through all this, creating my fairy art has brought me much comfort and peace.

So, with that, I'll end here for now and will talk with you tomorrow morning.

Many blessings to you all for the upcoming new year.

Kathy

My dad passed Saturday, 9:30pm.

http://www.legacy.com/HartfordCourant/DeathNotices.asp?Page=Lifestory&PersonId=121755508