Debbie Overton Designs

Good Things Come To Those That Wait

We have all heard the saying, Good Things Come To Those That Wait.....sometimes we just don't know how long the wait will be.  For me this one took over a year, to be exact try 14 months since the artwork was requested by the publisher and mailed to her.   For months I have known I had one of my pieces included in an altered art book, but decided not to share it until it was actually in print.  Well here it is.....My "Open the Gate" shadowbox is featured in Altered! Art Projects a TweetyJill Publication by Jill Haglund on page 56 & 57.

I must tell you there is some awesome talent included....if you get a chance be such and check out my friend, Teemie Eschenburg's gorgeous Dress Form featured on the cover in the lower right.  A few other names included are Lou McCulloch, Kristen Robinson, KC Willis, Susan Tuttle, Deb Trotter, Carlene Federer, Audrey Hernadez, Deb Lewis and several more along with Jill and her daughter Lindsay.  Lots of eye candy for inspiration.

Off to check out some of those participating in the One World One Heart Event while I wait on the Birthday boy to come home from work.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEVE!!!!

Debbie

One World - One Heart

Edited at 9:30 AM Eastern, February 14th.

Congratulations Beachy at Cap Cod Cupboard! Thank you for your very sweet comment....your package is awaiting your mailing address. 

Have you heard the talk around blog world?  There is to be a world wide blog event and this year I am participating.  Lisa Oceandreamer from Heart of the Nest and Imagination Cafe is the event host and has all the details if you will just click on the One World - One Heart badge, but don't forget to come back here after you read all about it.

Between now and Midnight Eastern Time, February 13th leave a comment here and you will have a chance to win my giveaway for the event.  Since this is world wide, please let us know where you are from City and or State/Country.

This is an original mixed media collage, 5x7 on canvas created using antique snippets of old love letters, sheet music and book pages, embellished with acrylics, stamps and more.

On the morning of February 14th, Valentine's Day I will randomly draw a name from the comment's with the winner posted here on my blog no later than 10:00 AM Eastern Time.  The winner will need to contact me within 24 hrs with their mailing address and their blog link if they have one.

Let the fun begin.....Meet and Mingle....new friendships are out there just waiting to happen!

Debbie

Art Friends Old and New

All I can say is I have had an absolutely wonderful day....it all began early this morning when I checked my email.  I had the usual....you know the ones you get from the groups you belong to,  art related newsletters....supplies, books, magazines, etc.....and from those that you just enjoy hearing from.   It was funny that two artists that I admire and both belong to MMCA....both named Sue....sent me emails with some of the nicest compliments.  So if you get a minute check out Sue at Artful Adventures and Sue at Earthtones Studios....they are both wonderful artists.....always have encouraging words....and always offer their help.  I met both of these ladies online over three years ago and the more I have gotten to know them the more I love being around them.....now if only we could actually meet.

Then it is off to the post office to mail out an order and what did I find but a package from Kelly Rae Roberts.  Last summer KC saw me reading Kelly's blog and fell in love with her art.  She picked out a few images she thought would be great in her bedroom or bathroom here at home and/or dorm at college.  So last November............I picked one of Kelly's prints out for her for Christmas .........well that print is lost somewhere between the West coast and the East coast........Kelly mailed it to me in early November from California and to this day it has not turned up here in Georgia nor has it made it back to Kelly.  By the time we both realized the package was lost....Kelly and her sweetie were out of town for the holidays and so were we.....no problem.....Kelly would resend it when she returned and in two days after her return I found this print at the post office today......It is awesome........I had her include a matte and you talk about a gorgeous print..........I can not wait to frame it and have it hanging in KC's bedroom when she comes home in a few weeks.....she is going to be so surprised.  As I told Kelly the website does not do her art justice....I just wanted to touch it and run my fingers across it.   I hope to one day own one of Kelly's originals...but until then....I will be spending time in KC's room just admiring it.  Oh...almost forgot....this is "Youthful Heart and it reads "youthful heart remembered".

Now if my day had not already been wonderful.....I decided to make a phone call that I can honestly say will have a major impact on my art.  I recently was introduced to an awesome Mixed Media Artist, Patsy Reeves.  You can find her work here and here.  She is amazing!  We talked for almost 2 hrs.....it felt as though I had known her all my life.  She shared with me her journey through the art world.....and as we talked I shared some of the things I want to do with my own artwork......some of my goals.....present and future.....she opened my website while we talked......she asked me questions.....she gave me advice....she made some suggestions for me to try.....when I hung up the phone.....I grabbed my journal, a few pens pencils and markers.....dropped them in my beach bag along with my camera.....and you know where I headed

straight to the beach to think......snapped this shot as I was heading down the boardwalk.......no one around....just me, my journal, my camera and a bottle of water.....found a great little spot in the sand....dropped the beach towel.....and started rewriting some of the scribbles I had made while we talked......added more words....doodles of the things Patsy had suggested.  I felt something that I have never felt before about my art.....can't even explain it.....but I hope it shows in future works. 

As the sun was going down, the wind picked up and a few drops of rain started to fall I decided to call it a day and head home.....back to the real world.  I was so excited to share my day with Steve that he actually said....slow down....breathe.

I have an MMCA project that needs to be finished up and then I can start experimenting with the things Patsy suggested.  I can't wait.

Thank you Sue P, Sue S, Kelly and Patsy for a wonderful day!

Until next time......I am working as fast as I can so I can play soon!

Debbie

 

Past Present & Future

You have all heard or read the old saying whatever you are doing on the first day of the year is what you will be doing for the rest of the year.  Not wanting to take any chances on it being cleaning, cooking, and organizing I talked Steve into us getting up early after not going to bed until around 3AM!  We had a wonderful breakfast and headed to the beach.  If you look towards the end of the board walk you can get a glimpse of the ocean.

And this is what you find once you get there.  It was an absolutely beautiful morning.  The sun was bright and warm, but the wind was a little breezy and cool and I didn't attempt to step into the water for fear I might never want to come back.

Now that you know how I started the new year, let me back up and share some of the wonderful things about December.

I received my first Christmas present to open on December 12th from my Secret Santa Elaine Smith.  Some of the girls in MMCA participated in a Secret Santa swap and with the help of my not so eager 19 yr old son drawing names for each player, he drew my name for Elaine.  After seeing all the packages exchanged among us I told the girls I had made an executive decision and each of them would receive my name next year!  I arrived at the post office to find a little yellow card in my box letting me know I had a package to pick up, so I go inside the office and join the long line trying to be patient until it was my turn.  My turn finally came and the postmaster said "looking for a package from Santa" and disappeared to the back.  Out he comes carrying a box so big you couldn't even see him and the return was from Santa.  I could not wait to get home and open my package, I knew it was from Elaine, but I let everyone at the post office think Santa had really sent me a present and according to the size of the box I must have been an extremely good girl this year.

Santa really does deliver, see the return address on the box.

  BIG Box tempting me!

Vintage and Antique papers and books, Patchouli handmade soap & more....

Box filled with goodies.....

Original framed and matted collage by the one and only Elaine Brady Smith......LUCKY ME!!!!

Old Postal rubber stamps and more......

Antique book & cards & ribbons & trims & more......

Gorgeous handmade card!!!

The MESS....BUT it was WORTH it and don't you agree!!! After opening all the wonderful gifts from Elaine I was just too tired to do anything but enjoy the treasures I had received.  But the next couple days were filled with lots to do as we were leaving bright and early on the 15th to spend the holidays with our families in Arkansas and I still had shopping to do, projects to pull together, wash dry and iron clothes for the trip and leave the house clean and ready for us to come back to.  Friday afternoon before leaving KC and I couldn't stand the though of going two weeks without a trip to the beach so off we headed for a few hours.  We had a sun, sand and surf "fix" and were now ready for the 16+ hr drive to be with our family and friends. We left our home on Saturday with temps in the mid 70's and the further west we drove the colder it got.  We spend some wonderful time with our immediate families and as well as extended family we had not seen since our move.  Steve and I met up with our best friends from Crossett.  We visited for over two hours with all four of us trying to talk at the same time, Steve and George trying to talk over Tommie and me, we shared stories about our children, our parents and more.  After ending the evening with homemade desserts and closing the restaurant down we said our goodbyes with hopes of seeing them again this summer.  They promise they are coming out to see us and we are going to hold them to it. Saturday the 22nd was Christmas for us....we started the day with breakfast with my parents, then all of my Mom's family, their kids and their kids came for lunch and then we had our Christmas dinner followed by opening Christmas presents with my sister and her family.  Here's a picture of all the Grandkids after opening presents.  Seth had already changed to get comfortable, Anna had on a pair of her new Christmas pj's from Granna, KC looked tired, Lauren always smiling and Colby just wanted us to put the cameras up!  Seth, KC & Colby are mine and Anna & Lauren are my nieces.  Lauren received an engagement ring for Christmas the next day from Josh.  We are all excited for them.  They say it will be a long engagement as they both have some schooling they want to finish before a wedding.  We'll see!!! Finally around 9:30 we had our family Christmas with our kids.  We visited Steve's parents on Sunday and while the kids spend Christmas Eve with their dad's family, Steve and I spent it with my parents and packing and repacking everything in the vehicle for our early departure Christmas morning. During our trip the weather was cold, rainy and windy with a few days of nice sunshine.  We had decided to leave out Christmas day as the forecast was predicting rain, sleet and snow and we didn't want to get caught in it.  Two hours after we left Christmas morning, our oldest son Colby called from Little Rock to tell us we left too quick....it was snowing at his apartment!  Knowing we wouldn't see snow in southeast Georgia we were envious, but glad we had gotten on the road and ahead of it. After our return home I found this beautiful card from my friend Amy Huff.  She had picked it up while visiting London recently.  Thank you Amy! I know this has been a very long post, but I had so many things I wanted to share with you.  Over the next week or so I will be sharing with you some things I have been working on for 2008.  I am excited about them and can't wait, but still have a few things to finalize. Until next time......May all your dreams and wishes for the new year come true. Debbie