You may have seen another post where I mentioned participating in the Summer of Color 2: Ice Cream Inspiration hosted by Kristin of the blog Twinkle, Twinkle. Well, we are in full swing of creating all sorts of yumminess based on the color prompts Kristin posts each week…which are ice cream flavors. What could be more fun?!! The first color prompt was Rainbow Sherbet, and it seemed as though I just kept seeing all sorts of inspiration during the week I was in Alexandria, Va. We create whatever type of art we want based on the colors of the flavor. So, that week was all about orange and pink! The window of Chico’s seemed to be planned around our color prompt. Just look at the colors they used…perfect inspiration!

 I love this challenge because I think it will really keep my ideas fresh and new throughout the summer….although the number of ideas doesn’t ever seem to run low in this creative mind of mine!! But, I think it will be such fun to think of color combos that I may not have otherwise incorporated into my art.

While I was in Alexandria I had to do a little shopping in Paper Source. Notice how I “had” to!! Well, I couldn’t very well visit Old Town without making a stop there! I met Becky in there last year during a visit and was thrilled to see her again this time. And, she remembered me…of course, we had done a bit of chatting during my last shopping spree, and it was such fun to talk with her again. Ooh la la…the store had so many fun books, colorful calendars, beautiful journals, amazing papers, and all sorts of goodies that just make my heart skip a beat…or two!

I could not resist this adorable stamp!! Don’t you just think it is perfect for the Ice Cream Inspiration event? I decided that I must add it to my basket because I want to use it on each piece that I create for the event. I may use it in the background, stamp it on the back of the artwork, or incorporate it into the design somehow. But, I will use it in each and every piece along with the year so I can always recognize which artwork was created for this event. And, I will sell some of my pieces or the prints of the originals so I think it will be such fun for someone to get a little piece of my Summer 2012.

 Now, onto my art…it hit me one morning that I wanted to create a cute ‘n sassy girl with an oversized ice cream cone…actually the phrase came to me first…then, the girl and ice cream cone image immediately came to mind. Sometimes our dreams can surely feel a bit oversized and difficult to imagine as reality, but we’ve got to keep pushing on and find a way to work through the struggles so we stay determined and focused. That’s just what this cute girl is all about…a sweet reminder that the best way to reach our dreams is to break them down into manageable tasks, create doable expectations so we don’t feel overwhelmed or unbalanced, and focus on seeing them through.

She’s all about helping you to remember that you really can make your dreams come true if you focus on “one flavor at a time”. Yep, that’s right…you don’t have to try to accomplish everything all at once. I am all about writing things out…goals, to do lists, reminders…then, prioritize them so that I can work on the most important steps first. Sometimes if we are overloaded with ideas and thoughts about our goals, it really is best to make sure we are standing at a good starting point. Runners don’t start a race at the finish line, now do they? Nope! So, why should we try to go ahead and put ourselves too far into a goal before we place the stepping stones that will help us get there…it’s nice to have a path!

So, keep this in mind, it’s great to have a rainbow collection of dreams…you know I am certainly all about some color in my life!! Just remember that sometimes you have to separate the colors first before you mix them all up…kinda figure out which ones taste the best together…which flavors complement one another. That way, you don’t end up with a new flavor that just doesn’t suit you!!

*A little inside look to my artsy mind…I loved the orange background but found that it was just not the best color for scanning and printing. And, since I would love to add this cute print to the shoppe I decided to add a bit of paint here and there to add a little contrast. Hmm…yep, found that it still just did not print the colors as I wanted. So, I’m determined to get it just right so this cute girl can help others stay focused on their {colorful} dreams…I’ll be adding her print to the shoppe soon so stay tuned!!  🙂 Different mediums scan and photograph differently, and yellows and oranges can be a little tricky sometimes…just have to play around with it a bit.  **She is now in the shooppe!! Yes, she is printing just as she needs to so I am happy to let her make her shoppe debut  ~ take a look at the Rainbow Sherbet Dream Girl in the shoppe!

**Be sure to stop back by later tonight for “Sunset Sunday”…I can’t wait to share the sunset from yesterday with you!! Oh, my…just kinda fabulous and amazing!!!:)

Remember, take one flavor at a time…you’ll find the perfect combination of what is best for you when it comes to reaching your dreams!!

Hugs!!

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