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I saw a meme once that really summed it up… an artist’s mind is like a browser with 2547 tabs open. All. The. Time.

Yep… that’s exactly how it is when you’re a creative junkie.

But who am I?

I’m a woman, a wife, and a mother of many cats.

I’m a digital artist and a traditional artist.

I’m a sculptor and special fx creator.

I’m a photographer and a filmmaker and a writer.

I’m a hard worker and a lover of the life I have built.

I’m scatterbrained and not very organized.

I’m a fun, extroverted/introverted mess and I love with all of my being.

I’m loved.

So, why am I here?

I don’t know. But it’ll be interesting to see where it goes!

Cre8ive Junkiez… it’s all about the groove.

Houdini 2023 – My disappearing act…

So… it’s been a minute. Sorry about that.

Won’t go into to much detail. Suffice it to say, losing a little sister to cancer really fucks a girl up. I’ve been in a deep hole and I’m just now starting to see the light as I climb up out of it. It’s dim but the light is there. Still have quite a way to go and I keep sliding back down the hole. But every time, I make it a little further up. The back slides are inevitable. Just hit the 6 month mark this week. Wow. That sucked. Just trying to move forward, one day, one hour, one moment at a time.

Needless to say, losing a sibling, especially a super creative one, sucks. She was my sounding board. Everything I created, she saw before just about anyone. She was always encouraging and while our styles were completely different in all creative endeavors, I valued her creative opinion and advice.

I’m finally starting to create again. I’ve done one sculpture and just this morning did a couple of digital drawings.

It’s nice to be able to create again. I’m stepping a bit out of my comfort zone with some of the stuff. I have a billion ideas and can’t wait to start playing around and creating consistently again.

Until next time…

It’s me, Shelly D

I’m baaaaaack… sorta

So the past few months have been a living nightmare… I’ll get into that another day.

For now, I just wanted to share some random art I did tonight in Procreate. Haven’t made art in a while. Again, we’ll chat about that soon.

For now, here’s what I’m referring to as Random Art Wednesday or R.A.W.

Well. There it is. I also played with animation in Procreate. How fun is that?!?!

Anyway, it’s past my bedtime. Between recovering from a nasty bout of RSV on top of tragedy? I’m exhausted 😴

Goodnight and pleasant journeys.

Until next time…

It’s me, Shelly D

Prompt Writing – What’s At The Bottom Of The Rabbit Hole – a micro short story

In addition to getting crazy busy with Cricut crafts commissions and digital art, I also worked on about 2 dozen stories. This is one I posted to the Daily Prompts App – the prompt was – “I should have never gone down that rabbit hole.” Use this sentence as the opening or closing line of a story or poem. Without further delay, I give you…

‘What’s at the Bottom of the Rabbit Hole?

I should have never gone down that rabbit hole.

I’ve read the stories. Always a favorite of mine.
And yes. I did think, or really hoped, I’d find the white rabbit and the queen of hearts and
adventure and all sorts of things at the bottom.

Now, as I lay here, my neck obviously broken by the weird angle I’m looking at things and the lack of pain, I can hear them as they scurry to get a look, a smell, maybe even a little taste.

I say again, I should have never gone down that rabbit hole.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well, I hope you enjoyed my little trip down the rabbit hole – I know you see what I did there 😉.

Until next time,

It’s me, Shelly D

Hand Surgery Recovery – It Is Not A Straight Line…

11 and a half weeks (left hand) and 9 and a half weeks (right hand) out of surgery on my hands for trigger finger and I’m finally able to really start enjoying art again. Over the past 2 weekends I’ve managed to get a ton of stuff done for a graduation party I was tapped to do decorations for.

A chalkboard banner – 10 flags, did both sides.

Top left-3 layer butterfly in glitter cardstock. Top right – cake topper. Middle left – 2 layer butterflies in black and glitter cardstock. Middle center – butterfly cutout for large canvas welcome sign. Middle right – Grad-libs game. Bottom left – graduation wish cards. Bottom right – Who knows the grad best game.

Nearly done, the graduation party welcome sign – we left room for everyone to sign it.

Left – 2 layer graduation caps. Right – 2 layer butterflies

But I haven’t just been working on graduation stuff!

I’ve also been doing a bit of digital art., mostly in the digital watercolor realm. I tend to go waaaay too detailed so I decided to take it back to something a bit simpler. AND I’m printing the art onto postcards! Well, most of it, anyway.

Below – Spring, Summer, Hi Kitty, Hot Air Balloon Adventure, Happy B-Day, Fall, Moon Kitty Silhouette.

And wrote a microshort, which I’ll post next…

So, busy? Yep! Loving it? Oh hell yep.

Until next time…

It’s me, Shelly D

2 Hand Surgeries?? But… I Do Stuff With Those!!

I’m now two and a half weeks out from the first surgery – trigger finger repair, left hand, index finger. And I’m three days out from the second surgery – trigger finger repair, right hand, middle finger.

You may ask, why would I schedule these surgeries so close together? Well, my surgeon told me I could return to normal activities within a few days of surgery.

That was a lie.

2.18.22 – First surgery. This was prior to me finding out how big the syringe full of lidocaine was. Ouch!

I can tell you, if you do nothing at all, all day long, then yes, you can resume normal activities almost immediately. If you have a day job, where most of your day is spent noting chemotherapy patient accounts, no. I did it. And worked a couple of 10 hour days but… oh so not doing that this time. Last time, i took Monday off. This time, Monday and Tuesday. AND let them know i was down for the count the rest of the week. You also can’t return to doing any kind of art with your surgery hand. I know. I tried.

Ok. I did art but not with my surgery hand. And not my normal stuff.

Started an acrylic painting from a stencil I did on my Cricut

Made these awesome little resin butterflies

So that weekend ended up being semi-productive after all. I also started a resin project I’ll share when it’s done. The butterflies are for that one!

Which brings us to surgery #2.

3.4.22 – and the right hand is done! The anxiety was soooo much worse this time since I KNEW what was coming. Surgery went even better this time, though, and I’m hoping recovery goes better!

And here I am, three days later. On the mend and not feeling quite as bad as the last one. Still hurting pretty good from that one but was able to do some left handed digital art. Not sure what I’m going to do with her but here she is!

Drew her left handed in Procreate on my iPad Pro with Apple Pencil 2. Ummm… I’m not left handed.

And I’m typing with that same hand I spent all day drawing with and I’m tired so… yeah. Time to call it done.

Until next time, it’s me… Shelly D

An Even More Micro Micro-Short – I Wonder…

This one… hubby read this and went, that’s it? Well, ok!

The prompt – story starter from the Daily Prompt app – Trying to walk home quickly in the storm, you notice drops of blood in the snow in front of you, leading away into the woods.

No need to drag it out. I give you…

I Wonder…

Being what I like to think of as a horror aficionado, I knew better than to follow the ominous trail of blood in the snow. I knew the second those drops disappeared into the woods, nothing good would come of it or me. And still I followed. Storm and common sense be damned.
So as I lay here, looking from my left leg, which is cocked at a strange angle to my body, to my right leg, which is currently being gnawed on by what can only be described as the most hideous creature to ever be birthed, I wonder if I’ll bleed out and die before it starts feeding on the rest of me.

If I Could Take It Back – a micro-short story

First, let me start by saying, trigger finger sucks. Second, trigger finger sucks especially bad when you have a finger in each hand affected. With that said, the journey to fixing this began last week when I saw a hand specialist. Now, I have two surgeries scheduled over the next two and a half weeks. I’m finally going to be able to sculpt again and write more. Just… ouch. Ouch now and ouch for the surgery and recovery. But it’s all good and I really can’t wait to be on the backside of all of it.

Anywho… Since I won’t be able to comfortably type for a few after Friday, I wanted to sit down and do some random prompt writing this weekend. And what happened? Micro-shorts. This first one is a bit different than my usual. Hope you enjoy!

The prompt is from the app Daily Prompt.

Story Starter – Reflection

If I Could Take It Back

“I don’t know what to say other than I’m sorry and I wish I hadn’t done it.”
Nothing. You just sit with your back to me like I don’t exist.
I know you’re mad. I’m not too happy, either.
It’s been days since you and I locked eyes. I see you everywhere but only from behind.
Days without you.
I’m a mess.
“Please? Will you just look at me?” I’m desperate. I need you to stop this childish game you’re playing and LOOK AT ME! But I don’t dare try that tactic – yelling. Tried it once at the beginning. I think that might have made it worse, actually.
“Hey,” softly, no irritation in my voice, “I really am sorry. I didn’t really think and now… well,” what to say, what to say, “if I could take it back, you know I would. But…” Wait! Are you going to finally turn around? No movement now but I can see a tiny bit of profile. Should I keep talking?
“It’s just you and me, now. It’s ok. And it’s getting better, I swear.”
Are you turning? Yes, finally! The stand-off is over.
“Besides, you of all people know how irritating it could be.”
Almost full profile now. Yes!
Wow, you look like hell. No wonder I keep getting the looks I do.
“So, can we just move…” Wait. Are you…?
I watch you turn fully around and flip me the bird, both hands.
Dammit.
I watch you in the full-length mirror, the reflection of myself, turn your back to me again.
How long am I going to have to suffer?
It was just a hair cut.

~~~~~

Hope you enjoyed!

It’s me, Shelly D

We Belong Together – Part One

Creatives get ideas from all over the place. Today, I’m inspired by the song ‘We Belong Together’ by Ritchie Valens.

I was driving down I-25 on my way back from Park Meadows mall a few years back and this song came on. I remember thinking the lyrics were meant to be sweet but really had a creepy undertone to them that made me want to shoot a short horror film. I even reached out to a few buddies of mine that are musicians to create a 50’s song that I could shoot to. The song ended up not getting finished though it had such great potential and the script wasn’t too bad either!

Too bad that didn’t come to fruition. But, I am still inspired.

First, the sweet and creep lyrics for Ritchie Valens ‘We Belong Together’

“You’re mine

And we belong together

Yes, we belong together

For eternity

You’re mine

Your lips belong to me

Yes, they belong to only me

For eternity

You’re my, my baby

And you’ll al-al-always be

I swear by everything I own

You’ll always, always be mine

You’re mine

And we belong together

Yes, we belong together

For eternity”

Now, for the idea…

Ah, teenage romance.

Boy meets girl.

Boy falls for girl.

Girl breaks boys heart.

Boy kills girl.

Yep. There’s a story here, for sure.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The bold black headline on the front page of the newspaper shouted – HOMECOMING QUEEN STILL MISSING, and below that, smaller but still large enough to read from across the room, Police to release statement at noon today.

Ritchie folded the paper so the headline was on the inside and set it on the wooden tray beside the plate. He checked everything over again, stopped to add the salt and pepper shakers from the back of the stove then picked the tray up. The water glass slid and clinked against the plate before settling. His hands were steady as he opened the door to the cellar.

~~~

Donna kept her eyes closed as the creaking sound of his decent came to a stop at the bottom of the stairs, a few feet from the locked door she was behind. She held her breath and tightened her grip on the metal leg she had finally managed to wrench free from the rusted bed frame in the corner of the small, damp room. She looked back at the bed, hoping he wouldn’t notice it was lop-sided before she had her chance to bury the heavy leg in his skull and thought why didn’t I try to prop it up? Then, she heard him breathe on the other side of the door and that thought and any others she might have had to follow that up was gone. Here was her chance.

~~~

He balanced the tray on one hand, his fingers splayed to gain more purchase across the flat bottom. After a precarious second or two where everything on the tray seemed be sliding away from him, Ritchie gained control and looked at the door in front of him. He listened. He waited.

~~~

The sound of glass on china as her breakfast slid on the tray. Donna inhaled slowly, quietly, and held it for a count of ten. She took a step closer to the door as she exhaled and inhaled again. The smell of bacon, eggs, potatoes and coffee made her stomach growl. He always made her a nice meal after a bad night. She sucked in more of the food smells. Focus, she scolded herself.

~~~

Ritchie could feel her on the other side of the door. He didn’t know why she was so close to the door, only that if he opened it now, she might escape. As careful and quiet as he could, he pivoted to his right and set the tray on small wooden crate, stood on end next to the door. He pulled the key from his pocket and inserted it into the hole beneath the doorknob.

~~~

This was it. Donna could feel him on the other side of the door. There was a faint *chink* sound that could only be the key going into the lock. When the door opened, she wanted to be ready. There would be no second chance. The bed leg was getting heavy but she held it steadily over her head.

~~~

In one fluid motion, Ritchie turned the knob, stepped back and kicked the door open. The look of surprise on the dirty woman’s face was almost comical, aside from the murderous rage in the eyes.

~~~

To her shock, the door flew open. Ritchie was a few feet outside the doorway. Their eyes locked and instinct took over. Her mouth opened wide, an overwhelming anger and hate heated the air as she inhaled deep, hot hate broiled the sound of the scream she hurled at her captor.

~~~

A guttural scream came out of the lower half of a face that was barely recognizable as human and Donna lunged at him.

More to come…

It’s me, Shelly D

Paper, Glitter and Glue… My 1st Shakers

Still feeling the weather. Took the day off. Ended up making a couple of shakers I designed recently.

My 1st attempt at shakers. Messy things… glue & glitter everywhere!!! but so cool!

Now, back to bed… ugh.

Maybe I’ll do some writing ✒️📝 ⌨️💻

It’s me, Shelly D

6 Minute Story – Writing Practice – The Noise

In my journey to be more creative this year, I decided to try something else, in addition to my Bits and Pieces – The 6 Minute Story. I pull a prompt and set a timer for 6 minutes – some people do this for longer or shorter but I like to work in 3’s and 3 minutes didn’t seem quite long enough. So, we have the 6 Minute Story.

I wrote this last night while laying in bed.

What the hell is wrong with me??? Hahahaha…

6 Minute Story – The Noise

Prompt: Your character is woken up by a sudden noise in the middle of the night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What was that?

I quickly shoot up to a sitting position. The dark feels deep, endless before me. “Is someone there?”, I ask, knowing I won’t get an answer.

Hoping I don’t get an answer.

But what was the noise? It sounded like… But it couldn’t be. I always check the locks before bed. Tonight was no exception. No. They are locked.

Shhhh.

I hold my breath and count. One… Two…. Three… It’s nothing. Four… Five… Six… It’s no one. Seven… Eight… this is ridiculous. I don’t believe in ghosts and he’s not coming back from the dead. Nine… Ten.

Nothing.

No one.

I am reflexively rubbing the scar across my stomach; the scar he gave me. The reminder to always lock my doors and windows. I do this when I’m scared.

When I think about him.

When I’m lonely.

No sounds now. Must have been my imagination.

So sleepy.

Need… sleep.

Just… sleep.

What was that?

I don’t shoot up in bed.

I’m so tired.

Besides, it’s nothing.

No one.

I pull the veil of sleep back over me like a warm quilt.

I feel the blade slip into my stomach.

Again.

This time he’ll finish what he started.

And I’m so very tired.

Need… to…

…sleep.