Saturday, October 29, 2011

Library Card Fun!

When I think back on my life, the library has always played a huge role and been a strong force in my creative development. I love libraries!! I feel safe when I live near one and have fond childhood memories of my stay at home mama walking my siblings and I to the library every Saturday morning. I was so excited when I found out our 4 year old could apply for a library card here in Georgia. He was so excited and woke up reminding us so we didn't forget to go. I was also excited to pass on the love of reading and libaries to him. I hope that he remains a life long book lover.
He checked Babar The Movie as his first DVD! He also got a book on Football Fun Facts and a Gwendolyn Brooks Children's Poetry book.
No, gorth forth son and spread the knowledge around!

What are your early memories of reading and the library?

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Kreative Blogger Award

Mama Violet awarded me the Kreativ Blogger Award. She is my real life BFF. We have known each other since being college roomates. Most of my best adventures in my life, have involved her. Good times. Good times. She has wonderful blog that raves on about her gorgeous daughter, fashion and thrifting.

Check her out and my 10 awardees! The awardees are all ladies I know in real life and those i read in cyber world. I enjoy these blogs a whole LOT.


So here are the RULES
1) Link back to the person who passed you the award
2) Complete the form below
3) Share 7 random things about yourself
4) Award 10 Blogs & drop them a line about

The Form:
Name your favorite song: Lou Rawls "You will Never Find"
Name your favorite dessert: Peach cobbler
What pisses you off: Injustice and potluck dinners
When you're upset, you: Write a poem about it
Your favorite pet: Ming Ming, a wild puppy we used to own
Black or white: as a color preference? Black
Your biggest fear: Not reaching my full potential
Best feature: Eyebrows and boobs
Everyday attitude: Things will work out
What is perfection: Traveling to a sunny beach with cocktails
Guilty pleasure: All reality shows

7 Random Facts About Me:

1. I love Dolly Parton music.
2. I really love puppets.
3. I used to be a crossing guard in 5th and 6th grade.
4. I have stolen library books before.
5. I worked as a bartender at strip club before.
6. I wanna live and work overseas.
7. My favorite and signature color is yellow.

The Awardees:
Girl Get A Life
Lisa C Writes
I Write the Wrongs
Mano Y Metal
Creative Bravado
Are You Blushing
Coya Paz
Contrary Magazine
This Cosy Life
The Owl Club

If you create it they will come.


I am excited to share some of my new crafting projects. I am still working away like a busy elf finishing the Jospehine Baker cabinet and the Tina Turner Vision Box. I took a short break from them and spent a day experimenting with the stationary. I have always loved to write handwritten letters and keep a box of greeting cards for quick sending to family. I was still inspired by the amazing Jewel Magazine that I sourced all the photos for the Baker Box. I remember I had this gorgeous dark brown notecard paper so decided to collage images right onto them.
I love the term: "You betta werk." It was made famous by one of my imaginary BFF's RuPaul. I continued to cut images that just spoke to me and had colors that would pop against the dark brown card stock. I love adding layers, embellishments, glitter and shine. I am happy with the four that I was able to create. I will be exploring the art store tomorrow for more paper in classic colors to use for a full collection of cards.

I opened up the etsy store, even though I have nothing listed yet since everything I have made has sold. The store is called TerrorChic and will include the decoupage wooden items, clutch purses, vintage tea pots and the stationary. It has been fun building the collection and brainstorming on the pieces I want to represnt me and my mission as an artist. The journey continues.

What is your creative and artistic outlet?

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Upcycling and the Vision Box

I have the crafting bug all in me and can't stop with the modPodge and decoupage projects. As I experiment with different techniques I was inspired to focus my crafting on Upcycling. Upcycling is: the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or a higher environmental value. It's taking something that you would otherwise throw out and finding a way to make it into something else. As I was cleaning up, I found two of my old cell phone boxes. I remember stashing them away because I loved the sleek design of them. I found some nice images of Tina Turner in my original search of my mags and knew I wanted to do a project inspired by one of my favorites: Tina Turner.
I started the process when I saw the text: "Do what you Love" in an old yoga magazine. This one sentence inspired the idea for the entire Vision Box concept. I decided to paste it inside so it could be displayed as the foundation of the entire design. Before I move on with more of the process, Let me explain the concept of my Vision Boxes.

The Vision Box: I love the idea of Vision Boards, Law of Attraction, Positive Affirmations, Mediation and Visualization as tools for fulfilling your dreams. I have created vision boards for years and love the artistic aspect of them. My Vision Boxes are for holding what's close to you and remembering your center. I envision you holding inspiring quotes inside, trinkets of hope, love letters to yourself and photos of family. I have had this one displayed open on a shelf with the "Do What you Love" staring right at me everytime i pass it. I believe that words are power and surrrounding yourself with inspiration is important as you follow your path.

I will continue the rhinestones around all sides and I also glued these round mirrored tiles. I love these tiles so much.

I moved onto the first step in the latering prcess. I usually out my first base layer down first then use it as inspiraion for more images over it later.

I then was inspired by the images of Tina Turner so I added them as the spirit moved me. This is a close up of Tina's beautiful leg. Her legs are so iconic in pop culture and inspring. To me they represent strength.

I then added photos to the back of box and the front of the lid.



Later today I will add a third layer of accent colors, images, objects for texture and paint. I am very pleased with the results so far and plan to continue on my theme of strong women by creating a Zora Neale Hurston Vision Box and a Coretta Scott King Vision box. I also have plans to decoupage an IPad box and thrifting on Thursday to find new treasures to experiment with. My etsy page is empty right now as I organize my products for selling. I did however open one and names it TerrorChic.

I actually already have buyers for the Josephine Baker Cabinet and the Tina Turner Vision Box. Woohoo! I am grateful. Keep manifesting.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Break Through

I finally figured out multiple streams that I want to explore in my quest to become fully self employed. Ideas have been plentiful and movement is being made. Things are a little bit clearer. They are not fully clear but getting there soon. I am happy and feel motivated. This may change in a few weeks or it may get even more clear in a few days. I am just enjoying the ride right now. I am grateful. I have nothing to lose and going super hard on this dream.

Hubby is finally taking my two digital cameras to the camera store to be possibly repaired. I can't wait! I have two very nice cameras and they both have cracked screens. This leaves me with no camera for the household or my creative projects, including this blog. But, oh, change soon come and I will be back taking pictures for you in no time.

One of my break throughs is my love of crafting. I have always been into art and craft projects. My mama instilled this in me since she has drawn and painted since I was a little girl. I have three art boxes filled with every art supply you can think of. I usually pull them out to do art with my son. But yesterday, I felt inspired to try a decoupage project on this small wooden cabinet that I found at thrift store like 5 years ago. I have held onto it all this time with the hopes of one day getting around to it. Yesterday, I started looking through all my magazines to be inspired by images to create a theme for the piece. After looking through this old copy of Jewel Magazine I fell in love with the images of the amazing Josephine Baker.
There is a 6 page spread of some of her most iconic photos. I knew the theme would be Renaissance Woman and the spirit of Joespehine Baker. From there I started the decoupage process by using Mod Podge (an amazing sealant and adhesive that all crafties must have). I started with the larger parts of the cabinet by putting images on the side panels first.


I also picked to amazing images for the front and top of cabinet. I used an exacto knife to get the shape of each image wihout the background space.

Once I put these large images in place, I moved on to adding text in the front, layering the images with more paper and adding texture with mirrored tiles and finally I did some painting to create an accent color of yellow.


I really love the results so far. I have a lot more to add. I want to do more layering of images on top of it, more painting and have to get to craft store to buy more things for texture. I think I am gonna add more crystal and shiny things. Josephine Baker was known for her glamour and style, so more bling is needed. I have been inspired to do one with images of Tina Turner and Zora Neale Hurston. I will put them all on etsy along with decoupaged large wooden earrings that I want to be a part of the collection.

I hope you will continue to follow me on this journey of Creative Empowerment and Self Employment for myself. On a side note: I also booked a Skype Poetry and Creative Empowerment session with a highschool in Omaaho Nebraska and briefly brainstormed with my amazing theater friend in Chicago on co-writing a play that we want to tour in Chicago and Atlanta. I have already claimed it. I will be self employed making more than enough cash to pay all bills, save and invest into my business. Lady Terror Productions Foreva!!!!

If money wasn't an issue and fear didnt exsist what would you do? What are your true life passions?

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Wander and discover.

“I have been in sorrow’s kitchen and licked out all the pots. Then, I have stood on the peaky mountain wrapped in rainbows, with a harp and a sword in my hands.” -Zora Neale Hurston

I adore Zora Neale Hurston. She is loved and very well known for her classic book "Their Eyes Were Watching God," a magical love story about a women's freedom. My first introduction to her was through this book in college. I fell head first into that book and also taught it in book groups for years to young women in Chicago. While her writing is close to my heart I actually also truly admire Hurston for her work as an anthropologist.

Hurston recognized the significance of the folklore of the Southern United States and the Caribbean countries. Her care and research for documenting and perserving black culture is so inspiring. She was born in 1891 in Eatonville, Florida and traveled extensively all over the south, Haiti, Jamaica, Honduras and Belize. A theme of her writing is freedom and independence. She inspires me to continue on my path to discovery. I have always been a wanderer and love the the quote by J.R.R. Tolkien : "Not all those who wander are lost." As I continue to embark on a career in the field of Creative Empowerment and the Arts I am reminded that part of finding your way is to get lost, to take risk and to shake things up on your own path. Sometimes life hands us a curve like, a parent dying, losing a job, moving to a new state or country, changing careers or financial woes and through these challenges we grow, we create art, we become self employed out of necessity, we build and expand.

The hards times can really be amazing opportunities to blow up the path that you thought you would walk down. As I continue to tranistion on my new migration experience in Atlanta, I am reminded of the advice I have been told by many people when sharing how lost I have gotten while driving around my new city, "Well, the best way to learn and discover a city is to get lost and have to ditch all map directions. Just flow."




I believe this advice is also relevant for our transitions in life. What have you learned while lost?

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

The "Take what you NEED?" Project

Did you see this sign somewhere and tear off a need? Comment below to let me know you are here. I'm glad you took what you needed.


As you know by now, I am always searching for new ways to be inspired and empowered. I also enjoy stunts and the unexpected. I thrive on causing a scene and out of the box thinking. Yesterday on FB I found the above picture in my timeline and was stopped right in my tracks. I was moved by the concept of taking what you need. It reminds me of my love of manifestation and the law of attraction. If I have said it once, I have said it 1 million times: "Words heal. Words change. Words are powerful."

I am urging everyone to sit down right now with a sharpie, paper and scissors to create one of these signs. There is no better time for a mass movement of words to heal than now. We all need to be empowered right now!

1. Make a sign now.

2. Post them everywhere. Some ideas are coffee shops, your office, your school, grocery stores, on light poles, at your front door, in your cubicle, etc., etc.

3. Take a quick photo of the first day you post it.

4. Come back a week or two weeks later to see what people needed.

5. Share your photos and stories of when and where you posted it here or at my twitter page @ladyterror

6. Spread the word all over.

7. Write the link to this blog www.ladyterror.blogspot.com on the sign, so the person who "needs" can come here to share their thoughts on the project.

I can't wait to hear from you and see your photos. Today I made one and put it up near our front door. On the way out today, I pulled off "PEACE." What do you need right now?

Here is an example of a sign made in Chicago by my friend Coya Paz

Artist Statement

I create art for the ones who lost their voice a long time ago. I believe that impromptu spectacles can bring awareness to social justice issues that paralyze our communities. Lady Terror examines the relationship between public space and performance space and also explores ranting as a medium to address social issues and as a tool to empower communities. My art is local and neighborhood specific in its execution but global in its ideas around poverty, injustice and violence.