How to turn your dream into a color scheme - Week 5

HOLY FRIDAY I've been slacking on the blogs! Everyday I think about the blogs but I have been struggling to make time and for that I am sorry. But some good news is that it's DREAM SCHEME FRIDAY! My favorite day of the blogs. For those of you who are new, Friday's I take a dream that I have had either recently or from one of my past dream journals and turn it into a color scheme!

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We are on the 5th week of Dream Scheme Friday's and since I began them, I haven't had one usable dream! That is very shocking to me because I have always been someone to have many dreams and very vivid ones. So that fact that I haven't had any really bummed me out! Thankfully I have loads of dreams to refer to from my past that I have taken detailed notes about since I was a young girl.

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Guess what! I had a dream last night and it was so different. I am very excited to share a recent dream and it might not make much sense as I felt the dream skipped around a lot and randomly kept showing me different images but I am thrilled to share it with you and turn it into a wonderful color scheme! Here we go!

 This dream was from last night

Thursday October 22nd, 2015

The dream started out in a subway and I felt depressed behind the counter where it was very slow. I went into the back room and my mother was working there too. She was on the phone and seemed very busy. I realized I was at a second job that I picked up for extra money and she probably helped get me in. It felt right seeing as I could spend time with her even if I didn't want to be working there, at all. 

I went back in front to check if anyone come in and it was packed. There was an old man that had come behind the counter and started making his own sandwich. He had his hands completely submerged in a green vegetable and was scooping it out for his meal. I was panicking and gently told the man he couldn't be behind the counter and that he needed to go over by the tables. I rushed back to my mother, who was still on the phone, hoping for help. She signaled for me to go and so I did.

I was walking down side streets and seemed to have a far walk. Next thing I remember I was entering a building that was a mix between I large open office, a Barnes and Nobles, and a Game Stop. I knew everyone that was working there and I realized this was my main job. I felt content with my position there. I was treated equally and paid decently but wanted better for myself at the same time. I did feel relief when I walked in and we all sat down for a meeting. 

It was a laid back meeting and my boss was a woman that I seemed to have a good relationship with. She was talking to everyone about how some people had yet to come and pick up there diamond car decals. Then I saw sheets with random works in different fonts that were comprised of little studded diamonds. 

I spaced out and spun my chair around to see a big glass window  and there was a family with two small children walking by. One of the toddlers came up to the window and put his face against the glass and was looking at us. His face from our side looked hilarious and I interrupted the meeting so everyone could see him. Everyone laughed and waved to the kid and that's all I can remember.

              This dream had many different visuals but when remembering it to record for the blog I got the sense of a few colors!  Each color represents a certain part of the dream or feeling the dream gave me. The color scheme works backwards through the dream.

Color 1 - The blue/grey is for the comfort & stability the main job gave me and also the feeling of wanting more. 

Color 2 - The lighter shade of the first color represents the pause in meeting to laugh at the child through the glass.

Color 3 - The blue jean blue is the overall color that I felt the main job's wall and desks were when I entered.

Color 4 - The brown in for the in between state I felt when walking from one place to the other down the side streets.

Color 5 - The pale mustard yellow is the color that represents the subway job. Behind the counter and the lighting.

Color 6 - The final green is for when the older man has his hands in the food behind the glass. It was something like green peppers or pea pods. 

There you have it! I was so excited when I woke up this morning. At first I knew I had a dream and could remember if I just relaxed and didn't try too hard. Then after I got out of the shower, the image of the child through the glass appear in my head and the entire dream came flooding back! It was amazing. What great timing!

(Check out the cute blog this image came from!)

This is something anyone can do! Write down your dream and create a color scheme from it. Use it to make a meaningful painting for your bedroom or to pick out your outfit for the day. I believe we have dreams to guide us and show us things that are hiding in our subconscious. This is just one way to use the wonderful information your mind has given to you while asleep. 

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That's all for today!   Has anyone had any dreams that they have written down lately? Have you tried this yourself? Let me know in the comments below and maybe I can make a color scheme of one of your dreams! Don't forget to subscribe and everyone have a wonderfully inspiring day!

Until Tomorrow - Dream Away

Samantha Menzo

Cloud Nine Studios

Etsy Featured Item of the Day:

Candyland Tote bag - printed heavyweight canvas tote bag - by Mab Graves

Song of the Day:

One Direction - Drag Me Down

Color of the Day:

BENJAMIN MOORE COLONY GREEN 694

How to turn your dream into a color scheme - Week 3

Happy Friday! It time again for another Dream Scheme Friday! Every Friday I take a dream that I have had recently or from a past dream journal and I turn it into a color scheme. I always have so much fun with my blog on Fridays so let's just get right into it! 

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I have really been lacking in the dream department lately which is very unlike me! So let us once again dive deep into my past and open a dream journal to see a dream I had a year ago. This was written in my dream journal on

March 20, 2014

              I was in a school and late for class. I fumbled through my books and things in my hands and locker to find something important like a binder so I could make it to class. I knew i was already too late but I hustled to get there anyway. I stepped inside the classroom that was small with everyone at their desks. The teacher calmly turned toward me it seemed he was expecting this to happen. I stopped & he said, "I wouldn't even bother going any further, it's useless. The building is on fire." Then he smiles still calm and looked to the back of the room in the corner desk their was a candle that had caught the desk on fire. Everyone else looked and when they noticed the candle the room turned into a madhouse. People shoved past me in the doorway and I didn't understand why someone didn't try to put it out for the fire was certainly still containable.

After most everyone made their way out, I did the same....things got fuzzy & I was trying to find my way out of the building. The hallways were all now dangerously aflame and every way I turned I was in harm. Next thing I know I am in a hallway where both sides are completely blocked with fire. I stood & turned toward an entire wall of glass windows. On the outside were all my classmates peering in at me in danger. Someone else was trapped with me but I never saw their face and they always stayed directly behind me. 

A girl from outside came to the window and began trying to break the window with her forehead. It looked insane but after a few tries she managed to break the glass enough for me to kick the rest of it through and create a whole to climb to safety. The most vivid part of the dream was when I reached my freedom it was my favorite weather. It was gloomy and sprinkling rain. I was walking on a sidewalk and looking down at the drops fall and feeling the cold water hit my body and I felt still and calm. That was the end.

This was one of my longer dreams and I felt it was harder to make a color scheme that wasn't all just fire colors but here it is! Each color represents a certain part of the dream or feeling the dream gave me. The first there colors obviously represents the flames from the fire but I wanted to make sure I had a very burnt red and orange and not neon bright colors. The dream fell like fall or damp even for there being fires. The fourth color grey is a very general middle grey to represent the lockers and normal school inside. The fifth color of a grey-brown was from the feeling I got from the being behind me that followed me but I never knew who it was. Lastly the sixth and final color of navy blue is for the calming sensation I felt with the rain hitting me and the weather being so dreary but comforting.

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This is something anyone can do! Write down your dream and create a color scheme from it. Use it to make a meaningful painting for your bedroom or to pick out your outfit for the day. I believe we have dreams to guide us and show us things that are hiding in our subconscious. This is just one way to use the wonderful information your mind has given to you while asleep. 

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Well there you have it! Another week, another color scheme. How are you guys enjoying it? Has anyone had any dreams that they have written down lately? Have you tried this yourself? Let me know in the comments below and maybe I can make a color scheme of one of your dreams! Don't forget to subscribe and everyone have a wonderfully inspiring day!

Until Tomorrow - Dream Away
Samantha Menzo
Cloud Nine Studios

Etsy Featured Item of the Day:

SHAMANIC DREAMS CANDLE by- ScentualGoddess

Song of the Day:
Gavin DeGraw - Fire

Color of the Day:

Blush Pink

My inner Girly Girl and "Embracing the Pink."

Hello Everyone! I am in such an inspired and motivated mood today. I spent most of the last few days locked inside my studio trying to get as much done as I can and I really am hearing that clock tick with the DIY Art Fair right around the corner. I was able to finish up so many half done pieces and that was so gratifying. I also was able to take a good chunk of the day to prepping more wine bottles. I soaked them and peeled the labels and then took them outside to spray some base colors on them and I can't wait to get back and knock some cute new wine bottles out! 

So yesterday I was on Facebook scrolling along when I came across a video that caught my eye. I clicked on it and was instantly hooked. It is Lil' Fairy Doors and my inner child was squealing with delight! I was so excited over this little pink door that I had to take a step back and look at exactly why I was so giddy!

(My brother and I fishing as little kids :] Happy Birthday Zachary!)

So I began to think about how I was raised with a tom-boy sporty spice kinda attitude. I loved my cut off jean shorts and bandannas. I loved showing up the neighborhood boys in any sport I could and after a certain age I made it by business to HATE pink. I even convinced myself that the thought of pink made me mad. Why? 

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When I started playing disc golf around 2 years ago, I had a disc that was my favorite to use but it was pink. I was the best at throwing that particular disc and slowly I grew fond of the color. I had a connection with it and a positive one. Slowly I started wanting more pink discs. Then I wanted pink shirts, then a pink bag, until I slowly was EMBRACING THE PINK!

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I realized a connection with this transformation after listening to part of Gretchen Rubin's - The Happiness Project. She wrote about how for so long she suppressed her love for children's literature. She wanted to be known for reading intelligent books and not fairy tales. She figured out what she was doing one day and decided to ditch the thought and embrace her love for children's literature and she started a small book club dedicated to it! 

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I was suppressing my inner Girly Girl. I wanted people to think I was tough, and cultured and intelligent and somehow me liking pink went against that notion. So i decided to start my own book club......well not really. I just decided that I loved pink and girly girl things. When I saw the Lil' Fairy Door I wanted one so badly. I made me think about my art pieces that I create in my studio. 

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I have mentioned making "sell-able art" vs "enjoyable art." I have struggling with this thought lately because of trying to prepare for this Art Fair. I have found myself knocking out so much generic sell-able art just to make sure I have inventory and it's not as enjoyable for me. When the fair is over I have decided to dedicate a chunk of my time creating fun and light girly pieces. I still love my rustic pieces on wood and wine bottles but I am missing something and it's all for my inner Girly Girl!

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So I hope you all enjoyed the blog today and remember to embrace any and everything you love in life because we all want the real you! I will be Periscoping in my studio tonight at 7pm Eastern Standard Time if any of you are interested in joining me you can find me @Cloudninestudios. 

Until Tomorrow - Dream Away

Samantha Menzo

Cloud Nine Studios

Etsy Featured Item of the Day:

Pink donut watercolor PAINTING rainbow sprinkles (fine art print realistic food doughnut girly pastel art nursery dessert kitchen decor) by - ASheaDesignLab

Song of the Day:

Beyonce - Run the World (Girls)

Color of the Day:

Coral

DIY - PAINT BRUSH CLEANER (Made with hot glue gun)

It has been a weird couple of days but also an AMAZING couple of days. My love took me away for a night to the west side of Michigan with another couple. We stayed in an amazing castle and saw my favorite band Lake Street Dive. It was a magical two days and I felt very inspired and in love.

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Since I have been away all weekend I wanted to use my last day off to really get things done in my studio. I entered the room this morning and felt SO OVERWHELMED. There were things everywhere. I have started so many pieces and each are different mediums. I just couldn't get my thoughts together so I decided it was time to clean and reorganize everything.

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I started by getting all the random trash out and creating more space. I felt cramped and anxious and now I feel free! I had also been putting off cleaning a ton of my brushes that were just sitting in old mineral spirits. I was actually convinced I had ruined all of them because they had been sitting there for so long. I remembered this great idea I saw and decided to make one of my own!

I understand that this video was made for make-up brushes but it works the same for paintbrushes. I made one on a metal tray that I had left lying around. It works so well I wish I had more brushes to clean. I not only saved every single brush I don't think they have ever been this clean. It took maybe ten minutes to make and if you are an artist with deals with paintbrushes of any kind I DEFINITELY recommend making one of these.

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ANYWAY! Now that everything is clean and has a place I am going to organize my inventory on paper which is something I have never done before. I want to do this because like I already mentioned I keep starting all these little pieces for the DIY Art Fair but not finishing them and I feel all over the place. I want to know exactly what I have and how many of each so I can focus on what I want to have for the fair. I know as of now that I probably need to at least DOUBLE my inventory which is terrifying but I know if I can just get my thoughts straight I will make it happen.

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Before I left for the weekend adventure I did however finish my lovely little Alice in Wonderland inspired Watercolor piece! Sometimes I make pieces and I think "oh, that's cute.....moving on" but every now and again I make something I love and it might be vain but I CAN NOT stop looking at it. I really want to make more pieces like this and get prints to sell but I feel like I need to stick with what I can do for the fair for now and after this month dive a little deeper into my watercolor ideas.

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So that's all I have for today. I really want to get to work in here now that it's cleaned up but I wanted to make sure I blogged since I couldn't while I was away. I hope you all have a wonderland day!

Until Tomorrow - Dream Away

Samantha Menzo

Cloud Nine Studios

Etsy Featured Item of the Day:

USB flash drive 8 GB, kawaii blue cat, cat with constellation big dipper, back to school , cobalt cat usb flash by - CloverPower

Song of the Day:

Garden Sessions: Lake Street Dive - "Look At What Mistake" - Radio Woodstock

Color of the Day:

 BENJAMIN MOORE CORLSBUD CANYON 076

Can weather control your productivity?

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WELCOME BACK!

I am having a sort of a hard time feeling inspired today. I hope that if I just write that I can work myself up to it. I just don't want to fake anything in the blogs. YES, I want this to be successful but even more so I want it to be honest.

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I think part of the reason I am feeling uninspired is the weather. Which might be interesting to mention for the fact that it's bright and sunny out! I am the kind of person who thrives on dark and dreary. I always thought I was MADE for Seattle. If it rained everyday I would feel right at home.

I have known this about myself for a long time and when I wake up and see cloudy skies I get immediately excited for all that I know I will get done that day.......Why is that?

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Everyone is different, but I know most people are thrilled for sunny skies and "perfect weather." I think for me I want to feel productive. On a beautiful day I feel distracted because there is a pull for me to go outside and I feel guilty for not being outside and enjoying the weather. If it is rainy I know it's alright to be inside working and I feel ahead of the game for not just laying around being lazy like most people tend to do when it's "yucky" out.

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This works the same for seasons. I actually love the fall and winter because I tend to get the most accomplished. Michigan winters can tend to be very very long so I will get some cabin fever towards the end of winter. For the most part I would rather have a day that forces me to bundle up inside my studio and art away!

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Another reason why I think I enjoy rainy and snowy weather over sunny bright skies is because I absolutely HATE being hot and sweaty. Michigan is the worst for humidity and I become a cranky, whiny, mess if it's hot and humid. I definitely get more accomplished if I am not cranky ahaha.

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Do you find that certain weather effects your productivity? Do you relate to my love for rainy days or are you motivated by the new opportunities in the air from spring? Maybe you love the fall colors and it puts you right in the mood for the perfect productivity!


Until Tomorrow - Dream Away

Samantha Menzo

Cloud Nine Studios

Etsy Featured Item of the Day:

I'm Only Happy When It Rains Long-Sleeve Tee by- lulusimonTEES

Song of the Day:

Ed Sheeran - Give Me Love

Color of the Day:
Cinnamon slate

Your ego is not your amigo!

       

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       Today is the day! Our first meet up for Artist's Talking Art. I have been so excited and jotting down ideas and things to cover all morning. I am nervous but in a good way because I know that I will be talking and guiding most of what happens tonight until we establish a flow for the group. I am very outgoing and never had a hard time talking in front of people but I still get butterflies leading up to it.

       I am expecting a handful of people from what the Facebook group event is telling me. We have different types of artists too which I will be interested to see how everyone interacts. I am hoping to get a good introduction of the people who come tonight and with their help hash out some parameters and topics we want to cover.

      But I want to talk about something that happened to me today. This quote really relates to it and pushed me to bring it up in the blogs.

      Someone laughed in my face today. I was so excited about sharing my group and the fact that we are meeting for the first time today. I explained what the group would be about and the name and they laughed very loudly and honestly. I was so hurt. Why would someone laugh and mock me? Even if they did think it was silly it was obvious that I was thrilled about it. Why would someone want to put down my radiating happiness!

       Did I yell? Did I cry? NO. (although I did have to hold back some tears). I held my composure fairly well. I wanted to scream and yell and tell them how rude it was, but I didn't. Everyone is allowed to feel however they want and say whatever they want. I choose how to react to it.

         I know that there will be people along the way who tell me I will fail. There will be people that try and knock my ideas and efforts down. I will not let people change my feelings or love for what I do. For every 1 person who stands in my way I will surround myself with 100 more who support and care for me.

          I am checking my ego at the door. 

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        PHEW! Well I feel a lot better. Thanks for letting me get that out. (Not like you really had a choice haha)  That's all I have for today. It doesn't really cover art but it does cover being true to yourself and never giving up, which is huge for creating art and selling art. There is art in everything we do and everything we do is art.

Until Tomorrow - Dream Away

Samantha Menzo

Cloud Nine Studios

Featured Etsy Item of the Day:

Be Happy Bath Salts Organic Bath Salts Aromatherapy All Natural Organic Bath Salt Energizing Uplifting Bath Salts All Natural Bath Salts - By NaturallyTaylored

Song of the Day:

Janelle Monáe - Tightrope [feat. Big Boi]

Color of the Day:

Golden Honey

Art with the help of Meditating.

Art with the help of Meditating.

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       Ever feel a lack of focus when trying to make your art? Ever feel a drought of inspiration? Maybe you can't find enough time in the day for the art time you have been craving? I have a secret to change it all. Meditation.

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     I assume some of you have meditated before. You might even be a meditating professional! In case you have never heard of meditating or have always wanted to try and didn't know where to start. Here is a great beginner's video to meditating.

So now that we are all on the same page, how can meditation help with ART?

1. Meditation helps to center yourself and your thoughts, which greatly effect your art. If you are stressed or overwhelmed with daily life, just 5 minutes of meditating can set you back on track and put you in a perfect state of mind for creating.

2. Out of ideas or don't know where to start? I know this one is huge for me. When I don't know what to make or can't seem to organize my ideas I meditate and ask to see what I need to. I always know I have the ideas in there somewhere but sometimes moving all the other junk around first helps me see clearly!

3. Stepping away from your work. I don't do this nearly enough and sometimes it really costs me with time and energy. Ever been so immersed in a piece of artwork that you forget to step back and look at the whole thing? By the time you are done and you do step back you notice things you could have done different or that might be a little off. Taking a few minutes for a silent break can mean a huge difference in the finished quality of your work.

4. Do you want to make more meaningful art but don't know what you want to say? I tend to make a lot of "sell-able work" and sometimes I lose the love for a project because I am too focused on the money value it will bring me. By meditating I can look within myself and see what is on my mind that I want to express. This always helps me feel recharged and inspired to still make sell-able pieces but that say something at the same time.

Meditation is great for so many reasons but since this is an Art Blog I wanted to cover some of the ways it's really helped me and hopefully can help you! Creating comes from a very internal place that's is expressed externally and to ensure everything is in order I think the best and easiest way is through MEDITATION!

         How has meditating helped you in your life? Do you already use it as a tool for your art? Comment some of your thoughts on what this topic has done or might do for you!

Until Tomorrow -Dream Away

Samantha Menzo

Cloud Nine Studios

I want to start doing something new at the end of every blog. I think would be a great addition to the blogs! Every blog I will have a featured Etsy Item, Random Song & Color of the day! It's just a little extra flavor that I think might be fun!

Featured Etsy Item of the Day:
DIY Cross Stitch Pendant - Wood Pendant Blank - Small Heart (RedGateStitchery)

Song of the Day:

Matt Simons - Catch & Release (Deepend Remix)

Color of the Day: 
Benjamin Moore Regal Select Winter Gray 2117-60