Fluttering about...what I've been up to...

*************A Personal Update*****************

I've been living life...not quite to the fullest yet...but I'm getting there!!  Things are really turning around for us over here and I believe with all my heart that things are going to just keep getting better!!  Spiritually I feel like I am in a new more mature understanding level...I have always been a woman of strong faith but when you go through trials sometimes you ask why or how long...you know?  I was dealing with some personal trials for the past couple of years but around July I felt my faith change.  At first I wasn't sure if it was in a good way but only because it was different, it was as though my faith was being tested and then I realized that I passed the test!!  I know the trials will be a part of life but it feels good to know that I've made it this far.  I know I am still a work in progress...and I love that...knowing that the Lord isn't done with me yet.  :)

So with all the revelations of things I needed to do...changes I needed to make I feel that I am finally on the right track in all areas of my life...it's a state of life I've never experienced...and being stuck in a cocoon stage for so many years it feels so wonderful to finally be able to fluttering about...seeing the world in a whole different view!  I thank the Lord for bringing me to this place of peace and joy...and I look forward to all the even more wonderful and joyous things coming my way!

********************************************************************
*My Artwork & Jewelry Designs Update*

For those of you who are interested...I have been busy with commissioned work this year from artwork to custom designed jewelry which is why I haven't had the chance to set up my etsy shop in time for the Christmas and Holiday shopping but I am currently getting things ready to get it set up.  I hope to get it set up by this weekend...hopefully Saturday!  I will be making art prints, magnets, cards, jewelry and other home decor with my artwork available to purchase.

Right now I am finishing up a beautiful custom necklace and some Christmas Card designs so I do have time to fit in a couple of more custom orders if you contact me no later than this coming Wednesday.  If you would like to have me create custom artwork or jewelry you can contact me at:  cre8tvlyyrs@msn.com  I will need at least a week to complete the work but I can only guarantee local orders (Southern California) will be there before Christmas.  So if anyone lives out of state, I would be happy to create custom art or jewelry for you but just know it may not get to you before Christmas due to the delivery process.

****************************************
Love blogging again and I hope to do this more often...especially since I can actually post again!  Hope you all enjoy this wonderful season of Christmas!  Cre8tvlyYrs, Gina :)



.

I'll Spread My Wings & I'll Learn How to Fly...

(I wrote this back in July and for some reason I wasn't able to post it or anything else until now.)

Learning how to fly...that's what my current daily art journal's theme is...I am going through a new phase of life...It's the part obviously where I'm flapping my wings around...you know working out the muscles! With that comes the full range of emotions of excited, anxious, optimistic, yet afraid but willing to do it afraid!! I feel I'm in a good state right now!

I'm done with the looking behind because I am so excited about my future and all the blessings that I know the Lord has planned for me!! I am feeling more aware of what I need to do in my life and that is a whole lot of things! :) I have been very busy recently with lots of life stuff like family birthday parties and Bar B-Ques with friends and I've also been making and selling jewelry as well as paintings!

God bless you! Cre8tvlyYrs, Gina :)

Being Swept In A Different Yet Exciting Direction...

It's really exciting for me in all aspects recently...spiritually, mentally, physically, and especially artistically! I feel like I am literally being led by the Holy Spirit...by the hand of God himself in where I am going with my life and all aspects of it...and this has been happening recently. It feels like I have awoken from a looong deep sleep where I was sleepwalking through for the past years. It's a feeling of awareness that I have never experienced!

It all began with serious prayer...asking the Lord to reveal to me the direction I am to be going...and this prayer I had been praying for years! In fact I prayed it so much that I was beginning to wonder if it was being heard...lol! What's amazing to me is that he has been revealing to me through messages from others by teachings, preachings and even music...but it wasn't like a big direct message...but in little hints here and there...until the point where I realized that I was being led and have been being led to a destination unknown to myself but knowing that I am being led there by God...making me see that exciting realization that I have been and still trust in him!!

What's amazing about this to me, is that I have always claimed to trust in him and even taught others how important it is to have faith in him, to trust him...and you know the saying "it's easier to say it than do it"...so when I came through some really challenging events...you know the kind that keep happening over and over and one right after another to the point of frustration...well I have just come out of one of those looong 'in the wilderness' journeys and was so happy to see that even in all those hard times I can truly say that I have kept my trust in him...and still do. I know that in this journey of life there will always be challenges but there is a change in the wind...a change led by the hand of God...he is my Abba Father holding my little hand...leading me...guiding me!!!

There is soooo much that he has aspired and inspired me to do and sometimes I wonder how could it be possible to do all these things Lord? Then he reminds me to keep my trust in him and that through him ALL things are possible! He has reminded me that I have a purpose and that there is NO time to waste! For me...it begins with home...keeping peace and love alive and thriving here...to not allow the evil one any entry point...to be a haven for our family! I have challenges others do not and ADHD is one of them...but I have been learning how to use the positive aspects of it and how to keep myself from getting too distracted or focused...just like being diabetic...it's all about balance...which I also realize that's what the Lord has been trying to teach me...to be balanced in all that I do.

I realized he wants me to be balanced with my life so that when he wants to change the direction of my path I will be able to handle it...like a surfer balances on a surfboard riding the waves...they have to be balanced on that board and ready to go with the direction of that wave they are riding...hmmm...this is an amazing realization that just plopped out for me even more because my life was actually saved by a surfer!

********************************************************************
True story: When I was a little girl about the age of 9, my cousin & I were floating on a raft and the current was taking us out to sea...we were scared and crying because even though we were kicking with all our might we were not able to get to shore. I remember that even though I was scared and crying I did have a sense of trust in God...although I had no idea about it in that moment...my cousin was starting to panic...she was older than me and so her reaction was definately influencing me. Thanks be to God, we ended up floating into a group of about 5 surfers that were sitting on their boards waiting for the next wave to ride.

So imagine if you will; 5 teenaged surfer boys on their 1978 sized surfboards floating about getting bumped by a little raft that the air was coming out of from us 'sqeezing' the air out of as we were literally clinging to it for dear life...whimpering and crying! They were like 'what the h--- are you little girls doing out here? Then one of them took us back to shore...I'll never forget how I was saved by a surfer guardian angel!! Seriously!!

Now the other good thing that happened for us is that my Uncle Raul (my cousin's dad) had been watching us and walking along the shore to make sure we were safe...back then there were no cell phones of course, so I suppose he felt he needed to keep his eyes on us...he is a very tall man so he was able to see us. What happened to us felt like forever but it actually happened within 5-10 minutes. So when the surfer boy got us to shore my uncle was waiting and took us back to our area. I don't remember too much after the point of getting to shore...I just remember seeing how far away we had drifted from our family!
******************************************************************

Let me tell you that I am in awe of how amazing the Lord is!! These past few weeks I have been feeling as though I am in a current of water...being swept in a different yet exciting direction!!

*Author's note: (Seriously...I typed the title for this post before I even began this post and for the record...I do not preplan what I'm going to write about...I like my blog posts to be my inner reflections and to just flow out...I had not even thought of my beach tide rescue for a while either...Awesome!!)

*Newsflash: Artwork available on e-bay!

Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone! Hope your all having a blessed week!


Well I finally got around to posting some artwork for sale on e-bay! I listed 3 peices of artwork and in a bit I will also be setting up my etsy shop with some jewelry I've created to sell as well.
Honestly, I love creating but the setting up online is what makes me hesitate so much...but I really need to bring in an income somehow so I might as well do that as if it's my job!


I have been really busy creating new bracelets and have designed some really unique necklaces. I have been getting lots of orders too but I realized very soon after that it's not always possible to recreate duplicates since the beads or charms I find are not always available when I go back to the stores I got them in. This has made me realize that from now on I need to stress that these are all unique pieces...unless someone custom orders a multiple design from the beginning so that I can buy all the materials/beads at once! :)


I also just created a fan page or what I like to call a 'like' page for my artwork on Facebook which you can find on the side tab to the right! Here is one of the three on e-bay as the top pic as well...my angel has a link to e-bay and you could find the others from there! (This blog is acting up and not letting me post anymore pics so these are what I was able to post!

*Sold*

Have a wonderful day & God Bless! Cre8tvlyYrs, Gina

Walking by Faith and not by Sight...

II Corinthians 5:7

That is how I have been these days...especially since my schedule has became more busy these days! As a Catholic-Christian and now being in the Choir...these next 4 days we have masses that begin today and our Choir sings at all 4 masses. It is a whole meditative/reflection of the Passion and Sacrifice our Lord has done for us and we end it by celebrating his love and resurrection on Easter Sunday. Now I am not required to be at all 4 masses but I would like to...so I will see if I am able all depending on if I am able to. I have always wanted to experience what we call the 'Tridum' which is the 3 days of reflecting before Easter Sunday...so what better way than by being a part of that in the choir? I think I just talked myself into it...lol.

As for my creative stuff...definately been busy...my jewelry designs have been keeping me busy with orders...I do not even have time to post pics as my jewelry just gets bought before I even get a chance to even take a picture! I count my blessings...and I even have been drawing just about every day...haven't had much time to paint yet but after Easter I do plan to paint and finish up some of my artwork...maybe even post some to sell on E-bay. I am now also offering slideshows to my memory artwork services over on my CYMMbyGina.blogspot.com site >> check there for more information! :)

Well just wanted to be sure and wish everyone....the whole 100,000 million of you who stop by every day a whole hearted 'Happy Easter'!!! Not the Easter bunny kind...but the beautiful love of Christ kind...that he died for us...because he loved us soooo much! Love you all too & God Bless! Creatively Yours in Christ, Gina Arzaga

Just a little update...

Hello there...just in case someone happens to stop by and visit my very lonely blog here! lol! Honestly I would like to post my artwork more often but can't seem to fit time in to do it! I have been crazy busy with artwork & life! Trying to balance everything is challenging but I feel I am getting better at handling it! I would like to at least try to post once a week to mainly post my current artworks and stuff but I need to see which day would be best to do it. I'm going to try for Wednesday or Thursday...we will see what happens since obviously I'm not too great at being consistent here! Last time I posted about my ADHD struggles...but let's not go there right now! Don't want to seem like that's all that goes on in my life...lol! So I'd like to share a little about what I've been up to...I have been making jewelry and drawing a lot. I've been creating art journals for years but they were more like the scrapbook type...you know papers and embellishments with journaling. I enjoy all that but since getting more and more into developing my artistic style I have decided to draw things that represent what most inspired or impacted my life and I have really been enjoying it! I also do the *Illustration Fridays* on each Friday and it's been fun! The other thing is that I feel like my creativity has really began to open up more...I am feeling my mind sparking back up with sooo many ideas! I am trying to keep myself from overloading by writing or quick sketching my ideas so that I can keep the creative energy flowing and to keep myself from getting stuck again! I'm also trying to find the right way to sell my artwork and jewelry so I am planning to continue on this path that I truly believe the Lord has led me to. I have lots of series that are in the 'sketchy' process...such as some really cute spring/bunny stuff, expressional art, home decor type art and spiritual art which includes angels and my other passion for being pro-life. Sooo little by little this blog will become more active!! Well I just thought I'd share a little update of what I've been up to and I'll post pics as soon as I get a chance!

Without RAIN there would be no RAINBOWS...

Well it's been raining pretty much all through the night...which was the perfect ending to my day yesterday! I had a large dose of "tough love' yesterday about some personal issues...you know one of those days when you have to hear things about yourself that your not all that proud of? I usually don't like to post about the really personal stuff I deal with but I realized that I do need to change a lot of things and without going into details I wanted to include this part of my life here...sort of to document the dramatic changes I believe my life will be unfolding very soon. I believe that my artwork will be greatly impacted with the 'insight intervention' I recieved from 3 very close and dear people to my life...it was very difficult but I realize that it was necessary. Without going into details I'd just like to share the main reason for yesterdays 'tough love' session was due to my lifelong struggles with being ADD/ADHD. I had already realized I need to get on meds for it but yesterday really gave me a shove into knowing just how urgent I need to make changes in my life. I don't want this post to sound melocholy or too dramatic and I promise it will end in a better note...but lately I had been feeling as though I were living such dreary life...kind of like a ghost that's stuck in a house just wandering through it day by day...my faith was basically the only thing getting me through each day but I also hadn't realized how little my faith actually had become. I felt I was only alive around my family and when I was around my Confirmation students but I was giving all I had without refueling myself...which I have always done...give of myself until there's nothing left. So it took my husband, and both my parents to come and shake me awake from this horrible nightmare of a life...they want me to live to my fullest potential...as do I...so we all feel that the only way for me to get on the right track to my life's destination is to take the meds required to help me deal with my ADD/ADHD symptoms that are making my life so difficult. I really would like to point out here that ADD/ADHD is not an excuse nor is it all that bad...there are actually awesome things about being ADD/ADHD such as 'super focus' which would help me create awesome artwork among other things but the distractions as well as the 'super focus' grew out of control to the point of not being very productive at all...and had even effected my health and well being...that is what caused all the grey misty clouds that surrounded my haunted house in my life...yesterday was the final rain sort of how the rain is still falling all around my home right now as I type these words...the rain in life that is necessary to wash away all the dirty gunk on the windows of my soul and allows me to finally see the rainbow when the sun shines and pierces through the clouds...yes it is so true...without rain, there would be no rainbows! Here's to a a new beginning...I am looking forward to seeing how my life will change to finally have this 'brilliant' mind of mine under control! I'm hoping to be able to get started on the meds this week...then maybe I could also be a little more consistent with my posts here too! ;) God bless you all...especially if you took the time to read this post! :)

Love is in the air...

With Valentine's Day just around the corner that is! I love Valentine's day...I love the theme and colors...soo much so that I wish I could have a little house all decorated in that theme! lol! So I am going to be putting up for sale all my heart themed artwork on e-bay! So for now, I've begun by posting these 2 pieces from my *Vintage Flying Hearts* Edition: *Both Paintings Sold!*

*Each photo is linked to the E-bay posting!

I've finally arrived!!

"An artist never arrives too early nor is she ever late...she always arrives in just percisely the right time" -Unknown (adapted from Gandolf the Gray in the Lord of the Rings ;)

Well I am finally here with a fresh batch of enthusiastic news! The first and most exciting thing to me is that I have finally created my own website! I love how it came out (and without sounding like I'm advertising as I'd only like to share for anyone interested in creating their own website for free) using this awesome website company that my brother Alex told me about called wix.com! Anyways here's the link to my new website which is also in a link on the sidebar: Gina Arzaga's Multi-Media Artist Website

I hope to in the near future include a shop within the website but I have to wait a bit for that. I'm also going to be trying out e-bay again...it's kind of hard for me as I am never sure how much to even start a bid price for me work. I realize that I'm going to have to be doing my art thing in babysteps. This is all a learning process anyways!

******************************
On a personal note; I am feeling much better and have even lost about 25 pounds since I last posted here! I still would like to lose about another 40 pounds at least but again...babysteps! The other reason I need to lose this weight is because I have decided that this is the year I really need to do what I need to do to attempt to have a successful pregnancy. Especially since I am going to turn 42 this February 6th and also there is a lot of pressure from not just my husband but family members as well about this subject! I also feel that I could handle this mentally...and that is really the important factor! There's alot of stuff through the years that have prevented me from being able to get or stay pregnant and I know that when I finally have our baby 'she' will definately be a miracle baby!

I am really excited about what the future will bring and although I don't like to set official 'Resolutions', I have been setting goals. I am determined to really put an effort into getting back into my art work as well as being more creative. I have been doing pretty good so far, I painted a cute painting for my nieces Birthday just last weekend and even began scrapbooking (the traditional/paper way) this Friday and that really felt good! I started a little scrap night w/my mom, sister, sis-n-laws, and nieces in which we will be getting together one Friday night a month to get us to do something bonding together. :)

Most importantly, my husband and I are still teaching a Confirmation class together and it's really a great experience to share our Faith and teach the teens about our Faith. We have a pretty big class of 27 teens (15-17 yr olds) so it's awesome when they actually listen and participate! It's been a blessing for us too.

On that note, God bless you for reading this! I will be posting alot sooner than last time as I am planning to post some artwork in the next few days for e-bay! Hope you all have a wonderful day! :) Gina