I appreciate your creativity and accurate portrayal of life as a stepmom. It's nice to know we are NOT ALONE!! Thank-you.

Wonderful art work...I am a stepmom to three wonderful children with an unreal bio mom. I can so relate to much of the art. My husband said as I read them to him.. "Oh sounds like someone has met my ex".. :) thanks for the encouragement and letting us know we aren't alone!!

I would LOVE to have the "Trophy Wife" on a t-shirt. Is that in consideration??

Wow! I think your exhibition summed up that portion of my life. "Happy Holidays" is to a T my husband's ex and her philosophy towards our holidays. "Just Hang Up" is what we dealt with for 75% of the time. "Soul Custody" was typically what she threatened with whenever she called and couldn't get what she wanted. "Lil' Soldiers" is my stepson to a T. He is her spy because she has made him that way. "Constant Problems" sums up the way "she" is at her houshold and the struggles that we face due to "her" lack of parenting.

Thank you! You have expressed the feelings of being a stepmother and how the world views us. Your artwork brought me to tears, because someone was finally expressing exactly how I feel 365 days a year. I constantly feel that I take care of my stepson and his mother simply "plays house." We have joint custody and for years she has always thrown the threat of "If you don't... I'll sue for full custody." Thank you for bringing this to the eyes of the public. Stepmothers aren't evil like the fairy tales show. We are "the other mother" just without the title. Thank you!

thanks! i needed that!

BRILLIANT! I will gladly give up every single item of clothing i own for one of those printed on a tshirt (which I would absolutelyneverofcooooursenot wear to my stepchild's next school function)... Great site!

I wanted to cry when I saw "Do You Swear" and "You Crow." My husband is a terrific father with a horrible ex-wife (who happens to be a lawyer). She endeavours daily to make his life, and mine by default, as chaotic as possible. She is disrespectful, and she never gets her comeupence. The worst thing I have seen from her YET is that my husband received a text saying that the kids were calling her live-in, barely employed boyfriend "dad." It makes me sick to my stomach to know that all I will ever be able to say to her is, "You have wonderful children."

I would love to buy a T-shirt or two with these images. Any thoughts about doing something like that?

There are several chat groups that are not mentioned. One that I actively participate in is focused on the childless stepmom. These are women who do not have bio children of their own, but have the responsibility (either full-time or part-time) of raising another woman's child(ren). http://www.childlessstepmoms.org/community/

I have been a stepmother for ten years. Although my experience has been ok (not great, just ok...no legal battles, no name calling, but there has been distance between my stepdaughter and my husband that hurts him immeasurably...I just stay out of the way), I have to say NO ONE SHOULD EVER MARRY A MAN WITH CHILDREN UNLESS HE IS A WIDOWER OR UNLESS THE KIDS ARE GROWN AND OUT OF THE HOUSE. NO ONE...NOT EVER...NEVER...yeah, be the girlfriend forever (much better for you that way), but don't marry him 'til the kids are out of the house.

In my late 20's I became a stepmother to two small boys and stuck with it, believing that even with incredible strife, the right thing to do for them was to stay in their lives and try to be the voice of reason between their barely speaking biological parents. To say I lost something of myself and my marriage in the process would be an understatement. I felt vindicated and finally appreciated when my youngest stepson, the one who gave me most of my gray hairs, told his wife that he would not be alive, had it not been for my pushing him and refusing to allow him to fall through the cracks of our fractured, dysfunctional bio/step family. And that I meant a lot to him. Those remarks almost made up for all the years I lay awake at 3am, crying or worrying or alternately shaking with anxiety or anger. I am on this site because something has happened, after I had thought the emotions I had been through were long gone. I don't know what I will create, what I will pull out of the past -- I only know that your images were "right there" for me. I needed them, yesterday. I needed, after being "taken back there" to a degree, to at the same time, be reminded and comforted that it's not just me. It's the institution. It's the tradition! It's....I don't know what it is. But thank you for saying it in so many ways that I could not touch before. And thank you for giving me a new voice and a new direction for my creative energies. I will share whatever comes of this, with you. Best wishes to you and the ones you love, this holiday. Nancy

it is a great site -taken in context- Not an us agianst them. I have met alot of martyres in on both sides of the fence--The step side has so little support I think it is great--but I woun't wear a shirt that said anything negative about my kids-but I would laugh if I got one as a gift. thanks-take care-and feel good kr

I can sooo identify with the Stepparents' Pledge of Allegiance. No truer word written. My two "adult" stepdaughters yearn to break me, but didn't show this side until i DARED to tell one of them (23yrs old at the time) to watch how she spoke to her father infront of me in our house (well i said 'my' house which set her OFF on a bratty, angry tangent!!) Since then she has only called a 3-day long truce about a year ago, moved to another country with her partner and 6 year old daughter (our granddaughter)and won't even call our house to talk to her father in almost a year. Man...Get over it!!!! But i digress....yep the pledge of allegiance is ALL GOOD AND ALL TRUE!!!

Karen, I would love to email chat with you about your experiences sometime. I also can completely relate to your work, and share a stepmother role. It would be great to see more of this type of work. sincerely, paintbetty@earthlink.net

THIS stepmom sooo appreciated all these truths...FINALLY!! TYTYTY

very, very,very well done. From a stepmom who raised 2 kids through adolescensce and teen years with the spector of their martyred, guilt-tripping mother always present. Will the kids ever get a clue about who their mother really was? Maryann Meador

Thank you, thank you, thank you. It's nice to know I'm not the only one.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. It's nice to know I'm not the only one.

Hi Ladies: I'm not set up to financially or technically support a chat group. Please go to my links page to find existing chat groups because it **is** so important that we talk to each other! Best, Karen