extroverted introspection

New Inspiration

2010-06-21T18:43:00.000-07:00

I have been on an art class high since taking Jane Eileen's Double-Double class last weekend. Have you met Jane? If you haven't, you should. She is a very gentle soul with the patience of Job-witness her teaching me to sew! The class was one that would interest any level of sewer and I came away with more than just the knowledge of how to use my sewing machine-I also completed a project.

I have always considered myself "Sewing Challenged". I tried to get the little placard for my car, but the DMV failed to realize the degree to which this has affected my life. I was nervous that, though Jane explicitly stated that ANYONE could do this, I might be the ONE who made her change her mind. I am happy to say that I not only feel so much more confident about being able to use my machine ( a 622 lb, 1976 Montgomery Ward model, thank you), but actually have a fire in my soul to create more sewing projects!

One more thing-I have had problems with my machine off and on, even after having it professionally tuned up. At the class I learned that Jane is considered "The Sewing Machine Whisperer" in the 48 contiguous. My stubborn machine behaved like a perfect lady in her presence.

The project we made is called the Double- Double. It's a fabric journal with 2 spines and 4 signatures. Getting the papers together for the inside was as much fun as the rest of the project and we all ended up with the coolest journals ever. Jane brings everything you need except for the machine and scissors, and her fabric stash is a sight to behold. Since taking the class a week ago, I have finished 2 more journals and have a couple more in the planning stages. I am far from a skilled seamstress, but each one I have made has been a little more pleasing to the eye. It is so fulfilling to be able to make something so full of personalized fabric, paper and personality. I'm hooked!!!.

Shameless Promotion

2010-04-18T20:51:00.000-07:00

You Need This!!!
I decided it's OK for me to shamelessly promote one of my favorite companies since this is my blog-HA! I have been a member of Paula's Kit Club since its inception. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this fabulous club, it is an offshoot of the rubber stamp company "Rubber Baby Buggy Bumpers". I started buying stamps from Paula Montgomery and her hubby, Chuck more years ago than I can remember. When it was a rubber stamp company, they were always a step ahead of the pack with their designs and products. One of my very favorite things in the world was their full-color, glossy, huge catalog. I have a few of them to this day because they are such great eye-candy. Paula has since founded her kit club and it is unmatched in the world of kit clubs.
Paula is, to her core, an artist and it shows in every box of goodness that comes each month. Her kits have the newest and most extravagant of everything. Papers, blank cards with matching envelopes in the most luscious colors and textures, an exclusive collage sheet (born of Paula's extensive collection of vintage books, posters, labels and documents), ribbons, fibers and the like-many custom made for Paula, an exclusive club-members only rubber stamp each month, charms and lots of other fun things. But here's the kicker-Paula doesn't just shop the various paper craft vendors out there. She is constantly on the lookout for all things unique and special, including vintage French ephemera that she purchased in the flea markets of Paris during a recent trip there. Each kit is coordinated to make it possible to open the box and start creating. This is the creme de la creme of kit clubs, people. And as long as I'm dishing about all of this, you need to know that Paula also has a jewelry kit club. Make that TWO different jewelry kit clubs!!!

You will find these kits calling your name once you have experienced just one. We mixed-media types have so many options these days in the way of supplies, but take my word for the fact that there is just nothing that will compare to these kits and due to the shopping and hunting prowess of Ms. Montgomery, you couldn't re-create the kits if you tried.

I love my monthly mail treat and I want Paula and her club to be around for a long time, so I encourage you to take a look here to see all the clubs, all the options and all the fun available on this one website. Tell Paula I sent you!!!!!!!! You can thank me later.

When I Grow Up...

2010-03-31T18:55:00.000-07:00

I want to be just like my dog. And here are the reasons why:

1. She thinks I'm just perfect when I get outta bed in the morning.
2. She looks better in most of her outfits than I do in mine. And even if it's not her best look, her self-esteem dictates that she feel super-cute.
3. She doesn't have a mean bone in her body. I know not all dogs are this way, but I kid you not-she lets her 2 cat siblings have a nibble or two of her food before she partakes. And no necks are broken!
4. The tiniest things excite her so much, even if she has done them a million times. How exciting can it be to walk around the block? Apparently, pretty exciting!
5. She is more perceptive than Dr. Phil. If I'm upset or feeling down, she is aware of it almost before I am and is always at the ready with a sweet, sloppy doggie kiss.
6. She assumes that everyone is a friend (even other dogs and cats) and that no one means her harm.
7. She can fall asleep in the middle of a hard tile floor on her back, legs pointing to the sky. I'm getting to the age where I can no longer take for granted a good night's sleep and you can forget about that tile floor.
8. She doesn't have any baggage from being abandoned a few times in her life or because her Mom put her on a diet.
9. Even when she's grouchy she's not.
10. She starts each day with a huge dog-smile on her fuzzy face and with the knowing strut of one who is just bound to have a great day.

Which brings me to something you have probably heard before, but it's fitting-"I hope to one day be the person my dog thinks I am".

Terriers and Trying Times

2010-03-13T18:45:00.000-08:00

I am constantly hearing about the sad state of our world. Be it the war or the economy, there is a noticeable air of negativity buzzing about. Am I crazy? Do you feel it too? I have always considered myself a mostly positive-minded person, but I am finding myself thinking in ways that surprise me. I rarely have someone just be directly rude or angry in their interactions, but seething right beneath the surface of the written and spoken word...So, what to do with these people and experiences???? I think my hubby has a good idea when he suggests that we "kill 'em with kindness". I don't mean this in a sarcastic way, but rather to take a minute when someone comes at you with negativity and really think about how personally it is meant. Let's face it-times are tough. People are struggling. So, if I feel a barb that I don't feel I initiated or deserved, I am much better off if I can remember from whence this person came. It took me until I was into my 40s to realize and really "get" that everything wasn't always about me!!! Most of the time I am simply standing in the way when something happens and it isn't meant personally. I really believe this-and I also know that I am guilty of misplaced aggression and anger as well. I would love to be someone who always knows immediately what I am feeling, why I am feeling it and handles each situation appropriately. Maybe the fact that I still mess this up makes it easier for me to have compassion when it is coming my way. And I say this with a disclaimer-I don't always do the best I could with these things, but dammit, I'm trying!!!!

One great way for me to stay centered and positive is to play with my art supplies. I love participating in art swaps and I am currently hosting an altered art book swap. What a kick this has been! I have the good fortune to be playing at this with 5 ladies, all of whom I have admired for their artistic prowess for quite some time. It is set up to have only 2 weeks between mailing dates which has definitely been a challenge at times, but it has also kept me creating when I might have otherwise opted out. In this particular swap we each chose a different theme and that has just added to the fun-no chance for boredom or repetition. The themes are: "Play", "Alice in Wonderland", "Creative Abandon", "Love & the color Red", "Women of the world" and mine is "Exploring your inner Pin-Up Girl". Quite a diverse group, huh? I have only done 3 of the books thus far, but look so forward to seeing all the others. In the meantime-here are some recent artsy endeavors that have helped me keep things straight in this crazy world...

The little guy on the right was a Hobby Lobby purchase.
My Mom recently adopted a sweet Cairn Terrier
she named "Abby". I painted the all-black figure
to resemble Abby and added a real doggie collar with a tiny red bell and sent her North for Christmas.

A Public Service Message

2010-01-06T09:49:00.001-08:00

A quick note to all my friends in blogland. I have had a couple of comments posted to this blog in Japanese. I went to a translator site and found that they were advertisements for adult websites and products. It is infuriating to think that these types of people/businesses are now popping up on my blog, but I thought I should give you all a heads-up just in case. Besides the obvious issues, it worries me for viruses and pop-ups. My son, who is much more computer savvy that his Mom, said to delete the comments without opening them and there should be no problem.

What is gratitude?

2009-11-24T00:01:00.000-08:00

I know everyone is being affected by the state of our world of late. The people who risk their lives each day to provide a safe and free land for all of us in the US are ever present in my mind. For these people and their selfless acts of patriotism, I give thanks.

I don't know a single person who has not, in some way, been affected by the current economy. I have to honestly tell you that I had never, in my 50 years on this planet, been personally affected by a weak economy...until this past year. My husband spent a few months laid-off from his job for the first time in his 35+ working years. It's so easy to say you understand what it's like to have to cut back and do without, but you reach a whole new level of understanding when your income is cut to nothing. This Thanksgiving my husband is working. For his career and his dedication to our family and maintaining our life and lifestyle by working as hard as he does every day, I give thanks.

I have several friends who are going through a lay-off this very day. I can only say that I understand and that I send you prayers for better days and for an improvement in your situation VERY SOON!!! For all my friends and their support and care, I give thanks.

I can't write this post without mentioning those who are ill. It seems it is everywhere, and I have no doubt that the stress we feel as a world is at least in part, reason for these ills. I have wonderfully healthy children. My husband and I are healthy. And though I constantly take our good health for granted, I feel deeply that we are so fortunate to be well. For all of this, I give thanks.

In times such as these it is easy to forget that we all have much for which we should be grateful. For every ill or problem or adversity I face in my life, there are many others who struggle every day for the things that I so quickly forget about and lament. In my mind, true gratitude is that which we feel when times are tough. It is what we feel when it would be easier to feel sorry for ourselves or to give into the general concensus that all is bad in the world today. Gratitude is something we carry in our hearts in anticipation of things getting better and remembrance of things being worse.

Today I will work to stay in a state of gratitude. Happy Thanksgiving.

Stuff It!

2009-11-06T14:10:00.000-08:00

I am forever amazed and excited at the fun things I come across out in blogland. Today, as I was surfing my regular haunts, I decided to take some time to see what was up with their favorites. Look what I found!!!

The International League of Championship Matchbox Stuffers . I had to go see what this was all about and now the creative brain juices are flowing. I have never seen so much fun packed into such a small place. It seems these crafty people take ordinary matchboxes, add their own special touch by decorating them, and cleverly stuff them with...STUFF!!! Lots of stuff! What a fun idea. Anyone who loves tiny bits and bobs will love these photos.
Here are a couple I whipped up this morning to give you an idea of what I'm talking about-one with a Christmas theme, and one Asian. Quick & easy, but I haven't stuffed them yet.

This got me thinking-are there a few of you out there who would be interested in doing a stuffed matchbox swap? I think it would be a blast and I would love to host the swap if there is enough interest. I think 10 would be a great number, so if you are interested, leave me a comment and tell your friends-let's have some fun!

Charmed I'm Sure

2009-11-04T11:30:00.000-08:00

A few months back I was invited to join my first-ever charm swap. I have to tell you that it was a bit intimidating, as the wonderful chick who runs it is very particular. The list of rules and requirements was were scary at first, but after seeing the outcome from the group, it was obvious that they were doing top-notch work. The theme was "Circus" and we were to do whatever felt right within that definition. My charms started out at a sheet of nickel silver. From that, I cut a "+" shape (hard to describe) and with some hammering and coaxing, I formed them into the little metal boxes. The next step was to solder all the edges. Soldering is one of my great new loves and I would have been thrilled if they had all gone as easily as my prototype. Did I mention that I always make a prototype? Even in making ATCs, I start with one-work it all the way from start to finish and then proceed if it turns out well. So, after forming the boxes, I used a clipart image for the background and made the little Seal, stand and ball from Fimo clay. The clay required some gluing, so I got the chance to play with 2-part epoxy. After placing Mr. Seal in the box, it was finished off with glass and soldered, including a bail fashioned from wire. I LOVED the way this project turned out, and Amber Dawn

who hosted the swap, was very kind and encouraging. Her encouragement really gave me the push to do more and stretch artistically regarding charm-making. Thanks, Amber!!!

One of the requirements of the group is that you display the charm well, so I used a popcoen bag, folded and embellished with a Circus ticket and ribbon.

Pretty seals, all in a row. Pre-glass cover.

Here it is all finished and ready to send to Amber Dawn.

Since this swap, I have participated a 3 other charm swaps. I love the work I receive in return and I am always blown away by the creativity of people in our community. What a fun way to not only get your creativity on, but to have goodies coming in the mail!!!!

A Sweet Memory

2009-10-29T13:04:00.000-07:00

Mom's Little Guy

I was perusing blogs this morning, when I ran across one wherein a Mom was telling about her 7 year old son. Seems this lad had quite a day yesterday-tantrums and all. The blogger went on to tell about sending him to bed with the promise of NO activities tomorrow since he had misbehaved so. After she put the little bug to bed, she finds a note from him on the couch and he has drawn a little face with tears on the cheeks, and written "Momma, I love you. Do you still love me?" He even had a YES and NO for her circle and a line where he had written "Sine here".OH my gosh! Could you just cry? I just wanted to get ahold of him and hug the little guy. Then I was reminded of a story about my son, Robert.

I need to start by saying that Rob was one of those kids who made me work for the title of "Mom". He was a little spark from the day he was born (six weeks preemie) and he contnued to put me through my paces until he was a teen. So, anyway, he moved into the room that had been shared by his older brothers, Jeremy and Ryan, when the time came that they had both moved out of the house. The room he moved into was WAYYYYY oversized for one kid and it was more like an apartment on the top floor of our home. It was decided that the room he had previously occupied would become a guest room, so we set about painting and re-decorating. I am down on my knees, painting baseboards, when one of my older boys says "mom, you have to see this". Down at the lowest point on the wall, cleverly hidden behind the door when open, written in pencil, was "Mom is a poophead". We laughed so hard,thinking of this little bird, angry at Mom, mustering all his energy and getting his revenge. Rob was 15 or so when we found it, and we decided he must have been around 7 or 8 when he wrote it. It makes me laugh every time I think of it.

OK...maybe this story wasn't quite as sweet and touching as that of the blogger I started with, but it was worth telling. Don't you think?

HAUNTINGLY WONDERFUL!!!!!

2009-10-18T09:30:00.000-07:00

I love Halloween! So many of my artsy friends feel the same and we all get very excited when it's time to pull out our black and orange supplies and make Halloween art. This year I mentioned that I was involved in FOUR, count 'em, swaps. I just received my package of charms from the Yahoo group swap yesterday. This is what I made...

I also made the little box for the charm out of some fun flocked paper. You may have already realized that this charm started out as a Monopoly Hotel. I used polyclay to make little, tiny individual shake shingles for each house (13 of 'em), as well as for the little ghost who haunts the front porch. I used aubergine colored wire to make the tree and attached it with epoxy, and then painted the details-some well-worn shutters, purple drips coming from the roof and such. I was pleased with the end result and I will put together a necklace incorporating all the charms I received in this great swap.

I belong to another Yahoo group where they have a Rolodex card swap. This has become one of my favorite swaps to participate in. The cards are small enough that they go fairly quickly when you're making lots, and I love that I can place them in a rolodex file and look at them anytime. No fuss, no muss.
Debbie Bick of Frenzy Stamper hosted a chunky book swap. If you haven't been to Frenzy, or if it's been awhile, you need to see Debbie's Halloween merchandise. She loves Halloween every bit as much as those of us who frequent her store and she orders TONS of fun Halloween stuff.

My page started with a picture of Marie Antoinette and evolved into a headless Marie. I have used this Hero Arts birdcage stamp many, many times and found another use for it. My Marie pic came from a fabulous clip art CD I purchased months ago from Lisa Kettel. This piece is titled "Poor Marie, she lost her head"

I have one more swap to end the month and now all I need to do is get ready for the Trick-Or-Treaters! What are you creating this month?

Raise your hand if you're here...

2009-10-16T13:31:00.001-07:00

OK. I confess that I have been absent for such a long time that I thought I might never find my way back to this blog. I went and did something silly...I WENT TO WORK! What was I thinking? I very recently decided that I should be a supportive partner and get out and earn some cash. I have some strange thoughts at times. Anyway-I am selling Real Estate in Sedona, Az.. Not a place with any more beauty than this, and I know I have seen nearly every square inch of it in the past couple of months.

With all the changes in my life, I really planned on slowing my participation in art swaps. So, I ONLY participated in FOUR for the upcoming Halloween season. Since I am at my desk I don't have my pics here, but I promise to put them up as soon as I get home. I did a chunky book swap, an ATC swap, a Halloween charm swap and a Rolodex card swap. So much for cutting back!

Since I don't have any art pics, I will share a recent picture of Miss Patsy Cline. She always brings a smile to my face. I hope she does the same for you.

One Good Reason To Live In this Heat

2009-09-04T22:30:00.000-07:00

Have I complained on this blog about the horrendous Arizona heat? Well, if I haven't, consider this a LOUD complaint! I have lived here for 31 years. Most who know me hear this statement followed by "and I've spent 32 years trying to leave." Don't get me wrong-this state offers a beauty of the desert type unparalleled by any other. The problem is that in order to make all those cool looking plants grow, the climate must be unfit for humans. Even my dog complains from time to time and she spends almost no time outside in the summer. One great benefit of all this wonderful sunshine is the plethora of garden veggies. We have only tomatoes, onions and herbs this year, as the heat in early July fried our squash, lettuce, spinach, cucumbers and other plants. The remaining fruits of our labor are simply delicious. Even after 3 months of having fresh vine-ripened tomatoes every day, I just have to utter "m-m-m-m-m-m, these are sooooo good" every time I take the first bite. These 'maters are so sweet they could give berries and peaches a run for their money. So, as I sit and lament the length of our summer, I am reminded that as the days become shorter our fresh garden eats will go away for another winter. I just thought of one other reason to live here-we continue to get tomatoes on the vine until November. I doubt there are many places in this country where this is true, so today I am thankful for the (choke) long, (sob) hot, (howl in agony) summers of Arizona. Our garden window becomes the Tomato Ripening Center for those little suckers who fall off the vine a bit too soon. It's fun to see how quickly they go from green to bright red. And just for the record, we have noticed no difference in flavor from the vine-ripened to the window-ripened.

How do I affect you?

2009-08-28T15:20:00.000-07:00

I was watching Oprah recently and the topic of her show was, basically, Manners. I was raised in the era of manners. My parents were convinced that elbows on the dinner table would send one directly into the fiery depths. At the time I was learning these little things I felt they were terribly strict, not to mention ridiculous. With the wisdom of age came the realization that I was fortunate to have been taught how to behave, even if it was a bit over the top at times. I can't imagine anyone being offended at someone singing (God forbid) at the dinner table at home, but that was one of the misdeeds that would send us directly from the table to our room to think about how poorly we had behaved. When I had my family it was just a natural part of my parenting to teach the same manners (sans the singing thing) and as my kids get older they voice the fact that so many of their friends have no clue of how to behave in social situations. I have mentioned that I have all boys and I can tell you for sure that they initially react differently to a girl who doesn't use her napkin or talks with her mouth full of food. Maybe more important these days is the way that we are so rude to and inconsiderate of each other. Everyone is in such a hurry. You can be certain that "they" are going somewhere much more important than where you are headed. Don't even get me started on the change in manners since we all became armed with our trusty cell phone. I want to be sure and point out that I include myself in these issues. I guess there are times when I feel positive that I am in a bigger hurry than you are. Here's what I gleaned from Oprah's show:

We never touch people so lightly
That we do not leave a mark.

If we thought about that each time we went out about our daily activities it might change the way we do things. It also made me think about the fact that offensive is offensive. If I smile at you as I step in front of you in line, I have still stepped in front of you in line.

Have a G-R-E-A-T weekend and be nice out there!!!

Fly

2009-08-27T22:41:00.001-07:00

The latest in my ATCs. This was done for a swap through Paula's Kit Club. I have been a member since the inception of the club, which is owned by Paula Montgomery of Rubber Baby Buggy Bumpers fame. She has an eye for putting together to-die-for kits and each month is like Christmas when the package arrives. A wonderful club member named Zoe has started hosting monthly swaps for members and the cards are fabuloso. This month's theme was "butterflies".

A thought...

2009-08-27T15:31:00.001-07:00

What does it mean to be truly kind? To be truly giving? To be truly integritous in our actions and behaviors? I liked this:

True integrity is what we possess and how we behave when no one is looking.

It's not too difficult to do something nice or come from the highest place when there is a kudo or pat on the back on the otherside. I think it all comes back to personal accountability. Do you agree?

A New Idea!

2009-08-24T17:54:00.001-07:00

I have spent so much time enjoying the blogs of people I admire, and each time I visit one of them I feel remiss in doing my own blogging. So, I think I have an idea-I will try to write just a snippet each day. I guess I had it in my head that I needed something major or interesting to blog about. But no more, my Friends! To heck with major! Interesting be darned! I read something today that reminded me that "The only way to get to the other side is to walk through the middle. No skipping around the edges" So simple, yet so profound. And why wouldn't we want to skip the middle-the gooey, thick, hard to move middle? Oh, but the sweetness of getting ...THERE!!! And knowing you did it completely. Appreciate the beauty of the journey.

Got the Sweetest Hangover

2009-08-15T20:37:00.000-07:00

Here I am, having lived through the first week of my 50s. And they said I wouldn't handle it. HAH! I scoff at that!!! I have to say that this birthday was fabulous. (One quick thing-I promise to stop yammering about my birthday after this post.) If I had to explain why, I would say I just felt so very blessed and loved. I have been married to Mr. Man for almost 13 years and he has always been great at gifting. He is more like a woman in that department-he loves to find the perfect present and he always makes sure they are beautifully wrapped. He also still buys me mushy cards quite often and I am one of only a handful of women I know who still receives flowers. He can rarely go to the grocery or any other store and come home without a bouquet or at least a single posy. I am lucky, I know. He gifted me with many lovelies for this birthday and most importantly, he was here. He had been working out of town and flew in just for the day to be with me. My family took me out for a wonderful dinner and did all the fun birthday things. I had my breath taken away a couple of times and was brought to tears, so I would say they all did their job well.

My oldest son, Jeremy and daughter-in-law, Steph are two of the most thoughtful people ever. Hands down, they always put so much time and thought into anything they do for anyone. They had a cake made for me, the likes of which I have never seen. It was in the form of a desk/craft table that was made of red velvet cake covered in fondant made to look like wood grain. On the top of it was an Ott Lite, a soldering iron, pair of scissors and a couple of items that took the breath away-the artist had re-created on of my recent ATCs in fondant. My son emailed her a copy of my Marie Antoinette card and she "copied" it. There was also a filigree heart locket hanging from a pearl bracelet, every one of these made completely of fondant! What an amazing gift! I kept all the 3D items from the top and I will attempt to preserve at least some of it. I was most touched by the way they know me and know what I love. I mean, a craft table!!! As if that wasn't enough to blow me away, my son learned to do glass etching (with an electric tool, not sandblasting) so that he could make me a commemorative framed piece for the wall. It had 3 pictures of me at different ages, some very loving words, and he had inscribed the glass with HAPPY BIRTHDAY. I can't believe how professional it looks. I asked how long he practiced and he said "just a couple of times". So cool! I am now encouraging him to consider making custom engraved glass pieces as a side business. He did such a great job. I can't describe the feeling in knowing all the effort they both went to to show me their love.

My middle son, Robert, gifted me with a very precious commodity-his time! He is in college, works and has a pretty important social life, so when he said he would be coming home the night before and spending the whole day with me, I was psyched, not to mention honored! He didn't stop there-his gift to me is studio time. No, not tim ein an art studio, but time in a recording studio. He and I have always liked to sing together and every Christmas we joke about making Cd of duets as a gift to our family. We-e-e-e-l-l-l-l-l...he and I are going into the studio! We are in the process of picking out songs and then we will practice and schedule our time. I was shocked!!! I am so looking forward to doing it, but I have to admit to being a little timid now that it will be a reality. I can't help but think about what a treasure the CD will be in the years to come and I will also get the opportunity to spend alot of time with him as we get ready.

All of the wonderful things my family did and that wasn't all. I had cards, gifts and phone calls from so many of my friends and family. It ends up that all the people I went to school with are also turning 50 this year, so many of them took the time to write or call. I have to tell you that after all of this I really did feel like I had a hangover of sorts. I don't drink alcohol most of the time, so I really didn't overindulge, but I surely was full. For those of you in the art world, Art Unraveled was the Saturday after my birthday. I drove to Phoenix to partake of the shopping day and have a drink and visit with my sweet friend Dawn. Earlier in the week I received a package from her via FedEx. It was a box of brownies. NOT!!! It was a box of the best brownies I have ever tasted. Ever!!! And I am FIFTY!! They came from a company called Fairytale Brownies out of Phoenix. I had never heard of them, but you can be sure I will be sending them in the future. TO-DIE-FOR!!! And the attention to detail is unmatched-beautiful packaging and presentation. When I saw Dawn on Saturday she had a bag of goodies-also for my birthday. She is so great a gift-giving, but I have to admit that my favorite thing was getting to spend a little time with her.

So....after all the anxiety about feeling old, all the anticipation of the big day, it went perfectly. And I will CHARGE into the next part of my life with a new enthusiasm, a new passion, a new...but first, a couple of Tylenol. My joints ache.

49 Down...And counting?

2009-08-05T00:05:00.000-07:00

I made myself a promise about a month ago to keep this darn blog more up to date. Well...ya know how life just sorta decides things for you? So, here I am again, making the same promise. I decided today was a momentous one and deserved, at the very least, a blog post. Today I turn FIFTY!!!!! Am I brave to tell the world or what? I think it's so funny when women try to pretend they are younger than they are. I have always felt it is better to have someone think I am younger, rather than say I am 38 and have them do one of those sideways glances and say "Ohhhhhh." So, I say again, I AM FIFTY DAMN YEARS OLD TODAY!!!! And so far, I am just fine. It's funny how in my little brain I still feel like I am, say, 25. Once in awhile I get a little reminder that I am not clicking like a 25 year old. Case in point-I was shopping with my youngest yesterday when he found a pair of shoes he loved and he said "These are sick". Never being one to know when to just nod, I said "they're the shizzle". . .

I know. I shoulda known.

But he's a good kid and only smiled as I asked if that phrase was passe'. You know it made for a few laughs back at his apartment later. I seriously cannot keep up with the language changes. I remember when we went from "cool" to "awesome" Wasn't there a few decades between the two? During this same shopping trip I pointed to a belt and said "is that what an emu kid would wear?" He laughed out loud on that one and said "Emo, mom. But that was cute."

Cute. Honest to God.

I think maybe I'm getting to that age where I am just so far out of it I need to SHUT UP!!! Ha!

SO...in my next 50 years I am going to do a few things:

This isn't original, but I am going to worry less about appearances. I can't imagine going to the mall in curlers, but I certainly think I could worry less about the dust on my baseboards.

I am going to make sure that I tell people just how fabulous I think they are. I have tried to do this for some time, but can you ever really do too much of it?

I am going to pray daily for acceptance. Acceptance of what is, of what will be and mostly, of myself and my failings.

I am going to break a few rules. I am a rule follower. Sometimes that's not so much fun. Don't think I'll rob any banks, but maybe I'll be a daredevil and leave my cellphone on in the Drs. office.

I solemnly vow to DE-CLUTTER my life!!!!! I started the process very recently and although I have attempted it before, I am serious this time. After all, I am FIFTY. How much more time do I have? And could there be anything worse than to leave this planet with so much clutter that those mourning my departure would be left to say "Boy, she had alot of stuff!"

I will let more of the little petty annoyances roll off my back. I have noticed that this seems to be a natural happening over the past few years, but I could still use some work in this department. After all, when someone else is having a hard day or the dude at Home Depot just can't be pleasant, chances are it's not about me.

Most importantly, I will try my best to remember each day that this is MY LIFE. I don't get to do it again. I am the only person who can live it and it is precious and the single greatest gift I have been given. I liked living so much that I decided to bring life to three more humans!!! I will act accordingly.

Well, I've been Fifty for five minutes now and it's not so bad...

so far.

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-21T12:23:00.001-07:00

Every year for the past few, I have found myself thinking about what it really means to be a Father. We have all heard "Anyone can be a father, it takes someone special to be a Daddy". I think that in some ways, it is even more rare for a man to truly be a good Dad than it is for a woman to be a good Mom. After all, we carry a baby inside our bodies. We spend most of our lives, from birth, realizing that we will most likely have a child at some point. It is a rare male, indeed, who was pondering his future offspring as a young lad. I am so fortunate to have met and married my hubby. As a husband, he would be impossible to beat, but as the Dad to my boys....There are no words. He is their Stepdad in legality, but in reality he is their Dad. This is the man who taught every one of my sons to drive. He is the one who has been there when life's difficulties arise and they need not only advice, but a loving place to "be". He makes it looks easy. They love him and he loves them. Not because they were born of him, but because of who he has been to them. He provides a wonderful lifestyle for our family and still manages to be the go-to guy, no matter the time or the issue. I can only wonder at the number of life crises he has handled when one of them calls for help without my ever being the wiser. That's the kind of Dad he is. That's the kind of Man he is. An once again I count my blessings. Happy Father's Day, Honey!

For the Love Of Marie

2009-05-28T09:51:00.000-07:00

I think I am a bit behind in getting to art involving the most glorious and, dare I say, elaborate Marie Antoinette. As with so many of the things I create these days, she is the subject of an ATC swap for members of Paula's Kit Club. Paula had one of the coolest "All things French" kit a few months back, which was the inspiration for this swap. If you have never looked at her website, you should-she even included goodies she had scored at the flea market in Paris on a trip. Anywho-this card was fun because it was assembled using many different techniques and supplies. I started with a metallic background paper that I ran through my Sizzix machine using a Cuttlebug embossing folder. The paper came out looking like damask-extremely cool. I had purchased a CD from Lisa Kettell which is just packed with images of Marie and things from that era. After sizing the image to fit an ATC I enhanced some of the color with colored pencils and applied her with pop dots. As you can see, she is embellished with a felt tiara, some gathered chiffon, pearls and rhinestones. I can't wait to see the cards I receive from the swap, as our hostess says they are wonderful.

This is the final card with the backing finished.

And here is the batch ready to send. I wrapped them in vellum and a tulle ribbon, finally sewing a tiny Eiffel Tower charm to each one.

Taking Flight...

2009-05-17T17:27:00.000-07:00

.. by Kelly Rae Roberts just happens to the title of one of my new fave art books, so thought I 'd get a little plug in for it while I do an update on our baby birds. I have to say that this experience has really been so full of learning opportunities-especially for one who knows so little about birds. As you may remember, we have 4 brand-new baby birds (we have yet to figure out exactly what type they are) on our patio. They are 9 days old today and it is my understanding that it is likely they will take flight by the 2 week mark. Now, if you know us at all , you know that we wouldn't just end up with a normal nest experience. A few days ago we noticed that there were 2 pairs of adult birds messing with the nest. A little research revealed to me that birds actually work as a couple to rear their young and in fact the daddy bird will sometimes continue the care and feeding of the wee ones while mom goes forth and builds another nest for the next batch. We realized that another couple had built another nest right next to the first. Hubby referred to it as "nest condos" as they are built as 2 separate, but attached units. I was concerned that the new couple might interfere with the babies, but these little guys were not to be outsmarted. When we got up this morning they had moved into the new nest! I totally get their thought process on this one-can you imagine how gross that first nest is after 9 days of 4 babies living, breathing, eating, etc.? I have no idea what will happen next, though I do see the daddy chasing the new male away whenever he appears. I have updated pictures and the change in these birds (now called fledglings) is amazing.

My Hubby has affectionately named this one "Bartholowew". Just today he is showing signs of wanting to get out of the nest. I read that they are rarely successful in flight on first attempt, which means the DOG will have to be closely watched during this time.

A Binding Challenge

2009-05-13T13:24:00.000-07:00

I was fortunate to have been involved in another book swap recently. This one had the theme "Altered Card Book" and was made up of 18 different types of cards (chosen by the participant), that were altered and swapped. This has made for a bit of a pickle when it comes to binding. These cards, now pages, vary in size from the size of a credit card to that of a Cabinet card, which happened to be my selection. I received my pages a couple of weeks ago and they are WONDERFUL! Every time I think this group can't top itself...

My Cabinet cards were great fun to compose. I made each one different and tried to do things I haven't done before. My Dear Friend Dawn gave me my very first altered Cabinet card and it was love at first sight. She made them for an altered Halloween book way back in October. She has since given me another and I love it just as much. As with all things, some of the altered Cab cards appeal to me more than others and Dawn's are always breath-taking. I would say she gave me my push to try these and I have yet to stop making them. For this swap I was allowed to make good copies to alter, given the price of each card -anywhere from $3 to $10 and even more. I decided to copy 5 different cards and make it a challenge to myself to alter each one differently.

I think I have mentioned that we are to do something with the backsides of these pages rather than just leaving them white, so I wrote a little mini-bio to go with each person pictured. That was nearly as fun as the altering.

I altered 5 of these.

Just had to put a paper hat on this serious dude..Big Top children
Adding the animals to this photo really seemed to change his personality. In my mind, he is having tons more fun with his new cohorts.

This guy again! This was one of my favorites, if only for the stamped bottom which read-"It's a dog-eat-dog world and I'm wearing Milk-Bone underwear. Ever felt that way???

As much as I enjoyed this swap, I am now pondering my binding method. Any ideas? I may just make a cool box to place them in and look at now and then.

New Life...x4!!

2009-05-12T09:41:00.000-07:00

As the perfect entry into Spring, we have had the excitement of a mama bird making her nest on our patio. I started noticing her about a month ago-flying back and forth all day long to this same spot. In this first photo you can see her little head peering out of the nest. I know very little about birds, but I knew better than to mess with the nest, so I got a long-view lens, stood on a chair, and peeked in to see 4 little blue eggs.

After a bit of research (what did we do before the internet?) I realized that it was likely she would hatch the eggs before the end of 4 weeks. It was moving to see how fervently she worked at nesting and how, each evening, she would roost upon the eggs with very little having the ability to disturb her enough to make her leave. During the day any small noise or movement would send her flying, but night time was different-she stayed on those eggs! As it happened, 2 days before Mother's Day my hubby noticed that the eggs had hatched. Due to the need to stay back from the nest, it took a couple of days to see that there were FOUR babies! Mama did a great job it seems. It has been so fun to watch them grow-they have at least doubled in size in the 5 days they have been on this earth. The pictures aren't great, but it is the best we were able to do without disturbing this young family.

A Mother's Heart

2009-05-10T10:43:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day is such a special day for me each year. I know this is the day when my children are expected to do for me and show their love. I am so blessed in having 3 wonderful sons who express their love and devotion frequently-and always show me how they feel on Mother's Day. I just wanted to take a minute today to say that I am even more aware of how fortunate I am TODAY. My sons are the most important people in my life. I have said many times, to many people, that having my boys really was the beginning of my life. I don't mean that in a sappy way, or to minimize what had happened up until that day in January, 1980 when I first held Jeremy, my first born, in my arms. I mean only that they have been the impetus for most of the important change and growth in my life. I know that in this world today we are told to be self-sufficient, self-interested and absolutely-self-motivated. I truly believe so many of the things I have accomplished in my life and most of the growth and evolution has come from my desire to be a better person for my boys-to be someone they know has their back, thinks they are perfection and will be there for all things, good or bad. Even now when my youngest is 21, I feel a special pride in being their Mom-first and foremost. If this makes me unevolved and too enmeshed, so be it. Jeremy, Ryan and Robert-THANK YOU! Thank you for allowing me to participate in your journey. Thank you for allowing me to be there when you, in all your beauty, took your first breath on this earth. Thank you for making it obvious everyday that, even though I made many mistakes as I learned my job, you think I did OK. Thank you for giving me my most treasured identity. I love being your Mom.

This is a photo of my sons and my beautiful Daughter-In-Law, Steph. She is the daughter I didn't have when I was raising my boys. She is truly the one I would have chosen, had it been my choice to make.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY, Ladies!

Some New ATCs

2009-05-01T13:41:00.001-07:00

I was so excited to participate in an ATC swap that ended just today. The swap was initiated through a Facebook group of people who are members of Paula's Kit Club and the theme was "Birds", which is just perfect for me right now. The gal who hosted the swap lives in Florida, so it may be a few days before I see the work of the other participants, but I really enjoyed doing this card. There were 15 participants in this one and though I have done some where there were as few as 3, I really enjoy the larger ones. Maybe I'm just greedy, but I love having all that artwork in my hands at one time. Every time I have done a swap I have been amazed at the way so many people can take the same theme and do such different things with it. I have really missed the monthly ATC swap I used to attend at Frenzy Stamper, so this is one way to get my fix. The downside to doing the swaps by mail is that you don't get the chance to hear about the process of the artist. Oh...and I don't get to see my friend Debbie Bick, who owns Frenzy and is one cool chick!

Did We Really Need 5 Minute Chocolate Cake??

2009-04-29T10:50:00.000-07:00

I received an email this morning from one of my High School classmates and thought instantly that is would make for a fun post. I have to mention that this classmate is a guy. If that isn't cool enough, he just married for the first time at age 51!!! He is as happy as anyone I have ever known and I guess he decided now that he's married he can let his figure go! Just kidding, Randy. Anyway, here ya go-

5 Minute Chocolate Cake for One

4 tbsp. Flour

4 tbsp. Sugar

2 tbsp. Cocoa
1 Egg

3 tbsp. Milk

3 tbsp. Oil

2 tbsp. Choco Chips (opt.)

Small splash of Vanilla

1 Lg. Microwave safe Coffee Mug

Add dry ingredients to mug and mix well. Add egg and mix thoroughly.

Add milk and oil and mix again.

Place mug in microwave and cook on high for 3 minutes.

The cake will rise over edge of cup-don't be alarmed.

Cool.

You can tip it out onto a plate if you like.

Eat and enjoy!

If you are feeling generous, you can share with a loved one.

My personal addition would be a little whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate sauce.

And I ask one more time...DID WE REALLY NEED THIS!!?? sigh.....

Just In Time For Spring.....

2009-04-26T16:16:00.000-07:00

...a little Bumble Bee!!!! This is Patsy Cline (the dog, not the singer) and you don't have to look too closely to see that she was not loving her little outfit. But you have to admit she looks good in antennae.

Has the Dauphin Deflowered the Dauphine Yet?

2009-04-24T16:50:00.000-07:00

A very funny line in the movie "Marie Antoinette". One must picture this proper gentleman- satin breeches, ruffled shirt, powdered and curled wig and having had maybe one too many celebratory cocktails- leaning in with an attempted whisper to speak these words to another slightly inebriated fellow. It makes it funnier yet when you realize that these were times when everything was so very prim and fussy. I watched the movie again this afternoon and just sighed as I was taken to a place where every single thing in a room, including the people, were embellished to the max. With all the interest of late in Marie, the movie just needed to be viewed one more time. "But it's not historically accurate" Well, folks, I think that ship sailed with the scene a few minutes in being enveloped in the music of Bow Wow Wow and Atom and the Ants. It may not have been a history lesson, but it was surely some great eye-candy. Speaking of eye-candy-if you have seen this flick, you may remember a short scene where the tea Marie poured blossomed into a lovely flower. You can get the same type of tea here. I purchased a sweet little kit right after viewing Marie for the first time.

One of the little things we can do to make ourselves feel more royal and pampered. If by chance you have yet to see the movie, I suggest it. Preferably on one of those days when you really need an extra dose of fluff and fanfare.

Adventures In Jewelry Land

2009-04-02T15:22:00.000-07:00

I have been working heartily on making jewelry the past few weeks. As I mentioned earlier, I notice with my artsy endeavors that I go in phases. I may be very involved in paper arts today and tomorrow the jewelry findings and stones will call my name. The process for jewelry is much the same as for any other undertaking except for one thing-when I am creating a piece of jewelry, I nearly always have someone in mind when I start. Many times I end up with something that I will make more than once, but the original thought is usually for one particular person. These pieces were made for my Mom last Christmas when I was feeling especially sentimental and missing my Grandparents

I was very fortunate to know my Grandparents from both sides while growing up. In fact, my Maternal Grandparents were alive well into my 30s. This little ornament was made with a photo of them, taken in the 1970s. This is a soldered piece accented with flat-backed crystals and topped with a bow. I pictured it on my Mom's Christmas tree.This is my Maternal Great-Grandfather, Virgil. I was 3 years old when he passed away, but I have a very slight memory of him. Handsome guy???

Here he is again. And meet my Maternal Great-Grandmother, Ethel. She was alive until I was 20 years old. Grandma was quite a spirited woman with many wonderful stories about her heartiness. She actually built a house from the foundation up and had an article about the undertaking in the newspaper of the town they lived in. While this was an amazing feat, it was just one of many, many stories about Grandma. You hear it said that certain people are ahead of their time, and I believe she truly was one of those people. She was an advocate for equality long before it was fashionable to be such and she promoted it not by being loud and all-knowing, but by living her life with passion and not allowing others to determine her ability.

This is a two-sided pendant which was made the same as above and finished off with some wire-wrapping techniques. I had just taken my first wire-wrapping class and I see now that all things improve with time! LOL!!!! I finished it by building a necklace with copper and bronze colored beads.

Bejeweled Bedazzled & Feathered?

2009-04-02T14:56:00.000-07:00

I have noticed a trend of late towards all things bird and nest. I have never really had a passion for birds, but even I have been drawn to the sweet little nests and things that are showing in so much of the artwork right now. I have seen many different versions of jewelry with the bird theme and really wanted to make myself a necklace that I had envisioned. So many times when my mind's eye sees something of this sort I end up putting it off until I forget it, but this has been gnawing, so here it is:I started with a coil of 18 ga. silver wire and just kept coiling it until I had a nest that pleased me. I added freshwater pearls for the eggs and a bird charm at the bottom. I have already worn it a couple of times and I love it! As is nearly alway the case when I make something I really like, I couldn't stop and ended up making a few more. One is earmarked for a friend of mine in Denver and I have plans for some of the others.
I go through phases in my creating. I am definitely in a jewelry phase right now and have decided I want to be a part of an art charm swap. I have a friend who participated in one where they made 50 charms. What a lot of work, but what fun would it be to get that parcel in the mail??? I have been sketching tons of ideas and will post them here as I get them done. Who knows...maybe by the time I actually get to do a swap I will be ahead of the game and have them done!

Sewing Challenged

2009-03-31T18:15:00.000-07:00

I did it! I finished my pages for the upcoming book swap themed "Sewing". Not such a big deal, right? Considering that sewing is one of those things I just never quite mastered, it is a huge deal. Well, at least it is to me. I sent the pages off on the 18th and will get the return group sometime after the 1st of April. Here's my page-

I actually enjoyed the process and did very little sewing. The background is a patterned yellow cotton that I overstamped with a flourish design with Black Staz On ink. I made a little template for the pattern piece on the left, used a collage sheet for the pattern envelope and stuck some ruled quilting tape on the bottom. Is that tape the coolest thing? I was going to buy enough tape measures to do all 20 cards, but was very stoked when I found this roll of adhesive. I actually DID sew a bit when I attached the vintage buttons (from my Grandma's button jar) and the little silver charm. Each page had a different sewing-related charm and each page was slightly different. I decided I wanted to do some fabric painting, so I bought some muslin and painted up a large batch of it to use on the back of the pages. I used thinned down acrylic paint as the first layer. Then added stampings of a double ring and a spiral in 2 other shades of yellow. The last touch was random dots of white applied with the wooden end of my paintbrush. I don't think the picture really shows all the detail, but the process was fun and I will try more of the muslin painting in the next few days. I used the fusible web to put the 2 sides together and they were done. I need to add to this that I fully intended to use my sewing machine to add a little bit of stitching, but life being life and all, my machine needs a tune up and just would not work well enough to do what I needed to do. So...or is it SEW, it's now in the shop awaiting a proper tune up. I guess I can't be too upset, as this machine was purchased in 1976 and I have never had to do a thing to it. It is a very basic model and weighs approximately 342 lbs., but it would take alot to destroy it, so I will appreciate it for the fine piece of machinery it is. When I get it back.

Paying It Forward

2009-03-23T20:51:00.000-07:00

I was perusing some of my favorite blogs the other day and wandered across this wonderfully fun idea. This is the scoop- If you are one of the first three people to leave a comment on this post, sometime in the next few months you will receive, via snail mail, something cool that I handmade JUST FOR YOU! There is no obligation, no worries. The only request is that you include this logo on your own blog and do the same for three people. And on and on it goes. Sound like fun? Then leave your comment below and start watching the mail! Be sure to leave your email addy so that I can contact you for mailing information.

In Order To Create, One Must First SHOP!!!!

2009-03-23T14:00:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful day last Friday when my sweet Daughter-In-Law and I took a morning and hit area yard sales. As I have mentioned before, this is pretty new to me and I have to be in the right mood, but this activity was initiated by Steph, who decided we should do it once a month from here on since it was such fun. Here is a look at the day's purchases:

Can you just picture the fun I will have altering this cool house? I found this at a yard sale with many other cool things. The sale was at the home of a local artist, whom I had never met, named Hilary Gonzales. Turns out Miss Hilary teaches classes in our area in Altered Art! I have lamented so many times at the lack of artsy types where I live. While I am quite sure they exist, I have met so few. I hit it off with this particular artist and I am sure I will see her in one of her future classes. She admitted that this house was one of those "gotta have it" items that just she just never got to. I feel I must do it justice...one of these days.

This same stop produced these little bags of goodness. They were a mere 50 cents each and have bunches of "junque" that will work so well in my altered art. The headers say "Art To Share". What a great idea for all that little stuff you have at a garage sale. I'm not sure this would appeal to just anyone, but not everyone recognizes treasure when they see it-don't you agree? It also started a thought process within me about how many hundreds (thousands) of little bags I could fill with treasure if I ever have that elusive garage sale.

Another stop on our journey led to this little gem. A few months back I took a class at Frenzy Stamper given by a super-fun chick named Rosie. She brings an industrial Badge/Button maker and you spend a couple of hours making mini-collages and whatever you are inclined to make with the end result being a nice pile of fun, fun, fun button pins. I know I wasn't the only one who left that class sincerely coveting the machine to make buttons. But they run a few hundred dollars, so I decided I could just attend Rosie's classes. This is the where you find out just how CHEAP I can be, as I ran onto this little Badge maker marked at $5.00 and almost didn't buy it! It is not on par with the big, industrial machines, but the gal who sold it swears that she used it in her business for years and that it works just swell. I haven't tried it yet, but the box had everything-including all the directions and purchase orders from the company that makes the parts. I'll keep you posted on how it turns out, but for a five spot I think I made the right corporate decision.

Steph found several frames, old and new, which she intends to use in her home decor projects, If I can twist her arm, I'll show you what she comes up with. She has developed a new passion for refinishing (altering???) and I am so looking forward to seeing what she does. She is an artist in the making and she will be awesome once she lets go and gets it going. After our outdoor adventures, I turned her on to a wonderful antique store in none other than Camp Verde, AZ.. Sweet Peas Antiques is one of those places I had passed by a hundred times and never stopped. Once I did I was completely hooked and I have found some cool things here. Some of the lovelies I found for my Valentine's Day swap came from this venue. It's one of those places where various vendors rent space and all the spaces create a HUGE store. There is also a space set up with stamping and scrapbooking items, which makes it a double whammy. This trip's haul started with these 2 magazines from 1931-

Woman's World & The American Home. The ads are to-die-for in both magazines. I originally intended to buy just the Woman's World and then I saw this beautiful ad on the back of the Home mag-

Though I would much prefer it be an ad for lipstick or face powder, its beauty cannot be denied. And after all, this was from an era when a woman only showed more sophistication and worldliness if she had a cigarette delicately perched between her fingers. Fortunately times have changed, eh girls?

One more delightful find from Sweet Pea-this delicate baby bib from France. It is 2 layers with the first being a soft blue cotton and the overlay a cream tulle-type lace with white embroidery. As much as I appreciate the bib, the tag was the extra bonus. Can you believe that when I was going through the checkout process, the cashier came thisclose to cutting the gorgeous tag off? I nearly shrieked...but I caught her just in time! HA! I'm not sure what I will do with this, as I could never imagine it actually being worn by a baby. Maybe babies don't spit up in France?!? I do think it might look great on just the right vintage teddy bear. Hmmmm....a project for a future Grandchild perhaps? Sorry, kids!

I agree with Steph and think we should do this once a month. Not only did we score some major finds, but I always have fun when I get to spend time with her. We laughed, shopped and ate. What more could a girl want?

Weeeee're OFF To See the Wizard.....

2009-03-07T09:15:00.000-08:00

...and all I can say is WOW!!! I am posting pictures from the book swap I just participated in with the theme "The Wizard Of Oz". This group is by invitation only and is run by a couple of extremely wonderful and talented ladies Jane and Penney. The book was greatly anticipated by those of us involved in it and it did not disappoint. I can truly say that there was not one page in this book that wasn't just exceptional. I have looked at it many, many times over the past week and I am just tickled every time I do. Here are some of the pages:

This is the front cover, by Penney. One of her

elementary students drew the characters and

Penney made the transparency from her

drawing.

The cool execution of this page by April is

one of the greatest things about these swaps.

Her character was Dorothy.

If you look closely at these two pictures, you will see that they are different only slightly-when you turn the wheel hidden behind the horse, he changes colors. Hence, "A horse of a different color" How creative!!! This page was done by Sherry.

Is there a girl out there who didn't dream of wearing the costume of Glinda, the Good Witch? I still get shivers when I see her in all her glittery glory. I think Miss Stephanie Wright did an amazing job of showing her off.

"Follow the Yellow Brick Road" by Marissa. All in one dimension, she managed to make it look as though you could actually get on the road and head to Oz.

Jane, one of the group leaders, did this adorable page using a photograph of her sweet Granddaughter in her ruby slippers. Clever!

I love anything Dawn does and she succeeded again with her "Lollipop Guild" page. These are the pages she worked on the day I crafted at her home. Worth the wait, no?

I actually did 2 pages this time around. My first is "Wicked Witch of the West". It fits me, what can I say? She holds a "To Do" list which reads: TO DO: Buy Monkey Chow, Order Foundation-L'Ancome Gully Green, Get Broom Tuned Up, Get that Kid and her Dog!

Our group requires that you do something with the back of the page-no glaring white pages here. This is the back of the Witch page, just to give you an idea of what you can do.

My second page was "Somewhere over the rainbow". I did a foldover page that went from a bleak-looking sepia page to a brightly colored rainbow to Oz. It's hard to photograph, but you get the idea.

And the back of the page. This fabric looked enough like Poppies, in my mind, to pass for them on the back of my page.This last page was done by a very talented lady in our group whose name I cannot find. If by chance you see this, please let me know and I will give you due credit.

What a book! I am on to my next project-a swap book with the theme of "Sewing". I am so NOT a seamstress, so wish me luck!

The Middle Child

2009-02-27T11:38:00.000-08:00

I have written on this blog about the Birthdays of my oldest son Jeremy and most recently, my youngest son Robert. I must have been having great times around May and June every year in the 80s, as all of my boys were born within a 5 week period. While we were in Vegas celebrating Robert's 21st, my middle son Ryan was gearing up for turning 26 just 2 days later. The title of this post is 'The Middle Child' because I was thinking about one time when he was 7 or 8 years old and he was getting into a little trouble-can you imagine that? After a couple of particularly trying days with him, I sat him down to have "the talk" with him. After going through the list of things he had been doing, I asked him if there was something going on that was upsetting him and causing these problems. He thought about it for a minute and then looked at me very seriously and said "Maybe it's 'cause I'm the middle child". Believe me, this was a sign of things to come. He has always been so precocious and nothing ever got past this kid. He started keeping all of us in line the day he uttered his first words. As I mentioned in my earlier post, he attained his degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Aerospace Engineering and minored in Business in only 5 years. He is amazing and I am so proud of him. He is a very non-stereotypical engineer in that he is always the life of the party and brings fun with him wherever he goes. He is living in Dallas/Ft. Worth and I miss him every day of my life. Happy Birthday, my Sweet Son. You are more than I ever hoped for and who you are is absolute perfection.

Ryan with my Grandcat, Nikha.

Good Art, Good Friends....

2009-02-27T10:57:00.000-08:00

So it is that I have had so little time to post of late, that I am feeling particularly loquacious (Or whatever the word is for wanting to do lots o' typing) today. I want to tell a little about my adventures in Artland. I belonged to a group that met once monthly to exchange ATCs (artist trading cards) up until December, when life decided I needed to do some other things. I am currently getting my need to create fulfilled by participating in a few swaps through an online group. It is my true belief that the reason I joined the ATC group to start with was that I was introduced Dawn, who has become a great friend and a wonderful source of artsy inspiration for me. She and I have done a couple of lunches when I was in Phoenix, but she invited me to her home for a whole day of crafting fun a couple of weeks ago. We are both participating in a chunky book swap with the theme "The Wizard of Oz". How fun is that? I chose to do 2 pages, which adds up to 40 since you do 20 of each page. My pages were 'The Wicked Witch of the West' and 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow'. Dawn had 'The Lollipop Guild'. We decided that, since we had only a few days to finish and we were both a bit behind, our pages would be our project of the day and we spent the largest part of the day working on our pages and bouncing ideas off each other. I had kind of hit the wall in regards to inspiration with it all, and Dawn was a great help in seeing things from a different perspective. Part of the fun of doing this whole thing was that I got to see Dawn's lovely home. It is decorated to perfection, as I knew it would be, and you can see all of Dawn's artistic ability and flair throughout. Dawn prepared a lovely salad for our lunch. It was so pretty I needed to take a picture. It had all the best components-aesthetics, nutrition and yumminess!!! I also met her doggie, Pumpkin, who is every bit as sweet as she is cute. And the coup de gras was meeting her Hubby, whom I have heard about for months. I always love to hear someone speak in loving words about their spouse, and Dawn really loves her guy. As it turns out, he is really such a nice man and I am happy that I finally got the chance to meet him. Our next feat will be getting all of us together as couples to have dinner. We are all limited by schedules, but I think we will get it together one of these days. Here is a peek at my pages in progress. I have some of Dawn's as well, but don't want to spill the beans for her until the books are in the hands of the recipients.

The pages on the right are the Rainbow, but these are the back sides, which we are required to decorate at least a little so that the page is not stark white. When I receive the book all together, I will post some photos of my pages as they ended up. As with most projects of this magnitude, I was still adding to them an hour before I put them in the mail. It seems we are never completely satisfied with our own work, but I was very happy to get them on their trip to Phoenix. Cannot wait to see the finished product.

To be 21 again!

2009-02-26T13:51:00.001-08:00

Well, I am finally posting again after 13 days! I get so impatient waiting for others to post when I am following their blogs, so I guess I'm lucky that I have so few followers. HAAA! That's for you, Ryan! Lots going on since my last post. This past weekend was the 21st birthday of my youngest son, Robert. He decided several months ago that this auspicious occasion would be marked by road-tripping with some of his friends to Las Vegas. Is this not the dream of every person leading up to that important birthday? Well, he actually DID it! I have to say that I was quite impressed at his ability to save money for the past few months in anticipation of his trip. He received mostly money for birthday gifts, but saved enough to cover the entire venture. He went with 4 of his friends from the University and had the extra special bonus of his BF from elementary school, Josh Bruner, flying in from his new home in Arkansas to join the festivities. While we were happy and excited for him getting the opportunity to live the "turning 21 dream", we also felt a bit blue at missing out on such a special day. Never let it be said that we don't make our presence known to our kids, possibly to their dismay at times. We told Robert that we wanted to pay for a dinner on his actual birthday and made reservations at a restaurant of his choosing (Planet Hollywood). What he didn't know was that his brother Ryan flew in from Dallas, his step-dad Mike flew in from Albuquerque and his brother Jeremy and sister-in-law Stephanie drove in with me from the Wood. It was enough to make me jump out of my skin as we waited for his arrival at the restaurant on the big night. When he and his friends were being seated, we all rushed in to surprise him. He was totally blown away and we could watch as it dawned on him that we were ALL there. He is such a sweet young man and went out of his way to tell us over and over that this little surprise made his birthday. As the mom of this group, I was so touched and humbled at the way my kids were so willing and excited to do what had to be done to make their brother's birthday so memorable. To say we had fun together would be to sell it very short of the reality-we had a ball! My middle son, Ryan (he hates it when I add "the aerospace/mechanical engineer") became fast friends with all of Rob's posse. As he puts it , he "is the party" anywhere he goes. While Robert was actually in Vegas for 3 nights, the trip was a quick one for the rest of our family, with all of us leaving Vegas the next afternoon. My camera did its normal act and I don't have photos yet. My sweet Daughter-In-Law took bunches and I will post them as soon as I get them.

Very Lucky Mom

2009-02-13T09:38:00.000-08:00

I will tell anyone who will listen that I am the Mother of the 3 most amazing, loving sons in the world. I know they get tired of hearing how proud I am of them and how very blessed I feel to have them. This morning is one example of what makes me so very lucky. I was going about my daily morning routine when the doorbell rang. I heard the telltale "thump" of the UPS man drop-and-dash, which always gets me excited. What I saw was a box from ProFlowers and I assumed my Hubby was doing a little early Valentines-ing. When I opened the box I was immediately overcome with tears and gratitude. They were beautiful tulips from my youngest son (the baby) Robert. My Robbie is a Junior at NAU and has just been away from home for a little over a year, but I miss him every day. Being that he is the youngest, he and I had quite a period of time with just he and I at home and became very good friends. I have always known how blessed I was to have him feel that way towards me when most kids that age are at odds with their parents. He has grown into such a sweet and thoughtful young man and I am so proud. He works and goes to school, so every cent is very necessary, which just shows how sweet he is to send me flowers. The card was so beautiful and I will share this little bit "I love you and miss you always"...Oh, my heart! My cup truly runneth over. I must also share with you that my sweet Kitty, Vanessa, always thinks flowers are delivered expressely for her sniffing pleasure. So I thought it quite fitting that she jumped in the frame as I snapped the photos. Happy Day Before Valentine's Day!

Wassup in "the Wood"

2009-02-12T08:29:00.000-08:00

Cottonwood, that is. I am happy to say that I live in a Northern portion of Arizona. I am happy because this means we have it a bit easier in regards to heat than does the rest of the state. A few days ago we had our first, and most likely last, snow of the season and I was reminded of the first time I ever saw snow on a Saguaro cactus-what a sight! Just seems very unnatural when you consider that these cacti thrive in 120 degree weather.

Not much new here, so thought I would show you some random photos. I have been practicing my photog skills, so bear with me as I learn.

Look at all these scrumptious trims! I have belonged to the best-ever artsy paper kit club for a few years now. Each month I receive a kit just packed with wonderment and I had years worth of a few yards of this and that. I decided the only way I would ever use it would be to make it easy to look at. My solution was to wrap it around these strips-doesn't it look cool?

I mentioned that I am participating in a book swap (photos to come). This is a page I made for a swap called the "Funky Chunky Book Swap". It was comprised of a zentangle I made and copied onto a transparency. Then I attached the transparency to a piece of unprimed canvas, added some fibers (stitched onto the canvas) and painted on the edges. It was only the second piece I have done in B&W. The book ended up with 20 different pages and it's definite eye-candy.
Remember all the sweet goodies I received from my New Friend in Italy? This was my work table when I was putting together the gifts I sent her. She has not yet received them, but that's another story. Help us put out vibes that will get the gifts to her doorstep.
I have been so taken with all the little vignettes I have seen on the various blogs I visit. This is one end of my Valentine's grouping in our living room. It sits on a sofa table directly placed behind my, uhhmmm...sofa!

The other end of the table.

My newest swap is a book based on "The Wizard Of Oz" How cool, huh??? This is a sneak peak of the page I am making for The Wicked Witch of the West. I felt so lucky to get her for my page. I am also doing a second page for the Rainbow. I am a bit regretful of signing up for 2 pages, as that actually equals making 40!!! I wanted to make 2 so that I would end up with 2 copies of the book. My plan was to give one to one of my very favorite artsy friends, but I found out she was a late sign up. I have a new plan for the second book, but it's a secret. Shhhhh.....

A pretty picture of our little town after a rain. This was about 2 weeks ago and the air smelled heavenly. I noticed after the rainfall that my little doggie's feet didn't have to be washed after her walk. I love the rain...

Another peek at the Witch page. These are silhouettes that I cut out and then embossed with black embossing powder. Hard to picture the final product, no? They look pretty sinister all lined up here. And curled up too!
I started making these tiny picushions right about the time I sent my parcel off to Italy. Guess I wanted to keep going with the Valentine's theme. This one turned out OK, but you shoulda seen the first one! HA!!!!
Our bedroom. Notice the floppy sham edges. I have since stuffed them so they stand upright. Took me a minute to figure that one out, but they look much better.
Our living room fireplace. I am working on "framing" the photos I shot, and you can tell it is still a work in progress. But this gives you an idea of what it looks like.

And last is the canvas I made in my Tim Holtz class a few weeks ago. It started with a blank canvas to which we applied old dictionary pages, aged and distressed them and then used various techniques on his Grungeboard letters to form whatever words spoke to us. When I saw this on another website I wasn't all that taken with it, but it ended up being fabulous and I love it now that it is home with me. If you ever get the chance to take a class with Tim run, don't walk, to sign up!

CIAO for today!!!

Moments that take our breath away...

2009-02-08T07:58:00.000-08:00

I mentioned awhile back that I was participating in my first-ever Valentine Swap. This one was hosted by Dolly and there were around 100 participants. The day I received the name of my swap partner I immediately wrote her an introductory note and we had a connection that seemed surreal from the get-go. I wrote about her, her name is Monica and she is not only an amazing artist, but a wonderful, warm woman as well. I knew very early in our correspondence that she would be a special person in my life for a long time to come. One of the cool parts of getting Monica for a partner is that she lives in Italy. I was so excited in anticipation of her package to arrive from Italy. Well, it arrived and all I can say is that anything I could have imagined, having seen her beautiful blog, could not have prepared me for the awe-inspiring gifts she sent. Most of the photos I am posting here were taken by Monica herself. As you have seen, I am still a work-in-progress when it comes to photography and she was kind enough to allow me to use her photos.

This is, bar none, the most beautifully wrapped package I have ever seen. Monica lovingly created a patchwork of many lovely fabric pieces. Then she topped it with the most gorgeous pink lace, rusty skeleton keys, ribbons and bows and a fabulous huge ribbon rose. Can you see the darling little tag she made? This would have been gift enough, as I was absolutely stunned at the beauty of the packaging.

Once the top of the box was lifted, I saw this unbelievable tote. I was tearing up at this point as I looked at the perfection that shows in everything Monica creates. This picture cannot possibly show all the perfect stitching, the luxurious creme colored satin inner lining, the exceptional beauty of the vintage postcard she lovingly transferred to fabric, or the little cluster of vintage buttons and lace. It is exquisite! It is hanging on the wall in my bedroom where I can admire anytime I am there. This is a photo I took (can you tell). It shows a little bit of the detailing. Isn't it just something????Every layer of the box brought another delight for the eyes and soul. The photos shown are very beautiful, but cannot possibly show the love and care that Monica put into each item.

A lovely little rag-dolly heart.

She had no way of knowing that these chocolates are some of my faves. She definitely knows a girls' heart, does she not???

Monica tells me that she really doesn't do collage, but she did this gorgeous assemblage for me.

This little heart has special meaning for she and I. It is filled with seashells and on the back she carefully placed a map of Nantucket Island-where I was born. Turns out, in one of the many serendipitous things with our "meeting", she has always dreamed of visiting Nantucket. Isn't life amazing? My tears began to flow in earnest when I saw this. There is a sweet little saying about home inside as well.

The inside of the box she made was lined with copies of late 1800s letters from her family members. They are in Italian, French and English. And...the beautifully hand-stamped tag.

This is a photo I took of some of the items in the package. Take particular notice of the little bear. Monica is, among so many things, a wonderful watercolourist. It was a secret wish of mine that she would find it within her to paint something for the swap. The bear was such a sweet surprise. He will be promptly framed and treasured forever.

And a grouping ...

I am still absolutely overwhelmed at the sheer beauty and thoughtfulness of this gift. I not only received the most awesome gifts ever, but I feel I have made a close friend for life. I think maybe Monica tired of hearing my rantings about all things being for a reason, but meeting her has just affirmed for me that the things that happen in my life are meant to be. Monica-Thank You from the bottom of my heart for all you did for me. You are unique and wonderful woman.

ONE MORE THING----Monica recently shared with me that she will be opening an Etsy shop and I couldn't be more excited for her. Watch this blog for an announcement of her grand opening!!!!!!

June Cleaver would be proud

2009-02-05T19:48:00.000-08:00

"Ward, I think you're being a little hard on the Beav". Did she really say that? Ok, you all must know that I am forever working towards that ever-elusive Mother-Of-The-Year awardhttp://http://pointlessbanter.net/2007/12/19/lynne-spears-celebrity-mother-of-the-year/. This is what possessed me when I made a batch of divinity this Christmas. My son Jeremy loves the stuff. I am certain that his love of sugar stems from the fact that his Mother felt he would be healthier with NO sugar in the first 4 years of his life. Anyway, after getting the stuff to the hardball stage it quickly became apparent that my pan was lined in a permanent hardball shell! I tried everything I had ever tried and said more swear words than one should utter at Christmas, when my dear Hubby found the solution online. It is simply this: fill vessel with water and add one fabric softener sheet. That's it! The directions said to leave it overnight, but within a mere 30 minutes I had a pan that looked as good as the day I bought it. I have since used this wonder technique in several emergency cooking situations (speaks well of my cooking abilities, no?) and it has worked like a charm every time. Burnt on food? It'll do the trick. Old, gnarly cookie sheets? Yep!!!! Give it a try. And quit being so hard on the Beav.

A new addiction...

2009-01-31T10:05:00.003-08:00

...as if I needed another! How often is it that we are aware of the very moment an addiction begins? Well, it may be somewhat unfortunate that I have been gifted with this awareness. I have become a yard sale junkie! I know, I know. Not a rarity. Most everyone I know partakes of this Saturday morning ritual but I have, at least until this weekend, managed to sniff in disinterest preferring Dillards or, dare I say it, Walmart to digging through piles of castoffs. It all began innocently enough-I have started feeling the draw towards all things vintage. I perused a few of the local Antique shops and Thrift stores and found some pretty awesome goodies. We all know it was just a short step to Garage Sales. As it turns out, Michael has been home for the past 2 days and he is always game for whatever adventure I wish to pursue, so he suggested that we give it a try first thing Friday morning. We laughed as we discussed that this would most likely be the first weekend in history when there would be a shortage of sales, as this tends to happen when we get these bright ideas. If you're thinking I am feeling sorry for myself you should know that it has happened that we have arrived at one of our favorite restaurants for a much anticipated celebratory meal only to find the landlord putting new locks on the doors and NON-PAYMENT OF RENT signs on the windows. No joke! I guess we were living right this weekend as there was one yard sale. In all of Verde Valley. One.

Turns out, it was a pretty good one. That's not to say the sale itself was great, because it really wasn't. In the words of my loving Hubby and new co-thrifter, "looks like a bunch of other people's crap to me". Most of the items hadn't even been priced-is this normal? It ends up that I spent $18. But I think I may have run across something pretty cool. It is marked "Limoges Coronet France", Signed on the front, left bottom and rimmed in gold. After a little sleuthing on the internet, I think it may be quite a find. Any thoughts anyone??? Here is a picture of my entire haul from this sale. The Limoges plate, 2 crystal candy dishes, (one has a lovely heart on the handle and just needed to be in my home for Valentine's Day), a large embroidered tablecloth-not very old, but can be used for any number of things, a tin pail that I will sand and re-paint, a brand-new Chinese Calligraphy kit-(the little water and ink dishes were still wrapped in the original packing paper) and 2 books-"The Other Boleyn Sister" and one that I purchased to cut up and use in my jewelry collages. I picked it up without even looking through it because it was a romance novel and I figured it would surely have some of the words I favor in these pieces. I am not a romance reader, but I think this one might just qualify as a little more than romance, bordering on erotica. Some of the words in this book would make for some very interesting neck pieces!!! All in all, I am very happy with my finds. Not sure what I will do with each item, but I'll get better at this Yard Sale thing.

Pre-Valentine's Romance

2009-01-29T14:48:00.000-08:00

I am feeling just a bit giddy today, as my sweet Hubby will be arriving home following a 3-week period of working away. I have said for years that a traveling Husband makes for a great marriage. Why, you ask?? It's quite simple-when he is gone for 2 or 3 weeks at a time we are so happy to see each other when we can be together. He is such a great guy anyway, telling me several times a day that he loves and misses me and never missing the opportunity to tell me I'm beautiful. I keep telling him that I hope he never gets glasses. We may be in big trouble! This marriage isn't my first, but it will be my last. I know a good thing when I find it, and he's a great thing. So, although Valentine's Day is a couple of weeks away we will be doing a little pre-celebration that begins around 8:00 this evening!

I'm not the only one who misses my Sweetie when he's gone-his sidekick, Patsy, has been jumping up eveytime a flea sneezes since I told her this morning that Daddy is coming home today. She is our little 4-legged kiddo and she is very attached to her Dad. When he is home she makes the rounds of our little town here, going anywhere Dad does. She spends a couple of days moping whenever he leaves and she is certain to let me know that, while I am not her favorite parent, she will tolerate me until Dad comes home.

A Touch Of Gold

2009-01-23T13:47:00.001-08:00

What girl doesn't love gold? I was recently invited to join a Chunky Book Swap themed "A Touch Of Gold". I have only done one such book before this, so I was very excited to get going. I sent my pages to the host on Monday and she has them in her hot little hand already. We will be getting all 20 pages back in the mail in the next week or so. If you've never participated in a book swap, it's such fun. A theme is selected and a group of people (in this case, 20) each come up with a design, make enough for each participant, and then the pages are swapped, allowing each participant to have 20 different pages. The host also assigns the front and back covers to one person so that when you receive the book, it is all ready to be bound. I did a swap for Halloween and the pages were awesome. I am anxioius to get the new pages and get them bound. I will post some pics when I get it done and will also get the Halloween book photographed. Here is the group of pages "in progress" and the nearly finished product. Hang in there with me-I will work on my photography skills!

Empty-Nest Relief

2009-01-23T13:38:00.000-08:00

My weekend is starting off to be a great one. My hubby and I are empty-nesters as of last January. I figured myself for one of those women who, the day her last child left home, would quietly crawl into bed under the sheets and cry until I had gotten it all out of my system. I have done rather well with the whole thing, but I still get so happy when one of the boys comes for a visit, which is the case today. My youngest son, Robert, decided to come to Mom's house for a little R&R, taking some time away form his wildly busy schedule. He is a full-time student at NAU and works at a tire shop 25 or so hours per week. Add to this his social life and you can see why I am so happy he had time to visit. We plan to catch up, watch a few movies, nosh and go to dinner. One of the things I love most about my kids is that they all have a great sense of humor. When they are here there is plenty of laughter- I will enjoy every minute.

2009-01-23T13:35:00.000-08:00

2009-01-23T13:32:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day Swap

2009-01-23T13:20:00.000-08:00

I guess I should be blogging more often-at least that's the word from my middle son, Ryan. He doesn't know this, but I am just tickled that he even looks at this! I have been busily preparing a package of goodies to send to my new friend, Monica, in Italy. I had such fun creating and shopping for her. She is a delight and I am so hoping she will like her Valentine's Day gifts. It was my first experience with mailing anything to Europe. Next time I will be a pro! The box I sent weighed 22 lbs. and I packed it to withstand an atomic blast, so hopefully all will arrive safely. We are supposed to post photos of our gifts on Flickr, but being new to this, I am not sure my photos are of the quality needed. It also happens that at around 11:30 last night, while I was getting the last of the gifts wrapped and into the shipping carton, my camera died . I figured out what was up this afternoon, but it was too late to photograph some of the items I sent. Maybe I can talk her into taking some shots when the package arrives. If you haven't seen her photographic skills, you should look here-White Bench. I am finding that there are a great many things that Miss Monica is proficient in doing.

A shout out

2009-01-17T10:34:00.000-08:00

I wish I could articulate just how excited I am to be blogging. I am so NOT a computer person, so I am feeling pretty cocky over here! I would be doing a disservice if I didn't give a big shout out to my sweet friend, Dawn Binyon. This chick has been more inspiration to me than she will ever know. I think her art is fabuloso and her heart is even more so. I met her when I joined an ATC swap at Frenzy Stamper www.frenzystamper.com 17 months ago and I have since believed that meeting her was one of the big reasons "the powers that be" sent me to the swap. She has been so encouraging in this process. You should check her out at http://www.alteredartists.blogspot.com/ Thanks, Dawn.

Everyone should get to meet Monica...

2009-01-17T09:59:00.000-08:00

So, I decided to join a Valentine's Day swap this year. I have always been so envious as I watched other people prepare for a mail swap and decided this was to be the one. I am a firm believer in that all things happen for a reason, and this has just affirmed that for me. My swap partner is a beautiful soul named Monica. She lives in Italy and has the most glorious blog- http://The-White-Bench.blogspot.com . We have only written a few times, but I feel such a connection with her. I just feel her heart in everything she writes and in all the lovely things she creates. I have been busily gathering and creating and will be sending her goodies in time for her to receive them for Valentine's Day. I can sense already that she will be a friend for a long time to come.

Can my son really be 29 years old????

2009-01-13T21:19:00.000-08:00

I think it is serendipitous that today is the day I begin this journey. It was 29 years ago this day that I welcomed my precious oldest son, Jeremy, to the world. Of all the things I have experienced in my time on this earth, there has been nothing that has affected me as profoundly as the birth of my three sons. Jeremy is a unique and special gift to this world. And I say that with no small amount of gratitude. I need to be very clear in saying that he just came into this world a wise and caring soul-I can't take credit for it. Happy, Happy Birthday my sweet son.

Superman wears Tim Holtz underwear.

2009-01-13T20:56:00.000-08:00

How fortunate am I to be posting to my blog for the first time on the week following classes with Tim Holtz? If you have somehow managed to miss him, Mr. Holtz is an absolute ICON in the world of mixed media art. I had the good luck to have met him many years ago when he was working as a buyer and instructor at Ben Franklin in Prescott, Az. I can only say that all his many and varied successes have only made him a better guy. He is fun, funny, generous, helpful, humble and, of course, amazingly talented. He taught 2 classes. The first one was the altering of a wooden bird decoy. Sound interesting? It was unbelievable, and I learned so many new techniques that I have already put into practice in some of my current projects. Here is my little bird, whom I have aptly named "Penelo-peep". I am so taken with her and I was very excited to see all the wonderful work of those in our class.

Later in the day, Tim taught another fun class. In brief, we were to make a canvas holding words that are inspirational to us. He was quite specific in suggesting that we make this project for ourselves rather than as a gift for someone else. It was interesting to see the different words that each person chose. Everything from ART to ZAMBONI. OK...no zamboni, but there were as many different themes in the chosen words as there were people in the room.