whose theme is "If I Could BE Queen for a Day...." I'm going to post (if the comp lets me...depends on the day) one of the 3 books I made. They are made from 1 sheet of 8 1/2" x 11" paper with only one cut....really cool! We were supposed to keep them very flat with no embellishments. That was a challenge because I love loading on embellies!
Only 3 more days until I leave for Artfest. I thought it would never get here and now here it is already! I'm sure glad I made my swaps already altho I did just add some atcs to my pile. They are photos of creatures that washed up on shore during the 2005 tsunami. Most of them had never been seen before. Isn't it grand that there are still so many life forms we know nothing about on our planet?
Our piles of dirty snow are slowly disappearing! HOORAY! Lots of sunshine the last 2 days, though still cold.
OK...here's hoping the scans will download. Nope...it says error on page. I'll try later.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
More Storage
OK...the stamps are in what could again be a closet. This photo shows my stamp pads piled on a shelf. Nothing very original I guess! I used to have a wood shelf system with a hole for each pad, but you couldn't see what colors they were and I didn't find it user friendly at all, so got rid of that and now just try and keep them piled up according to brand and colors.
Storage Solutions
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Hi - Some sunshine today...a welcome relief after yup, you guessed it...snow yesterday! It's mostly gone thank heavens. Someone on one of my Yahoo groups asked about storage for stamps and stamp pads, so I am posting a couple of photos showing what I have done...or my husband, actually. All I did was fill up what he made!
Monday, March 23, 2009
It's Monday Again
The recent rains have knocked down so much of the snow...thank heavens! Even the messy, brown mud is welcome.
I used to hate Mondays when I had to go to work, but now I love them because I get to go to my Monday Morning Writer's group. As I've mentioned before we write from prompts. I'm going to put on a couple of short writings I did with the prompts. If anyone else out there is a writer maybe you could put what you wrote from them under comments. We usually have 8 minutes in which to write for each prompt.
The Secret Life (Prompt)
I lie upon the garden path and discuss soil amendments with my broccoli and water requirements with tomatoes.
I place crystals among the herbs as directed and send love to all.
It keeps me sane to sit beneath the flowering plum and laugh with Buddha.
I talk with Esmerelda, the fairy watching over the lettuce and tell no one of my discussions with the water sprites.
I revel in the world beneath the one we see, immersed in its' joy and help. Perhaps beneath is not the right word. It is beside the everyday world walking hand in hand unbeknowst to most.
I hug the pine tree hanging close to the edge of the river bank, worried that the day will come when it will topple down the slope into the water, but that fear is not a part of its' consciousness and it comforts me.
Capers in the Churchyard (Prompt)
Perhaps I have spent an inordinate amount of time in churchyards which I consider includes cemetaries.
When I was 7, my best friend, Sonja Carmichael, lived in a ratty old house with a monkey and a parrot who had bitten off her mother's right pinky finger. I later considered it karmic because the mother made her extra household monies by wrapping a clean hankerchief around puppy's tails and biting them off thus saving their owners a large vet bill.
But, I digress. Behind Sonja's house was the town cemetary. She and I would gather our dolls and head to play house among the gravestones. We would double dare each other to step on graves taking the chance that horrible things would befall us for such desecration. Little girl's laughter would fill this hallowed spot as we chose which grave we would step on next, taking into consideration age and sex, usually choosing old men on which to bestow our feet.
My Jr. High School was directly across the street from another town's cemetery. In seventh grade, I was in love with Brad, whose real name was Foster and who had a metal plate in his head from hitting it on a diving board so hard that it removed a portion of his skull. He said if anyone ever punched him on that metal plate, he would die. It made my love for him that much stronger. He would put his hand in mine and lead me into the cemetery where, crouched behind the largest gravestone we could find, we would hug and kiss all lunch hour. Ah, to once again, want that more than food.....
I used to hate Mondays when I had to go to work, but now I love them because I get to go to my Monday Morning Writer's group. As I've mentioned before we write from prompts. I'm going to put on a couple of short writings I did with the prompts. If anyone else out there is a writer maybe you could put what you wrote from them under comments. We usually have 8 minutes in which to write for each prompt.
The Secret Life (Prompt)
I lie upon the garden path and discuss soil amendments with my broccoli and water requirements with tomatoes.
I place crystals among the herbs as directed and send love to all.
It keeps me sane to sit beneath the flowering plum and laugh with Buddha.
I talk with Esmerelda, the fairy watching over the lettuce and tell no one of my discussions with the water sprites.
I revel in the world beneath the one we see, immersed in its' joy and help. Perhaps beneath is not the right word. It is beside the everyday world walking hand in hand unbeknowst to most.
I hug the pine tree hanging close to the edge of the river bank, worried that the day will come when it will topple down the slope into the water, but that fear is not a part of its' consciousness and it comforts me.
Capers in the Churchyard (Prompt)
Perhaps I have spent an inordinate amount of time in churchyards which I consider includes cemetaries.
When I was 7, my best friend, Sonja Carmichael, lived in a ratty old house with a monkey and a parrot who had bitten off her mother's right pinky finger. I later considered it karmic because the mother made her extra household monies by wrapping a clean hankerchief around puppy's tails and biting them off thus saving their owners a large vet bill.
But, I digress. Behind Sonja's house was the town cemetary. She and I would gather our dolls and head to play house among the gravestones. We would double dare each other to step on graves taking the chance that horrible things would befall us for such desecration. Little girl's laughter would fill this hallowed spot as we chose which grave we would step on next, taking into consideration age and sex, usually choosing old men on which to bestow our feet.
My Jr. High School was directly across the street from another town's cemetery. In seventh grade, I was in love with Brad, whose real name was Foster and who had a metal plate in his head from hitting it on a diving board so hard that it removed a portion of his skull. He said if anyone ever punched him on that metal plate, he would die. It made my love for him that much stronger. He would put his hand in mine and lead me into the cemetery where, crouched behind the largest gravestone we could find, we would hug and kiss all lunch hour. Ah, to once again, want that more than food.....
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Hey everyone....it's not snowing...
I hardly know what to do....Yesterday, the first day of spring the temperature actually reached the high 50's. WOW It was great! Well, just continuing to get ready for artfest in my mind as well as my suitcases. Only 9 days???EEEK!
Yesterday, went to Spokane to see our friend Fritz who has cancer and is dying. He's on a respirator. Very important to have a living will if you don't want that to happen to you. Sorry to be so grim, but it can happen. It did to him...very quickly and he's only 52 which gets younger to me all the time. Today, the friend with POA comes and will probably have them shut off his life support which is what Fritz would want if he could speak for himself. He is a good man, a good friend and a brilliant patent attorney...the world is losing a good soul.
I made some fabric postcards yesterday. I'll post a couple. Still trying to think of other trades to take to the fest, but so far my muse is keeping quiet.
Have been seeing so many birds lately. Even one yesterday I have never seen before. Sometimes, I think they get off track and land here by mistake. At least there's some earth showing under the trees where they might find food of sorts and we have suet, etc. out for them.
Yesterday, went to Spokane to see our friend Fritz who has cancer and is dying. He's on a respirator. Very important to have a living will if you don't want that to happen to you. Sorry to be so grim, but it can happen. It did to him...very quickly and he's only 52 which gets younger to me all the time. Today, the friend with POA comes and will probably have them shut off his life support which is what Fritz would want if he could speak for himself. He is a good man, a good friend and a brilliant patent attorney...the world is losing a good soul.
I made some fabric postcards yesterday. I'll post a couple. Still trying to think of other trades to take to the fest, but so far my muse is keeping quiet.
Have been seeing so many birds lately. Even one yesterday I have never seen before. Sometimes, I think they get off track and land here by mistake. At least there's some earth showing under the trees where they might find food of sorts and we have suet, etc. out for them.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Sargasso Seahorse
I have always been fascinated by the Sargasso Sea and the seahorses who live there in particular. Sargasso seaweed floats on the top of the very slow moving sea and the seahorses hang out in the seaweed for safety. They are very difficult to distinguish from the seaweed itself...they're so feathery and gorgeous. And honestly, in the photo I was looking at to do the drawing his eyes looked just like I drew them...honestly.
OK...this is getting ridiculous....it's snowing huge flakes. I guess it's raining in town, but we are just high enough that it's snow....oh goodie, goodie. If it's snowing on the coast when I go for artfest, I'm going to need horse tranquillizers otherwise I can't say what I'll do. I'm leaving a day earlier and joining my bad baby friend JoAnne! So...only 15 more days or as my darling granddaughter and Bad Baby Kelsey say - 15 more sleeps. Is that an Aussie thing, Kelsey?
Friday, March 13, 2009
Family Photo
My Auntie (who was adopted...really neat story for another time), my Uncle Albert and my Mom (the littlest) dancing on a stage my grandfather, who was an artist, built in their home. My grandmother was a teacher and she homeschooled the children. Approx. 1924 Please do not reprint without permission - I guess - I don't know. I keep thinking of what it would feel like to see my family as part of other people's art. They're all gone, so I suppose it wouldn't matter to them. I don't know how I'd feel...maybe it would depend on how and in what they were used. Maybe no one wants to use them, so it's a moot point.....so I guess I won't worry about it...whew....
Friday the 13th.....dum de dum dum.....
It's Friday the 13th and the moon is moving into Scorpio...one of the deepest and most mysterious of the signs...how appropriate. I love my Scorpio friends for their sharp, sarcastic wit...as long as it's not directed at me...no, really I can take it...really. You might want to be more hidden and secretive than usual today, tomorrow and Sunday, esp. if you're around Scorpios...only kidding!
Well, it's not snowing, but it's dang cold...10 degrees colder than usual, but with the promise of it warming up later in the week. It better if it knows what's good for it. IT? Who or what is it? I don't know, but it better watch out.
I went to the allergy specialist yesterday to find out why I can only breath on alternate Thursdays. He poked me A LOT and told me I'm allergic to dust (well, thank heavens that's not a problem...no dust in my house), trees (there goes the dancing), weeds(there goes gardening), grass(dang, can't cut the lawn anymore) and...get this...cats and dogs. I told him I'd be dropping my 3 dogs and 2 cats off at his house later and he said he had heard that before....said he had 100's of cats. I don't think I believe him.
Well, it's not snowing, but it's dang cold...10 degrees colder than usual, but with the promise of it warming up later in the week. It better if it knows what's good for it. IT? Who or what is it? I don't know, but it better watch out.
I went to the allergy specialist yesterday to find out why I can only breath on alternate Thursdays. He poked me A LOT and told me I'm allergic to dust (well, thank heavens that's not a problem...no dust in my house), trees (there goes the dancing), weeds(there goes gardening), grass(dang, can't cut the lawn anymore) and...get this...cats and dogs. I told him I'd be dropping my 3 dogs and 2 cats off at his house later and he said he had heard that before....said he had 100's of cats. I don't think I believe him.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Artfest Trades
These say Artfest 2009 on the back. I have them packaged in tiny plastic bags with an extra shell or 2. Originally, I was thinking folks could tie their room key on them to make it easier to find. The friends who wanted one here have tied them to the rear view mirror, on their purses, etc. I made about 60 of them. Also have small baggies of ephemera and some extra fatbook pages. Trying to think of something else to make because a lot of folks said they brought 100 trade items!!
Monday, March 9, 2009
Well, Just for a Change....
IT"S SNOWING...I don't even have enough signs and symbols on this computer to properly express my dismay...no dismay is too light a word...digust? despair? fury?Went to my writing goup this AM...we meet in Cafe Bodega in a very old building turned artsy mall with antiques, yarn shop, etc. Anyway, the mailman came through today in shorts. That's how desperate people are getting. Everyone says, well the skiers are happy. I say let the skiers be miserable for once - them with their distorted love of snow, wind and cold. Let's make the walkers, gardeners and swimmers happy for a change is what I say....but apparently no one is listening. We write from prompts...one of today's prompts was "I didn't know a steam roller could move so fast." If anyone likes to write...give it a try and post what you did!
Writing from Prompt
I didn't know a steam roller could move so fast, but I sure wish someone had told me, then I wouldn't be flattened like a pie crust, rolled up and stuffed into our post office box screaming for my mother to get me out - or anyone actually.
The driver was Mickey Mouse. Who would have ever guessed he could be so mean. Instead of helping me after he ran me over, I could see him jumping up and down on that machine with great glee. Somehow my eyes must have been spared the flattening process the rest of me received.
So here I am - and I'm claustrophobic I might add - rolled up in P.O. Box 242, Andover, NJ and it's the middle of the night. It will be many hours before morning when I will hopefully be rescued. Tears are filling the box and dripping down into Box 142 below. I imagine the inked addresses on their mail becoming blurred and illegible. Did I mention that Minnie was there too? She was in her medieval princess outfit - gauzy material waving in the wind from the top of her pointed princess hat. She's smiling up at Mickey as if she's pleased with his steam roller act. What is going on here? I thought they loved kids. "Hey" I scream again when my Mom's voice slips through the cracks in the post office box, "Wake up and get ready for school."
Writing from Prompt
I didn't know a steam roller could move so fast, but I sure wish someone had told me, then I wouldn't be flattened like a pie crust, rolled up and stuffed into our post office box screaming for my mother to get me out - or anyone actually.
The driver was Mickey Mouse. Who would have ever guessed he could be so mean. Instead of helping me after he ran me over, I could see him jumping up and down on that machine with great glee. Somehow my eyes must have been spared the flattening process the rest of me received.
So here I am - and I'm claustrophobic I might add - rolled up in P.O. Box 242, Andover, NJ and it's the middle of the night. It will be many hours before morning when I will hopefully be rescued. Tears are filling the box and dripping down into Box 142 below. I imagine the inked addresses on their mail becoming blurred and illegible. Did I mention that Minnie was there too? She was in her medieval princess outfit - gauzy material waving in the wind from the top of her pointed princess hat. She's smiling up at Mickey as if she's pleased with his steam roller act. What is going on here? I thought they loved kids. "Hey" I scream again when my Mom's voice slips through the cracks in the post office box, "Wake up and get ready for school."
Saturday, March 7, 2009
New At This and about my journal
And I'm don't know how to add stuff yet...like text on the side of my journal cover, etc...or how to move them to the side....Sorry...please bear with me. In other news, today the moon moved into Leo....so expect some drama in your life today or, at the very least, feeling a little bit emotional! Good day to spend being creative or having fun with children.
My journal was started while feeling just a little,teeny, tiny tad of depression over the continuation of winter. However, just to be the difficult person I am, I did it in very happy, bright colors.
My journal was started while feeling just a little,teeny, tiny tad of depression over the continuation of winter. However, just to be the difficult person I am, I did it in very happy, bright colors.
Hey! Guess what it's doing today!!
SNOWING$%^&**&^%$#@$%^^ Could you hear me yelling? Good grief! And cold...oh gosh, it feels even colder than it is because it's been warming up a little. Our only consolation is that these late snows don't accumulate much...usually...and melt away quickly altho we still have lots of the white stuff on the ground. OK..nuff said about that. I'm busy getting ready for Artfest. I'll be gone April 1-7 in Port Townsend, WA and then to visit a friend in Seattle for 2 days. I'm taking a class in portable shrines with Laurie Mika. If you haven't seen her work, check out one of her websites. Also taking a class called Imaginary Creatures with Carla Sonheim and a class called The Series with Tiphoni. I'm just a little excited! How wonderful to spend all those days with people as nutty about art as you are. Plus I'll get to breathe some ocean air and get out of dodge! I have almost 70 items I've made for trades, did 56 fatbook pages for a fatbook Kristie LaRose is hosting and a ton of atcs for an atc project Bee Shay is putting together.
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