Lillys of Londonish

Doodling Traci Bautista Style

2012-01-29T11:54:00.001-05:00

I just received a copy of Traci Bautista's second book Doodles Unleashed, and immediately tried to unleash a doodle in my sketchbook. It's patterned after one of her girly doodles, page 99 to be exact. I love her style, and I loved her first book, Creativity Unleashed, which she autographed for me at CHA in 2008. I later had the chance to take a class from her at Art & Soul, and that was wonderful also. You can find out much more about treiC designs all over the web.
Here's some earlier art I made from Traci's collage sheets, and here's some of my doodles from her class.

I used simple and cheap markers from Office Depot for my doodles, but I am excited that I have a little batch of Copic markers coming from Ebay. Soon I will know why everyone raves about those markers. And honestly, I've had a couple before but they were very similar colors, so it was hard to appreciate the Copic range. And I've never used a blender with them. So it will be fun, and if I don't have the knack, I can always take a Copic class at The Queen's Ink in Savage Mill, where they are taught regularly.
Meanwhile, back to doodling...

Finally made something!

2012-01-26T17:08:00.000-05:00

Winter ought to be the best time to "make stuff," but I've been so busy with work and work travel as well as finishing up and trying to market "the novel" or "the" novel (see my writing blog), that I've barely had a chance to breathe. Add to that a re-commitment to the important of gym time, and an appreciation for good sleep, and there's just not enough time for FUN!

But with my dear friend Sarah about to have her first girly, after boys Ike and Max, I was inspired to crochet up a hippo from "Cute Little Animals" by Amy Gaines and to embroider a little skully onesie. It has a black ruffle on the rear, too. Sent them off and just waiting to hear about the new little one's name and arrival.

In an effort to decide what to do art-wise and to help make it a priority, I decided a trip to Michael's was in order (as well as an order from Dick Blick and bunches of markers from Staples). It was clear by the looks of my cart that an art identity crisis (AIC) was in progress. I piled in yarn, crochet hooks, embroidery and tapestry needles, paint brushes, watercolors and acrylics, sketch pads, ribbon, canvasses, beads, pattern books and magazines.

Now if I were just an octopus so I could do it all at once -- and save one or two tentacles for cooking, reading and cleaning.

An art class at The Queen's Ink in Savage Mill on Super Bowl Sunday morning with the talented Britisher Dyan Revealey will be sure to get me more than just enthused. By the end of it, and well before the Giants and Patriots kick off, I will have completed a 24" x 24" wall canvas! Very exciting. Will be sure to show off here.

A cheery spot is a good thing on snowy days!

2011-12-05T14:44:00.002-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T07:50:00.003-05:00

I'm dreaming of some pumpkin pie,

wishing on a star-blue sky.

Wish I may, wish that I might

not count any more calories tonight.

On gravy, on pudding, on jelly and jam:

slather my turkey and spiral sliced ham.

Oh green beans, cabbage and pretty yams,

skip my hips and pass my gams.

Fluffy rolls, brown rolls, yeast and more,

will I ever again fit through the door?

Jello salad, pea salad, pickles and cheese,

pass the relish tray and the margarine please!

Mashed potatoes, smashed potatoes, who gives a rip?

I'm on a delirious, delicious carbohydrate trip,

and when I'm done, maybe I'll run a lap....

after my L-tryptophan-induced, heavenly nap!

Happy Thanksgiving, all you gobblers!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T06:26:00.001-04:00

Untitled, a photo by Gina2424 on Flickr.

My inspirational & motivational work spaces

2011-10-10T20:50:00.000-04:00

Thank you, Indian Summer!

2011-10-08T13:03:00.000-04:00

My morning glory vine and my petunias and geraniums and my SOUL are all thankful for the gorgeous 80F degrees and warmer the last several days here in northern Indiana. Warm and sunny is the forecast for the next several days also. It's sooooo pleasant!

Congrats to my dear friend Jenny and her family. Welcome Lewis Alan!

2011-09-03T23:02:00.001-04:00

Lewis Alan Fretz arrived August 31 at 9:11 p.m. in Pennsylvania to Jen Fretz and husband Andy and big sis Gwen. He weighed 9 lbs., 15 oz (beating out my Alex by 11 oz!) and was 21.5 inches long. She says he's the cutest kid ever, and it sure looks like it!
I'm supposed to be embroidering three onesies with 'boy stuff.' Looks like I'd better get that finished up. So happy for Jenny and her family. Check out her Child of Hope blog. Jen and I used to have big fun staying up until all hours scrapbooking and papercrafting when we weren't up to shenanigans at Bath & Body Works.
Jen spent some growing up years in Leesburg, where her dad was a pastor. And now Jen has a little boy (and girl) of her own. Congrats!

Finally! Took some art classes again.

2011-07-24T12:28:00.000-04:00

After a too-long-to-measure hiatus, I finally signed up for a couple art classes at The Queen's Ink in Savage Mill, and boy, am I glad I did! The special guest instructor was Dyan Reaveley, international and European educator with Ranger products. What a treat! Dyan is a well-known and admired artist, teacher and shopkeeper from the U.K. Just listening to her accent and euphemisms all day was jolly good fun! Cannot get the technique "shimmy butt roll" out of my head. Thanks so much.
The first class was a darling 6 x 6 chunky canvas (her examples shown above) which we painted and embellished with such products as acrylic paint daubers, Perfect Pearls, Perfect Pearls glimmer mists, Color Wash sprays, Tim Holtz's die cuts, Dyan's darling, hot new rubber stamps and many new techniques.
The Queen's Ink in Savage, MD in the rehab'd Savage Mill hosted the event. It's an outstanding place for classes, and owner Patti Euler is a blast. The store is stocked to the rafters with needful supplies and goodies. It's hard not to come home with one of everything.
I met some lovely new art friends, including Donna Walsh of Words Have Wings on Etsy. We commiserated at the same table for seven hours and tried to avoid spraying each other with Glimmer Mists!
Waiting for some finishing touches to dry on my own canvas, and then I'll post pics.
My next class was an accordian fold book, and Dyan's samples are pictured here. We used a lot of the same products on watercolor paper, and added a bookbinding technique, as well as stencil use and more fun rubber stamps. Didn't get quite finished, so working on it today, and will post pics soon.
The classes were good-sized at 20, and you can see some classroom shots above. That's Her Majesty Dyan at the paper cutter. I also got some great treasures in the shop, including a fun, new journaling system called SMASH. Hope to start that today, too, and will post pics soonish. Cheerio and Shimmy Butt Roll and all that.

More painting with thread

2011-07-19T13:08:00.000-04:00

Got my Happy Day sampler back from framing at Jo-Ann Fabrics. I chose a wooden frame in hot pink. Love it! While waiting for that, I started and finished this Halloween dress for Blythe. I started with a purchased base dress, that had already been dyed from white to orange. I added the ghostly trio, as well as a spider and web, waist and hem trim.
Wow! I just noticed that my previous post was my 500th post! Can't believe I missed that. Maybe I'll remember to celebrate my four year blog anniversary this August 2. Time flies when chatting with friends.

My recent faves- I love me some color!

2011-07-13T14:28:00.000-04:00

See my Flickr for a link to all the wonderful photos and photographers in this mosaic.

Happy Day sampler done!

2011-07-09T12:49:00.000-04:00

This was the most fun ever! I hated to see it end. Pattern from Pam Garrison. Choice of type of stitches and colors up to the stitcher. So I went bright (I guess you can tell).
Stitches I used: straight, back, chain, stem, satin, French knot, star, seed, bullion (first time), daisy, couched. Variegated floss used for the letters, leaves, border and some flowers.
Inspired to stitch by dear Bryanna Lenan, Little Dear/Merwing and Roxie Creations.
Can't wait to frame this or make a pillow with it. It really makes me smile.

WIP: Happy Day embroidery sampler designed by Pam Garrison

2011-07-06T21:12:00.002-04:00

Art Making in Two of My Favorite Mediums

2011-07-04T10:15:00.000-04:00

Work-in-Progress Weekend: Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-02T15:45:00.000-04:00

Will this two-year-old WIP get any attention this weekend? We shall see. It's a 4" x 4" canvas I painted with acrylics and stenciled myself. So far, so good. Stymied since 2009.

More Embroidery - Miniature Version

2011-06-30T21:43:00.002-04:00

Cross-Stitch Art

2011-06-28T18:46:00.000-04:00

It seems all my painting is being done with fiber these days--from crochet to embroidery to an old, old favorite, cross-stitch. I just finished this little sampler above a couple weeks ago (and in fact, the pattern is for sale in my Etsy). Just picked it up from being framed at The Stitching Post. Getting ready to hang it. My work is rough; I can see it. After not doing this for probably 20 years, I was shocked at how much harder it is to see those little patterns. But, I have another piece started, as well as an embroidery sampler. Needlework is just so much easier to transport when traveling. There's no mess to clean up, and the rhythmic stitching is soothing.

Crochet Art

2011-06-25T20:01:00.000-04:00

I've been traveling a lot lately - TN, IN, OR, MD, CT - so it's not exactly conducive to having the canvasses, easels, paints, brushes and water sitting about for inspiration to strike. But my yarn, crochet hook and little scissors passed all the airplane inspections, and so I made some tiny Blythe clothes on my travels.
The sweater pattern is from Crochet Today! magazine, Jan-Feb 2010 and is an update on a 1960s knitting and crochet flier for fashion dolls. The hat pattern is from my friend Zoe Aarden's book, Grrrlie Designs for Blythe, which I edited (see sidebar on this blog).
Meanwhile, ever appreciative of real crochet talents, I bought this intricate vintage, yet mod, flower doily for $1 at an antiques mall. I knew I wanted to frame it, and so I sprayed it with fabric stiffener and then had it mounted to a bright mat to show off the pattern. Even with a ready-made frame, that $1 doily now has more than $50 invested in it for posterity.

More Weekend Finds & Happy First Birthday Tinkerbelle!

2011-06-06T13:20:00.000-04:00

Some treasures from a stop at Objects Found in Catonsville, MD and The Fancy Flea festival at The Pink Cabbage in Ellicott City, MD. I bought the doll, and for some reason the seller threw in Raggedy Andy for free. I didn't even ask about him. And the Edgar Allen Poe volume, copyright 1902, was inside the vintage wooden bird cage. I had just gotten a box of vintage floral birds the day before, so I guess I am officially on a bird kick.
Tinkerbelle Louise turns one today- June 6. I adopted her six months ago from the Small Miracles Cat Rescue in Ellicott City, and she has been such a joy! She deserved her birthday "cake" with candle.

Memorial weekend vintage finds

2011-05-30T15:04:00.002-04:00

I flew from Maryland to Indiana for my great-nephew's open house Saturday. He graduated from Center Grove High School near Greenwood and will study geology at Indiana University. He's also an incredible artist (new pics to come).
While in Indiana I hit some of my favorite antiques shops: AlleyCats in Leesburg, a great new antique mall; and a few shops in the well-known antique town of Pierceton, IN. I had seen two vintage Barbie cases (actually for Ken and Skipper) back in September 2010, and they were still there! The owner even gave them to me for half price, and they were already cheap!
Given my latest fascination with embroidery, I was on the lookout for vintage linens, and boy, did I score! Sets of gorgeous pillowcases, towels and doilies and baby dresses, all with amazing examples of detailed needlework. My plan is/was to embroider some more on some of them, but don't know if I want to spoil them. And I think I will frame the nine panel daisy doily.
You can see my other goodies-- a vintage art deco purse, small china doll, paint tins and a very smooth, much-used eyewash cup or egg cup. It just feels neat. I keep meaning to make an altered paint tin much like Connie Govea Stuart showed in Somerset Studio May/June 2009. And I'd like to make a big book of vintage textiles samples and lace bits like Sandra Evertson's Album d' Enchantillon featured in Somerset Life summer 2008. It's just a huge, gorgeous, rich, French-y book/album.
My travels took me through my hometown of Anderson, for a cemetery visit, and a much cheerier stop at the landmark, Gene's Root Beer (....or is it Gene's Hot Dogs?) Ack. Either way, it was a staple of my childhood. It was a big deal for girls to be able to be carhops at age 14. Saturday's carhops were about 30 years past that. But the good news was the food had not changed!
Today, Memorial Day, is the first day I've seen sunshine since I've been here. And now it is about 90-F of course. I've seen or driven through hail, sideways rain, thunderstorms, tornado watches and warnings; my planes were delayed or forced to circle, flights cancelled, bags lost/delayed. You know, the usual travel stuff.

Under the Sea pillowcases complete!

2011-05-27T11:57:00.000-04:00

Motifs from Aimee Ray of Doodle Stitching The Motif Collection. Look for it on Amazon or on Etsy under littledear.

Still stitchin'

2011-05-21T12:50:00.000-04:00

I'm really enjoying the nautical motifs in Aimee Ray's Doodle Stitching that I blogged about here.

I finished the first of two pillowcases, and after getting some really cool threads at The Stitchin' Post in Catonsville yesterday, I stayed up late working on the second pillow case, which I will show you soon.

I also found some really great patterns for cross-stitch and a very cool book called A Rainbow of Stitches. The book's designs are for embroidery and cross-stitch. They are modern and what I would call IKEA-like.

Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival Report

2011-05-12T13:25:00.000-04:00

Last Saturday I went to the Maryland Sheep and Wool festival right here in Columbia, at the Howard County Fairgrounds. It is the largest festival of its kind on the east coast. I had good advice to get up and go early, because by 9:15 a.m., there was about a one-mile back-up to turn into the parking area.

As you can see, the festival is about much more than just sheep, including goats, llamas, alpacas and rabbits. The third picture from the top is actually a goat. I'm pretty sure I offended its owner when I asked if I could take a picture of the "cute sheep." But I apologized- to the owner and the goat.

That booth is also where I got the great hot pink mohair seen in the picture with the other goodies I brought home. That will make a nice re-rooted scalp for a Blythe doll. I'm big on pink hair.

There was also pottery, jewelry, rugs, beeswax and clothing, as well as plenty of food vendors. I thought about a lamb sandwich, but couldn't do it. I settled for a corndog and a stomach ache. By the time I trekked to my car three hours later, the parking area looked like that of a giant shopping center. But I guess it was, actually, and handmade is always fun. When I got home, I couldn't resist the urge to doodle some sheep.

My Worst Mother's Day

2011-05-08T13:13:00.003-04:00

Don’t got no mother.

She went and died. Just when I was starting to really like her.

It took me from age 26 to 38 to learn anything. I was a mother, too, then. I was a mother at age 22 and eleven twelfths. But everyone knows age one to three is easy, right?

Don’t get me wrong. My mother didn’t like me either. She was mean. I don’t know why.
She clawed my face once with her fingernails and when worry set in, she told me to tell me teacher the dog did it.

She hit me on top of my head once with a hard hairbrush, and I remember my dad telling her to stop.

That’s about all I remember about him. Unfortunately.

I remember my mother used to go to work at 4 p.m., even though I would cry and beg her not to go.

She left me alone with my father. He was about 50 and slept all evening, starting at 4 p.m. Sometimes he made me Kraft Macaroni & Cheese dinner. Sometimes I don’t remember.

I got a Poodle, Pepe, when I was eight. I don’t remember if he was for me or my mother. They said me. But my dad gave away my dog, Shag, when my mother insisted upon a poodle. Maybe Shag got hit or had cancer or something, and they just didn’t want to tell me. They said I saw my cocker spaniel, Muggs, get hit when I was three, but I don’t remember it.

I don’t remember my mother ever cooking supper. Or baking cookies. Or baking anything.

Once I covered the kitchen floor with pieces of wax paper while she was on the telephone, and I got in trouble. We had a dishwasher, but either it never worked or she refused to use it. I don’t know which.

I ran through the back storm door once when the lights went out. I was scared. I was eleven. My dad called the neighbor lady because I cut my hand. She put a Kotex pad on it, and told my dad to take me to the emergency room. He asked me why I ran through the door. I was scared I’d get in trouble when my mom got home.

She did come home, and she made me a grilled cheese even though it was late. I remember us both saying we were sorry. I don’t remember why I was sorry. But my mom hugged me. It is the only hug I remember until age 29.

My dad couldn’t play with me because he had a bad heart. But he could drive me places when my mom was at work. One night he forgot to pick me up. And he was dead.
My mom didn’t tell me for the longest time. I didn’t know what was wrong with her. When she told me I screamed.

I didn’t want the policeman to leave me alone with her. I was scared. I had to call my adult brothers. I was still eleven. I couldn’t find one of them.

When my mom would get mad, she would yell and say I killed my father because I made him play with me and drive me places when she was at work.

After my dad died, my mom didn’t go to work much. But if I missed the bus (once, because I usually had perfect attendance), she would not take me to school. Or let me walk. We lived two blocks away, and I was still eleven.

When my mom did go to work, she left me with a mean, bug-eyed babysitter. And I was eleven! I didn’t need no babysitter. I was a good girl and a straight A student. I stayed in my room and read and made up school assignments to stay busy.

She got rid of that babysitter and hired one who brought special orange juice in a big pitcher that I couldn’t have. Sometimes my mom didn’t come home until 4 a.m., even though she got done working at 1 a.m.

Sometimes she came home and had orange juice with the babysitter.

Pretty soon I was hiding from my mother until she would pass out.

But then sometimes, I had to call my brothers because I thought she was dead. Especially when she would fall down. Or take a bunch of “nerve pills.” She told me I was the cause of the nerve pills, too.

I hid from my mother until I went to college. She hid in the garage once and waited for me when I came home from a date. I was 16 or 18. She tried to strangle me outside and broke my necklace instead. I liked boys. They were not mean. Usually. I liked my teachers. They were not mean. Although three different ones kissed me, starting in eighth grade. I didn’t mind, I guess.

My mom called the boy I liked most in the world in 11th grade and yelled at him for not taking me to a dance. I wanted to die. He was gay, and he did die at age 48. I didn’t figure out he was gay until we were 40. I always wondered why he never kissed me the entire prom weekend. I thought I had bad breath for twenty years. Or was ugly. But I wasn’t. I was a pretty girl. But no one ever told me. So I didn’t know in time to enjoy it.

She called to yell at the boy because I had rear-ended some lady, and I said it was because I was upset about the dance. Really I was upset because I was scared to tell my mom I had a wreck. It messed up my thirteen-year-old rusty car and broke the lights. I don’t think it hurt the lady’s car. But I was scared. It was my first wreck.

My mom wouldn’t let me live at college. I don’t know why. I had all A’s but feel lucky to have gone to college. I don’t even know how I got there. I had to drive back and forth, and then hide from my mom and her special-orange-juice-which-had graduated-to-wine at night.

Finally, someone convinced her to let me move on campus. But then she would call at 4 a.m. and say she was killing herself. And I would have to hang up so my roommate could sleep.

Then I didn’t speak to my mom for six or seven years. I didn’t speak to her at my father’s mother’s funeral. My dad was long dead. My grandmother wasn’t presently speaking to me because I had borrowed $500 to get divorced and hadn’t paid her back yet. (She had given me all cash from a box in her closet where she kept many hundreds more). She was the only grandparent living when I was born. She liked my older brothers better because they were adults I guess.

I don’t remember what it was exactly that made me speak to my mother again. By then my childhood home (age three to nineteen to not speaking) was gone. My Barbies were gone. Pepe was gone. She said he froze to death solid outside. Who puts a poodle outside? A poodle with registration papers.

My mom stopped drinking, I think. So we could speak. And I had two children and a husband. And she had a strange, sickly but kind of nice and funny man who lived with her. I never knew what to make of him. And then he got crazy. And then he died. And she didn’t even go to the funeral, I don’t think.

But my mom didn’t start drinking again. Although she was depressed and lonely. And then she moved even farther away. She had a dog she kept in the laundry room. I would let it out when we visited. It was fat as a sheep.

She needed lots of help. She didn’t have any money. She had a stroke. She had cataracts. She had slightly dishonest sons, all three of them. They took valuables from her before and after she died. But they tried to help her, too, I guess.

Then she up and died. Got hit by a train. When I get really mad and lonely, I sometimes (just to myself) blame my brother, because he was driving her to a casino he wanted to play and she had no money. He ran over the tracks without stopping. But they had no warning arms.

And then he died later anyway. Found him at the cemetery, with a plaque and everything. Three relatives all in a row. And six lots left to me by my mom that I didn’t want. Don’t still. The lots, that is. I guess she thought I’d need them. Another brother died, but he had his own lot somewhere else. Her dog died later too, another cocker spaniel, the one from the laundry room, but my ex-sister-in-law took care of that. When my cat died, I got her an engraved headstone.

So my mother and I were just starting to get along. We liked some of the same things. A mother is the only one who knows you. I think she was sorry for being mean and drinking, although she never said. She liked my kids and my husband. I think they all kind of liked her, grandparents and in-laws being in short supply.

She (my mom) was supposed to go on vacation with us once. I wanted to take her to the beach. She never went anywhere. Ever. We had plans. She turned us down when we stopped to pick her up. I was really disappointed. It was going to be fun. So I took the afghan her sister had made when I was eight and used it in the car. But I never returned it. I think she had made it for me anyway. I still have it. Sort of.

So she died 13 years ago. There was a lot unsaid. But I’m not very good at saying stuff either. And maybe that’s the reason I find myself all alone on Mother’s Day.

My latest gig

2011-05-04T15:20:00.003-04:00

Dusting off my meager childhood embroidery skills and practicing new stitches so I can make something pretty. Freeform stitches here from Aimee Ray's Doodle Stitching. I am awaiting her second book, The Motif Collection.

I was inspired to try embroidery again by my sweet and talented art friend, Bryanna, who has dome some wonderful stitching herself, among other things, and by the Flickr 39 Squares group, which I joined only as a voyeur until now.

Patience can be a virtue...when you don't know you're waiting

2011-04-30T13:33:00.002-04:00

I was pleasantly surprised to receive a notice in the mail that I had been published in Stampington and Co's summer 2011 Catch Up issue. But then I wracked my brain trying to remember what I had submitted. I didn't remember submitting any cards, and Catch Up is strictly for rubber stamping.

Turns out my memory was fairly accurate, because the card that appears on p. 56 in the new issue was submitted at least two years ago, if not longer. In fact, it might have been in a batch of beach cards I sent in 2007.

Nonetheless, I am always thrilled to have something published. When I started this blog four years ago, getting published was only a dream. Something I wished very hard for, and worked very hard for, until it came true. The thrill and honor are always the same, maybe more so when it is a surprise.

More, more, more in my Etsy shop, including handmade items by me

2011-04-23T20:39:00.002-04:00

I added a couple of my Marie Antoinette figures to my Etsy shop, and lots more vintage goodness! Check it out.

Head 'em up and Move 'em out and Let's get some New Inspiration!

2011-04-17T23:45:00.002-04:00

After nearly 18 months of struggling with an absent muse, an ailing body, a mixed-up mind, a stressed heart, a busy job, the combination of Too Much Stuff and The Tax Man Cometh made me finally sort through my vintage goodness and start listing some items in my Etsy shop again.
The above pictures are just a sampling, and to the right is a live link to my Etsy shop and a preview of some other things. I finally decided if these items weren't inspiring me to create, it's time to move them on and possibly find some new inspiration. I hardly ever keep anything very long, unless it has personal meaning. These are all vintage finds I had been saving for my next great mixed media or altered art project which, sadly, hasn't been forthcoming.
You may remember I blogged about lack of inspiration here. Well, a lot of that STUFF you see will soon be available in my little shoppe. My frustration is your Aha Moment perhaps. Even my Etsy shop has been neglected, with the same sad four handmade items sitting there for a year. Sheesh.
I've also gotten busy and sorted through my vintage Barbie stash and listed nearly three dozen items on Ebay here. Maybe it is "out with the old, in with the older." Or perhaps less clutter (can an OCD person even have clutter?) will inspire me. What do you think? Is it hard to part with treasures you "might" use or might "need" some day?

I actually drew something again!

2011-04-03T12:16:00.001-04:00

Don't worry. This isn't supposed to be a human. It's my Blythe Phoebe on the beach in her vintage Skipper swimsuit. You can hop on over to my Blythe blog to see the real Phoebe and decide if this sketch is any good.

My View of the World

2011-04-02T14:06:00.002-04:00

This is the view from my beach chair, April 2, about noon, North Myrtle Beach, SC. Obviously, it is a little deserted. And I am fine with that. Trying to learn to relax. So far, so good.

If I have all this inspiration, why am I not inspired?

2011-03-24T14:43:00.002-04:00

Here's my little art nook in my kitchen: the desk where I usually sit and blog from my laptop or stare at Ebay for hours. Rubber stamps? Check. Acrylics, watercolors, canvasses, frisket, brushes? Check. Paper scraps, punches, glitter, ribbon? Check. Even a soldering iron and drill. Beads, wire and clasps? Yep. Mod podge, gel medium, Fixatif, glues and Gesso? Yes, yes, yes and yesso!

As you can see, I have so many supplies, my shelves are bending uder the weight. And this doesn't even show my yarn stash, spray paints, embroidery floss, portfolios of paper, vintage and antique trinkets, piles of magazines and craft books, birds' nests, dollheads...you get the idea.

So what is wrong with me? I have barely created anything in months. I feel bored and say I can't think of anything to do or to make. And yet, in the first two or so years of this blog, 2007-2009, I created with wild abandon and posted pics to Flickr, participated in swaps, sent stuff for publication, and just generally was on a tear. And now I am just...stuck.

Can someone un-stick me?

More Mermaid Love

2011-03-07T11:44:00.002-05:00

I've always liked mermaid images. I doodled this one in my journal over the weekend. It's not the greatest, but I only had limited supplies since I was on a trip. I drew her with a graphite pencil and then colored in with watercolor crayons. I brushed over parts with a wet brush, which works great over watercolor crayons or pencils.

You can see some other mermaids I've made here, here and here. As you can see, I like mermaids, whether painted or drawn, flat or 3D, rendered in jewelry, ATCs, collage, shadowboxes or really any medium. I even have mermaid costumes for my Blythe dolls. But I would call this just a fondness or attraction, not an obsession. An obsession with mermaids would probably involve an adult size costume, and I can safely say I do not have one. What is your "almost-obsession"?

Scrapbooks and journals, oh my!

2011-01-30T14:31:00.003-05:00

Besides my February table above, I wanted to show some pictures of the outstanding fabric journal my niece Abby, 13, made and sent to me. When I was at her house last fall, I noticed her busily sewing scraps of fabric together, and she showed me the darling journal cover she was making for one of the art journals I had given her.

Knowing my terrible sewing skills, which usually end up being solved by fabric glue, I asked her if she would make me a journal cover, and when she came to visit I sent her home with a bunch of flannel and other swatches.

A few days ago a fat package arrived, and in it was not only the wonderful journal cover above, but also the teeniest, tiniest one-inch journal with paper inside- perfect for my Blythes and their dollhouse! (I wonder what they'll write in it?!)

Meanwhile, I have been printing color photos of my Blythe dolls for about six months, fully intending to put them in a scrapbook, so I could remember the dolls I've bought and sold. I finally got that going this month. As you can see in the top photo, I had an interloper inspecting my work during the photo session. More pictures on my Blythe blog here.

Snow Days and Cat Play

2011-01-29T15:28:00.002-05:00

The new ruler of the household, Tinkerbelle Louise, has prevented art or any other hobbies from occuring, just because of her darned cuteness! No time to read or paint! It's time to play with the cat, pet the cat, feed the cat, snuggle with the cat. And watch the snowstorm rage outside. In one day about 10 inches did more traffic damage than last year's 53 inches in one week. Never a dull moment.

A new journal for a new year

2011-01-09T14:57:00.002-05:00

I hoard journals. I love all sizes and types, from purse-size Moleskine to hand-made and hand-bound journals, board books, bound pages, whatever. I treasure journals I have received as gifts. I have a gorgeous handmade one from Laurie Blau-Marshall. I have a beautifully-covered one from Michelle Geller. My great-niece just gave me a pretty one for my birthday. I just bought one on clearance at Pier 1.

So what is the problem, you ask? I don't ever seem to write in them. I have journals with watercolor paper, lined pages, blank pages, pages made from maps and cool ephemera. I love to look at them, and I love knowing I have them in case inspiration strikes. But I couldn't seem to make a mark.

I guess I felt I'd be ruining the beauty of the journal somehow, which I know is dumb, especially because I actually drool over examples of others' filled journals. Even my great-niece has a totally cool journal she writes and doodles in and add mementos. She even stitched herself a fabric cover for it. I bought her Dawn DeVries Sokol's Doodle Diary to keep her inspired.
And she did just that.

Meanwhile, I would buy Stampington's Art Journaling magazine. I would stare for hours on end at cool blogs, especially work by Pam Garrison and Pam Carriker. I even advanced to tearing out magazine pages and pieces of magazine pages that inspired me. In fact, I have baggies of paper bits just waiting for a place to call home.

Finally, I decided the new year and new month are a very good reason to start a journal. That, and the fact that I had been itching to paint, draw, make collages, doodle, draw zentangles, do Zettiology-like art, and what better place to do everything, than in a journal. When I mentally commited, I was so excited, I woke up at 5:30 a.m. on a Saturday and started right in preparing pages.

I am using a plain, 9" x 12" *ish* journal by Canson with watercolor paper pages. I collaged several pages with my paper stash. I was further inspired by a "supply swap" I had just done with Jade Adams, and could hardly wait to use the goodies she sent. I also have a ton of new rubber stamps from Unity and their kit-of-the-month club, as well as Unity Stamps by Suzi Blu, all of which I want to play with.

After I collaged a few pages, I realized I hadn't left myself any room for the "dreaded" writing down of thoughts. Intentional? Maybe. Or maybe just inexperience. So I painted the back side of the pages with watercolors, and ended up making color-theme spreads, each with a blank page for my thoughts.....if I happen to have any.

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-24T10:31:00.000-05:00

I adopted me some kitty!

2010-12-19T14:19:00.002-05:00

She looks a little cranky here, but I think it was just the camera phone. She's fun and playful and stuck her arms out of the cage to get my attention from among 150 cats at the no-kill Small Miracles Cat Rescue in Ellicott City.

Bridget (new name forthcoming) and her cage mate Jill were by far the most animated of the house full. President, owner and founder Moira Leskovic is a saint. Check the photo gallery on their Web site and help out another lucky kitty or adult cat or the shelter.

Bridge is six months old, born June 6, a spayed female, and a look-alike for my former Mookie, whom I had for 18 years. I'm picking up the new little one Dec. 29. She looks big here, but she's only a kitten of three or so pounds! I wish I could have adopted several.

I'm so excited! I finally 'did' some art.

2010-12-18T17:00:00.007-05:00

I woke up just itching to paint...which is fantastic, since I've barely touched a brush in probably 10 months or more. Just haven't been motivated. But today I knew I would paint. Something big. And big-eyed.

At first, I thought I might paint a picture of a Blythe doll and started out with a face and eyes of that ilk. Then I remembered my Suzi Blu class and all the wonderful mermaids on her Web site. I had painted two 16 x 20 canvasses already from a class I took last winter: Marie Antoinette and also Rodeo Girl. And I had one empty spot next to them anyway. So I looked at some of the mermies in Suzi's group for inspiration and also a gorgeous Mermaid ATC I had received from Shonna Bucaroff of Twisted Figures. And then I was off!

I sketched; I mixed colors. I painted; I glittered. I smashed sea shells to attach along with a net-like piece of ribbon and little bottle (message in a) I had just gotten in a swap with my Zettilicious friend Jade Adams. I dug through cigar boxes for treasures and found a couple of gold 'things' for earrings and a hair ornament. I smudged with charcoal and graphite pencils. I sponged with punchinella and paint. I made bright circles for bubbles.

And then I made myself physically leave my property so I would quit touching it! Cannot wait to hang it up; I am happy. Happy to be making art again. And ideas are exploding in my head. Zentangles! Felt matroyshka ornies! Journal pages! A stitched journal cover! A china doll head with art canvas body! I am so ready.

Invasion of the Sock Monkeys

2010-12-13T11:11:00.002-05:00

I played host to my niece Abby, 13, from Indiana Thursday through Sunday so she could go to a Blythe Meet with me and go to the Visionary Museum's Sock Monkey Saturday. We joined nearly 500 other folks who traveled to Baltimore to make sock monkeys. The free event provided patterns, instruction, needles, thread, yarn and stuffing as well as human helpers and a photobooth to capture our first moments with our sock friends.

Last year I attended but wandered in so late, I could only take the pattern home and make Gladys myself later. She's the bright blue one. This year Abby and I got there right when it started, and four hours later we were still stitching and stuffing away, having worked through lunch or even a stretch break. When we left at 3 p.m., Abby's Gary (the squid-like grey one), had only one arm and some other surgical needs. My Bob, in traditional sock monkey socks, needed some more work, too.

But we had more fun things to do, so we hurried through the museum and gift shop and back to Columbia, and then on to Triple A antiques to search for vintage vinyl. I was so proud of Abby's selections: The Carpenters, Carole King's Tapestry (a must-have, I told her), and The Doobie Brothers.

Besides all this, we made cupcakes and hosted nine guests for a doll collectors' meet, ate at a seafood buffet (Abby was not impressed), had cheeseburgers, onion rings and milkshakes from Cheeburger Cheeburger, watched movies Little Miss Sunshine and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, some cute television, like a Lindsay Lohan movie and a Miranda Cosgrove television special, and Abby went with me to a business lunch where she said all of us healthcare sales people were "talking in a foreign language."

And to top it off, she flew home to a big snow and a two-hour school delay....which was perfect since she still had homework waiting in Indiana. Auntie G went straight to bed to rest and recover from the whirlwind of a weekend.

Happy Birthday to my Little Buddy

2010-12-07T08:00:00.002-05:00

20 years ago today I was greatly relieved. Why? Because my two-week-overdue, estimated 10.5 pound bouncing baby boy finally came out 20 years ago yesterday, with surgical assistance, which was fine by me. I was pleading with anyone who would listen, including the bump in my abdomen, to pleeeeaseeeee come out!

Turns out he was only 9.25 pounds, a very nice size for a baby if I do say so. Nice and filled out and not so small that you worry you will break the baby. Or maybe it had something to do with Alex being baby no. 2. I was a little older and wiser.

Now Mr. Alex is a sophomore at Ball State University in Muncie, IN, majoring in hospitality and doing well in school. I am sure he is on the countdown for winter break though!

When Alex was about 2-3, we enjoyed reading the Little Critter books by Mercer Meyer. We didn't know what kind of critter Little Critter was, so for some reason I said it was a "ratfink." Alex repeated after me, "sink, mommy, sink." That soon turned into "woosink" instead of "ratfink," and somewhere along the way, Alex dubbed himself Buddy Woosink. I still call him that now and then, but Bud, Buddy and Little Buddy have all stuck, as well as Al and Big Al and AJ. Then there was his pre-school teacher who called him Alex P. Keaton Smith, as he was a lot like Michael J. Fox's character when he was about 4-5. Of course, 'Alex' always works, too.

Happy Birthday, Alex, my little buddy woosink.

Happy Hanukkah

2010-12-03T07:18:00.001-05:00

Happy Hanukkah
Originally uploaded by Gina2424

And now a word about my nephew......

2010-11-30T19:24:00.002-05:00

I often blog about my talented niece Abby, 13. But, now it's time to spread some love to her brother, my equally-talented and uber-cool nephew Josh, 17. Besides being an apparent ladies' man, if Facebook must be believed (and it must), he is charmer to young and old, and a fun-loving, normal high school senior. He's also a 'guitar-bud' to my son Alex, 20, his cousin.

Besides being musically-oriented and a former football player and cross country runner, Josh is incredibly artistic. He has taken ceramics, photography, digital art and more, but every time I go to their house, I am struck by his charcoal drawings.

Here are three, including a self-portrait. He has multiple ribbons from art shows and much other work, which I hope to feature here in the future. He definitely has a variety of career options, and right now is considering Geology as a major at Indiana University, where his dad works.

His artist-wannabe auntie admires him for many reasons; his drawing skill is only one.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T12:10:00.001-05:00

Thanksgiving People by Alex
Originally uploaded by Gina2424

Table art. Wall art. Art art

2010-11-21T12:24:00.003-05:00

I changed my dining area table top from late summer harvest-y colors finally to something a little more holiday-ish. I went with gold, red, and black and white with black toile, and later that day I hung this newly-framed signed and numbered print called "Taksaka." It all matches beautifully. I call it my falliday table. I figured I can leave it until after Valentine's Day if I'm feeling particularly lazy in the decorating department. I used to change my tabletop monthly. This is my apartment in Columbia, not my house in Leesburg. Happy Fallidays!

Finished project

2010-11-15T13:55:00.001-05:00

Finished project
Originally uploaded by Gina2424

Here's a final shot of the Barbie Configurations box I made for a gift.

Barbie Collector's Treasure Box

2010-11-15T11:33:00.001-05:00

Barbie Collector's Treasure Box
Originally uploaded by Gina2424

Here's my weekend work: a gift for a doll group swap. I used a Tim Holtz Configurations box to add vintage Barbie memorabilia, including pages from a vintage package insert (pictures of 1960s Barbie fashions). I covered the various sections with scrapbook paper or Barbie pages, then embellished the heck out of it in Barbie style. I used some other Tim Holtz items on it, like the doorknob, button and ribbon collections. Unfortunately, you can't see the doorknob very well here, and I added a button and a felted heart after I took this pic last night, so more pics to come. Making one for myself, too! 'Tis better to give and receive both.

Now this IS art! Although not by me.

2010-11-02T12:46:00.005-04:00

Lovely things I just need to get framed. The top one is a large piece, like 18" x 18" and is marked Andrew Li, 2001, Creativity Explored. The squares are shiny and bright, like markers on glossy paper and the have been sewing machine-stitched to the larger background. It will be quite a statement piece when framed or matted and framed.

I got it at the American Visionary Art Museum recently, where I belong and also volunteer. It's a national museum, 15 years old, and internationally known for being dedicated to outsider, altered, intuitive art.

I picked up the piece of original art and put it back; someone else picked it up and carried it around, and then I was sad. Then I saw they had put it back, and knew I had to have it.

The same colors attracted me to this smaller piece on corrugated cardboard. It is marked Adam Elias Hines, April 2010, Project Onward. It appears to be student work. He had several pieces like this in the museum gift shop, Sideshow. It is about 9" x 12".

The bottom piece (2 pics) was a gift, also found at Sideshow and is a signed and numbered print by Kahler called Taksara. No idea about he/she/it. Must look into. It is 4.5" x 24".

Lastly, the Barbie sketches are by Robert Best, actually a fairly young man and Mattel designer, but his style has become iconic with Barbie in the last 10 years, since he created and brought to life the Barbie Fashion Model Collection (BFMC) and Silkstones, which celebrate their 10th anniversary this fall. The line art is so reminiscent of the early Barbie package inserts from 1959-65ish. The sketches are also about 9" x 12" and were exclusive gifts at a past national Barbie convention.

Good Morning, Starshine

2010-10-28T12:06:00.001-04:00

sunrise 10.21.10
Originally uploaded by Gina2424

More vacation photo art from my unskilled hands and inexpensive camera. Taken about 6:45 am from the porch on North Myrtle Beach, SC, Atlantic coast.

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-28T12:04:00.001-04:00

Frog has not left the building
Originally uploaded by Gina2424

Pint size costume expertly crafted by Pistachio Libby of Etsy fame.

Is This (Vacation) Art?

2010-10-20T23:54:00.002-04:00

Sunrise. Sunrise. Sunset. Sunset. Sunset. Swiftly flow the years. One season following another.....

Just playing around with my photo editing settings on vacation at North Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Is This Art?

2010-10-13T07:03:00.002-04:00

Gotta be. Had to wait almost half a century for my first-ever bumper sticker.

Is This Art?

2010-09-22T13:37:00.004-04:00

Yep. I think it IS art. Beautiful art. Just not my art which, sadly, seems to be on hiatus. But before I wail about artist's block, I should report I am having a great, creative time over on my other blog. My vintage doll play is taking up my free time of late, and seriously cutting into my reading, painting, jewelry-making and everything else-time.

However, I did have time to finally get bitten by the Troll bead bug--probably the last person on the planet to experience that, or so it feels.

It started a month or so ago with the three glass beads in the middle of the brown bracelet. There are a couple silver Troll fillers there also. Actually, it started earlier that same week when I discovered a bead store at my local mall which sells lampwork Troll knock-offs on the cheap. I didn't plan to go All Troll when I bought them; I planned to make something with them. But, as a victim of a classic successful cross-over retail strategy, I happened on to authentic Troll beads and chains and clasps at my local greenhouse, when I went in for crossover Vera Bradley.

Like a sensible (crazy?) shopper, I left the Vera there and came home with the start of my first Troll bracelet. While at the greenhouse, I discovered they also had already-strung Troll knock-off bracelets, too. Knowing I could cut that bracelet apart with my jewelry tools at home. I bought a brown knock-off to fill up the brown bracelet I had just (seconds ago) started. It is in the top photo.

Since I still had knock-off beads and parts leftover, and came across some more imposters at the local Jo-Ann's, I now had the beginnings of both a pink and a beach-y themed bracelet. Conveniently, said smart greenhouse was having a Troll bead trunk show, and there I got one turquoise with lime dots Troll bead as well as a silver crab, and another knock-off (beach-y theme) bracelet to take apart.

Throw in a trip to Brighton in the mall, where their beads are just as cute and some definitely cuter and cheaper, and here I am with my mini-collection of three very different Troll bracelets. I wear one nearly everyday. Do you have a Troll bracelet? Or Pandora, Camellia (sp?), Brighton or? Is it a work of art?

Is This Art?

2010-08-27T13:08:00.003-04:00

Seems like I am asking that question a lot lately. Is this art? I am feeling creative and inspired and am busy, but unless I have paint on my hands or charcoal on my wrists or glue in my hair or paper scraps on the floor, or spilled beads, I feel guilty somehow. It feels like I am neglecting my art and my art blog. Actually, I guess it would be more accurate to say it feels like I am neglecting my traditional art forms--if altered art can now be called "traditional!"

But, I'm busy! Busy appreciating the mod art of vintage doll fashions from the 1960s and 1970s. And no one did it better than the exquisite mod Mattel fashions, made with dressmaker details including beautiful finishing, for the one and only Barbie and her friends.

So I've been occupied with sorting, washing (carefully!), pressing, fixing or having fixed, looking up, cataloging and just generally reliving my first childhood. "First childhood" would be an oxymoron, except that I am, most decidedly, in my second childhood.

I can paint when I'm all grown up...again.

Art: Inspiration

2010-08-15T15:35:00.003-04:00

It's not like I've made any actual art lately. But I was missing my art blog, so I thought I'd post a few pics of inspiration I've found lately. I went to two thrift shops operated by Humane Society groups-one large and one small. I also went to a Goodwill (I can stay in there for an hour or more when the gettin' is good).

The (ugly) gold Pyrex bowls aren't exactly inspiration and that is not my pic, because mine are still in the trunk, but Pyrex sets from the 1970s are hot, hot, hot. I got this set for $10, and I'll probably upcycle (sell) them on Ebay. Similar sets are going for $50, and the older primary color sets are $75-$100. I used to have a ton of different Pyrex and Corning Ware accessories from my first 'grown-up' kitchen in 1980. And my mother had the classic white with cornflower blue motif as well as some of the rose/pink and white pieces. Honestly, how did avocado, gold, mustard, and coppertone ever become so popular in the 70s? What were we thinking?!

The lamp shade was $3.50, and I latched on to it for the gorgeous needlework. Is it crewel or embroidery, or is that the same? Anyway, I've been told this is a retired and highly-sought-after shade formerly sold by IKEA. I was thinking of cutting it up for a sampler and maybe some dolly clothes, but don't know if I can do that.

The big felt flower pin might be old or new; I can't tell. But I just like it, and will probably wear it. It would be better on a hat, if only I did hats. Maybe a purse or coat.

Lastly, the plastic necklace, cut up, will make some great pull rings for Blythe dolls: the two hearts and the peace sign. Everything else will just get sorted into my bead box.

I don't think I'm in an art funk. I've been SO busy lately--on vacation, playing with my niece, playing with my Blythes and Barbies, cooking up a storm, reading mags, staring at the computer (yes, busy, I said). And, isn't painting doll faces, making eye chips (eyeballs), and rerooting doll hair a form of art? I think so. For a peek at what's been consuming my time, visit my Blythe blog, Blythe-O-Mania Untamed. It may have to be renamed or have an addendum for Barbie Mania.

An Art Retreat- Staycation Style

2010-07-31T12:03:00.005-04:00

Finally, something resembling art to talk about for this blog! With many glorious days of vacation ahead of me, I made a list of all the art projects I want to do, gathered my supplies, and gathered my niece Abby, 12 (13 in a couple weeks), and we started creating.

I had not had time to enjoy Carla Sonheim's new Drawing Lab book, and since the class I took from her a few years ago at Art & Soul is still one of all-time favorites, I decided to do some of the exercises with Abby. We tried single-line drawing, vine charcoal, faces, and we used a ceramic poodle and ceramic cat for our animal drawings. We did the Picasso pets and Modigliani faces.

We forgot to try drawing each other with the wrong hand! I still have my portrait someone did of me in class. The person whose face I drew with my wrong hand and without looking, left class early, shortly after receiving her sketch from me! LOL. But seriously, if you want to have a lot of fun with easy-to-follow exercises while learning to draw or improving and expanding your drawing skills, get Carla's book!

We painted watercolor backgrounds, talked about Artist Trading Cards and Zentangles, and like hunter-gatherers, cut out magazine stuff and collected trinkets for collage. We then wore ourselves out and had to watch five straight episodes of I-Carly while lounging. I have always loved Miranda Cosgrove since School of Rock is one of my favorite movies. As I had driven 13 straight hours Friday, and about seven Sunday to an out-of-state Blythe meet, with another seven hours coming two days after 'Art Day,' you could say I was worn out.

But, not too worn out for a huge antique mall, of course! I took Abby to North Webster, IN, scene of so many summers during my childhood and her father's. Abby is really my great-niece, but that makes me sound old. Her dad is my nephew. When we were kids in the 1960s and early 1970s, we always went "up north" to the lakes in Kosciusko County, riding from our homes in central Indiana. But I digress.

The North Webster Antique Mall is HUGE and is in a former favorite dimestore of mine called Rinker's. Rinker's hadthe best selection of water toys around, plus clothing, candy, gifts, etc. The Rinker name is still well-known via Rinker Boats, and the Rinkers were from my hometown of Anderson, so they, too, were just "lakers" once upon a time.

I saved my favorite booth for last, which is full of Shabby Chic goodies. I always save it for last. Before we got to it, I was carrying plenty of strange stuff, and Abby had a great, old, small Samsonite hard suitcase in mint condition. If I had know how much she would have liked the SC booth, we would have gone there first! Abby found a second case, a large, square, Tiffany-blue satin train case, also in excellent condition. And with two suitcases, as Abby told me, now she has a collection! Poor girl doesn't stand a chance coming from a collecting family--dolls, model cars, Fiestaware, Coca-Cola items, granite ware, kitchen advertising/tins, stamps, coins, jewelry--her great-grandmother, grandfather, aunt, great-uncles, great-aunt (me) have been collectors most of our lives.

We trotted off with our goodies to a re-sale shop, another antique shop, and then, being practical, off to the spa for some pampering. I got a long-awaited hi-lite with 'my girl,' and Abby got her toes and fingers painted an nice Twilight-like shade, called Lincoln Park After Dark.

After that we joined my daughter, Adrienne, 27 in a week, for some more retail therapy. I knew I could bribe Ade to drive with the offer to fill up her gas hog. We hit Fazoli's first, a favorite of all three of us, and inhaled our food as Adrienne had taken over the "whistle and clipboard" from me, and was hurrying us along so we could get to Glenbrook Mall.

Abby and I made a bee-line for the bookstore. The darling smarty-pants was volunatrily reading Hamlet in the car, and then bought Romeo & Juliet. Ade, of course, went to Abercrombie & Fitch. Then we all hit Trade Secret's 50% off going-out-of-business sale, where Abby was able to get a bottle of her new polish color, and Ade and I stocked up on hair products. Sad they are going out of business, but great sale! Maybe it is just this mall location? Or an uninformed clerk?

We then hit a few stores trying to stock Abby up a little for back-to-school, including Forever 21 (I was the only one who bought anything. How appropriate!), American Eagle, and we pretty much closed down the mall. Too tired to hit Border's after.

And we knew we'd be getting up early for Day Four: a trip to The Indianapolis Children's Museum to see the Barbie retrospective. And added surprise: Rock Stars, Guitars & Cars, which I also enjoyed. At the museum we met my Blythe friend from Cincinnati, Libby Sherman, and her daughter Phoebe, same age/same grade. Libby and Phoebe looked like Living Barbie Dolls, and were just as sweet. A good time was had by all (I think). Abby and I were a little worn out, and I was grumpy about not looking like a Living Barbie. Hey, what if YOU had once been Miss Beaver Dam? We got some clever Blythe pictures, and shopped until we dropped in the gift shop.

Then it was time to drive Abby to her home, south of Indianapolis, where I got to see my very talented great-nephew, her brother Josh, for a few minutes. Josh and one of his bands were contacted after a You Tube video and offered some free studio time! Very exciting.

Before I left, Abby and I dug out her massive 1990s Barbie collection, and I helped her find shoes and clothes that would fit her new Blythe doll I gave her. We also found a few little Kelly trinkets to fit my Wonder Frog, and a Barbie sheepdog that looked just like my late mother's dog named Bonkers.

All in all, the four days whizzed by, and while I felt a little Bonkers with all the driving, we had a great time, and I was excited to hear about Abby's plans for her suitcases, art and Blythe. You go, girl. And she will, be going, that is, to one of my fave places, Portland and Seattle, missing the first three days of school to go to a conference with her dad. But well worth it and quite manageable for this excellent student. So proud of you, Miss Abby!

Happy Independence Day

2010-07-04T22:42:00.002-04:00

Not my photo but one from the Howard County Times and Columbia Flier via the Explore Howard Web site. I could see this year's fireworks from my apartment. They were quite astonishing, but aparently not even half the length and intensity of the fireworks in nearby Baltimore and Washington, D.C. It's such a beautiful display but hard to think of all the money being spent tonight for fireworks all around the country.

And now, back to artsy things!

2010-06-26T14:03:00.004-04:00

I haven't done much art-making this summer. I've either been too hot, too tired or in some cases, too sick to do much of anything. I was laid-up for the last three days with a neck so stiff I was naseous. And the heat! Well, don't get me started. Let me just say that after the freak blizzards in Maryland this past winter, you would think it wouldn't have to be 95 degrees for weeks on end. But, so it goes.

A link to this delightful altered tin with the dolly head was first spied on my friend Sandy's blog. And I should add, the digitally-talented Sandy is the one who created my new blog banner and my new Blythe blog banner. So I followed Sandy to her 'real-life' art friend Maija and her blog and then to her Etsy shop.

I can only claim Maija as a virtual friend although we've traded some things before, Blythe charms and fat book pages, to name a couple. She has a gorgeous blog, a ton of talented friends, and great stuff in her Etsy shop, so check her out!

Sandy, Maija and others just got together for an art weekend with another virtual friend of mine, Viv, who is so talented also, and has a darling blog. I've been on the lucky receiving end of her work, also!

So, my dollhead collection is now "plus-one" in a very nice way!

Almost lost Larry, too. An update

2010-06-18T14:03:00.003-04:00

You may remember I posted about the tragic, sudden and shocking death of our beloved, five-year-old Lester (pink nose). In the past two weeks, shortly after getting Lester's autopsy report from Purdue University, we almost lost Larry. He is coming home from the hospital today.

Before I discuss that, the results of Lester's autopsy did support anaphylaxis- asphyxiation due to a sudden allergic reaction. Unfortunately, that's all we know. So we'll never know if it was to the rabies or the distemper shot or whether the shot was the correct dose or a wrong dose.

Since no explanation is forthcoming from our former veterinarian, we'll never know why no one was around right after Lester got vaccinated, why there was no crash cart, why no one was there to administer a shot of Benadryl or Epinephrine to stop the reaction. We'll just never know. We will always miss him. May he rest in peace. Hopefully he is hanging with his Great-Aunt Mookie in kitty heaven and listening to her stories about Myrtle, Murphy and Maynard.

Meanwhile, in an effort to give Larry lots of attention, besides tons of hugs and kisses and snuggling, it was discovered Larry liked chasing loose shoelaces. Since this was reminiscent of the famous time when as a four-month-old (or so) kitten he flew through the air like a squirrel to get a string that had accidentally flipped up on the blade of a fan on the cathedral ceiling, we were encouraged.

So, many nights of "playing shoestring" ensured. In the last week-and-a-half Larry started acting mopey again, then sluggish. Then he started throwing up. Then he wasn't eating or drinking, so off to the vet he went.

Not only was he severely dehydrated, necessitating an IV, but he still refused to eat, drink or poop (sorry) at the vet's office during an overnight stay. So they kept him; x-raying his stomach they saw nothing really, except a lot of constipation. Dehydration continued, along with vomiting, no eating, no drinking and nothing passing through. A barium enema x-ray still showed very little, and all that came back out was the barium.

So, unfortunately, but thankfully, Larry had to have exploratory stomach surgery Thursday where 19, yes, NINETEEN inches of shoestring were removed from his stomach in a wad. Turns out x-rays only show metal objects, they said. (?) The doctor measured the shoestring; that's how we know, and Larry's "Dad" got to see it.

We feel terrible, not dreaming he would try to eat a thick, 51" shoestring. We were trying to keep him playful. The veterinarian explained that a cat can slurp in a long piece of string just like we would slurp in a long piece of spaghetti or a giant snake would slurp in a person (okay, I made that part up, but that's what I envisioned). And I can joke a tiny bit, because Larry is now fine and headed home today, feeling so much better! His toy box, however, will be getting an overhaul.

By the way, this is the same Larry who spent a stay at the vet after a piece of black mesh fabric was removed under anesthesia from his butt (sorry again), where it had become lodged. We suspect a tiny fabric bow, that untied itself and got much larger after he "slurped" it. In a later adventure, Larry also had to be rushed to an out-of-town pet emergency room after quickly "slurping" a pill that was dropped on the floor before we could grab it. Oh, Larry!

So, pet lovers, use this as a heads-up to be aware of your pets' shot reactions and also to think carefully about the kinds of toys, chew-things and amusements you give them. Also, on a side and possibly related note, a mouse in the house was captured on one of the few nights the house was completely cat-less. Hmmm.

The finished product

2010-06-18T13:49:00.002-04:00

I realized I never posted a picture of the finished charm bracelet I made for Bryanna of The Canary's Cupcake. This was one of the things I sent her. I "warned" her it was going to be a kitchsy/crackerjack/childhood/colorful charm bracelet. I especially liked the tree, from Hi-Ho Cherry-O (I think), the Monopoly hotel, the glass-blown rubber duck, the dancer from a little girl's jewelry box (I had one), the panic button and the Sally Jean soldered house charm. I hope Bryanna did, too. Check out the gorgeous Mermaid totes she's been making, on her blog!

Bry's Beautiful Blooms

2010-05-27T21:02:00.002-04:00

I swiped this picture fresh off the blog of blog friend Bryanna the minute I saw it because I knew you'd want to see these gorgeous fabric blossoms which she makes layer by layer and then carefully burns the edges for a more vintage look. Bryanna and I just got done with a fabulous swap, which you can read and see more about below and on her blog, and I was lucky enough to receive two of these awesome flowers as pins.

She posts a nice and simple tutorial on her blog at The Canary's Cupcake, so flit on over and see for yourself how easy these can be to make, and I think you'll agree they look as yummy as the prettiest cupcake!

Cock-a-Doodle-Do and a swap, too

2010-05-23T13:46:00.007-04:00

I would never have known this 5" wooden rooster that my mother got in the early 1960s was anything particular if I hadn't asked a friend to explain one of her on-line names. Turns out wooden animals, especially horses, painted in this style are well-known and loved in Sweden and are called Dalahäst or Dala for short. So, I have a 50-year-old Dala rooster. The American term for these is 'Dalecarlian,' and they are said to have been, among other things, carved as toys in the Dalarna region of Sweden.

My mother kept all sorts of trinkets on display, especially blue ones, in our lake cottage, and now that I think more about it, Swedish items and the familiar blue and white Delft tins, patterns, windmills, and even a ceramic wall clock informed a lot of her decorating.

Meanwhile, here are a couple of sneak peeks of a charm bracelet I made for a swap with the fun and lovely Bryanna of The Canary's Cupcake. She's received everything now, so hopefully she will post some pictures next week, since I didn't get too many good ones taken. I think we had a great swap! In fact, she even made something exquisite for my Blythe dolls as mentioned below, and I will post a pic over at my Blythe blog, Blythe-O-Mania Untamed.

Love in a Priority Box

2010-05-19T21:02:00.002-04:00

I received all these beautiful, yummy confections today, courtesy of Bryanna Lenan, a friend and like-minded artist and fellow blogger, after we decided to create our own 1:1 swap. I wanted one of her gorgeously-made statement necklaces that I had seen on her blog, and she went more than just the extra mile.

Can you see the tiny miniature statement necklace? That's for my Blythe dolls! More about that later, when we model! Then she made me one of her fabulous and famous button bracelets and a bubblegum/cotton candy colored, girly-theme charm bracelet with the most fun collection of charms, as you can see

Everything was packaged in pastel, sheer bags, and there was also gorgeous shabby rose pins she had made, cabochons to share, a pretty, but calorie-free sucker, and her sweet Moo cards.

Bryanna's been an ear on phone and email, too. I truly am blessed by my blog friends! Thank you, Bryanna, a million times over.

An update on our beloved Lester

2010-05-18T18:45:00.002-04:00

Here are some scenes from the too-short life of our Lester, brother to Larry, and family member to us all. As I blogged about earlier, Lester died suddenly at the vet after routine vaccines and under unusual circumstances. This was a vet we had used many times before but not always. He has been in business at least 20 years and is in a large, clean facility. Warsaw, Indiana is not a town with a "bad side."

Unfortunately, the vet acted aloof, uncaring and even defensive when we attempted to question him more about this. We felt something was amiss when we were told Lester was done with his shots and to come pick him up. He was not in the room, nor handed to us in the carrier at the desk like normal. The vet and staff acted odd, but then acted "surprised" when they "discovered" Lester had died.

After several hours to think, we visited three other vets in town to ask about shot reactions, and we called Purdue University, home to a renowned veterinary school, and also the most likely location in the state to due any kind of autopsy or research.

Although Lester had already been frozen, we were lucky enough to get his body back from the vet before the animal cremation service arrived. My first cat, Mookie, who lived to be 18, is buried in our back yard, but Paul did not prefer this for Lester, and I respected that.

After suspecting something was out of the ordinary, we were pretty sure Lester's body would be gone, but by calling Friday morning (before things got ugly), we were able to get him back. I am out of state, so I applaud my daughter for bravely picking Lester up and taking him to our other, more regular vet, who was busy the day all this happened. Paul was still beside himself and blaming himself, and I didn't want to ask him to get the body.

Adrienne, who can be squeamish, stepped up. Our regular vet could have done an autopsy if Lester hadn't already been frozen. But they did call Purdue for us and make arrangements, and they shipped him. When they called the other vet for the rest of Lester's records, he initially refused. I have no idea what kind of "records" or notes on the chart we got for last Thursday.

We later talked to Purdue twice, and one of the two people said she had never seen a vaccine reaction in all her years there. The other said it can happen; it happens to people, too. But it is extremely rare.

The other vets in town made several excellent points: a vet's normal policy is to monitor ALL animals after a vaccine is given; vaccines should not be given to sick animals (even one with a minor eye infection). We didn't even think of that, and as I was lamenting, I was reminded we shouldn't have had to. The veterinarian is supposed to think of that.

Another said a simple Benadryl injection could have stopped the reaction then and there. We didn't think of that either. Where was the veterinarian's crash cart for emergencies like this--since reactions can happen in surgery, too.

We asked the vet to pay for the autopsy at Purdue ($96) on principle. He got very testy and refused. Why wouldn't he want to know what happened, too? Why wouldn't he want to notify the pharmaceutical manufacturer of the vaccine and get them involved?

So, without any answers we have been forced to imagine all sorts of unpleasant and unthinkable things--from the simplest negligence, like injecting Lester and then everyone leaving for coffee to grabbing a dog- or horse-size dose, to accidentally snapping Lester's neck when grabbing the scruff. I am sorry to write these things. None of us can get them out of our minds because we don't know.

We have talked to the local animal shelter, and to a local attorney- not for money, but for answers. We are waiting until the results of the autopsy. So, although he never expected it, Lester, the sometimes basketball fan, is going to Purdue, home of the Boilermakers, sometimes a Hoosier Hysteria contender. We're pretty sure Lester was not a Purdue fan, and definitely is not now. However, if his senseless death can prevent this from happening again--whether it be a tainted vaccine, a mis-dosed shot, a negligent vet or worse--and if his death can help teach veterinary students, then we will be glad. Perhaps the results will help generate some answers since none are forthcoming locally.

Rest in peace, sweet Lester. 09/04 - 05/10

2010-05-13T23:19:00.002-04:00

This beautiful little guy, Lester--the one I blog about a lot, and photograph a lot, along with his twin brother Larry-- Lester the pink nose/Larry the brown nose-- Lester the good cat/Larry the naughty cat.....

A very unfair and inexplicable thing happened Thursday morning...Lester, just age 5, went to the vet for routine Distemper and Rabies shots and a slight eye infection-with some runniness that we were wiping....Lester apparently had an unusual and rare reaction to one of the vaccines and died suddenly at the veterinarian's office.

Lester did not deserve this. He was the sweetest, gentlest cat we ever had. He never hissed, he never did anything naughty. He loved routine. He loved the doorbell and guests. He didn't mind wearing hats. He was very fastidious and clean and always smelled like fresh linen. He liked my mother's old afghan best for napping. He liked to catch bugs. He didn't like to snuggle too tight or he would get wiggly. He liked the faucet, and he liked his family. Us.

I cannot imagine what Larry is thinking right now, and how confused he will be, how much he will miss his brother.

I am devastated. I fear he suffered. I know he was alone when it happened, because the vet said no one noticed until it was too late. How could that happen? I feel terrible for my kids and for Paul, my DH. They are suffering.

The kids have their grown-ups lives now, and my daughter even "shares" her own cat, named Naughty, with her boyfriend. Paul, on the other hand, had Lester. And I had Larry. Lester slept with Paul every night, followed him everywhere, and watched television with him every night. Lester preferred ESPN. He even preferred basketball to other sports, followed by football and golf over baseball. No idea why.

The other unfortunate scenario, making this even worse, is that it was handled very strangely by the veterinarian and his assistant. Lester was dropped off mid-morning, and we were called around 11-11:30 to pick him up, that he was done, just fine and good to go with his shots, shot record and eye salve.

Paul went to pick him up at lunch, and encountered what now seems like a staged event. Lester was not in the room when the doctor presented his discharge papers and medicine, where he might normally have Lester on the table while demonstrating how to apply the medicine. The vet acted "off." The nurse suddenly rushed in and asked him to come out. This was done oddly also.

Then Paul was told Lester was dead and asked if he would like to see him! Can you imagine? The shock of going from one extreme to another in seconds had to be unreal. We were told he died while no one was looking. How did that happen if shots were given earlier in the morning? Wouldn't staff be watching vaccinated pets for reaction? Or did they just inject him while Paul was there, and if so, why would they call and say he was already ready? Why would they offer to let Paul see him if he had just died on the spot, and yet they said he had an anaphylactic reaction and that his lungs filled with blood and he essentially suffocated or his lungs burst? It pains me to write this, as I can hardly bear to think of his pain, his fear, his panic, his struggle, his wonder why no one was helping him. He hated to go to the vet anyway, although he was gentle and clawless also.

But wouldn't he have been in a rather shocking and unpresentable condition in that instant, with blood, mucous, sweat, loss of urinary or bowel control? We know, we went through a couple of dead pets before. We made the (possible) mistake once of wanting see our sweet Myrtle after she died.

It is sad to have to wonder, and to possibly distrust a veterinarian and the caregiver of one's pets and the last person to be with them before death. But we feel maybe Lester died earlier in the morning, and they staged the announcement to avoid any hint of liability.

We don't want anything. We are not litigious people. We would only want Lester back, or the truth. We only want to be able to trust, and to know what really happened, and whether he suffered. We suspect the wrong dose or the wrong vaccine was given or that simply he was left alone or ignored. We may never know, and we are grieving.

When my DH can handle it, he plans to inquire about the process with another vet. He already did talk to one other vet today in his grief. A vaccine reaction can happen, but is truly one in a million. It typically is not a delayed reaction, and it is one, that while it may be abrupt or irreversible, it is quite noticeable. So perhaps they simply were not watching. We'd rather know that, than a lie or the unknown.

So, please go love your pets. If you don't have any, then just be kind to animals. They can't help themselves. They are innocents. But they are our responsibilities, also. Paul and I used to joke that we loved animals so much because we didn't really like people very much. The people we do like and love (like you, my blog friends) know what we mean.

R.I.P., Lester...........

Happy Mothers' Day, Art Friends!

2010-05-09T12:34:00.002-04:00

A May Day basket for you

2010-05-01T16:14:00.000-04:00

What Is Art?

2010-04-29T12:54:00.011-04:00

I haven't made anything lately that I would normally classify as art or even altered art, so I haven't had much to post about. But then, like Carrie in SATC, I wondered: what is art?

Is it spray painting?

I certainly felt artistic and got covered with enough paint and turpentine to qualify while DIY-ing some home improvement to all this dollhouse furniture as evidenced by the before and after pictures. You can see and read much more on my Blythe blog.

Is it food? Salad? Veggies?

I have been trying to eat better lately, not that I don't love salad anyway. But I've been talking to a nutritionist about headaches, sluggishness, sinus pain and puffy eyes, and now in my pantry I have hemp powder, stevia, sunflower seed "peanut" butter, almond milk, goat yogurt, spelt bread and more. So far, so good.

Is it flowers? Is it a pink, vintage pillow? Is it toy robots and little collections? Is it folding a tiny piece of paper into a realistic little box and being happy with the results? All these things seem beautiful to me. They were created by someone. Does that make them art? They give someone else pleasure. Is that art?

What about shoes? Are they art? Are beautiful shoes a work of art? Carrie would say yes.

What about these Manolos? What makes people (and characters) go crazy for them? Why did these shoes start out in a store at $585 when others are $85 or $58 or even $19.99? What makes them sell on ebay for $360? What makes me covet them, even gently used, at an elegant re-sale shop called Chic to Chic where, after sleeping on it, I dash back in search of them still, for $149? Is it because they are art? Is it because they are couture? And what makes a shoe couture? Is it because they are cool? I have to say these must be some kind of work of art because they fit like gloves (gloves for feet?), they aren't painful, and as high as they are, they still feel good. Can that be the art of the shoe?

What is art to you?

Hey, kids! JMHO that I should TTYL on FB

2010-04-16T20:12:00.003-04:00

Do all parents stalk their children's Facebook pages? I think so. Why, I'm sure a parenting magazine or two told us we were supposed to stalk their Facebook. It didn't mention an age limit. Is 19 and in college too old? What about 26 going on 16? Frankly, it's my duty as a loving mother to look. How else would I ever know my daughter kissed an iguana?

TGIF

2010-04-16T12:05:00.001-04:00

Soothing view
Originally uploaded by Gina2424

Yes, thank goodness it IS Friday. But, can anyone tell me why I am where I am and not where I was, which is here (in this here picture)? Although come to think of it, last Friday I was in the car, slowly making my way from South Carolina to Maryland. This time it was a 7- or 8-hour drive instead of an 11-hour drive like the Friday before that. So. come to think of that...including today, my last three Fridays have been stinky. Why are sand and sun and blue water so soothing? I mean, after all, there are sand ants and bugs, and sand gets in your shoes, your eyes, your hair, your food. Sun burns your skin until it blisters (I know) and makes you look old (I know). And, the blue water contains lots of scary, slimy creatures. I know. Still, it is my favorite place these last 25 years. Take me back. Triple entendre.

Wednesday morning at the beach

2010-04-07T10:28:00.002-04:00

7 a.m. Almost time to pack up all those art supplies I brought but didn't use, books I didn't read, to-do lists I didn't do, shoes I didn't wear......

Vacation: Day Four; Inland forecast? 90 degrees

2010-04-06T11:59:00.000-04:00

On learning how to relax again on vacation

2010-04-05T14:49:00.001-04:00

Loads of laundry done 3*
Beds made 0
Dishwasher loads 0
Times used Windex 0
Sunscreen bought 1
Aloe vera bought 1
Bananas consumed 3
Ankles twisted 1
Photos taken 200
Photos uploaded 40
Books read 0
Art projects done 0
Trips to the grocery 3
Seafood eaten 0**
Sunny days 3/3
Wine purchased 1***
Wine consumed 0
Number of colors in living room 27
Number of naps 0
Number of burkas or muumuus required for beach 1
Number of burkas or muumuus brought 0
Number of horrific, white, beached whales spotted 1
Number of great white sharks caught in North Myrtle Beach and reeled in 2****
Number of books or magazines able to read on beach with new sunglasses 0
Number of cleaning efforts (any kind) made so far 0
Number of favorite spots torn down: several
Number of backsides now burned 1
Times coming in for bottled water - several
People on beach - 1 gazillion + assorted dogs
Dogs seen:
Boxer and dalmation mix 1
Dachshund 1
Golden lab - 1
Yorkies- 12 (or maybe it's the same one)
Shitzus- 2
Whippet 1
Puggle 1
Corgi 1
Misc 10
Cats 0
Minutes spent gazing at ebay 0
Bad hair days 3/3

* stacking apartment size appliances (cute, though)
** yet
*** juice box size and shape, in fact, it is wine in a juice box
**** that I know of

Beach update

2010-04-05T10:32:00.002-04:00

6:35 a.m. 04.05.10. Woke up, decided to try sunrise pictures. Captured spooky white circle (sun wasn't up yet and moon was behind me). Went back to bed.

How not to go on vacation?

2010-04-04T12:36:00.004-04:00

Ahhhh! North Myrtle Beach, S.C. Arrived April 2. This is approximately my 40th visit in 25 years. This vacation was so needed; doctor's orders even. I haven't blogged here lately or posted (or made) much art. Haven't been feeling too creative or inspired or energetic.

So, I thought I would bring plenty of inspirational supplies, reading material and the like on vacation. The pics above don't even include the four Blythe dolls I brought to photograph and all of their belongings and props. But what you do see are enough supplies to knit, crochet, embroider, paint with acrylics, paint with watercolors, draw with charcoal or graphite, and of course equipment to photograph, blog, listen to music or do real work.

I wonder if I need "help" in learning how to take a vacation? I didn't used to. Already I have a sunburn. That might be viewed as a positive in this situation. We shall see. More to come...

Lovely Alice in Wonderland swap receipts!

2010-03-11T14:58:00.002-05:00

A beautiful pink box (seen in background of top and bottom photos) arrived today chock full of Alice goodies from my partner Adina in Maggi's Just Add Glitter blog Alice in Wonderland swap. What an overwhelming bunch of loot! There's a covered journal, body butter, Godiva's chocolates, jewelry-making goodies, some darling Alice fabric, gorgeous ribbon and all sorts of detailed, hand-made Alice theme greeting cards, since Adina is a scrapbooker and card-maker. I don't know how I will bring myself to use them! But I must, so other people can enjoy them, too. Thanks, pard'ner!

Do you remember Petite Princess or Princess Patti miniatures?

2010-03-10T07:01:00.006-05:00

Although, like Blythe dolls, this dollhouse furniture was only produced for a short time, it left quite an impact on little girls...and apparently big girls, as two of them, Linda Gant and Deb Holman, have produced a large 200+ page compendium and complete reference guide to this detailed lovely furniture.

Created in the French Provincial style popular in homes at the time, Petite Princess furniture was incredibly detailed and made use of or simulated such materials as velvet, brocade, satin, brass marble and glass.

Both Linda and Deb talk about their childhood introduction to Petite Princess, which spawned an adult collection and a collaboration between the two which ultimately resulted in this book. They met on-line in 2003 and eventually met in-person in 2009, when the book was nearing completion. The Web site, started by Linda's husband, has connected many collectors. You can find the book here.

A couple years ago I also blogged about my love of the miniatures and was contacted by Deb and Linda about being quoted in their book. I did not hear more for the longest time, but this winter I received an order form for the book and was pleased to discover my blog post was reprinted on pp. 60-61 in their book, along with fond memories from many other adult collectors or those who remembered playing with the furniture as a child.

The book is incredibly thorough, with a full history, explanation of Petite Princess versus Princess Patti furniture, pictures of variations which appeal so much to collectors, a full pictorial guide with each piece, display solutions and photos of some incredible doll houses as well as many pictures of Ideal toy company's advertising and marketing materials for the line.

If you love Petite Princess, or even dollhouse furniture in general, miniatures, detailed replicas or perhaps just the 60s, you'll love this guidebook and trip down memory lane.

Random randomness and some beautiful beautiful-ness

2010-03-06T10:45:00.005-05:00

I received the darling birdie boat recently from the uber-talented Debrina Pratt. Far be it from me to make art of the calibre to swap art-for-art with her, but I did send her a supply goody box in trade for this lovely little creation, which will be given pride of place somewhere around the "studio." Debrina sells on Earth Angels, Ebay, Etsy and more and another boat can be seen on her blog by following the link on her name above or by going to her Flickr.

The next photo is a little dangly I made for a pendant swap being hosted by Cloth Paper Scissors magazine. I had such a great experience with their charm swap last year, that I decided to join the pendant swap. I love that magazine! The pendant is a pre-made copper-y receptable into which I added glitter and paper flowers with rhinestones and then Judikins DG3 art gel to set it. It's pretty simple, but I thought it was kinda sweet.

Lastly, I wish you could see better what I see out my window most days lately--which is three cardinals, two males and a female. Wonder how that's workin' out for them? And why does the male have to be the pretty one?

Alice in Wonderland swap sent

2010-03-05T08:00:00.004-05:00

For the recent Alice in Wonderland swap hosted by Maggi of Just Add Glitter, I was partnered with Adina Medina of Mommy Is Scrapping. She's a gal after my own heart, teaching Honors English to high schoolers.

Above is the gift box I made for her, complete with knob, key, watch face and vintage Alice images all around and on the bottom. Inside I tucked an Alice charm bracelet and pin made by me as well as lots of Alice-related goodies. I also sent along a couple different versions of the classic book, with unique illustrations instead of the usual -- although great and famous -- John Tenniel drawings.

Adina is a scrapper and card-maker so I hope she will like what I sent. The box took six straight hours. The vintage images are hand-cut and then matched to line up on the box and lid. I also embellished them with gel pens and glitter. The inside is covered, too.

New ATCs by the dozens

2010-03-02T11:45:00.002-05:00

I just made some new artist trading cards, 29 to be exact. I like to make them in batches, and I needed some for a swao with ATheeC from Flickr, a.k.a. Martine from Belgium, with whom I swap periodically.

I also knew I'd be needing some trades for Artiscape in April and Art & Soul in May, and ATCs or ACEOs are a handy, small size for trading. I usually take ATCs and charms. Some of the designs above started as prints from some of my old favorite ATCs but all are re-colored by hand, embellished and finished as one of a kinds (OOAKs).

The picture above with the cat cards are all ATCs hand-drawn or hand-painted by me, including a Zentangle I made and a charcoal sketch of a bird. Martine also likes APCs--altered playing cards--so I turned Donald Trump into the King of Hearts and Woody Allen into a Joker. Makes sense to me.

Published in Somerset Studio

2010-02-27T21:42:00.003-05:00

I had read in the email newsletter a week or two ago from my LSS (local stamp store) The Queen's Ink that owner Patti Euler had in the latest issue of Somerset Studio. Normally, I would have run over that day. It's only about eight miles, and I used to have to drive 80 miles roundtrip to get any decent magazines back in Indiana.

But, I've had a viscious case of the winter blahs, and so I didn't go. Until today. Imagine my surprise when the magazine fell open on the way home to a page with a piece of art I recognized well!

Seeing my "Alice" piece, above, was even more of a surprise because I had been expecting Somerset and Stampington to come out with their planned Alice in Wonderland issue. Hearing nothing, I had just sent an email the day before asking what had come of it. It also was a complete surprise to see because normally the magazine sends a postcard and/or a free issue to let you know you are going to be published.

But who's complaining? Not me. A surprise is nice, and being published is even better, especially when one has the blueblahs. By the way, the face in my collage above is from a collage image sheet I bought from Traci Bautista at Art and Soul, after taking a class from her. Here is some of the other work I sent. Very excited for the Alice movie to come out March 5. It looks crazy.

Yummy Color Books to Devour

2010-02-27T08:00:00.002-05:00

What gets your blood pumping? For me, it's anything to do with color as I described in yesterday's review. And if color has to do with arts and crafts, so much the better for me. A fabric store feels like a candy shop to me, even though I don't sew. Bins of buttons, rows of embroidery floss make me feel like Willy Wonka. Same with bolts of cloth, skeins of yarn, thread and other rainbow-hued notions.

If fabric stores or sewing or quilting excite you, too, then you’ll be gushing over Material Obsession: Modern Quilts with Traditional Roots by Kathy Doughty and Sarah Fielke (2009, Stewart, Tabori and Chang, an imprint of Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 208 pp. $27.50. Note, there is also a second book). I can barely sew a lick and have never quilted but the vibrant colors are what drew me to the book. Quilters, I am sure, will appreciate the handiwork even more than I could, as well as the included patterns and templates.

My favorite quilt in the book, called The ‘Burbs, inspired me with its rough-cut, crooked, child-like houses and paper dolls, a deceptively-simple looking riot of color that just might make me give quilting a try. As the book says, “the thing to remember about the quilt is…let yourself go! This quilt is a recipe, not a pattern…There are no rules here-just cut, sew and enjoy.”

If that’s not enough to suck you in, then the names of the quilts will get you, too: Annie’s Garden, Three-Ring Circus, Cowboy Baby, Gypsy Squares. These aren’t your grandma’s quilts, but the ages-old process is the same. Projects range from easy to intermediate and advanced, with basic quilting instructions included for the beginner. And if, like me, you are a beginner who may never actually begin, you can enjoy the coffee-table-book quality of the photographs of the quilts and fabrics in this soft cover volume. Textile-great Kaffe Fassett, whom I first discovered in my yarn-stash phase, lends his thoughts to the forward.

For those who get their color kicks from paper, the very fun All Wrapped Up! Groovy Gift Wrap of the 1960s by Kevin Akers will have you oohing and ahhhing at all the paper possibilities and cringing over all the vintage gift wrap you wadded up and tossed decades ago, if you were tearing open gifts as a kid in the 60s, like me. This Chronicle Books compendium (255pp., $22.95) was published in 2005, but it my color quest; I just discovered it in a museum gift shop. I was drawn to the full-page and many double-page spreads of gift wrap from my childhood; I was sure I recognized a few. It is a vintage-lovers’ delight, from the psychedelic swirls and paisleys to the child-like, cartoon-ish people and oh-so-60s fonts and colors.

I originally thought I might (shhh! Don’t tell!) cut out some of the full pages for use in my paper-crafting and altered arts (not creating plagiarism of course, but for personal enjoyment), but then, like so many other books in my library, I realized it was too beautiful to redact for my own use. If you appreciate graphic arts, the Mod era or even if you got a ribbon in gift-wrapping in 4H as a youth, you’ll enjoy this thorough compendium and color explosion. More than half the pages are full-color reprints of vintage wrapping paper.

Whatever your color vehicle of choice, from flowers to yarn, embroidery floss, beads, paint or fabric, there’s inspiration wherever you go. While beading might not be your thing, looking at the color wheel through a beader’s eye or studying hues in skeins of embroidery floss can lead to a brand new combination or idea for a project in your own area of expertise. Sometimes, I think my area of expertise is buying beautiful books!

Here are a few more of my recent favorites. The titles will denote their area of focus, but don’t limit yourself to only things you already know how to do. Remember, it’s all about the colors! Sew Sunny Homestyle, Tonne Finnegar, 2009, David and Charles, 158pp., $24.99

Fabric Art Collage, Rebekah Meier, 2009, C & T Design, 96pp., $26.95

Embroidery for Little Miss Crafty, Helen Dardik, 2009, Walter Foster Publishing, 96pp., $12.95 Embroidered Effects, Jenny Hart, 2009, Sublime Stitching LLC, 158 pp., $24.95 (Note: this book is spiral-bound and includes many pages of hot-iron transfers and a pocket for storage). I can’t wait to make something from all of them, but even if I don’t get to it soon, I’ve already enjoyed pouring over the pictures many times over. You will too.

I'm a chick with sticks now, not just a hooker

2010-02-26T08:00:00.005-05:00

In my continued enjoyment of all things color, I pulled the two bins that make up my yarn stash down from on high to help me decide what to make now that I am learning to knit. I've just had one class so far, but I love it. Once I got past the initial awkwardness, since knitting is so different from crochet, I was able to fly along. Admittedly, I've only learned one stitch, the knit stitch, along with casting on. Too eager to wait for this weekend's class, I found the purl stitch in two different books and have tried to learn that also.

My goal with knitting is to be able to make colorful doll hats and sweaters like those I just featured on my Blythe blog. I'm afraid that will be a long time coming, because that's tiny, skilled work. The two afghans I crocheted above, Hello Kitty and sock monkeys, were not even small work, but took plenty of time not just to finish but to master the stitches and understand the patterns.

But, I love learning new stuff, and I have no predisposition for or against knitting versus crochet as some people do. They are just so totally different. And they produce such different results, some of which I hope to post here some day!

Beaded Colorways: New Book from Beverly Ash Gilbert is Superb!

2010-02-25T12:20:00.004-05:00

The recently-released Beaded Colorways: Creating Freeform Beadweaving Projects and Palettes by my friend Beverly Ash Gilbert (2009, North Light Books, 128pp., $24.99) is fantastic. Even if you are not a beader or a jewelry maker you can appreciate not only the amazing handiwork but also the included removable custom color wheels that will be a help to anyone: artist, painter, decorator, photographer or lover of color. The book is perfect for those who think they can’t match an outfit or choose a color for a wall.

Beverly is a brainy dynamo disguised as a wisp of a woman, humble and modest enough not to mention in her book that she is an engineer by degree and a former corporate-type who was able to break out of a constricting role/schedule to make time to develop her substantial talents and her eye for color.

In fact, her first book was Eye for Color: Interchangeable Templates and Color Wheel System, available on her Web site. A color enthusiast herself, whose deep appreciation for color can be seen on her blog via her own breathtaking photography of her surroundings in Kirkland, WA and on her beloved Whidbey Island, Beverly takes great joy in sharing and teaching an appreciation for and understanding of color to anyone who is interested and curious or who feels they need a little help.

Her open, sharing nature is evident as she explains color theory and bead-weaving basics to open her book. Even if you have never picked up a tiny little seed bead or a bead-weaving needle as was my case when I first met Beverly in the fall of 2008, she will gently guide you first through combining various beads and textures in monochromatic mixes she calls seed bead soups. As she warns early on, even non-beaders can get hooked on the beauty of the colors, enough to quite contentedly display the seed bead mixes in clear vessels as an object of decor – without ever having to make a thing! And she’s fine with that.

From understanding the uses of the color wheel and color relationships – complementary, analogous, etc., to learning about hue, saturation, value and more – Beverly helps students graduate to blending multi-color combinations that satisfy their own particular cravings for color in their surroundings, and of course in their beadwork.

Besides the basic peyote stitch, which is simply sewing two seed beads together, and three-bead netting – both of which anyone can do (with proper lighting and eyeglasses if you wear them, or perhaps a magnifier) – Beverly explains freeform beadweaving, including freeform peyote stitch and freeform netting.

While the finished projects in the book might look like intimidating works of art, Beverly breaks them down into step-by-step instructions with large photos and helpful hints along the way. She suggests color mixes and alternatives and shows how to blend the beads to create an eye-pleasing palette for the project. Her bead soups have tempting names like tropical surf and rain forest and autumn sunrise, enough to get even a color neophyte or reluctant beader to stick a toe in the water.

By the end of my first day with Beverly, I had two gorgeous and very different pendants made, and I am all thumbs and wear bifocals! Her book offers more than a dozen colorful projects as well as a beautiful gallery of finished wearable art and plenty of resources and links to get you beading, or at least learning more about color.

And if this isn’t enough, and her book will definitely leave you wanting more, you can find Beverly teaching around the country this year and signing books, at such notable events as Adorn Me (March), I Dream of Beading (April-May) and the national Bead & Button Show in Milwaukee in June. Her blog offers something for everyone, including an appreciation of family, food, good friends and nature, all as depicted by Beverly, a true gem herself.

Marie and the rodeo girl

2010-02-15T12:51:00.002-05:00

Here are my two finished paintings (16 x 21" ea) from the on-line class I took from Suzi Blu and blogged about below. I have one more class to do: Day of the Dead, and conveniently, I have one more spot on this wall o' whimsy.

Snow Doesn't Cancel On-Line Classes

2010-02-11T10:35:00.002-05:00

I completed this "Rodeo Girl" Wednesday night. She's one of Suzi Blu's on-line classes. I signed up for the 'continuing education,' so I have the videos for Marie Antoinette, Rodeo Girl and Day of the Dead. It was only $35 for these three projects in one class, and well worth it, even if I hadn't made anything, just to watch Suzi's entertaining videos.

My Rodeo Girl is 16" x 21", the same size as my Marie, and I think I will hang them together. I found these great, deep frames, very reasonably priced at Utrecht's, which accommodate deep canvasses.

Speaking of deep, I have been snowed in since last Friday, with the exception of a little time on Tuesday. We are at 46" and counting, and that's no exaggeration. It's getting a little old. Thankfully, there's been no loss of power. I think my wireless laptop is the only thing keeping me sane.

My Rodeo Girl didn't quite keep me sane because, as usual, I can't stop touching it. I have a very bad habit of not knowing when to quit. I messed up her face about five times, and kept having to repaint it. At some point I resorted to finger-painting to try to get more control, and all that usually results in is a mess.

I even brushed beeswax over the whole thing, per the class, which is not only normally the finishing touch but generally prevents any further work because you can't paint over the beeswax. But, ta-da! I discovered my Lyra gel crayons go on nicely and smoothly over the wax, and you can easily wipe them off for a sheer effect. So I did. Then I didn't like it. Then I did it some more. Story of my life. But I like it now. I glued a little cowboy hat on her skully balloon and a little star 'badge' on her vest. Coordinates well with my Marie to which I glued a Juicy Couture perfume bow and charm.

By the way, I did something weird with this painting. Normally, one would paint the background first and then, per Suzi, collage it with bits of paper, molding paste, glitter, etc. Well, I decided I wanted to draw my girl on first, which I did, because I needed her to tilt a certain way to coordinate with the Marie since I want to hang them together.

Just to make things difficult for myself, I guess, I then painted her in, first with watercolor crayons. Then I had to collage the background around her and paint around her, and at that point, I painted over her first draft, this time with acrylic paints. Made it harder, but interesting. And with nearly four feet of snow outside, one needs interesting!

We interrupt this blog....

2010-02-06T09:27:00.004-05:00

You might think I'd be interrupting my art blog to talk about the THIRTY inches of snow (so far) out my window. Or I could complain about the knitting class, cancelled, that I was supposed to start today....or the stack of manilla envelopes from my Blythe sale that I won't get to mail....but, I am sick of talking about the snow! Yawn. So six inches ago.

People have gone completely bonkers here around Washington, DC and Baltimore. The record snow is the only thing anyone wants to talk about. It's the only thing on the television and radio, and, well, it is the only thing I can see out the window. Any delineation of sidewalks or parking lots is long gone.

So. Let's talk serial killers. Nice segue, huh? I realize very few people will be able to fully appreciate this post, about a lovable serial killer. But you have to understand Tim Dorsey, or Serge, his protagonist, or both. (Can't you just hear Coleman asking what a protagonist is?) Yes, only Tim's fans will understand "lovable" and "serial killer" in the same sentence, but Serge is the Robin Hood of serial killers. And it's all in good "fun." It's sort of a giant tongue-in-cheek nod to the great madcap capers/detective genre/mystery/fiction/south-Florida wackos. You've just got to read Tim's books to understand.

I'm not done with Gator A-Go-Go yet. I've been moving slowly for me, because I've been busy. But so far, so good. Last year's January release, Nuclear Jellyfish, was a scream. I was lucky enough to attend a Tampa book signing the week of the release and meet Tim. That's me above (denim jacket) at Inkwood Books in Tampa on a warm and rainy night. I've been a fan of Tim's since early on, shortly after Florida Roadkill was released in 1999. You don't have to start there at all, but it's not a bad place to start. Might I also recommend Hammerhead Ranch Motel (#2)

I was a Carl Hiaasen fan (back when Carl was wacky and "Skinky") and Dave Barry (forget the middle-age-man-emoting, read Big Trouble) when I discovered Tim. I had also been reading all the "cozies": Carolyn Hart, Lilian Jackson Braun, Sue Grafton (yes, Sue and Kinsey are "cozy" to me). Then I found Tim. And I haven't looked back. In fact, I'm always looking forward. It's very hard to wait a year for each book. Meanwhile, if you like wacky with a message (not that Tim's don't have a message because they do) try Christopher Moore. He's a nut; just check his Amazon author photo. My fave is You Suck, but Practical Demon-Keeping and Island of the Sequined Love Nun just get me for their titles. The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove was a fave, too.

Back to Tim. We exchanged a few emails. I love his sly little references to Indiana now and then. (He lived there briefly as a babe). Nice nod to Ball State in 'Gator'. I realized before we met that he used to work at the Tampa Tribune with someone I know well. Such a small world. And he's in the same journalism geography as Carl Hiassen and Dave Barry. Just another south Florida coincidence no doubt.

So, back to the review of Gator A-Go-Go. I'd review it, but I'm busy having a blizzard. Just read it; it's great. Anyone I've ever sent to Tim has thanked me profusely. But then, I only send "certain" people to Tim. You know who you are.

Art & Soul, Hampton, VA May 20-24 (Images belong to the artists)

2010-02-01T12:26:00.002-05:00

If this collection of artwork above isn't a kaleidescope of magnificence, I don't know what is. To me, it is like candy from the prettiest candy store ever. And in May, I will get to experience all of the above first-hand at Art & Soul in Hampton, VA. I am taking classes with the artists whose work is pictured above, some I've met and some I haven't, but I couldn't be more thrilled either way. It's nearly five months from now, and I am already gathering supplies and making lists.

Traci Bunkers, Kansas, (top, photo of a journal page from her blog), is teaching The Maiden Voyage: Journaling for Beginners, and although I am not quite a beginner, I can't bring myself to write words in my journal-- a dilemma Traci addresses in a blog post. Most of these artists have books out or coming out, and Traci is no exception with Print and Stamp Lab.

The whimsical girl in the tire swing belongs to Carla Sonheim, Seattle, whose book, Drawing Lab for Mixed Media Artists: 52 Creative Exercises to Make Drawing Fun, comes out this summer. This picture is appropriate since I am taking Practicing Whimsy from her. Carla was one of my teachers for a short "drawing blast" class--mostly with charcoal--a couple years ago, and I just loved her and her gentle, helpful, non-judgmental style. I wish I could have taken her drawing class this February, set outside on the Las Vegas strip!

The Sweetie Birds belong to L.K. Ludwig, and that's the name of the two-night class I am taking with her, to make these birds with paper clay. I also met L.K., of Pennsylvania, at a previous Art & Soul and absolutely love her many books, including True Vision, Nature Journals and Collaborative Art Journals. I'll be sure to be taking one of these to get signed.

The reliquary below the birdies belongs to the inimitable Michael deMeng, everyone's sweetheart, a mixed media artist who keeps the ladies swooning...especially since there are so few men on the mixed media circuit we all frequent. Nearly everyone knows and follows with a smile his romance with one lucky lady and artist in her own right, Judy Wilkenfeld of Australia, who met Michael when she was a student in one of his classes in Italy--truly an international art love story.

Michael was one of the first to come out with an altered art book: Secrets of Rusty Things, and he has another one on the way: Dusty Diablos. He has also been featured in many other artists' books and teaches around the world, stopping at home in Montana now and then. I am taking a Dia de los Muertos class from him called Playing Dead. Supplies include toy action figures, a plastic or rubber skeleton, a display box, clay, epoxy, paint, superglue and more. Should be great!

Lastly, artist Misty Mawn, another Pennsylvanian, was someone I happened on to nearly three years ago when I was starting this blog. And she was one of the first artists whose work I saw when I discovered Art & Soul. A photo of her in action in class graced the Web page I first came across. She's considered "famous" by those in altered art and mixed media circles, and even though she doesn't 'have a book,' she's been featured in many. I am taking It's Still Life! from her and can hardly wait to learn from her particular style. This isn't your Rembrandt's-fruit-in-a-bowl, that's for sure!

Meanwhile, I am trying to figure out how to squeeze at least one more art retreat into 2010. I am looking longingly at Teesha Moore's ArtFest in Washington in March, where talented bead friend Beverly Ash Gilbert is headed, and Inspired! in Concord, NC in May, where Pam Garrison will be teaching. Her needlework and journaling make me drool. And I'm geographically fairly close to friend Lisa Kettel's Art Opera in New Jersey, April 7-10, and really should attend that. We shall see.

Sew and sew and so on

2010-01-18T16:39:00.004-05:00

I've been hanging 0nto a dozen or so "girly" fat book pages from friends, as well as some I made, knowing that I wanted to bind them into one book. I was going to use my Zutter binder, but then I decided to cover the covers with fabric. So I just used two rings to hold it all together.

My beginner sewing attempts with my tiny machine continue: I tried to make a patchwork, quilted cover out of fabric scraps, a chenille heart, buttons, a puffed applique and some embroidered roses cut from a vintage hankie.

The end result isn't too bad, but I know I spent more than eight hours on it yesterday, whereas an experienced sewer (sewist?) would have had two four-inch by four-inch squares covered in less than 30 minutes. And, the eight hours were even easy! But they were fun. Well, sort of. Except for all the times I broke my needle, broke my thread, sewed crooked, jammed the bobbin case...pretty much everything an inexperienced sewer would do. But it's a good way to learn.

And now I have a darling book. The back of the Little Red Riding Hood page and the Starry Night page are both by Malin of Sweden. I just adore style, and thanks to her I found the Suzi Blu group. The Barbie page is from Bryanna of The Canary's Cupcake, a fellow enthusiast of all things girly--like Alice in Wonderland, Marie Antoinette, Blythe and Barbie.

The next-to-last page shows the inside front cover with a pocket for Moo cards and the facing page is by me. And the last picture shows the closed book, nice and fat. Thanks to everyone who swapped a page or pages with me.

Marie is back! And so is Jack!

2010-01-15T17:27:00.003-05:00

I completed this large canvas last night, after viewing the videos for Suzi Blu's "Petit Marie" class on-line. I signed up for a trifecta: Marie, Rodeo Girl and Day of the Dead. I just love Suzi's style. The canvas is 16" x 20", covered with acrylic paint and bits of papers collaged about. I used vintage French text, an old ledger page, some wrapping paper, rubber stamped images and scrapbook paper.

There are several layers of papers, paints, matte medium, molding paste and gesso, as well as glitter and beeswax. It's Suzi's special recipe. Lastly, I applied a hot pink box with a "couture" charm that my daughter was smart enough to save me from her Juicy Couture perfume box. Isn't it great when family members start saving you "trash" as potential collage materials? It means they "get it."

I'm not all that pleased with my Marie. Her body might have turned out better than expected, but she sort of has one bulbous eye and the roses in the background are sort of large and random. Plus, she's having a bad hair day, just like me. The beauty of it all is, since layers rule the day, I can always add more. And, the wax can just be melted with my heat gun and moved around. Come to think of it, I think I will.

And I can hardly wait until Sunday night for the return of '24' on Fox with Kiefer Sutherland. Can you even imagine him married to Julia Roberts? Thank goodness they stopped that train wreck. But I digress. Jack is back, after appearing on Letterman the other night in a dress no less, and the pre-season reviews are very positive. So, I can't wait to tune in for two hours Sunday and Monday night. Too bad Marie A didn't have a 'Jack' to protect her better. Lord Fersen seems to have made an attempt. Such is the stuff of history, not fairy tales.

More Silly Sock Sewing

2010-01-11T10:32:00.002-05:00

This creature remains unnnamed so far, unlike Claire and Gladys. She's supposed to be a cheerful monkey from the book, Stray Sock Sewing, Too by Daniel, he of the one-name artists' club. But, she looks like a cross bewteen a cow and an alien to me! But she was still fun to make, and is my best sewing machine effort so far. Just learning to sew after half a century. The triangle halter top I made in seventh grade home ec has been long forgotten, even if it would be still in style.

Ribbit. I sewed a frog.

2010-01-08T12:16:00.003-05:00

My sock monkey Gladys, blogged about here, has a new little friend, Claire the Frog Monkey. Oh wait, I guess that's Claire, the Sock Frog. Found her instructions in Stray Sock Sewing, Too by Daniel, he of the two-book, one-name artist genre. Claire was super-easy to make, for the neophyte sock sewist, not sewer, in me. I even made her before I attended my first sewing class at Jo-Ann Fabrics, machine basics 101. I don't think the instructor was very impressed with my tiny, toy-like machine; in fact, I think she used the word "toy." Whatever. I made a frog.

In the pink, and do we see a pattern here?

2010-01-03T14:46:00.005-05:00

I wish I could claim any of this artwork as mine. Oh, I own it all right, but ah, to be the creator. I love the Parisienne, a print from Lulu on Etsy and the chunky face canvas is an original by Catherine Olvier Pluchino. Love it, too! Then we have my Blythe, Daisy, in a pink sweater by nani-store on Etsy, a vintage pink throw pillow with brooch, and a beautifully wrapper bar of soap. Yes. I photographed soap. I find all this eye candy so inspiring, and heaven knows, I need some inspiration. I haven't made much art lately, but Santa delivered a Singer Pixie Plus sewing machine, and I hope to make some sock monkeys and critters, some fabric altered art, and to cover my art journal. All pretty lofty, considering I have never used a sewing machine. My little robot collection and my antique carrom board are more inspiration, along with pretty fabrics, to motivate me to learn how to operate this intimidating little machine. I'll keep you posted...or I'll just keep photographing soap.

Ho, ho, ho. This isn't funny at all.

2009-12-28T14:51:00.003-05:00

To maximize the $6.99 value of the pet sweater, I thought it would be lovely if Lester (he of the pink nose) would model before it gets packed away. You may recall Larry, the brown-noser, modeled it rather unsuccessfully on Christmas Eve.

Lester was even less amused, delivering a one-two hook sans claws (or maybe it was Santa Claws). In fact, he wiggled and squirmed so much he was able to leap right out of the sweater in mid-air. So much for cat couture and holiday cheer. I thought it was a tasteful gift; I guess they wanted catnip.

Recent Fave Photos

2009-12-27T23:41:00.002-05:00

recent fave photos
Originally uploaded by Gina2424

I can't get enough of color, and if it includes Blythe, folk art, a nod to the 60s-70s, even better! Find these on Flickr: 1. Josephine Bunny, 2. "Just can't get enough..., 3. petite zetti, 4. Untitled, 5. Untitled, 6. Preparadas para el frio, 7. Rowan, 8. Saffron, 9. HAPPY smile today !, 10. The Snow Queen, 11. Snow kitty, 12. Mischievous_Boys, 13. journalpg how r ya, 14. "Groovy baby", 15. about art and beauty, 16. Compare them on white, 17. dancing flowers pendant, 18. Avon Small World 1971, 19. Pink Cameo Aceo, 20. Fairy with Black Manx cat, 21. rubber duckies, 22. Vintage Avon Small World collection, 23. Whole World zetti skinny, 24. saturday at 3, 25. robot assemblage sculpture * CODGER

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-24T21:40:00.000-05:00

A new appreciation for sewers

2009-12-13T21:53:00.004-05:00

No, not sanitation systems, although I appreciate those also. I mean people who can operate a sewing machine, or in this case, anyone who can wield a needle and thread without drawing blood, tangling one's materials in knots or making the finished object look like it was not sewn by King Kong or a Far Side cow (they of no opposable thumbs).

I was all thumbs in my first attempt at making a sock monkey, and worse still, I was late and missed most of the free class offered by the American Visionary Art Museum this Saturday. My first clue that I was in trouble was the lack of parking. And when I finally took the elevator up to the third floor classroom of the Jim Rouse (creator of Columbia, where I live) Visionary Center, I was shocked to find fiberfill flying everywhere and what looked like 300 men, women and children busily cutting, sewing and stuffing socks into fabric precursers of homo sapiens.

I couldn't even see a registration table; just dozens of round tables full of socks, buttons, yarn and more. Luckily, a woman wearing a "Monkey Helper" nametag took pity on me and gave me a pattern and five minutes of instruction. Then she started cleaning up. I felt pretty sheepish, thinking I could just drop in anytime--that's how I had understood the event. I also felt pretty disappointed, knowing sewing is not my strong skill and thinking I'd never manage to make a sock monkey, or even a sock amoeba.

But determination is a virtue, or something like that, and I stitched away into the wee hours, mostly because my neighbors were having a raucous party. By 3 a.m. I had a head, torso, legs and one ear, as well as two daisy buttons that gave Gladys all her personality. It really is all in the eyes.

I woke up this morning eager to finish, and hoping all the party-going neighbors had well-earned headaches. I had one, too, from trying to thread my needle without my glasses. But seeing Gladys with all her limbs intact and her wired tail made me feel all better. That, and some oatmeal monster (I mean monkey) cookies we made after that.

Lilly*s of London*ish

Doodling Traci Bautista Style

Finally made something!

A cheery spot is a good thing on snowy days!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Halloween!

My inspirational & motivational work spaces

Thank you, Indian Summer!

Congrats to my dear friend Jenny and her family. Welcome Lewis Alan!

Finally! Took some art classes again.

More painting with thread

My recent faves- I love me some color!

Happy Day sampler done!

WIP: Happy Day embroidery sampler designed by Pam Garrison

Art Making in Two of My Favorite Mediums

Work-in-Progress Weekend: Happy 4th of July!

More Embroidery - Miniature Version

Cross-Stitch Art

Crochet Art

More Weekend Finds & Happy First Birthday Tinkerbelle!

Memorial weekend vintage finds

Under the Sea pillowcases complete!

Still stitchin'

Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival Report

My Worst Mother's Day

My latest gig

Patience can be a virtue...when you don't know you're waiting

More, more, more in my Etsy shop, including handmade items by me

Head 'em up and Move 'em out and Let's get some New Inspiration!

I actually drew something again!

My View of the World

If I have all this inspiration, why am I not inspired?

More Mermaid Love

Scrapbooks and journals, oh my!

Snow Days and Cat Play

A new journal for a new year

Happy Holidays!

I adopted me some kitty!

I'm so excited! I finally 'did' some art.

Invasion of the Sock Monkeys

Happy Birthday to my Little Buddy

Happy Hanukkah

And now a word about my nephew......

Happy Thanksgiving!

Table art. Wall art. Art art

Finished project

Barbie Collector's Treasure Box

Now this IS art! Although not by me.

Good Morning, Starshine

Happy Halloween!

Is This (Vacation) Art?

Is This Art?

Is This Art?

Is This Art?

Art: Inspiration

An Art Retreat- Staycation Style

Happy Independence Day

And now, back to artsy things!

Almost lost Larry, too. An update

The finished product

Bry's Beautiful Blooms

Cock-a-Doodle-Do and a swap, too

Love in a Priority Box

An update on our beloved Lester

Rest in peace, sweet Lester. 09/04 - 05/10

Happy Mothers' Day, Art Friends!

A May Day basket for you

What Is Art?

Hey, kids! JMHO that I should TTYL on FB

TGIF

Wednesday morning at the beach

Vacation: Day Four; Inland forecast? 90 degrees

On learning how to relax again on vacation

Beach update

How not to go on vacation?

Lovely Alice in Wonderland swap receipts!

Do you remember Petite Princess or Princess Patti miniatures?

Random randomness and some beautiful beautiful-ness

Alice in Wonderland swap sent

New ATCs by the dozens

Lillys of Londonish