Muse Talk

Erosion bundle update

2010-02-07T13:15:00.003-05:00

my erosion bundle has been experiencing mother nature in the forms of rain, sunshine, sleet and snow.... I wonder what cool changes are occuring inside the bundle....

Winter Banner Swap

2010-02-07T13:09:00.004-05:00

The winter banner swap is finished and the swapped banners have arrived home. They are gorgeous in real life...so dainty, sparkly and creative. Of course...what would one expect from my Diva artist friends! I have hung the banners on the front entryway banister for all my guests to see and for me to see each time I pass by...I love them! Here in Ohio, the outside is wet, cold, and covered with snow...but inside the beauty of winter shows without the wet, cold part....hehehehehe

Winged Disc of Time

2010-01-23T21:55:00.003-05:00

I am currently beginging a new swap with an on-line group ..the Divas... there are 8 of us participating. we each are to start a Steam Punk item and send it to the next on the list for them to add to the item. It will take 8 months for it to return back home. for this piece...i used a brass colored pendant disk, drilled holes in it along the bottom and also in the middle to attach a locket that opens and closes with a magnet. I left the inside blank so someone can punk it up. on the lid of the locket, I added the top of a nail brad and tiny watch gears, and crystal lacquer inside a silver filagree charm. I also added a round clock face and silver wing. I am calling my piece the "winged disc of time"

Winter has arrived!!!!

2010-01-07T21:37:00.004-05:00

Winter has arrived in Dayton, Ohio....it is cold and we have had lots of snow today....so....I decided to work on a swap I signed up for on the Diva list.
The winter wonderland swap....make 20 5 x 7 banners in white with a hint of blue were the instructions. I used stiff white felt...stamped with tinted gesso, then added fringe and shiney yarn, snow flake and used my cuttle bug to cut out snowflakes from prism tags I had on hand, then glued some white beads. they are ready to go to the hostess...and then I will be getting back 20 different banners from 19 other artists....aren't you jealous? hehehehe

Erosion Bundle Project

2010-01-03T20:45:00.004-05:00

One of my Diva friends, Kris, got a bunch of us interested in participating in a special art project this year. We each were to gather a variety of items, fabrics, metals, paper...etc...and bundle them together and then hang them outside until April 15th and allow Mother Nature to "alter" them in the snow, rain, wind etc. We are to post photos every now and then and when the project is done...we are to make an art piece using items from the bundle. Living at a condo community, I have to be careful of where and what I hang as there are " nosey police" who would love to report us for breaking the rules...LOL...so I hung mine on a recently cut evergreen tree...in the back....you can see it from the front porch but if anyone asks...i will do my best to ignore them or get them interested....if that is a possibility....

I gathered lace, fabric, paper, sheet music, pages from a phone book, silk flowers, an old metal spoon, metal wire, mesh, bells, a piece of canvas with water color sprays, a bottle cap, some pieces of copper, string and an inked tag....most of the items on on the outside of the bundle in hopes they will rust and change or fade.

Happy New Year

2010-01-03T20:29:00.002-05:00

Tis 2010 a, new decade arrives
I hope your year is happy, healthy and full of art supplies.

seriously....2009 was a challenge to many of us....
Dallas has been without a job all year...but not due to not trying...the guy sends out resumes everyday and applies for anything in or near his field. He has had tons of interviews....but....let's face it...being 65 isn't helping his prospective employers feel easy about hiring an old fart. Or they tell him he is over qualified...shoot he doesn't care...he just wants a job.

Last week he got a verbal offer...and they called back saying they will send the written offer once the govt....gives the approval....so hopefully this week....!!!
they told him his starting date is January 19th...so keep body parts crossed if possible.

I have been very busy with the COPP program...not sure when we will graduate...still waiting for some in our class to catch up....sheeesh. But am spending a lot of extra time at the police department each week...either for training or working a shift with a senior COPP. I also got to help with the Resolution run ...a 5 k....New year's eve. We were the lead car....stayed warm...hehehehe...there were 962 participants. ...not bad for 13 degrees.

I also worked two shifts at the theater as parking lot security....boring but decent pay for what we do. I just heard that I may be made an offer for 3 nights a week..come February. cool! I also worked the day after Thanksgiving and the day after Christmas at Aeropastale....(DD is an assistant manager there and they can hire family for those two days to help out with the madness) And it was hard work....my hat goes off for those who work retail for a regular job...the lines were out the store both days...I got to work prep which was take off the sensors, offer gift cards, and fold and bag the items after the cashier does their thing. I liked that job a lot better than putting stock on the floor....does anyone really know how many different kinds of cami's and hoodies are available? Way too many different kinds and they are all over the store and for different prices....not easy to figure out and I was worried I would put the wrong one on the wrong table or hanger...LOL

And I took the census test a few weeks ago and will be working that come April....I did it before when I lived in CA and it is a short term job but kinda fun meeting most of the people.

anyway....it has been a while since i posted and thought I should try to do better this new year.

Happy Halloween

2009-10-13T19:11:00.002-05:00

I participated in an on-line swap of banners to spell out the word Halloween. The banner arrived today and it is now hanging from my fireplace.....I LOVE IT!!! this is the first banner swap I have been part of and my next one will be a winter wonderland swap due in February.
I also did a bit of decorating today...my helper, Maggie did not like the black crow and kept growling at it...heheheheeh

I left the 21st Century....for the afternoon

2009-09-05T16:59:00.002-05:00

Ohio has had the best weather this last week...in the 60's and 70's ...low humidity and lots of sunshine.... so, today Dallas and I decided to attend the New Boston Fair near the city we used to live in. This fair takes place every labor day weekend and is a two day event of strict ..re enactment of the late 1700's and how life was like in the area ...settlers vs. local Indians, merchants, food, militia etc. The participants must follow a strict code...no modern items allowed even down to their eye glasses and words. We go up and down the various tent lined avenues....dodging horses and oxen carts and the resulting (plops)...and watch magic acts, sword swallowers, musicial presentations, and working craftsmen from lace makers to blacksmiths to basket weavers,soap makers, milners, furniture makers, and even the doctor. All the participants do a great job staying in character and it is fun to tour and observe. It was very crowded today...due to the weather....normally at this time of year it rains and is in the 40's.... we watched the battle, and jumped when the cannons were fired and watched the various militia men march about. I bought some pot metal buttons that were cast from original recast molds...some mititary and others just deocrative, and a "gill" full of white shell buttons, and a thing to hold my hair up....metal and beads...and Dallas got a horn to decorate and a wood whistle...tiny one. We had fun...but smell like campfire smoke....

now back to the 21st century....

The Ties that Bind project is on TV

2009-08-20T15:35:00.001-05:00

click on the right side to bring up the ovarian cancer site.

art fair continued

2009-08-17T19:06:00.001-05:00

Art Fair/Craft show preparations

2009-08-17T18:48:00.003-05:00

Several neighbors and I are going to sell at the Golf Club art/craft show this November. My neighbors sew...I do not....LOL...so I decided to make items that are "green" using or re purposing items for a new use.
Below are photos of how I decided to re purpose spoons, old wooden textile bobbins, vintage optical lenses, rusty bed springs. Enjoy....I am still working on a few other projects and more angels...

Word Queen of the Universe

2009-06-21T23:24:00.002-05:00

This page is for a 4 x 6 page swap that will be made into a book. One of my Yahoo groups is 10 years old and one very ambitious moderator is volunteering to collect pages from as many participants who send her a page...she is then going to laser copy the pages and make a book for each participant of all the pages... this will be a treasure to explore once the book returns...I can hardly wait.....

The Fairy Door....

2009-06-18T13:26:00.004-05:00

It is said, if one installs a Fairy Door...the Fairies who are wanting to move out of the woods to the more urban areas...will move in....they are said to bring good luck with them. Only a Fairy can open the door and if one forces it open...the Fairy will leave.

At Hobby Lobby this week, they are 40% off in the unfinished wood section....so I decided to get one and painted it today. (I know my shading is off...but maybe the Fairies won't notice?) Anyway...I will put it by the front door...perhaps with a vacancy sign for a bit until I see that a Fairy family has moved in...then I plan to decorate it with the passing holidays...it should be fun...I am also thinking of writing a little story to go with it and record the happenings with the Fairy Family that hopefully comes to live here....

updates

2009-06-15T15:45:00.005-05:00

the new roof is on...took 10 days of the workers pounding and making noise and me picking up nails from the yard and driveway...but it is done...mostly,...they still have to come back for some cosmetic issues.

Saturday we had the condo community annual garage sale....I decided to not sell this year so I could walk around and see other goodies....and I did. I picked up some costume jewelry and some keys, a lock and a victorian floor lamp...not bad for $14.50 total!!! I picked up a green malekite stone necklace for $1 and took it apart. Dallas stripped some electrical wire for me to the copper core...and I guess it is around 14 gage...and I made my version of the tree of life pendants using the copper and green stone....they are all different since I was not sure how to make them but experimented.
And I took a jewelry solder class last week and made myself a greenish glass/silver bracelet and also one for DD(Jenny) for her up coming birthday....hers of course is pink. And I have also made a new wreath for over the fireplace. Flowers are planted and looking pretty and we are having more sunshine than rainy days now,..so what could be better?

Ties That Bind Raffle tickets are now available

2009-06-11T11:17:00.004-05:00

this is such a wonderful cause to help fight ovarian cancer. About a year ago, over a 100 artists were asked to donate a homemade charm or tie to be assembled to make an art doll to be auctioned off with all proceeds going to ovarian cancer research.

the time has come and from now until September 2009, tickets are available to win this awesome doll.
http://www.scrapbookroyalty.com/tiesthatbind.html

The Hunt

2009-04-18T21:03:00.002-05:00

Ok, so who knows what the term..."geocaching" means? Have you heard of letterboxing?
they are darn near the same thing except with geocaching you use a GPS to find the spot or close to it.
So the newbies that we are....I downloaded about 8 possible sites to try to find....noting that I chose mostly level 1's and 2's on the terrain and difficulty scale. Well, the first one we got to the area but could not find the cach...same with the second one....OK, perhaps we need a level 0 difficulty....sheesh....then we found the 3rd, 4th ones....yippie....opened up the micro box and signed the logs....and then rehid in the same location for the next seeker. then we headed out for the 5th one....hmmm....would have to walk into someone's yard to find it....and I won't do that and being unfamilar with the neighborhood, we didn't know how to get to the woods behind the houses that were along a fence line...so headed out to the 6th, 7th and 8th....found them...some were tiny nano boxes...and one was a sandwich sized tupperware like container...it actually had treasures to trade but since we didn't bring anything to trade...we just signed the log and rehid...but I now want to make "signature" treasures...that people will want to collect...got to come up with something not too large but coveted and unique just the same...I may paint wooden nickles and leave those...but then maybe not...LOL...
anyway...the weather was nice and we had fun walking a bit in the woods and parks to locate the caches...and trying not to be noticed by anyone.
If you have a GPS and are looking for something fun to do -outdoors -with the family...go to geocaching.com and read a bit and download some hidden caches in your area to go hunt.

beach in a bowl

2009-04-17T20:00:00.003-05:00

OK, so I bought some of these shells since Myrtle Beach has bone crusher waves and breaks most shells. One can get them on some of the smaller beaches that have sand bars...but....needless to say...I picked up broken shells for their color and bought some fancy ones.... but...the sand is pure authentic. I had the bowl and added the fish net a attached some shells to the outside...My little beach at home....all that is missing is the sound of the ocean and the breeze and the cold water....hmmm...wonder if Dallas would mind if I hooked up the hose and turned on the fan....? LOL

Beach Vacation

2009-04-14T16:04:00.004-05:00

We have had a time share in North Myrtle Beach for over 25 years. On week 14 every year or there abouts, we either head to Myrtle or exchange it for another destination...but mostly Myrtle. This year we wanted to see some things we had not discovered in the past or for a while. We toured one of Myrtle Beach's wineries and took a day trip to Charleston and Georgetown. We also visited Brookgreen Gardens and walked the beach...a lot. I picked up various shells, and sand and was looking for some jelly fish...(we always see dead jelly fish washed up after the storms) but not this year...instead...we saw this large pile of sponge...I thought it unique that it was in a heart shape, and we saw dolphins and people....LOTS of people when in past years there would be about 50 on the beach on a given day. We had fairly decent weather...a bit chilly at times...but no snow and we took our time and relaxed...no set schedule...nor rushing around...no expensive shows...just a nice week on the beach to blow away the winter duldrums

Rescue

2009-03-23T12:51:00.002-05:00

Last week, one of my neighbors who is a quilter and sews everyday...was cleaning out her closet of unfinished projects and asked me to come over to see if I could use anything before she tossed it. Already in the pile to be tossed was a bag of cut out pieces to make a purse. She had cut them out but lost interest and it sat in her closet for a few years... I loved the colors...and looked at the pieces...it was hard to tell what was what but I thought I could put it all together and make a few adaptations from the left over fabric. I had to buy a zipper and take it back as once I got the pieces somewhat hooked together...the zipper I had was going to be too short...then I picked up some black bias tape to use to finish off seams as the quilted fabric would be too thick for a traditional seam. Any way...I used my Baby Smurf...(teeny tiny blue Kenmore) and it worked like a trooper even through 4-5 thickness in some areas of quilted fabric...I don't think my older more expensive machine would have gone over some of those bulges...LOL... I had to do some hand sewing...not my favorite....around the inside of the zipper to hide and finish off the seam...this would not have been so hard...except for the fact..I had no regular needles and had to use a dull round point....yes, I could have waited until today to go buy what I needed but I wanted that purse done yesterday!!!!
I love it....!!!!

More Flower Pot Figures...and a nest

2008-12-16T23:54:00.003-05:00

the weather outside is foggy and ice is covering everything. Soooo, nothing better to do then stay inside and work on some projects...I got my chores done and rewarded myself with some art play.
I created the angel and snowman from the tiny terra cota flower pots and a small wooden ball for the heads/hat. The nest is from copper wire and some beads I had laying around. This may not be the "correct" way to make a bird's nest...most of the experts around here have flown south for the winter...(smart)...but I think this concept will work and make a believable replica.

Community Craft Group

2008-12-12T22:17:00.003-05:00

A group of ladies in my condo community get together once a month and make a project. Snowman flower pots was the theme this past month. I made the first one on the left for myself and the last one on the right was made for one of the gals who got sick and could not attend...I did all the gluing and the other gals handed me stuff to attach... the little snowman is also mine...I added garland and mini lights to the picket fence posts...and the red gingham tree is made from an old rusted bed spring with bells glued to it. Anyway...this is a fun and easy project and we had a great time.....after the craft session, we enjoyed homemade soup, dessert, veggies, rolls and chips and dip... no one minded that it was 20 degrees outside...we were having fun and warm inside.

my ornament tree

2008-12-06T01:05:00.002-05:00

this is my art ornament tree that I leave up all year long... decorated with art from the various holidays. Right now it has a mix of store ornaments and handmade by me and from the Diva 12 Days of Christmas swap. the packages at the bottom are yet to be opened....smile...isn't it pretty?

Flower pot Snowman

2008-12-04T23:53:00.002-05:00

I took 5 small terra cota flower pots and painted them up and made this little snowman scene. I even added snow...(white caulking) and a stir stick from Starbucks that DH had found and brought home...(well trained)....and a white picket fence which will have wreaths and red bows added tomorrow....The bottom is several cardboard coasters from the local restaurant.....
with it being 18 degrees outside...this snowman is more fun to build.

more art play

2008-12-04T23:48:00.003-05:00

I made two more spoons for DD and her friend for their Christmas trees...both are OSU nuts. I printed the logo off (reversed) and used gel medium to coat the ink several times then wet the paper and removed it....the logo is almost like a decal. I added it to the bowl of a spoon which I had painted white. She is picking them up tomorrow..so nothing like me waiting until the last minute to get them done.

12 Days of Christmas Diva Swap

2008-12-04T16:27:00.003-05:00

I belong to a wonderful group of on line artists and friends and we decided to have a swap this year. Each gal of a group of 12, made 12 handmade items and sent 1 out to each of the other gals. We were all assigned a day from 1-12.... Begining on Dec. 1st for day 1...we began to open each designated gift for the day. I am day #4 and above is the ornament I made from an old silver plated spoon. I used a drill press with a round cutting blade to cut off the handle, and to drill the hole into the stub. I used a belt sander to smooth the cut edges, and then I painted the scene and sealed it, added a bow and charm and told each spoon to behave and bring a smile to the recipient's face.

Glass Block project

2008-11-18T02:50:00.003-05:00

I have been wanting to try this project for some time now. The reason I had not done so until today...is that the blocks have to have a hole drilled into the side...with a diamond drill bit and hopefully not crack the glass. But, today I was at Lowe's and saw these in the Christmas section and they already have a hole drilled plus a plug. Bingo! DD was with me and said she would love to have one done up as a present for under her tree at her apt. Sooooo, I bought a block, picked up some spray frost paint and some ribbon and a strand of LED white Christmas lights...the LED since they stay cool.
At home, I sprayed the frost, let it dry and then stuffed the lights inside and put the stopper in. Then I used the ribbon around the outer edge and made a bow. In real life, this looks awesome with the lights in a dark room.
I plan to make another one and use battery lights so I can set it on a table with out being plugged in. I will either paint a scene or print something onto velum and attach it to the sides of the glass block and hope the lights show through.

I graduated last night.

2008-11-14T22:01:00.004-05:00

The past 12 weeks, I have been enjoying a wonderful program called the Citizens Police Academy taught by the Beavercreek Police Department. Sadly, the course is over....I will really miss it but have many fond memories and experiences and have gained a wonderful insight to the way our local department operates first hand. This is a photo of our class....we are now proud members of the CPA alumni of only 134 members in a community of 40,000 people.
The other photos were given to me by the commander last night of one of the traffic stop exercises we were roll playing during one of our classes. I was playing traffic cop, stopping a suspecious vehicle...I got to use the siren, roof lights, spot light and microphone....and pull over the suspect and tell him what I wanted him to do...of course he didn't want to follow directions...the first few times and I had to use my pretend tazer when he tried to grab me and pull me down....LOL.
The commander took lots of photos during our classes and had them on display at the graduation....he is going to have the display in the lobby of the police station so visitors can see what all we got to do.
I must say that I think our law enforcement men and women are the finest in the state of Ohio and am greatly impressed by their ethics, behavior and what they do on a day to day basis to protect our community.

how impressed am I? I want to assist ....so I have already applied for the COPP class...which is Citizens on Preventative Patrol and will be volunteering at least 4 hours each week. some of the things I will be doing will be directing traffic during power outages, parades and accidents. Waiting for tow trucks, vacation checks, patroling neighborhoods, setting up the speed trailer, using the laser gun to clock speeders and notifying the vehicle's owner, setting up traffic cones, assisting stranded motorists, helping to unlock vehicles, transporting documentation to the courts, fingerprinting, etc....all things to free up the sworn officers so they can be out doing their thing. that course will be 7 weeks long and two nights a week of 3 hours each and then we also have to pass a polygraph and fingerprint background check and have a partner.

One of my neighbors is a COPP and he even attended my graduation last night....smile...he and his partner are going to let me do ride alongs until our class gets established sometime in the spring. So, I am looking forward to that experience too.
now back to the real world and ......laundry...ugh.

!2 Days of Christmas Diva Swap

2008-11-14T21:56:00.003-05:00

Here are some of my gifties ready to be mailed out. Each participant was to make 12handmade gifts and send the rest of the 11 to the rest of the participants. Each person was assigned a number from 1-12 and on their day, everyone in the group opens that person's gift....doesn't this sound like fun???
I am getting excited....and I will share here what I made and what gifts I receive....so stay tuned...Dec. 1 will be the first day of the reveal.

Updates...

2008-10-21T20:53:00.004-05:00

The kitchen redo is done...time to celebrate!!! It is gorgeous and well worth the dust and mess. We have also redone the upstairs spare bedroom...I painted the green wood lamps and chair a nice garnet red....(well I had left over wall paint...shrug) and I got a pretty red, cream and chocolate brown striped bedspread and new tag drapes in cream....it looks bright and cheery in there.
The family room down stairs is looking nice too, since we sold the poker table and moved the tread mill to that location. I got garnet red slip covers and two leather ottoman/tray tables for a coffee table and it is also bright and cheery there too.

soooo, the decorating is over for a bit.

My CPA (citizens police academy) classes are still going....this week will be #9 of 12...I am really learning a lot and having fun at the same time. A few weeks ago we had the opportunity to shoot weapons at the PD range. the standard police issue handgun was fun...but the grip was too large for my hand and it was difficult to hold...the semi automatic machine gun was really fun....(it is the same type that the Navy Seals use)it could shoot single shot, a short burst and then a full burst...fun fun fun. The gun I didn't like shooting was the short barrel 12 gage shot gun...it kicked really hard and my shoulder was bruised for over a week and tender. Dallas took advantage of my new interest in guns to take me to the gun shop....and I now am the owner of a Walther, Smith&Wesson PPKS...38. It fits my hand and also Dallas is comfortable with it too.
We plan to go target shooting to get more comfortable with it. We also will take the CCW...(concealed carry weapons) course next month....and get the permit. I want to take it for the knowledge of safe firearms use and not to carry the gun as it will be staying at home most of the time.

Last week we got to see the K-9 unit in action...oh wow...that was really something!!!!

Last week I hosted book club and that was a lot of fun too. Dallas is working 3-12 shift now so I have my evenings to myself. I am really changing my schedule around so that I can spend time with him in the mornings and then doing my chores after he goes to work...so far so good.

Today, I decided to make a decoration for Halloween. I bought a foam pumpkin and painted it and cut out the top and put some flowers inside with a crow perched on top...quirky...I know but fit the mood I was in. I am also posting Hester the witch I made two years ago since this is October and it is almost Halloween.

DD's room got a face lift too....

2008-09-28T15:51:00.003-05:00

DD lives at her own place but still stays over occasionally. I got rid of her decorations and decided to make the room more of a guest room. I moved the bed to a different wall and got a great deal on the bedding at TJ Max....$59 for 17 pieces...including the deocrative pillows and two sets of 400 count sheets...not bad.

We picke up a dresser at IKEA and added a glass to the top. Now I still have to do something over the bed but another winter project...and yes...I have to get rid of the fax machine....we don't even have a land line...LOL...anyone need a fax machine?

stairs...lazy S

2008-09-28T15:45:00.004-05:00

Here is the view of the new floors from coming up the stairs...the "lazy S" curve, and down the steps at the entry way...I like how the curve mimics the area rug we have in the LR.

down stairs project

2008-09-28T15:30:00.003-05:00

OK, I am a glutten for punishment but...it turned out nice I think. I decided to add a chair rail down stairs in the hall above the new wood floors...and I painted the wall below the rail...red...took one coat of pink primer and 4 coats of red to cover...but it really does add some zip to that area.

For those who are curious...straight ahead is Dalla's office...(going clockwise) is the garage, my art room to the right of the red wall, behind me is the spare bath and DD's bedroom, I am standing in the lower level all purpose room...(poker, treadmill, TV extra gathering room) and then the laundry room, and the hall that goes up stairs...
I think the wall makes the hall look wider and brighter.

Kitchen 98% finished.

2008-09-28T15:20:00.003-05:00

The workmen are gone...the floors are in, the tile back splash is done, and I have my curtains up. I finished making the burgandy valance for the sliding glass door today and got it up too. It looks better than I had anticipated and "feels" very comfy. Dallas also installed rope lights for above the cabinets and I found some light switch plates at the home center that seem to match the back splash perfectly.
I still have a table runner and chair covers to make...but can do that this winter.

remodel updates and citizen's police academy class #3

2008-09-11T22:40:00.006-05:00

The floor installers arrived on Tuesday. The guy who had been ill was actually in the ER to be treated for a spider bite that he had ignored for 4 days until his had became swollen and numb and the bite had to be opened and packed. I felt pretty small for thinking that they were making it all up. There were 3 in the crew...the boss and two helpers. All the carpet and padding was removed in less than an hour and the first course of flooring was laid and glued and nailed....Dust is everywhere. Wednesday...the boss didn't show but the helpers did. They think he had food poisoning from the evening before. So the workers continued the job...taking cigarette breaks about every 15 minutes...fortunately I am paying by the job, not the day. they finished 3/4ths of the kitchen. Today, the main boss was back with them and when he saw one of the cut out pieces next to a cabinet...he said it was not close enough and had to rip out almost 25 boards (this involved using a chisel and lots of elbow greece) because it did not meet his standards and he stands by his reputation of being the best in town. There were no raised voices that I could tell but the tension between him and the worker who cut and installed the piece was very evident....no one was saying a word and all were walking on egg shells around him. I don't like people not getting along and I thanked him for caring enough to make sure the job looked right but also tried to tell him the other guy did try to cut the piece correctly and had re cut it at least 3 times that I myself had witnessed. So with having to rip out half of what they did yesterday and not being here on Monday...has put them behind schedule by almost 2 full days and it looks like they will be here all next week too.... my house is dust city!!! My throat is so dry and scratchy from breathing in saw dust and since they leave the patio door open to go use the saws....flys wasps and other flying insects have moved into my house.

yesterday after they left...I killed the same wasp...3 times...!!! I swatted it and went to get a paper towel to clean it up and when I got back...it was gone... then I saw it and swatted it again ...and again.... I almost gave up and wished it could find its way back outside as it sure put up a brave fight....but was afraid Maggie would get stung.

anyhow...the floors or the part that is done is looking Wonderful !!!!
While all this was going on today, I tried to study for my 3rd citizens police acadamy class tonight. It was about lawyer stuff and legal procedures and probable cause and searches and degrees of felonies etc. I was having a difficult time concentrating as there was so much information and there seemed to be exceptions to each example or law. The assistant prosecutor spoke to us as did a beat officer and the examples they gave helped make sense of it all. In the middle of class, we were interrupted by pounding on the outside wall in the back and shouting and while we were turned to look at that, someone ran into the room and stole an object. So then we were told to fill out a narrative of what we witnessed...we will discuss it next week and see how we did with a re enactment. I said I saw a white female in sunglasses with a ball cap pulled down low over her brow and her long brown hair pulled back in a pony tail, slight build,medium height and wearing a dark blue jacket and dark gloves.... and saw her grab a bottle of water from a table and run out .... the guy beside me swore he saw a male .....LOL.... It could have been a guy with long hair as the person was flat chested...but the way the person moved suggested to me that it was a female.......so we shall see next week who needs to get their eyes checked. LOL... but he and I have an excuse...we sit in the last row of the room and the person did not run all the way across the room...we had the worst vantage point...so those up front were not only closer but got to see the person for a longer time as they can see the door from where they sit and could see the person coming and going and from head to toe...We could only see the waist up and only 2-3 seconds.

kitchen ....glitch

2008-09-08T10:38:00.002-05:00

The floor and back splash installer called 30 minutes before he was due here to say he would not make it today and tomorrow might be iffy. His helper got injuried Saturday (either a cut arm or hand as the guy told me both stories)...so that put him behind on a job he was to have finished on Saturday. GREAT...not for the injured man....but ....could the guy have called to let me know about this on Saturday instead of right before he was due here? Guess not. Dallas and I emptied out the kitchen yesterday the table, chairs, hutch, dishes, anything on the floor, and disconnected the water lines to the fridge. Of course I also had to empty my counter tops since they will be putting in a black spash....and the halls and entry, and landings had to be cleared of furniture and decoration. so my LR< DR< and spare bedroom look like a garage sale gone bad.... I am trying to laugh...hohoho...but am bummed that it isn't getting underway today...this means if they start tomorrow it won't be finished by the weekend and I will be having yet another week of this mess torn up...cause after they are done, i have to paint the new shoe molding before we can start putting stuff away....

Nothing ever seems to go smoothly when you hire out work...so I am trying to stay patient and focus on how nice it will be when they get it done.....I am just wondering if I will still live here or be in a nursing home by that time...LOL..

on the bright side...washing my kitchen floor was a breeze this morning...didn't have to move anything...

32 and counting...

2008-09-08T10:32:00.002-05:00

Lsst week, Dallas and I had our 32nd wedding anniversary....(doesn't seem that long until I look in the mirror and wonder where the youth went). We are re doing the kitchen instead of taking an expensive trip somewhere so I never thought he would also send me 2 dozen of the sweetest smelling red roses...but ...glad he did. (big smile)
Each day they open a bit more and the smell is......devine!
..all he got from me was a card! LOL

Just call me ....Rambo

2008-09-05T09:30:00.005-05:00

About 2 months ago, I had the opportunity to apply for this year's Citizens Police Academy taught by the local police department and justice system. I was accepted and very excited as they only take 16 applicants per year. Our city has 44,000 residents and when we graduate...(assuming they don't lock me up first) we will be 16 of 120 total graduates in the city since the program began in 2001. They used to do two classes a year but they decided to increase the weeks of requirement and then had to decrease to the once a year schedule. I am a member of class #9.

We meet every Thursday night for 3 hours+...and then have other exercises for Saturdays scheduled occassionally. When we ride along...that is also at different times than class. The course is 12 weeks long and I have just finished up my second week. Can I say I love this opportunity??? So far, the info presented to us is interesting, entertaining...(with all the war stories we get to hear) and educational.

Besides getting to know each sworn officer and department auxillary staff, I am learning more about our community ...its problems, and good things and am thinking of ways in which I can get involved after this program is over.

We all are gaining a better understanding of how our department works, is funded, and structured...and who is repsonsible for what... from Dispatch to investigation, to prevention to intervention, to hiring and internal affairs. We get to first hand experience what the department has available and how they function in the city.

I am really looking forward to the SWAT and gun range exercises as well as the ride alongs... we got a wonderful tour of dispatch and will also be allowed 1 on 1 time to observe a shift in dispatch.

Our city covers 29 square miles and is divided into 3 districts..each with their specific problem areas....major highways, malls, colleges (bars) etc.

I was also pleased to learn that our city department is one of only 500-600 police agencies nationwide to be accreditated through CALEA. (but it doesn't surprise me...the officers I have met so far are extremely professional and they demonstrate that everyday...whether they are on duty or not.

What has surprised me is the openness with which they speak. They told us they have nothing to hide...no little secrets that they don't want the public to know...if we have questions...they will answer us truthfully and find out the answers they don't know. Nothing is off limits. They, in fact, have expressed gratitude to us for giving up our time to learn about what they do.

Anyway...as you can see...by the photo, our text is jam packed with information to study in addition to what we are learning in class....3 inches worth ...divided into 12 week sessions. Lots of reading and preparation ..but I want to get the most out of this experience and so far it has been amazing. My fellow students range in age from 18-72 with most being in their 40's... they are teachers, accountants, intelligence officers from the base, 2 house wives, 2 current police academy students, a retired military chaplin, several civilian contract workers for the base, and me, a semi retired RN. There is one couple attending who have a son who is an officer in the department and they want to find out more about his job and what it entails as they say...."He doesn't talk about his job and they are curious".
I will try to keep this updated as I have more experiences to share...but a fair warning...
I am scheduled to do a ride along from 11 PM to 3 AM and then show up for fire arms practice at 9AM....LOL...THAT ought to be ......interesting ...after drinking coffee all night long to stay awake. (wink) can you imagine a middle aged female shooting a machine gun after 6 cups of coffee and no sleep? DUCK!!! I wonder if they have a tarp for the roof to keep the rain out after I am done......hehehehehe

a kitchen without a rooster...is nothing to crow about...

2008-08-27T13:31:00.005-05:00

A tuscan kitchen needs a rooster...it is a symbol of protectiveness and prosperity...soooo I have be on the look out for rooster figurines....none to be had that will fit my budget or above the cabinet space....then while in Joanne's yesterday, I spotted a Debbie Mum wind chime on the discount shelf....perfect...I took it apart and attached it to a u-shaped board I have had in the art room for years and then cut up clip art and borders I found on the Internet to further decorate the look.

the trash bin is also altered to go into my new kitchen. It used to be plain stained wood on the lid with a maroon color on the sides...too country for my new kitchen. So I spray painted it black...(no runs or drips...smile) and added a decorative wood element I painted to the top and of course a new knob that I inked to match the wine glass shelf.

the kitchen sink is due to finally be installed today...and the plumber is coming first thing in the AM to attach the pipes etc....yeah...I will have the ability to cook once again and do dishes...

Every thing but the kitchen sink....

2008-08-23T23:53:00.003-05:00

The new granite counter tops were installed yesterday. It was fun and facinating watching how they did it and hearing them grunt as they carried the 3 slabs up the hill to come into the house via the patio. It took about 3 hours and a huge headache from smelling the epoxy for the job to be finished but wait...what is that hole under the window? That is where my new sink is supposed to be....but the one they unpacked had a flaw on the top surface and if there is going to be a scratch...I will be the one to put it on ...not the factory...LOL...well, they called all around to try to find another one in stock...(it is a run of the mill normal stainless sink...so the distributor is rush shipping one and it should be here by next Tuesday..for an installation on Wednesday....in the meantime...I have no drinking water or faucets in the kitchen...nor any water running to the ice maker.
( we did buy several gallons of water to keep in the fridge for a few days...but do you know how many times I have almost dumped liquid into that void space by mistake? the good part is I am getting to eat out a lot...the bad part is ...I get to eat out a lot...the back splash won't be tiled until the floors are installed...and that is 2-3 weeks away. But, I really love the counter tops...
I walk into my kitchen and just stare for minutes at a time and try to invision this project complete and all the dirt and dust cleaned up....LOL...sometimes I wonder if that will ever happen.

digital play

2008-08-18T20:12:00.004-05:00

the theme was "Ocean Fantasy"....I made this in a few minutes with digital images and layers.... it was fun to play and go a bit wild with the layers.

Ties that bind project

2008-08-18T20:02:00.003-05:00

I have a banner on the side that supports Ties that Bind...a project to raise money for ovarian cancer. My Mother died from breast/ovarian cancer in 1977...and my DH survived cancer in 2007....mostly due to research and advanced treatment methods. Donations and funding made the research possible. I was honored to be asked to participate in making a charm for a doll that will be auctioned for funds. I used two metal book plates/frames and stamped a Celtic Knot (ties) in ink. the center is mat board covered with gesso and teal ink with HOPE stamped and blackened. I used silver wire to make a bale and to add some decoration at the bottom. Diamond glaze was added over the center area to apprear like the word is under glass.
I hope this project raises tons of money so not only ovarian cancer but all cancer is soon preventable or curable.

I went shopping for decor

2008-08-18T16:17:00.002-05:00

here are some of the brighter dishes I have added...all can be used. Michaels had a great sale on metal containers and I got that lovely urn thing for the above the cabinets for $5.05....and the fruit will look good on top of the new counters I think.

my new appliances ...smile

2008-08-18T16:10:00.003-05:00

what a difference the stainless makes from the all white. Dallas and I installed the microwave ourselves as they wanted an extra $149. so I used that money we saved and bought some home decor.

I had my white, 2 year old appliances listed on Craigs list and sold them in less than two days!!! never used that service before but it was easy and I felt safe in that I could screen the buyers via e mail or telephone first.

we made our wine glass rack

2008-08-18T16:05:00.003-05:00

this really looks cool in person...so come on over to visit and have some wine.

we cut a pine board, and added these stainless steel holders we ordered. then we attached leaf molding to the edges and I painted it all black. I inked the leaves with deep green, yellow and a bit of copper and they look awesome!!! Then we attached brackets and hung it over the wine cooler. guess we will have to learn about wine now...LOL

other new lights we installed

2008-08-18T16:01:00.002-05:00

Update from the last month

2008-08-18T15:50:00.004-05:00

perhaps an update is needed as I have been quiet for about a month. All good news so don't worry. My husband has continued good news from the docs...that is the most important thing to report!!! That allows me to concentrate on other ventures...mostly our latest project...the kitchen make over.
Yes, I know we have a 2 year old condo and every thing was new when we moved in but not our taste. We have decided to change out the white appliances for stainless steel and change out the light fixtures and get granite counter tops and wood floors.

the counter tops are due in less than two weeks and then the floors will be installed along with a new tiled back splash...it will probably be the middle of September before it is all complete.

In the mean time...we have changed out the lights, made a wine glass holder installed knobs on the current cabinets, ordered a new window treatment for the sliding glass door and I have been frequenting TJMAX and other places for decorative items to fit my plan for a Tuscan kitchen. The new appliances are in and work like a dream...I may even learn to like cooking...LOL

barber pole project?

2008-07-17T15:58:00.003-05:00

Like many of you, I have tons of images and where are they kept? most are currently in a notebook on a shelf. I want to use them and out of sight..out of mind so I needed to come up with something fun to sit on my work table.

I got a scrap piece of MDF board and drilled a hole (with DH standing over my shoulder...)and then I attached a inch dowel rod through the hole and held it in place at the bottom of the board with a screw and washer. Next the painting...with a foam brush, I made red squares over the white gessoed base. When dry, I sprayed it with PYMll. Then I sprayed a puddle of brassy bronze color mist onto a pallet and "washed" a layer of it like a glaze over the base and dowel. When dry, I did the same thing in the opposite direction, then sealed it with the PMYll spray. I then attached a large flat amber marble to the top for decoration. My images are now in page protectors and freely move about the rod with 2 inch binder rings.

Both the spray and the color mist products are available through Outsidethemargins.com web site.

contacts at my AGE?

2008-07-05T18:23:00.002-05:00

went for an eye exam today. I have been wearing reading glasses for 10 years...same Rx. Today my close up changed by 3 steps from 2 years ago...(I figured as my arms were getting shorter)...he also said my distance had changed....huh? I have no complaints about my distance at all so sorta ignored him. His solution is bifocals...nope...not for me....I asked about multifocal contacts...he shrugged and said they don't work...but I can try a trial pair if I want. so I did. No trouble getting them in or out...(phew)...the close up reading was great! but my distance was awful...I couldn't see as far as I do without glasses.....he said it takes getting used to....so home I went after ordering glasses for just reading.
the distance didn't improve and it felt like I had vaseline on my eyes when looking in the distance...thank goodness I wasn't driving. so once home, i took the suckers out...and my distance vision was back to normal....(I still think he is wrong on that) when I went back in to get my glasses...I asked about doing mono contacts instead and go with a close up contact in my reading eye and nothing in the distance eye...he shrugged again....ok, so I asked which eye...you guessed it...another shrug....since I have astigmatisms in both eyes...he said to try the lens in both and decide for myself which one feels better. so now...i can SEE to read...without glasses...and I can see distance...without glasses...I feel free...yeah!!! and the contacts are not hard at all to put in or take out...why I didn't do this years ago, I don't know...but am glad to do it now.

I am a member of Creative Souls

2008-06-29T17:31:00.001-05:00

View my page on Creative Souls

ATC play

2008-03-23T14:18:00.002-05:00

Tank is the nickname I had as a toddler...not much kept me from going where I wanted to go. I was determined...what some call stubborn. Of course I am so different today...LOL
the other ATC is a cool image I found of a moon clock face in a magazine...I have had it for a long time and finally decided to do something with it.

Mermaid Treasure Box

2008-03-14T23:32:00.002-05:00

This is another project I finished today. I took a tin...(similar to an old Altoid) and spray painted it midnight blue. I inked the lid with color box fluid chalk ink, stamped a head and torso from Outsidethemargins Art Parts stamp set and created an embossed tail to go with it. The jute is applied around the lid with red liner tape. the sea wead is sprayed with color mists and cut into narrow strips. I also added poney beads to the bottom for feet.

The Lady of the Night...Dances

2008-03-13T16:21:00.001-05:00

As a designer for Outsidethemargins.com, I am sent glorious items to play with and hopefully come up with something that shows the products in use.
This past year I have been busy with my DH's health and have not been very productive for the on line store. Aileen, the owner has been so patient and understanding but my personal goal was to get back into the swing of things and start using some of the items she has sent me to play with.

The items I used from her store today are:
tic tac toe board
a variety of color mists...especially my favorite...copper kettle
a variety of cats eye pigment chalk pads
a pottery 3-D moon ornament painted in metalic gold
arms and legs from her body parts stamp sheet

this was a really fun project that had no idea what it was going to be until it was finished....I just pulled things out and started putting them together.

hope you enjoy my day of whimsey.

Sun Muse

2008-03-03T15:45:00.002-05:00

I took the bottom half of a butter knife and glued some thrift store earrings to the front. I polished it and drilled a hole to hang it from my art tree.
this one is just under 4 inches long and is the perfect size for the tree.
I hope to have full tree by the end of the month.

a Gal needs to color....

2008-03-02T18:16:00.004-05:00

My friend, Aileen, over at http://otm-inspirations.blogspot.com
has a challenge to do a bit of coloring.... something we all supposedly learned to do in our formative years...
she allows you to download a black and white page of her newly designed logo and color it. This is what I came up with using some markers, pastels and colored pencil and yes...that is glitter.

More Silverware Art

2008-03-02T15:02:00.002-05:00

I had DH cut a fork in half and bend the tines. I again used some grunge board for the wings...decorated with twinkling H2O's. The head is a clay piece. The bottom of the fork shined up really pretty...(scan doesn't show how shiney it really is) and I can use it as an oranament on my art tree or wear it as desired. DH also drilled holes in the rest of my spoons and flattened some ...I have images on those right now but will not dress then until a later time...stay tuned.

Spoon Muse?

2008-02-28T17:16:00.002-05:00

A very sweet friend surprised me with a RAK yesterday of Grunge Board to use in my art. This is amazing stuff...you can do almost anything with it and it won't fall apart. I inked, and heat embossed, and used CM water colors, and acrylic paint and sandpaper and ....the material took it all....no tearing or shrinking and it is still bendable. I like also that it is light weight and easy to adhere to even a metal surface.
In the photo, grunge board is used on the crown, star, body and wings. Great stuff!!!

I bought the spoon at a thrift store and had DH flatten the bowl. I then removed the tarnish and glued the image to the bowl of the spoon. Next I did various techniques to the pieces of grunge board and attached them. the littel red heart is from the card DH gave me for Valentine's day.

Then I added fibers and yarn to make the hair and skirt.

This is now called my spoon muse. I know she needs a name, but am sure she will come up with one when she is ready.
I have 5 more spoons to play with and lots of grunge board...smile....

Tumbled Coasters

2008-02-26T21:15:00.003-05:00

With limited space, I feel hesitant to make art and not be able to use it. I ran across this kit to make tumbled marble coasters ...it was on sale, I had a coupon...quick project and useful....sounds like a great combination to me.

I went to my art files and pulled out 4 projects I liked that could be re sized to fit on the 4 x 4 inch coasters. then I printed them off on the laser with this special paper and the kit had glaze and medium and even the sand paper and gauze...

I read the instructions...and spent the afternoon doing a step and allowing it to dry etc.

I do like how the texture of the marble shows through the transfered image.

Zentangles

2008-02-25T14:26:00.003-05:00

the fall of 07, I was introduced to a web site and the craze of making "zentangles". Hmmm...I have been doing this for years and years but am glad there is a name for it other than ...idle time doodling. I used to take my journal or small heavy weight card stock and a pen with me when going to one of DH's doc appointments or tests or chemo sessions. My mind could still be active but my hands were busy and it really helped me stay calm and relaxed. I am uploading these as they are probably what sparked my spring project from yesterday or as one friend called it...an abstract circus ..elephant and all.
I have favorite doodles as you will see them repeated in the following examples.
If you have not tried one of these...please do...they are addicting.

Doodle Time

2008-02-25T01:59:00.003-05:00

The oscars are on and I am bored so I quickly gessoed a canvas board, sprayed it with a bit of blue color mist from Outsidethemargins.com and got my sharpie marker out and began doodles...no rhyme or reason...just kept adding. I call it countdown to spring... It is a bit bland so then I got the water color crayons out and added a bit more color. I am still not completely happy with it, though. Perhaps I will leave it alone for a few days and see if anything else comes to mind.

Who let the sun out/

2008-02-23T23:03:00.003-05:00

we have had so much ugly weather this past week....cold, rain, freezing rain...a small blizzard or white out....snow, more rain, more snow and then freezing rain followed by snow... schools were canceled twice this week due to weather...once for the holiday... and I am tired of being stuck in the house most of the time....so today, I woke up to gorgeous ice covered trees glistening in the ......what is that yellow ball in the sky anyway...I have faint memories of it...could it really be ...the sun? yep...the sun was out...and the temps rose above freezing for the first time in 10 days...we made it up to 34 degrees...course it is already 12 again right now...
I don't know about you, but when it is gloomy and gray...I really don't have any energy...don't want to think about art work or house work for that matter.
I thought I would include a photo of the snow falling during the second day of our 3 day winter storm. blah isn't it?

quick card front

2008-02-15T16:38:00.003-05:00

I watched Michael Strong make a lovely card on Crafttvweekly.com today and to keep from forgeting about it, I went to my craft area and did a mock up of his idea.

I didn't have his vase stamp so free - hand cut one and embossed it with an overal design and colored it with ink. I also used black cardstock for the background with green, blue and metalic gold acrylic paint randomly brushed across the surface. When this was dry, I ran it through a crimper and glued it to a previously used greeting card. Next I cut slivers of waste paper and glued them to the back of the vase and glued that to the white mulbury paper shape and glued it to the card too.

I skipped the sanding the background step he used as I felt it wasn't needed.

now I have an any occassion card to send.

Happy Valentines Day

2008-02-14T16:29:00.002-05:00

DH and DD loved their homemade cards and DH left a very pretty one sitting out for me this morning on my laptop...guess he figures that is one of the first places I go to in the AM...he is right! LOL. The sun is out but the temps are still brr cold. Ice has not melted much in the shade and my driveway is in the shade..... you see a trend going here?

Our front storm door latch must have frozen and broke internally so a new part is on order. The bad part of that is....we have to use the back patio door or open the garage door to take the dog out. So being the nice, kind compassionate Mom that I am...the dog suggested in her big brown eyes, that I drop everything and see to her needs imediately ...around 9 this morning...never mind that she had just been out at 7:30.... so I grab my coat and her leash and try to keep up as she runs down the stairs to the garage door. She is in a hurry, I snap on the leash, push the button and with her being only a foot tall, she runs under the opening door as I stand inside waiting for it to raise high enough for me to leave the safe domain of the garage.... Well, I quickly follow her and then I hit the ice.....

Kabooom... yep...down on my side...sprawled prone for the whole world to see why I am not called "Grace". My right wrist got the brunt of the fall and with the heavy padding of the coat and my own...homemade padding...(wink) I was not hurt..but scraped a bit and it stung..plus I had a right coat sleeve full of cold snow. A quick glance around assures me that no one was laughing their head off at me so after taking inventory of my bones and making sure they all worked, I attempted to stand up. This manuver is not easy on a flat surface so add in that my drive way slopes and is covered in 2 inch deep ice and a light layer of snow and you have trouble with a capital T. I make a few feeble attempts then make some progress...almost standing up on my two chopstick appearing legs....the dog decides I am wanting to play and takes off running and the jerk of the leash brings me to my knees...this happens several times until I am now once again laying prone...heading down the driveway. Enough is enough...I yell at the dog in a tone that she does not hear often...(yes she is spoiled) and I see her little head bow, and her stub of a tail try to hide and now I feel guilty for having hurt her feelings....

so to make the story have a happy ending... I told DH about the adventure and that my wrist is red and scraped and he suggested that we go out to eat tonight so I don't have to cook ...... hmmmm

think I can get away with this sympathy story next week too?

have a good one and love the one you are with.

Valentines Day Cards

2008-02-13T16:08:00.002-05:00

I made DH and DD cards after seeing the webisode by Michael Strong on http://www.crafttvweekly.com/ I had to change things a bit to work with the supplies I had on hand but the concept is the same...I really like how much fun and easy these are to make and they can be adapted to many different themes.

Abigale poses for a photo

2008-02-12T20:46:00.000-05:00

Abigale....

2008-02-12T20:08:00.000-05:00

Over the weekend, I had an idea sprout that would lend itself to the creation of what I now call Abigale. My goal was to combine images and shapes that would not normally be found together but would look cohesive once completed. I knew I was going to go with the little girl image...I love her stare...and the house and a diamond shaped grid. From there I set out with a blank 11 x 14 canvas board and began spraying it with browns, oranges, greens, blues and yellows of the color mist sprays created and sold by http://www.outsidethemargins.com/

I did this about 4 times and once dry, sealed it with PMY also sold by the above site. then I used white gesso across the lower 1/3 and let that dry overnight. Meanwhile I printed off photos I had taken of an old farm house and some chickens and some clip art of a topiary and fire hydrant. The next step involved adding the black gesso and trying to give some perspective to the floor area. Once that was dry, I used both chalk and ink to shade the edges of all the images and background where the house photo would go. After all the images were firmly attached to the board, I added more chalk to darken the shadows and then sealed it all again with PMY spray.

winter is still here....darn it....LOL

2008-02-09T23:36:00.000-05:00

This is a winter themed ATC I made for an on line group I belong to. It is a shaker box filled with star glitter.

DD and her Birth Mom meet for the first time

2008-02-09T23:33:00.001-05:00

After 24 years and 8 months......

2008-02-09T23:17:00.000-05:00

On Christmas day of 2007, DD was contacted by her birth mom for the first time...needless to say an entire roller coaster of emotions has been happening since that day. DD and BM have been sharing information on the Internet and on the phone. DD met her half sister a few weeks ago and has yet to meet her half brother but plans are in the works for around Easter. Today, she met with her BM for the first time. They spent hours talking and sharing photos with each other. I made a small 6 x 6 album (29 pages) of DD from the day we brought her home from the hospital at 4 days old to her college graduation. I tried to find a school photo and other photos to show the growth and likes and activites of DD as she grew up. DD gave the album to the BM today and she loved it..(the least I could do for the unselfish act and decision she made 24+ years ago).

So many times one hears about BM and adopted babies meeting or not wanting to meet and rejection and all sorts of bad things and feelings. I am happy to say that is not the case.in this situation. Both the BM and DD can now have a chance to get to know each other and get the answers to questions both have wondered about for the past 24+ years. DD says her BM is very nice and kind but thinks with her heart and not her head when it comes to men and relationships. DD says she is like a big sister. I am happy and relieved that this day has arrived...no more wondering what will happen and if they will get along. It has all turned out to be a great experience for both of these young ladies.

HAIRiette

2008-01-24T00:12:00.000-05:00

this is Miss Hairiette a shelf sitter doll who hasn't seen the inside of a beauty shop for years.

I was messy around with some aluminum roof sheeting I picked up at the hardware store and tried to make her look more copper with alcohol inks... her jumper is scrapbook paper scrap and of course she is bent to sit around and stare ...which she does quite well...don't cha think?

composition book

2008-01-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

I made this a few months ago. I invited my two artsie neighbors over for an afternoon of playtime and showed them how to make their own composition books...They loved what they made and even use them. This is the one I made and I even use mine!!!! LOL

the best time to pick up composition books is right after school begins in the fall...I got all of mine for 39 cents each...a bargain and I will get some more this next year too.

Happy Days are Here Again

2008-01-23T23:40:00.000-05:00

So it is the middle of January and life is getting more and more normal for us here in Carter Land. DH started back traveling for work and that leaves me home with the dog and nothing to do except maybe some art time??? Yes!!!

Lately DD has been really on my case about getting her baby album and child hood albums done...duh...she will be 25 and I haven't finished her scrapbooks...so my goal is to get all caught up before her next birthday. Do you know how many boxes of photos I have gone through and sorted in the past two weeks? Nope not even close....But I have a plan and sticking to it.... (come closer and I will tell you....for every photo I scrapbook, there are 4-5 that get hidden away....makes quick work of it all...smile)

My two art neighbors and I go every Wednesday to a local scrapbook store and work 5 hours on our albums. today I got 9 pages completed and have plans laid out for next week already.

This evening I was still in the creative mood...and since DH is still out of town...I worked on some ATC''s ....feels so good to get back into making art and not having to stop and take care of DH or take him to a doctor appointment.

Ohio is in the middle of winter...snow, sleet rain more snow wind...and that was just this morning...LOL

It feels so good to be back...I won't take it for granted ever again.

Rudolph, is that you?

2007-12-11T00:24:00.001-05:00

photograph by Alan Blacklock who happened to glance up at some cloud formations at just the right time.

I guess it isn't just me who sees Christmas all around.

Art Room re organization 007

2007-12-10T20:26:00.000-05:00

I have returned

2007-12-10T20:09:00.000-05:00

It has been nearly 10 months since my last entry...a lot has happened.

February 22nd my DH was told he had colon cancer. More tests showed a small blep on his liver as well so in March he had his colon resected and in May he had his liver resected. He recovered quite quickly from each of those surguries and began chemo 12 cycles or 24 weeks. Treatment 1-3 went well...a few side effects but with 4 and 5 he got really ill. So ill he had to spend 10 days in the hospital. He was having stge 4 toxicity to one of the chemo drugs. They were changed and treatments 6-12 went by much better. He has lost his hair, energy and 50 lbs but so far the cancer has stayed away. His last treatment finished up this past Friday the 7th of December. During the same time, the DD had 3 kidney stones and one ruptured and she was in the hospital for 3 days but doing fine now. The dog could not stay out of the act and after 3 weeks of diarrhea...and every test the vet could think of...I asked her to be treated for whip worm and given an anti diarrhea medication and that did the trick in less than 12 hours.

So, as you have so patiently read...I was busy and art had to be put on the back burner.

I did think about doing things and accomplished some mini projects.

I also re organized my art room. This involved weeks of sorting and adding new wire shelf units. I am very happy with the results and hope the dry spell of creative energy gets put to good use soon.

Validation

2007-02-07T16:39:00.000-05:00

Today will be remembered as the day I received validation for my art work. I enjoy what I make, and my friends say they like what I make, but is it worth it?
You Betcha!
I had submitted a framed collage work using the Jonathan Talbot technique and one of my favorite altered books I have made to a juried art show at a Dayton Gallery. Today, I got news that my altered book has been accepted for the show. This truly is an honor as over 100 artists submitted over 266 entries and only 43 artists made the show with 57 items.
The e mail called me an artist...a term that I hold in high esteem. Since art is not my profession, I have toyed with the term and muttered it under my breath as what does the term really mean? To me, having someone look at my creations and hold them up to other creations and yet sellect mine as something of enough esthethic value to be put on display for others to see at a place where art is expected...well, that is validation and I feel much better using the term artist. It allows me to feel proud of my creativity and not feel as though I am wasting my time and effort for naught.
Today is a good day.

We may need to build an ARK

2007-01-15T00:25:00.000-05:00

Has this weather been strange or what? California is having major freezing problems, Colorado is burried under huge amounts of snow and freezing cold, and Ohio and the East are having balmy but WET weather. This is the middle of January and Ohio has had two minor snow falls, and one of those was in late October!!!! I know the ice and snow is headed our way, and I will moan and groan when it arrives but...the poor trees and flowers here have tried to bud and the ground is so saturated by all this rain, that I may just dig out the plans for that ARK and start sawing away.
This weekend was one of finishing up projects around the house. Dallas and I installed his faux wood grain dash and trim to his Honda Fit and built his new garage workbench and tore down one of the shelving units and I made a mess in my art studio...but had fun doing so.
Tomorrow I get to start cleaning it all up. (gotta have some place to build the ARK).

Art work for Vickie

2007-01-15T00:12:00.000-05:00

A very well known art vendor, Vickie at BMUSE, was recently hospitalized for a brain aneurysm and is still in critical care. Many of her customers and friends wanted to create a healing book for her recovery and the effort is spear headed by Sandee on the Art Diva site. For more information, go to Sandee's blog at http://sandees-sanity.blogspot.com and read about and see the other art work contributed to the book so far.

To the left is the front and back of my 4 x 4 page that I am sending.

It's a sad day in Buckeye Land

2007-01-09T00:36:00.000-05:00

The championship game is over. Ohio State suffered its largest defeat since 1999 to Florida with a final score of 41-14. The game went from great to bad quite quickly. The very first play of the game....the return of the kick off brought Ohio a score of 7-0 and it went down hill from there. OSU's leading receiver got injured and was out the rest of the game.
Someone had to go home without the trophy or title and I am happy with the accomplishment that the Gators were able to pull off. Why? Well, their coach was born and raised in Ohio and was the football coach at DD's college a few years back. He really is a nice man and very capable and deserving of coaching a championship team. I am also sad for Ohio State as this has been a sad ending to a wonderful season and its very first loss this season.

What is in store next? Why snow of course...the weatherman is threatening our area with snow during the morning rush hour and the high winds are to continue. (I may have to buy that boat anchor for my dog, Maggie, after all to keep her from blowing away when she is outside.)

I picked up a cute item at Target today in the dollar bin. I hope to alter it maybe tomorrow and post the results.

Monday, January 8th

2007-01-08T00:12:00.000-05:00

This isn't as easy as it looks. I have a photo way too big for the page and my posts are not going into the boxes I put them in...but a bit more play and I should be able to coax the powers to be to line up and fly straight.

DH is flying across the country today on a business trip. It is cold and rainy here in Ohio and DD is has the day off...gee...what to do? I could entertain DD and take her to lunch and maybe FORCE myself to stop by Michael's and see if they are having any great sales or I could clean the house and start to get ready for a condo wide community progressive dinner on the 20th, or I could do some art.... Maybe I should do all 3.

But tonight is the big championship game of Ohio State vs. the Florida Gators and I will be sitting in front of the TV with my OSU shirt on and eating all sorts of junk food that is required of a big fan on game day and cheering on my team. Keep your fingers crossed.