Street Team Challenge-Gesso

These are mine to the Street Team Challenge using Gesso. There are many more I am going to try. Go on over to the Street Team (link on sidebar) and enter. We all use gesso one way or another.

Birdyblues...

Here is a page out of my sketch book . Well what have I been up to. I have been busy getting my Christmas shopping done, I am done my mother and mother inlaw, my sister, and part of my daughter. So I am on a good role. I also have been busy trying to make an art journal, right now I am on the hunt for waxed thread....some things are impossible to find here, I might have to order it off the net....

Curly

I have dead straight hair. But when I was younger my mother always insisted that I get a perm. I always looked like she placed a bowl on my head and just put the perm there. Needless to say when I got older I steered away from anything perm like. We also didnt have any money for hairdressers so you can imagine what this looked like. I think I have a picture hidden away somewhere I will dig it out and show you. Alright here is a trivia question for you what were the three stooges names, I know one was curly, and moe but I cant think of the last one.

I will remember you.....

Meet my father Wallace Keith. He served first in the navy, joined illegally at 16 and they never found out. After the navy service he joined the airforce and retired with a pension. He died of Cancer at age 55. I will remember him, though he died not in war time but I think this is a day you remember those you have loved and lost. I made the layout with a 12 12 piece of carboard I had in the studio, used some scraps from a book map used the transfer technique on the photos of my dad and drew and painted the poppies.

Studio back to order

A few pictures of the studio after the big clean....These are some pictures of mine that are waiting to be hung in the studio.

Ali's Christmas Journal

I am not going to post all the pics here, I am going to upload them on the side in one of those photo programs.
I took these photos before I was finished, I am finished now.
I am happy with it and can hardly wait to start taking pics and working on it.

I made the album 5x7 with covered chipboard, or cardboard whatever I had and covered with xmas paper etc. I bought very little, just some xmas paper, I need to use up my stash. As I love paper evern if I am not a scrapbooker I love the paper.

Nina, Pretty Ballerina

I love this song, not very well known but its by ABBA. I always wanted to be a ballerina, but no money in my family when growing up for extras like that. I loved how they for always so graceful and kinda of floated . When I was growing up I was gangly and awkward not graceful at all. Yesterday had to take the dog to vet as she was not feeling well. 128 dollars later she has an upset tummy apparently....ok I want to be a vet. I told my husband thats all she had...but better safe than sorry I quess. Today is a cold brisk day. I have a date with a friend for lunch, some painting to do, some work on the christmas journal...so I better get started have an awesome weekend and myabe talk to you Sunday, if not Monday for sure.

Rules told you by your mother....

When you were younger did your Mother pass on any old fashioned fashion knowledge to you. Herer are some of the secrets my mother told me Rules are meant to be broken.

never wear white after labour day
navy and black should never be worn together
do mot mix metals
never wear red it you are a redhead
never mix prints
big girls should never wear stripes or dots
never wear leather or suede in the summer
shoes and bags must always match

If you notice I have changed up Lou Lou updated her hairstyle, I think she was wearing her hair a little to severe.
Today was a busy day...the daughter flew off to San Fransisco for 4 days with friends for her 20 the birthday. Of course every time she goes someone I worry about her. I quess that never ends till the day you die. Well I am going down to the Studio to try and work on some art. Talk to you tommorow.

Lou Lou says....

If you got it flaunt it. As you can see Lou Lou has quite the chest. Well just sitting here watching the election and Obama just gave his acceptance speech. Though I am not american, the USA does have a big impact on the world and in Canada. I think he will do you proud. He is new with new ideas....

Well did not do to much today, in fact only went out a few times to take the dog out. It was windy and cold. Tommorow my mother is coming over and we are baking bread together. She does not cook where she is now, so she wants to make some bread, she loves to bake bread. So we are going to do it. Next weekend we are going to make Christmas fruit cakes, I love them. Well should hit the hay talk to you tommorow.

Walk on By....

This is one of my favourite old time songs, originally song by Dionne Warwark. I was doodling and this is what came up and the song came to my mind. Odd how my mind works...Yesterday was a bit of dud, did not do much, got out of my jammies at 12:00.But you know I always wished for those days when I was working so I got them now. Well today is the big day in the States so if we are reading this and are from the States, get out and vote...

LAngels has issues to...

I have come to the realization that I am not a portrait painter. Therfore I am developing my own sweet person (she still in process development lol) her name for now is Lou Lou. Lou Lou has some issues that you will be hearing about from time to time. Hope you all had a great weekend. The weather here was outstanding. I got lots of work done on Saturday night on my 25 days of Christmas journal, pictures will come later today. Well I have a dog whinning at my feet for me to get off the computer and play with her. So got to go, talk to you later.

Envy--is it the root of all evil

Have you ever felt envy. I like to think I am above that...but not so. I try not to be envious but its hard. I don't envy people who look better, or have more things. I envy people with pure raw talent. The kind of talent that just shows up and they never doubted themselves for a minute. They never doubted that they had talent, or ever worried that other people would just think that there art was no worth the paper it was on. Sure you get kudos from your friends, and family and rightly so...they are friends and family after all. But if you ever really put yourself out there for people to judge what would they say. Well I am being quite the philospher today.....that is it for now.

HELL ON EARTH

The wind begins to howl and moan
A coyote is on the prowl alone
From nowhere what should appear
The devil hunting alone with his spear
He sniffs the air and knows his prey is near
He seizes the man who moans in fear
The ground opens up and they both disappear

Orignial poem by Lee

Hells Bells

Wont you be glad when Halloween is over and you dont have to look at these drawings any more. By the way the green skelton page is paper I did not draw that one. But this one, looks like me when I havent had enough sleep. Well today is off to the Libary (another exciting trip I can hardly contain myself). I think today I am going to work on my Christmas journal......

Skelton Remains

Well it 12:00 PM and I have already had a full day. Taken Mother to the Doctor, and went to the scrapbook store for some paper. I dont scrapbook as I have said before, but I am a paper fanatic. I am going to do 25 days of Christmas Journal thing so I got some things for that. Not that I needed any I have quite the stash....wasn't I going to cut back?

Whats on your night stand...

I just thought I would show you what I have been reading. I love books...I will read anything. I have read the whole series by Sephanie Meyer. I really think the whole world has read the series, not just kids. I am waiting for the movie. I also read her grown up book called the Host and loved it...I highly recommend it. I also read anything by Patrica Cornwell, the book of the dead, while a little wordy is pretty good, just finishing up that one. Now the Secret..I tried I really tried. Who doesnt want to know the secret to happiness, wealth etc. But its just not me. I read about 20 pages and that was it for me. I think its too out there, in another realm of the world ,that just doesnt talk to me. So if you have read it and loved it great, but there are some, very few of us or just me who just dont get it.

Monday Monday....

Hello fellow bloggers. I am back retooled, recharged, refreshed. Had a great weekend, accomplished some art, for the online course. Had pretty good weather for this time of year, except we had huge windstorm on Saturday. Bought some boots I am taking back, didnt realize they dont have any grips on the bottom. So I would probably break a hip (at my age you know you shouldnt do that ha ha). Got caught up on my blog reading and just relaxed.

Will you remember me...

While looking through a art book one day I came across this picture and it immediately struck me that she looks like a famous person. Do you know who it is. Or are these old eyes out to lunch.

Its all about a girl...

I must put a disclaimer in here this is not me). This is someone I think everyone knows, someone who speaks there mind no matter how much they might hurt another person and then they feel bad about it after the fact.

Well today is a go day, just dropped the dog off a puppy daycare for the day. I am off running today, a full check up at the doctor (dont you just love those ones), bank,frame store,meeting someone for coffee and tons more errands that need to get done. I am up early and almost ready to go, so talk to you later.

Its coming...

I dont know if you know this about me, but I do not like halloween. It must stem from my childhood when our family never had any money (of course like many at that time) and you had to throw together a coustume from what you had. My mother did not have an artistic bone in her body (I quess mine had not developed yet) so we were either ghots or witches. I think I passed that gene along to my daughter because she never really liked halloween when she got older. Of course when your younger its all about the candy.

I speak no evil

Do you know anyone that when they talk, everybody stops and listens. I think Maya A (Oprahs friend must be like that). I wish I was, I never have those earth shattering moments when you think god I should have wrote that down.. My daughter says I talk way to much and apparently to anyone within hearing distance. She says I am just like my mother who will stop and talk to anyone. Now when you were growing up, didnt you ever say to yourself (god I am not going to be like my mother). I stopped and said like mother like daughter, its an inherited trait so start talking.

Tornado touches down in Studio...

Going with the Less is More theory, starting purging in the studio. Looks like hell at the moment, feels that way to. Do you ever start something and then think what the hell was I thinking. Well thats the way I feel at the moment. Throwing out old magazines, giving stuff to the goodwill. My theory is if I have not used it or even knew I had, I do not need it. Will be back with the after shot...a clean studio,

Less is more

Do you like having your picture taken. I do not, but I dont make a big fuss about it, I just say okay and when the picture comes and it looks like crap like usual it goes straight into the filing cabinet, the garbage. This is a picture of me in Victoria, the trip with the girls. I figured it was okay to post, as I was far away, wearing black, (slimming). But god what was I thinking socks and sandals (my feet were cold). I had no art to post, so I put up this picture. I have been busy making art, but none to show yet. I have 5 on the go, 3 for the online class I am taking. I am loving the class. Was just reading Lost Luggage Blog (see sidebar)if you have not gone there go, she is amazing. Anway she mentioned in a nutshell less is more. I needed that lesson yesterday as I blazed through art store after art store. I had shopping fever, I bought art supplies I really didint need. So I am going to take that message from Juile and start applying it and use what I have and not go crazy thinking I need more.

Friday To Do List...

Did you know that this weekend is Thanksgiving in Canada. Well it is, and it is turkey and all the trimmings on Sunday at my house for 14 people. I am looking forward to it. My sister came in last night from Winnipeg so we have been busy all day with my mother, shopping for Christmas presents and just generally hanging out with each other. I have lots to do this weekend hence the to do list.
finsh the baby picture for my daughters friend as she is in the hospital as we speak giving birth (a month early)
Just have to get to the clients home.....luckly she has been busy
grocery shopping for the feast
work on class project ( Iam taking an online class from Wyanne, see sidebar...I am a student once again
clean the house
get to Ikea with sis as she does not have one in Winnipeg
and things I cant think of ....but will pop into my head when least expected.

This picture is just a sketch of the picture that I am trying to create....lets hope it turns out