Nobody puts BABY in the corner.

Famous line from what movie.....I know you all know it.  Everytime I think about that movie, I think of that line.  A very corny line.  But I did love the movie for the music and the dancing.  I own it I liked it so much.  As a matter of fact I just watched it on the weekend again. I loved Patrick in the movie as well.  Another one down to the blasted C word.  We need a cure now....

Back to School,Crusade NO. 33

This month's challenge  at to feed your brain - in or out of the studio. Tell us on your blog what you have learned recently, what you plan to learn, or what you are currently learning. It does not have to relate to art. It can be anything. Tried a new recipe? Learned to knit? Took a yoga class? Refinished a piece of furniture or built a birdhouse? Joined a book club or learned ballroom dancing? 

Well this one was made for me, because I have been learning since I started blogging.  I have started a Class with we are making a funky journal.  Learning how to bind a journal. Something I never have done before, new techniques. Here are some of the painted and stenciled pages for the book.  Still need to funkafy it.  I dont think that is a word, so the spelling is funky....

 I took her stencil class and was enamored.  Her class is clear and really full of great information.  She shares her techniques so easily.

 I also signed up for http://lostluggage.typepad.com/the_land_of_lost_luggage/ Journal Super Nova both classes, journalling and  learning different binding techniques in making your journal.  So far I am watching the videos then going to makeone of the books (I think you can make 3-4 books which Julie shows you have to do on the video.  Lots of great information here to and reasonable.....Also signed up for the second part which begins soon, the second part is the journalling.

 I recently started making ATC's cards. I have always liked them but have been afraid mine would not meet the standard and nobody would want to trade with me. ..  I have joined some ATCs groups but so far just been a watcher.  The next step for me is to participate in a trade, which I have just signed up to  and create 2 cards for trade.

 

I have decided to try figure drawing again.  At the university here they have a drop class, so I have decided to drop in.  Another fear to face, is that what if I dont fit in art wise.  What if I think I can do it and just cant.  I have decided to go this winter and try it, one time. I have been practising this is an old sketch I did .

.I know for a fact that I want to redo my cookbook.  Do you all have a cookbook that you throw recipes in, like this one.

stuffed full of pages that need to be organized.  I call this one my winter works project.  I have been saying that for the past 4 winters.  But this is the year

So these are some of things that I am going to do this school year (lol)

In good company-Inspire me Thursday

Meet my mother, on the right she was with her best friends that lived across the street.  They were all 17 years old and at the beach.  The two were sisters and my mother.  They were best friends all there lives. The only one left now is my mother.  So I would say she was always  IN GOOD COMPANY

A family of 4 living the dream in France, a little village called Mirange (spelled wrong).  Yes, that is me the little one with the funny hair.  So funny to look back on these pictures and wish I could remember back then.  My father is gone, my sister is gone and my mother is so much older.  But I have one more sister who was not even born yet actually not for many years later.  My sister is 11 years younger than me, just a mere baby to me. 

Its 7:00 am and what the hell am I doing up this early....god it feels like I have to go to work or something.  Actually the shopper has an early class on Wednesday and I had to make sure she was up and away on time, she did not want to be late.  Why I had to wake her and not her alarm clock is a good question.  One that I have asked many times.  So after waking her, and the hubby getting up and then the dog waking up and barking to go for her walk, it seemed all hell had broken loose around the old homestead.  So here  I sit with my PJ's on and my sweater it is freezing out this morning, fall for sure is just right around the corner.

I have quite a few errands to run, have to go the hardwood floor place today, because the wood we ordered, and took some pains deciding on, they dont make any more.  Just our luck.  Then its off to

COSTCO, I love that place, you can never just go in and buy one thing, you come out with a load. 

well Devil dog is munching on hubbys hat I have to go and wrestle her for it, so talk to you all later.

Inspire Me Thursday - The Chair My way

The chair is the theme for this weeks Inspire Me Thursday.  So here is my take, I sketched out the chair, and used cray pass pastels on them.  After I was finished and really looked at it.  It was all wrong the angle, the depth everything, so I just did a redo, just like a designer, I redesigned by chair.

Are STRONG enough to be my man --

For Illustration Friday...the word is strong, and this song by Stevie Nicks and Cheryl Crow came to mind, I happen to love it, and this quick little drawing I did fit the bill.  Only one problem I am not sure if it is a male or female, so I decided the sea lion swings both ways

Fool on a Hill

        Where have the days gone, for a girl who is not working the days fly by.  Today was a day of running errands, meeting the shopper for lunch, reading books in chapters (books that I dont buy, I check them out before buying).  Today I saw the new Women Who create magazine, I did not buy it, I bought the last one and was disappointed.  Those studios make me not want to go down to mine.  They are all s/o beautiful, beautiful, who could create in them. So I read the magazine while waiting for the shopper. I also saw the new Cloth Paper Magazine the only issue I don’t really like is the Halloween one, which is this months. So I read it at Chapters, not much in that magazine either. But I did buy one, I know I should have just read it, but was getting the look from the salesclerk that was about 16 years old. If she thought she was going to get ,me going she had another thing coming I bought the latest issue of Somerset Studio, I like that one a lot as well. I checked out Inspiration Thursday, this week its all about Chairs, Illustration Friday is all about the word Strong. I have joined an ATC swap over at a ning site that i joined called http://willowing.ning.com/     I have to come up with 2 ATC with the theme of summer. So of course as soon as I am hit with something like thisI freeze. That’s why I could never do art for a business. I have to create on my terms. I also have some canvas on the go that should get finished. I joined and pd  for
http://lostluggage.typepad.com/the_land_of_lost_luggage/

Hello September...where did August go....

Hello out there....I had a great weekend, and a pretty nice anniversary, dinner, gifts and such. Treated royally by all. Well today September 1, tomorrow in Canada or where I live school starts. No kids at this house start school. Only the shopper and she starts her last year of college next Tuesday. You would not know that it was September here, we have nice hot weather, unusual for sure. I was out on the deck today fiddling around, and came up with this ATC, I should have been inside doing the duties (lol) . Your probably saying what duties (that what I say). So the way I did this one was, ATC sized Card, then I tore up some watercolor paper layered it on both sides, and swished around some paint. I found this image on some scrapbook paper I have. I do have the same image that I took while there, but it was not right, and this one fit right in, added some distress ink and here it is.

It seem I have been posting all kinds of spelling errors, and never noticed .  I thought I was correcting them in editing, but it seems Blogger spelling does not work.  I am now editing them in another program and pasting the text in here.  So my spelling should have improved.

Illustration Friday - Magnify

She had to magnify her eye to read the book....

This is my entry for Illustration friday, the best I could think of . And if your wondering if I really meant to make her arm that skinny I did, did not have much room to show everything, since I made it ATC size.  Have a great weekend.

Surfing the Net

I thinking this ATC looks a little whacked.....It might be a do over. Well how are you all...Thanks for all the comments on what you would do about joining a ATC group that you had to submit to. I have deleted the group from my head.....nobody has the right to tell you its not good enough. (i might know it but I don’t what anyone else to tell me). Well the other day I said I was going to the movie Julie Julia, I never made it, but I am going to try again today, because I really want to see it. Monday is my 36 year anniversary married to the same husband. That is a celebration in it self. My friend Winterwood (in Australia its her I think 1 day before). What are we going to do to celebrate since it falls on a Monday. Here are the suggestions that I made to hubby,

1. Fly to Paris for the weekend - a look of are you crazy came over his face

2. Go away to the Rockies- same look

3. Get in the car and drive where the wind takes us - you mean just drive and dont have a plan out of the question.

4. Go out for dinner with friends on Saturday- well why didn't you just say that one in the first place, Now that something I would like to do.

Oh hubby is so adventurous, I like the idea of flying off to Paris for the weekend. I have been to Paris and it is beautiful, he has never been. Oh maybe one day before we need our walkers.

Well best go the hardwood man is on his way to give me a estimate for the floors, I might need to be go back to work after this estimate. Hardwood costs as much as diamonds, without the Bling

Pear-Inspiration Thursday

find that when I dont have enough time or energy to go down to the studio that these little ATC's are the prefect answer for me. As I can do these anywhere any time . Now on this one which has gone thru various incarnations, first it was two pears, then it was one pear and the shadow of another pear, then this one. On this one I used watercolour, pastel, white gel pen, black paint and stencil.  
For those of you who have seen this before, you have, I just did it a week ago and posted it, but wanted it for Inspiration Thursday.

Are you Good enough

Another Giraffe sketch done well on blog break, I must have a thing for long tall animals. Well today I want to get something off my shoulder. I decided I should join a few ATC groups, I was thinking about trading, little challenges etc. One group which I wanted to join was an ATC group that only accepts hand drawn, painted etc, no embellishments or mixed media, that was fine with me. But the other criteria was I had to submit some of my work to see if they would accept me or not. This got my hackles up, it reminded me of when your on the playground and the kids are playing RED Rover and your the last picked , because nobody wants you on there team, because your not good enough. I have decided not to join this group, because I don’t like elitism of any kind, who is to say anybody's art is good enough. What do you think? Would you join a group like this

Just a disclaimer that I do not sell vacumns and never have. But If I was going to be a vacumn cleaner salesman it would be for these vacumns. No I do not have a deep love of vacuming, in fact who does I am in love with Dyson I would recommend it to anyone. I have a electrolux built in but
Devil Dog sheds and sheds and the hair drove me and everyone in this house crazy. I used to vacumn the furniture 3 times a week. So I decided to give this a try and I got the Pet One, you should see what it picks up amazing. Okay enough about my vacumn fetish, on to other riveting news. We have decided to get hardwood in the family room and den so I was out hunting down the perfect hard wood floor. Brought some samples home, getting it measured on Thursday morning. We have alot of oak in our house, really to much for my likeing , but it came with the house. So we really are limited to what colour choices we have. Yes we have lived in this house, 10 years now and its in need of some updating, which I plan to do,spending hubby's money has never been a problem for me. After we get the floors in we are getting new furniture in the family room, we have had this stuff forever, we even got it recovered when we moved in here. So its time for new stuff. If you still with me, or not sleeping after this post I applaud you beause it has just about put me to sleep. Well it's time for my favourite program, court tv so I will try to find some exciting news to talk about tommorow.

Tree Sightings Getting Arboreal: A Nature Collection

Over a Julie's blog The Land of Lost Luggage, click on the sidebar it will take you there.  http://lostluggage.typepad.com/the_land_of_lost_luggage/ I cannot for life of me get the link thing to work...
they are having a Getting Arboreal (A nature Collection of photographs documenting a tree from Summer to Fall, Winter to Spring. All you have to do is take a picture of a tree, and photograph showing the changes. Some places probably wont have much change, others (like me) will have drastic changes due to weather conditions. I find this fascinating I hope you will go over and participate

Little Works of Art

I find that when I dont have enough time or energy to go down to the studio that these little ATC's are the prefect answer for me. As I can do these anywhere any time . Now on this one which has gone thru various incarnations, first it was two pears, then it was one pear and the shadow of another pear, then this one. On this one I used watercolour, pastel, white gel pen, black paint and stencil.
The weather here has turned cool and I want some more summer weather. I want it to last a while longer, I am not a winter girl. Today is errands, helping the mother in law, and maybe some art in the studio. Well gotta go maybe talk to you later.

Caution - Illustration Friday

I immediately thought of this when I got the email about the word for Illustration Friday. I had for some unknown reason been thinking about bathing suits and water. Now I have issues with bathing suits, I have had one of all my life, even when I was thin thin. Truthfully I think all women (even the most bodacious ones) look in the mirror and see flaws. I wonder if men have the same issues, probably not, they just slap something on and they are ready to roll. Hope you like this one, it was done on some wood I got at the goodwill.

Cupcake (Heaven )- Inspiration Thursday

Okay the word is out I love cupcakes, I love frosting, I love the whole cupcake thing. So when I read Inspiration Thursday was Cupcake, I got out my ATC card, my pastels and quickly sketched a pink frosting cupcake with a cherry on top, my idea of heaven. Did you know that cupcakes are the new Black.

The Wedding Bell Blues

Well on my blog break, I attended a wedding, my Nephew. It was a wonderful wedding and I had a lot of fun. So here is a picture of my daughter and me just leaving for the wedding, hubby is taking the picture. I am the with the long hair (lol). Alright I am not, I am the chubby one with the white jacket on, holding everything in to get the picture over with. I do not like getting my picture taken, because I always look like hell. So usually I am the one behind the lens. I arted it up in photoshop propbablly made it to dark.

Well it is now 10.00 am in the morning, I have been up since 7:00 am trying a new plan, do get my wifey work done, and then have time for art and sitting on the deck. Maybe those two together, I plan on making the most of what is left of summer. Tonight its a bbq and maybe a movie Julie and Julia, I really want to see that movie. As well as the Time Travellers wife, I have read the book, it was quite good. So talk to you tommorow and let you know if I did any of these things.

I can see Clearly Now....

This is one of the many sketches I did when off on my break, trying to improve my drawing techniques. I then used Ca ran D'Arch and water colored them.

Well today I am off the eye doctor the highlight of my day. So you can guess I dont have to many highlights in my days. Then it home to do laundry and make a delicious supper for hubby. Okay maybe not delicious but I am going to put a little effort into it. I do like to cook and eat...but I just like others to do it for me. Now that I have all this free time on my hands as Emril would say I have to step it up a notch. So the girls weekend away as now evolved to the girls WEEK away and this time we are off to Phonenix. One of the girls just bought a house in Phonenix so we are going down to stay in the house and shop, and see the sights. I am also going to make a point to see Toni while I am there. Just imagine meeting one of your blog friends, I can hardly wait. Well its 8:01 AM I should be sleeping but I have a 9:00 appointment and I gotta get ready so talk to you soon.

The Watcher - a new ATC

>Last night I made this ATC..second one. So for this I found an image in the Vogue book (this is Christina Agullia)cut it down to where I wanted it to be. and painted over top (I cut it into three sections ) added the lines, so she is suppose to be looking out a window and those are blinds and called it the watcher. I think it turned out okay, I need a few more finishing touches I see, I am never satisfied with the way something turns out. Yesterday the hubby was away out of town on business so I basically did nothing, stayed in PJ's until afternoon, watched a movie, created some art and this ATC. So today I am off bright and early to get a bunch of stuff done. Need new shoes, need to go and buy some black gesso, meet some friends for coffee,etc. All need to do for me (ha ha). Well hope you are going to have an awesome Saturday and talk to you either later or tommorow.

Mona - Inspiration Thursday

Inspiration Thursday is all about pink and orange....so I decided to do mona Lisa. I used 1 2 part stencil, spray paint, charcoal and and Photoshop action to make a polaroid. I loved doing it ...it was fun. Hope yOu all like it. I updated Mona to look like a modern girl (aka Andy Warhol)I also used some crackle on to give it a texture, so not so smooth looking.

Sister Love

Well today I am to the Dentist, I hate the Dentist, I am a nervous patient, (says that right on my chart) I grip the chair till I cant feel my hands and anymore, break out in a cold sweat, and the nurse then calmly pats my hand and tells me its alright, it wont hurt. I feel like I am about 5 years old. Now today is just the cleaning of the teeth and seeing if I have any problems, (hopefully not) if there is he likes to get right at it. I always tell him that I will make another appointment, but no he always has time to do the work. I went shopping for a few minutes yesterday and the winter clothes are out, back to school clothes and Halloween Stuff at Michael's. Halloween is not my favourite time of year I dont know why. Probably because my Mother was never handy with a needle so when it was time for the dreaded Halloween party at school we always had to scramble around trying to fing a costume, either a ghost or a witch, or a 50's girl (lol). The girls (minus one) are going on a road trip in October , I am going to give clues and you can quess where. First clue we are flying there and it takes about 3 1/2 hours, and it is not Canada. We have been going on girls trips for about 5 years, this year our friend Sandy cant go. She has just moved and got a new job, but we will be thinking about her.

The picture and poem above was done for a book collaboration that Julie Prichard( From Lost Luggage) put together for the fab artist Michelle Ward (who hosts Street Team Challenges). Her sister passed away last year. The book turned out beautiful, Julie and her 2 pals did a great job organizing it and putting it all together. Julie did a wonderful job binding it and making it a beautiful book.

Eye Exam

One of the new art ideas I started while on Vacation, was book altering. This was one of my first pages. I think it turned out pretty good. I joined a Ning site , now put up your hand if you have not joined a ning site (oh I see one)...but really the site is called Heart and Hand and it is run by Monica Zunger from Mexico. She is a really cool artist, she offers online art classes on her ning site as well as this (free)Altered Book group. Please check it out if your interested in altering books. Now I tell you I was not really interested but decided to check it out and was hooked. Right now she has about 4 different videos on Altering books, showing her doing it. (no she is not paying me to promote her site). Today is a go day, the house is clean, devil dog is walked, hubby is back to work after his holidays (thank god) and my schedule is my own again. I am off to the studio muck around and get messy....maybe talk to you later. (Heart and Hand is on sidebar its her blog but you will see a link to her Ning site).

Impatience- Illustration Friday

They are impatiently waiting for help to arrive....

Positivity - Inspiration Thursday

This is my entry for Inspiration Thursday...its ATC and my first one, done with water colours. Hope you like it.

I am Back

Hello, well I have been gone 2 months as of today., I missed blogging and talking about my exciting life and I know you are all riverted to your seats with excitement. What have I been doing since I left....Well alot of sitting on the deck, relaxing , enjoying the summer (or what was summer). I have been sketching and used crayon watercolours (as above). The giraffes should have 4 legs I know but artist liscence.

I cant get my links to work.......so I have given you the name of the blog..go to the side where I have all my blogs and click on it...it will take you there.

I have been cruising the web and found some interesting sites here is a list of some new and old ones.

1. Dispatch from LA is where I am taking the course from,. if your not interested in the course she still has a wicked blog full of eye candy and gives great art tips.
Dispatch from LA

2. Do you like Martha Stewart. well I wish I was organized as her and of course had her money but I have a link to her daughters block thart is quite intersting, she gives recipes , books she likes, and she is moving into a new millions of dollar condo and she is having it renovated and shows update pictures....oh to be Marthas daughter.

Alexis

3. Julie Prichard has always been a favourite of mine, she is witty, willing to share, and makes great colour combinations and has online classes, which I am going to take the book one in
September.......no she is not paying me for this recommendation, after all those 5 readers of mine have probably given up on me.

Lost Luggage


4. And the last for today.....Tongue in Cheek an american, married to a French Man, living in provence with her kids and husband, (kids just about grown up). Her name is Cory she posts every day and I never miss her....check her out.

Tongue in Cheek

Now I know I have missed a few of my 5, like Krissie in Austrialia, and Toni in Phonenix, etc. But dont worry you will be on my list for next time.

I am big into ATC now dont ask me why, I never thought I would like them, but they seem to be going okay, I joined a group to swap...I thought If I changed up my art, I can only get better and and stay focused and committed to my art. Instead of losing interest and be boring. I decided I am putting the boring out the window and being more intersting stay tuned for the new me, or the old me....Glad I am back....I checked all your blogs almost daily even if I did not leave comments. I missed you all

Taking a blog summer break

I have been pondering taking a blog break, and after much debate with myself I have decided to take one. I am going to take a break starting today and take the summer off and come back in September. I find myself saying dull and uninspiring things, I want to be able to concentrate on my art and enjoy the summer without worrying about my blog and posting. I will however continue to check and comment on my favourite blogs I do not plan on not surfing the web, I love it to much, but I do plan to cut back on the amount of time I spend on it. What brought all this on, is my best friend of 40 years is seriously ill and I have been spending time with her and realized how precious time is and you need to take each day and welcome it and make your day worthwhile. I have been retired over a year now and have not really enjoyed my time. I had to adjust to the life of a non working person, had to come up with a different routine. When you work you have a routine, you go to work, you come home, you cook, clean etc. When you are retired you have all day to do it, and if you don't get it done today there is always tomorrow. But I am a person who thrives on routine, and I was not getting anything accomplished. I also have an elderly mother who I am responsible for, and I need to spend more time with her.
So there it is in a nutshell, so for my 5 readers don't worry I wont forget you I will be busy visiting your blogs and making comments. See you in September.