Ice Storm 2009

Yup, we got a mini version of the ice storm of 1998... trees covered in ice and snow, branches crashing on roofs, and missing cars, and no power on and off for 4 days.

Here are some shots... The ice makes for some great photos!

More snow is on the way....

oh the joy.

Happy Holidays!

A card I made.

I hope everyone has a good Christmas. Make some memories with the ones you love.

My Sketchbook

Swoooooon!

I was so stoked to get Papaya's catalog in the mail this week. Gorgeous!!

Couldn't you just DIVE in? One of everything please.

Cupcakes!!

Homemade from scratch this weekend. Chocolate with cream cheese inside and frosting and sprinkles. I love sprinkles.

Yummm.

I'll leave you with a shot out my back window...

This is the sun coming up as it hits the backyard about 9... See all the snow?!

ARThouse Coop sketchbook

I signed up for Art House Coop sketchbook project. You get a Moleskine sketchbook to fill and send back and it is part of gallery.

There are over 30 themes and they are assigned. Mine was Elephant in the room. At first I was like HUH? But after talking with my awesome sketchbook yahoo group, my wheels started turning.

I wanted to do it in a postsecret kind of way... altering postcards and attaching them to the book. At first I was going to write about all the things we know but don't talk about - alcoholism, divorce, affairs, abuse... and then I was getting depressed! I didn't want to promote negative - even in a small way. I wanted to send a message somehow and be straightforward and to the point and quick. I decided to make my cards on facts about world poverty and doing something to change.

This is my cover,

Before - with my postcards,

And some of them done before they were put in the book.

My book is uploaded to Picture trail and you can see it here in its entirety and in order.

Cheryl's Elephant sketchbook

Have a good day and stay warm!

I won!

I entered a contest on Everyday artist blog and won this!

I heave heard of this book for awhile- I am stoked to own it. yay! I just skimmed through it, but it looks great.

making your own canvases..

and recycled journals... woot!

Can't wait to see more.

Thanks Jenn!

Mail Art

This is the mail art I received from Ginny. Too Cool eh?

Love it! and she even included some ephemera for me too. :)

She is sending out mail art to those that mail her some - so feel free!

Have a good weekend - bare ground again but there are big flakes falling right now along with the sunshine...

Next art journal spread

These have been sitting here for a few days waiting on me to finish them. I did the rest of the doodling and words yesterday.

This is a vintage bingo card and photo that reminds me of here. I did some marker lettering and AWARE in rubber stamps which was fun. I see I am going to use them again!

This was a purple painted page and then a piece of wrapping paper I liked. Then I just went to town on the doodles! That was fun.

And some more backgrounds waiting to be done....

Better get to work.

New listings on ebay

Some random things on ebay listed this week and coming up tonight...

A neat tourism brochure for North Carolina from 1952.

Vintage photos from Killiecrankie, Scotland

A whole menagerie of kitty cat cards and notes...

Some pretty cool postcards from 1915 in a saloon in Texas...

And some Red Rose tea figurines.

How's that for randomness?? :)

Have a good Thanksgiving my U.S. friends.

Random Tuesday

Aren't these pretty all laid out like this? I decided this year to make Dec a little more special for Sarah as its her last Christmas at home -*sniff*

So I decided to have her open a gift each day of Dec up until Christmas! Like an advent calendar only bigger...

I wanted them all wrapped up and numbered, but as I was doing this yesterday I wanted to have them all match. I had just got some black, white and pink tags and she loves black and white! I had some silver paper and pink ribbon and it all goes together great.

They are all sitting there and she wants to open them up NOW. I wanted to have them ready before the 1st for anticipation and she says " its just tempting me now and buggin me" Ha! NO peeking.

Speaking of black and white, here is my next journal page. I love the flat black to write on - I want to make a page that looks like a blackboard sometime too.

AND, I saw on Ginny's blog that she got my mail art! See it here.

Now she is sending me one, I am so excited. I will post it when I get it.

I am actually creating today - scary.... :)

But I love it!

Forgotten flowers

As I was listing a book on ebay I came across all of these pressed in the pages...

A book from 1908.

I wonder when these were put in here to keep for another day?

Now they inspire me to keep a record of them in photos....

More art journal pages

Well, these are a little different! This is my next spread and I was inspired to do something more me. I first painted the background a nice flat black. So dark and it covered well.

I wanted to do it reverse. I kept the solid paint as a border and collaged in the middle! I wanted to see what that would look like and then add a solid piece of paper of an object instead of a person and write on that.

I like how it turned out - night and day from the last spread but these pages have ME in them.










And that's always a good thing - right?

Over the top award

Thanks to Tammy and Cheryl for giving me this award!

The rules are:
I need to pass this award on to five people, post on their blog to let them know I left this award, and then I need to answer a list of questions in ONE word.

So here we go:
1. Where is your cell phone?… N/A (no service here)
2. Your hair?… Dk brown
3. Your mother?… working
4. Your father?… remembered
5. Your favorite food?… Cookies!
6. Your dream last night?… Yes
7. Your favorite drink?… Apple juice
8. Your dream/goal?… Travel
9. What room are you in?… Art room
10. Your hobby?… Reading
11. Your fear?… compliance
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years?…Everywhere!
13. Where were you last night?… Sleeping
14. Something that you aren’t?… compliant
15. Muffins?… Fruit explosion
16. Wish list item?… New car
17. Where did you grow up?… ON, Canada
18. Last thing you did?… Ate breakfast
19. What are you wearing?… Sweatshirt
20. Your TV?… Off
21. Your Pets?…Beagle
22. Friends?… Need
23. Your life?… Adventure
24. Your mood?… good
25. Missing Someone?… Nope
26. Vehicle?… Car
27. Something you're not wearing?… Makeup
28. Your favorite store?… Winners
29. Your favorite colour?… Orange
30. When was the last time you laughed?… Last night
31. Last time you cried?… Sunday
32. Your best friend?… daughter
33. One place that I go to over and over?… Library
34. Facebook?… connected
35. Favorite place to eat?… Thai

Anyone that wants to do it, can!

New art journal pages

THis is the next stage continuing on from the last post. After painting and laying the border, I then did the 2 figures in the middle.

The girl on the left has a foil doily section for a hat and the top and face is a copy of an old photo. She is letting her inner girl OUT.

This girl is celebrating life holding real pressed flowers.

This was once the penwork was done.

And then the finished spreads with the lettered quotes.

This is so addictive! I have started another 2 pages and have ideas for 3 more. What is up with that? Love it.

My handmade art journal

The Teesha inspired journal page on my last post was done on a lone piece of watercolor paper. I wanted to practice and not "wreck" any good book and I thought I didn't have any Fabriano paper that was suggested. After I finished that page I remembered I had a whole journal book FULL of Fabriano paper!

This is the journal I made at artfest this year in Pam Garrisons class. I went back in my blog and I forgot to post this so I am gonna do it now!

This is the cover and it was so much fun to make and we did them in just one day! And a lot easier than I thought. The covers are just 9x12 board canvases, but you could use any board since it is covered up with  a paper collage that you make first then glue on. 

This is the back. After the outside paper is on, you fold it over and make the inside papers cover the folds. Then the 2 boards are put together with binding tape and you can make it as thick or thin as you like. 




This shows the inside papers and the tape. Once that is done, you have your folded paper signatures and then just sew them
in! You can have your stitching showing but for this, we covered our spines. 

Then we got to doodle and play on the covers as much as we liked! I did more doodling after class, but most of everything was done in class. Wonderful! And Pam was a great and patient teacher. She brought some of her journals and we were all drooling. She also shared! Paints, wallpaper, vintage ledgers. Lots of fun.

Here are some closeups...



These are brads that I put on the paper first before I attached it to the boards.

These letters were glued on later.

So... I thought whoa! I have a whole book here sitting empty! I can use this. And I did - woohoo! and its even "good" - I am so glad I am getting over that fear of wrecking something or wasting stuff. The end feeling is so worth it.

THis is 2 pages prepped with paint. I wanted to try some darker colors this time.

And this is with the collage border done. Stay tuned for these finished pages and now I have ideas swirling all in my head for more ideas. Love it!

As I am finding out, I like to work with ideas and themes, so this journal was made with traveling and letters in mind when I did the covers and I had thought of using it as a travel journal. But I think this is good too cause it is a journey for me too - just an interior one.


Happy trails!