Dieverdog's Art Blog

The Mesh Challenge!

2012-01-12T09:22:00.004-05:00

This was done for the "Mesh Challenge" for the Smeared and Smudged blog hop challenge. I have to admit I didn't end up having a lot of time to create this because of a freelance job I had to focus on - but I knew what mesh I wanted to use (amazingly I found it amidst all my stash) and just knew it would make a great Egyptian theme. I have no idea what other people will be creating with mesh - but it will make for a lot of unique things I imagine! I defaulted to my comfort zone of card-making since that's what I do more of than anything else.

This was great to get me back blogging - I had no idea I'd been away from it for so long - I just couldn't believe it when I saw the last date on my post! I haven't been away from creating that long - just blogging! (you can see some of my other things on my flickr site if you are so inclined). Thanks for dropping by!

Here's the blog roll for the hop!

JANUARY SMEARED & SMUDGED
MEMBER BLOG HOP
BLOG ROLL

Tori
Black Dragon
Fiona
Monique
Jane
Celina
Sara
Kristy
Heather
Kapree
Helen
Alison
Sugar
Dianne
Lisa
Sharon
Pam
Ike
MaryKay

More Journaling in the Red Journal

2010-08-09T19:48:00.002-04:00

Some new entries from the last few days (mostly this past weekend) in my Red "Thoughts" journal. As usual just kind of random thoughts that come to me and things that inspire me at any given moment. They were all kind of fun.

I'm a card-makin' Machine!

2010-07-29T10:45:00.004-04:00

I decided the other day to see about doing some volunteer work since I have a little more free time now. I went to see about helping out with a Hospice agency and thought I'd make some cheerful cards last weekend. I really got cranking - and made about 8-10 of each of these designs. It was the first time in ages I've sat down to craft at home (for an extended period of time, anyway) and it felt really good. I hope the cards will bring some smiles and cheer to the folks they go to. I know Hospice really was a help and a blessing when my mother was fighting cancer and it is such a good cause.

Playing with Dolls

2010-03-29T21:47:00.003-04:00

My new hobby has begun - though it's kind of an old hobby really - playing with dolls. Though I never had dolls like these when I was a kid! I would have killed to have dolls like these back then! My mom would have had a fit about the prices of them though! This lovely girl, Ani (now named Rowena) arrived for me at Sharon's for Christmas - very unexpectedly since she wasn't expected for some time later. She was a very special gift from Sharon. And since then Sharon has also made several awesome outfits for her. I've made some things for her, too and it's really fun for Sharon and I to work together on things - Sharon helps me out because she's so much better at the whole sewing thing than I am - it's been so many years since I sewed and I wasn't that adept at it even back when I did do it some 20 years ago (can't believe it's been that long!) But it IS fun to dress her up and take photos. Just what I need - another expensive hobby! But it is great fun to be like a kid again and play with dolls. Yet another outlet for my creativity. Who knows? Maybe I'll start making outfits for myself even!

A Winter Walk in the Park

2010-02-06T19:44:00.003-05:00

Went for a walk in Franklin Park this morning to enjoy the big snowfall we got yesterday and last night. It was just lovely. So quiet and magical. There's just something about snow, especially in the morning, when it has so quickly transformed the world so dramatically in such a short time. As human beings we can't do anything on such a scale - not like Mother Nature can! It seems spiritual somehow to me and just fascinating. I hate to have to drive in it and I know it can cause a lot of problems in other ways, but when you can get out and walk in it in the morning and just enjoy the serenity of it and be alone with nature and your thoughts - there's something so beautiful about it, something soothing and calming. Here are a few of my pictures of the walk that you can enjoy without going into the cold!

More Journal Pages

2009-11-16T08:47:00.002-05:00

More of my NaNoJouMo Journal Pages

2009-11-14T22:13:00.004-05:00

Holiday Cards

2009-11-14T21:57:00.006-05:00

Got a fairly good and early start on making my holiday cards this year. I hope I can keep up the momentum. These aren't all that I made, a few of them I made 3 at a time which helps get more done quicker if I am feeling inspired and have enough of the paper and components.

Going Away Party for Mike

2009-11-12T03:12:00.002-05:00

The guy who runs and organizes the Adobe User Group meetings is leaving to take a job in Seattle and I went to his going away party last night. I made a card for him and I'm posting it here. I don't know that he ever comes on my blog, and I doubt he'd mind me posting it. It was a very nice party and he was leaving the very next morning with his girlfriend to drive out to Seattle. It seems to be a mecca for people here in Ohio somehow.

Journal page Nov. 6- Being a Woman

2009-11-09T11:09:00.004-05:00

Musings on how I feel about being female. Funny that since making this I got a bit outraged at how the news is headlining stories about the female police officer that stopped the shooter at Ft. Hood army base as "Unexpected Hero." Like I said I'm no feminist, but why should it be SO unexpected that the hero who stopped the guy was a woman? If it was a guy who was 5'2" tall would THAT be so unexpected? I mean really! That's the stuff I think is really uncalled for and the media doesn't even seem to realize they are doing it. Just give the lady the same credit they would give ANY police officer who did what they would be doing in the line of duty.
Ah well... we still aren't quite there yet with respect to equality but for good or for ill we have differences and they aren't all bad.

Two more entries Day 4 & 5

2009-11-06T09:47:00.002-05:00

NaNoJouMo continues

2009-11-03T10:28:00.003-05:00

I've kept up so far, posting the first 3 days worth of my journal entries (I spiffed up the first page a little since the last post, some of it faded a bit more than I had hoped). So far I am enjoying doing this - I hope I can keep it up all month... which is a tall order for me. It's easy to do for a few days, but I really do go in spurts and doing anything in a constant, disciplined manner is hard for me on a regular basis. This will get particularly tricky on days when I work from 8 a.m. through 10 p.m. Not sure how that will work out. But the effort is worth at any rate, and when I do set goals for myself I can be fairly dogged (some might say obsessive?) in meeting them. So we will see how I do... the main thing though is to have fun with it. So far I have!

Join me for NaNoJouMo! Starts TODAY!

2009-11-01T08:53:00.003-05:00

Join me for a 30-day odyssey dreamed up online last night called NaNoJouMo to journal every day in November (a little or a lot - whatever you can manage). I whimsically threw the idea out there and Dawn Sokol ran with it and promptly posted it on her blog! This inspired me to actually decide to DO IT! See Dawn's blog here: http://www.dblogala.com/

It's bound to be quite fun and inspiring. I found a new Moleskine journal with 32 pages - perfect for this journey. I got up early this morning (thanks to the extra hour from setting the clocks back!) and cranked out my first page! So excited - I hope I can carry the enthusiasm through the rest of the month!

A Fun Day Out

2009-10-29T18:58:00.004-04:00

After my haircut today at Aveda, I enjoyed the afternoon shopping in the Gateway and Short North areas since I had taken the day off. I went to Byzantium and got some beads and some Water Lily essential oil (my favorite form of perfume) and poked around some shops, took myself for a curry for lunch as well and later a pear flavored ice cream which was unusual. I met a friendly Dalmation who wanted a taste of it. Was a nice way to spend an afternoon for a change and the weather was sunny and fairly warm for the time of year. I should do this more often! And isn't that grating neat, I love the celtic style of it. Fun to see what you come across when you take the time to look around.

Halloween Cards

2009-10-12T12:27:00.003-04:00

I know it's been a while.... been quite busy at work what with moving back into the new library and all. Been working a lot of extra hours and not had much time for fun art stuff at home, or when I did I was too tired to muster up the energy!

But I'm back and I spent a little time getting the craft room back in enough of a semblance of order that I could do a little work on some Halloween cards. I just love Halloween, it's so much fun. These are in the more cute vein, but I like all types of Halloween, cute, scary, gothic, retro, classic... it's all fun!

Kitty

2009-05-05T16:26:00.001-04:00

Sent from my iPhonePam

- Posted using Mobypicture.com

Great Article on Creativity Jump Starting

2009-04-13T10:57:00.003-04:00

Here's a great blog article on kick-starting your creativity... by fiber artist Marcia Harmsen Young. I enjoyed it and think you might, too. I feel good that I do at least a few of the things that she mentions. We should all try to include creativity in our lives more often and as much as we can!
http://www.valleyfiberlife.com/2009/04/textile-and-fiber-arts-how-to-sustain.html

Birthday Present

2009-04-10T15:15:00.005-04:00

Check out this super cool (such a poor descriptive word, really) book that my friend, Sharon, made just for me for my birthday! She has such great ideas and imagination... words can't express how touched I always am by her handmade gifts. They have touches of our friendship embedded all through them and reflect how deeply she knows and understands me. I especially love the specific references to silly life events, like my recent visit from a bat... she includes with such humor... I will always remember that now when I see the book!

Birthday Card

2009-04-10T15:07:00.004-04:00

My birthday card from Sharon this year. Very moody and mysterious... reminiscent of the eerie computer games we like to play together when I visit her. We really enjoy the puzzle, adventure, mystery games like Myst, Crystal Key, Rhem and Nancy Drew, to name a few. We both have our strengths and weaknesses that generally compliment eachother... I know I couldn't do most of the puzzles on my own without her help! I get really stumped on the math-related puzzles in particular! She does great with scenic stamping, which I haven't mastered yet. Many of her stamps are from Stampscapes.com you should check it out if you like this card...their stamps are really great!

Extreme Sheep LED Art

2009-04-03T11:24:00.001-04:00

This is so amazing! Since Mona Lisa is in there I guess it qualifies for my art blog, right? Definitely worth the look!

What a cute Bunny!

2009-03-23T20:12:00.006-04:00

This is the cute bunny that I learned
to make in a felting class this past
Saturday at Knitter's Mercantile. It
wasn't as hard as I thought initially,
though at home I was having no
luck at all... the class seemed to
really help me focus and the foam
worked well to poke the needle into
and I hadn't done it that way before.
I think he turned out pretty cute.
You can't tell it but his tail is a little
off-center, but he's charming all the
same I think.

Making Art = Making a Mess!

2009-02-24T16:59:00.003-05:00

Spent the last few days on a mini-trip to see
my friend, Sharon, again and we crafted and
made art (our favorite pasttime, next to
playing computer games). This was my work
space to give you an idea of how I "work." Grab
this, grab that... you gotta have pretty much
everything at your fingertips! My space at home
is even worse usually as things grow out of
control. Fortunately for Sharon I had to pack
up and go home so I had to clean up my mess!
But it was great fun. If I can remember to bring
in my stuff I made to scan it, I will post that here
soon as well! Generally I'm reluctant to share
photos of my work space as it is usually in state
of chaos like this... but here you go, me - letting it
all hang out, so to speak!

I'm a Winner!

2009-02-02T08:23:00.004-05:00

What a great way to start off a cold and snowy Monday morning! I see that I won a contest that TangoKDesigns was having on her blog! I won these GORGEOUS Korean Jade & emerald earrings! How thrilling! You MUST go visit her site and see her other lovely works! Visit her at: http://tangok.blogspot.com/ She makes gorgeous jewelry!

More Journal Pages at Sharon's

2009-01-20T19:27:00.002-05:00

Created more art at Sharon's today.... we are having such fun! More pages for the altered book are shown here. I kinda started on the cover, still not sure what I want to do with it though. Stay tuned for more to come! This has been a great creative retreat for me. I haven't done this much art for a long time!

New Journal Pages

2009-01-18T17:05:00.005-05:00

My friend, Sharon, and I have been working and working on journal pages and having a great time! First I created lots of background pages in an altered book I decided to work on. Then I added pages as ideas came to me. Several ideas came from Visual Chronicles book by LInda Woods & Karne DInino. We have a lot of reference books on journaling. Another one I like is by Lynn Perrella, Artists Journals & Sketchbooks. I'm really happy with my results so far. We still have a few more days to play so it will be fun to see what we come up with!

Castle Tiornan Scotland

2009-01-08T12:57:00.001-05:00

Pam McClungGraphic Designer, OSU Libraries600 Ackerman Rd. room 5804Columbus, OH 43202614-292-7089mcclung.26@osu.eduCastle Tiornan Scotland

- Posted using MobyPicture.com

Happy New Year - almost!

2008-12-31T09:57:00.006-05:00

Finally some new art! I had been working over the holidays, but couldn't post anything that was to become a present in case the recipient might be looking!

One of the things I got for Christmas was a new journal! Yay! So last night I started in it and I share the results with you.

This first one in black and white is about creating. It's rubber stamps and journaling. Just something quick that popped into my head. I like stuff in black and white sometimes. Shape and form take more importance that way.

The second one evolved from an idea from a book True Vision: Authentic Art Journaling by LK Ludwig
http://tinyurl.com/9zhzyy
the idea is to tear a scrap from something like the phone book and build from that... which I did. As I started to paint over it I noticed that both Washington state and Ohio were right there on the page... and a very good friend of mine recently moved back to Ohio from Washington state (pleasing me greatly) so I decided that was what I meant to journal about on this page... so off I went. The bingo card was already there, but seemed appropriate: "Bingo!" and I added arrows and stamps and writing plus two tags with the two locations as well as my own location. The colors are oil pastels that were a present from this friend - so it really ties it all together. It's a bit looser than my typical work, which I have been striving to do, so that made me happy.

I do propose to do more art journaling and blogging this year (nice to have a FUN new year's resolution!) so please come back to see if I am keeping that resolution!

What Type of Blog Do You Have?

2008-11-25T08:59:00.003-05:00

I read an article on how to "type" your blog using the Myers-Briggs test that businesses often use as a personality indicator. If you don't know about it here's some info about it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myers_briggs
Anyway on this site you simply type in your blog's address and it figures out your Myers Briggs result. It's kind of fun (if you enjoy that sort of thing) to see what comes up. Mine seemed somewhat accurate, though it didn't match how my tests usually come up for me (usually an ENFJ for those who understand the terms). I believe that stands for Extrovert, iNtuitive, Feeling and Judgemental if memory serves.
I'm not sure if the test (for the blogs) is purely random or what, the actual test is based on a load of questions you answer about yourself and is pretty scientific in nature. So here's the link if you want to have a go at it:
http://www.typealyzer.com/
Here's how mine came up for Dieverdog's Art Blog: http://www.typealyzer.com/index.php?lang=enI guess you can judge for yourself if you think it fits!

More Holiday Cards

2008-11-20T19:10:00.002-05:00

Stay tuned for more cards coming soon.... (now that I've got the scanner working again!)

Holiday Cards are Here

2008-11-20T19:05:00.004-05:00

Ok, gotta luv 'em...

2008-11-18T16:24:00.000-05:00

Free TV : Ustream

Letterman - A message from Barack Obama - 10-16-2008

2008-11-03T10:56:00.001-05:00

Obama is for the cat lover's votes! Here's proof!

VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!

2008-11-03T09:07:00.003-05:00

No matter who you're for.... please go out and vote! If you can vote today, or if you wait til tomorrow... just GO VOTE! It's terribly important... especially here in Ohio where the race may be close...you just never know... so you MUST make your voice heard... and every voice counts! It reminds me of Horton hears a Who... and the littlest little who who's YOP saved them all from the boiling oil... you could be the tipping point! So go stand in line... you might meet some really neat people and have a nice conversation... or take a good book or crossword puzzle. But seriously, it's important and you only get this chance once every 4 years.
I'm done now.... get out there!

An Awesome Artist and Animal Lover

2008-11-03T08:43:00.002-05:00

This link was listed by someone I follow on Twitter...and it's really neat so I'm posting it here!
This guy's art is terrific and it's great what he's doing. It makes me wonder what I could be doing to use my talents for the betterment of the world. Very inspiring...and his art is just plain fun to look at!
Take a look!
http://www.ronburns.com/index2.html

Me at the Stadium

2008-10-21T17:10:00.002-04:00

After a Communicators meeting at the OSU stadium this morning we got to take a tour of the stadium... so here's a pic of me chillin' at the stadium! It was kinda neat to get to do that. I've never been to a game so it was pretty awesome to see.

Yet another fun craft to try!

2008-10-15T11:04:00.003-04:00

Well I managed to find one more craft to try! Going into a yarn shop yesterday after a work meeting next door was over... in an area way north of town I've never been to before... I was very warmly welcomed by one of the shop owners (though I didn't know that at the time) Elaine. She showed me how she made these neat little woven squares (or rectangles) on a tiny hand-held loom (called Weavette looms) and then she pieces them together (NOT sewing - she proclaimed). You can do so much with them and she and I really connected as we continued to talk. Ideas started flowing on what I could make with these little gems.... scarves, purses.... and then Elaine proceeded to show me samples she'd done! And then she gave me a little demo on how to start the loom with yarn and before you know it.... I bought a loom and she showed me how to do it and before I left I had my first little rectangle (shown above). I tried to do another one at home, but I think I need a remedial lesson on the last step because something wasn't quite right... but I almost have the hang of it. I'm definitely going back for more lessons, more yarn and more of Elaine's warm conversation.... I felt like I found a new home!
In case you want to go.... it's called A Tangled Tale and is in Powell, OH 50 S. Liberty St. suite 174... it's a cute little town. Their web site (which I haven't even gotten to yet myself is: atangledtale.com. Elaine and her daughter Doreen run it and it's a lovely place filled with windows, light and lovely colors of yarn!

An Interview with Gregory Maguire

2008-10-14T10:16:00.002-04:00

http://media.barnesandnoble.com/?fr_story=35e1f87dfcf8ea010bb4602f6f6dbc44d23c662a
this is an interview with Gregory Maguire the author of Wicked. I wasn't as pleased with Wicked as I thought I would be, but this is an engaging interview and he makes some interesting points. I may check out his children's books actually. I hear that the play based on Wicked is good, and I'm curious about it, after reading the book, I wonder how it could be made into a play... there's not a tremendous amount of action in it, so I wonder how it would hold attention as a play. He's an interesting man at any rate so I'm putting in this interview for those of you who might want to see it. He mentions the importance of his journal in his writing and how he was inspired by a book he read as a child to keep a journal. So maybe I should do more with that myself as I'm always thinking I should.

I went to the rally Friday

2008-10-13T16:55:00.003-04:00

I know this is an art blog, but it's my main blog, so I'm gonna share the photos from the rally I went to on Friday... it was so much fun! Was a beautiful day and I met some great people and got to see the future president of the United States (I hope). I figured it would be cool to say that when he wins and I didn't want to miss out on an opportunity. I also had a whole adventure since I took the bus and I never had before. Nice people on the bus who chatted with me. All in all it was a tiring day but fun. The two ladies in the pictures are Julie and Julie who I met up with there while waiting in line. We made fast friends and stuck together through the whole rally. One thing I thought was cute was right when Obama came out a lady in front of us yelled "we love you!" and he said "I love you, too!" That was sweet, I didn't expect that. I hope that whoever you are for, that you go out and vote... it's really important.

I'm gonna start somethin'

2008-10-13T16:17:00.002-04:00

I just decided I should start yet another notebook... (I do this a lot)... about art ideas that I get, or images that inspire me. I jot stuff down on post-its and scraps but then don't keep them in one place and heavens knows where they wind up! (often the bottom of my purse until I clean it out). So I just saw some inspiring things on the web and printed out a couple pages since I will probably never remember what web site I saw them on later to look them up when I'm in the mood to create. I also jotted down some ideas that came to me that I could do that was a little different but inspired by what I was seeing. I thought, I should start a notebook to keep all this stuff in... maybe a three-ring binder with pockets and I could do a couple of categories like "clay" and "stamping." So off to Staples on the way home I guess! More later.

Birthday Card

2008-09-23T09:27:00.002-04:00

This card is actually one long
card but the scanner couldn't
scan it all in one piece. The front
shows the closure with brads and
a blue ribbon/string. My friend
requested a neat card from me for
his birthday, I hope he likes it!

We got bitten by Ike, too

2008-09-18T10:20:00.004-04:00

Well Ike sure packed a punch and kept on punchin'! Even way up here in Ohio he was still wreaking havoc in the form of near-hurricane force winds. We were unprepared for the widespread damage. I took a few shots Monday as I was out trying to find gas station that was open and pumping gas... proved to be futile for quite a while. Schools were out for three days (some still are) and I heard that there are still around 1 million people in Ohio without power.... wow. I was lucky and my power came back on early Monday morning around 3 a.m. (not sure why I was so lucky, but hey, I'll take it!). Had no internet, cable or phone 'til last night, but that wasn't as much of a hardship (at least I won't miss the season finale of Burn Notice tonight!). It was amazing the size of some of the trees that came down! We didn't have power at work until Wed. and had to go work at another site on campus in the meantime... some adventure! That was once I got gas and could get to work.... hardly any traffic lights in town are working even today. It's making for a lot of conversations but we are all more sympathetic I think for what the poor people on the gulf coast have endured and are still enduring, it's hard to even imagine.

Learning Flash....

2008-09-11T17:26:00.004-04:00

I know, I know, I've been gone a while... in Lazyland... actually just busy with other things, namely two jobs. I just had a two-day class on learning Flash, which is a very complicated and intimidating yet exciting and fun program. I feel like a toddler again... wanting to run when I can barely walk just yet.... here is my first wobbly try at a Flash file. Even putting it up here is a bit experimental for me, not sure just how inserting a Flash file will work here even.... may not work at first until I figure things out. But here goes nothin' as they say...

Friends Moving Away

2008-08-06T08:42:00.004-04:00

Two cards and envelopes I made for work friends who are leaving and moving away.
As they say the only thing that is constant is change....

If you like or love fonts...this video is hilarious!

2008-07-25T09:12:00.000-04:00

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

I have the new iPhone!

2008-07-11T13:25:00.002-04:00

I don't usually do crazy things like going and standing in line in the middle of the night (well, early morning).... to buy something.... but I did today.... and got the new iPhone.... and it's awesome. They didn't let us make a line until 6 a.m. so we had to scatter and come back... they opened the doors at 8 a.m. and I had my phone shortly before 9 a.m. It is just as awesome as they say.... surfing the internet and reading and responding to emails from anywhere is just so cool. I'm sure the newness will wear off after a while, but it IS really neat, as everything Apple does usually is. It was fun to be there with the other super-excited folks who were there early waiting in line, rather than just walking in the store and buying it next week. Everyone was so thrilled to be getting them!

A card for Erin

2008-06-25T16:43:00.005-04:00

Here's a card for a friend I work with.
It's taken me a few weeks to remember
to get it to her... though I was proud of
myself for getting it done early....
that's me for you!

Inchie Cards

2008-05-28T13:44:00.003-04:00

I like to do inchies (little one inch pieces of art) and haven't done any in ages. So I thought I'd make a few. But what to do with the little one-inch wonders? I thought I'd make them in a series and put them into cards... These first few tries I was quite happy with. They are very fun to do. Having a 1" punch sure helps. Now I can hardly bear to throw out scraps unless they are less than an inch.... like I need one more reason to hang onto anything! If you haven't tried making inchies...please do...they are really fun!

Sun Card

2008-05-22T13:27:00.004-04:00

Here's a sun card I did for a friend who's a Leo and a real sun-lover. She'll get this in a couple of months for her birthday. It's ok, I don't think she gets on the internet or my blog much so she won't see.

Cat cards

2008-05-22T11:01:00.004-04:00

Some cards I made a few days ago with those new stamps I keep talking
about. They are clear stamps you use on acrylic blocks, those seem to
be all the rage right now. I do like them because you can see where you
are putting them on the paper since they are clear. That's kind of nice,
really, not so much guessing and hoping stuff is where you want it.
Sometimes that's not as much of an issue, but getting that cat to sit on
the "dreamer" word just where I wanted was sure a lot easier than it
would have been with a wood stamp. And Sharon will note I'm still using
my Stampers Anon. checkered stamp... an all-time fave! (a little private
joke we have).

Tommy's Pizza

2008-05-21T16:31:00.003-04:00

Here's my photo of my yummy lunch today at Tommy's Pizza.... double cheese and pepperoni! I'm submitting my lunch and some wishes on the Journal Revolution blog by Linda Woods and Karen Dinnino. Their books are awesome and the blog is such fun. And they sometimes have fun contests. Gotta run... it's a 'working at The Container Store' night for me.

-- I didn't eat that WHOLE pizza by the way... I was sharing with a friend!

Romance

2008-05-21T12:02:00.002-04:00

Here's a card I made last night before I pooped out on the couch and fell asleep... only to wake up at bedtime! Used new stamps I got last week and a photo out of a hairstyle magazine.

A Digi Card

2008-05-20T09:53:00.002-04:00

Here's a little card I made last week entirely on the computer. I like the look of it, the silhouette of the bird (that is actually a font, believe it or not). I found a lot of really cool, free (the best part) fonts on a site called Dafont.com. Check it out (but only when you have a couple of hours... it's very addictive!

Taking care of a sick kitty

2008-05-16T12:00:00.004-04:00

Taking care of poor little Parker
this week. Sunday night at midnight
(Monday morning) I took him to
the emergency hospital at OSU
because he had a blockage and
couldn't go potty. Fortunately he
was a candidate for a special study
they are doing for that very thing.
He came home on Tuesday since
he was doing so well and I'm giving
him medicine 3x a day. He seems
better but is still having troubles and
isn't eating or drinking as well as I'd
like to see, but sometimes progress
is slower than one would like. I sure
hope he gets better, he's such a
sweet cat and only about a year and
a half old. If you're inclined to say prayers,
say a few for him or send him good
thoughts.

I saw Eddie Izzard last night...he's hilarious

2008-05-14T09:37:00.001-04:00

Please watch this...it's a bit older than the bit he did last night, but it's a riot if you've ever gotten frustrated with your computer... who hasn't? He's dressing more mainstream now as well, but he's every bit as funny as ever.

Treadmill Kittens

2008-05-13T09:38:00.001-04:00

This is so cute... great idea for chubby kitties!

What to do...

2008-05-09T10:18:00.003-04:00

It's Friday, hardly anyone is in the office today.
Trying to stay focused....

Digital Journaling page

2008-05-08T19:31:00.004-04:00

Stuff I've been going through lately.... kind of
speaks for itself I guess. (it's not all bad, but
it's good to let it out when it is bugging you!)

Cards from this weekend (part 1)

2008-05-05T11:14:00.001-04:00

Cards again!

2008-04-30T11:13:00.006-04:00

More cards made last night (except the kitty... he should have gone up with the stuff from yesterday). I thought Michelle would like him...he's red and black and somewhat goth. Some of these utilize my new clear stamps that I got at Archiver's the other day. They are from a company called Fancy Pants Designs (I'd never heard of them before). There is an explosion of clear stamps out now by a number of companies that are new or sound new... not the traditional rubber stamp companies I've heard of, though some of those are going that route now, as well. I think the scrappers are diversifying outwards and embracing the stampers... in the never ending quest for more sales! Now that most of the stamp stores, at least in my neck of the woods, are gone, that is. Again a couple of the above examples (the faces) were an attempt at "with one stamp" that is done in Take Ten, where you do several different looking cards using the same stamp. I like the challenge of that and I push myself more to try different color schemes to get different looks. I'm thinking of submitting some work again to be published, which I haven't done in ages. I used to do that all the time and it is so exciting to get in magazines, but it don't happen if I don't make stuff and send it out there.

Finally some new cards!

2008-04-29T16:26:00.005-04:00

Finally got some work done in the newly and somewhat cleaner dining room craft space. The flowers at top are an attempt at the one stamp, several ideas theme that they do in Take Ten magazine. The others are just some random ideas that came to me as inspiration struck. Hopefully this is the start of a creative "roll." (I have one I forgot to bring to scan I will add tomorrow hopefully).

Cleaning the craft room

2008-04-26T23:34:00.003-04:00

Inspired by recent magazines I've been looking through, and wanting to get back to working on some art... I starting cleaning out the craft room (aka the dining room). It has been a horrendous mess for quite some time and every time I do more work it just gets worse and worse. Words can't begin to describe how really and truly bad it has gotten. After a couple of hours this morning I was so pooped out I sat on the couch and dozed for a couple of hours. I was as wiped out as I've been in a long time. I finally decided I HAD to get back up and move around and since I had coupons I wanted to use at Archivers and Barnes & Noble that are about to expire I got up and went out.

I got some cool stuff at Archivers and didn't spend too much (that store is a hard one to restrain myself in). And I got a couple good books at B & N... one Dover book on Victorian art that comes with a CD of the images (I'm getting attracted to the flourishes and swirls that seem to be all the rage now) and a book on selling your art that I'm hoping might inspire me to move forward with making some money off something I can make. And I got the newest Somerset Studio too. A late lunch/early dinner at Taco Bell... hey, it's cheap!

So I got more done when I got home.... lots more, nearly done, or at least done enough to start some work but maybe tomorrow, I'm pretty pooped out again. It's a good feeling to get that accomplished. I also realize how many unmounted stamps I have that I've never used! It's like winning a stamp lottery or something.... stuff I forgot that I even bought! I will work on organizing those soon, too. I can get sheets at the Container Store with my discount so that won't be a big deal. Maybe I'll get some tomorrow at work.

Well off to sit for a bit!

These give new meaning to altered books!

2008-04-25T16:37:00.003-04:00

Ok, go to this site and take a look-see....
http://www.aronpacker.com/dettmer/dettmer.html#
this guy does really awesome stuff. I saw his work in a magazine called Fine Books and Collections someone at work had.
Just thought I'd share (since I haven' t had any of my own work recently to post).

I was tagged (a while back)...

2008-04-21T22:19:00.004-04:00

Ok, I was tagged quite some time ago (months) and I wrote out what I was going to say in a journal but never got around to putting it up on the blog...true confession time! So here is my response after long last...

1. 4 jobs I've had:
--shelving library books
--hanging paintings at the county fair
--selling stuff and planning spaces for people at the Container Store
--graphic designer

2. 4 movies I would watch over and over again
--The Lion in Winter (Katherine Hepburn, Peter O'Toole and a very young Timothy Dalton!)
a very pithy and witty movie with the best dialog EVER!
--Foul Play (Goldie Hawn & Chevy Chase) just the funniest thing ever
--My House in Umbria (lovely character study)
--Lady Hawk (Matthew Broderick and Rutger Hauer and Michelle Pfifer) love Matthew's thief character Philipe, he's great!

3. 4 places I've lived:
--a yellow cape cod at 19 Maple St. (suburb of Dayton, OH)
--a dorm at Univ. of Cincinnati
--372 S. Ashburton Rd. two story brick town house with ivy and green door/trim (Columbus)
--1914 brick 3 story in a historic district (Columbus)

4. 4 people who email daily:
I don't have anyone who emails THAT often
Oh, wait, maybe the spammers!

5. 4 favorite things to eat:
--macaroni and cheese (with REAL cheese not the melty goopy kind)
--fillet mignon (with A-1 steak sauce) especially from the Top restaurant
--manicotti in alfredo sauce
--strawberries (or strawberry Hågen-Dåz ice cream)

6. 4 places I'd rather be:
--with my friends or a friend
--in England/Scotland (especially a castle!)
--creating art
--at the bookstore
(getting a massage ranks right up there, too)

7. 4 things I look forward to this year:
--spending time with friends
--making new friends
--making some cool art
--learning some new things

4 people I will tag....
haven't decided yet...
Sharon, Kate.... and two others!

that was kind of fun, and I didn't even change what I put (though I elaborated a little more) It's easier to make a list sometimes than to write and it's fun to think through the possible answers.

Piano Man

2008-04-21T08:43:00.002-04:00

Awesome, awesome, awesome!!! I got to see Billy Joel in concert one more time last night... another amazing concert (he's always awesome). It was as if he'd asked me to make a list of all my favorites and he played them... several of them not the top chart-busting songs even... it was amazing. He's such a great artist, it goes well beyond performer... his songwriting is amazing and then, well there's the piano playing which is just astounding. For anyone who might be interested, I'll list the songs he did in order (I'm gonna make a playlist for my ipod).
Angry Young Man
Ode to Joy (my favorite hymn... he snuck a little bit of Beethoven in, he's so cute)
My Life
Don't Go Changing
Summer of Highland Falls
The Entertainer
Zanzibar
New York State of Mind
Allentown
Don't Ask Me Why
She's Always a Woman
Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)
Innocent Man
Keeping the Faith
River of Dreams
Hang on Sloopy (slipped in between... for us Ohioans)
Matter of Trust
We Didn't Start the Fire
Still Rock n Roll to Me
You May Be Right
Scenes From an Italian Restaurant
Only the Good Die Young
Piano Man

I get goose bumps when he does Piano Man and they stop playing and the whole stadium sings the chorus on its own.... he always does that. It was just an amazing concert. Who knows how many more times he will tour, every time he says it will be the last time, and I'm sure he thinks it will be... I can't blame him, it must be grueling to put on shows like that and travel so much. But I am grateful each time that I get to experience him in person. I don't get this way about much of anybody else.
(I'm wearing my t-shirt today, too!)

Bad Hair day in the Stone Age

2008-04-17T11:42:00.003-04:00

I guess even caveladies had bad hair days
(probably quite a few since Clairol had not
been invented yet). Looks like the cavekids
were getting to her. This Iniuit cave drawing
just kind of cracked me up so I thought I'd
share it here. The eyes just kill me!

Coffee shop evening

2008-04-07T17:02:00.004-04:00

I stopped at Cup O' Joe and had a smoothie
after work on Sunday evening and read my
book. It was just too nice to go home and sit
inside. I love when the days start to get nice...
we appreciate it so much right at first when it's
been cold and crummy for so long. I was there
for a few hours. I also took a shot inside of the
tiles around the fireplace because I liked the
colors so much.

Goodies! Goodies! They arrived!

2008-04-07T16:53:00.003-04:00

I'm so excited... my goodies came from last month's crusade... it WAS like my birthday all over again (only better)! Such neat and yummy things (well some literally yummmy and some figuratively).

Cool goth scissors... have to say I never got goth scissors before... definite addition to the journal kit!
Note paper, mini stapler, rubber stamps, pop rocks (I remember those...how fun!), pretty tissues... will have to go towards art projects, the pattern is just too pretty to blow my nose on! and I'm really excited to get a CD with HIM songs... I've been wondering what all the fuss was about...now I know... pretty cool stuff I must say. He's on my computer and ipod now.... I may be joining the ranks of fans (though Billy Joel will always be my number one... sorry Ville). Thanks so much to Michelle for putting together such an awesome package....It was such fun to open... all themed red and black and goth all over!

Irish eyes are smilin'!

2008-03-17T10:50:00.007-04:00

Wishing you all a very Green day! Hope the
luck of the Irish is with you today!

I Gave at the Office

2008-03-04T15:19:00.000-05:00

I donated blood at work this afternoon.... I guess the multi-vitamins are doing good since my iron wasn't too low this time. I gave once before and it was no big deal other than the fact that I seem to have really S-L-O-W blood... two people came, gave and went before I was done filling my bag! This time I got woozy and felt sick to my stomach, which I didn't expect. But I got this t-shirt! I'm ok now though and back at work.

Wow I won! I won!

2008-03-03T09:46:00.004-05:00

How exciting to find out this morning (a Monday morning, no less) that I won Michelle Ward's last GPP Street Team crusade... Pandora's Box! I had such fun putting the box together and then journaling with it. I guess it was because it's my lucky birthday month or something... I don't tend to win stuff that often... but then I don't gamble much so that could be why. The Street Team crusades are such fun... participating is really winning in and of itself and you get to meet such fun people. Winning the contest is just icing! And it must be said that Michelle is just awesome for inspiring such creativity and participation not to mention connecting like-minded arty souls... I hope some of it rubs off on me!

More fun with Journaling

2008-02-19T11:15:00.003-05:00

The first topic goes 'round on message boards now and then... what is "art" and who decides? I think it's you and me... it's always a subjective thing, really... if you make it and consider it art--then it is. Even if you make it but don't think it's art, but someone else does.... then it's still art! Art is in the eye of the beholder. I don't think something has to be pretty to be art. Some stretch the limits, quite purposely, simply to provoke and I guess that's ok, too. I like art that says something and communicates.

The other entry is about food... things I find yummy. What do you find delicious? I'd love to hear. My tastes change and what sounds good one day, may not on another. I don't think fresh fruit made it on the list, but that's great, too. There's probably nothing I'd love to eat every day... as much as I like anything, I'd get tired of it rather quickly.... variety is the spice of life... I'm lucky to have so many eating options.

Happy Valentine's Day

2008-02-14T16:16:00.001-05:00

Another new journal page

2008-02-13T12:55:00.002-05:00

The new Journal Kit Journal pages....

2008-02-12T08:49:00.000-05:00

Well I've done a few pages using the new Journal Kit... and a new Moleskine book I started to use with it. It's been really fun! I camped out on the sofa and didn't even run into the craft room to grab more stuff or get additional things that weren't in the kit (I'm so proud of myself!). I cut up a Prevention magazine I had picked up at the grocery some time ago... some nice headlines and adds that gave me great ideas for journal entries. There are sure to be more pages coming soon.

Journal Kit

2008-02-10T11:08:00.001-05:00

For the latest Street Team challenge I've put together a journaling kit... from things at The Container Store (I work there part time). I was pleased to find out that my favorite journaling book Journal Revolution fits perfectly inside so I can take inspiration with me as well as tools! The second photo shows the second layer with my Moleskine journal.

Next I show the small boxes inside that hold markers and small stamp pads and colored pencils, a glue stick, x-acto knife and a double stick adhesive dispenser.

The next photo shows small cups to hold embellishments. They are magnetic on the bottom and I stuck small round metal discs that have adhesive on the back so they stay in place and don't rattle all over the box. The last photo shows a clear pouch that holds some individual pages for another journal, some scrap paper, tags and clippings from magazines to add into the journal. I've made a few pages already using my kit, I'll post those on Tuesday.

the start of a new journal

2008-01-29T09:47:00.002-05:00

The start of a new journal... on kromekote (shiny) white card stock... using stamp pads, paint, rubber stamps, handwriting and what ever comes to mind. I decided to go back toward my comfort zone so I would actually do more stuff. I can toss in new things as I go I figure, but this way I'm more likely to actually work on it more often. (or so I hope). So far I'm pretty pleased, I cranked these out pretty quickly last night. I think I was really ready to make some art.

Self Portrait

2008-01-15T22:07:00.000-05:00

This was inspired by the book Journal Revolution... using photos of yourself to journal... I have a hard time with this most of the time. As it was I used a Photoshop filter to blur it up a bit before I added the text. I saw on another blog how people are doing self portraits and I never do that. And I guess it's that I seldom like photos of myself. There are a few thing I do like about myself...but it's usually easier to focus on the stuff I don't like. So this made me put it down... harder than even saying it out loud! It seems to be so vain to say such things... why does our society teach that? Those of us who need a shot of self-confidence sure don't need that baggage, right? When we can finally find something to like in ourselves we feel guilty for saying so! So I encourage you to do one for yourself..no matter how hard it is! Even if it's only one thing you can think of to list... but I bet you can find more than that! When I wish my hair was thicker... I think how quickly it dries in the morning, which is great -- I can sleep in that much longer! And that I like the color of it (though I didn't so much when I was a kid) -- now I revel in that my red hair sets me apart. So find something you like in you!

Finding the Words

2008-01-15T18:00:00.001-05:00

This is often the question... so many things to say until I sit down to do art...then not sure what I want to say... so I said just that... I had to start somewhere, right? Seems like I have either too much to say or nothing (or I can't think of anything to translate to art... my friends will tell you I ALWAYS have SOMETHING to say!). I think this stumps most of us at one time or another... so I decided to put it down, invest some time in it. Still loving using the Photoshop brushes.

I love my clogs... journal entry

2008-01-14T22:16:00.000-05:00

Inspired by an image on RobenMarie's site (I love her work!):
http://robenmarie.blogs.com/photos/the_view_within_journal/flip_flops.html
and also inspired by the book Journal Revolution by Linda Woods and Karen Dinino, which I was revisiting tonight, I created this piece of art...

I pretty much like it, though because I worked on it at home, I only had Photoshop 5.5 which I have much less in the way of brushes to work with. I hope to upgrade later this year. But it was fun and I found ways to get it to look like what I envisioned. Maybe a few more bits of blue might have been good. I still may work on it more. But I DO love my clogs.... always have since grade school... and now they actually have medical benefits for my feet! All the better.

Why is Rain Sad?

2008-01-14T15:07:00.001-05:00

While stuck in horrible traffic coming home on Thursday night (1/10/08) I was looking out the car window and thought how it always seems that a rainy window is synonymous with sadness. I had time to ponder while I sat at the light for several revolutions so I took a photo, wondering how it might turn out. I guess I do find rain a bit melancholy, but I kind of like a rainy day sometimes. I wondered why we so often link it with sad feelings or depressed feelings when there isn't anything intrinsically sad about rain, really. We really need it at times. Not enough and we have drought, too much and it's the cause of floods. All I know is, that it sure messed up traffic that night and it took me forever to get home! That was more annoying than sad, though I wasn't in too bad a frame of mind about it since I wasn't in any particular hurry to be anywhere. It is nice when we don't need to stress and can enjoy where ever we happen to be and take the chance to reflect on something we might not normally have the chance to. Here's to happy rainy days.

Crusade 16 Journal Your Blog

2008-01-09T10:11:00.000-05:00

Ok, here's the real, hands-on, cut, paste and paint version. This was a bit of a struggle... had to rip up the first attempt and re-place them on a new sheet to try again. I didn't like the paint, it got too unfocused. This one is still a little all over the place, but I like it better. These were my blog banners for the What's Your Muse Crusade from a few months back. I have another few blog items to try out but didn't get them done last night. It was fun to get out the paint and slop it on. I haven't done that in a while. I wanted to get more rubber stamps in, but wasn't finding what I wanted. I liked this theme so it was fun to do something extra with it. I probably could have done a page for each muse now that I think of it. Too bad there's not enough time in the day/week to do all the things I think of doing!

More Wrecking of the Journal...

2008-01-08T16:25:00.000-05:00

So more wrecking has been going on and it's still fun. Still haven't taken it into the shower yet...I think I have to build up to that one! LOL but have burnt it and torn it put gum in it... maybe will do some more tonight. Getting a good photo has been a challenge, need better lighting I guess. I want to do a lot of the pages, but I suppose it's good to pace one's self and not get too many done at once... savor the destruction! It's weird 'cause it's hard and yet fun at the same time. Maybe the cats will help with it... they seem to like destroying all my other things in the house! Here's the next few I have pics of.

Blog about journaling...journal about blogging...

2008-01-07T17:42:00.000-05:00

Ok, this is getting a bit surreal... for the current GPP Street Team Crusade we are challenged to take a blog entry and journal about it in our Visual Journal... my first attempt is a digital take on it... will try a cut, paste and glue one later. I like how this one turned out. I'm loving using the brushes in Photoshop (and you don't have to clean them out when you are done!). The new typefaces are really fun... go to DaFont.com to get TONS of REALLY cool and (even better) FREE fonts... Love 'em... this was fun... wanna do more... but can we get caught in a temporal time loop by blogging about journaling and then journaling about blogging? Just curious! If you want to participate, go to: http://michelleward.typepad.com/how_cool_is_that/2008/01/crusade-no-16-j.html?cid=96222100#comment-96222100

Happy New Year! It's the start of a new journal!

2008-01-05T20:27:00.000-05:00

I passed this up in the bookstore the first time I saw it last month... it's really weird... It's a journal called "Wreck This Journal" and every page holds instructions on how to deface, demolish and generally destroy the journal. Everything from tearing out pages, taking it into the shower with you (haven't done that one yet!), dropping it from heights, dragging it on a string behind you while you take a walk... to gluing all manner of matter into it. I will do my best to document my efforts as I go through the process... it is kind of fun, actually. What caused me to rethink the whole concept was seeing some reviews on Amazon.com. People were really getting into it. I also found a flickr site where people are sharing what they are doing with it. So, anyway, a new year, a new kind of journal...bombs away!

Merry Christmas everyone!

2007-12-24T19:39:00.001-05:00

It's Christmas eve and I've been baking and decorating (and cleaning up the house a bit) in preparation. I hope everyone has been enjoying the holiday in their own way. I kinda wished for some snow but it has made it easier to get around for all my errands without it. I did better than usual this year getting things done on time, though a few people will get cards a little late. Wishing you all a New Year full of joy, happiness and love!

Busy being Santa's Elf....

2007-12-18T10:00:00.000-05:00

Ok, no new posts lately... though I've been very busy making art... but I can't post any of it right now or it might spoil the surprise for the recipients who might peek on here. So maybe once I get through some of my Christmas making, I can create some other things that I'll be able to post. And also some of the things that I receive, too!

Here's a link to one that I can share...

http://sharonsahl.blogspot.com/

this was created by the company Blurb with software you download, then you upload it with your files/images and they make a book for you! From what my friend, Sharon, says, it turned out nicely. I'd heard positive and negative feedback on them, though mostly positive so I wanted to give it a try. Can't wait to do more.

Where in the World? Part2

2007-12-07T10:32:00.000-05:00

This is some art I did last night incorporating the names of addresses and cities where I've lived. I like how it came out and it was neat trying to think of old addresses where I lived... some of the numbers weren't in the brain anymore, but I think I got all the streets! What fun to make art with that, it wouldn't have occurred to me if not for the Street Team challenge... it's such an inspiration.

Where in the World?

2007-12-07T10:22:00.000-05:00

My entry (or first one) for the GPP Street Team Challenge 15... Where in the World? (I couldn't get the button to copy and work)here's the link if you want to play (it's so much fun!) http://michelleward.typepad.com/how_cool_is_that/

These are details from around my house... built in 1914... which I have been thinking of doing something like this for a long time now... this gave me the push to go and do it! Even though it was a bit dark last night to get some of the shots I wanted, I think it turned out pretty neat. I will describe them in order top left to bottom right...
1. a cornice in the dining room (not original to the house, but I thought it was cool
2. an old typewriter we had at home when I was growing up... love this thing!
3. the original sink in the upstairs bath... the tiles are original too!
4. grate for the fireplace in a spare room upstairs (I have 5 fireplaces in this house!
5. tiles on the living room fireplace
6. fireplace grate detail in dining room
7. tapestry that my mom had that she got from her great aunt... it's really cool
8. Wood grain from the door to the attic/3rd floor
9. fireplace detail from dining room

I took enough of these I may be able to make a second one even. The house has some lovely and interesting details. I wish it could talk... all the things that people that lived there must've talked about from the sinking of the Titanic (the year it was built) to WWI and WWII and the Great Depression... the roaring 20s and the 50s...amazing things must've happened here.

This is in Columbus, Ohio where I live in case some of you are wondering... a lovely midwest town where I settled down after coming here to attend art school. Originally I am from a suburb of Dayton, Ohio, not much more than an hour from here, not so very far away. I was two years in Cincinnati, Ohio at school there before coming to Columbus. That's pretty much the only cities I've lived in, though I love to travel.
It's great seeing where every one else lives and has lived. The world is a much smaller place than it used to be I think.
More to come on this theme!

How To Keep An Art Journal by Suzi Blu: #1

2007-12-05T11:05:00.001-05:00

This kooky girl is quite endearing and funny... get out there and get an art journal started!

Cool tiles at Mickey D's!

2007-12-04T20:06:00.001-05:00

I saw these cool tiles while in line waiting for my Quarter Pounder the other day.... they remind me of one of my polymer clay samplers that I made into a brooch. Different colors and textures. It's kind of pretty. That is a neat McDonald's... they have leather chairs and a little fireplace (ok, it's gas, but still).

My New 'Do

2007-12-04T19:59:00.001-05:00

Ok, it took two cuts to get what I liked... but I'm pleased with this haircut, finally! I got it cut a few days ago and didn't care much for it... I wanted more layers, a different look, though still kind of long... this is much better... I went to Rafiel's over in Clintonville, near work. It was more expensive than Aveda Institute... but if I like it I can keep going to the same girl, which is nice. The Institute was nice... for $17 you got a mini massage, a facial, shampoo, cut and style... but it was a student, and an instructor oversaw it... and if you liked it, the girl may or may not be there the next time 'cause they are always graduating and moving on. This was $35... and I did get a mini massage, which was nice. I may keep going though, I think I will like the cut... but once I try to style it myself, then we'll see... that's always the clincher. Anyone wants to tell me what they think and leave a comment, I'd be happy to hear what you think of it!

Trip to Texas - I'm Back!

2007-12-03T11:18:00.000-05:00

I haven't posted since before I left to go on my Thanksgiving trip to Texas to see my dear friend Jane. I have photos to post (they are on my Facebook site if you can't wait) but don't have them here with me to post them now. It was fun, a lot of driving in the car everywhere... nothing seems to be close to anything else in Texas! I got to meet up with my crafing/internet friend, Barb from Austin as she and her husband kindly arranged their schedules to be down in Houston so we could do that. She and Jane introduced me to Chik-fil-a and we had a lovely time getting to visit, though it was all too short.

And we had a really fun Thanksgiving day with Jane, her son Jonathan and daughter Lori (and Buttercup the dog of course). We managed to cook a great big turkey and it came out great (neither Jane nor I had much experience in this type of thing) and I'm sure as big as it was they may still be eating leftovers this week yet! We had all the usual Thanksgiving trimmings, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, stuffing (for them, I'm not so keen on it), sweet potatoes (with marshmallows on top), mashed potatoes and gravy and pumpkin pie with Cool Whip for dessert... though I don't think we had dessert for quite a while after dinner. (had some pie for breakfast while the parades were on though).

And Friday evening we went for a ride on the Polar Express up in Palestine, TX. It was a bit chilly but we dressed warm and did fine. We got to have hot chocolate and see Santa at the end. Jonathan really loved it. I'm back now and into the routine of work (both my jobs) and getting back to all the usual things.

Christmas Cards (again)

2007-11-15T13:36:00.001-05:00

Are you more dog or cat? Another fun quiz...

2007-11-15T13:24:00.000-05:00

You Are: 60% Dog, 40% Cat

You are a nice blend of cat and dog.
You're playful but not too needy. And you're friendly but careful.
And while you have your moody moments, you're too happy to stay upset for long.

Are You More Cat or Dog?

What type of artist are you?

2007-11-15T13:14:00.000-05:00

You Should Be a Painter

You have the vision, patience, and skill to bring your unique visions to canvas.
And you're even tempered enough not to cut your ear off in the process!

What Sort of Artist Should You Be?

Another Cute Quiz....

2007-11-08T11:19:00.000-05:00

You Are Cookie Monster

Misunderstood as a primal monster, you're a true hedonist with a huge sweet tooth.

You are usually feeling: Hungry. Cookies are preferred, but you'll eat anything if cookies aren't around.

You are famous for: Your slightly crazy eyes and usual way of speaking

How you life your life: In the moment. "Me want COOKIE!"

The Sesame Street Personality Quiz

I'm not sure if I fit this or not, but the Cookie Monster was my favorite Sesame Street character when I was younger.

Who's My Muse: Installment 3

2007-11-07T09:36:00.000-05:00

My third muse for the challenge is very near and dear to me: Books!
Books have nearly always been a part of my life and by extension, libraries. I was a library helper in 6th grade and again in junior high. Then in high school, before I even hit 16, I started my first job, working as a page shelving books at my local public library. After 4 years of that I went off to college and two years later got another job at a library while finishing off college... this changed from shelving books to being a student artist assistant. After graduation I was able to get on full time and was there for 25 years! A recent job change took me from one library to another and into the world of academia at Ohio State University Libraries... still doing art and design and still in the library and book world! I'm just happy as can be to combine two of my favorite passions, art and books.

I've snapped a short sampling of just a few of my favorite books or types of books to show how the book muse works for me.

Included here: Stamper's Sampler magazine, Celtic Art by George Bain, Medieval Calligraaphy by Marc Drogin, Polymer The Chameleon Clay by Victoria Hughes.
These show my interest in art and calligraphy and books are a great source of inspiration for ideas or techniques, it's a great place to go when I want to work on something but am not sure what direction I want to go.

Somerset Gallery (I have some artwork published in it!), The Joy of Peanuts Christmas (a gift from a friend), Timeless Places: Provence by Alexandra Bonfante-Warren (great example of a coffee table book with great images to inspire, this was also a gift), True Balance by Sonia Choquette (an example of a spiritual self-help type book... I love these, they help sometimes with journaling or just to help my frame of mind or to understand myself better)

Exploring Scotland - Fodors (I love travel books, especially England and Scotland), Edgar Cayce on the Millenium by Jess Stearn (I love Edgar Cayce and other paranormal, psychic type books - very interesting), The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster (LOVE this book from my childhood... kind of nonsensical and Alice in Wonderland like... very fun read even for an adult... I re-read it from time to time still), If You Want to Write by Brenda Euland (absolutely fabulous book on being creative, not just writing... I highly recommend it, it's awesome)

The Tarot: Art, Mysticsm, Divination, Dictionary of Symbols by Carl G. Liungman (I was obsessed by pictoral symbols a few years back and they still fascinate me...this is an awesome book), The Hero With a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell (his work is so inspiring and wonderful...it's great to watch him in interviews on tv and video), Quotable Quotes (great inspiration and good to use in artworks), Elf Quest by Richard and Wendy Pini (a lovely graphic novel with awesome art and an amazing story as well), Creating With Paint by Sherrill Kahn (her work is lovely and quite inspiring - I love her use of color).

Ornament Magazine, Morning Star by Nick Bantock (any book you can find by him is wonderful.... he is a great muse), The Write Brain Workbook (a gift from another art friend... great excercises in the book, loads of fun and very inspiring), The Te of Piglet by Benjamin Hoff (a fun little book that is spiritual and serious without seeming to be)

More later...

If you want to participate in the GPP Street Team Challenge #14, Who's Your Muse or Imaginary Friends.... go to:
http://michelleward.typepad.com/how_cool_is_that/
and play along with the rest of us!

More Christmas cards

2007-11-07T08:52:00.001-05:00

Who's My Muse: Installment 2

2007-11-06T09:50:00.001-05:00

For my next installment of Who's My Muse... it's my Mother... she was such an inspiration to me and was always encouraging me, especially in my art. She did crafty and arty things herself all the time... especially at Christmas. She also taught me to save EVERYTHING... you can use almost anything for a later craft project. Being raised during the depression herself, she hated to waste anything so was always finding ways to recycle and reuse items to give them a new life. She even took taperecorders and other electronic equipment apart and fixed them herself! I'd never try that, but she was amazing!

She loved candles but didn't like to burn them so she bought flicker light bulbs and bored a hole through her big candles and wired them up to the flicker lights so she had candles that never burned down but they looked amazingly like real candles! She was so inventive that way.

She always made sure I had enough drawing paper and markers or crayons or whatever it was I was into at the time. And she didn't balk when I wanted to go into art as a career, although my dad was pretty unsure... heck, the art college didn't even have a football team! But even though she's no longer here to cheer me on she still is inspiring me in countless ways, mostly by having been a wonderful example to me all those years growing up in a house filled with creativity and fun. Thanks, Mother!

If you want to participate in the GPP Street Team Challenge #14, Who's Your Muse or Imaginary Friends.... go to:
http://michelleward.typepad.com/how_cool_is_that/
and play along with the rest of us!

ATCs from this weekend

2007-11-06T09:04:00.001-05:00

I made these this last weekend from a luggage circular I got in the mail... addressed to the former homeowner! So much for junk mail... these are a little different style than I usually do and I found it fun. I kept them all in the same color family and made them like a set.