Had to update the profile photo...

I haven't cut my hair in months; well, maybe a trim. But I just don't look like the picture I had here. So, hence, a new photo. It was taken on my lovely porch sitting on my newest acquisition:

Bought it at Target. Actually got 2 of them. When the price is right...

And this is what I saw while sitting in this glorious chair:

It's dusk and just gorgeous during this part of the evening. I got up to look at the woods (I'm surrounded by 2.5 acres of the green stuff) and thought I'd share...)

Went back to sit on the chair and worked on the really S-K-I-N-N-Y page of my new journal and this is what I came up with:

That's all from this end. Enjoy the moment!

I NEED TO DECOMPRESS!!!

Lord have mercy...sometimes I wonder why I had children. Don't get me wrong, I REALLY, REALLY love my sons. But I have been challenged by all three of them far more than I bargained for. Today I was told by my 15 year old that I was F*@#%KING PSYCHOTIC! Maybe so, but I would like to be a HAPPY F*@#%KING PSYCHOTIC! Too much going on here with him. However, it did inspire me to look at my new acquisition. A book by Traci Bunkers called ART Journal Workshop.

I was stuck in a real "precise and planned" rut and needed to LET GO!!! Her book is great and you can find it here.

Here is my new journal:

Unfortunately, the whole page doesn't fit. But I think you get the idea.

New Journal Cover

This is the second time I tried to make this journal cover. Why is it that I can make the art in the journals but the covers cause me so much anxiety? This isn't perfect, but I'm not making it again. Perhaps when I get motivated, I'll add to it.

The windows are made with altered slide mounts. I'm trying desperately to use up all my supplies before I even think about buying anything else.

Mail Art Altered Envelope

I've never participated in an Altered Envelope swap before and it sounded fun. Here's mine...

Prompt 4 Journal Page

The prompt was "If I weren't afraid I would..." Here's mine:

Never Hide

A page in my Orange Journal. Sure wish I had more time to play.

These Old Bottles

For some reason, these vintage bottles have my interest. Can't explain, but I'm running with it!

More Fun with Crow About Challenge

I am enjoying this challenge since I finally have the time. You can find the group here. The different interpretations from one collage sheet is just amazing.

This is for a bird quote/adage swap. Simple but sweet!

Having fun in my Orange Journal

Just having fun!

I haven't done the Crow About Challenge in so long. But I really needed some down time with the school year winding down. It gets so intense this time of year. This challenge is so much fun; you have to try to use all the collage pieces assigned for the week. It really is a challenge....

Journal Page

The journal prompt this month was 'if you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and write a postcard to someone from there'. I had a MAJOR LEAGUE hard time coming up with the art for this one.

For those of you who know me, you know that I lived in CA from 1998-2007. This past week was our first trip back since we moved and am now completely homesick for my friends there and the lifestyle we had there. Sigh...

The Raven

For an Edgar Allan Poe swap I'm hosting in one of my art groups. Needs tweaking but it'll have to wait until after I come back from vacation.

New Art Journal Page

This is the right hand side of the journal spread. I would show you the actual journaling part but I can't seem to get the scanner to work again! Sheesh...sometimes I just hate technology.

Wait, wait...it's working, it's working....and...Tah Dah!!!!!

Corny as it may be.......

Egg-cellent Taste!

For an egg swap...

Face and crown by Tumble Fish Studios

Bunny's got her own gig!

For a Zetti Easter Swap.

Black Project

I'm in a swap challenge where we have to use a black background to make a zetti piece. It's also rather large for me; 8.5 x 5.5 inches. I had to go back to this over several days because I had such a hard time with it. I'm on the fence with it...

Crown, star and wings compliments of Tumble Fish Studios.

Nasty Head Cold

I've been home the past 2 days with a horrifically stuffed nose and joint aches. I don't think it's the flu; I think it comes from just laying around!!! Not one to just be able to sit, I went into my studio this morning and made this for a Bird/Home Sweet Home swap.

Something to CROW About!

This was quite fun to make!

My Orange Journal

I never uploaded this entry. I had hit a real dry spell.....

Left side...

and right side.

I wish I didn't have to work!!!!!

Then I could play all day in my studio. Thank goodness I belong to a journal prompt group/ I'd never get anything done!

This page is teeny tiny. Not alot of room for art because I had too much to say (surprise!!!) The prompt was "What do you believe?"

Mini's for Altoid Tin Swap

In one of the groups I belong to we had to choose a theme and alter an Altoid tin to fit that theme. There are five people in my group. Here are their mini's for their tins. Each one is 2" x 3 1/4"; just a little smaller than an ATC.

Hope's owl theme:

Marilyn's children theme:
Astrid's bird theme (I love working with birds...):

Renee's Zetti theme:

AND mine! I love Zetti too; had to make one for myself!

Orange Journal

Those people that really know me know that my favorite color is orange. I decided that this year, I would make an Orange Journal. In the past I have started a bazillion journals, stopping at some point due to frustration: size is wrong, book is BOUND, color is wrong, I can't draw, I can't THINK, too much on my plate, etc. But a recent trip to Michael's gave me a new attitude. In the $1.00 bins (come on, admit it, you check them out too!) were these packages of 6 x 6 inch white chipboard pages. Now I'm thinking to myself, "Hmm...a dollar for 5 pages; 10 if you count front and back. Ten cents a page. I can handle that."

I absolutely loved the size of the pages and the fact that they WERE NOT BOUND! Hence, a huge part of my frustration was eliminated just by having the pages loose. I loved the tabs on the pages as well. Needless to say, I bought all of them. And much to my surprise, they were 40% off! So, 8 packages, 5 pages each, 80 pages front and back...all for $4.80!

No, I'm not using all of them for my Orange Journal. I've gessoed and painted just 2 packs of them. But I wanted to share some of the pages. I won't share all because some of them are very personal, but there are others that are just quirky. So, enjoy the orange side of me!!!

front cover and inside front cover:

a two page spread

LOVE Birds

It's so gray and rainy here today that I had to spend some part of this afternoon in my studio. Here is what I came up with. It's for a mini bird journal swap. This month's theme is LOVE. It's only 3.5 x 5 inches. Not Zetti-ish at all, although I was thinking about going there!~LOL! It's hard to see on the scan, but the birds are actually outlined in glitter from a glitter gel pen I found laying around in this mess of a room!

Heart Themed Zetti Swap

Isn't she a cutie! This piece is 4 x 6 inches.

February Journal Prompt

I'm having way too much fun with this journal group. This month's prompt was "what do you love?" Of course I love my family and my dogs; however, I didn't feel compelled to choose either of those. Job was out of the question. I really do love the simple things in my life.

Background is gessoed vintage text that has been painted over for some depth. Lots of homemade paper as well.

Little Bird Journal

I'm in a bird page journal swap and needed to make a book to keep the pages in. The book is about 5.5 inches high and 3.75 inches wide; not very big at all. Here are the fruits of my effort. This is the front and back cover; not quite finished yet. I still need to add some text and a crown onto the red bird...
This is the inside. I incorporated some of my older art into this book. I really like this idea...

On the right hand side is an accordion book for some bird atcs I'll be getting in another swap. I find that all these things get lost, so I decided to make it an all-in-one!

Yet another snowy day...

Freezing rain joined in so school was canceled. I'm getting very used to being home; what am I going to do when I go in tomorrow???

Here are a couple of journal pages I made the last 2 days. Head and crown from the top collage and wings and crown in the bottom collage are from Tumble Fish Studios. Marsha has GREAT images for sale in her Etsy shop. The head in the bottom collage is from Nancy Baumiller (Crowabout Studios) at Deviant Scrap. If you love Zetti, these two ladies have awesome digital and collage sheet images.

Page in my journal...

Tags for a swap...

More tags for a swap...

I really do make art!

Lord have mercy!

I have been overworked, under appreciated, underpaid, drained, pained, overweight, underweight, happy, sad, awake, asleep...you name it, I've been there!

I think it's about time I uploaded some art! Give me until the weekend...I shall return!