Finally, some art time...

I have been COMPLETELY OVERWHELMED with getting ready for my new teaching position.  I not only had to change classrooms, but I had to clean up all the crap that the previous teacher left.  It took a total of FIVE days!!!  I have had backaches and headaches and absolutely no ambition to do art.

Thank goodness for my art group.  They keep me pushing on when I just don't feel like it.  Here is the product of a Prayer Flag Swap that I hosted:

These flags were absolutely amazing!!!

And I just love my monthly mail art swap.  This month's theme was coffee and circles.  This is what I came up with:

That's all for now.  I'm hoping for more art journal time.  Hopefully that will hapen once things mellow out.

CT friends come and go...

My friends from CT came out to visit.  They stayed for 5 days.  Three out of the four have never been to Cali, so it was a real treat for them.  I loved playing tour guide; we went to San Fran and ate at my FAVORITE Vietnamese restaurant; went to Lombard St., Fisherman's Wharf and rode the trolley.  We also went to Muir Woods to see the redwoods and to Sonoma to visit some wineries.  It was just awesome!!!  Here we are at Muir Woods:

It was definitely a cool day.  These poor people thought 'sunny California' meant warm California.  Not in Northern Cali~LOL!!!

Finally had a little time for some art.  Here is an envelope for a Mail Art swap.  The theme was green and butterfly.  Ouch!  I had such a hard time with this~LOL!

Enjoy!!!

More Prayer Flags

I'm participating in another Prayer Flag swap.  There is something about making these that makes me so  content.  And they really take no time at all.  Here are the new ones; they still need a little embellishing...

I truly love the meaning behind these.  I wish the world would, for just one minute, stop to feel the blessings that these flags pass on.

Ever feel this way?

I was bored.  Yes, bored.  And my Muse went on vacation without me.  I'm jealous.  So I whipped out my Scrappy Heart Journal and tried to make something I was happy with.  It didn't work out that way.  C'est la vie...

Tomorrow is another day...

New Mail Art

I haven't worked on any art for awhile.  I think my Muse took a little vacation, which really is ok.  Here is new Mail Art for a swap I'm in.  It had to have a house and text...

Prayer Flag Swap

I'm participating in a Prayer Flag swap with 8 other people.  Tibetans hang these flags outside because they believe that the wind will take the prayers and spread them around the earth to benefit humanity. How wonderful is that!  I made 12 flags; I'm keeping three of my own.  The other nine will get distributed to the other participants.  

 A closer look...

 and even closer...

Now let's hope that they really work! 

Courage Themed Round Robin

This is for an Art-Is-You round robin.  The theme is courage.  Here are  my pages...

When I sell my CT house...

I'm going to live here...

For My Honey...

He's been working 60 hour weeks since he's been back in California.  Just wanted him to know how much I really love him.

Playing in the sunshine!

I went to Dick Blick's in Berkeley on Tuesday and bought some new art supplies...

I could have bought out the store but managed to use my super powers to restrain myself.

I absolutely love painting papers to use in my art.  If I could, I would spend an entire day doing it.  Yesterday, I was able to play in the sunshine for about an hour using my new watercolors.  Wow!  Remarkable what GOOD watercolors can create.  This is what I got...

I love them all but love, Love, LOVE the bottom left.  Absolutely yummy in its intensity.  I can't wait to create with these!!!!!

And the winner is...

Jenny, 2012ash!  Congrats!!!  I'll be sending you an email because I need your address!  Thanks for playing, everyone!!!

Result:14

New Mail Art

Theme was heARTs and the word LOVE...

Sanity Giveaway!

I wanted to thank everyone who has visited my blog over the past few years, and especially the 100 followers who give me the motivation to continue to post.  So here it is, my very first Sanity Giveaway.

In order to be eligible, you must leave a comment (of course, how else would I know that you're interested...) and an email address so I can contact you in case you win.  I'd be more than pleased if you posted it to your blog.  All traffic is good traffic!  I'll pick the winner with a random number picker on the computer  on May 5th.  That's one week from tomorrow.

The piece is 5 x 7 inches.  The base is Caran D'ache crayons.  All papers are hand painted.  It is sprayed with a sealant but I still wouldn't get it wet.

Good luck!  I sure hope you win!!!

It's Official...100 Followers!

I'm not quite sure when it actually happened, but I checked my blog this morning and saw that I had 100 followers!  Sometime between yesterday and this morning 2 more people joined in on my Sanity.  As promised, I am making a piece of art for my very first 'Sanity Giveaway'.  Here's the start of it:

Hmm...what shall it become, you ask?  Well, it'll get finished in the next couple of days and the Giveaway will be officially posted.  It's my way of saying you all ROCK!  Stay tuned.....Mwah, ha, ha!!!

Published in Cloth, Paper, Scissors!

I'm published in the new May/June Cloth, Paper, Scissors.  I made a piece for the postcard challenge.  Not only was it published, it made it onto the first page of the article that introduces the challenge!  What a sweet treat!

Mine is the bottom postcard, "i love art".  Trudi Sissons is the one on top.  Wahoo!

No. 2 in Landscape Series

Happy home, happy home...there will be 4 more made before they get sent off to Art-Is...West Coast.

Check this giveaway out!!!

Go right here and give a lookie-loo!

I want to live HERE!

Just saw this on facebook.  I wonder if I can put in an offer and move in?

Playing with Lettering

This is in my teeny tiny doodle journal.  Just playing around.....

My lettering can be so bad when I write in my journals.  I'm trying to spread my wings a bit!

97 Followers...

Wow!  Who would have thunk it!  I realize that there are people with hundreds of followers.  But for me, 97  is A LOT!  I decided that when I reach 100 followers, I'm going to have my very first giveaway.  Let's see how long this will take...

Art-Is-You Retreats

I'm going to Art-Is-You in Petaluma in September and there will be a raffle of a book made by anybody who wants to participate in making a piece for it.  The money ALWAYS goes to a selected charity.  The theme is Weird, Wild, or Wonderful Landscapes.  The pieces must be 4 x 6 and can be of any medium.. I chose to use my Caran D'ache Crayons and hand painted papers.  This is what I came up with:

If I make 5 more, I'll get five back from different artists...yes, a swap.  I can never resist a good one, especially for a good cause.

Go check out the Art-Is-You site.  I've gone for the past three years on the east coast.  Now that I'm living on the west coast, I'm going to Petaluma!

I am Doodle Challenged

Let's face it.  I just can't doodle.  They start out OK but result in just a mess of lines that look like a 3 year old did it.  So, after perusing Pinterest and looking at other people's journals, I decided to teach myself how to doodle.  I received a lovely little journal from peggy for my birthday and I'm using it as my Doodle practice book.  Here's my first page...

...and a close up of my attempt...

Used my cheapie water colors, white gel pen and my sharpie.  Doodle 101, here I come!

April Mail Art

What a GLORIOUS day.  The sun was shining; not a cloud in the sky.  Took my daily walk while singing to my iPod.  I think people thought I was 'special'.  Came home and made my April Mail Art.  Needed to have flowers and numbers.  I really enjoyed making this.

I love Mail Art...anyone want to swap?

love is here

How I spent my day today...creating in my studio.  No one home...iPod playing...

This page is in my Scrappy HeART Journal.

Pinterest...friend or foe?

I just went onto Pinterest and was shocked? Awed?  Amazed?  Dumbfounded?...as to how many of my journal pieces were pinned.  I think that maybe I should be flattered, but there is something about having my art just floating around in cyberspace that makes me wonder if my art is being enjoyed or misused.  What are your thoughts on this; I'm very curious to see if I'm over reacting or just being paranoid.

An Ouch! in my HeART Journal

There is always the piece that we wish we never created...

I tried to make this work and it went from 0-95 in three seconds, crashed and burned~LOL!  Dear lord, I can't even rip it out of my journal because there is something on the other side!  I did learn what NOT to do.  I'm posting it anyway because we all have these vomitus pieces and newbies really need to see that we can all make CRAP HeART!

Feel free to laugh; I certainly did!

Junior Prom

My youngest, Zach (age 16) had his junior prom this past Saturday.  I can't believe that my baby is this old.  Where the hell did the time go?

 I'm wearing heels!!!  Can you tell???  To the right is my son David, age 20.

I think they look adorable!

More Cardboard Journal

Crappy weather day here today.  Made my own sunshine in my studio!

Wasn't quite sure which way to take this.  Added lots of paper, some drippy water color and was pretty happy with the outcome.  Enjoy!

Whoa...2 postings in 1 Day!

Just another page for my cardboard journal.

A New Life for Cardboard

What does one do with the bazillion moving boxes they have stored in their garage?  Use one of them for a journal!!!  (The rest will be used when we leave the rental for yet another home...sigh...)  I just don't have the money right now to spend on art supplies, so, after reading my last Art Journaling Magazine (that I just happen to be published in, hint, hint) I decided to try my hand at a cardboard journal.  This is what I have so far...

The pages are all different shapes and sizes.  They are peeled, gessoed, painted, stamped and glued on. I rarely use rubber stamps, but had loads of fun with these.  I love the paint chips with the holes in them.  Little windows!!!  Basically, I'm just experimenting.  The pages will get sewn together with scrap fabric once I think I'm finished.  Any suggestions, anyone???

I HAD TO DRAW!!!!!!!

The last time I had to draw a face was in high school, and I graduated in 1979.  I'm so bad at it.  But, being the trooper that I am, I decided to throw my hat into the 'draw a face post card' arena in one of my group swaps.  I must say, I do like the way she came out, even if she looks like a kid made her!  I should probably take a class~LOL!!!

There are a couple of spots on her face that are really from my scanner.  Time to clean it...

March Mail Art

Frustration ran deep after I chose these colors for the background.  I wanted something a little more muted and came out with mud.  I tried to save it and hopefully it came out OK.  The envelope needed to have the word 'Journey' and some form of transportation...getting from one place to another in any form.  This is what I came up with:

Where is my damn MUSE!!!

Art Time!

I finally had a little time today to make something.  This is for a post card swap:

I've been sick since last Friday, so this was a welcome day in the studio!

Happy Valentine's Day!

My husband is still in CT, 3000 miles away.  I miss him so much.  He woke me up at 6:30 this morning with a Valentine's Day text.  So incredibly sweet...I SO love him!

Here's his little Valentine from me to him...

I love you, Gar!!!

Mail Art

Spent FOUR hours in my studio today and never got out of my jammies.  I love days like today.  Worked in some journals and made this envelope for a mail art swap.  It had to have an image of a bird and dictionary text on it.  Here's my interpretation:

Soooooo much fun.

Valentine Mail Art

This is for a Valentine post card swap in one of my groups.  It needed to have a heART and the word LOVE.  This was a wonderful way to start my Sunday!