Enjoy Life

It seems like all my art has been so morose lately.  I needed a lift.  This is for a 'Bird' swap in one of my art groups.

Is This Piece Scary?

Gary thinks it is.  Not really what I wanted to hear after working on it for 2 hours.  Sort of hurt my artful pride, if you know what I mean.  This is a 4 x 6 piece for an animal themed zetti swap.  Really, is it THAT bad?

Crazy Love

Just another adventure in motherland.  Anybody want a couple of teenagers?

A New Blogging Venture!

geri centonze over at My Heart Art is starting this.  Please check it out!

Mail Art Altered Envelope #3

It was just so dreary out yesterday so I decided to spend the day in my studio where it's nice and cool and FAR, FAR AWAY from the chaos that is my life!  Created Mail Art instead!

Havin' a Little Fun

Collage Play with Crowabout Challenge week 126:

Super Powers

On a happy note, I just finished my June journal prompt page.  The prompt was, 'if you had super powers, what would they be?'  Had fun with this; I'm sure you'll be able to relate to my response since I don't know ANYONE who hasn't felt this way before.

Sadness

In a tough place right now.  Trying to vent through my journal.  It does help...

Vision

A page in my 'thru my eyez' journal.

Traveler

Having fun with zetti and birds!

With Wings all is Possible

I haven't felt much like art with the end of the school year and all that entails, and all the crap that's going on with my offspring.  However, I did drag my bootie down the stairs to the studio and tried to get going.  This is what came out:

I Can Just Spit!

I swear, this town is a horrible place to live.  When we moved back to the east coast from CA we chose to live in CT.  We NEVER realized what a closed-minded, anti-semitic, mayonnaise town we moved to when we first got here.  We have since learned that if you're not from here; if your family did not grow up here; if you don't belong to the same place of worship as everyone else here...you're an outsider, an alien and a threat to their all-white Stepford community.  And the Stepford people have given the administrators in the school district and the police force all the power they need to make outsiders unwelcome.  I really don't want to live here any more.  Especially after what happened to my children this week.  I want to go HOME!

So please understand that my journal page is my way of getting some of these feelings out before they fester inside of me.  If the phrase KISS MY ASS offends you, so sorry.  In the meantime, DH will be looking for a job back in CA.  I need to save my kids from this dreadful place before someone kills them!

Boy, was I in a MOOD!

After a REALLY crappy day, I had to come home and vent.  And since NO ONE here really listens to me anyway, I vented into my journal.  Thank G_d for art!

Masking Tape for Journaling

I wish I could take credit for this idea but I got it from roc and terri and a group I belong to.  I placed masking tape over the page where I didn't want any medium.  It acts as a mask.  I used 2 inch wide tape so I tore the sides to give it a more grungy look.  I spread my 89 cent acrylics along the edges and used ink mists on the rest of the page.  To make the circles I used the top of a prescription bottle and the top of a glue stick.  Once dry, I removed the masking tape and went over some of the paper with punchinella and Staz-On.  Once I journal I'll figure out what I want to do on the 'clean' parts.

and the finished product...

The page is a little bigger than my scanner so a bit of the words are cut off...

Mail Call!!!

Some mail art for a swap.  This is ADDICTING!!!

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!