CHRISTMAS 2011 ..WITH MOM/NANA

WELL. WE HAD OUR ANNUAL.FAMILY .TRADITION...EAT, WATCH CHRISTMAS MOVIES, DRINKS WITH FRIENDS..AND THEN AS CLOSE TO MIDNIGHT AS POSSIBLE..WE SEE WHAT SANTA BROUGHT...THE GRANDKIDS CAN HARDLY WAIT. BUT..

AS YOU CAN SEE...WE GO THRU ALOT OF GOODIES FIRST...THIS PICTURE IS JUST THE DRY...UNFRIG STUFF..IN THE LAUNDRY ROOM CAUSE THERE IS NO ROOM IN THE PANTRY!!!
AND..HERE IS NIKOLAI..MY GRANDSON, HELPING US GET READY FOR ALL THE

COMPANY...HE IS A GREAT SWEEPER...WORKS FOR MONEY!!
MOM AND KITTY RESTING BEFORE EVERYONE COMES. MOM WAS UP UNTIL PAST MIDNIGHT...DRINKING AND OPENEING PRESENTS LIKE EVERYONE ELSE. WHO WOULD HAVE GUESSED AT 95 AND 1/2
MOMS SNUGGLE. FROM JOHNNY AND GERI. IT HAS WORKED OUT PERFECTLY

WE PUT IT ON HER BACKWARDS SINCE SHE SITS IN THE WHEEL CHAIR...SHE SAID ' OH PURPLE..MY FAVORITE COLOR...SHE WAS IN FULL FORM AND IT WAS ALMOST MIDNIGHT!
OH YES. HERE IS GERI. WATCHING NANA. IN AWE. MOM TALKING, ACTING LIKE A 70 YEAR OLD...UNDERSTANDING WHAT WAS GOING ON..IT WAS AMAZING. NEXT MORNING..SHE REMEMBERED NONE OF IT. SO GOD OPENED THE DOOR FOR HER...FOR ONE NIGHT..FOR ALL OF US...BECAUSE MOM..WAS MOM IF JUST FOR 5 SPECIAL CHRISTMAS EVE HOURS!

these are special times

WELL I DECIDED TO SHOW MY STUDIO...AS IT REPRESENTS MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY. AS I AM IN HERE FOR HOURS, I LOVE TO TURN AROUND AND SEE...THE BEAUTIFUL

PEOPLE WHO HAVE ENCOURAGED ME...THE HAPPY MEMORIES OF THE PICTURES OR EMBELLISHMENTS..SO JUST WANTED TO SHARE THIS WITH YOU... CAN YOU SPOT THE GUY IN THE PICTURE AT THE TOP...THE GENTLE SOUL IN OUR HOME...AND ALWAYS OFFERING A GENTLE..LOVING..PLACE TO DROP YOUR HAT! IF YOU HAVE NOT MET HIM...YOU HAVE MISSED...

THE SHELVES ARE FULL OF EMBELLISHMENTS DONATED BY FRIENDS..BOXES LEFT ON MY DOOR STEP BY MY FRIEND WANDA.. 'A "FORK" FROM MY FRIEND DEBBIE WHICH HOLDS THE INSTRUCTIONS I AM TRYING TO FOLLOW ..AT TIMES...AND JUST ODDS AND ENDS SAVED AND GIVEN TO ME BY MANY FRIENDS AS I PUT TOGETHER THIS CREATIVE JUNGLE!! AND THIS IS JUST ..ONE..OF THE SHELVES!!
THIS PIECE...WAS FOUND AND GIVEN TO ME...AND I HAVE USED IT SO MANY TIMES INCLUDING ON MY LAST BOOK. THE BOOK WAS FOR THE 'OTHER SON'. ONE WAS THE AUTHOR THE OTHER IS AN ARTIST..TALK ABOUT INTIMIDATING ( INFO ON MY LAST BLOG). BUT I LOVE ALL THE WORDS ON THIS CARD. ONE SUGGESTION WHICH ISN'T ON THERE..IS TO JOIN A MIXED MEDIA GROUP..AND MEET SOME OF THE MOST CARING AND CREATIVE. ARTISTS....AND ABOVE ALL..THOUGHTFUL AND SHARING OF THEIR OWN TECHNIQUES..WANTING TO SEE YOU GROW..HELPING YOU EVERY STEP!!

AND YOU NEED A PARTNER..LIKE MY JOHN. WHO DIDN'T SIT DOWN AND CRY WHEN HE CAME HOME AND FOUND HIS GORGEOUS OFFICE FURNITURE GONE..AND A STUDIO IN ITS PLACE. IF HE LEARNED ANYTHING IT WAS NOT TO GO AWAY ON A BUSINESS TRIP WITHOUT SOME EXPECTATIONS ON HIS RETURN. TOMORROW WILL BE 48 YEARS WE HAVE SHARED MEMORIES TOGETHER.


OF COURSE THERE ARE LOTS OF ANGELS SITTING ON THE SHELVES..ALL DIFFERENT

SIZES AND COLORS..WHICH I LIKE TO USE AS 'KNOBS' ON THE BOXES..IN THE BACKGROUND IS A PICTURE OF MY MOM AND DAD..TAKEN YEARS AGO!! PEEKING OUT OF THE SHELF..BUT I CAN SEE IT CLEARLY EVERY DAY.

THIS SPACE ON THE SHELF MAY BE TINY, BUT IN "HEART" SIZE..ITS BIG..CAUSE IT HOLDS GIFTS FROM A FEW OF MY FRIENDS...THE PUMPKIN DOLL FROM SANDY, THE FRIENDSHIP WORDS FROM CHERYL AND THE BLESSING LAMB I FOUND SOMEWHERE..AND KNEW IT BELONGED ON THIS SHELF. THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITES. THE SNOWMAN BOTTLE I MADE FOR MOM..SAYS ' PRETTY IS AS PRETTY DOES'..WITH A HAT AND ...WHAT...? THERE IS MOM IN THE BACKGROUND..CUTTING VEGGIES FOR SALAD!!! THATS WHERE MOM ALWAYS WAS..IN THE KITCHEN. THIS PICTURE WAS TAKEN ABOUT ONE YEAR AGO..AMAZING HOW MUCH HAS HAPPENED TO HER IN ONE YEAR
SO. AS WE APPROACH THANKGSGIVING DAY..WE NEED TO SAY A PRAYER OF THANKS TO ALL THOSE IN OUR LIFE WHO HAVE TAUGHT US HOW TO BE THANKFUL AND NOT JUST TO KNOW IT..BUT TO GIVE IT..THANKS..TO EVERYONE WE MEET. IN EACH OF US THERE IS SOMETHING TO BE THANKFUL FOR...AND TO BE THANKED FOR. HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL READERS OF MY BLOG..AND THOSE THAT DON'T! CHEERS!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

WELL HERE IS THE COVER FOR THE JOURNAL I WAS ASKED TO MAKE...FOR A BOY

WHO IS AN AUTHOR!!! AS I MENTIONED..I WAS SORT OF INTIMINATED AS I AGREED

TO CREATE THIS...SO I PUT MY FEELERS OUT FOR AN EMBELLISHMENT OF A

TYPEWRITER. THEN I FOUND THIS PHOTO IN AS ISSUE OF SUMERSET MAGAZINE

WHALLA!!!! THE COVER IS ACTUALLY THE COPY FROM THE MAGAZINE.
AND THEN..AS USUAL, MY FRIEND WANDA CAME THRU..WITH THIS SMALL ..TINY

TYPEWRITER EMBELLISHMENT..PERFECT FOR THE HANDLE OF THE BOOK!!!

THANK YOU WANDA!! I THINK YOU CAN SEE A LITTLE BIT OF IT IN THE LARGER PHOTO
AND THIS WAS THE INSIDE COVER...THE TWO FOLDERS AT THE TOP..ARE LABELED

WITH TWO BOOKS HE HAS ALREADY WRITTEN....ANYWAY...TURNED OUT BETTER THEN I THOUGHT IN THE BEGINNING...
AND. AS PROMISED IN PREVIOUS BLOG...HERE IS THE 'AFTER' OF THE BOX FOR THE

POLICEMAN. THE BROWN PAINTED EDGES ARE PLASTER OF PARIS WITH STICKS

EMBEDDED TO LOOK LIKE A BIRDS NEST..ALSO MAKES IT HEAVY!!!
THERE IS A METAL SHEET IN BETWEEN THE PAPER SO I COULD ADD A BUTTERFLY

MAGNET.........THE PAPER WAS ACTUALLY A FOLDER I FOUND AND COPIED ONTO

HEAVY PAPER..AND THEN GLUED ON THE INSIDE OF THE BOX
AND PEOPLE WONDER WHAT TAKES ME SO LONG TO MAKE A BOX/BOOK!! BUT I ENJOY GOING AROUND THE STUDIO TRYING TO FIND THE RIGHT ITEM..AND AS YOU KNOW..TRYING TO FIND ANYTHING IN THE STUDIO IS A JOURNEY IN ITSELF.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO EVERYONE!!!

Fall is here!!!

WELL ITS FALL. FINALLY. NATHANIEL SPENT THE WEEK END WITH GRAMMIE AND GRANDPA..AND WE WENT TO THE BOTANICAL GARDEN PUMPKIN PATCH..FREE PUMPKINS AND LOTS OF IDEAS ON DECORATING!!AND I FINISHED 4 BOOKS FOR ALL MY CHARITIES. SORRY THIS PICTURE IS SIDEWAYS BUT IF YOU LOOK CAREFULLY YOU WILL SEE THE GOLDEN HUMMING BIRD..WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY A HAIR BARET GIVEN TO ME BY MY FRIEND WANDA. THE PAPER IS HAND MADE AND I THOUGHT FOR SURE IT WOULD TEAR..BUT LAYS ON THE COVER VERY VERY SMOOTHLY...WITH THE HUMMINGBIRD..THE BOOK IS BEAUTIFUL!
MY SECOND FAVORITE. I THINK THEY ARE ALL MY FAVORITES. INSIDE COVERS ALWAYS HAVE SOME WORDS OF INSPIRATION BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHO WILL BE WRITING AND WHAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES...AND EVERYONE COULD ALWAYS USE A BIT OF INSPIRATION.
OH MY GOSH. POOR LITTLE ME...SAYS FLAPJACK, BUT ACTUALLY ITS A COSTUME HIS GODMOTHER SENT..AND LATER ON WE CAN USE THIS WITH SOME GLOW-IN-THE-DARK STRIPES FOR WALKING WITH DADDY IN THE DARK MORNINGS!!
AND HERE IS THE ' BEFORE'. A BOX FOR THE WIFE OF THE POLICEMAN KILLED IN ACTION LAST MONTH. I ALSO DO BOXES ANONYMOUSLY ..AND ENJOY EACH. I HAVE FINISHED THIS..AND WILL PUT UP A PICTURE ON THE NEXT UPDATE!! YOU WON'T BELIEVE THE ' AFTER'.
WELL ENJOY YOUR THANKSGIVING...ONLY 4 1/2 MONTHS UNTIL APRIL 2011..!!!

Fall is here!!!

well...Fall is here! Could not wait to hang my Witch!! Wish I could say I painted her but I did find her in a shop going out of business and only paid 10.00!!! love her!!And mom is also enjoying the outdoors. sitting in the sun..drinking coffee having breakfast, heaven knows mom has waited a long 6 months to get outside!!

This is a look at the end result of a music box i found.....but it wasn't all fun and games for a while...( thats an angel sitting on the top corner) Tough to see that this is also a heavy, embossed paper..which was needed..after all that happened......read on.This was the idea...soft paper with red fairies. but it looked terrible. terrible. and I had collaged it on all over.........so I PAINTED THE WHOLE THING RED...RIGHT OVER THE COLLAGE. I started over. So since the top was now NOT very smooth I needed a embossed or heavy paper...so I turned to the white embossed..
This is the Before...paper..and red paint.........very old but nice ..music box...with a difficult

shape..I will send a picture on my next update so you can see how i did the sides, since it had such an unusual shape. I also need to learn how to put these pictures in order!!!!! But there is always a next time.
Next time i will also put up the 5 new journals...I keep saying "start painting"...I get out the canvas...get the table ready..and then get an idea for a journal....or box!!!

Well have fun creating your day!!!

nana's 95th birthday

well..nana celebrated her 95th birthday, with 2 special guests, her son Kenny and his wife Carolyn. Carolyn made nana 2 beautiful new dresses to wear..bright and cheerful red and pinks! Mom has not seen Kenny for 5 years since she went back to Ohio for her 90th..and lots of things have changed....with mom!!!

Here is ken..trying to explain that the ' nice man' mom is calling him..is really her son Kenny. She says " you are a nice man..but your not my kenny'. however..that seemed to change by the hour..from Oh Kenny..I missed you..when you will little i would kiss your little fingers"...to...........your a nice man but your not my Kenny!!!
And as the 4 days were ending, we got a great picture of just how much fun they both had on their first trip..EVER..to Arizona..at the end of our hottest month!!! Ken says he didn't come for the weather..but it wasn't so bad after all!!
And flapjack made a hit with the little guys..i think you can find him in the middle somewhere.
Geri and Johnny hosted nana's birthday party..and with flair..as usual. Geri doesn't miss a trick with beautiful festive plates , decors..good food...drinks...and some of nana's friends...like this couple decked out in green matching which they swear..they didn't plan!!!! Love it cheryl and jay!!!
AND ..the guest of honor..in her new pretty dress...taking the candles off the cake after..yes..she blew out as many as Geri put on!!! She did realize it was her birthday and she did realize she was having fun..but she refused to believe she was 95!!
So thank you GOD..for a great wonderful day of memories!! Happy 95th MOM!!!

MORE TO COME..AND MORE PICTURES...LATER!

Other stuff...

well Flapjack learned to like the water..after this photo..he jumped across in 3 leaps!!!
mom loves her bath from Cassie of Hospice and loves her new shoes...wait until you see them!these BOOTIES are for when in bed..keeps the heals up..so no blisters! Anyone who has a friend in rehab..or in bed needs to ensure..the heals dont' get blisters. Mom DOESN'T lie here all day..not at all!!!!!!!! Just posing with her new shoes!!!
Here is Lyn...hoping to rejoin the group after her stint in Detroit. This was our plexiglass class and it was wonderful. I have never been so happy to learn a technique!!! We drilled, cut, painted ( with alcohol or acrylics) all over the plexiglass...Lyn's is actually 3 demensional!

The star will go on top..then second layer the moon and base layer the sun! So you will look down..thru the glass..beautiful!
This is the teachers hand plexiglass art. The base was painted green..second layer had some pattern sewing paper and 3rd is the hand...in real life..its gorgeous!

I loved my piece..and will download it later. Now...I feel confident I can utilize plexiglass in any of my art...learned some tricks on how to line up 3 layers of drilled holes...along with which pens work best for writing..and lots more!

I WELCOME any comments or clues on ways to use plexiglass!!!

AU 2010 Trashy Novel

Well considering I was planning to lay by the pool rather then take on this challenge from Micheal deMing.....I enjoyed it..and amazed at what came out of 8 hours..no lunch..burned fingers and so much fun!

The NOVEL..is about getting to the jewels. Finding the key that fits the lock...passing up the sweet smelling (* poison) finding the dager ..opening the box and slaying the devil..and finally seeing the jewels hidden behind the locked cage.! Whew! ( Thats the cover up there!)

The mail box is actually an old mail box i found at merchant square.

Loved working with the foam..cutting and burning the pages..such a great technqiue!

My RUST look is actually...FIBER PASTE from Golden..put on the paper book with a brush, dried and then I used the Rust solutions to give the rusted look...ha. Looks like metal, including the spine..but its all paper!!

I did use his special formula for my paint color..and it was fun slapping it on...the whole experience was wonderful. That said..I am still not sure I will take another of his classes since I have had 2..and feel lucky of the outcomes..dont' want to press my luck!!


These two pages here show the bad guy.( who is hidden in the metal box ).and the dager has a price tag because my friend gave it to me..right from her shop..and it was just too darn authentic to take it off You can see my depth. there are 8 pages of foam there..We took out the entire pages of the book..left only the cover and the spine

AND..HERE ARE THE JEWELS.actually a braclet..again from my friend wanda..so beautiful..I couldn't think of how to use them when she gave them to me...too pretty to break up...so I hung them behind the old mail box cover..and yes the mail box has a combination!

So much for a days work..of fun!!!. Only 3 of us were 99% finished at the end of the day..I was elated to be in that group...but...will I take another class from him????????????????????????

art unraveled 2010

well...as usual Micheal deMing's class was a technique workshop as well as a chance to see if you can really stick with it..and dig deep to find exactly what you invision...and still figure how

to put it together. His "Trashy Novel" class turned out to be a thriller!

Here are a few pictures...this painting technique was the result of how she put the caulking on to the foam board..great!.

We took the foam board and cut it into sizes of our books...

more foam board..the deeper you can input your images...as you will see.
after class as you know, Micheal goes thru each..this book was not finished but

she plans to use this OLD RADIATOR COVER in her book. she found this on the side of the road!!! SOOOOOO as we all know..nothing is just junk!
What I liked about this book was the wire. Putting some wire between the sheets of foamboard

gave the book depth....its a fooler..there is actually only 2 pieces of foam board, whereas in most of the books..there is 8 to 10!
this is an example of how the layers are cut at different sizes...and then burned. I used a cigarette lighter but you can use a heat gun..heat gun takes for ever!!! Then you use caulking to glue the pieces together. Great technique, cant wait to use it again!!!

OH! This is Corina's book. love the red. Micheal calls it his Killer (something) Red. Can't remember the whole name .but as you know..he mixes colors...he showed us some new ones..and I think he showed about 10 colors..maybe more. Corina chose the red! Notice how the ears of the bunny rabbit match the frame on each corner!!!! clever!
I will show you some pictures of my book..as my blog continues with AU 2010!!!

image transfers

well dont' let it me said all they eat in Sante Fe is mexican food...French is wonderful!!
This is a poor picture of Darlene's BEST OF SHOW...tried to get a close up.not too good.

Hopefully you can see..all the layers in Darlene's piece...soooo many...again a close up but not that good...layers layers layers.
well I had the name of the book wrong...its Image Transfers..not Transfer Mediums...!!!!!

sorry Darlene and Sandra.

SO if you want to go to Sante Fe, just know..its worth the ride..expense...time!

Santa Fe and the Hispanic Market!

Well my trip to Sante Fe was inspiring mentally and physically, as usual..and I had a great host...this is the dinner my son danny made for myself and his girlfriend Jill..who would have guessed all these hidden talents.
I met Sandra who is teaching a class at AU..and who wrote the book 'Transfer Mediums with Darlene Olivia McElroy. Darlene could not make the trip so Sandra is coming! I wish you could have seen her work on display at the Hispanic Fair..gorgeous!!!! Can't wait for her class.

That square you see in her canvas work..lights up!!!! She found some LED lights at...of all

places KMART!!!

This is Darlene ( sitting) and her friend at Darlene's booth. Darlene won "BEST IN SHOW'

and I have some pictures I will put on the blog later. I met Darlene 3 years ago..and have followed her work, tried most of the techniques in her book ' transfer medium" and inspired by her talents! Soooo fun to meet these artists.

and..this is the hostest with the mostest! The only way I could probably stay in Sante Fe..and be treated like royalty. "what would you like to do today mom"? We had a great time...visited some other galleries...played with his guitar ( video on this blog and comments welcome!)

And..this is Victoria. I met Victoria also 3 years ago. I loved her Angel painting....beautiful!

she told me " I am in the late stages of breast cancer..so this is probably my last year being at the Hispanic Market' I said..' i dont' think so...your work is gorgeous..you have much more to do". and ...I hugged her. dont' know why. just felt like it........bought the picture, took a picture of her and myelf... and then last year..I wondered if i would find her booth..if in fact she would be there. SHE WAS. She told me she was hoping I would come by.............she said it was a very hard year but...here she was.

So this year..there she was and her paintings ( I noticed) use alot more brighter colors..lime greens, beautiful!!! So I am soo happy to have met her, and to have a beautiful hand painted canvas painting of an angel....so this year SHE asked to take a picture with me! Here we are!
Great time. Great company. Great artists. Great host. Great Art! Lucky me!! comments welcome!