Stampmaiden's Artventures

Art Scout

2012-01-19T23:04:00.000-08:00

An Art Scout's motto is to always be prepared!

I recently scored foam brushes and bottles of paint at a sale and honest that's all I planned to buy. But when you're an Art Scout you gotta be ahead of the game and be ready for future crafty delights. At least that's how this Art Scout sees it.

I think my friend Roxy is an Art Scout cause look at the cool notepad she gifted me for my birthday! I wasted no time in jotting down crazy ideas for the next Holiday Boutique and themes for upcoming workshops.

One idea that I immediately jotted down was "A Blue Christmas" workshop which was inspired by my love of blue. Another idea was a pink, red, and berrylicious valentines make-it-take-it evening which is scheduled for next month.

Speaking of "blue," how do you like my darling hen? She was a Christmas gift from Christina. I love it's vintage charm and she's got my name tattooed on her neck! She's a gangsta chicken!!! Sandra, a very talented artist from Texas, stitched and painted her up. Love it!

Are you an Art Scout and what are you preparing for?
Go make some art and remember to Trust Your Crazy Ideas.

Where I've Been

2012-01-09T22:33:00.000-08:00

I got lost but I found my way back.

I participated in my first Holiday Boutique ever and it was great!

I had a total of three weeks to prepare for the Holiday Boutique and in that time I managed to knit six scarves......

My hubby and I made a few photo holders that eventually sold out.....

I pulled a few all-nighters to make one-of-a-kind ornaments and by the end of the show the spinner rack was empty. I already have ideas brewing for next year's Boutique and I hope to have a wider range of items due to me knowing months in advance that I'll be participating.

I had a birthday celebration and you want to hear something funny? I found out I'm a year older than I thought I was going to be!!!! Yep folks. All last year I kept thinking I was 54 years old and in reality I was 55. I'm gradually getting over the fact that I missed my 55th year. I can't believe it. I was so bummed out. My 55th year slipped right by me and I didn't even know it. Oh well. Anyway, here I am at the table waiting for everyone to sing Happy Birthday to me and see that smile on my face? That was a smile of anticipation for my 55th year. LOL! Little Penny was the only one who didn't think it was funny.

Well, now that you've had a few glimpses as to where I've been, Penny and I want to wish you all a very Happy New Year. May it be filled with good health and hefty doses of laughter. And if you're 55, enjoy it for me will ya?

Delightful Artventures

2011-09-24T01:28:00.000-07:00

I've been busy preparing for a workshop - The Ghoulfriends, A Halloween Journal With Tags

We'll be assembling a book with pages to record Halloween memories and thoughts. These pages are not limited to ghoulish reflections only! Each journal should be about your personal experiences and if Halloween is not your thing, you don't have to abide by that theme. I just happen to have fond memories of that jolly holiday!

There will be lace pockets to hold the tags which we will be painting, stamping and adorning with ghoulish delights. There's plenty of room behind these 8 x 4 tags to continue with your journaling artventures. See how I journaled on the opposing page? It was fun digging up pictures of past Halloween jaunts.

I like to give my tag girls names. This one is Lost Soul. She's been searching deep to find herself for several years. Other tags from this workshop have names like Twilight, Raven and Black Magic Woman. I find them to be hauntingly beautiful and not scary as their name may imply. I hope you'll join me in this fun day of art making.

And now for some news. Great News! Breaking News! Extra! Extra! Guess what? See that little cowboy below? Well, he's a grown-up now and just two weeks ago he made ME a grandma! YES! I'm the happy grandmother of a bouncing baby girl!!

Here she is being held by a very proud gramps. LOL! I can't stop staring at my little Penny. And I swear, but not loud enough for her to hear me, that each time I see her she looks a little different. As if she's changing every other day. I wonder how she'll look next time I see her. Probably more beautiful than the last time I saw her. LOL!!! I am a very happy and sappy grandma!

As you can see, these past two weeks have been a whirlwind of various activities. I got behind in producing a sample of my Ghoulfriends Journal due to my constant visits with you-know-who.

Have a great weekend. Make sure to get your fingers dirty with paint, ink and glue. Those are great signs of fantastic times!

Cozy Inchie

2011-09-05T09:52:00.000-07:00

The word prompt at Every Inchie Monday is "Cozy." Doesn't this kitty look cozy sleeping on a pile of yarn?

This is the man responsible for creating the "yarn monster" in me!

My love of yarn began in the fifth grade when Sister Evangeline announced that she would be offering knitting lessons to girls after school. I was pretty excited about this and I immediately signed up.
The big day came when we were to meet after school in Sister Evangeline's class. Throughout the day girls would bring out their skein of yarn for show and tell to one another. I remember seeing shades of baby pink, baby yellow mixed with white and someone had this wild color combination of black with primary colors. Everyone had brought their yarn to school except me. My dad was going to bring my yarn and knitting needles later in the afternoon before leaving for work (he had the night shift). My mother didn't drive and she was too pregnant to go out walking to shop for my supplies. So that left Dad.
We were all gathered in Sister's class ready to begin the first lesson and I still didn't have my yarn and needles. I didn't know what it was like to sweat bullets but I think I learned about it that day. All of a sudden there was a knock on the classroom's door and lo and behold it was my daddy! He gave me a quick glance with a grin and a nod that seemed to say "Here's your stuff." When I opened the bag from Newberry's there was a pair of white plastic knitting needles and a beautiful skein of coral yarn. I think I got my love of color from my dad.
I quickly caught on with casting, knitting and purling and by the end of our first project I was sporting a pretty jazzy coral headband. Our next projects included knitting slippers (mine were medium yellow) and then baby booties (mine were a mix of various pinks that I had to donate for the school's White Elephant Booth). By summer I began knitting lots of baby booties for my baby "something" (we never knew what we were going to get back then) that was coming in July. I stuck with basic colors like white, mint and yellow and when "she" was born I saw to it that her feet were never cold.
I suppose it's safe to say, and I'm sure you'll agree, that my love of yarn stems from that first skein of coral yarn that my father bought and chose for me. And I think it's safe to say, and I'm sure you'll agree, that my kitty's love of yarn comes from that basket of yarn I hope to make future projects with!

Change

2011-08-29T11:02:00.000-07:00

"CHANGE" is the prompt this week at Every Inchie Monday and as you all know there's a lot of changing that goes on in fitting rooms. Some good, some downright BAD.

Decades ago (at first I typed out many years ago, then I changed it to several years ago but in reality it was many decades ago and who am I kidding anyway) I worked in a department store where on occasion I'd stand at the fitting room handing out numbered tickets to customers. I wore a red smock (we all did) and thankfully red was my color. I was young(er), had long hair and when customers weren't trying to score a date with me they were yelling at me because they couldn't try on underwear. as in panties. Which reminds me, try not to buy underwear that isn't in a package cause you just never know.
Working in a department store taught me a couple things. First, never argue with the customer because no matter how stupid their claim is they're always gonna be right and you can possibly loose your job if you tell them like it is. Two, if something really cool goes on sale the majority of the employees will have their hands on it before the sale starts and the only sizes left will be the 0's or 1's. How many times has that happened to YOU? This was back in the days when sale prices ranged anywhere from $3.99 - $7.99 max and we're talking clothing items!
Even today, several decades later, I have dreams about going to work at that same place. I actually call them nightmares. A typical dream will go like this. I walk into the store and have no idea what my schedule is cause I haven't been to work in a really long time. Duh. I walk back to the fitting room area and just stand there wondering when my next day off is.
If you work at a fitting room, I have high respect for you and I will promise you that if I come to your fitting room, I will NOT be asking you if I can try on a pair of panties.
This post has been brought to you by the word CHANGE. As in "change of clothes, time, job and panties."

Re-purposed Artventures

2011-08-26T00:16:00.000-07:00

It's taken a while to get my Daughter-in-Law's baby shower album together.

I made the decision to re-purpose a binder that's been waiting quietly in a drawer for it's "one day" moment.

I took a piece of sandpaper and gave this old slick binder some "tooth" for paint to hold onto.

After I sanded it down, I gave it a thick coat of white gesso and then the fun began!

Paint and decorative stamps covered the front and back covers of my binder giving it a new look!

The inside covers got "the treatment" too with decorative paper!

I thought long and hard about punching holes at the spine to hang fiber. Should I? Shouldn't I? Slowly, a fiber pile developed.

Before long THIS was born! I added buttons, beads and hung tags that I'd been saving (again for that one-day-moment). I added ric-rac and a row of flowers. I added more flowers onto the front and back covers and I was done for the day.

This is my first attempt at scrapbooking. Thinking of the word "scrapbook" gives me hives. I prefer the word "memory art." I had the most difficult time trying to decide where to start. Once I made the decision to rely on the painting techniques that I've taught in a few of my workshops, I was over the first hurdle. My love of fiber followed.
If there's one thing I've learned from this experience, it's that everything will fall right into place if I go with what I love, which in this case happened to be paint, stamps and fiber.
My next challenge will be the page inserts. The paper has been chosen, cut down to size and is now waiting to be attacked by pictures. I've got to approach this one step at a time and maybe if I look at it as a journaling page, it too will come together in the end. Wish me luck!

Imagine

2011-08-22T10:50:00.000-07:00

Imagine is the theme over at Every Inchie Monday. Can you IMAGINE watching the news and not hearing about a war, hate crime or other acts of violence?

Can you IMAGINE living in a world where everyone is equal and treated with mutual respect?

Can you IMAGINE loving the same person for 32 years?

Imagining how life could be, should be and is were the the ideas behind my IMAGINE inchies. And yes, we've been married 32 years and he has a '63 bug! And no, that's not us in the VW window. Remember when couples used to sit real close together while driving around town? That was before mandatory seat belt regulations for you youngsters who are scratching your heads. And yes we wore our seat belts. LOL!
Try to live in peace, treat those around you with mutual respect, and don't be intimidated by love. Now go make some art!

2011-08-13T19:42:00.000-07:00

Day one of the "Stamp, Paper, Stuff" backyard sale took off with flying colors! It was a day filled with friends, both old and new.

Jessica and camera shy friend "E" stopped by to check out our bargains. Decisions, decisions! So many stamps to choose from!

Charmaine (left), Ellie (right) and I all took a moment to enjoy each other's company and the beautiful sunshine that finally crept out.

It's always good to catch up with friends to discuss the latest artventures we're into or to just be among each other's company. Christina made Ellie and I delicious turkey sandwiches and potato salad. "THANK YOU CHRISTINA!" I was ready for a siesta afterwards but I had to stay awake to greet the constant flow of visitors we had at our sales.

I think it's safe to say that there were good deals found by each person who dropped in on us. Don't Joyce and Laverne look satisfied? It was so good to see them both.

And just as Ellie and I thought it was time to start putting our "merchandise" away for the day, Rosemary dropped in and surprised us! But it was a good kind of surprise cause we don't see her often. It's always great to hear what type of art she's dabbling in. She's a big fan of Teesha Moore and was sharing her last Teesha encounter with us and more!

And then I was visited by a very dear friend of mine from elementary school. I was actually her monitor when she was in the 2nd grade. She was a sweet little girl who grew up to be a gracious woman. "Thanks for dropping in Rachel!" She's just started beading and she stocked up on a few bags of beads for an upcoming project.

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who came out to support our Stamps, Paper, and Stuff backyard sale.  It was great to see you all and I think that Ellie would agree with me that the thought of your friendship means more to us than the sales.
For any of you that couldn't make it out today, "DAY TWO" begins at 9:00 A.M. tomorrow and will continue till 3:00 P.M. Come join us if you can, we'd love to see you!
For those of you who enjoy eclectic jewelry,  my blogger buddy Sherry Goodloe will be having a class next Saturday. Go to http://gotart.blogspot.com//2011/08/eclectic-charm-necklace-workshop-tim.html to see what she'll be teaching and to see what you can be making! Very cool!

Yard Sale Update

2011-08-08T17:26:00.000-07:00

OH MY! Look at what I've been finding! There will be packs of paper at my yard sale! Great for scrapbooking and paper art! And at great (cheap cheap) prices!

You'd be amazed at what I've found in the wee hours of the morning. And yes, I have been staying up as late/early as 4:00 A.M. and you know what I've discovered, besides finding a lot of lost art treasures? I've discovered that staying up super later/early is for young people. LOL!!!! But hey, I'm on a mission and I will continue to unearth as many goodies as I can until I start seeing double. Hmm, maybe not cause by then I'll be pricing and I refuse to double charge anyone!!! This is a yard sale after all and you will be saving so much you'll think we're back in the 60s! OK, that's an exaggeration but it did sound good, didn't it?

I came across rolls of paper which make great book covers. Aren't they great?

At one time in my life I was into shopping at bead stores. My daughter and I would trek on over to downtown L.A. and spend an entire morning scouring bead shops and pouring through stalls filled with boxes and boxes of beads. Although I did make a few things, I never did get around to creating those beautiful necklaces I envisioned as I shopped. sigh. So I gathered as many beads as I could and divided them by color and packed those little suckers into snack-sized Ziplock bags. And they fit in those little bags like a family of sardines but without the stinky smell! I am not skimping on the goods, folks. Click on the pictures to get a closer look. There may be more packs of beads on the way.

There will also be a handful of art prints at our yard sale. These prints are of professional quality. The colors and images are beautiful. The texture of the paper on some of these art prints is amazing. You have to see these in person to appreciate their beauty. This is just a handful of what will be on display and they will be priced below $5! That's all I can say. I don't want a yard sale riot over here!!! But come anyway!

Well, I'm off to put stacks of paper together, search for more yarn, embellishments and maybe, just maybe I'll get around to the rubber stamps today! Oh so much to do before Saturday. Remember, our yard sale is this weekend, the 13 and 14, and will run from 9:00 A.M. - 3:00 P.M. E-mail me at stampmaiden@aol.com for my address and directions. My apologies to those of you who had a tough time reaching my link on my last post. I don't know what possessed me to add www in front of stampmaiden! Maybe I want an online shop, huh? Oh well, it's gonna be a yard sale for now! Hope to see you all!

Save the Date! Yard Sale!!

2011-08-05T19:57:00.000-07:00

There's a "backyard sale" coming to Los Angeles on August 13 and 14! There will be some of this...................................

Some of this..............

Some of this...............................

Some of this..............................

and some of this and more!!!

My friend Ellie and I are hosting a crafty yard sale on August 13 AND 14th in my backyard from 9 A.M. - 3 P.M.! If you enjoy stamping, making cards, scrap booking, reading arty magazines, knitting, crocheting, dabbling in jewelry, embellishing your art projects, etc....then you DON'T want to miss this yard sale! Believe me when I tell you that what you see here is just the tip of the iceberg! There are more stamps to dig out, more yarn, magazines, beads (they didn't even make it on this post!), paper, paper punches, embellishments and MORE to pull out of hiding! By the time we set everything up I hope hope hope there will be enough tables but hey, it's a yard sale and if we have to, we'll put out blankets and place whatever doesn't fit on tables out on the grass! That's how much stuff we have and guess what? Our prices will not make a dent in your wallet cause we live in the real world of this current economy and we know that being crafty should not make you sing the blues but shout for joy cause you found bargains! Our prices start at .50 and go up by not much!
Keep visiting my blog to get a glimpse of what else Ellie and I will be selling. We just keep finding stuff! Oh, and if you're interested in coming to our backyard sale, please e-mail me privately at www.stampmaiden@aol.com for directions to my address. Hope to hear from you!

Sunset

2011-08-01T09:22:00.000-07:00

Sunset.

Sunset is the theme over at Every-inchie-Monday. I didn't think of palm trees waving through orange-pink backgrounds or lavender clouds sailing across hot pink skies. I thought of an older woman. As the numbers of my age grow higher, I know what kind of older woman I'd like to be. One who can look back and laugh. One who can look forward and smile. One who's not afraid of who she's become. And one who's not afraid to stretch out her arms to welcome the sunset of her life.

Every Inchie Monday

2011-07-25T09:22:00.000-07:00

Nest is the chosen word this week at Every Inchie Monday.

Wherever your're "nest - ing" be content in it and be grateful that you have somewhere to "be."

Inchie Monday

2011-07-18T20:35:00.000-07:00

Can you smell the pages?

The word prompt this week at the Every Inchie Monday site is "BOOKS." How convenient and lucky for me to be surrounded by them the majority of the school year. This is my summer reading stack.

My summer reading stack holds a variety of titles that include biographies, fiction and history.

The covers of these inchies were all created from the pages of discarded book catalogs and one of these inchies has an old borrower's book card as a background.  A few of the titles and images are mixed-up on purpose except for two.  Each inchie was then glued onto EcoArtBoard which was the perfect surface to create the dimensional look of a book.  "Spines" were painted with acrylic paint. Which reminds me.... NEVER use acrylic paint on your
books boys and girls unless you're altering a DISCARDED book.  There's NO way I could ever explain my way out of this to my students. What would they think of me?!!!! I can just hear them..."MRS. FORREST IS DOING WHAT TO BOOKS?! OOOOO, MRS. FORREST!"
So what's on your reading stack and have you turned any of the pages?

Asian Infused Memory Keepsake

2011-07-11T20:24:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd give you another look at the Asian Infused Memory Keepsake Workshop that I'll be leading this coming Sat., July 16 at Stampin' From the Heart.

By adding pictures, you'll be personalizing your keepsake making it super-special. These "pages" fold down revealing more pictures from your past or present.

We'll spend time doing a little painting, stamping, embossing and embellishing of this very unique keepsake. Oh, and there will be lots of smiles and happy sighs - a good time is guaranteed.

I do a lot of prep work to ensure that you'll leave with a completed project. You can get more info by clicking on Stampin' From the Heart's icon to the right of my sidebar or by e-mailing me.
I just showed you glimpses of the inside of the Asian Infused Memory Keepsake. Scroll down to see the cover.
Hope you'll come out to play!

Workshop Coming, Stay Tuned...

2011-07-09T07:02:00.000-07:00

Coming Saturday, July 16 in Los Angeles at Stampin From the Heart... No, not that "thing" the media has dubbed as "Carmageddon" - what does the media know about all those side streets we street savvy Angelenos have known about for years anyway?! You know, those roads we zip through in order to get home pronto during rush hour traffic so we can get our fingers all inky, painty and gluey! Uh huh, that's what I thought. NADA, NOTHING, ZAP! Rev it up LOUD people, get your engines ready cause there's an art workshop coming to L.A. and it's just what you need to get your art mojo going!
This is just a sneak peak. I do a lot of prep work so please sign up as early as possible.

More sneaks to come throughout the week. Keep looking...stay tuned....later.....

Tag Girls MITI Details

2011-06-29T07:47:00.000-07:00

Tag Girl MITI this Friday at Stampin' From the Heart in Los Angeles! These Tag Girls are not named for the fact that they're mounted on 4 x 8 tags, but because they're actually donning tags themselves!

The Tag Girls are full of little details that make a big difference. I can't seem to let something just be. I always gotta be adding a little of this or that. Some might say I'm a bit obsessed with extra touches. Yeah, they're right.

Did I mention that we'll be spending time painting distressed backgrounds with acrylic paints? Each time I sit down to create a painted background, I'm very careful NOT to repeat colors. Handouts are passed out at all my MITIs so that you can re-create these painted backgrounds not just on tags, but on journal pages or small panels that you can mount onto handmade cards.

There will be a healthy dose of fiber too! Fiber does the body good you know. LOL! I couldn't resist. I know, I know.....

This is what the Tag Girls will look like once they're all put together. You can make one, two or all three. Can you tell I'm in the 4th of July spirit?

Injecting fun in an evening of art making is my number one goal and I hope you'll join me this Friday, July 1st. Check out my sidebar where you can get more info at Stampin' From the Heart's blog.
I'll have extra kits from my last MITI available for you to paint in addition to the Tag Girls. Hope to see you!

Visual Artventures

2011-06-25T07:15:00.000-07:00

As I walked through my daughter's former bedroom this image from the window caught my attention and then I grabbed my camera.

Taking pictures from a window with security bars is quite a challenge for me. I had to meander the camera and in that process I could not get the whole picture. Either the white roses got left out or as this photo shows, the deep pink geraniums disappeared. Sigh.

So on went the sandals cause there was something in the corner that was calling my name and I just couldn't "reach" it from the bedroom window. "I'm on my way!" I shouted to the corner in the back yard. Do you think I'm strange? Don't answer that!!

Before venturing out into the yard for my visual experience, I had to put my super-hero shades on! What do you think? My pupils are almost back to normal. They've been dilated for the past two days and hopefully I can dump the mysterious woman look soon. LOL!

I finally got out to the corner and I was so excited to see that my deep purple iris' and blue Lily of the Niles were happily blooming side by side!

My yellow rose is still giving me blossoms. Each year I think it's on its last year and that I'll be digging it out due to it's scraggly stems and poor looking leaves, but it manages to squeeze out just enough roses to hold on for another year!

I can't remember the name of this lily but I was drawn to it by it's variegated leaves. There are several of these lilies sprinkled throughout the city but they all have dark green spiky leaves. I surprised these lilies as they were just about to unfurl.

Hope you have a weekend full of visual delights that include lots of color and much happiness.

Womanly Artventures

2011-06-20T18:22:00.000-07:00

Woman is the word prompt this week over at Every Inchie Monday.

I thought about all the women I know and the majority of them are strong, smart and not afraid to speak their minds. Take "The Lady" for instance. She's an avid reader, hard worker and ready to help a friend out in a minute. For instance, she's recently began to help my parents with housework duties. My mother continues to refer to her as "the lady" instead of her birth name. LOL! "When is the lady coming back?" my mother will ask. Or "Look at how the lady lined up the water bottles!" or "Where does the lady live?" LOL! You get the picture. Oh, and by the way, "the lady" does not care for the word lady. She prefers woman or girl. But on my inchie (and to my mother) she's "The Lady." LOL!! Ooo, I'm having fun with this!

My best friend always greets me with "Hey girl..." and whenever she has something to tell me she starts off with "Hey girl did you hear.....!" She also has curly hair like me so when I'm walking down the hall at school with my back to people, I get called by her name a lot - which incidentally is not "girl!" But on my inchie it is. LOL!

When I first saw that the word woman was the word for today's inchie, I immediately thought of Rosa Parks. She is one of the bravest women of my life time. She is "The Woman." In my opinion, too great to be on an inchie.

Now go be the strong woman you are and pass it on to all the little girls who look up to you.

Sisterly Artventure

2011-06-13T09:32:00.000-07:00

Sister is the word prompt from the Every Inchie Monday group. I began with one inchie but it kept growing.

I kept visualizing stamps from my collection that had a sisterly feel and for some reason "eggs" grouped together in a nest told me that there could very well be sisters resting in there waiting to make their debut one day.

I made these inchies with my own sisters in mind. We're survivors of a very dysfunctional family and have managed to stay connected despite of it. Yes, the claws come out if anyone bad mouths us whether we deserve it or not. Only we're allowed to do that to each other. LOL!!!

Sisters can be cheesy around each other, cry with make-up dripping down our faces, tell each other how it is and be there for one another always.

I don't want to grow old without my sisters. We grew up together and have a lot of history. Besides, we're the only ones who can talk about our parents and get away with it. LOL!
If you have a sister, biological or not, stay connected, love one another and be that shoulder they occasionally need. Now go call her.

Merriment!

2011-06-06T08:48:00.000-07:00

How fitting that this week's inchie word prompt is merriment. Merriment is what I experience when there's a paint brush in my hand and globs of paint nearby. The background used for my inchie came from a recycled drinking cup that I saved from this past weekend's Extravaganza at Stampin' From the Heart in Los Angeles. I loved the pattern and immediately knew that I would have to use this as my background for this week's inchie. It's got that color "POW" that gets me going and fills my heart with "merriment!"

There were lots of busy hands at the Extravaganza. Here are just a few working on the the project I created for this event. In all there were four teachers and 17 students. WOWZA! That's a lot of inky fingers!

Here I am with my second group of Extravaganza party-goers. It was a party all right and by the third group I was wiping sweat from all the fun! Jessica is the teacher at the table to the left of me. She made some pretty cool bird collage cards. Oh, and how do you like that hanging cord trying to be a crown on my head?!

Here's the cover of a completed Memory Keepsake.

It was a long day and I lost a lot of sleep last week and the day of. Somehow my eyes stayed open long enough till I got home. Was it worth it? Yes. Hearing so many happy voices and people delighted that they were able to finish their project made it all worth it. And a huge THANK YOU to Roxy for helping to make life easy for many students (and me). She did lots of paper cutting and as one lady put it, "We should all have a Roxy at home!"
Merriment. There was a lot of it on Saturday that's for sure.

Inchie Monday Plus

2011-05-30T08:59:00.000-07:00

Every Inchie Monday's word is Home, where you can find me most days. I don't know if this qualifies. I just noticed how "Birdie's" beak sticks a little off to the left. Do you think the inchie police will call me on it?

Birdie's home was created from a small piece of stripped down cardboard that I later painted with turquoise paint. I'd been wanting to do something with recycled cardboard that shows off it's corrugated gut and since birds create their homes from just about anything, I thought "why not?"

In honor of Memorial Day I took the camera out to capture flowers from my garden that represent the red, white and blue of our flag. But as you can see not in that order. My blue Lily of the Nile (agapanthus) stands tall and salutes all you vets.

My white Lily of the Nile shares the spotlight in the same agapanthus patch as the blue. As they all begin to open they remind me of little fireworks.

My Mister Lincoln red roses have begun to open and show off their beautiful full blossoms. They send heavy perfume throughout the garden that calls the bees. They love it and so do I. When the bees are elsewhere.

A long weekend means time well spent in my art room where I can catch up with projects or just play. That is, when my chair is available.

And just when I thought my chair was up for grabs, well, I guess someone else thought so to and beat me to it.

Throughout the battle for the chair, I did manage to create a little something. It's another tiny peak of what's to come in the Extravaganza. If you'd like to sign up for this day of artful play, food and good company, go to the sidebar on my blog where it says "Stampin From the Heart" and all the info you need is there waiting for you.

It's been a busy weekend filled with art deadlines and trying to keep up with myself. Sometime today I plan on squeezing in some rest. For now it's off to my parents and the grill. Ciao!

Project X (travaganza)!

2011-05-27T18:37:00.000-07:00

Psst. Wanna see a smidgen of my Extravaganza project?

Umm. I don't know. It's been the norm NOT to tell anyone what kind of projects will be taking place during the Extravaganza. You know, the element of surprise I suppose. But yet, ugh. What am I supposed to say to those who ask "What are you doing for the Extravaganza?" Sigh.

Well, Karen didn't say we couldn't show you what we were using. I won't show you everything and if she asks you "Did Linda tell you what she's preparing for the Extravaganza" just say no. Because I honestly haven't told you a thing. But I will let you take a peak.

I've been working like a mad woman trying to gather all my supplies and get organized. Just look at the bags under my eyes. I think I got 4 hours of sleep last night but that's what happens when I'm on a roll. I just keep going till my eyelids give out.
We'll be incorporating the elements below onto the project I'm preparing for you. I'm trying to do everything early so I can be full of energy for you on June 4. That's the day of the Extravaganza at Stampin' From the Heart. What! You haven't signed up yet?!!

I had to run into the shop today to pick up a few things I was running low on. This is just an eighth of what will be used for this project. I can't show you ALL of it! Be patient. I may show you a little more down the road but this is it for now.

If you sign up for the Extravaganza, or have done so already, bring a few photo copies of pics that you will be cutting down to fit within areas of 1 1/2 x 1 1/2, 1 x 1 1/2 and 2 x 1 5/8. Wallet pics sized down to these dimensions work great. And how many of those do you have hanging around anyway? Now you can do something with them - like really show them off!
Stay tuned for more sneaky-sneaks of Project X. Remember, this is just an eighth of what we'll be using.

Weird and Wacky Wednesday Confession

2011-05-25T17:23:00.000-07:00

When I was a little girl, can't remember what age, I licked an ashtray and thought it tasted good. So I licked it again. I can imagine what you're thinking but I think most confessions will do that to the listener's mind.

I was taken back to that memory as I sipped a cup of coffee from the faculty room this morning. They must make it extra strong for several good reasons. I can think of four. Tots, youngsters, tweens and teens. Anyway, it had a strange resemblance to the taste of ashes and well, oddly enough, I drank every drop. Do you think I have a vitamin deficiency?

Do you have a weird and wacky Wednesday confession? Or am I alone?

EveryInchieMonday

2011-05-23T14:42:00.000-07:00

Solitude is the word prompt for today's inchie.

I used one of my smallest rubber stamps for this inchie. I decided that this solitary man is fishing, not hunting. He just hasn't thrown his fishing line out yet. Seriously.
Hope you find solitude during the rush of the days ahead.

Sunday Sightings

2011-05-22T15:05:00.000-07:00

Do you believe that creative chaos can actually be organized? I do. It is. Really.

This Sunday afternoon is the kind that makes you want to just slumber and soak in the random sun rays.

Yves Piaget, I love you. Especially when I'm sitting at the patio table and the wind blows your old-fashioned perfumy scent in my direction.

Am I the only one with a decorative weed sprouting from an opened bag of planting soil? I thought so.

I pruned Whisky Mac in April because it was diseased with black spot and mold. It's starting to take off with beautiful full heads of fruity fragrant petals but that darn disease is creeping back onto the leaves. I'm putting the blame on the weather conditions. Cool, windy, and misty.

It's evident I'll be moving some bulbs around in fall. These pink Calla Lillies are hugging right up to my American Beauty roses. They compliment each other but they really need their own space.

Peace never looked so good. This rose has had it's ups and downs but when it gives me a bloom I'm grateful to have resisted pulling it out.

I think I'll join Tiny. Although that creative chaotic table could use a little attention.

Hope your Sunday sightings are enjoyable and that you take time for a Sunday slumber.

2011-05-16T07:28:00.000-07:00

This is my inchie for the everyinchiemonday group. The word "fancy" was the challenge this week and this is my interpretation. Click on the image to get a closer look.
Hope you have a good Monday and if you can, make it a fancy one!

Sunday Stroll

2011-05-15T14:49:00.000-07:00

This morning I decided to take a Sunday stroll through my backyard. Cecile Brunner is doing just fine and dandy, thank you very much. I love her pink frills and I can smell her five feet away! Heaven.

I was happily surprised by the vibrant and subtle blooms I encountered. This bright garnet geranium left my hands with a sweet peppery scent. Love it!

Well this is a first for me. A two-headed Bird of Paradise! Nevertheless, the colors are vibrant and beautiful. This plant made itself home by sneaking under the fence. It's other half is in my neighbor's yard!

This pink ivy geranium took off from a cutting that originated from my grandmother's garden. My mother took a cutting during the early 60's, planted it in her yard and it took off. Three decades later, I took a cutting and here it is. I plan on passing cuttings to my son and daughter.

I love the vibrant red blossoms that dangle in this drab corner. My Bottle Brush tree is in full bloom and very soon I will have the needle-like droppings to prove it!

My Martha Washington geranium is loving this spot. I took a cutting from the school's garden patch last summer, stuck it in the ground and watered her until she took hold of the dirt. Mother Nature did the rest and it helped to have lots of rain this winter.

"Old Faithful" keeps coming back year after year. I wish my other hydrangeas were as strong as she is. She bloomed earlier than usual this year and I'm hoping to enjoy these Lace Cap blooms a little longer.

My sniffy, runny nose is now paying the price for the Sunday stroll I took earlier today but it was so worth it.
Hope you have something pretty to look at today and if not, look in the mirror. Don't laugh. LOL!!!

Spring Break

2011-05-14T10:10:00.000-07:00

I hadn't planned on being away so long. In fact, I hadn't planned on being away at all. But, the spring bug bit me and spring hadn't sprung yet. You could say I had a bad case of "pre-spring" fever that flowed into spring. It was really bad.

Poor Momma Cat tried her best to pull me out of the "fever" by doing silly things that were actually subtle reminders that I had a "to-do" list that I had better get to right away - like sewing new curtains for "our" art room.

Even Frida's gaze couldn't scare me into getting those much needed projects started or finished. I looked to the Virgin for help but I was taken by the beautiful colors and images surrounding her to forget about the help I meant to ask her for.

I felt like "chess boy" trying to figure out what move to make.

And then one day while trying to clear my desk area, my fever began to drift away.

The projects began to unfold. It no longer seemed to matter that my hours at work were cut. I began to look at less hours at work to mean more hours in my art space. What was I thinking?!

So here I am again. Slowly making my way back to the world of paper, paint, stamps and words. And hoping you're still here to read them.

Inchie Monday

2011-03-07T07:37:00.000-08:00

This week's word for the every inchie Monday challenge is "dance" and after watching Black Swan I knew that ballerinas had to be the main subject.

Have an entertaining day!

Inchie Monday

2011-02-14T01:29:00.000-08:00

"Fishy" inchie on deck!

This week's word for the inchie project is "fishy." I knew immediately that I wanted a fish with big lips exploding through paper making for a grand appearance. I think I captured my thoughts pretty right on.
After completing and photographing my inchie for the week, I usually place it in my mini journal with a few words. Being Valentines Day, I thought it would be apropos to compare my fishy inchie to my real life catch. My hubby. HAHAHA!!!

As I folded this week's laundry, it dawned on me how much pink I wear! I think I set a record last week. What's your predominate color?

I did a lot of baking and of all days it would have to feel like summer! But I made it though and I got rave reviews from what has to be one of the easiest cookie recipes I've ever made. One box of Funfetti Cake Mix (I think it's Pillsbury), two eggs and 1/3 cup of oil.  Mix it together with a spoon (I finally threw my hands in there like when I'm making meatloaf), make little one inch balls that you flatten with the bottom of a floured glass tumbler to about 1/4 inch on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for about 8 minutes at 375 degrees. I'm sure you can do this with mini chocolate chips and chocolate cake mix and sprinkles with lemon cake mix and on and on.
Make it a sweet Valentines Day! Kiss Kiss......

Phew.

2011-02-12T10:48:00.000-08:00

This week is over. Phew. They say time speeds by when you're having fun. Hmm. I've also heard that the older you get, the faster time goes by. Based on last week I think the latter is my excuse.
It was a week of RAKS to make me smile..........
.....postcard received from Carolee. I love the stitching and colors. Very Mexican....

.....inchie received from Christina.....very a la Van Gogh.......

I found time to do some minimalist journaling in my mini journal......

This week there were games to play in honor of our 100th day of school!........

...books to give away...cause you really can't celebrate 100 days of school without giving a book away......

....and there were saints to watch over me to make sure I made it through the week.

If you want to experience a jaw-dropping moment, go here to get a colorful eye load of one of the most flashiest rag dolls you'll ever see. She's Voodoo-licious and will make your heart race. Lots of attention given to detail. Perfect for your inner monster or the little monsters in your life! Designed and hand-made by Jill, creator of Bellakarma. Go take a look. You won't be disappointed.
Enjoy your weekend! I'm off to make some valentines. Paint + Dirty Fingers = LOVE.

Every Inchie Monday Plus..

2011-02-07T01:51:00.000-08:00

Due to a stomach virus and demanding book fair, I was unable to participate in the last two Every Inchie Monday projects. I'm happy to report that I'm back and ready to face any art challenge that crosses my path!
This week's word which my inchie should reflect is "electrifying" and this inchie sums up how I'm feeling now that I'm well. You can't get any more electrifying than being on fire!

I found an old drawing that I had put aside a few years ago. I added some background color and stamped a message on the front. This was all created on a discarded catalog card.

Another found piece on my desk was a piece that contained stamped verbiage. I have no idea where the stamp is or who makes it. But it's very interesting that I came across it today. I had to place it in my mini journal which is mainly to hold my inchies. But I've found lately that my mini journal is just the right size for adding small bits of my life. I find the words of this found piece interesting because of something I learned yesterday.

My hubby and I are going to be grandparents for the very first time! Our son and daughter-in-law showed us the first set of pics yesterday and we flipped!!! We can't tell if it's a boy or girl but it's got real small feet. LOL!! This stamp has been hanging around too. Believe me when I say I have no idea why.

Isn't it interesting how things come together as if they're all part of a puzzle? Does this mean I'm going to start buying baby stamps now? And when did I buy that one up there anyway? I think I'm going to get a lot of use out of it. It'll make great tags to place on handmade items. wow. I'm gonna be a grandma. sigh.

Scattered Artventures

2011-01-29T09:37:00.000-08:00

It's been one of those weeks. I didn't even have time to participate in my inchie project. I've been busy packing and unpacking boxes of books, transforming a library into a book store (thank God it's small!) and ringing up the sales. Yes people, the book fair is back and before you can finish asking, "how-much-is-this?" it'll all be over. That's the number one question these days, btw.
My artventures have been scattered. Over the course of my current whirl-wind of a world, I've managed to make one journal entry.....

......I took a walk in my bare garden only to be surprised by a blooming purple iris! What a treat! A family friend who has long passed on brought me a bag full of iris bulbs from his mother's garden several years ago. We're talking 20 something years ago! They came from a hot and somewhat dry environment and I wasn't sure just how well they'd do in our mild climate. They loved it. Over the years some have petered out and gone to bulb heaven but the few that remain never fail to amuse me.

.......and although I am so behind on getting samples for a future Make-It-Take-It done, the idea is there. The colors are, well, there. And I did try to get something going but, well, for now they're making a colorful little corner. LOL! At least I can laugh about it. So you know what I'll be doing this weekend!

Make it a great day and make some kind of art. Even if it's scattered.

Care Package Inchie

2011-01-17T10:59:00.000-08:00

It's Monday which means show-me-the-inchie! How I tossed and turned when thinking how to create a one inch square reflecting the word "care." I'm sure when I go to the site and see the work of others I'll say, "Oh yeah. Why didn't I think of that." This is what I came up with; the care package.

I tried to pack as many tasty treats that I could in my care package. Not an easy task when you're working within one inch. But as you can see, anything is possible. Yay for the care package! Yay for art!
Have a great day enjoying all the colors that surround you.

TGIS

2011-01-15T12:39:00.000-08:00

Thank God it's Saturday! And what better way to start the day than with a taco and cup of coffee. Seriously. I'm that excited that it's Saturday!

It's been one of those weeks. There was a box of dark chocolate truffles sitting on the kitchen counter waiting to make me deal with "stuff." Know what? It helped. I swear, they made me feel like a baby being gently rocked by her momma. No better feeling like that. And I needed some serious rocking.

It was great to be among friends at Stampin' From the Heart last night. A very good crowd.  Lots of laughter, paint splats and birthday cake. What more could I ask for?
Besides a taco and coffee that is.  !!
Looking forward to an artful weekend. I deserve one; So do you.  Now, go make some art.

Friday MITI Artventures

2011-01-14T04:07:00.000-08:00

I've got a Make-it-Take-it going on over at Stampin' From the Heart in Los Angeles tonight beginning at 4:30 and ending at 8:00. If you're in the area drop on in. We'll be making large tags with acrylic painted backgrounds. It'll be fun not just making art but getting together with like-minded spirits. All supplies provided by moi! Check the store's blog on my sidebar for more info. Hope you can make it.

Thanks to all who have dropped me e-mails regarding the passing of my daughter's good friend, Lisa. Your comments have meant a lot to us and my daughter appreciates them as well. Big hugs to you ;)

Powerful Artventure

2011-01-10T13:41:00.000-08:00

Wanna see something POWERFUL? Look in the mirror.

Ever tried cutting glass and not know where to begin. I have. What a mess.

After the glass fiasco, I decided to cut an old CD. Much safer and a lot neater. It was hard avoiding those cracks but l kind of like the distressed look that was achieved.

My friend Christina gifted me with this cool journal she made. It has clay covers and

a great binding stitch at the spine. Isn't it wonderful? It's just the right size to hold

my inchies and perfect for some quick journaling too.

My daughter lost a friend.   It was on the news yesterday but no one knew it was Lisa. No one ever knows who the victims are until the information begins to circulate among friends. Well, it was a shock to all of us.
Lisa was one of my daughter's liveliest friends. She was a walking party! LOL! Wherever she was you knew it cause you could hear her. And she was just as sweet as they come. So talented and creative. She designed t-shirts for Hot Topic and other similar stores. No one's sure what made her father snap.  She loved him and postponed a trip to England so she could stay home to help nurse her dad back to health following his surgery in December. Unfortunately he took the life of his wife as well and then he jumped to his death. It feels very odd for me to be delivering this kind of news on my blog cause it takes away from the nature of it.  But I'm upset and am finding it hard to understand how a parent, PARENT, could do this to his child. It's horrific enough that she died tragically but the fact that her father did it makes it worst to me.
Somehow this makes today's inchie word - POWERFUL - stand out and have a deeper meaning behind it.  Lisa had a POWERFUL personality that drew so many people to her and this incident has caused POWERFUL pain among many.  Rest in peace, Lisa. Your life had a powerful impact on many and you will be missed.

Every Inchie Monday

2011-01-03T00:41:00.000-08:00

The power went out tonight. The entire neighborhood was pitch black and there I sat at the table with a candle and flashlight trying to make my first inchie for the Every Inchie Monday project. I had the one inch square. No one told me it was hard to be creative in the dark. LOL! Finally after an hour the power came back and instead of going to bed as I planned, I shot back to the table. And here she is. Ladies and Germs, I present, Queen Bee.....

Here she is looking like Humpty Dumpty. With a some stamping and snipping everything came together.

The theme was "eclectic" so this had to be an inchie with loads of personality. I had to edge it with a gold leaf pen. After all, we're talking about royalty here -Queen, remember? And because she's royalty, I had to incorporate some kind of visual to show off her presence. No room for a red carpet so a swiveling tag of a door was created.

A little sparkle was added onto her dress and later, the rose.

Small format but BIG fun! Go to http://www.everyinchiemonday.com/ for links of other participants who are inching along the way!

One Artventure

2011-01-02T12:11:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! One day down, 364 left. But who's counting. Not me. I did, however, participate in a number postcard swap. After much trial and error I finally settled on a design. The number one had to be featured on this card.

The creative spirit hit me the other day. Actually, an attempt to expedite samples for an upcoming Make-It-Take It prompted me to play around with colors for some wintry-inspired backgrounds.

I'm content with the outcome that my inner winter girl produced. Now that the backgrounds are done, it's time to find stamps and images to compliment the colors.

The following letter was written by Dr. Carol Bliss, a spiritual guide. Isn't it lovely that her name and profession go hand in hand?
Enjoy and reflect.....

Dear Creative Spirit who Makes all Things New,

Thank you that we made it through to see a New Year
For there are many who did not.
Thank you for the miracle of life, this grand adventure, our beautiful blue planet
For we know there are new lives being born this very moment.
Thank you for a world of possibilities
For there is so much we have not yet done, imagined, experienced.
Thank you for the promise that each New Year brings
For the magnificent unknown that is yet to come.
Thank you for the love of friends who have laughed with us and shared our days
For those friends and people yet unknown who will come and make our lives richer.
Thank you for those who blessed our lives and returned to the Field of Love before us
For those who have taught us and for new teachers who will yet come.
Thank you for the priceless gifts of health, sight and wondrous bodies
For the breath of life and light-filled cells that are being made new in every second.
Thank you for the ability to reflect on our lives and to feel
For the power of emotions that heal our sorrows and lead us toward love.
Thank you for the animal spirits who share our lives
For they bring us great innocence, the consciousness of the present, and the power of play.
Thank you for all that lies before us
For the faces and voices we have yet to know.
Thank you for grand adventures and unexpected turns in this miraculous web of life.
Thank you for guiding and protecting us
For the beauty of our lives and our hearts.
Thank you for the love that we have given and will yet come to know.
As the veil of time opens again, we are given a fresh string of days
Let us release the disappointments and sorrows of our past as we begin again
Remembering the great promise,
"Behold I make all things new."

Dr. Carol Bliss

Hoping you're enjoying the first of the year and letting your creative soul out to play.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T02:51:00.000-08:00

From our home to yours, a very Merry Christmas!

And from our furry ~~brats~~ kits, a very Meowy Xmas!

My wish for you (especially today) is to be filled with peace and a full tummy.

TGIF

2010-12-24T03:25:00.000-08:00

Thank God it's Frida! There's been a flurry of artventurous activities over here in stampmaindenland.

Too much activity means I'm behind in mailing out cards.

The artventurous spirit that got a hold of me had me recycling gum packaging by turning them into gift card holders. I'm pleased with the outcome. There were some interesting patterns which I wanted to leave exposed. I just added small touches in red to give them a Christmas feel.

The weather was perfect for staying indoors and that's really what sent me into a creative frenzy.

I'm not promoting Target, but their plastic bags are a perfect and festive (color-wise) way to use in gift bags. It looks like I threw in a bunch of peppermint candies.

I only had a couple of gum packages to recycle and I was in need of a couple more gift card holders. These Chinese New Year money envies turned out to be just the thing.

I'm tired but it's a happy tired. Merry Everything, Happy Always. I think that's how it goes. zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Sunday Skies

2010-12-19T16:00:00.000-08:00

The sky is grey and the air is windy and wet.

Even Fifty (50/50 named after the creamsicle ice cream bar) has been indoors for the past two days. He hates getting wet.

The other day while watching the movie "Frida," I sat down to sample the juicy-ness of markers from a bucket of markers I found in the back of my closet. Instant graffiti art background paper was born!

Now for the burning questions. What to create with with these pages AND when am I going to address those Christmas cards??????!

Hoping the skies in your neighborhood are friendly. Happy Sunday!

Artventurous Mail

2010-12-14T17:07:00.000-08:00

OMG! I was totally surprised when I received this package from my artist friend Roxy. I've always admired her visual journals and artworks. Now I own one of her original pieces. Amazing. So much detail and goodness all rolled into one. It has that vintage retro look, doesn't it? Thanks Roxy!

Oh and check out this zippered pouch. All I could do was sit there and stare at all those images. So colorful. So cool. Click on the pictures to get a closer look.

How ironic that just yesterday I posted about my recycling artventures and then today I get some cool art made from recycled materials. Very, very cool. This pouch is created by the people over at http://www.blueq.com/
WOW. Recycled art. Definitely a good thing.

Recycling Artventures

2010-12-13T22:56:00.000-08:00

I love it when I don't have yard duty. It means I have free recess and lunch periods without having to roam the school yard distressing the lives of the young and restless. You know, the tweens/teens with raging hormones or out of control youngsters whose parents are in denial that something is horribly wrong with their child. But enough of them and on to the subject of today's post.
Recycling artventures. Look at what I made today during my "free time." It all came about when I decided to turn a used and full library borrower's card (yes we still use them!) into one inch squares. I chose to use the dated section. All those stamped dates look much cooler than penciled-in names.

I always keep an old catalog available for interesting images and words. I like the simplicity of these inchies. These are not part of the every inchie Monday project btw. That starts in January and there's still time to sign-up. Just click on the icon on my sidebar to get there.
See how boring these once looked? Although they'd probably work great as is.

OK, how many of you out there used to hear your mothers say "Don't play with your food?" Well my mother never told us that cause we were starving by the time dinner finally rolled around. BUT had my mother seen me doing what I did to the above inchie, she would have definitely told me not to play with my food. See that crumbly background? Now look at the words. HOT TOPIC. If you saw chili flakes, you are so right on!!! I had a small packet of chili pepper flakes and I decided to sprinkle a hefty amount onto a heavily glued-up inchie. A gentle pat insured that they'd stay put. After a minute or two I found the perfect words. Don't you think this would make a fun magnet?
Have you ever played with your food and if so, what did you make?

FalalalalaL.A.lala

2010-12-12T21:33:00.000-08:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here. Oh how I love this Christmas wrap. Yes, it's wrapping paper! I found it years ago in a Los Angeles
supermarket called "Boys." Boys isn't around anymore and sadly neither is this paper.

Frosty would have definitely met an untimely death today as the temps reached 85 degrees in Los Angeles. The seasons seem a little mixed up over here. Look at my gum tree. It looks like autumn. Look at that sky. It looks like summer.

But when the Christmas lights got plugged in this evening, you'd never know it felt like a hot summer day early on.
How I love Christmas.
Hey, did you notice the everyinchiemonday icon on my sidebar? When I found out about this weekly challenge for the new year my heart began to smile and my inner artist shouted "JOIN! NOW!" So I did. And you can too! It's gonna be so much fun and all you do is make one inchie and show it to the world each Monday. There are words that describe the type of inchie you are to create for each week. For instance, the first Monday will be "ecclectic." I have something in mind and it's definitely not tame. Go to http://everyinchiemonday.blogspot.com/ to join. Come on, it'll be fun!
Before I forget, go to http://www.etsy.com/shop/StudioSouthernValley to get an eyeful of cool images to be used for ATCs or inchies. You can add glitter, some kind of 3-D element, etc. to these ready-to-use images. Lots of possibilities here.
As I sign off I have one question. Where did the weekend go? Off to choose tomorrow's work clothes. YAY!! One week left for winter break!!!! WooHoo!

TGIF

2010-12-09T21:51:00.000-08:00

At the end of each week I find myself wondering the same thing. WHERE DID THE WEEK GO?! And then I smile and think out loud "THANK GOD IT'S FRIDA(Y)!"

I finished working on one set of Christmas post cards and I was itching to start a new set. I wanted a tree. But not the traditional kind. I envisioned tapered strips in winter-like colors forming the shape of a Christmas tree. I found an appealing shade of seafoam in a magazine and began to cut away. I incorporated a few strips with words and voila! My journaling tree was born! I'm happy with the look but it needs a little silver somewhere. I used touches of gold on my first set of post cards but I'm not showing those to you until the Friday before Christmas cause they feature my girl FRIDA!!!!! WOOHOO!

My challenge is to find color and words that make a statement. Can you picture me with scissors in one hand with a wild look on my face as I turn the pages in a magazine searching for the right color and words? And isn't it ironic that I'm using the pages of a magazine to make my Christmas trees?

Inch by Inch Artventures

2010-12-01T22:47:00.000-08:00

Why? Why not? Inch by inch it's a cinch. That's what my father-in-law always says. It's a quote from one of those TV preachers. Sorry I can't give proper credit.

It's been a while since I made these little guys and I challenged myself to see how many I could pump out during recess and lunch. I always keep an envie full of cut-out inch squares and I had a stack of library book catalogs waiting to be picked up by the recycling team at at school. With a pair of scissors and a glue stick, I went into an inchie frenzy. These will be glued onto the envelopes of my handmade Christmas cards and lucky for me there aren't that many that I send out. They're very green because they're made with recycled items and they can be removed from whatever surface they get put onto and re-used.
Mid-week recycled art. It's a good thing.

Fleeting Weekend Artventures

2010-11-29T02:56:00.000-08:00

Can shopping be an artistic adventure? I think so. I mean, look at all the colors and textures that surround you as you shop. While at the supermarket you'll see smooth greens and shiny reds butted up against fuzzy browns and at the department store you'll experience an array of colors and textures happily clashing! Yes, it can be an artventure. Still for me, the best place to experience an artventure is at a stamp store. Sigh. Being surrounded by walls of art stamps, ink, paper, tons of magazines and ephemera galore make my heart smile.

I dropped in at Stampin' From the Heart in Los Angeles this past Saturday as part of my "Small Business Saturday" plan. I never made it to the other businesses I had on my agenda.  Not that it took me hours to find what I wanted, that parts easy - EVERYTHING!  I kept bumping into friends I haven't seen in months and you know how it is when it's "catch-up" time! So the majority of my time was spent talking, laughing, smiling, listening, getting teary-eyed and of course, shopping. LOL!!
By the time I decided what to buy, and it wasn't much but it felt good and right to buy them, it was getting dark and I knew I would never make it to the other stores. I had parental priorities to tend to and I had no regrets.  Everything I could want from a small business met my needs. Good friends, great stamps and lots and lots of color!
After getting home, I cleared off my desk and began to draw then color an image that will be part of my Christmas cards that go out soon. I'm beginning to feel a little more comfortable playing with new techniques and there's still a lot more I need to perfect. If you look at the image to the left, it appears as if Frida's baby is missing a body.  After enlarging the original and adding a little more details, that baby now has one. LOL!!! Well, he at least has a swathed body.

Depending on how my week goes, I should have more copies and the card making experience will begin. Hee-hee, I was telling a friend at the stamp store that I had all the components for my Thanksgiving cards sitting on my table. She knowingly nodded and smiling she added that at least I'll be ready next Thanksgiving. LOL!!!! Now those are the words of a true friend. Thanks Geri. ;)

TGIF

2010-11-26T16:59:00.000-08:00

TGIF it's Frida AND a long weekend. Love it. Enjoying it. Hope you are too.

I stayed indoors on this "Black Friday" but tomorrow is a whole different story! I'll be off to my first ever "Small Business Saturday!! Woo-Hoo! Support your local mom and pop shops, people. Uniqueness awaits you.

Journaling Frenzy

2010-11-14T11:47:00.000-08:00

It seems that lately I've managed to maintain a current journal. This can only mean one or two things. One - my day job is calming down or Two - I have more time and energy to pour into my life. Hmm, notice how the two go hand in hand?
My girl has flown the coop. She'd been on the look-out for the perfect "first place" and she found it. AND, it's about six blocks away from my son and daughter-in-law's home!!! I'd say that's MORE THAN PERFECT! They've already gotten together for dinner and big brother and wife have been so helpful with little sista's move. How do I feel about it? Well, I feel a whole lot better knowing she's in close proximity to big brother's home and in a safe place.

The other night I heard a car pull up in my driveway which is unusual at my house. I stepped out onto the front porch and saw my mom and dad's car and I was frickin' amazed at what I saw next! For those of you who've been following my blog for a while, you know that my dad's health is not the best and he needs help with just about everything, except for eating, using the bathroom and bathing, THANK GOD!! LOL! Anyway, I see my dad exiting from the car and he's exiting from the DRIVER'S SIDE!!! Hubbo Jimbo was on the front porch with me and I was in total shock. My mom finally got out of the car. Poor thing. She was in more shock than me. LOL! Anyway, let me point this out. My driveway is long and there's an incline on my front lawn. My dad didn't have his walker, he's NOT supposed to be driving (plus it was night!) and he was walking with great ease! He still had the minor limp from a war wound but he was doing great! I was smiling from ear to ear and then it hit me like a ton of bricks. I looked over at Jimbo and said, "OH NO! I'm dreaming!" With that I started crying so hard I woke myself up from this horrible joke of a dream. For a moment it felt great to see an independent father free from any assistance. Free just to be and do without thinking for a second how to get from point A to B.

It seems that all this recent journaling has put me in the mood for a "Handmade" Christmas." I just now noticed that the word "handmade" doesn't show well on my journal page. Can I pull it off? Did I ever mention that I have a large family and that we exchange gifts every year. Did I mention that I haven't had a raise in three years? And I don't make much? LOL!! There's where my motivation comes from. I'll keep you posted on the progress of my "Handmade Christmas" journey. Keep 'em crossed people and make art, not stress!

Thankful Thursday

2010-11-11T14:45:00.000-08:00

How ironic that Veteran's Day would fall on Thankful Thursday. Today I took time to include the three vets that have been a part of my life, for what seems like an eternity, in my journal.

Thinking of my three vets today and remembering that there are millions of others who have sacrificed their time and life for us. Thank you.

Artventurous Halloween

2010-11-01T18:22:00.000-07:00

The art bug took a chunk out of me on Halloween. No doubt. I went on a journaling marathon working on page after page as a silly little tune played in my head - The Twelve Days of Halloween. Here goes.....
I actually showed this page yesterday but I had to include it again to make the set complete.
On the first day of Halloween my ghoul love sent to me a raven in a bare tree.

On the second day of Halloween my ghoul love sent to me two spinning spiders....

On the third day of Halloween my ghoul love sent to me, three jack o' lanterns....

On the fourth day of Halloween my ghoul love gave to me, four spooky ghosts....

On the fifth day of Halloween my ghoul love gave to me five scardy cats........

On the sixth day of Halloween my ghoul love gave to me six pounds I'm gaining....

On the seventh day of Halloween my ghoul love gave to me seven trick-or-treaters.....

On the eighth day of Halloween my ghoul love gave to me eight bats a-flappin'.....

On the ninth day of Halloween my ghoul love gave to me nine skulls a-bobbin'.....

On the tenth day of Halloween my ghoul love gave to me ten bones a-leaping.....

On the eleventh day of Halloween my ghoul love gave to me eleven cauldrons brewing....

On the twelfth day of Halloween my ghoul love gave to me twelve hearts a-beating......

Did I go overboard? Maybe. Did I have a lot of time on my hands. Maybe. Did I have fun? YES! Hope I didn't bore ya. I do plan on journaling over the last few pages. My goal was to finish a complete set of twelve before the clock struck midnight! I did it!!!!

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T07:33:00.000-07:00

Have you polished off your broom for tonight's flight?

On the first day of Halloween my true love gave to me, a raven in a bare tree........

What's scarier than a dentist? Not going to one. I need to get my courage in gear and see one ASAP. As much as I love Halloween, I don't want to look like a Jack o' Lantern.

I've been having problems attempting to post and upload more than one picture but hopefully I've solved the problem and just in time for Halloween! Woo-Hoo!!
I've challenged myself to The Twelve Days of Halloween in order to pull myself out of my art rut. Where oh where did my art spirit fly off to and if you bump into it can you send it back here to me?
Stay tuned for the second day of Halloween and so on and so on and so on.....

Powerless Artventures

2010-10-05T18:42:00.000-07:00

When the lights go out, light candles. And that's exactly what I did last night when our power went out. Interesting. I never noticed that two women I admire the most sit side by side in my art room. How cool is that?

I also found those lemons I've been looking for! Never know what you're gonna find in the dark.

Meet Miss October. Isn't she wickedly lovely? Notice the background? It's the same one I used in my "Spooky Wishes" post card in my last post. Miss October was created over the summer in my calendar workshop.

Halloween! It's the most spooktacular time of the year and I want to plan something fun but the practical side of my brain is holding me back. ACK!!! If I go for it, you'll be the first to know. Now go create something spooky.............

Scorching Artventures

2010-10-03T09:08:00.000-07:00

In between full moons and scorching temps, somehow I managed to complete a set of 8 postcards to send out. It was too hot to pay attention to the focus detail but a little fuzz never hurt anybody. Besides, I think it lends a little mystery to the scene.

Throughout the creating and completion of my recent postcard swap, I've come to one conclusion. I must really love what I do cause no matter how hot it is, I do it. Or do you think my brain was fried?

Our home was built during the 20s and over the years I suppose each homeowner didn't have enough cash flow to invest in an AC unit. We're one of them. Rarely does it reach 113 degrees so it makes sense to me to spend that money on other much needed items. Like, you know, rubber stamps. By the way, I forgot whose blog I was reading, the subject on rubber stamps came up and there was a question if rubber stamps are dead or something like that. Uh, I don't think so. Do you think I'm biased just cause I have a name like stampmaiden? Everything below was made using rubber stamped images. Another fuzzy shot with a mysterious feel, I'm afraid. But so appropriate considering the subject matter, don't you think?

During the heat wave I looked forward to early mornings just to cool down. And one morning as I opened the kitchen blinds, I caught a glimpse of this beautiful moon. White looks so much better against a pitch black background, but I found that periwinkle blue and white can work equally well together. And with the sun on the opposite side of the house, this was such a wow factor for me.

Hoping you have a wonderful week ahead of you that includes love, art and great moments.

Sunday Slumber Party Artventures

2010-09-19T18:26:00.000-07:00

Today was supposed to be all about organizing this. In fact, so was yesterday now that I think about it.

Somehow dusting, vacuuming, and sorting boxes just didn't appeal to me. My biggest excuse for getting out of this was this big guy.

I salvaged "big guy" from an alley in my mom's neighborhood. It's got good bones but a few of the drawers needed a bit of repair. In stepped my personal handy man. He's so good. And ~~cheap~~ reasonable. He doesn't charge me. Sorry. He only does work for ME. LOL!!!

Most of the drawers have this decorative embellishment on the front but some of them are cracked, off-centered or have a portion of the resin-like swirl that surrounds the blue background, chipped. This will obviously take a little creativity. These drawers are big and deep and are going to hold a lot of my boxed items. Oh, did I mention that they've been airing outside for the past 5 weeks caused they reeked of perfume and cigarettes? Yes, BIG EWWW but this was such a great find I HAD to bring it home. The smells are gone according to those who don't have the horrible sinus problems as I do.

So what did I do instead of cleaning/organizing that room I call my art space? I made ATCs of course! These are the final four of the Twenty-Four ATC Summer Challenge between Joss and I. One of the themes she chose for me was Africa and it was my biggest challenge of the bunch. Once I put my visions on paper, I was DONE! On the way to London they go!

So what, I didn't get my art space cleaned and organized. I had a Sunday slumber party instead. And that was a lot more fun!

Fun-ky Friday

2010-09-17T17:47:00.000-07:00

If the weeks continue to rapidly speed by, for sure it'll be summer once again! Yay for speedy days! But wait. Do I really want the weeks to turn into summer so quickly? It seems like only yesterday that a group of us girls were walking back to the school yard from Gym Class (that's what we called P.E. back then) and someone had her transistor radio planted to her ear but it was loud enough for us to hear The Supremes singing "The Happening." Remember that one? It's one of their hits that rarely, if at all, gets played on the radio. Even the oldie stations ignore it. Anyway, we were walking back to our class when the subject of make-up came up. We were in the 6th or 7th grade and we weren't allowed to wear make-up cause of our strict Catholic school rules. I thought of this moment as I was tugging at my eyes with my mouth sideways looking as if I'd, God forbid, had a stroke! The conversation of how silly our mothers looked as they applied make-up hit me like a ton of bricks! It seemed that we ALL had mothers who made faces as they applied make-up and we all giggled at how silly they looked. Fast forward 40 something years and there I was yesterday morning making those same silly faces before heading off to work. LOL!!! So do I really want summer to arrive so quickly?

Fast forward a few more years and I'll have that same crooked eyeliner I used to snicker at whenever I'd visit certain family members. LOL! When that time comes, and please, it's gonna happen to all of us even if we swear that the contacts will save us from crooked eyeliner, I'll be au natural. Yeah right. I'll be that old lady with the heavy hand. An old Cleopatra, if you will. LOL!!!! Scary.
Talking about scary, it's almost Halloween! YAY! My favorite of all holidays. I joined this postcard swap and it's an open theme. Gotta get working on those and I think I'm doing Halloween cause it's almost here and ooolala, I love it!
While sitting at my desk the other day I found my set of beautiful Frida coasters that my pal Jolene made a few years ago. I had them sitting up on a shelf but they fell with the last earthquake and I haven't put them up since. Aren't they purty?

I recently traded ATCs with my friend Joss. We've decided that each summer we're going to challenge ourselves to a swap of 20+ cards! Locas? Well maybe about ATCs but that's a good kind of loca position to be in. Right? We presented each other with six themes and we were to make four ATCs from each theme. Here are just a few of those she made for me. I love birds so naturally I challenged her to make me some birds. Love them!

The sixties decade was pretty special to me and so I asked her to create some ATCs with that theme.

Another theme I requested was journal ATCs. This was her challenge but I think she did great! I love her baby picture.

Women and texture are the last themes featured here. I wish you could feel the roughness of these cards. She used gel medium, acrylics and tissue to create some of the texture on the ATCs.

I hope you're all having a fun-ky Friday; I am!

TGIF

2010-09-10T00:10:00.000-07:00

Thank God It's Frida!

How time flies when you're having fun. Where oh where did the summer go? The calendar says that summer's last day is on September 21 but for me it ends the day school begins.
My summer was filled with celebrations.

My summer was filled with a surprise that led to the end of an 18 year friendship.

My summer was filled with late night artventures. Which brings us back to TGIF - Thank God It's Frida!

I got the urge one night to burn holes into an ATC. I did this once before but not on an ATC. And since I had a few left-over candles, I decided to drip some wax onto the card as the candle melted.

I knew I wanted "HER" eyes behind the holes. Additional wax was dripped onto the card and gold paint was rubbed over the entire surface.

I wanted Frida's eyes to be an element of surprise to anyone who viewed this ATC so I decided to place a strip of movable cardstock across the card to cover her eyes. A decorative brad anchored it down in place.

Peek-a-boo, I see you!

So much for late night artventures. It was fun while it lasted. Yeah right, like getting up early for work will stop me. LOL!!!

Artventurous Spirit!

2010-08-11T11:24:00.000-07:00

Knowing that I have two weeks left to enjoy sleeping in and not worrying about deadlines, fundraisers, overdue books, comfortable shoes and clean clothes (haha), healthy lunch and a tank of gas (ugh!) has me trying to squeeze in as much carefree time as possible.
My summer journal is still just that - a summer journal. Wondering where my journal spirit went is beyond me. But I'm trying. Honest. I'm thinking that if I wear my journal, I may actually get motivated to make entries while at work, appts., etc. I remember seeing a journal necklace somewhere and thinking that was a cool idea but the book was very narrow and short. I have a little notebook on a chain that I bought several years ago that I could turn into wearable art. Hmmm.

These sisters must be seeing the same thing I'm seeing - Back-to-School! This is the cover of my summer journal. It was a gift from my blog pal Jolene a few years ago and it's become my summer journal. Which I can't believe is almost over.

Hope you have a carefree day filled with an artventurous spirit!

Song Related ATCs

2010-08-11T01:26:00.000-07:00

I grew up with a radio planted next to my ~~ear~~ bed. This is before alarms were built into them and well, before there were FM stations. I remember turning up the knob when a song that was easy to dance to or when something with catchy lyrics and a good beat would play.

When I was challenged to create a few ATCs with "Songs" being the theme, I immediately knew that this was something I could relate to. And although I enjoyed my AM radio music, I guess the early sounds of FM are buried within the noodles of my brain cause they apparently influenced a couple of my cards. It also helps to have images that SCREAM a tune.
If you can correctly guess the song titles that go with the above ATCs, e-mail me with your answers. If more than one person guesses correctly, your names will go into a drawing and I'll send the winner three music themed ATCs. But not these cards cause they're going to London. E-mail me at stampmaiden@aol.com with your guesses and and good luck!

Yummy Artventures

2010-08-09T22:09:00.000-07:00

My daughter came home from work bearing a box of one dozen doughnuts. Can you tell I was tempted before dinner? I began to feel guilty about it but then I read the writing on the box and I forgave myself and moved on.

I obviously can't keep two donuts in my hand while making art, but a tasty donut brings me happiness and happiness makes me productive. And believe me, I need to stay focused and productive because I am scheduled for a calendar workshop beginning in two weeks. What a delicious way to motivate possibilities. Yum.

Artventurous Summer Daze

2010-08-03T17:53:00.000-07:00

What's summer without my Bella Donna lilies? Plain and simple - boring! This summer they've taken off like crazy growing in between roses and filling in blank areas.

Every summer my Bella Donna's bloom from mid July though late August but I get a little bummed cause I only get a few to admire. But not this year! Each time I turn around I'm catching another lily popping out the ground!

I was recently challenged by fellow blogger, Joss, to create a series of ATCs. Last year we went all out and pumped out an entire alphabet of verbs. Our cards had a lot of action going on! This year we decided to make up themes of our choice for one another. Black, Red and White is one of the themes she challenged me to and since red paint was conveniently sitting on the table, I jumped to the occasion and began to work on my first set of ATCs.

Fortunately for me, everything I needed to embellish the red painted cards came at me from everywhere. And it seems that in little time my first set of ATCs were complete. I think I did a good job of incorporating the color pallet Joss requested.

It's NEVER too early for Halloween!

I owe my color pallet to "Miss February" who will be one of the Calendar Girls for my upcoming calendar workshop. I'm doing some serious all-nighters cause I gots to get a few samples into the shop pronto!
Hope your summer is keeping you in an artful daze!

Summer Journaling

2010-07-29T15:45:00.000-07:00

Thoughts of my niece came to mind during my recent summer journal entries. It was two weeks before Easter that her boyfriend was killed in an all too familiar and horrible manner many city youths encounter while being at the "wrong place at the wrong time." A day or two after his death she announced to both sets of parents that she was pregnant.

I can't even begin to know or understand the pain she is going through. My sister tells me that my niece still cries and looks out the window as if she's waiting for him to visit. She's been receiving incredible support from both families and this support will probably remain throughout the journey of her child.

I'm quite sure that the day Alexandrea is born (she's being named after her father) it'll be a day filled with heavy emotion. I can't imagine the mixed feelings of joy and sorrow as the mother of Alex holds her deceased son's child for the first time. Will she see her son as she holds this baby? Of course the same holds true for my niece. Will she see Alex in her child when she begins to laugh, smile or frown? Will she have his quirks?

One thing baby Alexandrea and my niece will definitely have is support from family. We're a large group and there's no way these two will be left to fend for themselves. I suppose, now that I think about it, she's really NOT "alone" as it's entered on the top journal page. But she'll probably wish she was as we're a family always wanting to get together. LOL!

Late Night Artventures

2010-07-28T00:31:00.000-07:00

The other night I was addressing a couple envelopes. A birthday tag was inside one and bits of ephemera from my last workshop where nestled in the other. My original intent was to address those suckers and get them to the post office pronto. But you know how it is when the crafty gene nags at you. Out came the ink pads, rubber stamps, paper scrap stash. Oh, and I found a baggie full of inchies that I made a couple years ago! It's amazing what you'll find when you're not really looking for it. LOL!!

Early evening turned into early morning. Why can't I just leave good enough alone? There's always something more to add. With me anyway. To me the word "Simplicity" is the name of a pattern company. LOL!

I have a confession to make. I have NOT journaled all summer until yesterday! I found my summer journal from LAST year. YIKES! I honestly don't think it was supposed to be a "seasonal" journal but as MY life would have it, that's exactly what it's turned into. And I kinda like the concept of having a summer journal. So here I am one year later making 2010 entries. Will this become a tradition? It feels pressure-free to imagine having a "summer" journal. Come September and away it will go. Back to it's little corner where it will silently sit and wait until the summer of 2011 comes along.

My youngest sister lives in a small city (approximately 40,000) where the average person makes 30K per year, if you're lucky. Her city's situation is what stimulated me to get working in my journal. The residents of her city have taken to the streets and their small city hall protesting the ridiculous salaries that the city manager and others have given themselves in this not-so-well-to-do area. The City Manager makes close to 800K which is about 400K more than the President. He has since resigned along with three other crooks but if you ask me they should have been handcuffed and fired and that's just what my little sister shouted to them the other night as I watched her on the late news channel! Can you image the pride that set within my heart as I watched her stand there shaking her fist in the air telling it like it is? Yes, this was a big sister's moment. And I was inspired to write about it. Good job, Rachel!

Family Artventures

2010-07-20T23:38:00.000-07:00

I have a collection of quirky stamps from the Lost Coast rubber stamp line and I decided it was time to do something with them. These stamps have blank faces and so the idea of "Not Your Momma's Brag Book" was born. It only made sense to me that the faces that would fill the blank spaces on these stamp images would have to belong to family members. Out came the round punches and in went the faces.

The thought of scrap booking has NEVER appealed to me. But painting, collage and stamping has ALWAYS held my attention. As I combined all three art forms, I discovered that I could actually live with pages featuring partial pictures (namely "a face") and not get nauseous. LOL!!

BEFORE AND AFTER

I've never owned a brag book but the possibility of having an altered one pushed me to gather my supplies and create one. I have to say that I was satisfied with the results and am wondering how Linda of Lost Coast feels about designing new stamps featuring men and cats (and dogs).
"Not Your Momma's Brag Book" is not only my own little personal bit of family artventure, but a workshop I'll be hosting on Saturday, July24th at Stampin' From the Heart in Los Angeles. The shop's blog is featured on my sidebar where you can get more info on this workshop. You can e-mail me if you have any questions.

Not Your Momma's Brag Book, it's a good thing!

Yesterday

2010-07-19T14:07:00.000-07:00

This morning as I was pruning away and dead-heading flowers, I could hear the little girl next door playing and squealing (in that way that only children can) and I was taken back to yesterday. Well, it felt like yesterday cause it really doesn't seem like 20+ years ago that my children were making the same sounds of laughter, chatter and amusement in this same yard that I was standing in.

Isn't it interesting how the brain plays tricks on us and is it fair for it to do that to an old sentimental fool like me? What started out as a regular chore turned out to be a short trip down memory lane. I suppose when you stop and think about it, having something to fondly remember is better than forgetting all about it. So thank you to my still actively-functional-brain for taking me back briefly to yesterday as I worked in my garden today.

MITI Artventures

2010-07-07T00:25:00.000-07:00

This Friday, July 9th, I'll be at Stampin' From the Heart in Los Angeles hosting make-it-take-it night. The fun will begin at 4:00 and run until 8:30. You can come in whenever it's convenient for you and you have the option to make one, two or all three tags at $5.00 each. All materials will be provided by me.

Together we will paint, stamp and embellish 8 x 4 blank tags. I love how the backgrounds appear to have an aged look and how all the colors work together.  You'll also receive a handout with color formulas that you can use over and over again to make more tags at home or to use on the pages of your journal.  FYI, when I create these backgrounds, I make sure that the color combinations are not repeats from previous classes. If you've been taking my workshops over the past 3 years, you should have a nice little handout stack by now. And just think, each one is as individually unique as you! Hope you'll join in on the fun.

Thankful Thursday

2010-07-01T19:53:00.000-07:00

It's Thankful Thursday which means tomorrow is Friday but who cares cause from now until late August, everyday will feel like Friday and for that, I'm EXTREMELY thankful! WOO HOO!!

I was working on a sample for a Make-It-Take-It and as I completed the tag I realized that growing up during the turbulent era of the 60s and early 70's is something else I'm thankful for. Although I didn't know it then, I was learning valuable life lessons. I was being shaped. And, I'm very surprised to say, it took me until recently to see it but like the saying goes, better late than never. I was raised in a predominately African-American neighborhood and at school I was only one of a few Mexican-American students. In high school, the numbers changed to near equal numbers of Latinos, African-Americans, Asians and Anglos (wow, look at all those "A's!" HA!). And we were all female! I'm realizing that the experiences I had of being exposed to young people of various cultures purged me of potential stereotypical assumptions people sometimes make about other groups. And it's for those experiences that I'm thankful for. In fact, I'm even more thankful for those than of having to go back to school in late August. Life lessons. You never know when one is gonna bite you in the ass. LOL!

Where in the World?

2010-06-24T21:36:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my first day home from work. As I sat at the table drinking coffee I kept wondering, "what next?" Am I stuck so deep in my work mode that I don't know how to relax and "BE?" What happened to me this school year? I'm usually clicking my heels and doing the "School's-Out-Cheer." Well, the answer on what to do next came while I was on the phone in my daughter's room. The words were in plain sight splattered across a post card (I think it's a post card and because I strongly believe in the act of privacy I didn't turn it around to read what was on the back. Now I'm curious. LOL!!). So that is what I'll do - Keep Calm and Carry On.

I spent the rest of the day paying no attention to the time. Instead I took a nap after lunching on a bowl of chocolate Cheerios. Have you tried those? Guiltless pleasure for this chocolate nut I tell ya! Watch, they'll be off the shelves due to lack of interest next week.

Unlike my morning dilemma on what to do, I'm never lost when it comes to the afternoon. Perhaps because I'm so used to going straight to the yard after work to stroll among the flowers and do some pruning or watering, it only comes natural for me to keep with that familiar routine. The beautiful hydrangeas were a Mother's Day gift from my daughter, Gina. I'm a sucker for hydrangeas and these give beautiful hues and large heads of fuchsia and as they age they turn purple.

Here's a sneak peek of backgrounds for my "Not Your Momma's Brag Book." Now that I think about it, I think I'm one of those momma's from the past but NO, not really cause I didn't have a brag book. Did you? Although I need to make decisions on the focal images of these pages, I'm not about to stress it. It'll all come together soon enough cause remember, I have to keep calm and carry on.

Tsunami ARTventures

2010-05-15T09:51:00.000-07:00

My inner Alice told me to jump down the rabbit hole so I did; paint brush in one hand, glue stick in another. And what a trip it was!

A tag book was created with lots of fiber goodness spilling out at the edges. "A Walk Through Wonderland" features pages with vintage reproductions from the earliest color illustrations from The Alice in Wonderland books. A couple stamped images can also be found.

Background pages are all painted and distressed with acrylic paints. This workshop is taking place next week at Stampin' From the Heart in Los Angeles. See my sidebar to find their blog and find details for this class. Hope I see you!

Art tsunami. A good thing? Well, rather than being scary, it was actually fun.

Book tsunami. A very scary thing cause guess who has to put it all back together again?

A walk outside always calms me down. Despite the powdery mildew, Polynesian Sunset has been blooming brilliant hues of red-orange roses with yellow centers.

My Cecile Brunner climbing rose has been bursting with tiny but heavy fragrant roses. This rose comes back strong year after year and seems to be disease resistant for me.

How did it come to be that I agreed to host another book fair during the time of year when I actually sneak in a little peace and extra oxygen simultaneously? WHY did I NOT remember that this fair would be held at the same time I'd be working like a mad woman trying to get a sample for the shop and preparing kits for my "A Walk Through Wonderland" tag book workshop? Does it make any sense to ask these questions anyway? At this point I just gotta go with the flow. And so what if the flow feels like a tsunami. A tsunami of books and art can't be all that bad, can it? sigh.

Cinco Delights

2010-05-05T19:37:00.001-07:00

The day has turned into night in balmy Los Angeles but before midnight comes and the 5th of May leaves me, I wanted to share "Cinco Delights" with you.

UNO

DOS

Love guacamole. The bell pepper snuck in for the photo shoot!

TRES

Pan dulce. Sweet Mexican bread. Not really sweet at all. But delicious.

CUATRO

A single white rose. Pure but not perfect. Look closely and you'll see imperfections deep within the petals.

CINCO

Sigh. Nothing beats the comforts of being home.

Earth to Linda

2010-04-23T19:35:00.000-07:00

OOOO. Was Earth Day yesterday? I have a good reason for letting it slip by me. You see, I celebrate Earth Day quite regularly. Almost every day as a matter of fact.

Just today I brought home these cuttings from the overgrown geranium bush in the school garden. I consider it pruning and pruning promotes healthy growth. Plus, it'll make a great addition to my garden!

Wow, look at how pretty the cuttings look all ready! Don't they have an Asian flair about them? They remind me of cherry blossoms.

To prove I celebrate Earth Day on a regular basis, this journal page from Monday has a saved hand that I've been holding onto for a couple months. I knew I'd need it one day. My habit of saving really pays off in a pinch. You can click on the picture to read my entry. This journal page is for the round robin I'm in.

I decided to show a little "Earth Day Spirit" on this page by using scraps of saved paper and featuring inchies made from recycled items. Yes I'm still making inchies!

Today I found myself taking cuttings from the school garden. The pale pink geraniums yelled at me from the library window to come out and help myself. So I did. I noticed a few plumerias in need of water so I'll have to tend to them and get them in shape cause I'll probably be taking a cutting or two from them next.

Earth Day is a year-round celebration with me. Not only do I take cuttings and happily add them to my garden but I find myself searching through bags of paper scraps for art projects and I enjoy flipping through pages of saved magazines for the perfect phrase or words to use in my journal.

The next time you find yourself reaching for a scrap of paper from a former project or catch yourself taking cuttings for your garden, take that as a reminder that you also celebrate Earth Day on a regular basis.

Artventurous Relief

2010-04-21T20:28:00.000-07:00

Meet "Found Memories; a Waterfall of the Past." OK, so it wasn't really called all that but it best describes the project Ellie and I presented for the Extravaganza event last weekend and "Found Memories" was as far as we got for naming it, btw.

We wanted something that could be personalized by each participant. The thought of black, cream and metallics appealed to Ellie and I and as you know, everything goes with black. We asked everyone to bring in copies of photos to add to the waterfall. The waterfall sits behind the black tumbling blocks to the right of the "cardlet."

Once the front panel is opened, a waterfall of stamped and embellished panels are revealed.

Here's a close-up of me and my sister from the mid 70's.

The front panel could also be turned in another direction where more memories sat waiting to be discovered. Here's my brother riding MY tricycle during the 50's.

And the last found memory features me and my two sisters in the backyard where we once swam, played tag, monster, dodge ball and kill!

I've been submerged in a pile of black paper, funky stamps, frosted inks, embossing powder, twill, lace and brads. Sounds like a recipe for a vintage riot and that's sort of what it was.

Despite the excitement of developing an idea for a project and then watching it unfold, I'm so glad it's over. Ellie and I met religiously almost every weekend for a month putting kits together, tweaking ideas, cutting, gluing, laughing and wondering if it could all come together in an hour and a half. We were in for a challenge and we faced it like two mad craft warriors. Shielding our hearts with a heating tool we knew we were ready to face the music, uh, reality of a workshop with a timer.

There's nothing like a sigh of relief knowing that your project was well-received and that everyone completed it on time. Relief also comes from knowing that all the hard work (a whole lot of it), long hours (overtime galore) and the extra effort to make it flow (and flow it did) were all worth it. If we had the chance to do it all again we most definitely would. I think. LOL!!

Tuesday Artventures

2010-04-06T14:56:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling it. Yes! Spring has finally sprung!

The sunshine yelled at me to come outside and take note of some outdoor art. This is the first piece of art I noticed. Funny, as many times as I've hung keys in this door I've never paid attention to the funky artistic character it has.

I turned to my left and realized I wasn't alone.

My stoned angel was looking good as ever. The sun beats on her year after year and she still manages to maintain a youthful appearance. No wrinkles. Not fair!

There was a time when I could rattle off the name of all the roses in my garden. Wha happan? This rose is now known as my "Pink with a hint of yellow rose." HA! Sounds good to me.

I love this geranium who is known as Mexicana. I love the bright magenta color.

Intrigue Rose. Love it. They say if you want really big blooms, you should pinch off the little side buds cause they rob energy from the main rose. I can't do this. I love buds just as much as I love large roses. The smell of these roses is incredible. Old fashion scent with a hint of lemon. So good.

My Iceberg Roses never fail to bloom a riot of white among deep green leaves. They're so showy and resist disease.

Each year mid summer I tell myself I'm gonna pull this rose out of the ground cause it gives me so much grief. The blooms are huge and beautiful at the beginning of spring. Then the leaves get rust. You gardeners know what I'm talking about. By the end of summer it looks dead cause it doesn't bloom anymore which is fine with me. I just prune the thing down to get rid of the rusty leaves. Then spring comes around again and once more I'm rewarded with beautiful fat yellow roses.

Day two of my Easter vacation has me feeling the spring bug. I took a walk outside to experience nature's art. Speaking of nature's art, do wrinkles count? Are they like natural zentangles? Ooo, imagine?! Too much fun in the sun! Hope you're enjoying nature's art wherever you are.

Serious Saturday Artventures

2010-04-04T00:11:00.000-07:00

I've been swimming in a sea of tags and it hasn't been pretty but it's been artventurous. This is all I could manage for now. I can't, won't, refuse to create chaos in the minds of those who will stand before these tags having to make the difficult decision of which six to choose. Glad it's not me.

I love the look of color and the feel of fibers.

I kid you not when I say that the kits and supplies to all the above tags stretch from one end of under my table to the other end. What do you mean I forgot to include the instructions?!!!!!

This is one of the main reasons I do a lot of standing.

In an attempt to do some spring cleaning I decided to hold a workshop featuring a potpourri of tags. I've been assembling tag kits which means looking for paints, making sure the paints are in good condition, searching for rubber stamps, and making a short shopping list. You see, although the tag components are safely kept in individual packets, the supplies I use to create backgrounds such as paints and rubber stamps are always immediately put away when I get home from a class.

I ran a fair amount of completed tags (my samples) into the shop today with a brief description. I felt relieved to finally get them out of the house and was ready to jump into my Extravaganza project until I realized one important, really, really important, missing item. The instructions! Oh man. Did I mention my computer crashed a while back and most of them where lost at that time? So, it's not quite over. Sigh.

Tuesday Thoughts

2010-03-23T18:04:00.000-07:00

I've been meeting with my friend Ellie lately. We've both teamed up to present an art project at the "Extravaganza" at Stampin' From the Heart in Los Angeles. This is a sneak preview of what we're doing. Traditionally, all projects have been kept a secret and only revealed on the day of the Extravaganza. Ellie and I are not that good at keeping secrets and Karen, the shop owner, gave us the go ahead to give you all a little glimpse of our Found Memories Waterfall Booklet. This is all I'm saying and showing for now. We can't reveal the whole cha-cha but we can give you a peek. I will tell you that behind the panel on the right is a waterfall collection of memories. If you take the class, please bring at least 3 photocopies of pictures that you will be tearing down to the size of 3 x 3 or smaller. This project is a very personal one that you will want to make over and over again and give away as gifts. The Extravaganza will be take place on Saturday, April 17th. There will be 3 other teachers with projects for you to complete as well. Imagine, a day full of like minded souls, breakfast, lunch and bags of free stamps and other goodies plus 4 projects! Karen will post more info on her blog in the near future.

Don't forget, if you're in or near Los Angeles, I've got an Alice in Wonderland Make it Take it this Friday beginning at 4:30 at the Stampin From the Heart. Go here for more info and to see pics.

TGIF

2010-03-18T23:27:00.000-07:00

In just three more months my favorite season of all time will be here.

The above page is an entry I created for Joanne's 4 Seasons themed journal. Although it's feeling like spring and it's right around the corner, all I can think about is that in 3 months I will be doing the summer lounge thing. You know, staying up all night. Getting up whenever. Doing whatever. But making sure the car has enough gas to get me wherever I want to be. TGIF everyone!

Artventure Overload?

2010-03-17T19:34:00.000-07:00

A member from the journal round robin group that I'm in chose the four seasons as her theme. I never know where I'm going when I begin a page in my journal but I know I like to paint. My first instinct was to paint pages that reflect the seasons. The weather in Los Angeles was cool, dark and rainy when I painted this page a couple weekends ago. Good timing cause our temps have been in the 80s over the past few days. No way would I have been able to interpret winter under these circumstances. It wasn't until last night that I begin to embellish and write on the pages. Click on the pic to read my winter thoughts.

Texture was the theme of my journal which is currently in Northern California. This super large flash card was found in my stash of "one day" ephemera. I love finding goodies that I can work into my art. TOUCH seemed like the perfect word to describe the textured journal I wished for. I filled in the letters with Papier Glitter which dried to a clear and glossy elevated finish. Very touchable; good textured element.

This is from a page in my Texture Journal. I included a tag from a workshop I gave a couple years ago that had loads of texture with journaling on the back. I made a pocket for it to sit in.

I created removable pages to encourage members to lay it on and not worry.

Even my tags can't escape the way of layers! This is one sample of two Alice in Wonderland accordion tags that we'll be making at Stampin' From the Heart in Los Angeles on March 26th beginning at 4:30 until 8:00. I'll supply the tags, paint, stamps, ink and colored pencils. All you need to bring is a small pair of sharp scissors. The samples are in the shop. Drop by to check it out.

So far I haven't asked myself "What were you thinking?!" so I must still be in the sane mode. That may change as I hurry to make the mail off deadline in the journal round robin or as I sit in my art space doing all nighters trying to get all my make-it-take-it kits together. Oh yeah, I forgot about the other two workshops that are one week within each other in April. Sigh. Artventure overload? Artventures - YES, overload - NO! You can never look at art as being too much work or you'll stop all together. Oh, I forgot about the mailing art swap with Christina and Bea's challenge. I just keep telling myself that there's no way being creative can ever kill me. LOL! Now go make some art!

TGIF

2010-03-05T20:47:00.000-08:00

If anyone knew anything about explosive love, it would have to be Frida.

Evidence of playing with matches need not be burned. It played really well when paired with the stamped heart image, don't you think?

I repeated the heart image over the singed hole on the back side of the journal page. I added words, a saint and black bird to finish the page and a found floral element that I've been saving for almost 7 years was finally put to use!

I swear, I've never played with matches but as I watched my page go up in smoke I asked myself, "What took you so long?" I was in a bad mood and believe me, next time you head for the bottle (pills or liquid) go for the matches! You'll feel better in the end and you'll have a very unique piece of art.

My page had to air out for a couple days before I'd touch it. Unfortunately, singed pages smell like, well, fire. I applied a coat of champagne toned acrylic paint avoiding the scorched areas. A few extra details finished my journal page. Oh, and for the record, TGIF does NOT mean Thank God It's FIRE!!!

Thankful Thursday

2010-03-04T04:30:00.000-08:00

This journal page was inspired by a recent piracy incident. It's also from my journal which is part of a round robin and on it's way to San Jose, CA.

I have a lot to be thankful for on this Thankful Thursday. My last post brought in an abundance of comments and e-mails. Thank you all for your support, suggestions, and encouragement to continue posting. I wish you could feel the love I have in my heart for you.

My artventures cannot remain closed in a book, stored in a camera or left to collect dust in my art space. They have to be written about and shared with all of you here in blogland. I refuse to let one bad apple spoil my fun and dictate what I should or shouldn't post for fear of piracy. This is Stampmaiden's Artventures after all and what good is an artventure if I can't share it with you, ON MY BLOG that is!

Big thanks to my special niece, Jill, from www.thehappyhooker.blogspot.com for coming to my defense and for getting the word out that piracy is not a cool thing. The response was phenomenal to say the least.

Stormy Artventures

2010-02-27T18:59:00.000-08:00

When it rains it pours.

It's been a wild week over at Stampmaiden's. Lots to share with you all but first let me ask you a couple questions. Did you know that your art is copyrighted once you publish it on the Internet? Just because you don't have the copyright symbol or a blurb about your work being copyrighted doesn't give people permission to take your pictures or artwork for their personal use. Doesn't matter how much they like it, if they take it it's WRONG. This is what's happened to me. My second question is if you know who your followers are. I know some of mine but I check on unfamiliar faces to become acquainted with them. This is how I found my art being used on someones blog. Can you imagine my shock?! Oops, that's a third question and I said I was gonna ask you a couple. LOL!! It was a strange feeling to see pages from my journal on another blog. It was also weird to read a post expressing the same feelings with almost the same exact words that where on my pages. Then I had a thought. "Wait a minute! There's got to be mention of my name somewhere acknowledging me as the artist." I looked. No mention. By this time I was pissed off in a HUGE way.

It wasn't the right time to post about it. I was too upset to think clearly and quite frankly I wasn't sure where to begin because curse words kept getting in the way. It wouldn't make sense to read a post full of shit, fuck, uh, you get it. LOL!

The next day brought me advice from a few artists friends who reassured me that I had every right to be upset so I e-mailed this blogger. I was polite, btw. Maybe that was a mistake, to be polite. That was three days ago and she still hasn't responded to my request that she either acknowledge me as the artist of my journal pages on her blog or remove them. So now I'm wondering if she doesn't give a flying fuck or if she's just plain stupid. Maybe both. I thought leaving a comment on her blog would get her attention. She's got one of those automatic comment gadgets so there's a chance she may never read it cause comments on her blog don't need approval. Now I KNOW she's an idiot. Please know that this does not mean you're an idiot if you have the same automatic comment gadget. LOL!

I don't like this paranoia shit wondering if I should post my latest art work. But not posting it would defeat my purpose for starting a blog in the first place. My art will never hang in a museum. I'm sure it'll never hang in a gallery. But it's my art and I need to protect it no matter how simple it is.