Touched By The Internet

Kathleen has a touching personal history and a beautiful butterfly sculpture photo. Misty sees in the world in flowers! A wonderfully inspirational personal history for Self-Portrait Tuesday from Abby Marie.

ART!SEE, Lesley Riley'sArt Heart, Nina Bagley's Ornamental (I think I have signed up for her class at ArtFest). Gryphon's Feather Studio artist book and writes about time management. I love the "Buffalo Bill" from Cowboy's Sweetheart.

Thrifty Finds

I dropped by the thrift store today and found a little set of bowls, saucers and plates with gold and orange chrysanthemums. Managed to break two bowls unpacking them, arrgghh. There were a few more bowls there, will send mom back tomorrow to replenish! Less than $15 for set.



Also found "Jack Straws", never heard of it. It looks like a 'pick-up-sticks' game. And 'Probe' has lots of letter cards!

Postcards So Far

Postcards received so far. Thanks guys, that was fun! Nanikora, Slate Blu and Knotty Bits, Puanani.

Here are the final versions of mine, yes, because I had not "handmade" something, I felt compelled to make two! But I did hand-stamp. I really wanted to use one of my peony photos that I have never seen in print!

Find!

I squealed out loud when I saw a few of these images!

Donna Rhae Marde, Ice Breaker and sewn map bowls, and a Match rug.



Times of the Butterfly by M. Joan Lintault.

Ruth Tabancay tea bag quilt titled "Asleep", I hope she is drinking herbal.

Rachel Lawrence Edwards "Sole Purpose".

Meredith Re' Grimsley's creation of recycled Earl Grey tea bags, unbleached coffee filters, tea stained cotton muslin titled "Caffeinees", "Sole Purpose" by Rachel Lawrence Edwards, Miyuki Imai also working in teabags, cotton thread, plants.



This is so fun! Festive Fibers felt of Nicole Chazaud Telaar.







Bonnie Ward Klehr at Aron Packer Gallery, "Expectations" by Natasha Kempers-Cullen, Sabina Palley "Doris At A Quilt", Bettina Andersen.

Self-Portrait Tuesday 01.31

My personal history is scattered, crazy, sad, wild, fun. I have been many people in my life. This one would be the wild-child in college and beyond. Me in the orange with two best buddies, Brady and Janice in a little West Texas town, Snyder. We were wild, crazy, unpredictable, out of control. I found those jeans at an abandoned house during a party, wore them all semester without washing until my friends got so tired of seeing me in them, they held me down and ripped them to shreds.



Scuba diver in Florida, sailing in the Virgin Islands. The person snapping the picture was my deepest love. He broke my heart and left me to die.





The crazy, live-for-the-moment, girl-out-of-control vanished and in her place surfaced a mom. A role that has made me better, more patient, more loving, more thankful, more understanding, not mention fatter and more tired.



I don't know if I will be showing my warts and all in February. I thought I had taken all the bad pictures I could all ready take of myself!

Sun Break!

After several days of constant, hard, down pour, we had a sun break today. And it felt good to see the sun drape itself across a wall.

Playing Around

I have been trying to sell boxes of LEGO®s with no success. I as thinking of making a birdhouse out of the LEGO®s I have and searching the internet found several fun sites. LEGO® jewelry by Jacqueline Sanchez via Art for Housewives. LEGO® art by Nathan Sawaya.

Sean's LEGO® creations, The Brick Testament, LEGO® church by Jimmy Akin. Pink Lego Birdhouse Pendant by Nanobonbon on etsy.

Monopoly house earrings, Chess Board and Bingo by Sass Brown. I have a ton of those little houses! Now if I can just find the time to play.

Raindrops Keep Fallin'

Vun and Delightful

Delight yourself with the art of Uta Culemann at Fancy World.

Vun at Vonster.

Dock of LÍNEAS Y MANCHAS.

Julian Martinez artist dolls.

Hiroshima University Library Textbook Collection via Geisha asobi blog.

If Marla can do it, the least I can do is paint something new for my dining room!

The wonder of Vasarely via Living Home.

Facial Expressions

Artnatomy is a nifty little ap send to me by my pal Jared.

Grey Rain

My Saturday morning crossing.



Tree skeleton reflections in pools on concrete.

Those Were The Days, Dresses

I got all worked up over GLAMOUR and went on gown hunt.
Gold metallic bobbin lace gown with silk tissue chiffon. JACQUES HEIM designer silk and beaded ballgown with matching cape. BEER - ultimate deco flapper coat. BOB MACKIE COUTURE beaded Egyptian influenced gown. 1913 Allen & Brown, New York ivory satin and lace evening gown. 1912 JEANNE HALLEE, Paris pink gossamer silk chiffon gown. 1912 Edwardian silk embroidered and beaded satin and chiffon evening gown. I have always wanted a linen Edwardian Tea Dress, I could have this made here. Doyle News on vintage Couture, textiles and accessories.

Illustration Friday - Glamour

Illustration Friday challenge is glamour. I see of an eyelash shadow cast upon a cheek, the shimmer of eye shadow, painted lips, fabulous satin dresses cut on the bias. Carol Lombard, the epitome of glamour. Norma Shearer - this one being my favorite. Greta Garbo - glamourous, but she always felt a little too hard-edged for me. I think Gene Tierney was more beautiful than glamourous. All glamour shots of the '20's, '30's and '40's. I think Jerry Hall has all the ingredients of perfect glamour, hair, lips, legs. And not to leave out Audrey Hepburn ... in the most glamourous gowns in any movie! I love these Chinese advertisement paintings Xie Zhiguang, glamourous!

Detlef asked an excellent question. Can men be glamourous? I say absolutely, number one on my list would be Cary Grant! Clark Gable! Ralph Fiennes! Fred Aistaire!

Click on image for a much larger view. Wireframe view of illustration done in Adobe Illustrator, using photo as my guide.


I had to add this one, I was playing around and it looked glamourous!

Thursday Art Walk

I love this snowman by Todd Hebert. Marc Swanson, Sarah Sze, Delightful! Telepathic Elephant Underpants by Chinatsa Ban, Ara Peterson, Lou Patrou.

Billy Blog - you need to check the entire site! Cartoon Modern, wonderful watercolor (flowers) at Lorna's Thunks, Chris Lensch at Strange Boat, Philip Straub, the dynamic art of Led Pants, Major Pepper.

Huge Magazine, Art Facts and Art and Design Online.

Lurking And Reporting Back

Okay, I am a lurker. I try to read it all, leave comments. But sometimes, I just run around clicking from site to site, blog to blog, seeing what is going on. No comments. No bread crumbs that I had been there. Sometimes, there are so many comments, that my one little one seems unimportant. I am terrible about Illustration Friday. I love seeing everyone'e entry but there are so many now. The other day I tried to go through all and leave a comment, I did not make it all the way through the entries and that was 3 hours of my time. As you can tell, I love what everyone is saying and I am sorry that I sneak in and out without so much as a 'hello'. I am trying to be better.

Tomorrow is lived (this might be heavy download) and babies underwater by Zena Holloway at Little Urchins both via the more than ample entertaining ample sanity. I has also forgotten about 555[design] also found on ample sanity. The guy is very very talented, has beautiful photos and diggin’ the super free wallpapers.

What a wonderful experience in Antarctic via Superhero Journal.

ReeBecki's Photo Friday Blog, another Seattle resident. Karen Winters' daily art and sketchblog. Hoping For Happy Accidents and Scott's Attitude of Gratitude - always inspirational.

Fun and wonderful illustrations of Frizellstixs, Leezy blog, Waking Up Late, Seen Objects, Effervescent in Sri Lanka, Maureen Winter photography.

Levitated open source and worm and Siegel Auction Galleries.

Let's Swap

Maybe I am not cut out for swaps. I get nervous about forgetting to do them. And then fall back into my comfort zone, design and print! But I did finish them, so that is something, isn't it?



I am afraid I made a mess of my first ATC ever and my second swap. Sorry fellow ATC swap recipients! The upside is I rediscover my art studio, cleaned a little and found lots of things down there that I had forgot I had!

I found a ring in a little sack of thrift store goodies of twine and beads. I find twine, ribbon, beads mostly for gift wrapping at the thrift store. At one time I would find the best wool for knitting for my friend Susan. And use to find all kinds of linens and china. I really don't find much of that anymore, Ebay? or they are not putting the good stuff out? I don't know. But I have almost give up on thrift stores now. Not worth the effort. In my studio under mounds of crap, found lots of papers, paints, carving materials. All of the prints that I have purchased in the last couple of months that I need to have framed. And I can see the top of my work table and I guess it is time to make another big mess.

The Magic Of Donna Sharrett

Can't turn away from Donna Sharrett work - it is magical and hypnotizing. Found via Layers of Meaning.

MMMM.....Good

I want this 4 Piece Honey Sampleset (must see the packaging, to buzz for), chocolate twigs, something fig and anything from speciality foods! All found via 101 cookbooks, a must daily read.

Mom is making french onion soup today for me, I am sick. She made eggplant tapanade for her lunch, is dipping rosemary bread in a oil, balsamic vinegar and rosted garlic. And she bought this at her local asian market, Seasoned Anchovy with Sesame, they are great.

Wet Northwest Humor

If you are not in the Northwest, pass up this post, you probably will not find it amusing. Forwarded from my friend Jane (and p.s. she is one the funniest woman I know, another very funny friend is Rita). The best of both: genius and humor, both of them.

You know you're from the Pacific Northwest - According To Jeff Foxworthy
1. You know the state flower (Mildew)
2. You feel guilty throwing aluminum cans or paper in the trash.
3. Use the statement "sun break" and know what it means.
4. You know more than 10 ways to order coffee.
5. You know more people who own boats than air conditioners.
6. You feel overdressed wearing a suit to a nice restaurant.
7. You stand on a deserted corner in the rain waiting for the "Walk" signal.
8. You consider that if it has no snow or has not recently erupted, it is not a real mountain.
9. You can taste the difference between Starbucks, Seattle's Best, and Veneto's.
10. You know the difference between Chinook, Coho and Sockeye salmon.
11. You know how to pronounce Sequim, Puyallup, Issaquah, Oregon, Yakima and Willamette.
12. You consider swimming an indoor sport.
13. You can tell the difference between Japanese, Chinese and Thai food.
14. In winter, you go to work in the dark and come home in the dark - while only working eight-hour days.
15. You never go camping without waterproof matches and a poncho.
16. You are not fazed by "Today's forecast: showers followed by rain," and "Tomorrow's forecast: rain followed by showers."
17. You have no concept of humidity without precipitation.
18. You know that Boring is a town in Oregon and not just a state of mind.
19. You can point to at least two volcanoes, even if you cannot see through the cloud cover.
20. You notice, "The mountain is out" when it is a pretty day and you can actually see it.
21. You put on your shorts when the temperature gets above 50, but still wear your hiking boots and parka.
22. You switch to your sandals when it gets about 60, but keep the socks on.
23. You have actually used your mountain bike on a mountain.
24. You think people who use umbrellas are either wimps or tourists.
25. You buy new sunglasses every year, because you cannot find the old ones after such a long time.
26. You measure distance in hours.
27. You often switch from "heat" to "a/c" in the same day.
28. You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit under a raincoat.
29. You know all the important seasons: Almost Winter, Winter, Still Raining (Spring), Road Construction (Summer), Deer &Elk season (Fall).
30. You actually understood these jokes and will probably forward them!

Poppy Talk Fonts

Alphabet: An Exhibition of Hand-Drawn Lettering and Experimental Typography found via Poppy Talk.

A Little Blue Sky

Glorious day today, no rain and sun rays came from the sky! Birds are going crazy in the backyard. Finches, sparrows, pine siskins, stellar jays, flickers, juncos. They are all out in their singing praises for a dry day. Pica is quite satisfied to see the sun. And I walked in the go yard and discover we have a couple of things blooming. helleborus, spring bouquet, and Sweetbox (Sarcococca) ... my favorite. Rain and winter ravaging hydrangea petals.

Self-Portrait Tuesday 01.24

My self-portrait tuesday is a one of my favorite photos of me and my mom. Taken after we had both experience years of heartache, breakups, moves. Bad times seemed to be behind us. I was off to San Francisco with a new job. Taken at my friend Sherry's house in San Angelo, Texas, circa 1985. (I am going to ask Sherry about that date). Today, I am hoping that mom and I can reconstruct this photo. Later, well, still did not get around to the makeup and hair. But here we are today.

More Charts

My best friend, Sherry came over for a little visit yesterday and turned me on to this site. You can get an astro portrait, or chart your birthdate. Here is just some of what it had to say about being a crazy Pisces.

"Usually, because of the dual nature of this sign, your experiences seem always to oscillate between two extremes. Emotionally, you may become confounded and perplexed when your soul is torn between opposite attractions. Your temperament is, nevertheless, kindly and able to appreciate the most subtle emotional experiences.

You are inclined to introverted living - reserved and retiring. You would do well to gear your life to occupations where your creativeness can be expressed freely.

Your life will be replete with flux and change, and yet this will not be a source of annoyance as you are most adaptable to situations.

Essentially, you are expansive, guided by intuition and emotion, and falling very easily into elated or depressive moods.

You have a natural ability to perceive from unknown sources where the mind does not intervene. Such an ability, unfortunately, is usually misunderstood or has little application in life. If you do become involved in art, however, there are very good prospects for success as a painter, musician, writer, or poet."

She was explaning this great project she is participating in Book Crossing. Trying to make the whole world a library by leaving books around to be found by others. I love the idea.

Thank You PBS

This was great! I can add on 2 more hours to the TV/movie part of my pie chart. Bleak House on Masterpiece Theater.

Mom's Pie

That was so interesting that mom and I wanted to see her weekly breakdown. Her day spent washing, cleaning and running Matt around. She takes more quality time to eat. And she reads all the time. Probably more than 7 hours, but we were just guestimating. And note, she does some exercising!

My So-Called Pie Chart, Er, Life

This chart is base on one week, 168 hours.

I have been wanting to do one of these. I am visual, so it helps me see where my time is going. Frightening. Of course, these numbers are estimates, and change from week to week depending on what is going on. For example, eating is paired down to minimum, but would take much time for dinner parties or brunches out with friends. (I guess I know where my extra 5 hours went last week.) I am also a multi-tasker, so I will listen to TV or Movie while blogging or freelancing. Combine personal hygiene with reading. Drive while dreaming up ideas and having time alone. Drive and make phone calls. Notice there is no pie slice for EXERCISING, or walking, or dreaming. I did have approx. 5 hours of time unaccounted for, which I probably use on a rainy day just sleeping. Oh, I did not include shopping and store-lurking which also could account for an extra 5 hours a week.

I am really slow, but just discovered this calculator trick on Google, now that makes it worth $400 a share.

What Fun!

Cupcake Necklace (to bad out of stock), Veggie rattles by Blabla, I love the idea of matching your cat - Striped cat & sweater set, adorable, a must have Baby Crown, photo pillows, all from Craftsbury Kids Inc.

This is the cutest thing, Afternoon tea at Molly Chicken. Queen of Hearts fun fun. Birthday socks. Carrot pin cushion although I think it would be fun to wear as a jewelry pin.

Sweet Saturday Surfing

In no particular order of preference. As always, I want them all!

Bracelets by Designs by Hillary. Cool Margarita, I really like the simplicity of this sun-kissed Sunshine On My Shoulders and this Rolling Stones bracelet from Milagro Jewelry.

Aife necklace from Rosemary Beads and her blog. Jennifer Syfu's necklaces and pendants.

Fruity bracelet, Amy's delicious creations and my very talented neighbor, Pam. I like this combination of materials and her store.

You could save $20,000 on this ring.

Jette Vogt wonderful porcelain brooches.

Lucky Accessories has these fun little dangles with words seen below.

Photo Friday - Pink

I have not been taking any photos lately, so this feels like cheating. Photo Friday's challenge is Pink and how can I not think about the perfection of the pink peony!

There as so many wonderful Pink entries. Photoflavor, an orchid up close and personal, Leaf and the Woolwich Ferry.

Illustration Friday - (Fat) Cat

Illustration Friday this week is Cat. I am cheating (again). This is on old illustration. But I like him and I don't believe in age discrimination.

This IF Cat will knock off your underwear! Have a peek. And this amazing collage from wanderlustig.

Just Say No To Free

I don't know it is my age, menopause or the rain, but the last few years I have been losing my mind. I know one thing I could do to relieve some of my stress is JUST SAY NO. I love to help and I love to be busy, a dangerous combination for a softie like me. I have been doing FREE for so long and I swore a few years ago that I would not do it anymore. I love giving back to my community when I worked the Little League concession stand cooking a ga-zillion not dogs, the yearly auction, school newsletter a couple of years, I did my son's daycare newsletter a year after he left because they could not find someone to replace me. I finally said 'no' to that. Free logos, free mock-ups, free business cards. I scanned and completely put together (and taught that student photoshop, how to colorize and clean up scans) a comic book for a student (as a favor to my husband for someone at his work.) That about did me in. So from this point on I am going to concentrate on my own work.

Learn How to Say from No, Real Simple, I ran across this today.

To My 40-Year-Old Son

My son had a project to write a letter to himself when he was 40. I thought it was such a great idea, that I wanted to write one. I did not read his before I wrote mine, and it is amusing how close they are in tone.

His letter to himself:

Dear me at 40 years old,

This is a letter from yourself at 14 years old. Are you, or have you been a professional paintballer or snowboarder yet? Is your life going how you want it to? Hopefully you have a job that you enjoy. I also hope that you are in shape and healthy.
I hope that you still have hair, and if you don’t do not cover it up. I hope that you are active in sports or at least exercise. I want to live a long life and if you aren’t in shape then I wont be able to live as long. I hope that you have a girlfriend or a wife. I want you to have a good job and hopefully you like it. I want you job to involve going outside, so that you don’t have to be cooped up in an office all day.
Where do you live? I hope that it’s nice. Is it an apartment? Or a house? Do you live with anybody, Such as roommates or children or women? How do you dress? I hope that you are stylin’ and look good.
Who are your friends now? Do you even have any? Well I hope that you do because I really enjoy having my friends to hang out with. My friends right now are Mason, Tanner, Dani, Reid, Brent, Canon, and Jason. We have a lot of fun together. Right now Mason, Tanner, Jason and I have been snowboarding a lot together. The ski bus just started and Dani is going on the ski bus but not Tanner, I’m learning tricks this year because I have finally got riding down good. Hopefully I don’t break any bones, but I haven’t any year yet so I think I will be ok.
How much schooling have you had? I hope that you at least graduated high school. But hopefully you went on to college. I don’t like school at all but if I want to have a good job then I need to go to college. If you did go to college, which one? Did you go back for another degree? What was your major? I like to take stuff apart and figure out how things work. So maybe you are majoring in mechanical engineering or something interesting like that.
What are your hobbies? I really like to paintball now. It’s not so much as a hobby anymore, but its forming into a sport, I mean it’s on TV and everything. My favorite team is team Dynasty, and my favorite player is Oliver Lang. So do you still paintball? Or did the game change so much that it’s a joke?
Well I hope that you are happy with your life. I hope that you are not just wasting you time here on earth. I hope that you someone that everyone likes and doesn’t hate. I want you to be successful and have a well paying job. Lastly, I just want to you feel that you have accomplished something.

Sincerely ,
Yourself at 14, Matt


To my dearest, adorable 40-year-old son:

I hope this letter finds you healthy and happy, still full of adventure, finding fun and challenge in all that you take on. I also hope you have continued to live your life with honesty and integrity, having empathy and compassion for those around you.

I am guessing by now you have found the person to spend you life with. Someone that you can be best friends with, enjoy life and joys. You might even have a few children and will have now realized that parenting comes with no handbook. That some of the rules dad and I set down for you were reasonable and fair. I also hope that you will forgive our shortcomings as parents. We did the best we could with what we had been exposed to as children ourselves. We probably gave you too many material things, but we wanted you to have lots of fun and explore all of your passions. You were the surprise in our lives, the shining star we never thought to have. Yes, we spoiled you, but you were such a good son. Not demanding too much and knowing when you had enough ‘things’. Almost always rational, until you reached your teens, but that argumentative phase did not last very long.

Do you have a couple of big, funny dogs running around your house, eating food off the tabletops? Do you still have all of your hair? And are you allowing your own son to dye his hair blue? Did you stay in Washington State or decide to find a new place to explore? Are you still paintballing on the weekends and did you ever design the best paintball gun the world has ever seen? Did you write plenty of songs to make an album? And did it go platinum? Do you paint beautiful paintings? Or design new typefaces for the world to use? Are you designing websites or applications? I always thought you would be an inventor, musician and artist. I hope you have found a way to make a living incorporating all of your best talents and enjoy the work you have chosen.

I also am hoping that you are living in a more peaceful world where people have finally realized that to honor differences in culture and religious beliefs is the best road to travel. That we have finally stopped killing animals that are near extinction, found a way to save our oceans from destruction. That global warming was halted and the environment repaired. That governments around the world have pulled together to find alternative to fossils fuels and fighting over oil is a distant memory. I hope that the world has come together in a spectacular way. The world feels so small now with the Internet and I am thinking it will feel even smaller in 40 years.

So my most precious son, I know in your 40th year, you are an outstanding person. With lots of friends and that you celebrate life everyday. I hope you and your family and friends go on hikes, camping, fishing, travel the world on vacations and holidays. That you have wonderful Christmas’ and that you have not thrown away all of those silly ornaments that dad and I collected. Remember I warned you not to sale those in a garage sell, no matter what your wife says! LOL
I love you, Your mom

Brown Scarf

My sister-in-law, Kate, gave my mom this beautiful scarf for Christmas. Mom had the perfect dress to go with it. She always dresses wonderfully and is stuck with a daughter who is very haphazard in her clothing style. My favorite thing to wear are my paint clothes completely covered in splashes and smears.

Hand:Eye

Camilla turned me on to this Flickr Hand:Eye project and I couldn't help myself!

Still Looking For My Niche

Decoupage

Love these pillows from Janie Gross and the Microwaveable Flower Press. Has anyone out there ever used this and does it work?



Tree console table from Carson and Co. Would love to have it.
Nice decoupage resource page from Durwin Rice. We have all seen this gift wrap paper, but it looks so nice all on one small page. Marye-Kelley delightful decoupage plates.

How to decoupage from craftown. Unfinished wood boxes resource. Would love to have this book. Amazing scrap pictures.

Rainy Day Dreaming

On very rainy days my mind wonders to Monument Valley and
Aerial/Dunes created by gakout. Liquidity by George Fetting Photography. Otherworld by Scott Gordon.

A most visually entertaining blog: BibliOdyssey and the THE LUMPER ™ - A pile of art links. JellePelle! illustrated blog. Illustrations by Andy Smith and Andy Potts.

A wonderful invitation and love this.

E-Shopping Spree

I bought this , this and this from Karin. I can't wait!

I also forgot to mention how much I am enjoying Camille's calendar. And I snagged this off of ebay today for a special someone's birthday.

Samples

I was at an upscale interior design shop in my little town of Edmonds, ooohing and aaahhing over some fabric samples and she told me that they were throwing a box full in the trash and ask if I wanted them. About 3/4 of them are wonderful. Not sure what I am going to do with them, or when. I will keep you posted.

Self-Portrait Tuesday 01.17

The reason I am. The person I am. And the last one: an update, taken today, with braces removed.

Sunday Brunch

Sunday Brunch, 4 hour conversation with great friends, shopping under sunny skies, watching folks walking their dogs, running into my son riding bikes with friends, ferry boats, and a chance to wear my new Eileen Fisher wool jacket that I found "on sale". Priceless.