The Fourth is Coming!!!

That holiday is coming up. You know-the one with family picnics and cookouts, sweating, bugs, screaming children. All that fun family stuff. I try to by-pass all that. Now don't get me wrong, I love my country and celebrating independence and even fireworks....but that whole other side of the coin-nah.

How will I spend my Fourth? I will be buzzing down the interstate on the way to the airport at about 3 a.m. I'm taking a friend to catch a plane to Texas. She will be visiting her mom there. I'll make a grande iced coffee (no Starbucks in the boonies here) and put it in the fridge the night before. There it will await me for my return home 'cause I will most likely forget it. 3 a.m. Man, that's early. Good thing I love ya, Janie!

Blogging today

I have made a pact with myself. I need to be involved. In order to be involved, I have to have some sort of action. Here's the plan:
1. On each of my yahoo groups, I will post once a week-if you know me AT ALL, you know this is a stretch for me. I'm a prize-winning lurker. I can lurk with the best....But those days are over for me. I am making a stand and coming out of lurk-dom.

2. There will be blog posts-no more of this once a year nonsense. Ideally-a couple times a week. Reality will most likely be once a week also-til I get the hang of it. I used to only add when I had art to share-now I will post if I think anyone wants to read it or not.....Too bad I can't add a shot of caffeine in here with the posts.

3. I will post about more than just art. Who knows? You may make my blog.....stay tuned.

back again

I'm back again after a long hiatus. Been over a year since I blogged. Had not been doing much art, but am curently back at it.

These days I am busy working on charms for a swap. I am also making similar ones to make a matching set necklace and bracelet.

I also am working on a new tag booklet and my online yahoo group is following along to make the tags. This current tag book is in the theme of pink and purple.

Also included a cute photo of Jasper.

Lisa V. has a new countdown starting Feb. 1 for Valentine's Day. See the cool images at

http://countdown.tentwostudios.com

BONNE ANNEE










These are the cards I made for the challenge on Art Cafe. Happy New Year.

This is my little precious_Jasper. We got him for Emily, but he quickly became my baby. Em was cleaning up the nest her dog made under the table and naturally Jasper had to be in the midst of all the excitement. That's my baby.

No photos to share at this time, but even better!!! How about 25 free images to download and use in your art? Lisa Vollrath is offering 25 days of free images-one each day til Christmas. Here's the link:
http://countdown.tentwostudios.com
Hope you enjoy her stuff. I sure do. Karen

Gearing up for the holidays

Getting ready for the holiday season. As usual, I will be working on Thanksgiving day. I request that holiday. I like to cook a nice hot meal for our clients who do not have family or who cannot get to their families. This year I will be doing a brunch with a casserole, fruit, OJ, muffins and whatever other goodies I can manage to come up with by then.

The images are of atcs I have made for a swap. Some of them were to go to another group's swap, but the group was closed. Thank goodness another group offered a similar swap, so I am in business. Then on yet another group there was another swap and I signed up for that one, too. I may need to make ALOT for that one, but we will just have to see. I'm not too crazy about trees and just have a little Charlie Brown tree, but I love the creation part........

Just some extras

On the 8th I took my sis-in-law, her 2 older girls from her 1st marriage, and my niece Kennise. She is 14 months old and a little rip. The first photo is of her when she was trying to get the goat to come to her. Second is Nissy with her mom Zilphia {Z}, and the last one on the top is her strapped into the swing with her pumpkin. She was not happy. The bottom photos are Nissy and her oldest sister senovia.
The very last photo os Snickers-the newest member of the family. Emily is putting a $100 bill in her mouth to take her photo with it. Teenagers!!

Happy Harvesttime

It is the harvest season again. I love the fall, but it is murder on my allergies. I still like to get out in the brisk, cool weather, though.
I have been busy making art!!! I am in several swaps and unless I am under a deadline, it seems like I cannot get myself to do a darned thing. Once I get going, however, I really fell the muse taking over.
This is one I made for a friend at work. Her daughter had tried to get pregnant for years and a couple weeks ago, they were given the gift of Analise. They know thery are blessed and she will be loved.
The tree sits next to my desk at work. I have been adding hangers to the 4x4s I have been making. These were made over a series of days. I love the fall colors. I hope you can see the 4x4s better with the other photos.
In here are also a couple of challenge pieces I did for MMAN. The theme was Gothic Arches. I want to add some stuff but I am really ticked that I cannot choose where the photos end up on the posts. Or if you can choose, I haven't figured it out. No big surprise there. So NExt time.....

Last of the board book pages

I definately do not blog often enough to remember how to do all this stuff. These are the last 2 pages from the board books. That's my Eiffel Tower in the background. One of my fetishes.

These are from the board book swap in a yahoo group I'm in. The backgrounds are kitchen foil and alcohol inks. The greenish pages are dyed paper towels and the remainder are my very fave technique. Textured tissue paper. This is generally the background I use on canvass. Takes days to get the canvass done.
I started on a few of the pages before I could get the photos taken.....The smaller book with the rounded top is for my partner. The other one is for me. I try to make 2 of things like this cause I always have that "Awww, I want this!" when I make stuff hopefully this will dispell all that

Altered Board Book

More pages from the board book. 1st photo is Em on the left and her friend Sarah. I'm not so great at this.

Egads where has the time gone???

Have NOT been good about keeping this up. In addition to being so incredibly busy at work, I was having some health issues. After nearly every heart test possible they have concluded that it is my asthma rearing it's ugly head after 10 years of being off meds. They put me on an oral med as well as 2 inhalers. I hate the fact that I have to be on the meds, but I have been feeling better every since I have been on them. Getting enough O2 really helps those little grey cells.
I owe some swaps in my deco groups and am pleased to say that I am chugging along on them. If I owe you something-it IS coming!!!
I am also working on some atcs, 4x4s and 3x3s to trade as well as a couple of board books. I had a goal to finish 2 canvasses this summer and have accomplished that. They are in my office at work where I can enjoy them. I will be doing photos of everything as I finish and hopefully posting some new stuff soon.

This is Tinkie-Tinkerbelle-aka Tink, Stinkie Tinkie......She is one of Sadie's kittens. With both Spencer and Sadie gone, I decided to keep one of her kittens. One is already gone-months ago to a home and Benny and Tink remain. Benny has a home-if Barb does not come get him soon he will be delivered to her door. Tink will be a good housecat when he is gone. He is just too rude. I plan to have her spayed next month and she can come and go as she pleases. She loves to be held and rolls around when she is happy. Takes some talent to hold a rolling kitten in your arms while typing......Her fave spot when I am home. I miss the other 2 terribly-they were like kids-and it is good to be owned by a cat again.

Happy February

Happy February.
I can hardly believe that January is over. Where did the time go? It passed before I realized mainly because I have yet to have my annual planting pansies dream. For the past 10 years or so, in late January, I dream about planting pansies. I plant 40 or 50 of the little buggers every summer. I also plant violas. Their little faces are so sweet. I press them to use in art work as well as just enjoying them. For me it signals the start of cabin fever. Then I start looking for Wal-mart to put up the garden center. Our winter has been quite mild this year. We have had some chilly days, but now we are in the -20 below wind chill for several days. I expect the pansies to show up in my dreams any time now......
I did this 6x6 calendar page for February as a tribute to all the sweethearts.

I have managed to use this image one more time. This is a calendar I did for myself. I can cut out the picture when the month is ober. Feeling the need for a 6x6 chunky book.I will have at least 12 pages for one.

Bonne Annee
This is the ATC I did for friends and family to give instead of Christmas cardsEveryone I gave them to really liked them. They are always wondering what I do with all that glue and paper......my secret is out.

Snowy day

I made these for a deco swap in one of the deco groups I am in. The top image is currently my favorite and I am using it in as many ways as I possibly can. I will be working on some atcs this week and I am sure sure she will be featured in at least one of them.

The weather here is cold and we have about 9" of snow on the ground. We generally don't get this much snow all winter let alone all at once.

Baby it's cold outside

This is an entry I did in a deco that came through in a swap. I love the winter attire theme and as usual-the vintage style.

I have been busy with some secret sister Christmas swaps -making things to get into the mail and off in time to be at their new homes for the holidays. I made a couple of microscope slide pins and have been trying to get my cards done for my friends. I have deco swaps to make. Made 1 deco tonight. It is not quite finished yet. I think it needs some tags or something. It will tell when it's done.