Wandering Star

Peace Be With You

2012-01-22T17:45:00.000-08:00

Well happy new year, and may it be a good one for all of you! We're off to a running start, visitors from overseas, crafty projects, transition to a new job, back to school for the kiddos, and CHA in Anaheim next week. Oh goody :)

Getting blingy with it -
diamantes, stickles,
and distress crackle rock candy,
gold ink and pearly glimmery mist
in the background,
and a little bit of tinsel.

Life is full, wonderfully so. In the middle of this abundance, I'm enjoying peaceful moments. These tags were made for friends, I had such fun going through my stash and digging out little treasures to put them together. Like so many others I enjoyed watching Tim Holtz putting together his 12 Tags for the holidays, always inspiring, and this tag uses his tip to offset diecut words just a little with a darker diecut in the background to add definition - I matched the sparkly cardstock too closely to my background color and it lost some of it's pop, this was the perfect solution. Thanks Tim!

Supplies include:
Stamps by Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous and Papertrey,
dies by Tim Holtz/Sizzix and Papertrey,
Ranger Perfect Pearl and Tattered Angels Glimmer-mist sprays,
Ranger Stickles, inks and distress paints/crackles,
tissue tape, buttons, bells, vintage lace, ribbon,
diamantes from SU! and Kaisercraft.

I'd love to hear about your plans for 2012, feel free to share. Are you making lists, setting goals, or just taking each day as it comes? My general goals include the usual, things work hard, play hard, prioritize family time, get creative, stretch past my comfort zone a little, take some classes, make my desires become reality. I decided against a specific list at this time, just make like a superhero - onward and upward my friends!

Happy New Year,
and may peace be with you
wherever you wander.

Skywatch Friday - Double Rainbow

2011-11-11T08:12:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday friends! For a change I don't have work today, so I have time to post a Skywatch. It's a cool and cloudy Friday morning with a storm blowing in. I love that feeling of the calm before the gathering storm, cool breezes (it's a California storm, just cool, not cold, yet . . .), and knowing that I don't have to go out and battle the elements helps too :)

Driving home from a recent road trip we spotted so many people out and about with their cameras pointed at the sky. Had the aliens finally arrived? Nope, I couldn't see any flying saucers up there. Flocks of amazing birds, incredible aircraft? Nope, no extra wildlife or experimental planes up there. Arriving home and stepping out of the car I could finally see what all the fuss was about - wow, double rainbows! The clearest and strongest double rainbows I have ever seen. My little point and shoot camera did it's best to catch the rainbow action :)

To see what other SkyWatchers view when they look up and out, visit the SkyWatch Blog.

Wishing you a double rainbow kind of day.

Proceed with Abandon

2011-10-30T12:25:00.000-07:00

The upside of not having posted much here in the past few months is that I do have a lot to share! Looking back through some photos today I found all sorts of odds and ends, bits and bobs. Earlier in the summer I met up with my friend Lianna at the Carson Rubber Stamp Convention. We had a great time walking around the vendors, then took a fabulous class with Teesha Moore. On the way to class we bumped into our friend Tami and press-ganged her aboard for the class - we're piratical like that :) Tami is the Fiskars lady and she came armed with classic Fiskars scissors, just what we all needed to tackle the cut part of 'cut and paste'.

As always, time spent with friends, stamps, ink, paper, AND a class with Teesha, proved to be uplifting, inspiring and altogether wonderful. Teesha is a very inspiring teacher, she gives a lot - not just supplies and materials, but a lot of herself, great tips, techniques and insight, she is generous in spirit, and that makes for a wonderful class - if you ever have the opportunity to take a class with Teesha or her husband, Tracy, do it!

L to R: Sue, Lianna, Teesha, Tami
with our pages and happy smiles all 'round

I have to laugh at myself - on a page about moving forward with abandon, even on a section about NOT overthinking, I totally drilled into micro-detail, in the end I wrote over it "just do it". I am definitely the person who most gets in my own way :) Two great discoveries in this class - pan pastels and Sharpie poster pens, love 'em.

The Carson Rubber Stamp Convention is coming up again in a couple of weeks, November 12 & 13, if you live in the greater Los Angeles area and you're a papercrafty type it's well worth a day trip.

Baby Steps (and the A to Z of Me)

2011-10-08T12:55:00.000-07:00

A card for Flynn

Stamps by Darkroom Door Designs and
Tim Holtz (Stampers Anonymous)

Where did all the time go? Life has been busy, to the point of overwhelming, and none of it has made it to this blog. I found that in the effort to keep things positive and cheerful, I was editing myself to the point that there was nothing left to say. I tucked my paws over my eyes and became the dormouse in the bed of crysanthemums, dreaming of geraniums (red) and delphiniums (blue) - do you remember that old poem by A.A. Milne? I grew up on his poetry and used to read it to my children when they were little (he's the author that created Winnie The Pooh and the other inhabitants of the 100 Acre Woods).

A postcard swap for online stamping friends
Stamps by Tim Holtz (Stampers Anonymous)
Darkroom Door Designs and Stampin' Up!

So here's the scoop - my husband is a cancer survivor, and has been disabled following treatment for the past 12 years, with many chronic health problems. He just came home from a week in the hospital and I'm feeling the need to clean up, clear out, regroup and re-energize. I have two wonderful children, the light of my life, my son is 17 and a senior in high school, he refuses to let me post photos of him here, my daughter is 20 and going to college, also working, she plans to become a nurse. I work at a local hospital, it's challenging and busy, and I'm so grateful to be gainfully employed in these tough times.

Spotted on a walk by the ocean with a friend

Art and creativity are my comfort and nourishment, they refill me. You could call it a hobby, it's more like a lifeline to tell the truth. I'm a dabbler, that's why you see papercrafting, stamping, collage, crochet, painting, cooking, photography, music and a smattering of other arty endeavors here, it's as necessary as breathing to me. Creative activities make me a happy person. I love to explore, learn, grow.

A card for my Mum
Stamps by Stampin' Up!

So here's to keeping going, learning, sharing, exploring, and never giving up. Giving up is not an option around here. Thank you for your patience with my ramblings, and for visiting my little space here on the vast internet. I'm taking baby steps back to blogging on a more regular basis. Hope you'll return again soon.

Here's a little bit of fluff that's being posted around the place on other blogs and websites - the A to Z of Me. Feel free to copy it and adapt to the A to Z of you in your little corner of the internet.

A. Age: I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you :) Nah, I'm 47, it's all good.
B. Bed size: Queen
C. Chore that you hate: Cleaning - I love to have things clean, just don't have a passion for the never-ending work of cleaning, I'd rather be playing with ink and paper, fabric or photographs, reading, walking, or just about anything else you can name.
D. Dogs: Love 'em, we have a white Jindo that we rescued when he was just a tiny pup, he's fab.
E. Essential start to your day: Tea, at least one cup, preferably two.
F. Favorite color: Green, in all it's lovely shades.
G. Gold or Silver: Silver
I. Instruments you play: This should be instruments I used to play, since I haven't been playing any at all for so long, but once upon a time I played the piano and clarinet, and I've meddled with mandolin, guitar, recorders, penny whistles, ocarina and the spoons :)
J. Job title: Some years ago now, in-between jobs, I had to apply for my passport, and when I got to the job title section I almost lost it. What the heck am I? Unemployed administrator didn't sound too hot, nor did Caregiver. Life crisis looming, I had a moment of clarity and joy, then wrote my job title - Artist. It's official, it's in my passport :) I do have a day job, thank goodness, I'm a Medical Staff Coordinator.
K. Kids: Two cherished children - Molly and Flynn.
L. Live: California (South Bay area of Los Angeles) - but I was raised in Australia and, just as Peter Allen sang, "I still call Australia Home. California is home now too, after all these years I have realized I will always have a foot in each place, and that's OK.
M. Mother’s name: Linda, usually known as 'Lyn'
N. Nicknames: Susie, or Sue
O. Overnight hospital stays: Only when my babies were born
P. Pet peeves: Spelling oddities like 'lite' and 'tite', I'm an Oxford Dictionary type (blame my parents, my birthday present on my 8th birthday was an Oxford Dictionary, pocket edition).
Q. Quote from a movie: "Tomorrow is another day" (you got that right Scarlett)
R. Right or left handed: Right
S. Siblings: Two lovely brothers
T. Time you wake up: Usually 5:30 or 6:00am
U. Underwear: Yes please
V. Vegetable you hate: I LOVE all vegetables - although okra has to be cooked properly or it's a bit slimey, OK, I don't love slimey vegetables.
W. What makes you run late: Trying to do 'one more thing' before I go
X. X-Rays you’ve had: Oh the usual, teeth, toes, fingers, spine, lungs, sinuses, nothing too major.
Y. Yummy food that you make: Killer risotto, roast veggies, paella, hummous, on the sweet side apple muffins, pancakes and cupcakes (the latter mostly for birthdays and holidays).
Z. Zoo animal: I like my animals OUT of the zoo, but if I were at the zoo I'd like to hang out with the elephants, they are amazing to me, oh, and tigers too.

Say hello to my little friend . . .

2011-07-30T14:19:00.000-07:00

It seems like I'm not really being creative right now, but of-course I'm making cards for family and friends, impromptu gift tags and wrapping, the accidental art that happens day to day. I took a fun journal class with Teesha Moore recently, need to take a photo of that page and post it just for fun. (Update - posted HERE)

Say hello to my leetle friend - I got a new toy for Christmas and I have been getting used to it. I thought at first glance that these ATG's were too big and heavy, but surprisingly not so heavy, and much more economical than the little tape runners I've used for so long. I got this one with a 50% off coupon, so it was less than $20.00 and included 2 rolls of acid-free tape, I'm still using the first roll, so it goes a long way. I'm so not a 'pink' girl, but on the upside this bright color is hard to lose on my very messy workspace. I'm still getting used to how it works, pretty sure it's all in the wrist :) Never fear, my little tombow mono-adhesive tape runners are still around, they're pretty indispensible for workshops, classes and crafting get togethers with friends - the ATG is great, but I'm not going to lug it around on the go.

I like these little hardware brads that look like screws -
a bit more blokish than regular card embellishments.
Stamps by Tim Holtz (Stampers Anonymous),
& Stampin' Up!

These are a couple of cards for the men in my life, in this case one of my brothers, and my Dad. When I made them I wasn't sure I loved the results, but now, a couple of months down the line, I think they look quite OK. I find it challenging to make cards for the guys, I'm quite sure I worry about it way more than they do : )

Stamps by Judikins (background), Stampin' Up,
& Tim Holtz (Stampers Anonymous)

Do you ever do that - judge something you've made so harshly, and later realize it wasn't so bad? I'm very tough on myself, my inner critic gets a very regular work out, I'm trying to figure out how to get her to pipe down, she's such a nag! I'm off to a quilt show for some inspiration - hope you're enjoying yourself, having some creative fun, and keeping that inner critic quiet. How do you do it?

Skywatch Friday - Pelicans

2011-07-22T06:35:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday friends, thanks for stopping by. My son is learning to drive, and now that we're past the very first days of white knuckling turns and lane changes it's actually fun going out for a drive. Quite often now we'll head out for an impromtu adventure, and this one led us to the ocean for sunset - it's quite good, this driving thing!

I love to watch the pelicans fly along the cliffs, they're so ungainly on the ground, but wonderful to watch in flight; suddenly full of grace, strength and coordination, they fly in undulating waves of precise order. This was a small group, sometimes there are 10 or more flying in formation. Rather than the 'V' that many other birds adopt, the pelicans seem to prefer one long string, swooping along together.

May your day contain a beautiful sunset and at least a little bit of wonder.

To see what other skywatchers viewed when they looked up and out, visit the Skywatch Blog.

Happy 4th of July

2011-07-04T16:38:00.000-07:00

This is what July 4th is looking like around here. I met some friends for a walk along the beach earlier today, what a great way to start the day. People were arriving to spend their day at the beach, hauling shade canopies and coolers, blankets and wagons, towels and sunnies.

Police horses on the beach - that was a first for me
(sorry about the fuzzy photo - we were already back on the path)

Parties were in various stages at the houses along The Strand - set up, early gathering, and full swing were all represented. There were volleyball competitions, cyclists, skateboarders, dog walkers, and sun worshippers in stars and stripes bikinis and shorts. Savvy children were setting up lemonade stands and one young man was selling 3' x 5' flags for $5.00 each, he was busy, with most customers draping the flags around their shoulders Superman-cape-style and setting off along their way. Block parties with banners, homes draped in stars and bars, swimmers, surfers, lifeguards and police on bikes, horses and motorbikes were all represented.

No, this is not my home.
It's a well decked out house on The Strand
The only thing between this house and the beach is a bike path

There was a huge group of teams (many in matching board shorts, some even had wigs on) waiting for an event to kick off. Turns out it was the Ironman competition. Participants must run a mile, paddle a surfboard a mile and then consume a 6-pack of their favorite beer! Just as well the lifeguards were on duty :)

The lifeguard doing his best Baywatch impersonation

After a good hike along the sand I was glad to head home for a mellow afternoon and look forward to fireworks tonight, it's all good. Wishing you a very happy day wherever you are. How did you spend your Monday?

Skywatch Friday - The Sky and Those to Whom it Belongs

2011-05-20T06:24:00.000-07:00

A little time travel here, back to Summer 2009 when I met up with my family at my brother's home in Switzerland. Those Swiss have it good - everywhere you look there are picturesque views, it's astoundingly beautiful. This photo was taking looking out from a funicular going up a mountain (yes, there's the edge of the window frame, sorry about that :)

Dohle (Ravens) native to Pilatus, Switzerland

At the top of the mountain we met these feathered friends, to whom the sky belongs. They were soaring up there, along with some intrepid humans who were leaping off the mountain with parasails - amazing, I'd LOVE to do that!

At the end of the day my bro looks out at this view from his apartment - I don't think I'd ever grow tired of watching the constantly changing sky over the lake from his balcony, would you?

To see what others view when they look up and out, visit the Skywatch blog HERE

Brew Time

2011-05-03T08:27:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, it's good to take a breather from the stress sandwich of life, and stop everything to boil the kettle and brew up a cup of tea. Take a moment out from the headlong rush of the day and take a contemplative break. I don't practice formal meditation, but I do recognize the need for thoughtful focus and centering yourself. I find the act of making and sipping tea very contemplative; prayer, music, art, and time spent outdoors in natural surroundings are all meditative for me too. What are your meditative moments composed of?

Inside the card
Stamp credits: Papertrey Ink, Judikins (background stamp)

This little card was sent to a dear friend in Virginia who is riding a rough wave right now. Wishing you a week of positive contemplation, and a decent cup of tea :)

Precious Baby!

2011-04-10T16:02:00.000-07:00

Our family was blessed in March with a new addition - my niece Sarah and her husband Tom welcomed a beautiful baby boy - Rory Francis. He is just a delight, although he's way too far away and we can't get our hands on him, he's certainly very cherished and the source of great wonder. This is a tag that flew to the U.K. with some teeny little baby clothes for Rory.

Apparently March is National Crochet Month - who knew?? So it seemed only appropriate to start crocheting something. I'm no superhero when it comes to crochet, faster than the speed of light I am not (clearly, since I'm talking about March projects and here we are in April). I'm tackling it one square at a time, and one day when it grows up it'll be a blanket. At my current rate Rory might be 21 before it's finished :) I'm enjoying the portability of crocheted squares, I can complete them in small amounts of downtime that would otherwise be spent daydreaming or waiting without purpose.

Stamp credits: Papertrey Ink, Stampin Up!, Judikins
Tim Holtz ticket die, stickles glitter
Stampin' Up! cardstock, punches and brad

Thanks for stopping by. Wishing you a week of wonder.

Skywatch - Spring

2011-03-25T09:51:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure when we've ever had this much rain, but it's certainly making the flora and fauna happy - flowers are blooming, birds are nesting and singing their little hearts out. Today is another grey and rainy day, but we get bursts of blue sky here and there - I took these photos recently and they give you some idea of what's going on around here. The first one is taken from our local gas (petrol) station - what a view! We live on a peninsula, and it dawned on me while waiting at the pump that seeing this view from the gas station is one of life's little pleasures.

Glimpses of blue sky through the blossoms on the ornamental pear tree in our back yard.

Raindrops on jasmine flowers and buds, inbetween rainstorms.

To see what other Skywathchers spotted in their corner of the world, visit Skywatch Friday

Top o' the Morning to You!

2011-03-17T06:35:00.000-07:00

Stamps: Papertrey, Stampin' Up!

Happy St. Patrick's Day friends. The leprechauns have been busy around here, as you would expect in a 'Mc' household. Now we're all scattering to work, school and play - hope you have a wonderful day.

P.S. I totally forgot to put my Irish music up at the beginning of February, wow!

A Little Bit of Glimmer

2011-03-13T11:29:00.000-07:00

Hi there, I've been missing in action for a few weeks - lots of great reasons, including major technical issues (my computer had to go the the 'puter doctor), followed by more technical issues (after the computer came home, the security software was dialed up so high I couldn't view blogs, upload photos, or make blog posts!), starting a college course (old brains don't work as fast a young ones, that's all I'm going to say about that), and of course the usual challenges and delights of home, work, and visitors. All in all a busy, wonderful time with plenty of reasons to smile, worry, and laugh (even if there was a little hysteria in some of the laughter at times).

So what's good? Well, spring seems to have sprung, my children are healthy and happy (and almost not children any more really - am I still allowed to call them "children "when they're 19 and almost 17?? Oh yes, they'll always be my "babies"), my niece had a beautiful baby boy, and everyone seems to be having birthdays and anniversaries and great reasons to celebrate life. My brother and his new bride came through town for just one night, it was SO good to see them, just wish we'd had longer to chat and catch up. They have had a remarkable around-the-world journey and are now tucked up safely in their home.

Speaking of birthdays, this little card was for another precious niece who had a birthday, she loves pink, so her card called for pink and gold, plenty of misted pearls, a little bit of glimmer and shine. I do love playing with pages from old books, this one is 'French Romantic Prose", I wonder what it says??

Wishing you a little bit of glimmer in your week, thanks for stopping by. What's happening in your world?

Stamps: Tim Holtz for Stamper's Anonymous, Stampin' Up!
Vintage book pages, Perfect Pearls Mists by Ranger
Nestabilities Peony Die-Cut, Stampin' Up flower and circle punches

Skywatch Friday - Fire Boat

2011-02-04T16:08:00.000-08:00

On a recent weekend we went to the beach for a memorial service. A local hero, John Olguin, passed away, and the community gathered to salute him near the ocean - John had spent his life teaching about the ocean, initially as a lifeguard, then founding the local aquarium, whale watch activities, and generally enriching the community.

After the memorial, everyone walked to the beach to watch the local fireboat put on a display, the rescue boat is dedicated in John's name, and the tall ship fired off a canon salute. Watching the jets of water spray against the blue sky and sparkling ocean was a magical moment, safe passage John, fair winds and following seas.

Visit Skwatch Friday to see what other Sky-watchers around the planet see when they look up and out.

Marvellous Nature

2011-01-29T14:36:00.000-08:00

After a very dark and wet winter for us, we're enjoying some fab blue skies and sunshine, very spring-like weather, perfectly timed to fall on the weekend. The trees are blossoming and the bulbs are sprouting greenery getting ready to bloom, the birds are singing away all day long - what's not to love about that?? Doors and windows wide open, music playing, and time to make some cards, it's all good :)

Credits: Darkroom Door stamps (Venetian Vol. 2, Full Bloom Vol. 2)
Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Inks, Archival Ink
Martha Stewart lace edge punch, vintage lace,
Prairie Bird Boutique seam binding, mother of pearl button

I've fallen for seam binding, it was only a matter of time until I gave in to the crinkly colorful goodness. Just neutral shades on this card, but I promise I bought some pretty colors too! I found it online at Etsy, at the Prairie Bird Boutique be sure to check out Prairie Bird's other site too for some very beautifully hand dyed ribbons, lovely!

This card is winging it's way to Australia courtesy of the postie. We celebrated Australia Day this week (January 26) with Vegemite, Milo and Tim Tams - oh, I raised a glass or two of Australian wine too :) Back home I'm sure they did it properly with BBQs and outdoor concerts, but I did my best in California winter. What are you thrilled with this week?

ATC Swap - 'Red' Theme

2011-01-22T09:46:00.000-08:00

It's just beautiful here today - sunshine and blue skies, birds singing, and almost no scheduled activities - wonderful! I plan to get outdoors for a while (and drag my son out into the light with me, my daughter escapes this torture as she's working today), have some creative time with ink and stamps, and just enjoy the day as it unfolds.

This is an ATC I made for the Darkroom Door February ATC swap, the theme for the month is 'Red' - there's still time to send something in if you want to join in, they're due by Feb. 28th. Rachel hosts a monthly ATC swap, so if you don't join in this time you can plan for another during the year. They're a ton of fun :) I had a good time messing about with Perfect Pearls Mists on the ticket, I played with Violet and Heirloom Gold, they are quite translucent so you can spray away without fear of covering up the stamped image, I like that!

Supplies: Stamps - Darkroom Door (Venice collection)
Ranger Perfect Pearls Mist (Heirloom Gold, Forever Violet)
Twinkling H2Os (Solar Gold, Garnet), Stickles (Copper)
Tim Holtz (ticket die-cut, Tiny Attacher, Distress Inks)

I also broke out some old faithfuls that haven't been used for a while - Twinkling H2Os, to add a little sparkle to the lamps. After painting them gold, I remembered that the lamp glass in Venice is actually rose tinted, so I added some rosy glow and some coppery Stickles to light them up. Note to self - use those fun supplies you have stashed away!!

Have a fun weekend, hope you get to do whatever your heart desires! Are you using up your art stash?

Trying Something New - Printmaking

2011-01-15T08:01:00.000-08:00

Each year I like to try something new, take a class to try something I haven't done before. After going to a local printer's fair for the second year in a row, I found myself making the same resolution - I have to try this!! Luckily there's a great community art center on the peninsula, and they offered a Saturday printmaking class - perfect!

I love these grungy looking ink pots

We had the opportunity to try several different types of printmaking on large vintage presses, and silk screening too - I have new respect for anything silk screened :) My fave project was linocut, this celtic knotwork was carved (by moi) into battleship lino, then printed on heavy water soaked printer's paper, with the press cranked down pretty hard so it came out with a lot of texture. Linocut/carved blocks are a lot like rubber stamps, no wonder I love them!

I'm so grateful for the opportunity to try something new, keep my mind expanding, and for my fellow printers who were a very diverse and fun group to work with. The thing that propelled me into a printmaking class was a passion for letterpress printing, and we didn't do that in this class, so I think a letterpress class is in my future this year.

My friend Ann working on a silk screen project

Are you planning to try something new in 2011?

Skywatch - New Year's Eve

2010-12-31T19:58:00.001-08:00

Catalina Island from San Pedro

Wishing you a very happy new year, here's a little blue sky from California. To see what other skywatchers are looking at click HERE

Here's what I finished out my year with - tags for la famiglia for Christmas. Whew, glad that's over for another year :) Am I crazy to think that this year I'll actually manage to make the most of each day, instead of watching the whoosh by in a whiz-bang fashion? Don't I start every year this way? Ah well, sooner or later I'll get the hang of having the days parade by a little slower, until then I'm holding on tight to enjoy this crazy ride called life.

Thanks for stopping by - Happy New Year!

Tim Holtz (Rosette die, distress inks, tag die, tag stamp)
Cuttlebug embossing folder, vintage book page,
SU scallop punch, Hero Arts alpha stamps

Skywatch - Christmas Eve

2010-12-24T11:41:00.000-08:00

Hi all - wishing you a very Merry Christmas, peace, joy and good health in the New Year. If you don't celebrate Christmas, then just skip straight to the peace, joy and good health wishes :) This photo was taken earlier this month at sunrise, shortly after dropping my son off at school, and just before heading to work, a moment of delight in the start of a new day.

Somehow the crazy rush of the closing of the year left me a little overwhelmed in it's wake, hence no blog posts at all in recent weeks. Today I'm off work, making lists and checking them twice, slowly moving forward. Of-course even when blogging faltered, life did not, so the usual jumble of work, crafting, cooking, broken down cars, laundry and life-in-general continued in it's predictable and somewhat reassuring pattern. This is a little something I made for a Secret Sister this year, an ATC which was tucked into a little ATC collection album and placed in the (hopefully) capable hands of the postal service.

Supplies: Tim Holtz (ticket stamp and die cut,
rosette die, music tape, distress stickles),
Prima (flowers and leaf), K&Company (snowflake brad)

Time to listen once again to Kermit and his fuzzy buddies singing 'one more sleep til Christmas', make tags, wrap gifts, make one more run to the grocery store, and let visions of sugar plums dance in our heads.

To see what other Skywatchers found when looked up and out, click HERE

Blessings to one and all.

Dia De Los Muertos - Day of the Dead

2010-10-31T13:38:00.000-07:00

It's just about my favorite holiday, Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead. Every year at this time everyone else is getting excited about Halloween, and I do like Halloween, but I LOVE DDLM.

This year I joined some friends in a swap - make a DDLM shrine and mail it out, mine went to Jeri in Texas, and receive one, I received this fab shrine (click on the link to see Shelly's shrine) from Shelly in Illinois. Thanks Shelly! So here's what I've been playing with lately, it's a cigar box enjoying a new lease on life.

The picture on the front is 'La Calavera Catrina' ('The Elegant Skull'), she's a zinc etching made by Mexican printmaker José Guadalupe Posada in 1913, and she always reminds me of my grandmother, Miriam. Nana was a great fan of beautiful hats with flowers on them, and rarely left the house without one. She was also very creative, I've been taking some printmaking classes lately and I'm certain Nana would approve. I'll have to tell her all about it when I have a tea party for los muertos on DDLM :)

Inside - a riot, a fiesta, lots of colors, lots of characters, including a stamped nicho with the inimitable Frida Kahlo. This is no time for restraint or editing, go to town, paint it red, then glitter it too! I hope Jeri enjoys it as much as I enjoyed making it.

So have yourself a fiesta, remember those whom you loved that have passed to the other side, but not with tears or longing, remember them with love, with laughter, with their favorite food and drink, play some music, light some candles, bring in some flowers and photos, and party like los muertos who are visiting you for this brief, wonderful celebration of life.

World Card Making Day

2010-10-02T18:31:00.000-07:00

Hi All - I must start off with an apology for being such a total blog-slacker lately, life is a whirlwind and I'm feeling a bit dazed :) Still here though, still working & playing, thinking & doing, cooking & eating, reading & writing, living life.

Today is World Card Making Day - did you know that already? Did you make some cards today? Feel free to post a link to your card creations in your comment. This is a card I made recently for a friend's birthday. I made a slew of cards during the week but was working behind schedule (no, I can hear you say, surely not leaving things til the last minute - you??) and posted them off without taking pics. Did I mention the whirlwind effect happening around here lately?

Here are some links to wonderful places that also treasure paper creations -
Darkroom Door
Stamps, papers, and assorted goodness, this link is to the blog, you can link from there to shop

Upon a Fold
Be sure to visit the shop too - the Message Burger just has to be seen to be believed!

Inkurable Stampers
Sarah's fun challenge blog with a new idea each month and lots of fun inspiration, prizes too!

Moxie Fab World
See what's new and exciting out there, sometimes a challenge, sometimes there's a prize/gift just for leaving some feedback.

Happy World Card Making Day my friends, keep doing that voodoo that you do so well :)

Skywatch Friday - Catalina Casino

2010-09-24T21:11:00.000-07:00

Catalina Casino, Avalon, CA

Work is pretty intense most of the time, which made it all the more fun when our CEO sent the team to Catalina for a day last week. Wow, what a great way to spend a Friday, not a phone, computer or printer in sight, gotta love that :) This is the view from the ferry as we departed from sunny Catalina. Thanks Michael!

To see what the other Skywatchers are looking at, click HERE
Thanks for visiting.

Word Freak

2010-09-15T20:22:00.000-07:00

Illuminated text, Getty Center, Los Angeles

Can you be a blogger and NOT be a word freak? I don't know what compels / propels most bloggers, but I suspect most of us are in some way slavishly devoted to the written or spoken word, or perhaps just to expression. Even if you don't love etymology (let's just call it a love of language, a passion for the root meaning of words) or linguistics, you most likely have some form of compulsion to express yourself using the written word. Even reluctant bloggers are driven by a desire to express their love of their blog topic, to the point that they will overcome any reluctance to publish their inner workings (and some don't suffer from that reluctance in the smallest amount).So, blog peeps, can you imagine my delight when I was reading an article online in the New York Times, and discovered that if you double click on a word, a question mark appears, and if you click on the question mark the definition of that word will magically appear, along with synonyms? Oh, major word freak happiness. For a thesaurus nut, a dictionary addict, this is just TOO good to believe!

Vintage books, scored in used book store, Zurich

For my eighth birthday my parents gave me a hard-cover 'pocket' Oxford Dictionary (doesn't fit in any pocket I have ever experienced) and a Dymo label-maker. This makes me wonder - was I already a word freak, and that's why they gave me those gifts, or did they create a word freak? I don't know the answer to that question, I suspect I was already a mini word-freak, but I can say for certain that I do still own a passion for the thesaurus and a devotion to dictionaries, love of the written and the spoken word. This extends into a love of foreign languages and signs too.

Language as a tool
Tea Garden - Tiger Snake Sign, Western Australia

I have two teenagers, and I'm in awe of the tools at their disposal when it comes to homework. They don't have to ask their Mum for a ride to the library to research anything, they can use the dictionary and thesaurus in the word processing software (don't get me started on my high school typing lessons, using a typewriter, and no correction fluid - no, thanks, I'm not actually a dinosaur), they can research any topic you care to name with the click of a button - how wonderful that is! Not only does it save me from evening and weekend runs to the library, it means I have those very same tools at my disposal too - just for fun!

Sometimes it's the same in any language -
Keep Off The Grass people!!
Sign at Temple, Huangzhou, China

Are you a word freak? If not, what compels / propels you?

Bart's Books, Ojai, California

Skywatch - ArtZone 798

2010-09-04T19:26:00.000-07:00

This is the only blue sky I saw whilst in Beijing - but what a sky it was! Blazing sunshine as a backdrop to some very progressive and funky art in the 798 ArtZone, aka Dashanzi. Have I mentioned how lousy Air China is? Well, after being delayed on my flights into China, thereby missing connections and nearly missing my brother's wedding (the only thing that got me there was some majorly stubborn behavior and pleading on my part, some surprising kindness from United Airlines, and begrudging compliance from Air China, with whom I was ticketed), they delayed my flight out of Shanghai to Beijing, and, yes, missed my connection to get back home, thereby missing both July 4th fireworks and time with my family before heading back to work. Adding insult to injury they put me in a truly terrible, mouldy (yes, visible mould), and in all ways unpleasant airport hotel that was quite something to see. My only recourse? To get out of there, and see something I had missed and wanted to see in Beijing, Artzone 798.

This place is a gem - artist studios, cafes, and art installments in a former communist factory zone. The art installments are epic, the studios are a delight, and the cafes are so worth a visit. If you've seen the historic sights, and have an extra day to burn in Beijing, this is the place to go. As it happens, it's quite close to the airport. I will be posting more pics from the ArtZone, but for now, I loved this flying lion, unexpectedly placed on a rooftop, shining gloriously against the bright blue sky.

My apologies for a slightly bitter post, but I promised the people at Air China I would write about their horrible customer service, over and over again. Did I mention that they refused to reimburse me for losing my luggage for over 2 days after they had said they would reimburse if it was lost for more than 24 hours?? Yes, that would be lost luggage when I had to go to a wedding, with none of my clothes, personal belongings or gifts. Thanks Air China.

To see what more felicitous Skywatchers were looking at, click HERE.
P.S. Feel free to share your own Air China or general travel sob story here ...

Skywatch - Rooflines

2010-08-21T09:41:00.000-07:00

Temple of Heaven, Beijing

Often when I'm sky-gazing, I also enjoy the 'frame' for the sky - tree branches, roof-lines, windows. Never more so than in China, where architecture old and new is constructed with imagination and creativity. The newest buildings often have fascinating design elements at their crown, and the oldest, well, they are a treasure to behold. I fell in love with the ancient guardians on the imperial rooftops, they are different on each building, with more figures on the buildings where more important functions took place.

Forbidden City, Beijing

I couldn't quite figure out the little man riding on a bird at the front of the roof, my brother and I speculated that this was perhaps a chicken-horse, hmm, highly suspect! Turns out it represents a man riding on a phoenix, some say he was a minion who overstepped his authority and was hanged for treason from the eaves of a building, others that he is a faithful servant of the emperor. I have no clue, but there he is riding his phoenix on the roof :)

Guard Post, Great Wall of China

In addition to the creatures I fully expect to see on an Imperial roof, such as dragons, lions, and dogs, there were others I couldn't fathom out, but a little research tells me these were wind-and-storm-summoning fish, auspicious seahorse, and heavenly horse. The Chinese use of lyrical language really enchanted me, I'm left with a desire to read Chinese poetry and literature just to experience their beautiful use of language, but that will have to be translated versions, because unlike my brother Richard I don't speak, read or write Chinese (except for ni hao - hello, and xie xie, thank you). My brother Jamie had a good go at speaking Chinese when we were there, and he did pretty well!

At the Yu-Yuan gardens in Shanghai there was an officers pavillion that had little warriors on the roof, and a pair of large dragons encircling the wall of the officer's garden, not to entered lightly!

To see what the rest of the world is looking at when they look up and out, visit Skywatch. Thanks for visiting, wishing you a wonderful weekend.

A Little Tag and a Scoop of Nostalgia

2010-08-01T15:47:00.000-07:00

Stamp Credits: Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous (background),
Stampin' Up (sewing machine / text).
Misc - Nestabilities die cuts (peony & scalloped oval),
Tattered Angels glimmer mist,
pages from vintage French romantic prose,
Tim Holtz Idea-ology (initial K), TH Distress Inks (Ranger),
sewing doo-dads and lace from my Grandmother's sewing basket

I have the great good fortune to share online space with some very dear friends, some of whom I've never met in person (yet). I feel very lucky to have connected with like-minded souls through message boards, blogs, and online sites. Years ago a group of crafters and artists who connected online at a stamping message board formed our own online group where we could share arty adventures and mail swaps.

In addition to our creative endeavours, we've shared many of life's ups and downs, dramas and triumphs, some of us have met up in person, and some have yet to meet. This little tag was made for a 'mingle' in that group - a mingle is like a mini-swap, all you do is make one item in the theme of the swap and mail it to the next person on the list, sweet and simple. My swap partner's initial is "K".

Even the smallest project is fun to get into. This time I wanted to stick with a sewing theme, so I dug into my Grandmother's sewing basket stash. I knew I wanted some black fasteners and hooks, and I had a hunch I'd find some in Nana's thrifty sewing supplies - even the smallest items were saved, as evidenced by the tiny worn pieces of card I found with fasteners, hooks and eyes attached - saved inside the old box from Hamblin 'Opticians by Appointment' (that means to royalty of some sort, in this case the three crests were for H.M. Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother; His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh; and The Late Queen Mary.)

Countless years ago a pair of eyeglasses would have been housed in the box, and since nothing went to waste the box was re-used to store sewing supplies. How old is the box? I have no idea, but the telephone number was only 4 digits, and telegrams could be sent to the same number, that's pretty old! Thanks Nana, knew I could count on you:)

Renegade Craft Fair - Los Angeles

2010-07-25T10:41:00.000-07:00

This weekend some mega crafty fun is going on in Los Angeles - the Renegade Craft Fair. Penny, Nell and I jumped on the Metro Rail to venture into Chinatown and visit the fair. It was my first Metro Rail outing, and will definitely not be my last - the trains and the stations were clean and super easy to navigate, free parking for the car, and tons of very fun public art at each station - it was wonderful. We were even rewarded at the fair with a free issue of Juxtapoz magazine just for using public transport to get there!

Of-course we had to have some Dim Sum at Ocean Seafood to fortify us for the adventure, how could you be so close to Chinatown and not have dim sum? After a feast, and the joyous bustle of dim sum carts, chopsticks and lively conversation in many languages all around us, we wandered back through Chinatown to the craft fair.

Nell and Penny at Ocean Seafood

Free admission, tons of vendors, craft booths, photo booth, DJ, all set in a park, so apart from the crafties there were people having picnics and flying kites, sitting under shady trees, walking dogs - everyone from young single trendies to families with strollers to senior citizens, it was a delight.

Some of my fave sights were these recycled and repurposed treasures from Make Shop Live, the punched bottlecap/flower/button earrings were fun, the vinyl record accessory stands really stole my heart - was it just the vinyl, or the sewing spools in the construction? Hard to say, they were just so cool.I fell in love with the repurposed silverware at Monkeys Always Look - not just the silverware pieces themselves, but the creative and charming displays - split peas, bread tin, graters, crates, all used to great effect.I found "Famous $5.00 Earrings" at GemJunkie - seriously great value and very fun designs ($5 necklaces too) - buy 4 items and they gave a 5th item free. Just before we left Penny steered me back to LemonBird Jams - oh-my-goodness, to die for deliciousness - home made jams, honeys, marmalade, and herbal/spiced sea salts - do yourself a favor and check them out. The free samples were temptation beyond belief.

Penny and I had a go at the Renegade Owl look, Nell wisely declined the opportunity.

I picked up lots of cards from fascinating crafters - letterpress, jewelry, felting, sewing, bookbinding, screenprinting, you name it, someone was doing it. I'll post some links to those another time. We finished our time at the show making Gocco-print seed packets, and sitting on a comfy couch in the UrbanCraftCenter booth, reading zines (I fell in love with "I Hate This Part of Texas 5" - it actually has nothing to do with Texas at all) waiting for a raffle drawing - Penny won a very cool grab bag filled with fun crafty playthings. We wandered back to the metro station, took the Gold-Red-Blue-Green lines, and found our way home via connecting stations including the always impressive Union Station in downtown Los Angeles. Ah, what a lovely day.

Chinatown Metro Rail Station

Looking Up - Beijing

2010-07-18T22:56:00.000-07:00

Painted Portal in the Hutongs, Beijing

When wandering around places that are new to me, and even those I know well, I try to look up (and down, but more about that another time) to make sure I'm seeing all there is to see.

Ceiling in the Forbidden City, Beijing

In Beijing there is plenty to see when you look up - here are a few examples.

Ceiling in the Temple of Heaven, Beijing

As you go about your business this week, try to look up, and notice the things that otherwise might just pass you by.

Covered walkway at the Temple of Heaven, Beijing

I concluded that China must have been a very busy place for artisans, although they would have spent a lot of time up ladders and laying on trestles a la Michealangelo. I suppose it's still a busy place for artists - someone must be restoring these amazing works of art.

Roofline at the Llama Temple, Beijing

Did you discover any treasures along your path that you hadn't noticed before?

Skywatch Friday - Hangzhou

2010-07-09T19:31:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday friends, how are things with you? I had the most wonderful opportunity to travel to China, just got back to California this week, and have over 580 photos to take a look at. Here's one for Skywatch Friday - the beautiful lake at Hangzhou. In the distance the 'Broken Bridge', so named because in the thawing from winter, the snow melts on the sunny side first, and it looks like the bridge is broken. I do love to see the sky framed by trees and/or water, so this was a great sight for me. The green bank to the left of the bridge is a massive bed of lotus, simply amazing. Hangzhou was very hot and steamy-humid, nevertheless there were plenty of people walking around the lake, and crossing the bridge, with their umbrellas up for shade.

To see what others found when they looked up to the sky, check HERE.

What a Day!

2010-06-24T00:14:00.001-07:00

Well, what a day for Australia! Highs and lows all 'round. The Socceroos won their game in the World Cup, but still have to go home because of the points/goals balance. Kevin Rudd, the Primeminister of the country stood down (NOT soccer related :) and Julia Gillard, a woman, and a red-head (that's very important :) is the new Primeminister of Australia - our first ever female in that role.

C. Getty Images

Winners and losers, sometimes you're both a winner and a loser in one day, in one breath. Here's to giving it your all. Thanks Socceroos, for making a little magic today.

Let's Hear it for The Boys

2010-06-22T06:37:00.000-07:00

Stamp Credits: Stampin' Up! (background and tools)
Tim Holtz 'Stampers Anonymous' (checkered background)

Hope all the Dads out there had a happy Father's Day - we had a mellow day, with phone calls to the UK where they also celebrate Father's Day in June. My Dad is in Australia, so we celebrate Father's Day in September. It's a little confusing, Mother's Day falls on the same day in May in the US and Australia, but is in March in the UK. My kiddos have grandparents in Australia and the UK. All I know is that we have to make sure we don't miss the day, on whichever continent it's being celebrated!

What country are you in? How did you celebrate Father's Day (and when?).

Have a great week :)

Football Crazy, Football Mad (World Cup Soccer)

2010-06-12T09:45:00.000-07:00

Two posts in two days? Wow :) Usually a mild mannered creative type, I turn into a mad fan when world sports events take place - this time the World Cup in South Africa. I will watch every game I possibly can, I just LOVE it!! Today, it's England v USA, tomorrow my boys the Socceroos (Australia) v Germany, ah, what a great weekend!

Required elements for a soccer/football fan? Passion - for the game, for the players, for your country - just bring your passion and you'll be in great shape. Wear your colors, maybe some face paint, some people even go for body paint - I won't post those photos, you can Google them :) These guys are passionate about the Socceroos -

Wayne Rooney is passionate about England (and they are passionate about him - one way or the other)

Not to seem too shallow, but part of the sport these days seems to be showing off your abs, and who am I to complain about that? After scoring a goal many players will take off their shirt, these two make a habit of it, and if I were in such great shape I might just do the same thing -

Didier Drogba (Cote D'Ivoire) &
Christiano Ronaldo (Portugal)

Harry Kewell (Australia)

My fave ab guy of all time can't play this time due to an injury, but he's over there attending the games and supporting his team.

David Beckham (England)

So - pick a team, grab a flag, and get into The Beautiful Game.

Skywatch Friday - Signs

2010-06-11T06:39:00.000-07:00

Welcome Friday, how I do love you! The gateway to the weekend, what is it about Friday that feels so magical? Since Friday means Skywatch, here's a photo from Zurich, I love these old signs that tell not only the name of the business, but it's nature also. I'm thinking this one is a locksmith? I loved the way it framed the sky.

This one is metalwork and definitely keys too :) The courtyard was full of wrought iron work, very beautiful.

Pretzels anyone? A little beer with that pretzel? Can do. Lucerne is home to many of these signs, and amazing murals too.

How about fish? The ornate metalwork makes a great window on the sky.

Happy Friday everyone - to see what other skywatchers are looking at please visit HERE.

Play Dates, UFOs and a Bite to Eat

2010-05-31T14:40:00.000-07:00

My friend Penny threw her home open for a crafty play date on Saturday. After looking at just how much stuff I'd have to haul around if I went with paper projects, I decided to take lighter weight beading and sewing supplies along, and see what came out of it. The little felty circles above are UFOs (un-finished objects) - I have no idea what they'll become, but I'm thinking something floral on a larger background. The buttons are just resting there to see if they 'fit'. One thing is clear, I need some yellow felt and/or yellow buttons, I don't use a lot of yellow and clearly failed to see the need for it when I was buying felt. Originally I bought the felt long ago to make a tea-cosy, so maybe these wonky little UFOs will end up on a tea-cosy someday.

I had made some blue earrings a while back after falling in love with a pair that I'd seen online, last week I lost one of the earrings (how DOES that happen??). Luckily I had extra beads and fixings, so I made a new pair. Don't you love that seaglass type of blue? The beads are chalcedony, I love them in an entirely obsessive way! I hope the original earring will turn up someday under a sofa cushion or something silly like that. I'm thinking perhaps a necklace would make a nice companion for these earrings, need to work on that.

Since I was already playing with beads I made a green pair of earrings too, I have a long term love affair with green, it's my permanent partner in all things wearable. I had very limited supplies with me, so they are super simple, using whatever came to hand at the time. Penny was painting up a pair of doc martens to make some altered (wearable) shoes, and some 'I might be illegal' pins; Monica was cutting thrifted t-shirts into strips, stretching and winding into t-yarn balls to add to her very fab looking crocheted rug; Jennice was crocheting fine wire for jewelry making - very intricate and so cool! We chatted as we worked, and snacked on samosas, dhal and rice, jalebi, cookies and exotic organic spiced chocolate. Thanks Penny for a wonderful day, so much appreciated.

Today is a holiday here in the USA - Memorial Day - so I made the most of an extra day at home and baked some cheese scones for breakfast. My son loves these, so they are at least half gone now. I need to remember how easy it is to put a batch of scones together - so quick and delicious! I also roasted some eggplant to make baba ghanouj, very garlicky - yum!

Wishing you all a very happy Memorial Day - hope you have a great day, and remember those who gave their lives in service.

Link to Zoe's Blog Candy

2010-05-29T08:13:00.000-07:00

Wishing everyone a happy Memorial Day weekend, I do LOVE a 3 day weekend. Now that Saturday is here, I had the chance to do a little blog-hopping, one thing led to another and I followed a link to Zoe's "Make it Crafty" blog. Zoe has some wonderful projects and is giving away some pretty eye-popping blog-candy (Copics anyone??).

Zoe asks which of three projects is your favorite, mine is definitely this pop-up card - I love the way the tree trunk is coloured in, and the little 3D leaves on the tree, very fun.

If you'd like to enter for a chance to win the blog candy, click HERE.

Have a great weekend!

The Attainment of Peace ...

2010-05-24T06:01:00.000-07:00

Stamp credits: Judikins floral 'Bollilo',
Stampin' Up text and solid circles,
Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz sequin waste background

Just a super simple little card to share today. Life is a bit of a whirlwind right now, mostly work, and although I have plenty of time on the weekends to create, it's just not happening, my motivation is on vacation! This card had to be made and mailed in a hurry, so I took the photo in the parking structure at work, on the cinder block wall, with the wind gusting and threatening to blow the little card away. I'm feeling a bit like that myself, that a strong gust of wind might just untether me, need to get more grounded and into my usual peaceful state of mind. Any great tips on how to achieve that??

Catching Up - Cave of Pages

2010-05-16T14:59:00.000-07:00

I mentioned a class I had taken, taking a cigar box and turning it into a 'Cave of Pages', here are some pics of the project. It was very fun to take all sorts of materials, having no idea of where it would end up, and pulling it all together in a day long workshop. I had a few bits heading into the project that I knew I wanted to use, an old photo of a pretty dapper looking bloke which I copied in two sizes, some pages from old medical books including a Polish pediatric text book (thanks to my friend Mary, a medical librarian, who knows my penchant for wierd old books), an altoid tin, a watch crystal, and the inner workings of an old clock. Where on earth did my stack of cigar boxes go?? Never mind, stop at the smoke shop on the way down the hill - bingo, a 'Romeo y Julietta' cigar box, the only empty one for sale, $3.00 - score! The edges were too pretty to cover up, so you can still see them on the finished project.

Along the way I found more old bits in the way that you do when the planets are aligned and karma is delivering the universe on a plate - an ephemera pack that the kind Zinnia folks gave us at the class had a medical diagram in it, one of the people I was sharing a table with gave me a 'frozen charlotte' doll (she was perfectly broken, he had bought a whole suitcase of them on Ebay, they arrived from Dresden with the dirt still on them, having been dug up from the back lot of the old factory where they were made), a little piece found in Zinnia before the class, some treasures found in little tins from a secret sister swap (thanks Kris!). The 'cave' is made by cutting foamboard to fit inside the box in layers, then cutting out peepholes to see through, very fun!Paint and glue, drills and wire, hammers and nails, screws and more glue - it all started to come together. I had just finished reading an astounding book called "My Lobotomy" by Howard Dully, the true story of how he was subjected to a lobotomy at the age of 12 - yes, 12 years old! This book was much on my mind, more particularly power and the abuse of it that can happen in the medical world, and how children can be the helpless pawns in the process. Twisted, dark, that's just how it all worked out, I was skipping along a sunny path to the class when it all went a little south. So with the Polish pediatric text, and the broken china doll from Germany, and that photo of the dapper gent, it somehow became about the medical tests and experiments that were done on children in WWII. Mind you, Howard Dully's case was right here in the USA, these things can happen just anywhere you care to name.

Back into the sunshine - the workshop was a wonderful experience, sharing a day making art with a group of like-minded individuals, the generosity and insight of our fearless leader Michael de Meng, and the end-of-the-day review of everyone's work, it's incredible what a range of fabulous projects came out of the group. Thank you universe for another great experience, and many thanks my family for giving me the class as my birthday gift.

Procrastination and Creation

2010-05-02T15:39:00.000-07:00

Ah, procrastination, my nemesis. I have become so overwhelmed by the things I need to do that I've pretty much ground to a halt, unable to move forward with even the smallest of 'things to do' due to the large number of 'things to do' hanging over my head. Who is to blame for this mess? Well, that would be me.

Finally today I wrote myself a note on a scrap of paper on my desk - Holy procrastination Batman! Stop thinking and DO something, anything! OK, I answered myself, fine, I will - so I walked away from the time-sucking computer and got out some paints, my unfinished project from a recent Michael de Meng class, my trusty and very neglected Moleskine journal (the watercolor paper one), a rippable dictionary and thesaurus, some catalogs that have been sitting around cluttering up the place, and some assorted bits and bobs.

Commitment issues - I tested two pencils on a page near the back of the journal to see which one erases best :) I mentioned this on a prior journal post, but if you want to erase pencil marks you need to do it BEFORE you add your paint wash. I'm just sayin' ... Also, you'll notice in the first photo that I use very cheapo crummy brushes - all the better to mix paint, spread glue, gel medium, mod podge, and other assorted paintbrush sins, they are very forgiving and very freeing - when they finally get clogged up and die I don't feel at all guilty about retiring them (hopefully for use in another altered / recycled / bookbinding project ...)

Job #1 - finish the Cave of Pages project .... OK, no, start a journal page about procrastination :) Yes, even I can see the irony here, but I really needed to clear that major mental block that was going on. Mixing paints and splashing them about, don't think, just DO, aah - that feels better. While I worked on these pages, I also finished up the Cave of Pages project, but more about that later this week (ha, procrastinator!). So, I laid down a wash on each page - watery blues and greens for page 1, warm 'uszhhh' for page 2 (Michael de Meng has a black/gold blend he calls 'the uszhhh' - it's the usual, the color he usually uses) - I like the wuszhhh, a warm version of the uszhhh that's made with Quinachrodone Gold and Van Dyke Brown, so the wuszhhh is my uszhhh.

Page 1 is about being a procrastinator, thinking things through to the point that I don't get anything done, but it also evolved into deciding to be kinder to myself - wow, I was starting to call myself some rotten names and being very mean to myself. I'm very kind and compassionate to others, why not to myself? Good question, ease up. I used some bubble wrap to lift off some color on the corner of the page, and paper towel to lift a little color on the darker green, I like the way it looked a bit like water in the end, especially since my little turtle was putting her head outside the shell, coming up for air, that would be me.

Page 2 is about the class, paint mixes that we learned about, a little playing and a little writing, directions to Zinnia, the very fun store where the class was held. If you live in SoCal you owe yourself a little trip to Zinnia, it's a treasure trove of goodies. Since it's in South Pasadena, you can combine your Zinnia field trip with a visit to the Norton Simon Museum, the Gamble House, or the Huntington Library, or visit one of Pasadena's many tea houses for high tea, all wonderful places to spend a day.

Many thanks to the kind people at UHU - they sent me a product sample to try out. This colored glue stick was perfect for journal pages, it's high tack, so it sticks fast, even with glossy magazine / catalog pages, and I could see where it was already applied. The color fades to clear as the glue dries, very cool. It's acid free, so good for scrapbooking too. Yesterday was National Scrapbooking Day but I'm not scrapping, just journaling.

Have a great week friends, and remember to be kind to yourself!

Calendaritis

2010-04-25T14:34:00.000-07:00

Elephants never forget ... but I might
Stamps: Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous,
Stampin' Up! (greeting)

I think I'm suffering from Calendaritis - this is where you have so much going on that every day there's at least one event/deadline you have to get to, and you need to look at your calendar just to figure out where you're supposed to be and what you're supposed to be doing, quite outside of daily obligations like work, school, meals, laundry - oh, don't even get me started about laundry...

What on earth have I been up to? Well, let's see ...
Laundry - both the washer and dryer packed up a couple of weeks ago. After some spare parts and much tinkering they are both functional again, although they remain on the long list of things around here that would be replaced if only I could find the $ to do it. I love and hate the machines, but today it's mostly love, as they are working and I'm washing, drying, folding, loving the smell of clean laundry (they are rattling and whining, or it would be total love).

Birthday flowers - yes, I have chalked up another year on this earth, these lovely flowers were from the peeps at work. I'm enjoying the passage of days and years, and feel very grateful to be enjoying seeing my children growing up, feeling like my own person, blooming where I'm planted, getting by. OK, I did spend an hour or so of my birthday at the laundromat because the washer at home was working, but not the dryer. The upside was that the kiddos came with me, and we got that stuff folded lickety-split.

Flynn's Confirmation - yay, he made it, and we're all done :) What a wonderful experience this was, a truly moving service and two years of preparation fulfilled. So many events in the weeks leading up to the actual confirmation meant almost daily there was either a class, a church service, or a project, but, breathing now, we're done. For the first time since Molly was three years old there are no extra education / youth programs / altar serving / choir performances, both Molly and Flynn have completed the process and now we can just be our own family going to Mass and sharing that time. I love it. I'm very grateful to the teachers, leaders and administrators who worked so hard to make this happen - thank you!

A class with Michael deMeng - what a great experience. Michael is very generous with his knowledge, techniques, humour and music, you can bring your 'how do I get this to do that' questions with you and they'll be answered (paint on plastic / metal? No problemo!). This piece is still a work in progress, not much left to do, but those finishing touches are important to me, it's not done until I feel it's done, and that's that :) We transformed a cigar box and assorted ephemera into a 'Cave of Pages'. I'll post some photos soonish ...

The Eagles at The Hollywood Bowl - I'm a lifelong fan of The Eagles, so a dream come true night out this week was a bus ride out to the Hollywood Bowl, some cheapo seats, and the show of a lifetime, they are AMAZING!! The beauty of the Bowl is that you can always get some cheap seats up near the back, so most events become affordable even when you don't have a lot of dinero about.
Having had pricier seats in the boxes at the front many years ago when we weren't so stretched for money, I have to say that I actually prefer the cheapo seats - from up there you can see the
entire bowl, the surrounding hills, the rest of the crowd, framed by starry skies - you get a sense of the unique and wonderful setting. The guys did comment on the fact that it was super-cold (Joe Walsh - "I'm freezin'!" - dude, you're moving around!, we're freezing!! - and that is was 4/20 - the scent of skunk weed started as soon as the music did, they noted the waft of aromas from the audience with a wink). Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Timothy B. Schmidt, and the inimitable Mr. Joe Walsh (they called it the 'Assisted Living' tour, but I think they're actually getting younger, or at least aging on a slower schedule than the rest of us) were in fine form and played the whole show, no opening act - they were the opening, second act, and encore - sigh. The harmonies and the musicianship were awe inspiring - only J.D. Souther and could have made it more perfect. Happy now.

Flynn was sick last week, 3 doctor's visits later he seems to be improving, although still not 100%. Today was a total delight - Sunday, no appointments, no rushing around. just taking care of business here at home. Order of business -
Put on some music to motivate me (this time, Santana). The kids smile knowingly when I have music blasting, it means I'm fully engaged in something, be it art, cleaning up, cooking or creating - today a little of each.

Breakfast - toast and Vegemite, hot Milo - could this Aus-fest be due to the fact that it's Anzac Day back home? Or maybe it was becuase I looked at these blogs - Emily Falconbridge and Nicole - both of these creative gals are living in the area of my old home in the hills outside Perth, Western Australia. I'm SO homesick!! Need a soundtrack for Anzac Day? Try Eric Bogle's "The Band Played Waltzing Matilda". I used to go to see the parades when possible, and as Eric says 'year after year, those old men disappear'. I met an amazing bloke, Herbert Hoddy, one year - he had been gassed in WWI, lost his vision, half a hand, a part of his foot, and two brothers, he was quite something, I hope I never forget his name or the time I spent with him. He was blind, I was waiting at a bus stop in Perth and saw him searching around, so I helped him to the bus stop, and was honored to hear his story as we waited. Remember those who served. I'm opposed to war, but I believe those who serve deserve respect. Contradiction? Yes, but you'll have to deal with it, that's the way life is. Shades of grey.

Laundry - we already talked about this, there's a lot of catching up to do, and I love starting the week with clean, folded, fresh clothes, sheets and towels for everyone. I'm no domestic diva, as my very messy, shabby home will attest, but I do love clean laundry :)
A little blog time, a little sorting out, a little music, a little food, it's a whole lot of wonderful to me.

Phew - after not posting for so long I'm afraid I've wittered on forever. Hope you have a great week!

The Gathering Storm (pre work adventures)

2010-04-09T19:13:00.001-07:00

This sunrise on a stormy day totally captivated me, that huge cloud in the center seemed full of light, and reflected very yellow in the ocean. Even though I was on my way to work, I couldn't resist pulling over to try to capture it. This view is facing west, with the sun rising over the peninsula behind me.

Despite my best efforts, with my little point-and-shoot elph, I really didn't capture the effect of that luminous cloud , but you can see the yellow swathe of light on the water. I can still recall the feeling of the blustery pre-storm wind, and the freshness of the air, the wonder of the scene, and the fun of going in to work a little windswept, a tad dishevelled, very enlivened by my early morning oceanside moment on the cliffs. It made me wonder - why don't I do that more often?? It's very perilous to spend our lives rushing from one appointment to the next - look at the wonders we can miss along the way!

This last photo is my favorite of the three. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Standing on the edge of a cliff in the gathering storm? Part of life's daily call to adventure.

To see what others around the planet saw when they looked up and out, check out Skywatch Friday.
Wishing you a wonderful weekend.

Happy Easter Peeples!

2010-04-01T18:44:00.001-07:00

"Creating a Masterpeeps" by Phyllis Mayes

Happy Easter to everyone. Have you ever seen the Washington Post Peeps Show contest? Each year they host a contest to make a diorama using Peeps, showing a pop culture reference - current event, big news story, movie, book, theater - anything you can think of. The entries are hilarious, and a great time capsule. Here are this year's entries - Washington Post Peeps Show IV

It should be said that Peeps are a uniquely American/Canadian item, before I arrived here I had never seen, heard of, or tasted Peeps. Indeed, for many years I just passed them in the grocery store without thinking much more than "what on earth are THOSE things??". The answer is brightly colored bunny or chick shaped marshmallows, an Easter tradition here, and now appearing for other holidays as well. They really held no allure for me until my friend Tracy introduced me to the Washington Post Peeps Show diorama contest. Hilarious!!

My fave entry this year? "Creating a Masterpeeps" by Phyllis Mayes, I love all the little details, including the different artists renditions of peeps on the walls (magritte, picasso, etc.) , the bunny life model (Phyllis is an artist and a life model), and the oh-so-cool bunnypeep skeleton. Past faves include Reservoir Peeps, Peepsters Kill Room (Dexter!) ... hmm, I guess I like the creepy peeps :)

Peeps Show III
Peeps Show II
Peeps Show I

Happy Easter peeples :)

Flutterby

2010-03-24T06:56:00.000-07:00

So, life carries on, and hope springs eternal. Here's a little butterfly card that winged it's way across the ocean to the UK. Not a whole lot of stamping here, since the butterfly is a Cuttlebug creation. I might be the last papercrafter on earth to finally try some core'dination cardstock - it's fun stuff! I embossed the butterfly with texture and then sanded it to uncover the different colored core of the cardstock, popped the wings up on pop-dots, and off she flew.

Stamps: Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonmyous (flowers/flourishes)
Stampin' Up (text)
Die cuts and texture folder: Provocraft Cuttlebug
Bling: Kaisercraft

Now I must fly off to work - have a great week!

A Flash of a Firefly in the Night

2010-03-21T21:41:00.000-07:00

I caught this moody sunset sky leaving work one evening, impressively fiery and dark, like a painting by Turner. We had a dinner last night for one of our leaders who was chief of staff this past two years. Carrie, the executive assistant for the CEO, organized the dinner. A good time was had by all, beautiful Carrie left to drive home, had an accident on the way, and died. Life is fleeting, make every day count. Do you need to hear this again - don't drink and drive, hand over those keys and let someone else guide you home, the life you save may be your own.

What is life? It is a flash of a firefly in the night.
It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime.
It is the little shadow which runs across the grass
and loses itself in the sunset.: Crowfoot's Last Words, Blackfoot Warrior, 1890

The Joys of Spring

2010-03-14T16:29:00.000-07:00

Some little birds are nesting in this jasmine vine,
they're so sweet!

Full of the joys of spring? After a case of the blahs, I'm starting to feel the effect of sunshine and birdsong, it's been a perfect spring day here today. Life has been busy, and inbetween busy-ness I've been content to stay home and just veg when all the necessary 'stuff' is taken care of. Yesterday I went to a local rubber stamp convention, today I finally got to the point of dragging out stamps and paper - so good to get inky again. This little spring tag is going in the mail to an online stamping buddy, better late than never ...

Fun little house diagram from Wendy Vecchi
Stampers Anonymous

Molly is taking a nursing course so we had a flurry of must-haves to take care of - white shoes, uniforms, background checks, text books, CPR course fee, blood pressure cuff and stethoscope. Naturally we all had to have our blood pressure taken as test subjects. At first it seemed I might officially be a member of the living dead, with no pulse to be found, but luckily my pulse was located and my blood pressure approved :) My rep as a Zombie Mum is laid to rest.

Flynn is in the final stages of preparation for Confirmation, so there have been classes, church services, and service projects. We had an amazing experience on the big service project, and it was dedicated to the memory of our friend Joe Kelly - a very fitting tribute.

Wishing you a wonderful week!

Stamps by Wendy Vecchi (house diagram),
Tim Holtz (bird, backgrounds and borders), Stampin' Up! (nest).
Ranger Distress Inks, Martha Stewart border punch
vintage French text from the used book store
Ribbon from Dashes and Dots (Michaels)
Cuttlebug texture plate, Tattered Angel Glimmermists

Feeding Your Spirit

2010-02-17T20:23:00.000-08:00

“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed. — Albert Einstein”

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. I used to be all about what to give up for Lent, but in recent years I prefer to divine what I'm going to DO for Lent. Focusing on building a good habit, strengthening my spiritual side, giving back to the community, spending time with my family. Lent is a time for reflection and meditative focus (prayer is just one type of meditative focus, you can choose any route that works for you), regardless of your faith practices it's a great time to walk a spiritual path and realign yourself with what is truly important in life. Here's a fun site that will be posting inspiration and spiritual exercises each day -
Fast, Pray, Give - Busted Halo
There's no need to enter for the daily/weekly gifts, I don't plan to do that myself, but I do like the quotes, the articles, and the spiritual exercises. The quote above is from the site, here are today's exercises:

Fast from rushing through your day without noticing the beauty around you.

Pray that God might show you something beautiful that you hadn’t noticed before.

Give some time to enjoy a piece of art or a nature scene.

Today at work there was a labyrinth walk, it was great to walk the labyrinth and drill down to what I'd like to focus on this lenten season. Here's to taking time to breathe, and feed the spirit.
How do you hope to feed your spirit this year?

Splat!

2010-02-14T22:43:00.001-08:00

Stamp Credits - Stampin' Up!
Other: Glimmer Mist (Tiger Lily), Kaisercraft gems
Spellbinders Nestabilities die-cut

Remember how fun it was in kindergarten to splatter paint? That's what these glimmer mists are like - spray and splatter and see what happens. The result is shimmery glimmery painted goodness, so much fun. These are super simple, monochromatic, monosyllabic cards, following the KISS principle (keep it simple sue!).

Applying that principle to life? Well, it's more of a challenge, but I'm trying, with varying degrees of success . . .

Dude!

2010-02-07T11:12:00.000-08:00

I guess it's being a woman that makes making cards for men a little more challenging - what do guys like? Do they care about silly cards anyway? Could you just go to the store for a card? The answers are depends, yes, and no, in that order (well, you could go to the store, if you didn't hand make your cards for everyone else...). The fact is that receiving a card tells that person you care, you thought about them, it's a communication of good intent, and if it's personalized to their interests, likes or preferences, then it's more than the sum of it's parts. I just try to keep the ribbons, lace and girly stuff out of the picture when I'm making cards for the dudes.

Stamp Credits: Stampin' Up! and Magenta/Crafty Individuals
Ranger Distress Ink

What makes this special to the person who received it? A personal touch - a postmark from Camden, where the recipient of this card was born, and the background which has tickets for taking a dog on the bus to Castlefinn, or a bicycle to Donegal, where his grandparents are from. No need to get frilly or fluffy, but it's great to personalize wherever possible - encoding a card or project with a secret symbol, a favorite color or hobby, a personal message that only they might recognize. I kept it simple, but you can add some buttons, watch gears, pen nibs, washers or hardware if you're so inclined :)

So, let's hear it for the guys, the yang to our yin, and here's to finding balance and peace somehow in that arrangement, because life's too short to spend it battling with the boys.

Feeling the Love ... ?

2010-01-31T12:41:00.000-08:00

Stamp Credits: Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous - vintage letter,
Stampin' Up! - heart and quote
Other: Vintage book pages (repurposed),
Martha Stewart lace punch,
Tim Holtz Distress Inks (Ranger)

A little valentine card, using a template from A Year in Cards on Two Peas in a Bucket. Are you feeling the love? The winter lurgy seems to have hit the house, leaving a couple of us the worse for wear. I'm struggling to get back on top of everything, there's a rhythm to our life that is usually in balance, after a couple of weeks of being off rhythm I need to get it back in motion, recover the yin and yang of it all. Days are flying by, and January is over already, how did this happen?

My lasting love affair with Moleskine continues to deepen and grow, aided and abetted by stuff like this -

How adorable is that?? Surely with an aid like this I can keep track of the days of 2010 as they parade past? You would think so, but already I've reduced my postings to mere 'what' and 'when' instead of 'how' and 'why' - I'm determined to make a solid attempt at writing SOMETHING each day, going a little beyond the what and when. I need to revive my art journal too, there's something about the act of writing that illuminates somehow, sheds a little light on the how and why of it all.

How's 2010 going for you so far? Are you ready for February? I say 'bring it on!' because here it comes, ready or not :)

Show Me A Sign

2010-01-26T20:36:00.000-08:00

Looking for signs, trying to find motivation here, what to do? How about a mini trip down memory lane? Works for me :) Off to Milan! Hop on a bike - they have plenty to rent - you can pick them up and drop them off at any bike rank in the city. Handy to have a bike rack next to the Gelateria, Italians know how to live.

What do you get when you put gelato and crepes together? A 'Gelacreperia' - truly, can you believe it? I love it :)

Did you know they have canals in Milan? I didn't, until we had a lovely evening out alongside this canal.Where do you wander to when you need a lift? Ever take an armchair vacation? Thanks to my friends for nudging me to post, nice to know you're out there.

2010-01-10T09:00:00.001-08:00

Bad blogger, no post since New Year's Day? The year is off to a roaring start, how is it that every single year I think 'this time I'll take it all in and make each day count'? To be fair, each day DOES count, they just sometimes whizz by at an alarming rate :)

Stamp Credits: Stampin' Up!, Stickles glitter
Cuttlebug Background, Nestabilities die cuts

This card was made for someone I work with, her mother passed away just before Christmas. I think most cardmakers will agree with me that sympathy cards are just the hardest to make - I don't want to end up sounding like a Hallmark card (ack! did I mention the H word here??), I don't want the cards to be dark and dreary, I just want to communicate care, thoughts, prayers. Sometimes that means the cards just don't get made, but this time it's done and I'm thinking of making some more to have on hand, so I don't have this total angst session every time a sympathy card is called for. So the year starts as it must, beginnings and endings, ebb and flow.

Thought for the day?
Make Each Day Count

Skywatch Friday - Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T21:10:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year - happy new decade too! As usual it's a time for looking both forwards and backwards - reflecting on a year gone by, looking ahead to the year to come.

Como

Plans and dreams, hopes and prayers, it's all part of the scenery on new year's day. I'm the average human, hoping for good, preparing for whatever comes, who knows what the year holds in store? Probably the usual mix of good and bad, blessings and that which we must overcome in order to survive.

Soave

Part of my looking back includes an extraordinary trip in summer. My family lives far away, so I don't see them very often, and our own circumstances are such that we're financially challenged most of the time. In 2009 my parents and brothers pooled their frequent flyer miles to purchase tickets to get us to Switzerland, where my brother Richard now lives. He loaned us his car to go to Italy, just a hop, skip and a jump away. My love affair with Italy is ongoing, and the fire was stoked all over again by this visit.

Verona

When we got to Milan my brother Jamie and his friend hosted us and completely spoiled us. It would be impossible to overstate how generous and kind they all were in taking care of us, making this trip possible, and making it SO much fun. These Italian sky photos are all framed by amazing structures, Italy is something to behold, and these hot, humid skies smiled on us for the whole trip.

Piazza San Marco, Venice

I'm thankful for a year of wonders, and looking forward to the year to come. Last night we looked out on a HUGE full moon, a blue moon as it happens, but I'm not even going to attempt capturing night skies on camera. To see what other skywatchers find when they look up and out, check out Skywatch Friday. Happy New Year everyone. Here it comes - ready or not!

Venice - taken from the ferry as we left

Toolin' Around ...

2009-12-29T16:54:00.000-08:00

Is there life after the holidays? Sure there is! We now resume our regularly scheduled programming - birthdays, get well, thank you and sympathy cards, they all have a place in the year-round parade of the expected and the unexpected. My Dad had surgery in December, so this card (above) was dispatched to Australia for him, he's a tool collector so it seemed fitting. While I had the stamps out I made a couple of these (below) to have on hand for other tool dudes as the need arises. I kept them very flat, as much as I love to add hardware and fun stuff to cards, the post office is getting more and more finicky about how lumpy and bumpy an envelope can be to go in the mail. The measuring tape ribbon and twill added a bit of fun without a lot of weight, lumps or bumps.

Stamp Credits: Stampin' Up!

That reminds me, I need to find that stamp that says 'she who has the most stamps wins' - I might be a contender for that award :)

Prince of Peace

2009-12-25T13:18:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to everyone! We've had a great morning, now we're in that very pleasant space between gifts and food prep - kick back and relax. Thoroughly enjoyed midnight mass last night, we arrived early and found they had a choral performance going on, I have no idea what time it started, but it was a great way to wait for the liturgy and slow down to take in the real meaning of all this hoopla. Several times during the service Christ was referred to as the 'Prince of Peace' - what a wonderful expression.

Watching my favorite holiday films again this season, I stumbled on Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life" and was taken with it all over again. That film is a masterpiece, and young Jimmy Stewart - how cute is he?? The message of the film bears repeating - when you see what the world is like if he had never been born - you make a difference in the lives of those around you, never doubt it.

Wishing you peace, how was your holiday?

One More Sleep

2009-12-24T11:49:00.001-08:00

One more sleep 'til the big guy squeezes down the chimney! I'm still wrapping, enjoying a day off work, pulling it all together. My children are teenagers now, and although the years of wonder and awe are behind us, I have to say it's really fun having Christmas with them as partners in the process, I'm loving it.

Stamp Credits: Stampin' Up!
Glitter Embossing Powder - Judikins
Cuttlebug Background, Spellbinders Nestabilities die cuts

Wishing you all a very happy time together with friends and loved ones. Peace, joy, health and happiness to each and every one.

Peace on Earth

2009-12-17T06:07:00.000-08:00

Stamp credits: Purple Onion Designs
Spellbinders Nestabilities 'Peony' die cut
Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist, Ranger Distress Inks

My favorite word at this time of, and all year round, is 'Peace'. This is a little banner made for my holiday Secret Sister, I hope she'll enjoy it as a holiday decoration, and perhaps year round. Despite the rising tide of to-do lists, I'm trying to maintain a peaceful outlook and interior. This too shall pass! Secret Sister package assembled and mailed, check. Through the power of the post office tracking system I also know it's been delivered. Now that aids my inner peace :)

I used some pages from an old book of 'French Romantic Prose' - no idea what the pages say, hopefully it's not racy :) I found the book at a local used book store that's closing down, I'm sad to see it go, but you can find them online now 'Encore Books'.

I have a girlfriend arriving today to spend a couple of days here, she's a California girl but now lives in England, I can't wait to see her. She's a friend from way back when, and it seems like when we get together all we do is laugh. It's so good to hang out with an old friend, we have history. Wishing you a weekend of peace, laughter, and reconnecting.

Merry & Bright

2009-12-12T15:46:00.000-08:00

Stampin' Up stamps, ribbon and oval punches

Cuttlebug background, Stickles glitter
Spellbinders 'Nestabilities' diecut frames

I'm slowly getting over the 'Bah Humbugs' and getting on board with the holiday spirit - cold rainy days and hot cups of tea are helping immensely. It's not so much that I don't like Christmas, because I do, honest, it's just that this year, and for the past few years, I've been feeling more and more disenchanted with the commercialism that seems to run rampant at this time of year. Seriously, stores and parking lots were decorated for Christmas right around Halloween, what's up with that? I can't even imagine how people who don't celebrate Christmas must feel about all this madness.

A sprinkle of glitter

I'm feeling more like getting back to simple - home cooking, home made, home centered holidays. Less fuss about the shopping, and more effort to spend time together, enjoy simple pleasures, and remember the reason for the season. So, I'm having fun doing a little baking (not much, I'm more a cook than a baker, although I made a pretty good batch of lemon shortbread last week if I do say so myself), a lot of crafting, and a ton of cardmaking. Playing some seasonal tunes, and feeling a little bit of the holiday glow. I've arranged to have Christmas Eve off work so I'll be able to enjoy the day with my kiddos (yes, they're pretty grown up now, we can graduate to Midnight Mass instead of the earlier children's service), and I'm glad the holiday falls on a weekend this year so I won't have to go to work on Boxing Day, since it's not an observed holiday over here.

A little twinkly bling

Hmm, I still sound pretty grumpy and grinchy, must get over that and bring on the merry and bright :) How do you get into the holiday spirit?

Holiday Countdown Projects and Giveaways

2009-12-05T09:40:00.000-08:00

Just a quickie here, to say that I finally have to cave and start feeling (or fake it 'til I make it) some of the 'holiday spirit' - time for Christmas music, a little decoration, some serious card and gift making, a little baking. Time to dust off the holiday music playlist from the archives, a pinch of punk, a bit of blues, a sprinkle of swing, a little of whatever else, hope you enjoy it. Luckily for me some very creative people are really getting into the festive spirit and have posted holiday countdowns - tags, cards, gifts, wrapping, images and projects galore - some of them are even giving away crafty swag. I've listed them at the top of the sidebar to the right, and might have more to add as I cruise blogland. Feel free to share links to holiday crafting projects in your comments too, the more the merrier.

Skywatch Friday - Engelberg

2009-12-04T06:42:00.000-08:00

Back to Switzerland today, down memory lane to a wonderful summer afternoon in Engelberg. We went en masse to meet up with old family friends Hans and Rita, and their family - a friendship expanded into the next two generations and very happily so. At first I thought my brother was leading us, literally and figuratively, up the garden path. He texted us to keep driving past the sealed road, up the gravel road, park in the forest, find the path, keep walking, just a little longer, nearly there ... I was quite convinced he and the gang were in a comfy pub down in the village, laughing at Jamie, Willie and I trekking up a mountain!! As it happened though, a charming Rosti house materialized and there, as promised, were food, libations, family and friends - we had the most wonderful lunch of Rosti and a mushroom ragout I will never be able to replicate.Yesterday my Dad had a hip replacement surgery. For all my grumbling about the walk and the heat, that mountain climb was far more painful for my father whose hip and leg were hurting much more than he let on. How cute do he and my Mum look with those very Swiss hiking aids? After an amazing meal and great fellowship, we all wandered back down the mountain along forested paths, over the river via sturdy wooden bridges, back to the leafy parking lot to rescue the cars, into the village for tea at a cafe - a little food, a little exercise, a lot of love.

Happy trails to you. To see what other Skywatchers around the planet are seeing when they look up and out, visit Skywatch Friday.

Flower Power (aka "but what does it DO?")

2009-11-28T11:11:00.000-08:00

Those of you who know me well are already aware that I'm obsessive, I never met a craft I didn't see value in, and I can't walk past a bargain. Meet the culmination of all three - crocheted flowers.How did this happen? Well, I went to a discount designer goods store, you know the kind of place - overstock and miscalculations from retailers that go into an 'everything under one roof' type of store, everything you don't need but will probably take home with you, I came in here for one specific thing and I'm leaving with a bag full of stuff that doesn't even remotely resemble what I came in here for, that kind of place. The kind of place I should NOT be allowed near. So, I went in for something very reasonable (can't even recall what that was ...) and came out with this charming book, bargain priced at $4.99, and a couple of balls of funky yarn/fibers that were practically thrown in free.Well, I'm so determined lately to USE what I own, not just collect. Believe it or not I'm actually clearing out the accumulated clutter from 20+ years of living in the same home (I know, you don't believe me, but it's true). So, if you own a crochet book and some funky yarn, you will need some crochet hooks, correct? I searched through my grandmothers legacy of crafting goodness left to me, but found no hooks (she had lots, but they must have gone to another home for crafty goodness). A stop at the craft store after work yielded the necessary crochet hooks (oh yes, plural, you can't buy just one), one more ball of yarn (which has turned out to be my favourite, and yes, it was on sale, how did you guess??), and a growing enthusiasm for this insane project. I should mention at this point that I have not touched crochet in decades , since a particularly awkward attempt when I was a Girl Guide, seriously, DECADES ago!!

Thursday was Thanksgiving, devoted to food prep and massive feasting, which I dutifully did (both). The Friday after Thanksgiving is full of traditions, some go shopping, camping outside the stores all night - so NOT for me, thank you; some go walking to work off that feasting - not this time, thanks; some clean house and put up Christmas decorations - I did some light household tasks, but I'm absolutely not putting up Christmas decorations this early; what's left? I made bubble and squeak with the roastie leftovers, that's a given around here, what next? How about a PJ crafty arty day, hot cups of tea and nibbling on holiday leftovers while the shoppers are out beating each other to bargains, fighting for parking space and elbowing their fellow human beings out of the way? Sounds perfect, what shall I do? Why, make crocheted flowers of course!

Do you remember that ancient Star Trek episode where Captain Kirk ends up covered in Tribbles? That's pretty much what happened around here - one flower turned into several, then many. They are mutliplying rapidly, I'm in love!! Double flowers, single flowers, large petals, lacy petals, stacked flowers one atop the next. After quite a few flowers had appeared the question was asked by another member of the household - "what do you DO with them?". Um, I'm just wondering about that myself.

Stacked flowers

Clearly they have no function, they are decorative, whimsical, embellishments, frosting on the cake of life. William Morris is quoted as saying "have nothing in your home that you do not believe to be functional or beautiful" - I'm working on that, but these will still be in the picture as they fall into the 'beautiful' category. I'm thinking they will make pretty brooches, possibly with vintage pins or buttons in the center, great additions to journal covers, good embellishments on purchased scarves and hats or even tea cosies, the book shows them on tank tops and towels, I picture them on upcycled clothing and hand made totes ... they are quite possibly the flowers that will take over the world. What would you do with them, any suggestions?

Skywatch Friday - Burano

2009-11-20T06:17:00.000-08:00

Bright colors, humid heat, intricate lace work, friendly locals, warm memories, that was Burano. Did I dream of living in a colorful home with a rooftop patio overlooking a canal? You betcha.

To see what other Skywatchers are looking at around the planet, visit Skywatch Friday.

Remembering Joe Kelly

2009-11-16T19:38:00.000-08:00

Joe Kelly - spring in his step, twinkle in his eye, unmistakeable Dublin brogue. At age 44 our friend Joe decided to spring no more, twinkle no longer, his very lovely lilting, lively and engaging conversations came to an end. Joe was overwhelmed and ended his own life on Monday, November 9, 2009.

We will miss Joe's lively gait, most unique and fun to see. Joe arrived in a flow of energy that was electric.

We will miss Joe's bright conversation, the light that shone in him when history, music, faith or travel were up for discussion.

We will miss Joe's gentle forgiveness and faith, he reminded everyone that we are human, frail and faulty, no matter, for all is forgiven. Thank goodness for that.

Joe, inveterate volounteer - guide to Kilmainham Gaol, reservist in Ireland, Confirmation leader in California, search and rescue member, provender to homeless and seekers. Joe sought ways to be of service to his community, and was determined in his attendance and reliability.

We will miss Joe.
A friend,
a leader,
a light.
God bless you, Joseph Kelly.

Happily Ever After

2009-11-15T14:19:00.000-08:00

My beautiful niece Sarah was married in England on Saturday. Once again we're on the opposite side of the planet, but we hear a very good time was had by all, and hope Sarah and Thomas feel all our love and blessings being sent from here. Aren't they a cute couple?

Here's Sarah with her sister (and bridesmaid) Lucy - gorgeous girls!

British postal strikes being what they are, I just hope the card arrives this year :) Thanks for stopping by - have you witnessed any wildly romantic events lately?

Card Credits:
Patterned paper - Basic Grey
Paper flower - Cuttlebug/Spellbinders Nestabilities (Peony), pages from vintage French romantic literature book, spritzed with Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist.
Brad, pearl, text stamp and frame - Stampin' Up!
Kaisercraft bling

Skywatch Friday - Zug Sunsets

2009-11-05T20:32:00.000-08:00

We shall find peace.
We shall hear the angels,
we shall see the sky sparkling with diamonds.
Anton Checkhov

From my brother's balcony, you can see the most beautiful view of Zug lake, and it seems that every day the view is different. I don't think I'd ever tire of looking out from that balcony and seeing what each day would bring. Here are two Zug sunsets - one blue, one red, both beautiful.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!
To see what others see
when they look up and out around the planet,
check out Skywatch Friday

Fiesta! Dia de los Muertos

2009-11-01T16:12:00.000-08:00

Catrina, the universal Abuelita (little grandmother)
of Dia de los Muertos, isn't she jolly?
Her hat reminds me of my grandmothers,
they both loved a good hat!

What is my preoccupation with Dia de los Muertos? I think it springs from living here in Southern California for so long, being exposed to the celebrations and coming to understand it a little better, I just love this tradition. On Dia de los Muertos you honor your family members and loved ones who have passed, by remembering them, celebrating their life, setting out an 'altar' (offerenda) with photos of them, food and items they loved, so their spirit comes to visit again. There are flowers (marigolds), traditional food (pan de muerto, or 'bread of the dead'), traditional music and dance (folklorico), gathering at the cemetary to visit with those who have gone ahead, some very fun and funky art featuring skeletons (calaveras) acting as they did in life - dancing, eating, playing music and being merry, and wonderful parades in costumes and make-up.

Some time back I found some great fabrics to play with, I have made a journal cover with a little of the fabric, but mostly I've hoarded it - I need to break down and make something with it!

My friend Hope gave me this cool skull for my birthday, she knows how much I love DDLM and correctly thought I'd love this too. It sits on top of my computer armoire, keeping me company year-round, I love the cheerful smile :)

Imagine my surprise, and yes, total delight, in Switzerland this summer when I found these cases displayed in the monastery church at Engleberg! These are skeletons decked out most beautifully in silver and diamante brooches, even the eyes are diamantes, with ornately tooled silver adorned cases. I wasn't able to find out who they are, although I'd guess they are either past priests or saints, preserved for all time.

In Italy you see a lot of relics in glass cases in the churches, but they are usually clothed and masked, these are the only ones I saw in Switzerland at all, and certainly the only ones with the bones exposed that I've seen anywhere. I loved all the jewelled adornments, wow!! There are rows and rows of jewelled 'brooches' in the cases below the skeletons too. I'm thinking that maybe they're like the silver hearts I saw in Italy, all offered in thanks for miracles and favors bestowed by the saints/venerated.

To see my past ramblings about Dia de los Muertos, including the fabric journal cover, just click HERE and scroll down.

Playing!

2009-10-28T20:07:00.001-07:00

Stamp credits: Magenta (Crafty Individuals), Stampin' Up!
Papers - Basic Grey, Cardstock - Stampin' Up!

Thanks to some recent challenges on a stamping message board, I played around with ink, stamps and paper this weekend, and the results were surprising to me! I ended up using bright, happy colors, AND bright happy stamps - wow!

I started by stamping the image on several brightly coloured papers ...

... then paper pieced them by cutting out the butterflies and postmarks, and assembling them. It's fiddly doing the cutting out, but meditative, then playing around with colour placement is just plain fun. The butterflies are glued only along the body, so the wings are free flying.

Thanks for stopping by, wishing you joy. Have you taken time to just play lately?

Walkies

2009-10-25T07:57:00.000-07:00

Stamp Credits: Text - Darkroom Door,
Leaves - Stampin'Up!

I love the quote on this card, and find it so true; In all things of nature there is something of the marvellous. That Aristotle fellow knew what he was talking about!

I'm about to go walking with friends, which is uplifting in so many ways. To talk and laugh together, maybe even grumble together at times, is a balm to the spirit. Being outdoors is inspiring in any season, but for me, particularly so in Autumn/Fall. The crisp freshness of the air, contrast of colors (even here in Southern California), there's a particular beauty to this season. So I'm off to go tramping along the cliffs, maybe even down the steep paths to the rocky beach, which means a heart starter climb back up those same cliffside trails - all the better to get this lazy bod moving and motivated for the week to come. Adios Amigas!

Skywatch Friday - Real Weather!

2009-10-22T22:05:00.000-07:00

Cloud Convention - storm rolling in

Those of you in places that have 'real weather' on a regular basis please don't laugh at this - we had REAL weather in Southern California this past week! Real clouds, real wind, real rain - it's all so REAL! OK, not freezing, and yes, we're back to blue skies and sunshine now, but in the interim it was fun to wrap up warm, dodge the rain, talk about the weather, and trash-talk all those crazy people who just can't drive in wet weather :)

Sunrise - see those little black clouds scudding in from the right?
They were moving so fast!

I would have loved to take more photos as the storm rolled in, but alas I had to go to work. To see what other Skywatchers are looking at when they look up and out, click HERE

Stamptoberfest '09

2009-10-17T23:27:00.000-07:00

Stamp Credits: Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous

If you like to stamp you'll want to check out the challenges at Two Peas in a Bucket for Stamptoberfest '09 - lots of creative ideas to get you good and inky. This pennant was made for Nancy's pennant/banner challenge.

I had great fun breaking out the Halloween stamps, and lots of orange/brown products like distress ink, distress stickles, glimmer mist, diamantes and patterned paper, also some pages from a vintage Russian book I found here at a used book store that is, sadly, closing it's doors for good and always.

Since the book was fairly damaged (the cover) I don't feel too bad about tearing out pages, it also helps that it cost me only $2.50USD - I look on it as giving the book a new life, my little bit of repurposing to aid in the global recycling project.

What's Brewin' ?

2009-10-11T11:00:00.000-07:00

Stamp Credits: Stampin' Up!
Cuttlebug background, Martha Stewart punch

Isn't there almost always something brewing? Even on the quietest day, there's something in the works. This little card was made for a stamping message board, they posted a tutorial on using markers for stamping, so I adapted a pumpkin card to turn out this one. I don't use my markers a whole lot these days, so it was fun to break them out for a little exercise. For me, the cups are full of tea, since there's almost always a pot of tea brewing at my home, but possibly they contain hot cocoa, coffee, or even a mocha, depending on your preference :)

What's brewing at my house this weekend? Well, my living room looks like a furniture store - DD cleared out her room yesterday and pulled out the bunk bed, so until my friend comes by to pick it up I'm living in a furniture store (OK, so when I was younger I did think about living in a furniture store, they're so cool, but now, I'm over it - get rid of that bed!). When the old bed is gone it's time to get her a "grown-up bed" - she's 18, the bunk beds really did have their day :)

My son needs to go to a school activity later today, and I'm supposed to meet a friend - just waiting for a message to tell me what time (she has her own stuff brewing and we're working on her clock this time around). In the meantime I've been brewing up ideas for a felted tea cosy, some cards, and I need to pick up my quilting again. Apart from that? Church, laundry, groceries, cooking, homework (mine), you know the drill, the usual weekend stuff.

I also need to put music back on the blog, the speakers (or perhaps the sound card) on my 'puter are kaput, that's a really bad thing for me, I do love to have some music going on. I deleted the old music and now I can't road test anything new - I may try to build a playlist on my son's computer and transfer it, or perhaps I'll just post an older one. So, playlists are brewing too.

What's brewing at your end of the world?

Skywatch Friday - Lucerne

2009-10-09T21:06:00.000-07:00

Lamp Post, Lucerne, Switzerland

Are you tired of vacation photos yet? There's a whole lot more to come, I guess you just have more time to play around with cameras on vacation! This is an afternoon in Lucerne, we had a great time walking around the old-town, I liked the old lamps and buildings - wonderful stuff.

The Footbridge in Lucerne, Switzerland

We met up with my Mum, Dad and Uncle in Lucerne, here's what they looked like when we arrived, pretty normal right? ...

... and here's what I made them do :) Thanks for being good sports - love you!

Three Wise Monkeys
Uncle Chris, Mum & Dad

Happy Friday - to see what other Skywatchers around the planet are looking at when they look up and out, click HERE. Thanks for checking in :)

Make a Wish

2009-10-05T22:21:00.000-07:00

Stamp Credits: Stampin' Up!
Cuttlebug background, Nestabilities dies

Ever have one of 'those' weeks? We're still only on Monday and it's got 'that' feel to it! So here's a cheery little KISS card (keep it simple stampers!), making a wish, and hoping for a more promising week after a slightly rough start - a girl can hope, right? What do you wish for today?

Looking on the brighter side, there's a crisp coolness in the air here, pumpkins and Halloween decorations are appearing in the neighborhood, amid other signs of autumn one of my favourite celebrations is coming - Dia de los Muertos. More on that later :)

Uh oh, now I mentioned looking on the bright side, I have Monty Python lyrics running through my head ...

Skywatch Friday - Zugerberg

2009-10-02T19:50:00.000-07:00

Holding back the tide - it seems like Skywatch Friday actually starts on Thursday, thanks in part to international time zones, and in part to those who are thinking about Friday on Thursday, and somewhat to those who just stay ahead of the game. For me, a perennial procrastinator and 'live in the moment' type of gal, Friday starts on Friday, and since I'm out the door by 6:30am most times, it really starts on Friday night when the work day is done, I'm home, possibly a glass of wine nearby, and the pleasant prospect of Saturday (with no specified start time) ahead of me. That's exactly the situation I find myself in now. ..

... so, what will I post for skywatch? The magnificent fogbank rolling onshore over the California coast earlier today? The full moon hanging in the sky over the harbour right now? No, I'm going with a very fond memory of our summer, the sky over the lake, and over a very classic Swiss home, both taken from Zugerberg.

Happy Friday! To see what other Skywatchers view when they look up and out, check HERE.

Attitude of Gratitude

2009-09-26T14:49:00.001-07:00

Stamp Credits: Darkroom Door

Tim Holtz mini mask and Distress Inks
Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist (Tiger Lily)

One of my fave types of card to make is a thank you card. I'm grateful every day for a life full of blessings, even on the most trying of days there's plenty to be grateful for. My life is full of challenges, sometimes it's overwhelming, but in the middle of it all I still feel we are blessed. I'm great at thinking thankful thoughts, I'm good at saying thank you, but I'm really SLOW when it comes to making cards and posting them out. I'm blessed with an abundance of the procrastination gene.

For this card I used some text torn from a book I found in Switzerland, we were in the German-speaking part of the country, so it was fun to pick up some German books to play with. I tore a page into strips and sprayed it with Glimmer Mist - it has an amazing glow to it that you really see when the card is at an angle, or in the light. More glimmer mist on the finished card, I like the random splatter painted look it gives. Can I capture the shimmer and shine on camera? No, I certainly can't, as you can see :) Click on the picture to see it a little larger.

While I was on vacation, Aussie Scrap Source posted some of my projects using Stampers Anonymous (Tim Holtz Collection) - thanks girls! It was fun to see my projects featured, along with some by Rachel Greig, my Aussie friend who is the genius behind Darkroom Door. I'm grateful to Rach for sharing her wonderful stamps and paper goods, tons of fun to play with.

Hope you're enjoying the weekend, it's super hot here again, General Santa Ana is marching back into town just when I was getting all excited about Autumn. I picked up some sunflowers this week for the kitchen table, and a cute pumpkin. Bring on the cooler weather, I'm ready!

Memories (and Losing Them)

2009-09-21T06:19:00.000-07:00

Stamp Credits: Darkroom Door (flowers, text)
Stampers Anonymous (color burst), Judikins (crackle texture)

Trying to break out of my color comfort zone, I played around with orange a pink, a definite challenge for me :) The result was this birthday card for my niece, currently winging it's way over land and sea to reach her door, hopefully she'll like it, it was made with lots of love. There's a large postal strike imminent in her locale, but hopefully this will slip through ...

I can't claim to have done much over the weekend, but I was having a little memory lane wander back to Italy, so I made some bruschetta one evening, and caprese the next. I love the way a little glimpse, a sound, a taste or a scent can bring back memories in a heartbeat. Did you know that both bruschetta and caprese taste great for breakfast? Just a little research I was doing :)

My current challenge for the week? School, and homework - luckily for me I have a study-buddy at work who's taking the same course, after studying together we passed our first exam with flying colors. Phew! I swear my memory was MUCH better 20 years ago!

Skywatch Friday - Moonrise

2009-09-18T20:13:00.000-07:00

Moonrise over Immensee, Lake Zug

Goodness, is it Friday already?? What a week! Friday night and it's time to chill out, calm down, relax - what better way to do that than to remember a gentle evening in Immensee ...

Swan Lake

... laughing about the goofy music at a lovely al fresco restaurant, (one man, a keyboard, a heavy accent and some very outdated songs), watching the moon rise over the lake, and a family of swans paddling about in the water. Idyllic! Ah, that's better - we won't talk about the dance of the thousand spiders at all, OK?

Time to rest - settling down on the shore.

To see what other Skywatchers view when they look up and out, visit Skwatch Friday.

Time to Fly

2009-09-14T20:58:00.000-07:00

These projects were made using free digital images from Digital Two For Tuesday - many thanks to Cora for inviting me to be Guest Artist this week. Please visit Digital Two For Tuesday and take up the challenge to make something using either (or both) of the great images. Cora posts vintage images each week, you can download them at no charge and use them for your creative projects.

The journal page (above) came from reflecting on my own little nest, and my two fledglings getting ready to fly. I love seeing them become independent and testing out those wings.Thanks again Cora for a creative kick start!Stamp credits:
Journal page - Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous, Stampin' Up (alpha) and Purple Onion Designs (alpha).
Ranger Distress Inks
Card - Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous, Stampin' Up (text); Prima flower, Kaisercraft diamante; Nestabilities die cuts
Tag - Stampin' Up!, Nestabilities die cuts
Nest and birds images: Digital Two for Tuesday

The Lost Weekend - and Blog Candy Winner

2009-09-07T15:36:00.001-07:00

Blog Candy Collage Pack

I was so looking forward to this long weekend. Promised by the weather pundits a cooler weather weekend, I thought I'd get SO much done!! Ha! For starters the weather didn't cool off (those weather people lie!!), although today is better than it has been for a long time, so I guess I'll give the weather bloke 33% on that one, because one out of three aint bad, so Meat Loaf tells me.

Speaking of Meat Loaf, I played a 'best of 70s rock' CD the other day and there he was, belting out Bat Out of Hell, wow, it still sounds just as good as it did when I was 16 years old and EVERYONE had that tape in their car (no, not an 8 track, thanks very much, I'm not THAT old!).

Back to where I was, oh yes, the lost weekend. In addition to the hot weather, I had underestimated just how tired I was after the whole back to work, back to school, back to everything routine. So here I am on Monday afternoon, just like most Sunday afternoons, thinking about all those things I'd better get done before tomorrow morning :) I have thoroughly enjoyed three low-key days off.

Blog Candy Collage Pack Part Deaux

One of my things 'to do' was draw a winner for the blogiversary blog candy. Fortunately for that winner I found lots of little treats in my stash, in addition to the vintage book pages, map pieces and postage stamps. There's a loteria card, some colored cardstock tags, white stock tags on strings, a metal edged tag, some serviettes (that's cocktail napkins to the rest of you), acrylic tabs, blank filmstrips for altering, funky star shaped playing cards, embossed chipboard circle, Chinese Hong Bao/Lai See envelopes, tea tags, and the limited edition ATC made for the Darkroom Door challenge last week. What use is all that stuff? Hopefully the winner will find them useful for altered art, art journals, collage or just paper arts in general, I'm pretty sure you'll find something to do with all of it.

Many thanks to everyone who left messages and signed up to follow my humble little blog. SO who's the winner? That would be Tami B of Dapple Designs. Send me your address Tami and I'll get these in the mail to you this week.

Wishing you all a great week, with blue skies and a cool breeze (no matter what the weather bloke says!).

Challenging Times (and a challenge)

2009-08-30T14:11:00.000-07:00

After my challenge earlier in the week to work outside your comfort zone, I went about my week and didn't get very far with any kind of creative work. It was all about full time work (at the hospital), home-type work (laundry, meals, groceries, you know the drill), plain old homework (I just started a college class!), and no creative play!

Our Lady of Angels Cathedral, Los Angeles

Finally the weekend arrived and I went to Chinatown with girlfriends for Dim Sum, and a walk to Our Lady of Angels Cathedral in downtown Los Angeles. Dim Sum was delicious, as always, and the cathedral was fascinating - interesting to see such a modern house of worship after all the ancient ones in Europe (we appreciated the cool, air-conditioned calm after hiking up the very hot hill). On the way home my friend Ann and I stopped at a printer's fair - wow, lots of old printing presses, luscious hand-made and specialty papers, and tons of very cool letterpress projects from cards to books and bookbinding - lots of fun, but still no crafting time for me!

The bells at Our Lady of Angels Cathedral, Los Angeles

Today I'm at home, and in addition to homework, laundry and all the usual tasks to be completed before the work and school week starts (the kiddos are back to school this week - DS at high school, DD starting college) I was reminded of a challenge posted at Darkroom Door - create something using DD products and using only red, black and white. I love that color combo, but do you know hard it is not to add MORE colors?? I was strong, not even the tiniest bit of tan or brown to age the project! Check out the details of the challenge at the Darkroom Door Blog.

Stamps and Wordstrips: Darkroom Door
Ranger Distress Inks, Stickles & Distress Stickles

I'm adding one of these ATCs to my Blog Candy package, and pages from some of these vintage books that I found on my travels, take a look at this post for details on how to win it.

The books were so fun to hunt down in little shops and flea markets in Zurich, including a two volume set of Victor Hugo's "Hunchback of Notre Dame" in French - I don't think I'll be tearing pages out of the Hunchback books :)

Smoke from the wildfires in the mountains behind LA,
Chinatown Temple, Los Angeles

It's SO very hot here right now, we had local fire scares earlier in the week, the fires in the Angeles National Forrest are still burning. Everyone is hoping things will cool down soon. I need to focus and get my homework done for this class I'm taking, now that's a challenge!!

Skywatch Friday - Venice

2009-08-28T07:21:00.000-07:00

Skyline in Piazza San Marco, Venice, Italy

Blazing heat and blue skies, humidity and humanity - that was our time in Venice. It was so classically as you see it in print, press and the arts that it was almost too much to take in, what an astounding place! We had a great time being tourists, joining in the general wonderment and jumping on and off vaporettos and islands. I'd go back in a heartbeat.

Gondola moorings, Piazza San Marco, Venice, Italy

Check HERE to see what other Skywatchers are looking at when they look up and out.

Comfort Zones - A Little Challenge

2009-08-24T07:05:00.001-07:00

I was looking through some older journal pages over the weekend and found these - funny to see that I'm still facing the same challenge. The pages were about breaking out of comfort zones, in this case a color comfort zone. The pages reminded me that I still need to work on that, and that I have a lot of paint chips in my supply stash. Do you remember the paint chip fad? They are still the most reasonably priced art supply to be found - just visit your local hardware or paint store and pick up a few to play with, no charge!

Inside the coin envelope was a little text to remind me where my comfort zone lies - as if i would forget. This page is the colors I'm drawn to naturally ...... and this page is the colors I have to push myself to use, primary, pastels and bolds. Of-course it's fine to stay within your comfort zones, but it's interesting to see the results when you push yourself outside the zone too.

Stamp credits: Buzz and Bloom,
Paints: Twinkling H2Os,
Patterned Paper: Basic Grey,
Paint Chips: Hardware Store :)

So here's the challenge - try doing something outside your comfort zone this week, and post a link or a note here to let me know how that went for you. Could be using different colors in your art or quilting, trying a different pattern, cooking a meal using unusual ingredients, talking to someone if you're a quiet person, anything at all that takes you outside the norm, not to the point of raging discomfort, just a little nudge. I'll be giving it a go too.

Have a great, slightly out of the comfort zone, week.

Skywatch Friday - En Vacanze

2009-08-14T00:48:00.000-07:00

Rain & Rainbows

Still on vacation and having a great time. I visited Zurich yesterday and found some vintage books, including The Hunchback of Notre Dame in French, I don't think I'll tear pages out of that one :) The bells, the bells! Right now I hear cow bells AND church bells ringing, there are lots of bells here in Zug.

Sunburst Over Zugersee

We went to Italy for a few days, my love affair with Italy and all things Italian continues, no suprise there. Check HERE to see what others around the globe see when they look up and out.

For a chance to win blogiversary blog-candy see the post below. Ciao!

Wandering and Blog Candy

2009-08-03T04:09:00.000-07:00

Old Town Center, Zug, Switzerland

I'm on vacation, so probably will be posting about wanderings for a few weeks. Right now I'm in Zug, Switzerland, where one of my brothers lives, hanging out with family, such a treat. Yesterday we went over to Basel to see a Vincent Van Gogh exhibition, so AMAZING. Just because you can, we drove over the border to France for dinner :) I drove home from there, my first try at driving in Europe, it went pretty well, we got home safely, and passed no less than 8 rainbows on the way. I used to call this the land of yodelers, but I'm thinking now it's the land of rainbows!

Swiss Folk Band playing buckets, washboard (with whisks),

wooden spoons, rug beater bass on a blanket chest,

and a guest (lower right front) on the bottles (yes, wine bottles)

They even yodel and clog!

Saturday was 'Swiss National Day', very fun. Plenty of yodeling, sunshine, cowbells and green fields, this country is just beautiful. I'm stumbling around with very little German speaking skill, but the locals are very adept in their English, so with a little sign language and a lot of good will we're doing OK.

The Swiss Guard at Zug roundhouse-tower

- check out those medallions!

I realize that in the rush of leaving I was in transit over my Blogiversary, so I'm offering blog candy. It will be a mixture of collage items found on my travels in Switzerland and Italy, no clue exactly what that will include, but certainly you can expect newspapers in foreign text, hopefully some copies of old photos, tea tags and ephemera, postage stamps, maps and who knows what else. Just a mish mash, no major value, but if you like to play with paper it should be fun.

To win the blog candy you get an entry for each of the following:

Simply leave a comment on this post - do you like to travel? What's your fave place to go?

Post a link from your blog

OR if you don't have a blog, email a friend with a link

Door in Zug Rathause

Check in here on August 31 to see if you win the blog candy. Thanks for visiting, thanks for following, thanks for playing along.

Skywatch Friday - Go Fly A Kite

2009-07-24T06:52:00.001-07:00

A blue sky day in Southern California - I was fascinated with all these curved 'sail' kites - although you see only a few in this photo there were dozens along this very broad beach, very cool. Lots of surfers and sailboards too, just another sunny day in California.

Visit the SkyWatch blog to see what the sky is looking like far and wide around the planet.

Too Hot to Cook ... (CHA Peek)

2009-07-19T18:09:00.000-07:00

Stamper Anonymous / Tim Holtz
Displays at the RSC in Carson

It's WAY too hot to cook around here (don't fret, I'll be cooking anyhow) but even in extreme heat I had to make some cards today. Thanks to my son's loan of his PC I can show you what I've been up to.

Stamp Credits: Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous
Stampin' Up! (Text)
Ranger/Tim Holtz Distress Inks

These cards were made using stamps from Tim Holtz / Stamper's Anonymous new stamps, they'll be debuting at CHA, but were sneak-previewed at the 'Original Rubber Stamp Convention' in Carson this past weekend.

Stamp Credits: Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous
Ranger/Tim Holtz Distress Inks, Kaisercraft Bling

There was eye candy in every direction, lots of fun products coming out, and as usual the displays were fabulous. I like seeing what's out there, and how people are using it, lots of inspiration. Luckily for me, the Carson show is only about 15-20 minutes from my home, so I usually get over there to cruise around and see what's new.

Displays at Stampers Anonymous Booth - Tim Holtz

Molly and Flynn are visiting their uncle, my brother, in Switzerland right now - lucky ducks! My parents are there too, so they're exposed to way more family than they're used to right now. They'll be seeing even more family soon, but I'll tell you about that later :) At the end of this month I'll be packing my bags to join them, adventure awaits. Disclaimer - this is not my suitcase (but I wish it was :)

Stamper Anonymous / Tim Holtz

Displays at the RSC in Carson

Bad Man, Temptress and Tease!

2009-07-11T20:30:00.001-07:00

Ack, can't post pics today, but here's some eye candy for you:

Tim Holtz is a very bad man! Check out these new releases from Tim through Stamper's Anonymous. 'Nuff said.

Wendy Vecchi - grungeflower temptress! New stamps from Wendy through Stamper's Anonymous, you really have to see what Wendy does using her stamps and Tim's Grungepaper, amazing!

Rachel Greig is a major tease! Check out Rachel's Darkroom Door blog for her new releases - right now all you can see is the tins, but they're sure to contain some major goodness :) (Update - the new stamps and papers are posted - wow, they look great!)

I went to the Carson rubber stamp convention today and saw Tim and Wendy in action, so much fun. There's just too much tempation out there right now - lots of new stamps and great samples to get you thinking of new ways to play with rubber and ink. CHA is coming, and most paper arts companies are releasing new products. I'm not going to the Summer CHA, but I'm certainly tuning in to blogs and websites to see what's new on the scene. Stamper's Anonymous made their summer CHA products available at the convention today. Bring it on!

Zen Ruminations

2009-07-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

Stamp credits: Stampin' Up!, Hologram Sparkle EP Ranger Distress Inks (Tim Holtz)
Cuttlebug texture and die cuts

Zen wanderings:
If a blogger can't post to her blog, is she still a blogger?
If a creative person can't post their dabblings online, are they still creative?

I'd like to think the answer to both of these questions is 'yes', but I'm wondering about that - I've let the lack of a computer totally leave me blocked and stalled, it's a pretty interesting picture of how technology dependent I've become, or maybe it's just that without the blog I'm not journalling. I should experiment and resurrect my pen-and-paper journalling, maybe I'd be creative and have time to create since I wouldn't be glued to a computer... One of my favourite things is when the power goes out, at night, so you get out the candles, and you have to find ways to be entertained without TV, stereo or computer. Aha! Books, board games, playing instruments, good old fashioned conversation - they all become entertaining again once we're disconnected from our electrical friends. I think my household needs a 'virtual blackout' once a week so we all assemble in one space without the conversation killers of TV and computers, no wonder the art of face-to-face communication is dying.

So hard to capture the sparkle on camera ...

Not having my own computer is forcing me to explore features of blogger that I've ignored until now - like scheduling a post to appear on a later date. We'll see how that works out when this post appears (or fails to). For now, I'm wishing my Mum a happy birthday, with my thanks for being a very wonderful mother. The older I become the more I see and know, I've always been grateful for my very loving mother, but I know now that not everyone receives the same love, nurturing and care that my brothers and I were lucky enough to experience growing up. Thanks Mum!

Stamp credits: Stampin' Up!,

Stamper's Anonymous (Tim Holtz numbers),
Ranger - Distress Ink & Perfect Pearls (pearl and green),
KaiserCraft bling
(the camera doesn't capture the pearly shimmer on the tag ...)

So, back to Zen, what IS the sound of one hand clapping? How technology dependent have you become? This post was written on Saturday, and with the benificence of the internet powers-that-be will publish on Tuesday, can it really be? We'll see.

4th of July Sushi

2009-07-04T15:34:00.000-07:00

Part of the fun of a holiday is the traditional foods that go with the holiday, don't you think? For me, part of the 4th of July tradition is sushi. Before you think me totally lacking in the appropriate patriotic holiday sentiment, let me explain. We have a great 4th of July ceremony each year at The Korean Friendship Bell, a gift from the Republic of Korea for the American Bicentennial. It stands on the edge of our peninsula, overlooking the Pacific Ocean, in an elaborately painted pavillion, and is only rung on certain days of the year. The path to the pavillion is lined with the flags of each state, cheerfully flapping in the breezy sky, the overall effect is a dazzling display of color and charm.On the 4th of July there's a gathering of dignitaries from the USA and South Korea, a flag ceremony, invocation from a local pastor, the national anthem and several patriotic songs by local singers (including a cantor from the local Jewish temple), a benediction from a local Korean reverend, funny and moving speeches wishing the USA a happy birthday and hoping for reunification of Korea. At the end of the ceremony, the speeches, prayers and singing, the bell is rung 16 times - once for each of the 13 original states of the USA (the crowd shouts out the name of each state as the bell is rung) and three times for 'the peaceful and democratic reunification of Korea'. Unfortunately the Korean Consul couldn't make his scheduled appearance this year, one of his staffers stood in, the Consul was called to a meeting with the President thanks to some shifty behavior (aka rocket launches) by North Korea yesterday.

After all of this, a local Korean-American group hands out refreshments - water, sushi, chips and soda, something for everyone. Usually I subject the kiddos to their annual 'photo for mum' ordeal, but this year they escaped as my daughter is out in the desert dirt-bike riding, and my son had suffered enough after being dragged to my favorite way to celebrate Independence Day at an hour when he normally would have been rolling over for some more zzzzzs :)Still to come at our house - a more traditional US style BBQ, and watching fireworks from our deck (because we can see tons of them from up there, and I don't have to deal with crowds, parking, etc.). In my search for traditional fare - burgers and buns, apple pie, fresh fruit - I discovered a new fruit at Trader Joe's, well, new to me, called "Apriums" - yes, and apricot and plum hybrid - really delicious! The sun is blazing, blue skies shining, birds are singing - Happy 4th of July. Since this is truly a nation of immigrants, what better way to observe it than with a multi-national, multi-cultural, multi-faith celebration?

Speaking of the sky, check here to see what other skywatchers see when they look up and out: Skywatch Friday

This was the benediction at today's service, I'm a sucker for anything that ends with peace:

May The Lord bless you and keep you.

May the Lord make his face to shine upon you,

and be gracious to you.

May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you,

and give you peace.

How do you celebrate the holiday?

Prom & Graduation

2009-06-16T08:08:00.000-07:00

Computer problems continue, but here's a brief interlude provided courtesy of a borrowed 'puter. Long awaited photos of Molly going to prom and graduation! Since then the summer has begun in earnest, the kiddos are enjoying their downtime and free time, life is good. I'm working full time, so my impression of summer so far is just NOT having to blast them out of bed in the morning and chase down lunchbags and homework assignments - I'm sure they don't miss me waking them up, they are certainly enjoying staying up late at night, and I'm enjoying a more peaceful morning routine involving taking care of ONE person (moi) and leaving the household slumbering when I head off to work.This is my little chica and her BF on prom night. I loved seeing Molly all dolled up like this, she loved the dress, and her BF made sure his tie matched and all that good stuff. They looked so great heading off for the night out.

The Graduate before the ceremony, I think she's saying 'enough photos already mum' at this point. Doesn't this outfit just scream 'Hogwarts'? I think it's the crest that does it :)

Molly and her friend Taylor post-ceremony - they are SO happy to be done with school!

I have to say that this whole experience has made me realize how truly 'foreign' I am - I have no cultural reference at all for all this business of 'prom' and 'graduation', there are so many inherent traditions in this process that I'm totally clueless about. Nonetheless, I did my best to get clued in and make sure Molly enjoyed the once-in-a-lifetime experiences that high school graduation brings. I'm so proud of her, she's a lovely young woman and ready for the next steps of college and career.

Bring on the future, just one day at a time please!

2009-06-08T20:22:00.000-07:00

Apart from major computer aggravation (mine has died, RIP) things are clipping along at a very fast pace. Molly is graduating this week, work is crazy busy, and I had the most wonderful weekend taking a class with Michael de Meng (the weekend before last, slight delay in reporting due to said computer issues). This past weekend there was far less on the calendar, so I was able to spend time getting inky and painted, made a bunch of cards and finished my de Meng inspired frame.

This photo is my grandfather, he had the photo taken to send to my grandmother, who he was courting at the time. I turned up at the class with several different photos and bags of bits and pieces to play with, but this is the one that 'spoke' to me. I'm really happy with the way it turned out in the end. There are lots of little details, but the general theme is communication, love, peace, and ruminations along those lines. The toy soldiers were adopted from my son's old toy box, with a little painted magic they look a lot like scrimshaw, how perfect, sailors used to carve ivory while on their long journeys. OK, yeah, scrimshaw carving is probably somewhat before my granfather's time, but he did send home carved ivory, tea sets so delicate you could see through the china, and treasures of all sorts from his adventures.
I didn't feel the frame was 'finished' as it was at the end of the class, but now that I've added text and map pieces to the frame I'm a happy camper. Also, I needed to muddy up the poppy a little more, it was too bright. In it's new layers of ink, paint, and stamped text and crackle texture, it just looks much better to me. The hand holding the test tube is one of my son's old GI Joes, it has these cool articulated fingers, sorry Joe, but you really do make me happy in your new format, and I pledge to use the rest of your bits for other projects, OK?

My friend Mary and I had a blast, mega thanks to Michael for being so generous with information and time, and to fellow class members for being a very diverse and interesting bunch, it was a real treat to take the class. At the end of the class we 'toured' everyone's creations, it was amazing to see the variety of the pieces everyone had made, wow! Thanks also to Tamara at Zinnia, she's a very welcoming host and Zinnia is a most unique store, if you're in the neighborhood of South Pasadena at any point you NEED to check it out!
Oh, one more thing, a confession. A couple of weeks ago I waffled on about how I should be spending time cleaning up my studio, but to be honest, I don't like clean, tidy studios at all. I love creative clutter, always have. I sometimes feel that I should really desire to be a spotlessly tidy kinda gal in order to please others, but it's just not likely to happen, it's other folk's dream, but not mine. The upside of this is that I didn't have to go to one single store before the class, I had everything I needed - tools, materials, frame, toys, everything - right here in my own little paradise. AND the other people who turned up for this class had their own collections of odd stuff stored in bags, boxes, and sometimes in sorted containers - aha, the joy of finding like souls in the universe, there's nothing quite like that. I am not SO weird after all, or there are plenty of other weirdos just like me out there, either way I feel so validated :) I did find a couple of fun items for my next art journal project at Zinnia though, and picked up a few of the Golden paint colors this weekend to mix up the 'uuzsh' . Now where's that photo of my grandmother, I know there's another frame in here somewhere ... :)

The moral of this story? Never throw anything out. You NEED it :)

KISS & Tell

2009-06-02T08:32:00.000-07:00

OK, getting tired of these yet? More cards for Cards for Heroes, using the KISS principle - Keep It Simple Stampers! Since the object of this exercise was to rapidly have enough cards to send off for the 25+2 challenge (25 cards for heroes, plus 2 Any Hero cards), instead of fussing around and complicating my own life like I usually do, working at snail's pace, I kept these cards as simple as possible while still adding enough detail to (hopefully) make the recipients feel special.

Recently someone on a message board was asking if experienced stampers ever make mistakes - um, yeah! Even on the simplest project those 'oops' moments happen, and mostly they are recoverable in some way. So I'm sharing the card below - how can you stuff up something so simple? Believe me, I can do it :)
Rather than abandon the card, I switched into 'how can I fix this' mode, and the fix was super simple too - stamp the same image on another piece of cardstock and fix it over the mistake. I think this card is actually the stand-out of the group, in a good way.These next cards are deliberately neutral. I wanted to make something that could suit almost any occasion, would work for both men and women, something the sender could adapt to their need. Although I did add ribbon, I think the colors still keep the cards masculine enough to work for the guys, what do you think? I see these cards working for almost anything - wedding, birthday, hello, thinking of you, or even sympathy in a pinch.
So that's the story behind these cards, keep it simple, git 'r done! Are you good at keeping things simple, or do you complicate your own path like me? As always, thanks for stopping by.

Stamp Credits: Border stamps - Judikins, text - Stampin' Up!

Texture embossing plates - Cuttlebug

Ponderings on Motivation

2009-05-30T06:35:00.000-07:00

Wow, can you believe this stack of cards? I can't! I'm a one-card-at-a-time kind of stamper, except for the occasional one sheet wonder happening, so this is a LOT of cards for me. They speak to a lot of time spent in PJs with inky hands over Memorial Day weekend, and are going to Cards for Heroes, for their 25+2 challenge.

This experience prompted me to reflect on motivation. If I can make this many cards in one weekend, what else can I achieve if I set my mind to it? Just about anything, that's what. How about a tidy home? An organized craft room? More pages for my art journals? Finding time to exercise on a regular basis? Finished quilt blocks, perhaps even finished quilts!! Using my time to achieve instead of drifting through weekends? My work week is spoken for, but the rest is an open book these days - no more weekend sports tournaments or dance classes/events, no scouting groups, no regular commitments after the Monday to Friday routine is complete. I need to get motivated, need to gather myself and get moving. It's time for some serious list making :)

Stamp Credits: Stampin Up!, Nestabilities Die-Cut flowers

I love lists. Whenever I'm planning something large, taking a trip, or just feeling overwhelmed, it's time for a list. Somehow the act of writing it all down is calming, and checking items off the lists is even better - done! Achieved! Finished! A list tells you where you're going and how far you have come, love that. A list is a map of life's details.

Stamp Credits: Stampin' Up!, Judikins (border bollio)
I made two of these - they are the 'Any Hero' +2 cards

Having said my weekends are unscheduled, this is actually a busy weekend for me - my daughter's prom tonight, some work to take care of, and tomorrow I'm taking a class - with the incomparable Michael de Meng no less! So I have a triple list going - a list that covers all three heads of the monster weekend. My friend Mary and I have been making lists (started with the class supply list) and checking them twice - assembling supplies, what do we have already, what do we need to pick up. Just can't wait. A list is a great way to countdown to an event.

Stamp Credits: Stampin' Up!, Judikins (border bollio)

Hope you have a great weekend, what's on your list? Are you a list maker? Am I an obsessive compulsive freak? Yes, I am - but I'm a motivated obsessive-compulsive list-making achieving mama-bird class-taking hard-working freak :) I'll post more of the CFH cards in the next week or two. Thanks for checking in!