al*pha*bet*i*ca

Alphabetica: An A-Z Creative Guide for Collage and Book Artist by Lynne Perrella is one of my favorite books in my small but building reference library.

I am also psyched up because I am going to be in an Altered Book RR with the alphabet . . . an the hostess Carole was inspired to have the RR because of this book! Woohoo! I was thrilled to see the post calling for players and jumped right on the chance.

Now I need to get moving and get my book started for it's ABC journey!

Keep ya all posted!

Book Cover Collage

This is one of my weekend projects. I took the cover from a book I had torn the pages all out of and created this collage. Kind of a work in progress I think. I was distressing the vintage ledger papers with Tim Holtz distressing inks and had this idea to spritz with water . . . good for the distressing inks, bad for the ledger entries! Ah well, makes a pretty blue! The checks are from my Grandfathers business. My friend saved them from the basement when she bought the original building the business was in.

I have a very great little French laundry doll hanger I had thought to hang this with, but then I also need to ready a book for a RR . . . . hmmm, what to do what to do!!!!

day 54

I am now on day 54 without a smoke. Well around that, actually a few more days, but I couldn't remember my exact quit date, just that it was around Thanksgiving, so I picked the following Monday, November 27, 2006 as being the date.

I think when I hit my year anniversary I shall go and have the dentist whiten my teeth as a present to myself. They actually look better, but why not pamper myself more!

Esscences of Life

This is an Altered Journal page I did for my artist friend Michelle Dressler. We are doing an altered book rr with other wonderful artist through the "Altered Pages" yahoo group. Her theme is "Embrace Life". This is one of my favorite pieces of art I have created. Not real happy with the letter I put in because of the lines running through it. Don't know what the heck I was thinking when I did that . . . other than I knew it needed something in that corner!

Funky Fiber Fun

Well I finally did some art. I worked on a page for a round robin andit happens to be in Kimberly Moore's book. Kim wanted bright colors.I of course had a hard time finding some in my stash, as I leantowards the other side of the scale. But as luck would have it, myfriend Kathleen had just sent home a deco from deco world, which I hadpretty much forgotten about even. Anyway, with the deco she sent mesome wickedly kewl Funky Fibers. The colors were exactly what Kimwanted in her book. I was able to find in my stash some Basic Grey'sthat would go with it, and in my stash of Artchix Images, the littlegirl.

I am so proud of myself for actually using the beautiful fibers andnot hoarding them. Normally I would just sit with them down in my undergound cavern by the pool of water stroking them andsaying . . . "precious, my precious" . . .

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

I want to take a moment to wish you all a very Happy 2007! It is just so hard to believe another year has passed already. Hopefully this year will bring lots of new and exciting adventures for all of us.

Cover Girl . . .

This is an older Somerset Gallery addition. But the reason I show this today is because my art is on the cover :*) Well okay, not all of it is my art . . . see in the upper right corner, the stencil W . . . that is my piece. This is my first time ever cover la paix d'art. It could possibly be my only cover art ever, so I treasure this closely to my heart!

I thought of this today as one of my yahoo sisterhood groups was having a discussing about submitting art and getting a rejection. Yes, the rejections are hard. It's hard to not feel sad and blue when a piece of your art has been rejected. It is especially bittersweet when yours has been rejected for a publication, yet your sweet friends art was accepted. You are so happy for your friends, yet you can help but feel just a little blue for yourself . . . trust me been there, done that!

But that doesn't mean your art is icky! By no means at all. It just means that it wasn't the right time or place for your art to be published. That's all. Doesn't mean it was butt ugly or anything . . . it just wasn't the right fit for that publication at that time!

So what to do after getting that nasty rejection? Well you turn into Pollyanna . . . you brush off the sad face, put on a happy one, pick yourself out and continue to create! After all, it's the creation of art that keeps an artist going . . . getting published is just the icing on the cake so to say. Heck, use one of your rejection letters in your art! As a collage artist I am always painting up paper to use in backgrounds, so what the heck, why not paint up a rejection letter and tear it and glue it and make it into something pretty . . . altered art at it's finest then I say! And, man, once in a while you have a piece you would love to share with a wider audience. That's when you carefully wrap it up and send it out in the world for publication. And hopefully it is the right time and the right place for that piece of art. If not, well, it wasn't. Don't give it up! Just keep creating like you do.

Because you know what . . . . YOUR A WONDERFUL ARTIST!!!

Holiday Eating Tips I can follow!

Okay, so I get this email from my sister-in-law, Kit. I think yeah, sure, then I start reading them and I think . . . okay, so these I can do!!!


HOLIDAY EATING TIPS

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. it's rare. You can't find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple. Pumpkin. Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.