On Vacation!

Ira- My husband's grandfather
Originally uploaded by lapaixdart.

I've taken the week off of my day job . . . so I will probably not be posting anything new until after I get back to work next Monday :* ) Hopefully I will also have a fresh supply of art to show you too.

Until my next posting!

Love ya, love your art . . .

ja-who-dee

Ride On Uncle Jack

ride
Originally uploaded by lapaixdart.

This is a picture of a greeting card I made some time ago. I am blogging it today in honor of a great man and wonderful uncle; Uncle Jack. I choose this picture of my la paix d'art, as he was a collector of antique cars. There is also a story my mom tells, I think, maybe I dreamed it, about Uncle Jack trading a bicycle for a car. I shall find out today if that is true. I dream many strange things. No need to go to the movies when one dreams like I do

I'm getting off subject of my entry. Let me get back on the road, so to say! Today we celebrate Uncle Jack's journey to be with our Lord and Savior. The ultimate journey for Uncle Jack was on Christmas. A bittersweet day for all of us still here on earth, but a day of joy and jubilation for those waiting for him in heaven.

What more can I say than we will miss him now, but meet him again at a later time. Happy trails Uncle Jack!

Loving you,

ja-who-dee

Gothic Arch

GothicArchFront
Originally uploaded by lapaixdart.

This is the cover for my book which will be made from a round robin I am doing with some wonderful art friends. My theme is ARTIST CHOICE using the colors of brown and blues. We are all using the same gothic arch template to make one page, front and back with each other.

This time with the RR, we will be sending pages to each other, technically known as a tip-in. And, as we are sending to each other, it must really make this a mingle hey? whatever the PC name for this exchange is, it should produce some wonderful art.

I do believe the days of me sending whole books around may be numbered. The postal costs are just straining my pocket book for RR, and I do love the exchanging of art . . . so this should be a grand alternative for me. I thus far have my hand in . . . one, two, three, four . . . I believe 4 of these tip-in exhanges . . .

it's gonna be a grand new year for me!!!

Happy Horn Blowing Toots and Hugs,

ja-who-dee

This is the inside of the
cover for the book.

Bittersweet Christmas . . .

We celebrated Christmas with my mother and my sister and her family. Christmas Eve was dinner at the Pasch's and then a short church service at Sis's church.

It was a nice quiet evening. Just as I needed as the day had been filled with work and some radiology diagnostic testing. So after being poked and prodded . . . I was ready to just sit and relax. So once we got home, it was early to bed for this chix!

Christmas morning we woke to find that Santa had come to our house after all! Phew! I had been a little worried about his apperance as Hazel has been wishy-washy about whether he was real or not . . . smiles . . . plus Hazel had been leaning heavily to the "naughty" side of things . . . school work . . . seems some of us don't like to do school work . . . but anyway, Santa arrived on schedule with lots of nice things for us all! I believe in many things, and one is that Jolly Ole' Saint Nick lives within all of us . . . just gotta belive!

Later in the afternoon, we went into my mothers house and had a nice lunch with mom, sis and family. We didn't stay a real long time, I haven't been feeling real perky lately. Hopefully it's all just because I am in need of a nice vacation, which I will have next week.

Now for the bittersweet part. My uncle who has been very sick for a long time passed away Christmas afternoon. It is with sad hearts that we celebrate his journey to heaven. His suffering in this life is over, and his new beginning as started. I will miss his wonderful gift for laughter. He was a very kind and generous soul. Happy Trails Uncle J!

Love you all, and remember . . .

All you need is a little bit of faith . . .

till next posting,

ja-who-dee

What was inside . . .

those little gifties I posted on Friday? Well, there were book laces . . . 8 little book laces in all! I will give you a quick and dirty low down on how I made these . . . if you would like a full scale tutorial, please go to


http://www.alteredchix.com/

and see featured artist Angie for the full scoop.

Your will need:

Omni Gel
Paint Brush
images
bamboo tiles
foil tape
waxed linen
beads and wire (optional)
tools for the wire if your going to use it!


I used images from Paper Whimsey. These particular ones were from a set that is sold there. I used Omni Gel and applied one coat, let it dry, then added a coat in the opposite direction, let it dry . . . did this about 4 times, changing the direction I painted on the coat each time. When it was all dry, I cut out the images into individual rectangles, then placed them in water. Now, I'm not really hooked on the idea that hot water really makes a difference. I think the biggest thing about the water soaking, is that the longer it soaks, the easier it is to get the backs off. I usually start out with the hot tap water and just let it soak until the water cools as a self timer thing. Don't be too impatient with this step! After your images have soaked a good amount of time, at the very least 10 minutes lets say . . . then take one out of the water, and gently using your finger, rub the paper off the backs. Work patiently and gentley now, as it will tear! If paper seems to be sticking, put it back in the water for a while!
When you have the paper off to your liking, let the artwork dry. Then, using a little of the Omni Gel, adhere it to the bamboo tile. triming as needed. Then, wrap the tile in foil tape, use a pointed tool to poke holes through the tape where the holes are in the bamboo tile, string with waxed linen, and add beads to your liking . . . that easy, peasy . . . you all know I like to make it easy on myself :*) :*)

Anyway, the bamboo tiles can be found at

http://www.collagestuff.com/

or at

http://www.artchixstudio.com/

I shop often (probably WAY to much) at both places, and besides the bamboo tiles, they also have many other wonderful items for sale . . .

Enjoy!!!

ja-who-dee

Little Gifts . . .

all wrapped up and ready to go. Tonight is the Evitts' Family Christmas. These are just a sampling of my wrapped up gifts, and even the names on them are not necessarily for the Evitts'. . . and this is a similar wrapping I did for the disc ornaments for my co-workers. Simple, yet elegant . . . as the Blakeslee gals would say . . . oh my, that was a little blast from the past there hey Siblings? LOL, I got it from Karen when she received her little ornament!

But anyway, I ran out of time to make one for ALL the Evitts' and was going to restrict to the female gender of the clan. Marv and Ellie had 9 children, who went on to have several children, who then turned around and had more children, so they are a large group. I had to set limits :*) :*) I only had so many supplies too . . . so Dale's sisters that are there will be getting one. Then the others are earmarked for the gals I see at Mom's house on Christmas . . . . I don't have any good male gender items . . . sorry, I'm a sexist crafter this year!!

This year will be a bitter sweet time at the Evitts' gathering. It will be a blessing to be together, and yet we will greatly miss Ellomae and Denise. Such a hard time to lose them both so closely this year. I also know that neither of them would like us to only remember them with sadness. They would want us to remember them with light in our hearts to chase away the darkness of sorrow. And so I shall. But not to say I won't also carry a little tear in the corner of my eye though. I also cry at weddings and school programs . . . I'm such a softy . . .

Now, as to what's in those little gifts . . . well, tune in again on Monday to find out! Now don't peek, or Santa will only leave you coal and reindeer poop in your stocking!

Red Reindeer Nosed Smoochies!

love ya,

ja-who-dee

More Kelly Snelling Inspiration . . .

As with the Disc Ornaments I created, I also drew some more inspiration from Kelly Snellings wonderful art techniques found on her blog

This time I utlized her idea of using a circle template, charcoal pencil, and paint for the backs of these star ornaments.





http://soulhumming.typepad.com/soul_humming/2007/12/hope.html



The base of these ornaments are a cardboard star form from the craft store.

I covered them with Tim Holtz Distress Crackle Paints, and then used the inks to color them. Collaged images on top of a strip of torn strips of vintage music sheets. The red Madona on the left is an Omni Gel transfer.





I made sure to cover the fronts and the backs well with Gel Medium to seal. Especially the backs because of the charcoal.


A couple of times I had just finished darkening areas with the distress inks and it hadn't dried yet. When I put on the gel medium it gave the gel just the slightest hint of color. It was a wonderful "mistake"!




These ornaments have helped to get me into the Christmas spirit!



Holiday Sugar Cookie Crumb Kisses,



ja-who-dee

Ornaments for Co-workers 2007

Oh the weather outside was frightful . . . but the art inside was delightful . . . and since I'd no place to go . . let me glue, let me glue, let me glue!


Here is the result of MANY of my projects I had cooking up this weekend. I actually got to use my dremel for the first time, and hey, it's only just about a year old!!! These little round disc were so easy to make, and turned out so well. I just used torn pieces of sheet music or old book pages, and then added some color with inks or paint, and then collaged imges and some scrim on some. Finished them off with gold paint on the edges. The backs are simply stamped with PEACE or with the year written on it with a calligraphy pen. A simple ribbon at the top for a hanger.

Easy-Peasy and pretty!

Happy Holidays,

ja-who-dee



I got my inspiration for my disc ornaments from Kelly Snelling. At her blog http://www.soulhumming.typepad.com/ she has a tutorial on how she made her ornaments, plus you get to see several more, as she was in a 12 days of Christmas Ornaments exchange.

If your looking for some inspiration, check it out! Kelly has lots of eye candy to please even every pallette!

Thank you all for your wonderful comments both her and in my email :*)

And a special thanks to Kelly Snelling for the inspiration for the project!

holiday egg nog hugs!

ja-who-dee

Angels We Have Heard On High

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

Shiver, shiver, shiver . . .

It's cold outside! Actually, last night it was predicted we get more bad weather than what we did. I am ever so grateful, as I have to drive in the early am whilst it is still dark out to get into work . . . and although it isn't a long ways, I know people who commute farther, it sometimes can be a very white knuckle drive to work.

And today I was very sad about going to work. My husband gets to stay home because of the bad weather . . . . and I have to get up and still go to work . . . sigh, very heavy sigh. I can't remember the last time I got to have "a snow day".

. . . ages and ages I tell you . . .

Good thing Santa has Rudolph so he doesn't have to have a snow day too! hey?

Happy Holidays!

ja-who-dee

Yes Hazel, There Is A Santa Claus . . .

Hazel: Mom, Christine and Mary don’t believe in Santa Claus. They say it’s the mom’s and dad’s that buy all the presents.

Mom: Good grief, you don’t think I’d go out and spend all that money of that stuff do ya? And when have you ever seen your dad go shopping????

Hazel: That’s what I thought.

Mom: Yeah, it’s kind of hard for Santa to be real if you don’t believe.


I THINK THE GIG IS UP!!!!

I remember when I knew there wasn’t a Santa, but I oh so didn’t want to NOT believe. Know what? I still believe in Santa Claus . . . he’s right here in my heart!

We talked about Christmas being about giving, and not just the giving of commercial presents to all our friends and relatives. And how we need to remember that all year round, not just at Christmas. It was a nice talk, yet I still never answered her one way or the other about the man in the red suit.

Remember: If you believe, it’s real.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Ja-who-dee

Count Down to Christmas . . .

Count down to Christmas is going on at Lisa Vollarth's Studio!!!

http://countdown.tentwostudios.com/index.html

Yummy????

I have decided that I must cave in to my desire for frosting that I have had for a couple weeks now. Now mind you, it's nasty outside. It snowed, then It rained, now the fog is as thick as pea soup (eeewwwweeee) so it's not like I'm gonna hop in my car and drive into town to the store . . . so I dig around in my cupboards . . . oh a carrot cake mix . . . hhhmmmm, okay, it's a dry good, I rather remember buying this, can't be too old . . . okay, we got eggs, oil. . . good to go . . . Now I wonder if I moved things around enough if I would find Frosting? . . . Oh man, no can of frosting, well, okay, we got powdered sugar, I can do it. Been like 30 years, but I could do some frosting . . . .

Then Dale pipes up . . . my mom . . . yeah, yeah, yeah . . . your mom made the BEST, isn't that what they all say . . . smiles . . . in all fairness she was a very good cook. Had to be, she had nine kids to feed! But anyway, Ellie always made cream cheese frosting for her carrot cake . . . well, I'ms sure she did. . . pretty sure she probably didn't open a box of cake mix to make it to .. . . but I'm game . . . I think I saw some cream cheese in the fridge . . . so I dig around in there.

Wah-la, cream cheese I jump up after only a 10 minute search. HHhhhmmm, I really don't remember buying this . . . wonder how old it is . . . how long does cream cheese last . . . flip the box around looking for the magic date. I start laughing . . . .

Dale says what? oh, the date . . . let me guess, '04 . . . ha! No, nothing that fresh in my fridge . . .

It expired July 2003 . . . I'm pretty sure cream cheese isn't like a fine wine that only improves with age . . . is it? . . . well, no, I didn't even open the package to look at it . . . some things are best left alone . . .
so if you come to my house, don't eat the cream cheese :*) :*)

love ya,

ja-who-dee