An Artful Gathering

I've Been Tagged!

I've been tagged by Anne over at Eclectic Pastiche.  I must go to my computer Picture files and then go to the 6th folder - then go to the 6th picture in that folder and display it.  Here is the picture:

 

The story behind this picture is ~  This is Ellen, one of my art buddies.  We were at the Artful Gathering last August having a high old time!  Our retreat theme was "Spirit of the Old West" and a good time was had by all!

Now I am to tag six people who in turn will go to their Picture files and begin this process all over again ~

1. Kris at Blissfull Elements

2.  Amy at Abundant Curiosities

3.  Barbara at Artiphytheheart

4.  Vicki at   Live Aloha

5.  Kris at Sketchbook

6.  Sue at LilyPepper Primatives

Just Stopping By!

I'm hard at work creating a book titled Girlfriends.   It will become this year's Artful Gathering Retreat presentation.  It's in the beginning stages and coming along nicely no pictures to post though -  maybe next week. 

It's been cold here for the last few days and everyone is under the weather.  We're supposed to have some icey conditions early tomorrow morning - I'm hoping that doesn't happen. 

I'm so surprised and happy with the turn out for Lisa Oceandreamer's One World One Heart turn out this year - there are hundreds of bloggers joining in to give away gifties - I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll win a little goodie this year!

Have a great day tomorrow and stay warm and safe!

ONE WORLD ONE HEART 2009

   

It's that time of year again - Lisa Oceandreamer is hosting the 3rd annual One World One Heart event.  This is a way to bring bloggers together all over the world and a way to share our art and gifts from the heart!  If you go to Lisa's One World One Heart site, there is a wildly huge list (with links) of participants - check it out and leave a comment at each participants blog, and you just might win some little sweet something.  I will close the "comments" by 6am on February 12th and announce winners by noon of 2/12.   Here are my giveaways - be sure to comment and leave your email address so that I can contact  the 5 winners ~

 

I will be giving away one Valentine writing pad.  I will also be giving away what I refer to as a "Hangie Danglie" (2 of these).  Please note the designs may vary from what I'm showing.

   

Giveaway numbers 4 and 5 are titled "Key To My Heart" ~

 

Everyone have fun for the next four weeks checking out all the participating blog sites and the wonderful gifties everyone is sharing!

A Valentine Box

I created a box for a friend last week and should have already mailed it to her, but I'm becoming known for my slowness - I can say I've boxed and labeled it and tomorrow is post office day!!

Here are some pictures:  This one is the front of the box

 

This one is the inside - that odd looking line is in the picture and not a part of the box!!

 

Until tomorrow ~

Wow! I am finally able to post again

I've not been able to get into my typepad account for a couple of days now - I hope this message goes through!

I've been doing a lot with red, pink, white, and cream lately - yes, VALENTINES!!  I'm in a 14 Days of Valentines Swap and I've created those little goodies but can't post them yet.  I've also created some 4"x4" sized art for RAKs for an online group.  This pic shows the different designs or images I used for the 50 that I made and honeslty they are very "cookie cutter simple".

 

This pic is another view of all the designs:

 

This one is my favorite:

 

Next is a little writing pad booklet I made for my girlie girls:

 

Next is a small set of "Winter Frost" gift cards I created for a swap:

 

I've also created a box to hold cabinet cards for a friend but will post those pics tomorrow.  I am working really hard right now to finish an altered book round robin - I'm late, late for a very important date!!  I'm 2 weeks behind in this AB RR.  YOu know Christmas just got in the way this year.  I actually finished this AB, sealed it and then before it was mailed I decided to do more to my spreads - I already knew deep down that I'd rushed this process - So the AB is again spread out on my worktable and it is looking so much better - a couple more hourse of fiddling with it, and it can be repackaged and mailed out tomorrow!

Everyone, be happy!

It's Almost Midnight (big sigh!)

Oh my, I am exhausted.  One of my girlie girls' spent last night with us - that was fine as she's easy!  Today around 230pm another girlie girl arrived, still easy.  I then created a sideboard full of snack foods as they were having two of their friends come over and everyone was spending the night with me.  I put such things on the snack sideboard as boiled eggs, pickles, celery peanut butter sticks, trail mix, a very few chocolate cakes, sliced cheese, and some marechino cherries.  I set out the unsweetened tea, and cranberry juice.  Just before the two little friends arrived, one of my girlie girls wanted to talk with me - she had invited another little girl who lives in my neighborhood to spend the night also - I looked up and there she stood with her backpack - NO saying NO at that point, so I went outside wearing my happy pants (that's what we call those sleeping pants) and met the child's daddy.  SO, they cooked hotdogs over the fire pit and then grazed awhile in the kitchen.  THEN we moved out to the art room and they proceded to art away - one little girl learned how to alter a book and she did quite well with minimal instructions.  I even pretended I'd glued my finger to the front of one of the altered books.  I was adding lace to a cross on the front of the book and holding it down with my finger.  They believed me, guess I'm a better actress than I thought I was.  AND I kept a poker face, something I can normally pull off for about 30 seconds.  Of course it helped that we were all laughing and then I'd groan - They worked and worked trying to pull my finger up from the book and I would groan and have them stop - tried it about 4 times and they wondered if we should call 911 - then they got the bandaids out and a wet papertowel and two of them tried once more to get my finger pulled up and by golly they succeeded.  My finger was quickly wiped with the west paper towel and then wrapped in a bandaid.  They could not get over the fact that there was NO damage to the underside of my finger - well it was really red from the pressing down.  I suffered through the rest of the evening that that darned bandaid wrapped around my finger.  It was just too funny! 

Around 11 pm we made some of those serendipity strips - where you lay triangles of papers onto a sticky surface and fill in the sticky places left when it's finished with glitter - the girls went wild over these so I made several.  And then it was way past time for bed - 11:35 and they were trying to become hysterical.  I shut the whole crowd down before they could get too giggly and now everyone is tucked into beds - Oh what a night we had.

I'm sharing an image with you because you've taken the time to read my Saturday night drama!

Just Stopping By ~

My blog is one of my favorite things but it's been sadly ignored for many days now.  I have been involved in a 14 Days of Valentines swap and really had some problems with the 3 different projects I began - trashed the first two and finally settled on #3 - I'm halfway finished but need to print out some images to complete this.  That happens tomorrow.

I've also been working hard today finalizing my Artful Gathering Retreat for June of this year.  I have an online group and I hold a retreat for this group every year.  I create a big book project and then get others to do various contributions.  The plans are coming together and I am so excited!! 

Here is a free image for you:

 

Later!

And The New Year Begins

We've welcomed 2009 in and now the new year begins.  I decided not to make any resolutions this time around as I only break them.  I did decide to set some art goals this year: 1) to step outside my comfort zone and try some new things - what I want most is to really learn soldering and to use pieces of broken china to create earrings and necklaces and charms.   2)  CLEAN (once again) and KEEP CLEAN my art room.  Of course that entails throwing away some of the stuff that I hoard - we'll see if that is possible.  3) Work in earnest to get my fledgling business Texas Art Retreats off the ground!  I am working on this "now" and hope I can get the word out to more Texas based artsy women!  4) I plan to get back to the straight and narrow with my diabetic food plan - this is a must!   So there - my art goals and one health goal for 2009.

I am working on several art projects this bright and shining new year - I'm in a Valentine Box Swap with the Art Relinquary Diva's - this one is decorating a heart shaped (candy) box and filling it with lots of nice goodies - easy peasy!  I'm also in a 14 Days of Valentines Swap - I'm working on it but had to change my plans - the idea in my head did not work out once it was created, so last night it was back to the drawing board and the next idea bloomed - it looks very doable.  I've just signed up to do a wand swap and I have big plans for the wand I'm going to create - it's all written on paper and I just hope I can move that to a real life creation!!

Who uses their Cuttlebugs?  I've had one for over a year and just don't use it much.  I'm going to get that out next week and see what I can create with it too.  Big plans big plans!

Hope everyone ate black-eyed peas and cabbage yesterday - Happy New Year and here is an image of my fave pin-up girl, Hilda - enjoy!