Ahhh my first Moleskine journal. What took me so long? Jane Lafazio's DVD convinced me. What a dream to watercolor on but no one get you over the fear of the first page... your on your own with that. So here's what I did to get over it yesterday. I just know that this is going to be fun.

Last night the name for my little coaster book pictured here finally came to me, "Tickled Pink and Orange".

Key chains from the sea. Today I soldered. Odd found some interesting shell shards on the beach so I used them in my art. I love the organic look of these and yet dressed up with a little bling. These are for sale for $10.00 each plus shipping. Email me if you are interested.

My art for the day is from my new trade, "Drinking Buddies" in my Fiber Art Traders group. To celebrate our 6th birthday participants must depict some type of drink (alcoholic or not) to toast our birthday. Detail about this trade can be seen at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FiberArtTraders/ Join us in the trading fun!

Here is my latest book in the series for my grandkids. I wrote and illustrated this one for our sweet Erika who loves nature.

Yesterday I worked on a book for my granddaughter Erika. These are a few of the illustrated pages that will be included. The text portion has been completed and will be cut and pasted into opposite pages. The books working title is, "Erika The Bird Brainiest" because it's about how she loves birds. I will post more as I progress.

Just a tiny sliver of a proposal that I've been working on. All I can say is that Lutradur TM, lace and soldering is involved. :-)

I've been experimenting with a Tim Holtz stamp pad technique that looks a bit like watercolors. I like how no piece turns out the same do to the mixing of the water mist on the ink. Here's the link if you want to give Tim's art a try: http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/tim-holtz-perfect-distress/92a68d04c4fc54badef092a68d04c4fc54badef0-415951618702?q=tim%20holtz%20youtube%20distress%20ink%20pad%20technique

Thanks for dropping in.

My friend Dove is hosting a triptych trade on my Fiber Art Traders group and these are the pieces that I made. One to keep and two to trade. What fun these were to put together!

Come on this isn't art, well unless your heart is 6 years old. ;-) I couldn't resist! While cleaning up our yard and pruning the bushes I saved a few from the compost pile and made an Easter tree. I must admit that I haven't done this since Eden was little but I really got a kick out of it. Odd is convinced that I should be committed to the looney bin.

Art for the day: A sweet reminder of the good ole days and that summer will return again soon.

I made a couple more bookmarks for FAT challenge prizes last night that will go out in the mail tomorrow. I was totally energized after seeing the grandkids this weekend. What fun they are.

I may not have time to create hand held art right at the moment but I can create with the words rumble-bumbling around my head. Here goes:

Bleak
by Nomajean Brevik

A dark, dark day,
so dismal and gray,
the rain pitter pat at my door.

The light at my desk,
makes me notice the mess,
I left unattended before.

I long for the sun,
the beach and the fun,
a life unfettered by work.

I hope that it won't be long,
before the birds sing their song,
and the sun comes out of the murk.

I saw my first robin today and even in the craziness of my busy day I had to squeeze in a bit of art and paint a quick watercolor tonight to mark her arrival.

HAIKU TO YOU...

A hint of sping air,

a little bird sings her song,

joyful for the day.

I made these bookmarks up this weekend, they are for prizes for the Fiber Art Traders challenges. My friend Michelle came up with the idea of simple prizes for the monthly challenges. It was fun to put together these mixed media pieces as give aways.

This week has been a busy one so not much time for art. I did try a prompt today and it was the word: Family
I decided to make my SIL birthday card and have it ready to mail. The mermaid stamp was one that I bought in Hawaii.

Aloha! My art for the last couple weeks has been some much needed R&R. Odd and I went to Maui for a week and to the big island of Hawaii for a week. We really preferred the big island but each had it's own unique flair. I brought back many inspirational photos and a few (ahem) souvenirs. The vacation was heavenly and we both felt like our batteries are recharged a bit.

So now it's time to get on with the business of taxes, YUCK! It may be a while before I'll have some studio time but I so need to get back into my daily routine again soon.

Thanks for stopping by... see ya later alligator.

On this wintery day filled with snow, I leave you with this one summery thought... Like the card says, "delight in the little things".

No prompt today just some knitting. I finally broke down and bought a new wool pea coat the other day. My old one was just too big after my weight lost last year. Well a new coat deserved a new hat so two nights ago I started this and knit as I watched a little TV. These whip up in no time and I just finished it tonight. This one is sure to keep my ears warm on the beach when we walk the dogs. :-) Maybe I should knit the dogs some sweaters!

Prompt for the day is: Flowers

OK, OK I looked out my window and there are NONE, of course not, it's January! What I did see was my poor, shivering cold Rose of Sharon just waiting for the Spring to warm her up. (How I know it's a "her" is beyond me but she is a her and ready for Spring. ) So I snapped a pic of my inspiration and created a card with water colored paper, stamped flowers, rick-rack and a sewn on metal leaf charm. I haven't given is a sentiment yet, nor does it have a purpose other than just plane fun paper. Now while we are on the subject of paper art... I may be a little slow on the take up but I finally figured out why this sudden urge to create in paper.,. not much time to create and paper takes less time and planning for me then fiber art! Duh! Ah well perhaps I need to think about taking on a larger project in fiber but giving myself more time. This I will ponder but for now I'm having fun with paper. :-)

It's my friend Wendy's birthday soon so I made her a card. This is all the art that I can squeeze into my busy day today.

I love Halloween so when I saw the Stampington had a call for Halloween cards I had to give it a try. The theme is Hitchcock Horror so I picked Psycho. Oh what fun it was to make this and pay homage to the Master of Suspense a.k.a. Alfred Hitchcock.

No prompt for today just plain fun in the classroom with my students. I had two classes at Beautiful Impressions in Westport, CT today. Joyce, Holly, Laurie and Debra are pictured here with some of the art from our class. Sharing my art knowledge is the very best way I know how to create. :-)

Prompt for today was: "Home"

OK, OK I confess... this was a project that I started 4 years ago. If you have been in my kitchen you know that I love chickens and roosters, they are everywhere. I purchased this print from Michael's but didn't want to just frame it. I wanted it to look old and weathered. I used a wrapped frame and gessoed it black then painted it with black paint. I distressed then decoupaged the print to the wrapped canvas then had my husband cut some wood trim so that I could give it an inside frame. Well I couldn't decide on a color for it at the time so it made it's way to the cellar and there it sat until this week when I rescued it and finally painted the wooden inside framing trim red. I rather like it and the red was just the right color for this. Jeez I'm glad all my projects don't take this long to create. ;-o

Ah, today is the anniversary of hubby's an my first date so my art for today is the card that I made him. We still celebrate even after all these years, isn't that too cute?

The prompt for the day is: WORDS!

I've been looking forward to this prompt since I wrote it down and put it in the bag. So here goes, the Mystery Poet returns!

HURRY EARTH

Today is dreary, dull and drab,

the sky looks like a granite slab.

I check the ground for signs of life,

all I see is snow and an icicle that looks like a knife.

When will the daffodils and crocus rise?

When will the earth be warm with sunny skies?

I can't wait, my bones do ache,

please hurry earth and wake, waKE, WAKE!

Prompt for the day is, "finish something"

On one of the many, many trips that I made to Florida this past year I began this little dalah horse ornament with the intention of having it on our Christmas Tree this year. Well that never happened and I don't know why because it literally took me all of 10 minutes to finish this sweet little guy. I got the pattern from the book, Scandinavian Needlecraft by Clare Youngs.

Prompt today was "Useful".

I had made several of these little bags at Christmas time but had never gotten around to making one for myself. Everything was cut out and ready to stitch so I made one for me today. This little bag has a unique little closure that keeps my change tidy in my purse. I decided to add the tiny little flashlight to my bag just as I had the ones that I gave away as gifts.

First prompt was "pink", say no more, I knew what to do but frankly I'm quite confused where all this paper art is coming from all of a sudden. Hmmmm didn't know that I had it in me. Well I'm having fun with it and letting it run it's course. What to do with all the fabric in my studio is the question... :-)

The first prompt that I pulled today was "reuse". I stopped right there and knew immediately what I would do for art. My art for the day is actually yesterdays ATC. Ahh but it needed more any way. So my ATC is now "reused" into a greeting card. Hmmmm seems this is my year for paper. Perhaps this one should be submitted to Somerset too?

Words for today: Spring, Charm, ATC

If you look really, really close you can see the robins in the trees just waiting to welcome spring in this ATC (Artist Trading Card). After all the snow we've had I can't wait to welcome spring myself. :-).

Words for today: Travel, Brown, stamp

This card came together in nothing flat. I love the bike stamp and the pussy willows added some nice interest. I like this one enough to send it along to Sommerset so I'm saying Au revoir and sending it off in the mail today.