Wednesday, December 23, 2009

A Good Mail Day

I stopped at the library on my way home from work today to drop off "Good Mail Day: A Primer for Making Eye-Popping Postal Art". When I got home look what I found in my mailbox!
I signed up for Ricë Freeman-Zachery's mailing list the other day and she sent me a very generous thank you PLUS it came inside this totally cool piece of mail art. I scribbled the addresses a bit in PS but you get the idea. The back side has a coffee sticker and is stamped with "I like my coffee just like I like my men... black & strong & sweet." Pure Ricë!

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Pacific Northwest Artists

We are fortunate to have many talented artists here in the Pacific Northwest. It seems to be a part of the Pacific Northwest culture; respecting and encouraging creativity. I don't know if it is our culture that encourages people to pursue their passion here or it is the ever changing climate that stimulates the muse or if artists just gravitate to the sea. Whatever the reason, it does seem like our little corner of the country is brimming with talent. I follow several of their blogs and feel a particular "kinship" from the familiarity of their daily observations.
DJ Pettit, one of our finest, is offering an online class next month to share her Photoshop techniques. I think it is remarkable when an artist feels so comfortable with owning their style that they are willing to reach out and teach others. You can find the details here.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

I craft, you craft, we all craft!

I met my friend, Carol, for lunch today and to exchange our Christmas presents. I love the way that sounds, like I hang out and socialize like normal people. LOL!
She gifted me with this beautiful wind-up music box that she made herself. Yes, SHE MADE IT HERSELF! I am so flattered. She is new to crafting and obviously has talent and an artist's eye that she didn't know was lurking inside her just waiting to get out. So beautiful on many levels.
The two little charms say LOVE AND LAUGH - two things Carol gifts to everyone lucky enough to call her friend.
I am Merry.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Christmas Times A-Comin'

I got both of our Christmas trees put up; the one in the living room as well as my favorite little birdie tree in the kitchen. The packages for mailing are wrapped and boxed and ready to ship. Most of the shopping is done. Big exhale. I love this part when you just putter at wrapping the presents and decorate a little here and there and listen to Christmas music and plan for a yummy Christmas Eve. It was a good weekend. Maybe I'll bake something. Maybe I inhaled too much frankincense and myrrh.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Jenny Doh - don't go!

Jenny Doh has done so much for so many by giving artists her encouragement, a place to be published and validating the the passion that drives us to create. I read her blog tonight, as I usually do, and found a goodbye message. I am so proud of her for following her heart into a new adventure but so sad to know that she won't be leading and guiding the Somerset magazines any longer. She will be sorely missed. Big sigh. I will continue to follow her blog and I know that anything she touches will be something special. She isn't capable of anything less.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Dinking away my evenings....

... when I really should be wrapping some Christmas presents or decorating or doing SOMETHING besides dinking around with these journals!
I have two more in process and I thought I might put them in my Etsy store but, AS USUAL, I am over thinking every single aspect of making them and the end result looks way too stiff - ARGH! I "threw" the first one together and it has issues with the binding being a little crooked and the method I used to attach the sewn-in envelopes is kind of funky so, naturally, I set out to solve those problems and ended up with something that's a lot more boring. Good grief. Maybe I can lighten up a little on the other two!

Friday, December 4, 2009

Prototype Journal

This is what I've been playing around with this week. Making the little journal from the Teesha Moore lesson set my brain buzzing with ideas for other journals I wanted to try making. Then I remembered the big stack of vintage sheet music I have accumulted and decided they would be just the thing for the covers.
This front cover is a collaged combination of the sheet music, roses I cut from some wrapping paper and a pretty postage stamp. I love that title - how perfect for a journal! The back is covered with scrapbook paper. The journal for the Teesha Moore class was entirely watercolor paper. I wanted this journal to be more like an altered book. The inside pages are made from book pages with printing that will lend itself to journaling and "altering". There is a variety of types and sizes of blank papers including pages from a vintage accounting journal and sewn-in envelopes. Some of the pages have their original edges and I cut scallops along the edge of others. Two have fold-out on the end so they have even more room for drawing or journaling. Lots of fun places to stash bits and pieces!