Parabolic Muse

Fun For Fans (Me) !

2012-02-11T11:38:00.000-08:00

I read the Dark Shadows News Page, which I'm so entertained by. They recently posted this image of a French poster announcing their upcoming Tim Burton exhibit.

I went to the Tim Burton exhibit at LACMA, a trip I wrote about here. And I'm really enjoying this site about Dark Shadows, in all its variety, including news of the Johnny Depp film due out May 11.

I've been watching the original 26 collections in the Dark Shadows series from its very first episodes (pre-gothic-horror-Barnabas Collins days), through all five years. I began in September of 2009 (before I'd even known there was going to be a new film) and have been waiting for the very last season to be available on DVD. Netflix just informed me that it's ready to rent, so I'll finally be completing the entire run of the original series. Granted, the last few episodes have not been nearly as yummy as the preceeding four years' worth, but I like to know I've seen it all! And now I'm awaiting the release of this book.

Because I'm all about overdoing it.

Whenever I discuss my Dark Shadows semi-obsession (is that even possible?), I find myself wondering...are any of my readers vintage-Dark-Shadows fans?

Texturized Reverse-Applique Stencil Pouncing

2012-02-05T07:59:00.000-08:00

PEEPS! I be missin yer selves! How you doin ?!

This is going to be brief of brain, because I don't have time. I'm On The Clock!

Is it not always thus, poor Yorick? Verily!

(If the Puppy Bowl weren't on today I wouldn't be looking up from my work table at all, you betcha.)

It's an assembly line at my house. I have 45 ATCS, 45 4x4 cards, and 45 charms to make for Artfest in about 37 minutes. So let's just get ON with it, okay?

I started with some ATC surfaces I'd made, something like, a year ago when I was experimenting with surfaces (the Corian and Granite counter chip experiments will be in another episode). Here is a smattering of those cards, to give you an idea, even though some of them have already been on the assembly line and are festooned with stickers:

I selected an interesting texture-y surface to stencil on.

Specifically, this side of the card was first covered with rubber stamp images of dots and flowers, which images were then embossed, raising them from the surface. Afterward, I covered over the surface with one ply of a painted paper towel (red). The circles (embossed in deep purple) show through the toweling, and the towel has a great texture of fibers and wrinkles that makes it a great receiver of paint. The other side of the card:

This card had two interesting surfaces but I decided to draw on this side later. It's been embossed with glitter embossing powder, so it's gritty and bumpy in its own right.

Then I punched out a shape that I wanted to use. I have an assortment of adhesive label sheets on which I've printed out some images to use when I feel like. This sheet is printed with the image of one of my friend Jeanette's mosaics. As you can see, I punched a circle.

I then took off the backing of the circle, because it's really hard to get it to stick, otherwise (and I've tried.)

After sticking all the circles on selected areas of the card design, I pounced paint over the card's surface. I used a wooden skewer to hold the card down as I pounced. Pouncing not only helps keep from getting paint under the stickers, but it avoids the brush-stroke trails.

The circles placed at the edges have been left off the sides of the card, to make them easier to remove later. The stickers that are within the boundary of the card can be helped off with the pointed end of the skewer.

Then the wet card goes onto the drying rack. Here, another paper towel.

Ideally, before the paint is completely dry, I can then peel off the stickers. Sometimes if the paint is completely dry, it's difficult to get the middle stickers off the card.

Sometimes, some help from the skewer is necessary. The stickers are harder to remove if they've been stuck to a surface that hasn't been glazed. This card had a single layer of craft paint on it, without glaze or embossing, so I had to coax the sticky stuff off. Also, after some drying time, you want to look at the surface again, because sometimes you have to go back over the paint in places where there was not full coverage. That's the easy part.

Then: voila! The interesting design shows through, the texture-y surface is ready for pen work or further embellishment, or can be left as-is. I haven't decided what I want to do yet. I love simple geometric designs with lots of color, so I sometimes just leave it to speak for itself. Here's another one which started with the same embossed dot stamping, then paper toweling, then some cone shaped stickers:

I love this particular card. I painted over one of those glitter-embossed leaf surfaces (shown earlier) with some pale blue pearl paint, and some of the lime green shows through and makes it all weird and funky. Almost like I'd done it on purpose!

And then I punched out some of these floral edges from a Martha Stewart punch, and look how cool they are? They can be great stickers...

...as well as stencils.

I can't stay any longer. I'm listening to the shrill song of the swap sirens.

GPP for The New Year!

2012-01-29T10:20:00.000-08:00

Well, my Rhodes Scholars, GUESS what I just did?

I thought, hey. I have two days to deadline. Why not actually COMPLETE this month's crusade over at Michelle's Street Team?

I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, 'Chris. How can you be so amazing?'

True.

Have you ever felt that time was flying by? I know not one of you has ever felt this, but I certainly have. And this month's challenge is just made for those of us who feel like we can't accomplish enough. Michelle asks us to look back upon a year and note how much we actually have accomplished. Now, that's facts, people! Not guessing! Not worrying! Not feeing useless! No. That's stuff that's done! Done is done! And I done did stuff. No one would have convinced me if I hadn't done the research myself.

Check this out:

I used one of the lists Michelle provided the crusaders, and I used a couple of her fabbo rubber stamps (Verbiage) to give myself some extra kudos. Because I am, after all, me.

Now.

Print out one of Michelle's beautifully-designed lists, for 2011 or 2012 (available here), and give yourself your own applause!

(and, judging by my excellent stamping skills, you can even applaud yourself upside-down!)

I Did it again

2012-01-28T08:51:00.000-08:00

I went to Forest Lawn Glendale. Yes!
This time, not to see Elizabeth Taylor, but to attend this:

The Opening Reception for Syd Mead's Progressions, an exhibition destined for Places Near and Far. It was really a lot of fun. We're friends with his Assistant and got a personal tour and talked a bit with Mr. Mead himself (of Blade Runner city design fame), dapper in a white suit. Here, he discusses the danger of picking up the moss in Savannah (fungi):

Or, that may have been what he talked about earlier, inside the museum. I think he's thanking everyone, here. Eight hundred guests, and lots of photographers and news media, so it was difficult to get a shot without one of them in it!

It was a breezy night (you can see the cedars bending, above), but the outdoor open wine bar and appetizer, with live band, was Atmosphere Festive. I couldn't steal more inside-museum photos of paintings (as I did at the Tim Burton exhibit), but I can share some postcards I snapped up at the museum store:

And, I got one of the only-at-the-exhibit limited-edition puzzles!

Love This! I may open it and start the ambitious project after I've finished my Sketchbook, my chunky cards, my postcards, my ATCs and my charms (Artfest is apparently a working event!).

And the view at the top of the hill, overlooking Los Angeles, was a stunner. I tried to capture some hint of it, but... well, you know.

It was great to get out in the evening and do something under the stars. The art was fantastic, of course. I have been a science fiction fan forever, and when I first saw Blade Runner I was blown away by Syd's cityscapes and imaginings of futuristic transports. If you want to see more of his work, his site is here.

Off to get my Sketchbook Project done under the wire! What's going on with you?

Catch-Up In A Flash

2012-01-21T06:51:00.000-08:00

It seems to me that there are certain things which have, in the past on this here blognet, been hinted at but not fruitioned.

(poetic license. you know--for poets.)

What's UP with that?! Why is there never a follow-up to these fantastic splendificents on this here bloglette?! Well, lie awake wondering this no more, people!

I awoke at 430am, thinking, I have no idea in the world what's going on with Hanna. Or, Erin. Or that person who won't talk to me any more because of that one little mistake. What is going on with those people, I thought? I miss all the people I haven't checked in on. And, you're one of them, and I'm really missing you.

So, I got up, and I stretched, and I yawned, and I went in to make coffee and then I realized it was raining.

(trying to include more detail in my writing to transport the reader into my world)

I was So Upset!!

Rain meant that I would not have a profusion of natural light pouring into my little suburban bungalow. By which to continue work on the Sketchbook Project, which has been stalled by my being home only when it's dark. And I said to myself. 'Lois, we no longer care. We can't wait around for nature to take its course. We have to interject technology into this matter, so that we can Move Forward.'

Am I still talking?

Ipso Facto: In an effort to catch you folks (I was going to say my peeps, you people, my long-distance friends, my exes, my enemies, the guy who keyed my car last week--but I haven't used the word 'folks' in awhile. Or even, ever) up on the unfinished business of previous posts, I took a bunch of flash photos at 5am.

Yes. It's our lucky day.

In reference to my studio organization--it hasn't come as far as I'd hoped. But where it IS, is the result of three days of slogging through dross to get to the silk. Maybe there isn't any silk at all, but here are some still-in-progress photos.

There used to be a lot of useless crap, here.

The little cubby box will be on the table, once it's cleared off.

Believe it or not, this is an improvement. Labels (Trinkets! Bows!)

and even a place for my sewing machine (under striped baby blanket)!

A massive improvement. I can actually get to what I have.

I don't have a photo of the pile of thrift-store gifts that was out on the lawn afterward, but just think: Hurricane Hortensia.

In a wrap-up to the intimation that I was actually going to sew something, I have a lovely color-iffy photo of the finished jammy bottoms (hereafter: FJB). I mean, LOOK at the exacting technique evident in those hems!!

I've had to take them in twice and rehem them once, and they are still too big/long. But they have Outer Space all over them!!

And, in reference to the mid-Sketchbook hint of a paper mosaicky intention I talked about on a previous post, here are a couple of flash-snaps of my book. Proper photos will be shown upon completion, or even before that.

This is the TV tray (remember those?) I put stuff on so I can move it from place to place. It doesn't always fit straight in the car, but cutting paper during a long drive is made much easier. (A little tip from me to you.)

Finally, here's a shot of some of the things I want to catch up on in terms of the reading, the listening, and the preparation of swap cards for one of the three Artfest swaps I've signed up for. Three. Lots and lots of cards, folks! Lots.

In case you aren't aware, this will be the last Artfest. I'm a very lucky girl to have the opportunity to attend for the first time. But, more on that as we continue to... catch up!

Okay, I'm off to find out what a few dozen wonderful people and amazing artists and writers have been doing while I've been in the dark.

Happy Weekend to All!!

Next Up: It's stops raining and Chris is forced to go outdoors.

Unstoppable

2012-01-19T09:27:00.000-08:00

My Peeps!! My Peeps!! You are downy-soft and covered in glistening crystals of sugar!! I love your multi-coloredness!

HA! You thought I was talking about marshmallow Peeps, didn't you.? But, no! I speaketh about youeth!

Thank you, thank you for voting in the poll. I am so sorry that I didn't include so many of the options that people would have chosen if they'd been included, but they weren't included. And I tried so hard to be inclusive! But I do appreciate your responses, and I'm so grateful for Seth for mentioning my little blogglette on FB (whose name must not be spoken).

I have a story to tell you. (Given that I have no new pictures to show you.)

It started way back in the Autumn of ought 10. When I was in Paris with my partner, and we were trying to get to the Eiffel Tower in the morning. It was a weekday, and there were people trying to get to work at the same time. (So odd. But those Parisians do their own thing, you know.)

We were sorely lacking in Metro protocol. The Metro is so much a part of hourly life there that it's robotic. Frankly, I love the Metro. (I would not have a car in Paris. I would save my money for the Crocque Monsieurs.) I'm way into the street life. Unless it's night-time and I'm alone and there are no gendarmes and I have a million pesos in my pocket, or a Michael Kors bag.

What was I saying? Oh! Yes. We were traveling on the Metro, and when we popped onto it in our little suburb of Vincennes (so cute!), there were few travelers among us. I have a bad disk in my back, and no amount of obedience training or special treats seems to make it a good disk, so while in Paris, I would often sit after a walk (from our hotel to the Metro was only about 15 minutes) and when I know I'm going to be walking a lot. So, I folded down the little seat by the door of the metro car, and sat.

Stop after Stop, I was Sitting. It got crowdeder and crowdeder. And we blabbed while I sat, and we looked out the windows, and, as it often did, it became a meditative experience. I love Paris. I could look out the window at it a lot. A LOT.

(you may think this post is going to be long, and you're probably right)

So, anyway, as the train became more and more crowded, the spots by the door were being filled. Stuffed. Crushed. And at one point, I had no choice (not being able any longer to look out the windows) but to notice the face of a woman standing at the door right next to me. She was glaring down at me. She was

GLARING DOWN AT ME.

I smiled. 'Hi, pretty Parisian lady on her way to work. I am a pleasant American tourist from the land of overwraught wars.'

She was having none of it. Glare. GLARE.

We continued upon our way, and the Glaring Woman who had been blocking the door was forced to move in as the crowd shifted and there was a little space on the other side of my partner. And then, Glaring Woman started talking. I couldn't hear her that well, but I knew she was speaking English in her little French accent. At first, she was speaking to other passengers standing next to her. And then, I heard Cathie say, what?

So. My partner was now engaged in discussion with the pretty Parisian lady from the land of fury. Who apparently liked Cathie more than me, but of course I'm used to that.

Well, to make a long story even longer, the upshot of their exchange was this: Glaring woman: WHY is she SITTING DOWN when it's so CROWDED? Cathie: Oh! That's true! This never occurred to me.

And she turned and motioned for me to get up. So I got up.

Then, it dawned on me. Ooooh!! THAT's what the problem was! With Glaring Woman. Well, of course! I'd be a little miffed, myself! But, having not been used to any of this, the flow of traffic, the waxing and the waning, the triangulation of workhour bodies by meter and rhyme, I didn't realize that the difference in space between the sitting of a person and the standing of a person could make someone's day awfully good or horrendously bad!

Immediately upon realizing my gross error, I apologized profusely. I turned ot her and said, I'm very sorry. I didn't know. In my little American accent.

The other people around us smiled and, actually, hadn't been speaking about it one way or another. But Glaring Woman was Upset. As we trundled along on the train, she continued to talk to Cathie. I heard Cathie say something to the effect of, she has a bad back, so she was sitting after our walk. And the woman kept talking. I was now looking out of the window again, being better able to see while standing.

Then. After about a minute or so, it filtered into my right ear (the good one) that there was still a discussion going on. I looked over, and she was still asking Cathie for explanations, still trying to gather others' support for her cause.

And then I became angry. After all, I had apologized. I had stood. And I also hadn't pointed out to anyone the obvious possibility that, unbeknownst to her, I could be tragically disabled. What, do I have to wear a brace? Is she so certain of her sanctity that she can't even imagine that a person she doesn't know might need help? That the space of one or two extra persons might have been a hardship for me? (It wasn't in the least, but she shouldn't have assumed.)

So. In my suddenly-insensed condition, I looked at Cathie, directing my voice very clearly at Glaring One, and said, "Is She Still Talking To You?!"

The woman stopped talking. All eyes focused upon me. People who hadn't known what was going on turned from their smart phones to see what had happened.

Cathie said, yes, she's very upset.

And I looked at The Person, and I spoke.

"I SAID. I was SORRY! THAT'S IT."

I must say. I was not possessed of myself. I had been pushed Too. Far. I was accosting a Gallic woman in her own country, amid her Countrypersons. In a restrained cabin.

She looked at me for a moment and then did a little hurrumph and looked away. There was nothing more from her.

When she left the car, a couple of women smiled at me. One of them said, 'She's having a bad morning.'

I suppose I'm a hot-head. But now you know.

Don't cross me in a stuck elevator.

Poll Time!

2012-01-13T08:00:00.000-08:00

Those of you who are loyal followers (and also, those of you who don't really follow, but kind of happen-upon, and those who didn't intend to be here but are easily distracted by shiny objects, bizarre mishaps, loud noises, clinks of glasses, and things with multiple noses, and, even, those of you who lost a bet and are not welchers

(I'm just trying to be inclusive, here, people),

may remember that occasionally, I put a poll on here and beg for votes. Because I sincerely care.

It's been a long time since the last poll, because that poll was so verbose, convoluted and clunky that many of you fell over with exhaustion before you could actually vote. So, I wanted to wait until you'd forgotten about it. That's why I'm reminding you.

Today's poll is inspired by a common occurrence around here at Chez Pmuse. And that is: finding out that time has slipped away and I have once again been unable to sit down and visit all the blogs I love to visit.

Today, I'm off for a road trip again, for which I am not apologizing, but which has again put my blogging/reading time at a premium. And after having made two cookie batches and worked for three hours on my sketchbook last night, I was tired and went to bed early. This morning, I was up at 4am (I just can't seem to get up at a reasonable time), and I bounded out of bed thinking: I am going to SIT DOWN AND READ MY BLOGROLL BEFORE I LEAVE THIS MORNING!! Things are happening (namely: giveaways) and I'm Missing Them!!

Well. I baked a cobbler (also for the weekend dinner bonanza away), cleaned the bathroom, showered, packed the toiletries, took all the bags and boxes to the car, walked Scout, sat down with a cup of coffee and, BLAM, it was 45 minutes to blast off. I am going to be on the road! And I once again have not read any blogs! Plus, I haven't actually blogged for a week! Has the World Gone Mad?!!

I thought, Chris, perhaps you are not making your blog reading a high enough priority. I mean, maybe the kitchen sink really didn't need to be cleaned for the dog-sitter. Perhaps she LIKES dirty sinks. Maybe they make her feel like she can make a mess?

Anyway, I try, folks. It really is important to me. But then I found myself thinking, if it's so important to me, why don't I put it before, say, sleeping? Eating? My job? Clipping my toenails? (I was being rhetorical. No one puts blog reading before clipping their toenails.)

So I began to wonder about where you, my humble servants, place blog surfing (blurfing) on your schedule.

Ergo, thus, and ipso facto, the poll. You will find it on the sidebar. Please take a moment out of your rare blog-visiting schedule to vote? Unless you've moved on to another blog already in which case you have once again failed to learn one of my important lessons.

Next up: Chris wonders what lesson, exactly, that is.

Collage-y Mosaics or Mosaic-y Collages?

2012-01-07T21:18:00.000-08:00

Okay, you sweeties. Do you like mosaics? This seems like it's a question right out of the blue, but it isn't. It's not even out of the blue-green or turquoise.

You know this thing called collage? Well, I've been doing it lately, piecemeal, here and there, and not finishing anything. I've been busy at the office, sure, and I've been reorganizing my studio, yes. But I've also been collaging a bit. Not so much in the mixed-media manner, but in the 'cut pieces of paper' manner. And gluing it down and seeing how things go. And I really like the effect of it.

It's nothing new, I realize this. But recently, I was in an antiques store with my brother, and we loved the Tiffany-style lamps for sale there. And the effect of those lampshades is very much the effect one achieves by cutting up papers of different colors and gluing them in patterns onto a substrate. And it hit me out of the blue (kind of a baby blue, really), that my paper piecing is a 'mosaicky' kind of a thing. And I love mosaics. And I think the paper-cutting-and-gluing-down is my own non-grout-y way of making mosaics. Without actually having to mix grout or lift anything heavy.

So, with all this mosaic-energy floating around in my head (since there's plenty of vacant space up there), I felt like sharing with you some really cool mosaics made by my friend, Quince Amanda.

For many years I've admired what she can do with stones. She is a lapidary and she knows her minerals. And most of the tiles she uses in her mosaics she has cut, shaped, and polished, herself. She's been quietly following her creative passion for the over two decades I've known her, but has just recently offered her work to the public.

The first few are among those featured in her Etsy shop, if you wish to visit.

I particularly love the snake design on this mirror. Beautiful!

This last is a wall piece Quince gave us some years ago.

Throughout the day, the way the light hits the tiles at different times shows such variety of colors. I wish this photo could convey their iridescence.

I'll share a paper cutting experiment I'm working on for the Sketchbook Project, when it's done. It's not glass and tile mosaics. But like knitting, or lampwork, or pottery, I haven't really learned to do my own tile work. I just love to admire the work of others like Quince.

There is a special beauty in certain mysteries, no?

Next up: Chris makes a paper-mosaic car cover.

A New Year Looms...

2011-12-30T20:59:00.000-08:00

My! That title sounds ominous, doesn't it?

I don't really think of the New Year as ominous, since I'm usually pretty hopeful about the future. I've had my issues with 2011, but basically, time is a continuum. And any word that makes two U's work together is okay by me. After all, who really abhors a vacuum?

Counter to what you may be used to, I'm not taking the threshold of a new year of creativity lightly. When it's time to start a new point on the continuum, I'm all for changing things up. And in my studio space, it's time for a change. For one thing, I'm going to stop working so many hours at my office, and start working more at home for free. If that's not progress, what is, I ask you!?

(I understand if you don't want to answer; it's kind of a loaded question.)

In considering my work area, I've had to face some facts.

1) I can't find half the things I need to make what I want to make.
2) There's no where to sit down.
C) Or, to stand up.
And, 5) I have a lot of crap.

Here, you can see that I've started taking the crap from my studio and placing it on the dining table, where I will better be able to sort it and recycle some of it. (I'm keeping the sewing machine.)

Even after taking some things out of the room, my work table is (humorously) jammed.

My 'diaper-changing table' standing work area is unusable. For one thing, there's a full-size mattress on the floor right in front of it, for the two instances of cold and flu I've had this fall, when I had to sleep in the studio. That mattress is going back out!

Along one wall is a neat array of storage trays which have been rifled through and not re-organized. It's obviously a good area for stacking up additional acquisitions which don't have better homes, yet...

The space under the work table, and atop the large floor bins, where I just slide supplies in and slide them out, as needed. It bugs me! And, there's that old plastic water cup I've been looking for!

The excellently-planned shelving, tucked behind everything else in the room.

Lastly, the shelves behind the door. See the lovely cardboard tubes I'm saving? And I'm not throwing those tins and shadow-boxes away, so someone better take care of this. SOON!

So. You can see that I have my weekend cut out for me! I've shared studio re-vamps here before, but it's been a couple of years. It's shocking how things can get out of hand, isn't it?! It's AUGHsome!!

What's going on for you this New Year's weekend?

Shiny Things, Colors, and Butter, oh my!

2011-12-24T11:04:00.000-08:00

Hey! It's finally here! Christmas Eve!!

What am I talking about? Christmas Eve got here so fast I didn't even know what was happening. The other day (true story) (as opposed to my usual stories, which are all lies) I was looking at the television on-screen guide so I could set up some programs to tape on the DVR for the upcoming week. I thought it would be nice to have something different to watch during the weekend while I was painting or making something. And I saw all these marathons scheduled. It's Monday, and I see that on Saturday, the stations are packed with marathons. Seventy-five episodes of Chopped, Oddities, Firefly, something about a place called Kardasian, and I said, 'What's all this with the marathons?!?' Is there some kind of special deal this weekend or something?!

Scout was so embarrassed for me she left the room.

By the time you're reading this, it may be Christmas Day. Or Boxing Day. Or Mixed Martial Arts On the Tundra Day. Or it may even the day after New Year's Day, when you've discovered that spray snow doesn't taste as good as they said it would.

'nuff said

Or, you could miss this completely because you're watching your 43rd episode of Modern Marvels and you're experiencing reduced sensation in your eyeballs and earballs.

(that's never ever happened to me, so i have no idea what that would be like)

But whomever you are, and whenever you're here, please accept my best wishes for a fantastic holiday time.

And 2012 will be a much better year for us all.

Okay?

I don't want to leave without thanking all of you for your loyalty, lovely commentary, gifts, requests for gifts, advice, corrections, suggestions for how I might do something better, for heaven's sake, and what's the point in my even pretending, here? Mostly, thanks for the many subpoenas and Orders To Appear.

and Merry Christmas!

Bettering self

2011-12-18T08:09:00.000-08:00

OOh! It's getting all Christmassy and stuff!

In honor of the holidays, here is the photo I took of the lunar eclipse earlier this week:

There you go. Take that with you.

You know that if you wanted to, you could zip over to NASA's site and see more photos there. But frankly, you haven't gotten all your holiday things done and you'd better do those first. If you didn't spend so much time watching Hoarders you wouldn't have this problem.

I finished another stocking. It took this long because I had to do it in increments of 10 minutes each. It's not perfect, but it was fun to do.

You can see that at the top left, I had a little snarl incident. That was, actually, the result of trying to add a ribbon hanger and finding out that I'm not that advanced, yet. So it will just have to lean up against something. A stove burner, say.

And I got ambitious a month ago (something my physician warned against) and decided to make some pajama bottoms. Last week, I actually pinned the pattern down and cut the pieces out.

HA! Take that, Anna Maria Horner!

Today, I am going to the mall. Yes. It's frightening. Some people would say, it's unwise (for example: those Three Wise Men, the bossies). But, it has to be done.

Do you know that I had the audacity a few months ago, to make a dentist appointment for January 3rd? Don't I know that's the beginning of a new year, with new goals, a fresh start, and corrections to previous tendencies to make unwise decisions? So, tomorrow I have to call the dentist's office and cancel my appointment.

No one's going to tell me I can't improve myself.

Thank you!

2011-12-14T12:39:00.000-08:00

I love my followers! Each and every! Thanks to all of you for being examples of what's GROOVY about this virtual world I'm part of.

I ended a sentence with a preposition. Miss Cressley would be upset with me. But since the time that Miss Cressley was my third-grade teacher, they've discovered (whomever 'they' are) that it's just fine to end a sentence with a preposition. What's that about?

('about' is a preposition)

Why did I call?
Oh, yeah!

I called to say that I have been away from my beloved Parabolic Muse for a week, and I didn't mean to be, as it's the HOLIDAYS, a time usually rife with CREATIVITY! But I will tell you briefly how things are: I have been working massive hours at my place of employment (which I'm very grateful to have). And after work and home necessities, I've been unable to give PM the attention it deserves.

So, I am here to say a collective HELLOOOO!! And I will be back SOOON!! Maybe tomorrow? Who knows?

('knows' is not a preposition)

But even before I come back here, I am going to READ all about your exciting activities. I recently got several art books and heard several crafty podcasts, and although I can't read the books yet (too sleepy), I listen to those podcasts like they are islands in the stream!

(nice song, written by the Bee Gees and performed by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers)

And I'm hearing such luxurious stories about artists working in the studio, making things for the holidays, and giving them to sweeties of all ages and stripes.

(fruit stripe gum... what memories)

I can't WAIT to do that creativity thing again! Maybe soon!

Smooches and Snark,

Chris

p.s. it's the snark that makes the smooches seem even better!

Surprise!

2011-12-07T07:37:00.000-08:00

I have been RAK'd. Yes! I have!

As I've blabbed boringly of late, work is being difficult right now, and I'm so busy my ears can't catch a breath!

(as in: I'm up to my ears in paperwork--HA!!)

And I got home after stopping for a quick bite (not a literal 'bite'--I'm talking about having dinner), and when I got home (not the second I got home, because first I had to lose my keys in the dark and then find them and then greet Scout and give her a treat, and then put the leftovers in the fridge and turn on the heater)

(frankly, I shouldn't have to explain all this to you),

I saw that a box had come in the mail! YAY!

And I hadn't even ordered anything this time! Double Yay!!

Well, clearly, it had to be a delivery error.

I went up to the package tentatively, asking it, 'Are you some kind of pipe bomb or something?'

(I didn't literally ask it that--I'm just saying that I was thinking that maybe this was some kind of sick joke. Come ON, people!)

But, NO! It had my name on it! In the TO section!

And in the FROM section....? Hmmmm...?

No, not George Clooney. I blocked his packages a long time ago.

(I'm not going to explain that one; you're on your own.)

No! It was from someone I LIKE! It was from someone who ISN'T stalking me (yet) !!

I said to Scout, 'Hey, Skitter-Skoo, Buddha-Boo, Lisker-Lou... We got a present!!'

And she said:

It was a red-letter moment!

(I do go on, don't I?)

Okay, but seriously, people. Quit kidding around. It was so fun! I couldn't wait to see what it was! Because, although I'd asked Santa for a new transmission for the car, this didn't seem to have the correct dimensions. But what the heck. I decided to open it, anyway!

Friends (a wild assumption on my part), THIS was in the box:

Can you stand it? Not only was there Andria's signature Scrabble (add here the registered trademark symbol I don't know how to make) tile magnet for my metal desk at work, which proclaims me ARTIST, but there was also a lovely decorated card with message, a fabbo collaged bookmark, and a little bundle of Andria's hand-made envelopes with cards inside, all tied up with candy-cane-striped string!

I'm telling you, every bit of this lovely little package was filled with candy for los ojos. (I'm not explaining that, either.) I mean, LOOK at this stitched card, which has a secret message just for ME inside it (not showing it).

And every interesting and colorful envelope has a blank card in it! Shut UP! (In a nice way.) You know (or maybe you don't), I've wanted to make envelopes like these since Andria posted about them on her blog. Her blog is filled with fun ideas, and great kid stories!

Andria, you have made me a very happy ~~Aunt~~, ~~Surveyor~~, ~~Godmother~~, ~~Sister~~, ~~Attorney~~, ~~Taxidermist~~, Blogging Pal! Thank you for your kindness and generosity. And your gift came at a perfect time!

For one thing, I needed some groovy tissue paper!

A Tree In Montrose

Next Up: After sealing too many of her fingers inside, Chris gives up on her first handmade-envelopes project.

Giveaway Winner!

2011-12-05T07:42:00.000-08:00

I'm telling you, this Christmas Stocking Giveaway was really fun for me. For one thing, I'd never made a stocking, and now I'm working on more of them! For another thing, there were a lot of other crafters making stockings and I enjoyed going around to see what their take on the venerable Christmas Stocking was.

But the cool thing is this: I had fun making something, and now I can send it off to someone else. I had 34 comments on my giveaway post, and I put those names in a bowl

(literally: I wrote the names down, I cut slips of paper out, and I folded them up and threw them in a bowl),

and I drew Jodilee123's name! So now, Jodilee will have a new little stocking to hang or give or take apart and re-assemble into something useful... whatever she wants to do!

Congrats to Jodilee, and thank you to all who visited my little bloglette and looked at my socklette and said good thinglettes.

Next up: Chris makes a felt pinata.

Hand It To You! (second post of the day)

2011-12-03T10:45:00.000-08:00

Can you believe I've kept a promise? What is happening?! Has the world gone mad??

But, no! I promised to share the projects I've been working on from Jill Berry's new book, Personal Geographies, and... here they are!

I introduced Jill's book to you on this post. I started with the first project, the Head Map. There's no need to do the projects in order. They each have a different theme and objective, and they can all be created in multiple ways, so this will not be my only visit to these projects. The first time doing them, I've been fairly literal, following Jill's lead. What is so interesting about them, other than the fact I love working with her templates and delving into my own, personal, geography, is how much they each got me to thinking about who I am, where I've been, and where I'm going. It's the 'You Are Here, Where Did You Start, and What's Your Goal' perspective of cartography!

I hope you'll check out Jill's book to get the full deal on these projects, but I'll show you my first three briefly.

For the Head Map, I used the template provided (as I myself cannot draw ears), and created two head images on vellum. One reflected how I feel sometimes as an artist, and the other reflects some of my assumptions about other artists.

Combined, they meld together in presenting both these sets of beliefs. Funny how you realize what silliness is in your head, and also what 'truths' you live by.

For the Body Map, I documented the history of my body, what's it's done and what permanent physical trail that has left on it.

On another sheet of vellum, I journaled around the template figures about those happenings--my car accident, my hula lessons, my varicose veins, my tattoo, my lumbar disk injury, scars, former fashion statements, etc. I love the look of this project.

Lastly, Jill's Hand Map was the most compelling. And, judging by the activity among other blogs, it's struck a chord with many people. Here's Jill's Hand Map:

Isn't this cool-looking?

The Hand Map raises so many different visions for me, and I'll probably be doing this one the most. I already have a mosiac version in my head. Jill creates a map, complete with borders and compass rose, and in this instance displays images depicting her family history, her travels, and the vocations of her ancestors.

On mine, I included notes of my own vocations at the fingertips. I have yet to create my compass rose, but I'm so intrigued about it! The compass rose can be unique and varied, and a lovely embellishment as well as a directional tool.

I found out about this book when I was browsing at Barnes and Noble. It was so engaging and gorgeous, I immediately went to BN.com and bought it for around eleven dollars (I'm a BN member, and get coupons and free shipping). It is so packed full of information, tutorials, and images of other artists' maps, it's definitely going to be among those books that I keep forever and consider an amazing bargain.

I think I'm going to do the paper mache heart mosaic map next. Unless I do the Place Map. Or maybe... a map of Scout's sleeping positions?

The first of two posts for the day...

2011-12-03T10:03:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd share a bit of our little corner of the recent wind storms that have plagued Pasadena and the valleys of Los Angeles.

Started some clean-up,

then decided to take a commemorative shot.

It's been a whirlwind of a week, and I don't say that metaphorically! We had major winds, of nearly hurricane-force, followed by a lot of confusion on the streets, clean-up, the clearing of downed trees, and loss of power to vast swatches of Los Angeles. I'm an a suburb which suffered power outages for a couple of days, but I have been very lucky. No trees fell on our house or our cars. No windows were broken, no water mains burst on us, and the heavy, redwood and steel canopy on our back patio held sway against the massive gusts without crashing into the French doors, simply skootching itself four - six feet to the west. I can't tell you how relieved we are that the worst thing we had to deal with was loss of power for a while.

We weren't eating any of that meat in the freezer, anyway.

In the city center, our huge, iconic Library Park tree was uprooted just as it was being prepped for holiday lighting.

The roots.

Luckily, it didn't fall to the east, blocking the street,

but fell south onto the grounds.

All we had to deal with at our home was cleaning out the pool, and moving the canopy back to the center of the patio. We moved the grill to the back wall of the house, where a tiny potted pepper plant withstood the gales and didn't blow over. We put the furniture in the shed. All is calm, now.

Definitely NOT where we like to have the canopy.

I am thinking of all those who still have no power, whose cars suffered damage, whose property was damaged, and whose animals were frightened or lost. During winds, storms, Halloween, fireworks, etc., I am always hoping that people will bring their animals inside and give them kindness and patience. (Pets are NOT creatures to fend for themselves out in nature. They are domesticated, and they depend upon us for their safety. Dogs kept exclusively out of doors because people don't want their homes to be 'dirty' are truly unfortunate.)

It's now clear, bright, and crisp! But I hope we get a new holiday tree at the park! I will miss this one!

Lovin Ewes

2011-12-01T15:50:00.000-08:00

I'd like to take a moment while I'm at work to thank everyone for such kind words about my Christmas stocking and my Arboretum pictures, and while I'm at it, thank you for following me through all my stuff.

YAY for stuff followers!!!

Lovin' you guys!

But I can only take a moment, because I'm at work, and at home there is no power, no lights, no phone, no internet, no hot water (except in tap) and all the ice has melted in the ice cube trays.

Yes. We have trays.

THERE'S NO ELECTRICITY!! There's some kind of mutant wind tarnation goin's on over in the Valley of Los Angeles, and it's wreaking HAVOC!

havock? havok? It's MADNESS, I say!

So I'll be back when there's electricity and I can see at night again and make more booties and more Hand Maps from Jill Berry's new book, and I must show you the three projects I've done already and I love her book! Look it up!

I'm at work, though, so I must go for now.

smooches

Arboretum? You brought 'em!

2011-11-28T19:46:00.000-08:00

Los Angeles is going through a healthy dose of warmness. The Thanksgiving weekend was really bright and warm, and on Sunday I just had to get out and get me some birding done. Along with some photos. Long-time readers of this site know that I can take about 47,000 pictures while I'm at the L.A. County Arboretum, and that they are all so amazingly wonderful that I am compelled to post them all. Even if there are several of the same thing. Some of you have actually written to your local law enforcement officials about the over-abundance of peacock photos on this site.

Here's one, as an example.

And here's one of my peacock portraits. See the jaunty glint in his eye? One has to get a lot of peacock portrait time in the studio to capture this kind of personality on a creature which really doesn't have eyebrows or lips. I guess it's just a gift.

On another note, when it comes to flora, does your heart ever actually ache, because you can't capture the colors as they are when you're right there, looking at them?

Or the textures?

I mean, this is a nice representation of the textures, but really... it's not the same as being there, amazed, with your mouth hanging open in awe, followed by the sudden realization that there are tiny flying bugs visiting the same garden at the same time.

More textures...

And, what if there are too many fine details? You can't get them all. Let's face it.

The color is too 'hot' for the house.

Or, you'll be walking along and off on the other side of a crest, it looks like a blaze of orange-red. The leaves were really on display.

And the flowers. Saw a lot of red and orange.

This is a lovely bough hanging over a pond. The movement of the water actually made the light flicker in a rotating pattern.

I tried to capture the light's movement on this little video. It seems to have filmed less magical, and more irritating...

I loved this little Wood Duck, who seemed to walk right up the bank to meet me. The others just followed him out of the water. It was starting to creep me out, so I continued westward.

I mean, look at that expression.

I love me a nice white iris.

And a berry of any color, even blue.

I don't know what this is under the canopy of a King Palm.
Maybe it's a big gaggle of seeds? I'd look it up, but then it wouldn't be a mystery.

And the light through a clearing made these leaves blush.

I have made plans to go back next week, and visit the remaining 90% of the gardens. I bet those peacocks will still be out meandering in big mobs.

Next up: It's clear that the Wood Duck wants answers.

Christmas Stocking Giveaway 2011

2011-11-28T06:57:00.000-08:00

I've made my first Christmas stocking.
My first one! I've never made one before this one!

I started out making a fabric stocking, and trying to quilt it without knowing what I was doing. That was a disaster. No, really! And I realized that if I actually saw that to its completion, it would be my first Christmas stocking, and I just couldn't let that happen.

So I had a bright idea to make my stocking out of felt. It would be soft and warm, but not lined, quilted, or have any extravagent stitches. It would just be... festive!

And here it is, front and back.

Now I'm thinking I'm going to add a few things before I send it out. Even a humble little sock needs as much bling as possible, don't you think? Well... we'll see.

If you want a chance to win this little felty, which is not so much functional (won't hold anything heavy) as decorative, please leave a comment on this post! On December 5, one commentor will win this baby, just in time to hang up somewhere with the other holiday decorations. I think it would even be nice with some lovely-smelling potpourri or some dried herbs inside it.

If you want to see some of the other stockings offered up in this year's Christmas Stocking Giveaway, zip over here, and scroll down to the link list at the bottom of Robin's post.

Thanks, I'll Be Here All Week

2011-11-24T11:24:00.000-08:00

Well, Howdy there, Pilgrim!

I'm a bit late getting here with my Thanksgiving morning wishes! And now I feel I must show you something:

Here's the tree in front of my house. And there are several more in the neighborhood. And I don't know the name of it. It's new to me. I've only lived in this house for 17 years. But isn't it beautiful?!

On the same morning, in the same yard, a yellow rose.

It's Thanksgiving day and I'm very thankful. Yesterday I was thankful and then I caught myself, realizing it wasn't Thanksgiving day yet. However, I'm thinking that maybe I will be thankful tomorrow and the rest of the week, even though it won't be Turkey Day any longer.

I'm having bacon, by the way! And potatoes and brussels sprouts and pumpkin cheesecake (from Trader Joe's, doncha know) and a bunch of other things, including... turkey!

And today I woke up, pulled out 7,000 art supplies, and loaded the front table with them. I've embarked on the projects in Jill Berry's new book, and I must have SPACE, baby!! But once all the supplies were out, I realized it was of the utmost urgency that I get out the Christmas village! If you know what I mean, and I think you do.

Here's how far I've gotten. The houses and people are out, but the snow and trees are yet to be laid down.

I've started Jill's first project. I'll share them as I go.

With the most sincerity and gratitude for your constancy, I wish you a lovely, safe, healthy, and filling Thanksgiving!

Map Maker Map Maker, Make Me A Map

2011-11-19T06:08:00.000-08:00

Howdy, Doodies!!

Actually, that doesn't really sound right...

Hi, my lovely peeps!

Have you met Howdy Doody's sister, Heidi?

(Hold on, Chris. This is supposed to be your serious post. Remember? Try not to be a doofus for five minutes, okay?)

Dear Colleagues;

I've been a bit under the weather. But I'm back, baby!!
And while I was recuperating, I got THIS in the mail!

I've really been anticipating this book. I love maps, but I've always felt as though they were removed from me, something too arcane for me to grasp. Oh, I can read a map to find out where I'm going. That's no problem. But all the topography and symbology and the legend and what lines mean what kinds of road, and... well. It is sometimes daunting.

Jill Berry not only demystifies the humble map, but she also gives us permission to MAKE one. Or even, two! Different kinds of maps! Maps of the self, maps of life, maps of your pantry, parts of which you probably haven't seen in years.

(I may have made up that last one.)

I've read her introduction and it is fascinating. She talks about her life-long love of maps, and touches upon the evolution of maps, the influences guiding map-making, the values of maps through history, and really brings The Map into perspective. I'm eager to get started on the first of 21 projects she's included, here. And they apparently don't have to be completed in any order or even in entirety. I'm spending my getting-better day reading this lovely book (awesome imagery!) and selecting the projects I want to work on. After loving the mysterious map for so long, I look forward to making my own.

There's also a new Flickr group related to the book, where we can share the projects we've done. So it will become a collaborative effort in a way. Or at least an effort where I can borrow from other people's ideas and claim they were mine. YAY!!

Some people deserve the stomach flu.

Next up: Chris makes a map of Scout's sleeping positions.

Street Team Crusade 57 - All the World's A Stage

2011-11-13T13:22:00.000-08:00

This year over at Michelle Ward's Street Team has been focused on self-discovery and self-revelation through journaling. This month, Michelle is asking us to share the music that we love, the sounds that accompany us in our artistic processes, and the songs that make us sing out loud.

There are so many songs I love it's very hard to list just a few. My taste in music is fairly broad, and includes new age instrumental, show tunes, grunge, and most of Johnny Cash's discography. While I don't go too deep into any genre, and am often ignorant of what's hip and happening, I am passionate about the songs I love.

This is just a smattering of what I listen to sometimes as I'm working, and what comes to mind when I simply HAVE-to-SING.* I've given each song a stage and spotlight of its own.

What music do you listen to when you are creating?

*(often, the entire playlist of OKLAHOMA!)

GPP Crusade Time!!

2011-11-12T09:46:00.000-08:00

Yes, forks! I've completed another of Michelle Ward's fantabulous crusades. And I don't say that flippantly or even flip it sayingly. You, of all people, should know how much I love these crusades. Even the ones I have never completed myself have taught me so much. I recently read her Crusade 2, and was Blown Away!

After I found my way back to the studio (I liked to never get the leaves out of my hair!), I completed challenge number 56, I'm A Believer. In this instance, belief in my commitment to art and the process of bringing the inner life visible. Believe me, it takes a great commitment to believing in one's self to continue to do that.

Anyway, here's my journal spread.

One of the things I like about journaling is that we often don't know how we feel about something until we commit to writing it down. I thank Michelle for asking a great question!

Now I'm off to visit the other crusaders. You can find links to their crusade entries at the left side of Michelle's Street Team page. All of Michelle's challenges provide scads (technical term) of interesting, lovely, meaningful works from many different artists in many styles. Any time you visit the GPP Crusades, you're just asking for it.

Inspiration, that is.

Next Up: Chris sings out loud in the car with the windows rolled down and earbuds in. Many animals have their first real cry.

A Moon Pie by Any Other (Confidential) Name

2011-11-11T11:30:00.000-08:00

OH, my ears and whiskers!

(seriously. I'm having issues with my ears and whiskers. but we won't talk about that here, so please don't bring it up again.)

Tomorrow is going to be an exciting day! For one thing, I'm making my first pecan pies of the season! HA! And you thought I was kidding re: excitement. But, NO! Pies are the originators of all things good.

On top of that, and Old Smokie, I'm also going to have dinner with two fabulous friends and also two people I don't know but who will soon be very good and close friends of mine with generous natures and a willingness to drive me places at night (as I'm given to sudden swerves into headlights).

YAY!

Okay, calm down, people.

Remember this story?

Yes. I'm having dinner with the Flipping Out folks, plus or minus certain staff members (who will remain nameless, but since none of them read this blog it doesn't matter, so let's call them 'Dusty' and 'Weatherby'). I'm telling you, I'm over the MOON about this!

What's that? You have a question? Yes--you in the back, with the roto-tiller.

Okay, the answer to your question is, no. I am not a cow and I can't jump that high. 'Over the moon' is a figure of speech. It connotes thrill, excitement, a sense of weightlessness (which in my case is some achievement), and a certain degree of cheesiness, even though NASA claims the moon and cheese have nothing in common, those knowitalls.

Anyway (now that the question and answer period is over), my POINT is, I'm going to reunite with my good friend Jeff Lewis (who's soon to have a new show called Interior Therapy, and will thus be of even more use to me), and be given the opportunity to talk to him about my kitchen floor.

Look. I said no more questions. WHAT is so important that you must thrust your arm up and down and say oh-oh-oh!?

Well, that's a good question. It's true that it may be rude to ask a person for a free consultation over pecan pie. But I recently got my iPhone, as you may know. And that baby takes very good photos of kitchen floors. And the brilliance of the iPhone is that it's portable! So, I can take it anywhere! (Except certain government buildings, I've discovered, to my dismay. Oh, and Tim Burton exhibits at LACMA.) And you can be talking about something inconsequential, like tragic helicopter tours in Maui, and suddenly whip out your iPhone and be all, 'Hey! Let's look at our vacation photos!'

And then, blammo--crown molding.

ANYWAY (if I may continue), while I'm sharing photos of my kitchen floor, I might as well show my cove ceiling, the bedroom wall with the built-in air conditioner, the bathroom cabinets that yawn open, and that suspicious pile of dirt in the back corner of the crawl space. I mean, what ELSE is there to do at a dinner party?

So, keep your eye and ear (and whiskers) peeled for the upcoming news of all of Jeff's suggestions!

The ones I can print here, that is.

Next up: Chris makes a public apology to certain people.

The Inside of My Brain

2011-11-07T14:18:00.000-08:00

Okay, people.

I've made my first Dotee doll. Yes. I made it to honor the giveaway I had on my blog during Vanessa's Halloween Blog Party. It was Halloween, and in the interest of scary, I wanted to challenge myself.

Now, I'm fully aware that I'm years behind, and that most of you made your Dotee dolls 7 or 8 years ago. But I've always been a late starter. To compensate for not having had my first job until I was 19, or for spending 25 years in college, I always arrive early at parties and to the DMV. Being early hasn't really made up for anything, but I get the best road maps and can hit the party before all the premium vodka has been consumed.

Anyway, to make a short story long, being late to the Dotee doll party is no surprise to me, because dolls have always scared me a little. So, with no further ado, here is how Jo's little Dotee doll came to be.

In the spirit of making these little dolls out of fabric scraps, I took some polka-dot patterned scrap material and cut it in a rough semblance of Dotee Dolls I Have Seen.

Then I decided I wanted some complimentary buttons for eyes. But none of the buttons gave any compliments and basically just sat there, thinking their own thoughts or rolling their eyes at me (something I'm used to).

It took a foray deep into the button jar to finally decide upon a two-toned button-eye effect, which is pictured a few steps down.

When I started this doll, I knew that I wanted to use a pretty sheet of gauze-y packing material I got from a crate of peaches. So, I found a luscious fuschia colored guaze and sewed it onto the other fabric to front it in a shimmery way.

I added the above-referenced eyes.

Then I figured I'd give her a pretty dress out of the same gauze so I did a slip-stitch to create some structure and shape, and then fashioned a necklace out of scrap pieces of ribbon and rick-rack. I felt the rick-rack brought out the lovely blue of the eyes.

Then I sewed the back onto it and here she is, without a hat or hair or anything!

More scraps, of the fiber variety, and, voila! She has a lovely pink crown around her blond tresses. Yay!

(truly frightening, yes? Or, maybe that's just my perspective...)

I certainly hope that Jo enjoys her little palm-sized Dotee, and doesn't regret submitting a scary word to my giveaway. Of course, this could just give her a new scary word: doll.

In other news, I have a question. Do you ever look at a piece of popcorn and see something in its shape? This particular piece of popped corn looked like a poodle to me. Or at least, a dog. Can you see it?

On the right is its little snout and on top are fluffy ears, and we can see its two right legs. It looks like it's having fun, about to pounce.

Then, I turned it around the other way, and it was the same little poodle! See the two tiny feet in front, and the little tail in back?

But, look! Its head exploded!!

Yeah.

The doll's the scary part...

Metro-logy

2011-11-02T10:00:00.000-07:00

Hello, my sweet followers, readers, detractors, misanthropes, gadflies, inspirers, engagers, payers of generous tips, and people who arrived here by mistake! I have amazing news for you!!

I have my laptop back. YAY!!!

Actually, I had full use of it on Sunday, but I decided to ease into it. You know, like when a hoarder takes all the newspapers to the recycling center and then picks up just one issue of the Pennysaver on the way home. So, I started out by updating my iTunes and downloading photos from my camera, things I have not been able to do for three weeks.

A couple of weeks ago, we went to see the new Cirque du Soleil show, Iris, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. Now, even though I live in the megalopolis of Los Angeles, I don't often get out to Hollywood. It was so much fun! Of course, the Cirque show was wonderful. And just for kicks. we decided to take the Metro out there.

Because the Metro hasn't been constructed all the way to our house we have to drive to Pasadena and park, and then jump onto the train (while it's moving).

HAAAAA!!! JUST KIDDING!

In the lovely parking structure we hit the automated ticket agent. What A Friendly Guy! And turns out, he likes being hit!

Here's my blurry ticket. I guess the Ticket Guy was nervous.

I was so excited about using the Metro in Our Town (as I had in London and Paris) that I forgot to get a full complement of images, say, from the metro entrance, the train, the train passengers, the train tracks, or the train Pippa was holding, so I can only confirm that it was a very pleasant experience. And within minutes, we were at Union Station. Union Station is a HUB, and usually packed with people. Besides the fact it bustles with activity, there are also some stylish little touches to make the way more beautiful for the traveler.

Mosaics in the passageways, doncha know.

And here are a couple of the lovely emporia located at Union Station, for those who must wait a little longer than they'd like, and who therefore require constant sustenance. It's usually not this faint of folk, but we were there around 10:30 on a Sunday.

So lovely. Wish I'd taken better photos!

One gentleman was having issues.

A mural welcomed us on our way down to our train platform.

Sunday morning...

If this manages to be legible when enlarged, you can see the current but still expanding Metro system detail.

More installations upon our arrival at the Hollywood/Highland stop.

Of course! A tour bus! I felt like a tourist. And you can see the stars of the walk of fame.

This is the new Hollywood/Highland center, with shops and restaurants galore, adjacent to the Kodak Theatre and across from the El Capitan Theatre.

The weather was tres bon.

These quotes are mosacked along the passageways of the center.

And so many people were gathered at this spot to take photos in front of the Hollywood sign! There was some marine layer that morning. I must get to my Photoshop lessons!

Above the fray:

There was break-dancing...

...and pamphlet browsing...

...and hundreds of stars.

Next up: Photos of my Sketchbook Project, the Halloween Party giveaway, and the dryer lint that wouldn't die.

Happy Halloween (and Giveaway Winner) !!

2011-10-31T14:43:00.000-07:00

I hope all of you have been having a spooky (and sweet) Halloween season.

The Giveaway winner is Jo! of Diggin' Around. She contributed her scariest word.... Incurable. And you must agree...that one is too frightening.

Congratulations to you, Jo! You'll be greeting your own little Dotee doll at the door very soon. (And Dotee dolls LOVE treats...)

Thank you to all of you who visited and contributed your scariest words. Visit my Halloween Blog-party contribution, and all the scary words contributed in the comments, at my party post here. And, if you missed the Halloween party, visit all the partiers on Vanessa's sidebar today. It's a GREAT thrill!!

WOO-HOO !!!

Halloween Party (and Tale of Terror)!!

2011-10-22T00:01:00.000-07:00

Welcome to all! As you probably know, Vanessa, of A Fanciful Twist, is hosting her fourth annual Halloween Party. This is my favorite Blog Party of the year!

In keeping with the Festivities, I'm sharing this sweet little tale of innocence and adventure, starring a delightful little Dotee Doll created by my lovely friend Carrie. This Dotee has always been an explorer, but I fear this time, Dotee has gotten into a bit of trouble...

I'll let Dotee tell you all about it.

Even though I'm just a little Dotee Doll, I love to walk in the woods. I love the purple sky just before dusk. The trees are still, and make mysterious shapes on the ground in the low light…

But this time, I stayed in the woods too long. The magic of the quiet and misty woods made me lose all track of time, and soon, it was very, very dark.

I knew I had to make it home to my Dotee house soon. But the more I walked amid the trees, the more I got turned around. It started to feel almost like I was in a trance, as I spun around the woods and the shadows created waves and circles around and around…

Suddenly, I realized I was completely disoriented. It had gotten later and later, and I could hear the night creatures begin to stir. I smelled the musk of the carpet of leaves under my Dotee feet. I heard the skittering of moist little paws on crackling twigs. And then, when I was making my way on yet another winding path to try to get home, I met Vampira.

She wore bloodstones on her throat and her companions crawled along the folds of her gown. Without a word, she grabbed me and led me deeper into the darkness. I hoped she wouldn't get me into her lair, because I knew I would never escape.

However, once she had led me to this grand and ornate mausoleum, I turned around and Vampira had vanished.

I knew for sure that she had led me to my doom. My little Dotee heart pounded in my little Dotee body.

Without any sense of how to get home, I hoped that someone beyond the mausoleum's gates would be able to help me. I managed to pull one of the creaking gates open and get inside. But I saw no living soul except one.

Photo borrowed from google images years ago and now I can't remember where.

And that one was in dreadful trouble, indeed.

I turned and ran back through the gate in the direction I'd come, and the stone tiles of the mausoleum became a checkered path that widened before me as though it would never stop. I began to feel dizzy from the sight of the checkerboard spread before me.

It was truly the most horrifying feeling I'd ever known. I ran and ran, completely unaware that I'd eventually left all the squares behind, until suddenly…

I came upon the shuddering, firey presence of a real, live, witch. She was huge, glowing, and her wild cackle made me shiver to my Dotee bones!!

She said, 'There you are! Just the sort of treat I need for feeding my precious pet!!'

The witch grabbed me, and pulled me along with her. And before I could take a breath or make a sound…

…she entrapped me in her monstrous web!! I struggled to get out of her web, but the more I struggled, the more I could feel something in the web moving, moving… closer and closer. I was unable to scream or even to think in my little Dotee mind. WHAT?! WHAT can I DO?!

Isn't this horrible?!

This little Dotee doll could certainly use your help, don't you think?

All you have to do to help the Dotee doll is to leave your favorite, most terrifying word in a comment below, and all the comments will be thrown into the witch's boiling caldron, where they will all be cooked to their essence. One perfect word will fly out of the caldron on October 31, and the little Dotee's horrifying spell will be broken!

The contributor of the winning word will receive a different Dotee doll of their very own! (Just remember to make sure that we have a way to contact you after the drawing.)

Now, continue the party by visiting all the wonderful stories listed over at Vanessa's place!

Another Special Outing!

2011-10-20T14:35:00.000-07:00

Oh, wasn't it FUN!?

We went to the Tim Burton Exhibit at the L.A. County Museum of Art. It was PACKED full of people. Apparently, they told other people about this, too. They even had brochures printed up.

I thought I'd show you some photos of the exhibit, which photos I took before I was told we weren't allowed to take photos.

Actually, I never take photos at museums, and I had left my digital camera at home because I just wanted to travel light.

However, I did have my smart phone with me and I was browsing around looking at the loveliness, when I saw someone taking photos with her iPhone. And I meandered around amid the crush of people, and then I saw two other people looking at the photos they'd just taken with their phones. And I said to myself, 'Okay, I'll take a few, but I'm not going to get so wrapped up in photos that I don't actually SEE the exhibit!'

Because, isn't it true sometimes, that you take photos of an event, and feel afterward as if you kind of missed things? I didn't want that to happen.

But I figured I might as well take a few to remember the exhibit by. You can see that I spent a lot of time making sure I showcased the works meticulously.

If anyone is contemplating seeing this exhibit, it's on for another week, and it's awesome! We got the audio tour also, and it enriched the experience, but it certainly isn't necessary. Burton's work speaks for... well, itself. Included is a vast array of his illustrations. There are light boxes here and there showing slideshows of his pieces. Videos of his first film endeavors are included. And there are sculptures by other artists, bringing his characters to three glorious dimensions. It's so... BEAUTIFUL!

Next up: Chris discovers that, while it might be unethical to post images from the exhibit (because if people see them here they won't want to pay for the milk later), but for some reason she just can't figure out how to cancel all the pictures and so she just leaves them here, even though they are all out of focus, catty-cornered, distorted, fuzzy, and vertiginous.

Cool New Blog Find

2011-10-19T15:53:00.000-07:00

The Intangible Blog

Puter Nues

2011-10-17T13:57:00.000-07:00

Hi. Here's some brief news about my computer:

It's down.

Thank you.

For those of you who like more information than that, here's the deal: There's a cable that goes from my laptop to the outlet, and it's called something. Well, that something has gone blooie! And I've used all of the battery power there was. When I asked the people how much a new one was, they said $80. Eighty. For a cable.

So I asked around, and I actually have a friend of a friend who has one they don't want. We've exchanged pictures of cables and I'm pretty sure it's the right cable. But they are very far from me. So when my friend comes over on the 29th, I'll have my computer again.

In the meantime, I cannot download any photos or update my iPod. So I am going to be lying down a lot, trying to get through the withdrawals.

But enough about me! How are you?

Some time in the future: Chris shares photos from her Sketchbook Project sketchbook, from her trip to the Tim Burton exhibit at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and from her vacation. Also, there are more decorated panels to share. And by then, there will be pictures of a Halloween party or two, along with Chris's bat mitzvah, which was also delayed.

Getting So Far Behind You're Ahead

2011-10-11T11:41:00.000-07:00

Howdy, my peeps, my peepsters, my peepalicious peepaholics! I'm here! I'm home! I'm home from my trip, and here, at the same time!

Yes, I had a choice. I could have forgotten to update you guys on my whereabouts and thus, never again be able to say things in the longest ways possible, but I said to myself: NO! You're going to go over there, and you're going to sign in, and you're going to forget your password because it's been so long, and you're going to try another one, and then after the fourth one doesn't work, you're going to get an alert, asking who do you think you are? and then you're going to look in your online notebook with all your passwords in it, and you're going to choose between that one and the other one, and then you're going to get it right and then you're going to write a post telling everyone where you are!

My choice: saying things in the longest way possible. YAY!!!

I think it was about 11am on Friday. No, more like 11:15. It might have been later, because by the time I got to writing about it, it had been several minutes since I looked at my watch. And the plane was delayed. And I said !*@!!*&$#!!!! I think I was wearing my orange--no, my beige teeshirt, you know the one that says-- no, that wasn't what I was wearing. Frankly, I can't remember what I was wearing. Sorry.

Okay, a complete stranger just came over and stood behind my chair and told me to just get on with it, already, he has other people to surveil today. CRIMINY!! (as my mother, Saint Rose, would likely say) I didn't even know I was being surveiled!!! I would have added more words!!

Some time later: Well, I managed to get out of the clink. My laptop is still in there, but it's only because that stranger (we'll call him Lucky Tom) needed to get online. So.

To avoid any further law-enforcement proceedings, I'm very sorry but I'm going to have to forego the details and just get on with it.

Here's a sunset photo.

Here is a cool plant growing along the shore where we stayed.

Here's the hacky sack I bought at a head shop in Maui. (Didn't even see any heads there. Weird.)

Here's a coupla new canvases I doodled while I was drinking at the beach. I can't show you my sketchbook for the Sketchbook Project, but it isn't necessarily because I dropped it over the balcony into a fire pit.

Here's a night shot. The woman I was pointing at on the cruise ship has a corresponding night shot of me, but it's NSFW.

Next up: Chris gets her laptop back and finds that all the 'Content NSFW' folders have gone missing.

Not Making A Big Deal Of It

2011-09-28T14:17:00.000-07:00

I aspire to many things. I aspire to learn Norwegian, even though I'll probably never go to Norway and if I do, they all speak English anyway. I aspire to make my own trail mix with dried cranberries and filberts and pinenuts. I aspire to journal like Judy Wise and make postcards like Hanna Andersson. I aspire to infuse oil with rosemary and then dip my chocolate in it just like the Greats do. I aspire to make origami crane mobiles, I aspire to learn how to make cornflake French toast like Marston's makes theirs. I even aspire to design kitchens like Jeff Lewis does. The POINT I'm belaboring, people, is that No goal is too lofty for me to aspire to!

If only I didn't spend so much time and energy aspiring that I'm too exhausted to do anything and have to lie down with a cold compress on my head quite often.

A little-known fact is that I really got my dog, Scout, so that I might learn from her the purpose of aspiration. For example, if Scout aspires to get completely under the covers when she's tired of talking to me, she does it.

Front of puppy lump.

Puppy lump, backside edition.

Anyway, in my prior post, when I said that I have a new fetish, I wasn't whackin' around. Just before my nearly critical illness, with fevers anywhere in the range of 99.9 to 100.1, I had decided to make little canvases and then put them all on the wall in a big mosaicky grouping of oddness and wonderment. (Not unlike the ads you see on top of taxis parked outside the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. With phone numbers for my the patron's convenience!)

Well, I aspired to that multi-canvas display before my cold, and, now that I am well and can see again*, I actually have continued to work on it. Can you believe this?! I swear, I will be Scout's second-greatest achievement, yet!

I thought, since I am not showing you my Sketchbook Project pages yet no matter how much you have begged me**, I would give you a look at my stack of prepared, almost done, not nearly done, abandoned, and previously done and then covered over again, canvases:

Plethora

There you go.
Take that with you.

This one, the one I finished before the illness which almost took my life***, I sent out to Andria, one fun and inventive blogger:

Pre-Plethora

Before I sent it out to Andria, a certain person who lives (albeit, temporarily) in my own home remarked, 'This may have been a sign that you were getting sick'. Needless to say, she won't be getting anything for her anniversary.

* I could list my symptoms for days.

**Three requests last month, and one of them legitimate!

***Please stop me.

A Week Later...

2011-09-27T16:49:00.000-07:00

Well, my sweeties, guess what?

I got a bad cold and I've been in bed for four days. Mostly because I did not want to infect the whole house, as the cold I got is really contagious! But I'm finally out of my sick room and itching to share some of my latest fetish...

(is that term accurate?)

...doodling on small stretched canvases! I have a bunch started a couple finished, and one of them is just in my head. And believe me, it's crowded in there.

On Friday, I zip away to Maui. No, not on a zipline! I tried that once and started

(((horrors)))

CRYING!

(I've always been afraid of heights, but my reaction to my first zipline was so embarrassing!) So. I'll be staying by the pool, by the shore, by the bar, by the sketchbook, and by all of my pens and markers and pencils, listening to the tropical breezes and feeling the sky open up to me, as it always does when I am in Hawaii.

Luckily, I'm not afraid of sky!!

Next up: Chris gets stopped by TSA for packing too much glitter.

Color Me Stacked!

2011-09-21T14:05:00.000-07:00

Seth Apter over at The Altered Page is marking the first day of autumn with a collaborative of stacks!

Although I have a plethora of stacks (including a stack of stamps to be steamed away from their envelopes),

the stacks at the forefront of my attention right now are my stack of canvases in various stages of completion...

and my stack of markers for working on my Sketchbook Project entry.

Zip over to Seth's place to see more creative stacks! And what do you have stacking up?

Crossing the Drama Line

2011-09-15T13:24:00.000-07:00

Remember a couple of posts ago, when I mentioned meeting part of the cast of the program Flipping Out?

My friend Kerry felt that I gave the event short-shrift. And if you aren't aware, short-shrift is when you say something like, "Yeah, I had the baby last week. Could you pass me the sunblock?"

So, I've promised her to cover the event in a bit more detail. Unfortunately, I have only two photos to share with you (in case you didn't see them on the prior post). Without many visuals, I must leave you with narrative. Those who do not care for narrative must find something else to do while the rest of you read through to the end. Maybe make some postcards, or build a scale replica of Versailles out of popsicle sticks?

The Saga of Meeting the Jeff Lewis Designs Staff at Living Spaces

Without Being Frisked Once

Chapter One

My friend Nancy works for Jeff Lewis Designs, and I watch Flipping Out religiously, (without actually lighting candles). I watched it even before she worked there, but now that she works there, I write an email or two every week after watching each episode, wherein I explain to the Jeff Lewis Designs team just exactly what I think about everything that happens in every episode and how they should try to make changes here and there if they know what's good for them. I think they take it seriously. Or else my email is blocked and they never see them. One or the other.

Anyway, so a couple of months ago, Nancy mentioned that Jeff would be making a public appearance in my town, and would I like to meet him? And I said, 'Hell Yeah. I mean, if I don’t have anything in the world else to do and I’m bored out of my mind, sure.'

The day before the event, Nancy reminded me about it and told me that since I’m a baker, and Jeff happens to like yellow cupcakes with chocolate frosting, I should maybe keep that in mind. Hint hint.

And I thought, do I really want to go out there tomorrow? There will be a mob there and I don’t really want to make cupcakes in this heat, and Jeff Lewis really has no interest in meeting me, for heaven's sake. Plus, he'll probably just think I should have my upper level revamped.

Then Nancy said, I’m going over for just a few minutes so I’ll meet you there around 1:00. Well, I thought. Maybe if she’s there it will be okay.

I got up early Saturday and I bought a BOXED MIX of cupcake batter and TUBS of pre-made frostings and I made up a dozen HOMEMADE cupcakes at the crack of dawn so it wouldn’t be hot in the house all day. (Of course, I took a bit off the side of one of them because Scout wanted a taste.) And I used two flavors of frostings because Zoila, his housekeeper, doesn’t like chocolate and Jeff does.

After those were all baked and frosted, I said to myself, Oh for heaven's sake, I GUESS I’LL GO AHEAD and SHOWER.

So I showered on a Saturday. And I even shaved my legs, because it was going to be 114 out and I had to wear shorts. It was okay though, because I made sure to wear the shorts that make me look like Beyonce. Before the VMAs of course.

A little before 1pm, I went over to Living Spaces, and there was actual available parking in the lot! So I thought, oh brother, NO ONE showed up and I’m going to be here BY MYSELF, looking like a stalker. Which I am, but I don’t want to look like one.

Because I got there early, I cased the joint before Nancy got there. When I entered, I saw it that the place was packed full of people. But, they had been organized into a neat, folding, line so there was still room to maneuver past all the weird fans who clearly thought they are more important than I am. (And not one other person looked like Beyonce.)

Jeff and his posse were situated way into the store, so I walked all the way in to see Whaddup, Yo. And they were Sitting Right There. They looked just like themselves, all shiny and wearing clothes and everything!

There were a bunch of people like myself who were not in the line, but just standing off to the side staring at them and taking photos. The line was long but quiet, and Jeff and his staff, who were comprised of Jenni, his assistant, and Zoila, his housekeeper, paid very gracious attention to each person, posed for all photos, and all three of them signed each person’s 8x10 photo of Jeff. I was impressed with how kind and friendly they were and how much they talked with everyone.

How do people do this? Sit and sign their names and pose for photos with strangers? I mean, a person could come up and knife them! My goodness, the door man didn’t even frisk me for explosives!!

And really, that’s the main reason I went.

Chapter Two

A few minutes later, Nancy got there and she said, go get the cupcakes out of your car. And I said, oh no. There are all these people waiting. You can just give him the cupcakes when you go to work. And she said, no way--go get them! Now, Nancy's an ex-police sergeant and I know how she is. One wrong move and she’ll pop a cap in your ass.

So I went out to get the cupcakes and discovered that I’d locked my keys in the car in my excitement at getting here. Of course, you know what this meant. I wasn't going to be able to get into the car. The cupcakes were going to melt in there and run all over my old carpet and make my car smell like chocolate and cream cheese. And I'd have to ask the Flipping Out people for a ride. But then I realized that, as one who is afraid of heat, I had left the windows cracked and one of them was inordinately low. So I inched my forearm inside and tripped the back door lock.

Amid the wildly screaming car alarm, while the other patrons walking by me as I broke into a car they didn't know was mine, I rescued my keys and cupcakes.

The guy at the door keeping everyone organized not only didn't frisk me (again!), but apparently didn't care that I was bringing in cupcakes with strychnine in them to give to Jeff Lewis. I walked past the quarter-mile of people who had waited since before the store opened, and I put them on the side table where Nancy was sitting. She looked at them and said, Well, give them to them!

And I said, NO. I’m not going to cut in line in front of all these people with cameras and large, sharp household moldings and fixtures, and make a spectacle of myself! It’s rude! And she said,

'Do it! Zoila wants the cupcakes!'

Well, what more need be said, really?

So she led me up there and we put the cupcakes down on the table in front of Zoila, while some poor schlub was trying to talk Jeff into meeting him at the Lucky 88 later, and I’m telling you... for a couple of seconds it was like Cleopatra had walked into Caesar’s Palace.

Everything. Stopped.

In rapid succession, Jenni picked up an 8x10, Zoila leaned forward and whispered thank you thank you thank you for the cupcakes, Jeff lifted up the cover to see what they looked like, they asked how to spell my name, everyone signed the card, Zoila started telling me how chocolate cupcakes are boring and she was so glad I brought white ones, and Jenni told me she was SO GLAD to meet me, and, before I could ask if anyone wanted to come home with me for a conga-line party, Jeff said, "Come over here and we’ll get a picture."

It was like I was listening in cuneiform.

My mouth agape, I thought to them as loudly as I could think to them: Other People have driven out here from Pacoima and have stood in line with their burping babies so they might get to see Jeff Lewis before his publicist makes him pack up in 20 minutes and leave, and now there’s going to be A RIOT.

Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw one of the kids in line starting to aim something at me, so I ducked down, and Nancy snapped the picture. Quick as that. I think Jeff touched my arm at one point. I wanted to ask him 'just what do you think you're doing', but there wasn’t time.

Then they said they were very happy to meet me and Jeff looked at me and actually said…

wait for it...

‘Hopefully we’ll see you again.’

Then Nancy helped me to one of the display rooms, where we sat for a moment until I composed myself.

Of course, after a few seconds, I said,

‘So. That’s it?’

Pimp Your Brass Goggles

2011-09-14T11:16:00.000-07:00

This is a long-delayed featurette on my trip to Reno for the World Science Fiction Convention. I'm so sorry that it's taken so long to tell you about it, but I was waiting for people to clambor for the news! I thought, let's wait until popular demand rises to a fever pitch! Then, at the height of desire, we'll slam them with the update!

So. In lieu of getting any requests, here's my report.

The Reno convention was all about Steampunk. Steampunk is about two decades old as a literary sub-genre of science fiction (some would say it goes back to Jules Verne, but actually, as a thing-to-point-to-and-say-that's-Steampunk, it's much younger), and is just recently becoming trendy. Much of the convention panel programming focused on discussions of what Steampunk actually is, what Steampunk trappings consist of, and how to make your own Steampunk costumes for the masquerade. I went to a couple of the literary discussions of Steampunk and found out a lot of cool information. Here is a link which can provide you with an overview of the broad spectrum of Steampunk and its varied expressions.

I've only ever been to the Science Fiction Worldcon (arguably the biggest convention, and specifically the one where the Hugo Award winners are bestowed) when it's been in Los Angeles. They cleverly called it LA Con when it's been here. But the name 'Renovation' is the brainchild of the WSFS organizing committee, and I think it is almost perfect! I think it might have been better as 'Renovention', but they probably weren't as brilliant as I am, so I didn't give them a hard time about it. One must be magnanimous.

Judging from these opening paragraphs, you probably think this is going to be one of my most wordy posts. No way, Baby!! Dr. Who knows that I'm all about SHOW and then tell! (Luckily, our contract requires him to be quiet about what he saw.) So, with no further ado, here are some views of our weekend.

Our Progam cover.

Past Worldcons display.

Past Hugo Award designs.

Steampunk-y display in the trade-show hall.

Folks just wandered around the hall like they belonged there.

One of my friend Paula's tattoos.

She outdid herself.

David Brin, Greg Bear, and Gregory Benford, The Infamous Killer B's of Worldcons.

The Killer B's panel is always popular.

Special event drink selections. Not as good as they sounded.

The drinks we ordered were much better. I love me a Manhattan.

She sells these woven dragon clips, but I forgot her name. They're gorgeous.

The greatest part of the whole event was being with friends from other climbs. We have made a pact to meet at the Worldcon in London in 2014. It's fairly certain that London will be approved as the next site. Unless they got word of our plans to attend.

(I didn't tell, but Dr. Who knows.)

Classic Lines

2011-09-10T11:34:00.000-07:00

Here's a classic line for you: I was so busy I forgot to blog!!

(I mean... classic since 1991.)

How be ewes?!

A good friend whom I've never met, said to me, "Girl, you still feeling ODD?" And that's when I knew I'd better give some kind of update here on the site. Because you all have been so sweet and loving to share your thoughts with me in the previous post, and to support me in my emotional mercuries that I want to Thank You with a big virtual HUG!! It really does mean a lot to me, and if I weren't going to basketball games, a couple of birthday parties, work, a deposition, the DMV to remove the boot from my car, and my regular botox appointment, I would have been a better journalist. As it is, you've had to learn about my recovery on the streets.

Something weird is going on with this post.

Anyway, through the week there have been more feelings of joy, happiness, gigglies, effervescence, litigation, gas, and a certain sort of ennui that makes four naps a day seem perfectly appropriate. In other words: I be back to normal, my peeps!

Now, lovelies, I must tell you a secret. I am zipping over to my local Living Spaces, a store which I've never seen, to see Jeff Lewis of Flipping Out fame. And because I'm doing that, I am contractually obligated to bake cupcakes and take them with me. I have been so busy buying ingredients (boxed cake mix and frosting in tubs), forgetting something, going back and getting the sprinkles, dammit, and baking the goodies before it gets hot today (it's rather cool), that I'd completely forgotten to tell you about it.

But now I have!! And you're welcome!!

Here are the cupcakes.

As you may notice, I've deferred to Mr. Lewis's famous minimalist sensibilities, and kept the classic lines in my product and presentation. I did have to do some editing, and I feel it worked out. (I can use the feathers and tissue-paper bunny ears for another project.)

EDIT: Here's the event. The cupcakes are under the aluminum tray in front of Zoila. The cakes are Celebrities!!

Next up: Chris sues TMZ for cupcake slander.

Nothin To Do About It

2011-09-04T07:27:00.000-07:00

Hey, there. Feeling odd right now. Was going to journal about it, but it's early Sunday morning and I'm relaxed with my coffee and don't really feel like going to the table where my journal is.

You ever feel like you're just too emotional? I know we all have emotions, even if we don't want to. I just spent 15 minutes crying over the passing of someone's cat, a cat I knew, an aloof cat, who lived somewhere I'll never be again, and as I was crying over this precious, I thought, girl, what the hell are you crying about? It happened long before you even knew about it. You must be crying about something ELSE, right? But for the life of me, I couldn't think of what that would be. I honestly think I just cried about that little-met kitty whose life was cut short.

Some people are more emotional than others. Nothing can be done about it. I mean, some people FEEL more than others. I always have. And not the kind, altruistic way always, but often the angry, hate-filled way, the critical way, the self-wounded way, all those ways that people feel, I seem to feel more. So far, I've been able to express the joyful, happy, compassionate feelings more than I have expressed the impatient, critical feelings. But seriously, who has TIME for all these feelings, people? I just want to live in this wonderful world, with all there is to see.

Sometimes reflection comes, and sometimes the morning is quiet, and sometimes a nearly stranger of a beautiful cat dies, and I can't believe it can happen, and I cry for 15 minutes. I miss that cat. It's the silliest thing in the world, to my pragmatic mind.

Happy Happy Long Weekend to all!! Thank you so much for your sweet comments and loyal readership.

Disappearing Act: GPP Street Team 55

2011-09-02T13:40:00.000-07:00

Over at Michelle Ward's GPP Street Team, the September challenge is to meld two or three colors on a page, then apply stamp or stencil using the same colors, to see just how neat-o it is when some of those colors and images seem to disappear (!) into the landscape.

I 'El Oh Vee EE' love this challenge. Don't take it from me; go over to the link I've provided and see what Michelle, herself, has done with this. It will knock whatever you have on your feet totally OFF ! She's unbelievable. In fact, now that I think about it, I don't believe her.

Now. Here, in rapid succession, are the steps I took and the successes and failures. (Most of the failures are in photography, as you will see.)

First, I wanted to start with one of the colors I'd invented for Michelle's Challenge for August. So I put down Summer Barbeque, comprised of some red and yellow, melded it together, and then tried making a lovely foam stamp image disappear. I think it came out pretty well! Er, disappeared pretty well! Oh, you know...

Next, I used a snowflake stamp.

Then I decided to try a combo of black and grey with a different stamp. However the stamp I chose didn't really translate well, probably because of the wetness of my paint in the nooks and crannies.

But, then I chose another simple foam stamp and was satisfied with the result. (Read Michelle's post to see what great supplies she used! I'm trying those next.)

But, wait! Time for stenciling!

I wasn't really up for spray painting today, as it's about 100 degrees outside right now, so I took a couple of die-cut forms and painted through them.

These are the blue and green I used for my invented color Mellifluidity, in the last Challenge.

As you can see, the paper I used as my surface is not my usual 140 lb watercolor paper, so when I pulled the die-cut sun off, it brought the paper with it. But I just kept putting down the sun, painting over boo-boos, and came up with a pretty good page.

If that weren't enough to make everyone's day, I decided to get out some more shapes and try to add some yellow to the blue and green:

It wasn't totally successful, but I can still work with it. I think you can see how I used the flower as a mask and a stencil and got some good texture out of this bit. I can cut it down to make card or a nice collage addition.

I liked how my butterfly sticker turned out after painting over it a few times. I can use this as a stencil again or just put it on a collage.

This is the first painting I've done in awhile. Thanks so much, Michelle, for giving me another tool to add to my art belt! I really love how the colors and images dissolve and disappear.

Let That Be A Warning To You.

2011-08-31T15:17:00.000-07:00

Don't ever think that I don't listen to your suggestions, because I honestly listen to your suggestions, unless I'm too busy eating again.

And, having 'heard' that my frequent and loyal and frequently loyal commentor, Anonymous K, was having a shock to the eyeballs every time she/he visited, when the big, luscious face of my baby Scout would pop up on the banner and scare him/her, I decided to change my banner, just this once, until the next time.

So I hope Anonymous K sees how important her/his weird phobia about animal eyes is to me, as I select future banner images. To wit: the banner for today is Mo Kitty, back when he was just a pup.

Now. You may be wondering, whaddup with the absence of crafty endeavors on this here page? And I would say to you, 'please work with a grammarian of some repute, because you doth not speak the English goodly.'

the Queen, and her damn English

Here's the thing. I have been not doing stuff. Let's not belabor the point with reasons, explanations, excuses, laziness, anxiety, insomnia, night-sweats, cramps, lurgy, lethargy, and the dreaded trying-to-get-the-car-out-of-the-driveway derangements.

It was all downhill from here.

Suffice to say: I haven't made anything for awhile. I've doodled a bit, and you know that the Getty have asked for some of my doodles, but really, I have to be choosy about where I place them. Right now, I've placed them fifth out of six horses.

But that's not important right now, people! The reason I called was because I wanted to wish all of you a wonderful Labor Day or whatever day it is where you are as you're reading this. If you're not reading this, then mind your own business. I'm planning a massive canvasing in the studio this weekend. And I promise to share the results!

In my studio (before Official Notice of Code Violation).

Folksy News Not Really About 'Folks'

2011-08-26T11:19:00.000-07:00

I don't really have folksy news, but I like to come up with interesting titles.

Isn't that a damn interesting title?

HUH?!

I do have some news, but it can't really be considered folksy: My dog is fine.

That's about it.

Okay, well, if you must know, I took her to the vet because four days ago she was limping and favoring her right leg. And if I've taught my dog anything, it's to treat all her legs equally. So, what I figured was that she jumped down to the floor from too high and had a muscle strain. I made an appointment. Then she stopped faking it and walked normally. So, I cancelled the appointment. Because an unnecessary appointment can suck the life out of a bank account. You know what I mean, so don't even front about it.

Then, we were out walking, and while we were out on the lawn, I noticed she was limping again. So I said, oh crap, if you're going to be a BABY about it, I'll call the vet!!

That was two days ago. Those two days were some of the most pleasant, active, perky, un-limping days of her life. So after two days of her not limping, I sat her down, and I said, 'Look here, Missy.' (She hates it when I call her Missy.) 'I know you've been faking that limp, but just to teach you a lesson I am TAKING you to the VET, and you're going to LIKE it!'

After which she got a treat and slept in her favorite bed with her blankie.

Well, the vet saw her today and looked at me, and looked at Scout, and looked at me, and said,

"Yep. She's a dog.

"That'll be $75.00."

So.

I hope I've taught Scout a lesson.

Conning

2011-08-24T09:11:00.000-07:00

I know what you're saying to yourselves! You're saying, "How can that Chris be so freaking good?"

See? I'm psychic, too.

Just got back from the Worldcon in Reno Sunday. Had a lovely time. Won't say the word 'busy' again, because I always say that, and I now consider it 'the B word'. If I ever say 'the B word' in future, you'll know what I mean. And I'm also saying *I* too much. So, shut up.

Let's start again, shall we?

Hi! The person who's writing this missed you! Must go visiting soon! Tried a bit yesterday, and fell over. Must do some core exercises.

Love,
Anonymous

p.s. Photos of Phestivities Posting Soon...

The Treacherous Rocks on the Cliff of Life

2011-08-17T08:59:00.000-07:00

I've had about ten minutes per day to do anything online at all. I've been so busy that I'm way out of the loop. I miss all my blogging friends and even my non-blogging friends. And now, I'm about to leave for Reno and the convention, where I'll be until Sunday night. I hope to do some blurfing from there, but I'm only taking my iPhone. No laptop, because I'm traveling light.

However, I wanted to share some stuff here, because I can. Last weekend I wanted to bake up some blueberry muffins before a dinner event, the mix provided by the handy-dandy Trader Joe's Blueberry Muffin Elves, second only to the Keebler elves in their ability to bug the living crap out of you until you try something.

But. I woke up in the morning and found that I was out of muffin papers! What? I thought muffin papers were the one thing I kept in stock in perpetuity! With trepidation, and no time to shop, I went ahead and used the muffin tin without the requisite papers. Here's the batter in the tins:

Innocent enough, yes? But a person just KNOWS that those muffins are going to stick in there and never come out and that the muffin tin will have to be thrown away and then the muffins, without protective liners, will dry out like wallets within a half hour.

My life is filled with challenges.

But, look!

They baked up fine! They popped right out of the pan! Sure, I lubed up those muffin tin cups like they were sliding up Mount Olympus, but a person can never be too sure...

And, they are so evenly baked and filled with blueberries!!

I was so excited, I didn't even eat any or take them to the dinner party. I'm saving them for evidence. So far, it's been four days and they aren't even wallets yet! Now, that beats the Keebler elves any day.

In other news (or: olds, depending on how you look at it), I painted up this canvas for Cathie before our annual trip to Maui in October. It's in lieu of a greeting card. Because, we've greeted plenty of times. Too many, if you must know.

This represents, quite literally, the seafoam washing up on the shore and rocks of the cliffs of life, bringing with it little shells and other shell-like things that make a house a home. Er...something like that.

I came up with the lyrics myself.

Next up: Chris finds taking photos of the Worldcon through her Avatar mask to be quite a challenge.

Mind Games: GPP Crusade 54 !!

2011-08-12T11:55:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in the previous post, it's time for me to mix up my own colors AFTER coming up with names for them. I love this idea! I'm a words and color person. Words and Colors. I'm so excited writing that, I may just have to go now.

Have a nice weekend!

Oh, wait... I can't leave--I'm so happy with my colors I have to share them!

Now you just sit yourself down there and order something colorful to drink (I'm all up in a frosty glass of milk right now). And while you're waiting to tip your server, pick up this action I'm laying down. Woot!

Over at Michelle Ward's Street Team, we've been having a relaxing summer reviewing our color choices and making new ones. I haven't had this much fun since Lance Armstrong sent me one of his bracelets (he gets tired of things really quickly).

Our task this month, if you're too parched to follow the link I gave you earlier, is to play a game of colors with yourself. Think of a phrase or term that you love, a lyric from a song or a poem or a film or a wrapper you found sticking to the bottom of your waste receptical... and make a unique, all-yours, color out of that word/phrase/lyric/verse/wrapper/insult/someone else's password, etc.

So, here be my deal. Firstly, I love me some good wordage. Second of all, I write my letters down so I don't forget their asses. Here are my words/letters and their asses:

HUH?! You're not going to get this kind of variety on TLC's new show 'Master of Monotony'. Oh. No.

Here's the outcome of this whole endeavor!

The first term I wanted to work with was Lachrymose Joe. I don't know why I love that so much, but I told an ex-friend to name her first baby that, and... well... we know where that went. However, I feel that I didn't do it justice, here. I was going to keep working on it

((You, there! Wake UP.))

but I figured this is only an hour post. So, here's Lachrymose Joe.

What I did, y'all, is that I put down some deep ultramarine, and while wet I let some black drip down it (like tears, doncha know). Before the black was completely dried, I wiped it off with a baby wipe. Now. This isn't technically a color, it's actually a pattern. So I felt I didn't really do what she told me to do. I took a time out, with the usual screaming and whining and slapping.

Then, I made Vermicious Knid. Which is always one of my favorite terms, from either Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, or maybe I channeled it from Knidworld. In any case, this is more of a pattern, as well:

This is purple, with tan on some cardboard and then criss-crossed. Now, I could cover an entire surface with these two patterns, making them, effectively, colors. However, I was still giving myself a C-to-the-D.

Then I picked out four other terms from my written memos-to-self, and, in rapid succession, made these:

Summer Barbeque, because I'm trying to use more reds in my work and when I think of barbeques, I think of red peppers, bbq sauce, hot spices, and regret. This is a layer of red, when damp brushed over with grey, when damp brushed over with yellow, then brushed again with red.

Mellifluidity, which is not a word, but which I like so it is. And it makes me think of water, flowing, flowing water, and the sounds of wind through tall grass. This is a flat brush tipped half-half in turquoise and lime green, then brushed over about three layers' worth.

Wedding Reception, which to me feels like pink and Bavarian cream and flowers and sparkles (I put some Stickles glitter glue in this) and also too much dancing on weak ankles. This is a layer of magenta, when damp brushed over with metallic silver, then glitter glue, then when damp brushed with titanium buff, then while damp brushed over with a mix of magenta, white, and glitter.

In Like Flint. Which I don't even know is the right phrase, because the title of the movie may be In Like Flinn, but I think it's Flint and no matter what it is, I like the word flint and I tried to make it metallic and sparkly by using slate gray, black, and Stickles glitter glue, even though flint may not be sparkly, but I think it is.

And if I can't order my own reality, people, then what's the point of being the leader of the free world?

Thank you.

Next up: Chris impeaches herself.

Mad Scientist! GPP Crusade 53

2011-08-07T21:58:00.000-07:00

Michelle Ward's Street Team Challenges for the summer have been educational, relaxing, and offer insight into our own color choices. The previous challenge was 'Seasonal WARDrobe', urging us to explore our color choices throughout the year and ask, as the seasons change--does our palette change with them? My challenge 52 is on a previous post.

'Mad Scientist' asks that we review a few of the color blends in our previous works to see what they are comprised of, and then name them. I love this exercise! I am constantly blending colors, making marbled-pattern surfaces for collage or mixed media. When there's marbling going on, it's a bit more challenging breaking down the composite colors and naming them, but I like the idea of seeing the place where all the colors come together as its own color. Naming my own blends (and looking toward repeating them) gives my work an extra layer of individuality.

Here is a scrap I made sure to save for myself after sending out some cards:

This was painted with gold Luminarte Twinkling H2Os pigment powder and red craft paint. I love combining paints on a wet surface before doodling or collaging on them. Although the gold and the red carry their own names from the manufacturer, I am naming them thus:

Sunrise Sand

Inner Hibiscus

Sunrose (blend)

Here is another blend from my stash:

These are colors I often combine (blue and green). In this instance, I used a green and a turquoise in an acrylic craft paint brand, and added a white Luminarte H2O pigment powder.

The elements of this blend, with names of my own concocting, are:

Chayote Squash

Tea of Cyan

Baby Powder

Cloud Cover (blend)

Lastly (for this exercise), this blend from my stash is comprised of three predominant craft paint colors--blue, goldenrod, and white.

I break them down here as follows:

Buttershot Schnapps

Cobalt-A-Go-Go

Moss on the South Side (blend)

What I found cool about the second and third blend is that they contain colors that are very similar, but resulted in a very different marbled effect. This practice of naming my own colors is one I'm going to find very easy to live with.

You can always play along with the Street Team! Even if you haven't worked with Crusades 52 or 53 yet, you can catch up! And I'll be working on 54 next. That'll teach me!

Note: Chris reserves the right to change her names at any time, however, please don't call her Shirley.

Honeydew In August

2011-08-06T06:57:00.000-07:00

Good morning!

I felt like dropping by my own site to say hi. It's a lovely morning and I have the luxury of some time to go surfing my favorite blogs (blurfing) to see what everyone's up to. I bet (admittedly, only $2. on an exacta box) we all have so much to do we can barely get it all done, and one of the things I have to do most days is to spend the greater percentage of the day talking about just how much I have to do.

Now that one of us mentions it, I would like to find out what you have to do right now. You must have a list, if only in your head. Put it down here, so that we can all hold you to it and visit you with blame and recrimination, later. yay!!

Before I can manage to work on a more interesting blog post (although, how could any be more interesting than this one?), I will just give you a hint of what fingers I have on the pulse of my day.

(isn't this exciting?)

In no particular order...

Work on Lesson 9 of Marie Otero's Photo Magic Class, which I won in a giveaway and have been late in finishing. (90 minutes)

Complete crusade challenges 53 and 54 of Michelle Ward's GPP Street Team. (2 hours)

Visit the crusaders in the above-referenced challenges and see what they've come up with and give them constructive feedback (such as: Excellent Lighting! Superb Buffet! Cinch That Belt In! Don't Slouch!) (2.5 hours)

Cut the 3-day old gladioli bouquet down to open up the top buds because they are trapped up there (10 mins)

Trim up the zucchini plant and pick the tomatoes (14.5 mins)

Record the video for my decorative tape tutorial (3.5 hours)

Visit Twitter after 4 days away. (75 minutes, with vegetable crudite)

Visit bloggists on my Blog Roll, who are daring, enchanting, talented, and wise, yet who I often have to neglect because ~~I have to make lists~~ life is crazy. (4 hours)

Make Trader Joe's Reduced Guilt Brownies (15 mins)

Work on my Dala Horse garland for the Flickr group, although I may not be able to finish it because it involves *sewing*. (12 more days)

Walk Scout (20 minutes if she doesn't get scared, 4 minutes if we have to run back home).

Try to really get started on Pinterest, because it looks fascinating, and my learning curve is 360 degrees (a week and 3 days).

Make my brother's birthday altered cigar box, now a tradition (3 days)

Read The Hunger Games trilogy, borrowed from my nephew over two months ago and not yet read, because I've been reading for the science fiction convention voting deadline of 7/31, and my nephew will be back from his vacation in a week, tapping his foot and demanding a review. (22 hours, with occasional naps)

Shower (7 minutes).

Post a blog entry with no photos (47 minutes).

So, there it is! I love Saturdays, because they give me plenty of time to get everything done!

Parabolic Peeves

2011-08-03T10:11:00.000-07:00

Before I get to the gist of this post, I want to THANK all my new and continuing followers for being so loyal, steadfast, and discerning! It's ever awesome to meet new people around this virtual feast of a web, where, like all voracious spiders, I can sneak up on them and WRAP them up in a silken COCOON and protect them from other PREDATORS such as myself!

Which is what makes this a warm and loving artful place of blather.

But enough niceties. On to what's bugging me.

The Peeve may become a regular column here at the Parabolic Musery. On the other hand, I reserve the right to forget that I even started a peeve column, because, honestly, I'm so up-with-life it's hard for me to muster a real, healthy snit over anything for more than a couple of seconds. But, it could become a regular column, or a semi-regular column, a sporadic column, an intermittent column, a columnar pad, a padded cell, a hyperbolic chamber, a vermicious knid, or any of the other technical terms we professionals use when we're basically just whackin' around.

It's probably best to list my peeves, as to offer them expositionally, as that would make this post longer than the LOTR series or many of my previous posts which received negative comments. (Not comments that were negative. I mean, Blogger actually subtracted comments from my blog because my posts were too long.)

oops. too late. hideously long, already.

1. Why do people, having been at the grocery for up to an hour, get in line, wait, get to the register, and then suddenly, while all of us are standing there watching, remember that they have to PAY for their items? 'Oh! I forgot to get out my card/check/pen/cash/purchasing implement!' Whereupon, we all have to wait longer to get to the register and buy our Ben and Jerry's Late Night Snack with yummy chocolate-covered potato chips in vanilla bean ice cream with a caramel swirl! It's melting! It's melting, people!

1. Why do people not pick up after their dogs? Seriously. After waiting for the dog to do what it naturally does, do they not SEE what's happened?!

1. What is it about portable social-networking devices that make everyone so rude? Because you have a device, I have to talk to the back of it while we're at dinner together? Is there No Place on Earth where you can NOT be reached? Seriously. My Strange Addiction.

1. When visiting the ladies lounge, why is it inevitable that the protective tissue (which offers no actual protection) is left on the seat? When a person is done, don't they check things out? Are they in SUCH a hurry that they literally RUN out of the stall, pants down, and have no clue that they have left the next person a disgusting mess? Personal Responsibility.

1. I don't understand the booming. What's with the booming? Here's an immutable law of the universe: if you listen to hip-hop, rap, metal, banger, oompa, or any of a number of Annoying-At Second-Hand onslaught noises (i.e., those one has not initiated in one's own vehicle), you MUST roll all your windows down and drive city streets. Driving on the freeway with the windows up, listening to your tuneage in the intimate comfort of your hoopdy is apparently not appropriate for moving your lifestyle forward into ultimate coolosity.

1. Tim Burton Better Not F With Dark Shadows. I have alternately loved and hated his movies throughout his career, and I do respect him. But if he 'Planet of the Apes' the Dark Shadows legacy, I will Kick. His. F'in. A**.

So. There you have it. What's peeving me at this moment.

I must congratulate you for making it through! Sometimes a person just has to get these things out of her system, so that she can return to living in the deep and abiding appreciation for all that life has to offer. Not the least of which is this.

And if anything's peeving you, feel free to share it with me. It'll probably get me started again.

Color Me ME!!

2011-07-30T12:36:00.000-07:00

How long has it been since you reviewed your color palette?

For her GPP Street Team's Crusade 52, Michelle Ward posed the question: when the season changes, do the colors on your art palette change, as well?

This is an intriguing question for me, as I LOVE color, and have this perception of myself as being a COLORFUL painter (beader/clay artist/photographer/baker/story-maker-upper).

But, is my self-perception accurate?! And... if it's true that I AM in love with color, am I in love with many colors, or an unchanging palette of favorites?

One thing I love about Michelle's challenges is that she takes us out of our complacent zone with the questions she asks. She doesn't simply show, which is a marvelous teaching method, but she also asks. An open question can do a lot to initiate the kind of search that can lead us to being better artists.

Which is why I think being nosy is a good thing to be. Thank you, Michelle, for being nosy!

Well, if you MUST know... I thought I was an equal-opportunity color lover. But apparently, I like these colors

blues

pinks

yellows

greens

much more than I like these colors

browns (one canvas)

purples (one board)

reds (one wc paper)

black (no photo available)

As for seasons, of the colors I do love, I seem to be unmoved by seasonal considerations.

What?! I live in L.A. and I don't care about seasons?!? Not So, People! I love me some rain, some thunder, some clouds, some frost on the lawn, some flowers of yellow and pink and foliage of greens and yellow and birds who don't poop on my car and people who remember to turn at the proper intersection, instead of stopping in the middle and making an illegal u-turn, thus stopping the flow of traffic and endangering the lives of cross-walkers.

What I'm saying is: I love seasons! I just, for some reason, use whatever color I want to use whenever I want, whether I'm hot or cold.

Blue:

April

August

Pink

February

May

Yellow

March

July

Green

March

December

It's a whim! It's whimsical! I'm filled with color whimsy!!

so.

The remaining question is: Exactly WHY am I afraid of browns, purples, reds and blacks?

...hmmmm......???

Next Up: Chris works on Crusade 53 using only greys, grey-whites, off-greys, grey-blacks, and off-black greys. Which cuts down the naming options quite a bit.

Buried Treasure, Year Three

2011-07-28T05:00:00.000-07:00

All of you loyal The Altered Page fans are aware that Seth has initiated a new cherished exercise among us called Buried Treasure. This time-honored tradition consists of each of us participants pulling from the depths of his/her site our favorite entries, and laying them out on the shore for a fresh examination, perhaps re-evaluation, and even, if time permits, a comprehensive measurement of flotsam and jetsam.

As my clinical contribution, I give you not one, not two... but THREE treasures unearthed from the basement of Parabolic Muse.

I bet you didn't know it even had a basement, did you? But the treasures... you knew those were here, right?
Right?!?

Here's a beloved classic from way back in March of 2011!

And now, for something completely different.

Lastly, a heart-wrenching story of staggering silliness.

Thank you, Seth.

Now I'm off to read the other writings on the sand.

Sawdust Festival

2011-07-24T15:22:00.000-07:00

There's an arty event which runs a couple of times every year in Laguna Hills called the Sawdust Festival. The weather here in Southern California is staying relatively mild for summer (as happened last year, when we only had a week here or there of over 90 temps--nothing as severe as usual), so we decided to take the hour drive out first thing in the morning and see what's what.

Shuttle stop from the main parking area.

I haven't been to the Festival for a few years. In the past we'd bring home one or two gorgeous handmade items, and I was eager to see how much had changed over the past few years, and how much might be new. And, frankly, there wasn't much new. All still beautiful, the ground still covered in sawdust, the dappled shade of the trees keeping us cool, and a few hundred artisans displaying everything from ceramics to jewelry to blown glass, collage and photography, mosaics and carvings, clothing and handbags. Here's one of the rows of shops just after opening, before the hoard arrived.

Even if you're not there to buy, which was our case, there is so much to look at that it provided me with a great deal of inspiration and a few new ideas in framing and displaying my work!

One new sight was a cool and colorful booth set up for crafting to whomever wished to take a sit-down and try their hand. Later in the day this corner was filled with people making their own collage magnets. I love seeing that kind of action!

And here's a ceramics hands-on, which was very popular, as you can imagine, with a waiting line getting longer and longer as the morning progressed.

A glass blower in a large enclosure demonstrated his work (it's always been difficult to get a clear view, with all the people always crowding in to watch). He explained every step of the way, and watching him work with the furnace was fascinating.

In his booth, a mosaic artist worked and talked with visitors. The small yellow mosaic on the top right was priced at $1200.00. I decided to try to make one a bit like it for somewhat less. It's so pretty!

And a long-time purveyor of small canvases maintained the same booth for the 41st year, under a roof covered with toys.

A picture-perfect Sunday outing, after a week filled with challenges.

Watermill

What was your weekend like?

Nothing

2011-07-24T02:38:00.000-07:00

This is my second post today. Actually, it's the next day, very early in the morning, but I am not blogging very regularly, so any time I post twice in a 24-hour period I call it the second post of the day.

Here's the thing: This morning (yesterday morning), I intended to share not only what I shared earlier (post prior to this post), which was my paintings-printed-on-labels saga, but also a full tutorial on how I decorate paper tape to use as Washi tape because I kept buying washi tape and the cost can mount up and I found out that I could make my own (link on sidebar) and then Andria mentioned, why not put a tutorial on your blog, and I said, sure, although I said it only to myself, since I've never been with her in the same room.

YOU think this is tedious? Think how I feel! It's MY day, after all!

I spent All Day video-ing myself making tape. First, hand-held non-HD camera videos that were dizzying and never short enough to load, and finally, incomprehensible. Then, finding a tripod, and having a static POV, and making 8 videos which were short enough to upload onto Blogger, but being too faint to hear because I wasn't close enough to the mic, the light streaming in behind me making a glare on my work surface, and the camera being at such an angle that the viewer couldn't see anything I was doing.

All. Day.

Here's my question: How do you wonderful people who prepare online classes for a living DO IT ?!? A person could faint from this.

Uploading, trying to upload, putting them in sequence, talking louder, modulating tone, saying UH too many times, looking like I just woke up, looking like I've been up too long, looking like I'm staring at something behind the viewer rather than at the viewer. Coughing. Dog barking. Earthquake.

(Okay, no earthquake.)

Monsoon. Thunderstorm. Santa Ana winds. Blight. Corns.

People, I'm not saying that I didn't learn anything. I am replete with learning. I've had learning up to here. I posted two entries, then unposted them. My dog actually tapped her foot and looked disdainfully at me. But could she really blame me? I mean, this was Un Dia Du Crapola.

I was so sick of being around me, I wanted to throw all my belongings out on the lawn and lock myself out.

Then I went and saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 and was transported. I needed that.

Back to the drawing board.

Drawing. ahaAHAHAAHAA! Get it?

okay.

Label Me Happy!

2011-07-23T11:26:00.000-07:00

Good morning, My Peepsters! I hope all are having a not-intolerably-hot day, and beautiful thoughts. I am in preparation to share some videos about how I make the decorative tape that I referred to in my last post. But I'm apparently too tech challenged to get the videos to load onto my blog, so I'll have to make them again, or leave them off.

For now, I have to share with you a magnificent idea I got from Hanna, who has been sharing her paper collage method for covering journals. Having recently printed out labels for a mailing project at work, I decided to try stealing a sheet of labels, and the color toner from the laser printer, and printed one of my pieces right onto the sheet of labels! This would (I reasoned) achieve a plethora of goals. A) provide me with paper pieces that stick themselves to other things, D) give my new Sketchbook Project 2012 journal themed 'Treehouse' a cover with a mosaic of my own original imagery to go along with the theme, 2) preclude the need to glaze the finished surface of the journal cover, as the labels provide their own smooth and color-rich surfaces, and X) something else, which I can't remember right now.

Well, here is the result! LOOK at these beautiful sheets of labels! Two of my canvases and a copyright-free image, all to do with tree or house. yay! I may have to go buy a box of labels now and stick labels to everything!

My goodness, we were going to paint our living room walls, but... is that even necessary now?!?! I mean, I can skip the primer step completely!

Time Off For Tape Behavior

2011-07-16T10:46:00.000-07:00

I've just gotten some ATCs done for Tari. She sent me some really lovely mailart, as I documented here. SO filled with creativity and friendliness! I have had bunches on my plate lately and have just now gotten hers out to her.

Here, I've toyed with the paper tape I've lately been making for myself. The tutorial for this tape is linked over on my side bar. Try this out! The tape is your oyster!

I dropped a little bookmark in her packet as well, along with some little arty doodads. Tari, I hope you enjoy your mail love as much as I enjoy yours!

Since I had some time for ATCs (I actually took a day off work to get it!), I decided to play a bit with my tape and some mark-making tools on little canvas boards. These aren't finished, yet, but I decided to share them.

And here is my paper tape library, in progress (as is everything in my life!). I started decorating tape over a month ago and then of course, got interrupted. These have been stored on little tubes that are leftover after all the plastic bags are used (Cathie brings them home from Trader Joe's for me to use for tape, for making little people for dollhouses, and for stringing up in banners). After all, I don't want to roll the decorated tape up onto itself, do I?!

And here's Scout, threatening to domino my tape tubes if I don't stop playing around.

Oh, I wish Scout would take my art seriously.

Next up: Scout steals Chris's brushes, beret and easel, but keeps falling out of the espadrilles.

A Day In the Life

2011-07-10T19:04:00.000-07:00

...a dogs life.

Pack It In, Pack It Scout

2011-07-06T07:59:00.000-07:00

You're not going to believe this.

Yesterday, I got a package with one thing in it. No note. No explanation. Most apparent: No cash.

Here's what was in it:

WHAT? A Doggie Bag?

With insulation?!

I said to myself: "But, Your Magnificence, what could this mean?"

Well, I knew right off the bat (baseball term) that it was from my friend Kirsten:

and because it was from Kirsten, I knew it had to be Something Absolutely Stunning. And it is! Clearly, Kirsten had ordered something personalized for Scout, because Scout is a Choxie. I mean, you can see right here that there's a Dachshund on it!

Shut UP. This is the coolest gift, ever. If Kirsten weren't in Holland, I'd kiss her a million times.

But. It gets better. Then, I read the tag:

I know!! My mind was officially blown out, you know, like one of those balloons from the Roswell visitor's center!

This company apparently has, on purpose, named their products 'Scout', after my dog.

I can't believe I didn't trademark her when I had the chance. But I've learned that she hates having her butt stamped.

Brush Your Images (and don't forget to floss)

2011-07-04T22:32:00.000-07:00

You may remember, or you may not, because you have a busy life and your life is busy and you would rather not have to remember what's going on over here because for goodness sake: yer bizzy, already!!

You, there? In the back, doing your homework? Please stop whatever you're working on and pay attention.

I'm taking Marie Otero's Photo Magic class, and I have to share my first photos! I've finished the first week of the course, and have taken the things I've learned in those four lessons, and I've used them on my own photos.

WHAT, you say? This stuff can be used Outside Of Class?!

(don't tell anyone, but yeah)

Here's a photo of a dad taking pictures of his little girl as they wait for the Louvre to open. They were able to get out of line, because they had family there to hold their place. (I later went over and yelled, "No Holdsies!!")

The original photo:

The adjusted photo:

I like this one better, but I'll be working on it some more because I want the little girl's face to be more enhanced.

Here's an iris, growing in our backyard regardless of all the Roundup I keep spraying on it. Look at all the dried spots on it from when our sprinklers are on and actually spray it!

Here's the iris, after getting rid of all the spots, and placing it on a velvetty black background with a shadow mask and some ice-cold lemon tea (not visible in this edit).

I like this one better.

And I'm still working on this next one. This one is from our trip to Sedona a couple of years ago. I didn't tell the teacher, but I'm trying to do this on my own, without the book or complementary protractor.

The original:

The one in progress:

It's better, but clearly, I am going to have to ask someone to clean up this little mess. (If I leave it long enough, maybe no one will know I'm the one who did it.)

Next up: Chris photoshops her Isuzu, and BMW writes a pointed letter.

HAPPY HOLIDAY!

2011-07-02T11:10:00.000-07:00

There is a New Edition of Seth Apter's The Pulse series, beginning TODAY!

And if that's not the best start to a Fourth of July holiday here in the States, then I don't know what is, unless it would be a scale replica of the Lincoln Memorial made out of Peeps.

All the best to all of you, my giving, funny, inspiring, loyal blog readers!!

There's an exciting bit of frippery going on over at Casa Muse, and I'm going to share all process photos, even if the process may include tearing down and starting over. But, LIFE is like that!

Don't forget to go over and visit Seth. Even those of you who don't ART will be delighted at what you see, and beyond that, he's offering a giveaway of the 2008 Pulse, which just happens to include a bit of Your's Truly.

Happy Happy Independence Day to you All! Even those of you who aren't so independent and have to keep checking with dad.

Pulling Out The Stickers

2011-06-29T16:20:00.000-07:00

You lovelies!!

Thank you for so many great comments and for ~~knowing how fabulous I am~~
being so fabulous!

Today, I managed to catch almost UP. I even managed to get my co-worker's 6-year-old his birthday gift! (His birthday was yesterday, but I got the present today, that's my point.) The Photo Magic class is really a pleasure to take, and I got to see my sweet brother from Kansas City.

The weekend trip to Phoenix was iffy. I know every one of us has an 'interesting' airline story, so I'm not saying that I've gotten 'special' treatment, here, but I will say this: If the flight home is delayed by four hours, I think it's perfectly reasonable to receive some sort of recompense from the airline. We got on our flight in the morning, were told that something was wrong with the air conditioning and we had to deplane, and then were given constant updates telling us our flight would continue to be delayed.  Finally, we got on a new plane at a new gate and got home much later than we'd expected. Did we get a free drink voucher or a lunch? No. The airline? US Airways. We took US Airways because it was the least expensive and the best schedule for our needs. That won't happen again.

That's happened to us on American, as well, but at least we got lunch, and I'm all for being SAFE. But at least be friendly about it, and apologize.

We're all basically screwed, until we can fly ourselves.

Enough boring airline stories. Here's a boring cigar box story: I'm way into cigar boxes. They are piled up in a big bin I got from rubbermaid by way of Target. And when my brother and I were antiquing last week, I found three more little cigar box babies.  Then, in Phoenix, at a big-box liquor store, they had cigar boxes for approximately nothing, and I got three more! That's six (6) cigar boxes in one weekend!  Ray Milland would be proud!

Now, along with the boxes I've already had in my studio for years, I have about 400 (approximately), and I have half a mind (literally) to make a cigar box doll house. WHAT? Yes! Maybe a Dark Shadows or Alice In Wonderland or Jetsons theme. Or, all three!

Recently, I've been thinking maybe I was having a second-childhood kind of thing. You know, like when you begin to lose a few marbles and they get replaced by cotton balls? But, no! Lots of people make doll houses, I told myself, and lots of adults like cigar boxes, not just insane people! My love for le box du cigaro means nothing about the inevitable degeneration of my neural synapses!

This thought made me feel better and then, today, as I was trying to catch up on my email, I was going through my Martha Stewart mail (she and I are very close), and I saw recipes for children's birthday cakes.  And they are So Cute!

Check out these cakes from the MarthaStewart.com website:

Now, don't tell me these don't look festive and fun and yummy. I can't imagine why these are supposedly 'children's' birthday cakes. I think when my birthday rolls around, I'm going to make myself one of these fun things, and put 55 on it, and anyone who doesn't like it doesn't have to have a single piece of cake! I'll suffer through the whole thing, myself!

I was thinking about this, and wondering why it is that, if you like something, it has to be age-appropriate. Here's something I was about to buy from Dover Publications, and found out that it's 'age appropriate':

Now, come ON! You know that's good stuff! You could sit inside with the air conditioning blasting and a refreshing beverage courtesy of Bombay Sapphire, and play with your sticker book all day!

HUH? Is this not the most funnest idea ever? I want one of these! Remember when you played with Colorforms? Come ON. Those things were FUN. The little pieces could be laid down over and over again on the shiny picture, and you could have oodles of fun with them. And when you were done, you could just slap them all in a big pile together and slam the Colorforms book and do something else! And sometimes you'd stand up from the couch and there would be Colorforms stuck to your leg!!

Colorforms rock, people.

It would be groovy if being mature, aloof, polished, in control, and serious, got you somewhere. But it only gets you mature, aloof, polished, and serious. (No one's really in control, so that bit is right out.)

So, to all my dear peeps: Here's to having more FUN in life! It's summertime, no?

Next up: Chris plays so strenuously with her sticker book that she's ordered to go play outside.

Zucchini Flowers

2011-06-24T09:22:00.000-07:00

It seems like forever since I've been online. I have been one busy girl, and it continues! I've been hosting friends, going to basketball games, having nephew birthdays, seeing brothers from Kansas City MO, and now I'm getting ready to fly to Phoenix for the weekend. I have no idea what's going to come up next week! But I do know that I'm missing Michael DeMeng's classes at Zinnia this weekend, AND that the first weekend of Marie Otero's Photo Magic class will have to go on without me. What the heck? I'm missing this, to go where it's 120 degrees already?!

No complaints. I'm a lucky girl. For one thing, the zucchini is going crazy. Look at those flowers!

Now, I've never grown zucchini before. I've heard you can eat the flowers? Is the pot I'm growing these in too small? Do I have to harvest the squash before the flower dies? I have no idea.

Any help you can give would be appreciated.

What's up for you this weekend?

Love In the Mailbox!

2011-06-18T10:36:00.000-07:00

Have you visited Tari, of Studio Mailbox?

I met Tari, along with other cool talents, through Hanna Andersson's annual postcard swap, and I just knew I had to see more. So we became blogging friends, and now... now I have some new ATC's and other yummies, fresh off the Studio Mailbox press!

I have to show you every bit of this amazing package Tari sent to me from Germany. This lady has so much goodness going on. I love her style! Colorful, graphic, filled with original imagery and unique touches. It just makes you feel good to see it.

Teri's luscious envelope

...and all the goodies inside!

Tari, thank you for your art, your talent and commitment to excellence, and Thank You for sharing them with me!

Not Over It Yet

2011-06-16T20:26:00.000-07:00

Have you seen the blog chatter about the Sketchbook Project tour? HUH?

It looks so fun!

Check out Some Pink Flowers! Check out the Mango Studio! Check out The Red Tin!

You thought Seattle was already hip and happening? Well, it's most groovy with a bunch of Sketchbooks in it!

And here's a nice vid.

Next Stop: San Francisco!

On Tour With 10,000 Sketchbooks

2011-06-14T11:37:00.000-07:00

The second post in one day!

But I had to tell you that I have signed up for the 2012 Sketchbook Project. How Fabulous Of Me!!

This is the third S.P. I've signed up for, and the second one I'm actually going to complete! I'm very happy about it. The experience last year (I submitted my sketchbook in January of this year, but it really counts as last year because I say so) was so enriching, educational, and fun that I have to do it again.

And last weekend, two of my bloggy friends actually viewed it on tour in Seattle! YAY! So I figure, next year, when the 2012 tour hits L.A., I'll be able to see mine and everyone else's!

Now, keep reading to see Lisa's pretty cards...

Lisa DiNunzio (Priti Studio)

2011-06-14T06:49:00.000-07:00

One of the many things we love about the online community is the opportunity to meet people all over the world! One of the people whose sites I visit regularly is Lisa DiNunzio's Priti Studio. I love the richness and soul she puts into her work, and her continuing effort to give to the less fortunate, and share her work. She's very down to earth with a great sense of humor, and also a fellow Sketchbook Project 2011 participant!

WELL... Recently, Lisa and I did an ATC swap, and I was blown away by how beautiful her cards are. They are just as rich with heart as all her work, and I want to share these beauties.

Here are the cards I received, followed by a closer shot of each one:

I love the variety of textures, and the great detail Lisa put into these.

front

back

this is yummy

front

back

It is hard to believe that these are the first ATCs Lisa has done. She really put her heart into these and rocked them!

Thank you, Lisa. I'm honored!

Around the Blog In 80 Paragraphs

2011-06-13T16:40:00.000-07:00

I'm here today to give those of you who like to read a lot something to do.

YAY!

Today, we will be discussing two topics which have been floating around the webosphere lately. Those topics being:

1) The Nature of Blogging: What does it mean to you, to your readers, to your career growth, and most importantly, to your animals?

2) The Rights of People to Use Other People's Stuff: should they ask first, then use it, use it without asking, use it only if they don't get paid to use it, or use it but cover it up so that it doesn't look like they used it, then publish it?

I'm starting with issue 2, because I'm a rebel.

NOTE (added June 17): After finding that some people may misunderstand my meaning, I feel the need to further clarify this already enormous post. The following comments about taking people's stuff is specifically regarding the very rare instances of outright theft in the form of using someone else's original material without credit, making it appear that you created the work of art, or that you wrote the material yourself. I am not talking about the much more common, reasonable and completely ethical instances of taking a class or reading a tutorial which is freely given, and then replicating something you've learned from someone else. Ideally, it would be lovely to give the teacher/tutorial author credit when you've done this. It's just common courtesy. But I'm not talking about learning from classes or tutorials, here. I'm talking below about outright theft of specific imagery/verbiage. Thanks for your understanding.

Any nincompoop (all rights reserved) knows that taking something that doesn't belong to you is wrong. Seriously. If you even try to front about that, you look like a liar AND a nincompoop.

What's that, you ask?

You're asking, but, what if it's right out there on the web page? Didn't the artist/author put it there as a free-for-all?

Okay. What did I tell you about fronting? Knock it off. If you have the sensitivity of a gnat (although, I've met a few crusty old gnats in my day), you know that just because something's up on a big glowing screen in Typepad or Blogger or Wordpress, you don't get to copy it, put it on a canvas, grunge it up, and then sell it, unless you want to risk getting in trouble or having to answer NO on those survey questions about integrity.

But let's say you're pretty sure you're never going to get in trouble. Let's say you hang it up in your local tavern as the backdrop for advertising beer, and the regulars in your small town will never say anything or care. But you know it's perfect for your needs because, after all, it's a good graphic! It draws attention to itself! People feel happy when they look at it! And you didn't charge for it, so what's the harm?

No, no. Still fronting, then, aren't you?

My general feeling is this: If you have to, for one moment, think about whether you should use it, then you shouldn't. That's my feeling about it. Thank you for asking.

There are a bunch of things that are copyright-free, and quite a few people use them and we all see them quite often. But even if you see something that looks familiar, you don't jump right to the assumption that it's probably copyright-free, since it's all over the place, eh? That's quite a leap, for someone who hasn't even asked.

Here's the deal: people who are too unimaginative or tired or lazy to come up with their own graphics, ideas, words, etc., are the same people who are too unimaginative, lazy or arrogant to do the research into whether a bit is free for use, or not free for use. That's the problem. You put your images or ideas out there, and a certain percentage of lazy, not very smart people are going to use them. Not very many, because they are, by definition, lazy, so most of them haven't seen your bit or thought of using it. But a tiny percentage are going to use it. And you may or may not know it. And if you do find out about it, you're going to spend a lot more time and money stopping it than you would have if you just ignored them.

It's very sad. So is dying, but there's not much we can do about it.

My fervent hope is that if you've previously, out of ignorance or laziness, used someone else's image to get credit for, or make money for, yourself, you admit it, stop it, and try to better your own craft so that you aren't just a common asswipe.

And, for goodness sake, if you simply are NOT an artist or crafter and can't come up with your own work, admit THAT and stop pretending. There are other things you can do, for heaven's sake. You don't have to be a lying, stealing loser of a human being. No offense.

Now, on to Issue 1. The vicissitudes of blogging.

Seth Apter has begun a series of articles on blogging, and you can find it on the Create Mixed Media site. He provides links to each of his articles on the sidebar of his blog, The Altered Page.

As you may know, if you've read this blog for longer than a month, which is about how often I ask myself what I'm doing, you know that I have been guilty of questioning my blogging intent. I've judged myself too harshly in terms of the response or lack of response from readers. I've become frustrated with wondering if I want to begin selling my work, and whether my blog, as is, would be in good service of that. Basically, I've over-thought the whole business of having a blog, because I revel in removing every scrap of enjoyment out of modern-day living, which is all we've got.

To help me clarify what I'm doing, I've picked up some of the things Seth has been laying down, and asked myself a few key questions about my art and my blog. I'll share them here.

1. Why publish a blog, when you could more easily keep a private diary/journal?

I have vacillated about my intent in blogging. Do I want to start selling my work? Am I willing to share my experiments? Do I want community or just a sounding board?

I know I want to try a lot of different genres of art, and blogging helps me to do that. I can share what I've done and learn from what others have done. So the community is a very big reason for making my journal (in the form of this blog) public. Regardless of any career aspirations I might have in future, my site holds a practical purpose for me.

If I were to intend to become a professional artist, producing works to sell, and teaching classes, I would edit my blog content toward that purpose. There is nothing wrong with that. Everyone who puts a product out, does necessary editing, cutting some things out and leaving some things in. This does not imply dishonesty. Even if I am not intending to sell my work, I edit my blog to make it more interesting, or to serve a certain topic, or to get a point across that's important to me. If people didn't make judicious choices about what goes in their blogs, there would be an endless amount of disparate ramblings about nothingness, akin to this post (which can serve as a clear lesson to you).

What happens when a person vacillates about his intent in blogging is that the blog tries to be different things to different people instead of the same thing to the same people or different things to one person, or one thing to no persons.

Cripes, that's annoying, isn't it?

2. How important is it to have a lot of followers?

Being concerned about your blog's following is an age-old concern among bloggers, as old as blogging, itself. (Therefore, it's about 7-1/5 years old and ready for bigger pants.) The problem with having a following is, how do you know you have a following? Many people just aren't going to comment, no matter how many times you beg or threaten them, so comments aren't a reliable guage of followers.

And the little 'followers' gadget on Blogger is not going to help me. Even if I wanted to track my readership using more sophisticated means, I don't really know the intent of my readership. I don't know if someone's there accidentally, or to buy something, or to take something without paying for it (ref: one of the 53 paragraphs, above)!

And why do I even want a large following? Is it the whole popularity thing? Do I want one so that I might one day sell things I haven't yet put up for sale? I've often let myself dwell too much on whether someone's visited, commented, visited without commenting (which must mean they hate me), commented without visiting (which means they are magic people who can never be pleased by me, a mere mortal), stopped visiting altogether (and so are either offended, out of town and didn't tell me, or are trapped in a basement without wifi), or are Tom Hanks (which possibility makes me feel oddly giddy).

3. What choices do you make about content, and why?

Let's say, you're one of the two people who have made it this far in this post. Clearly, you are one who will read a long post, even if it's incomprehensible. There are many readers who would rather simply look at art and move on, unless there's a giveaway, in which case they read long enough to know what has to be done to get it.

Admittedly, a lot of the time, my blog posts are far too wordy. I often make a point of posting shorter ones, although it takes a LOT of editing because I'm a blabbermouth. A lot of the time, my posts are not about any kind of art or craft because I've been watching Dark Shadows or reading a book instead of making stuff. So then I try to make them more arty and share my work, even if I'm not pleased with it (or, I'm embarrassed because I've stolen it off someone else's site. Ref: one of the 72 paragraphs, above). So I feel like I constantly juggle with the intent of my blog.

I've read some bloggers who say that their blog is for them, so they write what they want to write and don't worry much. That's something I'd like to be able to say. However. If I'm blogging, I know I'm presenting something to someone. And because of that, I concern myself with performance to some degree or another.

4. What's your favorite color?

I don't know why this is one of the questions I ask myself because it changes, honestly, every week or so. Currently, it's puce.

Now, just when you thought I'd shut up, already, I want to add something that's been on my mind as I travel around the webs.

It's absolutely respectable to be a hobbyist. Not being a professional artist is no less noble than being a professional artist. Here's what a professional artist is: someone who sells their original work. You and I both know that we've seen people buy what we thought of as crap, and we've seen people who make amazing works of beauty and then give them away. Money makes no difference whatever in the artistic value of a piece. Not kidding.

For some reason, in this culture, if we don't get paid for what we do, we are less than the person who happens to be lucky enough to get paid. To my mind, whether someone wants to buy something is just not an objective criterion of artistic worth. So I'm not saying that my blog would be a better blog, one more worth maintaining and reading, if I were selling my work. I'm saying that a person's intent in blogging can be as important as the activity of blogging.

What about you? Do you have intent for your blog? Do you only read short posts with lots of images? Do you read blogs for artistic inspiration, for news, for entertainment, for friendship?

And thank you for not stealing stuff.

Next up: Chris bores herself and falls asleep, then makes you read about it.

How Apt !

2011-06-06T18:34:00.000-07:00

MY PEEPS:

Have you heard the latest Voodoo Cafe podcast? Interviewer: Rice Freeman-Zachery. Guest: Seth Apter ? HUH?!

'Billboard', by Seth Apter

Seth is harboring valuable secrets which he nonetheless shares with all of us in this podcast and then makes us all pinky-swear not to tell. Zip over there and listen, right now! And if you've already listened, listen again! I've heard it twice already, and the second time, I noticed a secret message that I hadn't noticed the first time! I think it was something about Paul being the walrus, or something like that. But even without that, it's a groovy way to learn and listen, at the same time.

I was HONORED AS HECK recently, when Marie Otero selected my name as one of the people to win one of her online classes. WHAT? And I suppose Willy Wonka REAL?!

by Marie Otero

I'm so excited!! I just organized all my digital photos into folders and backed them up and I have a couple thousand and for several years I've been dying to find out how to alter them and use them in my art without writing a compound sentence.

I've also been wanting to learn some Photoshop skills so that I can do neat-o things like make my own brushes and add layers and emulsify my dressing, because the oil and vinegar keep separating on me. I'm going to be playing around with Photoshop as soon as it gets here later this week, and getting ready for my lessons. I'll let you in on my progress as it... progresses.

In other news, I have not been creating any art of note lately, although I have been working in my journal because I'm an addict. But besides that, I've had to prep for a dinner party this weekend, and read a LOT for the upcoming World Science Fiction Convention in Reno. If you were reading my blog in its previous incarnation, besides having an exciting life, you'll know that I went to the annual world scifi convention five years ago when it was in Anaheim. It is completely out of the ordinary day to day for me, and quite fun! My friend Paula and I will reunite there, as she lives in San Francisco and doesn't like to leave it unless there are lots of people walking around in regalia and lizard costumes.

Besides all of the above, I've also been going to work, but of course, I won't bore you with my cubicle life. Even if it is kind of nice. I'm really a lucky girl. Please remember to go to the link at the top of my sidebar, to help with Japan relief, and get something pretty for a great price.

A Time of Chaos, by Linda Trenholm

Next up: Chris absolutely denies she's been trying to paint like Flora Bowley.