Happy New Year!

Here's wishing you all a very healthy, happy, loved filled 2011! 

I am not big on resolutions, probably because I normally fall off the resolution wagon pretty early in the year, so what's the point?? BUT, I will work on posting more often again...things just got so crazy toward the end of the year. I sold about 30 books, both locally and on Etsy which I am super grateful for and hopefully I can keep the momentum going in that department.
  
My Christmas was just fabulous, we first drove 6 hours to Indiana, served Christmas dinner to families in need, hung out with the grandkids for a day and hit the 12 hour trail to Georgia *whew*. It's always a zoo at moms there are soooo many people, thankfully mom and I had a couple of peaceful days to just lounge about! To top off the festivities I got to hang out with my sweet friend, Susan:

This was a Christmas gift I made for her, my first real attempt at jewelry making:

I also got to meet up with an old friend I hadn't seen in 18+ years - so hard to catch up just over lunch, but we did our very best!

Oh the times we had, it's truly a wonder we survived. Wild, wild days and nights...

I've been doodling a piece that I'll post tomorrow.  

That's it for now - I hope everyone had an amazing holiday. Happy New Year, friends :) 

But we’ve wander’d mony a weary fit, sin auld lang syne.......at the Shores

Greetings From The Whirlwind's Vortex

I've felt like I've been in a whirlwind since October. Just when I feel like I've caught up with my journal orders I get more. I'm am certainly not complaining mind you, it's just put the kibosh on decorating the house for Christmas. Tom, my husband dug out a little lit miniature tree ....looks like that may be it this year, especially since I'll be on the road from the 18th until after Christmas. Sad, really, I normally have at least 2 full sized trees but that's the way it goes!

I have 5 books to finish ASAP, 4 of which have hand painted front covers, what's worse is they are all the same. Most people that know me knows I hate to do anything more than once...4  is torture (worse yet I did one of these for my husband so that makes 5!) They wanted many more but I just couldn't bear it so we ultimately agreed on 4.

I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving. I sure did! We drove down to Georgia to spend it with my family. I did however, get about 50 cards written on the drive so at least I got something Christmassy done!The bonus was I got to meet up with my friend Susan, how convenient it is that both our parents live in the same town! Love you Susan!!

I was sittting on the steps that go upstairs in the house talking to my sister on the phone when I saw a bird with an enormous wingspan land in the trees outside my dining room window. After staring at it for a few seconds I realized what it was, jumped up, yelled for Tom, rolled down the steps in a mad dash for the camera. Isn't he just BEAUTIFUL!? 

God bless our troops who are away from their families this season and always.

Eagles fly........................at the Shores

Gone Crazy....Back Later

Well, I've been MIA again (at least here). I am happy to say the reason is that I've had so many custom orders for my journals and sketchbooks that I've been the mad binder the past few weeks, I've yet to get 4 more finished before I can TRY to get a few fat mini sketchbooks into my shop, they make up fairly fast and make fantastic stocking stuffers at $20. I've only got one in my shop at the moment.

Here are a few I've recently completed, I don't think I'll be doing many more with the buckled ties unless I can come up with a decent supplier of buckles and colored elastic, I sewed the ties from fabric but would rather they had some elasticity and lordy knows it was a true scavenger hunt for the buckles.

I have also been honored with a blog award that I should have put on here a bit ago but I don't want to rush my post because deep gratitude goes to Susan who gave it to me and I need to also properly pass it on to a few others.

No real relevance for his video, I just heard this on my iPod and it makes me wanna dance which I happen to do a lot of in my little art room

Me, my music and a tiny dance floor............at the Shores

Bad Photos No More! (I hope)

Happy day for meeee! See this picture------------------------>

Well, it's the LAST one that will be taken with my Blackberry or the ancient digital of my husbands (it's so ancient it has a slot to insert a FLOPPY DISC!) because this is the new camera I've saved up for with my book/journal sales. I wanted a Canon but I got such a good deal on this that it was a no brainer for me. It's a Nikon CoolPix a simple enough point n shoot. I hope my pictures will be a lot better for my shop...if not it was just the photographer all along! 

The kids costumes were finished this week just in the nick of Halloween:

Back to the books!

♫I got a Niiiikon camera.........at the Shores

Just Weave Me Be

What a crazy time for me this past month has been. I've had more custom orders for books than I can keep up with at the moment which in part is because I have 4 halloween costumes I do every year for our grandkids. They never cease to befuddle me when it comes to their choices. I know it's been many years since I've had children in the house parked in front of a TV but seriously...Phineas and Ferb? Princess Peach and Bowser? Thank goodness for Google! Yesterday I delivered Phineas and Ferb and now I'm on to the other two...pictures will be posted this weekend when the kids are wearing them. 

I've also had to get out 2 ATC's (I thought I was going to quit doing them for awhile...I may need a 12 step program). The first is for a Weave Me Be swap, the ATC was to be woven with something...anything. I rigged up a loom and used raffia and then embellished it with glass beads. It took me a good part of the day and I know I won't be getting any awards for my weaving or beading talents but it was pretty fun to put together. Don't think my partner was very crazy about it but there is not much I can do about that I guess.

For the second swap you had to use a tape transfer. I used one of the stencils I cut for the man (it's actually my Puccini stencil) and used a vintage image of a woman for the transfer. The scan is terrible because I put a gel medium over the entire piece and unfortunately it got a glare from the scanner so the colors are a bit wonky. I titled it Letters Home. On the background I lightly stamped some text which is also hard to see in the scan and added a postage stamp from India. 

I have 6 more books that were ordered to bind plus a smallish painting I owe a friend from a bet I sadly lost - not that I mind making this painting for him but the bet was on the Cleveland Browns playing the KC Chiefs and my Browns lost! If you read this - It's coming soon, Stew! Promise!

This video is Carole King & James Taylor singing a song she had on her Tapestry album 

Going mad crazy..........................at the Shores