art everyday, day 30

in anticipation of the impending snowfall that will dump on us tonight/tomorrow, i made this holiday card for katspaws’ AEM challenge, last day {sniff, sniff}…i’m experimenting with non-traditional xmas colors…i had this pink snowflake paper & went from there. the inside sentiment reads: wishing you joys to share, friends to love, and memories to hold close to your heart. merry christmas. i think i will put that in my shop. it’s almost midnite & i’m wicked exhausted. so until tomorrow, bonne nuit! Posted by Picasa

the snow is comin’

as the weather folks keep warning all day today…we’re supposed to get somewhere between 5-10 inches by this time tomorrow! yikes! i guess i will be snowbound until the storm blows over. how appropriate, though, as ’tis the season & all.

i’m so glad that my school week is over, bec. they were DOOZies! yesterday, i had sat in on a very complicated meeting (about one of my severe autistic kiddos) & it lasted TWO freaking hours long! i left there with a pounding headache. & then today, i had a rather long day with a couple of other kiddos who were tripping out left & right. i tell ya, i was never so glad when the bell rung after school! i couldn’t get outta the building fast enough. & with the impending snowstorm, i sped along home yet even quicker. how ironic i turned on the car radio & this was blasting: oh the weather outside is frightfullet it snow, let it snow, let it snow. argh! i so don’t like driving in blizzards…i did actually drive through a white-out long time ago when i had lived in syracuse, ny & i was on my way home (chicago at the time) for christmas. it took me literally all-day to get to my folks’ house (& it’s a 10 hour drive usually). not cool driving in those dangerous conditions!

anyhow, i am nice & cozy at home now with dh & the kitties. i’m going to try to whip up something for the last day of katspaws’ AEM challenge. i’m kinda sad that her challenge month will be over in a mere few hours. will still try to post something before the 30th ends. heck, i’m going keep on creating art even after kat’s AEM challenge…art is such an important part of my life these days. i really don’t want to stop creating…so i will carry on!

before i head off to my studio, i’ve just a couple of reminders>>>please be sure to check out esther’s site bec. she will be featuring my calendar, along with others, tomorrow, the 1st day of december. i can’t wait to check that out…i’m so excited!

& secondly, i had posted a few days back about wanting to host a valentine atc swap…well, there is still plenty of time to sign up & i have changed the last sign-up date to the end of this year>>>that’s december 31st, 2006 folks. i’ve also, to encourage more folks to join in on the fun, created a flickr group & you can sign up there as well.

it’s less than 4 hours now before the day is officially over. so i better scoot along & get crafting!

bonne chance

is what i say these two lucky gals had as they are this week’s wysiwyg wednesday winners! corey won item #1! it was meant to be my dear! yay!!! (i have your snail mail addy & will mail this out with another goody i’m making pour toi!)…
& sage won item #2>>>how lucky are you?!!! beginner’s luck, perhaps, hee-hee? CONGRATS to these lucky gals!!!! as soon as i hear from you sage, i will mail your goody to you…

AND a HUGE round of applause & THANK YOUs to all the other LOVELY gals who played (nance, loon, tammy m, tammy v, liz & michel)! i really do APPRECIATE your participation! don’t you worry>>>there is {unfortunately for me, but totally GOOD for you} MORE where these came from!!! next wysiwyg wednesday will be december 13th! {& lisa i will bop on by your blog after school today to say “hey” & catch up with you}…

may the good karma shine on you! Posted by Picasa

wysiwyg wednesday

ready to play this week’s wysiwyg wednesday? well, now’s your chance!

since i’ve been mailing all sorts of parcels these past several days, i’m posting TWO items up for grabs…the folks at the post office are beginning to think i work there (lol) since i’ve been going there A LOT!

anyway, here we go>>>

item #1 is a very cool arty journal book >>>i got this from the clearance bin at one of my fave scrapbooking stores & to date, i have not read this…i happened to find it last night & you know what? i haven’t missed it, so out it goes!
item #2 is one of my fave sources for ideas…but this too has not been fully appreciated by me…so i will pass it on to some lucky person who will!
there you have it, short, but sweet. if you are at all interested in anything here, just let me know. i will take names until 10 pm cst tonight & the lucky recipients will be announced tomorrow. in the meantime, happy wednesday & shine on! Posted by Picasa

art everyday {day 29}

i took this pic a couple weeks ago of this rather huge vintage santa displayed at an antique store called, if i recall correctly, vermont antiques
taking a break from handcrafting (& not to mention, it’s a school day), i digitally altered the above snap…i think it looks rather abstract & visually more interesting. this was inspired for katspaws AEM challenge, day 29. Posted by Picasa

window

is the topic for this week’s artwords…i took this pic a couple of weeks ago when i was in chicago visiting my mom & sister. we went holiday {mostly window} shopping & i liked how this holiday vingnette was displayed at this antique store called, through the looking glass. in looking at this snap, i thought to title it: the present reflected in the past.  Posted by Picasa

glowy glam

here i am taking a break from trimming the tree. you can’t see that i’m actually on a tall ladder as the xmas tree is 9 foot tall! i literally feel TALL…& glowy all over…i took this pic for self-portrait tuesday‘s glam challenge…actually, the whole glam thing is simply not me, okay?! in fact, i hate gussy-ing up. i don’t feel like ME when i’m rouged & pancaked up, you know what i mean? i prefer, au naturel most of the time {no make-up, that is}. thank goodness this glam business is over because i really did not enjoy this challenge {can you tell?} >>>december’s challenge is redahhh, now that’s more like it. i can live with that, no problemo. Posted by Picasa

art everyday, day 28

i’ve been working like a fiend to get my cookie swap packages DONE…i’m nearly there…just gotta bake some cookies for one of my swap buddies (the other podner’s not getting any cookies ‘cuz of her country’s rather strict customs about homemade food goods)… i’ve made my batter & i’m gonna take a break before i bake those cookies, okay?! but before i do that, here are some cards i made for my cookie swap pals (which i submit for katspaws’ AEM challenge, day 28>>>whoa, the month’s almost over!)>>> this is for her>>>she told me she loves purple, eclectic & whimsical things…& OMG, i just received her most yummy swap package in the mail yesterday>>>bec. of camera probs, i will post pics of all the goodies she sent me later>>>but wow, i’m so thrilled! thanks SUSAN!!!!
i *heart* everything you made/sent! & this is for her>>>she was one of those wicked EARLY birds who sent me my cookie swap goodies a couple of months ago!!!!!!!!!!! since i used a primary color scheme for her recipe holder, i thought i’d do the same for her xmas card. also, since she lives in australia, where it is SUMMER at the moment, i found that very appropriate birdie sticker…
just a peek of one of the recipes i put in for susan…i die cut a mini file folder & attached my recipe for these wickedly decadent cookies…
what it looks like when you pull the card out…spiffy nifty, right? at the moment, i’m a very tired little beaver…gotta get some shut eye & then back to the kitchen & bake those cookies. happy tuesday! Posted by Picasa

i need a new digicam

‘cuz it really BITES that i can’t import my pics onto my computer & now i have been resorting to go to the *argh* super-walmart to have one of those 1hr (yeah, right) photo cds made>>>all so i can post my pics on my blog…anyhoo, mini-rant over>>>here are some (not so goo) pics of the xmas craftacular in mad city…i saw naomi of the glitter workshop ( i*heart* them!) & also the my favorite mirror couple & recycling artist, emily kirchner. here are the goodies i couldn’t live without >>> naomi says there is a xmas renegade in a couple of weeks, but sniff, sniff, waaaah>>>i already made commitments to the herb society…that’s the day we’re having the xmas party at our place…i wish i knew about that sooner!!!! oh well, there’s always the next year’s, right? & i am nearly finished with my cookie recipe holders for my swap buddies, jo & susan. i totally can’t wait till i get these outta my hair, ahem, i mean, happily mailed off to them…i DID have fun making these things…it’s just there is simply not enough time in a day, okay?!
well, the kitchen is beckoning me upstairs…gotta scoot. have a great evening! Posted by Picasa

art everyday, day 27

after a morning running errands, i am finally getting some blogging time in…but a quick one ‘cuz i’ve got dinner to make & also finish with the holiday decorating upstairs (i want to surpise my mom for when she comes back this thursday * smile*) i just mailed off a couple of etsy orders (thanks lia & m.c.! you should be getting them sometime this week) & i also mailed off my holiday swap goody package to my swap buddy, inga of sknittymama. the above is an altered envie that i made for her (which i submit for katspaws’ AEM challenge, day 27), which is filled with a cookie recipe (my all-time fave xmas cookie, frosty snowballs), a little handwritten note from moi & a super easy stocking how-to from an old martha stewart holiday book i have. the handmade stocking directions called for buttons, so i gave inga some from my stash to get her started. oh, & that greeting card garland i made the other day…well, i thought it needed some stars, so i poked teeny-tiny holes & hung a glittery star on each circle…thought that would add more *bling*. i’ve got one more thing to post before i get back into the kitchen…never ending things to do around here! Posted by Picasa