Completion #1

I signed up for this workshop: using recycled art with Pam Carriker at the free Strathmore altered art journal site. This is my finished page.

I like the way she came out, all in all.

On another topic, here’s what I had for supper last night:

Pan seared strip steak with mustard cream sauce. Ah…low carb!

Art in progress is messy

 

 

A day organizing my office/"art studio”/kitchen area

Oh..it’s also the laundry room! I’m not showing all of it yet, it’s not done yet!

 

Art Studio:

Home/work at home office:

The start of something big:

This is what I keep striving for. The start. The beginning. The edge....of change. I just need a change.

Hey Love

by Chris O’Brian

Hey love
Well I did not choose you
But you came to me anyway
So many words hold me down to the ground
But my thoughts move full speed ahead
Hey love
Once again you played me for a fool
You broke my heart when you came along
Scattered dreams and expectations
We both knew were childish from the start
Hey I am on my way
And I am running hard but here it comes again
And oh this is my last hope
And I try to rise but you keep me back down again
Again
Hey love
You left as quickly as you come
Out the backend with all our plans
So dream on you silent fools of misfortune
It's time we get up and we make some noise
Hey I am on my way
And I am running hard but here it comes again
And oh this is my last hope
And I try to rise but you keep me back down again
Oh I try to rise but you keep me back down again
Hey love
Well I did not choose you
But you came to me anyway

Art Journal

The binding, done with crochet cotton and used handles of an old and holey reusable grocery bag.

The end of innocence. The cover was a book I bought at the library book sale. I got the whole set for $5. I LOVED them for their cloth covered covers with those mod geometric shapes. The books were “This fabulous century.” How fabulous!

The start of  page in progress. The paper is file folders. I got them used from work. People were going to toss them out and I upcycled them. I love them! They take a LOT of abuse!

For instance….YES these girls are freaky looking. I’m learning to paint. So sue me! But the page has a heavy collaged background, lots of paint and it still held like  dream. HOORAY for free supplies!

This is one of my closer to finished pages. It’s not quite there yet though.

Dark place. Dark art. It helped me deal. This page is done in all it’s horrid glory.

Upcycled poetry. It’s not done yet but I love it so far.

More poetry. Why brown and grey? I don’t know. I do think this page is done though.

That’s it for now. More to come!

Photo heavy

Because, I finally can be! Here is some of my art of late:

This is a zentangle, “Urban Jungle”.

Zentangle: “If you could trust me”

Zentangle: “Peace Pipe”

 

Zentangle: “I remain inferior in my suffering”

 

Zentangle: “Wild Garden”

Zentangle: “Flow”

Zentangle: “Tipping the balance of power”

Saturday morning

I'm ready for breakfast and some zentangling! Bring on the day!

Good morning snow!

I woke up to snow all over my car and the parking lot. It's the 5th big snow this week and it's still beautiful! Even more beautiful since today I don't have to drive in it! I'm working at home! I've snuggled up under a quilt with my lap top, and that is how I intend to work. Now for some cocoa....

For the record....

....I totally was NOT watching trash t.v. yesterday while working! *Grins*

I love trashy TV

Yesterday I spent all day watching “Intervention” on A&E. Today I’m already enmeshed in a marathon of the “Rachel Zoe” project. There’s something about watching the contrasts of each show that still allows you to live vicariously. The first is like…bad therapy. It leaves you feeling empty and ready to make changes in your own life, but you’re just not sure what to do. The second is like watching a snowy, you can’t look away, you’re drawn by the glitz and glitter and the beauty of it. But it’s all just a mirage and if you look further it’s tarnished with salt and dirt and filth.

It’s all total escapism.

I was gone for the long weekend

That's my excuse for not posting and I'm sticking to it! :-P

So I followed a friend's lead and joined the 111 projects in 2011 group on Ravelry. There's NO way I can do 111 knitting projects but I'm sure I can do 111 PROJECTS of all varities. So I want to post some of what I want to do here:

1. Finish my "Susie's reading mitts"
2. Finish my "Woodland Shawl"
3. Finish up the Strathmore Altered Art groups I joined (Three of them, so that counts as three projects right?)
4. Finish the Silly 3 lessons (those are so much fun!)
5. Keep working on "Drawing Lab" (The author is Carla Sonheim who also does the above Silly lessons)
6. Get my camera working!
7. Get the pattern for Raggedy Ann/Raggedy Andy and make a set of each! For ME. (and probably another set for my sissies.)
8. Complete the 52 books in 52 weeks challenge this year.

This is a start, I'll keep working on the list as I go.

I’m not a loser…..

 

…..but I want to be! Why is it I’m not losing any weight, even when I stick to this diet meticulously? What is wrong with my body?

"...trying to make ends meet you're a slave to money then you die..."

~Bittersweet Symphony by the Verve

No change I can change....

I get tired of constantly struggling to make those ends meet! Today I realized I need to pay over $300 for an exam I need for work. Now...they'll reimburse me IF and WHEN I pass the exam. Paying the money up front though, is HARD. I'm a single working mom. It's hard to scrap together money like that for something I can't feed myself, my cats or my kid.

The art of SiLlinESs

Me and my Girlfriend joined an online drawing class hosted by Carla Sonheim http://carlasonheim.com. I’m really excited about it! If I COULD, I’d post my efforts but for now, I’m still waiting to be able to purchase my memory card for my shiny new camera! (It’s payday tomorrow! YAY!)

I need a class like this. Something to help me just relax and practice drawing in a fun way! I LOVE love love love Carla’s book, Drawing Lab. I haven’t gotten all the way through it, but it was exactly what I was looking for.

I have NO drawing skills. None. I’m not kidding. NONE. I’m new to this whole world of art, as I’ve said before. Though I’m having a ton of fun smearing paint on a page and collaging, drawing still makes me nervous. I’m so excited about this approach. What’s there to be nervous about? It’s all about slowing working your hands and your brain together so they both behave and produce results that are pleasing, right? It’s all a journey in learning to create.

I’ve been neglectful of you, dear blog!

But I haven’t forgotten you! I’ll try to write out a better post this evening!

“Crack that whip, give the past the slip..”

~Whip it by Devo

Back on the diet wagon! I only fell off….a little! I just had a “bed time” shake that consists of some strange (but yummy) ingredients. It fills me WAY up, satisfies my need for sweet and hopefully will help me with getting back into the swing of low-carbing it.

I need to seriously work on my will power. Why is dieting SO hard?

“All is quiet, on new years day…”

~ New Years Day by U2

New years day and here we are again. I’ve missed several days of blogging and I’d like to get back to it. I want to post something everyday. That is part of my 2011 resolution, to blog daily.

Some of my other resolutions:

1. Do something creative everyday, whether a small sketch or a bit of writing.

2. Read more. In 2010 I managed 49 books. This year I WILL get to 52! That’s been my goal for two  years now and I haven’t made it yet. This will be my year!

3. Stick to this diet. I won’t say my goal it so lose weight, but I want to stick to what I’ve already started and become HEALTHIER.

4. Be a better mother. That’s always a given but I want to focus on it this year even more so.

So what are your resolutions this year?