tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64231539441847529712024-03-13T03:50:41.638-05:00Scissortail SongsReneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13364276625811585125noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423153944184752971.post-86929977939805096562013-06-05T08:46:00.003-05:002013-06-05T08:46:50.430-05:00Angling...<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Tornadoes and thunder storms have defined life here in
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I have been away from my blog for quite some time, but this
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coffee upstairs with the promise that even thirty minutes is better than zero.
There are a million excuses for not writing, or creating for that matter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My family is experiencing a number of changes
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWpGYThh51AhAxbwtUtgzovcN_09rli7OQDdhVP_lUP9OWzFoL9-Bk-ST7iFFuOA4CGyRofk0PhXAzY5cbrJXDm0Zn_6H528encsYTdfu9m2hyfzjl_yLNZ6665Mj-j7zVN89rsRuvxYXC/s1600/Angler+girl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWpGYThh51AhAxbwtUtgzovcN_09rli7OQDdhVP_lUP9OWzFoL9-Bk-ST7iFFuOA4CGyRofk0PhXAzY5cbrJXDm0Zn_6H528encsYTdfu9m2hyfzjl_yLNZ6665Mj-j7zVN89rsRuvxYXC/s400/Angler+girl.jpg" width="266" /></a>I mentioned that my household is changing; whose isn’t?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, life itself is one series of
changes after another, and my daughter turns 12 this month!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Talk about some changes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clothing shopping has become a consumer
nightmare- we want to buy her nice clothes but either she doesn’t like them or
they can’t be found in her size.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Thankfully, she does not ask for clothing and piercings, or even nail
polish for that matter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She loves her
books and fish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That inspired me this
morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her favorite fishy topic is the
deepest depths where the oddest fish of all live, and nothing else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(We both find this fascinating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I may have posted my original hand carved
Angler Fish stamp artwork in the past- if not, it will be a future post.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But this morning I tried my hand at a
whimsical drawing with a young girl wearing an angler fish hat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A fashion accessory I know my daughter would
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Ta for today,</div>
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Renee</div>
Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13364276625811585125noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423153944184752971.post-54244407439936347272013-04-03T12:27:00.000-05:002013-04-03T12:27:11.407-05:00Killer Shoes<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgLhtdxRbsd0DiYGLgOwaeMRVxEIhV3YZLu0MBbC4Lzf4hwhz_bY7oGxd2u_wAd39Gx7qwo6xx3qe4gqSgNjG3mMvJRMXg5qCQaIPrAD5K0Rf-jRwr87oytdAzZKWlGqmTgTe2zwnk-YIk/s1600/DSCF4499.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgLhtdxRbsd0DiYGLgOwaeMRVxEIhV3YZLu0MBbC4Lzf4hwhz_bY7oGxd2u_wAd39Gx7qwo6xx3qe4gqSgNjG3mMvJRMXg5qCQaIPrAD5K0Rf-jRwr87oytdAzZKWlGqmTgTe2zwnk-YIk/s200/DSCF4499.JPG" width="132" /></a></div>
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The platform heels with peek-a-boo toes and a rosette felt
fine for the thirty seconds I wore them in the store.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the moment my feet hit the parking lot, the
elven enchantment that made them bearable in the store dissolved, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>leaving me with shoes that cut into the flesh
of my big toes carving ugly red welts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“But they are CUTE!!” screamed the sadistic
fashionista inside my head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I decided
to man up and wear them anyway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After
all, I had spent a fortune on little adhesive foam inserts that promised to
make every heel a comfort shoe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I
put those cute little stickers inside the toes, grabbed my planner and to-do
list, and set out to conquer my day in style.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After to-do-list item number two the red welts on my toes
threatened to become weeping open sores.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That’s when reason triumphed. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Life
is too long for cute shoes. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Heck, the
DAY is too long for cute shoes!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At only
11:00 am, I knew that I could not possibly make it to noon in the torturous
contraptions slung across the back of my heels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, feeling a little defeated, but wiser, I drove home and placed the shoes
in their box (which proudly bore the logo “Breaking hearts since 1981!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think they meant breaking feet and
spirits.).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The box now perches atop the
pile of cast-offs destined for Goodwill.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I pulled my cowboy boots on. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I admit they ARE cute.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I guess not all reasonable shoes are
unattractive, but let’s face it- heels and platforms and peeking-toes speak a
whole different language than cowboy boots, athletic shoes, and anything
bearing the name KEEN.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am pretty sure
you wouldn’t catch Carrie Bradshaw dead in a pair of KEENS, my go-to shoe when
I developed Morton’s neuroma.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I love great shoes, shoes with color, shoes with height,
shoes that dare to be noticed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But as
much as I love shoes, I detest limping through a 12 hour day as the victim of
pinched toes and nerves and angry blisters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And I bitterly resent the agony of carrying all my body weight on the
inadequate balls of my feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whose
brilliant idea was that?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Surely some
brave style house will embrace a modest 2”- 2.5” heel again, soon, before I
have to replace my KEENS with SAS.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4wGVfawaz34b4rBPhBVytkWdqt2UTUp2w6OJkFM7fG5f_ThHKnjfww9WCM6bCwZNyTjo12ckuGss_gwSmKiihTrWWsDhqiCTzbayBIK6-G7pHvtSd6BS8dElKg5NN1NstObimF0giSwEE/s1600/DSCF4501.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4wGVfawaz34b4rBPhBVytkWdqt2UTUp2w6OJkFM7fG5f_ThHKnjfww9WCM6bCwZNyTjo12ckuGss_gwSmKiihTrWWsDhqiCTzbayBIK6-G7pHvtSd6BS8dElKg5NN1NstObimF0giSwEE/s320/DSCF4501.JPG" width="319" /></a></div>
Look, it's happy me wearing boots! The image is from Greeting Farm. I just love those guys & gals! The swell die cut trim on the left is from Die-namics, and I think it is my favorite die right now. It comes out perfectly every time! This boot wearing gal will be even happier when the mailman rings my bell with a shipment of new Copics. I have been waiting for a week!<br />
<br />
Put your comfy shoes shoes on and Rule Your World!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13364276625811585125noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423153944184752971.post-9192047160895246942013-03-11T11:24:00.000-05:002013-04-03T12:26:12.552-05:00Treasure Box<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvWsaOj4kGwkBP6IV9-GnUJsVNrRNAmm_tro0opoOidyv-YCH5irCekGwnUt41IaHGSr01uJAW24t5_Q2UhbFLIgy1lpI2b2_HZAeNVJOURYwn1sppJXkzToDxi5b7QRz1lWhlCgfVQH_x/s1600/Daylight+Savings+Bunny.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvWsaOj4kGwkBP6IV9-GnUJsVNrRNAmm_tro0opoOidyv-YCH5irCekGwnUt41IaHGSr01uJAW24t5_Q2UhbFLIgy1lpI2b2_HZAeNVJOURYwn1sppJXkzToDxi5b7QRz1lWhlCgfVQH_x/s200/Daylight+Savings+Bunny.JPG" width="199" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t know about you, but I am sorely missing an hour of
time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where does that hour go each
Spring?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I dislike the first Sunday of
Daylight Savings Time, then I ABHOR the first Monday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The alarm sounds and darkness still filters
through the curtains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On Monday I am
suffering from Sunday’s <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>whiplash of
checking conflicting clocks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One says I
am an hour early, “thank goodness,” then the other says I am an hour late, “oh
snap!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Which one? Which one?!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel a little like Alice and the white
rabbit must have felt down the rabbit hole.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The kids drag their feet a little more, even the dogs are content to
sleep awhile longer.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But I have had my morning cup, the kids are off to school,
the hubby is off to the office, the dogs have had breakfast, and the second
load of laundry churns away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s a
perfect start!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This morning I have been
sifting through cards that I have made through the years and never used.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you have that problem?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Either I liked them too much to let go, or I
didn’t like them well enough, or I made them too late, or way too early.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whatever the reason, I have a photo box of
these cards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So this morning I am
sorting through them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have decided to
donate some to Operation Write Home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are
you familiar with this organization?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This will be my first donation to them, but it sounds like a great
organization.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They provide servicemen
and women with handmade cards to send home to loved ones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The bulk of that photo box of cards will arrive in a desert
somewhere, others will never make it past my recycle bin, and then there are
those cards that I plan to keep -<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and I
am so excited about their new home! Last month I discovered treasure at an
office furniture store, a used file box.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You remember the card catalog at the library and those nifty little
drawers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(The store had some of those by
the way, but I couldn’t come up with anything to store in them.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well this card file holds 6x8 note
cards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That single purchase has
eliminated several shoe boxes and photo boxes from my shelves!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was truly giddy when I brought my black box
home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you have a store in your town
that specializes in used office furniture, you should visit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You never know what you will find.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqU1DSumjAGn-h6b4N50OL7N9BhlkO7Ve25k9Irv9Cs0u1CZUni30r7B4Ed5X5jR8fwip5Z5qq7W87zsiRPbh9WB4cA5Dmx9ANbQZ030RPvA3g9a419Cf6uwbQsTl-b1AX6lmenzJSGRTP/s1600/P1040446.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqU1DSumjAGn-h6b4N50OL7N9BhlkO7Ve25k9Irv9Cs0u1CZUni30r7B4Ed5X5jR8fwip5Z5qq7W87zsiRPbh9WB4cA5Dmx9ANbQZ030RPvA3g9a419Cf6uwbQsTl-b1AX6lmenzJSGRTP/s320/P1040446.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKbwrznJBYPg5owCFx2PK_7H604lFyBrmicUAqVNiUBCJDFt5bpLNwAkxRDY62Jh2wMDoilEgFe_VB0MkQuAJP7TKniyDra1gi_QsMBIIC-lgOOD4QsxltrY606BNS1yGLCouXcztuNB5S/s1600/P1040456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKbwrznJBYPg5owCFx2PK_7H604lFyBrmicUAqVNiUBCJDFt5bpLNwAkxRDY62Jh2wMDoilEgFe_VB0MkQuAJP7TKniyDra1gi_QsMBIIC-lgOOD4QsxltrY606BNS1yGLCouXcztuNB5S/s320/P1040456.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have filed envelopes and pre-folded card stock in one side
and am filing completed cards in the other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My file dividers are not fancy, just some comic backer boards cut to size
and another piece of backer board die-cut and glued on to form a tab. Some days
I believe that organizing my supplies is more of a hobby than actually creating
things!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anybody else in that boat?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Have a great week! Renee</div>
Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13364276625811585125noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423153944184752971.post-79585618951150237482013-03-01T10:24:00.000-06:002013-03-07T22:29:36.576-06:00Guardian of Imagination<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZze_HHshe7WbDH5MQZdk6bAMy9iGj9sxZgO3EWpRozIxd0cMRmvYnHfRn_y-YG_uiOlzqpSvKv0g4Q0qLEvp07yajmBvNO9SoMaQpCw6st0zZh1zf73SRuek0H0SFlSMLT7B_Fbv_deTw/s1600/Guardian+of+Imagination+07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOv4x-agkvEtcdIV9exftBqZHo9v6yxSAqzLdO83gvKbKhx_k4Ozm-bYzsyYH7bZrAH4o1Xa7dOLsfCjDlxXEjyY2D5-OJabb2pZ4JAntSrTym8Il88qV-J5nSNx_8Lc65XryaYTientq1/s1600/Guardian+of+Imagintion+07.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOv4x-agkvEtcdIV9exftBqZHo9v6yxSAqzLdO83gvKbKhx_k4Ozm-bYzsyYH7bZrAH4o1Xa7dOLsfCjDlxXEjyY2D5-OJabb2pZ4JAntSrTym8Il88qV-J5nSNx_8Lc65XryaYTientq1/s200/Guardian+of+Imagintion+07.JPG" width="199" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I recently lost Crafty Mojo. I went through all the usual channels- I
stood on street corners calling to Mojo. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mass-produced generic fliers. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I called the local shelter which, like me, had
not seen my Mojo. And so I began looking in the dusty corners of my
internet. I knew Crafty Mojo was lurking somewhere, but where?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjggW2hQmV72P9IPZClr93L9uk84lmyRIqteGs5bHMOc8okiLWIcQSX35XTIeCUyLSmy_YwgF70OOfajn22KOwu-oJqcpTob0CpJZdvI2xhneP8NpIedO2JTFpTTRccIrfe_kPoUmLh1ipv/s1600/Guardian+of+Imagination+07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjggW2hQmV72P9IPZClr93L9uk84lmyRIqteGs5bHMOc8okiLWIcQSX35XTIeCUyLSmy_YwgF70OOfajn22KOwu-oJqcpTob0CpJZdvI2xhneP8NpIedO2JTFpTTRccIrfe_kPoUmLh1ipv/s200/Guardian+of+Imagination+07.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Occasionally I saw a blur at the edge of my vision or heard a scuffle just
out of sight, and as insubstantial as these experiences were, they sustained my
hope that I would find Crafty Mojo again. Last week I sighted the pitiful
beast. He appeared thin, timid, and unwilling to approach. So, I
have been luring him ever closer with the promise of sweet treats and a warm
home.</span><br />
<br />
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</span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">While frequentling his usual haunts and only-once-in-a-blue-moon venues I
stumbled across a gargoyle/guardian challenge. It presented itself as the
perfect invitation to Crafty Mojo. I had <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>purchased some digital gargoyle stamps last
year and even printed them for a coloring afternoon. But the thought of
coloring gargoyles intimidated me and I had no specific use for them. (I
am pretty sure that purchase qualifies the title of "hoarder".) This
challenge gave me the push I needed to bring at least one gargoyle to life,
work on some of those shading skills presented at my last Copics workshop (see
my new button?), and convince Mr. Crafty Mojo to come home to Mama.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I began by coloring my Gargoyle- but the results only disappointed me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Crafty Mojo tucked his tail and dipped his
head with a whimper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tucked the
gargoyle away for a couple days in order to contemplate the next maneuver.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Crafty Mojo watched from the corner, ready to
dart at the slightest provocation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
couple days went by before I realized that the answer had been sitting open on
my desk all along in the guise of my art journal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would finish the gargoyle, no matter what,
then use him in an art journal page.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
informality of the journal format excuses all mistakes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It actually turns ugly art into an excusable
and passable form of pretty- at least in my estimation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, a journal is for me- no one else.<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In the end the page satisfied me enough to submit it
to the Gruesome Guardian Challenge. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
Crafty Mojo? Well, he is still in his corner gnawing away on my bone folder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Check out the other great (and definitely more
gruesome) entries at <a href="http://haunteddesignhouse.blogspot.com/">http://haunteddesignhouse.blogspot.com/</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You may decide to play along.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But you will have to hurry as the challenge
ends Sunday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So here is my entry…</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Guardian of Imagination-</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk_w5WCXKDCSE8SJhLOfGKuLn2MC1X-DACogH1nwNTJeOp0UozdmI-bBDzlDPNfcU8vOcm0zAahRlZmfBjytOjrY5yzH1JtGr4WLdagGIRNHD_RXi17XS-YcVDiNJyc1phIoFSDtEGk0LE/s1600/Guardian+of+Imagintion+06.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk_w5WCXKDCSE8SJhLOfGKuLn2MC1X-DACogH1nwNTJeOp0UozdmI-bBDzlDPNfcU8vOcm0zAahRlZmfBjytOjrY5yzH1JtGr4WLdagGIRNHD_RXi17XS-YcVDiNJyc1phIoFSDtEGk0LE/s400/Guardian+of+Imagintion+06.JPG" width="266" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">While I am aware this entry falls into the “tolerable
category” rather than gruesome, I am willing to live with that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While creating this page I began as a lament
and then segued into a supplication that my children retain their active
imaginations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And as I completed it I
realized that I had come full circle in a desperate attempt to revive and
preserve my own imagination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a
duality in the tower of books as well; as I see the move to a digital age as
another attack on the already crumbling </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> pages of art and literature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But let’s stick to the basics today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I included some of my children’s favorite
books in the tower and put a comic book in my son’s hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Litte C. Mojo sits in front of the tower, and
I hope that my gargoyle keeps him safe also.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Stamp credits: gargoyle is from Saturated Canary </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Guard your imagination well!</span></span></div>
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<![endif]-->Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13364276625811585125noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423153944184752971.post-4694549671171718542013-02-25T16:35:00.001-06:002013-02-25T16:35:33.507-06:00Cake Pops VS Gravity<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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I promised my daughter we would try out the cake pop maker
from Santa after the sugar induced coma of the holiday season wore off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then I promised myself I would keep that
promise as soon as our elementary school fundraiser (my full-time volunteer
head-ache) had passed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, on Feb. 12, I
gathered all the necessary supplies- sticks, wrappers, candy melts, sprinkles,
and I unpacked the machine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While she
was at school, I prepared our pink rotating cake pop baker for its maiden
voyage.</div>
<br />
We followed all the tips and directions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We chilled the cake balls and dipped the
sticks in melted coating before inserting them into the well chilled, but not
frozen, confections.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We chilled the cake
pops again, per instructions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And still
we met with mishaps and misfortune!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
first indicator (besides the unspoken law of the crafting/cooking/building
universe- “it’s never as simple as it looks”) that our cake pops would not
resemble the perfect sugary spheres in the book appeared when we dipped our
very first cake pop into the coffee mug of melted candy coating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our first attempt resulted in a coating so
thick it fell off in great chunks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
because our optimism had high-jacked our common sense, we poured our heart
shaped sprinkles into the still molten pink lava flow of candy coating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(The book TOLD us to put the sprinkles on
while the coating was still warm.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Heart
shaped boulders slid down the surface of the cake ball gathering more hearts
and more coating until the sugary sludge dropped from the cake ball.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We couldn’t be discouraged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After all, it was only our first cake pop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ever the problem solver, I decided we needed
shortening in our candy melts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I
added more candy melts, some Crisco, popped the mug back into the microwave and
prepared to try again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This seemed to
work a little better, though we had to work quickly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After dipping all the cake balls and placing
them in their holders we watched the balls begin to drop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just like the New Year’s orb, these round
confectionary spheres slithered straight down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But unlike the celebratory ball drop which always ends in confetti,
fireworks, and cheers, our little orbs left only crumb coated sticks rooted firmly
in mounds of pink sugared cake and a sigh of resignation from its audience.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ooBPYp0S3vRMoxw6ltDuWGAbbBqmtpq692MxLLbUzDVPYzZ4eLdT4XwVZfsHUMYlD-6FXTh9q4AFEqBC8gUdUFMxXODaOZnnAmeOPucjTfAbNaAqdRVwRYzskYG4KknuByF-zpu89Raw/s1600/Cakepops02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ooBPYp0S3vRMoxw6ltDuWGAbbBqmtpq692MxLLbUzDVPYzZ4eLdT4XwVZfsHUMYlD-6FXTh9q4AFEqBC8gUdUFMxXODaOZnnAmeOPucjTfAbNaAqdRVwRYzskYG4KknuByF-zpu89Raw/s320/Cakepops02.JPG" width="319" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We only lost three to gravity- so I guess the experiment
succeeded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The next morning my daughter
tied red ribbons on a few and gifted them- proudly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She claimed that they looked just like the
ones we buy at the bakery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Thank
goodness for cellophane bags and ribbon!)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Did I mention that I found a bowl of forgotten cake balls in the freezer
a week later?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Poor things never even had
the chance to become beautiful cake pops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That was Valentines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can only
imagine what St. Patrick’s Day will bring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If you have any tips for us before then, we could sure use some along
with a little luck.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5pqGgmKcozEJYZERxVchK8v0e2-VeJMgUFsWRox_BF4obrt5eX5poziD7W6PweHhyphenhyphenM3SamWZ-xWc0jWrrDSTsFPxKP1ihy46JX5gQaWNCGP5UKQOMtNRkW1gor0oEGKVE-md0LEqNU9l3/s1600/cakepops01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5pqGgmKcozEJYZERxVchK8v0e2-VeJMgUFsWRox_BF4obrt5eX5poziD7W6PweHhyphenhyphenM3SamWZ-xWc0jWrrDSTsFPxKP1ihy46JX5gQaWNCGP5UKQOMtNRkW1gor0oEGKVE-md0LEqNU9l3/s200/cakepops01.JPG" width="199" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Defy gravity!</span></div>
Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13364276625811585125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423153944184752971.post-82780398650488153192013-02-13T20:01:00.003-06:002013-02-13T20:01:38.896-06:00Headroom<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdP7ALBwleeiVUUG7hBvWG00YbKrAOkvcxNt3iQhHBsThmqJBwwmPCD966rhtit0yzsMkxbMyaWcbZpwXeqtCtLfRYCN41jlMG9PNhpFIvwSqNlighysMHR2U9gDD8gdKlCUK1GjSoQwVV/s1600/P1040423.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdP7ALBwleeiVUUG7hBvWG00YbKrAOkvcxNt3iQhHBsThmqJBwwmPCD966rhtit0yzsMkxbMyaWcbZpwXeqtCtLfRYCN41jlMG9PNhpFIvwSqNlighysMHR2U9gDD8gdKlCUK1GjSoQwVV/s320/P1040423.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This strange point of view illustrates the varying heights of each block.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It feels
great to get back to this space.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve
been away for so long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What’s funny is
it’s not a physical space I missed- no matter how hard I try to forge that
bond.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No, it’s a hypothetical space and
a mental space.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lately my head has been
too full of scrolling to-do lists, a ticker tape of high priorities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had no time or energy to pursue creative
ventures, not even vicariously.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But, when
the din of my event died down and the silence crept back in I began to imagine
my space.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I envisioned my desk as a
clutter-free surface on which I could place my laptop and mouse as others
do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There I could turn on some tunes and
begin tackling some pesky family projects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And after making headway on those projects I imagined myself stamping
and painting and writing at my art table, directly behind my desk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While dreaming of these utopian moments I
tried to imagine my space completed as in the pages of a magazine with
attractive furniture, art, and pleasing places for the eyes to rest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But in reality- my artsy crafty supplies push
at their restrictive boundaries and the inept furniture struggles to perform
tasks never intended.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And in all honesty,
in my best months, I spend very little time in my zone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It simply exists too far from my true
home-office, the kitchen.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So, you
see, it’s best that the space I’ve missed so much is not my chair and table,
but rather the headroom to ponder color and light, shape and line, layers, and
words and pattern.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s good to be back!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXsxmKCtSES8dUKsQehXNViEjn1a66qhmFrzHdjS2ueeLx0MyCRHadg0MRX3IUDU2dlFydIzkdb0FcEnakPpgW9XNcc-bm1j_2duKzom_yJsI_TQ43uhnn2REM9WHPMwHbSnP0BLlhmXrV/s1600/P1040410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXsxmKCtSES8dUKsQehXNViEjn1a66qhmFrzHdjS2ueeLx0MyCRHadg0MRX3IUDU2dlFydIzkdb0FcEnakPpgW9XNcc-bm1j_2duKzom_yJsI_TQ43uhnn2REM9WHPMwHbSnP0BLlhmXrV/s320/P1040410.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here are all the mini masterpieces just waiting for their new home.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
To say I have done NOTHING in the arts realm rings slightly untrue when faced with the proof of these photos. This is the art project I completed with the third graders at our elementary school. Each block varies in height and forms the foundation for an original watercolor painting. Then I mounted the blocks in a custom frame to create a multi-level work of art. The project turned out beautifully! I can't take credit for the idea, however. I mined that gem from Olive and Love. A great sight you must check out on your next coffee break!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVNR7HGeJn8-rp98EmJrV-nArX4QoQ50MSkkKzDSj5EXCP7b4MWv2CigZSuvvG0K3o6NDbmLjrjqUXbcUuZGHLWWUuq8MLAakFWme7DkKquPeIAHuWatHTnK3MM_hMvMA8_vBsmDF2fH3j/s1600/P1040426.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVNR7HGeJn8-rp98EmJrV-nArX4QoQ50MSkkKzDSj5EXCP7b4MWv2CigZSuvvG0K3o6NDbmLjrjqUXbcUuZGHLWWUuq8MLAakFWme7DkKquPeIAHuWatHTnK3MM_hMvMA8_vBsmDF2fH3j/s400/P1040426.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Have a glorious week! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Renee</span></div>
Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13364276625811585125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423153944184752971.post-64367156939396293762013-01-07T21:08:00.002-06:002013-01-07T21:08:50.736-06:00Gear Head Gal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Wow! The holidays have finally left town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christmas can seem a bit like a house-guest
who has overstayed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fun at first, but
soon vacation from the normal becomes a chore in itself and you find yourself
longing for a quiet moment, permission to skip breakfast altogether, and the
freedom to roam the house in whatever you choose. The departure of the holidays,
much like the departure of the house-guest, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>heralds a longer than normal household to-do
list.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There is always a certain amount of housework when a guest
leaves because, quite frankly, it feels rude to vacuum in front of him/her or
spend hours washing and folding laundry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And so now that Father Christmas and Baby New Year have finally shuffled
out my front door, I am left with the aftermath- a seven foot pile of holiday
ornaments to carefully wrap in tissue and box away, garlands and lights, and
all those new festive touches that now need summer homes in my attic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But not today!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Today I am digging my inner artist out of the holiday
rubble.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has some new experiences to
draw from, new rubber stamps to christen, and new Copics with which to do it
all.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My family ushered in the new year with a rumble, not a roar
and definitely not a whimper, but a body-vibrating, not-quite deafening-
rumble.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We took our son to our first
Monster Truck event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What a truly
American event!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just the concept of the
largest loudest vehicles humanly possible, guzzling huge quantities of black-smelling
diesel fuel, crushing primer-coated automobile shells all in the name of entertainment
screams of American excess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some would
argue that watching such a spectacle from my cushioned theater seat inside my
convention center suite box (thanks to a silent auction) is not the authentic
experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Others claimed that the lack
of dust and mud detracted from the red-neck glory of it all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I however loved my clean comfortable seat as
well as the thrill of watching these incredible machines at play.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Each machine had a personality of its own, a personality
carefully and lovingly rendered in paint and sometimes even embellishments,
such as the horns on the Toro Loco and the nostrils that actually vented
steam.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think my favorite moment was
watching one truck turning donuts so perfectly on the polished cement stage
that it literally hovered above the ground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I don’t think that more than two tires touched the pavement
simultaneously. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But in the end it was
all the beautiful paint that held my eye.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The finishes shone like mirrors reflecting back images of flames, and
poltergeists, and the sheer pleasure of color.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My son and I particularly liked the green and black Monster Energy
truck, you know the infamous black can with the green M showing through.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I brought the Monster Truck Jam into this week’s crafty
moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew that one of my new
Greeting Farm images would make a perfect tribute to the Monster Truck
experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And so I dug out the images
I had colored while traveling and found the one I was looking for, the girl
with attitude and goggles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I began the
project by tearing the black paper and layering it over the green.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then how’s a girl to create an homage to loud
engines without a little diamond plate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So I used the Cuttlebug diamond plate embossing folder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I threw in some gears for good measure, but I
was still missing one key ingredient- tire marks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Monster Trucks wouldn’t be Monsters without
those massive tires.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did you know that
each one weighs over 1,000 pounds?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I
set to work carving some tire tread.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While I am not waiting for a job offer from Firestone, I am pleased with
the outcome.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Although, at the time of posting I realize that in my haste I have forgotten to finish. She needs some words- I am woman; Hear me Roar. Suggestions? </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Have a Monstrously Great Week!-<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Renee</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqSLpZKyT9qA0sMHB64rur0Wo0F4AHiPMAxSGy0lql42LCKgc9ewWwoQnccNp4iBr3-Je8xa1V33tgWLgWsUWGFnacihWH7EY8apHfvrA7ZHUpyx3_MJ0NZVLoeTRUdt_wl8r1byENouEk/s1600/P1040152.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqSLpZKyT9qA0sMHB64rur0Wo0F4AHiPMAxSGy0lql42LCKgc9ewWwoQnccNp4iBr3-Je8xa1V33tgWLgWsUWGFnacihWH7EY8apHfvrA7ZHUpyx3_MJ0NZVLoeTRUdt_wl8r1byENouEk/s640/P1040152.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13364276625811585125noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423153944184752971.post-20428309814473532712012-12-07T09:54:00.000-06:002012-12-07T10:05:37.880-06:00Glitter Goof?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimDsFb1gTfStcl2Y7yY-XQGNhboOqk4uxFoU2clUpRoO3eEKRIhsxqYttvnf5GrlsEiXnorgav2oDX3yeIXW17Uqo2Eq_lj_Zq7mRNcLVkaYMW8u4-NXV0btme14jX7eiMb0RO7zH0GkvO/s1600/glitter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimDsFb1gTfStcl2Y7yY-XQGNhboOqk4uxFoU2clUpRoO3eEKRIhsxqYttvnf5GrlsEiXnorgav2oDX3yeIXW17Uqo2Eq_lj_Zq7mRNcLVkaYMW8u4-NXV0btme14jX7eiMb0RO7zH0GkvO/s320/glitter.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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While wrapping Christmas presents today I realized I had
made a judgment error of historic proportions – not an error with any lasting
social repercussions, just an error that would wink at me for the duration<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of my life in this dwelling.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The error in my judgment has humble beginnings in the
cavernous boxstore- Sam’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So many poor
decisions are born there!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before
entering the store I had wound my mental clock tightly knowing the persistent
tick would remind my feet to keep moving and remind myself of the task at
hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Raspberries, that’s all I
need-<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just several boxes of
raspberries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then I would charge onto
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<br /></div>
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I paused momentarily at the bright shiny aisle promising joy
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<br /></div>
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After selecting my berries I had to pass by the Christmas
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shore, I allowed the bright sparkle of holiday glitter to cast its magic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Heeding its call, I put 5 rolls of holiday
cheer in my buggy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s 250 yards of
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</span>This year’s packages would be magazine-worthy!</div>
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<br /></div>
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The spell held until I cut the plastic barrier away from the
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and dusted the gifts like a powdery snowfall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Tiny specks embedded themselves in my jeans and attached to my very
spores.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The magic of Christmas will
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Perhaps it’s okay if a few hundred specks escape the jaws of
my vacuum today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe the universe is
trying to remind me to find the magic every day.</div>
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I hope you find the magic in the mundane today.- Renee </div>
Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13364276625811585125noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423153944184752971.post-64889137692814759822012-11-09T12:47:00.001-06:002012-11-09T12:47:29.807-06:00Getting in (Stamping) Gear!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSi7rSZYink62cAq6n1otBiJLMYA7stKm8eNI16L6zxjW5nP1z3E4zTGzMmhEsnFkdusxrZCW9VgpBII3ibXShfuKxFtQMdj1eu6rwvY8K4KUKbyQh853m2JEtf6stzLJI9qfAP7SaLYwk/s1600/Warm+Wishes+with+Gears.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSi7rSZYink62cAq6n1otBiJLMYA7stKm8eNI16L6zxjW5nP1z3E4zTGzMmhEsnFkdusxrZCW9VgpBII3ibXShfuKxFtQMdj1eu6rwvY8K4KUKbyQh853m2JEtf6stzLJI9qfAP7SaLYwk/s320/Warm+Wishes+with+Gears.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I
have missed my blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have missed my
art time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My world has been a blur of
school carnivals and Halloween and laundry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>All my good intentions vanished- like so many things around here!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, I pushed aside the clutter, like an
adventurer cutting aside the jungle, and found my work space.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was still there!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All the paint spatters, dried Superglue, and
neglected tools welcomed me back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
what happens when dead paint brushes greet you?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You know, the ones that you assured yourself you would wash as soon as
you put them down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead you felt the
need for just one more quick embellishment, one more stamped image, then the
phone rang…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now the bristles are a blue
plastic mass.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Well,
I can’t give you a NEW paint brush, but I can help you restore your paint
encrusted bristles to working order.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ready for this?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>White
vinegar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pour some white vinegar in a glass and soak
the bristles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the paint has
softened and some of it has dropped out of the bristles, use your finger nails
to clean the bristles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then wash the
brush well in soapy water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This has
saved many a paint brush at my house.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">After
dropping my encrusted paintbrushes in vinegar, stashing all my beading supplies,
scraping polymer clay off the floor, and vacuuming up all the tiny paper clippings
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I finally had space (physical and
emotional) to play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course by this
time it’s nearly bedtime, but I determined to “carry on”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxsYTVgcRdeaFmKfjDHyYbMzua73PHywMR4LUG8uOKvvNo7bNa9em2MxGntLeaMUoBPHmla8MBy2-D39HRBZfmKFShLKXwGUGdgIQ9OAUTapU12FgwomjSS3swb3xqtnzccXjD98uhkULE/s1600/Stamping+Gear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxsYTVgcRdeaFmKfjDHyYbMzua73PHywMR4LUG8uOKvvNo7bNa9em2MxGntLeaMUoBPHmla8MBy2-D39HRBZfmKFShLKXwGUGdgIQ9OAUTapU12FgwomjSS3swb3xqtnzccXjD98uhkULE/s320/Stamping+Gear.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Some
time back while visiting my sister-in-law in Dallas I came across an intriguing
new stamp toy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bright green gears and
cogs promised to open new rubber stamping windows!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t wait to begin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course I opened it as soon as possible to
run my fingers over the smooth plastic and turn the cling stamps over in my
palms- but I had not actually made anything with the contraption.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">So,
with the mission to conquer the Stamping Gear (by Inkadinkado) I pulled up my
rolling chair, spread out the pieces before me, and grabbed a supply of white
typing paper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried to find some
stamped samples online in galleries, but there didn’t seem to be much out
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I began to play with the
tools.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have learned a few things about
the Gear which I will share with you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There is so much potential here, and I hope Inkadinkado will exploit
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can you imagine a set of cling “gears
and mechanisms” to go with the Stamping Gear?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And a new selection of sizes and smaller cling stamps could make the
contraption more applicable for card making enthusiasts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Hint, hint Inkadinkado! )</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Here
are a few basic observations I made while playing.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">*When
making an image to go on a card, reach for one of the gear shaped pieces, the
ring or oval, rather than the smaller cogs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While the cogs look smaller, the diameter of the stamped image is much
larger than what results from the interior of the gears.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">*Use
a fast drying ink to prevent smears and smudges.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">*Use
a juicy inkpad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This technique uses a
lot of ink!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think about it, when
stamping a closed pattern you will be stamping your image 32 times!</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">*The
Gears and Cogs both have triangular shaped holes in them that make it easy to
stay on pattern.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, when
stamping at every second notch you can just proceed to the next triangle. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or for stamping every fourth position skip one
triangle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ll see what I mean when
you try it.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">*When
you intend to stamp along the outer edge of a cog or gear and are placing your
stamp on the paddle, keep in mind the triangular notches that extend out from
the gears and cogs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be sure to place
your stamp far enough from the edge of the paddle so that the notch doesn’t
interfere with stamping.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">*Try
it out on typing paper first!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have started my very own notebook filled
with samples and notes about how I accomplished the look.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will share a few pages with you.</span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5vGXxNkTFPQPQJKN-W8YlApX50eGoo6015hJ_T0pkjHf7NrUne53tDFMdiz6q5QG4tdJ2gCqglkheHCSG0i3R2et5kRzXohRIhf_MPZAzEUh5uyjWe70r9RVT662noHWKtbGt-9zx6_sV/s1600/Gears+notebook+pg2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5vGXxNkTFPQPQJKN-W8YlApX50eGoo6015hJ_T0pkjHf7NrUne53tDFMdiz6q5QG4tdJ2gCqglkheHCSG0i3R2et5kRzXohRIhf_MPZAzEUh5uyjWe70r9RVT662noHWKtbGt-9zx6_sV/s320/Gears+notebook+pg2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here I recorded the tools and patterns I used. The two tone image shows the effect of off-setting the second stamp image.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJu7mNELQiTHWedCBdRHASveAUyHkljHBKja4tB9P0F5UitHlFU-BNmCEFF0UaHfJ7np1bcs4P88MAAD66nWVJS1ASvEEqP2MJK7G4Et45b0iwRDJPvoLliXemSzTR5aCR333mObebDnfI/s1600/Gears+notebook+pg3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJu7mNELQiTHWedCBdRHASveAUyHkljHBKja4tB9P0F5UitHlFU-BNmCEFF0UaHfJ7np1bcs4P88MAAD66nWVJS1ASvEEqP2MJK7G4Et45b0iwRDJPvoLliXemSzTR5aCR333mObebDnfI/s320/Gears+notebook+pg3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Again showing the use of two colors. I started with just the image on the right, then I repeated that and stamped inbetween each branch with the citronelle ink. I took notes of tools and patterns.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLKNwgasyQ1glNeIS0xr6swxLyZKJDl9U4bFFQEiO1Mpo4pnop0su8QJhd2zdM5Lbrtu0K603oDv2SlBATD5-5aBIdlH4yVvPZKnXlavuxWXucTOyi3759B_VCbY4QZ4_l4_beyJM6C8up/s1600/Gears+notebook+pg5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLKNwgasyQ1glNeIS0xr6swxLyZKJDl9U4bFFQEiO1Mpo4pnop0su8QJhd2zdM5Lbrtu0K603oDv2SlBATD5-5aBIdlH4yVvPZKnXlavuxWXucTOyi3759B_VCbY4QZ4_l4_beyJM6C8up/s320/Gears+notebook+pg5.jpg" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCIWjpvBzWLN1hSuXpLyVg0HT_p0CSpAxi3eQc7ZVrCJ4-0VNz9ZFplQPESMO-Bj5vPx_XnGmk5PI42Sh5FJeOIr8wfeRAhCQ6MjZ3pHXyhuZNeENlwV7kP6cPgToHMxTeMGjCm7xbxGZC/s1600/Gears+notebook+pg4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCIWjpvBzWLN1hSuXpLyVg0HT_p0CSpAxi3eQc7ZVrCJ4-0VNz9ZFplQPESMO-Bj5vPx_XnGmk5PI42Sh5FJeOIr8wfeRAhCQ6MjZ3pHXyhuZNeENlwV7kP6cPgToHMxTeMGjCm7xbxGZC/s320/Gears+notebook+pg4.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiddSw9CB4DnUI6Sy2vtB-gwkBYjyxLeazzWd-nxAJhaVGrWxHckzjeaLjMyT57ZWPREjZaBGtQn5yZ-sNfwmiLIkZKvRPbo_rep9b0x3Qy0X5pGxXeXz92KnO-vIeVjjOF6i_Yiv5rt17h/s1600/Gears+notebook+pg1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiddSw9CB4DnUI6Sy2vtB-gwkBYjyxLeazzWd-nxAJhaVGrWxHckzjeaLjMyT57ZWPREjZaBGtQn5yZ-sNfwmiLIkZKvRPbo_rep9b0x3Qy0X5pGxXeXz92KnO-vIeVjjOF6i_Yiv5rt17h/s320/Gears+notebook+pg1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The last three images: The first two show the difference between a completely closed pattern, meaning I stamped at every notch and an open pattern where I stamped at every fourth notch. The last shows where I began recording the stamp placement and orientation on the paddle.</span></span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: 322.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Well, duties call.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But throughout the next week I plan to keep
experimenting with my Stamping Gear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
you own a Stamping Gear I would love to see some of your creations and hear
some of your tips.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: 322.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Happy Weekend!-<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Renee</span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span> </span>
</span></div>
Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13364276625811585125noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423153944184752971.post-70480011671676020152012-10-19T10:15:00.001-05:002012-10-19T10:15:32.396-05:00Candy Corn Turkey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIw_IgvTIhZXvHvk8f3u8bqbxzxf4zzMfFUQhfJCQHSY4e9h057CPWBOuyyCHd-oD_bSf6vrKvK-VRW_rcOV-gdCQpOzY86dKnoZQOMhZNPukfqo7g6GVg2P1QZk7HhHydtPdw_GwAcU-M/s1600/Don't+be+a+turkey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIw_IgvTIhZXvHvk8f3u8bqbxzxf4zzMfFUQhfJCQHSY4e9h057CPWBOuyyCHd-oD_bSf6vrKvK-VRW_rcOV-gdCQpOzY86dKnoZQOMhZNPukfqo7g6GVg2P1QZk7HhHydtPdw_GwAcU-M/s320/Don't+be+a+turkey.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
Happy Friday!<br />
<br />
I have visions of candy corn and turkey dancing through my head, as is evident in my Candy Corn Grumpy Turkey. I didn't mean to give him candy corn for his tail feathers; it just sort of happened. But I like it. I think it makes a statement.<br />
<br />
I awoke several times in the night to the aroma of slow cooked pork. Yes, I have been reading creepy books at bedtime, but not last night and there are no pigs in the book either. The aroma was no figment of my imagination. The smell wafted from my kitchen where I was indeed slow cooking pork for a tailgating dish. Yuummmm. 'Tis the season for tailgating, and Halloween candy, and Thanksgiving meal planning (which means I may need to test run some recipes tee hee), and bulging blue jeans!! AARGGH! The pounds just creep up on you, don't they? So, that means it is also the season for blowing the dust off the exercise equipment and tossing those musty workout clothes with a Bounce sheet before putting them back into rotation. But with the start of the season comes the promise of great things. Great meals and a little extra bending room in the waist of my favorite bluejeans. So, I am excited.<br />
<br />
I am also excited about my newest skulls. Several have already found new homes, but a few remain to be adopted. You can find them in my Etsy shop today. More to come. In the past I focused on the earrings,<i> (and some prefer the earrings. I have already done some custom earrings for those who had bought some last year. So, if earrings are your thing, just ask!)</i> but this year I have been enjoying the versatility of the pendant -more room to play and more ways to incorporate other materials. I finally gave in and bought a jar of Renaissance wax to seal my steel. Anyone have any tips about using this stuff? I am just winging it at this point. I also found a punch and die tool at Michaels that is supposed to work on 16 gauge material. Let's hope it is as sturdy as it looks. I'll get back with you on that one.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6AfOG5v1bzkm-K1TGWGQc7HUocyTpBH_D_4T9KiIcvztOsGxrz6_QJrt6r1VuKFnmIxnxNSg7NzcI6CHps6odj6lHl28FJkGRIUzs_3eqZPH3NRdevzwAGuzSymhFif9lTPbzYNaD_0dK/s1600/Poppies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6AfOG5v1bzkm-K1TGWGQc7HUocyTpBH_D_4T9KiIcvztOsGxrz6_QJrt6r1VuKFnmIxnxNSg7NzcI6CHps6odj6lHl28FJkGRIUzs_3eqZPH3NRdevzwAGuzSymhFif9lTPbzYNaD_0dK/s200/Poppies.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkh0TXnN3WJ2vLO0p4bzGX5123Hy5TuWqno_ega1a7dVMunUpO6pHZL4sTomxL8F7qurWVp7x8RHQ682v_y4Co-Oge27e2LLGwgspLpaLAzdu_uYnYej4BR-c88kfjRhhyuhp-Ci0KxiPJ/s1600/Mustachio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkh0TXnN3WJ2vLO0p4bzGX5123Hy5TuWqno_ega1a7dVMunUpO6pHZL4sTomxL8F7qurWVp7x8RHQ682v_y4Co-Oge27e2LLGwgspLpaLAzdu_uYnYej4BR-c88kfjRhhyuhp-Ci0KxiPJ/s200/Mustachio.jpg" width="200" /></a>I hope you all have a fabulous Fall Weekend. Enjoy a cocoa, a lager, a game, or just the sound of the leaves rustling across the patio and the song of the wind chimes as Autumn announces her arrival.<br />
<br />
-Renee<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13364276625811585125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423153944184752971.post-83686575162070216682012-10-12T10:14:00.000-05:002012-10-12T10:17:29.236-05:00Express Lane Rant<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">How’s that
speedy check-out lane working for you?
Do you find that half the time you want to use one none are open? While I stand in an open express lane, I find myself covertly counting the number of
items in the basket before mine. (On the
whole the public tends to underestimate the number of products it is buying.) And when I commit to one of these “quick”
lines, I know that I have accepted a gamble, usually a losing one at that.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">I have tried
to cut my losses. I have tried to create
a system for determining which line will move the fastest. There are so many variables: the types of items being purchased, the
cashier, the customer, coupons, sales events, even the time of day. (You know, when it’s finally your chance to
put your package of Tampons on the counter only to have the checker turn off
the light because her shift is over, or it’s break time.) I remember once last year when I thought I
had made a brilliant choice. I chose the
line with the woman purchasing a gift card.
How long can that take? Well, it
turns out she was purchasing THIRTY of them!
SEPARATELY! Thirty items in the
ten and under lane. Well, I guess since
she paid separately she found the loophole.
But if I had seen thirty women purchasing single gift cards, I would
have stood behind five people instead.
At least the cashier resented that her “express lane” status had been
abused and she apologized to me.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Yesterday, I
encountered an enabler. Yep. An express-lane cashier who exacerbated the
wait. I admit that I did not thoroughly
consider all the variables. But it was
well past 5:00, the time that I lock my door to the crazy world and refuse to
participate until the masses have settled down in front of their
televisions. And so when I got in line
behind the single elderly woman in her Wal-Mart-provided motorized scooter in
the “20 Item” line, I was simply ticking away the seconds until I could get
home and put some supper on the table.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Those
seconds ticked into minutes and I craned my head around to find her scooter’s
basket already full to the brim with those offensive white Wal-Mart bags. She still had another 8 items on the conveyer
belt, and that’s when the monetary transaction games began. “How much do I owe? Oh.
Well put those two items on then.
Now how much do I owe?” She paid
the first bill of $100.00. Then
everything else needed to be rung up as another transaction, but maybe she
didn’t want all of it. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">At that
point I was glowering, shifting weight from one tired foot to the other, shooting
red laser beams from my eyeballs at the “twenty items” sign hoping to
disintegrate it, mentally calculating how much more time I would be there
versus getting in another line behind several people, all the while pretending
to humor my children by listening to at least parts of what they had to
say. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">I spent 15
minutes being “next in line” before I changed lines and found a spot behind two
other customers. I paid for my 12 items
with a thirty second swipe of the credit card and left with the octogenarian
customer and the senior citizen cashier still tying up the express lane. Old age may rob our senior citizens of their
mobility, continence, and basic good manners, but it endows them with cajones
the size of steroidal watermelons and tunnel vision. (I say this with love and a smile, because I
am VERY close to one of these described octogenarians.)</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">And that is
my rant this week. Avoid discount box
stores after 5:00. Never fall for a lane
that is doubly hexed. And NEVER NEVER
take those check-out signs at face value.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6OjWW2cPMeLGaczhK4ggs6ucyXCnTUPwLiOI_OnKMPr4jo-t835AfgWGp55eDYXX-j5hj0W3skmYTAdxhi1X5-Fqict2ma4F9DjBAc0dd629EKeeLeuDwNzRDVvi8IxQ7c_M4m9tZXTWx/s1600/Wooden+butterfly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6OjWW2cPMeLGaczhK4ggs6ucyXCnTUPwLiOI_OnKMPr4jo-t835AfgWGp55eDYXX-j5hj0W3skmYTAdxhi1X5-Fqict2ma4F9DjBAc0dd629EKeeLeuDwNzRDVvi8IxQ7c_M4m9tZXTWx/s400/Wooden+butterfly.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wooden Butterfly Skull- pendant</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJBVPnZgA7mG5uuEeuvezuVxpv1XFOEBnxxME3hSqtP1VdedLBZkYYTjLaKI7X4gW0-vn4QDGfy3a41K9kMfKGSwNwFdVTR4xAhxCAB45t9U1GL_bV9848UGmVkjTpapIj2pPr8E0L7q7K/s1600/Cherry+Blossom+Field+detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJBVPnZgA7mG5uuEeuvezuVxpv1XFOEBnxxME3hSqtP1VdedLBZkYYTjLaKI7X4gW0-vn4QDGfy3a41K9kMfKGSwNwFdVTR4xAhxCAB45t9U1GL_bV9848UGmVkjTpapIj2pPr8E0L7q7K/s200/Cherry+Blossom+Field+detail.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cherry blossom detail</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Oh, yeah,
last week I gave you a tiny peek at my current projects. They progressed a little slower than I hoped
this week, but here’s what I have to show today. (I have a few more still under construction. Once I have those complete I will begin putting them on Etsy.) Feel free to leave feedback. I learned that white is good in theory
only. All polymer clay artists will tell
you that white is only white while it is in the package. I knew that.
What I didn’t count on was how difficult it is to photograph white! Suggestions are welcome!</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKaH4zQpvAICX1TglU6JP-drp_-XaHnEy-twmxjKSNgcOqamtK4tpSdd6TPOzIyZstqWN7SlpGyWJWZm8JPCFAPrZwHspaFB-n9bfu-xZLtO1SRWZgGaHu-KAIrH1syEJaOribMw1Gmq1X/s1600/Cherry+Blossom+Field.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKaH4zQpvAICX1TglU6JP-drp_-XaHnEy-twmxjKSNgcOqamtK4tpSdd6TPOzIyZstqWN7SlpGyWJWZm8JPCFAPrZwHspaFB-n9bfu-xZLtO1SRWZgGaHu-KAIrH1syEJaOribMw1Gmq1X/s320/Cherry+Blossom+Field.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cherry Blossom Field Skull - pendant</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13364276625811585125noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423153944184752971.post-31165592837172131092012-10-04T20:02:00.002-05:002012-10-04T20:04:11.609-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOXhhf8qcRpdSQiOX2Bxb9NtPRVvu_fOu1GuA8AcpXNbAf-xRTVlaajh02PWONqApX7epGl8FcJe0O41XqQkcOXHhhiVKJOkgaM7KNIa5p2fhNM6z2NucDn89ujnODdM1VJeJm4zbwPCD5/s1600/Skulls+&+Roses02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOXhhf8qcRpdSQiOX2Bxb9NtPRVvu_fOu1GuA8AcpXNbAf-xRTVlaajh02PWONqApX7epGl8FcJe0O41XqQkcOXHhhiVKJOkgaM7KNIa5p2fhNM6z2NucDn89ujnODdM1VJeJm4zbwPCD5/s320/Skulls+&+Roses02.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Here's a peek at what I have been up to this week, but just a peek! When October arrives I can't help but start creating skulls. They are a little Day of the Deadish and a whole lot of cute. I really like mixing materials, and I hope to experiment more with that this year. Check out my Etsy site where you can find a few resident skulls right now. But the newbies haven't been listed yet. They will be arriving soon, like in the next week. So be sure to visit a few times.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhgMRCOgpzYJXnuaeLlH3_yYtM-LPiCzqlwRyMKHXXzzHplf_RcFAF0f4H0GX-bcU2-NEEsS1RiBvTmVSskO4DxgmEbhGaUiWh3KA1b628LkidRZZH1v0SkBE73TtZLY6rTT30nLNMm_Q6/s1600/Dogs+R+Fun+Thanks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhgMRCOgpzYJXnuaeLlH3_yYtM-LPiCzqlwRyMKHXXzzHplf_RcFAF0f4H0GX-bcU2-NEEsS1RiBvTmVSskO4DxgmEbhGaUiWh3KA1b628LkidRZZH1v0SkBE73TtZLY6rTT30nLNMm_Q6/s320/Dogs+R+Fun+Thanks.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was one card I just had to hold on to for a while. I LOVE this image from Tiddly Inks.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh21P10nu723yNj_eiijhV3hY4p6HHMirQFSLo4om8bdprjW-KpyalFBek4AnpvSDHp_m1nGqfzzI2oPTyDLkrETUtj8JpZduRZex-_H7rqcrAjcerTi4I_XKAOz0F4CXw0i2BQbDrn24Kj/s1600/Congrats+Grumpy01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh21P10nu723yNj_eiijhV3hY4p6HHMirQFSLo4om8bdprjW-KpyalFBek4AnpvSDHp_m1nGqfzzI2oPTyDLkrETUtj8JpZduRZex-_H7rqcrAjcerTi4I_XKAOz0F4CXw0i2BQbDrn24Kj/s320/Congrats+Grumpy01.JPG" width="212" /></a>It's not just skulls that have kept me busy these days. Nope. I had a wee bit of surgery which gave me some extra time to play with Copics- and it gave me a BUNCH of reasons to make Thank-You cards. And what says thank you better than Copics? And since I had so much "down time" I decided to add to my colorful collection of markers. They arrived and now I am busy creating some crafty storage for them. But I promise to save that for another post. <br />
<br />
<br />
I also have to give a huge shout out to my Mom! She earned her OTCH during my blogging absence. An OTCH- one of those acronyms that I have no idea what it means. I do know it is incredibly difficult to achieve and in the sixty years our local dog training club has existed only five people have earned one. And while a simple little card cannot possibly be adequate congratulations, I nonetheless felt inspired to drop one in the mail. The image is a personal favorite from Smeared Ink. I love all their little Grumpies! I also LOVE the dew drops- the clear and metallic pink plastic embellishments on the front. They bring an element of fun. And you can't see it in this photo, but the black strip at the top and bottom is actually glitter tape from Michael's. I found it on a Halloween end cap and knew I had to have it. I think I will have to buy another roll or two!<br />
<br />
Have a great weekend!- ReneeReneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13364276625811585125noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423153944184752971.post-49125045736473222522012-09-26T11:40:00.000-05:002012-09-26T11:40:29.111-05:00Autumn Carrion<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: Mistral; font-size: 26.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Fall arrived this month on the wings of a vulture to scavenge the
smoldering remnants of summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her
stomach rumbles in the gray clouds that shroud the sky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Green turns yellow in her shadow and the
earth’s fever cools.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Autumn promises
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge2CdpHXpMtYmD5pnqC0SRBVpdVLQ1ATo7oh0hkta2TrX56NxaB_VnuMoGMZG3xdFINEUm0iSg3Ps_eovzrZmoiH9dJys3x-gFiuyyKlfgjFxssjO6lezTGiWnDGLPP3N3chveu3MSQPA2/s1600/Turkey+Buzzard01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge2CdpHXpMtYmD5pnqC0SRBVpdVLQ1ATo7oh0hkta2TrX56NxaB_VnuMoGMZG3xdFINEUm0iSg3Ps_eovzrZmoiH9dJys3x-gFiuyyKlfgjFxssjO6lezTGiWnDGLPP3N3chveu3MSQPA2/s320/Turkey+Buzzard01.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">All photos taken by R. Griffin.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Arabic Typesetting"; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 115%;">While racing through a day’s errands last week I came to
a screeching halt to observe this errant carrion in my neighborhood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The iphone could not do it justice and I
rushed home to fetch my camera.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Creepy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Powerful.</span></div>
<br />
Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13364276625811585125noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423153944184752971.post-73384049582649506382012-09-14T10:20:00.000-05:002012-09-14T10:20:35.776-05:00Tame the Beasts<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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I accidentally rolled through a stop sign this week,
distracted by the cacophony of voices in my head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t even recall what those voices were
shouting about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Usually there are a
chorus of naggers forging a long chain of things to be done, and at least one
voice on a soap box waxing poetic about some atrocity or act of social
lunacy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After rolling through the stop
sign a man waggled his finger at me and gave me the evil neighborhood watch eye
which stirred up a whirlpool of guilt and fear in my belly and birthed yet
another voice in my head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yikes.</div>
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<br /></div>
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That’s when I realized that I am often my own biggest
distraction- often, not always.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I reminded myself that
the crazier life gets the more conscientious I need to be about managing my
inner voices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And thus the inner
dialogue continued.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But something else
happened, an incident which compelled me to dig out a notebook and pen from
under the piles of our current household projects and put my thoughts on paper
for public presentation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And when I had
finished writing what needed to be shared, I continued to write in my
head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I witnessed flashes of thought and
caught myself mentally editing, a practice I try to discourage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Editing should be a tangible process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the point is that while writing often
serves a public purpose, it holds a more personal worth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And this week that worth made itself known to
me.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I write to tame the unruly, subdue the wild, untangle the
angry knots of thought that threaten to choke out reason.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It unnerves me to angry tears when I am
unable to articulate my beliefs or make my point known, when I lose an argument
because the words are turned against me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But pen and paper give me the opportunity to unleash all my verbal
beasts, to cull out the ineffective rash emotive creatures, and quell the
others into reasonable order. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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My visual expressions (and vocal expression) lag behind the written word- but I enjoy
both processes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And so the art of controlling
words became the inspiration for this ATC. It is the equivalent of a brief
free-writing session- unedited and imperfect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But I believe the exercise retains value in itself.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSPV0Cu_l3Ky8kufOMfaJBLoELrdUlxy7BQkFrf1PFim3GOSiG5AmHyllNid2Z9nBORzgYwVMh2uq2h7LpI8g37LaPrC1JIOS9U8d2xU89P15LyDD0uMD4y6V-ysMslGUUo6xqskeVR9AH/s1600/Tame+the+Beasts.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSPV0Cu_l3Ky8kufOMfaJBLoELrdUlxy7BQkFrf1PFim3GOSiG5AmHyllNid2Z9nBORzgYwVMh2uq2h7LpI8g37LaPrC1JIOS9U8d2xU89P15LyDD0uMD4y6V-ysMslGUUo6xqskeVR9AH/s320/Tame+the+Beasts.JPG" width="212" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
May clarity be with you-<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Renee</div>
Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13364276625811585125noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423153944184752971.post-26102155862478632472012-08-30T16:29:00.001-05:002012-08-30T16:29:24.549-05:00Octopode Dreams<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn7oTasWfwmYzhY7CR8bCGTP4alXRYLXzSanRIvkPtQpH5P9peaurMZXorGn0VXNMA0BIsKvr1S84CIsDA-aNOYSWzFXkjuSVTAS0jiPyCNSGRXE2Py-G6UprVCPkVDkFw0xuGoeM-zVXk/s1600/Booklover+card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn7oTasWfwmYzhY7CR8bCGTP4alXRYLXzSanRIvkPtQpH5P9peaurMZXorGn0VXNMA0BIsKvr1S84CIsDA-aNOYSWzFXkjuSVTAS0jiPyCNSGRXE2Py-G6UprVCPkVDkFw0xuGoeM-zVXk/s400/Booklover+card.jpg" width="325" /></a></div>
Happy Thursday! It's been a crazy week leading into a crazy month. I attended Copic class last weekend and now how a beautiful certificate to show for it. I can't wait to receive my digital badge to place on my blog. Of course, I will probably need some special class for people with computer learning difficulties to install the little bugger.<br />
<br />
Speaking of Copic coloring- I actually started this card last week- before the class. I was making this card for the TOFF challenge. I think I am just now slipping in under the deadline. The idea actually came to me in a rush and then I didn't know how to finish it off. Don't you hate it when that happens?<br />
<br />
The central image is from Saturated Canary. I fell in love with her because she reminds me of my daughter who inhales very hefty volumes in a single sitting- often long after "lights out." Then I used some of our most famous and infamous characters along the border. (I threw the elephant in for sheer fun.) All the characters along the edge are from the talented pen of Miss Lily Chivers of Octopode Factory fame. If you have never visited her online shop and blog, you should.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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Enjoy your week.- ReneeReneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13364276625811585125noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423153944184752971.post-6470673423398760962012-08-23T14:19:00.000-05:002012-08-23T14:19:06.799-05:00Lament for the Bibliophile<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsMSpkA7I1AJtI7ZrTMnnBCn9qf7qSchHPlSt5AWmft0SzQMW4YgqC8Mg03w-c1mPWuTUXQJ8Tn7m6uipG-kqmZT15BlF0BCyHqGkQTAtMDIDUGVIBfVaTVTisxw9DCaEbE9fyB3dEvzR5/s1600/Bedtime+Reader.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsMSpkA7I1AJtI7ZrTMnnBCn9qf7qSchHPlSt5AWmft0SzQMW4YgqC8Mg03w-c1mPWuTUXQJ8Tn7m6uipG-kqmZT15BlF0BCyHqGkQTAtMDIDUGVIBfVaTVTisxw9DCaEbE9fyB3dEvzR5/s400/Bedtime+Reader.jpg" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A work in progress. The caption will read, "Book lovers never go to bed alone." The main image is from Saturated Canary and the smaller images are all from Octopode Factory.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I saw the sign over the storefront inside of a low-end
mall I wanted to reject the notion as illogical.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What would a first-edition bookstore be doing
inside a low-rent mall, any mall for that matter?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What cell phone-distracted, under-age
consumer will pause for even the blink of an eye, unless to snap a picture of
this archaic relic and post on Facebook with the accompanying “LOL?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But there it sat, a shop filled with
books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And not just any books, books in
clear plastic baggies with their top flaps neatly taped down and marked with
little rectangular stickers - books proudly bearing their “first edition”
status.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I reminisced about a past in which my husband and I
frequented such haunts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We sought them
out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We looked for gems and spent hours rifling
pages and scrutinizing the early pages, searching for pedigrees and
histories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of our first dates and
much of our early years of marriage were spent inside the hallowed walls of
bookstores:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>new ones, old ones, little
ones, huge ones, insignificant shanties, and even one trip to the revered City
Lights in San Francisco.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So today, we stepped back in time and stepped up to the
glass case to peer through and point out titles and authors before diverging
ways to sift through the titles on the shelves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We picked up two books for our children and left.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As we passed back out into the mall with its frenetic carpet
and kiosks devoted cellular media, I realized how much the thought of bringing
my kids to the mall to buy a book excited me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Even as a teen shopping with my friends, I always stopped in at the
bookstore, until all the bookstores left the malls. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The death of the printed page has been predicted with
regularity, and at I times I think I see it coming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We lost Borders a year or so ago and the
small independent bookstores are nearly extinct.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank goodness we still have two large
bookstores in town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the book collectors, ironically, must
resort to the internet to acquire specimens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>How can books cast a spell over potential bibliophiles via cyber
space?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is the bibliophile just another
DoDo bird in the making? Are my husband and I the last of a dying breed?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are not avid collectors, just two
booklovers who enjoy stumbling upon an uncommon find every now and then,
breathing in the dust and must of a book that has seen many more years than we.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This week, I hope you get lost in a book, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>or at the very least a magazine with actual
pages. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You know the kind that molt
subscription cards and hawk perfumes along their edges.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s see an e-reader do that!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Renee </div>
Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13364276625811585125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423153944184752971.post-41244767891965004912012-08-16T09:30:00.001-05:002012-08-16T09:30:15.947-05:00A Better Procrastinor?
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Hello, my name is Renee and I am a
procrastinator.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To all you impacted by
my procrastination, I apologize.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For all
the birthday cards I mailed late or never sent, I am sorry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For those of you waiting on a phone call that
never came, please forgive me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To my
better half who bears the brunt of my disability- I am forever indebted. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And while I readily admit my flaw and am fully
repentant for disappointing my friends, family, and acquaintances, I do NOT
apologize for the ugly disability itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Nope.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Here I am, owning it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, I put off doing some things, but in the
meantime I am doing many others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could
be having breakfast with my elderly grandmother, reading my son a book, cooking
a meal, folding a load of laundry, conducting a children’s activity, attending
a meeting, or watching my niece and nephews.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And while these activities may not be important to some, they have value
that could stretch much further into the future than a freshly pressed pair of
khakis or a clean toilet.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As I have shirked some activities lately I
have replaced them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I used to try to get
up a little early to write or sketch or catch up on blog reading.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lately though I am too tired to roll out of
bed and do those things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, instead I shuffle
down the hall, hit the brew switch on the coffee pot, and then check out some
small portion of the morning paper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
was on one of those mornings last week that I encountered John Perry’s piece in
the Wall Street Journal entitled “How to be a Better Procrastinator” in which
he offers advice to those of us who most need it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Let’s assume a few readers may also be
afflicted with the twisted gene that causes procrastination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You may think the article sounds like a good
read and so you put it on your to do list- right up there with lose 6 pounds,
clean out the attic, and read Moby Dick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You might get around to that list, or you might find yourself ironing
work shirts, packing lunches, and bathing stinky family pets instead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I will pass on Mr. Perry’s advice in an
abbreviated format.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the complete
article, follow the link. <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443537404577579033271214626.html" target="_blank">http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443537404577579033271214626.html</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When someone suggests minimizing your
commitments, don’t listen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You need
something to do while putting off other things. </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Don’t feel bad about
procrastination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Depression never helped
anyone accomplish anything.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Don’t fantasize about perfection.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Be honest with yourself and
others.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So, you may have noticed that last week’s blog
entry never appeared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
procrastinated!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I did create a few
things in its place.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0JhwDCeCDgDEe_hBRjLymiNVE_0tGl7QWjCIlt7uVZk3KiXy6IGDsOqA1orLzldTq2mvbaNVq2kYf3PPx3O6U0hTqjwYlGxGgRWVE9gtDc8szGrisVZTAuLzkP1gUg06j_fiL00OR3MEf/s1600/Horizon+Line+Earrings+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0JhwDCeCDgDEe_hBRjLymiNVE_0tGl7QWjCIlt7uVZk3KiXy6IGDsOqA1orLzldTq2mvbaNVq2kYf3PPx3O6U0hTqjwYlGxGgRWVE9gtDc8szGrisVZTAuLzkP1gUg06j_fiL00OR3MEf/s320/Horizon+Line+Earrings+001.JPG" width="316" /></a><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">If you have read my profile you know that I
flit from hobby to hobby at intervals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This week I felt inspired to come back to some of my jewelry making
adventures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This pair of earrings
includes some polymer clay findings from my stash. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I made these for a friend; I hope she likes
them as much as I do.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I also made a few cards in the past couple
weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I purchased the All Occasions
Grumpies set from Smeared Ink and they are soooo much fun to play with!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is one of the cards I made with the grumpies
set.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I colored my Grumpy with Copics and
used circles to mat the image.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
dripping “goo” edge is the perfect finishing touch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a Martha Stewart paper punch.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ6OwT3V6ojzdSeuBYRVoPy5PEcdVEaGIwR1H2mBaQwjkgt1QvEaFjAn7LsL7fy2xFKfMQTXFa9cfdMvjXqdtkkDwX7PQxkLuw0FdIJZfZ6Ol1ewD1K4kS_7E1sRpfQQ0JbqnFl7tTeGSO/s1600/HappyBirthdayGrumpy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ6OwT3V6ojzdSeuBYRVoPy5PEcdVEaGIwR1H2mBaQwjkgt1QvEaFjAn7LsL7fy2xFKfMQTXFa9cfdMvjXqdtkkDwX7PQxkLuw0FdIJZfZ6Ol1ewD1K4kS_7E1sRpfQQ0JbqnFl7tTeGSO/s400/HappyBirthdayGrumpy.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have some new tools and toys on the way,
including fresh ink pads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t wait
to find them on my doorstep!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Enjoy your week!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Renee</span></div>
Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13364276625811585125noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423153944184752971.post-19793796217943452702012-08-01T20:56:00.000-05:002012-08-01T20:56:24.685-05:00Die Cuts Daze<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieqDXjBLUbSJC_d6q85mfpx8CBjJU3AswLfhBAGgmVX4vppY-a9_SxA2rpb9ORD5Qk-SCGcl5O3ke5DBneshslmvGXkE9jscZPVdTw_ABuUVcP86hjTkMJMbXeJluN76H7o0HQXPAItgmV/s1600/P1030083.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieqDXjBLUbSJC_d6q85mfpx8CBjJU3AswLfhBAGgmVX4vppY-a9_SxA2rpb9ORD5Qk-SCGcl5O3ke5DBneshslmvGXkE9jscZPVdTw_ABuUVcP86hjTkMJMbXeJluN76H7o0HQXPAItgmV/s400/P1030083.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A window card using my original image of an Angler fish.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I have 112 reasons to stay inside and play this week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t worry; I won’t list them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The 112 reasons of which I speak radiate off
the man-made surface of my deck like shimmering poltergeists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Between laundering loads of pool towels &
swim attire and attempting to disengage my children from the electronic
tentacles that have ensnared them, I have managed to complete and mail both
matchbooks. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJNNPRforgyv2Ezvt20a1heaxnXP-kGm6JR2mvThQfyz04UjF0dbsEprTn39_FCS0M8griY_hH2aBVQa-_TXIawe7sgR4uCnjW-mgPJJ7zll5gJ3xvR48gYm3jgDgBhP5PFvo4ep8vE_qQ/s1600/P1030048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJNNPRforgyv2Ezvt20a1heaxnXP-kGm6JR2mvThQfyz04UjF0dbsEprTn39_FCS0M8griY_hH2aBVQa-_TXIawe7sgR4uCnjW-mgPJJ7zll5gJ3xvR48gYm3jgDgBhP5PFvo4ep8vE_qQ/s320/P1030048.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I eliminated all the white space I had left in my Circus
Dreams book and added the image of a hot air balloon to the final interior
panel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I stamped the balloon twice and
used foam to lift the image off the page.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But I could see my foam and I didn’t like that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I used a bit of yarn around the hot air
balloon and allowed it to trail after the balloon like tether ropes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the hot air balloon made the book bulky
and the matchbox flap no longer held it closed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, a bit of decorative elastic ribbon became a rubber band of sorts.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2LVFZck5vFNd5Q5yFHC6JN0tnB8R5aJWdDN91eWPnxaL4Bvrl9F3A4kzvd14BzmCyYJE1FtlB-VPDTNVSC7lcvI4W2Xi_-oZwqHe0FJXWPtaoEb9mKIJlwdI6gvr4pRiA6eA9hJiCPKyk/s1600/fairy+album+07.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2LVFZck5vFNd5Q5yFHC6JN0tnB8R5aJWdDN91eWPnxaL4Bvrl9F3A4kzvd14BzmCyYJE1FtlB-VPDTNVSC7lcvI4W2Xi_-oZwqHe0FJXWPtaoEb9mKIJlwdI6gvr4pRiA6eA9hJiCPKyk/s320/fairy+album+07.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNzHCtzB7qkhyphenhyphenqv606JUIsFIZILktUtPJ6717gmMiUc3nWgDOToPuHPQFiWaONwS3aVVjovGkrbSOnbU8ETTLaqWQkBOHym02E0scOOcXTxpjFMEvCo6aWaorUzq9gQCN3s2wrQbHopdly/s1600/P1030052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNzHCtzB7qkhyphenhyphenqv606JUIsFIZILktUtPJ6717gmMiUc3nWgDOToPuHPQFiWaONwS3aVVjovGkrbSOnbU8ETTLaqWQkBOHym02E0scOOcXTxpjFMEvCo6aWaorUzq9gQCN3s2wrQbHopdly/s320/P1030052.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The second book, the Fairy Photo Album, turned out very
well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mounted each of the fairies on
black and allowed a portion of each fairy to extend beyond the page’s
edges.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also solved the scoring problem
I had with the first book- scoring layers of paper to lay open.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mod-podged a fabric edge to each page to
allow for greater flexibility- so the layers won’t want to separate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also added vellum in between each page
since I used glitter and liquid pearls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But the extra thickness took up so much space on the brad shanks that
the book doesn’t lay open.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am learning. If you want to see the books in their entirety, you can find them on my Flickr photostream. </div>
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When I make another homemade book of any type, I will
definitely keep the fabric edging idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It worked well and I don’t worry about the binding material tearing
holes in the pages over time.</div>
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And after fussing over where holes should be punched and
where score lines should fall, I have retreated to the simplicity of my Sizzix
and Cuttlebug.</div>
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I admit to being slightly addicted to the concept of die
cutting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I believe in old school die
cutting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You know, the kind with no
cords or cartridges or computers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With
old school mechanical die cutting systems I can continue to crank out seasonal
cards in a post-apocalyptic future, because even zombies have Hallmark
moments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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And so this week I have begun to explore new ways to use my
dies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I even found some great tutorials
online.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I bought an online class and
have gleaned some great tips, products, and methods I plan to try soon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am a recent convert to the online class
craze; and I am so glad to be one!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwnS_1lKuJfJeAnsv8LQCmmwveLfG5Q7glcE3duTbk0qc9f2i_LTRk7HKTOOkjnzyA8MUjPXUzUjINR4HxZYbitJv9SygXPyo3v2pNqb5JrhxAWI11KNrBJj6ywTeMXUjCGB-e9S0HuJNs/s1600/P1030090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwnS_1lKuJfJeAnsv8LQCmmwveLfG5Q7glcE3duTbk0qc9f2i_LTRk7HKTOOkjnzyA8MUjPXUzUjINR4HxZYbitJv9SygXPyo3v2pNqb5JrhxAWI11KNrBJj6ywTeMXUjCGB-e9S0HuJNs/s320/P1030090.JPG" width="319" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The interior of my Angler Fish card.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Until next time, I leave you with the immortal words of Dori- a wise little fish, "Just keep swimming.."<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Renee <br />
<br /></div>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13364276625811585125noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423153944184752971.post-18691037952036121722012-07-26T10:08:00.001-05:002012-08-01T09:58:56.989-05:00Flightless<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghhMQAyDOzo7JJ_1NzG302JSsEgrxkXnSzQW6ZU9uD4-TiilB2IZuWgr8LDUakB8OlrNSTV7cLg7yJciOljYdx2o38hwCkxL7J3NAQ2uAiFAdbYDSPW0vUOsiB_Xl3LL0oEKTc_OBhRijG/s1600/P1030043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghhMQAyDOzo7JJ_1NzG302JSsEgrxkXnSzQW6ZU9uD4-TiilB2IZuWgr8LDUakB8OlrNSTV7cLg7yJciOljYdx2o38hwCkxL7J3NAQ2uAiFAdbYDSPW0vUOsiB_Xl3LL0oEKTc_OBhRijG/s400/P1030043.JPG" width="397" /></a></div>
Meet Cousin Spinnaker, once a curious fae enchanted with human invention, he died a sad and flightless death after his wings became caught in the gears of darling cuckoo clock.<br />
<br />
He looks content in this image though, doesn't he?<br />
<br />
Spinnaker is one of three fairies featured in my Fairy Photo Album, the second of my matchbox books for the swap I was telling you about.<br />
<br />
The photo doesn't do him justice. The flowers have large clear glitter flakes and his wings sparkle.<br />
<br />
I took this photo about half way through the book making process. I still have some finishing work to do before the "binding." But it's coming along.<br />
<br />
I feel a little like Spinnaker today though- flightless. My mojo has wilted either due to the triple degree heat or the simple fact that each day brings a new crisis or the threat of one. Little mini fires to keep us running.<br />
<br />
<br />
Right after I posted last week my new file drawer came apart in my
hand! We'll get to that in a minute. Then Friday arrived full of
promise, until the nasty red wasp sting which swelled my arm up like a German
sausage. Then Saturday morning my son showed me his purple swollen thumb,
which I knew had to be x-rayed. So, with my arm swollen to the point of
tingling fingers and no wrist, I hauled him off to the urgent care. This
time we returned home with a helpful page about sprained digits.<br />
<br />I still had dinner guests on the schedule and a date with our local Fresh
Market and unknown to me, a date with the ac repairman!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, after the urgent care and the grocery
store I returned home to a busted ac.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The week can only improve!<br />
<br />
Then 3 pediatric doctor appointments this week, one includes three sets of
immunizations!<br />
<br />
Here's hoping next week runs a little smoother and my creative juices surge.<br />
<br />
Okay- Pity Party is OVER!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sorry
for that.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Let’s talk nuts and bolts now-
literally. You remember how proud I was of all my pretty filed papers?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Such happiness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But right after I posted last week I reached
down to retrieve some cardstock and the drawer front fell apart in my
hands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Really?!<br />
<br />
Now, let’s be frank; paper is heavy!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Cardstock is even heavier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
shouldn’t a crafting furniture manufacturer factor that into their
designs???<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know, I know, I expect too
much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I spent the next 48 hours or
so deliberating whether to return the wimpy thing or beef it up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I shopped around for other options.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently everybody else knows that
cardstock is too heavy for file drawers because I couldn’t find another file
drawer option for 12x12 sized cardstock.<br />
<br />
I looked at other options, like paper towers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, I found a very viable option on ebay
for a reasonable price.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But there were
three factors that gave pause to the idea of a paper tower.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first consideration was the numerous packages
of hanging files I had already purchased, opened, and tabbed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They COULD NOT be returned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Secondly, a paper tower does not conceal the
paper behind a door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After staring at a
leaning tower of paper for so long, I have loved not having to look at the
visual clutter of paper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And goodness
knows, I need all the help I can get de-cluttering!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, I like having a storage surface on top
of my paper storage for those pretty bins that hold my pads.<br />
<br />
So, that settled it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I loaded
up my tool caddy with a drill, liquid nails, some extra screws and four
clamps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think the drawer will hold for
a while.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am sure the second one will
fall apart eventually and I will need to beef it up as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Until then I will use my kid gloves.<br />
<br />
Now, I have a fairy photo album to finish, and I think my Circus matchbook
still needs some finishing touches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s
the goal any how.<br />
<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Keep Calm and Carry On! </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh50WsnHDretOl49oXbMjxaxCUyxAMeEanUHmEeHaUIQO6xht49vHtXoSlUFvVe4oxKQHLmv-xS38gH19aKhKjSddPLG-WHbKFaEJ7gn__FwX9AZpIeUkgYwzCN_6kONugCBlkUxyIdKsPK/s1600/P1030047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh50WsnHDretOl49oXbMjxaxCUyxAMeEanUHmEeHaUIQO6xht49vHtXoSlUFvVe4oxKQHLmv-xS38gH19aKhKjSddPLG-WHbKFaEJ7gn__FwX9AZpIeUkgYwzCN_6kONugCBlkUxyIdKsPK/s400/P1030047.JPG" width="398" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another one of my fairies. Should he be more modest?? Like Spinnaker, he is a work in progress. I'll share the finished book next post!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
PS: The fae images are from Smeared Ink. They are colored primarily with Copics and enhanced with glitter glue.Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13364276625811585125noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423153944184752971.post-63374593507087715012012-07-19T10:55:00.000-05:002012-07-20T13:55:26.692-05:00Circus Dreams<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkX4oUGq8Zff9Onsgvyu7XZDV1zPTpfNbPMFriMMjvDeHLen8v9NdY_58e9O71gbQyftFumhAkxGAqcnvH59sPAXyIJWqL315cEExncQn_TTKocj1Yy5ePiTl8UWTk-NpNATLkZTiOcbuN/s1600/circus+dreams+02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkX4oUGq8Zff9Onsgvyu7XZDV1zPTpfNbPMFriMMjvDeHLen8v9NdY_58e9O71gbQyftFumhAkxGAqcnvH59sPAXyIJWqL315cEExncQn_TTKocj1Yy5ePiTl8UWTk-NpNATLkZTiOcbuN/s200/circus+dreams+02.JPG" width="199" /></a></div>
Did you enjoy the circus as a kid? For me the circus is a bit of
nostalgic fantasy. I recall going to the circus a couple times, but the
recollection is pretty hazy. It may not be recollection, but
fiction. Who knows? I am not doing any better with my
children. They bug me to go to the circus, but we never make it
there. It seems that the circus breezes in and out of town so quickly and
our schedules are usually already full. Then there is the question of
price. Like a gigantic circus balloon itself, the powers-that-be have
inflated the price of a ticket to something that floats out of reach for most
families.<br />
<br />
Besides, who needs a circus when life itself consists of three rings of
chaos- on a good day? Take yesterday for instance. At 9:30 the kids and I
troop downstairs to the car to make a "quick trip to
Michael's". My daughter wanted to decorate a birthday cake for her
daddy. She baked a chocolate mint cake and planned to cover it in light
green fondant and embellish it with the Green Lantern symbol. My son had
made Star Wars cookies and needed icing. Rather than Martha Stewart it
the whole way, I decided to take a short cut- the cake decorating aisle at
Michael's.<br />
<br />
We did NOT get to Michael's. The car would not start. AAA came
to my rescue, only to inform me that I needed a tow truck- not a battery
jump. So, three hours later- that's three hours of pacing in front of my
windows- the tow truck finally arrived. During that three hours I worried
about how to pick up my grandmother for dinner, prepare dinner, finish the
birthday desserts, and pick up my car. After watching my car disappear down the
road I surrendered to the need to cut my losses.<br />
<br />
I pulled out the mixer- again. (Remember, we had already made the
cookies! Thank goodness we baked the cake a day early.) I made a
batch of royal icing. Then kids descended upon me! How can two kids
feel like an invading army of locusts? With their four hands flailing and
the threat of permanently coloring every surface in my kitchen looming over me
I felt as though I should be beating off an army of locusts. (If you have
ever used paste food coloring, you know how messy it can be.) But, we
managed to mix several colors and get them into ziploc baggies without
tie-dying my countertops. <br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirGjZ1pTW2OfzTZK78SRC_Wci3vW8wKIveebfx9JjCYPRurDsj4Vl0vR4VMGYltrvO46DXyn6M2v5IpyYQdxpE8tcrD4nbUphYN4benUZg_JvOEMsexGPJOkPxA-n4Q4uLK9bbBTytq1Vr/s1600/Scary.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirGjZ1pTW2OfzTZK78SRC_Wci3vW8wKIveebfx9JjCYPRurDsj4Vl0vR4VMGYltrvO46DXyn6M2v5IpyYQdxpE8tcrD4nbUphYN4benUZg_JvOEMsexGPJOkPxA-n4Q4uLK9bbBTytq1Vr/s320/Scary.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
And then, I took a deep breath and turned them
loose!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg19LKotHE5GtQPjo98ALEgs0Fg9j8VozdWK-g-aE9EqtyUz7IN70naxzZvXRbKJisssOTm1S4mZ009zqsllKc8yilTqflB3QriP5skFq9guKCXclM_G0s7kScGyYukU9xGIL9hQAGf7nvH/s1600/Mia+decorates.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg19LKotHE5GtQPjo98ALEgs0Fg9j8VozdWK-g-aE9EqtyUz7IN70naxzZvXRbKJisssOTm1S4mZ009zqsllKc8yilTqflB3QriP5skFq9guKCXclM_G0s7kScGyYukU9xGIL9hQAGf7nvH/s320/Mia+decorates.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTzxA9_NRh7XF_sPBpFJwLsRsnNsUQi-1JxzuRdLe0i2070g0zUVjhyz0vuwuz17_SyegbCTJIQ19xxJtS9nKnc8aLj5Gq38FptihnS-NX3svKS28kY5WoJWXHeIgR8i4Ot60Ue19KNOZ9/s1600/P1020989.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTzxA9_NRh7XF_sPBpFJwLsRsnNsUQi-1JxzuRdLe0i2070g0zUVjhyz0vuwuz17_SyegbCTJIQ19xxJtS9nKnc8aLj5Gq38FptihnS-NX3svKS28kY5WoJWXHeIgR8i4Ot60Ue19KNOZ9/s320/P1020989.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Yep! I needed a shower and the peace that comes from steamy
enclosures. Good thing I took the shower when I did. Shortly after
stepping out of the shower I heard a clatter, frantic voices laced with
imminent tears, and a flurry of activity.
The tray of decorated cookies had collapsed throwing my children’s
sugared artwork onto the floor.
Tie-Fighters crumbled, bounty hunters fell, and even Yoda lost
appendages! <br />
<br />
We salvaged what we could, finished icing cookies – which meant simply squeezing
on coils of royal frosting, meticulousness had become boring- then frosted the
cake. Needless to say, my hopes of
seeing my art studio died with the car in the morning.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_0zTxrDSCsOvShR9MvG3QHei1_Sou9iwmMSwJdkuM7gmkhOMawsRkGXnMXkcDonwFGKYLgdSUfiTVkiC6scjndC8W9eUmqUJ1RF7y7WqocpK1ZnYB-4LaUAu8vvncJ9GSsd1ocel0gNat/s1600/P1020999.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_0zTxrDSCsOvShR9MvG3QHei1_Sou9iwmMSwJdkuM7gmkhOMawsRkGXnMXkcDonwFGKYLgdSUfiTVkiC6scjndC8W9eUmqUJ1RF7y7WqocpK1ZnYB-4LaUAu8vvncJ9GSsd1ocel0gNat/s200/P1020999.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMk5lgYzP5wqZZRbG19ru9cYiWvI73t2i34eq3Osc9pC0IaQeem9oYcybzXAxizr8VqJ0Hp09XTCdHxzaBpgv7yUHKM0MQiO4pgkKh8QchdpOcO5AwY6dQD1k68C4tfQEKenfMvLzYpKW4/s1600/P1030002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMk5lgYzP5wqZZRbG19ru9cYiWvI73t2i34eq3Osc9pC0IaQeem9oYcybzXAxizr8VqJ0Hp09XTCdHxzaBpgv7yUHKM0MQiO4pgkKh8QchdpOcO5AwY6dQD1k68C4tfQEKenfMvLzYpKW4/s320/P1030002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
But back to the magic of the circus- despite the fact that I have no strong
memories or fantasies about the circus, I have been drawn to circus images
lately. And when I signed up to swap
Matchbook Cover books at the Smeared and Smudged blog, I saw a chance to
explore this theme. I am committed to
making two of these books. I have
finished one. Please visit my Flickr photo stream to see all the pages. There is a link at the bottom of my blog. (If it doesn't work, please let me know.)<br />
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<br />
Also, I signed up this week to take a Copic Certification class in
August. I am so excited! I guess this week has been more productive
than I thought.<br />
<br />
It really helps to take a step back and evaluate each week. I hope you get a chance to do the same. It’s like sitting on the trapeze and looking
downward- when you can see all the rings simultaneously, the chaos seems to
disappear.<br />
<br />
Be the best Ring Master you can be this week- after all, it’s your show! <br />
<br />Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13364276625811585125noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423153944184752971.post-81741284125782523362012-07-13T13:45:00.000-05:002012-07-13T13:45:02.725-05:00Under ConstructionMy hubby left town for two days. That's one night folks. That's really only a several hour differential from the normal schedule, but my crazy side took over anyway. It's not unusual for me to tackle some project at home while he is away- in fact it's often the norm when I am not bogged down in other obligations. So this time it was my studio space- AGAIN. <br />
<br />
I am sure I suffer from some psychosis in which organizing the hobby space is actually more of a hobby than the activity itself. But you all saw my space a few weeks ago. Finally, the chaos overwhelmed me. In an attempt to "clean up," I found myself moving furniture and dragging the offspring to Michael's and Target for some magic storage space. You know the kind. Hermione mastered it with her little purse in Harry Potter, and Mary Poppins set the original example with her magical carpet bag. I always hope to find <b>that</b> particular storage solution on the furniture aisle and on sale, or at least not exempt by the current coupon.<br />
<br />
So, on trip number one I brought home some file drawers for my 12x12 paper. A couple years ago I put together a space for my children, giving them each a desk for crafting and some cube storage. It has worked out quite well, and with a 40% discount it was pretty economical. So, I bought the same storage furniture for myself. Jetmax makes it.<br />
<br />
Let me just remind you that I am NOT an engineer and I suffered immensely through Physical Sciences in school. So imagine my disappointment after building these file drawers to discover they cannot be stacked. The manufacturer did not print that on the packaging. Nope. But it just stands to reason that after loading a $27 particle board box with 30# of cardstock it will tip when you open the drawer. (Too bad I didn't reason through that beforehand.)<br />
<br />
I have worked it out though. I bought two of those drawers and they sit side by side- on the ground. Actually, I put a piece of non-skid rubber shelf liner underneath them. Then I stacked bins of cardstock tablets on top. They seem to be staying put for the moment.<br />
<br />
Now, for trip number two. With two grouchy sleepy kids in tow I headed out for Target and Michael's again. I needed more hanging files for those nifty file drawers and another plastic crate for the cardstock pads. But Target didn't have anymore cheap plastic crates like I bought last week. Nope. They had a full aisle of fabulous modular storage furniture. (It might even be magic!)<br />
<br />
If you haven't seen Target's modular plastic "ITSO" line let me describe it. The base unit is a plastic cube. It comes with plastic pins to enable you to fasten multiple cubes together. There are two advantages to this method. The first is that you won't need any tools. The second, if you decide the pins aren't sturdy enough, you could replace them with some short nuts and bolts. <br />
<br />
Each base unit has holes to enable you to snap shelves into place. There are three heights you can choose for the shelf which means you can configure the cube to your liking. Then they sell attractive storage bins/drawers/organizers that fit all the configurations. I have included some photos below.<br />
<br />
So, do I have a recommendation??? It's a little early to tell about durability, but my money is on the Target line. It is attractive and comes in three colors, black, tan/taupe, and white. There are NUMEROUS possibilities for completing each cube from inexpensive plastic bins (which I bought for my ink sprays) and nicer fabric covered bins- which look more polished. I am already dreaming up ways to class up the exterior. Think fabric covered boards, or cork, or painted panels with hooks- since there are holes in the four corners I could easily bolt on a board. You can even purchase dry erase cabinet doors that fit on these cubes. But all that will have to wait for another business trip.<br />
<br />
In the meantime, I need to address all the things I ignored in the last 48 hours- and finish putting away all my toys.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibsola7ihNwILopsokI8YnqRQ6Fbv8BZf-Cn9IjnycpwGybGaqwpZV4v_MYkQot63eDD8r9yyrSJOT4rRoZ_gINpaBSlJidqkBGmQhItLN70lWb_rcNP4i4NdsUNQ3UC-CWgG9qj3Esz6o/s1600/P1020975.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibsola7ihNwILopsokI8YnqRQ6Fbv8BZf-Cn9IjnycpwGybGaqwpZV4v_MYkQot63eDD8r9yyrSJOT4rRoZ_gINpaBSlJidqkBGmQhItLN70lWb_rcNP4i4NdsUNQ3UC-CWgG9qj3Esz6o/s320/P1020975.JPG" width="319" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here are the two Michael's file drawers on the bottom
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibsola7ihNwILopsokI8YnqRQ6Fbv8BZf-Cn9IjnycpwGybGaqwpZV4v_MYkQot63eDD8r9yyrSJOT4rRoZ_gINpaBSlJidqkBGmQhItLN70lWb_rcNP4i4NdsUNQ3UC-CWgG9qj3Esz6o/s1600/P1020975.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
with
two ITSO collapsible bins on top. The bins fit into the ITSO cube. I
have chosen to use them as a standalone unit. They are the perfect size
for pads of 12x12 cardstock.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikDTn0AHcKAky07_DGEJtxEA2wq1qNqn9B1CLaLUgzEkDFVEB2wZL364RenQgbgpLIb2SqmcH_EwnEqgcgGVU5ohgS58yncHhcWM9VZszKq2TILGDC055o3inJQVWh21dt9JCinBT1dkuR/s1600/P1020976.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikDTn0AHcKAky07_DGEJtxEA2wq1qNqn9B1CLaLUgzEkDFVEB2wZL364RenQgbgpLIb2SqmcH_EwnEqgcgGVU5ohgS58yncHhcWM9VZszKq2TILGDC055o3inJQVWh21dt9JCinBT1dkuR/s320/P1020976.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doesn't the cardstock look pretty when it is filed and neat? Now, I just have to finish making tabs and filing it!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmALYxDue0mxTAE_z_1jaNHXcUooEJ9uDrdSmGGNtlclB7cMzKBSpuG0iLmRY9AUlETvRKxGpdDZR__qOKr3lSZayi1CNkPj8ySlRboloTIKRf_FAGFYC9uadfrXwgGPmFb-vWK7JEj9cu/s1600/P1020979.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmALYxDue0mxTAE_z_1jaNHXcUooEJ9uDrdSmGGNtlclB7cMzKBSpuG0iLmRY9AUlETvRKxGpdDZR__qOKr3lSZayi1CNkPj8ySlRboloTIKRf_FAGFYC9uadfrXwgGPmFb-vWK7JEj9cu/s320/P1020979.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are two ITSO cubes stacked. I inserted two shelves in the top one and one shelf on the bottom. By the way, you can see the Michael's units that I constructed for my kids in the background. They look nice, but they are not as practical as I would like.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvj0SFN15RucWOTbvXJ_lpLz0VYfgsHBe581ddtwo4BgQVlp9Tc8987T0fZVrN8w6fiuNt2XJewkauYAA-Qovq2TRm_G4ke3bsfZHyfsiLsscxKY7ZVE_X5U-rqqf32XZ5aatnnfTGZ5po/s1600/P1020980.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvj0SFN15RucWOTbvXJ_lpLz0VYfgsHBe581ddtwo4BgQVlp9Tc8987T0fZVrN8w6fiuNt2XJewkauYAA-Qovq2TRm_G4ke3bsfZHyfsiLsscxKY7ZVE_X5U-rqqf32XZ5aatnnfTGZ5po/s320/P1020980.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a compartmentalized fabric covered drawer for the ITSO units.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioRLAXzQLvP7msBFhV9Nup8HQtxU6JFjAV76RoD1WnLEkMzSlVm4BaBP0nI9ak5W_jgglpRTB6nq3lv3oGxC2JbkGOfI9KPWixrU1aR8B_wVTtawVUTylLqzPezBJDb-TayHo82DxGovUG/s1600/P1020981.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioRLAXzQLvP7msBFhV9Nup8HQtxU6JFjAV76RoD1WnLEkMzSlVm4BaBP0nI9ak5W_jgglpRTB6nq3lv3oGxC2JbkGOfI9KPWixrU1aR8B_wVTtawVUTylLqzPezBJDb-TayHo82DxGovUG/s320/P1020981.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is one of the less expensive plastic bins for the ITSO unit.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3sHPW8gvWjNQ4pihrmZa9iTDDGUpppP3DeScA3zP_akz5rb-TxhSO5U01r5euVS0X0j-UtOyR3__fZTKu6_G694pwbvLnl1EU5eGajaXzSrg8ojW7p9-hThfVO0kSqnDr1EfInC84fj8q/s1600/P1020982.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3sHPW8gvWjNQ4pihrmZa9iTDDGUpppP3DeScA3zP_akz5rb-TxhSO5U01r5euVS0X0j-UtOyR3__fZTKu6_G694pwbvLnl1EU5eGajaXzSrg8ojW7p9-hThfVO0kSqnDr1EfInC84fj8q/s320/P1020982.JPG" width="319" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the side of the unit. I just wanted to show where the holes are that allow you to connect more units. I hope to take advantage of these holes to get creative with some hardward at a later date.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5HKyIfMUdMWDoIdmQdDtLCYfARpqigvOW8QQ6NIJxzoVw8X6PYrvF47wbkp-suEYeWW6u_92HVeJI7SGoY0TOxwgSjluvGHDGVSvkWR8ri_NQOuPQxReJeIsysEkV2i4t7hp1xTYDUZQv/s1600/P1020978.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5HKyIfMUdMWDoIdmQdDtLCYfARpqigvOW8QQ6NIJxzoVw8X6PYrvF47wbkp-suEYeWW6u_92HVeJI7SGoY0TOxwgSjluvGHDGVSvkWR8ri_NQOuPQxReJeIsysEkV2i4t7hp1xTYDUZQv/s320/P1020978.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the six cube unit from Michael's. The one complaint I have is that you are stuck with these large compartments. They work great for the kids because we use them to store puzzles and toys which work great in the bins and in the shelves. But I worry that I will always be digging for what I need with this design. We will see.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
If you are looking to improve the organization of your craft space, I hope you find some of my observations helpful. Feel free to email me if you have questions. I am far from done. I will continue to experiment and change things. Because like I told my daughter, a consistent mess is proof that I haven't found the right system yet.<br />
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I will also post some completion photos next. I am so excited about having a clean and pretty area to work in!<br />
<br />Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13364276625811585125noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423153944184752971.post-31758243537303438862012-07-07T00:32:00.000-05:002012-07-07T20:17:58.611-05:00Bookmark the Memories<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello friends. Here it is, 10:00 pm- later by the time I actually post this- on a Friday night. The close of a week, which leaves me to consider, what have I treasured this week? Which memory will imbed itself into my addled brain? Sad truth is, I don't know. But I do know which memories I would like to take to the old home with me.</div>
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Certainly time spent with family. I had the fam over for Fourth of July. We tend to take gatherings like that for granted. But I know that my 85 year-old grandmother won't be around forever. Heck, none of us will be. So I know how important it is to gather together, break bread, and just be with one another.</div>
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I would like to be old and able to recall the night my eight year old son set off ALL the fireworks. I am not talking about sparklers. No, he didn't even see one this year. I am talking about the progression from screaming dragons and wild cats, to bottle rockets, to something in a box half the size of him. He walked forward with that large box cradled in his arms with the grill lighter in one hand, set it down on the plywood, lit the fuse and backed away- just a little... with me urging him to come back just a little further. And he repeated this until every big box had been lit and every sparkling star had been shot.</div>
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I would also like to recall the moment we sat at the table and I taught him to snap beans. He doesn't like green beans, or any other vegetable for that matter. But we try. So I made him put down the electronic games just long enough to snap a pound of beans with me today. And it seemed like the world found its groove, like things were finally in place. Surely days were meant for quiet things like snapping beans with your children.</div>
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And even more amazing were the two hours I spent speed cleaning with my children this morning. I will forever wonder how I managed to get them to Windex the windows, clean the cabinet doors, and vacuum the floors all in a single morning. </div>
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Did I mention sewing with my daughter? We have declared July "Sewing Month". I helped her make a really cute i-pod holster/carrier. She even did a little basic applique. I created a cute wine bag. When I showed it off to my husband he remarked that it "was nice, but we probably would never use it." I know. I thought the same thing. But it's the process that matters, right? That's what I tell myself about nearly every project I undertake. </div>
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Yes, it has been a good week, despite the sadness of my sister losing a furry family member, and the urgent needs that come with company- family and other wise- to clean house and cook. There were moments where I lost sight of the happiness that surrounds me. But here, at the end of the day, at the end of the week, I can see the forest through the trees.</div>
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This week has been a difficult one for carving out time to create, but I have managed a couple small projects, and tonight I will share them with you. Both projects feature images from Stampotique, a small rubber stamp company I discovered several years ago. I saw a challenge this week, from them, to "Think Outside the Box". I have attempted just that. The first is a card that is not square or rectangular. That is why it is outside of the box for me. I rarely work odd-shaped cards.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN4wZpzAh8A01DViIaPVj4qt3T9klWHqEmz2HlVvOZLTEXntNcZF87kyFL2vjdVyl6fdiiBz5bBIzogZrEkaVat56GlYqxyw679w2vwzz_u6xyzSmP0IF1U_07wg3ya3XofxmwqSkw0Mid/s1600/Stampotique+Diva.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN4wZpzAh8A01DViIaPVj4qt3T9klWHqEmz2HlVvOZLTEXntNcZF87kyFL2vjdVyl6fdiiBz5bBIzogZrEkaVat56GlYqxyw679w2vwzz_u6xyzSmP0IF1U_07wg3ya3XofxmwqSkw0Mid/s640/Stampotique+Diva.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiClGk-YrSzjxknlVD3qb-knTCLZVA_ccGUe6fskLmvZOBFlXMCJUDw5G49Dezur56Gqr1wzFJSw84HgCvjGl0SW8iR4PJz5BOl57cBl1FyNiZSh_kVjkObZa2i-o1Dzp5gYLndt-XkgiCw/s1600/P1020939.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiClGk-YrSzjxknlVD3qb-knTCLZVA_ccGUe6fskLmvZOBFlXMCJUDw5G49Dezur56Gqr1wzFJSw84HgCvjGl0SW8iR4PJz5BOl57cBl1FyNiZSh_kVjkObZa2i-o1Dzp5gYLndt-XkgiCw/s320/P1020939.JPG" width="318" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpcrTehIGRbIrLqsDhOvbVXgk42e_ofTzExBWvO9Xld0d8jWXL-tnKhV0tupHZRN2krRHzaHKZsQecKogGHSkIPd4MPk9fweAWBwwLx9QPIPCQrx9oR4dSIHz4Z-zuVbL-h5sD4WuKHQXT/s1600/Zombie+Diva02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpcrTehIGRbIrLqsDhOvbVXgk42e_ofTzExBWvO9Xld0d8jWXL-tnKhV0tupHZRN2krRHzaHKZsQecKogGHSkIPd4MPk9fweAWBwwLx9QPIPCQrx9oR4dSIHz4Z-zuVbL-h5sD4WuKHQXT/s320/Zombie+Diva02.JPG" width="318" /></a></div>
This has always been one of my favorite images. I shape-cut the card and then shape cut a panel to adhere. I used bubble wrap with yellow paint to create some pattern and texture on the panel. I also swiped a black ink pad across the edges. I then cut a smaller panel from patterned cardstock, and yet a smaller one from blue. I used stamps to create texture and to create the sentiment. I stamped the image on white and colored her with colored pencils and some paint. I added a ruffled bit of elastic and some inked flowers in the lower left corner.<br />
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In the interior, I added a small matted image of her boots.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhavc7BpjLVaFQkB74KYVqT9Tu-m61cn1FwwEWLZDx0qafPqF63wAOPAR1pOgAJVq1ZSePCW8-viCZrztPG4msRVJ1atLKB005Tzh79FLGpD88AbkAUr1IBM2HEXu0FRZ3GT26KOUUq_rK/s1600/Zombie+Diva+03.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhavc7BpjLVaFQkB74KYVqT9Tu-m61cn1FwwEWLZDx0qafPqF63wAOPAR1pOgAJVq1ZSePCW8-viCZrztPG4msRVJ1atLKB005Tzh79FLGpD88AbkAUr1IBM2HEXu0FRZ3GT26KOUUq_rK/s200/Zombie+Diva+03.JPG" width="199" /></a><br />
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This is my actual submission for the Stampotiquechallenge: SDC57 "Outisde the box"<br />
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My second project outside of the box this week was a bookmark. I just received the latest Sookie Stackhouse novel, and it occurred to me that I could use a really cool bookmark. (Don't get me started about the book itself- as I am an English Major and former Lit and Comp teacher, I am deeply conflicted over this series.) So, I grabbed the Stampotique Fairy image that I purchased for my daughter a couple years ago.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlStpmxdPYFM2xwAcuXsmNwuVc86QxcME5quURQDeScK3HiLclK1WHtO1YcYYtyyNXP414R2CV1uyAPEhsjQrOlY8r_NZKw1z9A8SB-s2dWcos4wXwb4J4eZOkM7gz7J6d-GIHpgS8UFb_/s1600/Bookmark+Fairy+02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlStpmxdPYFM2xwAcuXsmNwuVc86QxcME5quURQDeScK3HiLclK1WHtO1YcYYtyyNXP414R2CV1uyAPEhsjQrOlY8r_NZKw1z9A8SB-s2dWcos4wXwb4J4eZOkM7gz7J6d-GIHpgS8UFb_/s640/Bookmark+Fairy+02.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
One of my more recent lessons has been the importance of persevering, even when I think that the project is a failure in its infancy. That isn't to say that an ugly duckling always turns into a beautiful swan. But usually the end product is better than my worst fears in the beginning. And so it is with this bookmark. From the inital application of colors I began to doubt myself. But knowing what my recent experiences with CT's workshops have taught me, I carried on. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzEkZID_LtO3h37aOp69WvCO2VNMNiImVsvQZeg781HUZaffPZA7ed8_xWtfqtI5OfLMbnOzdwkJiEM3xGdQnp17k66_1HnBqSzvVFDNKnhjV3Jl3jBQro0xJ9XAhckl8dalxIpYS9q2de/s1600/Bookmark+Fairy+05.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzEkZID_LtO3h37aOp69WvCO2VNMNiImVsvQZeg781HUZaffPZA7ed8_xWtfqtI5OfLMbnOzdwkJiEM3xGdQnp17k66_1HnBqSzvVFDNKnhjV3Jl3jBQro0xJ9XAhckl8dalxIpYS9q2de/s320/Bookmark+Fairy+05.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMTitBq-TM-Kk-sGPxqLH_7j-9vWUf6CO2HPPLm3jG7luUgeHbzxuLB5wjS8vLuBarsHEEiCb7EW8U3NJJlmWOe5067wDrIh2sE6I4p8naHbHvfEfUn0iMX8NtvURMMcfGapUmzGikQH94/s1600/Bookmark+Fairy+04.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
The fairy's hair consists of punched flowers and her wings have been glitterfied! The background began with Dylusion ink sprays with rubber stamping on top for some depth. I also added some rub-ons from Basic Grey and some doodling. Also, at the bottom, our fairy stands upon a Sizzix toadstool. I mod podged the whole thing. That in itself can be tricky. You should be aware that the Dylusion ink sprays will reactivate when wet. This actually works in my favor, as I like to muddy them up a bit.<br />
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Well Friday has rolled into Saturday. For those of<br />
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you noticing the time gap- don't worry. I didn't stroke out, nor did you. I took a break to watch some television with my hubby.<br />
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I still have some tricks up my sleeve, and tomorrow the carriage regains its squash-ish state of being. So... until next week,<br />
believe,<br />
dream, <br />
and treasure the little moments.<br />
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<br />Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13364276625811585125noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423153944184752971.post-40490592924015567532012-06-28T00:00:00.000-05:002012-06-28T07:55:50.097-05:00Coconut Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>In case you missed it this week, this is actually my second posting. Wow! How did I manage that? So if you missed Monday's monologue, I invite you to take a peek. Now,... Happy Thursday! The cake below is the one I created for my daughter's eleventh birthday, and it inspired today's post. Bon Apetit!</i></div>
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Canned pineapple? Never! It doesn't even pretend to taste like the juicy pine-coneish fruit I buy in the produce section. Margarine? H*** nooo! Butter tastes so much better. Artificial sweetners? I prefer good old-fashioned sugar every time. But this week I discovered that Mother Nature may need a little help sometimes.<br />
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Backing up to last summer, I purchased a cooking magazine at the airport before boarding a plane. Now, I realize that drooling over recipes while confined to a tin can suspended in mid-air, knowing that peanuts have been eliminated due to a fear of airborne anaphylaxic shock and pretzels lost out to the financial bottom line is<b> not</b> indicative of a well-balanced woman. But, I like my food magazines. So, back to that magazine. The cover featured this beautiful cake, even the gentleman next to me commented on it. (Granted he was probably ready to gnaw off his own arm, just like me.) I promised myself, I would make that cake!<br />
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Fast forward to a year later and my daughter- a budding foodie in her own rights- is celebrating her eleventh birthday. For the past month she has been badgering me to buy a coconut, a real coconut. I see an opportunity to grant her wish and make a dessert that my husband and son will not like. After all, the other party guests will enjoy it. And here is where the adventure begins!<br />
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I buy the coconut. I read the instructions for "milking" a coconut. I wash a screwdriver in soapy water and drive it through the three eyes in the coconut. I turn the coconut upside down over a bowl and the eyes begin to weep, yep real tears of coconut water. Tears, drops, streaks. If this sounds promising, let me assure you that it is not. I wiggle the coconut, and yes there appears to be liquid inside. According to the recipe my coconut should yield 1 cup of water. I make new holes next to the old holes and try to enlarge them. And still just droplets of coconut water drip out. I shake, refer to my recipe, shake again, and then head to the pantry for canned coconut water.<br />
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Next step, obtaining coconut meat. I preheat the oven and place the coconut in for half an hour. (If you are taking notes, STOP. Put your pen down and simply read the words of wisdom before you.) Then I take it out and bang it against my solid surface counter-tops. The instructions said to bang it on a solid surface, but apparently Corian is not solid enough. My stone wall in the backyard works though. Now that I have the coconut in two pieces, I use my knife to take out the meat of the coconut. It comes out smoothly if somewhat unattractive. Now the challenge. How do I take this brown lump of white stuff and turn it into the snow white shavings pictured in the book?<br />
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At this point my coconut looks like a potato that had been peeled and then left out in the air. You know the dingy brown color to which I refer. And there are no specific instructions on how to shave it. First I try a box grater then realize- "DUH!" I don't want it grated, I want it shaved. I spend the next TWO HOURS using my 10" Santoku knife to cut thin shavings of coconut. (I might have nicked a finger or two in the process- but no blood no foul!)<br />
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The cake contained 6 beaten egg whites folded in and a topping of Italian Meringue.<br />
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A week later I threw half of the cake away. Yes, I just admitted to throwing away 1/2 of that BEAUTIFUL waste of time. There is a silver lining. Since the cake was awful and we discovered that fresh coconut tastes as though you are licking the Coppertone right off your forearm, I will NEVER purchase and prepare a fresh coconut again. Give me the desicated, sugar coated, Easter- grass-wannabe shredded stuff they pass off as coconut. Sometimes Mother Nature needs a little help!<br />
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<br />Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13364276625811585125noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423153944184752971.post-88135032009179979202012-06-25T12:45:00.001-05:002012-06-25T15:17:45.968-05:00From the debris...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Well, THAT was embarrassing! Like coming out of the women's room with your skirt tucked into your underwear while you glide across the restaurant floor to your table. Well, maybe not quite that bad. But I shared my messy art space and the only comment made was that my art table compels readers to clean! Glad I could be of help.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Maybe only one person read it....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">My space is MUCH cleaner today. My family can breathe a sigh of relief.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Birthing a new artistic creation is a messy process- just like birthing a baby. But at the end, it's all worth it. I want to share what I made from that cosmic disaster.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I just bought the Sizzix spinning pop-up platform. And so these are my first cards I made with it. I LOVE them! I am thinking about loading some into my Etsy shop this week. So stop by </span><b><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/GryphonWylde">GryphonWylde</a>.</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I used some of the mixed media techniques I have been practicing on the</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiutJSrm5g_c9dr2C945Cdur16eRYdQF-qYN1ok7QevwBUZUEW1DUBgq8_MGHqw_ddhYzxrJWbeDTvDOmRReyFUBS63ZTx1mbg1ntYTUEpr15V1HLZhzYb0ZVybpWBIniTRXT9PNSx778jS/s1600/P1020888.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiutJSrm5g_c9dr2C945Cdur16eRYdQF-qYN1ok7QevwBUZUEW1DUBgq8_MGHqw_ddhYzxrJWbeDTvDOmRReyFUBS63ZTx1mbg1ntYTUEpr15V1HLZhzYb0ZVybpWBIniTRXT9PNSx778jS/s320/P1020888.JPG" width="320" /></a> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">second card. I used a little glitter in the flower center. It was a way to cover some excessive glue that squeezed out, and I love the way it turned out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Another technique I am transferring into my stamping is doodling on the finished image. The girl needs a little doodling and texture, but I am restraining myself. After all, she is on a greeting card, not a wall hanging. So I am trying to keep it simple.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Back to that messy space. Anybody have any awesome art spaces they would like to show off? I am always looking for ideas. One of these days I am going to overhaul- get rid of the "temporary" storage and work stations and put in something more efficient and permanent.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">-Renee</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghhsYvpAVZ5_WfxU1E4TsnCVqaKRd1Vr86BhRLHoRH-QeYcBZUmRE7S6WwoHU0QJEEFKMzlfugyzrZB6KL5hH179tHiwgp8TStEALhbXmJBjStzSIkF7V8Jljn9atgrEKbB80LCwmskekp/s1600/P1020891.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghhsYvpAVZ5_WfxU1E4TsnCVqaKRd1Vr86BhRLHoRH-QeYcBZUmRE7S6WwoHU0QJEEFKMzlfugyzrZB6KL5hH179tHiwgp8TStEALhbXmJBjStzSIkF7V8Jljn9atgrEKbB80LCwmskekp/s320/P1020891.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13364276625811585125noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423153944184752971.post-24549889249975139412012-06-22T09:56:00.002-05:002012-06-22T09:56:49.955-05:00Galactic Belly Buttons<br />
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Most people have a fuzzy understanding of the black
hole. While most of us cannot explain
how a black hole functions, we know from watching Star Trek and a multitude of
other sci-fi movies and programs that when an object gets too close to the
black hole it will be swallowed.</div>
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I like to imagine some alternate universe on the other side
of this galactic belly button. Cotton
candy clouds drift through the skies while winged unicorns play shuffleboard
and fair maidens race powder blue space crafts.
But it is not the black hole’s playground that clouds my vision. I have been thinking of the familiar side of
this space phenomenon. You know, the
dark side, that object-sucking-black-vortex side. Its ugly second cousin resides in my studio
space.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNukH-WDgk8xuAfGPfdahEiDCNmbVWdCR5V1x0KcI0lsYzS2QYVbd1cnZAgnW6a0Dlf7HHhoGX3GDSWi-glAoxqqgCOUU-a0pPV4KniT7e8bIi8PWOCwcEpoRg8ruqLe5V-HRtw84C1p-t/s1600/P1020883.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNukH-WDgk8xuAfGPfdahEiDCNmbVWdCR5V1x0KcI0lsYzS2QYVbd1cnZAgnW6a0Dlf7HHhoGX3GDSWi-glAoxqqgCOUU-a0pPV4KniT7e8bIi8PWOCwcEpoRg8ruqLe5V-HRtw84C1p-t/s320/P1020883.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Unlike the Spartan minimalistic exterior of its more
mysterious cousin, the monstrous curiosity that resides in my home is
characterized by a swirling cloud of artistic debris. Like the rings of ice that surround Saturn or
the clouds of vapor that engulf Venus,
art ephemera shifts and swirls, settles then billows, expands and contracts
leaving 12 inches of inhabitable surface on my table, at best, and a 6 inch
window on its more normal days.</div>
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This perpetual wind devil keeps stencils, ink pads, paint
brushes, pencils, and carefully selected rubber stamps just out of reach. Its undeniable gravitational pull feeds
constantly on the project at hand. Whether
it’s a simple Thank You card or a more complex mixed-media canvas, I always
find myself searching for the next item I need.</div>
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Should I ever go missing, tell my family not to bother with
posters around town or pictures on milk cartons. More than likely, I too have succumbed to the
treacherous anomaly that surrounds my art table. </div>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13364276625811585125noreply@blogger.com5