Cherry Pits

It appears that one by one, my pics are being deleted out of my gallery....first my chunky book page, and now my Superman crest is gone...Superman, how could they?
Definitely a good time to make use of my flickr account.

A Meme...

For Mim...because I DO read her blog. I read Rachel's too for that matter....I'm a blog stalker!

Okie, here we go:

1. Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 18, and find line 4. What does it say? Settings Panel on the DS Menu Screen...from Drew's Nintendo DS instruction manual

2. Stretch your left arm out as far as you can, What can you touch? Computer Screen, fresh Horton's coffee, aquarium, bookcase, easel, and all the crap on my desk.

3. What is the last thing you watched on TV? Tom & Jerry

4. Without looking, guess what time it is 7:50am

5. Now look at the clock. What is the actual time? 7:46am

6. With the exception of the computer, what can you hear? The buzzing of the fish aquarium, Arthur the cat trying to cover his food, and Arthur mewing as he calls to Portia.

7. When did you last step outside? What were you doing? Ten minutes ago, went out for a smoke before Paul left for work.

8. What are you wearing? Flannel pants, burgundy t-shirt and a green robe covered in white snowflakes.

9. Did you dream last night? Yep, but I can't remember much about it.

10. When did you last laugh? A few minutes ago, when Paul tried to take a $20 for coffee, $20 for a danish, $20 for muffins, all from my wallet. Everytime I asked him for something before he left for work he took a 20 dollar bill out of my wallet. It was an expensive morning!

11. What is on the walls of the room you are in? Artwork from various people, a Tech Guild award Paul won a few years ago, a painting titled Jungle Story by artist unknown, "Cinders" the trumpeter swan original acrylic on canvas, shelves and shelves of art supplies

12. Seen anything weird lately? My younger brother at my mother's yesterday...haven't seen him at my mother's house in over 5 years.

13. What is the last film you saw? Princess Diaries 2

14. Do you like to dance? Yes, very much so.

15. George Bush: Is an interesting piece of work, and is what my husband is going to look like when he's 60 or so.

16. Would you ever consider living abroad? It's my dream to be as far away from society as humanly possible, if that meant abroad, then so be it.

17. What do you want God to say to you when you reach the pearly gates? "You're at the wrong gates"

18. Your name spelled backwards? ruhtracm yecaj

19. Last incoming call on your phone? I don't ever answer the phone, nor do I ever talk on the phone, so I honestly couldn't tell you.

20. What is the last thing you downloaded onto your computer? A video email from my friend Vickie

21. Britney Spears is a skank. Agree or disagree? Skank, no, smarter then we give her credit for, absolutely, floozy, yeah, let's go with that one.

22. Type of music you dislike most? Country and pop

23. What was the last thing you bought? See question 10

24. Have you ever ridden on a motorbike? Yes, but always as a passenger

25. Does someone have a crush on you? Yeah, his name is Paul, but that's okay, because I have a crush on him too.

26. Ever made a prank phone call? No, don't think so.

27. Listening to music? Not at the moment

28. Would you go bungee jumping or sky diving? I would do both in a heartbeat. I was actually scheduled to go skydiving years ago, but then I got pregnant with Drew and blew all the plans out the window.

29. What shoes are you wearing right now? Barefoot baby

30. Do you have a garden? I have several gardens that bring on a multitude of butterflies and hummingbirds.

31. What's your favorite comic strip? Dan's world.

32. Do you really know all the words to your national anthem? In English and French.

33. Bath or Shower, morning or night? Bath, at night

34. Hello or goodbye? I guess I prefer the part in between

35. Favorite pizza toppings? Double provolone and mushrooms.

36. Chips or Popcorn? Ruffles regular

37. Have you ever been in a beauty pageant? Ha! No.

38. Orange Juice or apple juice? Orange juice

39. Who was the last person you ate dinner with? Paul, Kayla, Billy, Alex, Drew and the kinderartest.

40. Last time you ate a homegrown tomato? Last summer, but it wasn't from my own garden....I don't grow veggies.

41. Have you ever won a trophy? Yes, and the best one was the "you deserve an award" trophy from Kayla last March

42. Are you a good cook? Oh, yes, but Paul's better.

43. Do you know how to pump your own gas? I've never pumped gas in my life.

44. Sprite or 7-Up? I don't drink pop/soda of any kind.

45. Have you ever had to wear a uniform to school? Only a gym uniform.

46. Last thing you ate? A cherry cheese danish from Tim Horton's...again, see question 10, it cost me $20 remember?

47. Ever thrown up in public? Know who Don Cherry is?? Yeah, I threw up ALL over his bar, I mean ALL over his bar...which is okay with me, because I can't stand the man anyways.

48. Would you rather find true love or be a millionaire? Being broke and in love for the last 20 plus years...says I must be a sucker for love.

49. Do you believe in love at first sight? Yes and no....maybe for others, but Paul and I hated each other the very moment we met. Hated each other for months before we started dating. And I mean we HATED each other.

50. Who was the last person you visited in the hospital? My daughter Kayla.

51. Would you rather be famous by face or famous by name? With my anti-social nature?? I don't want to be famous at all thanks.

52. What was the name of your first pet? Squash, he was a domesticated Bobcat.

53. How are you feeling right now? My hands hurt from all this typing and sluggish because typing takes me so long nowadays, and I'm craving a smoke.

54. What do you think of the person that posted this before you? I think she underestimates herself sometimes, but she's starting to grow on me.

55. Who do you think is MOST likely to repost this survey? If anyone, it'll be Ang. Right Ang???

Split the Hand?

Sooooo, my spoiled little butt had to take the bus home from work, two days in a row. The only plus side of all the overtime I've been working has been that dear Paul has been picking me up every day so having to take the bus the last two days has been a REEAAAAAAAAAAL drag. I hate the bus. Well, I hate the PEOPLE on the bus. But that's just my anti-social behaviour and not at all the point of this post....on we go....

While sitting on the bus, my eye is caught by a mini-board overhead. It reads:

Suddenly, I'm struck buy the horrific thought that Mr. Alex is betting his lunch money in a few too many hands of Texas Hold'em and THAT's why he's skipping class lately....and then....I'm struck by the even MORE horrific thought that it's all my fault. I mean really, I remember teaching my kids how to add and subtract by playing blackjack with them. And Texas Hold'em is a game that ALL of my kids sit around and play. Alex received a dealer's set (table/cards/chips) as a Christmas gift from Kayla and her boyfriend, Billy. Blackjack was a great learning tool when the kids were little...but have I turned them into money monsters??????????? I don't think so, but must investigate further. When the kid gets home and we have a chance to talk about it, I'll have more info to share.

*Quick update, which was a long time coming...When I asked Alex about skipping class to play poker, he said "why would I do that? That's just stupid" Good answer Alex. But then he went on to say that he has better things to blow his lunch money on, like the Original's Pizza he eats every day (did you just see his healthy home diet fly out the window?) and that the kid's at school probably wouldn't be much competition for his Poker talents anyways.
So although I'm encouraged that he isn't cutting class to play Poker, I'm not quite sure yet whether I'm relieved.

True and Serious Street Art

The photographer writes:
"I went to the Chao Phraya Port to check out the river tours and look at what I saw -- an artwork made out of newspaper and dirt created by the homeless people of Bangkok. You can put coins in it."

HEADLINE NEWS (Scroll down for recent journalling)

Click to join mixed_media_muse

I really hate having to clean up my life before continuing it...ya know?

Portal

My best friend...has loved me my whole life. From the day I was born, he loved me. He doesn't know me completely. He doesn't know me inside and out. But that's the best part of our friendship...it continues to grow as we continue to discover what makes each other tick. Being my best friend gives him the unconditional ability to dislike new discoveries about me, without ever judging me or loving me less. When he sees a new side of me that he truly adores he helps me nourish it.

And through all of that, my best friend teaches me how to be a best friend to others.

Voldemort and the Battle of Baggies

If I liked her more, and thought she was genuinely looking for inspiration rather then just shamelessly collecting random goodies from around the world, I might consider sending a packet or two....mainly for two purposes. One, to see something of hers live and in person...and two, I'd like to give her the opportunity to change my opinion of her.
I'd like to give her that opportunity, however, it's not really important enough for me to be bothered putting in the effort alone...especially since there's no guarantee that I'll even receive anything in return.
~~Do it out of the goodness of my heart and for the better will of artists everywhere?~~
Ha!
Not a fucking chance.

Another Christmas, here and now. Much like any Christmas, then and gone. As much as I love this Holiday, I hate celebrating it. In our house there is only one meaning of Christmas, Seasonal Commercialism. We don't celebrate Christmas for any sort of religious or spiritual uplifting. We don't celebrate the wholeness of family and all that jazz. It has nothing to do with the Birth of Christ, or the spirit of giving, yadayadayada....it's all about the spoilification of children.
My kids will tell you that the meaning of Christmas for them is Seasonal Commercialism. The opportunity to spoil and be spoiled....because it's Christmas!
Most people just don't understand.
I've been told that it's a rather selfish way to celebrate at this time of year, that the reason I hate celebrating the season is because I don't celebrate for the right reason. But how does one celebrate the birth of a man, who means nothing to anyone of us?
No, I hate celebrating the season because it leaves me with an unexplained longing in my gut. (yes, yes, I know, if I was celebrating for the right reason, I wouldn't be left feeling empty and longing for something I can't put my finger on...**rolls eyes...that argument will get us nowhere) I'm not convinced that there actually IS anything specific that I'm longing for, I just think it's the emotion that's stirred for me during the holidays. It's been the same emotion for as long as I could remember...even the days when I was a good Catholic girl, surrounded by family, celebrating for all the right reasons...it's just what is and forever will be. Some people experience great joy, bliss, warmth, spirituality, I feel nothing but longing.

With all that said, Christmas morning was enjoyable, and Paul, the kickass man that he is, topped the morning with Spiderwick's Field Guide.
If you've not experienced the treat that Spiderwick's is, I suggest you go to the nearest bookstore and find yourself a copy. I suggest the consumer giant Chapters, where you can peruse the book while lounging on a comfy leather couch sipping on a Chai Mocha Latte from Starbucks.....ahhh, commercialism at its best!
Here's a teaser...

Spiderwick's is a guide to the Fantastical World Around You, and not unlike any other book of its kind, it's meant to accompany a series of writings. I'll leave the journey of discovery up to you, but myself and Brian Froud both consider it a treasure of all things unnatural.

A recently mailed package came back to me today, as always when there's a new employee at the post office. I'm sure the rest of what got mailed the same time will come home "insufficient postage" as well. Pisses me off really. A disadvantage of working days, I can't have my mail posted by the faithfuls Mary and Tasha. I find myself having to use the post office after hours, which leaves me at the mercy of whatever student is stuffed into the part time job. It never fails to hinder my outbox.

Zettiology Decos

More decos for EC. I stayed within the popular Teesha Moore cut and paste version of Zettiology, which was rather disappointing for me. I often have the feeling that most people really don't get the idea of Zettiology...they follow the "circus freak" pattern of Teesha, rather then the absurd/abstract/totally without reason style of it's originator, Tracy. Therefore, without really knowing the recipient's idea of Zettiology, I feel forced to stay within the constraints of what's popular. Yes, yes, I know...no need to elaborate on your opinion.

A few Vintage Ladies Deco pages

Done for other people...

An anatomical deco made for EC

Oddly enough my windchime, made from a broken plate and silver spoon, plays a lovely tune! It's for Susan's birthday, which is in just over a week. Kelley, who's birthday is any day now, will be getting a handmade journal. I'll post pics when it's finished.

A few recent ATCs for assorted groups and swaps.

What I did today....

So I spent much of the afternoon working on art for the Embellished Circus after spending the morning making a new cage for the rats. The baby, who's name is none other then Pickle, is a female it turns out, and had to be separated from the boys, Gizmo and Majora. The cage they were in was too small anyways for the three of them. I really didn't want to split them up completely, rats are social animals afterall, but I also don't need a bazillion baby rats taking over either. Paul and I spent an hour at the pet store trying to come up with a cage that would keep them seperated, but still together *shrug*. There was no such thing available, so I made my own. I don't think it turned out too bad. It's made to fit under my desk on the floor, where the kids can play with them without taking them down from a shelf, only problem is, Gizmo has a thing for toes. Use your imagination.
Here's the cage:

I'll post pics of the rats another time...they're cute!

These are supposed to be Anatomical ATCs, however, I'm not so sure they fit the theme...do you think maybe it's supposed to be a Gray's Anatomy type theme?

I like them regardless, so I'll keep them myself if they're not appropriate.
They're pellet paints on watercolour paper over an image I drew with a sharpie.

This is one of six Lemon/Lime ATCs. I sorta got carried away with the theme, the swap is only 2 for 2. They were all done the same way...pellet paint background, wax relief images, with a watercolour wash.

I did all of the cards different, however I think you get the idea with just the one.

We're also making Anatomical Decos at Embellished Circus, this is my first of two, and I've made this for myself. I like the way it turned out, coloured pencil on watercolour paper. There's a mylar overlay, on which is stamped "Head Space". The pages are actually mylar page protectors...leeetle ones.

I think the deco I make for my partner (whoever that may be) is going to be about hands. I always have such difficulty drawing/painting hands so it'll be good practice for me.

Another Deco made for me...free choice theme. It's a pellet paint wash on watercolour paper (popular mediums today!!) with a transparency overlay and a quote stamped with Staz-on. It's a Words of Wisdom Deco.

I worked pages in other people's decos today as well, but I'm tired of typing, will post those in the near future...promise

HA! No shit!

You are pure, moral, and adaptable.
You tend to blend into your surroundings.
Shy on the outside, you're outspoken to your friends.

You believe that you live a virtuous life...
And you tend to judge others with a harsh eye.
As a result, people tend to crave your approval.

The World's Shortest Personality Test

I hate these fucking things....but I think I'm gonna do'em all.

Fabric Artists Unite!

This is a bookform made for JennyFactory about a year ago. I'm not sure who the artist was that put the bookform together for Jenny, but Jenny created an LMAO at Nness to have it decorated.

Although I was the first to sign a page in the bookform, I remained undaunted and was fully inspired. I'm quite happy with my page in the fabric arts book, but of course I would be. This is an image I've used many a time in many forms of my art, including a tattoo on my calf. As many of you know, it is my virginities.

I wish I had been the last to sign this bookform, I would love to see the pages by other artists.

Saints

The following are completed Saints for the Saint of the Month Club on Nness. I really must get my ass moving and finish this project up. With Nness going into utter blackout lately, it's been difficult determining who these projects are going to so I've not had much luck sending them out the last few months. Yes, I should have hardlogged the addresses when the site bounced back up, but it was on my to do list and was one thing that I had yet to get around too. I managed to hardlog most things, but the info for this project is so scattered and haywire, that I needed an extended period of time to get it logged....ack well, it's not like I've been receiving Saints either in the last few months, so I'm not fretting.

This is Saint Carl. He's the Patron Saint of Cottony Softness. He was constructed completely of toilet paper and PVA on canvas board. It took several weeks to cure his layers...I think Bluering ended up with this Saint

You may or may not recognize Our Lady of Eyelash Curlers. KLA is my oldest daughter Kayla, I had a ton of fun creating this homage to her. She's mixed media on canvas.

St. Boris, the Patron Saint of Donut Holes was inspire by my four children and their love of Timbits (donut holes) He's acrylic & black ink on canvas.

Niizhoodenhyag ~ The Twins. Waterbased markers on card.

St. Liz was made for AnnTabor, who unfortunately has left Nness. I'm not sure where that leaves the project, since I'm sure she hasn't fulfilled all of her Saints yet. Ann was always an inspiration when it came to dolls. St. Liz is completely made of paper, her "clothes" were handdrawn/coloured by me and are removable from the piece.

Two of the five beaded butterfly ATCs for Nness. I think I like them.

Nici started a really great LMAO on Nness forums before the whole site crashed the other day. I'm seriously hoping we're able to continue.
Here's the details:

I love ATC swaps that result in a full 9-atc page for my binder. This LMAO is designed to create a finished message: Art, Not War!

As people sign up, I will put their name next to a letter below. We will need 8 DEDICATED, RELIABLE players, plus myself, to create 9 ATCS featuring their assigned letter. I will assemble each set and send them back to you in a glassine 9 slot page. At the end you will have
ART
NOT
WAR

for your binder!
Sooo, this is what I came up with.

I have the letter "R" in the word WAR. The ATCs were made using a stencil that I cut and dimensional paint. I used one of the kid's old music store discount cards to spread the paint...she's gonna be pissed! Not really, I think it's expired. Once the cards were dry, I painted them using various acrylics and extenders. Buffed them all with two shades of metallics and there you are. I am an R-tist.

Mermaids!

Another Deco for HoC, although I don't think I'm going to send it...I really rather like this one. I've made it for myself, so I'm thinking I'll keep it until Nness is back up and running. Then I might start an LMAO.
I love the way the Mermaid's tail turned out. It's handdrawn, chalked, by me and before I tacked it down I burnished the backside to make it dimensional. Her tail is covered in Kaleidescope embossing powder which really gives it a "scale".

Blue/Green Deco

Finished this deco the other day. It's for Maggie on HoC. I wonder if that group's going to hold up with Jocelyn being absent. Either way, I'm going to continue with the swaps I've joined there, unless my partner happens to be someone who's decided to leave the group. At that point, who knows what'll happen.
This deco, as anyone can see, is made with Serendipity squares...plain and simple, that's all there is to it. All the paper used in the squares are varying shades of blue/green, although it doesn't quite show that in the scan.

I hope she likes it. I think I mail to her too, so I guess she'll be happy with the surprise.

On a better note, I worked on a Saint for the Saint of the Month club at Nervousness. The Patron Saint of Things Better Left Unsaid. Papier Mache. I love to work with papier mache. I think it's my favourite art medium. This saint is going to be a bitch to mail though, fucker's heavy. I'll post a scan when it's done.

Meanwhile, have look at my monster ATCs. These are for Zhenia's LMAO.

There is one more, a hand drawn one but the sucker refuses to load.

They say the Hydro's going to go out this weekend. Should make for a fun time. The amount of money we pay for our hydro is enormous, you'd think it would pay for a lot of it. It doesn't.
They are warning that we should turn our air conditioners off, not do any laundry or watch TV until 10:00 pm every day to conserve energy.
They make about $300,000 a year.
What the fuck do they know?