I just punched out a page of tags I bought at a scrapbook store last week.  I sat the puched out page (12x12) on the printer and happened to sit it on a patterned piece of scrapbook paper which it immediately caught my eye because the page of tags had all the framed cutouts of the tags so it looked like my patterned page underneath was framed by tags...you got it...my punched out piece became a template for making other tags....I put up pictures so you can see what I mean....I have to play around and maybe cut the page in half so I can get all the tag templates on...however now I can make fancy tags with my cutout page....music sheets under them, plain for writing no end now how many tags of different kinds I can make and just cut out....on one if you look carefully you will see a snowman that I got in a package of acetate cutouts....so I can layer on different things also and personalize my tags...I just wanted to share this idea with you.....some of the tags have borders and others don't.....

I received a lovely surprise in the mail today.  A beautiful card and decorated cd ornament from my friend Sandi Mcilvried. We have known each other over the years from different email art lists but have become close email friends this last year.  It was a wonderful surprise because I wasn't expecting it and still kind of down over my baby Echo dog....Sandi is a beautiful artist and her work is always making me want to try harder and harder with mine art...I am so blessed and thankful Sandi is in my life...

A little Chrismas card I made for a friend...the pocket on the front holds the Dear Santa list and a tag....and I love my lace so just had to add some to the card...and also the envelope which I embellised...love sending out altered envelopes.

I received this beautiful material postcard from my cousin...I am and was blown away by what she did....She put her quilt on facebook 12 Days of Christmas and it is amazing. What talent and of course now I want to do it....sigh....I need my 9 lives back...hehehehe

My little boy!! He was such a good companion and totally faithful to me...How I miss you when I come downstairs and you are not waiting at the bottom bouncing and wagging your tail; how I miss you when you come to the door with me to say good bye when I am leaving or not being at the door when I come home...these days my heart is very heavy with pain as it was when your sisters left to travel over the Rainbow Bridge these last two years...but you are all playing together now and that makes me smile....Love you Echo my shadow.

Today I am going to put up a tribute to my darling campanion Echo who passed last Thursday at 19 years old....I am going to do it today because before I didn't think I could through without completely breaking down again.

below is a video of some of the work Lena did while taking Mary's class.
I have taken her class also and I think she is one of the best mixed media artists around....you learn so much from her workshops.

Enjoy!!!!

vintage collage :: lenna andrews

vintage collage :: lenna andrews

What a bright beautiful day in Mississauga today!!  I had a great weekend. On Saturday I did a seminar with Shelley Prior. We did these grapes in a crystal bowl. Now I have to tell you I make all kinds of mistakes when I do a seminar...this morning I sat and played with them and they are looking better.  Shelley is a wonderful teacher as she encourages you and doesn't make you feel like a drip.  I love taking classes from her and her watercolours are so beautiful....www.shelleyprior.homestead.com  Thank you Shelley for a great class and thanks Liz for hosting it in your studio. I must say it sure made me miss teaching and having a teaching studio....

I am doing inspiration cards for a swap on sketchbook project. What fun I am having. I love inspirational sayings so much...the little girl is from graphics fairy. I love that site. The background was a freebie and the saying is one I love and oh so true.

Oh gosh he makes me smile...let's have another picture of him...

here is a picture of my grandson Jacob as Jac the Night before Christmas...I think he is the handsomest "ugly" guy going....He got 6th place in his high school for his costume.

Had a great drive in to London today. The weather was not horrible like they were saying but beautiful and bright and a fantastic day for a drive on the highway. I love driving on the highway when you can go along at a good pace (not saying what pace) but a good one, with the music going and feeling free as the wind...
So I dropped off my order and called a girlfriend and met for coffee and then drove back to Mississauga.
The wind was picking up by the time I got home but it was still a beautiful day and I enjoyed it so much.....

Here is one of my favourite fall poems to share with you. Enjoy and have a wonderful fullfilling day!!

October's Party

October gave a party;
The leaves by hundreds came.
The Chestnuts, Oaks and Maples
and leaves of every name.

The sunshine spread a carpet,
and everything was grand.
Miss Weather led the dancing,
Professor Wind the band.

The Chestnuts came in yellow
The Oaks in crimson dressed.
The lovely Misses Maple
In scarlet looked their best.

All balanced to their partners,
And gairly fluttered by;
The sight was like a rainbow
New falled from the sky.

Then in the rustic hollow
At hide-and-seek they played;
the party closed at sundown
And everybody stayed.

Professor Wind played louder,
They flew along the ground.
And then the party ended
In jolly "hands around".

George Cooper "October's Party"

Well I am going to be brave and travel in to London Ontario from Mississauga this morning to deliver some
bisque for an artist to work on. I am saying "brave" because we are supposed to have tornado winds coming our way by the early afternoon....I will get in and get back before I end up "flying" home by car....

Good Morning World....it like spring here again and I would be so happy if it stayed this way all winter..sigh..

Well I am going to post a couple matchboxes I did for a swap on one of my lists....It was fun to do and we stuffed them with all kinds of goodies...mine have left the building so I figure they had enough time that I could post a picture...of course I have received mine already and they were wonderful and so full of neat things to play with. Our topic was Paris....so that was an easy one to do...

I have been spending my day doing laundry, cleaning up my studio and then I decided to try to do some digital merging with some of my work...the time piece is from Graphics Fairy who is so generous with their "digital freebies."  The poem is by Tagore.  I thought hey were kind of nice to merge together. This will be a nice piece for a collage.

This darling little girl doll was sent to me my Laura Haviland  a beautiful person and a fantastic artist http://www.creativewhispers7.blogspot.com/  I was her partner in an art swap on  art for the creative mind list....I am so excited to receive this doll as Laura inspires me to strive harder in my art work....

this little guy is a scratch art piece I did from a free workshop that Shelley Prior hosted on her website....http://shelleyprior.homestead.com.  Shelley is an amazing artist and does acrylics watercolour and scratch art.  Visit her website and see all she has to offer..  I enjoy scratch art and it is an easy art to learn and something you can do anywhere and is very relaxing.

Here she is .......

Good Morning World!! It is raining this morning in my corner of the universe...I feel bad for others but for me I like the rain...

I have been naughty again and away from my blog; sometimes I just don't feel like talking and I haven't been doing much in the art part of my life until this last week. 

I finished up this witchy art doll the other day and now she is on her way to her new home....I sent her by mail instead of broom...her dress is cat material which I photocopied on a piece of muslin.  Her shoes are silver as is her hat buckle but it shows up as white.  She is a white witch but she put on her bat wings and dark makeup because of Halloween. She has a good sense of humour and I hope you like her.

After the grim tag I made a good witch tag...that little black kitten peeking out is my very own Salem...

this little girl was still smiling when the grim reaper chopped off her head...but he was kind enough to make a pocket on her torso and stick her head and limbs inside so she would stay "together" hehehe

Here we are "my time" the days of October....my broom is newly bristled and ready to fly...the new generation of witches ride the vacumm but I like the broom....
My first day of Halloween I am putting up the tags I created for a swap on Art For the Creative Mind...
I haven't been in to much creating lately but I feel the need coming back....

these are a couple of Artist Trading Cards for another swap I did awhile back...I hear a symphony with napkins.  Sometimes I can't create until the deadline is looming then I get the ideas.
the one on the far left is from a "bird" song and I can't quite remember the name of the tune right now.Napkins, music sheets, transparency and lace
On my immediate left is the song sung by Rosemary Clooney I Hear Singing But There's No One There, I took the line I smell blossoms but the trees are bare, but wanted the napkin blossoms in the background.. Napkins transparency.

this is a postcard for a swap for a new friend in Oklahoma..It is done with napkins, original music sheets, wallpaper, vintage pictures and watercolours.  The theme was Things We are Grateful For so on the back of the postcard I listed them and some I put visually on the front.  I sure hope she likes this one as it is one of my favs...

Long weekend over, kids back to school and summer winding down...oh yeah I'll stay positive even if I hate the cold that's going to be coming our way...

Haven't been posting and I hate me when I do that because I dislike going to other blogs to check in on them and they haven't posted; I will try to do better...

Really haven't been working too much on my art lately and don't know why; more thinking about it than doing it...

I am putting up a couple swaps I did awhile back and I guess now since they are long on their way to their new home I can post them....

Here are the other two. At the time I put a piece of paper over the lower one because it had the swappees' name on it. Joyce and the zens started from that name but I didn't want her to know it was coming to her...teehee.

Here are a couple of the zentangles I did a while back for the Art For The Creative Mind group swap on yahoo.. My friend Laura Haviland requested to see them so I will add all four that I did...they were fun.
Please visit Laura's blog spot if you haven't been there yet. You are in for a surprise. Her work is amazing; she is amazing and she is a paper doll wonder....

http://www.creativewhispers7.blogspot.com/

You will enjoy her work very much!! Thanks Laura for your kind words. It is people like you that make people like me keep trying harder.

Last but not least is our Echo. He is a 20 year old Papillon and just grumbles at us all and goes to sleep.  This guy believe it or not has a Napoleon Complex and is quite a cheavonist!! If I sit down at suppertime before dinner is cooked he barks and barks at me and if I don't listen and get up he goes to his Dad and barks at him to tell him I am sitting and not getting their dinner.  Other than that he is the sweetest boy and although he is almost deaf and blind people still think he's a pup because he bounces around on his good days.

here is Ms. Cali Cat with her attitude. She didn't come near or talk to me for two days; however she did talk and cuddle up with her Daddy and our granddaugher Nicole...not me..
Today she finally forgave me and has been following this little Salem all around after letting him know that she owned us all.

Here is a picture of our new baby boy, Salem. He is two months old and the kitty Joann and Sandy brought me along with raspberry jam for Lorne...hahaha. It softened the blow of another family member...Ahh but who could resist this guy?

Here is a picture of little Salem's Sister. Joann McLean is teaching this project at C2C here in Mississauga Ontario Canada next April 27 - May lst.  This is coloured pencil can you believe it?
This is so awesome and I bet Joann will have a line up clammering to get in to this class.

Joann is an amazing artist and teaches in different mediums one being Traditions...Joann took some time off from teaching but is coming back to the place she should never have left "teaching"!! 

Joann and her wonderful hubby Sandy seem to collect all the unwanted fur babies that are left homeless...how anyone can possibly leave a cat homeless is beyond me...
 If you want to contact Joann email me and I will give you her email addy.

ahhh you guys are the best!! Thank you for following my posts. You make me happy

Happy Friday Everyone.  Yesterday I got my new kitty.  He is two months old and all black. His name Salem of course!! While we all love him darling Cali Cat doesnot and is not speaking to her Dad or me since yesterday and she is quite a vocal cat.  I do hope she comes around.  My granddaughter Nicole sat with Cali yesterday and Cali talked and talked to her apparently telling her the whole story of how I brought in another "thing" and she is not happy.  Dear old Echo (20 year old papillion dog) just grumbles and goes to sleep. I will be putting pictures of Salem up today. 

His little sister needs a home too. She has beautiful tabby markings on her.  My friend Joann and her hubby Sandy rescued these fur babies and they seem to rescue lots of cats and kitties that people just don't care for any longer (how sad is that). I figure you abandon a pet you'd abandon a kid...but that's me!!!
Joann McLean is a beautiful artist and her work is so amazing!! Her coloured pencil is just beautiful and you would think it was acrylics..I sure hope she starts teaching again. 

Have a wonderful Friday. The sun is shining and I am off to do some art.

I have been busy doing my Art Journal Love Workshop. My Journal 365 Workshop. My Chaos and Calm Workshop.  I hopefully will be putting up some art work this week.  I am also finishing up a couple of canvases and working in my journal(s).  I am also playing with the Golden Mediums and I have to tell you...I am loving them.

The weather is wonderfully hot and my flowers are finally doing okay in the garden.  The herbs are growing nicely and I have enough Lavendar to bring in the house.

Life is good as I hope it is for you too.

I have finished a couple of ATCs for the Art For The Creative Mind yahoo group I belong to.

I did have these finished last week but one of them took two days to dry and then I hated it so booted it to the garbage and did another... The swap is Circles and Dots. The lace added to the top one makes it slightly wider than the bottom.

I am not sure if I like this Facebook badge on here...it keeps putting up pictures that I was going to add..
hmmm nervy...

I am taking Pam Carriker's workshop Journaling 365 and this is my first lesson completed...we are further along but it took me this long to get the nerve up to start my lessons.  This is done with conte crayons and I must say I am liking them very much..I will be doing more with them as they are fun to use (like charcoal only don't smudge as much)...this was all done just with the black crayon and then used my white uniball pen to embellish afterwards. 

I took the drawing from a picture of my beautiful daughter (doesn't look anything like her as I am still learning to draw portraits)...hehehe but our feelings are so similar that my muse took over and combined us and so the My Daughter Myself.

I had such a happy time last week watching my grandson Jacob graduate from Grade 8 to High School.  The times goes so fast it is scary.  He was little and we played on the floor with building blocks and overnight he is so much taller than me and broad shouldered and grown up...how does that happen overnight?  He won an award and graduated with honours!! Of course that doesn't surprise me but it is nice to boast about.  His award was given to him because he helps others, is kind, gives respect to his peers and is respected by all at school...he is always there when needed.  Yup that's my Jacob...so Grandma couldn't be prouder....Jacob is my heart.

Now I am off to fnish up some art pieces. I am going to not do so many swaps as I am not getting my own art done. There are not enough hours in my day even though I am up at 4:30 but in bed before 10...hehehehe. I think I will make the hours from 5:30 (when my hubby leaves for work) until 11 just my art time and maybe I will get some things accomplished...housework will have to wait...

It is warm and humid here today and the sun is fighting the beautiful gray/blue sky which is my favourite colour.

So here I sit with a very big bruise on my leg from the pulled groin muscle last week...silly me, I turned too quickly while making Lorne’s lunch for the day and soon as I was turning I heard myself saying “oops I shouldn’t be turning like this” apparently my muscle heard it too...hehehe I was in such pain that day I laid on the bed most of the day with the heating pad...after my ginger bath that night I felt much better and the pain was pretty well gone, but I can still feel that darn sore muscle and when I sit the wrong way (on the muscle I guess) yikes it hurts..and the bruise has gone around half my leg as I stretched it the other night in bed...too funny. I am thinking I should get up on my scanner and scan it and use it for a background because it is a pretty molted purple/blue and red colour...hehehehe


Today is Jacob’s graduation from grade 8 so tonight we will be going to the school to watch him...I am weepy...yesterday I was sitting on the floor playing with him. What happened overnight? 
The time goes so fast it is scary.  I am so proud of my grandson!! So far in his young life he is showing a potential for becoming a caring and wonderful person; the kind of man we need in today's world.

I think today is Journal Page day called Bitter/Sweet..

Off now to grab another coffee...have a wonderful day and see you all later.

Here are the last two I did...Note that the bottom one has a piece of paper coving the middle; that is because I have done
my partner's name on it and don't want her to see it before she gets it in the mail...

I am doing a group zentangle swap.  Here are the first two I did. I have to tell you that doodling is something I did/do all the time; but when you sit down to purposely do it that's a whole other story!!  I had to stop trying and let my muse "Tlazotoetl" take over and then it came together...I actually enjoyed it once I got started and stopped thinking!!  I hope you enjoy them. Any feedback on how to make them better is always appreciated when I put my art pieces up....

Sunday Morning, warm and overcast and that's okay!!
I have to start my post this morning saying how proud I am of our Police Force in Toronto!! They are doing an amazing job with professionalism and patience keeping the "black bloc" protesters at bay. These thugs are being detained and held and that is a good thing.  The police have had bottles, sticks, rocks and other things thrown at them.  Some police cars burned and store windows smashed.. Protesting the G8 and G20 is fine if done with diginity!! These kids should have their Mothers take them home by the ear!!!!

I hope my partner likes these ATCs I made for her. They came from my heart!! When our list decided to do a smoke technique on two atcs called Handsome Men I wanted to honour the man that I think is the handsomest one in my heart!! He was a wonderful Dad and had a singing voice like an angel and a wonderful laugh..Here he is as a little man (about 1915 or so) and another when he was a young man.
I haven't done a smoke technique in ages and really enjoyed doing it again. I will have to put more of it in my work.  You can see the smoke in the background of the boy and  in the background and on my Dad's shirt mostly along the left side of his picture...Hope you enjoy this....

Good Morning World!! I am feeling so great again today.  I took my ginger bath after pulling a muscle the other day and no pain since getting out of that bath. I thought I was luck yesterday and expected the pain from the pulled muscle back today or the fibromyalgia pain....nothing..if this doesn't make you feel 20 years young I don't know what will. That along with my clove of garlic in the morning chopped and swallowed with some water and then followed with a glass of water with some apple cider vinegar in it I am getting rid of any and every bad toxin (is there a good toxin?) in my bode....

My studio is clean and I am going to work in it today...Did all my housework yesterday (except for laundry which I will do in between today)..When you feel good you have to act...so today is a me day in the art world...I hope to accomplish some things I can put up to show you...

Enjoy the watercolour tutorial of the yellow rose...this I have to do...I love my watercolours...

Enjoy your Friday, the sun is shining....

Yesterday it was a rainy day but I like rain so I was okay with that!! Today it looks like more rain so bring it on.  I was making my hubby's lunch at 4:30 this a.m. and made a quick turn to grab something and ouch!!
Pulled a muscle in the top of my leg and can hardly walk and in pain.  I have so much to do today this is not a good thing as Martha would say.

I am out of printer ribbons and have to get some more to print out some work...

Hopefully I will get some art done, because, on the positive side of things...if I can't move around a lot what good excuse to sit and "artify". That is my new word of the day; completely made up.

This is the inside of the card. I like quotes as you know and love embellishing my work with them..the birds are from my big shot using Tim Holtz Alterations "Caged Bird"...I love this one. It comes with the cage and bird and the wing. On the front I used the cage, bird and added the bird's wing which I didn't do on the inside. I love adding music and lace to my work.

here is a card I made for a swap called For the Birds. This is the front of the card and the envelope..I just can't not alter an envelope. I have so much fun with them.

Another ATC for another swap

A couple of Artist Trading Cards I did for a swap. these were an Asian theme.

Here she is...I darkened her arms as they didn't show up here very well...she is an 1895  bathing beauty who will go back to her studio to paint after she has a dip in the ocean.

Here I am finally!! My blog doesn't like me and sometimes makes it very hard for me to get in. I know it is my fault.

Here it is Friday already, Lordy the time speeds along.  So sunny and bright today with beautiful warm weather and birds singing. It is a happy Friday and I am so grateful to be here to enjoy it.

Here is my first art doll for the art for the creative mind list I belong to...I didn't think, while creating her I would have the patience to do another but after her sitting here all night and then leaving me to fly away in the mail to my partner this a.m. I am deciding I would like to create another...

Here is the back...Address goes on White Rabbit's Head

Here I am finally again!! I have been working on a journal bag book for my granddaughter's birthday party last Sunday and I will post some pictures from it later today...

I worked on a postcard this morning for an Alice In Wonderland swap...what fun!!

I did a new technique of on the front using spray inks and computer paper .  The back is baby wipes and paint. I use the baby wipes a lot for blending as I love the soft look you get...the White Rabbit is where the address to my partner will go. You can see the beginning initial of her name by the Rabbit's nose.

Inside of Journal cover w.i.p.

Front of journal W.I.P.

My grandson Jacob and my granddaughter Nicole have taught me so much when it comes to art...they take it in school and learn new things weekly and share with Grandma...I am doing a cover page front and inside from a piece of art work that Nicky had to do for school. She is 11..I am going to embelish the front with something on the top and ribbons and beads along the rings and  the top and side of where her art finishes in the inside of the cover...so this is a wip...I can't express how proud I am of the work Jacob and Nicole do..Jacob is in to zentangles and creates beautiful ones and Nicky has been saving up and buying doodle books and we have so much fun after school working with these characters in the books....they are getting what I didn't in school and I think that is so important and great!!

some days you just have to stop and do a gratitude page and that is what I have done today.  I talk to my angels often and they never let me down in the important things in my life.  I could tell stories of how I think I was near the brink of disaster and they have pulled me through emotionally mentally and physically....Here is a gratitude journal page....

Grandad Eugene O'Neil and Charles Henry Sullivan at Eugene's Tailor Shop 1173 Dundas Stree Toronto Ontario Canada cir. 1916

My Grandparents Alice Wood (s) and William Sullivan cir. 1912

Eugene O'Neill with wife Bridgette and sons

These past two weeks have been "not" my favourite for sure!! Week one had someone close have an operation and spent the week staying late at my daughter's so she could visit the hospital...the second week my darling grandson had the flu so I stayed the week (daily) with him but thankfully he was well enough by Saturday to participate in his confirmation...

Now I am trying to do my tutorials but I also have the Family Tree bug and although all my Mom's side is done I am trying now to do my Dad's...His family was from Ireland and of course I don't have any records and know very little about my grandparents and great grandparents...so I have been on here most of the day trying to track some info...the internet for the first time, in a long time, has frustrated me...

The next three pictures are of my great grandparents, my grandparents and my great grandad with my dad as a child..

It is a beautiful sunny day here in Ontario land..
I am busy creating and taking online tutorials which I love!!! Everyday I learn more and more.
I made a birthday card for a very special young womyn yesterday and thought I would share the card and envelope with you...

My friend Mary Ann sent me this picture of Kim Novak and Pyewaket from Bell Book and Candle. This was my favourite movie of all time, along with Breakfast at Tiffany's and Splendour in the Grass...
I guess that dates me but don't ya know....witches are ageless!!!

Now I have to figure out how to move the Title of my to the bottom of the picture....

here is the back of the envelope

I made an envelope to go with it here is the front of the envie

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