What is your favorite game?

Be sure to check out the newest challenge at These are a few of my favorite things challenge blog - what is your favorite game?  Although both Dan and I grew up in card playing families, we play games very seldom. Dan isn't too fond of them. We did play games when we lived on the sailboat - and this layout is a memory of playing Mexican train dominoes when we were in the Republica Dominicana - so much fun!!!!!!

Check out the great layouts by the other DT members and then show us your stuff!
Chris

New Year poem

After I returned home from working and going to the library today, I was checking email and saw the weekly scrapbooking contests etc - I linked onto the Scrap the Poetry blog and found the most wonderful poem for the month - I was totally inspired and created this layout using a close-up photo of ornaments on my holiday tree and lots of white papers, laces, flowers, and even a brooch. Check out the poem on their blog - the author so beautifully expresses the winter season moving into spring.

This morning while reading Design Sponge, I saw a list of books about sustainable living - I wrote down the names and author,s and was able to get several of them (along with a vinyasa flow yoga dvd and several other fun books) at the library. I am looking forward to reading the urban homestead by Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen, The Self-Sufficient-ish Bible, and just enough, lessons in living green from traditional Japan. I also was able to get a book on beadwork that has a necklace I would like to make.

January was a difficult month for us in the financial area, but I did not purchase any craft supplies or books. I have not purchased any scrapbooking supplies since last August. I purchased watercolor paper and a couple of skeins of yarn in September, and one watercolor book in early December. I have renewed no magazine subscriptions (I was only getting two, and they both ran out in January) so I feel very good about my NOT BUYING IT goal.  The hard part will come in the next couple of months with all the new CHA releases and also I will be taking a watercolor workshop from a national teacher in April (hopefully my supplies will hold out!)  Two fun things: I did win a $15 gift card to Michaels from our art club (haven't received it yet) and a cool digi kit from Sande Krieger through the 7gypsies blog - cool!

Anyway, life is good and very abundant!  The weather here today is warm (not as warm as usual) and sunny so DH is playing golf this afternoon (he gets free golf by doing volunteer work at the golf course).

Thanks for reading and hope you are having a super day, especially Julie and all the other crafters who are at CHA. I am looking forward to lots of photos and commentary!!!!!
Chris

January Sketchbook Challenge

I have been working in my sketchbook this month quite a bit - sketching and painting - these are just three of the pages - the first sketch was inspired by a painting by Ivan Djeneeff - I got a book about him from the Museum library - A Russian Odyssey.  The painting made me think of the Floodmage in Terri Windling's book The Wood Wife -  Windling's blog http://windling.typepad.com/blog/ is one of my favorites - she talks a lot about art, creation, and writing; and she posts wonderful photos and links to other fascinating blogs.

Have you been watching Downton Abbey on Masterpiece Theater? It is so enchanting - I love the house, the clothes - all so perfectly of the Edwardian period! Tomorrow is the final episode but you can watch all the episodes online.

Have a super weekend!
Chris

A little bird made some cards

Life has been a bit busy this past week - working extra hours so not much time for playing in the studio but - I did create two cards using some Gecko Galz scraps of papers and ephemera, a little lace, ribbon, and paint. I know that everyone who is any one in the craft world is at CHA - someday maybe...........

With working so much, I have been reading quite a bit in the evening - I found the coolest book at the library about sewing, cooking, and just plain living - It's titled Amy Barickman's Vintage Notions - the illustrations are so charming and the prose is so inspiring!

Have a creative day!
Chris

Warm and sunny followed by rain and a cold front

The weather here was so beautiful during the week - bright sun and temps up to 80.

I took these photos of one of the azalea bushes in my yard - I even snipped some and brought them inside to brighten my house (this variety blooms very very early - my others won't bloom until Feb or March)

Then on Friday another cold front moved across the state bringing some much-needed rain - even so we are experiencing a terrible drought.

So strange to think that other places are experiencing so much flooding - I have seen the photos of Queensland, Australia on the internet and have prayed for the people who are suffering there.

I was looking through some older layouts for "love" or "Valentine" layouts - here's a golden oldie! I created this for an "Across the Universe" challenge blog

Lots of vintage elements - the photo is of Dan and me when we were in Bermuda. We had rented a motor scooter for the day and were exploring the island.

Have a great day and thanks for reading,

ttfn

Chris

Anthro-inspired necklace

Last week I showed some jewelry inspirations from Anthropologie

so one afternoon this week I began to craft my own pieces

This necklace was so much more difficult than I had thought it would be

It looks very basic but getting the weight right so that it hangs properly took me 2 hours

I did learn quite a bit about the structure and physical nature of this concept

and have begun working on a few more in other color schemes.

This one is made from vintage men's silk pocket squares and vintage kimono fabric

The pin is a thrift shop find

 

Hope you like it!

True romance

A canvas tribute to Romance

using Gecko Galz paper and ephemera (True Romance)

I will posting instructions on how I made this on the Gecko Galz blog in February

but it was just one of those crazy fripperie things that made itself

Lots of tulle, gesso, acrylic paint, paper, and flowers

Knit a river scarf

I think that I talked about our budget a bit at the beginning of the year - was that only two weeks ago?! 

So far this month has been deadly with lots of repairs and replacements needed (furnace!!!) as the bitter cold is taking its toll on our houses and crops.  Hopefully it will begin to warm up and stay - even just a bit warmer would help!

Anyway, I am about to begin another knit-a-long with the Jane Thornley group - it's called knit a river, and we are using river images as our inspiration for whatever we decide to knit. I am totally shopping from my little stash and have come up with the group of yarns pictured above. I am also using a small watercolor sketch that I did last month as my inspiration. (I did it for Marit's Top 2000 music of the year.)

I am thinking about knitting a http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/shalom-cardigan and think that I have enough pale green yarn to do it. I like the idea of the short sleeves. Amanda of http://www.soulemama.com/soulemama/ has knitted two of this pattern, and I love the way they look.

Back to the drawing table - no rest for the wicked (great name for a song!LOL!!!)

or maybe a cup of tea and a sweet potato muffin (just finished baking a batch) YUM!

the second choice sounds like way more fun!!!

Thanks for reading and have a super day!

ttfn

Chris

Jenni Bowlin Grid Challenge

I have to admit that after all the craziness last fall, I have not scrapped very much.

It was a struggle even to do DT work - I was bummed and fried

BUT

my creative juices have returned this month and I am doing a few layouts for selected challenges.

This one is for the Jenni Bowlin grid challenge - I used JB paper, journaling card, red buttons, and pearl-headed pin. The cream buttons are vintage from my collection; the photo is of my step-father; the fabric scrap, embroidery floss, and seam lace are also from my stash; and the definition is cut from an old dictionary.

Hope you are having a wonderful weekend and staying warm!

ttfn

Chris

What is your favorite quote?

Time again for the newest challenge at http://whatisyourfavething.blogspot.com/

What is your favorite quote?

Be sure to check our the DT and GDT layouts!!!

and also don't forget the DT call that closes Jan 27!!!!

My quotation is from George Eliot:

"It is never too late to be what you might have been."

I have taken this quotation to heart - I know that the larger part of my life is over

and that I have only X years left to accomplish things.

I feel good about I have accomplished so far

BUT

I have dreams that are yet to be tried -

 I had to put my artistic goals on hold while I was raising a family and working

so now

I am concentrating on my art -

I AM AN ARTIST.

This layout is a crazy mix of Arches cover paper, Prima paper, some scrap fabrics, mix and match alphas, a stray brad, a vellum butterfly, a clothes label, Gecko Galz ephemera, and the front page of my artist resume and statement.
Thanks for reading and hope your day is special!
ttfn
Chris

Past Perfect

Past Perfect

my watercolor painting in the Art by the Sea exhibition at the Vero Beach Museum of Art

this weekend Jan 14 - 16
Hope to see you there!
Chris

Anthropologie inspirations

I am so so in love with this bracelet 

and this one

and this necklace

so I am thinking about making some similar pieces for myself using these

What do you think?????

I have scraps of silk dupioni and several vintage silk scarves to use with them.

Ideas are bubbling in my head......

Keep in touch!

Chris

Prima January BAP

My take on the Prima January Build a page

I used a variety of Prima papers, including Annalee Poetry and Paradise City Morning Chirps and even fussy cutting the sprig of flowers from a piece of Pastiche Seaside paper on the left side of the page.

I used the underneath side of the Rosetti rose and layered more Prima flowers on top of it to copy the flower from the paper cutting. I also cut out leaves from the Blooming Retro Pumpkin Pie paper.

I really like the red, turquoise, cream, and brown color combo.

Have a super day and be back very soon with more creations - I am almost finished with a layout for Jenni Bowlin's Grid Challenge and I will be posting a photo on Friday of the painting which will be on exhibition at the Vero Beach Museum of Art.

ttfn

Chris

Pink magnolias

Have I ever mentioned how much I love magnolias? I have been painting quite a few lately - this one I painted on Monday and Tuesday of this week - I am trying to finish at least one painting a week. I also did some sketching for the Sketchbook challenge and the Strathmore Visual Journal class - hope to post those tomorrow. I also did a canvas/paint/paper project for Gecko Galz - see sneak peek below - but can't show it until February as it will be used for a technique tutorial on their website.

It's been a good week also in the financial area - no spending except necessities, and I got some super movies and books at the library - Eclipse; Eat,Pray.Love; The Girl who played with Fire - woot woot!!!

I stopped by Books a Million to look at magazines and also to jot down names of new books to look for - I saw their "Book Club" display at the front of the store and wrote down the titles - I picked up The Maze Runner by James Dashner at the library - it's very good - not superb like the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins but good - somewhat similar in its view of the world. Check it out!

I put reserves in for some of the other books that looked interesting.

Hope you are having a good week and thanks for reading.

I will be back soon with some peeks into my sketchbook and also to show you the painting that will be in a show this next weekend at the Vero Beach Museum of Art.

ttfn

Chris

Valentine mixed-media

Here we are, barely into the new year, and it is time to think about projects for Valentine's Day.

I am currently working on 2 new projects but here is a glimpse of things that I made in 09 and 10

I am keeping busy busy with my drawing and painting - and of course, laundry, cleaning, cooking, and...

There is so much creative energy out there on the web, and I have been infected or injected or whatever.

I have so many ideas spinning in my head - an abundance of creative thoughts

Hope you are feeling energetic and creative!

ttfn

Chris

Happy new year 2011!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy new year to everyone!

I am excited to start the new year and ready to take on new challenges.

Above is a vision board that I made to help keep me focused on the things I want to accomplish and do in the coming year (I got this idea from Julie Balzer's blog; she is doing an art journal page a day - I won't be doing that but I will do them occasionally) I want to paint a lot more, have paintings in exhibitions and sell some, improve my drawing skills, do a Botanical Illustration course (in book form), take at least one watercolor workshop from a national teacher,sew some clothes and some pillows for my couch(which is somewhat similar in style to the one in the above photo, create some cool projects and layouts, knit, finish a couple of wall quilts, cook, bake (perfect my French bread), exercise, and read.

My word for 2011 is ABUNDANCE 

appreciating what I have, feeling grateful for my blessings, and

making do or doing without (money will be even tighter this year with no increase in income plus increases in the cost of my health insurance, food, and gas)

I have lots of paper, paints, pencils, fabric, yarn, and other items - 

and I will use up what I have before making any purchases.

I hope to take a vacation this summer to Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver so I am really

focused on saving every extra penny for that.

I worked this afternoon on sketching - beginning the first lesson in the botanical illustration course so that's a good start. I also finished a new painting this past week that I will have in an exhibit at the Vero Beach Art Museum the middle of January. (I will post it closer to exhibition time)

Then I played with my paints and came up with this - I have been looking at some old photos and magazines from when we were in the Bahamas, and I was reminded of the beautiful turtles there.

Just a fun little painting.

Thanks for reading and hope you have a great day, and a great new year!!!!

ttfn

Chris