today's journal pages

I'm doing a little better today. Moving out of a blue phase into a more brighter, sunny place.
And I'm not just talking about my art work.
Last night I was all ready for bed, and printed up a rubber stamp for a scribble. I often doodle in bed, if I don't read, but before I knew it, I was taking out the water colors, and the gel pens, and an image appeared that I really liked. I was able to hold on to the muse's hand today, and made two more pages. Being creative is wonderful. I'm positive it helped get me out of the blue where I sometimes land. But who doesn't go there from time to time?
It's part of life...

today's art journal page

rubber stamp by Teesha Moore,
Altered Art by Etayne

cerulean evening

and so flies the day...

No work today -- so I spent a few blissful hours catching up on art projects. I finished up my little baggies for the "Art Elements swap", which turned out to be harder than I thought. Not having much money, I made most of the things myself, I added watercolored papers, made tags, and blank paper dolls, put in some beads, both glass ones and hand made ones, a fan deco, and some ideas like that. I hope my efforts are appreciated. I am often worried that other swappers might not like what I have to offer. But I'm working on getting over that!

I also worked on a deco titled "Pretty Fairies". It turned out alright, except I smudged the tiny fairy lips. Oops! It is now titled "Too Much Lipstick Fairy".
And here she is:

I also finished a hand made post card for a swap, and all that was about four hours that flew by on fairy wings. It's always fun to mail off completed projects. The postman even plastered the envelopes with lots of cool stamps, instead of printing the computer ones out.

Mail art -- love it! It made for a very peaceful day.

Carol's Quilt

My friend Carol made this wonderful quilt.
I realized just how much I liked it, the repeating pattern, the exactness of the squares, the earth tones -- so I wanted to share it here.

..and a final image from Pride Weekend

I hope that you can feel what a happy, creative, proud time this was. I have been fortunate that I have not have had any hardship because I love a woman.
The right to pursue happiness belongs to all of us. Wether you will find it ... well, that will depend on how you live your life.

Pride Parade 2006, second batch of pics

The IKEA couch float






Equality for all...

Pride Parade 2006 in Minneapolis, first batch of pictures

Rainbows Rule!


Dykes on bikes!!!


Something blue...


Happy couple!

The cork truck


It was an absolutly amazing, wonderful weekend!
Seeing so many of my fellow GLTB folks out, the rainbow flags flying, the overall mood happy and relaxed. I just soaked it in like sunshine.
These are some of the pictures from the parade -- I have so many that it's hard to choose what to show first!

..and one more good thing!

I have happy, freshly pedicured footsies!
Now that I'm getting a paycheck again, THAT was a treat.
Yay! for OPI's color palette. This is vampire state building red.
And!! The goofy flip flops came free with the pedicure! Such a deal.

quick hello

:::waving:::
Hello there world! Thanks for the fabulous day! We had CPR training today at work. I couldn't help myself, I named the resucy- dummy "BillyBob".
BillyBob, BillyBob, are you OK?
I love the South. :) Nobody quite understood why I was cracking up so hard.
These trainings can get quite silly. We also had to practice with a baby size manequin (BobbyRay!). Someone blew so hard into the dolly that it's (removable) face blew off. I just about fell off my chair I laughed so hard.
Laughing is one of the best things there is in life, isn't it?. Even if no one else gets it but you.
Right, BillyBob?
And for your artyfact viewing enjoyment, a little creativity in texture -- a little ditty done with fine splatter paint in water color, cut into strips, woven, and decorated with fall leaves and markers.

Happy Fathers' Day

Some country singer in a bar, Papa, me, Donna in the background in Nashville

Things have not always been real easy for me and my Dad. Not a story that I want to tell right now. But, after Mom's death, we are finding the way to one another, being left behind without her.
He came to visit me here in the United States, after I have been living here for 26 years. He's never been on an air plane, doesn't speak english, but he came. Since I had just moved from Seattle to Tennessee, and my furniture was not here yet, we kept house together with a few borrowed pots and pans, and spent evenings at a small card table --also borrowed -- remembering, and talking, and missing Mama. It was the best time I ever spent with him. I got the best Christmas present from him -- his memories and view points of things we both experienced. What a gift.

Happy Father's Day, Papa.

...random art

Rather than work on anything specific, I just looked at all the scraps, materials and trial- and- errors cluttering my art space. I enjoyed making a few ATCs out of random material, with random themes; and these are a few random examples.

random thoughts...

I can't seem to focus on anything today. I flit from one thing to another, and can't finish anything. I sat at my art table, and can't get the idea from my head to the paper.
Everything feels ... I can't even say. I feel nervous and sleepy at the same time, active and sluggish. Go back to bed? Or run around the block?
I'll come back here later.

ZoomZoom the art cat

Both my dog and cat hang out with me when I work at my art table. Fiona usually sleeps in my arm chair, or tries to eat paper scraps she can find. But ZoomZoom really has an artistic streak.

As you can see in the first picture, she likes to do performance art -- a work in oil pastels which she did entirely by herself by sleeping on a land scape.

She also is quite the art critic. Here she is helping me with some doodeling.

2 Minute Art

Starting new work is wonderful. I found a teaching position that I am very happy with.
But fitting time in for art is a lot harder now. Of course I am also adjusting to getting up early again (really early!) and I am more tired when I get home. And of course Fiona, sweet doggy, needs to be romped with and played with above all else, when I get home.
So, this morning, drawn to my art habit, I did a quick two minute hand made post card for a swap.
This is the result.

Adrift on the menopausal sea

Getting older is really something. Foremost -- I don't feel older. Inside, I still have the same heart and spirit -- only better! :::smiling::: But the body changes, and I have some wild sensations with this next stage in my life. I have -- so far! -- not become bitchy or angry, but I sure get the weepies! The other day I was sniffling and couldn't stop tears from coming for no reason at all. There is always my analytical self standing beside the emotional self, analyzing and recognizing what's happening, but it doesn't make a damn bit of difference. It still happens. So I ran around the house with the vacuum cleaner, boo-hoo-hooing, 'cause I just couldn't stop it, and the vacuuming needed to be done in spite of it. Then I had a good laugh at myself. The emotions are intense, and trying to stop them is definitely the wrong thing to do.
Don't even get me started on the hot flashes -- and them combined with moving to a hot and humid climate! Just wring me out and hang me on the clothesline to dry.
Here is a little paper doll (template by Lisa Vollrath) I made in honor of menopause, titled "Adrift on the menopausal sea".
Note the fire in the belly!
And be nice to middle aged women.

The Museum Of Bad Art

If you are in need of a good laugh, link to this! I just about fell off my chair I laughed so much.
And I hope none of my work ever ends up there!

http://www.museumofbadart.org/collection/index.html