All My Art

Blue Midnight

2011-09-21T23:16:00.002-04:00

I painted this in my watercolor group tonight.

Postcard from Darlene!

2011-09-21T12:56:00.000-04:00

I received this fabulous postcard from Darlene.

This is the last card from the Kindred Spirits Postcard Exchange.

I was the lucky recipient of cards for the month of July!

Postcard for Les

2011-09-19T23:26:00.000-04:00

I sent this postcard to Lesley Dupont of Harmony Lane. The fan is made from a CD cut in half, embossed and painted.

Kindred Spirits Postcard Swap - September

2011-09-15T23:01:00.000-04:00

I made this postcard for Alexa Noble who is the
September recipient of postcards for the
Kindred Spirits Postcard Exchange.

Cover Necklace

2011-09-09T21:07:00.000-04:00

This is my version of the necklace on the cover of Beadwork's October/November issue.

I made my version using 7 briolettes instead of the nine used in the original pattern.

I received a postcard - and more - from Les!

2011-09-07T11:01:00.000-04:00

First she sent me this catly postcard. She knows what I love! Don't you love all of the little touches she added to this?

She also sent me this ATC card. It doesn't photograph nearly as beautiful as it looks in person. The colors and rich and beautiful and she used a stained glass technique to create it. Stained glass is something I love!

Thanks so much, Les! Love both of the cards!

The need to bead

2011-09-06T18:46:00.001-04:00

I can't believe this year is the 25th anniversary of the film, Top Gun! The line from that film that sticks with me is, "I feel the need...the need for speed."

After spending day after day packing and trying to make decisions what to keep and what to pitch, my brain went into overdrive and I needed to take a break. Then the October/November issue of Beadwork magazine arrived, and I FELT THE NEED TO BEAD!

I fell in love with the necklace on the cover. But unfortunately, I didn't have all of the necessary beads to make it; so I did some practice working on the necklace strands and came up with this:

You'll have to click on the image to enlarge it and see the detail to see what's going on here. The strands were made with the new tila beads that are so popular at the moment. This necklace lies nice and flat on the neck.

Now I'm eager to make the original necklace; so I guess it's back to packing until I need another break.

Lillian

2011-08-31T00:09:00.000-04:00

Lillian

I painted this tonight in my paint group.

I received a postcard from Jen!

2011-08-27T12:31:00.000-04:00

I received this gorgeous postcard from Jen of Altered Spirits. Her blog is brand new! Do yourself a favor and check it out. She has a lovely style! Thank you so much, Jen! I absolutely love this postcard.

Monthly Themed ATC - July - Mermaids

2011-08-18T21:20:00.001-04:00

Underwater Playdate

This card was made on heavyweight watercolor paper. The background is watercolor, as are some of the little fishies. The card is covered with a layer of Distress Crackle Paint (Picket Fence), which gives it a really pretty underwater look! (Double-click on the picture to get a larger look at the Crackle effect.)

Kindred Spirits Postcard Exchange - August

2011-08-18T21:20:00.000-04:00

For Christine

Received gorgeous earrings from Amy!

2011-08-18T20:56:00.000-04:00

I received these gorgeous earrings from Amy Severino of Amybeads.

Thank you so much, Amy! I will treasure these blue beauties!

Received a postcard from Anne!

2011-08-18T20:39:00.000-04:00

Received this really cute postcard from Anne. It has been so much fun to be the recipient of so many gorgeous postcards! From here on, I will post pics of cards I have made for others in this exchange.

Tee's Mystery Exchange

2011-08-18T20:22:00.000-04:00

Here's what I received from Julie

For Tee's mystery exchange, we were paired up. Each partner sent the other various items challenging them to make something with them using most of the items. Here's what I made.

Working with masking fluid

2011-08-12T13:27:00.000-04:00

Dragonflies

This painting was 3/4 masking and 1/4 painting! I worked with a fountain pen tip, dipping it into pebeo drawing gum. This is the best masking fluid I've found!

Summer of Color - Wrap Up

2011-08-07T22:07:00.000-04:00

I decided to line up all of my creations for Summer of Color in one blog post. I know we all have a lot of blogs to review for this last week, so I wanted to make it as quick as possible to scan through my creations one more time. Please come back again, should you have more time! This was a wonderful challenge!

B L U E

G R E E N

P I N K

B R O W N

Y E L L O W

R E D

P U R P L E

O R A N G E

Received a postcard from Chriss!

2011-08-06T21:55:00.000-04:00

I received this gorgeous card today. Isn't it completely lovely? Chriss: I adore this card! Thank you so much!

Received a postcard from Alexa!

2011-08-02T12:24:00.000-04:00

I received this wonderful postcard from Alexa of the Kindred Spirits Postcard Exchange. It is really a wonderful card! She used many techniques to come up with this beautiful piece of artwork. Alexa, I love it! I will really treasure this fabulous card!

Summer of Color - Orange

2011-08-01T09:22:00.000-04:00

Here are my experiments in orange:

Orange Leaves

Orange Leaves 2

Oranges

Kindred Spirits Postcard Exchange

2011-07-31T11:32:00.000-04:00

I have received these fantastic things from Patricia! Oh, Patricia, I really do love everything you sent! Such wonderful treasures! Thank you so much!

Soartful Challenge - Gloria Swanson

2011-07-30T16:08:00.000-04:00

Here I go, poking fun again. But I really did like Gloria. She was the very definition of a movie star. In the early 70's, I saw her when she visited a department store for a personal appearance. I walked 10 blocks in the rain on my lunch hour to get a glimpse of this living legend. I knew she was quite old at the time and was really curious how she would look. But clever Gloria! She wore a large black hat with a brim that scooped over her forehead. I never really did get a good look at her face, and I don't think anyone else did either. She was very adept at keeping our attention away from her face, and toward what she was saying! I, too, love her in Sunset Boulevard.

Away for a while - My Dad Has Passed Away

2011-07-25T00:18:00.002-04:00

I am headed back to Kentucky Monday morning. My Dad passed away last night. I don't know how long I will be gone. Best guess is a week; but I really don't know. I may have access to Internet from time to time, but since I'm away from home, I won't be able to create anything, and my blog will probably be pretty quiet.

When I return, I will begin packing in order to ship all of my furnishings back to Kentucky before moving back there. The realtor says the house will show better empty and this way, I can come back sooner and start my job hunt in earnest. So again, my creative ventures may suffer.

Please stick with me and know that when I am moved and back in action, I will return to creating and posting things as always. I will fulfill all swap commitment.

Thanks, everyone, for understanding. This is a difficult time for me.

Summer of Color - Purple

2011-07-25T00:13:00.000-04:00

Purple Tulip

Callaway Iris

I used this photo I took at Callaway Gardens
as my inspiration for the Iris painting.

And another iris

Dad's Tree - through the seasons

2011-07-22T20:18:00.000-04:00

Dad's Tree

2011-07-21T00:52:00.000-04:00

Violets

2011-07-20T23:43:00.000-04:00

Calla Lily and Leaf

2011-07-19T21:05:00.000-04:00

Calla Lily and Leaf

Callas

2011-07-19T14:07:00.000-04:00

Callas

I have been on a painting roll lately! I finished 3 paintings in 24 hours! These 3 paintings will be unveiled for next Monday's Summer of Color post. This calla lily painting was started a few months ago and I'm finally getting around to finishing it!

52 Starlet Art Challenge - Veronica Lake

2011-07-18T09:13:00.000-04:00

Summer of Color - Red

2011-07-18T09:11:00.000-04:00

This is an altered DVD. The blue color in this photo is misleading. The bottom half of the circle and the part under the fan is silver in color; however the photo makes it appear to be blue. I put the DVD in my Big Shot machine in an embossing folder. I don't know if I would recommend this, as it was somewhat difficult to emboss! Surprisingly, after embossing the DVD, it separated into two pieces. Now if I can just figure out a way to separate the DVD layers BEFORE embossing, I might have an easier time putting it through the embossing machine. I used red Adirondack ink to color the bottom. The fan is trimmed with washi paper.

This is the first CD / DVD that I altered. I started by brushing a thin layer of gesso over top of the surface of the DVD. When it dried, I pulled out all of my red watercolors and used every one of them on this piece! I then glazed over it with crystal stickles, and finished it off with a layer of Mod Podge. Unfortunately, the stickles glaze does not show up in this scan.

If you'd like to try your hand altering a CD or DVD, please enter my challenge. See info here.

Soartful challenge - bee

2011-07-17T16:11:00.000-04:00

Our challenge was to use a bee in our creation. So I thought of Princess Beatrice and her amazing wedding hat. Imagine the headlines:

"She has a bee in her bonnet!"

"Bee-atrice stung by criticism of her latest hat."

(Somebody stop me!)

Would you like to swap postcards with me?

2011-07-16T15:13:00.000-04:00

If you follow my blog, you know that I have been involved with the Kindred Spirits Postcard Exchange. It is so much fun creating art in the size of a postcard (4 inches by 6 inches). I have been thinking that this is an ideal size in which to create and trade art! There is more room to create than there is with an artist trading card, with the larger size of the postcard format. And a postcard still fits into a standard mailing envelope and can usually be mailed for the cost of a single ounce.

A four by six inch piece of art fits well into a nice sized frame to be hung and displayed.

Would you like to swap postcards with me? If you are interested, please send me a piece of art that you have created in the size 4 inches by 6 inches. It does NOT have to be formatted as a postcard, unless you want to do that. With the art you send, please let me know what kinds of themes you like and I will try to create my 'postcard' in a theme you will like. When I receive your postcard, I will upload a photo of it on my blog and let everyone see what you sent. Then, after you have received the postcard that I sent, I will upload a photo of my postcard.

Here are some of he subjects I like. But I am open to ANYTHING!

Cats - Flowers - Trees - Vintage - Humor - painted or drawn - Paris - tea - Asian - Butterflies - Mucha - Tiffany Lamps

My mailing address is listed in my blog profile. Please don't forget to send me your address, especially if you do not have a blog, so that I can send your card to you as quickly as possible.

Let's swap cards! This will be fun!

Crock Pot Recipe - Balsamic Root Vegetables

2011-07-14T16:48:00.000-04:00

Ready to dish up and serve

You might think of root vegetables as cold weather fare. But by using the crock pot to prepare this dish, your kitchen can stay cool in the warmest weather. This dish takes 5 hours to cook on the high setting and the house will smell wonderful as it's cooking!

Balsamic Root Vegetables

1 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 lb. parsnips, peeled and chunked
(half of a plastic-wrapped package)
1/2 lb. carrots, peeled and cut into chunks, then halved
1/2 large red onions, sliced
3/4 C sweetened dried cranberries (Craisins) or figs
1 tbsp. light brown sugar
3 tbsp. olive or canola oil
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
3 tbsp. chopped flat leaf parsley (I did not use this ingredient)

Lightly grease the crock pot. Layer the veggies in the crock pot in the following order: carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes, onions. Sprinkle dried cranberries over each layer. Whisk together brown sugar, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Pour over the vegetables. DO NOT STIR. Cook on high for 4-5 hours. Toss vegetables with chopped parsley before stirring. Serves 4.

I originally copied this recipe out of an old issue of Southern Living magazine while I was waiting for an appointment. I have made a few adjustments to their recipe based on my experience. Carrots need the most cooking time, so they go on the bottom. Sweet potatoes take the shortest time to cook, so they go on top. I used figs instead of cranberries, as I was unexpectedly out of cranberries!

Veggies in crock pot, ready to cook

Altered Serving Fork

2011-07-13T17:39:00.000-04:00

I found a silver plated salad set at the thrift store for 25 cents! I wondered if anyone had ever altered a fork. Then I thought about Neptune's trident and thought I'd make a sea-themed altered fork. There's even a shell in the design at the top of the handle! Serendipity!

Two more beautiful postcards!

2011-07-11T19:24:00.000-04:00

I received this lovely postcard from Jules Eickmeier.
The starfish is a metal brooch. So lovely!

Here is the back of the card, which is edged
on the bottom with lovely floral tape.

This gorgeous card came from Jacque Lynch.
The card is embossed and embellished with beaded lace

Ladies, thank you so much! I love them both!

52 Starlet Art Challenge - Greta Garbo

2011-07-11T08:39:00.000-04:00

Greta Garbo was the quintessential movie star. No one was more glamorous on screen. No one was more alluring or mysterious. Her acting style holds up better than many early stars as she was always very natural on screen. Natural for her, that is. No one imagined her as an every day housewife. She was always an exotic creature, a one of a kind. Her penchant for privacy was unrivaled. I was amazed at how many fascinating images of Greta Garbo there are on the Internet! Surely, she was one of the most photographed women of her time. I think the photographers loved having her for a subject because they thought that perhaps their photograph would unlock the inner secret of her being. But none ever did.

In Ninotchka, she had a scene where her character burst unexpectedly into laughter. That laughter was a revelation to her fans and a clue to all who saw the film that the screen's most dramatic star also had a wonderful sense of humor. I hope she would like the next two pictures.

Summer of Color - Brown

2011-07-11T08:36:00.000-04:00

Autumn

Brown daffodil study

Soartful Challenge - Pastoral scene

2011-07-09T16:02:00.000-04:00

This week we were given this beautiful, pastoral painting to work with. It is truly lovely. But as soon as I saw it my nose began to itch. Yes, despite weekly allergy shots, I am having a miserable time with my allergies. So I had no choice but to interpret this lovely photo in my own little way.

How to make a simple craft hanger

2011-07-08T22:11:00.000-04:00

Wondering what to do with an altered CD? Or perhaps with some of your other craft creations? Here's a simple way to make a hanger for your piece.

To make a hanger for my altered CD, I first took a piece of cardstock and cut it approximately 1/2 inch wide by 4 inches long. Heavier creations may require plastic or strong fabric, or some other sturdy but pliable material.

See the first strip: I have placed marks after every inch.

Fold the strip in half (see the second example.)

Then, fold the two sides up to make the piece look like the third example. I am using scrap cardstock, which is strong enough to hold the CD.

Place glue on the inner middle half of the strip to glue it together tightly. I used a binder clip to hold the strip together while it dried, as shown in the fourth example.

After your hanger has dried thoroughly, using your eyelet setter, set an eyelet in the glued part, as shown in the fifth example.

Using your strongest glue, glue the two end tabs to your CD. You may want to trim the tab down a bit. Heavier hangings may require more than one hanger.

Two more postcards

2011-07-08T19:37:00.000-04:00

Petra sent me this cute card. I love the shading. She even had a gorgeous stamp on the back!

Janet sent me this gorgeous card. The purple butterfly just leaps off the card!

Blue Dandelion

2011-07-08T18:57:00.003-04:00

52 Starlet Art Challenge - Julie Newmar

2011-07-08T09:57:00.000-04:00

It has taken me all week to post something for Julie Newmar. I confess, Iwasn't sure how I feel about her. In some ways, she was the quintessential Marilyn imitator. However like many other imitators, she lacks vulnerability. She is actually the first actress in the series that truly deserves the title starlet.

Dictionary.com defines starlet as follows:

2. a small star or other heavenly body.

If the starlet's promise is fulfilled, she becomes an actual 'star.' However in Hollywood, many actresses spend their entire career being starlets. (See second definition: 'a small star or other heavenly body.'

Julie did a memorable turn in the 50's movie Lil Abner as Stupefyin' Jones. In the film, her character's mere presence was enough to stupefy any red blooded male.

She has spent her career doing mostly TV - most notably, as Catwoman, in the 60's tv show Batman. She was really my favorite Catwoman! Her over the top acting style and physical attributes were perfect for this role, and she played it to the hilt. She appeared in the enduring musical film, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. and also appeared on Broadway, winning a Tony award for her performance in the 1959 play The Marriage Go Round. She reprised her award-winning role in the film version of the play. Her only son, born to her while she was in her 40's, is deaf and has Downs syndrome.

I have to admit, that after reading about her life and career, I now feel differently about her. I originally thought she was just a flash in the pan. Although she is brainy and is known to have a fantastic sense of humor, she has never been given a role that could lift her out of the sexy beauty queen category, which is really too bad.

A New Challenge - Alter a CD!

2011-07-07T21:38:00.000-04:00

We've altered all sorts of everyday household objects. Let's move up to the computer age and alter a CD or DVD! They're not hard to come by. You may get them for free through the mail or enclosed with magazines. They're usually pretty inexpensive at thrift shops. Or you may have an old CD that you no longer want. Try your hand at altering it!

You can choose to cover the hole of the CD with your design, or you can use the hole as an integral part of the design. You can alter the other side! There are so many possibilities! Do a Google image search for altered CD and you'll get lots of inspiration.

If you alter a CD, please post a photo on your blog and place a link at the bottom of this post. I will not be hosting a swap, but if you see an altered CD that you'd like to swap for, please contact the creator privately and arrange your swap.

If you have problems entering your link, please email the link to me and I'll take care of it for you.
This is new, challenging, and intriguing! Please participate. Here are two CDs that I have altered:

I have received another postcard!

2011-07-05T21:23:00.001-04:00

I've received my second beautiful postcard. This one came from Lynne Moncrieff of Scotland:

The postcard is edged in gorgeous lace. I love it!

Lynne also did a gorgeous job ageing the back of the postcard.

It looks truly vintage!

Here is the envelope that contained the postcard - hand-decorated by the very talented Lynne! This is the second postcard I have received from the Kindred Spirits Postcard Exchange.

The Summer of Color - Week 4 - Yellow

2011-07-04T12:40:00.000-04:00

Anyone who knows my work knows that this is somewhat off the wall for me. But I love to be challenged and to expand my limits. This was just plain fun. It is watercolor, except for the writing. Is anyone other than me old enough to remember this song?

Dandelion

2011-06-29T20:52:00.000-04:00

This was wet on wet using masking fluid and Kosher salt.

Teacup ATC Exchange

2011-06-29T15:44:00.000-04:00

Wendy made these gorgeous ATC cards for our trade.

These are the cups I made. Lesley is also in on this swap but poor Lesley is suffering from the effects of the Canadian postal strike; so she may not get hers for a while. I slipped a digit and made cups instead of ATC cards! They say the brain is the first to go.

I used an online template to cut the cups. There are lots of great templates online! Search Google images for tea cup template and you'll see what I mean. After I applied the images, I covered all of the cards with Glossy Accents to give them a porcelain-like appearance.

THE LORD WILL PROVIDE!

2011-06-29T13:56:00.000-04:00

Ruth Lyons was a Cincinnati radio and television personality who was one of the true pioneers of television. Her trademark was her bouquet-covered microphone, which she always used. Ruth had a saying that she loved: "The Lord Will Provide!" She loved telling stories of situations where people were in need in difficult situations and then something happened, seemingly out of the blue, that helped out in the situation. I have a story today.

I'm unemployed and I figure that my unemployment check will almost cover my mortgage and utilities, but will not cover food, gas, or any medical bills or insurance. So I'm going to have to get used to really tightening my belt until I do get a new job.

Yesterday I got a call from Fieldwork Atlanta. This is a market research organization I have been involved with for years. I have come in from time to time to do research studies - from 1-1/2 to 3 hours - for which I get paid. Since I have been working full time, however, I have not qualified for studies that take place during the workday. And these are the most lucrative studies.

Fieldwork told me they had a study scheduled for Monday, July 11 for 3 hours. They then took some specific info and said they would call me back if I was qualified. I just got a call for them and I am qualified! For my participation in the study, I will receive $125 cash. WOW! This couldn't come at a better time! Hopefully, I will be eligible and available for a few more studies in the next few months. That would help out so much!

Fieldwork has locations in 12 U.S. cities. Check out my link above to see if there is one close to you. All you have to do is register with them, and then wait to get a call if you appear to be qualified for a study. It's really a lot of fun. And if the study starts around a meal time, they have sandwiches, chips and drinks for you. All this plus CASH! I'm so grateful.

THE LORD WILL PROVIDE!

Monthly Themed ATC - "That Crazy Hat"

2011-06-28T22:20:00.000-04:00

This month's theme is "That Crazy Hat," inspired by Princess Beatrice's incredible wedding hat. I wondered if another royal lady might wear a crazy hat...

I received this incredible card from Esmeralda.

And here's the card with the little trap door opened:

Isn't this a great card?! I love it.

Vintage Dragonfly's Altered Matchbox Swap - June - Travel

2011-06-28T21:50:00.000-04:00

This month our theme was travel - places we'd like to go, exotic and interesting destinations, etc. I created the matchbox suitcase. Instead of filling the box with goodies, I have a fold-out picture map of travel destinations.

Since I didn't have any goodies in my suitcase, I made some other items. Karla, of Misses Peaches Meows, was my recipient. I used two of her cats' pictures to create geishas (for when they travel to Asia), a key ring to hold important keys for car trips, and a button butterfly featuring Misses Peach.

52 Starlet Art Challenge - Mae West

2011-06-27T16:28:00.000-04:00

This is one of my favorite Mae West quotes. I've always wondered if she came up with her own lines, or if she had someone who helped her develop her persona. I tend to think it was all her - just like her ample figure. LOL. My favorite Mae West movie is My Little Chickadee because I am a huge fan of W. C. Fields. The writers used most of Mae's more famous lines in this movie and it is a lot of fun.

Postcard Exchange

2011-06-27T15:30:00.000-04:00

I am participating in a postcard exchange. Each month one member of the group receives cards from all of the other members. The next month, another member is showered with cards. Lucky me - July is my month! I have already received my first card from April. I asked for cards that illustrated each artist's personal style. I love April's style! Stay tuned as I receive more cards during the month of July!

Four Seasons

2011-06-27T14:31:00.000-04:00

Spring

Winter

Fall

Summer

The Summer of Color - Week 3 - Pink - Two Studies in Pink

2011-06-27T10:37:00.001-04:00

The Summer of Color - Week 3 - Pink

I painted this in watercolor - 5" x 7".

Then, I decided I wanted to try a larger format.

Emily at the Beach

2011-06-26T17:37:00.000-04:00

Here's my granddaughter, Emily, wearing the hat I made for her.

"Say CHEESE!" Emily and her family

were vacationing last week at the Gulf Shores.

Command Central (My Work Room)

2011-06-26T10:26:00.000-04:00

Here's the room where I work - in all its glory - LOL!

Here's one of my favorite things: my drying table.

Altered Spoon

2011-06-23T18:57:00.000-04:00

This is the altered spoon I made for my partner in Tee's Altered Teaspoon Swap.

Here is the beautiful spoon I received from AJ:

I have received this beautiful book from Donna!

2011-06-23T18:50:00.000-04:00

I received this gorgeous altered composition book from Donna! This was from Tee's Altered Notebook Swap. She also included a bookmark! I love this so much! Thank you, Donna!

Altered Composition Book Swap

2011-06-23T10:37:00.000-04:00

Fun Summer Hats

2011-06-22T22:53:00.000-04:00

I saw hats like this on someone's blog and I just had to make them! They were so simple to do. I ironed fabric onto fusible webbing. I used a petal template that I found on the Internet to cut out the flowers. Then I folded each petal and ironed them to make them flare out. I punched a hole in the middle of each flower and pinned them together with a brad. I used needle and thread to tack the flowers to the hat from underneath and finished the centers with some large 'gems.'

This little hat is for Katie, my 2 year old granddaughter. I was lucky to find a hat small enough to fit her, but since it had an image on the front, I had to use the flower to cover it up.

New Address!

2011-06-20T19:04:00.000-04:00

To all those who trade with me from time to time - just to let you know that I have a new mailing address. Formerly, I was having mail sent to my work address in Kennesaw. My mail will probably not be forwarded to me from this address.

Now that I no longer work there, I am using a post office box in Smyrna. Please see my profile for my email address and email me for my new address.

Sorry for any inconvenience!

Jeanie

52 Starlet Art Challenge - Greer Garson

2011-06-20T16:18:00.000-04:00

Well, it didn't quite come out the way I wanted it to. I covered the face with Glossy Accents and when it dried, it cracked a bit. Then I pasted it on little pads to make it 3D - but I'm afraid that effect is pretty much lost in this photo!

The Summer of Color - Week 2 - Green

2011-06-20T07:34:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to celebrate the color green with leaves which are, I guess, my favorite green things. I used brayered paper as a base. The leaves were made of brown paper that was die cut, brayered and then hit with some mod podge to shine them up a bit. A recent Gingersnap challenge featuring twine has made me eager to use it in many ways.

The necklace below is made from the same pattern that I used to make the blue pendant I posted last week. The green version is the first time I used the pattern and I made it exactly as it was written.

Gingersnap Creations Challenge GC106 - Packaging Materials

2011-06-19T23:54:00.000-04:00

Made from one of those boxes that contain brads and other small scrapbooking materials.

This week's Soartful Challenge

2011-06-19T15:52:00.000-04:00

The lady in the original painting was holding a crystal ball.

I thought she should be holding something else.

It'll be way more useful.

Amy's Challenge "What's it to Hue?"

2011-06-18T20:08:00.000-04:00

Amy of Amybeads has a bead challenge going. She will name a color and challenge us to make a beaded creation using this color. The latest challenge is the color purple.

I decided to make a medallion. I started out with a pattern called Persian Rug by La Bella Joya. I embellished it with some Austrian crystals and seed beads. I have recently realized that I have four purple blouses but have never made any sort of purple beaded jewelry to wear with it - so this is a well-timed challenge. I may fix this so that it can be worn as either a brooch or a necklace.

Don't forget to sign up for the door tag swap!

2011-06-15T20:59:00.000-04:00

You have until June 27 to sign up for the door tag swap.
Please don't forget!
We had some beautiful tags created by some talented people for the door tag challenge

We Want to Know

2011-06-15T04:38:00.000-04:00

{1} You have been asked to give a 10 minute speech to teenage girls. What is it about?

Learn who you are before you decide to share your life with someone else.

{2} Do you have a pet? Tell us about them. No pets? Why?

Two cats – Fanny and Tooky. I’ve had them both for 11 years. They keep me sane living in this house alone. My late husband taught Tooky to jump up against the wall to beg for treats and he still does it, though he doesn’t get as far up as he used to.

{3} What is the biggest inconvenience about the place you’re currently living?

It’s 500 miles away from my family.

{4} What do you think is the single best decision you have made in your life so far?

I’m not sure I’ve made any good ones yet.

{5} What are the THREE "nevers" of your life? (things you would never do or have never done)

I have never made the first move in any relationship. Afraid of rejection. Never pass up a good meal (groan!). Never kept my house too clean. (LOL!)

52 Starlet Art Challenge - Ruby Keeler

2011-06-14T12:12:00.000-04:00

The starlet for Week 5 of the 52 Starlet Art Challenge is Ruby Keeler.

Ruby Keeler was the only actress that I ever remember my mother mentioning as being a particular favorite. I think it was because Ruby Keeler had that sort of wide-eyed innocent appeal that was so popular in the 30's. I'm sure my Mom saw 42nd Street because she also had mentioned that Dick Powell was another favorite. When I saw that movie as an adult, I realized that Ruby was not really a great dancer. She just had an undeniable appeal. Any young, impressionable girl could dream to be like her. All it took for success was luck and pluck and a modicum of talent. Oh, and Busby Berkely, too.

The Summer of Color - Week 1 - Color Blue

2011-06-13T09:41:00.000-04:00

First, I made this blue pendant. I started out with a wonderful new pattern I purchased from La Bella Joya called "Persian Rug." The pattern is meant to make a bracelet which includes 3 motifs. I created one motif for my pendant and embellished it a bit further than the original design. Bead weaving is my beading passion and blue is my favorite color; so I wanted to make a blue pendant as my first creation.

At the same time, I wanted to do a sort of freeform journal. Now, I don't know if this makes any sense to anyone but me. But that's OK. I enjoyed putting it together. I lost my job this week and was putting everything I was feeling into this collage.

Calla Lilies from my friend!

2011-06-10T19:47:00.000-04:00

My friend, Sandi, gave me these gorgeous calla lilies. We had made a date to meet for lunch today before I knew that yesterday was going to be my last day at work. Aren't they beautiful? I just love them!

What's Rocking your world

2011-06-10T19:29:00.000-04:00

I lost my job yesterday. I guess you can't rock things any more than that! It was not unexpected - I could see this coming since late last year. But it was the uncertainty of things that has been so frustrating for so many months. Now it's happend and at the moment, I feel exhilirated. I plan to redouble my efforts to clear things up here in Georgia and move back to live in the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area with my family as soon as I can. There is much to be done before that can happen. I have a large job ahead of me and I hope that I can keep blogging as much as I would like to during this transitional phase of my life. Hope you will all understand and stick with me until I have gotten myself established in the rest of my life.

This is the REAL me!

2011-06-09T14:26:00.000-04:00

This website is a lot of fun!

The Summer of color

2011-06-08T15:46:00.001-04:00

I'm participatiang in The Summer of Color. Click on the blinking icon to check it out. It's a ten-week challenge. Each week we are given a different color of the rainbow to work with. Our task is to create something in that color. It should be a lot of fun, so check back to see my creations starting next Monday

I have not yet decided whether I want to stick with the same type of thing to create each week, or just create whatever suits my fancy. I'm leaning toward keeping my options open; but on the other hand, I have never made a journal. Maybe this would be a good chance to do that. I'll have to think about it.

We Want to Know Wednesdays

2011-06-08T10:11:00.001-04:00

1. Everyone seems to have a quirky family situation. What is something unique about your family dynamic?

My father, sister, three daughters and 6 of my grandchildren live in Kentucky and Cincinnati. I am all alone in Georgia (except for my faithful kitties).

2. What is the most stressful aspect to blogging (aside from the network going down).

So many blogs-so little time! I like to follow a lot of blogs, but sometimes I can’t keep up with all of the posts and still have time to post myself, and then craft and do other mundane things like cleaning and eating.

3. We all end up on a blog at some point in our day, but name your top three favorite websites you flock to daily (non-blog).

Facebook, eBay, TV Guide website

4. What’s your sign? Believe in it or not, does any part ring true to you?

My birthday is July 2 – Cancer. Descriptive signs are emotional and loving, intuitive and imaginative, shrewd and cautious, protective and sympathetic. Negative signs are changeable and moody, overemotional and touchy, clinging and unable to let go. Sounds pretty accurate.

5. Ice cream! ICE CREAM!! We all scream for ice cream. Name your favorite flavor/brand.

Butter pecan – anybody’s.

Bookmarks for Gingersnap Yahoo Group Swap

2011-06-07T20:44:00.000-04:00

We had to create 4 bookmarks picturing places we would like to visit.

Thrift Store Finds

2011-06-07T20:22:00.000-04:00

In all the years I've been beading, I have never seen a copy of Bead and Button or Beadwork at a thrift store. Well, now I have! I got all of these the same day. The books are from 1997 through 2004, which is before I started beading, so all of these are new to me.

I also found a plastic bag full of paper mache boxes. Don't know what I'll do with them. Does anyone have any suggestions?

I'm a Ginger Gem!

2011-06-07T08:01:00.002-04:00

For my Lonesome Dove collage:

How about a Door Tag SWAP!

2011-06-06T22:54:00.001-04:00

Several of you have expressed interest in having a Door Tag Swap. Now that the challenge is over, the swap will begin! Here are the deets:

You do not have to trade the tag you made for the challenge; but you are welcome to do so.

If you did not take part in the challenge, you can still participate in the swap.

Leave a comment on this post if you are interested in participating.

After leaving the comment, please email me at jeanieatc at gmail dot com and give me your address. That way, when partners are paired up, I will email both partners with the applicable info. IF YOU DON'T SEND ME THIS INFO, I CAN'T PAIR YOU UP WITH A PARTNER!

I will pair people up randomly. When you know who your partner will be, I encourage you to communicate back and forth and try to get to know your partner's likes and dislikes so that you can create a tag that she will like. I am going to take part in the swap, so, for example, here is what I would tell my partner:

I like cats, flowers, classical music, cooking and TV crime shows. I am a widow, have 3 daughters and 8 grandchildren - 6 of them in Kentucky and 2 of them in Savannah. I watercolor and make beaded jewelry

In other words, let your partner know things that might inspire her to create a tag that you will enjoy. If you want to trade the tag you've already made for the challenge, that's fine as long as it is relevant to your partner.
You have until June 27 to sign up for the swap at the bottom of this post, and email me your address.

After you receive the email from me announcing your partner, you will have until July 15 to mail out your tag. I will be on vacation the end of June and the first week of July.

If an odd number of people sign up for the swap, I will trade with 2 people. Or, if there is anyone who signs up for the swap that is willing to swap with 2 people, if necessary, let me know when you sign up. I want to be sure that everyone sends to their partner, and also receives from them. I think this is the best way to get to know each other!

Let' all have fun with this - and make new blog friends, as well! Can't wait to hear from you!

Door Tag Challenge WINNER!

2011-06-06T22:18:00.000-04:00

The winner of my first-ever blog challenge is:

Karen of Karen's Monday Musings

Congratulations, Karen! As soon as you send me your address, I'll have your prize package in the mail.

Thank you so much to everyone who participated.

This was so much fun! We'll have to do it again!

Holdup in announcing winner of Door Tag contest

2011-06-06T18:08:00.000-04:00

There is one contestant who posted a link to her blog; but I can't find a door tag there. I have contacted her regarding this. If I don't hear from her by the end of the day, regretfully, I'll have to disqualify her.

That means I won't be announcing the winner until possibly tomorrow morning.

I will allow additional entries up to the time that I select the winner - which may be later tonight; but will definitely be no later than tomorrow morning.

So come on - we can use a few more tags.

CREATE!

LAST DAY FOR DOOR TAG CHALLENGE!

2011-06-06T07:38:00.000-04:00

Please post your door tag on your blog and link up to me here by 6:00 pm tonight!

52 Starlets Art Challenge - Doris Day

2011-06-06T07:32:00.000-04:00

Doris Day is the subject of week 4 of 52 Starlets Challenge.

Doris Day appeared in The Thrill of It All, which is the first film that I can remember having what seemed like an obvious commercial tie-in. In the film, her character sings of praises of 'Happy Soap,' while romancing James Garner, who I believe has never made a bad film. The 'tie in,' if it was such, was to a new dishwashing liquid just being introduced called "Thrill." Unfortunately, the detergent didn't last too long on the market, and it was difficult for me to even find an image of the bottle on the Internet!

Monday Recipe - Tartar Sauce like Frischs

2011-06-06T07:28:00.000-04:00

I wrote about this sauce in one of my posts last week, so I thought I should pass this recipe on. It is the recipe I came up with after experimenting a long time. It doesn't taste exactly like Frischs, but it is a pretty good facsimile. The sauce can be used on any sandwich. It's especially good on ham. It can be used to lightly dress an iceburg lettuce salad. Try it!

My Tartar Sauce

1/2 cup mayonnaise - any kind, even fat free, will work
2 tbsp. dill pickle relish - NOT sweet pickle relish!
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. freshly grated onion
1/4 tsp. worcestershire sauce - this is the secret ingredient!

Just mix it all together. Store in a glass jar in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving.

Blue Monday and Ruby Tuesday

2011-06-06T07:23:00.001-04:00

For today's Blue Monday and tomorrow's Ruby Tuesday, I want to show you where I have lunch many times: Donny's Country Cooking.

Here it is - in beautiful Kennesaw - just about a mile (as the crow flies) from where I work. Just in case you can't read the price posted in the window, enlarge the photo. Yes, friends, it's $6.61 plus tax. That's $7.00 even - and the price includes your sweet or unsweet tea and everything on the food bar. Donny's is a restaurant that features real home-style Southern cooking. It is owned by Donny, an Asian, and the cooking is all done by Asians, as well. Go figure. But boy, have they got it right!

That's Donny who welcomes you when you come in, and takes your money when you leave. He owns the restaurant.

This lady is on her way to the buffet area (or feeding troth, as my boss calls it). She will not be disappointed! I'll show you what I had to eat that day. I had 2 plates. First, my salad plate:

At high noon, you see my lettuce salad with cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers and pickled beets. At 2:00 you see just a smattering of delicious cole slaw. In front of that, their fantastic macaroni salad (with just a hint of curry flavoring! It's fabulous!) To the left of that, is crab salad and then the non-salad item: a fried chicken leg. I took that so that it would have time to cool down before I got ready to eat my entree. Donny's fried chicken is very authentically southern - no spices - just chicken fried in batter, letting the chicken flavor come through. It's perfect, IMHO. Now on to my entree plate:

At 12:00 you see stir fried veggies - not mushy - just crisp tender like they should be. At 2:00 is a genuine fried green tomato. You may have seen the movie, this is the real thing. And perfectly done. I don't usually eat these, as I try to limit my fried food there to just the one piece of chicken. But I thought I was duty-bound to put it on my plate that day to photograph it to show you. And then, I had no choice but to eat it. You don't want to waste food, right? LOL. In front of the fried green tomato a little taste of sirloin tips. To the left of that, green beans, and a little dash of corn. In back of the corn, Southern pinto beans. Donny's also serves the prerequisite corn bread you need to eat with them, but I avoid this.

Now, I didn't have dessert; but had I wanted to, I could have had a slice of layer cake, piece of pecan pie, jello, banana pudding, several fresh fruits, and the piece-de-resistance: CHEESECAKE. (Remember - all for $7.00!) The cheesecake is really good - no shortcuts!

Now, you'd think I couldn't stay on my diabetic diet and would gain weight eating here. But I haven't. Six months ago when I had an endocrinologist appointment my A1C was 10. That's BAD! Six months later, last week my A1C was 5 - SO MUCH BETTER! And I had not gained any weight. I think that choosing what I should eat at a buffet like this is what helped. Check out all of the veggies I ate, the small meat portions, etc.

So if you ever find yourself in Kennesaw, get in touch with me and we'll have lunch at Donny's!

Dress Challenge 2011 - Month of June - Asian Inspired

2011-06-05T20:15:00.000-04:00

This month's dress challenge was to design a dress that might appear in Asian art.

Gingersnap Creations Challenge GC104 - Color Challenge - Denim, Rust and Dust

2011-06-05T14:11:00.001-04:00

For Gingersnap's Challenge GC104. This is my three-year-old grandson, Mason.

52 Starlet Art Challenge - Maureen O'Sullivan

2011-06-05T13:09:00.000-04:00

The starlet for Week 1 of 52 Starlet Challenge is Maureen O'Sullivan.

Maureen O'Sullivan was the mother of actress Mia Farrow. Here is a photo of Maureen and Mia taken when Mia was quite young:

And here is a photo that was probably taken in the early 60's.

Isn't it strange that Mia seems to have almost the same look on her face in both pictures?

52 Starlet Art Challenge - Marilyn Monroe

2011-06-05T12:43:00.001-04:00

Marilyn Monroe is the subject of Week 3 of the 52 Starlet Challenge.

There's nothing new I can say about Marilyn Monroe. She stands alone among her peers and I think she always will. In researching my contribution I stumbled upon this amazing photo:

I can't think of two more unlikely dance partners than Marilyn and Truman Capote! He looks completely lost - not sure where to put his hands - and I have never pictured him dancing.

Door Tag Challenge ends tomorrow!

2011-06-05T09:33:00.000-04:00

Here are some of the items that will be in the prize package that will be sent to the person whose name is chosen. Don't miss out - post your tag and link it to the Door Tag Challenge!

My Treasure Shelf

2011-06-04T21:54:00.000-04:00

Here's another Thrift Shop find. I am going to use this shelf to house the matchboxes I get from the two trading groups to which I belong. There are 9 boxes on the top 2 shelves. Until I get more, I'm going to display ATC cards and other lovely things that have been sent to me

Thank you so much, dear Karla!

2011-06-04T20:49:00.000-04:00

I have received my match box from Karla (from the Treasures of the Sea swap) and she really DID send me a treasure trove! I won't re-post the photo of the box or treasures, which she posted on the Flickr site. But I wanted to single out a very special gift. She sent me a photo of her beloved Misses Peach. I am so thrilled to have this. Misses Peach now has a place of honor on my fridge, underneath a photo I have of my own kitties. Thank you , Karla! You are indeed a generous friend. I will treasure everything you sent!

Problem with 2 entries in Door Tag Challenge!

2011-06-04T19:50:00.000-04:00

There is an entry from TIN AND SPARKLE.

I cannot find the tag.

Could you please send me a direct link to the tag?

There is an entry called THE PAINT SPLASH.

The link leads to my blog.

Please send me the direct link to this tag.

Hope you can correct these problems by

Tuesday, June 6, so you will be eligible

for the door tag challenge!

Door Tag Challenge - ENDS JUNE 6!

2011-06-04T19:44:00.000-04:00

We've had some great tags entered in the challenge! There are still 2 more days in which to post your tags and link them up here to be eligible to win the prize package. I started putting the package together today and already have a nice assortment of goodies to send to the person whose name is chosen on Tuesday, June 6. Please post a tag to my first blog challenge! And thank you, everyone, who has already entered a tag! If you have already entered a tag, you can enter another one to get an additional chance to win the prize package!

Soartful Challenge

2011-06-04T19:17:00.000-04:00

This week's subject at Soartful Challenge is a classic romantic painting. But can I leave well enough alone?

Facebook Watercolor Challenge

2011-06-04T18:51:00.000-04:00

A group in Facebook invited me to a challenge to paint this picture. Here is what I came up with:

Pretty amateurish, I fear. But it was fun. If you belong to Facebook and would like to see some of the others, check here:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=172176086173812

INCREDIBLE GIVE AWAY!

2011-06-04T17:16:00.002-04:00

You've got to see this giveaway! It's just incredible! Go over to Scrap with Stacy and check it out!

Cincinnati Thrift Store Find

2011-06-04T08:56:00.000-04:00

I visited a thrift store while I was on my trip and hit the jackpot. I bought all of these piece of Noritake china for 50 cents each! It was half price day; but even at $1 each, they were a real bargain.

What's rockin' your world today?

2011-06-03T15:39:00.000-04:00

1. The heat! 98 degrees yesterday - no change today. You can wilt just walking from your car to the house! There's an orange alert, which is about as bad as it gets for those with breathing problems.

2. Another jewelry class - I'm taking another class Sunday to learn this pattern:

We'll see how far I get!

3. Back from my trip: I got back Tuesday afternoon, so I've only worked 3 days this week - and it's the weekend already! I've posted a few pictures from my trip on Facebook.

4. Lists: I've always been a listmaker, but it gets worse all the time. I have to make a list for EVERYTHING and review it often to keep myself on track. Then, if the lists get too long, I start to despair that I can't get it all done. I see so many neat challenges and trades in blogland, and I want to do them all; but I need to discipline myself and leave some room for other things like (oh, for example) CLEANING!When I do finish something, I cross it off my list and feel good. But if I've added 4 more things to the list in the meantime, it just never ends. Some things stay on my list for a long time and others come and go quickly. I have even been known to write something on the list that I have already done just for the pleasure of crossing it off! Can you believe that? I have 3 main lists: stuff from the real world, and 2 art lists. The real world list is pretty boring, as you can imagine. The first art list includes things I'm looking for, things I want to make, etc. Then the second art list is swaps I'm involved in including deadlines, addresses, etc. This list has gotten longer lately! I need to either work faster or weed some things out. Have you had to handle this problem? And if so, how did you handle it?

5. Hamburgers: Yes, sad to say, but hamburgers rock my world on a regular basis. While in the greater Cincinnati area I enjoyed this lovely meal:

This is a Frisch's Big Boy platter. PLEASE don't tell my doctor I ate French fries! I'm not supposed to! Not pictured is a small dish of heavenly sweet-sour cole slaw. I could not resist the fries because of Frisch's signature tartar sauce - served on everything, including fish. Dipping your French fries in this delectible sauce is just about as close to Nirvana as you are ever likely to get! (You can see the small containers of extra tartar sauce in back of the plate). EVERYONE orders extra tartar sauce. They even sell the stuff in jars!You will see that the Big Boy has the middle bun, which I joked about removing in order to save calories. But it's not a bad idea. I didn't do it the day I ate this, though. It had been so long since I'd enjoyed this tasty treat that I devoured everything. This was my very first meal in my home town area.

Friday Fill-Ins

2011-06-03T07:58:00.001-04:00

1. Hey! It’s not summer yet! It can’t be 98 degrees!.

2. In every lie there is a kernel of truth.

3. Eat in sensible portions, so my doctor says…

4. …so I order my Big Mac with no bun in the middle.

5. First thing to note: it will always take more time than you think it will.

6. My cats are a constant distraction.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to getting some rest, tomorrow my plans include getting some rest and Sunday, I want to take a jewelry class before getting some rest!