New Blogs to See/Monday Musing Participant

I've added several new people to the blog list at the left. Found a particularly inspiring one today:
Paper Thoughts
Go check them all out!

Remember, we are doing 'Monday Musings' (scroll down for details.) I've had my first participant. So exciting! And I thought I was talking to myself here!
Go visit Turquoise Cro's 'Bless God' collage! Fabulous! I wanna know how she did that background!

DD Sophia's 'Masterpiece'

I just had to share. DD Sophia came in my room a little bit ago, while I was working on organizing. Here is how the experience ensued.
"Mom, I need scissors and paper."
"Why? You're supposed to be reading."
"I'm done, I want to make something."
She goes off to make something and brings back this adorable statue of a girl.
"Ohhh, a wedding girl! How sweet!"
"Mom, it's YOU!"
"Ohhhh, I look beautiful! Thank you!"
"Can you scan it mom? (but she takes it back from me), oops, you need daddy!"
Off she goes to make daddy, then eventually adds herself in the middle.
"Mom, should I put sissy's head and neck?"
"Sweetie, it's YOUR art piece."
"Mom (in an exasperated tone), you mean my MASTERPIECE!"
"Oh, of course dear."

('Masterpiece' made with toilet paper, Q-Tips, Cardstock, Crayons and Scotch tape of course.)

Monday Musings Challenge

Mondays are always hard for me. I'm tired from the weekend's activities, I seem to have so much on my mental list to do, that it seems like I won't get art time this week. I'm sitting here staring at the girls doing their schoolwork (homeschooled we are) and thinking how precious and brief life is. How we must take what we're given and run with it. God has blessed me.

I had a 'Monday' thought. Instead of thinking on Mondays that I won't get art time this week, I'm going to make a goal. On Mondays I will post a 'musing', saying or quote and make a goal to create a piece of artwork for that topic. I challenge the 2 people who read my blog (and any others that stumble across my echo chamber) to join me. Comment on this post when you have a piece of artwork in this theme to share, by Sunday night. Next Monday I'll post with a list of everyone's artwork (with links to it), and post a new musing. Come on, it will be fun! Everyone needs a goal. *wink*

Here goes. Since I'm feeling blessed today, we'll do 'BLESSINGS'. Here are some sayings to get you started in the right direction:

"Love and kindness are never wasted. They always make a difference.They bless the one who receives them,and they bless you,the giver.” - Barbara DeAngelis
"God bless the roots! Body and soul are one.” - Theodore Roethke
"The person who can bring the spirit of laughter into a room is indeed blessed.” - Bennet Cerf
“A friend is one with whom you are comfortable, to whom you are loyal, through whom you are blessed, and for whom you are grateful.” - William Arthur Ward
“Blessed are the hearts that can bend; they shall never be broken.” - Albert Camus
“Art is essentially the affirmation, the blessing, and the deification of existence” - Friedrich Nietzsche
"Blessed are we who can laugh at ourselves, for we shall never cease to be amused." - unknown

Inspire Me Thursday (Collaged Self Portrait)

The theme for this week's 'Inspire Me Thursday' was a self portrait, not using a camera. Pretty hard, especially for people like me who can't draw. Im a collage artist for criminy's sake!

So I cut a 6" by 6 1/2" pc of cardstock, sketched what I look like as best I could (yes, my family & DH recognized who the drawing was of, because of my double chin. I'll admit it.), then proceeded to cover the 'hair part' in all things red. My eyes are green, my hair is shades of red. If you'll look real close, the collage represents stuff about me:

1. I love face stamps (there is one there on 2 pcs)
2. I love asian anything (see the red diamond paper?)
3. I love using alcohol inks
4. I love metallic anything
5. Basic Grey is my FAV paper line
6. I love listening to music, especially classical when I do art
7. I love making mail art, using old/used stamps
8. My favorite color is green (which happens to be the color of my eyes and 75% of my shirts.)
9. I love using wings in collage
10. My 2nd favorite color is red.

Didn't know how I would collage my teeth or face, so I left it as is. I think I like it. I'm a little goofy looking, but that's normal. *wink*

Secret Confessions of a Bookstore Jotter

I'll admit it, I'm not rich. I just can't buy all the books and magazines I drool over at Borders and B&N. I wish I could, but I have a voracious appetite for reading and books, so what is a girl to do? DD and I love to go to Borders, grab a coffee & muffin (she gets a Kahlua Mocha Freeze - expensive little suckers...), some books and mags and plop down and read for hours.

Here is the confession: I bring my journal and a pen. I sketch out ideas from the art books and mags, write down websites to visit, companies to look up, things I 'wish' to buy, techniques to try. I write down names of new books, so I can order them through the library. The problem is, I feel guilty! Like I need to hide my journal so no one working there knows! Does anyone else do this? It feels almost like walking through a donut store, licking the donuts just for a taste, but not buying any. KWIM?

Well, while I was feeling guilty jotting down ideas and notes, these are the fabulous books I looked through today (You should give them a gander.):
Collage With Color - Jane Davies
Art Stamping Workshop - Gloria Page (it was so WEIRD that I happened to pick this one up! Not 10 mins before, I was at Michaels and bought a rubber stamp carving kit with my 40% off coupon! This book talked all about doing that!)
Fabric Art Journals - Pam Sussman (even if you have never sewed a lick, this book is going to make you go in search of a needle, thread and/or sewing machine. YUM!)
Altered Books, Collaborative Journals, and other Adventures in Bookmaking - Holly Harrison (yummy illustrations)
Collage Sourcebook (I HAVE to own this book!)
Complete Guide to Altered Imagery (I'll admit, I had this out from the library for the last month but had to give it back. I couldn't stand it. I had to look at it again at the bookstore. It's on my list to own as well.)

Blog Overload

Did you know you could read too many blogs? I'm sitting here in overload. I have this list of stuff to work on, art table to clean, people to call, cleaning to do, etc... and here I sit, reading every blog that everyone has on their blogs. You know how when you go the library with no plan on what your looking for? How you stare at all the fabulous books, reading an excerpt of each (at least the inside covers), thinking 'how will I choose'? It's kind of like that. How do you stop at just one? It's like that chip commerical 'you can't eat just one'. I can't eat just one blog...

Here are some I've found today and in recent weeks that made their way into my favorites:
http://alteredimagery.blogspot.com
http://altereddiva.blogspot.com
http://www.somethingsublime.typepad.com
http://www.alteredbelly.blogspot.com
http://alteredantiquity.typepad.com
http://claudinehellmuth.blogspot.com
http://artjournaler.typepad.com

I'm addicted to the altered blogs you see... I'm branching out though. I read some others that were of writers, photographers, a lady in Italy and her travels, cartoonists (those are interesting and yet scary sometimes. ha!) and some MAMS (middle aged mothers).

I am getting off this computer right now to tackle my list of things to do. If you see me back here and I haven't announced I'm done, shoo me out of here. While I'm gone, check out the blogs. They're fabulous! Be careful though, you might get sucked in as well. *wink*

Inspire Me Thursday (last wk's ATCs)

I stumbled across this cool blog last week. It is Inspire Me Thursday. Each week is a new inspiration to help you with your art work. A challenge if you will. I tried to post last week's challenge, last night but my computer wasn't cooperating. The first one is one of my favs I made in the past, the last 2, I made last week.

I will work on this week's inspiration and post it this week. We're to do a self portrait using no camera. So obviously NOT a picture of ourselves. Should be a great challenge.

ROOM UPDATE: I'm so close I can almost taste it. I am down to paper ephemera. Images I mean. Couple other little things to do like a whole bag of stamps to mount, 2 bags of stickers to decide if I'm keeping or putting in the sell/trade pile and baggies to group and store. Can you smell the victory??!! I'm SO itching to CREATE! I have a scrapbooking crop tomorrow night and I need to be packed for that as well. Can't wait!

Sidetracked...

I caved. This evening I was fully intent on working on the organizing project. But I came home from a 'Stamp-In Up' party and was just excited about the time I had. Not in the product or anything like that (although they have wonderful ink pads of which I bought a couple), but in the fulfilling time I had with friends. My homeschool group friends. I came home and thought, "I want to make something to celebrate friendship." So you can say I was sidetracked, but I couldn't focus on the cleaning when this was in my mind. It is just nice to have friends who share a passion for art; whether stamping, scrapping or other endeavors.

So right now the wire is out, the brads, the paints... well, you get the picture. I'm going to clean it up, I swear. I just feel better now.

Saying/Quote: "As women, we find power not when we are dominating others, but when we are in authentic relationship with others, when we are true to ourselves and our passions."

Thanks ladies. I had a fun time.

He's Right...

Am I allowed to say that or does it upset the flow of the universe to admit my husband might be right? Art is an obsession. I found myself pulling out art supplies right now when I had an idea. Then I had to stop myself, put it all back. I'm in the middle of an organization! DUH! It's like going cold turkey from an addiction. I figured I could type that here to the 2 people who read my blog, and you all would understand (except DH *wink*).

A quote by Richard Avedon about his photography seems to apply well to any art if you're 'obsessed' like me.

"If a day goes by without my doing something related to photography, it's as though I've neglected something essential to my existence, as though I had forgotten to wake up." -- Richard Avedon

(Coin Folder I altered from a ScrapAddict.com Altered kit)

Still Going... (Think Energizer Bunny)

Here I've been organizing this art room hard core for 3 days straight, so you would think I might have enough stuff and never need to buy another thing. Apparently not. Michaels had their flyer in the paper this Sunday and included an extra 50% coupon, so off I went! Bought lots of yummy stuff and used my coupon on Pearl Ex powders. I've used them only once before. I'm going to figure all the wonderful ways to use them, so look for Pearl Ex projects from me soon.

Since I haven't been able to do any art when I'm working on this room (I can barely find my keyboard, give me a break!), I'm in withdrawal. DH came in my 'organized chaos' and said he didn't 'get it'. Didn't get how I can want to do art, scrapbooking, whatever, all the time. He says it might be obsessive. I say maybe he needs to get a hobby! ha With comments like that, he better start sucking up if wants me to immortalize him in collage. hehe

He went off to the basement to practice his new 'sport' solo ping-pong. Apparently there are only 12 people in the US who are good enough to compete with people outside the US. Maybe he hopes to join them and make it to the Olympics? Anyway, he is having fun, maybe it's his new hobby? He was looking up the local 'Ping-Pong Association' last time I saw him.

Organizing Update: Floor is clean, Paper and CS filed, up to my elbows in embellishments now, but almost done. Then flowers, ribbon and ephemera images and I should done with just minor adjustments. I swear I need to celebrate or something! Wonder what else is on sale at Michaels? ha

Here is a sample of some recent collaged ATCs. They were for an ABC Vintage Collage Swap I ran on one of my Yahoo groups. Most of the backgrounds are collage. I can't wait to get back to art. Organized art room pics coming soon.

Organized Chaos...

Never tell people you are organizing anything. Then you have to actually DO IT! I've been 'organizing' my art rooms for about 6 months now. I kept telling myself, no matter what I put in order, if my ephemera wasn't completed, then I was unorganized. The reason behind this was, I had 4, COUNT EM'! 4 laundry baskets full of ephemera and embellishments to organize or I would never be able to find anything. I FINALLY started tackling that tonight.

I'm on a break right now. I know, for the 2 people who may read this blog, THey're shocked, it's 3 am. I know, I should be in bed. But I'm not done. Right now I'm typing with my keyboard on my lap. It's not comfortable. And my mouse has to be manuvered on top of a box of 'stuff'. So I have to get this art desk back to its 'NORMAL' messy self.

Side note. I'm cleaning off my DVR this weekend. It has exactly 97 hours of taped shows and movies. Ridiculous! I just went in the bedroom to see if it was done taping a movie to a tape and I caught the 'kissing' scene in Some Kind Of Wonderful. Don't you love that movie? Fabulous! That kissing part makes me want to run find someone to kiss. DH is asleep, so that would be no fun. I'd just get a 'huh? What?' No smoochy anything.

Well, I'm back to ephemera sorting, hoping I find my desk soon. Go kiss someone for me, ya hear?

My daughter, Alex

My daughter informs me I need to move into the 21st century. I need to join the 'normal' people who have blogs, use their cell phones for more than telling the time and people who actually leave their houses to do things besides art. I figure, I'm happy. If it ain't 'baroque' why listen to it?

Next she informs me that SHE needs a blog. I'm like 'UH UH! You're 13, you need to do homework!' ha Needless to say, she will live vicariously through me, as she helps me build this blog.

Collage Contessa has to do with my artwork. I love collage. I love ephemera. Heck, I just love art. It's a passion (some would say an obsession *eyeroll*.) I enjoy it, and do art daily if I can help it. Right now my hands are 4 shades of paint. I was painting backgrounds for ATCs. Don't know what those are? Here is one I finished up today:

I'll leave you with a quote for the day:
"Only those who will risk going too far, can possibly find out how far one can go." T.S. Eliot

The Collage Contessa LIVES!

My new blog, under construction. Don't mind the dust. Here's a picture to appease you (layout of our August 2005 trip to Jekyll Island, Georgia. It was gorgeous and I'm SOOOOOO ready to move there now!)