House-A-Fire Creations & GIVEAWAY

Yes, another swap. I try not to join them but when a good topic comes along, I have such trouble resisting. It's kind of like brownies. Now say, if you put cole slaw in front of me or liver and onions, I'd be able to resist. No problemo. But not brownies. Not GOOD swaps either.

This swap hosted at Altered Gypsies Forum boards was to make houses out of the basic postcard shape. Either 3 1/2" x 5" or 4 1/4" x 6". Of course to be difficult, I had to do both. 

I can't decide on a favorite. I want to keep them all!  I won't, but YOU can win one. GIVEAWAY! Tell me your favorite and why. I'm giving away one or two of them this by Wednesday of next week. Feel free to share this giveaway with friends or on your blog. Fun fun fun!

P.S. All the door images are made with Altered Pages collage sheet images.

Tables Rejoice, Spring Bunting Under Way

This last week the lights were turned on in the studio. Imagine that! The tables rejoiced as I cleaned through all the piles of mismatched things out of place. We have a huge undertaking getting ready to happen and the tables are needed. 

Hubby is going to totally redo our floors while I'm supposed to be out of town in a couple weeks. So most everything in the house has to find its way into our basement and subsequently into my studio. After all, space is premium around here. But last night I couldn't resist one last hurrah before the tables were covered once more.

I joined Amy's Spring Bunting Swap. Don't ask me why, I need a new project like I need pounds on my behind but she enticed me with her description. I could just imagine a pretty bunting decking out my fireplace, with my pretty new floors. I could decorate for spring! Have a May Day party. And I would most definitely need a bunting banner for that!

My pieces are not quite complete but I thought a little tease wouldn't hurt, plus it keeps me working. I'll be back soon with completed pieces.

Happy spring everyone! 

P.S. If you want to know what I've been up to (hint, it involves plants and animals), visit my homeschool blog for all my latest posts.

Monday Monday, So Good To Me...

Yesterday, Monday was a whirlwind day ALL DAY TO MYSELF! When was the last time that happened? Mom called Sunday and asked for the child to stay the night and wondered if exercising, helping out with the Centennial planning at the church AND making Whoopie Pies would count towards homeschool hours? I figured, sure. Exercise=PE, Centennial=Community Service, Whoopie Pies=Baking/Math/Measuring. Hey, I would agree to just about anything so I could have the day to myself. Not that I don't love the little munch, but a day all to my lonesome sounded awesome!

Here's how I spent my day:

Listing Items on Ebay

Listing Books on Half.com

Listing Items on Etsy (no art yet, just vintage and supplies.)

NOTE: In honor of National Money Week (and St. Patrick's Day) I'm offering a 15% coupon to my Etsy store, to save you some GREEN! Code: MONEYWEEK. Good until 3/19/11.

Avoiding these that hubby baked last night (carbaliciousness Jumbo Pretzels!)

Cleaning Off the Ole' Cam-Er-A. And the camera on my phone. I find it funny, the things I took pictures of with my camera for the last few months, or in the case of the phone, the last 2 YEARS! Yes, it's been that long since I cleared it. Do you save your pics to another location besides your phone? My phone pics tend to be pics I take to text to someone or Facebook right away. Apparently I have a thing for food. Almost half of my phone pictures were of food. No wonder I'm on a diet!

How did you spend your fine Monday?

She Dreams in Color...

I had this dream the other day about art. Oh, not like the usual dreams of colors and vibrant words, paintbrushes swiping wildly across piles and piles of primed canvases. Of rugged textures, ribbons and lace, papers and wax, hot and dripping into color crevices. Time rushing by, yet standing quite still...

This dream was the anti-art dream. The one you don't like to have. Bright white canvases, lonely paintbrushes gathering dust, paints drying up, papers yellowing and crumbling into decay. Forgotten and alone.

Fear and indecision reigned.

But then the scene changes, the french doors are thrown open, fear is no more, sunshine streams in and the smell of the balmy beach air fills the space (I can dream right?! lol)  I see myself flow in. Yes, flow in. For some reason I'm wearing one of those colorful caftans, I'm fabulously thin (again, dreaming here.) My hair is long, dark red and wild, with stunning locks of hot pink, turquoise and blond. I'm free and happy and filled with purpose. I don't know what the day will hold but I do know it will end with messy tables, paint on my cheek and gallons of joy.

Think the universe is trying to tell me something?

This is as Close as I Get...

I have not done art in quite a while and I'm starting to miss it! I hadn't known how to keep the fire alive and was starting to think maybe I didn't want to do art anymore. I realized the desire is still there, but LIFE has been in my way. Health issues, homeschool to teach, many other things that just take my time and energy.

Yet, there are seasons for things. I'm hoping the season of ART is upon me. This is the pile of reading books by my bed tonight. I'm enjoying preusing them all, especially the Journal Junkies Workshop. A couple are for me, one is on children, the rest are art.

I received a nice box of Raven art journals to work on. I'm working with a group from Altered Gypsy forums to complete them. The work that has gone into each page is just breathtaking, and its time to add my  work. I hear my own personal journal is about to find its way back home to me. To say I'm excited is an understatement. I'll have to share photos when it returns home safe and sound. I've already forgotten what the cover looks like! Thankfully, this blog has search capabilities. Here it is.

What artsy things are going on in your life? Are you making time?

Books in pile: