Here are my two Christmas ornaments for our group's 2" x 2" Ornament swap. I had fun experimenting a bit with these. I use plumber's aluminum tape - it is silver, wide and has a sticky backing - then dribbled alcohol inks in different colors and then dabbed with a...a....dabber thingy! The result is a stained glass effect on "metal" that I then cut to use around the border. Merry Christmas!

I tried something new for gifts this year for my dear co-owners in our art group. I've always wanted to decorate - excuse me, ALTER - a paper mache woman's figure form. I am very pleased with how they came out and I hope my girlfriends are happy with their Christmas gifts! Robin and Dove are two amazing women, each with their own unique talents, of which they possess many. I am so fortunate to call them my dear friends and I look forward to a wonderful New Year working with them in our group! Merry Christmas to you all!

I thought I'd catch up a bit since it is Christmas Eve! We had a 4x4 Autumn swap (picture above) and I was very late in getting it out! Anyway, I am pleased with the results and the recipient liked it, too! The other picture is of a "Spirit Ladder" - the idea came from Cloth Paper Scissors magazine - a reader had sent her picture in with the poem she attaches to her ladders. Their idea is to lift one's spirit and the ways to personalize it are endless!

We are still continuing to work on our art journals, though times are tough, busy and the economy is hurting us all. None the less, I worked on 3 spreads in my dear friend Robin's journal. I think it will continue on to one more artist, then make its way home. I've many projects to finish for the year end, so I'll get back to creating! Enjoy and namaste.

Our Art Journal RR is still moving along...it's a little harder with the economy affecting everyone, and life's other interruptions (injuries, death), but I have completed a few... The first pic is my addition to Kristal's journal. I used pictures of my great-grandparents (mother's side). The second pic is Jen's journal. She chose "our bodies, our selves" as a theme...now, that was a great challenge! The sunflower entry is for Dove's journal; "Friendship is the golden thread that ties all hearts together". It certainly does in this group. The last picture is for Cheri's journal - she is our friend across the Big Pond (England). So, I'd better get going and finish up Kimberly's. Yes, Robin...I have been procrastinating but with good reasons this time LOLOL! Enjoy the weekend and especially the EXTRA HOUR OF SLEEP!!! It is about time!! And as always...thanks for stopping by! Terry

Two of my favorite things are cats and coffee. I joined in the "Art in a Jar" swap in my group and came up with this crazy little idea of cats at a coffe shop. It was to be a summer theme and after browsing the sticker aisle and my own sticker stash, it all just came together. Of course, I was thirsty for some Starbucks by the time I was done.........

Zentagle is becoming quite a craze with my friends. It is an art form that is fun, freeing and easy to cart around. As I was flying to So. Dakota, I took my art journal (one of many) and did some "Tangling". The pictures above are from a Round Robin we recently finished. We chose small 4" x 6" photo albums (thank you Dove) and we each got to choose a theme. I wanted a Zentangle one so the ladies came through and did a fabulous job!! I agree with you, Dove - I will paint the dove's heart red!

Another Round Robin we had fun doing was similar to an earlier one...5" x 7" canvas using black & white shades only. This time we chose 2 colors and a metallic. I chose blue, ochre and copper and I couldn't be more thrilled with the results! The ladies in Altered Arts of Visions and Dreams are so talented, so "playing" with them is always a joy! Thank you Robin, Dove, and Kristal for playing in these two RR's! You ladies always amaze me and I look forward to some exciting projects to share with you next year!

Today, I'm going to try and upload swaps I've been involved with over the past several months. We moved into Autumn and Halloween with our work, but mostly Autumn. This is a mini-compolsition book I made for our swap...the front has the heart on it. I tried just being free with tissue paper, leaves and matte medium. My dear friend Robin is trying to get me to stop looking at being perfectionistic and be more...well, I'll say haphazard LOLOL, but really I just need to be more open, loose, free with the way I approach things. I do procrastinate because I think I'll find the perfect thing to do/make/create. WRONG! She actually gave me instructions - a sort of exercise - to try. As we talked on the phone, she dictated to me and I now call it the "Robin's Butt-Kicking Class" and I am forever grateful to her for it! She has definitely got me going LOLOL!

It is now November and I have been delayed once more in posting because of the death of my dear Uncle Bud (86). A trip to So. Dakota is always fun, and seeing relatives you haven't seen in years is wonderful...but this was a very bittersweet trip. God speed, Uncle Bud...you had a wonderful life and your smile and jokes will be missed.

Sorry I've been away for so long. I have had surgery on my left shoulder and did not realize how it would affect my art world...................sheesh. It has been hard, but many have been through worse, so I will not complain. In the next few days I will get up to speed on adding pics and stories about my crazy world LOL! Hope you all had a wonderful summer, are enjoying MY favorite time of year, Autumn, and are filling your lives with art, fun, art, laughs, art, love, art happiness and of course lot's of creative time! Namaste and I'll be back soon!

At last...here is my finished Black & White Canvas from our group's Round Robin! I am so excited and thrilled with the finished result of 7 artitsts on this little 5" x 7" canvas. Who would know what to expect...that is the fun of it! I named this piece "Serenity" when I sent it on its way, and I saw the progress as it traveled from artist to artist, each adding a special touch that has become so dear. One may look and say, "It's so busy", but to me it truly is serene from the lovely ladies, to the shells, baubles & beads, to the dream catcher. It is a cherished piece that has been carefully scultped...and no, I did not peek at the final picture posted! I waited for the real deal and it took my breath away. Thank you all, ladies of Altered Art of Visions and Dreams!

Okay, I will try and add the pics of my art journal for the Round Robin we're doing in my group. I've chosen the name "Prism Journey" because I used the colors of the rainbow, and I give FULL credit to my husband for helping me with that name...Thank you sweetpea! The pic with the Heart is the front, the title is on the inside, then sign in page, then my yellow spread, and finally the colors for all the ladies to use. I know I won't get them in order, so please bear with the craziness LOL! Hope you enjoy, and I'll post when the journal comes home! Peace.

I just (literally) finished my lesson in collage from "Artistic Journaling...Your Way". It's in remembrance of my mom who passed away 7 years ago. Only one more lesson...self portrait of sorts...and I'm done with the class. I highly recommend it...even if you don't care for my art, it is a great class LOL!

Peace everyone.

Can you also say "Spring is in the Air"? That is the title for our group's newest monthly project. all Third Thursdays are quick little pieces of art with a theme. I know many groups have done weekly and monthly swaps, so this is not unusual. But, it does help with keeping one in the art mode, even if just for a bit at a time, and also gives us something to look forward to sharing with others. Mine has the "bouncing" bee, springin from flower to flower...a little corny, but cute. This is the first time I've used watercolor crayons...who'd a thunk! Not too different from pencils, at least so far. Maybe after a few more tries I'll see some difference.

These two pages are the next lesson in my 'Art Journaling, Your Way' class.

Though the pages are reversed (The Sun page is #2) you get the idea.

This was fun and actually very freeing. You start with a gessoed page(s) and then write with your opposite writing hand a letter to yourself, or thoughts you want to express maybe quietly and not so openly for everyone to see. Next is layers of color, and more shapes and words. My only regret is that I should hav taken a picture of my hidden words...I really covered them more than expected or intended (make note to self!). But I am pleased and am ready to move on to the next adventure (aka Lesson).

Some time ago, I hosted a Heart Puzzle swap in my group. Pieces of blank heart puzzles were sent out to the participants - no one got a piece with their own name on it. The pieces were to be 'altered', sent back to me, then I sent the respective pieces to each owner. The finished puzzles are posted down a ways in my blog.

So, as I was creating in my art journal for my class, I started applying the left over paint to a small canvas that I had decided would work to hold my "Heart". The heart was glued to thin cardboard, then onto the finshed canvas. I really like the oddness of it...bright, crazy colors and charms over a muted background. Hope you enjoy it, too!

Okay, once again time flies. The Group is going very well with a Black & White canvas Round Robin which I can't wait to get my hands on the next one in line...they are all turning out so incredibly beautiful! Imagination and creative muses are flowing freely in this group. But, to the pictures here - I am in the Creative Workshops "Art Journaling, Your Way" class and have done 2 lessons. The first one is the crazy doodle above, the second is one using watercolors and words. This is a great workshop to be in - it is the second class I've joined and will continue with them! As for other happenings, today is my 33rd wedding anniversary. Our garden is growing like crazy now that we have some California sunshine after much needed rain showers. My cactii and succulents are getting trimmed when time allows, and pictures will be taken as their blooms open. Many of these plants are from my mother's and father-in-law's gardens after they both passed away. My husband and I share a special connection with our parents through these lovely green, red, and gray toned life shapes...we see them as alive beyond the fact they are plants. They bring us joy, changes of seasons and wonderful rememberings of our parents. These adornments in our yard are bursting with love and happiness. Also, with the Vernal Equinox, we have the return of our "house rainbows"! I have crystals hanging in my kitchen window and when the Vernal and Autmnal equinoxes occur (March 21 and September 21 approx.), the sun hits just at the right angle and rainbows bounce off the crytals and fly around my kitchen and family room. Sometimes a rainbow will land in a special place...last year it landed on the signature of my Aunt Ruth's painting - so fitting! Well, time to take on the day...if you stop by, thank you and have a great weekend!

Happy St. Paddy's Day (Patty's?). So a lot has been going on in my life; much is not so great, but I don't need to mention it here. I am now back and ready to try and keep up the blog with a little more diligence.

I have been asked to be co-owner of Altered Art of Visions and Dreams...I am so excited and humbled, and love working with everyone in the group. We have done several swaps including the cards featured above. We decided to do Passport Cards of 2 places we dream to visit some day...mine being Alaska and Australia. We then will put them into our own passport folder (which I still need to make). All the cards are so beautiful and make you want to take flight!

My focus for now is on 2 things: I am currently writing instructions for some new swaps (need to not get bogged down in this LOL) and I am also taking a class from Creative Workshops called "Artistic Journaling, Your Way" by Jodi Ohl. I've tried journaling in the past, and have many books that have maybe 20-40 pages written, but then the rest is left blank. Not sure what to do with them since they date back to the 80's. Perhaps I'll take out the written pages, put them in order chronologically and then start again with the blank books. I'm slow to getting into a good rhythm with this class, though I do have the first lesson almost done - thank goodness these classes don't have a time schedule. I do love the content and will learn more about using a lot of the mediums I have laying around. It is also going to be a very 'freeing' class; much of what I am sure to learn will flow into my life and my future art.

Well, I'll say bye for now - I have a Black & White Round Robin canvas to add to and am anxious to get my hands creatively dirty!!