Gloppy Fabric Softener

Just went to wash my laundry and it is so cold in the basement that the fabric softener has formed into globs. Kinda like milk when it starts to curdle. I guess that means winter is coming. Mom's favorite time of year. She loved layering up with sweaters and thick socks. I'm sure she would have loved watching her grand kids go trick or treating. I would have called her up and invited her over to sleep in my basement because it's like a refrigerator down there. I know she would have come.

A Year of Questions and Answers

In 2007 I participated in an art journal challenge by Emily. This year she is hosting it again. If you feel like letting your creative side loose, please join. I will be posting my weekly card, so stay tuned....

Art

Art Cart #52: Art

This is the last art card for the year. These little journal cards have helped my creative process. I feel more confident when I sit down to create. I was very excited to see a workshop offered through the Indianapolis Marion County Public Library, the Arts Council of Indianapolis, and the Indiana Arts Commission. I signed up for The Art of Altered Books which will be held on January 28. It is taught by Sarah Strong from the Herron School of Art and Design. The workshop teaches how to turn any book, old or new, into a work of art. I am looking forward to this and will let you all know how it goes.

The Greatest Gift

Art Card #51: Made Me Think Of You!
When I hang the stockings for Santa I think of my Aunt M. She is an amazing woman. Anyone would be jumping for the chance to have her as an Aunt. She knit my family matching stockings. My Great Grandmother knit mine when I was a baby. I grew up hanging my hand knit, red and white stocking, with the green tree in the middle, on the fourth hook. It hung next to my brothers and sisters stockings every year. It was tradition to have matching stockings. After my Great Grandmother pasted away my Aunt took on the task of knitting matching ones for her own children. I learned about her incredible talent and yearned for my own children to have a special stocking. So I begged my Aunt M. to knit my family some. She knit three for my family. I hope she knows how much I appreciate her hard work. I love the way they look hanging on the hooks. Every year I think of Aunt M. and I smile.


Art Card #50: The Greatest Gift
This year my sister is making me a gift. It is a collection of memories about my mother. I can't wait to open it. It is going to be the greatest gift. This card reminds me of the sunsets that my mother enjoyed. It also reminds me of the balloons at her funeral (click colored words to read more).

Happy Place

Art Card #46: Rejuvenation

What do you do? How do you do it, etc?

I get a haircut and it rejuvenates me. I usually get 3-5 inches cut off at a time so I can see a difference. Sitting in the salon, being pampered, without any kids is so nice.

(Supplies: acrylic paint, scrapbook walls paper, bohemia rub on, machine stitching)

Art Card #47: Your Happy Place

Do you have a special spot? Your place where you can go and be happy!

I love the mountains. I can always be happy hiking down a trail to a lake. I really enjoy mountain biking with DH. (Not in the snow though!) It has been such a long time since we have gone mountain biking. I loved the Fisher Creek loop we rode in Idaho. Long grueling push to the top and then a sweet downhill! Whheeeee!

(Supplies: magazine clipping from REI, acrylic paint, miss elizabeth sticker, bohemia rub on, machine stitching)

Self Realisation

Art Card #45: What have you come to discover about yourself lately?

I can jog two miles. A couple years ago my friends invited me to get up early in the morning and go jogging! I laughed at the idea. Me, jog? I would rather sleep in as late as possible, thank you very much! She was a very convincing friend. She told me I would feel better about myself and have more energy. She told me that when my children greeted me in an awakened state it would be much more pleasant than when they shouted my name and told me they wanted breakfast while I was pulling the sheets up over my head. So I gave it a try. I needed to keep my body healthy and I was up for the challenge. At first I could barely go a quarter of a mile without stopping to walk a bit and catch my breath. My friends were so nice to walk with me and help me build up my endurance. I stuck with it and each month I tried to go a little bit farther. Two years later, I can run two miles without stopping! I'm sticking to this jogging habit.

Supplies: Magazine clipping from REI, stickers from Miss Elizabeth's, patterned papper from "The Stack"

Home

Art Card #44: Home

Our current home is a two bedroom townhouse. I have a desk in my closet for setting up my creative corner since space is sparse. I sew and make cards in my closet. Sometimes other family members find it handy and ask to borrow it, sitting at the desk on a folding chair. Our house is not a big place but it's home. We are warm in winter, cool in summer, and have our own fenced in backyard. We have plenty of places to snuggle up with a good book and read. We have warm cookies from the oven. There are families that live in cardboard walled houses with corrugated tin roofs. I know I've been inside them. So compared to them I live in a Mansion!

supplies: Miss Elizabeth's stickers, acrylic paint, & photo caption stickers.

sCaRy

Art Card #43: sCaRy

What scares you?

Gecko's scare me! It took a lot of guts to admit here on-line to my fellow readers who may think I am strong and brave. They are not poisonous, don't have sharp teeth, or let off foul odors, so why am I so easily frightened by gecko's?

When I lived in Manila we had them in our house. Their skin is see-through. They hang out on the walls looking for insects to eat. It is kind of freaky to see their heart beating under their pale skin. I have a phobia that they will jump off the wall and onto me. Especially when I am most vulnerable; in the CR (comfort room). One time I was taking a shower and looked up to see one above me. I screamed. I don't like to be surprised like that while in the shower.

Gratitude Week

#41 If you had a magic carpet RIGHT NOW... where would you ask it to go?

That all depends if I don't fall off on the way... especially since I will be flying over the ocean to Australia. When I was a little girl my grandfather went there on a trip and brought back a stuffed koala bear. We sat in the dark watching his slide show. I would love to visit someday. So I am dreaming I could have a magic carpet.

#42: A Grateful Week: Be more grateful this week for the little things.
I went to see my sister last week and she had a present wrapped in delicious paper with a huge bow. I opened it to find a willow tree statue. It was entitled "Chrysalis: Protect and cherish; give wings to fly." I am grateful she is my sister. What a special surprise.
I married someone with integrity. Working as a door to door sale's man one summer he told me of the selling gimmicks others where using to make sales. He refused to participate. My husband is someone who has that wonderful characteristic.
Exercise is important for a healthy heart. PBS is running a series about heart disease and it motivates me to get my daily exercise.

Art Card #40

Not Anymore:

I am not afraid to study, learn, and form my own opinion. "We can copy others, we can live to please others, or we can discover what is unique and precious to us and become that."

supplies: acrylic paint, flower stamp, silver embossing powder, rub ons- that says "The Joy of Discovery" from memory makers.

The quote is from the book, Psychology and Personal Growth by Nelson Goud and Abe Arkoff.

Art Card #39

Someone spesh! (Special that is)

My dear friend Carrie. She loves me unconditionally. She has always been there for me. So this card is in honor of her. I met her when I was a gangly teenager trying to figure life out. She accepted me for who I was and taught me that anything is possible. Even though we live far apart and I don't get to see her as often as I would like, I feel lucky to count her as my friend.

Art Card #38

I wonder...

Where will we live next year?

I also wonder, what kind of pet will we get when we are done living in a small apartment?

My girls can't wait to get a small dog?

Does anyone have any good suggestions?

We can't wait to find out the answers to these questions.

Art Card #37

Draw something!

Can you tell what's on my mind? We bought some washable markers last night and the girls and I stayed up late coloring. My cousin visited us over the weekend, he was in town on a business trip. It was very nice to have company. When he left he deposited a box of specialty chocolates as a thank you gift. Sweet!

Art Cards

I can't believe I got three weeks behind on these little cards.

#34: Funny- Ha Ha! What do you find funny? What makes you laugh?

My DH has the greatest sense of humor. He can always make me laugh. That's one thing I love about him. He has a friend that can't eat shrimp for religious reasons, but he can eat any other kind of fish. So my DH googled an image of a sucker fish and asked if he could eat that. His friend was rolling with laughter. I guess his friend could eat it if he wanted to.

#35: Strength

Recently, I started taking a strength training class. This class is awesome. I can feel a difference in my muscles. I am getting stronger. It didn't take much though because I have such wimpy arms. I really enjoy the endurance type exercise class verses the aerobic class. I also ran my first 5K on 9-11-07. (I had to walk a bit of it, but I made it.)

#36: Life is Beautiful

I love this prompt. Losing a loved one teaches the valuable lesson of the importance of every moment. Being more patient, kinder, gentler, enjoying my children as they gleefully dump puzzle pieces all over the floor. Watching a sunset, taking a walk in the woods, and slurping ice cream on the back step. I remind myself to enjoy these things and indeed; life is beautiful.

Art Card # 33

This challenge was kind of hard for me. I was suppose to make my card in ten minutes with whatever I could find on my desk. I didn't have a professional photographer at my wedding so I thought it would be fun to create something with a snapshot from that day. I still haven't done a wedding album. I am the kind of person that likes to look at all the creative things other people make and I just never get around to doing them myself. I must confess it took my 13 minutes to make my card.

creation of this card: first I crumpled the black background paper, added the ribbon, found a picture, attached a sticker, and then used a screwdriver that was on my desk to scratch the corners of the photo.

Art Card # 31 & #32

Art Card #31: No regrets.

For our trip we purchased a double screen mobile DVD player for the car. We looked around at various stores to try and located the cheapest one. Best Buy was sold out at multiple locations. We finally found one at Walmart. When we opened it up we found it had been used and returned. A tinge of "buyers remorse" hit like a ton of bricks. It was missing a strap and had fingerprints on the screen. We tested it out, improvised our own strap, and had peace and quiet in the car for our trip. I have no regrets keeping my purchase.

Art Card #32: Quiet

The quiet part of my life occurs in the afternoon when my vivacious daughter goes off to Kindergarten. All is quiet. When she is around there is never a quiet moment as the air is filled with questions, singing, laughter, and the occasional sibling rivalry. With her gone the house feels eerily silent. Hence the sticker, life is better with her around.

Art Card #30

I have such wonderful blessings in my life. I love the prompt because it got me thinking about all the things I have to be grateful for. I love the family that my DH and I established in 1999. I have an amazing husband who I admire and respect. I have supportive, caring, and loving in-laws that I acquired when I married my DH. I also have loving parents and siblings. I have an education and am able to learn new things all the time. I love the freedom to expand my intellectual abilities. I have such wonderful sisters who I have such good times with and who I am building strong friendships and memories with. Best of all I have "True Love."

Art Card # 29

And just to prove my point, while making this card I accidentally put the sticker on the wrong side and had to add the rest of the stuff to it because when I tried to peel it off it ripped the paper! I even spelled "no body's" wrong in the first version. My DH thought I intended to spell it wrong to get the point across. I am imperfect and need to remember to forgive more. I shouldn't demand perfection so much!

I am not the world's best speller, you won't find me as a finalist in the spelling bee, so if you ever see any mistakes please leave a comment so I can edit my blog. I would like it to be perfect!

supplies: newspaper clippings, Miss Elizabeth's sticker, brown ink

Art Card #28

My goal this week is to work on a quilt for my daughters' new bunk beds. This is my first quilt that is twin size. I keep procrastinating because this is hard, I don't really know what I am doing, and I am bound to reach some frustrating points. I just have to keep working on it and accept the fact that I will be using the seam ripper.

Supplies: acrylic paint, fabric from JoAnn, stickers from Miss Elizabeth's, cardstock

Art Card #27

We planted our first butterfly bush this year. It has pink blossoms and has already attracted a Red Admiral and Eastern Tiger Swallowtail to our backyard. It is great to see such beautiful creatures stopping by for a drink of necture. We got our butterfly information from the Dick Crum Resource Center at the White River Garden in Indianapolis. They provided a handout which lists plants that attract butterflies. We chose a shrub that blooms all summer. This shrub comes in a variety of colors. Our local librarian told us she bought a black one and my SIL has a blue one.

The Art Card Journal prompt comes from Emily each Sunday. I make my card based on the prompt for the week. I have been making the cards since January but didn't have a blog to post them on. I really enjoy this because the cards are small and I feel like I can record something in a unique, creative way. Just you wait... there is more to come.