Creative snafu…

I have been hanging out on That site that shall not be named…

I have neglected my blog and bloggy friends so I apologize first!

Secondly, I received some nice gifts from Jeanette. She has the most amazing eye for stuff and always knows just what I “need” .

Cut and dried from one of her neighbors yards...

I love Hydrangeas; my favorite flowers.

Then there were these lovlies..sorry for the bad photos…They are about 8 and 10 inches tall and are crying out to be filled with dried or paper flowers and sit on top of my desk…if I could find my desk.  I know I have one, and I used to be able to see it, but…that is another post!

WHERE is JOANNE’s?/ Michaels???

I had a 50% off coupon for Joanne’s and Michaels… needless to say, the coupons are STILL in my bag.  I had 2 packages to mail in the USA…the SAME 2 packages came back to Sweden with me along with the postage that is unusable outside the US.   I am so so out of sorts.  I wanted to buy paints, embellishments and fabric scraps, but alas…never made it.

LOOK at that FACE!?

• On a pleasant note,  I received my package from Dick Blick. I was using the credit given to me by a friend and posted to me and had to pay no duty!!!! I was over the moon and love gift certificates! I am taking several art courses and found out that I have 3 nieces that are  1)5′ ‘10 or better 2) wear sixe 11 shoes and best of all!!!” 3) SHARE my creative spirit!

1. I was so happy for Kicha, Alyssa and Jamillah who all took aunties Holey Soles ( 2 pair: pink and turquoise) and my extra soft flip flops…;
2. My Bally Loafers that had only been worn twice and although they were narrow and hurt like hell…looked so great on my feet ! LOL!  $279.00 gone in less than 34 hours…

3.My nephew Stephen, who won the tallest person in the family award by being 6′6 inches with a 5′7 mom     and a 5′10 dad!  He also won special recognition for crashing into a basket ball pole and fracturing his jaw, but cutting the wires so that he could eat at the repast…

Family is crazy and so unpredictable, but so necessary!

And when the Saints go marching in..

I found this photo of my mother, fresh out of high school and holding a baby of a friend who’s name she could not remember.  I can think about all of the times we would put on her high heels and clack around the house , never getting the benefit of the added height because we were too small to balance on the heels, just in the toes. Mom always wore red lipstick and said you had to be 21 to do it.

My mother’s spirit has left this world this morning.  I am sad, but honored that she fostered my spirit and shared a place in my heart.  When I grew up and was able to repay her kindness, she was always excited by the things she got to experience and enjoy.  She said her most memorable experience was her first flight to Las Vegas and she always lit up every time she spoke about it.  My MIL passed last Thursday and we were reeling from the loss.  Now where do I begin to pull strength from?  I am off for a while.  Be kind to each other and especially, yourself.

I will miss you Mommy.

Tagged again…

SHERRY sent me this tag a day early and I am still late.

What is your current obsession? Listening to the radio.  I discovered the coolest radio station in all of Sweden SR-Metropol.  They can do no wrong and cover era’s like diapers on bottoms.

What is your weirdest obsession? Getting up all hours of the night and looking at my farm on f.acebook.

What would you eat for your last meal?  A steak from Arthur’s in Morris Plains, N.J.  If it is half as good as it was when I had my last one 7 years ago, you are missing something wonderful.

What are you wearing today?   A pair of paint stained shorts, matching t shirt ( paint stained, that is) and flip flops…Clothing conducive to arting.

What are you listening to right now?  See answer number one

What is your favorite ice cream flavor? Butter Pecan, Rum Raisin or vanilla and orange sherbet

What do you think of the person who tagged you?  “She” who has had top billing on my blog all week…hmmm?  A promotional conspiracy?   NAH!!! We are definitely over due to shop, art and dine together,though  lol!

What/who is your favorite artist, season, personal style and movie?   Anyone making money off of their craft; Autumn;  Bohemian Urban and Bridget Jones’ Diary or Imitation of Life.

What inspires you; What music do you like this week and ? is your dream job?   Learning how to do something without the benefit of what others have to do it; everything except spooge and going back to my almost 6 figure salary.

If you could change something in the world to make it a better place, what would that be?

Tolerance.

I saw it once at a training seminar and never forgot it…

” Never take away any one’s hope…It may be all they have.

Stolen ideas and belated thank you’s!

The fabulous Sherry at GOT ART? showed us a wonderful cover composition book she did from recycled materials and fabrics that she dyed with coffee.  I was already jittery from my second cup of Joe this morning and thought…” The Hubbs often does not finish his daily black, strong coffee…I wonder…?”  I microwaved the brew, and put it in a plastic bag with a few feet of lace shook it around and VOILA! An idea was stolen born!

Trying to see how much juice was actually in the coffee, I found some papers that I was tired of trying to distress with ink and totally forgot that I own walnut ink crystals and concentrates…duh.  I managed to stain not only the text, but some Cath Kidson napkins that were too bright to really pass as ephemera ( sorry, no photo but I will come back and reload one.

Sharon, who is being driven by her muse Nora, is reorganizing her craft space.  I felt extremely guilty, being creative in the war zone that I call my space so I started tidying…I cannot commit to cleaning, but just lowering the bar makes me feel better   I WAS influenced to hop into action…the almost finished product :

I can’t say I feel better, but it was ok, just ok.  I wanted to redo the cover of my Moleskine journal, but the process kind of got away from me.  From basic black to Claudine Helmuth studio paint ” stained glass” which was still asking for a little something…then went screaming all the way to :There is no right or wrong in altered art. ( LOL!) It just is…The light angles are not the best, but I think it looks really urm…really uh..unique!  Thanks to molding paste, ephemera and miscellaneous other “stuff”

Lastly a large and belated THANK YOU/ TACK SÅ MYCKET to Judy at The Mixed Up Media Artist.  Judy sent me an envelope of wonderful things to create with ranging from “bleeding” papers to trims, to ephemera inclusive of lovely ribbons and mini paper books! Unfortunately, it was swallowed up in the proverbial art room and just resurfaced when I was inspired to organize. A small taste of  the included loveliness..