Heart and Home

Heart and Home

I did this digital collage for an "Art Is" yahoo group challenge "Home is Where The Heart Is" last

February, and it seems to fit perfectly with this week's Inspiration Flirtation weekly flirt,"Home". I really like doing digital collage. It is fun, creative, and no mess. It's as easy to put away when other things are calling, as it is to open it up when you only have a few minutes.

Earth Day Shoebox

Shoebox Recycled

This project came to mind when my husband got a new pair of shoes and I saw this large box sitting on the bedroom floor. Not being one to throw anything away, I thought what a wonderful container for "stuff'. The box remained on the floor as I mulled over the possibilities. Then came the April "Art Is" group challenge (The word April is from the Latin word aperire which means to open. What will you open? Will you open your mind to endless possibilities of a new technique? Are you open to trying a new way of creating? Perhaps non dominant hand art...you really need to be open to this as it can be quite uncomfy at first.) and I thought this will work, I will use the box to collect my supplies for the classes I will be taking at "Art Is" in October. I will be opening the box many times as I add items in anticipation of all the new creative opportunities that I am looking forward to, and I am opening my mind to many new techniques as I attend my selected classes at the retreat. My plan is to collage the box using an Alice in Wonderland theme, the theme of the retreat. This opens many possibilities as I decide how to proceed with the collage. Upon picking up the box, I discovered that it was rather flimsy, and not as Strong as it appeared. So my first consideration as I approach the collage is how to strengthen the box. I have started by painting the box with gesso, and the rest of my options are wide "open". But, I only have until the 30th, I certainly don't want to be late for this very important date.

MS Walk

On Sunday, April 19, our team, Chase for The Cure, participated in the MS walk.

Our oldest daughter was diagnosed with MS 6 1/2 years ago and we have participated since.

Our team is named for our daughter's black lab, Chase.

In the past we have put our logo on T-shirts only to have to cover them up either because

it was too cold or raining. So this year our daughter came up with idea of making runner's bibs for everyone that could be attached to the back of whatever we were wearing.

Fiona promoting the walk and our team.

There were thousands of walkers taking part in the event on beautiful morning.
The Princess walking (running) with Chase.
Team members with our logo on their backs.

Team Chase For The Cure 2009

A Trip to Nature's Art

I had the week off and that meant time to spend with our granddaughter.

Our choice for a day of fun was Nature's Art in Montville. We spent Tuesday afternoon at Nature's Art, a family oriented activity center featuring activities with fossils, life size dinosaurs, gems, rocks and minerals. http://www.thedinosaurplace.com/ . We started by looking at all the interesting things in the gift shop, from gems to stuffed dinosaurs. Then we visited the fossil room which has replicas of dinosaur skeletons. When we first went in, the Princess says in a shaky voice, "I'm scared, will you keep me safe?". The when she saw a skeleton of TRex's head she said, "Look, TRex, he's smiling". Then she looked up at the ceiling and said, "Look, a teradactile". We weren't quite ready for lunch so we went downstairs to mine for gems. After each find, the Princess had to announce, "Look, I found one", to the young man supervising the dig. Then we had lunch, visited the fossil room again, and then headed for home.

Fiona at Black Eyed Sally's

I feel that I was rather negative about Black-Eyed Sally's in my previous post.

I just want to clarify that we have had many enjoyable experiences at Sally's

from quiet dinners to foot tapping blues performances. It remains our favorite

place to go for dinner out. Fiona, the traveling doll, who is here for a visit before

heading back to California and her creator enjoyed a virtual visit to Black-Eyed Sally's.

Fiona watches as the Princess draws a bunny in celebration of Easter.

The walls of Black-Eyed Sally's are lined with artwork depicting

famous blues musicians.

Jazz Brunch No More

A couple of years ago, our family decided to start a new Easter Sunday tradition and enjoy a Gospel Brunch at Black-Eyed Sally's, a barbecue and blues restaurant in Hartford. Our previous experiences had us looking forward to another Easter Brunch. This year the restaurant decided that a jazz brunch would draw a larger crowd (understandable with the economic condition), and so changed from Johnny Rawls's blues and gospel music to a jazz band. Not being jazz fans, we decided that we would keep with our new tradition and still go for brunch. We were very disappointed in the entire experience. The food was not up the the excellent standard we have come to expect, the music was too loud, and not to our liking (I realize this is a personal opinion), the crowd was aloof and uptight. Our granddaughter was the only one grooving to the beat. We actually had a woman yell at us in the bathroom because my daughter chose to wash our granddaughter's hands after she touched the floor, before removing unused toilet tissue from the toilet seat, after we politely explained the circumstances of the situation. And I was a little miffed when the band's guest star, who sang the first vocal, started with "When Autumn Leaves Start to Fall", considering that it is Spring and it was Easter Sunday. Oh well, our family, my husband, our two daughters, son in law and granddaughter, were together and enjoyed the morning in spite of the disappointment. And this will not keep us from going to Sally's for dinner and blues as we often do.

Flying Turkey

Imagine our surprise when we saw 3 wild turkeys in our back yard yesterday morning,
especially when we live only a half block from a major roadway lined with businesses and a shopping plaza. I was able to follow them into our next door neighbor's yard, and get a photo
of two of them before two flew away and the other walked through a break in the fence.
A while later they were seen walking back through the yards.

Flight - Mobile

This is a mobile that my youngest daughter, author of Inspiration Flirtation, made as a project in high school. She won the award for best balanced mobile.

Spring Fairy Altered Barbie

Inspired by Inspiration Flirtaion's flirt for this week, she is finished.!

Started, probably last spring, at a meeting of, as my daughter likes to refer to us,

The Crazy A$$ Doll Ladies, otherwise known as The Manglers (short for Fabric Manglers),

my altered Barbie is finished. She turned out to be a Spring Fairy.

Watch her fly.

Shrine to Creativity

This shrine was inspired by the work of Michael DeMeng.
It was started in a meeting of "The Fabric Manglers", an art doll group that I belong to.
One of our members had been to Mexico and spent time with Michael DeMeng.
It will find a home in my oldest daughter's workspace, to inspire creativity.

Zeegtangles

This is a design done by my daughter on the back of a business card inspired by

"Zeegtangles" http://artinredwagons.blogspot.com/2009/04/zeggtangles.html

Coloring Eggs

This egg was decorated with Copic markers.

3 Eggs A Waiting

Leaves In The Wind

This metal sculpture was purchased at the

Sugarloaf Craft Festival. It is the creation of artist

Bud Scheffel from

earthsaverwindscupture.com

Bud gave us a mini demonstation on how his sculptures

are created. Not only is he an artist, and craftsman,

he is a genuinely nice person who has a passion for his art.

It's not the best video, but is was raining and I didn't want

to get my camera wet.

Creating Business Card Art

My daughters and granddaughter spent a cloudy, windy,

cold afternoon, crating business card art.

A Visit From Fiona

Last June, I joined a travel doll group on Doll Street. It was hosted by Angela Jarecki

and she divided the participants into small groups. Some of the dolls traveled across the country,

and some went around the world. My doll arrived home yesterday along with Fiona who is on the last leg of her travels. She will be returned to her owner Patti Madaris Culea after she spends some time with me. When each doll visited, we took photos of them as they shared adventures with us. We sent along momentos of their visit when we sent them on their way. Fiona started her visit with a welcome from Blues Santa, who is still sitting on table, and bursts into a song on his harmonica whenever the spirt moves him or when someone pushes his button. Today she went with me while I supervised Saturday detention at PHS. She got to visit with dolls made by me and friends on display in our library showcase. She even sat next to a "Friend in Need of Finishing" that I started in a class with Patti last Spring. The afternoon was spent creating "Business Card Art" with my daughters and granddaughter. We are now enjoying an evening of "Moody Blues" on CPTV.


Welcome Fiona!

Art Dolls on Display

Fiona is sitting on the first shelf on the right.


Fiona visiting with a "Friend in Need of Finishing"
Keeping Mary company while she supervises Saturday deteniton

Creating business card art.

Time for a nap.