Can it be September already!?!

Wow, this year is nearly at an end.  For the past several years I've resolved to try and be more creative and I think this year has been the best as far as that goes.  Between the stamp conventions and journaling class I have done so much more then I may have ever done. 

Today was the beginning of month two in journaling.  We did a "consumption" list:

Thinking of things I use on a daily basis was a lot harder then I thought it would be.  My focal image was a candy bar wrapper that I really liked and have had in my scrap pile for a couple of years now because I had no idea what to use it for.  I have lots of little things like that here and there just waiting for their day.  I have drink coasters from various places that I am trying to figure out what to use for so if anyone has any ideas I'm open to them.  I thought maybe binding them and making mini books out of them.  I had a pen pal in Norway back in the early 80's that use to send beer coasters to me from pubs she'd go to.  I really liked them and started picking up the coasters whenever we went to a restaurant that used them as a sort of momento to be used later.  Luckily (?) I don't go out that much so I don't have a huge stock pile.  I really do love the ones from Europe.  Maybe it's just because it's different from ours but foreign papers, packaging, containers and such really excite me.  I really miss my snail mail of surprises.  I'm a sucker for cool packaging even with our own products though.  Funny how one mans trash (literally) is another ones treasure. 

Meeting up with old friends

Tonight was such a fun night for me.   Since being on facebook I've found a number of people I graduated high school with.  Tonight one of them, my friend Lois, was in town to have some dental work done and asked if I would meet up with her afterwards for dinner.  We invited a few others and two were able to make it.  Lois and I have known each other since we were 5 years old so she knew my family and asked if my sister wanted to join us so she could see her again.  The five of us had such a good time laughing and carrying on.  I'm sure the rest of the people there were glad to see us leave after a couple of hours of loud chatter and laughter.  Lois was unusually quiet since she had to deal with the after effects of novacaine but she did a good job keeping up.  She use to work for the Los Angeles Times Newspaper but now is back closer to home and working for a company in Redlands doing their proof reading.  Valerie is quite the story teller and had us in stitches with all her goings on over the years.  She is now a caterer so I will have to hit her up on some recipes.  Lisa now works with the La Quinta prison facility and lives out in that area.

It has been 30 years since we've all been together and it was just like old times, only with more grown up talk.  Hopefully we'll be able to do it again sometime soon and the ones that weren't able to make it this time will then. 

August comes to an end

Wow I can't believe this is the last day of August.  My Kelly Kilmer journaling class is over but I have signed up for September and will continue on.  I'm looking forward to seeing what she has in store for us this time.  This has been a fun way to journal and I've really enjoyed it.  I recommend it to anyone who's wanting to learn or would just like to have some artistic fun at their own pace.  Everyone in the class has been so encouraging and supportive of each other.  It has been a fantastic experience.  It's like working with my stamping sisters, who I have really missed trading ideas and chatting with.  My stamping sisters are a group of women I met online at a stamping site who live all over the world.  We became friends and started sharing our lives as well as our arts.  Because of various things going on with everyone we haven't been able to keep in touch as much as we use to and that makes me sad.  I'm glad that I get to keep up with Mel at least through here and facebook.  She keeps my head inflated and too big for the door.  
Sunday's journaling was: "What does rain smell like?" 

I love the smell of rain, I just wish we had more of it.  We are constantly in a drought here in Southern California.  Then when it finally does rain it floods because of fires from the heat and lack of water all summer.  Such is life here in the sunny state. 

Our final project for the month is: "If you could write a book what would it be?"  This was hard for me because I have no idea really.  I went along with the type of books I like to read but if I really had to write something along that line I know it wouldn't be very good.  I probably should of said I'd do a book about Domo's adventures...yikes!  Where was that idea when I was struggling to think of something?  My life story, a day late and a dollar short.

I was having writers block even for the journaling portion of this.  I hope that doesn't happen too often.  I have been experiencing it during a number of pages so it must depend on the question we're being ask as to how inspired I get.

I received a very cool "great blogger" award from Suzie at itch2stitch.  Thank you so much, Suzie!  Suzie has a yummy blog full of her great art and life in the U.K. You should check it out if you get the chance. I just love her dog, Ralph!  He reminds me of Waldo from Nanny and the Professor. 

Vampire Watch Day Four

Well Mr. Vampire is slowly getting larger.  With his cape spread out he is nearly 4" wide now.  He's not the most handsome vampire around.  He's sort of nerdy looking actually.  I mean, what's with those shoes!?!  He's getting close to needing another change of address.  I'm not sure if he's cramped yet but his cape bends a bit in the glass he's in now.

Onto yesterday's journaling: "Look outside your window...what do you see now vs. then?"  When I was really little we moved so much I don't even remember having a window.  We started to settle down when I was about 4 years old and then my view was the mobile home next door.  My best window was when I stayed at my Aunt Virginia's house.  She lived near the railroad tracks so I would listen to the trains go by in the distance when I lay in bed.  I really liked the sound of them as they lulled me to sleep.  When my parents split up we started moving around again but after a few years we got planted and actually stayed in one place for quite a few years.  We moved to our house on Mead St. a year or two before I started high school and it was the longest place I had ever lived until my home now.  

Today's journaling: "If you could bring a fictional character to life who would it be?"   Deciding was tough because there's so many characters I wouldn't mind coming to life.  Aragorn, Han Solo, Tink, Dracula, even Baby Godzilla...he was cute.

I've been feeling a bit of a block on my journaling lately but I'm hoping with the new month approaching that will change.  Otherwise I'll never keep up...

Vampire Day Two

Vampire growth..day two

He's doing pretty good so far.   I forgot about him yesterday and when I checked a a little while ago he is starting to outgrow this glass so I moved him over to a 44oz.  At this rate I might need to use the tub to contain him by the end of the 10 days.  He's neat in the glass but rather cold and slimey to the touch.  I've not touched a vampire before so that could be what they really feel like. 

I just finished reading this book called "Heart Shaped Box" by Joe Hill.  Stephen King is one of my favourite authors and I've been reading his work since high school.  Naturally when his offspring comes out with a book I want to see what it's like.  I've had this book sitting on my bookshelf for quite awhile now because I haven't been able to do much reading over the years because of health issues.  I finally decided I needed to start reading again and see if I could make it through a book.  I started "Heart Shaped Box" on Monday during my "antsy after proceedure" period, which could be another reason I started it.  I got a few chapters into it and really liked how it was going but got busy and didn't get back to it till last night.  It was 11:30 p.m. and I figured I'd read a little before going to bed.  What a bad idea that was.  It totally sucked me in and I just kept wanting to know what was going to happen next.  I ended up finishing it by morning THEN went to bed.  Needless to say none of my errands got done today.  It's way too hot (110*F) to be running around doing them this afternoon.  If you like the horror, Stephen King type books I do recomment this one.  It reminds me of when I first started reading King.  I think "Carrie" might have been my first book, but I'm not possitive now.  I just remember being so engrossed in his stories and would check one after another from the library.  And this has a happy ending...something that doesn't come around too often anymore.  I don't recommend it to you thought,  Mel...lol  I was reading it late so everything was dark and quiet so I even spooked myself when I would get up to move around.

Forgetfulness...can it be cured?

I totally forgot I hadn't put my journaling for today up until just now.  Not that it was missed or anything but I have been on such a roll lately .. ahem .. I've been trying to rest like a good girl and have failed miserably.  I've been running around doing my grocery shopping and looking for things I cannot find or remember where I put them and all the while thinking, "I should be resting my back, it's starting to hurt".  Do I listen to myself?  No... I don't listen to anyone else why should I listen to myself?  I am stubborn after all.

Today's journaling was, "If you could have any place to yourself for 24 hours where would it be?".  There are so many places to choose from that would be awesome but I picked Japan.  I'd love to visit where I was born, just to see what it's like.  Visit Mt. Fuji, where my mother took me as a baby because it was suppose to be lucky to climb to the top.  Maybe visit Hiroshima where my grandmother died.  It's so busy and crowded there that 24 hours with just myself to take in the scenery would be amazing.

For tomorrow the question was: "In the future there will be...?"  I'm not that happy with how this page turned out and maybe later will work on it again.  I had trouble writing with my white pen on the background paper I'd placed down and it wasn't showing so I stopped.  I didn't realize till after I'd posted to class that you could indeed see where I'd marked.  Darn old eyes I guess.  Oh well.... I'm still a beginner.  I think I'll be stuck at beginner level for awhile.

Recovering

Yesterday was quite the ordeal.  I was the first patient at the surgicenter so I thought I'd get lucky and be out quick since my proceedure isn't really a long one.  I guess the doctor felt having only 2 patients early in the morning didn't rank getting to work on time.  Granted he was working on his normal day off but still.  He was the only doctor working yesterday so it was very quiet other than listening to all the nurses talk about their neighbors, family and each other.  One even got to learn how to use the photo app on her phone.  She didn't know she had a flash till another nurse showed her, then she discovered the zoom and you never heard such delight.  She said, "I can bring someone back to life but I can't work my phone, this is sad". 
After laying on the gurney for nearly an hour with my hand throbbing because of the I.V. I had stuck in it, the doctor finally showed up, and then things went pretty fast.  I was wheeled into the operating room, hooked up to monitors and had something heavy drapped across the back of my legs.  The nurse that handled the monitors was also the anethesist and explained that they give everyone a sedative for this proceedure unless it's refused.  That they prefer the patient is relaxed to make things go smoothly.  Well since I have such a hard time relaxing to begin with I didn't refuse.  Boy am I glad I didn't.  After she gave me the sedative I didn't really feel any different so I didn't think it was working but then I started seeing little ants crawling across my pillow.  I didn't want them to think I was hallucinating so I didn't mention it, but I assumed it was the medication taking effect.  I never felt anything (covers removed, panties slipped down, betadine being spread) until the needles started digging into my back.  I tried to be relaxed and said I was fine but it must have shown on the monitors that I wasn't because right after I responded I heard the nurse say, "Doctor she can feel it".  I guess I should have requested the local also.  Apparently I am quite the wimp when it comes to needles being stuck into my spine or knees because I seem to have more feeling in those areas when I'm being injected then normal people.  Luckily he was done shortly after that and the sedatives were damn good.  I felt drunk and my legs were wobbly for the rest of the day.  I thought that was strange because all during the proceedure I never felt any different other than seeing the ants.  I was never light headed or anything ... that I noticed.  Maybe I nodded off and don't even realize it.  Once I was moved into the recovery room I started feeling the drunkeness.   I wasn't allowed to drive and was suppose to lay down all day but the drugs just had me so wound up that everytime I tried to rest I thought of things to do and would get up.  As the drug started wearing off I did start resting more and finally got to bed and could feel the big lump in my back where the injections were made.  

Today is so much better in some ways but still working on the pain.  Hopefully within the 72 hours it takes to kick in I will notice more of a difference.  I'm to rest for the full 3 days and not do much but I just had to go out and do some things.  I went to Michael's because they were having a clearance on some canvas's that I wanted.  They're bigger then the little squares I've been using for signs and on a matte board instead of frame so I won't be able to put the shingles on them but I want to do something similar with them.   I sprayed a few with some colour from Stamp Zia's and some of the Glimmer Mists.  I have no idea what I'll do next yet.

I also found a "Grow your own Vampire"  kit there.  I definitely needed that!  You stick him in water and he is suppose to grow up to 600% his size in about 10 days.  I took a picture of his beginnings and will report on his progress.

I forgot to show the coolest sign I found about a week ago while out looking for bat charms.  I thought maybe Big Lots might have something I could use with bats on them but no luck.  I did however find this neat pub sign so I nabbed one.  I was surprised they had already put up a Halloween section but I guess I really shouldn't have been.  They started their Christmas sections also.  Pretty soon there will be nothing but holiday sections throught the stores.

Tonight we went by Sonic to check out their little car show they were having in their parking lot.  It wasn't very big and we didn't expect it to be for a fast food restaurant deal.  The car hops wore long black 50's style skirts with their roller skates as they delivered the food.  I tried to get a picture but of all the people I've ever had in front of me while trying to take pictures of cars these people were actually curtious and moved out of the way.  Everyone else that I WANT to move out of the way always seems to be glued in place.  It was an ok show none the less and it did give me an excuse to go across town and get my cherry limeade.  I just love those.

I love the thumper on the back of this truck.

A sign like this could come in handy. lol

Why do I always want to do things when I can't?

Since I have to be up and to the surgicenter first thing in the morning of course I can't sleep.  My head and back hurt but I'm not to take anything nor can I eat or drink after midnight and I'm thristy. lol 
Isn't that the way it always works?  The more I'm not suppose to do something the more I want to.  I guess I'm just rebellious that way. 

I figured I'd post my latest non-journal projects since I'm up.  I made my aunt a pin and sign as a thank you gift.  She is really into genealogy so I did the cemetery pin for her and put it in a crochet drawstring bag that I made.

The sign I did a little different from the others I've done.   I painted the canvas in soft colours since she likes pastels then sealed the believe sign to it after the paint was dry then glued the crochet flower layered with prima flowers and a ribbon stem to it. 

I traced and cut out the shingle and coloured it.  I used grunge board letters that I painted black then sprinkled distress embossing powder (vintage photo) over.  I really like the rustic look it gave it.  A little like worn leather.  I put a ribbon on the shingle then put the letters over it to finish it off.  

The charms I added to the ribbon hanger say Be- Here- Now.  We've lost so many family over the past few years, her grandson just last year to cancer, that I thought it was appropriate.  He was so young, in his 20s and newly married.   During his last months he even completed the police academy.  It really doesn't seem fair when this type of thing happens.  You really have to enjoy life and the people in it now because you just don't know what tomorrow will bring.

The Congregation Gallery

As some know I have a very wide range in my tastes for things. As much as I love Fairies, Disney and Mayberry I also love the darker side of things like vampires, bats and dead things. I've been following some of the gallery showings of various artists through the Congregation Gallery on Facebook. Their gallery is at 7569 Melrose Ave, Hollywood, CA. that I hope to one day visit. They have some really cool showings with some very wild and yes, some disturbing, art.

My cousin called me a weirdo for liking this but I just thought the coffin art was way cool. If I were being buried I would want one of these to rest in.

There's an artist named Johny Chow who did this. Isn't she cute? They also had a voodoo show. I really like this painting and frame even though it's a bit on the macabre side. I love bats so that could be part of it's appeal. Unfortunately there wasn't any names of artists with the photo's they posted at the site so I can't say who did the following pieces.
I've always been facinated with voodoo dolls but only recently taken the plunge and got my first doll. It's in connection with the Jasmine Beckett-Griffith fairies. She painted a fairy with a voodoo doll named Mortie. I really liked this particular image and have a figurine ornament of this in my fairy collection. When I found Jasmine on facebook I also found a wonderful plush artist that makes stuffed Mortie's. Her name is Justine Birmingham and she has an etsy shop called The monster cafe. She made yeti's for Jasmine and her husband that are so cool. Unfortunately she only sell's the Morties right now.

This is Domo meeting Mortie when he arrived.

Slowly getting into Saturday....

This is what my journal looks like with both pages done side by sideAnd this is an overview of what part of my photo page at the journaling class site looks like. I think the pages look better when they're put together.

Here are the next three days of journaling I've completed. For the 23rd. we're suppose to tell what our most sentimental possession is. My old photo's from when I was younger and thought everything seemed great, are sentimental to me. I also have a few little nic nacs that belonged to my mom that she brought with her from Japan. I have a wrought iron heart John made for me out of pieces of an old fence one Valentines. My most treasured though is memories of people and times in my life. Spending time with my dad when he was home on leave. Picking him up from the docks when his ship would come in and always trying to carry his duffle bag which was twice my size. I still have that duffle bag. I have a vague memory of standing at my sister, Diana's grave with him holding my hand when we buried her. My mother was still at the hospital so it was just us. When my mother was in the hospital having my brother he let me sleep with him and would just talk to me till I fell asleep. I don't remember what we talked about. I know they couldn't have been very in dept conversations but as a little kid they seemed like it. Those were the days they didn't kick new moms out of the hospital right after giving birth so my mom would be gone for a week at a time. For the 24th. we're to journal about our first time making money. When I was in high school I was in a work experience program and we got paid to work at different things. I spent my first semester with the title of "photographers assistant" even though I was the one taking and developing the pictures. In fact I was in a photography class that year with me, myself and I. There wasn't really a class unless you'd taken photography in summer school. Then you were allowed to have it as a class during the school year, but there was no teacher or other students with you because it wasn't a listed class. Basically an honour system class since there was no daily lessons or projects. You just did whatever you wanted. There were only a few of us that had it. I loved that class even though I don't think I ever spent an entire period in it and flooded it out several times by not being there to watch that the washer didn't get clogged and overflow the sink. I'd come back around when the next class was going on in the room that had the darkroom attached and everyone would be outside studying while they were mopping up the floors. Luckily it wasn't an uncommon occurance so I never got in trouble and our supervising teacher was very easy going.

Because of photography I was sought out by the journaling class. The editor, Kevin came up to me one day and said, "Hey Flash, why don't you take journalism with us, we could use a photographer?" to which I was hesitant until he told me I could take it as English credit instead of taking the class. Then I was all for it. In fact I took it for two more semesters after that. It was a small group and we did some cool things, like go to NBC to take a tour of the studio and talk to the news anchors. I don't even remember who they were now which is sad since they were famous for news people. Don Rickles was there filming his show at the time. I don't remember what it was called, "Sharky" I think. We also went through the Tonight show studio but unfortunately no Johnny or Ed. I was a member of a student journalism society, I forget the official name of it and went to this conference for it at Disneyland. The guest speaker was Jody Foster who had also been a member through her school.

For the 25th there was no question just the word "Sunsets" so I used one of my sisters beach sunset pictures and just kept it simple. It's hard to see in the picture but I used some sunset pearl ex and put streaks across the background page that give a nice warm shimmer when the light hits it. I didn't like my writing on the bottom so I covered it with stickers.

Catching up...

Wow, busy day today. I haven't been sleeping very well then had to be up first thing this morning for an 8:00 a.m. appointment at the oncologist. I had forgot to bring my referral so I had to turn around half way there to come back home and get it so I was running late. Of course after rushing back and getting there just in time the doctor was half an hour late. I am still abnormal with my blood cells which she says seems to be normal for me. So until they figure out what's going on I still have to go in yearly and keep regular blood work done every few months. Not sure if I'll end up having to do another bone marrow biopsy as she mentioned it's been 5 years now since the last one. C'est la vie....

I got behind on my journaling the past couple of days so once I got home I did some catching up. I got several done and will post some today and some tomorrow. Yesterday's journaling was: "What do you like to share with othes? What do you keep to yourself?" I really liked the painting technique we used for this one. We pounced white paint everywhere with a piece of wax paper then painted layers (paynes grey, burnt sienna, green and magenta paint) over it. I like the look it gives once it's done. The more journaling I do the more I dislike my handwriting on a lot of them. I can't print for nothing. I see the other jounal pages in class and they are just awesome and then I look at mine and "sigh".Today's journaling: "Your favourite playtime memory" One of my most vivid memories is from the first grade playground with my cousin, David so I journaled about that. I think events that embarrassed me like this one did or I had some type of emotional tie in with over the years are the ones that stick with me most.

Tomorrow's journaling is: "Complain, get it out and fugadaboutit" This was hard for me actually because I have nothing right now to really complain about. I have some things that I'm not happy with but nothing that I needed to release and get off my chest. I mean the lottery isn't going to let me win just cuz I complained. So I had to go back and think of one of the last times I really did need to vent. We did a long and extremely frustrating haul with the insurance company when John first hurt his back and they drug everything on and on hoping he'd give up, die or something. That had to be the worst time for us and I really didn't know if we'd get through it. Luckily we did but there were days I could have literally killed someone it was so bad and I don't often get that upset....unless I'm pmsing. lol

Anyway, that's it for today. Have a great weekend.....

Another sleepless night

Since I'm having trouble sleeping tonight I figured I'd post my journaling for today now. I had this done yesterday but decided to post it on the correct day for a change. Our question was: "If you could own/possess anything but couldn't sell it or profit from it what would you want?". I don't really have any extravagant desires for original objects. I can be just as happy with copies so this one took some thought. Starry Night is one of my favourite paintings so if I could have an original of it and be able to see the actual brush strokes and take all that in, that would be really cool. I also said I would like to have a Viggo Mortensen original piece of art. I think he's a great artist on top of his acting and there are a few of his mixed media paintings and photographs I would love to have. I also wouldn't mind having Kelly Kilmer's "Silent all these years". It was such a strong jounaling page and one of the first I'd seen of her work several years ago. It was what made me want to learn to do this in the first place. Until then everything I had seen in journaling was just another form of scrapbooking or diary type journaling. In fact I didn't really like journaling for a long time because it wasn't something that appealed to me...not that pleasing to my senses...but I did like altered books. (Go figure) The only problem was I couldn't bring myself to hurt a book so I never ended up learning. I'm not sure what changed my mind or tastes, but I'm glad I have become more open to it.
I was reading something one of my facebook friends had written about a piece of art she'd done several years ago. She made this huge heart wall hanging and wanted to donate it to some charity that was trying to raise money by having an art auction. She said they told her that it was crap and laughed that she even brought it in and how she'd cried and took it home. Now she has lots of her work published in magazines. Beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder and it's too bad that some people can be so negative and hurtful when something isn't their cup of tea. I was thinking that if that had been me I probably never would have made another thing. I have been so lucky to have friends that are encouraging and tell me things are good even when I know they aren't.

I spent the majority of today painting pages for my next journaling projects and also some extra pages I'd left blank to just fill in at my leisure later. I want to put something in the beginning of the book to journal about starting the class.

I also started another pin and sign project. A thank you for my aunt who is giving me a bunch of her crafty things that she can't use anymore. She use to decorate for events and weddings so she has lots of ribbons and things in her storage. She also surprised me today with a photo copier that scans photos and negatives. Very cool! When it arrived I was really bewildered because I knew I hadn't ordered anything and there was no information inside the box or on it other than the address label so I had no idea why it was here. The only clue I had was that it sounded a lot like something she has, so I asked if she was the culprit and sure enough.... It was such a nice surprise especially since there was no reason for it other than she wants to support me artistically. She is such a sweetheart and I am so glad we're getting to reconnect after all the distance and family b.s. Family and friends can be such a blessing when you need them and lately I think I have needed them.

Changes

Todays journaling was kind of emotional for me because it was dealing with when we first noticed a moment of change. For me I think I think I've changed a lot in my perspective of things and it's helped me to understand things that have occured in my life. I have had a lot of family issues, especially with my parents. After they divorced things changed so drastically for me that I had a hard time dealing with it. It wasn't until recently I realized a lot of things I should have much sooner. I exchanged my anger and resentment for understanding and a lot of tears, which makes me an emotional mess if I ever try to talk about anything serious.

I hope that every day brings on better changes in me so I can be rid of the past influences that made me not like myself. I know it just takes time but sometimes it feels like it's going by faster then I'm learning. Aw well ... such is life.

Monday blahs

This is one of those days I wish would hurry by but seems to be dragging. I have the worst headache and can't take anything with asprin in it till after my proceedure next Monday so that means a week of dealing. I go to the surgicenter on Monday morning to get some injections to see if they will help reduce some swelling in my back and make some of the pain go away. I really don't want to have another surgery so I'll try anything. If they could give me a whole new back that would be different. I seem to have the worst spine ever. ... . anyway...

Today's journaling was: "If you could have a symbol "ala Prince" what would it be?" Aside from Viggo I'm not sure how I like this page. I had intended to go a whole other way but realized the picture I had wouldn't work in the way we had to use it. We were suppose to use mirrored images. The one I had didn't work with the placement we were to do. You don't relize how hard something is to find till you're looking. Hands were an obvious choice, and probably why they were used in the instruction sample. Only so many things work horizontal too.

Remembering the past

Today's question was, "If I could add a month to the year, where would I put it?". It was a bit of a toss up for me because I love Spring and Fall. I'd love an extra month of blooming flowers but that would mean warmer weather too. With Fall I could get an extra cooler month that also has colours. I love the cool crisp air of fall and the smell of fireplaces being used. Being able to see your breath when you talk and hearing the crunch of the leaves as you walked around. Going to parties with bonfires. The whole thing gives me the feeling of being a kid again. Being able to enjoy the peacefulness of the season without the stress of everyday life. Going out trick or treating with your friends and not having to worry about the home made goodies you got at most houses because odds were you knew the people. Thanksgiving and Christmas, sitting around watching all the animated puppets and cartoons that only came on during that time of year while waited for our turkey dinner. As soon as I would see the commercials with the Santa riding the Norelco razor and the Brut champagne commercials I knew Christmas was close....not months away like things are now. Right after Thanksgiving I'd watch the Santa Claus Lane Parade. The older I get the more I miss those times. I miss the feeling of the holidays because everything is so rushed and commercial. The time goes by too quickly too. If you get one or two days in the whole month to actually enjoy it all you're lucky. So adding an extra month in there might help all the way around.

Never take those you love forgranted

A friend from high school, Geri, whom I've recently reconnected with on facebook asked me to do a gift for her daughters 25th birthday. She wanted something unique because her daughter, Keisha lost a good friend this year and has been very sad over it the past several months. Her friend, Bipsy was quite a woman from what I have seen and read. She was far too young to have her life taken away from her. She was a talented singer, artist and only 27 years old when her boy friend brutally murdered her and left her in a mall parking lot. Her myspace page is still up with her music as a tribute to her.

When I had heard the way in which Bipsy was murdered I was shocked and horrified because this was done by someone who supposedly loved her. I will never understand killing someone under the guise of, "If I can't have you no one will", because that's just plain asinine. But to be tortured and rapped then murdered, as she was, by a "loved" one is even more unfathomable.

I hope people will remember to cherish their loved ones and be kind to strangers because you just never know what is in your future.

This is the hanger I made for Keisha. The words and concept were inspired by Elizabeth "Bipsy" Amirian. I put a picture of my friend Geri and Keisha in a frame adornment and embellished around it with grunge board, flowers and charms. Instead of the chain hanger I went with a softer look by using a ribbon necklace tied to the clips that hold the mini canvas. Keisha's favourite colours were purple and green so that made it easier for me since those are my favourites too.

back to work....

I'm having one of those days where I don't feel good at all and am barely getting anything accomplished. Who am I kidding, if I hadn't finished my pages I wouldn't even be able to use "barely" in that last sentence. I really didn't plan to work on them untill tomorrow but I started looking at things and then I started to fiddle, trying to decide on images. I had already had the basics for todays so it was easy enough to do. After I got the page done I figured I'd do tomorrow's... well...tomorrow, but then I started fiddling again and ended up getting both done.

Today's question was: "Have you ever found something?" Well for me, "searching" is a daily event. Not always successfully but the hunt is still there regardless. I lose things constantly or find things I had put away and forgotten about. Unfortunately with forgetting about them also goes the reason for having them in the first place. My mind is like a craft sale...lots of fun stuff but not always useful. Tomorrow's question of the day: "What one word best describes you?" I am a lot of things all rolled up into one. I think eclectic best describes it since I didn't want to go with crazy psycho which is two words anyway. Eccentric probably would have worked as well but too many letters, I'd of ended up off the page.

I had started with a futuristic type picture but remembered this sticker I had that I really wanted to use for something. I have a lot of stickers and pictures with sayings and things that I save because I really like them but I can't use because, "What if I think of something better to use it with afterwards?". {This is another glimpse into the madness I call a brain.} Since I just know I'll have the perfect project for this sticker after I've used it, I did the next best thing and copied it. Now the original can be put away with the others and go back to being today's page of..."where the hell did I put that?". My pages aren't the best or can be considered good art but they have been a lot of fun to do. I'm hoping to be able to continue with next months in the September prompts class once August is over with. I can't believe this month is already half over and the year has only 4 months left.

Journaling days 12 and 13

Today's Journaling was, "something you're looking forward to?" Next month is the annual route 66 car show in San Bernardino and we're suppose to be going to check it out. I love seeing what people do to their vehicles. Some get so creative. And what was once a "guy thing" is no longer. I see women with their hot rods and super sports as well. I think it's very cool. The black and white picture I used was an old photo of my grandfather's that I always liked. Tomorrow's theme is: "What are you avoiding or putting off?" I'm finding it a lot easier to do the single pages as we're technically suppose to instead of the full spread that I originally started with. At first my OCD was kicking in thinking it all had to flow from one page to the other since I was using the type of book I picked but over time I'm seeing that it's not the case at all.

It also has helped doing my painting the night before so it can dry and then putting the pieces together the next day. Apparently you CAN teach an old dog new tricks.

More journaling

I'm actually ahead for a change. Yay me!!!

Today's theme was "If you could have any birthday but your own, what day would you pick?" Of course I picked Halloween. I would get bats and coffins for my birthday. How cool! lol Tomorrows theme is: "If you could get back or replace something you lost what would it be?" I'd love a do over, or at least be myself now but younger. That would really be cool.