Blue Man's Chest

Lola - Not Your Mama's Betty Crocker!

I was scouting for new images to play around with over at flickr and came across this center image on one of landofnods free collage sheets. I fell in love with it instantly and this is one of the results. I should explain that I was listening to the Kinks, Rolling Stones, and David Bowie whilst making art this evening and this is the result. Not sure exactly why the sheep jumped in there but it stuck instantly to the gel medium and so there it remains. I like it. If you look close you can make out the oven mitt holding the tray of cookies, which inspired the Betty Crocker bit. I think its fun!!!

Purple Haired Mermaid Post Card

Just playing around with the new markers again. Did the outline with a black sharpie pen and colored everything in with the Bic Mark It markers. I made copies of the outline so I could play with different color combinations and add details to each one differently.

I Love My New Markers!!! Bazinga!!!

I've just been playing around with my new Bic Mark It Markers that my wonderful sister got me for my birthday!!! They sure are yummy to work with. These are just a few of tonight's experimentation's. All of which are ATC's available for trade!@!

If you hadn't noticed, Bazinga! is my new favorite saying! I don't generally watch much TV, but Monday night is MY night for the boob tube! I start with Chuck, then The Big Bang Theory, then Castle!! I just love me some Sheldon! Oh and Howard... with those pants he wears..... OMG!!! A great way to start the week is with Laugh Out Loud, almost pee your pants moments - if you ask me.

Where Is My Shoe? Postcard

Sorry for my lack of posting this past week. I turned 40 on March 11 and the fun just hasn't stopped long enough for me to post anything! Hardy har har!

I have been playing with different techniques and combinations of stuff lately and here is one of the results. The background is done in acrylic paint. The tree and leaves are cut out from a poetry book and colored with my new Bic Mark It pens - {BTW -thank you sissy for the great B-Day gifts}. Some of the border elements and the girls face are from a free collage sheet I found at flickr {sorry I forgot which one}. the owl is also done using the Bic Mark It pens. I like how it turned out. Do you?

Six Word Saturday!

GOING OUT FOR DRINKS WITH FRIENDS

Max and Matilda

This is Max and Matilda. I made Max first, and then decided he needed a fun loving woman to keep him honest. We have been having tons of fun hanging out together in my art cave this week. But sadly, they have both been traded off. Max said goodbye yesterday, and I will be mailing Matilda to the Netherlands today.

A Sunday Best!!!

I love March in Alaska!!! The daylight is returning, the temperatures are tolerable, and we still get righteous snow to play in!!!! I think today was the best Sunday I have ever had!!!

Was up early this morning, Got an ATC done for Project 365, went to church, and got to take myself on an awesome cross country ski date up at Hatcher Pass today! Just me, skis, camera, and MP3 player! It doesn't get any better than that in my book!! Okay, I take that back - if I was downhill skiing - that would have been a wee bit better, but only marginal! lol

It was a mere 10 degrees today, but the sun was shining so bright and the skies were virtually cloud free, that I think I actually got a little sunburned on my cheeks!! These are just a few of the photos I took today. No I'm NOT a professional photographer - obviously... but you get the idea of how RIGHTEOUS my day was!

I skirted up to the entrance of Arch Angel Road and parked the car along the main road. Gathered my belongings, slapped on the skis, and hit the trail up Arch Angel Road.

The above picture is about a mile and a half in, looking back.

Looking ahead to the destination.

Went all the way in to the bridge. It's around 2.5 miles in, so 5 miles round trip. I took some photos of the Little Su River. Not as impressive when it is buried in snow. But still a beautiful Alaskan Day in the Mountains!

The photo below is my pathetic attempt to prove I was actually there today! I probably shouldn't have been facing the sun. But yes, that is me in my full dorkiness glory!!

Another shot of the river from the "tourist photo" spot! The locals will know what I mean. ha

As if this day could get any better..... I am back home, working on my second glass of red wine, (It's good for the sore muscles don't ya know - wink, wink), didn't have to make the family dinner, and getting ready to take a hot bath while reading my current Patricia Cornwell book. Then I'll be relaxing in front of the 51 inch plasma watching the Oscars in about an hour! Now tell me.... is this NOT the perfect way to spend a Sunday or what!?!?!?

Six Word Saturday

Watching the snowflakes fall this evening.

The Time Travelers Wife

Had a background left over from a failied Steampunk Mona card, so I re-worked it a little and added some new elements. I inked some red handmade paper for the accent across the top. Then layered the mesh wire and added the heart charm with some red velvet material. I also adhered the key embellishment. It's hard to tell in the photo, but I added a small watch bit to her eye for an eye piece. I like how how it came out. I don't think I will be trading this one for a while.

Shroom Buddies

I've been having a ton of fun with my sharpie markers lately. I have this old french reference book that I sometimes use in collages and thought it might be fun to draw directly onto the page. I kind of like it. What do you think?

To Thine Own Self Be True

I was playing around with postcards this weekend and liked the butterfly with the text wings so much, I decided to do a dragonfly postcard. I tried to do something different with the handwriting, but it didn't turn out the way I wanted. I wish I had beautiful handwriting like my sister, but I'm a lefty. ha

I drew the dragonfly, then colored its wings and body with sharpies. Used my Lyra watercolor crayons on the background - added a bit of water of course. Next I used some random bits of scraps for the decorative border on the side and outlined it with a fine point sharpie. And then I inked the edges with black distressed ink and drew a fine line border.

On the lower left wing is a definition for the word covet, I purposely used text with the word love on the opposite top wing. Got to thinking about how we covet love and/or our loved ones sometimes and I wanted to find a quote about coveting. I really liked the quote I found by Leon Kass, as it made me thing of how a dragonfly has a short life span and their purpose in life is to lay eggs and make more dragonflies. Would it really be so wrong for a dragonfly to want to live a little? For that matter, what mother or father doesn't go through a period in their time of raising children, where they wish they could have a life outside of the daily responsibilities of have kids?!? Of course we care about the well being of our children. It's just that sometimes, we would rather be on a beach drinking margarita's and getting sun burned. Without worrying about weather your kids are getting eaten by sharks in the ocean!!

Then, I instantly thought of William Shakespeare famous line ~ To Thine Own Self Be True!!! I think if I were a dragonfly..... that is how I would be! Lucky for my kids.... I'm human!

Goofy Birds

I am starting to have a lot of fun with sharpie markers. They are way more versatile than I ever thought before. And now there are a good variety of colors to choose from. Even white now, so I hear! I am trying to resist joining a new Sharpie ATC swap I found over at atcsforall. The reason is because I promised my husband no more ATC swaps for a while. But sometimes they are so stinkin' fun!!!

The little green guy is my cactus bird. He's friendly enough but a but prickly. He's kind of sad because no one wants to come to his birthday party. Thus the party hat he is wearing.



Then you got Widget, strutting along here with his top hat on thinking he is the cats meow. So what if he is covered in freckles and is a little wobbly in the knees. He still knows how to have a good time!

Six word Saturday on Monday???

Okay, I just stumbled on to this concept of Six Word Saturday and I thought it would be kind of fun to play. The idea is to post just 6 words to describe your life, you, day, etc. [I think]. Since it is Monday I can't "officially" do a six word Saturday today. But if I could I would enter, "Need A New Muse By Today" because I had a horrible time trying to create something noteworthy this weekend. Which is a bummer, because it was the All-Types-of-Art-A-Thon at www.atcsforall.com and I really wanted to work on some bigger pieces. I even have canvases sitting right here calling my name!

I think my lack of creativity this week is due in part, to the many hours spent watching the Winter Olympics. I doubt I have ever been so engrossed in the Olympics before, but these games were just outstanding! And the Men's Hockey game for Gold yesterday!! Holy Smokes!!! That was an exciting game right up to the very end! USA did a remarkable job and gave it their all. I am so proud of those boys! And why is it, they got a Silver medal, and yet to see the look on their faces, one would think they were in last place??? They got second place - against the WORLD!!! In a Sudden Death Overtime for crying out loud!!!! Chin up boobies high Boys!! You Rocked that ice!!!!

Okay, so maybe I won't be very good at the only six words thing..... hhuuummmmm We'll see come Saturday if I can keep it to six!!