another year

2010

where did the time go?

remember Y2K?

what a difference a little time makes

i'm not one for new years resolutions

i like to set goals for the up coming year

do more art!

------

wishing everyone a

happy new year

and all the best for a

healthy

and

creative

2010

christmas presents

most women wouldn't get excited

opening a blow torch or a heat gun!

the only 2 things on my list this year

it will be great to try them out next week

when my encaustic class resumes

i also received some linen and wood canvases

plus some coloured wax and scrappers

and a extra gift from one of my clients

old dental tools

which will be great for carving the wax

merry christmas

may the spirit of christmas bring you peace,
the gladness of christmas give you hope,
the warmth of christmas grant you love
unknown

----------

wishing everyone a very merry christmas

and all the best for 2010

nancy

i'm dreaming of a white christmas

christmas waves a magic wand over the world,
and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful

n. peale

------------

looking back at last year

we had snow starting in early november

and i didn't stop until april!

---------------

above a photo from my street

on christmas eve '08

as much as i don't miss shoveling the snow

i'm dreaming tonight.......

baby it's cold!!

still no snow

but baby!... it's cold outside!!

winter garden

the only thing left standing in the garden

my hydrengea

with a light dusting of snow

meanwhile.........

my friends on the east coast are

digging out from over a foot of snow!

shadow shot sunday

i still haven't put up my christmas tree
worried about beanie climbing to the top
so i just put some lights in the front bay window
to add a little christmas spirit
snowballs and pinecone lights
they make a nice shadow in the day
perfect for shadow shot sunday

all grown up

i can't believe how much my little baby has grown

she looks so much "bigger"

but she still my little bean

since i work from home i get to spend everyday with her

she is very entertaining and makes me laugh all the time

she loves to hang out with me and watch me work

and all my customers love her too

my new shampoo girl

(if only i could get her in a red pair of shoes leslie)

after a hard days work

with 2 beds, 2 couches , several chairs and

plenty of "soft" places to sleep

she love to curl up on the book shelf in the laundry room!?

winter is here

let us love winter,

for it is the spring of genius.

~Pietro Aretino

crazy christmas lights!!!

after leaving martha's house last wednesday

we stopped to see this house!!
i could only imagine how many lights !!

the igloo with the 8 mini penguins

is my favorite
-----------------

catch the

"crazy chrismas lights"

on TLC

tonight at 7 pm

or

"decked out christmas house"

on HGTV

shadow shot sunday

while visiting my friend martha

for our tree ornament exchange

i noticed her chandler was

home to some of her wonderful ornaments

they have a "who" like quality

and cast a wonderful shadow

so i thought they would be great for this weeks

shadow shot sunday

above, one of martha's ornaments close up

time to play

20 scarves, check

60 necklaces, check

10 tree ornaments, check

christmas cards, check

packages mailed, check

with only 14 more days left 'til christmas

it's good to have most things done

in the past month i've been so busy

i haven't had time to just sit and play

every morning after checking my e-mail
i usually work in ps for at least a half an hour
i bring up one photo and just play
i try on every function, effect and filter
you just never know what will happen
above a simple photo i took this summer
while visiting carmi
the "zoomed" in view is
from one of my favorite shots




i added an old "soundings" map
some text from susan
a scrapbook page with rough edges, inverted
and the photo cropped


after i saved the project i played some more
adding filters
this one was inverted!
i like the "blue print" look

encaustic class

when i arrive for my last class of the year

i was totally un-prepared

i've just been burning the

creative candles at both ends

and had no ideas

i thought worse case

i would repeat something i've already done

then i found some photos tucked in my tool case

i had several shots of texture and grunge

one of my favorite things to photograph

is the hot plate i'm working on

i found two from previous classes

and one inspired me to create the above painting

a detail of the

"smooth to rough"

i added copper leaf
and oil paint to "stain" it

christmas shopping

this weekend i attend the

an extraordinary jolly christmas sale

featuring

susan williamson

mixed media art, digital prints, collage sheets,

new CDs of images and her book: creating from the inside out.

karen arts

works of arts, gemstone bead and silver,

one of a kind jewelry

carmi cimicata

resin, paper and fibre embellishments,

buttons, magnets and baubles

mary ambrose

eclectic / vintage style jewelry

and home accessories

marissa decepida-wong

unique jewelry, hand-made cards and art pieces

Aracely Cruz

quilled art and collection of exquisite ribbon jewelry

sharon ginsberg

Fabric boxes, vintage, framed tree ornaments, doggie knits

martha brown

soft and sparkly ornaments

hand-crafted from fabric and aluminum

we have a climber

what to do, what to do???

usually i have my christmas tree up

but i'm afraid that little miss bean

will be the new tree topper!!

encaustic class

i started this a month ago

i really enjoyed creating the background

very translucent

i added the tree photos

and the text

but felt it was a bit bare

i'm trying to decide weather to add the leaves

or i can always start over?

one of a kind show and sale

yesterday i spent the day at the

one of kind

mainly to visit my friend carmi

above, one of her beautiful handmade art cards

and also to get inspired!

oh yeah, the dark chocolate covered raspberries

i did manage to meet some very

lovely and talented people

the show is on until this sunday

if you get a chance ---go!!

some of my favorites

mixed media/acrylic

caroline versteeg

marjolyn van der hart

jodi wheeler

stephen gillberry
jim taleski

susan lapp

photographer

dale m reid

salem and sss

on our september road trip

one of our last stops on the east coast

was salem, massachusetts

i've been looking for these photos ever since

i downloaded them from my camera

put them in a folder, then in my vacation folder

so i thought

(getting old sucks!!)

while searching for something else

i found them

i haven't posted for

shadow shot sunday

for 3 weeks

and thought these photos would do

the "neat" border/frames

was a tutorial from my friend marie

over at lost aussie on the loose

a quick and simple way to frame your photos

christmas spirit

with only 28 more days 'til christmas

it's time to get the holiday spirit

at my gym

they are collecting gifts for

the salvation army

i noticed no one was buying for the teens

so i thought the girls might like my crochet scarves

now what to do for the boys?

many thanks!

i can't express how grateful i am

to my friend cat

for hosting such a wonderful and successful event

many thanks to all the guest

who made my jewelry sale

a unbelievable success

especially those who came in

all way from hamilton!!!

ready for sale

tomorrow is another sale day

i just finished my resin pieces

everything is packed up and ready to go

i hope everyone is in the "buying mood"

countdown

with such a mild fall it's hard to believe

that it's only 32 more days 'til christmas!

i know i've been counting since labour day

but somehow its hard to imagine it's that close

when there are leaves to be raked

and roses growing in my neighbours garden!

resin gods

it's been a while since i've poured any resin

i was blessed by the resin gods and this morning

woke to find all 8 pieces

with no bubbles!!!

now the fun part

adding the chains and embellishments

i'll keep you posted

a day at the ago

galleria italia

---------------

my favorite spot in the whole building

over 400 ft long and 50 ft high

connecting all the galleries on the north end

it's nice to be able to take an break

and sit in the light

over looking the city

everything is make of wood

the floor, beams, furniture and art

the architect

frank gehry

i could live in this room

one of my favorite exhibits

"I realized that electric light would be

my greatest ally in getting variety into fashion pictures.

In the later years of my work for Vogue and Vanity Fair,

there were lights going all over the place.”

– Edward Steichen

i was pleasantly surprised by the calder exhibit

i had never heard of him

which is funny because i love wire

jewelry everywhere

when making jewelry

i like to have everything "out"

you never know what will inspire a piece

and as disorganized as it gets

i always know where every little thing is

the other of the side of the table

50 necklaces ready for sale

time for a break to stretch my neck!!!

mothers little helper

i've been so busy making jewelry

my first show this week was a success

i sold 24 necklaces

so today i was back at it again

with a little help from my

beanie

sometimes grey

Be still

sad heart

and cease repining

behind the clouds

the sun is shining

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

--------------

ever have one of those days?

photo taken this summer

on a country road near carmi's

birch trees

one thing you don't see enough in the city

birch trees

i don't know why that is
my first visit to owen sound

i noticed them everywhere

the birch trees that line

the stream in the photo

of the previous post