happy new year!

welcoming in 2011

and wishing everyone a wonderful,

creative and

happy new year

new orleans, part 3

some of my favorite shots

above : a veiw of the mississippi, the st. charles street car,

st. louis cathedral and jackson square

after 5 days away i need some time to catch up on my sleep

spend time with friends and get ready for the new year

new orleans, part 2

strolling down royal street

there is everything from souvenirs to antiques
above, one of the windows cough my eye

when i went in for a closer look i noticed the old syrup bottle

early morning music


st. louis cemetery #1



it's all about the details

new orleans, day one

my last minute trip has been wonderful so far

the flight was quick, and when we arrived the skies where blue

and the sun was warm

(left: a view of the swamps from the plane and right: our hotel)

we strolled down canal st to the mississippi

watched the riverboat "natchez" float by

wondered along the river


stopped for gumbo and crab cakes



around jackson square




around the gates of the square where local artists
above shanira and her drawing i purchased for a dollar
(i hope i get to see her again, i think i owe here more money)

i also got a "reading" from oscar
but that will be a whole post on its own!!!





cafe du monde
across from the square
famous for their beignet
(or heart attack on a plate!)




holiday spirit

after diner we went on the "ghost tour"

it was fun to wonder the streets at nite

learning the history of many building

each one having a ghost attached to it

on the left our group's feet, i was trying to set my camera flash

our guide told us that 90% of the group will capture some "orbs"

or spirits in their photos

on the right the back of st louis cathedral

and the little bubbles are the orbs!!!!

another view of st louis

no orbs???

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

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wishing everyone a very merry christmas
and all the best for 2011

counting down

this year i will be traveling for the holidays

getting away on a last minute trip

i'm heading down to new orleans for 5 days

yeah!!!!

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above, one of my photos from last winter and

and polaroid transfer frame from shadowhouse

time to play

with a few days left before christmas

i actually got a chance to play around in ps
i downloaded a set of 6

snowflake brushes from my friend marie

thanks marie, these are so much fun!!!

i started out with a photo from the top of my street

i used the snowflake as an eraser to remove the hard edge

then with white and blue i alternated sizes, colour and opacity

using my new wacom bamboo instead of the mouse

i found it easier to work with this time

and think i'm really going to like the class i sign up for

starting january 15th

special christmas order

my friend lianne asked if i would make three necklaces

for her daughters (15, 12 and 6 years old)

she gave me some old keys given to her by an uncle

she was going to add some chain

but thought i could do something a little more creative.........

i just started twisting wire and adding their favorite colour

with some beads and a few charms

it nice to be apart of something special

i know mom is really happy and so excited to

give them to the girls

the gift of warmth

the big day is getting close

time to start crossing things off my list

the first patch of scarves i've been working on

have been wrapped up and on their way

save the date

mixed minded

a mixed media workshop event

may 27-29, 2011

kitchener, ontario

this is so exciting,

finally an event close to home

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i'll be teaching jewelry and encaustic

other instructers

carmi cimicata

claudine hellmuth

sandra spagnuolo

donna funnell

lois sander

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registration will be starting soon

(get on the e-mail update list)

new toy

this is my new toy

a wacom bamboo tablet

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an early christmas present to me

i'm taking an on-line class with marie otero next month

and need some time to learn how it works
i like working with the pen

and it was fun using the eraser

but it took me an hour to write

merry christmas!!!

i will need more practice before class starts !!!

deck the halls

well actually the front porch

time has flown by so quickly

i haven't had time to get in the holiday mood

i can't believe its on 15 days away

where did the time go?

above my lion urn hanging next to my front door

filled with evergreen, cedar, holly, juniper and berries

i had enough leftover to finish off another container

with the bit of snow today ...............................

its beginning to look a alot like christmas

winter has arrived early

not that it wasn't expected

living in canada it is inevitable

but last year was so mild

i was just being hopeful

temperatures have been chilly

and yesterday we got a lite dusting of snow

(nothing compared to my friends just a few mile north)

i really do love the change of seasons

my favorite is the silhouette of a tree

they say
"in like a lion, out like a lamb"
(i think it is only 100 days 'til spring)
until then i will stay in, keep warm and plan my garden

all wired out!!!

i think it's time for a 12 step program

i've been twisting wire and stringing beads

non stop since last week!!

step one: step away from the wire

(my neck is stiff and hands are going numb)

second step: admitting i have an obsession!!!

it's just so much fun

i got carried away trying out alternative

ways of shaping the wire

once they are filled with beads

it sparks another idea

or color scheme

and before you know it

i'm out of wire and i'm jonesing

for more!!!

all wired up

beads and wire

everywhere!!
and beanie keeping an eye on things