Fleeting Weekend Artventures

Can shopping be an artistic adventure?  I think so.  I mean, look at all the colors and textures that surround you as you shop.  While at the supermarket you'll see smooth greens and shiny reds butted up against fuzzy browns and at the department store you'll experience an array of colors and textures happily clashing!  Yes, it can be an artventure.  Still for me, the best place to experience an artventure is at a stamp store.  Sigh.  Being surrounded by walls of art stamps, ink, paper, tons of magazines and ephemera galore make my heart smile.

I dropped in at Stampin' From the Heart in Los Angeles this past Saturday as part of my "Small Business Saturday" plan.  I never made it to the other businesses I had on my agenda.  Not that it took me hours to find what I wanted, that parts easy - EVERYTHING!  I kept bumping into friends I haven't seen in months and you know how it is when it's "catch-up" time!  So the majority of my time was spent talking, laughing, smiling, listening, getting teary-eyed and of course, shopping.  LOL!! 
By the time I decided what to buy, and it wasn't much but it felt good and right to buy them, it was getting dark and I knew I would never make it to the other stores.  I had parental priorities to tend to and I had no regrets.  Everything I could want from a small business met my needs.  Good friends, great stamps and lots and lots of color!
After getting home,  I cleared off my desk and began to draw then color an image that will be part of my Christmas cards that go out soon.  I'm beginning to feel a little more comfortable playing with new techniques and there's still a lot more I need to perfect.  If you look at the image to the left, it appears as if Frida's baby is missing a body.  After enlarging the original and adding a little more details, that baby now has one.  LOL!!!  Well, he at least has a swathed body.    

Depending on how my week goes, I should have more copies and the card making experience will begin.  Hee-hee, I was telling a friend at the stamp store that I had all the components for my Thanksgiving cards sitting on my table.  She knowingly nodded and smiling she added that at least I'll be ready next Thanksgiving.  LOL!!!!  Now those are the words of a true friend.  Thanks Geri. ;) 
  

TGIF

TGIF it's Frida AND a long weekend.  Love it.  Enjoying it.  Hope you are too.

I stayed indoors on this "Black Friday" but tomorrow is a whole different story!  I'll be off to my first ever "Small Business Saturday!!  Woo-Hoo!  Support your local mom and pop shops,  people.  Uniqueness awaits you.

Journaling Frenzy

It seems that lately I've managed to maintain a current journal.  This can only mean one or two things.  One - my day job is calming down or Two - I have more time and energy to pour into my life.  Hmm, notice how the two go hand in hand?
My girl has flown the coop.  She'd been on the look-out for the perfect "first place" and she found it.  AND, it's about six blocks away from my son and daughter-in-law's home!!!  I'd say that's MORE THAN PERFECT!  They've already gotten together for dinner and big brother and wife have been so helpful with little sista's move.  How do I feel about it?  Well, I feel a whole lot better knowing she's in close proximity to big brother's home and in a safe place.

The other night I heard a car pull up in my driveway which is unusual at my house.  I stepped out onto the front porch and saw my mom and dad's car and I was frickin' amazed at what I saw next!  For those of you who've been following my blog for a while, you know that my dad's health is not the best and he needs help with just about everything, except for eating, using the bathroom and bathing, THANK GOD!!  LOL!  Anyway, I see my dad exiting from the car and he's exiting from the DRIVER'S SIDE!!!  Hubbo Jimbo was on the front porch with me and I was in total shock.  My mom finally got out of the car.  Poor thing.  She was in more shock than me.  LOL!  Anyway, let me point this out.  My driveway is long and there's an incline on my front lawn.  My dad didn't have his walker, he's NOT supposed to be driving (plus it was night!) and he was walking with great ease!  He still had the minor limp from a war wound but he was doing great!  I was smiling from ear to ear and then it hit me like a ton of bricks.  I looked over at Jimbo and said, "OH NO!  I'm dreaming!"  With that I started crying so hard I woke myself up from this horrible joke of a dream.  For a moment it felt great to see an independent father free from any assistance.  Free just to be and do without thinking for a second how to get from point A to B.

 

It seems that all this recent journaling has put me in the mood for a "Handmade" Christmas."  I just now noticed that the word "handmade" doesn't show well on my journal page.  Can I pull it off?  Did I ever mention that I have a large family and that we exchange gifts every year.  Did I mention that I haven't had a raise in three years?  And I don't make much?  LOL!!  There's where my motivation comes from.  I'll keep you posted on the progress of my "Handmade Christmas" journey.  Keep 'em crossed people and make art, not stress!    

Thankful Thursday

How ironic that Veteran's Day would fall on Thankful Thursday.  Today I took time to include the three vets that have been a part of my life, for what seems like an eternity, in my journal. 

Thinking of my three vets today and remembering that there are millions of others who have sacrificed their time and life for us.  Thank you.

Artventurous Halloween

The art bug took a chunk out of me on Halloween.  No doubt.  I went on a journaling marathon working on page after page as a silly little tune played in my head -  The Twelve Days of Halloween.  Here goes.....
I actually showed this page yesterday but I had to include it again to make the set complete.
On the first day of Halloween my ghoul love sent to me a raven in a bare tree.

On the second day of Halloween my ghoul love sent to me two spinning spiders....

On the third day of Halloween my ghoul love sent to me, three jack o' lanterns....

On the fourth day of Halloween my ghoul love gave to me, four spooky ghosts....

On the fifth day of Halloween my ghoul love gave to me five scardy cats........

On the sixth day of Halloween my ghoul love gave to me six pounds I'm gaining....

On the seventh day of Halloween my ghoul love gave to me seven trick-or-treaters.....

On the eighth day of Halloween my ghoul love gave to me eight bats a-flappin'.....

On the ninth day of Halloween my ghoul love gave to me nine skulls a-bobbin'.....

On the tenth day of Halloween my ghoul love gave to me ten bones a-leaping.....

On the eleventh day of Halloween my ghoul love gave to me eleven cauldrons brewing....

On the twelfth day of Halloween my ghoul love gave to me twelve hearts a-beating......

Did I go overboard?  Maybe.  Did I have a lot of time on my hands.  Maybe.  Did I have fun?  YES!  Hope I didn't bore ya.  I do plan on journaling over the last few pages.  My goal was to finish a complete set of twelve before the clock struck midnight!  I did it!!!!