Something "Wicked"...this way comes....

Just look at this cloud headed right towards our house.  A huge circle cloud.  I cannot believe Mother Nature sometimes.  Truly Amazing!

It was getting closer and closer.  It was unbelievably calm and muggy out.  This was taken approximately 8pm.  There was tornado watches all day.  I took a short video of it but it needs editing, lol.

 A quick "Art Journal Page".  I traced my hand and doodled a bunch of stuff.  I tried out some watercolors all around and tried blending and rubbing techniques.  Left the black and white in the center for a cool effect.

My youngest and I are heading west for a week.  Much needed break.  I will post some pics when I return.

Head on over to Dirty Footprints Studio where she is having an exciting "Give Away".

One of my "journaling secrets" is I hide a secret messege in alot of my pages.  Usually only I can find it and I don't tell anyone about it.  Sometimes it's visible, sometimes its underneath layers of paint or collaged over.  My favorite supplies are; watercolors, masking fluid (my newly discovered favorite) and my trusty white gel pen.  My secret is out Connie, great idea to find out what everyone does. Ha! Ha!


Here is just such a page.  I used all my favorite supplies.  This is a birthday card that I am making for my oldest who is turning "19".  

                        Happy Birthday Britney!!

And the winner is.....

Hey My Favorite Folks;

   Hope you are all well and out enjoying the lovely weather.  We have had some good days and some W-E-T days.  Our last storm looked like this.  This was just a couple of days ago.  It downpoured and I guess we got hail in a few places.  Here is just a few blocks from where I live.  Tons of it.

   I have some amazing news to share so you will have to watch this video to find out K?  It is only 8 minutes and then you will know.  Here it is...

    OMG...can you believe it???  How amazing is that.  I have been following Tam for years.  I am a member of her wonderful "ning" group and of course her number one fan.  I Love her art and she is a wonderful person. Did I mention that I love her??? LOL.  She still has her "Art, Heart and Healing Class" available and many other wonderful classes...just click on the button on my sidebar to see.  The print that I picked is this one .  She said that she mailed it out a couple of days ago, but I am a little worried about our stupid mail strike.  Of course that has to happen just when I win something.  Ironic isn't it?  Since it is coming from the UK maybe by the time it hits Canada our strike will be a thing of the past.  Crossing my fingers and toes...ow.

   Here are some pic's of some art that I have been doing.  You may remember that I belong to a Mail-Art Club.  Here are a few that I sent.

   I kind of like this one.  It reminds me of my Grandmother (who by the way is 93 years young).  She used to make all her own cards and sew them together and around the edges.  She was and is ahead of her time.  She was doing mixed-media before there ever was a name for it.  So this one got sent out to a co-worker of mine.

  This one was sent to my Mom for Mothers Day.  

     Boy oh boy, you never really appreciate a Mother, until...you are one.  I have 2 teens- and next to the terrible two's, this is the hardest stages that I have ever went through.  They are killing killing me off.  My youthful nature is disappearing and I am turning into an old-hag right before my very own eyes.  So on that lovely note....I love you Mom and again I am so sorry for breaking your heart so many times.  Thank-you for still loving me when I know how horrible I was.

   My sister sent me a beautiful song that I would love to share with you guys.  Its so funny because it is exactly how I have been feeling lately.  Thanx Christine.  Here it is.

   I am now working on a journal spread that I guess was motivated by a recent fight with my 15 year old.

    I will show you next time when it is all put together.  


   I am sorry that my blogging is, hit and miss.  But I guess that's life, with me anyways.  I will always try and blog more but it is hard in the summer isn't it?  I am outside more and doing less inside.  I love you guys and until next time, have a creative day!

" There can be no happiness if the things we believe in are different from the things we do."     Freya Stark

   

Is Spring Finally Here....?

   What a vision to behold!  Can it truly be?  Has springtime finally appeared in Alberta?  I am scared to admit that it might be true.  Every time I think spring has finally come....another BLIZZARD appears.  Touch wood.  

  I really feel it this time.  I want to go to the Rockies and go on a hike.  Not that it's a good idea at this time of the year, the nights are still too cold for hiking, but I am itchin.  I am a little antsy...and I can't wait to head into the mountains.  I am so grateful to live so close to the Canadian Rockies...if they weren't here it would be a very dismal place to live as I am not a fan of the Prairies.

   How was your Easter weekend?  We did the traditional Turkey supper, minus the dressing and dessert.  We tried to be somewhat healthy this year, cutting out the fat and sugar.  All the kids were home which was a real treat for us to be 5 again.  
My youngest arrived home from London safely and "wonderfully more" worldly.  My oldest is home from her first year of college for the summer, and my bestie's son is down.  It is nice having a house-full again.  I have missed everyone.   
 I am so grateful to be able to gather together as a family again, kids come and go but it is so nice to have them all home again too.

   I didn't get the girls chocolate this year.  (Unhealthy).  So I painted them each a postcard for Easter.  I used Twinkling H2O's, Liquid Frisket and pen and ink.  

 Jackie took these beautiful pictures of spring flowers on our nature walk today.  It's our last day off.  Tomorrow it is back to the daily grind.  I really enjoyed this weekend.  I feel rested and ready to take on the world again.  I never get week-ends off and I get that's why I really appreciated having this one off.  

   Every Blog post from now on...I would like to incorporate gratefulness and write about some of the things in my day to be thankful for.  Kind of like a gratitude journal.  It is so important for us to acknowledge the good things that happen in our lives so that we take nothing for granted and we can appreciate our blessings more.  

   Our lake is finally melting.  This is Dodd's Lake and the Canadian Geese are back and hopefully we will be able to see some goslings this year.  How exciting will that be?

  Here's some food for thought...

"The world would be a wonderful place if only we'd shut up and let it."

I am Back...

Hello there lovely people;

It has been a CRAZY month.  I am back and have lots to show you.  Check out the "Sketchbook Challenge" it is still going strong.  This months theme is 'Spilling Over'.  And oh my goodness I can definitely relate to that. Here is my rendition...

 What kind of sicky gets all worked up...just by simply LOOKING at "art supplies"....well...I am afraid to admit, that would be ME!  So this page is about that.  I love art supplies and I do have allot of it and not enough time in this life to use it.  So I now refrain from buying (which is extremely hard) and I just stalk other blogs and look at their supplies and how they are using them and that seems to fill the void.

I have been working on this next project for a couple of weeks now.  As you know my youngest daughter is going to London (this Saturday!!! OMG) and I thought it would be nice for her to document this journey in a hand-designed journal specifically for this trip. Here is the journal before.....

This is a simple lined Moleskin Cashier journal.  Looks pretty plain and not very inviting for a journey such as hers will be.  This is after I personalized it.

 I added an elastic enclosure that I attached to the back of the book.  I also handmade the button on the front.  I used my dremel tool to drill a couple of small holes that would incorporate the elastic and drew her name all fancy with ink and sealed it.  I picked her favorite color for the book which at the present time is "yellow".  I did some stamping and rubbing ink all around the sides to give it an old look, and cut out some of my hand-drawn flowers out of an old book page and glued it on.  I re-inforced the book by putting a seam of black tape on it.  I think it looks better like that.

 This is the back of the journal, I added a few more places that she wants to go to in her life.  I rubbed ink around those pictures as well to tie it all in together.

 I personalized the inside as well.  A blank book can sometimes be intimidating.  So I stamped some images in and I found some good "Travel Quotes" that I wrote in the bottom of some of the pages.

She is going with her classmates and at the last parent meeting they gave us their itinerary's so I added that to the journal hoping it will prompt her to write a little something everyday.  I also made a magnetic bookmark using the same paper as the journal so it matches. 

Re purposing an existing journal doesn't really cost allot of money.  I only used 1 piece of scrap booking paper; under 99 cents, an ink pad and a couple of stamps, glue and cut-outs from a travel book, and a little imagination which is FREE.  And of course TIME...which I know we don't have much of...that's why this took me 2 weeks because I could only work on it in 15 minute intervals.  I haven't showed her yet I just have a few last minute things to do, but I can't wait to show her :)

I will leave you with one of the quotes that I used in her travel journal...

"A traveller without observation is a bird without wings."                    Moslih Eddin Saadi

The Artist's Creed

Hi guys, I am still alive and creating. I will blog this week. I promise.

I found this video on ihannah's blog and I looooovvvveeee it!!!

I have been getting ready for my daughter to go to London and that's why I have been away. She leaves on Saturday and I am a little panick-stricken. That was unexpected of me...I did not know that I would be so nervous about this wonderful adventure that she will be on in less that than a weeks time. Forgive my absence and I will be back with lots of pictures and the new things I have created.

Tune in this week

Love and Hugs :)

Crosses

Hi guys,

A quick post to let you know what I've been up to today.  Check out "True North Arts " she has a wonderful post about cross-making.  What a great idea to make crosses out of found objects from your environment during Lent.  I work in a place where they throw out allot of perfectly good supplies and I have saved some to use for my cross.

 The cross is made out of garbage pieces of "rag-mat".  I have some old book pages and I will use some of the words that I find interesting or that I am drawn to.  At work we throw out allot of the brown wrapping paper so I saved some because I like the organic color and feel of it.  I also used a butterfly stamp with gold ink, (I put the butterfly stamp on almost everything).  I then used some pen and ink (brown) and distressed the edges with "Vintage Photo-Distress Ink".  Then for a finished touch I sprayed the whole cross with "Tattered Angel's-Glimmer Mist".

I have named my cross....Forgiveness.  I have a few resentments and I blame myself for certain things that I feel responsible for in my life,  so making this and meditating during the creation process has made me feel more peaceful with myself.  Thank-you Kathryn for enlightening me today :)

 If anyone and everyone is up for the challenge...what is your cross that you bear today?

"We are not human beings trying to be spiritual.  We are spiritual beings trying to be human."   Jacquelyn Small

My Mini-Tin

Good Day folks,

As I sit here... it is blowing and a mere 46 below zero with the wind chill.  I live in Canada and even for a Canadian that is severely COLD!!  I'm thinking the North Pole is warmer.  It's the kind of cold where I worry about the deer and coyotes and... I wonder... what temperature does it have to be before glass cracks? 

I have been working on my "mini-watercolor tin" and I must say, I really like it.  I needed to get some silicone so that I could make in water-proof on the inside.  I siliconed around the blister pack that I glued in.  Don't use metal glue...it didn't work for me.  I siliconed the blister pack in as well, so overall it took about 2 days to dry.  I painted it with acrylics and 

pen+ink and cut out the heart and flowers out of an old book page.  This was the first time I have tried Golden's Fluid Acrylics and Wow!! I love them...you don't need much and the pigment stays true...I knew there must be a reason they are so expensive.  Quality.  They also have a shine to them that I like.  I haven't tried them in my journal yet so I am interested to see if they are sticky when dry.  I have heard that some artists say the pages stick when they use it and some say that they don't stick.  So I will just have to let you know when I use them in my journal.  

I can't wait to put in the liquid water-colors into my mini.  I am going to put in the primaries, red, blue and yellow. Then white, black and brown.  I think I can mix any color with those.  I am not a seasoned watercolorist so if anyone out there knows what colors I should need in this little travel tin let me know.

 This is the bottom of the tin and I am not yet done, I want to write a personal note to myself but I am not quite sure what yet.  I want to thank Leslie at "Comfortable Shoes" for her excellent video and sharing her way of making these.  I want to make a ton of them...but no one paints :(  
I then will have to spray the whole outside of the tin and then do allot of coats so that it is well protected from the abuse that I know I will put it through.

The next project I have to finish is the Midori Traveller that I showed you last week.  I have all the supplies now and I just have to get it done.  I cut mine a bit too small so wish me luck.

"Skill to do comes of doing."  Ralph Waldo Emerson

Midori Traveller, mini-watercolor tin, journal books .... oh my....

Hi there folks,

Now that I have a few days off...I have been busy creating some cool stuff...or trying to, I should say.  

Leslie at Comfortable Shoes Studio did an amazing video where she was making a mini-watercolor set out of a teeny tiny tin.  I loved it so much that I was a busy busy girl attempting this yesterday.  It is turning out extremely well.  I kind of love it.

These pics were taken before I primed them with primer.  I buffed it up a bit with very fine sandpaper and wiped it down to make sure there was no dust left.  Then let it dry completely.  Then I sprayed it with 2 coats of primer.

I bought some much needed Vitamin C, it conveniently comes in a blister pack...so I took them all out and sprayed the back with primer and cut it to fit inside my teeny tin. All I have left is silicone around the blister pack so that water doesn't seep under and rust out from the bottom and then put some liquid watercolors in and let them dry. It is ready to be painted with the design of my choice.  What do you think I should paint on it?  My Besty loves it so I am making her one and we will paint it together.  Nothing better than doing art with a friend or family.

Another very cool thing I found on the lovely world of the Internet is a "Midori Traveller" you can see what it looks like here.  As you know I am a huge journal fan and anyone who knows me knows that I collect them and I tell you...this Midori Traveller is amazing!! And it should be for $70 bucks.  So I researched them and I am attempting to make my own.  I love that it is interchangeable, you can put whatever type of journal/paper inside. 

So I went on the hunt for some very thick leather.  Not easy to find...but determined me Never gives up.  I found an old leather clutch purse at a second hand store for $3 bucks.  I took it apart and it is perfect.  So now I have to find some thick elastic that won't break down over time.  I'm thinking of the elastic they use for hiking gear, backpacks and such. So I might have to go to Valhalla or Mountain Equipment Co-Op and see what they have.  If I make this I would like it to last forever or close to it.  My goodness the Japanese are smart.  It is such an amazing book.  Wow.  


I have a couple of new books to show off to you.  

This one is amazing.  A perfect reference book.  For any material you are using or want to use.  From paper types to how to make your own pigments.  Tons of information here. 






And this one.

Pam's New Book. I have been waiting for this one to be released.  Wonderful Mixed Media techniques and very user friendly.  I love ordering on-line.  Half the price of the books at Chapters and they come right to your door.  Don't get me wrong...I love Chapters...but very expensive.


Love you guys and I would love to hear how creative your week has been.  If it hasn't been, it is never to late to do something creative now.

"Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life"  PICASSO

Art Journal Love Day!

I am back...

So soon.  Well that's what you get when you are late (post after post).  I think that you should Blog when you feel like blogging (is that even a word?).  So here I am again.  Sick of me yet?  Yesterdays blog was a little lame and I felt a teenie bit guilty. 


Over at Dirty Footprints Studio Connie is having an "Art Journal LOVE" day.  How exciting is that!!  I love my journal and why not admit it here and now. So here is my post and picture to prove it.

 Yes I know...it's the dreaded poodle again.  She just got her hair buzzed yesterday and she is in a deep depression, curled up in her bed.  Very sad.  She doesn't even want to chase the cat...so she is really down.  This picture reminds me of better days and hopefully she will be back to her own sweet self soon.

 This picture was "created" out of the sheer love of creating and that anyone can do it, you don't need any special talent or training, I call most of my art "doodling" if that is any consolation, then it doesn't have to be a serious thing.  Don't sit there in hopes of creating a work of ART...you will just sit there stumped.  Just play.  Doodle.  Color.  



Thanks Connie for "Art Journal Love Day" and congrats on finding your way and making your dreams come true.

"Free from ambitious pride and envious care, to love and to be loved is all my prayer"

 

Valentine's Day Love

Hey Folks,

I want to say...Happy Valentine's Day and I hope and pray that you felt the love on this very special day even if it wasn't "external" I hope you connected with yourself "internally".  To Love Yourself is the biggest Love there is.  

A few of movies that I highly recommend for the "lovers or the love-sick" out there.  I cried a small river over these.  

1. Love and Other Drugs starring Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal.  It was very unexpectedly wonderful.  Have kleenex handy. 
2. It's Kind of a Funny Story starring Emma Roberts (Julia Roberts niece) and Zach Galifianakis.  Teaches us alot about how dramatic and depressed we think we are, there is always someone worse.  Helping those in need, helps ourselves in turn. 
3. Life As We Know It starring Josh Duhamel and Katherine Heigl.  It's a must see.  I don't want to give to much away.  Watch the trailer.  Click on my links :)

 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
 Corinthians 13

Love and Hugs :)

The Sketchbook Challenge

Hey Creatives, (we all are you know!)

Hope you are well on this fine day.  Happy Birthday BEN!!

I have got some cool pics for you today.  I went shopping for some lovely fruit.  

 The reason for my "fruit" choices are for this months THEME on the Sketchbook Challenge. Click the link and check it out.  Opposites. I was really stumped for this one.  I googled "opposites" and got a list and picked some that stood out to me.



For Example;
night and day
dogs and cats
sweet and sour
hands and feet
fire and water
old and new 
salt and pepper
heart and mind
perfect and flawed
cold and hot
open and shut
truth and lie
and the list goes on...

So I thought...I have always wanted to try out a still life and what better way than this to learn some new techniques. And of course to eat yummy fruit after.  Ha! Ha! Ha!

I used a some watercolors that my dad bought for me a few years ago.  Van Gogh watercolor set.  Very highly pigmented and bright juicy colors.  Perfect for the fruit I thought.  And I really got to thinking about opposites and what that really means to me.

So thanks to Laura Cater-Woods for this wonderfully "thought provoking" theme.  The picture above was the one I entered on the site for this month's challenge.  I would like to explore more opposites this month in my sketchbook we'll see.

"People think they'll be happy when they have nothing to do, but that's just a blueprint for misery.  Keeping busy is what happiness is all about."

So on that note my "little creatives"...

Create something...anything...today!!



 

Some Mail Art

Hi there Folks,

Its been a busy week...all work and...you know the rest.  

I have now found myself with 4 days off in a row...wow!  What will I do.  Today was a wash.  I did absolutely N O T H I N G.  I lazed around.  Ya I know ...me...nothing!  Not like me.  I call it a "recoup day"  Doesn't everyone need one of those?  One where you can just let go of all your responsibilities and just B E.  No guilt, no should haves, no lists in your mind....just BE.  It felt like one of those days today.  I surfed the net, got some cool movies.  Watched "American Idol" the one I missed from last week.  Checked out some blogs that I haven't looked at in awhile (because I have no time).  I had time to enjoy making supper instead of just throwing something together because it's late.  

It was a very relaxing day.  I feel newly rejuvenated.  Like taking a deep breath of fresh crisp air.  We all need to check in with our inner selves once in awhile and really listen to the calm, the quiet...our own heart beating.  Do you ever make time for yourself...check in?  What does your body want?  Your mind...your spirit.  Reconnect...with....YOU.

I thought I would share with you some "Mail Art" that I have received over the last couple of months.

I got this one just before Christmas.  It is from "Lady L".  It's cool.  It is sewn all the way around, reminds me of the cards and letters I used to get from my Grandmother.  I love it, the colors are calming and the cup of tea...amazing.  Very tiny details to cut out.  Very precise.  Takes allot of patience for this one.  What is better than this...I love getting miniature "Art" in the mail!

This is the one I sent her.  I think I have put this picture up already.  But I sure enjoyed making it.  I used a stencil with watercolors and inking and I just went to town.  I have talked so much about this mail art that 2 of my co-workers joined the group.  It is so exciting.
 

I received this one in the beginning of this month from "Winged Heart".  I just love it.  The colors are bright and I love the use of the primary colors. The recycled paper is amazing as well.  And the messages stand out so well.  Like we all have the power.  Use it!

This is one that I made and sent him.  I used recycled paper as well and my "Twinkling H20's" stickers to make the star shapes and stamps and of course inking, I love inking.  Postcards are the perfect size for miniature art.  I am not intimidated by the small size and I feel free to create.  I get to try out new techniques and I don't fear rejection because "it's ANONYMOUS".  Yippee!

This is my newest one.  Different eh?  I am not sure who I will send it to.  Maybe I will put all the names in a hat.  There are only 13 names left on the list.  For this one I used my Windsor Newton watercolors wet-on-wet technique, my Neocolors 11, pen and ink, stamps and stazon ink, white gel pen and piano music paper.  


I think...to answer my sister's question about my studio.  During my days off I will be working in the mess (God help me).  I will try and get some of the stuff put away.  I need some shelves put up and a door would be wonderful.

And another thing...this month is very special and not just because of Valentine's Day.  It is my little nephews 5th Birthday.  Happy Birthday "Little Man"!  I love you.

 Well guys...time for bed.  Sweet dreams.  Until next week have a wonderfully creative week.

"You are the creative type.  We all are...even if we don't know it yet."        Oprah

Where Did Monday Go...?

Hi Folks :)

I completely lost Monday...I mean it...gone!  You know your old when...you actually lose days...wow!  So I was convinced I had today (in my mind it was Tuesday) to blog.  Sorry about that, so it is Wednesday and I am here with my coffee and the silly poodle and we will have a Wednesday Blog instead. 

So last week I left you with my book-binding dilemmas.  Well I am here to say that it all worked out, I was amazed.  It is not perfect or that pretty either but it is "functional" and that 'my dearies' is the most important thing.  The minute we let go of our chains or expecting something to be something it is NOT, we are free to enjoy "What Is".

The copic-binding stitch that I learned how to use, makes it so that when I open my journal it lays down flat no matter what page it is open to.  I love that.  I left some of the pages in and you can certainly tell...they are all warped and buckled and my new "inards" are all straight and flat.  I am very pleased.  I recommend trying this at home...ha! Ha!

As you know I am participating in the "Sketchbook Challenge" and Dianna Trout whose book I own and recommend "Journal Spilling" has put up a short "Doodling Game" video...very fun and funny...she is great!  Check out here video. Put your cursor over the link (in pink) and click and it will take you right there.  Here is my page that I did after watching her short video, she is right - it is an excellent warm up for your art work and it amazes me what comes out of a person when they are simply just "doodling". Here is mine....

Isn't that crazy?  Wow...I had no idea where that was going and don't ask me what it means...I have no words.  But guess what?  It was fun!  The process is what I enjoyed not the end result.  I am still doing some shading and playing with it.  
   
I have two entries that I want to put into the "Sketchbook Challenge"  for this month.  Remember the theme is "Highly Prized".  I sketched "my girls" and now I am working on another one which is "my passion" I guess.  It's in the works right now, its a watercolor and I am learning to play with water-colors...so I am having fun with this one...take a look...

The great thing is that I am using the pages in my journal that I bound myself on watercolor paper.  Cool.  It's nice using watercolors on actual watercolor paper, it works so much better.  So I am learning that using the proper tools, sometimes is essential for easier results.  I am not saying that watercolors shouldn't be used on just any paper because that is not true...I have done beautiful pages with just that.  But using watercolor paper gives you a "tooth" for the colors to stick to that I wasn't aware of, the paper absorbs better and dries without bubbling, almost gives the colors more vibrant color.  Very Cool.  So I better get my butte in gear if I am going to enter these before the end of the month.  Wish me luck :)


Have a wonderfully creative week.  Love and hugs xo

"Just be yourself...everyone else is already taken." Oscar Wilde

Here is another huge video of Milliande's Journal January...
 

An Exercise in "Book-Binding" and "Patience"

Hi There Folks;

Have you settled into January?  

Now that the Christmas rush is over, tinsel and tree gone...how about your New Years Resolutions?  Have they died like mine have?  The only one I've kept so far is to "Journal" everyday.  I am being creative everyday.  This makes me happy and keeps those creative muscles supple....now if only I could exercise everyday, I would be even happier that I have muscles.

A really good read on Journal Fodder Junkies take a look at Eric's Rules.  They are amazing and inspiring.  This is exactly what I'm talking about.  No matter what your creative craft may be these are good rules to live by.

So today is my second day off in a row (this never happens).  And I have been struggling with my new 2011 journal.  I love it but the paper sucks.  

 So I searched the Internet (as I always do when faced with a challenge) and found this.  So I went to my paper stash and behold I had some old watercolor pads collecting dust and various other good quality paper and decided to try my hand at book-binding.  The black book on the bottom is my journal and on top is the signatures that I made and sewed together using a "copic" stitch so that the pages lay flat when the book is opened.  Cool eh?  The fun part came when I gutted out my journal and placed the signatures inside and it was toooo THICK...omg!!! How could this have happened!  OK...deep breathes and problem solve.  

I had left one signature in the journal because I have done some art in it already and I wanted to keep some of my pages in, but this made it too thick so I cut out a little more of the pages in my journal and placed weights on my signatures so hopefully that will make it fit.  I am learning alot in this old art of book-making.  I do love it but I must say I am a bit stressed, my beloved journal has been gutted and I have nothing to draw in.  So I will be up ALL night until it is fixed.  As you can see there is my journal on the bottom and my signatures on top.  It will work out and I should give myself a break as Jackie says; "this is your first time, you can't be perfect at EVERYTHING."  This is true, I am so hard on myself.  I am pretty proud for attempting this, even if it doesn't work out I still come away with alot more knowledge that I didn't have before.

I belong to a "Mail Art" club.  People in the club send you a postcard in the mail and you send one back, as simple as that.  You can do anything you want.  If you are into photography you glue a picture on a postcard and send it, if you write send a poem on a card etc.  I received one over Christmas from "Lady L"  (oh yeah it's anonymous) and this is one that I was working on for her.  Making art for someone you don't know brings up alot of different feelings, you are basically doing "art by intuition" I guess.  I did what I like and I sent it.  This is how it turned out.

Well...I must get back to my poor journal with no substance, she needs her guts.  Wish me luck.  ;)

"You're Braver than you believe and Stronger that you seem and Smarter than you think"  Winnie the Pooh

Here is Milliande's Day 2 video