ERASER CARVING.........

Michelle challenged us to carve some erasers or make our own stamps. I have found that the kids fun foam can be fun and kinda funky but I also like to try my hand at carving. Of course, I haven't done anything as intricate as our Michelle. I don't have that sort of patience and that 'fancy stuff' doesn't usually wind up in my journals. Simple images are what I do.

I am not crazy about how fragile the erasers are.....especially after sweating blood to do 'em.
I just have to try everything atleast once.
The cutest one I have seen out there was a 'turnip'. One of our fellow artists had carved one and put 'Can't get blood (red drops on the page) out of a Turnip ( turnip stamp)" I just loved it because it was done at Tax Time. I am sorry I can't give her credit but she moved me, she reallllly moved me! :o)
That's my story...................you know the rest. :o)

Oh woe is me..............

I don't know but some days it just doesn't pay to get out of bed............I think I have a bladder or kidney thing starting up. Pain in front and back and everywhere inbetween. I have neglected the blog, the art, and almost everything else for days and days. So lethargic, and a kinda sad feeling has overtaken me as well. I have everything in the world to be happy about so who knows about this sort of thing really? I mean, the winter here is so dark and gloomy.......all the time. It wears on a persons last nerve! This last weekend is was really warm out....a whopping 42 degrees. Folks were all looking at the plant sections of the stores. Of course it will be well over a month before we can seriously think of planting anything but we can dream. I did put out my nectar for the hummingbirds. I want them to find food as soon as they arrive because they will be so tired and no doubt very thin. "So I am ready babies for you to come home to mama."

The dogs have been so happy to get out the last few days. They kick their heels up and are having a great time out there. It makes me happy to see them run like greyhounds in a oval pattern. The Cresties start it off and the others follow along.

Today on the news this elderly couple were found to have 800 dogs and birds in their mobile home. Lord have mercy, if I keep listening to the news I will get more depressed. I am sure they meant well but it was so way out of hand.................poor animals.....poor people who have clearly lost their minds. Animals are so innocent yet they seem to suffer so at the hands of humans. It just breaks my heart, literally.

Well, atleast I got this far. Maybe the sun will come out and I can get my sewing room finished. I made great headway in there but still more to do.........then the art room. I am going to be throwing stuff out right and left. So much stuff in here that I no longer wish to use. I am packing it all up for the Salvation Army.

Well, that's it til next time..........

Egads..........what is this stuff??

I have some sort of 'crud' that has been ongoing for 24 hours now. Caught me most unexpectedly. No sore thoat, no cough, no tossing my cookies. I just woke up dizzy and every bone in my body ached.....every bone! Even bones I didn't even know I had!!

I am better today and definately getting back to normal with only a little of the dizziness and aching. The hubster has been juicing for me so I have had plenty of Vitamin C in the last two days. I haven't eaten....just sipping stuff all day long. It seemed best to give the old system a rest but to keep drinking fluids.

I had begun to do a new blog just for my art but I made a mistake in the beginning and the printing was huge and no matter what I tried, it stayed that way. I pulled the whole site down and will begin again when I can concentrate better.

Lesson learned: never brag that you haven't been sick this year!!!!!!

I think I should have two blogs...........

Maybe I should separate my private thoughts from my artistic thoughts. I wonder why I didn't think of it earlier. My artistic friends wouldn't be interested in reading about how neurotic I am when it comes to cell phones and my doll collecting. Duh!!! It clearly is two separate things.

I will see if I can set up another blog just for art/journaling, and I will also fiddle around to see if I can get my photographs a bit larger. I have tried but it hasn't worked for me.
I like when one can put small photos that you can click on and they become larger. I don't know how to even begin to do that.......bummers!

I love all my interests with a passion. Please dear universe, don't make me choose my most favorite one because it will frustrate me no end. In everything I do, I do it with gusto.

Yes, two or three blogs........That's the ticket!

So many nice folks stopped by.............

After being so afraid to open up my blog to the public it has turned out to be a nice experience so far. Lovely, new, artsy friends and I am finally flying free! (thank you Michelle)
I have a problem tho'. With seeing so much art on the web, how will I ever know if my art is my own?
This troubles me a lot. I want to be totally original but since I have not gone to a professional art school, I wonder what is mine and what is a mixture of 'theirs' that I see. Anyone else struggle with this?

My words however, and the way I say them, are definately my own.....I have no doubts there but the visual aspects, I have to question. I see something and I want to go do it too. Whenever I take a class locally, I want to do what the teacher is doing....not trusting myself to experiment until I get home again. What she puts on her list is what I want to get. If she uses a stamp then I feel I must use that stamp even tho' I figure I will never use it again. (I HATE that about me!)
I heard (or read) one of the teachers complain about this once because the store didn't have enough of her suggested stamps and the ladies were in a blind panic. She figured they could just choose another stamp but they didn't want to. Has she forgotten what it is like to be so new and still wet behind the ears? Anywho, I digress............
I want to be original and unique. I love birds but everyone seems to be using them. They are what move me and I want to use them but fear my art will look like someone elses.................
Michelle Ward has a strong influence over me. I like many artist's work but I just adore hers. It moves me so much.......the architectual imagery, the birds most certainly and I have literally had a ball using her images of paint splotches etc. I have really used those a lot!
So anyway, I was just wondering if I am the only person struggling with this issue.
When Altered books were HOT, I got into those. So it wasn't my original thought.............
Same with ATC's.........I just had to do those too.............
And then the 4x4 pages. Loved those............still, it wasn't something "I" thought of..............
Do I even have original ideas anymore? I am wondering.............

All I can do right now is just give a big confused Sigh..................

That's my story..........You know the rest........!!