Another Grey Day

So as the month winds down, I am going to show you this card I made for Katie last week. I love this guy; he cracks me up. Plus, as a crazy chemist, he looks just like one of the chemistry teachers I work with. 

This card isn't really demonstrating any wild techniques, just plain and simple stamping, coloring and cutting out. But I did play with the explosion's smoke, and I think it turned out looking pretty cool-I used a few colors of Distress stain to get the look. I wanted the smoke to have a bit of depth-look like it was billowing and moving, which I think was mostly successful with.(Always good when that happens.)

Or maybe it just looks like a big messy blob...

You can decide but don't tell me please.

 Let me live in my own warped reality please.

So also on my crafty front is this cool new knitting book I bought the other day when I went to Barnes and Noble's after work. Was fun to poke through a bookstore-haven't done any poking like that for a long time...I might run in and get a magazine but poking...it's been half a year since I had a good poking session.

So I bought this book.

I love Kaffe Fassett's colors and patterns. He makes the most gorgeous quilts and at one point some very cool sweater patterns for Rowan Yarns of England. He also makes colorful fabric with more great patterns. This particular book doesn't have sweaters but does have some neat pillows, afghans and scarves. I am going to knit a few of the throw pillows for my bed.

And I want to do several of the scarves.

And I wish, magically, one of his quilts would just fly into my life like some multicolored, intensely pattern flying carpet.

I really want to get his new autobiography.

It looks wonderful with lots of color photos. I think if you love color and the interplay of multiple colors you just can't help but love his textiles.

 They are just gorgeous.

What I also love about the new knitting book that I bought is some of the color photos of doorways, gardens and ceramics.

 The colors make me drool.

I think the top appealing thing to me in art is color, and then texture, and then design.

At least right at this moment 

I think that.

I wish Kaffe Fassett would put out a book with just those rich color photos.

He could embellish it with quilts and knitting and fabric but it wouldn't have to be a how to book.

Kaffe, if by some SLIME chance you read my blog,

think about that.

Well I am playing in my studio some more today,

also making an apple pie.

Plus this weekend I have done some more declutter cleaning.

And went out shopping with Katie for a few hours-was lots of fun to spend time with her.

It all feels fantastic before I go back to work for a very crazy week ahead.

We are going through re-accreditation this week at work.

UGH! 

And Dave has only this week and then next before he goes back to work-to a new job!!!!

YAHOO!

And tonight we get the new season of the Amazing Race.

So much going on.

Have a relaxing day and come back soon.

Saturday morning is good!

Saturday morning is always wonderful. Sleeping later than 4:45 is always wonderful.

Especially when it is a dark and wet morning, it is like a license to sleep in.

Not sure what is on my day's agenda but it doesn't matter because the day is all mine.

To warm myself up for making my Halloween projects I made a few autumn cards. 

I especially like this one.

I started with a brown card stock base and put a painted deli wrap over it. Then I used an embossing folder from Sizzix to make the cattails. Once embossed, I ran a brown ink pad over the impressions to darken them. Then I cut them out. The paper I made the impression on is similar in colors to the painted background so it blends in pretty nice.

I used that same paper to make the sun in the right corner. I used a Frame-lit die from Sizzix to cut the circle, then gave it a coat of some yellow acrylic paint.

This is one of my favorite ways to make a sun or a moon.

Finally I stamped the phrase and the bird, cut them both out and put them on the card.

I think these cattails just were screaming for a bird to sit on them.

All I should have added were a few little musical notes or a tweet-tweet since this bird looks happy and looks like it should be singing up a storm. 

Don't you think?

I bet she got to sleep late  too!

What you can't see here is that I outlined the entire edge of the card in brown marker. Well not exactly, you can see one little peek on that on the right side under the edge of the sun. But when I photographed this masterpiece the brown edge just blended right in with the background I was using so it just looked like some weird over sized I don't know what. I still have a lot to learn about photographing cards.

So now that I have explained all that to you,

think I will go start my Saturday.

Make yours great too,

and thanks for visiting.

10 Things Friday

So it is the end of September-boy this month flew.

We're really getting into fall now...leaves are getting some color, nights are cool, it isn't really sandal weather every day like it was. More like sock weather some mornings.

BRRRR.

Oh sadness. And happiness. The coming of fall leaves me with a lot of mixed feelings.

Before we know it we'll be closing up the screen porch too, which is really kind of sad.

But I love fall. Just don't love winter.

But either way, we are one week closer to hockey season.

We've got a lot of our tickets and in one more month we'll be off to our first Maine game!

And this Sunday the Amazing Race is back on-wonder where they'll be traveling to this season.

Speaking of travel- think I'll  stick to my latest Friday theme.

How about Part 2- 

10 places I would love to go to this February or April.
On my one week school vacation.
I only have 1 week.

(Though now that Dave has a new job-though he hasn't started yet- I doubt he can take off any time in February.Not even sure April will work for him either.)

Hmmmm-that is a dilemma.
So, since I haven't made any plans yet
here's 10 more ideas rattling around in my head.

1-

Victoria and Albert Museum

The world’s greatest museum of art and design

2-

From Travels (1152x864, 134K)

Mont St. Michel

Brittany, France

3-

http://www.designsponge.com/2009/04/montreal-design-guide.html

Much closer to home

just a 4-5 hour drive north

Montreal

4-

http://fabandfru.com/2010/01/fab-fru-seattle/

Recognize the building that looks like a sky needle on the left? I have never been to Seattle. It would be a cool place to go. I know they don't have a winter with lots of snow like we do in New Hampshire, but would it be too chilly in February?

Anyone know?

5-

How about finding an art retreat?

Not sure where. Not sure what is offered, if anything, during either one of my weeks off.

But it would be a COOL thing to do, and I wouldn't need Dave since wouldn't want to go anyhow. I've found a couple but they don't fall into my vacation weeks, which is tough when you teach school.

6-

http://www.hotelclub.com/blog/pyramids-around-the-world/ancient-aztec-pyramids-at-teotihuacan/

One thing that would be cool to see is the Aztec pyramids in Mexico and the Yucatan. Not sure Mexico is a safe place to travel to...or maybe it isn't all of Mexico that isn't safe but just border Mexico. Or maybe we just hear enough bad things that it scares you needlessly.

7-

a new state

one I haven't ever been to.

Alaska and Hawaii are too far off but I have never been to them

Nor have I been to North Dakota but I think February will be too wintery there.

Definitely.

That probably also includes Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, Kentucky,  and Oklahoma too.

Maybe New Mexico is a good choice.

See last week's 10 things Friday.

Or Alabama or Mississippi.

And there's also Arkansas, but not sure about there in February.

I really don't know much about Arkansas at all.

8-

Do you recognize this island when it is on a map all by itself?

Maybe it is better this way

I am thinking about Sicily.

http://www.fodors.com/world/europe/italy/sicily/

It looks very exotic and different and it would be quite the adventure.

9-

Or I could hop a plane to London, do the Victoria and Albert and the Natural History Museum and then catch a train to one of the following-

Bath

York

Cornwall

Stonehenge

Canterbury

or one of those places that you always read about

but have never been to.
That sound interesting and that you wonder about.

10

???????????

Someplace I haven't thought of or maybe not even discovered yet.

Like Go see the Northern Lights in Iceland.

In April it might still be wintery.

Or Tallinn, Estonia because it looks beautiful in photos.

Just like Krakow, Poland.

or

Istanbul

Morocco

Greece

Budapest

Prague

Finland

?????

There's so many interesting or beautiful places to visit in this world.

All you need is time and money.

And even more importantly

a sense of adventure.

Hope you get to use your sense of adventure, even if it doesn't include

traveling.

Happy Friday!

A few More Scrap Journal Pages

So I haven't been very good at working on my summer scraps journal...Like last night. After a grey day at work, I lounged on the couch, read a bit and watched Back to the Future. What a great old movie that is, but the scary thing is, I remember when that movie came out all those many years ago. 

It can't possibly that long ago, can it?

So before I go off on a tangent,

here's a few pages I have done recently.

This page is a kind of overview page of the last week of my summer vacation.

I made this page by using a stencil and a few different colors of spray ink. It muddied up a bit, but I made up for that but die cutting these color flowers from Quickutz/Life Style Crafts and then spraying them pink. Finally I punched out some scalloped circles and journaled and then added them to the page.

And while we are on some bright scrap journal pages, here's another one I did, kind of an inner title page.

I started by painting the green  doily shape with a Crafter's Workshop stencil, then I used some orange watercolor paint-finally I die cut the letters with the big Sizzix letters die from Tim Holtz- then I painted them the same green. Once dry, I gave them a qucik spritz of Dylusions blue spray ink. 

Here's what the whole page looks like.

I thought about outlining the the green edges to make them smooth and pretty but then I thought again.

I left the messy green edges because I like them. I didn't really want this page to look pretty and finished. I thought the green mess looked more like splashes. And I like the white on the very edge of the paper, because  think it makes the color pop. That's what I was going for on this page, lots of color. Popping color.

I know, lots of you won't like that and just think it is a mess. But you can disagree and do what you want in your own scrap-journal.

So glad you stopped by.

Have a great day.

More Cards for Katie

Besides cleaning the studio this past weekend I also made some cards to send to Katie at school.

Here's one of them.

I started with brown card stock, a Crafter's Workshop stencil and some off white acrylic paint.  Once dry, I die cut the plaid center using October Afternoon Witch Hazel paper and a Spellbinder's die. Then I used a Quickutz/Life Styles craft border die. I cut this in white and used some Distress Stain to give it an old and stained look. I stamped and embossed the frog (Club Scrap), cut it out and then attached it. I colored it and added some Viva Paint pen to make the orange dots and the eyeballs. Finally I added the saying (Technique Tuesday). I love that saying too!

I think it has kind of an ethnic look in a weird way.

How about another card?

This card couldn't be any more different.

It is plain and simple.

No crazy art techniques other than coloring,

Bright and summery.

(Its just me mourning the end of the long warm days.)

The image stamp is from Cornish Heritage Farms.

Can't remember who made the saying stamp but I do know it came with a girl in a bathing suit lounging on a beach.

I colored the top with both Copics and watercolor paints and I cut out parts-like the dog ear and color and the lady's hat to give I a bit of dimension. Though you can't see that here.

So it is already Wednesday, but yawn, I am in a sleeping mode this week. Think my body is battling a head cold that wants to over take me...

but I have been busy playing on my Halloween book so starting next week,

I try to put up some photos.

Thanks for stopping by!

Tags - Its Tuesday!

Happy Tuesday everyone! Here's a fun tag in my Halloween book. The book isn't just about Halloween-it is all about a witch's ball. I decided on this tag to use one of  Stampotique's Daniel Torrente images-this one is called Sheer.  I stamped a dot circle image (Hero Arts) and then added some Adirondack dimensional paint by Ranger to the dots. I also free hand cut the hat, colored her with Copics and stamped little orange stars all over the page. Not sure who made the tiny star image. The numbers are from a Postmodern Design cube. Then I added this cool pink googlely eyes and I cut out the words from a ripped out book page. Then I outlined the edge of the tag.

Here's another tag.

This time I used this Dyan Reavely Dylusions stamp face and a 7Gypsies word stamp. I added the coupon, some black lace tape and some little black flowers that I pulled out of the tape. I attached this page by ripping out 2 pages from the book I am altering but did not rip the pages all the way back to the seam, Instead I left a little of both edges and stuck the tag in between them. Makes a fun way to attach a tag to a book that can look a little rickety anyhow.

Lastly here's an unfinished tag from my Halloween book just waiting for something more to happen to it.

And that will happen.

I might show you when I finish it.

Have a great Tuesday.

Weekend Wrap Up

It was another great weekend. It is just too sad it is already in the books and

 another week is starting up.

Look where we went late Saturday afternoon.

OK, if you said  a giant corn field, 

you'd be correct.

15 foot tall cow corn- makes a great Corn Maze.

We went to Marini Farm in Ipswich, Massachusetts.

We took right turns and wrong turns and

made our way through the maze.

We had a blast.

Can't you tell?

Had never done a corn maze before- and after ending up back at the beginning and retracing our steps a few times, we finally made it out, just before it was totally dark.

Then we went to a favorite place to eat, the Cheesecake Factory, and had dinner.

I brought home a piece of pineapple upside down cheesecake for my Sunday lunch.

It was a particularly yummy lunch too!

Overall we had

tons of fun!

Did I mention last Tuesday Dave became officially hired, though he won't start for a few more weeks?

Yahoo!

And it also was a productive weekend too-

cleaning a lot of the messes in my studio and

going through my shoes

to put away some of my sandals until next spring.

Plus I bought myself a new toy-

a fish eye lens for my camera.

It arrived in a package Saturday and I had to check it out.

I shouldn't show you this, since the side yard of my house is pretty ragged looking right now, but the photo gives you a great big view.

Even my hubby had to try it, and of course get a finger in the photo.

Think I am going to have fun playing with this new toy in the next few weeks-image the cool foliage photos I can get.

Hope your week starts on a good note!

An Art Adventure

The other day I had a fabulous art adventure day! I took a class at Ink About It in Westfield, Massachusetts with Dina Wakely! She is an excellent teacher and all day long we played and dabbled with art journaling.  

And as I forgot-thanks Penny for the taking this photo.

Look at the 6 pages I made that are jammed packed with all the new techniques I learned.

Dina really knows how to fill the day-not only with techniques but with good chatter and wonderful stories.

Can you tell I had lots of fun by my hands?

Maybe you'd like a bit more close up view of the pages I made.

Then we bound them into a book.

I HIGHLY recommend taking a class with Dina if ever get the chance. You'll have a blast and learn a lot and really enjoy your day.

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Happy Autumn!!!

It is the FIRST day of Autumn!!!! 

Happy Fall!  

Pumpkins colored leaves, Halloween, Thanksgiving, apple picking, corn mazes, hauntings, cool nights, apple cider, candy corn...all kinds of fun things.

But I admit, even though we've had it cool lately and I've been thinking more fall, I am a little sad summer is over.

So today is summer photo wrap-part 2!

Above, northern mountains not covered in snow. (These are in Jasper, Alberta)

Sign we passed in the British Columbian Rockies on the same trip.

How about this pretty river view in Glacier National Park in Montana.

And closer to home here in New Hampshire, how about this hay wagon in the western part of the state.

Flag on the mast on one of the 2 tall ships that came into Portsmouth, NH this past summer.

Pretty close to shore views from a boating trip.

Beautiful blooms on the garden.

Fishing and catching "big" fish-

I wish!

Summer outdoor activities.

Green fields! 

Sitting out under the lights and

El fresco dining...

Oh summer.

It is such a great time of year,

Now the summer of 2012 is officially in the books.

History-but it was a great one for me-

and it felt like summer too.

(Some years it just rains a lot or it is sooo humid).

I am ready for fall though.

How about you?

10 Things Friday

OK, still thinking about traveling.

I need to plan a trip.

I usually go away in February on school break, because being home if it is cold or snowy is just not how I want to spent my vacation...I just don't want to be so cooped in.

By this point I need a place I can go outside, walk around without snow on the ground. I don't need hot, I just need spring!

But then I think, maybe if I waited until April break, I have a few more pickings of places to go.

I don't want to travel in February to some place with as much or more snow than we can have here in New Hampshire.

But being home in April isn't such a bad thing as I can get some outside work done if it isn't raining.

So my list this week is 10 places I am thinking about going, either vacation.

Part 1

Either date, I only have a week. I don't want to spend too much time traveling to get to the place.

Seeing I live in the Northeast USA, the means Western Europe or West Coast USA.

Not enough  time for a big trip like Hawaii, and I am not a palm tree lay on the beach kind of gal.

I've done that before, and now I just want to see the world.

1.

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/usa/california/joshua-tree-national-park/images/entrance-sign-joshua-tree-national-park$25276-31

I think this is someplace I could visit in February. And then visit Palm Springs too. 

2.

http://www.thetraveleditor.com/destinations/Lisbon/

I've wanted to go to Portugal for awhile now. They say it is one of the warmest places in Europe, so maybe in the non-tourist season of February.

3.

http://www.madrid-touristguide.com/maps.html

And I've been curious about Madrid for awhile now too. I have been to Spain once, to the Catalan city of Barcelona-and from there we rented a car and drove up the coast into Southern France, but I am wondering about the rest of Spain, maybe not even Madrid.

4.

http://www.dkiel.com/SouthofFrance/

And this got me seriously thinking about going back to Southern France because I must truly say I loved it there. And I was there in February so I know it shouldn't be too wintery.

HMMM.

Serious consideration here.

5.

http://taos.org/visit/getting-to-taos

I could do this trip in February without Dave and go visit my friend Vicky who winter's here. And I have never been to New Mexico and could add that to my list. I think doing Santa Fe, Taos and Albuquerque would work out good in a week.

6.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biltmore_Estate

This I think would be a better April than February trip, out to Asheville, NC and the Biltmore Estate.

Maybe even go out to the Smokey Mountains.

7. 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g52024-Portland_Oregon-Vacations.html

Here's another April idea. Portland, Oregon or Seattle, WA.

8.

http://www.bestplaces.net/city/south_carolina/charleston

Here's another place I would like to see. Charleston. Don't know whether it would be too cold in February or not.

9.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g57072-d142989-Reviews-Monument_Valley_Navajo_Tribal_Park-Monument_Valley_Utah.html

Monument Valley and some of the other sights in the 4 Corners Region.

Maybe more April? Maybe chances of snow in February.

10. 

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/maps/europe/scotland/

So another place on my very very long list of places I want to go is Scotland. Definitely April, I would think.

So if any of you readers can give me some feedback, I would love it.

I will be back with 10 more places I am considering another day,

but if you have any suggestions for that... 

I would love that too!

Thanks 

 for your help.

And Thanks

for visiting.