More of my Taos travel journal

This page is kind of a flair page. The large clay pot, is a stamp I have (won it in a big pile off of eBay and glad I decided to keep it). Can't remember the maker. And the brown strip  is an embossed image from Provo Craft that I made on brown card stock and then colored/ distressed a bit.

This spread contains a post card from a place we visited (right) and then some journaling on the left. I used a 7Gypsies paper that I had punched to put into the book and added this epoxy sticker of the compass.

This spread is made with a 7Gypsies tag on the left- I stamped the images on it (same eBay stash-and another glad I didn't get rid of these too) and then I added a small sticker. The right side is a map I cut out of one of those free brochures. Great for getting your bearings later on when you look back.

On the right side I used this bingo card I had. The cool colorful fabric strips were samples from a fabric store we visited. I thought they gave some great local color. On the left you can see a tag I made with a tea bag wrapper- since I drank a lot of tea there.

Another journaling page- another 7Gypsies page. And on the right is this cool artistic postcard of the Rio Grande gorge. Underneath are some postcards from the inside of the church I showed you yesterday-St. Francis de Asis.

My final page for today is this memory/art spread I did. On the left is some more cut outs. We visited the Taos Inn for dinner and music and then on the right I put in a few images (cut outs and stamped images) from our day in Santa Fe. One cool thing about Santa Fe is there are all this Native American jewelry sellers.

The Santa Fe label is a sticker and the Kachina doll is another stamp from that same eBay stash. 

Hope you enjoyed these little views.

We're back into the BIG snow today...

 another snow day (second this month already!)

I can't tell you how depressing that is.

Come on Mother Nature-

it is the middle of March-almost spring.

I don't like late winters....because by this time of year you are

just WANTING spring and better weather.

Don't you think so too?

Thanks for stopping by!

St. Francis de Asis Church, Ranchos De Taos

Today we're going to Taos, New Mexico to visit a famous and beautiful church.

I love how the mission style churches here have a simple elegance and beauty.

This one is particularly graceful.

This church was painted by Georgia O'Keefe, a famous American artist, in 1929. I don't know a lot about Georgia O'Keefe but her art is fascinating and I think I may have to find out more about her.

Here's her painting.

http://www.phillipscollection.org/research/american_art/artwork/OKeeffe-Ranchos_Church+.htm

Next trip to New Mexico I am going to go to the Georgia O'Keefe museum in Santa Fe.

Only so much time and so much to see and do that you can't do it all on the first trip.

Here's a few more photos.

You can't any indoor photos but there are lots of beautiful outside shots.

Didn't tweak this photo yet, but love the lines.

Here's another untouched photo.

So highly recommend you stop by here and check it out since it is not only famous, but a working mission so uniquely southwestern.

Thanks for stopping by!

Taos on Dwellable

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

Top of the Morning to You.

Time to show off your green.

This is the world's simplest card. I attached one of those foam cut-outs that you can buy packets of at places like Michael's. I had this small packet of shamrocks from a scrap booking project I did years ago when we went to Ireland. Then I stamped the words- from a Flourishes set, and finally I attached a thin piece of green ribbon.

Inside is an Irish blessing stamped image as from Flourishes- same set as the front words.

Then, what's an Irish holiday without silly leprechaun.

Images are all from Paper Smooches. I die cut the oval (Tim Holtz, Sizzix) and the white frame (Memory Box).

And I do wish you a magical day.

Eulogy

Sad to announce that Maine's hockey season ended last night. Went into overtime and Lowell scored-was tight- 1-1-and Maine played great. I am having withdrawals today, but seeing it was such an up and down season, and we made it far further than expected, I guess it was bound to happen. We had a great season-lots of fun little road trips, tried a bunch of new and good beers and some new for us and good restaurants, even got a trip to Maine to visit my old college stomping grounds- never mind some great games like when we beat BC 2 nights in a row at their own arena (first team to do that in 20 years-and we had been the team 20 years ago who did that)so I guess even though sad, it is more bittersweet.

But it does mean spring is coming and summer and a whole new bunch of activities.

And there will be another Maine season- we're already planning a road trip to Burlington, Vermont (a great city by the way) to watch them play University of Vermont next year.

Plus hockey isn't actually over. Tonight our hockey friends are coming over for dinner and to watch 2 more quarter final games on tv, and next Friday we go into Boston for some fun and to watch the 2 semi-final games at the TD Boston Garden.

But Maine won't be playing :(

A few more photos for the games Thursday and Friday night.

So driving home last night (Lowell is about 1 1/2 hours away) we hit a mini-blizzard when we were about 20 minutes from home. Man, it was nasty. Couldn't even make it up the hill on the easiest route to our house-and terrible since we were tired, had to go back out to the main road and go around the back way. 

You can see how nasty it got-totally unexpected too!

And today the sun is back out- go figure.

Thanks for dropping by. Back with more art and photos from my trip to New Mexico on another day.

10 Things Friday

This is a pre-post since it has been a crazy couple nights with hockey quarter finals. Good thing today is a teacher workday.

Since it is almost spring and St. Patrick's Day this week, time for another list.

10 Spring Things

1.

Found these at Trader Joe's. Making the house so springy and cheery.

2.

Forsythia blooming soon I hope.

3.

Bears come out.

Got to add another bear.

4.

Crocuses starting to bloom

5.

The cherry tree blooms.

6.

And lawn gnomes sneak back out from where they've been hiding for the winter.

7.

And the bees and bugs come back.

The birds too!

8.

Opening up the screen porch

9.

Buds on the trees

 and then

10.

Leaves arrive.

I can't wait for all this to happen.

But first, we need to get rid of this snow- it is going down-

fast!

But they say some light snow tomorrow morning.

GRRRRRR

And right now, we have MUD SEASON!

But anything that gets us towards spring is exciting!

Even the mud.

I  also need to add

Go Maine!

Want a win tonight in the quarter finals!

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Friday.

Santa Fe , New Mexico

My friend Vicky took me to see Santa Fe for a day while I was being a tourist in Taos . Santa Fe is about an hour and a half drive so it would be an easy trip from Taos. We did the shops around the Plaza and hit the Galleries on Canyon Road.

Like Taos, Santa Fe was also very photographic.

Take a look and see.

Hope you enjoyed your views of this beautiful city.

Be back with art and more travel photos another day.

Stop by again soon.

Santa Fe on Dwellable

Art Journaling and a Card

Here's some art today. I've been into butterflies a lot lately....my journal is full of pages with them.

This page started with the left over stencil from when I die cut one of these butterflies (Sizzix) for another journal project. See this post for those butterflies. 

http://fat-emma.blogspot.com/2013/03/art-journal.html

Anyhow, I traced the inside of the die cut remaining stencil and then painted those butterflies pink or orange. Then I took a Crafter's Workshop Roman writing stencil and some bright blue paint and rubbed the paint over the stencil. Then I used one of Dina Wakely's new silhouette stencils and black paint. 

I am not that much into faces and people in my art, but I do like how these silhouettes look.

Then I free hand cut out the letters for the word fly, sprayed them pink with some Dylusion's spray ink and then did a bit of doodling with a black Sharpie. 

Finally I stamped the words (Stamper's Anonymous-Studio 490) a few times around the page.

I also needed to make a card for a co-worker's birthday.

I didn't have a lot of time so used a bunch of die cut scraps and some blue paper tape (Anna Griffen) to make the background.

Then I stamped the bright pink image (Unity Stamps).  I outlined the black glasses with a Jelly Roll pen and then a sparkle black pen, though they only vaguely looked shiny here. Then I used some Glossy Accent to fill in the lenses. But it still needed a bit of a pop, so I added the yellow wigglely eyes.

Think they give the card  a fun

HA-HA!

Inside it says the usual happy birthday, but what lady who is in her youthful 50's doesn't want to be told they are looking good?

Or any age for that matter.

Hump day- busy week ahead still for me.

Tomorrow night we go to Lowell, Massachusetts for game 1 of the hockey quarter finals. Back again on Friday, and maybe Sunday since it is a best 2 out of 3 series.

Will be dragging at the end of the week-especially work on Friday-luckily it is a teacher work day, but since we had such a tough start to the season it is good to be at this point.

Thanks for visiting.

Snippets of My Travel Journal

How about a couple more views of Taos as seen through my travel journal. I did a lot of it during my trip and then last Friday while home on a snow day, I finished it up. 

I always put the blank/slightly designed pages together before I leave

I use a small 3 ring binder I found at Staples. Have used this format for my last few journeys because I like being able to remove and rearrange pages. Plus you can get little folders and holders and other fun things.

I also like being able to punch things I pick up or buy (this time I remembered to bring my little hand punch). If they have a front and a back it is good to be able to see both sides-like post cards for example.

Here's one of those little folders you can buy. I love it to put in long brochure like items I pick up in my travels.

2 postcards. On the left side I added some stamped images I made at Bandelier National Monument to the back.

Plus this cool postcard on the right.

I also did some collaging.  I picked up one of those tourist magazines which I cut out from. I also added a couple of business cards- nice to know where they are if for some reason you want to recommend a place or on-line buy something. Little strips of the yarn I purchased and names of places I shopped.

On the right I added this fun little cartoon from the tourist magazine I picked up that seemed appropriate. I also added a brad I had in my little metal lunch box I take with me. This little box is full of basic supplies and fits easily in my suitcase-glue sticks, scissors, my paper punch, Sharpies and a white pen,  a black ink pad, a small bottle of glue, some paper clips, double sided tape and a few other small things I might want.

Full of all kinds of memories.

\

Also I made a few little decorated pages with a south-western theme.

Also I add menus and this little shopping brochure.

That's what you get today.

I'll show you some more another time.

Have a great day.