Artwork, A Birthday Remembered, and A Little Something Else, I'm Sure

It has been a few days since I posted anything.
My brother and Ma are helping me straighten out the burned house. We spent the afternoon out there on Thursday of last week. Making room for all the junk that is now in the trailer house shed.
Brother Sam cleaned off the patio, organized all the SCJunk (scrap metal junk), it's looking good out there on the patio! He has separated iron, copper, brass and aluminum into their own piles out at the point. (The point is what I call the eastern boundary of my property. It's called the point cause the land comes to a point there. The highway veers off to the south a tad and the field out behind the house intersects with my land there.) Most of the SCjunk used to be scattered all over the patio and strung out on the point. Now it is all nice and neat!
My plan is to get all that junk gone through, out of the trailer house shed and into the burned house so the trailer house shed can be torn down cause it is NOT going to survive another big wind! I was suprised to see it still standing after the big wind came along and blew the privacy fence down and took some of the siding off the trailer house shed a couple of summers ago. It won't survive another big wind! It just won't. And I'd rather tear it down while it's still standing than to have to clean up the mess that would occur if a big wind took it down!
We got the woodburning stove in the burned house fired up and it was quite toasty in the burned house the other day when we there. We will bring boxes from the trailer house to the burned house and dispose of the trash, separate the keep stuff from the stuff to sell at a garage sale later next summer. That stove hasn't been fired up since the winter of 04/05. It has a few issues but it will keep it warm enough in the gutted burned house to be able to work out there. I don't think it is a hazard to fire it up even though it does have some issues. The burned house is basically a shell of a house and there is nothing close to the stove that could potentially cause a big fire if the fire got out of the stove. Concrete floors don't burn readily!
I'm toying with the idea of an auction rather than a garage sale but I've yet to make that decision. We'll see how much is there once the shed is empty.
Sam emptied the garage of all the junk that was there. He put it in the burned house in RW's old room. That room is about 1/3 full (boxes stacked to the rafters). My old desk room is about 1/2 full with junk that was in the burned house. Most of that stuff belongs to RJ and T.
I say JUNK, but what I really mean is stuff....useful stuff...not necessarily useful to me...but to someone somewhere! It is just easier to call it junk.

The rest of the week....I was only out in the burned house with Sam and Ma on Thursday for a few hours time. We accomplished a great deal in that time but the rest of the week was spent with an aching body that refused to cooperate with what needed to be done. I did get some laundry done but not much else! A lot of sleep going on. The fibro has been kicking my butt quite hard this month. That has to do with the weather, stress and I haven't exactly been eating real good this month either. Not cause there is no food to eat, but cause I just don't feel like cooking somedays cause I never feel like doing the dishes. No cooking equals no dishes dirtied... I do eat but the stuff I should ..... .I miss veggies! I'm working on this issue. I know I need to eat good.

Some artwork got done but not a lot. Most of the artwork posted today was done earlier in the month. I'm still on schedule with the goal of 1000 inchies. Another two dozen of them in this bunch with 10 more ready to be scanned. I won't scan them till I have another 2 to make a dozen. I do have to get cracking on the inchies cause I still have right at 300 of them to complete in two months if I am to reach this goal.

Enjoy the artwork.

Butterfly Sailboat and Space

Twinchies

Markers on recycled cardstock.

Seahorse and Elmo

Collage- security envelope insides, magazine cutouts

twinchies

Only You and Traveling Man

Collage- ONLY YOU cardstock, image from catalog, glitter, magazine cutout attached to recycled chipboard.

Collage-- TRAVELING MAN map from an altas, magazine cutout attached to recyled chipboard.

twinchies

Lightning and Mr. Sun

Markers on recycled cardstock.

Twinchies

Big Green Truck and Crack

Collage- BIG GREEN TRUCK security envelope insides, crepe paper, magazine cutout on recycled chipboard.

Collage- CRACK wallpaper, magazine cutouts, text written with markers attached to recycled chipboard.

twinchies

Elephant Liberty and Drink Life Deeply

Collage- ELEPHANT LIBERTY security envelope inside, logo off my phone bill, magazine cutout, markers all on recycled chipboard.

Collage- DRINK LIFE DEEPLY security envelope inside colored wit marker, magazine cutout, text from magazine all attached to recycled chipboard.

twinchies

Inchies are all done in markers on recycled cardstock. This batch brings me up to 678 inchies. My favorite in this bunch is the covered bridge, 1st in the last row.

These twelve bring up to 690 inchies out of the goal of 1000 for the year. My favorite from this bunch is the frog.

You all got a nice variety of art from me this time. We have a chunky page to show also.

Purple Fish Chunky Page

Sandpaper, jumprings filled with different color glue, pipe cleaners, novelty yarn. The fish is freehand cut from cardstock then dusted with fine sand and a googly eye slapped on. Once the sand dried sufficiently I painted the fish with purple acrylic ink. The backside is just purple with my info written in silver sharpie. Base of this page is a blank drink coaster. This one is going to Virginia, USA.

There will be another ART SHOW in the coming weeks.

I referred to a birthday remembered in the title of this post. Today is 27 October 2009. Gary (my late husband) would have been 56 years old today if he were still alive. He's been gone since 27 August 97 but when October rolls around...I think about him a lot! Doesn't seem possible he has been gone so long.

And that something else referred to in the title could be anything!

I got to see my grand daughter, held her for a bit on Saturday before the kids headed off to Nickerson for a few days. They won't be home till Thursday. RJ had an appt with his lawyer and T wanted to get some more work done on her dad's house. They are thinking seriously about moving back to Nickerson. That is where the jobs are, not here.

I couldn't hold Annabel for very long before my arms gave out on me. She weighs 11 pounds now and is already 3 months old! Time sure does fly!

Hey! Lookie Here! More Art!

I thought there was more when I was yakking on about other stuff here. Well let's do the ATCs cause there are no ATCs above.

Surfing Rat #6

ATC

Collage- markers and a picture of a rat found on Google Images. All attached to recycled chipboard from that game I can't remember the name of. This little guy was made on Tuesday the 27th. He is headed to New Jersey, USA

Rock Ape

ATC

Markers on recycled cardstock. This one started out as a cat but it kinda turned into a monkey-looking critter so therefore the title.

Melvin

ATC

Markers on recycled cardstock. Melvin is headed to Oregon, USA.

Felix

ATC

Markers on recycled cardstock.

RW attempted to put up a shelf in the cutting room the other day but that was complete failure cause we didn't have the right screws and the boy hasn't been back to finish the job with the screws he said he had at home. I really need that shelf in the cutting room too. I spent a portion of everyday in that room, cutting cardstock or chipboard or something. There's a bunch of junk in that room that needs to go to the burned house too. The closet is full of stuff that shouldn't be there! When that room gets cleaned out I will bring some shelves in from the trailer house shed. One of those shelves needs a coat of paint before it comes into the house.

I need a whole crew of strong backs to help me get this place organized like I want it. I don't see the strong bodies I know helping on a regular basis with this project. I gotta grab some help any chance I get.

Somebody should water the houseplants before they meet their demise. Sam is waiting for me to cut Stephen's plant to a managable size so he can take it home with him. It's a diffenbachia and it's very tall! It does need to be cut down into three plants instead of just one tall one. I've killed the peace lily. Not intentionally. I also killed both of my rubber trees. That spider plant is looking a tad peaked. It really needs a drink. I know this needs done but I seem not to notice the plants when I walk through the livingroom and when I do notice I'm in the middle of something and no time to stop and water the plants. The philodendron on the kitchen table doesn't suffer from lack of water cause for some reason I don't forget about that one.
I suppose I should close this post out and get on with something else. maybe watering those plants??? yeah that's it! Water the plants! :)

You all have yourselves a wonderful Wednesday. I can't say for sure when I'll return but I will eventually. Get your hugs! They are necessary for you and those you share those hugs with. Get some kisses as well cause they only add to affects of the hugs! Be good to one another!

Peace

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Surfing Rats, Fishes, Cats, A Lot of Silliness and Rambling From The Weekend!

hello Readers!
Another weekend behind me! It was a good one where ART is concerned. There was a Collage-a-thon (CAT) going on over at AFA (link in upper left corner) and I got in the zone! I think there are 19 cards here....all made this past weekend...either Saturday or Sunday. I traded 20 cards during the past two days. I still have 10 of the CAT cards left that did not trade, but they are for trade.
I have 17 inchies in the bowl that need to be scanned. Inchies go in a bowl, (ATCs go in the basket along with twinchies). Inchies are on my agenda today. I really need to get busy with that goal if I'm going to make it this year!
And there are 10 twinchies in the little basket to be scanned still as well. We will have to save them for another day though as I am not scanning anything today.
Let's get on with ART!

Surfing Rat #5

ATC

this little guy is called #5, but in reality...I've not made a card like this one before this one. You will see another little surfing rat down the picture row in this post. This one is in a different pose than the other one.

He is an image found in Google Images by typing in 'surfing rat'. I cut the rat and surfboard out with the xacto knife and attached him to recycled cardstock that has been colored with markers. This fella is headed to Washington State, USA.

Rhonda Fish

ATC

This fish is now in my availables notebook cause no one wanted to take Rhonda home with them this time.

Fish is cutout of recycled cardstock that was originally flash cards, colored with a similar color marker as the glitter that is glued on top. And then I varnished the fishes with liquid lamenate and slapped on a googley eye.

The background is colored paper dusted with clear glitter and lots of different novelty yarns, fibers and ribbons.
All fishes in this post were made in this manner and all are attached to that thick chipboard from that game I can never remember the name of. I'm almost out of that chipboard though, gonna have to find me something similar to that material soon.

Mick Fish

ATC

Mick is going to Finland.

Lorinda Fish
ATC
Lorinda is headed to Washington State, USA

Credit Cat
ATC
Credit Cat is a fake plastic credit card cut into a cat shape with scissors. He came as junk mail sometime this year. His whiskers are wire, cardstock nose, googly eyes and gold thread for a bow. Background is wall paper. All is attached to that thick cardstock from that game I can't remember the name of. This one is headed to New Jersey, USA.

Carlton Fish
ATC
Carlton Fish is headed across the pond to England.

Belle Fish
ATC
No one wanted Belle Fish this weekend either so Rhonda and Belle are hanging out in my availables notebook together till someone claims one or the other of them.

Alton P. Fish
ATC
The P. doesn't stand for anything other than P. Alton is headed to England.
All these fish were scanned before the glue was completely dry cause I hadn't the patience to wait on that glue to take it's sweet old time drying. None of the white stuff in the scans is really on the cards now that the glue has dried.

Traveling Cat
ATC
Map, orchard paper, markers, magazine cutout for his wings, rickrack, a glass leaf, googly eyes, wire whiskers, cardstock nose. All attached to that thick chipboard. You know the stuff I'm talking about....:)
This fella is headed to Germany.


Surfing Rat #4
I talked about this fella at the beginning of this post. He was found on Google Images quite some time ago. I'm uncertain just what I typed into the search engine to find him back then. I ran across the printed off image during the CAT. He is made the exact same way as the other rat.
I still have one more surfing rat to make for a trade already in the works.
He's headed to Seattle, Washington, USA.

Plumeria
ATC
This one and the next one were neither made during the weekend. I made them on Thursday of this past week. They were not in the CAT and I've not traded either of them. They are here simply cause they got scanned!
Markers on recycled cardstock that used to be a set of flash cards.
Orange Plumeria
ATC

Money Cat #2

ATC

cardstock, toy money-both paper and plastic, googly eyes, cardstock nose, copper wire whiskers, drywall tape colored with markers for his bow. All attached to that thick chipboard from that game.

Money Cat is going to Finland.

Money Cat #1

ATC

This one is made same as the other one. Both made at the same time as well. This one is keeping the fish company in my availables notebook.

Midnight Beach

ATC

Sandpaper, magazine cutout, paper crab with tiny bead eyes, paper grass, pcs of a woven bamboo calendar, tiny star sequins all attached to that thick chipboard from that game.

This one is on it's way to Oregon, USA.

When Sunday morning rolled around...my muse went way the hell off into left field. These last 10 were made between 3am and 12pm.

wantonly obscure
ATC

magazine cutouts on recycled cardstock and text from a book called The Game. That would be the book I keep talking about altering. I neglected to read this book before I started cutting it up! Now I wish I had read it! All the text on all ten of these cards to follow are from that book unless otherwise stated.
I wanted to do a Halloweenish card for the CAT. At least ONE! This is my attempt at being Halloweenish.

The Mule

ATC

I thought this one didn't make any sense after I made it. But my sister Linda said it made perfect sense to her! Guess whatever you get out of it is what went in it? I really had no 'idea' about what it was supposed to mean when I made it. I put the images on the cards and then dug text out of the envelope it's kept in at random, more or less. Does it make any sense to you?

Text about the mule came from instructions for a game called Hold Your Horses and the other text from my altered book.

Ridiculous

ATC

One wouldn't think apples could be so scary! LOL So downright ODD! I traded ATCs similar to these with Goatgoddess awhile back. Her scary fruits were pears. I found these apples in my image box and thought about those too weird pears she had made. I love these though cause they kinda scream out at you when you first see them! Images are all magazine cutouts. Text from the altered book.

Professor

ATC

Another attempt at something Halloweenish. Though I think I missed that mark by quite a bit. Magazine cutouts and collage image someone sent me with a trade. That man is someone famous, but I couldn't tell you who he is.

Pardon

ATC

Another funky apple.

Game 2

ATC

My critics (aka Sisters Susan and Linda) tell me this is just wrong! I thought it was rather funny myself. Wallpaper, magazine cutouts, text from the horse game and th altered book, all attached to recycled cardstock.

Friends

ATC

I think this is my favorite ATC made during the weekend. We all need our friends for a whole host of reasons and why shouldn't they be there to watch you deradicalize yourself if you happen to need deradicalized?

The little alien guy is there cause, well, those who need deradicalizing probably have some mighty strange friends to begin with!

Magazine cutouts and text from The Game attached to recycled cardstock.

Eight

ATC

Snoopy is decorating! The cake came off a birthday card I got in an art trade. It wasn't my birthday. Greeting cards are used to protect the art being sent. Snoopy is a magazine cutout and his stool is drawn with markers. The candle is cardstock and his crown came with a little spiral bound journal. I draw in that journal so use the crowns in other art.

Dinner Conversation

ATC

Elmo is a cutout from junkmail. The text comes from the altered book. All is attached to recycled cardstock. I really can't see Elmo having this conversation with his dinner mates but the idea of all these is to shock, make you think, see something in a different light than you generally see those things! This one opens the eye! And who doesn't love Elmo? He is so darn cute!

This one is headed to Missouri, USA.

Corndog

ATC

This man and horse were in the same picture in the magazine. I cut them apart so the would fit on the ATC. The picture originally was showing off this horse because of his pedigree. I had an image of a protest sign that said, "I want a corndog" and thought it was funny but it wouldn't fit on the ATC without covering too much of the man and horse so I put it in a balloon so it would fit. Critic Susan busted out laughing at this one! Those black lines behind man and horse are the writing on the recycled flash cards the picture is glued to.

That's all the art for today.

My left shoulder is hurting pretty bad and I'm going to go lay down for awhile.

Get your hugs! The one RW gave me earlier hurt like the dickens but felt so great! Be good to one another!

Until next time:

Peace

831

Thursday Art

Not much happening in my world. The sun finally came out today. I opted out of going to Rose's funeral. I've no good reason for that except that I did not want to go.
I've been making art today. Doing laundry and just lazing around the house.

Onward to art.

These 2 kitty twinchies are headed to Florida as soon as I get them in an envelope and on their way. I made both this morning. Markers on recycled cardstock.
These inchies give me a grand total of 666 inches. I have another half dozen in the little basket ready for scanning along with two more ATCs that I have done today after I did all my scanning this morning.The Outlaying Cliffs
ATC
Markers on recycled cardstock. This one was done a few days ago.

Poppies

ATC

Markers on recycled cardstock. I saw a swap on AFA for poppies and thought I might join it, but I ran out of steam for poppies after 2 ATCs of them so I didn't enter the swap but the poppies are up for trade.

Reggie

ATC

Markers on recycled cardstock. I went on a giraffe kick. I need to send these guys to the million giraffe project. I'm not entirely certain just what the One Million Giraffe Project is all about. My understanding is that someone is trying to collect 1,000,000 giraffes. If I had a project going like that, I'd want some help with it.

Opera Mouse

ATC

Markers on recycled cardstock. This one was named by Susan. She said he looked like he was singing opera, so there ya go!

On The Wall

ATC

Markers on recycled cardstock. Learned a lesson about my markers with this one. That smearing is a result of the Oxford technical pen not liking a Sharpie pen. I won't use the pair in this manner again. This giraffe was inspired from an online catalog for swimming pool murals.

Gordy

ATC

Another giraffe. Markers on recycled cardstock.

Pink Poppy

ATC

Markers on recycled cardstock.

Arnold

ATC

Markers on recycled cardstock.

That's all the art you are getting for the day from me. I'll be scanning again before too long. The muse seems to be in residence. I even wrote a poem yesterday. That ain't happened in a long time. I've been drawing up a storm as well!

I've a purple chunky page to make later today.

I'm out of here for now though cause I have laundry to fold, a bed to make and I am a hungry bear!

Get your hugs! They are so important!!!!

Throw a few smiles out into the world today as well!

Peace

831

Wow! It's Monday!

Today is Columbus Day in the United States and Thanksgiving Day in Canada.
And it's also Monday. Whoo Hoo! Someone is coming to fix my stove sometime today.
It is still cold out. Not sure what the temp is but I'm guessing right above freezing. The snow didn't stick around. Not a bit of white left out there now. It never really did stick. The wind has died down thankfully. But it is still cold.
Fred didn't want to go out when I got up earlier. He hadn't been out for almost 13 hours when he finally decided he probably should go outside and do his business. He's out there now...I let him out after he asked so nicely by woofing at the front door. Oh, and now he's woofing to be let back in! Must be colder out there than I thought!
That fool dog wasn't out there ten minutes....
Lola Kid has finally decided Fred is OK and he won't hurt her. They've come to an understanding. She doesn't freak out whenever he gets really close and he doesn't care what Lola Kid thinks cause he was never in fear of her anyway. She's still a little skittish but that big fat black tail of Fred's just cannot be ignored! It must be played with and it is attached to that big dog so I guess she just decided to risk it. She never had anything to worry about in the first place! I tried telling that silly kitten but she wasn't listening to me!
I really don't have anything of importance to talk about this morning.
I read a book yesterday. When The Wind Blows by James Patterson. I'll add it to the list shortly.
Haven't seen RJ and his brood for a few days. RW is living back at home...kinda. I'm not sure just what is going on with RW at the moment. I'm just hoping it all works out for the best.
The little basket where I keep art that is in need of scanning is collecting art. I worked on a few inchies and completed 2 ATCs since the last post was made. I was supposed to be doing zentangles for the ZAT but my muse went off to other regions and no more zens were made this weekend. Of course, I can't show them to you today cause they havne't been scanned....
I made a roast yesterday. Beef roast, carrots and garlic in the crockpot. I had every intention of turning that roast and carrots into a stew. That did not happen. I ate most of the roast and all the carrots for supper. Not enough roast left to make stew out of! I'll be having a roast beef sandwich pretty soon.
I need a shower and to wash my hair!
I need to do those few dishes up that are sitting around the kitchen.
That's about it on my to-do list for the day. That and going into that cutting room and cutting a few folders into ATC blanks. I could use some more twinchie blanks also.
Such a boring post I've left you all with this morning!
Go get some hugs! That will brighten up the day! Gather some kisses too, if you can. They will brighten things up even farther!
Peace
831

That Stupid Cat Came Inside, More Art and Something Else, I'm Sure

That danged fool cat Billy decided it was a good idea to come inside afterall. I was headed out the back door on my way next door earlier and he came out from under the house wanting back in the house! He's now fast asleep on my bed.

I had a lot of art to scan in that little basket. (And making more that will need to be scanned before Monday.)
We might as well just get on with it.

Tiger In Chaos

Smoke Signals
This one was inspired by 1940s graphic art on advertising. One very similar to this one was for cigarettes of one kind or another. There was all kinds of inspiration on that website. I wish I had saved it to my favorites...

Pink Bird Migration

You'll see this cool bird on some inchies here in a bit too.We have 1940s advertising graphics to thank for this one as well.

Midnight Moon
And again, 1940s advertising graphics.

Love Grows Everywhere

I drew this one the night Annabel was born (13 August 09). I gave it some color a couple weeks ago.

Leaf Decay

Don't ask me where that title came from. That's what I had written on the back of it when I drew it back in August. I can't be held responsible for the titles. I sometimes think I can't be held resposible for the pictures either! I blame all of it on my muse!

NOW ON TO INCHIES

Once again I forgot to note how many inchies the counter on the upper left sidebar says there are....I'll update it when I get done with this post.

I drew both of the cats this afternoon. I was three inchies short of a dozen. I also drew the cupcake far right top row today. My favorite of this dozen is a toss up between the cat on the top row and the apple beginning the second row.

I did a whole dozen apples but I didn't separate them when the scanning commenced. They look pretty cool all together. Sorry you all didn't get to see that....

My favorite in this dozen is the apple on the top row.

OK, I lied. There are actually 14 apples here. I honestly thought there were only a dozen of them....My favorite is the apple core. I still need about 50 cats in order to frame only kitties in a set of 100.

And last, but not least....twinchies. The frogs are the first two twinchies I ever did. The one on the left is my first. I thought they had to match in pairs in some sort of way. The star doesn't have a mate. My understanding is that twinchies are traded in sets of two. I'm just beginning to play around with twinchies and I do like the size of the canvas!

That's all the art till probably tomorrow.

I really should get some sleep pretty soon.... I've been up since about 6pm on Friday. It is now 2:45 pm on Saturday. I better wait till the dog asks to be let in before I head to bed though. Evelyn just arrived to give him a bone. Why on earth she wanted to come out in that nasty cold weather to give that fool dog a biscuit is quite beyond me! She could have called on the phone and said, "Donna, give Fred a bone." I would have gladly done so.

Guess you all get the pleasure of listening to me babble on till the dog comes home. Better than having to wait till the cows come home!

I brought a book home from Sam's house last night. A murder mystery. Can't remember the name of it. James Patterson wrote it. I haven't started it yet. Just cause the reading goal has been met does not mean I am done reading for the year! I will slow down somewhat cause I am behind on my inchie goal. So close to being on schedule though! Next scanning session there will be another dozen to scan.

Sammy kicked ass at Dr. Mario last night. We suck at that game! lol The pair of us! I do like hanging out with Sammy though.

The dog has asked to be let back in. He's now laying on the floor behind my chair, chewing on his toenails. His feet itch from the mange... nothing I can do about the itching that I know of. Running around on the frozen ice covered ground probably didn't help his toes any either...

Lola Kid and Doob are telling me it is bedtime! I can't argue with them cause they are right. I shall yap at you all soon.

Go get your Saturday hugs!

Peace

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