I Wish ...

Holly's post yesterday turned me on to a pretty cool thing: Wishcast Wednesday. I mean, I've seen it on Holly's blog, and a few others, just didn't sink in until yesterday that it was a group thing ...

Anyway, the question for yesterday was "What Do You Wish to Read?" I had to think about that, but after going off on a few tangents, I decided to answer literally. I want to read:

1. Alice in Wonderland
2. my just-purchased collection of Rumi poetry (it's not this one, exactly, I just wanted an image here also)
3. Emotional Alchemy: How the Mind Can Heal the Heart

I have these books already at home, in my possession, and they are my priorities/wishes once I have read the Beatrix Potter bio assigned by My Lovely Mother, before our England trip ... (which book, by the way, is wonderful reading, no burden a't'all!)

Aqua Love Letter

NEW JOURNAL DAY! NEW JOURNAL DAY!! I actually have had this one sitting above my studio desk for a coupla weeks, waiting, whispering, watching me work -- purchased from my one & only Patty -- check it out, the sassy little thing. Aqua Love Letter - front cover. Aqua Love letter - back cover. The inside pages are all different, some ledger sheets, some grids, some patterned lovelies, with clipped on scraps, black & white photos, just a cornucopia of SOOPRISES, including envelopes and tags and little pockets, all those insanely cool things I love in a journal! & still plenty of means and ways for me to add my personal touches. Bliss!

I've said this a trillion times and will continue to say it: The Tuscan Rose is my favorite on-line shop/source for papers, unique fun stuff, and BOMB collage sheets. But Patty also has an ETSY shop, River Bend Ranch, that captivates me. This is where I purchased my deliciously appealing Aqua Love Letter journal, and there are more where this one came from. I also wear Patty's jewelry ... she uses pieces of broken china, solders them into frames, and sells them extremely reasonably, so I can just slide them onto the chain I use, group them, or wear them individually. All the way my style!

This is a shout out about Patty for one reason and one reason only: I LOVE PATTY'S ITEMS! AND I LOVE PATTY! [OK, that was TWO reasons!] She and I share tastes when it comes to the kinds of images we love, even though we use them differently in our work/art. That's serious bidness to me, for keeping images on hand that speak to me and assist my creativity - I can rely on her. And another thing? We're both FIENDS for the Basic Grey line of products. Then there's her blog -- inspiration to me from every angle. The outflow of friendship from my having gravitated first to her blog, then The Tuscan Rose, then her ETSY store, has just been the meatiest, bestest thing to come out of a shared passion for art and journaling.

I'm blowin' kisses to ya, Patty ... straight from my heart and my hand (the one NOT holding onto my Aqua Love Letter journal!)

09 Calendar ... Kickin' Off May!

May 1st - 3rd Prompt for this was to choose a word, use it on the page, then journal about what it means to me. My word is Alchemy ... that word just transfixes me, tickles & tempts me ... the odd newsprint images came from a piece of old dictionary Patty sent me, and work perfectly for me here! I'm pretty psyched to write ... hard to wait until tomorrow!

Overflow Overboard!

Ok. Cat outta the bag here -- this journal began because I can't stop making journal backgrounds, so initially I was going to finish it and offer it as blog candy. However, a certain wonderful someone spoke up very early on, encouraging me when I wondered aloud to her if anybody would even want such a pre-prepared journal. I just thought maybe it would be too personal by way of the images and art and colors I chose for anyone to want it! Ever since that moment, when she basically said, 'Heck yea! Who wouldn't want such a journal!' I told her this journal would be earmarked for her. THANKS HOLLY!!!!!!!

I'm about 25 pages from the end, and it has reached the explosion point, where scanning it means I almost have to sit on it to lay it flat. So these may be the last pages I'm able to scan without breaking the book open! Growing. Paint, rubber stamp images, tags, vellum a gift from Sweet Carla!, and 2 of my Romanian flower postage stamps outta my collection! This may be my favorite page in this book, so far. Tibet. The stone Buddha image came out of Smithsonian magazine; the little boy insert was free in a magazine. The Chinese scripted tape was actually used on an order that came to me from China. This is one of those few pages that comes out exactly as I see it in my mind! Fresh. Image was from a free download site, and I tweaked it in Photoshop. Paper and wall paper scraps all from my dear one, Patty. Profile. Basic Grey and scrap papers, all gifts from Patty -- also the images are from one of her collage sheets, available at The Tuscan Rose. Paris tag insert. Lots of little tucks and folds and hidden corners here. Wisteria. Wanted an excuse to use this sheet from a new Basic Grey paper collection called just that, Wisteria! Daytona Beach Blown up copy of a post card, paper scraps (also from the Basic Grey 'Wisteria' tablet), rubber stamp image. Swans. Enlarged photo copy of a vintage post card in my collection. Lifts for journaling beneath. Wonderful. Lumiere metallic paints, paper punch-outs, B&W print of one of my homemade collages, image from Patty at The Tuscan Rose. Luna Memories. The crow template came from a Stampington publication - love it! Synchronicity. Paint, paper (new tablet from Basic Grey called Lime Rickey - way fun patterns!, bought at The Tuscan Rose!), rubber stamp images. That Synchronicity stamp is one I use sparingly - it has SO much meaning for/to me.

"I Don't Feel It Anymore"

Go LISTEN HERE NOW , song called "I Don't Feel It Anymore", from William Fitzsimmons' just-released CD called "The Sparrow and The Crow" -- which I first heard [and heard of] on MSN's "Listening Booth THIS MORNING, and have already ordered, and have already spent tears on (this song, this song, this song)... go go go listen. go go go.

Overflow Journal overflowith, Babeee!!!

La Dolce Vita. Paint, rubber stamps, lousy scan! Queen. Deco tape, paper flap that opens for journaling (image was a free download), rubber stamped terrier and other images. Harlequin. Paper and fiber scrap, image from Mary Mata. Hommes. Images from Patty at The Tuscan Rose, gifts all! Deco tape, rubber stamp image, paper scrap. What Drama? Image from The Tuscan Rose, paper scrap and deco tape, yellow acrylic paint. At Last. A copic marker transfer to blueline paper, one of my homemade stamped pages, scrap. Watercolor crayon.

09 Calendar ... already 1/4 done

April 27th-30th: Background. The flap on the right side lifts for journaling, of course! April 24th - 26th, completed layout. Haven't posted a finished layout in a while.

Top Ten Most Underrated Soundtracks, a la Toni

#10: FRIDA This CD is as singular, in my mind, as Frida Kahlo herself. But it also introduced me to Lila Downs, and now I own EVERYTHING Ms. Downs has ever recorded. OUT OF THIS WORLD EXCITEMENT, that artist! #9: PRACTICAL MAGIC. Now I personally didn't like this movie except for the actors who were in it, just not my kind of story line, I guess, though the HOUSE those women lived in was my dream house. Anyway, the soundtrack is bomb! #8: A LOVE SONG FOR BOBBY LONG. Did you catch this movie? If not? Mandatory viewing, in my opinion. But the soundtrack supports itself if you never see the flick. #7: LOVE AND BASKETBALL. For the funkster in you. Double BB, both my male children, my bro-in-law and his wife, my nieces and nephews, and me? This movie and/or this soundtrack will get all of us in a huddle for shared delight. #6: MEMOIRES OF A GEISHA. Saturated, lush, the full range of moods - I get lost in this music. #5: HOW TO MAKE AN AMERICAN QUILT. And when we unroll the scroll of classic 'chick flicks', i.e. Fried Green Tomatoes, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, Steel Magnolias, Thelma & Louise, etc., etc., WHY ISN'T THIS MOVIE AMONG THEM? #4: SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE. In the vein of the movie, whimsical, light, fun song selection [love Eartha Kitt's songs on this], and even Jack Nicholson crooning 'La Vie en Rose' makes -- well, sense! #3: DIVINE SECRETS OF THE YA-YA SISTERHOOD. I love cajun/bayou music anyway -- y'all heard of Beausoleil? mmmm. #2: HAVANA [also an exquisite & powerful movie] #1: DEAD MAN WALKING

The Mount

It appears that this is The Mount Guest Hotel, in Keswick, the Lake Country near Beatrix Potter's Hill Top Farm home ... where My Lovely Mother, our wonderful friend/host, and I shall be spending 2 or 3 days. And it appears this will be the room where My Lovely Mother and I stay the night(s).

Overflow Journal Backgrounds ... mas y mas y mas!

Contemplation. Papers, post card, rubber stamps. Express. Paint, ink, little image from Patty at The Tuscan Rose. Moondancing. Paper and rubber stamps. This Preparation. Paper, rubber stamp, deco tape, magazine image.

2009 Calendar: April 20th - 26th

April 20th to 23rd, Prompt: In the Old Days ... I was supposed to finish that sentence -- found the typewriter image, then got distracted. Anh, shite happens. My embossing gun left me, after 2½ years (not a bad run, considering the abuse I gave it!) so I had to dash out for a new one. April 24th - 26th: Background only, no prompt except my mood. The pianist is, of course, My Lovely Mother!

Self Portrait Wednesday (an evening early)

The inspiring Misty Mawn often hosts a self portrait day. And my beloved Beth has begun participating and encouraging, so ... so ... I'm going for it. -- I know already I won't have time tomorrow, so I'm taking care of it tonight, my first time participating. I don't have a timer or cord to step away from my Daddy-O Cam, so I get close-ups upon close-ups ... and scare myself with the circles under my eyes. god. damn. Or better yet, Eesh! Blimey! Shite! Anyway, here I am, a la the end of a very tough Tuesday. New curls. New curls which I didn't realize, until I deleted 20 other head shots, need desperately to be trimmed, weeded, thinned and otherwise GROOMED. Migraine eye. Always on the right. Kaput. And that's an understatement. Powerful but much-overlooked Toni-place. The collarbone. My brothers call me Bone. Tone the Bone, Bonehead, Bonith, but mainly Bone. Hence my Bad to the Bone shirt means more than just the song title. But I LOVE the song, too. b-b-bad to the b-b-bone. But not today. Not today. Today has been a tough one. Tough emotions, tough love, tough questions, tough migraine. I surrender. For now.

Acrylic Paint and Rubber Stamps Experiment

From an old Somerset Studio issue, the technique: take text pages out of old books. Paint one side in your choice of acrylic color(s). Let dry. Add rubber stamp images/patterns to taste. Then use papers however you wish. These kinds of experiments are so instructive when it comes to what colors work together. This one? not so much ... Gosh. I love these.