A Card for Donna

Its her b-day on March 1st. The inside says...Makes the World Go Round!

That's Shan, Me, MadRetz and Donna during one of the annual girl trips to Disneyland, if that wasn't obvious! : .)

I really gotta get me a scanner!!!

Cacao Dei

My friend Ken and his friend Jane decided that they wanted to start a chocolate company. Ken asked me if I'd be interested in doing special occassion, handmade tags for the chocolates. These are a few prototypes. (Yes, I really love that asterick punch! : .) Click on image for a larger and more detailed view.

You can experience their "whole new angle" on chocolate here... Cacao Dei

Funny Farm

I have lacked motivation/inspiration recently until Farmwife posted in her blog about needing a new flag that said "Welcome to the Funny Farm". The term conjured images of animals in classic comedy gags for me and the thought made me giggle so I put it to paper. And thus this image came about. I haven't been working on anything real crafty recently but the illustration of the mental image was a wonderful creative outlet.

Say No More

This really has nothing to do with art, crafts, or this site except the name. Every time I see it I can't help but think of the Monty Python sketch where two men are sitting on a bench and one keeps making insinuations about the other's wife. He continually says, "Nudge-Nudge. Wink-Wink. Say no more. Say no more. He says knowingly."
I had to share. It makes me laugh.

A little creative writing...

I just had to go to the supply office on my floor for a new notebook. It reminded me of my second post that I ever wrote on my own blog. I actually worked pretty hard on it, working it out on paper first, and everything.

In light of my not having a digital camera (yet) to record my crafty projects (namely, scrapbooks and cards)...I thought I would share my post here.

This is from August 13, 2005
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I Love Office Supplies

I started a blog yesterday, so I thought it would be appropriate to have a notebook to jot some thoughts down in. That way, I can hopefully have some semblance of order as I write my daily…or, let’s be honest, if I am lucky, bi-weekly…musings.

I knew the exact notebook I wanted for this task; a National Brand, Narrow Ruled, Single Subject notebook with 80 sheets. Not just any sheets… “Eye Eases” sheets. The sheets are a soft creamy-yellow color with pale green lines; the cover is sturdy tan cardboard. The notebook is a small and artistic 8¼ x 7” and it fits perfectly into the tote bag that I take to work with me. Opening the notebook to its first crisp, cool page is like standing at the beginning of great story and having no idea where it will go. Eighty smooth, buttery invites to possibility. I really love this notebook.

Of course, the only way to get this notebook…if you live my life…is to hope that the office supply lady doesn’t remember that you already have four of these when you enter her office and ask to have another. Thankfully, she was nowhere to be seen when I happened upon the office supply space she calls home. While I was standing there pilfering the perfect notebook, I was overtaken by a feeling of pure joy racing through my veins. Not just the joy of obtaining my 5th perfect notebook, but the joy that comes from standing in a room where the pens are lined up neatly in rows, the erasers are void of any marks and the reams of paper are still tightly arranged in impenetrable blocks. I drank in the fresh scent of ink and paper and let out a huge sigh. The kind of sigh that comes from knowing you have traveled through many twisting paths to get to where you are now, and now you feel safe.

This love for paper products and writing implements is not a new one for me. School supply shopping was my first real taste of ecstasy. Heading out to the local K-Mart to get multi-colored folders while begging for a Trapper-keeper (that I never got because they are too expensive) seemed a right of passage to every coming grade. And yet, my insanity goes back even further to when I got my very first box of crayons. I actually mourned every single crayon in the box of 64 as I ended its perfection with one single swipe of color. It wasn’t until I was in college that I discovered that I could have two boxes of crayons, one for using and one for keeping perfect.

All of this reminds me of Emma Mae’s monologue, “McDonalds”, in Jane Martin's collection “Talking With”. Emma Mae, who is homeless, starts out saying “If I had one wish in my life, why I’d like to live in McDonalds”. She continues to talk about everything from how nice the kids are who work there to seeing a man healed by a Big Mac. But she also takes time in her monologue to let us in on her secret. She loves McDonalds because of the plastic. Because no matter what happens, no matter how long the McDonalds has been there or how many shifts of nice kids have come and gone, the plastic trays are always perfect; unscratched and unfaded; the same brilliant color as when they first were made.

So, does the joy I get from standing in room full of crisp, new office supplies, the excitement I feel just thinking of my favorite notebook and the need I have for crayons to be lined up and unmarred, really define me as a person who only wants perfection out of life? If given the option, would I keep another life on the side, perfect and unused? I’d like to think no. I have learned enough to understand the boredom of perfection and that the scars we gain from life can only embellish the brilliant colors we were born with.

So I am going to continue to sweep large arcs of color with my crayons and I’m going to fill up my notebook. And even if I break a tip, or bend a page along the way, I am going to celebrate the beauty and the individuality that those marks define in me. Besides, if I need to, I can always stop in to visit the office supply lady and get notebook #6.

Jewelry

My SIL is in a wedding in March and she asked me to make some jewelry for her. She picked out the beads and pearls and gave me an idea of how she invisioned it. We started talking about it in January and I just finished it tonight. It took me a lot longer to finish than I expected, about 15 hours hands on, but based on the sketches she drew me, it's (hopefully) exactly what she wanted. I had to work out of my comfort zone with this one...I've made quite a few simple earrings, necklaces and bracelets, but haven't worked with pearls or with thread (vs. wire) before. 

Everything's Coming Up Roses

This is a recipe box I picked up for Inkling. It was pretty plain Jane and I thought it needed a little dressing up. I knew all those gardening catalogues I was hoarding would come in handy someday!

Since it's a wedding gift I thought the roses were appropriate. Inkling, if you see this, at least act surprised when I give it to you! I couldn't wait until then to post it.

I still need to seal it with something. Any suggestions? I've used Mod-Podge in the past, but thought it stayed a little sticky.

If you have any recipes you'd like to add to it, please send them to me at farmgirl_1976@hotmail.com and I promise to give you the credit!

Bird's Song

I'm on a roll!!! I was supposed to bake some more cookies tonight, but my art journal was calling. Just a little collage going on here. I used a 'zine picture of a bunch of rusted car motor parts to make the birdie's body and ground on which she stands.

The Bird's song is Bring Me to Life by Evanescence, in case you were wondering : .)

I submitted this to Illustration Friday. This week's theme was "Song."

Itty Bitty Art

A few little circular embelishments I made for me and MadRetz last nite. 3/4 and 1/2 inch circle punches, flower punches and inexpensive plastic rinestones from Michael's craft store.

Saddle Up, Partners!

Well, I set up the blog and now it's ready. Add what you want. From the feedback I've gotten we'll forego the themes. The frequency of your posting is up to you...no pressure.

I hope everyone will share their work with us...stories, poems, photography, scrapbook layouts, dolls, sewing, knitting, embroidery, anything and everything that you are working on.

I think this is going to be fun!