My ART this Week**

Here are the ATC's I finished this week.  One of a 5th blog anniversary, the small dress for a black, white and red theme and assorted ATC's with a beach, music, patriotic and button themes.

These are my Marie Antionette submissions for a chunky book swap in an ATC group I am participating in.  The first picture is my cover, followed by the front page of my page and the back page.  I had to make the mask for the front as I couldn't find anything small enough.  The back page has a sewn hankerchief with MA stamped on it.  I found while do research on MA, that she is credited with inventing the hankerchief.

These are the dress I have completed for the Dress Up 2010, the black one is January, pink one February, the green one for March, the bird one for May, and the fusion bride dress is for June.  Dress Up 2010 is being done over on the Alice and Camila blog.  Each month starting in January we are to make one dress for the month for twelve months.  At the end of the year, we will have amased some amazing clothes and works of art.  The dresses can be made with any art material of the creators choosing.  I didn't discover this website until a few weeks ago, so now I am playing catchup.  I only have the April dress to do and then I will be caught up-just in time to create the August dress.

This is my first paperdoll I have ever made!  This was a challenge and swap to only use junk mail.  Since I rarely get anything but pizza ads-pizza man was born and since pizza always comes in a box-I made a box for him to be delivered in!  I feel like I have caught up on so much this week-I am actually ahead of the game.  Everyone have a great weekend, and I will be back with more art soon!

Lot's of Art Created Within the Last Week

Being without transportation for the last few days has forced me to evaluate my time to get the most done while being at home. Not only did I get a great deal of things done inside and out, but I actually was able to sit down and be creative and not feel pressured to accomplish art-I was able to just create!  I managed to get some inchies done to add to my collection and a birthday inchie to send to one of the birthday girls in the yahoo group.   Then it was on to finish the three ATC's for different swaps I had signed up for.  I need to have them done by the end of July and the first part of August, but again, I didn't want to feel pressured, and finished them to get ready to mail. I would rather be early then running behind the power curve!  Next, I joined the Dress Up 2010 challenge, making one mixed media art dress a month for a year.  I did July's dress, now I just have to catch up on the rest of the months!  Last week I finished another quilted assembledge wall hanging for my boss who left and went to another agency.  She loves music, is in at least two bands and contra dances also.  I wanted to give her something that each time she looks at it, she would remember our office.  I think I accompolished that! 

But the worst part of today, was not remembering that today is my eighth anniversary!  I can't believe that my sweetie is the one who remembered for the second year in a row!  He called me early this morning and then again a couple of hourse later-so a double whammy today!  I have been so busy with picking up the truck and returning the rental car that I completely forgot what day it is!  I am going to have to think of something totally spectacular to make up for this one! 

Have a great day everyone!!

Can You Believe It's July?!

There were time this year when I didn't think the summer was every going to get to Northern California because of all the rain and cold days-all of a sudden we are in triple digit weather!  We didn't have much of a spring, so it seems that we have gone from winter to summer overnight! 

One of my oldest friends is retiring today after thirty six years-yipee for her!!! (Although, I secretly wish it were me!)  She is an avid quilter and I have always enjoyed watching her create a thing of beauty.  In fact, many years ago, she is the one who inspired me to attempt quilting.  As I sat yesterday, trying to figure out what I could do as a meaningful gift to mark this occassion, I thought about a quilt, but didn't really have enough time to put something together.  I wanted the gift to be a reminder of her time working, but also her new path in life in retirement.  I finally came up with an assemblege quilt.  I haven't done one of these in a long time, I do enjoy making them as they are so individual to the person.  Her favorite color is yellow combinded with blue, I hope she likes it.  I thought she could hang it in her quilt room as a constant reminder of the good and bad times, the friendship and the love.  And that she will know that it is she who inspired me to try my hand at quilting.  Congratulations Alice on your retiremen!!!

Everyone have a great blast of a weekend, stay safe!

Still A Sad Day...

On this day of the one year anniversary of Michael Jackson's death, I still feel sadened to have such a musical giver gone.  No matter what your individual opinion of the person is, he was a humanitarian and he gave a lot of himself in everything he did.  Personally, Michael and I were/are the same age, so I grew up with him, purchased all his albums, yes, I did say albums!  Listened to him on the radio, back in the AM days!  And enjoyed the display of his talent.  The day of his death even brought to me some self reflection and how precious life really is.  I for one, still truly miss his contributions to this world and wish his family peace and healing.

I think I Can Slow Down-A Little!

What a week and weekend!  I think I can finally slow down and get back to my continued project of the reorganization of the craft/computer room! 

For my sweetie's birthday this past weekend, I made his favorite wine cake and I forgot how yummy it is, here is the recipe:

Di "Vine" Wine Cake
Cake
1 box of devils food cake
1 small box (6 ounces) black cherry gelatin
4 eggs at room temperature
1 cup California Cabernet Sauvignon Wine
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 (12 oz) package of semi sweet chocolate chips

Wine Glaze Ingredients
2 tablespoons room temperature butter
1/2 cup Cabernet Sauvignon Wine
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees, grease bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray. 
In a large bowl, beat cake mix, gelatin, eggs, wine, and oil on low speed for 30 seconds.
Increase speed to medium and beat for one minute-scrapping the sides.  Add chocolate chips
making sure all indredients are well mixed.
Slowly pour cake into the bundt pan, tapping pan lightly to make sure all air bubbles are released
before baking. Bake on the middle rack for 40 minutes.
Carefully remove from oven, set aside for 10 minutes to cool.  Carefully use a plastic knife to loosen
cake from pan, invert onto wire rack.
While the cake cools, prepare a simple cabernet wine glaze.  Combine the butter, wine and powdered
sugar in a medium saucepan.  Bring all ingredients to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 teaspoon
vanilla extract.  Set aside for drizzling on individual slices of cake.

Pretty simple to make and a great crowd pleaser.

I Can't Believe Almost A Month Since I Posted!!!!!!

How time flys when we are all busy!  I returned from So Cal after many long hours of cleaning and organizing a house with sixty four years of memories.  Have put some incredible aniques into storage for a later date when I have the room to move them and display them.  I also came back with two 18 gallon containers of pictures and we have barely scratched the surface!  A good trip but an exhausting one.

I just got back yesterday froma two day trip to Reno.  We took approximately forty ladies, chartered a bus, stayed at the El Dorado hotel and casino and saw a fantastic show, Shake, Rattle and Roll!  Boy did these kids have some energy, an hour and a half of constant dancing and singing.

Today I have a baby shower, and I have attached a photo of the baby card I had to whip up quickly this morning-because I was too busy running around the country, making poodle skirts, and just in general overloading myself!  

I am off again tomorrow for a long weekend with my sweetie, we are celebrating his birthday and father's day all rolled into one weekend-with me getting the benefits of the celebration! 

Getting Ready To...

I packing and getting ready for the long weekend in Southern California.  Must do some family stuff, cleaning a house that holds sixty four years of memories-which requires going through lots of things, and putting stuff into storage-big job ahead.   I wanted to upload some pictures of the beginning of the birthday cards for month for my sweetie.  Each and every year that we have been together, I have made him a card for each day of his birthday month leading up to his special day-some years I am definately challenged in the creativity part!  Here are the first three:

   Each year I try to think about my sweeties personality and make cards that reflect that.  So, knowing he loves his MGS, the first card seemed appropriate, the second card came about because he was somewhat of a hippie in the 60's and the lava lamp just seems to reflect those times.  The third card is the crab and since he is a Cancer, the crab seemed appropriate-besides he is too cute peeking out of his shell.                                                                                 So, once I get back from down south, I need to kick into high gear and get some additional cards done so that I don't get behind the power curve-which seems to happen more often than not!  There are times when I just can't seem to get creative and I have to turn to other people's blogs and SCS for inspiration-to tap into other's creativity!  Thanks goodness for the computer or I would be stuck.                                                                                                               I am still working on redoing some thrift store finds and will post them when I return.  I have also been trying to put the computer craft room back together after completely clearing it out and only putting things back in that I have a use for and that will fit.  I fell into the mindset of "it's on sale, and I might use it one day" but after five or six years, it never has been used.  I have started a pile and plan to donate some things to a senior center or to the upcoming SPCA sale for the care and feeding of the animals. I can't believe that I can accumulate so much stuff and in a relatively short period of time!