Creative Inspiration

The Artistic Mother is such a beautiful book, and you can win a copy by clicking on the link at left, or you may order it from Amazon. INSPIRATION, CREATIVITY...AT IT'S BEST!

Winter Day in the Big Woods

Another beautiful snowy day! Projects are piling up, though the re-organization is in full swing.

Kitty seems to be enjoying the snowfall, too! The altered book projects are lined up, and the knitting is winding down.

These are the latest,

"completed" knits.

Hand Mitts/Fingerless Gloves...all the rage, so my daughters tell me! The KnitWitz are putting the finishing touches on the shawls and lap robes for the nursing home residents. As soon as we get pictures, I will post them on a new KnitWitz blog. Some very talented knitters, and crochet ladies hard at work.

Must get back to work on my

"Creative Chaos"...

Please send those re-organization of art/craft space tips! TTFN, Vicki

SUNNY, SUNNY SUNDAY

The sun is shining on this glorious new day. We shall bask in it and all the muddy glory it provides with the melting of snow. The dogs love mud! Thinking of mopping the floor as a result leads me to the art corner where the re-organization process has taken a standstill...
Anyone out there who has tips on the crafty art space and how to keep it in one place instead of all over, please pass them on. At this disorganized stage, I can use all the help I can get!

Though, I really do my best work when I delve into what I affectionately call my "CREATIVE CHAOS." I actually even named one of my handknit scarves that. Made out of all the leftover balls of yarn of many, many colors. A beauty of a piece with genuine warmth and soul!

SO, HERE'S TO CREATIVE CHAOS...LONG MAY IT REIGN!

Passion's Slave

On this beautiful winter day in the woods, we cozy up in front of the fire and we are grateful for a wonderful family life! Complete with ups and downs and tears of joy and sometimes sadness. But we remain a unit intact, forever bonded.

"I AM SOMEONE'S VALENTINE" (lucky me;)

Everlasting Love

Well Valentine's Day is upon us, and I am extremely happy to say that...

"I am someone's Valentine". It's not always easy, it's not always fun, but after 23 years of marriage, I would not have it any other way!!!

This is an Altered Book for Valentine's Day! Lots of textured fun with charms hanging inside a cutout box. Vintage lace and buttons, a lovely Valentine ready for gift giving! This book was among my faves, but in an effort to reduce while reorganizing, I have decided to offer this little beauty up at the next

Arty Tea Party! It can be yours for $20.

I will also have Friendship Bracelets (made by my daughter) in gift cards,

all ready for a Valentine Exchange, and some crazy handknit scarves and fingerless gloves!

LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW...

Altered Book Display

At the urging of local artist, Bob Scully and his wife Cathy, I have joined The Outsider's Studio Altered Books/Books That Alter Book Show. This exhibit begins August 13 through September 15 at Hamish and Henry Booksellers in Livingston Manor, NY.

I'm nervous and excited and I hope you can all get out there to take a look.

Thanks! Enjoy the heat...it is August afterall!

3-D ATC's

Here are a couple new ATC's made for the 1st Annual Pine Bush Art Tour. The Singing Bluebird truly does bring happiness perched on a fresh twig from the yard, and the Beaded Doorway reminds us that "Home is Where the Heart Is".

Short and sweet...I will hopefully be able to post my latest "Fiber Beaded Jewelry" collection soon. But with end of school year events, and concerts, and recitals, and moving up days...etc. upon us, it may not be as soon as I'd like.

Stay tuned!

Paint the Town Purple

I've created a set of Artist Trading Cards to benefit the American Cancer Society Relay for Life 2009. These cards will support the Pine Bush High School National Honor Society Team 2.

We have a great community that gets involved in this dynamic event that raises funds and awareness to the cause of cancer research. Get involved...

The Pine Bush event takes place June 13 - 14. You can make a direct donation to support this team walker @

http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY09EA?px=10436729&pg=personal&fr_id=14041

Hats off to Michelle Filer of Crans Mill Studio for beautifying this great town with all of those beautiful purple butterflies in the windows of the storefronts. Take a walk down main street, read the names...it will affect you, as cancer affects us all at one time or another. GET INVOLVED! It is the most heartwarming event you will ever witness!

Dare To Dream

"Dreamer...you know you are a dreamer..."

Thus the inspiration for this mixed media collage. For my 3 lovely children continue to inspire me with their ongoing quest to attain their goals and realize their dreams in life. Their instumental and vocal talents, along with the beauty of the dance, is what their dreams are made of. Lucky me!!!

WE ARE ALL SLAVES OF PASSION

A Brand New Day

The sun is shining and it is a beautiful day for peaceful, quiet meditation to renew, restore and rejuvenate the deepest bits of the soul that have not been tapped into lately. For the creative process for me ebbs and flows, and sometimes just stands still to the point of questioning
"What in the world do I do now?"

Thankfully, my family understands this process and I am very happy to have all of my lovely children home with me (all at the same time) to share the joys of my creative passions.

TO MY FAMILY: MY GREATEST PASSION OF ALL!

The Creative Process

Spring has Sprung! Finally... and the imagination is on overload! So much to do and create. The outdoors are calling, Nina's "mystery seeds" from the 1st ArTy TeA PaRtY have sprouted, and the projects indoors are in full swing. I'm having great fun with clay, thanks to Nina, and a new round of AlTerEd BoOks is almost ready for display at the next ArTy TeA PaRty where we are having a "Chocolate" themed ATC exchange. Looking forward to it!

Have a wonderful day!

TTFN

Creative Chaos

"The creative mind plays with the object it loves."...so says Carl Jung.

Right now it is the books...loads and loads of books. Pages and pages of printed words that sometimes just boggle the mind. But, for some reason intrigued me enough to buy for whatever reason...to read, to gift, to put on my shelf to just look cool, to alter... The collecting of old books has gotten way outofhand...for my "altered book" projects are causing a bit of a storage problem in my art studio; aka dining room! So, organization of these projects is a must. And now that a custom order is fiiiiinally complete, I can re-group, re-organize, and finish the next custom order!

When the creative process is in full swing, a disorganized person is probably great fun to watch... "FROM AFAR". The tossing of this, the shuffling of that, the words underbreath so the little darlings can't hear...ahhh, creativity at its best!

Thankfully, I have a wonderful support team in my family, and a wonderful circle of friends who all know about the creative process.

I am happy to announce that I, too, have taken the handmade pledge.
Have a wonderful day/night!

SPRING IS IN THE AIR!!!

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood! The sky is blue, the birds are singing, and the dogs are chasing squirrels and romping in the very squishy mud... Oh, to live in the country!

I am truly inspired by the very talented group of ladies at the ArTy TeA ParTies of Michelle at
A-MUSINGS OF AN AWKWARD MIND. There is a wide range of artisans in this community and she is tapping into all of them and bringing them together to promote and learn about the different artistic styles of individuals.

Michelle, (aka "Miss Pickles" in libraryland) is such a dynamo that being around her makes you want to just create! Something, anything...just go for it! Check out her blog below!

REMEMBER...SPRING FORWARD!

"Hands are the Makers of Art"

And since everyone knows I am "outofhand", these hands are busily working on 2 custom orders for my "LoNg OvErDue/BoOk ReNewAL" project. It is therapeutic for me during yet another wintry snow day here in the northeast. You can check out 2 finished "Treasure Books" from the collection at http://www.4everoutofhand.etsy.com/. Others can be seen at Hermann's Erie House on Depot Street in Pine Bush.

THINK SPRING!

BE MY VALENTINE ALTERED BOOK DISPLAY

Won't you BE MY VALENTINE??? My very 1st Altered Book Display is finally up in Hermann's Erie House Restaurant on Depot Street in Pine Bush. It will thrill you and seduce you to touch and feel... (the books that is, depending on who your Valentine's Day Dinner reservation is with:) Thank you Nina of Happy Herbs Soap @ Two Crows Cottage for holding my hand each and every day and supplying me with inspirational incense while working through the wee hours in order to complete this project.

Looking forward to sharing my Altered Books with the group of A-MUSINGS OF AN AWKWARD MIND's next ArTy TeA PaRtY...