I joined a travelling journal group.....

The artists are from around SE Wisconsin.  Here's my first journal pages. This journal has already been sent to the next artist, and I've received number 2.  Every month we each receive a journal, for 12 consecutive months, with the last journal (the 12th month) ours to finish and keep.  However, they will be in a few travelling exhibits after that.

Anyway -- I will keep posting mine as I get them done.

This was done with layers of treasure papers (these are paper towels and other papers that I use to blot up excess paint left behind on the art table! ) The are awesome things to collect.  The 'blobs' of red in the first layer/
background are on industrial white paper towels. There are also photocopied images of old glasses & words glued on that first layer. The red squares on the outside borders are torn from papers I collected at an Asian market. The large gold rectangle on the left page is also part of those papers.

Then...a few layers of white tissue paper that I stamped quotes and images on, and then adhered to the collage.
I then embellished the collage with deep pink watercolor, and fringy yarn.  It was a process over several days.
Once it was completely dried, I pressed the book down with lots of weight to flatten the pages.  This journal is on heavy watercolor paper...and it really curled!   Left home nice and flat though.

That's it for now!
Don't forget to click on the pic for a bigger view.
M

This was my idea of "Springing Forward" last week-end......

I did a clock that puts spring in my kitchen!   I've done so many clocks for others...I thought I would finally do one for myself.


I love to look at this one!  Very happy!  (first pic is a bit blurry....or is it me????)


Want one?????  Let me know!



Well...here's my fortune that I received the other day.....I hope it's about receving a car from Ellen!

"Good new of long-awaited event will arrive soon."

I hope so! Wouldn't that be Fantastic????

I'm booking new art classes booked for summer at various locations....and I desperately need a better vehicle to get me & my supplies to and from the classes.....

Pray.

New Tire....Used Rim.....

Had the tire done this morning.....199.89.

Arrrugh! 

Flat Tire this Morning. What is my 'car'ma ?

I really don't want to put more money into this car!  Agghh.  A new tire and a rim!  Sheesh.  I have an appointment for the 15th to have it done.....starting off my payday in a crunch again!
Bummer.
Thank goodness the sun is shining today!  Makes things much better!

I giggled half way to work today......you won't believe this!

My neighbor gifted me with the use of her car this week while she is in Palm Beach - but I didn't use it until this morning - I just didn't want to take any chances in all that bad weather we had.

Anyway -you won't believe it!  The drivers side door was frozen and I had to climb in thru the passenger side!  Ha!
By the time I got to work  it was thawed.

How crazy!

I found the broken key!

This is the key that broke off in my trunk some time last year.  It's something that I wrote about earlier in my post re: wanting to win a new car from the great Ellen DeGeneres.  Somehow it just appeared to me today....it was sticking out fro the back of my Ikea bouncy chair...it was caught between the wooden slat in the back and the removable cushion.  How it was there, sticking out is a mystery to me...but it is further proof of the legitimacy of my story re: Really needing a new car!    Hope to win it....it would be an awesome 60th Birthday gift!  (Can you beleive I'm turning 60 soon?  - I can't.)

Well...now I'd better get some creative artsy things posted!

This blog is a re-make of a blog that I had for several years.  Long story very short - it was closed down by Google because I had infected gmail that was spamming people left & right....so....they stopped all my accounts.  I'll work hard to get this one filling up with creative projects soon!
Ciao!
Mari

This would be a dream come true!

Oh Ms. Ellen the Generous - please grant my wish!

I am entering my name, photos and a brief story to Ms. Ellen Degeneres (I call her Ellen The Generous...because she is!)  On her website...in the "Be On the Show" section she says:    " Is your car on the verge of breaking down? Did it already drive its final mile? If you or someone you know is in need of a new car, tell us why."

I hope my pictures tell the story well!
 

Ciao!

The Whining about my car...

I am going to enter a "Be On The Show"  topic on the Ellen the Generous Show!   She asks if you, or someone else is in need of a new car.....and I have nominated myself.  I don't mean to be greedy -- there are so many others who need one....but I REALLY do need one for my work in the arts and a teacher!  I've done the city bus thing several times while an art teacher at an elementary school with my previous car and all its issues. BTW:  I retired that 1991 Honda about a year ago. 
 For a brief moment I had two junky cars....now I have just one. :-)

So - here I am, sitting at work 2 hours after I should have left because I'm waiting for a ride - for the umpteenth time in the past 90 days.  This is after I spent a month car-less because I had to save up the money from two 15th of the month paychecks to pay for my car to be towed, the diagnostics,to put in a new alternator and main fuse.  That was to the tune of $751.85.  

Woo-hoo - I could drive again -- for about a week.  Then we had frigid cold weather here in Milwaukee - and my battery just couldn't take it any more from all the times it had been jumped before it totally wouldn't hold a charge any more.   So - I had to wait for another payday to purchase a new battery.  Been driving around now since January 3rd.  It is now January 10th.  One week.   Today I left my headlights on, accidentally. (I forgot to have them replace the fuse for the Lights on Warning Ding.)    Stone cold dead.  Not a glimmer of dashboard light - nothin.

In the meantime.....enjoy the pictures of me in my car....as silly as they are.  You see....I was really requesting help with a new car because my drivers door hinge is rusted from the door frame.....and can't be opened.(well...for an emergency like if I were to get in an accident...but it should not be opened, because it hangs about six inches lower than the door frame....it literally drops.  So -- since September of 2009....yes.... Sept of 2009...I have been crawling in and out of my little stick shift Mitzubishi Mirage and rolling over the center and landing in the drivers seat - a minimum of 4 times per ride.  (To get in, and to get out, and to get in and get out when I get back home....when I go to the grocer, pharmacy, whereever...that's additional crawling and rolling.  Yup -- I am flexible...but it has taken a toll on my knees. Don't get me wrong -- I am grateful to have wheels....but it is really taking its toll on me. (and sometimes its just embarassing!)

So -- It is my deep wish & desire that she will grant me the opportunity to receive a new car from her.   If anyone knows her personally and wants to put in a good word for me - please do!

I hope you had a good chuckle at this last part.  It is quite a sight to see.  I wish I could have put a video together......all I could do was take pictures as I crawled in.....and of the exterior of the car to show the door etc -) (and...a little blip about a key being broken off in the trunk lock, and the broken window from a break in. They didn't get my radio -- and they left my CD's behind.  What? Whats the matter with Joss Stone, Sara Brightman and Sublime  ????? 

I really do have a wonderful, creative life too.  I guess thats what gets me through all the other stuff.

What about you?  How does your creativity get you through?