ART of Humungous Proportions

Steampunk!

2012-02-08T10:43:00.001-07:00

Part of the Steampunk jewellery collection for sale at Dickens Day

"Ha'penny" Pendant and Ring/Gem Chain ($25 ~ Available)

I've been helping create some Steampunk jewellery for a Graffiti Mix fundraiser. Graffiti Mix is a nonprofit arts collective that my son and a friend of his are launching. They hope to present a full length play in the coming year, and for now much of the preliminary work is being undertaken.

"Coggler's Triangle" Pendant and Chain ($22 ~ Available)

It goes without saying that fundraising is always a challenge. Since the play has a Steampunk-ish aesthetic, we thought selling Steampunk jewellery would be a fun endeavour.

"Heart of Time" (Sold)

"Time Traveller" Pendant and Golden Chain ($24 ~ Available)

Yesterday, we started selling some of the pieces we created at the Concordia University during their Dickens Day celebration (Charles Dickens 200th Birthday). We hoped to sell at least 5 of our pieces. We far exceeded our goal for the day ~ perhaps this was because of the Dickens Day special prices we were selling for. At any rate, we were very pleased by all the positive feedback we received from many people who stopped by our table to have a peek.

"Lady Liberty" Brooch ($10 ~ Available)

In making these one-of-a-kind pieces, we aren't rushing over to Michael's to buy supplies. All our pieces are created using recycled jewellery parts which each artisan sees in a new way...

"Heart's Door" SOLD

"Regina" Pendant and Ball Chain ($22 ~ Available)

So we're still looking old broken jewellery to create more fun Steampunk jewellery and

I'll post more photos for you to look at later.

"Bobbin Works" Pendant with Ball Chain ($22 ~ Available)

So long 2011 ~ hello 2012!

2012-01-01T23:01:00.000-07:00

2011 has been a tough one and I am very happy to say adieu to it. 2012 is here and I look forward to it with hope in my heart that it will be a better one.

Irene, my mother-in-law in her younger days ~ she passed away in March at age 81

January means that I start my hunt for unique 2nd hand or handmade gifts ~ Christmas is only 12 months away. Antique malls, garage sales, flea markets, craft sales and the ReUse Centre are all potential locations to find such gems. Finding treasures for my friends and loved ones is such fun!

I am also hopeful that I will get more art done in the months ahead. I have a wing-back chair which is primed and ready to paint. Now all I need is some inspiration to get down to painting another fine art chair!

What great plans do you have in your head and in your heart for 2012?

Christmas Past

2011-12-18T05:23:00.001-07:00

7 days until Christmas ... are you ready?

Remember me ...?

2011-11-21T11:35:00.001-07:00

I used to blog here. Actually I still do, but I haven't since September!! Yes, that is outrageous, but to say 2011 has been an upside down year is a bit of an understatement. At the moment, I am busy preparing for a Christmas Craft Sale at Kings University this weekend. Here's a sneak peek at some of the goodies I will have for sale ...

Christmas Craft SaleSaturday, November 26th

10 a.m.- 3 p.m.

at King's University College Gym

9125 - 50 Street, Edmonton

Dinner Parties: 3 versions

2011-09-07T18:32:00.003-06:00

The bright idea was to have three dinner parties -- the first in July, second in August and the third in September. Each of us would play host to each other, along with our respective husbands. We drew names to determine what order we would host these dinner parties. We mutually agreed to choose a theme for our own dinner parties which would be comprised of at least 5 courses. Here's a look at some of the deliciousness that followed during Dinner 1, "Comforts of Home"; Dinner 2 "Peruvian Palate" and Dinner 3 "Starry Night"

Appetizers

Pan Bread served with Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar

Dippers & Olive Assortment

Cilantro & Sweet Red Pepper Hummus, Salsa and Garlic Herb Cheese

Starry Night Chippies

Ceviche

Salads

Peruvian Causa

Salad Rolls with Thai Dipping Sauce

Starry Night Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette

Quinoa

Soups

Chicken Noodle Soup

Dill Pickle Soup

Italian Wedding Soup

Palate Cleanser: Lime Sherbet

Main Courses

Meatloaf, Creamy Scalloped Potatoes & Snap Peas

Loma Costada

Apricot Chicken, Roasted Greek Potatoes & Fresh Garden Veggies

Desserts

Pumpkin Crisp

Creme Brulee

Devonshire Angel Food

After Dinner Hot Punch

The happy and well fed participants!

{Virtual Coffee} Van Gogh brightens a rainy day

2011-07-26T10:51:00.000-06:00


The back of my van Gogh chair features Irises

I'm glad you are here with me this morning to share a cup of {Virtual Coffee} with me. Here, let me pour you a cup of coffee into one of my Wheat Field Under Clouded Sky mugs. I was thrilled to find a set of these clever Vincent van Gogh mugs at Goodwill some time ago. It's always great to add to my Van Gogh collection!

Please, have a seat. You can sit in my the van Gogh arm chair I painted, if you wish. I take my coffee with cream. How do you take yours?

How is the weather where you are? After several years living in near drought conditions, we've had our fair share of rain this summer. I love the rain. It's rejuvenating, life giving and music to my ears. It may sound hokey, but ~ although the rain may darken the skies, it refreshes my heart. I always feel so alive when it rains. I even have a Degas Ballerina Art Umbrella which my mom gave to me years ago...

Isn't it beautiful?
Do you think it would go with my Vincent Irises tote bag?

It looks like you're almost finished your coffee. Please check out the Lucky Number 13 blog to see who is participating in this week's {Virtual Coffee}. You may even want to grab a second cup of java on your way. Thanks for stopping by!

Oh Canada!

2011-07-02T15:35:00.003-06:00

Now Playing:

Andy Warhol Manufactured at the Alberta Gallery of Art.

We saw it.

We loved it.

We wanna see it again.

Andy Warhol: Campbell's Soup (1968)

Andy Warhol: Wayne Gretzky 99, 4 variations

Canadian Kinetic Art ~ who wouldn't love it?

Playing in the kids room at the art gallery

In other news, yesterday was Canada's 144th birthday. We celebrated by hosting a potluck at our house and shared a lovely afternoon and evening with a handful of our favourite people.

Everyone's height must be measured ... why, we're not sure.

I made some cupcakes for the occasion and had help decorating the delicious morsels.

Canada Day yumminess!

Canada Day Cupcakes

Pour two unbeaten eggs into a 1 cup measuring cup. Fill rest of cup with cream.

Stir and pour into mixing bowl.

Add:

1 cup sugar

1-1/2 cups flour

3 tsp baking powder

Beat well until light and pour into paper cupcake holders. Fill 2/3 full.

Bake approximately 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Cool while you prepare the frosting.
(see recipe below).

Baker's Frosting

1 cup solid vegetable shortening4 cups powdered sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 Tablespoons heavy creamliquid or paste food coloring (optional)

Cream shortening until fluffy. Add powdered sugar and continue creaming until well blended. Add salt, vanilla, and cream. Blend on low speed until moistened. Add additional cream a teaspoon at a time if necessary to achieve the right consistency. Beat at high speed until frosting is fluffy. If desired, divide frosting into several small bowls, stir in food coloring to create various colours of
frosting.

City of Edmonton Skyline

God keep our land, glorious and free!

A DIY wedding: "I get by with a little help from my friends"

2011-06-28T14:04:00.000-06:00

Today, for Tea Time Tuesday, I'd like to share a few photos, in no particular order of a

Bridal Tea and the Wedding of our friends, Elisabeth and Roger.

My friend Brittni (shown in above photo, the day we started looking for wedding flowers), and I were the (un)official wedding planners for this beautiful June wedding.

Country Living

Elisabeth models newspaper dress designed by some of the guests of the shower!

The new Mr. & Mrs.

Cutting of the cake ~ with swords, of course!

One of my favourite shots of the bridal party ~ so fun!

We officially add "Wedding Planner" to their resumes

Yummy Homemade Cupcakes at the Bridal Shower ~ fun!

Please take a trip over to Rose Chintz Cottage to share in Tea Time Tuesday!

I finally finished ~ and it only took a year!

2011-05-24T22:25:00.000-06:00

Ridiculously slow, I know, but my life has been getting in the way of my art.

So I am thrilled to show you my latest fine art chair.

It is a tribute to Marc Chagall's art.

"I work in whatever medium likes me at the moment" is a quote from Chagall that I understand and embrace as an artist, so I painted the quote on one side of the chair's seat cushion.

This chair makes me happy!

"In our life there is a single colour,
as on an artist's palette,which provides the meaning of life and art.
It is the colour of love."

~ Marc Chagall

Everyone Loves a (Royal) Wedding!

2011-04-30T22:05:00.000-06:00

The lovely bride meets her Prince Charming at the alter on the arm of her father

I admit, I stayed up through the night to watch the Royal Wedding live on TV in the wee hours of Friday. I was not disappointed in the least by the beautiful wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton ~ who now have the official titles of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

William was handsome in his red uniform and Kate was radiant in her understated, elegant gown. Nothing was over the top or gaudy, just classy. Most importantly, the couple looked lovely in every sense of the word and very much in love.

And how about those facinators and hats! I have always been a fan of hats. I love seeing them, and I love wearing them.

Kate changed into another beautiful gown for one of the wedding receptions following the wedding. It was rather amusing to see the photo of Kate and Camilla together. I'm sure Camilla's dress was lovely and all, but somehow next to Kate's it kind of looked like Camilla showed up in her housecoat!

Over all, the Royal Wedding was an enjoyable experience for me ~ it's only too bad I didn't get to share it with some of the ladies in my family (guys just don't get this stuff!) and yes, I have almost caught up on my sleep now.

"Hallelujah"

2011-04-24T11:30:00.000-06:00

Prince Edward Island singer, Kelley Mooney wrote new words to Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah for an Easter Sunday church service and then applied for the lyrical adaptation from Leonard Cohen’s publisher. She was sure she would be denied but was amazed that within a year, her application was approved!

{Virtual Coffee} #5: Taking the bad with the good

2011-03-29T13:29:00.000-06:00

First of all, I need to bitterly complain about the editing on Blogger. Are any of you as frustrated about Blogger as I am? Why is it so klutzy?! I can't understand why it messes up the formatting so much when I attempt to use photos and then it'll underline whole sections for no reason whatsoever! I just about gave up completing this post entirely because of the ridiculous system. Argh!! Okay, so my rant is done ~ on to Virtual Coffee ...

Morning coffee with box of chocolates I gave Greg for our
anniversary. The scripture verse on the box was most appropriate
considering what has been going on in our lives lately.

{Virtual Coffee} today includes a potpourri of things. If you were here sharing a cup of coffee with me today, I would have to tell you that my beautiful mother-in-law, Irene passed away on March 16th, so it's been rather sad around here lately as we mourn the passing of my husband's lovely mom. She is in Heaven and free of the worries and stresses of this world, but it is difficult for us.

My son David was in the middle of rehearsing for the musical, Honk! when he was called to say his good byes to his Granny. Honk! is a super upbeat and happy retelling of the Ugly Duckling, so it was tremendously difficult on David by opening night to perform when his beloved Granny had just passed away. The cast was very supportive of him and the shows were dedicated to the memory of Irene.

Standing beneath her beloved apple tree
Irene Supina
1929-2011

The Celebration of Life Memorial was beautiful. All of Irene's children paid tribute to their mother. (Proverbs 31:28-31), A common thread wove it's way through all their words: Love. She was a remarkable woman whose deep faith impacted many lives. With great compassion and constant encouragement, she joyfully welcomed everyone into her heart.

One of the beautiful things that happened through this was the little miracles in the insignificant details. Irene's favourite flowers were the ever-joyful sunflowers. Sunflowers are definitely not in season; we were told that the florist may not be able to use fresh sunflowers in the arrangements because of this fact. However, as the memorial drew nearer, sunflowers started popping up everywhere! First they started appearing in stores, then on opening night of Honk! all the cast members were given flowers: sunflowers! Then, when I went to the Post Office to buy stamps to mail out thank you notes, I discovered that Canada Post had just released sunflower postage stamps on March 3rd!

Canada Post Sunflower Stamps released March 2011

Although we grieve and we're still emotionally exhausted, Greg and I also celebrate today because it is our Silver Wedding Anniversary. Tonight, we plan to dine in the restaurant that Greg proposed to me in 1984.

The two of us in 1986

{Virtual Coffee} #4

2011-03-08T11:06:00.027-07:00

Good morning. The sun is brightly shining outside, but it's still -16 Celsius (3.2 Fahrenheit), and the mounds of snow outside makes me glad to stay inside at the moment. It's time to put on the Virtual Coffee pot again ~ welcome! If you were here with me this morning, I would give you a piping hot mug of coffee and then tell you about what the last 16 days have been like.

You see, my sweet mother-in-law (MIL) and my children's cherished Granny, Irene had a massive heart attack on February 19th, and we have been back and forth to the hospital visiting every day. She was in the Critical Care Unit for about a week and then transferred to a Cardiac Unit.

A couple positives that came out of this is that we got to spend time with my MIL and
my sister-in-law who came from out of province to spend time with her mommy!

Yesterday, the doctor sent my MIL home. I have very mixed feelings about this. Of course I am happy that she is healthy enough to leave the hospital and continue recovering ~ she needs open heart surgery, but her heart must heal more before that is possible. However, she is not a lady who likes to sit around. She also has a lot of stresses at home ~ namely her husband and a couple of sons who demand far too much of an 81 year old woman.

Before her heart attack (which she barely survived ~ flat lining upon arrival at the hospital), she could out-work me, I swear. She would wake up around 4:30 a.m., cleaning, taking time to read her Bible and a wee bit of CH Spurgeon, cooking a full healthy breakfast for "the boys", starting her physically disabled son's van (and I imagine brushing off snow when necessary) so he could get to work on time, and then she would rest. Her first catnap of the day occurred around 8 a.m. then it was back to housework again....

If you were here, sipping your coffee with me, you would no doubt agree that now there must be changes made. There's the necessity of hiring a cleaning person to come in from time to time (my mother in law has always kept a very neat and clean home). Then there's the meals to consider. Irene is one of the best cooks I've ever known ~ everyone has always loved the opportunity to sample her delicious meals. But now, someone else needs to do meal preparation. We know now too, that she is diabetic, so her eating habits must change ~ for example, the 4 heaping teaspoons of sugar per cup of coffee is a thing of the past. Then there is salt ~ another big enemy ~ one that she always used liberally. Another thing that has to go is her 60+ year smoking habit. Of course, this is a major contributor to her heart attack (along with her enormous stress load). The entire time she was in hospital, she didn't smoke once. We are hoping that she won't give in to cravings ~ especially when faced with stresses ~ and that this deadly habit is conquered once and for all..

Are you still with me? If you were here, I'd give you a warm up on your coffee ...

Decisions will have to be made about living arrangements. The large house on the acreage is not feasible anymore. It actually hasn't been for years. My father in law has had cancer for a long time, and when he was first diagnosed many years ago, some of the family suggested that a move may be wise ... way back then. But no, that idea was ignored and quashed. Now, there is simply no choice. So we will see what happens in the days to come. Because of the family dynamics (ie., Father knows "best" ... well actually Father knows EVERYthing!), my husband and I will be left out of any family discussion or decision making in the days to come, so we can only hope and pray for the best.

Thank you for spending time with me this morning, and have a great week.
Please check out the other {Virtual Coffee} participants here!

{Virtual Coffee} #3

2011-02-22T10:52:00.000-07:00

It'll be a Tim Horton's Roll up the Rim for my virtual coffee today.

Not much of a post here today as my mother-in-law is in intensive care as she

had a massive heart attack on Saturday.

We're spending our days with her, and are happy to see her improve some each day. She needs to rest up and recover so she has to rest up because a triple bypass operation is still to come.

I hope that I will have good news at next week's Virtual Coffee time.

Don't miss this amazing site!!

2011-02-19T09:03:00.000-07:00

The Google Art Project is the next best thing to actually being there and the close up detail on some of the paintings is simply awe inspiring!

We have a winner!

2011-02-17T18:28:00.000-07:00

The winner my 2011 OWOH giveaway is Lovey from the US. She will be receiving two Tree Hugger Bookmarks and a collection of Instant Ancestors.

Thank you to everyone who visited my blog during the event, and thank you Lisa Swifka for putting this together for the past 5 years ~ it's been a joy to participate and to meet so many lovely bloggers from around the world.

{Virtual Coffee} #2

2011-02-15T10:15:00.014-07:00

Hi everyone ~ I'm back to have a virtual coffee with you again, so grab your coffee, curl up on the couch and let's talk.

Today I'm opting for tea because last night I felt like my throat was getting a little scratchy. This morning it felt almost like the beginnings of a sore throat, so I am drinking Honey & Lemon Tea. I also downed a clove of garlic, some Vitamin C and Cold Resist (Zeller's more inexpensive answer to Cold-FX) ~ I'm quite the pill popper, eh? I already had a cold this winter, so I don't really want to have another, thank you. I used to have a ginger drink that was quite good, maybe I'll check my cupboards for that ~ it's pretty strong, so it may just do the trick. So what do you do to stave off a cold?

Oh, how do you like my fun coffee mug? It reads: Life is too short to cook for you people.

Hey, did you do anything for Valentine's Day? I watched a romantic comedy (Music & Lyrics) with my husband and son. We ingested supermarket pizza (which wasn't great) and popcorn and Coke ~ talk about health nuts, eh?

Today is what we affectionately call Ukrainian Valentine's because it's the day after Valentine's when all the chocolates go on sale for 50% off. My husband will likely buy me a box of chocolates which he (and my son) will eat a majority of. For my chocoholic hubby ~ Valentine's ranks right up there with Christmas! I won't be overly disappointed if I don't get any chocolates though, because I already bought myself a Valentine bouquet yesterday and signed the card like this: Happy Valentine's Day ~ I love you & you love me! then I gave it to my husband. Isn't that romantic?!

Thank you for stopping by for {Virtual Coffee} ~ please check out the other folks too! I hope we can meet again next Tuesday.

Valentine's Day Fun!

2011-02-14T10:16:00.010-07:00

Look at the beautiful door hanger that the lovely, the talented Martha Brown made me

for the Canadian Chickies' Valentine Swap.

Lucky me! The following is what I posted on my Facebook this morning:
Tonight ... anytime after 7 p.m. I invite all single, unattached, desperate young guys of my acquaintance
(you know who you are!)
to come over to our house and watch CHICK FLICKS with me!!
Possible line up: While You Were Sleeping ... Sabrina ... Roman Holiday ... etc.

This should be fun!

.•¨`•✿.•¨`•. * .•¨`•. .•¨`•✿
.•¨`•✿ HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY.•¨`•✿
✿•¨`•. (¯`v´¯) (¯`v´¯) .•¨`•✿ . . . ✿•¨`•.¸(¯`v´¯)¸.•´¨`•✿ . . .
……………….....♥ •.¸.•´♥……………..........

Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck in Roman Holiday (1953)

Sketch Club 1

2011-02-12T22:41:00.007-07:00

Recently, I came up with an idea ~ Sketch Club.

The ideas is simple.

Once a month,

a location and time will be announced.

then people will be asked to join us, and to

bring a pencil, sketch book, pencil and eraser with them.

(All skill levels are welcome)

Today's location was at Steeps the Urban Tea House on Whyte Avenue.

Four of us showed up for the first Sketch Club gathering.

What a perfect way to spend a Saturday morning ...

good friends, unstructured art making and tea!

Thrifting with Dawn

2011-02-10T20:10:00.009-07:00

Why don't they make fun commercials like this anymore!

Do you remember the Dawn Doll? It was introduced in 1970,

ignore what it says on the YouTube title above. More about Dawn Doll later in this post ...

Today, my friend Shelly and I decided to do some thrifting.

We hit three spots: Goodwill, Value Village and The Bargain Shoppe.

Overall, it was typical ~ over inflated prices and very little to really grab our attention. We cannot wait for garage sale season to start again! Anyway, I digress ...

Goodwill

There I found a delicate candy dish (Princess House, 1.99) a Reitman's brown turtleneck (the tags were still on it, 4.99) and a small set of Spectrum watercolour pencil crayons (1.99).

Ugly Find of the Day

When my eyes beheld this "beauty" at Goodwill, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I had indeed found the one item that was truly dreadful enough to draw my camera out of my purse to take my "Ugly Find of the Day Photo". I think this one may be classified under the category
"It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time"

Behold its majestic nastiness ... This came from Pier 1 Imports?! Are you kidding me??

Anyway ... our second stop was at Value Village. I found nothing there.

Our third and final destination was The Bargain Shoppe, (a charity store which supports a downtown mission). The store was virtually splitting at the seams with an over abundance of goods! A couple years ago, when this store first opened its doors, it was a breath of fresh air. Everything was clean, orderly and most importantly, the prices were exceptionally reasonable. I remember back then Shelly remarking to the lady behind the counter how impressed she was with the prices. She added: "I hope you will keep the prices reasonable like this."
The lady insured us that the prices would always be reasonable.
Fast forward to now ... the prices are no longer reasonable like they once were,
and I wonder if that is the reason there is so much stuff in the store.
The customers don't like the prices and just aren't buying as much because of it.

Find of the Day

Back to today.
After looking around The Bargain Shoppe, I was about to leave the store empty handed when I happened to glance into a cabinet that was holding a Dawn Doll Case!

At first I thought it was just a case. However, upon opening it, I realized it was so much more ~ it included 4 dolls: Dawn, Glori, Angie and Head to Toe Dawn and clothes and accessories (9.99). Be still my heart ~ I had to buy it! I will add my own Dawn Doll that I have kept from my childhood and she can have some company finally
and they can share clothes and have fashion shows and ...

... what have you found in your recent thrifting adventures?

{Virtual Coffee}

2011-02-08T15:56:00.014-07:00

Virtual Coffee time Folks ... if you were having coffee with me today, you'd share it with my dear art friend, Nicolette. All those cups of coffee and tea weren't ours ... honest. (Nic had a Venti Chai Latte and I had a Grande Passion Tea ~ just in case you're curious). What would you have indulged in if you had joined us?

Every time we meet up, it's a grand opportunity for us to discuss art, family, work, and did I mention art? We leave encouraged, and ready to create some more!

Thank you for joining me for Virtual Coffee ~ check out all the other links too!

Feeling the creativity bug!

2011-02-07T13:31:00.008-07:00

The Creativity Bug has struck and I'm super excited! I want to create again. I finished up a couple art commitments that I had hanging over my head and now I am doing a small Property Master/Costumes job for a play at my son's university, which is exciting. And, I plan to finish off my latest chair which has been 3/4 done since last summer! So there are a lot of things to create, so I need to get down to it. You know the problem with most artists is their BIG IDEAS and their propensity to procrastinate! Perhaps if I talk about it here on my blog, then I will be held somewhat accountable and actually doing some of this stuff I have swirling about in my head.

I would also like to do some painting and experimentation in themes. This scares me because I feel under-confident about stretching my artistic muscles. Guess I need to tell the old inner critic to get out of my face and take a flying leap, eh?

What do you do to stop procrastinate and become inspired to create?

Sunday morning inspiration with Mary Cassatt

2011-02-06T09:50:00.005-07:00

American painter, Mary Stevenson Cassatt (May 22, 1844 -- June 14, 1926) lived much of her adult life in France, exhibiting her work among the Impressionists.

Cassatt is best known for her portrayal of the bond between mothers and their children. Enjoy!

Groundhog Day!

2011-02-02T14:22:00.004-07:00

Groundhog Day (1993) ...
My favourite movie of all time ...
Funny ...
Poignant ...
Watch it!

One World One Heart 2011

2011-01-31T22:18:00.020-07:00

It's giveaway time again! One World One Heart (OWOH) 2011 begins now ...

My name is Dawn Supina and I enjoy meeting Creative People, ART-making, Antique Malls and Home Decorating. I try to live frugally, green-ily, godly and simply. I also have a passion for painting gently-used upholstered chairs (check out my other blog, Art & Life if you would like to see some). I have been blogging ART of Humungous Proportions since 2005.

This year I will be giving away two hand-drawn bookmarks (made with recycled cardboard) and adorned with pretty fibres ~ I call them Tree Hugger Bookmarks. I will also include some original B&W photos ~ "Instant Ancestors" for the winner to enjoy. These adopted family members make great additions to mixed media paper arts, or as conversation pieces when they're included in a family photo album!

A warm welcome to everyone who visits during OWOH and enters my draw ~ it is open to active bloggers from all over the world, and the winner will be chosen randomly on February 17th. (All you have to do to win is leave a comment!) Make sure you leave the information that I will need in order to contact you if you win! I also hope you will come back soon to visit my blog again. Enjoy!

A new year begins with a good bye

2011-01-30T11:46:00.013-07:00

Right after New Year's Day, I got a call saying that my aunt (Dad's youngest sibling) was dying. I flew out to Victoria, and was thankful that I got there just in time, to see and speak to her before she passed away at the age of 89.

She was everyone's favourite auntie. She was single all her life and loved nothing better than to dote on her nieces and nephews. Christmas time she would send a large parcel to our house brimming full of beautifully wrapped gifts with something special for everyone. Whenever our family visited Vancouver Island, she would welcome us to her house and take us to interesting places in Victoria and further up the island.

She devoted her life to the service of others, taking care of family members as they grew older, including her father, two brothers and one sister (she was the youngest of 12 children). I will always be inspired by her dedication in caring for others; that is what I'll always admire most about this very special woman.

A new year and a look back

2011-01-01T12:51:00.023-07:00

Happy New Year to you all!

I thought it may be fun to share some 2010 photos...

Sights of Christmas

2010-12-29T17:06:00.002-07:00

This has been a very nice Christmas.

We've had lots of visits with friends and family.

Way too much food!

Some fun games and just a lot of warm moments.

See you in the new year!

Christmas Blessings

2010-12-24T09:36:00.023-07:00

For the past 12 days, I have been taking part in an awesome art swap with some

of my very good friends, the Canadian Chickies.

Today, I would like to show you the beautiful gifties everyone created for the swap.

Day 1 ~ Arlene Travnik ~ Hand-Stitched Leather Bracelet

Day 2 ~ Brittni Carey ~ Mini Booklet with Turtle Dove Decoration

Day 3 ~ Mar Gray ~ Tree Magnet with Mini Painting and Easel

Day 4 ~ Kathryn Ssedogo ~ Altered Matchbox

Day 5 ~ Martha Brown ~ Fabric Joy Banner

Day 6 ~ Sabina Parsons ~ Fairy Angel in a Jar

Day 7 ~ Dawn Supina ~ Vintage Hang Up

Day 8 ~ Heather Robinson ~ Altered Composition Book

Day 9 ~ Kim de Broin Mailhot ~ Soft Sculptured Heart

Day 10 ~ Nicolette Anderson ~ Retro Beaded Decoration

Day 11 ~ Jennifer Conway ~ Bottlecap Pin and Scrabble Tile Necklace

Day 12 ~ Cindy Hogg ~ Jar Snowman

Thank you Canadian Chickies, for making the days leading up to Christmas so enjoyable.

To all the readers of my blog ...

May you have a safe holiday season filled with the warmth and love of family and friends.

Christmas Blessings to all!

We're ready

2010-12-22T09:52:00.009-07:00

So, we've done the concerts

(David was in this one ~ can you find him?)

And we've done the craft sales ...

Now we can just sit back, and enjoy the sights and sounds of the season.
(I love just sitting in a cozy chair admiring my tree with its twinkling lights)

Only 3 more sleeps until Christmas!

Forget political correctness ~ Merry Christmas!

2010-12-20T14:25:00.008-07:00

If you're like me, you are getting a little annoyed with the whole political correctness that's going on with advertisements for "Holiday Trees" (Christmas Trees), "Festive Cake" (Christmas Fruitcake) and "Holiday Cards" (Christmas Cards) etc., etc. In their earnestness to erase the Capital C entirely out of Christmas, they become rather tedious and ridiculous. And if you wish me a "Happy Holiday" I will reply with "Merry Christmas". I heard this song on the radio today, and thought I would like to share this with you.

P.S. If you want to read a rather amusing story about one of Canada's MPs Christmas card that's caused some fur to fly because of his political in-correctness, look here. Oh and by the way,

Merry Christmas!

Last minute holiday details

2010-12-19T12:25:00.013-07:00

With less than a week to go until the big day, all the Christmas cards have been mailed, most of the gifts have been wrapped and I think I'm pretty much ready to just sit back now and enjoy the season once I tie up a few more last minute details (and ribbons and bows).

I'm drinking lots of lemon tea with honey to stave off a pesky cold that really, really wants to invade my body.

I completed making this wreath late last night. The form itself was 18 inches across, but the bulb clustered around it makes it almost 2 feet. It's big and it's beautiful, and I think the person who commissioned it will like it.

Today is "my day" in the Christmas Exchange with the Canadian Chickies. I hope everyone will like what I created for them.

It's snowing ... again. A very good day to stay inside. Maybe even a good day to take a long winter's nap, and rest up for all the activities ahead in the next week.

So friends, stay warm, take your Vitamin C and just enjoy some of the sights and sounds the surround the Christmas season.

Best Christmas Carol

2010-12-17T21:25:00.004-07:00

In my opinion, the 1951 movie entitled Scrooge starring Alastair Sim, was the best rendition of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. We watch it every year. If you never have watched it, you should. You can view it in black and white or in the colourized version. God bless us, every one.

It's a (real) major award!

2010-12-16T09:37:00.008-07:00

Considering he has been sick with a cold for the past three days ...
Considering Edmonton was hit with a blizzard yesterday ...
Considering there were limited free passes to the movie, Tron ...
Considering he had to get a ride from a friend (who, until the last minute didn't know if he was going to drive in the dismal weather) ...
Zach was indeed fortunate to win a door prize, and not just the usual t-shirt or a poster at the movie last night!

And take a look at this photo ~ two prizes that my sons have won at movie screenings. Can you guess which one Zach just won!!!

Yep, he won the new Nokia N8 smart phone ~ pretty amazing, wouldn't you say?

Our first blizzard

2010-12-15T11:32:00.009-07:00

Today we've been hit with the first real blizzard of the season. It will be a White Christmas for sure!

What a perfect day to stay inside, enjoy a homemade Egg Nog Tea Latte. You've heard of the London Fog Latte, perhaps I could call my concoction Edmonton Blizzard, eh?

-12°C

Light Snow

Don't you love it how Environment calls this "light snow" ~ well maybe it's light, but there's a whole lot of the stuff.

Edmonton Blizzard Latte

Pour boiled water over an Eggnog tea bag in glass mug and let steep for 2-3 minutes. While tea is steeping, heat cream in a saucepan, making sure not to scorch it. Froth is not needed for this recipe, but if you have a frother use it ~ it makes it so much more fancy. Add vanilla sugar (1/2 - 1 tsp), if desired and stir. Then pour steamed cream on top. Sit back and enjoy with a book and listen to some classical music!

Sort of a Where's Waldo moment

2010-12-14T19:23:00.004-07:00

This is the oldest nativity set we have. We bought it when our son David was a baby.

I love nativity sets because they always have different, interesting features. My husband was admiring this one when he happened to notice that I had snuck in a 3 extra characters ~ can you find them?

Full house on a cold December night

2010-12-13T09:47:00.009-07:00

My son wanted to invite a few of his friends from university over for a Christmas get together, so last night a "few" showed up. One of the invited guests decided to bring another 3 extra unexpected guests along with him as well, so you could say it was a tad bit snug in our little home.

There was plenty of good conversation, popcorn, Eggnogg'n Tea (the blend that become this year's favourite choice), chocolates! and a little pizza to be enjoyed by all. Also there were games including chess, 4 player chess and Things.
No one went home empty handed as everyone was given either a small handmade or 2nd hand gift.

TV Christmas Classics!

2010-12-12T13:10:00.002-07:00

I have a lot of favourite Christmas movies. Some of these classics, including A Christmas Story, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever and A Charlie Brown Christmas, originated as made-for-TV movies. Do you have some favourite TV Christmas movies too?

OOPS! After I had written this post, my son informed me that A Christmas Story was not made for TV. Sorry to misinform you!

One-of-a-Kind Ornaments for Christmas

2010-12-11T09:19:00.008-07:00

These are three (of many) ornaments that I made to use as gifts this Christmas. They start out as clear glass bulbs, and then I added fine glitter inside the bulbs and then on the outside, I used Alcohol Inks. Each decoration is unique. In fact, when my friend and I were making these, we couldn't replicate two bulbs to be the same because the ink has a mind of its own.

These particular ornaments are winging their way to BC for my sister-in-law and her two daughters. I hope they'll like them!

It's a major award!

2010-12-10T11:16:00.011-07:00

Took a little trip down the road to visit our friends the other day. They have been madly renovating their kitchen (and it is looking awesome, by the way). But with renos comes chaos. So Zach and I decided to present them with a couple Christmas gifts a little bit early to help them forget all the mess and confusion that has been their lives lately. (I should have taken a photo of their "fridge" in their backyard and their camp stove in their kitchen). These guys have been really been roughing it for quite a while now. One of the gifties we presented them with was an amazing action figure. And if you're a fan of A Christmas Story, you'll remember The Old Man and his "major award". Well that's what we gave them. They loved it, and they thanked us profusely for bringing Christmas to them. Now they're starting to talk about getting a Christmas tree put up ~ once their 400 lb. gas stove isn't sitting in the living room anymore!

Comfort and Joy!

2010-12-08T08:42:00.003-07:00

Christmas Cookies!

2010-12-07T17:48:00.019-07:00

Monday night a few of my friends and family met to have a Christmas Cookie Exchange.

I made sugar cookies with icing and sprinkles.

Other folks made Gingerbread cookies, Chocolate Covered Shortbread, Mudpies, Peanut Butter Filled Cookies, Biscotti, Chocolate Chip and Chocolava Cookies.

So much sweetness!

A little too much in fact, so we also cleared our palettes with tea of many varieties

(including tea such as Eggnogg'n Tea)

And cheeses and crackers.

So much cheese! Mmm!!

We play a game of Things. Everyone's favourite question was the very last one of the evening. It came from Irina who asked us to take one character from one book and put it into another. Some of the more intriguing ideas were Piglet in Lord of the Flies, Sauron in Winnie the Pooh, Frodo in 1984, and Jonah in Moby Dick.

We enjoyed some very good laughs ... and did I mention cheese?

By the end of the evening, everyone went home with a a beautiful variety

of yummy, yummy cookies to share

with their families over the Christmas holidays!

2010-12-05T13:51:00.007-07:00

Old Lady Christmas Shopping

She gathers up her meager Christmas gifts

And stows them safely in her shopping bag,

She mumbles to herself and nods her head,

Pulls off a little tell-tale bargain tag,

Counts off the items on a pencilled slip,

Enjoying to the full her shopping trip.

For one she buys a tiny beaded purse

And someone gets a hankie frail and sheer,

A little favourite nephew gets a book

Where knights in armour and a cavalier

Ride out to battle clad in bright array,

In all the trappings of a by-gone day.

She looks at crystal with a longing eye,

Gloats over china of a loved design,

Holds up a figurine with cautious hands,

Buys Christmas wrappings and a spool of twine,

Gets a stuffed dog with little scarlet paws

A tiny reindeer and a Santa Claus.

For one short season of the age-long year

She lets her generous heart hold happy sway,

Buying her little gifts with careful hands,

To match the joyful spirit of the day,

Denying her own need that she might share

The love that is like music in the air.

~ Edna Jaques

December 3rd ~ Hot Apple Punch

2010-12-03T00:25:00.010-07:00

The following recipe is one I submitted to Country Woman Magazine years ago; it was featured in their Christmas Annual Book in 1998.

Photo by: Taste of Home

With its soothing cinnamon seasoning, this fresh and flavorful apple punch is a must for Christmas time.

8 Servings
Prep: 5 min. Cook: 35 min.

Ingredients

2 cinnamon sticks (about 3 inches each), broken
10 whole cloves
6 whole allspice or 2 whole nutmeg
2 quarts apple juice
Additional cinnamon sticks, optional

Directions

Place the cinnamon sticks, cloves and allspice on a double thickness of cheesecloth; bring up the corners and tie with string to form a bag. Place in a large saucepan with apple juice (or place loose spices in pan and strain before serving). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove spice bag. Serve punch hot in mugs. Garnish with cinnamon sticks if desired.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 cup) equals 119 calories, trace fat (trace saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 7 mg sodium, 29 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, trace protein.

This punch is very delicious on a cold winter's night it creates a wonderful aroma in the house. Enjoy!

December 2nd ~ Amazing Grace ~ Beautiful Christmas Song

2010-12-02T20:08:00.000-07:00

December 1st ~ Craft Show prep

2010-12-01T15:27:00.014-07:00

This weekend, I am going to be doing a Craft Sale with my sister, so today, I gathered all the goodies that I plan to take with me and assembled them on my kitchen table to get a sense of how I should set up and how I should arrange everything

Most of what I have created has been made with reused, or recycled materials. Whenever possible, I try to create something "green".

The photos aren't as good as I hoped, but you get the idea.

So this is Christmas

2010-11-28T21:42:00.001-07:00

Something beautiful to start off the Christmas season.
I hope you enjoy this!

2010-11-27T10:10:00.006-07:00

Okay, so writing a 50,000 word novel is one of the many things that has been occupying my time in November. Before November 1st, I didn't write an outline, didn't develop characters or anything. It was just me writing by the seat of my pants.

The novel is entitled The Bag Lady Stories. It is LOOSELY based on a newspaper article that I read some months back about a woman who had a fall from grace. She was once one of the British upper crust and she ended up in a Texas jail.

In my story, we find her living on the street; a bag lady, in the year 2020. A young reporter meets her and over the course of a year or so, she tells him her story. There's a twist ending of course, but to tell the truth, even though I hit 50,000 words, because of what was developing at the end, I probably could have come up with another 10K words.

However, this book was written only as a personal challenge of reaching 50K so I won't add any more.

And now I will concentrate on getting ready for a Christmas Craft Sale next weekend and decorating our home for Christmas. I shall post some fun Christmas-y stuff in the coming days!

Peanut Brittle anyone?

2010-11-16T20:39:00.007-07:00

The Christmas season is fast approaching, and I am trying to do some pre-seasonal baking.

For the past several Christmas seasons, I have made homemade peanut brittle. It is yummy and always disappears very quickly. Today I made peanut brittle and I had a confectionery disaster ~ almost.

I decided to make a quick and simple microwave version of the peanut brittle that I make. Everything was going splendidly until a breaker switch turned off all the power items in my kitchen before the time was up for the peanut brittle to be taken out of the microwave.

The thing about making good peanut brittle is that you have to work fast, especially when you add baking soda at the end. What is supposed to happen, is that the mixture gets all foamy and you pour it immediately onto a cookie sheet. Well I tried to work quickly, but I because of the breaker went off at precisely at the wrong time; my brittle didn't get foamy, and ultimately ~ well let's just say the brittle wasn't so brittle. It wasn't hard, it was gooey. Drat!

So, in the end, I formed little balls and created a new recipe which I call Peanut Brittle Balls.

Look it's Woody!

2010-11-08T09:33:00.006-07:00

Finally I can share this photo of my other son in his costume. He's a huge Pixar fan, so he asked me to help him assemble a Woody costume. He was going to a Toy Story 1,2 & 3 marathon over the weekend, and wanting to surprise the host by showing up in full costume, he asked me not to post any photos until the marathon was over.

His costume had all the necessary parts, yellow plaid shirt, red bandanna, cowboy hat, jeans and cowboy boots. But it also had a few extras such as the sheriff star badge, a pull string (think: "Reach for the stars!), Andy's name on the bottom of one of his boots and even a snake in his boot.

I think he looks pretty smashing, don't you? "Mrs. Incredible" was obviously impressed.

The Scream

2010-10-31T16:54:00.006-06:00

My son wanted to attend his university costume party as Edvard Munch's The Scream (and fully expected me to create the costume for him.

Naturally, I went to one of my favorite dollar stores ~ Everything for a Dollar Store and purchased a sheet of Styrofoam-ish stuff. Using Munch's painting as a guide, I cut a hole in the appropriate spot and commenced painting my version of the painting with the cheapest of my acrylic paints.

I think The Scream was frightened by these paintings!

Cost of Costume: $1.05 including tax

Fun Factor: Priceless

Art how I've missed you!

2010-10-05T14:54:00.007-06:00

If you follow my blog, you've likely noticed things have been a little quiet around here lately. Since July I have been having some health issues (and a car collision ~ wasn't our fault ~ that's another story) which has hampered my day-to-day activities. Without going into all the boring details, suffice it to say that everything from washing dishes to painting my chairs has been put on the back burner. You should see how messy my back burner is!

My latest problem is an infection from a tiny cut that was on my right hand's middle finger. I'm right handed, so this is especially frustrating me because I've been trying to finish a fine art chair. I'm so close too ~ only the back panel of the chair is incomplete. The good news is that my finger, after intravenous antibiotic treatments seems to be finally clearing up. I'm just itching to get back to my art. Art how I've missed you!

Tag, I'm it!

2010-09-20T21:45:00.011-06:00

Karyn and Arlene both tagged me with some fun questions which I will try to answer...

Here are Karyn's questions:

1. What was your most embarrassing moment?

When I was going out with Greg, we were visiting his parents. I went for a nap and when I got up I walked up from behind Greg who was sitting at the kitchen table. Still groggy, I gave him a tender hug from behind. When he turned to look at me, I was astonished to see that I was about to plant a kiss on the lips of Greg's sister's boyfriend!

2. Do you recycle? Why or why not?

Absolutely, and have done it for years and years. I believe there is way too much waste in this world and also I feel it's our responsibility to look after what we've been given to care for.

3. What is the most dangerous thing you've ever done?

Had children :)

4. What is your favorite movie and why?

Groundhog Day. This movie isn't just a silly comedy that some think it is. It has a lot of rather serious themes. I have a lot of other movies that I like a lot, but this one always stands out some how.

5. Do you follow a sport on TV?

Hockey ~ I had older brothers who indoctrinated me at a very young age. I don't watch all the games, but if the Edmonton Oilers are playing, I'm interested.

6. If you could live at any time in history for 1 year, when would it be?

A whole year is a long time ... hmm ... part of me would want to visit the 1800s, but another part of me would love to just go back to the 1960s or '70s with what I know now.

7. What was/is your favorite school subject?

ART! (I also enjoyed English in high school)

8. What game do you most enjoy playing with a group?

"Things" is a great game. The game is much, much better than its dull name suggests. If you get a chance, try it out ~ lots of fun and you learn a lot about people.

Here are Arlene's questions:

1) What is the nicest thing someone has done for you in the past week?

My husband took me to the Olive Garden for dinner ~ one of my favourite eateries.

2) Have you ever made a "mix tape" for a boy who broke your heart?

No, I do not recall doing this.

3) Where is your favorite place on the planet, where you feel most at rest?

In the mountains!

4) Do you get up and dance at weddings, or sit out the congo line?

Sit and visit.

5) Did you write your own wedding vows?

No, but I really wish we had.

6) How did you meet the love of your life?

We have two versions of this story. I say we met when we went with a group of friends to a restaurant.

7) Which would you choose, a road trip or to fly away to an exotic land?

Now that all depends on where the road trip would be to, and whether it could be taken at a slow, enjoyable pace. I would likely choose the road trip.

8) What local business do you like to support?

Mandolin Books and Coffee Company.

Weekend!

2010-09-17T10:48:00.002-06:00

Graphic courtesy of:

Free Pretty Little Things for You

It's about my blog ...

2010-09-10T11:45:00.017-06:00

I've been blogging since March 2005, and my blog has changed several times since the beginning including: the banner, the layout, the background etc. Some elements have stayed constant. My blog has always displayed a combination of my art and my life [I even started another site called Art and Life to showcase the ART part of my life].

From the very start, I've featured some of my favourite blog destinations under the heading of Beautiful Blogs. Then, when I discovered some quirky sites that were just way too much fun to ignore, I started the Oddites & Wonderfullies category where you can find sites such as this and this. As the title suggests, some sites are odd and some are just plain wonderful.

After blogging a while longer, I realized that I was very taken with British blogs which I categorized as Jolly Good UK Sites which features sites such as this. There are other parts to my blog that I could talk about, but I will just mention one more. Recently while perusing the Oddities and Wonderfullies section, I noticed that I had quite a few green, frugal sites included. And since I always strive to be green and frugal in both my artwork and life ~ today I'm a launching a brand new category entitled Green Frugalicious Sites. Please take the time to investigate some of these gems and as always if you have any comments, I would love to hear from you.

Vintage Hang Ups

2010-08-27T01:02:00.006-06:00

Here's my contribution to The French Cupboard's Paperie Party...

I created a whole suitcase-full of these Vintage Hang Ups originally for a Street Festival this summer. Sadly we were rained out that day, but these make delightful last minute gifts. My friend who is a framer gave me a bunch of matt board scraps which I used as the base. Then, I found various vintage images (some are old family photos) to incorporate into the design. A little ribbons, lace, buttons and bows completed the assemblage. So much fun to create!

Simplify ...

2010-08-13T10:57:00.020-06:00

It is the brainchild of my 19 old son ...

a Facebook group called

Don't-Buy-Junk-You-Don't-Need-Or-Receive-Useless-Junk-Christmas

He writes:
Okay, I had this idea. I think that Christmas has become excessively materialistic. But, what if we don't buy any presents this year? What if all our gifts are homemade and second hand? What if the only gifts we will receive are homemade? Let's not buy anything more than usual this Christmas, and see it as a holiday to spend time with family.

I have hand-crafted some Christmas gifts for many years.

This year, however, I am going to try to exclusively participate in the
Don't-Buy-Junk-You-Don't-Need-Or-Receive-Useless-Junk-Christmas

by creating handmade gifts and buying from garage sales, ReUse Centre and 2nd hand stores.

I will make one exception shopping in the ethnic food aisle of my grocery store
to find a few goodies for the ever-hungry college students on my list!

So I will simplify ~ use my creative DIM (Do it Myself) skills and
save a few bucks at the same time.
This should be fun!

Summer Fun 2010

2010-08-09T13:00:00.020-06:00

Here's a look at what I've been enjoying this summer:
Nature ...
Art ...
Friends...
Family ...

"And summer's lease hath all too short a date."

Crumpled News: Blog Interview 2010-2

2010-07-23T10:37:00.021-06:00

On a recent trip to Wells Gray Country in Clearwater, British Columbia, I had the pleasure of visiting an old friend from high school, Marnie Peters, and staying at her Bed and Breakfast which she runs with her husband, Al. And today I am interviewing her...

Thank you Marnie for letting me interview you. I know you just started blogging in May of this year. You're a real newbie blogger! Why did you decide to start blogging? I have always been curious about blogging but didn't know much about it until you came for a visit earlier this year; showed me what its all about and well I guess you could say... I'm hooked, Yup! definitely hooked!

What is the name of your blog? As you know we had so much fun writing down ideas but thanks to your creative sparkle [and some serious brainstorming], "Crumpled News" was born.

What date did you blog for the very first time? My very first post was May 15, 2010. I introduced my hubby Al of 25 years. I wasn't too sure what my blog would look like all I new is that I wanted it to be a place where women can come to be encouraged.

Did you design your blog or did you have it professionally done? I have to thank all those who are so creative and generous with there free sites to help the newbies like me. They make it easy to put together.

What does your "About Me" read on your blog? I am a mother of three 24, 22 and 18. I have been happily married for 25 yrs. to a wonderful man who has been there supporting me as I go through ups and downs of a medical misfortune of being paralyzed. But I had Faith in a Big God and He delivered in a big way! I praise my Lord for what He has done and what He is going to do! I can do everything through Him who gives me strength. Phil 4:13 I am walking though not perfect......I think perfect is highly over rated anyway! This blog is my way of encouraging all those who are struggling with something like I have had to over come through the grace of God. I pray God richly Blesses all who visit my site.

What themes would best describe your blog? Inspirational, comfort, encouraging, believe!

Anything else you would like to say? I want to thank all who have already visited my site and would like to invite those of you who haven't yet stop by for a visit to do so, and if you can't quite decide on where to go on your next vacation, why not Check out Wells Gray Park! Its a must! We would love to have you as our guest at Wyndhaven Cottage Bed and Breakfast.
Visit Crumpled News and tell Marnie you read this interview!

NOTE: I personally highly recommend staying at Wyndhaven Cottage Bed & Breakfast. The rooms are clean and cozy and the Peters Family is accommodating and friendly.

Thinking about ... Dandelions

2010-07-22T10:13:00.013-06:00

What child at some point doesn't proudly produce a bouquet of dandelions to someone they love?
Like childhood's innocence itself, however, the fondness of this bright wonder is left behind when we grow up and become adults. Suddenly this once loved flower becomes Enemy Number One. While children see the beauty, adults busy themselves ridding their lawns and gardens of them. They don't want these "noxious" weeds messing with their perfectly manicured lawns.
But why do folks hate these beauties when we can make all sorts of things with them ~ salads, soups, dandelion wine, cookies and more. Look at all the things you can make with dandelions. Then there are the apparent health benefits of these common flowers as well.

And did I mention cookies...?

Dandelion Flower Cookies
(from www.5orangepotatoes.com)
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup honey
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup unbleached flour
1 cup dry oatmeal
1/2 cup dandelion florets**

**Tips for Removing Florets:

For this recipe you need to remove the florets from their base. Hold the florets with one hand and pinch the green flower base very hard with the other, give a little twist and that should do it.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Blend oil and honey and beat in the two eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour, oatmeal and dandelion florets. Drop the batter by teaspoonfuls onto a lightly oiled cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes. Let cool and eat. Yum and so easy to make!

Next time you see cheery dandelions appear ~ before you grab your weed killer ~ consider the many good things that the lowly dandelion can be used for.

Homemade's simply better!

2010-07-21T12:50:00.014-06:00

Reading my good friend, Arlene's blog, Artdeme the other day,
I was inspired to give her pizza recipe a try.

Her recipe isn't just a list of ingredients with clinical preparation procedures. Arlene talks to you in terms such as "two or three good glugs of olive oil" and "[The dough] shouldn't be like sludge from the black lagoon, hanging between your fingers" which makes the whole exercise a lot more fun.

Notice, at first my dough was a tad gooey ... I had to add a little more flour,
and then shape the pizzas into pans.

Arlene suggested several topping ingredients. My pizza had shredded pepperoni, (onions, garlic, red and orange peppers which I sautéd), corn, crushed pineapple, fresh spinach, feta cheese, aged and extra aged cheddar cheese over a herbed tomato sauce.

Cooking this yumminess takes a mere 20 minutes...

The recipe is good for one large and two individual pizzas ...

Scrumptiousness which simply cannot be outdone by buying $50 worth at a take out joint
or worse yet, a frozen one from the supermarket!

Check out Artdeme and try Arlene's pizza for yourself. It is surprisingly simple to make and worth every minute it takes to prepare.
Your family will love you for it.

Sneak Peek

2010-07-07T16:32:00.004-06:00

I'm painting a new chair ~ yay!
It features an entirely new theme.
Here's a sneak peek ... wanna take a guess what the theme might be this time round?

Blog Interview #1 of 2010

2010-06-28T23:42:00.005-06:00

Because of an overwhelming response to the blog interviews

featured on my blog in 2009,

I've decided to conduct more blog interviews over the next little while.

Please welcome Laura of 52 Flea.

Thank you for doing this interview, Laura.

Please tell us a little bit about yourself ...

I have been happily married for an incredible number of years to my one and only...and we have a wonderful son who just graduated law school and a beautiful daughter

who is a model as well as a talented artist.

I recently left the corporate world where I was Director of Human Resources for a privately owned mid sized company for many, many years.

Since retiring, I am finding my way, loving having the time to pursue my passion for all things vintage and exploring my creative and artistic side.

I have been a collector and decorated with antiques and collectibles for decades!

Why did you begin blogging?

I decided to blog in February 2009 after being encouraged to do so by my girlfriends. It has become my creative outlet and a means to share all my collections and decorating ideas.

52 Flea is an interesting name for a blog. What's its significance?

There are 52 weekends in a year...that means there are 52 opportunities to go to the flea market! The flea market is my favorite place to be...

Do you prefer to blog with words, pictures or both?

My posts are primarily pictures of my collections or adventures flea marketing or occasional travels...with a few words or short stories to accompany them.

Have you met people through blogging; if so,

please tell us about these friendships?

Many, many wonderful people! We took a trip to Italy in October 2009 and made a side trip toLucca in order to meet up with Valentina from Les Cotrions. We had a wonderful visit over several days and correspond regularly now. I also met up with Zita from Mlle. Magpie when we traveled to Montreal this fall. She is a delightful person and I hope to visit again.

Did you design your blog or did you have it professionally done?

My blog is all me....very simply done.

Have you ever been featured in Artful Blogging?

The editors of Artful Blogging asked me to submit an article which I did and then they decided to publish it in Somerset Life instead...the winter edition 2010.

What does your "About Me" read on your blog?

A new beginning... Having recently left the corporate world and while getting used to an empty nest...I am finding my way...trying to figure out how best to share my collections and passion for all things old, antique or vintage...

What is your favourite blog feature?

I love taking pictures and sharing them on my blog.

Is there anything on your blog you'd like to change?

I am always on the verge of taking the followers button off because I find it intimidating. I leave it there because it makes it easy for people to find me if they want to follow along.

Do you ever blog when you don't "feel like it" ~ and if so, why do you?

I never, ever blog when I don't feel like it. But I love to blog so I do it a lot!

What themes would best describe your blog?

flea market, junk, antiques, collecting, art, decorating, travel, gardening, crafts

Do you have any interesting directions you want to take your blog in,

in the future?

I just want my blog to continue to be fun, a place to express myself artistically and creatively...and a place to make connections with kindred spirits...

Do you sell your artwork through your blog?

No, not at this time.

Is there anything else you would like to tell our readers?

I love meeting new people through blogging and I enjoy the camaraderie of our blogging community. It is so delightful to become friends with people who have similar interests.

Visit Laura's beautiful site ~ 52 Flea.

Weddings and Tea

2010-06-27T10:10:00.018-06:00

We had a tea for my niece, Thina,

at Leduc's Dr. Woods Museum, yesterday.

The museum's current feature is

Bridal Fashions Throughout the Years.

Isn't it unusual to have both

a wedding gown and bridesmaid's dress (this dress was amazing!)

still in perfect shape from 1959?

What a treat.

I loved this gown.

Circa 1920s

Intricately beautiful headpiece.

I couldn't help but wonder if there is fruitcake under the sepia icing.

I think these shoes would have fit me ~ they were so cute ~ I really wanted to try them on!

Simple, crisp, pretty.

This gown had an exquisite design on the dress ~

unfortunately it doesn't show up in the photo.

These two gowns were some of the oldest in the show

from the early1900s.

Discussing wedding fashions

Thina with a bottle of Mrs. Stewart's Bluing.

Her maiden name was Stewart, so she had to have her photo taken

with the likeness of her mother :)

Another pretty headpiece

What a splendid way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Whimsy

2010-06-16T09:15:00.003-06:00

Whimsy has struck again!

Here are 3 more Wide Eyed Portraits I completed lately

Keyano

Mateaka

Matt

What do you collect?

2010-06-09T12:49:00.006-06:00

There are many things I enjoy collecting...

Original ART
China Cup and Saucers
Souvenir Spoons
Van Gogh themed items
Box Cameras
Salt and Pepper Shakers
Vintage Advertising Art
Vintage Suitcases
and now ...

Pretty Cream and Sugar Sets!

My rule of thumb usually is: If I have 3 or more of an item, I collect it. Hmm ... guess that means I collect lava lamps too, but that is a whole other discussion.

What's with my latest collection? I have discovered that I simply adore cream and sugar sets. What good is a set of cream and sugar? Most people simply put a milk carton on the table and a bowl with sugar on the table when they serve tea or coffee. Call me old fashioned, but I love using cream and sugar sets for their intended purpose. However, I also enjoy find other uses for these beautiful items. I think they make perfect bud vases for a flower or two, don't you?

Leave me a comment and tell me what you collect.

Garlic

2010-06-04T11:47:00.005-06:00

We discovered some fascinating info on garlic today ...

The American Psychosomatic Society reported testing 50 families and that those families had 8% more positive interactions and 22% less negatives ones.
Apparently garlic promotes healthy families
and
helps ward off vampires!

New York New York

2010-05-27T10:29:00.015-06:00

Here's the New York City themed chair that I recently completed. The owner of the chair, Thina is sitting in her chair (thanks Thina for sending me this photo ~ it's always great to see the chairs I paint in their new environment!).

Notice the cool skyline dress Thina is wearing. I think she bought it in New York City.

King Kong atop of the
Empire State Building
(in B&W, of course)

Statue of Liberty and a Deli Sandwich
(how very delicious!)

The beautiful Bethesda Fountain (Central Park)

Reminds me of my dad ...

2010-05-19T13:06:00.008-06:00

I came across this poem by Canadian poet, Edna Jaques today. It stirred some happy memories of my dad (1912-2005) who was always an early riser.

Growing up, his cheerful voice was always the first thing that I'd hear hear every morning. Often, he would sing a little ditty about the greatness of getting up in the morning, and how good it is to stay in bed. By the time I'd drag my sleepy self to the kitchen, he would have his cup of tea (always in a china cup, because he insisted that there was no other way to have a good cup of tea), and breakfast would be ready on the table.

EARLY RISER

He rises in the still and quiet dawn

Before the trucks and buses start to run,

Sweeps off the sidewalk ... sprays a little bush,

Turns his old face and watches for the sun.

He sees it rise beyond a clump of trees

And something in his heart is strangely stirred,

As rosy tinted clouds bedeck the sky,

And morning news is passed from bird to bird.

He starts the fire and puts the kettle on,

Putters around the kitchen, dries a cup,

Brings in the paper ... listens to the news,

Calls up the stairs for others to get up.

The peace of night is still upon his heart,

The fragrance of a dream is with him still,

The mystery of half remembered sleep,

Like purple shadows on a distant hill.

All these are his ere other folk arise

A fortress in his heart, serene and strong,

A spring of water softly welling up,

That feeds his thirsty soul the whole day long.

***

Love you Dad.

Miss you!

How to melt away 30+ years

2010-05-17T18:45:00.005-06:00

Isn't it a beautiful thing when you can get together with someone after more than 3 decades and still connect like a day hasn't passed?

That's exactly what happened recently when I visited my hometown and stayed with my high school friend, Marnie at her Bed and Breakfast. The hospitality of her, her husband and son was outstanding, and I would highly recommend their Bed and Breakfast, Wyndhaven Cottage Bed and Breakfast if you are ever travelling through Clearwater BC. Oh! and tell them that Dawn sent you :)

My only complaint was that our visit was far, far too short. However, I did encourage Marnie to start blogging while I was there, and I think she's hooked ~ she has just started blogging; (her blog is called Crumpled News) so we shall stay connected through blogging for now, and maybe she'll visit us someday. Sooner than 30+ years, I hope!

Announcing: My New ART Blog!

2010-04-29T14:07:00.009-06:00

I've added a brand new blog

featuring my fine art

which has either been sold, or is up for sale.

Fear not! I will be keeping this blog up and running.

The new blog, entitled Art and Life

will tell the stories behind my work,

the reasons I choose to paint what I do, etc.

Think of it as a sort of behind-the-scenes look

at my artistic process.

I hope you will check out the site and

please leave comments as well

because I very much appreciate feedback.

The weird things that pop into your head

2010-04-27T15:03:00.006-06:00

Memories.

They show up unannounced.

Today for instance, I was thinking about my son's choir who has just arrived in England for a tour. That thought turned into a memory of when I was on tour during my college years. That thought took me to eating time, and I remember our group singing a silly song at the end of each meal that was provided for us.

It went like this:

(sung to the tune of "If you're happy and you know it")

We thank you for the food that we have et,

We thank you for the food that we have et.

It was yummy, yummy, yummy,

And so pleasing to the tummy ~

That's the reason for this little minuet.

This tulip picture doesn't have any relevance to this posting, but aren't they beautiful? And yes, they grew in our garden this year. Dare I say that spring has truly arrived?

We have a winner!

2010-04-19T06:38:00.008-06:00

Yes, I know I said a winner would be announced yesterday, but I was otherwise occupied ...

So! this morning is the time to draw the name for the Tree Hugger Bookmark.

Thank you all for your fun art disaster and werewolf (!) stories.

Since it's my draw I can make my own rules,

so I put in all your names twice.

So without further delay,

THE WINNER IS ... (drum roll here) ...

Kim!

I'm thrilled that it was your name that I pulled out of my favourite fuchsia hat, Kim!

You need to know that it was your sweet giving spirit that was one of the reasons

I started thinking in the first place, about leaving my Tree Hugger Bookmarks

out there in the big wide world.

I hope that you and everyone else who happens to come along

and pick one of these bookmarks up, will be blessed in some small way by receiving one.

Oh, and Kim I love your Spring Walkabout Apil 13th post photos of you with your art ~

hope you don't mind that I snatched the photo here to announce your win.

It made me smile, when I saw the photo of you literally hugging a tree,

but I liked the photo here because of your beautiful smile.

One other thing ... the New York fine art chair is completed ~ yay!

It's being delivered tomorrow to its new home.

Before it leaves my house,

I will take photos and share them with all my lovely readers.

Re-purposing, Disasters AND a Giveaway

2010-04-12T08:29:00.012-06:00

As many of you know, I'm always re-purposing and recycling materials of all sorts in my mixed media art. All the fine art chairs I've painted so far, are 2nd hand or gently used, if you prefer that term. I've been painting over the past month on my latest chair. It's a commission with a New York City theme ~ more about that adventure later. Because I've been working almost exclusively on this chair, I needed a little break. I felt I needed to do something completely different.

This is what I made. They are hand drawn bookmarks with pretty fibres ~ I call them Tree Hugger Bookmarks. They are all made out of pre-used cardboard. I am leaving them here and there in my travels for some unsuspecting person who comes along and happens to discover them. I hope whoever happens to discover them will enjoy using them.

About my New York chair. I have a funny story for you about something happened earlier today as I was painting. I had a major paint explosion! There I was, peacefully painting my chair, when I unexpectedly lost my balance. It has been said by some that I'm unbalanced, but this was ridiculous! Off balance, I knocked my water and paint brushes over, then my foot came down on some red paint and the tube exploded all over ~ all over the kitchen floor, table, drop cloth, my arm, shirt, apron and foot. This could explain why some artists actually have studios to paint in!

In honour of the "amazing" paint day I've had, I am going to have a giveaway. I will send the winner one of my Tree Hugger Bookmarks. Just leave me a comment. I'll make a draw from all the names of everyone who leaves a comment. Tell me about one of your art disasters, and I'll put your name in the hat two times! Let's give it until Sunday to make the draw. I wish you better luck than I have had today. Isn't that photo of my foot scary?

ART Friends

2010-04-06T16:29:00.009-06:00

Friendship is born at that moment

when one person says to another,

'What! You too?

I thought I was the only one.'

~ C. S. Lewis

As an artist, it's so difficult to be surrounded by those poor unfortunate souls who "just don't get it". But what a joy to find those rare kindred spirits who do!

I am thankful to have a few folks who share in this art journey we call Life!

You are a blessing.

Elephants and Roses

2010-04-03T17:49:00.008-06:00

Besides looking for wonderful treasures, when I wander through a 2nd Hand Shop, one of my favourite things to do is to find the gaudiest, silliest, awful-est item possible and take a quick snapshot of it. Unfortunately the other day when we went to the antique mall, I didn't take my camera with me. So I can only describe the nastiest item I found that day. It was a brass elephant. Not only was it a brass elephant which is bad enough in itself (I've never been a big fan of elephant ornamental items) but it was also a rotary telephone. Had to be one of the tackiest things ever ~ and I didn't have a camera to capture the horror! Sad, sad me.

Learning my lesson, on my next outing to a local 2nd Hand Store, I took my trusty digital with me. And there it was in all its beauty! One can only imagine the creative individual who thought that this was a good idea.

Feast your eyes on the amazing Rosie ~ the latest in the Barbie line.

Uh, I didn't purchase her, in case you're wondering.

Unknown Artists

2010-03-27T16:00:00.004-06:00

If you have ever visited our home, one of the first things you will have noticed is that i don't have the typical "sofa-size painting" as the focal point in our living room. Instead, I have chosen an eclectic collection of original art to adorn every available space. Most of the art is the work of family and friends who enjoy painting.However, some of the paintings, like the ones I'm showing you here, are done by unknown (to me) artists. They come from different sources including garage sales and the ReUse Centre.

These works of art are a mystery to me. Who is the artist? When did they create the painting? If it's a portrait, who is the person in the painting? Almost for sure, I'll never know the answers to my questions, but in the meantime, these paintings have been given a second look, and a new home after they were discarded by someone who didn't see their value.

NOTE: Please excuse any formatting irregularities, such as bold print and underline text.

Blogger is being glitchy ~ sorry.

Banana Strawberry Cake

2010-03-26T14:26:00.020-06:00

Tea Time

Banana Strawberry Cake

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla
1 - 1/3 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced
1 ripe banana, mashed
sprinkling of sliced nuts (your choice ~ I used hazelnuts)

Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs ~ beat until fluffy. Add vanilla. Slowly add flour and baking powder to creamed mixture. Fold in mashed bananas and sliced strawberries into batter. Pour into 9 inch round pan that has been greased and floured. Sprinkle top of cake with nuts of your choice. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour ~ should be nicely browned. Use toothpick test to make sure cake is cooked through. Enjoy with your favourite cup of tea!

What makes you happy?

2010-03-24T15:40:00.001-06:00

It's usually the little things, isn't it?

Afternoon tea served in a china cup and saucer ...

Vincent ...

Making art with a friend ...

Fresh flowers ...

Gnomes ...

Twinkle lights ...

The Alberta wild rose ...

Delicious food ...

Lava lamps ...

Playing in the leaves ...

Watching an old movie ...

Spending the day with your someone I love ...

So what makes you happy?

Please leave me comment, and/or go to your blog with a link back here and

tell everyone what makes you happy!

And the winner is ...

2010-03-20T17:37:00.000-06:00

There were a whopping 4 people who entered my 5th Blogoversary draw: Kim, Dale Anne, Dorothy and Maija.
And ta-da, Dorothy's name came out of the old draw hat. Congratulations Dorothy! I'm very happy that you entered this 4~in~1~chance drawing. *smiles* Also it's ever so handy that you happen to live close by so you won't have to wait too long to claim your prize!
So what does Dorothy win? She is the recipient of a girly-girl Shelf Sitter that I created with a wonderful Ralph Waldo Emerson quote on it. I hope she has a nice shelf to put her pretty hand-painted Shelf Sitter on.

To everyone else who entered the draw, I will try to send you some little consolation gifties after I finish up a few of

my other art commitments.

It just doesn't seem right that you

shouldn't get something!

I do appreciate everyone who stops by my blog, whether they leave comments or not. Here's to another great year of blogging at Art of Humungous Proportions: Where ART

and LIFE meet.

It's a Blogoversary giveaway!

2010-03-15T00:49:00.000-06:00

It's been five years since I took my first step into Blogland; what an adventure this has been! I don't blog every single day like some, I don't have the perfect looking blog. But I do appreciate all you who venture over to ART of Humungous Proportions (where Art and Life meet) to see what creative madness I am up to at any given moment.

When I was trying to choose a graphic to use for this special post, I thought "Birthday Cakes" and then I thought of Lace Cakes! You will notice the beautiful Lace Cake pictured here. It is the gorgeous invention of my sweet friend, Laura of the ever-beautiful All about Pretty blog. This particular Lace Cake is available in her Etsy shop here.

I will be holding a giveaway in celebration of my 5th year of blogging. Just leave a comment below ~ tell me something you have enjoyed on this blog along the way, or what you would like to see in the future, and I'll put your name into a draw for a handmade creation by moi. If you mention the giveaway on your blog with a link back here, I'll put your name into the draw two times ~ yay!

The draw date will be Saturday, March 20th.
Spread the word, share the fun!

Sunshine Award

2010-03-10T16:20:00.006-07:00

The lovely, the talented, artist extraordinare,
Maria Pace-Wynters has nominated me for a Sunshine Award. Now, I choose 12 bloggers who bring sunshine into my life.
Only 12? There are so many, but since I must only choose a mere 12, I will try to introduce you to some of my faves.

The rules for accepting the Sunshine award: Put the logo on your blog or within your post; then pass the award onto 12 other bloggers; finally, link the nominees within your post.

Here are my Sunshine Award nominations:

Thanks Maria for the nod ~ you truly brightened my day.

She loved ...

2010-03-09T19:03:00.000-07:00

It has been a tough week for our family. My mom passed away on March 2nd. The following was something I wrote about her which was read by my brother at her funeral.

She Loved …

She loved … Holding babies and, after the birth of each grandchild she would offer to go help out the new parents adjust to life with their new babies, often getting up in the night to be there if her assistance was needed.

She loved … Children, and would always have some mints in her pockets in time for church services to keep the little ones happy during service.

She loved … to make everyone's birthday special. She would make a cake for everyone of her children and serve it off of her silver cake plate.

She loved … to spend hours on the telephone talking (but mostly listening) to her friend Edna on the telephone even though the two lived just a few houses away from each other.

She loved … loved taking home movies and would play, on request a B&W Popeye cartoon backwards, much to the delight of her small children.

She loved … to go shopping. But she would never go out wearing one of her house dresses. Going to town was an occasion to dress up.

She loved … photo albums, and would be more than happy to share her family photos with anyone who happened to stop by for tea.

She loved … to watch Figure Skating on TV, and also the 6 o'clock news, which she would invariably fall asleep watching. When someone would say: Mom you're sleeping; she would say: No I was just resting my eyes ~ even though snoring was sometimes involved.

She loved … purchasing small Christmas gifts for her husband, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Not one person was ever left out.

She loved … making quilts for her children, grandchildren, her sisters and friends.

She loved … loved her pearls. (you may notice some of the ladies here wearing a strand in her honour)

She loved … Jigsaw Puzzles, Crosswords, Crocheting and Knitting.

She loved … phoning and writing letters, sending out birthday, anniversary and Christmas cards and she would always want to know if you had “heard from any of the family lately”.

She loved … when people remarked that she looked like Queen Elizabeth II, although she would blush a little, she seemed equally pleased. When one of her grandkids first noticed the Queen on the back of a loonie, he said ~ That looks JUST LIKE Grandma!

She loved … pink and learned to love purple in later years and appreciated receiving every kind of flower from dandelions to roses.

She loved … to sing, both songs from the old days, and the hymns of faith. She knew hundreds of song lyrics by heart.

She loved … to encourage her her family in music and art, proudly listening to every bad note made by a new pianist to display every drawing given to her by a child.

She loved … her family, and people of all backgrounds. But most of all she loved God and tried all her life to love others as she was loved by Him. She was loved and so she loved.

Sibling Purse Power

2010-02-22T09:33:00.000-07:00

Isn't it interesting how siblings often think alike? I remember when our son, David turned one. He received a very cute birthday card from my mother-in-law. The card also just happened to be the exact same card as the one as her brother bought our little guy. The illustration of the little guy on the front looked an awful lot like David. Fast forward to my birthday this year. I received a few great gifts, including a purse each from my two sisters. They both gave me two very different purses ~ both funky in their own way. I used to mock my one sister because she seems to have a new purse every time I'd see her. Well now thanks to my sisters, my own purse collection is growing. Here are the purses I received for my birthday this year from them. The first is a beautiful handmade felted purse. It holds plenty of my stuff and is comfy to wear over my shoulder. The other one is aa collage-ish purse with interesting photos including people places and things. And let me tell you, there is plenty of room for all my important [junk] important belongings.With this baby, I should be ready at a moment's notice for any purse scavenger hunt that happens to break out. The 2010 Olympics are going on, maybe I could sign up for the purse scavenger event, eh?

Thank God for friends

2010-02-20T19:43:00.000-07:00

My mom's health has been on a steep decline in the last few months. It's so hard to see her in the state she's in now. Her warm blue eyes now most often stare vacantly, and the words that she tries to form are often garbled and confusing. All we can offer her is a hug and a few words of love and a hand to hold. Sometimes when tough things are thrown into one's path, it's good to let loose and forget one's worries a while and surround one's self with good friends who are willing to show up to party in their PJs.

This marks the 8th year that my friend Gloria and I have thrown our own birthday party. It all started when we discussed the fact that neither one of our great husbands would ever throw birthday parties for us, and if we wanted to have one, we'd have to throw our own. And that is just what we've done! Other years, we have had themes such as 1970s, Tacky, High Tea and Bollywood, among others. This year we decided to throw a relaxed, laid back PJ Brunch. Everyone was invited to join us for a brunch with a pajamas dress code. The food was delicious, the animal charades were hilarious, and the party was over much too soon.

Thank God for friends.

ART of Humungous Proportions

Steampunk!

So long 2011 ~ hello 2012!

Christmas Past

Remember me ...?

Dinner Parties: 3 versions

{Virtual Coffee} Van Gogh brightens a rainy day

Oh Canada!

A DIY wedding: "I get by with a little help from my friends"

I finally finished ~ and it only took a year!

Everyone Loves a (Royal) Wedding!

"Hallelujah"

{Virtual Coffee} #5: Taking the bad with the good

{Virtual Coffee} #4

{Virtual Coffee} #3

Don't miss this amazing site!!

We have a winner!

{Virtual Coffee} #2

Valentine's Day Fun!

.•*¨`*•✿.•*¨`*•. * .•*¨`*•. .•*¨`*•✿.•*¨`*•✿ HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY.•*¨`*•✿✿•*¨`*•. (¯`v´¯) (¯`v´¯) .•*¨`*•✿ . . . ✿•*¨`*•.¸(¯`v´¯)¸.•´*¨`*•✿ . . .……………….....♥ •.¸.•´♥……………..........

Sketch Club 1

Thrifting with Dawn

{Virtual Coffee}

Feeling the creativity bug!

Sunday morning inspiration with Mary Cassatt

Groundhog Day!

One World One Heart 2011

A new year begins with a good bye

A new year and a look back

Sights of Christmas

Christmas Blessings

We're ready

Forget political correctness ~ Merry Christmas!

Last minute holiday details

Best Christmas Carol

It's a (real) major award!

Our first blizzard

-12°C

Sort of a Where's Waldo moment

Full house on a cold December night

TV Christmas Classics!

One-of-a-Kind Ornaments for Christmas

It's a major award!

Comfort and Joy!

Christmas Cookies!

December 3rd ~ Hot Apple Punch

Ingredients

Directions

December 2nd ~ Amazing Grace ~ Beautiful Christmas Song

December 1st ~ Craft Show prep

So this is Christmas

Peanut Brittle anyone?

Look it's Woody!

The Scream

Art how I've missed you!

Tag, I'm it!

Weekend!

It's about my blog ...

Vintage Hang Ups

Simplify ...

Summer Fun 2010

Crumpled News: Blog Interview 2010-2

Thinking about ... Dandelions

Homemade's simply better!

Sneak Peek

Blog Interview #1 of 2010

Weddings and Tea

Whimsy

What do you collect?

Garlic

New York New York

Reminds me of my dad ...

How to melt away 30+ years

Announcing: My New ART Blog!

The weird things that pop into your head

We have a winner!

Re-purposing, Disasters AND a Giveaway

ART Friends

Elephants and Roses

Unknown Artists

.•¨`•✿.•¨`•. * .•¨`•. .•¨`•✿
.•¨`•✿ HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY.•¨`•✿
✿•¨`•. (¯`v´¯) (¯`v´¯) .•¨`•✿ . . . ✿•¨`•.¸(¯`v´¯)¸.•´¨`•✿ . . .
……………….....♥ •.¸.•´♥……………..........