Not much art today....

Sitting here knowing I have to start the major cleaning up....we have a wedding in less than two weeks....and I have to do some sort of "spring cleaning" or "wedding cleaning" of my entire house. Where to start???The task seems a little big and I would much rather hide in my studio and create some fun new ART.

Almost 2009

Today the last bit of Christmas was moved out and the vacuum is now stuffed with pine needles and dust bunnies. Our daughter and fiance left after a wonderful week here with us...so now I have my studio back. YIPPEE!!!I love to have them here don't get me wrong but I miss my studio. They will be back in less than 2 weeks for the bid day....their wedding day...

We are traveling up to the Sacramento area to visit our good friends for NEW YEAR and can't wait to see them again.

Other than that today was mellow...we met with the caterers at the reception location and had a nice lunch with our future "in laws" and very good friends. We all can't wait to be family!!!

Have to try and figure out how to get back on track with our family website tonight...my husband is sick of all the honey do's so this one will have to be on me. :)

I cleaned out Christmas....

Christmas came and left..Today I cleaned it out...Feels pretty good to have some extra space in the living room again (the tree took up half the room). The new year is around the corner and so many things happening. The wedding is now 2 weeks away (on the day) and I go back to work the day after the wedding. The little girl I am showing you today is from my art journal....Water color pencils and some oil pastels and lots of FUN. I am still totally addicted to my ART JOURNALS and can't wait to start the NEW MOLESKINE I received for Christmas...Happy NEW YEAR.

All better (finally)

MERRY CHRISTMAS
Finally feeling better....and it hit me....only 6 days until Christmas!!!!!!!!!! I have to kick up the speed. Plenty to bake and cook, even more to shop and try very hard not to end up in my wonderfully warm and cozy studio and get sidetracked creating ART.

Sick of being sick....

So sick of being sick....missing work....no help to my family....or friends... They all need me right now and all I can do is being sick. Have the worst chest cold and have to call the good old Doctor tomorrow if it is not better. Keeping the fingers crossed.
I just became a brand new Aunt the other day and can't even go to visit her :(
Enough self pity...I can lay in bed and read books on Mixed Media Collage Art while I cough.
The Art Journal is just laying in my studio waiting for me. Maybe tomorrow.

ART JOURNAL PAGE

My daughters ART

This is some of my oldest daughters latest ART. It has moved into my studio for some drying time.....I hope it can stay for a while since I love this piece. I am still home sick...yuck...and this cold has settled in my chest. Don't even feel like creating today and that will tell you I am not feeling well. My little niece was born yesterday, welcome Olivia and I can't even go to see her :(
Did some reading up on new background techniques for my Art Journal though and found some fun ideas. Maybe I will try some later...
Cough...hack...sneeze..

SO.....Finally I have uploaded some pics of my Art Journal.... This has turned into a small obsession and I absolutely LOVE to Journal with Art...

These are just the first two pages of my first Art Journal and there will be many more to come...

I am home from work with a nasty cold and have been in my Studio in my PJs all day. I will be a brand new Aunt any minute and can't wait. My son is in heavy study mode for finals and my youngest daughter on her way home from school. My oldest daughter gets married in a month....Panic....

I will try to update some colors etc. on my blog for now....more Art Journal pics to come.
Sneeze from ME :)

Digital ART

I just love these vintage adds....don't even know where I found this one but hope it will end up in my Art one of these days. I am addicted to my new Art Journal lately and hope to take some pictures of it soon to show off.... I made the journal all by myself :)
Thanksgiving is arriving too fast and I have today off so errands and laundry is on the list...ART later on if I have time. Ciao

Bridal Shower

My oldest daughter had her Bridal Shower on November 2nd....Feels surreal and can't believe she will be married in less than 60 days. Soooo very happy for her though :o)
Creating ART is a rare occurrence for me these days. Teaching ART and spending my days with Elementary school children takes it all out of you and when I come home in the afternoon my own ART is the last thing on my mind. With wedding planning and soccer for my youngest daughter on the weekends my ART has to wait. I did make a quilt though....a smaller one for my future nice arriving any time now. Pictures are not existing....of the quilt or anything else I do lately and that has to change. The picture above is one of the arrangements my daughters future Mother in Law and I created (she is the BEST).
Now I have to work on tomorrows art lessons for 5Th grade....back another day...

The seasons first RAIN and weekend BLISS!!!

How come weekends go by so fast??? and they always seem to be so far apart!!! As much as I love my job and everyday stuff I love my weekends the most. If I plan them right I might have time for some ART :) and that always is a winner when it comes to me. This weekend my youngest daughter did not have a soccer game!!!! How rarely does that happen? NEVER...

We also had the seasons first little rain shower overnight....that makes me feel hope....for darker and cooler days. I find myself ready to do a rain dance at the end of each summer here, so ready for fall. Growing up in Sweden I always had the almost extreme seasons. Here in California we really only have 2. Summer and Fall. The sun will beat down on us day after week after month until I am ready to move to Alaska. Finally it is now dark by 7pm and I can light a candle in the early morning when I have my coffee.

The rain last night produced just enough for a nice smell and cleaning of my car....we could sure use more. Welcome FALL, I have waited so long....

Wishing for more hours in the day

How I wish there was more hours in the day!!! Between work and wedding planning I have no time left for fun blogging and Art projects. I have not created anything for weeks :( As much as I love and adore my job and the wedding planning is so rewarding.....I miss my ART. Hopefully at some point I can dust off my paint brushes and get back to creating.

Wedding Planning

You sure do not ever think about the day your daughter will get married when she was born....Then one day she will tell you...I am getting married...and you wonder where all those years went.

We are looking at places for the reception and found this!!! The Lucy Stern Community Center here in Palo Alto, California. It is perfect... OH and we have a date for the wedding...

JANUARY 11th 2009 is the big day.

Today is the first day of school, have to run.....busy busy busy

What a busy summer

Don't know what is happening to this summer...it seems to just run away from me. I have created way less this summer than I had set out to do but...I have also had some wonderful relaxing days that I will need to look back on when I start working in 3 weeks. Today is a happy day since we get to see the kids from Folsom for a long weekend. We have so much wedding planning to do and some movies to see...can't wait. Other than that I am behind on my lesson planning but have started finding some fun new art projects for the kids...we will see how it all works out. My youngest starts 5Th grade in a week and my middle one starts college in late September...my oldest at the same time and she is starting her senior year at Sacramento State University :) Proud Mama of all 3.

Creating plenty of ART but no pictures to show...

I am out of town for a week....staying at our best friends house in Folsom outside Sacramento when they are on vacation. Sort of like a house sitting vacation for me and my youngest daughter. We are having such a wonderful time and we love the Air Conditioning....it was 102 here today and sooooo HOT. We lived here for 10 years and just moved away two years ago and we have sure forgotten how hot it gets here. The other major change is the change in pace...people here are not stressed like they are in the bay area and I miss that so very much. It looks and feels like a Sunday morning at 7 am here in a Friday afternoon. I am painting and scrapping the days away and it feels nice not to worry about work, dinner and soccer games. I will unpack my camera any day now to take some pics of my art....plenty created today. Summer is here, it is Swedish Midsummer today and I did nothing to celebrate it. Guess I was sort of homesick since my oldest daughter is spending the whole summer in Sweden... She did the true Swedish Midsummer with dancing around the midsummer pole with flowers in her hair. Glad Midsommar to all Swedes out there.

Some interesting new ART

I can't wait for school to end so I can have more time for ART!!! I have so much ART in my head.... and can't wait to get started. I am done teaching for the summer but have a few meetings and my sons graduation this week. My youngest daughter is done with school on Friday and after that....ART RULES...

Some FUN digital ART....created the collage houses the other day on some canvas and added the girls with the help of my computer...they are some of my work as well...FUN...

Another week and I have the summer off. Teaching is wonderful is so many ways and that is one of them :) My oldest daughter is off to Sweden for the summer today and as happy as I am for her I also feel "homesick" , it has been years since I was in Sweden during the summer and that really is the best time to visit. Here at home I am having fun with some new collage work and some new art projects for the kids the last week of school. Here are some samples of what I have been working on these last few days. My son is graduating High School and that is keeping me busy with announcements and getting ready for the Luncheon. I am very proud that by now 2 of my 3 kids have graduated High School...the 3rd is in 4Th grade and will graduate as well in....hm....8 years. :)

Lots of ideas but not enough time....

There is too much going on right now....and when this happens no ART is made....My son is graduating High School in just a few weeks and I had this idea to make all the announcements and invitations. This is turning out to be next to impossible since I need 50 announcements. Sure, I have all the card stock, ribbon and stickers I need incl. the best rubber stamp in the shape of a cap but....this will take days. The other idea was to have them printed but I cold not find anything that I even liked just a little bit...they all look very tacky or girly...

In the end my husband has the best idea (I guess :)) and that is to print the cards ourselves and add some nice stamps and stickers.... hate it when he is so right about stuff and especially when it comes to my art (handmade cards).

Today I am off work and will spend the day finding addresses and start writing the envelopes since they will NOT be printed on labels. I did find the brand new "sharpie" pens that supposedly are not going to bleed through. We will see.

Art Ball at Sacramento State University

I drove up to Sac State Friday to be a part of my daughters participation in the Art Ball Art Show. It was amazing!!! and not only that it was over 100 degrees and no A/C in most of the galleries. Her art is amazing!!! see for yourself. We also spend some precious time together, it was 3 months since I last saw her. Congratulations Kristin and have a wonderful summer with no homework and plenty of time for new ART.

Have a thing about funny things....

Lately I seem to have a thing for funny things...just look what is happening to my art :)

Been very busy with work lately and my art has to take the backseat. This weekend I am visiting my oldest daughter at Sacramento State University wher she has some of her art in the senior art show. Cant wait.

My daughters Art

I am such a proud Mama!!! Just look at my daughters creation!!! if you click on it you can see it much better :)

She is an Art Student at Sacramento State University and recently started creating these wonderful trees....Of course, I am her mother and she could paint just about anything and I would love it but these trees are special and I know it. Good luck baby and let your art take you places you always wanted to explore. I love you always. Mamma

Busy busy busy.....but NO art :(

Nothing to show....no art...nothing whatsoever and I feel like crying... How many days have gone by and there has been no time for art??? Oh well, guess cleaning your house, grocery shopping and working makes sense as well but it is for sure not as much fun as... painting, cutting, gluing, distressing and finding fun vintage items online with NO copyrights. :) Enjoy the week ahead and plan on finding LOTS of more art in this blog later on this week. That is for sure...

Busy busy busy.....

I have completely fallen in love with circles and dots. They seem to find their way not only into my art but in my kitchen and bedroom as well. The bedding has polka dots and my coffee mug has red spots on it.... Circles seems to add depth to art and it sort of looks like they are falling down over the paper... Whatever they do they appear all over my life these days and I love it...

Spring is in the air...and in my ART

As I was writing in my blog on ZNE I realized how true that really is...that spring is in my art...

I can see the different seasons in my art...the colors, themes and images I pick.

LOVE ZNE

I just love ZNE!!! You can find me at http://zneiscrafty.ning.com/profile/jeanette

Another perfect day (again)

Today is another perfect day....it really is. Spring has sprung and even though I went from pneumonia to allergies life is grand. They might be using a massive jackhammer next door, right underneath my studio (window where I usually listen to birds sing) 8 hours a day for the last week....but that is OK as well because today is another perfect day. I can still see the beautiful palm tree through the jackhammer dust and it makes me want to paint it....I can still hear the birds in between the poor man using the jackhammer (with no ear protection). Art is everywhere and it makes me HAPPY =^..^=

"I got mail" yesterday in my mailbox that is and the book on COLLAGE is lovely and I can't wait to use some of the ideas in my art. I have already tried a new way (for me) to create a nice textured background.....

This morning I attended a meeting with some art friends who all volunteer as Art Docents for "Meet the Masters". We go to different elementary schools in our school district teaching kids about some of our Art Masters...Van Gogh, O'Keeffe, Thiebaud, Rivera etc.etc.... I am always so inspired after meeting with these wonderful people and now have even more ideas for some great lessons. Thanks Betty :) if you read this.

That's it for now...today is a perfect day in so many ways and one of them is my blog...

Altered Notebooks

Now how fun is this...I found some old never used notebooks in my "craft closet" while cleaning it out....my husbands favorite place (not) in the house. I really do try to clean it out all the time but nothing ever gets thrown away...I just find new projects to start...

These turned out cute I think and can be found in my store on eBay this week

www.stores.ebay.com/scrapntaglady

Artist Trading Cards

So here are some fun ATC's....once you start you can't stop!!! Talking about stopping...this spring break needs to stop before my kids drive me crazy :)

Journal Doodle

Since I was a little girl I have doodled....in my Mothers cookbooks, math books at school, on every piece of paper surrounding the telephone....there are doodles by me all over the world.

Here are some examples of some recent doodles...they seem to turn into things as I go along....I love the fairy and she has become a part of my family and appears in my art from time to time. The faces are recent and I am still working on them... The crazy doodling flowers are my personal favorites and i doodle them at night before going to sleep.

Visit www.dumpr.net for some FUN

I never knew you could have this much fun on http://www.dumpr.net/ I had some fun pictures and work I have done and before I knew it dumpr.net had created some serious FUN...

Other than this my day has been amazing!!! I had the opportunity to Docent at the Art Center where I live ( I do this every Friday) but today was different.

We had a school from the area with 40 special needs youth and adults attending the tour and basket weaving project. I was not sure how this would work out since I am used to giving this tour to 2Nd graders.



The day was wonderful with lots of laughs and some beautiful handmade baskets in all shapes and colors. This school really wanted ART and I spoke until I almost lost my voice. All of these wonderful people gave me a new look at how I do this Docent thing. It really is all about the ART and how different people respond to it. We might be young or old, struggling with disabilities or illness but it all comes down to how much we love ART and this group loved art more than anyone I have ever met.

Spring is in the air.....

Oh how wonderful it is when spring is back. The birds are back...the flowers bloom and....the allergies are worse than ever :) I am in love with Clearatin and don't know what I ever did without it.
The art for today is not yet downloaded but I found this image that my husband finally was able to get back from my old broken laptop. Guess if I was scared I had lost all my images and pictures.... YES! I know they should be saved and kept on CDs and whatnot's but I never got to it. With this new laptop I save daily. The Geek Squad (they are super) gave my old laptop the fatal diagnose this afternoon so this evening I have to get my husband to help me gather the rest of my important stuff out of it. Boy do I have a love and hate relationship with my PC....I love to use it....and I hate when it is not working...
Tomorrow I teach art again and loving it...the kids are making little cardboard books collage style with texture and fun....they should be done tomorrow. I will take some pictures and post tomorrow.