Feeling better and selling ART...

Thinking I might finally be on the path to recovery...

SOLD

Thinking it is time to clear out some of my ART from my studio... like I do every summer when school is out and I have all this extra time :) on my hands... You can find my ART on Ebay

I have sold my ART on Ebay for ages and in the last couple of years only during the summer. This large bird piece is Mixed Media all the way... on wood...with vintage buttons and even a gel transfer (eye) hidden in the upper left corner. Ready to hang

I am still so weak from this pneumonia thing and will have to take it very easy the next few weeks. Hope to do tons of ART and blogging....
Feels good to be back and thanks to all of you sending me well wishes :) such a treat when all you can do is lay there like a bump on a log feeling sorry for yourself. I am a tough cookie though and can't wait to enjoy my summer off.

Pneumonia

Was diagnosed with pneumonia yesterday so will more of likely be out of the blogging business for a few more days...

In bed with the flu

Have just been feeling awful the last few days and thinking it was a number of things wrong with me.... Today I just realize I have the flu with a temperature of 102 and the worst body aches on the block. Over and out... for a few days until I feel well enough to blog again.

Home is where the ART is

Just a little something I was working on last year...still needed a window but pretty much completed...sold...but that is not the point. Home for me really is where the ART is... where I can have all my art "junk"... my family and cat. That is HOME :)

Today I could not wait to get home after a long day with three second grade classes (kids unusually chatty today) and a long session of acupuncture. I don't mind all the needles (today 21 of them) but for some reason today I was bothered by every single one. The acupuncture is my big hope these days to help with my chronic migraines.

Back from Art Show

Back from my daughters Art Show at Sacramento State University
I love the drive up to Sacramento :) We have driven here so many times but it still takes my breath away.... It is no longer green on the hills in Northern California. It was hot yesterday and today with 90s. It smells of dry grass and the heat is very dry. I might have been born in Sweden but after 20 years in the US and 14 years in California this feels like home.... the heat and dry grassy hills.

We had some time to kill in downtown Sacramento and found a Peets Coffee with the nicest outdoor tables. I had everything I needed... Moleskine, Ice Tea, Camera and good company.

My husband and I were both blown away by our daughters art work.... it just never ended... she had close to 20 pieces.

With the hot weather and no A/C in the studios we were all super hot and had to say our good byes. This is the last time we will see our daughter and her husband for some time. My husband and I had both had enough of the heat and could not wait to drive up to Folsom to see our good friends. We had the best BBQ and chatted for hours until it was close to midnight. Thanks for the best visit friends like always, wish it could have been longer.

The drive home today was nice but I did end up with another nasty migraine (had one yesterday am. as well). Feel medicated and a little hopeless tonight wondering if I will ever go more than a few days without a migraine.

I now only have two weeks left of teaching before the summer break :) I have tons of plans and can't wait to share some of them.... perhaps my next blog. Enjoy your weekend.

Off to Sacramento State University Art Show

I am out the door to Sacramento State University to see my daughters art in the Senior Art Show.
Just can't tell you how proud and excited I am. Have my "good" camera with me so I can take a bunch of pictures to show you over the weekend.

Also taking the time to see our very good friends in the are for dinner and a sleepover :)

That's it for today...

Have a splendid weekend and I will be back again Sunday for more...

Scrapbooking... can't remember when

When was the last time I did any sort of scrapbooking??? don't even remember!

There where times (like in this picture taken 2005) when I would go with my girl friends to Friday night crops, weekend getaways to scrap around the clock. I have some nice pictures but the pages look.... just awful. Back in the day we used to use circle cutters and markers...thinking we created the most wonderful pages.... but... this was in 1997 and we thought that Creative Memories was the bomb. The brand new circle cutter and stickers... you thought you could rule the scrapbook world.

Not so much I am afraid...These "old" albums are filled with adorable pictures of my kids as babies and with my scrapbooking skills just awful. Feel like I need to redo all the albums (would only take 5 years) or do what I have in mind today. Start again with a new album and pictures from where I left off. I can today print out my own photos, on paper, fabric, vellum (you name it) and make Mixed Media Art out of my family pictures.

You might think, heck, did this woman never think of this before!!! and you are right, I never did. Having not worked in my albums for close to 4 years I am so behind. Just looked at some "new" pages from scrapbookers I found online... WOW has it changed.

Today I can just put pictures of my kids and family on to my art!!! Cant wait to share some of that with you very soon...

Happy Scrapbooking

(please if you are a scrapbooker share some of your work and tecniques with me.... I need some help)

I just can't seem to make the font smaller, sorry about the "huge" letters.

Polka dots

I just love polka dots... it is so whimsical and FUN. I will make ART today with polka dots and have the 1st graders make their own polka dotted paper that we will use to make collage with next week. Hope your Mothers Day was perfect ( mine was). Have a super Monday.

Multicultural Art Lesson for 4th & 5th grade

AFRICAN FACE MASK (female)
Ngaady a mwaash
(kids love it when I try to pronounce it)

I came up with this lesson for my 4Th and 5Th grade students. Their art came out amazing...
We started by looking at the poster (top picture) and we talked about the color, shape, pattern, lines etc. I try and drill the elements into the kids :)

We used sharpies to outline the mask, trying to make it symmetrical and concentrating on the pattern.

I have a bunch of multicultural Crayola markers that we used for the monochromatic look and blue marker for the "beads". When done we cut out the masks and glued them on black paper.... don't they look amazing?

SUPPLIES:

• Black and white construction paper
• Markers (multicultural) and blue
• Black sharpies
• Glue stick
• Scissors

Art Journal

I am done with my Art Journal and it makes me so sad :(
I fall in love with my Art Journals when they are filled with art and thoughts, gesso and crayons, sticky glue and pages thick with layers.

When one is full I get so sad :( The new one has to be seasoned...and it takes a few pages before I get there and I grieve the old one. I say goodbye to one and start a new one... Moleskine of course... and hope it will be a mess before too long.

A couple of days and no post. Ended up at acute care again yesterday with a really bad migraine (I suffer chronic migraines) and had to have a shot of meds. My neurologist was there and we had a long talk of how to treat and prevent from now on. Acupuncture next (please let me know if you had it done), new meds and a higher dose of the ones I am already taking. Blah... hate the feeling of being under the influence of meds.
Had a massage today (my day off) and ended up with a facial as well :) not often that I treat myself to anything so it was very nice. Sort of like a Mothers Day gift to myself.

All my goodies from Sunday...

Here are some but not all :) the goodies I bought at the ZNE fair on Sunday.

I loooove my new pin cushion...see yesterdays blog for artist info.

A box filled with little secrets for me to use on my next project...

Dominos and alcohol inks... WOW...

My daughter bought this one for her bedroom ...

This book came with the little trinket box...all for $2 !!! I love the illustrations...

Small pieces of vintage quilts and vintage hankies for $1 ea !!!

This bird already has a place in my studio..made by the same artist that made the pincushion...

Oh.... on the way home Sunday I stopped at Michaels for alcohol inks... and they had the new Somerset Studio and Stampers sampler... who could resist. I can't wait to lay awake half the night tonight reading them, going to work tomorrow with bags under my eyes but filled with inspiration.

Back from Art, Paperie and Pleasantries 2009

I am back from the "pleasantries" with a wallet a lot lighter but with bags filled with goodies (I will post pictures of them tomorrow)

This is Rose McHone , a wonderful artist creating the most beautiful items. She made the tea cups (pin cushions) above. I am the happy owner of one (picture tomorrow).

My daughter came with me (helping me carrying all the bags). She was the one that convinced me to go. I woke up with a migraine and after medication all I wanted to do was sleep... so had it not been for my lovely daughter I would not have met....

with the lovely Michelle from ZNE and loved the goodies at her table...

Traci Bautista was signing her book Collage Unleashed with Lisa Kettell (her book Altered Art Circus) both posing for my lousy iphone camera). I already have both of their books :) and recommend them to all of you. It was a true honor to meet both of these girls... they do such amazing work.

Like I said tomorrow I will post more pictures of all the goodies I bought, the door price I won :) and some art by Lisa Kettell. Tonight I am too tired to type so I am off to bed.

My ART

My ART
Originally uploaded by JeanetteCarlstrom

I am going...

Don't know how I could have missed this one? and it is close enough for me to go!!! Hope to have plenty of pictures and goodies to share here by Monday.