Distressed TAGS a plenty...

Some FUN and grungy TAGS I made the other day after watching Tim Holtz demos....This is just the beginning since they are addictive and it is hard to stop making more. They will end up on eBay or ETSY shortly.

I am out of town for the weekend enjoying some time off and hopefully some rest.... STILL having a hard time with the effects of the pneumonia I had weeks ago.

Enjoy your weekend

Primitive Folk Art Painting and Tim Holtz

I have these nice chalk boards that finally came to use. Woke up this morning in a Primitive Folk Art mood and this is what came out of it... FUN...


Other than that I am NOT putting together Ikea furniture today but trying to finish my studio makeover. Tomorrow I head out of town so I feel like I need to get it done before I leave.

Have you seen Tim Holtz demos online (free) ? they are so inspiring you have to take a peek... He creates the most amazing grungy stuff...

Putting together Ikea furniture...

Today I can't even seem to get dressed before the day is almost over...It is so frustrating when you have something planned and then somehow everyone needs you to do something and the day is over...

I love Ikea and we did find the perfect bed for our daughter there the other day... she is in a full size bed now and very excited. I am even a master at putting the Ikea stuff together after years of practice but... this specific full size bed is kicking my butt....driving me to words I can't blog and sweating like a maniac. Try screwing together a full size bed in a tiny bedroom and you know what i mean.
&$&)(#*$@_$&_$*@*#$_@
Seems sort of silly now but I was fuming just minutes ago. The bed is 90% completed but I had to give in since I don't know how to screw a screwdriver at a 15 degree angle. There is perhaps a secret way to do this that I don't know about so the husband has to figure it out later tonight.

I think I am going to get dressed (4:15 pm) and go to the grocery store for milk and dinner.
Oh, the Smith and Hawken picture is from one of their amazing stores very close to where my oldest daughter lives... I sort of pretend I live at that store :)

Monday morning...

Today is Monday....and my youngest daughter is out of school, the middle one attending summer school at a local college and husband on vacation in just a few short days...

That makes me panic a little...I am still not done with my Art Studio makeover...I sort of put it on the back burner over the weekend and now is seems like a huge project. I did find the best stamp holder and little treasure display on eBay that just arrived (above picture). It is a vintage drawer and I just love it. It is hanging on my wall with some smaller stamps and other little treasures...

So I guess I am off to try and organize in here..after I go for a short walk. I am today graduating from around the block to perhaps a few blocks. Recovering from pneumonia is the pits and takes forever to get your lungs and strength back.

Have a super Monday

HAPPY SWEDISH MIDSUMMER...

Today is Swedish Midsummer... celebrated by all Swedes near and far...
We do all sorts of strange things on this day, dance around the May Pole, sleep with flowers under our pillow (if we are single girls), eating strawberry cake, raw herring and wonderful sandwich cake with shrimp on top...Candy is a must and I travel to Ikea to get my loot. Swedish chocolate, Swedish fish and cars...

This is my flag, is it not beautiful swaying in the sunny California weather... heard from Sweden today that most of the country had some pretty nasty weather. That is one good thing about celebrating it here...

I am cooking and baking as I am writing this... taking pictures of some plants...

and the vegetable I need to chop next for the sandwich cake... I don't have a picture to show you since it is not done yet and when our guests come it will be consumed before I have a chance to snap away... :) I have to keep a leash on my son (he is 19 and 6 feet 6 in tall, eating me out of the house) since he is taking nibbles of everything I am cooking so have to run...

Happy Midsummer to all Swedish or not...

SEWING CATS and SELLING ART

Yesterday as I was working on the makeover of my ART STUDIO I cleared out part of my long desk to fit in my sewing machine... Just looking at that thing made me loose interest in the makeover and I just had to sew... A CAT... He is for SALE in my store on ETSY

This is a fun piece I made last summer with some adorable vintage children s playing cards..all painted and distressed on an old chalk board with a wooden frame, ready to hang... you can find this one on eBay

This girl is ever so sweet... created on heavy canvas board... she is on eBay as well

Vintage sheet music and crackle paint on a nice canvas...on eBay

Tomorrow is Swedish Midsummer and I don't know how I could forget that... for some reason I thought it was next Friday. I had to rush over to Ikea to get some pickled herring, cookies, Swedish fish, apple cider and crisp bread. Making a huge Swedish Sandwich Cake, Strawberry Cake and other traditional Swedish Midsummer goodies later tonight with the help of my husband and kids.

My oldest daughter is on her way home to the US from Sweden as we "speak", missing Midsummer in Sweden by hours. It has been years since I was able to go "home" for this big holiday. Tomorrow will be a blog filled with Swedish Midsummer so don't miss out... you have to come and celebrate with us...

NEW ART...

Today I listed some new ART on eBay

Had some fun with painting on wood again...

The trip had to be cut short.... my daughter came down with a nasty cold so we packed up and drove home yesterday am. She slept most of the way and was happy to be home in her own bed. I am now in the process of unpacking and we all know how fun that is. Instead I sneaked into my studio and painted....

The studio is still here, a complete mess but still under its major face lift. I can't wait for it to be done so I can show it off. No more pictures until the whole project is finished.

Off to Costco today to stock up on food. Having kids home for the summer puts a major dent in your pantry and you have a choice. Go to the market every day or Costco twice a month... hm... guess I will go to Costco today.

Hope summer has arrived where you are :)

Another calm day...

Day 3..... still relaxing and feeling pretty good today. Only used the inhaler once :) My daughter is shooting pool in the club house and we have scheduled a movie "Because I said so" in the movie theater for later.

Of course she came down with a nasty cold and at one point today I thought we had to pack and go home but she seems to be OK this afternoon. The sun in intense up here and after a short while out by the pool we are both ready for the dark and Air conditioned movie theater...

Who knows what tomorrow will bring....

RELAX.....

I think I really needed this....just relax...

Visiting my daughter and her husband in the Sacramento are.... the daughter is in Sweden working and the son in law off at work for 3 days... I have this place to myself. My youngest daughter is off to visit friends for the day. The warmer weather up here is nice and the pool lovely. I still have NO energy and hope to built that up while here for a few days. Still don't know how long we will stay...
More later...

On the way....

Today was my daughters 5Th grade "graduation"... sort of a bittersweet moment knowing that this was my last day being an Elementary school Mom. With 3 kids and this one the youngest I am "done" with Elementary school. In the fall my daughter will enter Middle School and 6Th grade... she is a little apprehensive but also excited.

We are both leaving in the morning for a long planned trip up to the Sacramento area to stay at my oldest daughter and her husbands condo. She is still in Sweden working but we will be able to visit with her husband for a few hours before he heads off to work for a few days (he is a firefighter). After that we will have the place for ourselves to enjoy the pool, spa and gym as much as we please. I will try to work on the recovery and read a bunch. The Art Journal is already packed and some other Art supplies as well. Now I have to get some laundry done and then close up the bags... we are planning to be gone for about 5 days :)

Sabbatical....

Some more ART listed on eBay...
One little piggy...

These are all created on heavy water color paper

I had to make a pretty drastic decision the other day... my health has been a mess these last few months with chronic migraines, bad back, flu and now pneumonia with bronchitis. I have decided to take sabbatical from my job as an ART teacher for a year to get my health back. I will miss "my kids" something awful but know that I will be a better teacher with my health back.

This will also give me more time to sell my art on eBay and Etsy again... blogging and making ART. I have a plan to publish some sort of ART LESSON publication online this summer. There is a huge lack in this field and I know how many teachers are out there looking for good ART LESSONS. Not crafts but real Art with the elements and principles, also the different standards from each grade level. Let me know if you are interested.

That is it for today... I am heading out the door to see my eye doctor today and recovering from last nights migraine :(.

Me on Etsy

Never done the Etsy thing before so here we go.... I have sold my ART on eBay for years but wanted to try Etsy as well...

I painted these girls last summer during vacation...have to part with them at some point since I am doing a major organization overhaul in my studio...

Today was way too short... ever get that feeling? I had so much I wanted to do and only came as far as half way down the "list". Now I am late starting dinner and have to run... more tomorrow.

Art Journal Pages

Some pages in my latest Art Journal....

Still working on my studio... organizing... husband is putting up a long shelf for all my jars of buttons and other little goodies...

My cat had a visit with the vet this morning and... he is about 6 lbs overweight (!) so now my youngest daughter has a job over the summer. Exercise the cat and feed him "light" cat food. Hm... perhaps I should have her train and feed me as well.

I am completely exhausted today...too much too soon I guess...even though I do not want to admit it. Seems like the inhaler the Dr. gave me is working and it is less of a struggle to breath.

Make sure to take a peek on eBay for some of my ART and other goodies... I have to lighten the load.

MY ART STUDIO in progress...

I could sure need some help from you guys....

Redecorating my ART STUDIO is not as easy as it looked in the latest issue of "STUDIOS"

I did get the way too big and ugly book shelf out of here... it is now laying down outside the Studio door (much to my husbands dislike).. he is the one that has to get it out in the truck and take it to the Goodwill. :)

Now where do I put everything? What do I keep and what do I give away? I just can't seem to part with anything. Are there rules? guidelines?... please help!

It is taking forever since I am still in the middle of recovering from this awful pneumonia... I have to sneak in here and hide (or my husband will send me back to bed) :). There is a lot of sorting, organizing and finding wonderful things going on, I found some old vintage hankies that I totally forgot about... who knows what I will find next.

This will take me days to complete and I will keep you updated... again please let me know how to get over this pack rat syndrome :)
Enjoy your Saturday

Oh, by the way... It is Sweden's National Day today. My oldest daughter is in Stockholm for a few weeks and saw this today. Amazing and makes me so homesick...

Sveriges National Dag

Anthropologie SALE... what more can I say!

Anthopologie has a store only a few blocks from my house. I would live in there if I could... and the water fountain outside is to die for. I found some delicious items there yesterday... they had a SALE (of course)

The mug is adorable (only$6) with my "J" on it and the soap is verbena (my favorite scent) and the sketch book was 50% off... :) Across the street is the place I was headed for to begin with.

A very expensive but yummy antique store... I did not find anything I "needed" for the price they asked. Hello... $5 dollars for a very small porcelain doll head... No thank. But looking is always fun and it fills me with inspiration.

It was a quick trip since I am still so worn out from the pneumonia but nice to get out for a short while.

I am adding this "goodie bag" on eBay for anyone interested. As you know I am clearing out my studio and finding treasures to share every day. I am starting the bid at $.99

The paper bag is filled with over 50 items...vintage paper, vintage birthday card, playing cards for ATC's, tags... glue, chipboard...

IT IS FRIDAY

More ART for Sale and starting Studio Makeover

Today I have more ART for Sale....You can find them all on Ebay

Trying to clear out my Studio ..... after reading the latest STUDIOS magazine by Cloth Paper Scissors... it is very hard not to do something like it...

And if most of your studio looks like this.....

You really DO need to do something about it... I am such a pack rat and can't seem to get rid of anything... I know where everything is....as hard as it is to believe but.... when I can't see all my lovely ART supplies and goodies I don't add them to my ART. They just lay in these boxes year in and year out...

Let me know about the place where you create! I would love to see and hear about it for inspiration.