Send out some sweet spots…

So I am participating in the

hosted by the awesome Kat of Kat’s Eye View.

Artists from all different media and styles, and from all over the world are taking part.

I had some fun going through art journal pages from Jan. – June 2011,

looking for sweet spots to feature on my postcards.

I was focusing on bits that really spoke to me. That reflect what I feel is my style at the moment.

I cropped and framed up the images, added a digital signature and printed them out on 4X6 photo paper.

Then I printed out a postcard back with my Queen of Arts logo and one of my favorite quotes onto white card stock.

I glued the photo to the postcard blank and voila, awesome postcards that liberate and accentuate my art, ready for their journey !

“My Green Angel”

“Just Open the Door”

“Be Okay Today”

plus a few more that I forgot to take pictures of !

They are all on their way to Kat now, who will address them and send them out to their new owners. Thanks so much, Kat, for all the hard work you have put into this great swap !

In return, I will receive 5 art postcards of my own, plus one from Kat herself !

I made a couple of extra postcards that I will liberate and send to some of my Blogland pals as well, just because…

I do love this generous artist community on line ! It brings me so many gifts.

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Another gift I am getting today is a visit from my friend Suzanne from Montreal.

I have to admit that I am very tired and burnt out with all stress and the work we have been doing to fix up our rental apartment for new tenants. It doesn’t make me the most excited or best hostess in the world!

But that is the great thing about visits from old friends who know you really well, (Suzanne and I were actually roommates way back when), and who won’t judge the dust kangaroos in your house, and who are really just coming to BE with you.

Plus we have a girls weekend at a trailer in Wells Beach, Maine  planned for later this week !

So come on down, Lovely Suzy ! I am so ready just to BE…

Happy Wednesday, Beautiful Ones !

Gorgeous Mail, Kitty Cat Tails…

Having been away for a week meant coming home to some juicy mail !

David complained that he got all the bills and annoying flyers while I get all the colorful mail.

Just another example of what happens when you send the love out and it comes back to you tenfold ! I am blessed to be part of such a great arty community that loves to share !

The first package I opened was from my blogpal Bethany from Bloom.

She has been a little quiet in Blogland lately but a while back she send me a note saying she had picked up two copies of Pam Carriker’s Art at the Speed of Life by accident and wanted to share her extra one with me !

Of course I am thrilled ! This book looks like such a juicy one !!! Can’t wait to spend some time exploring it !

Then there were of course many wonderful pieces of art in the form of the DIY Postcard Swap that Hanna of  iHanna’s Blog hosted for so many of us.

Talk about your colorful mail !!!

One piece was from our hostess with the mostest, Hanna from iHanna’s Blog

This pointillism pretty is from P Strangetown in Spain.

The cactus beauty comes from Regina from CreativeKismet in Arizona.

Some playful painting from Mary from joyful ploys in Arkansas.

The gorgeous gift of collage from my long time blogging friend Roberta from RCS Creations.

My fellow Montrealer, Sylivie from The Art of Miss KoolAid sent this beautiful cuppa with a reminder to take time just for me.

This interesting piece from S.Arden Hill from Winnipeg, Canada at fourfortheday.com had me looking and looking…What do you see ?

This pretty stitched watercolor tag piece was from Charlotte from Sweden (not sure of her blog).

And this exquisite drawing is from Tari June at studiomailbox.com in Germany. I am in love with the heart in the hands…

I really loved doing this swap, both for the fun of creating pieces of art for others and for receiving these amazing gifts in rethurn!

Thanks so much again, Hanna, for all you do to make it happen !

One last treasure graced my mailbox yesterday.

That was these amazing teabag origami peace cranes that I purchased from Kim Anderson at art in red wagons.

Kim lovingly folded and strung these little treasures and has them for sale for just $10.00 in her etsy shop with all proceeds going to the Japan Relief Fund.

They will be hanging in the studio later today and I will be reminded of how grateful I am for all that I have every time I look at them.

While the mail art was a lovely homecoming, the less wonderful part of my first day home was that sill Cosmo cat swallowed a 15 inch linen cord from a necklace he found in the studio.

 

I got him to the vet quickly as I saw him do the deed ! But though they tried to induce vomiting to get him to throw it up, it was still in him after an afternoon at the vets.

Now after 3 doses of laxatives, and a night in his own private room in our house, he isn’t eating, hasn’t pooped, and just isn’t well.

A call to the vet this morning now has me bringing him back in for some more fluids and checking him back in to the pet hospital, and probably facing up to the fact that he will need a costly surgery to get the damn cord out of him.

Poor little Boo. Poor Mommy ! Bring on the credit card debt.

Send your kitty prayers for the little bugger, okay ?

I hope you have a sweet and colorful Tuesday, Beautiful Ones.

Big Love !

Seaside Sunday…

So after the crazy April Fool’s Day snow, we got this magnificent day in the 50’s on Sunday.

It was very windy but I just felt the need to hit the beach and visit my favorite ocean.

One thing I love about North Beach in Hampton Beach, NH is that it is Rock Fairy heaven !

The rocks get rolled around by the waves at high tide and the sounds of it is like laughter.

Like the rocks are playing with the waves and laughing.

You can hear it her, in spite of the wind…

Sometimes, I make rock statues with the gorgeous smooth stones on my beach and leave them behind for the tide.

Yesterday, I continued with the angel making and left this on a huge cement block by the seawall.

I added a little Rock Fairy love to it as well.

It was almost high tide when I arrived at the beach,

which means that there is no sand to walk on on my rocky hang out.

That’s just fine though.

I was able to sit, breathe, listen to the rhythm of those magnificent waves playing with my rock friends and have some moments of peace that I can only get there.

That place fills me up.

It’s only fair that I leave a little bit of my love behind when I leave…

 

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My Sunday morning also involved some art-making at home.

My postcards for the Postcard Swap hosted by Hanna are almost ready to go.

I really enjoyed working on them in the morning sunlight yesterday.

This is one that I really love :

I actually used bits from a colored photocopy of a page from my art journal from 2009.

I had made color copies of a lot of my pages for some class or something and never really used them until recently. It is really fun to use bits of your own work to create something new !

I recommend that you visit your local copying place with your journal and color copy some of your favorite pages. Then you can revisit and re-use stuff that is uniquely yours in other pieces !

I hope you have a great Monday, Beautiful Ones !

Big Love !

Share the Joy Thursday - Postcards from the edge…

 

''Come to the edge,'' He said. They said, ''We are afraid.'' ''Come to the edge,'' He said. They came. He pushed them... and they flew.
Guillaume Apollinaire

I am so loving making these little postcard pieces.

Collage from mailbox junk and old French dictionaries, Twinkle H2Os, acrylics, painting, India ink and dip pens…

Sometimes it takes me an hour to make just one.

That’s okay though.

An hour spent flying is never an hour wasted.

Put those wings to good use today, Lovely Ones.

Big Love !

 

For more joy sharing, go visit the awesome Meri at Meri’s Musings.

Monday morning musings…

FOR TODAY, Monday, March 28, 2011

Outside my window...bright sun, lots of wind, 26 degrees (-2 C).

I am thinking…that the Rock Fairy needs to go on a mission today. I am a little too stuck in my own head this morning, and getting out and giving always makes me feel better.

I am thankful for...my husband, David and the sweet times we share. He is my bestest friend, you know.

From the kitchen...cereal, banana and coffee…boring…

I am wearing...my pale purple Land’s End robe and my old green clogs…

I am creating...postcards for my DIY Postcard swap with Hanna from IHanna’s Creative Space. Fun to work on mini-pieces that are finished quickly. Some instant gratification is good.

I am going...to the post office to mail off a box of brand new socks. I have joined in Michelle Ward’s Socks for Japan project. Helping out others has to start somewhere, and socks have a special meaning for Michelle, so it because a natural place to put some of my loving energy….

I am reading...blogs, news on the internet and Facebook. I am between books right now…

I am hoping…that the weather warms up enough to take my socks off and put my damn winter coat away for good. Sick of it. Sorry for the whine….but I am seriously sick of the cold.

I am praying for…freedom from suffering for so many of us on this planet and the strength to take care of myself better.

I am hearing...the crazy cold wind whipping around outside, the hum of the computer motor…

Around the house...animals nap, laundry needs folding, dishwasher needs emptying, art table is clean and ready to go, but I may need some Advil to get rid of a headache before I am.

One of my favorite things... Bertucci’s oven baked pizza. We went yesterday at lunch and I had the thin, crispy crust with fresh asparagus, caramelized onions and Italian sausage. It was so yum ! Wish I had some leftovers for breakie.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Meditation Monday tonight, lunch with my friend Lois on Friday, and lots of art making and maybe a few naps in between.

Here are some pictures I am sharing…

Some of the postcards I am working on…

I hope you have a great Monday, Beautiful Ones.

Big Love !

Haiku My Heart–The Queen’s Color

The color Purple

Mystic, royal, creative

Brings pop to my life!

So enjoying the Purple bursts in my life lately.

Did you know that it is often the favorite color of creatives and eccentrics, as well as teenage girls ?

Plus, it is the color of royalty, right ?

Makes sense that it is this kooky Queen’s # 1 then, right ?

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Happy Friday, Beautiful Ones !

I hope your day is full of some of your favorite things too !

(For more haiku my heart, head over to rebecca’s blog, recuerda mi corazon)

Thankfulness Thursday - Buried Treasure - I Have A Choice

Today is July 15th and I am participating in The Buried Treasure project organized by Seth at The Altered Page. We are revisiting a favorite post from the past year and offering it up to our readers to check it out a second time.

This post was originally from February 2010 and I decided to re-post it as I like the mix of Queen of Arts philosophy, Rock My World love and the lovely bits of art making towards the end of the post.

It is a Thankfulness Thursday post too which works kind of well !

I hope you enjoy revisiting my little treasure from the past !

Happy Thursday, beautiful Ones!

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I Have A Choice...

Any of you who know a Libra,

or who know me in particular,

are aware that making choices isn't always easy for me.

But I have to say that

I am always grateful that I have a choice.

In each and every minute

of each and every day,

I have a choice.

You do too.

How lucky and blessed are we

that we are made this way ?

Now, do we always make the "right" choice ?

No way !

But you know what is great ?

In the next minute, we could choose again !

So awesome.

This morning I am grateful for choice.

I chose to start my day with a big glass of water and a bit of stretch.

I chose to start my day singing a song of Thankfulness .

I chose some of my Rock My World Rocks to set my intentions for the day.

In short,

this morning,

I chose joy.

What are you going to choose ?

(For another great post today about Choice, check out my lovely Seeker friend Kelley's blog, Dragonfly Reflections.)

And now, I hope you choose to look at these amazing sewn papers I created yesterday !!!!

I am so in love with them !!!!

I was inspired by my friend Corrine at dosfishes , who showed me her own crazy sewn papers at Squam last Fall, as well as a post on IHanna's blog about sewing striped papers.

I needed some awesome stuff to create my postcards for the Postcard Swap that Hanna is hosting. (Still a little time to join in ! Imagine getting postacrds from all over the world in your mailbox !)

So I got out the gel medium, the painted paper scraps, and some regular old photocopy paper

and went to town gluing random shapes of the painted papers onto the photocopy paper with the gel medium.

Then I left it all to dry for awhile, fearing what the damp gel medium would do to my sewing machine !

Then I chose black thread for the bobbin and the top thread and went for it !

My final step was to take my Caran D'arche water Soluable crayons and fill in the grout lines, if you will, or the space between the cut up pieces, smearing the color in with some water on a paintbrush afterwards.

On the striped piece above I also took my black and white Elmer's paint Pens and added some scribble writing.

I am so in love with this sheet that I think I may just frame it pretty much as it for a gorgeous piece of art! Too pretty to cut up !

That may be my choice. :)

Or I could always choose to make up another batch for the postcards and keep all of these lovelies for me !

We shall see.

Don't you just love the possibilties ?

May you find the strength to choose joy today, Beautiful Ones !

Happy Thursday !

(Check out the Weekly Gratitude Blog to see what others are doing for this year long project )