Happy Valentine's Day

Wow, I can't believe I have been gone for so long. I apologize for not posting. I have been really sick. I got the upper respiratory flu in early January, then a stomach thing that we are passing around the office, then bronchitis, which I am still fighting. I missed 60 hours of my vacation time and those are just the hours I took, missed a few more! And I even I had flu shot!

Seems like this "crap" is all across the country. I hope y'all have been well. I couldn't believe all the comments. apparently my email notification is screwed up. Thank you all for caring. Theresa, I was even sick on my birthday!

Lots of catching up to do in blog reading and in posting. Hopefully, I'll get to that this weekend.

Till then have a great day filled with Love and Chocolate!!

Wishing You All

May you be healthy, creative and prosperous.

My New Year Resolutions for 2008 are live more "green", it's more than a bit scary to think the polar ice cap could be gone in just a few years, eat more salads, buy locally if possible, move more while at work, sitting on my butt 10 hours multiplied by 9 years is not a good thing, get up everything hour or so, and the perpetual yearly resolution LOSE WEIGHT instead of finding it.



PS. Image in this post and those of the Merry Christmas post are copyright free, public domain images. I did tweak them a bit, brighten them up some. I belong to a PD image posting group on flickr. So you are welcome to snag these images tagged copyright free for yourself. My art however retains my copyright.

IF: Horizon (and Backwards)

ACEO 2.5 x 3.5 inches
color pencil
bristol board 100 lb

My favorite horizon, even though I was born and raised in Iowa. Now living near Dallas with the Gulf about a 4-5 hour drive. I love the sea.


I missed last week even though I did a quick sketch.

In Iowa we have gates, lots and lots of gates. Panel gates, aluminum gates, even wooden gates.

In Texas, at least the areas where I helped work cattle, rodeo stock, and when we were on the dairy, there are lots of gaps... strands of barb wire, twisted around a bois d arc post, then you pull it tight and secure the top and bottom with a baling wire hoop.

Gaps are a pain in the butt and backwards!


blue ink pen
scratch pad

For more illos

Merry Christmas to You & Yours

My 2007 Holiday Home Tour

Saturday Sightings

Here's the wagon all decked out for Christmas. This wagon sets in front of a railroad depot converted to a Dentist's office. They decorate the wagon for each season.

Have a great Saturday!

And the Winner of Giveaway #3

A Woman who is In a Garden Check out her Holiday Home Tour, too! A beautiful home!

Congratulations!

Thank you to all who commented and entered my Holiday Home Tour Giveaway! More giveaways coming up in 2008!

2007 Holiday Home Tour & My 3rd Giveaway

Follow your guide, BooMama, for the 2007 Holiday Home Tour.


Welcome to my home.







I collect Snowman.
Occasionally a non Snowman will find it's way into my Christmas Decor.


I made this pair of Gingerbread Peeps in 1985.







Angels for all seasons. The Christmas Angel is on the lower right.

















This photo and the one below are from Christmas two years ago




Cookies?


Tea or Hot Cocoa?



If you would like to enter My 3rd Giveaway please leave a comment. This giveaway will end Wednesday, December 19, at 10pm CST

This Giveaway includes:

One Reindeer Gift Bag, featured in the "How To Make" this bag post


Three original ACEO/ATCs created by me.






And Chocolate! As featured in the Quick & Easy Gift post.


Thank you so much for stopping by my Holiday Home.

Enjoy your visits to the other homes on the tour. Please follow your guide, BooMama, to the next home.

Saturday Sightings: Odd House Continued...Finally

Some of you may remember this house from this Saturday Sighting Post


Based on comments on that post I went back to take more photos so you could see the neighborhood.

I had been driving around looking for potential lakeside property. Texas only has one natural lake the rest are all man made. The Lake near me is man made. Instead of having million dollar homes with boat docks gracing it's shores. The Corp of Engineers owns and manages most of the shoreline. There are several public parks scattered here and there that go down to the water to allow access for swimming and boating. I do have more photos to give you an idea of what the majority of the homes look like surrounding the Corp property but for now I will continue the story of this interesting house.

My first glimpse of it was at this very sharp curve where I did come to a stop when I spied the gargoyle.

What the Heck?


Instead of turning to the left I continued forward. (at that time this mobile home on the corner had a bank foreclosure for sale sign in the yard)


Three stories, angles and doors everywhere. And no shingles.


Here is the neighbor on the right. (my Mom taught me if I couldn't say anything nice, shut up)


I am glad they were not home so I could pull into their driveway to take a few more pictures.


See that door up on the third floor? Matches the one on the other side. Some type of plastic sheeting flapping in the wind. No siding. Click to see larger photo if interested.


While I was leaving this little covert photography session the new neighbors, who apparently purchased the bank repo came outside.

The man walked to the center of the road with a gun in his hand.

A caulking gun. I stopped so he could ask me what I was doing. I told him my step dad was a hobbyist carpenter (he really is) and he had seen the photos I had taken a couple of weeks before and I came back out to take a few more since this house was such a carpenter's nightmare.

Did you think I was going to tell him .... I am soooo blogging this!

He did tell me the gentleman that lives there, yes, lives in a room in the back, is building this house in his spare time. He is single. That is all the info I got this trip.

I'll keep checking on his progress.

This is the view as I was going back the way I came. Yes, I was stopped in the road. Again. It's the country.

At the end of this very long dirt road should be the lake. No way was I going down there. By My Self.

Those signs say "enter at your own risk. The boogie man with the hook for a hand is down there".

Okay, the signs say something about no dumping.


I do wonder if he will be able to even see the lake from his third floor. With two doors up there I would imagine he is going to build some kind of deck. Original post is here for more photos

So y'all got any What the Heck houses near you?

A Day Late...

Not to confuse anyone, including me, I am back dating a couple of posts to Friday. Where they should have been if I wasn't so busy. Then I took a nap. And...well, I read a few blogs and before I knew it I fell asleep. Now it's Saturday. I'm baking. Downloading and uploading photos for said back dated posts.

And...ta da

I added a blogroll. Finally! Many more Reads to Come though.

Check back through out the day. New posts coming. Including tutorial for a quick, easy last minute gift for teachers, mail carriers, UPS man, hairdresser, neighbor, etc.

The winner of my 2nd Giveaway is Farmer Julie. Congrats!

Update: Be sure to scroll back to Friday. The posts I back dated are up. If you still have gifts to buy you might like the tutorial for Quick and Easy Gifts that is very inexpensive.

I'm working on the Saturday Sighting post now. I took a small break from baking and blogging to watch "Love's Unfolding Dream" on Hallmark. Such a wonderful series!

Quick and Easy Gift for Teachers

Not only a gift for teachers, but these make great gifts for your mail carriers, your hairdresser, your colorist, your paperboy, the UPS driver, your doorman, the farmer who mows your pasture, the sheriff deputy that tells you just shoot the dogs chasing the horses (I didn't shoot the dogs, btw)... you get the idea. These make great gifts. Inexpensive gifts!

A couple of these finished.





Now for the directions. This time of year most of the grocery stores have the huge candy bars on sale 10 bars for $10. That is 10 gifts!! Woohoo! A dollar a piece, not counting craft supplies. Walgreens and CVS carry these bigger candy bars as well.


Remove the wrapper and set the candy bar aside. You will need it later so no eating it.


Lay the wrapper on a piece of white card stock. Add another inch to the left of the wrapper or to the right if you are a lefty.


Yours should look like this, too.


Cut out it out. This is your template. Use it to trace all the rest you want to make. Forever.


If you are a Room Mom doing this project with your class or a Mom doing this with little kids I recommend using copy paper for these next steps. Room Moms and Moms with Martha tendencies you will want to use card stock.

Wrap the paper around the candy bar. Using copy paper just crease with your fingers.

Using card stock use the sharp edge of a ruler and a bone folder. Sorry, Martha, I left mine at home so I made the creases with my fingers. Much easier with a bone folder.


Those using card stock, remove candy bar and continue to use the ruler and bone folder to crease those edges. (Copy paper users can skip this step.)


Card stock should look like this. (using copy paper, the objective is to have an area to decorate)


If you are doing several of these and using card stock... unfold the one you just did and use it as a template to mark the fold lines on the rest of the paper for the number of gifts you want to make.

This step is a lot easier than wrapping the card stock around each candy bar. Draw light pencil marks, lay the ruler on the card stock, fold around ruler and crease.


Three different colors. Ready to decorate.

Almost


Now you get to unfold it. Don't worry it will crease again nicely after decorating.


Now the fun part.

You or the kids can decorate these with whatever you have on hand. They can draw Christmas or Holiday scenes using crayons or markers. Use Stickers, glue on fun foam shapes, stamp directly on surface, use paper punches to punch out shapes. You could even glue macaroni on these. Really! Just have fun.



When the decorating is completed. Wrap the copy paper or card stock around a candy bar... secure with tape (or you can use a glue stick with tape to hold it closed until glue dries then remove the tape)

Ta Da!! You can make these for any occasion as well. Valentine's Day, Boss's Day, My Friend Needs Chocolate Day... any day you want!






My daughter made theses gifts for ALL her High School teachers. Every Year! The Band teachers usually got Symphony Bars!

Yes, she was usually the only student giving the High School teachers presents at Christmas and at the end of the year.

Hey, they might have made me retire as a Room Mom when my daughter was in 7th grade (I had been a Room Mom since kindergarten) but they couldn't stop me from getting the teacher's gifts even when she was in High School. Once a Room Mom always a Room Mom.


I hope you enjoy making these quick and easy gifts! Send me a photo. I would love to see what you, your kiddos, or your class created. Email to enigmaartist at gmail dot com

Studio Friday: Festive Studio

This week's theme for Studio Friday is The Festive Studio.

" The holiday season is upon us...what is festive in your studio for the holiday season? What puts you in the holiday spirit?" -espialdesign

I am attempting to participate in each Studio Friday. Since I mainly create at work in my cube. This is about as festive as I am allowed to get.



A bit pathetic. Huh?

What puts me in the Holiday spirit is Christmas Music. I love Christmas Music. At Christmas time though, not in October.

For More Studio Friday Festive Studios

Oh well, come back on Monday when I will be joining in on BooMama's Holiday Home Tour. I have not decorated as much this year due to the farm being for sale but I thought it looked like fun.

Another giveaway coming up on Monday as well.

Update: My home is all decked out for the Holidays, come see.

USPS=thumbs up!! FedEx=thumbs down!

1st Giveaway Package mailed off to Emily... hopefully arriving tomorrow





I sent it by USPS.

My Mom however decided to send my Christmas gifts by Fed Ex. Her first experience AND her last! My last, too!

I wouldn't use Fed Ex if They Paid Me!

Why you ask?

Mom had 2, count 'em t w o...two boxes sent from Iowa to Texas. They left Iowa early on Tuesday, December 4th. From Grinnell, to Ottumwa, to Moline,Ill, to Chicago,Ill, to Sherman,Tx with delivery scheduled for December 7th. ( go east to go southwest, no wonder Fed Ex charges so much)

Mom is real good at keeping track using the Fed Ex tracker thingie.

Fed Ex however is not so good at keeping track of the packages they are being paid to deliver.

Why you ask?

Neither box was delivered on Friday, December 7th...the driver made a note on the Fed Ex tracker thingie that boxes were NOT on his truck when delivery attempted.

Mom called to find out what was going on and was told to expect Delivery on Saturday, the 8th. Deliveries were made until 8pm. I won't tell you how many phone calls she made to find out that time, but I will tell you the last call she made at 8pm to tell them NO boxes were delivered they said delivery would be made on Tuesday, December 11th, as no ground deliveries were made on Monday.

Why you ask?

Only Air shipments delivered on Monday, no Ground shipments. Mom had paid $40.00 to send these 2 boxes. Fed Ex Ground Shipment

So we wait.

Tuesday night I arrive home to find 1, count 'em o n e, One package on my front porch. On my front porch per instructions appearing on address label.



Huh?

Drop off
Fell off
truck
customer bought in

So I call Mom.

Who of course was all over and up to date on tracking my packages using her computer and the Fed Ex tracking thingie. Seems this particular package had been found in Allen, Tx, on December 7th, and been sent back to Sherman to be put back on a truck to be delivered Tuesday, December 11th. (good grief, the box was like 2-3 miles from me, Sherman is almost to Oklahoma)

Mom had no idea what was written on the outside of this box when she asked the Fed Ex rep how in the heck did a box that wasn't on the truck end up in Allen?

Did it walk there?

Well by now I am fairly sure you have figured out what we had by that time.

Boxes were on the truck when it left Sherman on Friday the 7th, boxes somehow fell off truck on Friday the 7th.

Good person in Allen finds one box and takes it to Fed Ex drop off place, who writes on box and sends it back to Sherman.

Bad person finds other box and keeps it. That box doesn't get entered back into Fed Ex tracking thingie.

No One can find that 2nd box, except the driver who, if you remember entered in the tracking thingie boxes weren't on truck, said he left this second box on my patio.

Sure. You did. Ha! Not!

First, why would you put box number 1 on front porch and then take box number 2, which also had instructions to be placed on front porch to the patio.

Second, I don't have a patio!

Mom had a nice long conversation with Tracking Dept. Supervisor during which she even said my daughter is so blogging this! Go Mom!! And the Supervisor without coming right out and saying so indicated these 2 packages weren't the only ones the Tracking Dept. was trying to track and he did say the driver was being investigated.

The original shipper in Grinnell refunded Mom's shipping costs and handled the reordering of what ever was in box #2 to be shipped directly from what ever company to me.

Let's hope the what ever company doesn't use Fed Ex.

**Thank you Good Person in Allen for doing the right thing! Many blessings to you!**
*FedEx Driver, I forgive you*

fedex

Photo Thursday: Body

Body? I don't see no body.



Look a little closer



Just a little closer... see the body?



I just love geckos.

Well, except the one that lives in my pantry. Although I haven't seen it in a few months. Perhaps it moved on.

For More Thursday Photo Challenge submissions

My 2nd Blog Giveaway is ending Friday night at 10pm. To enter leave a comment here.

IF: Little Things

When I first read the Illustration Friday topic of "little things" I thought, okay cute little ladybugs...but on the drive to work, with my thoughts and prayers for Julian. This "little things" drawing came to mind.

Simple "little things" we use everyday and most likely take for granted.

Food
Water
Toilet Paper
Toothbrush

and the list goes on.

But what if you are

homeless

unemployed

a single mom on food stamps

which won't buy

soap
shampoo
deodorant

or anything else of a non food item

like tampax or pads.

So I am asking you to add a few items to your grocery list and not just for the holiday season of giving, but weekly or at least monthly. Then drop these extras off at your local Care Center, Salvation Army, Church Food Bank, Shelter, etc. Every city or town has one.

Thank you.

For an Update on Julian check Michelle's blog.

Don't forget to enter my Second Art Giveaway by leaving a comment here.

For More "little things"

Fasting for Julian

The Cheese Cross for Charity Auction on eBay ends in a couple hours. As a day for prayer and fasting begins.

Julian's story is shared on Michelle's Blog and Dawn's Blog

From Michelle "Fasting can be dangerous for some people with certain health conditions so please use your best judgement. Our church encourages people who want to fast but cannot/shouldn't/ don't want to give up food to fast dessert, TV, technology or anything else that would be a sacrifice.

When you feel "hunger" for food or otherwise...PRAY FOR JUJU!"

On the sidebar on Michelle's blog is a paypal donate button. All proceeds will go to Julian and his family.

Please join us today. Pray for a miracle.

How to Make a Reindeer Gift Bag

My little girl is now 18, almost 19, but we still had fun making a favorite craft last weekend.

We first made one when she was in Brownies, a division of Girl Scouts, for a gift exchange.



Notice the small hands, aka antlers...this is an important element as you will soon see.

Material List:



1. Bags
2. Brown Paper (I used a sheet of brown poster board this time)
3. Card Stock, cream or off white and brown
4. Wiggle Eyes
5. Red Pom Poms
6. Craft Glue
7. Black or Brown Marker (if you want to draw a mouth, eyebrows, eyelashes)
8. Scissors
9. Little Bells (optional)
10. Bows or Ribbon (optional) I really wanted plaid bows, but could only find red this time of year.

Ignore the black Fun Foam...I'm so use to using Fun Foam in Kid's Craft Projects I had it in photo then couldn't figure out where I had used it in the Reindeer Gift Bag.

First step. Have your kiddos trace their hands or you trace your little one's hands.



See those odd looking hands on the left? My attempt of recreating child size hands. Not such a good idea. So save a master copy of your kiddo's hands for future crafting. Or just use their "18 year old hand" like I did.

Step Two: Trace around hand pattern on brown poster board. Then cut them out. Tip: I cut poster board into 4 pieces. And I traced all right hands, you can flip them later.



Step Three: Make Ears



Brown Ear, upper right hand area of photo, draw a fat football or an oval with pointed ends on white card stock. Trace on to brown card stock. Cut them out.

Inside of ear (optional) trace around outside part of ear on to off white/cream card stock. Now draw a smaller version inside this... See lower left hand area of photo. Cut it out and that is your pattern for inside ear piece. Trace and cut out.

These are the pattern pieces. You can use this image to trace your patterns, Click to enlarge or make smaller.



Glue inner ear to outer ear.

Step Four: Attach bell to Bow or Ribbon. This time I used premade Bows. I just unwired a bit and threaded the gold fiber wrapped end through the hole in the top of bell.

Step Five: Lay out components on Bag for placement. Then use craft glue to adhere them.



Ta Da .... Completed Reindeer Gift Bag.



Or with the size of those antlers perhaps that is a Moose with a cold.

Optional Step: Use Black or Brown Marker to add eyebrows, eyelashes, and a mouth.
Tip: Use a pencil first. You will not be seeing the photo of the Reindeer I made with a Unibrow!

I hope you have fun making these gifts bags. If you do make them leave a link to your blog if you decide to post photos...no, blog? Send me a photo to enigmaartist at gmail dot com. I'll post your photo if you ok that. Either way I would love to see how your bags turn out.

(if any of these steps don't make sense let me know, it's 4:30 am I should be sleeping, so it's hard telling if what makes sense to me makes sense to you. Does that make sense?)

Update: I originally posted directions for bag, in the top picture, on my farm blog in 2004...the directions are a little bit different so if you would like to read those and compare...click here

If you liked this craft project... check out my tutorial for a Quick and Easy Gift project

Dinner and Art Plus Another Holiday Giveaway!

"Christmas Wreath"
ACEO=2.5 x 3.5 inches
color pencil
card stock

Not one...


"Christmas Stocking"
ACEO=2.5 x 3.5 inches
color pencil
card stock

Not two...


"Christmas Candle"
ACEO=2.5 x 3.5 inches
color pencil
card stock

But three, count em 1 2 3 ...

Leave a comment and you are entered to Win ALL 3.

Great way to start a collection of ACEOs "Art Cards Editions and Originals.

Dinner was yummy.



Giveaway ends Friday, December 14th, 10pm CST. Leave a comment. Don't be shy.

And the Winner is

for my first Blog Giveaway

I used the new random number generator...My Mom.

I am so far behind on everything (which is soooooo NOT my fault,the blame rests fully on Rechelle at The Country Doctor's Wife, I got lost reading her archives for hours...okay, days)

Anyway since I had no time to write names on slips of paper and it would take days to find dice.

I called my Mom. Long Distance.

Me: hey Mom pick a number between 1 and 7

Mom: pick a number between 1 and 7 (like I stuttered)

Me: Yes, pick a number between 1 and 7. It's for my blog.

Mom: 3

Me: Thanks, Mom. Love you

Mom: Love you, too

Pretty good number generator if you ask me. If you need her to pick a number for you let me know I'll give you her phone number.

So number 3 it is.... Emily of Explorations in Food

I have received her mailing address and will take a photo of what she is getting & hopefully post the photo in a bit.

Right after I upload photos for Monday Night Dinner and Art and the photos for How to make a Reindeer Gift Bag that was going to be Sunday's post and I am about to forget Saturday Sighting "the Odd House Continued" post.

Yep, I blame it ALL on Rechelle. Don't say I didn't warn you. Cause if you go there...you are going to read her archives... (I even read hers first today Before Ree/The Pioneer Woman)

And then you are going to want to read her sister, April's blog too!!!

Studio Friday: Creating Emotion

In 2006 I lived through a very trying time for me and my teenage daughter.

I didn't think it was possible to survive the "heart pain". I cried everyday for months.

I rarely created anything during this time. Here are two...


ACEO 2.5 x 3.5inches
color pencil
bristol board 100 lb.


ACEO 2.5 x 3.5inches
color pencil
bristol board 100 lb.
Our relationship continues as those who have gone before us in the dance of Mothers and Daughters.


size: 4 inches x 4 inches
color pencil
bristol board 100 lb.

For More Studio Friday

Be sure to enter my First Giveaway by leaving a comment here.

And check out eBay Auction "Cheese Cross" for Julian. Full story on Michelle's blog

IF: Excess

"Eggscess"
ACEO 2.5x3.5 inches
color pencil*
100 lb bristol board
*plus a bit of acrylic cause the eggs looked like potatoes when they were brown eggs

For more Illustration Friday

Be sure to enter my First Giveaway by leaving a comment here.

And check out eBay Auction "Cheese Cross" for Julian. Full story on Michelle's blog

Photo Thursday: Red

daytime


night

Question... Is it possible to capture Neon with a P&S camera?

I really wanted the bright red Neon "fang" .... I use a Nikon Coolpix L11


Be sure to enter my First Giveaway by leaving a comment here.

And check out eBay Auction "Cheese Cross" for Julian. Full story on Michelle's blog

eBay Auction "Cheese Cross" for Julian

Tis the season for Angels.

Michelle being one of them. In a hectic Monday morning a sign was given which sparked an idea.

An eBay Auction to raise funds for a family deserving of our help. Add the auction to your favorites. Email it to your friends. Post a link on your blog. If a grilled cheese sandwich can net $28K or whatever it was surely this can aspire to similar amount.

If you have no desire to own a cheese cross, but have the desire to contribute to the fund for Julian, Michelle has a donate button on her sidebar.

Julian's story is featured regularly on Dawn's blog "Because I Said So".


On a personal note: Be sure to sign up for my first blog giveaway! Comment on this post.
And I hope to resume posting daily...Soon...working 10 hour days is kicking my behind.

Dinner and Art Plus A Holiday Giveaway!

2007 "Peace On Earth" Snowglobe
Size: 4 in x 6 in
color pencil
100 lb bristol board

Leave a comment on this post to win this original piece of Art by me!


Plus you will receive 6 Holiday Cards with envelopes and 6 gift tags featuring this snowman handstamped and colored by me!


Contest is Open until Saturday, December 8th, 10 pm CST


Holiday Goodies made by my daughter and me over the weekend. Pumpkin Bread,Peanut Clusters,and Chocolate Chip Blossoms.


I will be doing more Art giveaways this month so check in often!

Plus a fun giveaway on December 17th in honor of the "2007 Christmas Tour of Homes" hosted by BooMama

(Every Monday night I post Dinner and Art)

It's A Wondeful "Month"

Christmas Tree 2005

After completing NaMoBloPo (success) and NaNoWriMo, even though I missed the 50K word count I needed a weekend to play!

My daughter and I made Reindeer Gift Bags and Dammit Dolls (photos and instructions this week).

We baked, too! Pumpkin Bread, Cookies, and Peanut Clusters.

Tonight's Dinner and Art will be a plate of those goodies and my First Blog Giveaway!!

So check back after 7pm cst to enter the drawing.

While you wait head over to Melissa's Inspired Room for Creative Inspiration Week! Great giveaways there!

(Saturday Sighting Continuation of this post tonight as well)

Studio Friday: 7 Random Studio Facts

This week's topic for Friday November 23rd suggested by Robyn: THE RANDOM 7!

" 7 random facts/ studio habits. For example:
1. I cant begin my art until there is a a mug of hot coffee next to me and soft music playing in the background.
2. I have a good luck charm in my desk drawer. (It is a the third vertebra of a monkey or whatever)
It's just fun and some very unusual facts sometimes surface. We see lots of tagging but not studio oddities."
- Robyn

almost complete...Add work table, easels, stool, a couple of chairs


1) I have a studio!
2) It's a double garage converted into 2/3 part studio, 1/3 part library & my kiddo's hang out room. It has a propane wall heater, window AC, natural light from the North (and West)

3) I can't use my studio! Due to ALL the STUFF we (my kiddo and I) have stashed in there during our decluttering of the house in preparation to move when my farm sells.
4) Most of my "Arting" and "Crafting" materials are in my studio... Yep makes it hard to get to my materials due to ALL the STUFF in the way. (no way am I showing you a photo of that mess)

5) I believe all the Art on my Blog has been created while I am working at my real job!


6) Color pencils are a great portable medium. When I am ready to "color" in a sketch I select my colors then proceed to sharpen each pencil before I begin.



Seven must have tools, Sketchbook, sharpener, blender, eraser, and clips.

7) I do create "crafty" things at home, on my drafting table or dining room table. I have a corner in the great room with big desk to hold desktop computer, printer, scanner...drafting table and material table.

* the floor plan of the house I want to build or buy has a family/game room perfect for a studio. I want to paint one wall white,one pink/sorta fuchsia, one a golden yellow, and the wall with windows a turquoise.


NaNoWriMo Update: 38,456 words...didn't make it, but I had a wonderful afternoon and early evening with my daughter.

Photo Thursday: Happy

For More Thursday Photo Challenge

I Heart Yellow Houses

This is a little frame house I found in Plano, Tx. Next time I'm over there I'm going back to get a better picture of the detail on the mosaic.

When I write I like to have visual references. The characters in the stories I write need to live somewhere.

Houses inspire me to write worthy characters.

NaNoWriMo ... Novel excerpt from 2004

Our mother, an avid reader, and even more so while pregnant, named me while she read Shakespeare’s, A Midsummer’s Night Dream. I am Helena, or Lena, for short. We always shorten up our names before we started school, I went through a period of time, most of 4^th and all 5^th grade, answering only to Helena, usually waiting till whoever was calling me to say it twice. She was reading The Ambassadors, by Henry James, so that is how Chadwick got his name. And by the time mother was carrying Bart, her literary choices were quite different, with Chad and I, 2 and 4 years old respectively. He got his literally name from Dr Suess’s Bartholomew and the Oobleck. And Bart was supposed to be the end of this line of Carmichaels.

We weren’t sure what name mother would choose for the last wee one she carried. We all called this one the gift baby because we overheard mother muttering “the gift baby” several times a day. By this time her reading material was almost nonexistent, but she sure managed to eat a lot of rocky road ice cream, a half gallon would arrive by way of the mail boat every day for months. Plus, mother always had an orange, frothy concoction in a clear, cut crystal goblet, that she called “my mimosa”, but I knew there wasn’t any champagne in it. Mom was strictly a teatotaler, hot, cold, and many flavors, until at 40 she found herself gifted with another pregnancy. Then she carried the goblet and pitcher or thermos filled with the mimosa mixture with her everywhere. Chad and I were betting on Rocky, whether the gift baby was a boy or girl.. Bart was positive it would be Mimi, if a girl was born. I don’t think there was a literary reason for the name Meg, but at least she didn’t have to shorten her name.

I have not done a word count on my 2007 NaNoWriMo this week. I'll wait until tomorrow night.

The excerpt I shared is from a trilogy that began with my first NaNoWriMo attempt in 2004. I still work on the first and second one. The first is pretty much complete. Second one, started in 2005, I'm still editing. Third one was for NaNoWriMo 2006 and only has about 4000 words, but I do have a great outline and know the characters fairly well.

This year's "novel" has been fun, whether I make 50K words or not! Totally different, a romantic fantasy would best describe the genre. A Pirate is involved! Gotta Love Pirates!

When I sell the farm I will write, paint, create...

IF: The Zoo

"The First Zoo"
ACEO 2.5x3.5
color pencil
bristol board 100 lb.


For More Illustration Friday

Go visit Nat and his Art Giveaway! Time is running out! I've won twice I really shouldn't comment again but it's really hard not to... go check it out! Win some Art! He is only shipping to the US, though.