Altered Art

I recently finished altering this 7gypsies printer's tray.
I used my favorite October Afternoon Thrift Shop papers along with some random little prints that I liked.

I love working on a small scale like this, finding treasures to place in the compartments.
It's a mishmash of significant items, including a penny from the year Mark and I were married , two more pennies for the kid's birth years, some sand from our trip to the Mediterranean, and of course a heart rock!

The Great Big Stitched Postcard Swap

Look at what showed up in my mailbox.
This is the beautifully stitched felt postcard I received from Tina in the UK.
I love how the hearts are pouring out of the roof.
I love the hand-stitched flowers and the button on the sun.
This swap was so much FUN. I hope there's another one soon!!

Gratitudes

While I was watering plants this morning, I was reflecting upon a few of my gratitudes:

I am grateful for my amazing partner whom I love and cherish.
I am grateful for my beautiful, brilliant children, who bring me joy and humility each day.
I am grateful for clean water and abundant food.
I am grateful for the visual beauty of art and the auditory brilliance of music.
I am grateful for a respite from cancer for yet another year.

The turkey is in the smoker, the pie is cooling on the counter, and the jigsaw puzzle pieces have been sorted.
From our warm and grateful home to yours, Happy Thanksgiving.

Hello Monday

It is snowing. Three inches and counting.
Our first winter storm warning of the year has been issued, with a total accumulation of five to eight inches predicted.
A matinee of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows perhaps?

Who You Are and What They Say

A little ditty that appeared in my in-box:

If you are confident, they will say you are arrogant.

If you are deliberate, they will say you are too sure of yourself.

If you have a sense of purpose, they will say you are self-absorbed.

If you know who you are, they will ask, "Who are you, anyway?"

If you believe in kindness and compassion, they will say you are naïve.

If you are a dreamer, they will say "join the real world."

If you are a rebel, they will try to shut you down.

The instructions include:

rein it in
slow it down
wait it out

pull it back
take your time
play it safe

But you will know:

They are envious because they want what you have.

They are afraid of change even as they crave it.

They are projecting their own regret into resentment of you.

It's not all bad news: some of them will sort themselves out and end up joining you. Because you are a good person and have had plenty of false starts of your own, you'll understand and welcome them warmly. We've missed you! you'll say. It's about time you made it.

As for the others, well, you will remember what Gandhi said:

"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win."

The Art of Non-Conformity by Chris Guillebeau

Hello Winter

Look what we woke up to this morning.
Completely unexpected.
Welcomed with open arms in this family.
Both kids are snotty, so we had an impromptu sick day.
Everyone needs a little rest.

I get to stay home too.
Art and laundry are my mantra today.

ATCs

I recently joined a local Artist Trading Card club that meets once a month to swap tiny pieces of art. Our theme for November was gratitude and this was the card I created.

And here's a few cards from swaps gone by.

Right Now

Our beautiful curly-haired Claire.
Learning to play the flute.
She recently finished a season of middle-school volleyball.
Totally loving books right now.
Sassy-mouthed and sweet, this one.

Hello little cute man.
He's all Lego Star Wars, all the time.
Unless it's Xbox 360.
Thinking he might want to give Karate a try.
His mouth is a tangle of too big and baby teeth right now.

My mountain man.
This pic is pretty representative of what he's been doing.
Hunting.
And working hard at the sequencing core.
And getting freakin' amazing at Sudoku.
And turning forty-five. Yikes.

And me, the mama.
I'm just swinging along, working and taking care and making art.
Nesting into my new home.
Experiencing my first root canal.
Steering clear of cancer for another year.

Life is good.

Start With Art

Welcome back me!
This is my postcard for The (great big) Stitched Postcard Swap.
It's being mailed to a fellow artist tomorrow,
but I can't tell you who just yet.
I hope she likes it.
You can view other postcards here.