Finally...

It took a few days, but here is the card I did for this past Sunday's swap. I was busy all week with work and life stuff, so I decided to keep it simple.

The flower stamp is Paint Prints from SU. The sentiment is from PaperTreyInk.

The inks are Ruby Red and Really Rust from SU.

I think the constuction is easy to figure out. I was trying to use colors that might not be an obvious combination. I am really into putting orange tones with other colors lately.

Sometimes I get very complex with cards. Then when I take a step back and do something as simple and clean as this one, I really love it.

Feeling a little devilish today...

Yeah, I feel like I have attitude today. In a good way.

I am trying to lose a little weight and I am down another 3 pounds. Every little bit helps.

I have discovered that I don't necessarily eat all that bad, I just don't think I move enough.

It has been easy modifying my eating habits the bit that was needed. It hasn't been so easy to get back into a fitness routine. But I am trying.

I did a bike ride Sunday after stamping. And I bought an elliptical machine. It is my goal to use that a few times a week and supplement with biking and walking so I don't get bored. Plus I want to start throwing in a little bit of light weights.

I figure if I maintain the good eating habits and up the exercise, I should see even better results.

Anyway... Sunday stamping was fun. I was busy with weekend plans and didn't get to photographing the cards, but I will try to get to that tomorrow morning and get a couple more pictures posted.

For today's art, I have included a copy of a sticker that I have on my fridge. I got it at a flea market a few years ago in Portland, Ore. It just fits my mood today.

Happy Stampy Sunday!

Some friends are coming over this morning to make cards.
We try to do this once a month, but everyone was so busy last month that we couldn't get together.
So I have been having withdrawals.
It's really fun. There are usually 5-7 of us. Everyone brings a project and all the supplies, and then we make each others projects.
Then we eat. Oh, did I forget to mention that it is also a potluck brunch?
Yeah, I think we like the eating as much as we like the stamping!
My food contribution for the day will be tea, coffee, various Italian sodas and some veggie/hummus roll-ups for the appetizer.
I will post the card contribution later. But for now, here is a card I did a couple years ago as part of a set of 20 different cards I made for a friend.
She was in the running to be Miss Leukemia/Lymphoma of Oregon and needed things for a silent auction. So I made a set of cards for her and a duplicate set for me.
That was my first real foray into making a lot of cards and really focusing on the details. Back then I thought these were the fanciest cards ever. Since then, I have gotten more elaborate with my creations.
By the way, my friend didn't win the title. But she did raise several thousand dollars for the Leukemia/Lymphona Society.
She is the most awesome chick ever. http://www.onewahine.blogspot.com/

The sum of these parts

I really like taking photos. I especially like taking photos of odd things that most people just see as junk. I like to look at things more closely. I like my zoom lens.

I took the top photo in April while I was in Florida. During a drive along "Alligator Alley" in the Everglades, we stopped at this gas station/rest stop. There was nothing scenic at all about the place. But while I was wandering around, I saw this bin full of these, well, things. I have no idea what they are. I just liked the graphicness of them.

The second shot is from a couple years ago. I took this while I was in Boulder, Colo. I was walking along Pearl Street and some junk in an alley caught my eye. If I recall correctly, there were some old doors leaning against a fence, as well as some rusty bikes. That was all interesting, but what really caught my eye was a big trash barrel full of what look to be automotive parts. I just liked the shiny parts against the dull parts. I also liked the subtle colors in there.

These are contenders for things I might submit to a show at the P.V. Art Center (http://www.pvartcenter.org/events.html#Call - it is for the Juried All-Media show. I may look at some other stuff for the Small Treasures show.)

Any thoughts on these photos?

I can get behind this policy

I saw this sign a couple months back at a winery in Santa Barbara County. I just loved it.

The winery has really good wine and I like places that don't take things too seriously.

Little Lady

Here is the card I mentioned in the last post.

The images are from PaperTrey (http://www.papertreyink.com/).

I like to get my hands dirty

I have many projects in the works now. Which is part of the reason I have been so lame about updating this blog.

The other part is that I am still trying to decide on its identity.

But whatever. In the meantime, let's talk about some art.

I have been slacking a bit with my pottery. I had some wheel days that didn't produce anything good, and it was a bit discouraging. But then I did some hand-built pieces that came out so nice. I think I may concentrate on handbuilding.

In fact, I signed up for the next session at P.V. Art Center and the class which used to cover so much, now focuses on hand building. So I am excited.

The art center is soliciting submissions for a couple shows. I may submit some of my small ceramic pieces to one that is all about small art. So cool!

For that one, pottery and sculpture have to be able to fit in a 6-inch by 6-inch box. Fun!

There is another one that seems a little more open as far as the requirements. I am contemplating some photos for that one. I haven't been as active with my photography as I used to be. But I did get some interesting shots in Miami.

More on the art front: I went to the Getty Center on Tuesday. My main reason to go was to see the John Humble photography exhibit (http://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/humble/). I really liked it. It is amazing how simple the shots are, but still there is life to them.

There also was an exhibit on illustrations of beasts in medieval manuscripts (http://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/medieval_beasts/). Wow! The detail and color of some of the illustrations was amazing.

Then there was some wandering in the galleries before hitting the gardens. I love the fountains and the gardens. It is a great place to stake out a patch of grass and do some people watching.

My other projects in the works are all card-making projects. I have to get a project together for this weekend's brunch. Plus I just sent out three swaps and I have two more to do.

And I am trying my hand at being a guest designer for a new stamp line. We'll see if they pick me. So far I have submitted one design, but I want to try at least one more.