T.G.T.M. - Thank Goodness Tomorrow's Monday!

Most people live for Fridays, for their weekends where there is no work, no office, time for themselves. For individuals like myself whose main, full time (albeit unpaid) job is taking care of the family, weekends are the busiest work days of the week. My hubby and I often play the 'who works harder' game and my kids tell me I do nothing! My weekends are filled with sports games, preparing three meals a day, often for extra kids, who I then must entertain along with my own. Driving. More driving. Errands for the kids who have no time during the week to buy project supplies/new cleats/white shirt for a concert. I don't complain - I love this job and am blessed that I am able to have it in this day and age. Come Monday, however, when husband goes back to the office and the kids are in school, I can go about my day at my pace, listen to my music, save my voice from yelling, and sneak some time in for myself, even if it is just to flip through a magazine.

Tomorrow I will go to Zumba, the most fantastic, fun exercise class there is. Clean up the house and work on the house project that is taking it's own sweet time. With a soy chai latte in hand and quiet in the back seat.

I did manage to pick up a book on Friday and flip through it over the weekend.

Living Retro is eye candy for someone interested in the mid century modern style. I'm trying to learn about the designers of the period and recognize pieces (so I can hunt for them at thrift stores and garage sales perhaps. This is South Florida - those that are much older now and came to Florida to retire had the goods in their homes. Where is it going?!)I can't wait to mix some clean furniture lines with the colorful vintage pottery that I have collected over the years and my funky collections of today. My designer friend just loves my collection of small paintings that I have purchased on Etsy. Oh what fun!

On the subject of fun, I am counting the days to Art and Soul in Hampton, VA! Just over two and a half months to go. I get so excited reading the Yahoo! group posts and only imagining what to expect. There is much talk about swaps. While I have never been to any type of art retreat like this, I plan to prepare myself to the best of my ability. I am trying to decide what to make and swap. Charms of some sort, most definitely. Perhaps I'll finish the zine that I started for the zine swap (that I did not participate in). Lots of ideas. I just need to prepare in advance because I have to pack up and move. That's a whole other project!

My little Nikki girl hasn't been getting as much face time as Tank, the newest member of our gang. She is truly a princess, however, and demands attention.

Journaling,Crocheting, Jewelry Making - Crafty ADD!

Crafty ADD - if it was a real affliction, I would certainly self diagnose myself. Of course the cool guy that build a lot of the shelves and wall units in my house is convinced I have regular ADD and thus could never have my own focused business. I don't listen to people like that, oh, no!

I found myself working on my crocheted blanket this morning while my younger son watched Saturday morning cartoons (I still haven't outgrown this.) Following breakfast I water colored and stamped some backgrounds on some pages of my art journal, which I am still enjoying! Around lunch time I found that I had sold a bracelet from my Etsy shop (yeah me!), which is prompting me to get around to photographing more of my jewelry to list. The afternoon found me picking up a few new craft books, one being the Naughty Secretary Club by Jennifer Perkins, who is a DIY tv personality and blogger who I have enjoyed reading and watching for some time. Her book is great fun! The others I will share at another time. I am not a big shopper when it comes to things that I could actually use (new sneakers) but I never pass a bookstore without stopping and never leave without a new craft book or magazine!

My latest artistic endeavor and source of enjoyment has been keeping working on the collages in the art journal.

This was a page from this past week. Fun!

Next endeavor, I think, will be to create an art zine for an art zine swap. I have some good ideas. The timing is a bit tight with the bar mitzvah and the move but frankly creating art and craft is what relaxes, de-stresses, and inspires me. Positive energy. Yes, I think I will do it!

Journaling for Dummies

Okay, I'm not a dummy.

As I often mention I am a bit obsesses with art craft books, magazines, and zines (and blogs). After discovering Teesha Moore's Art and Life zines and pouring through them, and subsequently reading her blog and how she creates such eye candy, I decided to take a shot at journaling with a more artistic approach.

I have always started(and stopped) diaries and journals since I was a kid. I have sketched in them, too. I have cut and collaged as long as I have been able to hold scissors. I have started in a small, inappropriate sketchbook that is more of a flimsy, spiral bound blank book that I have had for a few years. I have sketches in them dating back 7 years (but I don't have a lot of pages filled yet).

I also picked up a few books on journaling (how could I not! I will share them with you another day). I got out my supplies and followed the suggestions of those journal artists that I admire, which also includes Traci Bautista, who ia a collage and mixed media artist with an often fabulous color palette! They suggest making backgrounds first, then adding layers of color, stamping, etc...Some collage perhaps. Then journaling. While I am not quite ready to write out the details of my days, I did let my mind wander with the background and collages that came to be and put my thoughts with them.

I don't know how people scan their journal pages. Frankly, as you can see from my website, I don't know how people make their websites so visually amazing. Something to think about learning in the future (after the bar mitzvah and the move.)

Crafty Book Finds in Boston

I just returned from another vacation in Boston, which is always a delight unless it is between November and April. Being a city full of young people due to the abundance of fabulous colleges and universities, it has lots of crafty and green offerings. Due to my schedule that centered around visiting my son at camp, I was unable to do what I REALLY wanted to do, and that was visit the South End Open Market, which has everything from crafts to food every Sunday. There was also a green/crafty festival in Somerville - missed that, too.

Having finished the novel that I was reading on the plane, I tried to convince my 9 year old to walk over to Borders to pick up something for me to read. Tired after a day of walking the New England Aquarium, he countered that it was not necessary for me to go. In desperation to avoid watching cartoons later that evening, we stopped into the Paper Source store next to the hotel with fingers crossed that they had something crafty for me to read. I left with the most amazing zine by artist Teesha Moore called Art & Life. Her journaling and collage work is vibrant and inspiring.
This particular issue (#10) had her trip to Tokyo journalled. It was so much fun to read and look at. I went back for the only other issue they had (#7) and just ordered two more from her website.

Saturday we spent walking much of the city, from Newbury and Charles streets to Fanueil Hall and the Freedom Trail (No, our youngster wasn't with us. His little feet wouldn't have made it that far in the heat. Neither did mine, from the looks of the bandaids on my feet.) We stopped into a Boston favorite, Newbury Comics. I am not a comics reader/collector per se, however they have records, cds and dvds, and a very large collection of collectibles, including the designer vinyl and Japanese ones that I like. I found two great books as well. First, I was nostalgic to pick up Moomin: The Complete Tove Jansson Comic Strip.
I used to read the Moomin books when I was in grade school! My memory tells me that I loved them, and the cover graphics on this hardcover is great!

The second hardcover book that I encountered has me so very excited. It is called What It Is by Lynda Barry. The subtext on the cover says "Do you wish you could write?" Every single page in this book has hand drawn copy and illustrations and thought provoking questions, such as "What is a reflection?" "What is a secret? Where is it kept?" and so on. I paid full price and see I can get it for less on line, but it was fun to read and discover on vacation. Frankly, the books and some paper at Paper Source was all the shopping I did for myself this vacation.

I was, however, inspired to start collaging again and have to find some of the artist crayons that Teesha Moore uses in her collages and journaling. Besides this talented artist, I can thank my momentarily whining child for steering me into the store that had the zine!

More delicious books

Here are a couple more amazing books I found in NYC. I wish I could show you what is inside!
Button jewelry and crafts

Bags of Parisians (incredible - photos of bags, embellishing bags, what Parisians have in their bags...)

Exciting mail day today - I received this amazing bunny cookie jars today! I mentioned last month that I had to have them - and now I do.
They are designed by artist Momoyo Torimitsu for Cerealart. I ordered them through Velocity. They will sit on top off my kitchen cabinets and add some POP! No silk vines and baskets for me!

My Cool Book for Amigurumi Crochet

I love this book - this is where I found the pattern that I used to make my cute little french hamster. It has great pictures and best of all it has easy to follow instructions (yay). It is called Mr. Funky's Super Crochet Wonderful


I have a whole collections of craft books - from cute felt mascots and other felt objects, needle felting, sewing to mosaics and decoupage. I'll have to share some more.