So Much To Do, So Little Time

This time of year is such a mixture of excitement and dread for me. With little girls around, I can't help but get caught up in the excitement, but for some reason there is a heavy feeling in me as well. I don't know for sure from whence this comes - the past, fearing that I will not live up to expectations, upset schedules, trying to fit another large piece into the living room (tree)....I really don't know.

I am trying to focus on the excitement and for that reason I have been looking for and have found some very cool templates to make Christmas ornaments. Actually the tuts are more for decorative elements to be on a table or shelf, but I will adapt them. My grandgirl who is in kindergarten would love to make something that will hang on the tree, so I am planning to spend the next couple of hours getting things ready for an ornament making session for this afternoon when she gets home from school.

Meanwhile, I have begun again on the altered LP I was working on earlier in the week. It is becoming a winter/Christmas themed piece. I don't have any of the pieces glued down yet and I haven't decided how to bring them all together so that they aren't just pieces of paper glued down, but I will perhaps have some time this evening to work on it more. I am very happy with the background and the chosen pix (I am recycling last year's Christmas cards), but need to do some serious thinking about making it gel and look coordinated and not random. I'm not sure I have expressed this very well, but I think I know what I mean. &-)


Better get to work on those templates for later with the 5 year old. That's it for now. Don't forget to live in the moment.

My New Favorite Art Store

Today is the day I'd been waiting for since the art day I had in Olivet in early November. One of the artists I met there planned to come over to my place and trade knowledge. She brought her Spellbinder Wizard and all her accessories to show me and I spent a little time at the computer giving her hints and tips using Photoshop.

We then headed to USArtQuest, which up to now may have been one of the best kept secrets of the Jackson area. I must say, it might have been easy to miss it. The sign out front is not very large and the drive is somewhat obscured by large, beautiful evergreens. What a lovely spot and such a gracious hostess/owner, Susan Pickering Rothamel. I knew as soon as she greeted us that I was at a very special place.

The facility is not only an art supply store, but there is so much more - they make their own paints right on the premises. They have a large, spacious, well-stocked classroom area where classes are offered throughout the year. I can't wait to take a class there. The entire building was decorated with a multitude of different styles of art using their products, as well as items from past classes. It was a wonderful afternoon.

And even better, Susan is having a grand redesign and opening of their retail showroom. There will be refreshments, demonstrations and prizes. All this is happening on Thursday, December 11, from 2 pm - 6 pm. I am so looking forward to it.

USArtQuest is located between Sargent Road and Race Road on Ann Arbor Road, 7800 Ann Arbor Road, to be exact.

While this is not the time of year to be spending on myself, I couldn't help it - I had to try some of her products. I have a feeling I will not be going back to gel medium any time soon. Here is a picture of the items I purchased. I will be spending my free time in the next few days/weeks trying out these products and will report back on what I think. I will also upload pix to show the results. I didn't buy the iPod there. That is just part of the clutter on my work table. *-)


Well, it is almost dinner time and then I am going to start working on some ATCs using these new supplies. I'll post an update tomorrow. Until then, don't forget to live in the moment.

AEDM and Where Has the Time Gone

It is the last day of November. Where has it gone? I wish there was some way I could make it slow down - not really slow -but about 1/2 as fast as it is going now.

I have been working on a 33 1/3 rpm vinyl record for a couple of days now. It has layers of gesso, dictionary pages, bits of this and that, acrylic paint, stamps, and monocolor. I bought several of these at a thrift shop in St. Ignace when I was home for Mom's birthday last month and have looked at them thoughtfully several times, but this is the first time I have actually begun to do something with one of them. I just put a layer of white gesso over the whole thing and wiped it away a bit, especially over the figure of a pretty dress and girly figure with the dog's head and the dictionary page that describes vinyl records. I don't have a theme in mind yet, but when I do I will get to work on the final few layers and then show it to you.

Meanwhile I made an ATC for Dianne, who sent me her card for a swap and I am quite pleased with it. I will get it in the mail tomorrow and hope she will like it.


DD informed me yesterday that for the month of December she would be working six (6) days a week. That means this was/is my last weekend off until the new year. I was thinking this would make December a long, long month, but looking back at my first paragraph, I think it will fly.

She works from 2 until close today, which means I will have 2 girls most of today. That means that if I am to get any "art" time today, it has to be this morning. So I'd better get busy.

Until next time, don't forget to live in the moment.