Holiday Hiatus

I have decided to take the rest of the year off to enjoy the holidays.  I want to thank everyone that has supported me in my decision to create a blog.  You are all sooo wonderful.  May you and yours have a great holiday!  See you January.

Cindy

Friday Inspiration

Today I would like to share a link to a blogger who is offering twenty five online classes and twenty prompts, mostly holiday themed but techniques that can be applied year around.  She is very talented and I'm quite sure you will find something you must try!  So check it out, play, create and have a great weekend.

http://alisaburke.typepad.com/holidayplay/

Altered Book Wednesday

Today's offering is a continuation of my "Good Fortune" altered book.  This spread is by the lovely lady and amazing artist Claudia, a member of our local Altered Book Coalition.  She used a weaving technique that utilized a Chinese menu.  I love it soooo much.  Thank you Claudia.

Altered Rolodex Card Monday

Only had a chance to play in the studio for a bit this weekend but conducted an experiment I want to share. I came across some texture tiles used for cake fondant.  They are much larger and thinner than embossing folders and I couldn't resist them for only fifty cents!  I layered a large Rolodex card and the tile and ran them through the die cut machine. Loving it! They don't emboss as deeply as embossing folders, so they will be excellent for creating backgrounds.  They didn't flatten out but the brick pattern tile did curl but other than that I should be able to use them over and over.  Below is the texture tiles packaging, the tiles and the end result.  I would say this is a score!

Giving Thanks To Those Who Help Others

Today's altered book post will be postponed to give thanks to those who give to others.  I am so fortunate to have art buds that help others.  They think they fly under the radar.  They should know that their acts of kindness do not go unnoticed!  I see what you do and my heart swells that you don't look for recognition, though you deserve it.  You give time, money and "stuff" but most importantly, you give your heart.  I am so thankful you guys are in my life.  You give me inspiration and goals!  That's just my awesome friends but there are others.  Think about it.....people who give up their Thanksgiving day to feed those less fortunate. People who take clothes out of their closet to give to those who do not have the means to buy their own. The list goes on and on, especially during the holidays.  Buy why wait until the holidays to give.  Open the door for someone.  Take a sandwich or fruit (and a bottle of water) to the homeless man who you see sits on the bench on that busy street every day.  Smile at a stranger in a store.  Give thanks that you can share kindness! Thank you for giving to others.

"A grateful heart gets the day going in a great trajectory.  One does not have to wait until "conditions" are good to have a thankful spirit."

Cathy G
Art bud

Giving Thanks To Those Who Help Animals

My Monday post is always about altered Rolodex cards. Not today. Today I want to thank anyone who has ever given their time to help an animal.  My story involves cats. Never owned a cat. Never been around a cat. Never wanted a cat. The journey begins! One day while standing outside, an extremely emaciated but bulging in the stomach cat appeared at the end of the driveway. She looked so pitiful. I looked at her and she looked at me. She spoke first. "Feed me." What? I looked in amazement and she spoke again. "Feed me." Holy mackerel Batman, did that cat just ask me to feed her? I was stunned! After a minute or so I ran inside and opened a can of tuna and dumped it at the end of the driveway. It was gone in less than a minute. She looked at me and she didn't need to ask again. I opened another can and dumped it in the same place. I went my way and figured she went hers. The next day, I went outside and there she was, much skinnier but still hungry. That encounter began my journey with feral cats. In little over a year, there were cats every where! I was in trouble. I called and called a local non-profit that offered spay and neuter services but could never get a return call. I posted on a local freecycle cafe site that I desperately needed help. In short order, an amazing lady named Tammy L. replied that she could help. She was and is an angel when it comes to cats. Within days I was trapping and toting the older cats in her cages to be spayed (yep, all girls). I found homes for kittens and finally after two years plus, got the population under control. Tammy was there through it all. She was kind, offered sage advice and never laughed at my concerns or silly questions. Tammy walked me through taking care of an injured cat that lived in my house in a upside down baby crib for six weeks but that's another story for another day.  Now, I would like to think Tammy gave me and my situation special attention, but she didn't. She is there for cats and people who want to help.  She is special and I thank her from the bottom of my heart....well me and the six amazing outside cats that I love so very much...and who will never ever have babies!  My art buds were there through this amazing and humbling journey and I thank each and everyone of you.  Art bud Karen gifted me with a lovely piece of art about this journey.  Thank you Karen.  I love "A "tail" of 12 Kitties" and it will always reside in my art studio!  Just for the record, I will forever be convinced that FeeMee (the feral that started it all) spoke the human words "feed me."  RIP FeeMee and thank you.

Friday Inspiration: Giving Thanks

Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling. Thanksgiving is the following of that impulse.

Henry Van Dyke

Today and next week, I shall follow that impulse.  I have so much to be grateful and thankful for.  I have a strong desire to express my gratefulness and an even stronger desire to share. My blog is about art. My understanding of an art blog is not about the blogger's personal life but about the art.  How can that be when my art is the public expression of my life view? Feel free to join me in this journey.

Thank you Mario and Hank!

Altered Book Wednesday

It is a pleasure to continue to share my latest altered book "Fortune Cookie" from a local round robin I am sooo lucky to be a part of.  Today's offering is a spread created by the lovely Suzanne. Love how she played off the title of the book.  Thank you Suzanne, I love it!

Altered Rolodex Card Monday

I don't know what it is with my recent need to use themes in my art.  Usually my work is as random as it comes but not lately!  Oh well, to be able to create is a joy and if themes are involved, so be it!  Today's altered Rolodex cards revolve around wings.  The dragonfly is a temporary tattoo.  The others are bits from collage sheets.  Hope you are having a great Monday and let's meet here again on Wednesday.

Friday Inspiration on Saturday

Well, it finally happened.  I totally forgot to post!  Can't blame it on anyone other than me......well me and maybe my friend Pinot Grigio who stopped by for a visit!  I forgive me and hope you do too.  Today's inspiration link is not eye candy but a great site that offers online classes via webinars.   It's called CreativeLIVE.  They offers classes for photography, Photoshop, scrapbooking....even classes about finance and such for artists.  Tons of classes!  Did I mention they are free?  Yep, it doesn't cost a penny for the live webinars!  It's easy to sign up and they don't slam your inbox with spam.  Check them out at the link below and be sure and check the calendar for upcoming classes.

http://www.creativelive.com/

Have a great weekend and find a class at creativeLIVE!

Altered Book Wednesday

Last week I shared the first page of my book "fortune cookie" from a local altered book round robin. Today's share is the second page that I also created.  The figures were cut from an old paper lantern.  I love love, love them and knew they would be perfect for this book.  Of course, no fortune cookie fortune is complete without the the saying "in bed" which I added to a tag.  Happy Wednesday everyone!

Altered Rolodex Card Monday

Happy Monday everyone!  Today's offering continues the theme of males.  Below is two takes on one stamped image and the other two are images from an anatomy book.  Hope you like them.

Friday Inspiration

Though my blog is about altering paper, today's inspiration is all about assemblage, another love of mine. Well there is a hint of paper here and there, so it counts!  Visit Dale's site and you will find tons of inspiration!  Have a creative weekend and see you on Monday.

http://dalecopeland.co.nz/default.htm

Altered Book Wednesday

Sooo excited to share my Wednesday altered book post!  I belong to a local altered book group and we just finished our round robin, which takes up most of the year.  The theme of my book this go round is "Fortune Cookie."  The first page is the artist page created by Moi!  Each artist that created a spread signed their name on this page, which is found under the fortune cookie saying on the right, under the "lucky numbers." Each artist has given permission to post their creation, so please check back each Wednesday to see their contribution......you will not be disappointed!

Altered Tag Tuesday

A friend asked me if I would create some "grunged up" tags for gifts she was giving and as someone who is always looking for a reason to play, I jumped at the chance.  Of course, I can't just make a couple of anything, so the three below are leftovers and destined for someone's gift, sometime!  Hope you like them and thank you for stopping by.

Altered Rolodex Card Monday

The theme of this Monday's altered Rolodex cards is all about males.  Why?  I don't know, just felt like it!  Happy Monday everyone!  Hope you have a creative week.

Friday Inspiration

Check out this cool site for everything altered!

http://www.altered-art.net/

Have a great weekend friends.

Altered Book Wednesday

The altered book spread I'm sharing today is a spread in the final round of a local round robin that I am sooo lucky to be a part of.  The theme was a century of fashion broken down into decades.  I chose the 50s. Why?  I tell you why......I have hoarded a boat load of vintage patterns from the 50s that I have been aching to play with.  Here's how I did it.  First, I took the paper pattern instructions and glued them onto the book pages, then glued some of the tissue pattern on top of that. Lastly, I took the pattern and cut out the "finished" product from the front of the pattern package and glued that sucker down.  I added the words "Sew 50s fashion" because I'm notorious for using the word sooo!  Don't believe me, just look at the first sentence of this post!  Thank you for stopping by and may your Halloween be spookylicious!

Friday Inspiration on Tag Tuesday

Just couldn't help but to add one more Halloween inspiration post.  Today's inspiration is provided by a friend who took children's spring horses, removed the base, painted them white, sketched the "bones" and with one final step turned them into "Bony Ponies!"  My artists friends are so talented!  Hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Altered Rolodex Card Monday

Today's cards are brought to you by magazines!  I love to look through magazines for interesting images before they head to the recycle bin or donated for good causes.  As always, thank you so much for visiting my blog.  Have a great rest of the week!