heat is on

summer is definitely here now. today was hot, 84 degrees. tomorrow will be in the 90's. i am not a hot weather person. 60 to 80 is ideal for me. i guess it doesn't matter too much when you're cooped up at work all day. i got a pedicure today so my feet are finally ready for summer & sandals. not much beats a good pedicure to make you feel good. ok, there are other things, but a good pedicure is right up there...when your feet feel good, it makes the whole rest of you feel good too!

i've been working on art projects left and right. i am trying some new techniques that i've read about in cloth paper scissors magazine. i'd have to say that's my favorite magazine right now. quilting arts magazine is a close second.  somerset memories is a close third. i'm not really a scrapbooker, but i like the techniques in that magazine. i also like digital scrapbooking magazine, it has to be a very close 4th place in my reading repertoire. of course i love all of the somerset magazines! i could subscribe to all of them if budget would allow. these are the four magazines that i read each and every issue. any way, back to the technique i'm trying. first, i'm working on "creating a background" on canvas that was described by artist shari beaubien in the may/june 2008 issue of cloth paper scissors. it entails using a canvas, diluted glue and tissue paper to create a base for gesso, then paints and other materials. i just finished putting down the "base" of glue and tissue paper. i love this technique as it's similar to my beloved fabric paper. this weekend i'm going to play with the techniques in the july/august 2008 issue of cloth paper scissors, in the article called "art at the speed of life" by artist pam carriker. i just love her article as it describes fitting your art into your life any way you can do it. this is something near and dear to my heart. i will let you know how these techniques work for me and i'll try to get more photos online. 

good day

i can't believe it's monday already. the weekend just flies by every time. yesterday was mother's day, so besides everything else to do, we had marc's mom over for dinner. it was nice though. i made chicken marsala, with asparagus and buttermilk mashed potatoes. for dessert, i had made carrot cake with vanilla cream cheese frosting. delicious. i use fresh, organic products whenever i can. i am using up the organic carrots i got back in december from the csa i belong to - they are still delicious! i cannot believe how many carrots i get through that place. i still have quite a few left actually. i guess i'll need to make more carrot cake. 

 i did get a little bit of time in the studio yesterday afternoon. i had gone to artist and display art store on saturday, and again on sunday - as i found out they had a big sale going on. when they have a sale, its usually a good one. i got some textile paints by jacquard, some golden fluid paints (on sale), golden acrylic medium & glaze (on sale), some brushes (on sale), some collage elements, and a book on acrylic paints which covers color mixing. i am working on painting more right now, but my bernina is calling me. i must sew and quilt again. it's been too long. yesterday i did some painting on fabric and coffee filters. i like working with coffee filters. i'm saving up tea bags too and want to incorporate them into my work. my problem is that i get pulled into too many directions with my work. which technique to use? they are all so cool and fun! one thing at a time. even when i find techniques that work for me, i'm off to try the next one i read about and off i go - in search of supplies and materials. all i need is more time to dedicate to my new found techniques. develop them, nurture them and then incorporate them into my work. i am looking forward to the upcoming workshop with beryl taylor. i have another favorite artist to add to my list: judy coates perez. I'll put a link to her artist blog on my blog. excellent & inspiring stuff!

11:00 p.m. another busy day it's been. i almost forgot that i had made a lunch date with my friend, linda, today. thank goodness for outlook reminders at work! i'd forget my head sometimes. i can't function without my calendars, online and of course, my franklin planner. it's my bible, so to speak. my life is coordinated in it. dinner was a simple soup, made from ingredients on hand & in the pantry. i can usually whip something up if i put my mind to it. it's when i'm running so late with work that we go out to eat. quicker to run to the restaurant than cook a meal. more tomorrow. i'll pay for my late night tonight, tomorrow. i'll be exhausted.