sick, sick, sick...

Well, we'll get to have the cats for maybe another week because the new owner came down sick this morning and could not make the trip. And, I'm sick. Haven't been sick like this in, well... I can't remember the last time. I knew my allergies were flaring on Monday. I've been hoarse but this morning, I woke completely congested way up in my head so now I am hoarse AND sound like I'm talking in a barrel. This evening, I had some trouble breathing and wheezing so I just did a breathing treatment and wow, a miracle in those things. I can now breath with my lungs but my poor head is so stuffed up. I realized that this has been a pattern for me on New Years almost every year my entire adult life. Only a few years have I not been sick for New Years. Maybe I have just been overdoing things every single year! Ya' think? I get my resistance down, my immune system gets compromised, and then I get sick. I'm doing everything I can think of to get well. My medications, lots of vitamins, water, gallons of hot tea, hot showers, more vitamins, etc... feels like this time I will have several days of recovery. I'm very thankful for the timing when I wasn't scheduled for work and I'm not having to take kids back and forth to school. The boys go to their dad's for the night tomorrow so I won't have anyone to take care of except me. I just really want to get well by the end of the weekend. Ya'll pray for me, will ya'?

And to everyone out there, Happy New Year!

Fostering Cats

Zekie

Daegen (a.k.a. Tootsie Roll to me... he's hefty!)

On Christmas Eve, we got a pair of Abyssinian cats to foster who had lost their home. Their owner had to go into long term treatment and they needed an immediate home. These brothers, Daegen and Zekie, are 5 years old. They were put in the system to be up for adoption through "Lost Our Home" organization. It was a very smooth transition for them coming in to our home with three other cats. It was surprising. They have adjusted well and we fell in love. Today, I got a call that they already have someone adopting them! Their new mom is coming to get them from Colorado! She will be here on Friday. I spoke with her on the phone and she is so excited about them. She will fall in love with them quickly too. Poor Sam was in tears when I told him they would be leaving us. Maybe fostering isn't a good idea for us right now. I didn't realize Sam would get as attached as he has. We three fell in love with both of them but Daegen just really stole our hearts. So, so sweet. Here are a few pictures of the guys. We'll enjoy them a few more days and then say our goodbye's. They will be greatly missed. Seems that they have just always been part of our family even though it's only been a few days. They fit in so beautifully. If I could afford them, I'd have kept them in a heartbeat. Poor Sam offered me all his Christmas money to keep them not realizing that they are an ongoing expense. His Christmas money would only cover one of them having an annual check up! He just doesn't understand.

A few things

Well, I didn't take care of myself well over the past few weeks and I now have a bad allergy flare up and my voice is almost gone. It's actually been rare that I have been well for New Years throughout my adult life. Bleh.... I'm laying really low this week.

Thought I'd share some pictures of several of the journals I made this month as well as some cute gift tags which I sold at the boutique. I do still have some journals for sale and need to get those in my Etsy shop.

Here are some of the journals. This one is a small spin out journal.

This journal was one of my favorites and the colors were much more intense in real life. The cover is hand dyed velvet with lavender suede for the spine. The suede was repurposed from a jacket.

This journal was made from a repurposed sweater. It was a favorite sweater for many years until it began getting holes in it! Again, the color is off in the photo. It's very butterscotch in real life. The little heart is also felted wool.

This is the fabric inside cover of the felted wool journal. Love this Lonni Rossi fabric!
This book was from the early 1900's. It was given as a Christmas gift. When I deconstructed it and rebound it, I included the sentimental Christmas card. This was my first journal snatched up at my Book event!

Altered composition notebook. This paper is from Italy. I wish I'd taken an up close of the focal point. I adhered Mica over the central butterfly piece. The spine is covered in vintage wall paper which I painted.
This journal was the largest one I made with 5 signatures. It's a sturdy journal.

This is another of the journals made with the lavender suede. I used a jewelry toggle for the closure on this one. I really like this journal!

I did some fun pages in this journal using up lots of bits and pieces and doing some stitching on the pages. Really fun to do.

Vintage postcard journal

Time passes

Wow, it's been a few weeks since I've had time to catch up here. This will be pretty long so bear with me if you can!

Last I wrote, I was getting ready for the boutique. I"d like to say I made a boatload of money but that would not be the case. Not much traffic at the boutique. Not a good venue for me. I will not be doing this particular venue again next year but will be investigating other places to sell my things. Now I need to get things listed in my etsy store. Unfortunately, I had planned to do that for things to be on sale for the holidays but my computer had to go in for repair for over a week. I just got it back. Thankfully, it broke down just days before my warranty was to expire so I did not have to pay the $700. bill! Thank you, Jesus, for miracles in timing!

The week after the boutique, I had my book event hosted at my friend, Martha's house. While it was not well attended, my sales were good and the book binding class I taught was much fun! We will be doing something similar in the future.

I found out I will be teaching one class at Art Unraveled in August, 2011 so all my other classes I proposed will be put in the book to teach locally, either at my home or at The Creative Quest! For AU, I will be teaching "Beyond the Bag". The website is up and running with registration beginning next month so go check out the line up! Here is a reminder of my class samples:
This one is also made from recycled plastic bags but has been stained with alcohol inks! These journals feel so awesome in your hands. Lightweight and durable. And good for the environment too! It takes 18 bags to make the larger size journal. That's a good number for a recycling project!
I have been slightly obsessed with taking pictures of the sky. Sunrise, sunset, moon... can't get enough. Of course, with a sky like this to look at, how can I not? These are from a few different days but most of the same sunset/sunrise! Unbelievable! Love the moon shots too! I'm in awe of a Mighty God.Hate all the wires running in the photo but I couldn't not take a shot of this sunset! Magnificent! Arizona has THE most amazing sunsets and sunrises.

Below are all part of the sunrise view from my front porch!

Here are a couple of cool moon shots. LOVE how you can see the texture of the moon in the close up shot! The glow in the clouds was so gorgeous that night.

My boys and I stayed up to see the eclipse only to be sadly disappointed when clouds completely covered the sky right at the point of total eclipse. I could NOT believe it. So sad....

A couple of nights ago, I attended a fantastic dinner with the gals from The Creative Quest. We ate at the Phoenix City Grille and OH MY GOSH! Amazing food! The company was, as always, fantastic! I LOVE the ladies I work with! And I was so showered with wonderful gifts! I felt so special!

For my gifts, I made fabric pocket calendars for 2011. There were a total of 4 but one still had some sealer drying on the button i stained with alcohol inks so it didn't get photographed. These are easy and fun to make and turned out really cute! I intentionally bound them with eyelets in the fabric so the old calendar can be removed and a new one sewn in future years.


Alisa Burke inspired me on her blog, reusing book pages. I have done this a lot but her recent post prompted me into these little bags sewn from book pages, sprayed with Adirondack inks, and tie closed with torn strips of sheer fabrics and finished with handmade tags! They were a big hit!Now this is something I had never heard of. Gnoming. One of our pastors, his family, and a few friends, dress up like gnomes and elves and go around delivering little bags of goodies to people who have really been through a lot that year. They come to let you know you are not alone, that they are standing with you, that God is with you every moment. Then they pray for you and off they go. I got a visit last week and this was the scene at my door! I was cracking up! It was so great! Once you have been visited by the Gnomes, you get invited to become one the following years and for the future. They gather before going out, read a gnome story, talk about gnoming events of the past, plan where they will go that night, and then meet back up afterward (there are now two groups that go out) and talk about what happened that night. How cool is that????? And I get to be a gnome next year! I'm already thinking of my costume....


Finally, my boys are now out of school. This is a special breakfast made for Max his first day on break! I love making special breakfasts and making the boys feel special!
Today, we are going to a movie, thanks to the generosity of a couple of my students who gave us gift cards to the theater! The boys will need to get up soon. They are sleeping in as we were up late again last night. At 11:00, someone threw something through Max's bedroom window. Thankfully, he was not in there because we had just watched a movie and he had not gone to bed yet. Now waiting to hear back from my landlord to get the window repaired. :(

Well, I'm almost ready for Christmas but wish I had another week! Still trying to figure out what to make my mom! Shopping for the boys is finished! Have some constructing stuff to do though. I'll be doing that this evening while the boys are with Chuck. I'll then stash things at my neighbor's house! I've done zero baking and want to do that tomorrow and maybe later this afternoon. Never enough time.

Well, gonna' run. If you are still reading this far, I thank you! Have a wonderful Christmas as we remember Jesus coming to us only to die for us so we could be restored to Him! Unfathomable love given to us!

Like walking dead

Well, yesterday I worked almost non-stop getting ready for the boutique happening TODAY! I started at 8:30 and stopped at about 12:30 this morning... back up at 5:30. Pretty tired, I am. Hoping I have good sales! If you are in the valley, come see me!
Location: Open Door Fellowship Church on the corner of 19th Ave/ Butler (between Northern/Dunlap)
Time: 9-2
Another boutique is happening right across the street so major shopping ops! Come on by!

Gotta' head out the door for set up!

It's a Sale!!!

From now until Christmas, I am having a sale in my etsy shop! Enter the coupon code "CHRIST!" at check out and receive 20% off your entire purchase! Do Christmas shopping in your pajamas!

More to update soon, I promise!

Upcoming event for locals!

If you are local, mark your calendars!!!
On Saturday, December 11 from 10 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., a special event is being hosted for me at the home of Martha Wenzel, located at 8420 N. 17th Ave. (just S. of Butler). Come enjoy a bowl of soup, shop for a one-of-a-kind journal, and/or learn how to make your own! If you would like more details, please e-mail me and I will e-mail you the flyer I made up. I cannot get the file to copy and paste for my blog post!

This is the sample journal for the class I will be doing, which starts at 10:30. Each journal will be different. The class is $15. and that includes everything you need to make a journal! Seating is limited so reservations are required. Please contact me if you would like to join me! Come and bring a friend!!!!

Smitten

I am completely smitten with the sky right now. The moon, the clouds, the sun rising.... I took pictures this morning and again tonight. The sunrise was interesting this morning with all of the clouds. Some of the moon pictures were obviously taken more at a distance. Interesting how the color changes the closer I zoom in. When the moon was setting this morning, it was more stunning than the rising, if that is possible. I couldn't get a photo though because of the two story buildings behind my house blocking the full view of the moon. The glow was unbelievable though. I"m hoping to get a shot in the morning as I am planning to get up earlier so it will be higher in the sky. We'll see what kind of show it puts on in the morning.

I've been busy making Christmas ornaments for the boutique I am participating in on Dec. 4. I've also been putting together blank journals to sell. Busy, busy.....