3 AM Designs

Sketchbook Project 2012, Chapter 2

2011-10-10T07:06:00.001-04:00

Well, I'm back, and as I said last week, I'm going to show you what I've been doing with my sketchbook.

Remember, I said that the sketchbook that arrived from the Art House was filled with very thin drawing-type paper, so the first thing I wanted to do was change the paper. I used some nice heavy watercolor paper - this would allow me to do just about anything in my journal. I sewed it, not really knowing what I was doing. The "Sketchy Characters" from The Carolina Mixed Media Art Guild held a rebinding workshop, lead by Penny Arrowood , but I wasn't able to attend, so I was forced to wing it on my own.

Then I wanted to replace the cover. This is what I have right now, but I'm not finished with it - it's definitely a work in progress! As I work on the inside, I'm sure I'll add to the cover.

After I covered it, I decided to paint the pages. I was sure it would be easier to start working in my journal if I didn't have all those blank white pages staring at me!

I've been working on a few pages, but it seems that I'm always tweaking! I think I'm done, have moved on, and I'm working on another page, and I come across something that would be just perfect on that last page! so I'm back on that last page for awhile. sigh.... that is the way with these art journals - they are never quite done, are they?

Here are a couple of the more completed pages, and I'll be showing more along the journey.

Sketchbook Project 2012, Chapter I

2011-10-01T16:30:00.001-04:00

You may have noticed, if you have been visiting, that I have taken a rather long break from my blog. Sometimes this happens in blogland. I had a good reason when my break first started - I had surgery on my shoulder - twice. It was really hard to sit at the computer and hammer out a post. As time went on, it just got harder and harder to get back into the groove, even though I really liked blogging when I was doing it.

Now, I don't want to make any promises, and I don't want anyone to wave this post in my face later, so what I'm about to say has a big fat TRY attached to it, ok???? Here goes: I am going to TRY to blog more regularly. Now that I have that out of the way, I'll tell you why I think I might be blogging more.

Sketchbook Project Logo
customized for our group: "The Sketchy Characters"
Thanks to Penny Arrowood for photo

Because I'm sooooo excited about being a part of the Sketchbook Project 2012 !

There are 18 of us from The Carolina Mixed Media Art Guild that decided to do sign up for this as a group.

You can read the details on the Art House site, but basically it's this - you sign up; they send you a sketchbook; you fill it up and send it back to them in January; the sketchbooks will live in the Brooklyn Library; and they go on a tour next year so everyone can look at them.

So, we signed up and we waited for our books. We talked about our chosen themes, and art journaling, and all the cool things we were going to do, and we waited... and we waited... and we waited... And finally, they arrived! and they looked like this:

Photo from the Art House

For those folks who are sketchers or writers only, this would have been fine. But we are MIXED media folks! Some of us were planning to use different types of paints, some were planning to use fibers and stitching, some wiring... The really THIN paper in this book just would NOT do!!!! There was no way that we could paint on it, sew it, rivet it.... We looked at these books and our faces fell. Then the questions started - can we change the paper? how big? how thick? We went to the website and found the answer - Yes, we can! So, yes, we did!

My next post will show photos of my rebound journal and some of my first pages.

One World One Heart Winner!!

2011-02-16T07:56:00.000-05:00

If you visited my OWOH post in the last couple of days, you may have seen that I would be drawing my winner a day earlier than the rest of the players. I am leaving this morning to go to the Pocosin Cabin Fever Reliever, which I told you about here. I’ve been busy the last couple of days gathering things that I’m going to learn amazing ways to transform into gorgeous and wondermous pieces of jewelry! (I hope)

But, before I leave, I need to let you know WHO has won my drawing in the One World One Heart world-wide blogging open-house. But first, let me just say that I had a wonderful time visiting blogs and meeting new friends and visiting old ones. I’ve always known that there are some very talented and creative people in this world, but I continue to be amazed by how many there are, and how diverse the creativity is! Don’t you think so? Just when I think I’ve seen everything, I come across someone doing something I’ve never seen before, or doing something in a completely different style. I added a lot of blogs to my blogroll so that I can visit regularly. I bookmarked the rest so that I can go back again when there is more time to visit at a leisurely pace. Never was I disappointed with a visit. Thank you everyone for a wonderful tour of the arts! and Thank you, Lisa for all that you do for organizing this! I know that a huge amount of work goes into this every year.

Okay, WHO is the winner? Using the Random Number Generator, and counting the comments 3 times to be sure I did it right – I wish my blog automatically numbered the comments! I did determine that I had a winner!

Congratulations to Mallory ! She is the WINNER! of my copper PMC necklace. Look for a few other goodies in your package, too, Mallory! I’ll be in touch with you by email to work out the details.

Isn’t this FUN??? I hope everyone else had as much fun as I did on this magic carpet ride through the blogosphere! Okay, I’m off to tell Mallory. Then I’m headed to the coast for some arty goodness!

Cabin Fever Reliever

2011-02-11T07:37:00.000-05:00

Next week I’ll be heading to the Pocosin Cabin Fever Reliever. What is this, you ask? It’s a 4-day art retreat held in Columbia, NC, which is on the Inner Banks, next to the Outer Banks! – beautiful, even in the winter!

This retreat is different from others I’ve attended because I’ll be taking ONE class with ONE instructor for the 4 days that I’m there - Jewelry as Personal Adornment taught by Bob Ebendorf. I’m really excited about learning from this incredible instructor! AND, I’ll be going to places I've never been before with my jewelry making. I’m really excited, and I love that I have four days to practice the new techniques instead of the usual day, or two. Plus, this retreat has open studio time every evening, allowing us to work on our pieces after dinner, if we’re so inclined.

Besides all this arty goodness, I’ll be there with 2 of my best friends! What could be better than four days of playing with new art - at the beach - while having a slumber party??? We’ve already been planning our drink menus. Did I mention there’s a BYOB happy hour every day? My kind of retreat!

This is where we'll be staying. Obviously, this photo was not taken in February! Even if we have time, don't think we'll be doing any sailing! I just checked the weather forecast and it's supposed to be in the 60's - woohoo! warmer days ahead! but still not warm enough for me to be doing any sailing in that freezing water! I say nay nay!! But it's a beautiful place, don't you think?

I hope to have a piece of jewelry worthy of posting when I return. Fingers crossed....

Take 25 – CMMAG’s Annual Challenge

2011-02-05T10:31:00.000-05:00

It’s that time of year again! The Carolina Mixed Media Art Guild (CMMAG) has challenged its members the last two years with the M4 (Mixed Media Madness Mission-Art Possible). This year we are doing it again - same challenge, but with a new name – “Take 25”. The challenges have all had basically the same idea - we all have to make something from 25 things. The first year, we were given a pizza box full of things – everyone’s box was identical. It was amazing to see what everyone did with these kits! No two were anything at all alike! Read about my piece here, and the others at the CMMAG blog here.

Last year, we were given a list of things that we had to find before we could start to assemble our piece. Again, no two were even close! My entry is here, and the others at the CMMAG blog here.

This year, the participants were asked to send in 3 ideas to be included and a list was made from our ideas. We’ve just received our list of 25 items. Let the ~~conniving~~ creating begin!!

At this point, I can’t share the list with you. We’re waiting to see if there are any others who might want to play. But I can tell you that I’m allowed to use as much of the following as I want:

· Inks, dyes, crayons, paints – if we can color with it, we can use it!
· Glues, resin, and other adhesives – again, if we can use it to stick it down, we can use it!
· Wire, brads, jump rings, buttons, nails, screws, and other connection devices – you get the picture!

We’ve been asked not to reveal our creation until opening night, which will be March 25, 2011, at Artist Alley in Southern Pines,NC. Once I have come up with an idea and started working on my creation, I plan on giving some peeks if it looks like I can do that without giving anything away.

These challenges are fun and scary at the same time. I’ve been looking at this list since I got it and I don’t have a clue what I’m going to do!! I guess we’ll see, won’t we?

One World One Heart - UPDATED

2011-01-31T04:55:00.003-05:00

Welcome to my blog. I'm a mixed media artist living in Hillsborough, NC. I enjoy playing around with a lot of different types of art, but right now, I am really into making jewelry. I love working with Precious Metal Clay (PMC), wire, and Chain Maille. But I'm happy any time I'm playing in the studio, making anything - ATC's, collages, quilling....

I didn't participate in One World One Heart last year since I wasn't blogging or doing much art, so I'm excited to be taking part it in again. It's an exciting chance to meet other bloggers from around the world. AND it's fun to see what other people are creating, to exchange ideas, not to mention, maybe win some really cool prizes!

This year, I'll be giving away a copper necklace. I made the pendant from copper PMC and finished it with a light enamel. And I hammered the clasp from heavy copper wire.

Anyone with a blog can win. Just leave a comment on this post with a link to your blog, and your email address so that I can contact you if you win.

I'll be choosing a winner on ~~February 17~~ (see UPDATE below), when One World One Heart is officially over. I'll announce the winner in a post here on my blog, and I'll also send the winner an email.

Have fun everyone! If you haven't done this before, it really is a great opportunity to visit new blogs all over the world. During this couple of weeks, I try to set aside a little while every day for One World One Heart - it is so worth it! And, rumor has it - this is the last year, so take advantage while you can!

UPDATE: I'll be leaving for the Pocosin Cabin Fever Reliever art retreat, (see my post here), on Wednesday, February 16, and I have received information that we may not have internet or even cell phone connection where we'll be staying. Therefore, I will need to have my drawing a day early. My drawing will be done at 7 am on February 16. I'll have the necklace ready to mail on Monday, February 20, providing I have the winner's info. Sorry for this and I hope this doesn't cause anyone to be excluded... I've let Lisa know and she has approved this change. Edited 2/11/11 to note change of date of Drawing.

What's Shakin'?

2011-01-18T07:56:00.000-05:00

Last week a group of us from the Carolina Mixed Media Art Guild ran off to Sanford for a fun time. First, we attended the Mixed Media Fiber and Quilt Extravaganza, sponsored by the Quilters Gallery, where we saw some of the most unbelievable quilts! And fabric! OMG! fabric, fabric everywhere! I bought so much fabric! and I don't even sew!! I couldn't help it! it was just too hard to pass it up. I saw fabric I knew I would never see again, and I might need it one day. You KNOW what I mean, don't you??

Of course, there were other vendors there, too, so I bought a little stuff from the lovelies, Jane and Louise, over at Random Arts, because their booth is full of stuff that I can't live without and I know that when I get home I will kick myself, and say, "Damn! why didn't I buy that pack of holey paper? It's just what I need for this!" So I loaded up on all sorts of ephemera because it may be awhile before I get a chance to replenish my supply.

That evening we had 2 classes with the Random Arts ladies. Louise McClure started our night with "Floral Fragments". We painted and heated our way to create some lovely floral pins. Wouldn't you be proud to wear these? Maybe not the one I made... I want to try another one, now that I have an idea of what I'm supposed to be doing.

Photo courtesy of D. Sloma

Lady Jane Powell then presented her class, "Tattered Bird Collage". This was a lot of fun, no stress. We tore up magazines and created mosaic masterpieces of birds, all kinds of birds! We had some really fun birds, baby birds, even a meat bird! My citrus bird is at the top of this post. We tore paper, we glued it down, we talked, but mostly - we laughed!! It was FUN! Thank you, Jane and Louise, and everyone who attended!

Does Your Blog Need a Makeover?

2011-01-15T08:19:00.002-05:00

The giveaway over at Visual Serendipity Blog Designs is exactly what this blog needs. I'm trying to fix it up, but what it really needs is a complete makeover! I've even considered just starting over, but I hate to lose the old posts. So, I'm crossing all my fingers and all my toes (it's hard to walk and hold my coffee cup - but you gotta do what you gotta do...), hoping that I win because I really NEED this giveaway. Anyone reading this blog NEEDS for me to win this giveaway!!

So, what is it they're giving away? They are giving away a complete blog design – including all elements in their Designer Deluxe package for either Blogger or WordPress worth $250!! I would just LOVE to have someone that really knows what they're doing help me fix this blog up!!

They give you several easy ways to enter:

Like them on Facebook - there's a link on their blog (and I gave you one, too)
If you have a blog – write about their giveaway and link back to them
Leave a comment on their blog
Read their blog for other ways...

Run on over and check it out - Blog Design Giveaway Do it now! and don't forget to mention my name! Because this blog really needs a makeover!!

Resurrection of the Blog

2011-01-14T08:15:00.000-05:00

As you can see, it has been many moons since I last posted. Rather than going into all the whys and wherefores, let's just go forth into a new year, shall we? As before, I plan to use this blog to show you some of the things that I'm making. I'll also be chatting about this and that, and sharing some photos of stuff, probably still joining in with other bloggers, doing "word day" or "photo day". In other words, pretty much doing the same thing I was doing before.

I'll be spending some time cleaning up the place because I've really neglected this blog. I need to make sure the links still work, and add my new favorite blogs, things like that. So bear with me as I get the place spruced up.

The photo above was taken from the deck of a house in Tennessee where 5 of the Sofa Kings gathered for a week of creativity, friends and play. More to come about that fun week!

M4 Again 2010

2010-04-15T16:37:00.000-04:00

It's been many, many months since my last post which was about the M4 Challenge held by the Carolina Mixed Media Art Guild (CMMAG) last year. I thought it seemed appropriate to that my reappearance to the blogging world should be about this year's M4 Challenge, which is currently on display at Artist Alley in Southern Pines.

Last year, the participants were provided with a kit - a pizza box of parts with which we were to assemble our pieces of art. This year, we were given a list of items, so the challenge started with gathering the supplies - a scavenger hunt of sorts. Here is the list we were given:

Pine - Pine Needles - A Pine Cone - Anything and Everything “Pine”
Something that Starts with The Letter *P*
Light Bulb(s)
Metal Washer(s)
Fabric
Something made of Wood
Twine, String, Fiber or Thread
Bead(s) (As many as you’d like, and as many different kinds as you’d like.)
Key(s)
Something Blue
Coin(s) or Token(s) (As many as you’d like, and as many different kinds as you’d like.)
Something Made of Glass
Treasure(s) From The Great Outdoors
Part or All of a Book
Ribbon(s)
Something from the Kitchen
Foil
Wool
Tissue Paper(s)
Thing-a-Ma-Jig (Optional)
Doo-Hickie (Optional)
Gee-Gaw (Optional)

Like last year, we had rules to follow - aren't there always rules? We had to use everything on the list, but we could choose to exclude 2 items. If we wanted to add something, well that was where the Thing-a-Ma-Jig, Doo-Hickie and GeeGaw came in. And, of course, we could use all the paint, glue, wire, inks, and glitter that we wished - we ARE artists, after all! We don't know how to create unless we use an abundance of at least one of these in every project!

There were 25 of us who participated this year. I continue to be amazed by my fellow Guild members. The pieces created for this challenge are incredible! And, when you look at the pieces, you wouldn't believe that we all have the same list of supplies - our interpretation of that list is so different.

To see the first set of photos of these amazing challenge creations, go here: Carolina Mixed Media Guild blog, and check back to see the rest as the site is updated.

I started the gathering of supplies as soon as I had my list. The floor of my studio was covered with pieces of paper, labeled with the items on the list. As I would find things, I'd put them on the corresponding piece of paper. Eventually, I had stacks of things, but no ideas of what to do with them. As the deadline was drawing nearer and nearer, it became clear that I needed to just start making something!

I spent several days perusing every thrift store and antique store within 30 miles of here, trying to find a platform or at least an idea. Several stores and a few ideas later, I eventually ended up with an idea. This isn't the best photo with all the photos on the walls behind it, but maybe you can get an idea. I call it "Strained Art".

The "M4" Challenge

2009-06-08T13:15:00.000-04:00

I know I've been away for months, but with good reason . However, I won't bore you with the details at this time. I haven't been able to do much art during this time, but I did participate in an exciting challenge a few months ago.

The Carolina Mixed Media Art Guild (CMMAG), of which I'm a member, presented a challenge to us: take a box of parts and create something. The challenge was titled the "Mixed Media Madness Mission-Art Possible", or "M4".

Photograph courtesy of: Frank Pierce

In January, those of us participating were given identical boxes containing 33 different items (some items were multiples, so we really had hundreds of actual pieces). The rules were very explicit - we had to use all the parts, but we could choose to exclude 2 items, and we could add 2 of our own items, plus we could use all the paint, glue, wire, inks, and glitter that we wished. We had almost two months, which sounded reasonable back in December when we signed up! But once we had the box in hand, two months didn't seem nearly enough time! What in the world was I going to make with all of this stuff? I had absolutely no idea where to start. For a good two weeks, I left the box open on the floor, glancing at it from time to time, hoping an idea would come. I'd handle some of the items waiting for something, anything to hit me. One day, as I sat staring at the box, I looked up and my eyes fell on a birdhouse my shelf, and an idea began to grow...

This is what eventually percolated from my brain:

Photograph courtesy of: Frank Pierce

I called it "Maison Sans Raison" - "The House Without Reason."

Photograph courtesy of: Frank Pierce

A more detailed shot of the interior:

In the photos below, note the sconces made from bullet casings and old flashbulbs...

And peering through the birds' holes on each end are the ghosts stirred up by the altering of this house (transparencies attached to the inside). The house and the transparencies are my 2 additions to this challenge.

When I'd done all I could do, I was left with: a plastic computer piece, a pen nib, a sewing bobbin, a key, and a metal connector. Not wanting to just glue these things randomly to the house, I decided to make them into a weather vane.

Would I do another challenge like this? Absolutely! It was THE most challenging thing I've done, but it was fun trying to make all those parts come together. But, the most fun part about the whole experience was when we took all of our creations to Artist Alley in Southern Pines, where they were on display all together. It was amazing to see how unique every piece was, considering that we all started with the same box of parts. To see all of the creative artistic wonders, go to the Carolina Mixed Media Art Guild blog, where 2 pieces have been featured every couple of weeks since the even in March.

Miami - Everglades 09 [Webshots]

2009-02-02T10:13:16-08:00

Miami - Everglades 09

by teeejay50
see more photos from this album (0) ...

25 Things About Me

2009-01-31T07:32:00.007-05:00

I was tagged on Facebook to tell 25 things about me. I thought it was hard when I was tagged on here to do 7 things! Since I went to all the trouble of writing this list, I decided to share my 25 things here. I'm not going to tag anyone, but if anyone out there reading this is so inclined, make your list of 25 things.

I was born in Plant City, Florida.

My real name is Cheryl. Toni is short for my middle name – Antoinette. My family (parents, siblings, grandparents, cousins) has never called me Toni. I have a cousin also named Cheryl, who is 3 years younger – she is “Little Cheryl” and, yes, I get to be “Big Cheryl.” Any wonder that when I was 12, I chose to be Toni?

I was an Air Force brat and even though we were officially stationed at only 7 bases, with all of the temporary assignments, I went to 13 different schools before I graduated from high school. In the 2nd and 5th grades, I went to 3 different schools. I was always the "new kid on the block."

I’ve lived in this area for 35 years, and in Hillsborough for 26 years. I don’t plan to move again!

Every time we moved I was given one box, a fairly good size box, and whatever I could fit in that box, I could keep - toys, books, keepsakes, etc. Everything else had to be taken to the base thrift store. This is why I'm now a huge pack-rat! I can't let go of anything! I have a lot of cool stuff for collages and assemblages, though!

I lived in Hawaii for 3 years. Too bad I was too young to appreciate it! I was 6 when we left. Hawaii wasn't even a state then (stop trying to figure out my age!)

When I was 12, my mother, my 3 month old sister, and I drove from Oklahoma to California almost entirely on Route 66.

I worked "stringing" tobacco 2 summers. The first summer, I made $8/day and the second summer I made $10/day. A day began at 7 am and ended when the barn was full, which could be 4:00 or it could be 7:00, depending on a lot things: weather, field workers, tractors... Working in tobacco was THE hardest work I ever did, but it was also a lot of fun and it taught me a lot about teamwork and people.

I worked in a factory in Omaha, running a drill press, making firing pins. This was the most boring job I ever had. I got fired because I wouldn't join the union. I was 18.

My next job was building mini-bikes. These were little 5 hp motor bikes. This was a fun job. Details about this in the 7 things about me.

I went to East Carolina University, but dropped out after 6 weeks - see #7 and #8.

I went to Western Carolina University - maybe I did want to go to school, after all - see #7 and #8 (smile)

I worked at Duke for 5 years and Durham Regional Hospital for 19 as a Respiratory Therapist. When I left DRH, I was the Director of the Cardiology, Neurosensory and Cardiac Rehab departments.

I worked in medical software development for 5 years – 2 companies in RTP.

I met my husband when I was a Clinical Instructor at DRH - he was my student. BUT, I had ethics! I didn't date him until after he graduated!

I was a confirmed bachelorette and was never going to get married. My husband and I lived together (sinners!) and he asked me several times before I finally agreed. I was 30 when we got married.

We have one son, 23, who is now living in Atlanta.

My first 4 cars were convertibles, and we have a Mazda Miata now. We belong to the Triangle Miata Club - bunch of old folks who drive their Miata's in a line around NC! Read more about this here.

I traded a 1967 Mustang convertible for a 1970 Ford Econovan camper – even trade. My dad nearly killed me when I proudly told him of the “deal” I’d made. The van ran about 100 miles and left me stranded on my first camping trip.

I’ve played a lot of sports throughout my life – basketball, volleyball, bowling, running. I used to run 5 miles almost every day, but now I do well to walk the dog!

I’m an avid reader. I usually have 2 or 3 books going at a time. I like to read anything except romance and extreme fantasy. I love books and will probably need to build a room to store them soon!

I don’t care for TV as a rule. I love movies but I don’t buy them, just watch them on DVD or “on demand”. Or at the theater, of course.

I collect Santa’s and leave them out all year. I also collect roosters and antique postcards.

Another thing I collect is quotations. I have books of them, and when I come across one that I like, I put it into a Word document, which has grown to 15 pages.

My favorite food is chocolate! And I know I would die if I was ever told I had to give up coffee - I drink a pot every morning.

Quilled Labrador Pins

2009-01-17T05:21:00.007-05:00

I first posted photos of these quilled Yellow Lab pins back in August, 2007. Somebody saw them posted here, or Flikr, or maybe Webshots - doesn't matter. She liked them enough to ask if I would make a set for her.

It's hard for me to do anything exactly the same way even if I try. I always think I can improve on the the way I did it the first time around. As was the case with these pups. At first glance, you may think they look pretty close, but there are some changes. The major difference is their ears - I made them separately, then attached them on top of the head to give them a bit more depth.

What do you think? Which set do you like better?

ATC - "Old Man Time"

2009-01-16T05:12:00.005-05:00

I'm not going to try to go into where I've been since the last post. I'm just going to start out with a new year.... Happy New Year a few weeks late!!!

This ATC was made for a contest which had only one rule - it had to have something to do with "Time."

I titled it "Old Man Time".

I cut a piece of canvas which was painted in metallic yellow, orange, brown, copper, and it had some nice texture to it, to the right size (2.5 x 3.5).

I attached the photo of the train, using gel medium.

I printed a verse from "Time" by Pink Floyd (see below), and used tea to age the paper. I used gel medium to attach it.

I printed a transparency of the old man and positioned him over the lyrics, and attached with eyelets. I tried using gel medium but it wouldn't stay.

I tore out the word "time", colored it red and placed it behind the opening in the watch face. Then attached the watch face as if it were the sun, using jeweler's glue.

These are the words in the verse from "Time":

The sun is the same in a relative way but you're older,
Shorter of breath and one day closer to death.
Every year is getting shorter never seem to find the time.
Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines,
Hanging on in a quiet desperate way is the English way.
The time is gone, the song is over,
Thought I'd something more to say.

I didn't win the contest, but I'm pleased with this ATC.

Heads or Tails: Gaurd

2008-11-04T05:46:00.007-05:00

Join

Heads or Tails is a weekly meme hosted by Skittles. This is my first week participating.

The prompt for today is: Guard

You can easily see who the guard is around here - Tucker, our Corgi-mix - mixed with what is the million dollar question! When he first came to live with us, we thought he might not be able to bark because we never heard him make a sound for several months. We taught him to "speak" for treats, but he still didn't really bark. Then he made a "hello" kind of howl one day when we came home. We got pretty excited and made all over him about it. Since then, he's been barking. Not a lot - mostly just when UPS or FedEx or the garbage trucks come by. I guess his previous owners must have taught him to never bark and once he realized that we weren't going to fuss if he did, he decided it was okay. We love hearing his special "hello" bark when he's happy to see someone.

Here he is guarding the house.

And he's not going to let anyone get my rusty wabbit!

Don't even think about touching this car!

Fun Monday - Why Blog

2008-11-03T04:07:00.005-05:00

The hostess this week is BeeDancer who has given us this assignment:

I'm relatively new to blogging, & I'm sure this has come up before, but I'd really like to know WHY you blog. Tell me how you got started or why you got started and why you keep it up. Plus there's a photo requirement: Post a picture of the one person/place/thing that most symbolizes the town or area where you live.

Why do I blog? Well, this is what I wrote in my first post on this blog:

It seems that everyone has a blog these days, so I thought I'd get myself one. I tried this before, but I wasn't very good at keeping up with it. I posted now and then. I had good intentions but time seems to get away from me. But I plan to do better with this one - really! When I started the last one, I was going to use it mainly to post pictures of artwork, but this time I want this to be a place to share my thoughts, as well. Not that anyone is interested, but I wanted a place to write them besides my ratty notebook. I've found that the thing about reading other people's blogs is that I seem to have a lot in common with the writers. So many times I find myself saying, "oh yeah, I've felt that way." or "I remember that." We're all just cruising along in this life, having similar experiences, and maybe, just maybe, we can share something along the way. I've gained some things from reading others' musings, and I hope that someone may read something here one day that may help them along, or maybe give them a little chuckle.

I'm still blogging along for pretty much the same reasons. Some days, I post some art, some days I've posted things that read more like a journal, some days I'm dry and can't think of anything so I don't do anything.

I enjoy playing with the look of my blog, adding stuff, taking away stuff. I keep looking at other bloghosts because sometimes blogger drives me nuts. I really enjoy reading other blogs and I spend way too much time doing it!

Now for part 2, the photo that most symbolizes my hometown, Hillsborough, NC. This is a photo taken in front of the court house during a Last Friday event. People enjoying music and each other.

There are more photos of Hillsborough events here.

Metal Form Folding

2008-11-02T03:04:00.008-05:00

A few weeks ago I attended a workshop at the ArtCenter in Carrboro, NC. The workshop was taught by John Fetvedt, on Forging and Folding Metal. It's a good thing that the course description only said we were going to be hammering metal, and did not say one thing about torches, because I would not have signed up! There have been other classes I have elected not to take because torches were involved. I had these pictures of me and torches and buildings on fire...

I'm glad that the brochure gave an incomplete description because once I tried the torch a couple of times, it wasn't as bad as I had feared. I didn't burn anyone or any buildings. whew! I'm even considering purchasing my own torch now. I haven't told RJ yet. Wonder what he'll say when he comes home from one of his business trips to find a tank and torch sitting in the garage? Do you think our home owner's will go up? Maybe I'll have to make a place outside for my torching?

I'm so glad that I didn't miss taking this workshop. I couldn't believe what you can do to metal just by folding it, hitting it with a hammer, and heating it. Of course, it depends on how you fold it, where you hammer it, how many times you heat it, etc... But some truly amazing things happen. We worked with copper in our workshop and I hope to have a chance to apply these techniques to other metals, especially silver.

Here are a few of my pieces from the workshop:

PhotoHunt of the Week: Blue

2008-11-01T07:25:00.009-04:00

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The theme of the week is BLUE. Well this was the easiest week yet. Because everyone knows that BLUE means only one thing: Carolina Tarheels!!

We have a saying around here - "If God is not a Tarheel, why is the sky Carolina blue?" Just look at the sky in this photo of the Old Well on UNC's campus - is that not proof?

And Carolina fans love their blue - they fill every arena for every sport with Carolina blue.

Go Heels!!

PhotoHunt of the Week: Family

2008-10-18T07:44:00.012-04:00

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The theme of the week is: Family.

This wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. My first choices were photos of my son and husband, but I thought that was so typical. So I thought about what family means to me besides my husband and my son. It means many things - my in-laws are family to me. And, of course, my brother and sister are family, and I have some friends that feel like family. But deep down, when I think of family and home, I think of these people.

This is my family - my parents, sister, brother, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins. The photos were taken in my aunt and uncle's backyard in Bladenboro, N.C. Our family has changed since these photos in 1966. Sadly, our grandparents and our parents are no longer with us. Most of us have married and had children, and some of our children have had children. But, we have a lot of memories of times spent together that will never be forgotten. And that's what family is all about - the fond memories that warm your heart.

PhotoHunt of the Week: Lazy

2008-10-11T05:09:00.006-04:00

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The theme this week is Lazy. I looked through my photos and didn't find anything that I thought fit the bill. After reading a beautiful post by Swampwitch, and since I've been wanting to do my own post to honor some special people as October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month, I've decided to combine the PhotoHunt and that post into one - the only thing lazy about this post is me.

I really admired the way Swampwitch honored people using her photos and I hope she doesn't mind me borrowing her idea in this post. If there is anyone that you would like to have honored during this month, please visit her site. Not only will she post a photo and the person's name and any information you want to share, but she will also donate $1.00 to Breast Cancer Research for each person listed on her site. UPDATE: Swampwitch has an anonymous donor who is matching her donations, which means that for each honoree on her site, $2.00 will be donated to Breast Cancer Research. She is also honoring the honorees from my blog, which means an additional $6.00 is being donated for them.

The first person I want to honor is Pam, who was recently diagnosed for the second time with breast cancer, after being cancer-free for 10 years. Pam is married to my cousin, Woody, and I've loved her from the first time he brought her home when they were dating. I'm so glad he chose to add her to our family. Pam and Woody have three daughters: Natalie, Erin and Meghan. Everyone is holding Pam in their hearts, knowing that she will beat this thing again.

The photo was taken at a fresh market in Nice, France when we visited our son at the end of his semester abroad.

I would also like to honor Donna, who lost her battle with breast cancer in October, 2007, after a courageous battle. Even though I didn't know Donna personally, I felt as though I did because she was so loved by my very dear friend, Anne. Donna loved teaching high school math and was loved in return by her students. She is survived by her husband, Gene, and her children: Chris and his wife, Jessica, and Heather and her husband, Gary. Donna is missed by many friends, but Anne asked that I mention Drexel and Becky who have been especially supportive to both Donna, during her illness, and Gene in learning to cope with the trauma of losing his love and best friend.

The photo was taken at Atlantic Beach, NC. Donna enjoyed spending time at the beach with her friends and family each summer.

I saved my Grandma, Mary Carter Starling, for last, not because she's the least important, but because I wanted to write a bit more about her. My Grandma had breast cancer twice, but she still lived to be 85 years old. This amazing woman raised 18, yes 18! children. My grandmother was 20 years old when she married my grandfather, who had 5 children from his first marriage. What was she thinking!?! She then had 12 of her own children (one died when she was 5 months old). Her youngest son was just 4 years old when my grandfather died, which was 3 months before I was born - yes, I had an uncle only 4 years older than me! A couple of years later, Grandma married my step-grandfather, who had 2 young sons. Again, what was she thinking!?! Grandma actually helped to raise even more children. Her sister was 9 months old and Grandma was 12 years old when their mother died, so she had to take care of her baby sister. Then there are all of us grandchildren who were sent to Grandma's at some time or another. Some of them stayed with Grandma most of their lives. I spent about 6 months with her when my mother was going through a divorce. In other words, it's hard to say, how many of us she helped to raise, but it was a lot! The woman was BUSY!

Sometimes when I'm complaining about things like my dryer being broken, or when my microwave died, I think about my Grandma and her life. Not just that she had all those kids and I only had one to deal with - I'm talking about the things that I take for granted, which has become everything! The first time that I remember going to her house I wouldn't use the bathroom because it was an outhouse. Yes, people, those still existed in our lifetimes - at least in mine. I was 6 years old and I saw a spider as soon as my mother opened the door - no way was I going in there! and I was supposed to pull my pants down! Then, when my mother pulled me in there trying to convince me to use it, I saw the hole I was supposed to sit on - NO! I knew I would fall in! I ran out, screaming that I'd rather pee in the woods! The next time I came, I was 7, and a bathroom had been added on to her house - thank heavens! I had worried the whole way there about that hole!

That was the time I stayed 6 months with Grandma, and I remember that she used a washing machine that she had to wring the clothes by hand, and she had no dryer - maybe nobody did in 1958? I'm not sure, but she still had at least 6 boys at home that I can remember, a cousin and me staying there, her and my Pop - that's a LOT of laundry to wash, wring by hand and hang on the line! Then she had the IRONING to do! Even the sheets got ironed by Grandma - in Florida, in a house with no air conditioning! In between all of this, she cooked 3 FULL meals, with biscuits, each day for all of us! She couldn't get away with giving us PB&J, you know? Lunch, which was called "dinner", had to be almost as big as supper. The boys came home from their jobs, or school, to eat and they ate a lot! Cooking and washing dishes for this crowd three times a day, in a kitchen that did not have a microwave or a dishwasher, or anyone willing or able to help her. I guess you do what you have to do, but when I think about this and compare it to my life - I have it soooooooooooooo easy, yet I bitch and moan at the drop of a hat. And I never heard Grandma complain.

The photo is a lilac tree in my yard.

Fun Monday - The White Glove Test

2008-10-06T13:00:00.008-04:00

Our lovely hostess this week is Mommy Wizdom and she gives us the following:

The assignment:

Themes to choose from:

A visit by your mother in law

Bedtime Stories

Raising a Teenager

The words: Ostrich, goosebumps, magazines, soup, cats, lethargic, noodles, tequila, doorknob, biscuit

Wild card words: prehistoric, Jedi Knight, cactus, periscope, humor

Your job is to write a story (true or made-up), poem, song, letter... whatever strikes you ABOUT one of the three themes. You must INCLUDE all 10 words. Wild cards words may be used in addition to or in place of the main 10 words

**********

I'm one of the lucky ones. Most women I know have a hate-hate relationship with their mothers-in-law. A friend of mine once said that she was sure that her mother-in-law must be a dinosaur because every idea she ever had was prehistoric. I was blessed because my mother-in-law was also my best friend. However, I didn't know that in the beginning. I had no idea what to expect.

RJ's mother comes from a pretty famous Southern family. Practically everything in their hometown is named after her family, so I expected that she might be a little bit uppity. She was also the type of woman who got up and dressed every day as if she had someplace to go even if she didn't. I'm talking about dressed to the nines. And the woman never wore a pair of pants in her life. She belonged to the Junior League, too, for goodness sakes. Not only that, the woman could cook! Can you tell that I was a little intimidated? And this was all based on what I'd heard - I'd never even met the woman.

How was I supposed to measure up to this woman? I came from a middle class family that had nothing named after it. If I'm wasn't going anywhere, you can bet that you would catch me in my blue jeans and a t-shirt, and back then I could barely heat up soup with noodles, let alone bake a biscuit.

So you can imagine that I was more than a little nervous when I heard that RJ's parents were coming to visit. In fact, I wanted to turn into an ostrich and bury my head until the weekend was over! First of all, RJ and I weren't married. He had moved in only a couple of weeks before this and he was sick with mono. His parents wanted to visit to check on him. I was sure that they also wanted to check out this girl that was corrupting him, convincing him to live in sin. They probably had this vision of wild parties with the Jedi Knight serving tequila shots. Ok, that might be pushing it - she might not have known who the Jedi Knight was, but she probably imagined the wild parties, or so I thought anyway!

We lived in an old rental home, that I could only do so much with. No matter how hard I tried to clean it, it still had the lingering odor of the previous owner's cats, who must have used the carpet as their litter box at some point. But I cleaned and cleaned for days for this visit. Poor RJ couldn't help because the mono made him so lethargic, but he tried by straightening up the magazines and a few things in the living room. By the time they were due to arrive, I didn't think the house had ever been cleaner.

When they pulled up out front, RJ, turning the doorknob as he looked out, said, "Oh my God, she's broken both her arms!"

As she walked up the walkway and got closer, we saw that it wasn't casts on her arms, but she was wearing formal white gloves that came above her elbows! When she reached the door, without cracking a smile, she said, "I'm hear for your white glove inspection. Step aside, please."

She walked in and proceeded to run her fingertip along my mantel! The rest of us were cracking up. She turned around, hugged me, and said, "Never worry about the shape of your house, dear. We are coming to visit YOU, not your house. Now, do you have any ice tea?"

That was when I discovered that my mother-in-law had the very best sense of humor, and that she was to become my very best friend in the world.

PhotoHunt of the Week: Sad

2008-10-04T07:37:00.014-04:00

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I had another photo in mind for this week's theme: Sad. But I was driving past the Colonial Inn and decided to stop and shoot some photos. Anyone who has lived in Hillsborough long enough to remember when the Colonial Inn was a thriving inn and restaurant is saddened by its current state. Most are angry.

I've lived here since 1983 and even before moving here, I would drive to Hillsborough to eat at the Colonial Inn. It was famous in the area for it's delicious food served family-style. The building itself was beautiful. It was hard to believe that it had been around for more than 200 years. The porch was lined with rocking chairs, inviting one to sit for a spell. This is my son sitting in one of those rockers in 1995.

It's not hard to believe the Inn is over 200 years old when you look at it now. The current owner, Francis Henry, bought the Inn after it closed in 2001. I don't know why. He paid $410,000.00 for a beautiful historic landmark, only to let it go to ruin.

In 1781, General Cornwallis used the Colonial Inn, then called the Tavern House, as his headquarters during the Revolutionary War. Aaron Burr and Dolly Madison were both guests at the Tavern House, so this is not just any old building - it's a building with history. Even without the history, this building is loved by the residents of Hillsborough.

Francis Henry has been asked, fined, practically begged to repair the Inn. But he has continued to let it sit and grow worse each year. When he bought the Inn, it had been closed for a year so it's possible that some damage was already beginning, but had he started making repairs right away he could have stopped the progression of the damage. But perhaps there is hope for our beloved Colonial Inn. A recent article in the Chapel Hill News tells us there is.

PhotoHunt of the Week: View

2008-09-28T07:28:00.010-04:00

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I just discovered this weekly blogging meme, and since photography is one of my many hobbies, I thought I'd join right in. It's actually supposed to be posted on Saturday, but I didn't find it until today, so this week I'm posting a day late. This may not be the only week that I post a day late, either. Who knows, some weeks I may post a couple of days late. The blogging sheriffs may have to come shut me down or fine me or whatever happens when we don't follow the meme rules. Hey, I'm trying here, ok? It's all good - really.

So, this meme has a theme every week, and the theme this week is view. The photo I'm posting is the view through the window of my breakfast nook. Did you ever wonder why it's called a nook? Anyway, I was watching the cats - there is a tiny bit of black just below the birdbath - circling each other, while the hummingbirds seemed to be oblivious. I grabbed my camera and shot a couple of pics. I caught this hummer (red arrow) in flight. I knew if I'd stepped outside, everyone would have scampered. But it came out pretty well considering that it was taken through a window and a screen.

Somebody Loves My Blog :D

2008-09-27T05:15:00.000-04:00

I'm speechless - ok, almost speechless - anyone who knows me knows it takes a LOT to make me speechless, like cutting out my tongue or taping my mouth shut with packing tape. Ok, I digress. I am truly thrilled to have been given this award from The Altered Gypsy. Thank you, thank you (curtsying).

Now, I need to follow the rules:

The winner (that would be me -grin) may place the logo on his/her blog. [Done]

Link to the person who gave you the award: The Altered Gypsy

Nominate at least 7 other blogs. I chose the blogs listed below from the blogs that I read regularly, and that either make me laugh or inspire me in some way.

Link to those blogs

So, I love your blogs, y'all!

Everybody Needs a Pal

2008-09-22T13:35:00.013-04:00

This cute little bunny's name is Pal. She was lovingly knitted by my bestest friend, Rea, who recently opened her very own Etsy shop, Wool and Wood. Go, Rea! Her shop sells her knit and felted items, as well as some interesting wooden boxes and clocks made by her husband and brother.

Rea's daughter has been friends with my son, MJ, since elementary school, which means that Rea and I have been friends that long, too. When she was little, Rea's daughter had a bunny Pal that helped her when she needed some extra loving and support. Now, Rea is making these bunny Pals to help others who might need a little extra loving. I bought this one, but there's another one still available, and I believe there are more on the way. Rea also knits beautiful purses like this one with the hand-appliqued Celtic knot. Is this not gorgeous??

She also has the cutest little gift bags! I have seen these in person and they are sooooooooooo soft! You owe it to yourself to check these out!