Takin' it Back with Barack Jack! (For Swing voters!!!)

Stamper's Sampler October/November

I am honored to be in the October/November 2008 issue of Stamper's Sampler. You can find my card on page 77. I like to do the Tempting Template Challenge. It helps me set a creative goal and meet a deadline. I would love to be the featured artist some day, or have multiple projects publishe. That requires, of course, that you submit work. Which I enjoy, but I get involved in my work with the BRO and church and let the art projects slide. Sometimes it feels selfish to work on these projects. But I know that everyone deserves time for creative endeavors. I need to budget time better, and prioritize my project!

ZNE Design Team member Pam Carriker. is also featured in this magazine in the Noteworthy Department. And Pam's work is Noteworthy. Be sure to check out her blog!

This is blogspot post #97! Don't you think we need to celebrate blogpost #100? Hmmmm I better start thinking about that! I'm inspired by my ZNE friend Laurie
and her 100th post contest! We'll see what happens! Check back soon!

The Future Antiques

Monday, my retired teacher friends met for our monthly "meeting". We lunched at Pho Grand a great little Vietnamese place on South Grand, and then stopped in next door at http://www.thegelateria.com/gelato.php. Yummy! No lunch date is complete without a shopping venue. There's a great little store in St. Louis called TFA (The Future Antiques). They are in the process of moving from their South Grand location to their new location on Morgan Ford Rd. I had hoped to catch some photos of my friends perusing the wares amongst the fabulous 40s and 50s vignettes. But they had already moved them to the new location. We spent a little too long at the Gelateria and then shopped the sales at TFA. Hoping to catch some photos next month when we head back to TFA at their new location.


In the meantime I found some great deals on some stuff that is sure to be "repurposed" into something new! These items were each only $1. A 1944 calendar. My folks were married that year and I hope to make a project with the September page. A petit point chair cover. Very vintage....it will be.....hmmmmm. Cute playing cards with a little cafe scene. A Shrine Circus paper fan. Did the Shriner's Circus come to your city? I remember the man down the street from us was a Shriner and always gave us tickets. We were able to go many times. Very fun.







Paper plates.....a set of 6 floral and 6 Cowboy. They are sure to be a background for something. It was fun, and the price was right. My friend, Margarett, picked up a 8 by 8 inch baking dish, she was very excited. ( She is actually going to cook in it and not use it for something the manufacturer never imagined!) It was a great day!

My blueDawg story

I'm loving my bluedawg. Here's the story. I love dogs, I love blue...and purple, red and combos there of.

When I was at the ZNE Convenzione last month I took a workshop with Lisa Kaus. During the class we worked with fluid acrylics and graphite pencils, water color crayons and pencils. I had used acrylics before, and pencils and crayons, but not for a long time and NEVER together. I sort of "grided" the dog like we did in Lisa's project, http://bonniebluedenim.blogspot.com/2008/08/gridlocked-zne-convenzione-workshop.html#links . I divided up the dog's components using the graphite pencil.Like we did the grid on our ZNE project. I enjoyed this. I have been doodling dogs in a sketch book and this was an adaptation of a doodle.

I put one of those "water marks" across the photo, balanced on blueDawg's noise. ( I know there are other more famous Blue Dogs and I probably shouldn't call him blueDawg but that's who he is today.) Well, the "water mark" is so someone won 't steal my art. There was a huge article in the new Cloth Paper Scissors, I think, about the issue of posting your work on your blog, and how it could cause you not to be published, etc. And people might steal your work.Well, I'm going to risk it. Plus what's the point of blogging without visuals.

I'm not showing the second drawing. It looks like blueDawg on bad steroids. I was watching a Suzi Blu video,on her blog, A Lovely Dream...I would put a link but typepad seems to be "down" right now. ( thanks Chrysti-Altered Abbey for the link) and she pointed out that our art work won't always be wonderful, that we have to learn and practice, don't we all know that. But want to believe it applies to everyone else.You don't start out running marathons, or singing a new song perfectly, or anything without trial and error. So here is my art. ( Which reminds me of Keith Lamb, my Drawing instruction at Meramac Community College.....we were to post our art on the bulletin board and everyone would look at it, and Keith would critque it...very kindly, too.....and we were to proudly point at our work and say, loudly....."This is MY Drawing!"

I want to explore more whimsical dogs. I know, people do it. But so what. I like this whimsical dog. I think the eye's need work,they look like carriage lanterns. I like the polka dots and the lower part of his noise and mouth.

blueDawg is my painting

This is who I am and what I do...well some of it. Ok, a lot!

This is what I am about most of the time. I am an artist - there, I said it, but spend an enormous amount of time working with www.brostl.org. And I love it. I've decided it's not unlike what Bernie Berlin does with her Place to BArk. And I should just unabashedly promote it. Yep unabashedly is the word. Now there are a few differences. She has been in magazines and has published books. I have been in magazines.....I HAVE!

I work with this group most Mondays. Wednesdays, and Fridays. I shop for toys at bargain prices, write grants, maintain a website, maintain a blog, pack toys, schmooze with donors. Yesterday I shopped 2 Michael's stores and bought all of the Art Kits they had on sale for $2.99. Hit the TJ Max, where they had the cutesy school kits ( you know cool folder, pencil case, pencils, notepad, etc) for $3.00 ( got all of them too). Stopped in the Kohls, but no bargains that day...usually I get a few deals. Hit the local Wal-mart Super Center, which, surprisingly is not the best place to buy bargain toys, but I needed some sweatshirts and a backpack, a sports poster and, yes, rap CDs. I did find a few things, but better toy deals are found at Big Lots and Tuesday Mornings.

Here is the latest post on the BRO blog I maintain
http://bro-saintlouis.blogspot.com/ our new one...

Since I shopped Tuesday, packed toys today, I'm going to reserve Thursday for art projects. But first I have to go pick up an exercise ball that I located on FREE CYCLE.( For our Gateway Wheeler School clients.) Friday is back to the BRO, I have way to much stuff to get packed away. Saturday evening I am selling Macy's Shop For A Cause tickets. With our proceeds from the evening going to...you guessed it....BRO-St.Louis.


The Gateway-Wheeler State School for the Severely Handicapped is one of the agencies we are honored to serve. They are located in the City of St. Louis ( 63103) We will be providing toys for 87 children. The children range in age from 6 - 20 years, and have a mental age range of 3 months - 8 years of age. There are boys and girls and many of the children are in wheelchairs.

In the past we have provided toys based on gender, age and mental age. Guessing at what would be appropriate. This year we have asked the staff for a "wish list" of items that were needed by the children, or that would be most appropriate for the children. We are doing our best to try to fill their requests within the limits of our financial capabilities. Would you like to help out?


Here are some of the things we need.

• Children's Music CDs
• Baseball hats
• Children's story books on tape/cd
• Play musical instruments - piano key board, tambourine, drums
• Portable CD players/Radios ( 5 0r 6 of these would be nice)
• Edmark Reading CDs ( K - 3)
• Rap CDs ( Nelly, Alecia Keys)
• Large See and Say toys ( animals, rhymes)
• Tyler Perry Movies
• Woman's Ring size 9 -10
• Portable/ hand held electronic games
• Exercise Ball - large
• bubble machine
• wagon ( for 8 year old girl, mental age under 1 year)
• Digital watch ( 17 year old - mental age 8 years)
• Comedy DVDs
• Race car game ( 19 year old - mental age 8 years)
• Posters of sports heroes
• Scooter board

If you are able to help us out you can email us at office@brostl.org or call 314-865-1677 or send a check to BRO 4262 Cleveland Ave. St. Louis, MO 63110 and tell us what you would like us to use if for. If you are interested in donating thru PAYPAL contact us thru the email address above for our account name.

Our toy distribution begins Monday, December 1 , 2008. We anticipate serving 3,200 + children this year. Keep us in mind if you are cleaning out the kids closets! We'll take those gently used toys and books!

SO, folks, that's what I do with my time. Tomorrow, after the exercise ball pick up....it's time for ART, of course I must walk the doggies first!

ARCHRIVAL ROLLER GIRLS - LIVE

It was a fun night at roller derby Saturday. Have you ever been? One of the women at my church plays in this roller derby league. Very cool. Our adult fellowship group, wandered out for a new adventure. I was impressed by their abilities and strength! Not sure I would give it a try today. My mother would have said it was a "hip waiting to be broken". Maybe at 35 I would have. I broke my ankle playing volley ball when I was 44, so I'm not sure this would be a good sport to start now. But it was certainly FUN to watch and try to shoot some photos, I had a front row, floor seat, great for shooting the action and even got a few shots of our wild woman, Cami, a/k/a MIDWIFE CRISIS. She's the greatest! Check out her DH cheering her on!



http://www.archrivalrollergirls.com/

Be A Constitution Voter

It's hard not to be "a Constitution Voter". I taught American Government and United States History for 25 years, in public school. Think about the rights and responsibilities of citizens and then vote! Vote your heart, vote your soul, vote for the party that represents your interests and what you believe in.

But whatever that is......vote!
















Be A Constitution Voter!

Be An Opener of Doors

Be an opener of doors.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

I love blue, and I love this blue door. Across the street from Wendy Addison't studio and shop, in Port Costa, California. One of many photos from my time at ZNE CONVENZIONE.

How are you an opener of doors? Literally and figuratively.

Just think about it.

Birthday Fun with Piper

How can you pass up taking photos of a 2 year old and her swing? Still my birthday here in blogland. 55 and about 21 days. What fun Piper had. She loves to try to do what her big sister does, and she keeps up pretty well. However, the great aunt has some trouble. Piper is always a bit of a blur in the photos I take of her. Always moving. Time to invest in one of those National Geographic photo cards....you know, to get the action shots.
Everything Piper does is ACTION!

Wendy Addison's Studio

Wendy Addison's shop and studio, was the venue for ZNE Convenzione's special field trip for Monday August 25. Armed with mapquest directions and GPS, this brave midwesterner, plunged into traffic with a car full of mixed media artists from west of the Mississippi and headed to Port Costa, California to The Theatre of Dreams. We shopped for lovely ephemera, vintage silk ribbons, and anything that the gifted Wendy may have touched. Wendy was incredibly gracious, allowing all of us to take photos of every nook and cranny to be had in her shop and studio. You could just breathe in the creativity, it was in everything, from a casual collection of stuff waiting to be altered into art in her studio, to the lovely displays throughout her shop! Stop in some day if you get the chance, and soak in the ambiance, I'm hoping some of it rubbed off on me!