ZNE Convenzione 2009

Wednesday, I'll be heading off for California, to attend the 2nd ZNE Convenzione. I've spent the last 2 months neck deep in BRO and church projects. Writing grants for the BRO, shopping for toys, organizing an Easter Egg Hunt, Spring Fest ( the weekend after I get back), a weekend trip to Oklahoma City with my family to visit my aunt ( 94 years young), BRO Games Party, Jon Troast concert. Whewwwwww.....glad I'm retired, and happy to heading out of town. ( But you know about all the prep it takes to leave town. ) Yikes! I'm glad Rick is staying home with the doggies!



Of course any trip with mixed media artists requires some art work prior to leaving town. My Blue Dawg at the top of the page is my Artist Trading Card (ATC's measure 3 1/2 by 2 1/2 inches) I'm going to be swapping with other participants at the Convenzione. On down the page are 4 examples of Chunky book pages, that I sent out last month, they meaure 4 by 4 inches and will be put in a book that all the contributors will receive. The last project is a small of a "make and take" mini-workshop that I will present on Saturday and Sunday. It measures 6 by 6 inches and opens up from the middle....like a box.....kinda cool if I do say so myself. The participants will have several stamp designs to choose from. My first endeavor at presenting at this sort of event. Prayers appreciated.

These 4 by 4 pages were fun, the girl is from a stamp from RED LEAD Paperworks in ST. Louis. A great store and website. Type REd Lead St. Louis in your search engine. The butterflies are from some old Current Stationary that we found in my mother's stash of goodies.The polka dotted background was made with bubble wrap and gesso.

The ZNE All Heart page was fun too. The giant heart being carried by that little guy is a USPS Stamp cover. You've seen the booklets of 20 or so stamps, with the hearts. Well, that's the front cover. I purchased stamps for the BRO for our newsletter. We send out about 500. I love the American Flag but am really bored with the flag stamps. We mailed them around Valentines Day, so these were perfect and I recycled the stamp image on to my Chunky Book pages.

I hope to post some photos of the trip, and some of the exciting projects and classes and events.

More to follow, of course.

Jon Troast Concert , April 16, 2009

Free Concert

Jon Troast

April 16, 2009
7:00 PM
Oak Hill Presbyterian Church

4111 Connecticut
Saint Louis, MO 63116

For more information
office@brostl.org

A free will offering will be collected to benefit the

BRO Holiday Toy Drive for Families in-need

Your donation of new/used toys and books are also welcome.

For more information about Jon and his music visit the following link below

http://www.jontroast.com/

www.brostl.org

A fun ATC for a ZNE Swap. There are 10 of us swapping, each with a number. Mine is the number 7. Seven 7s and seven stars. Fun to make, can't wait to see what the other swappers make.

Interesting stuff about the number 7 click here :

http://www.archimedes-lab.org/numbers/Num7_12.html

Art In A Carton- Ready for mailing

My work for Art In A Carton is complete and just about ready for mailing. Time to take some photos and do a blog post and see what else will fit. We were suppose to make a carton, decorate it, and fill it with art. Here is what I did. I had some little lunch tins, that were calling to me from the supply shelf. I painted them with gesso then marked them with a grid, similar to what I did in the class I took with Lisa Kaus, see my side bar. I painted each little square with a primary color, trying to limit the palette to yellow, blue and red, then I toned it down with some burnt sienna. Inside of each square I adhered an image from a birthday napkin, then covered liberally with matte gel medium. I really enjoyed this whole process.

Each of the people I am sending a project to will get one of these tins and similar contents. A vintage hankie lavender sachet,tied with a ribbon. My avatar atc, an atc with a vintage Christmas Seals sticker as a focal point, a set of 10 different ( I think there are 10) vintage playing cards, an assortment of atc sized decorative papers, a Dover publication Old Time stickers, 15 feet of pastel fiber, a See D's rubber stamp, a vintage St. Patrick's Day post card, a decorated tag, a vintage cigar band, and who knows what else I can tuck into this little tin.
It doesn't exactly meet the size requirements, but I don't think the recipients will be too disappointed.

I was having trouble devising a carton, and these tins just spoke to me, how can you say NO to art? These little lunch boxes will be heading out to Susan Letham in Rendsburg, Germany, Jill Sullivan in London, England and to Dawn Walker in Roswell, Georgia, USA.



I'll also enclose one of the birthday napkins, maybe the recipients will want to use the tin as a birthday gift and make a card to match. Each one is signed by me....bonniebluedenim.

Art Journaling

Continuing the art journal process, http://creativeworkshops.ning.com/, in my class with Pam Carriker. Here is part 1http://bonniebluedenim.blogspot.com/2009/01/starting-off-artful-new-year-by-taking.html#links .

I like the colors and the doggie and butterfly

My mom and uncle have been showing up in a number of projects.

S& H green stamps and some doodling with a white gel pen and sharpie markers.

I just like this image

this screams "Scrapbook page" which is ok....

butterflies and scroll-y paper scraps

that's combining collage and some doodling on the watercolor pages primed with acrylic paints..and some rubber stamping......we'll see what happens next. I'm enjoying the process.

"Power, properly understood, is the ability to achieve purpose. It is the strength required to bring about social, political, or economic changes. In this sense power is not only desirable but necessary in order to implement the demands of love and justice. One of the greatest problems of history is that the concepts of love and power are usually contrasted as polar opposites. Love is identified with a resignation of power and power with a denial of love. What is needed is a realization that power without love is reckless and abusive and that love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice. Justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love."
Martin Luther King Jr.

Have some fun and make your own obamicon http://obamiconme.pastemagazine.com/

Starting off an "Artful New Year" by taking a class with http://creativeworkshops.ning.com/ I signed up for "Visual Journalism 101" with Pam Carriker. Pam and I serve together on the ZNE Design Team. I had the honor of being in the same Stamper's Sampler as Pam. I love rubbing elbows with the talented and famous! Check out Pam's blog to see some of the beautiful journal pages she is working on, it will inspire you



If you are an aspiring artist, like me, you might struggle with "white page syndrome" . Is there anything more intimidating? I will leap into all kinds of arts and crafts, including soldering, wielding a circular saw at a mission trip work site, singing karaoke in front of strangers, playing the tambourine in the middle of a pretty conservative church, but a blank page, in a bound journal, spare me!

Our first week we are working on filling the blank pages. Ideally you would do this at the end of a painting day, to use up paint left on your palette. Pam wrote a wonderful article about this in a Cloth Paper Scissors magazine article. It's a great idea.

Then you might stamp some images with some staz-on ink, or with some acrylic paint. My page with "first class" stamped about wasn't coming out like I wanted, so I used up the rest of the gesso I had out to cover the unappealling image, and now...it's kind of interesting.

Pam is showing us some of her secret painting techniques...sssshhhh....we can't tell.

Those giant foam stamps work really well with gesso.

This is where I am right now. Waiting for next Monday and the next step. In the meantime, I'll fill more pages with paint, and see what happens.

And when I'm not doing art this is what I do.

http://sawmillstrays.blogspot.com/

http://bro-saintlouis.blogspot.com/

http://oakhillpcusa.blogspot.com/

It's a party!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

What a fun day with y great nieces and nephew!

Save The Sawmill Strays

Seek justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your neighbor.


That is what Beverly does.

I met Bev on a church mission trip to West Virginia. She has the most incredibly clear blue eyes, and I know when you look deep within, you see the face of God.
















Our task was to replace her roof. Which we did, and I thought I would head on home and have happy memories of the trip, but what I found was a "soul sister" as we came to call each other as the week progressed. A city girl and a coal miner's daughter, with so much in common. A love of life, God and animals. Seeking fair play and justice for all of God's creatures.

We took that trip in 2007, and Bev and I continue to remain in contact. I admire her perserverance, love of life, her caring and loving soul.

Bev lives a very simple life, she is a mountain woman with simple needs. She works several jobs to maintain her independence. She adopted 10 dogs from a local shelter when it was closing, knowing that she would be able to handle them and keep them fed and cared for. They each have their own pen, while not fancy, are safe and clean. They are her life.

Now we come to Saving the Sawmill Strays.

Bev lives in Welch, WV, up a mountain road called Sawmill Hollow. Folks there own the house or trailer and lease the land from the owner. An unusal concept for those of us in the city. The lumber company or coal mine or other entity own the land.

One of Bev's neighbors up the hollow have abandoned their "lease", moved out, perhaps there was a divorce, but the people only come by once every month or so. They have left their animals at the lease without food or water.

Most of us might call animal control, knowing that the animals would be picked up and put up for adoption. ( Where does that happen, let me know.) In St. Louis, where I live, I would contact Stray Rescue or the Humane Society of Missouri or The Open Door Animal Shelter. Stray Rescue and Open Door are no-kill shelters. In Welch, there is a dog -catcher who works for the County Commission.Bev does not want to contact them, as they use a gas chamber. Often the animals are just shot by people on the mountain. There is one NO-Kill shelter in her area and it always filled to capacity.

Bev has been going to the "lease" every day and feeding and watering the animals. One of the area animal control groups send food her way and others have donated money to help her feed these abandoned pets. There are 4 adult dogs and 7 puppies, 2 adult cats and 2 kittens. Bev, discovered the puppies in the last few months and has been feeding and caring for them. Since the weather has turned bitter she has decided to bring them to her small home to care for.

How can we help?

My wildest dream is for Bev to be able to start a No-Kill Shelter. That's my wild dream and maybe her's as well, but what she wants to do right now is spay and neuter the 4 adult dogs as soon as possible, and then generate some income to have the pups spay and neutered when they are old enough. Maybe out of this will grow the dream of a No-kill shelter. Perhaps in our semi-wild dreams we can generate income to build some additional kennels on Bev's lease, so that these animals can stay safe.

We are hoping that animal lovers all over the world will help us with a donation to our "Chip-In" account. I trust Bev, but you all don't know her. I am hoping that those of you I have met "on-line" will trust me.

She has discovered a local source that will assist low income families in paying for spay and neutering services. Those funds are drying up, and may not be able to assist with 11 dogs. She is going to check with them. She may be able to afford to pay for one of the dogs surgeries from money she has saved. My plan is to work with Bev, sending her payment for the first surgery and then additional payments after she sends the receipt for the previous surgery. This may not really be necessary, but I wanted the internet community to know that I am making every effort to insure that the money goes for the animals. I know that Bev will use it for the animals. I'm hoping in my wild dreams, for enough money to help build a few more kennels.





But first things first! We hope to raise $1,100 which would be more than enough to cover the surgeries and help with food and gas and a phone card. Bev does not have a phone and uses the phone at one of her part time jobs at a local church. The calls to the vet are long distance. The distance from her home to the vet, not close.

So much to tell.

At the top of the page is a photo of Bev with Samantha ( one of the Sawmill Strays) it was taken in 2007 when we first met Bev, the other shots are very sad and show the condition of the animals after Bev discovered them abandoned. She has since cleaned up the property and area where the pets were kept at the abandoned home.



















You can contact us at sawmillstrays@sbcglobal.net and check out our blog, under construction at http://sawmillstrays.blogspot.com/


PS I've been in communication with Bev ( who checks email at her part time job at the local theater and at the library, computer class, and other venues around town.) and she thinks it would be cool to have each donor submitt a name for the dogs and cats, then we'll have a drawing for naming rights. Great idea, Bev!

PS-2 Chip In Clarification. When you link to chip in it shows my email and Board of Religious Organizations. I also have a chip in for http://www.brostl.org/ a non-profit group I work with. Your donation will go specifically for The Saw Mill Strays, I'll work on cleaning up the link language. Thanks!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Erin Bode - Don't Take Your Time

Wonderful vocalist from St. Louis! Check out her Christmas album.

Check out Susan Tuttle's new book Exhibition 36: Mixed-Media Demonstrations + Explorations that has just been released in bookstores and online. Susan will be giving away one copy to an eligible person in a random drawing that will be held on Tuesday, December 16th at noon on her blog.

Post about her book on your blog and leave a comment and links, etc, you'll be entered.

In the meantime, check out Chrysti Hydeck's blog, Chrysti is giving away a copy of the book in her 29 Days of giving blog post.

For Chrysti you need to respond to this question. "How does Art play a prominent role in your life".

Here is my answer....

Art is about sharing a part of myself with friends and family and people far and near. It’s an expression of love, anger, politics, history, heritage, and just fun. It’s an escape from reality, it’s reality, it’s perception and impression. It just happens sometimes, other times it doesn’t.

So.....go enter, and you'll have two chances to win this incredible new book!

bonniebluedenim's advent calendar

I miss having an Advent Calendar, so, inspired by my twitter friend http://twitter.com/StephanieInCA who is making this advent calendar for all her online friends, thank you, StephanieInCA http://urbzen.com/urbzen-2008-advent-calendar/


I give you bonniebluedenim's version of a digital advent
calendar.

Day 24: Can your dog/dogs do this? Still time to train them before Christmas? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUtPKbMwnRo

Day 23: Bailey the Unknown reindeer, dog people everywhere will love him http://www.dogwork.com/dogsnow/

Day 22: Looking for a unique place to spend the holidays, the new year, or summer vacation, check out these places from Jeff at My SuperCharged Life.
http://matadortrips.com/igloos-castles-sewage-pipes-and-survival-pods-the-worlds-10-weirdest-hotels/

Day 21: Fun dancing reindeer and Santa, rated G http://www.glenn.tapley.us/MC.swf


Day 20: Here are some Wacky Santa's you don't want to show up at the kid's party.

http://www.purpleslinky.com/Offbeat/That-Crazy-Claus-13-Wacky-Santas-You-Dont-Want-Coming-Down-Your-Chimney.350245




Day 19: Ok, it's time to play James the Christmas Zebra
Have fun! I scored 500 on my first try. Watch out for the exploding pudding.

Day 18: Send a Holiday Tattoo Santa to all your friends and family.....if you dare.... http://www.rga.com/holiday07/

Day 17: Hello Kitty runs amuck for the holidays. I hope it's not on your preteen's wish list.
http://blameitonthevoices.blogspot.com/2008/01/hello-kitty-m16.html

Day 16: Red or Blue state? You have to love Barney, tour the White House with the Barney Cam http://www.whitehouse.gov/barney/

Day 15 : Which of Santa's Reindeer are you? Take this quiz to find out! http://www.quizopolis.com/santas_reindeer.php



Day 14: Need some glitter for your website, check these out from BlackDog http://blackdog.net/holiday/christmas/glitter/index.html#how

Day 13: Check out Erin Bode http://bonniebluedenim.blogspot.com/2008/12/erin-bode-don-take-your-time.html she also has a new Christmas album, I just heard one of the songs on the radio. Wow! Erin is from St.Louis.

Day 12: Ok, the cat people need equal time. Here is a fun photo http://flickr.com/photos/fathero9/336879255/



Day 11: Everyone needs an interactive Christmas Card.
http://ecard.ashland.edu/index.php?ecardYear=2004adm

Day 10: The lighter side of advent. Check out this blog, dog nativity, ok it's a few years old, but the photo is cute and maybe it's not too late to add your own caption.

http://purgatorio1.blogspot.com/2005/12/christmas-bonus-you-supply-caption.html

Day 9: Eid ul-Adha or the Festival of Sacrifice, falls approxinatley 70 days after Eid ur Fitr ( End of Ramadan) and is celebrated in honor of the prophet Abrahams's willingness to sacrifice his son as a proof of loyalty to God. Celebrations usually include presenting an animal ( usually a cow or sheep sacrifice) and the meat is shared with family, friends, and those in need.

Click on the link below for some craft ideas to use with children. This holiday is December 8 in 2008.

http://wayfarersjourney.blogspot.com/2007/12/eid-ul-adha-crafts.html

Day 8: Do you remember cutting snowflakes from folded paper? Make a virtual snowflake on this BHG website. You can search for my "virtual flakes" by clicking on "search" and entering bonniebluedenim, Saint Louis, and you'll see them fall from the "virtual" sky. Be sure to try making your own. http://snowflake.bhg.com/?sssdmh=dm17.346653&esrc=nw100dd_09_75&email=1217981904

Day 7: Hanukkah starts on December 22, and I like to coexist and celebrate everything!

Here are some fun do it yourself sites that will be fun and get you ready for the Festival of Lights.

check out these gingerbread Dreidels from the Food Network. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/gale-gand/gingerbread-holiday-cookie-white-snowflakes-dreidel-trios-ornaments-recipe/index.html

or how about this fun R2D2 Droid Dreidel, just print it out on cardstock and fold on the lines! http://makezine.com/pub/tool/Dreidel_Droids

And all of us who are clueless about what to do with a dreidel, should probably watch this video, it looks like fun, enjoy! ( Are those chocolate coins?) http://www.wonderhowto.com/community/member/wonderhowto/playlists/diy-guide-to-hanukkah/


Day 6: Maybe today would be a good day to start making an advent calendar for 2009. Here are some cool on-line instructions.

A cute little chest of drawers...
http://www.scrapsinbloom.com/blog/?p=917


Little hand made envelopes hanging from garland on your mantel....
http://www.quietfish.com/notebook/?p=1244


Here's a fun one for knitters
http://tinyurl.com/5z2l45

Here's a cool altered clipboard version...
http://tinyurl.com/58kqbh

Gather a few nuts and try this one...
http://www.plentymag.com/features/2008/12/diy_natural_advent_calendar.php

Here is an assortment to peruse.
http://www.alphamom.com/buzzoff/2007/11/the_best_diy_advent_calendars.php

Day 5: Ok here it is, CHOCOLATE. Calorie free, guilt free, just plain free.

Day 4: Feeling like getting a puppy for the kids for Christmas, don't forget our shelter friends
http://aplacetobark.blogspot.com/, http://www.strayrescue.org/ , or http://www.hsmo.org/


Day 3: Make sure your kids' toys are lead free, use this widget to help you check.


Day 2: It's never to late to send some JibJab's to friends and family.


Day 1: Are you clueless about advent calendars? check out this link. Or this one Christmas Puppy Advent Calendars. How can we live without it?