this & that

I won, I won!!! Natima (Nat) and Loani Prior got together on a Christmas blog giveaway and I was the lucky winner.....Whoopee!!! I had admired the tea cosie ever since I spotted an earlier one (yellow) on Nat's blog. Nat decided to knit another one as a blog giveaway and when she corresponded with Loani (the author of Really Wild Tea Cosies) about it, it seems that she wanted in on the action as well. LOL! Anyway, I love both parts of my gift, despite the fact that I can't even knit a stitch! Please check out both generous ladies on their lovely blogs. Thanks so much and I plan on having many cups of tea in your honour!




What else have I been doing? Collecting, of course!

I have the sketchbooks......



I have the books..........





I have the artsy supplies..........





What I don't have is time!!!!!!

All this is because of all the blog chatter about The Sketchbook Challenge and the Strathmore Visual Journal Online Workshops. I mean well, I really, really do!!! It's just that I have a day job, and the bead journal project and another monthly block swap to do. Yes, I am whining!!! It's hard to admit that I just can't do everything I want to do. Besides, the supplies won't go bad and the info will still be on the internet later in the year. So, I'm not abandoning this subject entirely, I'm just postponing until some later date. Yeah, that's it!!!

Wish me luck!

shadowbox auction - textile museum of canada

Some of you might remember this post that shows the piece I donated to the Textile Museum of Canada's annual Shadowbox Auction. If you're interested in taking an on-line look at some of the other donated pieces, you can find them here . Just under the banner, you will see some links to the boxes. You can find me in the "Artists: A-G" section. I'm under the letter "D".

thank you, thank you very much....

My friend Beth made some very complimentary comments about my work (blush) when she passed on the:




This Award is bestowed upon blogs that could use a boost in followers… (should have less than 300 followers) and like Beth, I definitely qualify there! The awarded blog then nominates 3-5 other blogs that could also use a boost in readership. My nominees for this award are as follows:

1. Penny from Tanglewood Threads for being my mentor in my early fibre art days, for her friendship, support and also for her amazing and artistic fibre and photography work. Penny is quite new to the blogging world, but is quickly making up for lost time.

2. Rachel from Rachel's Art Spirals is quite the busy and eclectic artist. She's a Mom by day and yet manages to get in as much art as she can in her free time. She beads, stitches, draws, paints and is one of the list mom's of the Cloth Paper Studios Yahoo group. This is a group I highly recommend for it's gentle, nurturing nature and safe, creative mixed media swaps. I have no idea how many followers Rachel has as it's not listed on her site. However, I'm nominating her anyway.

3. Mary Anne from Magpies Mumblings for her sunny disposition, eternal optimism and clever use of as many mediums as possible. MA has a generous spirit and a real passion for Crazy Quilting.

Now I could go on and on to nominate a few more friends, but I'll leave room for the others to pass on awards.

Please be sure to visit Beth's blog and wander about for a bit. Beth was originally from Chicago, but has recently relocated (with her husband) to South Africa. Her wildlife photography is amazing!

there's something about the light

Looking through an icicle that had formed on the outside of the window. I wonder who made all the footsteps?




Remember all that rain? Well, this was the view from my bedroom window when I got up this morning. Snow muffles sound and sleep is so much sweeter! My intent was to rush out to Michaels to buy some art supplies. Needless to say, I changed my mind! Isn't it amazing how quickly priorities change? Of course, being Toronto, the streets are fine and driving is not an issue. I think that I'll stay out of trouble, just the same.



Now how did THAT get in there? The start of my July, 2010 Bead Journal Project piece. Yes, I'm late and it's going to be green!!! Well, green and some other colours which will remain a secret until I get further along (read that to mean, finished). I'll start beading the bezel on the focal point today.

BTW, this is the acrylic painted, peltex substrate.



Have a creative week!

late but not forgotten

I was blog hopping earlier last year and happened upon the wonderful Lawendula at the Woven Letters blog. I've been interested in paper for a while, but hadn't built up much of a stash. I quickly noticed the regular paper swaps that Lawendula organizes and emailed her to sign up for the next one.

The first swap I joined was called the "Art Failures" swap and my partner was Sue from Australia. Sue was generous enough to send me an envelope stuffed full of handmade cards, a few of her little accordian books, miscellaneous paper products, earrings, a necklace and bracelet. Alas, not too many failures, but what a bounty for a mixed media artist with a touch of ADD! Also, don't you think the sayings are so appropriate? Sue hasn't been blogging much lately, but perhaps a few lovely comments would encourage her to start.





The next swap I joined was "Embellishment for Paper Art" and my partner was Faerwillow from the U.S. I received a bountiful and enchanting envelope, chock full of nature themed elements. Papers, fall leaves, beads, brads, sequins, a pin, mystical ladies and even a fairy tale or two were included for my enjoyment. Don't you just love the fall colours and the faerie theme? A natural delight for my eyes!




A great big thank you to Lawendula, Sue and Faerwillow for a couple of very successful swaps. The dialogue was great and the results, oh so very satisfying. If you're interested in joining a swap of this type, wander on over to Lawendula's new blog. You'll meet the most interesting people on your journey! See you there!!

Of course, the next thing I need to do is figure out how I'm going to use my treasures. Stay tuned!!

I wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous 2011

Original photograph of a rain drenched tree, taken this morning and then altered in my Picasa photo editing program.





The top of my balcony railing. Time to get out the paint!!! Either that or rust some fabric. Again, digitally enhanced in Picasa.





Rain, rain go away.......wait a minute, it's January 1st, 2011. Let's keep the rain and the mild weather and wish away the cold and snow to come. This brings back memories of Vancouver, B.C. in the winter. It's not really normal for Toronto.


My word for the year is going to be FOCUS! Will there be more focus in my life, or just a renewed interest in photography? Only time will tell!!


Anne Marie