KC Collage Retreat

For detailed information Check out KC's Blog. or go to http://studioretreats.ning.com/ For advertising her retreats for her in order to spread the word.... She is gifting everyone who is willing to blab about an Art Retreat in Colorado to get a free little piece of my art and attitude! This giveaway is for five days or 100 pieces whichever comes first.

Pink Ballerina Mouse

Finally took the time to put some finishing touched on my Ballerina Mouse that I started close to two months ago. When Nancy, Deb and I got together for a Creative Friday. I'm really liking her eye lashes. Now that I'm looking at her I think I need to add just a few more things.

Update:

I neglected to mention mouse pattern was by

Deb Able from "It's All Good."

I made some modifications to it.

My Caption Gift

Arrived this Saturday from Nancy. Three mini purses so nicely tied up with a sheer piece of ribbon. All this for the caption I wrote for her cat and the hat photo. Wow! These were done in one of my colors...Green complimented with a lovely shade of melon and golden yellow. And a sweet white doilie accent. How beautiful and useful these mini purses are...make up...coins...coupons. Just about any use you can think of. I love how she has a metal open and close things inside. That is just too cool! When Nancy wrote me back she let me know she did a little detective work and had read that I like green, hence her color choice. She also shared a tip with me that the secret to the little "metal openers" is a metal carpenters tape that she cuts up and puts inside. A tip she got from a pattern. She assures me they are very simple to make.
Thank You so much Nancy for this beautifully handmade gift. (http://wwwnancymatters.blogspot.com/)

Marie Tag Swap

I have just signed up for this tag swap. There are 2 spots left as of June 20th. I got one of the 3 she mentioned. If you are interested please visit Le_Vintage at

http://vintage-le.blogspot.com/

for further details.

Umbrella, Umbrella Who Has My...

Umbrella? Oh, there it is... on our Roof! I should of looked there first. Instead I looked in the trees, in the neighbors yard, in a crop field, Imagining that it popped open and flew over there. Nope. So then I looked in our backyard and in our front yard. Didn't see it there either. I so didn't want to tell Chip (DH) since this is the 4th one I've had over the last couple of years. I seem to go through them like toilet paper. It wasn't until we left to go out for breakfast that I happened to look back at the house and there it was just laying on the roof. Then I told him..."Oh there it is."... "What?'... "Our Umbrella." ...."Oh, I didn't even know that it was missing." Typical. He wasn't that mad but grumbled later when we retrieved it from the roof.
How did it get there you ask?

Well, we had a wicked storm this morning. My cat woke me up. She can be quite the talker. This wasn't a "I want food" cry really. And not a "I want to be let out side" meow. It was more "You need to get in the basement with me Now!" cry. The kitchen lights flickered on and off then... poof... no lights. I looked out the window I could see the winds just whipping the willow tree back and forth and every which way. Poor thing she really hates storms. So I tried to calm her down. After the Storm had passed you should of seen the mess willow branches left every where...in the neighbors yard, up in the pine tree's boughs and on the garage. Our burn pile just keeps getting bigger and bigger.

Since our phone is now connected with the cable we had no phone service. Only to find out both of our cell phones were in desperate need of being charged. Later I went to take these photos of the (m.i.a.) Umbrella. Icing on the cake... the battery for my camera died and that needed to be charged up as well. My spare camera battery needed charging up too. My goodness we are so dependant on these things. But I did manage the two shots before it died. And when it got some juice I took the next two photos.

I'm just grateful the basement didn't flood. So after 6 1/2 hours with out power. Our electricity has now been restored. Yeah Power!

Check Out New Blog

My Friend Therese has a brand spankin' New Blog. She has named her blog "Life's Short". Which also happens to be the name of her and her husband's boat. She says she is not very good with computers but I think she is going to have alot of fun meeting new friends. She is one of the most friendliest persons I have ever met. You may want to visit her to encourage her on this new blog journey.

A Cat And A Hat

(With an English accent)

" Noooo..... you can't make me wear it!"

I won Nancy's Caption Contest. (http://wwwnancymatters.blogspot.com/) How did that happen? Well, I was hoping to win BeeDeeBee's giveaway but I didn't win. (http://beedeebabee.blogspot.com/) So I went to visit the winner of her giveaway who was Nancy to congratulate her. While I was there I saw that Nancy had this adorable picture of this cat and the hat posted on her blog with a challenge to write a caption for it. What a clever Idea. I thought okay I'm game. Her husband picked mine to be the winner. So a Surprise is on the way for me. I just love Surprises!

Thank You Nancy!

Oh and the small world thing is Nancy is also a fellow Michigander in a neighboring town who also knows the Nancy that is mentioned in the post below. Totally two different Nancy's

Howdy Neighbor.

A Gift From Nancy

For Her Art Nest's 100th post, Nancy awarded these lovely hand knitted purses to several of those who commented on her blog. And this came in the mail yesterday.

Nancy knows I'm A big fan of this peridot green!

She also included this knitted dish cloth and a lovely tag that says:

I knit this dishcloth just for you...

A little thank you gift for all you do...

When you're washing all your dishes...

Use this cloth made with loving stitches.

~Nancy~

Check out this botanical lining. Perfect in every detail.

One soft strand of yarn, once just a strand is now

in the hand of the knitter made in to a useful object.

Oh and if you could only smell how fragrant this is too.
For some details on how she did that visit : "It's All Good"
Deb also was a recipient of Nancy's 100th Post Giveaway.
And this little birdie says that Nancy will soon be selling some of her handy work.
Please feel free to visit Nancy at : "Her Art Nest"
to see all sorts of work this very talented lady does.

Thank You So Much Nancy!

Sunday Sentiments

I have not done a "Sunday Sentiments" in awhile but when I received this e-mail. I was moved to share it. So many blogs that I have visited lately seem to be struggling with something whether it is depression or something else. Where I can't cure anyone. I can do something. I can do what is suggested here. So if you happen to stumble across this, my hope is that you find this beneficial too. Here is the e-mail:

Their Sunday Public Talk today was given by a Ministerial Servant who was a US Marine in New York. (He is no longer a Marine.) He is so warm, loving, and understanding.

The talk was entitled "AS CHRISTIANS WE CARE ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE."

His first wife was bi-polar.
When he got to the part of the talk that dealt with Depression, he called a Brother who wears glasses up onto the platform to illustrate the point he was going to make.

May I have your glasses? (He handed them over)

I know you are short-sighted, but can you see the clock at the back? NO.

Come, on try harder. NO

Take another look, for I'm sure you can if you try. Think positive! Still NO.

(So the speaker gave him back his glasses and he sat back down.)

Speaker: "Short Sightedness is an inherited imperfection and no matter how hard I tried to motivate him, he can NOT see that distance. Depression is also a Biomedical Condition that will last until the new world, same as his short-sightedness. We cannot motivate people with Depression by saying 'try harder!' or 'think positive!" It doesn't change anything for them.

Paul counselled us in 1 Thess 5:14 : "speak consolingly to the depressed souls, support the weak, be long-suffering toward ALL."

In New York where I lived, there is a brother who is a Psychologist, and has several patients. CONSOLINGLY means SOOTHINGLY. That is how to treat the many among us with depression or related invisible illnesses."

I Am Happy

... Really I Am

Little girl image from Art-e-ology, Butterflies are from Dover clip art.

As seen in the freebies 4 you post below, the Background is from Art Creations Friday

TTB Doll Raffle

Ties That Bind Doll Raffle is now open!
It was one year ago that they began this project. Everyone pitched in with their art. Now it's time to pitch in again by donating and spreading the news! Remember this is a tax deductible donation! Give big. Give often.

If they can get 500 people to donate $20 over the next 4 months we will raise $10,000.

How awesome would that be??????? We can do this.

If everyone here gets just 6 people to donate $20.....we can go beyond that goal!
THAT IS ONLY 6 PEOPLE DONATING PER ARTIST.
Tickets are

1 for $5

6 for $20
Please visit

http://projecttiesthatbind.blogspot.com/

All funds raised will benefit OCRF

The Ties That Bind Doll

Their Mission Statement
Our mission is simple in concept. Artists united in their creativity to benefit Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. Our project: Ties That Bind. A hand made doll created with heart and soul, donning hand embellished men's dress ties and hand born charms. 100% of the profit goes to the OCRF, in support of their mission to help ovarian cancer patients and their loved ones.

For more information and more pictures of all the submissions and of the completed doll , along with the list of artists that contributed. You can check it all out at:
http://projecttiesthatbind.blogspot.com/

Jan Brown did an amazing job in creating this art doll from every one's contributions. Aileen Roberts kept us all up to date with the pictures of items submmitted on the Ties That Bind blog. Kris Henderson did behind the scenes work that took time and effort. We either submitted charms or an altered tie. I understand the T-T-B Doll is on her way to the publishers to have a photo shoot. I will definitely want to pick up that issue.
My contributions were these three pieces. For fun see if you can find them in the above pictures.

My Ever Faithful Cat

She's my buddy and when I not feeling well she is right there by my side. I took these photos while I was convalescing on the couch today. Iko Kitty goes room to room with me too. As so many pets do whether they be a cat or a dog. She tolerates my friends but when it's time for them to go home according to her she'll let them know with her persistant meowing. I think it is funny/cute. She doesn't seem to like it when I get on the phone either. Now I'm not much of a phone person so why she gets her nose all bent out of joint is beyond me. She'll start meowing like I've been ignoring her all day. (Seems to me I did something like this to my mom minus the meowing. ; ) when I was little.) Crazy cat. I love her to pieces.

At Your Request

Jamie, of wanting to see the Daguerreotype that I have. Or is it anambrotype? Or another type of tintype?
"Daguerreotypes are unmistakeable. They were made on silver-plated copper sheets so they reflect just like mirrors. Any photograph cased behind glass is going to be shiny and reflect light, and this effect doubtless leads to many misidentifications on ebay, but Daguerreotypes are not merely shiny; they actually reflect images as clearly as any hand mirror does." info from EBAY

Mine is not shinny like a mirror so I do not have a daguerreotype. Not sure exactly which type I do have but I have become a little more educated none the less. Anyway I took theses pictures today to share it with you. It measures approx 2 1/4" x 2 3/4". I had contemplated selling it at the Antique Store that I mentioned to you. But they have recently restructured and no longer do consignment. Please visit Jamie's blog for a little history lesson about Daguerreotypes. http://www.readarteology.blogspot.com/