Lets Dance!

Today is National Dance Day, so lets dance! I used to be a dancer, as you can tell from my worn-out ballet slippers. Those babies saw some action, back in the day. Dance was my first love. I still love to dance, if only in my living room, when no one else is looking. I still have a soft spot for all things ballet pink, modern dance performances and performers, and toe shoes. So, will you dance with me?

Flowers On A Friday - Gathering Lavender

The parking lot, at my local grocery store, is filled with lavender plants in glorious full bloom. So, of course, I had to "liberate" some.

Lace & Light

Kumquats - Meatless Monday

Kumquats are like little bursts of bright sunshine in my mouth. Bitter and sour, they make my lips pucker. They just scream summer. I like them dunked in sugar. My favorite thing to do, is to add slices of them to my cup of tea. I'm a big fan of orange spice tea so this hits the spot. The biggest bonus of all, they are just so darn cute!

Kyoto Grand Hotel

The first night in Los Angeles, I stayed at the Kyoto Grand Hotel. What a beautiful hotel. They have a lovely rooftop garden too. Here are some pictures that I took at the hotel.

The rest of my stay was spent in far more modest accommodations, but that first night I was stylin'. I would highly recommend it.

Flowers On A Friday - Before and After

Before
Straight from the camera

After
with some Photoshop play

I'm Back

I've returned from the big adventure. Wow, what an experience that was! The main thing I would say is that I learned a lot. It was wonderful to hear all the nice feedback from the buyers. It was a bit frustrating to learn that so many people were interested in the enlargements that I had hanging in my booth. I had those made for display purposes, but I sure wish I'd known the response they would receive, because I would have had them available to sell. Next time, for sure! They did look great, I had no idea they would enlarge so nicely.
Traveling to the show was a bit nerve wracking. The large dress painting, which is painted in wax, was literally melting in the heat, on the way to the show. That was scary. As long as I kept moving the air flow kept everything solidified, but when I'd stop (to get gas, potty breaks, etc.) it would liquefy and begin it's own journey. Yikes! Remarkably, it made it through OK.
What else, oh yeah, I backed my truck into this low wall, that was temporarily invisible, in the parking structure, ugh! Utter exhaustion is my only excuse.
Los Angeles was fun to see again. There is so much to see and do there. I'm thankful I don't live in the middle of all that hub-bub anymore, but it's a great place to visit. I need to go back again soon, when I can just play around. I have some pictures that I will share soon.

Here is a picture of my booth. See the enlargements? And the dress? Barely changed, post melt. 

  After days of staring at the dress painting, and the guy in the next booth who was doing paper mache demonstrations, I became all inspired. My mind was filled with creative ideas as I was driving home. I can't wait to get started, and show you what I'm going to do. Inside my head it is so amazing. Now to make it a reality. 

Meatless Monday - Delicious Product

I'm still at the Beckman show, in Los Angeles, working hard promoting my cards. So here's a quick post to let you know about a delicious snack. I am hooked on this stuff. If you like spicy Thai peanut sauce you will love it.

Flowers On A Friday - View Of A Bridal Bouquet

Today is the first day of the gift show, please wish me luck. Here's a photo of a bridal bouquet that I recently made. Have a fun filled weekend everybody.

Buried Treasure

Over on the The Altered Page Seth is once again looking for Buried Treasure. The idea is to look back over all your post's from the last year, pick your favorites, and show them again. Then folks can easily surf around, and search, and see the best treasure that everybody had to offer. It's a fun blog hop to explore. Since this blog is so new, I decided to pull from my old blog and share some of my favorite pictures from over there. So, here you go. The first one I'd like to share was Carpe Catem - Seize The Sunshine. 

And a little dog too.

 Some of my favorite Flowers On A Friday.

And a Meatless Monday recipe.

Have fun surfing around.

Off I Go

I'm on my way to Los Angeles. I believe it will be about a 13 hour drive. As I mentioned before, I will be at the Beckman Show, at the LA Mart, booth # 427. If you are attending the gift show, please stop by and say hi. I have prepared a few posts, in advance, so you will have some new things to look at, and read about. I hope you enjoy them.

One of the places I hope to visit, if I have time, is Olvera Street. That place is some touristy good fun. 

So, I'm off. I hope to have lot's of great stories to share, when I return. Bye for now.

Meatless Monday - Taco Night

I was so spoiled! My daughter made (and then photographed the above picture) some vegan tacos. They were great! In mine, she used refried beans and left off the cheese. I can't imagine that her non-vegan tacos could have been any better. Shhhhh, please don't burst my bubble. 

Get Ripped

It's not what you think, I am an absolute tea totaler. I'm talking about ripped edges on paper, love 'em! I am always ripping up random stuff and sticking it in my paintings. I enjoy the layers, the texture, the visual interest, using vs disposing, the whole thing. One of my favorite free treasures are security envelopes (turned inside out). They remind me of mens suiting material. Since it's a well know fact, among my friends and family, that I am crazy about theses goodies, I have folks sending me their empty envelopes (thanks guys, you know who you are). Start looking, and you'll be surprised how beautiful they can be.

The little windows to peek inside are a complete bonus. Anyway, here are a few things that I've been doing with my ripped envelopes lately. First, I used gel medium to attach them to a page in my journal.

Then I start to play with them. This shows one of the pages after I journaled and painted over it.                                     

Next, I used it as a base for a collage in Photoshop.

I'm telling you, I think they are great. I'd go as far as to say that they are as beautiful as must art papers that you can buy. Now, if they only came in larger sizes...

Flowers On A Friday - Vintage Roses

Little Pretty

On The Road Again

Guess where I'll be going next week? Yep, L.A. baby. I'm going to take part in my first wholesale gift show. I will have a booth at the Beckman Show, at the LA Mart. If, by chance, you will be at the show please stop by and say hi, I'd love to see you! This will be the first time I participate in a gift show. I must confess, I am so nervous. Being the new kid can be intimidating. I'm sure it  will be exciting, and a big learning experience.
I'm happy about going to L.A.. It's my old stomping ground. We lived there for years. There are so many things I can't wait to see. I won't have much free time, but I'll try to squeeze fun into every moment I have. Right now, I'm trying to get ready. There are so many details to work out. I'm just going one step at a time, and trying not to be overwhelmed. Whew, what an adventure!  

Inspired By...

Today I'm feeling inspired by a stone lion that I pass by all the time. He sits proudly, at the edge of a drive way, at a house located in a forested area. I know at one time he went missing, because I saw his "Lost" flier hanging at the post office. I was so sad for his people, what a loss. Apparently he was returned, because he's back on duty, guarding their driveway. As I went by him today, I felt inspired by that square head of his, it makes him so unique. I started thinking about incorporating unexpected shapes in my paintings, maybe thinking inside the box for a change. I don't know, it's just a thought.