8.30.2005

A simple art card~


This is how I feel today...If Ihad wings I would fly away to a desert island!

8.27.2005

Silenced~


A new art card I made last night. For a situation I am enduring.....my website was shut down. My soul is silenced & I am too numb to even comprehend what happened. Maybe I can talk about it later?

8.25.2005

Creative day~


I actually had some time to work on some new art cards! I never have sealed any of my art, but I bought this product called Diamond Glaze, it is wonderful. I added a thick coating, it gives it a look of, shiny glaze.

I think I will put them on ebay, when I reopen the store, whenever that will be, who knows!?

8.24.2005

Could you imagine!?





Could you imagine walking into the Hollywood Wax Museum & seeing a wax represention of yourself? I wonder what these celebrity's thought when they saw themselves!?

It was pretty humourous & horrifying at the same time :)

This is insane!


How could any one sleep with this above their head?! Well, my young son can :)
This is what I was hinting about a few notes ago...The artist finally finished painting it, the other day & it turned out better than expected!

This pour old dinosaur has been sitting in a friends back yard for over 2 years, being baked by the desert sun & was in desperate need of some repairs & paint touch up.

Our friend said we could have it, because he knows, my youngin' wants to be a palentologist, so he suggested if we wanted it, we could have it....how could I refuse.

Our new dinosaur friend came from a Discovery Store, in California, that was being remodeled.

Trying to get this enormous guy on the wall was insane! I wish I had the attempt on video, it could have won on America's funniest home video's.


8.21.2005

New project in the making~






Have talked with my sistah~ I believe we are going to attempt doing the bustier creations again! I am so excited, she said, she has 2 completed already. When I reopen my ebay store, I will feature her creations, along with some of my new ideas.

Many moons ago, we used to be quite famous in Seattle, are business name was "ARTAFAXX" we designed mainly bustiers, but for fashion shows, we made other clothing. We were featured in television & numerous media articles, movie, tv commercials, music video...it was quite exciting! Back in the day we designed some spectacular custom orders, that would go for anywhere from $150.00 to $500.00, so I can only imagine what they could go for now. Just the other day I saw some in Hollywood that were crap compared to the ones' we made & they wanted $350.00! So I am looking forward to this new venture with my sis.

I remember one time we were in planning for over a month for this huge show, we had 50 models prepared & fitted. The day of the show the owner of the club, called and said the liquor control board had just phoned him & said they were closing down our showing, until further notice! Who the heck were these idiots to do such a thing, after months of preparation, with hundreds of invitations sent out, media showing up, photographers, how would we ever contact all these people in a matter of 5 hours....NOT! Needless to say sis & I were devastated...but we got on the phone immediately to the liquor control board to find out what was there problem....well, they wanted to see pictures of our bustiers & photo's of our previous fashion shows...they somehow got wind we had minors for models (untrue) and it was going to be a nudy strip show! (untrue) so that evening after we had called all the models to not make an appearance, then we zipped down to Seattle to the club & sat at the doors handing out our newly made flyers "Cancelled by the State Liquor Control Board!"

So after a few weeks working out the kinks, we recent all the invitations, media, etc...the big night was going to happen! Well let me tell ya...that was a night to remember...all the talk of the "Artafaxx girls" show being cancelled, made it a real topic around town & people wanted to see what the fuss was all about...so when we showed up there was a line so long to get in hours before the show was to start, we couldn't see the end, people were pushing & shoving trying to sneak in the doors, when the models finally did get on stage, the photographers & media bombarded the stage, pushing & shoving, flash bulbs going off blinding them, they had no place to walk to the stage there were so many people, we had to try & push all these people out of the way so the models could get through & try to keep them on track & not get crushed by the mob of spectators & photographers. It was unbelievable, my sister & I were ready to pass out it was like a mosh pit of crazed people. Well after an hour, of our best show ever, the show was over & we had a taste of what famous people go through. So, that was the show that really got our names out there....but there are many more stories of those years, famous people we met, & exciting things we were involved with. Okay, I am rambling on way too long about this subject....I felt like I was in a time machine, there for a few minutes!

Here's some rough photo's of a show we did at the Seattle Arena, they are fuzzy because they are photos from a video~ I'll have to scan some other photo's~

8.20.2005

I love Saturday's!!


The queen is just lounging today...yea right slap me out of that daydream! I do love Saturday's but this one is extremely busy...chem dry is going to be here any minute to clean the carpets, I have a painter in the kids room...oh my gosh, you can only imaging what he is painting, I have to wait for him to finish, to take pictures...it is unbelievable!

Have to run to Target to get a few more school supplies, Monday is back to school, already. Then off to the Las Vegas raceways tonight, busy busy busy. I think I will dream of a lazy Saturday next week, I said dream, cuz I know it will never become a reality, but that's ok~

8.19.2005

Art~

Art~

Testing out my new layout~


So... I have a new layout for my blog...and ohhh, what a beautiful job Reese did, she put a link, so anyone can contact her for websites & like this...blog reconstruction! Which mine was in serious need.

It looks as I can not put large photo's in anymore & have to make the images smaller..so I am going to just put up some art in a few more posts to experiment.

Back from traveling to Hollywood~


Returned today from a trip to Hollywood, Universal Studio's & Santa Monica...I believe our gypsy travels, must come to an end for the summer season, as we head back to school on Monday already. I found this writing from humorist Merrill Markoe...it describes exaclty how I felt on this last jaunt to the west coast....

"What's so funny about L.A.?"
There isn't just one scene here, but a unique array of different ways to feel inadequate, inferior, irrelevant and out of it. Some clubs and bars along Sunset Strip are so hip that they've done away entirely with putting the name on a sign outside, to let you know that if you're so out of it that you need to see the name of the place let alone the address, then you don't deserve the privilege of feeling inadequate there.

So, feeling perhaps too artsy and alienated for the Strip, you head across town to Silverlake, where, from the minute you enter one of the small mom and pop establishments which are actually run by mom & her transgender life partner who sells vintage clothing & used vinyl, you find yourself not "underground" enough, not up to speed on alternative bands, not pierced or tatooed or original enough in your choice of clothing. Now you are too mainstream.

Feeling excessively straight, you visit Beverly Hills, where you're too fat, too thin, too hairy, not hairy enough, over dressed, under dressed, too Silverlake or too Sunset Strip, either way, too poorly groomed to be permitted to walk the streets or sit in a restaurant.

In search of solace, you drive to the ocean. In Santa Monica among the homeless, you realize you're not only too well dressed, too pampered, too wealthy, too privileged, too shallow, callous and stingy, but also not grateful enought for what you have, and far too lucky. And thus do you end your day, retreating back to your home or hotel room, where you take comfort in reminding yourself of your identity as a well adjusted person originally from another city. Where you didn't fit in either.

8.12.2005

New art cards~

Yesterday I accidently put caffeinated coffee in my coffee press, I was so tired I didn't even notice, until the jolt of caffeine hit me. I usually only drink decaf, so it was very shocking!

I was buzzing around cleaning my house & decided to use that extra jitteryness (is that even a word?) to create some new art cards. I love the look of this art card, so I made 3 more similar ones, they turned out to my satisfaction, which is unusual, as I am never quite satisfied with my art cards. So now, I have some new art to put on ebay when I reopen the store....I think I will make that a goal, to create 20 of them to list, when I reopen the store by the end of August or beginning of September.

(This is one of my favorite art cards, that I made...I can't remember who won it for auction~)




8.10.2005

A new way to lose weight


I have discovered a new way to lose weight...
1st day...scorch the roof of your mouth with steaming hot tortellini noodles!
2nd day..burn your mouth again with hot cereal!
3rd day..try burning again with hot cheese pizza!
4th day..eat raisen bran & scratch the roof of your mouth!
5th day..forget even trying to eat a thing!!

So you see after the first burning, you really don't want to eat anything, and if you try, it just starts the healing process all over again....so needless to say...I have been suffering for the last few days!!! I find it humorous in a sense, but ohhhhh so painful. thought I would share this new weight loss method, it really does work!

(P.S. not that I need to lose a pound, I am actually trying to gain some weight!)

8.09.2005

Raining today


This is a dreary day, it has been raining all night, thunder & lightning crashing all around, a nice relief from the heat, but oh so dreary & grey out. Just want to go back to sleep, but I think I will go make some tea & do some art cards today & get ready for the opening of my new website. I desperately need to get some art made, to sell on the website. I have some new inpsiration for a new altered book, I can't wait to start it, I think I will put it on ebay when I open the store again in September.

This pic is from an altered book I made, it reminds me of this dreary rainy day.

8.08.2005

~How to tell a secret~



Look what I won on ebay! I am so excited...again....I won dearcrissy art cards. I adore them as you can see. I believe there was almost 1500 lookers & 30 something bids. I am so thrilled I won them, so I wanted to show them off~

dearcrissy is her ebay id

What lies before us


I just finished reading the diary book of Margaret Ann Brady, a young girl on the Titanic.

I thought this altered book page, that I made a while ago, reveals how I feel about that tragic event in history. All those beautiful souls, gone!

8.07.2005

I hate my hair!!!


You would think after living on this earth so many years, I could have found at least one hairstylist that could fix my hair correctly!!!! I am so SICK of my hair!! It is now dark dark brown almost black, because my guy picked out the wrong color...I could have cried, but I held back my tears. My hair is past my shoulders & naturally wavy, but in this dry desert air, it feels like brittle top ramen noodles...and I have tried every expensive conditioner...I could find! I hate my hair I am so sick of it...I don't know how people have such shiny beautiful hair!!! ????

Ok, that's it...today I am going to write to that famous guy, what's his name? Jose Eber? and I will email him everyday until I get an answer. I need some serious hair help!

(I sold this art card to a lady in the Netherlands, it is made with synthetic hair, I love this card & I love her hair!!!)

8.06.2005

Feeling bright & cheery~


Having a lovely Saturday morning, fixed an egg, cheese & chive omelet for the kids, full bellies & cartoons. Even had time to finish two more pages in my art journal.

I am off to go have some fun today, without kids, going to go hit some antiques stores, in search of vintage pieces for my art & maybe the thrift store for some old books......this is a lovely Saturday!

8.05.2005

My aching body!


Oh...I can hardly move today. Every muscle in my body aches. The kids & I walked from Tropicana all the way to the Venetian last night & walked 2 malls. Didn't get home until 1 in the morning. What fun we had!

Visited the Titanic exhibition...totally priceless!! I was in tears at moments throughout the walking tour. There was over 300 artifacts, personal & other pieces of the boat on display. We were in there for 2 hours. The personal items were amazingly & painstakingly preserved....money, personal papers, diaries, jewerly, brushes, combs, clothes, wallets, shoes, glasses...the list goes on. It was very touching to see personal articles of people who were lost on that tragic night. At the beginning of your tour they give you a boarding pass, of a passengers' name & info on it & at the end of the tour, there is this huge board of all the passengers names & you can check to see if your boarding pass name was a survivor or lost at sea. Out of the 3 names we had, one boy had died he was only 20. Mr Paul Edvin Andreasson from Sweden. 3rd class passenger. He was traveling to Chicago, Illinois to be with his brother Ernst. In Sweden he had trained for 7 years to become a blacksmith (he started when he was 13!?) Presumbly he planned to look for work as a smith in Chicago. Paul was one of the 108 Swedes on Titanic, almost all of whom traveled in 3rd class.

I bought over $100.00 worth of souvenirs, that's how great the exhibition is...I never buy crap like that. A diary of a young girl on board & a book on every artifact saved from the Titanic, a copy of a menu, a copy of a stock certificate & some other lil' goodies for the kids. Can't wait to read the books...so off I go...

8.04.2005

Healing expressions


Wow, this is a great collage!

This is my friend Lani's art, she sells on ebay under ebay id, healingexpressions.

She is an amazing artist! She is the first seller on ebay that I ab~soul~utley, feel in love with her art.

She is a great inspiration in my life!

Chocolate coffee has soothed my soul~


aaaaahhhh, I feel much better today! I have been experimenting with chocolate & ice cream in my coffee & it is so yum!! I think it has calmed my restless soul.

It is calm & quiet in my house today, thank GOD!! I even had a chance to work in my art journal, now that is a miracle! So ....if I rant & rave into cyberspace I get my way? Like I did yesterday. If I wished for 50 million dollars would I receive my wish?! :) ya know, just a million wouldn't do!

So... today I think I will take the kids downtown to the strip, we have been wanting to go exploring. The Tropicana has a new display, tons of artifacts from the Titanic, I think they even mention you can walk into the original hull of the ship, sounds very interesting. Also want to go check out some bustiers at the Venetien. Have been thinking about making them again with my sister. We used to be quite famous in Seattle for making them...many moons ago.

I am rambling, so my que to get to work. But not before I say a thanks to some readers that left some sweet comments! I can't believe I have had over 100 readers already! I am so addicted to reading blogs....I love it!

(The image above is from an altered book page, that I created)

8.03.2005

P@#$#dd off !!!!!


Ok it is official rant day for me!!! I am beyond furious! Here's the scene...
"what do you do all day?" "why are you on the computer so much?" "why do you waste your time with art?" "Does it make you money?" I could go on...What the hell is going on in my life I'd like to know....my usual peaceful life is full of too many demands on me, just because I started doing things for myself. I take care of my kids, exceptionally well! I don't even swear around the house (fun to say swear words here though) Here is a day in my life to answer the question..."what do you do all day?'
~Get up early to get breakfast ready
~Do loads of laundry
~Clean up dishes, breakfast lunch & dinner
~Clean the whole house continually all day long, picking up after the kids, remember this is a HUGE house to clean! vacumn, dust, make beds, wash windows,gosh sounds like I am the maid
~answer phone calls, pertaining to house & business
~answer voice mails, pertaining to business
~clean the pool
~pay the bills 3 times a month @ 1/2 a day each time, cuz I am interputed a million times
~get the house ready for company, at least 4 times a month! sick of living in Vegas
~grocery shop in 120 degree heat, then load it, then bring it in the house, then unpack it..usually have the whole back of my truck full...and only organic for my family, which I pay heck for buying such expensive food.
~Give the kids there baths, get them ready for bed, read them stories, take the kids where they need to go, school, friends houses...so tired of kids stories, kids movies, kids, kids, kids, kids,kids,kids...slap me!
~Get the mail, sort the mail, it's not your normal mail...I am talking TONS of mail, it takes 1/2 hour to get through it.
~Help Zack with homework nightly (when in school)
~make lunches for school, make sure Zack has everything organized for school every night
~the list could go on & on & on....

Ok, I think that is enough ranting on that...I feel a little better, I am not lazy & I am a good mom...gosh is there any time in there for me, maybe some friends? maybe a girl night out? maybe a babysitter? maybe some yoga? maybe some art time? NOT!!!

I also think it is the chocolate experiment that has made me want to rip off heads! I don't usually do sugar, and have been excessively eating chocolate, to find out if it releases the chemical phenylethlamine,the good feelings when we are in love, in my system. They also say women crave chocolate before and during menustration & menopause & is high in polyphenols which are powerful antioxidants. Well it seems it has only released ab~soul~ute rage within! But I'll try some more later! :)

Kay, I am off to drink some coffee & ohhh answer the damn phone that is ringing!

8.02.2005

A new altered book~


I really do need to get back into creating some art! Life has just consumed every extra minute of creating time...everytime I go to my work table, the phone rings, the kids need something, the realtor calls, a neighbor comes over, or the laundry starts calling my name! And today I will be doing bills more than half the day!! When do I ever get some me time!? I have to go dig out a bombshelter beneath my house with padlocks to lock myself in! I sometimes wonder if it is selfish to want to just be alone.

I have this new altered book pictured in my mind.....I want to start creating it today. Maybe I can finish it time for the website. Although ebay has done me well...the most I sold one for, was $380.00 and that was my first altered book...it was so shocking. I still got crap from family...."What is anyone going to use it for?" "Why do people buy these?" "Seems like a big waste of time!"

I really want this art business to take off, but I have no extra time! My website should be done soon & I was planning to have a bunch of art to sell & I have nothing! Well, I guess I need to go back to the no sleep routine...and kick some butt, "stay up all night & drink coffee all day!" Speaking of coffee, I haven't had my morning brew. I am on the last scoops of vanilla bean ice cream, I better get to the store today.....see....there is another thing I have to do today! DANG IT!!

Wanted to update on my chocolate experiment...will do that later today or tommorrow :)

8.01.2005

My mansion~


Today is clean up day again! It seems whenever I get a plan for the day, I receive a call from a realtor, they want to come show the house! It would be fine, if the kids would keep things picked up...I am so tired of picking up millions of lil' toys all day long, and they are in every room! Oh, well, the positive side, at least I have the cutest kids to pick up after :)

I wish the maids could come everyday, but for now I have them for once a month, so I can still get my "cleaning workout excercise plan" seems the only way I get some excercise these days.

So I am off to clean this monstrosity of a house...I love this house, but I hate to admit it, but it is just too small. I need more rooms, one for a big office, an art room, a play room, and another guest room would be perfect. And the backyard...that's another story, it's all pool, not really any place for the kids to play in the yard. The side yard is too skinny with a big tree in the middle of it. Funny how I am never satisfied....well, I am most of the time, but I new this house was an investment, not my dream home, but on the way to it!

I better get cleaning, they will be here in a couple hours~