Spot of Tea

Summer Biking, Ballet and Another Mini Album

The kids love riding bikes and they have been on them all summer.  DD has been riding so much that she had a blow-out on one of her tires.  DH, DD and DS had to walk their bikes back from the park this afternoon after it happened.  Time for a bike tune-up for all of us I think.  Thank goodness DD had her new bike to ride.  It is a little big for her but she can finally ride it without having to jump onto the seat.  DS has been doing great without his training wheels.  Loves riding over bumps and such, much easier now.

DD and I have been practicing some ballet the last few days.  Oh my!  My legs are soooo tired and my knees are sore.  Can't believe that I am so out of shape that a few minutes of bar work is killing me.  Means I need to get back into it.  I can teach DD while I'm getting myself back into shape.  How fun.  Well, kinda.  So far she likes practicing and I will like the results and maybe even the work in a little while.

Another mini album is mostly completed.  A Halloween one this time.  I need to finish adding photos to it and some cute stickers (which I already have) for the year.  Thought I had developed all the photos already but I'm missing quite a few.  So I'll be developing a batch of photos shortly and then another mini album will be completed.  Still have a few more in the works and even more in the planning stages.  I'll get back to layouts soon.  I've been having the need to sketch a few layout ideas in my notebook lately so the bug to create layouts is coming.

Art Journaling and Paints

Why didn't anyone tell me how addictive the whole "art journaling" thing is????  I've been reading about it (love Art Journaling magazine) and even used some of the techniques for scrapbooking but had not tried the actual thing myself.  I finally jumped in this evening and now I'm totally addicted.  Just prepping the pages has been such fun.  Trying out different paints on the pages.  Adding left over scraps from other projects I just can't bear to part with.  Getting messy using my fingers to apply paint, stickles and gel medium.  And then scribbling a sentence here and there as I feel.  Or maybe a doodle here and an alphabet there.  Yep, addictive!

Now that I've taken photos, written about it and posted it maybe I can get my mind to relax and even get some sleep.  Maybe.

More Mini Albums, Mixed-Media and Cars

Still working on mini albums.  Have so many ideas running in my head of these little things to make.  A Halloween one that resembles a trick-or-treat bag.  Another made from teabag envelopes, love this itty-bitties.  Still working on one with Starbuck's cup cozies, got a few kinks need to smooth out.  Have one started using a mac-n-cheese box for the cover, going to be fun.  And started a coin envelope one too.  Too much fun creating little treasures.

Also started working on a WINTER themed mixed media piece.  Had to go through a bunch of snow photos to get in the mood since it is 90+ degrees outside.  I feel like I'm melting even in the air conditioning and I'm working on a winter theme. But I did come up with a poem which lead to an idea for the piece.  I am doing this as part of the Cloth Paper Scissors 'winter holiday gift' art swap.  I really wanted to play more with mixed media so I figured I could start with this.  I think it will turn out well and I already have an idea for a bigger piece I'll start after this piece is done.  If this one turns out well that is.  I can see it in my head and I love it.  The problem is making it look how it does in my mind.  Just gotta keep trying.

Talk about problems and working on it ... the car situation is driving me CRAZY!!  I so need my car fixed but we just don't have the money to get it done.  Can't believe how expensive it is to get these contraptions fixed.  If it was an older car DH could fix it himself but with all the computerized junk we have to take it into a mechanic.  Still glad my brother is a great mechanic.  As soon as I can save up the money to get it fixed he'll have it waiting for him at the shop.  But for the moment DH and I are still sharing the car and dealing with the troubles it creates.  Just need to remember that it is temporary and will get better shortly.

Fireworks, Training Wheels and Mini Albums

Went to the big firework festival over the weekend.  Biked down to the riverside craziness, like every year.  Traffic was packed, as usual.  DD rode her own bike for the first time down there and was super tired by the time we got home around 11:30pm.  It was a nice fireworks display and the kids loved it.  I got a couple of decent photos but not many.  Would have been better if I had taken the tripod but I couldn't figure out where to stash it on my bike. :)

We also went to Old Town University's "Red, White & Blue Gala".  It was great to watch the fireworks display while sitting in a comfy, air-conditioned space with delicious food.  We are at the perfect spot to see the whole fireworks.  The kids loved it.  I really like the air-conditioned part and the great view.  Too fun.

DS is now riding his bike training wheel free.  Yep, no training wheels for the boy now.  My baby isn't such a baby anymore.  His sister had her wheels off at 4-years old and he is a little earlier since he's been trying to keep up with her for the past year.  He petals those little legs super fast and keeps up with all of us around the block.  By the end of the summer he'll be ready to try out the hand-me-down Spiderman bike from our friends.  We were going on longer and longer jaunts but now we're back to around the block for a bit until he builds up his stamina.  Glad he is having such fun with the bike and going for rides.  Plus he is just too cute.

I've created a couple of cute mini albums for upcoming classes at Old Town University.  Love mini albums and I've now got the bug to create more.  The Americana Mini turned out really cute but I'd like to make a more vintage version too.  The Water Fun Mini also turned out really cute.  Love the cover - it's a beach ball with the middle cut out to create a frame.  Used the Silhouette to cut out the pieces and the water-drop shaped pages.  Fun stuff.  I've been scribbling furiously in my notebook with ideas for mini albums I'd like to create.  Now I just need to make some time to fit in all the stuff I need, want and would like to do.

Hot Days, Pansy-Faces and Cleaning

It has been sooooo hot lately.  Thank goodness I work in air conditioned comfort at Old Town University.  Home is not air conditioned ... yet.  We haven't put the window air conditioners in so far.  Didn't even need them last year.  Probably won't put the bedroom one in but the living area one has got to go in, SOON!  Our two big 12-pane windows in the south and west corner of the living room just make it too hot until late, late at night.  Ugh.  Playing in the sprinkler, eating loads of popsicles, drinking water & ice tea all day and riding our bikes helps to keep us cool but it is miserable in the house.

I made a "happy accident" while practicing for one of my painting projects the other day.  I painted a pansy with much, too much space in the center and decided to add a face to it.  Actually turned out really cute.  So I had to keep trying it.  One look 'artsy' and a few look 'doll-like' and the rest look like I need to keep trying.  So now all I have to do is keep working on it.  I have this vision of cute little pansy faces popping up within a sea of pansies.  Too cute.

I've been cleaning, de-cluttering and packing up stuff lately.  Trying to get ready for a yard sale since the kids have outgrown just about everything.  We also have all the kids baby stuff, which we won't be needing again.  And we basically just have too much stuff.  And we also have to finish tearing apart the upstairs so it can be remodeled by this winter.  I really want to have a 'studio' area so I can keep all of my stuff together.  It would really make it easier to scrapbook, paint and just create if everything were together and ready to go.  My plan is to use one of the upstairs bedrooms as a studio until DS is old enough to move up there.  When he moves up then I'll move the studio down to the second bedroom.  DD is excited that she'll have an extra big room and is going to decorate it in an "Under the Sea" theme.  Need to get the basics like insulation and drywall first.

Got some sad news tonight.  Found out that my uncle, Dad's oldest brother, passed away.  Not sure of the details yet.  Makes me miss the yearly family get-togethers we used to have at my other uncle's house.  Wish we all lived closer together.  Makes me miss my mom too.

Officially Summer and Getting Creative

Since it is officially summer the kids are bugging me about swimming almost non-stop.  Yes, it is hot.  Yes it is sunny.  Yes it would be nice to have a pool.  But that isn't going to happen at the moment and I'm already tired of hearing about it.  We all love to swim but the cost of purchasing, upkeep, water and electricity are more that we can afford at the moment.  The kids and I will just have to enjoy playing in the sprinkler for the time being.  We are also playing in the dirt, our garden dirt that is.  We have loads weeding, watering and shoo-ing bunnies to do each day.  I'm really looking forward to fresh tomatoes this year.  Hopefully there will be enough to do a little canning this year.  Have some herbs planted, some veggies, and some new flowers.  It is getting to be a blooming, growing place around here.

 

I got my creative surge on the last few days.  Finished a mini album for the "Fun In the Sun Mini Album" class at Old Town University.  Final product is cute and sunny.  My class kits are just about ready to go too.  It'll be fun and I can't wait to put some fun summer photos in the sample.  Also created a painted flower pot with five-petal flowers, leaves and even a bumble-bee for July's "One-Stroke Painted Flowerpot" class.  It is really cute, with some of my favorite colors and the bumble-bee is a great finishing touch.  Love bumbles!  Also did a huge selection of cards for July's "One-Stroke Painted Cards" class.  I had a hard time selecting which flowers to use for the cards but finally chose one with roses & rosebuds and another with a scalloped flower and buds.  Will be fun to do and plenty of practice with some basic strokes.  Hopefully the students will enjoy making them as much as I do.

I've got a few more class projects to do for JoAnn's this week.  Redo the Painting 101 sample to go with the new color scheme, really great summer colors.  Create the sample for Teen Tie-Die Frame class, which I am so looking forward to making.  Looks super fun, easy and the finished product is cool too.  Also have a Monogram Plaque class sample to make.  I've got the paints and paper ready but still am not sure which of the kids initial I want to use yet.  Then the last sample I've got to do for July/August classes at JoAnn's is for a Stitching on Paper class.  Love the papers that the samples will use and I am looking forward to getting these samples ready to go too.  Lots of projects to get my creativity on.

I started a notebook to keep track of all the class samples I need to create.  I love being busy and working on projects but I don't want to forget any.  Between Old Town University classes, JoAnn's classes and my own projects I've got a few things to get busy working on.  I'll probably start decorating my notebook too, my own Art art journal. :)  Time to get back to work ... housework that is.  Creative time is over for today, at least until the kiddos go to bed.

Tents, Food and Tires

While the first day of summer has not officially arrived, today is my "first day of summer".  We put up the tents at my dad's in preparation for summer camping.  Need to air them out, make sure they are in good repair and see if there are any missing parts before heading to the wild.  I can't say how many years we've been doing this but it goes back further than I can remember.  Now my kids get to have fun and learn all those important things I did growing up.  So funny how the littlest things set off a ton of memories.  I can remember the years and years and years of fun, work and family togetherness while camping.  I'm thrilled that I get to pass on the love of nature, the life lessons and the fun that my parents shared with me through all those years of camping to my own children.  Let's go camping!

And since we are enjoying summer around here we have started enjoying more summer-ish food too.  Pasta salads, fruit salads, grilled chicken, grilled hot dogs, potato salad and so many others.  Yum, yum, yum.  But I'm already tired of the hot dogs since DS would eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner if I let him.  Thank goodness the kids like all the fresh veggies, fruits and grilled meats.  DD has been having fun with a gardening kit we purchased this spring.  So far we have sunflowers, basil, chives, oregano, thyme, tomatoes, green peppers and peas.  Can't wait for the peas, love fresh from the garden peas.  Now if we could just get the rest of the yard under control.  Or maybe reclaim part of it from the vine-ish weeds that took over the side fence at least.

Since we were visiting grandpa the kids got to play on the tire swing in his backyard.  They love the thing and have such fun with it.  Climbing, swinging, imagining different vehicles and places they go to while on it.  How great is it that kids can have such a fun time with an old tire, some rope and a tree?  They remind me that I need to enjoy the little things and that life really is pretty simple.  Until you bonk your head on the ground because you leaned the wrong way, like DD did.  Another amazing thing about kids - they can get banged up, fall off their bikes, run into a tree or each other then cry a little but run right back to playing like nothing happened.  Too funny.

Mini Albums, Flower Pictures and Music

Made a cute mini album for my "Daddy & Me Mini Album" class at O.T.U. but still haven't gotten any decent photos.  The last two times my battery died as I started taking photos, ugh.  It did turn out really cute though.  Used papers from Graphic 45's new A Proper Gentleman line.  Love it all, especially the gorgeous vintage cars.  I just have to charge all of my batteries and get some photos taken.  I just need to finish the "Fun in the Sun" mini album and the "Americana" mini album class samples.  Love my mini albums.

Took a bunch of pics of all the different flowers starting to bloom around the yard.  Played with the macro function on the camera.  Maybe that is why my batteries died so quickly - display on and macro function.  I usually don't have my display on for the camera and the batteries last quite a long time.  Got some great depth of field shots for my rose bushes.  Also got some interesting "background" type shots - favorite is the roses against the rough wood.  I know exactly how I want to use the photo and hope that it turns out as well as I think it will.  One of those projects I'll get to in the next month or so.

I've been listening to my collection of "World's Greatest Masterpieces" recently.  Got the collection of great composers for a birthday, a while ago.  Forget that I have them but finally loaded them onto my iPod and onto the iPod for work.  Favorite is still Tchaikovsky.  Love how dramatic, emotional and telling the music always is, especially the ballets.  Handel has been growing on me too.  Also enjoying some new stuff too.  Didn't realize that I would like Adam Lambert but kinda reminds me of some of my fav 80's music.  Also just found Green Day.  Not sure why I'd never listened to them but they are pretty decent too.  Another is The Wombats - love the song "Let's Dance to Joy Division".  Loads of "old" or "classic" stuff (not to me but the radio stations says so) from the 70's and 80's. 

Tags, Paint and More Projects

 Had a great time creating tags using Tim Holtz Distress Inks from Ranger Inks.  Even tried one of the new colors "Wild Honey" and it is yummy.  There are so many fun ways to use the inks that I had a hard time selecting which ones to use for the class at Old Town University.  I really liked using the craft sheet and swiping the ink on it.  Made a really cool design and can't wait to try it with more colors.

Spent time today creating painted cards at the JoAnn's Open House where I teach.  Love to paint cards.  Quick, easy and they look pretty good.  Now I've got a few to send to my aunts and grandma once I get the latest photos developed.  I just loaded 120+ pics from the last few functions at school, DD's dance recital and some everyday ones of both kids.  I don't usually order 2 of each but this time I did for quite a few.  Everyone has been bugging me for pics of the kids since I haven't sent any out for a few months now.  And when they go out this time they will arrive packed in pretty cards and envelopes.

I've got a few more projects going too, as usual.  Mini albums to make and a few paint projects for classes at Old Town University.  A few layouts for SDU classes and a few paintings for classes at JoAnn's.  And then there are the projects that I'm doing just for fun.  Lots of ideas from Cloth*Paper*Scissors magazine and Somerset Studio Gallery Summer 2010 issue.  Lots of fun techniques to try too.  Now all I've got to do is get my house all organized again so I can get to work on the projects.

Tags, tags, tags. I've got them all over the kitchen table at the moment and still have a few more techniques I want to try yet. Hopefully I'll decide which techniques I'll be using in class tomorrow. Hmmmmm ... gotta love Tim Holtz Distress Inks from Ranger. So many choices - color and techniques.