A New Day

Life goes on. One inch at a time. The air has turned colder the last few days but the snow is melting, little by little. My heart goes out to all my east coast pals who are getting dumped on with more snow, yet again this season. Seems everyone is tired of winter but me. I don't mind the snow or the cold. I wouldn't mind a fresh coating of the white stuff to make it all pretty again.

Here is another Story People  quote for the day:

only lies down at night

because you've got to do

something while you're

waiting for the new day

This so suits me.

So today is a new day. I have been working on more pages for a 'remains of the day' journal pages. These are for a journal I am making for Emily.

First set of pages in this 'remains of the day' journal.

This is the front of a fold out page made with a small scrapbooking mini folder I have had for I don't know how long. This is the page with the little folder open

Main Street Under Construction

Before I share what I have been up the last couple of days; a Storypeople quote:

this is a dress-up box for the future

and it's filled with stuff like

courage and love and play

because they're the only things

that are any use at all

when you get right down to it.

 I have been playing with paint today. Playing with paint is like digging around in an old trunk of dress up clothes and trying stuff on just for the fun of it, see how it feels to pretend to be all grown up while retaining the sweet innocence of childhood. My hands are currently several different colors even tho I have  just washed my hands; twice already. Today when I pick up the next 'toy' I decide I want to play with I will remember what colors I pretended I was.

So I am hosting a 'main street' wood block swap over on In This House and Garden art group. I started my blocks a few weeks ago but they have fallen to the way side given I have been spending so many hours creating 'Remains of the Day' journals. And still am. I can't quit making them. I am going back and forth between the two projects. Here are a few pics of my 'main street' which is under construction. I think I am in the 'hard hat' stage. And maybe 'caution, falling objects' since I have dropped every wet with paint, block I have touched today. YIKES.

Some of these I have clear ideas of what they will be when they throw the 'open for business' doors, while others are still in the blue print stage and I have no clue as to what they might become. I simply can't ever just work on a one or two of something. I have to dig in and work on about a dozen pieces at a time even tho I only need 5 blocks for the swap. So whiile the paint is drying I intend to head back over to the sewing machine and paper pile and work on more pages for 'remains' journals.

Foot In The Door Installation

Today is the day the 'Foot in the door' exhibit  at the Minneapolis Institute of Art opens. My DD Brittney and I have pieces in this show and we are both pumped. The opening is tonight however with all the snow we've had they have restricted parking to one side of residential streets in Minneapolis and the museum is located in the very heart of a neighborhood where parking is a challenge even on the best of days in the middle of summer, so we've opted to wait till Spring to check out our pieces. They have one parking ramp but it's not likely we'd get in. If you click on the link above you can see some shots of the exhibit. There are about 5000 pieces in the show that runs through mid June.

Magic

She tapped her finger and nothing

happened and she thought

she had lost her magic,

but it had only changed

and it took her awhile

to figure it out.

Brian Andreas

1" by 4" wood block, collage elements, acrylics

Today I felt less than inspired. The world felt heavy on my shoulders.

mixed media on wood block; acrylics, (partial image)

But then it flew in a window and I smiled. Some days are like that.

1" by 3" wood block collage elements and acyrlics.

1" by 3" wood block, collage elements, acrylics

4" by 4" wood block, magazine photo,

acrylics, beeswax.

2" by 4" wood block, collage elements, photo, acyrlic paint.

Sometimes the magic is just around the corner, sometimes it gets hidden in the messy parts of life but it's there, waiting for me to find it.

3" by 8" wood block, acrylics, non dominant hand drawn bird.

"Leaving a trail of feathers behind her so she can find her way back home"

More Pages for Emily's 'Remains' Journal

I finished the final set of pages for Emily's journal. I dug deep into my pile of scraps and finding all manner of pieces I had forgotten I had. These journals are just so much fun to make. It's hard to focus on other projects. Must stop making 'remains' journals, but I won't. I have already begun making many; YES many more.

This page has a beach vellum overlay that flips up to reveal the ledger paper underneath.

This spread features collage elements that I got from DJ Pettit

Frosty Morning

I woke up this morning to find our back yard transformed into a winter wonderland. Hoar frost had left everything under a blanket of white. The world had gone very quiet even if just for a few minutes.

PAGES And MORE pages

I have been busy making pages for Emily's 'remains of the day journal'. My art area is a disaster area but I am having much fun making a mess. Here is a peek at the first set of pages.

This page folds out to this

A piece of lace to tuck something special under.

A clear page pocket is flipped to the left. Hard to see.

Last page of first set and am now off to make another mess.