Pizza can be Artsy too!

So, I had a friend over the other day and we decided to make pizza for dinner... Turns out that we will never be pizza chefs!  These moments gave us many laughs that evening, hopefully they will make you smile too.  Next time we will order in!

So, it was really lumpy, it shrunk, and burned through in a section. . . but it tasted alright!

Ah, toppings!  We had enough to make 2 pizzas, but we only had dough enough for one... So we had a super loaded pizza with fresh mushrooms (cuz we're just too good for the canned ones), pepperoni sticks, red and yellow peppers, tomatoes, and cheese (white cheddar, because reading labels at the grocery store is over-rated - white cheese is obviously mozza right?)

And, the appetizers we ate during the pizza cooking process.  Spinach salad with strawberries, tomatoes, blueberries, almonds, and strawberry vinaigrette for me, vegetable spring rolls for Ali.  Tasty!  (and filling!)  China met Italy and it was delicious!

I'm Not Really Sure What to Think

So, this is another one of those I don't really know what to think about it paintings.  I wanted to paint, I wanted to use red/pink/purple.  Turn my brain off let the art speak for itself, and this is what happens.  It's nothing special - it looks like I combined pieces of old paintings.  It's not bad, I just don't want to read too much into this, my subconscious may be telling me something I don't want to hear.

I Don't Really Know!

I wanted to paint.  So I painted.  But I have no idea what these are.  Any suggestions or somments are appreciated!  Enjoy!

The Beginning of a New Story!

I'M SO EXCITED! 

So, a lovely group of ladies, myself included of course, have started another creative venture.  We are crossing limits, examining boundaries, and testing our attachment to those old, beloved books which have been collecting dust for far too long.  Time for these old lovelies to be put to good use.  So . . .

First, we start by ripping out pages, attacking the book with scissors, rulers, duct tape, paint, and whatever else our little hearts desire, and, ON FRIDAY WE SWITCH!  Friday will begin the wonderful alterations of these old, dusty, time-worn books and a grand adventure.  An art swap - and only time will tell how beautifully our little group can transform these old literary works into masterpieces!

So, here are some starter photos after preliminary alterations to my book (OK, OK!  I know, it was much to hard to actually attack a real book the first time, I am using an old coil-bound daytimer - but it's got words and pages and pictures and that makes it a book!)

My cover - "Art Exchange 2011"

The theme - "A Place in Time"

The pocket watch, hanging from small metal rings intertwined says then, now, later and has 3 hands- because life and art don't have to make sense. 

This is my first page, a kind of "pre-instruction" panel . . . it encourages my fellow artists to - be creative!  be unique!  make this book beautiful!  stay away from pages marked with sticky notes (those are MINE!) and incorporate any elements of reality, fantasy, the past, the present, or the possible future.  There are no limits.

This is the "real" instruction page, followed by a series of folded papers on the other

side for people to sign their names.

There will be plenty more posts about this book as time progresses and I begin reconstructing the pages of my fellow artists . . . Barely on the road with this one and I can't wait to start the next!

Signing off with a swoosh!

~S

A new craft for a crafty lady . . .

So, I realize I have been off for a while, working full time and getting fully absorbed in teen fiction takes a lot out of me . . . but I am back, temporarily anyways . . .

So, I started a new craft - the oh so wonderful Accordian Book!  It's like a folding scrapbook that I can stick in my pocket.  I have made a couple so far, but the only completely finished one is my Girl Guide Memory Book.  The front and back are cookie boxes with the inside full of badges, photos, and other little memories.  I miss my guiding days.

Enjoy!  "Be Prepared"

Front Cover

Discovery 2004 - Provincial Camp in Saskatchewan.  We spent a few days at the campground with other guides all around the World.  We split up into all sorts of other interest groups - I went to Saskatoon on an Arts Journey - go figure!

We ran around Saskatoon dancing, watching Shakespeare on the Lake, learning to puppeteer, and paint with watercolours.  Oh the memories, how I would love to return to the simplicity . . . On second thought, a tornado destroyed our campsite while we were on our short interest journeys . . . maybe life wasn't so simple after all, I was just younger and had less responsibility then.

This photo was taken in Jasper many moons ago . . . My first train ride (and only train ride now that I think about it) was on this trip.  I think we ended up in Barkerville later on . . .

Ah, TREX.  Our motto was "Mud Washes Off" for good reason.  Shortly after this photo was taken, we decided to hike across a "dried up" lake to eat lunch on the island.  The lake turned out to be not so dried up after all, and all of the older girls and leaders (me included) ended up sinking great distances in muck that smelled like rotting eggs.  We lost a walking stick and a shoe if memory serves me right.  After the smaller girls realized that we were actually sinking and not just pretending, they retrieved us and we all took a "shower" with water bottles and baby wipes . . . Mud washes off (but we still smelled terrible!)

Some traders from various camps I went to.  "Our Cabana" is an international guidehouse in Mexico, and this particular trader was hand stitched by one of my guide leaders - such talent!

So, this has been my latest project, although I hope to paint some more soon, I miss the paint and brushes and the messiness of it all!  Alas, there are only 24 hours in a day . . .