under construction

I have been gone from my blog (poor neglected thing)for months.
I have been home for 4 months without the Internet, so there were no new postings.
Here's the scoop:
July 14th I fell at a Joe Cocker/Dave Mason concert and broke my leg in 3 places.
I now have a metal plate & nine metal pins in my right leg.
November 9th was the first day I could drive again. yippeee!
I'm back, sort of, at work 3 days a week.
I'm keeping this brief because I have been living this scoop and it's old news to me.
Hopefully soon I will have a new banner and a new blog name and something interesting to write.
In the meantime, what makes you go back to a blog?
Happy days,
Joanie

Want to visit a colorful, fun blog?

Mary Green has a coloring, calming (and creative) blog and etsy store.
Take a peak.
Did I mention generous? she's having a July giveaway!
Happy days.

my granddaughter Lindsey!

super video

There's nothing, well almost nothing, as fun to me as sitting at work and laughing and/or crying at my computer. And that's what I just finished doing and I still have tears of laughter on my fat little cheeks. And it's not an email from Ms. Nozeybeetle this time, it's this video and this idea of laughter.
You can watch the video here at the Voodoo Cafe or here at my blog. Thank you Ricë and Susan and Lauren.
But I encourage you to go the the Cafe to read the wonderful post Ricë has written.

sp wednesday

One of these things is not like the others....

Actually, each of them is a little bit different (fabric). These banners are for Susie La Fond's "In the Garden" banner swap at the In This House and Garden Yahoo Group.

2 pages

My pages for Debbie H's ABB called Contrasts".

Every Day in May

From Kelly's blog to her friend Francie's blog to French Toast Girl's blog, that's where I was for a while looking at blogs and wanting to see what "Every Day in May" was about.
Now I know what it's about and I am not so sure, in fact, I'm pretty sure I won't, do this. But you should take a look.
Sometimes, just knowing I have the option is enough.

an old SP from another time...

this is for Kristin, it's not invisible, but it's not me anymore.
you can see Misty's here.

My mosaic ATCs

Stacy Alexander announced a 2 for 2 Mosaic ATC a while ago and I signed up. The first cards got kind of ruined when part of the art room ceiling fell so I made some more and mailed them off to Stacy. Hoping, as I usually do, that they will do and no one who receives one will be disappointed. We'll see. Happy days!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BRIAN !

Friday, and a posting about my Fake Journal

A few postings ago, Gina of Artistic Dreamer, asked me how my Fake Journal was going. So, the first thing I had to do was to go to her blog and see if her Fake Journal was going well. It was going very well. This meant that I had to delay my answer to her. Why? Because by then my Fake Journal days were over for this year, and I wasn't sure if or how to let the world know. If I hadn't been so excited and hadn't made a big deal of this journalling event, I could probably get away with just replying that it was going okay. And it was going okay, for about 10 days. After that I kind of lost interest in the direction of the Fake Journal. I think the reason I stopped is because I didn't have a real feel for the journal's author. She was (literally) an eleventh hour inspiration. And I wanted to put some background info about her and her life but it seemed too forced. So I didn't really "know" her and I didn't know how or if to include stuff about her existence.
Which brings me to another question about the Fake Journal asked by Leanne of Mixed Media Martyr. She wanted to know what was the last minute idea that allowed me to even start the 2009 Fake Journal. The idea came from a photo of my son and two of my four grandchildren. There was a woman in the background looking directly into my camera when I snapped the photo, and for some reason her look stuck in my mind. So my author was going to be someone who saw photos differently from the way most (or all) people saw them. For example, she saw the background woman as having "hair made of sea glass" and whose "arms were so long that her hands touched the ground". On the first page in the Fake Journal I have a small black & white photo of this background woman, a written description, and a small watercolor & extra-fine point Sharpie illustration. The second day's entry is a small photo of my great grandmother, my sister, Jeanie, and me. This also has the written description of how the author "sees" my great grandmother and a small watercolor. I also used a photo from a magazine, a photo from my high school yearbook, and a photo from a cereal box on other pages.
I missed a few days here and there (4), and by the 16th days, I was reaching, floundering, and not having fun. So I stopped.
But I am looking forward to starting another Fake Journal next year. And I guess there's nothing stopping me from starting an Unofficial Fake Journal if I decide I want to try before 2010.
So that's the scoop on my 2009 Fake Journal.
Happy days!
p.s. The Fake Journal is in the bottom drawer of a dresser that I don't use, and there it will stay until I decide to look at it again. I'm not unhappy about starting or stopping. It's just an out-of-sight-out-of-mind kind of thing. ; )

WORDLE fun!

This was made by putting in the URL for one of my very favorite blogs from WORDLE.

For Misty Mawn's SP Wednesday

me & Fuzz-Marie / me & Chan

Misty's blog is here.

I have to get more artsy.....

Misty Mawn's unofficial self portrait Wednesday

How to describe how I feel about my SPs, words (almost) fail me right now. I was kind jealous (?) on Wednesday that I hadn't been a part of this SP thing. I had given up using photos of me as a kid to represent myself, but sometimes it would be not only easier, but cuter. So here are 2 SPs. I refuse to write anything negative or funny as I usually do. I guess this is me, at least the outside.

You can find Misty Mawn's posting here.

Pink pages for Letha's Traveling RR Journal

The Paper Traders Traveling RR Journal is moving right along. These are the pages I made for Letha.

Such and Such

Want a chance on a simply lovely pendant?
Go here to Lora Hart's blog. Good luck!

Hell Wednesday a.k.a. the 1st day of the fake journal

I had a major and terrible battle with the demon known to most of you as the "Inner Critic". I had never bothered to name this spirit, but as the oldest child, a Virgo, and a Catholic, I know it well. From this day forward, I acknowledge my Inner Critic. I have to, it won. But read on...
I was so excited by this idea of keeping a fake journal. I had a book and supplies ready. And when I got home from work, I quickly got the dogs outside (quick is good here), got dinner for the dogs, cat, and turtle served, ate my own dinner, etc., all the regular stuff so I could get to my fake journal. I read & re read the tips Roz had written. The Inner Critic rears it's ugly head: you've only been to Boston 4 times, your author can't live there, what do you know about being an 89 year old woman from Lithuania?, your author sees everything in black and white only, so what?, and your author is a 12 year old boy spying on you?, you're stupid and crazy, Joanie.
I can't seem to decide on an author for my fake journal, and I'm starting to panic. I really, really want to keep a fake journal for a month. And then I re read the tips once more: "A Word of Caution~This is supposed to be fun. It’s supposed to let your mind wander and play. If you find that you are staring at the blank page and sweating, well that isn’t fun. Just stop. It isn’t worth it." I realize that it isn't worth it, and as much as I want to do this, I'm not going to put myself through this. I acknowledge my Inner Critic, and I surrender. I may be stupid and crazy, but I'm not so stupid that I can't see this is not FUN any more. Okay, stay with me. I quit, but not entirely. I do some other things, I get ready for bed and I say what passes for me as prayers, and I'm okay. Maybe next year I'll do a fake journal.
Kaboom, I think of a photo I took of my son & grandchildren at the Viet Nam Wall, and I remember a lady in the background of this photo, and I have an idea! It's 10:57 p.m. and I can't be stopped.
FU, Inner Critic, fu.

Happy 1st day of International Fake Journal Month!

Today's the day!
Get your journals out and start faking!
Here's the official blog for some really helpful hints.
Ready, steady, go!

Hoffman in a Teapot is open for business!

ta da!
Help a sister out and look (and answer) here, okay? okay!

More Chocolate and Steel...a Giveaway from Christine!

She's doing it again, giving away something beautiful!
Want to see what it is this time?

Please go look and try.

Really, really important stuff.

This is Bernie Berlin, and she needs our help.


Please go visit Cynjon's blog ASAP to read about how you and I can help Bernie and her shelter.

Hoffman in a Teapot or Thepest in a Teapot

Those are the potential names for a potential second blog, a blog of questions that you, the reader of the blog, would answer for me. This posting is a test run.
But first, a picture for you to see:



These are my feet in shoes on my back porch at night.
And my question is: why? Why do so many artist bloggers, to the best of my memory, these are all women, why do these bloggers post pictures of their feet? Feet in shoes or barefoot, toes with nail polish or toe rings or naked, feet in rainboots or Earthshoes? I have my own idea, but tell me what you think. Maybe you've posted pictures of your own feet. Why? One inquiring mind wants to know, please.

2, 2, 2 posts in 1

First, go look at this blog .
Kristin is sort of new to blogging, like that makes a difference when someone has as much passion for life as she seems to have.

Second, Susan Tuttle is having another giveaway, but you have to enter today, because she's picking the winner tomorrow (Wednesday) at noon.
Amazon has the book also.

April is INTERNATIONAL FAKE JOURNAL MONTH !

Oh boy, now I'm excited. Roz Wound Up has announced this. This being that April is Fake Journal Month.
Last year, the last calendar I was working on for the 2008 Calendar-Journal Exchange just absolutely threw me for a loop. The calendar itself was beautiful but the format was different from the others and for some reason, I froze/my muse was missing/I was struck dumb, etc. So at one point, and this point was in the last month before I was to send the calendar-journal home to it's owner, I considered writing up fake stuff. I didn't do that (pictures of what I did do are below in a previous posting), but it really appealed to me.
So now I can do that! I can keep a second *fake* journal.
Oh, I know I could have done this before, but now it's official (or something).
And I have the button that says so!

A second Chocolate and Steel Giveaway!

Isn't this a beauty? There is no answer but "yes!"

You can enter here .

Altered Board Book swap images...

These are the 2 pages I did for Samantha's ABB called "Seasons".

This swap is being hosted by Red Dog Scott through the Traveler's H'art Yahoo group .

Calendar Journal 2009: front cover and a few pages

I really do more than sleep.

Chocolate & Steel giveaway...

Want to take a chance on something lovely?
Christine is having a giveaway here .
The prize looks like this:

This is Jaxon.....

Baby Jaxon is the son of my niece, Sarah.
I was home for 8 days in a row with a leftover cough from a cold, and a car that was in the shop (with a $1,200 repair bill), and my sister, Jeanie, came to visit. with her came Sarah, Jaxon, and my nephew, Danny, and lots of groceries!).
I might as well go ahead & add one more more picture.
Happy days, everyone.

We got some snow! 3-2-9.

*** Update *** Fuzz-Marie's Auntie Margaret sent me a picture of her new puppy, Miss Sage in her first snow.

don't enter this contest unless..

you plan on giving this red coat to Kelly if you win!
You can enter here .

My new words for 2009

Nope, "commitment" is not my word. Hasn't made a bit of difference in my life, or maybe it has because now I know it's not my word. Now I have 2: Honest & Survive.
Boy, do I feel better. These are real words to me, and if I'm the one who has to remember them and say them, they need to be real.
What inspired this posting?
The calendar journal I'm working in for 2009 with a group of 5 women. My CJ will travel every 2 months from one home to the next, as will the other 5 women's journals. I am finishing up February, and then will send it on to Shelley who will send her CJ to Susan, etc. In 10 months, each of our own CJs will be home.
So I'm working on the cover and decide I cannot, no way, use another picture of me as a kid or a teenager, or any thing but myself. Honest.
I need to be honest.
Stay tuned for the scans of the CJ!
Happy days, Joanie

My Altered Board for for the latest Red Dog Scott RR

Front cover & Welcome page.

1st page

Sign-in page and Back Cover

The theme is Ghosts.