What a Life!

There's a little insanity this time of year. Football season is in full swing, band competitions and swim meets abound, classes are getting more intense, and life is full.

It's all good.

Because it is September

There is something about September that just silences my Muse. Maybe it's the schedule. It seems like there is so much running around that there isn't time to just BE...

I have enjoyed a little photography in all the hither and yon...and I've made some cards for various swaps and Stamper's Quest...still, I would love to have a guilt-free day with my Muse sometime soon!

If a tree falls in in the wee hours of the morning when everyone is asleep,does it still make a sound?

After days of rain and wind (thanks to Tropical Depression, Fay) I do know that the answer to the title question is undeniably "YES!"

I woke with a start last night (okay, more like 3 am) when a loud thud shook the house. Lexi, Queen of Barking Greyhounds, went out to investigate (loudly), so Brian got up to check things out. Seeing nothing, he figured it was a microburst of wind and went back to sleep.

By dawn's early light, however, the source of interrupted sleep was clearly evident: a massive tree in our backyard gave up trying to keep its roots in the soggy ground and fell to the ground, taking a half dozen smaller trees and two portions of the fence with it! Now there is a nice clearing up at the top of the hill, and lot of cleaning up to do! Most of the work is just is removing branches and tree from the neighbor yards and fixing the fence. The tree itself will become the earth--and the cycle of life will repeat over time.

That's Dolce in the hole where the tree used to be rooted!

And so it goes

It is apparent that school has begin with all the schedule craziness that accompanies it! Who knew it would be near the end of August before time allowed a moment to sit and think and reflect?




Stamper's Quest has been well-recieved---beyond my wildest imaginings. Over 18,000 hits in three weeks--there must have been a hunger among rubber stamp artists for something new.

Carrie is off to college and in just a few days has settled into dorm life, classes, and a whole new adventure. It's exciting to see her move forward with her life. We're thankful for unlimited text messaging on our cell phones, but after all the years of uncertainty, it's is a joy to see her spread her wings and prepare to fly.

Of course, Caty Mae and Corinne are fully involved with classes and homework and swimming and band---and church activities, too. My own classes begin next week, so by Labor Day, the schedule for the rest of the year will be completely in place. Bring it on!

Stamper's Quest

It's true!!! Stamper's Quest is up and live and for real!!!!!

When my favorite stamping magazine sold to a general crafters publication, I was first sad and then mad. How dare they!! So many publications were abandoning their stamping customers--moving toward scrapbooking, mixed media, or really eclectic stuff. I love these art forms, but it seems like rubber stampers--especially card makers-- get the short end of the publication stick.

So, I chattaed with a friend who felt the same way I did. We wondered whether an e-zine would come along to fill that artistic void. At about the same time (it's scary how much we think alike), we decided WE could publish an e-zine. She has web and publishing skills, I have editorial skills, and we both had a vision. Within a few weeks we had a plan for an on-line magazine that would seek out the best tools and techniques and ideas and inspirations for every rubber stamper to find his or her unique artistic grail.

We invited 5 of the most talented artists we knew to be our designers (we're good, but we don't know everything!) We decided to create projects on three different levels so that every stamper from beginning to advanced could find something new to learn. We also decided that the first four editions would have color themes to uinify them. We added a blog, original sketches, and product reviews. Hopefully soon we'll have advertisers as well. A full-color PDF looks like a print version of the e-zine's projects.

Today our imaginings are reality and Stamper's Quest is ready for a close up!

www.stampersquest.com

My Sunflower

12 years old...wow.

New Life

I've been teaching myself PhotoShop Elements 5.0. Today I learned how to do a drop shadow. I also wrote the haiku. (I tried to find something I liked in all my poetry books, but couldn't. However, having written this one, I know I will incorporate the discipline into my lesson plans for next year!)

Life is too short to skip dessert.

Can I get a witness??




Must be summer....
Stamps from The Angel Company. Ink is Kaleidacolor "Calypso." Scoop shape is QuickKutz (I love my Silhouette!!!!!) Cone is cut and scored for texture. The best thing about this ice cream cone: No Calories!

Happy Birthday USA!

I don't care what anyone says. Our National Anthem gives me goosebumps whenever I hear it. I am so grateful to be an American. In spite of all our problems, no matter how bad the economy may be, the United States of America is the best country on the planet. Only here are citizens truly and completely free to worship, free to create, free to speak--even criticize.

Our Star-Spangled Banner captures the essence of who we Americans are: free and brave and hopeful and determined and proud. Long may it wave!

Take Six singing The Star-Spangled Banner:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qZe8aB7plU

So, the question of the day is...

...If you were a kind of candy, what kind would you be? This was a challenge from the ScrapGirls website and, although the contest ended mid-June, I couldn't resist making a digital page anyway! I had fun with it. Photoshop Elements 5.0. Overlay, brush, and frame are from Scrap Girls. I made the paper by scanning a box of Hot Tamales (candy directly on the scanner bed)and erasing all the non-candy bits. Pretty fun....