COLLAGE MANIA

Collage Mania 2009 will have hundreds of fiber artworks available for sale. This is made by a donation to the American Cancer Society through Fiberart For A Cause. Our goal: $20,000 in three days.

• This is my donation It is called "BOOBEYES" (like boobies but with eyes) I was inspired by how badly I wish we could wipe out breast cancer!
• It is 8 x 10 and will be mounted after purchase. I used textured black cloth, white and black circled fabric, colored thread, yarn, and a batik fabric with butterflies on the back.
• For more information click this link: http://www.virginiaspiegel.com/NewFiles/ACS/FAQ.html

These are my new art journals that I purchased. One is the new 5" square size and the other is a mini sketchbook.

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS

"DAY OF THE DEAD" is Dia de Los Muertos. I never understood this holiday and would see these tattoos everywhere. I looked it up online and finally learned the meaning of this holiday in the Mexican culture. The skull is a symbol of the "inner us". This holiday was my inspiration for this journal entry. Did you know that the colors have different meanings?

• Pink: celebration and joy
• Red: the blood of life and a symbol of sacrifice
• Yellow: marigolds are symbols of death
• Purple: grief and mourning and the pain of loss
• White: hope, promise, and purity of spirit
• Orange: the brilliance of the sun; a new day

If you want to learn more about the holiday then click on the link below: http://www.azcentral.com/ent/dead/glossary/

TOPSY TURVY

Every Spring I always try to grow tomatoes. This year I decided to give this Topsy Turvy a try. I will have to keep you up to date if my "Cherry" tomatoes grow in the next few months. I also planted some "Husky" and "Patio" varieties in traditional pots.

MY FAVORITE MOVIE

This art journal entry idea came from thinking about my favorite movie of all time:

JERRY McGUIRE

GREAT IDEAS

I love to travel and it is one of my favorite things to do. That was the inspiration for this journal page. I don't think I have ever flown to Austin before but I am getting ready to take a plane to Santa Barbara from there.

NEWSPAPER PROMPT

Daily Art Journal Prompt - Newspaper

Do you read the newspaper in your community? Do you think print news is on the way out? Where do you get your daily dose of news? Or do you just ignore it and figure the really important stuff will finds its way to you?

To answer these questions I DO read The Houston Chronicle everyday. I like the comics the most!

LOVE YOUR VULVA

I follow an art journal artist named Suziblutube on YouTube. She wanted everyone to do an art journal page on Vulva Love. This is mine. Check out her video at the link below. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rH0lkxIO740&feature=channel

ZZ TOP CLOSES RODEO ON A HIGH NOTE

Last night we went to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. It was the closing day and ZZ Top was the entertainment. I took the top photo from our seats with my phone. They were really good but you are still too far away to see anything up close. The second picture was from our local paper.

As you know ZZ Top isn’t your standard country hat act. But the veteran trio boasts a zippy outlaw spirit — and a confident cowboy way — that made it a fitting closer for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

They are from Houston and the guys work effortlessly together, and after 40(!) years, still look like they’re having a great time. I couldn't believe that after each song the drummer would puff on a cigarette!

Xtreme Bulls gives 40 cowboys ride to remember

B.J. Schumacher emerged as the Rodeo Houston Xtreme Bulls champion, but it was the cowboys who crashed who were most entertaining. Footloose gave Bandy Murphy the most painful ride. He was bucked fast, but his left hand stuck, forcing him to drape his right arm around the bull’s neck and hang on. Then, with a snap of his powerful neck, Footloose eventually flung Murphy a good 15 feet, gashing his eye with a horn in the process. We saw this and it was gross!

I AM PUBLISHED

This was an amazing journey for me. I decided to participate in this challenge and submitted a quilt for the show. I was honored to be part of this wonderful group of quilters! My quilt was purchased by someone that saw it. I couldn't believe it sold. Now I have this book to remember everything about this experience. If you would like to order a book you can follow this link: http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/new

HERE COMES THE SUN

My inspiration for this journal page was the song by the Beatles, "HERE COMES THE SUN". We have been enjoying sunny, warm days here lately.

LOVE THE SOCKS

When my grandfather passed away he had a huge stamp collection. Somehow I inherited it not knowing anything about stamps. Well, there were lots of stamps that were not worth anything and so I decided to start using them in my art work. This stamp inspired this page in my art journal. It is a stamp from Budapest.

I call this page, "LOVE ME LOVE MY SOCKS".

DON'T FORGET TO BREATHE

My art journal page is called "BREATHE". I love this pose in yoga called the corpse pose or SAVASANA. It is soooooooo relaxing!!!

Or you can check out all the songs about BREATHING...

• "Breathe (2 AM)", a 2005 song by Anna Nalick from Wreck of the Day
• "Breathe" (Moist song), a 1999 song by Moist from their Mercedes 5 and Dime album
• "Breathe" (Angels & Airwaves song), a 2007 song by Angels & Airwaves from I-Empire
• "Breathe" (Blu Cantrell song), a 2003 song by Blu Cantrell from Bittersweet
• "Breathe" (Bon Jovi song), a song by Bon Jovi, featured on their box set 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can't Be Wrong
• "Breathe" (Collective Soul song), a 1994 song by Collective Soul from Hints, Allegations, and Things Left Unsaid
• "Breathe" (Erasure song), 2005 song by Erasure from Nightbird
• "Breathe" (Fabolous song), a 2004 song by Fabolous from Real Talk
• "Breathe" (Faith Hill song), a 1999 song by Faith Hill from Breathe
• "Breathe" (James Blunt song), an unreleased song by James Blunt
• "Breathe" (Kaz James song), a 2008 song by Kaz James featuring Stu Stone
• "Breathe" (King Karma song), a 2005 song by King Karma from their self-titled album
• "Breathe" (Kittie song), a 2007 song by Kittie from Funeral for Yesterday
• "Breathe" (Kylie Minogue song), a 1998 song by Kylie Minogue from Impossible Princess
• "Breathe" (Melissa Etheridge song), a 2004 song by Melissa Etheridge from Lucky
• "Breathe" (Michelle Branch song), a 2003 song by Michelle Branch from Hotel Paper
• "Breathe" (Midge Ure song), a 1996 song by Midge Ure from Breathe
• "Breathe" (Nickelback song), a 2000 song by Nickelback from The State
• "Breathe" (Pink Floyd song), a 1973 song by Pink Floyd from The Dark Side of the Moon
  • "Breathe (Reprise)", a reprise of the Pink Floyd song, found as the closing section of "Time"
• "Breathe" (Rebecca St. James song), a 2002 song by Rebecca St. James from Worship God
• "Breathe" (Ricki-Lee song), a 2006 song by Ricki-Lee Coulter from her self-titled album
• "Breathe" (Roger Waters song), a song from Roger Waters' soundtrack Music from "The Body"
• "Breathe" (Tara Blaise song), a song from Tara Blaise's album Great Escape
• "Breathe" (Taylor Swift song), a 2008 song by Taylor Swift featuring Colbie Caillat from Fearless
• "Breathe" (The Prodigy song), a 1996 song by The Prodigy from The Fat of the Land
• "Breathe" (Télépopmusik song), a 2001 song by Télépopmusik from Genetic World
• "Breathe" (Toploader song), a 2000 song by Toploader from Onka's Big Moka
• "Breathe" (Winterville song), a 2006 song by Winterville from Everything in Moderation
• "Breathe", a 2003 song by Roxette from The Ballad Hits.
• "Breathe (U2 song)", a song by U2 from their 2009 album, No Line on the Horizon.

MY MANDALA

This was my interpretation of a Mandala that I drew in my art journal. If you forgot what a mandala is you can read about it below. The word "mandala" is from the classical Indian language of Sanskrit. Loosely translated to mean "circle," a mandala is far more than a simple shape. It represents wholeness, and can be seen as a model for the organizational structure of life itself--a cosmic diagram that reminds us of our relation to the infinite, the world that extends both beyond and within our bodies and minds.

BRIDGES

There is an Elton John song called "BRIDGES" that reminds me of this photo that I took in Austin.

I've seen the bridge and the bridge is long And they built it high and they built it strong Strong enough to hold the weight of time Long enough to leave some of us behind

Avery and I were photographing the sunset standing on one bridge overlooking another. This was the photo that I captured.

A BRAND NEW YOU

I know that my art journal entries might look strange to some of you. This one was inspired by the things that some people do to enhance their looks. NO THANK YOU!

HUNK OF BURNING LOVE

This was a page in my art journal from a few weeks ago. I was inspired by the book of "heart" matches at the top of it. They were actually on a Valentine's Card that I gave my husband. The large cut out heart came from a card that he gave to me. Isn't that a hunk of love?

WOULD YOU WEAR A LAMPSHADE ON YOUR HEAD?

Check out this link to a NYC fashion show. The outfits are way out there and the hats remind me of lampshades. Could you see me pushing a shopping cart down the isle at the grocery store wearing one of these outfits? Ha... http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/style/fashionweek/runway.html#fall_2009_alexander_mcqueen This art journal entry is called HOPE. If you have ever been fishing you are always hoping that a fish will take your bait!

MY GUITAR GENTLY WEEPS

The Beatles inspired me to draw this guitar in my art journal after their song, "MY GUITAR GENTLY WEEPS". I haven't played mine in so long I am having withdrawal pangs. Where does the time fly when you really want to do something and you don't?

CLUTTERED MINDS

This was an art journal entry I did last week. I found this wonderful poem on the internet that goes with it.

A cluttered mind

My mind hurts once again and it's all this stress you've put me in When will you stop, when will it end, I cant beleive this confushion again, This pain will haunt me now and in time, and i refuse to live in a lie, i will carry my love for you and leave you behind, For i need space to refresh my cluttered mind.

Angela Michelle Baker

ON A ROLL

Yesterday I went shopping and treated myself to a nice set of 24 Prismacolor Markers. You can tell that the colors are awesome. I was inspired to draw "BATHING BEAUTY" with them.

I hope I don't look like her this summer! Why don't you join me and pick up a journal today and start drawing...

BLOWING BUBBLES

My inspiration from the word "BUBBLES" is this picture that I drew in my art journal. It is a word prompt from Jaye. Look at my side bar and click on the cow if you want to participate. It reminded me of when you would finish something you ate in a bowl and it had melted. You could take your straw and blow bubbles. That was so much fun!

A FIRST FOR ME!

My quilt called "JEWISH KINSHIP" was juried into the Sacred Threads Show for 2009!!! The link will tell you all about it. This is a FIRST for me to be in a real show. I am just thrilled!!! Sacred Threads is an exhibition of quilts exploring the subject themes of spirituality, joy, inspiration, peace/brotherhood, grief and healing. This biennial exhibition was established to provide a safe venue for quilters of all faiths who see their work as a connection to the sacred and/or as an expression of their spiritual journey.

http://www.sacredthreadsquilts.com/

EXCITEMENT

Linda Poole, http://www.lmpoole.blogspot.com/, led me to a blog by Jaye who gives out a creative word prompt for doodling. The word was "EXCITEMENT". This was my version of EXCITEMENT. My trip to Austin is where the fun is...

TV IN THE BEGINNING

HOW MANY OF YOU REMEMBER THESE SHOWS FROM THE BEGINNING OF TELEVISION? ALTHOUGH THEY AREN'T IN ORDER YOU CAN TAKE A STROLL DOWN MEMORY LANE! Monday, May 1, 1961

Howdy and Buffalo Bob 1955

Gilligan's Island 1966

The Ed Sullivan Show 1967

Bonanza 1960

The Beverly Hillbillies 1962

Leave It To Beaver 1959

All In The Family 1972

The Andy Griffith Show 1963

The Addams Family 1965

The Rifleman 1958

Father Knows Best 1955

Charlies Angels 1976

I Love Lucy 1951

The Red Skelton Show 1951

Mr. Ed 1961

Lassie 1958

Captain Kangaroo 1955