Everyone play The Name Game!

Thanks to my friend Arlene who had insomnia one night, I present the Name Game. Follow the instructions for numbers 1 to 15, then send me the answers by adding them to my comments for this post. It's a lot of fun to see the results because they're all so different and funny. And if you happen to be writing a novel anytime soon, it may help with some of your character names, who knows. Oh ya, remember this is a completely scientific test!

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet,current car) Cocoa 626

2.GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie) Tiger Dads

3. RAP STAR NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name)
D-sup!

4. DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite colour, favorite animal) Fuscia Dog

5. SOAP OPERA NAME: (Your middle name, and your birthplace ~ yes, you gotta fess up to your middle name, hehee) Noreen Kamloops

6. STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first)
Supda (hmm .. maybe it should Sup-Duh!)

7. SUPERHERO NAME: ("The" + your 2nd favourite colour and your favourite drink)
The Lime Java

8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers) William DeWitt

9. STRIPPER NAME: ( the name of your favorite perfume, favorite candy)
Je Reviens-Ferrero Rocher

10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names ) Lillian Reuben

11. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter) Johnson Johannesburg

12. SPY NAME/BOND GIRL: (your favorite season/holiday, flower) Autumn Rose or maybe
Christmas Iris

13. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”) Grapes Crocie

14. HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree) Coffee Mountain Ash (or is it Hash?!

15. And finally, YOUR ROCK BAND TOUR NAME: (”The” + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour”) The Altered ART Rain Tour

Hey! How come there isn't a PIRATE name?! That's not fair! Oh well, you can generate a pirate name by going to this site. By the way, my Royal PHAP title is Her Royal Creative Eccentric One of Self-Appointed Exalted Highness. Sounds appropriate, don't you think?

Photo: Altered OJ lid, "Her Royal Tinship of Innocent Ephemera"

My 1st Gnome

Here's the story ... one day in the pre-dawn hours, this gnome appeared in my garden. When I looked out my window, there he was in all his glory. With suitcase in hand, he was dressed like he'd just returned from the tropics and was holding a refreshing beverage and brought a little green friend with him. I've always wanted my very own gnome, but never thought I would have one with such a great personality. Unfortunately he won't do any weeding in the garden, even though I've subtly suggested he do so. Maybe next year.

Note: (Shelly later fessed up to placing him there at 5 a.m. on that summer morning ~ what a hoot!)

No camera therefore you get some old stuff to look at

It's like this. Presently, I am without a camera. Sad, I know. Therefore I haven't been blogging because I don't have any fun "eye candy" to entice you with. So for your viewing pleasure, I'm gonna look back at some stuff that I have on my computer picture files and share em with you. Now let's see, what would you like to see first?

PHOTO: Shelly taking a look at a train case that I altered into a Titanic theme. It is supposed to be the case of perfumer, Adolphe Saalfeld, who was an actual passenger who survived. Some of the things I included in the case were, several vials of perfume (which I gave 1912 era appropriate names), a letter with an actual quote Saalfeld wrote to his wife after his rescue, a Oriental themed silk and brass ornament that is wrapped in brown paper, tied with string and pretend Titanic gift shop receipt, and for a comic twist, I included a an actual present day tabloid with a headline: NUKES SANK TITANIC. One can always depend on Weekly World News for accurate reporting! *smile* This project was great fun from start to finish, and to make things better, Shelly was thrilled to .

By the way, in 2000, Saalfeld's perfumes were found on the sea floor there was talk that a manufacture would sell modern copies.

Judging the book by its cover!

A CHarminG ExCHanGe (25 Jewelry Projects to Create and Share) is the title of the book that I was privileged enough to create in, along with authors Kelly Smelling, Ruth Rae and several other artists. This book of collaborative mixed media jewelry will hit stores in July 2008. I think the cover looks awesome and can hardly wait to see all the gorgeous stuff inside. Make sure you run out and snatch up a copy when it comes out ~ I'll autograph it for you ;)

Poppies

I took a photo this morning of my poppies ... and I've also added "Poppies" by van Gogh. I wish I had had a clearer copy of his Poppies (painted in 1886) to copy. There are some things I would have improved upon if I had. Anyway, it was fun. Painting is fun; I've done so little of it since high school. Can you tell which painting is mine, and which is Vincent's? (that WAS a joke, people)!

A Saturday Painting

Here are some shots from the "Paint like van Gogh" class that Zach and I took today. The class was from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. with a short break for lunch. It was great fun, and I'm pretty happy with the painting I did.

Most people opted to reproduce a Starry Night, but others of us decided on copying other less known van Gogh paintings.

I'll have to post a close up of my finished painting ~ sorry I forgot to take a photo of it during the daylight hours.

Fun upcoming SWAP

I will be hosting a Wacky Photo Booth swap through art-e-zine and hope you will join. It should be a hoot! Click on the link above, and scroll down to the Wacky Photo Booth Swap section for details and to sign up ~ don't delay!

Slapped out ATCs

Van Gogh & me

Van Gogh on Facing a Blank Canvas: "Just slap anything on when you see a blank canvas staring you in the face like some imbecile. You don't know how paralyzing that is, that stare of a blank canvas is, which says to the painter, ‘You can't do a thing’. The canvas has an idiotic stare and mesmerizes some painters so much that they turn into idiots themselves. Many painters are afraid in front of the blank canvas, but the blank canvas is afraid of the real, passionate painter who dares and who has broken the spell of `you can't' once and for all.”

Well I took Vincent's challenge and toddled off to my art room and slapped literally anything down on some 3-1/2x 2-1/2 inch cards. I won't even admit to how long it's been since I actually created some Artist Trading Cards. So tonight at the Pointy Hat ART Posse (PHAP) meeting, I'll be able to trade some new art .. finally.

These ATCs (I made 11 in total) are probably not my best work, but hey! at least I created some art and it felt good.

Speaking of PHAP, I see the Dumpster Diva aka Arlene won't be with us tonight as she is camping with her family, but I understand a couple new folks may join us.

THE Latest!

This sweet face is my newest GREAT Nephew, Blake. Isn't he a cutie pie?

He was born last night to my niece Carla and her hubby Shane. I think he looks a lot like his big brother, Ben. There's another photo where Benji is looking at Blake with an expression like: Who are you, and do you really think you're gonna come home with us?!

Congratulations to Carla, Shane, Ben and Grammie Marmar. I know you'll enjoy this little life that has been entrusted into your care.

Today's mail

Look what I got in today's mail.

It's a pair of cool Jack Earrings from the very talented Maija.

Thank you Maija!

I am the Bravest artist ANYwhere!

Some of the titles for this post could have been Truth in ART, Help Wanted ... badly, Outta Control Studio etc. etc. Suffice it to say that my art studio is wayyyyyy beyond the point of needing a clean. How many of you Mixed Media types ~ or should I say Mixed-up Media types ~ would be brave enough to post photos like this on their blogs?! [Here's a challenge to ya'll to show your messiest studiosI figure the sheer shame of it all should entice me into getting down to the nitty gritty job of cleaning this disaster zone up!

Anyone brave enough to help me out to actually discover whether there really is a work surface down there would be welcome to join me. **BIG SMILE**
I've got a goal for getting this artroom cleaned up too. May 26th, I'm having a garage sale, so I'd like to get down business down in the studio by then and hopefully have a bunch of "valuable merchandise" to sell to the unsuspecting public.

Stupid Sock Creature

Okay, so I'm slowwww in updating my blog. I apologize to my fans [**namely, Arlene**] that I've been so lax in blogging as of late. Anyway, here is a photo of my creature that I created and named Virgil. I attached him to a pointy hat for the Posse meeting last Monday night.

I promise to try to do better on the blogging thing.

It's snowing ... again!

Look at how beautiful this snowflake is. I need to look at this and try to appreciate its beauty because I'm really sick and tired of winter and I just want it to go away. Last week was spring. The snow had nearly melted everywhere around us. We weren't wearing our winter coats anymore. Then it started snowing .. again (even though the sun is shining ~ weird, I know). The last hurrah of winter? Probably. But it's the hardest snow of the year to take. It's April, people!!

Did you know that ...

every snowflake has its own unique six-sided shape and is different than all other snowflakes.

in the province of Prince Edward Island, where the soil is red clay, snowflakes often look pink because red dust from the soil is blown into the air and absorbed by the clouds.

... and the largest snowflakes ever recorded fell in Montana. The snowflakes were 15 inches in diameter.

Okay, I'll quit my griping now. Maybe I'll go to the store for some retail therapy today, and buy myself some garden seeds.

Cool jewels

These spring green asymmetrical earrings I just created are ready to mail out for a little swap with Maija. Hope she'll like them. I love the colour because it reminds me of spring. And spring is what I'm eagerly anticipating at the moment. Enough with winter already!

What does one do on their 47th birthday?

My friend Shelly turned 47 yesterday. Earlier in the day she'd found out that her van had "died" and needed a $1,200 engine job done. Lousy start to a birthday, wouldn'tcha say?

I decided that I would try to help her have a happy birthday anyway, so off we set to celebrate her big 4-7. First we went to Rosie's Grill to share a Nacho Grande platter. Then, it was off to see The Queen. Not that we flew off to London or anything ~ we took in the movie, which we enjoyed. Then I decide to treat Shelly to dessert at Montana's Cookhouse. Once she realized we were going to Montana's, she made me promise NOT to let them know that it was her birthday. Silly girl didn't wish to be the centre of attention. After Montana's we headed to Chuck E. Cheese's just before 10 p.m. We had the place to ourselves. At that time of the night, for some reason, there weren't any kids in the establishment. We played a few games, had our photo taken together (Me on left, Shelly on right) to remember the evening by and then I drove her home. Happy Birthday Shelly ~ hope the year ahead is your best yet!

A couple more ...

Take a look at all the wonderful goodies that we received in the Be My Valentine swap! How fun it was to be spoiled like this in the middle of a cold, lonnnnng Canadian winter! On Valentine's Day, we were given a puffy fabric heart with embellies from Melissa David and a whimsical paper collaged heart by Kristen Robinson. What a great way to wind things up.

Thanks to Lelainia Lloyd for hosting another great swap.

More gifties!

Just look at all the goodies I've received in the past few days in the Valentine Swap. Day 6 and 7 are pictured to the left. They are the handiwork of Caren McNee and Amy Huff . I'm just blown away by the variety of talented represented in this group of artists. Can you believe the yummy things that I was blessed with on Day 10, 11, 12 and 13. Day 10 was from the ever talented Linda Koch. It's a sweet little frame to put a special photo or piece of art in. I think I'm going to save it to put on my Christmas tree this year. Or perhaps I'm going to have to rig up something to hang some of my treasures on year round. Jennifer Rowland spoiled me with one of her gorgeous soldered doily necklace for Day 11. It's so delicate and shimmery. On the 12th day, Liz Smith offered a collaged heart ornament. She sent her gift in a trendy plastic container thingie too ~ extra spoiled! And today being Day 13, Penelope Harris (sorry I don't have a link for her at the moment) sent me a small poetic tag book entitled Heart of Red. She cleverly used paint sample cards throughout the book All good things must come to an end. Tomorrow is Valentine's Day and the last hurrah of this awesome swap. I shall miss it ~ whaaa!

Valentine Swap 2, 3, 4 & 5

The Be My Valentine swap organized by Lelaina Lloyd is in full swing now. We're up to Day 5 of opening wonderful artsy Valentine treats from all over the world. Unfortunately, I still haven't received Day 1's gift, but I'm hoping it may arrive today. Here are Days 2, 3, 4 and 5. It is so much fun opening these awesome little surprises every day. What talented folks!

Today's gift was from my dear friend and art buddy Arlene Travnik. She created a luxuriously padded embossed satin heart with a little pocket which holds a soldered charm with an accompanying little message on a piece of paper. One side of the charm reads: My Secret Valentine 2007, while the other side reads: She alters her heart. Beautiful. Thanks Arlene ~ your work always inspires me.

Welcome home!

Look at this ~ my calendar made it's way home this week!! What a treasure of art it is.
It's so thick and chock-full of wonderful textures, colour and fantastic art by some of altered art's best-est mixed mediaists!

Thank you Beth, Sue, Liz, Caren, Christine, Lorraine, Sharon, Jennifer, Cece, Ruth, and Marci.

You guys have created a wonderful piece of art that I shall always be cherished. Thank you Marci for sending the calendars on to me in rotation without delay. Also I'd like to give a big thank you to Kathy Wasilewski for putting this year-long swap together. It's been a wonderful journey together. I've experimented, stretched, made mistakes, grown and learnt so much from the other talented artists, mentioned above, in the process.

Please note: Thanks to my art buddy Arlene who is so incredibly computer savvy NOT! but who helped me add links to people I mention in my blog. Would that make you computer literate now, Arlene?