The real me???

You Are An INFP

The Idealist You are creative with a great imagination, living in your own inner world.Open minded and accepting, you strive for harmony in your important relationships.It takes a long time for people to get to know you. You are hesitant to let people get close.But once you care for someone, you do everything you can to help them grow and develop. In love, you tend to have high (and often unrealistic) standards.You are very sensitive. You tend to have intense feelings. At work, you need to do something that expresses your personal values.You would make an excellent writer, psychologist, or artist. How you see yourself: Unselfish, empathetic, and spiritual When other people don't get you, they see you as: Unrealistic, naive, and weak

What's" Your Personality Type?

1 + 1 + 1

Read about Kal Barteski's 1 + 1 + 1 challenge in her own words here:


http://lovelife.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/05/one_and_one_and.html

I have actually got on and done this. Of course, looking back at her blog I started second guessing myself -- I'm actually quite pleased with the art part, but I don't think I've done a terribly good job of visualizing my future. But then OTOH I realized today that if I keep revising and revisiting a year, a month, and a day could go by and I'd still be tinkering!

So my letter is sealed up inside the artwork. It's wearable art, which means it's NOT wearable, or at least not washable until July 3, 2008, because of the letter. And it's almost like one of my morning pages, I started jotting thoughts yesterday, was interrupted, and from yesterday to today various things happened which could possibly affect my future. Life as a recycled teenager can be exhausting!

Weird, funny

This is a page from my gluebook, done yesterday! The map is a genuine result from Yahoo maps which I think was trying to tell me something about venturing into the wilds of north Scottsdale. It comes complete with the little caveat about doing a reality check and making sure the road is still there. I knew it was a good idea to save that page -- certainly a better idea than using it to navigate.

Maps fascinate me and I'm working on a larger mixed media spread with maps which will have to be photographed since it's too big for the scanner.

Today I worked on the 1+1+1 challenge. That needs a few finishing touches and to be photographed also.

Open virtues -- not always easy!

I've been using the Virtues project cards to pick a virtue for each day and week. Out of 100 virtues, the 11 in the lower drawing appealed to me as being open and expansive -- others are self-discipline, perseverance, orderliness, which are more of a struggle for me. But even the "open" or right-brain virtues don't equate to a free pass to goof off. I found it remarkably hard, even depressing, the first time I pulled the joyfulness card. I felt guilty that I'm not more appreciative of the truly great things I have in my life, and guilty that I'm not more on top of things so that I could afford to relax and be joyful.

This may all sound very New Age-ish, but really it isn't. The author of A Pace of Grace, who started the Virtues Project with her husband and brother, takes care to relate her thinking to various faith traditions. I pick a virtue each day for that day, and it is remarkable how they relate to what is going on in my life. And they are all virtues, so practising any one of them couldn't be harmful.

Distrust Straight Borders!

This is an imaginary colonized continent whose rulers have been busy ruling by drawing straight lines with no understanding of what is on the ground, where the rivers run, which groups live where, whether travel is possible. Maps with too many straight lines should not be trusted; those who ruled the lines are imposing themselves on the land.

At long last, a Chameleon appears!

The chameleon is one of my personal symbols because the chameleon can fit in anywhere. Okay, I realize the reality is not as dramatic as the art, but that's artistic license, folks!

Fitting in anywhere has been one of the guiding principles of my life and it's a family trait that goes back over at least 4 generations -- in the branch of the family that has one ancestress from Greenland who married an English whaler and moved to the east coast of England -- so perhaps that trait even goes back hundreds of years.

Pet Food Paranoia

Our cats (Cookie above and Chloe, left) are doing so well that the vet asked what we feed them -- the friend who could no longer keep Chloe turned us on to Eagle Pack and they started on the kitten food and moved up to the adult cat formula, supplemented with Feline Greenies and occasional treats like chicken, crab, or tuna (never a whole meal though!)

These cats are healthy and also well behaved, unlike other cats in my past who would push wrapped food off the table to check out if it might just be cat food, even if it was chocolate cake! I think it's because they are not missing any trace elements.

As the current news story grew in the media and more and more companies were recalling their products, I checked out both Eagle Pack http://www.eaglepack.com/ and www.FelineGreenies.com, neither of them have been recalled.

My firstborn, ever the marketer, is going "Where's their press releases? Why aren't they getting the good news out?"

The man at Tempe Feed & Tack said none of the products they carry have been recalled, which is pretty impressive.

This reminded me of the two months I spent in England in 2005. No, I wasn't eating cat food! But there was a scare re Sudan One red dye in chili powder that had been imported and sold to food processors, where it proceeded to turn up in Worcester sauce, baked beans, frozen shepher's pie, and hundreds of other goodies, you name it! I mean, how many times do we see "spices and flavorings" at the tail end of the ingredient list.

We just found out that Fritos and Doritos contain pork enzymes in the cheese flavored products. I have a nasty suspicion that other brands would too but we just KNOW about Fritos and we don't know about the others.

Then there's the cheery message on the Japanese pickled ginger we were inhaling with the sushi an enterprising family member made by hand:

"Use of this product may be hazardous to your health. This product contains saccharine which has been determined to cause cancer in laboratory animals."

And saccharine is the second ingredient, after ginger and before water!

Well, at least the cats stuck with the crab. Wonder how hard it would be to pickle our own ginger?

Good advice

. . . but can be hard to take!

I used a petal brush in Twisted Brush and printed a hard copy, then stamped the words on, using a bright purple letter N, which I then softened using EZ Tintz in whitewash. I also softened the bottom edge and around the dark purple line where the petal crossed over itself.

Was just bursting for the EZ Tintz to arrive -- of course now I want the whole set.

Visual Chronicles

Have been reading "Visual Chronicles" and working through some of the exercises, not very systematically.

This collage expresses how I feel today.

For a variety of reasons.

Now I'm thinking about the expression "Huis Clos" which is a legal term in French and was also the title of a Sartre play and I can't remember what it was called in English.

Considering energy and frustration levels it's amazing I can do anything remotely creative!

Better backgrounds are in the future...

I'm proud of the illuminated capital and the floaty moth like infinity symbol on the table created by playing around with twisted brush.

Visual Chronicles -- Life changing book!

I discovered this book by Linda Woods and Karen Dinino.

It's published byNorthlight Books in 2006

The full title is

Visual Chronicles: the no-fear guide to creating art journals, creative manifestos and altered books

They have a non-intimidating approach to art journals and show you how to break it down into little steps and that a journal doesn't have to be like a soap opera narrative. Nor does it necessarily have to be in a bound book. It could be in a box, or tied together with an elastic band or a ribbon.

The website is sistersonsojourn.com
and full of neat stuff from the book and teasers about the next one, due out September 2007.

There is an area with a Yahoo group, which of course I joined.

Find I am seeing things differently and perhaps this will give me an outlet for all the ephemera (aka JUNK according to some!) I accumulate so easily and can't bear to discard.

I now have a large sketchbook which is filling up with collage (mostly) artworks, and a box of index cards with prompts, colors, and notes about supplies.


The index cards aren't mentioned much in the book but I am the index card queen.

I have one old box full of housekeeping prompts from when we had a B&B, with chores detailed room by room, creative ideas (hmm I will have to revisit them, some of them must still be good), quotes from the Qu'ran, etc.

Then from my recent years in school there are thousands of cards with notes about medical terminology, spelling, trivia, steno outlines, etc. It's fun to pull out a random card and discover that the original topic bears some relevance to what I'm writing on it this time.

E.g. I found an ice blue card with

ANWR = Arctic National Wildlife Reserve

written on it, and the prompt I was jotting before it escaped was about the heat.

BTW we finally caved this aft and put the a/c on!

Eye Tiles

Now if I could just remember how to rotate pix.

Challenged myself to a random act of creativity every day for February. This is Feb 1.

Some may not be amenable to taking photos

Craft Book

Sewing Projects in an afternoon
Susan Mickey
Dewey: 646.2 M583S 2004
ISBN 1-4027-0644-8

pillows, purses, etc. including a reversible sling shoulder purse I want to try but don't have time for right now. I could see that coordinating with a caftan for a really sharp outfit!

Puddle!

Puddle!, originally uploaded by wordnerd411.

I'm the annoying person that goes "Oooh, look at that puddle!"

But when you live in an area where rain showers are leading local news I guess it's excusable.

Etsy, etc.

Decided to open an Etsy store and try selling craft/art locally at craft fairs and see how that goes and what if anything sells.

Have been researching Etsy to see whose stuff sells and get some ideas. My craft idea will soon be revealed to the world and since this is a fun/business venture I don't feel it falls into the Use What You Have category, since some of the basics are just not in my stash!

Truly life is a spiral and every time I do something new in terms of hobbies or working, I always find I'm drawing upon previous experience which at the time it was being acquired seemed irrelevant. We are in control of our choices but Allah is really in control of the outcomes. So I believe in doing my best to make the right choices and then enjoy whatever happens.

temple_of_heaven

temple_of_heaven, originally uploaded by wordnerd411.

Beewax collage made at Maria Lynam's workshop yesterday.

I now realize the Temple of Heaven in the postcard is the same as the picture on the green tea boxes that have been part of my surroundings for most of my adult life!

The postcard is actually a color photocopy. Also tissue paper, specialty yarn, oil pastels, and Chinese writing.

Having played around yesterday I now have a concept I want to try at the next workshop!

foiled fish

foiled fish, originally uploaded by wordnerd411.

I realized I was only doing half of the Use What You Have Flickr group commitment, i.e. staying out of bars, er, fabric and craft stores.

But it is half way through the month and I need to actually make some stuff instead of just feeling virtuous that I was able to run into Michael's the other day to tell the cashier that the silk trees outside had blown over and not break stride but head straight for the exit.

Monday I sat and brainstormed, challenging myself to come up with at least 10 non quilting projects that I could do with the supplies I have on hand. I came up with 20-some. Do I want to do all of them? No, but that was not the point!

And I did this one -- now would like to make more but that would mean buying more soapdishes!

bluestar

bluestar, originally uploaded by wordnerd411.

This is the first block I made for the Charity Quilts group on Flickr started by Luminous Honey.

It fits in the definition of Use What You Have.

It's so long since I made an Ohio Star and it took a long time to make.

Along came a spider ***

Along came a spider ***, originally uploaded by wordnerd411.

Photo is blurry because this critter isn't very big. We think it's a brown recluse. Spider bites can lead to amputation or death so this makes up for the unrelenting near daily carnage our cats inflict on birds and geckos.

NOT THAT I WANT TO STOP ANYONE FROM MOVING To ARIZONA!

The Chameleon has spoken :-)

stash organizer

stash organizer, originally uploaded by wordnerd411.

Had a stupiphany the other day!

The tote bag on the door is for fabric whose rightful home is in one of the bottom totes. Until I can get shelving this will have to do. Also I have a box of scraps for making string blocks and as I generate scraps by quilting, they get tossed into the tote until the end of the session.

Tribal pillow cover

Tribal pillow cover, originally uploaded by wordnerd411.

This began life as a challenge to make a design using split complementary colors which are yellow, orange and blue.

The blue fabric was discharged with thiox to get the pink tones and white lines.

It is raw edge applique made by folding the fabric and cutting the same way you make paper snowflakes. I see a bird, a fish and figures from a totem pole, but I expect everyone sees their own thing.

Later I wanted to make a very vivid pillowcase to help me get used to carrying a lumbar cushion around with me so I enlarged it into a cushion cover and on the other side my phone number is written in indelible marker.