Exciting!!!

I'm excited because Trudi from Two Dresses Studio is busy designing a new banner and background for my blog.  I have thought for some time that my blog needed to be dressed up a bit.  It looked pretty boring, but I'm about as techie as a paper towel holder.  After seeing Jennifer's blog, I decided to see what Trudi could do for me.  We've been emailing back and forth with questions and ideas.  I'm really ready to have something different.  You can go here to see her ready-made backgrounds and banners, or she can custom design for you if you have your own ideas.  The question is how many of us design our own, and how many would like someone else to do it for them?  I think that depends on computer savvy.  I'm amazed that I could even start a blog -- well, come to think of it, I couldn't have without a host like Blogger.  Maybe I could have, but it would have taken me into my next lifetime to do it.   I'm happily waiting to what Trudi comes up with.

I have no idea what I had in mind for this. I just pasted papers and added various elemements. The woman is a transparency. I think this could be a "key" to a secret of hers. Who knows? I like working with a grid type composition like this. Everything is somewhat neat and orderly. I also like chaotic asymetrical compositions. I tend to decorate my home in an asymetrical fashion. This translates to: when I hang pictures, I point and hammer the nail. I don't measure. A friend gave me a tiny punch (top dragonflies). And I do mean tiny! I really like the punched paper used with the rub-on big dragonfly.
Hope you are all having a wonderful day!!!

Playing in my journal, I notice that I have a love affair going with certain images/objects - butterflies, hearts, fleur de lis, dragonflies.  I know there are others as well, but I do seem to have a thing for these items.  The journal page on the left was an experiment using some scraps and then melting beeswax over them.   I have flirted with the idea of getting a melting pot, but today someone in my group mentioned that it's just as easy to use a small crockpot.  I'm still using just a small quilt iron or craft iron and melting the wax over the picture and then spreading around with the iron. If anyone can tell me the difference between encaustic wax and beeswax, please leave a comment.  I've see large paintings done with encaustic wax.  I would think that is an expensive way to go. 

It's much more fun to do art than go to the gym.  I don't quite remember when the little aches, pains, stiffness etc. started.  I really can't complain, but I never used to think about my body except when applying makeup or trying some new sport that really made me "stretch" my abilities.  I hate having the workouts hang over my head, so I go at least three days a week and then I can enjoy my art if I get to it.  I'm always saying "I don't know when I had time to work full time" -- and I don't.  I have so much respect for all of you who work and have children at home and get masses of art done and posted, not to mention being active in many of the Yahoo art groups.....I have to say you're just more organized than I.  Oh yes, and I am up at 6am.  I do go to bed around 10:30 though.  On those sleepless nights I prowl my groups and try to get caught up on messages.

Finally.....

Finally, I'm posting again.  Actually, it's more like I'm finding some time to make some art.  I'm loving being retired and being able to take classes.  Tuesdays are "Greeting Cards and More".  I enjoy the class because of the teacher and the girls in the class.  
Now I've signed up for a beginning quilting class.  Since I have this sewing machine that DH says I should use for a door stop, I decided to take a class so I can become more familiar with my machine and learn some stitches.  I don't really care about quilting (at least what I think of as quilting -- cutting out little squares, triangles and measuring and planning so everything comes out in a pattern).  What I am interested in is quilting for art's sake.  I have to start somewhere.  This class will be making a simple table runner.  So that should give me a good intro.
This last work in my journal represents a prompt by someone on one of the many links I've been on, to use the alphabet and make some art from each letter.  Thank you to whoever gave me this idea.