I did it!

I did it!

I took the leap & submitted the following to a local, juried photography show & I got in!!! I am just honored to be chosen, but it sure doesn't hurt my excitement that the main judge is none other than JOHN FIELDER! WOW! So very cool that he will be looking at one of my pictures!

The show is just up the road from us in a little town called Palmer Lake & you can find more info about the art center & the show HERE.

So, without further ado...here are the 7, YES SEVEN, that I submitted with the very LAST being the one that got in!

Misty Morn

The Pink Lady

Reaching

Transparent

Sugar & Spice

Kansas

Fall Fantasy

That's it, the one that got in!
I don't even care if it wins anything! Just very cool to have gotten accepted! 'Course, would be nice if it sold!

Cheers!

Creating an Attention Grabber!

I created this Gypsy Art Book as a kit commitment for Altered Pages & decided that it would be a great submission piece to Somerset Studios too!

not on the site yet, but soon!

{I promise to post more pix once Jean has it listed on the site!}

Somerset has an issue submission about bringing a storybook character to life & since I was somewhat inspired by 2 storybook gypsies (Victor Hugo's Esmeralda in The Hunchback of Notre Dame & Roux from Joanne Harris' Chocolat), I decided to submit my book! We'll see if they use it! I have seen that sometimes they also publish the pieces of mail they receive that are decorated or catch their attention. So I decided to decorate the crap out of the Priority Mail box I used to send in my book & see what happens! 

{It was quite messy, so I didn't get any pictures of the process, sorry!}

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 First, I taped the top of the box with regular packing tape along the middle seam & the edges, leaving the bottom open so I could insert my book later. Then I gesso'd the entire box (except the bottom, cuz I wasn't going to paint that) & let that dry overnight.

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Then I pulled out my Gelli Plate!

I had watched Carolyn Dube use hers on a candy box online the other day & I wanted to try it! 

Well, my attempts at pressing the box onto the Gelli didn't turn out so hot! So, just when I was about to give up...I lifted my Gelli off the table & flipped it ONTO the box instead! The results were a somewhat distressed Gelli print! PERFECT! 

Then I used a Crafter's Workshop floral stencil that I just ordered from Altered Pages to spray a red-pink Maya Mist all over the box. 

After that, I just layered the many different paints I had used in the book with my fingers, rubber stamps, bubble wrap & an art-text stencil & of course, adding an image of the same gypsy that was on the cover of my book!

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 When all the layers were dry, I went to work with my paint pen - adding Zentangle inspired lettering & doodles!

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When all that was dry, I finished it off with a satin varnish to protect it a little in the mail.

It was so much fun to do & it only took me a few hours with drying time & it was off in the mail the next day! 

Next time I promise to either take pix as I go along or maybe I'll try a video! 

Cheers!

I Need Your Help!

As many of you know, we moved to a new town over the holidays & with that came a new school for my Magpie. Her new school is absolutely FABULOUS & she is settling in quite nicely! 

Me, I am trying to get used to not meeting up with parents on the playground in the morning over our travel mugs of coffee, arranging playdates for our kids & sometimes for us adults! 

So, in an effort to try to meet the other parents in Maggie's classroom, I volunteered to help with the classroom's silent auction basket for their biggest fundraiser coming up this spring!

The Boot Scootin' Boogie on April 20th!

Boy, what a task!

I had NO idea how "all-out" these parents go & although I am working with another mom (another somewhat newbie!), we are SO in over our heads on how to get really good stuff for our basket! 

LAST year,  someone donated an amazing Rockies Game Day package for 4 where the kiddo got to go out on the field, meet a player, get an autograph, a special jersey/hat & more!

We have to top that?!!! 

CRAP! 

HELP!!!!

My partner in crime came up with a basket theme:

The Daring Book for Girls! 

Check it out here!

I haven't read this book yet, but it looks like a GREAT book! It covers a little bit about female heroes throughout history & then goes into teaching girls how to be adventurous! 

From making friendship bracelets to how to be a spy to camping out to how to make the perfect snowball!

What I wouldn't have given for a book like this as a kid! What fun!

So, what I am asking of you, my friends & readers, is to help me come up with ideas for WHERE in Colorado to go for some of the BIG donations or even, if you can, making a donation for the basket if you have connections!

Here is the list of suggestions (everything new!):

The Bigger stuff:

• 2 person tent
• Sleeping bag
• Small Backpack
• Camelback
• Kindle Fire
• Digital camera
• Binoculars
• Gift Certificates for: Rafting, Kayaking/Canoeing, Rock climbing (indoor), Horseback Riding, Skiing, Balloon Rides, REI, Yoga, Ice/Roller skating, gymnastics, karate, bowling, Heritage Square, Elitches, Water World, Art classes at Michaels.

The Little things that ADD up:

• a big, cool looking duffel bag to hold all the goods & then be used by the lucky girl on her adventures!
•  An "Everything Kit" - duct tape, safety pins, twine, first aid, vinegar, baking soda, card games, Bananagrams & maybe some girly things too - nail & pedicure kit, headbands & hair ties, hair "dye" in fun colors, etc.
• A Girls Tool Kit: hammer, screwdriver, wrench, pliers, etc.
• Cool bandanas or Buff's
• Ropes in various sizes for tying knots
• A journal with pencils & pens
• LED Flashlight with extra batteries or a self-winding light
• Compass
• Chemistry set
• Basketball, Soccer ball or playground ball
• Flower press - bought or handmade
• Swiss army knife
• Chinese jump rope
• Sarong - use as a light blanket, cover up or dress!
•  25 colors of embroidery floss for bracelets
• Pillow Pet for slumber parties
• 2 tarps for ground cover or lean-to
• 2-person tent
• Kite
• Chalk for hopscotch & drawing
• Art set for travel - watercolors, markers, pencils, eraser, paper & small jars for water
• Oragami paper

Whew! That's what we have for ideas so far!

Any further ideas, connections or donations, PLEASE, PLEASE contact me ASAP!

We only have until the end of the month to pull this together!!!

Thanks in advance for anything you can help with!

Cheers!