SOME INSPIRATION

Before anyone asks - no I did not take the above photos - I wish I did but that is nearly impossible because I live in Florida and we do NOT have changing leaves like up north - that is one of the things I miss most but that is about it...lol
Someone sent me the above picture so that I could look at those colors again so I thought I would share it here - fall colors can be so inspirational.
The picture really makes me feel good - now if any of you get to experience leaves changing their colors - PLEASE send me pictures of what you see - I really do miss that - I have not seen that in person in over 20 years - hohum!!! I would say send me some leaves by snail mail but I am wondering how long they would keep their color..lol.

Okay - today on AOL (yes I am one of their customers but I do not pay for AOL - ever since it went free)..I have kept an everyday blog there for over 5 years...lots of history, ideas, thoughts and feelings...and today AOL sent me a letter to say I have a month to remove my web pages-journal pages and pictures that are stored there because they are closing it...OMG - that company really knows how to destroy and turn away customers...they are NUTS...(I was going to use more colorful adjectives but I am trying to curb my tongue).
So the rumor has it that we might be able to migrate our journals over to blogger (I hope so) so I have saved my journal name already - here is the link: CRAZY LIFE ...so save it - there is nothing there yet but definitely click on follow me and save the link - because next week they will test out the migration of some blogs and if it works then everything I have will be on blogger.
I have 1000's of pictures stored there - now that is going to take a while to download into my external hard drive..geez!!!
My web pages upsets me - I have no idea what I will do about those.
ANYWAY--
Below is a craft project that I thought was a lot of fun - so I am passing it along...

MONOPRINTING

Monoprinting is a process whereby only one print is pulled from the printing plate.

What You Need:

• Printmaking ink if you have it or a thick water-based paint. (Acrylic or tempera ... you can add flour to tempera to make it thicker and stickier like ink).
• Paintbrushes.
• Sheets of plexiglass (approx 12"x12") (any size - the roomier the better in my opinion) You can sometimes find plexiglass for next to nothing at your local lumber yard or hardware store. Just ask for the offcuts they normally throw away. You can also use old signs (the plastic ones) for this activity.
• Paper.
• A covered work area.
• Soft rubber brayer or small paint roller. (optional)
• Popsicle stick or pencil with eraser.

What You Do:

Method # 1

1. Using the brayer, roll ink out onto the plexiglass, covering it completely.
2. Using the end of a pencil or a popsicle stick, anything really, draw an image on the plexiglass.
3. Place paper on plexi and rub lightly.
4. Peel away paper.

Method # 2

1. Using the brayer, roll ink onto the plexiglass, covering it completely.
2. Place paper over plexiglass.
3. Using a pencil, draw an image on the paper.
4. When you peel away the paper, the image will have transferr ed itself.
5. This is very similar to using carbon paper.

Method # 3

1. Using your paintbrush, paint a design onto the plexiglass using as many or as few colours as you like. Work quickly ... don't let the paint dry!
2. Place paper over the plexiglass and rub lightly with the palm of your hand.
3. Peel away paper.
4. Sign your work.

**you do not have to use plexiglass - you can use a piece of strap glass or any smooth
surface like plexiglass - using it is great because it is SO easy to clean..no hassles!
The thicker the paint the better - you can also use plain fabric - instead of paper - truly the possibilities are endless and fun.....then after you have your newly decorated paper you can make journals or lil notebooks for gifts...again possibilities are endless..if you are going to make the paper for books or note books or such the paint color should be light - that way it can still be written on - you know what I mean?!-most of all - have fun**

Thanks For Stopping By and Looking - Leave a comment - would love to know who came by for a visit!!

LEMONADE ATC AND MARBELIZING PAPER

I did manage (in the months I was away) to create some digital ATC cards...
only about a handful - but at least I did something...so for me - that was a brave step..(trust me).
I will admit that I am a pink fanatic - love love love pink - so this lemonade fit right in...I also like it because it is so bright and it does remind me of summer - so I thought I would share it here since summer seems to have moved on for most of us. (I will include it as my entry for CED).
Besides all the great football games I managed to watch this past weekend,
I have been getting lost in surfing the web and going over old files of mine that I did manage to save...it has been quite interesting..

I found this craft project in my files and I thought I would share it here...too fun!!

Make Your Own Marbelized Paper

This is a neat way to make your own cards or stationary with that cool marbled effect. You will need:

• a large bottle of liquid starch
• severaal colors of acrylic paints
• two large flat baking dishes or dish pans
• a few custard cups
• small bowls or empty margarine containers
• paint brushes
• a variety of tools to create patterns in the paint (such as a feather, nut pick, ice pick, coiled rubber cord, wire whisk, potato masher, fork or wide-toothed hair comb)

Fill one baking dish or dish pan with starch to a depth of about 2 inches; fill the second one with cool water. In custard cups or other small containers, dilute each paint color until it just barely drips from a brush. Then drip colors on top of the starch until the surface of the starch is nearly covered.

Create a pattern in the starch with one or many of your tools. Move the desired tool through the paint in straight lines, at geometric angels, in circles, or in rays. Even if you leave the dots undisturbed to produce a pebble pattern, no two patterns will be the same. Feel free to experiment and be creative!

Hold a card or piece of paper by opposite corners and bend it gently so the paper sags slightly. Lay it gently on top of the paint, but do not allow the paper to sink below the surface. Immediately lift paper back out of the starch. Hold it over the dish and allow the paint to drip off for a few seconds.

Rinse paper in the dish of plain water. Lift paper out of water and allow it to drip for about 15 seconds or until most of the water has dripped off. Lay the paper flat, paint side up, on a work surface to dry.

Making your own paper like this for cards and stationary is too much fun...my kids used to do this for gifts at Christmas...I hope someone else finds it useful - lol.

Well I just wanted to share those few things - Thanks for stopping by..see ya next time~!~

NEW ADVENTURES

I came across this craft project that I thought others would find interesting...I wish I had originally thought of it - love cork - lol
Here is the link where it has some helpful directions -CORK PROJECT - but you could really take this project in so many other directions - it gave me some ideas - which is what I want stirred inside of me when I am looking for inspiration...(you know what I mean?!?)
I also have signed up to be part of a book club for SOUL COACHING/SEARCHING...I am so excited about it because I truly feel it is going to help me break through some of the fog I live in. (depression has a habit of doing that). I am going to be writing about it in my other journal - MOTHER AND DAUGHTER PROSPECTIVE...so starting in November I should be blogging about it everyday - which is also going to motivate me to participate in NABLOPOMO..which I have always wanted to do.
Did I mention that I have updated my other blog - well check it out if you want to - kind of starts to explain what has been happening in my world - CLICK HERE.

Well let me get this entry published before I forget (which is something I seem to be doing lately)..Thanks For Stopping By .... PEACE~!~

I AM BACK

Hello Everyone-
WOWOWOW - it has been forever since I have checked in and for that I apologize...
Yes I was getting quite sick but then one thing led to another and I just could not recover fast enough for me!
I will say that there is good news...on January 25th I actually stopped smoking-cold turkey.
I had been smoking since I was a teenager - but I just woke up one morning and the desire
was no longer there - (why it took so many years beats me) but I am so grateful that the habit is gone.....I did not even have the slightest desire to light up or sneak a smoke or anything...
Honestly once I woke up with no desire - it has not entered my way of being anymore - THANK GOD I AM FREE....lol....I apparently inspired my hunnie and he quit in April...I am so happy
for him...what has kept him from smoking is the fact that I do not....so this is a double blessing!
So much has happened - suffice it to say - that lots of news has gone on- highlights include:

*daughter's prom
*daughter's graduation
*deployed Son in army came home for two weeks
*parents' health has declined
*some loving pets have gone on to the rainbow bridge
*computer crashed big time
*hurricanes have come and gone

As you can see it has been busy here - I will eventually get to all my news- I am taking things
very slowly so I do not feel so overwhelmed (which is a problem I am trying to deal with).
I do want to mention that because my puter crashed I have lost all of my saved sites and email addresses and such - so please - leave your blog address in the comments so I can build up my links again...I would so appreciate it!!!
BTW-- if you would like to create a word cloud (like my graphic above) go to WORDLE and check it out....you put in your site url and it gathers all the most commonly used words you use in your site and puts it all together for you - you can pick up the layout and colors too.,,..,I think it is pretty cool myself...LOL

I know this may not be the kind of entry you all were looking for but for me it is the best I can do right now---I would like to THANK YOU ALL for always sending comments my way to check up on me - your caring truly touched my heart....I am here to say I am okay - and I am doing my best to feel better each and every day...but THANK YOU ALL for being there -
I shall return - PROMISE~~