Time To Play Catch Up!

Well hello peeps - long time no see! Hope all is going well for you. The very beginning of November hubby and I spent our last time in Cape May for this year. It started out very cold and windy just the first day but got absolutely gorgeous and we saw the most beautiful sunsets each evening. And such really fun times meeting up with friends we met there each day...however since getting back home it's like all  he(double toothpick) broke loose. Been spending too much time trying to straighten health insurance claims wrongly submitted by the facilities themselves, trying to get through to set up for next years health care (oh the glitches with this too!), etc. etc. And just today - all my inbox emails just disappeared! Poof!! vanished!!:( :( :(  We did manage to host a record/vinyl party this past weekend  but I'll post on that another time. Let's get on with the art and other good things shall we?

       Let us not forget this day of Remembrance, Veterans Day

 Here is the complete card which I am linking to the Simon Wednesday Challenge and the Simon Monday Challenge for the theme of "thinking of you":

 Products: white notecard; colored pencils; sentiment (Hero Arts); poppies (Magenta); stencil (Prima); Versafine Onyx Black ink; Altenew Morning Frost ink.

 For T Stands For Tuesday today I will share this photo:

 My future daughter in law Kyra invited me to go with her, her mother and sister to look for a wedding dress this past Sunday. She looked beautiful in everything she tried on, and when we all gasped when she came out in one in particular all we could do was cry. And she chose that dress so we celebrated with Prosecco at the shop. The shop was closed and only open for us. I was so touched to be a part of this. I love this girl so much!

 This journal page is meant for Art Journal Journey (theme is "fruits and vegetables") hosted this month by Rike; and I will also join Try It On Tuesday (theme is "autumn colors"). The fruit bowl is from a napkin.

 And lastly I will share a bit of the watercolor practice lessons I have been working on here and there. They are from Laura Horn's Watercolor Explorations online class. I am signed up for several of her classes as I just love her teaching and abstract style. I always had a love/hate relationship with watercolors but she is swaying me to the love:) I have learned so much in such a short time!

I am joining in at Moo Mania and More (theme is "circles"): 

 These are my reference swatches I made using my Daniel Smith watercolors and then some added mixing.

 This was for some mark making abstract practice.

 Here I was practicing making circles and mixing colors using only 4 original colors - and on the right page is what I got mixing all together what was leftover on my palette from the same 4 colors- just amazing how many colors came from this!! I was so tickled by the beach colors!

 Also joining Paint Party Friday again. Looking forward to catching up with all of you. Thanks for popping in!

"I define creativity as the person-centered process of imagining possibilities and taking expressive action to bring ideas to life." 

                                   Marta Davidovich Ockuly

Getting In The Spirit of Things

  Well, fall is finally truly descending upon us here in my parts. I finally put the flannel sheets on the bed, and the heat is officially on to try and keep warm. Time for soups, stews, and warm drinks!

 Halloween will soon be upon us so I made a Halloween themed page in my Dylusions Creative Dyary Journal and as luck would have it, it fits several challenges this week:) Here is the background I painted using black gesso and white acrylic paint along with the Tim Holtz Mosaic stencil and Wendy Vecchi Brick Wall stencil:

 and my completed page:

The tag was sprayed with a pearlescent purple spray ink (Inkadinkado). I splattered on some black ink. I then added the ATC print from one I designed for ARTchix Studio. The bat sticker, black enamel dot, and ribbon is from Michaels. The sentiment sticker is Tim Holtz. Black Soot Distress ink was sponged along the tag edges before gluing to the page.
 Linking to these challenges:
        the Simon Wednesday Challenge (Halloween)
        the Simon Monday Challenge (Spooky)
       Try It On Tuesday (Witches, Wizards, Halloween)
       Tag Tuesday (Anything Goes)

 For Art Journal Journey with guest host Eileen this month and the theme of  "Dreams or Wishes" I have this journal page to share:

                               Reach For Your Dreams, Reach For The Stars

 This page is on the watercolor paper in my Dina Wakley Media Journal. I used Dioxazine Purple paint along with Dina Wakley's Lapis paint with a wet brush. The page was spattered with Marabu Black Art Spray. I've had that hand image in my stash for a LONG time and decided I needed to use it when I saw it again. I also grabbed some scraps, the word, and loose black thread lying about and glued it all to the page after stapling the paper layers together with the Tim Holtz Mini Stapler.

 And for T Stands For Tuesday I'll share some photos of a recent lunch I went to with friend Lynn, her baby son Warren, her mother, and my future DIL Kyra. On Kyra's recommendation we met at a place called The Vegan Butcher.

 The menu when you walk in the door. This restaurant is no fuss and only opened this Spring in an old Taco Bell building. It is full of fun, retro, kitschy things all around, and on the tables are all sorts of old games (which you do have to move away in order to eat:) Here are some pics:

  Anyone can sign/draw on the large blackboard (this is only part of it).

 One of the toys/games on a table.And yes, our son had one of these when he was little:):) I think it was called "Rock em, Sock em Robots".

 And as for our lunch choices:

 The name of the restaurant is a bit deceiving because it is NOT completely vegan although all items have vegan/plant based options which is what we all chose . I had the plant based Chips Burger and let me say that I could have even fooled my picky hubby into thinking this was a real beef burger! We all enjoyed our lunch very much. And since I forgot to  get any drinks in the above pics, I realized this next one will be my ticket to the T party...

 See it? Way in the back top left is Warren's milk bottle:):) These are the truffle fries. We also had the lemon fries and shared. They both were SO good! And this was definitely a splurge for me because I so rarely eat fries, and very little bread.  I'd definitely go again. 

 Here is another day of challenge art for the Gelli Plate Challenge that was on Instagram last month. This day's challenge was to use felt tip markers:

 These were done on index cards. For info on the techniques I used for this challenge I have links in my previous post.

 Joining in at Paint Party Friday this week too!

 Have a great week, and stay warm! Next week I will be taking another short blogging break but will be around to visit before then. See you soon...

" Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal."

                                                                                Tagore

Dreams,Wishes and Gratitude

 Hello peeps! How are you? We are continuing with warmer than average temps-just so delightful! It does get very cool by night but that's OK. Only had to put the heat on for a bit one night so far, but I am prepared and spent the weekend putting away summer clothes, etc. and bringing out the fall/winter things.

 Eileen is guest host at Art Journal Journey this month with the theme of  Dreams or Wishes. And at Moo Mania and More the theme is Thankfulness (Count Your Blessings) so I will join in with this journal page:

 Most all of you know by now how much I adore the sea/beach. It is a dream and a wish to one day live there. Yet I am ever so grateful that we live within a few hours driving distance and that I get the opportunity to get away at least several times throughout the year. This page was done with all that in mind. I cut a heart shape from one of my beach photos. I also used Tim Holtz Typography and Symphony Collage Papers, cheesecloth, watercolor paint and Golden High Flow paint.

 Speaking of the beach...for the gang at T Stands For Tuesday for my beverage reference I'll share one of the breakfasts we had at the Ocean View Restaurant  in Cape May last month (our go to place for breakfast whenever we are in town):

 On this day I chose blueberry pancakes. I should have cut it open so you could see how loaded these were with fresh blueberries inside-yum! These were quite large and very filling-even though this was considered a "short stack". And coffee as always:)

 The new challenge this week at the Simon Monday Challenge Blog is "All Things Pink" to honor Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I do hope you ALL get yearly mammograms!
Here is the tag card I made:

 Products: Scallop Tag Card (the Paper Cut); Tim Holtz- Wallpaper, Paper Dolls, Clippings Stickers; Distress Vintage Photo ink; washi tape (Recollections); tiny heart shape sprinkles (Doodlebug Design, Inc); butterfly sticker (Paper House).

 And finally I'll share some of the projects I did for Birgit Koopsen and Gelli Arts 30 Day Gelli Arts Challenge on Instagram in September. I wasn't going to do it because I already had other projects going, plus I was going away...but once the challenge began I just couldn't resist joining in:):) Here is the link to her tutorials on various techniques with the Gelli Plate.

  On this day the challenge was to use Pan Pastels. I had never done this before so I followed her technique video and was delighted with the results!

 I just don't use my pastels very often so I chose to use them again the next day for the challenge to use stencils:

 The cards on the left are first pulled prints and on the right the second pulled prints

 I definitely went grungy with these. For the challenge I either did my prints on index cards or circles so I'd have ready made backgrounds for the future circles challenge and index card challenge:)

 Posting to Paint Party Friday later this week - such a fun arty party!

 Also working through my Watercolor Explorations online class but that's for another post. Keeping creative makes me happy:) Wishing you a super week ahead!

" Do not lose hold of your dreams or aspirations. For if you do, you may still exist but you have ceased to live."      Henry David Thoreau

Autumn Is Slowly Approaching

 Yes, autumn is coming SLOW but sure here. Despite the fact that last Wednesday we hit an all time record high of 93 degrees F!! And then the next day it dropped over 30 degrees and didn't get out of the low 50's - what crazy weather!!! So far it continues to be warm and I'm OK with it:)

 The tag above is meant for  the new themes at the Simon Monday Challenge (autumn/fall), and Tag Tuesday ( autumn). Products used: manila tag, Black Soot Distress Ink (Ranger); Tim Holtz Paper Dolls; patterned papers (the Paper Studio); vintage clip art (Crafty Secrets); stickers (Nicole- AC Moore).

 For T Stands For Tuesday I'll share another meal and drink we had in Cape May a few weeks ago:

 Another place we frequently visit and I've mentioned before is the Oyster Bay Restaurant. Here we always sit at the bar to eat.  I've had their flatbreads before so this time I got the Caprese flatbread and it was delicious! Unfortunately things didn't go so well for Bill. His crab patty and waffle fries look so good don't they? This is the second dish because the first one came so quickly I couldn't believe it. Well, the whole meal was cold!! First time we ever had to have them take it back. We got a new plate and sadly- no better:( This time it was hot but the crab cake wasn't done and was practically ALL filler and mushy. The coleslaw that was soaking on the top of the bun made that mushy too (it used to be served on the side). Bill ate the fries and some of my flatbread but left the sandwich. We know the owner/chef and I am certain he did NOT make this because he is very fussy. There are other chefs who work with him too. What a disappointment. Our bartender apologized, took our drinks off the tab, we paid, and left.

 OK, back to more art!

 This is #6, the final mixed media page I did of a series of similar pieces earlier this year:

 I gave links to my other pieces in this post.

 This next journal page is meant for Art Journal Journey (dreams and wishes); and Moo Mania and More (count your blessings/thankfulness):

This is in my Dylusions Creative Dyary Journal. Dina Wakley Collage Collective tag, minis stencil, collage tissue words; black and pink acrylic paints; Bulles stencil (Carabelle Studio); tiny dimensional heart sticker (Doodlebug-Simon Says Stamp); black Pitt pen.

 Also joining Paint Party Friday. Have a super week everyone!

" Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree".   Emily Bronte

I'm Still Here!

 Just haven't been present blogging because Bill and I got away for another Cape May vacation for our 36th anniversary! So, my apologies in advance for this LONG post (art is towards the end).It was a perfect 5 days of pure sunshine, and it was like a week in July temperature wise:). We got lots of walking in on the beach and in town, met up with friends, got some pool time in, and met a great couple at the pool at the same time two afternoons who told us about their favorite restaurant which we'd never been to so we checked it out and made a reservation (it was practically next to our motel!). So I will join Bleubeard and Elizabeth and the gang at T Stands For Tuesday with these next few pics:

 Look at this stunning piece of furniture!! First thing we noticed when we walked into the Union Park dining room/hotel entrance. It is huge and takes up most of one wall though it looks small in this photo. Union Park restaurant is on the first floor and  Hotel Macomber rooms above.

 The restaurant is a BYOB so we chose champagne to bring and it was perfect for our sublime dinner!

 We both had Caesar salads. It was beautifully presented and both agreed this is truly THE freshest and best we have had anywhere.

 We also both had the salmon special which was done to perfection, along with quinoa. It was topped with crabmeat and a bit of a tomato confit. On the side, a swipe of avocado cream. OMG!!! How could we have missed out on this place all these years? You can bet that next time we go this will be the first place we make a reservation for. Next post I'll share some of our other favorite places;)

 We weren't home long and this past weekend brought us to the 32nd annual Celtic Classic weekend so of course we got immersed in Celtic music!!!

 Love the Parade of the Tartans, and fortunately at least during the parade it was overcast because the rest of the day and Sunday became hot, hot , hot!

 Hopefully the videos I share will work:)

                                            my high school alma mater

 After the parade we listened to a band for a bit and walked around but very briefly as everywhere it was PACKED with SO many people it was difficult to move. So we walked back home and then gave it another try on Sunday -much, much better!

 
 We went to see the band Searson and met our friends Lynn and Andrew (along with their darling 4 month old little one, Warren) there. Here's a pic of father and son dressed the part for the weekend:

 and  a pic of us all together:

Difficult to get a good photo under the tent:(

 One more short video- of Searson- awesome music:

  And now, if you're still here-thank you!- a bit of art:

This tag is meant for Tag Tuesday (theme is Trees); and Moo Mania and More(theme is Autumn Glory). Background is a napkin. Tree image is from Magenta and I dotted the branches with various colors of glitter glue.

 And one final journal page for this month's Art Journal Journey theme (Polka Dots, Stripes, Plaids or Patterns), and Paint Party Friday:

 Done in my Dylusions Creative Dyary journal. Stencils used: Brick Wall (Wendy Vecchi), and Bulles (Carabelle Studio). Various Distress inks, image is from Retro Café Art. Words computer generated.

 Thanks so much for your visit. Looking forward to catching up with you all again:)

"Everyday creativity is not an endeavor focused only on end products, but rather, involves a healthy way of appreciating life, which connects us more meaningfully to our world."   Ruth Richards