Announcing: A New Page

Hi, all -
After looking at my poor, neglected mail art blog, I decided to just get rid of that blog and create a new mail art page on this blog.  I figure that if it's on my regular blog, I might be better about posting things.  This is the idea, however optimistic it may seem.  I will try to do better.  Anyway, on this page you will find pictures of cool mail art I receive and cool mail art I make.  And anything else I think is interesting and pertains to snail mail.  So don't forget to check it every now and then if this is something that interests you, OK?  The tab is at the top and says "Mail Art".  If you can think of a better name, let me know...

And the winner is...

selected by random.org, Simona Cordara!  Simona, please contact me with your snail mail info, and my altered book will be winging its way to you very shortly!

Thank you everyone for visiting my blog during the party.  I look forward to getting to know you all!

Oh. Hell...

You know that the "real" world is encroaching when your laundry eats your couch...

horrifying view of my couch last night

Fortunately, I was able to dodge a sock trying to snake its way around my ankle and escape to my art room where I made these:

op art postcard

another op art postcard

Unfortunately, today I absolutely must address the laundry situation, as my work environment is not clothing optional and summer vacation is still three weeks away...

All Together Now!

Hello, party-hoppers!  My name is Julia.  Welcome to my blog.  Pull up a pillow and be comfortable.  Sip some tea or a glass of wine, depending on your mood.  Feel free to snoop around.  (I love snooping - don't you?)

Amy insists that we speak glowingly about ourselves and I've been pondering what to say ever since I signed up for this party.  I guess what I like best about myself is that I'm never bored.  Really.  Never.  I'm one of those people who can't wait to retire (5 more years!) because I have so many things to do besides work.  Two things I do consistently are play in my garden and play in my art room. Every day.  Sometimes for hours and hours.  Like I'll still be in my pajamas and it's 6 o'clock at night and all I've been doing is painting and collaging and making a mess.  Some things I do for a little while (Kung Fu - I have a second degree brown belt, playing in the SCA, making and selling baskets).  Some things I keep coming back to (belly dancing, knitting, drumming - frame drum and doumbek).  I love taking classes just to learn new things (Italian, jewelry making, dance).  It's important to me that I keep finding my boundaries and walking along those edges.  Of course, all this adventuresome learning and experimentation have left me with many more unfinished projects than I'd like to admit.  And sometimes the unpleasant thought crosses my mind that this behavior is not admirable - that it is the sign of adult ADD.  (Good gods, am I really suffering from "Shiny Chicken Syndrome"??? I think I'll choose to call it "bohemian" and leave it at that...)

Well, one project that I did finish was my giveaway for this party. (Yes, I can finish a project when I really put my mind to it!)  It's an altered board book.  Here are a couple of pictures:

the cover

one of the spreads

 Elsewhere in my blog I've posted a picture of another spread.  And there are two more pages, plus a surprise, but I'm not going to post those pictures because then it wouldn't be a surprise now, would it?  If you'd like a chance to have this book for your very own and find out what the surprise is, leave me a comment telling me where you'd go if you had a time machine.  I'll choose the winner through random.org on May 21, so be sure to check back here.

Thanks again for visiting.  Now I'm off to visit you!  Party on...

RIP - Maurice Sendak

Thank you, Mr. Sendak.  You will be missed.

What is your favorite Maurice Sendak book?  While I love Where the Wild Things Are, I think my favorite is Outside Over There.  Something about brave "Ida, with her wonder horn" who dares to face the goblins in order to rescue her baby sister really appeals to me.  I love the hero's journey.  Such a strange, atmospheric, lyrical book.

Yesterday...

was what every single day should be like.  I got up early and had coffee in the morning room with the husband.

the morning room

 After a bit, Murnie the dog decided she'd like to go for a walk in the park, so into the car and off we went.

3D Murn

When we got back, I needed to get some things out of their pots and into the ground, so Murn hung out while I puttered around and the husband worked on his latest story.  I finally got a climbing rose and planted it along the front fence.  It doesn't look like much now, but I am dreaming of it taking over the ENTIRE front fence.

I am also envisioning the lavender growing to great heights, along with the bee balm, rosemary, and lemon balm I planted.  Grow, grow, grow!!!  Once everything was happily situated, I thought I'd go in and knit.  On my way in, I discovered Murnie the dog sitting in the middle of the strawberry patch, blissfully munching the nice, ripe berries.  It was so funny, I didn't have the heart to fuss at her.  She's such a fruit bat!  And we've got tons of berries from the co-op anyway.

Oh, this new knitting WIP -- I went to my local yarn shop on Saturday (I haven't touched yarn in sooooo long, and there were so many new things.  I just wanted to pull it all off the shelves and roll around in it...).  I settled on two skeins of outrageously expensive Turkish novelty yarn (green and purple) that actually has a bunch of different yarns worked into a skein (viscose, silk, cotton, linen, and combinations thereof).  I decided on a scarf (the world's most expensive, and like I really need another scarf???).  As I said, it's been forever since I touched yarn and I must have started this stupid thing a half dozen times.  I'm so out of practice and I just couldn't keep my mind focused on a simple feather and fan pattern.  Yes, ridiculous.  I mean, feather and fan?  The easiest pattern since garter stitch.  OK, so I finally got it together, and here is the beginning:

Turkish lavender mint scarf

Imagine it much longer and with luxurious fringe of many greens & purples...

Went swimming and did 60 laps in 45 minutes.  I must get off the sugar train and lose at least 15 pounds, preferably 20.  Back pain is no fun.

Finished off the afternoon by beginning an altered board book that will be a prize in Amy's All Together Now online art party.  Do you know Amy?  I love her blog, and her site Flutterbye.  To find out about the art party, click on the button on the right.  I've never done an online party, but it sounds like fun.  So here is the first page of my giveaway book:

altered board book giveaway

And now I'm done nattering.  That's what's up with me.  What's up with you?

Crazy Bird

This came as a result of my all night adventure with the allergy medication and the ATCs...