They warned us

A while back the blogger program warned us that they were changing everything!   I did not learn the new system because I was stubborn and like the old system.  But, today - it's a done deal.   No more choice available to use the old system.     So, I'll have to use this new one and figure it out as I go.     I hope there is a better method of loading and placing photos and text.  That would be an improvement.     I see there is an add video feature now.    Hmmm.... wanna see videos?     I have no idea how to do this    I  hope there is a good tutorial available.      There is something called insert a jump break?  Do you know what that is?   Not  me.   Hmmm... something else to learn.    I think I need a hug now.     

Post cards - in box

Here are three of the latest post cards which came in the mail. Imagination came from Marie. The Fairies are from Norma, and the face you may recognize as being from Roberta. Thanks gals. Can't wait to show these off to my art pals. Some of them are now making mail art now too. It's so much fun to get the mail and not just find bills and catalogs.

Please remember to be nice to your mail delivery person, and keep sending snail mail.

I have 74 printed post cards ready to go out, soon as I pick up more stamps. If you are not in my regular mailing list, and would like to receive some mail art, just email me with your address and I'll send one of these special cards. momzart101@yahoo.com

I will not sell off or give away your address. I promise.

Good mail days

I've had such a busy week, with art, and dentists, and the Lodi Grape Festival - I thought I"d better take some time out and post some art for you. I was in a recent swap in the Cloth Paper Studio group for ATCs with a leaf theme. Here are the ones I got in the mail. The top one is from Diane, who was the hostess, the middle is from Margaret and the lower one is from Dr Amy. I'm delighted with my new treasures which will go right into my collection as soon as I show them to my friends. thanks gals.

Stitchery witchery do - making faces

My friend Rosemary gave me a spare sewing machine that has a little plate so I can do more kinds of stitching. It has other variations I'll explore later, but for now being able to free style stitch is fun. I"m not good at it, but am sure I'll improve with practice. I can't quite wrap my head around the concept of moving the fabric instead of turning it. Pushing it back and forth, round and about, etc. I've always had to stitch straight ahead, so my piece had to be constantly turned to feed through. This opens a whole new world to me. Another thing I"m finding tricky is keeping and easy pace. The more stops and starts, or staying in one spot - the more the back is fouled up. One of the pieces here was done when the tread from the spool came out of it's guide, so the stitching is really awful. I could not see it until I turned it over, so it was a complete surprise.

I also did one free style tree without any pencil lines to follow. Even more fun.

I'm quite obsessed with faces. I've been sketching, painting, and doing collages of faces. Why the preoccupation? I"m not sure. I am at the age where some of my friends are getting face lifts. I've had oral surgery that changed the shape of my face just a bit and I also lost a lot of weight, so between the wrinkles and the weight loss, I don't look the same.

In the art world, Modigliani's portraits have always been my favorites. There is just something about his style that I love. Also Bruni, a Russian. They were from about the same time period - turn of century to about 1920. They are imperfect faces. They are awesome. I have adapted some of them into my own work.

Stitching faces is a fun way to sketch or draw a face with thread. Running a continuous line is like contour drawing. It is just more challenging manipulating the machine than a pencil. These are done with a sketch or photo of a face on a piece of heavy paper on one side and a piece of fabric on the other side. I stitch through the paper side, following the lines or at least using them as a base. When I remove it from the machine I'm always surprised. Some that look perfectly stitched on the top side, look all tangly on the bottom. Some that look the worst ot he top, look great on the bottom. Perhaps with better control I can maintain some consistency. Time will tell.

Keena was in Paris

My granddaughter Keena was in Paris recently and I put her picture in the other blog. Then I thought I'd put it here too, because it makes me smile. Just think of being young and having a good job, and being able to travel. I'm so happy for her. When this picture was taken she just purchased a watercolor painting from an artist, and is carrying it on one of streets there.

Swaps in the mail

I am ready to send off my leaf ATCs for a swap at Cloth Paper Studio. I just got a couple nice swaps in the mail and thought I'd share them here. The one with the words Oh oh, oh. is from Beth, one of the California Art Girls. She's the one that usually thinks up the swaps. This was a swap on words. I don't think they'll show on the screen, but there are adorable little staples scattered on the card.

The other card is from Dr. Amy in Virginia. It is part of the peel off tape "peek a boo" swap for the CPS group. I really like the way she carved the tape into wavy lines. And they blend in so well they don't even look like tape. I've only peeled up one piece so far. There are two more and I'll let friends have the fun of checking under them for a hidden message. There may not e any more words - but we'll see.

The Harlequin Romance series are post cards with most of the backgrounds painted out and adding some stamping. They'll go out soon.