Happy Holidays!

Just checking in before the major festivities of the Season

get started, and to tell you a bit of big news from 

my part of the world.

I have a new muse in my life....grin....

Meet 'Barkley McMuffin Butt Phillips'

When we went to pick Barkley up from his fur mum,

he was just about 10 weeks old, now almost a month

later, it's almost as if he's always been here.

He's fit and healthy, had his first vet visit, and he's

now my art room buddy for late night art time.

Although, not much art time since his arrival...grin...

but have managed to keep on making the 

Artist Trading Coins obsessively! LOL!

Using my vast collection of graphics from the myriad

of designer collections, like Retro Cafe Art, and Teesha Moore The Astronauts Club, PaperWhimsey and 

Tumble Fish Studio (retired) and 

Crow about StudioB and Itkupilli from Mischief Circus...

They've all been keeping me busy...

I'm finding making the Artist Trading Coins,

is a great way to have some quick and fun 

quality art time, if you set up an area with all

the supplies at hand....

then it's all ready for when you can grab 15 minutes or

a couple of hours at a time.

I've been using a bunch of my 6x6 scrapbook paper pad

to do the backgrounds, helping use up supplies and,

making the process a little quicker from painting backgrounds,

(although when there's time, I'm enjoying that process too.

But with a new fur-baby in the home...

not a lot of time currently for a more

committed art time....grin...

although I have dabbled a bit with

some digital graphics pages ....

When Barkley allows it....grin....

So I just want to wish you all a very 

Wonderful Holiday Season!

So hard to believe it's almost Year End!

Sending You

All the Best of Wishes

for the Holidays!

Cheers!

So sorry for the long absence ...

Such a long period of time since my last post,

with apologies. Life sometimes can knock your

stuffing out of you. After the loss of dear dog,

found my mojo had all but disappeared, but recently

joined a group of Facebook that are into making

Artist Trading Coins.

Now I seem to be totally obsessed with making them...grin.

They're great fun to make, with so many options

It's the same principal as Artist Trading Cards.

The only rule, is that it be a 2.5" circumference circle 

instead of the 2.5x3.5" Trading Card.

And you can choose to use any type of

medium in making them. Paint, draw, stamp,

or in my world, collage with graphics and

bits and bobs to add on occasion.

I'm finding, when making them, I seem

to be working in series of them. 

When

I find an idea works, and have the supplies,

I make a few different variations, then 

when the ideas start to fog a bit

...onto another idea.

I find it's a little hard to run out of ideas

when I have a massive collection of 

wonderful graphics to use by all of my

Favourite Graphic Designers collections

from over the years....just to name a few...

From Mischief Circus

Tumble Fish Studio 

(Retired from Mischief Circus)

Crowabout StudioB

Itkupilli

Miles Beyond the Moon

and others...

other Favourites

On Etsy, Art Tea Life,

Ceremony, and through 

The Astronauts Club

Teesha Moore

and even 

Retro Cafe Art!

They have a whole section in their shop

full of wonderful graphic digital sheets!

Retro Cafe Art

also has a whole other series of wonderful

Artist Trading Coin accessories!

Digital pages to print up for labels

for the backs of your coins and now,

rubber stamps for labels to boot!

Anyway, I'll just post a few more pictures

so you can get the idea of the obsession 

I've fallen into....grin...

and hopefully to give you some inspiration

to jump in and make some for yourself and to trade

with others too!

If you check out Facebook and other 

Social Media, you'll find there are 

tons of Artist Trading Coin groups!

And on a practical note....

in this current time, postage is always

a concern when doing swaps...

These are so easy and lightweight

to pop into the post....

I like to put them

into a trading card sleeves, or even

a trading card page, as they have the

2.5" wide openings and store great,

 leaving rows open

for the swap partner 

to finish filling the page sleeves...

...and of course, that can lead you into

mail art too.....grin..

So I hope sharing my latest obsession,

my getting my mojo back after a long

absence will help inspire you to get busy

and make some Artist Trading Coins too!

Now get busy....Cheers!

Enjoy!

With a sad heart....

Been some time since I posted.

I thought I would share with you all after

all these years of my blog always 

including my dear little muse, my pal, my clown, 

my baby dog, Oliver Howard

With great sadness...

Our dear Oliver Howard gave a brilliant effort to live

as long as he possibly could. 

Diagnosed with kidney failure back in February, 

he with our support and efforts,

made it to July 19th, 2018, just a couple of

months short of his 17th birthday.

We're so upset and heartbroken, but know that

he had a long, and fabulous life.

He's been such a joy to know, and love.

And with gratitude, I thank all of his

Internet Aunties on Facebook 

and here on the blog, loving him

and enjoying him for so many years.

He was a lucky creature to be so

very loved.

Miss you Oliver Howard.

Hello Summer

although a little late....

I guess 2018 is a year of a shift in focus.

As I've mentioned before, it was a conscious 

decision to give much of my free time this year

to our dear old boy Oliver Howard.

Being his 16th year, and starting it off with

a major health issue, my arts and crafts have

taken a back seat to the boy.

Pleased to say, he's still with us, and managing

with a bit of intervention, and fingers crossed

for the goal of getting him to 17 years of age in

September. Then onto setting another goal if

he'd like to keep on keeping on.

But that doesn't mean there is no arts or crafts at all...

Managed a bit of art play occasionally.

After signing onto a wonderful online Workshop

 Dispatch from LA

 I started a little project, that I could just leave out

on my art desk, and come and go from it as the mojo

would take me in spare time.

Armed with a myriad of stamps 

and ephemera bits and bobs,

water colour paints and felt pens and

of course lots of coffee....grin....

...and my old clunker sewing machine that I use

strictly for mixed media projects....

I began the journey into letting my mojo go....

tucking in and sewing in bits and bobs....

to create pages in the little sewn book....

even dug out some of my own hand carved stamps

and vintage bits with scrapbooking bits...

no rhyme or reasons....

...just some creative play 

I also had signed onto a couple of other workshops

but haven't had the time yet this year to commit myself

to diving into the creative process, but high hopes for

the fall and into winter...will post when I do.

Other bits and bobs done, still making my 

chubby ATC Blocks using

Retro Cafe Art 

ATC Block Kits

and of course using the Fabulous assortment

of graphics from all of my Fav companies 

like Tumble Fish Studio (Retired) and

Crowabout StudioB and Itkupilli

from Mischief Circus

and

Teesha Moore graphics from

The Astronauts Club

always enjoy making my tongue in cheek ATC's

and so much fun mounting them onto the 

ATC Blocks for my ongoing wall display....

think I'm up to about 18 of them done.

Husband will love all the nail holes in the sheet rock wall....

grin....

...and of course the occasional post card pages,

always fun to make those, even if it's 3 a.m...

as long as coffee is involved 

So that's what I've been up to so far this Summer,

bits and bobs in between a busy life this year,

as I am sure it is for you too!

As always, hope my post gives you some inspiration,

and even some permission to try to find the time

to give yourself a bit of creative outlet and let

your mojo fly.

Enjoy!

And have a good Summer!

Long Time No Be Around... 

First off, Hi All!

Sorry for not being around for so long...

Life has a habit of getting in the way

of my creative time and it seems

this year is no different.

I did mention last last year, that I was

intending on spending more time for

the New Year with our dear boy,

Oliver Howard

He's turning 17 years old in September,

and is currently aging fast, with some

medical issues that have appeared 

out of nowhere, so he has become

our priority these days.

But I have managed to still grab some

art time in between dog feedings, cuddles and naps ...

....and when I can get my glasses back from him...

Christmas came and went, and with all that

has been going on, I found little time to get

to play with my new toys....

So quick projects are all I've been managing, 

here was one, the new 

Sizzix Eileen Hull Die Cut for making 

Travel Journals,

not that I get to travel anymore, but they can 

be used for many other purposes.

I had great fun for a few, making one, and mounting

a 3D Collage Doll I made with Itkupilli Graphics.

Also I've been continuing making my collection 

of ATC Blocks for a wall display I have planned...

Much to the dismay of my husband at the thought

of all the holes I'll be putting into the walls....grin....

...when you're being creative, you don't think about

such things....other than if there is wall space....

...again, using the Retro Cafe Art 

Chunky Dimensional ATC Kits to make them...

Have also managed some Digital Art Time

with the myriad of Fabulous Graphic

Designers over at Mischief Circus

Oliver Howard posed for this one....grin...

And here are a few of my ATC's, and Post Card Collages

made over the past couple of months with all of the 

Wonderful Graphics from All over at Mischief Circus!

And with a little Teesha Moore at The Astronauts Club

thrown in :)

...used one of my own personal 'Oh Deer Bubbie' photos

of one of our favourites of our deer herd around our home.

...and some of my Collage Post Cards....

...hope you too have been getting some

good, quality creative time for yourselves....

...never waste good mojo :)

and even had a play with some of the new

Dylusion Stamps 

I received for the holidays....

...and more cut and paste....

....trying to channel my inner gardener....

...and sometimes it's hard to get motivated....

....coffee helps.....

So I'm glad I popped in just to touch base

with you all so that you'd know I haven't

fallen off the planet....grin...and I'm still

finding some creative time...

Hope this finds all of You doing well 

and finding your Mojo!!!

Enjoy!