Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Degas Love



ATC I made tonight.
I love Degas ballerinas <3

Mail Pretties

I've received some goodies in the mail lately...



Pretty Paper Relics papers



A fun ATC from Quay Bell



Another loverly ATC from Helmetti



Plus, extra fun stuff from Helmetti

Thank you all!

We had a good dance

"Dancing with the feet is one thing, but dancing with the heart is another."



Time to say goodbye to another well-worn pair of ballet slippers. Au revoir!

Monday, April 28, 2008

I meant to do that



Yeah, I was totally going for the I-got-slimed-on-Nickelodeon cupcake theme :/

At first they tasted like eggs smothered with confectioners sugar, but my dear, sweet boyfriend said after they cooled down the egg taste went away.

Do I dare eat a cupcake for breakfast tomorrow?

Creative disasters and my brain exploding...

I had a couple of artistic disasters on Saturday. I don't know what makes me think I can paint or draw or bring anything out of my head and turn it into something besides words. I tried to paint a cute bird perched upon a tree with winding branches. It failed. So then I tried markers. It failed. His eye became a blob of green somehow and the rest...well, not to be desired. I've realized that I can draw (somewhat) decently with pen or pencil, but when color comes into play...forget about it! That is why I stick to collage and perhaps the ocassional painted background. I know I have a lot to learn about the art world. I'm still not even that great at ATCs, but I'm learning and looking and buying a lot of really neat stuff to try and "help" me out.

I'm a bit off focus. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be focusing on, but I know that I have a lot of ideas swirling in my head - things I want to make, stories I want to write, books I want to read, communities I want to participate in - and I just can't do it all at once. I feel a bit overwhelmed with creativity. A blessing or a curse? Either way, it's a very unorganized process. I've tried writing it all down, but then I just have to remember to look at what I've written.

P.S. You wouldn't believe that a new idea just popped into my head. Ack!!!

Friday, April 25, 2008

A bit-o-poetry

The room is full of angels
drinking, laughing,
smearing their eyeliner
down their cheeks.

Their broken wings have
them slumped on the floor.
Summer heat wisps through
the cotton drapes.

“Open the window!”
Someone shouts.
“It’s already open,”
an angel sings.

She walks toward it
and stretches her hand
to the moon.
“Why can’t I fly?”

Inspired by a photo

Thursday, April 24, 2008

From Ezra

I love these lines from "The Arches" by Ezra Pound...

Yea alway had I longed to hold real dreams
Not laboured things we make beneath the sun
But such as come unsummoned in our sleep...

Monday, April 21, 2008

To ponder...

What would've happened if Eve came before Adam?


Digital collage

If only you could see what I see...

I finished end to torment, a memoir of Ezra Pound whilst on my lunch break. Well, not entirely. I still have to read "Hilda's Book," which is at the end. It's a collection of poems Ezra wrote to Hilda. I'm pretty excited about it because sadly, I've never read any of EP's pre-modernism work and I don't care much for his modernist ramblings.

Finishing the book and reading through a rather large biography on H.D. prompts me to start writing the story I have in mind. It will be based on their relationship. But another part of me just wants to keep researching. I think it's an excuse, really. I have enough to start writing, but perhaps I'm afraid. Afraid the beautiful things I have in my mind won't transfer onto paper. Well, of course they won't! Not at first. Haven't I learned that by now?

I once got a fortune that read, "You are good with words and should write a book." I plan on taking that advice, but just have to stop writing all these books in my head. People aren't mind readers!

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Saturday Craftings

Today I lit the most delicious smelling candle and did some crafting...



First ATC for a tea swap on swap-bot



Second ATC for the swap



Random collage/art journal happiness



This is what the best Saturdays are made of :)

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Oh, how the times do change...

I've been thinking today about all the things I love *now* that I hated when I was a teenager. So this is 17 versus 25.

Lace - Lace was too girly. I was never a tomboy, but to immerse myself in something so feminine was an outrage. Lately I have been loving little, white lacy camis.

Flowers - Mostly of the decor nature. Especially bedspreads with flower patterns. I couldn't stand the thought. Now, of course, I own skirts and jewelry and art and...well, I just can't get enough!

Color - How can someone not like color? I didn't hate colorful things, but I prefered darker shades and black was my favorite. I still enjoy black because it goes with everything (makes creating outfits a breeze), but I love all sorts of colorful things even more. Especially pink. That was my least fave at 17.

Wet Seal - Wet Seal is a chain store located in most malls. The clothes are quite girly and full of sparkle and shine and trendiness. I remember walking into a Wet Seal years ago and wanting to vomit. "Not my taste," I told my friend. "Is there a Hot Topic around here?" Oh brother. Eight years later half my closet is filled with things from Wet Seal.

Ballet - WHAT?! I can't imagine a time when I didn't like ballet. But actually, I do remember the first ballet I went to. It was the local civic ballet company performing something holiday-ish (but not Nutcracker). I wore black combat boots and short skirt to the event. (Not so appropriate for a ballet.) I was less than impressed and did not have the desire to dance. It was only a year later that ballet became a passion.

The word "purse" - For some reason I've never been too comfortable with the word. I can say it now and not cringe, but the 17 year old me would've avoided it altogether. "Can you hand me my bag?" I would ask.

"Which one? The backpack, the purse, the makeup bag?"

"You know, the one...the one with all my stuff in it."

Kids - I'm not going to say I love kids and want to have some anytime soon, but there was a time when I made it clear to everyone that I was to never have children. I could hardly even pick one up without feeling weird. Then my step-sister's baby boy came into the picture. He was the cutest thing and well-behaved and I thought, maybe kids aren't so bad. Now I contemplate the idea of having children, which is a huge step up from a sworn babyless life.

Marriage - Nope, not for me at 17. Even at 18 and 19 I pledged to be an independent-I don't need a man-riotgrrl-kind of woman. Yeah, and then I met "the one" at age 20 and started flipping through Modern Bride.

Craft Stores - Countless hours of rummaging through Hobby Lobby or Michael's or some other craft heaven with my mother made me want to fall asleep. I could not comprehend why she loved it so much. Now I know :)

How have your interests changed?

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Aren't people interesting?

When I'm driving home from work and stopped at a light I like to watch the person behind me in line. Sometimes there are those who stare blankly into space or talk on their cell phones, but some are fascinating to watch.

Like the woman who nervously chewed her gum, constantly checked for dirt under her nails, and sipped on her water bottle about every 2 seconds.

Or the 30something guy in an open roof Chevy truck, hair spiked with what I assume to be a gallon of gel. I couldn't tell what he was listening to, but he looked like the classic rock kind of guy. He smoked a fat cigarette and drank chocolate milk.

Then there's the girl whose hair is still bouncy at the end of the day, but she can't help peering into the rear view mirror to check herself out. She applies lip gloss and gives her hair a crunch.

Fascinating.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

I long for you even more (A Poem to Beckon Summer)

I imagine us in summer
eating Japanese noodles in
over sized, brightly colored bowls.
We’ll drink strawberry lemonade
and sit on the balcony in our new patio chairs -
watch the stars hang lazily over treetops.
I’ll buy this cute aquamarine lantern
that holds tea candles so we don’t have to sit under
the obnoxious balcony light at night.
We’ll put on retro lounge music -
50s tiki bar, Polynesian dreams.
I can wear cream-colored skirts that flow out at the knee,
light as air and decorated with big, purple blossoms.
I’ll take off my shiny metallic bracelets
and adorn my arms with pukka shells.
No more black polyurethane stilettos,
just bare feet.
Forget the concrete waves
and sidewalk flowers of this city.
Our sleek, dark city hearts
will look to the mountains of summer.
This is how I imagine it to be.

something new...

I've never been very good at painting or drawing (I can doodle at best), but I decided I'd try my hand at some collage on canvas. Here is my first creation...



I painted the background with acrylic paints, used various paper and magazine scrap and a rubber stamp. The face and pink border collage images are from www.altered-diva.com. I simply *adore* her work!

So yes, this is my new cup of tea :)

Monday, April 14, 2008

Spring is for Blooming

Do you ever feel like there's so much creativity inside of you that you can't get it all out and you might explode if you don't? I feel like that now. So many ideas, so much inspiration! I want to write, paint, draw, collage, dance, sing...