Doodles In My Blackbook

After last week's entry about creating an art journal, here is the result. I picked out the School of Visual Arts catalog as my journal. The one I had kept for 2 years to specifically be an art journal. I love the binding on it: perfect binding with thick book board covers. 

Every Tuesday, Amanobooks blog, one of the many blogs I discovered last week, posts a journaling tip. After viewing Amanobooks blog, I took their advice about the first page and created an intention page. It worked as a good place to start. As I created the page I thought, "This is easy, I could do this everyday." Of course, I haven't created a page since this one last week. 

 

Since my last post, I had my second Temp job. I spent a Friday and a Monday answering phones for a wonderful company. I read 3/4 of my book and created several doodles in my blackbook. I also made my first Etsy purchase- all on the job. I had forgotten that even though I hadn't been creating art to sell or even an "art journal," I am often jotting down ideas and doodles in my blackbook. 

I had good news from the shop my art is at. My February sales doubled from January and a few more canvases sold this past weekend. This is further motivation that I need to be creating again. Also, I am on schedule for 3rd Thursday in August. After settling from the move and back from New York, I must make art my job. 

I have begun looking into online printers to print large quantities of my greeting cards. Some of the websites that have good deals:

uprinting.com- 250 cards for $90 or 500 for $93 with more size options

printplace.com 250 cards for $94 or 500 for $107

nextdayflyers.com- this site has smaller quantities available while most sites start at 250

I also have a friend doing some research at her shop for me.  There are great deals for 250 cards, but really do I want 250 cards at this point? With my budget that really means I can only get 2-3 designs.

What Are You Waiting For?

I'm going through the blogs I collected yesterday and I found a really amazing website to show case your own work. This site would be great for a graphic design portfolio or a place to show art journals. I particularly like how this artist has used mundane magazine images and collaborated them into the journal to create an amazing piece. 

Looking through all of these journaling blogs is making me feel guilty for not starting a new one for myself. I have plenty of books to choose from in my art drawers. And really to say the art room is "shut down" because of packing is truly an excuse. 

It is snowing here today-finally-and combined with the unemployment blues, I am feeling lazy and happy to close myself in doors. Although ideas of ice cream, hot chocolate and movies are filling my head, I should reprogram myself to art journaling. Or even planning my NY trip. I dreamed I was there and had not planned a single thing. I'm thinking a no to my noon yoga and a yes to picking out a journal and doing one page. 

Unemployment Blues

Last week I posted about starting a new art journal. I did not start a new journal, but I did remember that I had started an art journal calendar. I am using a calendar from last year and creating one journal page per month. Above is March's entry. Not wanting my mini Rex Ray inspired collages to go to waste, I used them for this journal page. 

The unemployment blues are definitely starting to settle in. The $2 bowling was great yesterday but after bowling and appetizers and beer, I spent my weekly "allowance." I have spent today at home doing some moving prep. Only one week left until we get the keys to our new place. I am excited to be movED and a little excited to actually move. It will give me something to do and setting  up a new place is always fun. I must resist the urge to buy more house things though. This always seems to be the case when one moves. New spaces and closets require new organizers and the desire to pretty everything up. I guess that is where my sewing craze comes in. I am always hesitant to sew for apartments though because I know I will be moving again and what will I do with the custom curtains?

In an effort to get ready to move, I went through my stack of library books. The last thing I want is to misplace a book and incur a late fee. I copied the recipes tagged in the cookbooks and googled the artists tagged in a journaling book. I now have 5 more blogs to follow and more inspiration. Of course the inspiration doesn't seem to be the problem. It is the motivation. And I know that time is not the issue now. I have unofficially put art on hold with the packing. I collected the random items in my art room and placed what was left in a large tote and shoved other items into the drawers. I feel too disjointed to properly sit down and create since so much is out of place and cluttered in the drawers. I will enjoy setting up my new space and hopefully find rejuvenation in the process.

I do have an idea for the starting of a new background. I got brave and pulled out a precious 8x8x2 canvas and started placing strips of dictionary pages on top. I have yet to pull it out of the protective plastic wrap, not sure I want to commit just yet. There are 2 and I feel this would be a good chance to make two pieces that go together. 

Working Girl

I had my first Temp assignment yesterday. It was data entry and of course boring. I had thought of bringing my ipod, but wasn't sure since it was the first day. The night before there was talk of a rain/snow mix and the boyfriend warned of traffic, so I left 45 minutes early. In reality there was little rain and no traffic. I was almost 30 minutes early. 

I was put to work entering the results of a survey of 5th -12th grade students on graduation and drop outs. The only thing that made this interesting were the questions on the back that allowed the students to write their own answers. I was really surprised to find out how much bullying is a problem. Over all students wanted school to be "more fun" and some even wanted to be paid or awarded prizes for graduation. Otherwise, the task was monotonous, a series of 1234 on the keypad. 

The assignment was supposed to be for Monday and Tuesday. When I arrived, I was told it might go until Wednesday. After I started I began to wonder if I could survive through Wednesday. I daydreamed about ice cream and coffee all day long, which is not good for someone counting calories. By the end of the day I had done such a good job, I had worked myself out of the job. I wasn't needed for the second or possible third day. I feel someone thankful for this. 

And I just got a call from the temp agency telling me they received rave reviews from the company I temped for yesterday. Professional, polite and efficient were words used to describe me. I wasn't surprised because the guy told me yesterday he was going to call in and give me a good reference. He even told me I was too good and hoped I wouldn't be in the temp world for long. Me too!

As I sat in the office yesterday, I couldn't help but think of how this temp assignment had screwed up my schedule. Getting up early wasn't the problem. I have been getting up before 7:30. But I wasn't able to go to the gym, or check the blogs. And a full day of work, when you're not used it, is exhausting. I was so tired when I got home, I just wanted to lay around. Plans of yoga turned into fantasies of sundaes. So I found a low fat brownie recipe (substituted the eggs with yogurt) and made a brownie sundae. Delicious and within my calorie budget. 

I did begin to think that my productive unemployment time was coming to end and about to turn to laziness. After 3 weeks of a busy schedule, I stared at iCal and saw emptiness. Even the happy hour planned for the end of the week was cancelled. I allowed myself to sleep until 8 today and laid in bed for 5 minutes. But I made myself get up and go to the gym. 

A happy text on my way out of the gym told me I had bowling with the girls I hiked with last week. This is a group that includes one girl on work disability from a broken shoulder and 2 other laid off girls. So another meeting of the unemployed it is. I'm thinking a beer may be in order.

My "First" Sewing Project

As I noted in my last entry, I have been obsessed with the idea of sewing. This has been steadily growing over the last few weeks, particularly since I've become unemployed. I went to Borders the other day to roam through the craft and design books. I was looking through the sewing books for ideas and found the magazine Stitch. I thought a magazine for $8 was better than buying a book for over $20-especially without an income. I flipped through the pages and oohed and ahhed at the projects. 

I have decided to make the craft bag featured in the magazine. This project was going to require me to actually buy fabric and have it cut-no more fat quarters. I made drawings to double check how much fabric I would need and made my first purposeful trip to the fabric store. I roamed around with the intention of using brown since I could use the fabric I already had for the lining. The best part was that I found the brown print below, which was pretty much the pattern I had imagined. It took me a little longer to pick the other fabric, but I love it. I am even thinking of making pillows to go with our brown couch. I was a little nervous when I went up to the counter to have the fabric cut, as I have never had to request fabric to be cut before. I double checked my drawings and requested 1/2 yard of the brown and a yard of the colored fabric.

When sewing you're supposed to wash the fabric before you use it, but because I had just done laundry and we don't move into our new apartment until next month (with a washer and dryer in the unit) I skipped this. I have always forgotten to wash fabric for previous purse projects and I haven't had any problems. 

I can say that the best tools to have when cutting fabric are a large self healing mat and a rotary cutting. These two tools, particularly the rotary cutter rock my world. Again, I was anxious as I placed ruler and blade down on the fabric. I actually did cut 2 pieces a little short, but they are the pockets so I should be fine. After ironing the pieces flat, I was ready to start and super excited. 

I sewed my first seam and was totally bummed to find out the stitches are way messed up. I gave up trying to fix the problem last night and returned to the machine this morning. I played with the tension and seam length and still hadn't fixed the problem by the time I had to leave for a hike today. I almost called my mom for help and realized that I am getting low on minutes after last week's 109 minute call to Unemployment. So tomorrow morning I will be calling Mom Tech Support. I'm hoping she can offer some help since the machine used to be her's. I'm also hoping that the machine being over 20 years old is not the problem. I really don't want to have to pay to have it fixed.  

And thirdly, I am hoping that I don't lose my sewing enthusiasm in the mean time.

So Many Blogs So Little Time

My current problem is an obsession with blogs. This requires sitting in front of the computer A LOT and not sitting at my art desk. I am getting incredibly inspired by all of the work that I am seeing and my head is filling with ideas. My notebook is slowly filling with sketches and doodles, but they are not leading to fruition. For those of you looking for some eye candy, here are a few blogs to check out. 

Sewing (this will have to be a whole other post about my new obsession with the idea of sewing)

The Purl Bee

Disdressed

Design/Art

Designer Jots

Orange You Lucky

My first day of not working I went to Savers to look at the junk and walked away with a wooden knick knack holder for $1.99. It has been sitting waiting for me to decide what to do with it for 2 weeks. I thought I had the solution last Thursday after attending Rex Ray's gallery opening with a friend. I was going to make little Rex Ray inspired collages in each box. 

The problem was once I started, I realized it is really hard to make these collage in a 2 x 2 square. They had to be very simple. The other challenge was that Rex Ray's work is so unique, almost anything I tried looked like his work. I am all about being inspired by other artist and "borrowing" their technique and incorporating it into my own work. But this look like copying and crap. I abandoned my collages and decided to do some organizing instead. 

Today on a trip to the art store, browsing through Eco Jot notebooks, I came across a notebook that gave me an idea. I could fill each little box with a doodle/drawing that I created. It would be whimsical and bright and springy. Because really in the back of my head I had sale-ability in mind. At the end of the day I am trying to create art that will sell-eventually. 

Although, I suppose that could be my problem. I am too focused on creating for someone rather than just myself. I keep telling myself I need to get back into art journaling. That way I can just get stuff out. And really that is part of the process that I have been skipping. I need to schedule in art the way I schedule the gym. Being physically healthy is just as important to me as being art healthy. It is time I start doing something about that. 

these are pages from 2006's journal

Another thing I realized at the art store today is that I am always fantasying about new art supplies to buy and sometimes indulging-as I thought about today. But realizing that I have no money and more importantly, that don't use half the stuff I have, put a stop to any purchases. I must begin to create on a more consistent level and than I can think about buying water color crayons, glues, masking type and paint extender. Yes, I am a simple girl, I long for masking tape and glue. 

So my goal today is to keep some good doodling in and see if I can't create a journal page. Because let me tell you finding the journal is not a problem. If it's made of paper I can't help but keep it. I have an art school catalog that I have been holding onto when I started a new art journal. Perhaps today will be the day. I also have some nice paper sample books that I have thought of using as well.

Leprechaun Visit

I woke up this morning and thought a leprechaun had come to visit my home during the night. There are several green shamrocks on our sliding glass window. 

What I realized is that the boyfriend, in is inebriated state last night, must have acquired (read stolen) the window decals and adhered them to our windows last night when he got home at 1 am.

109 minutes and 52 seconds

It is minute 84 on hold with unemployment. I was told it could be 120 minutes, so I'm over half way there. The good news is that I am on hold. I tried calling for 20 minutes on Wednesday and the 2 times I did get through, I got "We are experiencing high call volumes, please call back." So making it through to hold-with the worst hold music ever- is  step in the right direction.  I would also like to add that speakerphone is the best invention. While on hold I caught up on last night's episode of Grey's Anatomy,  I just tuned out the terrible hold music. 

In the age of the internet, you might be wondering why I am calling unemployment and not dealing with it online. With all of the websites I have signed up with,  I swore I had chosen my own pin for my unemployment account. So after 3 attempts at logging in,  I was locked out of  my account and the only way to get it fixed is to actually speak with a representative from unemployment. This has become a pressing issue because every 2 weeks I must request my payment and starting Sunday, I have 1 week to make my request (which can be done online.) 

I am on day 5 of the calorie counting. What I do like about it, is that I can see what I am eating and where my calories are coming from. What I hate is that I am always hungry and want ice cream more than ever. Plus, I want to see how tomorrow goes at the St. Patrick's Day Parade. I have a feeling that my 1550 calories will all be liquid. 

I have been pretty successful however. The hardest part is dinner. Trying to cook for the boyfriend-Mr. Meat and Potato- and myself is somewhat of a challenge. Just making tacos proved to be more work than I had imaged. I made everything the way I normally would, but before eating, I sat down to my computer and plugged in all the nutrition info. After 10 minutes I figured that I could eat what I call a taco bowl: 1.5 servings of black beans, 2 ounces of meat, 2 tablespoons of cheese (this is actually half a serving) 1 tortilla and some salsa. What I wanted to eat was 2 tacos with a cup of cheese. How I miss the cheese. 

I was also greeted by a 7:15 am text message from my trainer. Hello? I am unemployed. This is early. Even though I spoke of "not sleeping in" I'm not getting up early either. My goal has been 8 am, which I think is perfectly sensible. My trainer gave me encouragement in my calorie logging, but also suggested I eat 10 grams of fat and 30 grams of fiber per day. The fiber's pretty easy. More fruits and veggies, we all know this. The fat part is another story. In 2 tablespoon (1 serving) of peanut butter alone there is 16 grams of fat. Granted, a lot of this fat is the good kind-polyunsaturated and monounsaturated. If I eat peanut butter I've eaten 1.5 times my days allowance! This is crazy. 

And thankfully, I made it through to unemployment. The gentleman on the other line was kind and apologetic for the wait and I have a new pin being sent out. The title of this post indicates the amount of time I spent on hold. So I will definitely be going over my cell minutes this month. 

Rex Ray Fantastic

   

One of the benefits of being unemployed is that I can actually make it to the training sessions at the MCA where I volunteer on an occasional basis. I was reading my e-mail last week and was SO excited when I saw that Rex Ray was going to be opening a show and training was to be this week. I discover Rex Ray last fall on a pick-me-upper lunch trip to the art store. I bought a postcard book of his work and put a few up in my art room for inspiration.

Seeing Rex Ray made my day. I had never seen pictures of the artist and was surprised by what he looked like-but not if that makes sense. Even though I wouldn't have recognized him on the street, listening to him speak about his art and process was like being in the presence of a celebrity. 

I have wanted to take some of his techniques into my own work, but his work is so unique that I feel like if I were to do anything it would look too much like a copy. So I have yet to solve that design/art problem.

Wax On Wax Off

After being unemployed for a week, I have finally done some art: I finished the piece started over a week ago.  I had bought the bees wax and a "special" brush to work with the melted wax last week and finally found the time this afternoon to try a new wax technique.

Cutting the wax off of the huge 1 pound block proved a bit difficult but I broke off enough to melt. After opening the package, I realized I had bought white wax instead of natural. This proved to be a bit of a problem once I began the process. I think natural would have been more translucent, which was the more desired effect, but I had already spend the $15 on the wax and now must work around that. 

I brushed the wax over the first layer of glued on bits. Then I used the wax to adhere the words, leaves and buttons. All and all it was a relatively quick process and I am mostly satisfied with the outcome. (I wanted to upload my detail shots but blogger is not cooperating with me today, look for details in a future post)

I also went in for my 3rd weigh-in at the gym. Even though I had succeeded in going to the gym 14 times in February, I know my intensity wasn't there like it was the first month and it showed with my measurements. I am not trying to lose weight,  just trying to create a fit toned me and be healthy. My body fat was up from the previous month, but still down from the initial measurement. At the suggestion of my trainer, I have begun to count my calories. I do not recommend this for anyone who actually has a life or a job. Fortunately, there is a program on the gym's website that assists me in the counting and has a lot of food items already cataloged. 

Counting your calories really makes you think about what you're eating. I just think of the hassle of having to input all the info. Of course writing it down and then just sitting down at the computer once a day would be a good idea as well. The first few days will take awhile to get used to and not be totally consumed by documenting everything I eat.

Car Wash Extravaganza!

On my way home from the gym and a stop to hobby lobby, I went to the bank to cash my plethora of lay-off checks. I never understand it when banks don't provide a calculator. Hello?! I can't do math. You want me to add up 3 different numbers AND subtract one. So it was no surprise that when I went to the teller my numbers didn't add up. I had short changed myself by $100. Thank goodness for the good folks at the bank who know how to do there math.

Or so I thought. I had requested a roll of quarters to be included in my $80 cash back. She counted out the twenties. 20, 40, 60, 80 , 100(!?) I reminded her that I had wanted a roll of quarters. She took back a twenty and replaced it with a ten and a roll of quarters and told me to have a nice day. Back in my car and stared at my receipt, maybe she had thought I wanted $100 cash back. Nope, the printed receipt said I had requested $80 cash back and deposited the correct amount of money. I try to be an honest person-well except that time that I punched my coffee card to get a free coffee and I was punished for that because the coffee sucked. But I figure the banks got us into this economic mess i.e. me having no job, so the least they can do is offer up an extra $20 to fill my pocketbook. Does this make me a bad person?

I arrived home, satisfied that I had left the house for the day I was settled on staying home the rest of the day. I couldn't be running all my errands in one day. What would I do tomorrow? Or next week? After a chat with mom and more computer job hunting, I thought I really needed to take advantage of another beautiful day in Denver. After all, there are all those people at work stuck in an office. 

The bike is "fixed" and I "know how to fix it" if it breaks again but I just didn't feel like dealing with it. I don't exactly understand the problem and don't have a lot of confidence fixing it if were it to happen out riding-and then be stuck more than 3 blocks from home. It will need a trip to the bike shop for a professional's hand. Hopefully this will not cost more than $30 as that was the cost of the bike. The basket already cost more than the bike.

This meant a trip to the car wash. I had intended on washing my car this weekend, but it was "too cold" i.e. too lazy. I hate washing my car because it is only going to get dirty again and it's supposed to rain/snow/precipitate this weekend. But why wash anything if it's just going to get dirty again? I guess a dirty car just doesn't bother me. Now if I had a new fancy car then maybe-maybe. I had my quarters ready (because I had had intentions of washing the car tomorrow) and I got the squeegee and special car drying cloth-all the boyfriends, why would I own these things? I drove the 2 blocks, yes hardly seems worth the drive, to the car wash and parked the car in the stall. What you should probably know is that I have never washed my car at one of these places. I have washed my car in the front lawn, but there is endless amounts of hose water and no time limits or machines peeping at you.

I stared the machine for a mintue, trying to decide the best position for the dial. I picked the *caution*intense spray option, grabbed my watergun hose and inserted my quarters. I had 4 minutes and watched as my time counted down second by second by second. I pulled the trigger and aimed at my car. Nothing. I looked at the timer 3 minutes 46 seconds. I tried again. Nothing. 3 minutes 47 seconds. I was panicking, my time was dimishing. I had more quarters, but that didn't matter if I didn't know how this thing worked. I tried another option on the dial. Low pressure, for washing tires it said. I pulled the trigger. Water! Not a lot, but it was something. I walked around my car pitifully spraying it with this stream of water, of course focusing on the tires. 

I got tired of this and thought I needed to try something else. I tried the "rinse" dial and got a full stream of water.  I sprayed the entire car, to wet it down. All the while wondering why I was wetting it down and not just starting with the soap. So I went back to the machine and saw the soap dial. Jackpot! I also inserted a few more quarters. I used the spray soap and walked around the car again. I had noticed there was a soap brush option and another tool on the other side (and had watched the boyfriend use it when we went last week) but I didn't quite get how it worked. If I switched the dial to soapy brush, would the water gun start and the brush start sudsing? and if what was the case, why was there the option to have soap come out of the water gun? I heard a BEEP! I was running out of time and needed to retrieve more quarters from the car. As I grabbed the half opened roll, the felt the quarters slip from my hands and spill all over the wet pavement. I had not time to stop and pick them up because my counter was quickly approaching 30 seconds. I grabbed two and what was left in my hand and inserted the quarters into the machine. I now had another 3 minutes. 

Done with the soap, I switched the rinse and sprayed the car for awhile. Tired of this, I looked at the dial and found a setting that sounded exciting. Hot wax spray. I noted the additional rinse required and walked around the car several times, careful not to get tangled in the hose and trying to avoid the wind that was blowing the spraying water back at me. I finally switched to the final rinse spray and walked around the car aiming my hose until the time went off. I collected my wet quarters and drove my car to a parking spot where I could dry off the car and inspect my work. Not impressive. There is clearly a reason why you use a soapy brush. It may look clean with the sprayer but get it in the sun and . . . well my car looks better than before. 

I am hoping that it passes for clean to the boyfriend because I don't want to explain this embarrassing story to him. He'll make fun of me and declare my incompetence at car washing. I decided I would tell him that when I dropped the quarters, they ALL  rolled under the car, making it impossible to adequately finish the job. To finish off, I pulled out the shamy car drier thing and began wiping the car-and some of the dirt up. I even squeegeed the windows so there were no streaks, and also helped make the windows look cleaner. 

Back at home, it has taken me longer to write about this experience then it did to actually wash my car. I am working on a load of laundry and so far so good. I am hoping not to have a laundray experience like the BFF, I've had enough excitement for one day.

Curious about my unemployment claim, I tried to log on to the website today. All that was required was my SS# and my pin. I know I only filled the form out 3 days ago, but being that it was online and there was no confirmation, I just wanted to see if I was even in the system yet.  I know my SS#, but apparently I have already forgotten the 4 digit pin I picked out on Monday because after 3 attempts I was locked out of my account. Now I must call the unemployment hotline and have it reset. I dialed the number and surprise surprise, it was busy. I may never get my password reset. Or I will have to call first thing at 7:30 tomorrow morning. Catch the hotline before all those lazy unemployed people wake up.

I have made it a point for myself not to sleep in. Granted this is a tough thing to do when your only plans for the day are going to the gym-and it's open 24 hours. Also, I don't watch TV. That is a slippery slope. First it's just the Today show, and then it's a flip over to TLC  or HGTV and next thing you know, you're watching Gilmore Girls every day at 3pm. True story, I know this from the last time I was unemployed when I moved to Denver. And speaking of Gilmore Girls I must put a shout out for this show. I checked out the 7th and final season from the library and was absolutely addicted. Couldn't stop watching. It took me 6 days to watch the whole season. Did I accomplish anything, not so much. Did I stay up until 1:30 on a work night? Yes. 

And by the way, the results of the Hobby Lobby trip: I finally bought Bees wax to try my encaustic art method. I also bought a brush to brush it on with. Now I need to figure out how to melt the wax. I'm thinking a trip to the thrift store for a crappy pot so I can melt it on the stove. This might be tomorrow's project. I am also off to register for temp work tomorrow.

Bicycle Adventures

I would like to preface this entry with an explanation for why I am posting in the middle of the day in the middle of the week. I have now become one of the 11.6 million unemployed in the US. In addition to the exhaustive job search, I have decided to use this time to push myself in my art career. That includes posting to my blog more often, creating more artwork and expanding Lexisworks. I would also like to think about what I really want to be doing. There were many reasons why my last job wasn't right for me. So I have seen being laid off as a blessing in disguise.

So it's 70 degrees in Denver today and I was super excited to ride my bike to the grocery store. I was a little nervous about my first real adventure on my bike. I had tried to go for a ride this weekend, and didn't even make it out of the parking lot before the chain/gear popped out of place and I was left stationary. 

The boyfriend fixed the bike last night, made me test it in the parking lot, switching all the gears to make sure it worked properly. I switched up to the 3rd and final gear with no problems. I stopped and then the boyfriend hopped on for a try. Pop! Same problem. So we figured, you just couldn't start the bike in 3rd gear because it was too much pressure for the 1970's bike. Bear fixed the problem again so I'd be all ready to ride today.

I got my green grocery bags ready in my basket and my backpack ready. I had my bike outfit on-a cute child skort I picked up at the thrift store last spring, a comfy gray t-shirt and my crocheted hat from London. I maneuvered my bike through the hall and down the gross elevator, stopped at my car for my sunglasses, and I was off. I made it up the slight incline 3 blocks and stopped at the light. I went to start up again, standing up to get some leverage since I was on a hill and pop! My chain or something popped out of place again, which shoves my wheel against my fender and makes the bike un-rideable. So it's not that I can't start the bike in 3rd, it's that I can't start the bike standing up. Disappointed, and slightly embarrassed, I had to walk the bike the 3 blocks home. 

I am now back at home, inside, sitting at the computer again. I might have to settle for a walk around the neighborhood to enjoy the beautiful weather.

In other news, I have almost finished with another piece of art. I would really like to try a wax method, where you paint beeswax on the entire surface of the piece. It will hold it all together and gives it a translucent look. I was not happy with the price at Michael's, so a stop at Hobby Lobby is in order. I struggled with the final touches. I had the lettering done, but just didn't know what to do with the space on the bottom. More birds, I thought? And then I remember the leaves my mom had found and pressed for my last fall on her visit to Denver. The yellow picked up on the yellow eyelets in the corner and the purple picked up the top and bottom scalloped edging. I had toyed with buttons to the fill the space but wasn't happy with the look. But on a phone call with the BFF, I started playing with the buttons again and thought they worked on the scalloped edge for a nice finishing touch. Nothing is gluded down yet, I want to decide about the wax effect first.

Another music suggestion for those of you still able to stimulate the economy and want to help a good cause check out Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur. Also available on itunes. This album features remakes of John Lennon's music by some of my favorite musicians: Ben Harper, Jack Johnson, The Blackeyed Peas, Snow Patrol, etc.