Fall colds, Polaroid transfers, and Friday night football!

This past week was a bright, sunshiny week here, with lots of opportunity for a high school marching band to go outside during class & get lots of good work done. Just in time for me to have my annual fall cold. So... all week, when I would take the kids outside, and I was barking (literally) directions over the loudspeaker system, I didn't really have a chance to enjoy the beautiful weather we were having. (sniff, sniff, feeling icky) But... we got a lot of good practice in, and the kids looked (and sounded) great on Friday night. Next week, homecoming. (Which in our case translates to "it will rain on Friday night.") I can't count the number of times we've been standing in the rain at homecoming. And it's hard to get really excited about the girls in their beautiful dresses & hairdos and the boys in their tuxedos when you're trying to play "Endless Love" over and over again in the rain. Sigh. Now, I just hope I'm fully over my cold before the rains set in. (And guess what the Weather Channel predicts for this week..... I could have told you back in July what the weather was going to do this week -- it's homecoming!!!)

I'm feeling better this weekend, and wanted to get after a project I had intended for last weekend when I ended up feeling like a cold was coming on (I was right!) -- Polaroid transfers. Got the bug again while I was in Arizona, and the bug has kept after me. I asked my co-worker to bring in some pictures of flowers she had done, so that I could try to do some image transfers. I am very pleased, and now want to find a used coffee pot at Goodwill or a garage sale and use the Polaroid picture portions to make emulsion transfers -- there are some great possibilities for those! I think Jalyn's photos look great done as image transfers, and I think they will look good with a little stretching and pulling that usually happens with the emulsion transfers. Hope you enjoy!!

ATC's

ATC's are so much fun, I don't know why I don't do more. Well, I want to post some here that I did quite a while ago (I'm ashamed to say how long - Kim, you'll recognize these!) because I like them quite a bit, and am hoping that I am inspired to do more.







Funny thing happened recently in regards to ATC's - the mother of one of my seniors (12th grader) is the middle school art teacher. Our classrooms are about 25 yards apart, and we are both at the middle school at about the same time each afternoon. She asked me about attending Art Unraveled this year - she said she had heard that I had attended 'an art retreat in August' and wondered about it. I shared some information about classes I had taken. She wanted to see my work. I brought one thing in, she said "I want to see more." I brought in something else, and then described the Katie Kendrick class I was taking last weekend. She asked to see it when I came back -- so I brought it in. We've talked a lot about art since then - seems she is really into collage right now. And then, she asked if I'd ever heard of Artists Trading Cards? Insert hearty laugh here.... I asked if she wanted to see some of mine? Well, of course, you know the answer -- she thought it would be cool for the kids to see mine, and to know that I did art. She wants to do ATC's with her middle school kids. Ta Dah!



Well, that got me thinking ATC's, and so I dug these out, and took pictures of them -- here's some of my fav's!



Now it's off to clean out my closet. Fun, hey?

More from Valley Ridge

Valley Ridge Art Studio is a wonderful place -- this was my second visit, and surely will not be my last. I had the Cardboard Visual Journal class with Katie Kendrick -- what a fun class!

I flew into Milwaukee, rented a car, and drove the 2 1/2 hours to Valley Ridge -- they always put out great signs to remind you of the way to get there -- the countryside is just beautiful with rolling hills -- on Saturday, you could see the mist rising from the hills off into the distance - it was just natural that so many of us in the class chose greens & goldens as our colors for the journals we were making -- it was just a beautiful sight!

Katie is a wonderful teacher - gives each student some time, making you feel special, but also letting you 'do your own thing' when you want to. She has a gentle spirit, which makes the art making just that much more fun -- that's us together, and me with my book! Take a look inside:

I enjoyed playing with the cardboard -- something I'd never thought of to do before. I also enjoyed all the wonderful techniques we learned to paint our pages. Although I am far from done with my book, I am pleased with it so far -- I look forward to adding more to each page, and recalling the fun weekend spent with new friends at a great retreat!

Valley Ridge class with Katie Kendrick

What can I say? The class at Valley Ridge was SOOOO wonderful, I almost forgot how hard it was to get there. On Friday, I got home to a phone message from the local airport telling me that my flight on Saturday morning had been cancelled, and they had rebooked me to go out on the 2:30 p.m. flight. (Not going to work at all!) So, after I got home from the football game that evening, where my high school band performed, I got online & found a ticket leaving from Grand Rapids at 7:00 a.m. Now, mind you, Grand Rapids is a 2 hour drive from my house, and I booked the ticket at 11:00 p.m. So, I quick grabbed about 3 hours of sleep, jumped in the car, and Mike (husband of the year) drove me down to catch my flight.

Thus, I made my class!! Kathy, owner of Valley Ridge, had offered to take me through the class when I got there, if all I could do was catch the 2:30 flight -- but I'm so glad I got to spend the day with the other gals in the class, and with Katie Kendrick, teacher extraordinaire! Lunch was superb, staying in the guest house at Valley Ridge was so much fun (I was all by myself in the lovely house!!)

The class went on again on Sunday, and although I had to leave early in order to catch my flight back home, I got to almost finish the main structure of my cardboard visual journal. I'll post pictures here later tonight of the journal and of beautiful Valley Ridge. Thanks, Kathy & Bill, Katie, and all the people in the class! It was a wonderful time -- I can't wait to go back!

Travel Thoughts

So, school has begun, and along with it a number of things that made me think wistfully back to summer time. (Is it summer vacation yet??) One of my favorite pics was snapped through the windshield of our rental car in Flagstaff, AZ. I know, it's not 'artsy' or even very exciting, except if you look closely, you'll see the "Route 66" sign there, plus all those wonderful western cities and the arrows. I just loved this intersection - I remembered seeing it the last time we drove through here, 4 years ago. To me, this looks like the crossroads of America.



Next weekend, after our first football game performance (more on that another day) I'll get up very, very early Saturday morning and fly to Milwaukee, get a rental car, and drive to Valley Ridge Art Studio to take the Cardboard Visual Journal class with the wonderful Katie Kendrick -- I've talked to others who have had classes with her before, and they have always raved, so I'm really, really excited. I also poured over the article she did about this journal for 'Cloth, Paper, Scissors' magazine. Yes, my supplies are packed, and I've left just a little room for a change of clothes and a toothbrush. I can't wait!!! I know in many ways this week will drag by as I anticipate this wonderful adventure. Happy Sunday, all!

Beginnings

So, today was the first day of school for students. It's always fun for me to see the students for the first time.

Do you remember a time when you did exactly the opposite of logic on the first day of school? I do, and I think of it every year on the first day of school. I had gotten a beautiful new top and pair of pants in a very fall like color, and very fall like in their style (they were really meant for cool weather). I just couldn't wait to show off my new 'duds' - they were very stylish & I felt like a queen. Yes, of course, the first day of school was very hot. I wouldn't be detered, and wore them anyway. Funny how I remember it to this day, so I guess everything is meant to 'be' something - it doesn't matter if it becomes it's intended purpose or not -- I still think about my need for style over my need for comfort at that time.

I watched all of the young girls today, so many dressed up in their finery -- how I smiled. Bravo - continue to think about style over comfort from time to time. There's nothing wrong with it, as long as it makes you smile! And sometimes, like me, it will make you smile for decades!

Speaking of smiling - this picture of Mike and my father in law Al makes me smile. They wanted to borrow my car (okay, my new toy) and go for a ride while we were visiting. I knew that Al would love to get a chance to drive it -- look at their smiles -- what do you think?

The only disappointment of late was the fact that we missed out on the last day of the fish market for the summer. It is about 45 minutes from our house, and we decided that Monday we would go there & have one more fish fry for the summer. Convertible top down, we drove, anticipating what we would order. As we approached, we both said out loudn- "I think we've got a problem." Yes, you're right - they were already closed. Well, beloved fish market, we will be back next spring, perhaps even on opening day, we are so wanting our fish dinner (Mike, whitefish or snapper, me, shrimp or scallops). Until then, we will smile with the memory of this summer's delightful dinners on your picinic tables on the front lawn. Yummmmm......

First Day of School

Okay, so it was the first day of school for teachers. You hear all about getting "kids" ready for the first day of school, but what you don't hear about is all the big "kids" are getting ready, too. We think about wearing just the right outfit, and making sure the alarm clock is set just so, and the freshness and the newness that a new "year" brings. I always feel like I get several fresh starts every year -- the start of school, January 1, the start of a new semester, spring time. I feel like I'm really blessed with all the beginnings of my life.

So what about the endings? Well, being a teacher who is with kids from the 5th grade until the 12th grade, there is a sense of ending as each group graduates. Today I missed seeing one of my recent graduates who was home for a couple of days. Drat - I really like to connect with them -- she wanted to tell me how hard college marching band intensive week was. (She told all of this to the gal I work with) She wanted to tell me all about all the new stuff in her life - dorm, room mates, marching band drills & music, classes --- beginnings for her, ending for me. I wish her well, and I know she'll be back to see me again soon to tell me all about her new adventures!

This spring (speaking of beginnings) the bush at the front of the house again bloomed and produced these amazing flowers -- they smell sweeter than any flower I've ever smelled. I love them, and don't have the foggiest idea what they are -- perhaps one of my friends or readers would be able to tell me what they're called. We are going to redo our porch this fall or next spring, and I'm afraid I'll lose this bush and not know what to replant, so I'm on a mission to find out what this thing is. Anybody have any ideas?

No art today - too much school stuff to do. I'm also working on cleaning out closets and the junk rooms. Yes, room"s". But that's not for long -- I'm on a tear and want to have clean, neat rooms again, throughout the house. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Well, it's back to cleaning, gardening & getting ready for kiddies tomorrow - till then!

More Garden Goodies, more summer fun

The garden looks so good now, all the colors of late summer - the beautiful greens and reds and yellows. I made a tomato pie yesterday, and when I brought the tomatoes in they were still warm from the sun. What a great joy for all of the senses! And again, we got to share it with friends last evening to celebrate the end of summer and the start of a new school year -- what a joy! Thank you for a great evening!







Earlier in the summer, the peonies were in full bloom - we have several gorgeous colors of them blooming in one big mass right outside the back door -- they are a great way to welcome in the summer, and I post their pictures here to remind me of the wonderful summer that was, and how it began in a burst of blooms.

Earlier in the summer I had the chance to reconnect with one of my college roommates, Pam. She was visiting her mother and we arranged for a dinner and evening concert together - what a fun evening we had. There are those people, who, even after a long time apart (we promised it would never be that long again!) you can sit down with, start chatting, and it's like you were never apart. Well, for me, that's Pam. Thanks, Pam, for sharing all the great things you're up to these days -- I can't wait to see some of your wonderful art quilts. (Isn't it crazy how our lives have taken similar paths -- she doing art quilts now, and me doing other forms of art making?) Pam, do you remember us all sitting around in our dorm room doing cross stitch, way back when? Ha! Makes me smile, just remembering it!

I'm also getting ready to go to Valley Ridge Art Studio in a couple of weeks -- I'll be taking a class with Katie Kendrick that I am so excited about being able to take. She did an article in "Cloth, Paper, Scissors" magazine about a cardboard visual journal that I poured over when it came out. In fact, I bought some cheesecloth & a roll of gauze bandage, because I was so inspired. And then, of course, work and obligations got in the way, and there those items sat. So then, when the Art Unraveled schedule came out, I was heartsick that she had a class offered on doing just that journal that was opposite the DJ Pettitt 2-day class that I absolutely felt that I *must* take. A HA -- Valley Ridge published their class schedule and there it was!! Fortunately, with a little fancy scheduling, I've been able to take the class, even though I'll be rushing in at the last minute (sorry, Katie...) and rushing out probably just before the class is over. But.... I get to go!!! So, I've been studying the supply list (the cheesecloth and gauze were not a problem!!) and I'm hoping to put all of my treasures into the suitcase today, so that each time I walk by it, I will smile. I'm so excited, and Valley Ridge is a most amazing place with a vista and a wonderful ambiance -- inspires the creativity!



Well, off to the last day of 'getting ready' for a new school year. Yes, I'll do some prep work, but I also have a convertible ride to a great fish fry waiting! I can't think of a better way to get mentally prepared!!