Sunday, October 31, 2010

Happy Samhain! Happy Halloween!

Today I celebrate the dance of life to death to new life and the balance of Light and Shadow in my life.

I was raised with fundamentalist Protestant Christian traditions and values, but as I grew and was exposed to a wider world view, I moved outside that narrow framework to embrace the commonalities and affinities of many different faiths.  Most of us share a love for life and our fellow man, we share the eternal weather patterns that shape our months and years, we share the stars that guide us in the directions that we hope to go, and we share the same rites of birth and death.
Perhaps the years spent on our boat and on the seas distilled this life view for me - I celebrate the seasons as they come and go, and my spiritual life is much more built around sensory enjoyment of nature, and meditation.
I feel very distressed by the hatred being felt and exhibited by many of my fellow men and women both in the US and in the rest of the world. I am by no means naive enough to think that it will ever end, but I do hope that perhaps I can share a little art, a little craft, hope, joy, love, and  peace with you and yours. 

One of my favorite closings is a beautiful Navajo blessing:
May you walk with beauty

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Take me out to the ballgame

The newest challenge is up at These are a few of my favorite things - your favorite sport, or your child's fav sport, or whatever related to sports, or exercise, or......
I love to watch baseball at the park, and my son lives just an hour south of Tampa/St Pete so we usually try to catch a game each summer when the Yankees come to town - have I ever mentioned that my DH is a fanatic Yankee fan??????? I gave him Yankee boxer shorts last Christmas and he loves them!!!!!
Be sure to link us up by November 14 to get in on the prize - and
I just want to say how much I enjoy seeing all of the entrants' layouts for each challenge - I try to comment as much as I can, but I don't get to everyone's blog (time constraints) but I love seeing them on the blog. 
Thanks so much to everyone who contributes!!!!
I have been painting like a fiend - but today I worked on a wreath for the holidays - the wreath is totally made from Gecko Galz papers and ephemera - I had hoped to finish it today but actually it is only about half done, and since it is toddy time and my DH has already poured a glass of wine for me, I will say ttfn and finish the wreath tomorrow and hopefully post again.
Chris

Friday, October 29, 2010

12 days of Christmas

Okay, okay, I know it's still October but I am thinking holidays, especially using a 7gypsies Printer's tray to make an Advent calendar - and then I see on their blog today these awesome ATC numbers for a 12 days of Christmas thing - so I guess Santa had better make an early early visit (or maybe Jack from Nightmare on Christmas Eve will come - oooooohhhhhhhh - just think, he might come this weekend!!!!)
But I digress............................
check it out - they are also doing a giveaway http://sevengypsies.blogspot.com/

And that reminds me - I can hardly wait until Tim Holtz starts his 12 tags - so much to look forward to - 
life is good!!

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Some Bella love and yet another fabric flower!!!!


Two new layouts with the newest of the new Bella Blvd lines - the top layout is Lovey and the bottom layout is Socialite.  I think Lovey will be perfect for some Valentine and anniversary cards, and I love the bright, clear colors of the Socialite line.
AND
I played with making some new fabric flowers - the multi-color flower is made from scraps of silks, old kimonos, and cottons. Most of the teal/purple flower is scraps of raw silk and tulle.

Yesterday I received both my new Somerset Studio and Victoria magazines so I sat down with a cup of tea and just poured over the beautiful photos and creations - so inspiring!!!! I began to pull out some of my new papers and embellishments to create some fun things. I also began to think about posting here more often with a theme, such as Abundance or Gratitude for November, Winter holidays in December, and possibly Renewal or Nesting for January. I never realized how much time I was spending on a certain forum and creating for a certain site, but now I am feeling liberated and reborn - no constraints or limits!!!!
This afternoon I have my portrait painting class and we will be starting on portraits of other people in the class - that's a little daunting! In my studio right now, I am working on a painting for an exhibit in January at the Vero Beach Art Museum - so lots of things are happening.
Thanks for reading and see you soon.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Beware of my wild side

So you thought that I was the meek, quiet type? 
We all have a wild side!!!!!!
Be sure to check out the new blog http://paperissues.blogspot.com/

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Another year

"Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?"
    -Mary Oliver
   "The Summer Day"

I won this yard of Japanese cotton from the Sew Mama Sew blog - I selected it from their store, and the fabric feels so soft and silky that I know it will be a joy to sew. It seems that I am drawn to these colors right now as yesterday I stopped at Tuesday Morning and found a few wonderful skeins of ribbon yarn, and when I returned home, I realized that they were in the same color families. 
I made these little flowers from ultrasuede yesterday - I had gotten a wonderful book from the library, Fabric Jewelry by Teresa Searle, and plan to try quite a few of her ideas - not for jewelry but change them a bit for scrapping embellishments.
This is a layout that I made with SEI Monsterville - don't you just love those funky little monsters? You will be seeing quite a few new layouts done in the new SEI lines and the new Bella Blvd lines so stay tuned!
Hope you have a super day!
and thanks for reading!
Chris


Friday, October 22, 2010

A very merry unHalloween to you





A little decorating fun for the coming holiday - I dressed a doll in an Alice Halloween in wonderland (Graphic 45) inspired outfit, and put her in a funky "tea cup" that I found at Michael's in the clearance section - lots of ribbons, laces, and tea implements along with some tarot cards and packets of tea.

I am no longer on the Scrapgal DT so I will have a lot more time for painting, sewing, and knitting; and of course, scrapping.  I am currently working on a couple of fun holiday projects for Gecko Galz, and I just found out this week that the book in which I will have a knitting project will be available by Thanksgiving. I am very happy!  I resigned up with Scrapbook.com as ChrisAiton and am busily finding "friends". I could never figure out my old login' and then I found it on a friends list - I wish that I could delete the old one but haven't figured that out yet so if you find my new one, please send me a friend message.

Hope you are having a good week - I admit this one started out pretty stressful but once things sorted themselves out, I feel so relieved and much happier, and I will be very happy this weekend - LOL! Tomorrow night Dan is taking me for dinner to one of our favorite restaurants to celebrate, and I plan to bake myself a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting so I am wishing everyone a very merry birthday or unbirthday, whichever applies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Fall in love - Prima build a page sketch

I created this layout using the October Prima build a page sketch - all products are Prima. I used the photo as an inspiration to paint the pumpkins and squashes (shown a while back) but decided to cut up the painting and use portions as elements in the layout. I really love the colors of this photograph - I found it in my "painting inspiration box" and would love to thank whoever took it - I searched through my links and stuff but am not totally sure where I got it - so thanks to whoever!
My autumn wrap continues to grow. If you knit, I assume you know about the Ravelry site - I so love it - being able to share and talk with other knitters and crocheters. So much inspiration!

Right now I would like to spend a minute or two talking about Scrapgal and whatever is or is not happening there. I am not privy to any of the stuff going on between the owner and some other members (ex-members) of the DT, and I do not want to get involved or take sides. I love everyone's creations and have really enjoyed working with all of them and hope to keep in contact through blogs, email, and facebook.  Kelly and Cassie did fantastic jobs and I truly appreciate all of their hard work.  I will stay till December (end of my term), finish the October contest that I have been running (although it is pretty sad - so far there have been no actual participants), post the layouts that I have already completed for November, and create my two projects for December. I have received quite a bit of new product so I feel that I should complete my end of the deal. 
BUT, having said that, I am looking for a new place to start posting my layouts and projects so I am open for suggestions????????? I have user names at 2peas and Scrapbook.com (is that right - although I have forgotten that user name). Anyway who is posting where, and do you like it - and what are your user names so I can link up? I guess I will also begin to do some of the challenge blogs again - what are your favs?
THANKS so much for reading and thanks also for any info on sites and blogs.
Have a super week!

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Trying to make some sense of things

The only things certain in life are death, taxes, and change (particularly in the nickled and dimed department! LOL!) I am focusing on the abundance of my life, and on living and enjoying each day as it comes. I have been practicing yoga now daily for two weeks and I can really see the difference in my attitude and physical well being. I am also painting and drawing almost every day. I am working on some new pieces to exhibit and hopefully sell - I have really gotten into portraits with the class that I am taking and hope to do some commissions. Some changes are happening in the scrapping area but I recently received some new lines that you can't yet purchase, and will be showing you some fun new layouts and projects with them. I finished sewing a pair of pants and am now sewing a top to coordinate with them. I also got a really cool book at the library called Fabric Jewelry by Teresa Searle and am so inspired by her ideas. I have been playing with variations and permutations, and will showing some pieces very soon.
It is another stunning day here, and every day I say thanks for the cooler weather - it feels so fantastic and really helps reduce our electricity bill. Yesterday I baked bread and a Key lime cake, and fixed vegetable soup for dinner. Today is a butt roast in the crockpot, fried polenta, and a salad of avocado, tomato, onion, green pepper, fresh basil from my yard in a viniagrette - I love love love to cook and bake when it's cool.
Thanks for reading and have a super day!

Saturday, October 16, 2010

A very versatile post - a little this and a little taafomft


 
Last week Marit gave me this award because she said my blog was very versatile - thanks so much Marit!!!! She said I had to tell you 7 things about myself so:
1. I love to bake bread
2. I collect Alice in Wonderland books
3. One of my aunts taught me to quilt when I was 12
4. I have a MA in English Literature
5. I worked as an accountant for much of my life
6. My DH and I lived on a sailboat for 6 years and sailed throughout the Caribbean
7. Just this past week I won a yard of fabric from the Sew Mama Sew blog!!!!

The new TAAFOMFT challenge is up, and it is to show us your favorite animal/pet. I chose to do a layout about one of our cats - Sam. We got him as a little ball of fur, and he lived with us for 17 years. He was a superb sailor and after all-night sails on the ocean, he would patrol the deck for flying fish that had "flown" onto the boat. He was the most affectionate and demonstrative cat that I have ever known, and we will never forget him. He was truly an angel with fur!
Be sure to come on over to TAAFOMFT and see the wonderful DT layouts and then link us up with your layout or project!!!!!

Hope this post finds you happy and healthy, and thanks for reading.
ttfn
Chris

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Some fun things going on around the house

 Some fabrics for sewing
 Some painting
 Some pattern copying for more sewing
 Some knitting
and some late afternoon sun shining in through the front screen onto a fall vignette

"Life was meant to be lived, and curiosity must be kept alive.
One must never, for any reason, turn one's back on life."
                Eleanor Roosevelt

Have a wonderful Sunday!

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Banner Up






Please come on over to http://thegalblog.blogspot.com/ and check out my posting about my banner using MME, Maya Road, and Gecko Galz products.  Thanks!

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Boo Who?????????????????????????????

It's October - my favorite month!   I did this layout for Scrapgal - mostly MMe with a little Pink Paislee(my favorite alphas) and a little Hambly (my favorite transparencies).  The incredible photo strips are from a vintage album that I got at the used book store - I have no idea who these people are, but I have decided that they are my ancestors - don't you just love the hats?!?!

Hope you had a great weekend and have a super week - I will be back on Tuesday with a Halloween banner - please check it out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!