Attempted Gallery, was a TEMPTING success!

Here is the back of Abby's head and the bass player from the John Fisher Trio. She stood there a lot of the night tapping her foot.

It was no wonder, the place was so packed everywhere else that I think she got tired of getting smushed. Or, perhaps more likely, that was the spot closest to the cookies--smart girl.

Oh, maybe I should back track for a minute...this is a picture from the aTTempted Gallery night in Brookline, MA. I believe we had 30+ artists, each artist can bring one piece, (15" x 15"). You bring your art between 1-6 and the party starts at 7. We transform the Brookline Arts Center into a gallery for the night. At 10 pm all the art goes home. Too FUN! I volunteered to check in the art. What a great job. I got to see some amazing art but I also got to meet new artists. The music was great, the food plentiful and I even got to have a lovely conversation with a Boston Globe Reporter and fellow assemblage buff. She asked me some interesting questions but the most interesting was the one she brought from her husband. He said to ask me ...."Why?" What a great open ended question. It was difficult to answer too. I don't want to spoil the reporter's story that comes out Sunday but let's just say it revolved around telling stories. This is all a part of Brookline Open Studios

Stopped a Paper Source today to pick up a few more supplies for my Press Kits for CHA. If you press, and you're going to be there, make sure to pick one up...there are goodies inside!

What happens to the days, 4 errands after I started the day I realize I have enough time to send this post and answer one email and I have to go off to pick up the kids?!?

Never enough time.

Studio-licious

Here I am, just hanging out in my studio. See how nice and clean it is? That only lasted about 2 days. In the mad rush to get my book manuscript and art in on time, it got messy again. Drats. No worries, it was all worth it. I don't know if it was because I was working on Jewelry which are smaller projects or because I finally have my act together working on my 6th book but it wasn't so hard to rap this baby up.

I got some cover choices and layout choices this week so in the very near future I'll be able to show you what to look for on the book shelves come November. Can you believe it? November? That seems like forever but in book years that is about only 5 minutes away. In the mean time you'll be able to get engrossed in The Cardmaker's Workbook.

I just got word from Creative Imaginations that I'm gong to be able to announce my new product in a few more days! Hurrah! I can't wait to share it with you.

In the meantime, I should tell you that I finally played with my new die-cut designs that I did for Provocraft, the corset and the placesetting. I had to use my old sizzix because I don't actually own a cuttlebug but no worries! It works nicely. I can't wait to use the corset in an actual project! And I'll have to have a party just to use the placesetting die.

So now that the book is D-O-N-E I'm ramping up for CHA, if you're going to be there, come by the Creative Imaginations and Quayside booth and say hi! I'm taking my lovely hubby this year. Time for him to see MY world! Should be fun--but I always LOVE CHA, its like an artist reunion for me, even if it is exhausting.

Now its time to send this post and get some grub

Daunting Tasks and a clean studio

I'm just minutes away from yet another studio photo shoot. I sent in pics during this photo shoot that Becky stumbled into that Cloth Paper Scissors wants to use in their upcoming Studio Special Issue. Unfortunately I didn't get the lighting right for them to be able to use the picture as a full page so in the midst of working on my book deadline (7 days and counting!) I needed to stop everything and CLEAN the studio. I'm hoping working in a clean studio once the shoot is done, doesn't ruin my book writing mojo.

Other daunting tasks on the horizon besides the book? Isn't that enought????! But really besides daily mom and wife and domestic goddess duties (which I am seriously deficient in), I have to book my CHA reservations. If you're in Aneheim make sure you stop by the Creative Imaginations booth for a first look at my new product! and the Quayside publishers booth for more make and take madness. Speaking of Make and Takes I still have to plan that too.

I booked another Cortona, Italy workshop for 2009 (start saving your pennies!) and I have to work on that program as well.

I was thinking that by April I might be a little more calm and then I found out that Abby's opening weekend for the Wheelock Family Theater Play, Becky's school play and MY Open studios are all happening the same weekend!

The photograher (Deborah) is here, must run but make sure to check out the Studio issue of CPS--you can tell everyone that you KNOW my studio is NEVER that clean.

Cold, Cold, Cold....Brrrrrrr

Ok, so this is really cheating. The picture here is from the week prior to Christmass when we just kept getting snow! It actually wasn't even that cold...maybe jsut below 32 degrees. But today, brrrr it was only 7! Which means today we discovered that two of our newly installed faucet have frozen. The builder is coming over tomorrow to do all the last things that need to be done and will hopefully help solve this problem.

In the meantime, the girls are back to school, I'm up to my frozen eyeballs in book deadline stuff. (which is the big reason I haven't been blogging so regularly!). I just now finished my Make N Take sample for CHA at the Creative Imaginations booth and sent off the instructions to be put in the kits. I am going to turn now and start on my CPS article for this month (yes, late! but I hope to get it done by nights end) And then I plunge right back into the book and work like a mad woman.

I need every single minute until January 15th to get this book done so keep your fingers crossed for me.

I have a feeling this is going to be a great NEW year! (feel free to check back with me in 362 days)

New Years Resolution 1: drink more water!

Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow

Its official, we've had more snow here in Boston this month than all of last year. Its a struggle to figure out where to put all the snow but BOY OH BOY its beautiful.

Last night we celebrated the Winter Solstice with our Emerson Garden Club community (basically the houses and families that surround a small park here in Brookline). We had a Solstice Crawl and moved to three different houses throughout the evening. And we were the first house! Yeah! Party at the Mason's.

Truthfully, for Matt and I, its another opportunity to show off our handy work. We are really enjoying giving everyone the grand tour. Most people can't believe we did it all without an architect. Our real estate agent finally got to see the finished product and we were pleasantly surprised with his new assesment of the house. Woo Hoo...(Although it doesn't matter because I NEVER want to move again!)

The Picture here is actually from our trip to NYC earlier this year. Somewhere in the picture are the girls, Matt and my father-in-law, Jeff. This is at the Womack (sp?) rink in Central Park.

It was just lovely!

I got the rough drafts of my new product packaging for Creative Imaginations and I really like what they came up with! And I can't wait until I can give you more details.

Hope you're all enjoying your holiday's!

And now for something completely different...

I'll have to get my NYC pics from last week posted here later this week. We had a heck of a weekend in the city and finished with a trip to see Golden Compass. Now that I'm back in the studio I'm plugging away at my book which is due next week. Matt and I are trying to decide if we are sending out our annual Christmas Movie or if we are going to try and do a New Years Movie/card instead.

This painting is called Lollipop Forest in Blue No. 1. I painted it during Thanksgiving vacation when I secluded myself from all outside influences and overdosed on parades and the Miracle on 34th street reshowings. I'm really happy with this new direction and plan on trying out some other variations of this theme. They are definitely more painterly and at the same time more abstract--an interesting combination.

I also got this done in time for my show at the Coldwell Banker on Beacon in Brookline. What a success! I sold 6 pieces on the first night! definitely blew me away. I guess that means I'm going to have to paint a lot more for the Brookline Open Studios in April.

The best part of the night was watching Abby and Becky (all dressed up) greeting everyone who came in. So very professional. Some times it really rocks being and artist AND their mom!

Kitchens and Christmas

So, here it is...The Kitchen finished. Well, just about finished, I still have to finish painting the walls. But here it is all cleaned up. Note the Pot Filler faucet over the stove, the Hot water dispenser at the farm house sink, the open shelving for plates and glasses. The cabinets are KraftMaid, semi custom cabinets from Home Depot. It takes a lot of work to make that kind of cabinet look like this! The cabinets are a good quality but to tell the truth, the staff at home depot aren't that used to creating custom kitchens like this, especially in this area where they are usually trying to fit small kitchens into houses turned condo or basements turned apartment. My Home Depot kitchen designer, Aimee Zaslaw is quite a different story. I sketched up this design (generally) and she really made it work with what KraftMaid had to offer. She actually took this picture too when I had her out for lunch to see her work first hand. This is by far my biggest art project--the all consuming task of working on this gut renovation has been outrageously tiresome, worrisome and FABULOUS! If I had the time and the money I would so flip houses. What a rush. I love the house--every inch of it. My mum asked me for some ideas of what I want for Christmas and I couldn't think of anything! I feel so incredibly blessed/lucky this year to have such a wonderful place to live and raise my girls that I couldn't ask for much more! Ok, to be honest I'd like to be able to afford a cleaning lady but its hard to ask your mum for that!

I was listening to the radio a couple weeks ago--must have been npr and I heard a lady talking about a Christmas when her whole family (like 6 kids) decided they would only spend a total of $100 that year. She said it was the best Christmas ever and that they really got creative with their gift giving. Personally I think the whole idea is fun but being the oldest of 6 kids myself, I don't know how they all managed to agree on anything!

I'm knee deep working on my next article for Parts and Parcels on making attachments in mixed media art. If you have any questions on how to attach two things together feel free to email me and I'll try to cover your question in my article.

The other big news is my art show opening at Coldwell Banker Brookline Offices this Thursday night. I hung the show on Saturday and I have to say that my collages look wonder next to Rania's black and white photographs. If you're in the area please stop by and say hi!