Love and Lunch

Gifts that keep on giving--that's today's theme. This picture is a book I received from my mum (Hi Mum!) for my birthday. It's called Lunch Box Letters: Writing Notes of Love and Encouragement to Your Children by Carol Sperandeo and Bill Zimmerman (Firefly Books 2000). The book is filled with little notes, some with prompts, to write and insert into lunchboxes, back packs and pockets.

Next to the book is a fabulous new bookmark/pen that was gifted to me by Karin as a hostess gift for her BBQ Birthday. A truly creative gift because I keep it clipped to this book so I never have the excuse that leaving a note is too much hassle.

I'm inspired by this book to make my own little love notes for my girls, husband, family and friends. How do you leave secret love notes?

Happy Festivus Preparation...

I wish you a merry-whatever-you-celebrate, I wish you a merry-whatever-you-celebrate and a Happy New Year.

Oh, don't mind me, I'm deep up to my neck in holiday spirit these days.  I'm pretty sure it has something to do with the intake of gingerbread, chocolate and mini marshmellows.  

I spent the weekend quietly being creative with my brood.  We baked cookies.  Dozens and dozens of cookies.  Here they are all wrapped up for a bunch of our close family and friends (oops, just spoiled the surprise).  I have a few more dozen to go of our favorite Belgian cookies for a cookie swap.  I don't bake a lot.  REALLY!  It's only one or two days a year that I wish I had a double oven.

Abby, in her most givingness, wants to make sure she can give cookies to the new girl in her class who just started on Friday.  How sweet you think, right?  Yes, beyond sweet.  She was very excited to have this new little girl not only in her class, but sitting at her cluster!  Oh JOY!  and Abby thinks she MUST feel welcomed!  

Abby got to meet the new girl who comes here to Brookline from China!  Poor thing doesn't speak any (or very little) English yet.  But, alas, this has not dampened Abby's holiday spirit.  She has already fashioned a paper "friends forever" necklace (with the help of her sister) so that this lovely child knows that Abby is ready, willing and able to be her friend.  (oh, and for those of you who are worried, the new girl also sits with two other lovely students who are fluent in Chinese and English).

So Abby chose to be creative because her heart lead her there.  Where will your heart lead you this holiday season?

Hmm, is anyone else craving Dim Sum and Gingerbread now?

My Week at Creative Imaginations

Well, you've been wondering when and where you could get your parts and parcels album and while you wait for them to appear at your local store, you can check out the Creative Imaginations Blog where I am guest blogging this week!  Make sure you stop by and make a comment or two, they will be picking a winner from the comments at the end of the week!  

Do you feel like a winner?

If you've ever had your work table look like this you might not feel like a winner!  I can't believe I'm showing you this shot but hopefully it will make all of you feel a little better about yourselves.  See what I do for you?  Creative Mess therapy!

Can you work like this or are you a neat freak? email me a picture Jenn@JennMason.com and we can compare notes!

Think Big...in a small way.

An on going discussion a couple of my local mixed media and collage artist friends and I keep having is about the ability (or not) to work BIG.  When you look in books, you can only go so big without changing your whole process.  BUT, you can play with scale--by going SMALLER!  These little collages are about 2" square but I'm still able to work in a lot of detail in each piece.  These are mini versions of my Story Sketches which you've seen me work on in other posts.

So, while I'm busy looking for someone who is throwing away old posters and billboards, I'll continue to stretch in small ways.

How about you, how do you creatively play with scale?  

I'm alive! Again!

These pictures are to tide you over until I get my camera uploaded later today.  They are a couple of quick shots of the assembled jewels (collage necklaces) that I put together for Shop Local.  

We had a great turn out and I pretty much didn't look at the time until we hit a lull at 5:15 and realized it was over.  So much fun, great art and fabulous munchies too.

Thanks to all who stopped by, with or without a purchase, for those who brought canned goods (we have three overflowing bags) and for those who put in their order from Mexico!

I took yesterday off and single handedly tried to pull America out of recession.  If the stock market goes up significantly today, you can send your thanks to me!  

Today is wrapping and regrouping (oh and a trip to see MILK with a couple of good friends).

My good friend Mary from Quayside drove down and it seems she was on a tour of Brookline Carriage houses!  Read more!

Also, there was a shout out on the Craftside Blog (suspiciously similar pics) about Shop Local.  It might be worth a minute of your time as Stefanie (the blogger) is giving away BOOKS for comments! GO NOW! (and if you bought something from my Shop Local...you can mention that!)

So to end for today I'll tell you about my creative bagging I did for the Shop Local event.  Instead of ordering paper bags to send purchases home in, I bought inexpensive non-woven reuseable shopping bags!  They are so cute and GREEN! (although I bought the blue!)  I hope people will use them over and over again or even use them as gift bags. Check out PaperMart for great (read affordable) buys for your gift wrapping.   

How are you going to creatively give your gifts this holiday?

Three more days until Shop Local!

I'm almost ready.  Almost.  But first I have to get through tonight.  Both the book signing at Brookline Booksmith and the Brookline Arists Open Studios First light Event.

It doesn't help that Matt is in Vegas and I have no one to bounce things off of.  I honestly didn't realize how much I depend on his feedback!  So, here! I'm going to show you instead! (or maybe Matt if he signs on and reads some blogs).

These are just little fun holiday hangings I've made with book pages, photos and sheet music I've been saving.  Oh, and my Tinsel Trading finds as well.  Oh to be creative without a deadline--now that would be a lovely gift!

What would you do if someone gave you 5 more hours today?

Inspired by color?!?

  I try, really I do!  I try to use different colors when I work.  Sometimes I start with brown or black or even red but I alway end up adding more and more color--All bright cheerful, whimsical colors.  We spent a day in NYC over the Turkey day holiday.  The first photo is from M&M world--a see of chocolate candies.  The last picture is the street behind the Natural History Museum which connects the two streets where the parade balloons were being inflated.  And there, in the middle is a sea of my new story sketches (no two alike), that I'm preparing for the Shop Local event at my house this Sunday Dec 7 from 1-5 pm.  These are so fun and gorgeous (if I do say so myself) in a grouping that it's hard to picture them all separated.  But, because each one tells its own story, they definitely can be stand alone pieces too.  

How does color define what you're doing today?