I was very fortunate to have been able to have these books to review. Each of them is a 5 star rating - which, for those of you who don't read my book blog may not know, is unusual for me. After posting the review on my book blog I thought that it might also be of interest to you as well. Please head over to my book blog to have a look at LOTS more photos from the books! I have only included the table of contents pages here.   This review could have been done as two separate reviews - one on each of these book- but, quite honestly, I loved them both a lot and they both seem to go hand in hand  - and they are about  two of my favorite things - lovely lettering and really nice, snail mailed, hand made, cards - so I decided to review them both together. I collect books on lettering and calligraphy. I love lettering and I try to improve my own beginner calligraphy as often as I can. I was curious what this book was going to be like. I LOVE it! The authors - and Lark Books - did an excellent job!  "Hand Lettering" by Marci Donley and SeAnn Singh is really well thought out and is a really nice, easy to use, non intimidating book on lettering. The table of contents ( all photos can be double clicked for a better view!) is really comprehensive. The beginning of the book is about, of course, the basics. The sections on various pens is one of the most complete I have ever seen - and all sorts of pens, markers, brushes and fountain pen calligraphy pens are discussed in detail - along with some more unique writing implements like dental stimulators and pieces of sponge. A lovely section about papers in included of course, along with a section about measuring devices, a section that covers all of the types of cutting tools you might want to use and how to put together a "ready the letter" box of supplies.   This book is so full of so much great information and so many really wonderful alphabet styles that I can't imagine how the got it all into a book of this size! You're right I am a bit 'gushy' over this book and, quite honestly, I was not certain that I would be. I don't generally hand out 5 stars very easily - but this book (and the next too for that matter) really do deserve the. This book will be a "must have" addition to the library to calligraphy beginners and scrapbookers as well as to more advanced calligraphers. I highly recommend this one - it's staying here with me ! Moving right along to the next, great 5 star beauty book. Making notes and letters look nice has been a nearly lifelong fascination for me. I always spent a lot of time on letters and on decorating the envelopes for the letters since I can remember - probably about  when I was 12 years old. I still prefer the beauty of snail mail to email. Fat more personal and entertaining...and I do want our postal system to survive so I take great pleasure is designing and sending cards! I couldn't wait to see what sort of techniques were contained in the lovely book entitled, simply "Thank You Notes" by Jan Stephanson and Amy Appleyard . This is another book that I am totally enthralled with. I think that it also has such well done, fail proof directions and well thought out information that you can't go wrong. This book begins with a shorter, but thorough, section on materials. The cards in the books are grouped by thought in a way. Thank you to my sister, my better half etc; Thank You for a special day, the cash, for being there, for lending a hand, for being sweet.... you get the idea. The thing is that all of the thank you cards - as pertinent as they are to the specific sort of thank you - the cards and the techniques can easily be used for any other reason to send a delightful card. It's the great variety of techniques that this book gives you that really makes the book shine in my eyes! The techniques are all very clearly explained with particularly well done how to photos. You can't go wrong with these instructions! Disclosure:  This book was provided to me by the publisher for the purpose of reviewing the book. No other remuneration was received

I am not sure what bug has bitten me now - I sometimes feel like a bit of chaff floating on a breeze. his time the breeze seems to have dropped me in a field of 'metalize'. I am in two ATC groups. I have always had difficulties working with the concept of themes and being part of like minded groups has really been helping me get over that issue. In one group the topic this month was 'bugs' - or 'what bugs you' and in the other group is it 'Marie Antoinette'. I was really feeling like I could not make it! First of all I dislike bugs. Period. I know that they have a place in the universe and that they can be beneficial and all but I dislike them - always have and always, I suspect will! I considered doing something that bugs me - but distilling those concepts into something that would take a reasonable amount of time was proving to be a sticking point. I decided that a scarab was perfect  since traditionally the use of a scarab can indicate creation or transformation.  I have had a yen to work in metal and it must have been a long standing yen since I have rolls of metal that I bought probably about 8-10 years ago. I am sure that I had the same intent - to teach myself the basics of foil metal work. I decided that this was the month to give it all a go and see if it is really something that will capture my continuing imagination. YES ! It does! I have also been experimenting metal tape . It's adhesive backed and readily available in any hardware store. I think it is used for  something automotive! For all of these cards however I dug out the rolls of metal that I had on hand and began to play. The small scarab squares are adhered with carpet tape - what a wonderful [product that I would never have thought to try using if I had not needed to fix a corner of a rug down! It's great stuff - really! The other groups topic for the next round of ATC's is "Marie Antoinette". Uh Oh - thought I to myself. I have always appreciated the time in history in which Marie lived - it was truly an amazingly rich period of history and Marie herself lived an amazing, albeit short, life. Her style though is most assuredly not me! I do not do well with lace and flounces and flirty fabric things. I would probably have been more of a tomboy then too. As I thought about the theme I realized that the only thing I really like about Marie Antoinette are her portraits - but slapping a copy of a portrait on an ATC does not make for an interesting, creative or inviting piece of mini art. Ah ha! Metal again. Metal to the rescue. I used this as an exercise to enjoy learning some more about embossing. Embossing is really firing my imagination right now - bit for metal work as well as for paper - and I am planning to try it with fabrics stiffened with GAC (Golden Art Supplies) 400 fabric stiffener and see what happens.  I should mention that I am also using a combination of hand tools (that I also had already had on hand) as well as a machine called a "Big Shot" to do all of this embossing. Surprisingly I prefer the hand done stuff - but trust me - the machine has it's place and offers a lot of amazing options. This is, perhaps one of those instances when one may feel guilty for buying things at one point but later, maybe years later, when your imagination lands you in a 'creative field' that will not require another new shopping spree because you already have some of the products you need - you will feel better about those long ago purchases! These then, are the cards for Citizen Marie Antoinette that I am working on.I have been having such a great time with metalizing things - and the best thing is that new ideas keep popping into my head as I work. Once I am finished with these two series I am retreating back to my journaling and pan pastels and water colors that I have been missing greatly as I have worked my way through my metalizing exercises. Thankfully, the scarab cards are about to be sent out to their new homes. I ended up making extras and using a mixture of backgrounds: paper and fabrics- cotton and silks. I have three more Marie's to make (they are due in September) and then I will back to to journals - funny how that has become a part of my life that really has a lot of meaning. PS: Would anyone be interested in a post about all of the tools that I have been playing with? Let me  know! Have you found any new techniques that have especially inspired you? Have you found a technique (like art journaling for me) that has become a really ingrained part of your creative life? What new techniques are you considering trying?

Apologies for so much glare on the metal butterflys in this photo. I loaded the photo into IPhoto instead of Photoshop so I did have as much control over the glare.  You get the idea though I hope! One of the groups that I am with decided on an "Inchie" swap - and the theme was bugs. I had some passing interest in 'inchies' a few years ago but decided that they were most likely not really for me -  I mean what can you do in the small space of a one inch square? I decided to go along with the swap , however, just to see what I might come up with. Since bugs are not on my hit parade I had to choose a butterfly of course. I ran off some parts of butterfly pictures on muslin and then enhanced them with colored inks. The butterflys are punched metal. I added a painted  border and one bed and that was that. Once inch, it turns out can hold more than I thought! Making something in an inch, it turns out, is a bit of a challenge - I thought that as well when when I made my first ATC's though too - but I have to say that there is a certain certain charm to them as well. I imagine that my techniques will improve as I join on more swaps. A Note about buying and using Square Punches for making 'inchies': I had to edit this to add a note about buying "one inch" square punches". I had thought that it might make an easier job of creating perfect one inch squares if I used a punch. I  tried two brands; the Martha Stewart one inch scalloped edge square and a Dove Craft plain one inch square.  The Martha Stewart punch is great quality and I like the stamp but it is NOT an inch  - it is 7/8 of an inch. The Dove Craft is worse - it is not even 6/8 of an inch!! I decided that it would far easier - and it would appear more accurate as well! - to make my own - which is what I did - and will continue to do ! Now I will have to figure out something fun to do with small squares. I have an idea in mind - so maybe they will not be a total waste! I have been having a good, though occasionally vexing, time teaching myself something about embossing metal - which was why I had this metal on hand to begin with - I had order some years ago from Dick Blick and there it has sat carefully rolled in cardboard tubes - waiting for me to catch up and need to use it! Punching this metal is a snap - embossing - and doing it nicely is more of a challenge I think! I'll be posting some more bout these embossing adventures soon! I am also LOVING the PanPastels and will have some fun experiments to share with you about using them soon too..though I want to take my time and maybe take  some process photos along the way. YES!! I am so pleased that I was "bad" and got them. They really are a unique product. I returned to work last week and by the end of the week I felt so depleted and tired that all I wanted to do was sleep. I made it though. My lower back is still painful but it happens mostly when I push myself ... not doing is difficult for me - and I am determined to no longer use meds to help get thorough the day when the pain hits. I see the neurosurgeon for a follow up on the 21 and then, I suspect we will discuss the advisability of the lumbar surgery. Right now the thought gives me the heebie jeebies - so I can't see it in the cards any time TOO soon! Question of the day for you! What new technique have you tried lately? Why did you want to try it? Do you like it as much as you thought you would? Does trying something that takes time to master become a deterrent to you or does it spur you on to master the technique? Be well and be happy.

Time marches on and I, inexorably, march along with it. I am feeling somewhat more near normal with the irritating exception that I have NO energy. I seem to do one thing and then want to rest or nap again. I am eager for this malaise to stop. I am still not sure how successful this adventure has been, although one thing is that my hands no longer tingle and go numb - so I know that there are some good results from it ! Anyway the journal page above is the first I have done since going to the ether, and although it is not up to par in my mind it was a fun experiment. Some of you may remember that I am all excited about PanPastels and this was the first time that I had been able  to try them - since they arrived, literally, the day before we left for the hospital. My plan for the remainder of today is to play some more. Yes, I did order a few more that I hope Duck Blick will mail post haste! For this page I just used some of PanPastels for a background. Things that I have noticed thus far about these little gems: they are NOTHING like any other medium I know of. Yes, they are called Pan Pastels, pastels in pans. They are not like soft pastels that I used to love to play with at home years ago - although I hated the dust and hated always having to remember to use fixative right away to prevent the inevitable smearing (generally on myself!).  These do smear a bit too but nothing like the soft pastels of yesteryear.  I used a workable fixative on the page before I wrote on it and I had no problems with the pens clogging or the background smearing under the 'weight' of he writing. They are surely not like oil pastels either - gummy and not as easily spreadable. PanPastels are creamy, dreamy in texture, spread oh! so beautifully and, I think, have an awful lot of  possibility.  The pans are larger than I thought they were too. From the photographs I saw I was thinking that they resembled an eye shadow container but in reality they are large - 2 inch-ish - and filled to the tippy top with glorious, saturated colors. I balked at buying the foam tools - they have foam covers that remind me of the covers on eye shadow applicators. These covers though, are available in many shapes and sizes and I do have to admit that they work well. I am a big proponent of getting the best tools that you can possibly afford and so I did order some extra foam tools, The foam pads are, I really do think, much like the foam puffs that you would find in pressed face powder (If you used it I mean) and so I did buy a large stock of those in a drug store. PanPantels do offer these larger pads in a variety of shapes and sizes and so, yes, I did get a variety to try - as I can see how a rounded puff will not always produce the best results. I know I will be posting a lot of experiments with these luscious colors The other thing that has been really fascinating to me is metal/paper embossing. I have not a totally suitable method for this but I keep trying. This is some of that super useful metal tape that you can get in hardware stores - so they use it for cars or something? Whatever. I enjoy playing with it. I embossed a fantasy of curlyques and rounds and they overlaid some color with my favorite Sharpie Poster Paint markers. I have also been playing around with making more special occasion cards. I was not feeling up to going to a wedding for some friend's off-spring this past weekend but I did want to make a special card for the top of their package. This was about an 8 inch square and I had fun making it! I got to use watercolor, pan pastel, Sakura gelly roll markers and my favorites, Pitt Artist Pens by Faber Castell. So, while I have not been able to do anywhere near as much as I would like I have begun the road back to art enjoyment - which in my book equates with the road to 'recovered'. In the evenings I spend time working on my first lace shawl from the Cheryl Oberle book, "Folk Shawls". So I better get moving or I can see myself spending another day napping and surfing - not the worst thing in the world to "have" to do but I want to play some more and am getting tired of myself saying "tomorrow I am going to play" every evening and then not making the time to do so. Before long I will be back to work and playing will be less of an option so I want to jump on these ast few days whilst I can !

What no photos? No you would prefer not to have any trust me! I still sleep more than anything else and one of the things that hurt the most in the hospital was when they took took some adhesive bandaging off my neck. It's not pretty and at least I know I had a reason to cry. They could not believe how thin and sensitive my skin was! I think I can have the bandage off of the incision today or tomorrow, I was finally told that there is a product that they can use to soften the adhesive to make it easier and less traumatic to remove.  Wish they had used it when the large dressing came off when the removed the drain! I want my routine back .. and I want the energy to play again. I am feeling impatient. That's good I guess.....but I've already had enough of being an invalid. I am not sure if my lower back was helped any by this operation. It still hurts - but differently. Being in bed too much can't be that good for it either I guess. My arms are not tingling and I am not dropping things any more so I know it helped my cervical neck problems. The last thing I remember was being wheeled into the operating room - then nothing until recovery. How cool is that.  I am such a wimp! My typing must surely testify to my still being in a bit of a fog - and it's nearly nap time too I should add. I am not sure if some of you are members of The Alliance For American Quilts but if you are I would love it if you would have a look at their contest called "New From Old". I entered a piece called "If The Baltimore Ladies Had Batiks" and I could use all of the cotes and support I can get. I SO SO SO want to win this contest - for so many reasons- the biggest reason is that I won't be able to afford the grand prize if I can't win it somehow and I just LOVE using this sit down machine so much that I know I am the right person for it. How;s that for a show of hubris that is generally not like me?!! I know it would make a HUGE difference in my quilting abilities and capabilities!  have a look the quilts here - and, if you are not a member just enjoy them all. There are famous people in the group - and just regular sorts of hopefuls like me too.   I think that you can get to to the photos from this main page. Thanks for looking! http://www.allianceforamericanquilts.org/

Today I am cleaning, doing laundry and preparing for my big appointment with the neurosurgeon tomorrow morning. I also seem to have unwittingly made a copy of my entire IPhoto album which is really bumming me out at the moment. That one I will have to deal with at some point in the future. I have been considering posting a daily update - but then again I am also thinking that it might bore everyone to death. Maybe someone who will be having this surgery in the future might find it interesting or helpful, but maybe not. Obviously, I seem to be having a difficult time making this rather small decision.  I don't want to bore y'all nor do I want to not have anything much to post about in the next couple of weeks. I WILL however be having some new book reviews coming up. Lark Books sent me some of their new titles to review and I am really excited about some of them. Lark has always been one of my favorite craft publishers so I am really excited to have several books from them to review. I had hoped to be able to take my IPad with me but I exchanged the WiFi model that I got on my birthday for a 3G model and, alas and alack, it will not be here until June 22. That reminds me - I need to move my laptop into the bedroom - since I doubt I will be climbing the ladder to where it now lives very often in the next week or so. Guess I better get back to work ! See y'all soon. I'll miss my cyber community!

These ATC's are a departure for me. They are for the small, wonderful group that I am in.  These are not due until later this month but since I have no idea of what the recovery time is going to be  after Thursday and I  wanted to be able to have them them finished and sent off. These cards are my first experiment using Photoshop for collage - well, actually as I have mentioned before, I don't do much collage, but since I felt that time might be running thin I decided to give it a try - and thoroughly enjoyed manipulating some images to create this card.I generally prefer to make each card separately and unique but this was a rather refreshing experiment - and I did manage to teach myself some more about the Photoshop program. Now I wish I had not sold my small Wacom tablet - and will probably have to go on the hunt for a used one that I can afford - another good reason to hold onto things huh?! I guess I had given up the hope of making myself learn about Photoshop! Oh! The possibilities ! My Oh! My!

<p>&amp;amp;amp;nbsp;</p> When I was young my step-mother's 'thing' was decoupage. For some odd reason I always equated decoupage with collage and, as such, was never that interested in the process. A turn in my artistic path has led to me to become besotted with art journaling however - and with art journaling has come an interest in collage. Yes! Collage. I never saw it coming. Collage has not been an easy thing for me to do - I tend to over think a page, but it is becoming easier and more enjoyable for me as I do more of it - as with anything in life - it's all easy when we know how - and it's all a bit intimidating when we don't know how! Lark Books has a fabulous series that I love - the 'Masters' series. I was fortunate to have been able to review their 2008 publication "Masters- Art Quilts" I don't know how they manage to get the quality photography and gorgeous paper in these books and still offer them at such reasonable prices, but I am glad that they do! I tend to 'feel' the paper quality of books - and I am also particular about type fonts. I love everything about the Master series of books! I was therefore, thrilled when I was given the opportunity to review this book, the latest in the 'Masters' series. "Masters Collage" is veritable treasure trove of work by leading collage artists that was thoughtfully curated by collage artist and teacher Randel Plowman. Of more than 200 entries he distilled his selections down to the work of 40 artists. Randel's introduction is excellent; very informative and well written. The styles of collage that are represented in this book vary from minimalist work to jam packed hi voltage pieces.  The represented works include styles that are comic- esqe , fine art, humorous, thoughtful, inspirational - indeed, so many styles are represented that my mind is boggled at how many varieties of art can be included in the term 'collage'. I look at the work in this book and become  inspired. That, to me, is the mark of a great book - a book that moves you to create more of your own art! The artists include men and women. A variety and several examples of each artist's work is preceded by a short, well done biography.  As you look through this book you just can't help but think about the process that was used,  the content of the image and what you might want to do with a similar subject matter. This is an inspirational and informative book that I think that anyone who enjoys art, collage,  or mixed media work will find it to be thoroughly engrossing. Looking at the work presented in this book is like creativity fodder. I highly recommend this book  - and indeed I think any book in this "Masters" series will not disappoint. Buy this book - I don't think that you will regret it for a moment!  Disclosure: A copy of this book was provided to my by the publisher for review proposes. No other remuneration  was received. My reviews are strictly my own opinion and are not in any way tainted by the expectation or hope for any monetary compensation.

  I am a lover of all things Apple and when the new IPad came out it was way-y-y-y-y-y up there on my wish list. I can;t say that I thought I would be lucky enough to get one but darned if I didn't!! DH says it's from the cats but I know they had a lot of help!  I got the WiFI 64gb model and it is absolutely amazing! As with anything techno - there is a small learning curve but I have already downloaded some books for the road. I have to say that I am SO glad that I waited for the IPad to use as a book reader. The quality is really amazing and the ease of page turning with a slight flick of your finger is fabulous. I also was provided with a nice Apple cover and I have ordered a screen protector - just because I get them for all things Apple! I am so excited and have already spent hours playing with this!  Another item that has been on my wish list for a long time is this amazing set of Addi Turbo interchangeable knitting needles .  It has a truly superior lock system and a join that is flawless and smooth! I have also been longing to have this book - which is after the exhibit at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. The wait was worth it - fantastic book! Yes, a review will be forthcoming!! Now I have to get back to some serious play.  In another real blessing - one of my dearest friends sent me a gift certificate for Dick Blick's so it looks like I can also get some PanPastels really soon. Am I in heaven right now? You betcha !!  

One of the two ATC swap groups that I enjoy participating in in through RosesOnMyTable .  The next swap is about cats! How perfect could that be for me?! These are painted with acrylic and ink on fabric, and backed with a batik - with my favorite Fast2Fuse in the middle. I'm happy with how they turned out and may make another set just to have on hand for fun 1 on 1 swaps that happily pop up from time to time. My next challenge theme for ATC's is cracked .. cracked up, cracked open, cracked eggs, tectonic plates? I have not come up with a good enough idea for these yet.... so I have to spend some more time mulling it over before I get to work. Tomorrow I want to play - have paint on my hands and thread and fabric clinging to my clothes. Ah! A good day it will be.   James Odell, John Blaise and William Hoyt Ellery WWII Happy Memorial Day to all of us in the US . My prayers are offered tomorrow to all of the men and women who serve in every country's armed forces. Although I am in no way a supporter of wars I do respect the service of these very brave men and women who all work tirelessly and unselfishly to make my wish for having a day to play possible. I pray that that they will all return to their families soon and that they will all enjoy many days to play in the near future. Namaste. My maternal, much loved, grandparents with my uncles. The youngest Billy in Grandpa's arms, Jack between the adults and Uncle John (Jack) Blaise Ellery is  in uniform This reference is about my Uncle John Ellery ...who was a Sergeant on Omaha Beach on D-Day. With this invasion, the last days of the Nazi Third Reich were at hand. Ellery described his ordeal in his own words: "Weather had been bad. The invasion had been delayed 24 hours…The Seas was rough and when you got to the beach, you still had between 300 and 400 meters of ground to cover and when you got through that you were at the bottom of a bluff that I estimate was 50 feet high. You were under fire from the time you were within a mile of the point you were going to drop the ramp of your LCVP [landing craft]. To this day I don't understand where the men got the courage. I suppose we'll never know the total number of casualties. In my assault section, we had eight men killed and 17 wounded out of the 32 men by the time we cleared the high ground." He was a hero to me - and to out country. My uncle is also mentioned in books about D-Day, including  "The Victors: Eisenhower and His Boys: The Men of World War II by Stephen Ambrose  and also "D-Day, June 6,1944: The Climatic Battle of World War II" by the same author. My other two uncles, were also in the services. Billy in the Air Force and my beloved James in the Army. Thankfully they all came home. John (Jack) had two purple hearts that I am aware of and my grandmother never liked telephones - since she always feared the bad news that sometimes was carried by them. I can really understand that too.

This is another cross-post from my other blog. I cross post when I think that my friends who read only this blog would enjoy a book that I post originally on my book blog "City Quilts" by Cherrie House is new book hot off the presses at C&T Publishing. Since I love quilts that are both simple and make use of solid color fabrics I knew from the beginning that this book would hold interest for me. Having grown up in New York City the photos in the book were quite evocative for me. I think that Ms. House did a remarkable job of designing simple but dramatic quilts reminiscent of every day city living images. Although I love using solid colors I think that the quilts in this book also lend themselves equally well to using prints. The beginning of the book includes a well done section on the basics - I like everything about this book and am looking forward to beginning one of the patterns. Also included is an excellent section on color choices, a bit of theory and tips on developing your ability to "see" patterns in everyday sights. I have collected quite a quilt library over the years and so there are not that many new books that come out that I truly want to spend the money on to add to my ever expanding collection - but this one is a good bet for your permanent collection! I don't think it will disappoint! Going on the premise that a picture really is worth a thousand words I have included scans of some the wonderful quilts in this book - and the great photos that led to the creation of the pattern!

  It's a convention! I sweep the deck daily but this is what it looks like before I get the broom out!  This only a part of the deck too!  I have so much fun watching their antics and their personalities coming out I wanted to mention another cool product that C&T has come out with. Have a look at these very roomy, well made tote bags that would be perfect for daily shopping, groceries, taking to work, using on a trip  (maybe take to a quilt camp?!) They are made of a sturdy plasticized material and have a full length zipper across the top. A handy removable insert keeps the bottom sturdy. and they fold flat for so that you could pack one in a suitcase for things like travel shopping or taking quilt shows. They are available in several different patterns from various quilt artists and, best of all, they are a real bargain at only $6.95 each!

This is a cross post from my Book Blog because I thought it would be of interest to all of you fabric artists who enjoy dyeing your own fabrics. This is a new book that arrived today from C&T Publishing. Despite the fact that the author, Linda Johansen , and I share a last name - I don't know her. Ratz!  This is a book that I really, really like. It is clearly and concisely written and is exceptionally well illustrated. The book is well laid out. The basic are, of course, covered in the beginning of the book with detailed instructions for handling and mixing dyes- and the importance of record keeping- something that I was never very good at doing. I just always loved the kismet of the process - I liked never knowing what would happen. Linda compares clear, muted and black colors offered by both ProChem and Dharma Trading . Instructions and measurements are provided for dyeing fat quarters, half yards and yards of fabric - cutting down on some of the guess work and, I think, causing less waste of materials in the long run. Rainbows are a favorite for us all and Ms. Johansen's instructions are easy to follow to create a rainbow in clear, muted or dark colors. Linda Johansen has had 5 books, I think it is, published through C&T Publishing. I am so pleased to have this as an addition to my dyeing library. I think it's a book that will please anyone who has an interest in hand dyeing their own fabrics. Available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, your wonderful local book store or directly through C&T Publishing . The back of the book includes some speciality  techniques such as:  tie dyeing, rolling, patterning, pleating and dipping.

I am always on the lookout for good chocolate chip cookie recipes and I subscribe to Martha Stewart's "Cookie of The Day" newsletter.  I have found SO many good recipes from her website! Most are not "jump up and down saying yummy" good enough to post about but I have to say that I think these are worth a post! I made them yesterday without the expectation that they would be anything that special - I mean, how much different can a chocolate chip cookie recipe be after one tries a bunch of them! Both DH and I were most pleasantly surprised. I should note that I did not have Jacque Torres chocolate on hand  (I'd never heard of it as a brand) so I used always on hand Toll House chips. Also I considered making a double batch because I wanted enough to be able to take a bunch into work this week too. I used a large tablespoon sized cookie scoop - I think that this would be more like the one ounce scoop that is mentioned in the instructions. I am glad that I elected to only make one recipe's worth - my Kitchen Aid mixer could not have managed more than a single. As it was the mixer shuddered a bit.  Here you go! Try them at your peril - they are addictive! Thank you Martha Stewart for keeping my cookie jar full! You can also click on the link I added to take you to the Martha Stewart page - and you could print from there if you prefer! Ingredients Makes twenty-six 5-inch cookies or 8 1/2 dozen 1 1/4-inch cookies 1 pound unsalted butter 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar 2 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar 4 large eggs 3 cups plus 2 tablespoons pastry flour 3 cups bread flour 1 tablespoon salt 2 teaspoons baking powder 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract 2 pounds Jacques Torres House (60 percent cocoa) Chocolate or other best-quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Reduce speed to low and add both flours, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla, and chocolate; mix until well combined. Using a 4-ounce scoop for larger cookies or a 1-ounce scoop for smaller cookies, scoop cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake until lightly browned, but still soft, about 20 minutes for larger cookies and about 15 minutes for smaller cookies. Cool slightly on baking sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

I have been dithering about getting PanPastels for some time now. As most of you who have read my blog for some time know I am generally not too terribly hesitant to splurge on new art supplies. With the soon-to-be-arriving medical bills though I have had to consider my purchases a bit more stringently than I normally do. PanPastels have been on my list for quite awhile now though and I keep thinking that if I get these as a birthday present to myself I can play with them for those weeks that I will be unable to drive and will be chair or bed bound. Of course I generally figure that one must have enough colors of any given new art supply to ensure enough play options - so the least I have been considering is a set of 20 (oh! to be wealthy and be able to get the full set of 80!). My dilemma is that I have never seen these things in use. I have no idea how I might use them - or if they wold be appropriate for someone like me who would use them for journaling - not for fine art. Are they wonderful and worth the extravagance - or are they something that I might regret splurging on? I realize that these answers are totally subjective in nature - but I can use all of the feedback I can get! If you or any of your friends have used these glorious looking little pans of luscious, vibrant colors I would really appreciate some opinions about them. Help me either buck up ans spend or reserve the plastic guilt for another day! What colors did  you begin with? Individual colors? Sets? How many colors? Did you buy a lot at once or just one or two? Do you need the tools or will fingers work? Your opinions will help me! This is the set of 20 that I have been considering - although I would have to add a few sundry colors - like the range of my fav green/golds!

 I posted about this book on book blog but decided that it might be of interest to all of you who graciously read my blog here too. I have kept written journals for more than 20 years, but at some point I realized that I wanted my journals to contain more images and color. I always had added copies of photographs to my journals - but I wanted to learn to make art in my books. Art that make me remember my feelings at the time more completely when I went back to review my journal books years later. I have been doing visual/art journaling f or several years now. Oddly enough I still keep a more private written journal but my visual albums are just as I had wanted them to be. I am still learning and growing though so I am always on  the lookout for new books about journals and art journaling.  There  are so many wonderful techniques out there to learn! I learned about "The Journal Junkies Workbook" from a recommendation on Amazon - after all of the years that I have been using Amazon they have found some real winning titles that I have been glad to hear about from them. I am a book sniffer and paper 'fondler'. If I am planning to use a book a lot I like to enjoy the feel of the paper, the scent of the paper and the typeface used in the book. This book utilizes a great quality paper with a smooth, semi-gloss finish. I have found that most titles published by North Light Books are really well produced. Great quality and very attractive.  What I especially like about the techniques in this book is that they are, for the most part, simple techniques that are well executed and exceptionally well illustrated. A fast look at the Table Of Content will give you a good idea about the scope of this book.  Check out the forward on page 7 written by Kathy Eldon - very moving. Most of the included techniques are pretty straight forward and not overly labor intensive - illustrating great ways to use generally easily available tools in inventive ways. I am truly enjoying this book and I think that you would like it too - if you have an interest in art, visual journals, art, journals, collage or mixed media design. 

We have been blessed with some really amazing. perfect weather this past week. Screaming blue skies and mild temperatures in the mid to high 60's. Haven for me! I am trying to get some things caught up before I descend in pre-surgery nerves. Thankfully this weekend I managed to get some things sent off. The image about is a transfer that I made of my grandmother, Thea, from about 1916. I used Artist Transfer Paper (TAP) from Leslie Riley - soon to be available from C&T publishing. I am especially fond of how this transfer turned out - I had wanted to covet it for myself but ended up sending it to my cousin who supplies me copies of many old family photographs. These ATC's were made for the 'Arts In The Cards' group swap. The theme was rust/metal. These were made from very carefully shibori wrapped rice paper that was dipped into procion MX dye and then even more carefully unfolded when just damp, ironed and glazed with varnish to the texture of cloth. I used stainless steel wire to make a pattern and then couched the wire with perle cotton and finally adding some beads. I have also made a series of these to go to another great swap that I regularly participate in from Roses On My Table - with den mother Christina Zinnia Galliher running the proverbial show! Now I think I need to go and shibori wrap some more papers - although they are fragile I really like the results - the texture, once the paper is glazed is really nice and very workable. Hope every one has a happy rest of the weekend - filled with love, laughter and creativity! Should have a mind to - remember that these are all available  as larger images if you double click on the photo (I think!)

Lately I seem to be a tad behind the power curve.  I was recently invited to join a small ,but mightily talented, group of artists for ATC exchanges. I came into this "Warped" swap late, granted, but it has taken me awhile to finish these last four of the series. I did manage to to get a few of the new series done as well -the next theme is "Rust/Metal". Thankfully, I also managed to finish up some Art Cards that were overdue for mailing and I got started on the swap  that's due at the end of the month from Roses On My Table .  I am trying to get just a bit ahead before the surgery date - so that I won't be behind on everything again! These cards allowed me to try out some metal embossing - something that I had wanted to try for some time. I see it as having some promise - but it is also a technique that I think requires some time and experimentation. Getting some ink/paint/pens to lay down some color that remained in the grooves but was not be all wiped off at the end was a challenge. I tried alcohol inks, various pens and regular inks, acrylic paints of several varieties. Golden Fluid acrylics were the thing that seemed to work the best for me - though I am sure that there is something out there that would work like a charm. I just have not yet found it ! Once again I used the little poem as the basis for my interpretation of the 'warped' theme. I am loving the results of the things I am trying for rust/metal - and I really thought that it was going to be a very difficult theme for me. The muse strikes when she does - or doesn't in some cases! Have a great middle of your week - hope everyone is able to enjoy a taste of Spring - or Fall for all of you in the land down under!

  Three little beauties pause for a sip I find such pleasure watching birds. Often I just get lost in their cheerful antics and sweet songs. This is my favorite time of year for birds - so many have returned for the season and the morning air is filled with song.  My bird feeding habits have expanded over the last few years. At first we were only feeding the humingbirds - and that entails a lot of time since we have 6 quart sized feeders going that require twice daily fills. At dusk we have, no kidding on this, about 25-30 birds ( as many as I could very quickly count!) per feeder stoking up for the chilly nights. Now my fixation has grown to include all birds. We have quite a few feeders and suet holders that also require daily (and sometimes twice daily) filling. In the morning I generally spend my first waking minutes filling feeders and changing bird bath water - about a half hour - before my coffee or tea! They make me smile so much though that it seems worth the cost in time and food! We have two sets of Downy Woodpeckers who stop by at least twice a day. They are especially fond of the suet cakes and will stop at nothing to get to it. I have half cakes stuffed in several places for their dining enjoyment. This fellow stops by this feeder first ..... and then he moves on to the next place - where his weight makes the feeder sway. It's really pretty funny to watch him do this acrobatic display! Finches are just so darn sweet - it's hard not to love them.  This one has a bit of a wistful look - like she's saying "is this all?" Goldfinches are our state bird - and I am always so happy when I see them return to the feeders in the Spring time - such a brilliant yellow - and such varied black marking patterns! Every feeder is generally this busy! The hummers are a continual delight to me - I can - and often do - watch them for hours!

Each year the Alliance for American Quilts has a fund raising challenge. This year's theme is 'New From Old' and this is my entry called "If The Baltimore Ladies Had Batiks". Now here is the story of how this 16 inch square found it's way into a box and got mailed off the the Alliance with my heart-felt prayers attached.  My 'new from old'  ( new in the materials used and old for the age of the quilts that inspired the block) Baltimore block is hand appliqued using only batiks; it's hand embroidered and hand quilted with silk thread. I used a variety of applique techniques to make this piece - hand my hands hurt to prove it ! I found out about this challenge from a forwarded email from a friend - third hand news as it were.  I had started making this square some years ago but had recently decided to finish off. It just happened that it is ,coincidentally,  the precise size I needed for this challenge. The grand prize is the precise quilting machine that I have coveted and longer for since 2006 - but cannot afford - especially with the upcoming medical bills (and we all know what I mean about them - they never seem to end!). The deadline for receiving the quilts is on my birthday. Of course, despite the time that went into the block I had to give it a go and enter this block in the challenge.  I know that is is very arrogant to think that I could possibly win  - but I SO want that machine! I know that it would make me want to do more quilting again. I have found that the quilting is what I love to do and I am, it seems (according to the machine's envoys at quilt shows) quite facile with the machine already. Of course there are other wonderful prizes being offered by many great companies. If you are not familiar with the Alliance for American Quilts you should be! They do so much to preserve our American quilting traditions. Have a look at their website - their membership fee is very reasonable at $25.00 and they do an awful lot with the money. It's a support worthy organization!The quilts will be auctioned off on Ebay for the fund raiser. If any of you are Alliance members who may not have entered anything yourself - please consider having a look at my entry. If any of you like this piece - it would be wonderful if you would consider bidding on it on Ebay. Thanks for looking and please consider supporting the Alliance if you love quilts and quilting and are able to afford the membership fee. The back - batik as well of course!

Every year I wait for my my small, but spreading despite lack of proper care, patch of Lily-of-the-Valley to bloom. It's my 'birth month flower' but even if it wasn't I would equate the scent of these amazing, beautiful, whitish globes with heaven. I feel the same way about Lilacs. Back East where I grew up, they Lilacs &d Lily-of-the-Valley always bloomed near Memorial Day (close to "my" day) and friends would give me armloads of blooms as gifts. I also think that these are two scents from nature that science and plant lore have been hard pressed to replicate with any true resemblance to 'the real thing'. In fact the engineered varieties - especially the less than expensive ones,  can even cause me to make me a tad nauseous- re-enforcing my belief that Mother Nature truly is the most remarkable of artists. I tend to remember things by scent and I have a rather sensitive sense of smell. A scent can make me remember an image, or feeling, long buried in the aging recesses of my brain. Scents can evoke my Uncle's garden, the willow tree that I used to sit in that hung over the Hudson river, my mother, my grandmother - you get the idea - I am plugged into the olfactory senses! I have worn the same perfume for 27 years. I think I have melded with it! How about you? Do scents make you vividly recall people, places and things? What smells like Heaven to you? Hope your Thursday is filled with sunshine and a whiff of Heaven on earth!

The sky was sullen and wind blown yesterday Yesterday I worked an extra day. I was happy to do it because I can really use the money what with the doctor's bills that I know will soon be forthcoming - well, to be completely honest I might just splurge on some art supplies with the extra cash. A soon-to-be birthday present to myself perhaps. The thing is that we were in the midst of a Winter storm in spring. The previous night we had pelting, icy rain and gale force winds - by morning the rain and stopped and the sky was screaming blue but the winds continued an, in fact, intensified.  The windows along the Court room where I work were refitted when the building went through a historical refurbishing but when the winds hit from a certain direction the windows shake so badly that they feel like they are about to implode. Of course they wouldn't - but they do howl-l-l-l and make lots of noise. I have no doubt that the jurors were a bit worried - and also had a bit of trouble hearing above the howling of the windows. Thankfully they were a really lovely group of islanders - some I would love to know outside of work. I would love to ask them who they are? What they do? That sort of small talk that allows you to keep a pulse of your community. I suppose that's all a long way round to saying that when I got home I was more than exhausted - I was dumb-founded, stare- at- the wall tired. I have been coddled the last few years by working part time and I thought that this would be a good test to see how I would do if I am forced to return to full time work -there are rumbling of that happening because of the economy. As always I like to think that I am haler and heartier than I am. I like to think that the years and the bone issues have not taken any toll. Well, I am announcing that they have - and that I would be less than mentally acute if I have to return to the aptly named grindstone. I know we all do what we have to do - but I would be hard pressed to have a life. Creativity might go by the wayside.   This is what I felt like yesterday evening - thinking, pondering, wondering Which leads to my cogitations of  last evening. Being Creative. What is it? Can we 'get' it? Are we born with it? I have no doubt that creativity lurks in all of us and I am not at all sure that it is not something that is born to all of us - we are all creative in one way or another. It does not have to mean only art. When I see something that is really inventive I think "WoW - what an amazing, creative, person they are" - and I think that I have no creativity when judged next to someone that I think is amazing. Are creativity and inventiveness the same  -twigs on the same tree - or are they different? I mean a rocket scientist or quantum physics person must surely be way more inventive than I am - no? Being so tired made me ralize that at that moment I could not have pushed out a single creative thought or idea. NO scratches in my journal - nothing came to the forefront of my mind - other than watching "Dancing With The Stars" and then going to bed. It made me depressed to think that I could even get that tired that I cared nothing for color or creativity. It made me more depressed to consider a life being too tired to make art. This beauty is pondering the nice clump of greens ahead. Today I plan to play with some new Dr.PH.Martin's Hydrus watercolors. Art Supply Warehouse (ASW) had a fabuoulous sale on them and I could not pass up the deal. I had wanted to get some watercolors (another one of those things that I never thought I would want) but they are expensive and I knew that I wanted a set .. and didn't know what brand to get etc etc. I love Dr.PH Martins products and decided to stick with a brand I know and know I will use and enjoy. ASW's prices were close to $20.00 off per set during this sale than anywhere else. I am still pondering creativity. I still wonder if I have it when I think that there are so many truly inventive and amazingly creative people in the world- and I wonder were it goes when I am "stare-at-the wall" tired. What are your thoughts on creativity and inventiveness? What's your favorite trick to get yourself into a creative frame of mind - and can you reach into the well when you are exhausted? How? This little one is pondering his meal!

I had had some of Leslie Riley's  Transfer Artist Paper (TAP) for some time but had not used it for some odd reason. I took it out recently when C&T's Creative Troupe had what they term a "call-out" for playing with this paper - since they will soon be a distributor for this great transfer paper. Need I mention that I am now going to buy a larger sized package of her paper?! I love this stuff. I had no idea what I wanted to do with it as projects and so I decided to continue to play with the idea of transparency - my recent craze continues. I added a photograph of mine and printed it onto the transfer paper and then applied it a 6" X 6" ( 15.24cm X 15.24 cm) canvas. I added some dips and dats of color and then wrapped the edges of the canvas with batik strips. That's experiment number 1. It goes to a new home on Monday. The page below began as a mistake. The photo printed on a piece of plain paper by mistake (am I the only one that does that?!) Of course I hated the idea of wasting that much ink and so I decided to try it as a transfer in  a journal and it actually worked really well too. I was very pleased with the results.  That's Experiment 2.  I made several other prints - on both fabric and paper - that I will photograph when the sun returns I am loving this transfer paper. Expensive but worth it.  If you do decide to try it please remember to read the instructions since they are full of very good tips and tricks. In another art form - the most perfect art of Mother Nature - I am astounded at how early the roses are blooming this year! Usually around here they bloom at the end of May and here they are - adding riotous color to my days already. The lilacs are about done now - and they too generally are in full bloom at the end of May near memorial Day. The Lily-of-the-Valley are fully budded and ready to scent the air. Hope that everyone is delighting in a happy Spring (or early Fall if you're down under) day!

Just to let you know that I am coming back to blogger and will remain here. I really liked a lot of what WordPress has to offer, but the one thing that they do not support are many many blog widgets that are javascript based - which is most of what is in the sidebars of my blogs. So- I am home again to stay and I will accept chastising from you my friends for giving such a false alarm.

I am working on transferring this blog to a new host. My new blog site will be: http://mariejohansen.wordpress.com Transferring the Blogger content to Wordpress was a cinch - so all of my post posts and comments are already there. I think I may cross-post for awhile until I get the hang of the WordPress Dashboard - which is very,very different from blogger. I had thought of using WordPress in the past but never made a concerted effort to learn a the new system. I am currently reading a book about blogging that I will be reviewing (eventually I will also be moving my book blog) and it made a decent case for making the change. I am hoping to have the review on this book posted this coming weekend. It's an excellent read for both beginning and more experienced bloggers.