the shy dachshund & halloween spirit

a lazy impromptu photo shoot with my dachshund Arabella. She's camera shy.


getting ready to leave to go to the barn. helping set up for the show this weekend. I'll be there ALL weekend long! It's going to be a LONG weekend! But lots of FUN!


On the other side of things, I stayed up a bit last night and got my painting juices flowing a little more than normal(as of late). I have been getting some great feedback about my paintings so it's truly a confidence booster! I'm really into home crafts right now, want to try my hand at things other than signs. I'm thinking something spooky...a Halloween challenge! Luckily Jennifer Pebbles was thinking the same thing and has issued a challenge @ two peas and I am going to give it my best! And for the meantime, the blog is going into Halloween mode!!

Scrapbooking on Canvas

Enjoy Life ::cc:: A.R.T. 2007


So it's harder than I expected to sit down without a muse or inspiration beforehand and CREATE. I find it very hard to create forcefully. BUT I did it! It took a lot of... "i don't like that" and "that's just not right" but I got it finished. I like the result.


Bottom text reads:: "don't sweat the small stuff...love the everyday moments...cherish your time...♥"
The circle on the left are actually tinfoil!! I love that stuff!

Sharing Online

Duke, Mine and Jason's Dalmation. He is intent on helping me write this post.


So I posted my first layouts on Creating Keepsakes and Two Peas last night. I have been scrapbooking on and off since 2001, but have really just started to get into a groove. I am still in the process of finding my style, but it's a really fun journey.

Here are the first 3 LO's online:




I have been very skeptical about posting my pages in the online galleries. Why? At first I didn't know why, then the day after I posted them I realized what it was. The comments.

I am scared to get bad reviews! How silly is that? This is art, it doesn't matter what other people think about your art work or LO, it's how you feel about it. If you are proud enough to display your work to the public then you should not worry about the critics out there who just want to make themselves feel better by putting you down.

Now don't take this the wrong way, I have not received any negative feedback so far. I am expecting it, because there is always someone out there who can't resist making someone else feel bad.

I guess I am just a softy, I wear my heart on my sleeve. I want everyone to be happy, loved and positive. Not all people agree with me!

Anyway, I am excited and have decided no matter the feedback I receive from my LO's I will use them in a positive way to grow my artistic side.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

On another note, Leg Up's Fall Schooling Show is this weekend! Come check us out and watch!

Blog Action Day :: the environment

I took this photo about 6 years ago when I returned to Alaska for my Grandfather's funeral. It was this first time I had been back in 8 years. I was born in Anchorage and lived and grew there until I was the ripe old age of 10. I am lucky enough to still have family living there and I can visit when I like (+ the cost of the ticket to get there!).

Since this is Blog Action Day and the topic is about the environment, I thought this photo would be suiting. There has been a lot of talk about drilling for oil in Alaska's wildlife preserves and the global warming of the glaciers.

Having lived and breathed the essence that is Alaska, seen it's wildlife and awesome (and it is awesome, not just like a "hot dog" {{thanks eddie!}}) landscapes firsthand, I have to say that I am pro preserving this vast beautiful state.

There are MANY sides to this issue and luckily there are some GREAT websites devoted to the preservation of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. A great place to start is the Sierra Club.

If you think that we need to use every inch of America's resources so we are less dependent on foreign oil then the best place for you to start is ANWR.

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On the scrapbook side of things, check out Ali Edwards great post about green scrapbooking!

Ali Altered Canvas

Images by Ali Edwards, © 2007 CK Media, LLC

So Creating Keepsakes website is offering a challenge to you multi-medium scrapbookers out there. It's a call for an "Ali Altered Canvas" like the ones in Ali Edwards new book "Life Artist".

The idea of an altered canvas is not a new idea for me. I have been adding different media and objects to my paintings for while now, but for some reason it never occurred to me to use photos with the paintings. I am very excited to get started on some new altered canvases! I plan on making a set of 4 canvases for my studio, some with photos and others without. I will be posting these on the Creating Keepsakes website and here later this week!

NOTE::**I am also anxiously awaiting my October KOTM from Lisa Bearnson! This kit is the "Courage Through Hope" album Ali Edwards designed. It's going to be the perfect gift for my grandmother! Can't wait to get started!**