• Art - Blog - Creativity

    A second look: Friendship

    October 2, 2016 - By 

    Today I’d like to share a second look at an assemblage I created a couple years ago.  This is one of those pieces that I keep thinking I’m going to give as a gift or list in my etsy store but I just can’t seem to get myself to do it.  In fact, it’s currently sitting right beside me on my desk.

    friendship

    Perhaps I need to make another similar piece so I can let go of this one.

    Take a look….

    eyes

    6/4/2014

    I spent some time on YouTube last week….likely sent there from Pinterest.  (See why I try and stay away from the screens…I get lost…sidetracked…and waste oodles of time.)  I often like watching “fast forwards” of journal pages, collage and painting. I’m most interested in seeing how people go from blank page to competed project. Not the particular products they use. Not to emulate what they did.  Just the process. The stumbles.  The bad choices of color or image and how they kept going and turned it into something amazing…or not.

     I often search out new unique ideas in an effort to continue to use the stacks of book pages I’ve torn from my journals and salvaged books. Since I’d been using some paper flowers on my cards and other projects recently, I thought I should potentially make them from book pages myself.  I found a rolled rose tutorial. The technique is very well explained yet I immediately deviated a bit from what she said. I’m not big on following the rules and directions. I prefer to make it up as I go along. 20140603_5026This first one is made mostly like the tutorial states…so it’s a tightly rolled flower.

    20140603_5025

    These are more my own style and lay much flatter…more useful in a variety of projects.

    But the ones used in the project below are my first blossoms. I just had to see how some spray mists would look on them. Gorgeous! Now what…20140601_4994Well…I had picked up a bunch of embroidery hoops at a garage sale a couple weeks ago to add to my ever growing collection. I have a thing for circles. I can’t seem to pass them up. This hoop happened to roll onto my work surface and land on some glimmer mist splattered paper. The idea I had seen on YouTube popped into my head. An embroidery hoop as a frame. Of course, that video used 3 hoops and was a wall hanging scrapbook layout. Like I said…I use videos as inspiration…not copy.20140601_4995It’s a little bit vintage… a little bit shabby chic…and a whole lotta me. 😉

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    Thanks for joining me today for Second on the 2nd.

    Second on the 2nd
  • Blog

    T Tuesday: Ryder Cup edition

    September 27, 2016 - By 

    Welcome to T stands for Tuesday! This week is an odd for for me… My kids have barely started school and now they are off for a week due to the Ryder Cup which is being held smack in the middle of our school district. When I first heard about this about 2 years ago I was like….

    really

    Now that I know more about it I realize that having this event really is going to disrupt things and having school in the midst of an estimated 250,000 additional people isn’t really going to work.  Leaving town, like so many families we know, just wasn’t going to work for our family this week due to both work and sports. Instead we are going to treat this time like a stay-cation. as much as possible between obligations.

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    Mini-me snapped this photo after a volleyball game. We didn’t go to the shops but heard from those who went that it was pretty amazing what has been built on the golf course grounds. It’s like a small city they said. The celebrity cup starts today I believe and the real competition begins on Thursday.

    Yesterday Mini-me and BFF went to Como Park Zoo and Conservatory. It’s over 100 years old. Of course there have been many changes and more humane treatment for the animals. I was telling the girls about what it was like 40 years ago when I was a child…just the changes that have about since then are amazing.

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    The flamingos were nearly orange instead of pink which was odd to me but beautiful anyway.

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    Speaking of orange…isn’t he gorgeous! I can’t even begin to count how many crumby shots I took before getting this one.

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    The giraffes always make me smile. Can you see the one in the background stretching his tongue out to grab a leaf?

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    The primate building is always so much fun. These two sat hugging each other the entire time we were in there. They’d adjust a bit but just sat there snuggled. Made me say AWWW more than once.

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    This guy made me think of a teenager on a day off…living a life of leisure.

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    But this one was my favorite with his awesome mustache.

     Since the zoo is clear on the other side of the Twin Cities from our house, I’m not familiar with any restaurants or even fast food in that area. The girls and I decided to eat at the zoo cafe…super expensive for what we got and totally not worth it. It was super busy…captive audience I’m sure.

    We were going to go into the conservatory next to see the gorgeous flowers…

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    but then we realized that both girls had food and drink with them which is a big no-no. We walked around the exterior while they tried to finish.

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    This building has changed very little if at all since I was a kid. I remember going there after church some times and marveling at the warmth inside the building and beautiful flowers in the middle of winter.

    I love being able to share places I explored as a child with my kids. This little day trip made me want to do more of them.

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    On our way home Mini-me snapped a couple of photos of the new Vikings stadium in the heart of Minneapolis.

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    It was fun to see from the freeway but now I definitely want to see it up close and personal.

    Today I’m not sure that we’ll get out for any “day trip”. Lots on the plate for today…an appt, volleyball match and work will keep everyone busy until past dinner time today.

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    So I’m starting the day with a good breakfast.

    What are you doing today?

  • Blog - Creativity - Photography

    2016 Summertime Photo Scavenger hunt wrap-up

    September 23, 2016 - By 

    The summer has ended and so has the hunt for photos. I like to wrap things up with a recap of the old and any newly snapped photos. This year I only missed one on the list but got an alternative to takes it’s place. In the past I’ve gotten every single one including the alternates.

    1. A “wild heart” – a naturally occurring heart (like the rock above, but it doesn’t have to be a rock)summer photo huntHostas in my backyard

    2. A footprint or pawprint

    paw-print

    Husky paw print

    3. A skeleton, bone or x-ray

    bones-collageAt the orthopedist

    4. A book or magazine read during 2016

    books

    Lots of books…can’t stop reading…

    5. A porch or deck

    deck collage

    Trex Deck at the MN landscape Arboretum

    6. A camper (caravan)

    summer photo hunt

    Camper trailer

    7. A family gatheringsummer photo hunt

    Independence day gathering

    8. A drawing, art project, artistic photograph, scrapbook page, greeting card, or art journal page created by you.summer photo huntObviously this isn’t my only creation of the summer…if you’d like to see more just browse around the blog. 🙂

    9. Someone playing with, in, or around water.summer photo hunt4th of July waterfight….a tradition

    10. A bicyclebikeAt a parking lot next to a state bike trail.

    11. Fresh producesummer photo huntBeans from my garden and CSA box

    12. A windowwindowThe broken remains of my drivers side window…you can read about it here.

    13. The moonsummer photo huntLucky low light shot of the moon over the house.

    14. A buffet of foodsummer photo hunt4th of July gather again…

    15. A team logoteamsSome of our beloved local teams…current and former.

    16. A map showing a trip taken during the time period

    map

    Mini-me and I traveled to Alexandria over the summer for a girls weekend.

    map-2This close-up map has both lakes that we stayed on…if you look closely you can see my reflection.

    17. Twinssummer photo huntI took a bit of liberty with this one just because it made me laugh.

    18. A supermarket cart, basket or trolley full of groceries cart

    Back to school stock up at Target

    19. A seasonal cocktail or beveragesummer drinkMoscow Mule…favorite summer drink!!

    20. Someone laughing

    This is the one I didn’t get mostly because I don’t show faces on my blog if at all possible.

    21. A photograph of you with a newspaper or calendar page from the time period covered in the Hunt. Note: you may not use a substitute for this item.

    timely-photoI believe this one is self explanatory

    Alternatives – if you’re having trouble finding any of the above, you may substitute from this list (but you may not substitute for item #21):
    alternative 1: a lighthouse

    No lighthouse either

    alternative 2: a baby (human or animal)

    alt-baby

    Can you see the baby? Cute little “O”.

    That about wraps it up. I’m not sure what happened to Rinda’s blog as it hasn’t been updated since June but I do know that the Facebook group has been active so I’ll be posting there. I do hope to continue with photo scavenger hunts…they are really fun and a real challenge at times to get creative and think outside the box.