Christmas Clothespin Card Clips Craft

This may be my one any only blog posting for December, so may as well make it a holiday craft post!

This is for a fun, fast and VERY easy (and cheap! Hello?!) holiday project that you can do to create a nice display for all your holiday greeting cards. I saw this in Martha Stewart Living magazine, December 2008 issue in the Good Things section ...

Basically you take some wooden clip-style clothespins and some scrap wrapping paper (or any paper you want ... I coordinated by using wrapping paper that matched my Christmas decorating color scheme for this year: red & white) a good gluestick, a sharp craft knife and a length of ribbon or cord.

Slather one side of a clothespin with the gluestick, place it firmly down on your wrapping paper (on the backside, obviously, so the pattern is on the front of the clothespin) let it dry a bit, then cut around it with your craft knife to trim away the excess paper. Repeat on other side, and for however many clothespin clips you'd like to make. String a length of ribbon or cord wherever you'd like to display your cards, and start clipping 'em on up!

Merry Christmas!
xox gem xox

YES WE CAN, and Yes I Did!

** HAPPY ELECTION DAY, USA! **
Please, please, please - if you have not already - DO get out and VOTE! I know the lines may be long and tedious but it will be so worth it at the end of the day. Please don't let this opportunity pass you by, don't make excuses or rationalize why you can't, won't, don't need to, etc ... JUST GO DO IT.

Then wear that sticker Loud ' N Proud!

I am done, I early voted last week. But I have errands to run today and I am wearing my I Voted sticker because it's a badge of honor and priviledge. I am sooooo emotional today, all teary and excited and nervous (I was watching the CNN video of the Obamas voting in Chicago and I just started bawling. I'm the biggest crybaby.) - so incredibly hopeful that this is going to be the start of the turnaround of our nation. Not just economically, or with our global-community standing, but - HUMANLY, too. I really feel Barack Obama is the one destined to put us back on a course of greatness - I truly think he has what it takes to not only lead us forward as a nation, but inspire us as a PEOPLE. And I hope you do too. So!

Go Rawk that Vote, yo!

XOXO gem

Found Fridays ~ Oct 3, 2008

Revisting the 'ol "Found Fridays" concept I posted about almost one year ago ... See, I'm one of those weirdos who sorta collects random things she finds along her way throughout her day. Little lost toys, things in books from the library, funky old rusted metal things from streetside, other people's grocery lists left in shopping carts or forgotten on store shelves (I am always SO curious to read what other people have on their lists! It's so dorky.), basically any little thing that catches my eye. I'm like a magpie or something "Oooh, shiny thing BAWK, must get SQWAWK, snatchgrabstuffinpocket"

So this is the small batch of stuff from this week:
1) Blue plastic circus horse thing from a parking lot
2) Palm tree bling medallion from a neighbor's driveway
3) Bluejay feather from yard
4) Little pink size 1 baby shoe by "Koalababy" found on streetcorner
5) a purple plastic "G" (for gem, natch!) found in parking lot

Sometime, someday, somehow they'll all end up in a piece of art ...
or maybe they'll just be languishing in a basket or bowl with other found items ...

Well! take care and have a great weekend!
~ gem ~

Tonka's back!

So, this is Tonka :)

He is a 5 and-a-half year old, 130 pound American Bulldog (mix - Mastiff, maybe? I mean, he's HUGE.) and we just adopted him. Here's his story:(sit still. it's a lonnng one.)

Tonka had been living at our local vet's office since July 25 (2008), as much of his back-history as I know is that the owners had to give him up because they couldn't care for him any longer ... I think they had kept him as an outdoor dog, and he has severe allergies which caused him to scratch alot and of course those areas got infected. He also had a hematoma (collection of blood under the skin of the ear flap) which the vet had to surgically remove. He has about a 2" scar there now, but it's okay! He is allergic to: Corn, Soybean, Beef, Chicken, Duck, Rice, Pork, Lamb (HIGHLY allergic to lamb! baaa!), Potato, Pea - all kinds of weeds, a few trees, a couple types of grasses, some dust mites, penicillium, cockroaches, black and fire ants, and of course; fleas. WHEW! So he MUST be kept as an indoor dog (a main reason I think he wasn't quickly adopted.) not to mention the superclose eye you have to keep on his diet so he doesn't have a flare up. He's on a special RX vet pet food made from mostly oat flour and kangaroo (Um. I know. I'd never heard of such a thing either, but there ya go. Bring on the 'Roo meat!)

Anyway, we got a newsletter email went out from the vet's on Sep 9 saying that they had a couple dogs needed to be adopted. Tonka sounded pretty cool, and since I got Weezer, the boys had been wanting a dog, so I called and got more info on him. When I heard he weighed 130 lbs I was like "Ohhh. Wow, that's big." and pretty much thought that was the end of that. I called Mr Gem up at work anyway and said "Hey! You wanna 130 pound Bulldog?!" ... After a bit of a laugh he said, Well, sure let's go look at him, at least. This was a Friday, and his next day off was Sunday (when the vet is closed) so we wouldn't be able to go see him 'til Monday. Well that didn't work for me ; ) so I called'em up and asked if they'd let me have him over the weekend; figuring that would give us all a chance to meet him, see how he did with the boys, the kitty, etc ... They said sure! so I went and picked him up before the kids got home from school. And I have to be honest. When I went back into the kennel and got my first look at him? I was thinking: Oh. GOD, no. He's Gi NORmous. And I really though about saying "nevermind." But I'd said I'd take him and when we went out in the yard area to "meet" he was really playful and sweet so I thought Well, he deserves at least a chance, right? ... And he hightailed it for the door when we went out and LEAPT! into the backseat of the car, and sat there as happy as could be on the 5 minute ride home. They gave me a bag of his special food for the weekend, and said if there was any trouble just bring him right back.

Not only was there no *trouble! but he was downright AWESOME! He got along with Weezer (the cat) who was completely intrigued by this super big walking fur thing, they played and pawed a bit but nothing worrisome (a 5 yr old dog and a 5 month old kitten, I mean come on!) - he signaled at the door to go outside no problem, he didn't bother at my neighbor's Labs when they came out, just kinda sniffed and peeked at them through the fence slats, then pee'd on the boards and went on his way. He didn't dig or jump up on the fence, - we had kids, teens and people in and out all weekend and while he woofed a few times at cardoors or people coming up to the door, he didn't jump or bark or bother anyone once they came in, let them pet him and scratch his ears and everything. My 11 yr old who is the one I was concerned about not being comfortable with such a big dog took to him immediately! With hugs around the neck and they went out and ran (Tonka gallops, actually) and played ball and chased had a fun time. He slept at the foot of our bed at night (on a Blues Clues blanket on the floor) and oh yeah ~ he SNORES. heh. Everyone seemed real happy, we all loved him right away! and he seemed quite at home from the minute he gallumped in the door.

Then we got serious and discussed it, and realized exactly what it would mean to take on this animal. He has the special diet, right? Well it's food that costs $75 a bag, and he goes through two a month. And it's not for a few months while his skin clears up then he can have regular food. It's FORevER. Plus this breed is prone to hip displaysia, and his size and age means he may be getting into that stage where more health issues will be coming up. We decided we just couldn't afford to keep him. Sigh. So we were pretty bummed on that Monday when we brought him back. Everyone at the vet understood, and appreciated that we'd given him a little break away from the kennel at least ... We did also offer to foster him for awhile or even just take him on weekends now and then until they could find an owner.

Sooooo. About a week and a half goes by ... Now understand, I am the impulsive, snap-decision, just get-what-I-want-when-I-want-it type, and Mr. Gem is ... NOT :D But I got the feeling he was hoping I would go back and get Tonka myself - he really was the perfect "Daddy Dog" if you know what I mean by that ... Mid week I started doing a bit of number crunching with our income, regular bills, where could we cut, etc - and realized (though this was actually something I already knew, pretty much) we are Very Wasteful $penders, and actually would be able to manage his food bill and normal vet visits, and even pet insurance if we thought that would be worthwhile - IF we would just make some changes in our spending habits as far as groceries and impulse buys, etc. Which we really needed to do anyway. I felt good about my plan, and was barely able to keep quiet! but I did ...

Tuesday, Sep 23:
I called Stephanie (adoption coordinator at the vet) to ask after Tonka and see if he'd been adopted yet (I was SO SURE he was gonna be gone! I almost didn't wanna call and find out) He had not, and she said he was probably only going to be with them another week, then they'd have to see about getting him in a rescue group. I said "Hold that thought. We very well may be coming to get him. Can't promise, but if hub goes for my new budget plan, we'll come get him tomorrow" - She also told me that he was back on antibiotics, beeeeecaaause, there actually WAS a teeeeny bit of *trouble when we'd had him over the weekend - see we ordered pizza one night and when the box was put in the fridge apparently it blocked the door from closing all the way, which no one noticed until doggy was there and snarfing up something off the floor. Seems he managed to knock the box down so some pizza slid out - he probably got two whole slices down before we got him outt there. Sooooo. We did tell them this when we brought him back and I could tell they were really concerned about it and I fel soooo bad! We'd been so careful with everything else - the garbage can, the cat food, making sure no one left food laying out anywhere ... it was just one of those stupid accidents but I still felt terrible knowing we'd set his recovery back by several weeks ...

Wednesday, Sep 24:
After the kids went to school I casually asked hub what he had planned for the day. Nothin, really. Well, says I - why don't we run to the bank, on the way back go pick up your dog, then maybe you could clean the pool when we get home ... Eyebrows up he's all "What's that? Dog? Excuse me?" - so I explained the plan, that Tonka hadn't been adopted and wouldn't be there much longer. He was tentative (so normal.) but agreed it looked like we would be able to do it - not easily! but not to the point where we'd be strained, either. YaY! I called the office and said Hi it's me, we decided we're gonna come get Tonka ... She said "Yeah, they've been expecting you to come today" (hehe. I guess I'm pretty transparent.) - So after we ran our errands, we went to the vet - filled out the paperwork, had his records transferred over to our account, got a goodie bag filled with his meds, special shampoo and wipes, some wet food so we could make "meatballs" to put his pills in, plus the rest of his dry food, and some flea treatment as well. Then they brought him out and we were so happy to see him, and I guess he was happy to see us - he came and flopped down on the floor and laid there, then ran out the door when it was time to go!

The kids were VERY surprised when they got home and saw who was there!, and very happy and glad to find out we'd be keeping him, even if it meant making some sacrifices ... He's SO worth it  --- (I'm giving up my craft store trips, if that tells you anything. I mean seriously, at this point I think I can craft-shop right in my own house, so I'll be fiiiiiiine!)

Anyway that's the *START* of the story of Tonka ~ expect many more pictures and tails (harhar) to come!

~ gem ~

Collage Play with Crowabout

I recently joined an online collage-challenge group:
Collage Play with Crowabout ~ Nancy Baumiller's Flickr group for weekly collage challenges. She supplies us with a collage sheet of random images once a week on Saturdays, and we have until Friday to complete a collage piece of our own using those supplied images.

We're supposed to use at least three of the images in our own piece (though ideally you'd use them all in some fashion), and any other images or mediums are not only allowed but encouraged. I've seen many people use their own imagery in both handpieced paper collage as well as many wonderful digitally produced pieces - however these are my own self-imposed rules for my weekly pages:

1) Must use each & every image Nancy suplies (whether in whole or part)
2) Must use ONLY those images! no other printed or found images or items
3) Tools and media allowed such as paper punches, paints, markers, pens, chalks, etc.

Thought I would use this past week's page to do a step-by-step procedure posting on how I create my pages, which I am doing in a 10" by 7" spiral bound journal book. And here we go!

First thing I do of course is print out Nancy's collage page, on a letter size page of plain white cardstock. I usually adjust the brightness and contrast a bit in Photoshop first, so that the printed images are clear and bright. Then I color my page background, using either watercolors, pastels (chalks), art crayons, or - as in this case - direct to paper inking. I just randomly apply color in two to four shades, contrasting or co-ordinating depending on my whim of the day:

I then cut out all the pieces as they are on the page, and start figuring out what can become what. At this point I don't usually have any idea for an overall page theme or design, I just let it come to me as the individual elements work themselves out. Right off the bat here I see the two orangey striped triangles as legs, and as I try to incorporate a character or figure into all my pages, I know that's where I will start. I cut out bits and pieces until I've created these folks:

I like'em! but now what? Originally I'd intended to use the partial clockface as an umbrella, but once the figures were done I decided I would make it into the arch over the top of a doorway, which led to the idea of having the couple welcoming the viewer into their home. This is where I used the leftover sliver of home interior image and the large wood piece to create the doorway and door. I didn't like the blue BG showing through, so I painted behind that with a mix of ivory and burnt umber craft paints. Though it now looks as though a waterfall is pouring through their entryway - eyeroll

Now my page theme is taking shape ~ I see the cracker images as headstones, so I cut them smaller and add a bit of the text imagery for the "names" , and I decide to stagger them along a path of some sort ... I used the chickenwire image as a fence, and drew in my own path, utilizing my horribly disjointed sense of direction and perspective (is it a tomb tree? a funnelcloud? Jack's beanstalk, or what?!) to make a pathway meandering through the couple's yard, littering it with the dead along the way ...

Finally I add my *handwritten text (PITT pen): "The Bailey's Welcomed Everyone to Stay ... Permanently ..." to show my charming couple inviting you to enter their home, 'cept you don't realize there's only one way out and it ain't the way ya came in!

I also outlined everything in white Signo gelpen to help it standout - and I ink all the edges of the individual pieces with shades of brown before they are glued down to the page, using either Sharpies or inkpads, depending.

Now, I love the couple! and I like the "story" behind it, but overall I don't care for the entire piece as a whole. Yes, I AM my own harshest critic, but don't feel you have to comfort me or boost me up! - 'cause while I am definitely hypercritical, I am also usually my own biggest fan and that side tends to win out in the end : )

*One of the group members had asked for input on how everyone was doing their hadwritten journaling on the pages, and this is what I sent her, thought I'd included it here too for anyone else interested in my own lettering process ...

Take care now and havva GREAT day!
~ gem ~

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First, get some good gel pens and markers (I like Signo gelpen in white, PITT ink pens or ZIG Millenium memory book writers, and of course SHARPIES - note the new Sharpie pens, they are fine line Sharpies in black or blue ink but no bleedthrough on your paper ...

If you look at my 2 most recent Crowabout collages, they both have lettering I did freehand right to the paper. And you can really tell the difference between those and the previous 2 which I did in my USUAL manner of writing, which is:

1) After the collage is done, I write out my text on a piece of scrap paper until I get the exact wording I want.

2) I take a thin sheet of writing or drawing paper (or tracing paper if need be) and lay that over the section of the collage that will be journaled on, drawing an outline of the basic shape of the area in pencil. Then either using a ruler or freehand (depending if I want say, curvy or shaped lines of text) I mark out my lines -

3) I practice writing my text block (still in pencil) on these lines until I get it layed out evenly and spaced how I'd like. Once I'm happy with it -

4) I carefully and LIGHTLY draw pencil guidelines on the collage itself. Then I copy the text from my practice page onto the collage in pencil, (just by eyeballing it, making any adjustments if need be) and once I have THAT done and am satisfied it's exactly how I want it, I go over the lettering in my choice of pen or marker.

5) Gently erase all the pencil marks including the guidelines (this can be a bit tricky if your BG is in say chalk or pastels like alot of mine are!) and then go over the letters again in your pen/marker, this time adding little flourishes or thickening the edges, etc ...

6) Accent with another color marker or outline in contrasting ink, whatever you want and TaDa! you've handlettered your page!

I know it sounds like alot of work and while I don't do EVERY page like this, it is how I prefer to do it (but that's cause I'm a nitpicking perfectionist so take that for what it's worth), but I think you can see the difference in those pages where I have done my method VS freehanding it all the way ... all in all it's at the very least good practice at lettering so that eventually you'll be able to just write away directly to your pages :)

Hope that helps give you some idea of how to go about it and that you see not all of us are supremely talented at journaling and handlettering - we gotta work at it! (though I do envy those who can just straight up write the page out freehand and have it look all font-perfect, grrr!)
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Meet ... Weezer

Sooooo ...

We got a cat.

Saturday at PetSmart was their open adoptions from a couple rescue groups ... this little guy was from Alley Cat Orphans and is about 3 and a half months old. Originally he was named Mason by the rescue group, but we renamed him Weezer once we got him home - due to the fact that he had a cold! and his lil sniffer was making a weezly noise.

He went to the vet Monday to treat the cold and make sure it wasn't pneumonia,etc ... and turned out he had earmites, too! Poor baby ... he's on antibiotics and an antihistimine for a week but he's doing well and is just so super sweet ...

So watch for more Weezer as time goes on!

~ gem ~
(and there. I've posted for July. hah!)

ROY G BIV MOSAIC

ROY G BIV MOSAIC
Originally uploaded by gemgirlart

Here's what I did with my day.
Originally I was just going to make mosaics for the 7 colors, plus a rainbow one. Then I decided "hey wouldn't it be fun to then make a mosaic OF the mosaics?" so I had to add a second rainbow mix to even out the squares for a 3x3 tile ...

Welcome to my obsessive, compulsive, wonderful world!
Enjoy your stay! :D

~ gem ~

ps: These were made with the mosaic maker from fd's flick'r toys buncha fun time wasting geegaws. Kiss the next couple hours g'bye ...

Beanbag Bunch

Beanbag Bunch
Originally uploaded by gemgirlart

So! Remember that sewing machine I got for my birthday - LAST YEAR!? Well I finally, finally got around to getting it out and learning how to operate it (in the most basic of basic ways!) In the past year there's seriously just been NO time, and even LESS space for me to go about learning to sew on this thing - especially as I am one of those spreader-outter, leave-it-in-place-while-working-on-it-until-it-takes-over-the-kitchen-table/diningroom-kidsplayroom,etcetc type of artist-crafter. But I just finally decided that the only way I was going to learn to use it was to assign myself a project that needed doing, and that had a specific purpose and more importantly, a DEADLINE.

That project turned out to be my volunteering to sew a batch of beanbags to be used during one of the games at our 5th Grade end-of-year class party. (see previous post regarding THAT li'l shindig ...) I bought the supercute fabric from Jeanelle at Charmpacks and a big bagga beans (pintos, if you really need that info), looked up a basic "how to sew a beanbag" tutorial online - and awaayyyyy I went! I did sew a test bag first outta some scrap fabric I had here (the yella one, there on the bottom), which came out well enough that I was comfortable moving on to the good fabric - Oh, precut squares, how I adore thee! So no, they aren't the neatest most perfect beanbags ever (hehem, do NOT look too closely at those top seam edges, thennkyewww.), but I made them my very own self, and completed (one of) my promised projects for the games committee, AND learned how to sew a little bit on my long-lusted after sewing machine. Whatta proud, proud day for me :D

'Cept now of course my kitchen table is filled with piles of fabrics and wads of thread and scissors and a rather nifty appliance that most certainly does NOT belong in the kitchen ... Welp! SEW WHUT! Nobody ever said eating AT a table was the law or nothin'! :D

Later, ya'll - I got about a million things to do still (wanna help me paint some 6' tall saguaro cactuses? Meet me in the garage!)

~ gem ~

Please Read This If You Post Images Online!

Just straight-up linking you to Claudine Hellmuth's blog posting to save my fingers and before I pitcha fit ...

~ gem ~

Badges?

Badges?
Originally uploaded by gemgirlart

Posting this as my (legitimate, yet) cop-out reason for why I've been virtually invisible and unable to make let alone upload images of, or post stories about ART for the past several months. See ...

Our elementary school throws this "5th Grade Luncheon" each year - a big themed bash for the graduating 5th graders - their last hurrah as gradeschoolers before they move on to big bad middle school. It's completely funded and "produced" ('cause BELIEVE ME, it is a production!) by the PTA and parent volunteers. And as I have a 5th grader, I volunteered to help with this year's event back when we started school in August. There are committees for Fundraising (I offered to chair -?!- the Friday ice cream sales during lunch group - which means I have been trapped in an elementary school CAFETERIA selling ice cream to K-5'ers for 3 hours every Friday for the past 14 weeks ... oooooohhh, goooodtiiiiimes ...) Entertainment, Food, Games, etc ... Many of us on more than one committee, and you'd be surprised at the number of parent volunteers we have considering there are almost 110 5th graders. As in, how FEW there are ... well, don't get me started on that rant, so just nevermind ...

Our chosen theme this year is the 'Wild West" (last year's was "Survivor") and it has been a little wild getting to this point - but we're getting it together and it's looking good! A little less than a month 'til the party (June 2), and yesterday was Reveal Day - where the kids get to find out what their party's theme is. They did a scavenger hunt around campus - clue by clue eventually leading them to the cafeteria, where we were set up to hand out their invitations to the party: Part of this process was each student getting "deputized" by the principal - and therrrrre's where my 120 sheriff's badges come into play! Really I only used about 112 of them, but it was still quite something to handwrite all those names on leeeetle teeny labels ... luckily I actually enjoy stuff like that so it was no trouble. And I only messed up like 4 of them - and not by smudging or shaky handwriting, but I was working of the registrar's classlists and some of the kids don't go by their "formal" names, so unless I knew the kid personally, I had to go by what was on the list. But I was there, Sharpie in hand, to fix any mistakes or add any kids I missed, so it was all good : )

And blah blah blah - moral of the story is - TREASURE your PTA Moms -n- Dads-n-Teachers, 'cause they do so much more than you can imagine! I've only gotten involved in a heavy-duty capacity this year myself (I was always a more behind the scenes at-home-work, class party type helper), and I'm amazed by what really gets accomplished by these people. It really does take a tremendous amount of time and effort.

And I'll be SO happy when my commitment is OVER.
C'monnnn, summer vacation!

See ya when I see ya!
~ gem ~

Spring Has Sprung!

Happy 1st day of Spring! (though here in Florida it's felt like a mix of spring and summer for weeks now)

The the breeze is blowing, the buds are blooming, the bumbles are buzzing, the chimes are chinging, the birds are chirping and busy building nests, and it's gone from rain showers this morning to what looks like it's going to be a clear sunny day. We planted some flowering vines and bushes in the side yard last night just in time to get them a good soaking today ... The kids and I are going to seed-plant some sunflowers and TRY our hand at some zinnias in that plot as well. Will get pics of it and updates along the way ...

The beautiful blossom above is actually a peach colored hibiscus from the front entrance, but the image summed up my feelings for this first day of sweet, sweet springtime ... I actually managed to carve out a scrap of time today to get my art on, which has been slim pickin's for quite some time now. And I intend to basssssk in it! So you enjoy your day too, whatever it brings you!

~ gem ~

Ok, Who Hit the Hyperspeed Button

on 2008? As in: How in The Hell is it already February!?

I seriously cannot deal if this is how fast the year is going to go by, and me having not remembered any of it passing. It just doesn't feel right, at all. An' I don' like it, nope!

BUT. I have managed to finish up a few things - I finally! mailed a long overdue care package to a fellow artfriend from Nness who needed cheering up ... My painted BG papers and rubberstamp images for a Yahoo group swap (that were due in Nov. Yeah, I'm a leeeetle behind shedju-uhl) are ready, but I still have to complete some decos that need to mail with them. Sigh.

I still owe a "PIF" from this very blog, that I said would be going out last month - not ready. I have a new series of zetti-inspired creepy eye collages that are totally stalled about a quarter way in since I've had no time to work on them. I need to do a major artroom cleanout, or I will never even find them - or anything else I need to work on. I owe my son a long-promised workday of listing some stuff on eBay, or at least a how-to lesson so he can do it himself. I have not taken and thusly, not uploaded, any new pics to Flick'r in soooo lonnng (and that makes me soooo sad) -and- I have three major family birthdays coming up at the end of the month - all within about a week of each other! plus I'm heading up the ice cream fundraiser at my youngest's school which puts me in the cafeteria every Friday during all lunches. (Yeah, WHAT was I thinking when I signed on for THAT? Answer: I clearly WASN'T.) eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

In the good news column: I HAVE sold three prints of my collages: two on eBay, one on Etsy (my 1st ever Etsy sale, w00t!) - and intend to get some new ones listed really soon, the plan is to start focusing more on Etsy listings since eBay has disappointed me too often of late.

Thats enough updatey for this month - I meeeean, today ;)
See ya next time, and hopefully sooner rather than later!

~ gem ~

ETA: Almost forgot! My mom got me a Roomba for Christmas and while I used to look at them and smirk thinking "yeah, riiight" - Oh.My.God. if itsn't the best thing ever, I lovvvve it! It's been sweeping up my tile floors the whole time I've been working up this post. All hail ROOMBAAAAA! Shweeeeee!

Happy New Year!

Pop-in posting (a day late, 'natch) to wish you all a happy and healthy New Year ... Our holidays were wonderful, things slowly returning to some sort of normal, though I've not worked on any new art since well before Christmas ... looking sooooo forward to when I can back at some creating.

But while I'm on the subject, here's a little something art related - a fellow Flick'r friend is embarking on a neat project for the coming year:
A Million Letters - sounded cool to me and I'd love to see her meet that goal, so please send your postcard or letter and feel free to pass along the link to friends and family! Join the Flick'r group too, if you're so inclined ...

That's all from me for now, back later when I got ... somethin'!, Anything!
Here's to a great 2008!

~ gem ~