* Remains of the Day ... getting started

Thanks for your opinions on the earrings presentation cards.  I was getting confused as most 'marketers' would say "You cannot see your product."  My heart says people would like the cards ... they are fun.  You have helped me decide to keep going in this direction.   :o)

And now for something completely different.  (I can't stop thinking about Monty Python these days!)  Remains of the Day.  This is going to be a fun journal to make. Certainly an interesting on line course.  Much more involved than I expected and I am very much looking forward to the process.  I began today by sewing the 'first round' of papers together.  I won't do the actual cover until I go shopping for some more thread, pins and other supplies needed to finish the project.  Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to get everything needed to I can really get my teeth into this.

Got my sewing machine up and running.  Somewhere (out there) the manual for this machine awaits.  Who knows where I put it.  Thank goodness for You Tube ... I learned to use the automatic needle threader which is very different from my Janome I had back in Canada.  I had a boo hoo moment when I thought about Jan ... but I'm over it now.

Just keep sewing all that paper together.

Until you get a stack of about twenty or more.  And that's only the beginning ...

I'll keep you posted as it progresses.

“Loneliness adds beauty to life. It puts a special burn on sunsets and makes night air smell better.”  Henry Rollins

* More Earring Cards ...

Good Morning .... it's 2:15 am.  It's quiet except for an occasional cricket ... oh, and a dog barking.  Don't sleep through the night anymore ... so I get up and do things.  Mostly my blog ... but other things as well.  

I was playing with ways to present my earrings today.  More card ideas.  I know the cards do not show off the earrings to full advantage because of the 'busy' backgrounds.  I still think they are fun, and would be fun to receive.  What do you think?  Would you purchase this kind of a presentation as a gift for a friend?  OR ... would you rather have them on a little plain white card? 

“If you only do what you know you can do- you never do very much.”  Tom Krause

* Erosion Bundle and Remains of the Day

For those of you following the Erosion Bundle Project you may remember when I opened my bundle, absolutely nothing had happened! Major funk!  After three months hanging out in the blazing sun, being showered with water regularly, nothing, nada, zip!  I was so disappointed.  So .. I gave it a second chance ...

It's been over a month now since I sunk my Erosion Bundle into the fountain for a second try.  Today I pulled it out of the water and hung it up to dry.  In a couple of days I will have a peek and see what's happened inside.  I did make some changes to the contents by adding some herbs and spices.  Here's keeping my fingers crossed.  This first year is certainly a learning experience ... hopefully next year, I will have a little more idea what I'm doing.

Are any of you acquainted with Mary Ann Moss of Dispatch from LA?  Last year Mary Ann developed an on line class called "Remains of the Day".  It's about sewing a journal from start to finish with scraps, left overs, recycled bits and pieces and collected ephemera from your stash.  I read about it ages ago, and have wanted to do it every since.  

It's time!  I'm not prepared.  The studio is not organized.  My sewing machine is not set up.  I can think of a million excuses to put it off .. however, it's time.  It will kick start me to get my scraps together, go out and purchase some thread and pins etc., and actually get my sewing machine operable.  I do know one thing.  I have a bag of old Indian sari scraps.  These will be used for the cover.  

If you are interested in more information and quick look at her journals, spend a few minutes HERE.

In the meantime, I have taken a couple of photographs of completed journals off the internet so you can get an idea.

This is going to be an interesting study.  There are no rules .. the sky's the limit ... I'll keep you posted as I work though this.  

"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing
and rightdoing there is a field.
I'll meet you there.

When the soul lies down in that grass
the world is too full to talk about."
— Rumi

Another of my very favorite Rumi quotes.  It's about judgement.  I often wonder why the human race, generally speaking of course,  is so judgemental.  So much 'black' and 'white' and so little 'grey'.  Out, beyond all of that nonsense is a field ... yes, I would love to meet you there. 

* Earrings for a Friend

I asked Carolyn which kind of earrings she would like ... ordinary every day, or Day of the Dead.  She chose Day of the Dead.  Today, I will package those up and get them ready for the mail.  I won't post the packaging or the earrings I choose until after she receives.  Don't want to spoil the surprise.  :o)

I had fun making this card to present a pair of my earrings to a friend.  This could get addictive too ...

I would like to believe when I die that I have given myself away like a tree that sows seed every spring and never counts the loss, because it is not loss, it is adding to future life. It is the tree's way of being. Strongly rooted perhaps, but spilling out its treasure on the wind.--May Sarton

* And the WINNER is .....

This morning I have been waiting .... and waiting for Roberto.  He helps me with computer and printer issues.  This is Mexico.  Roberto has not appeared.  I was going to have him draw the winners' name out of the goblet ... however, I had to resort to the DIY method.

Here's the procedure:

Thank you all for entering!  I had fun.  Hope you did too.

Folded and placed all the names in a goblet.

Drew one name .... OOOoooo ... I wonder who it is???

D R U M    R O L L

CONGRATULATIONS, Miss Carolyn!  I'll be sending you an e-mail.

Oddly enough, out of all of you who entered this giveaway, I have drawn the persons name who has been in my life the longest.  Carolyn and I have been in swaps, round robins, and are now blogging at the same time ... since 2001.  We have never met.  She is a dear friend.  Have a lovely day, Carolyn, you have won a pair of 'donna did it' earrings.  You will love seeing Carolyns' work, HERE, and HERE.

To all of you who have become friends of this blog lately, I do hope you will enjoy the journey with me.  It is an honour to have you be part of it.  Thanks to all for your wonderful comments, for dropping in to have a look around, for e-mailing me privately, and for being those wonderful spirits which creative people naturally are.  Take care and make yourselves a wonderful day!

A friend is one of the nicest things you can have, and one of the best things you can be.  ~Douglas Pagels

Artists Support Each Other

* Hooray, Hooray, It's the 5th of May .....

Earring giveaway  TODAY.  It's the first ever Cinco de Mayo Earring Giveaway on donna did it.  In fact, it's the first giveaway ever on my blog.  For directions on entering to win, or if you have just dropped by, please refer to THIS POST for what is really going on.

It would be delightful if you would join me ... and you never know ... you could be receiving that surprise package with a pair of my hand made earrings inside.  So ... go and check it out.

I will be making the draw tomorrow and announcing the winner.

Today was an absolutely spendifilous day at Quinta de Luz.  I have good mail days, but I think this was the best ever ... so I'd like to share with you.  Envelopes and packages appeared from all over the place.  Places like Germany, Canada, and the USA.  I sat in my chair by the fireplace and slowly opened each piece ... enjoying all the intricate details.  I think I had a smile on my face the entire time.  Each and every one of you made my day!

From DONNA and RHONDA , fellow bloggers in Canada ... an absolutely gorgeous envelope stuffed full of goodies.  Look at those hand made paper mache faces!  I am in LOVE.  Thank you so much U2!  I'm going to enjoy every morsel.  You will want to visit both of them.  Very talented woman with great blogs.  What you cannot see in the photo is an entire bag of die cuts Donna did with her Big Shot machine.  I am a lucky lady.

From Dusseldorf, Germany, a gorgeous envelope from VALERIE .  I admired this lovely lady (book mark) on her blog one day.  Next thing I know, she's sitting on my table.  Thanks so much Valerie.  ... and for the lovely tag as well.  I will be studying the design to see if I can do some 'knock offs'.  xxhugs from Mexico.

I belong to an on line group called MAKE EVERY DAY A GOOD MAIL DAY.  Someone mentioned "Royal" on the posts one day and I commented.  Much to my surprise and delight, Coleen from Canada sent this beautiful hand made brown paper bag book, filled with photos and notes about many royal weddings from the past.  Some of the photographs I have never seen before.  Included were Victoria and Albert, Elizabeth and George and some Royal Weddings when the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret had been bridesmaids.   I will treasure it.  It's actually full of history, which as you know,fascinates me.

Two letters in one day from the Lovely Kelly of the USA.  Kelly is so much fun to play with.  At the moment we are exchanging two ATC's and each time we receive them we put one additional piece on and return it in the next letter.  When they are finished we will each have one.  One of her letters this week was envelopes glued together with one page of the letter in each envelope ... sort of a book.  The other was written on black note paper in white pen.  :o)

Then Millicent, also from 'a good mail day' group sent me a post card she made herself.  It's wonderful.  Millicent, I hope you are going to take part in the "Liberate Your Art" swap.  

 

You must agree ... it was A GREAT MAIL DAY at my house!  I also got my magazines from Stampington today ... so I will begin to devour those tonight!

Hope you will become a 'friend of donna did it', leave me a comment, and enter to win the earring giveaway.  Take care ... and thanks so much for stopping by.  Each of you make my light a little brighter, bring a smile to my face, and I adore reading your comments. 

"What I do today is important because I am exchanging a day of my life for it." Author Unknown

* GIVEAWAY Takes Place Manana ...

A quick reminder for all those who are tuned in for the earring giveaway.  TOMORROW is the day.

For those of you who would like to review the procedure, please have a peek HERE.  You can also see some of my earring designs on this page.  The winner will receive a 'surprise package'.  Please, please join in the fun.  It's my first ever giveaway, and I'm excited. :o)

Quinta de Luz (House of Light) is officially complete.  The last of the railings have been installed.  It will take me a little while to get used to now having workers here every day.

So much easier to go up and down!

It has that 'finished' look now.

The weather is cool tonight ... such a relief.  I am sleeping under a blanket!  Habibi is back on the bed with me and there is an incredible soft cool breeze coming in to keep us company.  All is well with my world.  :o)

“Done is better than perfect.” ~ Scott Allen

* Mail Art and Organizing the Studio ...

Organizing my studio here is turning into a bit of a challenge.  It's all about climate.  I know, your saying "Climate? .... Whaaaa?".  April and May can be HOT here.  Who knew?  Everything I read about climate in this area used words like moderate and temperate.   Perhaps these reports have not been updated since climate all over the world is changing.  Yesterday for example, we had a wind storm.  The air filled with dust and small tornadoes appeared off the hills and mountains.  My head is currently wrapping itself around the dust issues here.  There is no escaping it.  I've come to the conclusion I either accept it for what it is, or I move!  I use the word dust loosely.  It's a 'silt' ... so fine, if there was a hole the size of a pin head, tons of the stuff would make it through and layer whatever lies beyond with it's blessings.  So, it becomes an issue, not only for working, but for storage of art materials, especially paper of any kind.  I purchased plastic towers for storage in the studio.  The silt filters in, through any crack it can find.  I changed my strategy and bought large bins with air tight lids ... nope ... does not keep it out.  Working can be even more of a challenge.  I wipe everything down with a damp cloth before I begin.  Yesterday, for example, during the wind storm, I found myself wiping everything down, including myself,  about every ten minutes. There simply is nothing else I can do but accept it's part of life here.  After I finish a project ... say the earrings for example, I wipe them down, slip them into small zip lock bags and place them in a box with a lid.  It's something I'm going to have to learn to live with.  Fortunately this weather is only for a couple of months at best (or worst) ... so surely I can accept two months of dust.   Wish me luck.  The rainy season is approaching ... I'm all for it!

After yesterdays putter session in my studio,  one can actually see the floor again.  There is hope.  Pretty much everything is in bins and drawers.  Now to do the fine sorting and label, label, label.  I like to know exactly where everything is when I'm working on a project.

Still much more work needed ... however, it is progressing.

I'm very fond of this piece which I was fortunate to find at a garage sale.  The tin punch doors are done by quite a well known local artist, and it fits into the niche like it was custom built!  How lucky am I.

A few more days, I may be comfortably ensconced ... working happily on my projects.  I have no idea what I'm going to do with my large easel.  It's currently on the terrace.  Because of the way I had it built, it does not fit well in this space.  I may have to sell it and have a different one made.

And now for something completely different (Anyone out there a Monty Python fan?)  .... here's the latest mail art, ready for the post office.

 

We seem to be going through a period of nostalgia, and everyone seems to think yesterday was better than today.  I don't think it was, and I would advise you not to wait ten years before admitting today was great.  If you're hung up on nostalgia, pretend today is yesterday and just go out and have one hell of a time.  ~Art Buchwald

A reminder that we really only have this moment, this NOW.

* Lenna's Little Book Swap ...

Good Morning Blog Land! :o)  I want to say Thank You to all of you who answered my question about building a 'stash' from scratch.   Everyone was so very helpful and supportive.  From your answers, a couple more tweeks and I am well on my way to having the best stash in Mexico.  (Not difficult to do, believe me!)  Time and time again, the artist community bedazzels me.  Never afraid to support each other.  Such a gift. 

Little books from all over the world are beginning to arrive at Lenna's.  Mine were posted yesterday ... they arrived safe and sound.  Pop over and have a look from time to time .. not only at mine, but at the fifty-nine other entries as they come in.  Such talent out there ... all so exquisite and unique.  A real treat.


Leena did a lovely write up, and there are some great comments about my contribution.  It all makes me smile.  It was so much fun contributing to this swap.  I think I might be hooked on creating little books.

When you come looking for sugar,
your bag will be examined
to see how much it can hold;
it will be filled accordingly.  ~  Rumi

This is one of my very favorite Rumi quotes.  We often think we might be deemed to be 'greedy' if we bring a large bag to be filled with the sweetness of life.  When .. in fact .. it is intended we show up with the very largest bag we can conjure up in our minds.  Always think BIG ... the outcomes of our lives are directly related.

Thanks for coming to visit today.  Don't forget, we are having an earring give away on Cinco de Mayo.  I would love it if you would join in.  Please refer to this post for 'the scoop'.  That's only THREE MORE SLEEPS.

* Happiness Is ....

A Royal Wedding in London!  When I saw my first crown, I fell in love with the Royals.  It was 1953.  It was the year of Queen Elizabeth's coronation.  I was almost six years old.  We purchased our very first television for the occasion.  I was glued.  I new every word, and every movement by the time it was over.  I discovered, that day, I could speak with an English accent.  I remember sitting under the kitchen table repeating every word of the Queens Speech I could remember.  Not only did I drive everyone around the bend with the Queen's Speech, I was fascinated and mesmerized by the accent and kept it up for days.  It's never left me ... my love and fascination for the Royals and this history, and my gift and ear for accents.  Both have given me many hours of pleasure and fun over the years.

Royal scrapbooks were a delightful hobby for me when I was a child.  I kept every scrap of paper I could find and carefully glued it into the pink pages of my very ordinary scrapbook.  I don't have that book anymore.  I wish I did.  I kept tabs on the Royals movements ... saved photos and clippings of Anne and Charlie as they grew up. I didn't keep up so much with Andrew and Edward until they got older.  That was really their 'second' family.    When I lived in London in the late 60's I was privileged to attend the Trouping of the Colour.  At that time, the Queen rode the beautiful black horse which was a gift from Canada.  I attended Ascot, in my Hat of course, and was very close to the entire Royal Family who, as you know, are very keen on horses.  My parents were invited to one of the Queen's Garden Parties at Buckingham Palace when they visited me in London.  I was crushed I was not included in the invitation!

William and Kate are simply an extension of my life long interest in the history of the Royal Family. My interest actually extends to the Royals of the world ... an integral part and often a horrendous part of the history and make-up of a country. It's certainly not all 'pretty'.  The history of the Russian Tzars for instance is an incredible one.  And so, for this latest event in the life of the British Royal Family, I gathered together a 13" TV, snuggled into bed, propped up on tons of pillows, a box of tissues by my side, dabbing my eyes at the least little thing that brought back a memory.  Watching those incredible horses lead the way down the Mall is always a show stopper for me.  In London, I used to walk the Mall, watching the horse guards change and go back to the stables.  In those days you could go to the stables and watch them take care of those beautiful animals ... Ah ... such great memories.

So ... here's to William and Kate.  I wish them the best.  Being Royal is not an easy destiny to be born to.  I do not envy them their position.  I am, however, still fascinated by the whole subject,  and will be for the rest of my life.

My friend, Wendy, attended a Wedding Breakfast at one of the local establishments.  I simply was not up to it.   On her way home, she dropped in, armed with books on the Royals for me to peruse.  She had fun ... you can tell from this photo.

All day I think about it, then at night I say it. Where did I come from, and what am I supposed to be doing? I have no idea. My soul is from elsewhere, I'm sure of that, and I intend to end up there. ~ Rumi