Inspire Me Thursday - Word Art

After reading a post on one of my favorite blogs I quickly bought a used "Journal of a Solitude" on eBay. It arrived today just in the most perfect moment. I started reading it and stopped after only a few pages. So many times I feel different... not belonging to 'the rest of the world', so many times I hide what I really feel because I know I will not be understood..... it was so refreshing to read that I'm not different, thoughts written so well, explaining 'me to myself'. I will be reading this book slowly.

"The value of solitude – one of its values – is, of course, that there is nothing to cushion against attacks from within, just as there is nothing to help balance at times of particular stress or depression.."

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Journal entry - revisited.

I didn't like how this page turned out. So funny how sometimes things "call you". She was staring at me whole afternoon. Finally I sat down and wrote all over her face and hair and changed some other details. Now I know that this page is done. And it will be easy for me to read my favorite excerpts (from the first 30 pages of the book) whenever I need to.

Angel Island

This was a well lived day. We visited Angel Island, had a lovely 5 mile hike all around it and a fun ferry ride back home. Day is much longer when you're out in the sun and not sitting in front of the computer. We made several stops - here are my husband and daughter sketching the SF skyline.

There are many abandoned (military) buildings on the island. Here are some details that caught my eye:


I made grilled muchroom salad sandwiches and they were a big hit! They tasted 'healthy' and made us feel good. Hope you all had a lovely day! My feet hurt....

Try It Tuesdays - Easy Transparency Alternative

This week on Try it Tuesdays an easy and quick technique. If you haven't tried it before - read the tutorial and give it a try. I think I like it even more than transparencies... they blend easier in the collage. I used the tape transfer before. Here is an ACEO that I created last year. I used packaging tape to 'pick' the text from a book and played with it over an image.

This time I used contact paper (piano keys) and I loved the result! It was so easy! I finished the card with bleached beeswax and it removed any shiny trace from the transfer. Can't wait to play with this technique more!

Artwords - Dream

Barely made it... A new word will be posted tomorrow on Artwords, but I really wanted to create something for this week's challenge - DREAM. I use the word dream very often in my work, but it is always in a very light, romantic or whimsical way. For some reason I've been thinking all week about my own dream... not a very pleasant one and not romantic at all.

Imagine a lovely sunny day. I'm enjoying the blue sky, sun on my face, fragrant grass and flowers beneath my feet. I'm walking to my home - it is always my real home, the big building where I used to live. Suddenly there is no ground where it's supposed to be.... I'm left 'floating', completely out of balance - my feet barely touching the ground, my hands pressed to the building. There is no way that I can get back.... I can only hope for someone to come by and pull me back to safety. And I stay there for a long time.... feeling the strength leaving my arms and getting more and more scared of the big hole under me. I know what to expect and I am terrified. At the same time I think how it would be easy for someone to reach and easily pull me back. I often think about that thin line between our 'normal' lifes and disaster. Everything can change in a split second. Scary. There is one more meaning of this dream - I don't like to need help... or ask for help..... or receive it.... but that's another story.

Tag folios

I love making these folio books and I can never get tired of looking at the images I use so often on tags. A happy thing happened - I listed them on eBay today and two of them sold almost immediately! How I wonder what people that buy things from me do with them... Wouldn't it be nice to be able to see their creations?

Unfinished Altered Book

- on eBay -

More flowers...

Please tell me is this candle turning around? It shows well on my computer, but you never know what happens on different settings. Also, does it take ages for the page to load?

I was playing the domestic diva game today. Not the best way to spend the day, but I noticed the mountain of laundry, empty refrigerator (in my home???) and to say it gently - many other neglected things that needed my attention. It's a never ending job and after all these years I have not found a way to enjoy it. Any secrets?