I've been a slack blogger.....

Although this is true I have been slack about getting my posts up but I have been busy in other ways.
One way is working on my Art Journal- I need weekends and space to get it done- both space in time and space to set up.
I am now pretty well caught up on it and the class is over! But it has been a fun class despite the fact that I have been chasing my tail with it all.
I have tried most of the techniques that Dina has demonstrated although the sewing one is not going to happen because a) I don't have a sewing machine and b) I don't really own a needle and thread and c) I do not sew ...... so I'll use other techniques to get the desired results in terms of texture on my pages.
I really like how these pages turned out but I don't like the messy one I have done today- it is a tad yuck so I won't show the world all my flaws!
It has been a busy time and going to be busy tonight with the final get together of the "bushfire mob" who organized the successful fund raiser for the victims of the Victorian Bushfires.

The response was great and the letter from the company CEO included some of the following ...

As unbelievable as this is, the latest report from the “Bushfire Mob” about their fundraiser (sponsored by the American Australian Association) for the victims of the Australian Bushfires: USD $16,500 – (that is almost AUD $26,000) and counting…..

What an incredible show of support for this great cause--and what an enjoyable event! For those of you who could not attend, you missed a great time. From our resident Australian rap artist (using Australian words that required translation to us Americans), to a mystery singer, to a sing along, to a horse race, and to all the cajoling for donations that could be squeezed into a few hours, this was a fantastic event.

Suffice it to say that we have all taken a big step toward easing the pain and suffering that so many in Australia have been going through.

We had the fund raiser last weekend and it took all week for me to feel a bit rested.

It's been cold!

A glorious sunny day but icy, icy, icy. This is what happens when the snow starts to melt while it is still really cold. These icicles are on one of my favourite lunch time spots. They have a great tapas plate.
In the summer there take this part of the "building" down and have umbrellas for shade and air conditioning on in the "permanent" structure.
I had taken the Q train to 57th St as I wanted to buy Anne a birthday present- well needed to actually as it is her birthday today and we are heading out for dinner.






A young girl stopped and stared at me as I took my shot of the lost glove. I was doing the old take the shot with one hand hence the blurriness- and the fact that people thought I was an idiot. Perhaps I am but I think I am up to about 5 photos of lost items.
This one was in Brooklyn at the Montrose Ave L line station. I was on my way home from work.

Snow Day!!!!

What a grand way to start the week..... a snow day. It had been snowing a bit yesterday and then when we got up this morning we were moaning that we'd have to find our way out in the weather . Sue had checked the Department of Education website at 6am and there was no notification or change to the day. Having prepared my breakfast I sat down to eat it in front of the news and then just as they were going "to the break" the said the New York City schools would be closed! We cheered- a day at home- so we won't get paid but it was a great chance to kick back and relax and get on with other things we hadn't had the chance to do over the weekend.
The snow continues to fall although pavements and streets are a lot clearer than they were early this morning. I decided to take photos of the buildings around as the look so different from those on days when the sun is shining and reflecting in their windows.
I have started a new class at Debbie Hodge's Get it Scrapped! - this time it's Art Journal 102. I really loved the class last year and found it was a really great way to express things that were hard to either scrapbook about or needed more expression than simply writing down.
The first week of classes has focused on "Amping up your images". I found the last process Dina Wakley (the teacher) used creating pages with collage a little difficult as I didn't have the images, although I have begun a collection. I also wanted to use my own images - those mountains of photos i have stored on the computer.
The current class has used a number of images in a range of ways. The gel medium process and the "altered" photos have been fun to work with and have managed to fill my day.
A bonus was that I was able to use the image from the newspaper that Margie had given me of the man with the cat on his head and so was able to use my poem from May on the page with the image.