con-tain-it

Fabulous Friday Giveaway

Enchanted by Josephine, "a blog for sharing the passion for history, historical fiction reading, writing, reviewing and more" is sponsoring another fantastic giveaway and TODAY IS THE LAST DAY...

Last Day for Giveaway: Pope Joan!!!

Today is the last day of Pope Joan Week here on Enchanted by Josephine. It's also, officially the last day for the Giveaway.

Reminder:
To enter the Pope Joan Giveaway of this fabulous author autographed-with-inscription-read; this is what you have to do:

1 chance: Post your comment and leave me your email address
2 chances: Become a follower and let me know (if you already follow, you automatically get this
**Get an EXTRA CHANCE for every day of this week you come by and leave me your comment.

AND- Because it's the last day to enter...

for 5 EXTRA CHANCES...if you Blog or Twitter about this giveaway (and let me know)!!

Contest closes today.  So make sure you hop on over to Enchanted by Josephine and participate!

 

Happy Friday, Fondly, Roberta

Bobbi's Birthday Dinners...

Wow...this has been a great birthday for me because I got to celebrate it with my family.  This weekend Timothy and Ashley came home to Charlotte to celebrate my birthday with me and we all went out for a great dinner at one of our favorite local restaurants, PF Chang's.  My oldest son, Mitchell and my sister, Debbie also joined us and we all walked down from our apartment to the restaurant.  Of course on Saturday evenings there is a waiting line, over an hour, but we all knew that and so we sat around outside at the lovely courtyard sharing a glass of wine while we waited to be seated.  It was the first time that Tim, Ashley and Mitchell had been there and they were pleasantly surprised.  Here's a shot of us all after we finished that the waiter took...it's not the greatest but at my age...fuzzy is a good thing...lol

So the waiter wanted  a second shot because Tim's eyes were closed...not much better but a bad shot, like a good shot still brings back the great memories and that's fine with me.

So last night for my actual "Birthday" my husband wanted to take me out for a romantic dinner at another one of our favorite restaurants, Maggiano's Little Italy.  It was a very wet, rainy day (hence why I was able to focus and finish a page in my Altered Book) and I was in the mood for warm, comfort food.  My favorite dish there is the Chicken and Spinach Mannicotti...and they also make the best Martini's...had to have just one with blue cheese stuffed olives....yummy in my tummy!

This photo is much better...the lighting in the restaurant helped and the waiter was very patient.   Of course, I love any photo of me and my darling husband...I'm so blessed...and I never take him for granted...love you Kevin and thank you for making me feel so special...always and forever, Bobbi

Wednesday's Workbook...Fantasy Folded Altered Book

Loving this on-line class and I've actually started the collaged pages...this makes me very happy :}

 http://ramblingrose.typepad.com/journal/

This is another great e-zine that you download and work at your own pace.  Make sure you go over to Patty's blog and check it out.  Now here's a few photos of the pages I completed on my birthday...it was a gift to myself to sit down and complete a collage...what a great gift...taking care of yourself on your birthday.  Some people like to go to the spa and pamper themselves, etc., but ART is in my heart and it feeds my soul.  I know this sounds corney...but I'm too old to give a damn...lol  ENJOY!!!

 

Years ago I started this Altered Book and the theme was "Dreams" so I'm continuing this book theme and adding the concept of this class, Fantasy Folded Altered Book.  So the first two page collage is appropriately titled "beautiful dreamers".

This photo shows how the image "wraps" around the folded corner of the first set of "fantasy folded pages".  I played with some "walnut inks" and misted them onto the pages with a small "Tim Holtz" mask (still waiting for my Glimmer Mists to arrive).  I also used some stencils with a dauber and stamping inks.  This book is old and the pages are very thin so I had to be careful with the walnut ink wetting the paper...patience is my middle name :}

I like the way the walnut inks and mask "bled" through onto the next page...a wonderful "mistake"...that's what collage is all about...playing and experimenting.  If I didn't like this "bleed" then all's I have to do is collage an image over it...but I like this so I'm going to incorporate in onto the next two page set.  I'm on a roll so hopefully by next week I'll have this first set of "Fantasy Folded Pages" completed...yeah!!

Wednesday's Workbook...Mail Art

Nothing is more exciting then opening up your mailbox and receiving REAL mail from friends and family.  Well yesterday I received two great "Mail Art" packages from Roben-Marie Smith who is a lovely artist, whom I have admired for years.  For those of you who are not familiar with her name, I'm sure you know her by her rubber stamps and journal art company Paperbag Studios. That is how I first discovered her when visiting our condo in Daytona Beach and finding her "unmounted" rubber at the coolest little multi-media art store, Stamp N' Deliver.

Here are some photos of the cool gifts that Roben-Marie sent to me for participating in a giveaway on her blog.  Then, I was so excited after watching her make this Mail Art Video to actually receive my gifts in her nifty "sewn" up Mail Art...ps...I'm going to keep the Mail Art envelopes...I'm sure I can find a cool way to "bind" them into some sort of journal...I'm such a hoarder :}  Good thing it's "in" now-a-days to be green!

 

These are the lovely cards that Roben-Marie designed and were the lovely gifts she gave to everyone who participated in her blog post...she is so generous!

 

The art world is virtually closer now that we have blogs and the internet...I say this now because Roben-Marie and I are taking the same on-line stencilry course from Mary Ann Moss.  Well Roben-Marie has completed some lovely journal pages and mail art and she sent me this lovely package:

 

With this lovely hand-made journal inside...man I'm so excited...and inspired!

Now I have to go get busy on my journals...won't be doing any spray painting for a couple of weeks because they are repairing and painting the stucco on our building so I had to bring in my "station" so that they could work on my balcony.  Not to fret though...yesterday I ordered some more Glimmer Mists and Masks by Tattered Angels so that I can work inside on my Stenclry class.  In the meantime I will work on cutting some stencils...found some neat "fairy" images that I want to incorporate in my work.  So by next Wednesday I hope to have some of my own work to post.  MAIL ART here I come!

July 20, 2009...Fly Me To The Moon...

Congratulations Ashley and Timothy on your 1st Anniversary...the love birds have been married for one month already...so hard to believe that it has already been one month since their beautiful Wedding.

 

What makes this "anniversary" even more special is that Timothy found out today that he is being offered a position with US AIR in Pittsburgh, PA...YEAH...he has been anxiously awaiting their decision since they got back from their honeymoon.  They are so excited to be starting their new lives and to begin their next adventure in a new city.

On a really great note...my niece Cortney and her fiance, Carl, live outside of Pittsburgh and can't wait for them to arrive to show them around the city.  Tim wasn't sure if he'd be offered a position in Charlotte or Pittsburgh so Cortney was excited when she learned that they would be "neighbors" with her cousin!   Here is the cute couple when they were here for Ashley and Tim's wedding...Cortney and Carl are to be married this October in Mooresville, NC where they originally met and where Carl's family now lives.  Carl and Cortney moved up to Pittsburgh over a year ago so Carl could attended an art college for "Special Effects"...Carl loves horror movies and all the bloody details...lol

 

Collage w'Stencils, Altered Books, and Foils...oh my!

So much happening around here in the studio with my favorite mediums for Collage Art.  Just downloaded the final week for the "Stenclry" on-line work shop with Mary Ann Moss of Dispatch from LA and as soon as the "conditions" permit I will be back to Spray Painting...("conditions" meaning that we've had a lot of rain here in Charlotte since I signed up for this class AND TODAY they are "pressure washing" my balcony...too funny...lol).

Last week I signed up for Patty Van Dorin's Fantasy Folded Altered Book ezine course and LOVE the entire project.  My husband and I went away this weekend to Ashville and I took my EeePC and the class PDF files with me for this  course.  I actually completed the "folds" for this project in the hotel room and while we picnic'd on the grounds at the 'Biltmore".  It made for the perfect weekend with my DH!

Because my thoughts were "occupied" with my "Fantasy Altered Book" project while we were on the Biltmore Estate for two days, I took photos differently this visit...I was looking for "landscapes" and architectural "images" to include in my altered book.

 

Of course the Biltmore home provided the statues and architectural details that I was looking for...but  we found this wonderful place on the actual grounds to park and picnic that had a view of the Biltmore House in the distance with it's reflection mirrored in the pond...fabulous!

Just cannot wait to finish my altered book...I'll post an album of the project as soon as it's finished. 

This is also the final week for Theresa McFadden's ezine A Journal of Interest that I signed up for because I loved her "Summer Art Journal" ezine from last year.  What I love about Theresa and all the other on-line "tutorials" is that you can work at your own pace and I ACTUALLY FINISH THEM...but I am the type that always finishes ALL and ANY classes that I take...granted it may be years later...but I do finish them.  The great part about the on-line classes is that you have great, detailed/documented materials to follow and save for when you have the time and/or the inspiration to finish a project.  Right now for the "Journal of Interest" ezine, I'm continuing on with my new lessons in my "Summer Art Journal" so that I have all of Theresa's great journal insite in one book.  

NEXT I found this great artist, Gary Reef from Norway on YouTube who does wonderful "collage" art and he also incorporates "stencils" in his work.  I ran to his ETSY page and bought one of his instructional DVD's on using "foil" in your art work.  Now maybe I'll be "inspired" to use all the templates and foil that I purchased at donna downey's retreat this past May.   Check out his great video here...with Gary's permission I'm sharing this with you on my blog :}  ENJOY!

 

Wednesday's Workbook: Spray Paint Work Station

Now that the rain has slowed down a bit here in Charlotte I am able to get back to my on-line class with Mary Ann Moss titled, Stencil-ry, Pure Experimentation...remember I told you all about it a few weeks ago here in this post.  It has been slow going because of all the damp, wet, rainy weather that we have been having for the past two weeks...note...spray paint does not dry in these conditions!  This is a far as I have gotten on my "Journal Portfolio"...

It's still a "work in progress" but it looks better when you stand back...way back...lol

Since I wasn't able to do much "Spray Painting"...which I really wanted to use this medium because the best part (other than the cool results you get and the "surprise" factor of working with stencils and masks) is NO CLEAN UP of brushes...water jars...work station...etc. 

You can really get spoiled with that part :} 

SO...I did what I love to do...ORGANIZED my Work Station...here's a shot:

As many of you know...we downsized this spring from a house to an apartment...so I have to be very "resourceful" when it comes to use of space.  This rolling cart was my answer...to think I almost sold it in the yard-sales...but I convinced my husband that we could use it for "tool chest" in our storage space.  This cart has been quite the workhorse for me...it is over 25 years old and I originally bought it from Spiegel's catalog...remember when they use to have the BEST decorative, hard to find, items.  Now I don't even know if they still have a catalog?

 

The cart is completely made out of medal, except for the casters (still the originals) and the top which has seen better days...but is great for spray painting on now.  I used this cart originally when I lived in Italy over 20 years ago in my kitchen.  The apartment we rented had no kitchen cupboards (standard for Italian apartments...which are more like condos and they purchase all the trimmings...light fixtures, cupboards, wardrobes, etc.) and all my American appliances required a "transformer" to convert the American wattage to the European wattage.  Anyone who has every traveled in Europe and tried to use their blow-dryers, razors,  etc. knows what I'm talkin' about!

Anyhow...since then it has provided great service with it's shelves and "pegboard" side storage...which I'm now using to "hang" my stencils on for easy access.  The moveable shelf holds the current projects' spray can colors.  The built-in "towel" bar is great for quick access to my much abused "paint" towels.  I just love how I can "wheel" this cart out and hang up my spray shield on the door and "spray" away.  Don't worry...I do move my wicker chairs...behind me...out of harms way when I'm spraying.  Then the cart tucks away in the corner when not it use and we still have plenty of room to sit on our balcony and enjoy a glass of wine in the evenings (as we often do). 

Hope you all enjoyed the tour!  Next week I'll have more pages to show off in my journals...can't wait!

Happy 30th Birthday Mitchell!

Just couldn't resist sharing this YouTube Video w'Eddie Murphy and 'Ice Cream" with my son on his actual birthday today, July 13th.  We had a small family gathering yesterday with barbecued chicken, potatoes and fresh mozzarella and tomatoe spinach salad and lot-sa beer.  Then we played card games by the pool for the evening.  It was great that it actually stopped raining for an afternoon so we could all get out of the house for a little while.  I did not make or buy a cake because we have all been on a "no sugar, no preservatives" diet (including Mitchell...he thinks he's getting old...lol) so my sister, Debbie brought along a big watermelon.  But it was seedless...so we wondered...what did they do to "alter" the watermelon to get the seeds out....ummmm

How did we justify the beer...well Bud Light w'Lime is low-carb and has 8 grams of protein per can...so...it was a toss up...cake or beer...what can I saw...we're bad...lol

Make sure you don't have any young kids around because this video is early 'Eddie' when he dropped alot of "F" bombs in his routine.  Enjoy!

Glimmer Mist...

Glimmer Mist is the same great product with  a fabulous NEW Look!

 

Bet you didn’t know that ALL of the bottles of Glimmer Mist were hand labeled?

Glimmer Mist is made in a warehouse in Loveland, Co.and each bottle is mixed, bottled, and labeled by crafters just like us! To make things easier on the staff (and prevent Carpal Tunnel!), they have decided to change their look one last time.

Like the picture above, the new bottles will sport a rockin' new screen printed label.  So let EVERYONE know that Glimmer Mist is the same great product with a Fabulous NEW Look!  So head on over to the Tattered Angels site (www.mytatteredangels.com ) for a GIVEAWAY of brand new never before seen Winter 2009 Glimmer Mist colors!

I  know that I am excited about the new colors and the Giveaway because I loved using these at Inspired this year for decorating our class portfolios as well as in our class with Carol Wingert where we used thee Tattered Angels masks and mists...I'm hooked.  AND now I want more of them to use in my new class with Mary Ann and her cool "Stencilry" class...check it out on her blog Dispatched from LA.

 

With Glimmer Mists...the possibilities are as limited as your imagination...go try a bottle! 

Wednesday's Workbook...Spray Painted Journals

The completion of my "Summer Art Journal" has just been extended...until further ezine notice...

Don't doubt me now, for I am committed (just no white jacket required) to finished the last three lessons of the original ezine by Theresa McFadden...but she's gone and done it again!  Theresa that is...she has gone and developed another ezine for this summer...appropriately titled...A Journal of Interest!  So far so good...Theresa's newest ezine starts with making your own journal covers and custom book plates so I can catch up...and so can you...won't you join in on the summer fun...here's the link...go now...it's never too late... 

http://teresamcfayden.typepad.com/minutia/2009/06/a-new-ezine.html

OKAY...so I wasn't satisfied with adding another ezine...then I hopped onto this class "band wagon" because you all know how I just love SPRAY PAINT...remember...Black Spray Paint.  NOW BETH you can see why I have so much spray paint in storage and that it will be put to good use...lol  So go check out Mary Ann's wonderful blog and her cool "Stencilry" class.

 http://dispatchfromla.typepad.com/dispatch_from_la/

I have been watching Mary Ann's blog posts with my google reader for some time now and I am just amazed with her journals...make sure you also check out her "flicker" account with all the lovely pages that she has posted there...it's very addictive!

So now I'm off for the weekend to have some fun with ART and to catch up on all my "commitments".  Hope everyone has a safe and Happy July 4th weekend. 

Lonesome Dove...

...aka Mother Hen...missing the "Love Birds"...while they are away on their two week honeymoon.

So happy for them and what they have been "up to" since they "flew the coop".

First stop was a week in Daytona Beach where they stayed in our vacation condo at Tropic Shores.

 It was a hot week but with an ocean front unit right on the beach with this view...I don't think it bothered them too much :}   We took this photo last year when I stayed for my birthday...remember this Photo Album...Summer Art Journal 

Once they finished their week at the beach, they drove up the coast to visit Charleston, SC and were lucky enough to find a room for a couple of nights in one of our favorite places, Middleton Place Inn.  It is located on the Ashely River on Route 17 just outside of Historic Charleston and it offers such a romantic, memorable setting.

 A "Woods View" room is large and has floor to ceiling "shuttered" windows that make you feel as if you are in a tree house.  What you don't see in this photo is that each room has a stone fireplace that burns wood and a huge bathroom with a gigantic tub for two...it takes so long to fill the darn thing though you better not be too sleepy before attempting a soak...lol

My DH, Kevin and I treated them to a Dining Enhancement which included Dinner for two at Middleton Place Restaurant, a Picnic lunch for two and a bottle of Champagne upon their arrival.  So Tim took my advise and reserved a private table on the enclosed porch for a candle-lite dinner with views of the gardens.  You can walk through the path in the woods from the Inn to the Restaurant and it makes for even more romance...ohh lalalala

One of my favorite spots...the next day Tim and Ashley had their picnic lunch as they toured the Plantation.  It was a bit hot...but the river front offers great breezes.  Remember this great place in the Mel Gibson movie, The Patriot...love it!

 

Next Tim and Ashley headed into Charleston for a day in the Historic Districtto enjoy the architecture and food before heading up Route 17 to Pawley's Island where they stayed for a few days in our Golf Villa at Pawleys Plantation.  Tim didn't have his clubs with him...but I think Ashley wore him out cause he was too tired to even think about playing golf...lol

 

There are so many great places to eat in Pawley's and after years of vacationing there, Tim knows where to take Ashley for the best seafood and atmosphere.  Places like Roz's Rice Mill Cafe, Louis's at Pawleys & the FIsh Camp Bar and of course TIm's favorite breakfast place, Eggs Up Grill.

Now they are on their way to Myrtle Beachfor a Fourth of July celebration with Ashley's dad, Ken Hayes and her younger siblings, Rachel and Ethan and lots of friends.  After two weeks on the road I'm sure they will be happy to get home to their "Love Nest" in Raleigh...but not before stopping in Charlotte to see Mother Hen...lol    Can't wait to hug them both...until then I'll keep myself busy around here, hanging out at the pool!  Have a great weekend everyone!