the minutes and the hours

thoughts flashing bluffing bluffs

with that possible one assertion

the transcendent epiphany

that vanishes

into shadow,

into echo,

in the minutes and the hours

i, furtive

Stabat Mater

you must turn off my playlist in order to isten to this music.
At the Cross her station keeping,
stood the mournful Mother weeping,
close to Jesus to the last.

Stabat mater dolorosa
Juxta crucem lacrimosa
Dum pendebat Filius

amid creating, reading, going to see the latest films ("The Class") and running around all over town mailing packages, i DO also, miraculously, make time to keep house (i hand wash my dishes), cook and tend to the garden with the occasional hike. last weekend andrea, martin and i took a long walk at the Upper Ranch where this years' crop of organic oranges are already on the trees and picked hundreds of tangerines. we stopped by the strawberry stand and bought this year's first crop of fresh strawberries.but after all is said and done, my life force remains creating

these are the Bustier/Corset collages I collaged for MAMMA this week. One I'm keeping, the others swapping.

Procrastination: My beauty mask with Nancy's recipe. I promise I'll get to it. My skin is really needing some nourishment.

& I've opened a shop with them

although sales have been good, i have decided to try something new at LOLLISHOPS. i think rather than open a second shop on etsy, keeping some of my more "fanciful creations' separately will allow my shops to be tidier. eventually i will have to separte my vintage findings from my creations, but for now i will see how this works.

i have been a little saddened by news from England. Jan's daughter Rosie ill, Margaret's husband ill and having trouble breathing, my dear childhood friend Lucy unemployed, and the death of beautiful Natasha Richardson. thoughts and prayers multiplying and my heart is with them, i hope they feel that.

thank you all for your lovely comments on my past posts. i have not been very creative with words of late unlike some blogs where some master language and expression of ideas go hand in hand with the photography. but in an age that moves so fast, i guess lots of pictures tell a story too.

vintage inspired altered tin...and from the birds i learned infinite hope, the certainty and truth of flight" Neruda

a little bit of this and a little bit of that

Altered CD for GAS Mamma Swap

two takes on a Paper Whimsey Image

Altered Scrabble Tiles mounted on Canvas Glorious Ranunculus

Muscari in bloom

so much going on. days just fly.

i never thought i could but i did. i guess "YES I CAN" is really sinking in. and it really has my creative juices going. brought out the paints and pastels i dread so much and just gave it my all with my version of a modigliani. funny thing is i had just seen the film about a week ago with Andy Garcia. i thought it pretty good. one particular scene was excellent... when all the painters from that era are in their studios creating their masterpieces for a competition. the takes on each artist as the music plays is fantastic. i hope it is liked in the challenge. i have a feeling i will be painting a few more since there are too many artists to chose from.

after all it is approaching spring. with Mamma's latest challenge being "in an english country garden" i have continued the series of hand embroidered atcs, first with a daisy, now a poppy and working on the bluebells.

in spite of an economy that continues tumbling, managing to list and sell a few items that i have gathered on my daily outings up and down the california coast in search of treasures. my shop is now over-stocked with all sorts of vintage finds, so take a peek, and happily have sold two of my own creations which has brought great joy and even a couple of tears.

yet my greatest finds are all the artwork my friends have been creating. every day i am more in awe at the array of work being created each and every minute.

MAMMA does it again, bringing out the best in me. I have been creating away for all my sweet sweet friends "across the pond" as Margaret would say.

what have i been up to creatively these last few weeks? lots of bijoux, something that surprises me because i have never been a bling lover. i usually prefer a matte surface to shiny and classic rather than glitzy. so this is a detour of sorts.

GAS MAMMA challenge Altered CD