Remains of the Day

Have you heard of this online class? I came across it with some linking around the other day, found that Teesha Moore had taken it, went to her site, read about it a bit, and found Mary Ann Moss's exciting, colorful, and witty blog, Dispatch from LA. She holds a few online classes that have lots of videos, instructions, discussion and humor. I couldn't resist, so I signed on. The journal I'll end up with uses no liquid adhesives, gessos, gels, but lots of scraps and stitches. The travel journals are very fun. This is not for the carefully organized, clean and pristine journalers, so I'll fit right in. Measuring and straightening have never been my strong points. Neither do I do well with detail work - although I admire and love Teesha's pages - who couldn't - I don't have the patience to do the beautiful detailing she does. Wacky and wild, though, I can manage. It might take me longer once school starts, but I'll enjoy this one - this woman is hysterical and creative!

Lots of ways to remember the year and decade. I note that financially we are collectively and individually at the same place we were a decade ago but we feel a lot less safe and secure all the way around. Can't obsess on it. I think the year could have been better for most, but I really have little to complain about and am thankful to be healthy, if not as wealthy and wise as I'd like.
Hubby and kitties, too.

Enjoy Time's "TOP TEN" lists here.

Here's sample: Top Ten iPhone apps:

Top 10 iPhone Apps

1. Tweetie 2
2. Yelp
3. Slacker
4. FlightTrack Pro
5. Mint
6. SlingPlayer Mobile
7. The Small Chair (McSweeney's)
8. RunKeeper
9. Photoshop.com Mobile
10. Locavore

A Paris Sketch Blessedly Photoshopped

The original is above...

Playing...

I'm trying to get my December Postcard Exchange pieces out today. I have been tardy too often this year. I used a value sketch I did for a watercolor piece in Molly's class and played around with Photoshop to make it more interesting. Actually, the little sketch I did turned out better than any of the 3 attempts at the big piece. Like Edison, I learned a lot of things that didn't work, at least to my satisfaction.

Tribute to Wayne Thiebaud

My 5th grade class is working collaboratively on a tech/literacy/art all-year project with a 3rd grade "buddy class." The first artist we've looked at is pop artist, Wayne Thiebaud, who paints those delicious cakes and pies and everyday items. Being no fools, when we planned this event, we figured we'd do it around the holidays, so we could get a buddy party of "Wayne Thiebaud cupcakes" and maybe have a few --ahem - extras around afterward. (I'll take chocolate, please.) The cakes were painted in watercolor. I brought some of my lesser expensive tube paints for the kids to use, since those cake pans at school have so little pigment in them. The kids mostly used them like tempera or acrylic, though - and there wasn't much time to give them lots of practice in "the light watercolor touch." But they did get the idea. As for the cupcakes, a lot of kids really took time to pick a design they liked and we had some thrilling!! cupcakes. I am "the queen" of my classroom and never let them forget it. Michael make an extra one for me. I've trained them well.

French Photo Booth

Well, THIS is fun!

Learned about "lephotocabine" from Deanna at her blog Mischief and Madness (you should definitely check it out!) She calls it a "time waster" - yup, it is, but oh what a blast. Enter the Parisian photobooth and take a four-shot. Save it, print it, send it. Cute cute.
lephotocabine