Update on getting healthy...............

Hi to all my friends and family..................
As always I think I have a great routine down and I will be organized................but as usual, I seem to be chasing my own tail. I am of course working on some art projects, trying to refuel after the holidays.......or should I say UNFUEL, boy can you over eat with all the goodies. lol My whole family made a pact to join a gym after the new year in the hopes that the buddy system would work better than going on your own. So far it is working, I think. There is only three gyms in our city that have heated pools, which is a must with all my joint and bone problems. one gym was a private one, one is the Y and then the one we joined. it is very nice. I have had to get used to being all by myself most of the time, while swimming. Bill and the kids all use the weight machines and such inside the main gym, play basket ball and all kinds of fun stuff. The stuff I used to be able to do...........grrrrrrr. Now I am out in the pool, which is all by itself in an outer building. whenever it is cold, which it is winter............it is literally like the black lagoon. all this steam rises up off the pool and you can not see anything hardly. So of course it spooked the heck out of me the first few times. then I got external speakers for my ipod and now I just turn it up as loud as possible and focus on the music. Really it is just noise, because the place is so huge that you can not really hear the words. But my chicken butt feels much better with the background noise. So no we are eating healthy, going to the gym and honoring our new years resolution. Bill is of course dropping huge amounts of weight compared to me............god I hate it the way men seem able to sneeze and drop 10 pounds................why is that? I have swam like a hamster on a wheel and have only lost 20 pounds, while he sweats 5 pounds off every time he goes. lol ok, I should be grateful huh............I am very proud of him and the kids, it just kinda stinks a little that a man that is still in a cast on his foot can run circles around you in the weight lose area. Tyler , my youngest son, of course is running 3-4 miles and making the trainer tired I think. Megan , his beautiful girlfriend, is just putting up with going, since she is in wonderful shape too. Kryston, my princess and only daughter, is loosing weight and doing great. She says the trainer is killing her, but still puts up with it. I think she has a crush on him really though. lol And me.........I just swim back and forth trying to look like I am accomplishing something. having had two surgeries on my neck and on both shoulders.............well, it kinda makes your exercise routine limited. I can't swim over hand, because the shoulders don't rotate any more. I have a hard time with the breast stroke, since the whole neck is fused and putting my head back is not easy and almost impossible. So I have come up with my own style and swim stroke. I kinda tend to list to one side, since one shoulder is stronger than the other, but luckily they have painted huge black lines on the bottom of the pool to keep you in a straight line and in your lane. I am not sure if they did it just for me or not, but it helps! lol In all seriousness, I am feeling better and plan to keep plugging. I keep trying to remember what is good in my life and focus on those things. AND IF BILL KEEPS LOOSING MORE THAN ME, I CAN BREAK HIS OTHER FOOT! LOL Love, hugs and best wishes to everyone. I am off to get paint and glitter in my hair. sandy

Artstanding Stranger: Zetti Art

Artstanding Stranger: Zetti Art

Valentine Spirit..............

hiya everyone! I am finally up and running again. I have been busy with different swaps and such. I thought I would share the 'valentine's love atc' cards that we did for a swap. it was fun letting loose and doing collage work. It is pretty much my favorite medium. that is why I enjoy doing altered art so much, it really is just doing collage work with multi-mediums, as well as working three dimensional items into it. I love the textures and depth of the collage and altered art. taking one item that is going to be the focus and then building around it. I love vintage photos , and used several for these cards.



After I pick an item that is the 'focal' point, then I decide what I will use as the base. I use different scrap booking printed paper. Plain card stock paper that I have painted or drawn on.

the card 'love me' I used a pink paper with gold paint splatter on it, as my base. then I used a piece of darker pink tissue that was torn and used it to split the base paper, your eye follows the tissue to the focal item, which is the heart. on the 'love' atc, I used a light colored print paper with a heart shape in the middle. I added texture to the heart and glitter also, this gives the heart depth. I then used a darker pink distress ink to break up the base paper and used it like I did with tissue or contrasting paper on some. I also added glitter around the edges and wrote the word love on one and love me on the other. I like to do a lot of my own writing and also pen work to add definition to the items on the card and also give the card a finished look. I use pigment ink pens with a small tip and then I spray a fixative to set the ink so that it will not smear or smudge when I use the finishing material. You can also use your sewing machine, or hand sew on your cards to make items pop out and also gives it a unique and finished look as well. Using distress ink on the edges and even some of the images, it gives the item a finished look, a vintage look if you use the right color. you can use a Qtip or sponge tipped tool , like the ones made for applying chalks, and lightly color something to make it look rich and give more depth. I used both chalks and distress inks on the items in these cards. if you look at the 'pink flower babies' below, you can see the touch of pink I added to the white flower pedals. it give the flower a richer, more realistic look.





I always use a finishing spray, or a collage finish medium. it gives the atc's a warm feel and also sets any glitter paint, or other mediums you use. some of the time I will take a dimensional medium that drys clear and makes whatever you use it on stand out. make sure the other mediums are totally dry before you put the dimensional liquid on, or it may dry with a cloudy look. trust me, I have had it happen and it really urks me when I have almost finished an item and then ruin it with the liquid. I would use the dimensional liquid or 'liquid glass' only on the items that you want to stand out, not the whole card. I used it on the wings and some of the hearts. you can not see this or most of the glitter as well. but when you see the cards or items for real, they have such depth and warmth when you use these mediums.


The finishing touch on these cards , as well as all of my work is my signature. people have asked me how I write so little for my signatures, you just need a very small tip sized pigment ink pen. no matter what you make, you should find a place to sign it. when you put your heart and soul into an art piece , remember that the art you just made is going to be somewhere in this world longer than you. I had an art teacher tell me one time, "you sign it, even if you may think you are not a 'real' artist, all art is worthy of your signature, no matter how small" I believe just like he did, that even if you do not think you are a famous artist, or how insignificant you think the piece is, it is a masterpiece and should tell the world forever it's creator.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Valentine's Day. I was lucky enough to spend it with my kids and husband. we decided this year that we are getting healthy, so no candy. we got each other valentine goodies that are useful. I got the kids a set of PJ's , the kind that everyone wears even out side. they got me a little set of IPOD speakers, so that while I am swimming laps at the gym I can listen to my tons of songs.
The whole family joined the gym for a year, so we can't flake out. we go together , to make it easier to work out. Because of my fused neck , shoulder surgeries and back problems...........I don't have a lot of options. So we picked a gym with an indoor heated pool and a huge hot tub. I swim lots of laps then go to heaven in the hot tub. swimming has really loosened up my injuries and given me more motion than I have had since the operations. and the added bonus is I am loosing weight too. everyone in the family is loosing weight and feeling good. Bill is healing wonderfully from his ankle and foot surgery in October. he is loving the work outs and feeling better than he has in years. Kryston and Megan are slimming down and getting in shape. Tyler is mega man and loving all of the work out equipment. he comes out and swims a few laps with me , or just checks to make sure I am OK. the pool is kinda by itself and can be a little dark at night when we go, so he just checks to make sure I am OK. it is so sweet of him. he is trying to make sure he is in shape for the CHP academy. you can not apply to the academy until you are 21 or going to be 21 by the time you graduate. so he still has a year and a half to go.
I am glad that I could get a tad of info and catch up on the blog. hope you all drop by again. I am going to try and write more often.............honest..............I swear............cross my heart.............you get the point. lol

I am alive.............honest!

hi everyone!

I kinda have fallen off of the planet since thanksgiving. seems like I have been on full tilt since then and hardly any time to do anything other than Christmas gifts. the holidays were wonderful. all four kids were home for Christmas. it is fun watching the kids grow from little and Christmas being all about Santa and stuff, to now wanting to make sure they get the perfect gift for their loved ones. my youngest son and I had a conversation about Christmas morning, and when I told him how I have always enjoyed watching them open their gifts and the fun of it, than I have opening my own............he says ' you know mom, I am the same way now, I love to see every one's faces and reactions to their gifts . he took such care in making sure he found the 'perfect' gift for all of his siblings, his dad and I and of course his girlfriend too. he drug my behind around on numerous shopping exertions, which those that know me well, know I hate. shopping has never been my thing. I make an exact list of what I want to get for everyone, keep notes long before Christmas and then just try and swoop in and get my gifts and get out before I am trampled in the shopping craze. this year that was impossible. each on of the kids wanted to make the most fun of shopping trips, making sure their siblings knew that this trip to the mall must be for them, because they were not invited. everyone wanted to coordinate the gift shopping like it was an elite FBI tactical outing. we had to covertly shop for everyone together and make the most of each trip and leave inconclusive evidence and hints to confuse the person we were shopping for at that moment. I am sure you realize I am of course exaggerating immensely and enjoying it greatly! there really is a huge core of truth though, and I really did enjoy watching my grown children and their fun for the holidays.
many have been wondering how bill is doing with his last ankle surgery, it is wonderful to say that this one has been soooooo much easier than the last. before, he never got past the constant pain stage and never really could walk on his foot, this time he is healing so well that we have to remind him not to be walking without the crutches yet. of course with his new found wonderful health and lack of pain, is a desire to be 'doing'......so the boys tried to clear a spot in the garage for him to 'tinker' until he can do his beautiful wood work and metal work again. his friend rob, our neighbor , visits him often and they 'tinker' together . the kids bought him a weather station for Christmas. this is a curiosity and something he has had an interest in for years. his dad was very into it as well. bill being my bill, can not just have a weather station, it has to be an all informative one and then it can't just be mounted on the house...............nope, he has the kids and rob help him make an extremely tall stand to mount it on. when I say tall, I mean see it from the next town tall. then he didn't like the way the indoor station layed flat, so he had to make a stand that was nice looking enough to be furniture, but mobile so he can carry it to what ever room he is in. then this is all great , but now for the birthday, we needed to fulfill his vision and get the books and magazines to read. no not read, to educate him well enough to be the next weather person on the local news station. and the final and latest thing was the small, but wonderful weather station that now is mounted on the car interior. we must have something to stay updated while we are driving. I figure this way, he is now focused on a new hobby that is wholesome at least, and me and the kids have something new to tease him about. bill always takes his hobbies and interests to the highest level and at least as he has aged he can now laugh along with the kids as they tease him for being just a tad 'obsessive compulsive'.
OK, I have poked fun at bill, so now we will move on.......this last weekend Tyler and Megan flew up to Oregon to visit her family for her birthday and for Tyler to meet them. I must admit, even though he is all grown up, I still had some heart flutters........I realized that this was the first trip that he has went on without his family , or without his classmates/team members. he had a blast, likes her family. I only called to sing happy birthday to Megan, I worked hard at not 'checking up on them'. he did call and check in with his dad or myself though , to update us now and then. bill and I drove to Sacramento the day before their flight was due in. we wanted to celebrate bill's birthday and enjoy some 'us' time, now that he is feeling better. of course I was 'lucky' enough to wake up with a migraine the day we were leaving. I managed to keep it to a dull roar that day and we enjoyed a wonderful seafood dinner out . then we watched a couple of movies together. the next day, I awoke with out any migraine, thank god. we had all day and until evening to kill time and have fun before the kids arrived. we went to the capitol building and since it was a holiday, we were able to take lots of wonderful pictures. there was not many people or cars like usual. we found the fallen law enforcement memorial, and took pictures of it and the names of those bill knew from work. then I took the opportunity to take pictures of the gorgeous mason work, statues and stone designs. although I will never be the wonderful photog bill is I am sure, I have been trying to fly with it a little on each trip or vacation we take. I have a fascination with design and beautiful stone work. we then took a drive around the streets of Sacramento so I could add to my ever growing collection of pictures of street signs. I have been taking them for several years now and have had in mind a collage that works them all together. we also took a trip into old town, I wanted to get a photo taken in the 'gangster/flapper' style. we had one taken when we got engaged, then over the years have taken several with the kids as well. it was a blast to set our engagement photo next to the new one. kryston my daughter decided to inform me that she couldn't believe 'how young' we looked in our first photo. I laughed and said we were, in fact I was younger than she is now............gees time flies. after our trip into old town, I stopped and asked directions to the nearest cemetery. of course I wanted to take pictures of the stone work headstones and angels. bill is not really into my 'passion' of this, so he happily watched from the car, following me so I didn't have to walk too far. he has his 'obsessions' and of course I have mine. I love using the photos of stonework in my collage and altered art. it is almost as bad as my love of old photos. he laughs when I buy antique or old pics from yard sales, thrift shops and such...........but all I can see is 'art' and the prospects of projects in their faces. I have even framed and hung some of them. I always laugh at the looks I get when people ask if they are relatives and I say no.........just a face I found.
kryston is going to be venturing into a new job sort of. the company that she works for has had a hard time with having a governing corp. over them. they have decided to branch out on their own and start their own company. a little scary , but she is excited. she will still be working with adults that are developmentally challenged, doing the same things just with a new company. she is excited that they are giving her a raise and are going to train her to do 'the bosses' job, so they can branch out further. she really is glad they have stuck with it even though there has been some stress along the way. her and her boss have become great friends, and she likes her co workers. when we had a BBQ for her birthday last April, they all came over to the house. many of her 'clients' have met bill and I and know our names. when the new company is up and running, I am going to do some art classes with her clients. I have helped out when they have done scrap booking and such, but I look forward to doing some other art forms with them.
Travis came home for Christmas and new years. he now lives in San Jose and works for a construction company. he is dating and having fun. although it was tough having him move, after moving close by, he is still close enough to visit. after he graduated high school, he went to San diego and could only come home once a year........so we were so happy to have him move back up to redding when kryston and tyler did. but alas , it was too small for him, he has become a big city person now. and now he has that with the bonus of being closer.
tony came home from the army and station in Georgia for the holiday. he drops into our lives once in a while and then poof , he is gone just like he came. he is talking about 're-upping' with the army. we are a little surprised, but also not...... you never know what tony is going to do, until it is old news. lol
I think I have gotten everyone caught up on our world, or at least parts of it. I wish I could upload some of my pics for you, but my computer is trying to be a royal pain. I can get on the Internet on krystons computer, but not mine. she does not have the scanner and printer hooked up to hers...........so until I get up and running, I will not be able to upload pictures or my art work. I hope to call and get someone to help me through the steps in the next day or so. times like this that having Travis here is a help, he is the puter guru in the family. I am lucky to understand the basics and bill's version of 'fixing' a glitch is to pound on it. so I will wait til I have help that will help rather than hinder. hugs and best wishes to everyone! sandy

hi, I have not fallen off of the planet, lets catch up

Well it has been awhile since I sat down and wrote a few words. some of you probably think I have fallen off of the planet. I figure I better try to catch you up a tad on my life. sorry if things are a little mixed up and crazy.......but that is my life as usual. things have been a bit crazy in my world, not that is not usual, but maybe a bit more than what usually is going on. seems like life is a whirlwind and I am in the eye of a storm at times. I think most of you know that my husband Bill had a second surgery on his ankle. a nice 12 hour wait for me and the kids in an uncomfortable waiting room . it went well this time. he had the first surgery a year ago and after months of casts and lots of pain , it was in worse shape than before, so it was a second trip. so far this one seems to be sooooo much easier on him and he seems to be handling it all so much better. maybe to much better at times, the kids and I have to reel him in sometimes, because he feels so much better and pain free, that he wants to be doing things. I have had to adjust to finally an empty nest and a huge room for my art and a quiet house that I can do art until the wee hours if I feel like it. make many messes in the late hours when I can not sleep, which is often the case with me. now we have the kids living with us to help out and take some of the financial and physical strains off of us. I am so grateful to have them and amazed that we all can gravitate around each other again and not kill each other. we have had to make adjustments and get used to a full house again, but it has went much smoother than expected. I am enjoying the fun times, playing games and doing things with the kids. you do not realize how much you miss that , until you get the chance to have it back. of course then there is the other side of the coin, my beautiful daughter kryston still likes to leave our bathroom looking like a tornado hit it every morning. Tyler my youngest son, loves to leave shoes and socks in the middle of the front room floor every night. but I guess if I have put up with Bill leaving his clothes six inches in front of the laundry basket on the floor, for 23 years................I can enjoy the quirks of my kids again. in all fairness, bill has but up with me always putting the tea pitcher back in the fridge with only a drop left in it. it is his greatest pet peeve. It has become a game I think after all of these years.
OK, enough about my wonderful family, my world of art...............I have had a tad bit of a slump. mostly the changes in my life I think. working around all of the new things and events. I have done some things for some swaps that were a blast. Diane's chunky bling pages......an art deco set of add to the pattern.....right now I am doing some chunky house pages for an amusing muses swap. I think the structure of the swaps makes it easier for me to create right now. my brain is on such an overload that I need to be told what to make and what the parameters are. but I am trying to keep my creative sided brain going......I have started a few altered art projects and have alcohol ink stains on my hands as we speak. kryston has always hated 'my man hands', as she called them over the years. even though we look alike , and sound alike.........those close to us know we could not be more different in many ways. she has always been my beautiful girly girl princess. me just a pony tail tom boy. she has always been my rhinestone, feather, purple and pink sweetie. as a teen she would get so frustrated when I would have my hair up and paint head to toe............'mom can't you fix your hair' and I would reply 'I did it is in a ponytail'............'mom do you have to always have paint and stain on your hands and clothes, you look like a car mechanic and have man hands' . some things never change.......although for almost a year, I finally cut my hair off short for the first time in a very many years. It is in a style she likes, and me too for different reasons. her because it is a 'style' and me because it is not in my face all the time and have to be pulled up while painting etc. I love to still tease her with my 'man hands' though. when she got home from work the other day I held up my very colorful hands and then told her I just finished cooking her dinner. really bill had thrown some pizza in the oven because it was 'football ' night. I don't know if any of you artists out there like me can't seem to work with paint, stain and such without wearing it. it kinda reminds me of when I was in high school and college, playing softball as a catcher..............if my uniform was not dirty, I didn't play hard enough. lol OK I am warped and different, I admit it. I wear my messes like a badge of honer ! lol don' t all of you out there that can not get your fingernails messy.........wish you could. just once, you know.........go wild a little. OK , so then I am a lone wolf that is totally weird, messy art is my thing. I have found that in times of stress, which I have had much of lately, in times of sorrow, in times of emotion...............I can turn to my messes. if i can totally immerse myself in my art, it is a way to let go of the things that hang on. instead of a good cry, or sometimes alongside of a good cry......I pick up my charcoal pencil and just draw. don't plan it, don't use any model or picture...........just draw. and charcoal is the best, because it is messy you know. but I love the boldness of the charcoal, the ability to blend it and move the lines. sometimes a shape surprises me and turns into a drawing that totally surprises me. if I did not have my messes..........who knows, what is your way of totally letting go......do you have anything that can allow you to express the things that are too far down to express in words. the emotions that sometimes we do not even know are there. I think that is why I have always found an art outlet of some kind over the years. I often joke and say it is my sanity, my healing and my therapy. although in reality , that is exactly what it is. my family is my life, heart and soul.............but my art is something that no one can take, alter or change.........unless I chose to share it with them, or give it as a gift. I hope all of you are taking a second to 'de-stress' and have your own time. holidays are so wonderful and a happy time, but they are also stressful and tend to put our brains on overload. try to find a second to have to yourself. I wish the few of you that see this regularly, and any stranger that found my blog on accident.................A VERY HAPPY THANKSGIVING AND HOLIDAY SEASON! hugs and best wishes everyone, sandy

Artstanding Stranger: BFF GOLD CARD AWARD

Artstanding Stranger: BFF GOLD CARD AWARD

WOWOSA.........I am totally honored and speachless.........ok , I will keep it real, I am never speachless! thankyou girlfriend, you are an amazing artist, and wonderful friend.