michelle ward

G.F.

What is G.F.?  Short for Girl Friend?  Maybe.  Good Food?  Great Find?  Got Fries?  Gab Fest?  Try this:  Get Factor.  Isn't it cool when you know someone Gets you?  Don't you love when someone says You'll Love This, and you do?  It doesn't have to be related to things you receive, it's about so much more than that.  It's when your people know you are passionate about something, and they feed you by sharing information, by sharing enthusiasm, by acknowledging your YOUness. 

I want to share a few recent arrivals.  This just in from Julie.  It's not even December and like a child I ripped open the lovely package.  You've seen it before:  page 43 of Sept/Oct Somerset Studio.  Isn't it dreamy?  I am so lucky to have five pieces of art by Julie.  She is my idol, my mentor, my dear friend.  I keep moving it from room to room to see where she'll be most at home.  I adored it when I got a sneak peek for the article.  She KNEW I'd spaz when it got here.  Love it, thanks Julie!

Judi took a swoon-worthy voyage to Paris and London.  She came back bearing gifts.  Gold, frankincense and muhr?  No.  Curd, clip, and dirt.  I'll take THAT, thanks!  She got me dirt, can you stand it?

And how is this for clever?  Judy blew my mind with these....and she spray painted the package, almost too good to open but when it has Judy's return address on it I know that contents will be even better!  Won't those tabs be perfect in my HIMnal?  What you don't know what that is?  Scroll down a few posts.  You can barely see it but the brads she uses to hold the tags in place spell H I M. 

This arrived yesterday.  If I hadn't spent the day pampering myself I might have run off to the framer.  I had to dye my hair, and try my new eyeliner.  Have you ever used the liquid stuff?  I hadn't until today and wanted to make sure I didn't become a raccoon within a few hours.  I'm liking it.  May use it tomorrow night.  I think I'm all ready now.  Palpitating Heart.

I KNOW I'll have a good weekend.  Hope you do too.  And if you're still making out your gift list, be sure to remember the GET Factor.  Be clever and creative and make your selections so that your gift recipients know you Get them.   

Just when you thought......

....that I might be done talking about Grave Dirt, I have more to tell you! 

Seriously, I was sure my chatter about cemeteries and dirt might have my readers dropping like flies....but you have surprised me in the sharing of my enthusiasm.  So many great comments and private emails related to the whole dirt thing has really touched me.  It's turned out to be a really cool thing and I'm glad I shared it with you.  First up, me collecting a specimen from Washington Irving, author of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

This weekend we ventured up to Tarrytown, New York, to visit the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, resting place of many famous people.  It is a stunning place with it's beautiful headstones and incredibly hilly terrain.  On the backside, down a steep slope, there is a small creek and some eery woods.  The chilly late afternoon left us wondering if we'd indeed see the headless horseman take a ride.  My parents were good sports to be led on our little mission.  Actually, it was a day enjoyed by all.

Both Fallon and I took turns digging some dirt.  There were people around but we didn't care.  The earth was loose and just begged to be dug.  In the first or second scoop I came across a penny so set it back on top of the stone, which is where it must have placed by another visitor some time ago.

Here are some of the interesting tombstones.  If you are into walking beautiful cemeteries, especially on a late fall afternoon, when the wind blows and the leaves are falling, and crunching, and making you kinda jumpy, you should visit this one.

The one on the right was coming right out of the tree!

 

Other activities:  saw Enchanted.  ADORABLE!  I was very impressed with the pop-up book thing they did at the end.  Here is the crew in the cute town of New Hope, PA.  Hope you had some quality family time this weekend too. 

And to my fellow HIM fans.....this just in:  Bleed Well (directors cut video).  We see them this Saturday and Sunday and I will come with gifts, of course! 

To you and your family

My parents are here to celebrate with us.  Hope you have your loved ones near too.  We'll miss our annual trip into the city for a Broadway show on Friday as the stage hand strike is still unresolved.  Plenty of other things to do!  Enjoy the holiday!

Overtime

Working overtime is something I KNOW my teachers do.  They put in more than what's required to make Sam's classroom time productive and constructive and appropriate.  Years ago the boys in Room 10 started painting and packaging blank card sets.  Mrs. Reiss's husband even made them table top easels to make is easier.  HCIT?  The cards are sold at school events to make money for various things like flowers to plant in front of the school each Spring.

Here is Sam with Miss Julie and Mrs. Reiss on SATURDAY (can you say overtime?) at our local church xmas craft sale, selling the Room 10 cards.  It's been an annual event for us, and is a terrific 'real world' experience.  Life Skills.  Should be something we all have to learn while in school, don't you think?

Mrs. Reiss was even there on crutches!  Thanks Maureen and Julie for your OVERTIME.  And thanks to Mr. Dave and Miss Brenda too - and all the teachers who go the extra mile for our boys.  Self-contained classroom is hardly the fitting label for OUR class. 

Workshop

The classes are now posted at Valley Ridge Art Studio.  It's a stellar line-up once again.  As has been testified to here and on other blogs you probably visit, it's a remarkable experience to be at VR - highly recommended!  I'll be teaching a two-day painting and visual journaling workshop.  Hope to see you there!  It's my only commitment for 2008. 

Registration begins December 8. 

Enabling.....

I have the best readers!  You guys really GET me.  For instance, a week ago Lorena left a comment to alert me to this new product.  How cool is that to have a personal shopper?  Thanks Lorena!  From your thoughtful comment to my work table in the blink of an eye.

Here are my first tests using this paper lace - great images to use as a stencil, with spray paint of course!   Mine arrived this afternoon from PaperAddict.com, thanks Marissa for the speedy service!   The link will take you right to the order page (enabling you!), but if you have a chance to purchase from your local scrap store please order from them.  We need to keep the stores in business!

Here's are two tips: 

1.  You don't have to use it as is, 12" x 12" - you can cut apart as I have done with the numbers above.

2.  These are made from kinda flimsy cardstock.  I wouldn't even really call it cardstock.  Perfect if you want to glue to a page, but not so sturdy of you're going to use as a stencil so beware....and do as I did:  BUY SEVERAL COPIES OF EACH.  Have wax paper nearby to lay your stencil on to dry.  They'll stick and rip if you aren't careful.  They look really cool after using several times so you'll probably want to retire them eventually and use on a journal page.  (That's right, I don't scrapbook, but I adore the industry for the cool things we can use!)

Now we need to get K.I. Memories to give us die-cut ACETATE so we will be happier stencil-ers.

Distractions

Oh my!  Just the remedy for mourning the end of the season of L.A. Ink - Project Runway returns on Wednesday.  Fallon and I will sit with our sketchbooks and play along.  My favorite part is when they show the artists drawing in the studio.  Don't you agree we should see more of that?

This just in from tonights silkscreen class.  I tried a few printed dead center, then made some with the print on the bottom, front and back.  If you have to ask what it the text is, you haven't been reading my Street Team blog long enough.  (HINT:  they are song lyrics.)

I loved using this brown ink on the turquoise and peach shirts (hard to see, it's not black) but they were rejects because the shirts had this weird 2-ply cotton and it slipped when I was squeegying it.  Dang!  I guess I'll stick with the red, like HERE.  Next week I'll try white on black.  Susanna was clever and brought a BOX of rubber gloves.  THAT was genius, especially because I am such a slob and you can't be when you're doing these.  Thanks girl!

It's always interesting to try something new.  It makes you look at your default style of art with a new perspective.  Working with fabric has been a lesson in addition to trying my hand at larger graphics.  I'm dying to squeegy some acrylic paint through these screen stencils onto paper.  Dare me???

Or so the saying WENT

Who said Good Things Come In Threes?  I don't know, do you?  I used to love that saying, three being my favorite number.  But recently I got to wondering how Good Things in 3s became Bad Things in 3s.  Haven't you heard that one too?  Bad Things Come in 3s.  Bleh.  Let's do away with that shall we?

See I noticed this:  G.O.O.D. equals 4 letters.  B.A.D. equals 3 letters.  Shouldn't we change the rules?  Let's start saying Good Things Come in 4s.  That way there will always be one more Good Thing than Bad Thing.

And let's talk about Bad Things for a minute.  Bad is not a place I have ventured on this blog.  I'm not going there, just lightly dancing around it.  Just trying to get some perspective.  Like there are Bad Things and there are Bummers.  Say, for instance, Graham's two-year-old-IPOD-with-a-warranty-that-ended-in-July is toast.  It's not a Bad Thing, it's a Bummer.  But like all Bummers (and Bad Things), there is still something Good to be discovered.  It's a Good Thing he has used it every single day, getting enjoyment from our investment.  It's a Good Thing he can afford to buy another.  It may be toast, but it didn't get engulfed in a California house fire.  It's not an appliance he needs to sustain life.   And it's so insignificant when you find out some terrible news about someone you love.   

Isn't it interesting that we can find Good in the smallest of things if we set our focus to see it?  Have you noticed that Good attracts more Good?  And Bad attracts more Bad?  I wish I could find this article I read online to share with you.  It was about magnetism.  There was a study done where someone discovered you can actually measure magnetism within us.  And Good vibes, or whatever they are called, attracts more of same.  Think about that.  Want to change your path, your destiny, your attitude?  Be good, do good, see good.  Attract Good.

So four good things for today:

1.  Join me in wishing my dear friend Lisa a Happy Birthday.

2.  I met a new friend.  He tagged me, but I don't do tags.  Visit his new blog and his revamped site....and for sure look for the new Grungeboard demo here.  It's a Good Thing. 

3.  Sam and I are off to music therapy class, presented by NJ Very Special Arts for families with Autism.  We are lucky to participate in a program like this.  I look around at the other kids in his class and feel so blessed. 

4.  I heard some Bad news recently, but I can filter through it and find some Good.  I feel Good that I was the one who got the call.  I got to be there for someone.  That is so Good.  I know I can ask you (yes YOU) to say prayers with me.....that Good will prevail.  I know that you don't need the details, you'll just send your positive vibes our way.

EDIT:  Can't stop at 4. 

5. Coffeemate Gingerbread creamer.  Swoooon.  See how many good little things you can find when you're fending off bad stuff?

6.  More Moo.  Laurie shares her cards, the kind we were talking about the other day.  *Note to self:  have some made!*  You DO have Laurie's book don't you?  If not, add it to your xmas wish list!

7.  More ETSY love.....don't you need one of these?  8" high, 1/2" thick!  More letter styles available.  From www.damboisedesigns.etsy.com

8.  And from www.pleasebloom.etsy.com , this terrific piece.

And yes, I know THINGS don't make up all that is Good in life.  I do believe the quote:  "The best things in life aren't things", but sometimes things are just the Rx.  Besides, after shopping this week, at the mall and online, I've got half my xmas list taken care of!

Oh, and Graham's new ipod?  I think he likes it better than his old one.  It has video!

Day 3 & 4: Dead End, New Beginnings

Trying again.  Have had two posts eaten up.  My goal yesterday was to get some cork wall tiles for Sam's room.  He has about thirty wall calendars hung in perfect lines around his room and each month when he flips the pages he has to re-push-pin back in the wall.  Cork makes sense, yes?  Do you think Lowe's or Home Depot had them?  No!  I did find an online source, just waiting for confirmation of the thickness - need them to be push-pin appropriate.  Crossing fingers it's not another dead end.

Continued working in my Himnal.  Not Hymnal.  HIM lyrics + Journal = HIMnal.  *cracking myself up*

One of my favorite new things is this paint dabber.  Works great on alphabet stamps over a painted page.  Sometimes ink just doesn't cut it.  These are just the trick! 

Watched Corpse Bride with Fallon last night.  It's a good thing to watch a film over and over...you see things you might have missed the first or tenth time.  Found this photo of the puppet guy settting up a scene.  How about that staircase?  My uncle is a Construction Coordinator in the movie industry.  Before I was married I thought about moving to CA to work for him.  How fun would building sets have been?

And now for new beginnings.  I have had this doll for years.  How hideous is that attire she came with?  The collar, yes!  The rest?  No!  I have a gigantic clock case she will reside in - so grungy and weathered it looks like it came from the floor of the Titanic.  I'll be painting some tyvek clothes for her - in black and white of course, and we'll have to do something about the purple on her head.  Bleh! I know, spray paint!  She'll look perfect on our red bedroom wall.  As you know, Pierrot is my Muse...should be fun.  Stay tuned.

Next up:  The Mall, by request of the kids.  Here's out routine:  in through Macy's to navigate the Lucky Brand jewelry, then Hot Topic, Vans, Journeys, Pac-Sun, Spencers, Claires, Sephora, food court, home.  Band merchandise will be involved, twist my arm.

Day Two: Finally!

Finally an afternoon spent with my dear friend Judi.  Finally got to see Elizabeth:  The Golden Age on the big screen.  It was a visual feast....sure the costumes were divine, but the architecture of the sets made me squeee!

I mean, look at that throne!  Gah!  And the gothic quartrefoil lace arch below.....

And the painted map on the floor......

And those crosses............

And the view from the window..........Guy Hendrix-Dyas, set designer, you rock! 

I don't know how historically accurate the film was.  Who cares!  Love those collars and ruffs.  Sometimes you just go for the visual feast. 

And sometimes you just go for the company *grin*.  Day Two was fabulous - a friend and a film!

 

Day One: Dirty

No school for a whole week!  That means a break for Mom too.  Spent the morning in my jammies.  Did a little shopping on ETSY (will share soon).  Got to the post office just before closing.  Had an impromptu pizza party.  Can you smell my garlic breath from there?  Got dirty in my studio with some spray paint.  Couldn't find my gloves so my hands almost look like this..  I'm avoiding cleaning.  If you're going to procrastinate you should at least be having fun making stuff, right?  Blackletter is still my fave new font.  Spray is still my fave old medium.  And I haven't evolved in my color selection - who says you have to? 

B.E.L.I.E.V.E

This story just came in from the Autism Today newsletter.  Enlightening for parents of all children, teachers too.  I love the message to BELIEVE in your child, whether they have a diagnosis or not.

Jene Aviram develops communication tools for families @ Natural Learning Concepts.

YOUR CHILD IS FASCINATING.  MY CHILD IS FASCINATING.  ALL MY CHILDREN ARE FASCINATING. 

ENCOURAGE....TEACH....INSPIRE....SUPPORT....WITNESS....DELIGHT....BELIEVE!

Swoooooooon!

So this week Belinda posted her clever icicle dolls (her second entry of the Goth Crusade) and I swooned over them.  In particular this one below, THAT ARRIVED IN MY MAILBOX about thirty seconds after I commented on her blog.  You know what that means?  She mailed it before I even saw it and SHE KNEW I would flip out over it.  It was wrapped in this lovely parcel with very handsome postage stamps and some yummy MOO cards too.  Does she ROCK?

Also in this week was another unexpected surprise from Mary Ann.  Yep, swooned at the envelope and all the goodness inside.

I know you wish you could see the

detail of the devilish message on

the package.

Isn't she a scream?

Little did she know....

on the very same mail day that her

package arrived.....

the one below came from Tally.

Grave dirt from Israel!

And one of the cards from her

new business, check her out!

Thanks girls!

I'd seen MOO cards talked about on blogs but I'd never seen a real one until I got the ones from Belinda, and then these lovelies from Johanna.  I can see why everyone is swooning over them.  These in particular are swoon-worthy, don't you think?  Thanks Johanna - my friend met through The Crusades.  Speaking of which......

Congrats to Pilar!  How sweet is she?  This Halloween card arrived - a clever eye sees it can double as a stencil.  In fact I got this card from both Pilar Pollock and Anne Bagby AND I sent a few of the very same one.  It's so cool when people GET you. 

Chris made me smile today when she alerted me that Johnny Depp is on the cover of EW this week.  (We get it delivered as a special something-or-other from Best Buy.)  Little did she know the magazine arrived today and I thought the same thing she did, the he reminds us of a certain someone.  I'm looking forward to Swooney, oops, Sweeney Todd, the Burton film, aren't you?

To end this swoonfest post - we have the whole next week off from school!  Maybe I'll get my studio cleaned, or finish the rubber designs I meant to get done over the summer....or maybe I'll just sleep in every morning, and catch a few films (the list is long!)  Maybe I'll paint Sam's room.  Maybe I'll wrap up some unfinished projects.  I've been wanting to visit Tarrytown - home of Sleepy Hollow, so maybe we'll take a drive up there.  I am such a space I didn't realize we had the week off until YESTERDAY so I haven't planned a thing.  What an expected treat - no schedules, no early mornings, no homework!  SWOON!

EDIT:  a few comments and private emails about MOO cards means I should post this.....I haven't done them yet but I can tell you from the ones Belinda and Johanna sent me that they are really cool, and very inexpensive to have made.  The ones they sent are 1" x 2ish".  Go here for more info:  www.moo.com