More Tarot

Here's the next set of Tarot cards! The muted gray is actually shiny silver.

Your mind will be full

I saw Avatar last night - first screening at midnight. Be prepared for the most involved artistic adventure in a long time - the costumes, the art, the environment - nothing was left to chance. Nothing.

I never wanted to be blue before - now I do.

Tarot Swap ATCs - third set due

I just read today that the next set of Tarot Cards are due in February. I've gotten some compliments on my use of vintage photos, so I am continuing the theme. I have to do:

• The Hanged Man
• Death
• Temperance
• The Devil
• The Tower (think I will use the Empire State Building)

This is going to be fun!

Exotic Beauty Swap cards

Two cards - both of them I started with rubber stamps. One I colored with Sharpie Pens; the other I decorated with Zentangle doodles.

Holiday Card released

Ok, released is just a fancy word for "I made the holiday card and mailed them out." I only made around 20 and everyone else received a storebought card - but it's a matter of materials and time rather than I-love-you-less.

I did not do my annual newsletter - with sparkly designs and photos - my printer is acting weird and giving me colors in photos I do not want. It could be a number of problems - cheap ink I switched to - I don't like paying over $13 for one ink cartridge when I have six to replace. I like having the individual colors - I only replace the one that is running low - but prices have been creeping up from the original $7.59 for one to over $13 for the same ink. And, add to the fact that my printer is not made anymore, the ink is getting harder to find. It's a great printer when it's not "sick." And my life has been a series of one step forward and fifteen steps back lately - and it became daunting to write a cheery newsletter.

I am lucky that I decorated for Xmas and mailed out 30 cards.

More cards

I did a self-portrait swap - those photos were in the last blogs - and I did another phase of the Tarot cards swap.

I had great fun. I stayed with the graffiti/grunge background, but this time I added silver tape instead of copper. Enjoy!

Seems like forever

I finally finished my self-portraits for a swap. It took a long time, as picking a photo took me forever. Then it was, how do I see myself? Well, I'll let you in on a secret - what I think I look like does NOT match what I really look like. Ah, aging, wrinkles and gravity have hit with a horrible intensity to my once lovely (well, debatable) face. So, I put the portrait into Photoshop and made it all artsy, so although you can tell it is my face, the details get lost in the mix.

Rather than trying to make the portrait definitive, I decided just to start decorating with favorite colors, symbols and stamps. it was fun adding things. Trouble is, when will I know I am finished? Enjoy.

Another vision

Wooden beads and turq. nuggets and carved melon

In design - face pendant OR

Three face clay pendants?

Okay, I was designing a pearl necklace and this popped into my head as I was looking at the stash of beads I have. Then of course, having switched tasks in my head, I made it. I am still looking for my amethyst chips. I also took out some strands I found and put them on a table where I can see them. I need some solutions for too much stuff. Meanwhile, back to looking for amethyst.