Great weekend last week at ARTzona. 3 blissful days of creating. Check out some pics at my friend Sherrie's blog http://bigtoestudio.blogspot.com/2012/01/artzona.html

Looking forward to meeting some AFA-ers tonight at the Scottsdale Art Walk!

2012

Wow, haven't been HERE in awhile!! As always, I hope to blog more this year, I guess I just forget.

Looking forward to ARTzona this week. Hosted by a few Arizona ATCsforall.com folks and we have some of the members coming in from out of town. Can't wait to meet some of these folks face to face.

Here are a few of the most current pieces I have been working on, all for swaps or to trade at ARTzona

STUFF

So, I've been crazy busy with the grooming, I no sooner get finished with a week than the next week is booked already. Guess people like what I'm doing although I'm still learning.

My hubby and I attended a Grooming Expo last month in Pasadena and I picked up a lot of tips from all the classes I attended and a certificate as well, so it was worth the money, no question.

We have found a house we want and have put a bid in on it but haven't heard back yet. I know that this house is mine, it just feels right. It needs a bit of work, but I like doing that sort of stuff and it will be my hubby's (Tracy) and mine, first house together. He moved into my house shortly before we got married and I think he might have felt a bit put out since it was already filled with my stuff. I tried to put his things in too, but it's not the same as having a house you pick out and decorate together. So, we are hoping for the good word this coming week.

As far as my art stuff is going, I'm not doing as much as I'd like, mostly because I only have one day off and that gets used up with CHORES... sigh... I manage to squeak some small stuff in tho.

Looking forward to the blogger's luncheon on April 9th, hope to meet a few folks and spread out my blogging wings!

New projects



This set of pics is for a Mixed Media Gothic Arch - Bird theme swap and one example of an ATC made for a transparency swap



I used collage, paints, stickers, glitter glue, metallic sprays, alcohol inks, stamping inks and more to make the arches. I think they turned out pretty well.




On another note, I'm getting very busy with my grooming business. Just bought a couple of pieces of Amish made furniture - a drysink and a corner cabinet - both with a wheat carving design on them, to use in my grooming room. The dry sink is going to be (lovingly) altered to create a mobile cart for my tools so I can roll it around my table and have easy access to everything. I will post pics of the grooming room once the re-decorating is done.

So, My sister Meri, an AVID blogger got on my case about not posting anything. I guess I could say I don't have much to say, or I could say I've been busy... Both are true, in a way..

I have been working at a pet resort for about 5 months now, assisting with grooms then grooming. Now our groomer is leaving and that leaves just me, not having any formal education, but having hands-on experience. I am going to be starting classes for grooming in the next couple weeks, so I can get a certificate. It's a huge opportunity for me since my unemployment benefits will be ending and we need income. It's not full time, but could turn out that way so it's good. The only thing is, I won't be able to do as much artsy stuff as I'd like, which makes me a little sad....

Anyway, here is one of the recent things I have made. it's a Steampunk Chunky for a Make Me Happy Chunky swap, in which one person makes one for me in a chosen theme, then I pay it forward and make one for someone else in one of their chosen themes.

Hope she likes it, I'm proud of it, it was fun to do and the very bottom gear, actually turns!

and even MORE..

So since I'm not sure how to post all my pics on one blog - they come out funny... I'm posting 3 times hoping to get them all in. The first set is for a

"Ransom Note" swap and the doggies are

for a Bizarre February Holiday swap - The

day I chose (of course) was

International Dog Biscut Appreciation Day.