Okay... I Couldn't Wait!!

The Auctions Are Now Live!!! Yahoooooo!!!!

Here is the information on the Friendship Journal - all the proceeds will be donated to the Polaris Project, whose vision is a world without slavery.

“Named after the North Star that guided slaves towards freedom along the Underground Railroad, Polaris Project has been providing a comprehensive approach to combating human trafficking and modern-day slavery since 2002. Polaris Project is a leading organization in the United States combating all forms of human trafficking and serving both U.S. citizens and foreign national victims, including men, women, and children. We use a holistic strategy, taking what we learn from our work with survivors and using it to guide the creation of long-term solutions.”

You can find out more about this charitable organization at http://www.polarisproject.org/

The artist’s who so lovingly created beautiful art in this journal are -
Kim Owens, Elizabeth Golden, Linda Hartzig, Danielle Patterson-Weeks, Stacy Sechan, Deb Schaifer, Fran Dussaman, Jennifer Maroney, Cynthia Vose and Timaree Cheney - all members of the online journaling group Blissfully Art Journaling.


This is the link to The Friendship Journal Auction - http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250792003391&ssPageName=ADME:L:LCA:US:1123

This is the link to The Love Journal Auction - http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330544745796&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

I'd like to especially thank Jenny Maroney - who helped plan this whole project and also kept me on track. I love you madly girl - this would not have happened without your support!!!

All for today my lovelies...
kso
xoxoxoxo

Art Auctions Finally Here

Last year several members of my art journaling group joined me on a special project. I called it the Traveling Journals... we all worked in journals with themes and the end result would go for auction on Ebay. Well, Jenny Maroney and I are launching the auctions for two of the journals tonight at 7pm eastern time on Ebay. I will post the links to both the Love and the Friendship journals after they are posted. And tomorrow I will post info about the Friendship Journal, photos of the art and the charity we chose.

In the meantime... here is a bit more info on the projects and some photos from The Love Journal. Oh, and tell all your friends - we want to raise a lot of money!!!

Shelley Malone's Art Contribution to The Love Journal - one of three

In January 2010 a small group of artists agreed to participate in a collaborative art journaling project. The idea was for each artist to create three art journal entries based upon a theme – one was about “Love”, the second was about “Friendship” and the third was left “Open”. Each artist was asked to include an introduction page and two art entries about the theme of the journal they chose to work in. Each journal contains 36 different art entries. All three journals traveled throughout the United States and Canada for about twelve months. Two have returned safely and the third is slowly limping home – it ran into a few unexpected road blocks along the way, but will be traveling again soon.

Jennifer Maroney's Art Contribution to The Love Journal - one of three

It was proposed that these journals be auctioned off and the proceeds from each sale donated to a charity. The Love Journal would benefit a children’s charity. The Friendship Journal would benefit a women’s charity. The Open Journal would benefit Bernie Berlin’s no-kill animal shelter - called A Place to Bark.

Deb Schaefer's Art Contribution - one of three

This auction is for The Love Journal and all the proceeds will be donated to My Stuff Bags, who offer much needed support for foster children throughout the United States.

“Imagine the trauma of being a child separated from all you know – parents, possessions and home – and not having anything to cling to for comfort. Sadly, each year, hundreds of thousands of children here in the United States must be rescued from severe abuse, neglect or abandonment. Traumatized and facing an uncertain future, they frequently enter shelters and foster care with nothing – no favorite stuffed animal, no special blanket. They are afraid, disoriented, and desperate for comfort. That’s where we come in.
The My Stuff Bags Foundation, with the help of thousands of people across the country, provides these unfortunate children with new belongings and new hope through its innovative “My Stuff Bags” program.”
You can find out more about this charitable organization http://www.mystuffbags.org/

Marie Johansen's Art Contribution - one of three

Each journal is packed with absolutely stunning art work!! The winner of this auction will be quite thrilled when they get their little mitts on it. The added bonus is that you will also be helping out a truly wonderful organization in the process. We also left many pages in the Moleskin journal blank, so that the purchaser would be free to add more of their own art to the journal – maybe your artist friends too.

The artist’s who so lovingly created beautiful art in this journal are -
Kim Owens, Elizabeth Golden, Linda Hartzig, Marie Johansen, Deb Schaefer, Fran Dussaman, Jennifer Maroney, Shelley Maloney, Pamela Ann Leal, Tammy Freiborg, Mikel Goforth and Andrea Peterson - all members of the online journaling group Blissfully Art Journaling.

More tomorrow, so stay tuned :-)

kso

xoxoxoxoxo

Tsunami of Sadness

I am feeling much the same way I felt in 2004/2005, when an earthquake and tsunami caused such devastation in India, Indonesia and Sumatra. Back then, I was in a monthly tip-in swap and ironically the prompt - released in mid December - for January 2005 was "The Ocean".

This is the art I did for that prompt -

I took it out yesterday and read what I had written on the back in January of 2005...

"When I think of the Ocean I am most often focusing on the beach. I think of summer time visits with my family. Strolling along the sand dunes in quiet conversation with my mother, searching for the perfect shell with my children or watching them play joyfully in the waves. I love to spend the night at the beach and to blissfully fall asleep to the distant sound of the ocean coming into shore. The soothing sounds of the shifting tide, gently rocking me into a deep sleep. There is nothing like the fresh sea air to clear the cobwebs and replenish the spirit.

The past few weeks have reminded me that the Ocean is an integral part of a much larger, living planet. A temperamental entity whose mood shifts as easily as the sands on the beaches we all love so much. On December 26, 2004 an earthquake, measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale, occurred deep below the surface of the ocean and caused the sea to swell into a giant series of waves that would rock the Asian region. It absolutely destroyed millions of lives.

We will never know just how many people perished as a result of this disaster. As of January 21, 2005 the confirmed dead stands at 162,000 and still climbing. Millions more have been left homeless and destitute - of family and money! Fourteen nations were hit by this devastating natural disaster. Every day, for the first week, new numbers of confirmed dead would come in and I found the information too much to comprehend. I was horrifed and filled with sorrow. I usually try to record my feelings in an artistic way in my journal. I felt moved to share my journal art as a tip-in for this month."

I will make a new art journal entry about Japan this weekend when I have time, but for today I am reminded how fragile life is. How we are but a speck on the planet. We best enjoy the time we have - every moment - no matter how insignificant it may seem. We need to appreciate all the joys, friends and family that we have - every day! You never know what tomorrow may bring, my friends :-)

All for today my lovelies, kso

xoxoxoxo

Channeling Peaceful Resistance

No art to post today, just a few thoughts...

As I was listening to the news over the course of the last 48 hours I said a little prayer for the protesters in Egypt. Stay calm, stay focused and please, please don't react with violence!! Yesterday there was anger after the disappointing speech by Mubarak, but by Friday they seemed to become even more determined and focused.

And then the news that he was indeed gone! The streets of Cairo were rocking with joy - their mostly non-violent protest had brought about the change that they demanded. There was literally dancing in the street!

I am still amazed by this whole thing - so many times in the past these sorts of demonstrations have been squashed with violence and tyranny. It seems that this world is getting smaller and just a bit more transparent with the instant exposure of Facebook, Twitter and the Internet. Things that were once easily buried are broadcast worldwide with the simple push of a button on a cell phone - so mind boggling!

Even with all that technology in action, I still had the sense (maybe hope) that all those educated students were channeling the message of non-violent resistance espoused by Mahatma Ghandi and Martin Luther King all those years ago. Even in the face of violence they resisted the temptation to respond in kind.

They lifted their voices as a united body! Sent a message to the world and we listened.

Now the hard work begins for a newly born nation.

I wish the people of Egypt peace and strength for the journey.

All for tonight my lovelies,
kso
xoxoxoxo

Winter Ball and a Bit of ROD

My son went to his first dance - the Winter Ball. We bought a suit, white shirt, tie and a corsage for his date. He came home to get ready, so I got to take pictures of him and the three beauties he escorted to this yearly event.

This is the corsage that his sister helped him design - she had been with E when she shopped for her dress, so it had to match. She also helped him pick out the suit and tie.

The beautiful A, E and J with my own lovely boy. E on his left is his date and the other two are his good friends. He has a lot of friends who are girls - even had me take a picture of him to send to another girl friend who wasn't going to the ball. Just so darn cute!!

On another front - this is officially the weekend my two spend with their dad, so I had time to get creative. I am constructing another Remains of the Day journal - this I will be selling in my shop. It's not quite done - still have to sew the signatures into the cover. But here are a few peeks...

The front cover - Pretty in Pink

The front of the second signature - the back of this photo has all the

names written on the back. Very cool!!

Just another little peek inside the first signature - it's gonna be hard to part with this one.

But sometimes you just have to let go - right?

All for tonight my lovelies,
kso
xoxoxoxo

More 2010 Artwork

Here are two more bits of 2010 artwork from last weekend, when I was trying to actually finish a journal before starting another. Haven't really done that, but pretty darn close. I will visit 2010 Journal in the next few weeks and wrap up the loose ends... but I am moving on the 2011. I cannot believe that this month is already over, well almost :-) So far this year has been so much better and I am so pleased with that. Many things planned for the new year... wait and see!!

I love these two different tissue papers I discovered when doing the never-ending shuffle in the disorganized studio space. The words on the right are also tissue paper from starbucks - I love the font! I used masking tape down the middle and covered it with two shades pink paint - the cheap acrylic kind. I think it looks pretty cool - I may or may not go back and write on it, we'll see.

This one is for my little bout with mrsa and cellulitis this past November. I found a spider in my bed when I was shaking out the sheets one morning and within 24 hours I had this ugly,burning red, painful spot in my left arm pit area. Caught it quickly and didn't end up in the hospital this time!! Lots of drugs and a little office surgery and it was gone in about two weeks.

Now on to the To-Do List of new art things...

1 - Scan 2 of The Traveling Journals and get them ready for auction - the third one is still traveling.

2 - ATC's for Tammy's swap Word for the Year

3- February Tip-In swap at BAJ - Favorite Childhood Story

4 - Partnership Journal Swap with Victoria

and the big one - start organizing and coordinating the BHS Student Art Show in May - I am the lead this year. So, it's busy busy busy!!

All for today my lovelies,

kso

xoxoxoxo

ps - thanks for the lovely comments my friends - I appreciate your support!!

An Artful Weekend

I am trying to finish up my 2010 art journal before I can get fully immersed in 2011 art. So with the kids gone for the weekend I have been hitting it hard!! Yesterday I was in my nightgown until about 6:30 pm. The only reason I even got in the shower or got dressed was to go play mexican train with my friends last night. Which, as always was soooooo fun... wine, laughter and plans for the new year :-))

This artwork started when I found the box of Glee gum (shown on the left page) and I thought perfect for my favorite show!! It's one of the things that my daughter and I both love - and that is rare. She babysits on Tuesday night, so when she gets home the first thing she asks is "did you watch Glee?" That show is so much fun and it makes me take a little trip down memory lane - songs always have such a strong imprint on the soul.

This is to record our traditional trip to visit my parents on Christmas Eve. I hope that there will be many more years of making this little trip!! We don't go over the river and through the woods... but it's pretty darn close. I found the vintage Christmas card and it triggered the whole travel idea.

Christmas Morning - before the kids leave me for the day. This year they were up at about 6 am to open their stockings. I lay in bed and listened to them for awhile before I got up at 6:30 to join them. As I lay there, I was tranported back in time to those same holiday mornings with my brother in the wee hours before the rest of the world woke up. It was such a sweet morning this year... because I know that they will both look back and feel the same emotions that I felt on this very special occasion. They are so close and I am reminded how much they love each other in these small, private moments - when no one is watching them.

I have more half finished pages to work on for the rest of the day and then I'll post them tomorrow. Then it's on to 2011.

Cherrio my lovelies, kso xoxoxoxo