I have been playing with one of my favorite photo apps (iphone) called PhotoStudio.Here are some of the results:

The majority of these are nature photos that I played around with. I love all of them but the last one reminds me of light shining through a stained glass window. I get a little giddy playing with the PhotoStudio app. ha!

Click this link for more info on PhotoStudio app.

The next picture is a set of ATC's (artist trading cards) that I was working on recently.

The borders/background color is from a stamp pad. I am kinda digging the way the stamp pads add a bit of  dimension and depth. 

I just signed up for another ATC swap. I have to make 25 all black and white zen tangle or zen tangle inspired themed cards. The swap starts March 1 and runs through June, so excited I already started them I have 7 done and 3 in partials stages. I will post the pics real soon.

I am going to be starting an online workshop from Strathmore in March too. It is a free workshop series and a friend has taken it the last 2 years and can't say enough good about it. If you are interested the link to their registration and to last years workshop vids on youtube. Check them out and think about registering too!!!

Registration and workshop information

.Last Years Strathmore Workshop videos

Maybe I am a dreamer....

A Country in Morning

I saw the following quote on a friends facebook wall; "Maybe I'm a dreamer, but I wish mental health care were as easy to get as, say, a gun." It was a repost from another wall and I apologize but I didn't not save the name of this wise person. There is a lot of truth in this statement, better and more easily accessible mental health care is more important than gun control. 

I do not like guns. I would prefer that no one, EVER, be allowed one. But more important than gun control is taking care of the people of our nation...and the world. It is especially important to care for the disenfranchised and the mentally ill. 

But we can start even closer to home. Let's get back to a more caring time in our society. A time when we actually knew and cared for our neighbors. Our neighborhoods were our community and family. Hey, don't get me wrong, I love technology. Without it I wouldn't have friends in Greece or even Minnesota and certainly not in the Ukraine. But when we were more personally, face to face, connected with our world we knew our neighbors, when they were happy, sad, sick, hurting. We were connecting by more than a nod to strangers on our street. 

NO there has never been a utopian society, bet there was a lot less horrific crimes like what happened yesterday at Sandy Hook Elementary. Leave the guns alone, for now. Let's get to know our neighbors, care for t hem, love them. Let's not be afraid to discipline our children or allow others to do so (such as schools). Teach our kids morals and values, show them love and compassion. These things will go further to prevent such horrific events than gun control. We have to step over the ridiculously deep line in the sand that is drawn over gun control and get to the heart of the matter...PEOPLE!!!

Let your candle shine brightly, do not be discouraged. There is something that each of us can and should do. Hug your kids. Tell your friends and family that you love and value them. Get to know your neighbors, care about them and support them when they need it. I don't believe in or support child abuse, but discipline is a different story. Let's not be afraid to discipline our children. Teach them right from wrong. But mostly, let our kids know they are loved and we are there for them. Not to judge but to listen, to care, to help. And don't judge a neighbor, a friend, a family member...a stranger for being different or "a little out there," get to know them and the problems they have. Then lend them a helping hand, a shoulder to cry one, an ear to listen. Love them and cherish them...care for, ABOUT them.

Once we have done all of that...then we can attack gun control and crime. And probably, there will be less need for that.

No, I do not ever expect to live in a utopian society. But I do dream of a world that is less scary and more loving!!!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas. On of my favorite decoration holidays. I especially love the lights. I like to try a variety of settings on my camera and see what funky fun things I can do with the lights. Below is a sample of the photos I have taken this year!!! ENJOY!!!!

I can see two things in this one...an upraised 

fist and a face...What do you see?

These next two look like the solar flares emanating from the sun...

they are really me just playing with the light from the lamp near

the tree...ha! 

What is your favorite holiday ornament???

It's Labor Day here in the states. A time to recognize and honor the working people in both the US and Canada. It is, sadly, also the beginning of the end of summer. But this year it may not be all that sad. I will not miss the 80-90+ weather, the endless days without rain. I will not miss my broken a/c or the times we went without power for longer than 3 hours due to the only 2 or 3 times we got rain. I am looking forward to cooling temps, the vivid golds, reds and oranges of changing leaves. I love the crunching of the fallen leaves under my feet. I love the whirling of the leaves as they are caught up in a breeze, it reminds me of wood nymphs and fairies dancing. I am especially looking forward to the autumn holidays. Perhaps most especially, HALLOWEEN!!! Who doesn't love to play dress up??? Especially if there is candy involved...hahaha.

But winter...you can keep your snow and ice. The frigid temperatures (anything below 35 degrees). Ok....it can snow, on the grass, in yards and on parks, on the trees, the tops of homes....but NOT on the road ways and sidewalks!!!!! No, No, NO!!!!!! And ice....iced over ponds or lakes is fine....but do NOT ice my roads or walkways!!!! PLEASE!!!!! 

I will miss this summer more than most. I graduated, I had a job (and then had to quit because they weren't paying me....arrrggghhh), I went on my first vacation in SEVENTEEN years. I a para-sailed!!! And while I was able to check that off my bucket list, I put it right back on, cause I could do that ALL DAY, WEEK...forever!!!! AND my second grand daughter was born and my first celebrated her first birthday!!!!

Yep, That's me, on the right. 500 feet above the ocean in Destin, Florida. 

I am terrified of heights but I was not afraid of this and I could have stayed

up FOREVER and a day!!!! I highly recommend this to everyone!!!

Miss Sophia Elizabeth holding her brand new baby sister, Persephone Ann.

I love this picture, it makes me HAPPY!!!

Sooooo many birthday shots, but I think this is one of my favorites!!! 

I made her cake, it was a "healthy" banana blueberry cake. My dil

suggested that I use cool whip with blueberry puree folded in for a

healthier version of icing. I then decorated it around the edge and in

the center (forming and S) with blueberries. She loved it!!!! The 

adults had a really lovely iced professional cake of the decadently

unhealthy variety...lol But she did get to taste a smidgen of the icing.

Some family and I are discussing opening an art business, probably online first and see where it goes from there. So I am sure the next year will be filled with a lot of creativity and I just can't wait!!! I will give you more details as soon as I know them. 

I am back to looking for a real "big-girl" job again. I had hoped the ease and luck I had getting the first even before I graduated would single my life becoming more financially stable. Unfortunately, that was the farthest from the truth. A great organization but there is some flaws that need to be ironed out. I am sure they will get them corrected and continue to flourish and do great work in our community. I just wasn't able to hang on until then. Fingers crossed it doesn't take long to find a new one!!!

The following are some of the doodles I have been working on this summer:

There were more but I had 2 computers commit Harry Carrey on my this summer (that makes 4 in less than a year), and until I can get them off the hard drives much of my work is unattainable... argggh!!!! The last one is titled Percie's Posies and was done in honor of my sweet new grand, Persephone. We are still trying to figure out a good nic name that everyone can agree too. Her parents call her Sephie which most think is too confusingly close to Sophie, but I say the parents have the right to choose. Some call her Percy/Percie, I occassionally call her Pers (as in the purring of a cat, says the crazy cat lady with four cats...lol). Mostly I call her Pippa and her sister Pia. But whatever you call them you would be most correctly if you called them breathtakingly lovely!!!! 

So that was my summer in a nut shell. I am hoping for a long and beautiful Autumn. Can't wait for Halloween, Thanksgiving, apple cider, fall apples, trick-or-treating, and so much more!!!! Please keep your fingers crossed that my job hunting is short and fruitful!!!

Take care!!!

I would be much grateful if you would share my blog and visit and like my facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/DangerousDoodlerThinksOutloud?ref=hl

I am planning on becoming much more active and would like to drive my page and blogs up. I plan to do this with a giveaway, reviews (of products, pages, and other blogs), grooving on the idea for a swap....and so much more. So, visit often and tell your friends!!!!

I am entering another postcard swap. It was a "quickie" so to speak. You could create as many as you wanted and so long as they are post marked by the 28th you will be a part of it. I have two entries and I plan on having them in the mail by the 26th (Thurs)...fingers crossed I don't forget...lol

The main requirement for these is a Monochromatic Color Scheme. I chose blue. More because it was the first bottle than I had any real preference. A monochromatic scheme is something I have been thinking of for a bit now. This was the catalyst I needed. I really enjoyed and I think I may eventually do a whole painting based on it. I hope you enjoy my entries below. And...if you have a hankering to join, I am including the link. These took me less than 2 days total so there is still time to join...even with just one card. Imagine the cards you'll rec'v in return!!!

http://mailmesomeart.blogspot.ca/2012/07/monochromatic-post-card-swap-postmark.html

Entry number one has an acrylic background and I used a brush pen and a sharpie for the design with a total of 3 variants of blue:

The second entry also has an acrylic paint background and the flower and quote are done with faber castel brush pen, sharpie, gel pen, and 3 shades of oil pastels. All total there are 6 variants of blue.

Spent a lovely weekend with my daughter in law and grand daughter. I had such a good time. Loving how my family is growing. A little under one month before my second grand daughter is due. Katie will get induced on the 22 of August and we expect Persephone to make her entrance by the 23rd. WHEW!!!!! Can't wait. This year has just flown by and I almost shocked to realize that she is about to arrive. With Sophia those nine months were more like nine years...lol Such an exciting time in our lives. 

Have a great week....talk to you all soon!!!

The Second International Mixed Media Post Card Swap is in the bag!!!

Hello everyone!!!

I have had such a RUSHED summer so far. I thought I would have more time after graduation to enjoy the little things like my art and this blog. Hmmmmm..... And oh my goodness, can you believe that in nearly four weeks my second grand daughter will enter the world??? With Sophia it dragged by, I thought she would never arrive. With Persephone the time has gone so very, very quickly. Exciting and scary all at the same time!!!

I just completed (2 weeks LATE) the 2nd International Mixed Media Post Cart Swap from the hostess of Musings on Realities (http://musingsonrealities.blogspot.com/2011/12/international-mixed-media-postcard-swap_03.html). I am so a shamed to be so late but really life has been a mess of contract work, job search, family stuff and oh so much more. And then of course there was the 3 week wait to get paid before I could get stamps. Hopefully that "snaffu" will never happen again...grrrr!!!! But, I over extended myself, hopefully I will be forgiven. I did get them done and in the mail...20 days late....Fingers crossed that I won't be band from future swaps because of my tardiness!!!!

So the first set are the four I received. I only got 4 of the expected 10 and it sorta relieved me. It made me feel that I was not the only one with good intentions that life pushed aside...lol And the four I got are fun and unique....

From Mr. John Huber -- #3 Slither-Man

From Pennsylvania 

From Dorcas Pennyfather from the UK

From Carina from VA

From Marsie Nollette out of WA

Aren't those such a diverse group of cards. I find them all fun and interesting. It is always exciting to see the different techniques used and different talents of everyone. 

The following are the card I sent and enough of the envelope is showing so you can see where I sent them...

I used a variety of techniques. I added "scrap" flowers and wooden tokens I had painted. I used zentangle and doodling. Painting and stamping. The cards with the "ladies" are from a post card book I found at my local Goodwill that I altered with ink and paint. I have my favorites but I will let you decide which you like the best.

So....I will share one other photo. It is of my grand Sophia. I got to keep her for 3 days all on my own!!! Very exciting to have our first Lola and Pia time! She will be one approximately one week after Persephone is born. I am getting so excited!!! I will also be going on my first vacation in about 17 or 18 years. Destin, Florida here I come!!!! I will go on vacation and come home JUST in time for my daughter-in-law to be induced. YEAH ME!!!! lol The following picture of Sophia at one of the local "water" parks. She just looks like she was having a blast!!!

TaTa For Now!!!! I hope to be back soon....Please feel free to visit me on face book:

facebook.com/DangerousDoodlerThinksOutloud

or my photo journal of the folks in my area at:

facebook.com/HumansofMontgomeryCountyOhio

I also highly recommend you check out the Musings on Realities blog (reach through the link in the first section). Especially if you would like to be notified of future post card swaps. It is fun and I really enjoy it. I know you would too!!!

It's been a while. So much going on but hopefully, in two weeks when I graduate, I will have more time.

I recently joined a facebook group -- Random Acts of Art. The basic premise is to create a small piece of art, leave it somewhere for someone to find and take a photo and post it to the group. Sorta like the theory behind Random Acts of Kindness but in away, our kindness is the art we leave. We have 257 ppl in the group and it seems nearly as many different ideas of little tokes to leave. Everything from painted stones or shells to artists trading cards and post cards.

I had all these little wooden shapes left from a past project and for a future project. So I decided to use them. I mostly use markers and on a few I have even drilled a small hole and put a jump ring on them. The pictures below are from my most recent RAA. I was at the Heritage Festival at Carillon Historical Park (in Dayton, Ohio) yesterday. It has become a tradition to volunteer their every year. I got in a little early and walked around  enjoying the various activities. And every now and then I would leave a small bit of myself behind.

I had fun sneaking these into a few displays and monuments...lol 

When I left I noticed this one was gone. YEAH!!!

On October 10, 1921, the first Frigidaire refrigerator ever produced in Dayton moved off the assembly line 

at Delco Light. So it was fitting to place one in the replica of that fridge...lol

Ritters custard is a marvel!!! And they had a booth set up...YUM!!! Couldn't resist setting this down as I grabbed a napkin...lol And YEAH!!! this was taken by the end of the day too. (Side note - These custard shops were a partnership with the late actor, John Ritter and his family. Silly maybe, but every time I see them or shop there I can't help but remember him and all the joy he gave me!!!)

This vintage car use to deliver milk, now it holds kegs....hmmmm??? (*_^) The gent you see through the door had been giving me dirty looks trying to figure out why I was lurking there. Luckily he got distracted for a moment and I was able to swoop in with my token, snap a shot and book outta there before he looked back...hahaha. When I came by later it was still there. So he either decided it was a benign gift or didn't notice it. HA!!!! 

This sundial was erected to commemorate our early settlers (from 1796-1896)....and yes, another was taken by the time I left!!! 

A bust of Colonel Edward Deeds, among other things of note, he founded this park (Carillon Historical Park) so that we could preserved buildings, inventions and other local historical artifacts. So again...I couldn't resist thanking him with a little RAA token. Before I left I noticed it had been moved but not taken. So I just propped it back up....lol

Recently the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Park joined forces with Carillon. This park isn't but a minute or two from Orville and Wilbur Wrights bike shop where they built their planes. A nice addition to the park. And guess what...yep! Another RAA token found a new home!!! I couldn't resist placing this little bird token here. It seemed appropriate to adorn the monument to flight with a little birdy....

I also got to taste a new marvel in town. Sweet P's handcrafted ice pops!!! Oh holy my goodness these are amazing!!!! I tried both the grapefruit and the kiwi-lime-ginger. The grapefruit was better than the freshest grapefruit you could ever imagine!!! WOW!!! But the kiwi-lime-ginger was awesome too. It had a little slice of kiwi in it. I can't wait till November, she told me they make a cranberry relish and a pumpkin pie pop...got to try them both!!! 

Wasn't thinking to get this lovely ladies name yesterday, but she is the founder/creator of these amazing handcrafted ice pops. She uses both a water and/or dairy base for them. The one she is holding is for the Memorial Day (or really any patriotic occasion), one side is dairy based and the other water. Follow the link below to find out her story...then stay and browse a bit. AND if you live in or are going to visit the neighborhood stop in and taste for yourself....you will want more and more!!

http://www.sweetp-icepops.com/#!about

The grapefruit pop....heaven!!!! I was amazed at the vivid grapefruit taste!!!

I can't describe this taste because when I try I just drool too much!!! 

OHHH, and I almost forgot, she told me these are the perfect size to put in a 

champagne glass....mmmmmm sound sinfully good!!!

I have also started 2 facebook pages. One that corresponds to this one... https://www.facebook.com/DangerousDoodlerThinksOutloud  I post a little more there then here but I am hoping that will change when I am out of school....I would really like to have them complement each other more.  The other is "Humans of Montgomery County Ohio (HMCO)" and is based on the Humans of New York page. If you haven't heard of this you should check it out I will post the links below. HONY page is amazing!!! And it has inspired a movement that is spanning the globe. From the Souls of San Francisco to the Humans of Beirut and so many places in between. The best way to describe them is "Photo Journals." Through them the world is less "them" and more "US" as you see that people are not only unique but really, often the same and always worth knowing. If you go to my page you can access many of the others through it. Take a browse and get to know your neighbors and if you find yourself enjoying these journals please like those pages!!!

Mine:

https://www.facebook.com/HumansofMontgomeryCountyOhio

and the original --- Humans of New York (HONY)

https://www.facebook.com/humansofnewyork?ref=pb

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Well, I need to get off here to get more work down for school. JUST 2 weeks left. I want it to rush by in the slowest way possible to get everything done...lol Oh...and I got a contracting job. I started on the 11th as a Resource Development Coordinator Consultant for a local nonprofit and my first big event for them (a donor appreciation affair) is June 5th....4 days before I graduate. So in the next two weeks I have 3 papers (over 65 pages total), one final, a presentation, complete an online profile (over 2 years of work was lost by the national office and I have to redo it....arrrggghhh!!!) and a portfolio for school. I have 2 more volunteer ops, 2 dinners (bother for student associations I am members of), this DAA, and my graduation. WHEW!!!! that is a LOT!!!!

Send me all the high energy, brainiac thoughts and prayers that you can!!! 

See ya again soon!!! And ohhhh.....joined another "International Mixed-Media Postcard Swap." So soon I will be sharing those I send off and those I received!!!