More adventures in watercolor...

I have had a bug all weekend, so I may not have been on the top of my game... thus explains why I decided to give a shot to watercolors again. I do stupid things when I'm not at my best... well, I do them all the time, but I go way out there when I don't feel well. Has to be why the watercolors seemed a good idea.

Anyway... one of the girls in my office is retiring at the end of the week. She and her husband have been building a house in the country, a log cabin actually, a couple of hours from here. We're having a cook out on Thursday to help her celebrate the beginning of her leisure time.

The office is planning a gift or two, but I wanted to do something as well. I thought maybe a painting of the house they've been constructing would be nice. It seemed like a simple enough house to try since the lines are clean and simple.

I have a way to go, but let's hope they like it!

ArtsyBlogger links...

Check out what all of these amazingly creative folks have been doing!

(Eileen has a video up this week, and I can't grab a screen shot from it... so no pic about the project... but definitely go see the video!)

Eileen - The Artful Crafter
3D Paper Tole work is very popular on The Continent. Watch this video illustrating how you can take your decoupage into the next dimension.

Beading Arts
Free-form peyote stitch and wire work...what could be more fun than combining the two?!

Laura-Taz's Corner
Art Journal Pages and Babysitting...

Estate Sale Chairs
Cherie is still working on finishing up the awesome deal she got on estate sale chairs.

Mo(o)re Gourd Whimsies
Creative Paperclay Design Team

So... yesterday...

I got a text from the younger child I gave birth to... it read "Mom, where can I find masking tape?".

Now, said child is one of the lights of my life... a joy beyond anything I could have ever imagined. She's also a challenge. (Read that... OMG, challenging isn't the half of it.) I have many, many stories about her youth that I could tell you, about what makes her a challenge, but won't. Let's just say that early on I learned to really LISTEN carefully to what she said ( mostly because she's really good at finding loopholes).

So, when said beautiful daughter sent the text, I called her and asked, "So, watcha need masking tape for?"

(Imagine here, the tone she uses indicates I really must be pretty dumb to not know what she is gonna use masking tape for) She says, "I'm painting."

Hesitantly, I asked her, "So... on what sorta scale are you painting?"

"Don't worry, my room has too much stuff in it to paint it", she replies.

(Imagine great sigh of relief from me.)

She was going to paint a poppy... and she did.

I put it in a frame today, and plan on hanging it on the wall in the dining room.

Talented, isn't she?

Not only talented, but brilliant too...

To be such a challenge, she does make a momma proud.

Seven simple ideas...

Seven simple ideas to consider...

ArtsyBlogger links...

Here they are for the week... go say hi!

Beading Arts
Cyndi's favorite wire guru, Paul Bishop, shares a wonderful tutorial with Cyndi's readers!

Eileen - The Artful Crafter
Here's a cute idea for personalized ceramic wedding favors. If you don't want to buy the dye sublimation equipment yourself, find someone who already has it.

Laura-Taz's Corner
Fresh Strawberries and Journal Pages!

Here it is again...

(Warning: VERY long, rambling, and self indulgent post... but it's my birthday, and I can do that if I want...)

When the clock strikes 11:47 am this morning, I will have been on this earth for 51 years. I've lived those years, every single one of them, but it is inconceivable to me that I have been alive that long. When I think of my grandmother I think of her at this age... not me.

What a ride this has been. Nothing at all like I expected it to be. What's that saying... "When you want to hear God laugh just tell Him your plans"? It's funny how, this far into this adventure, even I laugh when I look back at those clearly drawn plans I had when I was standing on the threshold of adulthood.

Looking back now I realize, had I been given the life I mapped out, I would have missed so much. I would have lived a flat and dispassionate life, and I think I would have felt so much less fulfilled. I would have never known how deeply I am capable of loving another being. Or how much pain I could feel at the loss of such a love. I would have never understood what a true friend is, and how important they are to help you navigate through that pain... nor would I have ever been given the chance to be the kind of friend to share another's pain. I would have never learned how powerful a touch, or a look, or a word can be.

Never would I have had the chance to make a horrible mistakes, and I would never have learned from them.

I would never have had the opportunity to realize that my soul has depths that I haven't even begun to fathom yet.

So, on this special day of mine, let me share with you the best gifts I have received in these 51 years...

Without question... my children. There aren't even words that can explain what a gift they are to me. They are, without question, the most amazing thing that has happened. To have experienced their growth inside of me, then to experience their births... each so unique and different, just like the children coming into the world through those births. And the years that have come after... gifts beyond compare, each and every moment I have had with these beautiful souls that the heavens have allowed me to care for.

My son, who was so shy when he was young, and who grew into the most amazing, funny, gregarious, talented and shining young man, I couldn't have asked for more in a son. He's now found a young woman who appreciates him for all that he is, and he adores her the same way. I have a great feeling about them, they are wonderful for each other. And I count myself lucky to have her as a daughter I didn't give birth to, and that she indulges me by allowing me to love her like one.

My daughter. Mother and daughter relationships can be difficult... My own mother and I really were not fond of each other. But my daughter... such a gift. Beautiful, smart, a little on the sassy side, but I think she comes by that naturally (from her father's side of the family of course). Again, had I given the heavens a list of everything I wanted in a daughter, they would have given me her.

Truly, there are no words to explain what a gift these three are to me. And I didn't even have to unwrap them...

They aren't the only gifts though. I have this most amazing group of wonderful, strong, beautiful women around me who I count as my friends. In the last year we have experienced births and deaths and life changes together. We've shared joys and hopes and dreams and sorrows and laughter and tears. We have come together in this bond of friendship that I consider one of the best gifts I have ever received. Not having a large family of my own, these have become my adopted "family", and I love them each and every one. Kellye, Pat, Connie, Margaret... and everyone else... you are wonderful and amazing gifts in my life, and I so very much appreciate you all.

My own flesh and blood sister, Joyce. I don't see her enough, but I know she is there, and I love her. We share the same background, but experienced it from different perspectives... and now, as adults ourselves, we have shared those perspectives and come to understand each other better, and I appreciate the gift of my sister.

My "surrogate" mother... Joyce (yes, two Joyces). She's leaving in September to go be with her real son, daughter-in-law and two grandsons. She's been a constant, if sometimes annoying, loving "mother" to me when I really needed her... and before she gets down there with those babies, I really want her to know that she has been a good mother to me, and I love her, and appreciate what a gift she has been in my life.

And the other people in my life who make it so special... and you know who you are... you are a wonderful gift as well.

The birds that sing outside my window each morning, the loyal dog who lies at my feet whilst I type my posts (who is ALWAYS happy to see me and infinitely patient with me), that magnolia tree outside my window that shares its glorious white blooms and beautiful scent, the fireflies that always remind me of stars falling to earth... the bunny who hopped across my yard today as I got home from work, and the snake that lives in the back yard...and so many more things that make my life worth experiencing... I appreciate the gift of being able to see miracles in little things. It's a gift that serves me well.

Those gifts... the things that cannot be wrapped, but have to be felt and experienced and shared to be fully appreciated... those are the gifts in life that count. They bring meaning and depth to an otherwise bland landscape of simply living. They allow me to breathe deeply, live passionately, and appreciate life for what it is... such a grand adventure.

And now, in closing... since I do want to get a bit of celebrating in today... to you, my dear readers... those of you who take the time to drop by, to comment, to encourage, and even to scold sometimes... you are a wonderful gift. You inspire me, you challenge me, you share of yourselves and make this a better experience. You teach me... you let me share your experiences, your wisdom, your cultures... you are a beautiful gift that I am thankful for too.

Thank you all for letting me share my journey to find grace with each of you.

And now... on to the next year, and the next chapter of this amazing journey!

Who brought cake?

Going with a sure thing...

So, early yesterday morning when I arrived at work I opened the drawer and dropped my keys into it like I generally do... and again saw a card that Carol had sent me last Halloween.  You know, that was such a great, out of the blue, from the middle of left field thing that simply had made my day.  Seriously.

When I hopped over to check the comments shortly thereafter, I happened to notice Carol had left one.  Weeeellllll, that had to be a sign... I mean, after all, I had her return address on the envelope she had mailed me... so... heck yeah, I am going with a sure thing!

Carol, the cards are on their way to ya.

Snap, I appreciate you emailing your address to me, but I'd already gotten these in the mail... more things are coming for the rest of the month though, so you've got more chances!

What's a girl gotta do...

... to give away some mermaid cards???  I'm beginning to think y'all don't like them and are just too polite to tell me they suck.  

Well... so, here's the business of the day.  I almost forgot with all that has been going on that I have a bracelet to give away... So, last evening, on June 15th I hopped over to random.org, and asked it to please, please, please pick a number between 1 and 16 (I didn't count the comment from CraftCrave... I so appreciate them posting the link though!)  While I did get the number yesterday, since I had already posted the big reveal I thought I'd save this excitement for today.  Let's see what happened over at Random.org ...

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

1

Timestamp: 2011-06-15 23:50:32 UTC

Well, that makes it easy for me... I don't even have to scroll down way deep in the comments... and guess who left the very first comment?

Trish did.  

Trish said...

Didn't realize I wasn't an 'official' follower, tho you are on my daily 'feed'. Took care of that immediately! I LOVE this bracelet - you know how small things just enchant me....this would be such a joy to wear....toss my name in the hat to win! Trish

Well Trish.... see how it does pay to officially follow!  You need to email me no later than midnight on Saturday, June 18th with your mailing address and I'll get it in the mail to ya!

And now... what about these mermaid cards?  Two people have won them so far, but neither of them have bothered to email me (sad face)... is it her orange hair?  Her boobs?  Her ample hips?  I mean, really... I'm starting to feel insecure here... so, since the third time is charm (right?????) who wants these things?

IF you leave a comment on this post, and IF you are a follower... and IF you email me with your address within 48 hours of the post... you can have them.  If it doesn't work this time I'm gonna have to send her out to sea...

Oh, and before I go... Happy THIRD Birthday Blog!  Who ever would have thought you'd still be going on?  And, for some strange and wonderful reason, I am suddenly getting waaaaaay more visitors... thank you all for coming by, you just have no idea how much you make my day!

The final big reveal...

Well everyone, here we are a year later, and at the end of the Creativity Invitation...

It's been a pretty good run I think, had lots more participants than ever expected, and y'all simply wowed me with all of the creativity that you have been generous enough to share... truly, you are quite an amazing bunch!  

Now though... it's time for the "big reveal"... We only have three to share this month, so it's gonna be a short one.  Ready?  Here we go...

First... Trish...  Trish has been here since very early on, and has weathered a few storms of her own along the way.  Trish beads.  She doesn't slap some beads on something and call it beaded... no, she beads.  She's working on ATC size projects this year, and each one has been more lovely than the last one.  Her skills and patience amaze me.  The beads she is sharing this month are her very own creations.  Yup, she's taking glass rod and torch in hand, and making her own beads.  

She says of the May challenge:

This time I have something truly new. Some of you may know I have been learning a totally new craft - and it turns out to have (for me) a pretty steep learning curve. But I persevere, and now things are beginning to progress.

What is this craft, you ask? Ah, it is glass bead-making - and by this I mean the torch and the glass rods that one turns into lovely glass beads in the flame. The videos I watch make it look so easy....but in my hands....decidedly not!

I am just enchanted. (You know they don't let me get near open flames very often around here.)  I can't wait to see what becomes of this new hobby for Trish, I know she is going to really enjoy this!

Next up... Eileen.  Eileen has worked a little digital magic.  She makes this look so great, and acts as though it is just the most simple thing in the world to do... Me, I cannot master it.  The patience this woman must have!  But, then again, everything I have seen Eileen share has been amazing.

Eileen has not only contributed gorgeous art, but she has done it every single time.  She met, and conquered, each of the twelve months of challenges.

Even more, for me, Eileen has been a constant source of inspiration and encouragement, she's been leaving comments and we've shared emails since just after the blog was first created.  I could not ask for a better blog buddy!

Thanks to you both for participating and contributing!

My choice for this month is Isobella.  She's been with me for a couple of years now actually... sits on one of the books I created some time ago in my living room.  I have no idea why this little cutie captivated me so much, but from the shaping of her torso, the painting of her legs, the making of her dress all the way to the tying of her sash, she's just made me smile.

So many people often ask me if I just have "so much of what you do" all over my house.  I guess it's reasonable to think that if you create art you have it around the house.  But you know, while I seem to turn out a bit of art, I rarely keep it.  Lots of it gets given away, much of that to complete strangers and I never know if it has found a way to someone or not.  

The things I keep near me have to have some meaning or connection to me, and from the very beginning Isobella has.  I'm not sure if it is the tilt of her head, or maybe the pink of her dress... or maybe the way she holds a tiny heart in her hand.  Whatever it is, it is that inexplicable "thing" that makes you feel that inexplicable "something"... and that, to me, is what makes art.

So... now we've finished a year of challenges.  My thanks to everyone who shared their talent and their creative selves, it has been such a joy!  I'm tossing around a couple of ideas for the next group of projects, and will be sharing that once I decide what it will be.  I do hope you will come play...

   

My adventures with Swiss meringue...

So... every second Tuesday of the month we recognize everyone in the building who has a birthday during said month. Two of the gullible or most dumb incredibly sweet people in the building get this task, and they get to keep it for far too long a year.  Guess who was dumb enough to agree is one of those sweet volunteers?


Wow, y'all are good with those guesses...


Anywhoo... since today is the second Tuesday (and just where the heck is time going so fast???), my cohort in this year long bout with craziness crime, Kellye, and I brought in cakes.  Or, cupcakes.  This post is about the story of my adventure with making Swiss meringue buttercream frosting for the very first time.


You know, I sorta like to shake things up a bit from time to time in all this baking.  Chocolate and white cake are great, but every so often you just need something else, so I decided to make an orange cake.  With Jello "holes" poked through it (see all the photos).  And, since it is summer and all, I decided I wanted to have some sort of a fluffier frosting on it.  Of course, I did what we all do these days, and typed in "fluffy frosting recipes" in the old Google search bar.  It seems that those recipes that have "meringue" and "buttercream" in their names are considered both fluffy and frosting like.  Makes sense to me.  


So, after reading many a comment I decided to go with the Swiss meringue buttercream (mostly, because it seems the Italian buttercream is a tad more fussy).  Apparently, everyone in the baking world pretty much seems this is the "go to" frosting for any and every event/cake/cupcake.  According to all of the true believers in this frosting it is fluffy, yummy as heck, not overly sweet, and keeps well for a day at room temp.  AND, here's the real cincher, I had all of the ingredients on hand.  What more could I possibly want?   The only thing that I read a tad off-putting was that sometimes it can sorta look curdled while in the whipping process, but was assured by every one of those comments that this was only momentary, if indeed it did occur, and all that was needed to rectify it was to keep beating.  Seems so easy even a monkey I could do this without messing it up.  And, let's face it, it's always fun doing something where you have no idea about what you're doing...


So... I got out my 4 eggs and separated the whites from the yolks.  I always have such good intentions to use those yolks, but they only seem to sit around in a small bowl in the fridge until they shrivel up and look like the skin on my elbows and become unusable... so I tossed them.  I put them and some sugar in my mixer bowl atop a pan filled with water and brought it to a simmer, all the while beating the heck whisking them together.  


Now, this part I find fascinating.  The egg whites sorta become substantial and frothy at the same time, while the sugar just sorta melts away.  After about three minutes or so over the simmering water I had a mass of gooey egg whites and melted sugar that had reached about 150 degrees.  I took them from the heat, popped the bowl into the stand of my good old KitchenAid (I am soooo going to miss this thing when it tears up) and, using the whipping attachment, I beat the egg whites and sugar mix until it was very fluffy and cool to the touch.


This is where the adventure gets a bit odd... I added fat.  Butter specifically... lots and lots and lots of it.  OBVIOUSLY, health is not a concern here.  Two pounds of it all in all, softened to room temperature and cut into chunks.  Beating all the while.


I waited for the curdled effect... it didn't exactly show up, I don't think, although it had a strange texture, but then again, I really wasn't sure what this was supposed to look like.  I am honestly not certain I have ever even eaten this before.  In the end, it was just strange.


It's darned fluffy, especially to be basically two pounds of butter, but it was weird (please note, that was a personal opinion statement, and not meant to be perceived as anything negative toward the Swiss or those who love their meringue)  I guess I am not used to my frostings being predominantly fat rather than sugar or some other base, so the texture was a tad strange to me.  All I can think of to describe it was a buttery, kinda-sorta vanilla-ish, fluffy, jello-ish sort of concoction that you can pipe out in swirls, but I don't think would hold up especially good to many elaborate sorts of decorations.  I could be wrong though, someone with lots more experience in this would have to say...


I topped the cupcakes with it, and brought it in.  Mixed reviews...although, around here we eat pretty much anything.  I dunno that this would ever become my "go to" frosting, but maybe it gets better with practice.  If any of y'all have anything to offer about it I'd love to hear... or, if you have other frosting recipes that are not quite as sugary and heavy as so many... I'd love to hear those too!


Just in case you want to try it... here's the recipe I used, adapted from several (because I just cannot leave well enough alone or do things the easy way... let me know what you think.


4 egg whites
1 1/4 c granulated sugar


Put the egg whites and sugar in your mixing bowl and sit over a pan of simmering water.  Whisk this almost constantly while it warms up and the sugar dissolves and the temp reaches between 140 and 150 degrees.  Remove it from the heat and beat until it is cool to touch.  (Now... this takes some time, so I used a stand mixer, and, at one point, when it seemed to be going on forever and ever and ever and ever I sorta put the bottom of the bowl in another bowl of room temp water to help cool it a bit... bad me, I know.)


Once the egg white/sugar mixture is cool, add 2 cups of butter, room temp, in small chunks (not all at once), and keep whipping.  Now, as I am told, sometimes this looks nasty and all curdled, but you just keep whipping and it comes together nicely... mine didn't curdle, but, like I said... was a bit strange in the texture compared with what I am used to.  Add a teaspoon of vanilla (or almond) for flavor.

That's it... now all you have to do is frost your cake or cupcakes.  Let me know if you try it and how you think it turns out, I'd love some feedback on the frosting...

Sometimes, people look at me a bit strange...

As though I'm a little "touched" in the head, as the old folks I knew as a kid used to say. Those people are mostly strangers, 'cause the folks who know me have no question about that. Anyway, this weekend I got a bee in my bonnet to make some preserves. Not just any preserves mind you, but some that I recall from my wee young days on the farm...

I've shared a lot of the recipes my Italian grandmother taught me, but not so many from my grandmother that was the good old fashioned southern country cook... mostly because I don't want to be responsible for all of those heart issues they could bring... Grandmother Waneta was a great cook... her biscuits that were the best ever, and her potato donuts were to die for, but one of my favorites was something she made that could be eaten on those biscuits... watermelon rind preserves.

Yup, preserves made of the cast off rind of a watermelon. Who'd a thought? Obviously, those who came before us wasted absolutely nothing. I've often wondered, "How in the heck did we (humans in general) EVER start eating this stuff?" Sometimes all I can attribute it to is that we either ate everything or risked starvation, and that old survival mode can be very strong... but not many folks I know now days do much with watermelon rinds other than toss them out.

Being a girl from what I consider the south (and all y'all who are really in the real South stop laughing), I didn't give these much thought growing up, until I realized that they really aren't made all that much elsewhere. That, of course, affords them the label of a "Southern delicacy". So, next time you want to wow folks with something totally different (and make them look at you like you may be a tad "touched"), even if you are from up North, give these a try... Let me share with you how my grandmother made these...

Watermelon Rind Preserves

First, you need a watermelon that has a pretty thick rind. When you find one, and decide it is absolutely time to give this a try, you cut away all of the delicious pink flesh and eat or refrigerate it to eat later, and then peel away the green outer rind. That you can toss or put in the compost heap.

When you have that rind, you need to cut it into chunks. I like my chunks little, they're probably a quarter of an inch square or so, while some like their chunks a bit larger. I think my grandmother even made hers more like slices than chunks... so, personal taste here. Anyway, you'll need about a quart and a half of them (that translates into about 6 cups or so).

The first step in making them is soaking the rind in a salt water bath. Use about 1/4 cup of salt to enough water to cover the rinds. Stick this in the fridge (use a glass or plastic bowl) over night or for at least 5 or 6 hours.

Once the rind is soaked, drain the water, and rinse very well, then soak in "clear" (her word, not mine) water for at least half an hour to an hour, drain and rinse again.

Now, while all of this soaking and draining is going on, gather the rest of the ingredients:

1 t Alum (if you can't find this, it's ok... the world won't end without it, but it does make them more "crisp")
1 T dried ginger (I used a combination of dried and fresh ginger, and, frankly, I wish I had used a lot more of it... but then again, y'all know I am a serious ginger fan)

Once you have done the "clear" water soak on your rind, toss it into a pan with the alum and dried ginger and cover with water. Boil this until it is tender (you can easily pierce it with a fork, but it still is relatively firm). Drain and rinse with cold water. Lots of rinsing and draining goes on in this recipe, have you noticed?

Now, on to the actual making of the sweet part of the preserves...

4 cups granulated sugar

2 lemons, seeded, and "sliced real thin" Now... me, I love lemons too, but the whole "sliced real thin" thing didn't sit very well with me, the pith can add such a bitter taste and all, so my solution, I zested the two lemons, and juiced them both, that gave me just a bit over a quarter of a cup of fresh lemon juice.

About 6 cups of water. I say about, because I used closer to 7 by the time I was finished.

Put the sugar, water and lemon juice/zest (and/or thinly sliced lemons) into a large pan and gently bring to a boil. I added about a teaspoon of fresh ginger to this mix as well, although the recipe didn't call for it. Allow this to boil for 5 to 10 minutes to begin to thicken, and then CAREFULLY add the watermelon rind. Lower the heat (because it will scorch if you are not careful) and allow to cook until the syrup is VERY thick and the watermelon is translucent. You can add small amounts of water if needed to get the watermelon to the translucent phase.

In the mean time, you should sterilize 4 or 5 half pint jars. Bring a great big kettle of water to the boiling point to use as a water bath for the preserves, and put the lids in a bath of simmering water and just keep in a holding pattern until you are ready to use.

When the watermelon rind is translucent, and the syrup is thick (you really have almost equal amounts of rind and syrup when you reach this stage), it's ready to put in the jars. Ladle the HOT preserves into the jars, wipe the rims of the jars with damp paper towel to remove any of the preserves on the rim, cover with the lids that have been simmering, and gently screw on the rings. Place the jars into the water bath (the water should cover the jars by at least an inch) and "process", boil, for 10 to 15 minutes.

CAREFULLY lift the jars from the water bath and sit on a rack to cool. If you don't have a rack, use a folded dish towel on the counter. Then, if everything has gone just right, in moments you will hear the amazingly satisfying "ping" of each jar as the seal is fully created. It's very, very rewarding! When the jars are cool you should be able to see the slight "dip" in the center if the lid that is created by that seal. If you don't, and the lid is still up, refrigerate the jar and eat soon.

I don't have to tell anyone that all of this is really hot. Hot, hot, HOT... and you need to be REALLY careful, do I? I mean, this stuff has sticking power from all of that sugar, so BE CAREFUL!

All that's left is to label and enjoy! I think I'm gonna go make some of those biscuits of Grandma's...

ArtsyBlogger links...

Woo hoo... Saturday again, and time to share some links! Be sure to go say hi to everyone!

Estate Sale Chairs - Part 2
Cherie attaches the seat covers and starts on the backs.

Flowers and Art
Kim is trying once again to finish up unfinished projects. Come see the first one :)

Beading Arts
Copper tubing makes wonderful copper beads!

Eileen - The Artful Crafter
Follow this tutorial to make a pretty and practical seed kit featuring seed planting strips.

Laura-Taz's Corner
Mail Art, and Postcards, Plus a Big Thank You!

Oh, and Cathy... who left the comment:

ladybug said...

oooooo PICK ME, PICK ME :-)
CathyYP

You're picked... You have 48 hours to email me (remember, that's Eastern time)... the clock is ticking!

Sad, deep sigh...

Judy didn't get back to me with her address within the 48 hour time frame... so... who wants a set of five mermaid note cards? If you do, leave me a comment to this post... and I'll let you know who gets them. And, if it's you, be sure to email me your address quick!

Has everyone been keeping up...

With the conversations going on within the blog-o-sphere and mixed media artists concerning copyright? There's been a lot of discussion about it of late, not that there hasn't always been, but it's always a very good thing to revisit, especially if you post your own creative endeavors online.

The most popular post on my blog is "A bonus doodle", the post shared the last doodle I gave away March of 2010 (the images on this post are from that one). It never ceases to amaze me that it gets anywhere from 60 to 100 hits a day. Who is looking at this? Are they looking at it to be inspired, or are they copying it and using it for their own in some way without my permission? Would it be a copyright infringement if they did? What recourse do I have if they are? Especially if they were making a boat load of money from using it? Good questions huh? I mean... consider your own art that you post... would they be questions you might like to know the answer to?

I've had my designs used before. When I designed needlepoint, it was shocking how fast one of my competitors would come out with a knock off of something I had done... And one time one of my customers came in to ask me a question about one of the canvases I had designed. She had bought it, and was coping it, stitch for stitch, on another canvas. Or, once when I was doing a general online search for my designs, imagine my surprise when a person on "The Knot", a popular wedding sight, was using one of my canvases for her icon in the discussion forums. It made me sad to think that someone liked my creations so much they would use them without asking permission or attributing the work to me.

I joined in the copyright conversation today, probably not making myself or this blog any more popular... by adding my two cents on a post concerning the copyright issue on Create Mixed Media (the post is written by Ricë Freeman-Zachery who also blogs at Notes from the Voodoo Cafe). In part my comment reads:

"Since we are being so open and honest in this discussion, and in the interest of understanding, I am curious about something… Many of the very well known collage artists and teachers (whose work we all know, love and drool over) use images they find and cut out of magazines and other print format in their work. As you say above, just because we alter something we find in a magazine or a book does not make it our own. How does that fit into this discussion, or does it?"

Well that is the proverbial can o'worms, isn't it? But, let's be realistic, if we are going to discuss how important it is to respect the work of instructors and artists, it's important that we delve into how they create their art as well. After all, someone took, and holds the copyright to, the pictures that are in magazines and other print.... (and now I expect flaming remarks sorta like the original Gigi's post brought me.)

Copyright is an important issue as we all move more and more into this blogging/internet experience, and it's an issue that really deserves to be looked at from more than just one perspective... as many of the facets as possible need to be considered.

So... what do y'all have to say? I mean, if I am gonna open a can of worms, might as well open it all the way, right?

Judy, Judy, Judy...

I almost fell out of my chair laughing at Judy's comment about having the biggest boobs... (and who doesn't love a bit of sarcasm when referring to boobs and vacuums???)...

Judy said...

I hear ya. Same thing at my house, no one else notices the garbage, the washing machine, ya-da-da, you know the list . . . . eventually I get fed up and start sarcastically telling the family:

"Just because I have the biggest boobs doesn't mean I'm the only one who can run the vacuum !"

I wonder if anyone has ever done a study about the correlation of boobs and the running of the vacuum??? Does it really make us better at it???

Judy, because you have the bigger boobs (and, because it's my birthday month, and because you are a follower of the blog)... you need to celebrate with a set of the mermaid cards too! Email me with your address so I can get a set out to ya!

So... Joanna...

You know the mermaid painting I did the other day? You know what happens to her if you do a high resolution scan of her, then shrink her and put her on a 180 lb cardstock?











Well, when you pair it up with an envelope, you get a very sassy mermaid note card.








And you know what else Joanna? Your comment from yesterday...

Joanna said... You've just gotta stop fighting it, girl, and accept your fate. All the bawling in the world won't get you anywhere (and certainly won't make them change).

I self prescribe a large glass of Merlot and suddenly I don't really care any more either!

Good advice... although I did substitute beer, it was awfully darned hot last evening and merlot just didn't seem as refreshing as a beer...

You may have read that this month is my birthday month, and that all month long I am randomly going to give away things... what better way to celebrate, right? So... because you were sweet enough to comment, and because of your great advice Joanna, I'd love to send you a set of them... just email me your address within 48 hours of this post (my email is over on the left side bar)... and I'll get them out to you!!