True Artist ATCs

Hey, if you are truly a great ATC artist, go to Yahoo Groups and come check out my group, True Artist ATCs.





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Click to join TrueArtistATCs

We're a little strict about membership but it'll be worth it.

See you there!

Snow Day!

We are having a snow day today so it is a perfect day to get the house and the art studio in order. In efforts to motivate myself to accomplish this goal, I'm blaring my music-- everything from Beck to Perry Como-- and admiring some of the ladies' workspaces in "Where Women Create" by Jo Packham.

In addition to the cleaning, I've been so addicted to making more ATCs. Keep watching for those. And hey, if you've got some comparably good cards, I'd be interested in trading!

To Do The Craft Fair or To Not Do The Craft Fair...That Is The Question.

Ah, yes, fall is coming. My favorite season of all. The air gets a little fresher. The days, a little shorter. And, Ohmygosh! October is coming up QUICK!!!

And what happens the first weekend of October? The Ozark Utopia Club Craft Fair, of course. What to do, what to do? I just don't really feel up to it this year. I have plenty of crap I need to get rid of but do I have enough to fill my booth? I could certainly use any extra income and the booth space has already been paid for. So, why not?

I'm sure I'll probably do it. I've just been fairly uninspired lately. Preoccupied with my children and the prospect of buying a new house, my art has really been put on the back burner.

I guess I'll just have to pull some all-nighters till I'm so deliriously tired that I stumble across inspiration.

Yeah, we'll see how that goes...

Why I Am The Way I Am...Childhood Memories Part 1

I don't know why, but I've been thinking a lot about my childhood lately. I think I'm just anxious for summer to get here & most of my favorite childhood memories were during summertime. And most of the time, I was at my grandparents' farm.
One hundred acres full of adventure. I don't think there is any place on that property that I, my sister and my four cousins did not set foot. There were the usual haunts, like the barn, the barnyard, the creek, the fishing pond just east of the house.
Then, there were much more mysterious destinations, such as up by the huge old walnut tree towards the southeast area and the property line to the north which deathly frightened us for no good reason; perhaps it was because of the old bones we'd find and the fact that it was about as far away from the house as we could get. Right on the verge of unfamiliar territory. If we crossed that fence, were we going to be shot by some crazy landowner? As children, we thought the most eccentric thoughts. Besides the fact that we were seemingly miles away from home, when you enter the field on your way to the distant property fence line, you enter into a charming valley with the most wonderful creek on your right side and a beautiful tree-covered hillside on the left. Of course, when you're a child, these woods can be terrifying--you don't know what kind of ghosts and goblins are watching you from behind the grapevine-draped trees. Grapevines that we would often use as a swing set on sunny days that we knew we were safe from whatever came out on cloudy days.
Looking back, we spent so much time outside I can't believe Grandma allowed it. In country that was filled with snakes and snapping turtles and numerous opportunities to break various bones, I can't imagine letting my children wander off for hours upon hours without supervision. But, that was my childhood. And I loved it. And I miss it. We knew what we were doing. We were safe. We were "street" smart, or in our case, "gravel-road" smart. This was true freedom to have the best time of our lives.

New Direction For My Business?

Chronicles Altered Arts may be undergoing a bit of a change in the near future. My tastes are changing, like they do every once in a while, and I'm thinking I need a more easily identifiable brand name. Although the current Chronicles name accurately describes what I do, people don't really understand what "altered art" is. The current name is also a bit too long, hard to remember, too long for many to want to type it into the browser.

I still enjoy the old vintage, dirty look of the work I typically do. Images that are mysterious and give hints to the past. But, I also enjoy the contemporary look and "shabby chic" style as well. Now, with my new baby girl, I am enjoying making pretty, dainty little toys, blankets, purses, shoes.

I just want to make sure I'm not locked into one particular style because I enjoy so many different styles.

So, just to let you know, don't be surprised if you see a name change soon!

Ready for a vacation...

Well, January is almost over & for some reason it feels like spring. I don't know about you, but I'm starting to like "global warming." Although, last time the weather was like this, we had a long night of tornadoes. Not fun.

I think I'm ready for a vacation. I need some sand. Sun. Palm trees. I don't care where. I need to recharge. Cheaply.

(This picture is me (pregnant with Elijah, my daughter, and my husband in Navarre, FL.)

Any suggestions? Where's the best vacation spot? Where's the best priced vacation spot?

For me, the best vacation spot was my friends' parents' condo in Navarre, Florida. But they've since sold that. So now I'm on the hunt again.

Well, it's a new year...

Yes, new year, new opportunities...I'm planning on making this a great year. And while I can't yet move to the coast, I'm sure it will be great in 2008.

Another promising opportunity: I was contacted the day other day about being featured in our local paper in the small business section. Perhaps nothing will come of it...but then again, it could turn into something great. We'll see.

Happy New Year!

Gimme Your Stuff!

"Gimme Your Stuff" is a way for people around the world to exchange their stuff for foreign stuff. Cool. So, if you are from somewhere other than the US, contact me & we'll see what we can swap! (But I'll warn you, I'm cheap, don't like to spend much on postage but we'll see).

My wish list:
newspapers
magazines
postcards
old photographs
junk mail
anything you take for granted
cheap toys
anything local to your area
traditional recipes local to your area

What I can send:
Pretty much the same stuff as I requested, but I'm usually up for a challenge. Request something & I'll see if I can get it.

BTW, I live near Branson, Missouri, United States. It's like a hokey old-folks Las Vegas, if anyone wants anything from there.

Be Thankful.

I've seen for myself, and for countless others, how dramatically things can shift in both one's inner life and outer circumstances when an active gratitude practice is in place and thriving. But in order for gratitude to work its life-makeover magic, you have to DO it! For all those who consider themselves creatively-minded, approaching gratitude artistically could be a wonderful way to ensure that you are making gratitude an active part of your life -- and not just something you think about every once in a while.

One of the ways I like to combine art and gratitude is through a "Gratitude Garland". A Gratitude Garland is the result of creating miniature art journals on slips of paper each day, with each day's slip focused on an expression of personal gratitude. It's a ritual that is simple enough for anyone to do (including kids!) and quick enough for anyone to STICK to.

Give this process a try -- it's so fulfilling and fun!

Marney Makridakis "Writing shows my gratitude for the blessings of being alive, of being human, of having a body, mind, and spirit-energy that can think, feel, and express what's most important to me." -Alexandra Stoddard

Welcome back!

Welcome back to myself, that is! I've under-estimated the power of the blog. Now I'm back. Finally. And planning to keep this much more updated & interesting.

In the meantime, while I'm looking for things to blog about, check out my website: www.chroniclesalteredarts.com/

Original Art For Sale!

The Chronicles website is up & running. Stop by today & see the latest pieces up for sale. All pieces are 100% original & one-of-a-kind.

www.chroniclesalteredarts.com

Under Reconstruction!

New & soon to be improved!