An Award That Makes Me Smile

My good friend and sister-in-art, Valerie presented me with this award and it means a lot.  First, because Val is talented, generous and someone I admire greatly, and secondly, because the award is for blogs that bring a smile to your face.  What is better than knowing you've made someone smile?  Check out Valerie's blog, The Sum of All Crafts to see what I mean.

Now, the hard part.  I am to pay this forward and name 5 bloggers to receive it next.  Of course, since Val and I "travel" in many of the same circles, and know the same people, she went ahead and named bloggers I'd have loved to send this to.  So hard.  I want to pass it on to great people, and I also want to spread the word about some blogs you may have missed. 

Well, here goes......

Altered By Me....Arlene is one of my Paper Imagery Designs design teammates, and her lovely work and unique approach always brings a smile to my face.

Diann's Art Spot.....Diann's blog is as beautiful and elegant as she is, and her work is fabulous.  She was recently on an art retreat doing a book with a gypsy theme.  You'll smile at her pages for sure!

scrappassion.....I met Helena on the cruise and started following her blog to see her cruise pictures.  Now I follow simply because it is a great and beautiful blog.

Stamp With Stephanie...Stephanie is another great lady I met on the cruise.  One of my tablemates, in fact.  Steph is talented for sure, but also one of the most open, honest and FUNNY women I've ever met.  All that comes out in her blog and I know you'll enjoy it as well.

Tabby's Place....Kim is one of the first people I met when I entered the world of yahoo groups.  I've swapped many pieces with her over the years and love her work.  Her blog is as inspiring and entertaining as she is.

Now for the last part of this award, I'm to list 5 things you may not know about me.  Yikes!  You know I try to keep this blog about art, so getting too personal is not my thing here, but I'll give it a try:

1.  Next month I turn 62 (how the hell did that happen?) and I've applied for Social Security.  Enough said.
2.  My first full time job after college was an editorial assistant for a food industry trade magazine.  In addition to clerical work I sometimes got to write......blurbs about ketchup dispensers and spatulas.
3.  I JUST joined Facebook and am still trying to figure it out.  Why do people keep wanting to send me fish and flowers and hearts?
4.  If you know me, this is no little known fact.  It is my claim to fame, so I'm using it again for those few who may not know.....I was at Woodstock in the summer of '69.  Yes I was.
5.  I enjoy fishing.  Really.  Even putting bait on a hook doesn't creep me out.  Haven't gone in years.  Once had a fisherman bf.  But would go again.  Anyone have a boat?

An Award! and Some Tags

Here I am, drinking coffee and checking out all the blogs I follow, and what do I see on my friend Jennifer's blog?  She was given (very rightfully so) this Best Blog Award, and much to my surprise, she passed it on to me!

Thank you Jennifer!  Now, go check out Artistically Designed Diversions while I ponder who I should pass this on to....the hardest part of getting a blogging award is picking only a few blogs to get it next.  There are just countless great ones out there.

Well, you don't know this, but I've been away for a while thinking and drinking (coffee, that is), and here are the blogs that are getting the award from me.  Visit them!

The ART and Musings of Shelly Rae Wood  -- Shelly finds junk and turns it into treasures.  She is talented in so many ways, and funny to boot.

My Thoughts, My Life -- Stephen is in one of my yahoo groups.  His art is beautiful, and he is also a collector.  And it is always nice to see a man blogging about art and life.

GOT ART -- I met Sherry on the cruise.  She is an extremely talented mixed media artist, and her blog is beautiful, well written, thoughtful and funny.

Penny Duncan Creations -- Penny is the list owner of one of my yahoo groups, and she's a computer wiz.  She creates and shares the most amazing files.  If you are into digital at all, have a Cricut or other cutting gizmo (you can tell I am not digital, right?), run to her blog!

Angie's Artful Life -- Angie is my true sister in art!  We are both on the PID design team and though we've never met and live in such very different places and lead very different lives, we have always clicked and we work so well together.  She is a cheerleader for all, encouraging and generous.  But that is not why I'm sending you to her blog.  She creates beautiful cards, wall hangings, jewelry....you name it!

Shelly, Stephen, Sherry, Penny and Angie....grab that award, post it on your blogs and then pass it on.

On to some art.   One of the cool things we all received on the cruise...in fact the very last gift we got as we left the farewell cocktail party...was a custom made stamp of our cruise logo.

After we returned from the cruise, Gloria, one of the ATT list moms, decided to host a new swap.  We are to create tags featuring this stamp.  We make 12 and get 4 back because the additional tags are going to go to the people who made the cruise the wonderful experience it was....Tim, Wendy, their assistants and the ScrapMap team.

I just finished mine a little while ago, and I'm pleased with the way they came out.

I sprayed my tags with Tim's recipe for mica powder spray, using perfect pearls, reinkers and water.  I stamped, distressed and inked them too.  My Day of the Dead skull is wearing a sombrero (the same one, in fact that I had on the Statue of Liberty for my cruise ATCs). 

The red ticket hanging with the idea-ology piece from the ball chain is one of the tickets Mario gave out with purchases on the cruise.  I wrote my information on the back and laminated them.  Shopping at the market place and the excitement of the give aways at the farewell party were such great memories, I thought adding the ticket was fun.