Surprise mail art!

Yesterday I received this arted-up index card in the mail from Sandra Skies Ludwig! It was a compete surprise and so welcome to find in my mailbox. Sandra was taking part in a month long challenge to send a piece of mail every day during the month of February; you can read more about it on her blog, Sandra's Vintage Heart. Click on the photo above for a more detailed view and to the read the fortunes on the card! 

The index card Sandra sent was one of her Index-Cards-A-Day (ICAD) from 2011. She closed her handwritten note by saying she wished all these fortunes for me . . . so sweet!!

Thank you, Sandra! xoxo

Collaboration with Sharon Borsavage

An altered book collaboration with Sharon Borsavage. : ^ ) 

A week or 2 ago I finished up the pages in Sharon's book and sent it home to her. I wanted to wait until she received this in person before sharing online . . . and then my sons visiting from Boston kept me busy for quite a while!
Today, I got my photographs labeled, resized and uploaded. The slideshow below shows Sharon's book as if you are flipping through it in real life.  You'll see both of our altered artwork sprinkled throughout her book. My own altered book that we have also been working on collaboratively is with Sharon now and whenever she is ready and has time to finish it, I will gladly welcome it home. I don't mind waiting!

If you cannot view the slideshow below, please use this link to view it online.

Sharon and I started this exchange back in late 2009 when I was still living in Connecticut! I moved across the country when my dad was ill with cancer- then he passed away last October. Sharon had some health issues herself to deal with and so we just took our time and worked at a pace that suited us. I will forever cherish this exchange where I got to "talk" to my friend Sharon through our collaborative art! xoxoxox

There is also a companion album where I have included more process photos and work done by both Sharon and I, in my nature themed AB. You'll find it here.

thanks for visiting!

she is free

A 5x7 collage I made for a challenge on ARTchix Studio's facebook page -
my entry for the Challenge of BIRDS, EGGS, NESTS and/or CHARTREUSE!!

I did not win, but I love playing in Helga's challenges, anytime. 

I'm inspired by ARTchix's supplies and have been for years and years!

Tomorrow, I will be more free myself, hmmmmmm.   :  ( 

My boys are heading back to Boston in the very early morning hours. We have been lucky to have both of my sons and their wives/partners here with us for 5 full wonderful days. Nothing like having some youngsters around! They range from 26 to 30 years old. Click on any photo for a larger one.

Dallas on my Dad's old John Deere tractor. It's now at Lucas Boatworks and still used
by my husband. My dad used to tow my boys around in an attached cart when they were small.

Liz, Steve, Tina and Decklin checking out a Lucas Boatworks Boat (handbuilt)

Decklin and Liz climbed inside the boat Dave Lucas is finishing!

we went kayaking on the river : )

Then the kids cooked dinner for us!! I'd say miss Asia looks quite interested : ))

Had to cap off the evening with toasting marshmellows : ))
Decklin, Tina and Dallas

I will miss them . . . . even though our house is small for 6 adults and we needed lots more food in the house!!

Love them all, so glad to spend time together. A wonderful birthday present!! xo

stars from scotland

My dear friend Frieda Oxenham who lives in the Scottish Borders, sent me a wonderful gift for my birthday this week! It arrived later than she was hoping for, after my actual birthday, but I so enjoyed opening it when it arrived yesterday. It came in a bright pink mailing envelope with white polka-dots and was wrapped up in a piece of fabric -whoohoo! I'll be sure to use the wrapping too. Inside a delightful little mesh studded bag that held something that Frieda explained to me later as, "I saw this necklace and knew immediately it was meant to be for you what with those stars!"

Frieda and I have corresponded, shared our fabric and mixed media art via many exchanges and shared our thoughts and ideas for a long time. The earliest email I have saved is from 2005! I love seeing this email again because it shows I had not even found her blog or her picturetrail yet! Check those sites out for some serious eye candy!

From: Lenna Andrews
 To: Frieda Oxenham
Sent: Tuesday, August 09, 2005 12:40 PM
Subject: happy days for you : )

 Dear Frieda, Just a note of Congratulations!! My, what an exciting week you have had, and so well-deserved. Do you have a scan, or a place on-line where I could see your quilts? I would love to see your larger fabric work!

Fondly, Lenna

 Lenna Andrews, mixed media artist and instructor
 94 Peak Mountain drive, East Granby, CT 06026
Phone/Fax: 860-413-9050
Web Site: http://www.lennastamp.com
gallery: http://www.picturetrail.com/lennastamp

There are no mistakes, no coincidences, all events are blessings given to us to learn from.
 ~ Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

kind of a silly photo of me, but it shows off the beautiful necklace Frieda sent very well!

It's perfect.

Thank you so much, Frieda!!

xxooxo

Janet Echelman: Taking imagination seriously

Thanks to my friend Ann Medlin Hall for pointing out this really interesting talk on video I hope you'll enjoy too, from TED Talks: "Janet Echelman found her true voice as an artist when her paints went missing -- which forced her to look to an unorthodox new art material. Now she makes billowing, flowing, building-sized sculpture with a surprisingly geeky edge. A transporting 10 minutes of pure creativity." View this talk here: http://www.ted.com/talks/janet_echelman.html 

an example of her art:

Tsunami 1.26, 2011 - Sydney, Australia

Go here: http://www.echelman.com/site/portfolio.html to see more of her imaginative work.

The Meal: a collaborative project

This was the photo that Tina (my son Decklin's partner) took of me yesterday at 12 noon for The Meal . . . .
a simultaneous global project organized by the Art House Co-op.

From their site: "Nothing makes us feel connected quite like sharing a meal together. On February 24th at 12pm Eastern Standard Time, thousands of strangers from around the world will sit down for a bite in unison and capture a shared experience at the exact same time. Take a photograph of yourself with your meal and mail it back to us. These simultaneous snapshots – self-portraits of people and their foods – will be exhibited in our storefront project space and made available online. Our aim is to inspire a feeling of community across geographic and cultural boundaries. So wherever you may be on February 24th at 12pm, keep your camera handy and something delicious nearby – and remember that thousands of strangers, both near and far, are sharing that meal with you.."

My plate for "the meal" includes hummus with carrots, 5 grain crackers and a salad with various lettuces, Quinoa, four bean salad, raw mushrooms and leftover cooked yellow squash. These choices reflect the recent change in diet Steven and I have embraced for health reasons after watching the documentary Forks over Knives. Since we started this way of eating (90% plant-based with very minimal meat or dairy) on January 20 we are now truly enjoying what we eat more and feel better. I have even lost a few pounds. My doctor was very positive about my decision to stop taking the medication she had prescribed a year ago for high cholesterol. My levels are now within the normal range and she told me she thought plant based eating was healthier than taking Niaspan! She also said she wished she had more patients like me, willing to change their diet!! Anyway, participating in this project took on extra meaning to me because of these reasons.

Soon after Tina took this photo for me because I could not quite do it myself . . . I printed the digital photo out on matte photo paper in the 4"x6" size as was requested and decorated a hand made envelope to send it to the Art House Co-op offices. FUN!! They have a lot of projects going on now - check out their site and see what is still open! www.arthousecoop.com

xo lenna 

my family is visiting!

my son Dallas and my daughter in law Liz . . . 

we went to my Mom's house today to visit and to take our boat out.

Tina and my oldest son Decklin ; ^ )

our boat Chelsea, hand built at Lucas Boatworks.

Larger photos if you click on them!

Chelsea is run on a lawn mower engine!!! (by Captain Steve)

Off we go! 

It was a beautiful day for this . . . 

hand built at Lucas boatworks

me and my hubby : )

Our "kids"

Back at Oma's, the sweet oranges were calling my boys . . . 

Steven & Dallas hang from the branch while Decklin 

uses the orange picker to get some down! 

Dallas was successful as well! YummY! 

Later at home after dinner we had a fire in the 

moon & stars fire pit

It was great to just hang out and talk

we are happy!! 

 -the kids got here late last night and are here until tuesday. so if I am scarce, that's why.

They do all have computers or ipads though, so I am sure I will get here some!!

xo best to you and yours

they say it's your birthday . . . .

This song is perfect! The video is here, if it is not displayed!

My friend Kathy, who teaches Nia and gave me a really spectacular birthday today! 

Balloons, singing, a handmade card, a cupcake, her smile, her energy, a fabulously taught Nia movement class, her warmth, friendship and more -so sweet! So wonderful! 

Yes, Nia classes on the beach!  (I put together an animoto for kathy-click on the link)

I cannot tell you how wonderful this mind-body movement program has been for me. 

Nia has made me feel like a kid again!!!!!!!!!

I'm 55 today and loving it : ^ ) 

xo

365 photos

I hadn't been adding photos to my journal at blipfoto for quite a few weeks; until recently I was stuck at December 31st, 2011... I just did not feel like it, perhaps some sadness was still with me after my father's passing. But recently, I got the urge to start adding photos again and decided to do what is called a "back-blip" -uploading and filling in photos taken but never uploaded- to my journal during January & February. One of the blipfoto rules is you are only allowed to upload one photo to the day you took it. One slice, one memory, of that day in time. During this process of catching up and adding photos to my journal I uploaded my 365th blip! This is *celebrated as a birthday* on blipfoto! For most people it would represent a year of daily entries, but for me it was more like 14  months : ) But that's okay - there are no rules about time!  Ta da! Here is my 365th blipfoto journal entry taken from my art class with Bill Buchman:

You can read more about it on my journal entry for January 23.
I am still catching up . . . not uploading for every day that I missed, but just for days with photos that are important to me or special in some way that I want uploaded to my photo journal.

Thanks for visiting! I have changed my comments here back to a separate page instead of embedded and I hope that makes it easier for you, I heard it was troublesome at times. I am sorry if the new captcha code (prove you are not a robot) is harder to do (I find it is) but unfortunately I don't have any control over that. I need to leave comment moderation on in order to keep phishing and spam off of my sites. They still try to leave it sometimes, but this way I can catch it and no bad links are posted!

our favorite holiday

more than christmas, birthdays, new years or even election day, Steven and I love valentine's day.

I stitched on a canvas leftover from a class

then collaged with various papers

and added eco hearts from ARTchix Studio.

 the finished piece - the words are from an ARTchix Studio sheet: perfect! 

 I added mail art even though this collage was hand delivered! 

I used an envelope I received in the Vintage Note Card Swap from 

Lynda Roddy Ozzauto to hold the collage, but added rubber stamps to personalize it.  

Steven was very excited to give me his gift - he etched these wine 

glasses secretly with moons & stars ;  ) amazing!

He had made 2 for us a few years ago and alas, they had both broken.

Click for details.

Steven made the card too . . . and then added his logo (and a price-ha!)

beautiful!!

loving wishes to you & yours -

lenna & steve

4x4 inch collages for an exchange

On the Oh My Gothic yahoo group we are exchanging 4x4 inch collages. Most of the participants are making them into a little book . . . but you could just enjoy them . . . or make into a larger collage. Hmmm, I am not sure what I will do with the ones I have received yet, but I have made two more and sent them off today. My dear friend Frieda in Scotland requested a theme of flowers, yummy! I am sure this will brighten up her cold days when she receives it.

The words are from ARTchix Studio. The flowers I got from Collage Stuff, by Prima. 

This 4x4 is made of paper and fabric.

The 4x4 watercolor card I bought already cut to size from ARTchix Studio -then I painted it. 

Later, I took a piece of sheer fabric (a scarf) and sewed it directly onto the watercolor card. It started like this below . . . .

Then I fooled around with which flowers might work and where the words should go. 

I ended up spray painting the plain white Prima flowers with Perfect Pearls Mists. I also added some glitter glue in the center of each flower because Frieda loves shiny, Magpie things.

I glued the flowers down with Tacky glue and was happy with the arrangement. 

 I hope you like it, Frieda . . . it is on it's way!

I also made a 4x4 for Debby on the theme of vintage children : ^)

I chose many more images than I would need, just to see what might inspire me. 

These are all pretty much from ARTchix Studio!

I also had a number of already painted 4x4 watercolor squares to choose from. 

After preparing for my collage class I had leftover paint. Instead of throwing it out 

I brushed it onto the watercolor squares. 

I chose a square and started playing with the composition. 

I ended up cutting the background away from the 3 girls. 

I added a layer of handmade lace paper for texture. It mostly disappears when added to the watercolor paper with gel medium, but I thought the extra wisps of paper fiber would be good.

A part of a pen shell adorns her hair and silver star tinsel that my friend and Nia teacher Kathy Oravec gave me, because she thought I could use it! She was right :  ^ ) I also added glitter and silver metallic marker splashes.

the back was finished very simply . . . That was fun! 

Now this is on it's way to Debby : )

I must say I have noticed, and maybe so have you, that I have not been doing as much mixed media artwork since my dad passed away, October 1. My creativity has continued to surface - taking photographs almost daily and also through lots of movement and dance: Nia classes, Conscious Movement and Dancing gratitude that I have found here in Florida. I am still doing a few things with mixed media and so I do not worry about the smaller output, just notice it. I imagine something will happen to fire me up and push me into more creativity when the time is right! I hope all is well with you. I am truly fine, except for a hole in my life. I miss my dad.