The Blog Formerly Known As The Blue Cottage

Hippy Hippy Hooray!

2009-07-20T20:23:00.000-07:00

I'm back in Blogland!

http://hippyhippyhooray.blogspot.com/

Flickr!

2008-09-24T12:52:00.000-07:00

I've been uploading photos to Flickr for your viewing enjoyment! :)

More to come soon...

Constant Craving

2008-08-03T19:02:00.000-07:00

I have been CRAVING creativity!!!!!
Working in an office 40 hours a week has been an adjustment for me when it comes to my creativity. My creative impulses usually arrived at 2:00AM...now by 10:00PM my head just wants to hit the pillow.
Although there are seventeen million things I should be doing on the weekends (like organizing our new town-home) I find that I have to make time for ART.

On this lazy Sunday I had a craving to carve a rubber stamp.
I decided to make a Dia de los Muertos skull to use on my guitar.

(ABOVE: close up of carved stamp)

(ABOVE: rubber stamp image on guitar)

After working a little on my guitar project I started a new page in my Art Journal.
The image of the Mexican woman is a photocopy transfer using gel medium. The background is acrylics and water soluble crayons and stamped images in the background to help create depth.
This is only the beginning of this page...not sure where it will lead...

OMG! I Am Blogging!

2008-07-27T15:12:00.000-07:00

Hell will surely FREEZE!

So, uh...yeah...it's been a while.
OKAY! IT'S BEEN A HELLUVA LONG TIME.
But alas, I am here - at least for the moment :)

I would have blogged - but my free time has been spent in Doctor's offices, blood labs, and exercising!

About five weeks ago I ended up in ER with scary-high blood pressure. I am talking 288/117...uh huh....HIGH. Stress is wonderful isn't it?

My health insurance kicked in at work and I found a Doctor I actually like!
He put me on blood pressure meds and found out I have a thyroid problem as well ....bless his soul...because now I am finally losing weight (two pounds a week) AND my blood pressure is MUCH better!
I am not dieting...I have made life-style changes...being informed, reading labels, making smart choices and walking about twenty miles a week.

During all of this I noticed that when I took my blood pressure after MAKING ART my blood pressure dropped....so...it is TRUE....
ART is good for the HEART!!!

One project I am currently working on is altering my old guitar. I had tossed it in the trash when we were moving out of the cottage - but my Granddaughter rescued it telling me "Don't throw this away, you will regret it!"
As usual - she was right ....and since it is no longer playable I am turning it into ART that will hang on the wall!

As you will see in the photos I am doing it in a Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) theme to go along with the Mexican style of decorating we love so much.

I will take photos again once it is complete and hanging in the living room...but for now here is my work in progress!
It's good to be back! :)

It's Just So....MOVING....

2008-05-10T09:09:00.000-07:00

Breaking News from Morning Canyon Road...
We moved!
Soon the blog title will change as we no longer live in the Blue Cottage!
We are still in Corona del Mar, a block off of Pacific Coast Highway - with Little Corona and the vast Pacific Ocean across the highway...
Rent is much more affordable in this two-story town-home...and we love the neighborhood and the neighbors...
I am tired of living out of and stepping over boxes...once things are organized I will be back to making art and blogging!

I Haven't Sailed Away...

2008-04-19T13:40:00.001-07:00

Photo of the Lynx in Newport Harbor taken by me...I added the stone angels on the sails using Photoshop brushes :)

I haven't been posting much. But I am still here!
I began a new full time job in Huntington Beach working with GREAT people a couple of months ago and I've had less time for art and blogging obviously!
We are also searching for a more affordable rental in the area if possible...still wanting to stay in walking distance to the beach if we can ;-)
Once things are settled I will get back to my creative side more - and try to sneak in a few minutes here and there when possible!

Thanks for continuing to stop by...I will try to have a little something for you to look at whenever I can!
PEACE!

I'm Not Brushing You Off...

2008-04-05T22:19:00.001-07:00

I just haven't had a lot to write about lately.

Back to working a forty-hour week I've had little time to MAKE ART NOW! To relax I've been learning and experimenting with Photoshop. My latest obsession: BRUSHES. As if you could not tell!

On this one below I created a BRUSH from one of my original design backgrounds. After applying it in black I faded the background and then used the custom BRUSH of the vintage car I found while searching custom brushes on the Internet. I only have Photoshop 6.0 so my BRUSHES are limited :( Do you feel sorry for me? Does anyone have a newer version of Photoshop they want to loan me to install? Perhaps a barter -- I make you a Chopstick Journal and you loan me your Photoshop CD?

This one below is another manipulated photo that I took at Disneyland this past winter.
I put a cross on top of the castle to make it more Gothic :) I then made a custom BRUSH of a vintage VW...oh how I wish I had THAT Bug :)

I think I will become even more obsessed working with vintage photos in my collection!
This one below is of me in Santa Barbara more than a few years ago :)

Brushing Up

2008-03-30T21:03:00.000-07:00

I have done little else but rest this weekend. After being sick for...how many days now?...I decided to spend my day in bed on the laptop and learn a little about Photoshop brushes. I've always been fascinated by the creativity I see other artists delve into digitally - and I'd promised myself to give it a try with my photography.

I found some favorite photos taken at Disneyland during this past winter and just had FUN playing with some brushes I downloaded.

Turn Your Lights Off

2008-03-28T18:44:00.001-07:00

She's An AWESOME character!

2008-03-26T15:59:00.001-07:00

WOW! Has it really been over a month since I ventured into blogland?!
If any of you are still checking here to see what I've been up to I will be amazed.

I was home from work today - sick - with an ugly bug that is going around. It's not fun at all :(
But, what was FUN was getting today's mail when it arrived!

Tucked inside a tiny envelope arriving by air mail all the way from the U.K. look what I found inside...
A teeny-tiny present wrapped in yellow and tied with red ribbon -- like getting SUNSHINE in the mail!
Of course I knew right away it was from Kate (PlumCrafty)! She is always full of surprises!

What an AWESOME character she is....
LOOK what she sent me!!!
A rubber stamp Chinese character for...
AWESOME!
I have to admit - I've never seen this one! I've seen the ones for HOPE, LOVE, TRUTH, etc., but never AWESOME!
Leave it to Kate to knock my socks off!

THANK YOU KATE -- YOU ARE AWESOME!

Chop-Chop

2008-02-14T20:40:00.000-08:00

**Edited With Brighter Photo's Thanks To A Sunny Day On The Coast!**
This afternoon I had the chance to make two more Chopstick Notebooks.

I am offering them for sale.

*****These are great notebooks to keep by the phone or on your nightstand...and they make great gifts to put in Easter baskets for the older children too!*****

Hope you like them!

Email me at:
jolene@bellakarma.com
if you would like one!

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

'Lantern Flower' with Green Chopstick
9" tall by 4 3/4" wide
(30 sheets of 32 pound white paper)
$12.00
FREE SHIPPING IN THE U.S.
(click on all the photos for larger views)
**SOLD on 02.18.08 and on the way to Colorado!**

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

'Flower Drum Song' with Red Chopstick
9" tall by 5 5/8" wide
34 pages of 32 pound white paper
$12.00
FREE SHIPPING IN THE U.S.
(click on all the photos for larger views)

A Super Laguna Beach Tuesday

2008-02-08T23:44:00.000-08:00

On Super Tuesday after dropping off our ballots (they were mailed to us too late to mail in!) my granddaughter and I headed over to Laguna to do some photography...only five minutes south of the cottage we are treated to these beautiful vistas...

Some residents of Laguna vote at The Lawn Bowling facilities...

Dig the stencil graffiti -my thoughts went straight to Mary Ann.
A renovation and restoration of Heisler Park is being done and since Laguna Beach is an artist's community ...even plywood used in the construction becomes a canvas...the Pacific Ocean makes a nice background, eh?

Not a bad view, ya think? I am standing in Crescent Park taking this photo...just on the other side of those trees is a vista point where you can watch dolphins and whales -- not to mention the hundreds of sea lions on "seal rock"....

Ahhhhhhhh.....

Laguna is just plain BEAUTIFUL...

Hummingbirds held our attention for a long time....

Just another day in paradise...

Tiny Cottage Journal

2008-01-31T20:05:00.001-08:00

Here is another hand bound (Coptic stitch) journal I made during our recent Southern California coastal rainstorm!
Tiny Cottage Journal...I LOVE the shape of this book.
It slips easily into your purse or messenger bag - the perfect take-along art journal.
Measuring approximately 4 3/8" x 5 3/4" to the tip of the roof :)
Inside you'll find 32 pages of 140-pound cold pressed watercolor paper.
Each of the four signatures are divided with decorative paper alternating in blue and gold.
The Coptic stitch (allowing the pages to lie flat when open!) is done with waxed linen thread in three different colors.

*Just SOLD 02.05.08
... the Tiny Cottage Journal is on the way to the beautiful state of Virginia!*

*Please click on each image for larger views.*

Chinese Take Out NOTEBOOKS

2008-01-28T15:09:00.001-08:00

Look what the California rain storm blew in :)
The perfect weather for bookmaking!
Chop-Chop-Chopstick Notebooks...
Want one?
*Click images for larger views*

The ROBOT:
(approximately 6 1/2" x 5" with 34 pages of white thirty-two pound paper)
*This one just sold 1.30.08*

SPRINGTIME:
(approximately 5 1/8" x 4 1/2" with 32 pages of white thirty-two pound paper)
*Given as a gift to someone special 02.10.08*

RED FLOWER DRUM SONG:
(approximately 8 7/8" x 4 1/2" with 16 pages of white thirty-two pound paper)
*This one just SOLD 1.28.08*

Each notebook is ONLY $7.00 plus $3.00 shipping and handling!
Email me at: jolene@bellakarma.com
or leave me a comment with your email address!

THANKS FOR LOOKING!

You & Me & Rain On The Roof....

2008-01-27T23:31:00.001-08:00

My favorite time at the beach is just BEFORE, DURING & AFTER a STORM :)
With strong winds blowing this afternoon I had to grab my camera and head up and over to the water...as I reach this high point around the corner from home this is my first view of the ocean...it has always been my favorite vantage point- even looooong before I lived here...it never fails to take my breathe away with it's beautiful vista...even (and especially!) on days like today-- dark and cloudy and wet!

No, this wasn't Photoshopped ...this watercolor of China Cove is taken through my rain covered car window :-)

Is this just too beautiful for words?.....

The five palm trees stood tall and clapped their hands in agreement!

This one was apparently so overwhelmed with her view her arms flew up in the air!

Further down the road at Little Corona Beach...I could watch these waves all day and never get
bored...

Down the road and around the corner...heading home under the rain soaked footbridge...
All too soon we will be back to BORING sunshine again...

Across The Universe ...or at least Across The Pond!

2008-01-24T13:17:00.001-08:00

Some days "Kari-The-Mail-Carrier" fills my mailbox with bills and junk-mail...
Some days she knocks softly on the Dutch-door and leaves a bit of magic behind...
Those of you who read my blog regularly may have come to notice the sweet and often funny comments left by Kate who goes by "PlumCrafty".
Kate and I got to know one another via Craftsters.org - a cool on line community where artists and crafters share their ideas, tutorials, and a lot of support.
Kate lives 'across the Pond' and she has become like another daughter to me.
A bulletin board above my art table shows off the numerous postcards Kate sends me from her adventures around Europe - or right in her own backyard of the London area.

A long white mailing tube proclaiming "Royal Mail" arrived the other day and I was smiling before I even opened it!

IMAGINE my gasp and surprise when I unearthed this treasure!!!

On John's sleeve I placed the IMAGINE 'dog tag charm' that Kate also sent along. It is already on my key chain... each time I look at it I IMAGINE the wonder of the Internet and the friends and 'family' it has given me!

THANK YOU SWEET KATIE...I can't IMAGINE my world without you in it!

Earth to Jolene, Earth to Jolene....Come In Jolene...

2008-01-23T12:38:00.001-08:00

Contrary to popular belief I have not left the planet.
Currently in a journal making frenzy.
Stay Tuned!

Chinese Take Out?

2008-01-07T13:02:00.000-08:00

On a cloudy Sunday in-between storms it's good to keep busy at the art table :)

A while back I had seen a cool tutorial on making small journals using a chopstick as the journal's spine...and I knew I just had to try it!

These small journals have 32 pages and they measure about 4.5 inches by 9 inches...you make the journal the height of the chopstick. I used a piece of heavy weight scrapbook paper for the covers and the inside pages are 32-pound copy paper.

It's a great little journal to keep on your nightstand for jotting down thoughts and ideas!

Happy Birthday Jill Marie

2008-01-03T13:11:00.000-08:00

On January 3, 1975 the greatest gift I have ever been given arrived.

The birth of my beautiful daughter, Jill Marie.

She is no longer four like in this photo - but she is still my 'baby girl'.

I LOVE YOU SWEETHEART.
HAPPY 33rd BIRTHDAY!

My Kid Made Me A Froggy

2007-12-29T18:46:00.000-08:00

Ok. So. My kid is 33 next week.
But she did make me a froggy :)
Go Here Before It Leaps Away!

I will be back once the COLD & FLU has flown...

A New Decor At The Blue Cottage

2007-12-22T23:27:00.000-08:00

I thought it was time to redecorate our little blue cottage...

So, what do you think?
Is it "Cheesey"?

What? You don't believe me?

(Hmmm, okay...this isn't The Blue Cottage!)
Oh well...I WISH I had a little cottage that looked like this one! ;-)

I LOVE Minnie Mouses' house in ToonTown at Disneyland!

I want to move it to a bluff overlooking the ocean!
(be sure to click on the photos to enjoy the details, some are as tiny as a mouse...har-har).

*****We celebrated Winter Solstice at Disneyland Friday.*****

Greetings Readers!

2007-12-19T15:32:00.000-08:00

I've surfaced :) At least for a moment...

The other day I HAD to cut AND glue AND fold AND stitch AND paint AND stamp...SO, I finally have the visual journal I've been working in into a book form! Yes, I admit it...until now I've simply been working on the pages with no cover or binding of any kind ;-)

But first - LOOK!- a cloudy sky over the Blue Cottage - clouds that RAIN fell from and more promised! Yes, REAL WEATHER again in southern California ...you have no idea how AMAZING this is, unless of course you live in southern California :)

***** ***** ***** ***** *****
this JOURNAL is non-perishable
At least I hope it's non-perishable :)
And, yes, that is ME in the photo on the cover - I was three or four and the photo was taken on the beach in Santa Barbara, California. To transfer this photo to my cover I made a photocopy of the original photo and used clear caulking as my transfer medium.
The covers of the journal are made from a recycled US Priority Mail box that I cut to size and coated with a few layers of gesso before I began painting, gluing, etc. to give it a bit more strength and allowing it to take a beating!

The inside of the covers were gessoed, painted and collaged creating a weathered and worn look and feel.

Some pages are completed - other's not so much :)

Inside of back cover...gessoed, painted and collaged.

The journal fanned out (I made 4 signatures with 6 pages each).

Front and Back of journal - sewn in coptic stitch using various colors of waxed linen thread.
This journal was made completely from items I had on hand or items I could recycle.

Close Out Sale @ AlteredInsomnia!

2007-12-12T19:02:00.000-08:00

I am starting to close out AlteredInsomnia!
All of my RetroRubber authentic VINTAGE "business" RUBBER STAMPS are on sale for
HALF OFF!
They are going FAST!
If you are making an Artist's Gift Basket for one of your creative friends this holiday a one-of-a-kind vintage stamp is a great addition!
Go check 'em out today!

Think PEACE

2007-12-10T23:23:00.000-08:00

I am so sick of the LIES...so sick of this WAR.
All I Want For Christmas/Solstice Is The War To End.
BRING THEM HOME.
NOW.
(John Denver, we miss you - your words of wisdom still touch us today.)

A Rock Star Moment!

2007-12-05T12:22:00.000-08:00

Late yesterday afternoon we went to Disneyland for a short visit.
Good thinkin'.
We saw one of Orange County's coolest homegirls --
GWEN STEFANI
(visiting the magic kingdom with her CUTE little boy and HANDSOME husband)!

*I might have Disneyland and DCA photos to share in a post later.*

When I Began To ALTER My ART...

2007-12-02T15:50:00.000-08:00

In 2003 when I first heard the words "altered book"...I nodded my head not wanting to look uninformed...and quickly Googled it. I was done for. I knew I had to try this new (to me) form of creative expression.

For some reason, at the time I was obsessed with images of the Virgin Mary - perhaps it was a throwback to my rebellious days of being raised Roman Catholic ;-)

As I sat down to begin the process of altering a book I didn't give it a lot of thought - letting the muse lead me. I recalled a book I had read - Our Lady Of The Lost and Found and dug it off the shelf...and so began the journey. This book created in 2003 - as you will see in my video - was the starting point of my love (obsession/passion) for mixed media 'altered' art.

Excuse the unprofessional video - I doubt Spielberg will be calling me...I have attempted to hold my camera while turning the pages as my tripod and I are not getting along today.

And one new page in my Visual Journal...

Can It Be?

2007-11-30T09:19:00.001-08:00

It's RAINING!!!!!

COWABUNGA DUDES & DUDETTES!

Look below the radar screen to see my video proof :)

say what?

2007-11-29T23:22:00.000-08:00

Artist Gift Basket?

2007-11-26T23:48:00.000-08:00

Need gift ideas for the ARTIST on your Holiday list?

Find an authentic vintage rubber stamp or authentic vintage wallpaper to use in Visual Journaling or Scrapbooking at
AlteredInsomnia!
A basket filled with one-of-a-kind art supplies is just the ticket for your creative friends!

Here's just one of the unusual items you will find!

An antique revolving rubber stamp holder.

Get Real People!

2007-11-24T14:33:00.000-08:00

WHY are people SO SURPRISED when an illegal immigrant does THE RIGHT THING...do we not think these people have the same hearts as LEGAL IMMIGRANTS??

T E A C H
T O L E R A N C E
*************************************************************************

PHOENIX - A 9-year-old boy looking for help after his mother crashed their van in the southern Arizona desert was rescued by a man entering the U.S. illegally, who stayed with him until help arrived the next day, an official said. Read More Here.

Few Words On A Wednesday

2007-11-21T17:53:00.001-08:00

Deck The Halls At Disneyland!
The Holidays at Disneyland are a treat for the senses and make your spirit soar.

Tuesday was my first holiday visit this year to the Parks - and hopefully I will visit many more times before the beginning of 2008 :)

I have been going to Disneyland since 1957 ...I was 7 years old...yeah, do the math ;-)
I have NEVER seen Sleeping Beauty's Castle this BEAUTIFUL!!!!!

Of course I had to try something 'artistic' with a photo editing program!
I think this ROCKS :)

All photography copyright jolenemariephotography 2007

***To see really COOL photos of the Disneyland Holiday Magic visit my daughter's blog HERE!***

Hostess Gift For The Holidays!

2007-11-07T00:09:00.000-08:00

What my customer said:

Jolene, I have my tiles! They are absolutely gorgeous! They look even better in person. Very rustic, very classy. This was exactly the look I was trying to go for. I appreciate your time and attention to this project. I think your style is great. Thank you so much!
Scott B. - San Leandro, California

I like working with natural stone tile. I like the way it gives a rustic 'time-worn' look to the things I create...those who know me know that I love to create things that appear to have a 'history' - as if it has just been re-discovered in your grandparents basement - or found on the dusty shelf of a roadside thrift shop.
A customer in the Bay area wanted a set of Frida coasters to give as a gift to a friend. I worked the images into the tile, following the nooks and crannies of the natural stone tile. I liked the end result - and so did my customer :)
(the tiles are sealed/waterproofed, have a foam backing to protect furniture and measure 4"x4")

I would love to make a custom tile coaster set for you as well, using any images you would like ...
they make a wonderful
HOSTESS GIFT FOR THE HOLIDAYS!
Let's talk! Send me an email or leave me a comment and I will contact you!

Back To Blogland Soon...

2007-11-05T22:55:00.001-08:00

Yes, I have been absent from Blogland...returning soon with more art to share.

The photo above was taken a couple of weeks ago at Disneyland -
a tribute to Dia De Los Muertos....LOVE IT!

Makin' Art - Not War !

2007-10-15T16:23:00.000-07:00

While waiting to take off to Disneyland yesterday I created the above page in my journal. Again, using acrylic paints and Caran d'Ache water-soluble wax pastels.

*****
And then...a day at Disneyland... I took over 100 photographs...but out of kindness to my readers I will only post four ;-)

Above..I LOVE this striking image, part of a mural in Disney's California Adventure.

Above: The park is decorated for Halloween...a giant Mickey pumpkin on Main Street, ....SCARY!! LOL!!

Above: Ariel, The Little Mermaid against the night sky in the Parade of Dreams.

Above: Detail of the hookah-smoking Caterpillar from Alice In Wonderland in the Parade Of Dreams.

Still playing with crayons...

2007-10-13T14:11:00.001-07:00

Another page in my visual journal...

No. 2 FRAGILE

Created with acrylic paint, Caran d' Ache water-soluble wax pastels, gel pens and rubber stamps (new and vintage).

Caran d' Ache

2007-10-12T17:17:00.000-07:00

For quite some time now I have been reading the blog of the AMAZING Kelly Kilmer. I love Kelly - and I love her ART. So often the 'message' in Kelly's art resonates with me.

Kelly has the true heart of an artist...I don't think there is a selfish, egotistical bone in Kelly's body. I appreciate so much how she shares her knowledge so that we can all learn together and become better artists. Kelly is inspiring and encouraging and generous.

I have never had an opportunity to take a workshop with her! It is on my list of 'things I want to do' - and someday it will happen.

One thing that Kelly loves to use in her journaling pieces are Caran d' Ache Water-soluble wax pastels. She often shares the techniques in using them, and even offers to obtain them from Switzerland and sell them to her blog readers.
I happened upon a package of them while cruising the aisles of our local fine art store, Sterling Art, last week and I knew I had to bring them home and give them a try :)

Above: Working in my journal I first randomly applied several layers of acrylic paint using both a brush, a make-up sponge and foam stamps. Then using one of my original hand carved rubber stamps I stamped (the heart) with gesso. After everything was dry I started coloring with the wax pastels. I smooshed them around with my fingers and rubbed them with an old rag. Then I grabbed the first sharp object I found on my art table (a needle I use for bookbinding) and I began to scratch into the pastels. And oh how I loved the effect I was able to achieve! I love creating art that looks like it has a 'history' -- something that has been around for awhile (not new and shiny off the shelf!). I also loved how I was able to achieve depth by layering the wax pastels with the acrylic paints.

Thanks to Kelly I am now a huge fan of Caran d' Ache! This was my first and only experiment so far...a Work In Progress and a background for a journal page. I can't wait to experiment more with this medium :)

Above and Below" Close ups showing the scratched 'aged' look.

Stepping Out Of My Comfort Zone

2007-10-07T14:12:00.001-07:00

*** I've just added new items over at AlteredInsomnia - go check it out
and tell your friends!***

I stepped away from my art table for awhile - the Muse had flown the coop...pens sat untouched...paint unopened...not even the junk mail inspired me ;-)

Then one day I visited the blog of one of my favorite O.C. girls - Pilar Pollock - and when I saw her painting of "Alma" - the female singer in a garage band...INSPIRATION struck!

The last time I sketched and painted women faces was waaaaay back in high school. Yes, it was waaaaay back in 1965-1968. And so I began to sketch, and then get out the paint and pens and all sorts of wonderous things to create backgrounds with ;-)

And the BEST thing is...
I am having FUN...just working in my visual journal for ME.

So, THANK YOU Pilar ...for unknowingly lifting that veil of artist's block...you ROCK homegirl!

...this post is for the BIRDS!

2007-10-05T23:51:00.001-07:00

...but it's better than no post at all ;-)

I will be back SOON with ART & BLOGGITY GOODNESS!

Finally........R A I N !

2007-09-21T23:20:00.000-07:00

At about 11:30pm the skies over Corona del Mar finally opened and the rain POURED down upon us! You could actually hear people in our 'hood yell "wooo-hoo!" :) You would think it never rained in southern California the way we have been anticipating this all day!

In the late afternoon the ocean was choppy with a strong onshore flow...and clouds on the horizon obscuring Santa Catalina drew everyone down to the beach just to see this rare September "storm" approaching...

We get excited here about this stuff ;-)

Ay Yi Yi Yi Yi Yi Yiiiiiiiiiiiiiii !

2007-09-15T21:06:00.001-07:00

The title of this 200th blog post is what my Grandma from Pau, France would have said if she had found what I found in my mailbox today. But, since Grandma is no longer here physically I said it just like her...

Ay Yi Yi Yi Yi Yi Yiiiiiiiii !
Can you hear it?

Let me introduce you to Mary Ann -if you haven't met her yet... The Goddess of MailArt and Stenciling...
Dispatch From L.A.
(I used your very words Mary Ann...because if it ain't broke don't fix it, right?!)

"When I'm not adding to my stash of contraband marbles, rubberbands, airplanes, and slingshots (all in a day's work as a 2nd grade teacher), I'm busy making a mess in my visual journal and stirring up trouble in the neighborhood. My cat posse assists as needed by gnawing the ends of my paint brushes and chewing off the ends of my shoestrings while I toil away at my art table.
I live in Los Angeles but keep a getaway car handy for those times when I need to hightail it out of town in a hurry."
*************************
When I opened the envelope look who was giving me THAT look ;-)
Mary Ann herself in one of her self portrait stencils!!!

On the flip-side...Arghhhhhh! I LOVE the combo of this shade of blue with black...it makes little ping-ping-pings in my head like a pinball machine! Look at that stencil, hand cut by MA herself...excuse me darlin' hand me a mint julep so I don't faint right here on my front porch!!!

There is no way I can really explain how COOL it is to get MailArt from Mary Ann....once you have cruised around her blog for a few days, weeks...months - you will begin to understand. I visit Dispatch From L.A. daily- it's like sitting on the porch with an old and cherished friend...THANK YOU MARY ANN!!!
*************************
I thought I saw a hummingbird, I did, I did, I did!

I have been obsessed with photographing hummingbirds lately. While sitting out on our deck the other evening I spotted this one in a neighbors tree...it was dusk and difficult to get a real clear photo...but I love the effect I captured in this one!

Be sure to click on the image to enlarge!

New in the Shop!

2007-09-05T21:57:00.001-07:00

Run over to ALTERED INSOMNIA and see what's NEW!

In the Wallpaper Department: FLOWER POWER!

In the RETRO RUBBER ROOM: Tomatoes!

Holding On To Summer

2007-09-01T17:51:00.001-07:00

The Summer Season will officially end here in Corona del Mar on Tuesday, September 4th when all the schools go back in session. But we will hold on to summer as long as possible. Not difficult in Southern California.

Each day after work I make the three minute drive from Balboa Island back home and then head straight for the beach...
Here are some of the photographs I captured this past week...

Above: Big Corona del Mar State Beach where already the parking lot is looking empty...or as us 'locals' say...."we get our beach back!" :) Not that we don't love and welcome our visitors ;-)

Above: Crazy weather this week with thunderstorms forming all around us and extreme heat on the coast...

I have been trying to capture a photo of the hummingbirds sitting still, and finally did so this week!

A yacht hit the east jetty and sunk at Big Corona del Mar State Beach...it sat out there for nearly two and a half weeks before finally being raised and towed...truly an odd sight drawing a lot of local attention...
*************************
My daughter Jill sends a big THANK YOU to all of my blog readers for their well wishes :)

::::: BreakingNews :::::

2007-08-26T22:23:00.000-07:00

We had thunder and raindrops in southern California...
I got a new job...
I spent time in ER with my daughter...
Other than that it's been an uneventful three days ;-)

Stay tuned...
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."
- john lennon

*oh, and all vintage rubber stamps are on SALE at
AlteredInsomnia...

Life...

2007-08-22T11:37:00.001-07:00

(Photo by: ~jolenemarie - kids jumping into Newport Harbor at Pirate's Cove, Corona del Mar, CA)

Some of us stand on the edge, weighing the possibilities...
Some ease into things, holding the hand of a friend...
Others jump head first...
How do you live your's?
*************************
ANNOUNCEMENT:
Coming this weekend (Aug. 25-26) at
AlteredInsomnia
BIG SALE ON ALL RETRO RUBBER STAMPS!
And...
FLOWER POWER!
VINTAGE WALLPAPER, brand new condition (rolls had never been opened!) from the early 1970s!
Check it out!

Flashback...

2007-08-18T16:12:00.001-07:00

* New Retro Rubber Stamps added today at AlteredInsomnia *

Yesterday when I was in the kitchen preparing this macaroni salad (my Mom's recipe) I had the strangest and most REAL flashback...so real that I actually felt for a moment I was transported back to my Grandparent's home on East 64th Street in Los Angeles during the 1950s.

For some reason unknown I was standing here in my kitchen and I suddenly smelled a steaming pot of eucalyptus leaves on the stove... I saw my Grandpa standing over them, stirring the pot like he would...making a strong tea to help clear his lungs.

I felt the wood chair I sat on as a child and felt the old wooden table where I rested my elbows as I watched. Grandma was at the kitchen sink in her apron, and I saw clearly the tin can that sat upon the counter for scraps since they had no garbage disposals in those days in their homes.

I glanced to my left and looked past the service porch where another of Grandma's aprons hung, and the wringer washing machine sat in the right hand corner...looking into the screened in patio where all our family get-togethers took place at the long wooden table Grandpa had built.

I was overcome and tears shot from my eyes...for a mere brief moment...it all felt so very real.

Hummingbird

2007-08-17T10:58:00.000-07:00

...don't fly away, fly away.
...hummingbird don't fly away, fly away...

Photos by ~jolenemarie - Newport Harbor, Corona del Mar, California

Dinner: Rated PG

2007-08-16T18:31:00.000-07:00

Jill took a bite of the Spinach-Basil-Tomato-Feta Cheese- and Garlic Frittata

I made for dinner
and declared: BORING!
Oh well, it LOOKS PRETTY. Doesn't that count?
So, Dagny, this is not food porn, it is rated PG :)

LOTS & LOTS OF RETRO RUBBER ARRIVING AT
ALTEREDINSOMNIA
THIS WEEKEND!

New Items at AlteredInsomnia!

2007-08-12T16:14:00.000-07:00

PLEASE BE SURE TO CHECK OUT

THE NEW COOL ITEMS
FOR SALE IN...

THE WALLPAPER DEPARTMENT
- Large sheets of vintage wallpaper from the 1960s and 70s!-

AND...

THE RETRO RUBBER ROOM
- A truly collectible set, plus a vintage revolving stamp stand!-

MORE RETRO RUBBER ARRIVING THIS WEEK!!!!!

WWW.ALTEREDINSOMNIA.BLOGSPOT.COM

You Tube? I Tube!

2007-08-07T19:53:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to try this for a long time...
Nothing spectacular - but it worked!
Moving pictures .... YAY! :)

(Of course ya'll know to click the little arrow to make it play!)

This was filmed at LookOut Point overlooking Newport Harbor in the late afternoon when the fishing boats were coming back in... Kind of boring...but I learned how to do it :)

Are We Still Allowed To Speak In A Free Country?

2007-08-06T23:21:00.000-07:00

* * * * * THANK YOU PINK! * * * * *

Dear Mr. President

Come take a walk with me

Let's pretend we're just two people and

You're not better than me

I'd like to ask you some questions if we can speak honestly

What do you feel when you see all the homeless on the street

Who do you pray for at night before you go to sleep

What do you feel when you look in the mirror

Are you proud

How do you sleep while the rest of us cry

How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye

How do you walk with your head held high

Can you even look me in the eye

And tell me why

Dear Mr. President

Were you a lonely boy

Are you a lonely boy

How can you say

No child is left behind

We're not dumb and we're not blind

They're all sitting in your cells

While you pave the road to hell

What kind of father would take his own daughter's rights away

And what kind of father might hate his own daughter if she were gay

I can only imagine what the first lady has to say

You've come a long way from whiskey and cocaine

How do you sleep while the rest of us cry

How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye

How do you walk with your head held high

Can you even look me in the eye

Let me tell you bout hard work

Minimum wage with a baby on the way

Let me tell you bout hard work

Rebuilding your house after the bombs took them away

Let me tell you bout hard work

Building a bed out of a cardboard box

Let me tell you bout hard work

Hard work

You don't know nothing bout hard work

Hard work

How do you sleep at night

How do you walk with your head held high

Dear Mr. President

You'd never take a walk with me

Would you

AlteredInsomnia

2007-08-04T20:18:00.000-07:00

In a shameless plug I would like you all to know that I added more VINTAGE rubber stamps and VINTAGE wallpaper from the 1930s to my shop at:

AlteredInsomnia today!

Things are flying off the shelves like ketchup at a french fry convention :)

Go Look!
:-)

Just Another Day In Paradise

2007-08-02T22:50:00.001-07:00

Ready to Para-Sail away? This flyin' high guy's feet are about ready to touch the water...as soon as he does the boat will pick up speed and he once again reaches great heights...

No, I swear, we don't live on a tropical island...this view is from LookOut Point looking south towards Little Corona beach...you can see right through the hole in Arch Rock...one of the most sought after backgrounds for photographers. From where I stood to take this photo it takes me only a few minutes to walk to Little Corona...I have gazed at Arch Rock for over 40 years!

I have loved fishing boats all my life. One of my favorite times is the late afternoon when the fishing boats start coming home in the harbor...they remind me of my (late) favorite Uncle Lee who was a commercial fisherman all his life...

I am never without my camera...I just never know what I might see...like this man and his DOG in the harbor...how cool is that?...

Big Corona del Mar State Beach...
Corona del Mar is Spanish for Crown of the Sea...

I shared a bench on the cliffs at LookOut Point with this sweet couple for nearly an hour. "Dr. Ralph" and his wife, Madeline. They both turned 85 last March. They are no longer strangers to me now, but instant friends. Dr. Ralph was a surgeon/physician for 50 years "in towns along the banks of the Mississippi"....where he told me he "did surgery in the morning, saw patients in the afternoon and delivered babies at night"! Up until only four (!) years ago Dr. Ralph was swimming a mile each day! Married 63 years...I am so glad I invited them to share the bench with me...they shared their stories and touched my heart...

Dedicated To Dagny

2007-08-01T23:01:00.000-07:00

*****Please remember to stop at my shop ... AlteredInsomnia
...new products coming this weekend!*****

Dagny can often know what is going on in our lives by watching television. If she didn't get an email from my daughter Jill all she had to do was watch an episode of The O.C. to know what was going on. When the Cohen's moved to Berkeley Dagny just assumed we would be there, looking for that Craftsmen style house any minute.

Well, Dagny...here comes another one (August 15th)....but alas, this one sure isn't going to reflect our lives! :-) But you will see our 'hood since this one is actually filmed in the O.C. !

MTV: Newport Harbor - The Real O.C.

In the late afternoon, as usual, I was at LookOut Point down the street from home...sitting there, minding my own business...taking a few photos....nothing unusual.

Suddenly there were a lot of people standing behind me, walking back and forth, acting strange....so I held on to my camera (hey it's a $1,000 camera!) a little tighter and looked one of 'em in the eye. Then I noticed she had walkie-talkies and all sorts of tech toys on her body....and I thought WTF is going on? So, I slowly turn around and see that LookOut Point has been invaded by an MTV camera crew, director, and lots of people on cell phones, carrying huge cameras and tripods and acting very busy :-)

Lo and behold, it's Chase and Taylor...not exactly Ryan and Marissa, Dagny!

So Dagny, here you have it....a BEHIND THE SCENES EXCLUSIVE at Pirates Cove overlooking Newport harbor.

Chase & Taylor

The MTV crew.

Photos On Request

2007-07-31T00:40:00.001-07:00

Please be sure to visit AlteredInsomnia!
*************************

I have had a few of my friends request to see various photos ...I will keep the words simple and let the pictures do most of the talking :-)

The photo above is my Bug in front of the Blue Cottage after a bubble bath :-)
I am a bit obsessed about driving a clean car!

I was several feet away from this hummingbird today down at the beach...but determined to try and capture a photo before it flew away!

Ohhhhh, so THAT'S the way to the beach! Duh!
This cute sign is on a house right across the street from the ocean :-)

Another one of my favorite streets in the village section of town...Pointsetta Avenue...see my little CLEAN Bug parked there? I drove down to the beach today, how lame is that?!?!

I love the way the ocean and time caresses the rock formations in the water in Little Corona Beach...

The tide pools at Little Corona...thankfully this little beach of ours is a protected sea life refuge...the 'rock' at the top of the photo is called Ladder Rock....the waves have 'carved' steps into the rock.

OPEN!

2007-07-29T21:08:00.000-07:00

My little shop around the corner....

AlteredInsomnia

(www.alteredinsomnia.blogspot.com)

has opened!

Please come and browse my first items ....
RETRO RUBBER STAMPS!

When You're Awake - We're Open!

I Love A BUG

2007-07-29T15:12:00.000-07:00

Most of you know I love VW BUG'S.

While living in Germany back in 1972-73 we owned a red '63...back in California in the late 70s I drove a metallic brown '69 with hippie beads hanging from my rear view mirror...and now I drive an '02 that is metallic gray with a peace sign hanging from my mirror....

I notice EVERY BUG on the street...I have always been obsessed with them :-)

While at the kitchen table yesterday working on my inventory for AlteredInsomnia I heard one pull up to the front of the cottage...and had to look...and there she sat....
the Best Buy GEEK Bug :-)

Do you have these where you live?
Best Buy electronics sends these BUGS to your home when installing computers and other tech toys and they had arrived at a neighbor's home across the street...

I love the way it reminds me of the old saddle shoes I wore in the '50s :-)

Get Ready...

2007-07-27T13:18:00.001-07:00

A-N-T-I-C-I-P-A-T-I-O-NRemember when they used the Carly Simon song for the Ketchup ad?
Well, get ready...

I am launching a NEW BLOG soon!
(anticipation, anticipa-a-a-a-ation)

AlteredInsomnia
When You're Awake - We're Open

I have been seeking out and finding some incredible art resources for all of my kindred spirits to incorporate into their mixed media pieces, visual journaling, ATC's and altered art!

And that's all I'm sayin' right now ;-)

To receive an email when my shop opens send a note to me here:

AlteredInsomnia

The Mails Here!

2007-07-24T19:27:00.001-07:00

Creeeeeeeak...you can hear the mailbox open....kerchuNK...it slams with an almost rusty sound. It is nearly brand new, but designed to look old world and our landlady thought we really needed it...truth is - we like the old truly rusty one much better because at least we could get the mail in and out without doing origami...

I reached in pulling out phone, cable and car insurance bills....the usual suspects this time of month...then my eye caught a glimpse of something unusual...Royal Mail...what the ____?!

Yes, right there along with a beautiful postcard from a seaside town (Whitstable) from Kate living in London (you will recognize her as PlumCrafty in my comments!)...I find that she has also sent me.....what appears to be mail sent by OWL, right from Hogwarts :)

HARRY POTTER
Royal Mail Mint Stamps!

And not one set, but TWO!

These just ROCK Kate -- and I know I have said THANK YOU eleventymillion times in my email....but, THANK YOU again here in front of all my friends in BloggerLand :-)

The monthly bills were much easier to face today - thanks to Kate's Random Act Of Kindness!

All In A Day's Work On The Water

2007-07-21T12:10:00.001-07:00

Some are here to tug and tow...

Some are here to watch how things go...

Some are here to keep the tourists flying high...with parachutes...

Some are here to give you tours so you can ohhh and ahhh when you
see Nicholas Cages new dig's...

And some take you to the island and back...

Some are here to simply provide you a party and dinner, cruising within the harbor...

And some are here NOT to work...
but simply sail... as the sun tosses diamonds upon the water...

No Words Wednesday

2007-07-18T17:26:00.001-07:00

It's A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood...
and that's all I'm sayin'... ;-)

Out of PAIN, comes ART ;-)

2007-07-17T15:56:00.000-07:00

Who said getting old is fun? Huh? Who said that?!? Where is that person so I can slap them upside the head??
I don't have a clue what I did yesterday - but somehow I pulled a muscle I guess...just lifting my cup of tea this morning made me groan! It's my neck and my shoulder and picking up things just hurts like hell.
I didn't want to just sit doing nothing - so I made art. Yeah, even picking up the paint brush hurt...how lame is that, huh? HOW LAME IS THAT?!?!
Ok, maybe I am a bit touchy right now... hee hee...

Last week I carved a rubber stamp of Paul McCartney - just to see if I could do it. And I succeeded pretty well I think.
Today I found some junk mail to use in my background and created a page in my visual journal with it.
Not my best work - but I HAD to do something instead of concentrating on the PAIN!

*click to enlarge*

Some Pretty Pictures While I Am Making Art :)

2007-07-15T02:12:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I have posted any art...or blogged at all...so I thought I would post a few pretty pictures while my art is a work in progress...

The Lynx sailing into Newport Harbor...
Lynx is an interpretation of an actual privateer named Lynx built by Thomas Kemp in 1812 in Fell's Point, Maryland. She was among the first ships to defend American freedom by evading the British naval fleet then blockading American ports and serving in the important privateering efforts.
The Lynx is used as an educational experience for children and a team building experience for corporations. She spends some of her time here in Newport Beach as well as many other ports including Los Angeles, San Diego and Hawaii.

Although this is one of our narrowest streets in the village of Corona del Mar it is one of my favorites...Poppy Avenue will lead you right to the ocean (Little Corona beach) off of Pacific Coast Highway...I love the trees on this avenue...

Goldenrod Footbridge is right around the bend from our cottage connecting us to the beach ...a stroll across the bridge leads you to the ocean and Look Out Point overlooking Corona del Mar Main Beach, Newport Harbor, Balboa Peninsula, Santa Catalina Island ...and beyond...

More ART is on the way - so stay tuned ;-)

Catching Up

2007-07-05T21:13:00.001-07:00

Besides dealing with the heat and other things I have been busy with I wasn't doing too much visual journaling. Then I got inspired by Mary Ann over at Dispatch from L.A. Mary Ann creates foot-stomping cool mailart and visual journals...and she digs stencils...she started cutting a few of her own -- and I realized it has been years since I'd done so. Quite a few years ago I was really into airbrushing and I used to create many stencils to incorporate into my airbrush art.

This afternoon I dug through my art supplies and found some acetate type material that is used for overhead projection screens. Then I dug out my Versa-Tool and plugged it in until it was smokin' baby :) I am out of practice with the stencil burning (which I prefer over using an X-acto knife because it's faster)...but below are two of my results that I incorporated into my 'junk mail' visual journal...(yep, still workin' on that one!)...
I took these photos at night so the colors are not great...

*the junk mail used in the above page is the word FREEDOM - the stencil
I created is Bob Dylan*

*the piece of junk mail used in the piece above are the words ' any prescription'...I thought it was fitting with Jim Morrison...I LOVED this artist - and I thought he was a genius...drugged up, yes..but a genius nonetheless...Morrison is the stencil I created.
- as always the images can be clicked on to enlarge-

Red, White & Baloney

2007-07-04T12:10:00.001-07:00

Balboa Island

These colors are about as patriotic as I am going to get today.
I am reeling over what is taking place in the White House.
Lie on the stand, be found guilty....but... it's okay...Mr. Bush will save your ass...you can do the crime but not the time.
Mr. Bush & Mr. Cheney at least have the decency of President Nixon and
RESIGN!

Let It Bee

2007-06-28T21:54:00.001-07:00

The Muse has been planting seeds.
More ART will bloom over the weekend.
*laguna beach, california - copyright 2007 - jolenemarie photography*

Daily At Your Door

2007-06-26T19:41:00.001-07:00

How many of my blog readers in southern California remember the Helms Bakery delivery trucks in the 1950s and 60s?

Gone, like our Good Humor Ice Cream man, the Helms Bakery truck was a part of my growing up in a small suburb in So Cal.

I don't remember our Helms man's name...but I can still...50+ years later remember exactly how he looked. He was tall with olive colored skin and jet black hair...with a wide smile and sparkling eyes. And so kind to everyone.

Mr. Helms-Man would pull on a handle inside the truck that would sound the whistle announcing his arrival on Rex Road...and all the moms, children, and anyone else who was home that day would stop what they were doing and come outside to the truck. There the neighborhood people stood like a Norman Rockwell painting.

The 'magic' happened when Mr. Helms-Man leaped from the truck, swung open the double back doors and the deep drawers slid out filled with candy, donuts and freshly baked bread! Two of my favorite candies were the Pixie Sticks (paper straws filled with a Kool-Aid type powder like filling that would make your lips pucker and produce an instant sugar rush!), and the waxy bottle shape containers filled with a fruity juicy drink -- we would bite off a piece of the wax, drink the juice, then chew the waxy container!

What a healthy group of neighborhood kids we were..wired on sugar :)

When I was home from school sick (but not THAT sick) Mom would go out to the Helms truck and buy us each a chocolate donut to have as we watched I Love Lucy or Sheriff John's Lunch Brigade on television.

I would love to own a vintage Helms truck today...I would probably make it a traveling 'arts and crafts supply' truck...blowing my whistle and selling art supplies from the large wooden drawers ...Daily At Your Door...what at-home-artist wouldn't love that?! OK, and maybe Pixie Sticks! :-)

Finding Keys To My Past

2007-06-25T22:09:00.000-07:00

My Grandma Lorenza's house keys hang in my home on a door I have distressed, antiqued, and 'altered' with art...it rests in a corner near our table in our kitchen-dining area.

My memories of Grandma Lorenza (Lombardo) Mamola are vague...but I am thankful for the ones I have. I was around age four when she passed away. I remember it was a cold and rainy night on the day of her funeral. My siblings, cousins and I all stayed at our home. It was so cold that the older cousins made fudge candy and set it out on our front porch to cool and harden rather than the refrigerator. And this was southern California!

My most vivid memories of Grandma Lorenza are two things:

1. Her height - or lack of it... she stood 4' 9".

2. I can still see her attaching a hand-crank meat grinder to our pull-out bread board in the kitchen and grinding beef to make her meatballs for the pasta dinner we would have that night.

Grandma was born in Palermo, Sicily. She came to America by way of Ellis Island, N.Y., arriving on the ship named Verona...
on July 29, 1913 at age 30.

Grandma's Singer

2007-06-24T01:16:00.000-07:00

Grandma Burich's Singer has been with me for many years now. Handed down from my Mom to me...and it will continue to my daughter.

Mom and her sisters Katherine and Marie all made their clothes on this Singer growing up. In the photo above the Singer is their sister, Helen, who died very young-- I doubt she ever did any sewing, but I felt it was the proper place to display her photo above the sewing machine where Grandma probably made the dress she is wearing.

My Mom was a wonderful seamstress, although she would probably deny it if she were here to hear me say it. Thinking back I can recall so many dresses and blouses she made for me during my school years, as well as many 'sew-crafty' items for my daughter and granddaughter.

I never learned to sew.
I tried.
But in my Home Economics class I failed both sewing projects miserably.
The first, a simple pillow case. How can one mess up a pillow case? Easy. Sew both ends SHUT. Yep. That's what I did! :-)

The second project was to make a 'gathered' skirt.
Oh I gathered it all right....all to one side! :-)
Mom would laugh.
She knew I was much better with a drawing instrument in my hand than a needle and thread.

Soon my daughter is going to begin the Fashion program at our local college. She is following her passion...and I am so happy for her. She's always been a lot like her Nana...knitting, crocheting and a flair for fashion.

Grandma Burich would be happy to know the old Singer still inspires.

EDIT**** I need to clarify that Jill uses a new Singer when she sews...here is a link to show you...scroll down when you get to: WHERE JILL SEWS.
She keeps and uses Nana's red sewing basket right next to the Singer :)

Quick Thoughts & Images From Today...

2007-06-20T18:21:00.001-07:00

* I have replaced the previous slideshow with a slower, calmer one ;-)

Cold Remedy: Make Art!

2007-06-15T16:16:00.001-07:00

So, when you are feeling lousy and would like to hide from the world....a good remedy is to make art...at least you feel better emotionally even if it doesn't help the fever and sniffles ;-)

The other night to feel better I sat at my art table (aka: The Studio...ha!ha!) and put on The Beatles '1' CD...and this is what happened...

**click to enlarge**

*my text reads: cellophane flowers of yellow & green towering over your head....and...everyone smiles as you drift past the flowers that grow so incredibly high....both of course lines from 'Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds'...one of my all time favorites. The image of John Lennon is a rubber stamp I carved.*

*the junk mail used in this piece are the butterfly and the words 'A Revolution' (it actually said "A Mexican Revolution" an advertisement for a local Mexican restaurant!).

*****
When Kelly and I were emailing last night I mentioned to her that I made art - but not dinner!

Right after that I went to see what junk mail had arrived that day (as I now look forward to junk mail!). And there it was... just what I needed to illustrate my new summer mantra...
MAKE ART - NOT DINNER

How many of you received the flyer from IKEA announcing a summer sale? It had some cool white graphics of furnishings, etc. against a bright red background! It was all I needed to make art! :-)

**click to enlarge**

Open Your Eyes

2007-06-12T14:05:00.001-07:00

*click to enlarge*

I am not in the most creative of moods. I am trying to fight off a cold...but I don't think I am winning.
I did manage to get to my art table last night -- feeling a bit spacey from some over-the-counter cold medication.
I was thinking of when I was a little kid and the amount of time I would spend outside. I was fascinated by grasshoppers. I could stare at them for hours it seemed. These days I rarely, if ever, see a grasshopper. Is it because they are no longer around here where I live on the coast...or is it because my eyes are no longer as 'open' as they were as when I was a kid...missing so much in a hurried world...?
*****
*the junk mail I used in this piece were the words "open your eyes"...the grasshopper is an image transfer I did onto unbleached muslin using clear caulking as the transfer medium.
*****

...And here is a little 'gift' for Marita, my new friend in the Netherlands...no words are needed...I know you will 'get it' Marita...these are growing outside the front door of our cottage...

It Is A Small World, After All...

2007-06-09T17:35:00.001-07:00

No, I didn't spend the day at Disneyland :-) Although, that would have been cool!

The other day on Marita's Southern Valley blog she had been talking about fading borders in one post, and in another how blogs had given her the opportunity to make new friends worldwide.
I was reminded of a postcard I had made last year when my "art-sister" Linda and I did a summer postcard swap we called Archaeological Digs. Linda came up with this groovy idea that we had to 'dig' from our collected stashes of art materials to create postcards...no running out to buy new stuff. Since Linda and I are both ephemera freaks the challenge wasn't all that difficult...but it sure was FUN!

For one I created...
It Is A Small World After All
which certainly reflects the discussion on Marita's blog.

The postcard was made with a piece of cardstock that I stamped with a rubber stamp image of an old map...I found a textured wallpaper sample that I painted over to give it an old world look.

In my bits of pieces of ephemera I found an old world globe...using an X-acto knife I cut out some portions so the textured wallpaper behind it would be exposed.

Finding a small scrap of torn paper I 'aged' it using an ink pad and stamped EVIDENCE No. 55.

Then on regular notebook paper that I also 'aged' with the ink pad I stamped the words:
it is a small world after all

How many of my readers agree that blogging is bringing us all closer together and making our world 'smaller' ?

MEMORIES : DO NOT DISCARD

2007-06-08T12:09:00.001-07:00

Simon & Garfunkel sang... "Long ago it must be, I have a photograph
Preserve your memories, they're all that's left you..."

The song was constantly going through my head as I searched through hundreds of old photos the other day...
I found a photo of myself, once again, on the beach...digging in the sand...and it prompted this Visual Journal entry...

The small text at the bottom reads:
...digging through the layers of MEMORIES
as a kid I was always DIGGING
...in the yard around our HOME
...in the sand at the BEACH.
I loved the ANTICIPATION of what I might FIND.
* * * *
* the junk mail used in this piece were the words: MEMORIES and DO NOT DISCARD.
I painted some 140-pound index paper, then stamped with gesso, applied more acrylics and buffed with an old rag...I then randomly tore pieces and adhered them to my pages to create my 'layers of memories'.
Also note: I turned my journal vertically to create this piece - always a rebel :-)

Where Do The Years Go...?

2007-06-07T00:38:00.001-07:00

More ART arriving soon.
I've been replenishing art materials and going through stacks of old photos...
The year, 1973...living in Germany...on a visit to Italy...23 years young!

Neighbors

2007-06-04T21:39:00.001-07:00

I was in the mood for photography today...so I wandered down to the beach at Little Corona in hopes of seeing something interesting on this gray, somewhat fog swept day...

I noticed that about every 15 minutes a flock of pelicans flew overhead. I sat watching for awhile and noted that each different flock flew the same flight path - swooping around a tree, out over Arch Rock in the water, circling back towards the homes on the cliffs - then right towards me where I was sitting on the path that leads down to the water...

I saw two pelicans heading towards me and quickly focused my camera into a digital zoom mode...
and CLICK.

I didn't know what I had captured until I had arrived home...and that is when I saw this...

-CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE-

I am never one to rave about my photos. But this, in my eyes, is a one in a million moment. This photo was not altered at all...when I saw it I thought of Jurassic Park!

*please scroll down for todays Visual Journal page that I posted earlier this evening*

And The WINNER Is...

2007-06-01T14:13:00.000-07:00

First of all I want to say THANK YOU to everyone who visited The Blue Cottage

this past month of May. It is always cool to see my 'old friends' who stop in often to sit and visit...leaving comments that make me laugh, think, and most of all be grateful for your friendship.

With this little contest I have had the pleasure of making new friends all over the world... I hope you've enjoyed your visits here and continue to stop in and say hello! I've learned much from you - visiting your blogs and getting a glimpse into your worlds. Thank you for that opportunity.

I am planning on having another contest soon -- so check back often!

To be quite honest ...I wish I could have made everyone a winner here. But, alas, only ONE name could be drawn this time around...so now...the moment you have been waiting for...

CONGRATULATIONS TAMMY MIMMS of COLORADO!!!!!

Tammy, please email me with your mailing address and I will send you an original one-of-a-kind hand bound Coptic stitch journal!

And no, I won't post a photo of it here...otherwise it would spoil the surprise :)

*****(the winning name was drawn by my daughter Jill)*****

PhotoFriday

2007-06-01T00:47:00.001-07:00

The theme for PhotoFriday today is:

How I See Myself

This photo taken around 1954 has always been my favorite photo of myself because I feel you can see on my face how MUCH I love being at the ocean. I am still that kid (in my mind), with my hands in my pockets spending the day walking along the shore.
(Circa 1954 - Santa Barbara, California)

Talkin' 'Bout My Generation

2007-05-31T23:18:00.001-07:00

I love this video of Grace Slick singing White Rabbit at Woodstock back in 1969.
Yeah, she was tripping...as were many...

Just for fun late on a Thursday night...

Hey Kids, Do You Know What Day It Is?

2007-05-30T11:20:00.000-07:00

Well, with one of those weekday holidays some of us think it is Tuesday, when it is actually Wednesday - but that is not what my blog title is referring to :)

Today is the 30th (!) of May (where did the month go?) - which means in TWO DAYS we are going to draw the winning name for the May GiveAway!

As of this morning we have 40 entries!

On Friday, June 1st the winner will be announced here.

So here is another incentive for today and tomorrow...tell a friend who has not visited here before about my contest. If they leave a comment and say "_______ sent me here" I will enter them (once) AND enter YOUR name TWICE :) Double your chances!!

TOMORROW, MAY 31st IS THE LAST DAY TO ENTER!
GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!

Two Grandfathers: Journal Pages

2007-05-29T15:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday (Memorial Day) I relaxed and created a two-page spread in my Visual Journal.

Both of my Grandfathers are the focal point of my journaling.

One Grandpa I knew well, and loved.
And one I never knew, yet I feel I would have loved.

I was not able to complete the pages yesterday because I had yet to find the perfect piece of junk-mail to incorporate (the challenge I gave myself when beginning this journal).

In today's mail it arrived in the form of an advertisement for home furnishings.
A WORLD GLOBE...I cut the globe in half - gluing half to each page...then making it appear as if the two halves were stitched together - illustrating how these two men's lives intertwined to create my world.

Excuse Me While I Go Bleach My Mind

2007-05-29T10:44:00.001-07:00

An Artist? Who? Where?

2007-05-27T13:55:00.000-07:00

I had vowed to myself on Friday afternoon - sitting at a red light - seeing the aftermath of a terrible accident on the bridge going over the Back Bay that once my errands were completed I was staying at my art table all weekend. Art is what makes me happy. It defines me.
Or does it?
I awoke on Saturday questioning who I was. An artist? Me? Oh, I dunno. I dabble. I play. I have fun with it. But other people I know are true ARTISTS.

And I found every excuse I could to NOT make art. Vacuuming the already spotless carpet. Preparing things for veggie sandwiches for dinner. Hell, I even made a Jello fruit salad. Pathetic!
I blogged about 'sounds' in the 'hood. Read friends blogs. Wrote emails about nothing in particular. Chair danced to 60s music on iTunes...

Finally I knew I had to create something, because I didn't feel like doing anything!

This is when I fully realized the VALUE of VISUAL JOURNALS.
Playing in my journal doodling with images and words. Expressing myself. Ha!
It was then I felt my spirit lifted. It was then I acknowledged to myself... I am an ARTIST!

(Another page from my junk mail journal. The word SHUTDOWN, the words LIFT YOUR SPIRIT, and the image of the window with the ocean view are all from junk mail I found in my mailbox this past week. Art is all around us. No excuses. Go. Make. Art.)

Do You Hear What I Hear, Here ;-) ?

2007-05-26T14:13:00.000-07:00

I am at a loss for words today. Rare for me, I know.
So, I thought ...if I just sit still for a moment, what do I HEAR?
And then I got to wondering what YOU hear as you sit reading this.
So, here's the deal...
I am going to ramble here for 15 minutes...telling you what I HEAR. After you read this - either on your blog, or in my comments tell me (and others) what you HEAR as you are writing. I thought it would be an interesting idea to help us to know a little more about what our environments are like.
*-*-*-*-*

The loudest thing I hear right now is the crew working across the street building yet another massive multi-million dollar home that replaces an original 'beachy' duplex...the cement mixers, shovels clanging, workers laughing, and sometimes singing beautiful Latin songs have become the norm around here for a few months. It will seem quiet when they are gone. But alas, we can count on other original cottages and duplexes to face the bulldozer on our avenue...
A delivery truck rumbles down the avenue, shifting gears...heading for the market or one of our neighborhood restaurants around the corner. I can hear it's brakes squealing as it approaches our STOP sign...

A dog barks - the mail carrier must not be far away!...

The Newport Beach Police choppers are circling the beach...the thunk-thunk-thunk of it's blades making it difficult for me to hear my music...listening to an iTunes radio station...all Beatles...rifts of Magical Mystery Tour fill my room...

A car traveling way too fast speeds - heading towards the ocean -- and I wonder what the freakin' rush is...you are supposed to relax at the beach!...

Another temporary mail carrier (vacation time around here!) clangs open our mailbox and fumbles with our mail, I can hear him shoving the mail in and quickly slamming the little door shut...

Sirens have begun to wail down Pacific Coast Highway -- a sound that always perks my ears up...a sound we hear all to often living a half block off PCH...

The low rumble of jets approaching John Wayne Airport a few miles inland and the putt-putt-putt of one of the little planes that fly advertising banners over the shoreline on holiday and summer weekends...

A breeze has just picked up and the neighbor's wind chimes are making soft sounds that soothe...
Which are now drowned out by the beep-whack-beep-whack- waa- waa-waa of a car's alarm system!!!

DING!
The timer has signaled my time is done...
Your Turn!
:)

Yo Ho

2007-05-24T20:22:00.001-07:00

Yo Ho A Pirates Life for Me!
In about three and a half hours we are heading out for the midnight showing of
Pirates Of The Caribbean - At World's End.
How will I ever sit through 2 hours and 47 minutes of Johnny Depp?
(snicker...snicker)

Summer On My Mind...

2007-05-23T14:49:00.000-07:00

Our June Gloom lifted and we are seeing blue sky and sunshine again here on the coast.
There is no doubt that summer is on my mind...as you can tell from my two latest Visual Journal pages below.
I don't like the heat of summer anymore, now that I am older (wiser? nawww!)- but I do love the loooooong days of summer, the warm evenings and the beautiful sunsets which bring applause from everyone in the 'hood as we watch the sun slide down behind Santa Catalina Island with it's quick green flash...ah yes.......summer is on my mind.

(and now for a plug....please visit my Etsy Shoppe by clicking HERE!)

A Glimpse Of Me

2007-05-22T18:55:00.000-07:00

My latest journal...

~ A Glimpse Of Me ~

*~*~*~*~*
You won’t have to face the intimidation of a BLANK PAGE to begin your journal!

The first leave in each signature have been painted and stamped with acrylic paint...waiting for YOU to make it your own.

The PAPER in this journal is 140-pound Index – this paper is PERFECT for visual journaling. You can layer acrylic paint on this paper and it will stand up to it with no wrinkling! You will LOVE this paper!
There are 5 signatures of 5 leaves each. 100 pages when using both sides.

Covers are made of 100% cotton canvas panels – Archival quality.

An original design of collage and richly layered acrylic paint.

Journal cover measures: 6” x 8”

Paper measures: 5 ½” x 7 5/8”

Exposed spine, 6-needle Coptic Binding using waxed linen thread imported from Belfast, Ireland in BLACK & VIOLET.

Coptic binding allows the journal to lie flat when open.

If you would love to own this journal or purchase it as a gift please visit my Etsy Shop at:

www.jolenemarie.etsy.com

I Have Such Cool Friends :)

2007-05-21T15:34:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is my Dad's 92nd birthday. I got this crazy idea of how I would love to have an old photograph of my parents done as a painting for his gift. Of course I am not that kind of artist.

So, I turned to my wonderfully groovy talented friend, Ellen - who is an amazing artist. Ellen was two years ahead of me in high school - and we never knew one another. We did share the same art instructor...and Mr. Cochrane would always share Ellen's work with me when I was taking his Commercial Art classes. I was a huge fan of Ellen, and she didn't even know it!
Years...hmmm...okay...light years later...I was playing around on Classmates.com and I came upon our high school message board. Lo and behold - Ellen had left a post. I quickly replied to her telling her how I was so happy to have found a way to let her know, years later, that I was in awe of her artistic ability.
And a friendship began.
I LOVE the Internet!

So, a few weeks ago I scanned a favorite photo of my parents together. This was taken in 1938, six months after my parents were married in Los Angeles. The photo was taken on the steps of the courthouse in Santa Barbara, California. The coastal town of Santa Barbara has always been a favorite destination for our family all of my life. It is filled with fun memories of long summer days on the beach, walking around the eclectic shops, and savoring all the rich history of the area.

Ellen took a look at this photo and worked her MAGIC...

Thank You Ellen -- you ROCK girlfriend!

Sunday Scribblings - Masks

2007-05-19T23:50:00.000-07:00

Sunday Scribbling # 60 - Masks
Masks. Literal: making or wearing masks for Halloween, Carnival, Mardi Gras, the theater, any other masky occasion. Or, you know, psychological: a mask you wear, that you hide behind; the face you present the world, or that you present just to one person.

*-*-*-*-*
You could call this guy a real FLOWER-CHILD
behind his MASK of petals.
I wish more people started wearing flowers in their hair again, and the world was filled with peace & love.

Photo taken at Disneyland a couple of weeks ago during the parade down Main Street.

(click image to enlarge)

PHOTO Friday

2007-05-18T16:33:00.000-07:00

Today's PHOTO Friday theme is LARGE
This photo was taken at Disneyland a couple of weeks ago during the parade down Main Street.
I present to you...
Ursula from Walt Disney's The Little Mermaid.

Waiting For The Barefoot Days Of Summer

2007-05-17T14:06:00.000-07:00

My second page in my first Visual Journal:

I noticed I wrote 'global warning' - ha...well, it still rings true...
a global warning on global warming!

Do you know that clicking the image makes it magically appear larger?

Dreamers & Thinkers

2007-05-15T14:28:00.000-07:00

Dreamers and thinkers

Woodsmen and tinkers

Craftsmen of wood…words…and whim

Come out of your hiding

Your light is worth shining

We all need a friend now and then.

The forest was quiet

No one could deny it

We all wondered ‘Where’?

Wondered ‘When’?

Will the light soon start shining?

Will there be no more hiding?

Would each creature be each creature’s friend?

Oh, the three of us swallowed

And the three of us shivered

But we all knew we all must go on

For the Garden of Seekers

Would have no more Keepers

If the dreamers stop dreaming for long.

The trees of the forest

Spread out their limbs toward us

And the feeling just welcomed us in…

We stood in the light

What a beautiful sight

For man and the earth were both friends.

No one was left hiding

There was no denying

Each creature was each creature’s friend

And when the energy touched us

We all felt so much of

The love that was growing within.

There were dreamers and thinkers

Woodsmen and tinkers

Craftsmen of wood…words…and whim

And the Gardeners and Keepers

And all of us Seekers

Knew we had found life once again.

Were we scared? Not a minute

For their hearts were all in it

They were loving and caring and wise

And they knew we had come from a land not so kind

For they said that it showed in our eyes.

And they told us to bring you a message

And to make their message quite clear –

And to those whom it’s told

It will never grow old

For the message is simple and dear.

They told us to keep on believing

And to live fully one day at a time

And that life truly does have more meaning

If we’d just keep an open mind…

Then they quietly all started weeping

And we gently spoke asking them…why?

And they said, wiping tears, to all those who’d hear

Only few would find truth in their lives.

Then the sun slowly was slipping

With the-man-in-the-moon on the rise

And we knew that our journey was ending

For we all felt the tears in our eyes.

Someone had gathered the music

That they’d found somewhere in the wind

And the mountains all sang

While the trees clapped their hands

And we knew we’d be back here again.

So, to you dreamers and thinkers

The woodsmen and tinkers

You craftsmen of wood…words…and whim

Come out of your hiding

Your light is worth shining

Visual Journaling

2007-05-14T18:45:00.000-07:00

Although I am now making and selling hand bound coptic journals I must admit I have never kept a visual journal myself (hanging my head in shame!).

So, this weekend, as a means of relaxation I began one.

I am actually working on the pages and then I will bind them into a journal afterwards.

The challenge I gave myself for this one:

All of my images need to come from...
1.) junk mail and catalogs
2.) free magazines (like those found outside the health food and art stores I shop at)
3. my own original art, photography or carved stamps.
At least one piece on the page must be from from numbers 1 & 2 above. Junk mail frustrates me (like I am sure it does most of us), and I wanted to find a way to put it to good use other than tossing it in the recycle bin.

Here is the first page I created.

Click on the image for a better view.

Sunday Scribblings - SECOND CHANCE

2007-05-13T15:54:00.000-07:00

With the prompt this Sunday being SECOND CHANCE the first thought that came to my mind was reincarnation. A few years ago I did this piece in an Altered Book I created titled:

Our Lady of the Lost and Found.

*****

The text reads: A Reunion of Body, Mind and Soul
are released without warning. Exit.

When the 'veil' is lifted from the page it reads:

...these mysterious affinnities must be evidence for reincarnation.

*if you click on the image a larger view appears*

Santa Catalina Fire

2007-05-10T23:51:00.000-07:00

Photo: Santa Catalina Island
as seen from down the road from the cottage.
* note: I took this photo during a winter sunset - that is not the fire, simply the setting sun.

**UPDATE: Today (Tuesday, May 15th, the fire on the island is 100% contained. A total of 4,700 acres burned. They are keeping 270 firefighters on the island as a precaution. A HIGH FIVE to all the wonderful men and women who helped save our island!!)

I am heartsick. Tonight, as I write this post, a 500+ acre fire is raging on 'my' island - Santa Catalina. Most of the island has been evacuated, as far as I can discern from the news reports. The fire is approaching Avalon, the only 'city' on the island.

All during my youth my family and I spent at least a couple of weekends a month docked in Avalon Bay. My uncle Lee had been a commercial fisherman all his life. In later years, Uncle Lee became the Captain of a 65 foot yacht that belonged to a major corporation -- one great perk was...on the weekends it became the family yacht.

I would awaken on misty mornings, peer out the port hole and gaze upon the Casino in Avalon. The beautiful art deco Casino was built in 1929 -- just walking into it you felt its history. In the evening we often would go to the movie theater on the first floor of the Casino.

When we would leave the docks in San Pedro and get out to sea, my uncle would ask me if I would like to 'Captain' the yacht -- and as I did I would often hear the history of the island...uncle Lee was a walking, talking volume of history. It was because of him I came to love the sea and all things nautical.

Catalina closed to the public during WWII and was used as a military training facility. It was also the training camp for the Chicago Bears who were owned by William Wrigley, Jr...yes, the chewing gum Wrigley -- and his home sat beautifully on a cliff overlooking Avalon Bay. In the 1940s Marilyn Monroe lived on the island for a short time!

To me, Catalina holds some of my best memories. So tonight I hold on to hope that containment comes quickly - and the morning brings good news.

Wordless Wednesday

2007-05-09T18:00:00.000-07:00

Sometimes (?) I Question My Own Sanity

2007-05-08T15:24:00.000-07:00

Hot! Hot! Hot!

That's about all we've heard around here the last two days. Not even a breeze off the ocean to cool us down. We are parched and on red flag alert in Southern California. And SUMMER isn't even here yet.
So, what do I do?
I spend an hour standing over an eleventyhundred-pound cast iron stove top grill fixing something to eat tonight when it finally (hopefully!) cools down.

Ah, but it will be worth it when the sun sets...
We are vegetarians so lookey what I grilled up. In the background is Chick'n Free Nuggets by
Veat - we love their products, the Chick'n Free Nuggets aren't coated, so you can grill 'em...and they taste nothing like those McThings from McWherever. Along side those on the plate is grilled asparagus spears.
In the foreground, grilled pineapple...ahhhhhh...and grilled artichoke hearts...Oooooooo! We like our grilled food cold or room temperature so we always cook it ahead of time.
Oh I also reduced some orange juice for dippin' the Nuggets. YumO!
Ok..dinner is done and ready for sundown -- now back to work!

(this food porn is dedicated to Dagny, who can outcook any of us here!)

Current & Coming Attractions!

2007-05-07T15:52:00.000-07:00

If you missed seeing the other two journals I currently have for sale,
please click here:

hand bound journals by ~jolene marie

There will be more coming soon!
I am saving some of them to offer on my daughter's website when she has her
Grand Re-Opening at:

BellaKarma.com

*****
Remind your friends to stop by and enter my drawing.

And when you are checking out BellaKarma.com,
join The Fan Club
for a chance to
win MORE free prizes!

I've Been Tagged!

2007-05-06T18:50:00.000-07:00

A very cool artist, whose work I love - GardenPainter - has tagged me.
Her instructions to me are:

--List seven random facts/habits about yourself
--Choose another seven bloggers to tag and list their names in your blog
--Leave your seven tagged bloggers comments to notify them of their tagging along with directions.

Now, I see some of you averting your eyes from me...but face it, sooner or later someone is gonna tag you...so it might as well be me :)
*****
Disclaimer: Look, we are all weird in some way, so please don't stop coming to my blog after reading these ;-)

1. When I was little I ate dirt. Just little morsels. It was crunchy. It was fairly organic back in the 1950s. I am obviously still alive.

2. My parents bought me a doll once for Christmas. I threw it across the room and cried. I wanted a football!

3. When I was three I kicked a Doctor in the stomach because he put an oxygen mask on me before telling me what it was. He never wanted to see me again. :) !?!

4. I can have a conversation with anyone, anywhere. People randomly come up to me in the produce section of the grocery store and want to tell me their life stories. I have no idea why. But I listen. And I ask questions. And then I get my carrots and zucchini and tomatoes and go home.

5. I lived in Germany in 1972 and I walked around the village in "Vans" (tennis shoes) and everyone knew I was an "American" because of them. My, how times have changed. I got 'flipped off' a lot too...because it was during Watergate. A lot of people did not like Americans. My, how times have NOT changed.

6. When I was 18 I yelled out for Bobby Kennedy, who was riding in a convertible. And he heard me, stood up in the back seat, leaned over the trunk, and shook my hand.

7. I got hired by a company one time as a 'Clerk Typist' (yes I am dating myself!) and I didn't even know how to turn the electric typewriter on.
*****
OK kids, you can run, but you can't hide!
I am tagging YOU (I won't come and leave a comment on your blogs since most of you visit me at least once a week)...and seriously DUDES and DUDETTES, NO PRESSURE. Play if you want. Oh, except Jill..you better not let your Mama down!

1. Jill (because she is my daughter).
2. Dagny (because she feels like a daughter).
3. Tami (because she feels my pain).
4. Tammy (because she is a good sport and plays well with others).
5. Gene Black (because he can sing) ?
6. britt-arnhild (because she lives in Norway and I am jealous).
7. Kelly (because she just isn't BUSY enough!)

Sunday Scribblings - OCEAN

2007-05-06T15:52:00.000-07:00

This is my first participation in Sunday Scribblings.
~ Ocean ~
**********
This photo was taken at the harbor down the road from our cottage. There is something about evening and the lights on boats that appeal to me. Everytime I look at this photo the song by Donovan comes into my head...
"do I see you coming home, coming home to me....from your day on the sea..."

Thank You Walt !

2007-05-04T00:04:00.000-07:00

* Welcome to the Magic Kingdom *

From The Blue Cottage to a blue castle :)
Disneyland, as always, was magical and fun!