indygirl’s blog

It's been awhile since my last post. Busy busy!! Plus - the computer seems soooooo sloooooowwww when I'm trying to update this blog. Anyway, here's all the latest:

I've uploaded some pictures of the swaps I've sent out recently. The little dolls are made of wood craft balls, beige pipe cleaners and embellishments from my stash. Really easy, and really cute.

I hosted another altered compact swap. My partner had a kind of sparse profile, but stated she was a girly girl, so I'm hoping she likes butterflys. I'm not sure where this came from. It wasn't the direction I intended to go. Once I got started, it just took on a life of it's own. I really love how it turned out.

The cookbook was quite an event for me. When I signed up for the swap I had visions of documenting my DH's wonderful dishes with photos and recipes. My partner ended up being a vegan,(no dairy, poultry, fish, meat, etc.) Being from a rural area, I certainly had vegetable dishes to include - but it just wasn't what I had been envisioning. So, I went a totally different direction. The girl was early 20's and studying to be an event planner in Germany, so I altered a tri-fold, magnetic closure book, making it a kind of recipe book, dinner planner. On the left was a dry erase board and marker for the menu, in the center a notepad for grocery lists, on the right were plastic pockets for recipe cards and under them was an envelope for spare cards or whatever. Her sensibility seemed a bit goth or dark, so I made the whole thing with glossy black and mat grey and olive tones. I loved the little chef character I drew for the front. I was trying to be Tim Burton inspired. Not sure I succeded, but the cartoon is sweet.

Currently I'm signed up for a handful of swaps, including 2 zine swaps that I'm hosting. Should be interesting.

I'm also currently following a weight watcher diet. It's worked before. I can't believe that I've gained back so much weight. DH is on this time, too. I'm losing steadily about a pound a week. He's a little more erratic. At this rate I should reach size 2 in about a year!! Honestly, I don't want to be a size 2. When I was that skinny I always had a cold or flu or something. My immune system just couldn't keep up. I want to be a nice healthy 8. Able to wear shorts and visit my NYC friends without embarrasment.

The Zeta cancer fundraiser is well underway. We're doing the handbag silent auction again, but not a luncheon this time. On  June 22, 2008 we'll have the auction with a "tea". Sounds easier that a luncheon, but, of course, it's not. Anyway, my KKS Zeta sisters are truely awesome. I love them all. They are working very hard and things are coming together in a very timely manner. The food and drinks should be wonderful, we have all but 8 tables sold and about 60 purses have been donated, with more promised. The raffle is a diamond and ruby necklace and earrings set or a set of 4 tickets to an Indianapolis Indians 2008 game. Both were donated - so the raffle will be money free and clear to the cancer society. At 1$ each or 6 for 5$ we will hopefully do well. The cancer society is such a worthy recipient of our fundraiser. They do such good work, that for privacy reasons, is not spoken of most of the time.

I started a real estate blog at: realre.wordpress.com. My first 3 articles have dealt with the mortgage crisis. I heard a great hour long show on "This American Life" about the subject last weekend. I downloaded the podcast on Monday and have listened to it a couple more times. Just amazing - people deceiving themselves, committing fraud against other. And, my goodness, the money that changed hands!! Where is it now? Such a waste. But, when you consider how fast the bubble expanded in the 90's it is no wonder the fall has been so hard. I can remember saying during the presidential election between Bush and Gore that I felt sorry for whoever won because they would have to deal with recession and the rest of the aftermath of the falsly inflated financial and mortgage industries that were brought on during the Clinton administration.I think that we were lucky that the Fed worked so hard to bring us in for a soft landing.

Okay. I think you are all caught up now. I'll try not to stay away for so long the next time.

Later- Indygirl

Dotee-local

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Things are picking up around here, but I've still found some time to finish a few artsy swaps on swap-bot.com. I did an Easter jumbo matchbox, some martini ATCs and some Retro 50's and 60's ATCs. I also have a "local dotee doll" all finished and ready for my partner to be named. I've been working on the altered compact swap that I'm hosting. 4 of us will be swapping unless someone else joins. I have the front of mine done, but not the inside.

I keep thinking of doing kind of "step-by-step" photo essays of the art work I'm doing to post them here on the blog. I know there are many times I see someone elses piece and would love to have seen the process.

Anyway - the dotee doll is made with fabric that I had tranfered a peony and rose picture to. The Peony is the state flower and the rose for the nearby city of Richmond that is known as the "Rose City". I also embroidered a cardinal bird on her hand that seems to be whispering to her. The cardinal is the state bird. The compact has a digitally altered photo of my grandmother. The words say,"Each of us is an original", which I found as a quote from the bible in the "Message" bible. There are buttons and fibers. I really like it alot. Once we get partners assigned, if it's not something my partner could love and appreciate I will do a different one for her. I just had to do that exact thing with the Retro ATC swap. One of the cards I had done was called "Pink Ladies" - like a girls biker club or bowling team or something. It had lots of pink...and both partners I was assigned said they didn't like pink or "girly". Oh well. I have a nice card for my own collection I guess:)

I recently found a lovely pair of vintage heels that I bought at the church "Mission mart" (thrift store), for a couple of dollars. I had every intention of dying/painting them and embellishing them to go with a banquet gown I have to wear to an event in April. When I got them home they were just too nice to touch! Absolutely perfect and the the detail is really amazing. They were in the original box and had never been worn. There wasn't a scuff on the bottom and they had the original tissue in the box. Now I'm back to square one on the banquet shoes. And I'm not sure if I'll keep or sell these vintage beauties.
Rehearsals are well underway for "Witness". I'm planning to do a rather stylized lighting of the show, as the director had originally told me it was to be "noir" style, and the set designer is supposed to limit his pallette to just greys and washed out blues. I have a feeling I will be the only one sticking to the original plan...but we'll see. If I am, it's okay. The lighting will look fabulous. I love high contrast and nice sharp highlights and shadows.
Later - Indygirl

I'm taking advantage of this little slow time to work in my studio. Work has been a little slow - not many calls - the last two weeks. Rehearsals aren't yet underway for "Witness". I have 3 meetings this week for various church committees - Administrative Council, Pastor-Parish Committee and the one that I chair - Worship and Missions. It's really too many "church meetings" for one week. I wish God would help me understand what He has in mind for our little church. They don't understand that in order to grow they have to change. They just want to "attract new people" to the church by doing things the same way that they have for the last 30 years. I introduced the projector a couple of years ago, and they like it okay - but they don't want to do the great new music, they want to sing from the old hymnals. Yeah, right...that will bring in people seeking God who are just learning. They make me tired. I bet they make God tired, too.

Okay - I'm done with that conversation.

Now - the postcard series got finished. It ended up kind of fun and flirty. The worst part was when I finished the top with a diamond glaze it made some of the collaged papers below pucker and bubble. With a little work, some of it lay flat again, but not all. As per the swap instructions, I also sent an artists statement. As an extra goody, I made a copy of the song the series was based on and sent it, too. Also finished the recycled container swap. I covered a cigar box with embossed felt and vintage buttons. The buttons were stacked and lined up on the top. The inside was a kind of rich looking  print. The Christian matchbox swap turned out well, too. An "illuminated" Jesus was the focus on the top and a cool laughing Jesus pic on the bottom with the "fruit of the spirit" scripture. I used torn handmade paper as a  base. Also used part of a vintage necklace to outline the top.

I'm still working on the "create a world" Joseph Cornell-esq swap. I've got my box painted with a blue-black and I've been playing with some very small humenoids made of sculpy. I'm thinking of gathering  several "people" off center and looking up and calling the whole thing "star gazers" or "hello up there" or somethng like that. I've also been playing with the idea of layering papers and light gels (colored acetate), and putting in a light-up element in the box.
I'm afraid the littlle sculpy guys won't travel well when they need to be mailed.

Tax time is here, too. Being an independant contractor / sole proprietor is such a pain when it comes to taxes. This will be the first year that my DH has a W-2. Always worked for himself before. I hope that enough money was taken out for taxes from his paychecks that we don't owe too much this year. Always such a worry.

More later,
Indygirl

Lots of busy-ness in the last few weeks. Christmas. New Years. Drove with Dad to Florida and spent a week hanging out there. Work, work, and more work. A sinus infection that kept me home from work a couple of days, and a couple of fun swaps. I sent out a matchbox shrine,(black and pink kitty shrine as per my partner's profile), 2 five dollar frog "stuff" swaps, and an ATC fat girls art swap. I have received a fat girls art ATC swap back. They are well done, but a little sad. Kind of self potraits of this person who had a baby and now has stretch marks and can't lose the weight. The little projects were supposed to be celebrations of little fat characters - you know, cute....sweet....or goddess like. Oh well. Maybe it helped her work out something.....art therapy. I sent a Christian large matchbox swap and got such a hearwarming thank-you for my partner. It really made my day. I took a couple of pictures and may post them. I'm currently working on a series of 5 collage postcards for a swap. It's been a tough one. Lots of ideas, but they tend to lend themselves to a 3 series instead of a 5. I decided to do a series based on one of my favorite songs,"Betty's Diner" by Carrie Newcomer. I have 3 well underway and pieces for #4 and 5, but I'm not likeing the commercialism in them. They don't have enough "depth for me. I may dump the whole thing and try something else. Something less literal. Just make some pretty pictures that tie together with color or technique or something. I'm signed up for 2 other swaps - a "make your own world" swap and a "repurpose a container" swap. Both are right up my alley. The "world" swap is really like the shadow box and mixed media stuff I like to play with, and I have lots of different containers that I have saved simply for the purpose of repurposing. I think I am going to make a purse out of one of the cool electrosol limited edition tins I bought (filled with the detergent) last fall. I really like the little Elroy from the Jetson's that is on the front, so I'm not sure how much I'll alter the actual graphics on the the tin. It has a cool hinged top, too. Perfect for this swap!
I really need to do some web work on both the site for work and the site for Kappa Kappa Sigma. it's so frustrating when you are self taught. Everytime I want to do something different, I have to teach it to myself before I can make it apart of the site. I really need to learn how to have a password protected area of the KKS site so that I can post the directory for the membership to access. They all get a hard copy once a year, but an online copy could be constantly updated and be more accurate. Plus - it could save us lots of money if we no longer had to print a copy for each member.
Auditions for "Witness for the prosecution" are next weekend. I haven't done much work on it yet. I'll be doing the lighting design. I don't know exactly what the set looks like, as the set designer has a penchant for the odd and disturbing, and this show kind of screams for a classic 3 wall set. The lighting will be in the noir style, so I hope I can get the angles I need. The show opens in the first of April.
Soon we'll begin working on another fundraising luncheon for the cancer society. We want to move it to June. So much to do. I hope I have a good committee. I already found the perfect favor for the tables. We can make these cute little puse pendants that hold a "lucky penny"
It's frigid cold outside - somewhere around "0", so I'm planning on a jammie day. My first in years. It feels really decadent. All I need is some chocolate chip cookies to make it complete!
Later - indygirl

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The puppy is gone.

Last Thursday before I left for work, I kept hearing a wimpering outside. I searched, but couldn't find anything. That evening, I heard it again. This time, I opened the door just in time to see a puppy skitter into the bushes. There she was - hiding under the chimney of the house, behind the bushes. It took us an hour to get her out. She was so scared. Right from the beginning my husband said, " You know we can't keep her. She's going to be a big dog". Well, I called the shelter, the local vet and put an ad in the paper. No one claimed this sweet, german shepherd puppy. I think she had been abused as she ran anytime we would raise our hands - we just wanted to wave her to us(come here puppy), she thought she was going to be hit. We spent the weekend, with a terrible snowstorm outside, getting her socialized and housebreaking her. She loves the snow. Well, dear hubby found someone at his workplace to take her. They are a family with kids and a big yard for her to run. He took her, and her toys and food, this morning to pass her on to them. he said they were very nice and already had a name for her - Annabelle. I hope she blesses them as much as she blessed us.

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Mid December. Wow.
So much to do...so little will to do anything. I just want to stay in my nice warm house and curl up with a book or work in my studio.
The Realtor lunch went well. They "complained" about how hard the trivia and other games were - but they laughed and had a good time. You need something different every once in a while. I'm very happy to have ended my time on the board of directors, and it was a good way to depart.

I decided to decorate for Christmas. This is the year of collections. On the mantle is "Santa World" on the funky 1/2 round desk is "Creche World", on top of the china cabinet is "Angel World". Another table in the family room is "Christmas tree world". The big tree in the window looks lovely. I borrowed dad's tall skinny tree that Mom bought when they lived in the condo. Much easier to deal with than the big Mountain King. It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.

I'm not working on any swaps this week. I've never received the autumn September swap back from Shokupan. Very disappointing. It was a 3 item exchange and then you had to send postage for a flat rate box. Pretty expensive for a swap. I wrote Shokupan, but I guess she's offline. The swap site has been overrun by these wierd, french collage artists. I think that "swap" doesn't translate the same way in french. They are not interested in swapping - they just want to get people to visit their website and buy their weird art. On Swap-bot I have fared a little better. I've sent out 2 business idea swaps, a Christmas matchbox swap and 2 clothespin doll swaps. In return I've gotten a clothespin doll and a matchbox. Still waiting on 2 ideas swaps and a clothespin doll to arrive. I'm signed up for a couple in January that are more "art" oriented. I always send mine out in the first week after getting the swap partner address. No one else seems to be so "quick".

There is so much war and famine and illness in the world. I suppose being dissed in the world of swaps is pretty petty to complain about.God is so good to me. I just pray he never removes his hand from my life.
Time to get to work. - Indygirl

The cold of winter is here...and the leaves still lay like a thick carpet over the lawn, as I haven't had an opportunity to rake them up. Needless to say, there are no Christmas decorations up at my  at my house either. I love looking at the lighted Christmas tree, but I hate all the work of putting it up and taking it down. Theologically I have trouble with all the pagan origins of most of the decorations, anyway. I'm not sure how much I will do this year. I talked to Dad about getting Mom's santa collection out of the boxes and putting them on my mantle. I can't decide if that would make me happy or sad.

On an artsy note, I did a clothespin doll swap last week. Very cool. On of my partners loves Bon Jovi, so I did a Jon Bon Jovi doll for her.The other didn't give me any big clues in her profile, but her favorite color is red, so I made her one I called,"the lady in red". It turned out awesome, (in my humble opinion). I painted the peg red and then sculpted the chest and head from red sculpy and place it on top. The part of the peg that most people use as the neck became the waist. I embellished with small red and gold beads. I've looked around the internet and don't see anything else like this out there. I've done a couple of other explorations with this technique. I think I could make a whole series of whimsical clothespin dolls like this. Oh....and one of the best things - I found something to do with those stupid, unrecycleable, water bottle tops. I cut eigth of an inch wide by three quarter inch long slits in the bottle caps for each of the clothespin "legs". They make perfect stands for the dolls and can be painted or covered with fabric. Mui Groovy!

I'm preparing for the Realtor Christmas party. Thank heavens I'm not the V.P. next year, so I don't have to think about setting up these meetings and parties! In the past the parties have been brunch, entertainment and about an hour of drawing out names and handing out door prizes to each person. This year I'm having a reception table with  punch and nuts/mints. Lunch buffet. Music. Games. A small gift wrapped in a white embellished sack,(already completed and sitting in my spare bedroom), and a little tulle circle filled with candies as a favor. Everyone has been asked to bring food or paper products that will be given to the Community Sharing foundation. I'm planning on taking a nice picture of everyone at the party in back of the food stuff. Good PR to run in the newspaper. One of the bah-humbugs on the committee didn't want the board to give gifts to the attendees. She couldn't believe that there were people who would be attending who wouldn't get a Christmas gift otherwise. She owns a Real Estate company, and has many agents who probably don't make 10,000 per year. In addition to the agents who are having financially difficult times right now there will be office help from some of our bank affiliates and other vendor help, who just don't make alot of money, and being adults, most of the gift giving will be for the children in their lives, not among the adults. I think sometimes it's hard for people who have so much to have their eye open to those around them who do not fare as well. Anyway, the gifts are nothing big or spectacular, just nice little things for their desks and pockets - like paperweights, candles, card holders and thermo mugs.

Just an added note. Happy birthday Sara. You will probably never read this, but incase you do, know that I was thinking of you on your birthday and hoping you are well.

Well, I sent my first swap on the swap-bot site Wednes

day. It was a a swap for 10 marketing ideas. There were 2 partners. The one "catch" was that the 10 ideas couldn't be on white paper in a white envelope. That really got me thinking once I got in my studio, and I hope I didn't push the envelope too much for the other participants. I did 10 individual pages with collaged backgrounds, the idea for the page was on yellow cardstock and glued into the collage and then all then pages were placed loose leaf into a binder that was custom made for my partners based on their profile. One of my partners has a business where she transforms vintage fabrics into usable items, (like Christmas stockings, etc) - so for her cover I took a vintage linen, embroidered doily. I glued it with fabric glue to chip board and created a kind of binder/envelope. I tied the whole thing with a ribbon and then wrapped it in colorful card making paper and dropped it in the mail. My other swap partner is a graphic artist, so her cover was a strong graphic design made with card making papers on chipboard and then tied with a ribbon to close. I'm uploading pictures.

Today is the bazaar for KKS. I took my kitchen supplies, butterscotch pies and crafts down last night for the set-up. I ended up putting in mostly jewelery for the "craft" table. I've been making pendants, bracelets, earrings, and key chains out of soda cans. I don't know if they will sell. I put 3.00 on most and 1.00 for a set of keychains.

Hard to believe it's Thanksgiving time already. Lots to do in the next 6 weeks!

-Indygirl

I've spent Sunday afternoon/evening and every evening this week in the theater. The girl who has often helped me hang shows and run the board for my shows had taken a job in a neighboring state - 4 hours away. Her son was scheduled to light his first show and Mom was going to be his "mentor". I've stepped in to help since she's out of town during the week. Last night was tech. It went well. We made a couple of quick, unplanned changes during the intermission, to change the angle of a key light and reduce some shadows on the set. William is a good kid. I hope he gets lots of good, confidence building responce from this show. I'm lighting "Witness for the Proscecution" in the spring. I've been in e-mail convo with the director, set designer and others. So much easier than the endless production meetings of old.

About a month ago I ordered some balloon lights to use in 2 ways. #1 I need to re-work some candles that are used during initiation rituals and memorials by my sorority. I wanted to take the current base and replace the lousy bulb on the top with one of these LED lights that could easily be turned on and off and the battery would last a long time,(the current ones are only used once a year and the AA batteries have to be replaced each year for most of them) #2 I wanted to use the extra lights in the light-up diaramas I build. Buying them in enelopes of 2 at Walmart in the wedding department wasn't very cost efficient. So I bought this box of 30 balloon lights on the internet.

Problem - they blink. I can't use them for either project. AAAAARRRRGGGGHHHH! The company doesn't do returns. Now I need to figure out what to do with them. I was thinking about making blinking christmas earrings.But, I'm not sure where I would sell 15 pair. (or 14 pair - I might have to keep a pair!) If I try this I'll try to do a picture...or maybe a video! I wouldn't know how to upload a video...but who knows, maybe there are instructions somewhere.

Gotta hit work early today because I have to take my SIL to her hair appointment at noon. Work is still busy, busy! I'm selling a mix - forclosures and nice home, both. Got 4 that should close this month. It's been a good year.

-Indygirl

For those who like to swap and get cool things in the mail, here's another site you might want to visit. I haven't swapped there yet, but they have tons of swaps going on all the time with timelines that vary from a couple of weeks to a couple of monthes.

Here's the link: www.swap-bot.com

I'll still be swapping here, too:-)

Happy swapping - indygirl