A Month At A Glance

Happy!

Suzi, Sally & Gigi with some pretty angels

Elena with her gift

Gigi wanting some of Suzi's gift

Lots of fun events for me this month. Thought I'd get them on the blog before the end of the year. Book Club was a blast! Suzi Blu and Gigi were our guests. She shared her art and a little bit about herself with us. We all had lots of questions. Some of us, including me immediately signed up for her online Angel class. We are learning how to make pretty angels.

Dee's beautiful quilted letters

Brenda's gorgeous embellished letters

Presents!

We had a letter exchange and the ladies once again stepped up to the plate with some beautiful pieces. Gorgeous letters for your scrapbook page or mixed media piece. Of course, being December, we had a gift exchange that was a hoot. There were a couple of items, including a Suzi Blu print, that everyone kept stealing. No, I didn't get it. I tried though!

Hosted a birthday party for Elena at the Beach House in Solana Beach. It was the wettest, coldest day of the year and yet many ventured out to honor Elena. She received some amazing gifts and I think we all had a wonderful time. The Beach House sits right on the sand at the ocean. Due to the storm, the ocean was turbulent with white caps as far as the eye could see.

Jackie organized a fun trip to walk through and view the Christmas decorations in some of the homes in Fairbanks Ranch. It was a fundraiser for MHS Recovery Center in Oceanside. We went through seven homes and then ended up Jackie's sister's home, which was by far the most beautiful on the tour. There were about eight of us and I think each of us had a different favorite house. Jackie pre-instructed us to bring a couple of gifts that wanted to wrap. She brought all her vintage wrapping paper and decorations. We enjoyed lunch and wrapped beautiful presents to give to our family. It was a unique and fun way to spend the day with girlfriends in a beautiful atmosphere.

Hosted an ATC swap on Facebook. I'm new to ATC's, and to hosting so it was a learning experience. Everyone I met in the swap was talented and nice and I think I'll do it again one day in the future. The ATC's are fun to collect and I'm looking for a local ATC group to join.

I took a PMC class from Deborah Trusdell at Stamping Details. I have been intrigued with this art for years and after meeting Deborah and talking about it, it felt like it sort of fell into my lap and said, "It's time!" I am so delighted with what I learned. I left the class feeling like I can make silver jewelry on my own any time I want. That's pretty cool! I made a pair of earrings and a pendant. My next venture will be some small charms, which is an idea I am stealing from one of the ladies in my class. The small charms have words or symbols on them and are cute to add to an art piece.

Spent a couple of days with my beading friends and made some necklaces. Lauren taught me a new technique with micro crimp beads and chain. Also, made a funky little beaded heart with a wire wrapping technique.

And of course, spent a couple of days with my beloved art group at Sally's. Finished my Suzi Blu painting. I don't think Suzi would think I worked long enough on her but, I really wanted to start a pretty girl and learn the processes from beginning to end, which I did. I must admit Suzi played with her a little bit too. I think she is beautiful in a sort of non-proportionate way. I love her.

It was my anniversary this month so my hubby and I spent three days totally enmeshed with each other. It was so fun and sweet and intimate and loving and fun!!! I am the luckiest girl in the world to have such an awesome man.

Christmas was sort of quiet this year. We had a couple of gatherings at , the house with family. Actually, Christmas day, we had grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup with Dave's parents. We had a bigger celebration with our kids, grandkids and extended family. I catered Christmas dinner with Bucca de Pepbo this year. We had the big turkey dinner at Thanksgiving. I wanted something different for Christmas and we didn't want to cook! It wasn't worth it. The food was good but not worth the money. Live and learn. Went to my Sister's on Christmas day. Man, did she have all the trimmings. It was good too! All in all, Christmas was about family and friends, easy peasy and very enjoyable.

New goal for the year is to blog more than once a month.

It Was An Artful Day!

Today was one of those wonderful days that I love so much. Spent the day at Sally's with some of the girls. It was a small group today, just five of us, which is nice because it's just one conversation as opposed to several. Don't get me wrong, I love it when there's more of us, but I find that I want to be part of all of the conversations at one time and then I get confused. Anyway, we all created something different today. Sally was drawing her beautiful faces and waxing her paintings, Nina was working with alcohol inks and making gorgeous Christmas Cards. Suzi was painting and drawing and working with Copics in her new scrap/journal/photo book. Diane was cutting out pictures for a collage book. I was coloring, painting and waxing my first pretty Suzi Blu inspired girl. I love her. She's so pretty! I can't wait to learn more.

If you would like to learn more about how to make pretty girls go to world renowned artist Suzi Blu's Les Petit Academy and take a class. You get way more than just an art class. She is very hands on. It's like being taught one on one. The videos are yours to keep and you can watch them over and over.

Along with the art, we enjoyed scones and coffee for breakfast and yummy turkey soup and french bread for lunch. The colored pencils, paints, Copics, inks, papers, magazines, wax, irons, and stars were all over the place, and we were eating, creating, and yakking up a storm as girls do. It was a joyful time for me. I think my friends were pretty happy too. Maybe that's what makes it so great. We love to do what we do and we love to do it together! Being part of this artful group of ladies is a sincere blessing in my life. I'm just so darned happy!!!