Natural beauty

I'm hoping to share some of my favorite spots with Colleen this week, so I drove her over to Sunset Cliffs in Point Loma. No beaches here. Just sharp, jagged rocks and clifs. Yet there are those who would venture out and cliff dive from them. Not me!



When the tide flows out, not much at the base. When the tide comes in, more than deep enough to jump into. But I've often wondered about the timing of the tide against the diver's jump!



And I certainly never knew there was a "natural bridge" in these cliffs. A guy walked out over the bridge and I just wondered how safe that would be.



And with 10 seconds to play, I can alter what I see.....

Places I have visited....

This is going to be a forever long list....but I thought it could be fun! No...I'm not going to list every city I have been to, but I'm going to list some of the more interesting ones - have you been there too?

Like Perkinsville AZ. I had to go there because I grew up near Perkinsville IN!

Search Light NV. In the middle of no where. Why do they call it "search light"?

Julian CA, Hi Velta! Best cinnamon ice cream on earth!

Littlefield AZ, in the middle of the Virgin River Gorge....a beautiful place!

Fishlake National Forest, Utah. 110 miles on I-70 of nothing. No gas. No stops. No stores. No cell phone. Absolutely nothing. Makes you appreciate what you have when you have it. That and really good tires and a full tank of gas!

Bullfrog UT. A quiet spot on the north end of Lake Powell. Beauty beyond words if you are lucky enough to ride on a waverunner and see the sights up real close!

Torrey UT. I had to go there cause my best friend is Torrey! But it's also close to Capitol Reef National Park. An interesting place where you find petrified coral and sea shells on the top of mountain ridges. Proof positive there once was a world wide flood?

Santa Barbara CA. Tinest airport I've ever flown into.

Solveng CA. You'd never expect to find dutch windmills in California!

Myrtle Beach SC where I once got so sunburned I had to ride home with nothing but a sheet wrapped around me! Love the boardwalk. Is it still there?

Victoria, BC, Canada....where the Busch water gardens are forever embedded in my mind.

Homer Spit AK, where the coal literally fell out of the ground on to the beach.

Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada - where they have the best bookstore on earth!

Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada - I've been there 3 times it's so wonderful!

Effingham IL - I was in training there for 4 weeks and learned what a horseshoe sandwich is.

Brownsville TX, actually might be worse than Kingman AZ! Now, don't be offended, my in-laws live in Kingman - it's not a destination choice for me! :o)

Westby WI - was once engaged to a guy who's parents lived there and spent many happy weekends there

Chicago IL, lived there for 3 months. Found fabric that was the same as what was on the Simplicity pattern! I knew for sure I was no longer living on the farm!

Ft Wayne iN, lived there for a year. a church on every street corner and a river between every other street!

Rochester NY. My grad school buddy lived there and I visited a couple of times. I had to go visit. And when she moved to Bellingham WA, I had to go there, too!

Rocky Hill CT. Have spent many weeks there as it's the home of my youngest son's grandparents. Love the "tag sales" they have!

Flemingsburg KY. Went to track down my ancestors.

Gatlinburg TN. I left a dime there on a rock on a mountain when I was in high school. Think it's still there?

Kelly Dale - a campground in Colorado...where I learned that the Lord listens to prayers. I love going back there. I have my own personal "prayer" rock there.

Key West FL where I had the best cheesecake of my life!

St Petersburg FL where I was on HSN

Knoxville TN where I was on DIY

Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii....best snorkeling we've ever found

Huatulco Mexico....our dream retirement destination

Tajo Alto/Miramar, Costa Rica, where we road horseback in the rain forest

Galillee Israel, where I walked today where Jesus walked

Jerusalem, where I lifted my eys up to the city on the hill

London, UK, where I failed to see the Queen!

Villela Mexico, where the 4 Moore Girls vacationed with their husbands. The last trip before Larry died.

Taos NM where mom and I drove down alleys photographing old doors

Ozark MO = hi Lindy Lou!!!

Syracuse IN - the Anchor Inn (Aunt Jean's B&B), the Sleepy Owl with the world's largest pork tenderloin sandwiches and the world's tiniest milk shakes...just 25 cents!

Santee CA where my best friend lives and where I stay when I go teach in San Diego

(edited to add this: One of my Colorado pals emailed to ask if I had visited Climax, Colorado? Of course I have! When I first moved here in 1974, I had to go visit Climax, which is north of Fairplay and that's north of Balltown! So you could say "Fiarplay is between Balltown and Climax in Colorado!!!" Yes, we have strange towns in the mountians! But it sure is fun!!!)

Lafayette CO - home for now

I have traveled to 49 of the 50 states (I've never been to Maine!),

I've been to 11 countries:

Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, England, France, Switzerland, Germany, Luxembourg, Israel and Egypt

And 4 continents:

North America
Europe
Africa
Asia

I can only imagine the miles I've put on this body! LOL! As a young child, dad took long camping vacations every summer and we really did see the USA, but I don't think it was in a Chevrolet!

It would take me another lifetime to scrap and write about every place I've been. My life has been blessed beyond words.

My "bucket list" is complete - the bucket has overflowed!

I wonder where life will take me next? My bags are packed and I'm ready!!!

Metal Clay World Conference 2009!!!

I'm Indiana bound in a year! Coming "home". Colleen is coming with me! This is just going to be so much fun - and a whole year to plan it all out!

First, we'll head to Chicago for the conference. I'm teaching and she's assisting. We'll be showing everyone how to diecut and emboss paper type art clay silver or PMC and how to quill with paper type. We are busy designing samples just for the convention. It is going to be so much fun!!!

Then, we'll head over to Indiana. Not real sure of our agenda yet except next year is my 40 year class reunion, so of course, I'm trying to get them to schedule the reunion for the last weekend in July! If nothing else, I will at least get my grade school chums together for dinner at Jim Dandy's!

The following Sunday will be my dad's family reunion. The 56th year they have done this! So we'll head down to Turkey Run State Park for the first weekend in August. I haven't been in about 6 years, so it will be great fun to see everyone again. I know - why do I wait so long between trips "home"? Well, I left Indiana in 1974. It's been 34 years. My gosh! How time flies!!! Sort of surprising that my aunts, uncles and cousins still remember my name! LOL!

Wonder if I can get in a touch of genealogy? Interview a few of the older generation that still live where I grew up? A trip to Mooresville to see where the House family settled (mom's line). Oh - so much to plan! The year is just going to fly! Hmmm.....do you think we should plan a scrapbook retreat at my Aunt's B&B in Syracuse? All this thinking - I need a nap!!! LOLOL!!!

Another "4 Moore Girls" Adventure!

If you haven't figured out by now, I just LOVE a great adventure! In 2000, all 4 of us Moore girls (and I put that loosely as we are all over 50 now!) and our hubbies went to Lake Powell together. It was the first time the 4 of us girls had been together overnight since we left home. We mostly laid in the water as it was around 108 degrees the whole time we were there....even at midnight!



In 2002 all 8 of us went to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico together.....for a whole week! I guess we decided if we could handle a few days on the lake, we could handle a whole week! We didn't share all the same activities, so here are 6 of us out on an ATV ride through the "jungle". We did some snorkeling, some day cruises, some massages and some shopping. Ok, 4 girls....we did a LOT of shopping!



Then in 2005, 3 of us went to Israel and Egypt for 15 days. Are we getting brave or what? TWO weeks together? It was just the most wonderful trip I've ever taken! You can tell from this photo that we just had so much fun! They dubbed us the "Ya-Ya sisters".



And now, this October, 3 of us and 2 hubbies are taking a cruise together. I can hardly wait! We just booked it this week and the phone lines and emails have been flying so fast I can hardly keep up with everything!



It's a 10 day cruise, so Kerry decided he wanted a bigger suite.....wowzers!



I love this floor plan....I have 2 sinks in the bathroom....a complete necessity at this age! LOL!



Anyone want to join the family fun? Holland America We have 3 full days at sea....I can teach digital scrapbooking! For FREE!!! :o)

Hey Aunt Jean! I think you and Uncle Bob should join us! Wouldn't that be so much fun??? Any of my cousins dare to join the famly fun???

So a little over 20 weeks. Can I get into that size 12 swimsuit by then? Weight Watchers 2.5 lbs per week maximum might even get me into a really old size 10 suit! LOL! I guess my diet starts NOW! Perhaps I'll blog my progress on a weekly basis.

less than 6 degrees

First, I want to let you know that I live 30 minutes southwest of where the tornados hit in Colorado yesterday. Yes, it was pretty windy here....but no damage. My friend, Liz, called and said, "I'm geographically challenged but I heard 'Denver' are you OK???" And I just had to laugh!

Geographically challenged! Well, that's one thing I am not. Dad taught me early on how to read and navigate maps and I always got an A+ on every geography test my entire life. So you can only imagine how much I enjoy the maps that show where people who click on my blog are from.

You know they say that we all know everyone else..and we are only separated by 6 degrees....I know you, you know someone who knows someone else who knows someone else.....who knows me.



So my friend, Jody, from Kingman emailed me that her friend in Prescott saw Jody's photo on my blog and had no idea that Jody and I were friends!

And it got me to thinking....I wonder how many of you who read my blog know someone who knows someone that knows me!

Or maybe we have met and just don't know it!

If you live in Indiana...you could very well be a cousin of mine! LOL!

I often see a location where someone clicks on from and wish we could sit and have a chat. One week it was Terre Haute IN. And I have to wonder if that was someone I know or am related to. At the very least, I'll bet we could share memories about Turkey Run State Park where my family has had their annual reunion every summer for 55 years now!

And I have driven through Wickenburg AZ a zillion times. There is NOTHING there! Yet I see someone clicks on my blog from that location on a pretty regular basis! WHO lives in Wickenburg? LOLOL!!! I want to meet you just because I need to ask....WHY do you live there? :o)




And then there are spots that I click on that have instant memories. Calgary Canada. The summer of 1981 as we were driving to Anchorage in a Jeep with 3 little kids and the axel broke and we camped in a park for a week! What a wonderful place!

Oak Harbor, WA. Mom used to be a nurse practitioner in Darrington....and I just want to sit and chat with you about the ferns that grow wild in the forest up there!

Yesterday, there were 26 hits from France! Isn't it wonderful how google will translate my blog so you can read it? I would love to know where you all are from! Are you close to Diersheim, Germany, where my ancestors came from? I've been to Paris, and Strassburg and taken the high speed train from Paris to Geneva. I would just love to travel that path again in a slow moving car so I could really enjoy the scenery! Actually, I've been to Paris twice! What an amazingly gorgeous city. I love the opulence of the architecture. I could spend a year just walking the streets looking at the buildings! (OK...I'm way too old to spend a year walking anywhere! But I can dream!!!)

Warsaw, Indiana....Hi! Aunt Jean!!!

Greenville SC - I attended a year at Bob Jones University!

Boulder CO - oh just call me! Let's play!!!

Schaumburg, IL - hi Margie!

Leicester, England - I've been there!!! Love the fish & mushy peas!!!



And oh, the places I want to travel to. Edinburgh, Scotland, where Kerry's ancestors are from. My beloved Israel where I hope to return one day. Neuwied, Germany....where I have actually already been! I just love looking at the maps and imagining the conversations that we would have if we took the time to get to know one another better.

Seems like a lot of you are looking at my tutorials...which is why I do them! I hope they help! If you have suggestions for improvements, feel free to let me know.

I do believe in the art world...it's way less than 6 degrees of separation. We are all connected by this kindred spirit to create and design, to ooh! and aah! at one another's work, and to share what we learn with each other.

What a perfectly wonderful, connected world of art we have!



P.S. I made these flowers today using the new blossoms and snowflakes by Creative Impressions. Aren't they simply gorgeous?? I brought them home to design something for the show tomorrow. If you live in Denver, the show is 9 am - 6 pm at the Merchandise Mart...come say "hi"!

Finding Jerome

My creative pal, Jody, and I went off to find Jerome, Arizona, last week. Tucked high up in the mountains, it was well worth the trip! But to get to this first stop, we had to drive a very winding, narrow mountain road with very steep drop-offs...and we were high above the snow.



Breathtaking views as you look out though the pass

One of the first shops we were in was featuring the work of artist Jon Anderson This turtle is made of polymer clay that has been caned....microscopic designs running throughout the clay. The moment I saw this, I thought "I'm in the right place!"



The colors on this felted ball necklace just jumped out and grabbed me. Sorry, I took the photo through the window.




Stained glass peacock purse shaped window with beaded frings. I've never seen anything like this....incorporating beads and glass...it was beyond wonderful! Now I know why artists go to this little village to seek out inspiration for their designs.



It's a tiny little place, sitting high up on the side of the mountain. Most houses are 3-4 stories high perched on a cliff of some type. NOT for me!!! I want solid ground under my feet!



Lots of shops and places to eat. I could spend 3 or 4 days just looking at it all!



The Mine Museum was quite fun. And the underground Christmas store was too cute!



Driving out on the east side was ever so much easier than coming in from the west. But you can see...perched up on the hills.



This trip, we drove hubby's truck. It's a 4x4 that he has "elevated". Jody just had knee surgery...but what a trooper! She used the ladder to climb up into the truck and then slid out. What a true friend to go exploring Arizona with me!



We made a stop in Cottonwood at Art Institute Glitter. Perhaps my new favorite place in all of Arizona!!! And we stopped at S.A.G.E in Sedona....a totally cool scrapbook store.

At that point, we were still 2 1/2 hours from Kingman....so off we went, chatting the entire trip back across the desert. With it's lovely evening shadows...I might fall in love with the place in another 10 years or so! But exploring places I haven't been...one of my very favorite things to do!

When I emailed mom that we had been to Jerome, she sent back this painting. It's of the scyamore trees at the Montezuma castle just south of Jerome. Guess I will have to go there on my next trip!



On second thought...maybe I'll just stay home and look at all of mom's paintings. Glorious art...right here!

Attention Flight Attendants!

You know, traveling with altered luggage is just like having a blue flashing light and shouting, "Attention Flight Attendants"....and then "there's something you gotta see coming down the aisle!"

I'm finally sharing my Chatterbox luggage. Again, something that is just too big to ship off to a magazine to get published....but something that turns heads no matter where I go.



Invariably I will hear someone behind me look at the image of Lucy McGoo on the luggage and say, "Who is Lucy McGoo?" I will stop, turn around, smile, and say, "Lucy McGoo is the child in you, she wants to play, we hope you have a great day!" and then turn back around and walk away....listening for the giggles that always follow!



The back, which no one really sees....could use a bit more now that I see it through the eyes of my camera!



I do love the smaller handbag. This is what my 2006 calendar fit inside of. Well, that and not much else! These are by Chatterbox and no longer available, but once in awhile, I do see them on ebay. Originally a 5 piece set (yep, I had to have all 5 pieces) I found mine on ebay for about $99 total. I think it originally sold for $400. Just a totally fun set to travel with!



Looks like a little repair work is due here...it's supposed to say "R we there yet?" You can see I haven't traveled with this for a few months...it's almost always my carry-on luggage.



As a stacked set, it's just perfect to travel with. I'd have to say that I've had flight attendents threaten to steal this from me. The large bag fits nicely in the overhead bins and the little one goes right under the seat in front of me. I have never traveled with this set without getting numerous comments. The funniest one is that people will ask me if I'm a flight attendant....of course, I tell them no, I'm an artist!



Now, would you dare to alter your carryon luggage? Doesn't have to be Chatterbox brand...could be anything at all. Most of these are stickers that I purchased, or were given to me, but many are things that I printed and then adhered with E6000. It would work on any canvas or leather bag, hard sided or soft sided. I think it's about time for me to add a few more embellishments to this set.....and then plan my next trip!

Adventurous, Crazy or Stupid?

I am married to an amazing guy who loves to push me to the max. But sometimes I just have to wonder if we are adventurous, crazy, or just plain stupid? We recently installed the new Leopard operating system on our Apple laptops and it will go out and find all the "lost" photos buried in assorted files and bring them together in a simple slide show based on date. I LOVE that feature. So I was sitting here looking at the slide show and couldn't help asking myself the above question.

At the age of 53, we went on a cruise through the Panama Canal. This was a portion of our stop in Costa Rica. No, we do not speak Spanish. We got in a Volkswagon cab with someone who did not speak an ounce of English, rode 45 minutes inland to a place the driver could not find, with no map, and no way of knowing if we would come out alive or not! WE found the roadside sign with a picture of what we thought might be the right spot. Thankfully it was!

We decided to do the "romantic" thing and take a horseback ride. Of course, I had the horse that wanted to go anywhere and everywhere except on a path. I had not ridden a horse in nearly 40 years! No, I didn't walk for the next 3 days!!!



So much for "romance"!!!

We wanted to visit the falls....not knowing that the only way down was via slippery rocks and a rope. Of course, not only am I hanging on to the rope...I'm trying to get a photo of the steepness of the climb down! Not too bright!



And if you think about it...what goes down has to come up....even when the tour guide assures you we are not going back the same way we came!



Waterfalls look the same all over the world. It's what surrounds them that makes them different. This little critter was trying to eat the bananas. I've never been so close to nature in my entire life!!! Not so sure I want to go there again, either!




These were some kind of mud pods that when the tour guide rubbed his hands over, little black things came out. I wish he hadn't done that. Oh....I really wish he hadn't. These little things take flight, land on your skin and burrow under the skin...causing a horrible itch for the next TWO MONTHS of my life!!! They only got in my knees...but I thought I would never get over it! Yes, I actually saw them crawl into my skin. Quite a scary thing!



And of course, when I emailed the consulate to ask what to do as a remedy, they denied any such thing existed in their country.

Of course!

But to compensate, the views were breathtaking, stunning, fabulous!



So as I sit here looking at these photos, I still think....even though I have over 13,000 photos I've taken in the past 10 years, and that's over 1,300 photos per year....I still do not take nearly enough.

And my second thought is....how many people over the age of 50 will take an awesome adventure like this while on a cruise ship? Most will sit in the sun sipping margueritas. Not us! We like to go explore the surrounding areas, jump into VWs with someone who can't communicate with us, go places where no one knows we are, climb down caverns, meet friendly (and not so friendly creatures) take a few risks, see the world first hand!

A photo may say a thousand words, but trust me, being a bit adventurous, a bit crazy and sometimes just plain stupid puts a whole new spin on this world of ours! Give it a try sometime!!!

And then take your art and try to be a bit adventurous, a bit crazy, a bit stupid. It's where some of my best designs come from!!!

Expressions

Mom asked me the other day if I had a blog for aging. I said, "no" thinking to myself, "I'm NOT old!"

And then this morning, I was thinking that thought, "I'm so excited I could pee my pants!!!" and realized that as I age....that might just not be the best expression to use! LOLOL!

But it just fits. It's the expression I have used all my life to proclaim my ultimate excitement over an impending event!

My bags are packed! I've checked my lists not once, not twice, but THREE times! I think I have everything! I know I have way too much, I even shipped a box of goodies to play with! In just a few minutes....I'm off to catch a plane to fly to the Ozarks to spend the next few days with my dear friend, LINDA PETERSON!!!!!

I am so excited....ok, I HAVE to say it....I could just pee my pants!!!! LOLOL!

Linda is my creative muse. She is my guru. From the moment I first met her on board a cruise ship where we were teaching...she has just made me laugh. And to top it all off, she is probably my biggest cheerleader! She is always encouraging me to do the things that I do and to keep on playing!

So, a whole week to play???? I may just not survive it. My only warning has been that there will be NO sleep! LOLOL!!!

BUT....there is more! I'm sitting here on pins and needles waiting for my kiln to cool. I've made my first attempt to fashion a dichroic glass bracelet! What a completely scary thing. From the gal who said she would never have a kiln in her home...I've now fired it to 1250F, taken the lid off, stuck my gloved hands in there with tongs and fashioned a bracelet of glass on a mandrel!

Talk about heart attack city!!!

Maybe I should go back to living on a farm and cleaning horse stalls! Probably a whole lot safer!

NOT!

OK....15 more minutes and I can run to the studio and check to see if the kiln is cool enough to take the bracelet out. Of course, I plan to add silver to it...the silver is already done!!! And yes, I will finish the diecut tutorial....but it might not get posted until tomorrow as I'm driving from Kansas City to Ozark MO tonight!!!

Hey Linda....Hey Lindy Lou!!! Are you ready for me???? And no...I don't need depends yet....but I really am just so excited I could........


:o)