...a bit of catch-up....

I have been pretty busy lately. First of all I moved. Yeah! I am now in a lovely home with beautiful flower and vegetable gardens. Yesterday a gray fox came to be fed....I'm told there's a red one too, but I haven't seem him yet.
Against my better judgement I am doing the Viva Mexico Charm Swap. I just couldn't resist.....here's the art card I came up with for it.
The charms themselves are cast sacred heart milagros, dyed red with alcohol inks, and on the backs I have put a tiny version of the sacred heart
picture. I will then add a small string of Mexican flag colored beads and Voila - they will be done!
Lorri Scott , an incredible fiber artist, arrived yesterday for a quickie visit to LA on her way to Arizona. Lorri makes the most gorgeous "wayward threads" scarves, and she will be teaching dying techniques as well as wayward thread techniques at Art Unraveled in Phoenix this next week. She made me a beautiful "diva's rock" necklace, using her own shibori dyed silk ribbons for the chain. You can see examples on her website. She also had way cool hats that she and Jennifer collaborated on - she'll be showcasing them at Art Unraveled.
This is Lorri and I looking around at the 3rd Street promenade in Santa Monica. We asked a girl who was there with her sister (telling fortunes thru handwriting and tarot) to take our picture. Then Lorri and I had our $5 fortunes told! It was great fun!
Isn't this a gorgeous shoe? (and Lorri's nail polish looks pretty good too!) You can't really see in the picture, but they are actually red. Lorri found the sandals (made by "I THINK") at a shoe store at the Promenade - but they were wayyyy expensive!
This is Lorri and the "tin man"......

.....and this is the Santa Monica Pier
Weekend before last, my dear dear best friend and buddy Joanna came from New Mexico with her boyfriend, actor Adam Taylor, to be at the premier of Kevin Costner's new movie. Adam has a substantial part in it. Joanna is a writer and has written many screenplays (she's also an Emmy winning editor, for the pilot of Sopranos) and she has just finished her first novel. We all got together and had a lovely dinner in Malibu and then we all took a walk on the beach. Joanna is such a joy to be around and such an inspiration!
This is a picture of Joanna on the beach in Malibu

This is Malibu at sunset
Last weekend my mother's family had thier annual family reunion in Ventura. My mom came from a family of 11 brother and sisters, so it was a huge bar-b-que with live music, games and fabulous food! My son Sky came with me, and my 87 year old Dad had flown in from Sacramento to be there too. Here's a little slide show of it....

Next Saturday my cousin Julie and I are going to visit my 90 yr old
Aunt Rose and scan old family pictures (with names of who they are!) so everyone in the family can have copies. Aunt Rose is very chipper and still remembers names and dates and the family history.
Then on Sunday I am going to take a painting class with Jesse Reno at Carol Parks Studio. Woohoo! I can hardly wait - there are some fabulous artists taking the class with me and i am so excited to finally meet the real people behind the artwork I have so admired.