Wanted to let you know

a few friends have emailed me to let me know that they received a rather strange email from a "Monica" in which she says:

Hello dearest i need a help hope you will be of help to will solve this problem for me it's all about my life of present. I am ripe to be settled down, do you wish as well like I do?, and more there other help if you can not be with me as a life partner just get back to me so that we can talk better take care of yourself and please be-were I got Ur profile from lemoncholys.blogspot.com hoping to read from you , yours Monica.

this is totally spam and has nothing to do with me! i'm sorry that you are being emailed like this. it sounds like the spammers are now going through blogs and getting information that way. has anyone else experienced this? i tried contacting blogger, but of course, there is no actually area to contact a real person, just forums that they want you to weed through until you find the issue you are having. my friend, Abbie had her husband trace the IP address and it came up in Nigeria. i'm wondering if that post i (now deleted) where i mentioned those emails i kept getting about being entrusted with millions has anything to do with it.

again my apologies and thank you all for making me aware of the situation.

Dames Ball

The sophomore class at Wall high school are attending the Dames Ball tonight, so Dillon is taking his girlfriend, Sam. We drove over there for a little picture taking. i'll admit it, i felt a little teary looking at my baby so grown up.

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another collage using techniques from Joanna's online class.

healthcare in America

can someone explain to me why the women who work answering the phones at medical offices are so rude? i had to talk to 3 of them today; all in different offices and all of them were curt, hurried and not interested in answering my questions. i just got off the phone with the third woman and burst into tears because i was so frustrated with their treatment and lack of interest in dealing with me. i know what you are going to say, it's a sign of the times, with over worked medical professionals; i'm just so tired of it.

this made my day

this morning while i was watching the birdies in the back yard, i saw a chipmunk running around! that means they are done hibernating and spring is getting near. i just love our chipmunks, we have a bunch of them living in various spots in the yard. there is one in particular that i favor - he lives in the front under the old claw foot bathtub that i have in my garden (full of plants!). i like to leave little snacks and finch food for him in a special little spot.

this particular picture is a few years old, taken one morning while i was eating breakfast and put my bowl down to go inside to get my camera. when i came back out (i came out quietly as i knew he had been sniffing around) - i saw him snacking from my bowl and snapped the photo. isn't he sweet?

blahhh

( photography by Patricia J. Stark)

Well today i had to go for my annual mammogram. this is not my favorite day at all. i dread getting it done. i've stressed about these annual appointments every year since the doctor found a tumor in my right breast (benign). also, every mammogram i get is followed by an ultrasound, which is even worse in my opinion! you see i have a common condition known as FBD, fibrocystic breast disease. FBD is not really a disease it's just called that. it makes the breast quite dense, lumpy and painful. the denser your breast, the harder it is to read on a mammogram, thus the need for an ultrasound to follow. my appt. today was at 1:30 and i didn't leave there until 5:30! i was so cold, sitting there in my robe (it usually doesn't take that long, but the ultra sound machines were a little backed up today) and i was starving. i never realized how hard it is to sit still and lay with your arm raised back over your head. my lats and neck are really sore right now (i was in that position for 45 minutes on each side!). at one point, the technician was freaking me out because she kept getting out a little ruler and measuring me (i've never had that happen before). i finally asked her, "is every thing ok?" after that she was pretty good about telling me what she was doing. the reason i don't like going is because it is just so worrisome. i know so many friends who have or have had breast cancer. none of us are safe from it; so of course i worry - you know that, cold, dark fear of worry that can keep you up at night............ also, my left side has been bothering me for about a week and half, so i was afraid she would find something there. i've suspected the soreness on the left side might be muscular though as my neck, should, lats and left arm have all been sore. i have a huge knot in my neck and left shoulder and i know from being a massage therapist that if it doesn't get those knots worked out, it will make its way around! so i believe that is what is going on there. anyway, i'm rambling. i'm happy to report that i was given the all clear and don't need to go through that again for another year. and next year, i'm going to be prepared with a blanket and some snacks.

also, my husband was sweet enough to make an appointment for me to get a massage tomorrow. i can't wait, it's been FOREVER since i had a massage -and it is a hot stone massage at that!

here is the mixed media collage that i did from JoAnna's Moss Hill Studios latest online class. i love mixed media collage, so of course, i really enjoyed doing this class and learning her techniques for creating texture. those are her signature colors; it will be fun to experiment with others colors, like pink, cream and beige for a shabby chic look.

Giver of Guidance

a new jewerly piece i've just completed featuring a cementary angel covered in resin and soldered on the sides and back. the chain is made of deconstructed or damaged rosary beads. religious iconic medals dangle from the bottom.

for sale, please inquire if by emailing me at keeshagirl4@aol.com you are interested. i accept paypal, MC and visa.

Marie Antoinette doll

i created this Marie Antoinette doll using techniques i learned from Joanna of Moss Hill Studio's online art doll class.

she is for sale, so if interested, you can email me at keeshagirl4@aol.com. i accept paypal, MC and visa.

update: she is SOLD.

thrift store score!

i picked this coat up at the thrift store for a total of $8! it is so super sweet, very vintage and i love the hood i on it.

Valentine's swap with friends

i did a Valentine's swap with 3 friends, Kelly, Leighanna and kim, so i wanted to share what they sent me. Kelly Snelling, was the receipent of my broken heart pendant . she made me a beautiful pair of earrings, that so far, i've worn every day since unwrapping them! i can't help it, they are so delicate and the perfect length for me AND plus they look good!

also, and i can not wait to share this with you, she included a surprise in my package. this big huge box arrived and i was thinking, "that sure is a big box for a little piece of jewelry" - so of course, my curiousity was piqued. so i unwrap the package and this is what i what i found:

if you remember from a few posts back, Benedetta, who i met at OWOH and i did an art exchange and she did a folk art painting of my beloved kitty, Pebbles. Well in her note, Kelly said that she saw that post and that she just HAD to paint Pebbles. Pebbles became her muse - and i can see why. when i looked at that painting, i felt like i was looking in the eyes of my kitty. it was so touching - this unsoliticed portrait of someone who meant so much to me. i was so deeply touched is all i can say. how beautiful is this? i feel so lucky that kelly would have thought to paint him in such a manner. if you have a second, please stop by her blog and mention you saw her painting of Pebbles. i think she would enjoy that.

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My next swap was with my cute friend with the darling laugh, Leighanna Light. I honestly can't remember how i met Leighanna, but i'm guessing it was at Artnsoul -maybe she remembers more details? - but she is one of those people that you feel you have known forever. Leighanna and i are both massage therapists and love doing art of all kinds, so we have a lot in common. on a whim, i just emailed her and asked her if she would be my Valentine and do a Valentine swap with me. i was happy when she said yes! I sent this assemblage to her. it was funny, when i posted it, i thought, aww, she'll never catch this post - and wouldn't you know it, she just happened to check in that day - figures! Leighanna sent me one of her metal bird assemblages, which i had seen on her blog. the feet are so cool on this bird - they are from an old erector set! i'm a sucker for rusty metal and birds, so this is so appropriate for me. i added some rusty metal around the sides and have it hanging from my door knob. i think it will be my "in the studio"
message that says: "if there is a rusty bird hanging on the door knob, don't bother me!"

she also sent me some glass pieces that i found quite interesting. i emailed her to inquire about them and this is what she told me: "the glass is from a place nicknamed the glass graveyard.
It is a place out in the middle of nowhere by the river where all of these melted, twisted bottles completely cover the ground, for miles & miles.
No one knows why, we assume that it used to be an old glass dump that had an extremely hot fire". how cool is that? i just love that she thought to share them with me. she also added some of her cool molded faces that i had been admiring. she's been giving me some tips on making my own, but so far, i suck at it! check these out:

this one is my favorite! i will use these in assemblages.

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due to bad weather, storms and loss of power, my last swap with Kim, is pending - so i'll post more on that later!

Marie award

I recently received this award from Susan, of RedBessBonney . From her blog about the award, "our dear Marie did more than wave a cake fork around and perhaps that is the mystery behind this intriguing award. What I take away from all this is, if you are a special woman ~ strong, out-spoken, and willing to stand up and be heard for what you believe in ~ you may see Marie gracing your blog sometime soon."

well, that certainly sounds like me, so i thank you Susan! i pass this award onto

kim at Artdog's life

allegra at Beading Stars

Z at Oozhulia's

and

Denise at Follow your bliss

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i'm still missing our bunny, but not quite as sad about it this week. i want to go get some daffodil bulbs and plant them at her grave. i did that at Pebbles grave and enjoy seeing the flowers bloom every spring.

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i've been working on some deadlines for teaching in oct. i have to say, i now have a new appreciation for all the work that goes into these classes even before the students walk through the door. i think i'm just about done with my obligations and now am working on a few submissions to Sew Somerset, Altered Couture and Belle Amoire Jewelry. hopefully soon i will find out if i am vending at Artnsoul in Hampton, so i can be prepared for that.

Blossom playing in the garden

I am happy to announce that I will be participating in the Paws for Charity event. An art book compilation of photographs or paintings from approximately 20 artists, featuring dogs and/or cats to raise money for breast cancer charity. Sara from sharleystudio is organizing the event. this is the collage, which i've titled "Blossom playing in the garden" that i made for the project:

the cute little doggie showcased in my collage is none other than one of my mom's dogs, Blossom, who i think is the cutest thing ever. she is very photogenic and a natural for my collage. see for yourself:

right?

do you ever feel like this?

i absolutley ADORE this picture. it was forwarded to me by my mom who got it from a friend and so on and so on. what i love most about this photo is the dogs face - in particular, his eyes. his eyes are saying, "ugh - i hate this. sharing sucks". i showed this picture to jane and her daughter, claudia, this weekend - and i said, "there's some life lessons to be learned from this photo". i feel the doggie is doing what he feels is the right thing to do - sharing his food; even though he really doesn't want to. sometimes we do things because we know it is the right thing to do, but inside, secretly, we don't really want to do it. but that's okay, don't you think? that is what makes us kind and gentle. putting others before ourselves - and in the end though, it usually ends up in our favor. (i think they call that, karma).

Happy Valentine's day

hope you have a nice Valentine's Day. I am at my friend, Jane's, for the weekend. yesterday we did art, some shopping and a nice dinner. her husband had made some delicious dip called "Texas Caviar" - absolutely yummy!

this morning we are off to a flea market, so wish us luck in our scores!

Enchanted April

I have a confession to make. if you ask me where i got the name for my business (Lemoncholy's), i will tell you that i got it from the movie, Enchanted April. in the movie, one of the actress says that she was feeling a little "lemoncholy". i thought that was so cute. but over the years, i started wondering, did she really say that or did i just think she said that. i kept meaning to rewatch the movie to find out. well last night, the movie was on tv, so i set out to discover the truth. i had to wait until the very end of the movie to find out and guess what she said?

she said she was feeling, meloncholy!

so how is it that i thought she said otherwise?did i just remember it wrong? my husband said i remembered it the way i wanted to and thus created my own little name. but regardless, it makes a cute little story.

OWOH winner

So OWOH is over! there were almost 1000 players this year - how cool is that? so after going to randomgenerator.org, here is the winner of my necklace:

Here are your random numbers:69
Timestamp: 2009-02-12 15:41:40 UTC

then i had to go back through my comments and figure out who #69 was and it is Kim Caldwell of Artistic Bliss. So congratulations, Kim!

Disinegration project

Seth Apter, from The Altered Page, is doing a project involving nature and paper. the project involves taking paper of some sort and leaving outside for a length of time to see how it changes from the elements. i created a pretty little paper and fiber collage and hung it from some rusty wire (first photo) and then wrapped it in some cheesecloth and hung it outside (2nd photo). i added diamond glaze over the focal image as i decided i'd like that to remain intact (if possible!). the rest i will leave up to mother nature to see what happens. i have a little problem with worrying about pretty things getting ruined - so this was also an exercise in "letting go" - this is why i decided to create something pretty and then leave it outside - a risk, i know! what will happen to it? will it get ruined? we shall see. i'm leaning towards it still looking really cool when i finally bring it in. we get lots of rain here, ocean air, high winds, occasional snow. maybe it will blow into the mud and i won't notice it for days. stay tuned...............

have you seen this photo? although the circumstances are horrible, the picture makes me really proud of that firefighter for his compassion. look at him holding the koala's paw. the interviewed firefighter said the koala bear just stopped when he saw the man and kept reaching out for the water bottle to drink more. the poor little bear had scorched paws. such devastation, these fires.

Rest in peace Lilo, our sweet little bunny

gift for a friend

i did this mixed media collage piece for my friend, Inger, who lives in Oslo, Norway. Inger and i met online when she found my blog. She's been sick for awhile, but recently has felt well enough to move out of her parents house and into her own apartment - a big step for her. i was very excited for her and as a housewarming gift, i made this piece for her. it is based on one of Kelly Rae Robert's exercises from her book , "Taking flight".

Art in the mail!

this folk art painting of my beloved kitty, Pebbles, was done by Benedetta. I got Pebbles when i was graduating from highschool in 1982 and had him for 19 years. he was the best cat ever! Benedetta and i met thru OWOH and i didn't want to wait to see if maybe i might win her giveaway, so i asked her if she'd be interested in an art swap. i made her a necklace. she is now taking custom orders on pets, so if you need that perfect gift for that hard to please person, maybe you can do their favorite pet for them!

here is a picture of Benedetta wearing her necklace (picture hijacked from her blog!)

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and how about this precious doll? isn't she too cute? this was done by another blogger i met, Kim, at Once upon a blue crow. i also met her thru OWOH and fell in love with her dolls and again presented the idea of a trade (and i'm so glad they were both into it!). i've commissioned another doll for my neice's b-day in July. i also made Kim a necklace and she was kind enough to send this picture of her wearing it. isn't she pretty?

dogs and snow

i took the two westies on a walk with me yesterday morning to take pictures of the snow. kirby was in the house, guess she didn't want to be out there! these two, especially Gracie, were like crazy little kids playing in the snow. zipping around, running full speed, exploring. it was fun.

(Pepper)

(Gracie)

(Gracie)

(Pepper)

exciting news

i entered a Valentine's jewelry contest at jewelrylessons.com and just found out that i am a semi-finalist. i'm very excited! the piece was a metalsmithing pendant that i entitled "healing a broken heart". see the page here.

more snow

(kirby paw print)

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it is still snowing into the night -so i took some night shots. it is so shimmery and quiet outside right now. it looks so sparkly, like a fairyland.