FINISHED PAGES FOR TWO MORE JOURNALS!

I finished the pages for Eileen and Gina's THROUGH THE EYES OF AN ARTIST journals. As you can see I am still in "Zetti-mode". This is definitely my favorite place to be right now!

JACQUI'S PAGES DONE!

These are the two pages I made for Jacqui's I Dream in Color Journal. Jacqui is a very special person; she's a wonderfully talented lawyer, artist and just a wonderful person. I wanted to do something really fun and special for her journal and I really hope she likes it!!!

Playing Catch-up!!

I've been so very busy lately that I've fallen somewhat behind in my commitments. I hate that but I also wont just throw something together to meet a deadline. As I had written before, I am hosting a journal project called I DREAM IN COLORS. This project is fashioned after a wonderful project by Lynn Perella (True Colors) which was published by Stampington in a publication by the same name. If you don't have it.. buy it!! Totally worth it.

These are the two pages I did for Eileen Bellomo's journal. Hope she likes it!

RANDOM THOUGHTS ON THE PASSING OF A SUPERSTAR

For some reason, the death of Michael Jackson has left me sad. I always liked his music but can't say I was ever really a "fan". I remember when I was a kid (I am a year younger than Michael Jackson) I loved the Jackson Five (and the Osmonds!! How's that for dating myself??).

I just find his whole life to have been so sad. So unbelievably sad. I remember seeing a documentary on him on the TV once where they had opened a supermarket in the middle of the night and Michael was so excited about shopping! He'd never been to a supermarket???? How lonely must it be for you not to be able to walk out in public? To sit on the beach and watch the waves? To go to Walmart and buy towels!! How sad must it be when over and over again you were betrayed by the people you thought were your friends? How sad must it have been to always wonder if someone was really your friend or just wanted to be close to "Michael Jackson"?

A few years ago I went to Graceland at the urging of my brother Albert. Albert has always been an Elvis fan and had described his trip to Graceland as a "religious experience". Granted, I thought that was a little wierd (even for Albert) but I loved Elvis and thought it would be really cool to visit Graceland.

I left Graceland feeling depressed and sad for the Elvis. His life was so lonely; so closed off from the rest of the world. That is what crossed my mind when Michael died. How incredibly sad their lives were. It is so ironic that these two wonderful men - men who truly cared about the world that surrounded them - who wanted to make the world better - should die so tragically. I don't think Michael was ever really happy -- he was never allowed to be a child and his eternal search for that lost childhood led to so much heartache for him.

Was he a child molester? Was he the pervert that the media wanted to make him out to be? I don't know. There's no way I could confirm or deny those allegations. But my heart negates those rumors. I truly believe that he saw in children what he had missed out in life and wanted so desperately to capture for himself.

Was he odd??? Absolutely. Was his desperate quest for physical transformation extreme? I don't think anyone could deny that. But isn't it also true that those things happen when someone truly does not like themselves? Besides - who cares if he wanted to change his appearance? How many women don't do the same thing? Joan Rivers being the most blaring example? Why aren't there comments about how "strange" SHE is? Because she's NOT - she just wants to look younger. Michael wasn't either -- he just wasn't happy as Michael and wanted to see someone else when he looked in the mirror.

Michael Jackson was a superstar surpassed by none. He was an incredible singer, dancer and human being. HE IS DEAD NOW. I really wish everyone would just leave him alone and let him, FINALLY, rest from the microscope he lived under all his life.

MY FIRST VENTURE INTO ZETTI!!!

As promised, these are the pages I did while at Teesha's "PLAY" Retreat this past weekend in Port Townsend, Washington. This was my first venture into ZETTI and I am totally hooked.

Wanted to share some interesting info with you guys: I asked Teesha where the term "Zetti" came from and what it meant. It turns out that her husband, Traci, who is also an amazing artist by the way, had been creating these really cool characters that they wanted to make stamps out of. Well, Traci loves to write little fiction stories to go with his fictional characters and he decided that the characters were residents of the Planet Zetti; thus the study of these characters was "zettiology"! How cool is that little tidbit of information?!

The pictures tell the story. The retreat was at this wonderful national park, Fort Worden National Park in Port Townsend Washington. The building in the picture (that says USO) is where the "play room" was. The retreat only had maybe 8 or 9 women so it was wonderful!! Got lots of one-on-one and everyone was super excited to be there! The fort was an old military installation and our rooms were those little ones shown in the picture with a bed and a chair!! They were super clean and comfortable and we had one big communal bathroom!!! We had a list as to who took showers when and even THAT worked out great because everyone else wanted to be up before me!!!

We each got these cool name buttons made by Teesha.

The crazy ones in the pictures are Tracy Kaufman and I. We had so much fun together! Meeting Tracy was absolutely wonderful!! Everyone was surprised that we had just "met" at this retreat (we had become friends via email) and Teesha told us we were "like an old married couple"!!! She's an awesome artist and an awesome person and I feel privileged to have met her.

The wonderful lady in the middle of the two of us is Teesha Moore. What an incredible delight it was to meet her. Teesha is humble and even shy! She emanates a tranquility around her that is so amazing. Her art, as we all know is unbelievable but the most wonderful thing was her passion for journaling. Both she and her husband Traci truly believe that journaling is important; that what you leave behind matters. She infused us with a new passion for this art for which I will be forever grateful.

TEESHA MOORE PLAY RETREAT: JULY 9-12

If you EVER get an opportunity to participate in a retreat hosted by Teesha and her fabulous family - DO IT!!! It has been the most fabulous experience I have had since I started on this art journey. Teesha and her husband Traci are incredibly talented artists and their daughter Tiffany has all their artistic genes!!! Trista is also a wonderful girl. It warms your heart to see a family that is so close; they are bound by love and their passion for art and it rubs off on you!!!

I left Miami at 7:45 a.m. on Wednesday, July 8th. I was flying standby but had no problem getting on the flight to Dallas which would eventually (and I MEAN eventually) get me to Seattle. I fly standby thanks to my wonderful brother-in-law who works for American Airlines and is kind enough to get me a ticket! Okay, so I leave Miami and am in Dallas at 9:45 am. Awesome!! Well, not quite. I got bumped off 4 flights and ended up getting to Seattle at 9:30 pm. (Mind you it's now 12;30 in Miami!!!). But, okay. I'm in Seattle. It's all good. Not quite. I arrived at 9:30 pm but my suitcases have been there since early in the afternoon. After about an hour they find my bigger suitcase, the smaller one, the one with my art supplies has still not appeared!!

Of course I missed the shuttle to Fort Worden in Port Townsend which is about 2 hours from SEATAC airport. I spent the night at the Ramada by the airport and got up at 6:00 am to catch a shuttle to Fort Worden. I have to tell you that Fort Worden is absolutely GORGEOUS. Talk about inspiration!!! Amazingly beautiful. I'm there at about 9:30 am and I had read that the retreat check in was at 10:00 so I was rocking! Well, the check in was actually between 3 and 5!! Sat on a stoop at the building like an orphan until Tracy arrived at 3:00 pm!!!

What an awesome experience to finally meet Tracy Kaufman! Loved her before... adore her now!!! It is so funny because everyone at the retreat assumed we had been friends for years! They could not believe we had never met personally! Teesha said we were "like an old married couple"!! We had so much fun! Tracy is a riot... tried to kill me with her god-awful driving skills and "keen" sense of direction... but we had a blast! I haven't laughed so much in a very long time.

I took pictures (although not many) while at the retreat and will upload them as soon as I get home. For now all I can say is that I have found my niche! I absolutely LOVE Teesha's journaling style and feel privileged to have been taught by her. Not only is her art inspiring, but her deep-rooted belief in the importance of art journals is stimulating. She truly TRULY believes that these art journals are therapeutic and important; that what you leave in these journals matters.

I am absolutely a convert. I am very happy with the work I did. I never thought I could do it ... I've been admiring her work from afar for years but had never even attempted it because I just didn't even know where to start. Well, what I discovered this weekend is not only that I CAN do it, but that I'm actually good at it!! Woo HOO!!! Stay tuned for pictures!!!

TWO DAYS LEFT!!!!

Hi everyone! Hope you had a wonderful 4th of July! My husband and I went with my daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter to Disney this weekend. Thought about doing Magic Kingdom but it was WAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too hot!!! We drove up early on Friday, spent Friday just hanging out at the motorhome; went to Typhoon Lagoon on Saturday. There was no way we could do anything but a waterpark with as hot as it was! Had fun.

Back home. Back to the same ol', same ol'. I sure wish the economy would pick up. Things are tough. Not to the point of destruction (yet) but definitely TOUGH.

Leaving for Washington on Wednesday morning for the Teesha Moore Art Retreat! Woo HOO!!! Leaving early Wednesday. The retreat doesn't start until Thursday but given the fact that it's on the other side of the country I have to leave a day early! Can't wait!! Will be wayyyyyyyy cool! I'm going because (a) I want to REALLY bad and (b) my brother-in-law Alex works for American Airlines and I don't pay for airfare!!! Otherwise........ forget it! Things just aren't good enough to spend the kind of money I would have needed to if I was paying for the air fare! God is good!!

Happy 4th of July

Hi everyone! Happy 4th of July!! Love the idea of a long weekend. Finally some time to catch up! Next week I am going to an art retreat with Teesha Moore in Townsend Washington!! Cant wait!! I love zetti and hope to learn tons of new things from the Zetti queen herself!! I will let you guys know what happens!!