SCRUB-A-DUB-DUB!

SCUM

no matter how hard you scrub

it's hard,

it's really hard to get off

once it's on.

you know what finally does the trick?

y'all do.

you've stuck with me

as I've been scum and not posted

in oh, so long.

how do i thank you,

the faithful?

I gift each of you

one million dollars.

Oh, wait,

I don't have one million dollars.

 

I'm ba-a-a-a-ck, girls!
and it feels so, so good.
I love you,
           jan

          

WHERE BLOGGERS CREATE - IT'S A PARTY

IT'S A PARTY AND I'M SO GLAD YOU COULD COME!

This is a chance for me, a blogger, to show you where I create.....show you in my own creative way because, seriously, Where Women Create magazine is never going to ask to do a spot on me!

You'll see what I mean in a minute...

When you're finished enjoying my studio, go to Karen's blog and in the right side column you'll be able to pick your next spot to drop in on - everyone has their party dresses on and is waiting for your arrival!

And, be sure and leave a comment that you had been there - makes us all feel special *popular* to know that lots of people came to our party!

Oh, I'm so excited!!! Here everyone comes!

This is why I am being creative in showing you my studio - it looks like a crack house, it's such a mess.

I could have cleaned it all up for you, but then it wouldn't be MY studio. Get it?

This door is the door that goes from my studio into our garage where the "rest" of my studio is stacked!

I have a fabulous pink disco ball hanging from the ceiling in my studio.

THIS is what my studio looks like on any given day.

Thus, the nickname, The Crack House.

Glue on my fingers. . .a common sight!

A row of my wooden stamps...

I have hundreds and hundreds of stamps - lots of wooden and lots of unmounted.

My row of Barbie dresses!

I smile every time I look at them!

I LOVE Barbie!!

A bird caught in a snowstorm...the closest I could get to a snow storm in Texas!

I have this thing for old *and ratty* dolls and doll heads.

I think they're so cool - most people think they're strange and scary!

Cracks me up.

Gesso, molding paste...fun and vitally important items when working with paints!

And, of course, Gorilla glue!

I love to buy big sheets of fabulous papers and I roll them up and store them in this really big glass cylinder.

It looks cool and serves a really important roll in my studio.

*Get it??? "roll" in my studio? That was a joke. LOL*

Paint brushes and bling. Who could want anything more? Heehee

I utilize every space in my studio. . .this vintage lamp shade and bird cage are hanging from my ceiling.

A vintage typewriter, vintage silhouette tray and a couple of vintage dance cards.

Every mixed media artist has lots of vintage papers!

A stack of finished tags just waiting to be uploaded into my Lollishop and Etsy shop.

Oh, would you look at the time???

You best hurry on to your next party!

I'm so, so glad that you took the time to visit my studio and come to my party!

I hope you had a good time - tell me what you thought in your comment!

And, to my faithful, bestest readers in the world, a special THANK YOU for coming!

XOXO, Jan

WE'RE HAVING A PARTY!!

Yep, my foot's in the air and I think that's what has made me susceptible; allowed me to say, "Yes, I'll play!", when I know in my heart, deep in my heart, that I should be saying, "Not on your life!". . . . .you see, it's a "WHERE BLOGGERS CREATE" party. . . .you know, pictures of my crack-house-resembling-studio posted for all to see. . .
To make this party even more fun, and to put me on a more even playing ground, y'all are invited! Oh, yeah. Each of you simply has to right click on the ad, save it to your computer and then put it on your blog along with a nice post like I'm doing (Just follow my lead:)

Now, you don't have to do the post, it would just be the nice thing to do; you know, to advertise the party and all. We want all of your friends to come, too.

I'm sure some are thinking this will be the perfect opportunity to clean up their work space since the entire world is going to get a glimpse into their world of creativity.

Not me. My foot's in the air, remember?

To borrow the words of another, I have become a blogoholic.

It's so true. . .between blogs and Facebook, I'm doomed to a life, well, with my foot in the air.

I start reading and I can't seem to stop - the blogs are never-ending! The stories and the pictures and the blogs that I hit upon that have me salivating and then thinking, thinking, thinking! I love it all.

The idea, Karen's idea, for this party came from 2 places. One was the fabulous publication, Where Women Create.

I highly recommend it - if you haven't broken down and bought it yet, then do so. And, buy me a copy, too, so I can stop spending 30 minutes a day at Hastings!

The second idea came to Karen from a woman named Denise over at BellaDreams.

She posted some photos of her new Studio space that were just wonderful. (I'm fixin to check them out just as soon as I finish plagiarizing Karen)

So it got Karen to thinking, "I bet there are hundreds of gorgeous studios and work spaces out there. Rooms that are whimsicalor (I'm not going to raise my hand, don't you either, but I'm kinda thinkin that Karen made up that word. . .) elegant, or clever or all of the above!!! (Note that she didn't mention Early Crack House)

So you are invited to join Karen and me and the tens of tens of other bloggers for Karen's first ever blog party!

Share your creative spaces!!

Is your space at the dining room table?

Do you have a room of your own?

Have you converted a closet?

Or are you like me?

You have a studio that is a total embarrassment, but, one that you know where everything is.

And, what do you do in there?

What kind of things do you create?

There is a little bit of voyeur in all of us don’t you think?? So, come on and join in the fun! To participate, just leave Karen a message on this post along with the address of your blog. She will add you to the link list on her sidebar.

On July 24th, post your photos and stories about yourselves and your creative spaces.

Then we will all have a great time coming over and visiting all the wonderful, creative spaces that y'all have made for yourselves!!

To help Karen promote this event - please take the party poster and add it to your sidebar as a photo with a link to Karen's blog

(http://www.mydesertcottage.blogspot.com/).

And, if you're feeling generous, a post on your blog about the party would be awesome!

Thanks so much!! I really hope to see you there!!!

It's going to be soooo much fun!

XOXO to the best readers in blogland,

. . . . . . .Jan

WHY I LOVE TO BLOG!

The letter "B" can stand for a lot of things (Burp, Bookie, Big Lots, Barbie, Bairy Queen Blizzard and, last but not least, Barack [all complaints concerning any implied political "B" satire should be sent to Oprah, the anti-Christ]
.....{okay, I just want you to know that my SIL and I are sitting here unable to Breathe Because we think we're so stinkin' funny. I know we're not, But we're old and it takes so little to Bickle us})
....I'm so digressing.....Back on Bask (hahaha)......

Seriously, back on task........*clears throat lady-like* but, for me, today at this par-tay, "B" stands for "Blogging" because we're having a WHY I LOVE TO BLOG PARTY!

And, you know what? Sometimes it feels like a party when I post! Sometimes I'm so excited about what I'm telling you that I feel like I have on my party hat and a cupcake in each hand!
And, then there are times when I blog that I'm feeling despair or great sadness.

But, that doesn't answer the question of why I love to blog; of why I love sharing with you, my precious readers.
I simply adore sharing my art, my life and especially my humor with you!
I could easily keep a journal and call it a day, but, instead I decided to become a part of the blogging world, geez, quite a while ago.
I wasn't sure anyone at all would read my blog, would care to see my creations, to hear about my life, my family, my adventures....to put up with me when I think I'm funny!
But, I went ahead and started writing. How was I to know that I would actually have readers? Sweet, consistently loyal readers, stick by me through my bragging about my creations, my soapboxes *children living in poverty *rescue dogs*. That's why I blog. That's why I'm concerned when I'm not able to get a blog post written. . .in the back of my mind knowing that yet another day has gone by and you have possibly taken the time to look and see if I have posted and I haven't! AUGHHH!!
It kills me to think that I am not keeping up with my part of the deal like I should!

Blogging is a way for me to let off steam *rarely*, rant about the injustices of the world that make my heart bleed, to show you what I've created in my studio that soothes my soul and hopefully, at times, lots of times, make you laugh out loud or giggle in your heart.

I know y'all are aware that I'm a believer, a child of God, a prayer warrior, daily growing in His spirit. My blog allows me to gently touch my reader's hearts and show the love of God. That's a vitally important part of blogging to me.

So. Those are the reasons I blog! And, you, my loyal readers are the reason I continue to do so - it's so much fun sharing with you and reading your comments *those of you that aren't just lurking! LOL* I just love y'all so much and many of you I've never even met or 'talked to on the computer'!, but, some of you have become dear, dear friends!!

Some of you have been with me through horrible health adventures and have encouraged me through your post comments, your emails, your cards, your "just because" gifts, your birthday and half-birthday presents and your phone calls!! Isn't that just the coolest thing? All of us, artists and art lovers and people that simply love us, sharing our lives with each other???

Is it any reason that I love to blog??

So, have fun at the "Why I Love to Blog" party! Be sure and go to http://www.cupidscharm.blogspot.com/ for the complete list of the bloggers putting on the party so you can visit their blogs! There's like 70 of us! YIKES!!! Isn't that cool?

And, thank you for coming to visit me today. (Please let me know you came to my party! Post a comment! Even you lurkers! It's fun!!) You know I adore you!

. . .Oh, and next week I should be posting a NEW BLOG GIVEAWAY! Those are just so much fun and I love doing them so much that I'm making the giveaways a monthly thing! Whatchathink about that? LOL

XOXO, Jan

A BLOG ABOUT BLOGGING...MAKES SENSE TO ME!

This is going to be so much fun!

What I'm talking about is this idea, all credit goes to Cupid's Charm, about posting about why I/we/you love to blog.

Oh, I'm simply thrilled at the chance to tell y'all, my wonderful readers, why it is that I love to blog.

You can join in the fun, also. Simply go to http://www.cupidscharm.blogspot.com/ for the details!

And, be sure and check my blog on May 1st for my "Why I Love Blogging" post! In fact, you can go to Cupid's Charm on May 1st and get the blogging addresses of everyone that is playing.

I hope you decide to join us! I would love to read about MY readers and why y'all enjoy blogging!

Warmly,

. . .Jan

YIKES!! God is so amazing!............As I was finishing up this post, I got a text message from my dear, dear friend, Tina, asking for prayers for her grandchild, Sage, who may have meningitis. Knowing that so many of my readers are believers I have decided to post about this since God sent me the text (through Tina. duh) while I was in the middle of a post. It's obvious that he wants as many prayers warriors as I can gather up to pray for Sage.

So, you that are pray-ers, hit your knees.

No, wait.

Don't hit your knees if you're over 45 years old.

If I hit my knees I'd be in a wheelchair............for life.

Just stop what you're doing right now (reading my post) and pray for Sage and Tina and all that love that little wee one.

If you would like to leave a message of encouragement for Tina, her blog address is:

http://www.tina-wright.blogspot.com/ . Just leave a comment on her last blog entry - I don't know what it's about, oh, dear....oh, I'm sure it's totally appropriate! Just leave your comments there on her last entry:)

I know she'd appreciate the encouragement, even if you don't know her!!

Y'all are great! I love you!!

UPDATE: Sage did NOT have meningitis! Praise the Lord!! God is faithful and is taking care of Sage - I forget what he had (no surprise there) but he's fine and Tina has been so blessed by y'all's prayers.

Thank you for caring for another blogger - no doubt in my mind that I could count on each of y'all! XOXO