I've Been Busy, Busy, Busy!!!

"A friend is a person

with whom I may be sincere.

Before him (or her)

I may think aloud."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

(I'm busy cutting out 43 sets of bird wings - UGH! It took me all afternoon to 'clip their wings!')

I have been busy in my studio for the past week, trying to pump out 43 pages for a chunky book swap which will take place at Kim Nugent's "RaeVn's Nest Art Retreat" in Cedarburg, Wisconsin next month. I knew about the swap for several months now but, true to form, put off doing my pages until the very last minute. Literally! I finally put the finishing touches on them this afternoon and sent them to the hostess of the swap with "overnight" delivery, so she has them on Saturday morning when she begins to assemble the books.

(Here are all the wing to attach onto my front page)

Kim came over 3 times in the past week for artist 'play-dates' with me down in my studio. She enjoys working down there with me, and the two of us have a lot of laughs while we're both working away on our own art projects. She brings a tote with her supplies, knowing that if she forgets something, I am certain to have what she needs.

(Kim is always so organized, and is much faster at getting her pages finished than I am!)

We both signed up for the swap, so she was working on her pages, while I worked on mine. Kim was an 'Artist-on-Call' for Stampington & Company's "Inspirations" magazine during the same time that I was also one of their 'Artist's-on-Call.' What we both find amusing about that, is that her oldest son and my son were good friends back then, while her and I didn't even know each other. I had called her one day back then about some 'Stampington stuff,' and her son happened to be within earshot of her. He must've said something to her, and she asked me, 'do you have a son named Joe??' When I said, 'yes...why??', she told me that he was friends with Aren. Then it clicked for me...I had heard Joe talking about him quite a bit in the past, but I never put two and two together. What a small world!!! (Another view of the wing pile...they will be going over the pin-up girl like a shawl)

Since that time, we became good friends. It is so nice that we live relatively close to each other, and both share a love of creating art. Plus, when we're having fun doing our art down in my studio, the time seems to just fly by.

(This is the back side of my page...I didn't take a picture of the front side, because I was so sick of making the pages!)

Kim had been thinking about organizing an art retreat for a long time, but this past year she began to make her dream a reality. I am looking forward to attending her retreat next month and meeting other 'artsy people,' and also to take several workshops again with Michael deMeng, and a workshop with Laurie Mika. Check out her website for the retreat at http://www.raevns-nest-art-retreat.com/.

Oh...I almost forgot....I DID get my jewelry piece finished for Opie and Linda O'Brien's book, and they received it this past Tuesday. I am happy to report they liked it! Now I just need to get my rear in gear and finish the written part for them....