Happy New Year!

As a fan of the

'Mamas and Papas'

back in the sixties...

I ran across this video featuring a song

by Mama Cass Elliot

that I thought was really appropriate for

the

New Year!!

Enjoy!

Interview with the Wall Street Journal

I recently did an interview

with Sue Shellenbarger

for the Wall Street Journal.

Here's a link.

A 'Freebie' for the New Year

I put together this

2010 Calendar

for you to 'grab'.

It's available

at this

site.

You can print and give away

as many as you like...

just don't offer it

for resale

in any form.

Have a Wonderful New Year!!

Spending the rest of the year on New Paintings!

I made a New Year's Resolution

last year...

'to become better organized'..

and I have kept it!

One of my resolutions for 2010

was to 'build' a little

mini-studio in the corner of my dining room...

(I work mostly in my dining room and living room as my

studio/ print/ shipping center

is too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer)

Well..I was interviewed by

Sue Shellenbarger

of the Wall Street Journal..

who sent a photographer to shoot

my organized work space...

and

this prompted me to go ahead and

put up my 'mini-studio' a few weeks early.

Soooo...I will be spending the time between Christmas and

New Year

doing a batch of new paintings for my

Rustic Goth Shop...AND maybe even for my

CMZ Art Zibbet Shop.

Hope everyone had a

Wonderful Christmas

and wishing for you

a

Great New Year!

Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you a

Blessed Christmas

and a

Joyous New Year!

I chose this particular version of 'Mary Did You Know'...as I know it was one of my husband's very FAVORITE songs ever...and he was especially proud of the fact that he was friend's with Buddy Greene...who wrote the music.

Coming Up on a New Year!

With the New Year fast approaching...

I have been soooo busy cleaning

and doing last minute

shipping for my Rustic Goth Etsy Shop

I really am tired...but I've got

one more day of cleaning yet to do.

I'm just now getting around to doing my

Fall Cleaning.

That means everything comes off of the shelves

and gets a good scrubbing.

I normally do it much sooner but,

between my damaged roof (that took

until almost winter to get repaired)

and the shows I did this year...

time just 'got away' from me.

Last year I made a New Year's Resolution

to become better organized..

and I've really tried to keep that resolution..

when something gets 'let go'

the result is

'disorganization'.

So...you see why I've been so busy...

well...that...and something I will reveal before

the first of the year:).

An Annual Favorite

My husband and I really loved this video...we watched in on
Z-Music (I don't even think that station is around anymore)
in 1996 -- I think it's the same year the video came out!
I DO love Trans-Siberian Orchestra...and this was the first song
I'd heard from them.
It's "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo"

A GIVEAWAY on my Other Blog

I'm having a

GIVE-AWAY

for (3) of my

Rustic Goth

2010 CREEPERS CALENDARs

on my Rustic Goth Blog

on December 18th.

If you'd like to

throw your name in the hat..

for a chance to win

one of these calendars...

see how

here!

A Very Short Merry Christmas Cartoon

I thought this was a cute little Christmas cartoon....and wanted to share with you all!
Wishing everyone a "Happy Holidays"!!

My "Resting" Piece featured...

My 'Resting' Print

was featured on the

Art for Cancer

Facebook Page.

This is such a wonderful Group...

working hard to raise money

for various Cancer charities.

Art For Human Rights...aka..Art Against Aids

I have participated in the

'Art Against Aids'

Charity for the past

three of four years.

These are pictures of the original paintings

I sent to be auctioned

in the fight against Aids.

My youngest brother had Aids

and passed away in 1996,

so it is a cause I feel strongly about.

This year..it has expanded

its outreach

and is now called

'Art for Human Rights'.

I will be painting a piece

especially to send to the Auction...

which will be held in Chicago

in early 2010.

I'll post more information...

and a picture of this year's painting

in a future post.

Print Sale in my CMZ Art Shop

I have put a sale

on all of my prints

now listed in my

CMZ Art Shop.

These are some of my

favorite tree/nature pieces

of ALL time

and my shop has been filled

to it's current capacity!

Christmas Give Away at Greenpixey

Greenpixey

is having a

Christmas Giveaway drawing

for these very sweet...

not to mention..

CUTE..

little amigurumis

over on her

blog.

Just click on this link

and visit her site...

she gives very thorough instructions

in her post.

According to Greenpixey...

"Amigurumi is the japanese art

of making small stuffed crocheted or knitted figures. "

Curled up "with" Chef Novelli

I had a wonderful...but long...Thanksgiving week-end..

and even though I am now a little

behind in shipping

and getting things all caught up...

I needed to

'curl up with' a little

Chef Academy

and Chef Novelli...

I'm really liking that show.

Patrick caught the last one with me...

now he is watching them with me..

it's a fun show to watch with someone else.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Last Art Show of the Season

It has been a little 'difficult' on my body...

getting back into the arts and crafts shows.

My dear husband MUST have done most of the physical

work...setting up and tearing down...

all those years we did the shows together.

We started doing shows in the early eighties...

and

I hadn't done a show since 2004...so I had quite forgotten

the late hours doing 'finishing' work

the night before the show...the long hours of

'set-up'...getting our space

JUST right...

the VERY early hours (for me)

on show days..

but..in spite of it all...I am really enjoying it!

I love 'mixing' with the other artisans...

giving and receiving helpful tips and sound advice...

(we got SOOOO many comments from the other artisans...

saying we REALLY need to get into some Omaha shows...

we'll see.)

Here are 10 Things we have learned from the shows...

1. Try to have EVERYTHING ready a day or two before set-up.

2. Get to bed early, the night before the show...it is important

to be 'alert' enough to interact with others.

3. Don't judge the results of each show...just on show sales.

(We have sold a number of original paintings...as well as

commissioned paintings...through our Etsy Shops...

from folks taking our business cards at the show.)

4. Be 'open' to what others have to tell you...most of the time

they are just trying to help.

5. Don't get too excited when folks whip out their camera (or phone) to

take pictures of your 'stuff'...especially when they think you're not looking...

it's going to happen!

6. Have 'something for everyone'...at least in every price range..

not everyone brings hundreds...or even twenties..of dollars

to a show. Sometimes they've just come to 'look'...

and they're pleasantly surprised to come upon your space

and see how beautiful your 'stuff' is.

7. Be real! (This is important on sooo many levels.)

8. Share your experience with the

other artisans. If you think their 'stuff' is great

and would benefit from a larger audience..give them the benefit

of your own exposure.

9. Expect to do well...and bring a positive attitude.

10. Build a local following...and spread out from there.

So...we have just ONE more show

in 2009...

December 5th and 6th.

I look for it to be a

really GREAT show!

To all of the folks who have visited our booth

at the State Fair

and

all of the shows at the Event Center...

thank you!

We hope you have a wonderful

Holiday Season!

CMZ Art....What's New?

I have been asked by several

collectors

if I am going to reopen my

CMZ Art Etsy Shop.

Sadly...I am not.

Perhaps it was the turn of economy,

but I couldn't maintain both shops and Iopted

to keep the Rustic Goth Shop,

since it was doing better.

I still do business as CMZ Art

though...on Zibbet.

Presently I only have prints available

there, however....

I will be posting original tree paintings,

poppy paintings

and other 'nature-inspired' paintings

in my CMZ Art Zibbet Shop

as early as next week.

We only have one

art show left to do this year...

(getting ready for the shows have taken most

of my time the past few months)

and since I do like to keep myself busy,

I will be doing some original

paintings especially for CMZ Art.

I have a new Show to add to my Favorites!

I do like my "reality" TV....for the most part...

they are 'no-brainer' forms of entertainment.

I ran acrossed a new program

on

Bravo...called

"Chef Academy".

I find Chef Novelli to be quite

entertaining and somewhat charming.

He seems to love 'Columbo'...remember

the detective show with Peter Falk as Colombo...

Since I spend as much time alone as I do..

I do like to have some program or other running

for background noise if no other reason...

that's what I thought this program might end up being.

Who knew I would end up liking it so much...from the very first episode!!

A new LOOK for my Blog.

I visited The Cutest Blog on the Block again...

and found a 'new look for my blog'...

I wanted this blog

to be 'green'

and this background worked just

right.

And...in the meantime...

I started

yet ANOTHER blog...

'Making It Work'.

I needed a way to chronicle

the 'goings on' of my day...everyday...

and thought I'd

do it in a separate blog.

A Nifty FREE Site

I found a nifty FREE site

while reading someone else's blog...

it's called

"The Cutest Blog on the Block"

They have free backgrounds, templates,

blinkies (like the one I inserted.."I Love Comments")

and a lot more.

I don't have any affiliation with this blog...

just thought it had some really nifty features

and wanted to 'pass it along':)

On My Husband's Birthday

Today is my husband's birthday...

he would have been 63 years old.

I choose to 'celebrate' his life...

it was so rich and full...

and, though I am somewhat 'predjudiced',

he really was

'one in a million'!

We had 35 wonderful years together

and my life has been so enriched as a result!

So...today....I want to celebrate

and be thankful for the time that we had!

Bring Back Meerkat Manor

I am not sure how I ever got

'hooked'

on this show.

But I did....so much so

that I started recording all of the

re-runs weekday afternoons.

I've probably watched the first couple of seasons

five or six times.

This morning I was watching a couple

of squirrels romping in my backyard

and got to thinking about the meerkats.

So...I went out to find out the 'status' of any future shows

and found this petition.

It seems that the Animal Planet has cancelled the

show....for what reason I'm not sure...but, I can't

get into any of the other shows they have on....

the way they studied the meerkat families was quite

fascinating and I'd really like to see more.

Art Wanted

I haven't visited my Art Wanted site in

a while.

I don't offer any of my work for sale on that site

and I never have...

but I have been a member since 2004...so I feel quite comfortable there.

It's a free site for artists...

Unless you want to sign up for their premium account...

I get lots of comments from the folks who visit there.

I received a request from the folks at

Property Ladder on HGTV (an early 'flip this house' type of show)

inquiring about some of my art work (back in 2005).

They wanted some of my pieces in larger sizes...

but I had to say 'no'....my husband was going through his

cancer treatments at the time...and I just didn't have the time.

But...it's been a dandy little site for me...so I thought I'd

pass that information along...

to any artist..photographer..or lover of art that might

want to check it out.

Just click on the little banner and it will take you right there!

Computer problems, connectivity issues and more!

I have had soooo many problems lately

with computer connectivity and performance.

Heck...I keep getting the

'blue screen'

and have to start in 'safe mode'

at least once every day....

I can 'see the signs'

my computer is pretty much

on 'life support'

at this point.

I'm borrowing Jaime's old laptop...

it has issues of it's own but,

not as many...

just to try to get all of my online 'stuff' all caught up.

It occurred to me...while dealing with

all of this...that my computer is, at least, five years old

and has had more than it's 'fair share' of use and abuse.

I think it is time to get a new one...

now

I just have to pray for the sales

so that I can afford it!

Happy Birthday to my son!

Today is my son's, Patrick, birthday!
It doesn't seem all that long ago
that each of my children were just starting
to school.

Well...for this particular child...he is
just starting...again!
He did take some summer classes
at the University...
and this semester he's FULL time.

So...how is he celebrating?
He's on stage
in the University production
of
George Bernard Shaw's
"You Never Can Tell"

He has the part of
'Mr. Crampton'

Fairy Tale Dolls

I sold out of most of my
'Fairy Tale Dolls'
at the last show.

I didn't have time to do as
many new dolls as I would have liked...
but
I did get an Alice in Wonderland...
a Snow White...
and
I'm hoping to get a
Rustic Goth "Alice in Wonderland" doll
completed before the week-end.

We'll just have to see
how it goes.

Our next show!

I'm not sure why....
but we didn't take many of my
CMZ Art pieces
to the last show.

So...I'm including a lot more pieces
for next week-end's show.

Jaime, Wendy and I have
been soooo busy
putting together
'wearable art' pendants...
including my...
'Blackbirds'

'Wildflowers and Dragonflies'
and so many
of my most popular
CMZ Art pendants.

I will be listing some of the
pendants in
my Zibbet Shop
early next week.

I also hope to have some
pocket mirrors to list there
in the coming weeks.

I really need NEW shoes!

These are my feet...
and those are my very 'comfy' shoes.
I've had them, I think, for about 5 years...
and I wear them everyday.

But...

my "soles have holes"
YIKES!!

It's become increasingly difficult to wear them
outside of my home.
They fill with water whenever it rains...
or even if there's a dew on the grass.

I do have 'other' shoes
but...
these are my 'comfy' ones!

One of these days I'm going to have to
find me a new pair of
comfy shoes...
maybe one of my own
designs.

My 'makeshift' bird feeder

I have a couple of windows in my house
that look out onto my back yard.
From that vantage point I can see all kinds of birds
and their comings and goings.

Over the years I have lived here, I have put out
several 'real' bird feeders...
and they tended to get watersogged...
or the seed just blew out
all over my lawn.

I decided I wanted to try a new 'feeder'...
and cut a 'door' in a one pound coffee container.
I left the top of the 'door' intact...
as an 'awning' of sorts.
Hopefully it will help keep the rain out of the 'feeder'.

We'll now have to watch and see whether or not the birds will
have anything to do with it...
or if the squirrels will get all the seed first.

Cafe Press

You know how you get kind of
"tunnel vision"?

Or maybe 'single-minded' is a better description.

At any rate...first it was eBay...
and I was "all into" eBay.
I painted (pretty much round the clock)
and listed everyday...
sold..
packed..
shipped...
and started all over again
EACH and EVERY day!

It wore me down!

So...recently I decided to clean out some of the sites
I had 'favorited'...
and ran across my "Cafe Press" site.

I noted that I've had this shop since
December of 2006
and have never sold even one item.
And...no wonder...
I hardly have anything in the shop...
I rarely ever even mention it!

So...I decided to rename the shop...
CMZ Art.
And...set up a Rustic Goth shop as well.

Yes...I have both shops on Zazzle...
which is very similar...
but..
different.

I figured that if I commit to 2 shops...maybe I'll
actually work them harder.

I finished my commission pieces.

"Sophie's Seal"
is a companion piece
to
"Sophie and the Baby Seal"

I took it on as a
"special request"
and I'm very pleased at how it turned out.

"Sweeney and Jack"
was a 'huge challenge' for me.
To do a painting on
a 24" x 48" canvas was a 'first'
for me.
It actually turned out very well...
the picture doesn't really show
how well it turned out...
but..the collector is very pleased and I guess
that is most important!

That Time of Year...

It's 'that' time of year...
quite beautiful on one hand and
sneezy..sniffly on the other.

And...to top it off...I can't seem to get
my biggest commission piece
"just right".
It's a 24" x 48" canvas....and I NEVER work on
canvas that big.
I'm not quite 5 feet tall...and working on a canvas
almost as tall as myself is really
quite a "challenge".

But...I'm bound and determined to keep
after it until it is done.
Then...I have a second commission piece
that is much smaller...but currently
taking a 'back seat' to the larger piece.

Hopefully I'll have them both done by the end of the week-end...
I really..really need to get back onto
items for the next Art Show.
The time is beginning to come up very fast.

Trying to get 'back on track'

It's been a week since the FAIR
and I'm still playing 'catch up'...
My email inbox is still crammed full and I'm
slowly getting everything answered and/or deleted..
(I tend to get far too much 'junk' email. )

I've got two commissioned paintings in the works...
a ton of new ideas for paintings...
and another show coming up in early October.

Our sales were good enough at the Fair
that I'm going to have to do quite a bit of work...
especially on Art Pendants...
to get ready for the next show.

So...not too much R&R for me...
and to 'top it off'...
I've had a persistent gas leak
that have caused us to have to 'evacuate' my home
three times in the past three days...

I "think" (fingers crossed) it might finally be fixed!

Some much needed R&R

The Fair is now History...
and
as exhausting as it was...
it was truly a great experience.

We had so much 'input' from thousands
of people who came through in the course of eleven days...
and almost all of the 'input' was very positive.

Oh sure...you had a small handful that just
do not understand art...
and said as much...
but...I was very pleased at the reaction of the majority...
and the sales were nice too!

So now...I am taking a couple of days for some
much needed R&R...
at least I'm going to try.

We've got another show
October 10th and 11th...
and our inventory is majorly depleted.

We left the show with 7 or 8 pendants...
I sold almost all of my Fairy Tale Art Dolls...
and we sold a lot of postcards and prints...
as well as a few paintings
and some art boxes.

With the upcoming shows...I will include more of the
Seasonal Art Dolls....
we'll need a lot more of the pendants...
and maybe not as many paintings...
(only because those are hard to transport and our display area is quite limited.)

All in all
we had a very good show...
and still have four more to go!

A few art pendants at the Fair.

Like everything else
we have a 'few' pieces of
our 'wearable art'
at the Fair.

Art boxes...

When I contacted
the local Craft Show promoter

about signing up for the upcoming fall craft shows...
there was only a few weeks before
State Fair.

Most rationally thinking persons would probably
have 'passed' on such a long show...with less
than a month to prepare for...

but...I haven't been 'rational' in a long time.

So...I had plans to do this and get that done...
long store short...
it didn't happen.

I did get "some" of everything I had planned...
and this art box is a perfect example.

I intended to paint 10 or 12...
I got 2 done.

But...maybe for the next show...hopefully!
(It's only a two day show...and I have more than a month to prepare!)

A few more ornaments.

Here are a few more of the
'art doll' ornaments
I did up...
with my daughter, Wendy's, help.
(She cut my patterns, sewed and stuffed...so all I had
to do was
paint and varnish.)
My little 'cheerleader' still needs to be varnished...
luckily I included her in this
''photo-shoot"
so I won't forget.

Craft Shows this Season.

All Spring and Summer
I have 'debated' with myself
whether or not to
'get back "into" crafts'.

I decided 'yes'.

To be honest...
even as busy as I've managed
to keep myself...
I was beginning to get bored.

So....I signed up for 6 art and craft shows
for the Fall Season...
beginning this week-end
with...
the Nebraska State Fair.
11 days...
(I've never done a show that ran that long before...
hopefully I didn't 'bite off more than I can chew'.)

Art for Cancer - Digital Art

Here is another video
by the
"Art for Cancer"
group.

This offering is of
digital art.

One of my pieces is featured in this video.

Art for Cancer Video

As I have mentioned before...
I am a member of the
"Art for Cancer"
group on Imagekind.

I wanted to share a lovely video
of art from the members
of this group.

A few of my favorite paintings

"Heartache and Poetry XXIX"
by
Jaime Best

A favorite of mine!

"I'm Off to See The World"
by
Kat Hannah

I like this piece
"Lost"
by Mike Best.
He's done several in this style
and I like everyone of them.