cutting and pasting continues

a few more pages from my vintage gardening ring-bound journal... The cutting and pasting is continuing (slowly), and eventually, I get around to embellishing the pages and writing on them. I don't have large chunks of time to get out all my supplies, so not much gets done at any one time. (Some journal page closeups from iHanna, and stencil love on Jeane's blog and JaneEileen's blog, too, for an extra dose of inspiration!)

collaged flowers and sun on a painted background... not much to look at yet (besides colorful!), but I'll start doodling on it sometime soon.

vintage gardening page with paint and a gesso resist, collaged onto a watercolor paper background colored with watercolor crayons.

this one is in the larger spiral-bound journal; a painted background, collage paper, and an image from a vintage National Geographic magazine. Unfortunately, the paper in those magazines is reaaaallly fragile when it gets wet; her head ripped off when I glued her down, so she's a bit beaten up-- perhaps she'll have to get a necklace to cover it up!

Three-Day Thursday, on Tuesday

okay, okay, I know it's late... I've been busy! not all the time, but I knew I had some things going on after Thursday that I wanted to talk about, so-- anyway:

Last Tuesday I attended a Komen for the Cure "Get-Started" meeting in Chandler, AZ at the police dept community room. They host these meetings around the area to give people information about the 3-Day- to have an opportunity to learn more about it and ask questions before registering. I already registered, but went anyway- it was some really good information about the event, and the 15 minute video they showed was really inspirational.

Fundraising is always a concern for new participants, according to the team leader, but she can personally attest to the fact that it's not impossible to raise $2300-- she has raised $19,000 in six years of walking in the 3-Day!! She gave some really good ideas and tips for fundraising; I started scribbling down notes during the meeting, and have quite a few ideas in my head for ways to raise money.

On Friday, I met my fellow Ta-Ta Sisterhood members... it's going to be a lot of fun!! The team leader, Beckie, is really enthusiastic, and has tons of energy for this cause-- her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer last December. Not everyone was able to attend- so far, there are 11 of us (I think), and all of us are first-time walkers, which I think is really cool!! The big fundraiser we're planning is a raffle/auction and rummage sale in June at a local reception hall located in a restored mill. Click here for pics-- Shenandoah Mill. Beckie is thinking big, which is great-- she has already been talking to the local newspaper, is working on getting a TV personality to attend, the mayor of Gilbert, AZ will be attending... the idea is big-ticket auction items, and a LOT of publicity for the event!! Hopefully, we will all be able to raise our money sooner rather than later, so we can focus on our training.

Speaking of training, last Sunday I walked between 6 and 7 miles... and I didn't collapse or anything, which is good! I still need to buy a new pair of shoes-- after that, who knows what I can do?!? I will be updating this blog, but will also put some updates on my 3-day page, so you can go either place to see what's happening with my 3-day challenge.

3-Day Thursday

I've decided to do regular posts to track my personal Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure challenge; 3-Day Thursdays. Not sure if it will be weekly or less often; we'll see. Now, where to start?? Nov 12-14 seems like a long way off, but I know the time will fly! So far, I've raised approximately $700 toward my personal goal of $3500, which is a great start, but I'm still a bit leery of the fund-raising thing. I guess I find it difficult to approach people asking for money, but I'll have to get over it, won't I? I've gotten some good fundraising tips online at the 3-Day.org website , which I'll be testing out over the next few months. One thing I've decided is to save aluminum cans and cash them in. We already save our soda cans, but from now on the money will go to the 3-Day (rather than to buy more soda). I've asked the women in my art group to do the same, and will collect them periodically. I need to focus on my physical training as well as the fund-raising. I walk sometimes, and go to the gym sporadically, but walking 60 miles will definitely take some focused training. I'm going to use this challenge to develop some healthy exercise and eating habits, hopefully! The 3-Day.org website has some great information on training, and a suggested training plan. Next week I'm going to attend a "get-started" meeting that the Komen organization sponsors, and hopefully get some more training info then, as well. I also have tips for buying shoes, and have planned some walking routes around our neighborhood. Our subdivision is built around a large loop road, which I have found out is about 3.8 miles around, so that's a great route to start with!

I signed up for this event on my own, but I'd like to know some fellow walkers since I'll be spending 3 days with them! The 3-Day is basically a big hike and campout, just through urban areas. They have a huge support system of volunteers that help carry the gear from the start to the camping areas, help set up the meal tents, shower facilities, pit stops along the walking route, etc. This event is sooo much more huge than I ever thought it was before! Anyway, I found a team of walkers in the area (meaning south/east Phoenix suburbs) to join, and will be meeting them next Friday... I am now a proud member of the Ta-Ta Sisterhood! ("save the ta-tas" is another popular slogan related to breast cancer research...) You can visit the team blog here, and check out links to the individual team members. The team will be a great place for fund-raising and training support, and hopefully I'll come out of it with some new friends, too!

So, I've covered my own fund-raising and training efforts to date... now, a public service announcement of sorts about breast cancer, Susan G. Komen, and the 3-Day. The incidence of an invasive breast cancer diagnosis in women is a little less than one in eight. (a sobering thought... think about all the women you know-- I'm sure you know more than eight!) And, the incidence of breast cancer in men is about one percent-- yes, men can get it too! Since 1982, Susan G. Komen for the Cure has invested $1.5 billion in breast cancer research and community programs and promises to invest another $1 billion by 2017. Of every dollar spent, 84 cents goes toward their mission (research, education, screening and treatment); the other 16 cents goes toward administrative and fundraising costs. In 2009, the 3-Day for the Cure series took place in 15 cities nationwide and raised more than $91 million. (!!! wow!!!) So, I will be in good company, doing what I can to help eradicate a disease than can be devastating to a person's physical and mental health and well-being, not to mention a huge financial toll. If you would like more information, you can check out the Komen website, or the 3-Day for the Cure website. Please consider donating (my personal page is here)-- any amount will help-- but if your financial situation is such that you don't feel you can donate now, I'll be back soon with other ways you can help any 3-Day participant. (and thanks to my sister Jackie; I snagged the photos for this post off her Flickr site.)

it was a cut and paste weekend again...

...since I've migrated down to the family room with my supplies. I do the painting up in my room on the floor (because the desks are both piled full of stuff), then I do my collaging and gluing in the family room while we're watching TV. I have two boxes with papers, and a Container Store travel cube (it works so much better than a large zipper bag- thanks for the tip, Kelly!) that holds my pens, markers, and tape. (obviously I don't have enough tape yet, if it fits in the same container as my pens... LOL!) When I work, I sit on the floor with papers strewn all around me. (Tom is constantly amazed that I can spread out to take up any available space.) The dogs and cats have to be careful of where they step, too. (so far, I've kept them from licking the gel medium, or chewing on any of my papers.)

This page may get more decorating; I'm not sure yet. For now, I like it the way it is-- collaged magazine image, scrap papers underneath, and a swirly gold Hambly rub-on up in the corner.

these two pages are my homage to the spring weather we have going on right now... both are totally collaged backgrounds, with gel pen, laser-cut sticker borders, and other assorted bits. The bottom page has a bit of charcoal pencil shading around the bird-- not sure if I like it; I can't decide if it gives it depth, or if it just makes the page look dirty. (This journal has different sized pages, so you can see other pages behind-- I like that a lot; it gives a taste of what's coming up, and makes it more interesting.)

this pic is a really unfinished page, but I love this new stencil! (I think it's a 6 x 6 Crafter's Workshop stencil, but I'm not sure- I can't see anything on their website that exactly matches.) The base of this page is one of the dividers from the gardening book; I like how some of the printing still shows thru the paint.

Another totally collaged page-- I love how this one turned out! the red and purple patterned paper is flocked, and the black, white, and silver paper is glittered. And I just love that vintage shorthand textbook paper! Collaging may make a mess of the floor, but it certainly makes watching TV more fun!

random pics

a few random photos off my computer... hope everyone enjoyed the weekend! it was beautiful here yesterday-- mid-70s and sunny; then today, drizzly, gray- and now it's pouring. We had a wonderful champagne brunch to celebrate our 6th anniversary, then spent the rest of the day relaxing! young whitetail deer along the road-- taken when we were back in Illinois and Wisconsin last August.

taken a c0uple months ago-- Pandora wanted to cuddle up to Bisbee, but Bisbee didn't really know what she thought about it... you can tell by that sidelong look in her eyes.

a beautiful piece of artwork; from the gourd show we attended a few weekends ago in Casa Grande, AZ. So much can be done with gourds-- painting, filigree work, weaving with fibers and beads, woodburning... the art was amazing!! I took over 125 photos while we were there, so I will post more of these, for sure!

dragonfly in the grass-- this was taken at the Sonora Desert museum in Tucson, which is a cross between a zoo and a botanic garden. We visited there a couple years ago when my parents and sister visited us. It's definitely worth the drive to Tucson, and I'd love to go again sometime.