daretodream

Chunkyland

Dreams are inevitable in Chunkyland....

Isn't this the cutest?  Unfortunately, you can't see the layers and textures of the cover, created by Stacie Amos.  She's an incredible artist and one of my best friends ever.  I didn't realize she'd made the cover until last weekend since she didn't sign it.  When you open the book, you find this wonderful little note that I was SURE was hand written.  It wasn't...thank heaven for fun fonts.  Stacie, thank you for making such a wonderful front page.  I loved all the hearts and charms and ribbon.  I love you to bits.  oxox

So much to be Thankful for!

  As you might have read in my earlier post, I'm hosting a huge chunkybook swap.  It's almost all wrapped up, I just have about 135 books left to sort, punch, bind, package, postage and mail. :)  Piece of cake!  (thanks to my sweet friends, Lenall, Tammy, Tanya & Kerrie, who are coming over friday for a "help tracy finish her chunkybooks and regain her life" party!)  I received something in the mail in December that brought me to tears.  Many of the people who worked on the chunky project got together and made me a special "thank you" chunkybook.  It's huge and had to be bound twice to make a double book...If my count is correct, 51 artists created original 4" x 4" collages and mailed them to the lovely Barbara Atwell, who took great care in binding them into this special book. (If I get any of this wrong, ladies, just tell me and I'll correct it!).  The package came on a day that had followed two difficult weeks.  I was in the garage with hubby when it arrived.  The book came in a square box that had a beautiful ribbon and tag on it...Inside was tissue and TONS of colorful confetti!  Barbara had included two fancy, purse size tissue packages...(the fun ones that are pink with high heels...there's a blue package too but I'm too lazy to look in my purse to see what pictures are on them!)  She also placed a sweet, vintage~ish book marker on top...a little deeper inside was my book.  I've pictured it here.  It's a treasure, I tell you....This is the best chunkybook EVER because the pages are all original, no copies.  They're filled with texture, love and lots of little treasures!  I would really like to thank each and every artist who contributed to this book.  To do this, I've decided to scan each page and post it here for all to see.  For those who have a website, I will create a link to the photo, all you need to do is click the picture to visit their site....if they don't have a website, I'll link to their email so you can tell them how wonderful their work is! :)  I've asked permission and haven't received any names from participating artists asking me not to share their info.  If you're reading this and participated in this book and would NOT want to have your email linked...please let me know.  I'll also be building a photo album to the right where all the images will be stored as they're posted.  Thank you ladies...you've touched my heart.  oxox

Shoot!

Well, shoot!  I've spent the last 30 minutes preparing an entry with photos, etc and there was a burp in my computer and I lost it all.  I'm getting tired so I'll just tell you about it tomorrow.  BUT...I'll share this sweet little s/p set with you...aren't they darling?  It's been a very draggy day....I've had a hard time drumming up energy and have only wanted to curl up and sleep.  I'm proud to say I haven't been napping...my favorite past time, simply because it keeps me from sleeping at night. 
I'm on a mission to clean up my studio today...after I wake up, that is.  It's beyond horrible.  I actually have some photos of it from the good ole days...when I could actually still walk in it.  I mentioned to my friend Helene that I might just take some photos of it now and show her just to hold myself accountable.  I'm just not sure I'm that brave.  Ok, I'm heading to bed...oxox

I love this....

I'm heading out...katy has a dr. apt. this morning and as she is out of school for the holiday, we might go see a movie...if we can agree on one.  I just wanted to say good morning and show you what I found today on ebay...(please don't outbid me!)  I've got to have her.  Isn't she just the sweetest thing?  She's a shaker.  She will go really well with my little flower girls....

The Book of Naughty

I can't remember when the last time I actually created art...art with paper, glue, etc.  I've got two art commitments on top of finishing the chunky books and here is one.  I'll be mailing out 12 of these tomorrow.  My friend faith invited me to take part in a collaborative book with 11 other artists.  She's called the project, "The Book of Naughty".  Here are photos of the front and back of my page (all pages will be spiral bound, I'm assuming).  I've made little sea glass charms that dangle off the corner of the page...(the binding will be on the opposite side from the ribbon).  The charm shown is actually different than the rest.  Most will have the sea glass long and narrow, pointing down instead of hanging horizontally.  I'm happy with how they turned out.  If you can't read my cut and past letters, it says..."Underneath my swimsuit I'm naked."  oxox

Thoughts on Swaps and People

Hi!  I've been flooded with emails from people involved in my chunkybook project as well as those who aren't...all of which are supportive and kind. *thanks*  It seems this has become a common experience for people who have worked in group projects.  There always seems to be at least one person who will somehow stir up some drama.  Honestly, I've always tended to enjoy a little drama as long as I'm not one of the key players...it gives life a little flavor.  In this recent situation ...being the KEY player, it's misery.  Maybe I shouldn't take such entertainment value in future drama's I find myself a peeping tom to.  I sat down a bit ago and wrote a letter to the participants of my chunky project on my thoughts about Swaps and personalities in general.  I think I should post it here too, since many of you "outsiders" who haven't been privy to what the members have shared, can have a glimpse of how I really feel about it all. 

Hi again...I would really like to make one more comment
on everything...please bear with me.

We know that everyone is uniquely different.  Yes, there are those of us who are laid back, who send off our pages and then are just relieved to have gotten our responsibilities taken care of so we can finally relax.  There are others who wait, check the mailbox daily, who anxiously anticipate the results of their labor and can't help but feel frustrated when the

mailbox turns up empty day after day.

My husband and I are total opposites.  He is much more concerned about all the details.  He wants all the answers to the equation before he can rest...The "anything goes,"  procrastination,  & my tendency to hide from stressful situations make him crazy.  I can totally appreciate that.  He loves me and has learned to accept things about me that he doesn't understand only because he sees how I struggle with them as well.

When I talked to him a few days ago about what had happened, he could TOTALLY

understand the frustration that those artists who have his personality type, would be feeling.  Because I know him, I can understand it as well.  I believe it's the right thing for me to apologize for my delays in finishing the project and I believe it's not only okay but understandable for artists to be frustrated.

In the letter I sent during my communications with the artist who was so upset, I said,

"People are all so different.  There are those who don't feel settled or happy unless they have all their ducks in a row...they know when, where, how and why.  If there are question marks left in the equation, they'll not handle it well.  There are others who are anything goes...not much rocks their boat, they drift along taking things as they come.  Do I think one group is better than the rest?? no!  If it weren't for the movers and shakers, nothing would ever get done...if it weren't for the stress free, life goes as it goes people, everyone would be dying early deaths from heart attacks or stomach ulcers."

I've been in swaps where the hostess  seems totally anal about every detail....and other swaps where the hostess will make the initial announcement along with a due date and then we'll never hear a peep from her again. 

We're all SO different!!  Our art is different, our lives are different, our situations are different.  That's what makes us all so unique and allows women from all over this globe to connect in such a special, artistic way, yet bring so many flavors into a project that each of us should be able to appreciate.

Being my personality type is not something I'm proud of.  I would much rather have a balance of conscientiousness & laid back~ness.  The characteristics I have in my personality that keep me from being organized...that cause me to struggle with time management, that overwhelm me to the point that I crawl under my covers in bed and never want to leave...these aren't things I'm proud of or that I feel everyone should have.  I would happily hand them over and let God rewire this brain of mine.  The reason I felt it important for me to say this is that I'm sure there's more than one person who is frustrated about not seeing the results of their hard work in the chunky books...those of you frustrated that you're still missing pages from the sky book.  I believe it's totally understandable to feel the way you do. 

There are over 150 artists I've been fortunate to work with in this project and to believe that most will feel one specific way is naive.  I believe that as artists and human beings, for that matter, we can come to a place where we can accept and appreciate each other for our differences...actually, I don't expect anyone to appreciate me for my deficiencies...but I believe we can appreciate that we are all different....filled with flaws, filled with good, filled with talent.  I would hope that people can look at me and see my heart...that I am truly sorry if I've offended you, or kept you waiting too long.   I know this won't mean everyone because not everyone feels the same...but there are those of you who aren't thrilled with the delay and I can totally understand and am sorry.

I believe that when an artist agrees to participate or host a swap, there has to be a realization that the hostess as well as the participants will run the gambit in the personality department.   That's got to be okay because that's life.  I believe that the swap world is big enough for every personality type...but that we should all play nice....or don't play.

oxox

something crappy to something good...

Something crappy happened to me yesterday.  I'm involved at the moment with a chunky book swap that has been actually ongoing since late summer.  There are approximately 200 artists involved with yours truly as the instigator/hostess.  While we do have three incredible MALE artists....can you imagine a group of 197 women...dang, even 130 women working smoothly together for any period of time?  I've worked full time in a law firm.  There were only 5 office workers and the claws that were flying over someone using the last empty file folder was amazing.  A dear friend of mine phoned me on Friday and told me I needed to get my act together and finish these books.  Seems she'd been witness to many rantings from a certain artist in my group who was posting away from my group...ie..complaining about me in other groups I'm not a member of.  There are actually 3 different groups of chunky books in this project and the first set (which was finished and mailed out in October) turned out to be somewhat nightmarishly stressful for me, with missing pages...'tho I'd been certain I'd done everything perfectly.  I became somewhat gun shy about moving on the the second and third sets, deciding to wait until after the craziness of the holidays before jumping in again.  My dear sweet friend, mentioned above, called to give me the gentle kick in the butt I needed...and it put me in motion.  I sent an apology email to the artists about my procrastination.  To make a long story short,  crap ensued.  Not from one of the male artists, btw.  I'm so naive and just assume that people are kind and nice....then I come face to face with mean and it totally blows my socks off.  As we've all heard, what doesn't kill us makes us stronger.  I'm determined to learn from what happened yesterday....in fact, this is what I've learned....people who don't play fair are people I don't want to play with.  There are people who need so badly to be in control,  when they find themselves in a situation where they have none, there will be hell to pay.  I would like for these people to stay away from me.  Another thing I've learned...most people are good, kind, loving and understanding.  Most people are actually so busy with their lives that they aren't on the rampage to belittle, undermine and hurt others around them.  I can say with confidence, that I'm part of that group.  Life is so short and unpredictible.  I want to appreciate every minute of it....and still learn from the really hard, crappy parts.

Monday Morn

Hi...I was all ready to journal something...then my mind went blank.  Hope everyone's having a good monday.  I'll post again later.  oxox

All you need is Love....

  It's almost 6:30pm.  I've been home just a few minutes and can say, it's GOOD to be home.  It's cold out there!    I drove to Vancouver today and picked up my cool mail sorter cabinet thingy.  It's even better in person...smaller than it looked in the photo, but still big.  Each "slot" measures about 9.5" in width which makes the piece just about 30" wide.  Very interesting...not sure what I'll do with it yet...but it will be in my studio.  :)

Hey, just want to send a little note to those of you who make life worth living...what would we do without friends?  I've got some wonderful ones.  It amazes me, when I see the tragedy of what's going on in this world today, that there are individuals who waste their time talking, plotting and bad mouthing others...people they don't even know.  And of course, there are those "special" people who find it one of life's pleasures to let you know that you're the subject of such conversations.  Life is so precious and people are too...I'm thankful that when I'm with my friends, we don't waste our time gossiping, trash talking & running people down.  When my daughters were very young, I was always reminding them of the famous line in Bambi....told by none other than Thumper.  "If you can't say something nice, don't say 'nothin at all."    These people certainly don't realize what life is really about.

Sunday

Good morning world!  I had to run outside this morning to attach a donation to the trunk of our xmas tree.  The boy scouts will be picking it up for recycling today.  There's a trail of needles leading from the front room to the entryway, down the front steps and all the way down the driveway.  The end of the holiday season. 

I'm not a person who is addicted to reading others' blogs...(blog - web log)...but there are a few I read sporadically that are listed on the left.  One in particular I'd like to share.  Do you see Angle of Vision?  If you have some time, I'd like to suggest you visit her...and even more, go through her archives and start with the first entry to read as you have time.  This is a woman, a mother, grandmother, wife.  She has an important job in the workforce, has a weird neighbor she calls "speedo man", struggles with dieting, family members and just the regular things we all deal with.  Reading her entries have enlightened me.  Here's one she posted a few days ago.