Friday, October 31, 2008

Happy Halloween Everybody!

Okay, so here I am, a 70's Mod Girl with my pal and associate Debbie Dracula! It's always so much fun to come into the office and see what everybody looks like. Such as...
Debra the Zebra and Jackie as "Miss Diagnosed". Too much fun! We had a pizza luncheon with spooky music and lots of candy. Hope you all have a good one. Don't overdose on sugar!

© photos by Patti Behan

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Uh-Oh, Nothing's Defrosted!

What's for dinner? Nothing... because I neglected to take anything out of the freezer and I've had more than my share of pasta these days. So I had a coupon for Carmine's and I took myself out for a treat! Stay tuned for a trick tomorrow, as I blog from the office dressed up with friends!

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Laundry Night...Yawn...

Yeah, sometimes a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. Bills, garbage, dusting and some laundry. But hey... don't the lights, colors and darks make a nice palette? Art is everywhere!

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Pick-A-Photo Tuesday: Hoffbrauhaus, Munich, Germany

Okay, as a graphic designer, you just can't let an opportunity like this go without a few thought bubbles! It's just one of the many perks of working in Photoshop! But anyway... this is what the Hoffbrauhaus looks like in Munich, Germany, at about 1 a.m. when you get seated with a German rugby team! The guy on the left with the gauze on his forehead, had head-butted someone earlier in the day, gone to the hospital, and received stitches. And so where do you go after you've given yourself a mild concussion...

To the Hoffbrauhaus, of course!

Monday, October 27, 2008

I'm All Boxed In...

I so enjoyed creating my recent snowman cigar box assemblage, that I thought I'd recreate it in several colors of the Claudine Hellmuth Studio Paints! So, here we go... Wheeeeee.....

Sunday, October 26, 2008

And It's Not Even My Birthday!

So... on a lark (pun intended!), my good friend Suze Weinberg bought me this wonderful birdie wand, fashioned by the multi-talented Lisa Kettell (pictured here). Suze thought it had "Michelle" written all over it! I would have to agree! Thanks Suze!

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Instinctually Cute!


My wonderful kitty cat, Juliet, does this funny thing with her food when she's done. Obviously an instinctual trait, left over from being a stray out in the woods of New Jersey. You see, she's "burying" her food so that no other animals will smell it and find her. But from a human perspective... it's pretty darn cute if you ask me!

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Good For The Body, And The Brain...

Yesterday, I took myself out on a date. I figured I deserved it, and I'd like to make it a weekly tradition. I went for a 50-minute full body massage at Hand and Stone Spa. Oh so very relaxing! Then I took myself out for a nice dinner, perusing through and writing in my journal between courses. I had a marvelous time with myself. I think I'll take me out again next Tuesday!

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Pick-A-Photo Tuesday: Never Ever The Same...

Ahhhh. Nature can teach us many lessons, can it not? Let's take the clouds for instance... Cumulus, Stratus, Cirrus, Nimbus... and many combinations of those named. Regardless of the type, name, or stratospheric circumstances... the clouds will never ever look the same... ever! Much like life. We can name those circumstances we think will take place... but do we really ever see the same thing over and over. It's just different somehow... this time.

Monday, October 20, 2008

A Winter Wonderland...




















Yay! My assemblage I started two weeks ago is finally finished. I'm telling you, it pays to leave your work-in-progress directly in your path while you are contemplating what to do with it. Saturday night it struck me... a snowman, yes! And then I added the tree for balance. I did not want to add too much because many components of this piece have texture... and I did not want to take away from that.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

I've Got The Blues...




















Blue jeans that is! I made these funky altered pair over the weekend using Claudine Hellmuth's Studio Paints. The idea was nagging at me for quite some time and I just had to try it! I did a wash of paint in pink and then stamped the flourishes in white. I let that dry and then did another wash of pink over top to tone down the white. I'm very happy with the results!

© photo by Carol Bernard (mom!)

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Up And Down... Round And Round...

Some days are like a carousel ride... up and down, round and round, up and down, round and round... in a big circle. The same stuff with the same view and lots of highs and lows. But eventually the ride stops and you can get off. Or perhaps you'll get more tickets, get back in line, and ride it all over again? The choice is yours. Or should I say... mine! I'll be right back... I'm going to the ticket booth...

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Full Moon Fever...

So while we're on the subject of full moons... here's a piece I've been working on using the Claudine Hellmuth Studio line of products and Perfect Pearls. I'm not sure what it is going to become yet... as it is typical of my style to know the first 3 or 4 steps and then let it evolve organically.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Pick-A-Photo Tuesday: Full Moon

In honor of our full moon tonight, I chose this photo I took of last month's full moon... with my digital camera and no tripod! Pretty eeerie!

Monday, October 13, 2008

I'm A Winner...

Wow, a pretty cool thing happened to me this weekend... My mom and I were at a gift basket auction and she had 20 tickets and I had none. I walked around to check out the over 20 selections, when I saw this framed embroidered piece. The birds immediately caught my eye, but the saying... "Nothing can bring you peace but yourself", made it even more special. As I believe that is my current lesson! So I said, "ooohh, ooooh, mom, give me a ticket!" And so she did. I put it in the little cup and waited patiently, although I had the strangest feeling it would be mine the second I looked at it.

When the item was picked up and brought to the front of the auction area, my mom said, "this one's ours", and they picked our number. Pretty cool, huh?

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Weekend Finds...

Okay, like I really need anything else?!? But the call of a good Antiques and Collectibles Show—right in my hometown—is like the call from the Sirens on the rocky cliffs to the unsuspecting sailors at sea. But hey... I found some great photos, vintage pen nibs, sewing notions, a porcelain doll, 1933 calendar... and even got 5 Golden children's books for 20 cents apiece at a yard sale on the way to the Show. Bonus!

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Coney Island Here I Come...

Wow, what an honor! My cyborg-like doll I created at Art & Soul this past May has been purchased and placed into an auction to raise money for Coney Island's Museum! I have never actually been to Coney Island, but I love amusement parks and it is the only place that has another Tillie head! The other Tillie head was in Asbury Park, right next door to me.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Bad Medicine

I've been a little (a lot) under the weather these past couple of days. Seems that a new prescription I was taking did not agree with me! I'm feeling better today, but this is going to be trial and error here for a little, while I try some other alternatives. So forgive me if my posts are somewhat erratic. Hopefully I'll find a happy balance soon!

Sunday, October 5, 2008

What A Fun Group

This past weekend was Ranger University, sponsored by my employer Ranger Crafts. With signature designers such as Tim Holtz, Suze Weinberg, and Claudine Hellmuth teaching their very own techniques with our products—not to mention students from all over the world—it was a really great time!

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Just Hanging Out...

Just hanging out relaxing tonight... Treating myself well... Watching TV... Quality couch time. This is my beautiful Romeo, who kept me company this evening. He's a little loverboy, hence the name...

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Happy October!

Can it be? Is it really October already? Boy that sure went fast! Time for the wind to pick up... the weather to cool down... leaves to start changing color... and of course, figure out the Halloween costume.