Gee, thanks!

The lovely Ann Marie has given me this blogger award! I'm so honored, especially since I really don't blog that often . Thank you, Ann Marie. And in keeping with the rules of the award, I have to list 7 things I love and then pass this along to some other bloggers. So, here goes with the 7 things:

1. I love chocolate! I know, I know, everybody loves chocolate, but seriously, in my case, living without it is not an option.

2. I love cats! I am a cat person and have always had cats as pets. I find them extremely interesting and of course, adorable! The cat we have now, Scout, is so funny, he has a daily routine that he follows as close as possible and expects us to do it too!

3. I love hanging out with my teenage daughter - she's a great kid and so much fun to be around. (most of the time, she is a teenager after all!)

4. I love to go to the movies and out to dinner with my husband. We don't get to do this too often, so when we do, I really enjoy it.

5. I love going back to my home state of Indiana every summer to spend time with my family there. It's a small town, so I enjoy doing small town things like bowling and mini golf. This summer we are having a family reunion with all my cousins, it should be really interesting...

6. I like doing crossword puzzles. I was never good at this when I was younger, but I took it up a few years ago and it gets easier, the more you do it. I like exercising my brain, if it's not toooo hard!

7. Of course, I love creating! I like making all kinds of things - painting, sketching, digital art, card making, it's all good and I'll be doing it until I can't hold a brush any longer!

I'm sending this award on to Mike, Chris, Amy and Nicky.

baby i'm back!

Wooo-hoooo! I'm back, baby! New computer, new printer/scanner, and a new updated copy of Creative suite. It feels good to be back - I missed you Photoshop and you, too Illustrator. Like old friends you haven't seen for awhile, they are the same, yet a little bit different. It's gonna to be a bit before I'm used to the changes, but I'm a happy camper, a decidedly poorer, but happy camper!

I learned a lot throughout this process - 64 versus 32 bit operating systems, formats of external hard drives (FAT32 vs.NTFS), compatibility of software and scanners, downloading new drivers, etc. So, if you are a PC user and are thinking about updating your computer, just ask me, I'll tell you all about how much fun you'll have!

IF - climbing

I actually posted a version of this image a few months ago, but not for Illustration Friday, and it's perfect for the theme of climbing, so here it is again. I did make a few adjustments to the previous version...it's funny how you see things you don't like about a piece when you look at it in a new light, months after you thought you were done with it. I think I improved it, so it was worth a re-look.

I'm still Adobeless on my new computer, but I should get my new copy of CS4 in the mail tomorrow! Woo-hooo, I can't wait to be back in business! I actually did the fix-up to this image on my old computer, then transfered it to the new one on a flash drive. I ended up hooking up the old computer to an ancient monitor that was collecting dust in my basement, that way I could see what I was doing to transfer files from the old to the new. Now I'm glad I kept that dinosaur monitor around, even though it looks like Hal, the computer in 2001 Space Odyessy. The thing is a monster compared to the sleek set-up I have now. Gotta love technology, even though this update cost me a small fortune.

adobeless in seattle

where have I been? you might have been wondering...

old computer=infected with a worm
had to get new computer=many challenging days of transfering programs and files
old copy of CS2=won't run on the new machine
me=sad

If anyone out there has had a similar issue with Window Vista and CS2 and you were able to solve it, let me know! I've tried a lot of things already, like changing the compatibility mode so those programs would run on a different version of Windows, changing the User to Administrator, loading the program into a different program folder than the autorun asked for. Nothing has worked yet, but I'm really open to trying anything. Spending more $ on an upgrade is not want I want to do right now, but I've got to have my programs, so I can work! Help!

squirrels in love

Here's a quick pic of what I've been working on - fun props for the A Muse store window! These cute "squirrels in love" are made from foamcore, painted with acrylic paint and the lines drawn with Copic markers. Then, I added a bit of A Muse polka dot paper for a little pattern. The shop has 3 windows in it's new location, so the boy squirrel is hanging in one window, the big pink scalloped heart is in the center and the girl squirrel is hanging in the window right next to the door. Hopefully, Linda will be able to take a photo of how it really looks, not just this one of them on my worktable. A nightime shot would be best with the spotlights shining on them.

Yup, we're getting ready for Valentine's Day...the new stamps are out and the window is done! Wooo-hooo! My favorite stamp of the new release that I designed is Puppy love. I've been wanting to do a weiner dog forever and I finally got the chance to design 2 of them!

happy new year!

Happy New Year to all my cyber friends! Thanks for visiting my blog over the past year and I hope to "see" you here again in 2009! Your comments inspire me so much and I'm grateful for every one of them. I've really enjoyed visiting all your sites as well - getting to know bits and pieces of your lives and seeing all the wonderful creative talent in the projects you've shared. Here's to an awesome new year!