All Dolled UP !!!!!

Since I have a few days left of my vacation from teaching second grade, I've been holed up here making a glorious art mess all over my "dining" room table. I'm still on a creative high from my art retreat to Florida and I am missing my art peeps from the Keys! So.... I decided to bring them all here.Without further ado, I am pleased to introduce my art sistahs!

Come on over and play girls- Look! We can even stand up on my messy art table!
Val is coming from Michigan- It's sunny and warm here Val!
Tracy has her hat and scarf on in Washington, but she won't need it here!
Teri looks beautiful and ready for California in her sleeveless dress and bare feet!
Oui Oui Sue! Is that a French Poodle you're holding? How's the weather in Illinois?
Doesn't Sarah look like an innocent schoolgirl here? We know better Sarah! Sarah is our awesome Aussie( but we know she's a secret Kiwi as well)
Nicole was the baby of our group and with that smile who can resist Florida's sweetheart?
Marita looks like the super hot Daphne from Scooby Doo here doesn't she? Come on down from Oregon and visit the sunny southern California girl!
Lovely Linda is ready for some fun in the sun! I know you live by the ocean in Florida but you should check out the California waves!
Lillian is strutting her stuff all the way from Canada!
Long, lean and lanky Julie only needs to drive 25 minutes to get here!
Are we buying this sweet and innocent look from Jacquie? Hmmmmm?
Ingrid is rockin' the bohemian look all the way from Michagan!
Elena is feeling the rocker pirate vibe in Key Largo!
Mary TylerMoore has nothin' on our sassy Eileen from the Bronx!
Hey did you guys get the memo? Daisy doesn't do cutesy! But she is cute, isn't she?
Beatriz is sporting a springtime look down in Alabama! Absolutely adorable!


And last, but certainly not least, is the darling Gina ready to pop over from Oregon!

Projects from the KEYS retreat!!!!!

I was so excited that I finished my printer's tray as soon as I got home from Florida. I had filled a baggie with all kinds of goodies and doodads people brought to share! This one was so much fun to put together!
This is a little page that Beatriz Guzman taught us how to make in her class at the Paper Niche. She said to make one doll and I got a little obsessed and made three! Luckily my pal, Jacquie, did my background for me while I was cutting and pasting the little outfits!
Here are a few pages from the Over The Edge journal class that Ingrid Dijkers taught.
It's really cool how you can see the edges of all the pages peeking out!
Here's a little frozen charlotte merbaby that Ingrid made and gave us for our books.
Here you can see the edges stacked up and making you want to turn the pages...
I liked the wired button edge technique because the wire didn't have to be neat and perfect!
Ingrid brought tons of templates for us to trace and use for page shapes.

Of course do you think I ( the A.D.D. queen) slowed down to actually TRACE any templates for use in the future? I'm glad so many of my friends took great detailed photos that I can rely on.
Some of the edges had fold outs that add another interactive element to the books!

OWOH Prize # 2 has Flown In !!!!

Thanks so much to Kathy Sprinkle from The Everyday Mommy blog for the fabulous $25.00

Etsy gift certificate I won for One World One Heart. I chose a signed and numbered digital print from Trudi Scissons at Two Dresses Studio.

I was gone for 6 days and it was waiting for me when I got home! It's so gorgeous I framed it and hung it right away! The lettering on the bottom says Honor All Beings. I adore it and want to thank Kathy for the great prize and Trudi for the inspiring art!

Hey Soul Sisters! I'm Gonna Really Miss Ya !

Here we are on Day one after giving our welcome gifts to each other! We are still waiting for Jacquie and Linda to join us! Elena is behind the camera!
Jen and Jacquie!
My beautiful friend Elena and I on the last night.
Here is the entire group after our day long workshop with Beatriz (she's in hot pink).

I just got home last night from a whirlwind 6 days of sharing,connecting,learning,discovering,

art-making,eating,drinking,laughing,gabbing,teasing,singing, and dancing at the KEYS4ART II hosted by the fabulous Elena Vigil-Farinas in Key Largo Florida! Oh my goodness, I am wandering around my house this morning trying to process everything we experienced this past week. It was truly a magical coming together of creative, beautiful women. A huge standing ovation to Elena, Nicole and Jacquie for ALL the planning and preparation that went into hosting this retreat. Everything was wonderful and the time went so quickly for all the long months of anticipation, list-making and problem-solving that are involved. All the details are very much appreciated and I will treasure every moment! Thank you to all of my friends who participated for the beautiful, thoughtful gifts. Thank you to the teachers who were so inspiring and generous! I will share a few favorite photos here and I know my friend Eileen will do a great day by day breakdown of the trip on her blog. I will do more posts later, but I am still buzzing from the collective creative energy of this group of amazing artists and people.

OWOH Prize from Blooming Ideas !!!

I want to send out a big THANK YOU to Teri at Blooming Ideas for sending me this gorgeoushandmade necklace and earring set! I love -love-LOVE it!!!!!!!!!!!!
It even came packaged up beautifully on a purple velvet card in a lace-trimmed sheer bag.

I actually was lucky enough to win THREE prizes and I will add updates very soon.

I am very excited to be getting ready to fly across the country to meet up with 17 other artists

and friends for an art retreat. Hosted by Elena at her Key Largo home, we have a whirlwind FIVE days of ART,FOOD,DRINKS, and more FUN than humanly possible!!!!!!! Look for someone detailed posts when I return home with all of my new creations and photos of the

extravaganza!

Jamison's Golden Birthday

Hats off to my firstborn son, Jamison Earl Daniels, for reaching the milestone of his golden birthday! He is turning 24 on the 24th of February! Here's a little Benjamin Button style trip down memory lane starting at age 10 down to the day he was born. Click on the photos for close-ups!
Jamison is singing his signature song at the time, Angels Among us, with the Carousel Players at the Carousel Mall.

Here Jamison dressed as Peter Pan sings Never,Never Land. He was the only kindergartener to perform in the school talent show. There was only one little hitch in his program...
the fairy dust he had in his little bag refused to cooperate when he wanted to throw it out on the audience to end the number.
Here I am helping Jamison open his gifts at his second birthday party. Please note mom's fashionable 80's acid washed denim shirt and leggings!
And now for Birthday Party Number ONE!!!!!!

Our whole family was very amused because this really WAS the first time Jamison tasted
SUGAR! I was trying to be such a good mommy. His cousins Kyle and Lacey are the same age as Jamison and you can see them in the background of both of his parties. It looks like Lacey might be learning to walk here.
Jamison is sporting his first pair of Nike tennis shoes and he couldn't even walk, but they did match that outfit, right?
Awwww! Look how cute and chunky he got in just three months!
Jamison's big sister Sera loved holding him. Jamison's eyes were so big and round when he was a newborn we did start calling him ET.
This picture was the first time we looked at each other. The second one is Jamison's great grandma Dianne holding him. Happy Birthday Jamison from your family who was your very first audience. We are all still cheering you on every day. I love you, Mom

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!!!!!!!

TaDa!!!!! The winner of my Cupcake Wallhanging is....Laura fron Funkyluke - # 405 Congratulations Laura!!!!!!!

I am pleased as punch to announce I won THREE fabulous prizes today- Yahoo!!!!!!!!!

I won a gorgeous handmade necklace and earrings from Terri at Blooming Ideas !

Check out her fantastic blog!

I won a $25.00 gift certificate for ETSY from Kathy Sprinkle at The Everyday Mommy blog.

You should definitely check her cool blog out. I won a beautiful frog bracelet from Liv at

Liv Luvs Scraps. Check out all of her creative designs. I will post pics when I get my

wonderful goodies in the mail!!!!! Thank you to Lisa for hosting OWOH and thank you to everyone who visited me and left such lovely encouraging comments.