Leanne Shawler, Artist

Every year, as part of taking EfM (Education for Ministry), each person in the study group shares their spiritual autobiography. It's basically your life story and where God figured in it. In each of the four years, we tell it four different ways. It was my turn this week. No, don't freak, I'm not going to share it here. But I took the version from the second year of doing this and went pictorial. I was reading a back issue of Somerset Studio, where the topic of tunnel books came up. I did some research, found a template to make one and went .... Wait a minute. An acrylic page book would be so much easier and still have the see-through effect! So here's the cover. No matter where you are in the book, the face of Jesus peeks through. That was my goal. That he/God was there in every part of my life, whether I acknowledged it or not. That's me at my baptism. Most of what I used were symbolic. In fact, I had more symbols than pages *sigh* This was good in another way...

I thought I would give you a peek at the finished board book I'm sending off to my nephew. He likes to cook, so I thought this would be perfect for him. Most of the images I used I downloaded from The Graphics Fairy . (There were a couple of serendipitous finds in a vintage paper packet a friend sent me.) This is my favorite page out of all of them. The book needs to "de-gas" since I chose to spray it with Krylon's workable fixative rather than spreading Liquitex matte medium over all the pages. Call me impatient :) I think I may've laid it on a little too heavy or maybe it was the cool weather. But if it's not smelling better by tonight (I am writing this on Sunday to post later in the week), I might try running some baby wipes over it to see if that cuts it. Else, I suppose it'll have to wait to be posted a bit longer....

of small things. But more importantly, eeee! an iPhone! (it's a 3GS not a 4, but at least I don't have to apply duct tape to make it work). The case is pink in the edges, but it is mainly purple :) Things I need to learn: how to make the damn thing silent (I turned the ring volume all the way down but there's no way to turn it off that I can find!) how to sync my email what apps do I need?

The cold that had been threatening all week hit me this morning. Urgh. So instead of going to work and stuffing envelopes for the stewardship campaign, I stayed home. Managed to get a couple of things done: nephew's picture book (final touchups) spiritual autobiography "tunnel" book (was half-finished) art journal page for an event 3 weeks ago (just glued some stuff on) Watched more daytime tv than I care to. And made progress in doing the Mary Green challenge from two months ago , although I just realized that my darn cold (anyway, that's what I'm blaming!) made me forget to do a layering step, so I guess its just gonna be backwards, which I'm sure will work out.... I almost got around to putting together the Queen Victoria swap book, which is lingering on a shelf, awaiting my attention. Maybe this weekend, in between all the other errands, although it looks like one of my tasks for the day is getting canceled. Pictures for everything when the sun comes bac...

I recently won a giveaway thanks to a generous birthday girl (Jodie of everything vintage) and so was excited to see this package arrived while I'd been gone (back to the Mt. Calvary monastery in Santa Barbara again). Amazingly, my hubby hadn't opened it, even though I'd told him I'd won a giveaway for him! Now I have to wait until he gets back to try it! Thanks Jodie! (republishing with link to Jodie's blog.... I set it to post on a future date and it published it right away! Argh!)

This one for a pretty pretty retro dress. I should wear my short sun dress more often, but alas the season has passed for another year.... In the Heyday is giving away one of her dresses. Check it out!

The board book I am making for my four-year-old nephew is almost done. I'm up here waiting for the Pitt Pen brush to dry before I turn the page.... Most of the images I've used in it have come from The Graphics Fairy with a few more that were in a gift from Hope . I will share some pages when it is finished but I am going to have to do some research for a final sealant. The Modge Podge I used is a wee bit sticky, and that stickiness might get worse given that it is headed for more humid climes. So -- do I cover everything with Liquitex Matte Medium or Clear Gesso or something else?

Saturday I went up on a bus trip to the Huntington Library (and Gardens). I didn't take as many photos as perhaps I ought to have, like the shady tree I sat under practicing my shading of faces for Suzi Blu's class. But I did take a few. This is the Huntington's original house which now houses the European Art collection. Yes its acres upon acres of gardens, and a series of art galleries and has a rare book collection! It was also pretty hot today, so after the docent-led gardens tour (photos below), I hit the cool of this particular gallery. My very favorite room was the large portraits by Romney, Reynolds and Gainsborough. And I mean, larger than life full-length portraits. The Huntington is famous for the "Blue Boy" (and it was cute to hear a little boy say: "He's still looking at me!", moving to the right a bit, "he's still looking at me!" So cute.) and on the opposite wall at the very far end of the hall, his opposite number ...

I missed out on the last one (I know what I want to do with it, just haven't had time to), but thanks to Mary's reminder, I made a simple sepia gluebook creation for her October challenge . Perhaps the title to this one should be: "Another damp summer holiday in Scotland"....

I am not doing too good at blogging lately ... there are works in progress and there are photos still in the camera ... and well, life ... like that I'm an auntie again, although I won't get to see him until I go home next year... But I thought I'd share a real cute giveaway that Gypsy Brocante is hosting... (and yes, it gets me extra entries to share this link, but by doing so I also lower my odds if you go and enter, so I figure its a wash)...

It's hard to believe that it's been over a week since I stayed at Holy Cross... I still need to upload photos, but I thought I would share the river rocks I brought back with me, including my first heart-shaped rock. The monastery was right on the river .... and do you suppose that if glass has been tumbled by a river instead of the sea, it is riverglass instead of seaglass? (The riverglass is the piece at the bottom right.) Inquiring minds..... I am at the color-pencil shading stage of Suzi Blu's class ... and the latest face has gone off-topic (that is, is not a mermaid at all). Plan to finish her up, but I have a feel she'll be Titan-Buffed when it comes to painting her, because she's a little too red in the face. But she's not done yet, so we'll see.