Here's another photo of the small pumpkins we saw at Hunsader Farms last week.

Angela from Just Go is holding her very first Blogapalooza & in the process is also having an awesome goodie bag giveway. Here's what she asked us to do: On October 29, put a photo of a pumpkin at the top of your post (check) and tell us the story of your strangest or scariest trip ever ...

... here goes ...

I wish that in the spirit of Halloween I had a spooky - in a creepy way - strange tale to tell, but unfortunately I don't (though I will admit that I did consider making one up ...). Instead, I'll share a camping trip adventure that nearly scared me out of my britches.

In my mid-twenties, I shared a house with three guy friends and we would often run away for a weekend of camping. We usually headed up to Mingus Mountain, but once we learned there was a seasonal waterfall, well, we just had to make the trip (sorry, I can't even remember the area let alone the name of the falls) ... understand that waterfalls in central AZ are not all that commen, so this was a pretty big deal for us. It should also be noted that though I can play a pretty good pack mule, I am not known as a daredevil ... that said, we made our eight mile hike into this secret canyon and actually found the waterfall. There were boulders to climb on that were huge (taller than me by more than double), beautiful river rock and everything was so lush. Pretty cool even if the waterfall was not much more than a trickle. It was still pretty amazing. We found a nice ledge down "stream" (more aptly dry bed) from the fall that was about 10 feet above the bed and level, so decided to set up camp there. That night we were pretty exhausted after a day of playing and good camp food, so when it started sprinkling we all decided to turn in for the night. That sprinkle turned into a pretty big storm. It rained most of the night and was still raining when we woke. Thanks to being in a canyon, we weren't beaten up by the winds, so I guess that counts for something. ... when we came out of our tents that dry bed had turned into a raging river ... and wouldn't you know it, the trail out was on the other side. The waters were still rising, but the rain had let up a bit, so we broke camp. There we are on the wrong side of the river with the waters still rising and the only way out was UP THE SIDE OF THE CANYON ... I kid you not. The boys had to do some pretty serious cajoling to get me to agree to scale the side of the mountain, but they managed to & I actually made it to the top. The hike out was a good 20+ miles (ok, not really ... remember it was eight miles in and we took that shortcut up the side of the canyon) ... by the time we got back to our truck, we were all exhausted and so ready for a hot meal that we took our rain soaked stinky selves to the nearest Denny's to rehash, revisit and retell our adventurous waterfall trip.

I really should be fast asleep, but I didn't want to be a party pooper ... I'll try to find pictures from the trip when I get home from work tomorrow ... if I find them, I'll be sure to add them.

Now, go check out the other Blogapalooza players HERE (listed on Angela's side bar) ... who knows, maybe one of them will have a wickedly haunted trip to share.

Soul Journey Halloween Blog Style

10/29 @1:41 am ... and the winners are:

Chris @ Prism Trail

Emilie @ Bunch of Scrap

&

Melissa @ Holiday Queen

10/28/08 @ 8:08 pm ... I've been slow on the uptake and haven't pulled the names for the drawing, so I only think it's fair to toss in all the comments (that worked in the word "wicked" to be elligible) received until right now ... winner(s) will be announced soon!

Great! you've made it ... and just in time to get on the Boo Bus Express to the Halloween Fair!

It shouldn't take us long to get out to the farm, so relax and enjoy the ride.

Look! it's Ms. Goat ... she says we're almost there!

Here we are ...

It really is a lovely day ... where should we start? the Pumpkin patch? OK ...

there are plenty to choose from ... we should grab a few extra for the Pumpkin Cannon!



WOW! that was seriously crazy.

I'd like to rest my feet for a minute or two. Would you care to see:

That little ghost sure was amazing ... I had no idea he'd know how to tap dance!

Looks like the next show is at:

I'd rather not wait, if you don't mind.

What is Malificent doing up on the roof?!? I hope she doesn't fall.

Shall we head on over to Madama Furtunata's place? I have been sooooo looking forward to seeing her.

It seems she has a new pet ... don't get too close, this emu looks a bit possessed.

How nice, there aren't any lines. Did you remember to bring a gift? That sounds perfect!

Madame Fortunata was in an extra good mood today ... it's not often she invites us to go along with her to a party!

... and a Soul Journal Halloween Blog Party at that ...

Alright everyone, let's pile back onto the Boo Bus Express for Collage Diva's

Click the image above to visit Kathryn Party and all the guests that are attending

I hope you've enjoyed your visit ... you're welcome back anytime.

Special Notes:

All paper toys (the Boo Bus, the Ghost Show & Madame Fortunata's) are free downloads from the Toymaker's Halloween Section - go check out the plethora of cool paper toys she's made available: HERE

All photographs were taken by me (on our recent homeschoolers trip to Hunsader Farms).

ps - if you've made it this far, you might be pleasantly surprised to learn that I do have a giveaway for this post ... shhhh! it's a secret (not really, but it is a mystery prize). If you would like to be included in the drawing, please be sure to leave a comment & work the word "wicked" in there somewhere ... I've been on a dorky "wicked cool" kick lately and I am thinking if I see the word enough, I just might let it go. :)

All eligible comments posted by 6:00 pm EST tomorrow (Monday, October 27th) will be entered.

Upcoming Events

Have I ever mentioned that I am the Queen of Biting-Off-More-Than-I-Can-Chew? I guess that's only a half truth as I always seem to pull things off right at the 11th hour ...

Currently on my plate:

Donna at The Cookie Sheet is having a Breast Cancer Awareness Giveaway. The Prize is a signed 8 x 10 matted and framed copy of her original illustration and rhyme "Princess Pink". Click on the Cookie Sunshine picture above for a direct link to more details - there's still time for you to participate as the drawing is not happening until November 1st. (My part is done - with the exception of crossing my fingers every now and again - but I wanted to give YOU a shot at it, too)

Kathryn our lovely Collage Diva is hosting:

A Soul Journal Halloween Blog Part this

Sunday, October 26th.

The photo above will link you to her party announcement ... but you can find additional party suggestions, ideas, etc. HERE - HERE - HERE and HERE ... her pages may take a bit to load, but be patient as they are definitely worth the wait! Hope to see you there ...

And don't forget about the:

Terisa is accepting artist contributions until November 1st. Please click on the above image for complete details.

Just in case you haven't heard ... Stephanie & Susanna are hosting:

Dia de Bloglandia on November 2nd

Visist them HERE and HERE for some serious Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) information and inspiration ... there's still time to join the party, so head on over and sign up.

Finally, I wanted to remind everyone about:

Some amazing artists are already signed up, but there are a few spaces still available. If you are interested, click the above image and leave Amber Dawn a comment.

I know that Sunday is going to be here before I know it, so I am off to finish what I've started for Kathryn's Soul Journal Halloween Blog Party.

May your day be so full of smiles that your cheeks hurt!

Spooktacular 'Anything Goes' Party

10/20/08 Update:

First, I would like to once again thank Vanessa for hosting such a fun (if not EXHAUSTING) event - that girl sure knows how to throw a party!

I would also like to thank every single one of you for taking the time to stop in and leave me a comment. It does a soul good.

Without further ado, the giveaway winners are ...

Mock Sugar Skulls: Marilyn Butler, Sara at Pipscrap

& Sandra Evertson

Kitty: Sabii Wabii

Disclaimer from the beginning: Rather than wait (till after work) and show up to the party in the early evening, I decided to stay up way too late (and show up to work on the groggy side of me) ... nice to know my priorities are in the right place ... lol ... be patient with the one of little sleep. :)

Thank you, Vanessa, for hosting the Halloween Anything Goes Party!

As is very common for one such as myself, I had all these grand intentions of telling spooky ghost stories & decorating as if I were a slightly twisted version of Martha Stewart (on crack, no doubt), but it seems I lack the necessary time management skills to properly execute my grand visions ...

Don't fret too much ... I WAS able to produce two firsts for all of you pretties. I sure hope you enjoy the treats ...

First up - Mock Sugar Skulls! I spent a lot of years in Phoenix, Arizona and was exposed to Day of the Dead at a fairly young age. I was always drawn to the celebration with all the fantastic traditions, altars and skeleton art that went along with it. This year I was thinking that I would paint my face like a sugar skull ... which lead me to thinking that it would be cool to try to paint some as Halloween decorations. Here's my first batch:

I was thrilled when I found little bags of small plastic skulls. I coated the skulls in Gesso. Initially I had used markers on them, but quicky learned that the markers I had didn't stick - the littlest moisture and they were all smeared beyond recognition. Next I played around with paint and a tiny brush. Much better. I couldn't resist doing a few in simple black on white (go figure, right) and then I let Sadie pick out a set of colors for the other two. Below are close-up's of the five pictured above ... three of them are part of my Halloween giveaway ...

And that's not all. I have also sewn my very first plushie! I found a free pattern "Pointy Kitty" by Hillary Lang, a Wee Wonderful original pattern (free as in: make one for yourself, your kids, your friends & neighbors, but please do not sell toys made from this pattern - seems more than reasonable to me).

The pattern was easy to follow & I am really happy to introduce you to kitty:

Kitty hasn't been named, yet. I'll leave the naming to the other winner of my giveaway.

So, that's four winners in all. Three will get a Mock Sugar Skull and one gets Kitty. Leave a comment if you would like to be included in the drawing ... and have a most Spooktacular time visiting all the party pit stops. Hope to see you again soon!

10/18 update - All comments posted up to 6:00 pm (EST) Monday, October 20th

will be entered in my giveaway drawing.

Results ... Update ... Reminder

That's right, it's official! The Pink Artists Project has come to an end ...

$3,028.34

was raised to benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure

.

.

.

How about that update on the Red Art Project?

After my last post I ended up painting over all the sponging in solid red ... I am happy to see the umbrella's pop again:

The piece is still in progress, so stay tuned ...

... BUT ...

... I am forced (I admit it, willingly forced) to take a pause on

The Red Art Project

What?!?

What could possibly pull me away from it?!?

Did you forget?

.

.

.

This Saturday is:

And I have a few suprises in store for the PARTY!!

Come back on Saturday

... you just might win a PRIZE ...

Red Art Project Update - WIP

In my last post, I mentioned the Red Art Project 2008 and showed pictures of what I am working on ... here's a quick peek at where I was:

Click HERE for a complete recap of the three steps pictured above.

I decided that I did want to go ahead with some bronze, copper and white added to the red sponging, so I spent HOURS cutting out & sticking on the umbrella's from masking tape and painters tap - somehow I convinced myself this would end up being a time saver ... and honeslty, I think it was.

Here's a picture of all the umbrella's taped up:

and here it is with bronze, copper, white and more red sponged on:

and all the tape removed:

... and now I am seriously depressed.

I am no longer happy with it & can't quite put my finger on my issues ... since that last photo, I did sew (with white embroidery floss) around the edge of one umbrella and across the handle of another umbrella - I like the effects, but neither pops nearly as much as I had hoped. I haven't completely given up on the piece, so I guess it's back to the drawing board ...

On the lighter side of life ... I was recently tagged by both Lay Hoon from Me Scrap and Kate from Shibori Girl - they aren't the exact same thing, but close enough ... I copied the rules listed on Kate's page:

1) Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog

2) Share 7 facts about yourself, some random, some weird

3) Tag 7 more people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs

4) Let them know they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blogs

7 things about me:

1) I'm left handed,

2) an ordained minister (of the Universal Life Church, dontcha know), a notary public, a licensed real estate agent (inactive status) & a receptionist at a small salon

3) that collect rocks.

4) My favorite sandwich is a Monte Christo.

5) I still consider myself an Army brat

6) and hope to someday live in a treehouse (with a large, well stocked, natural light having studio in the "yard").

7) I wish on shooting stars

I tag:

Doe Grozs Art

Robin @ Art Propelled

Terisa a.k.a. Sabii Wabii @ Running With Scissors

Marilyn @ As Seen Through My Eyes

MJ @ MJ's Sputterings

Debbie @ Etc., Etc., Etc.

Kandes Lee @ Subconcious Peek-a-boo

the Red Art Project 2008 - a WIP

Last weekend I when I visited Sabii Wabii (a.k.a. Tarisa) at Running with Scissors, she had posted about the Red Art Project.

Don't ask me why I didn't stop and think first, but I signed up to submit something that fits within the following guidelines:

The Theme is RED...somewhere there needs to be the color red.
Other themes need to be encompassing any area of the arts and/or the image of an umbrella somewhere in the piece.
Create a piece of art: Textile, fine, doll, sculpture, jewelry, etc.
It can be two or three dimensional work.
The size needs to be no larger than 18"x18".

So, what did I end up deciding to do? A canvas that's 18"x18" ... seriously, WHAT was I THINKING?!? My brain pictured something that I hoped my hands could reproduce ... it starts with a collage of some fine art pieces, a little music, some ballet slippers here and there (printed on 30 lb high gloss paper) all modge podged to the canvas:

Next I added some textile (simple way of saying bits and pieces of random fabric & a bitty crocheted piece). I really like the different textures that are starting to happen with the piece:

Last night I cut out the shape of an umbrella and used it as a reverse stencil sponging around the image in cadmium red - with the exception of the almost central umbrella, the umbrellas spiral outward:

That's where I am at ... next up I have some copper and bronze paint that I am thinking I'd like to sponge over the red paint (I am just not 100% sure, yet) - part of me want to keep the backgound images somewhat visible through the paint & part of me wants only to let the background show through within the umbrella shapes ... decisions, decisions ... and then there's this overthinking me that's been rearing it's silly little head ... it's wondering if my literal take on the guidelines is going to be seen as just too literal. It's a good thing there's a deadline to contend with or my second guessing nature would surely get the best of me!

OH! and if you are wondering, YOU can be a part of this project. Click on the picture at the top of this post for more details (or right HERE).

Also, you can click on any of my project photo's to see larger versions.

Only One Week Left!!!

There's still time ...

... to THINK PINK!

Click on the above picture to entry the drawing for

*** LOVE SQUARED ***

or one of the many other beautiful offerings.

100% of the monies raised will be donated to:

Susan G Koman for the Cure