Editor's note:

Please visit us at our new location by clicking here. If you are linking to us, please do not forget to edit your link. For the meantime, we will continue to operate our Review Blog at it's current address.

Merry Christmas!

I heart Yo Gabba Gabba

I've been hooked on this television show since I started to see the previews last summer. "Life Lessons With a Beat" was the catch line...I marked our calendar because I had a 'feeling" about this show.

I was so bored with the run of the mill cartoons that the Carry-On was watching...as soon as I saw the brightly orange clad DJ Lance Rock, I knew this was going to be something huge!

Fast forward- we've watched every episode over and over and the Carry-On and I activly particpate in every dance! It's Aweeeessssoommmme!

Here is a link to the Yo Gabba Gabba blog...which if you have kiddos of your own, you should totally watch! Even more inspiring the story of how the show came to be and a lesson to all about the work and dedication it takes to be great!

The minute the merchandise became available I ordered the Carry-On her faborite character "Toodee". The doll looks amazing and I can't wait to see her unwrap it!

Ruuuhhnnnnn Foooreessstttt...Ruuuuhhnnn!

I am exhausted. The usual holiday hustle and bustle has deminished my painting time and it is making me a little cranky! I got myself some new running shoes last night. You never realize how shot your last shoes were until you get into the new ones. I need to buy them more often...my feet are also aching from work. My legs? Oh..that's how we roll in So Cal.. shorts yesterday. It was in the low 80's. No snow shovel here.

I've got some Color Binge pages partially finished...I'll post some art this weekend. Ciao.

Odds and Ends

First, thanks to Wednesday Stamper for selecting my "leaves" project for the weekly sampler! This makes me so happy!

Second, head over to my friend Andrea's blog. She made the most amazing mixed media panel the other day. I can't stop looking at it! She's one artist you'll want to add to your feed list!

Still have not made a feed list? Some of you mentioned you could not see the magical orange button to subscribe to feeds. Try hitting "alt j" and see if that works. That key stroke should get the feed options up for you on some of the other versions of IE. More on feeds here.

That's it for now...I'm off today so I can make up some new journal pages to share later. Talk to you soon!

Luggage Fall Tour

Some thoughts and pictures of recent happenings:

My favorite fall smell... I love the apple and cinnimon type of scents that are available at this time of year. I think they should be sold year round, but I am not a fan of this new Pier One container for my holiday favorite. I wish they would sell this scent in the plain diffuser bottles.

That's the Carry-On approaching her 2nd birthday in 2 months and rapidly growing out of all clothing! She helps me with my justjohanna book keeping.

The weather the last few days has been a little cool for Southern California standards... I like it though. It makes me feel like baking and eating.. I like eating.

See? I told you she helps me with my book keeping. There's proof!

Too cool on the patio... 59 degrees? My policy is not to go outdoors once the temperature falls below 60.

Three journal pages in progress.

Ahhh yess....bring on the fancy holiday FOOD CATALOGUES! This is one days load! I love reading these...one of these days I am going to break down and buy beef wellington. I saw it on the shopping channel today too..I've never had it, but I think I love everything about it!

Hope you enjoyed your tour. We'll be here all week. Try the clams.

Sunday to Market

Since I am going to be working at my job on Sunday's starting next week, I decided to get to the flea market and stock up some more. Stock up for what? Who in the hell knows... I had a good time and this collection should hold me over a while, I reckon.

On to the next holiday....

Hope you all had a good time last night! We didn't get many trick o' treaters..so stop by if you want some more candy!

Happy Halloweenie

Happy Halloween everyone! While I am sure everyone has huge, all out plans today, we're starting the holiday off with a trip to the doctor. Seems the Carry-On has a lingering cold that we're going to get checked out.

She's thrilled about Halloween. I'm sure of it. She shows her excitement by screaming in horror when she looks at the cape I made her. On the other hand, she is very happy to yell "C A N D Y" when she wants something to eat. It was bound to happen one day sooner or later..I just thought it would be later. Now, out the window with all of the fruits and vegetables she has been eating her entire life...now she wants CANDY!! every 5 minutes. Such is life...isn't that what we all want? I knew it. My child is a genius.

So I am sure we'll have a nice time answering the door for the other kids who come by. I'm sure she'll like that better anyway. She'll probably get angry that I am giving our C A N D Y to strange kids... have a fun and safe holiday!

Super Sunday Sunday Sunday!

Yesterday was one of those days that you need to take a couple of days just to digest all that took place! I went down to Stamping Details to take another Chris Cozen class with Johanna. (How's that for a bunch of links?) Not only was the class AMAZINGLY fantastic (we learned how to create special effects using Golden products) and not only was Chris the most intelligent and loveliest instructor ever, and not only was I able to pal around with the "boss" but there was great shopping as well! Someone stop me....where did this Sew Somerset come from? All I know is that my fingers have had a tingly sensation since I picked it up this afternoon...I can't wait to memorize it page by page. Oh!! Do you see what else is in that picture? The ever so elusive diamond punch! I could not believe my eyes when I saw that on the shelf!

I love painting. I love love love it. There are so many things you can do...so many!! Take a look at what I learned in my class!

See you soon!

It was an AMBUSH!

I ambushed our meeting yesterday by interrupting the regularly scheduled programming for an impromptu make-n-take a la Somerset Workshop. We made waxed ornaments using a little stamping, acrylic and vintage ephemera. The faces of the particpants have been hidden to protect their identity.

These two enjoyed making their ornaments.

These two also enjoyed making their ornaments.

He loved making his ornament too!

Here are the ornaments I made. I like how they turned out and I'll keep my eye open for a sale on the paper mache ornaments so I can make more.

The cheesecake (pumpkin pie with ginger snap crust) came out great! I'm a dork for not taking a picture of it. Lots of stuff going on this week...I'll be back soon!

(My intention was to pixilate everyone's boobs in the photo above, lol, but I couldn't figure out how to do it.)

Flashback

It comes as no surprise to me that the first few colors I learned to mix last night were shades of green. It turns out that these colors will serve as the base for mixing several different colors in the Golden line-up. I ordered my set of principal colors and have started to go through the color exercises outlined in the materials I got for free from Golden.

I like green. I like blue too. The reason I titled this post "flashback" was because seeing all of these shades of green brought me immediately back to my Gemology coursework. One of the most dreaded parts of the Graduate Gemologist course at GIA is the Gemstone Identification program. In this course, students study hundreds of different gemstones to learn their identity. To pass the course and earn a diploma, you are given an assortment of 20 stones that you have to accurately identify. Many of them are green. You are not allowed ANY errors on this test. If you miss one, you're back to square one.

While I was studying for my diploma, my friend Hiro told me that his instructor gave him 20 different green stones for his exam. Torture! Luckily, I received an assortment of colors during my test. In gemstone identification, the slightest color variation can mean the difference between an entire species of colored stone! To the untrained eye, many of the stones look exactly the same!

I was determined to pass this test. I remember the day back in 2002 vividly. I arrived at the campus, sweating, and received my stones from my instructor. The test is given in a laboratory and there were probably about 15 other students in there that day. You are allowed 4 hours to complete the test (or vomit) and I finished my test in one hour. I couldn't sit there and re-check anymore, so I gathered the stones and went to the front of the classroom.

Other students practicing their lab skills know what you are doing when you're in the lab. All eyes were on me and my knees were weak as I stood next to the teacher.

I handed him my paperwork and stood there. Frozen. The test is graded as you watch! More torture. The teacher used a red pen to make checkmarks next to each of my answers. One at a time. Correct. Correct. Correct. Correct. It was killing me! He finished the first page (ten stones per page) and moved onto page 2. At that point he turned to me and asked, "Feel pretty good about page one?" I replied, "Yes, but if you pick up that red pen one more time, I am going to throw up all over you." The class burst into hysterical laughter. Not so funny to me. To prepare for this exam takes more than one year of intense study!

On to page two. No red marks. No comments from the teacher. He looked at me, sighed, and marked a HUGE 100% on my paper! I threw my hands into the air and shouted "YES!". The class could not believe it! Here was a brand new Graduate Gemologist standing in front of the class. I felt so shiny and new! The teacher asked me in front of everyone, "How many times have you taken this test?" My reply was quick, "One time. This is my first time." Ahhhhh....I was a gemstone identification natural! That was one of the best moments of my life.

Since then, I have tutored 2 other former colleages in getting their GG diplomas. I am happy to say that both of my students also passed on the first attempt. I'll never forget this part of my life.

I'm off today to see some friends and eat the cheesecake. If you're nice, maybe I'll post some pictures Sunday! Adios!

I don't pay for anything....

Oh Blogger Blogger…what is the trouble? I see a lot of “scheduled maintenance” taking place this week, so I hope I am just experiencing a few road bumps. I have been pretty satisfied with Blogger since I started Luggage Land…it’ll be ok. I’m not sold on Typepad…there is always a longer delay in page loading when I blurf typepad blogs. My computer and connection are crazy fast, so it’s not me.

I guess since I am not making blog specific projects anymore, you’ll get more jibber jabber. Those of you who don’t know me that well don’t know that I am not a “sugar coater” and I call it like I see it. So if you’re tuning in for cute anecdotes and drawn out posts about my “artful journey” you’ve come to the wrong place. I’m not mean…I think I’m just ‘real’.

A local mother invited me to join their “mom’s group” the other day. Sigh...I immediately asked, “Is there a fee?” Of course…$30. I curtly replied “I don’t pay for anything.” See, I’m onto these groups…I am not sure what the money is for, and frankly I don’t care, but why in the hell would I pay $30 for a “mom’s club”? I am not lonely, and the Carry-On gets to play with kids at the park every day for free. There is not a bouncer at the gate checking ID’s to get onto the playground.. If I join a group for “entertainment purposes” that would mean I would have to reduce a magazine subscription. Is your group as great as a Somerset publication? Probably not… the horror…living without those magazines.

I don’t want to be on a schedule. I don’t want to hear myself in a conversation with another mother talking about my hectic and busy week plans…meeting for this, meeting for that, lessons for that and class for this. It honestly gives me a rash when I hear this sort of talk. No wonder people go insane; no one is relaxing anymore…not even the children!

Let’s see….what else… Oh- I bought 3 store manufactured birthday cards today. And you know what? It felt GREAT! There is 3 hours I shaved off my “doing things for others until I run myself ragged” schedule. Now, I’ll send these fun cards (which incidentally all poke fun of seniors…---not Latino men..senior citizens) and I have time to make a bunch of muffins for DH to take to work AND I’ll make a cheesecake to take to my pals in Escondeal-e-o on Saturday. I’m excited about that scheduled “fun time”.

Oh!! I named my first journal “Color Binge”. What do you think?

Only a little color..

There was a 4 mile walk this morning, I took my camera, my husband and my child. I wanted to go for 8 miles, but then I became more rational...

Southern California vegetation...I think this is wild cotton....not positive though..

These are yellow wildflowers...they grow everywhere.

The leaves on the trees are still green here... it was about 70 degrees at noon.

It's time for me to put up or shut up. I have been heeming and hawing over making an art journal. Part of the intimidation is that a lot of journals I see are so freaking fantastic, and I only make slop. I dream about making a journal like this one, or this one or this one.. Is this something you either have it or you don't? I bought this book from Blicks. The catalogue says the pages can take wet media..that's me. I didn't envision a spiral bound book, but I guess I can cover the metal once I am finished.. I would go so far as to say that I am tortured by journaling. I wonder if I am destined to be a fan of all of everyone else's journals except my own? I am also tortured doing this because now I know I won't be posting a project every day here...I've been making a new project every day almost since February for the sole purpose of posting here. It's strange to shift now to making projects to place into my etsy shop...and now this book...why do I keep putting this off??? I think another reason I put it off is because I know it's going to take a long time to finish. I mean there are 60 pages in this! Wish me luck...

Saturday

Do something unexpected and nice for someone tomorrow.

Did you know?

Maybe I am the only one to catch on regarding this...but did you know that if you select "enable email address" in your profile, when you leave a comment on someone's blog, they can reply to you via email? It's mind blowing to me...Zorana pointed this out to me. When your email is enabled, instead of seeing that "blogger-non-reply" type of email in your comments, you get the person's email address! Think of how much more chatty we can be now!

Oh..the journal is finished, but I am taking it apart so I can add more string. It was feeling a little wimpy when I was finished stitching, so I am going to toughen it up. I'll show you once I am finished.

Journal

I bought a book on making fancy journals at the Somerset clearance sale a few weeks ago. The journals have been haunting me...it is time to get off the fence and try one myself. I love to look at journals that my art friends make. I love the worn and tattered pages that come with age and various art techniques. My "art book" never came to fruition. I think it was because the format was too large for my taste. This journal is going to be 8.5x11, folded in half. I don't have any book twine, so I am going to use yarn...I'll let you know how it turns out!

It would be simple to use the zutter binding system I bought earlier this year, but spiral binding is not what I envision... I am not sure if I will ever use the zutter... it got packed up yesterday and put into the garage in a new box entitled, "craft storage".. maybe one day, if we move, the zutter will rejoin it's crafting buddies. Now, everything is thinned out even more and packed away even more tight... waiting for that one buyer to come by...

I have butterflies....

Britney Spears will be the opening act at tomorrow night's VMA's. I don't normally watch the VMA's, but I will tune in to see Britney. I am so nervous! I want her to do well. I had two dreams last night. In the first dream, she wowed the audience and nailed her performance. In the second dream, she slipped because the stage floor was polished to oblivion. I hope she does great! My fingers are crossed for her.

Britney- if you are reading this- don't forget your underpants!

Relief

Finally. The high pressure that has been locked in over us has moved to the east. Sorry east. This is the first time in over a week it has not been sweltering by 9:00! Thankfully, I can open all the windows and recharge my batteries. We can get out of here and go to the park! I am taking today off of "art".

I am so happy to see my blue arch as part of the Wednesday Stamper Sampler! Thank you so much to the WS team!! It really makes me happy!

Don't forget to let me know if you want to get in on the first ever Land of Lost Luggage swap! Mission Collage: one-for-one. How easy can it be?!

You'll see three or so techniques posted on my blog every day. For example: day one may include: paint, picture, pencil. One two three and you're finished! You can ponder the details here. I hope you're inspired!

See you tomorrow!

Witchy Woman

I've had that song stuck in my head now for 2 days. The problem is that it is not the entire song, it's only "oooooooooo wwhhhhoooooooooo witccchhyyy woomann ssee that look in her eee yyyyysssss". It is making me crazy!

Some of you asked me about the patterns I bought at the flea last weekend and what was I going to do with them? Paint them of course. Here in the background is some of one of the patterns. Since the patterns are so tissue like, they give a nice effect. I've got some others on the table for this week too. So stay tuned!

Saturday Tennis + Park + Paint

We spent this morning at the park...it was breezy, cool and delightful. I love going to county parks. I love the county issued accomodations and the smell of charcoal heating up. I always leave happy...good times.

It was a jammed packed morning/afternoon at Luggage Manor. 3 showings back to back. Apparently someone fell out of escrow on their first choice and was coming to look at our place which was their second choice. We've got them lined up for tomorrow already too. Mama sure is tired of mopping the floor.

This is the start to my IF project for this week. I might be able to finish it up by tomorrow.

Congratulations to all of the new designers that were picked to be on the justjohanna design team! We just finished a whirlwind DT call and are trying to get everyone settled in for a three month term. There will be another call for the next full term in November!

Happy Saturday!