Birthday Paintings ~ Lake House ~ Art Journal Pages

In my previous post, I mentioned that CBC members had a paint out near Gun Barrel City and while there we celebrated fall birthdays. This is one of my paintings I received from Maryann and she did a great job on my portrait. The painting is an acrylic 8"x10" and will be hung with all of the other birthday paintings I've received.

Karen is known for her "Poms" and you are allowed to put a "bug" in someone's ear is they've painted something you really like and I really like Karen's Poms. This is my birthday gift from her and since we are finishing up this round of exchanges some of us lucky ones received two paintings. The painting is an acrylic 8" x 10". We tried to be consistent in the sizes.

More about the remembrance gifts - these were not given to all at one time. In no particular order someone would call out, I have a before dinner gift or I have a gift to go with your coffee and the surprises would be passed out, sometimes wrapped, sometimes not. I added my CBC NS charm alphabet to my cell phone today. Thanks Margie. It's big and bold hanging from my cell and I'll be interested to know where others have found a place to hang it besides around their neck. CC gave us a group photo in a very tiny frame to put in a secret place. I quickly sketched in the notebook that I've collaged some images on. It's not to scale but it's just a reminder that this morning I gave the group a lesson on journaling. The notebook contains some journaling notes and at Connie's request I gave a short lesson on art journaling on Friday. All members attended (with 2 sitting in an adjoining room and listening) and I told them I wasn't telling them anything they didn't already know but I would "jump start" and inspire their creativity to get them started. Originally I thought I'd be finished in about 10 min. but we were still talking journaling an hour later and several had great journal entries before we left on Sunday.

This journal page gives the lunch and dinner menu items. The artichoke was on the package of a Hot Parmesan and Artichoke Dip that was delicious. We'd talked about "appropriated" images in the journaling lessons and I appropriated this artichoke for a journal entry. We always eat well at these gatherings and I prepared Friday's lunch: Chicken Salad, Fruit Salad on Spinach Leaves with Poppy Seed Dressing, Hot Cinnamon Rolls, and Hot Apple Dumplings. I made the cinnamon rolls at home and just heated them up that morning and we had enough for Saturday breakfast. You are on your own for breakfast and each member brings their own fare. I'm the one in charge of the coffee pot the night before to fill it up and get ready so the first one up, turns it on. We're thinking about having 2 meals the next time - a heavy brunch and a dinner meal, and maybe some appetizers and wine in there somewhere and always some chocolate. We paint a lot, eat, tell stories, laugh and paint. One member who shall remain nameless suggested "Why don't we live here and go home on weekends?" Good question.. Later I'll make a slide show of the house and some of the photos and you'll understand why we like being there.