GPP Street Team

bravo! and coming soon...

Thanks to all who came to play in M.I.Y.O.  If you haven't visited all the links on the list be sure to stop in and leave your enthusiastic comments as we all like to be validated especially when we go out on a limb to share our work.  I hope you'll continue thinking about how to make your art personal, authentic, and completely yours.

 

We had two impromptu parties this week so I'm not quite finished with the next challenge.  I'll get it up during the weekend so come back and see what I have prepared for you.  For those of you in the U.S. - enjoy the 4th!

CRUSADE No. 31 ~ Make It Your Own

 

If you've ever taken a class with me you've probably heard me say this:  Make It Your Own.  That can mean several things.  Sometimes I'll say it when I'm encouraging an artist to claim a material they are using.  Adding a little paint, or scudging it up with sandpaper, means you are showing evidence of an artist's hand at work, and you are claiming the item....making it your own.  Sometimes I'll say it when I'm motivating someone to put their own spin on a project or process.   We have heard the question asked, "what's the difference between art and craft?"  I think the answer might be when you make it your own, it's art.  When you follow directions, as you would a recipe, or copy a project from a magazine - that is craft.  Personalizing, interpreting, processing through your own filters, is art.

 

 

For instance, let's take a product.  I'll pick on scrapbook papers.  I've got a stash of them.  Sometimes I'll buy one sheet just for inspiration - the color or the pattern.  Sometimes I'll buy them to use as a foundation, then I'll paint over them, making them mine, claiming them.  I want the items I use in my work to look like me, not the recognizable brand.  You can see I've spray painted over the dots and the stripes....they are less XYZ brand, and more me.

 

Using images:  it's always cool when you can incorporate your own images in your work.  Your own photos are way more interesting and individual than 'collage sheets'.  Clip art is a favorite default source of images for me, but I don't always want them to be obvious, or identifiable.  "Oh, I know that one, she got that from page X in book XYZ".  Bleh.  However, if you were to make a transfer of the image, you claim it.  It isn't as easily recognizable.  I've put my spin on it.  It's mine.

Another example:  here I illustrate how I've taken items you could find in a store, and made them mine. 

 

And I can even claim a branch, making evidence of my artist hand:

A few years ago I wrote an article in Somerset Studio where I broke down my artistic process in terms of being inspired by something.  Inspiration can come from so many places.  It's up to you to figure out how to make it your own.

 

Here's a good example:  I gravitated toward this rug.  There was just something about it that attracted me.  Loved the colors, loved the shapes.  I will sit with this a while and eventually it will be interpreted through my filters and I will make a journal page about it. 

 

If you've been playing along then you are already good at this.  You take my prompts and make them your own.  Every artist has shared their own interpretation of the challenges presented.  You've been making your own tools and your own backgrounds.  Even your blogs have their own personalities - you present yourself with custom banners or colors, nothing right-off-the-shelf or standard-issue for us!  Apply that to your work.  Make your artist hand seen.  Make it your own.  You can show how you've altered a material or product to claim it, or you can show us how you've interpreted an inspiration like your new kitchen rug, or the pattern from your new summer dress.

 

I'm going to extend the deadline to July 1st since it is already mid-May, and we all have alot going on in June don't we?  (graduations, family visits, summer!)  Thanks for hanging in with me.  Love you guys.  xoxo

 

wow!

 

Crusaders, thank you for all the love you've sent my way.  So many beautiful, thoughtful comments.  You've really touched my heart.  I admit I was giving some consideration to retiring this blog, but came to realize it was something I couldn't let go of, and then you validated that with your generous words.  I truly appreciate that you have reached out to me, and proved that this is bigger than any of us.  You make this address into a community.  You make this worthwhile.  You challenge ME to stay plugged in.  Thank you.

I have gotten behind on my self-imposed deadlines because of some real-life ones, but I am nearly ready with No. 31.  Check back Tuesday.  Thanks for hanging in. 

ENJOY YOUR MOTHER'S DAY.

CRUSADE No. 30 ~ Winner!

 

That's right, you are all winners.  Taking the leap to share your own work, and your interpretation of the challenge deserves a group *high five*.  Thank you for coming here to show us your writing style, your use of words and text, and your journaling habits or experiments.  We had 60 entries this month which means we've broadened the circle of friends, and gotten to see lots of cool stuff.  What I love about these crusades is that so many artists come together to focus on one thing each month, making it a great learning experience for all of us.

I've made some executive decisions about the crusades:  I will no longer be selecting a name from the Top Hat.  Here's what I learned about myself - I was continually running behind in getting the gifts wrapped and sent.  If you've been a Top Hat Pick then you are nodding your head as you know I was never too swift in mailing out the gift offering.  (I only just mailed packages for the past three winners - THAT is really behind!)  So, in order to give myself a break and not always feel like a failure, I've chosen to end that part of the process. 

When I began this plan, of presenting creative challenges, I intended to use this platform to be a sales tool for my own rubber stamp line, and therefore the gift would be thanks for helping me promote my business.  That never happened, and the crusades took a different direction.  I have enjoyed creating challenges that get you to think about the artistic process instead of pushing my stamps.

I do all of this on my own - preparing and presenting the challenges, giving you a place to promote your own sites, offering tricks and techniques, community, encouragement, and monthly gifts.  It is alot of work!  I do enjoy it all, but it is time to eliminate the winner/gift part.  I know you'll understand and hope that doesn't change your interest in coming here to play.  Learning and participating is its own reward, right?

I'm still working on the next crusade since I was busy with visitors this week.  Stop back soon to see what I'm cooking up for No. 31.

CRUSADE No. 30 ~ Cat Got Your Tongue?

 

No, this isn't a lecture about leaving comments, it's a prompt to get you to think about "journaling", the writing you add to a page.  I admit I don't often write on my pages, but I do think it is important - even if you only capture one thought.  Personally, I do not think that Visual Journaling is about writing, it's about the creative art process.  However, words play an important role in that process.  So how do you add them?  This month I thought we could share how we do it. 

You can use WORDS, or USE words.  Do you see the difference?

 

Don't know what to write about?  You underestimate yourself. 

  

Here's a quick look at some of the "journaling" on my pages.  You can write, type, stamp...use cut out words, transferred words...it's endless!

 

Don't want your words to be the main attraction?  Try Stealth Journaling... 

 

  

  

Many of you are already doing great things with words on your pages.  Go ahead and revisit something you've shown, or make new pages, and show us your favorite ways to "journal".  There are no rules, there is no right or wrong method.  We learn so much from each other - this is a great community of creatives.  The only thing I ask if you play in this crusade is that you make a new post for No. 30, and explain your process.  Then come and leave a comment here and I will add you to the link list.  Come back often during the month so you can click on the new links to see what others are sharing.  Be sure to leave your words of encouragement!

  

   

CRUSADE No. 29 ~ Winner!

 

Congratulations to Lay Hoon, our friend from Malaysia.  She is the Top Hat Pick for Crusade No. 29!  Lay Hoon has played along in twelve crusades so I am thrilled her name was drawn from my trusty hat by my daughter.  She is an enthusiastic player and often posts more than once for each challenge.  This winner also reminds us that our community is global - we even made some new friends from Brazil this month.  Welcome to all new players!!

Bravo to all of you who came to play, and courageously shared your work so that we might all learn from your experiments with Brush Effects.  I could see lots of light-bulbs going off, and it was fun to see how you are using many of the tools and tricks we have discussed here.  I'm sure you've figured it out by now, I have been trying to break down my personal creative process into simple and separate steps for you to try.  Tomorrow I will offer another challenge that is one of those processes, so come back and check it out.  In the meantime pop over and congratulate Lay Hoon.

One more thing - it's been very heartwarming to see so many crusaders join in my fundraiser for fellow crusader Paula (her other blog is HERE.  Thank you.

special announcement

 

One of our very own team players is in need of our help.  Please see my main blog for the details. 

CRUSADE No. 29 ~ Brush Effects

 

In recent crusades you may have noticed I've been breaking down elements of my own process.  I've tried to isolate techniques and provide visual and verbal tutorials.  I certainly don't think I'm a pioneer in any of these processes - my hope was to either encourage you to try something new, to remind you about something you haven't done in a while, or to motivate you to just get plugged back in to making stuff.  I also think that if we all are trying out a specific process at the same time we will not only appreciate what other crusaders share, but we will learn from each other.   

At my studio table I work intuitively, usually without giving much thought to the evolution, layers, complexity or simplicity.  I have given it some consideration, and have tried to observe and define the simple steps I use when making journal pages or painted canvases.  One of my favorite discoveries was made when I just took some time to learn from acrylic paint.  I wanted to achieve a painterly surface - one where there was evidence of an artist's hand.  I'm impatient, and often my attempts of brush-stroked textures would result in muddy yucky messiness.  I wanted brushy messiness, with defined color, not mucky nothingness. 

As I said, I took some time, and taught myself that monoprinting gives a handsome brush effect while maintaining color definition.  I also learned that if a surface is dry you can dry brush in some color - particularly useful when you need to tone down something in a compostion that isn't quite working, or to fill in a blank space.  I'll begin by showing you a piece I did some years ago that incorporates several brush effects.  I hope you'll agree that it is much more interesting because of the brushed effects than if I had just stamped the image on a plain background.

 

 

When you look at the detail you can see some cool brush strokes.  These were not made directly with a brush - instead, I brushed paint onto a sheet of acetate, then monoprinted it onto the surface.  Somehow this trick helps retain the integrity of the color and the brush effect. 

In the next sample you can see the difference between dry brush and monoprinting.  Dry brushing is exactly what it sounds like - dip a brush in paint, scudge some of it off on scratch paper until it is mostly dry, then rub across your surface.  It's better to be too dry than too wet.  You can aways add more paint to the brush - but too wet of a surface is what leads to muddy issues.

 

Once I started using monoprinting as a means of getting paint to my page I started getting excited about monoprinting with shapes, even the back sides of stencils.  I think the monoprinted stencil looks cooler than the actual stencil.  How to do it?  Place your stencil over scratch paper and heavily paint across surface.  Quickly flip over onto your page and place another scratch paper over it and rub.  If you don't use the scratch paper you will probably rub paint INTO the stencil, something you want to avoid.  Brushing paint onto a stamp then monoprinting to a page is often more interesting than just plain ink on a stamp.  The painted impression works better over paint anyway - but the image you use has to be a bold one - like those you have carved.

 

So what is dirty brushing?  I don't believe it's a technical term - I just made it up.  It's something that happens to you after you've been working a while and all your brushes seem to be filled with more than one color.  I use dirty brushes on purpose.  I will dip one edge in one color and the other edge in another color.  What comes out on your page is serendipity - much more interesting than a solid color. 

 

There are many paint effects that can be achieved with your brush - or with other tools to get paint on your page.  I like to use credit cards to scrape paint onto a page, and I like to drip paint from a watery brush - and in a pinch I will just scudge right in with my fingers.

 

A few more samples - and a tip:  keep your monoprinting material, whether you use acetate or just scratch paper - it becomes an interesting element to keep as matching collage fodder.

 

 

 

  

Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to just mess around with paint and brushes.  Work on several pages at once, giving the paint time to dry.  Try dry brushing and monoprinting and see what works for you in order to make painterly brush-stroke-y backgrounds.  I'm sure many of you have already done this - great!  Show us what you've learned, or what your favorite thing is in a new post explaining the process.  Maybe you have a page that you are not quite satisfied with - try adding a few dry brushed strokes in the blank areas and see if that makes you happy.  However you decide to interpret this crusade just make a blog post or a flickr entry and leave a comment here with a link to your site.  I will create a link list with all participants, newest at top.  Keep up the Team Spirit by leaving your cheerleading comments when you visit other crusaders.

CRUSADE No. 28 ~ Winner!

 

Wow!  Another great turn-out for the Portion Control Challenge!  Thanks to all of you who came to play, and for the terrific Team Spirit I've witnessed with generous and thoughtful comments.  You are all winners!  The Top Hat Pick for Crusade No. 28 is Hanna Andersson.  She shared two blog entries this month, and has played along in nine crusades!  Congrats Hanna!

I am preparing the next prompt and will post it this week.  We just learned tomorrow is a "snow day" (we are in the middle of a big storm) so I may be sleeping in but will try to get organized and post soon.  *round of applause for everyone*

edit:  oops, missed an "s' in her last name.

CRUSADE No. 28 ~ Portion Control

 

After you determine you need to Shape Up, one of the next things to tackle might be Portion Control, right?  *Grins*  Practicing portion control can be useful when filling your plate, or making art.  What do I mean by Portion Control?  I believe that part of something is more interesting than the whole.  It creates a sense of mystery, an engagement of the viewer to try to figure out what they are looking at.  There are many clever ways to use part of something, but since we just tried on new shapes I thought now might be the perfect time to investigate portion control.

Try this:

 

Did you find you were drawn to the un-whole images or the whole images?  These samples investigate using portions of an image, while messing around with positive and negative.

 

 

Don't you think that mysterious is more interesting than obvious?  The left sample below shows a red paper that was crayon rubbed over the wallpaper sample, then monoprinted with paint to block out a portion of the image.  The right side is the wallpaper scrap - pretty image, but boring!

 

We KNOW what an alphabet stencil looks like - isn't the messy brush monoprint taken from the stencil way more cool?  Think of how to use your tools in a partial way, a backwards way, or even upside-down.  Build Mystery.

 

  

Use ink or paint, or torn paper, or pencil to "complete" a partial image.  Let's say you have a circle punch - use it to make a stencil.  Lay it over your page and paint in part of it, then pencil in the rest of it.  Am I making sense?  Below, you see the OBVIOUS stencil image of Xs on the right.  But on the left the image is less obvious, more myserious, by using two colors, and adding in my own lines. 

 

 

OK, I think you get it now.  Practice Portion Control with a shape or image on a journal page, blog about it, then come over here and comment and I will list you in the links under Crusade No. 28. 

A few reminders - even if you don't play along, please leave your comments for the participants you visit.  Everyone appreciates validation, and it makes the effort worthwhile.  The whole point of going out on a limb to share is to inspire one another while building a community of like-minded souls.  Technically - you would think if we had 50 players one month then each crusader should have 50 or more comments.  Ok, 50 is alot of comments, but you get what I mean.  Some of you a terrific commentors!!  Let's try something new - let's make sure each participant gets at least 13 comments for their crusade post.  Lucky 13.  Are you with me?

 

Show us your Portion Control!  Links will be posted with newest at the top for easy navigating.  Archived crusades will be alphabetized by first name.  Winners are selected from a Top Hat on the first day of the next month.  Come and play!  (you are welcome to come play on any previous crusade too)

CRUSADE No. 28 ~ Portion Control DUE MARCH 1st.

 

CRUSADE No. 27 ~ Winner!

 

Top Hat Pick is Cath Sheard!  Cath made three entries for this challenge by exercising her talents with pears.  She has played along in nine crusades!  She is also one of the most dedicated players as she always leaves comments for other artists.  Congrats Cath!!

We had many players this month, including a handful of new ones - hats off to all of you for Shaping Up!  I hope that you had fun and started *seeing* more shapes in your world.  I've said this several times - when you try on a new shape it's like seeing with new eyes.  It's all about awareness.  When we narrow our focus we can actually widen our view!

Stop by Cath's place and give her a *high five*.  New crusade is in the works - check back for details this week (hopefully Monday).

CRUSADE No. 27 ~ Shape Up!

 

Ok, I crack myself up.  This crusade isn't about getting into physical shape, but I couldn't resist the title since getting in shape is all you hear about after New Years.  If you've been following along on my main blog, you have noticed I tend to pick a shape and obsess over it.  I think it's a great lesson - to investigate a shape - seeing it in positive and negative, and trying it on in several sizes.

 

If you've been playing along, then you have the experience of making new tools such as cutting a stamp or stencil.  Didn't you love using your own stuff?  You have the skills - now you just need a shape. 

 

Here are some examples - I was on a circle kick, and collected every size of punch that existed.  Then I started scouting for stencils.  Then I started making stamps.  Then I added in "X"s.  I had to make alot of my "X"s since they are not popular like circles.  There is something empowering and authentic about using your own tools.  Obsession is a good thing.

 

  

Another favorite shape - the 5-petal asterisk.   

 

And one of my first shape obsessions:  a house.  I cut many sized stamps, and it evolved into a book form, which became a class, which started the GPP line of rubber stamps....you can see that one shape leads to many things.  Maybe another shape, maybe another perspective.

 

I obsess about many shapes:  the maltese cross, a quatrefoil, architectural domes, hands, roses, chess pieces....  One shape always leads to another. 

I challenge you to pick a new shape for this crusade.  You are welcome to revisit a favorite shape if it means introducing yourself, and your journal, to new sizes and using the negative as well as the positive.  With Valentine's Day approaching, maybe you could start with a heart if you can't think of anything else.  A circle or square is always good.  Show us your tools, and your pages, on your blog, then come leave a link here (in the comments) to be eligible for the Top Hat Pick.  I'll add you to the list with the newest at the top.  As you visit the links of other players don't forget to leave your words of encouragement.

CRUSADE No. 26 ~ Winner!

 

Happy New Year!  Thanks to all of you who participated this month, and this year!  The Top Hat Pick for Crusade No. 26 is Julie Thornton from the UK!  Julie played in three crusades this month - quite an accomplishment at this busy time of year.  Bravo Julie!

I hope that you take the time to document your own scents not only for this season, but throughout the year.  You'll thank yourself in the years ahead, to be able to go back and capture memories through the tucked in fragrances. 

I'm pulling together the Crusade for January.  Check back (hopefully tomorrow).  As always, I appreciate that you come here, to share your artwork, your personal stories, and your encouraging comments.  Raising a glass *clink* to another year filled with creativity.

CRUSADE No. 26 ~ Scent of the Season

 

We've done scent before but that was June of 2007.  By now you probably have a host of new scents - those used in your home, on your self, and you need to document them.  I've been doing it for years and find it an incredible treasure to be able to revisit memories through past scents.  For instance, I love scented candles or incense in my studio.  The constant fragrance helps me capture and solidify thoughts I'm experiencing Right Now.   Taking a whiff of old favorites that I've put on a page can even trigger creativity as they remind me of a groove I was in when I first used them.  The challenge this month is to select a scent for the holiday season, use it all month long, and document it in your journal. 

 

The scents that help us recall memory don't always have to be a perfume or candle - it might be a bath gel or soap.  Do you find you change your scents from summer to winter?  Journal about that.  Do you have a favorite you never stray from?  Journal about that.  Breathe in, and think about what scents make you happy, or calm, or whatever.  Find a way to get that scent on your page, and write about it.  Don't forget to date it.  It's amazing how time can march on and we change our routine and it goes unnoticed, or worse, undocumented.  Here's a summer scent I will put on a page soon - there are only a few drops left in the bottle and it's time to put on my winter scent. 

If you don't have a new scent for the holiday or the winter you could make a page that is evidence from the summer.  THEN, go out and shop for a new scent, AND while you're at it pick up some sweet smelling things as gifts.  Candles are always a great gift.  One year my friend Judi gave me Frosted Cranberry candles and lotion, from Bath & Body Works.  I adore that scent and chipped the last of the candle into an envelope for my journal.  Luckily that candle is available again this year and I've stocked up.  Another year Lisa gifted me with the Elton John Fireside candle that made me wild.  It is only available now on ebay for a king's ransom so it's a good thing I poured some melted wax onto my journal pages.  Here are a few In-Progress pages that are Evidence of my scents, including my new fave Cedar incense from Pier 1:

 

 

When I re-stocked on Cool Water incense the formula must have changed, and now it's not available, so I was really glad I took the first few sticks from the pack and put them in my journal about 4 years ago.  I'm not a scent snob.  My fave candle this year is from Glade.  I can get it at Target and my grocery store!  Whatever works - it's the fragrance that matters.  Yes, that's a car freshener thing on my page.  I just discovered Black Ice.  LOVE IT in my van.  Their other offerings make me gag but Black Ice rocks.  The kids say it smells like Dad which is probably why I like it, *wink*. 

If you weren't around for Crusade No. 9 ~ What's that Smell you can revisit the prompt and the links that were shared. 

 

  

If you are treating yourself to a new scent, why not pick out some new sounds too?  Songs help build a gateway to memory almost as strongly as scent.  Last year I picked up the Sarah McLachlan Christmas cd.  Putting it on the player this week made me remember so much from last year.  Maybe you need to treat yourself to a HIM cd!  Trick yourself into capturing memories, and make pages about it now.

  

CRUSADE NO. 26 ~ Scent of the Season DUE JANUARY 1ST 

Pick a scent, make a journal page, blog about it, then come here and leave a comment.  I'll post you to the link list, newest will be at the top.  (Past crusades are archived into alphabetical order by first name.)  You are welcome to join in on any crusade at any time, and anyone can play.  Don't forget to leave your enthusiastic comments when visiting the links, even if you aren't playing along.  Don't have a blog?  Get yourself a free flickr account and post your photos there. 

Have a great month as you prepare for whatever holiday you celebrate.  Breathe in, and enjoy the fragrance the season brings.

CRUSADE No. 25 - winner!

 

Yay!  We rocked this crusade!!  So many terrific showings of the properties of gesso!!  Thank you for jumping in and sharing your work to inspire us and leaving your comments to encourage us.  The Top Hat Pick for No. 25 is Kim Mailhot.  Kim, who is listed in the links as Kimbo too, has played in at least 6 crusades.  She's got alot of good stuff going on at her blog so be sure to drop by - and see what she's got rockin'.

You are all winners - you made time for art.  *High Fives All Around*.  Let's keep up the momentum.  Journal page challenge ahead.  I'll be posting tomorrow.  Today Kim gets the spotlight.  Congrats girl!  Gift package on it's way soon.  (Ingrid - I didn't forget you, just fell behind with Thanksgiving company.) 

CRUSADE No. 25 ~ Properties of Gesso

 

I'm not an expert on gesso, but I did come across some cool things when working with it in my journal a few years ago.  I discovered it had an incredible resist quality.  Most of us think of gesso as a type of prep or primer for a surface.  If you cover a canvas or page with gesso and let it dry really well (like overnight) then you can paint over it and spray it with water to get a cool speckle effect.  Gesso can also be used to make a textural pattern.  Stamp with it, let it really dry, then paint over it.  You can buff it down with a damp rag and the gessoed area will resist the paint.  Once your paper is super dry you can even use sand paper to reveal more of the image.

Like Crusade No. 21 (back in June) where we did resist with wax rubbings, this is just an exercise to try something new or revisit it.  Spend a day playing with gesso and show us what you discover.  Think of it as a way to make some cool backgrounds in your journal.  (Keep notes in the margin of how you did it.)  Here are some of my studies:

 

    

 

The exercise of trying gesso under, and gesso over, is to get to know how gesso behaves and it's unique properties.  Once you have made a sampler of each try layering more and more with acrylic and gesso.  The key to avoiding muddy colors is to let the page dry between layers.  If there is part of a page you don't like you can re-work it, but wait for some dry time first.  Try monoprinting with gesso, then layer on color.  What?  You want a tutorial on monoprinting?  Stay tuned for a future crusade.

 

 

 

Look like fun?  Try it!  Just think of it as an appointment with creativity and you'll end up with some wicked backgrounds.   You don't have to show us a completed journal page, just show us what you learned by playing with gesso.  New to the Crusades?  You can find out more info at the link upper left or HERE.  Everyone is welcome to come play - it's all about sharing and widening our circle of friends.  If you are a "cruiser", and like to visit the crusades and crusaders but don't participate yet, be sure to leave them a comment.  We all like to be validated, especially when we go out on a limb and share stuff we make in order to encourage others to make cool stuff too.

   

CRUSADE NO. 25 ~ Properties of Gesso DUE DATE: December 1st.

Edit:  Oops!  Forgot to say - leave your participating link in the comments below to be including in the Top Hat Pick.

With the holidays coming up I have an easy crusade planned for December, then we will get back to painting in January.  Try gesso this month - you'll have lots of backgrounds prepared in your journal - ready for the busy weeks ahead.

CRUSADE No. 24 - Winner!

 

I'm late!  Top Hat Pick of Crusade No. 24 is Ingrid Dijkers!  Congrats to Ingrid who has played in at least 7 challenges.  Please stop by her blog and see all the cool things she does.  I LOVE her journaling style and I know you will too. 

Thank you to everyone who participated this month.  I know it wasn't an easy prompt so I appreciate all of you who took it on and shared the journey with the team.  I know your thoughtful posts will encourage more to give Final Wishes some consideration.

I am not ready to post the next Crusade but I'll have it ready later in the week.  I was asked to host an in-service workshop for my school district and I'm still prepping for it - it's on Wednesday.  I'm thrilled to be an advocate for visual journaling, especially to the art teachers in our schools!  See you in a few days, and congrats Ingrid!

Anniversary Winner!

 

I'm late with the drawing - congrats to Inge!  I will be sending you the new stamps this week.  Inge was the first to leave a comment for the drawing and she is a warm and generous soul who I have gotten to know because of these crusades.  An international friendship can begin with a blog comment and evolve off site to emails and exchanges.  I am so grateful for this little place we meet on the net!  *more confetti*