Happy New Year to everyone. I hope it is the best year you've ever had!

I wanted to let those who played know that my raffle was won by a Flickr contact, robbo65. Hopefully, one of my livejournal friends will win the next one!

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

I've agreed to an Artist Trading Card swap with rain_oubliette, and we agreed to create ATCs and write a story of around 250 words to go with the card.

She's already finished her card, though I don't think she has the story ready yet. You can see her fantastic artwork here:

FineYoungFelineOnFlyingTrapeze

I can't wait to see the card for real.

My story and card:

( The Yeti's ChildCollapse )

rain_oubliette, please send me your address at rooibas@gmail.com, and I'll let card and story go postal.

I've been so bad about keeping up with you all, and I feel guilty, so when I saw hesadevil's 'pay it forward' offer, I jumped at it.

I'm going to give you stuff!

At least the first 5 of you to respond. Here's the deal:

Pay It Forward: I will send a handmade gift to the first 5 people who leave a comment here on my LJ. The gift could be anything, but you will receive it within 365 days (probably sooner). The only thing you have to do in return is "pay it forward" by making a similar agreement on your livejournal or blog.

Go for it. That's what I say.

I again poke my head out to say hello and apologize for being missing for so long.

My craft show is next week, and I just as I thought I had time to breath again, my brother offered to post about my aceos in his daily newsletter to see if I can sell some more. Half of what I make will go for christmas presents to children in Ecuador. I thought it would be fun to see what kind of response I get, plus I'm giving something to others, which is always nice.

If you are interested in seeing some more of my aceos (this is isn't a sales pitch,truly. Since the money will be paid to my brother, and the pitch is going to his Ecuador living members, it would get complicated if I sold elsewhere), you can see what I have posted here at my

flickr account.

If you are interested in my brother's newsletters, which are about ways to invest, super-learning, building websites, shamanic healing, and Ecuadorian life:

Gary Scott Newsletter archive for November

His focus is on finding ways to make money that also benefit you spiritually. He's the director for the Land of the Sun Foundation. His newletters will be of interest if you are thinking of retiring in a place where your money will go a lot farther, or are interested in Ecuadorian shamanism or on retaining your calm and sanity as a means to survive today's economic situation.

We'll see how my stuff does--if I get lots of requests more work, I may stay missing for a while yet. More likely I'll be around more after the craft show.

I promised bogwitch that I would post some examples of the ACEO artwork I'm doing for an upcoming craft show.

ACEOs are sort of like the drabbles of the artworld.

The only rule is that ACEOs are 2.5 x 3.5 inches, exactly. The name stands for Art Cards, Editions and Originals. If you intend to trade them with other artists, rather than sell, the works are called ATCs--art trading cards. The only difference is intent.

I had to trim these after scanning, and flip a few and I didn't bother trying to get the exact size, but the originals are 2.5 x 3.5. The color is fairly true on my PC. I just hope it isn't too wild on yours (or who knows. Might be an improvement!).

A great artist I'm not, but people seem to like these, and I'm having fun. I've sold about half of what I've done already, so they've already paid for themselves.

After the show, I'm thinking about doing some trading and starting a collection of ATCs.

( ACEO drawings-not dial up friendlyCollapse )

My new layout features my attempt at a Bob Ross style painting using incredibly cheap oil pastels instead of tube paint.

I photographed the picture since I don't have a scanner, and the effect is only so-so blobby. It'll do until I decide what I really want up there.

I'm trying to decide whether I want to spring for artist quality oil pastels and decent paper. So far my initial efforts have been bought before I even get them finished. So this might be what I do for Christmas presents this year. Probably not landscapes though. Pets and portraits, most likely.

It's ozma914's Birthday!!

Sung to the tune of 'Happy Birthday', with a complete high-school marching band parading through the town of Albion.

Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Bir-er-er-er-errrthday, dear ozma914,
Happy Birthday to you.

...and mannnny morrre!

I live in Portland, Oregon and take a 30-40 minute transit ride to work each day on our fine light-rail system. This story will be familiar to those of you who bravely commute in a similar way.

Let me preface this story by explaining that the temperature is somewhere in the 90's, the humidity is on the wet side, and the high price of gas is encouraging more transit riders than normal, especially in the 'Fareless Square', where everyone rides for free.

( The Saga of Sucking Armpits and Fareless SquareCollapse )

This is a true story with only slight exaggerations.