12.31.2009 New Years Eve

Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual.  ~Mark Twain

Dec 30, 2009 New Year

Cheers to a New Year and another chance for us to get it right.         ~ Oprah Winfrey

Dec 29, 2009 ~ A better man at New Year

Be always at war with you vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each NEW YEAR find you a better man.  ~Benjamin Franklin

Dec 28, 2009 ~ New Year's New Start

Many People look forward to the New Year for a     new start on old habits.

Dec 27, 2009 ~ New Year

An Optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in.  A Pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.  ~ Bill Vaughan

Dec 26, 2009 - Angels

Glory to God in highest heaven,  Who unto man His Son hath given;  While angels sing with tender mirth,  A glad new year to all the earth.

~Martin Luther

Dec 25, 2009 Christmas Nurcracker

"One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the Living Room on Christmas Day. Don't clean it up too quickly."     Andy Rooney

Dec 24, 2009 ~ A SOLDIER'S NIGHT BEFOR CHRISTMAS

A SOLDIER'S NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,

HE LIVED ALL ALONE,
IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF
PLASTER AND STONE.
I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY
WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,
AND TO SEE JUST WHO
IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.


I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,
A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,
NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,
NOT EVEN A TREE.


NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,
JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES
OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.

WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,
AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
A SOBER THOUGHT
CAME THROUGH MY MIND.


FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,
IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,
I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,
ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.


THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING,
SILENT, ALONE,
CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR
IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.


THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,
THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,
NOT HOW I PICTURED
A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.


WAS THIS THE HERO
OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?
CURLED! UP ON A PONCHO,
THE FLOOR FOR A BED?


I REALIZED THE FAMILIES
THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS
WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.


SOON ROUND THE WORLD,
THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE
A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.


THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM
EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,
BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,
LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.


I COULDN'T HELP WONDER
HOW MANY LAY ALONE,
ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE
IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.


THE VERY THOUGHT
BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE,
I DROPPED TO MY KNEES
AND STARTED TO CRY.


THE SOLDIER AWAKENED
AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,
"SANTA DON'T CRY,
THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;


I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,
I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,
MY LIFE IS MY GOD,
MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS."


THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER
AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,
I COULDN'T CONTROL IT,
I CONTINUED TO WEEP.


I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,
! SO SILENT AND STILL
AND WE BOTH SHIVERED
FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.


I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE
ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,
THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR
SO WILLING TO FIGHT.


THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,
WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,
WHISPERED, "CARRY ON SANTA,
IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE."


ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,
AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,
AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT."

Dec 23, 2009 ~ Christmas Gifts

Christmas Gift Suggestions: To Your Enemy, forgiveness. To an Opponent, tolerance. To your Friend, your heart. To a Customer, service. To All, charity. To every Child, a good example. To Yourself, respect.

~Oren Arnold

Dec 22, 2009 ` Christmas Joy, Happiness, and Peace

 I truly believe that if we keep telling the Christmas Story, singing the Christmas Songs, and living the Christmas Spirit, we can bring JOY and HAPPINESS and PEACE to this world.

~Norman Vincent Peale

Dec 21, 2009 ~ Snowman Family at Christmas

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.   ~Burton Hillis

Dec 20, 2009 A Christmas Polar Bear

". . . and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God Bless Us, Every One.    ~A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens

Dec 19, 2009 Christmas angel

I heard the bells on Christmas day; their old familiar carols play, and wild and sweet the word repeat of peace on earth, good-will to men.         ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Dec 18, 2009 - Christmas Snowman

I wish we could put up some of the Christmas Spirit in jars and open a jar of it every month.
~ Harlan Miller

Dec 17, 2009 - Christmas Snow Lady

Remember, If Christmas isn't found in your heart, you won't find it under a TREE.          ~ Charlotte Carpenter

Dec 16, 2009 Yes, Virgina, there is a Santa

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generousity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. 

Editor, NY Sun 1987

Dec 15, 2009 Santa Claus

Believe in what you feel inside, And give your dreams the wings to fly. You have everything you need, If you just believe.            Polar Express

Dec 14, 2009 Christmas Snowman

"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas . . . perhaps . . . means a little bit more."

How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Dr. Seuss

Dec 13, 2009 Rocking Around the Christmas Tree

You will get a sentimental


Feeling when you hear


Voices singing let's be jolly,


Deck the halls with boughs of holly


Rocking around the Christmas tree,


Have a happy holiday


Everyone dancing merrily


In the new old-fashioned way.

"Rocking Around the Christmas Tree"

Johnny Marks

1958

Dec 12, 2009 ~ Rocking Around the Christmas Tree

Rocking Around The Christmas Tree

Johnny Marks ~ 1958

Rockin around the Christmas tree
At the Christmas party hop
Mistletoe hung where you can see
Every couple tries to stop
Rocking around the Christmas tree,
Let the Christmas spirit ring
Later we'll have some pumpkin pie
And we'll do some caroling.

Dec 11, 2009 Grown Up Christmas List

No more lives torn apart,
That wars will never start,
And time will heal our hearts,
Every man will have a friend,
That right will always win,
And love will never end.
This is my GROWN-UP Christmas List.

Dec 10, 2009 ~ A Little Women Christmas

Little Women Christmas

An excerpt from the novel "Little Women" By Louisa May Alcott
"Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents," grumbled Jo, lying on the rug.
"It's so dreadful to be poor!" sighed Meg, looking down at her old dress.
"I don't think it's fair for some girls to have plenty of pretty things, and other girls nothing at all," added little Amy, with an injured sniff.
"We've got Father and Mother, and each other," said Beth contentedly from her corner.
The four young faces on which the firelight shone brightened at the cheerful words, but darkened again as Jo said sadly, "We haven't got Father, and shall not have him for a long time." She didn't say "perhaps never," but each silently added it, thinking of Father far away, where the fighting was.
Nobody spoke for a minute; then Meg said in an altered tone, "You know the reason Mother proposed not having any presents this Christmas was because it is going to be a hard winter for everyone; and she thinks we ought not to spend money for pleasure, when our men are suffering so in the army. We can't do much, but we can make our little sacrifices, and ought to do it gladly. But I am afraid I don't." And Meg shook her head, as she thought regretfully of all the pretty things she wanted.

Dec 9, 2009 - Blessed is the Season

Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love                 ~ Hamilton Wright Mabie

Dec 8, 2009 - Believe in Fairies & Santa

"Not believe in Santa Claus!

You might as well not believe in fairies."

Editor New York Sun 1897

Dec 7, 2009 Christmas Fairy

As we struggle with shopping lists and invitations, compounded by December's bad weather, it is good to be reminded that there are people in our lives who are worth this aggravation, and people to whom we are worth the same. - Donald E. Westlake

Dec 6, 2009 Raven's Christmas

Christmas is a necessity. There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we're here for something else besides ourselves.        ~ Eric Sevareid

Dec 5, 2009 ~ Christmas Wish

We wish you a Merry Christmas;

We wish you a Merry Christmas;

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a

Happy New Year.

Dec 4, 2009 ~ Xmas Caroller

Here We Come A-Caroling

Here we come a-caroling
Among the leaves so green,
Here we come a wand'ring,
So fair to be seen.
Love and joy come to you, And to your wassail too And God bless you and send you a
Happy New Year,
And God send you a Happy New Year.

Dec 3, 2009 Snow Man

Let It Snow

Oh the weather outside is frightful,

But the fire is so delightful,

And since we've no place to go,

Let It Snow!
Let It Snow!

Let It Snow! 

Dec 2, 2009 The Christmas Tree

But I wanted a . . .

"big, shiny aluminum tree...maybe painted pink".

Dec 1, 2009 Christmas Star

Christmas Star

A diamond shines no brighter
than that lovely Christmas star.
It shines in all its brilliance;
it's seen from near or far.
A symbol of the Christ child
as He lay upon the hay,
It tells to all the waiting world
a King was born that day.
O Bethlehem Star keep shining -
give us faith and hope and love.
Keep our thoughts forever turning
to the Savior up above.
Give us strength and hope and courage
to do our best by far
And never falter in our faith
as we watch that Christmas star.

Author Unknown

Nov 30.2009 ~ The beginning of the Christmas Season

And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.


He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:


And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

Done Cleaning the Studio ~ Nov 28, 2009

Nov 28
I'm done cleaning my Studio. I mean DONE DONE DONE for good good good.
Isn't this picture fabulous - what a gorgeous studio - of course you know it's not really mine!  (this studio belongs to Shelli Gardner, and the photo came from the magazine, Where Women Creat WWC1108).You will never ever again see a picture of my garage studio. It's a hopeless ordeal keeping it organized and clean. Are you wondering what brought this on? CHRISTMAS We are having the carpets cleaned, so we moved all the moveable furniture to - guess where! Then after we move it all back, it will be time to decorate for CHRISTMAS, so, to make room for the tree and all the knic knacs, all that stuff will go - guess where!

Thanksgiving Day ~ Give Thanks . . . .

THANKSGIVING

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."

~ John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Thanksgiving Favors - Oreo Turkeys 11/25/09

OREO TURKEYS

What you need:



9 Candy Corn
2 Double Stuffed Oreo Cookies
1 Whopper
1 Reese's Peanut Butter Cup
1 Tube of black piping gel
1 tube of white icing
1 Yellow and red food coloring
1 Yellow and red food coloring
1 plastic Ziplock bag
1 sharp knife
1 pair of scissors
1 bowl


Prep:


Put your Peanut Butter Cups in the fridge to cool. If you have cold hard chocolate to work with it makes it a lot easier.


Squeeze some of the white icing into a bowl. This will be your orange. Mix red and yellow food coloring with the icing to create your desired orange. Then put that into a plastic bag and set it aside for later.




Creating:


First you will be creating the tail using 1 Oreo cookie and 6 Candy Corns. Gently, with one candy corn pull apart just one side of the Oreo. Don't don't break about the entire thing. Put a good amount of icing in between the two sides. This will help the Candy Corn stay. Place 6 Candy Corn (white side down) in between the cookie. See picture.


Take your white icing and squeeze a generous amount onto the top back of an Oreo cookie. Take the other Oreo and put the bottom into the icing to have it stand up. If it doesn't stand, add more icing! Once you have it stand put it up against something so it doesn't fall until the icing is dry. I use a thick book.


Remove your Peanut Butter Cup from the fridge. Take your knife and cut off the very bottem so you have a flat surface. Put icing on the bottom of it the bigger flat. Bump it up against the bottom and back of your Oreo cookies. See picture.


Next take your Whopper and squeeze more icing on it on one side. Place the whopper on top of the Peanut Butter Cup to make your head.


Find a piece of Candy Corn that has a nice big white end. Using your sharp knife cut the color off leaving you with the white end. Place some icing on it and stick it on your whopper as the beak to your Oreo Turkey. Hold for a moment.


Put some frosting on the back of a Candy Corn and place it on the side of the Peanut Butter Cup with the small end pointing up. Do this on each side for the wings. Make sure to hold for a moment to get them to stick!


Take your icing and place two white dots as eyes. Get your tube of black piping gel and place a black dot on each eye to make them come alive.


Grab your bag of already created orange. Cut a very small hold in the corner of the bag. Now, pipe feet.


Now you are done! It is that simple!!

Book Art ~ Nov 24

 Nov 24

. . . the continuing saga of the STUDIO CLEANUP ~

it's very slow ~ I really have not bought into this project yet ~ I am so easily distracted ~ I embrace distraction ~ I search for distraction ~ oh look what I found! ~ Book Art ~ I know all you librarians are hating me right now ~ but it was a used book ~

a gently loved book ~ now it has a new life ~ I just don't know yet what to do with it ~ I just wanted to do all this folding ~ so I just did it ~ you should see it in person ~ better yet, do one yourself!

Garage Studio ~ Nov 20, 2009

Nov. 20


The continuing saga of the Garage Studio . . . It looks like I am moving stuff from one table top to another . . . just a revolving reorganization . . . I did clean off the corner of my drawing table. This spot is always relegated to the wintering plants. The jade plant and the christmas cactus hibernate here by the window during the winter. Even though Key West might still be in the 90's - here in Pennsylvania frost is looming.

the Garage Studio ~ Nov 17, 2009

Nov. 17

The Saga of the Garage Studio

I'm making great headway in cleaning the studio. I've already filled 4 large trash bags. For those of you who have a garage studio, you will appreciate that one of those bags was filled with the remains of dragon flies, bumble bees, moths, flies, etc - all but the elusive SPIDER - I find his absence to be a little worrisome - where are they?

I found an old carpenters box that my Dad gave me. It's perfect for organizing

"All Things on a Stick" - pencils and pens of every variety. I would have really love this box when I was ten!

The Pigeon Hole 11.11.09

Nov. 11th

The Pigeon Hole

I’ve been doing a lot of research lately on other artists, my peers. They all seem able to describe themselves and their art in one sentence. So I thought it might me time to revisit my BIO and Statement. I’ve been avoiding this for years. I get so hung up on the very first sentence – you can’t just say, “I am an artist”, everyone expects you to be more specific. . . Judy Grupp is an abstract painter . . . Judy Grupp is a watercolor artist . . ., etc. For a long time I felt like I was not a professional artist because I could not “pigeon hole” my work.
What kind of artist am I?
Can I sum it up it one sentence?
Is there a label for what I do?
Where is my pigeon Hole?

My personal Pigeon Hole 11.13.09

Nov 13th

My Personal Pigeon Hole

As you can see by my banner description – I created my own label – mixed media artist. I have been using this one for a while and decided it is the closest definition to what I do.
I’m still not happy with it because “mixed media” normally means the artist uses more than one media in their artwork. Even though this definition is quite true for me some of the time – the other times it means that I do work in different media separately – Acrylic, Colored Pencils, Ink, and Collage are my favs, and sometimes watercolor and graphite. Most of my Paintings/Illustrations incorporate at least two of the favorite media, and in few of my paintings I actually used all of them but on occasion I only use one. So I’m sticking with MIXED MEDIA ARTIST, probably for all the wrong reasons! I’m comfortable with that – I am a professional artist – and my Pigeon Hole is very large and encompassing!!

Nov 6th Framers Workshop of York

Nov 6th
Come visit the Framer's Workshop where my painting,
"The Prayer" will be hanging along with many other fabulous pieces of art. This painting measures 15 x 22" (unframed), and is painted with acrylic on water color paper. I had it beautifully framed by Framer's Workshop of York, so it should, by all means, hang here! It is for sale, please come visit!

The Framer's Workshop of York
259 Pauline Drive
York Pa 17402

Nov 5, 2009 RAVEN - Mason Dixon Library Fall Art Exhibit

Nov 5th

5th Annual Fall Exhibit
November 8th
2:30 pm

MASON DIXON LIBRARY
250 Bailey Drive
Stewartstown, PA 17363

Nov 4, 2009 Fall Art Exhibit - Mason Dixon Library

Nov 4th

5th Annual Fall Exhibit
Down The Rabbit Hole
Art For Children
November 8th
2:30 pm

MASON DIXON LIBRARY
250 Bailey Drive
Stewartstown, PA 17363

A Touch of Red ~ 11.03.09

Nov. 3

It is my habit that all my paintings have
a little red,
some where,
some place,
just a touch.
I feel the same way about my STUDIO.
A touch of
R E D .
R E D .
R E D .

Haunted House ~ Oct 31

I remember Halloween back in the day . . . when there was a real haunted house down the street . when you pretended you weren't scared . that sure you could walk up the cracked sidewalk . knock on the door that would surely squeek when she opened it . she being the crazy lady neighbor everyone thought was a witch . and you wouldn't scream when she gave you some candy with her bony hands and long black fingernails . and the fun you had catching your breath after you ran 3 blocks back to your house just thinking about what would really happen if you'd had the nerve to knock on her door . . .

Halloween Pumpkin ~ Oct 30

Halloween Pumpkin ~ Oct 29, 2009

Halloween Pumpkin ~ Oct 27, 2009