THE DRAWBACKS OF BLOGGING

The one thing I don't like about blogs is that so many of them are "me " centered. I realize they are supposed to be like a journal of daily happenings in a writer's life, but written journals are usually private.

I kept a diary (or journal), from the age of 12 until I was 20. I think I did it because I liked being able to go back in my life and see if and how I'd changed as a person -- my opinions about people, movies, events. Interestingly enough I stopped keeping a journal about a year after I met my husband -to-be. Just lost interest. Imagine every single day for 8 years I wrote in my diary. Perhaps I just wanted to record what were my first impressions of the man I would marry. I know I just lost interest in journaling once I knew we would marry. Interestingly too, I just recently went back and destroyed all my old diaries. Believe me there was nothing earth shaking in them. I'm 69 now and I don't want anyone else reading all that teenage nonsense!

I do like keeping track of my friends by blogs, and I did learn about ATC's through blogs, but so many I've read just promote" what a wonderful person I am" or "how sorry you must feel for me". Your real friends are interested in that, but casual readers like me are just hoping to broaden their horizons a little, I think. But then again, I don't open up easily to people, and I don't think people are all that interested in my daily ups and downs, so I'd rather write about concrete things. It is nice to be able to share a little about things you have created or new things in your life that someone else might identify with.

So with that in mind I share my latest three ATC's just to inspire you to try them for yourself:

Green and Blue Butterfly

Nature"s Textures
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Blue Orchid and Red Berries

VISIT MY NEW BLOG

"You shall rise up with wings like eagles; you will run and not be weary. You will walk and not faint."

CAJ

Come visit my new blog I just opened this weekend. But be warned! It is a Christian blog. I told you I am opinionated, that's another way of saying I have convictions. Not blindly accepted but thoroughly examined. I'll try not to preach, but I will include thought provoking illustrations and comments -- I hope. Why do it it on a separate blog? Because there are those who want nothing to do with Evangelical Christians. I've met some already in my blogging. One said that two things she hates are evangelical Christians and terrorists. How sad. I am excluded before I even get to tell her how much I like her blog and how much I am like her. I'll have more to say about this on my new blog: chrisscomments.blogspot.com See the link in the side panel.

But this blog will continue as before -- just for fun and hopefully interesting.

PHOTO ATC'S

These are photo ATC's -- actually part of a photo,
but in this case I just had to cut off the extra sky.



No, I know it's not the Fourth of July, (or Guy
Fawkes Day for those of British background)
but I was having trouble posting the ATC's
(wrong format) and had these ready to go.



I thought they came out quite well. ABJ took
these last year. Firework photos never come
out looking as good as they were.



But these are pretty good, I think.

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But if you want CUTE...



Bailey and Levi last year.

.

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Alas! Something exploded in them and we had
several massive cat fights, so poor Levi was chosen
to go back to the original owner. But I hear he is in
a nice home now. It's hard to believe, because they
had seemed so close for a whole year.

So now Bailey reigns supreme. He's really King of the Castle.

MORE ATC's

I've taken so long getting this blog posted, I apologize.
I've had a small emergency that has consumed my time.
Nothing drastic, but time consuming and important. It's all
solved now, thankfully.



I decided I had to name these, rather than just
number them. The one above is "Trumpet"



This one is "Peacock"



And this one is "Curls and Rings"

If you go back to my previous blog, you will see I've
named them also.

ART TRADING CARDS

While browsing the web recently, I came across
what are called Art Trading Cards. The idea is that you
make your own cards 21/2 x 31/2 inches, of your own
design, and then trade them with people who
also make their own. Sort of like baseball cards.

"Petals"

Many artists use buttons and fabric and all kinds
of other oddments to create theirs. I liked the idea
because they are small, colorful and can be
pleasing to look at.



"Spikes"

But I especially liked the idea of creating my own,
just using colored pencils, then I can create them
very easily without as much mess as painting,
and do it on my knee while watching TV.



"Fish Eye"

The colors don't reproduce well on the blog,
although I am using PRISMACOLOR pencils.
I don't intend to do the trading part. But I think
I will start a collection.



"Shower Curtain"