My first "book" and learning to add photos

It was exciting to actually get a blog going, now it's time to see about content-ouch. Just finished making my first coptic binding-took a lot of years thinking about making books to actually DO IT. Maybe the pf stands for procrastination futility? My next task is to figure out how to post a photo. Love to look at other artists blogs and of course get a serious self-esteem dip when I do. Mixed Media has fascinated me for years and I play with stuff-paper making, paper decorating, collecting all sorts of odd and wonderful stuff, reading and slobbering over the gorgeous art that people like Judy and Katie and all of the others do. Had a bunch of fun playing with Judy in her studio twice in the last six months and she made me feel so comfortable at it that it almost seems possible to work hard enough and be good at it-but truth is, fear holds me back a lot- working on that for sure.

The blog thing is a way to encourage myself to get something done and show it off. FYI, I am about Judy's age, have a crappy job, a house that I can do what I want to in, and more time than sense-got lazy a few years ago after realizing that kids were not kids anymore but middle aged real people and were going to be fine-spent a few years with my first grandchild, Tyler as his daytime caregiver while my daughter got her degree-and my bachelor son comes and goes and usually goes just about the time I've become accustomed to having him around again. spent several years helping my stepfather with my mom until she died a year and a half ago. Been through empty nest syndrome so many times, and was afraid to start my own thing for fear some new crisis would come up to keep distracting from the aim of those badly named "Golden years"-to be artist or writer, or both. The first years of empty nest thingy were spent making rugs, quilts, knitting, refinishing antiques, making all sorts of things, but am over most of that, but learned a lot of little things that come in handy. Don't necessarily need to be professional, just have this need to express which doesn't need to elaborated on here, does it?

That's enough for tonight-gotta busy with the camera and gussy up my first ever handmade journal that makes me so tickled to have finished-hope to hear from someone eventually and will do my damndest to make it interesting and maybe even fun when I can relax a little and enjoy it! Thanks, Emma