In our house...

so when a skiing injury created a rolled ankle, something had to be done,

especially when another ski trip was in the offing.

Truly, nothing hurts at all, as long as the colour is good, right?  

I'm fascinated right now...

...by patterns, and they're absolutely everywhere.

Whether on the net,

in photos,

in nature,

in my surroundings,

and in my own work

one can hardly escape them.

I'm drawn right now to Art Deco patterns, and there are a host of them to be found with a Google search of 'Art Deco Images'.  These have my mouth watering with their beauty and their seeming simplicity.

This lacquered wood screen by Jean Dunand has my mind whirling with possibilities.

Are you drawn to patterns as well?  Where do you see them?  I'd love to see your comments below.

What do you do...

...when you're in the artistic doldrums?

I turn to pages in my journals, adding, covering, deleting and generally messing about.  Since this time of the year usually slows down my passion for creating (I'm a sunshine-craving creator), I've been poking about in a journal gifted to me by my friend Meg.  An oblong shape, it appeals to my sense of quirkiness.

 Some of the pages are complete,

 many of them are filled with stolen items (salvaged from greeting cards and found ephemera),

some are in progress,

and some have a looooooong way to go.

This journal spread is looking for a fortune cookie saying that complements the flowers,

 and many of the pages have already found one.

Whatever the stage, they're a great place to play, and play small, which is always an appeal when the Muse is occupied elsewhere.  

What calls you when the creativity slows down?  Is it journals, small paintings, card-making, tags, or something else entirely?  I'd love to hear in your comments, and if you've got a link to it, all the better!