Hello Again, Hello

Been a while since I got the time to sit and post here. Been busy. Gearing up for the fall craft fairs. Getting stock in. Trying new things.
Next weekend is fair weekend. Topsfield. We have only missed one year, when both Sean and I were sick with nasty colds.
Thing about this fair is that one year it will be cold. Next warm. Shorts? Jacket? It's a toss up. One of the joys of New England weather.
Kinda like Halloween. You never know what the weather is going to be like. Will it rain and ruin it all around? Will it be warm? Windy? Cold? Snow??
We have lived in our house in Fitchburg for 11 years now. Only time we havent celebrated Halloween was the year we had Sarah.
And every year we have done something different.
One year it was spiders(which I am scared of. but yet the "show" went on. One year bats. Lots of em too.

Last year it was the headless horseman. I "carved" dozens of those "funkins" the fake, craft pumpkins. Put fake tea lights in them. Hung them with fishing line from the ceiling of the front porch, so that they looked like they were floating. The effect was great. Despite the breeze that we are often plagued with.

This year it is clowns. SCARY CLOWNS.  I am excited. We have our costumes. Although Sarah is going as a vampire. It will be fun.
I am looking for scary circus music. I figure to pop some cheap popcorn and leave some in the street for effect. Biggest thing is the, well my need for circus tent "material" Which I still have o measure the porch for.

We set up the morning of the 31st and right after 8pm,, when the last trick or treater is gone. We take it all down. Nothing is left up.
 Makes it more fun. No one knows until it is up what we are going to do with the house. What the theme will be.
Maybe next year it will be vampires. Not the friendly kind. Scary. Halloween is not meant to be cute.
My dad raised me right. As I am doing with the kid.

Til later. No new pics. been busy with other aspects of life this last few weeks.

M

Kodak Metallic Professional Paper

I may never go back!
I received my first order from Kodak this morning. The 8x10s of ones I am considering entering(juried) to represent Festive Chicken(me) in the local artist gallery in 2012. The print quality made it so much harder. They are stunningly beautiful.

I grew up with Kodak.. so using them just felt like home to me. Although I am pretty sure I could get cheaper printing elsewhere. Their site was easy to use and navigate. The prices aren't too bad. Would be easier if I was actually able to work right now.. but I digress.

They shipped the order in two separate packages, since I ordered the 8x10s with the professional grade paper and the 5x10 with Premium grade paper.  I have only received the 8x10s thus far. But I am sure I will not be disappointed.

I wish that I could post a exact copy of how beautiful these are. But the quality will not come across on line. 
My water lily photos, "Bubblegum(Pink Chevy BelAir)", "Little Blue Flowers",  "Cadillacs" and "The Greys" are the ones that I ordered copies of with this paper. Definitely worth the cost!

Please visit my Festive Chicken Photography to see the prints I currently have available.

Martha

Fine Art America!

You can now find my pieces on Fine Art America
There are more choices for potential buyers. In fact, since I am planning on having a gallery opening sometime within the next year. Yes fancy schmancy,, complete with a reception :) I plan on getting the gallery art from them myself. Eventually.

More to come on the gallery. I am in the process on contacting several local avenues. In fact the Fitchburg Art Museum has a local talent event yearly that I plan on entering. And there are several other galleries in the area. What I need are the pieces. I have the work, but need them professionally printed, matted and framed correctly. Tape and or velcro wont do.

I will eventually get out of my own way and off my ass and get my Kickstarter Project launched. Since that is for the funding for the gallery pieces I need. Maybe this weekend I will launch that and keep my fingers crossed.

Til then.. another piece

Kickstarter

A kick start is what it seems I needed to find myself again. Sadly it took it's form as a pain in my lower left abdomen.

I have found myself creatively. Now I need the funding to get my work out there. I need pieces to bring to galleries, the local museums and craft/art shows.
 
So today, as I sat listening to the wind howl and the rain lash the windows. I went to kickstarter

My Nikon Coolpix L110 isnt "top of the line"   I don't want to upgrade. I want to show what someone can really DO with this camera and no Photoshop. And with no education in the field of photography. Raw. Fresh. Unadulterated. No manipulation.

I am not trying to be the next Ansel Adams, whose work I find spiritual. Although that would be great. I want people to see my photos and smile.

With luck Kickstarter will accept my "project"  And I will meet my goal of $800.00 to get me out there.

I will update when I hear from them.

In the mean time. Here is one of my more recent photos.

  It is for sale in my store at Festive Chicken Photography and Art

Thanks for stopping by.

Martha

Cravings

We all get them. Usually they hit us when there is no way that a  Philly Cheese Steak Sub is going to appear. Or in the middle of the night. You wake up and NEED a pint of Chunkey Monkey ice cream. Or even better still. When you are prepping for a colonoscopy and cant eat anything solid until sometime the next day. I am speaking from direct experience here. I want a Papa Ginos cheese pizza. Now.
But alas. I must wait until sometime tomorrow. And then just keep my fingers crossed that actually eating a few slices doesnt totally kill me.

On the subject of cravings Tookies chocolate-chip-buttercreme-cookie-wiches  look SO GOOD. I am promising myself to buy some before a doctor tells me I can no longer have sugar, chocolate etc.

And then there is another new finding of mine on Etsy RainingChocolate
I LOVE CHOCOLATE!

When the weather cools and the humidity drops I make fudge. I used to have an Etsy store My Moms Fudge a few years ago. But it got too much for me. I went back to work full time and just couldnt keep up. So now I make it for friends and family. And maybe an occasional event.

I feel like I am playing a game

of 20 questions with my health.
Luckily i have my family. My husband, my mother. My daughter.

Today was actually cold. I only have the window next to the computer opened a tiny bit because the little breeze we are getting was pretty chilly. Knowing that my horse is smart enough to stay in his stall out of the rain and breeze is a comforting thing. Although I do wish I had brought my camera out with my today. There is a crab apple tree on the barn owners long gravel drive that I never noticed before. And I have been boarding Rhett there for over three years now.
I have noticed that since I decided to be involved in my life again. I am noticing things and seeing things differently. I guess that makes sense. Kind of like having blinders taken off.. the world seems bigger, brighter.
I am going to try and capture more of my world and enjoy the view.