The Year of the Rat ...*fink*

pre-gesso'd black journal paper, Golden Fluid Acrylics- Interference green and gold, Cobalt Blue,Quinacridone Magenta, and my favorite Nickel Azo Gold acrylic paint on asian stamp for initial background texture.

The rats are cut out of paper towels I had used to clean my brushes and saved.
chinese coin stamp and asian lady stamped with Stazon black on acetate.

My contribution to Wednesday Stamper's theme for this week "Asia"

Happy Chinese New Year! "The Year of the Rat" note the years listed on the right on my collage are 'rat years', which occur every twelve years.

Are you a Rat?

Characteristics of Rat:
smart, magnetic, well-liked, problem solvers, self-sufficient, quick-witted, surreptitious, selfish, protective, calculating hmmm...

Right now I'm thinking my husband is a rat, but now he was born in '61.
Is it possible to be on the cusp of rat?

This city girl, (who now lives in the country) is pining for her husband who abandoned her early this week for another country, not another woman, but another country. Italy. 'Povero Bambino!" This is where the *fink* part comes in as in *rat fink*. and he took our good digital hence crappy photos.

I needed to drown my sorrows, so I decided to mosey on over to the Barrel Room a local vintage wine bar and bistro to meet some friends. Here I opted for the 'champagne and caviar dreams package' a.k.a. glass of "J" Cuvee from J Winery in Sonoma. We cracked some bread, peeled back some prosciutto, and nibbled on baby lamb chops. We laughed, we people watched, and we laughed some more and I still wasn't feeling like I was any where nearer to the Trevi Fountain. Another "J' please, and can I buy a vowel? Like a "U" for u rat fink.

I'm just joshing because I'm actually delighted my husband had a chance to get away to such a lovely place and have it paid for by the company.

So city girl heads back home to country, tired and lonely for her traveling man. Now mind you it has been raining alot up here this past weekend, it's been frigid cold in the a.m. 27 degrees with frost all around. Our yard backs up to the Cleveland National Forest, (no we don't live in Ohio) and the wildlife is restless. Our little birds are tapping on the bedroom windows, I'm feeling like Tippi Hendren in "The Birds". There are the frogs, what sounds like meeeelllions of frogs, croaking away, pining for bug bites, coyotes pining for the moon, and the barn owls that nest in our trees pining for the rats! So I cozy on up to the sounds of my wildlife friends and ring in the New Year.

P.S. Here's a real pic of Rat Fink (anyone remember this hot-rod character by Ed Roth) from Kustom Kulture. My husband used to have these trading cards.



Thank you for visiting and your kind words, as always-

"Enjoy yourself it's later than you think"
My other blogspot: The Way I See It"

WS-Charms

single pendant charm- each side
asst'd. collage snippets, 7gypsies rub-ons, Stamper's Anonymous cube stamp

My contribution to this weeks Wednesday Stamper challenge "Charms"

"No man is useless, while he is a friend" Thanks for stopping by!

My other blog: "The Way I See It"

WS-Fortuna

Found a new  3X5 card surface from which to embellish upon last evening at R. O'Sullivans Irish Pub and Steakhouse in Escondido, CA... known to me for the longest time as the NIB (Neighborhood Irish Bar) long story for another day.

The waitress came to the table and threw down a slew of these sturdy 3x5 coasters that had really neat photos of California surfers and on the backside they were postcards, ready for mailing.   They were actually made to support a Fat Tire Beer.   My mind was reeling...while everyone was placing their drink orders I was calculating how I could abscond a few of these for the sake of art without looking too obvious.  I'll take a Grey Goose Lemon drop martini, please... before she returned I started to slowly shuffle a few of these in my direction leaving behind a token few.

Now mind you in addition to drink coasters, this place has wonderful Shepard's Pie, Bangers and Mash, Guinness Stew and plenty of good 'ole Guinness Stout.   It's 9p.m.-- no cover charge- Andy Walo Blues/Rock guitarist.  We had seen this guy here before and he is one talented guitarist he can play a mean Stevie Ray Vaughn, Johnny Cash, John Lee Hooker, J.J. Cale to name a few.   I'll have another Grey Goose Lemon Drop Martini, please...   

So here is my reincarnated coaster titled "Fortuna" il "Patrono San di acquisto  domestico" "The Patron Saint of Homebuyers"   My contribution to this weeks Wednesday Stamper challenge

Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to mosey on over to my other blogspot "The Way I See It"