go ahead:search me

i seem to remember reading somewhere along the lines, another blog, and her hilarious, slightly enlightening way of sharing how others were finding her blog by their searches. i have desperately wanted to share this funny wealth as well from the phantomcrimes perspect. searches and referrals are strange, and i wonder if what i write, will have any effect on, say, my job future or what have you. it's a curious thing, wondering how the words create a path, give an impression, and leave you with a tedious hedgy:superficial www reputation.

baby raccoon notecard art:on 06.22.07 i wrote about purchasing notecards and seeing baby raccoons while biking

three strikes:on 06.15.08 it's just seriously hilarious to see my own spelling errors, unga!

phillip sandee painting:you all remember this right?

button wreath:the ever popular, i never ever got around to making one, i hope this person looking for a tutorial actually found one.

i thought this one was funny. BI-LO employee handbook

how are tidal waves to fast

oh well, have a good weekend.

cooking juice

isn't exactly the way i'd like to put it, but it is a little less confrontational, a little less abrasive, a little more creative than saying that the pressure is on, on you. if i were a blender i'd like to pulverize, mince this person to pieces. that person being, the "$14.96 guy/gal". this said, he or she decided it would be alright, justified waging war upon my banking account, more specifically my check card. "awh, whatever, it's only $14.96", they nonchalantly said as they purchased a "yahoo domain:*phantomcrimes". what they neglected to see, ignored to comprehend is that phantomcrimes will remain untouchable. it remains mine insofar as:

1. you have got to think i am an idiot if i don't question-quiry a charge that i know i did not charge to my account.

2. you will not steal my account information and make a small purchase for a website using my website name as your website name. i mean, yeah, it's possible, it happened but i am not letting it go quite yet. ha! you're not getting your domain with my moolah!

3. you oughta believe i know where you live

4. my bark is louder than my bite but i'm stressed about it, just a little bit. thankful mostly for internet banking and for being able to check my account every day, to regulate/prevent this sort of thing from happening in the future.

5. also want to warn others that the leak, may have potentially happened through paypal.

6. i'd like to cook this said he or she for dinner. howdoyoulikemenow?

***bside:

i'm going to round up this week by thanking david&the boys of cc for the nice writeup. it is a pleasure, it is affirmation, it is what i am here for as an artist, to be called upon, that is if you like my art, it is exciting and i cannot wait to have all of the loose ends wrapped up, after this weekend.

also a huge thank you to julian @ fitness together. if you're interested i have a handful of art hanging and he has graciously hung titles and prices. thank you.

while i'm at it moo is having a fling with facebook. talk about a blast of light at the end of the funnel! i'm not so sure i'm ready to partake but heck if you try let me know how it goes.

for those of you interested...the ethan collier fam has successfully, safely reunited here in the states. let the celebrations begin!

so many hits

i couldn't figure out for the life of me, why in the world this photo was getting the hits it was getting. until of course today. surfing the web turf i came across this post with a link to my photo. unga! it's the sixth link, if you're curious and don't wanna sift through, amazing, isn't it? i'm not amazing i mean, it's amazing that a simple photo of my moo stickers would be used:found. i suppose i feel sheepish about the exposure, or wish in some ungrateful sense that i could chose my exposure. heck i really don't care, it is just so much fun, all of it, it's just a sweet little peck on the cheek, when someone finds something you've created and likes it enough to post about it. thanks denise.
moo and all of it's offerings is incredible, nearly brilliant, so close in it's ways and means it makes me crazy. i ended up using the stickers as envelope seals with my cards. the cards and stickers correspond.

i worked at the rx last night. one of my coworkers was assaulted, yesterday afternoon, by a woman who was attempting to steal beer. the woman threatened to pull a gun and my coworker, we'll call her LS, proceeded to grab the woman's purse away from her, all escalated and the cops were called but didn't get to the rx in time to catch this female and her male accomplice. my manager did happen to get their tags and a piece of skin, so to speak. it's never been that insane when i'm there from six until nine. i really don't want that kind of action.

ethan and caleb are flying through the air, on their way home, from Kazakhstan, today. the anticipation has been steadily growing and i know my sister in law is about to burst, it's like the second round, another incredible day, a reunion. i cannot wait!

bye now.

catching my b.r.e.a.t.h

has been more difficult than i thought, hence my absense. i ended up getting some much needed zzz's over the weekend, but missed being with k and neglected the creative arena. am i rationing out my time? because i regret not having any to share with each and every last one of my friends. it must be the pangs of social withdrawl, after so much activity via clothesline. or possibly it's the imminent idea of quitting, finishing things up at the rx. woohoo. even so last evening was one of those devotional moments, i took to making some of these fantastic little shapes. i'm addicted to tracing and cutting and leafing through mag after mag searching for the slightest hint of goodness.
also extremely happy to show off a "tiny" collection of wire animals and small objects of happy-ness again. as if it were the first time. cwaimean?

can you relate?

meet ola

i want a sf painting

wish i could go, i really just like the poster though and it's creator and praying for his wife mostly.

dreaming about this little guy and wishing i could see them every day

can relate to her organizations only this is my top drawer

whose saying, enough with the links now? bye

meekend of the deal

i must be as lucky as they come because my weekend was one of those you wish would last forever. most of the time, weekends are the part of the week you'd wish would last forever but this one was super fine. all of the sudden, this valley began it's autumnal season and the temps fell, the air crisped and we're all happy people again. on saturday i rushed to do a couple of loads of laundry. then at two i went to a baby shower for my sister in law and her son caleb. it was an afternoon like no other, i think partially because we've grown to love caleb from afar and to see the love and support from so many was incredibly overwhelming. too, the weather enveloped us in its gloriousness. the light, the breeze, a garden full of dusty miller, horses:brown and white, lulling fields and lines of pear trees. it could have brought a tear but all were smiles and never mind there's no time for tears.
one of the gifts given to mary for caleb was boygirlparty's susie g. gorgeous book, my family my journey. when i saw i immediately, couldn't help myself from squeeling out for joy. book was specifically created for adoptive families, i'm thinking how special is that. and the illustrations are to die for! almost like little lickable trees!

on sunday i ended up ironing every single piece of clothing i own, couldn't believe that i even ventured to do so. i think it almost took me four hours but i'm sure to have fresh ironed clothes for at least a week.

i finished all things clotheline financial which is a huge relief. and began on organizing my thoughts and focusing in on my next project, the coral castles album art. i thought i just kick around some drawing styles and or fonts. below is just the very first idea, later last night after playing a little tennis i drew two more in addition and think i've got my creative flow flowing once again. i would love to stick with my television trees, but really have no desire to play them out. i also think color is going to make or break this work and black and white isn't giving me much to go on. at this point i don't see why i won't beable to finish up by my deadline, fast approaching.

i also went ahead and bought a bunch more canvas and will be creating more paper quilts. keep your eyes pealed.***gotta get back to work work, you know how that goes, right?***

i should be updating my etsy shop with cards and such...is anyone going to buy my paper quilt cards or should i just gift them? just joking.

Recycled Air:Saying Goodbye

oh friday friday friday, how is it you were just here and now your back. i have looked forward to you since the last time you swung around. saying farewell to recycled air this weekend. loving every single minute of sharing my art with old friends, new people and family. will be back on monday with new work in progress and possibly, hopefully maybe just something new new, like taking my own advice and reworking this ole bit o' phantomcrimes.

have a wonderful wonderful weekend. i am going to let some of this much needed rain wash away and fall clean. sounds nice doesn't it.

goodbye.

to.give.thanks

i am nearly in the clear. a moments rest is just beyond reach around the corner. and after days, weeks and months leading to our clothesline weekend, i am now filled with overwhelming joy and anticipation, i am thankful. grateful beyond a simple word. affirmed in my artistic desires and dreams. recovering my wits about me i am eager to begin anew, the commissions, coral castles awaits, and paper quilt publishing submissions. with one hundred and one thousand projects that i hope to afford the time for. and as of last night, in a small but informative discussion with my boss at cvs, i pretty well exclaimed my decision to quit my part time efforts before or around october twenty sixth. it is because of your support that i can rely and trust in what making art can do for me. cvs filled a space of time for me in the evenings that i was not using to benefit me, almost three years ago. now that i have found my self in my art, i have found comfort and i recognize my responsibilities and the gift i want to share is more. making art for myself is indescribably incredible. it fills me up, it lifts my spirits and lays insecurities and fear to bed.

i must thank my mom and dad for creating the creativity in me, somehow, god only knows. to my sisters: suzanne for standing beside me, emily for dying my hair, my dear mary and laurie for sweet words of encouragement everyday and for loving my art. to my brothers, ethan for the email this morning, for finding me after your twenty nine years, as siblings in the same world of creativity. he a builder, myself a visual artist. your words ethan, are words to live by and for and to cry out and exclaim the truth about, what we do and how it represents our hearts, thank you for finding the common ground with me. thank you aaron for being solid.

to the women of clothesline my heart is humbled by your beautiful inspiring art. i know i'm being weepy and sappy but our hearts and souls, our eyes have seen the glory and we have been given the gift of sharing it. i love every minute of planning and organizing and driving the efforts and event to it's opening to closing.

to my patrons: rob and maryalice, i cannot believe you guys. may twilight trees forever bring happiness and joy, may you be reminded of the sweetness of childhood and rest in underneath a forest of beautiful happy trees. thank you. to those of you who took a small bit of my art home with you i am so happy. to rebekah s., you know who you are, thank you for watching my work, for blurking, for your encouragement, for being honest and for stepping out and purchasing. to annette, if you're reading, thank you. i am so glad you liked my television trees, i was seriously worried about how an audience would receive it and wanted someone to love it as much as i do. i'm glad you found it. to taylor, again if you're reading, i'd love to make more artwork especially for you, thank you and feel free to contact me. to austina, it was so nice to finally meet you. i am so happy you liked my fish enough to give it away as a gift, i hope that it conjures up a beautiful little world for the little girl you're giving it to. amy and greg we'll be in convo, i'll have recycled air for you this coming friday! thank you phillip, denise and stevie for making it out. and to my coworkers thank you. thank you too linda!

okay, i think i'm finished. i am sorry if that was laborious, it's just really important that i thank you all publically because this is the beginning and i sort of want it to last forever. i also want all of you to know how serious i am about creating work, not for the money, not for fame, but for the purpose of bringing light and life into your homes. if you or your children are inspired by what my hands have done than as so many have said before me, i have met my goal and have served as i desire.

if you and i spoke at the show regarding commissioned work please feel free to contact me. email me at catcollier@hotmail.com. i would love to fill my calendar with deadlines for the rest of the year and for the first six months of next year. if you're interested in completed work not seen at the clothesline show, i'd encourage you to visit my etsy shop. i promise i will be updating with new work and the paper quilt cards.

if you're interested in keeping up with clothesline remember we've got the blog and if you're an artist we spoke to about getting involved and or participating we will be intouch. i've got just a bit more catching up to do and then it'll be back to regular broadcasting efforts here at phantomcrimes.

i just started reading mason & dixon by thomas pynchon and dixon in a letter to mason ends by saying: "y'r o'b'd't s'v't"

that's sort of how i feel about right now, goodbye all. until tomorrow.

nobody girl

this past weekend i seriously accomplished the huge list of things i needed to. it's amazing what a deadline can do. it's even more amazing that i didn't have to work until last night. having had a whole lot of time, almost ninty six hours worth, to paint, print, package, hang, distribute, meet&discuss and recover all that i originally thought was lost in my head. when you have thought about something for so long and then it actually happens or gets close to happening, it can be a little overwhelming and boy oh boy what a relief.
i am super excited about what i have to share and show at clothesline and can't believe that we're about to do it all again. the second in my television trees (above) is a serious departure from my paper quilts, even from my previous trees, but all in all these are the trees i've been thinking about and feeling like lying underneath. and of course there's nothing about them that is symbolic, it's my personal interpretation on graffiti, on a soft world of graffiti that is.

on saturday i finally got to the printers and on sunday picked up sixty brand spankin new card sets of my six paper quilts. this go around i wanted to spruce them up a bit and am pleased as punch with their new rounded corners-ahhh and envelope seals!

on one hand i wish i could say that after clothesline i'd get a little bit of break but on the other hand, i'm eager to start the next in line project(s). my next "meet the deadline" is october first. i have in the recent months been asked by aaron robbs, lead singer/gituarist for coral castles to design:make the art for their newest album:ep. on sunday we had the opportunity to sit and and discuss, surf the www and speak openly on subjects of design, art, creativity and the like. i am thrilled to pieces about this and can barely contain my thoughts on this tip.
i think i mine as well just post about my next deadline. i'm hestitant because there all kinds of things that i have to do first, plus a publishers approval and all, but i'm excited and thought if i told you all about it you could keep me in your thoughts and "cross fingered" prayers.

i have been contacted by someone who would like me to submit my paper quilts for a diy book to be published at the beginning of next year. it is going to be a whole lot of work but i feel incredibly blessed to have this opportunity and to share it with my friends, family and readers here. it seems like it maybe an encouragement to you as you travel down your own creative paths. i will definitely keep you updated as i approach december one and january one of twothousandeight.
i've started my next to last piece for the clothesline show, pictured below and hope to have it completed by tonight or tomorrow. again what's with the rounded corners? this will be my third twilight trees (a warm colored one for the record books) and then a fourth (a cooler one in blues and greens and turqs) hopefully will be completed by thursday night-friday afternoon at the latest. unga.

i have no idea if i'm leaving something out or not. if it weren't for the holiday i think i might have gone bonkers. thanks labor day!

thinking about ryan adams, can you tell?