August 2, 2009-@Mandalay Bay in Vegas

Well, we arrive yesterday around 9 a.m, but our suite wasn't ready. So we stored our bags and then went out site-seeing. It was very hot at even that time of day. I think before they called us that our suite was ready, we had gone to the Luxor, Excalibur, and some of Mandalay Bay. One colleague traveling with us had not been here for 20 years and so she was like a "kid at the fair", wanting to see and do everything. I did win over $300 yesterday on the slots. I guess I have the knack for it.
As we went through stores, etc., I always look to see what's selling and get inspiration from other arts who have created "crafty" things. I found many things that I might incorporate in my own art. Even in the bathroom of a restaurant in Mandalay Bay, I found wall stamped with sponge stamps that gave I ideas for future things to create. My mind does not rest when it comes to finding creative ways to present art. Maybe crazy, but I am "built" that way.

Well, I' up early on this Monday, just as I always am every morning, because of my lumbar problem. Wish I could sleep in, but did go to bed about 7:30 p.m. Vegas time...so I had really been up many hours longer than I would have been at home. Still, it's a great time with me being up by myself to think about art and all my pursuits. I did bring one of my crafting book treasures with me called, Paper Crafts & Stamp It! : Treasury of Tips & Tricks by the same people who do the magazine. So it is a collaboration of ideas from many people. Great book! It covers cards, altered books, tags, and more. It's a good one to have in your crafting library.

Back to the things I see here: Even the carpets in the room and halls have been done with designs that could be transferred to other craft techniques. The halls have carpets with a ginko pattern and the carpets in the suite have a coral pattern. The art on the walls are a combination of photography and those with a painterly approach (as in the foyer paintings) So there is plenty to look at for inspiration as is wherever I go. It's crazy, but I can look at a non-descript pattern on a wall and see objects, people, etc. within the design. That may not make sense to some, but I've always done that since very young.

Well, I will keep you posted. I did find a box shape here (that the soap came in) that I plan to copy and develop into a shape I can use for some of my art. My cutout cards have now a special box that they come in. I need to post that on my site along with the card cutouts for people to see. It just gives the cards a nice home for housing them and could also be used after the cards are gone for some other purpose.

Take care and craft away!
Gregg