Art Grants

I wrote a grant at donorschoose.org for my classroom, the TAG program, and the Indian Education Program to do block printing. If you want to help click on the link and donate, or just pass on the information to someone you think might want to help. My students will be thrilled to get to do a new project. We are also hoping that some of the prints can be sold at an art showing to raise much needed money for these programs. Thank you.-Kassy
How Does it Fit Together? Creating Craft http://www.donorschoose.org/

P.S This grant will help over 50 children learn a new skill!

Happy Holiday's

I have been busy the last few weeks with special orders for dragons and Illustrations. These orders have really helped with all of the last minute expenses for the holidays. My extended family and friends have also been so helpful in the last months that we may not have made it with out them. Moving is never easy, but everything is going much smoother with a little help from family and friends. Thank you, we are grateful. I have attached a new illustration.

Fantasy Pictures

I am still getting used to a new house, town, and job. I haven't done any writing lately but I have been painting custom fantasy picture for people and making dragons. Here are three I finished last month:

I am taking a teaching position in Florence Oregon. I start Monday. I think I will have many beautiful things to paint and write about. We went up last weekend to find housing,(still looking), and spent Sunday morning on the beach. It was lovely. I can't wait to paint it. Since I am working half days next week, if I get a sunny one I may paint during the afternoons.

Taking Orders on My New Book

For those of you who haven't heard, I am frantically trying to get "Signing Upside Down" published. I am taking prepaid pre-orders to get through the final stages and wanted it out by the fifteenth. Anyone who wants to get a hold of the book please help with production and prepay. We are selling copies for $13. (they will be more once it is actually printed so you are getting a deal). Order one or 12 (Christmas is coming it is a great stocking stuffer-smile). The book was complete two years ago and it is time to get it out there. We are really close to having enough to have it printed, and I am getting really excited. I have two library's and several teachers patiently waiting for it's arrival. If you are interested in helping please e-mail me directly or add a comment here with a way to contact you and I will get you the information. Thank you!-Kassy

writing meetings, classes, and such

I am a sucker for writing classes and meetings. The more activities I can participate in about writing the more invested I am in my writing. How many times do you really want to show up and say you haven't worked on anything? I can't last very long without buckling down and working. I am taking two writing classes right now. One at the Sheridan Library taught by one of my writing buddies Maggie King. Even her title is fun Catching Fireflies Writing Class-capturing the bright and shiny memories of your life on paper. She is giving us a chapter a week of prompts and activities to help us write our life stories. (This class is free and you can just show up-7pm on Thursday nights for the next ten Thursdays.) The other class I am taking is:Writing with Technology done by the Oregon Writing Project. Just who is sponsoring it is enough information. If you have not taken a writing class by the OWP, you are shamefully unaware. This class is especially fun because I know so many of the people attending it is like an OWP reunion. We are having a blast. As for my WIT writing group meetings this is the e-mail I sent to them tonight:"If you missed tonight's meeting you missed homemade biscuits and jam, and a writing marathon. I have seven pages of writing, whew!It was really fun!
The next meeting is October 24th (Sunday at 6:30). The meeting place has moved to Penny's house. She has graciously agreed to host us. Please let me know if you need directions.
Next month is National Novel Writing Month. www.nanowrimo.org has great resources for adult writers and classrooms. Free stuff and downloadable workbooks. There are a few of us working on YA novels (young adult) this is a good resource. There is also the novel in a month challenge. Anyone wanna race? This would be for a first draft not a completed draft. But I do have a copy of the weekend novelist if we want to work with prompts.
Have fun writing this month see you the 24th.-Kassy" I love to go to my writing meetings and talk about what I am going to do. It gets me more fired up about actually doing it. SO I have two goals this month. To finish three more dragon pictures (okay they are being commissioned so I have to finish them anyway but it is a good goal-smile) and to get the out line ready for my YA novel because I want to do the challenge in November with the NANOWRIMO. Any one want to join me?

Writing Contest

The writing contest in Portland that Dan and I attended this weekend, has a readers choice division and we need your votes. As you read the pieces keep in mind the prompts were:
character: delivery person
dialog: what you need is a nice...
action: climbing a tree
prop: sunscreen

all four prompts had to be in our pieces.
You can vote for us at-www.sledgehammercontest.com
Dans piece is called,"Master"
mine is called,"To squash a fairy"Thanks-Kassy

This was a great event, if we hadn't double booked ourselves to be at the shrewsbury fair and at the contest we would have liked it more. They gave us clues to a scavenger hunt through Portland to find our prompts and then we had 36 hours to turn in our completed story. We were driving back and forth between Portland and kings valley, but we had fun.
The Tuesday we read our storys at the Blackbird wine and cheese bar in Portland. Dan was amazing, and friends present said I didn't talk too fast.