Well, ARTchix didn't go for my class idea.  Oh well, maybe next time... but I'm not giving up!  Yesterday on my way home I stopped and picked some pretty fall leaves.  We do have some leaves that change here in Florida, but most that do change, change later in the year or in January or February.  These were persimmon leaves.  They are bright orange, red and yellow and some are a deep purple.  I'll try to put them in some handmade paper.  That's my next venture, handmade paper.  I do a good job with the mediums I work in now, but I'm looking for something "organic" for lack of a better word.  I used to work with clay... handbuilding pottery, but my arthritic hands couldn't take it.  I do some work with paper clay and I really think that working with pulp would be a great way to get back to my "organnic" roots.  Besides, I want to make my art and craft more green.  I guess that's why I've been trying to recycle cereal boxes and stuff into gift boxes, not to mention my recycled CD clocks.  The office that I work at could supply me with alot of paper for recycling into handmade paper.  This is something I really want to learn and possibly incorporate some of my poetry and prose into the art.  Maybe I could even use my own paper for my pastel paintings.  Here are a few of my paintings...