The Tattered Rose

HOW DO YOU GET TO CARNEGIE HALL?

2009-06-02T13:31:00.001-07:00

Do you remember the old joke where the out of towner stops a NYC cabbie and says, "How do you get to Carnegie Hall?" The answer is "Practice, practice, practice."

That's the quip that was on my mind when I decided I could make myself some new summer jewelry. I used some of the jewelry techniques I had been reading about in O'Briens Metal Craft Discovery Workshop and Kelly Snelling and Ruth Rae's A Charming Exchange . I have been collecting tools and findings for awhile and I finally got the nerve to try my hand with them.

This necklace I cut from a lemon cookie tin. I used my new tin snips and made the fleur-de-lis and then filed the edges with tiny metal files. I used my new metal hole punch to make a tiny hole in the top and put a jump ring to attach it to the necklace. I made a few other metal charms from works on the same tin and attached them to the necklace. Since I had never used a crimp bead before, I had a few false starts in getting the necklace all put together. In the end I tied tiny bits of purple tulle in between a few of the beads which took up the extra space left by my clumsy attempts with the crimp beads. (Yes, she said, I begin to understand why they say that necessity is the mother of invention.)

For the second necklace, I cut little bits of wire, stung a green or gold textured bead on each and then bent the wire on each end and attached the bead together as I went. On a few of the gold textured beads, I covered them in old dark green veil from an old hat I tore apart for its millinery flowers and secured the netting to the bead with little bits of light green tulle. At the end of the strand of these beads, I attached to each size an old rhinestone button from my stash and strung a length of different colored rhinestone beads between the two buttons and attached the strand to the buttons with fine wire I wove around the spokes in the buttons.

For the third necklace, I made a little bird's nest by wrapping silver wire in the shape. I painted a little birdie brown and blue (to match the robin's egg opal beads) and glued it to the nest with E-6000. I also included some dark teal crystal beads for interest. (Sorry my little birdie is so blurry!)

Even though my work may be a little rough, I have been happy in the designing process. I caught the green on something getting out of the car and had to climb around and gather the bead that broke, but I was able to restring and start again. I plan to practice some more so that maybe I can make some as Christmas gifts this year. Thanks for letting me share my thoughts.

FAIRIES FOR ALL SEASONS!

2009-05-06T10:56:00.000-07:00

Wow! I can't believe that its been so-o-o-o long since my last blog post. Please know that I have been working away despite a little sickness last week and that I miss each and every one of you! When I am not visiting your blogs my own inspiration often wanes. I had a little sore throat that seemed to turn into the croup - thank goodness not the swine flu! I seem to be on the mend and I no longer feel like I am walking through pudding just to make my way around.
Last month a fortuitous blend of new "toys" led me to make this fairy house. I had a little board book I had bought some time ago at Dee's for $1.99 with no plans for it. When I saw the lovely little fairy stamps in the $1.00 bin at Michael's, I knew they would be just perfect for this little fairy house. The little stamp on the front of the book - "fairies live here" was all the inspiration I needed and this book was put together in no time from stuff I already had on hand. When I reduce photographs I always make a whole page of little postage size stamps and save the rest for later projects. Many of my previous projects came together into this one little package. And if, like me, you wonder how it all comes together, I'll try to give you the chain of events that led to this book:

I covered each of the little house pages with scrapbook papers. As I was working, I decided to make the book travel through the seasons of the year so I picked the papers for my "seasons" accordingly.

I love the Ranger Distress inks and embossing powders and I used the Distress Ink (old paper) to age the scrapbook papers and the peeled paint embossing powder gave the edges a look and texture of moss. Occasionally I used a white wash of water and white acrylic paint on part of the background to dull it a bit and pop the rest of the page.

I used some diamond glaze sparingly on the flower "tree" and the roof of the mushroom "house" to give the page an extra pop.

I had little images of this little girl with her dress already painted bright orange and green from a bookmark project last year in which I dressed her up as a pumpkin. I reduced a piece from Sandra Evertson's great book : Families. I also already had a little bag of the leaves which were punched for another project and edges with Ranger sepia brown ink.

The tree is part of a rubber stamp image I had saved from another project as well. The little silhouette fairy is from one of the new $1 sets from Michael's.

This winter page is my favorite. I made a path for the two children with white acrylic paint and then made "snow" on both sides with glue and fine glitter. I am so in love with how this path turned out that I may use it as my Christmas card this year. The photograph is one I have used again and again and is one that my business partner's mother graciously loaned me for any use. It is of her mother and uncle as children. I think the path and snow would be really pretty on a larger card. I could make the path curl around behind them. I made another rubber stamp image of the same tree from the last page (except this time with Versafine Ink) and put it on the other side of the page. I made some falling snow with dots of glue and glitter and put a large snowflake from a paper punch. I only glued the large snowflake in the middle so that the edges are loose. The little fairy is from another $1 set.

I already had this tiny image of boys playing in the snow from an ATC swap last Christmas and I covered the page with more glue and fine glitter. I found this quote on the Internet to complement the pages.

This is the only season I had planned out when I began this book: April Showers bring May Flowers. I made rain with white blobs and diamond glaze.

This was the first time I had used the new Ranger Distress stickles and I just love them. They are the texture at the top of this page. Lots of texture, but no shine! Perfect! I had a little page of German die-cut angel heads and that nest I had stamped from a friend's set of rubber stamps. I used another fairy in silhouette and left her wings free. The greenery are rub-ons.

I had picked a paper for the summer pages that already had butterfly wings on the page so I positioned one of the little fairies to look like she was driving that butterfly. Then I stamped the other two butterflies and fairies from the Michael's stamps. I found this near perfect quote by searching the Internet: Then followed that beautiful season...Summer... Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light." I white washed parts of the page and then used my Stardust gel pin to add scribbles of tiny glitter to the rest of the page.

I used part of another image from Sandra Evertson's book and made a little fence from some trim and rhinestones. The quote on the back was from a page I had torn out of a magazine years ago and saved for just the right occasion such as this: No winter last forever - no spring skips its turn. How true!

Happy Spring to each of you!

HAND PAINTED CHARMS

2009-03-23T12:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I painted the flower above at a free demo at a local craft store. I have always love the colored enamel charms I've seen for sale and thought it would be great to find out what paints they used to make them. I was assuming it would be some special hobby enamel paint like they use to paint model cars. Turned out it was even easier than I expected.

Here's the formula:

Cover any metal charm with one drop of acrylic paint mixed with three drops of Diamond Glaze. Paint the entire charm with one color and let dry (about 3 minutes). After that coat you can paint the acrylic paint directly onto the charm. When you're done with all the painting just seal the charm with a final coat of pure Diamond Glaze and let it set overnight to cure.

Above is the flower charm I made for free. I can't wait to try this at home on some other charms. Enjoy and let me know if you try this technique too!

2009 ROMANCING THE CHARM SWAP

2009-02-14T12:55:00.000-08:00

A shape...a color...even a delicate butterfly's wing - all can convey the spirit of romance in the hands of the right artist. In December I announced my Romancing the Charm Swap in which artists/crafters/brave souls who signed up here would each make a "romantic" charm for each player and mail them all to me. Then I would send a complete set of them out to each participant so that each player would receive enough charms by Valentine's Day to make their own piece of jewelry. Many of us had trouble getting our charms done by the due date, myself included. Overall, I think the swap was a great success and I want to share the results with you.

There were almost as many different mediums represented as there were participants.

Wendy made a charm with wire, beads and silver charms:

Linda made ones from beads and wire harvested from deconstructed necklaces:

Michele used a silver bezel, cloth and beads to make a 3-D charm of tiny pink flowers:

Melissa made a charm with pink rhinestone, little silver hearts and tiny pink and pearl beads:

Amy made little silver charms to which she added cloth and words:

Kelley and I both constructed charms from bottle caps. Kelley filled her bottle caps with sparkly stuff and a rhinestone heart:

I folded over the sides of each bottle cap and then pounded them flat. It took a lot more pounding than I had anticipated. I smeared each bottle cap with black textile paint and silver lumiere and then wiped some of it off. On the inside I glued a little rose reproduced from a bit of a vintage postcard (as a signature for "The Tattered Rose"). On the outside, I glued various paper images reduced from vintage postcards, photographs and bridge tallies. I even made my Sis, also in the swap, a little charm with a tiny colorized pic of our parents and the word "Valentine:" I used Sparkles to accent the charms. After they were good and dry, I covered each side (letting one side dry overnight before going on to the next side) with a generous helping of Diamond Glaze.

Jessica and Pat both made charms from Polymer Clay. Jessica made hers into a tiny little valentine stamp with a tiny red bead at the end and presented it on a shipping tag wound with loads of laces and ribbon for future projects:

Pat made her heart charms from red and white clay that look good enough to eat:

Wanda made a clever little charm from a little glass bottle containing little pearls, glitter, and pink and white sequins attached to a tiny frame containing the words "No. 9". I confess it took me a moment to figure out it was Love Potion #9!:

My sister Sharon and my friend Marianne both made felted charms. Sharon felted little red and pink hearts and decorated them with little beads, buttons and rhinestones:

Marianne made dangle with two tone pink beads and attached them to little glittered and cloth hearts:

Holly hand painted little love birds on shrink plastic: and built them up with different paints:

Susan made a quilted heart and added colorful little heart shaped buttons:

Corrine made micro-macrame charms into which she wove little silver hearts and beads:

Bobbi G. carved little hearts from gourds and hand painted them red with little squiggly designs and the word Love:

Barb trapped little bits of butterfly wings between glass and soldered a charm:

I made everyone a little card stock charm of the swap from the original vintage postcard I used to announce the swap. I admit that I had numerous troubles with this little baby as it was my first time trying to use the new Melt Pot I bought myself for Christmas. I covered the little card stock images by dipping them into molten UTEE. I made myself send them out even though they were not as perfect as I would have like just so everyone could see how simple a medium (and inexpensive) a design could be.

I truly hope that everyone who participated had a great time and that posting our results here may encourage others to try their hand at charm making. It was a great pleasure to give myself permission to experiment in a new medium and an even greater pleasure to see how everyone else rose to the challenge. It has made my Valentine's Day all the merrier and I hope that everyone who participated enjoyed making and receiving their charms. My great gratitude goes out to each and every one of you for making this a great charm swap! Please stay in touch and I hope all of this year's participants and anyone else who is interested will consider signing up next year for "Romancing the Charm Swap - The Sequel. Watch for the announcement in December 2009.

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

Cheers,

The Tattered Rose

HOMER RETURNS HOME FULL OF WISDOM, STORIES OF INTRIGUE AND A LITTLE INTERNET RAK

2009-01-14T10:21:00.000-08:00

Last February 1, 2008, Odeana Raven left home on a mission trip that was scheduled to cover 3 countries and 2 continents. She wished to become a more rounded crow and to have adventures so that she would have stories that could compete with her two brothers. She left behind a very distraught boyfriend, Homer Crow, who was very much in love with Odeana. When Homer's worst fears were realized and Odeana was never heard from after her first scheduled stop on her trip, Homer left home last June in search of her. He left with wearing his black cloak of mourning and carrying his diary. He expected that his scheduled travels in 3 countries and 2 continents would change him very much and he wanted to record his adventures so that he could share them when he returned.

Since Homer left here, I had the occasional report of his travels - a brief message here or there that he had landed somewhere or that he was on the wing again. By the end of December I knew that he would be returning home soon and I waited with bated breath to see what progress he had made in finding Odeana and how his travels had changed him.

Last week Homer returned. His diary now carries a "Miami Vice" button on the outside. No doubt somewhere along the way, he consulted that police department for aid in locating his beloved Odeana, though his diary does not contain this account.

As per the instructions of his last host, Robin, I read his journal before opening the other packages. I could tell by the journal that he had been the guest of many gracious hosts:

Cheri drew this picture in his diary so that he could remember the lovely waters where he searched from tree to tree for Odeana. She even recorded this ballad:

Homer the Crow

Has no place to go

but to explore a stream

and Oak tress between

Every perch every branch

Scowled for Odeana, perch

for a Scout in a black shadowed cowl.

Homer will find love in his clouds above

with the watergypsy he will glide thermaltypsy

With the Melody of Wind on Merlin's Crag he will find.

Alderly edge over cheshire basin

And there a true love find.

Always, Always Homer clung to his last photograph of Odeana Raven - the last one taken before she was lost - so young - so inexperienced - and so alone:

Always hoping, against hope that she could be found. Homer's story, as documented in his diary recount his untiring efforts to find his one true love. Felicia took him to the beach to take his mind off his troubles. But he soon took back to the air and redoubled his efforts in Canada when he visited Gail. I couldn't believe him when I saw him, he left home a boy, but he came home a man! The story recorded in his diary by the many kind hosts who gave him shelter and assistance in his search, is very compelling. Thanks so much to all who helped Homer along his way!

Terry kindly made him a necklace with his True Love's name:

Cheri, Lee, Felicia, Gail and Lee gave him many garments and other additions and he returned home like this:

Isn't he splendid! I can't believe what they have all done with him. I love the way someone tied up his black tulle coat of mourning with a ribbon with silver stars and adorned it with rhinestones. They gave him a great Geri curl, eyes of amber, a red beak and feet and lavished him with a silver heart and angel necklace.

But wait...there was another package! Here's the story as Robin recorded it in the diary in Homer's own words:
"I flew off and headed west. It started to get dark and then I saw a strange Blue Glow. So I went down to see what it was. I discovered this wonderful magical place in the woods - in a Valley of beautiful pines. There was a brook and trees. In the middle of this place was a village of these magical creatures. I was met by an old grandmother crow. She told me this was the magical place of Acadia Blue. The Queen of Red dog. She said that she watches over this magical place and rules it with peace and love and all are welcome. So I explained my journey to her and who I was looking for. She said, 'Ah..yes, come down and warm yourself and have some food. ' Awhile later after I had eaten and warmed, Grandmother Crow came into the fire circle. She said, 'Homer, the Crow, come with me. I have someone you should meet. ' We went into the deep pines and to a large oak tree. The tree was a home, her home, and we went inside. I couldn't believe my eyes - sitting by the fire was my Odeana.'
Odeana was even lovelier than I remembered her. She was now dressed in a lovely lace gown and had lovely wings of blue and a long blue scarf. But there was no mistaking her - she was my Odeana!
She looked up and our eyes met. We had found each other again!"

This is the last entry in Homer's diary, but I have been able to spend many happy hours with the couple since the day they arrived here. Everyone who meets them is much taken with the couple and can't believe there harrowing tale of how they lost each other and reconnected. There is talk of a June wedding. Also, though Homer is afraid to talk of this yet, they have been contacted by Paramount Studio about the possibility of a major motion picture to tell their story.

Thanks so much to all at Altered Art of Visions and Dreams who participated in this round robin. I loved this round robin and I will remember it always. I loved working on each of your crows and i hope that you love them as much as I love Odeana and Homer.

Special thanks to Robin for making me a replacement Odeana! It was so sweet of you and I really appreciate it! You're a doll!

MORE SNOW PEOPLE!

2009-01-02T11:06:00.000-08:00

I confess! I can't stop making snow people. I stayed home on New Year's Day and worked on three new ones most of the day. I had already given a few as Christmas gifts, but now I really think I'm getting a system for making them. There are 4 more undecorated ones curing on my counter at home. I think I love them so because I can dig through my stash and use up all kinds of little incidental items I've collected. They are kind of like a 3-D collage because I don't realize the reason for the embellishments I give them until after I am finished with them. After I finished making this one:

And had already added the little rhinestone 4 on the key she was carrying, I realized, duh, she was the 4 of wands from the Tarot deck. (!) Traditionally, if I remember correctly, that card has a celebration going on (a wedding or other celebration of some sort) and the people on the card are often depicted with wreaths on their heads. The key is clearly her wand and the 4 (well, I added that one last) just looked right to me.

I think this snow angel is my personal favorite:

She is made from an old Log Cabin Syrup bottle I bought for $1.50 at a local antique store. She was marked $3.00, but when I told the clerk what I was going to do with her she generously slashed the price in half. I love how the little handles near the top of her bottle make her look like she is wearing a long full skirt and is standing with her hands behind her back. I used silver ground glass glitter on the letter J-O-Y so they will oxide over time and become almost black as they age. I used a bit of gold bouillon for her crown. I bought a couple stems of this stuff at the rubber stamp convention I attended last year and if anyone knows where I can buy some more, please leave me a post. I'm sorry for the glare, she is hard to get a pic of because of all the glitter, but I thought she still might give some of you an idea or two.

Here's the remaining snow girl in yesterday's trio. She was made from an old pink tinted pearl tree rope and a glass ketchup bottle which I also bought at a flea market for $1. I wasn't sure that I would like this shape, but once I had started constructing my little village, it was nice to have bottles in different shapes.

It is just as well that I am almost out of bottles because I need to get busy with my plans for the Romancing the Charm swap. I have a few little surprises in store for my players if I can just get them to come out right! Happy New Year and Happy arting, everyone. I hope you have all made new art resolutions for the coming year.

Please leave me a comment. I love hearing from all of you.

Cheers, Trish G.

WINTER SNOW PEOPLE ALA CLOTH PAPER SCISSORS MAGAZINE

2008-12-30T11:34:00.000-08:00

The November/December 2008 issue of Cloth Paper Scissors Magazine had a little team of delightful snow people on the front cover. Inside, the article by the artist, Sue Pelletier, urged us to have fun by making our own snowmen from found objects. They have been appearing all over blogland and the magazine got so much response that they published a little eletter to show us some. You can see it here. I finally decided to jump in, too! I made and gave away quite a few as gifts (which I have no pictures of), but here's a late gift I finished this morning. This lovely couple, Joy and Hope had a previous life as a Tazo tea bottle (left) and an olive oil bottle (right). The heads are paper clay covered with white glitter and decorated with black rhinestones and a little copper soldering tape for the nose. I partially filled each bottle with a pearl tree rope and then decorated the outside with rhinestones, deconstructed earrings and bracelets, and constructed a little hat for each. The Joy and Hope in the center of each bottle were made by applying silver ground glass glitter with glue to stickers and then gluing them to the bottles. As time goes on, the silver glitter will oxidize and the letters will be darker in color. To match this anticipated change, I finished the bottles with black velvet flowered ribbons. (Yes, Deann, this is ribbon I bought at ARCHIVER'S). I then covered the bottles with spray adhesive and sprinkled them with vintage mica flakes I received as part of my gift in the Christmas Cracker Swap. I am gifting this pair to my friend Mark. I had originally planned to give him the snowman with the cowboy hat (which I shaped myself), but after I had finished this pair, I just couldn't stand to break up the set.

If you have been thinking about making these, I heartily recommend that you get started. I had never used paper clay before, but it was not difficult and the end result is prettier than Styrofoam. I do have one little practice hint: Form the heads and push them onto the bottles. Cover immediately with a generous layer of Golden Gel Medium and cover with white glitter. Then leave the heads for a few days to dry before decorating the rest of the bottles. During the pre-Christmas rush, I made 4 heads without covering with the gel medium and glitter and went out shopping for a couple of hours. When I came back, it was Nightmare before Christmas. The heads had cracks all over them and looked a little spooky. I was able to salvage them, by covering them with a heavy coat of glitter and giving them scarves and hats in strategic places, but I noticed that when I covered them with the gel medium and glitter right away, none of them cracked. Thought I would pass this little tip along to you.

Hope everyone has a Happy New Year!

IT'S BEGINNING TO FEEL A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS!

2008-12-15T08:24:00.000-08:00

This last weekend I was fortunate to get together with three girl friends I met in 1979. It was the very first semester of a tough professional school experience and we were 4 of the few women. Our trials and tribulations during those four years, bonded us together. Since that time, we've all been through a lot, but we still get together for our annual Christmas celebration. Three of us now live in the same town (although that hasn't always been so) and one of us lives about 3 hours away. Our celebration is always a joyous time and reminds me just what the holidays are supposed to be about. Last year we made a pact that we would make at least one of the presents we gave the other. While we did not have perfect compliance with that pact(although gifts, not yet completed, are still underway), it was a rewarding challenge and one I urge you to try with your own friends and relatives. We have vowed to continue our new tradition.

I want to share with you a tree topper I completed for one of the friends:

I made a color copy of an vintage confirmation photo of a young girl. I mounted the top half to cardstock and cut it so that there was a long narrow extension to glue inside the cone. Glue the cone together so the the upper torso of the photograph is above the cone stape. I also stamped a star (chinese laundry) for her halo and embossed it over and over with platinum UTEE so that it almost looked like embossed foil. I then glued sections of vintage lace around the doll and made her a belt at her waist with a black ribbon and piece of an old rhinestone necklace. I embellished her further with a 3-D piece of vintage holly in her hair and placed a piece of holly garland in her hand. I added some silver and diamond stickles to her torso to give her a delicate shine and I further accented the berries in the holly with red stickles and edged the holly garland with shiny silver lumiere paint. I hope she will be all sparkly when she graces the top of my friend's holiday tree this year.

How many of you have made Christmas gifts this year?

CHRISTMAS CRACKER SWAP! RESULTS

2008-12-12T10:56:00.000-08:00

I signed up for the lovely Carolyn's 2nd Annual Christmas Cracker swap and I was lucky enough to be assigned Rhonda as my swap partner. I knew about Rhonda from reading Carolyn's blog - they are net BFF's. As it turns out, I found out what Carolyn already knew - that Rhonda and I have a lot in common. We love a lot of the same things and we have them in enough abundance to share. Rhonda was so generous and didn't stick to the rules which are: make a Christmas Cracker and fill it with delectable goodies you think your swap partner will like - she went the extra mile and sent me all sorts of goodies too numerous to be contained in her beautiful cracker. Here's the cracker:

It's made of a thick paper, but feels like it is covered in a shiny silver velvet jacquard. She tied it up with festive yellow and red vintage rayon seam binding.

Here's what it and her package contained:

Who wouldn't be over the moon to receive this package? Vintage buttons, little paper reindeer, vintage beaded flower, old mica glitter, an assortment of vintage tickets (!!!), old Christmas cards, and more. As the song goes, these are some of my favorite things. See the little blue tissue paper - its a little hat. I have read that the original crackers contained little treats and toys and a little tissue paper hat for each of the guests to wear at dinner. How authentic of her to have includee that hat (I wish I had thought to include one in hers!) She even sent me a "real" Christmas cracker - so named because when you pull the end they have a little charge of gun powder that goes "Crack!" I've never had a real one before so I am anxious to try it out with my friends this weekend. I just love everything. Thank you so much Rhonda! And thank you Carolyn for hosting. This was such a fun swap.

Today I received an email from Rhonda that my package had arrived safely at her place so I can share with you what I sent to her. Here's the outside of the cracker I sent her:

Here's an assortment of other stuff I sent her in her box that wouldn't fit in her cracker:

I forgot to take a pic of stuff I actually stuffed inside her cracker. It was a challenge to get it all in. If you want to see, hop on over to RhondaMum and see if she's posted a pic of it yet. And while you're there, take a good luck around Rhonda's blog. She's got a really great blog where she creates all manner of great vintage style items and her own etsy shop where she offers some of them for sale. Be sure and say Hi! to Rhonda for me.

I'm having my first Christmas Party of the season this weekend and I'm really excited to be getting together with some girlfriends I've known for almost 30 years. We agreed last year to each make each other at least one of the presents so I may have some great pics to share with you next week! Now I can't wait to see what they made!

Happy Holidays to all and may all your own celebrations and preparations be merry!

NEWS OF A GIVEAWAY!

2008-12-11T12:11:00.000-08:00

Wanda is having a giveaway for her 100th post. Go take a look at the lovely foofed up wreath you could win. You can register for her giveaway by clicking here.

I LOVE JUNK JEWELRY!!!! SEE MY LATEST TREASURES!

2008-12-09T14:31:00.000-08:00

Lookie, lookie what $3.50 bought me today! A whole 2 bags of broken jewelry and buttons. You may not be able to tell from my pic, but a couple of those strands are from an old rhinestone necklace and the old broken bracelet near the upper right hand corner has green rhinestones for the leaves and purple rhinestone flowers. The big, big, big broken necklace (which is not as old) is decorated with silver pearls, black, clear and amber rhinestones. Considering that I was only looking for some old strands of pearls (which were also enclosed), it was a great haul. At a splendid price!!!

You might think that my love of "junk" (broken) jewelry stems from my crafting obsessions and that I love it because I can make things from it. You would (alas) be wrong. I believe that I actually took up making things with it so that I could justify my need to collect it. I love it because it is beautiful, vintage and (God love my Scottish ancestry) cheap! These are three of the qualities I hold nearest and dearest in my heart.

All of my grandparents were born in the 19th century - yes, that's right, in the 1800's. (Don't infer too much about my age from that because I am the next to the youngest grandchild on both sides of a family that does not turn over a generation very often. All of my great grandfather's fought in the Civil War.) I associate my love of old things with my maternal grandmother's "junk" drawer. I used to love to go through every inch of her bureau drawers (for my sister, the white one in the kitchen on the right of the bathroom door). They contained broken jewelry, old campaign buttons, milk caps, bottle openers, note pads, discarded perfume bottles and old cracker jack toys. When I was lucky she would give me something from those drawers. And those are still some of my favorite treasures to find when I go knicky-knack hunting. After all, aren't we all trying to buy back our lost childholds?

And today was a good day!

ROMANCING THE CHARM SWAP: SIGN UP ON THIS POST TO PARTICIPATE

2008-12-01T14:41:00.000-08:00

THE ROMANCING THE CHARM SWAP SIGN-UP IS NOW CLOSED. PLEASE CHECK BACK LATER TO SEE THE RESULTS OF OUR CHARM SWAP. THANKS FOR VISITING THE TATTERED ROSE AND PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT.

Greetings, friends, followers, readers and lurkers! I am very happy to announce I am hosting a charm swap in honor of St. Valentine's Day! For those of you (like me) who may not currently have a significant other, or would just like to ensure a special little treat for the most romantic of days, here's your opportunity to get something extra sweet! for the special day. Sign up by leaving me a post here and an email address so I can contact you.
Here's how the swap will work: Make a charm for every member in the group (which will be no more than 30) with a romantic theme - I leave the interpretation to you of what's a romantic charm: a little string of beads with a heart, a bead with a romantic word, a romantic symbol, a romantic scene, whatever you think fits the theme of romancing the charm. The charms should be not longer than 1-1/2 inches and should have a silver colored jump ring attached to connect to a bracelet (or necklace or whatever else you can dream up to use your charms). The charms should be predominantly silver colored if they are metal, but may contain other metals in moderation. The charms can be from any medium: clay, metal, cloth, treated paper, shrink plastic, glass, china, etc.; they can be etched, stamped, soldered, stuffed, felted or any other method that meets the specifications. Return them to me in an envelope by January 23, 2009 and enclose enough U.S. POSTAGE for their return. Make sure your name and complete address is either legible on the outside of your envelope or enclose a legible card inside. You do not have to send a padded envelope (though it will be appreciated if you do) but be sure to enclose U.S. POSTAGE not the bar strip you get from post office as these cannot be used to mail the item to you (I know that sounds crazy, but it's the rule now. They will put the little strip on your package but when I take it to the post office to mail it back to the swapper, it cannot be used because it was made more than 24 hours ago. So this bears repeating. ENCLOSE ACTUAL U.S. POSTAGE STAMPS NOT A POSTAGE METER STRIP. (I was educated in my last swap when I had to pay postage for several of the packages because I did not warn the players of this problem.)
Here's what you will receive: a special handmade charm from everybody in the group! Just in time so you can assemble your own bracelet or necklace in time for the holiday!

For inspiration, read A CHARMING EXCHANGE by Kelly Snelling and Ruth Rae (North Light Books, 2008)

PRETTY LITTLE THINGS by Sally Jean Alexander or SEMIPRECIOUS SALVAGE by Stephanie Lee or any of the many, many other jewelry making books at your local libraries or book stores. No doubt, you may have some inspirational books, blogs or website of your own you can leave in the comment section to inspire us all.
Please sign up here for the Romancing the Charm swap by leaving your name and your email address if you have a no-reply blogger account. If you are worried about privacy, I will erase your email addresses before my next post. If you do not have a "no-reply blogger account" I believe I can get your email address from your comment and it is not necessary for you to leave it here. I need an email address so I can send group messages without having to contact your individual blogs or waiting for you to respond to my posts here.

Well, I think that's all the details, though no doubt I have left out something important. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask them here and to leave me any comments whether you are able to join in the swap or not!

I hope you will join in the fun! It's 7 weeks to make the charms and get them in the mail to me. I'm sorry I don't have a swap button, but please feel free to pass around this info. I'm looking forward to romancing the charms with you this Valentine's Day.

Cheers,

Trish G.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL! AND COME SEE THE GOODIES MY THANKSGIVING SWAP PARTNER SENT ME!

2008-11-26T11:41:00.000-08:00

I participated in a Thanksgiving Paper doll/ATC swap over at Debra's. Her blog has been a source of holiday inspiration for me since before I started my own blog so I was so excited to participate in one of her swaps. The requirements were to make a paper doll and an ATC and send them to your swap partner. I can't show you my paper doll because I didn't look at my pics until after I had mailed the doll and they were blurry. (My apology for all the pics: I am not a good picture taker.) Above is the sweet ATC I received in the swap. I love that she made a pink Thanksgiving card. And here's what else I got from my swap partner, Sharon:

Isn't her 3-D paper doll wonderful. I love that she has that little rope belt of pearls. The background is just a pillow we had the office, but I thought it looked very rustic with the doll.

Sharon also very generously enclosed these other little treats for me. Just the kind of trinkets that a vintage girl like me adores. There's even a little tractor stamp and I am coincidentally working on a little tractor project! How serendipitous! I love, love, love, love the old purse with the celluloid closing. The leather has a little dry rot so it can't be carried as a purse anymore, but I'm thinking that the front of the purse could be a good journal cover embellishment or maybe the whole purse could be used in a shadowbox. I'll keep it until just the right project presents itself.

Its so lovely I thought you should see a close-up of the design on the leather. Thanks so much Sharon for being such an awesome swap partner. I hope we get to meet in person.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! I am so grateful for my family and friends, on and off the net. You all mean so much to me. I know more of you read my blog than leave me comments. Please know I appreciate you all very much and I love to read your comments, too.

I'VE JOINED ANOTHER SWAP!

2008-11-17T09:04:00.000-08:00

Carolyn is hosting her 2nd annual Christmas Cracker Swap. Yours don't have to p-o-p, but they are decorated on the outside and contain some Christmas Surprises within. You can read about the specific details here. Sign-ups until the 21st so get on over there and sign up if you're interested! (uh, oh, I think I threw away that paper towel tube last night.....)

WILD WOMAN IS ON HER WAY TO ENGLAND!

2008-11-13T17:26:00.000-08:00

I signed up for a wild woman pin swap. After I signed up, I felt a little intimidated by all the great textiley(is that even a word - anyway, the girls are good with yarns and fibers) works by my fellow artists - I work mostly in paper. In the end I decided to cut the back of the head off a little rubber baby doll and paint her little white baby doll pony tail into a silver bee hive on the top of her head. She still wasn't looking wild enough so I painted her face gold. I thought it would cover all her features, but they still shown through so I wiped the paint off her eyes and mouth. I then made her a little cocoon made from a time card and attached a zipper to help with her emergence. I gave her wings made from silver tree leaves and stamped the word "FLY" on a little lingerie strap. The purple and green thing perched on her head is a dragon fly for good luck. I added a little bling and sparkly and sent her on her way. I named her Miss Meta for metamorphosis. What will I be after the change???? She's a little big and heavy to be a brooch, but I hoping whoever gets her will forgive me and will use her as a journal embellishment or some other good use. Good luck to Miss Meta in her travels.

I'VE JOINED A THANKSGIVING PAPERDOLL SWAP AND YOU CAN, TOO!

2008-11-05T12:08:00.000-08:00

I love the holidays, specifically all the old vintage graphics. Now there's a new opportunity to use them. Debra over at HopHopJingleBoo is having a Thanksgiving Paperdoll swap and I'm playing, too. Debra's keeping it simple, you only need to make a holiday themed paperdoll, an ATC and maybe a recipe and get them in the mail by November 15th. Sign-ups are open only until November 8th so get on over there and follow the directions in this post to sign up. It should be a lot of fun! Hope to see you there!

GLOBAL HOLIDAY ATC SWAP!

2008-11-03T09:43:00.000-08:00

Strathmore Artist Papers is hosting a global artist trading card swap, where every participant is a winner and receives an original artist trading card. First, visit a participating art materials retailer for an entry form. Create your own holiday or winter-themed card. ATC and entry material must be postmarked by Nov. 26. You will recieve another artisit's card around the middle of December. I know Preston Art Supply in my area has entry forms, but you should be able to find them at other locations. I looked, but could not find them available on line.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN AND NEWS OF A GIVEAWAY

2008-10-31T09:54:00.000-07:00

Shari participated in our latest ATC swap (see below) and she sent me this beautiful charm as a hostess gift. I was so thrilled. I have barely taken it off. Thank you, Shari. It is such a charming Halloween image.

Shari is a fabulous artist and jewelry maker who work has appeared in Somerset Holidays & Celebrations (issues 1 and 2) and Somerset Studio. She has more publication in the works.

She has a lovely Internet shop - Staffordshire Garden "where antique and vintage treasures abound." Check out her lovely offerings.

You could even WIN one of her pretty treasures. Shari has made some lovely holiday kits she is sending to Silva Bella and she is giving one of them away in honor of her 50th blog post. Get on over to her blog and put your name in the hat! Her drawing is next Friday, November 7. Good luck to you all!

RESULTS FROM OUR HALLOWEEN ATC SWAP

2008-10-30T13:33:00.000-07:00

Nancy made these cards with a combination of fabric, paper, and glitter. Aren't the results spookily fabulous. On card #6 she even snuck in a little ghostly image of her precious puppy in the upper right hand corner.

SHARI used these vintage images, old sheet music, and glass glitter to create these beautiful cards.

Sharon used her creative license to make cards that open cut from discarded overhead projector transparencies (for those of you who don't know what an overhead projector is, you are showing your age and I am hating you right now - they were pre computer). She stained the sheets with alcohol inks and created ghostly images of spider webs you can view from all angles. Forgive me for the shiny pics - they are so shiny they were difficult to get a photo that did them justice.

Sharon also made these three cards from various vintage images reproduced on transpancies and layered with other embellishments.

Marianne made these great ATC's from halloween die cuts and handrawn images accented with tulle.

Pat created her own vision of a Halloween Nighmare on her ATC's.

I made this witchy ATC from a vintage photo, rubber stamped image of a house, colored with crayons and covered in diamond glaze and a black dresden for a fence. The little black cat is plastic confetti.

My sister Sharon made me this fabulous paperbag book to display the ATC's from the swap in.

This is the spooky cover with one of Nancy's ATC's in the clear acetate pocket. Sharon made drips of diamond glaze down the acetate pockets to simulate some drippy Halloween gunk.

Here's page 2 with my little witchy card in the pocket. Yes, Sharon, I couldn't resist adding those smallest eyes in the lower right hand corner. I had the eyes in one smaller size and I thought they looked just right. See if you can spot any other additions I have made to your beautiful book.

Marianne's little hand drawn ghost covered in tulle looked just right for this page.

Shari's little witch looked right at home in this pocket of the book.

Here are one of my own cards waiting for the Great Pumpkin to arrive.

Pat's Halloween Nightmare fit in perfect on this page.

Here's one of Sharon's spooky transparencies in this pocket.

The back cover of the book showcases my little pumpkin patch card.

The pockets of the book were also filled with Halloween luggage tags. Thanks so much for the book, Sissy. I love it and its the perfect keepsake for our swap.

I BLAME MY SISTER!!!

2008-10-29T17:26:00.000-07:00

Do you ever find that when your muse finds you, she keeps on AND ON AND ON long after your NEED for her has passed? I think some of you must know what I'm talking about because Albert Brooks made a movie about it (sort of) called THE MUSE. Sure, in the movie, the muse was an actual person who demanded that Albert wait upon her hand and foot, eventually to the detriment of his family and career, but some of you will know what I mean when I say that when my muse comes to call, its sort of the same thing. SHE MUST BE SERVED!!!

Awhile back some friends and I decided to have a little Halloween ATC exchange. I designed a card and made more of the same card in a kind of assembly line fashion. Everybody mailed or delivered their cards to me, then I packaged them up and mailed or delivered them to all the players. Bing, bang, boom!

But then my sister (one of the ATC players) came to visit on Monday night and gifted me a lovely little Halloween book she hand-crafted for me to display my ATC's from the swap in. Each page has a little clear acetate pocket for me to slide an ATC into on a page pre-decorated in the spirit of the season. (I'll post it tomorrow, along with the cards from the swap, I'm just giving the out-of-towners time to get their cards. ) The book had 8 pages and 2 little pockets between the pages so I would need more ATC's to completely fill the book than I was getting in the swap. Then my muse demanded that we make more cards to fill some of those pockets. It was 10:00 p.m., but does my muse care! NO! Time means nothing to her. I was up half the night, but I made four new cards. The little clear acetate window in the costume shop was a little challenging, but after a few do-overs, I think it looks o.k. although it does not photograph well. Anyway, there they are, for your Halloween amusement. I would never blame my Muse for this forced labor. I would be too afraid that she might desert me sometime when I need her most. I blame my sister. If you like the ATC's, please leave me a comment. If you don't like the ATC's, you can blame my sister, too.

THE FORTUNE TELLER

WAITING FOR THE GREAT PUMPKIN

THE PUMPKIN PATCH

THE COSTUME SHOP (OPEN)

THE COSTUME SHOP (CLOSED)

Halloween Greetings!

2008-10-22T14:28:00.000-07:00

I've been looking about at all the great Halloween swaps I missed out on here and here and a super Halloween party over at A Fanciful Twist. You should look at these posts only at your own risk because I guarantee they will work you up into a Halloween decorating nightmare. I just had to post this pic. (Because I don't have a camera today and it is the only pic I have saved in my computer.) Anyway, I made this last year from an old book back, vintage photo and other clipped images, fibers, and ribbons. Some friends and I have been having a little unpublicized Halloween ATC swap and those cards are coming in and making me feel even more Halloweeny. I'll be posting images of those cards as soon as the participants have time to get their cards. So stay tuned.....

WE WILL NOW TAKE A BREAK FROM OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED TEXT TO BRING YOU THIS COMMERICAL MESSAGE: HOW TO CUT A PERFECT CIRCLE EVERY TIME!

2008-10-14T13:00:00.001-07:00

I went to a craft class this last weekend put on at a local independently owned craft store by a Fiskars representative. The great thing about demos by company representatives is that they really understand their merchandise and they bring a lot of free samples and door prizes. This demo was no exception. I am not really a gadget kind of person, but in my art stash I confess to owning quite a few. No Cricut, but I do own an older State of the Art Fiskars paper cutter and a Fiskars Drill. I use them all the time and they make my job a lot easier. I also love paper presses which can be a great time saver. I have never owned any border or circle or corner punches (which are bigger and take away more space from my endless collections of antique flowers, dolls parts, etc - you get the picture), but I have found the extra large single paper punches to be especially helpful with shrink plastic and altered books (you can cut a perfect window to the next page) and I own a modest number of these. I went to the Fiskars demo to see what other tools might be helpful - or I thought I might get another pair of scissors - what paper artist doesn't love scissors!

What I did discover that I could no longer live without was the nifty shape cutter pictured above and below. It is called the Fiskars Ultra ShapeXpress. I recognized it as a tool my sister owns, but has never used. I generally retails for about $20 (or at Hobby Lobby for the low, low price of $14.99 MINUS this week's 40% off coupon -sorry, independently owned craft store).
The ShapeXpress is surprisingly easy to operate, once you have figured out what it does. You use it with a hard plastic template. I bought this set of templates at the Fiskars class. They can be used with the ShapeXpress to cut perfect circles from 4.5" in diameter up to 8.25" in diameter. Just follow the easy steps in the enclosed picture instructions to load the blade and then put the safety lock back in place. Then snap off the plastic cover on the bottom and twist the orange freehand spacer to remove it. Then position the blade at the top of the template with your fingers on the sides (not the top!) and move it around the inside or outside of your template. It's that easy! It really works!
This size package of templates will cut circles between 4.5" - 8.25" in diameter. This package retailed for $13.75 and is guaranteed for life of the original purchaser - as are all Fiskars products - another useful fact I learned. Just call an easy 800 number if you need to repair or replace a product. Its like the Tupperware guarantee!
Here I am cutting my easy peasy circle! My Christmas cards may just be round this year!

IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE -- H-A-L-L-O-W-E-E-N!

2008-10-09T12:08:00.000-07:00

Here at the office, it's beginning to look a lot like Halloween. Forget Christmas, we love decorating for the spooky holiday. Here's some paper witches I made last year from Character Construction stamps, Daisy D's paper, rub-ons, and dyed bits of lace and doilies.
Click on any pic to see a larger version.
Last year Robin and I swapped witch dolls made from wine glasses. This is the one I got from Robin. Isn't she beautiful? I don't have a pic of the one I sent her, but believe me, it did not live up to her fine creation.

Here she is close-up. Can you believe the detailing???

What are all of you working on for Halloween????

HOMAGE TO THE BIRDS!

2008-10-03T10:51:00.001-07:00

This is a collage I gifted to my Sister.

Last Christmas I bought my sister a gift of art supplies to use in her own beautiful artwork and told her as much a couple of days before Christmas. She told me she was disappointed to know this because she had hoped to receive something hand crafted by me. (This sounds almost too good to be true, but I wanted to believe.) In case she wasn’t just being nice, I couldn’t resist the urge to create a piece of art just for her - but I only had 2 days left! I already had made a base sheet on canvas paper as per the instruction in Cloth Paper Scissors in an article by Kelli Rae Roberts (who recently published a book on the same topic). It is a collage of bits and pieces of scrap papers, text, stamped or inked images. Then the main event is layered over the top of these and covered with paint, gesso, or ink and then wiped off so that some of the layer underneath peeks through. I decided that I would make the first of a pair of green works. I constructed the work from pics and text saved from magazines and the computer generated phrases "Don’t forget the birds!". I also stamped white hearts and "Hot" into the gel medium while it was still soft to give the work depth. After this was dry, I wrote randomly in white gel pen the phrase "Bring back the bees" and added black musical note brads which I spotted with white gesso so they wouldn’t look so new (just snap the prongs off with wire cutters). I painted some white silk leaf ribbon various shades of green and attached down one side. Then I added a little three dimensional compass and a smooth pebble with the work "Nature" inscribed on it. For the final touch I used a piece of vintage white embossed wallpaper to construct a bird feed that stands out from the page. I painted it with Golden fluid acrylic paint in bronze and then dry brushed it with a turquoise color to make it look like it had a patina. I glued real bird seed inside the feeder.

Here's a closeup to show the dimension.

Here's a closeup of the wallpaper "bird feeder."

MR. EYE CHING CROW ARRIVES HOME SAFE FROM HIS TRAVELS

2008-09-30T12:22:00.000-07:00

Some months ago I signed up to participate in a round robin of scrap crows. You can read about it here and here and here and here. Please meet Mr. Eye Ching Crow who was returned safely home to Terry this week. Mr. Eye Ching Crow (yes, as the artist describes in the accompanying booklet) is a play on words. He left home with an acrylic eye made from a symbol and all his other accouterments he had added by other artists along the way. Various artists who worked on him added the feet, 2 reflecting buttons, a calligraphy nib, some yard and beads, some coins, and some papers for a coat. He arrived at my place in such splendor that I had a hard time thinking of anything to added that would not distract from his magnificence. In the end, I added some black velvet and black satin feathers from an old vintage hat I de-constructed. I added pure silver ground glass to the edge of all four wings and sent him along his way.
Here is Mr. Crow from the back. Isn't he fabulous????

I DON'T MAKE THE RULES!

2008-09-26T08:44:00.000-07:00

I have been away from blogland for most of the last six weeks. I have been culling my misfit collection of worldly goods into a more manageable size in various ways and otherwise reorganising my life and my art stash. I have missed my art and each of my bloggy friends tremendously, but it had to been done. Now that it is almost completed, I am anxious to get back to Bloglandia and art. Greetings to all of you! And thanks for taking the time to read my blog and leave a comment. Please know that I appreciate you all, whether you leave a comment or not, and that I am grateful for each and everyone of you.

One of my favorite television shows is the NBC comedy Earl. If you are not a televisionphile like me, Earl was a not so good guy, who one day had a blinding revelation that he was affecting his own current luck with his past bad deeds. In episode one, a down on his luck Earl buys a winning lottery ticket only to have the ticket blow out of his hand when he is hit by a car while celebrating his good fortune. During his hospital recovery, Earl sees a show where Carson Daly attributes his success to doing good for others. Earl makes a pack with Karma to right every wrong he has ever done and the winning lottery ticket is accidentally returned to Earl when the wind blows it back to him. This is the only evidence Earl needs to become convinced that he is on the right track. All the following episodes are comedic versions of Earl uneasy dance with "Karma". As Earl so succinctly puts it, "I don't make the rules!

This weeks during my stash purging days, I collected a bag of stuff and forced it on my friend Pat earlier this week. Pat is a sometime crafter/artisan who has been having a great time in the last year crafting with her little great niece. I saved things I thought she and the niece could use together and insisted that she take the offering. I included crepe paper, stickers, ribbons, flowers, etc. that I thought would be useful in crafting with a pre-schooler.

Yesterday I found myself in the vicinity of one of my favorite antique malls (for the first time in months) and I dashed in to see if there was anything new I couldn't live without. One of the clerks said that she had been saving something to give to me - if I wanted it - from her booth. What was it? The red basket above and its contents! I've also included a closeup of some of the items. How generous was this gift? Just the kinds of things I love to buy myself when I go there.

When I was telling my friend Pat about it it last night at Starbucks, she said: "Isn't that funny? You gave me that big bag of things this week and now you get this unexpected windfall of vintage supplies. Hmm....I was reminded of Earl and his continuing uneasy dance with Karma.

Were my free supplies some Karmic reward???? I don't know. It would be really nice to think it works that way, but I would like to think it does, but I don't really know. After all, I don't make the rules.

CURRIED DAL WITH VEGETABLES OR THE CASE OF THE CONCRETE COLORED LENTILS

2008-08-06T12:50:00.000-07:00

I just found an old recipe I had saved from a Moosewood cookbook and I wanted to make the Curried Dal with Vegetables for dinner last night. I have been eating mostly vegetarian meals these days and I thought the substantial curried vegetables with lentils would be a nice change. I had most of the ingredients on hand, except that I did not have the yellow split peas or the red lentils it suggested. I just had a bag of plain old lentils. I reasonably thought - they are the same vegetable - what difference could it make?? Maybe they will cook a little differently????Well, the recipe itself turned out fine, except the color of my lentils made the whole meal look as though it was held together by gray concrete - it tasted just as good, but it did not look so appetizing.

If you want to try it yourself - here's the recipe: Cook one cup of lentils in water. Add 4 cups of water for the red lentils or 5 cups of water for the yellow split peas. If you want your meal to look appetizing, I urge you not to use the regular lentils like I did (see the paragraph above.) Simmer the lentils on low, uncovered for 20 minutes. Let cool a bit and then add the lentils to a blender or food processor and puree for 2-3 minutes to make a smooth dal. In the meantime, cut up a whole onion and saute it in olive oil. To the cooked onion, add 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced in cubes, 1 TBSP mild yellow curry, tsp cumin, and 2 TBSP grated fresh ginger root. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes and then add 2 cups of water and 1 cup of fresh cauliflower florets. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 10 minutes, or until cauliflower is tender. Add the smooth dal and serve over rice. I think the original recipe called for one green chile, cooked with the onion, and torn up spinach to be added to the vegetables at the end and cooked just long enough to wilt, but I didn't have a green chile or any fresh spinach on hand and it was fine without it.

Good luck with yours and if anyone makes it with the red lentils or yellow split peas, let me know if it was pretty!

A MURDER OF CROWS!

2008-07-16T10:44:00.000-07:00

Since January I have been involved in a "scrap crow" round robin with some Internet friends. The rules are that each person make and stuff a crow and add one embellishment to it and send it on to the next person on the list once per month. Each person adds one more embellishment and eventually the crow comes back to the original artist all gussied up from his/her travels. Well, my original crow, Odeana Raven, was a casualty and the person I forwarded her to never sent her on and was subsequently removed from the game...and I was out one crow. Well, I had a little problem with my motivation and I got bogged down in the decorating and making myself a new crow. I had finished my own crow and the one I was supposed to be decorating and the one for the next month arrived before I got them in the mail so.... I recently forwarded a murder (defined as a flock of crows) to Terry to work on. I didn't get a pic of the three before they flew off, but Terry was kind enough to send me the wonderful pics when they arrived at their destination. The one above is my replacement crow, Homer and you can read about him here and about his true love, Odeana Raven, here.

Cheri's crow was already superbly embellished when she arrived and I had to work harder to find something new. I added the yellow and orange rick rack to her tail feathers and hat.
I also dyed a piece of vintage trim with bright orange dynaflow and added it to the end of her tail feathers.

I had the most fun working on Felicia's bright crow! I made her orange hat by dying and shaping a little piece of straw from the hobby lobby doll section and adding the yellow rick rack and vintage flowers to the hat with glue. I sewed it to her head with green embroidery thread and gave it more stability with the green thread chin strap.

I think the real fun of this exercise is to see just how creative all the folks involved can be with a simple scrap crow! It's also a great way to use up your own left overs - a little bit of this or that. Don't you just love the different interpretations on the same theme?

A PURSE FROM CUT VELVET

2008-07-10T11:42:00.000-07:00

I was so inspired with all the purse making that I decided to try and glue a scrap piece of cut velvet (polyester) onto a purse. The purse I choose was a vintage '40's tan lizard bag that had some discoloration on the leather. It was otherwise sturdy and in good shape - no dry rot. If you are going to try this yourself, make sure the leather connected to the metal around the handles is in good shape. I like the handles to be in good shape and the insides to be like new before I send money on a vintage bag.

To give this bag new life, I applied an even coat of Golden acrylic gel medium to the side of the purse and fitted a piece of the cut velvet material to it. I cut the fabric long enough to extend into the sides a bit and then finished each side (after it is thoroughly dry - 24 hours at least) with double-sided tape (Terrifically Tacky Tape) and aubergine velvet ribbon that is tightly fitted across top of the bag, down that side and across the bottom and up that side. I also used the velvet ribbon to cover the little metal design feature at the top of the bag. The result is a brand new pocketbook! Knowing that this type of fabric works so well opens up a lot of possibilities for more purses.

I was carrying this bag this week and someone remarked that I had a new purse and "I wasn't carrying one of own bags". They were surprised to learn how I "remodeled" this one.

LAVENDER LIMEADE: A FAVORITE REFRESHING DRINK FOR SUMMER!

2008-07-08T15:27:00.001-07:00

I have always loved the color green and the flavor of lime. I don't know which love came first, but as a child I was always vying for the green lollipop or the green snowcone. I used to have an herb bed and grew my own lavender, but am sadly without ground for the herbs right now. This year I have revived an old favorite from my herb garden days: Lavender Limeade. I can't think why I ever stopped making it. It is so-o-o-o good! Much better than lemonade. Recently I found a bottle of organic reconstituted lime juice at a local health food store and it was all I needed to spark my memory.

I found they also had organic hibiscus and organic lavender and I was off! Here's how to make it:

Brew a strong tea of lavender and a small amount of hibiscus. It will be rosy in color. I do this by boiling water in a glass mixing cup in the microwave and when it comes to a boil then add about 1 part hibiscus to 3 parts lavender. Let it cool and then filter out the bits of lavender and hibiscus. While you are waiting for it to cool, heat a bit of water and make a strong mixture of limeade, water and sweetener. Mix the two together, serve over ice and, wallah! a very refreshing summer drink!

Sorry I don't have an exact recipe for you, but if you are still reading at this point, you will be able to mix to taste!

If anyone else out there loves lavender (or any herbs for that matter) for cooking, I would appreciate your sharing your favorite recipes. I used to have a good one for lavender shortbread, but I've lost it.

Hmmm! I am thinking this would be good with some Walker's shortbread. I must try that out soon.

ANOTHER NEW PURSE WITH TAN NETTING

2008-07-08T12:47:00.000-07:00

Over the 4th of July holiday my muse came to visit and I made 3 purses in three days - which may just be a new record for me. I enjoyed the long blocks of time to create and one day I looked up and it was already 2 o'clock in the afternoon and I had been working since early morning. I love when that happens! Here's the second of the ones I made. I made a pattern from newspaper to cover the sides of the purse and then used that pattern to cut precise pieces from a scrapbook paper. I then decoupage the scrapbook paper to the front and collage some torn bits of sheet music, old letters and patterned pieces to the base. I used some sepia ink to shadow those editions and cut a couple of applicable phrases from an old novel.
I covered the whole side with a fairly thick layer of Golden acrylic gel medium and then covered the entire side with a piece of polyester tan netting - making sure to press the piece firmly into the gel medium without leaving any wrinkles. Then I cut around the vintage photo of the mother and daughters and affixed it into the gel medium and covered it over the top. When the side is dry, the netting behind the picture lends a nice texture and tint. I was very happy with the technique, but you have to move quickly so that your gel does not begin to dry while you are still working - it makes for nasty little lumps in your glue which are not easy to remove with the netting in place. Here's a close-up of the old photograph. I love this pic which I bought a few years ago in an antique mall. I got my friend at the local copier to experiment with the color of the original photograph. I have used this pic before, but it is the first time I have ever used them on a purse. A couple of years ago I made this trio into a Witches Shrine called the Power of Three.

For the back I used the original scrapbook paper base (which is best described as a paper on which someone cleaned their brush with gray and a little red) and sealed it with the netting in gel medium. Sometimes I add photos to both sides, but this purse did not call to me to do so. (Yes, sometimes the purses actually speak to me.)

I finished with a trim of aubergine velvet ribbon around the edges and in the little decorative groove at the top of the purse which I applied with double-sided tape. I couldn't get a good pic so you could really see the velvet ribbon, but it was just the right size to fit in that groove and I think gives the purse a more finished look.

I trimmed the netting after the purse was completely dry and applied extra glue to any edges of paper that seem loose. The more fused the paper is to the purse, the less the wear and tear on the papers. When they are properly fused, then they really wear as though the purse is fabric. The Gel Medium so changes the texture of the paper that most people are surprised when I tell them that I have used papers to cover the purse.

I am anxious to try this technque again to see if I can improve on my time.

SEEKING YOUR HONEST OPINION! ABOUT MY LATEST PURSE PROJECT !

2008-07-07T09:54:00.001-07:00

Last week I found this material at the Hancock's Super 4th of July sale. It is a dark pink polyester netting with the different ribbons connecting the netting. I thought it would be fun to experiment with gluing this fabric to a purse! So I bought 1/2 yard for $1.00 and took it home. By the time I figured out that it would work, and went back to the store to buy a bit more, it was all gone. (sob!)
But I did find it in this pretty lavender and the yummy salmon pink.

Here's a closeup of what I did with the hot pink. I decoupaged some scrapbook papers with roses and some text from an old novel onto the side of the purse. When that was dry I covered the whole side with a a thick coating of Golden Gel Medium and pushed the netting into the gel medium and let it thoroughly dry. I have used this technique before with success with pieces of old lace. After it is dry, it is very strong, except that you may want to go around the edges of the bag and make sure that it is well glued in those areas.

Here's the purse that resulted in that technique. I used a vintage pink purse and I liked the combo of the paper and the textures of the netting and ribbons.

Then I think I may have gone too far when I added this vintage photo to the front of the purse. I affixed the photo first to some sturdy chipboard and glued it on with pop dots to the front of the purse. I was unhappy with that look, so I covered the pic in plain tan netting and then used Jacquard Gold Lumiere paint to put the bright gold border on the pic. (I originally had made a border by embossing the original photo print with bright gold embossing powder (Ranger Queen's Gold), but that did not show up well through the netting.)

Here's a closeup of the vintage photo. I have one charm I think I am going to add to the outside of the photo.

Here's where I would love to have your opinion. Do you like the purse better with or without the photo?

BUT, DOCTOR, IT HURTS WHEN I DO THAT!

2008-06-23T08:15:00.000-07:00

If you've been following along in this journal, you know that I have developed a recent passion for altering clothes (despite my woeful lack of sewing skills/abilities), or as I like to think of it - my personal contribution to recycling. I have been doing all the sewing by hand, sometimes to things I bought at a thrift store and sometimes to things I actually removed from my own give-away (or throw away) pile. I have also been having trouble with my left shoulder which feels like it is perpetually a little out of joint and makes the faintest of clicking sounds when I move. I have been lucky to have been spared this little inconvenience until now, but I couldn't decide what I was doing to cause it.

Then it hit me! Of course, it's the sewing! (How bad a shape do you have to be in when crafting makes you sore!) I have been self treating it with aspirin and staying away from the sewing and it got immediately better. But with my new found passion, I just had to finish the yellow sweater this weekend. Isn't that pathetic? I just couldn't stay away any longer!

Here's the story on the sweater: I bought it several years ago at the Banana Republic Outlet(which among my friends is better known as the damaged/defective store). You can get some great buys there if you are careful that you do not buy a sweater without arms or a pair of pants with three legs. All BR sweaters were about $6.99 and there is actually a line outside through the parking lot when the doors open at 9:00 a.m. and then a mad dash to try and find items that do not look like they were designed for the freak show at the Carnival. I was lucky enough to find this bright yellow long sleeved cardigan (silk/cotton/Lycra) blend and several other 3/4 length sweaters in various colors (and truth be told, various sizes, I am nothing if not flexible). My haul on that day really made the approximately 200 mile trip worthwhile. I have gotten lots of use out of the sweaters, but the yellow sweater always had sleeves which were too long for my arms and I just dealt with it by pushing them up or cuffing them.

Then earlier this year, I noticed a faint gray mark on the back of the sweater. I tried, but couldn't get it out. Of course, this would occur in a year where yellow is really, really "in." I thought the sweater was headed for the dumpster, when I decided to try "altering it."

I cut off those annoying sleeves to a generous elbow length and the Lycra just made the fabric crawl up and form its own embellishment. I then cut out various flowers from a bright polyester piece of fabric I bought a few weeks ago at Hancocks for $2.99 /yd. I put one little piece of the flowers on the back to cover the offending "spots". Then I sewed on two other pieces on the front and kind of quilted them. They are frayed around the edges, but that just makes them cuter in my opinion. I sewed some vintage buttons into the designs. I did not use anything under the little flowers because it was a very gauzy piece of fabric and you can see the yellow sweater underneath which is fine with me. I think "dyed" a piece of crochet with Magenta Dynaflow for the color. I sewed this very odd citron colored velvet rickrack (yes, Deanne, if you are reading this, I bought the rick rack at Archiver's) and sewed 2 magenta buttons on the outside of each sleeve on top of the rick rack.

I think it made a bright and cheery summer sweater - especially considering that I was going to get rid of it for 2 little spots I have now completely covered. I've included some close ups of the details thought forgive me for posting them in the wrong order.

And - I continued sewing all weekend, even though I am back on an aspirin regimen for the pain. I have a gray sweater dress I have cut off and hemmed (which was a lot of hemming because it was really full and originally went all the way to the floor) and I am working on embellishing it. Then I am going to knock off the sewing (or most of it) for the next t-shirts I am going to embellish with paint and stamps.

LOOK WHAT I DISCOVERED BY ACCIDENT TODAY!

2008-06-19T13:28:00.000-07:00

I hope you will not think me foolish or boastful, but I must share this little story with you. Last weekend I bought this new issue of Somerset Memories. I don't always buy this magazine, but I really liked an article on memory boxes by Tammy Kushnir. I had looked at it a few times this week and really enjoyed the articles. While I was thumbing through it again at lunch today, I found this interesting advertisement for one of their other magazines. On page 99:

And here's the surprise! That is my article (the tiny little one next to the tiny little pink cover of the latest edition [published April 2008] of Haute Handbags) next to the page with the pic of my 2 vintage style collage bags. Both those bags are in my banner at the top of my blog and the article is primarily the instructions for how to make your own bags. It kind of freaked me out to see them in this unexpected place. I know it is a small thing, but it was really exciting to me. I wonder how many times I thumbed past them and didn't even notice.I loved so many of the articles and handbags in this edition and I was proud to be among them. And what an unexpected pleasure to see my bags and article used to sell more copies. Thanks, Stampington.

A RANDOM ACT OF RECYCLING

2008-06-17T13:52:00.000-07:00

I am always amazed by the kindness of others, especially when I know they have no idea why I feel compelled to alter things. Over a year ago, one of the other totally unrelated offices where I work, came down to see me and said that they were getting rid of some of their office manuals and wondered if there would be anything I could use in my "art." I spied a lot of old green linen three ring binders - faded from sunlight and beat up from use. (In other words, perfect for what I do.) I declared my interest in those and they "retired" about a dozen of those notebooks and sent the retirees my way. I gave a few away to other interested souls and I bought some fabric for one for a nature book I want to make from canvas paper. Otherwise, they just set on my shelf. Last weekend I bought a piece of scrap upholstery fabric I thought was too beautiful to pass up and yesterday I decided to try covering one of the notebooks with it. Above is the result. I also covered the inside (below) with scrapbook papers. Don't know what I'll do with it yet, but I thought it turned out nicely. I glued the fabric with Golden Gel Medium, inelegantly using my fingers to spread it evenly over the notebook. I glued the inside papers with modge podge.

Here's what the original notebook looked like.

Here's what it looked like inside.

A NEW CROW FOR ME!

2008-06-17T12:40:00.000-07:00

Some months ago I signed up to participate in a scrap crow round robin. Each participant makes a crow from scraps and then adds one embellishment and sends the crow on to the next participant who adds one more embellishment and so on until the crow returns home - a new man (crow) so to speak. Each month I receive a new crow belonging to one of the other participants and I add my own flourish and send it on. Each artist may also include a small journal or tag book so that the crow's "flight" can be documented. It is a great concept and a lot of fun, except as luck would have it my crow was "lost" to a participant who dropped out and never sent her on to her next destination. (This is the biggest prob with RR's of all kinds.) I was a little demoralized, although the folks running this event could not have been nicer, and I am just now returning a crow for myself into play. Meet Homer Crow - wantabe crow in silver armour. He is alarmed that no one has heard from his beloved Odeana Raven and he is setting out to look for her. He is fortified by a pic taken just before she left home on her travels and he trying to be optimistic but fears the worst. I made Homer from a piece of muslin painted with black textile paint and stuffed with cotton batting. He can easily be painted on and I have enclosed a few pieces of left over fabric if anyone want to experiment before committing to paint on him. He wears a cloak of mourning I made for him from black tulle. I thought it was somber enough to fit his situation and still resemble feather. I have only sewn the tulle on in one place so you can cast it aside to decorate under it if desired.

Here's a picture of the journal I made to send along with Homer on his journey. There is a pic of his beloved Odeana Raven attached. You can read about her story here.

Here's a page from Homer's journal. There are plenty of blank pages so that each artist who makes improvements to Homer can add her comments.

ANOTHER CROW LEAVES MY NEST!

2008-06-10T11:59:00.000-07:00

I've been participating in a fancy scrap crow round robin. It is so much fun when the new crow arrives and I can see what the others have done to embellish it. It's also a really good time to contemplate what I will do to the bird and any accompanying journal before I mail it on to the next participant. Unfortunately, it is sometimes not so much fun to do the actual decorating. I procrastinated in finishing and I am really late with this one. My face is red, but I have vowed to do better. Anyway this bird is now on the wing to the next participant and I wanted to show you how she looked when she left. I put on the fancy smancy print heart with vintage button and decorated her tag book as shown above. The tag book is a really super idea (I made a little journal for mine) because you can paint it, etc and if you make a mistake you can just substitute another tag. I covered the tag with more of the polyester material I am using to embellish an old silk cardigan I'll be showing you soon - so stay tuned.

THE LITTLEST ANGEL: A BARGAIN AT ANY PRICE

2008-06-05T13:12:00.001-07:00

From the time I was very young, I had a favorite book: The Littlest Angel by Charles Tazewell. The actual book belonged to my older sister and had been given to her as a gift. It was kept wrapped in tissue paper in my mother's bureau and was never on the shelf of any bookcase in our many homes. I dearly loved that book and I would beg my mother (or anyone else) to read it to me. It is the story of "The Littlest Angel" who presents himself to the "venerable Gate-Keeper" at the age of "exactly four years, six months, five days, seven hours and forty-two minutes." I have seen many copies of the story through the years, but yesterday at a little thrift store, I found a replica of my sister's copy. It is illustrated by Katherine Evans: copyright, 1946. I bought it for the sum of $1 and it still has the original store price tag: "Millers $1.00" stuck to the inside front cover. Quite a bargain to buy it for the same price it sold for in 1946. This copy of the book is in pristine condition suggesting that maybe this family, too, kept it in a drawer wrapped in tissue paper.

The littlest angel is unhappy to be in heaven, oh, he explains to the "understanding angel" that "Paradise was beautiful. But the Earth was beautiful, too! Wasn't it created by God, Himself? Why, there were trees to climb, and brooks to fish, and caves to play at pirate chief, the swimming hole, and sun, and rain, and dark, and dawn, and thick brown dust, so soft and warm beneath your feet!" The "understanding angel" in order to keep the littlest angel from continuing to get into mischief in Heaven, and from being so homesick, agrees to fetch a small box of "treasures" the Littlest Angel left under his bed back on Earth. After the arrival of the box, everyone in heaven marvels at the great change in the Littlest Angel: he was happy now and his conduct was beyond reproach.

Then it came to pass that Jesus was to be born and all of Heaven began preparing their gifts for the Christ Child. The Littlest Angel was worried about what he could give the child: He dreamed of writing a hymn, but he wasn't musically gifted; he was excited over writing a prayer, but he wasn't literary. On the "Day of Days" the Littlest Angel placed his little box of treasures before the Throne of God. Then when he saw the splendor of the other gifts brought to honor the child, the Littlest Angel was ashamed and even tried to "hide it away from the sight of God before it was even noticed." Too late!

The box contained these gifts to the Child: "a butterfly with golden wings, captured one bright summer day on the high hills above Jerusalem, and a sky-blue egg from a bird's nest in the olive tree that stood to shade his mother's kitchen door. Yes, and two white stones, found on a muddy river bank, where he and his friends had played like small brown beavers, and, at the bottom of the box, a limp, tooth-marked leather strap, once worn as a collar by his mongrel dog, who had died as he had lived, in absolute love and infinite devotion."

In the end, of course, God treasures the gift of the Littlest Angel above all the others and the box begins to glow and appears above the stable where a child was being born and it was ever after known as the Star of Bethlehem!"

So, today the Cosmos sent me back another gift from my childhood - very fairly, for the same price as the original. I wanted to say thank you to the universe and I hope you enjoyed the story of the Littlest Angel.

A LIFE ALTERING EXPERIMENT

2008-06-05T10:30:00.000-07:00

Here's are pics of my finished shoes.

I'm sorry I didn't take a pic of them before I began working on them, but they were originally a pair of tan Keds with a rusty color stain on the toe. I was lucky enough to refurbish these with paints, ink, stamps and ribbons and I already owned from a pair of shoes I was going to throw away! so they are also environmental friendly and it was a lot of fun.

I went back to my fav thrift store yesterday in search of more clothes to alter. I bought an old gray knit jumper and the big black dress with pink roses. Stay tuned to see what I do with them. Hmmm....I think I have a few ideas.

SEW WHAT'S NEW?

2008-06-02T07:47:00.000-07:00

The sew/no sew alterations have been going so well, I decided to try my hand this weekend at altering my Keds which had some kind of rust stain on one of the toes I couldn't get out. I painted the tan Keds black and silver with Jacquard Black textile paint and silver lumiere. It worked just super. I have some more ideas for how to complete the shoes, but I'll save that for later.

Here's a closeup of the birds I stamped on the shoe. I used a clear plastic stamp on my finger instead of on an acrylic block and it was easier to roll the image onto the painted fabric. Then heat set it with a heat gun.

This altering stuff is so much fun I visited 2 thrift stores on Sunday to look for more things to alter!

No Sew Bracelet

2008-05-30T09:59:00.000-07:00

I am much more comfortable with gluing than with sewing. I made a bracelet to match my new ensemble by covering a plastic bangle bracelet with glue inside and out (easier if you do the outside first and then the inside) and neatly pressing a piece of the fabric on the inside and outside. I then used a piece of double-sided tape to apply a piece of velvet ribbon around the outside of the bracelet. What do you think?

AND SEW ON AND SEW FORTH

2008-05-29T12:56:00.000-07:00

Here's a photo of the now wrinkled rayon print dress and linen shirt I'm altering - at least it will kind of give you an idea of where I'm going. The original dress had another tier on it and I cut that off and hemmed it.

Then I used some of the left over fabric to make the pocket above on the front of the shirt. I am still trying my hand at making a ruffle on the bottom edge of the shirt. The shirt was originally very long and shapeless and I cut it and the sleeves off to make a swingy little short shirt/jacket.

Here's a photo of the bottom of the dress and the edge I left on of the original tier.

Here is the little round pocket I made on the back of the shirt. I made a pattern for both pockets from newspaper and then hand stitched them together and then onto the shirt. The hardest decision was where to place the pockets.

SEW WHAT?

2008-05-27T10:33:00.000-07:00

Pablo Picasso said, "I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it."

I have new been good (or even adequate) at sewing. I have never had a sewing class and I don't currently have a sewing machine. I can put in a hem or sew on a button, but I dislike any sewing that means I have to cut something. It's just too final for me and I'm afraid that I will mess it up.
Yet, I tell myself, I never would have thought I would be able to do the things with paper that I can do now. And how will I ever know if I don't try?

And I like the idea of being able to design my own clothes, even though I lack the basic skills to carry out that desire. And, little by little, I have been seduced by the good folks at Stampington into thinking that I might be able to alter things already in existence to suit my own tastes. One of my altered purses was published in Altered Couture last year and I have studied all their editions of the magazine since then and I begin to think that buying things at the Goodwill and turning them into one of a kind garments was a great idea for several reasons: (1) My Scottish background and my own current circumstances have led me to be very thrifty; (2) I love the recycling aspect of making new clothes from old clothes; and (3) I would really like to learn to sew and I need a new challenge.

I adore clothes. I particularly love the little details of expensive, well constructed clothes. I loved the idea of planning my own little details. So it was with some excitement and some trepidation that I decided yesterday to try my hand at my own version of "Altered Couture." Last week I bought a couple of big linen shirts with this altering plan in mind and yesterday I was able to find a tiered rayon print dress that drug the ground on me. The prints all had some color of lavender in them so it was a perfect duo for the lavender linen shirt I bought last week.

I began by cutting off most of the third tier of the dress and saving it to use in the alterations. I then turned the piece of the third layer up and hemmed it by hand so that a little band of the original tier was left all around the dress. Then I cut off the bottom of the shirt until I was a little shorter than waist length in front and longer and swingy in the back. I was surprised how pleased I was with the shape. I then hemmed the shirt all the way around by hand. I made a little rounded pocket from the fabric cut from the shirt and closed it with a button and sewed it on the back of the now swingy shirt (Deciding where to place that pocket was the hardest part and required a lot of pinning and checking and repinning and checking until I finally decided that I had it in the right place.) I also made another pocket for the front of the shirt with a piece of scrap muslin and part of the tier I cut off. I trimmed that pocket with an old belt buckle and a piece of blue velvet ribbon. I used another piece of the tier scrap to glue on a wide bangle bracelet and attached a piece of the same blue ribbon with double sided tape to the center of the bangle. I used another piece of lavender velvet ribbon in the same width to make a little belt for the dress.

So far I have just cut off the sleeves on the shirt and rolled them up, but I am planning to attach a piece of the extra fabric and buttons to hold the rolled up sleeves. I am also thinking of making a tiny ruffle for the bottom of the shirt with the left over material from the dress.

I am pleased that I have been able to get this far. I'll post a pic when I'm finished. I think I may try stamping the tees I bought!

THIS NEW PROJECT SUITS ME TO A TEA!

2008-05-20T13:16:00.001-07:00

This is the new cover for my altered vintage record album: Exotic Tease. I want it to be both informative about teas and also offer the reader a little whimsey with her cuppa. I used a doll on pop dots made from the wonderful stamps of Catherine Moore. She has a silver teapot on her head and is dispensing a brown velvet rickrack stream of tea directly into her teacup. There is a little cutout phrase on her dress that reads "hoping to change my mood." Amen, sister!

I first became acquainted with tea as a ritual, instead of just a beverage, when I was about 15. A best friend owned an impressive collection of Twinnings tea tins (with tea leaves, not bags) and we would mull over and finally agree upon our selection of the day. She taught me to make tea the proper way: fresh cold water brought just to a boil and then poured over the leaves in a warmed china tea pot and covered in a tea towel or cosy for 3-5 minutes to brew. The boiling water assures "the agony of the leaves" and ensures the best taste possible. I cannot tell you how disappointed I am when I try out a new place that advertises itself a "tea room," only to be served a pot full of warmed water and a cup with a tea bag in it. There should be a law! I believe that they should be required by law to call themselves a deli or a sandwich shop, or even a restaurant, but no state attorney general should permit such deceptive trade practices as labeling such an establishment as a "tea room."

Puzzling, still, is how my friend acquired her impressive tea collection. (She also taught me how to shop at thrift stores, but that was years later) Her modest family home did not have an indoor bathroom. How could she have had access to the funds to purchase her impressive tea collection? I suspect that her older sister, who had already left home, exposed her to the teas. Perhaps I knew then, but have just forgotten. Anyway, here I am, all these years later, grateful for her early teachings.

Tea (the ritual and the drink) has continued to be an important part of my life. I have expanded my tea collection, always prefering tea leaves to teabags, but sometimes having to bend to availability. Now, with so many wonderful teas available through the internet, my favorite is Taylors of Harrogate (tea room blend). A few of my other favorites are Tazo (black), Twinnings Earl Grey and Jasmine, and Republic of Tea Ginger Peach and Blackberry Sage. If you have other suggestions, please leave me a comment because I would love to try your favorites, too.

I read somewhere recently that single people who go to dinner together reduce their stress by agreeing to share an appetizer. That the act of agreeing on one appetizer is a bonding experience that makes us know we are not alone and reduces our blood pressure. This is my experience in sharing a pot with a friend. We are not alone!

So, please, whereever you are right now, leave your screen for just a few minutes, and brew yourself a cup of the best tea you own(in your best china cup) and know that I, and many others around the world will be performing the exact same ritual (and if you have a little Walker shortbread available, I highly recommend you cosume it, too, as they are lovely together.)

Happy brewing!

THEY LIKE ME! THEY REALLY, REALLY LIKE ME!

2008-05-06T13:06:00.000-07:00

Don't y0u bet Sally Fields (a/k/a The Flying Nun, for those of you old enough to remember that 60's television show) rues the day she ever accepted her Oscar with that little speech! But its very true! That's how I feel. One of the pages from my altered record album was chosen as the front page for a week on one of my Yahoo! art groups. Each Monday any member that wants can post a pic to the weekly Artfest Album of anything they have worked on for the last calendar week (it doesn't have to be finished - it can be a work in progress) and last week's winner picks the new winner. The winner has their work on the title page for a week and has the honor the next Tuesday of picking that week's new winner! And this week my "Follow the White Rabbit" page was chosen as the winner! I am very honored.

This is the final page in a record album I am altering with a loose theme of teas. You can see more about the original project here. I have read that a lot of novelists write their last chapter first and that is just what I have done in my altered record album. That enables me to sort of thread the spirit of adventure (a/k/a following the white rabbit) through the entire work and tie it in a fun way to my "tea" theme.

The quote on the bottom of the page on the left hand side (which may be too small for you to read) is one of my favorites. "Bread and water can so easily be toast and tea." Isn't that what we are each as artists trying to bring to the world - that sense of making the ordinary, extraordinary - the mundane, special.

WHERE DO YOU BUY YOUR ART SUPPLIES? THANKS FOR YOUR RESPONSE!

2008-05-05T14:34:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I ventured out to Archiver's (a large chain scrapbooking store) with a friend for their special National Scrapbook Week promotion. I had a coupon that entitled me to a free plastic case with little compartments to hold charms, brads, etc. We each made a couple of free "make and takes" of a card and a scrapbook embellishment. After our visit there (where I bought 2 yards of new blue/green velvet ribbon and a container of diamond stickles) we walked up into the Mall for an iced tea and a pretzel. It was kind of a shock when I realized this was as far as I had been in any Mall in years. Mind you, I have never been a Mall person, but I used to travel into at least the perimeters of them - to get my hair cut, to buy perfume, new underwear -- some things. Apparently, I am doing without these things or I have found other ways to procure them because outside of my frequent visits to Archiver's (which is near a back entrance and who's current and frequent trips are as much social as necessary) I never go to a Mall. Since I made the venture a few years ago into this world of collage and altered art, I rarely buy a card or a present - I make them! I could see this coming on a few years ago when I began to turn things over in stores to try to dissect how they are made. At the time I wondered if I would someday actually be able to make most of the things I want to possess. My answer has been a resounding, "Yes!" This is not to say that I personally actually make all the things I am interested in owning. I, alas, can not, at least not with the same competency as other artists can make them, but most of the things I want are made by other artists and you cannot find them at the "MALL."
This last weekend I did go to three Goodwill stores in search of things to alter, but I was only able to find 2 children's books - a children's encyclopedia type book of "Natural History" with lots of good 1950's pics of animals and plants and a children's book with jokes and riddles with one for my current Tea project: "Would you care to join me in a cup of tea? Answer: There's not enough room in the cup for both of us."
What else was I searching for in these stores? Well, here they are, in no particular order,
1. Clothes to alter - with paint or thread
2. vintage purses - to alter
3. vintage linens that can be cut up and made into other things (old print sheets, embroidered pillow cases or dresser scarves
4. Silk scarves that can be cut up and used for shabby ribbons or as the cover for future journals
5. jewelry to take apart and use for projects (particularly vintage earrings)
6. ditto china dolls
7. old sewing supplies (already aged - no need to spend precious art time distressing them)
8. old sewing patterns - for the illustrations on the envelope or for the actual pattern pieces
9. old dictionaries, atlases, children's books
10. old wood things that can be painted and repurposed

Today I picked up a bottle cap in the parking lot to put into my stash and I am searching coffee/tea rooms for interesting "tea" packaging for the aforementioned tea project. I have many supportive friends that regularly bestow on me old jewelry, coasters, frozen juice can lids, bottle caps, and papers of all sorts they think I can use.

Please help me and my readers by leaving a comment to tell us where you get your own art supplies. What's on your own list of things for which you regularly search? Maybe there are some things on your list we need to add to our own lists.

THE ATC EGG SWAP!

2008-04-29T10:06:00.000-07:00

I participated in an ATC swap where the ATC had to either have an egg or be egg shaped. I posted my eggs a few weeks ago and here are the ones I got back in trade. They are all so clever I thought you would enjoy seeing them. I would love to give each of the artist's credit for their eggs, but I left them at home today and I can't remember each of their names and blogs. (Sorry!)
I love all the different interpretation. Katherine made the lovely egg on the left above by embellishing a sticker with a little pebble over the center. The gold trim on the one on the right above are actually little tiny gold dresdens. I wonder where they sell them so small? I must do some research on that.

I loved all the eggs - so distinct - so full of texture and techniques. This was a great swap!

MY HOUSE BOOK RETURNS

2008-04-28T11:43:00.000-07:00

Last year I made this house book from scrap cardboard and various papers, photos and embellishments. I had planned to make a book after Angela Cartwright and Sarah Fishburn published their excellent book, In This House, and I cut my cardboard pages from the template in their book. The Somerset Studio challenge gave me the incentive to make the book to correspond with their "house" challenge last October. Above is a close up of the front door. I used an actual wooden dollhouse screen door and cut the cardboard out to match the shape of the door. I glued on a black doll button to serve as the little door knob. I used copper foil tape to finish all the edges of the door and house. I used a glossy grey polka-dotted scrapbook paper for the two outside walls of the house which I distressed further with Ranger weathered wood distress embossing powder. I wanted my grandparents to be visible from the front through the screen door because I have such a vivid memories of them standing in that doorway when I left from a visit with all of us waving and waving as my family pulled away in their car.
Somerset did not choose my book for publication, but I was overjoyed to have it returned to me. I sent it off without getting any pics of it last October and I had almost forgotten what it looked like. It is chalked full of symbolism for me about my relationship with my grandparents, Leo and Ethel, and I plan to keep it where I can look at it often. It gives me joy just to see it. My grandfather died when I was only 8 and my grandmother joined him later when I was 21. I made the house with only three rooms because that was the size of the little cottage in which they raised 5 children. I constructed a fence in the front of the house with grey card stock and used vintage children's books for the flowers. The chickens were cut from a magazine article. My grandfather played fiddle and there are tiny little copyright free elves (Irish, I'm sure) playing fiddle on the fence.

Here's my grandparents standing inside the front room of their house. I used a scrapbook paper for this room that had all different designs on it because my mother told me that they were so poor during the depression that they had to wallpaper their walls with sample books someone had given there. How ironic since we mixed media folks hold those sample books so dear now. I used a different paper for the "linoleum floor". There was always a lot of singing when my mother's people got together. The song above their head "On the Old Rugged Cross" was my grandmother's favorite and we sang it at her funeral. One time my grandmother was having a hip replacement and the OR got stacked up with patients and she had to wait quite awhile in limbo. My grandmother serenaded the whole singing gospel music. Later her doctor told her she was really out of it and she said, "What do you mean? I knew I was singing, but I had to do something to pass the time." I used a pic of the Deon quintuplets to signify my mother and her four sisters. My mother was the second oldest - symbolized with the pink heart charm over the head of the second baby.

Here's a pic of my parents. The caption underneath reads "When a child is born so is a grandmother." I made the little frame above their head from a little mother of pearl buckle and a vintage baby image.
This page is a collage of things I associate with my grandmother: Christian values, sewing, writing, etc. The little frame contains a little pic of her and my grandfather.

I used a rubber stamp to make the basic window above and then cut a scene from a vintage postcard to create the "scene" in the window. I cut a piece of wood to affixed a piece of vintage lace over the wood for the curtain. "Outside" that's me under the window having a little solitary tea party with a cat and dolls. I was always big on tea parties! (Still am!)
This page is about all the Holidays and Celebrations I spent I my grandparents house. This was definitely a place I associated more with holidays and celebrations because we lived so far apart.

This back cover has a metal gate with a pic of an apple tree cut from a vintage children's book to symbolize my grandparents apple orchard. I think they only had about 5 trees, but they made the best of them by storing them in the root cellar and by cutting up a lot of them and laying them outside on screen to dry. My grandmother made fried apple pies all Winter long from those dried apples. Yummy! I hope you enjoy my house book. I most often give my projects as gifts or trades, but this is a keepsake that I made for myself. I hope that it will inspire you to make one, too.

A Bridal Shower and a Crown

2008-04-25T10:05:00.000-07:00

My only newphew is getting married next month to the lovely Kristie. I went to their bridal shower last Sunday and I made her this bride crown to wear during her shower. I covered a headband with strips of paper then covered a crown shape with dark pink polka dotted scrapbook paper glued to poster board. I then covered the scrapbook paper with a thin layer of gel medium and imbedded this piece of old lace to the crown and cut around the shape of the lace to form the shape to the top of the crown. I finished it by adding chipboard letters covered in German pure silver ground glass glitter and black velvet floral ribbon around the bottom and added individual flower pieces of the floral ribbon cut apart and glued in each point on the top of the crown. I was happy with the results. A close-up of the crown is below.

A GREAT CONTEST TO ENTER! NANNYBIRD IS GIVING AWAY ANOTHER FABULOUS PURSE!

2008-04-22T12:41:00.000-07:00

Nan over at Nannybird Crafts is having a purse giveaway to celebrate Earth Day! Earlier this year I was lucky enough to win one of Nan's great purses woven from old magazine pages. She also makes fabulous crocheted purses from recycled plastic bags. You have got to see them to believe them. I carry mine a lot and I always get a lot of compliments on it! Its a short contest - winner to be chosen tomorrow at Noon - so get on over there and put your name in the proverbial hat by telling Nan something you do to help the planet. Good luck to everyone!

DON'T YOU LOVE SURPRISES?!!!!

2008-04-21T11:18:00.000-07:00

On Friday I received a mystery package in the mail containing these lovely supplies. There was no name on the package, but I think I can guess the sender from the postmark. I think these are just the cutest little collage stickers I have ever seen and I already used some of the chipboard letters over the weekend to make a bridal crown for a shower I attended yesterday. This is a lesson in how an unexpected gift can change the recipient because I never buy/use chipboard letters, but these looked so lovely covered in silver ground glass glitter to spell "Bride" across the crown that I know there will be more chipboard letters in my future. You "secret" benefactor - thanks so much for making my day! I haven't done anything to deserve your generosity, but I feel so very lucky to be a part of this supportive and generous community of artists! I am happy to count you and so many others as friends!

I'M A LUCKY GIRL! SEE MY SWAP GOODIES!

2008-04-18T13:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I received a special package containing my Junque in My Trunk swap hosted by the lovely Heather. You can read more about the swap and visit Heather's blog here. When I tore off the brown paper packaging, the first thing I saw was this box from my swap partner Jessica. She made her own handmade box (yes, made, not covered) from scrapbook papers and the papers of a vintage book. It was just the right size to hold my "trunk."

Here's the inside of the box.

Notice the vintage papers.

Here's the outside of the box that Jessica made by embossing scrapbook papers. This photo did not come out well, but it is a lovely green paisley with gold embossed detailing.

And inside the beautiful handmade box was this lovely trunk. How cute is the vintage design on it? Don't you love the metal clasp. Also look at the pretty beads strung around the handle.

Jesssia made this little book for me and painted the outside green. The charm attached with the little beads is a polymer charm. Note to self: I must learn more about how to make these. There is an impressed design on the other side that looks like it was made with a rubber stamp or texturizing plate.

There was tons and tons of contents on the inside of my little trunk. These are some of the charms. Look at the little photo charm - so sweet and that little teapot charm is definitely going in the tea themed coffee table book (the covered vintage record album) I'm working on. How quaint is that little watch parts tin! I love it. I will definitely have to find just the right assemblage to put it into or I will never be able to use it!

Jessica was very generous and there were lots of buttons and trims included in the bottom of the trunk to use in future artwork.

Look how sweet she wrapped up some vintage maps, sheet music, photos, old playing cards and old flash cards! These little bundles look so tantalizing!

There were some truly unique vintage ephemera - an old blank "1936 Summit thread" diary, a March felt calendar (I see it in a future St. Paddy's Day something), old hardware store receipts from 1948, and an old letter from 1967 in a language I am guessing might be Russian. How great an ephemera pack would this be even if I hadn't gotten all the other great things! Jessica was so generous in parting with these items.

Thanks so much, Jessica for being such a great swap partner. I truly love my box and I will be sharing (well, in the sense of showing it to them so they can be envious) it locally with all my friends as well. Thanks for being such a sweetie about my own late send off of your box. It's on its way. After Jessica has received her box, I'll post pics to show you what I sent to her.

MY BOOTY FROM THE ALTERED ALTOID TIN SWAP!

2008-04-16T10:22:00.000-07:00

On April 1st I showed you the altoid tin I altered for a swap at Unshelved Words. This is the tin I received in return. Lesley over at Flatwoods Folk Art made this stunning tin. The outside has a coating of faux rust and then is stamped with a delicate writing and pattern. The side has two little holes drilled in it and the wired ribbon is threaded through those holes. The inside has a transparency of a girl and some beautiful vintage velvet flowers. Aren't I lucky girl to have had such a great swap partner?!!!!

JUNQUE IN MY TRUNK!

2008-04-14T14:29:00.001-07:00

Junque in my trunk! The good kind. Ok, so really I think they are both the good kind! But this is a swap, Junque in my trunk, hosted by the gracious Heather over at Pretty Petals. I'm behind in getting my swap in the mail, (well, completed....) but here's what I've prepared so far. Jessica, my swap partner, expressed a love of children's books (the Dick and Jane variety) and kewpie dolls. So far, I've been working on this little Dick & Jane like (actaully that's Sally, but she's from the same era) keepsake box and I've made these little kewpie dolls luggage tags she can use as bookmarks or gift tags. If you're peaking, Jessica, I hope you like them so far - there is still some more work to be done so there will still be some surprises. I hope I'm on the right track!

A NEW BLOG BANNER FROM MAGPIE-PIXIE

2008-04-12T14:43:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago I was lucky to win a contest for a blog banner and the lovely Carolyn at Magpie-Pixie made me this new custom banner. Isn't it great?! I feel very blessed.Thanks so much, Carolyn, for all your hard work. If you love Carolyn's work as much as I do, you'll also want to take a trip around her blog shop, From the Nest of the Magpie-Pixie.

AN ALTERED RECORD ALBUM

2008-04-11T07:37:00.000-07:00

This is my latest project. It's an old record album with 4 sleeves inside that previously held the records. This is an old one that has a linen like cover and linen hinges on the actual album. I bought it about 2 years ago at a Goodwill for a couple of dollars with the idea of altering it and I am just now getting starting. Last weekend I made a trip to a couple of local craft stores and chose the 12 pages of scrapbook papers. I covered all the pages, including the 4 sleeves inside the album that previously held the records. I reinforced each of the sleeves with 2 pieces of poster board (which I buy at the local Dollar General for 10/sheets for $1) inside the sleeves and put a bit of the paper from the previous page inside the sleeve as a lining (just cause it was prettier). I used 8 glue sticks to do all this gluing! Later I went around all the pages and used some other fast drying white glue just to make sure that all the edges were secure. I'm planning to make it into a coffee table book so it needs to be able to withstand lots of looking. The only thing I have added to the cover above yet are the 2 "water marks" I made with gold lumiere. Sorry this pics are so bad. The papers looked better before I posted them.
On the inside cover above I added two velvet ribbons - one on each side of the page. My My working title for the book is "Exotic Tease". The only real work I have done in the book yet is the lady in the teacup. There is a close-up below. I used a piece of a teacup notepad that my friend Pat gifted to me and strengthened it with poster board. Then I glued it down around the edges and "padded it" by stuffing it with bits of wax paper. The pics really don't do it justice, but it adds a nice dimensional effect. I read about this technique somewhere, but it is the first time I have tried it. If anyone remembers where it came from, please leave me a comment. Now that I have the pages covered, the fun can really begin this weekend.
Below are two more of the inside pocket pages. I dyed the trim at the bottom of the left page with turquoise Dyn-a-Flow to match the scrapbook papers.

Below are two of the inside pages. I added a teal suede ribbon and a green velvet rickrack to the page on the right.

Below is the last page and the back inside page

Below is the back cover

A MUCH AWAITED PUBLICATION! (AT LEAST BY ME)

2008-04-04T14:22:00.000-07:00

Last year I submitted the 2 collage handbags below to Haute Handbags magazine. Right before Christmas, I got an email from the editor telling me that the 2 purses below had been chosen for publication and asking me to write a technique-based article about the bags! I was delighted and honored and felt as though the Cosmos had sent me the best Christmas present ever! I submitted the article in early January and then began the waiting game until the scheduled release date of April 1. Would my article actually make it into the magazine? How would the pics look? How much, if any, of my original article would actually be published? Until the magazine is all laid out and put to bed, nothing is certain.

About 2 weeks ago I finally got an envelope from Stampington & Company which indicated on the front that it was my complimentary artist copy! At last! Except the envelope was empty. Yes, e-m-p-t-y. The magazine had been lost in transit. Now, I really, really wanted to see the article. My Sis finally found a copy in her hometown last weekend and read it to me over the phone -- at least I knew that it existed. But I still could barely wait to see it for myself.

Well, last night I finally found a copy on the shelf at my local Barnes & Noble. I am very pleased with the article and the pics! I hope you will let me know what you think!

There are also many, many other lovely purses and instructions: one by Sandra Evertson, along with a free online elements sheet you can download to make your own reticule sets, a beautiful Birdhouse Bag (which I think I will have to make), and some elegant BECOMING JANE (Austin) bags by Kristin Robinson. If you love purses, you will want a copy of this edition.

I was particularly interested in an article about a group from Oklahoma who call themselves The Ephemerites. They did a purse round robin and the bag is gorgeous! When it is returned they are going to donate it to a charity auction. I love the idea of a round robin purse. I will have to mull this idea around a bit.

Anyway, that my big news. Thanks for letting me toot my own horn a bit!

AN ALTERED ALTOID TIN

2008-04-01T14:22:00.001-07:00

Recently I participated in an altered altoid tin swap over at Unshelved Words. I was lucky to already have several tins on hand - my friends know better than to throw away "trash" without checking with me first! LOL This swap was the perfect excuse I needed to alter my first tin. I sandpapered most of the tin to get it to accept paint. Then I painted the outside bottom with metallic copper acrylic paint - when this didn't take so well, I painted it with white gesso and reapplied the copper paint. Then I covered the top with a layer of Golden Gel Medium and applied a piece of upholstery sample. When the upholstery sample did not glue as well as I would have liked, I tried to rip it off the lid and start over. The ripping revealed another layer of fabric so I frayed this layer and left some of each. Then I covered the outside of the lid with a navy ribbon. I accidentally got some paint on the ribbon when I was sprucing up the paint job. In the end, I covered the navy ribbon with naturally aged tatting and added a velvet millinery flower to the top.

Here's what I added to the inside. I covered each section with scrapbook papers and added a pic of a little girl having a tea party with her cat and her dollies on a spring day. I added the phrase (the purpose of the assignment) "There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea." On the left, I smeared some of the metal copper paint around the rim and added an old vintage button, a metal arrow and a Chinese cookie fortune that reads: "This could be the perfect day. Enjoy it." I finished the opposite side by applying a little piece of tatting I dyed green with Jacquard Dynaflow. I had originally glued this piece of the outside rim, but ripped it off because I thought the green was too bright.

What do you think??? I think its not so bad for a piece that is made almost entirely from my efforts to cover the previous mistake. Every artist's motto should be "Persevere - today's mistake could be tomorrow's treasure."

AS THE CROW FLIES!

2008-04-01T12:40:00.000-07:00

I have been participating in a scrap crow round robin. Each participant makes a crow and adds one embellishment and then sends the crow to the next person on the list. Each person gets one crow each month to embellish and the crows keep traveling around until they are finally back to their original owner. This is my latest offering. I added a little bejeweled gold crown to Lee's crow and sent her on her way. I made the crown from white trim painted with gold lumiere and formed stiff with glue. I glued it to her head with my favorite glue: Scrappy glue by magic scraps. Click on the pic to see the eyes that Lee set into each side of her crow's head before sending her out in the world. I am really hoping that she tells us how to set the eyes.
Here's the cute little journal Lee sent along with her crow so that we could document her journey.
Here's the two pages I added about the crown. The trim on the bottom left page is the same trim I used to make the crown.

HAPPY EASTER TO ME!

2008-03-28T12:16:00.001-07:00

My Sister sent me this lovely paperbag book for Easter since I was too sick to visit her.

My great niece in the the pic above wearing her mother's vintage Easter dress from many Easters ago.

That's me at about 2 years of age in the pic above with a little crown on my head. So appropriate, considering that all my "self-portraits" when I was little always included a crown.

She included the cute little Easter shipping tags and other little goodies in the paperbag pockets as an added giftie. She has an impressive stash of vintage Easter and most of the images are from her own collection of vintage postcards.

That's my sis above on the shipping tag. Click on any of these photos to see the images better.

I love the book. Thanks so much, Sissy!

MORE EGGS!

2008-03-27T10:34:00.000-07:00

WHICH CAME FIRST: THE CHICKEN SOUP OR THE EGG???

2008-03-26T14:58:00.000-07:00

I did so miss my blog and my blog friends when I was ill and without the net. Even alternating fever and chills would have been lessened if I could just have had my proper daily blogging portions. The one day I thought I was almost recovered (but it turned out the worst was yet to come), I celebrated by making a dozen egg-shapped ATC's for a Yahoo! swap.

I was so bored, I even rigged each egg so that it opened to reveal a little surprise inside the egg.

I hope you like them.

GREEN, PIECED AND STITCHED!

2008-03-26T13:40:00.000-07:00

A few weeks I posted an atc I made in response to a challenge to make an atc that was green, pieced and had at least the appearance of stitches. I designed a paper one that was pieced and had white stitches from a gel souffle pen. Last week I received the 2 fabulous fabric atc's above (from Diane and Liz) as my share from the swap.

A BELATED HAPPY EASTER!

2008-03-24T13:41:00.001-07:00

I've been down with a bit of illness, so I am sorry that I missed posting all my little Easter cards. Thanks so much to all of you who left kind messages and emails regarding the St. Paddy's Tag Swap. It was a lot of fun! I am mulling over some ideas for a new swap. Let me know if any of you have any ideas. Cheers for now and pray my temp stays down.

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY! See the results from our St. Paddy's Day Tag Swap!

2008-03-16T06:14:00.001-07:00

Below are representative samples from our recent St. Paddy's Day tag book swap. I had a great time making my tags and was very excited as all the beautiful and creative tags from the other players began arriving. In the end each person got a booklet with samples of some of the other players. Originally, I had planned to have 2 groups of 10 each and each person would have received a tag from each person in their group, but life, and the post office, intervened and some players were not able to fulfill their original obligations. In the end, I rearranged the groups to ensure that each player would receive the maximum tags possible. I hope everybody was pleased with the results. Many thanks to all those who played. I sent the booklets out to the players in this package:

Now for some pics of the individual tags:

Tags above from Sherry, Marilyn, and Nancy and their reverse sides below. If you would like to see all of Sherry's tags, click on her name and you can view all of her tags on her blog as a sideshow.

A sampling of Leslie's tags above.

A sampling of Kelley's tags above and their reverse sides below.

A sampling of Stella's tags above and their reverse sides below.

Sharon, Barb, and Shari's tags and their reverse sides below.

Darla's tags and their reverse side below.

Marianne, Trish (mine), and Pat"s tags above and their reverse sides below.

My purse I won from Nannybird Crafts arrived yesterday! Enter her new give away tonight!

2008-03-14T04:51:00.000-07:00

How cute is this! and it is really, really big. It's a generous 12" X 8" and very roomy inside. The double handles are sturdy and woven right into the design of the purse. The purse itself is woven from bright magazine pages. Click on the pics and you can see the little images from the pages. And I won it last week in a blog contest here. Nan kindly suggested that it was mine - and that if I didn't fancy carrying it, I could sell it on Ebay. No, not this purse girl. I changed purses at the office and carried it home! THE MAN, yes, M-A-N at the Starbucks on the way home saw it on the seat next to me in the car and asked about it. I really, really love it. Thank you, Nan. This was such a generous give-away. I know you think they are so time consuming to make that you can't bring yourself to agree to sell them, but maybe you should teach some classes.
Below you can see it close-up. See how shiny it is! Its feels like the pages were laminated before the folding and weaving began. What craftsmanship! She also makes other beautiful purses from recyled garbage bags. Nan is a true artist. And she's not just crafty, but she's funny, too. I've put her on my growing lists of blogs I read regularly.

REMINDER: Nannybird Crafts is giving a purse away TONIGHT, but you have to do some counting. Get on over there now and enter her contest. Oh, and tell her The Tattered Rose sent you.

MY IRISH MOTHER

2008-03-13T20:25:00.000-07:00

I planned to make this piece for a long time. The used Whitman Sampler candy box set on the top of my refrigerator for over a year. In the end the delay was fortuitous because I learned some new things about glues. The lid of the box is covered with various scrapbook papers in different shades of green which have been aged and randomly painted with white gesso. I love the paper with the green crowns. Then the lid is covered in a thick layer of Golden Gel Medium (matte) and an old, very fragile piece of exquisite lace with tattered edges was then embedded into the layer of gel medium. After that dried I placed a raised oval photograph of my mother and her family, circa 1925, which had been decoupaged to a thick piece of cardboard and the edge embossed with Queen's Gold. It is finished with a vintage amber four leaf clover broach. I stamped, embossed in dark green and cut out the words "Irish Treasure" and glued them around the sides of the oval photo. I dyed a vintage knitting spacer with green alcohol ink and placed it around my mother's face to indicate the other meaning of the treasure. The sides of the box are covered with handmade dark green paper with shamrocks embedded into it. The inside is papered with a striped green paper and the a bit of flowered lace painted with green lumiere. I love this box and I think it is an apt tribute to my mother's angelic face and her Irish heritage. It is my own Irish Treasure box. If you click on the picture, you can make it larger to see the details.
Have any of you made your own family heirlooms?

THE TAGS BOOKS ARE IN THE AIR!

2008-03-12T18:47:00.000-07:00

Well, more precisely, on the trucks,winging their way to each of the participants. Stay tuned and by Monday I will post the pics for your viewing enjoyment. Until then, may the luck of the Irish be with you all.

I WON A GREAT PURSE AND YOU CAN, TOO!

2008-03-10T07:44:00.000-07:00

This last weekend I was snowed in with an unexpected March snowfall of 12 inches. Luckily, I could surf the net to fight my cabin fever. I found a great new blog, Nannybird Crafts. Nan makes these beautiful purses that are made of recycled plastic garbage bags and woven candy wrappers and magazine pages. These really interest me because I "recycle" vintage purses from the 40's - 60's. Nan's purses are just lovely. Head over there and check them out.
Anyway, I entered her contests (yes, there were 2) and I won a purse! Isn't that super! I could hardly believe it myself. I picked one woven from candy wrappers or magazine pages, it's still being sorted out exactly which one, but I'll post a pic for all of you to see when I receive the bag.
Now, those of you who are still with me, this is how this post affects you. Nan is giving away yet another bag! But Nan makes you work for the privilege of winning this bag so get on over to her blog and start counting - the rules are over there- and you could be a winner, too.
Oh, yeah, and be sure to tell her you learned about it from The Tattered Rose.
It's a great and generous prize. Good luck to you all!

ANOTHER GIVE AWAY TO ENTER!

2008-03-08T12:59:00.001-08:00

Magpie-pixie is having a giveaway over at her blog to celebrate her 200th post. She is offering a choice of 2 generous prizes: a lovely piece of her own art and a blog banner. (Me to Cosmos: "I REALLY NEED TO WIN A BLOG BANNER!") But I am willing for you to be my competition. So get on over there and put your name in the hat. Good luck!

NOT RAIN, NOR SLEET, NOR EVEN SNOW CAN STOP THEM!

2008-03-07T13:58:00.000-08:00

Snow on the trees,

Snow on the ground,

Snow on the rooftops,

Snow all around!

-Children's Snow Song

It may not stop the U.S. Postal Service, but it has stopped me cold in my tracks! Although I am told that package after package of St. Paddy's Day tags have made their way to my office, an unseasonable snow fall here has stopped me from getting to them. Although the snow here was not supposed to start until about 5:00 p.m. this evening, it started early this morning about 7:30 a.m. and has made a messy business of traveling on the highways and byways. But not to worry, the temp is going back up and I should be back on track in a couple of days. Although I am frustrated for the tag swap's sake, I am enjoying being "snow bound" and having time to work on other swaps. Hope you are all enjoying pretty weather, or at least enjoying the weather you've got.

THE TAGS ARE ARRIVING!!!

2008-03-05T15:42:00.000-08:00

I'm waving my Irish flag to show the postman the way! The tags for the St. Patty's Day tag swap are arriving daily and Boy! are they ever cute. You girls have done a really great job and the best thing about being the swap hostess is that I get to see them first. Stay tuned, everybody, and I'll post pics of the tags after everyone gets their books. This has been a really fun swap. Thanks, everyone.

While I was "researching" for my own tags, looking for Irish sayings, I found one I had never heard before I thought was worth passing along:

May those that love us, love us

and, those that don't love us

May God turn their hearts

And, if He doesn't turn their hearts,

May he turn their ankles....

So we'll know them by their limping.

The Luck of the Irish!

2008-03-03T16:01:00.000-08:00

How cute is this cover on the March, 1968 "Jack and Jill" magazine? It's from my own stash because I can never resist a St. Paddy's Day collectible. Technically, four leaf clovers are not shamrocks, but they are also a sign of good luck so they are often depicted on St. Paddy's Day cards and as a traditional symbol of Ireland. Shamrocks, the unofficial Irish symbol, have three leaves, not four. Today I bought a little pack of holiday tissues with pigs and four leaf clovers on them and the clerk said, "I don't know what pigs have to do with St. Paddy's Day." Actually, he's got it wrong. The pig is a traditional Irish good luck symbol, it's the four leaf clover that is the interloper. I don't know the origin of the pig as a good luck symbol, but I suppose if you were living through famine by surviving on potatoes that a pig would be, indeed, a very good thing to possess. My own mother lived through the depression by eating potatoes: mashed potatoes, fried potatoes, homemade potato chips, and fried potato cakes. She told me that she even had to take a potato cake to school for her lunch because they didn't have anything else. For myself, I had a potato with most hot meals. When I was growing up, we had a hot noon time meal we called "dinner" which nearly always included some potato dish and then we had a cold night time meal. My own supper was often cheese, crackers and a piece of fruit (as it still is today). When I went to my first Irish restaurant, I discovered my traditional supper listed on their menu as the "Ploughman's Platter." How funny to discover that I was eating ethnically and didn't even know it!

I have always loved St. Paddy's Day and the tag swap this year is certainly making me feel very festive and close to my Irish roots. The tags are pouring in and more are promised in the near future. Thank all of you who have participated. I so appreciate each and every one of you. I know you will all be happy with your Tag Swap Books.

In a semi-related story of good luck, I have been hunting and gathering for a few days and my luck has been so phenomenal that I can only credit my Irish heritage. Maybe my ancestors are leading me. I have found tatting, old buttons, children's books, old store stock, old game pieces, and more. I had almost given up regular searches for these things because most of the local places never seem to have enough (at least at the price I am willing to pay) to make the search worthwhile. I think Ebay may have been responsible for that. I have hopes of getting a blog banner up soon and I have found a few things I can use for that. Now if my Irish spirit guides are listening: old cabbage rose wallpaper - just give me a nudge in the right direction, please.

What stories of your Irish heritage or unexpected good luck do you have to share?

GREEN ATC

2008-03-02T11:47:00.000-08:00

This is an atc card I sent in last week for a technique swap. It was supposed to be green, pieced and stitched. I choose the option to make mine paper and to add the appearance of stitching. But I just couldn't wrap my mind around how to design it. It was an agony from the beginning. I don't know if it's because I don't quilt, but I just could not think how to make the design. Finally, I cut a piece of paper the size of the atc and drew sections, cut out the sections and used them as a template to cut out the pieces of paper. Then I drew a shamrock and cut it out. I used a white souffle pen to draw various stitches on the card. When it still seemed too unexciting, I added a glitter shamrock sticker made from foam, three rhinestones, and a fancy trim at the bottom. Surely, I forged some new brain cells with this one because it was so difficult for me. I think it is good to do a mix of technique swaps and swaps just for fun as both develop your talents in different ways.

TAG! I'M IT!

2008-03-01T06:05:00.000-08:00

Last week Renea over at Pocket Full Of Prettys tagged me for a MEME. Here's the Rules: 1. Link to the person that tagged you. 2. Post the rules on your blog. 3. Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself. 4. Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs. 5. Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.

Ok! Here goes:

1. I have worn vintage clothes and carried vintage purses since I was a teenager.

2. Brussel sprouts are my favorite vegetable, but I never even tasted them until I was over 20.

3. I have never been to Florida (I know this will get some comments!)

4. I am allergic to the sun (see #3 above)

5. I love tea and have a collection of all different kinds. I make it fresh from tea leaves morning and night.

6. I had a hard time at first recreating those scrambled letters so that I could post comments on people's blogs (apparently, I have some robot-like features, but I have been able to learn to do it, and I assume the robots cannot, but it was frustrating at first!)

Now, I am to tag 6 other people to play. Let me say to the "chosen": only play if you want to, it won't hurt my feelings a bit if you chose not to, don't have time, or don't feel like it, or have done it enough already! But if you do chose to play be sure and let me know so that I can come and see your answers.

I tag: 1. Marilyn at Summer Gypsy; 2. Elizabeth at Smirley World; 3. Maryanne at The Creative Muse; 4. Deena at Sweet Annee; 5. Robin at Dreams of Blue Acadia; and Lori at Pink Faded Roses. Now, if I've done it right you can click on these links and go check out their blogs!

LEAP YEAR IS HERE! LADIES START YOUR PROPOSALS...

2008-02-29T07:34:00.000-08:00

If any of you have your eye on a fine fellow you would like to marry, this is the traditional day when it is acceptable for you to propose marriage to him. Otherwise, if you are a conservative kind of gal, then you'll have to wait another four years for this opportunity to come around again.
I found this cute little leap year postcard when I was out foraging for valentines last month at the flea market and I couldn't resist sharing it with you. Enjoy your leap year possibilities.....

FEEL THE LOVE!

2008-02-28T17:54:00.001-08:00

Today my friend Sherry over at Espirit d'Art bestowed me with this "You Make My Day" award. And get this, she's giving it to me for the nice things I said about her in yesterday's post. Well, Sherry, you totally deserve to take credit for all the wonderful thoughtful RAK's you serve up out here in blogland to me and many, many others and today this award is a boomerang and I send it right back at ya! Thanks for making my day and for all the kindnesses you perform every day. They do not go unnoticed.

I'VE BEEN TAGGED FOR A MEME!

2008-02-27T17:20:00.000-08:00

Last week Sherry of Espirit d'Art tagged me for a MEME to answer some questions about myself. First, I have to tell you that I can't say enough nice things about Sherry. I had barely settled into my new space in blogland when Sherry found me and offered me her friendship. She is a one woman welcome wagon and I am sure lots of others in blogland feel the same way. She is totally sincere in her desire to be of help to the rest of us. I say thank you, very much, Sherry. Your friendship is greatly appreciated by me. Hope these answers in some way help you to know me better.

Now, here are your questions and my answers:

Four Movies I Would Watch Over and Over
Big
Tin Cup
The Wizard of Oz
Blazing Saddles

Four Places I Have Lived
I am Kentucky born and bred

Four TV Shows I Watch
Medium
The Closer
The Big Bang Theory
The Office (Really, I debated here whether my answer should be "The Flavor of Love"- who
doesn't love Flav O' Flav, but that is a really dark secret about me)

Four Places I Have Been
I would have to list states here and it would just be sad. Lets just say I am well-traveled in
the Mid-West and parts of the South

Four People Who E-Mail Me
I don’t get many emails – you know who you are.

Four Favourite Things To Eat
salsa and chips
Chicken
Chickpeas
Chocolate!

Four Places I'd Rather Be
I do my traveling in my mind

Four People I'd Love To Have Lunch With
My mom (she's deceased)
Ralph Nader (there’s a few questions I like to ask…)
Oscar Wilde
Bette Midler

Four Things I Look Forward To This Year
snow!
Holidays
Art
Maybe teaching an arty class

I'm supposed to tag 4 more people, but I'm so very new I don't know if that should apply to me. I'll mull it over and get back to you.

MORE INSPIRATION!

2008-02-26T03:33:00.000-08:00

Here are some additional images from http://stlouistimeportal.com The harp is actually the offical symbol of Ireland, not the sharmrock. The shamrock is thought to bring good luck. Notice how both images are cleverly included the above three postcards.

SOME INSPIRATION FOR YOUR ST. PADDY'S DAY TAGS

2008-02-24T07:12:00.001-08:00

I know a lot of you are working on your tags this weekend. I found a great site to download free antique postcards: http://www.stlouistimeportal.com/ These are just a little of the eye candy available at their site.

LEAN CLOSER TO YOUR MONITORS AND LISTEN CLOSELY: THERE'S A FREE GIVE AWAY YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT!

2008-02-22T19:33:00.000-08:00

While it might be wiser in my own self interest to keep this information to myself, I have decided to share. My internet friend Shari is having her first give away over at Plays With Paper . Get on over there and put your name in the proverbial hat to win her gorgeous soldered pendant with the caption: "I shop vintage." Good luck to each of you!

DON'T FORGET THE BIRDS ATC

2008-02-22T06:33:00.000-08:00

This is an atc I made for a swap at a yahoo group. The sky is textured with globs of white tissue paper and the "snow" is white cotton batting with big coarse clear glitter. I've added the glitter to parts of the tree trunk to increase the snowy effect. The tree and the birds are rubber stamps I cut out. The birds are attached to the tree limb with a pop dot.

SIGN-UPS FOR THE ST. PATRICK'S DAY TAG BOOK SWAP ARE NOW CLOSED!

2008-02-21T06:38:00.001-08:00

We have 19 players who have signed up for the swap (including me). I am going to play in both groups so that will give us 2 perfect groups of 10 each. You will get more specific instructions by email. Please let me know if you do not get that email. Now go have fun and get those tags done! Thanks for playing! Cheers, Trish

Beaded Button Beauties

2008-02-19T19:38:00.000-08:00

These little beaded button beauties have been making their way around the internet. I made these two for a swap on yahoo. The lady in the pink hat I made from an old vintage photo. I colored the hat with metallic rub-ons and made the "butterfly" from a pansy rubber stamp I cut apart to make the top and bottom. The angel I made from a copyright free dover angel head, embellished by a gold halo made from a deconstructed earring. (I bought a whole bag of these earrings in various metal colors from the dollar store - I knew they would come in handy!) I cut the butterfly from an old vintage book page and embellished the butterfly with Ranger Distress Ink (worn lipstick) pink flower velvet ribbon, print rickrack, and pink stickles. Both are backed with heavy cardstock and have ribbon hangers for easy display. The button tails are made from heavy wire and vintage beads. If you click on the photo you can see an enlarged image.

Caution: You may not be able to make just one.

AND THE WINNERS OF THE SHAMROCK GIVEAWAY ARE....

2008-02-19T06:04:00.001-08:00

The Luck of the Irish has smiled on:

1. Darly of Daisy's Little Cottage

2. Marilyn of Summer Gypsy

CONGRATULATIONS!

Please send me an email with your snail mail addresses and

I'll get your shamrocks in the mail to you.

FREE SHAMROCK! SIGN UP HERE FOR GIVEAWAY!

2008-02-15T16:53:00.000-08:00

In honor of the upcoming holiday and our St. Paddy's Tag Book Swap I am giving away a lovely Beistle honeycomb shamrock to the first two winners. The actual shamrock measures 11" X 13". I thought they were vintage (they look it) but my assistant, who has much younger eyes than I, pointed out that they have a date on the package of 1981. Still, it would be useful for your holiday decorating. Anybody can signup to win one of the shamrocks, but you must leave me a way on this post to contact you in case you win. If you leave me a comment on this post and you also a member of the swap, I'll put your name in the hat twice. If you post the tag swap banner and my blog address (THE TATTERED ROSE at http://mydistressingjourney.blogspot.com on your website, and leave me a comment here that you have done so, I'll enter your name again. Drawing on Monday, February 18 at midnight (EST). May the luck of the Irish be with you!

TODAY I BOUGHT BACK A LITTLE BIT OF MY CHILDHOOD FOR $1.00

2008-02-14T14:36:00.000-08:00

I have had a troubling stressful week. Monday there was sleet and snow and ice and Tuesday had involved calling a locksmith when I locked my keys, coat, purse, etc in the car while I was trying to work on the effects of the above weather. Having had enough of being blue and unhappy, I decided that it was time for a little retail therapy. And when I buy myself a little piece of happiness, I don't head to the nearest mall or retail outlet - I head to an antique store, a flea market, or a thrift shop. Today I happened to be near one of my favorite little antique stores so I rushed in to see if anyone was selling any great vintage Valentines (sadly they were not). Suddenly, on a little table I spotted the empty Brach's Valentine Hearts box pictured above. Although I could not have conjured up the box in my mind the second before I spotted it, I immediately recognized the little sixties graphics as a box from my childhood and my heart began literally to beat a little faster. I think I got one of these boxes every year during my childhood filled with little pink, orange, green, yellow, white and lavender conversation hearts. The pink, of course, were always my favorite. My girlfriends and I savored the little sayings as though they were the prophesy of a famous soothsayer. We pondered our future, our fortunes and our loves, past, present and future. I turned over the box and it had a price tag reading $1. Today, for Valentine's Day, the universe sold me back a little moment in time for love and affection and the nominal fee of $1. I say Thank You! and Happy Valentine's Day to everyone!

NEW ST. PATRICK'S DAY TAG SWAP BANNER!

2008-02-13T15:00:00.000-08:00

My friend Shari over at Staffordshire Garden Designs made me this great swap banner that you can post on your own blogs! Thank you so much Shari. It was so considerate of you to do this for me!

Be sure and check out Shari's website and her great new broken china jewelry at http://staffordshiregarden.com/

And please think about joining us for the St. Patrick's Day Tag Swap. Since time is so short to St. Paddy's Day no one will have to make more than 10 shipping tags. Details are below and you can sign up by leaving a post here with a way to contact you or emailing me at thetatteredrose2006@yahoo.com.

EVERYBODY'S IRISH ON ST. PADDY'S DAY! PLEASE JOIN MY TAG BOOK SWAP!

2008-02-13T04:11:00.001-08:00

Would you like to have some extra fun this St. Patrick's Day? Please join our St. Patrick's Day Tag Book Swap by leaving your name here and a way to contact you. The rules are simple:
1. Transform some #3 shipping tags (2-3/8" X 4-3/4") , front and back, with your favorite Irish images, colors, and/or sayings/sentiments/blessings. Any medium is welcome. I'm a vintage girl myself, but some of the group are new to swapping and we would like to see as many different techniques and mediums as you'd like to use! The number of tags you make will depend on the number who sign up for the swap, but I promise no more than 10 in any one group. You can use as many embellishments as you like, but please be sure to leave the hole at the top of the tag so that I can use it to tie the book together.
2. Mail the tags to me by March 1st and I'll make a booklet of one tag from each person in your group and mail them back to you in time to display them for your St. Paddy's Day fun.
3. Sound like your kind of Irish fun! Then leave me notice on this post or send me an email at the address above. We would love to have you!

I'M IRISH AND I'M PROUD! ANNOUNCING ST. PATRICK'S DAY TAG SWAP! SIGN UP HERE!

2008-02-10T06:57:00.000-08:00

The Valentine Tag Book Swap was so much fun, I've decided to do one for St. Patrick's Day as well. If you want to play, please sign up here and leave me a way to contact you (email).You do not have to have a blog to play.

Here's the rules:
1. Use #3 shipping tags - 2-3/8" X 4-3/4". Cover them front and back with the mediums of your choice with St. Patrick's Day images and/or sentiments. You will be notified of how many tags to make after sign ups close, but no one will have to make more than 10. I have no idea if others will want to play, but some new creative spirits would be nice and appreciated.

2. Mail your tags to me by March 1 and I will make a booklet from everyone's tags by respective groups. You will also need to mail me a self-addressed stamped padded envelope when you send your tags.

3. I will then mail you a booklet of tags from your group you can enjoy for the holiday!

4. Have fun!

VALENTINE TAG SWAP RESULTS!

2008-02-10T05:51:00.001-08:00

Back last month I was not looking forward to Valentine's Day. No sweetie to call my own and no celebrations in sight for the dreaded holiday. Then I had this idea for a Valentine Tag Book Swap among some of my friends at home and on the internet. My favorite comment was from my friend Marianne when I sent her my pitch for the swap by email. I apparently oversold the concept about how this swap would guarantee a fun Valentines Day because came her simple reply: "Will they be tall, dark and handsome, these valentine tags?" I sent back the message, "No, but they are the best I'm going to do this year! Are you in?" Came her reply: "I'm in!"

Some of the participants are veteran crafters/artists and some are relatively new and some were coached in by yours truly - most, maybe all of us, veteran and newbies alike, expressed the sentiment about whether or not our tags were "good" enough. I love them all - each and every one. They are all fabulous and I hope all who participated in the swap and all who may view them here will get as much enjoyment from them as I have gotten collecting them and making them into booklets to mail out and/or distribute. I am still waiting on one set of tags (and I apoligize to Dee that I don't have pics of hers here, but they are somewhere in the USPS hands), but I don't have a digital camera and my friends Pat and Nancy were kind enough to come over yesterday and help me take pics of the ones that have arrived safely. When I have all the tags, I will make a booklet so that each player will get a tag from each person. I just wanted to give you all a chance to see the pics before I mail them.

Tags (front and back) from Nancy, Sharon, and Sherry.

Tags (front and back) from Janet, Trish (me), and Pat.

Marianne's tags are made of felt and some bling and every one is a little difference. Here's a sampling. Here are a couple of Shari's tags and some shrink plastic charms I made for the booklets.

VINTAGE HEART SWAP PICS!

2008-02-09T13:09:00.001-08:00

Just take a look at the great Valentine Box made for me by my swap partner Tricia over at http://www.vintagebliss.typepad.com Each side has a decorated vintage valentine with embellishments added to it. It was a very thoughtful gift and will be a keepsake for me to use every year and a great storage box for all my heart things. I was so lucky to get Tricia as my swap partner and I just love the box and all the many, many things she packed inside it. If any one out there is considering joining in a swap like this one, I heartily recommend it. It's a great way to give and to receive and make some new friends in the process. Thank you Tricia and our swap hostess over at From my Cherry Heart for making this a happier Valentine's for me.

Notice the vintage envelope holder with red roses that's enscribed: "Write it on your heart that every day is the best day of the year - Emerson." And the Vellum Grab Bag envelope and the Grow Your Own Valentine little red pot (sadly, I discovered it does not grow a man to be your valentine, but little mini roses) and the sheer pink bag of red resin hearts. All so very lovely! Notice the tiny little gummed evidence tag edged in red. Too precious! And the little vellum envelopes as packaging. Lovely and useful, too.

Vintage Heart Swap!

2008-02-08T14:44:00.001-08:00

I participated in a swap sponsored by http://www.frommycherryheart.blogspot.com The rules were get a container and fill it with things that are either shaped like hearts or have hearts on them and there had to be at least one vintage item. I was having some camera difficulties so I sent my things out without getting any pics of them. If you want to see what I sent my partner, you can see her pics at http://www.vintagebliss.typepad.com I made her a vintage red valentine collage purse and sent her a selection of some other goodies. But wait to you see what she sent me..... I'll have some pics up soon. I really had a great time in this swap, both giving and receiving. Much thanks to my swap partner and our hostess for making this a great swap.

ANOTHER HANDBAG!

2008-02-06T14:22:00.000-08:00

I bought this photograph in an antique store. It wasn't until I enlarged it that I noticed that there were lots of other girls in uniform on the lawn in front of the castle. I'm guessing that it was graduation day from some academy. If you click on the picture, it will enlarge so that you can see what I'm talking about.

The little blue plastic airplane on the purse is a game piece from an old game. I cut out the phrase "I wish you Godspeed" from an old novel.

DAY SEVEN!

2008-02-05T13:33:00.000-08:00

DAY SIX!

2008-02-05T13:27:00.000-08:00

DAY FIVE!

2008-02-05T13:20:00.001-08:00

DAY FOUR!

2008-02-05T13:14:00.000-08:00

DAY THREE!

2008-02-05T13:07:00.001-08:00

DAY TWO!

2008-02-05T12:59:00.001-08:00

O.K! So I said just paper and glue and that is a little Golden red fluid acrylic (paint) I added, but its my challenge and it"s just for fun so there are no collage police (usually).