Trying to catch up!!!

These are 4 0f the 6 pages I need to catch up for Vintage Bliss. My hand is getting better but still not good. Tried my best.

When the road seems so long and difficult:

Sometimes the best thing a person can do is to stop and cry.
"I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. "
-- Abraham Lincoln

Injured right hand!

Sorry that I couldn't do my Thursday Tutorial,hoping for next week.Happy Halloween!!!

Three Muses challenge!! Long ago and far away!

This is my one room schoolhouse for the challenge. I enjoyed doing this and hope you like it. The little boy and girl on the right is my dad and my Aunt Jane.
Three Muses />

Theme Thursday challenge!!

Theme Thursday />

This is my interpretation of the faces challenge, click on Theme Thursday.

Paper Whimsy Door Challenge!!!

This is a challenge for Paper Whimsy the piece was an iron door and reminded me of the "City of the Dead" in New Orleans. this looks very much like their little buildingsthat are actually crypts and many times house more than one body. If you can see inside mine there are several coffins.This is not a halloween piece but a representation of the New Orleans idea of burying their dead.
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The verdigris door is the actual picture. Mine is dimentional and is about an inch in depth.

The Beginning Of a Journal!!

I am calling this Doors and Windows, the theory being Open Doors "Open Minds" These 2 pages are a work in progress and wanted to share them with you. If you have seen any interesting doors or windows, let me know.

Today is My Birthday!!

Wow!! I feel like I just had a birthday and here it is again. Time is flying at a rate that is unbelievable. I try to accomplish a piece of art everyday, along with working on any projects I have going. Always looking for new ideas and methods. Love the youtube videos of all the techniques for altered art, bookbinding, jewelry making etc. I started the tutorials on Thursday and will continue with that until I run out of things(not likely) I hope people are enjoying them and manage to fit some of these into their busy schedules.
....... A friend dropped by yesterday and we had a great visit and a nice lunch. It was raining out and pretty chilly , the leaves falling like snow from the force of the wind and the rain. But we were warm and cozy with the fireplace going and a nice cup of tea and a really good chicken soup from the night before's dinner.
.......Sometimes , I have to stop doing my projects and connect with a human that doesn't belong to one of my groups.Trying to find out how to crackle fabric , if you know would you tell me??? I would tell you. Here is yesterdays work, the two altered pieces and the quilt I did a couple of days ago. It is a baby rag quilt and quite warm and cozy all flannel , minky and chenille. I hope you have a great day!!!
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This is a new transfer method on this tag, not bad I don't think for a first try.
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Quote for the day:
Live like you were going to die tomorrow.
Learn like you were going to live forever. Ghandi

Thursday Tutorial!! Mittens!!!

Starting from the bottom, first is the pattern you can right click and save it or just draw it yourself- it is 7 inches long and 4 1/2 at the widest thumb part. the next is cutting it out of the fabric, I used fleece for the red one and batting for the second one. Add a 1 1/2 inch piece to the top of the mitten on each piece and sew together with a 1/4 inch seam, turn and clip by thumb. Turn cuff to inside and gather the top about an inch down. Gather by hand and pull a little tight. Add ribbon . lace , buttons, a charm and spray a little spray glue on the bottom and sprinkle with glitter. The other mitten made of warm and natural batting is cut with pinkihg shears, sewn and not turned and added embellishments. Use tiny clothespins to hang from a ribbon for a swag or use on a wreath or pkg decoration. They are so cute and sparkley, If you like a more traditional look then just do a ribbon and not the the other embellishments. They will be cute on a string or two together on a wreath or swag. Two on a ribbon or jute.Hope you like it and if you need my help just e-mail me.

A new theatre!!

The fairies puppeteer theatre, it was a lot of fun to do. Hope you like it. Two different light sources, Looks really different from one another. Interesting.The bottom picture is really more true to color. the box is a cigar box ( thanks , Penny)that I covered with beautiful napkins and then proceeded with the design. Many adjustments were made to the theatre facade and the draping.Theatre facade by Vikimouse(etsy)

My Theatre!!

Is being shown on :
Big Art Adventure

I was so pleased that they asked me if they
could put up my 2 theatres for inspiration for their theatre challenge. Every month they have a new challenge and you can check it out and join in, it looks like a great time and I hope you will go there and see the beautiful work by various artists. I will be joining in for this challenge, another theatre. So fun to do these. Their link is on the side under places to visit also.

Hot Mulled Cider!!!

Ingredients:
•2 qts. apple cider
•1/4 cup packed brown sugar
•1/8 tsp. ground ginger
•1 orange (unpeeled)
•2 cinnamon sticks
•1 tsp. whole cloves

Preparation:
Combine cider, sugar, ginger and orange in slow cooker. Tie cinnamon and cloves in a small cheesecloth bag; add to crockpot. Cover and cook on LOW 2 to 4 hours. The entire house will smell great! Remove the bag of spices. In a mug fill from cooker. Add a cinnamon stick.
Makes 10 to 12 servings
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Great drink to serve on a cool and crisp Halloween night to your friends and family when they stop by. Makes your house smell wonderful and tastes amazing.

Leslie Venable Class!!!

let's talk about Leslie Venables' altered book class, Bound Reliquaries, which will be held in the KC Willis shop February 4 - 6, 2010. click below to go there.


There will be a drawing and one of those lucky artists will receive the class at 50% off the class price...that's right one half the cost of an already splendily priced workshop! :) But hey it doesn't stop there....when the next and final 5 sign up another drawing will be held and one of those lucky artists will receive the same 50% off discount off of the class!!!!!
The class is limited to 10 people. When the first 5 sign up As most of you know I will be teaching a class at KC Willis' Studio Retreat in Colorado in February 2010

Clove Studded Oranges-( Pomanders)

A bowl of studded oranges , lemons or limes, is not only beautiful but the smell is great and they dry into lovely pomanders. I like them in a glass bowl with red ribbons. Poke your holes with a skewer or toothpick, stud with whole cloves in a pattern or all over, ( not too close) about a 1/4 inch apart. When you are finished make a mixture of cinnamon, allspice and ground cloves equal amounts- 1 tsp of each will do 6 oranges or lemons. shake in a paper bag and put your fruit in a basket in a well ventilated area to dry. After the Holiday you can string these from ribbon and hang them in closets or pantrys. They take about 3 weeks to dry and are very lightweight when dry. Kids love to do this , so gather your kids or grandkids and have a orange studding party. Tape their tender little fingers so they don't get poked by a mean clove.( some are a little sharp.) My grandkids loved to do this project.
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Here is my see thru glass bowl with my studded oranges and one lemon and one lime. They have been dusted with the spice mixture and there they will remain until dry. Don't they look homey and so fall. Hope you like these. Buy your whole cloves in bulk so they won't be expensive.

Thursday Tutorial! A bowl of rag balls!!

The tag is a gift for you to use for this project or any other you have for Christmas just right click and save. Print on something stable like cardstock.
The bottom picture is the supplies for this project. Wire, styrofoam balls, straight pins, glue and fabric( I prefer homespun but any cotton fabric will do. Strips will be about 3/4 wide and ripped not cut. .Glue ends of wire and stick in ball. First strip can be stuck in with a glued pin and start to wrap. What you see here is a beginning wrap, the ball is covered. every so often glue some of the strips to give it stability. I will continue.........Continue to wrap ball with dots of glue now and then until it feels solid to you and is the size you like. Mix 1/2 elmers and 1/2 water in a bowl and paint over all your wrappings. Hang it somewhere to dry and continue making your balls. This step is not totally necessary, they will hold up without the glue wash but makes them more soldid. It is fun to do different sizes and styrofoam balls come in many sizes. If you do not have any stryrofoam balls and want to get started, ball up some newspaper tightly and begin wrapping until you get the desired size and shappe, you can make a loop of fabric to hang this kind from and glue the ends with astraight pin. I like the plaids for Christmas but you may like other Christmas prints or even muslin, plain or coffee dyed for that prim or viontage look. This is a picture of some I did awhile back and put in a little vintage box. If you like the white or muslin you can spray them with a spray adhesive and roll in German glitter glass or sparkles of some kind. Print off your tag, Hang the tag from a piece of jute or ribbon(depending on the look you are going for) They look lovely in a basket by the tree or in your entry to welcome friends and family. Hope you like this tutorial

Spooky!!!

Here is a couple of "Spooky" pieces I did for vintage Bliss group and PID. Hope you like 'em. The scene is in a cigar box for Halloween.

Every Thursday a New Tutorial!!

Stop by and see the new weekly tutorial. Sweet things, shabby chic things, Christmas decorations. more books, Lots of ideas and how to make them.

8 page book from one sheet of paper

Starting at the bottom picture , fold in 8 even sections, use a bone folder to make your creases sharp. Cut the slit(in pic) with an exacto or scissors. fold and like magic you have an 8 page little book to decorate or give directions on how to do something, Sweet!!The top pictures are what I did with my book. Hope you like it.

A Beautiful Day!!

I came in my room at 5 o clock, it was still dark out and the wind was blowing, wind chimes from everywhere and I could feel the chill in the air. It is 7:30 now and the sun is up and the air coming in the crack in the window is crisp and cool. The wind is down It is going to be a beautiful day , I love fall and the smells of the burning leaves and the air is so crisp and clean you could almost drink it.
Today I am headed for UW in Madison for my 4 month catscan. As always you hope for the best and believe that you don't have any symptoms of any new illness. It is still scary and I can't help but feel a sense of forboding, every time. Like waiting for the axe to fall. This is 1 1/2 years since the cancer. So far , so good. I start each day with new eyes and try to create something beautiful. It is uplifting to me to feel pride in my work and have the ability to create. I love the groups I belong to and love the comradery with the members. Always something new to do and think about. I have trunks I am working on, all my things that I create,(if they are not swap stuff) go in the trunk for my 4 great grandaughters when they are older. I hope they will love all these things that I made. Hope you have a beautiful day whereever you are. The word for today is Create!!!

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Good news!! MY catscan was good and now I don't have to go back for 6 months. On with the day!!

New direction!

I bought a box of book covers, someone had taken the time to strip out the pages and all that was left were the covers, old and a little worn, and maybe 20 in the box. I bought them for a song and they have been collecting dust (with some other items I had to have) like a spoon rack with 50 or 60 spoons. So I stared at it for quite some time and along with my knowledge from the Lipstick ranch classes, made this piece, I love it and hope you will too. So here she is: I call her "Sammy" the next is: " The Girl in the window"
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These pieces can be bought on Etsy-seller: Tomorrow's Treasures

The top picture is my house ready for fall or Halloween or both. Welcome!!

" Theatre in a Theatre"

This is a "Marie type ballroom with a theatre within a theatre box. Made from a cigar box with added male and female players and a little group of musicians in the corner of the room, the floor and ceiling are also finished in this room. The cutting of the figures was very difficult.
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The theatre facade on the inside of this piece is a collage sheet on etsy by Vikimouse. She has several theatre sheets and other collage sheets that are different and priced at only 2.00.

Hail October!!! And Apple Crisp!!

October's the month
When the smallest breeze
Gives us a shower
Of autumn leaves.
Bonfires and pumpkins,
Leaves sailing down -
October is red
And golden and brown."
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The harvest moon hangs round and high
It dodges clouds high in the sky,
The stars wink down their love and mirth
The Autumn season is giving birth.
Oh, it must be October
The leaves of red bright gold and brown,
To Mother Earth come tumbling down,
The breezy nights the ghostly sights,
The eerie spooky far off sounds
Are signs that it's October.
The pumpkins yellow,. big and round
Are carried by costumed clumsy clowns
It's Halloween - let's celebrate."
- Pearl N. Sorrels, It Must be October
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October a wonderful month, such a lovely time of year. The colors are mind numbing, so beautiful, the smell of burning leaves, the children's joyful laughter while they tumble in the piles of gold, red and brown leaves. The apple orchards are waiting for us with their piles of crisp apples , apple donuts and taffy apples. Choose your pumpkins to carve for Halloween. The air is crisp , the sky is blue. the nights are cool.
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"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it,
and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth
seeking the successive autumns."
- George Eliot
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You must not for one instant give up the effort to build new lives for yourselves. Creativity means to push open the heavy, groaning doorway to life. This is not an easy struggle. Indeed, it may be the most difficult task in the world, for opening the door to your own life is, in the end, more difficult than opening the door to the mysteries of the universe.
Daisaku Ikeda
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*Apple Crisp recipe:

Apple Crisp Ingredients :

12 medium Granny Smith & Macintosh apples (6 of each); peeled, cored and sliced
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 cups butter, softened



Apple Crisp Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Place apples in a mixing bowl, sprinkle evenly with vanilla. Toss to combine.

2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, oatmeal, cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar. Cut butter into mixture until crumbly.

3. Evenly place coated apple slices into the bottom of a greased 9x13 inch baking dish.

4. Cover apple slices with crumb mixture.

5. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 to 50 minutes or until apples are tender.



Easy Recipes Main Page

My altered shoe !

Opportunity:
"Where there is an open window,
there exists limitless possibilities."

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This is my shoe for the Marie group swap. The ATC is also for another swap.Cute , huh?
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The Halloween card is for a swap on PID and the Daisy "soiled dove " 4 x 6 is for a technique tuesday challenge. The saying says" Loveliest of lovely things are they, On earth the soonest pass away. The rose that lives it's little hour, is prized beyond the sculptured flower.

A Tribute to Autumn!!!

Autumn Fires by Robert Louis Stevenson

In the other gardens
And all up the vale,
From the autumn bonfires
See the smoke trail!

Pleasant summer over
And all the summer flowers,
The red fire blazes,
The grey smoke towers.

Sing a song of seasons!
Something bright in all!
Flowers in the summer,
Fires in the fall!
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Yellow, mellow, ripened days,
Sheltered in a golden coating;
O'er the dreamy, listless haze,
White and dainty cloudlets floating;
Winking at the blushing trees,
And the sombre, furrowed fallow;
Smiling at the airy ease,
Of the southward flying swallow
Sweet and smiling are thy ways,
Beauteous, golden Autumn days.
Will Carleton
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Autumn Days.

I saw old Autumn in the misty morn
Stand shadowless like silence, listening
To silence, for no lonely bird would sing
Into his hollow ear from woods forlorn,
Nor lowly hedge nor solitary thorn;--
Shaking his languid locks all dewy bright
With tangled gossamer that fell by night,
Pearling his coronet of golden corn.
Thomas Hood
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Ode - Autumn.

The falling leaves drift by the window
The autumn leaves of red and gold
I see your lips, the summer kisses
The sun-burned hands I used to hold
Since you went away the days grow long
And soon I'll hear old winter's song
But I miss you most of all my darling
When autumn leaves start to fall.
Johnny Mercer

Do something amazing with this photo!!!Sara!!

Right click and hit "Save as' and print this picture( about 3 x 5 or larger and alter it in an amazing and beautiful way.Post it on your blog ,send me a picture and leave a comment with the blog address and I will choose my favorite and send you a lovely gift. Hope you have fun with this challenge. The first picture is mine, the second is Lizbeth"s , what a wonderful depiction of the photo. Thanks for playing. A beautiful addition to the challenge by Vicki- Thanks for playing!!! Another beautifully altered picture of Sara by Marilyn , thanks for playing !!!Another beautifully altered picture of Sara, WOW! This is by Terri, Thanks for playing in my challenge! Terri will tell you how she did this beautiful rendition here: http://fairysmasher.blogspot.com/ The last picture is by Chris and what a lovely job she did on this picture.thanks to all of you for getting involved and will be sending out your gifts as soon as I get your address. Everybody wins!!

"Marie" mini theatre "Theatre Majestueuso"

Started with this beautiful collage sheet, separate curtains, sold by Vikimouse on Etsy. made a box on back for depth and stability, added backdrop from a picture of ballroom pictures and a chandelier, added figures from cassis creations , urns with flowers are my add on and the steps also, embellished with gold trim, buttons and pearls.touched up with a Gelly sparkle pen. It stands alone and is about 2.5 inches in depth and 10 inches high. This was a lot of fun to do and will do more of these.

Halloween!! And other stuff!!!

There is a Windows challenge for PID and a 3/3 Halloween swap. Here is my contribution. The Windows says: "On the outside , looking in"
Top pic is a deco page for "Vintage Bliss" group. the beach is the theme.

Tutorial for embellishing a collage sheet!!!

Vicki H.
There are a lot of choices for these collage sheets. After you have purchased your collage sheet from the source shown above, print on cardstock and cut out all pieces. Mark with the dull side of your exacto knife and fold the ATC envelope and the little envelope for your thankyou card. Punch hole for tag and proceed with the embellishments. I used a makeup sponge to touch up edges of everything and did a little stamping with a sepia toned ink. add names to your thankyou card and envelope-decorate your tag with ribbon. lace, trims and a charm. Your envelope for your ATC card should be as lovely as what you are putting in it, so that the person that receives it can show it proudly in a beautiful envelope. On the back of this is a place to sign and date. I added touches for Marie's jewels and hair pretties with a gelly sparkle pen. My plan is to store these collage sheets in a zip lock with some wonderful smelling bath powder or candle chips so they will smell as good as they look. I hope you like this idea and can use it for your art.
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The bottom picture is how they will look after they are printed and glued. The other 2 are after my embellishments. i would love to see what you do with these. send me a picture and I will post it.

New work!!!

The framed piece is from a PiD tutorial. The foil journal is also a tutorial on PID. The icicle doll just something I tried and saw on there, The deco page is for the Vintage Bliss group the background is also a tutorial on PID by Eileen and the framed piec is by Arlene, and the journal is also Eileen's.

A commissioned piece "A tribute to Mary"

I was asked to do this piece as a tribute to a fine lady with lots of interests and many, many awards for a lifetime of effort. I enjoyed doing this and even tho I did not know this lady by the time I finished this shrine to her I felt I knew her and much more I liked her a lot, She and her husband raised 6 children, they were active in their community , she was an avid golfer and bowler and bridge player. I was so taken by her smiling face and wonderful caring attitude with her friends and family, I am proud to have been asked to do this for this wonderful woman. Here's to " Mary" I. grieve for your passing. The day after I started this piece, God took Mary Home.

Pieces of Nine Challenge!!"Home sweet Home challenge and Grandparents, both for PID group.

This is a "Pieces of Nine " challenge on K C willis collage camp. 9 inch by 9 inch, 9 different fabrics, 9 embellishments, a saying with 9 words. The saying says "You can't beat the person that never gives up" A saying by Babe Ruth.the bat says "Darling" cause that is what the babe called his bat.
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the Home sweet home challenge is a thatched roof cottage in Ireland and the saying is"There is no fireplace like your own fireplace. also in Gaelic. It is a handmade paper covered journal with about 20 pages. This Is a PID yahoo group challenge for Sept. PID blog challenge--Arlene's tutorial. "Gone Fishing"

Brown Bag challenge!!

This is a brown bag challenge on PID yahoo group, one is misc. and the other is ATC sized.

Rain in Summer!!!

How beautiful is the rain!
After the dust and heat,
In the broad and fiery street,
In the narrow lane,
How beautiful is the rain!

How it clatters along the roofs,
Like the tramp of hoofs
How it gushes and struggles out
From the throat of the overflowing spout!

Across the window-pane
It pours and pours;
And swift and wide,
With a muddy tide,
Like a river down the gutter roars
The rain, the welcome rain!
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Sept. Art Challenge!!

This is an art challenge that I am hosting on the Vintage Bliss group. I will send the blank chipboard hand mirror to the sign up people and they will do their magic. This is my conception of this piece front and back and the blanks and vintage picture. Think it will be fun.

Wanna talk about picnics??? And a new pillow

This is a pillow I made for my sunroom. Fun to do and absolutely love the picture of these 4 pioneer young women. It is my favorite vintage looking picture. On to today's topic:
************ Picnics!! I love a picnic , not a barbeque in the back yard or patio, a real honest to goodness picnic ,pack it up and go to a wonderful park where there is play equipment for the children, lovely grassy slopes to lay out your abundance and people everywhere. The weather is beautiful , you and your family are well prepared, there is hot dogs , potato salad , watermelon , chcoolate cake with marshmallow frosting. Lemonade and Iced tea and lots of chairs and pull together the picnic tables, light the grill and have a real picnic. When I was a young woman, that is what we did, it was fun and lighthearted and at the end of the beautiful day you felt that you had been on a wonderful day long vacation. Everyones"s faces were flushed from the sun and the wind , conversation was flowing,chairs gathered round for a lively discussion. The children playing and again we hear "Watch me" "Watch me" Blankets under the trees in the shade for the little ones to nap.This brought together the old and the young , everyone loved the picnic and loved to get ready for it. Late in the afternoon as the sun was waning, dappled sunshine and shade through the trees. Go On a picnic and see what I mean, it is different than throwing some hamburgers on the grill and inviting the neighbors. It is a summer treat and one that if you haven't done it for a long time will be richly rewarded by this experience.Invite me, I love a picnic.

Just a few thoughts today!!!Northern Exposure!!!

*I have had a headache all day from the minute I stepped out to now. Done everything I could think of, head-on- tylenol, chamomile tea, a nap. Nothing worked. Wanted to make a pillow and couldn't find my transfer paper to put a picture on fabric. Just bought 25 sheets and had to reorder it, Just gone!!!
*Finally decided to watch TV and have just bought the entire 6 seasons of Northern Exposure, so me and the man of the hour watched 2 of the series. Really good TV, if you haven't seen it, it is great. Here is another Movie to watch"Lars and the real girl", a touching movie about a young man and human nature. So sweet, I cried several times and then watched it again the next day. Have you seen Pelham 123? WOW what a flick. John Travolta and Denzell--Great movie.
* Am redecorating my sunroom and will put up pics when it is finished. It is a tribute room to the classes I took a while back with KC Willis. Looking great- really proud of the job we did. OK got to go get a drink and watch something. G'nite

New work!!!

The copper secret garden is for a metal swap on PID. outside and inside. The little box is also a metal challenge, misc. Faux gold leaf and decoupage papers. The "Annie Oakley" piece is 20 x 30 and insed an altars frame tha my man built and I stained with old paint brush water. The inside bottom of the picture is a crazy quilt heart and a boot.

A Powder Puff swap!!!

This is the pieces I received from a Powder puff swap in the "Marie" group. This is the most stunning piece I have ever seen and never have had anyone make something for me that is this lovely. Take time to look at the beautiful flowers and embrodery pieces on the top of the box and the powder puff itself. Thankyou Terri for this gift.There are better pictures too.

Bird challenge for PID

Here is my piece for the bird misc. challenge on the PID Yahoo group. Hope you like it. Reminds me of that movie--"The Birds"

Playing for change

Altars and Shrines workshop(First Piece)

This is my first piece for the altars and shrines workshop-KC Willis- this is my granparents with 4 of their 6 children- and the framed picture on the bottom is me when I was a baby. This was a fun project and one that I shall treasure and pass on to one of my children or granchildren.

New work!!!

Top picture is a doll for an art doll challenge at Vintage Bliss group, next picture is tags for charm bracelet swap at the Marie group, cover for tag book for bracelet swap, next is tags, Rainbow challenge at paper imagery designs, art doll again, deco for vintage bliss group-"Marie" the Queen is the theme of this deco. will write more when I have time. Also the wstarter bracelet is there for the RR charm bracelet swap at the Marie group. There are two school days , one misc. one ATC, and a ATC "nature" for a jackpot challenge for August. All for Paper imagery designs yahoo group.

New project!!! Some sad thoughts.

Making some bracelets, fun to do and decorate with vintage buttons and charms. They are crocheted . Just a little project in between other larger creations. Looks like a beautiful day coming up, Am redoing my picture wall and have asked all the people
on the wall to update. grandchildren, great grandchildren and other family members.Hope they can do this for me so it does not hold up my plan. I don't mind e-mail pictures then I can make them any size I want. So much for that. I finished the Ist detective ladies book(the new one) and It was as always a great read. I wish I would have kept them all for a reread. May buy them again.Can't wait for the new season of the HBO series. Project runway will be starting soon. Don't you love it. So sad about Jon and Kate- what a worm he is. I guess he thinks he is a star.Wants to act like one anyway.
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Can I share with you today?? If not then don't read any further.
I am feeling sad today as there is a lot of animosity in the family and I often wonder why they can't all get along with each other. There is always something in the wind. Someone on the outside-the scapegosat (so to speak) and then the bandwagon theory takes over and The whole thing escalates into an ending of relationships and not speaking for years. I don't think these relationships will ever be repaired. I am guilty too, It is a way of life to walk away. The easy way out , I have a saying that I used for years as a signature in my e-mail- and I quote" Water and Words, easy to pour, impossible to recover" Sometimes a person has to step off to protect themselves. Words are so powerful, and our way of life makes it possible to say terrible things to one another via e-mail. It is much easier to send terrible messages in an e-mail that face to face or even on a telephone.If feelings could be shared without hate or malice It would be wonderful but I don't see it as happening with our family.The lies, the lies are unending. Everyone has a chip and the old saying is if you are looking for someone to knock it off you will find them. That's all for today.

New work!! A few words

The "marie " piece is for a monthly challenge on the Marie group. This was fun to alter a beautiful image of Marie and make it something different. I hope it is different enough. The other picture is a altered people challenge on PID group.
The forecast is for rain today and I don't mind a bit-reading the new !st detective Ladies agency book and can do that on the porch as long as there are no gale winds and lightning. I am caught up on all my swaops and challenges so guess I will pull out all the stuff for a KC Willis piece. That requires a lot of materials , but it is fun to create one of these beautiful pieces. The new class is alters and shrines, think that will be a lot of fun, just finding the wooden piece to use for a shrine is a challenge in itself.

Lace challenge and Powder Puff Wand-New charms!!

This is the piece for a Lace misc challenge for PID yahoo group. The Powder puff wand is for The Marie group. Both were fun to do and the wand was very challenging because it is out of my comfort zone. Did my best.Hope it meets with approval.
Charms are for PID charm swap- they have tiny dice and a silver 4 leaf clover. tag has info on back and they all have hanging beads and a red ribbon. Back of charms are a playing card.

Little Marie cuties!! Art dolls!

The Little Marie cuties are for a Antoinette group challenge and the art dolls are just because I love to make these paper creations. They were a challenge at PID and had to use the torso from their collage sheet. Hope you like them, The dolls are named Sara and Maycie(2 of my great grandaughters) The arms and legs are moveable and the head of Sara is a stamp.(The one without the braids)

Charms for charm swap!!!

These are 10 charms for a charm swap on PID yahoo group. I loved making these and have 10 more in the works with a different theme and look about the, Lots of fun to make these and know that they are suitable to hang on a bracelete or necklace. coated with glossy accents. they are tiny seed packets and the size is 1 3/8 x 7/8. They also have a different image on the back and are finished in the same way.

Art doll !!!!

This is doll number 1 of a 3 doll swap at PID. Fun to make and will do something totally different for the next, I'm thinking Marie Antoinette. The other is an ATC card made in the KC Willis tradition. Lots of fun to do this little treasure.
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Challenge piece called dolls. PID iomage face and real paper doll with handmade altered paris background. New Garden fairy doll. She is special.

MICHAEL!! and other thoughts!

I have felt deep sadness for a few days since the passing of Michael Jackson. He was a tortured soul and certainly the most talented artist in his time. A person cannot survive that kind of fame and scrutiny. A very sad tine. Who will be the next King?? Watch what you wish for!!!
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I will miss Billy Mays and his brash delivery about many , many products. I trusted Billy , when he said it would work , I belived him and he never let me down.
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Sad for Farah that fought so valiantly and lost the battle. Like all of us she wanted to live so desperately.
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A tribute to Ed Mc Mahon- shared lots of laughs with Ed and Johnny. I thought he was a great sidekick on the tonite show.He lived a full life and accomplished many things, like the others in this tribute.
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A couple of swap pieces for PID. The beach and postage stamp swap.

KC Willis Retreat!!

Click on the badge to the right and read about the retreats with KC in Colorado. What a lovely little vacation and learning from the best in the field of altered fabric art Take a minute and go to the description of the retreats and Lipstick Ranch also.