Christmas accordion book!!!

The buildings on one side spell "Believe" and on the other "Rejoice", there are seven buildings(14 sides) 6 houses and a church. There are lots of elements and lots of sparkle.

"Favorite color" Journal page.

I call this "September, almost gone" Background is done with stabilo crayons, water soluble.

My accordian book!!!

This is my accordian book, made with instruction from R.A.I.L. group at Roses on my table. This was a lot of fun and very labor intensive. i loved it and will make another soon. Hope you like it.

tissue paper transfer on wood

Here is one >

Here is another >

Let's talk fall food!!

I made green bean soup, sooo good and so fresh and had corn fritters With it. A lot of people don't know what green bean soup is so here it is-10 cups of water-10 chicken boullion cubes-1 1/2 # green beans- 1 onion- 4 peeled potatoes- 4 slices of bacon chopped very small- 1 tsp. Pepper-1 tsp cumin- 1 tsp basil- 1 tsp garlic chopped- simmer a an hour , watch the liquid level and mash with a potato masher. Really good.
Made apple crisp and it was also very good with vanilla ice cream and a cup of coffee. WOW!!! What a treat!! Made a beef brisket , sliced very thin with a homemade BBQue sauce on it. Meatloaf next. Jerry has requested squash- he likes acorn. He bought one when we went to the fruit stand. So we will cut that and fill it with butter and salt and pepper. It will wear off but right now I can't think of anything but food. Have any recipes you want to share??? Send them to me at my e-mail and I will put them up on the blog, I'll even find a picture that looks like your recipe. My e-mail is bloubird@yahoo.com. Hope to hear from you. Have a great day!!!

Roses Art information Library!!!

The newest at Roses now is R.A.I.L, which is the Roses Art Information Library. Each month she(Zinnia) will be featuring a brand new project for her subscribers. Great for beginners and intermediate levels. Visit the Roses homepage for more details. It is on the left margin. Stop by and take a look. I love it there and think that you will too.

ATC holder book!!!

Another little ATC holder-spots for 8. Nice way to send your ATC's to your hostess with your cards or make them to keep your own with the name of the swap and the date on the back.Embossed a piece of wallpaper for the cover and put ink on the high points.

"Lillian Russel" Glue pages

Added a 2 page spread to my gluebook pages, too late for the challenge but thought I would add it to my book anyway. i like it and hope you do too.

Sunday Postcard Art

Sunday Postcard Art feeling Blue

gothic Arch challenge- matchbox-here is the girl!

This is a piece for the Gothic art challenge-matchbox.
Gothic Arch
I made a series of 6 of the matchbox girls. They are back further on the blog. This is the one I used for the gothic art challenge. Matchbox.

Is fall in the air? It is in WI.

When the windows are open and the smell of fresh air is in the house , it is time to cook, I made tortilla soup yesterday, roasted tomatoes today and peanut butter cookies. Used my new mixer for the cookies and WOW! did it go fast and mixed perfectly. Apple crisp next, My daughter had a family dinner last Sunday and made apple crisp, warm with ice cream , yummy!! I want to make pie, I love pie so much and you just can't buy a pie that compares with homemade.
Time to go to the apple Hut and buy fresh cider donuts, hot and crisp and honey crisp apples, and taffy apples. All the porch will be covered in squash and pumpkins. The place will be teaming with people that can't wait for that taste of that first apple of the season. I love this time of year. It will also be teaming with bees, however. there is a price to pay for everything, I guess.
On another note,I find it so strange that hundreds of people will stop by but unless I am talking about some horrific event in my life, they usually will not comment. What do you suppose that is , they want to help someone in need? I don't believe in sharing that kind of information, this to me is a happy place ,where you can listen to my ramblings about food and things that I have learned and want to share with you. My projects and gardens, my grandchildren and family. Sometimes I'm sad , like everyone , and I will tell whoever is listening that sometimes the best thing to do is to cry.
I am not saying that people who share their innermost feelings are wrong, that is just not my way. I hope this a an interesting and happy place that you can journey with me and maybe sometime drop a line or two so I know you are there.



THE END OF SUMMER

The summer days are fading, as they must
From endless hours to short and fleeting light
The bird's once bright, immortal tune, now cries
A melancholy aura to the dusk
The children fiercely climb, and dream, and race
Before their wild and unchained days depart
And yet beneath the zeal lies a half heart
For there isn't time, there's only enough space
The sun seems low, a hazy orange sphere
Now reminiscing sweetly of the days
When endlessly before you summer lay
And as in the deep, crimson dusk you stir
Your soul joins with the birds in wistful brood
Crying for lost summer days, for childhood

Summer's End
by Fighter

The sun sets in the distance.
The water slowly washes up the shore.
The trees dance with the wind.
My footsteps print in the sand.

The water caresses my feet.
Sending shivers up my spine.
I wrap my sweater around my shoulders
As the night's coldness envelops me.

I sit in the sand's calmness.
As the colors dance in the sky.
Orange. Red. Yellow.
Summer's end.

Free folder and school paper!! Inchies book!!

This is a gift for you. fold the flaps up and fold the folder in half and the paper will fit in it. Cute for your back to school pages or shrink for an ATC card. Stacks of paper in the folder with a label on the front is really cute!!
Here is another use for these little folders , a book to hold your inchies from your swaps- usually 6 these hold 8 and have a spot on the front to label what swap and the date, make a cover -add a closure to it and some beads, tie with waxed thread and it is a sweet thing.

School page for AB September challenge!!Journal page!!

This is a journal page and is 8 x 10- I love the image of this little paper whimsy girl, perfect for a school piece.
Journal page for Roses on my table group. The theme was games. Revised picture and added a pocket and some other elements.

Distressing and adding elements!

Added inks to cards, colors according to background.The next step is adding elements that match with the background in some way--one card at a time-let's start with the map card. Adding some text in the form of a heart-back with color-antique text-stamp in corner-paris and london-a vintage figure on pop dots, I like the look of numbers, also. Punch a hole in the corner and add a little fibre.Added an eiffel tower charm.

The next card is the watercolor card with the purple distressing- this looks so soft and pretty to me so soft and pretty it is-a piece of ripped music paper- a couple of stamped flourishes-an image with purple undertones - a saying mounted on paper , clock- tag and a flower and added fibers. the pictures go up starting with the map going up.

The next card is the school card with the antiqueing on edges.added a ripped paper writing, a clock, a ruler ,a paper whimsy girl and a butterfly, I like the use of butterflies because it gives a sense of movement, this card does not require as many elements because the background adds a lot to the school theme.

The next card is the ripped background, this is a tom sawyer type card with some corrugated cardboard and label from a book , and image , brass frog and saying lasso type rope.

The next card is the handmade paper ripped with flowered paper , I added a beautiful image and lace and embroidery piece , 2 roses , a button, a brass ladybug and ribbon. says Dream!!

The next card is the antique calendar background with a image printed on fabric,( there is a tutorial for printing on fabric in the list of tutorials )butterfly wings, a fairy saying, a tag with ribbon and stamp-sparkle on butterfly wings and bird.

The next is the frame background, with fabric printed image of girl , cheesecloth for testure a piece of corrugated cardboard, a stamp ,torn writing and " long ago"

the next is the writing background with a lovely image , torn dictionary page, a stamp a flower ,torn music notes and a corner piece. Hope you enjoyed my little lesson and could use something from it.

Tutorial for ATC cards!!

First lesson: Backgrounds, what you can use and how these backgrounds add to your finished work of art.The pictures start at the bottom and go up.
No. 1 ,I used playing cards and added my ATC info back to all of the nine. here is a link to get free backs(they are very nice) http://ewenmeprintables.com/shop/index.php?act=viewDoc&docId=28

No.2 first background- I had some paper I watercolored and this is a piece of it on top of a matching scrapbook paper.

no. 3 -found this somewhere looks like a school primer page -would do well with a back to school theme

no.4-antique page from book with torn paper accents.

No. 5- the written word good for a vintage type card.

no. 6- scrapbook paper and frame

no.7- corner from an old calender

No. 8-stabilo crayons, add water and see how this makes a watercolor.


The next step is distressing or adding antiqueing to your cards, I use Tim holtz distress inks and fluid chalks. A make up sponge works great.