My newest ART - stitchery for a friend....

We have very dear friends from Illinois coming to visit us today!! Yippee!! I haven't seen them since May and John hasn't seen them since we moved South. I wanted to make her something personalized. She is the head of my old ART group. We met at her house every Tuesday. Oh, how I dearly miss my Tuesdays with the girls. Her name is Hollie and she is know by reputation as "Hollie the Hugger." She loves to give hugs.....everyone is fair game!! :::smiles::: We lovingly refer to her place as "Hollie's House of Hugs". Hence the name you see on the piece. She lives in a lovely old white farm house. I pieced the stitchery together from several ideas and patterns I have seen and used a fun font called Tuna and Hot Dogs on Rye. I really like how it turned out and I hope she will too. It is easel backed so it can sit on the counter or be hung on the wall.

I have 5 more stitcheries ironed on and ready to go. They will be getting popped into my bag as we head to the beach this weekend. No way is the girl sitting in the car without something to keep her hands busy. :::Smiles::: Just sharing.....

Repurpose ART display frame

So, I had this big ole frame sitting around from a yard sale score. I had a blank wall in the studio. I wanted a way to have a way to show off some of my ART and my friends' ART. I wanted to be able to change it as my muse desired. Hmmmm......



So, I started with my fave pallet - BLACK!! Took one can of gloss spray paint and gave new life to the existing frame.

Then you take your frame to your Woodworker hubby and sweet talk him into drilling holes and adding in screw eyes. We spaced the first set down about 2 inches and the rest were spaced and 4 inches apart. We added in some wire (think stringing a clothesline) and tightened it.

Ta-Da......looks sort of like a music staff for the wall!! Here is it all sad and naked, hanging in the studio.

Here it is all happy with a handful of ART pieces hanging like icing from the wires. I used 3/4" binder clips to attach the ART. Now I have something pretty to look at and a place to share my ART. The best part is I can change it at will. Anywho....just sharing.

two more pieces off my list....

....I am liking checking off these ART commitments. It's very fulfilling somehow to take them off the white board!! LOL Here I am sharing a "Fall" themed tag and a "Cute Pumpkin Kid" ATC.

The ATC says: "I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself than be crowded on a velvet cushion"!! I just love that saying!! The background is a painting technique using a credit card, acrylic paint and watercolor paper. You put a few blobs of paint on the edge of the CC and drag it across you paper. It's fun....like finger painting for adults. :)

The tag has one of my fave quotes by R.W. Emerson and some leaves I stamped and cut out. Simple, yet I think effective.

Halloween Cat Iris Fold card and more...

...doodads for the Christmas paper bag book to share. Yippee....the book is done (well except for a few personal items I'll be adding for the recipient once I know who it is!). I am very happy to have that checked off my list!! :)

I stamped a bunch of images in coordinating colors and popped them into little bags. They will go in the 'pockets' of the bags.

For the actual bag sections I made the mini composition book shared previously and I found the cutest tiny bag of mini jingle bells. My third addition is a microscope slide I made with blue glass glitter.

I also had to make a card for a monthly lottery with the theme cats. So, I had this Iris Fold pattern I hadn't tried out yet, so I thought it was the perfect time. After I finished the cat I masked him off and used my Versamark pen to draw in the moon. I then covered the moon with interference gold Pearl Ex and outlined it with a Clear Glaze Pen. The background was water colored with my Peerless Water Colors. The fence is a Sizzix die cut from wood grained paper.

The custom envie is scrapbook paper and a clear sticker.

Just sharing what I did with my Sunday!!

Christmas Paper Bag Book

Here's is the nearly finished Christmas Paper Bag ART Book I have been working on for one of my Yahoo groups. I still have the goodies for the insides to do....but wanted them to be a surprise for the recipient. :::smiles::: The only criteria we had was to make it Christmas themed. I flipped through my stash of Christmas scrapbook papers looking for a set with a theme. When I found the "Jingle Bells" background words paper set, I knew I had found my theme. It is not traditional colors, which I enjoy. All of the circle, star, snowflake embellishments were hand made by me. I printed out the lyrics to Jingle Bells which run throughout the book. I put it together using my bind-it-all and tied the spine with ribbons. Anywho....here it is!! :) Click on the pics to see the details!!

Back cover. The "JOY" is a pocket that will be filled with a goodie.

This is a coordinating mini composition book that goes in one of the bags. It measures 3 1/2 x 4 1/4 inches.

New ART to share....

.....I finished up a few mingle ART pieces today. I thought I would share them. Everything is Fall or Halloween themed.

First up is a Haunted Row House. I had no idea where to go with this one. But I do LOVE it when it all comes together. All I know was the background image I wanted to use. From there it just sort of evolved. The roof is made from chipboard wrapped in aluminum foil and run through the cuttle bug. I simply adore the spider hanging from the roof. This was too much fun!! :::smiles:::

Second is a Thanksgiving themed card and envie. Simple, yet effective me thinks. I just dtp the image with chalk inks and layered it with some luscious fall hued papers.

And of course the coordinating envie made from 12 x 12 paper.

ancestors on display and more.....

Don't you love it when a project finally comes together?? I do. Awhile back I shared the repurposed $1 dresser I made into a Buffet for the dining room. Here is is now, with some of my fave finds and possessions. The framed piece is from our wedding and the oil lamp is from my family. The rest are all salvaged items or yard sale finds. I like how it came together.

This bird cage sits to the left of the buffet. I found the fat little bird and thought he looked right at home here.....the winged heart is one of my treasured winnings from One World, One Heart. They are still looking for the perfect finishing touch to sit with the heart. All in good time.....

Here is my nearly finished Ancestors display project. The 2 shelves are in my kitchen/family room positioned about my computer desk. They are a mix of both Hubs and my ancestors. We simply adore them. Most are the original photos.

We keep collecting unique frames that we think will blend in. I have a few more pics to get framed but it looks good right now I think.

A pic from Hubs family using scrapbook paper matting.

This is my Great Great Grandfather standing in front of his house. Sadly the house eventually had to be torn down, but our family donated the land and now it is a park.

My Grandma and her sister. Pics of she and I at the same age are nearly identical!! :) I matted this with some of the DCWV Le Creme paper. I really like how it turned out!!

My Grandpa, holding a whiskey bottle....taken on his Wedding Day.

My other Grandparents on their wedding day and my great Grandmother on her pony.

Charm Swap returns

I was very honored to be asked to participate in a charm swap by a dear friend, Arlene. She is a design team member over at PID. I LOVE making and receiving charms....so of course I said yes!! :) Here are the 18 charms that I rec'd in the swap. Aren't they too amazing?? I plan to put them on a bracelet or necklace really soon. I promise to share when it is finished!! The Alice in Wonderland one is mine. I am in awe of the range of creativity and imagination that this swap brought to my mailbox. I published the pics as small, since there were 18 of them....just give them a click to see them in all their splendor.