Some new ART....

....to share. Today I made 2 new objects d' ART. First up is a mini tag book I made for a monthly lottery, themed "Books." You simply take a large mailing tag and fold it, punch holes and bind it. Easy Peasy. For a closure I used silk flowers, buttons and clear elastic cord. The paper for the tag is a shiny, metallic specialty paper.

The second sharing is a card requested by a friend for her Mother's B'day. She is celebrating 95 glorious years!! How amazing is that?? Happy Birthday Nellie!! Her fave flower is the sunflower. I made her a jazzy sunflower envie which I think she will like.

The card is made from a wallpaper cut out and my new (Thanks Diann) Swiss dot cuttle bug folder. I really like how it turned out....simple yet effective.

The Inside verse I love:

As long as we have memories, yesterday remains.

As long as we have hope, tomorrow awaits.

As long as we have Art, today is beautiful.

L@@kie What me & my Cricut made today....

...we made a custom mailbox vinyl address decal. Isn't it cool?? I knew I wanted ivory vinyl and remarkably found some at Walmart (Who knew....miracles do happen). One of our neighbors has something similar and we have been wanting one since we moved. So, thanks to my Cricut, we now have a custom mailbox. Maybe now we can stop getting the neighbor's mail!! :::Sigh::: Hubs even added more mulch and trimmed the yellow knockout roses for my picture. I'll have to take another sometime when they are blooming. Anywho...here are some before and after pics. If you are interested in one of your own, feel free to contact me. I'd be happy to shoot you a price and make one up for you. I think they would make a great house warming gift!! :)

New Iris Fold ART to share....

Well, we have another new member of our family and it's another new puppy. Please welcome my cousin's new little guy, Jack. Is he not just adorable?? :) I was fortunate to have a friend who had made this perfect Iris Fold pattern that she generously shared with me. I really like how it turned out. I still have to make an envie, but then it will be on it's way to welcome Jack!!

In case you missed the first new arrival and Iris FOld card I made.....please also meet Ruby: Ruby

I also updated my photobucket Iris Fold slideshow today. It is at the bottom of my blog!! :::Smiles:::

Challenge ART to share....

I visited some challenge blogs today and managed to finish up 3 pieces of ART. It was fun to have a challenge to play with.

First up is an ATC I made for Theme Thursday . This week's theme was Purple. I used a shimmery purple vellum print for the background, a packing tape transfer image, plus some baby rick-rack, a postage stamp and a dimension sticker, "DREAM."

The second challenge I took on today was over at Tuesday Created by Hand. Again I made an ATC. This week's theme was "Your fave background." I LOVE backgrounds. I chose today to highlight a painted one. Basically you take watercolor paper, 3-4 colors of paint (I use Folk Art Metallics) and an old credit card. You put some blobs of paint on the edge of the card and swipe and swirl it around on the paper and let dry. Easy Peasy. Then you can cut them up into ATC blanks or whatever. I again used baby rick-rack, a copper embellishment doo-dad, a dimensional sticker, "TRUST' and one of my fave lady images.

My final challenge completed today was for the ABC Challenge . Today's theme: The letter "Z", which stands for ZERO embellishments. No brads, no ribbon, nada. I used the Reverse Iris Folding technique to make this card. I just love Regular and Reverse Iris Folding!!

Anwho, that's what I've been working on.....

Journals of Love....

....my good friend Shirley has embarked on a project that is expanding at the speed of light!! :::smiles::: Her family, like so many, has been touched by cancer. She was inspired to make a journal for her family member. From there, the idea to make more journals to share was born. If you are interested in participating, you make contact her at srcattle@aol.com.

I made my journals from composition notebooks. I thought I would share the 4 that I made today. I made them with my newest paper conquests from DCWV, Stack 6 and the Green Stack. Be sure to click the pics to see them better!!

First up is a very bright and upbeat red and blues journal. It is tied up with a big red satin bow and the embellishment says: "May you never lose your sense of wonder" and it is highlighted with my Sakura Stardust pen.

The second journal is a more masculine journal that is embellished with a metal plate "Believe," held in place with screw head brads. The closure is made from a flattened men's cuff link and black elastic cord and another screw head brad.

The 3rd journal is a pink and brown combo, also embellished with a big satin bow, a pink flower and a pink slide mount that reads "Believe."

The final journal is actually my fave, with a beaver, snail and a tiny bird. It is embellished with black rick rack and says, "life's simple pleasures."

I covered the fronts and backs, then lined the inside covers to avoid all the printing inside. Now is the perfect time to stock up on these composition books with all the Back-to-school sales. If you want to play too, contact Shirley or leave a comment here and I'll get the info to you!! :)

Some new ART....

I have some new ART to share that are for August swaps. :::smiles:::

First up is an ATC with the theme "lady". I used one of my fave images on vellum, backed with a vintage dictionary page.

Second swap item was a tag, themed "Anything goes." I used some paper from the new DCWV Paper stack, "The Green Stack" http://www.diecutswithaview.com/new.php?id=288 and a skeleton leaf and copper embellishments.

Finally, I was to make a row house. I cut the basic shapes with my Cricut using the Wild Card cartridge and embellished from there. I am happy with how it turned out. It is larger than it appears, coming in at around 5 x 10. Anywho....just sharing!! :)

Repurposed and Recycled bowling ball to gazing ball using blue willow plates

Hubs has been asking for a blue gazing ball for the garden......He found this blue stand at a sale which is where this project began. Okie dokie......so what to use? I had just bought this bag of blue willow transfer ware oriental dishes at a yard sale. Sounds good to me. Have Rubber Mallet....can smash dishes!! LOL

Here are some step by steps and the finished product!! :)

safety glasses, tile nippers and adhesive

Rubber mallet and plate

Oh, so pretty whole

whole no more

half way there , holes were filled with caulk

half way there still, flip side

finished and grouted (sorry, hubs was sneaky and grouted when I didn't know)....so no pics of that step. We used white non-sanded grout.

close up

In the garden

Our new High School

I wanted to share what has been going on in our lives. Hubs works as the head of the custodial department for our County School System. He has 10 buildings currently and this is the newest one coming online on Friday.

Thought you might like to see some pics of John's new High School that opens Friday. It is 394,000 sq. ft. under roof and will house 1600 students. It is amazing....102 flat screen tv's, 850 new Dell computers, 300 rooms, 1/4 mile from one end to the other and a price tag of $47 million dollars, sitting on 100 acres.

Make sure to click on the pics to see them better!! :)