Snowing again!!!!!!

OK..this is getting really lame. It's the last day of March and we are getting a major snowstorm. They are forecasting 6-7 inches by nightfall and another couple overnight.

Of course, since the kids have the day off of school anyway, they had a grand old time playing until I made them go in because we were ALL soaking wet.

'80s Girl

Here's a spread for the latest book in my current round robin. The book's theme is MUSIC. I still need to come up with another spread before passing it along but this one just HAD to be done!

I scanned pictures from my teenage scrapbook for this page. What a hoot looking through that old scrapbook!!! I had mostly cut stuff out of magazines with just a few notes and photographs thrown in here and there.

Happy Easter!

Well, my folks just left after sharing a nice Easter dinner and visit with us. The kids have settled in to watch a movie. All is peaceful for the moment.

This sweet little Easter card is from my childhood scrapbook that mom faithfully kept for my first few years.

Natural Egg dyes

A couple weeks ago I ran across this tutorial on dyeing eggs using veggies. I just had to try it for myself.

I used turmeric and yellow onion skins for the orange eggs and red cabbage to make the blue eggs.

As soon as I get more eggs, I'm trying some other colors.

Chicken canvas

I made this 5x5 canvas piece for a friend that rescues chickens. Seriously!
She's giving me eggs so I figured I'd make her a little something in appreciation.

In case you can't read the fortune by the "C" is says Get off to a new start, come out of your shell. I thought it was mildly appropriate. :)
I hope she likes it!

SPRING????

Mother Nature is playing a little trick on us. The calendar says it's SPRING but it certainly LOOKS like winter.

With the day off for Good Friday, the kids had a blast! They helped me shovel for a bit but the 9+ inches of fresh fallen snow was just too tempting. "Mom, can we take a little break?" Have fun kiddos but quit eating the snow!!!!

Charms

I almost forgot to post these with my crazy mixed-up day.

I've started on the charms for the ABC 5th Anniversary charm swap. So far I have 16 put together. I'll be adding something to the backside of the scrabble tiles but haven't gotten it on there yet.

I can't take credit for the design concept...I received a fantastic charm in a swap on Latest Trends that these are based upon.

Greyhound rescue pages

I was asked by an art friend if I'd make a page or 2 for a book she was putting together to be auctioned off at a Greyhound Rescue fundrasing event. I was more than happy to help out.

The "models'" for the pages are Casey, Ranger and Simon.

Art partner challenge

The other day I got my envelope from Inka Stamps who is sponsoring an Art Partner challenge on "Latest Trends".

Inside was a blank white piece of cardstock, Geisha unmounted rubber stamp and a Friendship knot. The requirement was to use the items provided to create something original.

The screen behind the Geisha took a lot of time as the pieces are hand cut and glued individually. I really can't think of another way that I could have made it look so authentic though.

Japanese Arts-n-crafts AB

This book has been a bit more difficult for me to come up with something that fit the theme of the book. The owner wanted a focus on Japan and Okinawa, specifically their crafts and textiles but thankfully.. gave us "an out" so to speak as long as we stuck to the Asian theme.

Haiku and Bonsai felt to me like a good fit without repeating the same Kimono's and Geisha's that would be expected with these theme. The attempt at haiku poetry is all my own...

Recycled Charms

These are for a challenge and swap. They are made from links off and old belt and my handmade paper beads. I can't wait to see what the others players come up with!

PS...thanks to Theresa for the coaster I used for my backdrop. :)

Digital Challenge

This is a Mail Order Brides themed challenge in keeping with the "Women in History" month for
The Latest Trends in Mixed Media Arts Yahoo group.

This digital piece was made in Paint Shop Pro with all of my own ephemera. The woman is my Grandma, the writing are my Grandpa's sermon notes, the kids on horses are my dad and a cousin. The newspaper is from my mom's side as well as the house picture which was a ad for sewing notions.

Just to be clear..Grandma WAS NOT a mailorder bride...don't want to upset any of the realtives. :)

Charms, beads and quilts, oh my!

After nearly a week of no arts or crafts I was starting to go through withdrawals.

There has been quite a bit of chatter on the Yahoo groups I belong to about charms lately. I made these since ones today from some MahJong tiles I had laying around.
My only question is: Do I have these in the proper direction?

The next item I played around with was some more paper beads. I had used up almost all I had made before. They are so simple and very addictive to make. Now I really want to make some smaller ones. I'm thinking if I get some coffee stirring straws, they'll be thin enough to make some small beads on.

I have also started cutting fabric for a quilt. I've made an all flannel quilt using this pattern but this time I am planning on doing flannel on one side and denim on the other. Today in celebration of a 16lb weight loss...I cut up 3 pairs of jeans to put to good use in the quilt!


UPDATE: 26LB WEIGHT LOSS NOW!!!