Halle's Hobbies

Postcard Chaleenge week 5

2012-02-03T08:34:00.002-06:00

For this week our challenge hostess, Darcy, picked France as our country of origin for the postcard.

I couldn't lay my hand on the leftovers from the altered book I created for my BIL after one of his trips to Europe. I know I had some good pieces.

UGH! I need to get organized.

I ended up going with a map of Paris hand marked by Maggie with her favorite places.

Maggie mentions how worried she was about Thadeus and goes on to say she has the papers he sent separately in a safe place.

Those must be some valuable papers...

or dangerous ones.

Since I got my sewing machine back, I've started working on the pages to hold all the postcards. This is my title page. I've blurred the title since it would give away too much about the direction I'm going.

This is the first pocket page that holds Maggie's card from Austria.

These two pages will be sewn back to back with a piece of muslin that will connect to a second set of pages that will eventually become a fold in a signature.

I need to get to work on the next several pages to get caught up. Then I plan to make each page as I do the postcard so I don't fall behind.

But that will have to wait until next week. It's birthday weekend for my oldest, so it's busy, busy, busy!!

Creative ADD

2012-02-01T08:54:00.000-06:00

I've been all over the place lately when it comes to creativity.

I think I may have Art ADD (attention deficit disorder).

Ok...some might argue that I have ADD in other areas of my life as well but the Art ADD is self-diagnosed.

I blame the other on Motherhood. Children steal you're ability to keep a clear running thought in your head. :) But I wouldn't change a thing.

Anyway...these are the things I've done in the past week.

I papered our recycling cabinet to match the fridge.

Knitted another dishcloth on the loom...

Knitted a cowl on the loom...

Miniature terrain on a recycled CD...

Another terrain piece...

And last night I started another twirly crochet scarf because my elbow was hurting from the repetitive motion of the knitting.

Crochet seems to work my wrist more and doesn't bother me.

In addition I've been washing and ironing my way through a large box of old linens. Deciding what is decent enough to save and use and what I can use in my artwork. Vintage linens and fabric are part of my idea for the Postcard Challenge book.

So, yeah...definitely Art ADD.

Tea break

2012-01-31T09:30:00.000-06:00

No, I'm not stopping having tea...I'm stopping my busy day to HAVE tea.

As I've said on numerous occasions, Tuesday is a very busy day for me yet I refuse to give up have a virtual cup of tea with my online friends completely.

Yes, there is a day or two I miss here and there but who doesn't cancel a date from time to time.

Tomorrow I'll have to show you a couple of other projects I've finished over the last week.

Until then...please stop by Kimmie's and see what my friends are doing today.

Postcard Challenge week 4

2012-01-27T10:09:00.005-06:00

In this weeks edition, Thadeus sends Maggie a greeting from China on a postcard with a beautiful old drawing of ancient farmers sowing seeds.

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I had started trying to draw a dragon head but it was going quite poorly. It didn't look anything like a Chinese dragon. More Nordic, so I went with a page from a children's book about grains of the world.

I also happened to have a very old postage stamp from China to use. Again, I continued the postmark to give it a bit of authenticity. I must admit that sometimes get caught up in the minutia of things...

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Thadeus explains that he found something in an old book and is searching for answers. He hints at the chance of something wonderful. His hand seems rushed or nervous as he writes. I wonder what is sending him off balance?

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Please stop by Darcy's blog for the list of

this weeks participants.

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Virtual tea

2012-01-24T07:50:00.001-06:00

My friend Sandy called and said she wanted to have tea with me today...problem is that she lives about 1200 miles from me. So we decided on having virtual tea.

My tea...

Her tea...

Thanks for having tea with us!

Free motion practice

2012-01-23T12:34:00.004-06:00

I got my sewing machine back and my free motion foot.

As promised, the gal at the sewing place showed me how to use it. She even gave me this practice piece of "quilt sandwich" to take home.

It is so fun!

Of course, I'm breaking the "rules" right away by stitching over my previous stitch line but I've never been much for sticking to the rules anyway.

Fridge facelift

2012-01-21T07:00:00.000-06:00

So we have this old fridge that just keeps humming along mechanically but cosmetically it was getting really nasty looking.

I used to keep papers, magnets and comics on it to cover as much as possible.

It was rusting from underneath the finish on the doors. I'm guessing that it was a manufacturing issue since the rest of it isn't rusting at all.

I sanded all the rust and painted over it with Rustoleum paint.

I decided on dictionary pages to cover the fridge. My thought was...it's got to be better than the way it looked before.

And in my opinion, it totally is!! I still need to put a couple coats of sealer on top so I can wipe it down as needed. I picked up the Golden polymer medium I used as glue in the recycle center reuse room for FREE!! Just two cheap foam brushes were purchased for this facelift.

Yes, I know we'll eventually have to replace this beast but until then it's definitely a conversation piece in my kitchen!!

Postcard Challenge week 3

2012-01-20T08:33:00.002-06:00

The story continues this week from Brazil.

Maggie questions Thadeus about his vague reference to his research. It has her curious mind working overtime.

I used a postcard that my mom brought home from Brazil in 1968.
She traveled around South America for a week and a half visiting Brazil, Columbia and Peru.

The stamp is from the early 1900's.

I have an old ledger book full of stamps from that era.

Nothing valuable...just interesting.

Since the stamp had part of a postmark on it I tried to recreate the rest of the mark. I think it turned out pretty well.

I've also figured out how I'm going to put my book together that will hold each of the postcards and complete the story. Unfortunately, I need my sewing machine for that part and it is currently in the shop for a tune-up. I was mildly scolded by the gal at the sewing center when I confessed that my 25 yr old machine had never been serviced. I also ordered a free-motion quilting foot for my machine and the gal told me she'd show me how to use it when I picked up my machine! Horray! New skills....

Loom knitting

2012-01-18T11:00:00.003-06:00

Over that past month or so while I've been working out I've gotten some of the regulars there. I've heard them talking about their Tuesday knitting group so I asked If I could tag along because I seem to be knitting challenged.

When I got to the coffee shop I saw most of the gals were using these weird circle things...huh, I thought to myself. So I was borrowed a loom and hook and sat down to learn.

She said I should start with a dishcloth since they are very basic.

It was so stinking easy I couldn't believe it!! This it what it looked like this morning before going to workout. The gal who taught me said she'd show me how to bind it off there.

Look how great it turned out!!

I had some other chunkier yarn in my bag today so I had her watch me start a new one to make sure I remembered how.

This will be a scarf...eventually.

Postcard Challenge Week 2

2012-01-13T06:07:00.000-06:00

Week 2 of the Postcard Challenge and our country is Spain!

Thadeus is sending his first postcard to Maggie.

I cheated a bit with this card and simply printed it off and glued it down.

I fell in love with the texture applied to the image. The only thing I added was a little gold ink on the corners.

Keeping the writing style different between these two characters was something that I wondered if I'd be able to accomplish since I have a very distinctive handwriting.

I was given the hint of writing with my non-dominant hand.

Tried it...was barely readable.

I decided to hold my pen in a completely odd way and came up with Thadeus' style while Maggie will remain my own hand. Good thing postcards are small because I was getting a cramp!!

Working tea

2012-01-10T10:05:00.002-06:00

I'm attacking some paperwork today at my desk while I have my tea. Not too exciting but one of those necessary evils in life. Hopefully I can be quick about it so I can go be creative this afternoon!

Stop by Kimmies for more interesting Tea Tuesday posts than mine this week. :)

Postcard Challenge week 1

2012-01-09T11:35:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I sat down with my idea book and planned out my story.

I have my characters names, addresses, professions and a rough outline of how I intend for the book of postcards to come together.

Of course, this morning I had a few different ideas about the eventual book will unfold but that's ok.

The first week's country was Austria. I decided to use a countryside setting for my postcard.

Pretty simple watercolor painting. Hopefully my skill will improve over time.

On the back Maggie writes her first note to Thadeus.

I didn't have any stamps from Austria nor did I take the time to download any collage sheets.

I took a National Wildlife Federation sticker and cut it down to serve as my stamp.

Works for me.

Year long project

2012-01-07T11:02:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I discovered an awesome challenge. The Postcard Challenge is the brainchild of Darcy of Art and Sole. I stumbled upon her blog through another...love how that works here in blogland.

I love postcards!! So this challenge spoke to me right away.

I have a large collection of unsent, vintage postcards not to mention a couple books filled with ones I have swapped on Swapbot and privately.

For the most part I'll be making my own postcards for correspondence between the two characters I've created but if the country that is choosen for the week happens to be one I have in my vintage collection, I'll be using that instead.

Can't wait to get started!!

I'm officially a week behind but I know I'll catch up quickly.

The first country is Austria...

Channeling my inner nerd

2012-01-02T13:20:00.000-06:00

I've started out the year by working on some more miniature terrain.

Nobody is actually using it for wargames at our house but I love creating it anyway.

Making something out of nothing but leftover bits.

See how this project started out...

Nothing but junk that was saved from the landfill. Yes, I know some of it could have been sent to the recycle center but this was much more satisfying.

Since we're running out of room to store the terrain that I keep dreaming up..I'm thinking that I'm going to give selling it a try. So, if you know any nerdy people out there...send them my way. :)

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T20:00:00.000-06:00

I decided on my word for the year...

Drum roll please.... **REDUCE**

This one word will play many roles throughout the year.

I'd like to reduce the chemical load in our home even more.
Reduce the amount of stuff in our home.
I'm going to reduce the amount of purchases we make so that will reduce our monthly bills.
Continuing to reduce my waistline and other parts is super high on my list.
By making bulk purchases, being aware of packaging and buying local, I will reduce the impact we have on the environment.
I want to reduce the amount of trash we produce even more this year.
I'm going to reduce the vast quantity of art supplies I have stashed by being creative more often.

I wish you the best in 2012!

Good-bye 2011

2011-12-31T07:06:00.000-06:00

As this year comes to a close, I wanted to say thank you to all of you for continuing to stop by and read my ramblings. And a special thank you to those who have taken the time to leave a comment for time to time.
It really means a lot to me.

»-(¯`v´¯)-» THANK YOU »-(¯`v´¯)-»

I also I felt was time to check up on my goals for last year and see how I did.
Shall we take a look....?

ART:

List at least one thing a week in my etsy store.

I got better towards the second half of the year about listing items. I think I'm in a better routine now.

Finish our vacation scrapbook

I haven't finished the scrapbook version yet but I did make a photo book through Shutterfly.

knit or crochet one project using proper directions (something I really struggle with)

YES! I 've crocheted a couple twirly scarves with this pattern. I should dig that pattern back out and whip up a few more.

Improve my photography skill

This one is not very measurable but I do think I've improved. My neighbor even used one of my photos as her son's senior yearbook picture. Hey, does that make me a published photographer??!! HA!

LIFE:

return to our healthy eating regimen

We go back and forth with this one. Although Mr. G and I talked about the changes we'd like to make with our lifestyle after the New Year. I'm sure with both of us fully on board, we'll do well.

workout 3 times a week

I'm doing really good with this one now...after a long summer of not going to workout at all.

weekly family board game night with full media blackout

We were really good until it got nice outside. Then we forgot about playing a game and got out of the habit. We're picking up where we left off. New games from Christmas will help keep us going!

keep a journal

I've been very sporadic about this one as far as a handwritten journal goes. I'm just not good at it. I do feel like my blog is part of my journal keeping though...just not the personal stuff.

So over all...not too shabby for goal keeping. I'll have to give some thought to this years goals.

Maybe I'll even try a theme word for the year...ala Ali Edwards.

Stay safe and have a Happy New Year!

ABC 8th Anniversary ---done!

2011-12-29T11:01:00.000-06:00

I had been putting off binding this book because I'm still waiting for a page.

I decided that sometime in the future when the page actually appears on my doorstep, I can open the wires and put it in.

Until that time, I'm considering this baby DONE!

Trying out my home made lightbox again

for these photos. I haven't gotten the side lighting this down yet.

So practice, practice right!?!?

Merry Christmas everyone!

2011-12-25T09:52:00.001-06:00

Card and canvas

2011-12-22T07:22:00.000-06:00

One birthday card for a man... using some Citra Solv paper and Basic Grey packaging. The recipient is back in college get his second degree and is taking some very high level math courses. I thought the normal curve table page was fitting.

This canvas is now on it's third life.

Every time I get tired of it I just spread some gesso over the top and start over. This time I added some modeling paste for texture and then some of my rusted lace fabric. I trimmed down an 8x10 print of digital art.

Holly and the Ivy

2011-12-20T08:30:00.000-06:00

Well, the would be this Halle...not the Christmas spelling, which is the wrong spelling in my opinion. :-)

Anyway....I'm trying my best to root this ivy cutting that was given to me. Not like I really need another house plant but I have a hard time resisting them especially when they are FREE!

Stop by our hostess with the mostess, Kimmie's blog, to see what she and the rest of the girls are doing this last Tuesday before Christmas.

Gift from Kansas

2011-12-18T11:21:00.000-06:00

My good friend Eilzabeth surprised with with another one of her quiltlets. This one is made from some of her fabrics she used to demo some techniques on her blog.

I love the the greens and the free-motion stitching she used.

She also included an extra tip-in for my Blue book.

I think I have enough pages now to put it together.

Pretty sure I'm going to have to wait until after Christmas for that one.

Catching up

2011-12-17T07:46:00.006-06:00

After feeling a bit under the weather and then having to make up for lost time on the homefront, I'm way behind with blogging. I'll try to get caught up here in the next couple of days.

The pages I gave a sneak peek of arrived to Jan of Dandelion and Daisy.

Her colors were pink and orange, using either as the dominant color for each page. I love both colors so I had fun pulling these pages together.

More catching up tomorrow... with cards and gifts.

Sick tea

2011-12-13T10:12:00.002-06:00

I think a nice hot mug of tea, a blanket and some old magazines are just what the doctor ordered. At least Dr. Mom...

I'm sure you'll find much more interesting Tea tales over at Kimmies blog today.

Another sneak peek

2011-12-12T07:30:00.000-06:00

These are the last pages in the 6 person "Colors" swap that I've been participating in over the last 6 months or so.

The pages will hit that mail stream today...I'll be able to show you all of it very soon.

Jade tip-ins

2011-12-10T12:01:00.001-06:00

I can finally show the completed pages I gave a little sneak peek about so long ago. I was very behind with these and then when I actually finished them...I set them aside and forgot to mail them for a week or two. DUH!

This photo doesn't show it that well but there is a blue-ish tint to the green giving it more of a jade color.

This second one was inspired by

an early episode of Mad Men.

Mr. Cooper's office had an Asian theme.

He had this great bamboo plant in the corner near the window. This is my interpretation.

I added words from a fortune cookie to get a little red into the page.

An Etsy Treasury of....

2011-12-09T16:38:00.001-06:00

'Stuff I grew up with' by halleshobbies

Clipper Ship Lighted Mantel ... santo227 $60.00	Vintage Set of Blue Heaven R... Pohlmans $5.00	Vintage Lincoln Beautyware C... webecharmed $39.00	Vintage Wooden Nut Bowl With... BunacatVintage $20.00
Antique Green Globe Hanging ... sunshinetherap... $95.00	Vintage Green Cast Iron Rece... WolfCreekBarn $8.50	Vintage Melmac burlap straw ... QueenLondonsCa... $4.75	Carnival Glass Punch bowl w ... mypicketfencec... $24.99
Vintage Texasware Style Divi... VintageCreeksi... $56.00	Vintage Lighting - Cast Iron... julesgraphix0 $95.00	Orange Lucite Grape Cluster themodfix $29.50	Danish Modern Sizzlers, Nord... vintageeclecti... $10.00
CHRISTMAS SPECIAL Vintage Ha... davincisattic $70.00	Vintage Masketeers Duck Wall... StorybookRanch $20.00	Vintage Shawnee Pottery Long... sumpnsassy $215.00	vintage collectible apple de... staircasetothe... $25.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

Patchwork Ornament

2011-12-07T13:23:00.001-06:00

This came from a small oddly shaped patchwork piece in my stash. It was going to be one of the tissue packs but got buried under other bits and pieces.

Now I'm glad it did!

Makes a cute puffy heart ornament.

Quick AB page

2011-12-04T12:41:00.001-06:00

Since I've sewing so much lately... I thought I better get back into my workspace and see if I remembered how to make altered art.

I grabbed my no theme altered book and did a quick page with stuff I had

laying around.

Sweet Tea

2011-11-29T08:34:00.001-06:00

Right after Thanksgiving I stopped by my PO Box and much to my surprise, found a package waiting for me.
Sweet Stacie the Craft Princess had sent me a thank you gift. And a lovely one, it is... So today I'm enjoying a cuppa vanilla bean tea. YUM-O. Super cute card too!

You see...a while back Stacie had commented on how much she liked the tissue packs I was making. I decided to make one for her. Of course, in my usual hurry I never took a photo. But she did...here's her post.

I never expected anything back from Stacie but I certainly am appreciative! Thanks Stacie!!

Blogland is such a wonderful place... and speaking of a wonderful place....why don't you stop by Kimmies today and she what my Tea Tuesday friends are all up to today.

Paper Bag Book

2011-11-28T13:28:00.001-06:00

I'm in the home stretch from getting all my Holiday fundraiser items ready.

This was my latest project.

Here's a couple of my favorite pages on the inside...

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T05:00:00.000-06:00

Every day...not just today...I am thankful for the many blessings in my life. Hopefully, I am able to express my gratitude to those around me more often than just this day.

That being said...I wanted to make sure you know...

I am thankful for you, my dear reader... stopping by to see my latest ramblings.

I am always so appreciative of your comments.

Have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

Picture this...

2011-11-21T14:19:00.001-06:00

...my version of a necklace and bracelet organizer.

I made one for my mom as well.

Ssshhh...don't tell her...it's a surprise.

Watercolor cartoon

2011-11-20T06:23:00.001-06:00

A friend of ours turns 50 today...his party was actually yesterday. We had planned on attending but several circumstances made it impossible.

The birthday boy is an avid hunter. My hubby came up with the idea and caption then I went for it with

the drawing and paint.

Considering my drawing skill or lack there of...

I think it turned out pretty well.

It's supposed to be kind of cartoon-y in case you were wondering. :-)

The caption inside the card reads:

"When you're over the hill, catching Z's is easier
than climbing trees"

I'll be mailing this card on Monday.

Snow flakes

2011-11-19T11:05:00.001-06:00

This isn't the final placement for my freshly crafted snowflake ornaments...

Our Christmas tree will go up the day after Thanksgiving. It's one of our family traditions.

Soap results

2011-11-17T16:17:00.001-06:00

Patty was kind enough to take photos of the freshly unmolded soap we made.

Here's much anticipated blue marbled soap brick.

Isn't it pretty!?!?

Next out of the mold was the Oatmeal Shea...

I thought this was a cool photo showing how they slipped it out from the mold.

And now being cut into bars....

Nice of her hubby to lend a hand with the cutting. I'm sure it's not that easy to slice through.

Fun stuff!

Definitely want to try it again soon.

Breakfast tea

2011-11-15T10:49:00.001-06:00

...actually coffee. Kimmie is nice that way...she doesn't mind if we join without the proper beverage. Thanks Kimmie!

I have yet another busy Tuesday. Although I feel much better that I have a few things crossed off the list already.

Tomorrow, I'm sending my oldest off on his 6th grade school trip. They will be gone 3 days and 2 nights. This is a huge step!! For both of us. :)

He is super excited. I'm nervous because it's 4 hours away.

I have the packing list at hand and am checking and rechecking it.

What are you doing today??

Soap Making

2011-11-12T20:43:00.001-06:00

So I took a drive today out to my friend Patty's house so she could show me how to make soap.

I've admired and used her awesome soap for quite a while,

so when she said she'd show me...

I knew I had to find a time to do it.

That day was today...

As I found out later what we made today was cold process soap. It used lye but wasn't cooked on the stove as I thought it would be.

She explained that this soap has a "curing time" of about a month which if I'm understanding correctly, hot process soap is ready pretty much

right away.

This photo is showing the mixing process after

the lye dissolved in water has been added to the oils.

She is using a deep pot and a stick blender.

I was really shocked how quickly the saponification

happened.

This was actually the second batch we made but I had forgotten that I had my little pocket camera with me. I was too busy learning.

For this batch, Patty wanted to try out some new pigments she had purchased. We decided on ultramarine blue and titanium white going for a marbled effect. The scent we used was called "rise and shine". It smelled divine!!

Her hubby stepped in to lend an extra hand while filling the mold.

Now I have to wait for a month until I see the finished product!! AHH!! I'm not known for my patience. If it didn't take the better part of an hour to drive to her house, I'd be there on Tuesday when she un-molds it. I'm pretty sure she cuts it at that time as well. Yet another question I'll have to ask.

Bottle cap magnets

2011-11-09T14:24:00.000-06:00

After working out and running errands this morning, I spent a good chunk of this afternoon putting together all these bottle cap magnets. I think I'm a little loopy from the glue...need more ventilation in the basement!

You may remember a long time ago I had them strewn across my work surface.

I bagged them up and stuck them away...promptly forgetting they existed.

Well, no more.

They are heading to Texas along with all the other items I've been busy creating plus some oldies but goodies.

I still have a list of things I want to make but am running out of time.

I hope I remember to take a picture of everything before sending it off.

Christmas tea??

2011-11-08T11:09:00.000-06:00

Once again my Christmas cactus is confused

about the time of year.

It seems to be more of a Thanksgiving and Easter cactus.

Sure is pretty regardless of the time of year.

Won't you stop over at Kimmies to see what my friends are doing today...I'm heading there next.

And thank you for not noticing the dust on my end table.

Tea dye

2011-11-06T14:52:00.000-06:00

The other day I came across this cool tea tin. Now I'm not a big fan of Jasmine or any floral tea for that matter but I did like the tin. Who knew it would be full of tea. Not wanting to actually drink it I decided to do a little experiment. I had some scraps of muslin so I heated some water and threw the muslin and tea in with it and let it sit all day while I was out and about.

It didn't get as dark as I believe black tea would have but the fabric strips are a nice aged color.

So what did I do with them you ask...

a little layered fabric hair accessory for my girl.

Light box

2011-11-04T13:19:00.003-06:00

I finally made myself a light box for photography!!

I've seen many tutorials on the web but put it to the back of my to-do list.Well, now it's to-done. It may not be the prettiest light box but I didn't have to buy a thing.

I have to show you the huge difference that it makes even without adding any additional light from a lamp.

This was a picture I took yesterday on my sofa table.

I thought the dark wood of the table would really make the vintage ornaments pop.

And they do...but not in the way I was really looking for.

Now look at this picture taken inside the light box!

What a difference!

I'm definitely going to have much better photos from now on...at least for the small stuff.

Now I just need to figure out where to store it so it doesn't get damaged or dirty but is still very accessible.

Tea with Grandma

2011-11-01T08:39:00.000-06:00

I missed tea with Kimmie and friends last week...

I just had to make it for tea today.

About this time of year I start to get very sentimental. I'm sure its because the Holidays are right around the corner and that means family and friends...renewing those connections.

So...I'm having tea in spirit with my Grandma. I'm using a cup from her china set and thinking about what it would have been like to actually know her.

I've used her image in many pieces of art over the years.

This one is is quite timely. It is from a set that I sent off for a Somerset Memories challenge. It wasn't one of mine that they actually published but I still really like it!

I think this was the first piece that I used this image on....

I recycled a CD and some denim in this one to make a unique wall hanging or ornament.

Another fun one....

I used so many techniques on this canvas. It was a great big experiment that turned out pretty well.

Are there times of the year that make you more nostalgic? Or maybe its a song... a scent... a movie?

I'd love to hear your stories...

Sew what!

2011-10-23T09:28:00.004-05:00

Yeah, I know that was a lame title.

I'm blaming the allergy medicine.

Anyway...

I've been sewing like crazy along with making cards. A friend of mine got a table at her kids school Holiday fundraiser. She asked me if I'd want to send her anything to sell. I'm trying to make items that are lightweight and small as I'll be mailing these to her. These little patchwork tissue packs seem to fit the bill.

I have a few other ideas but one

thing at a time.

Making cards

2011-10-20T15:34:00.000-05:00

Ok...so the thumb still hurts but I can't seem to

not use it.

No matter what it is in life...I use that thumb.

So I might as well make some cards...right?

I made a lot of cards...

they are like chips...bet you can't eat just one...er...make just one.

I've had a couple people ask me lately about my photo cards for the holidays. Gifts and such I'd assume.

Which got me thinking...I should really sit down and make a bunch with all the photos I already have!

I also made a few more fabric collage cards.

I really enjoy making these.

They are what you might call a labor of love.

Swap Tea

2011-10-18T07:30:00.000-05:00

I confess...this post is scheduled.

I am enjoying some late evening tea in my cute, "new to me' chickie mug, while writing this post. Tomorrow...well today as you are reading this is just too busy for ...much like so many Tuesdays.

Why is it that Tuesday is the most filled day on my calendar?? ...Frustrating.

I did want to share some fun mail I picked up the other day though.

I got my color swap pages from Dianne. Fantastic pages.

Love this watercolor bird.

I've been ito watercolors myself these days.

Fun fabrics and trim...love it!

A combo of watercolors, fabric and stitching...

truly calling my name.

Seriously!

Doodles that I envy...

Plus some fun tags...

Feel free t drop by Kimmies blog today for the other Tea Tuesday posts...I know I will be later.

Sneak peeks

2011-10-15T14:21:00.000-05:00

I can't show all of these pages but I really want to! They aren't even finished and likely won't

be for a while.

I injured my thumb on my right hand (dominant hand) in some way a couple of days ago, so I keep having to stop working on basically anything and ice it frequently.

Oh, the frustration.

Pages have landed in Cyprus

2011-10-12T16:49:00.003-05:00

I've been anxiously awaiting confirmation that the package I sent to Cath in Cyprus had arrived safely. I was getting very worried even though the post office assured me that things can get tied up in customs from time to time.

Cath is another member of the colors swap I've been particpating in over the last few months.

Her colors were yellow and black. Not my usual fair but that's where the challenge lies.

The photos are not the best...I can't remember why anymore but alas...once they are sent off there isn't much chance for retakes.

This one is a kalidescope that I made from

a photo of a marigold.

These black eyed susans are from my in-laws garden.
Thanks to Elizabeth
for the awesome yellow handmade paper!!

My new toy

2011-10-08T08:48:00.000-05:00

Well...new to me.

Found her at a garage sale. She needs a bit of cleaning but works!

It's also come to my attention that blogger once again is having issues with embedded comments. For the time being I've changed mine back to the old pop-up style.

Off to a church rummage sale this morning...

wish me luck!

Go pink...

2011-10-05T14:30:00.000-05:00

...for Breast Cancer awareness.

I LOVE IT!
And yes, it's permanent.
We'll see what the rest of the family thinks as they come home.

What do you think?

Sewing tea

2011-10-04T10:39:00.001-05:00

I've been busy sewing again. This time making more greeting cards.While running a few errands this morning I stopped at the co-op for a few essentials and a little indulgence. I really love this fermented tea and since it's going to be really warm again today, it seemed like a good choice.

Stop by Kimmies blog, art in red wagons, for the other Tea Tuesday posts.

Also just a little teaser...tomorrow I'm doing something special for Breast Cancer awareness month. My mom is a 43 year survivor. I hope it turns out like the picture in my head. I'll be sure to take a picture when its done.

Silent Sunday: Found on a walk

2011-10-02T07:35:00.001-05:00

Walercolor Haiku

2011-10-01T11:11:00.000-05:00

While watching my new obsession on Netflix...Mad Men...I painted this little fall scene.

I added the Haiku this morning.

What do you think?

Art journal

2011-09-29T07:50:00.001-05:00

After being inspired by The Art Journal Workshop, I started work on the inside pages.

I found the book that I disassembled for the covers at a thrift store quite a while ago. When I got it I hadn't realized that all the pages were glossy which doesn't work very well for altering.

I still loved the covers and knew I'd use them

in some way.

The inside pages are recycled cardboard from cereal type boxes. I obsessively save them to use as substrate for so many different projects. The pages are all a uniform height but the width is very random. I felt this might give the journal an interesting look.

So far, I've slathered leftover paint from other projects on a few pages and completed one from scraps on my table.

The journalling reads:

Forget the darkness behind you.

Turn your face towards the sun and bloom.

Experimen-Tea

2011-09-27T10:52:00.000-05:00

So I did get inspired from sorting buttons. Not to actually used any of those buttons but by color.

I painted a 12x12 deep edge canvas with several shades of yellow. Then using a palette knife applied a bold wave of burgundy then some thin lines with the edge of the knife.

I knew I wanted a circle...I love circles for some reason. I knew I had a perfect piece of Citra Solv paper. I used gel medium to adhere it to the canvas.

It' still needed something. I decided to try out beeswax over the top. I've always wanted to try it so why not right!

It wasn't as easy to spread as I thought so I decided to get out the heat gun to try to smooth things out a bit.

After several minutes of fussing with it ...melting,...cooling...melting some more...

I came up with my finished piece.

Or at least I think it's finished... This is where I struggle...not knowing when enough is enough.

I love that the paper that once looked slightly out of place is now firmly set into the painting..looking as if it is "one with the canvas".

Stop by Kimmie's to see what the Tea Tuesday gals are doing today....maybe you'll even see a teacup in a picture. :)

When lacking inspiration...

2011-09-26T16:33:00.000-05:00

Organize.

Seems to help me sometimes. It is yet to be seen if it did the trick

this time.

Stacks and stacks of books

2011-09-21T09:14:00.000-05:00

When I read about Seth Apters latest collaboration idea I loved it!

I have tons of books....both ones I've created and vintage ones.

Of course, being the procrastinator that I am...I didn't even start to gather anything until about 25 minutes ago. Boy, was I in for a surprise... I had way more books that I ever realized.

My stack on the coffee table had to be moved to the buffet where I could use the wall to prop them up!

My book arts stack is very colorful...and fluffy.

I tend to make books that don't have a chance of
ever laying flat.

They must sit splayed open inviting a passerby to pick it up.

The edges of altered board books are probably my favorite.

With the ripped papers hanging slightly over and the different colors of paint grazed

across the edge by happenstance.

I also use stacks of books in decorating my house.This stack currently sits on the mantle.

As a little lift for a plant to get it some much needed sun.

For some height on a shelf.

And lastly the set of books
I refuse to stack.

They are the first thing you see when walking into my house.

I have my Grandpa's medical books and his Norwegian Seminary book, my dad's Bible plus some poetry books from the 1800's.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Now I must set my house back to rights...geesh...what a mess I made.

Heirloom Tea

2011-09-20T10:19:00.002-05:00

My garden harvest is winding down...so

I've started the process of saving seeds for next years garden. This way I'm creating my own heirloom seeds. This is what I've collected thus far.

I'm waiting for a 3 other tomato plants to ripen so that we may sample the goods and see if they are worth saving.

I got those plants from my psuedo-sister-in-law so I don't even know what they are called.

Do you save seeds? Vegetables? Flowers?

I save them all....it's fun to see what comes of it and besides that-

IT"S FREE!!

Stop by Kimmie's blog to see what she my Tea Tuesday friends are up to today.

I'm heading there next myself.

BTW-Kimmie also has a wonderful gardening blog that can be found on her side bar.

"Grow"

2011-09-16T08:16:00.000-05:00

Awesome book

2011-09-14T10:55:00.000-05:00

I just had to share my excitement about this book I checked out from the library!

The Art Journal Workshop by Traci Bunkers

I have major art journal envy of those who do it so well. I just haven't been able to set myself free enough to do it I guess.

I feel like this book can help me.

It's definitely going on my wish list...

It's fully of step by step photos for some great background techniques.

Tip and tricks...

By the way...
I'm not being compensated in any way shape or form by anyone. I'm sure that Traci Bunkers doesn't have a clue who I am nor do the publishers of this book.
Just wanted you to know that before I went any further.

I've gotten inspired.
First I did a quick, no thought page
in a practice book.
Not bad...not great but I'm working at it.

I've got an idea in mind for a bunch of recycled cardboard as well.
Just working on getting it prepped with my horrible gesso. I say horrible because it is some lame off brand and it's so watery.
Live and learn then buy the good stuff.

Early tea...late post.

2011-09-13T12:27:00.001-05:00

I had to take my mom for an appointment this morning and somehow ran out of time before leaving.

I was busy composing my to-do list...and even glanced at the crossword from Sunday while enjoying my cup of tea.

I already drank most of a pot of coffee. It's rough getting up at 5:30...

Hopefully I'll actually get a few of those things crossed off the list before the day is out.

Wish me luck...I'm going to need it!

Stop by our hostess, Kimmie's blog when you have a chance...she has some beautiful photos posted today.

Little bits of creativity

2011-09-08T08:49:00.000-05:00

I've been working on a few things over the last couple weeks.

I made the cover for my ABC_alteredbookclub 8th Anniversary swap book. I'm waiting on the last page to arrive before binding.
I used Citra Solv paper for the background then cut the flower from a photograph I took a few years ago.
I added the paper flower and "Joy" brad for interest.

Since we have a few September birthdays in our family I've been busy making cards. This one is for my mom. She loves butterflies and flowers.

Lastly, I'll share a little peek at a mixed-media painting I've been working on. It's not finished...definitely a work in progress.

Did you miss me?

2011-09-07T13:33:00.001-05:00

Over the past couple weeks our family tried to squeeze as much time out of what was left of summer as possible. We ended up doing and seeing things that we hadn't ever as a family even though they are right around the cities. Stay-cationing, I believe is the hip term for that these days.
I'll only highlight a few...

The kids and I helped herd these sheep at a working farm that's part of the local park system. It was quite funny...we were just there for a walk and to buy some produce and eggs when they asked if we could help. When do city kids get the chance to do something like that?!?

We stopped by beautiful Minnehaha Falls Park on our way to a museum one Saturday. Neither of us had been there since we were kids ourselves. It's so beautiful that we have it on our list to see once more of the leaves start to change.

After a walk around the falls area we went to a one of a kind military museum that is sadly scheduled to close at the end of the month. It really awesome to walk around all of those old vehicles...peek inside...

Of course, I took hundreds of pictures of a multitude of subjects in a multitude of other places but I won't bore you with them all. I just wanted to say hello and that I'm back online...no thanks to our cable company who kept me offline for 5 days longer than I expected. GRRR!

Next time I'll show you some new art...

Too busy for Tea

2011-08-23T08:31:00.000-05:00

I've noticed that I've been somewhat unplugged from the blogosphere lately...even from my computer completely. It's been kind of refreshing. With the end of summer wrap-up we have so many things on the calendar in such a small amount of time.

I'll be around here and there over the next couple weeks very randomly. I'm not trying to ditch you, if i don't answer an email as promptly as I used to...I'm just not checking email very often.

Happy end of summer to everyone! I'll be back to my "normal" self after Labor Day.

Tea Time round robin theme

2011-08-18T09:13:00.001-05:00

This was the last book for me to work in during our 6 player round robin. It has been so much fun!

This last book is heading back home to Canada, hopefully later today.

Every once in a while...

2011-08-17T14:13:00.002-05:00

...I feel very domestic.

As in old school... starting from scratch with all basic ingredients.

Today was one of those days.

I was inspired by this blog post by Krista to try making butter.

Into the mixer goes the heavy whipping cream...

Several minutes of high speed mixing brought me to here...

Notice the solids separated from the liquid....that liquid would be buttermilk. Cool huh!

After draining the buttermilk off and "washing" the butter...see Krista's recipe...

I ended up with this nice ball of butter.

Remember the buttermilk I mentioned earlier...

Oh yeah..pancakes for lunch baby!

During the midst of all that mixing I made a batch of salsa or maybe it would be pica de gallo depending on how you want to look at it.

Aren't veggies beautiful!?!

Tea Tuesday: Enjoying the garden

2011-08-16T09:17:00.001-05:00

On yet another beautiful morning, I am having a little quiet time on the deck before diving into the day.

Days like today remind me why we put up with the extremes of Minnesota weather.

We've been blessed with an abundant garden once I figured out how to keep the critters at bay. The fencing and the flags along with an occasional sprinkle of blood meal seem to have done the trick.

I've picked a couple ice cream buckets full of green beans...

Enough snow peas for stir-fry and munching...

Several big, yummy cucumbers

with more on the way...

Very soon I'll have more tomatoes than I know what to do with...

I can't wait!

And by the way...

our leaves are starting to turn...

just a few here and there.

What a short growing season!

Drop by my friend Kimmie's blog to see what's going on with my tea Tuesday pals.

What are you doing today?

Sweet package and more flowers

2011-08-13T09:22:00.000-05:00

Quite a while ago, after posting my Travels handmade book, Margaret asked me if I had an postcards from Switzerland for my collection.

Since I didn't, we decided to do a little trade of items from our areas.

Just look at all the fun items she sent!

I'm really looking forward to using the pretty napkins.

And this postcard is an awesome addition to my collection!

It's very Scandinavian looking...love that!

Have I mentioned that I'm 100% Norwegian!?!

Thank you so much Margaret!

I also wanted to share a couple more bottle cap flowers I made the other day.

They are a fun addition to my garden.

Fairy door

2011-08-12T10:01:00.000-05:00

I saw a fun challenge and decided to go for it since I haven't worked much with miniatures lately. I found that I really miss it.

I love making faux stone. It's my favorite technique.

Have a magical day!!

Altered Puzzle piece

2011-08-10T07:41:00.000-05:00

Finished another one and popped it in the mailbox yesterday.

One of the postmen said he gets a kick out of the mail art and postcards I send and receive.

He asked me about the postcards one day when I was mailing a very boring package.

I had no idea they paid that much attention!

Fun to know that mail art not only brightens the recipients day but the postal workers day as well.

Cool Tuesday

2011-08-09T07:33:00.000-05:00

I am so happy to say that our weather has made a turn. The humidity and heat have gone.

I awoke to 61°F with a cool NW breeze.

Glorious!

I want to wash all the sheets and blankets to dry them outside for a change.

But first I must show you the flower I made. It was definitely inspired by our lovely Tea Tuesday hostess, Kimmie.

I have a couple more sets laid out but the heat and humidity in the garage yesterday was too much and I got very frustrated with the heavy gauge wire. Have to try again today.

Found text ATC

2011-08-08T10:20:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I grab a random page torn from a book to give me inspiration.

That is when my quirky sense of humor takes over....

Rocks and friendship

2011-08-06T14:18:00.000-05:00

A favorite pastime is searching for fun rocks to add to our collections. Well...it's mostly our girl and I that can do this for hours on end.

It was great to walk out from our hotel straight to the shoreline.

The shoreline at this part of the lake is rocky...not sandy. It kills my feet to walk on for any length of time even though the rocks have been worn smooth.

We brought home some treasures...

I don't think we got any agates...have a book on reserve at the library to help me identify.

We just picked ones that spoke to us. Such as penguin rock, pyramid rock, a couple with faces and some with a ring slicing through. Others just said take me home like the stick.

My ultimate excitement was when I found sea glass!!! There were all small pieces but genuine sea glass none the less.

There were several shades of green and clear as well as a blue and a piece of pottery or maybe milk glass? I want to go back just to sit and sift through to find more. Sad but true.

I spotted this rock while hiking and had to grab a picture.
Such a funny face...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And now to the friendship part of my post....
My BFF is in town for a convention and we haven't seen each other in 17yrs!
I'm picking her up in a couple hours so we can spend the evening hanging out at our house until she leaves bright and early in the morning for home.
I am so excited that I'm giddy!

It's good to be home

2011-08-04T14:43:00.009-05:00

Just how good you'll know towards the end of my story that is jammed with lots of pictures...you've been warned.

Our first morning in Duluth we woke to this beautiful sunrise over Lake Superior.

Then panned to the right and saw a couple of "Lakers" ...big cargo ships that travel through the Great Lakes system.

After we went down for breakfast and returned to our room this was our view!

It had steamed in that far.

This ship was one of the biggest in the fleet at 1004 ft long.

We quickly walked down to the canal to watch.

Was it going to fit?

Just cleared the lift bridge.

Here's a view from the lift bridge when it's down for traffic to flow.

Duluth is pretty at night as well with the lights reflecting on the water.

And then we got food poisoning...luckily just us and not the kids as well. At least it was our last night there...sure was a miserable one though. Oh yeah and about 4 AM that miserable night...the power went out in the hotel. It was only out for about 5 minutes and most likely no one but us even noticed.

I'll share some more high points later but for now I must go rest again.

Still not feeling 100%

Tea Tuesday

2011-07-26T08:53:00.000-05:00

My summer drink of choice tends to be ice water with lemon slices and a bag of green tea. The tea doesn't "brew" since it's ice water but it definitely flavors the water.

Today I have Yogi Lemon Ginger Green tea flavored water.

I love today's quote....

Hope you all have a wonderful day.

Stop by Kimmie's blog if you'd like to see some more tea posts for the day.

Flags and a garden update

2011-07-22T13:45:00.000-05:00

So I go out to check the side garden this morning and the deer have eaten the tops off my green beans and snow pea plants. Wasn't that nice of them...pesky things. So I decided that maybe some flags would scare them...create some movement...and generally get in the way of their snacking. Bonus...I think they look cute. We'll see what happens.

The garden box is also doing very well. There are tons of little green tomatoes on the plants.

Check it out ...

Nature is funny at times.

Look want I found today

2011-07-21T16:15:00.002-05:00

I think they are baby wrens. The mama of these 3 tiny babies is pretty small herself. The nest is only about 3 feet off the ground in our dwarf lilac bush along the front walk. She was scolding me from a nearby tree for peeking in on her brood while I snapped a quick picture.

UFO's--finished

2011-07-20T09:55:00.002-05:00

Since we've been pretty much stuck in the house lately I've been exercising my creative side by attempting to finish some UFO's...unfinished objects.

I have a stack of these type of projects. Some just have a background finished. Others are a train wreck and are in need of a do-over.

This small canvas board was one of those. Whoa! You can't even imagine how ugly the background on this baby was. I didn't take a before picture...it was too awful. Now I happen to like it.

This puzzle piece was another that had been abandoned sometime last fall when I ran out of steam after gluing papers to the backs of a dozen or so pieces. I used my scrap bucket for most of this one.

I'm also working on a mixed-media painting. So far I'm just layering and layering...no photos yet.

Too hot for Tea

2011-07-19T07:40:00.000-05:00

Much to my surprise this morning this is what I saw when I pulled open the shades.

Can we say humid!?! That condensation is on the OUTSIDE of our windows. It's not even like we run our A/C very cool...it's just that thick out there.

("mini-me" says I look like a deer in this photo...I don't see it.)

Through the patio door we can usually see the kids playset...now just the yellow blob of the slide.

Keeping my fingers crossed that lacrosse will be cancelled again tonight. To dangerous to practice in this heat for anyone...much less kids.

Stop by Kimmies if you'd like to visit more bloggers hosting tea today.

Rust and white pages

2011-07-18T08:46:00.000-05:00

Elizabeth has gotten her pages and says she loves them...

Hooray!
Don't know why but these "colors swap" pages are giving me fits. Couldn't tell you why if I tried.
Maybe I just do better with a theme instead of a list of colors to use.

Page 1 front:
Butterfly fly

Page 1 back:
untitled abstract

Page 2 front:
Starlight, Starbright

Page 2 back:
Rusty flowers

Friday Freebie

2011-07-15T08:05:00.002-05:00

We're at the end of the line folks for the freebies...
I'll have to see if I can scare up some more images.

This last one is the Buffalo Bill Museum...not sure where its located but it might be fun to go see what it looks like now.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Travels postcard book

2011-07-13T09:15:00.001-05:00

This spring I got back into swapping postcards on Swapbot. Of course, they have other things to swap but I've had the most fun with postcards.

Who doesn't love getting mail, right?!

So what do you do with a big stack of postcards to make them a little more fun...

You make a book!

This one was a great size and had the perfect title.

I made 3 tiny signatures and attached them to the cover with a pamphlet stitch. I used a dry adhesive tape runner on the front side of each of the postcards to "tip" them into the book.

These postcards came from all over the globe...

Such as South Africa

New Zealand

Slovakia

And as close as the next state.

Years ago, before starting this blog, I made my first book to hold my postcards.

Kind of a cheesy title....

But I was happy with the the way a bound the signatures as well as attached envelopes to hold some extras. Good thing too...the pockets are filled to the brim now.

First harvest

2011-07-12T10:42:00.003-05:00

The weather has taken a turn for the better so I took my coffee outside this morning.

We decided it was time to start harvesting some from the garden. It's nice to have little hands to help in the garden.

Have a great day!!

Round Robin pages

2011-07-09T09:56:00.000-05:00

This is the second to last book in the round robin for me. The theme was "questions of love".
I'm not exactly sure I hit what Jana was looking for in the most literal sense but I'm happy with my results.

I've titled this spread Secret Embrace

The image is from the cover of an off romance novel.
This is a tribute to Gina Wise...she did some really fun arches for last years ABC 7th anniversary swap with this same technique.

This one is titled Ecstasy

The image is from a late '60s hairdressing guide. I loved the expression, so it drove the direction of the page.

Friday Freebie

2011-07-08T14:30:00.001-05:00

Is there a fly on the ceiling? Maybe her brother just said something stupid again... Makes me wonder why she's looking up!

Enjoy!

Rusty sneak peek

2011-07-07T09:09:00.000-05:00

I'll be getting my package ready to mail off to Elizabeth today.

I can only show you a tiny snippet or two of her rust and white pages until she receives them.

I used both rusted fabric

and rusted paper to create my pages.

I hope Elizabeth likes them!!

Before I let you go, I just had to share these flowers...
I picked all of them from my yard.
Did I mention that I love flowers!?!?

Tired Tuesday

2011-07-05T12:58:00.000-05:00

After a fun filled, busy weekend... it's hard to believe that it's already Tuesday.

We over-indulged...

Enjoyed a carnival both from great heights...

and with our feet firmly planted on the ground...

The people watching is always fun...

Of course, we still had more fun to pack in yesterday...

A car show...

Parade...

Tractor rides for the kiddos...

We never even made it to fireworks. Everyone was tired, sweaty and slightly sunburned. A shower and bed sounded like the best option.

This morning the kids and I took my mom out to visit my dad's grave. He would have been 84 today. We left red, white & blue flowers and placed little stones on his marker. I think it would have made him very happy. He always said he was a late firecracker. He always treated the 4th of July as part of his birthday celebration too. Time for family, friends and fun. Makes me happy to think of it as that way as well.

Hope everyone had a happy and safe holiday weekend! I think I need a nap now!

Stop by Kimmies blog to see what's up with my Tea Tuesday friends this week....

Friday Freebie

2011-07-01T15:36:00.000-05:00

Did you think I forgot??
That I finally ran out of freebies??
Nope... just late today.

I know I've used this photo in some art but I can't remember if I shared it with you...
It's too hot to think.
Too look back and figure it out.
So here she is...
Have a Happy and safe long 4th of July holiday weekend to my USA friends.
The rest of you be happy and safe as well...you just get a shorter weekend. *grin*

Tea for the road

2011-06-28T10:18:00.001-05:00

The baby girl got her palette expander and partial braces this morning...poor thing.

Time for a smoothie...

Stop by Kimmies to see what's going on for Tea Tuesday.

8th anniversary swap

2011-06-27T15:25:00.002-05:00

Since we had a totally open theme this time around for the annual abc_alterbookclub anniversary swap...I decided to use this photo of myself and my grandpa that always makes me giggle. Neither one of us looks to happy about the whole deal.

Here's the original photo...

We both look so crabby. I did have a cute little dress though. *grin*

Silent Sunday

2011-06-26T07:39:00.001-05:00

Friday Freebie

2011-06-24T07:02:00.000-05:00

Cabinet cards often have interesting backs such as this one.

I wonder what is at that address now??

Neglectful tea

2011-06-21T09:18:00.000-05:00

I have been so horrible.

I received an absolutely wonderful prize...SO LONG AGO.... from Annette, aka Voodoo Vixen.

I took pictures right away, resized them and promptly forgot to post them.
Shameful.
Regretful.

Isn't this the sweetest little book?!?

How could I have forgotten to blog about this?!

The pockets are each filled with a different kind of tea.

Yum...so many to try.

The ATC is awesome!

Love the gears.

Once again Annette...Thank you. So sorry I've been such a slouch and not posted this beautiful gift until now.

Off to brew some tea from the book. :)

Stop by Kimmies blog for the rest of the Tea Tuesday blogs.

Rusting result

2011-06-20T11:26:00.001-05:00

I just couldn't wait any longer. I had to unwrap the fabric.

I'm going to leave them to dry in the yard for a little while.

Just look at all the rusty goodness...

And this...

Love it!!

My question now is...do I rinse the fabric or leave it as is? I love the look of it right now but don't want to endanger myself or others if it should be rinsed.

Friday Freebie

2011-06-17T12:55:00.000-05:00

Here's a sweet little girl in a chair.
Isn't she just a doll?!?

Rusty things

2011-06-16T14:06:00.000-05:00

My husband brought me home a great gift...one I've been asking for.

Rusty stuff! Two brake shoes and a baggie of iron filings. Woohoo!

Of course while we was wondering around looking in the parts bins everyone kept asking him what on Earth he was doing. To which he explained that his wife wanted to rust fabric and paper. HUH!??!! Was the most common response. She's a little nuts. Yeah, he knows but loves me anyway.

I got carried away and started work wrapping things before grabbing my camera.

I pre-soaked the fabric in vinegar and salt.

This bundle is a lace work table cloth scrap wrapped around a brake shoe with a length of scrap fabric wound around to keep it all in place.

This one is done in a very similar fashion.

I shook out the box on top of it before starting the wrapping process. Lots of good rust flakes in there.

I put both bundles in a ziploc then sprinkled a little iron filings on top for good measure.

I'm going to let them sit in the shed for a week or so.

Special eggs and muffins

2011-06-15T15:25:00.000-05:00

So my baby girl...started the process of getting braces today.
Getting the impressions taken...gack!
And having spacers put in to move the teeth slightly for the bands.

A day like today needs "special eggs".
I'm not sure what you call them but they are "special eggs" at our house.

I also tried out a recipe I found over at the Smitten Kitchen for Whole Wheat Rhubarb muffins. I made one batch with rhubarb and one substituting the rhubarb with zucchini.

My picky children noticed that something was up right away.
I couldn't just pass them off as yummy streusel muffins.

Early morning gardening on Tea Tuesday

2011-06-14T08:35:00.000-05:00

I'm not going to lie...it's still coffee in my cup.

I wanted to get outside and check on my plants.

The squirrels have been driving me crazy with their digging!!

Ok, my green onions are fine.

Maybe the movement of the pinwheel is helping.

Happy Flag Day!

Oh good, my newly transplanted rhubarb looks like it's finally starting to accept its new home.

This is my latest goofy attempt to keep the squirrels out of my lettuce box.

It looks like I'm trying to grow sticks. Not liking the look.

Hey, where did the sun go??

I better finish up my coffee so I can get the rest of my planting done before it decides to rain.

Thanks for stopping by for tea...oh, yeah...coffee with me.

Remember to swing my Kimmie's blog for the full list of Tea Tuesday participants.

Friday Freebie

2011-06-10T06:57:00.000-05:00

I can't see to remember if I've shared this one with you yet.
I can't remember a lot of things....geesh.
What am I going to be like in 20years!?!

Anyway....enjoy!

Schools Out Etsy Treasury

2011-06-09T18:26:00.001-05:00

'Schools out for summer' by halleshobbies

My hopeful outlook for summer.

Four Vintage Blue Wood Pro S... MableDear $22.50	summer theme photo cards artinredwagons $4.00	Lost at Sea (the good way) -... dannyphillipsa... $18.00	STOCKHOLM Traditional Large ... ikabags $59.00
10 Sea Glass Medium Top Dri... aquablueseagla... $12.00	Fun in the Sun - 5x7 fine ar... elgarboart $12.00	Old fashioned Bocce Ball Set... Ameriankiwi $325.00	Santa Cruise- volkswagen van... dannyphillipsa... $25.00
Ha ha ha - its sprinkler tim... brandmojoimage... $26.00	Vintage Family Picnic Basket... OceansideCastl... $29.00	A Simpler Time - 10x10 Black... StephsShoes $17.50	Got Lacrosse Vinyl Window St... CarArtSayings $3.99
Set Of 4 Hand Stamped Palm T... schu0808 $12.00	incomplete but so charming..... sydg $48.00	Beach Craft Supplies. Driftw... StairLodgeSupp... $14.00	Modern Girlhood, 8x10 Metall... aVeryStory $25.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

What I did BEFORE summer vacation...

2011-06-09T06:54:00.000-05:00

Today is it....then it's 24/7 kid time for 3 months. I can't complain. I am lucky to be at home. There is always that adjustment phase for everyone though.

I made a couple of quick ATC's just to prove to myself that I could still create something.

I also put together sets of my photo greeting cards for the teachers and assistants.