Do You Have

A bin, a box, or a bag of left over paper scraps, ephemera, bits of ribbon and what nots? I do too. So I put my self to the test to use just these items and see what kind of ATCs I could make. I make my ATCs on recycled mat board cut down to size. Pictured here is some of what I came up with so far. Of all of these I may keep only one. These images come from pictures from poster/art catalog, free image sites, collage sheets, postcards, gifts from friends...etc.

A Last Minute Entry

To a Paperbag Studios Stamping Challenge. So feeling kind of yucky lately...to keep my mind distracted I decided to enter it. Sort of at the last minute. We have plans for tomorrow that will use up the whole day. "Home Sweet Home" is the theme. Deadline is tomorrow. It is a stamping challenge using their stamps. I used 4 of them on this piece. I thought it was 5 but it is another stamp company.Made of foam core, mat board, K & Co. papers, ivory paper, beaded trim, tiny blue brads and some letter stickers. Doesn't show very well in this scan but is has some dimension. Cut somethings out and raised others. 3 Hours later this is what I end up with. I wish I wasn't so stinkin' slow. Oh well, it is what it is. Over all size ended up to be about 6 1/2" wide x 8" tall. This is usually the stage I get with a piece and then think of what else does it need. I'll stare at it and stare at it. No time for that....So I have submitted it as is. http://www.paperbagstudios.com

KC Willis

Put out a call to let others know about here collage retreat with a giveaway where several people win. The retreat would be a totally fantastic way to spend a vacation and have fun. Destination...beautiful Colorado. Unfortunately I will not be making it out there. But for the first x amount of people who posted about he retreat and and left a link on thier blog to her sight. She would give them a piece of her art work. (aprox 6" x 7" )
Now I'm thinking for what ever reason she several pieces like this already made up to make the offer. No... not the case. These are new creations. And mine arrived today in the mail. Wow!
Apparently I'm a tactile person. I love to touch things. This piece feels so neat in your hands with the lace the fabrics the transfer, the added thickness the batting gives it and it has a sweet smell to it. Doesn't really smell like coffee to me and it doesn't smell like any tea that I have ever smelled either. But it has a sweet sent non the less. I'll write it off to my ignorance because I have not done anything like this.
Please click on the link in my side bar for more information about KC Willis.
So KC I can't thank you enough for sharing this artistic creation with me. I'm sure the other ladies will be raving about thier's too!

A Gathering Place

At http://rebecca-gatheryeroses.blogspot.com/

is having a Thank You give away.

For all the details please stop by her beautiful blog for a visit .

TTB Book

http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/772639/?utm_source=badge&utm_medium=banner&utm_content=140x240

Is now available for purchase. 100 % of the proceeds from the book go to Ovarian cancer which comes out to about $5.00 to $10.00 depending on which style of the book you get. Click on the links in this post and in the side bar to find out more about the TTB project and the book.

You will have to sign up for blurb to order the book.

It comes in a hard cover ($34.95) and soft cover ($25.95)

I was glad to have been a part of it.

"Until a cure comes let us do what we can where we can."

Terri Hadji-Gauthier

also

http://www.artforacure.com/
Ties That Bind is an art doll project to help raise money for the Ovarian Cancer Research Fun(OCRF). It's a collaborative project with the help of almost 100 amazing artists. Their goal is to raise $10,000 dollars by the end of September which is Ovarian Cancer Month.

I Think I'll Still

Wait before I post my Marie tags. Some of the swappers have received theirsand some have yet to receive them. Thank You so much for your very nice comments. I think it will be awhile before Tina in Denmark will get hers.

But I will tell you with the things I used. I went with 3 1/2" x 5 1/4" size tag and cut them out of a mossy green suede mat board. I used some lovely fabric ribbon you see here. And what you don't see is pink flower shaped rhinestones with purple, gold or blue rhinestone centers, a small clear rhinestone , silver sticker corners, silver embossing French script or the Irish prayer (grabbed the wrong script stamp at first), lavender beaded trim, pink or blue satin ribbon, teal and crystal glitter, silver marker around the edges and all the same Marie images from Itkupilli . So I went very similar tags.

And Away They Go!

So here is a picture of all my tags...being sent out that is.

I Can't Show You

The beautiful tag I received today. Oh my goodness wait till you get to see this. So for now I will show you the back of the tag as a tease. No way am I going to spoil the surprise for her swap partners. Our deadline to mail them out is the 14 of this month. When I get all 10 of my tags I will make another post.
This tag is a bonus as a result of signing up for the the Marie Antoinette tag swap with Le Vintage. Wondering how that is possible? Let me explain.
As I was putting one of my tags in the mail box for mail pick up tomorrow....there it was just sitting there...the only piece of mail we received today...such a nice surprise! It was one of the Marie Tags.
One of the rules was not to tell our swap partners that we are swapping with them. But I can tell you...this tag was from Deb Abel...because we ended up not being each others swap partner. I can share that much. Which is pretty cool since we will be able to see all of the tags made by all 20 participant's. Up close and personal. We anticipated the possibility of not being on each others swap list. So we made an extra (bonus if you will) Marie Tag for each other. We live fairly close to each other and get together from time to time to create all sorts of art. I know I could of handed mine to her the next time we get together. But it is fun getting things in the mail. Especially when it is not a bill. Thank You Deb, I know your ladies are going to flip over you tags.
Update July 11th:
Okay I think it is safe to reveal Deb's Marie tag now. Since she mailed them out last Monday. I'm pretty sure most of them have theirs by now.

Something Fun

More Bead Work

From my Mom. I received a package oh, about a month ago from my Mom with very pretty pair of earrings in colors that remind me of the ocean. Also included was a pretty blue and copper twist bracelet with an adorable little matching charm/pendant purse. Today I received the matching necklace to the earrings. These are so light and comfortable it doesn't even feel like you have them on. Very cool Mom! Thank You Very Much. Now everybody can see how you spoil me.

Meet "Mourie" and Her Friend

These were so fun to make. A little time consuming but worth the effort. Again many thanks to Deb Abel for her mouse body pattern and wanting to make the mouse pin cushions in the first place. I can't work as small as she is able to do. A talent I do not posses. Please check out her blog to see her adorable Mourie. I wanted to make a cupcake for Mourie to sit on but it looks more like a footstool. Oh well...I could just hear her say, "Let them eat cupcakes!"
Mourie's friend is on a premade fabric covered box that I had laying around. I have stored a sewing kit in it. I think I will change the contents to something befitting a princess. The fiber I used for her hair had these natural slubs in it that were just perfect for making the ringlets coming down from her up-do. All the rage back in the day.
Now I can put them with the other Marie I did for the Catherine Moore's toy theater challenge last year. Then I'll add my Marie tag from the Marie tag swap. (can't show that just yet) I wonder what Marie Antoinette would say today if she could see all the things that have been created in her name.

An Unexpected Gift

from Sue of Windows Beautiful. I freelance for her. Doing silk floral arrangements, painting this and that, refinishing or touching up frames, fixing damaged items.

Last week I orderd these from one of Sue's accessory lines she has access to and was putting in an order for. Well, I thought I was helping her to reach her minimum order requirement. I just fell in love with these statue platnters. So I placed my order. Oh did she surprise me when she said these were a gift! A gesture of her appreciation of the work that I do for her. The words don't even express the true emotions I felt at that moment. She truely is a very special lady who spoils me rotten. Thank You Sue!