Mad Tea Blog Party

Hello, come on in. I've a place set just for you! Thank you for stopping by, so let's have a cup of Tea and some sweet treats and I'll pass the eye candy round. Enjoy

Halloween ATC's

Yep, it's time to think HALLOWEEN, and these I did for a swap. (yes, it's Halloween swap season, so if you want to check around for any of these swaps, now is the time as they fill up fast). I had so much fun doing these, I don't think I'll put up my halloween stash! Enjoy

Fairy Garden

Ever have fairies in your garden? They just might be. I found these nestled in my hydrangas. Fairies love gardens, so take a look in your gardens, you might be surprised!

Alpha Stamps Summer ATC Swap

Another swap, just can't get enough of the fun! The most recent? AS Yahoo group is hosting a swap to celebrate summer. I couldn't decide which theme to use, so I did both, Under the sea, and vintage bathing beauties. Hope you enjoy them.

June Challenge: Altered Books Yahoo Group

The color "White", and all its various shades was the the challenge for June in the Yahoo Group Altered Books. This is my submission, hope you like it.

Altered Books yahoo group May challenge

I decided to participate in the Altered Books May challenge. The challenge was to do a altered book spead using a "Tea" theme and using the color yellow. Stay tuned for more "tea" as I am participating in A fanciful Twist's "Mad Tea Party" a blog party on June 26th!

More Steam!

  I've been working on my steampunk ATC's for alpha stamps swap. The top three will be submitted, the bottom two I just did for fun. I wanted to do a dark steampunk ATC, hence the one on the bottom right.
I have seen steampunk with a gothic flare, so just wanted to try one. Hope you enjoy.

mini toliet paper book seperated

Steampunk toliet paper roll pocket book

I saw somewhere that you could make mini pocket books out of recycled toilet paper rolls. Hum,, I had to try! So I did and you see the result. All you do is collect four (or however many you want in your book) flatten and crease the edges with a bone folder, glue or tape one end together which makes the "pocket" ( oh, first if you want to paint them, which I did so it wouldn't look cardboardy it gives a nice finished edge inside and out). Then cover with your choice of paper, and embellish. I am doing a steampunk ATC swap and wanted to try using that theme on this. I used a book ring to hold them together and used a nice ribbon and some charms. I cut large tags to fit inside. I haven't done anything to the tags yet, but they could be used for journaling if your in to that. It felt good to get back to doing some arty projects, I've been a busy Grandma helping watch my sweet little grandson,,, so precious, but do miss my "me" time in the studio! Until next time. Happy crafting

Wedding Album

This is Wedding album I made for my son's wedding pictures. I crafted the entire album covers using 12x12 chipboard which I painted a off white color then covered with a large embossed wedding napkin. I made it hinged and I bought 12x12 refill album pages and used the hardware that came with it to bind the pages and cover together, then covered each screw with a faux pearl. The hinge was covered with a morie' ribbon and then added a beaded trim to add a bit of color. I also used a faux pearl trim to edge the ribbon. I glued a length of organza ribbon down the middle on both front and back which will serve to "tie" or secure the album closed. I added some more beaded/sequined trim for accents and glued some coordinating roses for some romance. For the picture I used a precut matt picture frame and did the same treatment with the napkins to cover. I placed a picture in sepia tone of my son and his new wife protected by a transparency overlay. I have found a website I used to order my trims and ribbons from out of Ft. Worth Texas. If interested you may use this link to their site. http://flightsoffancyboutique.com. I purchased the napkins from Hobby Lobby. The 12x12 chipboard, I purchased from scrapbook.com

More mini Masquerade masks

These were just so fun to do, I thought I'd make some more! Check out http://alphastamps.com (gallery/swaps) after March 6th to see more of these mini masks created by other artists

Full size Masquerade mask

I had some of these full size, ready to embellish masquerade masks for sometime just waiting for some inspiration to make them. What better time to dig them out and give it a whirl while I was making the mini masks for a swap

AAJ Valentine Card Swap

Ugh! I hate when I do that! I accidentally deleted this entry when I was posting my recent Alpha Stamp Group swap. So I apologise that I am re-posting this entry. But as you can see (if you haven't seen my previous post on this subject)
my submission to the Altered Art Junkies group Valentine Card swap. These have been mailed to each participant (19 players, excluding myself). I made these "cards" from tri-folded white Lunch sized paper bags and decorated each in a Valentine theme. Each one is different , no two alike. So Happy Valentines day !

AS Masquerade Mask Swap

In honor of "Fat Tuesday" comming up, Alpha Stamps yahoo group, is hosting a masquerade mask swap. The templates for these masks were supplied and were required to use, although you could choose which of the four templates you used. (I only used two of the templates) Each mask is small enough to fit on a ATC card, but for this swap, the masks would stand on its own. You could choose your embellishments/paper, but one item you used (beside the mask template) had to be from Alpha Stamps. In turn, I will receive three masks created by a different artist. I love these swaps as I challenge myself and get inspiration from other artist as well. It is just one way I flex my artistic side.

White Christmas 2009

What a wonderful Christmas! We don't have white Christmas's around here in Oklahoma very often. A whopping 14 inches fell in a blizzard storm yesterday, stranding many travelers and even just people coming home from work. Many didn't make it home for Christmas morning with their families. Where ever you are on this Christmas, I hope you have a blessed Christmas time with your friends and family.

Piano Hinge Winter Paper bag book

This is a little paper bag book I made for a friend for Christmas. Not your usual Christmas theme, but I am always reminded of Christmas time with snow.. I started off with 4 ordinary lunch size white paper bags and cut out 4 "V's" for the tags to slide my "chop sticks" through. Then colored the bags with Ranger's color washes, in denim blue, stream and eggplant. Of course I couldn't stop there, so I added a little of LuminArts Radiant Rain shimmer mists in sky blue and the iridescent violet, even added a little of iridescent fine glitter in the mix. Let dry. Then started to work on creating the pages. I decided to definitely to stay on this blue/white/silver theme so I chose embellishments within that color scheme. I used lots of ribbon, glitter, diecuts, rub-ons and even snip its of Christmas carols to pull together the theme and give a feel of Christmas. The pages are listed in order and I decided not to post in a collage style so each page can be seen in detail and in order. (I have this compulsion for order as if otherwise something was lost in the meaning I was trying to convey on each page, I can't explain, but if you're anything like me, you'll understand...l0l). I hope you enjoy looking and perhaps be inspired to create one of your own.*the tutorial I used can be found at:  http://alteredbooklover.blogspot.com/2008/12/piano-hinge-paper-bag-book-tutorial.html

Vintage bottle snowman

While searching for some Christmas inspiration I came across last years copy of Cloth Paper Scissors, December issue, and I found it! On the cover no less, but just had to try it. I ran to some nearby antique stores in search for some vintage bottles I thought would work. Some were quite pricey, but managed to find seven for around twenty dollars. ( the artist in the magazine stated she found six for three dollars.) Guess it depends where you are and how good you are a negotiating. The most expensive bottle was marked nine dollars, but I did get it down to seven fifty. Next was a trip to a local Michaels, cupons in hand, and bought some white "Delight" air dry modeling compound for the heads, and some filler beads for the inside of the glass bottle ( I cheated and used some fluff at the bottom) I had most of the other items from my stash of goods at home. The noses are polymer clay and eyes/mouth are small brads. The "hats" are cake decorating tips, that are decorated with junk jewelry. Add some tinsel /fabric and letter charms and Ta-Da, vintage glass bottle snowman!
Oh don't forget to cover head (and wherever else you want) with glue and sprinkle with flake irridescent glitter. All in all it took me a afternoon to put them together and let dry until the next morning when I added the finishing touches and glitter. Enjoy