Finally finished this cowgirl/boy box. I've had it for 2 years just waiting for inspiration. I still need to put some words in the left upper corner by the big nail. But nothing is coming to me right now.

The little hangings were fun to make from scraps. Might make a few with vintage ladies. They're about 4 x 6....give or take. My good friend Charlotte and I are working on an Etsy store in the near future.

The "loving cup" is another use for cabinet cards. I used 6 original cabinet cards on the 6 cups...they're nice and stiff .....better than photographs.

Ancestors Charm Bracelet

Got this idea from one of my groups....Red Lead...from St.Louis. Kitten (Debbie) made such a charming bracelet that I couldn't help myself and had to make one for our upcoming family reunion. I suppose both sisters and a few nieces will try to take it away from me! Wearing charm bracelets makes me sort of nervous...all that clanking around. Maybe I'll get used to it! I still think it's cute as a button (or a scrabble tile!) Thanks for the idea, Kitten!

Hydrangeas....Altered Art?

I couldn't help but post my 2 year old hydrangea (bottom picture). I tried to make it turn dark blue to no avail but it did go from pale lavender to lavender-pink. I'm convinced it will never be blue!

The little hydrangea in the top picture is just in it's second season and started out as a little branch which I just stuck in the ground! It isn't even a foot tall and blooms it's little head off! It loves being blue but had no choice since I fed it regularly with "Tru Blue" aluminum sulfate. I think they need to have a tendency to be blue on their own before the aluminum sulfate actually works. Is this called "altered art"???

4 year old Lauren

Grandmother's Day Gift from Lauren
Clay pot transformed with crackle paint, tissue paper, real ferns and pressed daisies. Gel medium used to apply all materials.
Same technique as the frog pot. Paper napkin bird and nest. Pressed pansies. These are really fun to make!

Had to post this! Little Lauren is my arts and crafts buddy and I couldn't help but share her pre-school picture. She just turned 4 and attends preschool and is smart as a whip. I can't help but wonder what she will become! I do hope she keeps her interest in art. She is forever making wonderful little things with her full cupboard of art and craft supplies. Yesterday, I received a little heart doilie completely covered with tiny stickers and her name printed on the back. It was delivered in 3, yes...3, envelopes. (?) I think providing children with fun materials at a very young age encourages a strong desire to create. But, on the other hand , I had nothing in the way of supplies as a child and I mananged to develop a strong creative desire. The creative desire must be built in...I 'spose you either have it or you don't. I'm glad I was one of the lucky ones. Can you say "never been bored?"

Artist's Trunk Show....selling our wares...

Surprise! I can't even imagine where I've been for two months regarding this blog. I just suck at blogging I guess....I think about it and then by the time I figure out what I will post, I've gone on to something else. I did decide to post the picture of our table when we tried our hand at selling our wares on May 16th. I am referring to Charlotte Stott...my partner in crime. We had an opportunity to join with some others in Folsom at an Artist's Trunk Show sponsored by Bobbi and Katrina...owners of Not Too Shabby, (shabby chic), and Katrina's specializing in vintage laces, ribbons, trims, etc. As it turned out, some of the other vendors didn't show up, nor did any customers for that matter! It was the hottest day of the year so far and for the few people who braved the elements, it was just too hot to stand in the sun and look at the merchandise. We displayed a lot of our funky jewelry, collages, journals, tags and more. It was somewhat disappointing but we knew it was due to weather and the economy.

I am going to try to do better at this blogging thing....promise!

I made 10 of these puppies....errr, bunnies for a swap. Can't wait to get 10 different ones back! 10 is manageable....44 is not! : ) The flowered paper is wall paper and I loved the colors so much it was a shame to cover it up. I had this anaglypta (embossed) wallpaper and rubbed a green inkpad over it.....reminded me of some leafy green garden stuff. Then I made some 3D carrots with Sculpey and glittered them. That's it!

Here's a little Easter arrangement I made after seeing Cindy Powell's on her blog. http://www.cynthiapowell.blogspot.com/
Thanks, Cindy! Hers is so enchanting and I feel like mine is really rather overdone. As usual, I don't know when to stop adding! Oh well, 4 year old Lauren and 5 year old Sam will like it!

44 Page Spring Tag Book!

This tag has embossed "Spring Fashions" in pink at the bottom though it's difficult to see on here. Better IRL!
The Morning Glory tag is my favorite. It has beautiful blue glass chunky glitter on it which really makes it pop.

These are the tags I made for the Red Lead Spring Tag Book....I made 22 of each for a total of 44! They are about 3 x 6 approximately. I really don't like making that many of anything because as I was finishing up, I kept finding fault with them and actually remade several from scratch. I'm blaming all this on my friend, Sally Paul, who forced me (at gunpoint) to join this swap. I don't think anyone actually dreamed there would be that many participants. It's going to be one awesome tag book....can't wait to see it. So that's the reason I haven't been posting or creating other kinds of art. I can't wait to get these out of my hair....and to the Post Office for their journey to Ohio. Whew!
Another note:
I put Sally's Shutterfly album link over on the right under the heading "Places to Visit"....what beautiful work she does! Check her out when you have time to be transported into a beautiful world of art!

Cuties

Are these too cute? You can make them out of felt or paper....go to http://pixiesponder ings1966. blogspot. com/ and get the template for both boys and girls! Hope is the creator of these precious shoes and is giving them away on the 30th....sign up now! She suggests putting a little chocolate in them for a valentine! : ) I have to get going on these!

Paper, Glue, I Love You!

Went to a fun day at the Stamp Art Shoppe with about 16 other girls and we had a delightful time making valentines. I think, in all, we made about 8 different projects. I have sent some of mine off already. Sandy and Richele always make their workshops fun....we had a great lunch and little surprises throughout the day. I even won a doorprize! So here are three of my valentines.... The top card has one of the Tim Holtz "acrylic fragments" over the paper. I actually am not much of a card maker, but I learned to use the Cuttlebug embossing technique where you use double sided paper and sand the top to reveal the second color! Love that! The post below this one shows a sympathy card using the same technique.

Sympathy Card

What? It's been that long since I posted anything? I don't know where the time goes. I have been making valentines but what I have here is a sympathy card that I made to send to my cousins in Illinois. Their mother was my aunt who was only 6 years older than I, and died after only one month of being informed that she had bone marrow cancer.Her children adored her and I thought this was better than a commercial sympathy card. Inside I wrote a personal message and added this poem because she was a very selfless, generous person not only to her children but to everyone in the community.

"A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces
of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care
for pie." T. Jordan

There have been some very sad situations in my family as well as families of friends this past week or two. Hopefully, things will look up and I'm waiting for the sun to shine! The card was made on the double sided cardstock that I ran through a Cuttlebug with an embossing plate, then sanded the brown side to reveal the pink inside.

Valentine Fatbook

I just finished 16 of these for our Altered StART's Valentine Fatbook hosted by Dee Moran. I know it's going to be one awesome fatbook....can't wait to see it completed. Here's my page....all 16 of the little cherubs are popping out of the page with their heart in their hand!

Lil' Sweetie Pie and Valentines!

4 x 6 Valentine
Lil' Sweetie Pie open
Lil' Sweetie Pie closed

Here's a little folded ATC (well, almost! After it was finished, I measured it and it was only 2 1/2 by 3....what happened to that other 1/2"???!!!) I swear I didn't realize it till it was all finished. My swap partner was sweet enough to say it was fine with her....otherwise I was going to add a piece on the side....now that would probably have been a band aid!

The valentine is for a 3/3 swap on the Latest Trends in Mixed Media Art group...a fantastic group with loads of information and talent. I guess I have lurked long enough so thought I'd play in this one! It is 4 x 6 on watercolor paper. I used Golden light modeling paste over a doily to give some texture...then removed the doily. (Thanks, Charlotte!) When it was dry, I poured on the ultra fine glitter which doesn't show up at all!!! Then I mounted the image using the sticky dots so it would be raised a bit. The birds are red foil from a box of chocolates punched with Martha's bird punch. Glad I only had to make three!

Woo hoo! Merry Christmas to me! Went antiquing with DH today and spotted this old piece that claimed to be for seed packages. It's just the most awesome color of old pine and all the drawers now hold rubber stamps! There are two dividers in each drawer giving it three sections. DH said it "doesn't do much for me"....but ok, it's Christmas! What a guy.

On top of the piece is a 2009 desktop calendar that 13 of the girls in our Altered Start made. Dee kindly hosted the swap and bound all the calendars. It just arrived today and every month is amazing, including the covers that Sally Paul designed. Thanks to all the girls that participated in the calendar making....I'm very, very happy with mine!
Wishing everyone a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Merry Christmas Book

I made this Christmas book of vintage postcards of birds from a nice little teddy bear album from the thrift store. I've already given it away but I'm thinking the size was about 5 x 7. All the hard pages are covered in scrapbook paper with lots of glitter! The inside pages are on my picturetrail site. If you'd like to see the inside, go to Thanks for looking!http://www.picturetrail.com/members/edit/