My ART this Week**

Here are the ATC's I finished this week.  One of a 5th blog anniversary, the small dress for a black, white and red theme and assorted ATC's with a beach, music, patriotic and button themes.

These are my Marie Antionette submissions for a chunky book swap in an ATC group I am participating in.  The first picture is my cover, followed by the front page of my page and the back page.  I had to make the mask for the front as I couldn't find anything small enough.  The back page has a sewn hankerchief with MA stamped on it.  I found while do research on MA, that she is credited with inventing the hankerchief.

These are the dress I have completed for the Dress Up 2010, the black one is January, pink one February, the green one for March, the bird one for May, and the fusion bride dress is for June.  Dress Up 2010 is being done over on the Alice and Camila blog.  Each month starting in January we are to make one dress for the month for twelve months.  At the end of the year, we will have amased some amazing clothes and works of art.  The dresses can be made with any art material of the creators choosing.  I didn't discover this website until a few weeks ago, so now I am playing catchup.  I only have the April dress to do and then I will be caught up-just in time to create the August dress.

This is my first paperdoll I have ever made!  This was a challenge and swap to only use junk mail.  Since I rarely get anything but pizza ads-pizza man was born and since pizza always comes in a box-I made a box for him to be delivered in!  I feel like I have caught up on so much this week-I am actually ahead of the game.  Everyone have a great weekend, and I will be back with more art soon!

Lot's of Art Created Within the Last Week

Being without transportation for the last few days has forced me to evaluate my time to get the most done while being at home. Not only did I get a great deal of things done inside and out, but I actually was able to sit down and be creative and not feel pressured to accomplish art-I was able to just create!  I managed to get some inchies done to add to my collection and a birthday inchie to send to one of the birthday girls in the yahoo group.   Then it was on to finish the three ATC's for different swaps I had signed up for.  I need to have them done by the end of July and the first part of August, but again, I didn't want to feel pressured, and finished them to get ready to mail. I would rather be early then running behind the power curve!  Next, I joined the Dress Up 2010 challenge, making one mixed media art dress a month for a year.  I did July's dress, now I just have to catch up on the rest of the months!  Last week I finished another quilted assembledge wall hanging for my boss who left and went to another agency.  She loves music, is in at least two bands and contra dances also.  I wanted to give her something that each time she looks at it, she would remember our office.  I think I accompolished that! 

But the worst part of today, was not remembering that today is my eighth anniversary!  I can't believe that my sweetie is the one who remembered for the second year in a row!  He called me early this morning and then again a couple of hourse later-so a double whammy today!  I have been so busy with picking up the truck and returning the rental car that I completely forgot what day it is!  I am going to have to think of something totally spectacular to make up for this one! 

Have a great day everyone!!

Can You Believe It's July?!

There were time this year when I didn't think the summer was every going to get to Northern California because of all the rain and cold days-all of a sudden we are in triple digit weather!  We didn't have much of a spring, so it seems that we have gone from winter to summer overnight! 

One of my oldest friends is retiring today after thirty six years-yipee for her!!! (Although, I secretly wish it were me!)  She is an avid quilter and I have always enjoyed watching her create a thing of beauty.  In fact, many years ago, she is the one who inspired me to attempt quilting.  As I sat yesterday, trying to figure out what I could do as a meaningful gift to mark this occassion, I thought about a quilt, but didn't really have enough time to put something together.  I wanted the gift to be a reminder of her time working, but also her new path in life in retirement.  I finally came up with an assemblege quilt.  I haven't done one of these in a long time, I do enjoy making them as they are so individual to the person.  Her favorite color is yellow combinded with blue, I hope she likes it.  I thought she could hang it in her quilt room as a constant reminder of the good and bad times, the friendship and the love.  And that she will know that it is she who inspired me to try my hand at quilting.  Congratulations Alice on your retiremen!!!

Everyone have a great blast of a weekend, stay safe!