Getting Ready for the Weekend-

I am really gearing up this week to finish up the swaps, a couple due next week, so that I can freely commit myself to more.  I have some pictures below of things I have finished up, a couple of ATC's for swaps and both the front and back page of a fall chunky book swap. 

I have also signed up to take some additional classes at the Stamp Art Shoppe in October and November.  I was going to take some additional classes in October but I will be out of town and can't cancel since it is already paid for! 

In January, I made a New Year's resolution of sort, to make time for art this year.  I set a goal to attend six different art insipired events, classes, museums, etc.-so far I am doing well with my goal.  I also realized that in keeping the affirmation to myself, I found time to do some art on a personal level and what I have gained from that one small change in my life is emense.  I have given myself permission to play-something I had lost touch of. 

Thanks for stopping by and everyone have a great weekend!

Finally Finished My Trunk

I have had this trunk for about four months now and just couldn't get motivated to get it done.  The inside is pretty much done-I may add some pink here and there, and I still need to do something with the outside maybe some Paris/France travel labels.  Anyway, I managed to get the inside done and it is now on top of the scrapping armoire with the little dresses hanging it it. 

I also attended a grunge girl necklace class today.  Boy did I have some fun painting and collaging to my hearts content!  I didn't quite finish my necklace and I do need to add some more "stuff" but for now it looks pretty good!  I really wanted to do a necklace with sort of a beach/ocean theme (seems to be my thing right now!) but I didn't get a class list of what I needed so I made due with what I had only buying a couple of extra things.  I found a collage sheet I liked and only after I was working on this little book necklace did I realize that my theme was Italian.  Now, my sweetie is part Italian-so for whatever reason I gravitated to those images.  And, since I have a lot of his mother's costume jewlery, some great pieces that are broke and I couldn't bear to throw them away, I will be adding those to the "Italian"necklace also.  I should mention his mother was full Italian.  I am thinking I would like to do a couple more of these for gifts for the upcoming holiday season.  Anyway-I had a very productive art day-and I managed to get the front yard mowed, a couple of plants replanted into pots, and some of the lava rock dug out of the front planter-so I feel a real productive day has been accomplished.

I hope everyone enjoys the rest of their weekend! 

A Birthday Party and Some Art

I spent the better part of today celebrating my grandaughters' second bithday and with twins there is always twice the fun, oh-and mess!  I spent a great deal of time cooking this morning and picking up the cake, my son barbecued ribs (he is a chef) and man were there people there!  I think just in family alone, there were at least thirty people! 

I also managed to finish up a couple of swaps and get them into the mail.  The spider ATC is a interactive waterfall and the Mermaid ATC.  I have lots of projects in the que which are comming due within the next couple of weeks so I need to get busy. 

This morning I also crocheted the grandbabies, all four of them, sock monkey hats for Christmas, I will get a picture of them posted once I download them from the camera.  I thinks that's all for now, have a great rest of the weekend!

Happy Wednesday and New Art!

I finally was able to get photos taken and uploaded with some of the finished projects/art work that I needed to ship off for swaps.  I was also able to find some great "stuff" while thrift store shopping the past couple of days.  I really should take pictures of things which is much better than trying to describe what I found-but since I didn't take pictures, I will just tell everyone.  Some small pompom trim, an printers tray, a metal umbrella wall hanging (which I will repaint) to keep all my baby shoes in that are waiting to be altered.  A combination quilt hanger and shelf, some great rhinestone costume jewlery earrings, a blue glass starbucks mug to add to the collection, a pin up girl tin (about the size of a bandaid box), a vintage valentine box, some vintage hangers, some vintage wrapping paper, another small wooden compartmental box with a plastic see through slide lid, and two christmas punches-all for $11.00 with my senior discount!  Now, I don't think I really qualify age wise for a senior discount-and I really could take this action one of two ways.  Either I look old enough to be a senior, or (my prefrence) the lady was being really nice and giving me a discount!  Either way, I just love when I can find things that I really will use in upcoming projects!

Now, I have finished both the April and August dresses in the Dress Up 2010 challenge, so that means I am all caught up! 

My inchies for the FAB 26 swap and a party hat for a doll I am planning to alter:


I think that is about all I have to show you for now!

Oh, but I did mange to make up a batch of  chocolate peanut butter cup rice krispie treats over the weekend, I got the recipe from here.  They are fabulous!  WARNING-make sure there is enough milk in the house before you eat one-they are over the top! 

Everyone have a nice day and I will see you in a couple!

The Last Couple of Days Have Been Very Productive!

Since I had a three day weekend, I decided to really concentrate on staying home and finishing up projects not only around the house, but also some art projects I had started but not had quite the time to finish. 

On Friday, I went to the Goodwill outlet (where all the crazy, obsessed thrifters seem to be), this time taking my son to kinda protect me.  At the outlet, they wheel huge bins of "stuff" in them out into rows in like a big warehouse area-the feeding frenzy begins!  Glassware and electronics are $1.39 a pound, and clothes, linens, soft goods are all .69 cents a pound.  I don't mind, but some people are downright rude throwing things, pushing and shoving without a care in the potential harm of others.  Anyway, it was a very productive time there-I spent about three hours.  I came away with some great antique class milk bottles, a couple of jars for making jar faries, some tiny miniature charms and things for my junk necklace, a heart interlocking chain sterling silver necklace, another starbucks coffe mug, an uno rummy game-for the game pieces, some disney money, a jar of miniature oragami cranes, a 4x4 porcelin quilt wall hanging, some larger ABC blocks, three rubber stamps, a beautiful quilt, some gold dabloons (I think for Disneyland) for some altered art, some antique buttons, a cordless phone with an answering machine, an antique doll high chair, a puzzle with the four inch pieces (great for altering), a leather skirt for my daughter in law, a hot pot, a heart bird cage, a sandcast dog for mothers dog collection, a covered crock with the presidential seal on it for mothers crock collection, a coffe grinder, three dolls for altering, an old heart shaped compact for altering, and two great different shaped liquor bottles.  My son managed to pick up, a coffee grinder, a backpack, some sculpy clay, two pairs of shorts, a sweatshirt, a snowboard (he is planning to airbrush it for the snow this winter), some knee pads, a heavy plastic advertising banner for his business, a sleep pad for camping, and a coleman camping propane light. And the best part was the grand total was $31.00!  I just love this place even with the afroementioned crazy people, I guess that's the price for getting such awesome deals!

On Saturday, I needed to run a few errands, picked up mother and we went to breakfast, steak and eggs-yumm!  We then went to Target, on to Beverly's crafts where I found an awesome piece for the production room (studio).  I have posted pictures below-I loved this piece but really couldn't justify $129.00 for it.  I knew I  had a forty percent coupon at home I had forgotten, but did I really want to go all the way home and back.  The nice lady (she reminded me of my grandmother) who was helping me came up and handed me a forty percent coupon so I could get this piece.  I picked up a couple of things and thought I had hit the jackpot with this piece and forty percent off.  Mother insisted that I get it and wanted to pay for it for my birthday, which is still about six weeks away.  When the cashier rang me out-she said they were already on sale for fifty percent off! Wow-double jackpot!  So I walked out with my prize possession!  Then it was next door to the antique store-mother found a cool french bird cage in a perfect color to match her room, and a lingerie drawer organizer, I found a little brass eiffel tower for my collection.  I have had such a good junking weekend-I almost don't want to go back to work.  I want to stay home and play and redo my treasures! 

Have a great next couple of days everyone, happy art-ting!!