Recently my daughter hosted a jewelry party where we used her dressforms as part of the display. They eventually were all decked out with beautiful Lia Sophia jewelry!
They say not to have favorites....but I can not help it!
I found this chest with the very tiny drawers (made in India) when I was in Dallas. It is perfect for all those tiny little embellishments, brads, jump rings, and stuff. Now it is all organized and I don't have to hunt for the Altoids tins that I used previously. And the best thing is that it matches a chest that I already have with the larger drawers. Too cute!
The Cloth Merchants have an incredible selection of fine fabrics and buttons. I am definitely addicted to buttons!
These are just a few of my buttons that I purchased.....I am going to be using them in my fabric books! I can hardly wait to get started.
This was a Library Pocket Book that was an exchange with my art group. This book was made for my friend, Sharon. The teapot on the front is actually a zipper pull that I purchased in the garment district in NYC a few years ago.
We all were given a template to make this book structure. So it was great selecting your own papers versus ready made card pockets.
Sharon really loves tags so I knew I was going to stuff each pocket for her.
The keyhole is Tim Holtz's grungeboard. I love this product....and I wanted to place an image in the keyhole. I love doing that!
This is my favorite tag that I made....using a technique that I learned in class with Tim Holtz.
This is a navy metal suitcase with very cool hardware.
Even though there are stains inside the suitcase, there are no odors. Apparently this suitcase was stored in the attic versus a basement!
I participated in a couple of online "Fatbooks" and art groups where we exchanged different books. 
It didn't take long to have a overflowing collection. For a long time, I just had them in a plastic tub. I added the art projects that were also at one time on the coffee table.
I decided that the suitcase was a better choice and I am going to stack them in the living room (I have several) and then the one on top will be open for friends who are visiting to enjoy. Every month I will switch out the top suitcase. It's better than having art projects stuffed away where you and others can not enjoy them!
At one time I had all these treasures in my studio...but they just outgrew the space. So I put them all into a serving basket and placed it on my coffee table.
I wasn't looking for a doll wardrobe....but can't you just see the possibilities?!
It is in such great shape and I love all the drawers!
I love it that the art hangers that I have will be a perfect fit!
Oh, there are so many things one can do with this!!
These luscious ribbons were purchased from Rock Paper Scissors in St. Charles, Missouri. It is my all time favorite paper store! Certainly worth the trip!
Our art group is doing a round robin birthday book. When you receive the book each month, you can pick whatever month is available for you to complete. This book belongs to my friend Minori who lives in Japan. She loves Halloween so I really wanted to do something special for her. Who could resist using Catherine Moore's new stamp (Character Constructions).
This is a closer view. The Halloween label has been printed onto cotton fabric. I was able to take the page out of the book to sew the label and then replace the page.
For the month that we are working, we are to make a list of all the days in that month so the original artist can add her personal birthdays, anniversaries, etc. I decided to make a match book that holds the days of the month.
I loved taking old books and making them into new journals! The cover is made using the "Fragment" tiles from Tim Holtz and using the techniques that I learned in his class. The large tile is a photo of my dad with his first crop of corn on the new farm taken in 1956. The book has been propped against my cat Monk....who decided at the last minute to be a part of my photographing my artwork. There was no moving him.....so he is now part of the picture.
This view really shows the dimension of the tiles. I love this product!
Here you can see the binding I made. There are so many sewing techniques for the binding....but I always love to use beads.
These worn leather gloves are so tiny....my cat Monk decided he needed to be the prop so I could take a photograph! I think this pair will find its way into a piece of artwork.
I was so excited when I found these opera glasses at an antique mall in St. Louis. They were behind locked glass doors and I knew that they were a fortune. But I took a look anyway!
Surprise.....they were not priced to be valuable. I guess the dealer made a great purchase and didn't require a lot of money to make his profit....lucky me! It's hard to photograph..but on the rims of the lenses is where Paris is stamped.
These glasses are just waiting for an awesome art project!
Okay....this isn't one you actually get to eat...but you sure might want to! I found this adorable pin cushion when I was in St. Louis a few weeks ago. I am a sucker for cuteness!
I almost have a collection....I have two adorable pin cushions. The other one has already been posted.
One of my favorite blogs to visit is called Blooming Ideas. Terri posted on her blog how she made numerous ATC's from her paper scraps. I thought, how cool is that....and I challenged myself to do the same.
So Sunday night I worked in my studio until 1:30am! The time just flew by and then this morning I finished them. The challenge really made me think outside the box. I think my ATC's are very "artful".
I made this book as a "take and make project" when I attended my art club last month. As with so many things that you make in class....I wasn't thrilled with my end product. The book sat on my drafting table for a few days before I decided to remake it entirely. So I cut the binding, added additional pages with a "tag" theme, resewed the binding, and then completely collaged the front cover. NOW it is a perfect surprise for Maddie!
My project when I was in Arkansas with my sister was to paint my fabric pages for a book that I am making. I challenged myself to work in a different color pallet than I usually work with. It took awhile before I found my "groove". The weather was perfect and I worked outside with nature. I made a portable laundry line to hang my pages to dry. The following photos are only half of what I painted. I find that I do better with my art projects if I have choices, extra for mistakes, and some to tear into smaller pieces for embellishments.
I am definitely going to have fun making this book!
My sister and I went to two quilt shops in Mountain Home, Arkansas when we were on vacation together. My favorite quilt store is called "Remember Me" as they carry an amazing selection of "arty" fabrics. I am addicted to batiks....so I purchased lots of those!
This was my last class with Tim Holtz. I can not begin to explain how generous Tim was with his knowledge of techniques and gobs of ephemera AND gobs of product that was included in each class!
The inside pages are "Grunge Paper". I love this product! The page on the left has a "spinner" which is very cool....just spin it around!
There are quite a few pages in the book. You can actually purchase the kit which is called "Grungebook" that has the 6x6 grungeboard cover and 6 grungeboard pages. (You can always order from Stamp Asylum-reasonable shipping, too!)
Fun! Fun! FUN!!! This class was beyond my wildest expectations! I completed every project IN CLASS and guess what.....so did everyone else! Tim gave great instructions!
This is a special hello to Kayla who has ordered "a message in a bottle" necklace. I will be making this for you very soon!
This was another amazing class! This was my first experience with really working with an assemblage like this one. Tim provided the birds, Mario who was Tim's assistant, drilled our holes where we needed them. Tim also provided gobs and gobs of findings from the Paris Flea Market for us.....we had as many choices as we wanted! My completed project rests now on antique field glasses that I had at home!
I will post the final photograph of my completed project later.
I LOVED this class! I had approximately 80 tiles to make art....and gobs of techniques and information! Tim was super generous with ephemera, too! Here are some beginning photos.
This is just the beginning!
This is the stash I completed in my studio at home. Now I have lots to choose from when I am making art projects!
What an awesome time I had in Texas! The experience of taking classes with Tim was worth every penny! And a huge thank you to Stamp Asylum and their amazing staff. This organization definitely knows how to conduct classes!!! They made name tags for each student with our name and a number. (I was number 37) On the back of the name tags was an envelope that held tickets to the classes you paid for.....and the number on our badge corresponded with our personal shopping bag. We all had a personal shopper.....oh my goodness....that was AWESOME!! Lunch was so well coordinated. It didn't matter where your place was in the room as Tim had a microphone and a PowerPoint presentation so you could clearly see and hear!!! I can not tell you enough about how terrific the whole experience was!
Got Grunge and don’t know what it is or what to do with it? Explore what makes this innovative product so versatile and creatively clever to work with. We will incorporate inks, paints, embellishment and a variety of tools including masks, sanding grip and the Tiny Attacher to really show you how to design with Grungeboard and Grungepaper. Create a very “grungy” mini book filled with elements you create yourself from Grungeboard and Grungepaper. It is a new world and a new generation - one I like to call generation grunge ….
This is another 3x3 book that I made for an exchange. I am definitely hooked on these little books! Enjoy!
This is a shaving cream technique that both the rubber stampers, paper artists and calligraphers do to make very cool, marble like backgrounds. The paper I used here was Arches Text Wove. It stands up well to the abuse. 
For those who have not tried this technique, this is how to do it. The cheapest shaving cream works best. I like putting the cream into a shallow pan - jelly roll pan works best for me. Then smooth out like frosting a cake. Add drops of different watercolors and if you are a rubber stamper, you can use the reinkers. Then make swirls, circles, or waves but only go through the cream once. The hair picks from the 50's and 60's work great. This is my first page. Place the paper on top of the cream and lightly press. Lift page off. I did this technique in a workshop and scraped the cream off. If I was home, I would have rinsed it with cold water. When you rinse, the colors are not altered...you can tell where the spatula scraped the paper. Also, I use most of the time reinkers that are permanent dye-base....and not subject to fading when rinsing in water. Set your paper aside to dry.
I then placed another sheet on top and did the same thing. You can see that the second sheet is not as vibrant as the first page....continue adding until the color is gone. You can then smooth out the cream and add drops of color and make your designs. Repeat until your exhausted....either you or your paper supply. You can also use cardstock.
This is my last sheet. If you have a really cool design....think about making a color copy and keeping your original.
I was looking through family reunion photos from a couple of years ago. I totally forgot about this photo I took while visiting the sculpture gardens in St. Louis. Wish I had taken a photo of husband poking the eye...that would have been very weird.
I love collecting the antique suitcases! They are perfect for storage. This is a set of luggage that I use as bedside table. They hold my personal correspondence, journals, and photos. The silver scroll work at the top is the edge of a silver platter that I purchased at an estate sale that was really cheap. It needs replating....which I won't do. I love the condition it is in...and it is large and heavy. On top is my lamp, clock, and books that I read in bed.
This set of luggage came from one estate sale where I also got a photo of the owner taking a trip with her sister. There's the luggage on the tarmac before they board American Airlines. They are all dressed up....those were the days! I kept all the labels, stickers, and personal identification tags on the luggage.
I have been so fortunate that when I have purchased the luggage pieces, that I have the original tags and keys. They also have the most interesting locks! I make my own labels for the suitcases so I can remember what's inside. These are in my studio.
This is my favorite suitcase. It is a traincase and in great condition. It holds all my wax linen threads.
These two suitcases were purchased at in Iowa at an auction. They are children's suitcases. One holds my materials for doll making stuff and the other holds material for my fabric books.
I absolutely love making altered books! I also especially like taking workshops teaching altered books. I think it is because I know that I will FINISH the book! I have about three books that are unfinished and I don't know exactly when I will be motivated to complete them. The main reason for this is that they do not have a special theme. That makes all the difference for me! I also can not make altered books that will close.....I have tried but I apparently love too much stuff!
This class was taught by Beverly from B-Line Designs. I love taking workshops from her as she is so generous with her knowledge and has a zillion creative ideas! She supplied the books for the workshop and this one was titled "A Royal Duty". So I decided to make the altered book theme the same as the title! Although the book was written about Princess Diana, I included Kings and Queens.
Enjoy!
My niece Lisa's little girl is named Sara. And she is receiving this dollhouse over Memorial weekend. It's a surprise for her but with the blessings of her parents. I used my 40% off coupons from Hobby Lobby to purchase everything I needed. The dollhouse was a kit and I thought...."this should be easy". I had no idea that there would be millions of tiny little pieces AND an instruction booklet that was about twelve pages! It's a good thing my very dear husband loves constructing and engineering! It's also a very good thing that we began this project in January of this year. It just takes time to glue, dry, paint, dry, etc.
Here are photos of the house empty and then with the furniture.
SHE LOVES IT!
I used a bleach pen to write the word "Journal". When you are using the bleach pen, be ready to write as the bleach comes out pretty darn fast!!! This is on Canson paper and I really like how it turned out. The drapery trim was given to me and I attached it to the bottom of the book.
My friend, Pat Lynn, showed me a journal idea when I attended one of her workshops. I took a photo from a magazine and then extended the photo using color pencils. You could make your own drawings small or large. This was my first effort and I was happy with the result.
I like layering images on text or vice versa. I used brush lettering on ticket stubs to write out the quote.
I decided to splice a magazine photo into three parts for this layout. I used the bottom of the ticket stubs as an embellishment for the pictures. The alphabet was using a Pentel brush pen.
After I recorded some information in my journal, I added a photo on the next page so I wanted to punch out circles so you could see bits of the picture from this page.
This is the back of the last page....and I wanted to carry on with that theme.
Now you can see the full photo. I really like "windows" that peer into the next page. It doesn't matter to me the shape that the "windows" take....circles, squares, or torn holes.
I used a "cola" pen to write the word "art" and I bent the pen in two. I pressed too hard as I was trying for lots of "chatter". I will have to make another pen! So to fix where the pen broke, I added paste paper that I made with a stamped image. Problem fixed!
The background I was trying for on this page didn't happen. I need to find really tiny, tiny straws! The one I used was for stirring coffee and it was too large. I placed a drop of FW Acrylics and then used the straw directly over the drop of ink and puffed air to move the ink. If you use the smallest straw, you'll get a star burst pattern. I actually chased the ink all around the page for fun because I didn't get the first result I was looking for. You can see from the right side where I punched out three square holes. You are looking at a piece of paste paper that is behind this page.
This is the paste paper that I made. I really loved the colors that I made and now have officially used all of it!! 
I have five different journals that I am working on right now. All are for different themes. My "workhorse" journals are NOT "journals" even though I call them "journals". They are only for taking notes, writing an address or directions to somewhere or ideas. There is nothing cohesive about the workhorse journals. I always have one of those types of books in my bag at all times. But the other 5 journals that I work in are done in my studio and those journals contain my art! My workhorse journals do not contain my art.
I have so much STUFF....and I want it all stored into very cool containers. This ceramic chest of drawers is from Old World Market. It holds all my very "necessary" little items from the Tim Holtz collection.
The house book exchange was inspired by the newly published book "In This House" by Angela Cartwright and Sarah Fishburn. Our art group decided on partners for this exchange with only one rule. The book needed to be house shaped. In the back of the "In This House" book is a template that I used and enlarged it to my desired size.
You can click on the photo for a closer view. I made a blanket stitch on the roof line on each page.
There is a special message on this page. I don't know when Jan will discover it....but it will be a surprise when she does!
You can still see the purple marking pen...however, if a few days the lines will completely disappear. I took the photos as soon as the book was completed!
This is the smallest Funk & Wagnalls enclyclopedia book I have ever seen! It is 6"x4"!
This is in the inside cover with a fold out page using a transparency. The transparency was printed with beautiful flowers...and the "SG" of course, represents Secret Garden.
There are all kinds of pockets that are tied up with green ribbons with special surprises and messages inside.
This is the same page as before...just a different camera angle. Since my friend visits my blog from time to time, I didn't want to give away all the secrets! Inside the pockets are images and treasures. The other page has a garden gate that folds down to reveal a quote.
This page has all types and shapes of tags with poems about the garden. On each page are the garden gnomes....the whole book has these cute little creatures!
This page has a tree where the gnomes are swinging. I did some restructuring after the class as my book was breaking at the spine. I made a good repair and design change.
I am not too nuts about my handmade mushrooms...
I really like the garden statues on each page.
The hand is a tracing of my hand with a poem "Blossom by blossom frienship begins". There is a message on the backside for my friend.
Isn't he an adorable gnome!
I love the little door with the tiny roses and lizard!
It is hard to believe how fast time flies...my babies are already six years old!
This is Penelope. She was named after a character in my favorite book, Shell Seekers.
This is Monk named after one of my favorite television shows.
I was one of the lucky winners that Terri chose (random drawing) from all the comments she had received on her blog. Terri was celebrating her 100th post! Thanks for sharing your art and life with us! Blooming Ideas is the name of her blog!
My sister sent me these photos a few months ago. I thought they were too funny! I hope you have a good laugh, too!
I am so proud that my daughter has started her new law career. I love this wall of diplomas and certificates. It really shows just how hard she worked during law school! The office walls are painted a soft peanut color for warmth, however, with her two windows it turned out lighter than she expected. I gave her our ficus tree that outgrew my office but is perfect for the corner in her office. I didn't take a photo of that corner...how could a mom miss that!
Her office faces north so she won't have the hot Oklahoma sun beating into her office during the summer months.
This is the second day of the move. The movers took care of all the furniture and on the second day I helped her with the small details....like "Mom, can you hand me that box?" "Can you find the power strip?", etc... These photos were taken also before she hung all her artwork on the walls which was during the weekend. I did have an opportunity to walk to the courthouse one day with her....she is very convenient to the courthouse...it is only a couple of blocks!
This is a photo I took of her building from her parking garage. It is one of Tulsa's old buildings downtown.
I used a button binding using three antique buttons for the front and four antique flat shell buttons for the back. (The buttons on the front were given to me by my sister-in-law, Pat)
This has to be one of my favorite buttons...and I know Annie will love it too!
The strips of fabric were anchored using a zig-zag and straight stitch. The top of the binding was folded over and stitched down to give a smooth look. However, the bottom was left untouched. I love all the fibers and fabric strips just dangling! So messy.....I love that!
This is the last button I sewed on...and going through all the layers of canvas and muslin was not easy. Two broken needles later...the job was done!
This is the inside cover view. The day before I mailed it, I added three gold safety pins that held coffee stained tags. I wrote the Colophon and bits of sentiments to Annie.
I added text to the branches...writing my name, the date, and Annie's name. I also added an amber crystal for the bird's eye. I thought this page made the perfect introduction page.
I was not pleased with the results for this page from the workshop so I made some design changes. I wanted to write the text in the green area that framed the letter "A". So I added layered fabric pieces over my original script and sewed a bead that matched perfectly the colors for this page. I used oil pastels to shade the letter "A", too. Now I am very happy with the final result!
I love this page....maybe it is the Roman lettering on top of the bright colors of yellow and green! I meant to bounce the last two letters in "raised" but it was late at night...and I am thrilled I just didn't misspell the word! So the three buttons were added to take care of this design error. I added a sparkle netting over the family farm photo to give the page more interest. I used a white gel pen to write Annie's birthday.
I made a good beginning for this page in the workshop. I was going to add little notes in the pockets but later decided on photos of us instead. The first pocket holds a photo of her only. The "sisters" image is a rubber stamp image on card stock and then sewn. I lettered text from a Chattel mortgage that my parents had signed. In another project...I am going to do more text from this document.
This page was another one almost completed from the workshop. I added written text surround the "K" for kindness. I wanted additional texture, so I lettered on printed cotton fabric, ripped it and then glued it in place using fabric glue. I made sure to add this printed fabric for my cover piece. I wanted all the fabric I used to be cohesive.
I did use an original photo in this piece. My sweet sister on her wedding day. Originally I was going to letter "wedding" using the Roman hand but then decided on less formal and went with my own style of copperplate for "love". Under the fabric strip with the wedding date is text written describing the church and location.
I also used original photos of her boys for this page. I adhered the photos using French knots. They are grown men now with families of their own. I really liked these photos because Annie dressed them in the same style shirts! In the pocket is a photo that Annie or her husband had taken of the boys during a Christmas holiday. At some point, Mom sent this to me and I am glad I saved it just for this book. It was a Polaroid photo so I am pretty sure there was not another photo.
OMG....I almost threw this page out! I was so frustrated doing my lettering at night. The hand I chose was Uncial and the lettering looked really great. The next morning before heading to work...I stopped in my studio to look over what I thought was a terrific piece of art until I discovered that I had misspelled two words! Double Darn! So from that point forward....I did ALL my lettering first thing in the morning. I added silk fabric first treated with Jacquard No Flow and then re-lettered "strength". I painted gesso over the misspelled wording and rewrote the words also on sheer fabric treated with no flow. Then this was sewn on top of the gesso. The brass button layered on top of fabric pieces was used to anchor the page.
I did a photo transfer to cotton fabric using my scanner and home ink-jet printer. The transfers really turned out great. I also added additional text under the blue fabric on the right. I really enjoyed writing hidden text on the pages. The embellishment is a "J" for Journey from Tim Holtz's collection.
Uncle Chuck and Aunt Dorothy were our favorites! Aren't they a stunning couple! I added a fabric tape measure because that is what I remember most about Aunt Dorothy was her sewing abilities....well....along with her cooking, decorating, and the ability to laugh and have fun skills!
Joy describes Aunt Joan, my mother's only sister. I also wrote hidden text for Annie on this page as well. The "Joy" was written using brush lettering and then touching up using a sharpie.
This vintage photo of the little boy just looks like he wants to be a farmer....so that is what he gets to be. I also added hidden text of what was written on the back of the photo. It may give clues to who he is.
Four Generations is one of my favorite photos....I was nervous about writing on top of the fabric transfer...but that worked out just fine. So I wrote their names and ages. The little girl, Merle, is my maternal grandmother.
This page is a school photo of mom. I added the names of all her daughters on one side and the sons on the other. It was amazing that the last two pages became a tribute to our mom and dad.
Again, this is one of my favorite photos of my dad. I had written that I use it a lot in my artwork and that is definitely the truth. I decided to add the text using Blackletter with a parallel pen. I did not retouch as I really liked the texture the ink left.
I used the funky letter style that Lisa has in her new book "Modern Mark Making". They are a lot of fun to do....and I used sharpie pens.
Watercolor paper was used to make her card. I used the same colors for the card as I used on the pages. I rubber stamped "be yourself" image and then added personal text to the backside.
This is the inside back cover.
This is the back cover showing the four antique shell buttons.
We held our retreat at Western Hills Lodge which is in Sequoyah State Park. The winding pine tree lined road was about three miles from the main turn off before you reached the lodge. The speed limit is about ten miles per hour and you definitely do not want to drive any faster because there is so much wildlife. The lodge also is surrounded by the lake. This was about a forty-five minute drive from my house!
Lisa Engelbrecht was invited to teach her "Book of Intentions" workshop for our three day retreat. She was absolutely delightful and I believe everyone enjoyed their time spent with her too!
This is definite organized chaos! It was an awesome experience where like-minded artists created! I chose not to make the "Book of Intentions" and instead wanted to make my theme about my sister, Annie. This book is going to be her birthday present.
This is my work surface....and guess what....everyone had pretty much the same messy work space. I shared my table space with my daughter and that was a lot of fun.....we had the best time!
This is my stash of stuff that was under my table! I must have taken everything I owned to the retreat! There were plenty of sewing machines and irons to use...everyone was very generous with their tools, too!
These are the beginning pages for my sister's book. I did end up making a lot of pockets on different pages.
I love the colors I choose to paint my fabrics....terra cotta, butterscotch, and navy.
I also enjoyed using stencils and color washes. I used FW Acrylics to write "sister" on another piece of canvas and attached using French knots. The heart shape that ended on a branch was pure chance of accidents. Lucky for me! The bits of lace was used as a stencil and when I was finished with it, I cut it up for pieces to be added here and there.
There are so many elements on this page that I ended up changing in the end. I removed the doily that I used as a stencil and the tape I used as a gold accent. The pocket I did keep.
I also altered this page a few times before I was pleased with the results. I had a good beginning of an "A" but the other design work needed help. I did a lot rework on this page.
The cover is a lot of fun to do. This is my beginning stages....and there is lots more to do. Most of the fabrics I used in the book and a few strips I borrowed from others that worked for my color pallet.
Here are photos that show the pages grouped together.
I did decide that the last page of my sister's book would be the "surprise" page.
My Seven Bloggers Are:
Now I just have to let you all know.
Then the fabric bowl is awesome! She explained how she made the bowl but it does not seem possible. She wrapped a clothes line and sewed it together using a zig-zag stitch. Of course, she sews on a new Bernina.....that has to be the answer! Where does she get these great ideas?
Don't you love the colors!!
I absolutely am delighted with the handles! Way too cute ! ! !
Inside view....isn't the zipper fabric fabulous!
I knew my friend Judi would especially appreciate an Asian themed book! To my delightful surprise, she also made me one with the same theme.
The decorative background paper I used can be found at many stationery shops and art stores ...I think I purchased mine at Art Mart in St. Louis a couple of years ago. The image on the front I have had in my stash of collage materials for a very long time.
I needed to stabilize the inside cover as I made the piano hinge slots large in order to view the script on the chopsticks. So this was my solution...using a high fiber content paper with a hinge adhering to the first page. The cover no longer has any "play" and will stay in its proper place.
Since the piano hinge book opens flat, it gives an artist an opportunity to make double page spreads which are my favorite. The Mah Jong tiles are used as the cohesive element.
I wish I could remember where I found the playing cards as I have now used the entire deck! Oh well....the hunt will be fun!
I like using newspapers as a background too. Since I do not know the Chinese language...it would be interesting to actually know what the text says.....hope it is not bad news!
I enjoy making tags that are part of a page. To me it adds a lot of interest. All the postage stamps used for this project came from my friend Minori who lives in Japan.
A dragon punch was used and then on the next page, Glimmer Mist was sprayed on the dragons that were punched separately. The fish and coin were from a scrapbooking convention.
Here are the last of my cards. I saved the queens and they were perfect for this page. They are inserted into the photo slots.
I really enjoy using my rubberstamps. On the left, I watercolored after embossing and on the right, I used chalks.
My daughter says to me...."you can never have too many choices"..... so I have two different stamps for the kimono robes.
The butterfly ribbon adds a lot of movement to a page....and it gave an additional punch for Madame Butterfly.
This is my last page and you can see that I used the same paper for the inside back cover with hinge as the same for the front cover.
This is the view of the book opened. The photo I took of the spine do not show the tops of the chopsticks...but they have little brass caps.
The 3x3 books are so much fun to create. I decided to make one with a bird theme. The clear tags I used are Tim Holtz. There are so many sizes and shapes to choose from! I adhered neat bird prints and used sheet music as the backing. The tassel I made is messy like the bird nests themselves.
This sweet little bird is German scrap and carries the message of "fly". I used an antique button as an embellishment with a the letter "B" glued on top.
The cardboard letter I chose was "H", not only for "home" but also for my last name. I used rubberstamps from Character Constructions to spell out the word home.
The silhouette rubberstamp was used on an old shorthand text paper. I enjoy using vintage papers in this manner.
The completed page was not what I envisioned but I learned a lot in the process. I stamped on a transparency, then used Twinkling H2O's for coloring. I sprayed a fix adhesive and applied to the Josh paper. Then I felt the bird needed "grounding" so I restamped and glued the leg portions on top of the transparency. This was just the beginning of what I needed to do to balance this page. Whew....I was happy when I was able to move on......I spent so much time on it that I could not give myself permission to scrap it and start over!
Joys are our wings! Isn't that the truth! The bird came from ArtChix Studio and I used a punch for the crown. The black rhinestones are from Bead Ranch in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The Colorado Springs bus token is my special embellishment.
I love these new designs from Character Constructions - "The Bird & Bee Paperie". This is grandmother bird. The background paper had a perfect oval to use and it was off-center...and that became a design element. The little bird house was swiped with gesso to give it more dimension.
More new stamps from Character Constructions. I stamped the bird separately, cut it out and did the same with the bird bath. The quote is also Character Construction but I stamped it to fit the page area.
The butterfly ribbon was purchased from Stamp Asylum. They have so many very cool trims!
I bought green and chocolate dingle ball trim from a scrap booking store in Dallas.....trims were on sale at a 50% discount. Who could resist!
The cute little bird is from a collage sheet sold at ArtChix Studio. I love the gold crown and added a bit of blue trim....Ah, create joy!
I also used stickers. I trimmed with the brown stripe ribbon to complete this page.
The quote is from Catherine Moore's Character Construction line and the bird is from an ArtChix Studio collage sheet.
Diamond Glaze was used to give dimension to the eggs in the nest. Diamond Glaze is a very cool product!
I have to tell you that I have a great collection of feathers of all colors. My daughter buys "feather toys" for her cat and when the toy is destroyed from active playing.....I get the feathers!
Don't you love these stickers from Cavallini?!
Again I used a clear tile from the Tim Holtz collection on top of the "Inches".
This was another one of those pages that was a bit of a struggle. When the vellum didn't work out, I placed a sticker on top. When I used a product at the top corner that also didn't work out...I added the tiny beads to cover. I could have thrown it out but when I thought it is already past saving, it freed to me try something else. In the end it was okay.
I especially like using the egg rubberstamp. The bird silhouette is adorable.
The bird cage was stamped onto tissue paper and an olive green felt ribbon was added for the embellishment. I wanted to find a bird print that I could reduce for the cage...but I didn't really have anything suitable.
This print/text was sent to me by my art friend in England. I saved the originals and made copies for my artwork. I have several and they are the perfect size.
Ah, the final page...the back cover where I used a rub-on. I hope you enjoyed this....I already have two more themes that I can hardly wait to make!
This is the first of the four ATC Valentine's that I traded with my friends. This one has vellum added as I thought it gave the kiss a feeling of being special. Cupid is a rubber stamp from B-Line Designs. The dimensional red German scrap is from ArtChix Studio.
I really like dividing the background on this ATC which showcased the couple as separate players. I added the rose German scrap at the bottom as an embellishment for the two lovers.
The images I used were purchased from ArtChix Studio. They really have a great selection. The ribbon at the bottom is velvet. I thought it would enrich the mood of the card. The heart at the top was from a package of assorted heart sizes from Michael's.
This adorable necklace was made by a terrific artist and calligrapher that I recently met. She was generous in allowing me to photograph her necklace. It is a scrabble tile that she painted, collaged, and lettered. Such beautiful lettering, too!
I recently made a trip to Dallas and took time to visit one of my favorite rubber stamp stores, Stamp Asylum. I love shopping there as Melodie is so very helpful and the owner, Monica creates awesome eye candy with art displays and product displays. The camera is a very clever idea for holding brushes!
My sister gave me four huge crystal cups for my birthday a few years ago. They are for making special coffees. I have not used them too frequently as I don't take the time to make the beverages. But now we are making the yogurt/granola parfaits and I use the cups all the time! Yummy!
This is my best girl friend....I met her through a beginning calligraphy class and we became best friends. Philbrook Museum is hosting a calligraphy exhibit where she has two amazing pieces of art that are presently displayed. I did photograph her two pieces with my digital camera but with the lighting....they just didn't show well for my blog....but her waving hands teasing me did....
What a fun project!! A dear art friend of mine, Sharon, showed me her 3x3 book that she made for a swap. Wow...how cool! Since then, I have also read where they are referred to as "swing" books….probably because the binding is a simple ring. I also used the tiny metal tags for stamping partial images. I was amazed at how many "tiny" images you can use from a rubber stamp when you are only using a small portion.
This is my cover. I purchased the embellishment at a scrapbooking convention last summer. (I surprised myself at how much stuff I bought even though I am a rubber stamper and not a scrapbooker!) All the pages were made using double-sided cardstock.
The paper in the inside cover came from a package wrapping when I was in Beijing a few years ago. I also used their currency as an embellishment.
The postage stamps I used were given to me by my art friend, Minori who lives in Japan.
I really like using the wax seals. The impression says "Sara". I had purchased a few blank chops when I was in China and had them carved with words and names. I wish I had bought more!
I can not resist saving those fortunes from the Chinese restaurants! I have gobs and they always find their way into my art.
Josh paper is inexpensive and gives a lot of punch! I used Staz-On ink so that the Buddha image would not smudge.
I added a felt flower and a small pearl bead as her earring. I love using this stamped image a lot.
The little girl is stamped on gold vellumn paper. The dragon was made using a punch.
Tim Holtz has a product called "Fragments" that are clear tiles in all sizes. I really love using these!
I bought a box of photo paper from an office supply store. It is perfect for the rubber stamp images that you want to look like photos and a lot less expensive than the glossy paper that is sold "by the sheet". You will find that you can only stamp on the one side and I have marked my box so I don't have to try to remember.
I used Twinkling H2O's. I used pretty much full strength as I wanted it to be vibrant!
I first read about Dada Poetry in an old issue of the Oprah magazine. I was intrigued as to how it worked. I encourage you to try it as I have. I think you will be amazed with what you will write! Tip: All the text needs to come from the same source. I was inspired to make these three cards after a women’s retreat. (a previous post)
These three ATC’s that feature the Goddess were all gleaned from the same article…..had nothing to do with the Goddess. This is what happened when I separated the words and re-arranged them. Cool huh?
My sister-in-law, Pat gave me one earring that I recycled into an embellishment. Pat is always saving me great stuff for me to use in my art!! Thanks Pat!!!
I was then inspired to make Dada Poetry using some of my favorite photos. This one shows Charlotte Shockley and her mother in 1945. I rescued the photo from a landfill.
This is a family photo of a homestead with one of my great great aunts. I think it is my favorite one thus far.
I have been in an ATC trade for a couple of years.....and I enjoy the challenge of making art the same size as a baseball card. That is not always easy for me as I like to work big....very big. This year I am going to make more art that will fall into the "inches" category and other small sizes to make me stretch.
This is an adorable pin cushion that I purchased from a local art fair last fall. It has been on my drafting table getting quite a workout.
View of the Christmas tag book on my mantle. I made each tag book using the same Christmas double sided cardstock....but everything else was unique. No two pages are alike!
This is my fourth Christmas tag book! I could hardly stop once I got started.....the first one (earlier post) for the Calligraphy Guild exchange was more about letters. The second one was for my dear friend and it was a collaboration with my daughter Kimberly. This tag book was more about art and it turned out so adorable. Then I was inspired to make my daughter one (third tag book). I thought that was enough....but then I could not resist making myself one!. I think I am finished now....at least for this season!
View of the last pages of the tag book on my mantle.
I was inspired. My neighbor's friend Barb made her a Halloween tag book. That inspired Jan, my neighbor to make a Thanksgiving tag book. And that inspired me to make a Christmas tag book. Now that's a great chain reaction to ART!
This book is my exchange at a Christmas party.
The dress Sahara is wearing is made using velvet leaves and pedals. It was made by Susan of Stamp Diva.
McDowell's in Dublin came highly recommended to us as the place to purchase our wedding bands. Let me explain how I lost my first wedding band....I took it off while making bread in the kitchen laying it on top of the old refrigerator. The vibrations from the refrigerator had my band falling inside on the back. There was not a way we could take the back apart to retrieve the band. The second band was lost to a foe and not a friend. I had taken it off as my hand was swollen and there it was on my dresser for a dishonest foe. So a few years later at the local flea market, I found a silver band for $6 that had the Runes symbols inscribed. This band I wore for over 15 years.
This is the front of Trinity College. I took gobs of photos as this place was so magical. We had tickets to see the Book of Kells which was amazing. But the breathtaking experience for me was the Library itself at Trinity. The arched beam ceilings rise to an astonding height. Then there are the book shelves soaring at great heights, too. So many ancient volumes so beautifully maintained!
We ate at this restaurant before we went to the theatre. This was one of Kimberly's favorite places when she studied in Dublin. Oh my, they have the best crepes ever in this whole wide world. Yummy!
Bill is inside Lemon where we picked up their menu just in case I want to place an order "to go"!
Click on the photo to see the Heineken sign. It was very cool walking Dublin at night!
You will need to click on this photo to see the amazing casts of shadows on the building and landscaping. There were so many eye-catching photos!
Look at all the cranes! They were everywhere in Dublin.....the city is definitely filled with vitality. (Tulsa is definitely dead...poor Tulsans!)
This clock is very cool. On the hour, the dancers on the clock perform....just like the wall clocks from Germany.
This was at the end of our awesome journey in Ireland. We started out staying at a "castle" in Shannon when we arrived. But this was the real deal...Clontarf Castle! It has been completely refurbished into a luxury hotel. What a great place to end our stay!!!
You are looking at a menu screen on our telephone. First I read the welcome message which included our names. A very nice touch!
This was an ultra modern bathroom - it was huge with wonderful LARGE fluffy towels and the best shower I have ever experienced. It was one of those adjustable large rain shower heads and you selected the temperature you desired!
The lit glass wall was really art. You could also adjust all the different lighting in the room with controls located by each bed. WOW! Can I stay here again? and again??!
We enjoyed a great lunch at Matt the Miller's. The window by the door with the flower box is where we sat...and Kimberly's seat was actually a window seat.
Oh, the Guinness in Ireland is different then American. (We toured the factory in Dublin and had a pint) Guinness in Ireland is so smooth and yummy!
There are colorful doors everywhere...and don't you appreciate the artful hardware!
This is the bench I rested upon while Bill and Kimberly climbed to the very top of the castle to kiss the Blarney Stone. The castle provided photographers to record this special moment. You actually have to be on your back and then lean out to kiss the stone! There is a photo of Kimberly at the end peering down at me and that is the actual site of the Blarney Stone.
The cows grazing in the pastures can been seen from inside the castle windows.
Bill and Kimberly knew that this adventure was a "no way in hell" for me. I have proof that they both kissed the Blarney Stone and that is plently of luck for me!
Hope, expectation, Bright promises.
The Star is one of the great cards of faith, dreams realised
The Star is a card that looks to the future. It does not predict any immediate or powerful change, but it does predict hope and healing. This card suggests clarity of vision, spiritual insight. And, most importantly, that unexpected help will be coming, with water to quench your thirst, with a guiding light to the future. They might say you're a dreamer, but you're not the only one.
What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.
What an awesome store. This is where I purchased Siobhan Wear - a handcrafted replica Cape 'n Hood to the type worn by Ireland's folklore Queen Maeve when she road to the Battle of the Bulls. It was a huge splurge!
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