Sunday, hubby and I visited a flea market where, years ago, we use to sell. It is always fun to go hunt for that wondrous thingy we can't, or don't want to, live without.
Well, I found mine...................................
"One man's junk".......so true, but I think I have a treasure.
I am linking to Colorado Lady's Vintage Thingies Thursday .......join me an see many other fun "thingies".
Thanks for stopping and remember I love followers and comments.
I have never been much on making New Year's Resolutions but....I do like to set some goals.
Last year's goal was new carpet and a cleaner, simpler decor. The carpet was installed in March and through out the year I cleared out the garden shed, the garage, closets, drawer, etc. Mission accomplished, well, pretty much.
This year, I am going to volunteer less time to community projects and use the time "creating"! It doesn't matter what I create, or the medium I use to create it....it can be painting, collage, gardening, baking, writing a blog...but my goal is to do something EVERY DAY that is creative.
Started New Year's Day helping my Granddaughter's make jewelry, since then I've started a journal, cleaned and rearranged several shelves and, even, made bread pudding. Last week, I finished this assemblage.
I used the lid of a wood cigar box and added the child's photo, cardboard, some twigs with copper leaves, cheesecloth, lace and a rusty hinge, birch bark and old clay marbles......all frosted with melted bees wax.
Hope you enjoyed. Thanks for stopping by, please leave a comment. I am linking to Create Everyday, go to button at top of page to see the work of many creative folks.
Very optimistically I have signed on to "Create Everyday 2011". Organized by Leah at Creative Everyday, I thought this sounded like a great motivator and would make me more aware of what I do, or don't do, that is creative. Making art is one way to be creative but so is rearranging the furniture, or planting flowers, or sewing or trying a new recipe.....there are so many ways we can express our selves.
I got the New Year off to a great creative start, since............today, was a preplanned "play date" at our house with our granddaughters. They wanted to make jewelry for their friends as Christmas gifts, but we couldn't seem to find the time before Christmas, so today became jewelry making day!
I figure being "their creative advisor and supplier" counts....so here we go......
Angela, who is almost 14, made bracelets with beads and charms.
This work requires lots of table room to spread out!
She was busy in my craft room...while her sister,
Nicole, who will be 17, worked in the living room making two "glass slide" necklaces. Here she is designing the artwork for one of the necklaces.
I'm going to go over and link up with Sally's Blue Monday and Common Ground's Vintage Inspiration. Thanks for visiting, please come again.
A few days back I posted one of my recent altered books and mentioned I had just finished another one. The second book is a gift for my almost 17 year old Granddaughter and it is intended, by me, to be a journal.
And not JUST a journal but an art journal, a book, that we will have done collaboratively. She is a very artistic and imaginative young lady and I can see her adding her wonderful words and art to this book which will make it her creation. I am just providing the framework, she will build the house.
I wanted the cover to look old, aged and rusty. So, like the photo below, I glued cheese cloth over the book cover and added brass hardware. I forgot to take the before picture, as you can see, so this is a simulation.
After all this was glued down securely, the cover was painted with metal filings, front and back, and treated with a chemical to quickly rust the metal. All that comes in a kit you can be purchased at most craft stores.
Here is the front inside cover and first page.......
And the rest of the pages that follow.............
On the page on the right and below there is a dried rose under a piece of mica and both were then........
This page was painted with chalkboard paint and the page opposite is here.......
The layout above relate to a train trip she, her mother and a friend took to Seattle to meet the author of the Twilight series and attend a book signing. The manila envelope taped between the two pages can hold memorabilia. There are three envelopes in the book for that purpose.
I left a space between two pages and added a small book for her to write the titles of the books she reads. Some day, she'll look back with pride at the number of books she read.
I finished the bottom of the page with eyelets and beads!
This is the book within the book. She is an avid reader, even with eight pages she'll fill that up in no time.
I left about six pages unfinished in the book. She can write, draw or add to them in any way she sees fit.
Originally this was a book about stamps and was a school library book. So, I left the original check out page, dated back to October 1963, in place and added the stamps to the facing page, as a nod to the original intent of the book.
I hope you enjoyed, please stop by again. I'm linking to Met Monday at Between naps on the Porch and I'm off to visit Marty's Anything Goes Tabletop Tuesday.
My goodness, this is turning into one great Christmas!
I thought I'd been a good girl this past year but, as anyone who knows me can tell you.........NOT that good!
I've already received some marvelous gifts....fabulous old badges, a gift of a tutorial on altered books and NOW, this.......Ina Garten's Apple Tart made, for us, by my friend Carol at Fresh Linens (you'll find the recipe there, too)! It is soooo good!
A perfect, not too rich, but very flavorful dessert that is great with a dab of ice cream and a cup of coffee or tea! Heaven!
I thought I might freeze it and serve it to the family on Christmas Eve........or maybe not, they'll never know!
Also, today finished my last Christmas gift.......
Hope your Christmas is going wonderfully, too, and that your New Year is the best EVER!
I'm linking to Between Naps On The Porch for Metamorphsis Monday. Be sure to check out all the other great blogs.
In an earlier blog, I mentioned I was having some problems, this year, getting into the spirit of Christmas!
Well, the circumstances of the last two days have certainly changed that.......yesterday's party with my "young in spirit" old-friends where I was given one of the best gifts, I think, I've ever received and today where a blogger friend shared a wonderful tutorial on Altering Books with me. Wow! Do I feel special and blessed!
First, about bloggers and how sharing they can be....that is what makes blogging so much fun and so renews your faith in people and their generosity to perfect strangers. So, for all the negatives you hear about the internet, trust me, there are lots of beautiful people out there.
Elizabeth,the woman who organized the 12 Days of Christmas swap, has so generously shared information with me on Altering Books that will be soooo helpful this spring when I teach a class at the art center. That was the icing on the cake, as they say!
As for........best gift I have ever received check out these photos! All from the early 1900s, these wonderful union badges and commemorative ribbon badges.
Lots of girls cry when they receive diamond jewelry...not this girl....I cried over "diamonds in the rough". I've seen pictures of cool badges and ribbons, like these before, but did not think I would ever be so lucky as to own one, let alone eight.
My friend, Murva, who knows I make jewelry and collage, mentioned she had some things I might be able to use, her son had given to her but she had no use for them. She said she would bring them to our Christmas party and I could take a look to see if it was anything I could use....Holy Batman! Was I surprised and delighted.
Can I take them apart and use them in my art.....we'll now, that is a different matter! I may try to figure out a way to display them in a shadow box or frame.....but I don't think I can take them apart!
What a great Christmas this is turning out to be!
Join me at Coloradolady's Vintage Thingie Thursday, Southeran In My Heart's Inspiration Friday, The Answer is Chocolate's Open House, A la carte's Junkin' Finds Friday and Mr Romantic Hom Show and Tell Friday. Remember I love comments!
Before
After
I have had the good fortune to share this group of friends for many years!
The photo above show four of us "sweet, young things" all dressed up, going out for dinner to celebrate Christmas. That was forty-four years ago....what!
I had just moved to this little town in the country from Portland and Jackie was one of the first women I met.....sweetly, she invited me to join her and some friends, Gloria, Winnie and Winnie's sister, Mike for a Christmas celebration dinner at the local golf course.
The rest is history!
We have shared births, deaths, divorces, marriages, kids growing up, grandkids growing up, a BUNCH of birthdays and some pretty crazy adventures! Boy, do we have stories to tell!!!
Through the years we have shared the sadness of losing our friends Gloria, Mike and Norma (not pictured here).
We've, also, added precious friends Jean, Murva and Margaret who have celebrated with us for nearly thirty years. Judy is a lovely new friend, who joined us for Christmas for the first time this year and Linda was ill and could not come.
I am so fortunate to have these great women in my life....old friends are GOLD!
