So maybe it wasn't a banner day....

My days always seem to run amuck when least expected. I should stop planning and just do...
So remember that challenge box I got in my Charm group? March Challenge was to make something from a shell casing..she gave us two but we didn't have to use two. I thought about cutting it into a flower and bending the petals back, but my cutters wouldn't cut the brass fine enough..scrap that idea...While several things ran through my head, I was a bit pressed for time so this is what I did...

There is a black faceted bean you really can't see, followed by a crystal bead which is followed by a millefiori bead. Included in the "use any time " packet was some white fabric daisies, so I coppered them up to make them part of the brass casing. I met the challenge that's all I was worried about.Of course if I could use my own stuff, I would have went wild with Steampunk.
The I DARE YOU challenge in my group was Dare to make something from a pop top. Lots of idea's there but no time, so again I went with a pendant with a seashore theme.

All pendants swing freely. I used copper wire to accent the piece and small black faceted beads. Then hung a pearl on one hole, a turquoise tear drop in the next space and from the bottom I hung a seahorse accented with turquoise, hung from a green glass beaded chain. LOts of movement.
One of the charm swaps was game pieces. I used plastic scrabble tiles and filled the backs with playing card faces, topped with ice resin. Considering I couldn't see what I was doing (another story) I like the way they look.

The last swap also with the charm group was a theme for an altered key. Key to the Garden gate..it has to include things you find in a garden. I drilled a hole in the key and hung a turtle and a leaf (found in a garden) and topped the key with a butterfly, my favorite thing to find in my garden.

I had to fore go the working alarm clock, although it is something I will still do. It took more time then I had. I have a book that is so much fun, almost ready for display so that will probably be the next thing you see. I also want to make a tutorial for the type hinge I want used for a coaster book we will be making in my group. So stay tuned....
Oh I also signed up for a Christmas in July swap, we have to make 25 ATC's, then package them with our number, then each day in July we will open a different card..I'm thinking about making a special holder for them so I can bring them out comes Christmas....I have an idea for them, so stay tuned.
Thanks for stopping in...I have no idea why everyone can't leave a comment here..it works for some but for most people it doesn't. Maybe try signing on through Google. That may help....

Just another day

Yup, nothing to share, lots on the drawing board so tomorrow should be a banner day. ATC's will be ready to mail. Key pendants (Keys to the Garden) should be good to go and the color swap charms of the month as well as the Challenge of the month from the charm group and from my own group I Dare You.
So instead of sitting here boring you to death, I will return to my work table and complete something.
Wishing you a wonderful day...Thanks for stopping by.

Art should be fun

Don't you agree? It has been a rough go for a few months now and I can't even tell you how happy it makes me feel to hide in my studio and play.

I never really considered myself much of an artist. Not compared to what I see "out there". But I make what I feel and once done, I'm happy, yet my mind is onto how to make it better. I've come to find out, I'm not alone LOL So I make it, I share it, I give it away, but it's the greatest therapy in the world.
This is what I've been up to over the past few days.
We had a swap in my charm group. You had to take a gift card (you know those cards you get at Christmas to all your fun stores?) What do you do with them after you spend the money they are worth? Throw them out? Are you NUTS???At best they could be used for spreading glue, or creating texture or melted into....anyway the deal was to make them into charms. This is what I did...I could have and would have done more, but we are limited in size.

The heart has gold edges and I added a golden heart. That card was from Michael's. Peppermint Twist was a card from A.C.Moore. I heated it and twisted it around a dowel then filled the center with wired tinsel.Freedom Star was a card from Tractor Supply (one of my favorite stores LOL) I added a little silver star to go with the patriotic theme of the card.It was cut with scalloped scissors in an odd shape, just to be different. 3 sets of 5
You know about my banner swap each month. The banner is supposed to be Vintage White Winter. But each month also has a theme-

For March the theme was French Royal. I am totally out of my element with these banners because I want to go all steampunky. But I made a frame using a mold I made and filling it with gold hot glue. I found a wonderful old pic of a french Queen as well as a "baby" royal. I framed the queen and put the baby in a small frame (added some swavorski crystals) Hung a crown from the point (also added crystals), a touch of gold here and there and called it done.
The biggest thing I worked on in between was my View from Within. That was a swap in my own group (the one Cherie and I own) mixedmediastudio.yahoo.com  The deal was...you take apart an old alarm clock and use the empty part to create a scene. I went back and forth with subject matter, but a friend of mine has a salt water aquarium that I just love watching. I thought an old travel alarm lent itself to a tank, so that's what I did.

The outside was easy. Just give it a water look find some cool fish charms, add some Pauashell from New Zealand and color it DONE.

I didn't have much room to build a 3D look, but  finding a pic of an aquarium with a 3D look helped, then I just added some cut out fish, some greens for the seahorse to attach to and the tank looked pretty cool. Also added some black sand from a NZ beach.

I  found some star fish on the ocean floor pic's that I used on the "Floor" of the clock, and some coral and rocks, I used on the back part of the case. Lighting it up became a mission.

I found a little light with an on and off switch and glued it to the back with the light peeking through the hole left by the clock face. Actually with the decorated case it serves as a nice back light, night light. I was quiet pleased and intend to make another. Correcting all the mistakes I made with this one LOL

So that's pretty much what has kept me busy, in between cleaning, volunteer stuff and doctors. Happy to say the doctors are slowing up. It's all just connected to that hospital stay and my eye. I expect to get a lot more time to play now and who knows, maybe actually make some sense of my studio. Oh stop laughing.

One of these days I may surprise you (not to mention myself)

Thanks for stopping by......

Did you guess right?

I'm talking about  the theme  of the ATC's posted yesterday. Sheesh Pay attention!!!
The theme was CIRCLES so if you guessed right, give yourself a lolly because I have no prizes.

It's been a busy time. Lots going on both on and off line, so let me show you what I have been doing.

Alphastamps.com is having a Birdhouse Ornament swap. They have requirements and  you must use certain things purchased from them. When I realized I had all with the exception of the chip board houses, I decided to participate. The theme is "Odd Birds". A Red Raven is odd in itself but mine has metal wings and wears a hat with a peacock feather in it. I think he just stole that pocket watch. He seems to have a thing for gears.
So on the back I wrote "What odd bird feathers his nest with gears?"
Now we all know a goose doesn't live in a bird house, nor does she wear a bonnet, so that makes her a bit weird. What I wrote on the back of that one is "What odd bird would share her house with Bee's" They were fun to do, but I found myself holding back on embellishments. It's bad enough to have to enclose money to get two back from another artist. I really didn't want to spend $10 in duel postage.Lets face it, postage these days are really causing a slow down in swaps. In this case you don't even know who your swapping with so it's kind of a crap shoot. But they were fun to do.

I wasn't crazy about this months charm palette. It was supposed to be Spring colors-Orange-yellow-green and white. I probably shouldn't have joined this swap because no matter how I laid the colors out, I really wasn't excited. I finally settled on natural stones that were the colors needed and then I added a little star fairy to give it some personality.

This was probably one of the most fun projects I have done in a long time. Happy to say it came from my own group MixedMediaStudio@yahoo.com . This was a paper challenge that Robyn our Paper Studio coordinator came up with. Book Art, not to be confused with an altered book.

So this hand kind of grew out of the book and decided to turn the page and get on with it's life.
A  bit symbolic for me.
Not sure what I might call the piece but I do like looking at it. I have another in mind. So stick around, because I see something real cool in my head. If I can get it out of my head and into the book looking like it does in my head I will have accomplished something. Thanks for stopping by.

Time keeps moving on

And so do I...It's been somewhat of an emotional time. Facing a studio that really needs some organization on top of other things going on.
I am always thankful for my groups. They keep me busy and because of all the swaps I always get Happy Mail!! Every once in a while  a R.A.K. will show up and that's always special to me. For those who don't know, that stands for Random Act of Kindness. That's where someone, for no real reason, just send you a card or little giftie in the mail. makes you feel real special. I haven't been very good with R.A.K.'s lately, but that will soon change. The fog is starting to clear and life is good.
So what have I been up too?
Well I had a 4X4 to do for my AFTCM group. The theme was Elephant in Tow

I thought this picture was adorable and certainly fit the theme. Then I decided to have a little play on words for the back one.

That's an elephant in TOE LOL couldn't help myself.
Moving on, we had a challenge in my Mixmediastudio@yahoo.com  we had to make a goodie basket.
It was a simple little thing. Guess it would have been nicer looking if I filled it with candy LOL Great favor idea and I would certainly make more of them.

In my charm group we had two swaps of the same kind. One was a birdhouse charm, the other a matching pendant. I didn't trust the real acorn so I made one from clay but I did use the real cap. Kind of cute I think.

Kind of cute I think, with the little silver bird added. The pendant was the same idea, just bigger and with a little bird peeking out.

I know it looks smaller, but trust me it's way bigger. You can tell by the little silver bird.A little painting dressed it up a bit.
Last, for now, is some ATC's I did for a swap going to the Netherlands. Can you guess the theme?

Sometimes I feel like these swaps are the only thing standing between me and a nervous breakdown LOL and then there are those who think they will push me into a breakdown. LOL I just think it is a wonderful way to enjoy the company of other women. Kindred spirits if you will...
So back to work I go. Working on a very interesting sculptured book, an altered clock and some other goodies. So stay tuned.