Finding 'STUFF'

It's not like I need other peoples junk. Actually I have plenty of junk of my  own...some people would say too much LOL Sometimes I wonder if I don't keep junk just to piss people off. It's a great conversation starter LOL

So I see this "Community " Garage sale. I fight the urge to stop, slowing down just to look at all the glass twinkling in the sun. I see antique tables and my urge grows stronger. I love to refinish furniture.
Finally I can't stand it. I have to stop at one because I see a wonderful lantern I can alter.

Is that cool or what? Then I see this cradle with some old dolls and those little ugly ones in the picture. I snap up the uglies and ask the guy what he wants. he says "the cradle and all the dolls is $3"...but I only want the two uglies, so he tells me 25 cents each. I'll take their heads off and make them into something wonderful.
Then I stop and get the most wonderful corn in the world, fresh picked (now in my freezer). Suddenly I see something I've been looking for but do not want to pay thrift store prices.

SHOES!!! Thrift stores sell shoes for $4 or more. I  don't wear other peoples shoes and when I'm done with shoes I don't save them so when I had an idea, I had nothing to try it out with. I've been hell bent on finding cheap shoes..They don't get much cheaper then 50 cents a pair. Right next to the shoes was two games with all the pieces. Even the game boards can be cut up to use for 4x4's or 8x8's so at 25 cents each they were a wonderful bargain.

Never saw this set up before. It's called 'Game Night" and it had 5 different games...two game boards. I was very excited. Look at those game pieces. It's amazing the fun one can have with a few $$. What treasures!!
Okay, back to the shoes. No I'm not telling you what I'm doing. You know I love surprises. You will just have to keep checking back...however, for those of you who like a challenge...pick up a shoe...turn it around in your hand, flip it over...REALLY look at the shape and form and tell me what you see. Then maybe you too will be stopping at garage sales looking for cheap shoes.
Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Sunday!!!

I took yesterday off. Wasn't exactly a couch potato, actually was quite busy but it was fun to leave the house and not worry about anything. Including the computer. It has become a life line to the outside world...That's not always a good thing.
I did a lot but that's for a later post or tomorrow.
I am headed for breakfast. It is stormy today so the animals will probably want to stay in the barn. I let them sleep in on nasty days LOL

My mixed media group https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/mixedmediastudio/info (if you haven't joined, please consider it) had a challenge. Each month I DARE them to make something useful or artistic from a common item. I really should post some pictures here because what they come up with is amazing.
This month (July) it was a rock...yup just a plain old rock that I want them to give some thought to.
This is what I came up with:

I have painted on rocks since Moses was a boy. I had forgotten how much fun it could be. It's not like I have nothing better to do LOL But it is addictive. Now I have this whole pile of rocks on my deck. Every time I saw a rock, I saw a different animal. Lots of cats but I also saw a penguin (shhh don't tell my DDIL)
a cow, a tiger and even a Bear...some sunny day I will sit in the Gazebo and  play with rocks.
But there are other things due, so I best get busy.
I went on an adventure yesterday and as soon as I take some pic's, I'll tell you all about it..
Thanks for stopping by.

It's Been a while hasn't it?

Just the summer crazies, some illness along the way and of course the never ending story of Rosie. Every time I think it's over, she proves me wrong.
I just realized that there are some things I have made and don't have pictures of and some swaps I've received and never took pictures. I think the old brain has gone on a vacation .
I really haven't done much in the way of crafting. Not that I have pictures of anyway. The only thing I managed to take pic's of before sending on their way was the shell stuff. We had to make charms SEA related.

I thought I took finished pictures. I didn't. But these are made on shrinky Dink plastic and then I added some sea glass beads. The other 10 were bottle caps with an underwater starfish field and a real starfish (tiny) under diamond glaze, also with sea glass beads added. <sigh> I wish I had taken pictures, they were cute.
Then we also had to make Pendants from sliced shells. I made 2 groups of 6.

I took Formica sample tags and painted them with SILKS, then added the sliced shell plus 3 baby shells and gave the shells as well as the border a touch of 24K gold. Added a gloss of diamond glaze and that was that.

On the next 6 I used copper wire and iridescent beads, hung an antique pearl with rhinestone dangle and a blue crystal bead in one of the opening. Gave it a touch of 24 K gold and called it done..
The best part about my studio is all the windows I have. The one I like best is the one looking out at the "feeding rock", the best part about summer is that I get to watch the babies born in Spring finally coming down and learning to eat under the watchful eye of Mom.This is Lily (daughter of  Daisy) with her yet un  named fawn. We aren't sure if it's a girl or boy yet. She brings it close, but not close enough yet to check the sex.

It's a pretty big baby compared to some of the others, so I'm thinking boy. It's one of the perks of living so far away from other humans. The animals  here are not afraid of us, but they are of other humans which we are very happy about. Not all humans want to shoot them with a camera.
I'm working on lots of things, so  come on back soon, ya hear? Thanks for stopping by.

Can you spell Chaos

C-O-M-P-A-N-Y  LOL It really was quite nice having my kids, granddaughter and her friend Angelica here for a few days. On Sunday my sons friend also came over for a cook out with there three kids. So we had 5 children , 6 adults and 4 dogs. Not bad considering the amount of company I used to have for holidays, but when you are retired and live up on a quiet mountain, there is a certain "quiet" you become very used to.
I did get a few swaps accomplished while they were here, plus I made each girl a memory book with pictures for them to take home. problem is, I don't think I took pictures of my swaps LOL Too busy taking pictures of the girls.

Angelica loves cows, so we stopped at a friends farm so she could pet a cow. That's my Krista holding the little duck

then the girlsdecided that a glitter fight would be fun, followed by a

a powder fight, followed by a soap bubble fight which ended in a silly string fight. Oh yes, they were a mess, but the had a ball.

That would be the last half of the 50 foot slip and slide. Add 5 kids to the mix and you have a fun day. It was nice to see children being children and not sitting on the sidelines texting and playing video games.
It was a week end of good old fashioned fun.

Add to that an old fashioned tree swing and some ATV's and you've got a bunch of kids that were kept real busy and slept very well LOL

Meanwhile I finished two Christmas in July gifts, 6 envelopes with die cuts for a die cut exchange and a stick pin swap. Now I need to finish up my shell pendants, work on my Christmas Village for Raevens swap, and make up a tutorial for The Mystery Challenge taking place on my group. Oh we also have a cuff bracelet swap with an altered watch. That should be fun to do. I love the cuff bracelet I made in NZ.

This was the only thing I managed a pic of and that's because I was trying to work out a tutorial for a single TP tube mini album.

That's all she wrote folks. Hopefully I can get back to posting more often now. I've got two beautiful swaps I've received. One from Deb in Canada and one from Cherie in Utah...so stay tuned and be prepared to drool LOL..Thanks for stopping by.

Oh What a busy time

There are some weeks that just linger like a hazy summer day, then there are others that are so busy you feel like you are caught in a whirl wind. This past week was filled will worry (Rosie) Gift Preparation (graduation and BD) and travel plans ...not to mention all the usual...Housework, animals, doctor visits and swaps...Breathe ...take a deep breath.
 Rosie continues to hold her own. Sleeps a lot and always hungry when awake. But bless her heart she is doing well. Thank you all for your heartfelt wishes and support. Rosie says "thank you for all your positive energy and love".

 I had sent a check to my son for his BD, but wanted to bring something to the party. I decided to make him Fortune Cookies out of $5 bills. Don't ask. The free instructions  sucked. I paid for instructions I then could not figure out (done in origami ) Finally filled a Chinese take out container..with a really cool label I made up. Then in all my hurry forgot to take a picture <sigh>

It was also Kristas Graduation from  middle school..I've made so many money roses I wanted to do something different..this is what I came up with...Note the graduation cap with Orange and black tassel.

She loved it. Great way for her to save money because she won't undo the flowers LOL

How cute are they? That's Krista to the left and David to the right. The lights of my life. My grandson used to worry because he was so much shorter than Krista. Suddenly his hormones kicked in. I don't think he is worried anymore.
I did manage to finish two swaps as well. Julys Banner was "Blue Christmas"

That's what I came up with. I wanted something simple, but elegant. Then I had an 8x8 collage to do. Really got stumped on that one. Finally I found a stamp that said "It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see"...I have always loved those illusion pictures. The ones that look like something but when you look close it isn't what you think it is? So I decided those were a perfect twist for that saying.

Not sure you can see the pictures but they aren't what they seem. The skull is actually two people kissing.
If nothing else, it's interesting. If I got something like it, I'd frame it, but that's me. My partner may think it is just weird LOL It's a fabric collage and that's what they asked for in the swap.
The ceiling fan in my studio stopped working, so add that to the "to do " list <sigh>
I can't get any hotter in here. It's like sitting in the fires of hell LOL The fan is quickly moving to the top of the list. Thanks for stopping by.