The Sun finally smiled

It has been cold and gloomy for the past week. Not exactly high energy days, but let me show you one thing I sent on its way. We are doing a RR altered book. There are 6 of  us in this group. This was my third book and the Theme is "Artifacts"...Everyone seems to have a different idea of what an artifact is, so I started with the definition and worked from there. On the left side is the def. plus and envelope containing cards with pictures of Egyptian artifacts.

On the right hand side of the page I created some "artifacts" got a chance to use my new metal paints and I LOVE them,

Everything, other then the jewelry finding, is cardboard or clay...Would you think it? I was real happy with the results.
You may remember those house shaped books we did. I can now show the cover of mine...which is long gone to it's new home.

I used crackle paint on the front cover, Tried to keep it simple because the inside was so busy.

Inside front cover which explained my crazy garden.

This was the back cover which gave the actual name of the flower....lambs ear was pictured as an actual Lamb with pink ears. Milkweed was milk bottles on a stem...You get the picture.
And now to showcase my Happy Mail. The first is my house shaped book from Therese...

She did a beautiful job. Behind the fence begins a saying which is continued on each of the 4 pages. Each page is beautifully decorated.

Finally this is the back...Several friends have already seen it and thought it was lovely.
Then another surprise was the altered altoid tin I got from Patty...full of bling, which is my thing...

Would you believe that is Patty's first altered tin? Yup! I love being the first, especially when it is done so beautifully. She put a great deal of thought and care into it...it's just magical.
So that's what I have for you today. I've finished up several projects this week...the one I have for tomorrow has actually been done a while, but I kept adding to it LOL So stay tuned.

I'm baaack!!

I've been away cleaning out a house. Very difficult job for one person but I managed to fill a dumpster pretty much by myself. My girls came to help me on their day off and that was most appreciated. It was hard for me to let go. I've become the keeper of "THINGS". It seems that everything I look at has the potential to be something else, so I save it. Over the years I "saved" a lot of stuff. Then there was the grooming shop, that also needed to be broken down...Lots of pictures, lots of memories.Then there was the class room, that was the hardest. Not only because it contained so much stuff, but because it contained so many happy memories.
Of course I treasure everything I've gotten over the years , little things from friends that mean so much. Like little tiny treasures I packed each one. I will find a place. Some people tell me the memory should be enough, the rest is just "things". Well, those "Things" were made with Love, they were made especially for me by a friend who cared enough to make it. So while they are just "things", they are my special things and deserve to be treasured.
While I was away (I have to return, but needed a break), Life went on. Swaps continued and so did everything else. Animals hooves continued to grow, birds continued to lay eggs and winter coats needed to be removed, so I came home to a great deal of work.
What made it so much fun was coming home to Happy Mail. One of the things, my son actually delivered was from a friend on the other side of the world. I met  Rainer on a group, but when we started talking and sharing idea's we just hit it off like long lost buddies. Unknown to me he was my EGG person, meaning he had to make me an egg for the egg swap. What an unbelievable job he did. Rainer is a man very much into precise detail and I believe it shows in his work. He fashioned the egg from metal (copper and brass) with tiny little rivets. He made a cage and in the cage he hung a robot which he also made with metal, watch parts and wood. I think you'll agree it's very special. He and his Honey also sent me some wonderful surprises.

That's the empty egg. It's a bit bigger then a normal egg. Maybe the size of a duck egg.

How cute is that little robot? His name is Tinhead an endearing term for my friend.

A final picture of little Tinhead out for a breath of fresh air.
There was more mail and more surprises. But if I share them all today the next few days would get pretty boring.
I would, however, like to share a little friend that is part of a swap....You'll have to  come back tomorrow to see the rest...

Sooooo As I was saying

Thank goodness I have friends that save mail is all I have to say.
I was talking about this House Book and the Garden Journey theme..The book is done so I guess I'm not really asking for an opinion, but you know I always LOVE some kind of feed back. Good or bad it's all good to me.
So I ask again. Can you tell me what these flowers are...sheesh maybe I should have a contest LOL wouldn't that be fun?

Oh my! It really is hard to tell with those little pictures huh! There are 16 pages in all and I'd really hate to have to list all 16 one at a time. But try and pick out those you can see...it's fun!!!

House Book

A swap I had signed up for involved a house shaped book. The theme is a Garden Journey...
I just love flowers and a million idea's went through my mind. I took a walk in the woods and pondered all these "ideas" suddenly I cam upon a Daffodil , they are all over the place up here. I started to laugh. I remember my kids calling them Daffy Dills (and still do today) suddenly I saw this flower acting very daffy and making silly faces. Of course you know something like that could only happen in an enchanted forest.
That started me thinking about other flowers that may grow in an enchanted world..Chick weed might be a little chick on a stem, Golden rod may be an actual ROD made of gold...oh you bet the wheels started turning...So these are the pages of my book. I have close ups, but for now these will have to do...Hopefully you will see them and take a guess.
Oops!! It appears I can't find them LOL I'm not kidding I just went looking in my pictures and they are gone..So I guess I won't be posting them today...Sorry, but it will give you a reason to return.

Crazy week-end

I did get some things completed and will post pictures tomorrow. Oh I guess I can at least post the magnetic bookmarks I made for a swap.

They were fun and they work great in a book...well I guess any book mark works great huh?
My daughter took my swap tin...It was for a Fairy Paradise. She collects fairies, even ones that weren't meant for her. So that one flew our the door and I had to make another...

The cover sparkles. Just what you'd expect from a fairy. All boxes need a wishing stone, this one is blue glass.

The fairy is enjoying her little Butterfly friend. I have to include a Butterfly in anything I do...you all know that :-) Couldn't you just get lost in a fantasy looking at her? I love making Fairy boxes. Her story will be on the bottom of the box...They have to have a story...right?
That's all for now, but I've made  Garden Journey Book and  I have another box started..It's about wings :-)
Have a wonderful evening!!

Easter Days are gone

And what a delightful Easter it was...My DGS brought his mom and dad for a visit. I'm so grateful for Spring break, it seems thats the only time I see my little book worm.
His BD was in March so Grandpa got to take him shopping for some new sneakers and the "hunger Game" series..The kid just LOVES books. So when he wasn't helping with wood and other chores, he had his face buried in the book. My daughter and I got to go craft shopping which is always fun and then we got to play with those crafts for a few days, which was even more fun. So all in all it was a wonderful Easter visit.
Now it is back to work and work I must. I have many swaps due soon. Robyn took my fairy tin so I have to remake that, I'm working on some ATC's, a books titled A GARDEN JOURNEY , which I'm having a ball with, and a book niche with the title Where's Dorothy, which I'm also having fun with.
I just got some new paints that I'm thrilled about and today was Happy Mail Day. Take a gander at the Tussie Mussie I received:

It was made by Hazel and was an AFTCM swap. I was just thrilled to get it. Hazel put a great deal of thought and work into this and it shows. She also made it smell pretty.
I'm still waiting for my egg swap...but I think that will be it until all the new ones start to get sent.
I took some pictures and will be taking more so stay tuned......Oh and don't forget to check out wendy's swap...link to it is up on the left side.

Been a few days huh?

That's what happens when you have too much to do and too little time to do it. My computer time is always pushed to the bottom of the list.
I did do a photo shoot for the Butterfly Project... I'm finally getting it "out there" so the locals know it exist.
It would be so wonderful if I had enough volunteers that each person would only have to make one or two splint pillows. So that was pretty exciting.
I also got some fun happy mail and made a gift of a gourd Birdhouse to a friend.

We had to make a small 4X4 piece of art out of puzzle pieces. I made a fish and this is the beautiful wreath I got in return.

Norma sent me this delightful egg shaped PC along with some wonderful choc. eggs...yummy!!

This is the Tussie Mussie filled with goodies, headed for it's new home.

This is a gourd turned into a bird house...pieces of pine cone instead of roof shingles LOL

My book niche on it's way to become....well you'll have to stop back for that as well as a few other things I'm working on. Stay tuned and stop on back ya hear?