Another swap

I think my friends are correct. If I spent as much time making stuff to sell as I do making stuff to swap, I'd be rich.
But swapping brings a different kind of richness. Granted when you swap as much as I do your bound to get a rotten apple now and then, but even they have some merit. Poor made swaps remind me to try my very best...always. The fact that we all find beauty in different thing and in different forms of art is a wonderful thing. I'm sure there are those who would find my rotten apples worthy, while my swaps fall short. It's true when they say, you can please some of the people some of the time but you can't please all of the people all of the time. So I will continue to do the very best I can and hope "some of the people" are pleased.
If you are looking for my Frida challenge, keep scrolling.
The swap I just finished was a 4x4 , theme "Stained Glass". I make real stained glass so this theme was difficult. I researched it, only to find a bunch of different techniques, none of which I felt comfortable with.I could see them used on a bigger piece, but not on a 4x4. I decided to just do my thing..I love Iris flowers, so I drew one the way I would if I was making a pattern for stained glass. I colored it with Copic markers, trying to give each piece the look of stained glass (which is not always consistent color. Gave it 4 layers of Utee and the leaded it with Gun metal  Stickles..I'm thinking about some copper trim to finish it off, not sure.

I wasn't happy with my first piece (a fish). When I asked myself my swap question " If you received this, would you like it?", my answer was  "Maybe", it just didn't say what I wanted it to say. It didn't make me feel good. When I finished this one and asked the same question. I was able to say yes, I'd love it and I'd display it..of course I think it needs trim LOL but I'm still not sure.

Now onto the Fairy Door adventure. Mine started out as the top of a cigar box. I sketched out what I hoped for and then cut it out on the band saw. The wood was flat so I used my dremel to put some score lines in (wood planks)

You'll have to wait to see  how it ends up, but I'm liking it so far...Haven't decided if I should put a Fairy behind the door, a scene or just leave it.

Thanks for stopping by.

Sad Day on Misty MOuntain

We knew the day was coming and we knew it was close, but you are never prepared to say good-bye to a friend. Especially a friend as gentle, caring and loving as this one.

I'll miss you Rosie. I'll miss everything about you, mostly your companionship. Gone much too soon, but I am thankful for the 12 wonderful years you shared your life with us. I know you'll be waiting at the Rainbow Bridge, until then, sleep with the Angels and Rest in Peace.

Frida Kahlo Captured

It's not like I didn't have enough to do this month, but I was inspired by Gauche Alchemy and the August Challenge. Frida Kahlo draws me into her darkness and so many of her quotes inspire me and how I view life.  I needed this challenge. It came at just the right time. I first found two pictures of Frida that I felt showed her "spirit" .I got them in the bottle using skewers as chop sticks. Then I tissue papered the outside of the bottle for texture and tore away to allow her "spirit" to look out. One of Frida's paintings is a skull with her eyebrows and flowers, so I decided it would be a perfect top for my bottle. In another painting she has an open chest with a fiery heart, thus the locket. The spirit is held in the bottle by chains. What would a tribute to Frida be without her turquoise color and her red roses? I tore some of her quotes that inspire me and inked the edges.Everything was sealed with matte gesso.
I call it "The Captured Spirit of Frida Kahlo", let me know what you think.

She is captured within the bottle, which is adorned with her favorite red roses and fabulous quotes.

I had to add a butterfly because I love her painting with butterflies.

and yet another spirit peeking out from inside the bottle.

A picture never seems to do something like this justice. The vivid colors do not show as well, glitter doesn't sparkle and elements do not pop..but I think Frida would like it and that's all that matters.

I love her saying "I paint flowers so they will not die" what a beautiful thought.

Ever have an argument with an egg?

AS you know one of the challenges for the month of August at  https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/mixedmediastudio/  is to do something with an egg.
I decided to use a 6 year old dried out Peahen egg (don't worry I do it all the time, they are fine).
So I'm thinking egg head, using plaster cloth.. Got the thing almost done, it needed a wash and it starts to talk to me. Egg says' what am I' ?I tell it 'your a boy'. Why? It ask. I say I don't know, I guess because I named you Eggbert and you look like a boy. It's now getting a bit huffy and says 'why ? Because I'm ugly? Not pretty enough to be a girl?". 'No' I reply, there isn't anything ugly in my world. You're different and your beauty lies within'... "so" it says "then why can't I be a girl? I really want to be a girl...and if you think I'm pretty, then let me be a girl".....Not that I am in the habit of giving into my projects demands, but the last thing I need in my collection is a bad, unhappy egg...so meet  Eggclaire...

She was delighted to know her picture would be published.
I've wanted to post pictures of the things I get in my return swaps. Unfortunately my camera is not always handy or my swaps have been put  on display somewhere else. My most recent swap was the Birdhouse and the one I received just happen to be next to Eggclaire.

I also received my first TP roll page for a mini album. I will be publishing that tomorrow. I'm hoping for another and I'd like to take a picture of the start of my album, so stay tuned.







Thanks for stopping by and I hope to see you again real soon.

The Witch is IN

LOL I've been playing spooky music while working on a Mystery Challenge . The spooky tree at least is done as far as the tree. Of course as I go along it will become more and more spooky, but for now I need to move on.

The TP rolls have been sent. I wanted to do so much more and make them so different then I did, but I did what time allowed and I'm looking forward to making my mini album from all the girls.

I just added some  ink to the edges and a colored ribbon to finish them off. I already received one and wish I knew how my friend Deb got hers so flat. I think I failed TP roll 101.
The biggest excitement was what I saw from my window. The doe's had been down eating, then the one fawn....suddenly when I looked back out, this is what I saw......

The first buck we've seen in a long while. Out deer population has gone down considerably. That's usually what happens when no babies are born for a while. It takes two and without a buck...well you know about the birds and bees. So I was real happy to see this guy, now I'm hoping he either stays close like the surviving Doe's do or at least does his business before he heads off into high country or gets shot. Maybe  this Spring we will see a few more fawns. One can only hope...Thanks for stopping in....

Half Done and Done!!

This place just gets more and more spooky by the day.Not only does my pond still glow at night but my computer made a weird noise and now is stone silent, as in NO NOISE. Needless to say I have paid short visits because I'm hoping the fan didn't stop working. I haven't had time to take it apart but I plan on it today. So either you will never see me again (y'all should be so lucky) or you'll see me on a new computer (or an old one with a new fan if I fix it).
Meanwhile I continue to tackle my never ending studio clean up. I so want bragging rights like so many others have. They take you for a trip in their studio and everything is neat as a pin (personally I think that's a sign of a sick mind). If I offend you GOOD...now go do something to mess up your studio. Have no fear, it will never look like mine. If there was an award for "Hoarders Studio", I'd win hands down. But that's all changing<crossed fingers>. Then there is the company to consider, but I did manage a few things. The cuff is done and going in the mail.

The base is part of a waistband from old jeans. I recycle every part of old jeans. Black lace overlay added a nice dark touch, then some hand made ribbon, some beads and gears and that watch face you saw in an earlier post. It's my taste, hope my partner likes it.
To go along with my never ending studio clean up, I have my never ending TP roll swap. I did a bit more on them and hope to finish up today. I had soooo many ideas, but just ran out of time.

I wanted to add embellishments, me being Queen of Bling and all, but it is a page, not a cover so bulk is limited to "flat". I'm loving the lace top tags, which I cut from folders.Now to finish them and get them in the mail.
It's pouring rain outside so other then that blue glow, I haven't checked my pond for more weirdness.
I have to finish up a tutorial today, plus aforementioned TP rolls...and then there's that darned studio UGH!!
Come on back ya hear? Thanks for stopping by.

More Company!!

One group left, the other arrives today. I don't see nearly enough of my Grandson so I look forward to this visit.
So what have I been doing? Pretty much playing catch up on swaps and challenges.

Hereis a little something I've

been working on. Don't want to show you all of it right now but I was pretty happy with my altered watch face. The gears move freely and go well with the I heart Steam Punk face. Stay tuned for the finished project.

Then we have the mystery challenge. I made up 2 tutorials so far to get the gals to this point.

Not so spooky looking  at the moment ...but wait!!!

Before Krista left I figured one good turn deserved another....

Now she has Minions also. Just like G'maw.

Something weird is going on up at the pond. Last week we were out in the dark watching the international space station fly across the evening sky. We all caught a bright streak out of the corner of our eye (the entire family was out there) The next evening there was a strange blue glow coming from the pond. We investigated and thought we saw what appeared to be fish, but they moved so fast we weren't quite sure.

This morning after meditation up at the pond I saw something strange in the grass.

WHAT??? How's that for strange? Not like any fish I've ever seen and some mean looking teeth.

I looked again in the pond. I saw the Bass (they come right to me for feeding) and then I saw some fast moving...whatevers...can't really see them because they move so fast, but I could swear I see hair.

I'll be working on some more stuff today, so come on back. Thanks for stopping by.