Still Screaming

Oh my it has been a time of it. Whining never solves a problem, if anything it just intensifies the situation...so I won't whine, I'll just keep screaming LOL
I keep busy and have been trying to  keep up with things. I really lightened up on my groups. Not because I really wanted to, it had something to do with my sanity and a straight jacket.
So I still try and be as active as possible on AFTCM and I absolutely love CDA . Of course, I keep trying with my little band of merry artist on SOMMA but it does get discouraging at time...people want swaps, I ask for idea's...Nothing. I come up with idea's...some work, some don't. I want to keep things stress free, no pressure, so I just keep throwing things out there. Norma  offered to co-monitor, bless her heart, so at least I know is someone has a question it will get answered. I don't always get on the computer. I think my BLOG is proof of that.
I love Blogging and hope one day to be as active as some people seem to be. I guess I've got pretty crappy time management, because between my house work and tending to my animals, days just fly by. I'd rather play in my studio the mess around on the computer. How the heck do people do both so well?
So here's what I have been up to. On AFTCM we had a Telescope card. Now you know me and cards...that is not my strong suit. I looked that style card up and got really nuts. Its seems that style has many variations . So I picked one I liked and ran with it. The theme was "Spooky"

The little signs says "Something wicked this way comes..." Looks like a telescope to me when it's opened...It's on an orange card with some spooky do dads. I kind of like it...How about you?
Then I asked ladies if they would like to alter a match box with a "Spooky " theme...sometimes I feel like a dentist (read between the lines)
I figured maybe if I made one people would see how simple it was. It took me 18 minutes to make a pattern for the drawer and the box and then to cut it and glue it all. Now I could have stopped there, adding a few do dads to the top and call it done. However, I took another 12 minutes and added some legs, some boa and eyes and  a tiny spider emerged.What I put in the draw is my secret for my Partner...which will probably be Mary since she was the only one willing , so far, to challenge herself LOL So here's my altered matchbox.

I know you are smiling. How could you not smile at that adorable little spider? Even if you don't like spiders (which I do) he is just too cute.
I have some other things I've worked, but I have to save something for tomorrow...Have fun, stay safe and keep smiling....

Did you hear me screaming?

I want to post here every day, but something always seems to get in the way.
This has not been a good week. On the top of the Poop list is the fact that my yellow Lab , Rosie, has a tumor and it has now become cancerous. She is too old to remove the leg and she is my OCD kid, I doubt she'd be comfortable with only 3 legs. Punkin is another story (that's my Chocolate baby), but Rosie is like a child. She has an unbelievable vocabulary (words she understands) even the Vet was amazed. So the entire office was in tears at the news. As for Me, Rosie and I will work on her other leg to make it strong. I know we are buying time. I am a firm believer that you have to love enough to let go, I will when the time comes, but it's not now.
Of course my saga continues. I'd rather just move on. Talking about things only brings them to the front of your mind. there is so much more to life then aches and pains and illness.
I have been working on many things, all in different stages, none worthy of a photo ...yet.
I guess I could show you Clarence...I was challenged to take a little pumpkin pattern and make something with it. I see a pumpkin and I think Halloween...either that or pie. So I made Clarence into a Trick or Treater,

Don't you just want to throw some candy in that bag?
When ever I'm down in the dumps, I think Butterflies...they are such happy little critters. Kind of flying flowers. So I sat down and made this quilted Butterfly.

I should have been working on swaps

I have a few due. But that Butterfly made me smile. I did finished up a slide mailer swap . I decided I wanted to use the 4 slide mailer. the theme was orange and blue so I even got orange and blue digital leaves. I was so proud of myself... Finished the entire thing and found out the slides were too small for the mailer. I guess the 4 slide one deals with bigger slides. Who knew? I managed to work it out...I hope to my partners satisfaction.

It's got a leaf and bead dangle that doesn't show up well in the pic . That's the outside, then on the inside I put a Fall poem and the slides.

It's kind of the look I was going for. The shading is all alcohol ink.
So that's what I've been doing, when not busy with health issues and my ailing furbaby. Let me leave you with this. You're a Farmer, of sorts, you depend on your tractor for many things. What do you do when this happens right off your driveway...Yes  the driveway from hell, that even when not blocked is difficult to navigate...what do you do...what do you do?



Giftie Tags

I am really, REALLY pressed from time today. Company coming, shopping to do and guest beds to make.
I was asked about giftie tags. A simple kind of "anyone can do this" swap.
A pictures worth a thousand words so here's what I do:
 I use regular size tags so I decided to pick 4 I liked for this "Gift" you can use one big one, you can purchase tags, make tags, print tags...It's your world. These are the four I selected.The n umber of tags is up to you.

Then I cut 6 yards of different Fall colored ribbon. made a packet of jewels, buttons and charms and added two skeins of Fall colored embroidery floss.

Note how I laid the tags together and started with the orange ribbon to wrap. I then added the buttons and wrapped some ribbon, then the jewels, ribbon, charms, ribbon, more ribbon (floss is on the back side). Then with double sided tape a added some flowers. While I was doing all this I thought of a couple of other flat things I could add as well. As you can see it all fits very nicely in an envelope.

Just a little gift, made from your own stash, to hopefully put a smile on someones face.

I need some cheese for my Whine

Did that get your attention? Not really whining. Actually I got some good news from the eye surgeon.
I went for my shot and right before he poked me, he said my picture looked good. The tumor showed some shrinkage...when I got excited he cautioned me and said it was only minor shrinkage but it shows the shots are working. After the poke, I kiddingly said, so I don't have to come back?He smiled his beautiful smile (I love my doctor) and said of course I had to come back, but in 8 weeks instead of a month. Woohoo that was great news. At that time we will take another picture and if everything is the same of better, I can stay at 8 weeks for a while. I'm not complaining, things could be so much worse, but I have to tell you getting a needle stuck in my eye just isn't fun.We've all gotten poked in the eye by a branch or something...you know how that pressure hurts and then the eye hurts for a while later? So that's pretty much it.

Meanwhile another challenge got completed. I'm trying very hard to finish up things. I have some challenges, some swaps and some special things for special people I'm trying to complete. Add to that a lot of company (more due Thursday), My brother moving  (his chance for transplant my be better in Florida), a house being prepared for rental...shall I continue? It's no excuse. I am happy to be busy and to be able to stay busy in spite of some health issues. It does get frustrating at times, but I can always find someone worse off. the sad part of that is, I don't have to look real far or real hard.

So here's Sparkle...

You may remember when I started this project. I didn't get very far

I got involved in other things. When I was challenged to make a candlestick doll I remembered the Frowning Francis Unicorn I wanted to do/finish and that it started with a candlestick. It was a good inspiration for sure. I decided I wanted to change the look and go with fantasy so I used a lot of blue and purple instead of black. I also liked the gold horn I came up with. When the project was done I added to the sparkle with spray glitter.

AS time passes, I really hope to not only be here each day, but to be here with tutorials and projects to share. For now I'm just real happy that people continue to visit and send me delightful e-mails.

I also get a few comments here now and then, which I love to read. people seem to be happier sending e-mail...not sure why...but either way, thanks for staying with me.



My Amazing Friends

I have been truly blessed by amazing, wonderful friends. Every once in a while I will receive a surprise in the mail. Now you all know how I love Happy Mail, so when I get return swaps I'm always happy.but then there are times, out of the blue, when a friend will let me know they were thinking of me. It always touches my heart when I know that people have gone that extra mile to do something extraordinary just for me.
To have that happen twice in one week was humbling and totally exhilarating...
First...My friend Cherie makes these fabulous Koma's..we were talking and I asked if she had ever made a tiny one. Cherie doesn't do "small". I knew it was a challenge...but I also know she loves to be challenged. She mentioned it and then never spoke of it again so I figured it was more then she wanted to deal with. Plus she is a very busy person. Low and behold I open up a package and I find this:

This tiny koma is only 1 inch, something I know Cherie tries to avoid at all cost. For her to take the time and make this, in my favorite color yet LOL means more then anyone can know..Thanks again Cherie for a beautiful surprise.
Then the very next day I received a package from my friend Rainer in NZ. Rainer is a talented artist that is married to a very talented artist..I love them both. Rainer was in a charm swap and had to send his charms half way around the world to participate (I am grateful for his willingness to do that). The package contained his charms, along with a ten cent piece (which will become a charm for me) then I found the most adorable "cards" that Ilka (his honey) made. Inside a bag , she also made was this....

AS Rainer explained, it all started with that tiny journal that Ilka made. It is made of leather and has beautiful pages of handmade torn paper.Rainer made the copper "Enjoy" on the cover..he also wrapped the shell, made the charms, there is black sand from a NZ beach and note the fuse with FRIEND inside. The center of the necklace where the charms are hung, started as a metal belt of some kind that they found while shopping for things to use in their art. When I look at this beauty, I see a whole lot of time they were thinking about me. That  makes me feel very, very special. So thanks again Rainer and Ilka for touching my heart in a very special way.
I realize, in looking around my studio , how very, very blessed I am. I have many things from Cherie, Norma, Rainer, Corinne, Mary,Kai and Sherry to name a few...that's above and beyond swaps..Most of my swaps are displayed so I get to see them every day..So if at any time you were my partner, I want you to know, what you made me was not thrown in a drawer or a box somewhere, but proudly displayed for all to view. Also know that every minute you spent making something for me and thinking of me was greatly appreciated.....It's nice to be thought of in such a loving way.

And so it continues

Life continues to throw drama my way. More with friends then with myself. I try and be there for my friends, but I have to tell you (and I know you are reading this) you really have to get together and take turns. Have some mercy and stop having drama all at one time. LOL
All kidding aside it's no big deal. I'm always happy to be there with a strong shoulder and listen ear...trust me, my work will be there waiting.
I have made some headway in my studio and that's always wonderful news. It's been sort of like Christmas, finding things I haven't seen in a while. It's a process, especially when i want everything in it's place as I go. Saves double work later...so it all takes time, but it is coming along (like you care , right?)
I've had very little computer time and what I have had I have been trying to catch up with groups. The few that I still belong to are very busy.
I just finished a challenge. We were given a pattern with no picture and no instructions...It was a lot of fun putting it all together and letting my imagination go. This is what I came up with. His name is Clarence:

His face is actually gray and much cuter in person. I love Steam Punk and try and use it when I can. This little guy just seemed to be a Steam Punk Kitty.
In my own group we had an ATC exchange. It was a color theme and guess what color I picked...

They were sent to Corinne and I hope she likes them.
Another challenge was for a Gourd, the theme was "Summer remembered" or something like that LOL
I remember it was the time my fairies returned. Some people called them bugs...Lightening bugs...but I KNEW they were fairies  who carried little lanterns to light their way into the woods. They would keep me company in a jar at night and I'd let them go come morning...I spent time with my Grandma and we would visit Aunt Theresa who lived in what I saw as an enchanted cottage in the woods. It was a wonderful place, herbs hanging to dry, canned foods in jars...So that's what my Gourd is...Aunt Theresa's cottage surrounded by my "Fairies".

Oh and lets not forget the Hummingbirds that returned to Grandma's many feeders each summer.
That's all the sharing I have for today. I apologize to my friends for being unable to visit Blogs, but I will try and find some time this week. I always look forward to all your new adventures in art.

Color me Crazy

WOW!! What a time it has been. I am a pretty private person, so the details of my crazy life are not as important as the fact that it has made "play time" difficult. Oh I manage, but the pressure of swaps became to much and I had to stop. At least for now. I will still try and do them now and again but I love to join swaps and I give 110% of myself to each one. It takes it toll. I know I'm not alone. I'm guessing this is what is called "Burn Out" , when you just hot a wall and fall.
I belong to this amazing doll group. I'm not even sure they do swaps but they do challenges and they give you months to finish, You get to keep what you do, which is also a plus for me. I always end up so in love with what I do I hate giving it up...Isn't that terrible? I'm really not at all a selfish person...I just become attached LOL Someone suggested making two. Are you kidding me? I give everything I have to one, two would kill me. Like I say, I will still do swaps...but for a while I have to curtail my activity and worry about me and my health for a change.
Meanwhile one of my groups is playing BINGO, Now there is something stress free and fun. WE had to make BINGO cards, put in words (we were given a bunch of words for each letter) and then send it to someone. We in turn got a Bingo card from someone else with words they picked.
So her is my Bingo card that went to LA.

Well I couldn't give the words away could I? Please note I used antique Bingo Chips LOL when was the last time you saw someone use Bingo Chips? My card is from my friend Mary...she does just beautiful work..I have figured out a way to use it without making a mess LOL I want to hang it in my studio.

Isn't it beautiful?? So that's it for today...there is much more going on and oh so many pictures. I'm working on a light bulb tutorial also. I found an easier way then the way I saw to clean out light bulbs.
I'm trying to get here more often. organizing ones life is NOT an easy job.