*****TO ALL OF MY FOLLOWERS AND VISITORS!!!!

I want to thank you very much for stopping by and leaving comments if you do.
I am posting this message becuase for some reason I am hardly ever successful at leaving messages at your blogs to thank you and leave comments for you and your artistry. I do not know what the problem is but Google, Blogger, TypePad, etc etc all the options won't let me.
So please know I am not ignoring your friendship and kindness!
As for any new projects; I did work a few hours today on a couple of birthday cards.

~~~ ATC Doll ~~~

My entry into the Artchix Group lottery

of Wild Women. Mine is all ready to party!!!This is her with her movable limbs all tucked in for ATC size!!

~~~ Art Journaling - Ladies ~~~

This is my first Art Journal in a blank journal.
Accept for the one masculine page spread....the
other posted pages have stage one and two already
for an image to doodle on and around and write something.

~~~ New Adventure Altered Book - Nature ~~~

Well here is a look at my new adventure...journaling.
This Altered Book is for Nature Images....flowers, etc

I am only on the stages of decorating the pages now.
Journaling and Doodling will come later unless inspired.
I am trying ot remember to leave enough open spaces
here and there for Doodling and Writing.
I have two books started, one for flowers and one for ladies.
Having fun and hope someone else likes them...I am pleased so far.
I goofed on 2 pages and covered up with paper design and vellum.
On one I tried using craft iron with crayons, but even after I
buffed the page it still showed on my rag...didn't like that!!!

~~~ ATC Time ~~~

Busy creating an art journal and altering a book,
but didn't want to let month go by without posting.
This is one of my latest ATCs.
The legs can be moved up out of the way.
And the wings can bebent forward.
Gloves are different for whimsy.
Crown is gold trim.
Original image is from one of my art books.
Background is photo from...?...lol
I love trees!!!

~...~...~...~...~...~...~...~...

~~~ Wednesday Morning ~~~

Another Wednesday Morning busy desk. My 14 Halloween House are all ready to be pkg'd up for mailing to my group for swapping. There are a few Rolodex cards to finish up for Mexico and then India. And yesterday I printed out several Graphic Fairy black and white images to use up the last of the printer ink I wanted to get rid of.

~~~ Toilet Paper Rolls ~~~

No more text on blog....perhaps just captions when needed!!

~~~ Wednesday Morning Plans ~~~

Another Wednesday image of continuing current project.
I am trying something new so I can play with my watercolor
pencils. I cannot draw so I decided to try my own way. Secret!

~~~ Another Adventure ~~~

Well I have been at it again! Trying something new!!
For the AFTCM Group I had to create a Steampunk Spoon!
So I used an old Gerber Baby spoon and bent it to be hung.
I used my Ranger Alcohol Inks for the first time really.
And then found among my stash an old red English Bus
metal pin. I could have sworn it said London on it,
but it has disappeared.
Perhaps in inking? The manipulating? My imagination? Who knows?
Then one thing led to another....
old earrings, old watch parts,old findings, an old watch spring!
Then Goop Crafter's Contact Adhesive, I was out of
E something or other. I also used another adhesive made for
jewelry making called Aleene's Glass & Bead...Platinum Bond.
So here it is and now I have to figure out how to box it up and
then mail it and hope nothing comes apart in transit!!!!
And I am already sad to know it will be gone.
I sure hope my partner will like it!!
I am not good with a camera so hope you get a positive sense of it!

~~~ Latest Adventure ~~~

Well I did it again..another first for me!
I know you have seen my previous attempt at
creating ATC Dolls. But they were not movable.
And I have been dying to make ATC dolls that
have movable parts.

It is no secret that I am an admirer of Laura
Haviland and her dolls!! And have been inspired
to finally try one.
Well, these might not be most lovely...lol...but I am
nonetheless proud of them.

btw..the subject for the swap I made them for is
Food! So the reason for the food image outfits.
I hope my partner enjoys my efforts!!

The Veggie dress is from a calendar.
And the vintage Oat dress is from a book of vintage
kitchen items and food products. They are old
oatmeal containers. And no...I did not create the bosom
look...it is just an optical allusion created by the size
of the containers...lol...but they did work out to my
advantage didn't they?

~~~ Another Wednesday Desktop ~~~

Well it is another Wednesday desktop mess for
the WOYWW Group. An image of what my desktop
looks like this morning after the night before!
- My Tip-In page to mail out today.
- An ATC Jam to play with and mail out.
- A few free images to cut out from a book called
"Thirty-Six Artists". Great book about 36 artists
and a sampling of their work. And the publication
includes a few images from the artists that are free.
- Practicing with brad maker that I have a hard
time with but have discovered 2 other ways to get a
value out of it!! An Alcohol Ink idea and a flower idea.
- And a few misc. images cut out from my cutting
session yesterday to sort thru and store.

I just signed up for a few swaps in a couple of groups
so I have some creating to get to today. But this morning
I remembered about taking a shot of my desktop.

~~~ Well, I finally did it!! ~~~

My wonderful regular Followers know how I am
always trying new techniques and experimenting.
So I bought Graphic 45 paper a couple of months
ago and have been reticent to cut into it!! lol
Well I finally did it!! I needed to create a Tip-In
Page for a swap of a group I had recently left
trying to downsize and free up more creative time.
I didn't relaize I was given a partner for this swap
so I wanted to fulfill my obligation. So I decided
since this was my first time I didn't want to screw
it up by not using the best supplies I could.

I didn't know what theme her book was that I was
to create a page for, so I just picked out paper that
I thought was really cool and different. Then I found
out she was creating a book of flowers, trees, nature!
So I had to think of a way to turn my jazzy page into
something pretty looking. I hope I succeeded for her.

I left an inch on the left for when she adheres it into
her book spine.
I put a tab on it becuase I didnt know if she was
doing that, but she can always cut it off.
And both sides have removable tags or bookmarks.

Sorry for glare...I am not good at taking pictures,
I am just grateful my darling neice sent me a camera.
Maria was so sweet to that for me, I love her!!

~~~ HUGS FOR MY VISITORS ~~~

Since I haven't been here for a while I thought I
would visit some comments. and I want you all to
know I really am grateful for your visit and comments.
You are all very generous and I see it is time for me
to visit your blogs again.
I have been busy reorganizing some areas in my room here.
Paper, images, templates, etc etc etc.
Also joining a few swaps that were new to me in a few groups.
But I htink it is time to make time to visit you all and see
what you have been up to and what new areas you have
ventured into too.

Again......

~~~ Wednesday Plans ~~~

Oh my goodness...it has been 2 months since I have been here?
Good Grief...I have uploaded to Facebook and forgot about
coming here...so sorry to my Followers.

Today I went to a new kind of web site that I may join.
They upload a photo of their desk on Wednesdays.
Kind of interesting and fun!
So I am putting up here my photo for today...my plans.

I plan on making a glove for a RAK Trade.
I have already cut it out as you can see. I used textured
wallpaper to give it a realistic feel.

I also have joined in a new kind of group project.
It is for creating an altered page for your partner that she
will "Tip-In" into her journal.
This is new for me and I didn't have any hard cover books
anymore, becuase when I moved I got rid of all of them.
But luckily I found a cookbook I never use so I went and tore
out a lot of pages and for the ones I saved I want to add
some images I gathered as you can see. Since it was for
cooking I decided I would make a Flowers & Food Journal,
which of course will include birds and butterflies.

I have never done anything like either of these 2 projects so
it is going to be a challenge...but they sound like fun!!

Here is the photo for the WOYWW group....I think
this stands for "What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday?".

~~~ Ball Gown ~~~

Well I am adventuring into new

territory again, You know me, always

trying new things. This dress was for

a group swap. But as usual I always want

to know how somehting is to be used or

displayed. So as usual Ihad to come up with

something that my partner could do with it.

I created a cardboard template and added a n

easel so the dress could be sat on a shelf and be

free standing. Then I created the dress.

I am not one for dainty objects, I am kind of

all thumbs and no patience with frill and fou fou.

I took an old Barbie dress for the base dress and

cut off the bodice...never again....and then

decorated with trim and feathers and vintage pearls.

I took a piece of lace crinolin form a large old doll for

underneath dress and give the dress fullness. The

swap was actually called Marie Antoinette Ball Gown.

The most fun was creating the template,

made two to adhere together and covered with

scrapbook paper and edged it with gold trim.

I had more fun doing that than the dress!! lol

Hope you like it and my partner too.

~~~ Latest AFTCM Group Swap ~~~

Two ATCs of Queen of Hearts was our

theme. I already had these images of

my Mother and myself with crowns.

So I decided to use them for the ATCs.

Luckily I already had two items that had

the hearts already cut out so that saved me

trying to cut hearts acurately!!!

I used black embossing powder on the right

for the first time...and it really is neat stuff!!

And then I colored in using a marker

I have had for ages never used.

They are called Brush Pens by RenArt.

It is set of two markers and the

others are acid free.

I have no idea if they are for paper

or are fabric markers....don't remember

where or why I bought them. lol

On the left ATC I cut out a piece of a 3D sticker

with lots of bling!! Scanning doesn't show it.

Hope they are enjoyed...maybe I shouldn't tell

my partner who they are.....lol

I know you cannot open the image...I don't know how

yet, I am waiting for an email answer. The info here

is too wordy as usual and I do not understand it. Sorry.

Now I can't get rid of the double spacing here.

I am thinking of going to a different place to blog!

I just don't know what to do all you nice Followers.

~~~ Another Art Adventure ~~~

My adventure this time is that I have joined

some friends in a new group called

Journal Techniques creating an Art Journal.

Tami is giving us one challenge a week for it.

It is good for us who are new at journaling

to have that much time to complete it. And

it is nice having the time since most of us in

the group are in other groups and have other

challenges and swaps we are working on.

I am going to post some completed challenges

and beg you to remember this is my

absolutely first Art Journal!!!

Cover Challenge

Coloring Challenge

Close eyes and use left hand Challenge

Age Challenge

Cover All Challenge

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~ 1 - 11 - 11 ~~~

Do you believe that date?!

That is when I created these!!

Well latest new art venture for me is

making ATC size dolls for a swap.

The size was hard enough I didn't

want to try any sewing, not my thing.

So one is glittered and the other is

wrapped in thin variegated trim.

And making faces is also going to be a

challenge for me in this new group so

here I took artistic license and used

a bead for one and a watch face for other.

Works for me!! I like the look!! How about you?

~~~ Happy 2011 ~~~

Good Grief do you believe the date?!!

Haven't posted lately so I thought I

would catch up a bit with 2 new items.

My AFTCM Group swaps keeps me on

my toes trying new things

and stretching myself.

I finally made another Easel Card

that had to be aqua, cream and white

with a paper doily.

And I also created a Cinderella Slipper and

decided to make mine out of a transparency

........the kind you can print on.........

rather than paper...after all she did wear

a Glass Slipper right? lol

I am also going to see what happens if I

choose a new format for photos.

I am bored with the same old way.