Halloween Board Book

I've been working on this board book off and on for a week and finally put the finishing touches on this evening. This started as a blank accordion book from Creative Imaginations and was called a "castle book." This summer at Recollections we finished it as a sand castle and it was adorable. Recently an associate made it into a haunted house. This is my version of a Halloween house.

I used several way cute coordinating papers from the Heidi Grace Halloween line plus stickers, embellishments, ribbons, Platinum Stickles, Sakura Stardust Gelly Roll pen and buttons. It was so fun to do!

Overwhelmed!

I am overwhelmed and amazed at the many responses I've received to my 100th post. I had no idea so many people were visiting my blog! I am saving all your names and will pick one next Saturday for the blog candy. Thank you for your kind words and support...

On another note, I want to remind everyone of the ZNE Benefit Auction - Hope Sees a Star - which will start on October 1. Over 80 art pieces have been donated to this wonderful cause and there are some awesome items to bid on. You can find out more at http://www.znestore.com/page/page/4747526.htm Be sure to click on the auction button to see the artwork and sign up on Oct. 1 to bid. Yours truly's piece is #68!

Susan

100 POSTS!!

Ta da! Here it is, my one hundredth post and six months of blogging! Who would have ever thought that I'd have so much to post. I was a bit wary at first about "putting myself and my art out there", but having a small audience of family and friends checking in periodically has certainly kept me focused on making art. It's also fun to look back and see what I've accomplished.



To celebrate, I've assembled a small assortment of fall embellishments to give away as "blog candy." Included are two sheets of stickers, four sheets of vellum words and sayings, a sheet of adhesive metal moons and two small sheets of fall chipboard accents. Anyone who comments on my posts during the next week will be put into a drawing and I will have my husband draw a name next Saturday (Oct. 6). I guess I will see who actually visits my blog!

So, be sure to come back at least once in the next 10 days and leave a comment!

Off to the Windy City

I'm leaving tomorrow for a long weekend in Chicago so will be offline for several days. Three of my daughters live there and some of the family decided to attend a Cubs game this Saturday. My son will fly in from San Francisco, another daughter from Albuquerque, my husband from North Carolina where he's working on a contract job, and myself from Dallas. Not that I'm much interested in the baseball, but I couldn't miss a chance for all seven of us to be together! This usually only happens once a year at Christmas. Here's hoping for some lovely weather and some fun times.

On another note, I've just noticed this is my 99th post! Unbelievable. So, in celebration of this milestone, I will announce some blog candy on my 100th post upon my return! Check back in on Monday or Tuesday...

Hope Sees a Star

I am a member of ZNE - an online group of mixed media artists - as well as being on their Design Team. Within the past several months, two members have lost their young daughters, one to cancer and one to a rare disease. The group has organized an auction of donated artworks to benefit a memorial for these young women. The "Hope Sees a Star" auction will run from October 1 through 15 and you can find more information here: http://www.znestore.com/page/page/4747526.htm . Be sure to read about these precious girls and about the auction. Of course, you could also bid on any of the auction items!

I was invited to participate and have finally finished this canvas board collage to donate. This piece is 6" x 8" and includes light molding paste, acrylic paints, vintage images, specialty paper, buttons and stamped twill. It hangs with a pink velvet ribbon. I enjoyed making it, especially knowing it would help a good cause, but at the same time it was very hard to do because my expectations were high - I hope someone will want to buy it to benefit the memorial! What if no one does? But, wow - if it does sell, it will be my first "sold" artwork!

It arrived!

My new ATG tape gun came in the mail yesterday. It was a belated birthday gift (for which I loudly hinted) from one of my daughters. Thank you Kim! I love it! It's not nearly as heavy or awkward as I envisioned and will be so much cheaper in the long run over the Tombow adhesive refills! The package also contained 7 tape rolls (36 yards each) so this should keep me in business for awhile... Isn't it awesome? I'm so excited - a girl's gotta have her toys!

New Design Team Assignment

We received our September Design Team assignment on Sunday. We chose a background from among 24 given designs and had to add a butterfly of our own design - no stamps, photos, etc. The first picture shows the original background - this is actually one inch square. I cut some colorful paper from a magazine ad into wing shapes and added the butterfly body and outline with a fine Zig pen. We haven't been told yet what the final product will be, so stay tuned! I'm thinking they will make a great inchie collage.

More Halloween

I really am in a Halloween mood! I made these this weekend after seeing similar ones on Vicki Chrisman's blog. These are copies of vintage Halloween cards, adhered to 2-inch wooden blocks with Modge Podge. I sanded and inked the edges and then sprayed with Iridescent Gold Glimmer Mist from Tattered Angels.

Halloween Hanging

I'm ready for fall and cooler temps! It's still in the high 90's here in Texas.

This is a kit I ordered from Red Lead and quickly put together last night. I love it! (Sometimes you just need to work on something relaxing which doesn't require thought or designing.) It went together so quickly. I did learn one thing - see that darling orange velvet rickrack - don't use tape runner on the back as it pulls the velvet flocking off! You can see the bare spots in the scan. I will replace it when I find more. The black cat is German scrap and I just love the vintage photo of the stair-stepped children.

RAK

Remember the little RAK jar I posted recently? I am loving this way to do RAKs (random acts of kindness). I just pick a slip of paper out of the jar which already has the name and address on it. That way I don't have to go looking for the address and I can get it in the mail immediately. This is an ATC I made last night which is going out today to Kerrie. The background is torn music and text papers with several inks smudged on and some random stamping in black. The image is from Paper Artsy - love their stamps.

Random thoughts

I've just returned this evening from a reception/book signing and discussion on "Creativity" featuring three collage/assemblage and fabric artists: Rice Freeman-Zachery, James Michael Starr and Michael deMeng. It was so inspiring to be among other artists and hearing how they approach their work and to find out that we all go through the same doubts, fears and artists blocks as well as the "aha" moments.



On another note (hence the title - random thoughts...), I am very excited that I have found an alternative to the expensive Fancy Pants 6" acrylic block so that I can finally use my new Fancy Pants acrylic stamps! I read somewhere (sorry, I can't remember where or I would give credit) that you could substitute a quilter's square gridded ruler - so, off I went to Joann's quilting department. $5 later I now have a 6" block for my huge stamps! Now to just find time to play...



Here's a tip I read in my LSS's newsletter: you can curve your clear acrylic border stamps on the block in order to get even more mileage from them.



And, if you want to know all about the proper way to use a gluestick (who would have thought one could do a video on this topic!), check out this site: http://www.gomakesomething.com/content/view/276/2/ And be sure to check out all the other stuff on the site - you'll be there awhile. Lisa, as always, is full of useful information!

New stamps

You'd think I have enough stamps, but who can resist those $1 stamps! Aren't these cute? The top three are from Joann's and the other four are from Michael's. I think they will make some cute cards.

I also broke down and bought a Martha Stewart item this weekend. I'd been coveting her scallop border punch but not enough to pay full price. The Michael's 50%-off coupon didn't say it couldn't be used for her stuff, so I tried it and it worked! Not sure if any coupon will work, but this one did! Hurray - I love this eyelet-looking punch.

Another class

These cards are for another card class I'll be teaching at Recollections. These are paper and embellishments onlly - no stamping. For me that's the hard part! The black and white card in the upper left has a small square of embossed metal and the one in the lower right has a shaker made from a plastic slide holder. I didn't realize until these were finished that each one has some turquoise in it - must be my new favorite color!

Check out my Slide Show!