Christmas Crafternoon

I used to always take craft projects for the kids but it seems that as the niece/nephews get older, it has become more of a ladies "Crafternoon". After everyone has stuffed themselves and the table is cleared, Diane & I get out our craft project and the ladies seem to wander their way over. This year we made paper mache ornaments and used gift wrap from the morning's gifts to decorate them...Aren't they beautiful and I SO love the time together sitting around creating and talking...it's priceles!

My dear little Gingersnap!

I just couldn't resist...here is precious Gingersnap all dressed up for Christmas in her reindeer cap! Isn't she a hoot?

Whimsy On! Whimsy Squares!

I'm hosting a swap at Paper Whimsy where we are all making 1.5" x 1.5" Whimsy Squares to trade with each other. I just love this size and think I will be making lots more. They are great as their own piece of art, but even better when used as an embellishment on someting else. How cool is that? Here are my 9 for the swap. Enjoy

Walk on the Wild Side...for Peggy

Peggy's gothic arch theme is "Walk on the Wild Side", isn't that wonderful? I printed out copies of some of the paper dolls I have created and used them in this collage. It's another one of those pieces that started out as one thing and ended up creating itself. I hope you like it!

Solvitur Ambulando means "Walking Solves All Things"...a good reminder, don't you think?

Cheech & Chong for Peggy

Peggy's theme this month for our 8x8 tip-in swap is Famous Movie Couples. I originally was going to do Lucy & Desi but someone did that already sooooo.....I chose Cheech Marin & Tommy Chong! I just love these two guys and their movies and comedy crack me up. I did a little different background technique...tissue paper, soft-gloss gel medium, pearl-ex powders, stickles and rubber stamped images. Really soft hand and beautiful in person. Hope Peggy likes them!

My "sort of" 8x8's for Gina

As many of you know, each month a group of us swap gothic arches and 8x8's for a year-long tip-in project. This month I was to create an 8x8 page spread for my friend Gina using her theme of Bible stories.

In the meantime, I had started a paper mache house at our Etsy Craft Night meeting and wanted to get it finished up before the next meeting for "show &tell". I also had Gina's images set out ready to work on her 8x8 "Bible Story" spread for October. As I worked on the house, my muse kind of took over and next thing I knew it was 5:30 in the morning and I had created this shrine based on the Bible Story I had chosen for Gina...which is 1 Kings 3:16-28.

I emailed Gina and asked if she would like the shrine instead of the8x8's and she agreed! Yeah!!! I made a little book illustrating the bible story and placed it inside the shrine. I don't know if you can tell from the photos but I cut a niche in one side and used microbeads to frame it. Lots of distressed embossing powder, radio transisters, and golden embossing powder was used along with alcohol inks, paper and the wonderful Mother & Child images from B-Muse.

I hope Gina likes it...I'm having a hard time letting it go but she is my friend and I am happy to gift it to her...after all, it was her theme that inspired it! Hugs coming your way Gina!

Paper Whimsy Holiday Banner Ornaments

At Paper Whimsy we are creating Vintage Ornaments for the holidays. We signed up in groups of 7 and will mail out one ornament to each of the other 6 participants in the group. My group's colors are pink & gold and these are the ornaments I made using my chosen template. Each person will be using a different template so that in the end, we will have a wonderful assortment of pink & gold ornaments to hang together in a beautiful holiday banner! Paper Whimsy has absolutely wonderful images, talented artists and super-duper swaps. Hugs to my Whimsy Friends!

A Halloween Tag...

...for a friend.

ATC's for Paper Whimsy PJammer Retreat

I haven't created ATC's for several months so it was fun to do them again! I came home with a lovely assortment of ATC's from the other ladies at the retreat too! Woo-hoo!

Halloween Gothic Arches for Paper Whimsy Swap

I had so much fun with these Halloween gothic arches. I tried so hard not to use witch hats on any of them but my little guy just demanded one of them. I found a wonderful old book when I was in Noblesville, IN and am having a blast finding fabulous words to use in my art. These arches are for a 3:3 swap at Paper Whimsy hosted by Lynn Fox.

Sharing....

An Award gived to me by the talented Sarah Drayton at Whimsy Dreams Studio. Thank you Sarah! I will share this award with some amazing ladies whose blogs have inspired me along the way, I LOVE these blogs!

...but first the rules.........

1. The winner can put the logo on their blog
2. Link the person you received your award from
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs
4. Put links of those blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message on the blogs of the people you nominated.

Dawn Gold
Peggy Gatto

Jan Thomason

Tamara Comerford
Barbara Burkard
Robin Olson Mayberry

Helga Strauss

Some Family Reunion Fun

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Bibbidi Bobbidi Ball at Paper Whimsy

I don't know why I ever start out with an "idea" in my head for a project cuz my muse just takes over and does it her way! SHE didn't want to create what I had envisioned so I went along with her...I never argue with my muse. :o)

However after we finished her gown, I asked permission to make mine and she contentedly agreed. I have posted both of the finished gowns below and am going to let you decide which one I should "wear" to the ball. My muse and I have agreed that your vote will make the decision and we are NOT telling you which creation belongs to who. We also know that one gown looks more "ball-like" but we would like you to vote for the gown that you like the best! If you would like to leave me a comment telling me why you chose the one you did, I would be thrilled!

If you'd like to, please tell your friends...I would like a good mix of people voting. Thanks...I will let you know on August 25th which gown won.

The poll is POSTED TO THE RIGHT of this blog post and I think the choices are are self-explanatory....Asian-Inspired Gown & Flower-Power Gown shown below left to right. :o)

Bitty Row Houses - Playful Nudes

I bought this gorgeous "Playful Nudes" collage sheet transparency from ARTchix Studio right before the yahoo group switched to a no-nudes posting policy. Unfortunately, as an "adult" group, we were getting too many ads from yahoo listing links to pornographic sites. What a bummer huh? Really, there was not other choice but it was a big bummer to have this gorgeous group of ladies and not be able to create with them...at least not yet. :)

If you are under 18 or if nudes offend you, please look the other way but I do hope you will enjoy the copper row houses I made for Lenna Andrews' current swap. I LOVED working with the copper! I used copper mesh, copper sheets and copper tape. I embossed, distressed, painted and texturized it....and next time, I am going to try heating it! After I had the houses cut out, I used the new DigiSheets from Paper Whimsy for the backgrounds. Then I began auditioning images and the Playful Nudes transparencies just seemed "right". I love how they look over the swirling fruity backgrounds and in hind-sight...it creates a bit of voyeuristic art....which I love! Hope you do too. Namaste, Carol