"A Walk in the Woods" Layout

Left side of layout

Layout Title

Layout Journaling

Left side detail shot

Right side of layout

Right side detail shot

I created this layout tonight in under an hour using a white cardstock base and patterned papers and embellishments I found at the Dollar Tree. It was economical and fun. The right side is a little cluttered and busy, but I had alot of photos I wanted to include from this day trip to a river up north. I think I captured the sunshine.

Greetings for Tim, Aly, and Grandma Haymore

My sister, Aly's birthday card

Birthday card for my grandma

Thinking of You card for co-worker, Tim

These are the greeting cards that I worked on making tonight. The first is a birthday card for my little sister Aly. I can't believe she's going to be 21! The sentiment is a silly private joke stemming from some YouTube video about muffins that she finds hilarious.

The second card is for my Grandmother who lives in Virginia and I never get to see. I called my mom tonight and told her I would make a card to send her from the family. I used the DCWV Sweet Stack, some Bazzill Bling paper, and some decorative staples and 3-D ice cream sticker.

The last card is a multi-purpose cheer up card for my co-worker Tim who unfortunately just had his brother in FL pass away from a heart attack. He loves the Boston Red Sox, and his birthday was just a week ago, so I wanted to make a card to let him know I was thinking of him and that I was there for him. He's a great guy, and I feel bad that he's going through so much.

I am a firm believer in handmade cards having some magical power though, even if it's just makes the receiver smile for a moment, in that moment they know they are loved. For my sister, we can joke through the card; for my grandmother, the card will bridge the miles between us; and for Tim, he will know he's not alone.

Altered Store-Bought Greeting Cards

"Pretty Pansies"

"Momma's Little Fairy"

"Birthday Garden Friends"

These are my first attempts at altering store-bought greeting cards. I swore to myself a long time ago that I would never buy a card. I believe in making cards so that they are more personal and meaningful down to the last sticker, button, or shred of paper. Fortunately, I didn't have to break that oath to myself to create these: my grandma passes over her cast off cards to me to cut up for my own creations. It was easy to cover or get rid of the writing in these few, so I chose them as my base and added my own papers, images and doo dads. This is for a swap Marilyn Rock is hostessing. You can check out her fantastic art blog at http://wwwmarilyninmyroom.blogspot.com/

Proportions and Playfulness: Picasso Inspired LFB

Monthly Artist LFB Front

Monthly Artist LFB Back

This is the Little Fat Book page that I just created for my sister's Monthly Artist LFB Swap. This month she wanted us to be inspired by Pablo Picasso. I used magazine images and collaged them to create an unexpected mix. Distorted proportions and seemingly random combinations of images made a fun and playful piece.

Mixed Media Mystery Mission: Operation 33 (Cat Not Included)

Assignment Envelope

Box full of random embellishments

Cat sleeping with the box

The Mission:

Turn This...

And this...

and this, into a piece of altered art.

Eleven brave artists chose to accept the first ever In My Vintage Room Yahoo Group's Mixed Media Mystery Mission: Operation 33. Operation 33 for the 33 embellishments that will be incorporated into the cigar box to create the art, was inspired by the July/August issue of Cloth, Paper, Scissors' article "33 Items & A Pizza Box."

Artists, dubbed Secret Agents, were provided with Top Secret Mission Envelopes which contained the number of their mystery bag that housed the cigar box and embellishments they will use to create their art. The Mystery Bag also contained the following letter:

Greetings In My Vintage Room Secret Agents,

Thanks for joining Mixed Media Mystery Mission: Operation 33!

As a participating artist, you now have in your hands the surprise object to alter including 33 treasures to use in the altering process!

Your Wooden Cigar Box contains:
Wright’s Lace Trim in “Spice”
Clear Glass Jewel from a Gloversville Antique store
Antique Domino*
Puzzle Pieces
Mini Playing Card
Prima Paper Flower
Antique Button Assortment
Metal Snap
Shaped Brad
Bottle Cap*
K & Co Mini-tag
Silver Spiral Clip*
Chipboard Stencil Letter
File Tag w/ paper insert
Mini Circle Mirror
Tim Holtz Game Spinner w/brad
Coin Envelope
Optometrist Lens
Laser-cut Wooden Skeleton key
Antique Pen Nib from a Gloversville Antique Store
French Book Paper Sheet*
Metal Rosette Bead*
Watch Part(s)
Cancelled Postage Stamps
Paint Swatch
Springs
K & Co Metal Frame
Language Quote Tag*
Blue Cameo
Crayon
4” piece of wooden ruler
Close To My Heart Fibers
Number Playing Piece*
*Items included courtesy of Lori Stachnik

You will be required to use these embellishments in the creation of your art piece, but you may drop 3 and add 3 new items instead. Note: Any item that came in multiples counts as one item i.e. button(s), puzzle piece(s), postage stamp(s).

Remember to alter the pieces to suit the theme and needs of your art piece. As it takes shape you may find yourself sanding, staining, painting, glazing, or using decoupage and crackling mediums, or any combination of techniques. You may use unlimited paint, gesso, gel mediums, glues, inks, stamps, papers and images of your choice.

Your finished cigar box may or may not still be a storage vessel when you are done; it could be a jewelry box, a purse, coffee table conversation piece, or may be dismantled to become a shadow box, art frame, or any number of creative possibilities. Please feel free to “think outside of the box” and pour your heart and soul into it.

The results of our Mixed Media Mystery Mission will be unveiled at our Exhibition & Exchange at our September gathering (Date/Time/Place TBA). Each completed Mission project will be on display at the gathering and numbered. Each participant will draw a number to determine the art piece they will “win” to take home with them and enjoy.

This is your Mission—should you choose to accept it. I look forward to the results of your work, Secret Agents.

Sincerely,
Tabitha Lewis
In My Vintage Room Moderator
a.k.a. M4:033 Agent Specialist

I can't wait to get going on mine, but it is a daunting task. What do springs, optometrist lenses, and bottle caps have in common? They are just a few of the items I have to get to "make sense" in a piece of art. The pressure is on...and the mission must soon be commenced because the due date is now set: Saturday, September 26th. I will update on my progress soon.

Faux Frog Prince ATC Series

These are the ATCs that I created for Lori's Royalty swap in the In My Vintage Room Yahoo Group. Her only stipulation was that we use a crown somewhere on our ATCs. I created an extra hostess card for her, because I found a cute little quote to build a series on. I used photos from a 1954 year book I bought at the Washington County Antique show a few weekends ago, and I cut two of the frogs out of a vintage game board. The rest was stamped, inked, painted, and heart stickers were added as well as brads, dew drops, and googly eyes for varying frog eyes. This was fun!

Fashion ATCs

"Beauty"

"Fashionista"

"Shoes"

Here are the Fashion ATCs I created for my August swap in the In My Vintage Room Yahoo group. Gel pens, stickers, magazine cut-outs, printed images, fancy papers, and paper punched leaves adorn and layer my creations. I was a little less in the mood for creating this time around--but it may be because after my shopping day with Ginger I'm exhausted thinking about clothes! ;o)

My Dream Home (in chipboard)

Outside of my "house"

Inside of my "house"

Detail shot of my chandalier

Here is the third altered chipboard house I have created for In My Vintage Room Yahoo group's bi-monthly house swap. This theme was DREAM HOUSE, and I scoured the few Better Homes & Gardens magazines that I recently purchased for some great rooms to collage into my piece. It was tough to find images the right size to work with, but I think I was able to convey the jist of my image of a dream home. Something bright, colorful, cheery, warm, inviting, and spacious. Jeff and I are currently trying to redecorate our house, and after a fresh coat of paint and some trips to antique shows we are well on our way to revamping the ambiance of our home. Some day I will be done with school, married, and working on starting a family to fill a house that I hope will be my dream home...till then, I'll settle for my little chipboard version.

Lori's Altered Post Card Swap

Post Card Before

Post Card After

This is the altered post card I created for Lori's swap. It's the first time I've tried anything like this before and it was a challenge for sure! My scan doesn't quite do it justice, as I have 5 layers of embossing powders creating a lustrous textured border around the card. If I could do it again, I wouldn't have gone so far into the card with the powder, but it was a learning experience. It brings the sunset in around my milk maid and the charming passerby.

Wells Old Home Day Parade

Grandma & Me

Jeff & Brinkley

The man in the car that tossed Brink a dog bone :o)

Brink being a good boy watching the parade with Mom & Dad

Cute little "float"

Smokey the Bear

It's been a few weeks since I've had any inspiration to update my blog. The only art I've been working on is a baby album for my friend Kristine (which I'm thankfully almost done with!). Last week I had four days off in a row for the first time this summer and I spent two of them taping, priming, and painting my dining room and living room with Jeff. The other two days we spent in Wells at my grandma's camp with my grandma and my sisters for Wells Old Home Days.

Above are some photos from the parade on Saturday afternoon. Firetrucks, old cars, bag pipes, horses, Smokey the Bear, and even an all women kazoo band! Jeff, my sisters and I are getting too old to draw much attention to get candy thrown at us anymore, but we did take in some "loot" and were sure to share the tootsie rolls with Grandma. The cutest part of the whole parade for me was when a man in the old red car (seen above) tossed Brinkley a dog bone. He had impeccable aim and it landed right between Brinkley's paws. Brinkley gobbled it up before I could even situate my camera to get a good shot of his delighted expression and wagging tail.

Wells Old Home Days encompasses a fair, fireworks, the parade, and ultimately a weekend of fun, food, and incredible memories. Year after year the vendors, rides, and attractions dwindle to less and less. I think it disappoints my grandmother to see what was once such a booming town fade into a run down little speck on a map. Elise and Aly and I will always remember this special weekend in August a certain way, and having Jeff with me there this year...he just had to take my word for the great thing it once was. The parade was cute, and the fried dough was worth it's 24 weight watcher's points, and I got a book I needed for school at a used book sale for 25 cents--so the weekend wasn't a total loss. And no matter how "bad" Wells Old Home Days becomes, its more about being with grandma and my sisters and friends on the lake on a gorgeous summer day...and less about carnival rides and overpriced games and food. This year, what I will take with me is the priceless excitement of my puppy dog as a bone flies through the air and lands at his feet like it's raining treats!