Mail Call Monday!

Today the Mailman was nice to me.  There were no bills in my box, just lovely ATCs.  Yay!

 First up, a Christmas tree card made from Charlie Brown fabric from Jodie in Texas.  (I'm going to try to collect more Peanuts cards as I live in a city that was once home to Charles Schultz and has the Snoopy Museum.)  Thank you Jodie.  The scan really doesn't do it justice, it's very glittery!! I might frame it to put out around the holidays. 

Next, are from my trade with sniisk in Espoo, Finland.  Thank you Sanna!

Spade

Vintage Marriage

Snaphot Friday!

Howdy kiddos and welcome to this week's edition of Snapshot Friday!  As promised, this weeks presentation is brought to you by-

Giggly Babies.

These first two, like many of the other communal art box refugees, are in sad shape.  Flaking a bit and cut, poorly.  But precious, nonetheless.  Remember, you can click on them to enlarge the photos.

I call this little guy Teddy.  Look at all of that hair!  For some reason, I must have been thinking of Theodore Roosevelt the day I got this photo?  (I don't even understand how my brain works and I've had it all my life.)

Messy  Magee here looks so happy I can almost hear the giggles now.

Ok, so this last one isn't as old as the ones I normally have on here, but it's darn cute.  And it's dear to me, this gal rockin' the shades is my little cousin, from almost 20 years ago.

Thanks for tuning into this week's edition of Snapshot Friday.

Have a craftastic day!

Thankful!

Today (and everyday) I feel grateful to have a wonderful partner to spend my life with.  This is my all time favorite picture of us, taken in Fort Bragg, California.  The old school way- I miss Polaroids!

I am also so thankful for great friends- new and old.  I love that I am finding myself and am able to share that with a supportive, encouraging group of people.  So, thank you for all of the kind words.

Ten things I am also grateful for (in no particular order)

* Tequila (My Dog, not the beverage!)

* The kitties- Chunky, Boris and Natasha

* Frankie (RIP Princess)

* My French Press

* Music on Vinyl

* Crafting Supplies

* Acrylic Paint and brushes

* Hugs and Kisses

* Random Acts of Kindness

* Snail Mail

I hope everyone has a wonderful day!

Sir Chunk Barthalameow Kensington Barnaby III

I have a super demanding cat.  When he decides that he wants attention he's not talking in a few minutes or later that day.  He means NOW.  Offended that I would even consider working on my art journal while he was in the room, he made me halt all crafting activities and give him my undivided attention.

Here he is furiously scraping the bits or paper in my collage box.  I was literally looking through the box when he climbed in, jealous of the scraps of paper.

The box was already precariously perched atop other boxes.  Then a rather larger cat was added to the mix.  It was not long before it fell over.  Yet, a lesson would not be learned.  This situation repeated itself several times that night.

 

Looking triumphant and going to sleep. 

Please excuse the chaotic scene, I didn't feel like cleaning up that day :(

Sunny ATC

Map and yarn on Bristol.  I thought it looked too plain so I drew a little house around the name of the city where I live.  Good ol' Santa Rosa, California.  Represent!

Snapshot Friday!

With several friends expecting little ones, I've been working on baby crafts this week (pics coming soon!)

So, this weeks edition of Snapshot Friday is brought to you by-
Serious Babies!

I want that red trim that is running across the front of  his romper.  So cute!  Do you see their beverage of choice? 7up!  Dillon tells me this is an Army hat but this picture reminds me of Robin Hood...  or a little woodland elf.  Why?  I'm not sure.

The back of this photo says, "don't bother me I'm driving the car."  Enough said.

Tune in next weeks episode of Snapshot Friday brought to you by- Giggly Babies.

On my desk...

One night, during the course of changing the blade in the box-cutter, I left the old one on the edge of my workbench.  (That's me- Safety Sally!)  After spilling some water, I was cleaning and saw a ghost image of the blade where it had been laying.  We figured it had something to do with the oil used to treat the blade.  It looked awesome, as it was the same color as the real thing.  For some reason, a few weeks later I attacked it with sharpies.  Wish I would have left it alone though, the trompe l'oeil effect even freaked me out.  Sometimes if I was brushing my desk off in a hurry, I'd see it and think, "Ahhhh, I almost cut myself!"  before realizing it was the ghost blade.

Recent ATCs

I just can't stop making these little guys!

Mas littles....

Prima Ballerina

Fabric, watercolors and paper collage on bristol.  I made this by rolling little tubes of paper, covering them with double-sided tape and attaching the fabric to look like the wavy curtains of a stage.  I'm happy with it as a prototype, I definitely want to expand on this and try it again.

Spaced out

Watercolors and ink on background I received from swapping with Shayna.  Plus glitter and space image from  takeabreak's photostream.  Thanks guys.  There are a ton more of these cute space playing cards, so I'm going to do a whole series of them.

Oh la la

aka Sorry for my crude sense of humor ;)

Paper clippings on bristol.

The day I got my 1 in. hole punch I sat down with a stack of magazines and bad television.  I happily punched away for several hours and filled a envelope with tons of circular goodies.  Although, you can't tell from this card I did get more images than cleavage.  I swear.  Anyways, they are the perfect size for ATCs.  (And they fit perfectly into a bottle cap! Which is why I wanted the punch in the first place.)  My envelope is getting a little low so it looks like I need to find some sort of CSI Marathon and start punching again.

Presence

Soft pastels and paper clippings on bristol.

You guys know all about my new found WNWN (Waste not, Want not) policy when it comes to my crafty supplies.  With that being said, I was glad that I was able to make the following cards out of materials I usually toss without a second thought.  I give you the Coupon Series!  Twice a week we get a stack of fliers, ads, and coupons in the mail.  In an attempt to be more economical I look through them but end up tossing them as they are filled with stuff we don't buy or places we don't go.  99% of it still ends up in the recycling but so far I've got some good cards from my annoying junk mail!

I LOVE TACOS!!

Shiny ad coupon and embroidery floss on bristol.

One of my favorites so far, just because it's so silly.  DH thinks it's ridiculous, but I said, "Mark my words.  Someone will want to trade.  I know someone out there likes Tacos as much as me!"

Hey, I'm not ashamed of my love for Mexican food :)

I'm Tired of Nuts!

Shiny ad and paper clippings on bristol.

That Nutcracker looks mad!

Conspicuous

Shiny ad and paper clippings on bristol.

Good Company.

Shiny ad and paper clippings on bristol.

As of now, all of the cards in this batch, except Conspicuous, are available.  Let me know if you want to trade!!

Just because I love it...

I have this song stuck in my head all of the time.  Now you will too :)

Is this lame?

I made my first sale a few weeks ago!  Granted, it wasn't something I'd made, but it was exciting nonetheless.  Would have posted sooner but I'm still dealing with uploading difficulties.  I was also hoping to see some feedback from my customer, but that has yet to come.  When I decided to sell online, I was determined to be cute and individual.  I didn't want to spend tons on packaging, but still wanted it to be unique.  I figured, even if someone was just treating themselves, it would still be nice to wrap it like something special.  I mean really, who doesn't like getting a gift in the mail ?!  Even if you did buy it yourself, it doesn't make it any less special.

So, honestly, is my packaging super lame?  Or is it cute, like my dorky sense of humor would like to think that it is ?

BTW, I also lowered my prices earlier this week on the crafting jars listed in my etsy shop.  That way, the lovely folks shopping on etsy can keep more money in their pockets.  Just because I live in California, a ridiculously expensive part of the country, doesn't mean everyone else does.  I guess if it looks normal for here, it means it's too high for everywhere else.

This weekend I'll be uploading TONS of ribbon, trim, and buttons to my shop, mostly vintage!!  Check back if you are looking for that little special bit to add to your crafting project.

Snapshot Friday!!

Welcome to this late edition of Snapshot Friday!  (I almost forgot, thanks love, for reminding me!)

First comes love, then comes marriage.  Then comes the... alright, you all know how the rest of it goes.  Figured this was a good follow-up to last week.  Too bad it's, not the same couple.  This one appears to be a bit older.

The next one is in honor of Friday the 13th.  (Yay!)

I was looking for a spooky photo when I asked Dillon if he saw any that looked particularly fitting for today.  He selected the following photo and said, (direct quote)

"This lady look like shes waiting around to be axe murdered."

"Ummmm, ok.  Why?" was my response.

He went on to explain that her awkward placement in the photo, the washed-out face, and the dark shadows in the background make it seem like there is something going on back there.  Yeah, that's really how he talks,  he's a photographer.  I guess I can see what he means, but then again we might just be sick people.

Anyway, here she is.  The Friday the 13th victim.

The back says- "Me, 1962."

Mail Call!

This lovely lady came all the way from Saline, Michigan to be here with me.  Made by Autumnsensation, thanks Joy.  Check out her ATCs for trade,  maybe one of you out there has one you'd like to trade with her?

Spatulas, Spatulas, Spatulas!!!

I spent Sunday making ATCs (pics to come!!) and working on my art journal.  While going through one of my collage boxes, filled with pretty little paper bits I've been saving, I found one of my favorite pieces of ephemera...ever!  I was at work one day and I knew I had to save it from being tossed aside with the rest of the recycling.  I mean really, who could resist this awesomeness?!

(Click on to enlarge.)

 

 

Aside from the lovely lady enthusiastically holding the wok and spatula, my favorite part has got to the the spatula saying, "bye-bye".  It makes me wonder where it is going.  I plan to do a whole series of ATCs and Postcards with altered versions of these images.  I can't wait to get some more ink, as I could never bare to cut the original, it's just too great.  Feel free to use these in your art too.  I would love to see what you come up with!

It reminds me of this- 

I think I just found the answer to the inevitable question I'll be asked later tonight- what movie are we going to watch, babe?

So, while we're on the subject.  What movie are YOU going to watch tonight, babe?

Mail Call!

Last week I received two offers to trade ATCs on the same day.  Somehow, yesterday I managed to go the whole day without checking the mail!?  It was well into the evening before it occurred to me.  As soon as I realized I ran out of the room yelling, "Aaaaaaacccccckkkkkkk, I forgot the mail!!"  Leaving behind several confused people who probably thought I had finally gone over the edge.

This card came from Beth in Lake Havasu City in Arizona.  I love it, she's a very talented crafter.  Check out her photostream.

Thanks Beth!!

Snapshot Friday!!

So, that was unexpected right?  Since there is only one photo today I didn't want to leave you lacking in visual stimulation.  It ties in... sorta, kinda.  Well, with the strange way my mind works, it does.   I have wedding bells on my mind.  Can you tell?

 

(Click to enlarge)

This is one of my favorites.  (Helloooo, Sailor!  Mmmmm, mmm.  I love me a man in uniform.)  The Maid of Honor doesn't appear to be looking at the newlyweds at all.  I think she's making eyes at the handsome Sailor.  Perhaps another wedding took place not long after this one?  It makes me sad to think that someone would cast aside such a sweet photo from a day that must have been filled with so many memories.  And like all of the other JC Art Class Communal Box refugees, this one hasn't been treated very nicely, so I've taken the liberty of giving it a good home. 

Here Kitty!

This little cutie came to me from Dana in Tennessee.  Thanks Dana!

Join the Fun!!!

Nicole over on Flickr has dreamed up a great project and needs some contributions.

 Show off your hometown pride by crafting a small piece to be a part of the quilt she is making.

With participants from all over, this collaboration will be awesome and I can't wait to see the end results. 

This project is open to crafters of all ages and skill levels, so anyone and everyone should participate! Whether your picking up a needle for the very first time or you can stitch with your eyes closed, this seems like a great way to spend an afternoon.  Contact Nicole for more information and a mailing address where you can send your piece.  And be sure to spread the word to family and friends, the more the merrier.  Come join in the crafty fun!