What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday

I haven't participated in this for a long time, mostly because I don't generally have anything neat to show you. Today, I do:
I joined a Pretty Pennants swap on a Yahoo group I'm in. I was orignally going to make my pennants with vintage hankies, but they weren't big enough. By that time, I'd already got myself so excited about fabric, I just had to find some. I chose this vintage green scarf, I affixed it to a piece of quilt batting with spray adhesive and went to work.
There is a row of vintage buttons with old thread in them at the top. The middle piece is from a doily I picked up from a garage sale and the button is also vintage. I couldn't find the right thread in my stash, so they are all sewn on with some cord from some tags.
I think I might add some decorative stitching and some beads or buttons hanging off the end. I'm supposed to have a way to hang it as well, and finish the back (which is just the batting and stitches right now), but I'm not sure how.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

What's on your Workdesk? Go over to Julia's to see some more workdesks.

Happy WOYWW

Hello all,
I'm back participating in WOYWW this week. I finally finished my cards for my Halloween swap for my CollageATCs yahoo group, exteremely late, I know. But, I was the hostess and as we weren't doing anything for December, and everyone's busy with other things, nobody seemed too bothered. And here they are:
Starting in the upper left hand corner: I used the orange vellum and the 'Trick or Treat' bag. I had the Lisa Frank jack-o-lantern sticker, and the sunglasses used to be a pin.
I used the orange vellum and the jack-o-lantern punch. I thought it would be neat/creepy to have a set of eyes peering out from a leaf pile. All the leaves are diecuts I bought at a garage sale this summer.
I used everything but the background. The black bat and moon are buttons, the smaller buttons are from a plastic bag, and the house is a punch. I used gold spray webbing on the background.
I used the tiny 'Boo' piece, it's from a plastic bag. I thought the old couple looked kinda creepy.
In this set, starting in the upper left hand corner: I used the orange vellum ghost and the foam witch's hat. The ghost is glued onto a piece of lined cardboard and then onto an old book page. The trim on the top and bottom is some green leather.
I used the candy corn paper, and the candy corn stickers. The background is another piece of old book page. The lady is a stamped image given to me by a friend.
I used the black tissue paper covering the spider. I started out with this flourescent yellow plastic spider, I tried to color it black with a sharpie marker, but that didn't work. Then I remembered this technique I read about on a blog of covering something with tissue paper, so I did that with some Mod Podge, and then added the gold pearl powder to it, I covered it with more Mod Podge, so it wouldn't rub off. This is my favorite of the group. I still have to paint the hourglass red, but I love it the way it is now.
The last one, I used the web and the spider.

If you don't know what WOYWW is, head over to Julia's and check it out.

Altered Tin Swap

Last time I posted on here (it was a awhile ago), I posted the tin I decorated for an Altered Tin Swap for one of my Yahoo! groups. This is the tin I got in return, today, November 2nd (I'll come back to that).
Here's a view of the front, and the opening is on the left, a tiny bit backward if you ask me.
Here's a view of the back:

And here's a view of the inside:

It's very pretty, but I guess I hoped for a little more, it's all paper and glitter. Don't get me wrong, I do like, it's just a little different, but then that's why I join swaps, to get a great variety of art.

Now back to the part of receiving it today, November 2nd. Originally, we were supposed to mail these to a hostess and then she would swap them out and send them back to us. She decided it would be easier for us to just mail them to our partner, I thought it was a good idea too. The original date to get to her was October 15th, since it was changed to mailing directly to our partners, I interpreted that to mean, our partner should have it by the 15th of October.

I get my emails through a list email, as we usually get a ton of emails from the group. I saw on the list that my partner posted she had mailed hers late, maybe around the 20th of October. Now, she didn't email me to tell me that, our partners were not secret, so that wouldn't be a problem.

I kept checking my mailbox hoping it would be there. Today, I looked and it was, and the mailed date was October 27th. She had to go to the post office to get it mailed to me, so I know the date is true.

Here's my question to you all, if you're going to be late sending something to someone, wouldn't you email them?

Also, would this be unacceptable for you in a swap? For the item to be mailed 12 after it was supposed to be in someone's hands?

If I was hosting the swap, and I was waiting on an item, they'd be booted out of the swap. The package would be returned to sender once I got it. I know it wasn't a swap where you send it to a hostess, but still.

I'm annoyed about the fact that it was sent so late and that she didn't inform me about the fact she was going to send it late.

Happy Woyww, check out Julia's Blog for more snooping.

I would love any and all comments.

What's On Your Workspace Wednesday

OK, I'm late, and this picture is not actually on my workspace this week, but I needed to take the pictures before the sun was completely gone on Monday, and I had to mail it yesterday.
So WOYWW? it's an altered Altoid tin I did for a swap.
Quite a few years ago, my mother and I went to a class on using UTEE on Altoid tins, our instructor had already burned off the paint on her stove. We've found the best way to burn off the paint (though it could be different now), was to hold it over a gas flame on a stove set to high. Unfortunately, neither of us has a gas stove anymore, so I thought I'd try a candle, same principle right? Well, either Altoids has changed the way they paint their boxes or candles just don't give off enough heat, or I was impatient, or everything together, it didn't actually burn the paint off, so I finally gave up, and just added the UTEE over the top.
This is the front of the tin, after building up my UTEE layer, I added black, gold, silver, and copper embossing powders. I then added this leftover sticker backing I had laying on my floor, some leaf punches and some melted tinsel to it:
And here is the inside:
I also did the UTEE layering and then added terra cotta, butterscotch and hunter green embossing powders. Then I added the plastic leaves, the twigs from my yard, the pumpkin, an acorn stamped image, and the copper leaf to it.

I also added some left over stamped bookpages from my last ATC project and a piece of orange vellum, on which I wrote happy Fall, to the inside of the lid. Of course I did that later Monday night, and didn't get a picture of it.

If you want to know what WOYWW is, go on over to Julia's to find out.

Also, don't forget to go here for my Halloween giveaway, it ends on the 20th.

What's On My Workspace Wednesday

For September in my CollageATCs Yahoo Group, our swap theme was Fall, here are my cards for the swap:
Starting in the bottom left hand corner and going clockwise:
The background paper is from when I did some distress spraying and masking, you can't see much of that paper, due to the yellow handmade paper I added to it. On top of that are 4 leaf images that I colored and a clear leaf sticker, all of those came in the packet.
Upper left: background paper is from distress spraying and masking, you can see a 3 leaf branch and a 4. I added leaf die cuts and a brown button with a yellow gem in the middle. The button and gem were in the packet.
Upper right: I stamped leaf images on an old book page and colored them in with markers. You can't tell from the picture, but the red maple leaf is dimensional, the stamped image was in the packet and I put some foam tape under it. There's also a little bug sticker on the large leaf, which was also included in the packet.
Bottom right: the background is a bunch of sequin leaves that were in the packet, and then there's a dog playing in leaves sticker that was also in the packet.
Here's my other set of cards, starting in the bottom left corner and going clockwise:
Bottom left: once again the background paper is when I did some distress spraying and masking. I added the punched grass and a stamped tree. The items from the packet are the leaf punches on the tree and the sunflower button in the corner.
Top left: Again, I stamped leaf images onto old book paper, items from the packet are the acorn and the smiling apple.
Top right: background is pre-cut wallpaper, I added the grass punch, and the items from the packet are all the leaves and pinecone, as well as the scarecrow sticker.
Bottom right: background is a red card. I included some colored tinsel in the packet and was curious to see what it would do if heated, the "hair" on the leaf man is the result. I added some eyes and the metal piece for the smile. Items from the packet are the tinsel hair, the silk leaf for the head, and the metal for the smile.
I hope you like my cards, next week I will have an altered tin for my other yahoo group.


If you don't know what WOYWW is hop on over to Julia's to find out.


I love getting comments, don't forget to go here for my Halloween giveaway.

What's On Your Workspace Wednesday

So, what's on my workspace today?

My cards for the Roy G Biv swap in one of my Yahoo! groups. Here is a complete picture of all of them, the colors are about right on in this picture. In the other pictures, they came out kinda dull, so if you want to see the actual colors refer back to this top picture.
Here's a close-up of Red: All the cards are 4x4 inches square, I started out with a piece of cardstock in each color. For red, I covered the background with some metallicky (new word) red paper flowers, then I layered a 3x3 inch square piece of mulberry paper and then a picture of Red Poppies off of a seed packet.

Here's a close-up of Orange. Once again, I started with an Orange square, then I added a 3x3 inch square piece of orange corrugated cardboard, then I layered a 2x4 inch piece of orange joss paper, and then added a fabric orange lizard on top, I finished it off with orange German scrap.

Here's a close-up of Yellow. I started with the yellow cardstock, then covered it with a piece of yellow flowered wrapping paper. I finished it off with a trio of flowers button in the upper right hand corner, and a "vacation" button in the lower left hand corner.

Here's a close-up of Green. I started out with the green 4x4 inche cardstock and layered a piece of green mulberry paper on it, then I added a blueish green swirl from a piece of paste paper. The "K" in the corner is foam, the stars are from some Christmas ribbon, and there's green German scrap for the edging.

Here's Blue: I started with the blue cardstock and layered a piece of 3x3 inch blue mulberry paper, and then added blue fabric butterflies and a blue butterfly rub on.

Here's Indigo:I started with a navy square, and added the indigo mulberry paper, and another square of indigo mulberry paper, then I colored the bluejay image in with colored pencils and glued it on top.

Here's Violet: I started with the violet square and added a 3x3 inch square of violet mulberry paper, and then the foam dolphin and foam witches hat. The spiderweb is sparkly, and the heart is a button.

A couple weeks ago, Chrissie said she wanted to see the desk I created my cards on, well here it is:

That's right, I create on my floor. I do have a table I set up to create on, but it's full of stuff (does that happen to anyone else?), so I end up on the floor. This week, I used the floor, the back of an artists' canvas and the back of a piece of cardboard to mod podge on. Someday, I'll have a house and an actual room and table to create in/on. But, for now, I have a closet that houses my supplies, and the floor to work on.

At least I've cleared out enough room to be able to shove the table back into the closet between creating times.

If you have no idea what WOYWW is, jump over to Julia's and check it out.

Don't forget to enter my giveaway, it's here.

Also, I will be sure to participate next week, as I have to make Fall cards for the Yahoo! group I host.

What's on your Workdesk Wednesday

Hello everyone, I'm back to creating (that's what happens when you enter swaps and deadlines come up). These cards are some I created for the yahoo! group I host (collageATCs), August's theme was Artists Choice, where everyone made their own cards instead of my sending out a packet of stuff.
Last month I received a great packet of stamped images and mulberry paper from one of the members in my group as part of a Christmas in July swap, this month I used some of those papers.
I really love the orange one below, the elephant is from a set of earrings I bought at a garage sale this summer.

If you have no idea what WOYWW is, head on over to Julia's blog, to snoop around other people's desks.

I love reading your comments.

Beware of the Birds

Hi all, I'm a little late today, I was thinking tomorrow was Wednesday. I went on a mini vacation this weekend, got back on Monday and went to work for a few hours, then yesterday I was working all day, so my time's a little off.
So, what's on my workspace today? The finished result of those little Maya Road bird pages. Sorry, about the blurry pictures, I didn't realize they were so blurry when I was taking them.
I thought a swirly would look nice about where the wing would be, only I didn't have a scrolly stamp, I did, however have a chipboard swirl, which I traced around in black and then colored the shape in in brown. You can't see it, but you can still see the words through the brown, and it's a little sparkly due to being colored over the 'glimmer' mist. I also added a piece of lace for the tail, and a very light gem for the eye.

I also mod podged over the flat parts, so the brown ink kinda spread out over the bird, and you can't quite see the sparkly mist anymore. Here's a close-up (which is also blurry). The back is painted green and has the Yahoo! group name, swap name, hostess name, my name and date. I thought they turned out rather well.

In that first photo you can see a snippet of another chipboard book I'm working on. It's a squareish shape covered with green tissue paper and some brown SU ink swiped over the top.

Go check out Julia and see other people's workspaces today. I love your comments.

What's on Your Workspace Wednesday

It's Wednesday again (OK, not quite), and here's what I've done in my artsy space since last week. I hope the picture's ok, when I woke up this morning, I had no power, so I had to open up my shades and take the picture.
I have been trying to get a shift off at work, and this is my thank you card to my co-worker for filling my shift.
I love using old book pages in my work lately, so I layered one onto a piece of green cardstock (why green? I have no idea). I searched through my papers and finally found this woman, and then added the buttons in the corners (I'm trying to use my buttons as well, if anyone has any suggestions, I'd appreciate them). The one on the bottom is brown, the one on the top is green, if you can't tell.

If you don't know what WOYWW is, hop on over to Julia's blog to see. I love comments.

What's on Your Work Space Wednesday

Welcome to What's on your Workspace Wednesday, my 2nd week. I finished my charms the other day (so I'm kinda cheating, but I knew I wouldn't have anything out for today) and found out the bird book isn't due until the 20th, so that will be another week. If you don't know what this is, hop over to Julia's blog.

I had a hard time figuring out what I wanted to do, I started by laying buttons on the charms, because I originally thought I should do something with buttons, because I have a lot, but they covered up the holes, so that didn't work. Then I thought of putting book pages on the green backgrounds, so that's what I decided one. I have a math book, so I started leafing through that and found some problems, cut them out and stuck them on.

For the other side I chose a bunch of nice words. If you can't read them here they are: bravely, confess, confidence, duty, estates, feel, proprietor, purchase, question, relieved, smile, sold, trumpery, value, wages. I tried to find money words because of the problems on the first side.

So that's what I ended up with, I hope the other ladies in the swap like them.

What's on Your Workspace Wednesday

So, I'm editing this to go along with the What's on Your Workspace Wednesday, I've wanted to participate for awhile, but since I haven't been creating for awhile, I didn't have anything to show, well, this week I do (maybe I just want a lot of comments).
I signed up for a couple swaps in a yahoo group, and I've been putting them off because "they're not due until August", I realized the other day, August is less than a week away YIKES!
One of the swaps I'm signed up for is a charm necklace swap, I've done 3 charm swaps already: a couple bracelets and a chipboard house with charms dangling off the bottom. I was thinking I had to make 26 charms for this swap, which is a lot of charms if you think about it. I was reading the rules today and realized it was only 15, that was a huge sigh of relief. I haven't exactly decided what I'm doing yet, but here are my bases:

They are pieces of faux shell that I covered with a mossy colored tissue paper. They had 2 holes in them, they were called spacers. I had started by covering only one hole up, but that looked stupid, so I went back and covered everything both sides with the tissue paper. I'm thinking about layering something else (don't know what) and then adding a varnish to the top of it.
The next swap I signed up for is a chipboard bird book swap. We were sent a book with cover and 5 pages, I have to decorate the 5 pages and send them back, so then I have my own cover with 5 pages from other people. Here's what I have so far:
I covered the pages with old book pages and then sprayed them with my homemade glimmer mists of gold and pink. I did discover while ripping off the excess paper, that the pearl ex powders that I mixed with water to make my sprays come off on my hands, so I'll have to put some modge podge over the top when I'm done. The back side has been painted with a very light green. I'm thinking of stamping some kind of image, but wonder if that will be too busy with the text.

And my last project, is something I just started for fun. Here it is:
It's a tree. I took a 12x12 canvas board, painted it black and then added the same mossy colored tissue paper as on the charms above and then painted it with my new water colors. I don't paint very well, but trees are pretty easy. I don't know what's coming next with this project, but it may be put on the back burner while I finish my swaps, I have about 2 weeks to finish them.

Any suggestions for my projects?