Valentine Matchbox Challenge on Craftster

Specimen No. 1

This is an old book cover and a bunch of random found objects.

I think I'm happier with this piece than any I've done in a very long time. The best part is that I did this one completely because I wanted to, not because it was for someone else.

(I can't get decent pictures of it tonight. I'll try again on the weekend when I can do it during the day instead of at night.)

Chunky Houses

I forgot about these...they're from a chunky house swap on Craftster in July. I love how they turned out.

Its been awhile....

These are a couple of items I did for a small vintage Halloween swap on Craftster.




I've been in a crafty slump for the better part of a year now. There are so many excuses I could come up with but it really boils down to the fact that I'm totally disorganized and my work space is an overwhelming mess. I did the "cleanup" in July, which turned out to be an effort in futility. Within days my space was a total wreck again. Its still a wreck. I walk in there, take one look at the mess, turn right around and walk back out.

I also have an issue with creating anything that isn't for a specific purpose, like a swap. I don't know when the last time I created something just for the sake of doing it. I have a piece sitting on my table right now that isn't destined for some far off destination and I'm set on finishing it by Sunday night. Its just in the early stages but I already like it and I think its got potential to be a cool piece. Now to get it off the table and turned into a finished piece, hanging on my wall. (I even know where I want to hang it when its done!)

Hopefully there will be pictures posted by Monday morning. I'm crossing my fingers.

The craft room...

The sad part is that this was taken after I worked on cleaning it for 4 days.

Swap Items for Rackycoo.

Here are the items I made for Rackycoo for the Invite Your Partner Swap on Craftster.

The Essence of a Woman

This was made for a challenge on Craftster's paper craft board. The only rules were that it had to be made mostly of paper and the theme was "Woman/The Female Form."

I decided to take some very simple elements that make up a woman and make a 4x4 chunky book. The covers are chipboard and I used my super awesome Bind-It-All machine to bind it.

Triptych for GingerQuilts

Round 3 of houses

Houses for Craftster's Round 2 of the Chunky House swap.

"True" book box

This was made using some clip art from an old Somerset magazine.

Little fairy house

I made this for a swap on Craftster. Its about a 4 inch cube. There is a battery operated tea light in the bottom so it glows from inside.

I wish I had done something else with the inside of the front wall so the cut edge of the fairy panel wasn't so obvious when it was light. Ah well...something to remember for next time.

How many mixed-media artists does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

Five. One to scour flea markets for the perfect vintage light bulb, one to collage over it with found papers, one to age it further with walnut crystals, one to give it nice highlights with Treasure Gold rub-ons and one to stick it in the socket with E6000 heavy-duty adhesive. It doesn't work but it looks wonderful and sells on Etsy.com for $45.

(I didn't write it, I saw it in a book and it cracked me up. It could be the Benadryl's fault, though)

2009

This past year (since we moved into the new house in December of 2007) has not been the best year for me, craft-wise. My goal for this year is to really get back into the thick of things and create some really awesome work.

I'm not going to say its a resolution. I never keep those.

12 Day of Christmas

This is what I made my sis for Christmas. Each block is one of the 12 days of Christmas. I couldn't get a good picture that shows the colors correctly.

These are some chunky houses made for some swaps on Craftster (of course)
#5 is my favorite, I think.

Triptych

I think this is the piece that I am most proud of. The clowns are hanging by threads in niches that are about 3/4" deep. I think the over all size is about 9 inches tall.
I know the niches on the sides are 2" by 4".

It was made for a swap so I didn't get to keep it. I think I'm going to make a similar piece to keep.

Halloween ATC Swap

These are the ATCs I made for the Halloween ATC swap on Craftster.

Trick or Treat Tin

This is the tin I made for Crafty_Dame for a swap on Craftster. She wanted "Victorian Goth." The special bits are the weasel bones & beetle wings.

Crafty Bitch - My big summer project

Rackycoo and I decided to do a personal swap for an shrine in an altoid tin. She wanted the theme of "Crafty Bitch". After much hemming and hawing and digging thru google image searchs, I hit on the idea of using St. Catherine (the patron saint of artists) in a more modern persona, a.k.a., Crafty Bitch. Inside the tin is a prayer card, two tea light candles, a bottle of glitter with a teeny pair of scissors tied to it with a piece of ribbon.

Then I called upon my brilliant friend Sandy to help me come up with something to put on a "prayer card". This was the result:

O Miraculous Crafty Bitch, we prostrate
before Your Image and beseech You to cast
your inspiring look on our troubled scissors.

Let Your tender Heart, so inclined to glitter and ribbon,
be softened by our prayers and grant us that spark of
genius for which we ardently implore You.
Take from us all dried-out glue, all dull cardstock
and misplaced stamp pads with which we are laden.
For Your Sacred Craftiness's sake, hear our prayers
and send us inspiration and aid that we may praise You,
with Michael's and Hobby Lobby, for ever and ever. Amen.