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Here's what I've been up to (ARTwise).
A Bookmark for ARTeZine July Lottery 
An ATC for the ARTChix Summertime Lottery 
3x3 Collage for Peggy 
3x3 for Jennifer 
ATC for the Top Hat Bird's Song Lottery
A bookmark with Vintage Tulip Trim
A a batch of jewelry (I've listed them all in my ETSY Shop)
I've been working on some more little 3x3 inch collage for Barb's Bits and Pieces swap.
For Rosalie...
For Debby
For Patricia
For Christy
For Christine
For Michelle
For Carol
ATC for The Vintage Dragonfly Summer Fun Lottery
I've listed some vintage trims and buttons in my ETSY Shop from my recent finds!!
Here's the piece I've been beading lately. My first beaded piece in a long while. I just LOVE to do beaded embroidery!! I've been staying away from beading because life with a two year old means no real ART time .... just bits of time here and there. This tiny pillow measures 3 1/2 inches tall by 2 inches wide. I started it about a week ago...and got to work on it here and there. I finished it Friday night and just got it photographed today.
I wil be listing it in my ETSY Shop soon. Need to photograph the back, which I painted with BEAUTIFUL Blue Lumiere paint, and forgot.
This morning my sister and I headed out to some garage sales. We very seldom go anymore...we both have 2 year olds (and usually working husbands), weather, etc....we took advantage of the Daddy's being off today and went. After several and finding very little we decided on one last one. On the way to it we realized we were going to pass an estate/garage sale and decided to go to it instead. OH HOLY SMOKES!!! I hit the mother load!!!!! Vintage Crafting BONANZA!! I picked out some vintage fabrics, a duffle bag full of goodies and some other items. The guys adds me up and says $1.75. So I gave him $2 and we hurry on our way (we were to work on my sisters house today). A few blocks away I realize I forgot my pile of vintage fabric. So we turn around and go back. So I ask them about a few other containers of crafting items and they give me a total of $5. I stopped with that amount...because honestly that is all we could cram in my sisters little camaro LOL I am just not believing the load of treasures I got.
Ok Here is the contents of the $1 duffle bag....
Quilted circles 50 cents...
set of slides in metal holders 25 cents...
an Enormous 33 gallon tote (32 1/2 inches L, 19 1/4 inches W, x 15 1/4 inches H) FULLLLLLL of yarn, crocheted squares, embroidery floss, books and patterns, crochet needles, etc. $1
Vintage beaded unopened basket kit 25 cents I know it's marked 50 cents...everything was 1/2 off LOL
LARGE box of vintage fabric $1...
3 yards of blue and green upholstery fabric $1.50...
2 vintage aprons 25 cents each (does anyone know how to get the brown spots out of vintage fabric??? I LOVE this apron and would love to restore it)
Here's the pile of vintage fabric I went back for LOL 75 cents and a bag of corks for 25 cents...
and then there was a large ugly ripped up suitcase full of sewing notions. He said..."oh if you can use all that old stuff just take it please". HOLY COW!! Here's what was in the suitcase....
It contained an unreal amount of goodies...1938 singer sewing machine manual, 51 packages of Bias Tape, packs of twill tape, middy braid, blanket binding , seam binding, cards of buttons and snaps, and just tons more.
I counted all the little packages like rick rack (there were 47 packs in the $1 duffle by the way), binding, bias tape etc and there were 238 total....I would say 90% unopened!!
WOW I'm a happy crafty gal!!
Then after all day of working on my Sister's and Brother In Law's house I came home to the WONDERFULLY FABULOUS Handspun Yarn I purchased in Linda Koch's Etsy Shop in our mailbox. OH WOWZA!!! It's BEAUTIFUL!!
YIPPIE!!!! Just so excited with all my new goodies. I already have a special place for my yarn from Linda.....but NO I don't have a CLUE where oh where I'm going to put the rest of this stuff!! ROFL. I know I will have to toss fabric from my walk in fabric closet to fit in this vintage fabric. Guess I better get busy and make some ART!! Hope everyone's having a great weekend!
I've finished my first two 3x3 squares for the Bits and Pieces Swap that my dear friend, Barb Burkard, is hosting. Each player picks a theme or color they would like for their finished piece, each player receives a 3x3 piece from 12 other players and then combines it on a 9 x 12 canvas and finishes it off to make a one of a kind collection collage.
for Barb (vintage theme---whites and creams)
Scanner didn't like this one much and scanned terribly :(
for Heather (which I didn't keep up and missed the fact that Heather is no longer in the swap---so I have this 3x3 that goes with no ones theme or colors....so I'll smack it on a greeting card or something I guess LOL)
Yesterday, while Brynna was splashing around in her little pool I finished sewing button centers into a group of crochet flowers I've been making (SOOOOO ADDICTED TO THESE....perfect little projects to do when I can't get in the craft room). Also beaded a little more on the piece I'm working on.
Also made up a few yo-yos something else I LOVE making. My Grandmaw Hall taught me to sew when I was around 4 or 5 and I've always loved making yo-yos, and small pieces. I guess thats why beading and embroidery came so naturally to me.
Here are some larger flowers I crocheted a while back...
And this one that I crocheted with one of the fabulous ARTist Fibers from Top Hat. I think I used the Mermaid Magic.
I was looking for a stash of vintage wallpaper I knew I had in my wallpaper and decided my current wallpaper storage wasn't working. I never use it because it never fails that the one I want is on bottom of the pile and I have to unload the cabinet to get it....not practical because here is what the cabinet looked like before LOL
I thinned down my wallpaper and stored it where I can flip through it in a large plastic tote....
Then I moved my large basket of envelopes and cards to another shelf....cleaned out a few other items. Oh and yes, I know I have a few crayons LOL I love to make crayon paper and I have connections with a school custodian so I get a lot of them that would have been thrown out. I had an empty section leftover so I filled it will bubble wrapping and my shipping supplies. Much better and should use it a lot more now.
I also cleaned out my paper ephemera draw (wish I'd have taken a before photo..sorry)
anyway put them in a expandable accordian style folder and divided them up where I can see what I have.
While going through my papers I found some neat vintage Thrift savings cards for a life insurance savings plan. It had the words "this is a penny" on it and today was the deadline for the ARTChix Penny Lottery so I made this ATC....
one more thing I've done lately to stay a little more organized is finding a solution for my ribbon spools. I tried putting them on a dowel rod, bamboo skewer, etc.... but kept falling off in the drawer and had to take them all out to use them, or to get to the bottom row. So I cut a metal clothes hangers and made a loop at the top folded over the ends and strung on a pile of ribbon spools. I now have 5 stacks in my drawer and etc room. I can just grab the loop at the top and pull out a stack and put them on my work table. DINK---- hate when it takes my forever to think of something so simple.
So now my craftroom is a little easier to work in.
We've had a nice weekend...watched the Astros (A LOT lol), I did some beading on a piece I'm working on. Brynna played with her color wonder fingerpaints and Braydon was a sweet big brother and painted with her.
They all stayed up late watching Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (they are watching it again now ROFL), I couldn't hang and went to bed LOL
Today I've spent cooking Gumbo and Lemon Cupcakes. Braydon made Peanut Butter cookies. Like I said...been a nice weekend.
Took this picture at 10 am this morning. YUCK!! Seems like it's been raining for the longest time. UGH!
I made this collage this morning...
Now I'm working on a little beading.
I did have a BRIGHT spot in my day.......GROOVY MAIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Recieved my order from Chrysti at The Altered Abbey. I was running low on these little leaves that I JUST LOVE and made a little order. The value I recieve every time I order from Chrysti, AMAZES me. Here's what I got in my package today (my total was only $20.46 and that included shipping--WOWZA)....
Don't hurt yourself running to Chrysti's site (and don't buy up all my beloved leaves LOL) Can't wait to paint up these adorable little eggs!!
Hope everyone has a nice weekend. We are still forecast for rain...but hoping the sun will visit a few times and we can get out in the pool!!!
Today (and yesterday) I've been working on packaging ART to send. Here are two Bamboo Tile Pendants that I'm sending to two VERY SPECIAL Sweeties I know :) HEE HEE I made some pretty little tags to send them on.
And here is a 4x4 collage I did. IF THIS RAIN DOESN'T STOP SOON....I'll look just like this poor little girl!!
and also I'd like to share that today's Featured Artist on Artella's Daily Muse (click here to check it out)
is my Mother In Law, Barbara Haviland.
Can't believe another month has come and gone. Here is some new ART I made during the last week. I made these Sassy signs...
I made these bracelets with Gel Transfers and Bamboo Tiles
and a pair of earrings...
Last night I finished up this ATC for the Top Hat Starry Starry Night Lottery.
I've also been crocheting little flowers ... perfect time fillers for when your toddler is in the tub playing with duckies, or playing outside (though between the rain and mosquitos right now-not a lot of that), etc. OK, OK....maybe they are just soooo fun to make!! These are going to make wonderful embellishments for many things. I've not scanned them yet, but will share soon. I've also started a few collages.
MONDAY July 2nd will be ETSY Texas Crafters First Monday .... I will be running a Buy one item get a second item (of equal or lesser value) for 40% off sale in my ETSY Shop. Just mention the ETC First Monday Special and I'll send you a revised Paypal invoice. Many of the ETC Shop Members will also be running specials and participating ETC First Monday. Check out some of the shops... FABULOUS bargains to be snatched up!! Here are a half dozen of my favorite ETC Members are...Barbsgarden (my mother in law), Mua Purses, Art Spot, Art By Joyce, and Duct Tape And Denim . There are so many...can't list them all....but you can click on the ETC Shop favorites and see all the members listed there.
