A Collage and a Secret

Crappy Windchimes

Here is my creation for the Crappy Windchimes swap.  They work pretty good and aren't too annoying with their clanging :).  I used a jello mold, measuring cups, measuring spoons and cookie cutters, all aluminum, that I have collected over time from the thrift store.  The green beads are strung on tiger tail jewelry wire.  I then lightly spray painted the metal with green and gold.

I'd have done a few things differently but for a first try I think it turned out more ambitious than I intended.  I'm sorry to see it go and hope my person likes it.

Colours in a Series: Green

Handmade postcard.  I don't really like it but it is my first attempt at using a homemade texture paste.  It turned out pretty cool but then coloring it was hard for this swap.  I used food coloring and then went in and used markers and a touch of gold paint.  It is off to Sweden.

How do you like those two peeking fawns?  I photographed them on mail route and thought they looked cute in this pic so didn't crop them out :).  Mama is to the far left cropped out.

Sneak Peek of Random Journal

I just had to record this for myself.  Today is really windy and when I went past this Amish farm there were two girls outside near the mailbox flying Walmart bags!  I mean these were really flying and I thought what a clever thing to do!  Probably much easier to handle than a kite.  They were really having fun and it was fun seeing them!  So I had to record it in my journal.

Something Funny About That Farm #4

Daring duck.  This is Delbert getting his feet wet at the Quack Me Up, a comedy club.  Can you get the punchline?  Hint:  Ostrich don't swim :).

Fast Food ATC-Hardees

Simple as my original plan didn't work out.  It is made of a Hardee's bag and the saying is cut from a cup.  I added the yellow and red lines.  Nothing fancy.

Quick Cat Postcard(s)

PC #1, a drawing of my old cat Icey on a plant pedestal I brought home and he immediately decided was his new post.

Cats are living art...

PC #2, moonlight kitty.  Now to decide who to send which :).

Altered Postcard

One day I went to every little store in town (gas station, grocery store, hardware store) and bought up much of the last of their postcard inventory.  These are old, from the 70's and are not being made anymore.  And to put it mildly, they are...well, boring.  So a perfect candidate for altering or sending in local PC swaps or ugly/I don't want these swaps.

I added this happy gentleman with his crappie.  He should be smiling, that is one nice fish.  And I am so proud of him.  Instead of being retired and laying around in front of a television driving his wife insane like all the retired men I know, he is out and about doing things and enjoying life.

This postcard is sorta' special too as it is the first lake I ever kayaked on.  An adventure group from Madison posted to our group they were coming up and would anyone like to join them.  I was the only one and it was such fun.  We then played games in that log cabin/restaurant and ate delicious food for dinner.  It was a blast.  On the way home I got a flat tire and couldn't bust the lug nuts on the tire.  No cell service either.  An old couple stopped and between he and I we got the lug nuts loosened and I was able to get the tire changed.  What a fun day that was, LOL!

So see?  This is why postcards are important!  Look at the memory it brought back!  :D

Reddit Bookmark Swap

I also do swaps on Reddit.com.  They have all sorts of fun ones.  I started with the Christmas swap because my kids and brother and sis-in-law were doing it.  I didn't know at the time there are more swaps all year around.  I have since done a My Little Pony one and a bookmark one.

This is the bookmark I got from the UK.  She makes them and sells them.  Isn't it awesome?  I love it.  If I lose this one I will cry.  :)

Crappy Book Cover

This is for the Crappy Book Cover swap where we create something on an old book cover and send it off.  This is the first time I have ever tried something like this and it was fun.  Mine isn't as elaborate as the one I got but it still was fun and challenging!   I learned a lot from doing it and researching what to do.  I hope my person likes it.

Pink Flamingo Swap

I went with an ATC.  I had wanted to make a bracelet as I do have cute 'mingo beads but I can't find them right now.  Matter of fact I made an ATC and then lost it like within minutes!  I still haven't found it.  Frustrating.  So I had to make another.

Bookpage Cat/Dog ATC

I love my kitty ATC!  Her name is Lucy (actually my sister just adopted a kitty named Lucy) and I call it Lucy Silently Watches Them from the bookpage words :).  It was sheer accident...a fun one.

Handmade Postcard Reply

My sister sent me the bottom postcard with the message "Wish you were here".   So I made her the top postcard with Sharpie as a reply.  In case you can't read it it says "And you know I wasn't there how?"

Couple of Simple Calendar Envelopes

A couple of simple envelopes from calendars.  Top one is Pet Lovers Penpals and the bottom is Animal Envie w/ Surprise.  My person likes birds so I went with a bird theme.  She doesn't care for dogs and so when going through my stash I was surprised at all the dog stuff I have!

Oh, and I am LOVING the new vintage art stamps!!

~~~Fab-U-lous~~~~

ATC with a Stamp

I just didn't know what I was going to do with this swap until I got a swap with the Statue of Liberty stamp!  I haven't thought much about the statue and inscription on it.  It seems eons away from here.  My kids have seen it but I have not.  So when I looked up the inscription it brought tears to my eyes.  I think of the people who came here looking for a new life.  And those still doing so.   This is still so relevant today and America needs to live up to this promise.

Speedy Cuss word ATC

My partner in the speedy cuss word read like someone who wouldn't enter into such a swap, LOL.  So I did my favorite cuss word that keeps me out of trouble in most situations because it isn't commonly heard.

And speaking of cussing, my husband has been piling the yard up with the haying equipment despite done doing hay.  So since I have to worm my way around it to do my painting outside I glitter spray painted the hay rake.  There, now he can look like a glitter queen out in the field.  Bwahahaha.  Let your manly friends see THAT!

HMPC: Freestyle Friday

Originally this card started out for the green swap but as usual I went a little crazy and now it is more of a rainbow colored card.  So thankfully for me I signed up for the freestyle swap (which I had no idea what I was going to do for) and so it is going that direction instead.

I had fun making this and I have to admit it is wildly colorful.  That is a good thing, right????  HAHAHA!!

HMPC: Put it in WRITING

Here is my Put it in writing postcard.  I didn't know what to do with it but came up with using a part of my MIL's paranoid writing, a cut in half Reese's Peanut Butter cup wrapper and an old watercolor I didn't like so I cut into postcard and ATC sized pieces.  I like how this turned out.  A bit odd and musty looking just like my MIL. (shhhh, don't tell her!)

OP Hunt and Gather

OMG I love our little thrift store.  They have the best junque.  This is a photo of it all dolled up with flowers, LOL.  I am using this for my OP swap.

This was my haul yesterday.  I see journal covers, stationery to trade and use (the lower left is a cool leather stationery holder), funky windchimes and frames to put in my booth with handcrafted pictures inside.  The weather book is from 1923 and leather with embossing etc.  It smells old and terrific!  I also googled that woman on the album cover.  She was amazing!  I plan to make journals/notebooks of the albums pictures.  The big green thing to the right is a hand made clay face.  That is going in my garden.  93 cents!!!

Stay tuned, LOL.

Sentence A Day Journal-June

This was a fun journal.  So easy yet hard to keep it to one sentence some days.  I made it ATC sized.  It is a good way to learn to get into the habit of journaling and keep track of what happens day to day.  I hope my recipient likes it.  I can't wait to see what I get!

Journal Your June-International

This was a lot of work and a lot of fun.  Trying to find 10 profile based gifts to add was hard.  I also added some stationery to it not in the photos.  I wanted to send more but then I'd need a box and a small VCR tape sized box would be $25.00.  Just the journal and stationery was a little over $9.00.  Pricey but worth it.  I'll have to watch my international swaps I guess though that is what I like best.