More Christmas ATCs

This is the last set of ATCs for my current swaps on Swap-bot. I'll be checking my Yahoo groups tomorrow for more. I made them the same way as the vintage tags.

More gluebook pages

Wow, this gluebook thing is addictive! I did three more pages today. The first is called Child at heart. I started with the elderly couple and the lady already had the child's face. I thought it was the great beginning for a collage. All I had to do was add the title words. The idea for the second page came from the Yahoo Gluebooks group daily prompt. Today's prompt was crisp. At first I was thinking of crisp food then the idea that a autumn day is crisp came to me and I liked it better. Last is a page about some of the symptoms myself and so many other people who have fibromyalgia have to deal with. I found the scupture picture first and the page came together from there. I love the ease of expressing myself through my gluebook journal. I can just look through a magazine and soon enough a picture will catch my eye that has some kind of meaning to me. All I need is a few magazines, scissors and some glue and I am a happy artist :)

New artwork - gluebook page

I started a new art journal today, it is a gluebook. Basically, a gluebook is a collage journal. You just glue things to the pages. Everyday things like magazine clippings, tickets, flyers, receipts, newspaper clippings - anything that appeals to you. I searched around and found a couple old magazines that I felt I could cut up - I can't bring myself to cut up any of my scrapbooking, stamping or art magazines but I did find a few travel magazines. I came up with this quick collage for my first page.
It was really fun to do. First I saw the old man with the camera and thought he needed to go on a page. Then I found the lady's legs and thought that is what he was taking a picture of. I just couldn't seem to get him positioned on the page so that he was looking at her. So I cut around her leg, then he could slip in behind her. I think he looks quite natural there,in front of the moon watch and behind the leg. I found the title and other words and thought they'd just fit perfect to describe what was happening on the page. I thought the page was done until I found the guy peeking in from the edge of the paper and he just had to be glued on too.

On another note, I had a doctor appointment Monday afternoon for Social Security Disability. I think it went well but I guess I will have to wait for the decision to say for sure. I have been having terrible headaches for a couple weeks now so I tried using Head On - yeah I know you hate the commercial right but guess what, it helps the pain. Other than that, I have been really tired every day for the past two weeks. All I want to do is sleep, good for the night but not so good for the day. Last week I didn't have Allison so it wasn't too bad, I could sleep as much as I wanted to. But this week, I have her Mon, Tues, Thurs and Fri. How can you sleep with a 2 year old to keep track of? It is so hard to stay awake some times so I've been spending more time reading to her and working on my art during the day than usual this week. I have the most trouble when she wants to watch TV, that's when I could drift right off before I know it. This afternoon, I was working on some handmade postcards - my first. I was using the Gamasol technique on one and my dang hand kept going numb. This is a brand new fibro occurrence for me, it started about a month ago. My feet have been doing it for about a year now. Speaking of the postcards, here they are

The first one was made with CTMH stamps, then I colored it using the Gamasol technique. I was going to do all three that way but when my hand was going numb I decided that was not such a good idea. So instead, I used Karen Foster paper for the background edged with Tim Holtz distress ink. Then I tore out a vintage Halloween card scan, inked it and glued it on top. I think they all look good, I sure hope the recipients like them too.

vintage Christmas tags

I made these Christmas tags for a swap on Swap-bot.
First I inked the tags with Tim Holtz distress ink.
Then I printed scans of vintage postcards on photo papers, mounted them on distressed Christmas patterned paper then on the tag.
Last, I added some gold ribbon and stamped to/from on the back.





I also made these ATCs for a swap called random letters. I just used up the extra letters from several sets.

New artwork - my first CTMH ATCs! and of course lots of rambling...

OK, so I went scrapbooking last night but I didn't do any scrapping. Instead I made ATCs. Just in case you don't know what ATCs are, they are artists trading cards - cards that are 2.5" x 3.5" and you trade them with other artists. I trade over the internet because I haven't found any local trading partners but someday I'd love to meet other ATC artists and do some live trading. ATCs can me be made using any medium, the only two rules are the size and you must trade them - not sell them. I made seven ATCs. They are all for trades on Swapbot. I also made an altered notebook for another Swapbot swap. It is intended to keep Chrismas lists in. I haven't decided if I should divide the book into two sections - one for shopping lists and one for cards. I was thinking it would be cute to do that and put little tabs on the side. I made one greeting card too.

I used CTMH products on all of these.











These last four ATCs were made from Valentines Day cards, slab paper - sorry I can't remember what slab it came from and penwork. I added just a touch of glitter to them too.






I made this set of Christmas cards and a mini Christmas scrapbook for upcoming workshops. The mini book was made using a workshop template designed by another CTMH consultant. The only thing I changed was the binding of the book. I used my Bind-it-All instead of purchasing a scrapbook. I designed the workshop template for the card set.

All CTMH products




And on to the rambling...
I got home last night around 1 AM and of course couldn't go to sleep right away. So I turned on the TV and saw that one of my all time favorite movies was on - An Officer and A Gentleman. Gotta love Richard Gere! Of course I had to watch it, I figured as soon as it was over I could go to sleep... Wrong!! I still couldn't sleep so I watched The Jeffersons then Good Times... after they were over I turned off the tv figuring surely I could go to sleep... Wrong again! It was around 5 AM when I finally drifted off for some of my normal half asleep half awake dream time. I heard Bob and Chris at around 8:30 and tried to ignore them so I could sleep more. I did drift back off until about 9:30 when Bob decided to come in the bedroom and watch tv. Seems he decided that he got up too early this morning and wanted to take a little nap. Of course he had the tv up too loud so I threw a pillow over my head hoping I could sleep some more. No such luck I could still hear the tv so I got up at about 10. Now of course, I am even more tired then my usual fatigue. I've had the worse heartburn for the last three days and woke up with it again this morning. I don't know what's up with that but I am getting real tired of eating Tums. YUCK

I think I will go to JoAnn today to see if there is anything I can't live without this week - gotta use that coupon ya know :) I do want to get a new punch but I am not sure if they carry it. After that I think I will make some more ATCs or maybe alter something else. I've been collecting stuff to alter and really should start working on some. Or maybe, I should get some candles poured or mix up a batch of soap. I planned to do both this week since I didn't have to babsit but of course did neither. Instead, I slept late and then just puttered around the house all week. What a waste of time! I wanted to get some stuff ready to upload to my Etsy store and a few Ebay auctions going because I have two crops coming up and need the cash to go. If I get something altered then I can put it in the Etsy store - that is if I can bear to part with it. I'ts so hard to sell something that you've put your heart into. I also need to get some jewelry made. I got some nice beads last week and haven't even touched them yet - OK well I did open the package, look at them and decide that I didn't feel like beading. I have one necklace and a matching bracelet ready to go. I just need to take some pictures and write up a description. I also have some lotion and bath gel that is ready to go. I just need to print some labels, take pictures and write them up. If only I wasn't such a procratinator maybe I'd get some of this stuff done...

Well enough rambling for today, I am off to get ready to go to JoAnn. Until next time, God bless!

Home party expo and some rambling...

The expo started Friday and ran all weekend. I was there 8am-9pm Friday and Saturday. Sunday the mall opens at 11 but I didn't go until after church, I was there until 5pm. I had a total of four people buy from me. Two have bought before, one I knew and one stranger. I did not get any bookings. Lots of people liked my work, a few wanted to buy my cards and some took my newsletter and business card. I hope to hear from them. I can't say that it was a total flop until I see if anyone contacts me who took my info. I have to admit that physically the weekend took a toll on me. It will probably take me all week to recover. I am so exhausted today and have a terrible head ache. I hope I sleep tonight, I haven't slept good the last couple nights. I did get a few hours of sleep this morning. Tomorrow, I don't have to get up for anything so I am planning to rest most of the day. But if I do get an energy spurt, I need to go grocery shopping. Well, I am going to end this now because my head is throbbing so bad. Until next time, God bless.