WINTER Banner Swap

I'm hosting another banner swap on Paper Traders.  This one is for Winter and is the last in a series of four banners - one for each season.  It has been a lot of fun having these hang in my studio throughout the year... I think they're just so pretty!

Below is a close-up of my banner, showing the detail of one pennant.  (Sorry for the grainy cell phone photos.)  The blue Plasticfoil background paper was a fabulous garage sale find earlier this year - I love how it looks frosty.  I added some extra shine to the chipboard letters by painting over them with some Gleams and then misting them with Starburst Stains.  I added some shiny metallic touches by threading gold cord through the lace and adding some glitter glue embellishments.

I think the end result is gorgeous, if I do say so myself  =)

By the Seaside

For May, I hosted an ATC swap on our Paper Traders group with a "By the Seaside" theme.  I left it pretty open and there was a wide variety of creative art from our participants.

For my card, I used a version of Tim Holtz' "rusted enamel" background technique, as described in his book A Compendium of Curiosities.  It's hard to tell from the photo but the entire background is heat embossed.

Not Quite Summer

Another fun banner for a swap on Paper Traders.  This one is for Summer using half circles which were the perfect shape for some fresh watermelon slices!  It's difficult to tell from the photo but these are very sparkly - with glitter accents and generously spritzed with glimmer mist  =)

Spring is here

Baseball is starting, the weather is warming up, the ice plant is blooming, the rain is tapering off, everything is green everywhere you look... Spring is here!

To get into the spirit of the season, we had a pennant banner swap on Paper Traders.  Here is a picture of the one I made (which is now winging it's way to Linda)...

... and I was the lucky recipient of Darlene's beautiful creation which I will be hanging up in my studio to get my creativity blossoming  =)

Out with the old... In with the new...

On the day before leaving town to visit my family for Thanksgiving, I managed to total my car.  The accident was my fault and an embarrassingly stupid move on my part.  Thankfully, no one was seriously injured - it could have been so much worse - but my subcompact 2004 Hyundai Accent didn't fare too well against a Dodge Ram pickup!  I finally got out of my rental and into a new (at least new to me) car - a 2010 Hyundai Elantra with power, cruise, and lots of nice little amenities I had been doing without.  Alas, they came with a car payment attached but at least I have something nice, newer, and reliable to get around in.

On a lighter note, I had a wonderful time visiting my family in Wyoming over the Thanksgiving holiday.  I arrived just in time for the traditional dinner, sacrificed sleep for some Black Friday shopping deals, had a Harry Potter movie marathon with my nieces, went to kindergarten with my youngest niece, watched another niece perform admirably at her swim meet, helped my mom rearrange her art studio, and managed to read a novel and complete an art piece in the process.  Not a very restful vacation but definitely a fun and special one!

This is the art piece I completed on my vacation.  It was my birdhouse-themed contribution for the Fifth Anniversary swap on Paper Traders.  The couples featured are my grandparents and great aunt & uncle  =)

Altered Puzzle Pieces

I am hosting an altered puzzle piece swap on Paper Traders - the theme is Four Seasons and these are my entries.  I followed Barb & Bevlea's technique and it was a ton of fun!  I love the glassy finish you get from the Dimensional Magic - pretty cool  =)

Not Quite Beach Weather!

I made this ATC just for fun... a take on the record cold temperatures this year!

C-C-C-COLD!!

(This is not my photo... I found it online but I can't remember where!)

I love winter. I love snow and crisp, cold days. I love watching the seasons change and autumn brings such anticipation for the crystal-coated treat of winter.

This week, I hate winter. Mostly I hate what the extreme cold has put me through...

First, I was unable to make it to work on time one morning when my fuel line was frozen. Good advice: when sub-zero temperatures are in the forecast, add some HEET gas-line antifreeze and top off your tank - trust me, it's worth the $2 investment.

Second, when cold weather starts causing water mains to burst around town, do NOT drive through the standing water - it will coat your car's mechanical systems and freeze up in the cold weather. Another good piece of advice: don't use your parking brake in winter. My wheel wouldn't budge and I was stranded again... thank goodness it finally warmed up above freezing today and I was without a car for only one more day. (I'm immensely grateful for my wonderful home teacher and his lovely wife for coming to my rescue and taxiing me around!)

All of these things may sound like common sense to those of you who have spent your lives in cold climate areas but after living in California for 20 years, it never even occurred to me. By sharing my woes, I hope I can prevent some of you from making the same mistakes.

Aaaahh... a warmer, sunny weekend is ahead - for once I am turning my back on cold-hearted winter and embracing the sun!

Christmas Inchies

It's hard to believe that Christmas is just around the corner! Our Paper Traders group is having an Inchie House swap - with a Christmas ornament theme. I made mine out of clear plastic and sprinkled some FlowerSoft snow inside so they're like mini snow globes - the box portion is only 1-inch square! I found these tiny little nativity ornaments at Michaels and they were just the perfect size. The "thatched" roofs are covered with four different colors of brown glitter.

Anniversary Shrine

Every year around this time, our Paper Traders group makes a special project to swap. This year we are constructing mini matchbox shrines. Because this is our fourth anniversary, the theme was to use the number 4 in some way - mine, obviously, is Four Seasons. The "leaves" on the trees are made using FlowerSoft - such a cool product! The text paper I used for the background came from an old book I got at a local thrift store that was printed in 1796. I love how they used an "f" instead of an "s" like we do now.