Bookmarks to Cozy inside a Favorite Book

Finished these bookmarks for a friend today. They are so fun to make with little bits of paper, music, trims, buttons. All neutrals. The kind of bookmark to use when reading Jane Austen.

Buttons on Wild Wednesday

I belong to an obsessive button collecting group on Google called "Button Bytes". On Wednesday we buy and sell each others' buttons.

Click on the sidebar to see some of the buttons on Picasa.

Make the most of this day....................Write me; I'd love to hear from you.

Etsy Shop is OPEN!

Decided to break out into the big world and list some items on Etsy. So many talented people out there and it would be nice to be recognized. Besides artwork and crafty things, I will sell buttons too and perhaps a few other little bits and pieces that I find along the way.

Wallpaper Maddness

After buying farmers market goodies this morning, I popped by a sale and picked up 7 wallpaper books for only 25 cents each. I have had so much fun cutting out pages I want. As I love to think, there are just "Unlimited Possibilities" for this stuff. If not for collage or altered books or glue books or journal books or bookmarks, then, how about covering "who knows what"?....... or using for wrapping small gifts, or..........well, just UNLIMITED POSSIBILITIES!!!

Serendipity and the Tale of the Bunny Dominoes

Today I hit one big sale and bought only 3 things before I got too hot and sick and came home. Found these great old beat up dominoes and a double deck of playing cards with French bunny word "Lapin" on them. I was playing in my altered book with paper and pages and began to cut bunnies out in various ways as shown below. Added one to my book. Then, it hit me to use the smallest cut version and make Bunny Dominoes. I used one of my granddaddys' old files to round off the corners and edges and then my fave Mod Podge to adhere the image. Think I will give it a top coat, then maybe rough it up and stain it a little and then one final coat. Too much fun for only 75 cents!!!







Oh, aren't they sweet?

Mod Podge Rocks with ME!

Yea! Thanks to Amy at World of Mod Podge blog, I am featured on her site today! So fun to be acknowledged out there in this big world.

Keep on rockin' with Mod Podge!

Saturday Sales and Finds

Do you feel inspired by seeing what others find at sales? I do and want to share my little finds today with you. 1/2 price day at an estate sale scored me the little treasures below and the wonderful album with a date of 1891 on the gorgeous anchor hinge. No photos inside, but marvelous pages to use for artwork.

A wonderful English ironstone platter holds some poker chips for crafting, a tiny tin and a "frog".

Also got a set of 10 1907 "Drapers Self Culture" books that are now airing out in the sun.

Finished off the morning with buying our first tomatoes of the season at the farmers' market and some wildflower honey.

Just took a pound cake out of the oven and have fresh sweet tea made. Any takers?

Well, NOW I AM altered!

And feeling pretty silly............the post I did just below turned out with several glitches in it. When trying to put pics between parts of my text, I have a bit of trouble.

My Book is Altered, but I Am Not...............

Yep, cuttin' and gluein' and such, and feelin' just like a little girl. Except the glue is better! (no flour and water this time :)

Started with this circa 1930s' boys Buddy book. I love the RED cover and will alter it at the end. Using my exact knife, I cut out about every 3rd page to make room for all the fun stuff that will be going in. I save the pages to use for other work when I need bits of this or that.

Here are some pics of some of the little piles of ephemera.............the older the better.............I like to use mostly original materials, as the photocopies just do not have the same feel or look that I love.

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The pages I show are in progress. I like to circle words in the text of the actual book to relect a feeling. It is amazing what peeks out at you, unplanned. Some I will go back to later and add little bits.

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Playing with paper is so comforting and it can turn into whatever you want it to be.

A Day to CHOOSE~~~~~~~~~~~

As the day presents itself, we each have the grand opportunity to choose the attitude with which we grace it. Although there are so many challenges that Life hands us......... physical, emotional, financial; we, alone have the Choice of how we deal with them. Many days I do not win in the Choice game, but I am trying to focus more on that. This blogging life is one thing that helps me keep that focus.
Today is the ONLY July 16, 2009 that we will ever have~~~~~~~Choose wisely.

Artwork above I call "Grandmas' Girl". It has an original handwritten recipe in my grandmas' hand, back in the 1920s.

Having WAY TOO MUCH FUN with Tags and Labels

These tags are so fun to make................I bought the plain tags from Blanca at "Moonlight Magic Studio"...........she bakes them with some yummy recipe that makes them smell just wonderful..............The labels are from a free download of Cathes' at "Just Something I Made". Sorry I am not adept at setting up a URL for their sites.

 

 

 

 

 

With the addition of some red ticking fabric, scrapbook paper and some trims, they just need a bit more to finish them. The other set started with some wrapping paper of Harpers Bazarr of long ago. I used just a bit of gold glitter glue around the hats. Fun to make and to give.

Think YOU'VE got Buttons?

See this 9 drawer cabinet? It is almost full of all kinds of buttons; glass of all colors, celluloid, pearl, metals, composition, horn, plastics....... 1000's of yummy, glorious buttons!!!


I have collected buttons on a major scale for many years. Yes, jars of common buttons by COLOR, but also file cabinet drawers full of 9 by 12 cards, sorted into types of materials and subjects. I have TOO MANY BUTTONZ! Many need to go, so contact me if you need a button fix. I probably have just what you are looking for :)







The 5 gallon ice cream container is plum full of all my rejects.


Plus, I have many of my best button babies framed on the walls of my Button Room.





So, do you have lots of buttons too?

I REALLY love Black and White! I also love BUTTONS....... these are all glass, designed in the mode of Art Deco.

I've been a member of the National Button Society for about 10 years. Check out their site here:
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So, are you a black and white sorta person?

Little Bits of This and That Collage

Just finished these 4 x 6 cuties, mounted on mat board. The last one is a snapshot of me in the dress. Interesting thing is I still sometimes pose like that! Guess those little mannerisms we learn as a child stay with us.................

Newest Collage-Her Bird

Been working on this piece on and off for several weeks................ I rarely do an entire piece all in one sitting............I usually have to think on it and wait until I know what is next...............




The last photo shows the negative of one of the houses my parents lived in when first married............I love the negative look of seeming to look back in time.............

Long May It Wave ~~~~~~~

Our little city celebrates with an amazing display of over 3000 flags down the streets, ending at the community center.

Driving by them and walking amongst them is a fine way to celebrate.

Every Day Hearts

What a universal shape the Heart is.............understood in all languages, no words needed. These images speak to my heart of Hope and Joy and Love. Wishing my readers a big dose of all three in their hearts.

Gotta get better at taking photos and such. So many things to learn.......... :)