Everyong needs a good friend

Wally is Roux D's older brother. He is from the same mom but has a different father. Their mom gets around. Wally is owned by my friend Anna.





I met Anna at work. It was my first job after moving back to Oregon. I was thrilled to meet someone just as obsessed with corgis as I was. When I met her I had my second corgi Betsy and she had not yet received Wally. But we bonded instantly over Corgis.





When Betsy died, Anna told me about Wally's mom getting ready to have her next litter. So I contacted the breeder.

So Roux D became ours. They have very similar eyes but Roux is long and thinner than Wally.

They have really become good friends and when they are together they just run and wrestle and don't forget heard other dogs. In fact, at the dog park they really work as a team to get the other dogs where they need to be.

Catching up with Altered book techniques

Not only did I neglect my blog the last few month I neglected my duties on the Yahoo Altered book technique person. So I have promised to post a technique a week until I catch up.

Here are two techniques with something I bet everyone has in their stash. The background one I learned years ago in girl scouts then was reintroduced to by Claudine Hellmuth at Art and Soul 2006. The 2nd one was something I learned from Scraptastic!: 50 Messy, Sparkly, Touch-Feely, Snazzy Ways to Jazz Up Your Scrapbook Pages by Ashley Calder. I have yet to try it but I thought I would present it since it uses the same thing as the background technique.

Masking Tape Background

Ingredients
Page
Gel Medium
Masking tape (any size, though I like to have a variety of sizes)
Paint brushes
Water
Paint very liquid paint works best like fluid acrylics or watercolors

Steps

1. Seal your page with gel medium. Let dry.
2. Apply masking tape to your page. You can do it randomly or in some sort of pattern.
3. Paint liquidy paint over the tape. It will be darker around the edge of the tape.
4. Let dry.

Embellished Masking Tape

Ingredients
Page
Non stick craft sheet or wax paper
Paint brushes and paint of your choice
Stamps and inks
Markers

Steps

1. Lay out non stick craft sheet. Lay out masking tape close together, not overlapping but so close it looks like a solid page.
2. Decorate as you wish. You can paint them; you can draw or doodle on them with markers, stamp on them or a combination of any of these techniques.
3. Let dry.
4. Carefully peel tape off non stick sheet. Apply to page as you wish. You can apply them randomly or keep the pattern you created.

I have returned

I am so so so sorry. I am sorry to ignored you. I have not had consistent Internet access since May and so I could not blog. I have not had Internet access because I took sometime off work to reorganize my life. In October of last year I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. The symptom that impacts myself the most is the extreme fatigue. In May, I realized I could no longer be a case manager because I just did not have the energy. I spoke with my doctor who agreed and so applied at work for reasonable accommodations and I got them. I know work part time with a different population as a therapist. I am enjoying it and glad to be back in a social work capacity.

I promised to return to blogging at least once a month. I will start getting new pics and new techniques up as well as I am some exciting news and stories to share.

Tag You Are It

Tag You're It!
Well, I've been tagged by Dawn. The rules are:
1. Once you are tagged you have go to their blog and let them know.

2. Post THE RULES on your blog.

3. Post 7 weird or random facts about yourself on your blog.

4. Tag 7 people and link to them.

5. Comment on their blog to let them know they have been tagged.



Here are seven random facts about me:
1. I have only grown 3 ft 8 inches since I was born. I was born 24 inches long. This coming from two short people was just this side of a miracle.
2. I really did meet my boyfriend on a internet dating site and no he is not a freak.
3. Coolest place I have ever lived was I spent a summer living in a tree house that hung over the Sandy River. I was only attacked by a squirrel once in the 3 months.
4. I decided to be come a social worker after seeing the movie Long Time Companion.
5. The first car I ever owned was a '73 super beetle. It had a sun roof and I loved that car. I should never have sold it.
6. I know the exact date I started doing art seriously. March 28th, 2000.
7. Sappy as it sounds my all time favorite song is Time in a Bottle by Jim Croce.

PS I am not going to tag anyone else because I think everyone I know has been tag a dozen times. See what you get for being so slow.

Why you should never answer your email on payday

Ok no one really gave me that advice but boy I wish they had. Why you may ask?....well the one thing that keeps me from spending money is not to have money. So when people talk about all these great classes they are taking and how they have just had an opening I can ignore them. Oh but not this time, my friend Denise announced that Lisa Klaus had an opening for her class. When does Dear Denise send this email, on payday so my bank account was flush. Never mind rent was due or anything else.....I enrolled in the class. Actually I am glad the class looks kicken and I really Love Lisa's work. But gosh next time Denise could you do it a week after payday.

HAHAHAHA


Here is a link to Lisa Klaus's art

http://www.lisakaus.com/showsandevents.htm

Don't you love it too....aren't you jealous you are not going to the class......hold on I might have to sell it soon. HAHAHA

Spring is here.

Here are some pictures of my most recent swap. I made these 13 flowers from scrap fabric, pipe cleaners, and some of my vintage beads. This swap is through Cooper Crow. It is really a group of women who are such incredible artists. I am just tickled to be invited into their swaps.




The pink fabric is a fat quarter of peacock material and the white petals are from fabric I created by taking an old sheet and rubber stamping on it with lumieres.


The golden rod fabric is s sheet that I got really cheap because it was defective. Still perfect for me. The colorful fabric is from a good bag I won on the van ride from Collage on Alberta to Art and Soul last October. I did not win this bag because my mom was the driver of the van, I won it because I was the only one on the van that trip. Hahaha



I learned this technique from Sister Diane at one of her classes she teach at the Multnomah Library. She does such a great job explaining the technique I am just going to quote her.

Kanzashi is the Japanese craft of folding squares of fabric, origami-style, into beautiful flowers. These are traditionally used in the elaborate headdresses worn by Geisha. But they're also fun to make into jewelry, magnets, toppers for special gifts, and they're awfully cute on a handbag.



I am not going to go into great detail about how to make the flowers just because it is Sister Diane's technique and really you should take the class from her to really understand. But I will tell you it is easier than you think.



For each flower, I cut 8 squares of fabric 3 inches by 3 inches. I cut 4 in the white and 4 in the darker color. Then I did the secret Kanzashi fold and then stitched them together. Glued on the vintage button with hot glue. Then glued the green pipe cleaner to the back and covered that with a circle of green felt. I twisted another pipe cleaner to create leaves.

See easy peasy.

Altered Book Technique for Earth Day In Mind

This altered book technique is in honor of April 20th being earth day. This is a fun project using a old used dryer sheet.

I started doing this technique because John uses dryer sheets and when he is done they seem to float all over the house. I hate dryer sheets and don't use them because they seem to get everywhere.

Dryer Sheet Haze

Photo of entire lay out

Ingredients

Book to alter

Glitter the finer the better

Neutral Card stock

Xyron, double stick sheet or spray adhesive

Used Dryer Sheet (Cheap ones work great)

Sealer or Fixative

Close up of dryer sheet haze technique

Steps

Step 1. Stamp image on neutral cardstock.

Step 2. Color image or parts of image if desired.

Step 3. Run image upside down through Xyron machine to make the front side sticky.

Close up of dryer sheet haze technique at a different angel

Step 4. Peel backing from image and apply used dryer sheet over exposed adhesive.
Step 5. Trim dryer sheet.
Step 6. Pour glitter over top of image and rub into dryer sheet. Really rub it in. The longer the better because the dryer sheet holds the glitter in place.

Close up of dryer sheet haze technique at yet another angel

Step 7. Tap off excess glitter.

Step 8. Spray with sealer or fixative.

Step 9. With image face up, run though Xyron adhere to book.

Close up of the opposite page using a layered paint technique.