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.

My Boy Roux D

Now is he not the cutest little thing? This is my boy Roux D, pronounced like Rudy. He is 9 months old. He is a Pembroke Welsh Corgi. He is so snuggly and sweet which is strange for a Corgi, usually they are independent though they like being near their people they do not necessarily give kiss and what to be held. Not so with my little guy. He loves it. He love so it he would probably walk over hot coals for loving. For example, last night I was working on some fabric flowers, I had petals with stick pins spread on the lap desk in front of me. Roux D wanted to snuggle so badly that he tried to walk over flower petals. When he got stuck he had this look on my face like "how could you let that happen to me." I broke my heart.

Roux D's interesting name is a collabroation between John, my boyfriend and me. Our other dog, Patches makes this sounds which is a howl but come out like "roo roo roo." John wanted a name that would be similar to that sound so Patches could call the puppy. I wanted a name that would reflect Louisiana. So we decided on Roux D or if the puppy had been a female it would have been La Roux. Roux D is the perfect name for a perfect puppy.

Wow it is Friday

Do you think that is the most common title for a blog? For me it is not that I am excited about having the traditional two days off....though I am....but I was off work for 3 days with a nasty flu. Since being diagnosed with MS I have noticed that when ever some yucky germ is going around the office I get it and I get it worse than anyone else. This week it was the flu everyone has had, but for twice as long.

I was home sick for 3 days. The first day getting out of bed even to walk the dogs was not fun. By Tuesday I was up and moving just not very fast or far. I did make it into the art room. I finished finish up my examples for the altered book technique for next month. I will post the pictures once I post the technique on the yahoo altered book group, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/alteredbooks/?yguid=59621766. I worked on some other trades and just played around. I did do some organizing too, but really the more I organize the worse it looks. I need my mom to help......Mom please. So needless to say, this does not feel like Friday.

If you want a sneak peak of the altered book technique come to DIY Lounge at Collage http://diylounge.com/classlist.php?id=90 next Friday 3/28/2008 for a hands on instruction.

This weekend is Easter. Happy Easter to all the Christians. I will be going to the church of craft on Sunday with my sister and John. http://www.multcolib.org/events/diycrafts.html I have been collect neck ties....but boy are most of them really ugly and not girly. I hope I can vamp them up. I will have pics of the finished product.

After that we are meeting my grandparents, aunt and uncle for dinner.

Of course, I will be going to estate sales. I will update you on the most fabulous find of last week. I am so excited.

My dogs think they are the swiss miss

Here is my first video on the blog. It is of my two dogs laying next to each other not moving, but making all this noice like they are. It was so funny John and I were laughing so hard I had tears coming down my cheeks.