Altered Tag: Swap hostess gift

Now that my post cards are ready to go, I was able to have some fun making a little gift for the hostess of the swap. This is an altered mini-file folder and tag. I had a great time using some fun stamps as well as some vintage sheet music, mulberry paper, and vintage ephemera.

Inside of file folder and flip side of the tag.

I hope she likes it!

The Whimsy Jar that I received!!

You may remember the Whimsy Jar swap that I was involved in. I posted the jar I sent HERE. Well, I wanted to share the Jar that I got back from Kaytie b. It was jam packed full of stuff and there was even some extra goodies that did not fit in the jar and had to come in a separate envelope. Thank you so much!! I love every bit of it!

Halloween Post Card Swap (Prompted)

This is my first post card swap. I am new to a mixed-media/art journaling group and I wanted to jump right in and get involved. It was exactly what I needed to kick start me back into my studio.
This swap was prompted. This means that there were certain obligations that we had to fulfill when completing the cards. Here were the prompts:
*Size: 5 3/4" x 4 1/8"
*Add Orange and Black
*Needs a brad to make some kind of moveable element
*Must include a Jack o'lantern or Pumpkin
*Write a Halloween memory or favorite treat on the back.
This is what I came up with!

Front

Inside

Front

Inside

Front

Inside

Front

Inside

So, now I am going to work on a little something to give to the hostess of the swap and then it'll be ready to send off. I can't wait to see what I get back! I will be sure to share them with you!

Look what you could win!!!

And if you don't win....you can order! =)

Oh.my.word. Here is a giveaway that I am really excited about. My friend Lindsay over at The Menagerie of Craftiness is doing her first giveaway!! You KNOW I love pumpkins, but how adorable is this hat??? I want one for myself. =) Head over to her blog and check it out. She's so talented. Lot's of unique, quality items.

Art journaling...

I can't think of a time in my life when I didn't keep a diary or journal of some sort. I've always been addicted to doodling, dabbling in my own version of artful expression, lettering...you name it. I've got stacks of notebooks and journals filled with my words, woeful tales, poems, quotes, thoughts, doodles...
I just recently joined a couple Yahoo groups so that I could connect with others all over the world that were interested in this very same thing. I've started to pull out art pads, journals, paints and old magazines again and I've been kind of on a journey I guess...just playing, thinking, praying, being... I'm having fun, but more importantly, I'm finding that I missed doing this. I think facebook has kind of hogged up my blogging/journaling time. Don't get me started about my quiet time and prayer. Ha. Thank the good Lord, I saw that very early on and didn't let it get in the way, but now I am doing what I love again.
I'm going to post a few pages here and there. I won't want to share all of them on here...but I will post some from time to time.
Some of these were inspired by journal prompts from the groups or on-line ideas....

Stress Management: Just a few things that help me to unwind. I thought this was a better page to post than Stress Makers: the things that set me off! haha.
**Acrylic paints, gesso, gel medium, gel pen, magazine media.

Don't Skip Dessert: This one was inspired by a journal prompt to simply paint an ice cream cone in our journal. Then I read a FB status of a friend and I decided to journal my thoughts about it.
**Acrylics, gesso, gel medium, magazine media, Sharpie marker, rubber stamp and SU ink

Great inspiration for Mixed Media artists...

Check out this blog.... It's their Blogeversary and they are celebrating by doing a give away! I was excited to see so many great ideas!! Go check it out!

Whimsy Jar Spoiler

I signed up for a Whimsy Jar swap that I'm really excited about! It's just for fun, but you state the color theme you'd like and then someone gets your name and you are assigned someone as well.
My person obviously requested red, white and blue. One of the rules is that it needs to contain scrapbook items.
I've had this wide mouth Ball jar for quite some time and it was perfect for the swap!

I used Stamin' Up Land That I Love set. I heat embossed the flag and the stars.

I used a vintage button in the back. There is so much in that jar. Some of the items include gems, prima flowers, scrapbook mints, ribbon, tape runner, buttons, cat's eye chalk, bling, alphabet mini stamps and more! I hope she likes it. I will post pics of mine when I get it so that you all can see what I get! =)

Here are the contents along with another picture of a few things I made for her.

So serious...

I have been playing with Gesso, Gel medium, paints, magazines...whatever...in my art journal. My daugther Taryn wanted to see what I was making and I really just needed her to leave me alone for a bit. I was in the groove, you know? So after she left, I felt kinda bad and decided to make this for her. haha.

She loves the Gecko from Geico. She just thinks he's adorable. Calls him her boyfriend...um, yeah. He's a lizard. Anyway, one of our favorite lines from a movie comes from Remember the Titans, where the guy says, "He's from Cali-for-nya! You know, Cali-for-nya!" To which the girl replies, "Yeah, California dreamboat." We just love that. We're weird like that. haha.

So this is some cardboard, gesso, acrylic paint, magazine page, varnish, prima flowers, stickles and ribbon.

Still tinkering...

So, I'm making progress. I've been getting back to these in between etsy orders and other projects...like I said, just playing...but it's coming along. =)

Did a little journaling on the backs of 'em.

Put it on a ring...added some ribbon...

I still want to add some tags, photos, fibers...who knows what else! I like it so far!