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Full Tilt Boogie

 
Whew! Where does the time go when the warm breezes of summer invade the atmosphere? So far behind in blogging due to a long stretch of hanging out in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Always such a privilege to soak in the beauty and charm of this special place.

But I hope to set aside some time in the next few days to catch up with all my bloggy friends. I don't think I've ever gone this long without inspecting my google reader.

I have to admit, on my drive back from the cabin all I could think about was getting my paws on my art supplies! You see, Mary Ann's newest online class Full Tilt Boogie debuted in my absence. As usual, her video instruction is superb and full of inspiration. Not to mention Mary Ann's adorable sense of humor...so add the word entertaining to the previous sentence as well.  

 
Although the instructions in this class are focused on altering an old Victorian photo album, any type of book will work. The real empahsis is on bookbinding methods.

For my first journal {she will be teaching several different types of binding} I chose the open back binding. Isn't that fun? Another girl in class posted a photo of her completed journal where she used the baker's twine and I was sold! 

 
The "book" I altered wasn't really a book at all! I repurposed the thick cardboard backing on one of my watercolor pads and made my own book covers! In order to give the covers more of an authentic look of an old victorian album, I first padded them with several layers of cotton batting {a slight brushing of mod podge to hold the layers in place}.

 

Before wrapping the covers in some upholstery fabric, I sewed different embellishments to the front cover using irish waxed linen thread.

The beautiful old velvet violet millinery flower was a gift from my friend, Patty. So fun to find a special place for this much loved little gem!

 

 
 One of my splurges for this class was buying a Japanese Screw Punch. I've wanted one for a long time since I have gobs of uses for this little beauty. It even punches through thick leather with extreme ease. For this particular class, it drilled all the holes for binding my book together.

 
My plans will be to add my own photos I've taken, as well as add lots more tape-in sections, pieces of ephemera, a little paint, rubber stamps, and of course, some journaling.

So much for that housework getting done....!

And by the way, I'm pretty sure you can still sign up for Full Tilt Boogie if this is your cup of tea! It's a delicious cup for sure and the best part? The class never closes...meaning, you will have full access to all of the videos forever and ever. I love that about Mary Ann's classes!

{no, i am not a paid blogger! i post this raving review of the class of my own free will!}

Hope you're finding some time to live in your sweet spot too!

xo, Sue

I wish... {and some free images}

 
{applied textures from Kim Klassen}

I wish {and maybe you do too!} that I weren't so WISHY-WASHY! Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. But after realizing that moving my blog was going to cause a host of yicky problems, I changed my mind, AGAIN.

So with my little tail between my legs, and peeling egg off of my face, it's official. I'm going to stick with Typepad. But if anyone wants to know how to export their blog, ask me, I know how to do it!

All was not lost though as making the temporary move resulted in me learning a little more about the inner workings of a blog that will come in handy in the future. Did you know that by exporting your blog to a file on your computer that you have effectively made a copy of your blog complete with photos and links? Nothing was physically moved per se...my blog remained intact. I just ended up with a copy of it in a downloaded file on my computer.

ALSO!!!! I learned how to comment on blogs using my Typepad Open ID credentials...thanks to Wordpress. Long boring story. But for any other Typepad users who want to know how, holler. I'll share my limited wisdom.

 

Here's a beautiful print I snagged from the Graphics Fairy. The frame is one I made by taping some punched papers together. Feel free to use the image if you would like...

And heres a few more I made from the same template using Elements. You will need to use a photo-editing program that allows you to work in layers in order to slide a photo behind the frame. Enjoy! I only ask that you not sell the images themselves in a collage sheet or CD or anything of that nature.

 

 
 
And last, but certainly not least, as I am so looking forward to it...

 ...Christy Tomlinson's newest online class begins on Monday, May 23rd. You can still sign up through Sunday, the 22nd. Click on this picture over in my sidebar if you want more details!

I adore her style and this one looks packed with lots more yummy journaling goodness.

 

 

Xo, Sue

A whole lot of painting going on...

 

Way back yonder I dragged this steal of a deal home from an antique store. It was painted a lemony yellow...not a color that will blend with my new decorating direction.

First coat of the Annie Sloan chalk paint in Old White applied...several more steps to go before she's finished. Didn't even use a drop cloth!!! Please don't tell my hubby...he's away on a business trip which is why I can get away with such antics.

He's a rule follower....big time. I know I give him headaches. A lot.

 

When he starts a project, he sticks with it until its completed.

Me? Well...here's a good example. Paint swatches randomly slapped on our walls have graced our abode for longer than I want to admit. {but on a redeeming note, i've made my decision and the paint is in the garage waiting for the painters to come. the painters i haven't hired yet, that is...}

I needed time to think about it. Plus, the wheels in my brain spin constantly. And before the ideas disappear I sort of need to mark my spot. That way I'll have a visual reminder of what I was thinking about earlier.  

Let me illustrate...midstream while painting the hutch, I wondered in my spinning brain if I should paint out the two curio cabinets in the dining room as well.

So I just slapped a little of the Old White Annie Sloan paint on one of 'em just to take my idea for a test run, so to speak.

 
Thankfully I like the way it will look with the dining room chairs I'm painting out. So what was my plan B if plan A didn't work? I don't know. My brain spinners never got that far..........LOL!

What I won't show you, is that in this same room, there is a wall filled with paint swatches in various shades of muted/frenchy/robin eggs blue...the new color direction for this room.

Some {all?} of you are horrified right now, aren't you? Don't be. It always works out. Usually. Just ask my dolly friend who lives in the curio cabinet I randomly slapped some paint on as stood idly by watching... 

And often times during this latest painting spree, I'll head up to my art room and go to class.

 
My recently cleaned up table is now back to its messy usual self. But that's okay because I am thoroughly ENJOYING Christy Tomlinson's She Art online class. Fun. Fun. Fun.

 
I adore her style...and her videos are so well done...for my first attempt, I'm using an 11x14 canvas board I just happened to have in my stash.

 
There are still lots more layers and techniques that will be applied before I'm finished with this board. I just happen to have a frame that will work perfectly for this canvas...

...and you guessed it....it needs to be painted first.

But I always put down protective covering when I'm painting frames. I mean, duh. Did you think I didn't know any better?!!

Are you a rule follower, bender, ignorer, or a hybrid mix? Pray for me, okay?!

Xo, Sue

 

Online Classes

Sometimes I think about the impact of computers on our lives. Wow. Twenty-something years ago when working in corporate America, in a 75 story building, in the heart of a major city, our floor of maybe 50-60 people received "ONE" PC to share!!!

And one night I was in that building way past midnight ripping my hair out trying to load in data [to a flawed program] for a meeting the next day. For a client. Because my boss said so. We were going to wow them with our advanced technological abilities....NOT. Do you know how creepy it is to be in a skyscraper, in the middle of the night, in a huge city? Really creepy...especially for this scaredy cat!

If you had told me way back then that someday I would ENJOY being on the computer and even taking online classes...

 
 
...i probably would have laughed...and not believed you!

 
Fast forward to today: now I'd believe you. While my first attempts are fairly simple compared to how elaborate you can go, I am thoroughly loving stitching away in the evening hours on these two little pieces.

 
 

Specifics: Jude Hill's Cloth to Cloth: The Basics of Quilt Weaving online class.

First read about it here.

Of course, back then I never thought I'd spend time wiring vintage buttons together either. But I do that too...

 
Maybe the lessons I can learn from those seasons of frustration,

or when things aren't going right at all,

is that

 
And one of those POSSIBILITIES that I am anxiously awaiting is this:

 
Christy Tomlinson's She-Art class...the second round which will launch on April 11th. Thank you Cherie for sharing about this class so beautifully in your own creations! Check out her recent posts and be wowed! 

And very soon I will be sharing with you the YUMMY package that came my way from Cherie. Oh my. Lucky little me! 

Last but not least, another class that is in the works is another journaling class by Mary Ann Moss. I am so taking that class!  Meanwhile I am in love with her posts from Paris...it is a city that I so long to return to for a visit. One of my most favorite trips ever...

So wherever life finds you today...and esp. if you're in the heat of one of life's battle...just remember, tomorrow is full of NEW possibilities.

Xo, Sue

My dream job{{s}}...

Through the years I've worn a lot of different "work hats"...everything from retail to waitressing to elementary school teacher to corporate business woman to you name it...and I must say I've enjoyed all the varied experiences each had to offer. Some more than others...

But right now, on this given day, if I could pick my dream job{{s}}...

I would work at the altered book factory! There are no "bosses" and virtually no rules to speak of other than JUST HAVE FUN!  

Despite the fact that there's lots of sewing involved, no previous experience is necessary. In fact, the lady who teaches you the ropes for this job refers to her type of sewing as guerilla warfare sewing {or something close to that concept}...

But she ain't like one of these.....Sorry if that offends any blondes...I thought it was hysterical myself and I'm legally blonde. But I do pay a pretty penny to my hairdresser to perk it up a bit. Grin.

  If you enjoy whimsical...or the chance to join papers with fabric and any other type of material you can sew, glue, clip, staple, stamp, or nail down...

I think you would love Mary Ann's online class: REMAINS OF THE DAY!

Once you're finished with your journal and its all been binded together, your imagination is the only limit as to how you might use your new little book.

Personally speaking, I've already dreamed up in my head about 6 different books I want to make....One for garden notes, another for my favorite inspirational quotes, travel journals, for gifts, and on and on...

And as soon as I finished my shift at the altered journal factory, I would head to my next full-time job...

...that being, Kim Klassen's CAFE.................oh my. More on that tomorrow, or the next day, or the next....depends when I get my next day off! That is one of the down sides to these dream jobs, you never want to go home!!!!

Lonely Girl: Art Journal Pages

{{{please feel free to use this image for your own personal use}}}

This little photo tucked away in my stash has always intrigued me. Maybe it's those mothering instincts, but every time I see this photo I want to gather this little girl in my arms and love away the sadness I sense in her. Maybe remind her that better days lie ahead...get her a puppy...something!

She was destined to end up in at least one of my creative endeavors...

...and that day has arrived...

For my journal pages she was named the lonely girl...

Loneliness and feeling alone in this big world are probably things we all experience to some degree during our journey here on earth. Those can be difficult seasons. I know I've gone through plenty of these times due to relocation, loss, change, and a host of other circumstances. But the antidote is always the same...

....choosing love and friendship....

{oops! i felt my journaling spots were a bit too personal and purposely smudged them up...sorry for the quick scare if you thought your eyes were getting bad!}

Also wanted to call your attention quick to the new sidebar item I posted. Karla is having a Wizard of Oz celebration and is hosting a tag swap if anyone is interested. And don't forget to throw your name in the hat for my giveaway {previous post}!

As always, thank you for taking time out of your busy day to visit! And above all else...choose love and friendship!

Xo, Sue

Credits: Karen at Graphics Fairy for the moon; library card from rubyfloy.etsy.com

Free birdie images and we're off to the beach....

How did it get to be so late, so soon?

The calendar indicates that tomorrow we leave for the beach. You know what that means...a million little details to attend to before heading out. Well, a million little details if you're the mother. And I am the mother. So logic would tell you that I've been busy attending to all those details. NOT.

Instead...

A little birdie told me to start another art journal... {"start" and "another" are key words...}

 

I used this little birdie in my journal and made two different versions for you to grab if you'de like to use them in your own creations.

Here's a few other shots...

 
...just felt good to play...and make a mess...and contemplate the wise words I used in this creation...still needs a bit more added before I'm finished, but those million little details I need to take care of need my attention first...

Hope to have some happy reports to share when we return informing you that the beaches of Florida's panhandle are still filled with white, sugar sand and not chunks of tar...

Xo, Sue

Lisa's Art Challenge - "Outside the Box"

Ah-ha...now I know why she included the word "challenge"....

And a challenge it was on many different levels...

The first challenge was getting out of Target without straying from my short, concise shopping list. Suffice it to say, I didn't pass the first challenge. Nothing extravagant, but one of these and one of those begin to add up quickly, don't they?

Yet as I rambled through every aisle it was like taking a walk down memory lane of when my children were little ones.  Children crying--more pronounced {and did I mention louder} the closer I came to the toy section! Mothers giving "that look" to those screaming children and me pretending like I hardly noticed that child on the floor thrashing from side to side {professional courtesy from one mother to another} desperately clutching some much-needed toy...

Memories...they are known for showing up in the most expected, and even unexpected places.

{The flowers on the box were once the color of the freshly cut flowers!}

Our challenge was to take these little boxes that originally contained soap and give the box a makeover. After painting the box with a Martha Stewart paint sample called Sultana I began to adhere individual little blossoms of pressed verbena. It took way more than I had on hand and there was no time for pressing more so I even slapped ripe ones to the underside of the top cover and blasted them with my heat gun. Results...not bad.  

After hemming and hawing, staring into space, and staring some more, I finally decided to make mine a memory box.

 
  A few years back I purchased from this gal's Etsy shop two pieces of mirrors she had washed in acid and just like it was meant to be, the pieces were exactly the size of this box. The words were cut from an old novel printed in a large font I nabbed at Goodwill specifically for the larger font size. {Not to read it...but for artsy pursuits!}

 

The second mirror was used over the photo... a few more scratches were added using a file as to open up more peek-through area for the image. 

The photo is of my cousin Johnny and myself when we were wee little ones...fifty-one years ago with the sun shining in our eyes...{not a lot of camera tips floating around for the novice photographer back in those days!}

Our families were inseparable...we gathered together every Sunday if not more often during the week, every holiday including Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, many sleepovers, and so on.

Johnny and I accumulated hundreds and hundreds of hours through the years traipsing through woods, sometimes I was a passenger on his bicycle with the tiger banana seat, or on a mini-bike, snowmobiles, and even harrowing rides on his motorcycle hanging on for all I was worth. He grew up on a large dairy farm and any chance I got I loved to spend days at the farm. They had an old car we drove through the fields long before we ever had a real license.  Finally, a chance for me to give him a scary ride!

Sadly so, it will be five years in July since his life ended tragically. It's still hard to believe at times...I cherish the times I get to visit with my Aunt and we are able to share memories we each hold so dear. He had a brilliant mind, was an accomplished photographer who developed his own film, flew airplanes, motorcycled across the country just to visit places he'd never been before & surprising relatives in many states when he suddenly appeared on their doorstep {!}, backpacked across Europe another year...always looking for an adventure.

 
 It took me way longer to create this little piece than it should have...so many interuptions of getting lost in my thoughts and memories...

Yes, some memories are best never to be forgotten even if they make you cry.

When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.  ~Kahlil Gibran
**********

To view the creations of more participants in today's art challenge, head over to Lisa's blog, Tarnished and Tattered. If you've not been there before, take a peek around as Lisa is a talented Texas gal who creates some gorgeous stuff! She is also being featured in a soon-to-be-released Stampington publication due to hit the streets any day now! Thank you, Lisa for hosting this challenging event. Who knew one little box could be such a fun challenge {or make such a mess of my once clean workspace}!    

Happy Mother's Day

   (my mother taken in the 1940's) 

Mother's Day is one of those days that can stir the emotions like no other day...At different times in my life, those emotions varied. During seven+ years of infertility, or following a miscarriage, the day stirred an emotion of deep longing. But the one consistent theme year after year was a deep sense of love and appreciation for my own mother.

Now at age 87, she is mother to six, grandmother to 18, great-grandmother to 22, and even a couple  of great-great grandchildren! No doubt those numbers will continue to increase as there are still 7 grandchildren {our 3 children and my baby sister's 4 who have yet to either get married and/or start their own families}.

One consistent theme in my mother's life next to having her family visit in person, are the piles of photos she loves to receive and sort through often.

 

She also loves to receive my handmade cards. Despite the fact that my creative muse seems to have taken a long vacation and refuses to return to me, I knew I had to try to come up with something. Recently I stitched the little verse that I blogged about here and decided it would be perfect to use in my card.

{front} 

 

{back}

Starting with an 8.5 x 11" piece of heavy chipboard I covered the front with an old piece of drapery and began layering different elements. The back was covered with a piece of vintage wallpaper with a photo added of my mom from days gone by. It always tickles her to see one of these forgotten photos included in my cards. [the little fragments of green glittered lace on the two corners were from Patty and now shared with my mum...]

 Despite the fact that my mother lives 1200 miles away and I won't be able to share this day in person, I know how blessed I am to still have her. 

Here's wishing all my bloggy friends a most blessed Mother's Day.

 [And huge hugs to the hearts of those for whom this day stirs the sadness emotion for any number of reasons.]   

Clever and Kindness...

When I was young, I admired clever people.  Now that I am old, I admire kind people. 

~Abraham Joshua Heschel

 

But when clever and kindness become intertwined and it arrives in your mailbox....

blessed be the recipient...and in this case, that would be me!

Is this presentation not A.D.O.R.A.B.L.E. or what?

And there's still another view you have to see to appreciate the entire gorgeousness...

 

 Now you have witnessed seriously A.D.O.R.A.B.L.E. Not to mention, clever. 

And if that isn't enough, check out what was tucked inside.

 

(click on any photo to enlarge)

There was even more. More clever and more kindess.

 

...just a sampling of what was tucked in this box of kindness...i've considered making a special blankey {our word for special childhood security blankets} out of the goober-silky-soft french velvet ribbon in a heavenly aqua color.. 

Patty, your kindness warmed my heart to it's core. You are such an inspiration to the blog world and I A.D.O.R.E. your generous heart.

xo,sue