Wordless Wednesday

Two TOO long workdays.

When my workday goes longer than 10 hours (and even longer) I can't handle it. I come home and all I want to do is put my feet up, relax for a bit and go to bed so I can get up in the morning and do it all over again. That's why I haven't been here. I've had two VERY long workdays. And that why all I shall say tonight it that having run out of places to put my ATC's I came up with these two ideas. They're hanging in my kitchen.I have one of those (7 Gypsies?) carousels, but am not thrilled with that, and I've covered two canvases with them. If any one has any other ideas, I'm game. Also, to those who have taken the time to visit my blog and leave such kind comments, you have no idea how much your words mean to me. When I started doing this, I was sure no one would want to see what I make. Now little by little, I felling like maybe I have something to offer. And I have new friends who are important to me and who I care about a great deal. You're all da bomb! I Love you all.

Bird Soup

This morning I checked out the Order of the Opus Gluei and their challenge #50 is BIRDS. I don't want you to think I don't have a life and so could immediately drop everything and create something for this challenge, but I'm into sitting at the computer this morning, doing nothing of any consequence really. (Except that my daughter and her DH are coming for supper, so I better get my rear in gear soon). So this is was I came up with. I must have been hungry as I made this (you'll figure it out) and it's no secret that I'm not a big fan of birds at the best of times. They are yummy though. At any rate, I've used some clip art from Freubel (in particular, the bust, and the arches. I love her stuff. The rest of the ingredients (for my soup) are assorted downloads from the Internet. I'm well aware this won't win any awards for techniques, but I had a lot of fun doing it and find comfort in the fact that I may have reduced the bird population by one or two. TTFN

I'm here, I'm home

safe and sound. What does that mean anyways, I mean I know what "safe" means, it's like, well, safe, but what about "sound"? What does "safe and sound" sound like? and if I weren't "safe and sound" what would THAT sound like? Does it mean sound as in "of sound mind" cus if that's what it means, we all need to get a new dictionary.
The thundersnow has stopped and the snow is gone. The sun is shining and I put my coat away once again. (until next time) I got married in July (about a century ago) and it snowed a week before my wedding. (I should have taken that as a sign of things to come). Summer is back though for now and that makes me very happy. I did hear some birds breathing hard when they flew by, but that's just because it's still windy. If I were a bird, I would fly south. California maybe. Wouldn't you? Dumb birds.
I did some housework tonight. Normally, I listen to dirt, I don't sweep it. But the cat's been coughing, so I thought I should do something. I keep my broom and dustpan in the narrow space between the fridge and the wall and it JUST fits in there. So I shoved it in there and bent down to pick up the dustpan and it fell out and whicked me right on my ear. RIGHT on my ear. Hurt like heck. I actually saw stars. I thought that was just a literary device: "seeing stars", kind of like alliteration, but nope. It's real. I think I'm deaf now. Just on that one side. I took some aspirin, but I'm going to sit down on the couch and do nothing for the rest of the evening. and I'll never do housework again. It's too dangerous.

1. In 1992, I was _learning how to be a momma_.
2. There just aren't enough daily_ laughter and smiles.
3. Do what you _were always told not to do_, with what you_can drum up as wild abandon_, where you_won't worry about what anyone thinks of you_
4. Back in bed and not heading out on the highway_ is where I'd like to be.
5. The trees and flowers are telling me MAKE IT STOP!!!(the snow, that is)_.
6. It's the stupid winter_ that just keeps going on.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to coming home safe and sound_, tomorrow my plans include spending some of the day with my daughter_ and Sunday, I want to take it easy, but I'll probably do some housework_!
Catch ya later....

Thundersnow?

THUNDERSNOW???????????ARE YOU KIDDING ME? WHAT THE SAM HELL IS THUNDERSNOW?????????
Good grief. Look at these pictures. We're having thundersnow, apparently. It's snow with thunder. Is that a joke? They did not teach us about thundersnow in school science class. ERGO, is does NOT EXIST. Will someone please kill me now? These pictures are taken from my back door and all of these were taken within a one-hour period. In a one-hour period, I might add, which included a power failure three, count them THREE times. OF COURSE, I had been working on a digital piece last night and didn't save it. Of course it's gone. It left this world as I had my hand on the crop tool. Of course.
Do I sound miffed? Well, that's because I AM!! They say "don't like the weather? Wait five minutes-it'll change." Which is fine, when it changes from winter to summer. But this afternoon, I was walking around with no coat on, quite happy, thank you very much and as I was filling my truck up with gas two hours later, the garbage can at the gas station almost decked me as it went flying by. I'm debating calling work and having my overnight staff call and wake me up in the morning. I have to drive out of town, and oh my, I do not, do not, do not, want to sleep in. And with the way things are going, the alarm probably won't go off. It needs power for that, after all. The last time I made this drive I'm doing tomorrow, it was storming so bad, I finally pulled over and went to sleep. Good grief. Oh yeah, I already said that.
That was in winter. IT IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE WINTER NOW, IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE SPRING!! WHO HAS THUNDERSNOW IN SPRING? (Who has thundersnow at all? I think it's made up) And then a weather forecast that includes sunny days, rain showers and snow flurries. All in the next three days.
And if that isn't bad enough, I just heard on TV that Kraft is all pleased with themselves because their salad dressings now are made from natural ingredients. Huh? Were they made from un-natural ingredients up until now? I've done some somewhat un-natural things in my younger life and I'm not really so comfortable with the concept of "unnatural" expecially as it relates to food. I don't eat in the prisons,for example. You wanna see "unnatural....come with me sometime.
I'm going to bed early. Now, in fact. After I arrange for a wake-up call. I can't deal with all this. Good grief.
I can just hear you saying, "oh now honey, you're just over-tired. Things will look better in the morning." No they won't. You can't convince me of that. No way. They won't. This is Canada. Stupid, cold thundersnowing Canada. Do the weather forecasters sit around the studio and make these words up just to screw with people's heads?
And don't you dare tell me to go to my room and take a time out. I won't, I won't, I wont. (stamping her feet)
No artwork tonight, but I'm guessing you've probably figured that out on your own. Have a lovely day tomorrow. And think of me. Probably sitting at the side of the highway, listening to the ice slam the heck out of my truck to the point that I can't get the door open and will have to crawl across and go out the passenger door which will be on the side of the vehicle where I will immediately slip and then slide down the ditch that is directly below my truck. On my ass. And then I will have to chip the ice off my door to be able to get back in, doing all of this in a freaking whiteout with lumps. Lumps that hurt. (Can you hear the cello music in the background? That's it. I'm moving. I don't care where. Just not here. I'm packing my papers and stickles now. And my parka, for the trip to the airport. Damn puffy parka, you can't even put your hands down by your sides, and you look like the MIchelin man. on steroids. I'll never get a date looking like this. (Not that I would want to go out with anyone who finds a bitchy woman who looks like a walking sleeping bag, attractive. I'd rather be alone...oooor...No! I'd rather be alone. I'm sure of it. Good night.

Wordless Wednesday

Before I go to bed

let me show you what I've been playing with. I got these new digital postcard sets,where you drop in what you want in the various spots and make it your own. I bought them through Scrapgirls.com; they are "scrapsimple digital layout postcards"
Anyways, they're kind of fun and although I haven't used them for the reason I bought them (ie: travel), it doesn't really matter. Some may say I'm being a tad irreverent (isn't tad a SWEET word?) with this, but what the hey? A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. As always, you can click on the photos to make them bigger. How do they do that anyways? Doesn't matter. Sleep tight and make sure you have a funny day tomorrow. I'm on a mission to find a lost sock.

Gluei gingersnap Sparkle

This week's challenge from the Order of the Opus Gluei is to create something that sparkles. Easy Peasy, my favorite thing to do. Even my cat has glitter in her fur. And then, I learned that my friend Linda has joined the design team at Gingersnap Creations. Yay Linda!!! Well, I wandered over to their site and became enamoured with a couple of their challenges, and whaddya know, I decided that the sparkly thing I was going to make could also be copper coloured. I guess I shouldn't call it a "thing", but that's what it was as I was galavanting around the Internet. It is now a card. Officially, it was planned as a card for my friend in England, but by the time I finished sparkling and glittering and what-not, it was WAY too heavy to send WAY over there. I don't know if you've ever tried to mail anything in Canada lately, but suffice it to say, I would have had to take out a bank loan. So she doesn't get it.
Whenever I visit (and admire) other folk's blogs, I appreciate how they take the time to explain how they make their creations and the supplies and all that. Me, I'm way too ADHD to do that, for the most part. HOWEVER, tonight I can. cus it was simple. First, I put some copper-coloured cardstock through my Cuttlebug to emboss it. (NO, I don't remember where I got the cardstock from, work with me, will ya?)
Then I embossed it again, using a Dreamweaver stencil and Dreamweaver metallic copper embossing paste. Then I painted a chipboard leaf and flower (from heaven knows where)with copper acrylic paint. Then I covered the flower with glitter and a coppery-thingie (what do they call them, oh yeah, "gem") from Michaels, then I took an earring that I don't wear much anymore from off my dresser and took the hook off it and attached that, then I mounted it all on some flocked cardstock (good grief, I don't know what company made that either, maybe I should just give up) and then I attached some mystery ribbon. To the front and to hold the vellum liner inside.
And that's it.
I've just proven to myself that there is no point whatsoever to try to tell you how I make something, it's an accomplishment for me to just get it made. I feel so traumatized. It's posted. On this blog. So never ask me to do this again. cus that's all you're going to get.

And so are you.

Swap Till You Drop

For the first time, I'm participating in a real ATC swap. You can find it here. For awhile now I've admired the work of the participants of this swap and I finally got up enough nerve (and enough time) to put together 5 cards and to give it a try. The theme is "vintage". and the clipart is from Valerie B's site The Sum of All Crafts. She has the cooest images! What fun this was!

Memory Tripping

Do you remember giving birth? I do. Why do "they say you forget? Are "they" men? I remember my head spinning around a la the Exorcist and snarling at my husband that he could expect no more sex ever again. EVER. We're divorced now, by the way. I remember screaming "I've changed my mind, I'm going home." I remember the nurse saying "Oh, no missy, you cannot go home, just push!" Push? Are you nuts? I'm outta here.
And then here she was. My beautiful little girl came into this world with a black eye. A shiner. She punched herself in the eye on the way out. Maybe she was in a hurry. I know I certainly was. Good grief. Was this a sign of things to come?
And you know what else? I thought once the little creature was out of you, you instantly reverted to your pre-baby weight. Never mind I gained 40 pounds and she only weighed 7. Logic had no place here. As soon as I could walk, I climbed on the hospital scale and, what? What the heck? There was still a substantial tire around my belly (and my butt, but let's not go there.) A tire suitable for one of the massive earth movers in the diamond mines up north.
She was sweet though. One of my fondest memories is that of her coming into the living room (at an hour way, way, way too late for any little girl to still be walking around) and saying "One more little cuddle, Mommy?". Whenever we went to buy a new dress (and dresses WERE the only thing she would wear from quite some time) she had to check the "twirl" factor. If it didn't twirl big, it was not going home with us.
I'm glad she came home with us.

My beautiful young woman

Isn't she lovely? So ladylike.

And here she is today.

Where did I go wrong? ;-)

I think I have OCD

Obsessive Creating (of) Digital (stuff). I wonder if there's treatment for it. Maybe a 12-step program? I admit I'm powerless over free downloads. What happened was last night I accidentally googled "free clip art-Easter" and came across this pic of the lady in the egg. And that fascinated me. What kind of mind puts a lady peeking out of a chicken egg, looking all sultry and ravishing? That's just weird. I was going to print it out and make a little ATC, but then, I thought I would simply take a very little teeny-weeny look at a couple of other pictures (mostly rabbit-related) and then I looked up rabbitish quotes and Easter and all that and, well, you know the rest. I stayed up way too late last night. Fell asleep in the bathtub this morning, as a matter of fact. I could have drowned. That's how serious this is! Stop laughing! Someone needs to take my computer away from me. (Just try and you'll be sorry. Very, very sorry.)
When I got up this morning, I told my self I would only make one. Just one harmless ATC. Maybe an Easter card. Or two. And before you know it, I had four of the damn things staring at me from my monitor. I don't know how it happened. Like I said. I'm powerless. I'll get help. I really will. Tomorrow.

Wardrobe

As I wait for this image to upload, I realize, I should have posted this pic of the collection (so far) first. for some reason, I can't seem to get it through my head the order Blogger does things in. Probably the dyslexia. Should I capitalize "blogger"? Are there Blogger police waiting behind the couch for me to make a grammatical error? Anyways, here are my dresses for Dress Up 2010 What fun this challenge is!
Hey, how would you describe an agnostic dyslexic?
Someone who spends her time wondering if there is a dog.
Have a funny day!

PS: My previous post has the actual April dress on it.(Brain fart)

April Dress

My dress this month was so much fun to make. It seems I'm on a digital kick. The digital elements (retro blooms) are by danielle d designs. I place what seemed like 100's of these pretty little things on the paper template by Gini (thanks again, Gini!), added a digital ribbon, from I don't remember where and a belt from danielle d's collection. Then I printed it out. I added some ribbon straps, beads and Swarovski crystals and Voila! Done! I'm going to wear it to the movies tonight. Anyone want to come with me?

HAPPY EASTER!!

Friday Fill-ins #170

1. All you need is _a shotgun and the gopher population will decrease_. 2. _The way my cat purrs up against me and drools fills me with laughter_. 3. Each generation as it grows up _tries desperately to clean the house before Mom comes to visit_. 4. _Going to work every day is something I have a hard time dealing with_. 5. A trip to _anywhere but here_ is what I need. 6. _Give out home baking on a plate_and you get back. 7. _And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _seeing friends_, tomorrow my plans include _scrapbooking_, and Sunday I want to _sleep in and spend the entire day in my jammies_.

Getting all Felt up.

I WISH. Oh well, some day my prince will come (but he'd better hurry, I'm not getting any younger). I promised myself a couple of months ago that I would participate in the Fabric Postcard Challenge here and this card is my first time. I'm a fabric postcard virgin. (born-again no doubt) The Opus Challenge this week was to use felt in a project. That was what prompted me to get my rear in gear and get this puppy done. You'll notice the background is stippled felt. I would like to mention that while in an earlier life I used to be a (pretty prolific) quilter, I haven't really done anything with fabric for many a moon. So given that fact, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I think the fence and flower fabric was from a Mary Englebret collection. In fact, come to think of it there is a quilt of her fabric hanging at the top of the stairs. Interesting, that had to be almost 30 years ago. See, it pays to be a hoarder, of sorts. If I hadn't saved this fabric, I wouldn't have been able to have done the postcard challenge, nor the Opus Challenge. So sad. I want you to know I'm not one of those hoarders they have on tv: "BURIED ALIVE". Those creep me out. I only hoard craft supplies. There's a BIG difference.
for instance.......ummmm..........OK, no big difference, but there should be because it's not the same. Not the same at all.

I also will use this postcard (heck, it took me a long time@) for this week's blogparty at Everything Etsy here