Well, Well, Well

I was sadly mistaken thinking that I could actually be creative during Olympic hockey!! The hockey games have taken precedence over pretty much everything, even getting my daughter to bed in a proper way last night... how dare she think that I would miss any of the action in the Canada/Slovakia game???!!! The nerve of some kids!! lol I'm pretty sure, that with my other weekend chores & errands and hockey games, that I won't be making anything this weekend!



However, given the outcome of last night's game, it's appropriate to share THIS project. I made these wall plaques several years ago; my dad is an avid wood-worker so he cut the shapes out & I painted & distressed them. I've always been a big fan of hockey (since the 1984 Olympics) and have a special place in my heart for my Northern neighbor! It's sad to say that I will have a hard time being a true patriotic American tomorrow... I will be happy with the winner, regardless. Go USA. Go Canada!! lol

{{ Fairies & Angels }}

It seems like light years ago when my daughter was constantly inviting the *Tooth Fairy* over for visits. A plain envelope or plastic baggie just didn't seem appropriate for so much company, so I got to work on the box pictured below. Unfortunately, all my hard work was wasted on a whiny little girl who didn't appreciate the gesture. **heavy sigh**
So, back to the drawing board... a simple little envelope for her precious little teeth! Through the years, the box has disappeared (no doubt in her collection of stolen goods) but the envelope is still being put to use ~ she should be losing her molars soon!
I was commissioned to make the 2 boys boxes for co-workers & they are also still being used! I think with more appreciation than my sweet child shows!! =D

As for the Angel book ~ a few years ago, my daughter was having problems sleeping. Somewhere she had heard that angels were ghosts & she was afraid they were going to get her in the night. I found this Guardian Angel poem on the internet & made this book out of it. This gift was very much appreciated by my lovely girl, and we still read it nightly before prayers! I've had to re-glue some of the images, but other than that, it's held up quite well over the years!

My Angel Paperbag Book

My Tooth Fairy Boxes

It's Been a LOOOONGGG DAy

Yes, a long day, but I will still go home & make some ATCs while watching the Canada/Russia hockey game on the Olympics tonight!

I had an idea, and I'm going to play around with it tonight. I follow so many awesome blogs that offer free images & backgrounds, so tonight I'm going to create some cards from the images of one blog. When I'm finished & ready to share my little works of art, I will share them here while highlighting that blog at the same time! Next week (or whenever) I will do the same with a different blog site! This could go on forever, with as many sites as I follow!! =D

*A Few More of My ATCs*

Is It Spring Yet??

Every Jan/Feb I say the exact same thing... I'm sooooo tired of winter. This winter seems worse: more cold, more snow, more dreary gray days than usual.

I'm getting geared up for spring and have great hopes of finishing my living room this year... I started this last year, changing the color scheme & decor to a shabby beach cottage! Last spring I changed the curtains out for a "breezier" looking style and added a few cheap accents in greens, blues & browns... light aqua being the main color inspiration.

In a few short weeks, I will be painting the walls & shabbying up all the wood furniture with white! I have a dream... a goal... I want an inviting & soothing place to relax after a long day of work. A place where I can feel as if I'm in Cape Cod ~ which is where I truly want to live! I think most people dream of retiring to a warm climate ~ but me, I'm going to retire on the Cape!! I even already have a town in mind... =D

Yay! I'm Being Followed!

I guess normally, that wouldn't be a good thing... but in this case, it's way cool!! Welcome to my very first follower: Carmelina (http://creativecarmelina.blogspot.com/)... so glad you decided that I seem interesting enough to keep tabs on!

I checked your blog out as well, LOVE the paintings & sketches. I can't do either, to save my life! I noticed we have a lot of similar interests... including... dogs!!

I love your Rat!! I have a Rat, too... and a Jack Russell. They are pictured below! I've had my Rat, Gunner, for 6 years... infact, it will be exactly 6 years this Wednesday! I got him when he was 5 weeks old & he's my baby boy!!

My Jack Russell, Chloe, came along a little over a year later ~ she was 3 months old when I got her! She & Gunner are, of course, the best of friends & worst of enemies... depending on the day, the hour, the minute... and if Gunner tries to steal Chloe's bone! lol

For the Love of Paris

j'taime Paris. Always have! Since my high school French class and upon meeting the French foreign exchange student that stayed with my friend, Beth, for a year! Number 1 on my "bucket list", Paris is the one place I must see before I "kick it". My niece, who is studying to be a criminal law doctor, tells me her first big paycheck is funding our trip... even my daughter tells me she will take me when she's rich & famous!!! For now, I have to just stick with the dream ~ well, and the shrine in my foyer!! lol I'm constantly searching for new pieces for the display, with money tight, I have to get creative. A lot of these little Eiffel Towers were gifts and eventually the bird houses will be replaced with Paris souvenirs!! My mom owns an antique / resale shop & I have her on the lookout for more trinkets!! I made the ATC display last weekend.

"The Mean Mom Paparazzi" and Paperbag Books

When my daughter started rebelling against "photo shoots", I had to find something else to occupy my free time. As she put it the other day: "moms are the WORST kind of paparazzi" lol I found the joy of paperbag books. One year I made over 30 of them for Christmas gifts!! I was almost burned out, but still made a few for myself! A few people even "commissioned" me to make them, it was the first time I sold any of my crafts! I haven't made one in 3 years, I think I'll do another one soon!

{Alter it All}

My journey to ATCs began with scrapbooking... actually, thinking waaaay back, I used to do a LOT of decoupage... so really, I've been doing altered art for... hmmm... almost 20 years now. Wow. Back then, of course, I didn't realize all of the possibilites!! I just took a box & covered it up!!!! lol Every day now, I see more & more cool things to try my hand at: altered dog tags, altered charms, altered scrabble tiles, altered dominoes, altered everything! Some days I think I might try altering my dogs... or cats... maybe even my daughter!! lol (kidding... she's "practically perfect in every way") Here is one of my favorite layouts (oddly enough, of my "altered" daughter... lol)

Websites, Websites,Websites

There are a lot of "non-blogger" sites I use for copyright free images. One site I stumbled on while googling is "Free Victorian Images". OMG... sooooo many photos. It took me 2 days to sift through the vast supply!!!! So many awesome pictures!! If you're thrifty, like I have to be, this is a great site to start out on! Have fun!!

http://www.freevictorianimages.com/

Yay for Freebies... but...

I'm addicted to google! I google EVERYTHING... from celebrities, to movies, to song lyrics, to decorating ideas, to free images/ collage sheets for my ATCs. Most of the blogs I follow offer free images and wonderful inspiration... it only just dawned on me to start saving these images to folders tagged with the blog name so I can give proper credit & thanks! I've made a billion cards & don't know who to thank for the images... sigh. If you see a card that has one of your free images, please let me know so I can give public "kudos"!

A Place to Show Off

I've been "following" several blogs over the past few months & have decided to try my hand at this. I can only hope to be even half as interesting as most of the blogs I check daily! Since this is all new to me, I'm still working out the bugs of creating a really cool & interesting site... I welcome any helpful hints to making this a fun place to visit! I envision a place to share & show off some of my ATC's, my photography, and some of my other craft projects! I've been in a creative funk for the past few years, going through a seperation while working full time (and a lot of overtime) and trying to raise my 9 year old daughter on my own. But the time has come for me to find that creative side again! I hope you will join me on this journey to my creative freedom!! xoxo Peej