I love Mermaids!

It occurred to me that I never showed you the loot I received from the "Non-Cutesy Mermaid ATC" Swap I participated in on Swap-bot.  You can see the card I made HERE in an older post.

Look what bluehairedmary made for me!

Isn't it perfect for me?!  I do love it so.  Now I just need to find a tiny frame so it can go on the wall with all of the other stitched goodies.

Playing Catch-Up.

So, there have been a few swaps that I've completed that I haven't had a chance to share with you.  Want to see?  By the way, I freaking love Swap-bot!

I made this for the "Embroidery Me a Fairy Tale" Swap.  This was a freebie pattern from doe-c-doe.

 I branched out a bit with this gem.  I was happy to find out that it survived the journey to South Africa.  Thank you, E6000, I love you!

On to the "Embroidery in Red" Swap.  Using a pattern available in the Space Case set from Sew Lovely Embroidery.  My partner hated pink, so it was a nice challenge to use only dark reds to pull this one off.  Love the way it turned out though.

Then there is this lovely lady, for the "Non-Cutesy Mermaid ATC" Swap.  Her tail is on a brad, so it swings inward to fit the dimensions of a true ATC.  Yeah, her arm hangs off but I didn't have the heart to cut it off a Sailor Jerry girl, so I told the future owner to do it with out telling me...if it bothered her.  I found out it doesn't...yay!

Most recently I completed the "Embroider Anything" Swap.  I made this patch, again with another Sew Lovely Embroidery pattern.  I love those gal's stuff...sew much!  The second pic is a truer representation of color, I don't know what happened with the first photo.

Well, that's everything so far, expect a lot more though.  I'm currently signed up for 3 embroidery swaps on Swap-bot alone.  Then there is the other crafty swaps and another stitchy one on Flickr...I'm going to be a busy girl!

Sorry about the late posts, an unseasonably cool day created a hankering for baked pasta and that stuff takes some time.  Oh, and hopefully I'll be done with the remodel soon so you guys don't have to second guess whether or not you're on the right blog.

Thanks for looking, I hope everyone had a craftastic day.

Neglectful Nancy...

I've been a Neglectful Nancy... but I'm back with little lovelies to show you!

Ante Up

Paper clippings, netting, and game pieces on Bristol.
Maybe I shouldn't have put the best one first, as the rest won't quite live up to her.  But come on, with a Sailor Jerry girl, how could I resist?

Coulrophobia

 

Soft pastels, paper clippings and buttons on Bristol.

I don't fear clowns but if I did I'm sure the one on the Jo Jo label would make me pee myself if I saw it in real life.  That is a pretty scary looking clown.  Coincidentally, I just watched a Gacy documentary and want to see more of his crappy clown paintings...

Ballerina in Space

Soft pastels, paper clippings, gemstones, eyelash yarn and Sparkle Mod Podge on Bristol.
I used a few scraps of the marbleized paper we made a while back for the round shapes.

Pansy

 

Paper clippings, fiber paper, and button on Bristol.

Dressed to Kill

Barbie dress, netting, decorative paper and metallic embroidery floss on Bristol.
I think this one might need a little something more, not sure yet...

Red Carpet

 

Watercolors, acrylic, paper clippings, cotton, and Sparkle Mod Podge on Bristol.

I had a lot of fun making her "fur"  for this one!

Thanks for looking!  

Remember- questions, comments, and rude remarks are always welcome around here.

A Few Stragglers.

These are a few cards that didn't fit in with yesterday's junk mail ATCs.

Space Man*

 

Paper clippings, paint and Sparkle Mod Podge on gifted background.

This one was a bit of a collaboration as the background was started by Shayna.  I received it in a trade, painted it a bit and added a bit of collage.

*Of course, I don't really think that space exploration is just a man's game.  

Although, I think I can honestly say this- it doesn't help our case when lady astronaut's throw on a wig and an adult diaper to hit the road with a trunk full of mace and ropes, lol.  

Too far?  Sorry, I just take great pleasure in irony.

Under the Sea.

Paper clipping, paint, rick rack, netting, beads and metallic foil on Bristol.

When I made this card it was raining like crazy here, so the glue that I set all of the beads in took soooooooo long to dry.  I'm talking about days!

Thanks for looking.  Tune in later for Snapshot Friday.

Junk aka Rubbish aka Waste aka Scrap.

More junk mail ATCs.

Bath Time.

Made with decorative paper, junk mail, netting, cotton, and plastic duck on Bristol.

This one was a bit sentimental.  I gave it to an old friend.  The little duck was from a shower curtain ring that had been in our first apartment years ago.  (I find the strangest things in boxes around here.)  I love the loofah so much!

Oh, My!

 

Junk mail, paper clippings, and buttons on Bristol.

Lovely.

Junk mail, paper clippings and gemstones on Bristol.  It has a coat of Sparkle Mod Podge on the paper so this baby really shines!

Share the Pleasure.

 

Junk mail, magazine clippings, rick rack, gemstones, glitter and Sparkle Mod Podge on Bristol.  Mmmmm, cupcakes!

Nautical Honey (complete with horrible shadow!!)

 

Recycled envelopes, paper clippings, twine and vintage lace on Bristol.

I figured envelopes count as junk mail.

I love me some Sailor Jerry girls!

All of these (except Bath Time) are available.

Check back later for a few cards that aren't in the junk mail series.

Thanks for looking!

Slow Poke.

Lately, I've been a slow poke about creating and posting stuff.  However, I'm bound and determined to change that.  I have more than enough projects on my to-do list that I shouldn't have to be wondering, "What should I do?"  I need to start crossing things off that list!

These are a few ATCs that I made up last week.

Crawl Through The Muck.

Newspaper, wax, vintage lace, and paper clipping on Bristol.

Din Din

Junk mail, decorative paper, beads and metal charm on Bristol.

A Perfect Pair

 

Soft pastels, beads and paper clipping on Bristol.

Little Sumpin'

Beer label, cigar ring, paper clippings, and glitter on Bristol.

I have to get going in the ATC department if I'm going to have my submissions ready in time for the exhibit happening in Vancouver.  Check it out!  You should join in the fun too.

Spoiled Rotten- part 2!

These are the cards that I received from Jeannie @ Artaha.com in the flickr artist exchange.

Lift "A" and Lift "B"

Love

Ginko Fish

Tragic Cake inspired by Thiebaud

Creepy Chick Child

Aren't they great?  Told you people were spoiling me lately.

Thanks for looking!

Spoiled Rotten- part 1.

As I mentioned yesterday, I've been spoiled rotten lately when it comes to receiving mail.  These are some recent ATCs that I've traded for.

From Sam in Australia.

Accckkkk, check out this gorgeous couching!  

From Allen in Ohio.

Entitled: Sure, the other witches said she lacked ambition, but in Logan all the town's children loved Nurse Hildegard.

 

From Jeannie in South Dakota.

A big thank you to Sam, Allen, and Jeannie for trading their wonderful cards.  Be sure to check out the links I've included for them.  Perhaps, there is something perfect for you to trade for!

Ironically, when negotiating the trade with Jeannie I learned that she had sent me some ATCs in an Artist Exchange that I was participating in on Flickr.  Those are coming up next in "Spoiled Rotten- Part 2."

Holiday Crafting Round-Up.

These are some smalls gifts that I made for friends at Christmas time.

Embroidery and colored pencil on moleskin notebook.  I used the Tara McPherson pattern (Artist Series #10) from Sublime Stitching.

 

Embroidered fabric and bristol paint chip on moleskin notebook.  I used the Handmade Nation pattern from Sublime Stitching.

Next up are some ATCs that I made on New Year's Eve.  As we were taking a friend to the airport shuttle at 2:30 AM, there was no wild and crazy party for us.  I know, I lead an exciting life.

The last card of 2009- Random

 Watercolors and embroidery floss on Bristol.  Sam aka Sunnysidey was my inspiration for this one.  Everything she makes looks so bright and fun!

1st card of 2010- Banana Pancakes

 Paper clippings, beads and embroidery floss on Bristol.  The stack of banana pancakes is the piece of junk mail, so this card officially carries the Coupon Series over on into 2010.  I'm having a lot of fun with these.  Remember- waste not, want not.  Although that was my motto for 2009, I think I'm going to stick by it for this next year.  It's a good one.

If you don't understand this card, maybe this will help :)

2nd card of 2010- Fetch

Paper clippings and thread on Bristol.

This is also part of the Coupon Series as the picture of the dog came from junk mail.  I made the little newspaper from a few scraps from a local newspaper.

I love the headline.

It's soooo true.  Santa Rosa is home to glorious beers.  My favorite being Pliny the Elder, at the Russian River Brewing Co.

Thanks for looking.  Have a craftastic day!

p.s.  Have you entered the giveaways?!  There's two, sign up for both!

ATC Kit Giveaway!

Ok kiddos, the time has come for my giveaways!

First up, the ATC Kit.  (I'll be posting them separately so that those who are interested can have a shot at winning in either contest.)  It's just a thank you to all of those who have supported my recent arrival into the world of Artist Trading Cards and this blog.  I just want to put a little smile on someone's face, as my lovely readers have put so many on mine.  You guys are awesome :)

The Loot.

(Click on this photo to enlarge it.)

Included in the kit you'll find:

- The "Collage It!" mini zine from Craft Leftovers

- Mod Podge and and glue for attaching stuff

- 1 jar of whimsies to embellish your cards (including beads, buttons, and more!)

- 3 different fibers, including vintage lace, to add a "touchable" factor to your cards

- various 3-D doodads to add to your cards (such as chipboard stickers and mini metal hangers)

- a slew of blank Bristol cards and vintage playing cards to alter into something great

- 5 clear sleeves and 5 handmade envelopes for storing/trading your creations

- 1 mini notebook to fill with tips, techniques and sketches for your mini works of art

-1 Altoids tin filled with bits of paper ephemera

I'll also include some ATCs made by me, to add to your collection or to get you started in collecting.

To be entered to win all you have to do is leave a comment after this post.  That's it!

I figured this was the best way to keep it easy.  Say hi, tell me a joke, your favorite art supply- anything really.  Open to everyone, I'll ship internationally.

The contest will stay open until Sunday, January 17th 2010.  I'll use random.org to pick the winner.  (Because of this, I'll refrain from my normal commenting back, so as to not throw off the count.)  I'll announce the winner on Monday, January 18th 2010.  Tell your friends.  The more, the merrier.

Thanks for taking an interest, I hope to hear from lots of you guys!

Good Luck.

Tarjetas.

Local

Newspaper and junk mail on Bristol.

This one stems from a desire to have our household only eat food from within 100 miles of us.  We are lucky enough to live in an area where there are tons of options for locally grown, (award winning) organic food.  However, with the lifestyle we lead now, it's not always possible to eat this way 100% of the time.  Someday though...

The Dude Abides

Paper clippings, embroidery floss and coaster on Bristol.

In case you guys haven't noticed, I'm a huge fan of the Coen brothers.  The Big Lebowski is one of the best movies.  Ever.

Oh, Christmas Tree.

Paper, glitter, metallic embroidery floss, plastic charm and beads on Bristol.

I had to get a Christmas one in there.  I love how the beads look on this one.

Thanks for looking.

May you have a warm holiday surrounded by those you love!

Mail Call!

Recent trades I've received.  The mail was good to me this week.

The following two are from Cardhappy2009 in Illinois.  Thanks Lori!

Saint

Kiss your favorite Beatle

The lips on top move!

The next two came to me from kcluveda in Louisiana.  Thanks Eda!

Cats and Kittens 2

Measure Up

Lovely aren't they?  Be sure to check these ladies out.  Maybe they have something that would be perfect for trading with you.

Surpirse ATC.

When negotiating a trade recently, the recipient said that I could send her a surprise ATC from cards I had not yet posted.  I just about jumped for joy as I love surprises.  The very day I was going to choose one of my new cards to send her, I received my order from Sublime Stitching.   With two Sparkle Packs inside I could not resist the urge throw down my pile of recent ATCs and start fresh.

I ended up sending her this one as the surprise-

Ok, so you can't really see the shininess of the metallic thread, but trust me, it's there.

Also known as the Devil's thread, a pain in the neck, and a bit tricky, Metallic floss can have gorgeous results.  When I first started embroidering, I bought a bunch of it.  I used it a few times but couldn't quite get the hang of it.  Rather than go completely insane I gave up on the shiny stuff.  I know I can't be the only one who felt this way.  When I finally got brave enough to try it again I had a new weapon in my crafting arsenal.

 http://threadheaven.com/

I love this stuff!  It's inexpensive, easy to use and it really works.  The best part about it?  It's made for all types of threads.  Truly an essential for any crafter, pick up a box today.  It'll make those Metallic flosses a heck of a lot easier to handle.
 
Thanks for looking!  Have you crafted yet today?