June's Altered Tag

Front

Back

This tag has been staring me in the face for weeks now.  I had the men and the tag front sitting on my table along with the vintage truck.  I knew I want those element on the tag in some way but I wasn't sure how to get it the way I wanted.  So I just starting placing and pulling stuff to make a tag I was proud of.  So today I sat down and said to myself "You are going to finish this!"  and of course I did.  So here is what I basically did.  I started with a blank manila tag I stamped the background with one Tim Holtz's new stamp sets (I'm not sure the name of the set and I don't feel like walking to my craft room to figure it out.  Its the one with the stamp of the three men, which I also used).  I then took distress ink in Peeled Paint and Broken china and turn the manila tag green and blue. Then I made my June pattern paper using my calendar stamp set from CTMH and added peeled paint distress ink so it would match the tag.  The next thing I did was I color the truck Aged Mahogany (again with distress ink) and to tie it in with the rest of the tag I used a very light amount of the mahogany around the edge of the tag itself.  I then glued the strip of DCWV gear paper (which measures  3/4 inch)  and then my June paper (which measures 1/2 inch).  Then I set my men on the tag and decided it needed more so I went to my stamp collection and found a CTMH stamp set with a pocket watch and embossed it using copper embossing powder. I still thought it was too plain so I went off to my gypsy and looked through my Heritage cartridge and found the tree I used.  I cut it out on white paper and then used Vintage Photo and Walnut stain distress inks to color it (which I should have colored the paper first then cut it out).   I glued the tree down then Foam dotted my men in place.  So as you can see my truck ended up pushed to the back of my tag, so I used it like I wanted to but I just couldn't work it into the front.  I repeated a few techniques on the back.  I really like how it turned out.  Now I'm going to move on to July and hopefully I will share it very soon.

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Playing with my cricut

I got a few cartridge for my birthday and easter so I sat down yesterday and played a little bit.  The three cards I made are from the Simply Charmed Cartridge and the motorcycle is from Groovy times.  I'm going to make it into a card I think.  I just wanted to put it together last night and figured that I was already taking pictures of my cards so I'd take a picture of it too.  

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I made some cards and Birthday art from my friends

Over the last couple of days I have taken sometime out to do a little creating.  I made some cards using my new Tim Holtz Stamps, distress ink, some white and black cardstock, ribbon and brads.  They came out pretty cool in my opinion.  The other thing I wanted to share is the birthday art on display from all my friends in my art group.  I received some beautiful art as I do every year!  I have it hanging as you can see in my art room on a "clothes line"   

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Happy Birthday to me

So yesterday was my birthday it was pretty low key.  I had dinner with my parents, my bestie and my nephew.  Then my boyfriend and my brother (and fur-nephew) came over for ice cream cake and presents.  It was nice to quietly celebrate 28 years.  So I got some great stuff some pretty jewelry from Funky Vintage Lovely, some cool motorcycle related t-shirts, some new music to jive to in the craft room from Michael Franti and Spearhead, a gift card to Kohl's (I can't wait to go shopping), gift card for Walmart and a gift card to get a mani, pedi.  Then of course I got all of Tim Holtz's new stamp sets, and 4 cricut cartridges to play.  I can't wait to play!! I think the best thing was that my nephew was there.  With some help from Tabitha Jamison turned a little blue lol.  He put his hand in the side of my ice cream cake and got his fingers and face a little messy.  I can't wait till his first birthday and watching him play with cake!  I'm a good Aunt lol.  I'm going to spoil the child rotten!!

The picture above is from my art gathering birthday cupcake.  The ladies were sweet enough to remember me and that cupcake was sooooo good.  On top of that I got lots of beautiful goodies to display!  My art friends are so awesome.  I love giving a receiving art.  I'll try to remember to take a picture of my new art in my art room. Pin It Now!

Inspired to share

I saw this video on youtube this morning.  I have been mostly been using youtube to entertain myself with funny silly videos and scrapbook how to videos, but today I saw this video pop up and I was drawn to it.  This woman is amazing and inspiring and if I have a daughter I would speak this poem to her.  I watched all 15 minutes of it and then watched "If I had a daughter" probably about 5 times till I decided that I would share a poem of mine.  Something from my journal, something NO ONE has ever heard or seen before.  I write poetry when I'm inspired to, which lately isn't often mostly because I have become more visually inspired.  My altered art is where my creativity currently is.  I return to poetry on occasion and I will always go back there.  So without further ado, I hope you enjoy.

the vacant halls don't hold

your voice anymore

i can't walk through the door

to see you in your spot

no more stories to share 

once a home now a shell

your picture is here but your 

presence is not

i can't bear to walk through the door

or move your things 

for i fear i will lose your memories

your love your kindness

so the windows stay dark in your shell of a home

cause your not there to light them

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Some of the other ladies...

So of course the mystery project wasn't just me.  There were 12 other ladies involved in the project.  Not all of them have blogs but I sending you to the ones that do.  Then of course if you find what we are doing interesting and your an artist yourself or would love to be one you can join us at the vintage room.  Its a wonderful art group with great ideas and projects.  We are mostly local but we do have and will except members from anywhere and everywhere.  Feel free to join us we love new blood and you could always make a special trip to visit for one of our gathers someday. Oh and if you join our group you can see all of the talented ladies work on their mystery project, but here are the other ladies that have posted their mystery projects:

Tabitha at Tabitha's Trinkets (by the way my best friend in the world!!)
Peggy at My Inner Playground (an amazing and talent woman who I am proud to say is my friend)
Maura at Two Crafting Sisters (a newbie to the vintage room, but has hit the ground running and is extremely talented like the rest of our group!) she hasn't posted her's yet but probably will soon. Pin It Now!

Mystery Project 2011 revealed

So here it is the Mystery Project 2011.  I went with a beach theme because as a kid we collected treasures that just sat in a box.  I made some of those treasures into something beautiful.  Below is the other part of the project.  We had to write something about why they project was important so I sat down and wrote about childhood memories of going to the beach.  I love how it came out. Then yesterday we unveiled the projects each one was amazing.  The thought and detail that went into each beautiful project was so amazing and each one was so different, but in some ways similar.  I walked around a few times and saw something different each and every time.  Every time we gather together I am more and more thankful to be apart of this wonderful group of women.  They are so positive and warm.  I'm always excited to share progress in my life with them because it always seems like they are rooting for me!!  I'll share more about the party and a special surprise a little later.   

The Beach
Year after year my family returns to the beach.  Some of my fondest childhood memories are at the beach.   Walking the sand shores in early morning light looking for shells with my mom and brothers, walking in my Dad sandy steps while listening to music.  One year in particular I remember warmly we were walking to shore in the early morning as usual and in the distance you could faintly hear music.  As we approached in the fog there standing on the edge of the water playing for the waves was a bagpiper.  Hearing the sweet whine of his pipes in and out as the wind blew in my direction.  It gave me goose bumps that beautiful, magically morning.  It’s never happened since sadly but it is a morning I will never forget.  Other mornings were spent collecting shells and other treasures to remember our trips.
The afternoons were spent on the beach in the baking sun and cooling off in the water.  We spent hours on a sheet playing in the sand listening to the surf, gulls, lifeguard’s whistle, the roar of the crowd around us, and the sounds of the boardwalk.  Around noon my brother Bobby and I would take our youngest brother out to the car to eat Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with kool-aid and chips.  Bobby and I would make the sandwiches and watch Chad till we were done and then wander all the way back to our blanket on the beach.  We would stay till the beach would close and we heard a recording blasted on the loud speaker that would end with “stay out, stay alive, stay out, stay alive!”
The evenings were spent one of two ways.  The first was we would go back to the camp ground burnt and tired and hangout there at the pool, fishing, reading and spending time around the fire.  The other way we would spend our evening was we would go back to the camp get changed and go back to the boardwalk.  My brothers would play games.  I didn’t see the point more often then not I would not win anything so I would spend money on shopping in the trinket, “surf” shops or buying the fried food I enjoy.  We would eat pizza at one of the many pizza shops and fireworks would close out the night.  Sadly these days have ended, and if they begin again they won’t be quite the same.

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