Country Music Cards

"Music

washes away

from the soul

the dust

of everyday

life."

Sometimes finding the time to create art becomes a little more difficult. I have so many ideas, and just not enough time in the day. With the holidays now past, I can once again focus on all my unfinished projects and all the new stuff I need and want to begin!

These cards are a work in progress for my art group. Every month I need to muster up 15 cards using a rubberstamp that all of us are required to use.

For the month of January, our stamp was this chair image from Paperbag Studios. I thought it might be fun to try something a little bit "country."

The stamp image was scanned and digitally enhanced in Creative Memories Storybook 3.0. Then I added a background, a banjo and a cowboy boot image from Deviant Scraps. The card itself was cut from a Martha Stewart paper pad called "Bandana," which I distressed with a Tim Holtz distress ink pad called "Rusty Hinge."

CREDITS: PAPERBAG STUDIOS, MARTHA STEWART, TIM HOLTZ, DEVIANT SCRAPS, & CM STORYBOOK 3.0.

"Trick 'R Treat" Swap on Hallow's Eve

"A Work in Progress" called all witches, vampires, tricksters and ghosts to play Trick or Treat. As you can probably tell, Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. I can remember "begging" for candy, as we used to call it more than 50 years ago. We would fill pillowcases or those big brown grocery bags practically full. Maybe not really, but as I kid I used to feel like I had really hit the jackpot.

Remember those cranking noise makers? We used to yell, "Help the poor!" No one used to say "Trick or Treat" or ring door bells. It was plain old-fashioned calling or yelling at the front door. And we used to get the huge candy bars, not these mini ones. Practically everyone had hand sewn costumes. There wasn't a Halloween costume superstore even available. Aaaaah, those were the days!

I am so excited to share some of the beautiful treasures I received. A big "thank you" goes to Christine Edwards, who collected all the goodies, and then sorted and mailed them to our group. You did a great job!

Back in August, I signed up to play by sending in two "TREATS" and one "TRICK." Then she randomly chose two treats and one trick for each participant.

This is my first amazing "TRICK."

The Gypsy Witch Book of Magic Potions

I think this book box is the best ever! Nestled in a bed of moss, rests a Mr. Bones extra set of spare hands, a vial of "Graveyard Dust," one black votive candle, one canister of "Spider's Silk," and a test tube of "Moon Dust," and another of poisonous "Zombie Dust." I loved this!! What a very clever and imaginative trick! I will have to show my grandson, who will think this is SO cool. Thank you very much for creating this spooky treasure.

I sent this funny "trickster" pumpkin as my "TRICK" in a fabric bag of rubber snakes. She was cleverly designed and painted by my sister Peg.

And, this was my first outstanding "TREAT!"

Vintage-Inspired Pumpkin with Witch's Hat

This pedestal pumpkin is wearing a pointed witch's hat, encircled with sparkling black tinsel at base, and hat brim. A crepe-paper collar surrounds the neck of a hand-painted pumpkin that resembles something very vintage. I think it is perfect for a table centerpiece! Thank you so much for this very unique piece of artwork.

And, lastly my other beautiful "TREAT."

Unfulfilled Dreams, She Only Wanted to be Loved

I encountered some technical difficulties while trying to photograph this piece due to reflection and color. This picture does not do this piece of artwork justice. Inside rests a frail skeletal figure, dressed as a bride that only wished for a happy life. Along the left edge is a glittered gray flower, and on the right a gossamer black velvet rose. It is really quite lovely, in spite of this sad tale. The poem inside this shadow box reads:

"Everybody wishes

to have a happy destiny.

She always dreamt with a ring on her finger.

She wanted to love and be loved,

but her dreams would never come true."

Thank you so much for this sentimental gesture describing a woman who felt she may have been short-changed in her life by never finding true love. I think it is just too sweet.

And for the two "TREATS" that I sent was this altered composition book filled with sinister tags in the inside pocket. The digital collage sheet image was designed by Becky Loyall, from Whymsical Musings, an Outsiders Artist.

Then I included a bag of my "signature" hand-knitted dishcloths in colors of the autumn season as my second "TREAT" with a box of candy. I may have sent a different color, because I sent my gift not realizing I didn't take any photos. Yikes!

As a "thank you" to the hostess, I sent Christine one "Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid Clock" altered from an old music CD.

And Christine sent me this lovely bag of goodies.

I am so grateful to have been part of this event.

I love these little trinkets, especially the vintage buttons,

bingo cards and that terrifying spooky witch image!

So, today on Halloween Eve, I have revealed my amazing stash! Hopefully, I will be able to show you more photos and links to these participants at a later date! Supposedly, there are no identifying signatures on items received to add to the festivities.

I will miss not be able to seriously play on my computer for the next few days. I will be out of town visiting family in Grand Rapids, Michigan for the Halloween weekend. Can't wait to share some munchkin photos. Happy Halloween everyone!

Happy Hauntings!

Nancy

New Orleans, One Magical Place

New Orleans still haunts my mind with it's style. Five years ago, while attending a national racquetball sporting event with my hubby, we had the best time ever! I distinctly remember the historic sites, the rhythmic sounds, the tantalizing tastes, and the exotic aromas of New Orleans. We took a streetcar to St. Charles Avenue from the famous above-ground cemeteries to the Riverwalk shopping pavilion and then onto riverboats moving lazily along the Mississippi.

There were voodoo tours, readings, drum and chant rituals. Marie Laveau, the great voodoo queen, is still a staple at the New Orleans historic Voodoo Museum. Visitors can get their own good-luck bags of herbs and oils, and arrange for spooky tours of swamp country. You can even get palms or tarot cards read in Jackson Square. There are artists who sketch visitors in watercolors, oils, or even purchase prints of French Quarter scenes. Or how about that special purchase of an alligator head, or maybe feet as souvenirs!

What an mysterious and magical place. One of the most beautiful streets is St. Charles Avenue. I don't really know if the Garden District survived the great Hurricane Katrina, but it will always be here in the photos I shot that one hot and rainy day back in July 2004.

Can you even imagine having a driveway to your house as grand as this one?

A few blocks away on Napoleon Avenue, vampire mystery novelist, Anne Rice, bought Saint Elizabeth's Asylum, once an orphanage. Wealthy sugar and cotton planters had built stupendous homes in the Garden District. This is such a grand city, not only for it's Victorian mansions, but most of it's architecture. I felt like I was trapped in a movie from the 1920's or 30's.

Tomorrow I will take you to Oak Alley Plantation, one of the most gorgeous plantations you could ever visit, that once was the movie site for "Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte," starring Bette Davis. They say it's definitely haunted!

And, for my next gift reveal during the 13 Days of Halloween Swap, here are Hope Malott's gifts to me. I did not have any of this silver garland or the black or white raffia. How could I be so lucky?

Thanks again, Hope!!

13 Days of Halloween, Day 2

Today I am revealing my gift wrapped in old sheet music dated October 20th.

What an amazing vintage postcard banner! Hope Mallot purchased this for me from her favorite Etsy shop called VintageScraps.etsy.com. The colors are just lovely, and sparkling with clear huge glitter strung on black seam binding! I love it. It is hanging above my computer so I can enjoy it constantly!!

13 Days of Halloween, Day 1

I truly believe that how a gift is presented is such an important aspect to the art of giving gifts.


Hope Malott presented me with a splendid array of music sheet wrapped goodies. Some were wrapped in old book pages, then machine sewn on three sides. But, the most important thing was that she was thoughtful and they were an extension of the gift inside.


I tried to do the same by wrapping my presents in reproduction advertisement paper bags in black and dark beige tones, with a touch of contemporary. I purchased these beautiful ghoulish children tag images from Kirsi. Then I embellished each tag with the required dates and glued clocks to the underside portraying the "witching hour."

One thing, that Hope did, that I should have done was recycle too, both for the sake of our planet, and to acquire a potpourri of different kinds of items and styles for potential creative situations later. I systematically cut away the musical paper. I knew that at some point I would want to put it to use again. I even saved the pretty vintage seam binding ribbons that wrapped her lovelies too.

How exciting it was to receive an "extra" gift for the 18th! Thanks, Hope for the sweet gifts that came my way on the first day. I am sure I will be enjoying the fruits of your paper punching techniques by using these adorable vellum bats and posies. I sure love those Dove dark chocolate candies! I am very happy to be part of the next 13 days of celebration. Hope that everyone was as fortunate as I was! Here is my first gift to a very generous partner.

These were some of the Halloween postcards I created for her. She tells me she has been sending them out already to her friends. Lovin' that!

Wicked Halloween Exchange

I have had just the best time participating in my four Halloween swaps this year. And, ta da.....this amazing doll was one of the wondrous things my partner, Jennifer Wells (also known as "Black October Girl"), from Seattle, Washington sent to me!

Getting to know Jennifer has certainly been inspiring due to the fact that she is a great lover of "The Day of the Dead, All Saints Day, or All Souls Day." She explained to me that these two days are the celebration of the life of a loved one. She has an altar set up at home and it is covered in "Day of the Dead" items, but it also has pictures of her grandma, great aunt, and some of her furry babies.

We, as Americans also have a kind of altar that some people may not realize--having pictures of our ancestors out or items that belonged to someone long gone. She feels that countries all over the world have some form of the "Day of the Dead," but she just happens to focus on the Latin version because she grew up in southern California.

So, when you see a "Day of the Dead" skeleton form, it represents who that person was when they were alive. When you build a real altar, they place images of that person on it, and other things that this person liked and represents them, like food, alcohol, or flowers (mainly mums). This helps their spirit in the after life. To Jennifer, it is a beautiful way of celebrating their memory and this keeps them close to her. She has a very strong spiritual belief and this just fits right in with her thinking.

We have been taught to fear death on so many levels that when we see images like those of the "Day of the Dead," it makes us uncomfortable. But to her, it is just so beautiful!! She makes "Day of the Dead" cookies, and one of her favorites are her homemade Christmas cookies with skeletons holding Christmas trees. She made quite an impression on me.

She adored taking photos of beautiful graves in her hometown of Dana Point, California. I hope to see some of them one day. Here is a photo of her beautiful wall in her home.

Here is a photo of our "Wicked" Exchange.....

I also received this altered composition book with a glow-in-the dark moon on the inside cover. There was also some of my favorite Dove dark chocolates wrapped in miniature coffins, two festive tags, Halloween pencils, a bag of felted pumpkins, and all presented with style.

It was a journey in cultures, and I am so glad I was matched up with such a sweet person on the other side our our country. Thank you so much, Jennifer. I would also like to thank our hard-working hosts, Ramona Alvarado and Samantha Lambert of Altered Art Junkies. I think I am hooked on swaps. Thanks so much.

Witches Ball Slippers and Gifts

Looking for sweet little girl shoes is one of my favorite pastimes when I scavenge the Salvation Army on Wednesdays. Finding these adorable shoes became a pair of "Marie Antoinette and Her Masquerade Witches Ball" slippers as one of my first gifts to Kathy during the Sweet and Sinister Swap.



Then I created this "inchie" art journal from a composition book using these beautiful images purchased from Kirsi. I really adore her style! Next, I proceeded to embellish the inside covers. By using a wide band of black lace, it became a pocket for some of my "Day of the Dead" tags.

And to continue with something sweet, I filled a vintage canning jar with gummy worms and placed a very sinister label from "Love Manor" to identify it's contents.

My sweet sister, Peg, painted and designed this adorable black "Cat Rock." She lives in northern Michigan on Lake Superior, and she and my mom have a quaint gift shop during the summer. They only stay open during the warmer months, ending their season the day after "Starry Starry Night", which is the day after Thanksgiving. I am helping her create her own blog, but the distance between us presents a challenge. You may discover some things for your holiday gift-giving by visiting their online store by clicking on The Crystal Pinecone Gift Shoppe.

Of course, I had to package up a few of my "signature" dishcloths. The pattern was featured in a past issue of Somerset "Life." It is also available online by visiting Homespun Living. Deb does a fabulous job knitting, sewing, and is clearly another Martha. I enjoy reading her blog very much.

And last, but not least, was a "Scary Fairy." I am getting pretty good on sewing their little tutu skirts. Kathy thanked me profusely for my handiwork. I had a grand time creating things for her, and you can see what she sent me in the next post.

Happy Haunting,
Nancy

Sweet and Sinister Swap

Talk about packaging with the "Wow Factor!" These gorgeous gifts were sent to me by the amazing and sweet Kathy Riley of Bourbonnais, Illinois. We were swap partners in the fabulous "Sweet and Sinister Swap" this year hosted by Kari Ramstrom of A Year of Color. They truly were just too beautiful to open.

Yesterday was a hectic day for me socializing (the entire day and half the night), creating art, laughing, and sharing photos and news of our families with my old scrapbooking buddies. My package from Kathy sat home and I had yet to tear it open. It was driving me crazy! I wanted to take snapshots of these meaningful gifts from her to share with you. And, what an awesome treasure was to be found when I opened them!

Any gift worth giving is worth creating with effort and meaning, and Kathy did just that! I think what's really important is to pay attention, take the time to give appropriate gifts, and to give gifts with a great deal of thought put into them. For me, the process of gathering, putting together, and presenting gifts is really a very personal experience, for both in what is being given and what is received.

Thank you so very much, Kathy, for your present. It is so inspirational, made with love, and really just way beyond my expectation. You never know what you're going to receive when participating in swaps, but you keep your senses open and try to create something that will absolutely perfect!

The lovely thing about receiving something with inspiration is it really can be a life changing event. It goes on forever. Every time a person gets involved in something that you've inspired them to do, they may remember that you were motivated to become involved in the first place because of you.

This was the first thing I opened. Every time I look at these little baby witch booties, I smile. They are just down right adorable! Don't you agree?

Because of a very sweet Kathy, I received a gift of inspiration. Her "Sinister" Candy Tower is an enginering marvel. It's so cool. It is filled with my favorite chocolate. She also sent a mouth-watering bag of Lindt's milk chocolate truffles! OMG! These both have to be my most favorite candy. Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, she including this simply amazing Halloween journal.

I am in awe of Kathy's dedication and devotion in trying to please me and make something I would love to own.

This is the bead detail on strands of fibers.

As Kathy has written me after our swap, I must quote part of her email for you to see just how devoted she was in making this journal even more special. "Now, in your journal. . . I absolutely LOVED the witches board. . . . . the little thing for the hands.. placard ??. . . actually moves. . . it worked great until I had the book closed and then it was not as free moving. . . . if you turn the book sideways a bit, it will roll down. . . I think it smooshed and it closed too much with the book closed. If you try to push down the bottom of the hole where it slides and try to raise the top just a bit to give it more room, it may work. . . otherwise, you can still move it back and forth by hand. . . just not as much fun."

Now what really sent me "over the top" was this Day of the Dead garland. It has to be seen to be appreciated. I had trouble photographing it due to the lighting today, and sometimes black and white photos average the exposure, which creates less than perfect photos. It is wonderful with

beautiful images depicting this honorable day.

I have to say, I was thoroughly pleased with my exchange. She even included two pieces of silver glittered fabric, ribbons, and a mailing label on her package of a haunted house. Hopefully, I will be able to post the things I mailed Kathy during the week. I have been neglecting my housework during these past few days, and need to buckle down.

Thank you, Kari, for matching me up with such a "over the top" partner. Now, we just have to get Kathy to create a blog of her stunning artwork. Kathy, you rock!

13 Days of Halloween Swap Partner

Will you check this out!! I just received some wonderful goodies from my "13 Days of Halloween" swap partner, Hope Malott of her blog and Etsy shop called "Hopeful."

The rules are that I can't open her gifts until October 19, and then one package a day until the big day of Halloween. I love the vintage music sheet wrapping paper, and that creepy spider. I am really going to try and wait. It is hard to do this, considering I was one of those kids that opened Christmas gifts (when my parents were gone) and then re-wrapped them. Thank you so much, Hope, for this grand display of surprises. I am so excited to start opening each one to share with you.

Trick 'R Treat Swap Sent

She called all witches, ghouls, goblins, clowns, princesses and hobos....and, I was ready. As Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, this was one of the first stops I made on my Halloween caravan of swaps. Christine Edwards, of "A Work in Progress" hosted this fun event.

We all had to send two treats and one trick. How simple was that? My box is in the mail, following all guidelines. Thank you, Christine, for all your hard work, emails, and for sending all the packages after you get bombarded after the 1st of October.

I am so excited to see what comes my way.

Ghostly Vision Digital Collage

It looks like I have really caught the Halloween "bug" this time! I have been busy planning and researching potential projects for the Halloween swaps that I joined this year.

This image was created in Photoshop Elements, with purchased collage sheets. I am hoping that this will fit on a composition book for one of my friends. Lastly, I will add some appropriate paper for the inside with some eerie images and cool ribbons for the binding. Just had to share my latest creation!

Nancy