The Song Sparrow Sings in Green

I got the new Somerset Studio magazine this weekend and the issue is titled "Green" which inspired me to start on a St. Patrick's Day paper bag album. Here is a sneak peek of the collages I have completed so far......I never really thought as green as one of my favorite colors but it's my husband's favorite color and after being together for 18 years now, it's a color I've grown to appreciate.

I also completed this collage on canvas board which I have been working on for a few days. Still in the green vein. It is available in the Honey Girl Studio Shop.

I like how the young girl isn't directly looking into the camera. How about that cute little bunny she's holding! Also check it out, she's wearing a wrist watch...... that's unusual for the time when this photo was taken.

Rabbits Abound!

There is a huge black and white rabbit hopping around the neighborhood this winter. I think that he's someone's pet which escaped. He lives under our shed and comes out to forage in our yard as well as our neighbors surrounding yards. He's a big boy and believe me it's all I can do to keep my husband from sending him to bunny heaven! So I've been thinking about bunnies lately and wouldn't you know it, one appeared in my work!.......although it's pink......and wearing a hat! This collage has been created on painted canvas board (5 X 7) and is available in the Honey Girl Studio Shop. Thanks to all who have visited the shop and who have purchased items from me.

I won't be posting as much on Ebay because they have become "hoggish" in their prices. They went from taking 5.25% of the final auction price to 8.75%! And with postage going up it's really hard to not increase your prices. If I sell things my self in the Honey Girl Studio Shop, I can keep the prices lower. Appearantly the multi-gizillion dollar Ebay company wasn't sucking enough money off of the little guy so they had to up the percentage they take out. Maybe the CEO only got an 8 million dollar bonus this year instead of his 15 million! Yes I am ranting and raving but I'm getting so sick of turning on the T.V. and hearing about these companies making insane amounts of money and it's not only companies and their CEOs but movie stars and sports figures. For goodness sakes we have surgeons saving lives everyday and they make only a fraction of what a football or baseball player makes!!!!! Unreal! Meanwhile everything keeps going up from food to crafting supplies and it seems like us little people just keep getting squeezed!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day Blogland Friends!

Thanks for stopping by and leaving comments! I enjoy reading each and every one of them!

Recycling for ATCs and Carving Stamps

I was at Lowes last weekend and was looking at the paint chips. I want to repaint my bathroom when spring comes but I'm still looking for the right color so as I was checking out the colors and a thought came to me. Why not recycle and use these as backgrounds for ATCs!?!?! So I gathered up a few chips and trimmed them down to ATC size. I already made one and paper does adhear to the chips with gel medium.

Don't you just love names for the paint? I think that's what draws some people to buy certain colors. I know it does for me. For example "mocha latte" sounds much better than "beige"! "Magnolia Spray" sounds way better than "cream"! And how wonderful would you feel sitting in a room painted "seaside villa"?

A few weeks ago I tried my hand at carving my own stamps. Looks like a woodblock cut, but never the less, it works and I get good inking and a pretty good print. Carving your own stamp is harder than what you think, one slip and an "oh-no" moment and you've wacked off something you might have needed!

Here's the ATC I made from it......

Vintage Easter Paper Bag Album

I really enjoy making these paper bag albums, they are like mini works of art! They take a long time but are worth it. The current one I've made is a vintage Easter one using copies of vintage photos as well as copies of vintage Easter postcards and cards from the 1950s. I posted this one on Ebay last night. It has 4 side envelope pockets built right into the book for storage of the 7 tags, 4 larger cards, a pin and a clothes pin chicken which I created to go with it. There are 14 original collages (6 in. by 6 in.) including the cover and back.

Cold and Windy... Chicken Soup Weather!

Since it is such a cold and blustery day of wind gusts up to 40 mph and a 15 degree temperature, I thought it would be a good day for homemade chicken noodle soup. Can you almost smell it? I also made cinnamon swirl bread and I can smell it! There is no better smell than something cinnamony baking!

It's also a good day to stay inside and listen to the radio (NPR) and craft! I was up early and here's what I have so far......

These fine feathered gentlemen are guarding their pastel sugar coated eggs inside of a 6 inch by 6 inch shadow box. The background is stamped with "vintage French" stamps as a blue bird peeks from behind the gentleman on the left. These dapper fellows sport bird wings, bowlers and a rhinestone at their necks. They are slightly raised from the background by about 1/4 of an inch by foam dots. I really like how this assemblage turned out, it's both quirky and whimsical! It's available in the Honey Girl Studio shop under the "Spring Things" page.

A Swan Riding Cupid.....

Isn't this little naked cupid cute? I've never seen one riding on a swan! Those Victorians sure had vivid imaginations. I entitled this ATC "gotcha" because of his intense look of concentration on his face, he's not going to miss his target! I hope your arrow of love hits your intended target this Thursday. I got engaged on Valentine's Day a mear 18 years ago! Time flies when you're in love I guess!

Fly Away.....

I'll fly away! I'd like to fly away from this cold windy weather to someplace warm!

Fat Tuesday!.....or should I say......

I'd like to wish everybody a Happy Fat Tuesday, or to put it politically correct, "Big Boned Tuesday"! Some people might find the word "fat" offensive! LOL!

Is anyone giving up anything for Lent? I'm giving up underwater basketweaving!

Happy Fat Tuesday

Tomorrow is Fat Tuesday and we are having a Fat Tuesday luncheon at work. I baked Chocolate Gob cookies also known in some parts of the world as a Whoopie Pie to take to it! They are sooooooooo good!

Still on my Artist Trading Card a day for a year kick, here are the "doodle" ones. If you see one you like, give me an email and I'll send it to you.

Valentines!

I was going to put these on Ebay but I've decided to put them in the Honey Girl Studio Valentine Shop along with other goodies because if I post them on Ebay for 7 days then and by the time I send it, the buyer will only get to enjoy it for about 3 days before Valentine's Day. They are all reasonably priced and perfect for Valentine gift giving. So check them out and if you see something you like, give me an email!

Paper Shoes!

I was surfing the net late last night when I came upon the cutest little shoes made out of paper on the Somerset website, however, the free template was no longer available. So, I did a little bird-dogging and found the template for them here. You will find the templates for both the girl and boy shoe. I made this girl shoe today. It fits 5 Hershey kisses! Isn't it cute? My challenge is for you to make either the boy shoe, the girl shoe or both and post them on the Flickr site I created called "Tiny Paper Shoes". It would be even better if you filled them with something!

Come join the fun!

Valentine Tin Assemblage

Valentine's Day will be here in a few weeks. I made this little tin assemblage which will be posted on Ebay tomorrow night. It's painted in a hot pink on the inside and outside. The inside has a little cupid girl (copy of a vintage photo) with a hear wand. The outside has a pink checked ribbon glued around the edge. The other side of the assemblage has a copy of vintage Valentine card of a cute little delivery girl on the run with Valentine's under his arm.

An Easter peek.............

It may not seem like it now but Easter is coming! Remember it is early this year (the end of March). I'm giving you a sneak peak of some of the pages from a Vintage Easter Album I'm making to post on Ebay.

Although it's hard to see in the photos, I used Twinkling H2O paints to tint the toddlers dress. It has a subtle shimmer to it. I love to use these paints! They are great to tint black and white photo copies.