Another Halloween Paper Bag Album....

This Halloween paperbag album is a custom order for a customer's friend. I worked on it all weekend in order to get it out tomorrow so that it will get to her by Friday.

I hope my customer's best friend loves it! Good friends are hard to find, even harder to keep and impossible to forget.

My New Favorite TV Show

I'm not one to watch much TV but I found this show called "The Starter Wife" which stars Debra Messing. It's a really entertaining show. You can watch previous episodes on Hulu. Go here to check them out. It's awesome with funny quirky characters and a running plotline. You can watch all episodes from the first year (6 episodes) and 3 so far this season. It was originally made as a mini series for the USA network but was picked up for another season.

Lately my creativity has needed a jumpstart. I haven't been in the studio for a few nights now.
Any suggestions for removing my creative block?

Garlic Planting and Halloween ATC Give Away.....

Oh yah, it's that time of year again........time to plant garlic! Gary and I planted the back raised bed yesterday. It will be ready to harvest around July 4th. It's really rewarding to look out the window in January and February and see something growing in the garden! I layed the garlic cloves out in rows and Gary planted them. I know my niece was just waitng for this post as she is a big fan of the garlic gardening!

In 9 short months this is what the garlic will look like! This was the garlic crop from this year.

I dug carrots yesterday too and this one popped out. Isn't it freaky???? It looks like a carrot snake wrapped around a carrot!

This is my newest crop of Halloween ATCs for a give away............... If you see one you like email me your name and address and I'll send it out to you!

Black Cat Roadtrip

1932 Halloween Party

Lyoonetik!

Black Dress Sisters

Pearl Ex Pigment Tutorial

Every now and then I post a tutorial on a technique I use. This one is on the the use of Pearl Ex pigment powders by Jacquard Products. I would always see them in the art department but had no idea how to use them or even what to use them on but I found them really pretty and they always interested me. In this post I'm going to give a tutorial on how to use them to make snowman tags. I love the colors brown and blue together and came up with these tags.....

These are the materials I used on the tags.............To use the Pearl Ex (it has a shimmer to it) you need to mix about 1/8 of a teaspoon of it with water, (fill to the top) in a mini spray bottle (these Ranger Mini Misters work great). Shake it up to make sure it all dissolves.

Put the tags in a an old cardboard box (so you don't over spray everything with blue) and spray your tags holding the mister about 6 inches from the tag. The tag will curl but will flatten out when it dries. Do both sides spraying as much or as little blue color on.

Using the little round sponge dauber use the Distress Ink to antique the edges of the tag.

I used these alphabet stamps by Sugar Loaf, inked with the Distress Ink Vintage Photo color for the words.

I dug into my collection of stamps for flourishes, paisleys and snowflakes. These were inked in aqua and stamped around the tag and over the letters.........

Cut a snowman out of white cardstock, edge with Distress Ink and glue to tag. Using a pigma black 005 marker add the eyes, nose and mouth. I used a marker for the buttons too.

Tear brown mulberry paper and glue on for the snowman's scarf and color in the nose orange. Lastly punch a hole and add a snowflake brad. Ta-da! You're done!

Christmas Music Swap......

I was in the studio tonight working on Christmas projects and had my favorite Christmas songs playing to motivate me. The Christmas music was really getting me into the groove. It's hard to think of snowmen and Santa when it's 75 degrees out!
Does music motivate and inspire you? How about the holiday music??? Is so, would you like to join in the Jingle Bell Jam 2008 Holiday Music Swap?





I'm looking for 10 people to join in on this swap (I've got 5 so I need 5 more) and here's how it works. You pick your favorite Christmas music (it can be an electic mix, a certain genre (like jazz) or a favorite Christmas album) and fill up a CD, then burn 9 more. I'll email the names and address of the 9 other people you'll send a CD out to. So it's like this...you'll get 9 different CDs with a wide array of Christmas music to inspire you this holiday season while you craft, decorate, bake or just chill out!

If you'd like to join in the fun,leave a comment and then send me an email with your name and address at tootieu@yahoo.com

I've been tagged............

I've been tagged by Dianne over at Dianne Rambling On.

These are the rules:
#1 Link to the person who tagged you.

#2 Post the rules on your blog.

#3 Write six random things/unspectacular quirks about yourself.

#4 Tag four people at the end of your post and link to them.

#5 Let each person you have tagged know by leaving a comment on their blog.

#6 Let the tagger know when your entry is posted.



Here goes the 6 quirky things about me.......

1. I collect wheat pennies........I don't know why........I just do.

2. I grew up on a farm and I'm allergic to corn pollen (my dad grew a big field of corn every year in front of the house!)

3. I frequently sleepwalk.

4. I like ice cream. I like nuts. I don't like ice cream with nuts in it.

5. I bake really good biscotti.

6. My brother Jimmy picked out my name: Melissa



I'm tagging:
Kim Hardt Originals



Catherine Holman Folk Art



Lance at Crescent Hill Designs

A Glorious Autumn Day: A Tribute to Color.....

Today was most likely the most beautiful day of all autumn here in Western Pennsylvania! There was a glorious blue sky streaked with white subtle clouds, 77 degrees with a slight breeze full of smells of fall. I went to my parents farm to visit and took a walk with my mom's dog Buddy. He loves to go for a walk and shoots like a ground rocket through the fields poking his head into every ground hog hole he can find! He got so dirty and had so my burrs and stickies clinging to his fur! Buddy has a bath in his near future!

Do-do-do-d0-do.....I'm Buddy the wonder dog!

Here is a pictorial of our walk in the fields and woods..........a tribute to all the colors of autumn! Enjoy!

Purples...............

Browns..............

Reds...............

Yellow........

Could you smell the leaves? Could you feel the sun on the top of your head? Could you feel the light breeze on your arms? Could you feel yourself telling Buddy to get his head out of the groundhog hole?