Gift O Rama

I just finished updating my blog with three posts full of the gift-o-rama, and what I got from all my talented artsy friends.  

So this little sneak peek should entice you to go check it out.  

Jenelle's collage drawer fascinates me.  Her art is always done so cleanly and perfect, in horizontal and vertical planes.  My own is so slip-shoddy and whimsical, that now that I have one of Jenelle's larger pieces here, it reminds me how different but amazing all of my friends' styles are.  

Jenelle's mom Maggie made me a bunch of knitted things that I adore.  Here I am in my new hat and scarf:  

And Jackie really outdid herself on this book:  Its handsewn binding is beautiful.  And the glass knob.  I LOVE vintage knobbery.  

Under the book is a stack of vintage feed sack dish cloths that my mom made me, and a closer look at the scarf from Maggie.  

I'm sure this isn't the last that I'll write about the giftorama, but for now, check out my blog for more: 

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

so I suppose you noticed the post was not completed yesterday........well it was all there and somewhere between spell check and publish part of it disappeared.....so as paul harvey says here's the rest of the story. there will be no pictures of the prizes from the gift-o-rama.....photos could not do them justice.....wonderful hand knit items, a glittered branch with sparkling marbles, a vintage winter village, my very own jackieopoly game altered for MY LIFE, naturally there was a queens journal to jot down the comings and goings at court, and the most outrageous trombone decked in beads and baubles......and I opened them all in my very own crown while holding my scepter given to me at the beginning............absolutely over the moon. The talent at that table was amazing and I kept wondering what the hell I was doing there. Cindy managed to give me one of the most memorable Christmas' ever................
thank you my friend
jackie

O.K. ya know how you build an upcoming event up in you mind and every day it gets bigger and bigger like a giant balloon, the day comes and then **phisf**............ there is a hole in your balloon and all of those expectations start to deflate like the balloon? Well, that gift-o-rama had worked me into to a frenzy, stress, butterflies in stomach kind of anticipation and the December 14th rolled around......friends gathered, glasses were lifted and handcrafted presents were passed out.......my balloon just kept getting bigger and bigger until it carried me over the moon.

New Mixed Media Pendants

A few months ago, I found a set of 28 flat, screen-painted wood dominoes at Target.  For ONE dollar.  

I had no idea what I'd end up doing to them, but I knew I had to have them.  And they sat around forever.  Every time my nephew saw them, he said, "Me want that!" Every time he did, I considered giving them to him, but in the back of my mind, I knew I needed them.  And I did.  I needed them so I could make these fabulous new necklaces.  So after several hours of priming (paint wouldn't stick at first so they had to be sanded and primed) and painting and snipping and glueing and sorting buttons and bingo chips and beading and stringing, here is what happened.  A few of my favorites have a close-up shot, but all of these will be appearing in my Etsy Shop tonight.  And for only $9 with FREE shipping.  

All of the necklaces nested into a velvet-lined box. 

Sing:  The Chaffinch

Simple Things

Live Well This Life

Mama said there'd be days like this.

Cow Girl

You all missed out on "If you don't have anything nice to say, come sit by me" because I sold that one at Jewett, as well as a couple other ones.

What you need to make your own: 

Dremel

Hemp Cording 

Old Junk items such as buttons, bits of doilies, lace, bingo chips, etc.

Domino blanks of some sort

Crafter's Pick Ultimate water-based super glue

Beads

Scissors

Old paper goods from which to select cool pictures or images

Sandpaper & Primer (maybe)

Shoe Polish or oil paint

Matte Spray

How to: 

Test your dominoes and see if paint sticks.  If not, sand them and paint them a base color. 

Glue your images to the domino, and let dry.  

Glue words, if any, to the domino, and let dry. 

Glue junk to the domino, careful not to cover up the spot you want to drill the hole, and let dry.  

Optionally, you can stain the necklace at this point with oil paint, shoe polish, or some other grunge-up medium.  

Drill a hole in the top middle, or at both top corners with the dremel. 

Tie a length of hemp cording into the holes with a slip-knot, and then thread the ties through a bead/group of beads.  Tie this off, and then tie the two strands together to form the loop through which your head will go.  Be careful not to cut the cording too short to go over your head. 

Optionally, you can put jewelry closures on the cording if you want a shorter necklace.  

surprise in my mailbox

Today I had a happy surprise in my mailbox.....usually it is bills and junk mail, but today, an atc.
My new friend Shaun sent me a wonderful very well done card. He had incorporated several different techniques and the colors were fabulous, which is what I always look for first. Then I look to see something that gives me a peek into the personality of the sender. I had no idea a wild west fan was hiding somewhere in there. Now I can go back to the "gift-o-rama" challenge with more insite than I had before. Not that I am changing a THING......ONE MILLION HOURS IS ENOUGH FOR ONE DAMN GIFT............just kidding your worth it, Shaun

snowman pattern

Well, it is another snowy Ohio day. The days are flying by right into the gift-o-rama exchange....and am I working feverishly on my gifts for my friends ? OH NO, I goofed around today and made a snowman....and yes, of course I know panic will set in and this chick will be frothing at the mouth the very night before I need those gifts. Why can't I stay focused....because I am a flibbertigibbet ! The pattern for the snowman will be for sale on etsy
http://www.jackiesplace.etsy.com/
Yesterday, my friend Stella and I went to Amish country hunting just the right gift for my daughter,Chrissy. I did find some small things but not the "IT" gift.....last year it was an antique dress form and it was perfect. Things were kind of quiet in the usually bustling Berlin, but it was Monday, I suppose. On the way home we made an emergency stop for ice cream and the best coffee at Wallhouse in Sugarcreek, ice cream always consoles a sad shopper, and nothing is as depressing as embarking on a Christmas shopping quest and coming home empty handed.

I loved the clip art shoe Cindy put on the blog...I think everyone ought to use that piece on an A.T.C and send them to ME.....that is a wonderful idea.....she has the whole sheet for sale on her etsy site. http://www.lifeoneuropa.etsy.com/

I hope everyone has a fabulous Thanksgiving and survives black friday.....

Free Collage Image: Vintage Shoe

I've been scanning vintage shoe images for a Collage Image Set to sell on Etsy, and I decided to offer one of them up here, for free.  Consider it an appetizer.  It's a nice Mary Jane / Pump from the 1940's, taken from a shoe store ad that ran in an Ohio River Valley newspaper in the 1940's era.  The images in the "Dress Ups" set are all from that ad, which was showing the shoe store's Easter collection.  To use the image, save it to your computer, click on the image to open up the larger size, and then save, (Right click, Save as:) and then print it.  This is a high-resolution .png  image, so you can resize it down to whatever size you wish for your collages and art projects using your favorite photo editing software.  You can do whatever you like with the image, even use it in craft projects that you intend to sell.  The only thing I ask is that you do not include it in image sets that you wish to sell because, well, because that would be a bit dishonest.  If you've made something awesome using the image, let me know, and I'll post a link to it from here.  Enjoy!

For more images like this one, check out my Collage Set, a .pdf file in two pages (original and in black and white clip art) on Etsy:  

Dress Ups Collage Sheet Set:  Vintage Shoes

the saga of jackies kitchen

Today is another stab in kitchen renovation......the infamous 3 year kitchen project, my husband assured me was a "snap". So Sunday dinner preparation is going to be worked around clamps, screwdrivers, and a "big" freaking saw.....he has also assured me the dust catcher on this brand new must have saw is wonderful. Tell me again why I am trusting a man who misled me three years ago when he started this project and why do i see sawdust covering my things in my future? Adding to the confusion are a few pets, did I mention I have nine cats?????? Well, in all actuality they are not all mine, some are left overs from my son and daughter the others just wandered in. Of course they all have different personalities and range in size from very tiny ewok looking to a humongous "Mr. Ears" bull dog / small coffee table type.
It is very hard to concentrate with all the construction but I have to get back to work on gifts for the December "gift-o-rama". There are seven of us, all artsy fartsy types but all very different styles. I am so excited because it has forced us out of our safe little boxes to create something in another area of art. Right now I am fixing my gaze on what I want to make for Shaun. It is sitting here challenging me....in fact I believe it just stuck its tongue out at me, but after befuddeling me for 4 days it is winning this battle. My creative flow seems petrified at the moment....but no fears, Shaun my "pea brain" is just resting on its flat side , I will get up and dance frantically to Dr.Hook"s "mamas got a squeeze box' (thats what is playing) until the pea rolls over and starts working. What a vision.......

Some Christmas Spirit

We went to the Fort Steuben Mall tonight to set up our Christmas trees for the 1st annual Magical Festival of Trees.  They had an empty storefront opened for a tree decorating party, and there were quite a few people scurrying around putting together their trees.  

The event is a fundraiser for Big Brother/Big Sister of Jefferson County.  The trees will be on display starting Sunday, and the event continues through the day after Thanksgiving.  

Mall patrons can wander through the trees and view them.  They are all for sale.  There is also a voting event.  Each vote costs one cent - yes!  Only a penny.  

I would love for my literary tree to win.  Just because nobody gets it.  

There are two issues of Plain Spoke back to back for the tree topper.  Blue Paper comes down the tree in a cascade like water, and makes a swirly vignette around the bottom of the trunk.  And then there are bunches and bunches of literary figures wearing Santa hats and riding around the tree in paper boats.  

Pictured here is the Virginia Woolf boat.  

She said she would wear the Santa hat herself.  

I'll be posting more photos in my blog after Sunday.  

happy birthday to you..........

so I bet she thinks I forgot..........nope, mind like a steel trap, this one! Today I made Cindy a birthday card..... she will probably see it on here before she gets it....so i guess this makes it like a movie trailer....a TEASE....
starting with gold cardstock, it was scored and folded, then with a Tim Holtz timeworks mask and vintage photo ink on a blender tool, I embellished the entire card and envelope. a torn tag was stamped and distressed on the edges with the same vintage photo ink. raffia was tied to the tag and attached with my trusty scotch ATG700 tape gun...........so happy birthday my friend, you continue to astonish and amaze me...........

so here i am....blogging

from Jackie, the most boring woman in the world this is going to be a stretch. After doing my normal morning chores, most of those revolving around my numerous cats, yes, i am the crazy cat lady. I have decided to put off working on my projects for the 1st annual gift-o-rama, and make an ATC for my new friend Shaun. Being inspired when i found the cutest photo of a little boy I stamped a background, As I was looking at my little boy he was just screaming for wings and a dot of my new fired brick distress stickles on his hat. I was lucky enough to take a class with Tim Holtz and had a cigar band left over from the project we did, so on to the top it went, this was quite an addition, I am horribly selfish with my stash. The edges were distressed with black ink with a blender. Now it is on to the envelope.