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