time for a clean slate

I wish everyone a little more Sanity
a touch more Motivation
and moments of pure Joy
Have a Healthy 2009!








*photograph Copyright 2008 Tree-Nation

December is Lisa Vollrath month...

...at least at my blog it seems to be! Earlier this month she asked bloggers to tell her their Christmas wish, and 2 lucky people would be the winner of some lovely altered Altoid's tins. Guess what? I won! woo hoo! The best part is that I also got 6 months of her ezine too...hoot hoot holla! Thanks again Lisa!!! You really were my inspiration for December!

Now go visit her and go make something!

A great mixed media, quilting blog

Don't misunderstand, I do not quilt, but mixed media, now there's something that interests me! Pokey Bolton Editor of Cloth Paper Scissors, has a really great blog. I haven't looked at it in a while, but I reminded to today, and I have missed so much. Go check her out.

Lisa Vollrath, the creator of the awesome paper shoe pattern from an earlier post, has come up with possibly the best giveaway of the season this year! A FREE, and ya gotta love free, page of vintage ephemera every day from December 1st through Christmas day! Go visit her at TenTwoStudios to pick them up, and do look around while you're there. She posts a new project every Monday in honor of "Make it Monday" and of course the best deal going in the mixed media world is signing up for her monthly newsletter "The Monthly Muse" where she gives lots of great step by step directions for fun projects and of course extra ephemera pages!
Lots and lots of generosity and talent there!! don't miss her!

Tim Holtz and the 12 tags of christmas

Ah yes, the leaves have fallen, the heater has been turned on, snow is dusting the ground and Tim Holtz is at it again! Go see what he's up to Tim's blog and leave a comment. You never know, you just might win the supplies he's giving away!

On the 3rd day of Christmas, Tim taught me...

---that even an Emo Christmas can be fun!

On the first day of Christmas, Tim taught me...

How to use masks and grungeboard to make some festive tags!

sticky snowmen

Inspired by the cover of Cloth Paper Scissors November/December 2008 issue, these little snowman came to life. Aren't they sweet.




I tried to make 'regular' snowmen, but something unintentional made them look like skullys. hehehe

Christmas shoes

I was turned on to Lisa Vollrath and Ten Two Studios this week. She has a monthly e zine with projects and ephemera. Good stuff! This month includes the template to make these awesome little paper shoes. Go check her out, lots and lots of talent there.

Revitalize your spirit...altered book

Finally, I finished another journal that came to me. This time the theme was "What to do in Retirement?". I went with 'Revitalize your spirit'. Thanks for looking!

When life closes a door...

...you start a website!

Well, this is a full circle moment for me. So unhappy about losing my favorite place on the internet, a friend of mine contacted me and we made our own. Thinking we could host our swaps there, we would get a handful of friends to join us. Well, it's been 5 days and we have over 100 members, over 250 topics and over 3500 posts! I know, I know!?! One member created the banner for us (thank you Marianne)by digital collaging images from the first posts to our gallery, and another named us PAOists.

We have Scrapbooking, card making, altered arts of all kinds, a ton of swaps already in all catagories. There are a few online challenges to get you motivated if you're stuck, and a gallery filling up with great work from great people! We have a place for you to list your blog or the site of someone who inspires you and already there is talk of getting together for a PAO-WOW. The members have even started to inspire each other in a weight loss challenge! I couldn't ask for a better group of awesome, creative people!

If you want to come play with us paperartistsonline is where we hang out. Obviusly it's very new, and we're still working out kinks as they come up, but so far wow! The energy there is buzzzzzin'. At this time of year, when we stop and think of the things we are thankful for, I am unbelievebly thankful for my friends!

Hey Puzzle swappers...

I just got my paws on 36 puzzles. I know I said I wouldn't do it again, but so many of you asked me to and today I got a great deal on the blanks. I haven't figured out the cost yet, but it shouldn't be more than a few dollars per puzzle, I'm thinking $3 for each blank, which includes shipping to you. They are 8 1/2 x 11 and have 12 pieces each.

There will be 2 themes: 'Ode to Tim Holtz' and 'Anything goes'. You may use ANY supplies you have laying around, just no food products, please.

Once I have all 32 spoken for, I'll send them out. The deadline for these will be February 1st. I ask you include payment when you send them back to me in a reuseable padded envelope with enough loose postage stamps to cover shipping back to you.

I'm handling this same as before. If you haven't participated in one of my swaps, feel free to leave me your questions in the comments section of this post. If you would like to post a spoiler, please add the link in the comments section as well.

How do you sign up? I am now hosting this at paperartistsonline So feel free to hear over and join in. There are a few places left.

Fabric ATC swap

Here are my entries on their way to Australia this afternoon...I so hate to say goodbye! I started with some thin dyed cheesecloth. I attached a variety of fiber, thread and string, embellished with embroidery floss, glass beads and copper. I left one blank because I love the background as is. Already I have some ideas swirling around about a wall hanging. Thanks for looking, comments always welcomed!

Witchy box

While wandering the aisles of the thrift store the other day looking for a rack to store some new jars on, I came across an old spice rack. It was brown, but instantly I knew it held potential for a witchy box filled with potions and prized momentos!







Thanks for visiting, please leave a comment or constructive criticism!!!

a mime's nightmare

hehehe... he's in a box, get it? A box! bwahahaha. This silly little guy will be heading to live with Rachelle for a one/one altered tin swap. I'll have to make another to sit on my shelf.

Thanks for visiting!

What's in your envelope ATCs

Remember that cool pile of swag I received last week? Here are 3 ATCs. Thanks for looking!

Crusade No. 18

I decided to join the Green Pepper Press Street team this week by looking back and beginning the crusades from week one, spooky, halloween art. Fed up with my usual stamps I decided to carve some skullies. Oh how much fun is this! Allison was looking on all night, and finally asked if she could make one. Obviously I can't let a 6 year old carve erasers, but I had her draw on one and I carved it for her. Can you guess which one???



I received a book this week from my friend Ink-Pattie called Puro Muerto, Day of the Dead art and I decided to make some DOD skullies. Then I realized, carving stamps was Crusade #18, so here we are! I can see how addicting this could be, thank god I only bought one sheet of eraser today!! Excuse my inky fingerprints, I was obviously really excited to get these posted, all the ink schmeeeeeeerrd. Stay tuned for some ATCs with these this week. Please visit The GPP Street Team Crusade 18 and see what everyone else came up with.

Thanks for stopping by if this is your first visit here, and welcome back if you've been here before! Constructive criticism is always welcomed!

Green Pepper Press

Yummy yummy yummy! Green Pepper Press has the most amazing crow images anywhere! Go check them out for some good goodies! Look for a swap using these birds soon........ Tell Michelle I sent you!

Vintage Halloween ATCs

Ah yes, the leaves are beginning to change, the morning air is crisp and clean, Fall is upon us! I love Fall! I especially love Halloween! So what better way to welcome my favorite season than host another swap. Here is my take on Vintage Halloween.

Click image for a larger version and feel free to leave constructive criticism.

Lookie what I got!

In a great swap of Pass It Forward. All this awesome stuff to play with!!! I'm going to make ATC's all afternoon and see how much I can use up. Thanks Farley!