Scrap plastic and fabric bracelet--in progress

Got this piece of plastic from I forgot where, and noticed right away it was begging for a new life as a cuff bracelet:

I had some lovely brocade scraps I scarfed in a friend's cleanup last week which are just the thing for the project:


So far I've measured, cut and ironed the fabric, and just need to get out my machine to sew up the seam. I could do this by hand, but I really want it to stay. I plan to gather the fabric around the plastic and sew it up. Not sure what I'll embellish it with yet, but I'm going through my collection to see what works best. Finally I'll attach ribbon to the the underside so it doesn't irritate my wrist and looks more finished.

In between helping take care of my DH this week, who had shoulder surgery yesterday, I'll work on it more tonight.

Art Journeybook Cover

 
Here's the cover (ta-DA) of my Art Journeybook. I know better than to call anything I do a journal or diary, as that word implies something that happens day-by-day. My journeybook details my art journey as I'm learning, especially while taking Suzi Blu's "Les Petite Dolls" class.

I rather like the way this turned out. Everything, from the book itself to the papers and embellishments, was salvaged and/or scraped from a clearance bin: true Crafty Bag Lady style!

How's your crafty life?

Mine's been MIA for a while, but I'm getting back in the thick! I saw The Crafty Chica, Kathy Cano-Murillo, on her Spread the Sparkle Tour in San Jose a couple of weeks ago. She and her very cool hubby Patrick were there to demonstrate her new line of Crafty Chica products now sold at Michael's. Although I'm not into skulls 'n' skeletons at all, I just love Kathy's bounce and glittery enthusiasm.

The second one down is yours truly, the CBL, posing with Her Glitteriness holding the double-autographed copy of her Crafty Chica Collection book which I won in a competition from her Web site a while back. The bottom one is my now-famous right leg, adorned with Crafty Chica fabric markers and glitter paint.:

ATC: Tweet

In a Birdie state of mind.

Sick, lazy, distracted, sick, depressed, sick, lazy

Water pouring out of ceiling over studio area, right on top of craft table. Everything moved out and piled around the house for the week and a half it took for roof and ceiling to get fixed. Sick, lazy, busy, tired, distracted, sick, lazy, depressed, playing with grandbaby, procraftinating, house in chaos, sick, distracted. Lazy.

Okay, I'm done now. Time to get back to Art.

Thera-P

I was really bummed about getting stuck in my art life this week, so I did this as therapy. It was a lot of fun, and now I feel like I'm getting back on track. Whee!

Journeybook page with White-out tape

Having just learned this phenomenal trick with white-out tape, I of course had to incorporate it into my Journeybook.

(BTW, "Journeybook" is what I call my arts/prayer/doodles/whatever altered journal.)

So take a peek at the page:

Everything used is scrap or bought from the Last Chance bin. The image is from an old calendar.

I enjoyed using this method and will definitely employ it often in my work.

A new ATC

Artist trading cards are all the rage, and it's one I heartily approve of. I've just hopped aboard the wagon myself and received my first trades. Here's one I made in the last few days. Entitled "Not Old", it is going to the current Mingle at Altered StART. I love "Harold", which is, of course, my Vintage Guy's name. I'm just gonna have to recreate it because, dad burn it, it was just so much fun! (I just had to say "Dad burn it", 'cuz Harold would.)

Let me be the last to say

Happy, happy 2008!

Well, Christmas is all packed up and put away; now, "1, 2, 3, back to reality."

I've sorely neglected posting lately, but creativity, and cleaning up after same, has kept me away from the keyboard. See what I got for Christmas:



No, that's not my personal table; it's one I found on the Web. Mine, and the space it's in, are much more happily disheveled. However, this pic is better than my camera phone can take.

Also, I got this. YAY ME!!! No more hunching over a light bulb!

And my DH filled my stocking with bottles of glass glitter. What a guy!

Aside from transforming my erstwhile kitchen eating area into a studio, I've been working on some things for my Altered Start (Yahoo) group, which I will proceed to post about in days to come. In the meantime, here's a zillion ways to reuse and repurpose old books, courtesy of The Bookshop Blog. Click on over and get insanely inspired!