Praierie Papier Ponderer

I'm Guest Designing for the Pink Hedgehog Paper Crafts! (and Heidi has some blog candy!)

Heidi over at the Pink Hedghog Paper Crafts asked if I'd like to give away some blog candy for my readers...are you kidding me?  But of course!

All you have to do for a chance to win (the winner will be chosen randomly on July 1st), is comment on THIS post and tell me what your favorite embellishment is...ribbon, buttons, brads, flowers, etc...that's all!

This is what one lucky winner will receive...

 

40 yards of ribbon in a rainbow of colors

A small jar of each of the colors of raindrops shown in the photo

600 Brads with storage jars in rainbow colors to match the ribbons

Total value of the prize is $36.00

Woo-Hoo!  Talk about a rainbow of fun!  And, Heidi custom colors the raindrops herself!

Best wishes!  And thanks Heidi, for providing such cool blog candy!

Summer?

This past Saturday, June 6, was our wedding anniversary...and to make it memorable, it snowed...yes...it snowed...when the weatherman said we could experience some "unseasonable cold," I truly didn't expect THAT cold...rain turning to snow...OMG...will it ever warm up?

However I do have some exciting news!  Heidi, the owner of online store, The Pink Hedgehog Paper Crafts, has asked me to be a guest designer for the month of June...and if you've followed my blog for very long, you know how often I reach for my PHH stash...and trust me...there's a lot of it...primarily because Heidi makes it easy and inexpensive to own so many beautiful ribbons, buttons, and other embellishments at such reasonable prices!  And she puts together very reasonably priced kits as well.  The thing I love about Heidi is that she takes all the guesswork out of ordering matching product...she will even supply you with a color chart (upon request) of matching ribbons, eyelets, and brads that match some of the most popular cardstock available...and did I mention the reasonable prices?

So, to kick of my month of Heidi, I've created a 6 x 6 card featuring a Stamps Happen Flower Fairy stamp colored with Prismacolor markers and blender pen (I stamped the image with Ranger's black Archival ink)...the star here?  The beautiful buttons!  I heart this collection very much...they're from the Sherbet collection and they scream summer!  I threaded a needle with 1/4" pink organdy ribbon (also from PHH), and then began stringing the button on the ribbon by poking the needle up and then down through the holes, leaving a small space, and threading the next button, etc...after every four buttons I left a space of several inches, and then when I finished I clipped the sections apart...joined them together and attached them to the cardstock with mini glue dots...the cardstock is Basic Grey Two Scoops (talk about a perfect color match!)...

 

The inspiration for my button trim was button trim I saw at Hobby Lobby...$8.99 a yard!  As beautiful as it was, I passed...besides with the amazing button collections that Heidi stocks, one can customize their own button trims!  You can purchase a set of ALL 40 of the button collections for only $52!  To make my button trim (and that's a lot of buttons!), I used not quite half of one of the small button jars.  The button jars are also available individually for $1.50, and by one half pound button bags for $6.60.

So, visit Heidi at the Pink Hedgehog Paper Crafts and see what other beautiful goods she has...including Copic Markers!

Thanks for stopping by, and until next time...

Toodles!

Traveling Art Doll Symposium - What a Delightful Time I Had!

Well, I finally finished my entry in the Traveling Art Doll Symposium's first journal, and my new friend is off to meet Gail in Arizona.

I constructed the dress out of Basic Grey Euphoria paper...I know that Kitty Kellie must be partial to pink and purple because so many of her paper doll creations are those colors, so I hope she'll be pleased with the entry...part of the "rules" of TADS is that you can only create one item of clothing (unless of course one chooses to make shoes), but I "fudged" a little and included a crown, and also attached a birthday cake to the front of the dress with dimensional tape.  The digital images (the harlequin pattern with cupcake, the crown, and the birthday cake) were designed by Cassi's Creations...she has the most adorable digital collage sheets over at Etsy (http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5234066) so be sure to check those out!

 

Kitty provided the beautiful journal and made the first entry...I wished I had taken a picture of it...

If you're interested in participating in this unique and exciting event, visit Kitty's Ning group, "The Artful Paper Doll."  You do not have to register for the class to join in the fun!

 

Here's the pretty party dress and birthday cake...doesn't the cake look good enough to eat!?  The ribbon is from the Pink Hedgehog Paper Crafts, and the pink bling is Me & My Big Ideas...the flowers are Prima...

 

This is my journal entry...we were free to write or create from either the paper doll's perspective or our own...

Thanks for stopping by...stay tuned for my next post...I have some exciting news to share!

Toodles!

Anita

The Traveling "paper" Art Doll Symposium...where is doll 1? On it's way to ME!

Wow!  Take a look at this!

 

North Dakota?  Why, that's ME!  I'm feeling kind of conspicuous right now, but that's all right...I'm the FIRST to get to participate in the Traveling Art Doll Symposium, and I have a feeling that this is going to be HUGE!  Kitty Reynolds, paper doll artist extraordinaire, has instigated created a papercrafter's dream...a traveling paper doll project based on the 1000 Journals project (Someguy began the "1000 Journals" project in San Francisco. He purchased 1000 blank journals and sent them around the world. He gave them to friends and left them in coffee shops, book stores, and libraries -- and even on park benches. People wrote in them, drew sketches, painted pictures, glued-in photos, and then passed them on. Instructions inside the cover ask that each contributor scan his/her pages and email them to Someguy for posting on the website.  This project has been featured in a book as well as a documentary)  will be sending out unfinished paper dolls beginning May 4th to participating members of her ning network The Artful Paper Doll along with a journal in which to document both her creation and her travels. Participants will be instructed to add 1 thing only to the doll along with a journal entry or they can create a journal entry only. She asks that entries and doll additions be digitally photographed or scanned and sent to her so that she can follow the progress on her blog. Once the journal is full, the last participant will be instructed to mail it back. Kitty's hope is to create a true, collaborative art doll diary unmatched by any single effort.  As if the project itself wasn't exciting enough, the project has caught the attention of the 1000 Journals Project, and they will be keeping an eye on us as "our" dolls travel all around the world!  If you want to learn more about it and/or want to be a part of this exciting project, visit Kitty's blog for more information...please sign up...it'll be easy and it'll be fun...and who know...maybe we'll all become part of our culture's history!

This is who I'll be spending some time with...I hope my mail lady doesn't mind me stalking her for a couple days!

 

Stay tuned and find out what I do with my new friend!

Hugs!

Anita

History of the Apron

One of my younger sisters, Gail, sent me this...and asked if I remembered sewing an apron for Home Ec...I sure do!  I don't have a clue as to who started it, but with Mother's Day just around the corner, I thought I'd share this...it brought back so many memories.  Also, aprons are a hot, hot item now...

 

"The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath because she only had a few..it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and they used less material, but along with that it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.

It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.

From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.

When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids, and when the weather was cold, Grandma wrapped it around her arms. 

Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow when she was bent over the hot wood stove.  Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.  From the garden it carried all sorts of vegetables.  After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.  In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees. 

When unexpected company drove up the road, it was amazing how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds.  When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men knew it was time to come in from the fields for dinner.  It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that "old-time apron' that served so many purposes. 

Remember when Grandma used to set her hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool.  Her granddaughters set theirs  on the window sill to thaw."

On 02/01/09, art and crafting publisher Stampington and Company released their premier issue of Apron*ology, an annual special publication that focuses on artfully-made aprons.

 

Apron*ology is available on newstands or directly from Stampington & Company online at www.stampington.com or over the phone at 1-877-782-6737.

Thanks for stopping by, and if I forget to come back before then...Happy Mother's Day!

Hugs!

Anita    

Aaah, Those Wonderful Scents...and Other "Stuff"

Aaahhh, the scents of spring...actually, spring here in western ND is quite late, but finally, after enduring over five months of snow on the ground and two floods, it is finally here!  The grass is green and growing and buds are appearing on the trees and shrubs.  And, there is nothing quite like the smell of freshly mown grass...Chris just finished mowing the lawn and it smells so good outside...to me, that smell signifies spring is officially here!  I love spring and the promise of of new life it brings...from the oh so very cute calves and lambs that are born to the beauty and smell of lilacs...spring is my favorite time of year.

This past week was a difficult one...I suffered through another 2 1/2 days of an excruciating headache, and my mom had an unexpected open heart surgery...but the headache is much better and my mom is on the mend...I'm sure she has a long, painful recovery ahead, but hopefully she will be in better health and feeling good in a couple months. 

I'm still in physical therapy, and although the therapy is painful and seems like it's taking forever, in actuality the headache is improved and I'm hoping I won't need my tri-monthly nerve blocks this month...that's one of the first goals my therapist and I set at the beginning of my sessions.  I'm not having as many bad days...before the headache was extremely painful at least two or three days a week on average...this bout came three weeks after the last one...so I'd say I have much to be thankful for.

I did manage to find and/or complete some projects that I've been working on...bear in mind the ATCs were supposed to be completed a month ago or more...but here they are...these are for a spring swap at Altered Designs, a Yahoo group I belong to...the altered spoon is also for a mingle I hosted at Altered Designs...enjoy, and have a great week!

 

Hugs!

Anita

1stSaturday minishop - mayBIRDS at EVB Studio

(above:  examples of mayBIRDS the next 1stSATURDAY minishop!)

It's time for the 1st Saturday minishop at Marie Gibbons' EVB Studio (http://evbstudiohome.ning.com).  Everyone in the artsy crafty world, whether a scrapbooker, rubber stamper, atered or mixed media artist, knows that stylized birds are HOT!  Now, instead of purchasing those expensive birds to alter how about making your own?

 
The workshops that Marie puts together are suitable for beginners and up. If you've never touched clay you may want to join in on the Hand-building 101, which is FREE. It will give you the basics of hand-building and walk you through some simple projects to try.

Marie strives to put together workshops that are geared for success, and gives you something to be proud of. Most of all, she feel that her job as an instructor is to instill PERMISSION to all of her students, permission to create, to experience, experiment, and to be excited about the medium of clay! Check out the sub-page under Workshops: videoINTRO for a little look at different workshops and the pieces that you can make there!!

You can work with a variety of clays, all getting the same great results!! AIR DRY SCULPTING CLAY, AIR DRY PAPER CLAY, POLYMER CLAY (please note that Marie doesn't teach polymer techniques) and of course REGULAR STONEWARE CLAYS (remember these need firing, so you will need access to a kiln)

All workshops will remain open to new members indefinitely, meaning you can join any workshop at any time, even after it's posted start date and participate in that project. All pdf instructions, videos, and student conversations will always be available to you in the workshop post. And, you can always ask Marie for assistance if you need it.

To join a workshop group: click on the workshop of your choice, request to join, and she will then invoice you through paypal and once your payment is received you will receive an email inviting you into the group.

DO IT!! Pick a workshop that interests you and give it a try; they are great fun, and easy to do!! You may be surprised just how addicting clay can be!!!  Oh, and they're only $10!!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Hugs!

Anita

Lipstick Ranch - KC Willis Collage Camp

I'm a workshop junkie...there I've said it!  This year has been absolutely fabulous!  While I have always loved learning, this year I've made it intentional by focusing on the skills/crafts I've always wanted to learn but was too afraid to try...but now fear has a new name, and it's name is freedom.  Free to dream, free to create, and free to (hopefully) inspire someone else.

I have long admired collage artists and their ability to "put things together."  I always felt that it took a special skill or talent to "do collage."  I am so appreciative that there are so many wonderful classes "out there," and so many professionals willing to share all they've learned.  One of those gifted artists is renowned collage artist KC Willis and she is beginning a new online class (her first) called the KC Willis Collage Camp. 

Right now she is offering a discount on the class price...watch the video (the second one which is titled "KC on HGTV) on her class home page (http://collagecamp.ning.com/).  You can't help but be inspired...once you register for the class, watch the video explaining how she assembles and finds her supplies...this takes "trash" shopping to a whole new level...and especially with yard sale season upon us, there is no better time to get out there and find goodies to recycle.

Do yourself a favor... with Mother's Day just around the corner, gift yourself with this amazing class.  Register before the first three videos of the class go up on Saturday and save $23!  Hope to see you there! 

Hugs!

Anita