mail art alice

mail art alice
Originally uploaded by gshstrisha

Since I'm not computer savvy enough to figure out how to post more than one flickr pic at a time, here's the other art card. I REALLY like the Alice in Wonderland stamps. Really really.

swap-bot mail art

mail art2
Originally uploaded by gshstrisha

Here are two of three post cards made for a swap.
Collage, stamped, inked, a little bit of paint--the
usual! The dragonfly was stamped on vellum and
cut out, with his wings colored a little and embossed
with clear so they'd be shiny. Well, they're shiny
in person, anyway.

the Christmas book is finally finished . . .

Lots of pictures. Lots of grandchildren. Click
on the book to check out the "album." The
only thing is, a lot of the pages have a lovely
iridescent quality in real life, due to using
Twinkling H2Os. Unfortunately, that doesn't
read in the pics. Just imagine the glistening
goodness . . .

All My Grandchildren

I hope the in-laws like it . . . by the way,
they're All My Children watchers for
forever, so thus the title . . .

Coffee Ring Day

Here is a picture of the (partial) results of Coffee Ring Day.

It was a good one this year. Tradition has it that I get up and

start baking, and DH brings home pizza for dinner. There was

a time he'd trundle the children off to a movie or some such thing,

as eight little hands helping Mama makes for a slow, long day

of it when there are this many goodies to bake. Now they can

actually help!

I learned from my mother, she learned from hers . . .

No, they do not taste like coffee.

No, there is no coffee in them.

They are so named because, for the most part, one would imbibe

a fresh hot cuppa along with a generous slice of ring, which is like

a lovely rich cinnamon roll, only so much better, it's what cinnamon

rolls WISH they could be! Some people call them tea rings;

however, my Swedish ancestors shudder at the thought of tea.

Phaaa! Coffee drinkers, every last one of them. Kaffe. C'mon,

people, didn't you ever read Pippi Longstockings??

Somehow, these did not all get delivered before Christmas, so there

are about five strays still in the deep freeze. Coffee rings, not ancestors.

Whether they ever make their way to their intended recipients

remains to be seen . . . once again, coffee rings, not ancestors . . .

Chervil in Kansas City

My DH and I really like Bernaise sauce. Yes, it may very
well be a heart attack and new hips waiting to happen, but
really, it is so delicious! Ever since devouring it madly for
the first time almost a year ago (that would be at
Chris and Dawn's lovely wedding. Beautiful reception,
fantastic food, Happy Anniversary!!), I keep thinking,
"I'll surprise DH and whip up a batch." But YOU try
and find chervil in this midwestern town! NONE of the
major grocery chains carry it. For cryin' out loud, if it's
in the Betty Crocker, it's got to be pretty basic, yes?
Everyone has tarragon, even WAL-MART had white
peppercorns, but chervil? Nope. Nobody.

Really, it would make a lovely dish for Christmas, so you
know the saying, "you can find anything on ebay!"

Yep, that's right, I just bought chervil on ebay. Works for
me. Saved driving around, blank stares from befuddled
clerks ("How do you spell that??"), and just a general
frustration best avoided during the holyday season.

This tops off a fine cookie day. Ahh, cookie day.

That's a whole 'nother post . . .

FREECYCLE

I don't know who invented/thought this up, but Freecycle
is the best! Oh, my, I love to post an offer for a big box of
whatever mess has been lurking in my basement for who-
knows-how-long,

have multiple people e-mail and say, "pick me, pick me!"

leave said box by the drive,

and then the Freecycle Fairies come along, unseen, and prance
away with their newfound treasure, leaving me shelf space,
peace of mind, and a delightful sense of freedom . . .

*******disappear*******poof*******gone away!!!*******

Seriously, a landfill is empty thanks to the freecycle fairies.
And that's just from the stuff from MY house! What's in
YOURS??

dream/prayer journal

I finally had this long enough that I'm able to happily give it away;
sometimes it's like that, you know. Sometimes there's something
really special about something you've made, and it's hard to let it
go. And sometimes, maybe you aren't supposed to let it go? But I'm
happy with this now, and donated it to the local Apple Festival,
which benefits the Baptist Children's Home. So that's a good thing.
But now I'm thinking, "okay, what if no one bids on it?
How embarrassing will THAT be???" If I hadn't put my name on the
form, then no one would have even know it was from me. Rats.

On the other hand, maybe it will do really well, right? I think it
would be better to think along these lines, yes? We'll see what
happens Saturday! :)

UPDATE--not only did they bid, this won first prize in the "Unusual" category!  :)

Sarah's birthday collage

Here's a birthday collage for sweet Sarah
on the occasion of her 15th. Faith helped
me with some of the composition; there's
Bible verses and such on the back.

People are foolish.
God is good.
Never give up.

Altered Book Club Offering

So I joined an altered book club, and it's been great for making me
go make something. I mean really, if you've committed to having
someone else's pages done, it would be pretty bad to just show up
and say, "Oops, sorry! Didn't bother to even open your book . . ."

So here's my latest artistic endeavor. The theme is supposed to be
"Home or Insanity." So of course, I switch it around--not on purpose,
I just glued the dictionary pages on the wrong sides! So the insanity
side features a vellum pocket sewn on, tags bearing proverbs stapled
with red rick-rack, and some crazy looking broads. Two have literally
lost their heads. The "Home" side is supposed to appear more peaceful,
and has a door to open, revealing a collage in the style of Claudine
Hellmuth. Yep, been reading her books, couldn't help myself!

Remember, you choose . . .

stuff

Well. I don't post often anymore. Hmm.
Busy with real life, yes? The eldest is
graduating, and that is taking some of my
brain, as is homeschooling the rest.

Algebra bites, still, even after all these
years, and there are two more coming up in
the ranks. Ugh. Fourteen is a hard enough
age as it is, but to add Algebra to the mix!
AAAIIIEEEEE!

Got to meet Julie's beautiful granddaughter,
and see Julie Oolie herself all the way from
Alaska. That was such a surreal thing, to be
standing there looking at her while she was
talking. I really wish we had gotten to know
each other better and spend more time together
while she was HERE! And she has some of the
most interesting friends. (I don't mean myself.)

Shakespeare ATC for swap-bot swap. I really like
how these turned out; printed on vellum, over
watercolor background, and torn paper script from
Prospero's speech at the end of The Tempest.
Which is one of my favorites.