serendipity backgrounds for atcs and???

It's almost time for school to officially start;
since we don't do snow days, or parent-teacher
meetings, or in service days, etc., we have the
luxury of delaying the inevitable.

Almost all of our textbooks are in, the schedule is made,
been peeling wallpaper in the kitchen, still no gelatin
prints, the oldest two are at it at college.
(That's the quick and random update.)

Joined a crazy swap on swap-bot: 20 atcs for
20 different partners. Mega ATC Swap. Appropriate
name, yes?

Seemed like a fun end to summer. Here are
the backgrounds, made using the mixed media,
serendipity style background technique that
is my personal favorite:


There is still a pretty big chunk left; not sure
what that will end up being.

How are YOU wrapping up your summer? Any projects
in the works? I feel the need to blog visit, so
be expecting me . . . :)

teenagers again . . .

So, today I'm walking through the living room with a
bottle of Clorox Clean-Up when the 17-year-old says

"WAIT a minute, just where do you think you're going??"

"To clean the toilets."

"Pffft. You and your crazy hobbies . . ."

(For real, this happened. Welcome to my world.)

mini atcs--watercolor resist background

Mini atcs (1 1/2 by 2 1/2). Altered Pages images,
watercolor resist background.

Thank you, Gingersnap Creations, for the "paint"
challenge. (I almost ALWAYS have paint somewhere,
both on my artwork AND my body!! What a mess . . .)

***post update***
How fun is this???



Thank you, Gingersnappers!! :)

project update: good news, bad news . . .

Working on making gelatin plate prints.

Like this:



(Linda Germain has a whole set of YouTube tutorial
videos demonstrating this printmaking technique,
and they're all fabulous.)

The good news, is--so far, so good.

The bad news is, this is as far as I've gotten:

Does anyone know why . . .

. . . the horseflies chase our cars down the
driveway, bombarding it with their little bodies,
making the inside of the vehicle resound with
"thud, thud, thuds!?!"

That has to hurt. Maybe horseflies don't feel
pain.

(They don't ever chase US, just the cars.)

Anyone know? This ever happen to you? Ever
been bitten by one of those bad boys?

FINALLY made something

I was finally home and had some time to MAKE SOMETHING
yesterday! This summer has been on fast forward, let
me tell you.

ANYWAY, it's a triptych,


using transparencies,

letting the words on the tags behind the transparencies
show through.

Kind of this look HERE, at Ill Tempered Ink, but mine
is not stamped. I like this look. CASEing is a
challenge this month at Gingersnap Creations.





The pictures aren't the best; I'm not sure why they're
coming up on blogger so small. Nope, I didn't resize
them tiny, and chose "large" for the pic . . . I like the
look after the tags are pulled, too. This one is Live, Love
Laugh. I also designed a Peace, Love, Joy, and a Faith,
Hope, Love triptych, as well.

All the collage images are printed on transparencies, from
Altered Pages. It's
also "anything but a card," right, Crafty Catz?

P.S.
Okay, fine, yes, I figured out if you click on the picture,
you can see it larger! Whoa, that may be TOO big, thank you!
;)

fun bloggy giveaway

What's new with you? Last week was VBS (that's
short for Vacation Bible School), and we taught
the first grade boys.

Fun? Pretty much. Tiring? Very yes.



Speaking of fun, look at Lara's bloggy giveaway.
She likes to go sale-ing, too, apparently, and
is kindly offering up a film canister of goodies.
The name of her blog, it cracks me up--it essentially
sums up every day of my life!!!

It's extremely hot and humid here, so I'm feeling
painfully dull and stupid today. Remember the cheesy
"This is your brain on drugs" service announcements?



Yep, that's about it . . . minus the actual drugs.

teenagers.

Yesterday, I'm reading my e-mail, and the 17-year-old
son comes in to read over my shoulder. The children
folk like to keep tabs on me.

He reads one of the ubiquitous ad things that hang out in
the perimeter of the computer screen (and don't even
register in my brain) out loud:

"Who would take care of your family if you weren't able?"

I answered, "Well, at this point, I'm pretty sure my family
would take care of themselves." (Bear in mind the oldest
is 21, the youngest is 13.)

"Wrong," he says. "We would all eventually starve to death
or die of some horrible disease due to the filthy conditions."

"WHAT? ALL of you know how to cook AND clean!"

"Doesn't mean we'd do it, though."

*sigh*

thank you, Lorelie Kim!

What a great lot of goodies--thank you, Lorelie Kim!

Friday sale-ing

Went sale-ing today before heading to work with the
DH--didn't buy anything big, but got some goodies:

Four packages of candle wax pellet things, a new kit
for making beaded bobby pins (the DD will like that),
three new big hunkin' bags of jewels, a vintage alphabet
and number rubber stamp set, some vintage colored pencils,
a vintage set of those candles that melt and drip different
colors (wanted some of those ever since I was a kid!!),

this frame with this little cutie in it---

she's in plastic wrap right now--will take that
off when we get home, poor thing can't breath.

AND a big ol' Nemadji pot! I have a collection of these,

but have so many, I just buy them when they're super
cheap. This one is in fantastic condition, and the
colors really do it for me.

DH found some baseball cards, so he was happy
enough, too, since what he bought will almost
pay for everything we both bought after he sells
them. (I'm keeping my stuff, thank you!)

Any good finds lately?

Happy Independence Day!

:)