ABAA Photo Challenge

I completed another ABAA
(Awfully Big Art Adventure) challenge. This was a photo challenge, inspired by a guest artist. Click on ABAA
to read all about it!

I decided to combine the photo challenge with another, to create a junk journal. I wish I could remember where I saw this junk journal challenge!! If anyone out there knows - leave me a link??? Thanks!!

This junk journal is far from completed - but far enough along to pose for a few pix!! It will be a work in progress, since it is, after all, a journal!!!

I made the pages out of assorted colored paper of varied shapes and sizes. There is black, white, and plain old paper bag brown. The covers are cardboard from a cereal box, gessoed and painted. I punched holes and bound it together with colored ribbon.

The cover quote, which everyone attributes to Maya Angelou, is, surprise, not original to her!! If you read the fine print in the beginning of her book, this quote is from Paul Laurence Dunbar in his poem "Sympathy". The little pocket on the second page of my journal holds a little card telling the reader its true origin.

My favorite page so far is the back cover - I found a reprint of heirloom flowers in one of my stashes, and the green paint matched it so well!!
I have some tiny feathers (donated by my own bird crew) that will eventually refeather the little parrot - making him a tad more visible!!
So, here is is - in no particular order - since I haven't quite figured out how to control placement of the photos on 'blogger"!

Now I see that they ended up last pic first, so I guess in the future, I must load them in reverse order??
Well, another challenge completed - thanks, ladies of ABAA!!!

Another Challenge......

......from Linda and Rosie at Awfully Big Art Adventure

I managed to start it today, and finish it after a hectic evening (read about that tomorrow on my other blog!!!!!)

Anyway, the challenge was to create something out of felt- and I used hand dyed felted wool. The ones shown on ABAA's blog are soo cute!
I decided to do one of my 'Mugger Huggers'. These are a classier version of the cardboard sleeve you get when you buy coffee at Starbucks, etc.
They will also fit thru a handle and around most pottery coffee mugs- hence the name!!!

There will be a tutorial, per request, coming sometime soon, on how to make these!!!

One More Challenge Piece

Ok, here is the last altered cutlery piece for the challenge - I was on a roll...!
A vintage iced tea spoon, with an Art Chix girl,vintage M.O.P. buttons, more painting, and some recycled tulle to finish it off!


The other item is a thrift shop cast off-I volunteer at the local thrift store and sometimes certain donated things are deemed unworthy for sale. I am well known for my dumpster diving there- I always check the trash before I start work - ya' never know!!! I guess this little gem was a napkin holder, very primitively made and signed on the bottom in pencil: 'Made by Wm. Clyde Baker -Dola Baker's husband'
It definitely was not perfect, but had enough charm that it needed to be rescued from the trash!!! It kinda looked like the wood shop projects kids used to do in high school years ago!

So, with a little paint (I am into green - can ya' tell?), edged with some pink trim, a colorized Art Chix girl, sea shells to cover the nail heads, and some faux pearl and beaded trim, and Wm. Clyde's handiwork has a new lease on life as a letter holder next to my computer!

I am having trouble getting my photos to sit where I want them on these posts!! It is not as easy as putting pix up on wordpress. So, I apologize for them being all over the place!!!

Bookmark Challenge and Swap

This is my zentangle bookmark that I created for a swap with Linda from ABAA , http://bigartadventure.blogspot.com
She has already received it, so I can now show you!!

It has design on both sides, with vintage black rick rack, and I couldn't resist adding a little 'zen' to the envelope too! The postmaster liked it!!!

This has inspired a line of blank notecards that I will be introducing here and on Etsy very soon!! I'll keep ya'
'posted'!!!!

PS-See a previous post for the "WOW" package I received from Linda!!!