Recent Art

Just realized I haven't posted anything in nearly a week...been busy trying to keep up with all the projects I've committed myself to. I'm in two circle books and just signed on for a third, which will take off in a month or so. I love doing those. My Stampin' Up team has grown so large, that our monthly swaps have become a challenge to get done on time. At April's team meeting I have to come up with swaps for 19! And our focus is to use a technique or stamp we've never used before.

I also had a design team challenge for PID due, several swaps, and of course our weekly mingles.

Here is some of what has been keeping me busy; these are all pages I've done for different members of my All Things Tim round robin book:

This is for Estrella's book; her theme is celebrations. I think that creating art is a great celebration of life, so that inspired me to do this:

Sandi didn't specify a theme for her book, and this is what I came up with:

Gloria wanted vintage. I think I achieved that here:

Laurel wanted either the word heart or a heart image on her pages:

And Barbara wanted nothing cutesy. She wanted spooky!

Can't wait to see what's happening on my pages!

Last Call!

I heard from Nancy and Carolyn, and their prizes are packed and ready to go to the post office. But not a word yet from Angie, the HS art club teacher. And sadly, I have no way of contacting her. So Angie, if you're out there, please send me your full name and address so I can get your prize to you too. If I don't hear from you by the end of the week, I will pick a new winner.
Angie, as a former art teacher myself, I was very pleased that the random number generator picked you....I loved the idea of your wearing my piece to inspire your students. So contact me!!!!!

And The Winners Are.....

Random Integer Generator. Here are your random numbers:
20 59 29

It is Sunday morning, and as promised, I have used a random number generator to pick the winners of my one year blogoversary giveaway. It has selected #s 20, 29, and 59. So, I would love to hear from Nancy, Angie the HS art club teacher, and Carolyn. As soon as you email me your home addresses, I will send the pieces out to you. Thanks so much to everyone for taking the time to visit my blog and I hope you will come back again.
Have a great week!

More Jewelry

Yesterday I received some of the new Tim Holtz Idea-ology pieces that have just come out. And a pack of the new grunge paper. That stuff is awesome. It's just like grunge board, but thinner, and can be inked, stamped, painted, distressed, embossed, cut, curled.....I made some flowers with it and used them in two new jewelry pieces. I attached a dual pin back/bale (from Suze Weinberg), so they can be worn as a pin or a pendant.

I still haven't figured out how many pieces to give away on Sunday, so it's possible that one of these will go to one of you! Don't forget to leave a comment on yesterday's post for the drawing. But please, don't let that stop you from commenting here. I LOVE to hear from you!

My Blogoversary Giveaway

As promised, I am celebrating my one year of blogging with a jewelry giveaway. These pictures are representative of what I've been doing with my Tim Holtz Idea-ology bits and pieces, as well as anything metal I find that catches my eye. One of the three above is going to a friend, but the other two are up for grabs. And I may get another one or two made in the next few days. I'm giving away at least the two. More if enough people stop by. So, if you'd like a chance to win, just leave a comment on this entry only. I'll give you all until Sunday, when I'll announce the winners. If you don't think you'll remember to check back, make sure you include your email address in your comment.

Thanks for your interest, and come back Sunday morning to see who won.

My Blogoversary

In just 3 days it will be one year since I started blogging. When I began it was a struggle to upload a photograph. I didn't have a clue how to add a link. No one visited and left comments. I've learned a lot in this past year, made new friends (mostly due to OWOH), and have come to really enjoy keeping this artistic journal.
I've been thinking about my blogoversary give away. I want to entice you, and yet I want it to be a bit of a surprise.
Yesterday I was looking at Wendy Vecchi's blog and was blown away and inspired by what she's done with a few bits of metal embellishments, the kind we often see in scrapbooks, cards, altered art.
I've been working on my versions of her project. She did wall hangings; I'm doing jewelry and that will be my giveaway. Check out Wendy's awesome blog for a hint, and come back Wednesday for a chance to win.

Great Blog and Giveaway

If you're like me you already spend a whole lot of time catching up with all the great blogs out there. You probably don't need to hear about yet another one. But......I urge you to visit Bluebirds Living In The Meadow. Not only is it a visual treat, but there is a wonderful Blogoversary giveaway going on right now. C'mon, you can make room for one more blog visit...

Through The Eyes of an Artist -- Circle Book

I'm in the midst of getting my circle book ready for it's journey around the world. How cool is that? I'm in a fantastic group with 13 other mixed media artists. Just picture a circle with each of us spaced around the perimeter. We create covers and an introductory page, include enough blank pages, then send our book to the next person. In about a year, each of us will have done pages in each book, and we will see our own book, all finished when the circle is complete and the book has returned home. We have our own little website where we chat, exchange thoughts, and post photos of our works in progress.

The photo above is of my cover, and the one below, of my introduction -- who I am, what I do, where I am artistically.

Blog Candy

One thing I've noticed since I started this blog almost a year ago....bloggers love to share! I came across Paper In The Works, and the author, Kim from Vancouver, is hosting a gigantic give-away.
Kim's blog recently recorded its 100,000th hit. Wow! Visit her, and see all the wonderful things she's giving away.
Good luck!

Monday Challenge - "Time"

This week's challenge at the PID yahoo group is "time." I did an ATC:The background is alcohol inks over the Tim Holtz clocks mask on acetate. Behind that is some cardstock run through a Cuttlebug folder. The images are PID.

I also did a bookmark for this challenge:

I stamped some patterned paper with clocks from Maya Road, and put Avery, one of my favorite PID images on a stack of books I found in my clipart files. I also put a book under Avery's arm. A scrap of ribbon and some Tim Holtz Idea-ology hardware finish it off. You can't tell from the scan, but the bookmark opens and is secured around the page with hidden magnets.

A Kreativ Kudo -- Again!

My friend and sister-in-art Teri, bestowed the Kreativ Blogger award on me this morning. This is my second time receiving it, and I am as thrilled and honored as I was the first time. Here's the dilemma...I need to list 7 things that I love, and then pass the award onto 7 additional worthy bloggers.

Not wanting to repeat myself, I have to think of 7 NEW things I love and 7 NEW bloggers to receive the award. (Check out my 1/8/09 blog entry to see what I wrote the first time around). Hmmm.....

7 things I love:

being on the PID design team

being retired and having so much time to create

living in NYC

LOST -- love that program!!!

old time rock n roll

my view of the Hudson River

vacationing in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

7 very artful bloggers:

Marcia

Mary Beth

Misti Rose

Miz Carla

Moniqui

Shelly Rae

Trac

Now, the above 7 will be notified and each of them will get to do their lists and spread the award around. Cool!

Altered Picture Frame

On Sunday I had the best time making an altered picture frame at my good friend Heidi's meetup group. I used a variety of patterned papers, some rub ons, inks, ribbon, punches....When I got home I decided that instead of putting a photograph inside, I'd do a little collage piece that goes with the feeling of the frame. I used some vintage newspaper, a few scraps, and some gorgeous PID images on transparency film.

MY One World One Heart Gifts

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I really enjoyed my participation in OWOH, and was the very lucky recipient of 4 gifts. Today, with the arrival of the last of the four, I am posting pictures of these wonderful presents.

From Vanessa, a stunning clay heart necklace. Her work is so beautiful!

From Sherry, a hand made tote bag. Fabulous! How did she know I have a thing about totes?

From Abigail, a charm bracelet! Can you believe that? I'm in a charm swap right now. Perfect! From Anne, another perfect gift for me, the ATC addict: a star album sized for ATCs, with someATCs included.

Thanks again! I love them all and greatly appreciate the heart that went into each one.

Buttons!

This week's challenge at Paper Imagery Designs yahoo group is buttons! Thanks to Angie, our challenges have two categories, ATCs, and miscellaneous, where absolutely anything goes.

For my ATC I did a transfer of one of the "pretty women" inchie images onto textured fabric, added some buttons, and mounted it onto a very layered background.

I recently scored a huge number of bamboo tiles from two placemats I found in a discount store, so I used one as a base for my miscellaneous project, a pin featuring a bunch of buttons and another "pretty woman" PID image.

PID ATC Swap

I'm back in the cold of NY after 5 blissful days in the Dominican Republic. Sigh....a wonderful vacation, but at least now I'm able to do some creating.

My PID Swaps Group is working on the lovely image of Avery for our March swap, and I just finished mine. Since she's wearing her wings, I decided to put her in a specimen bottle and give her a fancy latin name. "aer volatilis averyimus," according to the translator would be small flying avery. Well, I think the small and the flying are accurate, but I just stuck a latin word ending onto Avery.

You can't see it in the scan, but I gave the bottle two coats of clear embossing powder so it does look like glass in person. The bottle istself is a stamp from starving artists, and I really love it. My background is red glimmer mist (well, my homemade version) on water color paper.

Happy Valentine's Day!

To all my blogging friends, new and old, here's a valentine for you!

Have a wonderful day, and may your hearts be full of love.

Eileen

My Good Fortune

As if being a participant in OWOH and meeting such wonderful, talented, generous people wasn't reward enough, I was a winner in 4 giveaways!

From Vanessa, a stunning clay heart necklace. Her work is so beautiful!

From Sherry, a hand made tote bag. Fabulous! How did she know I have a thing about totes?

From Abigail, a charm bracelet! Can you believe that? I'm in a charm swap right now. Perfect!

From Anne, another perfect gift for me, the ATC addict: a star album sized for ATCs, with some
ATCs included.

Click on each name to go to their blogs. Well worth the trip.

Thank you one and all for a really great journey on and with the Gypsy Caravan!

And The Winner of my OWOH Giveaway Is.....

......Karen Klomparens, Glass Addict & Artisan! Congratulations, Karen! Now, all you have to do is email me your mailing info and my altered pendant will be on its way.
BTW, Karen does beautiful glass work, so check out her blog.

Last Day!

Today is the last day of the OWOH event, and what an experience it has been for me. If this is your first visit, and you don't know what I'm talking about, please click here to find out.

In the last two weeks I have had the opportunity...no, the privilege of meeting talented and generous bloggers from all over the world. I have been inspired, awed, amused and humbled by all I've seen.

It was my very ambitious intention to stop by every single blog on the list, but have so far only made it to about half....which is still a mind boggling 400+ blogs!

Sometime after midnight I will pick the winner of my giveaway. You have until 11:59pm today to leave your comment on my OWOH post for a chance to be selected. I will announce the winner here, and also notify that person by email. If the winner can get back to me with a mailing address very quickly, I'll be able to send out the necklace immediately. If there's a delay, it will have to wait until the last week in February, because on Sunday I'm going on vacation!

I want to thank every person who took the time to visit this blog and leave a comment. I have read them all, and am still overwhelmed by the response.

Good luck everyone! I hope you have enjoyed OWOH as much as I have. Thanks, Lisa for starting it all!

Altered Compacts

One of the latest swaps going on at the PID yahoo group is the altered compact. It is being hosted by one of my Design Team sisters, Miz Carla. Click here to learn all about this very cool project.

Here is what the inside of the above compact looks like:

And the inside bling, close up:

I enjoyed doing this so much, I decided to do a second one:



Both were colored with alcohol inks, then embellished with some PID images and assorted glitz. I filled the inside wells with seed beads before adding the flowers and leaves. Come to the yahoo group to see what some of my very talented friends have done with this challenge. Better yet, join us and make one yourself!

A Different Kind of T-Bird

First of all, thanks to everyone who has visited my blog since I entered the One World, One Heart madness. I am overwhelmed by the response, and am thrilled by all I've seen and the wonderful artists I have met. Remember, to take part in my giveaway, you must comment on my OWOH post, which is just below this one....but don't let that stop you from commenting here too. Love to hear from people!

A month or so ago, while I was following along with Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of Christmas, I discovered a yahoo group devoted to Tim's products and techniques. Called, appropriately enough, All Things Tim. I joined, and have since become a fairly active member.

Someone in the group who was lucky enough to do a class with Tim, posted some pictures of the altered bird project they did, and there was an immediate frenzy on the boards. "Where can I get a bird?" "I need one of those birds." "I must have one of those birds." Tim's assistant Mario stepped in, and ONE DAY after I placed my order, my wooden bird was at my door. Hmm..wonder if he flew?

It is your garden variety, sit on a shelf and collect dust tacky painted bird. That's the fun. Take this thing of less than beauty and alter it.

Here is a photo of some of Tim's altered birds. Notice they are all perched on unlikely objects.

Some of the students used things like vintage telephones, which is very cool. I don't have such a phone, or a globe or an old camera. What to use????

Then I was in a discount store and spied a tea pot. That got me thinking. A bird on a tea pot. Huh! A tea bird...A T-bird....and there was born my idea for my T(ea)-Bird. I had a blast doing this project. Don't turn your nose up at those tacky decorative items you see at flea markets. They can be altered and become something quite unique. And here he is:

One World-One Heart

One World-One Heart.....this is a wonderful concept. Beginning today, bloggers all over the world will announce their participation in this event and show what they will be giving away. The purpose is to encourage people, bloggers and non-bloggers alike to visit other blogs and make connections. Anyone with the One World-One Heart logo on their blog is taking part. If you'd like more information (it is not too late to get your own blog on board) click on the logo here. To possibly win my giveaway, you must leave a comment ON THIS POST ONLY, by February 11th, and I will announce the winner on February 12th. My giveaway is open to everyone, whether you have your own blog or not. Important: you must leave your email address with your comment so I have a way of contacting you if you are the winner! Please don't forget to do that.

When you click on the globe above you will be taken to the site that will explain everything, and show you a list of every participating blogger. Visit all the blogs! Leave comments! Win prizes! Check back on the One World site often, as new blogs will be listed as their authors sign up. What am I offering? Well, something that combines two of my favorite things: Paper Imagery Designs and Tim Holtz products. I created this necklace just for this event. The altered game piece has a PID image, and most of the hardware is from Tim's Idea-Ology line of metal embellishments.

I myself can't wait to start visiting new blogs and hopefully meeting new friends in the blogging community. I hope you will join in this experience, either as a blogging participant or a visitor, or better yet, both.

The Gotham City Stampers Monthly Team Meeting...

...was last night. We had our usual swap, and a belated holiday gift exchange. For my swap I did an ATC. I'm usually doing them as part of a Paper Imagery Design project, but since this was for my Stampin' Up group, I confined myself to SU stamps and products for the most part. Our theme, thanks to the very talented and gadget-crazy Pat, was tools. Which meant that for our swap we had to use a minimum of 3 tools. I used punches, a heat gun, my Big Kick, a Cuttlebug folder, a mask, and an alcohol ink blending tool. I am pleased with the way it came out:For the gift exchange, everyone who signed up was given a person to create a gift for. I got Diana, who is fairly new to our team. I don't know her very well yet, but I have observed a few things about her style, and know that she is a Frida Kahlo fan. I made a pendant that featured a Kahlo self portrait as part of the collage design, and I also altered and embellished a plain white box to put it in. The frame for the pendant is actually from the SU Hodgepodge Hardware set!The photos aren't as clear as I'd like (sorry!), but I love the necklace and box, and more importantly, Diana did too:

My name had been given to Heidi, and she made me an AWESOME gift. I haven't photographed it yet, but when I do it will get it's very own blog entry.

What Is A Fat Book?

No, it is not a journal of every bad thing that has gone into my mouth! A fat book swap is a wonderful thing.....a group is formed, a theme established, and everyone creates a page for each participant. Fat books may be of techniques or they may be themed. At the Paper Imagery Designs yahoo group, we couldn't make up our minds, so we combined the two: each of us selected a background technique and then embellished the pages (4x4") we made with vintage Valentine images (our theme).
Sadly, only 13 people signed up, so I guess it is more of a chubby book than a fat book, but I am still very excited about this project.
I am only posting the one sample of my pages so it will be more of a surprise when everyone receives their books.
My background technique is masking with Glimmer Mist. First I applied some distress inks to my paper, then I put down the mask (I mostly used Tim Holtz's or Heidi Swapp's masks) and sprayed with the Glimmer Mist. Very soft and sparkly in person. Then I decorated each page with some of the vintage Valentine images from the PID shop.
Melissa is the host. When she gets all the pages she is going to use her new Zutter Bind-It-All to make each of us a book. Mel is even doing the cover and back pages for us!
I think (hope) when everyone sees what we have done we will have a truly big FAT book the next time we do this!

Do You Live in the NYC Area?

If you do, then.....YOU ARE INVITED!!

If you are interested in a FREE crafting event.....with many FREE make-n-takes, refreshments, and other goodies.....if you'd like to meet some of my very talented and enthusiastic crafting friends.....AND receive the brand new, hot off the presses Stampin' Up Spring/Summer 2009 catalog.....a $10 value, also absolutely FREE....

Then come join me and my crafty teammates, The Gotham City Stampers for this fun filled event.

We love to make all things handmade, and this is absolutely not a hard sell....you will not be pressured to purchase anything.....we love what we do and want to share what we love.

Date: Saturday, January 17th

Time: 12:00pm - 4:00pm

Place: The Lead Safe House
2183 Amsterdam Avenue (@ 168th St.) New York, NY 10032

(This is an awesome space for crafting -- bright, plenty of work space, and easy to get to by car or public transportation -- go to http://www.hopstop.com/ for directions)

RSVP to Eileen: eyeleeeen@optonline.net
Please respond as soon as you can so we can plan for the right number of goodies for you!

Join me for a crafty good time! And yes, of course you can bring friends. Just let me know how many are coming.

Hope to see you!

Eileen

Hearts & Polka Dots....

......that is the theme for this week's challenge at Paper Imagery Designs yahoo group. We have two categories, ATCs and everything else. Here is my ATC:And here is a 4x4 (I'm loving those kewpies!): All images available in the PID shop.

It's Good To Be Home....

.....and able to create something every day.


Over at Paper Imagery Designs yahoo group, we have an ATC jackpot monthly. The winner gets all the ATCs created for this drawing. I won in November, and it's wonderful receiving these little beauties from all over the country....no, make that world!


The January theme is "hearts," and here is my entry:


I'm really loving these kewpie doll images (from the PID store, of course).


While I was away, the weekly challenge was announced: "red, pink, and a dash of green." I just did a skinny (3x5"):

and an ATC:There will be lots more to post very soon. We're doing an inchie charm swap, a postcard swap, and an ATC swap featuring Isabella, one of PID's most lovely images. And tomorrow is Monday, which means another weekly challenge to complete.

And then there's a whole bunch of Stampin' Up events coming up. Friday is the monthly team meeting of the Gotham City Stampers, my SU friends and crafting buddies. I have a swap ready for that, as well as a gift for a secret someone. We skipped our December meeting since that's such a hectic month, but drew names for the gift -- all handmade, naturally -- and I will post photos after the meeting.

Saturday several of the demonstrators are hosting a "New Catalog" Open House, and I have a make-n-take to prepare for that.

Busy, busy, busy....and that's the way I like it!

An Award!

I haven't posted in a while....I've been in Florida visiting with my mom....I love her, but it's truly a technology-free zone, lol. I returned to NY today and had literally hundreds of emails to go through. One of them contained a wonderful surprise. One of my design teammates at PID, Arlene Mobley selected me for the Kreativ Blogger Award! The rules of this award are pretty straightforward. I am to name 7 things that I love and pass the award along to 7 deserving bloggers.
There are so many great bloggers out there. I don't know if I can pick just 7, but I will try. But first, seven things that I love are......

• books (it's an addiction)



• my dedicated art space (at last!)



• my friends (necessary for my mental health)



• being near an ocean (any ocean....love lakes and rivers too)



• being organized (an ongoing journey)



• Andrea Bocelli



• spontaneous road trips (especially if an art supply store is one of the destinations)

And the seven bloggers I am passing this award to are:

• Heidi



• Betty



• Gabrielle



• Karen



• Wanda



• Kim


• Jennifer