Money holder card

It is 5:00 a.m. and I am awake...I made this card for my friend and co-worker.  Even with sleep deprivation I remembered to recycle.  I am always reminded to do so when I make something for this friend.  She is the queen of recycle and really is an encouragement to me to do the same.  The card is made from all scraps and a brown paper bag.  It looks just like craft card stock, only cheaper lol!

I used a belly band instead of an envelope

The card holds money or a check

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Drawing faces

When I was younger I would always draw animals, but sometimes I would draw people.   I mostly drew movie stars, singers and famous people from magazines and books.  The people I drew from my mind were often comical, cartoon like and whimsical.  My mother taught me how to do that.  As I do and view more mixed media pieces I really wanted to learn how to draw faces.  I even called my brother.  I recall him taking art in school and I can remember seeing many portraits he drew. I think my brother is a good artist and if we just didn't have to make money to survive he might have pursued his art more.  Well, as it turns out he couldn't recall much from his drawing days(LOL).  Still he gave me a few verbal pointers.  I was telling him that I knew nothing about shading, drawing hair or drawing ethnic faces and couldn't seem to find that much help online.  Nothing that I drew looked like me.  Here is my first attempt:

I just grabbed a lined note pad from my office...

My Caucasian cousin

Then I stopped being lazy and went ALL the way on the other side of the house to the craft room and got a sketch pad (LOL-the house is not that big) 

My second attempt has a kind of Latina feel...

 My third attempt looks African American to me.  YAY! 

 

This looked like a little boy until I added the hair.

I just had to add cowry shells to her headband.

I wish I could afford to take art classes, being self taught has it's drawbacks.  I look forward to learning and practicing.  I have so much to learn.  I really am thankful to those who put tutorials online: Jay French and Milliande were the two artist that gave me assistance and guidance.

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An album for my friend

My friends John and Lisa took in John's mother, Chieko, a few years ago after she suffered a stroke.  They gave Chieko a party for her 74th birthday.  She seemed to really enjoy the fun, food and fellowship.  I remember she would always pull me aside and whisper in my ear "...John and Lisa...they take good care of me.."  Sadly, Chieko passed away in November 2011.  Having lost my own mother the previous month, I really wanted to reach out to John and Lisa.  I decided to make a photo album commemorating the birthday party.  Here is a smilebox of the album I came up with:

A picture slideshow by Smilebox

I hope John likes the album and finds joy in the memories. 

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Another 'git yo mojo back' motivation

Here is another lo I made during the Saturday night challenge.  The other two lo's I made are a part of a gift album I am making.  I will post a video when the album is completed.

This is my goddaughter.  She has really grown into a lovely young lady.

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Saturday night scrapper's block

A few of us scrappers were hanging out in the chat room on the SOC .ning.  Someone expressed that their creative mojo had run away(lol).  So, I suggested that we all make a lo and post it in the gallery by midnight EST.  About 4 or 5 women said they were all for the challenge.  This 2 page spread is one of the projects that I came up with: 

I used glossy accents on the dots and stickles to add dimension to the pages.  These are my friend Lisa's two sons.  She rarely adds journaling to the pages of the albums I have made for her, but I still may go back and add a journaling spot.

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Spa Party Invitation

This is the invitation I made for my Goddaughter's Pamper me spa birthday party.  The girls stayed overnight.  They had fun.  I was so very tired.  I think I am still recuperating.

The image was a freebie that an online scrap buddy told me about.  I also entered this in a Die for a Sketch challenge #2  The think the circle qualifies as a die cut.

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Wedding favors

So my car had to be towed and that meant I couldn't run around to stores to get the supplies to do this last minute request for wedding favors.  When I procured a ride to the craft store I knew I had to buy everything during that one trip.  I looked up and saw this favor tin kit.  I thought wow all I have to do is use the online template to add a picture and a sentiment.  Easy peasy right?  Well....NOOOOTTTTT!!!!  Two and a half hours and several test sheets later I still could not get the sentiment to line up on the circle labels.  I was so frustrated.  The internet was loaded with comments about how the template didn't work and how disgusted folks were with this product.  I just stepped away from my computer and came up with another idea.  Here is what I came up with:


thankfully I had already purchased the mints



I made my own circle labels to put on the bottom





A stickled butterfly for the top



Necessity really does breed creativity...and so does having deadlines lol

What was supposed to be a simple project that only took a couple of hours ended up taking all day.  The bride was so pleased with the favors...whew!

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One caught on!

Remember the crocheting Pass-it-on party that I had recently?  Well several of the parents have let me know that their child really liked learning how to crochet and that they have been practicing.  However, one parent says that every time he goes out his son hands him a list of types of yarn to purchase-LOL.  This young man has been trying all sort of things: head bands, wrist bands, bottomless sandals.  He even has requests from other people.   Hmmmmm do I see a little business sprouting? 

                                                 

                                                                   This young man (at the top)...



...created this head band and wrist band set per request from his father's friend

This is the best kind of reward and definitely motivates me to keep having Pass-it-on parties in spite of financial and physical obstacles.

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Scraplift Challenge

The challenge was to find a project in the gallery on the SOC .ning site and scraplift the item. 

Here is the original card made by

an online fellow scrapper Kim:



here is the art journal page I made

I liked the image and immediately drew it and stashed it away. Then I drew it again larger for the challenge to make this art journal page.  I was drawn to the image and the first rubber stamp that I ever purchased was the same swirl design that is in her dress-how nostalgic!  Take note that it is really hard to write/draw over oil pastels-too waxy lol.



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Weight loss prompt #2

What are some of your weight loss goals?

I made this art journal page.  I desire to get consistent with making healthier food choices.  I already go to the YMCA about 5 times a week and I do so love the LORD. 

I strongly believe that taking  pool classes keeps me mobile and reduces my use of mobility aids(wheelchair, walker, cane).  I cannot do Zumba on land, but rumors say that we may be getting an aqua Zumba instructor.  I sure hope so.  I love dancing, but can no longer do it...well I can do all things(LOL)...I just run the risk of suffering a major relapse.  I never want to be bed ridden or wheelchair confined again. 

I digress...I just want to love up on the LORD, eat right and move my body.  Get it all in sync...mind, body and spirit.  Thanks for reading.

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Weight loss art journal

I made an art journal page given the prompt "Why do you want to lose weight?"

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