Chatzki Chix

Fall Village

2009-10-24T23:25:00.000-07:00

I love little village sets. I have had these for quite some time and always love when it is that time of year to set up some of my villages. I try to keep the display simple. For instance, by using books to make some homes up on "hills" makes for a sophisticated but clean look. I also like to add little surprises in my village. As you can see there are little ceramic pumpkins that are not in scale, but fit in nicely. I feel sometimes less is more and the "unexpected" can really make a difference.

Halloween Entry-Way Display

2009-10-24T23:19:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of my entry way that I decorated for Halloween. It is simple, yet festive. I can't wait to put out my Pilgrim's in a few weeks!! I love how I can leave most of the fall leaves and flowers for several months and mix them with Thanksgiving decor.

Altered Halloween Matchboxes hung on Wicked Tree

2009-10-12T20:26:00.001-07:00

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. Last year I saw some altered matchboxes and decided to make my own in a Halloween Theme. I came up with a fun idea to put some fibers to the top and hang them from my wicked tree. I made several this year all which are different and unique from one another. I love how they open up to reveal a fun saying, memory, or surprise.

I also embellished the tree with silk leaves, by punching a hole in them and hanging them directly onto the tree. I used stayson ink and stamped them with halloween themed stamps.

My Wicked Tree

This is my favorite matchbox. It is a picture of my great great grandmother which used G45 paper, added a hat, used bat stamps, spider stamps and flourish stamps. I stamped the Oct. 31 too...don't forget to decorate the back of your box too!! The spider is stamped with orange acrylic paint and the aura around my great great gma is also done with paint.

This is a picture of me at 5 dressed as a witch. I added the words "trick or treat" and when you open the box it reads, "smell my feet".

This is a picture of my sister's and I when we were little. Tip: if you have a 3X5 photo then reduce size to 40% to fit perfectly on the matchbox.

I used Tim Holtz new antiqued glitter glue on this matchbox.

My daugher made this one and has it hanging with wire rather than fibers. She finished it off with a little knob from the Tim Holtz line.

This is a picture of my daugher when she was a baby and dressed like a busy bee.

This is my Jacob, dressed as a "lil' pumpkin"!

This is my oldest, Jordan, dressed as Darth Maul. Dad painted his face that year--yikes!!

This is my son Michael dressed as a Lazy Lion...so cute!

Antiqued glitter by Tim Holtz was used here...

And there you have it....Hope you enjoyed my Halloween Matchboxes!

2009-10-11T22:26:00.000-07:00

This is a paper mache pumpkin that I altered and painted using acrylic paints. I used some of my favorite fall stamps dipping them lightly in paint rather than ink pads to embellish and add texture to the pumpkin.

Using a hot glue gun I secured some antique buttons, lace, ribbon and a tassel around the stem.

Walla...finished altered pumpkin...I made this last year and it is still one of my favorites. It is a very simple and quick project. I think it would be fun to add some jewels too!

The Beaded Peacock Fall/Winter Jewelry Line

2009-10-07T20:56:00.000-07:00

My Sister, Gwendalynn, has an amazing eye for design. She has created a absolutely stunning Fall and Winter line for her Beaded Peacock Store. I will have the honor of hosting a show for her here in the Seattle area in the next month.

Soldered Necklaces - Tutorial

2009-07-02T21:13:00.000-07:00

I used to teach classes at Paper Chic Boutique on how to make soldered necklaces. The technique is difficult to get down, however, with these simple tips and tricks I have come up with you can be a pro in no time.

Step 1: You will need a kit. My kit cost around $150, and I keep it in a plastic tackle box so my items are all together. You will need glass, copper tape (self adhesive), a clamping system of your choice, flux, boning tool, eye protection, face mask, plastic gloves, Q tips or small paint brush, 100% silver solder, dremel motor tool, large piece of glass, power strip, and a soldering tool that heats up to 650 degrees.

It is best to solder outside or where it is well ventilated. The fumes from the flux can be dangerous and you do not want to make skin contact at all with the flux. Please do not solder or have hot tools around small children. I tape my power strip up to the table so there is no chance of an accidental tripping on the cord.

The large glass goes down on your working surface first. The hot solder will not stick to it and if it drips you can reuse it. The hot soldering gun will also not burn through the glass. This is why it is not only safe but important to use glass as your working mat.

Remember that your piece will heat up to 650 degrees, so use your clamps, not your fingers.

Step 2: You want to take your cut glass and surround it with copper tape. Use the boning tool to remove any air bubbles and make sure the tape is nice and secure to the glass. Cut a small piece of copper tape and use it to adhere the jump ring to the top of your piece. This trick makes it much easier than building a prong out of hot solder.
Take your q-tip or paint brush and flux your entire piece. Use your gloves as not to get the flux on your skin.

Step 3: Tin your piece. This means take the solder and simply go around the entire piece with a very thin coat, covering all copper wrap.

Step 4: The build up. So your piece is tinned and you are ready to build up the solder. It is very hard to get a nice clean line unless you are pretty advanced. My trick here is about 1/3 from the edge place a large dot of solder (as shown) and let it harden. Then take the tip of your iron and spread this dot down the long end first and then directly back up and over to the opposite end. Twirl off end. Looks great, huh??!! Repeat with all sides.

When you get to the top of the piece start the dot on either side of the jump ring and only move to one end.

HUGE TIP: The more you mess with your piece the worse it will look. Remember you can buff it with the dremel machine. Try not to wipe it off and start over. Not only will the piece get too hot and potentially crack, but you may burn through the copper tape. Do not leave your iron in one spot on your piece. Simply spread across each side like you were frosting a cake.

Walla, all done and ready for buffing with my dremel tool. I use the stone buffer. Press down with steady but even pressure and go around each side until nice and shined.

These necklaces were made by me for several young ladies in my church to give as birthday gifts throughout the year. I get to make 30 of them so thought I would share my tips and techniques with the public for your benefit as well. Please feel free to comment or ask questions!

Altered Couture

2009-06-29T08:41:00.001-07:00

My Sister, Gwendalynn, came for a visit earlier this month. I had two open houses to showcase her incredible jewelry line. Her talent can be found at beadedpeacock.blogspot.com. I have always loved to sew. I first started sewing at a very young age. Mom would make dresses for us and I loved to sit and watch her talent. The great thing about mom was that she wasn't afraid to let me use her tools. She just turned over her machines to me and I was taking off on my own before I knew it. I would make doll dress patterns and sew them together as young as 1st grade. So, when I saw the edition of Altered Couture on the counter at Michael's I was excited to give it a whirl myself. I mentioned it to Gwendalynn and she was just as excited to be my subject to dress.Unfortunatley I did not picture the dress before alterations were made. It was a simple straight no sleeve dress without any detail. I added some puffs to the skirt, as shown, plus gathered tuelle along the bottom hem line. To give some contrast I decided to add fiber to the dress. My choice was black yarn that is frayed and rugged looking, giving this dress a shabby chic quality.
Puffy Pockets with more tuelle and fiber details.
A simple black shash gives an empire waiste look and is tied in the back with a square knot. Shown here, on Gwendalynn, you can see how well the hand tufting on the skirt turned out. The shash actually comes from another dress, a simple black dress with a tie. I cut the dress down the front (this was the fun part) and am altering that dress into a "puff jacket", long in length, to be worn over the dress in the evening.
The black jacket is shown here. The sleeve detail is fun, ribbon entertwined in metal chain, the finishing touch is charms....this really makes the jacket have some personality!

I wasn't able to get the jacket finished before we had to go to bed for our trip into Seattle the next few days...but here it is shown with the dress. The bottom hem will be a "balloon" hem---made with elastic. I am going to add some vintage buttons or some amazing vintage flowers we found in Bellevue as detail in the front.

Busy, Busy, Busy

2009-06-19T23:51:00.000-07:00

I have some great pictures to post...soon! I will be sharing with everyone how to make soldered glass charms. I have been making 30 of them for the girls in our youth program. I also will be posting many altered art pictures I have created...plus some wonderful altered t-shirts my sister Gwendalynn and I made together. My sisters Tree and Gwendalynn came to Seattle for a visit last weekend. We went to a great antique shop across from the water front. Amazing finds. I have to post those--a gentleman name Rick helped me out with some great paper finds. I taught an altered art class Thursday and will be making Rick's daughter an altered art project using old WWII posters...can't wait to start that! Wish there were more hours in the day...especially when I have been working all weekend too. More later...

Fun Altered Art Sayings...

2009-06-11T00:39:00.000-07:00

I bought this book today while shopping with my sister Gwendalynn on Bainbridge Island. There was a quaint shop called "Embellish" in Winslow along the shopping strip by the water front. I thought it would be perfect to use the quotes in here for some of my altered art. I love wit and am often looking for fun sayings.

This is Michelle Lovric's newest book...I think I will look for this one too!

Corset Challenge

2009-06-06T23:42:00.000-07:00

I was flipping through one of my favorite Stampington Magazines and came across this new challenge...Corsets. It would be fun...my mind is turning...I might just create some fun corsets. You can find out more about this challenge by going to http://www.stampington.com/html/tempting_template_jj09.html

*This photo is from the Stampington Site -- I did not make this corset, it is a shared example!!

Maybe, just Maybe, I am too good for the Dollar Store?

2009-06-02T17:56:00.000-07:00

Perspective. That is what I have gained over the past two weeks while working full time hours at the local dollar store. The store initially hired 30 people to set up the place and we were told would only keep the best 8 to 10 workers. When I say set it up I mean to transform an empty shell...from putting in shelving...to unloading trucks...to lifting heavy boxes to their departments...then sorting said heavy boxes...to putting everything out on the shelving nice and orderly. May sound easy...NOT...may sound fun...NOT...may sound worth minimum wage...DEPENDS. Depends on how much you need money and how much it is worth to brutalize your body.

I calculated that it was going to take me three hours of working, hard intensive laboring work, to earn $20 after taxes. Yes, you heard right. Now my 38 year old body, after having five kids, and not being in the best of shape finally ended up giving out. One of the last days I went in I woke up and couldn't move my head. I literally could not turn my head from one side to the other. I worked through it...I had made a commitment to work...and was going to finish the job. Besides, I was proving a point to my children. On my birthday, June 1, I woke up and literally hobbled out of bed. It was nuts. I felt 80 years old...and the worse part was that I had thrown my lower back out and was having muscle spasms.

During my two week full time labor intensive work experience I started to learn the value of a dollar even more. For instance, my kids wanted to go out on the weekend and visit Viking Fest, enjoy a movie and some food. They wanted me to hand them $40. I sorta flipped out. Okay, I did flip out and told them that if I had to be on my feet doing labor intensive work for six flipping hours then I think they could give me eight hours of light work in exchange. Jacob looked at me and said, "I want Dad's 40 dollars". Well, what they don't realize that dad's 40 dollars was earned by several years of unemployment while attending college and getting his master's degree...and we are still paying off those student loans. So, his 40 dollars isn't much either, even with his large pay check. Perspective...that is what I am talking about.

This has been a good experience for my oldest, Jordan. He has worked even harder in the back stock room. He now knows exactly what hard work is. As a matter of fact he mentioned the other day that, "when I graduate from college and get a good job I will never forget my dollar store days". How is that for perspective? Not to mention motivation. Because working at the dollar store is as good as it gets with only a high school education.

So what now? Well, I noticed while reading the company manual that two people could not work in the same store if they were in the same family. So I opted out and Jordan has the job in our town. As for me, they still wanted to keep me on. I am now hired very part time in the town 15 mins away. The hardest part is over. The shelves are completely stocked, the store looks amazing...especially for a dollar store. And what is cool is that I have ownership and pride in what that store looks like. As I left the store tonight I realized how much I have learned about life and myself, and as Jordan put it best, I will always remember my dollar store days.

Vintage "Fabric" Paper Dolls

2009-05-25T23:23:00.000-07:00

When I was visiting mom in Idaho we found this Windham Paper Doll Fabric. One yard made several dolls. We ironed to the back of each doll heavy felt, the dresses are backed with a less heavy felt. No sewing required.
This was a fun activity and I love how they turned out. You can take off their dresses and switch them out with each other. My mom has just as many dolls too, so you can see that a yard made several. The dolls stand 7 to 8 inches tall.

Yes, There's 5 of 'em...

2009-05-23T22:25:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I wonder how I ended up with five kids. Five. It sounds like a lot, but when you're having them one at a time and they are all cute and little it doesn't seem bad. Then as they get big--I mean teen boy adult sized big--it suddenly seems like a lot. I love my kids--they are my life--luv 'em so much...but sometimes the number 5 can be overwhelming. For instance, dinner is chaos, bed times worse (I have just about given up on that one), and I won't even mention feeling like I've fought a war by the time 8:00 a.m. rolls around and they are all out of the house and in school---ha ha. But this is my life, and yes, there may be 5 of 'em....but I love each and every ONE. I am blessed.

Where did my Silk Curtains go?

2009-05-23T22:13:00.000-07:00

I am in the process of making my new curtains for the living room...I actually have them hanging but am going to take them down and add some large grommets. A friend asked me, "where are your other curtains". Well...they worked perfectly in my bedroom. I have black solar blinds in there and hung these over them. They match the color scheme perfectly and make the room even more romantic. You can only see a portion of the room, unfortunately. They other half has a tall dresser, a love seat, side table and a few other things. The wall color seems washed out in this photo, it is much darker. The art was hand made for my husband while serving on his mission. I hand made the spread, the shams and throw earlier this year...the pillows were purchased. I made the wooden head board by taking a wooden door, painting it black and hanging it on the wall. I love making design work on a dime...it is a fun challenge for me...I am constantly trying to be innovative with design.

More Decorating....on the Sly....

2009-05-23T10:05:00.000-07:00

My husband went away for five days to visit his grandfather. I am not so sure that was a great idea considering I am smack dab in the middle of trying to redecorate our living room. You never know what I can do when I am in this mode. It all started with an honest trip to Target. I promise. I went with the desire to get inspiration from their home decoration isles--because they carry a good amount of product and because turn over there is great they always have something new to see. I decided to take a look in the furniture isles. Well, typically if I am going to buy inexpensive furniture the store of my choice is IKEA Seattle. But while minding my own business, looking for inspiration, and fully intending NOT to buy anything a room divider jumped out at me. This is not your typical room divider, it is a tall shelf, six feet high, modern, black.....I loved the lines. I liked how it was different. Well, the innovated me started thinking. What if I turned it on it's side and flanked my fireplace wall with it? It would only work if it was long enough to look like a built in. Hummm...my mind started turning. Before I knew it instinct took over and I bought one in hopes it would work. When I came home I measured that space and guess what? Fit's perfectly. Looks like a built in. For a fraction of the cost. Luv it! The very day Doug was to return I had Jacob help me set it up. He came in, I showed him, he didn't disagree about anything (but didn't remark much either). So the following day I went back and bought a second, set that one up on the opposite side, and moved the piano a bit up into the space. I now have that layering affect that I love. Surprisingly it makes the room look much larger with more furniture. And best of all I now have a place to display all of my art pieces.

Urban meets Shabby Chic

2009-05-22T21:52:00.000-07:00

I found this frame at T.J. Maxx. I love how it envelopes the very essence of what I want my house to be...something I am calling "urban chic". As you may know my husband is very modern and likes cutting edge design. I love old eclectic things--and modern design--but more importantly want to be able to display and have a home where I can enjoy my altered art creations and findings. The question is how can I do both and pull it off? This frame is two pieces of clear glass sandwiched together. Gilded frames on the inside which represent a different era. I added the scrapbook paper floating in the middle. Not shown is a brown ribbon from the upper edges so you can hang the frame like they used to back in the early 1900's. Wow, love this frame. Guess what? Doug does too!

I filled the frame with pictures of Doug's ancestors....which made a great personal touch to the living room space I am trying to create. Stay tuned for the unveiling of our much fought about living room space, one that has been five years in the making...

This Weekend - the Kitsap Harbor Festival

2009-05-22T21:23:00.000-07:00

Make sure you all take part and come to the Kitsap Harbor Festival. Their will be intra-city ferries running from Bremerton to Port Orchard and tours of tall sailing ships! I am excited to attend...can't wait to see all of the little shops set up...look around...relax and enjoy the nice weather and great community we live in.

For a list of all their events visit http://www.kitsapharborfestival.com/

Handmade Embellished Birds

2009-05-22T13:35:00.000-07:00

When I went on the hunt to choose fabric for my new curtains I collected several swatches of gorgeous fabrics. I didn't want to just throw them away, so came up with this idea...I drew a little template of a bird, cut a pattern, sewed front and back together, stuffed and embellished. Notice that I left the edges unfinished...fun detail and made these birds very quick...I was able to throw all three together in about 45 mins.

Oh...sneak peak...that is the green/blue color I painted my walls!! I will post the completed room soon.

Bird made from fabric swatches, stuffed, crown detail added

Simple bird from fabric swatch, real feather for tail, metal embellishment & rhinestone. Adheared with hot glue gun.

My favorite bird...velvet fabric, peacock tail feather, his wing is fringe from a fabric, a flower folded in half, and a crystal. Carrying in his mouth is a rhinestone embellished heart and keys.

Modern Photo/Scrapbook Idea

2009-05-21T22:04:00.001-07:00

I made this picture for my husband last Christmas.

I took the photo of he and our youngest at the Aquarium. When I had the image printed I fell in love with it---the photo was taken while the two of them were deep in conversation about the fish. I love how it is just their silhouettes and how they are holding hands.

Doug loves modern design so I knew I needed to do something cutting edge for him to appreciate the gift. I had the photo enlarged at Costco and then cut it up into even squares. I then picked an acid free scrapbook paper for the background (this one is from Basic Grey). The technique I used to lay out the picture was simple. I kept the squares close together where their bodies were and spread them out as if fading into the background where focal points were not.

Salad-Eats is a Delicious Success

2009-05-21T21:26:00.000-07:00

Broccoli Salad

Apple & Snicker Salad (yes, you read right, snicker bars)
This was new to all of us--and a real treat!!

Salad Greens, Spinach, Cranberry Salad with Poppy seed Dressing

Carrots, Celery, Onion--cooked just right and chilled w/ dressing

I had never had this one before and it was a treat!!

Spinach, Strawberry & Walnut Salad (half way eaten)!!

Greens, Tomato, Feta Cheese

Beans, corn, tomatoes, onion, lime...delicious!

Every three months our Enrichment group gets together for a "Good-Eats" activity. Tonight I hosted it in my home. We assigned everyone to bring Salad's this month. The photos above are some of the salads shared tonight. The idea is to try something new, swap recipes, eat, and enjoy good company. Back in February we did Sweet-Eats and had wonderful desserts right before Valentines Day. I loved all of the different salads and was able to try some I had never heard of before...thanks to all that participated...it was a Delicious Success!

I'm not too good for the Dollar Store

2009-05-21T00:10:00.000-07:00

My 19 1/2 year old son is back home, looking for a job, smack dab in the middle of this horrible economy. He was in the kitchen with his girlfriend when I came in one day and I announced that there was a new Dollar Store opening up and a sign was in the window stating they were doing walk in interviews the following week. When I announced this news he smirked, then laughed (as if I were ridiculous for even mentioning it), and then said, "Mom, I am not going to work at the dollar store". Okay, so if not then what is he going to do? Hummm, play more video games until his brain goes numb?? I explained how it would be a great job until he could move onto something he may feel would suit him better. I mentioned the interview a few more times that week and asked him if he was going to go in---but he always avoided answering me.

I feel that there is a problem with this generation of children...particularly my children...who feel entitled. Entitled to have the best of the best without working hard. It is down right upsetting to me. I am not sure how this has even come about. Doug and I have worked our buns off to be where we are today. So the more I thought about this job the more upset I became.

Thursday arrived...and his friend came over to our house with his television and XBox and there they sat, Thing 1 and Thing 2, not showered, playing video games, feeling entitled....and so I popped the question again, "are you going to the dollar store to apply?" No answer.

I was so mad at that time that I told Jordan I was not too good to work at the dollar store and I was going to apply myself. And I did just that. I drove over there, walked in, filled out an application, and was hired on the spot. It felt great, almost like sweet revenge. I was actually excited...Plus, I love the dollar store. I shop there often and find great treasures to transform into my altered art. On my way out I grabbed two more applications and went home.

When I got back home I put those applications in front of Thing1 and Thing 2 and told them to get their buns down there before 1:00 ore else. I was shocked to see that they actually listened. Was it because I had gotten a job? Well, I am not sure...but they finally got a clue...and guess what? Now we all three work at the dollar store!

Doug and Amylia Duke it out over Fabric

2009-05-19T22:54:00.001-07:00

Okay, it isn't that I particularly enjoy doing things without my husbands blessing. It is just that if you know Doug and I when it comes to decorating (and living almost 17 years together) you know that we are like oil and water. That is why Davenport went up while he was working....and why the rug was bought as a present for myself (while he was working)...and why things magically appear when he comes home.

I was relieved when Doug didn't object to the white rug. Huge hurdle here. I wanted to go out and buy paint immediately. But fabric had to come next so I had something to spring from. We planned to meet at JoAnn Fabrics. I knew the fabric I wanted before I went because my friend Barbara and I looked earlier in the week. Including Doug in the "picking the fabric" choice was a bad idea. I knew it from experience. I was hoping for an open mind on his part...okay, PRAYING for an open mind.

He arrived to the store first. I was close behind. I saw him in the fabric isle with a grin on his face. He excitedly remarked, "I found the perfect fabric!" I followed him right past the row where my choice was and over to fabric that was brown, black and cream. No color. Same as we always have. He continued to explain how his choice will work for curtains, throws, pillows...and so on and so forth...the babbling went in one of my ears and out the other. I simply said, "We have done that, I want something different. I want color."

I could feel the tensions rise as I took him over to my fabric choice. A gorgeous smokey green/blue with white flowers and taupe stems. Something I normally would not choose because it is so feminine. I explained how the feminine fabric would soften the hard modern lines of our furniture. How I could paint two of the walls the green/blue and leave the other the Davenport...how it gives me a spring board for color.

It is then when he says, "Where is the black". I tell him that black is an element in our couch, piano and wall hangings. It doesn't need to be in the fabrics. I also mention something in a not so nice tone, "Don't you ever watch Candice Olsen?" He then in a smart tone starts spouting off his resume to me...I then in an even smarter tone and a higher pitched voice tell him I hate what we have had in the past and want to go completely opposite. I can tell by this time his blood pressure is raised and we are drawing a few eyes our way. He takes a few turns around the fabric isles to cool off. Then he says, "do what you want, you always do anyway!" And he leaves.

It crosses my mind that I could either leave and figure it out later (which means never get the fabric I fell in love with) or not back down and just buy it. It is a good thing I was more than a little ticked off because I took the fabric down, had it cut and paid for it.

When I got home I was glad to see he wasn't there yet. I ran in and hung it over the bare curtain rod to see what it would look like. Wow, it looked so good to me. I went out and did some weeding in the yard and saw him pull in and go into the house. A few hours later I came in and guess what he said?? "I actually like the fabric." I said, "are you kidding?" He replied, "no, I wouldn't kid about that". Wowzers. I won!!

Sneak Peak....

2009-05-19T22:50:00.000-07:00

Doug and Amylia "duke" it out over this fabric choice in Jo Ann's. Stay tuned to see who wins!!

It all started with a New Rug...

2009-05-19T22:01:00.000-07:00

"We need a focal point"...ugh, I had heard those words a million times. I don't want the brick fireplace to dictate the color of my walls! Five years ago Doug and I picked out a throw rug for the formal sitting room in swirls with multi colors. This rug accented the fireplace plus gave us a pallet of several colors to choose from. These were earth tones and dark colors, many colors, but again I repeat "dark colors". And so over the past five years that rug has been the spring board for what colors we could or could not paint the room. The problem wasn't that I completely hated the color Copper Penny. The problem was that it sucked all of the light out of that room, which is connected to both the dining area as well as the kitchen. Living in Seattle can be especially gloomy during the winter season. I refused to go another winter with dark walls.

The dilemma is that I love color. After painting Davenport I was still not happy. It, too, sucked all the light from the room. Feeling frustrated I gave up for a while. That is when I came up with a plan. If Doug was going to make me design color around a rug then I needed a new one. Something white. Something large. Something fluffy. I happened upon this very rug and knew at once I had to have it. So I bought it for myself and called it my Mother's Day gift. Doug couldn't make me take back a mother's day gift, now could he?

Later that night Doug and I went out and saw the new Star Trek movie. When we came home it was around 1:00 am. Guess what? The room was light. The carpet had made all the difference! Now all I needed was fabric...and paint...and convincing Doug. That was the hardest part.

Grandpa's 88th Birthday Present

2009-05-19T20:06:00.001-07:00

This is Grandpa as a young boy. I used 5X7 Canvas Board, covered with paper, painted and inked for more of an antique look. My color choice for these three altered pictures were brown, creams and blues. The buttons are vintage, the toy ads are from G45 line, I pronounced his bow tie by making one out of ribbon. Text Reads:
"Inside every older person is a young person wondering, "What the hell happened?"

This is Grandpa when he was serving in WWII. He was a fly boy. My sister helped me come up with the quote:
"When I was younger I was a fly boy, But they have long since clipped my wings."

This is a photo of grandpa and grandma. Her corsage is embellished with rhinestones. I put the words to an old song, "Let me call you Sweetheart, I'm in Love with You."

Altered Birthday Card For Grandpa

2009-05-19T19:36:00.001-07:00

Doug's Grandfather turned 88 last week and to help celebrate he flew out to visit him. I wanted to make something special for Doug to bring with him. I found this great picture of him---in his early teen years. The card reads
"Birthday's Are Good For You..."

"...Statistics show that the people who have the most live the longest!"

The Life and Death of Copper Penny

2009-05-19T10:23:00.000-07:00

Douglas and Amylia live happily together---except when it comes to color and décor. Battle will often erupt when speaking about either of these two. So their house often remains minimal, almost vacant, you can hear the echoes….About three years ago Douglas came home with two gallons of “copper penny”, one at each side, and as if guns drawn from a holster, the battle began. Out came the equipment and up went copper penny from floor to ceiling. Well, almost floor to ceiling. He left the trimming to his side kick Amylia. Bad choice because Amylia wasn't sure if she liked copper penny or even wanted to be friends with copper penny. Copper penny doesn't go very well with her most favorite thing in the world, Christmas. How was she to marry the two? So there sat the copper penny, floor to ceiling (or almost) for over a year. Then one day Amylia decided that she was tired of seeing "shipyard grey" hiding behind copper penny. Shipyard grey would slyly poke his nose around copper penny and laugh, “ha ha ha I’m still here!” Soooo the inevitable happened and Amylia finally gave into copper penny, accepting it with it's full grace. Besides, Copper Penny had some good qualities...it looked beautiful when a spot light cast shadow up it’s wall. It was rich, but bright, dark, but at times light. Another two years went by and Amylia came home this time, two gallon’s of paint in her holster and while Douglas was gone….guess what? Hello Davenport.

I posted this story on Face Book and have now added a wonderful color to Davenport. I am making curtains today. Even though the room is not finished I will soon post new pictures as the saga continues...."Amylia and Doug Duke it out in JoAnn Fabrics"....

Bremerton's 4th Street Market Events!

2009-05-15T17:34:00.000-07:00

The 5th Annual 4th Street Market
Art, Antiques & More

Bremerton's first urban Art & Antique Market located

on 4th Street Downtown Bremerton.
Admission is Free
Bring the whole family
2009 Schedule
Saturday May 23rd 9am to 4pm (During the Kitsap Harbor Festival)
Saturday July 4th 9am to 6pm (During the Old Fashion 4th of July Event)

This market will be an open-air market with European style and urban flair, gathering merchants & artisans for a Saturday of shopping FUN.
You'll find one-of-a-kind treasures as you hunt for bargains and barter for deals among the eclectic array of antiques & vintage furnishing, primitives, collectibles, art, garden accessories, handmade jewelry & clothing.
Enjoy Bremerton's Downtown Neighborhood while you grab a coffee and a pastry and shop this unique, warm weather venue.

For more information see http://www.simplyrenewed.com/

The Beaded Peacock

2009-05-13T11:20:00.000-07:00

My beautiful sister, Gwendalynn, founder and creative mind behind The Beaded Peacock.

With her amazing taste and impecible design Gwendalynn hand makes one of a kind jewelry pieces. She started selling her creations with private home shows. As her business grew so did her jewelry lines, newest is a complete wedding line including brides maid jewelry. With her dedication to detail and amazing knack for tasteful design her hard work has recently paid off and landed her accounts with retail stores and boutiques in South East Idaho.

When I was in Idaho a few weeks ago my sister Gwendalynn was creating a logo for her business. She hand sketched this idea from her mind---two peacocks. The thought was we could wire and bead them, however, I suggested she use my favorite medium, paper.

Using a 8X8 canvas and favorite papers we began paper piecing the peacocks together. Gwendalynn came up with the idea of hand stamping paisley's behind the birds, adding more layers, directly onto the paper canvas. There are layers and layers of paper in each bird. Each piece is then hand antiqued in gold. Jewels embellish. The result is truly spectacular.

The bird on the left is the female, or queen. The bird on the right is male, or the king. They are both decked out with masques and crowns with jewels.

The peacocks turned out gorgeous and it was so much fun sitting with my sister and collaborating together on this project. She is truly creative and inspiring to me!

Mothers Day Surprise

2009-05-11T14:37:00.000-07:00

I think Mother's Day celebrates Children just as much as it does Mother's. It is on this day, each year, that I am reminded how grateful I am to be a Mother and how much I love my children. Furthermore I have an entire day to reflect on memories, enjoy their company, and be spoiled as well---life doesn't get much better than that!!

Me with my oldest son Jordan
My second son, Michael, I am giving him kisses!

Jacob, my third son

Me and my daughter Sabryna

This is a picture of me and my youngest, Preston.

At the end of the day I found a Mothers Day surprise taped to my bathroom mirror. It was a hand written letter from my 12 year old daughter Sabryna. Sabryna is truely remarkable...read and I am sure you will see why:
"Mom,
Happy Mother's Day! You have no idea how much I love you! Your always funny and wierd (in a good way) which I like. I know I can always trust you and tell you anything. You help me in many ways and give me advice. You're like a best friend to me, you take me shopping, and we can just do fun things together. Your caring, you always make sure that we have what we need. You cook delicious meals, clean the house, and even though you don't like it, you drive us places that we need to go to. You are one of the most creative people I know, always thinking of great ideas, making awesome little doo-dah's and such. Oh, and by the way, I love how you always use the words doop-doop or doo-dah!! I know I can always come to you when in need, or when I want somenone to talk too (even when you are too tired to talk, ha ha). You have a great sense of humor as well. You're thoughtful and always thinking of others. It's really cool that you bring me home surprises like shoes or tank tops or dresses you think I may like. You are really the best mom anyone could ever ask for! I hope you know how much we all appreciate you.
Love, Sabryna
P.S. You're a great role-model too, and teach me things every day!"

Amazing....SHE is amazing...and for her and her brothers I am forever blessed.

Modern Decor mixes with Vintage Altered Art

2009-05-08T20:49:00.000-07:00

Here is G45 paper on the back of a wooden block. Embellished with black ribbon.

It warms up my game table in the hallway that connects to Doug's office.

I love these scenes in G45 papers. These are masculine and it is hard to find nice masculine papers. I put them on wood, ribbon wrapped them, inked them up a bit for a more vintage look and added them to my modern decor.

G 45 paper turned to wood blocks for decor.

My vintage tin basket of eggs inspired by G45 papers.

I started by using alcohol ink to add more definition and aged color to a green tin.

I also inked the eggs. Others I tore and paper pieced G45 papers. Added ribbon, lace, flowers, and buttons---some were finished in a crackle glaze and others in glossy glaze.

I am finally downloading some of my latest creations. I was using some of my favorite Graphic 45 papers again to cover and alter easter eggs. I also covered large blocks of wood with G45, crackled, and edged with black ribbon. These make a great statement anywhere in the home. I love the vintage designs mixed with my modern decor.

My husband is an architect and loves cutting edge design. I do too, but sometimes find it stark and steril. So when we decorated our home I used warm colors so it wasn't so cold. It has been a challenge and it is still a work in process. I have recently started to add warmth into the environment using my altered projects.

The Biggest Looser Inspires

2009-05-08T11:27:00.000-07:00

I haven't always watched the biggest looser. In fact, at the beginning of the season I only caught a few of the episodes. But as soon as I figured out what was blocking my TiVo from recording the episodes I started catching up to speed. My daughter likes to watch it with me and my oldest son, who is 19, has been sucked in as his girlfriend is a huge fan. It was while watching this weeks episode that I thought, "wow, these people are amazing". I love the camera shots in the beginning that showed them when they first came on the show to now at week 17.

I have been fighting my weight on and off since my fourth child almost 13 years ago. When I got pregnant with number five I was at the largest I had been in my life and during pregnancy adding 30 pounds to that was almost defeating. Last year I lost 40 pounds by cutting back my food intake and trying the be careful with what I put in my mouth. It was a slow road but put me down four sizes. I feel better--but I still have a good 60 pounds to shed to feel terrific. Since the holidays I started eating again. I promised myself "just through the holidays". After the New Year I came up with a new plan--I would give myself until February to begin. And so you see what was supposed to stop in January crept into February, straight into March, onto April and it didn't stop there because it is now May. UGH! I feel like I want to scream! Actually I am screaming as I write this down. Admitting it is the hardest thing for me. You see, I dug out the scale and decided to weigh myself today. I have now gained back 10 of those pounds.

But instead of feeling defeated I am feeling inspired. The main reason is this weeks episode of "The Biggest Looser". Wow, they ran a marathon. That is something I have always thought I would love to do but knew that I could never make it. Seeing them made me feel that I can do anything I put my mind to. I am hoping with this new perspective and the positive motivtion that the Biggest Looser has given me that I can once again begin my weight loss journey. Through this I hope to become, once again, the person I know I am. The person who is currently hiding deep down behind those emotional layers of FAT. Cheers to The Biggest Looser, and here's to the beginning of a new journey.

THANKS American Idol

2009-05-08T11:18:00.000-07:00

Those that know me also know that I am not a huge television fan. This may stem from being a mother of five and worrying about what my children will be exposed to on prime time television. For instance when "The Office" first premered my husband immediately became a fan. To our delight we felt that our teenage children would be fine watching. But by the next season things changed....as they always do...and what was once clean and fun humor became tainted. Same with "Chuck" and so forth. I feel that American Idol is still SAFE to watch with my kids. This season in particular we have been huge AI fans. Every Tuesday and Wednesday nights we take the remote control away from Doug (Dad) and tell him it is our night. The funny thing is that he has started to enjoy it too! ha ha ha! American Idol to me is amazing because during those two hours or more per week my teenage kids and I have something in common, can laugh together, enjoy time together, and bond together. So here's my big THANKS to American Idol!!

Keep Your Face

2009-04-20T11:07:00.000-07:00

(sorry the images are not that great, I need to retake many of my photos using my husbands "nice" camera!)

I made this altered art wall hanging from an old photo of one of my grandmother's sisters. I loved how she was sitting on a bench just looking down. As I paper pieced the background using graphics 45 papers I loved how the ladies looked, so sophisticated...and my dear great Aunt was begging to say, "After forty a woman has to choose between losing her figure or her face. My idea is to keep your face, and stay sitting down." (quote from Barbara Cartland). I used a 5X7 canvas board to begin with and my favorite glue medium is modge podge.

I used ink to antique, used stamps to add more texture, cut out her wings and crown, used crystals for detail work, a vintage button, velvet flower, and watered down acrylic paint in "candy bar". I finished her off by adding a black velvet ribbon for hanging.

Twitter House

2009-04-20T00:30:00.000-07:00

My Twitter House...it reads, "He's Twittering"....."She's Twitter-Patted"....the bird is singing "Twitter Tweet Tweet"

I found these wooden house blocks, pretty basic, at a store and bought them after Christmas for real cheap. They went into my large pile of "I can do something with that someday" pile. Well, it was time and since I have been inspired to work with one of my favorite paper lines this past week, Graphics 45, I decided it was begging to be covered. I had this great idea to make doors really open and used a European vintage post card photo inside the door. I used two vintage ladies up in the windows and a bird. Now for words...what to put? Well, I was watching Oprah on Friday while doing this project and was inspired....She was talking about "twittering" and I just laughed, loving the name, twitter...which is the language that birds use to talk to each other. It also reminded me of when I was younger and someone had a crush on somebody my mom would always say, "they are twitter-patted". And so here is the house that was Twitter Inspired... To read it you start at the bottom, open the doors and it reads, "He's Twittering"; look up and you see a lovely lady and it reads, "She's twitter-patted" and then in the top window the bird sings, "twitter tweet tweet". Thanks Oprah, for the inspiration, it came at the right time and solved my creative dilema!

Stork with a Vintage Bundle of Babies

2009-04-20T00:19:00.000-07:00

Here is a look at my Vintage G45 Baby Display.....do I need to set up a nursery or what??

Here are more vintage spoolies I made in the baby themed colors, with the g 45 papers. I love the one with the smokey green/blue ribbon. It has just a crystal adorned straight pin in it with two pink beads and a bird charm.

Bundle of Vintage Babies...ready for Delivery!!

I had a white bird on a post, aged it a bit with ink, and tied a beautiful smokey green/blue ribbon around it. I dug through some of my fabrics and found a great hand made doiley that my Aunt gave to me. She said that my grandmother had made it. I then took some multi colored soft yarn and stuffed it. Taking the Graphics 45 baby paper I cut out all the babies and placed them carfully in the folds of the little package. I then glued it on the storks beak---and there you have it, a bundle of babies ready for delivery!

Baby Keepsake Box

2009-04-20T00:10:00.000-07:00

A little over a month ago I went to a friends baby shower and was given a little round box as a party favor. I added it to my collection of, "I can do something with this someday", and it's day came to be transformed. Using the same techniques as with the shelf (modge podge and water) I covered the box. Sealed it with modge podge, painted the rim and underneath the lid, added vintage lace with pearl embellishments, glitter, and here is the finished project.

Baby Card

2009-04-20T00:08:00.000-07:00

Here is a baby card, I actually made this several months ago...and thought it would make a great addition to my baby display. It is very simple, but elegant. I hand antiqued the letters with ink. As shown here in this card, sometimes less is more.

More Blocks---Baby Themed

2009-04-20T00:04:00.000-07:00

So the vintage blocks inspired another idea. Graphics 45 has a line of baby paper I love. Problem is I don't have any babies...at least any more (my five kids are all older now). But in that crate of old blocks were some perfectly square newer blocks. I had fun covering these using the same techniques as I did on my shelf. And this was just the first an entire baby line I designed. I hope this doesn't mean I will be getting pregnant....again...or worse yet, becoming a grandmother yet!

Vintage Blocks

2009-04-19T23:59:00.000-07:00

I had these old blocks in my garage. I made many towers with my little brother, Michael Todd, using these very blocks. I reinvented them to match my shelf, using Graphics 45 papers. I used a fun techinique with these. I sealed the image with crackle medium. When it was dry I took brown acrylic paint and watered it way down....and then gently brushed that watered paint over the top and it colored in between the cracks nicely for a more vintage look.

A Shelf for My Liddle Kiddles...

2009-04-19T23:19:00.000-07:00

You know those boxes of cards that you buy over at Costco? They are a nice thick card board, nice and sturdy, and you don't want to throw them away (if you are like me) because it would be a waste of a darn good nice box. So, I have several of those little boxes laying around in the garage. Earlier this week I was inspired. I have been wanting to clear out my laundryroom which is a mess and simplify. Maybe some paint but definately remake the space. The problem is that my laundryroom has become a dumping ground for several items. One thing I wanted to do was have a shelf to display my Liddle Kiddle collection. I have thought of making mini doll house shelving but never have gotten far. So when I saw the box I decided to cover this and make it into a cute little shelf. First I got out one of my favorite paper lines, Graphic 45, they have a great paper line of vintage scrap booking papers. I used several techniques to make the shelf. I found that using my favorite glue (modge podge) is hard on larger projects because the paper tends to bubble if you don't get equal coverage and that can ruin an entire project. The paper is double sided which means it is as thick as card stock. I found that by taking a large pan and filling it with a bit of water and then laying the paper I was using in the pan for just a few seconds did the trick. I then could use a boning tool and almost like wall papering a wall was able to put that paper on effortlessly. Be careful not to tear the paper, if you leave it in the water too long that will surely happen. You just want to barley dampen the paper. I then paper pieced the scenes inside the little shelves. After it was all dry I then sealed it up with matte modge podge so it can be cleaned through the years and will be water resistant. I then finished it off with facing the shelf with black velvet rick rack.

Polish the Dull Side....

2009-04-19T23:08:00.000-07:00

I've been BUSY, BUSY, busy....What a week full of creativity. It has been fun sitting down each night (and sneeking a few hours in each afternoon) to work on my multi-media art projects. The down side is that I woke up this morning with a huge sinus infection. So, as I lay most of the day on the couch I decided to update my blog in between spurts of being able to hold my head up!! This happens to me every April (for the past three years) so I know that I am in for quite the week. At any rate I found a great quote recently that I love, "if you can't find the bright side of life, polish the dull side". I have felt lately that I am in a rutt and polishing that dull side for me is to create. Creating little chatzki's (as I like to call them) seems to be therapy to my soul. You should see my art room--it is a nightmare--but I find I am happiest when I am using my creative mind. I also like this quote, "When I die, please get to my craft room before my husband does, and bring a truck!" Not that I am going to die any time soon, but if he knew how much stuff I really do have the you know what might hit the fan!!

Altered Domino Accordion Books

2009-04-15T23:49:00.000-07:00

My daughter and I had a great time during Spring Break making these Domonio Accordion Books and Domino Magnets. We brought two tables upstairs in front of the television and settled in for two days straight having fun creating while watching movies together. WE used alcohol inks on the dominoes themselves which proved to be addicting so turned some into magnets instead of books. We glazed some with glossy glaze and others with crackle glaze after we hand stamped images on with staz on ink. The butterfly is scrapbook paper from Graphics 45. We used Ranger distress inks for the accordion paper. The paper is plain white textured water color paper. We inked it up with the distress pad, sprayed it with water, and hung the paper to dry. After it was completely dry we were finally able to stamp our images in the book. The last step was to use a strong glue (Gorilla Glue was used here) to adhere the book to the domino covers. I finished my books off with closures, one ribbon as shown just wraps around and closes with a funky safety pin I had in my collection, I stranded a few pears on it along with a heart locket. The other (not shown) is a sheer ribbon that I made a "belt" closure with using a metal belt buckle type embellishment. I will be teaching a class using these fun techniques on May 2 at 10:00. I will also be teaching vintage spoolies. Thanks to Shannon for the pics posted....she has my work for sign ups. Hope to see you all in a few weeks at the class!

Beach Drive House

2009-04-02T17:20:00.000-07:00

Doug has the day off, which is a rare because he is a work-a-holic, so we decided to load all five kids up and drive over to see his parents. Their dream house is finally DONE! It passed inspection this morning and they have occupancy. This is fun for Doug because he designed the house (with input of his parents) but he was able to create a modern interpretation of the traditional post and beam home. It turned out absolutely beautiful. I love the large windows, the railing, the see through fireplace, and especially the view! Other than that spring break has turned out to be a bummer as mother nature pulled an April Fools joke on us yesterday and snowed. Today it is raining buckets...I am now left to wonder what tomorrow will bring.

Altered Paper Dolls

2009-03-30T09:56:00.000-07:00

I've seen many paper dolls around and they are amazing...I am just dying to make some. I have this idea to turn some photos of my children that I took this past summer into paper dolls to hang from our Family Home Evening chart. In my minds eye this is going to turn out pretty neat but since I haven't made an altered paper doll before it will be interesting to see how they turn out. I will post pictures when I am finished. Thanks to all those bloggers who have amazing paper dolls posted! I also found plenty of vintage era costume ideas on line to help with different themes. My idea is to represent each of my children's personalities themed in a certain time period that compliments what they enjoy doing. For instance, my midde son Jacob could either become a midevil Jester (because of his wit and humor) or I may make him into a vintage golfer since he loves the game of golf and is on the HS team. This is going to be FUN!! Here are two free paper dolls I found on line to share. Right click and save the image to your computer for printing.

I am FINALLY BLOGGING

2009-03-29T09:45:00.000-07:00

Okay, I have said I was going to do this for a long time---even attempted it before---but I am finally an official BLOGGER. I love looking at other people's creative blogs and hope that I can inspire and share some of my creations with the web art world too! Check out my new web site where you can purchase some of my unique creations. Please bear with me, I am s-l-o-w-l-y getting things up and running. Enjoy your day : )