Dream View

Well, folks, Collage Obsession's theme for this week is "Your Dream View," what would you like to see outside your window? My dream view definitely is a rural setting, probably a barn, and as long as we're dreaming, let's dream big. This really is a pieced together collage. The trees, sky, barn, horses, and even Johnny Depp are all separate images. The white pieces on the sides are supposed to look like curtains. It's speciality paper that has the feel of fabric.

Kind of silly, kind of fun, kind of dreamy... If Johnny Depp ever shows up at my window, I'll definitely post about it (don't hold your breath).

What's your dream view or are you lucky enough to already have it?

Another Season In The Books

Well, when The Cubs take the field in St. Louis today, it will be for the last time in 2013.  The less said about their record, the better. I always find the last game of the season rather depressing; it means winter is coming on and February and March will be a long haul until opening day in April. Good-bye, Summer!

By the way, the image is a metal sign hanging in my kitchen.

Store those gloves and bats and have a nice day!

Mini Fall Tour

Maybe I should have titled this "Macro Fall Tour." That is a nifty camera setting. I walked around my yard and shot some interesting Fall shapes and colors. The weather has been gorgeous lately.

Summer hasn't quite given up the ship yet I'm glad to say.

Enjoy your Saturday!

Paper Challenges Pt 2

Here are two more challenge submissions for this week.  Both are quite Halloweenish.  Up first is an ATC for Think Monday, Think ATC.  The theme is, (what else?), "pumpkin." The pumpkin was cut from scrapbook paper. I used a cut down Bingo card as the backing.

This plaque is for Inspiration Avenue and their fall colors theme.  The plaque itself is a slate-craft-thing-supply that my husband picked up for me at a garage sale; it still had the store tags on it. I added a little black paint to the edges. The rest is scrapbook papers decoupaged to it along with some thread and coffee-stained cheesecloth. So-- two more Halloween decorations.  Gee, just what I needed.  Ha, ha...

Have a nice Fall day!

Wacky Answer

Yesterday's (9-25-13) Wacky was Mounds candy bar for you health conscious folks who might not have recognized it.  It goes all the way back to 1920.  The little slogan "Indescribably Fattening" was a take on the real slogan "Indescribably Delicious" which was the winning entry in a contest years ago.

Lots Of Paper Challenges

Sunday Postcard Art's theme is "transport." I thought of horseback riding and found this image online. The quote is quite true. Even at a walk, you sure cover a lot of ground on a horse.

This is an ATC for Fun With ATCs. Their theme is "clean and simple." An old game card gave me the idea to make an ATC for my daughter; her lucky number is 12. The pattern strip is Washi tape. I don't have a lot of that (yet), but it is fun to work with.

Two down, two to go.  Will post a couple more challenge entries tomorrow.  Have a good one!

Wacky Pack Wednesday

Here's an oldie but a goodie for this week's Wacky. "Net wt. is your problem" always makes me chuckle. 

Hope your day isn't too fattening!

TT/Egypt

"Egypt" is the theme at Tag Tuesday this week. I admit it-- I don't know much about Egypt, and my tag probably advertises that. But now I have another Halloween decoration. Ever see The Mummy with Boris? It's pretty good. The first time the mummy opens his eyes-- eek!!

Have a classic day!

They've Flown The Coop

I found two empty birds' nests in my yard last week. A bit odd. I've never really seen that many down in my entire life then two in one week? It wasn't very windy either.

In fact, my family has found a lot of nests in the last year or so. This one is quite small and made of grass only. It was a little more 3-D than this originally; it was beaten down by rain. Found this one a month or so ago.

These my daughter saved and has on display on our front porch. They are from last year.

Nests are pretty amazing when you think about it. A little bird built these with no "training." People can't even do that!

Have an amazing day!

One Last Hurrah

I thought I would share a few flower shots from my yard that I hadn't posted yet.

Coincidentally enough, this is the last day of summer. Say it ain't so!

Go do something summery and have a good day!

A Good Week In Junque

I had quite a lot of luck late last week at garage sales and one stumbled upon estate sale. A beat up shorthand book-- keeping for collage work. Old cook book. Quirky "Confucius say..." cocktail napkins. A knee hugger elf, and an 1891 Swedish Psalm book-- also beat up but very charming.

A Royal Doulton Bunnykins mug. Never used 1970s party invitations, and who can pass up a Rolodex for 25 cents?

Not one but two 1960s Batman (or is that Batmen?) mugs. Yes, I'll be keeping one of these. 1970s whale bank. Two small ashtrays; the orange one is marked "Germany" on the back. Very cute Brock farm scene plate.

Dolls and more dolls! Holly Hobbie cloth doll. A handmade Asian girl-- great clothes on her. The Baby Small Talk (in blue dress) is from the 1960s/70s-- I actually had one of these!  And believe it or not, my sister had the Goldilocks doll (green dress and from the same era). What a weird coincidence to find them at the same sale.

And speaking of weird coincidence, we bumped into our next door neighbor at the estate sale.  He had bought two club chairs so we brought one home for him in our car. Fate?

Linking to The Thrifty Groove and Thrifty Things Friday.

Happy Friday everyone!

Wacky Answer

I'm sure everybody knew yesterday's (9-18-13) Wacky Pack sticker: the board game Monopoly.  Here is a link to Wikipedia if you're interested in the game's history. You'll be surprised.  Did you know games were given to WWII POWs that contained maps, money, items to help them escape.  My word!

Here are the two Monopoly games in my house.

Wacky Pack Wednesday

Unless you've been under water for the last 80 years, you should have no trouble recognizing this week's Wacky.

Hope your day isn't too quiet!

TT/Wings

The theme this week at Tag Tuesday is "Wings." I thought of the old saying below and made a tag around that. 

Since I used one of these pigs as a prop, I thought I'd show the pair. They belonged to my grandmother. They have slots like piggy banks but no way to get the coins out the bottom.  Just decorative. I have no idea where she got them-- a little off her usual taste. Probably a gift from someone.

Happy Tuesday!

Smashing Bands

Four more Smash pages in the book so to speak.  In case you missed the other posts, this book is "Favorites" so I decided to do a few favorite bands. On the left is Illinois based Cheap Trick. If you're wondering, the number 1265 is my official Cheap Trick fan club member number. The Monkees put out a lot of great songs-- a lot more to them than most people realize. 

"Wish You Were Here" by Pink Floyd is one of my favorite songs. The background with the tree is one of the decorated Smash pages. Led Zeppelin-- what can I say?

Rock on!

And Speaking Of Frames

Here is another picture frame post. I bought this 5" x 7" picture at a second hand store. I bought it for the frame which I didn't think went too well with the picture anyway.

Boy, someone really wanted that backing to stay in place! It was glued down all over. Usually only the edges are glued or taped.

Look what poor quality mat board did to the picture. Not that I'm a fan of 1980s still life prints, but someone might be. This was pretty much trashed.

Tah dah! The horse portrait is a photo note card I bought on Etsy late last year. Looks pretty good with the frame. Now, I still need a new point gun...

Happy Saturday!

The Frame Saga

I bought this framed certificate at an estate sale for all of 25 cents because I really liked the frame.

Quite a bit later, I thought of a crewel picture I had that my mother made in the 70s. It was in a terribly tacky plastic frame thus hanging in my basement. I had pink spray paint and thought that was a good idea since there is pink in the picture. Nope too neon.

Okay, go over the pink with yellow.  Much better.

Ever see needlework being stretched prior to framing (I once worked in a small frame shop). Looks a bit like some voodoo ritual.

Here we are. Much better than a narrow, plastic frame.  This saga is not over however since my point gun is broken, and those things are not cheap.  One of these days...

Have a good one!

Wacky Answer

Yesterday's (9-11-13) Wacky was pretty easy, right?  Brillo scouring pads.  They go all the way back to 1913 and were originally sold with a cake of soap.  In the 1930s, the pads contained soap.  Boy, the things ya don't know!

A Couple Of Challenges

Two challenges sounded intriguing to me this week. First up is for Collage Obsession. Their theme is "Renaissance Woman." I found this picture of Anne of Cleeves in an old encyclopedia. Perfect. I came up with an ATC.

Next up is my take on the theme from So Artful Challenges: "A Single Flower With A Minimalist Design." I thought of Georgia O'Keeffe right off. That is one of her poppy paintings on the right. This is postcard size 6" x 4".

Two very different women, eh? Have a nice day!

Wacky Pack Wednesday

Today's Wacky Package is from the 70s, but this product is still with us. I have a box under my kitchen sink as we speak. 

Have a nice day-- don't wash too many dishes!

Silly Smashes

I finished a couple more Smash pages. Definitely light-hearted themes. What else would you put on pages decorated with books but books? I decided to turn back the clock-- okay, turn the clock waaaaaaay back to childhood favorites of mine. I still have all of these books.

Since this Smash book has turned into "favorites," and since I had an empty Quisp box laying around (doesn't everyone?), I thought of breakfast cereal from days gone by. Crispy Critters was my favorite back in the day. Kind of miss the old packaging. Did you notice no one was afraid to advertise sugar back then?

What's your favorite cereal?

Child's Hand

I went to my local thrift last week in search of three picture frames.  I found pretty darn close to exactly what I was looking for at a total cost of 1.00 (well, w/o tax). Two of the frames were empty, but one had this picture in it. It's a piece of construction paper with a light spray of white paint. The little calendar at the bottom is from 1958. I'm assuming that is when it was made. Agreed?

Anyway, I didn't know what to do with it at first.  I certainly didn't have the heart to chuck it, but who would want it? So I doctored it up. Will go in the Etsy shop.

Did you ever have your hand print documented or do your children's?  My mother stitched my handprint and my sister's on two pillows for each grandmother when I was about 7 or so.  Many years later, we got one pillow back. It was sort of falling apart so my sister and I salvaged the hands and made it into a new pillow.  I also made a similar one of my daughter's hand.

Hang onto those little hands-- they grow up fast, don't they??

More 70s Decor

Here are a few more pages from the 1975 Better Homes and Garden Decorating Book.  Who would think to put an old radio in a modern setting?  Looks good though.

Pretty cool dinette set.

Fun kitchen. I like the place settings too. Notice the bandanas for napkins?

Sure, I'll take a laundry room like this. My laundry is in a dark, dank basement with usually a spider watching my every move.

Nice cupboards!

How cool is this? Timeless idea.

So what happened to cool, funky decorating? As I recall, it went to country blue and mauve then shabby chic white which seems to be in quite a rut. Let's see some new trends out there!

Have a great Saturday!