Swap-Bot Adventures continues

Well, my swap-bot adventures are going with a full speed. I am sending a package to my Swedish partner in Swap called "Fall themed Bookmark and a tea bag". I couldn't miss this one, because we study Seasons with my daughter (I have a post coming up on that) and that was such a perfect example of Autumn Season. Our assignment required to buy (that is not an option for me - I have "no money spend" rule) or make (love it!) one bookmark add a tea bag and mail it to an assigned partner. Well, I have so much fun!

I had these beautiful cards with Autumn leaves in my card stash and I've selected one card that had nothing but bright autumn leaves. I've used the front of the card for the bookmark and the back with the same print but smaller for an envelope for a tea bag.

The Bookmark.

I folded the frond of the card in a half. Punched the word "READ"and set the blue background to highlight the letters, then I glued the bookmark together. Then I've outlined the contours of the leaves on the card with Glittering Glue by Martha Steward and sprinkled with Orange Glitter. While the card was drying. I cut out two sets of different sizes Autumn leaves from Craft Felt in orange color. The larger leaf was hand stitched to create the veins. The I punched a hole on the top of the card, then I fed through the ribbon in dark red/brown color and glued the ends of the ribbon inside the large autumn leaf. Set it dry.

The Tea Bag Envelope.

Front

Back

I have traced the shape of the Lipton Teabag 1/4" large on each side to allow for the seams to be glued. Then I've hand stitched the top of the envelope using Craft Thread in Orange color. I've highlighted the shapes of the leaves the same way I did on my bookmark and attached a smaller Felt Orange leaf to a tea bag. I let dry overnight and in the morning I put the whole set together and I was done.

I want this package to be extra special, because I love Autumn and what could be a better way to celebrate it : a good book, a good cup of tea and beautiful Autumn Leaves outside.

My Swap-bot adventures to be continued......

Sincerely,

Why ATC?

First of all, don't forget about my GIVEAWAY (here is a link)

Why ATC? Just in case, if missed my last post ATC stands for Artist Trading Card. It is a tiny original piece of art created with the intenion of swapping or trading it with another artist, not selling it. The one rule an artist trading card must adhere to is the size. An ATC usually 2.5" x 3.5"

I think I am drawn to ATCs because they are the opposite of everything I've done in the past. I always worked with large sizes

This one inspired by Klimt (my favorite artist) is 36"x48"

This one is 36"x36". I was experimenting with glazes.

This one, in my daughter's bedroom, is 27" by 39"

These two are sitting on top of my pantry cabinet and hard to get to, but they are 18"x27"

These two in my Master Bedroom are the same size 18" x 27"

and these are smallest of anything I've done so far: 5" x 8".

and ATC gives me a chance to explore a new territory. I am learning more about ATCs and looking forward to this challenge!

Wish me luck.

Sincerely,

I am in Swaps on Swap-bot

Oh, my. Life is full of surprises. Back in April. I had no idea what blogging was about and now I have more than 70 posts behind me, recently I have discovered Swap-bot.com and now I am in Swaps.

Besides 2 swaps that I have completed in the past (I am a Blogger Follow Me and Blog Me Up Baby) where I've met so many wonderful people, I am participating in Vintage Ephemera E-Swap and signed up for Bird ATC Swap.

I swap with Swap-bot!

Vintage Ephemera Swap brought so many vintage images in my collection for FREE and trust me, I already have few projects in mind, where I can unleash my creative beast. I was the last to sign up, I think, and this Sunday we already swapping images and my collection of Vintage Ephemera is growing as we speak!

Bird ATC is a new Swap, the dead line to sign up is August 30. Just in case if you don't know, and I've discovered this just recently, ATC stands for Artist Trade Card. It is a small card 2 1/2" by 3 1/2" and it features an artwork created by an artist in mixed media, on a certain subject, in my case "Bird". I will learn more details and will keep you posted on my progress as well. This is all so new and exciting that my heartbeat goes through the roof.

Summer is over and I am ready to take my craft (no money spend) journey on the next level.

Sincerely,

Discovering New Blogs - Reviews Part 3

First of all, don't forget about ongoing GIVEAWAY- Lucky Number 7. I just read about Giveaways and how to do them right, well according to the Pros I've done everything wrong, or well - nevertheless. The second one should be better. Now.....

Reviews. I am very happy that I have participated in a Blog Swap and I am very grateful to all those people who signed up, because if it's not for this lucky coincidence I would probably never discovered so many amazing Blogs and Bloggers.

Here is the final group

Stop by Pariah's Blog to get a glimpse on vegan cooking, read about homeschooling and take a pick at Pariah's life style.

Michelle invites to her Blog and all you need to have is a great sense of humor and some knowledge of Spanish.

Crea Bloempje666 (try to say that 3 times:) by Rozemarijn from Netherlands talks about food, cats and SWAPS. Take a look at some of her latest treasures.

Speaking of being busy, my another partner from Swap-bot -Monique has 2 Blogs, 1 magazine and a stream of images on Flickr. Take a look, it will not a waste of time.

"Color me grateful" by Camille. New post with illustrations by this talented young artist

Another touching Blog with a single post "Wishing for a Baby..." by Mindy and her husband. They are looking for private adoption. I wish them the best of luck. Please, stop by to learn more.

Flying without Feathers" by Raye. I think she has a PhD in Swaps. You can learn so much just by stopping by.

"Jilly's Stuff" by Jill is a great Blog that will lead you to the shop owned by this amazing talented Lady. By the way, they are having a sale of 15% off. Prices are great - take a look.

and finally the last but not the least "Thrifty Crafting" by Allison. What a Crafty Mom. Her Blog filled with lovely projects and great tutorials. I am so excited to come across such a treasure.

What a great journey it was. I am so thankful to everyone who decided to participate in this swap and open doors to their amazing Blogs. You've made my life richer.

365 days 365 Do It Yourself projects (No money spend): GIVEAWAY - Lucky Number 7

Don't forget about going on Giveaway!

365 days 365 Do It Yourself projects (No money spend): GIVEAWAY - Lucky Number 7

Mirror Mirror On the Wall

Thursday Morning

My daughter is having fun with mirror and her blue flower barrettes. Similar flower is part of my ongoing Giveaway.

Have a great day,

GIVEAWAY - Lucky Number 7

GIVEAWAY is here! It happens sooner than I expected. Everything came together at once and here it is!

When I started my Blog back in April, I had no idea where will it take me. My main goal was to stay busy in bad economy and challenge myself to 365 days 365 D.I.Y projects. I had neither agenda no written plan but what I truly had was the urge to create. "No Money Spend" rule made me look around and rethink my lifestyle. It was hard in the beginning not to rush to my favorite craft store to get a thing or two (God knows how much I love those places). I had to put myself in the box in order to start thinking outside of it. Then I came across Theodor Roosevelt's phrase "Do what you can with what you have where you are" and it instantly became my motto.

I change my habits and as a result I started to change as well. My Blog became my journey to self-discovery. I was able to awake my hidden skills that I had but never had a chance to use and now 70 posts later (which is still a baby age for any Blog) I started to see better where I want to be.

Well, my first GIVEAWAY is my way of saying "Thank you" to all of you. I called it "Lucky Number 7" Why? Because I have 70 posts, I am starting this GIVEAWAY on August 25 (2+5=7) at 7 PM (Mountain Time) and it will end on September 7 at 7 PM. You will have a chance to get 7 entries and I am giving away 7 items. Here they are

2 strings of seashells (36" long each)

1 white flower Brooch (4" )

(this brooch look great clipped to the seashell strings listed above)

1 Blue Flower Barrette (4 ")

1 Pink Flower Barrette (4")

1 Seashell Whistle

(because Bloggers are not afraid to toot their horns)

1 Big (3 oz) Lolly Pop which my daughter decorated with smiley faces

(just because it is something sweet)

Rules to Enter:

Follow my Blog - 2 entries (if you are already on a list of my friends - that's great)

Blog about this GIVEAWAY - 1 entry

Twit about this GIVEAWAY - 1 entry

Tell me, which of the projects on my Blog you like the most and why - 1 entry

Tell me about your "No Money Spend" projects that you find interesting - 2 entries

You have a chance of 7 entries!

The drawer will take place on September 7th at 7 PM. I've decided to do it in old fashion way:

My husband holding a hat full of names and my 3 year old pulling a lucky winner.

Thank you all very much and Good Luck!

Sincerely,

Discovering New Blogs - Reviews Part 2

Here are few more Blogs that I was able to visit. I wish I could have 48 hours in a day, because 24 is not working for me anymore.

“ElizebethMD” by Elizabeth. What a gem! Literally, I mean it. She is a very talented jewelry designer and Blogger. After you are done reading her Blog, don’t miss an opportunity to stop by her Etsy Store – I bet you can find something for yourself, or get a great gift for someone special.

“It’s gonna be a lovely day” by Faiza. This is a Blog of happy person who wants to spread her joy. She has lots of interests in life but one thing amazed me the most – her knowledge of a baseball game. You want to have her around when you are betting on baseball in Vegas.

“Ichigo Shortcake” by Mimi. Originally from Thailand she is a fashion student in London. If you want to get a glimpse of the latest and the greatest in fashion, make-up and Mimi’s life pay her a visit and you may become one of her strawberries (??? Find out for yourself what it means)

“Hanging off the wire” by Hayley. Great family of 4 Bears: Papa Bear, Mama Bear and 2 adorable kids. They are trying to Potty Train the oldest Little Bear and have trouble with it (Don’t we all?!) If you know a secret, please share it with Hayley, I know how stressful that time is and it is twice more stressful if you have another 10 month old Little Bear. By the way, she is doing 30 day challenge, which is on my To-Do list for September. Stop by her Blog to learn more.

“Saturday Mornings” by Dana. Listen to her Blog description: “Creations, revamps, handmade gifts on a dime!” Doesn’t it sound familiar? Yes! I found my Sister Blog. Same idea, but this gal thinks big. I have to learn from her, because sometimes my little inner voice is stopping me from taking on something huge, but not anymore. Thanks to Dana. Stop by her Blog to see the amazing results of her revamping.

Have a happy Blog discovering day,

Discovering New Blogs - Reviews Part 1

I was so naïve, when in my previous post, I said that I set aside an afternoon to indulge new Blogs assigned to me by Swap-bot.com “Blog me up, Baby”. Boy, was I wrong.

All new participants are so amazing and talented that you don’t want to leave their Blogs until you finished reading their last post. Some Blogs are brand new but nevertheless, they all have a message.

So far, I was able to visit half of my Blogs and the remaining half is on my To-do list.

These are the first five Blogs that I visited and was able to summarize

“Ladies Lunch” a girly girl Magdalena invites you in her fun world to experience things that Ladies like to talk about during their Lunch, you may also find a list of Interesting Blogs or listen to a music mix. Have fun visiting her Blog

“Goody Goody Gumdrops” by Simone showcase her fabulous handmade cards, after reading few posts you feel that you want to start making cards yourself. I absolutely adore one of her cards – It’s a Birthday Card with green turtle. I think it will be great for a Belated Birthday Wish (not that I ever miss someone’s Birthday!)

“The Neat Get Neatter” by Beth, self-admitted “neat freak” and by visiting her Blog you may get few great ideas on how to clean a thing or two, but that’s not it! She is having a GIVEAWAY – to give you a clue-it is something that helps you clean! Hurry! Giveaway ends soon.

“Paint Myself Pretty” by Cameron swept me off my feet – she is amazingly talented and her Blog is an open door to her art studio. Pay her a visit – there will be no disappointment.

“Adventures with Mrs. W” by Mrs.Whiffin. What can I tell you – writing is her natural talent, add a great sense of humor and you have a recipe for success. She is that girlfriend that you want to meet for a cup of coffee and share few good laughs with. By the way, she is a coordinator for this swap-bot adventure that some of us sharing – many thanks to her.

Sincerely,

P.S. I am working on my first giveaway - it will take place in a day or so. I am a little bit nervous…..

Peace Through Art

I follow on Reader a great Blog called "Artful Parent". Today they have a very interesting guest speaker featured in a new post called "Peace through art?". Please, follow this link to learn more about it.

I love the approach and philosophy of this fabulous organization and hope you will as well. You can read more about International Child Art Foundation here

Look at this work of a young artist from Philippines, Bhea Vacio, age 11

I am saying "Yes" to Peace through Art

Have a great day!

Stickers into Paper Dolls -DYI

What do you do with an old book of stickers?

This book served us well during our trip to Monterey, my daughter loves horses and this book was godsend: great stickers of ponies and pages of beautiful sceneries in amazing quality. It kept her busy for hours but now all blank spaces are filled with right images, and there is nothing else to do...

Well, I've decided to extend the life of this book, well at least some parts and pieces will serve us for a bit longer.

I've got some stickers and put them on a cardboard (I've used a sturdy, thick cardboard from a recent packaging that we received, because you may know how kids are playing)

Then, I cut up all the images

and on the back of each cut out shape glued a piece of magnet

(I have a bowl full of mismatch pieces that we received from one of my friends - recycling:)

Because cardboard is very light, I set all ponies on a magnetic board to dry overnight

and in the morning, as soon my daughter got up, our ponies got really busy

They started on a magnetic side of her easel

then they run to the fridge...

Soon after, they've discovered a wonderful meadow (this is a page from the same book,

that I put on a metal message board and used as a background)

where they all played until lunch time.

Something tells me, that tomorrow morning ponies will be very busy again

Sincerely,

Discovering new Blogs

Discovering new Blogs is always so exciting – it is like entering the new Universe full of feelings, ideas, thoughts and points of view, and thanks to www.swap-bot.com, and Blog Swap “Blog me up baby” makes it possible for many of us.

I’ve had a pleasure of participating in a similar swap recently (I am a Blogger Follow Me), where I’ve met lots of interesting people, and now for the second time I already know what to expect.

I am about to have the most wonderful evening, which I blocked to myself, and dive into the wonderful number of Blogs that I have lined up

Ready, set, go!

Sincerely,

Playing Pirates or Our Friday Songs

Ahoy, everyone!

What can be better than playing Pirates on a rainy day?

But today we are not only playing Pirates, but we are doing a multicultural research on Pirates and their Songs on YouTube. It's a lot of fun, to see and hear Pirates singing in different languages.

English

Spanish

French

German

English (Backwards)

Yo Ho Ho and Have a great weekend

Sincerely,

Playing with Fire

On my favorite web site Cut Out + Keep" I found this beautiful tutorial on how to make chiffon flowers.

I didn't have chiffon but I've decided to try out different fabrics and see how it works. This is so easy and so addictive - please, be careful :)

You want to make more

more

and more.....

I already made few flower barrettes for my daughter. Here she is - modelling.

(You can still see some pizza marks on her face).

What do I do with the rest of the flowers? Should I have my first giveaway called "Just Because"? Would you like to receive a pretty silk flower as a lucky winner? Let me know.

I am very grateful for all my followers and that would be the least that I can do.

Sincerely,