The Queen Lives...

Even if she has been quiet for the last month. Yes, MONTH. Can you believe that?? I doubt anyone thought I could go that long without running my mouth!

Without giving you a long excuse explanation of where I've been, I'm just going to jump right back in. I've been working on lots of art during my absence, in a variety of media. It's been interesting, having the beasts home on summer break and trying to create. You haven't lived until you have three wild heathens running lose among open paint cans, hot instruments, and fabric galore. In order to keep me from going totally over the edge, we won't discuss their interaction with fabric dye...except to say, they were outside when I started - and in my defense, I had it all set up in MY sleeping quarters. You wouldn't expect a herd of wild animals (aka: my kids and all their friends in the neighborhood) to tromp through your room - without warning and uninvited - would you??

I suppose that's what happens when one is silly enough to run to the bathroom. You see, I thought my lack of response to my 16 year olds' yells from the front door would be a hint for him to come in and find me. HA Lesson learned. Apparently, not screaming back is a signal to come on in...and bring all your friends, too! Then everyone under 16 in my neighborhood can stand outside my bathroom door, anxiously awaiting my answer about whether they can have Freezer Pops.

However, this situation did teach me two things.

1) Eleven kids can fit in a space no larger than 3'x6'...the size of the vanity area in my bathroom.
2) No matter how fast you think you can pee, eleven kids can go from playing outside to rioting just outside the bathroom door faster than that. Especially when they know you have Freezer Pops in your freezer.

Today I'll share with you, two cards I made yesterday.

Gold metallic card. Funky "splatter" stamp used with VersaMark ink, covered with Polished Pigments mica. Edged in Hazy Magenta. Black flourishes stamped with Memories ink. Mica stamped with old Hero Arts text stamp. Angelina fibers I made into paper, then cut. Copper mesh cut into rectangle, then fan folded. Rhinestones in green, blue and clear. "Family" tag that was silver - I covered it in Hazy Magenta before embossing it with Franklin Opals, a clear embossing powder. There is a dark blue baby skeleton leaf tucked beside the mica.

This began with a white pearlized card. I stamped the background with the same "splatter" stamp used above. It was stamped with VersaMark again - and I also used Polished Pigments again, just in a different set of colors. A dark blue skeleton leaf was added to this card as well, as well as a "Good Luck Knot" I made from Mizuhiki Cord. I tied blue, green and gold wire around the top of a gold feather charm. I delaminated (separated) a large piece of mica and wrote "Abundance" (Souffle pen, black) and is lined with a yellow Glaze pen. (A note about the Glaze pens: I love them and how they write - but I'm really disappointed with them. Out of the 10 in the pack, 7 leaked and are unusable.) The card is edged in gold leafing pen, and the top of the card has little gold coin charms (similar to these) and blue 11/0 seed beads attached with 28 gauge gold wire I spiral wrapped before threading it through holes I punched into the card.

Just FYI: I listed links to the products I used for convenience only. The links I provided do not mean I purchase from that particular website - so please check out any online business before buying from them. I only provided links because it drives me nuts when someone uses something cool in a creation - and I have no idea what it is, or what I'm looking for.

Please feel free to leave comments. And a great big thank you to everyone who has commented lately. I promise I HAVE been reading comments - I just haven't responded due to my computer problems. Have I mentioned how much I've missed you guys??

Have you purchased your Hallmark card yet??

xx,