My Fear for the Future

I saw this online the other day.

She is actually wearing spools of ribbon as earrings.

Like the look on her face isn't scary enough.

Which got me thinking.

She seems to be about 40 years older than I am.

I really love art and crafts. And embellishments. A lot.

And...Naaahhh.

I'm going to wind up surrounded by cats.

And she doesn't have any. But maybe you just can't see them. The picture is really close up.

I hope there's no resemblance.

Know what I mean?

xx

Weathered Metal ATC Art Swap

It's Friday...congratulations, you made it through the week!

I participated in a really fun art swap recently. Well, it would have been a little less recently had the Postal Service not annihilated the envelope carrying my awesome art...but once I received the battered and seriously beaten envelope back in my mailbox, I quickly changed everything into fresh new Postal duds, and got it mailed out again. There were six of us in this swap, generously hosted by Susan from Florida. If you know Susan, you know she does delicious work - and this is no exception. She participated in the Technique Fat Book Swap I was in - and the technique she submitted is way yum! It's one of my favorites...but don't tell anyone. Both the "Weathered Metal Technique" and the "Bubble Wrap/Plastic Painted Background" are so easy...and the results are spectacular!

Bubble Wrap/Plastic Painted Background
by Susan

Here are the results I got from playing with the Weathered Metal Technique.

These are the plain ATCs I created with the technique. It's "metal foil tape" and several colors of acrylic paint, sanded and distressed with a tracing wheel. I also drew "into" the tape with an embossing stylus before applying paint.

I took a piece of watercolor paper I had doodled poorly on - and painted it with Twinkling H2Os for my background paper.

The actual paper I used for the backs of my ATCs ended up being darker. I had cut the paper above down to ATC size (2 1/2" x 3 1/2") and used my Italian glass blown dip pen to write my information. I don't know what was up with the ink I tried to use (old?) - but it was awful! Globs, blobs, no ink...it was just a mess. So I had to start over - and quickly doodles on another piece of watercolor paper, before painting it with Twinkling H2Os that were apparently darker. I like how the second one turned out just as well, though.

I used my Souffle pens to write all my information on the back. Loooove 'em! They don't "stick up" or "pouf" as much as I would like - but I still think it's a cool concept...and the results aren't bad, either. I use my Souffle pens and my Glaze pens A LOT. They write on almost anything - and I like that Souffle pens are opaque, while the Glaze is glossy...almost resembling stained glass. You can mix colors (while the ink is still wet) and get new colors - or wait until the ink has set up (dried) and lay down a different color ink over the first. (I say sometimes because sometimes you just end up peeling up the first color - and it makes a mess.)

After torturing, um, I mean distressing, the painted metal tape (before and after painting it), I stitched different colored sparkly threads all over each ATC. Then I stitched sizes 6/0, 8/0, and 11/0 seed beads on them - in varying colors and patterns. Each ATC also has a little blue MOP bird fetish bead - and several vintage Swarovski sew-on crystals, acrylic crystals, and vintage flower cabs. As a final touch, I added a metal word. The word on each card is written above it.

Click for a larger view to open in another window.

I made a seventh one but can't find it. The number of gremlins running off with things has increased. That's the only way I can explain losing so many things - especially when I just had whatever-it-is in my hand!

If anyone is interested in a more formal tutorial or supply list, leave a comment.

Have a super fantastic weekend!

xx

Six Days Later and A Birthday

December - 1998

Several things to blab about today. Tired of being held hostage on my computer, I'm back. With a vengeance. Silenced no more, much to most people's dismay. He cannot keep me quiet by messing with what I write (changing randomly to caps), closing my browser, changing my settings, or having random web pages show up when I'm trying to get somewhere else on the Net. Even changing my passwords won't work any more, and neither will locking me out of my email. I'm just done with the whole thing - and after dealing with his ridiculous and juvenile games, I'm getting a new computer. YAY! I'm not going to ramble on about this whole (very frustrating) topic, but I want to say two things.

1) If my typing randomly vascillates between caps and lower case letters, please ignore it. I know it's a pain and hard to read, but this is what I'm stuck with for now. I apologize for the bad behavior.

2) To those who are awesome enough to leave me comments about this whole situation, thank you! You guys are the best!

Drawing by the Princess

Let's move on to more interesting things...

Today, just ten days after my other son's birthday, is the oldest childebeasts birthday. It's crazy to me to think I became a mother 16 years ago today. Looking at him, I can't believe anyone allowed me to become a mom so young. I was only 3 years older than he is when I had him. Who decided it would be a good idea for a 19 year old - who had never even held a newborn - to take home a baby and care for him?? Now, quite a bit older and (one or two would say) a little wiser, I look at 19 year olds and wonder what was going through my mind. Maybe the answer is, nothing. I apparently had nothing in my head - which is why I had him so young.

"Trouble" at 1 month
(I couldn't find his newborn picture)

He was such a cute lil' guy - weighing 8 lbs, 8 oz, and 21 inches long, he was a big baby. The way he situated himself during my pregnancy meant he was born with the left side of his face all scrunched up. For the first few weeks of his life we called him "Popeye" - because his left eye was always closed...and well, he grunted. Popeye eventually morphed into "Grog", a nickname given to him by one of my best friend's grannies. Grog came about because he was always either in the 100th percentile for his age - or above. He was huge. A monstrosity. (No wonder I gained over 100 lbs with him!) He was always chubby...and he always grunted. It was really cute - so Grog seemed appropriate.

Monkey Boy at around 2

I should have known, way back then, that he was going to be a handful. It took 30 hours of induction (and more pitocin than my OB said he'd ever given anyone before - and he was like 90! lol) before he made his grand entrance. He took 3 heaping tablespoons of rice cereal in 8 oz of formula, every 4 hours...like clock work...when he was just 5 days old. On solids at 2 months. At his 3 month check-up he weighed in at around 30 lbs. People thought he was much older than he was.

Cute little guy, huh?

He was always ahead of schedule...sitting up and crawling early, he could walk at 9 months. He could talk - in complete sentences - at 12 months. And at one point during his 13th month, he woke up one morning and said, "Peepee in potty"...and that was it. He never wore a diaper again.

Pictures around his first five birthdays

Two friends of mine had babies within a few months of me having him...and I secretly thought their kids were slow - and my kid was better. HA Little did I know God was just trying to tell me that I was going to have a tough time keeping up with this kid. The only kid I've had who smeared doodie all over his crib, the walls, and himself. The only kid I've had who took my VCR apart...before his second year of pre-school - which he entered when he was 4. The only kid I've had who tried to make something to eat - and opened a 10 lb bag of flour. ALL over the apartment I had at the time. These - and many, many, many - "events" occurred during naptime...so we gave up naps when he was 4. I couldn't take it anymore.

One would think his antics activities energy would scare me enough to not have more. HA again! I had my second ten days before this one turned 3. This was the summer he chose to talk two little girls into taking off their shirts...at Vacation Bible School. When the teacher came over to scold him (and tell the girls to put their shirts back on), he ran off with their shirts...directly to a mud puddle...and dropped in the shirts, stomping and jumping on them until the teacher could pick him up and move him. (I had to go get him early...and they politely asked me not to bring him back.) Fast forward several years...he got my Victoria's Secret catalog...and took it to school to share it with anyone and everyone who cared to look. (That was his first suspension.) I'll stop with the fond memories there.

He eventually got older...and my hair got grayer. Don't get me wrong - he's a great 'beast. But even now, you cannot trust him alone with the camera. You think I'm gonna let him get his license??

He is a pretty handsome little dude...(even if he won't mug for pictures I take)

Handsome enough to take two girls to Homecoming! (Is this really what high school girls wear now? Don't they seem to be missing the rest of their dresses?? And how much make up can one person slap on?? Bright colors, sparkles, blue eye shadow on one of them, bright pink lips on the other...is this necessary?? Or am I really that old now?)

And finally, his infamous picture that will grace Hallmark cards everywhere.

So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, big guy! You may be 5'10" (which is shorter than his younger brother now), and an amazing 220 and all muscle, but I'm still your mama - and I can still say, "because I said so, that's why!!!". At least for a few more years.

And about the Hallmark thing...I'm trying to come up with a contest for the person who buys the most of his cards. We so NEED to win this contest! I haven't decided what to come up with as a prize yet...but I am working on it! We are presently #51 out of 60...so we're not doing very well. We need your help!!! Please don't make a Queen beg...

xx