Advent Calendar Day Eighteen and 12 Days of Christmas, Day 6

It's Saturday and I know many of you are busy planning for next Saturday's festivities. I'm going to try to be brief, an oxymoron if I ever wrote one!


When opened, today's box revealed a piece of tape measure, some snaps, and a heart shaped button. I think it looks like a well stocked sewing box! Here it is surrounded by a few of its neighbors, since it was the only decent photo I could get. It seems like the older box contents show better this way, too.


Day Six is the second set of art squares I made when one of the players failed to fulfill her part. This one I wrapped using the paper instructions found in dressmaker pattern envelopes. I was able to get two packages from each set of instructions. I used some Disney tape to hold the package together and the hand painted file folder in place.


This one is mine. I used both green and red painted papers for the file folders I cut using my friend Kathy's Sizzex die, then


hand wrote the day inside.


You should click on this photo to get the complete picture of the one goose made to represent "Six Geese a Laying." This art square took a long time to make, since there was a lot of drying time at every stage of the process. I made a template for the geese while the background of watered down fluid acrylic paint, to which I added mica chips, was drying. I also cut a "wing" template, since I am a horrible drawer/sketcher. I was so looking forward to Gina Wise, my friend who died recently (and Day 7 player), to see this one, because the geese were made using some anaglyptus (textured wallpaper) she sent me in a swap last year. I was going to try to make a big six to layer behind the goose, because I thought the goose image looked a bit like a six, but that was more than my drawing skills could handle, so I used a vinyl number I painted gold using my Krylon gold leafing pen.


The nest took forever to dry, because I gathered many of my leftover threads and tiny fabric bits I had saved to make this (have I mentioned I save EVERYTHING?). It warped the paper a bit, but sometimes that can't be helped and it's just an artifact of altered art. I used white PVA Elmer's glue to hold the nest together as I shaped the bits and bobs into something recognizable. Before I forget, I used 90 lb cold pressed watercolor paper for the substrate. I used cold pressed because I like the subtle texture it created.

Today's blog is Connie, who was the feature 12 Days of Christmas artist yesterday. Her picture trail site, Connie's Creations is full of altered art, including collage, ATCs, altered books, art journals, jewelry, and fabric art. She is multi-talented and you'll spend a lot of time exploring her site and reading about her art. If that doesn't pique your interest, visit long enough to see her incredible studio and all the tips she has for a studio found in a tiny space. Connie's Creations should be on your list of places to visit today.