T Stands for Winner (after the party's over)

Now that the party is over and the winner has been drawn, it is my pleasure to announce the winner.  However, before we get to that, I'll keep you in suspense for a bit longer and show you how I spent last Tuesday evening.  And I didn't pay a cent, either, so it was all free for the Queen of Free.

Unfortunately it started out rather badly, with tons of rain and flooding.
Of course, that didn't deter me, because I had been to Sally's all day, helping her clean out her garage.  When the rain started coming down in buckets, I ran home like a drowned rat, but a quick shower helped and a big fluffy towel dried me off nicely.   And here we were

at our first destination.


I had seen an ad on TV that Applebees was giving away two free appetizers at participating restaurants.  I called the one closest to us and off we went.

On the phone, I was told each of us would receive two free appetizers, but the person didn't tell us

we had to share them.  Since Sally was hungry and neither of us had eaten all day, which didn't bother me, since I only eat once a day, anyway,

she ordered three more appetizers and a Thai shrimp salad.  I was content with my free portion of the appetizers, but Sally insisted on sharing her salad and the other appetizers, which came at various times, rather than all at once.

By the time we had finished our meal, I waddled out of the restaurant and we were off to our next destination.

Both Sally and I had gotten two free tickets

to the ZOO!! 

It had been years since I'd been, and I was thrilled to see it was all new to me.  I took over 300 photos, and, after I cull through them, will share them over the next few weeks.

Now that you've seen my freebie day, I'm proud to announce that Patty of Magpie's Nest is the winner of my ATC.

It's pretty obvious how I made it, but I'll still walk you through the steps, anyway, even though this post is long already.

I began by spritzing two colors of my handmade mists on a dictionary page I chose for my background.   I then colored two pages of card stock with Staz-on reinkers and 91% alcohol.  I like this technique because the card stock never buckles, but stays completely flat.

Next, I printed my tea cups on the dried card stock and cut them out.  I also printed the words on printer paper, then colored the words using dye ink.

Once the dictionary page was dry, I sewed around the page.  This was for decoration only, and was not used in place of glue.   I then adhered the sewn dictionary page to my ATC back.  I used a glue stick because the dictionary page is quite fragile.

For the assembly, I used a piece of foam tape to lift the green cup off the page.

Patty, your ATC will be in the mail tomorrow.

Now it's time to share your T Stands for Tuesday post.  Be as brief or as lengthy as you like, share your ATC, or wait until you hear from your PIF partner.  It makes no difference, but be aware, we are using Mr. Linky again, so I can't remove your post in the event you get it wrong the first time.  Please observe the rule that you must share a drink or drinking vessel, whether it's through art, photography, or an actual glass, cup, mug, or pot.

Grow Your Blog Giveaway Winner

I have finally heard from the winner of my quiltlet giveaway.  I can't believe it took that long to get to her, but she notified me yesterday that she now has it, and told me she would show it on her blog today.

Not the best photos in the world, but this quiltlet is similar to the one I made for the last time I participated in One World, One Heart (OWOH).  This one is different, though, because, instead of tabs, this time I punched holes for matching fibers to go through.  I also created a heart that reads "Created by Bleubeard and Elizabeth."

I used the "hand" fabric for the backing.  The opposing side of the heart has Bleubeard's and my signature stamps.  The gift went to ".E." Lizard Breath Speaks or Beth as some call her.  I prefer to call her Elizabeth, because that's such a great name (grin).  Please visit her blog to see the quiltlet from her perspective.

Thanks for your visit, and your always kind words of encouragement.

Grow Your Blog giveaway has now concluded

The comments are closed and the winners have been chosen.  I'm on my way to share the news with the two recipients.

The recipient of my quiltlet is  ".E." Lizard Breath Speaks, aka BETH of ".E." Lizard Breath Speaks.com and the recipient of my mixed media art is Diane Baker-Williams of A Focused Journey.

As soon as I have your snail mail addresses ladies, these will be in the mail.   Look for your package soon.  I apologize for the bad color photo of these envelopes, but it's late here and my craft room lighting is not the best at nearly midnight.

Grow Your Blog, a blog hop event

I just learned a few days ago about a blog hop that will affect many bloggers.

It is called "Grow Your Blog" and is hosted by Vicki at 2 Bags Full.


I'd like to begin by introducing myself.  We are Bleubeard and Elizabeth.  There are many, many Elizabeth's on the internet, and several are big name mixed media artists and bloggers, too.  But there is only ONE Bleubeard.  That's why that gorgeous guy, waiting for you to arrive, is the face of our blog.

Before we begin, we need to get a few housekeeping notes out of the way.

Vicki suggests we get rid of the "No reply blogger," but I've been told on more than one occasion that my e-mail spits out spam and viruses.  Although I've had a computer guru try to get rid of the problem, I have to keep the e-mail address because it's tied to several accounts I own.  I don't want anyone catching either a virus or be flooded with spam, so if you have a question, please leave it in the comments.  I will be glad to answer on YOUR blog, because you don't have time to return to mine to see my answer.

Blogger has chosen to throw obstacles in our faces, even though many of us have never used word verification.  So, IF you are coming from Blogger/Google, please ignore the "I'm not a robot." Simply leave a comment, then hit publish.  Your comment will magically appear.  I promise.  No hoops to jump through, no second guessing those crazy words and numbers.

Speaking of Google, if you are a member of G+, there's a good chance I won't be able to reply to your comment.  It's all in the way you set up your comments, because I refuse to join G+ just to leave you one.

I'm sure many of you have guessed that I make altered books.  At least, that's how I started my relatively new art journey.  If you are interested, please come back when you have time and peruse the altered book classes I held in 2012 that I offered free of charge.  You will find all the lessons on my right sidebar.  Of course, after expanding my horizons, I now consider myself a mixed media artist. 

BTW, that's one of my over 450 rocking horses on the left side of the table.  I have them in all shapes, sizes, mediums, and genres.  They are the only thing I collect and you will find them everywhere in my home.


Although it's far more challenging, I also have made a few ATC sized (2.5" X 3.5", ATCs are never converted to metric) books, too.


Another of my passions is mixed media, where I combine my love of collage with sewing.


Speaking of sewing, I also dye much of my own fabric, using non-conventional techniques.  Of course, I also love to make mixed media quiltlets, too.   This one is called "Not Your Grandmother's Quilt."  It incorporated many of my hand dyed fabrics and three of my tyvek flowers.

Since I brought up the subject of dyeing, my latest dye project I've taken on is eco-dyeing, a process that requires leaves, flowers, and other natural items, along with a bit of rust.

Here are three pieces I made last November.  I unveiled them at the end of the month.  They need time to cure, so I left them for about 20 days wrapped in plastic.  They are finished, except for the final drying, in this picture above. Aren't they stunning?  Much of this gorgeous fabric has already been used in art quilts I made friends for Christmas.

Mixed media plays a big roll in my quiltlets, too.


My mixed media pieces can take many forms, including this angel I created for a swap many years ago,

or this bird using recycled materials.

I've recently started making a few mixed media assemblages,

like this one made using a block of wood as my "canvas" that I named "Mother and Child Reunion."

I'm proud to be a part of many challenges, too.  You'll find current ones I participate in on my right sidebar.  If you want to see my previous collaborations, please go here. Don't worry.  All my links open in a new window, so you won't lose your place.

I also host two link-up parties, one of which is T Stands For Tuesday.

Even though we share T(ea) or any other drink you choose every Tuesday, I put together a retrospective mosaic which represented each month from 2014.  I hope you can tell how diverse these T posts can be.  You are always welcome to join, too.

This year I started a new link up party called "Second on the 2nd."  The idea is to look back through your previous posts and find one that you are either particularly proud of, or you posted before anyone knew your blog existed.  That post goes live at 12:00 am US Central time the 2nd of every month.  I would love for you to join us, too.  Any post is acceptable, regardless of content.
Gardening is a big part of my life, too.  Although I took these photos during a heavy rainstorm last spring, they show both my front "Flower Bed" and my side yard herb garden.

I'd love to show you a few more art pieces I've made, but I know your time is limited.  So, Bleubeard and I will bid you a fond adieu and welcome you back when you can stay a bit longer.

Since I've been so fortunate over the years to receive gifts from art friends, I want to extend that same courtesy to you.  I will be sending one of my quiltlets to one lucky winner, and one of my mixed media pieces to one lucky winner.

Here are the rules.  Sorry!  There MUST be rules.

1. Please leave one comment only on this blog post.  You may look around, comment on other posts, and enjoy my art, but THIS POST is the only one that counts when it comes to qualifying for the prizes.

2.  I have never asked anyone to ever jump through hoops.  You DO NOT have to be a follower, you do not have to follow me in any of the other ways I show on my left sidebar.  I would never try to pad my stats by forcing you to join a blog you may not want to ever visit again.

3.  Once I have drawn the names of the winners on February 15, there is no need for you to return to see if you have won.  I will come to YOUR blog and let you know.  However, if you don't respond in one week (7 days), I will draw an alternate name. 

4.  You do NOT have to be part of this blog hop to qualify for a prize.

5.  I will send your prize anywhere in this world.  However, I cannot send it to Mars or Uranus.

Thank you for visiting. It means a lot.  Bleubeard and I are so grateful you chose to stop by today.
 

A gift that went awry, part II

If you missed yesterday's post (part 1 of this story), you can see it by clicking here.

When I finished assembling the pages for the book I was making for Krisha,

I took these two photos.

Then panic set in, because I couldn't find any more photos.  None, zip, zilch.  And the book was already in Krisha's hands.  How would I be able to show all I did over the course of about three weeks?  Then something wonderful happened.  I took some photos of a sunrise (we all know what those are for).  When I was taking them off my SD card, I realized I had never removed the rest of the ones I took for this book.

So, dear friends, here is the rest of the story:

This is probably the third time in my life I've pinned anything!  Will wonders ever cease to exist.

The completed front cover to Krisha's book when finished.  Since I've already shown the pages individually, I'll let you peruse them at your own pace.

Inside front and page 1.

Pages 2 and 3.

Pages 4 and 5.

 Pages 6 and 7.

Page 8 and inside back cover.

Hand stamped heart using Bleubeard's and my signature stamps, colored with handmade shimmering mists, and sprigs of rosemary from my garden.

For the outside back (shown before assembly) I stacked hand dyed and commercial fabric over misted tyvek.

After reviewing the photos, I realized I didn't show how the book went together.

Those brown pieces at the top of each page like the one shown above, are used to hold the pages together.  Each piece was a different size, so sandwiching the two "pages" together was a nightmare of my own doing.  But, the idea was, to cut heavy cardstock (I used 110 lb white) to just slightly smaller than the size of the fabric, then add about an inch and a half to the top.  That top area was then scored and painted on both sides.

The cardstock is used so the pages will stand on their own and are sandwiched between two of the finished pages.  You sew the cardstock to one fabric piece, then the other fabric piece.  That comprises two pages.  What you see above are two pages.  When I add another assembly (two more fabric pages sewn back to back), I overlapped the brown areas and sewed them together.  In other words, those brown areas were made up the gutter.

Did I lose you?  Once the assembly is complete (4 pages), I added fabric to both sides that covered the brown I so carefully painted.

At the risk of being redundantly redundant, you can see an example which I showed in the second photo of this post.  (See how neither of the "signatures" and gutters were the same size?)

My big problem is, and Ruth Rae's instructions never addressed it, that half the pages are upside down when you flip through the book.  You have to turn the book around to see the "backs" of each page, or otherwise stand on your head.

I hope you enjoyed this two day adventure of how I made this book.  If any one can tell me what I did wrong, I'm open to any and all options and suggestions.  And if you own Layered, Tattered, and Stitched by Ruth Rae, the name of the project is called (and this is her spelling, not mine) "Ancestory Album."  Maybe you'll see something I didn't.
 

A gift that went awry, part 1

I want to begin this tale with a spoiler alert.  Halle, if you want to be surprised, don't read this post.

This tale begins when I was trying to find a nice gift to make for my friend Halle's birthday, which is was May 5.  Yes, I realize I'm a bit late this year.  At first I decided to make a sort of banner (or as my British friends call it, a bunting).

I dyed a bunch of fabric, along with some I'd previously dyed, and tore it to size.  That's a bit of a misnomer, because I have never made anything fabric "to size" in my life.  I even attached a few strings to these pieces, which I eventually removed. 

Then it hit me that Halle had made a bunch of these fabric flags that she strings outside around her veggie garden and deck garden each year.  What WAS I thinking?  Only my subconscious knows.  I sure don't!
I was stuck on the idea of creating a gift from Layered, Tattered, and Stitched by Ruth Rae because Halle had won my extra copy last year.  I can't remember, but it may have been THIS year before she received it.  As Halle says, "It's how we (meaning Halle and me) roll."  Regardless, I got it in my head to make this handmade book.  Unfortunately, it's the hardest entry in the book, or at least I think it is.  Add to that the fact, I couldn't make sense of the directions, even after reading them FOUR times.

Then I had a giveaway on my blog.

Some of you may even remember that I drew Krisha's name.  Now I realize it would have been nice to make a very, very personal book for Krisha like she made for me, but I had already started making two: one for Halle and one for whoever won the giveaway.

However, something happened on the way to completion.  I simply have NO idea how it's supposed to fit together.  So I have yet to make Halle's.  I told my friend Sally that I could always make Halle's the same way I made Krisha's and let Halle figure out what I did wrong by reading the directions in the book.

Before I show these pages, let me warn everyone about this fabric book.  If you are here to see even, precise stitching, pages that match up perfectly, and items that go together in harmony, I suggest you walk away.  Click to another blog because you will NOT find any of those things here.  You will find stitches that don't match up, fabrics that aren't the same size, and pieces that look like they should never have been put together.  Having been forewarned, please proceed at your own discretion.

As I began putting everything together, I took photos of all the pages, not knowing which pages would go in which book when I did.

(This page contains snow dyed fabric, part of a man's tie, and two ribbons)

Only later did I consider what pages needed to go in each book.

(This page contains snow dyed fabric, a dyed hand wipe, part of a man's tie, gold ribbon, three buttons, craft felt, and rick rack)

Luckily for me (but not for Halle), I still have all her pages, but haven't started her cover yet.

Two detail shots show I used snow dyed fabric for the base, over which I added hand dyed lace.  To that I added white cotton lace from an old blouse, and five hearts (three hidden) made from ink dyed (handmade shimmering mists) tyvek.  I stamped a swirl on the alcohol and Staz-on dyed fabric.

I found this vintage photo in my stash and added it to this page because Krisha uses a lot of this type of image in her art.

That's Mexican sage caught under the lamination material that I sewed over snow dyed fabric.

Another snow dyed fabric is the substrate for this page.  I added a piece of old lace at the bottom to make it the right length.

Words cut from a book, along with a piece of old measuring tape seem to spring from this fabric flower I found in my stash.

Originally I planned this page for Halle, but needed one more for Krisha's book.  The fabric backing was made using oatmeal resist.

I laminated both the photo, again found in my stash, and the flower that I pressed last year.

A hodge podge of fabrics were used on this page.  The main background is snow dyed, over which I painted some acrylic, while the blue that peeks out below was some left over from an oatmeal resist session.  The orange should look familiar if you were here when I colored my second Summer of Color entry.  The pink at the top is left over from some I made from a pair of my shorts.  The glitzy fabric on the upper left was left after I cut my friend Kathy's cuff down to size.  Of course, the white is, as mentioned before, from a blouse I cut up.

Yes, I stamped!  The assembly needed something, so I added the face.  Isn't the background fabric lovely?  This is oatmeal resist, and I always love how it turns out.  Very different from flour resist, which was used in the face assembly and at the bottom under the lace..

I added three buttons, along with a piece of commercial fabric and a colored heart cut from tyvek, which I encased in pink tulle.

This is where the story takes a rather quirky turn.  Please visit tomorrow to see the rest of the story.  This would be too hard to load all the photos, otherwise.

Since many pieces were recycled, I'm trying to get in under the wire by joining one final time at

Moo-Mania and More for their recycle challenge.  I also have Moo-Mania and More recycled projects here, here, here, and here.