Second on the 2nd: Birds

 

As most of you know, whenever possible, I like my Second Look to somehow reflect what our current host at Art Journal Journey is featuring.  That means I had to look for something that reflected Birds as requested by Mia of Craftartista. 

Back in 2016, I was in an international swap with five other artists.  Each had their own theme.  Valarie Tups from Germany, who no longer posts to her blog, requested birds.

   This is the first page.  The bird legs are pen nibs.

This is page 2, the back side of the previous entry.

I started with images from a bird book and turned them into transparencies using packing tape.  I backed the transparencies with words taken from a Thesaurus. 

I even did a bit of stamping.  The egg on the left was a gift from Linda at heARTfully Inspired.

I used pan pastels on the background and gold pigment ink on black card stock for the stamped feathers.

This is page 3.  Valerie likes words on her pages, so I tried to oblige.

I combined three colors of pan pastels, then sprayed them with fixative, which darkened the background more than I anticipated.  I stamped to the left of "Field Notes," and added the names of the birds that are shown on Side 4.

More stamping.  I was surprised that the birds slid around on the background.  I thought it might be because of the fixative I used.   The bird stamps shown on this page were gifted me by Chris at Pear Shaped Crafting, another participant in this swap.

After I mailed the package, I worried that the feathers I used in this spread might be rejected by customs.  I know it's illegal to send them to Australia.

Words on the page.  Somehow I have trouble with that, but forced myself to fit words on most pages I created for Valerie.

This is page 4 and the Audubon accordion booklet I created contains pictures of each of the birds listed on the reverse side.

This is one side of the accordion fold

and this is the other side and the front.  I colored the cards using my handmade shimmering mists.  Please note that Valerie's photos are much better than my scans.

The booklet is held together using velcro.  The book can be accessed from either side by pulling on the glass squares.

The bird image was also gifted me by Linda.  Another real feather tied the pages together.

This is page 5.  I had some really lovely and rather expensive folded wrapping paper that I wanted to use for the background.  The folds had caused creases in the wrapping paper, so instead of trying to cut it exactly to size (I'm not very good at exact when it comes to paper), I simply folded it over card stock at the fold and used the same background for both page 5 and page 6.  After reading Valerie's blog today, I see this page held special meaning to her.

I tried for a bit of humor here, since I borrowed my friend Kathy's dies for this project. 

The cat was one Kathy had given me earlier, so I added some rub-n-buff to the cat to make it a bit different color from the cage.

This is page 6, and you can see I continued the wrapping paper background here.

It's impossible to tell, but this peacock is very dimensional.  There are several layers to it, but they simply don't show up on the scan.

Again, Valerie loves words, and this reads "Shake your tail feathers," although it's rather difficult to read because of the transparent letters.

This is page 7, and surely you knew I would include a bit of my wonky sewing.

The back layer is some of my hand dyed silk, the transparent eggs were also from Linda.  The "branch" is a stirrer stick I dyed using a furniture touch-up pen.  Dyed cheesecloth became the "nest."

I found the white die cut bird in my stash.  I colored it using Staz-on and alcohol.  My feeble attempt at stamping was hit and miss on the page.

I received permission from Valerie to show the completed tag and here it is in the pocket, something I forgot to scan.  This photo is from Valerie's blog, so please don't pin it without her permission.

This is page 8 and also the last page I created.

I had these beautiful birds in my stash that I had printed out when I had color ink in my printer, and simply had to use them.  The die cut cat was another that had been given me by my friend Kathy and was meant to tie the pages together.

I fear I could have done a better job on this page, because it is really lacking in something.

This is the front of the tag I created  for Valerie.  Our tags take the place of sign-in pages in altered books.

This is the back before I added my personal information.  The die cut oval was a gift, and the "brads" were stickles.  I used the ONE die I owned at the time to create the tag that I colored using Staz-on and alcohol.

Here is a portion of the competed tag with fibers and three silver feathers attached.

Thanks ever so much for visiting today.  I hope you enjoyed the swap pages I made for Valerie, whose theme is birds.

______________________________________________________________

Now it's time to share your own Second on the 2nd.  The rules are quite simple and everyone is welcome to join the fun look back.  All you have to do is bring back a post that you are especially proud of, or perhaps one you shared before anyone knew your blog existed.  It could even be one that holds special meaning.  Any post, any genre, any artistic endeavor is acceptable, as long as it's been published sometime in the past.  Then link below (direct links only, please) and Bleubeard and I, along with other Second on the 2nd friends, will be by to visit.  This link will be good until Monday May 4 at 4:00 p.m. my time.    

 

 

 

 

 

*WOYWW 780: 15 years and counting*

 

Today I am joining the greatest head desker in the world, our beloved Julia at Stamping Ground. 

IF your blog has embedded comments, I will NOT be able to leave you a comment.  I keep getting "Failed to Publish" on all blogs with embedded comments.  Please be aware, it is blogger and not me.

 As you can see, in the past few years, I may only visit once or twice a year, but Wendy and I will never miss an anniversary.  We haven't missed one yet!

As for the obligatory rocking horse, this tiny pin is attached to WOYWWendy's bodice.

I made exactly two anniversary ATCs, one for Julia and one for my PIF partner.

Please note that I only go shopping once a week because of the pain I'm experiencing.  I have finally realized it is due to lupus, a disorder I was diagnosed with a few years ago.  Therefore, since I must buy stamps in order to send these to their respective recipients, it will be Monday before I mail them.

 

Second on the 2nd: Poetry

 

As most of you know, whenever possible, I like my Second Look to somehow reflect what our current host at Art Journal Journey is featuring.  That means I had to look for something that reflected Poetry, the theme which Valerie and Erika share this month.

This post was created for two very different challenges from two different challenge blogs that are no longer with us. One prompt was Rhyme Time and the other was Poetry.  This entry was originally published in September, 2014, and contains the ONE and ONLY poem I ever wrote.

It was even published in a national teen magazine, although, for the life of me, I can no longer remember the name of it.

After all, I was only 11 when I wrote and submitted it.  Actually, if truth be told (and again, I simply don't remember) I suspect I talked my Grandmother (Grands raised me from birth) into submitting it for me.

   While trying to create this entry, I looked high, low, and everywhere in between for the tree image I though I owned (in green).  But it must have belonged to my friend Kathy, because it was in with a bunch of stamped images I had received from a stamping swap I participated in years and years and years ago.  I did, on the other hand, find the other tree, but should have left it off, since I didn't stamp it nearly as well as the tree I had received in the swap. 

Now it's time to share your own Second on the 2nd.  The rules are quite simple and everyone is welcome to join the fun look back.  All you have to do is bring back a post that you are especially proud of, or perhaps one you shared before anyone knew your blog existed.  Any post, any genre, any artistic endeavor is acceptable, as long as it's been published sometime in the past.  Then link below (direct links only, please) and Bleubeard and I, along with other Second on the 2nd friends, will be by to visit. 

 

 

Love all creatures

 

I had intended this for April 11, but it published to March 7.  I have NO idea how that happened because I didn't even consider creating it till this month.  Thankfully only one person commented on it, so I am confident I can share it with FFO.

Bleubeard and I are calling this Love All Creatures.  I'm sharing it with Nicole's Friday Face Off.  Details below.

For the left side of the spread, I did fairly well.  I ran into trouble when I started stamping the backgrounds on the right side.

I was in a tag swap a few years ago and this participant also sent an extra blank piece that matched the background of the tag.  The other two pieces were also originally blank and I found them in my stash.  I honestly do NOT stamp well and I didn't have a way to see the "Friends Furrever" stamp was upside down until after I had stamped it.  The same with the "You're purrfect" stamp, which I stamped too high on the card.  As a result, I added the heart.

This is Day 11 of 22 and I recycled a tag and a blank piece I received in a swap.

 

What's On Your Workdesk this 728th Wednesday (AKA WOYWW 728)

 

Today is the day we leave an asterisk beside our names if we are sharing an ATC.  I cannot forget to leave my asterisk.  It is also the day that WOYWW turns 14, a milestone that could only be made possible by our head desker and all around caring and thoughtful host, Julia at Stamping Ground.

The observant viewer will notice I have changed the red rosin paper on my work table.  Although I am still using only one arm, I managed to move everything, albeit, extremely slowly.  You can also see my PIF ATC is ready to go, too.  I just finished it Monday afternoon, right before I changed the rosin paper.  I made a total of four ATCs all exactly the same.  One is already in my mailbox for Julia, one goes to my PIF partner, one I am keeping (something I have not done in the past), and one is a spare in case my original gets lost in the ether (or in the postal system).

Further, note this is where Wendy lives unless she is on some adventure with me.

I truly believe everyone who was here from Julia's last Wednesday is familiar with What's On Your Workdesk WENDY!  Wendy was born on the first anniversary of WOYWW 13 years ago.  It's the first time I stamped on fabric and the first (and only) time I created an art doll.  The letters on the skirt were stenciled.

I took another photo because I wanted to show the middle button came from Caro for our 10th anniversary.  The other two, as well as the wooden card holder were made by and came from our head desker, Julia.

I suspect many of you were searching for the rocking horse and here it is, a clear stamp.  You can tell I've used it and not gotten the image back on exactly right.

In addition to Wendy, to honor WOYWW's first anniversary, I created this sewing machine cover from a used pillowcase.  It was the first time I used stencils and paint on fabric.

I used to ask that you leave your number if you are coming from Julia's, but we have all been around the block enough times I don't need to say that anymore.  Now let's head over to Julia's and let the fun and the party begin.

T Stands For Results of First Poll

 

I was delighted to see so many of you wanted

to exchange ATCs when I read the results of the poll I created last week. 

 

For those of you who were not here last week, these were the choices:

For our anniversary, I would like to

A. exchange ATCs, but only within my country

B. exchange ATCs anywhere in the world

C. exchange an ATC and/OR a recipe

D. exchange an ATC and/OR a postcard

F. exchange something not previously mentioned (Erika suggested bags of tea)

E. I don't want to participate in the Year 10 exchange

 On my dining room table is part of the results of the first poll.

I realize some of you are NOT paper artists and you may have never made an ATC in your life.  However, I am suggesting you can still join the swap, if there is enough interest.  You would swap with others who do not want to make an ATC.  Here is what I propose.  Once again, please link, then share your choice.  IF you have already said you would make an ATC last week, you do not have to respond again. 

A. I will exchange a postcard from my city, state, country, or one I picked up on my travels

B. I will exchange two bags of tea 

C. I will exchange either a postcard OR two bags of tea with anyone also exchanging tea or a postcard

D. I can't afford the postage 

E. It takes too much of my time

How hard can it be to either pick up a postcard, or send two packets of tea to another T Tuesday participant?  After all, if you are here for T Tuesday, at some point, I am sure you have picked up a few tea packets.  Also, tea is easy to find in the supermarket.  Even the small, out-of-the-way store and quick shops sell tea in bags!  Even if you are busy, sending one of these shows how much you care about T Tuesday and your other T Tuesday participants.

 

Here are examples of tea I have received.  Camomile is on the left, and Hibiscus is on the right.

 

When I travel, I write a postcard a day and send it to myself.  That way I have both photos and a written record of my favorite memories from that day.  These are some of my postcards I have sent myself over the years.

This is the type of postcard I will be sending along with my ATC.

Although you probably already know the drill, please share a drink related post.  It can be gifts you received, photos, a place you visited, movies, postcards, mail art, junk mail, catalogs, books, sketches, mixed media, drawings, paintings, handmade cards, tags, scrapbooking, or other art that is digital, hybrid, or traditional, a favorite mug, cup and saucer, teapot, coffee pot, or even a wine glass. Regardless, please join us by linking below.  Bleubeard and I will gladly visit, as will other T participants.  Please link only your T post and not your blog in general.  Bleubeard would like to remind you that old photos are acceptable because they may be taken any time, not just on Tuesday and not just this year, as this post proves.  Please remember to visit your fellow T participants.