Treasure Barn

REST IN SWEET PEACE ETTA

2012-01-20T15:22:00.000-08:00

Today one of my all time favorite singers passed away.

I am so sad but I am sure she is singing in heaven with the Angels! I love her music and admire her talent.

Rest in Peach Etta. The world has lost another icon.

This is a tin I created two years ago.

This post in lengthy but well worth the read if you love Etta James

Her manager, Lupe De Leon, said that the cause was complications of leukemia. Ms. James, who died at Riverside Community Hospital, had been undergoing treatment for some time for a number of conditions, including leukemia and dementia. She also lived in Riverside.

Ms. James was not easy to pigeonhole. She is most often referred to as a rhythm and blues singer, and that is how she made her name in the 1950s with records like “Good Rockin’ Daddy.” She is in both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Blues Hall of Fame

She was also comfortable, and convincing, singing pop standards, as she did in 1961 with “At Last,” which was written in 1941 and originally recorded by Glenn Miller’s orchestra. And among her four Grammy Awards(including a lifetime-achievement honor in 2003) was one for best jazz vocal performance, which she won in 1995 for the album “Mystery Lady: Songs of Billie Holiday.”

Regardless of how she was categorized, she was admired. Expressing a common sentiment, Jon Pareles of The New York Times wrote in 1990 that she had “one of the great voices in American popular music, with a huge range, a multiplicity of tones and vast reserves of volume.”

For all her accomplishments, Ms. James had an up-and-down career, partly because of changing audience tastes but largely because of drug problems. She developed a heroin habit in the 1960s; after she overcame it in the 1970s, she began using cocaine. She candidly described her struggles with addiction and her many trips to rehab in her autobiography, “Rage to Survive,” written with David Ritz(1995).

Etta James was born Jamesetta Hawkins in Los Angeles on Jan. 25, 1938. Her mother, Dorothy Hawkins, was 14 at the time; her father was long gone, and Ms. James never knew for sure who he was, although she recalled her mother telling her that he was the celebrated pool player Rudolf Wanderone, better known as Minnesota Fats. She was reared by foster parents and moved to San Francisco with her mother when she was 12.

She began singing at the St. Paul Baptist Church in Los Angeles at 5 and turned to secular music as a teenager, forming a vocal group with two friends. She was 15 when she made her first record, “Roll With Me Henry,” which set her own lyrics to the tune of Hank Ballard and the Midnighters’ recent hit “Work With Me Annie.” When some disc jockeys complained that the title was too suggestive, the name was changed to “The Wallflower,” although the record itself was not.

“The Wallflower” rose to No. 2 on the rhythm-and-blues charts in 1954. As was often the case in those days with records by black performers, a toned-down version was soon recorded by a white singer and found a wider audience: Georgia Gibbs’s version, with the title and lyric changed to “Dance With Me, Henry,” was a No. 1 pop hit in 1955. (Its success was not entirely bad news for Ms. James. She shared the songwriting royalties with Mr. Ballard and the bandleader and talent scout Johnny Otis, who had arranged for her recording session. (Mr. Otis died on Tuesday.)

In 1960 Ms. James was signed by Chess Records, the Chicago label that was home to Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters and other leading lights of black music. She quickly had a string of hits, including “All I Could Do Was Cry,” “Trust in Me” and “At Last,” which established her as Chess’s first major female star.

She remained with Chess well into the 1970s, reappearing on the charts after a long absence in 1967 with the funky and high-spirited “Tell Mama.” In the late ’70s and early ’80s she was an opening act for the Rolling Stones.

After decades of touring, recording for various labels and drifting in and out of the public eye, Ms. James found herself in the news in 2009 after Beyoncé Knowles recorded a version of “At Last” closely modeled on hers. (Ms. Knowles played Ms. James in the 2008 movie “Cadillac Records,” a fictionalized account of the rise and fall of Chess.) Ms. Knowles also performed “At Last” at an inaugural ball for President Obama in Washington.

When the movie was released, Ms. James had kind words for Ms. Knowles’s portrayal. But in February 2009, referring specifically to the Washington performance, she told an audience, “I can’t stand Beyoncé,” and threatened to “whip” the younger singer for singing “At Last.” She later said she had been joking, but she did add that she wished she had been invited to sing the song herself for the new president.

Ms. James’s survivors include her husband of 42 years, Artis Mills; two sons, Donto and Sametto James; and four grandchildren.

Though her life had its share of troubles to the end — her husband and sons were locked in a long-running battle over control of her estate, which was resolved in her husband’s favor only weeks before her death — Ms. James said she wanted her music to transcend unhappiness rather than reflect it.

“A lot of people think the blues is depressing,” she told The Los Angeles Times in 1992, “but that’s not the blues I’m singing. When I’m singing blues, I’m singing life. People that can’t stand to listen to the blues, they’ve got to be phonies.”

WHAT THE ....?

2012-01-17T14:02:00.001-08:00

What happened to my dogs? Have they turned into tigers?
No, they just caught the sunshine on their fur while napping in front of the window with blinds.
I thought this a unique picture and wanted to share with you.

THE MAKING OF AN ALTERED TIN

2012-01-15T12:43:00.000-08:00

This past week I altered some heart shaped tins to put in my Etsy Shop for Valentine's Day.

As promised I tried to take photos as I went (glue on fingers and all) to show you the process.

Preparing to alter. I need wax paper or something to protect my granite top desk, Gesso, Modge Podge to glue and seal with and a jar of water to soak my brushes, oh and lots of paper towels to clean up and dry the brush before using it.

First of all I have to primer with Gesso so that things will stick to the tin.
This my first step. Then I wait for about 30 minute for the Gesso to dry.

I usually do all of the tins I plan to use at the same time.
In this case I altered 4 mini tins also.

I use the primer on all areas I am going to cover with paper.
While the primer is drying I choose which paper I will want to use and then start cutting the pattern out. I just trace around the tin for top, bottom and sides and then cut out all the pieces.

I also cut thicker card stock paper to place on both sides
of the lid to help cover the word "Altoid"

Once I have glued all the paper in place I then seal the paper with the same Modge Podge.

While I am waiting for this to dry I try to choose what design I want and what I will use to embellish the tin.

I usually always cover the inside of the tins.
In this photo you see regular card stock with glitter. These were for the mini tins. I did not cover the inside of the heart shaped boxes

By this time, no matter how hard I try, my desk is a disaster!
boxes, paper, scissors, glue, trim, etc etc etc. It gets pretty scary for awhile!

Once I have decided how I want to embellish my tin I cut the pieces to fit and get out my favorite tacky glue !

Here is the finished product and it only took me all day!
NO really, it usually only takes about an hour if I have no interruptions or lunch breaks for my hubby or potty breaks for my doggies.

The following are all the tins I created in one whole day.
Whew!
Oh, and I am working on a Steampunk Heart Tin today

BLISSFUL ATC SWAP

2012-01-13T11:51:00.001-08:00

This Month at Blissful ATC Swap my partner was Lynn Fox.
This is the card she sent to me, the theme was Jane Austen.
Thanks Jane !

Magazine Cover

2012-01-10T11:29:00.000-08:00

Digital Whisper is going to be publishing a magazine three times a year. They are doing this to raise money to keep the network open to digital artist such as myself.

Last year I became an administrator for this network doing Artist Interviews each month. Digital Whisper founder Kim Draper designed and published the Digital Whisper 2012 calendar book giving 12 members who participated in this project a choice of which month they wanted to work on. Mine was June. The calendar came out just before Christmas 2011. I was honored to have some of my art published in this beautiful book.

This year Digital Whisper will give all Digital Whisper Artists the opportunity to help create the covers for this magazine.

This is my design.

If any of you are interested in joining Digital Whisper the link is here on the left of my page.
I have learned so much from the challenges they have each week and with so many groups that share ideas and tutorials. It is free to join Digital Whisper so if you are looking for a fun network that is chuck full of good go take a look.

The Holy Bible on 47 CD's ?

2012-01-05T13:17:00.000-08:00

The Holy Bible on CD's

Yep! a couple of years ago while visiting my niece in Nampa, Idaho we were looking around the church store and I found this really neat CD set. Old and New Testament, 47 CD's . The Holy Bible !

It comes all organized and protected in this nylon case. I bought it to listen to while I was going to walk on my tread climber. I didn't routinely walk on my tread climber. I do Zumba now and I have found a wonderful minister, Joyce Meyer and she is so funny but down to earth and really easy to understand.

I only goth through the first few CD's and I got bored. You know the old testament is a bit boring. So I have put these up for sale in Craig's list and also Ebay. I am sure they will make someone really happy.

Have you ever heard of the Holy Bible on CD ?

GEARING UP FOR VALENTINES DAY

2012-01-03T13:36:00.000-08:00

Here are some tins I have accumulated over the past year. My hubby finds most of these tins for me.
I will be turning these tins in to beautiful hand decorated Valentine Tins to add to my Etsy Shop,
Altered State of Tin

I will show you step by step as I go. Plan to start on this project next week.

NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS

2012-01-02T23:18:00.000-08:00

Guardian Angels
My latest digital collage

Okay I guess you have all made your New Years Resolutions by now. How many of you will keep them?
If you are like me your intentions when you make them are sincere and you really plan to do them but as the days go by you don't

I really need to make some and stick with them. Here are a couple that I am going to do my best to follow through with.

I will try to go to bed earlier than 2AM. This is a habit that I have fallen into over the past two years. I just can't go to sleep! My mind is racing with things I want to create or that email I forgot to answer or did I check Facebook today or things I need to do the next day. I have to learn to turn it all off and go to sleep. It really is a habit. Nothing that won't be there in the morning right? How many of you have this problem?

Since I retired with my husband back in 2006 being together 24/7 is sometimes nerve wracking!! I used to work 10 to 12 hours a day and my husband traveled a lot back East. He would be gone 10 days at a time three of four times a month and when he was home he was at a car show with his wares every other weekend. We retired and now we are together mostly 24/7. How many of you are retired and spending every day together?

My husband has lots of medical problems and I try to be patient with him but some times I get cranky and wish I had time to myself. He goes fishing many times during the late summer and I spend at least 10 days a year visiting my kids in CA plus I have my Etsy meetings every Thursday and I go workout every day for an hour at 4PM. This is the only thing that keeps me sane !!

How many of you women out there feel like this? Am I the only one? Am I selfish? Am I spoiled? If the truth was known I think my hubby feels the same way. I feel everyone needs time to themselves. These are just a few things that we do to have our "alone time".

It is funny, I will be cleaning house all day or doing laundry and the minute I sit down at my computer he is there just standing and looking at me. "What? I say" . "Want some lunch?" Even though we just had breakfast a couple of hours ago he wants lunch? Just a example here :)

So another resolution is that I need to be more patient with him and be happy that I was able to retire at such an early age. Stop complaining and be thankful that I have him standing and looking at me.

I am a nice person, really, I am. So those are my most important resolutions and I will work on them.

What are your resolutions?

REFLECTING BACK ON 2011

2011-12-31T10:49:00.000-08:00

It is amazing how time flys by. The older I get the faster it goes.
Looking back on 2011 I am amazed at all that can happen in one year!

Since retiring to Coos Bay Oregon from Corona California in 2006 I have missed my family so much, especially through the holidays. This year we did not put up a tree or decorate. I was just not in the mood and my thoughts were "why bother?". My middle Son said to me "because it is Christmas!" He is right. Next year I will put up a tree and decorate for Christmas. Even though I have no family here I should do it for me and to celebrate the birth of our savior Jesus Christ. That is what Christmas is supposed to be all about.

I paid close attention to all the Christmas cards I received this year and I only received two that said Merry Christmas or even mentioned Christ at all. I hate what this country is becoming. How can you take Christ out of Christmas? It is is his birthday weather you believe or not. The man was born and he was real and he does have a birthday. Well that is a sore subject with me so I will leave that for another time.

This past year I have felt heartache and despair with a divorce in my family. I have lost my favorite Aunt but was blessed with a beautiful Great Granddaughter. I saw my first born Granddaughter get married. My youngest Son is in his last year at the seminary where he will graduate with a degree in theology. My oldest Grandson started college this year. My youngest Granddaughter is becoming a young women .

I was fortunate to have my oldest Son and his wife visit me. An old friend also surprised me with a visit. I had not seen her in 16 years. I think my husband was ready to run away by the time she went home. We talked so much our throats were sore and so were his ears! Can you imagine trying to catch up for 16 years? It was funny trying to fit it all in.

My husband has leukemia/lymphoma and this past year his days were full of tests. Blood tests, MRI's, biopsy's, doctor visits and many trips to the pharmacy. He is at a stage that is "watch and wait, no treatment necessary". He recently had three swollen lymph nodes under his arm which one was removed for biopsy and showed nothing new. This is in addition to his chronic renal failure, enlarged prostate, chronic sinus infection, high blood pressure and two cataract surgeries. He has glaucoma in both eyes and has lost 90% of his vision in one eye. The cataract surgery has improved his vision so this is a good thing. Hopefully this next year will be a better one for him.

I have achieved some goals this past year. I finally reached my weight loss goal with the help of Zumba exercise and walking . I opened a new Etsy Shop Dec 2011 to sell my altered tin boxes, cigar boxes and altered jars. Most of my boxes are covered with my art work. The shop has done pretty good for the first year.

I was ask to design a month for a calendar book put together by Digital Whisper, a network I am a member of. I picked the month of June and that artwork and design was published in a desk calendar book for 2012.

I was honored when Digital Whisper ask me to be one of the administrators of their network. My job is to interview individual artists each month and post the interviews on the front page each month.This has been a challenge and a lot of fun.

This next year I plan to change some things on my blog. I want it to be interesting and more personal. My moto is "A place to meet wonderful people and share thoughts, ideas and life". I look forward to this new year and what it will bring.

Happy New Year to all of you! Be safe and God Bless you.

Inspiration for my 2012 banner

2011-12-30T15:34:00.001-08:00

This is my latest collage and the inspiration for my new 2012 background and banner.
I used an image I had in my private collection and the background is peacock feathers.
Using a Photoshop brush to add the writing this is what I ended up with.

Remember this Lady?

2011-12-30T11:37:00.000-08:00

Irena Sendler

Died: May 12, 2008 (aged 98)

Warsaw, Poland

During WWII, Irena, got permission to work in the Warsaw ghetto, as a Plumbing/Sewer specialist. She had an ulterior motive.

Irena smuggled Jewish infants out in the bottom of the tool box she carried. She also carried a burlap sack in the back of her truck, for larger kids.

Irena kept a dog in the back that she trained to bark when the Nazi soldiers let her in and out of the ghetto. The soldiers, of course, wanted nothing to do with the dog and the barking covered the kids/infants noises.

During her time of doing this, she managed to smuggle out and save 2500 kids/infants.

Ultimately, she was caught, however, and the Nazi's broke both of her legs and arms and beat her severely.

Irena kept a record of the names of all the kids she had smuggled out, in a glass jar that she buried under a tree in her back yard. After the war, she tried to locate any parents that may have survived and tried to reunite the family. Most had been gassed. Those kids she helped got placed into foster family homes or adopted.

In 2007 Irena was up for the Nobel Peace Prize. She was not selected. Al Gore won, for a slide show on Global Warming.

Later another politician, Barack Hussein Obama, won for his work as a community organizer for ACORN.

In MEMORIAM - 65 YEARS LATER

I'm doing my small part by forwarding this message.

It is now more than 65 years since the Second World War in Europe ended.

This is a memorial chain, in memory of the six million Jews, 20 million Russians, 10 million Christians and 1,900 Catholic priests who were murdered, massacred, raped, burned, starved and humiliated!

Now, more than ever, with Iran and others, claiming the HOLOCAUST to be 'a myth'. It's imperative to make sure the world never forgets, because there are others who would like to do it again.

Blissful ATC Swap

2011-12-26T00:38:00.000-08:00

I recieved this lovely ATC from my Blissful ATC Swap Partner, Mercedes. She really did a great job and it i it looks 3D.

She also sent this lovely antique post card dated 1918. Ironically it says "How is fishing these days?" My husband is a fisherman and when I first read this I thought to myself...how in the world did she know?. I love both to them. Thanks Mercedes !

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2011-12-21T23:44:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas to you all.

A couple of weeks ago our Etsy Team had its annual Christmas Gift Exchange.

Linda, Carla and Eve

Nadine and Susan

We met for lunch and a had good conversation about our plans for the New Year.

Sue and Pamela

Sue brought this bust she is working on with her mosaic talents. Isn't he funny?

This has been a hard year for many with the economy the way it is. Lets pray that the New Year will bring good happy things to all of us.

Thank God many of our troops are coming home to their families for Christmas. I am sure there will be lots of happiness.

(The view from my kitchen window this morning)

Have a safe and Merry Christmas while you celebrate the birth of our savior.
God Bless You all

WINNER OF MY GIVE AWAY

2011-12-18T19:29:00.001-08:00

Mirror Mirror on the wall, who's the luckiest of you all ?

Today is the drawing for the winner of my Give Away.

I wrote the names on a piece of paper and cut them into individual pieces

Folded each name in half and put them in a bowl

Reached in and drew this name.... GEORGIE OF PUDDIN PIE!
Congratulations Georgie !

Thanks to all of you for participating and for following my blog and looking at my Etsy shop and adding my links to your blogs. You all mean so much to me for without you I would not be blogging :)
I am looking forward to another year of blogging with all of you and making new friends.
Love you all

MY LATEST CREATION

2011-12-14T15:48:00.000-08:00

Digital Whisper challenge this week was "Stairs". This is what I did for that challenge.
3 layers, 4 brushes. I call it Paradise.

Don't forget Friday is the deadline to sign up for my giveaway.
Have a blessed day !

MY LATEST CREATION

2011-12-07T22:35:00.000-08:00

Steam Punk Dancer

This will be going on one of my tins.

70 Years !

2011-12-07T22:32:00.000-08:00

Today marks the 70th anniversary of Pearl Harbor. Let us not forget those who served, my Father included.

A Beautiful Surprise

2011-12-07T12:00:00.001-08:00

I received this lovely Thanksgiving ATC from my oldest blogging buddy today.

Vickie has been a big inspiration to my blogging and my art. She is on of my biggest supporters and I love her. Visit her blog at Whispers of Inspiration .
Thanks Vickie, I love this.

A GIVE AWAY !

2011-12-01T23:36:00.000-08:00

I have decided to have a give away here at Treasure Barn.

Why? No special reason. I entered my first post back in Jan of 2007 thanks to my dear daughter in law Mica, and since then have posted 925 posts and I have 114 followers and numerous followers on my Patricia Creations Blog which is my gallery of art.

I look back on the art I did when I first started and I am amazed at what I have learned. Mixed media was what I started with and then became interested in digital art. I still do both. I love both but digital is my favorite now.

I started with ATC's and then created bigger pieces and then turned some of them into note cards. I have created on Masonite and moved to canvas. Last year in December I decided to altered altoid tins and cigar boxes by adding my art to them. I opened a shop on Etsy and since then have been doing pretty good.

So I guess in celebration of all I have learned since Jan of 2007, I am giving away one of my first mixed media collages (A Victorian Bride) done on Masonite and a matching set of 4 note cards and envelopes.

A hard back "Altered Art for the first time" book .
I got lots of ideas from this book.

A digital collage I created in 2010, mounted on canvas and 4 matching 2 x 3 stickers.

Bits and pieces of trim that I use for ATC's and 3/4 sheet of handmade paper.

Four of my first altered tins which includes a Siamese Cat, a Giraffe, Bumble Bee and my very first Steam Punk tin.

Here are the rules for those who want to participate in this give away.

Follow my blog if you aren't already
Leave me a comment that you want to enter the drawing
Post on your blog, announcing my Give Away with a link to Treasure Barn
www.treasurebarnblog.blogspot.com and to my Etsy Shop Altered State of Tin
Visit my Etsy Shop and "Favor" one of my items there.

The winner will also receive a 25% discount on any item in my shop if you see something you would like . Just email me BEFORE YOUR FINAL PURCHASE and let me know which item you would like and I will adjust the invoice for that item .

Deadline to enter in the drawing is Midnight December 16th
Drawing will be Sunday, December 18th

I will get all of these items in the mail to the winner on Monday December 19th so they can reach you before Christmas.

Thanks for being my blogging buddies. Without you I wouldn't be here!

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE !

GETTING READY FOR CHRISTMAS

2011-11-30T17:54:00.000-08:00

I have been working constantly on some new tins and a couple of new jars to add to my Etsy Shop.

I have been working constantly on some new tins (a total of 8) . I even created my first shrine and a couple of new jars to add to my Etsy Shop. It took me four days to create and photograph and add to my shop. I only have two left to add.

Then I have been getting ready to create a new Christmas banner for my blog .

I created this Christmas Card for my Son David. He loves it !

I am also almost ready to post a give away here so watch for it tomorrow evening.

A Personal Collage

2011-11-28T00:29:00.000-08:00

Recently I had a opportunity to create a 50th class reunion collage for Cheryl over at Healing Woman

She sent me 15 photos of what she wanted on her brochure and explained that she knew nothing about layering but wanted her painting of the women to be transparent and to look like she was remembering her high school years. She also wanted some sort of time piece to show the passage of time. I offered to help her and she sent me her photographs and the brochure that she had done.

Here are her 15 pictures

Painting by Cheryl

This was her brochure when she ask me for help.

This is what I did with all those pictures and I made her women face transparent. She was delighted with it and I was delighted that I could help her out.
What do you think?

Twlight Fanatic

2011-11-25T14:22:00.001-08:00

Went to see the Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn just before Thanksgiving. I am so hooked on this sage.

Inspires me to create! These are just a few of what I have in mind .

Breaking Dawn

Lost Souls

Leader of the Pack

I will be having a give away this week so keep you eyes out for it.
I will be giving away a couple of my tins as well as one of these digital collages.

Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Birthday !

2011-11-24T00:37:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you wonderful blogging friends. Have a safe and happy day.

This is my baby son Tony. He is the youngest of three.
Today is his birthday. He will be graduating from the Seminary in CA in 6 months.
He will then have a degree in theology. Soon he will have his own church.
I am so proud of him. He has struggled and worked and studied very hard over the past few years.
He life's dream is to serve our Lord .
Happy Birthday Tony.
We Love You

A Visit from My Son David from Las Vegas

2011-11-18T23:38:00.001-08:00

My oldest son David and his wife Lisa came to visit over the Veterans Day weekend. They have never been to Oregon before so we took them on a tour. Thought you might want to come along :)

We walked along the boardwalk and browsed through some of the shops here.

David and Lisa on the dock of the bay....

Stopped to see the coast guard tug boats.

And the plane that will take you on a tour over the Bay. Lisa is afraid of flying so this little plane was of no interest to her.

McCullough Bridge over the Bay as you come in to North Bend

The railroad bridge that opens when the ships come in to the bay.

We drove to Winchester Bay for lunch and then to the dunes
Alan and I standing in front of the whale watch site above the dunes.

They enjoyed seeing dunes since they both have ATV's and ride in the desert for recreation

More sand in the dunes. David wanted to walk on it to see if it was soft sand. He said it was much different than the sand in the Las Vegas and Arizona desert where ride usually ride their ATV's

Lisa loves light houses so we took her to see this one.
The Umpqua Light house which is still an active light house.

Then we went to Shore Acres which is a beautiful garden covering acres of land. It was Designed as a summer retreat by Louie Simpson and he built a house as a Christmas present for his first wife, Cassie. The house was built 75 feet above the waves in 1906.

The first house burned to the ground and they built another one. When Mr Simpson passed away he donated this beautiful garden and the land to the state of Oregon. Today it is the biggest tourist attraction in the area. At Christmas time the decorate with over 250,000.00 lights. It is amazing and so beautiful. If you look you can see they have already started putting the lights on the bushes and there are all kinds of decorated Christmas trees all over the garden

This is the beach below Shore Acres below the garden.

Usually quiet and secluded and a wonderful place to go if you want peace and quiet.
My friend goes there often when she wants to be alone with God

The next day we headed for Bandon. This is the Coquille Light House. Built in 1800's.
It is no longer active but does have tours during the summer.

David and Me on the steps of the light house.

You can see just how big this light house is here.

A beautiful shot of the sun behind a cloudy sky and the light house in front.

David standing on a rock out there in that nasty water. He just had to scare me!
Get back here David!

The waters were really rough but so beautiful

I love this shot. The water is so beautiful

These are logs that have washed up on the shore.

David and Lisa on the beach at Bandon

They were amazed at the changing of colors on the trees here.
Not to many trees in Vegas unless they are palm or yucca.

Lisa enjoyed shopping in all the shops here in Bandon.
They bought lots of candy at the Cranberry Sweets factory (I didn't get a shot of that) where they make all sorts of cranberry fudge and candy.
She also had fun trying on hats. Cute Lisa :)

Then we headed home and on our way up our lane the neighbors goats were out blocking the road.
Now that is something you don't see in Vegas !

They had a great time and I am pleased as punch that they came to visit.

Hope you enjoyed the tour.

Soul Brush Art

2011-11-17T16:35:00.000-08:00

This week I wanted to introduce you to an artist that I think is fabulous

Jocelyn Rossiter London,United Kingdom

She is an Etsy member as well as one of my favorite artists. Her work is versatile and affordable. She lives in the United Kingdom and this piece of the Persian Market caught my eye. I love the colors as well as the roof tops. I just happen to have a couple of tiny pieces of her art since she does swap ATC's with me. That is a wonderful thing about Artist Trading Cards. If you can't afford the large piece, you can have it in a trading card size. Makes me smile :)

Blissful ATC Swap

2011-11-16T12:15:00.000-08:00

This is the ATC I created for my swap partner Susan Webbenmeyer at Blissful ATC Swaps.
I did this one with Mixed Media instead of digital.
The theme was"Thankful".

NOVEMBER ATC SWAP PARTNERS

2011-11-16T10:12:00.000-08:00

Here are the swap partners for the November ATC Swap

Tiffine - Artistamyjo

Miranda - Annie

Vickie - Patti

Since the theme is Thanksgiving, try to get your cards mailed by then

If you need help with an address let me know.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING !

Art Walk

2011-11-14T13:08:00.000-08:00

The local Art Walk here in The Pony Village Mall was held on Thursday November 10th.

There were artists from all over the local area.

There were handmade blankets

A Sketch artist that just happened to be Cherokee Indian and I am a huge fan of the Cherokee tribe.
This smiling young man's name is Quinn and he makes the most beautiful sketches

"A Man in Black " and you can find him on Facebook

Unique handmade greeting cards

Beautiful handmade buttons

And Little houses made of balsa wood and your choice of ribbon to create a necklace with.
These tiny little houses are the creation of Brenda Salzano
Salzanos On Etsy.

Of course I had a big spread because I took everything I had down to this Art Walk .

From my tin boxes

To my Cigar boxes and Jars

Can you see in the corner I even did a collage with the Twilight Theme in mind and I sold one!

A mixed media collage that I created a couple of years ago

A 12 x 12 digital collage that I embellished with antique gold paint

I even added my Steam Punk Santa collage from last years window display

It was a long day but the company of my friends and new people I met made it real nice

This is Cone 9. Located here in the Mall where some of my tins will be for sale soon.

REMEMBERING OUR TROOPS

2011-11-11T12:31:00.000-08:00

This is a collage I did back in 2009 reflecting World War II.
Remember our troops through this Veterans Day Holiday and pray for their safe return to their families.
Thanks to all of our troops and those who have lost their lives for keeping America free.
One Nation under God.
God Bless America

Rest In Peace Smokin' Joe

2011-11-07T23:34:00.000-08:00

I was shocked and saddened to hear that Joe Frazier passed away today. I am a boxing fan and have always liked Joe Fraizer. You probably heard about his passing as I did on the internet but I wanted to post about it since I am one of his fans.

Joe Frazier, the former heavyweight champion who handed Muhammad Ali his first defeat yet had to live forever in his rival's shadow, died Monday after a brief final fight with liver cancer. He was 67.

The family issued a release confirming the boxer's death.

Frazier, who took on Ali in three momentous fights in the 1970s including the epic 'Thrilla in Manilla' had been under home hospice care after being diagnosed with the cancer just weeks ago, a family friend said. Until then, Frazier had been doing regular autograph appearances, including one in Las Vegas in September.

Smokin' Joe was small by heavyweight standards, yet a ferocious fighter who smothered his opponents with punches, including a devastating left hook he used to end many of his fights early. It was the left hook that dropped Ali in the 15th round at Madison Square Garden in 1971 to seal a win in the so-called 'Fight of the Century.'

Though he beat Ali in that fight, Frazier lost the final two and for many years was bitter about the role Ali forced him to play as his foil.

"I am who I am, and yes, I whipped Ali all three times," Frazier told the New York Times in 2006.

"Ali always said I would be nothing without him," Frazier said. "But who would he have been without me?"

More recently, he said he had forgiven Ali for repeatedly taunting him.

While the 'Fight of the Century' is celebrated in boxing lore, Ali and Frazier put on an even better show in their third fight, held in a sweltering arena in Manila as part of Ali's world tour of fights in 1975. Nearly blinded by Ali's punches, Frazier still wanted to go out for the 15th round of the fight but was held back by trainer Eddie Futch in a bout Ali would later say was the closest thing to death he could imagine.

Frazier won the heavyweight title in 1970 by stopping Jimmy Ellis in the fifth round of their fight at Madison Square Garden. Frazier defended it successfully four times before George Foreman knocked him down six times in the first two rounds to take the title from him in 1973. Frazier would never be heavyweight champion again.

He was diagnosed last month with cancer, his personal and business manager said. Leslie Wolff, who has been Frazier's manager for seven years, said the boxer had been in out and out of the hospital since early October and receiving hospice treatment the last week.

Rest in Peace Smokn' Joe

Featured Artist Winestone Birdhouses

2011-11-06T12:51:00.001-08:00

I wanted to share with all of you this Etsy Shop. The artist is Layla Coats and she has just joined our O.C.E.A.N. Team. She is from Vancouver WA and loves to create bird houses. You just have to to go take a look at her beautiful creations.

WINESTONE BIRD HOUSES

They come in different sizes and are all one of a kind. I have never seen such a unique birdhouse.
Welcome Layla and best of luck to you.

A gracious lady and a Green Thing

2011-11-05T01:27:00.001-07:00

I am so honored to know Bernice Wagnitz. She has been a big inspiration to my digital art creations for many years now.

She recently ask me to tell her how to do layers and I tried to give her step by step instructions.
She has been gracious enough to let me use her art for anything I want so I used it to make this collage in teaching her about layers.

The background was created by Bernice and the fairy by Magnetica.Ru was added as the layer. I thought only one layer would be good for the lesson. I hope I helped her. I did notice that on her discussion at Creative Souls that her program is much different than the one I use so I hope she can follow my instructions.

You can see all of Bernice's art at Creative Souls by clicking the icon on the left of my page and then search under members for Bernice Wagnitz. Her technique is called Color Merge.

Does anyone out there have a tip on how to do a video to put on a site for her? I have no clue!

I also wanted to share this email I received the other day. It is so true.

The Green Thing

Checking out at the store, the young cashier suggested to the older woman, that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment.

The woman apologized and explained, "We didn't have this green thing back in my earlier days."

The clerk responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations."

She was right -- our generation didn't have the green thing in its day.

Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled. But we didn't have the green thing back in our day.

We walked up stairs, because we didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks. But she was right. We didn't have the green thing in our day.

Back then, we washed the baby's diapers because we didn't have the throw-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts -- wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days.

Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that young lady is right; we didn't have the green thing back in our day.

Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana .

In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us.

When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.

Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power.

We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity. But she's right; we didn't have the green thing back then.

We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water.

We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull. But we didn't have the green thing back then.

Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service.

We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.

But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn't have the green thing back then?

Please forward this on to another selfish old person who needs a lesson in conservation from a smartass young person. (Excuse the language but I had to add it to get the total effect.)

Remember: Don't make old People mad.

We don't like being old in the first place, so it doesn't take much to set us off.

NOVEMBER ATC SWAP

2011-11-01T23:34:00.000-07:00

This is an ATC I did back in 2009

This month the theme will be what else...Thanksgiving.
Please leave a comment if you want to join my swap.
I will post partners on November 15th
Deadline to mail your card to your partner is November 21st.

I will be having a Give Away some time this month to celebrate
Thanksgiving. Watch for it !

Short Hauntings

2011-10-28T15:04:00.000-07:00

House across from Victoria Cemetery

Marshallberg, North Carolina

In this house, the lonely wife of a fisherman began having an affair. Soon, she gave birth to her lover's baby. As she heard her the fisherman approaching, she killed the baby and buried it under the porch. Eventually, the woman went insane because she kept hearing the baby's cries. It is said that if one stands on the porch, the baby's cries may still be heard.

Chester Av.

Bremerton, Washington

This apartment complex was used as a hospital during the early 1900s. Today, there are reports of ghostly nurses and patients wandering the halls.

Morpheus Bridge

Wendell, North Carolina

A family of three was driving along this bridge, when they crashed into the side, being ejected from the car and falling to the murky depths below. As a result of this tragic incident, the woman and child died, leaving only the father. It is said that if one parks his car on the bridge on Halloween, it car will shut off, and the woman will appear, searching for her lost child.

Shine Your Lantern Three Times

Anson, Texas

Local legend says that one December night more than a hundred years ago, a mother sent her son into the woods to retrieve a Christmas tree for the family. Reportedly, the mother told her son to flash his lantern three times if he got into any trouble. When the boy did not return, his mother searched for him until she herself died. Near the woman's burial site, there is a crossroads. It is said that if one parks his car and flashes the headlights three times, a mysterious light will rise and traverse�

Irwin Dr.

Fort Bragg, North Carolina

This residential building, now owned by the government, was once an orphanage. In order to escape alive when a fire struck, the manager of the house abandoned all of the children inside; no children survived the inferno. To this day, sounds of children playing on the stairs, and then screams announcing "Fire! Fire," have been heard.

A New Camera

2011-10-25T23:00:00.000-07:00

I have struggled with taking pictures for the last three years. I first had a Elixm then I got a Luminx and now I have a Sony Cyber-Shot 16 pixel, HD Digital Camera. This camera is a movie camera too. You can also crop, rotate and blur the background of your photos right on the camera.
I am not a photographer and it has been hard to get my photos to look good for my Etsy Shop.

My friend got a camera for her birthday and she showed it to me and OMG! it takes photos and the color is actually correct with no problems. I just set it on Auto and I get the best shots ever !

I am a happy camper.

These are a few of the first photos taken with my new camera.

Last night I cooked chicken thighs with carrots, celery, salt, pepper and a little garlic powder and chicken bullion
in the crock pot over night

and then at dinner time tonight I boiled egg noodles and made a home made chicken noodle dish.

I served it with garlic cheese bread.
It has started to get cold here we actually had frost last night so this was a good cold weather dish.

As you can see we ate it all !! Not a morsel left. Look how clear this photo is.

Look at the color on this photo.
My old faithful fruit bowl. My youngest son teases me about this fruit bowl. He says every Grandmother must have one and wants to know what is up with that? !

After dinner we retired into the living room where Sampson, one of our dogs promptly got on my husbands lap. He only weighs 121 lbs ! He doesn't know it though because he thinks he is a lap dog. My husband loves it when he does this :)

Anyway, I wanted to share with you how happy I am to have a camera that is small enough to put in my purse and takes great pictures with no hassle . Some of you may be chuckling with my excitement. Especially if you are experienced with photography and maybe I have been in the dark about what has been out there to make it easier but for now I am pretty happy with what I have...finally!

More Hauntings

2011-10-23T00:30:00.001-07:00

This is my latest collage.
Dracula's Women

Braemar Golf Course

Edina, Minnesota

It is said that this golf course is haunted by an apparition named Jim. It is said that when the land was cleared to build the course, a homeless black man was discovered. Soon the man died. Since that time, it has been said that balls go into holes and come back out. It is also said that sometimes balls will roll in a straight line and suddenly veer off suddenly to the right or left.

Glensheen Mansion

Duluth, Minnesota

In this house, an elderly woman and her nurse were brutally murdered by the woman's crazed lover. Now, it is said that the two haunt the house. It is said that eerie black, shadowy figures walking about the basement. Lights turning on and off have also been reported. There has even been one report of a piece of candy rolling back and forth across the dresser.

A wonderful and helpful idea !

2011-10-22T11:37:00.000-07:00

My friend Janette and her twin sister Janice from Jantastic Creations created this little card holder complete with cello sleeve to put my ATC's in when I send them out to my swap partners. Very convenient thing to have. I don't have to search for a note card small enough to put the ATC in to mail and I don't have to buy the cello sleeves because the card holder has a cello sleeve attached.

Best part is I don't have to write a note on each one sent out. It is already printed. They can print anything on them that you want.

Go take a look at their unique shop Jantastic Creations by clicking on their link on the top left side oft his page.

This one is a custom order for me. I use this size to put a 10% discount card in each of my Etsy orders. It is so convenient !

You can also put your business card in this cello sleeve, sign you name, fold it up and put it in a small envelope (provided) to mail to your customer.

Love it!!

This would also make a great way to send a photo to someone or a birth announcement with a photo of you new born. The possibilities are endless and I am so happy to be the first to have some.

What a unique idea and they are affordable too !
Thanks Jan and Jan!

Good Things Are Happening

2011-10-20T22:32:00.000-07:00

I have been a little discouraged about sales in my Etsy Shop. I decided to make some new tins and post them before the holiday rush. I got one sale last week. It was nice to see that email saying I had a PayPal transaction.

Then I started thinking about how I could market my tins to draw more people in. I prayed about it and the next morning I had a custom order from a lady in United Kingdom.

She wanted a masculine looking tin to send with her boyfriend who is going to Afghanistan next month. She wanted him to have something that would remind him of her while he is over there. She called it her "Super Hero Travel Kit". Cute huh?
He is a Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force so she sent me a photo of the model plane he fly's and ask that I put his name some where on the tin. I put it on the plane! I also added lyrics from a song by Jo Stafford from the 40's. This song was really popular during WWII but fits any soldier who is serving and away from their loved one. The name of the song is You Belong To Me. The lyrics inside the tin say ..

Fly the ocean in a silver plane
See the jungle when it's wet with rain
But remember til you're home again
You belong to me

My Mother played this song a lot when I was a child. I loved it then and I love it now.

To Listen click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmjfhOPuAOM

She wanted the photo to have an antique tint so I took the photo into Photoshop and gave it a Sepia tint and tore the edges to make it look more antique like. I put the metal clock face, gears and chain on the special order deco paper and and sealed all sides.

She loved it and it is on it's way to United Kingdom.

Her idea was so special that I ask her if I could use her special request to make this tin on my shop profile and she graciously gave me permission. This just might be a good tag to use on my masculine looking tins.

I was still wishing that I could sell at least one tin a week. When I look at all the tins I have made I am proud of the quality of my work but I just don't know how to market my work.

Today I met with my Etsy Team as I always do on Thursday, at a new place in the Mall where we have been meeting now for a month. The people there seem to love our team and they are so nice to us.

I took the 6 tins I had made over the weekend with me to show the girls. We meet in the Mall at a place called Cone 9 which is a kitchen accessory store and cafe.

The owner saw my tins displayed on the table and she said to me "Now why don't I have these here in my store?" I said "Well give me a shelf and you will" She said okay !! So my tins will soon be for sale in the Mall. Not only that but she offered to set me up free of charge for the Art Walk in November and December. I will have a table and will be able to display my tins for sale in the Mall!

Is that an answer to my prayers or what? THANK YOU JESUS !

I tins in my shop will be posted as Special Order so that if I sell any in the mall I can make duplicates. Wouldn't that be great?

ATC From my Swap Partners

2011-10-18T11:01:00.001-07:00

This lovely card was obviously had drawn by Dee Dee Johnson.

I love it Dee Dee. Thank You

The theme for this swap over at Blissfull ATC Swap was "Movie Monsters"
Frankenstein surely was one of the biggest movie monsters ever and Michele Kaplan has captured it perfectly in the ATC.
Thanks Michele

I am excited to add these two to my collection

SPIDERS ARE ARTISTS TOO !

2011-10-15T11:20:00.000-07:00

It is that scary time of year when the Halloween Goblins come out and it is also the season for spiders.

Either that or it is the time of year when early morning mist collects on spider webs and makes them more visible but which ever, this is what I saw this morning.

Webs on my arbor vita and apple trees

And the rooster that stands between them

This spider must have worked all night to make this highway of webs

Ending with a perfect place to catch her food.

I hate spiders but it has always amazed me the way they create such a perfect web . They are artists too! If I ever get a chance I will photograph the spider that makes perfect squares in her web. We have them all over our place.

Compliments to my least favorite creature. Now stay out there and not in my house !! Eeeeek!

Jenning's Place Barn

2011-10-15T10:50:00.001-07:00

Located amid pasture lands just off Highway 42 at Remote, this well known barn sits on property known as the Jennings Place. It was build in the early 1930's by L.V. Jennings, father of Esther Lancaster who now lives near Bridge. She grew up there and was the Remote postmistress for several years before going back to school to get a teaching degree and eventually teaching at Bridge School with her husband who was the principal there.

This is one of my FAVORITE barns here in my area.

The Greenbrier Ghost

2011-10-13T00:13:00.000-07:00

Greenbrier, West Virginia
By Shannon Reinbold-Gee

Usually when people think of ghosts, they imagine a disturbing presence that harasses ad nakjes the lives of the living more diffcult. But, in the case of the Greenbrier Chost of the late 1800's, the ghost helped solve a West Virgina murder - the very murder that created the ghost.

Born in the early 1870s, Elva Zona Heaster married Erasmus Stribbling Trout Shue on October 26, 1896. Erasmus (sometimes called Edward) was from out of town, coming to Greenbrier to start a new life as the blacksmith. Zona (as she was called) married the near stranger very quickly in her mother’s opinion, and so the marriage was opposed but not halted.

On January 23, 1897 Erasmus sent Andy Jones (an 11-year-old African American) to the house, supposedly to ask Zona if she needed anything from the store. Jones found her body and ran home to tell his mother. The local doctor, and coroner, arrived within an hour to find the body had been carried upstairs by the apparently grief-stricken husband, Erasmus. Erasmus had already dressed Zona in her “Sunday best”—a dress with a conveniently high and stiff collar tied with a large bow. A veil covered her face and throughout the rudimentary examination Erasmus cradled his wife’s head and upper body and sobbed.

Convinced of the husband’s grief, the coroner announced the death was related to childbirth (as he had been treating Zona for symptoms we can only now presume were related to such a state a few weeks earlier).

At Zona’s wake, people observed Erasmus acting oddly. He was nearly frantic with trying to keep her “comfortable”—wedging her head between a pillow and fabric and maintaining that the large scarf now tied around her neck was her favorite. He kept people back from the body.

Zona’s mother removed the sheet from inside the coffin and tried to return it to Erasmus, but he wanted none of it. Thinking it smelled oddly, Heaster washed it. Oddly, the water turned red then clear. The sheet developed a pink stain. Heaster took it as proof that her daughter had met a foul end. A God-fearing woman, Heaster prayed Zona would return from the grave long enough to tell the truth of what happened to her so that she could find eternal rest.

Zona did cross back over, haunting her mother’s dreams for four nights as she explained the abuse she’d suffered at her husband’s hands and how—in a sudden fit over not having dinner ready for him—Erasmus had broken her neck. In the dream Zona’s ghost turned her head all the way around to illustrate.

Heaster approached the prosecuting attorney and in short order Erasmus was arrested. Her ghostly story was not the only thing to prod him to action, as the rumors had continued to fly about Erasmus’ odd actions.

In jail, Erasmus kept his spirits high, even proclaiming that he would like to have seven wives, and since Zona had been number three and he was only 35, he felt it was still an achievable goal. But then the truth began to come spilling out. Zona’s body had been exhumed and they discovered she had a crushed windpipe and broken neck. The cause of death became “strangulation.” Erasmus’ life before coming to Greenbriar was looked into. His first wife was abused and finally forced into divorcing him. His second wife died under mysterious circumstances.

Erasmus seemed puzzled that he was being charged with murder—hadn’t anyone wondered about young Andy Jones? Was he not suspect?

Although the case against Erasmus was mainly circumstantial, he was convicted and nearly lynched before being moved to the state penitentiary where he died. The ghost story Heaster was prepared to tell in court was ruled inadmissible, but revisited multiple times by the defense in a hope she would be viewed as unstable and a worthless character witness. Zona’s spirit seems to be at peace, never having been spotted since the arrest of her husband.

The house where Zona died still stands and is a private home.

NEW IN MY SHOP TODAY, FOR HALLOWEEN

2011-10-11T14:36:00.000-07:00

Halloween Trick or Treat Shrine

Close up of the inside
Here you can see the candy....reach in a take a piece my dear...if you dare!

The box top makes a roof for the shrine.

This is the box with the lid on it.

It's that time of year when the ghosts and goblins are out.
Trick or Treat if you dare! This haunted house shrine holds candy for all the trick or treaters. Reach in and help yourself to a piece of Nips chocolate parfait candy.....If You Dare!

This shoe size box has been altered with a haunted house image, ghosts, witches, bats, scarecrows,owls and pumpkins. It stands as a shrine with the roof being the top of the box which is embellished with a tiny bead scarecrow holding the key to the haunted house, amber plastic jewels and green polk a dot trim. The box has been painted with acrylic paint inside and out.

Use it for the Halloween Trick or Treaters or as Halloween decor in your home, school or office.

Individual wrapped Nips Candy is included.

Happy Halloween !

To see more altered boxes in my shop click here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/AlteredStateofTin

With your purchase you will receive a 10% discount card to use on your next purchase. Please mention this on your second order

More Hauntings

2011-10-09T23:00:00.000-07:00

Haunted

Main St.

Salem, Virginia

During the rush to buy Christmas presents, the mother of the house dashed out, and forgot her son. When she realized what she had done, she quickly turned around and headed back to the house. She expected that her son would be in tears, for he was claustrophobic, but instead, he was in the kitchen drinking a glass of chocolate milk. When asked about how he got the milk, the son explained that a nice old lady said that his mommy would be home soon, and she prepared a glass of milk for him. He also told the police that he could see through the lady, and she looked exactly like a woman on a picture in the attic–a woman who lived in the home during the 1920s.

The Kraft House

Pocatello, Idaho

In 1984, after being drugged at a party by a crazed man, a young woman was taken to this warehouse. She was raped while on a chair in the middle of the warehouse, and in the process, the depraved’s gun went off, instantly killing the woman. The bullet was never found. Exactly ten years later, the manager of the warehouse had to stay late to complete an assignment. At 3:59 AM, 15 calls were made to 911 from the 15 phone lines in the warehouse. All the operators reported hearing a woman cry, “Please help me,” then a dial tone. When police arrived on the scene, they found a chair in the middle of the warehouse, and a bullet nearby.

Saint Mary’s College: Heffron Hall

Winona, Minnesota

Two priests were once feuding over who would be the head of the local church, and one of the men ended up being killed by the other in one of the halls on campus. There have been many reports from students that moaning is heard in this hall from the deceased priest, and one side of the hall is cold while the other is hot, when there is no heating and air conditioning in the building. Another report came from a girl who claimed that while brushing her teeth, blood came out of the faucet in place of water. Yet one more story tells of footsteps being heard leading to the bathroom, and when the chaser caught up with the footsteps in the bathroom, he was shocked to see blood appear in the toilet.

OCTOBER ATC PARTNER S

2011-10-09T00:10:00.000-07:00

Here are your October ATC Swap partners.

Tiffine - Ineka
Miranda - Brenda
Patti - Annie

We only had 6 participants this month including me.

If you need help contacting your partner please let me know.
Thanks for playing.

THE MOLES ARE GONE FOR NOW

2011-10-08T14:20:00.000-07:00

Here are pictures of just a few of the mole hills in my yard before last week. This week the traps are still set with no hills around them or anywhere in my yard at present time.

The actual trap sticking out of the mole hole

Well after the entire summer of fighting the moles in my yard, I think they are gone.

Not sure if they left because it started raining so they went back into the forest to find worms or if my gardener, bless his heart finally caught the little critter.

He was here last week and set another set of traps. No moles were caught in the traps the week before. It was as if they just went around them.

Gutsy things even dug right next to the trap!

This was a long hard fight but looks like they are gone. Can't say who won because like I said, our rainy season has started and they may have just gone back into the forest where they belong !

I will not be watering my yard next summer at all. I would rather have brown grass than mole hills all over.
Also my friend gave me what she calls "Mole Plant" seeds and swears that they keep the moles away so I will be planting them in early spring. Whew !!

ATC' FOR MY PARTNERS

2011-10-07T15:57:00.000-07:00

One for Blissful ATC Swap
The theme is "Movie Monster"
Mixed Media

One for Digital Whisper
Theme is "Darkly"

More Hauntings

2011-10-06T23:38:00.000-07:00

The Old Bermuda Inn

Staten Island, New York

This period restaurant is located in house that dates back to 1814. Allegedly, the house is haunted by a young female apparition. It is said that woman is occasionally seen walking through the dining air and ascending the main staircase. Diners have reported getting a momentary chill or feeling a hand stroking their arm or hair.

Real Haunted House

Roundhead, Ohio

This property was owned by Robert Hemp and it is said that he is buried beneath the front porch. Every person that has lived in the house has reported many strange noises and figures of a man in a top hat. One family said that while they always kept the heater on eighty, one room in the basement would be freezing cold. Another family kept a Bible open in the living room to a certain verse. Allegedly, each time they left home and returned, they would find the Bible on another verse–the verse which was read at Hemp’s funeral.

Tulsa University

Tulsa, Oklahoma

After completing a team-building ropes course, a resident advisor induced her death by overdosing on medication; she left the phone off the hook. Residents of this dorm allege that their telephones are taken off the hook during the middle of the night; the noise wakes them.

The White Eagle Cafe

Portland, Oregon

This former brothel, hotel, and boarding house has many mysterious legends in its history. In one instance, it is alleged that a waitress was going to the basement and felt someone push her-twice. Falling down the stairs, she got the attention of the bartender and bouncer. When the two reached the bottom of the stairs, they discovered a mop and bucket had been thrown down after then. In another, one of the former owners reported hearing someone upstairs crying. When he went upstairs to see what was going on, the crying was so strong, the hairs on his back were raised. The man ran across the street and saw a glowing figure in the window from whence the crying came. No one has been near that room in thirteen years. Presently, there are reports of flushing toilets, whispering voices, moving furniture, and loose change with mint dates over forty years old.

HAUNTED HOUSE IN MOSS BEACH

2011-10-05T11:50:00.000-07:00

Moss Beach Distillery

Moss Beach, California

During the Prohibition era of the 1920s, a young woman was murdered after her lover found her cheating with another man who was employed at the site. Today, “The Lady in Blue,” lurks around the cliffs surrounding the building; she warns children not to play too close to the edge. In the area, there have also numerous reports of poltergeist activity. Such activities include: incessant telephone ringing, cases of wine being stacked behind the door leading to a windowless storage room, objects randomly being thrown about, and doors mysteriously slamming.

ICHABOD CRANE

2011-10-03T23:10:00.000-07:00

This was my all time favorite story during Halloween .
My Mother would get out the Icabod Crane and the Headless Horseman and read it to my brother and I.

As described in the story, Ichabod Crane is a timid schoolteacher who travels to Sleepy Hollow to teach the children of the area. This, in company with his ability to ingratiate himself, persuades many of the townspeople to successively lodge him at their homes for a week at a time, which serves as his sole source of shelter. He follows strict morals in the schoolroom, including the proverbial "Spare the rod and spoil the child"; outside the schoolroom, he is shown to have few morals and no motive but his own gratification. Despite being thin, he is capable of eating astonishingly large amounts of food and is constantly seeking to do so. In addition to this, he is excessively superstitious, often to the extent of believing every myth, legend, tall tale, etc. to be literally true. As a result, he is perpetually frightened by anything that reminds him of ghosts or demons.

A turning point in the story occurs when Ichabod becomes enamored of one Katrina Van Tassel, the ravishing daughter and only child of a wealthy farmer named Baltus Van Tassel, who pays little attention to his daughter other than to be proud of her merits when they are praised. On accounts both of her beauty and her father's wealth, which he is eager to inherit, Ichabod begins to court Katrina, who responds in kind. This attracts the attention of the town rowdy, Abraham "Brom Bones" van Brunt, who also wants to marry Katrina and is challenged in this only by Ichabod. Despite Brom's efforts to humiliate or punish the schoolmaster, Ichabod remains steadfast, and neither contestant seems able to gain any advantage throughout this rivalry.

Later, both men are invited to a harvest festival party at Van Tassel's where Ichabod's social skills far outshine Brom's. After the party breaks up, Ichabod remains behind for "a tête-à-tête with the heiress", where it is supposed that he makes a proposal of marriage to Katrina but, according to the narrator, "Something, however ... must have gone wrong, for he certainly sallied forth, after no very great interval, with an air quite desolate and chapfallen", meaning that his proposal is refused, allegedly because her sole purpose in courting him was either to test or to increase Brom's desire for her. Therefore Ichabod leaves the house "with the air of one who had been sacking a henroost, rather than a fair lady's heart."

During his journey home, Ichabod encounters another traveler, who is eventually revealed to be the legendary Headless Horseman; the ghost of a Hessian soldier who was decapitated by a cannonball during the American Revolutionary War. Ichabod flees, eventually crossing a bridge near the Dutch burial ground. Because the ghost is incapable of crossing this bridge, Ichabod assumes that he is safe. However, the Hessian throws his own severed head at Ichabod, knocking him from the back of his own horse and onto the road. The next morning, Ichabod's hat is found abandoned, and close beside it a shattered pumpkin. Ichabod is never seen in Sleepy Hollow again, and is therefore presumed to have been spirited away by the Headless Horseman. Later, "an old farmer, who had been down to New York on a visit several years after, and from whom this account of the ghostly adventure was received" suggests that Ichabod had been frightened, both of the Horseman and of the anger of his (Ichabod's) current landlord, into leaving the town forever, later to become "a justice of the ten pound court" in "a distant part of the country." Katrina marries Brom, who is said "to look exceedingly knowing whenever the story of Ichabod was related, and always laughed heartily at the mention of the pumpkin", which events "led some to suspect that he knew more about the matter than he chose to tell"; therefore, that he himself was the Horseman, of whose legend he took advantage so as to dispose of his rival.

HAUNTED HOUSES

2011-10-02T23:10:00.000-07:00

I find haunted houses interesting.
I don't believe in ghosts but this tine of year it is fun to read about them.
I found the following information online. This one is the first of several I will be posting until Halloween !

LOCATION:

Address: 219 North Delaware Street, Independence, Missouri.

Truman Visitor Center: 223 North Main Street, Independence, Missouri - Buy memorabilia, see the video and buy tour tickets.

Hours: 8:30 am 5:00 pm daily; called the "Summer White House."

DESCRIPTION / HISTORY

This Victorian style house is a two story, 14-room home, which is now a museum, run by the National Parks Service:U.S. Department of the Interior, located at 219 North Delaware Street. After first watching the video about Harry Truman's life at the Truman Visitor Center, located at 223 North Main Street, Tom and I bought tickets at the center and took the tour (first floor only), at the actual home which is about 3 blocks away in a older residential neighborhood.

As we walked through the first floor, it was like going back in time, because the decorum, the furnishings and the family's special artifacts / treasures are just the same as when Harry died in 1972. Bess didn't change much, and lived in the home until her death in 1982. The interior reflects the lives of 4 generations of one family.

We saw all the places which were near and dear to Harry and Bess on the first floor. We got to see their spacious back porch, their study, their library, their living room, family room and a kitchen which reflected the bells and whistles found in the 1950's, which suited the Trumans just fine. It is just like the Trumans stepped out for a moment on an errand.

The President Truman Home was called the "Summer White House." This Victorian home was originally built and extensively remodeled in 1883-85 by Bess Wallace Truman's maternal grandfather George Porterfield. This is the home where Bess Wallace grew up. She wound up marrying the boy across the street, Harry Truman who often visited his Aunt and Uncle who lived at 216 N. Delaware, a home directly across from the Wallace / Porterfield home.

After a nine year courtship, Harry and Bess Truman were married and they moved into the Wallace / Porterfield home and stayed there, making the mansion their main home, from 1919 to the time of their deaths. As much as Harry loved this oasis, he found himself more and more tied to Washington D.C., though he tried to get home when he could. After he finished his 2nd term as President in 1957, he retired from politics and headed home to Independence, where he spent the last 15 years of his life.

MANIFESTATIONS:

The entity of President Truman has been seen by staff visiting his beloved home. It makes sense that his spirit may be tempted to visit his old oasis on occasion, especially since everything was kept the same!

On occasion, his apparition has been seen relaxing in his living room, by the staff of his museum.
The smell of his favorite brandy sometimes waifs through the house.
On occasion, he has been seen walking around the sidewalks near his home.

STILL HAUNTED?

Occasionally, Yes.

The entity of Harry Truman likes to drop in and sit in his favorite chair, once in awhile, keeping tabs on his home.

OCTOBER ATC SWAP

2011-10-01T23:21:00.000-07:00

This is a digital collage I created last year for a Challenge in Digital Whisper.

The theme for October ATC Swap is Halloween.
If you want to join in the fun, leave a comment.
Your partners will be posted on Oct.10th.
If you have any problems contacting your partner let me know.
You cards must be mailed out by October 15th so that they will arrive before Halloween.

Happy Creating!

My Latest Digital Collage has been featured

2011-10-01T23:00:00.000-07:00

"YOU ARE NOT ALONE"

This is my latest digital collage.
I posted it on Digital Whisper and was featured on the front page.
I was also approached for permission to use this collage on a new .ning Group.

Made my day :)

ATC From my Swap Partner

2011-09-30T15:08:00.000-07:00

I received these beautiful cards from my Sept Swap partner Brenda Mead. My theme was "School Days"
Love them Brenda, thanks so much for playing

WAR!!

2011-09-28T14:23:00.000-07:00

Do you think this little creature is cute?

Look closer !

He is NOT cute and he is destroying my yard !
For the past three months he or her and his or her buddies have caused havoc in my yard.
My gardener has set traps, placed repellent in several mole hills and even caught a couple but they just keep coming. They are destroying my yard !! I even have an actual sink hole near my deck due to these little monsters. I am at my wits end with them. The traps have been set over and over again and still the mole hills keep appearing. I have taken the dirt from the mole hills to fill in the sink hole and believe it or not that has been 5 buckets full ! I was just sitting out in my back yard and I can see the dirt in the mole hill moving which means he is there digging and destroying my yard.

Did you know that moles don't dig to find roots but they dig to find grub and worms. I made the mistake of watering my yard earlier in the summer and this is what I get. Mole hills everywhere. I stopped watering and my yard is brown and still they are digging. Even the slightest bit of rain (and we get alot here in Oregon) will bring the worms so which do I fight, worms or moles?

This is WAR!
So far the mole is winning.

Reminds me of the summer a sparrow and I had a fight. She kept trying to build her mud nest on my patio cover and I kept washing down with the hose. I did this one entire afternoon and guess what? She won!

Digital Whisper Challenge

2011-09-27T15:37:00.000-07:00

This challenge was to create a tree or trees with falling leaves and fall colors.
I found this photo that I had in my files

And this is what I did with it. It was fun !

Crocket Family Barn

2011-09-23T13:20:00.000-07:00

Once owned by the Crocket family, this colorful barn is one of two on the farm located on Lampa Lane, near Arago. It was built in 1938 as a dairy barn, but now stores hay for beef cattle raised by Sandy and Jerry Daily.

Bra's For The Cause

2011-09-16T10:54:00.000-07:00

Coos Bay is having a contest to raise money for breast cancer research.
My friend Brenda Salzano of SALZANOS , altered this bra that she found at the Salvation Army.

Just look at the detail and it only took her one afternoon. This is just an example of her work. She also designs fabric from her own art and makes the most unique one of a kind buttons and jewelry.
Great job Brenda!

SEPT ATC SWAP PARTNERS

2011-09-15T23:12:00.000-07:00

This background was created by Bernice Wagnitz. Her style is Color Merge and I love it! She has give me permission to use it as I wish so I created this collage with it.

For those of you that have signed up for the September ATC Swap, here are your partners.

Mollye - Denise
Vickie - Tiffine
Kristen - Anastasia
Patti - Miranda & Brenda
Annie -Kristen

Deadline to get your cards mailed is September 30th.

If you need help contacting your partner please let me know and I will help you.
Thanks for playing.

Happy Creating !

September ATC Swap

2011-09-07T14:28:00.000-07:00

This is an ATC I created about three years ago.

The theme for September ATC Swap is School Days.
If you want to join in the fun, leave a comment.
Your partners will be posted on Sept 15th.
IF you have any problems contacting your partner let me know.
You cards must be mailed out by Sept30th.

Happy Creating!

I FELL IN LOVE IN VEGAS

2011-09-07T11:00:00.001-07:00

I am home from Las Vegas. The wedding was beautiful. The bride and groom were so happy. The lady photographer took at least 600 photos of the wedding party. I didn't really get a chance to take many photos since there was so much going on.

There were last minute things to prepare for the reception. The bride, Melissa wrapping her utensils in red napkins and tying them with black ribbon.

Red champagne glasses and plastic plates were all ready for the reception.

There were decorations to hang and food to order.

Last minute cleaning to do. (My daughter in law scrubbing the game room floor at midnight)

The hairdresser came to the house to do the brides hair as well as the bridesmaids and maid of honors hair. All the make up was done at the house also. Of course the photographer was in the way through the entire wedding. So much so that the food was cold by the time the bride and groom were able to eat. This photographer was there until the wedding party was over.

Get this...I took this beautiful red crochet choker with beads and matching earrings for my granddaughter to wear if she didn't have a necklace. I showed it to her and she loved it and had planned on wearing it but suddenly the photographer was there telling her that SHE had a necklace that was costume jewelry that belonged to her Mother and SHE thought that it would look better.

The photographer was a personal friend of a friend of the bride so this made my Granddaughter feel obligated as well as being put on the spot and she looked at me and said "Would you mind Granma?". Of course I told her that it would be fine and to wear which ever necklace she wanted that it was her wedding and her choice. I truely meant this but it really made me angry that this person, not a member of the family could have the nerve to offer another choice over her Grandmothers. I was furious but stayed cool. It was like this the entire day.

This is the photographer holding up the wedding dress while the maid of honor ties the sash in a bow.

She interfered with almost everything that was going on not to mention keeping the bride and groom from the wedding party for over an hour. It was hot, 103 degrees and here they were out in the yard having photos taken. Is this the norm for wedding photos? Ugh! I just had to vent about this! Thanks for listening.

The most incredible thing happened while I was there. I fell totally in love! With this precious baby girl, Ava June.

I had not seen my great granddaughter since she was 6 weeks old. She is 9 months old now and I fell in love with this precious baby girl.

She is the happiest baby and so full of energy. She smiles all the time, has 5 teeth already and took her first steps the day I left to come home.

My Son cried at the wedding and I told him that he was a lucky guy because he gets a rerun of his daughter growing up because Ava June looks just like her Mommy.

I am sorry I don't have any photos of the bride and groom until I get them downloaded from my phone. They are not as good as I am sure the professional photos will be so I promise to show you my beautiful granddaughter and her new husband as soon as I get those photos.

I had a really good visit and I enjoyed all of my family while I was there. I miss them already. It is so hard to live so far away but as my Son tells me all the time...I am the one that moved away. Sigh!

Forgive Me For I Have Sinned

2011-08-29T22:30:00.000-07:00

That is the name of my latest collage

Also this ATC I created for a swap.

The theme was "A label from your kitchen" using the old fashion mixed media technique :)

THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS

2011-08-28T15:46:00.000-07:00

My thoughts and prayers go out to all of my East Coast friends
that are being hit by hurricane Irene.
My God keep you safe.

GOOD NEWS

2011-08-26T00:28:00.001-07:00

For those of you who have been praying for my husband, he more or less has been cleared of any cancer other than his lymphoma/leukemia.

His prostate biopsy is negative. His bone marrow biopsy is negative, his renal doppler showed no cancer, blockages or obstruction in the kidneys. His urine is still showing high levels of protein but that is caused from his high blood pressure which this week is under control ! He saw his E.N.T. today and his sinuses are finally clear with no more infection. He still has to use the nebulizer once or twice a week but if that is what it takes to keep that infection away, have at it!

This has been a really long hard year for him but I think he is finally back on track and feeling better.

He went fishing last week and caught this 28 lb salmon, the first of many this season I am sure.

Thanks to all of you for your continued concern and prayers.

My oldest granddaughter, Melissa who lives in Las Vegas is getting married next Friday and I am leaving on Tuesday to spend a couple of days with her before the wedding. Of course I will also enjoy time with my son, David and his wife Lisa and Melissa's sister, my other granddaughter, Angela. It will be so nice to see them all and of course I am so excited to see Ava June, my great granddaughter. She is 10 months old already and I have not seen her since she was 5 weeks old!

So I will be gone all next week. See you when I get back and I will take many photos to share with you.
Have a wonderful week!

From My Blissful ATC Swap Partner

2011-08-23T00:34:00.000-07:00

Our theme was Food

This was sent to me from my partner Carolyn Glass.
Thanks Carolyn I love it!

This was what I sent to her. My digital painting of a Watermelon :)

The finished product ....60 of them

2011-08-19T18:41:00.000-07:00

Okay here are the note cards "Special Order" for Joanne DeGiacomo the Mother of one of the Sisters of Swing. I ended up making total 60 cards. 20 for each girl. My fingers were glued together and my eyes were crossed but they are all finished a posted in my Esty Shop for Joanne to purchase.

60 cards total all sorted and tied up with a lace ribbon

The Andrew Sisters

Sisters of Swing

THE SISTERS OF SWING

2011-08-16T19:18:00.000-07:00

This tin was made for the Jazz Festival here in Coos Bay . It didn't sell but this week I got a message from a lady that wanted to order 4 of these tins. So I did the custom order for her and made 4 tins exactly the same. (I made them a little extra special since they were for The Sisters of Swing.)
She said she was going to give them to her daughter and a couple other girls that do a show about The Andrew Sisters. Their show is called "The Sisters of Swing"

I remember there being a group at the Jazz Festival and they were the Sisters of Swing.

Anyway after she received the tins she said she would love to have some note cards to go along with these tins to give the girls. She wanted to know if I knew of anyone that could make cards. Well you know me...I used to make cards and I still have cards so YES I told her I would make the note cards too.

I mentioned that it would be great if I had a photo of the Sister of Swing so I could make some of the cards with their picture and some of The Andrew Sisters.

This is the photo she sent to me to put on the note cards.
These are THE SISTERS OF SWING!

The following is an article about them posted in the Boston Globe

A return to Stoneham — and sisterhood

Trio form bond in retelling Andrews story

From left: Kimberly Robertson, Laura DeGiacomo, and Kerri Jill Garbis play the Andrews Sisters in “Sisters of Swing’’ at Stoneham Theatre. (Neil Reynolds)

STONEHAM — They’ve been singing and dancing together for years. Backstage they laugh and cry and argue and tease. They’re the Andrews Sisters onstage — and more than a little bit offstage, too.

At the Stoneham Theatre through July 24, Laura DeGiacomo, Kerri Jill Garbis, and Kimberly Robertson don wigs and classic mid-20th-century American garb to play the Andrews Sisters in “Sisters of Swing.’’

“I play LaVerne, and I’m the most important one,’’ Garbis says, and all three crack up. “I’m really bossy — and by I, I mean Kerri Jill Garbis.’’

“Patty is more of the clown, and she’s the baby. She tends to get the big silly moments in the show,’’ says DeGiacomo, who plays her.

“And then there’s Mackie,’’ Robertson says, using the nickname for her character, Maxene. “Mackie just wants to be noticed. So Mackie does what she can to get that.’’

Sitting in a basement rehearsal room a week before the opening, in T-shirts and sweat pants, the actresses form a very modern kind of sisterhood. All three cop to being well suited to their roles. They first appeared in “Sisters of Swing’’ here in 2008 and made it the theater’s best-grossing musical ever, until a recent production of “42nd Street.’’ They remained friends after the run and took occasional outside gigs as the Andrews Sisters at corporate events, fund-raisers, and even a parade or two. Now they’re thrilled to be back together in a remount of the production.

Garbis compares the Andrews Sisters to the Destiny’s Child or Spice Girls of their day.

“And American as apple pie,’’ says Robertson. “They stood for so much.’’

The real-life trio was as big a singing group as America had in the 1930s and ’40s, with hits like “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy’’ and “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree.’’ They were especially popular during World War II, often performing for the troops overseas. But the actresses say the real-life sisters were also ahead of their time in their independence. The show includes a scene in which they stand up against racism in the military.

“Don’t you think if they were here today they’d be all out for equality and equal rights?’’ asks Garbis. “Absolutely,’’ say the other two.

The production also includes Steve Gagliastro in multiple roles — Carmen Miranda, for instance — and an eight-piece band conducted by musical director Mario Cruz, who plays piano onstage.

The three had never met before their auditions in 2008, but as the show went on, they bonded. Just after the end of the run, a vocal coach connected to DeGiacomo arranged a conference

The rest is history.

It would be such a pleasure to see these girls perform. I am honored that Laura DeGiacomo's mother thought enough my work to ask about a custom order. Wow.....

Search Engine Survey

2011-08-15T19:18:00.000-07:00

I need you help my friends.

If you were going to search for one of the items in my Etsy shop what would you type in to find it?

I am having a problem with that. Normal people looking for something, myself included don't search using fancy words or descriptions so I thought I would pick your brains and see what you all come up with.

Right now I have Tin Boxes, cigar boxes and jars altered.
Etsy says to use seven words to put in Google for the search engine.

I don't seem to have the traffic I want.

How would you search for an altered altoid tin or an altered cigar box or jar?
They are decorated by hand but would you search for a handmade tin? They are decorated but would you search for decorated tin.

Help!

Thanks everyone

ATC SWAP PARTNERS FOR AUGUST

2011-08-14T12:25:00.000-07:00

This is an ATC I created several years ago

Okay ladies here are your swap partners for the "Polk a Dot" theme for August

Denise - Mollye
Tiffine - Brenda
Kristen - Patti
Miranda - Annie

Your deadline to mail out your cards is August 31st
If you are going to be late please contact your partner to let them know
If you need physical or email addresses please contact me as most of our participants this month do not have blogs

Happy Creating ladies!

For my partner, Carolyn Blissful ATC Swap

2011-08-14T11:59:00.000-07:00

This is a digital painting I made for a challenge ot DIgital Whisper.
This months theme at Blissful ATC Swap is "Food" so I used this to make my ATC for my partner Carolyn Gless.

New Tins and a NO NO !

2011-08-10T13:49:00.000-07:00

These are made with pieces and parts of old jewelry used as embellishments and decorative paper .
Thought I would try something different and not use a collage.

Heads Up Ladies..........
Yesterday I was notified by Etsy that they had removed 2 of my items for copyright infringement of the Zumba name. The Zumba Legal department sent a notice to Etsy.

The letter stated that these listing(s) incorporate designs,

symbols, language, images, or photographs that infringe upon

the concerned party's copyright or other intellectual property

right.

I had made two tins and decorated them with bright colors and the word zumba on them. That is a no no girls...don't do it.

Here they are.

It is not like I was trying to make millions on the Zumba name.I didn't use the logo or any photos and I didn't even use the same font. In fact the reason I did that is because I love Zumba so much and wanted to make something cute for others that love Zumba. Wasn't trying to get rich by using Zumba's name !

I had to laugh as I read the email. Surely they are not serious. I am sure they were not just targeting my shop as these tins were only listed for 10.00 each and had not sold yet. Now that just might break the Zumba bank right?

These two tins are deleted from my Etsy shop and will be going to my Zumba instructors as GIFTS.

Just wanted to give you heads up. Be careful when creating. I always have been but this bite me in the butt. Actually made me laugh.

Sorry Zumba!

So if I go to prison will you all come see me ?

The Mast Barn

2011-08-10T13:37:00.000-07:00

The Mast barn stands on a hill above green pasture lands of Lee Valley, east of Coquille, Oregon.
It is a Century Farm, established in 1872 and now owned by Ann Mast and her son Bill.
The Masts recently joined several dairies in Coos Bounty providing organic milk.

My Swap Partner's cards

2011-08-10T13:00:00.000-07:00

I received my ATC's from my partners Tiffine, Miranda and 4 year old Annie !
They love swapping in Treasure Barn's ATC Swaps each month. They have recruited two more players for August. So cute :)
Thanks girls

Jesus Take The Wheel

2011-08-07T00:23:00.000-07:00

My latest collage. It will be going on a tin tomorrow and then posted in my Etsy Shop.
It was inspired by the song by Carrie Underwood. Sometimes in life when you pray and that is all you can do, you just have to turn it all over to God.
Jesus Take the Wheel

New in my Etsy Shop tonight

2011-08-06T20:36:00.000-07:00

I finally got my creativity back last week, thanks to my friend Brenda who had a challenge for our Etsy Team to do something in Steampunk for this month.

This is an altered tin made with custom paper, two sizes of chain, metal gears and a metal clock face. It inspired me and got my creative juices flowing.

I had been wanting to do another altered cigar box for my shop so when I finished the tin I started on this cigar box. It is covered with decorative paper on the outside and inside top lid. The inside of the box has shear fiber paper lining. I embellished it with chain, metal decorative paper clips, metal gears, metal clock face and shear fabric leaves in three different colors.

Okay I am on a roll now...I received this tin from one of my fellow swappers. It is a bit thinner than an altoid tin but a bit wider also so I had this idea to make a pretty box and put a sewing kit inside.

This is it!

This tin is covered with shear fiber paper and embellished with a cabochon face with silk flower petals around it. There are 4 vintage cabochons making the shape of a butterfly and tiny blue pearls accent it perfectly.

This will make a very nice gift for someone.

Myrtle Lane Organic Dairy

2011-08-05T23:57:00.001-07:00

This Barn is an Organic Dairy. Located west of Myrtle Point, OR on Old Broadbent Road. It is owned by Tom Brown. He has modern barns used for milking his Jersy herd and this older one is now used to store hay. It was rebuilt in the 1960's when it was owned by Duke Davenport who once milked 20 cows there.

AUGUST ATC SWAP

2011-08-05T22:51:00.000-07:00

This is a little ATC I received from one of my Swap Partners at ATC's for ALL
Brenda Meade did a wonderful job on this one. So sweet :) Thanks Brenda

This month for my ATC Swap the theme is Polk a Dots !
If you wish to play just leave a comment here and I will add you name to the list of participants.
Deadline to sign up is August 15th.
Partners will be posted on August 16th
Deadline to send your cards out is August 31st.

Come on ladies sign up, you know you want to :)
Happy Creating !!!

A SPECIAL ATC

2011-07-25T23:40:00.000-07:00

I received this beautiful ATC today from one of my swap partners. Mollye Self is a wonderful artist but hasn't been in the ATC scene for awhile now, so when I saw she wanted to participate in my ATC Swap I was excited. The theme was circus and this is what she created. I love it Mollye. Thanks for playing with me :)
Go check out Mollye's blog fruit of the spirit . You will fall in love with her just like I did about three years ago. She is funny, talented and quite a lady !

GET YOUR KLEENEX OUT

2011-07-22T09:28:00.001-07:00

A 15 year old girl made this.

This puts to shame the output of a number of Hollywood producers
and/or directors.
All I can say is WOW!!!!!!!
This film was made by a 15 year old girl. It is the hottest thing on the internet today.
Lizzie Palmer who put this YouTube program together, is 15 years old.
There have been over 3,000,000 hits as of this morning.
In case you missed it, here it is.
Watch all of it.......and, pass it on!!

http://www.youtube.com/v/ervaMPt4Ha0&autoplay=1

TWO OF MY DIGITAL PAINTINGS ARE FEATURED ON THE FRONT PAGE OF DIGITAL WHISPER

2011-07-18T21:29:00.001-07:00

I just got notification that two of my digital paintings were featured on Digital Whisper FRONT PAGE!
I am so excited because I didn't think they were very good.
What an inspiration this is !!

DIGITAL PAINTING

2011-07-18T14:26:00.000-07:00

As you know Digital Whisper has challenges each week. These past few weeks they have been Digital Painting. It is really hard for me to sketch anything. I am not an artist in that way.

We were to take a photo and make it look like a painting.
This was my original photo.

This is after I painted it! It is very hard to do this and I need much practice but it is fun and as usual Digital Whisper's Challenges are helping me to learn.

This is an abstract painting using digital watercolors

This turned out to blurry. Back to the drawing board :)

Hope you all have a great week.

ATC PARTNERS FOR JULY

2011-07-17T22:43:00.000-07:00

Once again I don't have enough participants to partner off since 4 of them are family.
Make your ATC and swap with me. Here are the participants names.

Tiffine
Annie
Miranda
Mollye
Patti

I will make 4 cards. One for each of you and each of you can make a card for me :)
I was hoping to have more players this month but I guess everyone is busy with summer.
Thanks to all of you. I will get your cards in the mail this week.

JULY ATC SWAP

2011-07-13T23:24:00.001-07:00

Okay it is time for another swap.
To sign up leave a comment here and I will add you name to the participant list.
The theme is Circus.
Deadline to sign up is July 17th
Partners will be posted on July 20th and the deadline to get your ATC's mailed out is July 31st
Have fun and happy creating

Beef Steak Pie, Chocolate Bread Pudding with Toffee Rum Sauce

2011-07-13T23:09:00.001-07:00

This is different for me. I am not a cook but recently my hubby ask me to make a meat pie he had seen on the Food Network.

This is the pie. I made it from scratch! Me, I did it!

I also made his favorite bread pudding with a different kind of twist.

It is a Paula Dean recipe and she used chocolate chips in it and topped it with Toffee Rum Sauce.
You can find these recipe's on the food network site.

I also wanted to thank my other ATC participants Tiffine, Annie and Miranda Rocha. These are their ATC's which I received today.

I seem to have problems getting people to sign up for my swaps but I will keep trying for those like Tiffine, Annie and Miranda who love to swap ATC's.

Digital Painting

2011-07-10T22:27:00.000-07:00

The challenge this week at Digital Whisper was Digital Painting. We were to use our paint brushes which were provided in the challenge to download. The tiny picture is the original image and we were to digital paint that image.

This is my pear painted digitally from scratch.

The next challenge was to do an abstract painting using the liquify filter.

Here is what I came up with.

I painted this using Photoshop paint brushes and then liquified it !

This was an image of Aphrodite. Liquified she is a strange looking character :)

This is was hard and unfamiliar but fun and educational. I learn so much from Digital Whisper.
If anyone is interested in joining Digital Whisper they have many different groups. Just click on the Digital Whisper icon at the left of my page.

GOOD NEWS

2011-07-08T22:30:00.000-07:00

Thank You Jesus! Alan's biopsy test shows NO MEYLOMA cells.It showed lymphoma cells which is part of his leukemia/lymphoma. This is what we were praying for. So for now there will be no bone marrow transplant or chemo therapy.

We will take one day at a time and hope the doctors can figure out why his blood pressure is so high and why he has so much protein in his kidneys. For now we are safe. Thanks for your prayers everyone.
Thank You Jesus :)

My Latest Digital Collage

2011-07-07T00:43:00.000-07:00

I created this tonight for an ATC Partner over at http://digitalwhisper.ning.com/group/dwatcs
The theme was One Color. We had to make an ATC that called out one color when you look at it.
What color do you think of when you see this?

No Results

2011-07-05T23:31:00.000-07:00

We were supposed to get the results of the biopsy today but they are not in yet.
I had a feeling they wouldn't be but for those of you that are waiting to hear we have no news yet.

I will post the results as soon as I get them.

Keep us in your prayers please

CELEBRATE OUR FREEDOM !!

2011-07-03T14:11:00.000-07:00

This was created by my friend Brenda Salzano in a program called sketch book. It is a Mac program. She does some wonderful things with this program and her talent. Not just drawing but jewelry and lots of other things. Go check her out at SALZANOS.

Have a fun but safe 4th and remember all that have fought and are fighting and have given their lives for our freedom. THANK YOU !
Pray for peace and for our country.
God Bless America !

United Kingdom and Billings Montana

2011-07-02T16:41:00.000-07:00

I was surprised to receive this in the mail today. It came all the way from United Kingdom from
June Macfarland of Dezinaworld

This little beauty is from my swap partner here on Treasure Barn ATC Swap, Vickie Coonfare of Whispers of Inspiration .

This is also a piece of her art.
She is so talented and my very first inspiration when I first started blogging and making ATC'S.
Go check out her blog Whispers of Inspiration.

Its All About The Dress

2011-07-01T00:46:00.001-07:00

My partner this month for the ATC Swap over at Blissful ATC's was Rose.
This is the card she made for me. The theme was "Wedding"
Thanks Rose, I love it :)

The Biopsy

2011-06-30T13:24:00.000-07:00

Why the Rooster?
That is my husband's nickname.

The bone marrow biopsy was done today and all went smooth with hardly any pain. It only took about 30 minutes. They make a small incision on the back near the tail bone. Then they make a small hole in the bone and draw out a small piece of bone marrow to be tested. He only has a large size band-aid covering the biopsy area. He must lie flat with pressure on that area for 24 hours and of course watch for any bleeding. We are home and resting and will have the results of the biopsy on Tuesday (hopefully).
Rooster said he felt the needle but nothing after that.

Thanks to all of you that left comments of support through this ordeal.
I will keep you all posted. Please continue praying for us.
Hugs and God Bless you all

My Zumba Girls

2011-06-26T10:36:00.000-07:00

I started Zumba about 3 months ago. It is the best exercise since my days of dance and I am addicted.
I go to the walking class twice a week which is 8 miles a week. It is so easy since we walk and do different exercies with our arms as well as leg lifts and it is all done to music which is so motivational. Then I do Zumba gold three times a week an hour per class. Zumba Gold is not as intense as Zumba. It was designed for those that don't or can't jump or squat.

So all in all I am working out three hours and walking 8 miles per week and I don't even notice because I am having so much fun!

For those of you that hate exercise, Zumba is the answer. I have tried walking outside but we have so much rain I don't want to walk in the cold rain. I bought a TreadClimber and it sat in my garage for over a year and i didn't use it much because it is cold in my garage. Whatever the excuse, it did not work for me. Zumba does. Do I sound like a commercial? No really....it is the best exercise since I used to dance disco years ago.
These are my Zumba instructors Christie and Cindy. They are two of four sisters that own and operate and instruct at Coos Cardio Party here in Coos Bay. My body is toning up and I am losing weight.
I love ZUMBA and these girls.

Trying to keep my mind occupied. I need your prayers

2011-06-23T01:29:00.000-07:00

I really have not been in a creative mood these past few months. Last month I had the Etsy girls over for coffee and I had them bring something to create on my kitchen table.They had 45 minutes to do this. It turned in to a 2 hour ordeal but we had a good time and we all created something. Stupid me didn't bother to take pictures of what we each made but this little tin box with an owl on it is what I created.
I also tried to do one with an octopus on it but the octopus got camouflaged within the paper I used.

I wasn't sure what to do with it so I started gluing little stick on pearls throughout the design.
Didn't turn out to bad.This is the inside of the box. I used stickers of a school of fish and coral to finish it off.
Both of these tins are in my Etsy shop.

As you know my hubby has had lots of medical problems over the past two years. He has had numerous infections and pneumonia 4 times. He has been poked,and prodded and tested with MRI, Cat scans and still is not well. His prostate levels were way high so he had a biopsy and thank God it was negative for cancer.

He was diagnosed with leukemia/lymphoma a year ago. It is at the watch and wait stage and has not changed. Over the past few months his kidney tests show too much protein and that is making his blood pressure too high. His kidney doctor has been keeping a close eye on him.

His oncologist told him this week that he has Plasma cell dyscrasia. This is cancer of the plasma cells in bone marrow. Probably associated with the leukemia. He now has to have a bone marrow biopsy.

I have been trying to keep my mind occupied and not think about this in a negative way. I have been walking 8 miles a week and work out at my zumba classes 5 days a week. Planning for a visit from my son and his wife from Vegas, planning to go to my granddaughters wedding in September but the fear is still there. And through all of this my husband stands strong even though he is getting weak and tired. He is positive and tries to keep busy. There for awhile I thought he was getting lazy so now I feel guilty for those thoughts. He is sick! Very sick.

We pray and hold our breath and wait to see what the results of the biopsy will be. What is the treatment? We won't know until after the biopsy, which is scheduled for June 30th. The interesting thing is that when I looked this up online I found that all the symptoms he has been experiencing over the past two years are all there. Makes me wonder why it took so long for the doctors to find out or have they known all along?

I am scared to death. Please keep us in your prayers.

Happy Fathers Day

2011-06-19T01:13:00.000-07:00

I look at this photo of my Father and wish so much he could have been here to see his grandchildren, great grandchildren and now a great great grandchild. I missed him growing up and I miss him today. He died of a heart attack at age 34. I was 7 years old and my brother was 3.

Happy Father's Day to you Daddy. Happy Father's Day to our Father in Heaven too.
Happy Father's Day to all you Father's out there. Hope you have a special day :)

I'M HOME AND BLISSFULLY SWAPPING !!

2011-06-15T23:41:00.000-07:00

Okay I am home safe and sound. Took me 11 hours one way to Nampa, Idaho my home town.
I had a wonderful visit with my family. Lots of good memories going back to Nampa . I visited my parents graves and put flowers on them.

It was my little brothers birthday and also my Mothers Birthday on June 11th so I was thankful I was able to visit her grave on her birthday. My little brother was born on her 37th birthday.

My great niece Addison made her uncle Randy a birthday cake and did a wonderful job.

My niece Cassidy and her husband Shawn have lived their dream of opening their own pizza store and it is a huge success.

Look at the size of these pizza pieces. You only need one to fill you up!

This is an old piano that they have turned into a drink dispenser. How cool is this?

My niece showed me this old bike that belonged to my Mother. I guess she had it when she was little.
How come I didn't know about this bike or ever see it ? Mystery...

Now that I am home I have several ATC cards to create for swaps I am participating in.

This one is for my partner Rose over at Blissful ATC's. The theme was wedding. Different huh?
I used a photo of a bride near a wolf and layered in the couple and the horse and carriage then added brushes of fireworks, roses, sparkles and birds.

Speaking of ATC Swaps, this is the deadline for my swap here on Treasure Barn.
The theme is "Summer"

Since I don't have many participants I will swap with all of you.
The ladies I will be swapping with are as follows:

Vickie Coonfare
Miranda Rocha
Annie Rocha
Tiffine Rocha

I will send out your cards by the 30th of the month and wait for your cards to me in return.
Hope we have more swappers next time.

Off to Idaho

2011-06-08T17:23:00.000-07:00

I am all packed and ready to go to Idaho to visit my family. My home town is Nampa and all my brothers, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews still live there. I am leaving in the morning and driving alone for 11 hours. Gonna visit my parents grave sites and reminisce about my teenage years there and growing up on a farm. I am so excited to about this road trip.

Yep, just me and my little red Crossfire. I love to crank up the music and cruise down the road.

Talk to you when I return.

Digital Whisper Challenge

2011-06-07T23:27:00.001-07:00

The challenge this week on Digital Whisper was to do a water color piece using three different images of animals. Also different filters and of course watercolor and splatter brushes. There was a tutorial on this also and I learned from this how to use the desaturate and color level tools.

I used this white tiger.

This handsome lion.

This beautiful leopard.

And this was the end result. It was fun !

If you are interested in joining Digital Whisper visit them and see what a fun informative network for photoshop users it is.

Just click on the Digital Whisper button on my left sidebar.
It's free !

JUNE ATC SWAP

2011-06-04T22:48:00.000-07:00

This pretty card was created by Tiffine and Miranda Rocha.
They are so sweet. Due to an illness in one of the participants family they missed the May Swap which the theme was "Flowers" so Tiffine and Miranda came to the rescue and made one for her.

You girls are too sweet :)

This month's theme is "Summer"
If you wish to participate please leave a comment.

Your partners will be posted on June 15th and your cards are due out June 30th.

Happy Creating!

Another Fantastic Barn

2011-05-30T17:25:00.000-07:00

This is my very favorite barn of all. This barn is located east of Myrtle Point on Sitkum Lane and known by locals as the Long Barn. Although it was originally part of the Stemmler Homestead, Martin Long, a barn builder himself purchased the farm later and was responsible for much of the repair and upkeep. Built as a dairy, the 80 year old barn is currently owned by Bob and Ann Sproul.
I just love this barn. The wood is so beautiful and the design is wonderful!