HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE

Be Safe....See you Next Year!

NICE MEETING AT MY HOUSE

The meeting with my Etsy Team was fun. Brenda, Pamela, Sue, Jan and Nadine came.

They enjoyed the chili and cornbread.
My recipe for chili is pretty easy
I use two to one Laredo chili and refried beans and 1 lb of lean ground hamburger or turkey
For this meeting I doubled the recipe

Easy Cornbread mix I use Firenza

It makes a nice 8 x 8 pan of moist cornbread

Brenda has an IPad and is comes in handy if you are in range of service

But she had no service out here in Green Acres where I live so ...

We all congregated to my office and crowded around my computer for some tips on how to make a treasury and how to make the photos of your items pop!

That is what our team is all about. Sharing ideas and thoughts and inspiring each others shops.

Okay, I am off to create some new tins for my shop.

HAPPY HUMP DAY!

For the past two years I have been on the Isagenix diet and I have to say it is the best diet for me ever.
I start my day with a yummy chocolate Isagenix shake blended with a banana and ice, my liquid vitamins and a glass of water.

Oh and numerous pills...I hate taking pills . I can't swallow them without a water bottle. I think it is a mental block every since my neck surgery when I had lots of trouble swallowing. They consist of glucosamine for my joints, fish oil for my heart, aleve for my arthritis, yes I have arthritis in my wrists and hands, a baby aspirin for my heart and my cholesterol medication to keep plaque from building in my arteries, Isagenix fat burner and instaflush...guess what that does?

I have lost 40 lbs and most of it came off in the first 8 months. I am on a plateau and have been for over a year with only 5 more lbs to lose but I am maintaining. Now if I could just get my rear to walk on the Tread Climber I spent mucho money on I would probably lose that and more. I need some one to push me over to it and then turn it on...ha ha.
How many of you work out or walk at least three times a week?

Well we got a little sun break today after three days and nights of steady rain it is is hailing (did I spell that correctly?) right now and 42 degrees. More rain expected tonight. Our Coquille River has a flood warning for tonight. Our neighbors down by the slue literally have a lake in their field. Our spring that runs down from our higher property is rushing with water. You can hear it like a river flowing. Please, oh please let there be sunshine in CA next week when I get there.

Our pellet stove is burning and hubby is napping with our 120 lb dogs at his feet.

Large Lima Beans and the remainder of a spiral ham from Christmas dinner including the bone



I have lima beans and ham in the slow cooker for dinner. 6 hours on high. Added a little pepper and corn starch to thicken it.Pretty easy meal right?
We are warm and cozy unlike the poor people in NY and NJ. They are buried in snow!


Tomorrow is our regular Etsy Team coffee meeting but instead of coffee downtown the girls are coming to my house for Chili and Cornbread. Should be fun.


Have you seen this before? Yep, it's a shake weight. I am sure you have seen them on TV. I have been using it for 2 weeks now to try to get my flabby arms back in shape. 6 minutes a day. I am gonna need it after all the calories in the lima bean and ham soup! That and a walk or two on my Tread Climber.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE

Well as you can see I have created a brand new banner and background for my blog and there will be some changes made to my blogging style also.

I have decided to share more about the way I create my collages, tins, jars and cigar boxes as well as what my life is like here in Coos Bay. I feel it is time to step it up a bit and be a little more interesting.

As you all must know by now since I have mentioned it enough times, I have opened a new Etsy Shop. I wasn't having much luck selling my collages so I decided to put them on tins, jars, cigar boxes and see if that made a difference. IT DID! I sold 7 tins in the first two weeks it was open . It might have been a fluke with the holiday shoppers and all but it sure felt good !!

My dear sweet husband just happened to have some cigar boxes in various sizes in his shop so he presented them to me when he found out I was going to altered them and put them in my Etsy Shop.

The first one I did was inspired by Steam Punk. Hubby contributed the rusty washers and antique nails that frame the collage.

So our Etsy Team Challenge for Jan is to create something we are passionate about, so I thought I would take one of the smaller boxes and alter it to be used for ATC's since that is one of the things I am passionate about. I took the box and applied glue to all sides as I went adding onion skin paper. This paper is real easy to work with....except when it gets jammed in your printer !

I covered over the onion paper with glue and then printed out the image I wanted to use and wrapped it over the seam where the lid opens just to give it added support.

Clamps work well to hold things in place while the glue is drying

Next I selected a emphemera paper to use as a liner on the inside of the box. Covered the area with glue and added my paper to the inside lid.

Followed that same procedure for the inside of the box.
This is the point where I seal the entire box. I use Mod Podge to seal my work.

It seemed a bit boring so I added satin ribbon to accent. For this I used fabric glue.

Okay, still boring so I added this metal butterfly. Fabric glue works best for me when adding embellishments. It dries faster.

I did the same thing on the outside of the lid when adding this metal heart.

Finally the finishing touch was to add antique lace trim all the way around the box. It not only accents it but it helps cover any imperfections along the seams of your paper.

This is the finished product. I have to say I am proud of the way it turned out.

I also added a gold button and some more of the satin ribbon creating a little latch to keep the box closed.



This box can be used to store your ATC cards or whatever you want to use it for. The possibilities are endless. Photos, jewelry, trinkets, money, keepsakes, cards, etc., etc.


You not only have a beautiful box but you have a nice piece of art to add to your home decor.
The bonus is that this box comes with an ATC kit inside. Includes everything you need to create at least 4 ATC cards. This box and ATC Kit are for sale in my Etsy Shop.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE

I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

A tiny piece of art from an ATC Swapper
Thanks Francine

Let us all celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
Happy Birthday Jesus

I am so blessed with friends and family and mostly my faith in the Lord.
This has been a very difficult year for me personally but God has helped me once again through heartache and worry.

I hope to start this new year with a new blog face, a new Etsy shop and more blogging !
I love you all and wish you the best holiday season ever.

HERE SHE IS!! AVA JUNE

Here she is. My first Great Granddaughter Ava June. It is hard to believe that I am a great grandmother but it sure feels good. She is healthy, happy and oh so loved.

I promise as soon as I get a photo of her without the pacifier, I will share it with all of you.

A WONDERFUL SURPRISE

Today I received this hand painted piece of art from my dear friend Bevie Sams.
Go check out her blog. Dreams of Pure Love

She has so many neat things on there including her art and much more. Dreams of Pure Love for sure
She is so talented in everything she paints. We have swapped ATC's over the past few years but this year she really surprised me with this cute little painting of a snowman and the children that made him.
Thanks Bevie...just when I was feeling down this made me smile.
God Bless You
Merry Christmas

MORE ALTERED TINS

This last week was a very profitable one for Altered State of Tin
I sold 7 tins since the opening of my new Etsy Shop!

I had to make more tins to keep my shop filled so here are four more available in my shop today.

Altered Tin with ATC Kit Inside

Also Digital Whisper has started an ATC Swap group and the theme for this month is Angels

This is my creation for that swap.
My partner is Jan De Bellis.I found her blog too.
She is one talented lady and has been published in Somerset Magazine.

I am so excited to be a part of this group. There is so much talent at Digital Whisper and now I can have pieces of that talent in my collection.

FOXY

This is my latest altered tin. A Red Fox.
You will find him in my Etsy Shop.
These little tins make great stocking stuffers.

14 YEARS

Today is our wedding anniversary.
16 years ago I met and fell in love with a wonderful man I married 14 years ago.

Patricia Marie and Alan Lee
December 14th, 1996

In the Christmas rush we planned our wedding.

We made our own invitations, bought 2 dozen wine glasses and hand painted them with our name and date and made tine little wedding rings and tied them to the stem with antique lace, we shopped at antique stores for just the right red and blue antique crystal wine glasses for the bride and groom, picked up a guest book, flowers for the chapel, ordered the wedding cake, reserved the chapel at Treasure Island in Vegas, reserved the dinning room there for our reception and chose the food that would be served, bought my Victorian wedding dress and Victorian boots with lace and his country gentleman dark blue suite with ruffled shirt and dark blue western tie and steel gray snake skin cowboy boots, planned and reserved a rental car for our honeymoon to Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon by train and Palm Springs.

After all these years, you are still the one darlin'

Happy Anniversary

I LOVE YOU

Merry Christmas To My Female Friends If I were ol' Santa, you know what I'd do I'd dump silly gifts that are given to you And deliver some things just inside your front door Things you have lost, but treasured before. I'd give you back all your maidenly vigor, And to go along with it, a neat tiny figure. Then restore the old color that once graced your hair Before rinses and bleaches took residence there. I'd bring back the shape with which you were gifted So things now suspended need not be uplifted. I'd draw in your tummy and smooth down your back Till you'd be a dream in those tight fitting slacks. I'd remove all your wrinkles and leave only one chin So you wouldn't spend hours rubbing grease on your skin You'd never have flashes or queer dizzy spells And you wouldn't hear noises like ringing of bells. No sore aching feet and no corns on your toes No searching for spectacles when they're right on your nose. Not a shot would you take in your arm, hip or fanny From a doctor who thinks you're a nervous old granny. You'd never have a headache, so no pills would you take. And no heating pad needed since your muscles won't ache. Yes, if I were Santa, you'd never look stupid You'd be a cute little chick with the romance of a cupid. I'd give a lift to your heart when those wolves start to whistle And the joys of your heart would be light as a thistle. But alas! I'm not Santa.I'm simply just me The matronest of matrons you ever did see. I wish I could tell you all the symptoms I've got But I'm due at my doctor's for an estrogen shot. Even though we've grown older this wish is sincere Merry Christmas to you and a Happy New Year. LOVE YOU ALL

LAST MONTH'S DIGITAL WHISPER CHALLENGE

This is actually three layers and then I embellished with Anika von Holt brushes

Another idea for a Steam Punk Tin Box for my new shop
This one has 4 layers

GOODIES FROM JANN

Jann was my swap partner in October. I received her beautiful card and lots of other goodies.
She made the cutest journal and other ATC's too. Thanks Jann

Don't forget today is the deadline for you to get your ATC's finished and out to your partner.
I will be having another swap for December next week.

Happy Creating !

CALL ME GREAT GRAMA !

After 18 hours of labor I became a Great Grandmother today.
Ava June was born at 5:13 pm Nov 29, 2010
She is beautiful and as soon as they send me pictures I will post them. This is a card I made for my Granddaughter for her baby shower. In the right corner is a photo of her. I cannot wait to see her.
I cannot explain the joy I feel .

AND THE WINNER IS ............

After over 40 suggestions and days of thought, I have chosen a name for my new Etsy Shop.
ALTERED STATE OF TIN

This suggestion came from Lori of Out Of The Mouth Your Heart Speaks.

Thank You Lori, you are the winner so pick the tin you want from the picture of my tins here under "Name That Shop" post and you can go to my current shop before the 1st of December and let me know which handmade greeting card and envelope you want and I will send them to you right away.
Very cleverly thought out. I love it!

Brenda, my friend and and Etsy Team colleague summed it up perfectly.
She said "Altered State of TIN"!!! What a perfect name. The name says to me, unique, quality, altered art, made of metal, artistic collage mind, and it is something I would click on if it was a list of names in a link!

That did it....the words I was waiting to hear. "SOMETHING I WOULD CLICK ON"

I will be opening my new Etsy Shop the first week in December.
I will be posting the link and the opening date soon.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Be safe !!