A Face only a Mother Could love

OK, I know it looked like I disappeared and I almost did. Totally focused on my Alice submission and finished the "cover" page last night. I am using the rusty little things picked up in my condo's parking lot! YEA, recycle..... bliss!

I am really quite excited with this creation. This one is so different from the others since I am relying mostly on clip art of Alice in Wonderland I purchased over on Stampington. In other words, no stamping which is interesting for me not to pick up. But it works. My personal challenge is to figure out how to use the clip art in an "out-of-the-box" statement so it doesn't look like every other Tom Dick or Hairy..... Guess that's why they call it "art."

Well, I really just wanted to let you know I am still around and my favorite time of the year is fast approaching..... I love October. I really do. Today, I enjoyed terrorizing a friend and colleague at work. I love my job. I want you to meet Gertrude. She came to me as a hand-me-down. But not to worry, she is now snuggled warmly in my office for the WHOLE darn month. Eager to help all who wish for it.




I gave her chains away. Like -- she is not into bondage anymore! Well, I need to close and run and get Gertrude some more coffee. She is working like really hard.... or is that hardly working. Cheryl banished her from her Snow White chair. Pooey.... and just as she was getting acquainted with Snow. Happy Hump Day!

Happy Birthday to the Honeysuckles

One year ago today this blog, Honeysuckle Breeze, was born. WOW. One year doesn't seem possible.

So, let's just go back to my roots (OK, you do notice even at a very young age my grey had started to come in ..... ) Here I am with my favorite count who gave me a hickey right there in the dungeon. Why not, you only live once.


Happy Birthday my little honeysuckles blowin' in the breeze.....

*Kiss * Kiss *

Thank you to all my readers who made it so much fun!

Waxing Wanly in the Breeze

... or is that waneing waxing away as I sit here... Nope, not the brows, the lips, or the legs..... This waxing is with either beeswax or encaustic wax. This post is a result of some email exchanges today with my buddy blogger over at Magpie's Nest. Patty is doing some wonderful work with beeswax. Check out her post on September 19th, Threads of Wisdom..... I mentioned to her that I love the "color" wax and have so much fun playing with it. Figure of french girl was "colored" with the encaustic waxes. I used the "clear" wax on her face with a touch (and literally a touch) of pink wax on her cheek.

You see, Patty and I took a class together several years ago with a great gal named Darlene using beeswax. This was my first class using wax. I had dabbled prior to that time but never developed a love for it. At class I liked it... had fun... and created a work of art. WOW.... beeswax ain't bad. THEN, enter my friend, Beth who has given me great guidance with encaustic wax. She is such a talented artist with color wax. At that point I was hooked.

I told Patty today that she and I should make a date to play with the stuff, yes the color stuff. And so, this post is for Patty -- and hey, all of you can read it tooooo..... Patty, one reason I love color wax is it can be a challenge BUT so much fun to color with... The image below is from Paper Artsy called Architecture-Plate 4. I created a calendar in 2007 and highlighted a number of stamped images using encaustic wax. Just note that her lips and cheecks were colored with a pencil prior to using the wax.


I have my very own cute little green Encaustic Art Painting Iron which I use instead of the small clover iron. Either will work -- it is just that Beth got me started using that cute green one. This stamp from Stampington and Company and was used on this December calendar page because I also used it on my Christmas cards in 2007. Encaustic wax was used on all elements of this stamp.

Also used it on the lamp post and used beeswax on the "song" lyrics:

So, Patty, let's make a date in the future and play somewhere like Angela's Happy Stamper. I will bring my iron and waxes, you bring your iron and waxes and we will have at it! Just have your people contact my people and it will be a date.......

Honeysuckle Breeze Home Caring Projects

Whewwwww. I am kinda of glad this day is coming to a close. Busy, busy, busy...which I knew it would be. Started out playing tennis with my bud BJ. He gives me shots that make me run. Bad boy.

Got home. Showered and ready to get started on my to do list. I repaired a cabinet door which I have been dreading. Do you see it hanging open. Geez, it had to be fixed.

Managed! check-off the old do-it list. Unfortunately they do not make the parts anymore - not after 15 years..... and I only have three cabinet hinges left. OH no.... will pass that bridge when I get to it. I used two of the five today.

I then moved to the bedroom. I had to move furniture around for the upcoming season change. We are talking 1950's mahogany furniture. Heavy on carpet. I will not go to the gym tomorrow to do cardio. Got enough today.

Yesterday, got two small "pages" done in my Alice composition which I will be submitting to Somerset Studios. I have until October 15....

Here is just a little peak...... Poor Alice was a really sick girlie. That's all I'm saying! You know, cat fights, hanging out with rats, and all that partying. She was pretty sick no matter what Disney says. And I hear through the grapevine that she liked rabbits.... furry little bunnies in rabbit stew. OH the HORROR. OH the trauma. Oh my. Sick little girlie gone bad. Run bunny run.......

Also getting ready for a weekend get-a-away with the girls in November and we will be having swaps: ATCs, ornaments, and recipe cards. I have pieces cut out for the ATCs and have been working on the cross-stitch ornaments each night.....

Okie, dokie, time for dinner, time for rest, time for a cup of decaf! Overall been a pretty good day. I am tuckered out and will sleep really well tonight.

Dinner is calling.

Just catching up with you among the Honeysuckles

Just a quick post on this lovely Saturday! Wanted to show you a few more pages from the little "to do" notebook I was working on at a non-stop pace last Saturday. I found this black trim in New York City at a shop I found in the Where Women Create magazine. Tinsel Trading Company is a joy to visit. With your first step in the shop, you stop dead trying to take it all in... which you can't. Cheryl and I ended up wandering around the shop for a good 40 minutes. I found this trim in both black and red. The card stock the trim and image are mounted to is the tag from the auto service department where the "shark" has to go for her routine maintenance visits. Felt it was too good to toss away. The image I found on Two Peas as a free download and really has three women on it....

Next order of business was to mount the image on the trim and mount the trim to the tag, since the image was printed on typewriter paper, I decided to sew her...... This was the first time I had sewn around an image. Seen it done a lot but haven't tried it. I liked the way it came out.

In the notebook, I used different papers including dictionary pages. One thing I realized with the dictionary is you have to be careful and be sure to read the page that you are getting ready to bind into the book, especially when working with the letter "P"..... lotz of "p" words you might not want in the notebook. Kind of like "F" words....

After reviewing dictionary pages, I then had several small pieces left over which I stamped on and applied to my stamped lady, "Coquette," by B Line Design. If I had the time I would have decorated this stamp using color pencils and markers. But, alas time ran out.

OK, I really need to work on several items this afternoon including my Alice in Wonderland bookie and some ATC cards ..... See ya soon.....

Sundry things among the Honeysuckles

Does the sign above my door look a little blurry? Well, boys and girls, welcome to my world! Okie Dokie I got busy here and left you alone to do whatever you do when I leave you alone, you little sweeties. BUT, I'm back, and will show you more Near East To Do booklet pages in a moment, I promise. The sky outside looks like fall. I had to put up my fall wreath today just to celebrate.

Last Sunday, when taking trash out, I started collecting fun little rusty things. Too cool and I had to share these with you. I love going on archaeological digs in my parking lot and thrash bins (where is Indiana Jones when I need him?). One day, I'm gonna make a fun street hag, if I say so myself. We got paper clips, an old nail, several hair pins, and sundry stuff. Love rust!

I got fun stuff in the mail since last we met:

From Claudine -- Loren's birthday gift - YES, the magnetic paper dolls showed up. How cool is this. Go over to her blog, Diary of Claudine Hellmuth, and you can get your orders in for upcoming birthdays and Christmas gifts. I am telling you these are well worth the little bit of money this fantastic artist is charging. The tins the dolls came in are so fun.....

The paper dolls are larger than I imagined.

I asked and paid for one extra dress -- Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz -- and what does Claudine do??? She throws in "ruby" slippers. I asked for a lime green blouse since we saw "Wicked" a few weeks ago in New York City and Claudine also gives Loren some lime green socks to go with her red ruby slippers. Just a note which you will see on Claudine's site, these dolls are not intended for children...... As I have said, these make great gifts for grandmas, aunts, godmothers, godfathers, me.....



I was finally able to browse some of my favorite blogs and was amazed what Linda got done in one day.... check out her post last Sunday on her blog, Lindart's Art. Yup, her table top looks like mine....which I need to get cleaned up. Well, time has gotten away from me and no mention of the Near East Journal.... tomorrow, I promise. I promise! Have a good evening. I have to run downstairs and get dinner and work on Holiday Ornaments for a swap in November. I believe I'm making 14 and I'm doing cross-stitch ones. Oh Wow, I amaze me and all my other personalities at times. *wink*

The Near East To Do Notebook

Yesterday, I told you about this little notebook I created as a hostess gift. I decided to do a tea basket instead of a bottle of wine not knowing what they liked. This little baby came together quickly since I decided to do it at the last minute. I have numerous boxes broken down to make into these little wonders. Do I do them ahead of time. . . oh no, that would be to sensible and that I am not.

The first item of business was to gather paper, measure it, and cut it. I used lined paper, manila file folders, dictionary pages, and scrapbook papers. After cutting up these, I had to sit down and put them in the order I wanted them in the book. After that process was done, I started sewing and stamping.

I used three of these lovely postcards (cut down) which I bought from Paper*Relics. Yes, I have hoarded these and seldom will I use them. But I convinced myself that I could order more.

I found the feather getting in my car after tennis on Saturday.

The fascinating thing about the page above is I put the "tag" in upside down and realized it after the book was bound..... Not a problem, I just grabbed some stamps and pretended I meant to do it this way. The tag was from the Chrysler dealership used for my car key when I took the "shark" in for some warranty work.



A year ago I bought a lovely package from the Vintage Victorian Mercantile Etsy shop and it included this material along with some yellow bias tape and yellow buttons. Since the recipient of this notebook is a designer of children's clothes, I decided it was about time I used this fabric. And then of course, I had a little piece left to use on the next page:



On that note, I will close this post. You will see a few more pages from this book this week but I need to go and work on my Alice in Wonderland collage I am planning to submit to Somerset Studio by October 15th. You know, I have a warped sense of humor and all I can think about when working on this is Rabbit Stew. I swear they ate the rabbit. Oh hum, move over Grimm Fairy Tales, I'm rewrittin' some.

Busy time of the year in the Honeysuckles

Why is it that September always seems so busy?OK, I know kids go back to school, and school buses slow traffic down, and everyone is back from vacation, and WOW did we have a weird weather week! LOL. Yes, it seemed like fall was knocking on our door. Fall is my favorite time of the year.

So let's start catching up since last Wednesday.

I got fun stuff in the mail yesterday (I do love Mary's business cards I designed for her if I say so myself which I won't) ..... but let's start at the beginning ....

Over at Magpie's Nest, Patty mentioned a new Etsy Shop and a give-away. Well, boys and girls, I fell in love with Nathalie's blog, An Artist Legacy, and was so wowed with one of the items in her new Etsy Shop, Ruby Floy. I went wild about the "prompt" journal. Looks a little plain on the outside (all the more opportunity to alter you... my dear little book) until you open this baby up and see all of those marvelous library cards. What a prompt - "Alfie's feet":

NOW, if you go over to her blog you can see information about her give-away. Yes, she is giving away a "Prompt" book. Besides ordering a Prompt book, I also ordered some recipe cards. I wish I had my grandmother's hand written recipes..... who would have thought the things we cherish and the things we collect! I told Nathalie that I would buy those library cards on their own! She said she was considering selling them separately. OK Nat, i'm waiting.... girl, i'm waiting.

And now to the tale of the aftermath in the studio the day after......

Last night I had the privilege to attend a dinner which occurred at the end of the South Asia Studies Annual Student Orientation Retreat. This was part of the School of Advanced International Studies at The John Hopkins University. I don't believe I mentioned to you that I discovered a professor of mine from St. John's Junior College living down the road from me. After 40 years or so, we had lunch last week. It was fun to catch up. He was very young when he came to teach at St. Johns and all the students loved him. Anyway, he is currently a professor at John Hopkins and his wife is from India and designs children clothing. It was a marvelous evening of Bollywood music and incredible Indian food to die for.

As a hostess gift, at the last minute, I decided to do a "tea basket with small to-do-journal" instead of a bottle of wine. I found some "Indian" spice tea ...

and added some sweet goodies.

I then set out to create a little journal made out of a grocery box which I thought appropriate for the evening. Talk about waiting till the last minute. Yes, I did get my tennis in yesterday morning and then started creating this little baby. So sit tight and I'll tell you more about the little notebook this coming week......