The Petit Trianon in the Honeysuckles

Today I began work on a small altered book and am not sure how many pages it will have. This will be a gift for a dear friend who has enabled me a bunch.  Found an old cardboard book bought at a scrapbook convention two years ago.

Gathered up my supplies,

Cleaned my desk, got more java,  and started creating.

This one is not going as quick as I would like because I am "thinking" - big mistake, hmmmmm

I want to do a Marie themed book and the only thing right now that comes to mind is her gardens, so I am slowly starting with that as the theme.

Managed to get two pages done and I like them. One side is Marie,

Used a variety of already "have" stuff - nothing bought. Stone angels are always good in a garden, don't you think?

I've gotta use up the stash in order to get new stash.

Will we get to the "de jardin,"  who knows? I'm thinking this creation will have a mind of its own, LOL. Have a great evening whatever you are doing or whatever you are watching. My Saturday has been peaceful and calm and serene and I got to sleep late this morning. Had bacon and eggs for breakfast, yum yum. Keep on having fun my honeysuckle breeze peeps and I will think about the next two pages.

Harley and His Rads

You gotta give it to the little red dawg guy - he knows how to do his rads. He goes with me on Fridays and today he discovered the candy dish.

He dove into it

Then took his rad (# 10 of 18)

And met a friend

I know an "Awwwww" moment.

They bonded and are now best friends forever. The armadillo resides in the radiation portion of the Cancer Center and is always there when you walk in. However, she needs a name. As an Oklahoma girl I was ready to suggest RoadKill but decided that would not be nice AND then I noticed the adorable feather in her hair.

OK my honeysuckle peeps, we need some names for her - I would like to go back in on Monday for Rad # 11 with a list of possible names to give the the Rad people. Put your thinking caps on and help me peeps!

This weekend I plan on cleaning my desk area and then jumping into the middle of a new altered book. Found a cardboard one hidden in a drawer - think I bought it in 2009 at a scrapbook convention - time to use it up. Will keep you posted on what it will be - thinking Marie's Garden. Have a good one!

From my "Wylde Women's Wisdom" for today:

Change requires a lot of heat.

It requires both the alchemist and the welder,

the magician and the laborer,

the witch and the warrior,

the myth-smasher and the myth maker.

Hand in Hand - a revolution.

Moraga/Anzaldua

A Little this and A Little that

Enjoyed the holiday on Monday and got more pages done in the little altered book.  The Xmas Cactus is blooming again - it is an old soul and just does its own thing! Yes, it is lunchtime today and just wanted to get this posted. I wrote the section about the book on Monday and it did get in the mail on Tuesday. I had my 8th radiation treatment today - WOW - 8 down and 10 to go. So far, so good, and NO, darnit, I am not glowing in the dark. My skin is looking good where it is being radiated. For 15 session they do the whole boobie and then the last 3 they target just the area where the tumor was.  I am using udder cream and am happy to report I have not grown any new ones - bras are giving me enough problems right now thank you very much.  Moooooooo (sorry, that just jumped out) Have been able to keep up my cardio/workout schedule with James - every day during the week. So, back to the little altered book:

I added a pewter tree to the cover of the book (found it hiding).

Worked on a school page - I decomposed a Tim Holtz paper - or is that decompressed - or deconstructed (like the Top Chefs do).... whatever, I did it.  Cut it up and put it back together! whoo who whatever.

I had received an old ad in a newspaper/magazine from a good friend, Terri, who "enables" me, yes she does, sends me good stuff off and on...... hmmm, I probably owe her a little book.... Added some clip art and hardware... The young steampunk boys used in this book are from Altered Artifacts - her downloadable clip art is GREAT! Check it out.

Especially this young man with his wings! The cat on a fence you might recognize as Martha Stewart a few Halloween's ago. And also, when in doubt, slap a flower down!

yes, one more boy from Altered Artifacts.  I would not necessarily suggest you work on cardboard like this. It was "sticky" from adhesive when I separated it from the paper and was almost impossible to have anything stick to it. I did at times have to sew images to it and then glue the clip art to the image that was sewn.

Hope you are enjoying hump day.  SURVIVOR night and are we ready - all in song, please - for "Secret Agent Man" secret agent man - like I am a secret agent man who worked for the government.  I think in my part of the woods here in Northern Virginia - we call them spooks, and this dude is a little spooky, boys and girls, yes sir ree, a whole bunch spooky.

A Little Altered Book - Redux

As a quick thank you to two guys who sent me two charming and moving gifts.....

A beautiful angel

and crystal

How cool and sweet is that? Well as a thank you, I wanted to make them special. Something from my heart and when I get into that mode - the pages start flowing.  I had some cardboard from a book that arrived yesterday. It was not necessarily easy to work with but I wanted to go for it.

I found an old calendar...

Tried twice to load the bobbin, (oh what a tangled mess we weave......)

OK helps to read directions,

and interspersed the calendar art work between the cardboard and sewed down the middle. Easy Peasy.

Painted the cardboard on the front

and created a cover

grabbed one of my rusty clips grown in my rust garden.

Started on the inside with some Alice clip art - this is stuff I had already cut out months ago,

And then was finally able to use my yellow grocery stamps that I believe Elizabeth sent to me. I have been hoarding them..... (and Elizabeth, I did get your rusty pages done and they will be in the mail on Tuesday....)

That will be it for tonight. I will show Elizabeth a sneak peak at her pages and bid you all a goodnight. . .

Hugs!

Little Books all in a Row

Many of you know my love affair with my little books, brown lunch bags, board books, chip board, and anything else I can get my hands on. I have been fascinated with Lizzie Borden for many years and a highlight of my life was staying at the Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast in 2007. The other day I showed you my little book centered around Lizzie Borden which I have never posted on this blog.

In Fall River, MA, a young woman is accused of killing her father and stepmother. She was a Sunday School teacher and considered well to do in those days. Her father was known to keep a tight fist on the family money and wanted to stay in town near his properties.

He had two daughters, Lizzie and Emma, from a former marriage. Mother died young and Father remarried. Emma resented Abby Borden. Abby is the only mother Lizzie relatively knew. As the years went by Lizzie traveled to Europe and eventually wanted to move to the "top of the hill" where those with money lived. Father refused.

Lizzie Borden took an ax

and gave her father 41 whacks.....

or so the little song goes.

Did Lizzie do it?

Were both sisters in on it? Or were both souls lost?  Lizzie Borden took an ax and gave her mother 40 whacks, when the job was neatly done, she gave her father 41.