some of my favorites-

another post of links...

the first link goes to my Etsy favorites. I mark items as favorites more for inspiration than for possible shopping- looking at them, my favorites are mostly birds, flowers, and things from nature- coincidence?? I think not- that's mostly what I make, myself. Check out the link for some really cute things, and some really great Etsy sellers! I only wish I could categorize them, but Etsy doesn't allow that right now (maybe someday??)

the second link goes to my Flickr favorites. Again, it's full of inspirational artwork, images, and people's photos- mostly of flowers, birds, and nature. (with the occasional dog or cat pic added in for a dash of cuteness!)

the third link is to a medical website that talks about cubital tunnel syndrome, which is sort of like carpal tunnel, but causes your ring finger and little finger to "fall asleep" due to pressure on the nerve that runs thru your elbow. This is something I've been dealing with for the last few weeks, and finally went to the Dr. about last week. I have an appt with the physical therapist next week- hopefully he can give me some advice, exercises, etc. that will help. Something besides to "rest" although I know he'll say that... (yeah, right! kinda hard to do that when my job uses the computer all day!) This is also why I've been staying away (or trying to, anyway) from the computer at home, but I miss you all, my bloggie friends! I have been working on some ATCs, and had a great mail day yesterday that I really want to show you- probably over the weekend!

a post of links

hi! it's another Sunday night here in the desert... just a few short hours till we have to hit the hay (so to speak- we're not that primitive out here in the desert!) to get ready for another workweek. 4 am comes awfully early!

The first link: the Phoenix Craft Mafia blog... check it out to see pics and coverage from our latest Trunk Show, which was yesterday.

Yesterday's show was pretty good- we got a late start due to some technical difficulties at the restaurant, but it was a lot of fun! I took a project (Christmas cards) to work on, but ran out of doublestick tape before I got finished. After the show, I had just enough time to relax a bit and change my clothes before we headed out to a barbecue hosted by Tom's boss. It was a nice evening- Richard and Susan are gracious hosts who open up their home to their employees a few times a year; it was also a celebration of Richard's birthday, so plenty of family and friends were also in attendance. We didn't stay terribly late, but needless to say, we didn't get up early this morning!

The second link: a new blog belonging to a fellow Mafia member, PackRat Stash (aka Tressa), who knits and crochets: The Chronicles of Yarnia (clever name, isn't it?) How did I get through almost 40 years of my life without ever hearing about "yarn porn" before?? Now, now, it's not what you think; people who knit, spin, or hand-dye yarn use this term to refer to their addiction/lust for yarn and all things colorful. I know the feeling; it's how I feel when I get new stamps or patterned paper!

Here's link number 3: the Holiday section of my Etsy shop- I just posted a couple sets of holiday gift tags- it's Christmas time, in the shop! (read that line to the tune of Silver Bells for the best effect...) More Christmas items coming soon... now, I'm off to make some ATCs for a trade I'm in that need to be mailed tomorrow... bye till later!

you may also be able to find me at:

the new Phoenix Craft Mafia blog... starting today! We're all going to post on this blog, so you can sometimes read about Crimson Cat craftiness there, as well as here. Over time, you can also read up on the other crafty members of the Phoenix Craft Mafia... check it out!

Newest ACEOs

I got crafty with the paper, glue, and paint again today... over the course of the last week or so, I made at least 10 ACEO backgrounds, and I finished some of them up today. I say "finished up" but it's more of an ongoing process for me- I have to think about the backgrounds for a while, then decide what images I think will "fit" with the backgrounds, both in terms of the "feel" and the colors. Sometimes, I'll even change my mind midstream, and go in a totally different direction- sort of makes it a surprise to see what I end up with!

Spring Symphony #1. for sale in my shop.

Like so many of them, it was not what I had originally planned. The image was a vintage one I found on Flickr; the image is from an 1883 issue of St. Nicholas Magazine. I watercolored it and cut it out; originally I was going to put it onto one of the painted backgrounds I made (pic below) but the colors just weren't right. I think it fit much better on this background. It still looked like it needed "something" which is where the twigs came in. They are sewn on with very thin gold thread. These are three painted collage backgrounds, waiting for their focal images. They were made basically like the journal pages I made in the Art Unraveled class I took with Kelly Kilmer. (as good as I remember, anyway- I didn't take notes during class!) Only much tinier, of course, since they're only ACEO size!

Fly without Fear. For sale in my shop.

When I started this background, I didn't like it at all. Once I finished it, I loved it! Just goes to show you that you have to see things through to the end, I guess. I left a bit of vintage dictionary paper showing in the corner; it is the definition for the word "impunity" which I kind of liked. The colors are much more luminous (? I think that's the word I want) in person, because the entire thing was covered with a light coat of turquoise Lumiere paint, which adds a shimmery glimmer of color to the whole thing. The flying bird stamp wasn't facing the right direction, so I stamped it onto a flat piece of rubber, then stamped it again onto the paper- this switches it around and gives you a mirror image.

Home- Where One Starts From. For sale in my shop.

This background ended up a bit darker overall, with the red and blue colors in the paint I used, so I thought it needed a more graphic image to off-set the background. This clipart house fit the bill, I think! I finished off the edges of both the house and the card with Sharpie marker.