3rd Day of Christmas - Royal Bird & Tree Flowers

I have this beautiful wire bird I picked up while in the Red Lead store. I saw it and just knew it was needed to grace my studio. However, she has been unadorned for too too long. The little one thought so too. She added a handmade crown and necklace and we popped the bird onto the studio Christmas tree. I think Calliope the bird looks quite sweet in her queenly crown!

Did you see the leaf ornaments I posted this week? Well, the big circles in this new ornament were supposed to be instead of the leaf (before I thought of using leaves.) It's handpainted paper. Actually its the scrap paper I put on my worktable when I paint ATCs and it gets all the extra paints on it. Anyway, it was the wrong color for the leaf ornaments so it became its own creation.


I went to this sale last year of a company that was moving its headquarters and was selling off all the extras. They had a whole roll (at least 20 yards) of that white netting fabric. For a $1.00. You know I bought it! And its been sitting there waiting to be used. I'm thinking I want to experiment with painting and or dyeing some of it.


I used to belong to a wonderful group of gals who got together for a monthly Stampin Up party. Now we all know I didn't need a new thing every month. I mainly went to be with friends. However, I did pick up these adorable corduroy covered buttons and brads. I thought they would be the perfect finishing touch for these flowers I'm adding to my studio tree.

The little one has been visiting my studio quite a bit now that its getting fixed up. She loves making ornaments as well. Aren't they cute?! The right one is made with washes of fluid acrylics.

What are you making today?

2nd Day of Christmas - Altered Pages Ornaments

Can you believe I almost threw these leaves away? I have a whole box and while organizing I thought 'I have never used these, nor will I ever. I should just get rid of them.' Actually I was going to throw them in my giveaway box my friends dig through when they come to visit my art room.

I used pictures from Altered Pages. They have several sheets with mini images. I feel guilty cutting up a big image for a small part of it. I have been known to cut people out for their torso/head and then save the legs. I'm sure I'm going to come up with a project just for those darn legs! ha

Slide mounts (you know, those old fangled things that negatives came in that you put in a slide projector to show off the 2000 vacation pictures you had...) They're another thing I never use. But I have a box STUFFED with them. I love having an organized art room. I can now find things like these. I brayered them with alcohol inks in cranberry, lettuce and gold and ink'd the edges with brown stazon ink.

The ornaments are finished off with string for hanging, glitter glue, ric rak and a jewel. They bring a little brightness to any tree. My studio tree is sure enjoying them!


GIVEAWAY: Don't forget about yesterday's giveaway (ending Dec. 7th). I would hope someone would want to take home a free ornament. I had fun making them.

I've been thinking of Christmas and all the traditions people practice. I'd like for my family to have more than we do now. We have this advent calendar, Littlest Pet Shop I think, that I bought last year after Christmas. We've been waiting all year to open it. I told dd yesterday it was the 1st and she could open the first window (she has the calendar in her room.) She told me 'nah, I'll just wait until the 24th and open them all then.' I was shocked! We've been waiting forever. Come to find out today, that she couldn't handle it and had already opened every window one day in November. She didn't take anything out, just peeked. Darn child! lol

Some of my favorite traditions: Christmas Carols Candlelight Service at church, decorating the Christmas tree, driving around to see neighborhood Christmas lights displays, baking yummy gingerbread cookies (or my dd's gingersnap recipe.)

Do you have favorite traditions? I'd like to hear yours.

1st Day of Christmas Giveaway - Red Lead Ornaments

Quick update. The studio overhaul is almost done (it even has its own Christmas Tree!) Pictures will follow soon although they won't be real pretty since its an unfinished basement with glaringly ugly concrete floors. But you'll get the idea of where it was and where it is now.

In the midst of the organizing, my fingers can't seem to keep off the newly accessible supplies! I've created several new things I'll be sharing in the coming days.

These ornaments are made with Red Lead images. I love images of people that have legs. I know that may seem weird but I like people to be 'fully there' when I'm using them in my art. You can add wings to them, shoes if you feel like it. You know what I mean. So these Red lead angels were perfect!

For the background I used the inside of plain ole' cardboard and painted with acrrylics and alcohol inks. (I was reminded about the inks this week when visiting Tim Holtz' blog to see his 12 Tags of Christmas posts. Every time I'm on his blog I remember I have alcohol inks languishing somewhere needing to be used.

I can now find things like floral wire (already wrapped in green), plastic lightbulbs, beads and crepe paper; all that I used on this project! Oh, can't forget the glitter glue of course!

GIVEAWAY: Just for fun and since it's the first of December, my favorite month, I'm going to give away one of the ornaments to a lucky respondent. Please post with a link to an Ornament making or Christmas gift project that you particularly enjoy, just found or have made (whether your design or someone elses)! I'll give you an additional entry for posting to your blog about this giveaway (please come back and tell me so I know.) Make sure you leave your email address if your post doesn't link to your blog. Good luck! I'll close this next Monday the 7th. (check back I might be inclined to give away more things for Christmas!)

Here's a couple of my favorite projects I've found: Ornaments, Topper, Garland, Tree Skirt.