I Am Not

I was visiting Jenn's blog  yesterday and saw that she has posted a unique list. I thought I would play along.

Things I Am...

NOT!

1 - an early bird. I'm more of a sleep-until-you-feel-guilty-for-being-a-bed-slug type person. I'm also a night owl so you can see why I don't want to get up anytime soon...

2 - a chronic wallower in self pity. Can't stand it. I have times when I'm complaining about my life/hair/weight/house, etc... but I get to a point where I pull myself up by my garter belts and say 'Okay, what are we going to do about this situation?'

3 - punctual. Yeah, not one of my strong suits. Life is short, why do I have to be on time?!

4 - a purple lover. I don't like it. I would go so far to say I hate it. Loath it. Don't think it should be one of the colors in the color group. Just sayin'...

5 - satisfied with mediocrity. Those who know me should know this is true. I don't like ordinary. I don't like to be like everyone else. Of course if one was honest, I'm probably as normal as they come because what is normal but whatever is unique to you? I just am not a go with the flow type person who only does things to fit in with others. I guess that's what I mean by  not being mediocre.

6 - a girly girl. I tell hubby he is lucky I'm so low maintenance. I only own 2 pairs of shoes, clogs and flip flops. I used them exclusively during the year until one falls apart and I replace it with the exact same style if I can find it. I only wear lipstick and the occasional mascara. I didn't used to own much jewelry until a friend started selling Premier Designs jewelry and I had a party. I probably get my hair cut every couple years and I'm not happy about that either. I'm hugely content in jeans and tee shirts and I don't own a dress or a skirt.

7 - a latte frappe froo-froo drinker. For the most part. I've had the occasional drink from Starbucks if I go there with the teen or mom but I much prefer a glass of iced tea.. Hot tea in the winter..

8 - a mealy-mouth. I'm a fighter. I'm the go to gal in our family when there is a problem. I remember my parents calling me from Georgia (I live in Missouri) to ask me to call their cable company to fix a problem. They know I will fight for them. I'm hugely protective of my kids and husband and have regularly offered to beat someone up (ie: a bully, a co-worker or boss) that was hurting my loved one. I've never had to do it but the offer still stands. :)

9 - stagnant. I have to try new things. I've owned several businesses, have lists a mile long of art techniques to try and books to read. I'm sure I would not run out of things to read  until the day I die. I like change. I'm always amazed I've lived in the same town in the same house for 15 years. But with a family you have to take them into consideration. If I was single, I'd travel all the time. Maybe write books on traveling, get paid to see the world, have no permanent home. This would be the life for me. My youngest brother is this way and seems to love it.

10 - a small animal lover. I don't like things that can crawl and go 'bump' in the night. Nope. No hamsters, tarantulas, snakes, lizards or even fish really. I'm quite content with cats and dogs.

What would be on your list? 

Table Scraps Tags

(Painted paper scrap found while cleaning studio. Love it.)

Remember I was lamenting the work I did on these cards and how they sucked? Well, I gave up on them for now and created other things to send out with my book winners' packages tomorrow. Yes, I'm that behind but I hope people will still love receiving a wonderful gift in the mail, albeit late.

All the tags, trims, stamped and collage images are from Red Lead. I call them my Table Scrap tags because I used scraps I had gathered in a pile on my desk, from cleaning up. Sometimes I do my best creating that way... Kind of like a mystery pile!

The 'For You' stamp and the 'Mail Art' sticker are off a package from a friend in England. I couldn't stand to waste them. So is the 'Destinario' wording glued to the top of the fencing on the tan card. Always fun to use up little bits and bobbles.

While cleaning I found a couple corset tags I made and blogged here. I'm sending those out as well. The corset and lady images are from Altered Pages.

DH helped me clean my studio this week and when the tables were cleared he saw all the paint on the tables (You can see the paint under the tags above. I'm not really a neat painter and don't care if paint gets on them.)

He said, "Oh, this is kind of neat and colorful, kind of like a kindergarten class."
I said "You mean like an artist studio?!"
He said, 'Oh, yeah, that too."
Eyeroll from me. 

The Crown Will Fall

I'm a part of the Raven Altered Book swap at Altered Gypsy. Of course I'm behind, but what is new? It's been a summer of no muse. Would you believe I actually entertained the thought (TWICE) of just packing it all up and getting rid of my studio? That's how discouraged I've been feeling. No ideas flowing in the braino, no hot ideas off the press, nothing.

However, I've been behind on these two altered books and I like to meet my obligations. So hubby helped me clean the studio once again today and I thought I'd sit down and force myself to do something. I started by perusing through a stack of Somerset Studio mags. I made of list of every technique or special thingie on any art piece that caught my idea. I also wrote down any random ideas that popped up because of looking at the books, no matter how silly. This helped me come up with a few ideas for a spread. (click for closeup)

The little antiqued bottle is filled with cuttings from a Raven feather. The Poe image is from Altered Pages, the Raven w/saying stamped image is from Red Lead. Mixin' it up today I guess. The background with swiped with different paints and then I laid stencils over it and spray painted. It was fun to do.

This page I worked on last month. (click for closeup.)

THe vintage lace was added to the edges because I cut the page the wrong size and I was determine not to waste the paper. The middle dark paper is mulberry paper, the RAVEN letters are iron on soft fuzzy/felty type letters. The queen and tree images are from an old calendar a friend sent me from France.

It was an idea I had because I had read raven lore that stated Ravens are considered royalty. They hang around the Tower of London (also known as the Bloody Tower where in 1483 the 2 little princes were brought and disappeared, assumed to be brutally murdered) and the Tower Green where Anne Boleyn was beheaded. The superstition goes:

“If the Tower of London ravens are lost or fly away, the Crown will fall and Britain with it.” 

Read more here on the Ravens and Bloody Tower.