Scrapz n' More

During one of the worst periods of depression in my life fifteen years ago, I began a jewelry making obsession.  I beaded, I soldered, I twisted and painted.  I made earrings, necklaces, bracelets, barrettes and lots and lots of boxes to hold all of these items. 

Night after night I sat at a folding table in my living room and created. I had not yet discovered scrapbooking.  There was a tedious mindlessness to the beading that I really found comforting.  I also loved that each project had a clear beginning and ending.  I mean how long can you really make a necklace?

Time passed, the pain dulled, and I became a part of the world again.  I left behind my jewelry making and found the wonderful world of scrapbooking and digital art.  Recently, though, while scrolling mindlessly (again with the mindlessly) through Etsy, and trying to fall asleep at night, I realized that I could combine my two creative pursuits!

Warning, I feel a new obsession coming on and I ask you all for your patience.  This is how I deal with my demons, and it is certainly better than many of the alternatives!

So, today, May 22, 2011 (I waited to make sure the Rapture had passed) I got out some scrabble tiles, my printer, and a bunch of goodies I purchased at the Scrap Expo yesterday and began to create.

Choosing the images was easy.  I have gigs of vintage, odd and random images on my hard drive. I grabbed a few and started trying to figure out the best way to print them out to create cool scrabble tile pendants. I haven't really mastered the printing yet, but I got them close to the right size for now so…

I am attempting two different methods for creating the pendants.  The first is the "cheater" version where you use ready-made epoxy bubbles over the top of the image once it is glued to the tile.  The second method is to use Diamond Glaze over the images to create a hard top coat to create true jewelry quality.

Yes, I have random images of James Tiberius Kirk on my hard drive. You got a problem with that?

I really should find an image of Edith Keeler. That would make a great project bracelet. A whole City on the Edge of Forever theme…hmmm….

These two are going to be the "cheater" versions. A sunflower of course and another lovely lady from the past.

Well, it's hard to see here, but the cheaters look really good, while the Diamond Glaze versions are having some issues. I think I overdid it on the good captain and he sprung a leak.  They will need to cure overnight and then we will see how they look.

The tiles with the epoxy bubbles have very obvious edges to them, so I don't think they would be something you could sell, but they look really cool and I would definitely wear them.  The Diamond Glaze versions should be more "jewelry quality" once I get the hang of it.

Next step is to attach bails and string these babies up!  Stay tuned.  I will be spending the rest of my night making tiny works of digital art that will make awesome original jewelry pieces!!

I am so grateful that I heeded all the warnings to hug my baby while I could!  Time after time I was warned "It all goes by so quickly", "they grow up so fast."

Today as I sit here alone on my couch while Gracie is upstairs wreaking havoc on the internet and blasting Demo Lovato and Selena Gomez on iTunes I long for the toddler years and the infant months. 

We really need to find a theater program for children around here.  That's where she will excel.  The school budget has been so decimated that there is nothing at the elementary level :=(

Last week Gracie told me that when we are both in heaven she wants us both to be little girls so we can play together.  That is just the cutest thing I've ever heard.

Ah…I hear the dulcet tones of Dora's voice upstairs.  She's a little girl again…for a while at least.

 

Been about a million years since I blogged at this address, but I've kind of been away from the blogosphere since becoming a Director for Regus. Then there was the whole switch to WordPress which made things very complicated. Especially since it's blocked on my work laptop.



So back to Typepad. Glad that I never canceled my account. Didn't want to lose all my posts etc.



Spent some time this afternoon going back in time on this particular blog. Pretty fun stuff on here! All of my little Gracie stories really made me smile. Reminds me how much fun she is each and everday.



I worry sometimes because she is so spoiled by yours truly. In the end, though, I think she is good to others and very generous and kind so I think she'll be a good person when she grows up. If not, it's all my fault



Well ,I really should get back to work. Just felt like exercising my fingers with a little writing. Maybe if I get myself back into the habit Melissa Thinks Out Loud will ride again?

A while back I had taught Gracie the saying, "girls rule and boys drool" and she thought it was just the greatest thing ever.  While we were going to sleep last night we were talking about personalities and how people behave.  Gracie is in a small class of only 5 children and only one of them, Ryan, is a boy.  She was telling me how mean he has been this year and I explained that he was probably acting out because he was the only boy.  So she thought about it and said, "yeah, that's true. Last year when he had friends he only regular drooled, this year he super drools!"

Can't make that stuff up!!!

Taking some time on this rainy Sunday morning to scrap Gracie’s 5th birthday celebrations, while watching Independence Day (a favorite feel good movie).  Gracie and Daddy have gone to Shop Rite and I am enjoying some quiet time and my favorite hobby.

Using Melissa Bennett’s Party Palooza from Sweet Shoppe.

Here I am in rainy DC trying not to fall asleep until later tonight.  This would not normally be hard except that I’ve been up since 4AM to catch the train down here.  I promised Gracie we would watch Wipeout together via phone at 8pm so…here I sit, propping my eyes open.  What better way to keep awake than to keep my fingers busy scrapping right?  Here’s a little something using Laura’sKathi’s Gabs kit.

Here’s a couple I did of Father’s Day. I worked on these on Sunday, I think…

Three more layouts…. all featuring Mary Fran’s Summer Splash Kit

These are a tribute to my brother Michael and the house he bought on the lake so that we would have a family retreat.  We are so thankful to him!!!!

Meet Angel Altiero!  She’s 8 weeks old and the sweetest little thing!!!  I am hopelessly in love. She’s 100% German Shepherd and her Daddy is a police dog with 134 confirmed take downs!!!  My brother Michael just brought her home yesterday and she already follows him around everywhere and seems more comforted when he is near.  She is the most adorable puppy!!!!
More pictures to come

Getting some scrapping done.  Don’t look for too many credits.  I’ll do what I can.  I have combined a page quick page from Dani Mogstad’s Country Fair Brag Book with one of her backgrounds and the alpha from Circle of Friends and come up with page one of my summer album:

Gracie took to the mic for the very first time last night and we were all truly blown away!!!  She got a lot of awesomes and strongs in her scoring and she made it though the whole song w/o anyone needing to save her!!!  Better than I did on my first song. 

After you’ve watched it once, go back and look again to watch my nephew in the background.  It’s priceless.