Number Chunky Book Covers

I have been working SLOWLY on the covers for the numbers chunky book swap at Frenzy Stamper. I decide to show the steps on my blog as I do them because A) It will be fun, B) The process is hard to imagine if I just explain it, C) I think you'll be wondering what I was thinking at the beginning and be surprised in the end, and D) It will keep me motivate to keep on this project.

First, I cut chipboard into 4 x 6 rectangles. Second, I covered the backs with glue dots and the fronts with "NO. 6". Each cover will have the number of the participant on it.


Then I let the glue dry. Drawing with glue is very unpredictable. It flows to suit itself. This is good in a self leveling way and also in a I'm going for grunge kind of way.

I know, I know, you are wondering where I'm going with this. It's coming soon!

As a side note...
I have learned I LOVE playing Word Dojo on the little video screens at Santisi Brother's thanks to Ayesha. If you find yourself hanging out in Bar type atmosphere look for a video screen and try it out! It is super cheep (only $.25 a game), super fun, and it makes your brain grow!

The movie Untraceable is amazing! If you like movies full of suspense this is for you! I could not sit back against the couch and my body was clenched the whole time. Untraceable is rated R for a reason! Way too violent for kids! I mad Jim turn the lights on in the bedroom after it was over before I went in.
(Do these side notes make it obvious I am a teacher or what?)

Just A Clarification

By "A Painful Summary Of What I've Been Doing For The Last Week While I Wasn't Posting" I meant painful for you to read not painful for me as it was really a busy kind of fun for me. :)

Week In Review (A Painful Summary Of What I've Been Doing For The Last Week While I Wasn't Posting)

Just when school should be winding down it is really just winding up for the next year. I have been busy working on the scheduling committee, planning for summer school & summer curriculum work, and trying to get both 4th and 5th grade's ceramic clay projects fired. Busy, busy, busy!

On Monday, after cooking dinner, Jim took me to look at new TV's. I don't speak TV so I can't tell you what we were really looking at, but it is Jim's goal to go high def. in 2008. I was asleep on the couch by 8:30.

Tuesday was still dinner with the girls. We went to a Middle Eastern restaurant called Fattoush on 19th and Indian School. It was a tasty little hole in the wall, we loved it. On our way towards home we drove by the house I lived in soon after I was born until 3rd grade. When we found it Ayesha wanted me to get out and take a picture. I wasn't feeling that daring but took one from inside the car. It turned out to be much more fun! (I was so happy that the current owner painted the house. The last time I saw it it had been painted a terrible shade of lime green!)


We ended the evening at Borders. Ayesha needed to pick up a CD but really we ended up spending much of our time in the Paperchase section of the store. I always spend less money shopping with Ayesha. She helps me think realistically about possible purchases. Deb just laughs at our conversations about NEEDING certain items. In the end Ayesha and I decided to split two sheets of paper, I picked up some monster stickers, and a can of pirate bandages which are really just skulls. The night ended earlier than usual and I was asleep on the couch by 8:00.



Wednesday was Weight Watcher's night. I brought Subway home for dinner and we watched American Idol both on TiVo and the live results show. Go David Cook!

On Thursday night I ran to an appointment and then Jim and I went to the Diamondbacks game. This was fun and relaxing, but you know you are getting old when you start to question why making a dress out of baseball t-shirt is a good decision. Really, a t-shirt as a strapless dress?

Finally, last night we went to dinner at a SUSHI restaurant! One of Jim's friends at work made him try sushi at work and he liked it. It was his idea to go! I have been telling Jim he'd like the kinds of sushi that I eat for the last six years! Anyway it was really fun. (More fun for me than Jim he just thought I was silly.) After dinner we went looking at TV's again, not new ones, the same ones, but this is not a decision you rush into apparently.

And this is the really long story of where I have been in case you were wondering.

People ATC's

I made my people ATC's for next weeks swap at Frenzy Stamper this morning. I sat down at my desk this morning and decided I should just approach this project like a tiny journal page and voila, the card was born.

Happy Mother's Day Mom!

Books & Baby Showers

Several months ago I mentioned that I had made a surprise for Kakes but I was waiting until her birthday to post picture. I finally remembered about it today. I made a little photo book designed in a cupcake theme to match her birthday party.



It was the book that I made for my friend Amber's baby shower that jogged my memory.


In addition to the book Ayesha, Deb, & I created a diaper cake for the shower since the one for Kelly turned out way too cute!


I think that these little books will be the last ones for a long time. I have been anxious to catch up on all of my swap commitments and other projects so that I will feel like I have time to work in my art journal more often. I am excited because summer is coming and that will allow me a little more time to work on my own art.

I did manage to get to one entry in my journal at school with the after school art journal club and one more at home. I also had the chance to color copy some of my artwork and I chose to attach it to the cover of my new journal that I made with Kelly Kilmer last weekend.

Happy Cinco de Kakes!

Baby Kakes is officially one today. I just couldn't resist this photo. Babies can play maracas!

Kakes' 1st Birthday Party

Baby Kakes day one



Baby Kakes day 365


I can't believe how fast a year can go by! I love this girl!

Kelly Weekend Update & The Tissue Paper Discovery

Classes at Frenzy with Kelly were sensational as always! (How's that for a Google alert!) I created two fabulous hard bound journals, learned two new binding techniques, and got tons of new collage ideas and inspiration.


I also learned fun ways to add texture and interest to pages in my monoprint class. I turned all of these great prints into the two tiny books. They are filled with stamped images and just begging to be collaged on! Finally I learned even more collage ideas in the class called Going Postal where we made collaged post cards. I think I will color copy my post cards before mailing them to use as book covers of collage papers because I love them!


I also discovered a great way to adhere tissue paper into collages. When I used tissue paper before it would become so delicate after the glue was put on that it was uncooperative. Oh no, not now! First, lay your piece of tissue paper on a piece of waxed paper.


Second, apply gel medium as usual. (Before my tissue paper always stuck to the waxed paper and it was difficult to get it off without ripping or wrinkling.)


Next, turn the waxed paper over in the air. You should be able to see through the waxed paper to position the tissue paper in the right spot on your project. Put the paper down and burnish the papers with your hand.


Finally, remove the waxed paper! Voila! Now you can trim the tissue paper if necessary.


Here's the loot from this weekend:


Happy VooDoo Gris Gris, Invoke unmounted rubberstamp sets, new CoffeeBreak Design stencils and clear house charms, metalic stickers from Magenta and papers from Artchicks, rub-ons from Hambly and Rusty Pickle, a Basic Grey Rub-on roler, and how could I forget a fortune telling fish! I can't even tell you what all else I have on order. This is why the store is called FRENZY! Go see Debby, she'll take good care of you!

This Weeks Swaps

This week I got two swaps back. The first one was the color wheel swap. It was an interesting swap. Working on a circular page definately proved to be a challenge. My favorite part of this swap was the dizzy circular writing that was on the front inside, and back cover.


The second swap was an alphabet swap that started several month ago. This swap is probably my favorite book as a whole. The artwork is amazing! A few of my favorites are below in alphabetical order of course. Naturally, I LOVE the cover! Do you recognize the artist?*


Speaking of Kelly, she's here! Today I am off to play all day and tomorrow too at Frenzy Stamper! (I'm sure it's not to late to join a class or two!) I am so excited.

*The artist is Kelly, just in case you were still unsure.