Currently in my hands...

When Anna sent me my birthday hanging... see post below.... she also included some goodies.

Some of those goodies included giraffe tissue and some hints of Africa.

Well, Miss Anna is hosting an ATC Swap on Africa over on Christian Paper Artists

and I took this as a sign that I should make some ATCs with an African theme.

Fortunately I have a great book full of b i r d s and could find some that love Africa!!!

Anna...I'll be mailing to you soon. Okay..below is a little something I've been working on for a few weeks.

You know how Rebecca Sower influences me...and Teresa... and Pam - so I've been dabbling in embroidery again the last year.

Then I saw Amy's "take" on the samplers and I knew I had to do one like that...

You just have to click on Amy and then go to her May 1 post to see it.

I'm just making it up as I go....things get ripped out occasionally. Still not sure about the nest with the beads or that number 3...but they each have silver so they are remaining for the moment. Not sure what to put in the remaining squares... I think I need to put more around the bird... oh, may have to do that bowl of cherries like Amy did!!

I really meant to remove the blue markings before I photographed it....I'm doing it 5 x 5. I was going to make it bigger and BFF Virginia talked sense into me. Which if you know Virginia and her history of enlarging sewing projects...well, it's quite amusing.

Anyway.... thought you'd like a peek!

Have some exciting news...I'll save it for next post!!

Putting birthday away...

Here are some scattered images..... I'm trying to put my birthday celebration away....

I run with a wild crowd that does strange things and one of those strange things is how we gift one another. THIS year we drew colors and elements and can spend $5 on a gift. The group calls themselves Dirt Divas and I've talked about them before on here...... one of them gives purple metal...see above ...yes, I know it's sideways...but it looks good on here that way.

Below is a gift from BFF Virginia.... she gave me a glass cloche with a bird on top...can you make it out? Click on the photo and see it closer. I ADORE it!!! And behind it I'm showing you the wrapping paper she gave me with it (rolled up .... of course) .... Papaya is putting out paper designed by..... yes, you have a good eye - Pam Garrison! aaaaagggghhhh!

Here are more of "those gifts"..... yellow paper (she sprayed a lampshade yellow and wrote words describing me perfectly)... And the red wood gift which is SO me!!! The blue cloth gift is to clean my glasses and my cell phone with (practical, sweet diva did that) and black glass gift is there, too....she usually cheats. You also see a glimpse of the art piece that Natalea sent that I blogged about a few days ago... Carole, a QB5 from New Zealand...got in on the action because she mailed me goodies! It's good when you have friends that know what you like and they SEND it to you!!!! She bought a massive bird book and for the next 30 years she will send me pages from it....

DH sent me flowers.... also a couple of Sid Dickens plaques..which I didn't photograph yet... Here are some of the things my kids gave me! And.....Anna...... sweet, sweet Anna.... Doncha love it! If you sent me something and it isn't shown here.... just tune in again soon!

Anna's altered book

I have been meaning to share these for quite awhile..can't find that I've already done this... My BFF Anna sent a few of us her altered book to work in several months ago..the theme is love. Nathalie worked in it first. Here are some, if not all, of my pages.... so if you want to be surprised, Anna...don't look....

Below is the cover..which Anna did herself.... now the book is with Katie!

Memorial Day 2009

I hope you get time to make something today!

Childhood Art in a 4 x 6 format...

This is a sneak peak for the QB5.... it's a swap I'm doing with them!

Art Dog Goes Hunting

Guess I should've taken a picture of the empty yard next...huh? Bunny ran through the fence and sat on the other side...always does! I suspect this is a daily game.

Kris.....yesss!

Yes, I'm one of those that voted for Kris all season long. I've downloaded more of his songs from I Tunes than I did for Danny and all I downloaded of Adam's was Madd World...

I like Adam and he will be a HUGE star! But he's not reallllllllly American Idol material. I always like the cute boy-next-door!

Have you heard him sing "The Way You Look Tonight"? "Ain't No Sunshine" is a fave, too!

But no one beats David Cook!!!!!

Birthday memories...

In keeping with my birthday week.....

I dug out my old, old typewriter a few weeks ago....

Nathalie had encouraged me to do so as she has one that she uses in her artwork.

So I got it out of the attic....

I need a spring repair on the left side as the ribbon no longer advances...

or maybe the spring has just come loose... need to spend some time taking it apart.

I got this for my 16th birthday from a dear aunt

who said she would send me anything I wanted for my 16th birthday.

Well...this was what I wanted.

When I unpacked it

and began to inspect to see what it's problem was,

I realized how much I really know about this little machine -

I used to disassemble it and put it back together with no problem.

I still do that..... my friends all call me with their computer problems

because I have that no-fear attitude about my computer -

which I derived once upon a time

from my little portable typewriter!

I must share with you

that I was somewhat reluctant

to upload these typewriter pictures

to my blog because

my good friend Carole

had this on her blog

on Mother's Day

.... go look!

taking flight...

Today is my birthday!

Since parties are planned through Thursday

I'll save pictures for Friday so as not to burn you out!

It's good to be 60!

Got this here!

Master's Degree

Saturday my daughter walked across the stage to receive her Masters in Education Administration from the President of Texas A&M! It was a proud and stormy day in College Station!

She's been teaching for 7 years and got her Master's through a co-hort program that Texas A&M offers .....

This is the proud grad and her boyfriend! Looks a little blurry... due to my photo editing....it was a dark and stormy day! Had to lighten the pics! Lots of shadows.... Here is her dad looking with pride at his first-born child...

And here is her crazy brother and the graduate! They are re-enacting a prior photo. You know how children are!

Birthday parties have begun...

I figure there is no reason to resist it...... I turn 60 on Tuesday! And the parties have begun... this one was at Connie's house... It's been said it looks like I have a crown on, but it's her chandelier hanging down...although I do usually wear a crown. This is Lori, Connie, me, Olga, Nancy and Melinda. I'm not linking to the ones that have blogs because who knows what pictures they might put up!

The theme was Fun Diva...as I AM the Fun One of the group. They made me play silly childhood games and we had fun favors on the table. They are crazy women....

Below is a very special gift from my Best Silver Bella Buddy Natalea! Isn't it beautiful!!!!

It's on a vintage child's book cover.

New postal stamp!

Photo funia

Have you been here Photofunia?

There are so many different things you can do... I just fell in love with these images in a book. You should go play.

My swap buddy Patty is the one that told me about it.

Old Towne Spring and Mail Call!

I've gotten some great mail recently.... but I'm behind in blogging about it... remember the Cereal Box Journals I was working on? Well, Nathalie sent me one, too! It came as a total surprise to me (because I was distracted with Art Dog's surgery... cause she said she told me)... anyway... it is soooo great and it's filled with old papers.... here are a few peeks: I love the postage stamp..the girl on the sofa! I so would not have used that... I would still be hoarding it. So guess I'll have to photocopy it and hoard it for her.

And below is the sweetest little "love nest" that Anna sent me!!!

On Tuesday BFF Virginia and I ran over to Old Towne Spring.... little village of shops about 45 minutes away. We've been speeding over there for over 25 years... and I mean literally... yes, there have been fines involved.... but we are careful now and not as easily fooled....

All time BEST shop in Old Towne Spring.... Thad's.....

Playing tag with friends

You know how you have some blogs that you just really love and you can't wait to see the new art they do? You know how you leave a comment and then they comment back on your blog and pretty soon you have a mutual admiration society going on? Well, below is what happened to five of us... we did a tag swap with the theme of Friendship.... First up is Margaret ...aka Alice and Camilla... living in Switzerland....

I took the little tiny tags out of the envie and forgot to put them back before I took the photo! Please notice Marie's knees...they stick out with their cute dimples!

Below is the tag I received from Carole aka Madness and Mess in New Zealand...

And here is lovely Patty aka Magpie's Nest from Virginia...

...and my longtime Online BFF... Nathalie of An Artist's Legacy in Missouri...

and here are mine, which I previously showed you....

the birds are paper... the rest is fabric.

This bird on the back has mica on top of him... just so you know!

I don't want that mica addition to go unnoticed! ha!

and look at the cancellation stamp from Switzerland!!!

We are swapping again..... stay tuned!