YAPPING CAT STUDIO

It's Fab!

Kudos to all the wonderful artists involved! 

It's fantastic!  I've drooled from cover to cover on it all day today. 

Some really really cute projects and most seem easy to do. 

Back to the land of...PINK!

AAAAhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.........back in my natural realm.  Here's a journal page. 

Sticking a toe into "the dark side"

For those of you that have followed my humble little blog musings for awhile now, you know that I have often lamented that I am unable to reach my "dark side" when it comes to my crafting and creating.  Yes, alas, I love CUTE.  Yes, as I sit here and drink my White Chocolate Cappuccino from my sweet little Cath Kidston coffee mug, little bluebirds on my shoulders and bunnies at my feet (ok, there are not really bluebirds and bunnies), I ponder......darkness.  Which is extremely tough for me cause I love all things bluebird and gingham, sweetness and sparkles, happy polka dots and purring kitties.  It very much goes against my nature to strive to do what I call "Grotty" (grot rhymes with ought and add a "tea").  You know, old and sepia-toned.   Think....moss covered concrete and rusty metal, peely paint, and aged....ahhh, that is what I long to do.  As much as I strive to, I can't seem to reach my inner septia-toned darkness artist.  I always seem to walk on the side of cuteness and sweet.  I think it is good, for me, as an artist to try and switch gears and go against my own personal grain.  Makes me grow.  Or just frustrates me and drives me crazy.  Either way, I'm doing some different. 

So with that in mind here's my story.  I've been working on a project for a few days now.  It's a little graduation photo/journal for my young friend Kirsten.  Now, Missy K is not a gingham and bluebirds kinda gal.  She has an edgy side.  She produces some altered book journals that are pretty amazing.  So, here is my chance to try to do something different. 

What do you think?  Ok, so it's not "cutting edge" dark, but hey, I'm dipping a toe here!  Ok, so I could not bear to cut up my one and only bingo card, plus that whole acid free thing, so the card is a copy and the bingo chips are new.  What does Bingo have to do with graduation?  Crap, I dunno know, I just thought..eh, it's old, it looks good with the other colors, lets run with it.  The black area that the "71" chip is adhered to, is actually a little folder that opens.  The red piece (don't you love BG's Scarlet paper?) is actually a half page pocket and the toile piece is a tag in the pocket.  I added some jewels to the page and some sort of metal thing to the top of the tag.  Ohhh, I'm feeling a little darker.  Then, when you turn the half page over, you still see part of the previous page.  I pulled an "inspected by 15" tag off of a new shirt and thought it was cool, so I kept it for future use.  What does it have to do with graduation?  Again, IDK, work with me here, I'm trying to be edgy, dang it.  Anyway, chalked it and stuck it on the top of the back of the tag.  I don't know why, but I started working some brown (an old paper bag) in and I liked it.  Her school colors are red and black.  The next page is a rub-on and Spare Parts marquee letters that say "dwell" and I hand wrote around the edge of the page "dwell in possibility" cause that is not only my favorite E. Dickinson quote, but just seemed to fit the grad theme.  At the risk of sounding like Andy Rooney, did I mention that I HATE rub-ons.  I can never get them to work right. They peel off, they stick to my hand, they stick to the wrong parts of the page...urrgghhhh, they seem to stick ANYWHERE, but where I want them to stick.  Love the look, hate the process.  Anyway...I digress.

Ok, so one of the last photo's (cause the others are dangerously close to cute and have dorky grad stickers on em) was a tag pocket with another brown stamped tag, but I added little screw brads (love those) and attached a carnival ticket to the largest tag...as in "admit one to a great life, or admit one to a great future".  A little clip to the toile tag and done.  I was quite happy with my color combo.  I liked the way the toile mixed with the Scarlet papers and the diamond paper.  I created a side pocket by gluing two pages together.  I added two industrial looking tags that I aged with Distress Ink and stamped the word "remember" at the bottom of each.  She loves to write so I wanted her to have lots of little nooks and crannies to journal in. 

So there you have it.....my swipe with darkness.  Perhaps this will open the door to even more.  As my (Art Peep) (who is very in touch with her inner grotty artist) BF says, "Come over to the dark side......We have cookies".  LOL. 

Gobs of mail goodness - part 2

Wow!  How lucky can one girl get?  Blessed with mail goodness goodies for a second day in a row!  Dang!  I have been eagerly awaiting this ones arrival ever since I ordered it.

Look at this.  Is this not the most adorable thing you've ever seen?  I got it from Melissa.  So cute!  I love her stuff on Etsy and when I saw this little packet of sweetness and birds, I just HAD to have one.  I just love it.  Only one slight problem.  I can't bring myself to open it.  Perhaps Karin and I should start a self help group, "Girls who buy things off Etsy and then cannot bring themselves to open them" or GWBSOEATCBTTOT for short.  Although I think she is getting better than me, I think she did post the other day about opening and using (gasp)some of her wallpaper.  Oh...look at that sweet rose and that lovely green bird.  Sorry, I'm just going to have to sit and look at you for awhile.  At least till the "new" wears off.

Just to rub it in even more, here's the back of it.  So....sweet!  I love it.

Such cutenness!  I know when I do open (ha!) this will make some really great cards or tags or even a sweet little booklet.  Melissa is a very talented gal.

I started laying out the idea for a new project today.  Actually this has been rolling around in my head for quite sometime and I finally decided to commit it to paper and to start compiling a pile of "bits".  Or rather vice-versa.  I always want to pile up my bits and then begin to sketch out ideas.  Although most times I just fly by the seat of my pants, I think in the long run it comes together better if I sketch out ideas and such.  We were always taught in art class to do several thumb-nails and I have gotten away from that. 

But the funny part is, it will probably not even resemble anything on this piece of paper or even include these elements in it by the time it is all said and done.  I'm just kinda that way sometimes.  I still long for my work to look old and grotty and not new and shiny.  Perhaps on this project I can accomplish that. 

We will see.  I'll let you see when I get it finished. 

Gobs of Mail goodness!!!!!!

A typical busy Saturday, but between doing laundry, cleaning the fridge, balancing the checkbook and getting ready to make Spaghetti Pie....the mail came.  LOOK what the mailman bringeth! 

The ribbon had me at "hello". 

*sigh* Isn't it wonderful?  Look at his sweet winsome face and those botanical flowers....just lovely.  And I owe all this mail joy to this great gal.  She was so dear to host this swap.  It was fun to go through my little stash of goods and pull out some things and send to her.  But, even more fun to receive the package and see what other folks was sending around.  If I remember correctly, I think Marilyn said that we had 35 playing.  What fun.  My first vintage paper swap ever and I am totally beyond thrilled.  Here's a few more peeks:

Beautiful old buttons, great stamps, a wonderful old photo and paper pages from books and a little old booklet.  Just so much beautiful things.  Marilyn is a better person than me cause I really really would have wanted to keep it all.  LOL! 

Here's one more pic:

Look at the back of one of the post cards and the back of the pic of the winsome sweet boy....just as pretty as the front.  And the sweet Valentine with little baby Marie A....LOVE IT.  That will just sit on my desk for awhile, thank you very much.

Thanks to all who played and were so generous with their wonderful things.  It has truly made my day today and I needed a little lift. 

Since I'm posting and since my new friend Emily has received hers I think it is ok to post this as well.  I participated in The Vintage Dragonfly swap that Danielle hosted for a 4 x 4 collage with the theme of "She sells sea shells by the sea shore".  I love the shore, it is one of my favorite things and I wanted my piece to have a vintage feel and to tell a story.  Here's the pic:

Sooooo, I "faked" a photo (actually from Art-e-zine) and faked a post card to tell the story of a cousin that gets to go to the beach for a few days and her adventure there.  The shells are from ArtChix.  They are German scrap paper.  Then a stamp and a little beach scene cut from some scrap paper and there you have it.  Oh, the starfish charm was on a sell bin at Hobby Lobby and I loved it.  I tied it on with some cord that I unraveled.  As I said, I love the beach, so it was truly an easy inspiration for this piece.

Well, laundry will not get itself done.  So....off I go.  I hope you all have a great weekend too!  Happy Father's Day as well.  I hope mine will enjoy the Spaghetti Pie. 

What makes you happy?

Heather had a great posting today about five things that made her happy.  She asked what five things made us happy and so, being at a loss for anything else to post about, I thought that I would follow suit.

Lots of things make me happy.  Overall, I tend to be a pretty happy kinda gal.  It goes without saying that the hubby, my faith, family, friends, crafts, reading, magazines and cheesecake all add up to keep me in grins.  While I could go on and on, for so many things make me happy, here are five, chosen for no particular reason:

1.  I love color.  It makes me so happy.  But one in particular is a favorite and always causes my heart to beat a little faster......RED.  Red always makes me happy.  Especially if it is in the form of toiler, gingham or cherries or any combination of the three.  But not real cherries, OK, real to look at but not to eat.  I'm not real fond of that particular fruit, other than to look at.  Love to look at it.  But to eat, no.  Remember that scene in, "The Witches of Eastwick"...the cherry pit scene....gag-o!  Anyway, I digress.  LOVE RED. 

2.  These furry clowns.  Actually should have put them first.  Big goobers.  This pic is old.  They both could not fit in that chair together now, unless you squished them into it.  Big Fat Cats.  The black one is twelve pounds, the tort is ten.  But yeah, the pitter patter of these four combined feet always makes me pretty happy, unless it is a huge race at 3 a.m. and that is usually a guarantee to make me unhappy.  Or unless I am being scammed for food, as is the case this very moment. 

3.  Rain.   Yep, Rain makes me happy.  Not tornadoes or flooding.  Just a nice stormy day...a gray cloudy day, some thunder, the patter of rain on the roof....I dunno why, but it just makes me happy.  specially if I can stay inside nice and cozy and not have to go out in it.  Going out in it would fall under the category of unhappy.  Greatly. 

4.  Tea.  Cold in the summer, hot in the winter.  Tea just makes me happy.  Where I work they have the best iced tea.  It's an orange citrus/spice tea that is fantastic.  Mildly spiced (cinnamon) and orange that is so refreshing and tasty....LOVE IT.  Which is funny, cause as a child I hated tea.  That's pretty much blasphemy in the South, to hate sweet tea.   But ehhhh, as a kid, not so much.  But now, could drink gallons. 

5.  Tea towels.  Old or new, I have a tea towel thang.  "Hello, my name is Cindy, I have a tea towel addiction."    I especially love the colors on the old ones, they are just so pretty.  I am always so tickled to find one in decent shape at a good price.  I don't usually use my old ones, I just keep them stacked in a wire basket to look at.  Just seems to add a sweet touch to the kitchen.  But for everyday drying and usage that's when I drag out the new Xochi.

So there you have it.  Five things that make me smile and make my little heart happy. 

So, what makes you happy?

Inspiration abounds

With all this, this, and this who amongst us CANNOT be inspired to go play!  I certainly am.

Hope you all have a great weekend.  More later.

What do you love?

I think it was Van Gogh who said, "To know life is to love many different things."  Or vice-versa...I'm just too lazy to go in there and look at my quote book and double check.  Anyway, while I think that may very well be true, not that I'm lazy, but that loving many different things helps one love life, I find that many of the things that I love are somewhat inter-twined.

I seem to be a natural home body and so my loves of decorating, cooking, and crafting all seem to be somewhat linked to each other.  My love of decor spilled over to my booth space and finding fun things to sell.  No wait, that falls under the love of shopping.  I also love to read.  I love books and even more, I love magazines.  A love affair that probably began with the first timid purchase of of my first teen mag.  I graduated to Seventeen and then Glamor.  I felt risque buying Cosmo, but they purchasing of that was pretty short lived.  Then many years later it was home decor mags.  Oh, the beauty.  Piles and piles of it.  I became very good at cutting up the ones that I wanted to and saving the ones I could not bear to part with.  Over the years there have been stitchery mags, cooking mags, women's mags and more.  There are many favorites that I either subscribe to or buy without fail, like MEHC and Romantic Homes. 

My most recent love.....foreign mags.  Oh my.  I had always loved the British version of Country Living.  On occasion I would pick up English Home.  And last year I discovered this beauty.  Isn't it gorgeous?  This is June 2006.  I truly must begin to subscribe because its to the point where I can no longer find it on the newsstands.  A magazine that combined all my loves, a little cooking, a little decor, a lot of crafts and mostly, pretty pics.  Does it matter that I cannot read of word of it?  Of course not!  Because I mainly buy mags for the pics.  I will read stories yes, but its the pictures that I gravitate to again and again.  I love the color in this magazine and the sense of style.  The fun and creative ways of doing things. It is truly a beautiful thing.

I think it is the inspiration.  That little flutter in the heart, that gasp at the prettiness of it.  That inspiration that I too, could do that.  I could make that tea! I could make that tray!  Hey, I could make that tray and drink some tea out of a cup offa the tray!  Or is it that I'm just a sucker for cherries and I love all the juicy, saturated colors in the photo?  Being a visual person I wonder if the beauty of the photo's fills some sort of "eye candy" need.  Hey, chocolate feels a void and makes me happy, why not mags too?  I'm just really not sure what the reasoning behind the madness is, but it seems to not only feed my creativity, buy my mind too. 

Here's another new one that I recently found and fell in love with:

Oh so pretty.  And all the shabby funky decorating that I love. 

My scanner did not do justice to these.  Look at those tea towels...hello gorgeous!  And the bottom pic on the last page, those colors of neutral and gray, the wrought iron, the tin buckets...I love it all. 

And now, with blogging, oh my my....French Blogs!  This is one of my top favs right now.  The same kind of prettiness as the magazines. 

So, what do you love right now?  What makes your heart flutter and causes you to give that little gasp of delight?  As for more visual treats, don't even let me get started on this one...... or or any of these mags.....