Category Archives: ATC

Apr5

Easter like 1970

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The local weatherman is predicting a chilly Easter (in the 40s) like we had in 1970-the last time it was this cold. Sean thought he’d be smart and say-bet you can’t remember that Easter. I do have a pretty good memory-I was in 5th grade, had a gem of a teacher-Miss Brown-who gave us interesting postage stamps from all over the world for perfect spelling tests. I did get mostly 100s if I remember. That was the year mom gave me a cute little stamp album (about 5-10 pages with the places to tuck the stamps in a row-like 5 to a page). I have it around here someplace.

I went to the doctor and saw a new, young lady doctor. We discussed me and I am trying something for three months. I hope it agrees with me. Have to mention the Amish couple in the gyn office-what a surprise! I guess some are coming around more to western medicine.

Here are some gifties that I received in the mail this week and my little pal Bunny Woodstock:

From Gret and Pea
Love them gals! These are the best kinds of gifts to me.
Ode to the Flower Show
My Ode to the Philadelphia Flower Show 2007

Mar30

Venturing out

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I drove for the first time since I’ve been taking my medicine. I felt ok, not 100%, but I had to mail off 6 packages for my spring exchange. I then wanted to get some Easter cards for family. I didn’t get them all, but the creative side of my noggin is telling me to make some instead of spending $2-4 dollars on one alone. I got one for my mom that needs embellishing. I didn’t take my medicine until I got home. I don’t think it’s really helping as I don’t think I have an infection, I think it’s a lady thing. I may be hitting the road to the gyn next week.

I had the cat out today and even though we had the bagger on the mower, leaves need to be raked out of my flowerbeds. My metal expanding rake broke, so I need to go to the store near mom’s and get another. The daffodils are almost all blooming.

White daffodils almost opened

I’ve been doing stitching and making art cards to keep my mind occupied. I really want to take a nap all the time.

Sean is going to bring home pizza for dinner. It’s still Lent and I’m not in the mood for tuna or eggs. Afterwards, there is that biannual book sale in the big barn down the road that I’d love to go to as I resold a few things I bought in October for a big profit.

Have a great weekend!

Mar28

Feeling a little la la

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Dang medicine! At least I slept much better and only had to get up a few times. But the medicine is bothering me. My head is up in the clouds today and my tummy is saying-what the heck? I’m giving the med one more day and if I feel worse, I’ll ask to switch to something kinder and gentler like Amoxicillin that I took for 3-4 weeks when I had Lyme Disease back in 1998.

I want to make Art Trading Cards for all my pals! Sometimes the perfect cards come into play, sometimes I have to think about it. Carole/Pea got hers recently and I must say, it came into play in a snap. If you want me to make you a card, just send me your address at diadsieatcomcast.net (writing it out because of spammers). Those of you whom I have addresses for, I am slowly getting cards made for you.

Here are some nests I made from scratch as part of a spring/Easter exchange for a group. It’s still kind of a surprise, but I don’t think they read my blog that often. So if any of the 6 of you happen upon this, you are getting this and something else, though 2 are getting different looking nests.

Nests for pals

These are made from excelsior that I first formed around the bottom of a pint sized plastic container. I poured fabric stiffener on it (I think watered down white glue would work too) and let it sit for a while. Then I flipped the container over and put the nest inside to get the form of it. This part takes a few days. I did use plastic wrap to save from a big mess. The eggs and pink berries are from the Dollar store. I added some snips of embroidery floss, Easter grass and feathers as real birds would use things like that to make the beds for their babes warm.

Mar2

Got green on the mind

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I saw these cute old graphics on a CD I just purchased, so I decided to do a few St Paddy’s day cards. The one on the bottom was also a graphic (the peacock feather).
St Paddy’s Day ATC

That is metal across the one card! The other card has a piece of cross stitch fabric on it.

Below-I have this pretty mesh fabric with iridescent threads, so I thought I’d add that.

Peacock feather

Feb18

Cooking tip for the day-oven bags

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I probably mentioned this before, but when you are roasting beef, chicken or turkey, they will stay pretty darn moist in a Reynold’s Oven bag. You add a little flour to the bottom of the bag, add your meat, seasoning and veggies (like onions, celery and carrots) and tie the bag. Stick some holes in it and it’s ready to go! I have a turkey breast all cooked and we’re waiting on the potatoes.

Bri and I have had funny tummies this weekend. I woke up about 4 am suffering for garlic overload (I won’t go into details). I should have been watching my diet, but no, I had to have some white pizza last night. I can’t seem to handle yeasty foods-soft pretzels, homemade bread-doughy things in general. I’ve never really had that problem before (too much). I’m feeling better though.

I made some more ATC-I’m up to like 25 of them! These have some glitter on them! I traded 3 of these and I’ll get 3 back. I also made some St. Paddy’s ‘items’ for my crafting friends. They turned out nice and I’ll share soon.

Craft tip: You know those desk calendars printed on sturdy paper? Well I had a cat one and didn’t know what to do with it. You guessed it, I’m using some of the smaller kitties for ATC! They are cute if I don’t say so myself!
Cat ATC

Jul31

Art cards are all the fad on eBay

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I was on tribe yesterday and on the ‘eBay freaks’ tribe specifically. A tribe member was telling us about the art cards that are selling like hotcakes there. They are mostly original art of any kind and are about 2.5″ x 3.5″ like a baseball card. I was really intrigued by them and bid and won a few featuring old fashioned children as the focal design. Really neat. I think I will start a new collection to inspire me to make and sell these. The guy on tribe says he sells ALL originals and makes about $600 a month. Now that isn’t bad. Maybe I should dust off my sketch book (I use to draw all the time). Maybe these little cards will be in my inspiration.
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Brian cleaned out the totally filthy shed today. I dropped hints all morning and he finally went out and was complaining about doing it. We even unloaded a 17 yr old window air conditioner in the same manner as we disposed of the old computer desk. We put a ‘FREE’ and works sign on it. Hope it isn’t blowing too much stinky mouse piddle air in their house. But it was free! ; )
I spray painted my wrought iron patio set’s chairs today. I asked Brian to please save the space he made from removing the a/c so I could put them in there this year. It’s not hard to paint them, but I don’t want to paint them every two years because of them being left in the elements. It totally looks better in the shed, but all the mess is in the front of it waiting for big trash pick up day which happens to be this week coming up! What do we do with all these pieces of wood? He said we can’t use them in yard projects because they aren’t treated? I tend to disagree. Can’t you prime and paint them? I’ll have to check the books I have here.
I also had a good cry from all the mess of this last week. When the screen door (it’s heavy with metal decorations in it) hit me in my arm, well that was the stick that broke the camels back. I think it helped.
BTW, get an ‘instant dark tan’ with black spray paint! My feet are tanned that way-geez.