Winter stuck in rut

OK so like others we feel like winter is stuck in a rut. Getting real old fast. If I put on any more layers to go outside to work on my rabbits I will not be able to move. I had lost a few layers when we had a warm up but that had a strange feeling as if I forgot something. So back to the same old same old as they say. Another phrase my young neighbor girl would not understand. I thought I would show you another set of pages that I did in my book. I had a bunch of pictures which I think are of Alvin H. as a small child. I first did a rubbing of cranberry ink then of blue ink. I also stamp on the one page a circle stamp. So then I add all the pictures that I had. So then I was looking at the pages and realize I need to add something more so that is why you see writing on the pages. It is copy of a letter in which he is telling someone about a walk and then a train ride home to the little town of Burr. He walked about 40 miles to get to Lincoln the capital city. He said that he enjoy the walk better then the ride home on the train. By the way he went on to become a fur trapper in the days of high interest in fur for ladies coats. I did also add some vinyl stickers again to complete the look. I have plans of using some of the kid pictures in making some fairies in an altered book that I am suppose to get down the road in the round robin.

Speaking of winter I have to share with you a recipe that is good any time of the year. It is close to what a big chain store sells. If you are a chocolate lover it makes you want to hang upside down like the nut hatcher is doing outside my window right now.

Unbaked Chocolate Cookies

1 stick of oleo

1/2 cup of milk

2 cups sugar

6 tablespoon of cocoa

Combine the four ingredients and cook for 3 minutes in a full boil. Stirring often. You will have a nice thick chocolate mixture. Turn off heat and add the following: 3 cups oatmeal and optional of 3/4 cup of peanut butter. Some recipes mention that you can add nuts or coconut but I have never tried that. Drop on to a piece of foil heaping tablespoons of the mixture. Enjoy!  

On with the show!

OK I got a little sidetrack which is nothing new for me! So as the title says on with the show. I was tell you about the altered art book that I am working on. Of course it is currently circling around USA as part of a round robin. My theme was Victorian, Edward, or anything vintage so now the old pictures come into play. So I went to do a two page spread and realize that I had three wedding pictures so those where the base with others added from my collection of vintage pictures. I must add that the picture in the bottom right corner is of the couple who lived in this house before us. In another spot is the groom as a young boy I believe. The woman in the bottom of the the right side is the mother of the groom. She is in the large wedding picture with her holding someone's hand. So the basic steps for the two page spread was to glue some flower tissue paper on to the two pages. I also glue together the right hand side page with some other pages. I then spread across the pages some cranberry red like the other pages. I then apply the different pictures on. I notice that I made a big wrinkle on the right page so I hide it with some vinyl lace with a small piece on the left side. The dove is a copy of a antique calling card. The buttons, keys, and spoon are also from the vinyl stickers. Two very busy but pretty pages I think. By the way the house in the background of the group is an Anderson's house. Many of these pictures are from town by the name of Burr. I think the population is maybe 100 people counting a few dogs. 

Winter White

Well we had a lovely wet snowfall that started in the afternoon and by the next morning it was a nice winter white. I think because we had no wind and five inches of snow that the snow was clinging to everything. I could not help myself I had to take pictures of it. What the picture is of the lilac bush that is over 70 years old. The little hopper is still lose hopping around in the snow. Hope I get a picture of her hopping around. She is a black bunny so she really stands out in the snow. Of course with snowing that means I get very creative. So later today I think I will whip up a batch of cards. Also will work on some snacks for munching while I do some cutting and pasting. Christmas is of course the best time to whip up lots of goodies but then my skinny hubby only eats a little and the cook is the one who must taste all of those goodies. As a neighbor lady said she had been trying for years to fatten up her husband and it back fired. Seems like it happen as this household also. Well off to do the next thing on my long list.  

Next Please

So are you wondering what the next pages look like? The first two were simple but the next set was some of  my fun stamping that I do. I notice in the scan the cranberry red looks a bit odd but in real life it does not look bad. I have two stamps that I bought cheap at a friend's business. I use white cardstock and stamp with a chocolate brown ink. I then cut very carefully around them and glue them on one page with some vinyl lettering running across the page. 

The other page had a cuckoo clock stamped again with the chocolate brown and then some rub on completed the page. The vintage photos come in at later pages

Wow are we getting the white stuff. It is coming down very steady now. It was melting plus raining when I was doing my rabbit chores. I try to think of what needs to be done while outside working. So maybe I fill the bird feeders or tack up something that is lose on the building we call a garage but I think it is closer to storage shed. Full of lots of stuff that is not in any order. I must tell you the story of little hopper. We had some young rabbits we move over to two separate pens. So the the next day one of the little black ones had manage to get out of it's cage. So with some help we caught it. I move escape rabbit over to it own pen. Well one day I was feeding rabbits and had open it's cage and turn my back and out it jumped. So catch it again. OK I am now young or as flexible as I use to be so caught it is interesting. So one day I was really late with the chores. I get out there and hopping around is little hopper the black rabbit. She had escape from hole in her cage. So I had the neighbor girl come over to help me. She is younger and faster. So the rabbit kept getting away. So I told the girl to stand and talk and I plan on slipping up on it. I told her to talk about the birds and bees. She then said I don't know what to say. I think she had no clue as to what the birds and bees meant. Any way little hopper is still lose and living under an old camper. I hope I get her caught before something else does.   

Vintage Fun

This is the inside of the first pages that I started for my altered book for the round robin. I have a theme of Victorian, Edward, Steampunk or anything vintage. Since I love vintage pictures and most things vintage these are also in the book. The picture is odd looking as I laid the book on to my scanner and it come out sideways. Not sure how to turn the picture. I will explain how I did these two pages. I took cranberry red ink and rub it on the two pages. I then put vinyl type stickers of old things and place them around. I had a copy of a vintage calender top that I place on the right side. I gel that on and then top it with gel. I took a white cardstock and folded it into a library envelope so the others could sign a paper of when they work on the book. On the bottom of the envelope is a little lady that comes from altered pages company. Of course this was only the start of the book. Wait till you see the pictures I copied and put in. I always wander what those people were like and what they think if they knew that their picture is floating out there. So now watch the posts because more is coming plus I most share with you some of my other crafts as I wait for spring and watch the snowfall outside. 

Who said

Who said you sometimes have days like this? Best laid plans of mice and money. Boy this blogger is having old say day. I had plan on posting the A.T.C. that I created. Brain and computer were not working together. Ok so I will try and do it this time. This card had the theme of love so I use the word of love stamped diagonal across the card starting at top left corner. Since I did not use anything to gauge my letters they were each a shade different. I then stamp a heart shape balloon in the top right corner and drew at an angle down to the bottom left with a gel red and the balloon was done in red also. I also did a short line of loops like the balloons have. Down in the bottom was a heart silver eyelet that I set. This was were the line from the balloon went. Made it look like it was the weight of the balloon. I could see were you could use other colors for the balloon and eyelet. Even using the silver and dipping it into a glitter embossing powder. Simple but pretty artist trading card that could easy be made into a card. Oh there was also diamond glitter glue add to it. And the picture on the last post was from the altered book that is in a round robin. So now I think I better go work on some thing and not sing the songs running around in my head. 

No end Circle

I once heard someone say they were running in circles and someone had move the end. Well that is what is happening here. So life is busy but I have to share some of the fun things that I am doing now. I have still lots of flowers and I dug up couple of hundred irises from one bed. I then turn around and planted a new bed in that spot. The bed was like a wow and the photos were over the top. Having the government inspect the beds is interesting. I happy to say I am still a license grower. Hubby thinks I am nuts but if you remember my hubby kept adding to the beds so the sell might pay for what he buys. 

I am busy crafting like mad and any excuse to buy more supplies is worth it. Of course who needs and excuse. I have been doing altered books and currently am doing a round robin with others. I will post some of the stuff I did. I am also doing artist trading cards which are just a small version of greeting cards. Of course I do lots of greeting cards and love trying to do new things. Even manage to sell one. Doesn't pay for all the stuff I buy but of course does one need a reason to craft. 

I am going to share with you the simple Love A.T.C. that I just did for a trade. The theme was Love so I decide to make the word the focus of the card. It was a real simple card. I have done some collage with lots of things with old pictures some times the main focus.