Oh My..Where Did July Go?

July is almost over.  We got away for 4th. of July to visit our two Grandson's and their gracious parents.  We had a spectacular time and it is going down as my best fourth ever...We were gone about a week.  We spent one nite at Bandon, Oregon. Beautiful Beach.

This is the book that I made for my Niece's oldest daughter.  It was really fun and she liked it.  My sister-in-law said all 4 kids pack them around in their little bag to share. Mailed them all down to San Diego.

Put away all my bead stuff. I made 10 pair to sell in our local Tea and Flower Shop. Started some canvas work.  I am on my third. 
I hope to show them to you soon.

Oh ya, about this book.....I bought a board book at a Thrift Store for 25 cents.  It was a Big Bird Book.  Nice heavy pages perfect for a photo project.  I made a bunch of tags with fancy yarn and ribbon and made a pocket to hold them so she can personalize them. I think she will have fun filling them with thoughts and sayings. Anyway..........Have a glorious week............Hugs, Diane

Knight In Shining Armor

Well I finally re-sized my photos for this post but I am running out of time and might be late for work.This is my latest book.  The blank book was purchased but I had to cut out all the background paper.  Ugg...but it turned out really cute and I think my niece will love it..It was really fun and I sewed a bag to keep it in with my great nephew's first initial on it and a gold braided tassel drawstring.

  Have a great weekend and Art On.....................DIANE

The Four by Four Challenge

This page might be a repeat for some of you but it was all I had to share today and I just wanted to change my Valentine page.  Tomorrow is my BIRTHDAY....so I thought I would start celebrating tonight with a HOT FUDGE SUNDAY.......yummmmmmm.  It was a very small sunday, but just right after a steak dinner with garlic mashed potatoes and fresh veggies.  I love going to Applebees. Their food is always fresh and yummy.  Anyway my biggest BIRTHDAY TREAT would be to see how many of you would leave a note for me. One would be a true friend, two would be a blessing and three or more would be the frosting on the cake....Hugs..........................DIANE

The Sweetest Month

I haven't been taking pictures of any of my work lately.  Not even our new puppy has had her picture taken except with my phone...I packed my Nikon on our little three day get away and never took it out of the case..

I am in the process of re-doing my studio.  It seems I have so much STUFF that I am in the need for more shelves. I also am going to add another table.  I got a Circut the ultimate paper cutter.  Hopefully I can get organized and keep my tables cleared off for work space.

Puppy's take up a lot of your time.. I guess I forgot how much attention they need. I take her to work so when we are home I feel I have to give her some play time and some training.  Yesterday the weather was nice so I worked with her on a leash for the first time.  She did really good. Of course she is so little, about 2 pounds now, you barely feel her on the end of the leash....

Hope my blog friends missed me a little...I promise I will get some pictures of the puppy that is taking all my art time away from me, and hopefully I can keep up with my blog friendships this the sweetest month..Hugs and blessings.......................................DIANE GLASS

Bohemian Lifestyle

Well, my little book of the decadent times in Paris in the 1890's is finished.  The theme is Moulin Rouge. I used Wikipedia to get some information on the life and times of this wild and rowdy place.  The artist Toulouse-Lautrec was a prominent figure around the club.  I love his art and the art of his friend VanGogh.  I never knew he was only five feet tall due to health problems as a child.
I am off to work.......so have a great week.   Hugs, Diane

Love my CHUNKY BOOKS

Well, it has been awhile since I have made anything to trade in the world of Altered Art.  I really love to make the chunky 4" X 4" book pages. I have several books in various themes all neatly stored away in a plastic container that I get down and fluff through. Humm. I think I just thought of a theme......I will have to keep it under my hat and see if it works up.

I closed my facebook account. Found it to be a little two habit forming. Just didn't have enough time to spend there.  When I first joined it was mostly just a people site where friends could connect and share and it seemed to have gotten very commercial.  I didn't play any of the games.  Any way I have heard they are going to start charging in July.  I am sure another site will pop up. The thing is with the net....there is so much info out there I enjoy just skipping through different sites to see what I can find. HAVE A GOOD FRIDAY......DIANE

Good Wishes

This quote has been sitting on my desk for a year. Yes I have little piles of paper stacked up on my desk next to my computer, and some of them have been here a long time. Call it my filing system if you wish......anyway it some how worked its way to the top of a pile and I wanted to share it with all of you. The problem is I don't know who wrote it or even where I found it (before it came to the top of a little pile). If any of you know the origin or the author please let me know.



GOOD WISHES GREET THEE
GOOD FORTUNE SPEED THEE
AND HAPPINESS CROWN THY LOT.

I just love it.

Here are the SKINNY'S I made. They are called skinny(3"x6") because they are smaller than
a postcard (4"x6")and not as wide
as a CHUNKY which is 4"x4".
The theme was "These are my Peeps" or bird people.
A very fun theme.

Have a happy weekend...........DIANE

SHARE YOUR JOY

I just wanted to share with you an altered matchbox that I received in a swap. The artist Robin Sanchez gave me permission to take some pictures and share with you what a wonderful little matchbox I was lucky to receive. Robin and I first traded art in Oct. 08, when she signed up for a swap I was hosting at flicker "Got Bling". Her work just charms me, the colors she uses and the professional quality of her work really stands out. She taught me that the back of these 4 x 4 chunky book pages should be as interesting and beautiful as the front. A sticker with your name on it just isn't enough, she really raised the bar for me.

I made up a little story about my matchbox........It's a LOVE STORY about a man and a woman. He said he would love her til the end of the earth. He gave her a promise and the key to his heart. Then she found all these other pictures of beautiful women in his wallet....THE END......DIANE

You can see more of LtlBlonde at flickerhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/ltlblonde/ and a little sample of her Got Bling Page herehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/ltlblonde/2810878043/in/pool-793762@N25

ONE INCH BIRD SWAP

One inch bird's are ready to leave the roost. They are many colors and many different personality's. However they are my last inches, just too small for me. Now I remember why I pretty much left the world of ATC's, I wanted to work bigger. More in my comfort zone, my eyes just don't have it anymore. So fly away home little one's I will be flying around in the big bad world of 4 x4's and postcards and canvas of many sizes. I worked in miniature for many years. Made miniature houses and stores all in one inch scale and believe it was the beginning of my eye problems. That would be a good post in the future my little world of miniature's. Shine on.... DIANE

Gypsie's, Tramps and Thieves

Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves is the theme for the latest swap that I am in.. The work that everyone it putting into this swap is fantastic. A group of very talented artist that I am proud to be associated with. A fun group full of banter and laughter. Lots of ideas to keep the creative juices flowing.

Well I have lost a few things in the mail lately. After two years of swapping art through the mail it has finally happened to me. I just sent a postcard inside an envelope for protection and it didn't make it to the person. She thinks maybe someone is taking it out of her mailbox so it is no fault of the U.S.P.O.

ART ON PEOPLE.....Diane

Monochromatic Swap

These are the 4 X 4 Chunky pages that I made for a swap I am in. I mailed them the other day. I like to take pictures of my work before I send it off. I always have a picture of the individual page and sometimes I do a group shot.. The red just had to have a group shot. I often post the individual pages a few days apart, but my blog time has been rather limited lately so this time I figured I would just show them all.

I have spent most of my computer time at Etsy looking for Collage sheets to use in my art. Let me tell you there are many to choose from and you can really eat up the time searching. And like most things, it is easy to get sidetracked. Isn't it great now between downloads and paypal you can have your new collage sheet within hours instead of days through the mail. Saves money on postage. The first sheets I bought a few years ago were mailed to me now just a click away...almost too easy. Seek the beauty of today....tomorrow is here soon enough. Diane

P.S.

If you haven't heard of Tim Holtz you are more than likely not into altered art or if you are and haven't heard of him I am glad to be the first to tell you about him. Better yet check out his site here. http://www.timholtz.com/index.html

FAIRIES IN THE WOODS

Fairies in the Woods is a 4" x 4" page for a swap I am in. There are 6 players and each person picks a picture that they like and every player makes them a page using that picture. It can be altered in any way and you can use all or part of the picture anyway you want...This is the girl I picked and it will be fun to see how the other artist use her in their art. I will show you the other pages I do and when it is done I will show you the pages the others have made for me...Happy Art day to you...Diane

Star of the Circus

When I was a child I went to see the Barnum and Baily Circus. It was so exciting. The energy level was amazing and I loved the animals the most. I stood 3 feet from a Tiger in a cage and couldn't believe how huge he was. His head must have been about two and a half feet across....Huge.....so beautiful. They had an elephant ride and I got to ride on one. Their hair is so stiff, not soft like it looked.

King of the Circus

Yes I do love my 4 x 4 Chunky book pages...they are so fun and all the fluffy yarn and beads. When you get them all together with a ring binder they are so cool. Six or seven make a really fun size. This was part of a 6 x 6 swap I am in.

Have a little fun...

Just wanted to make a few Valentine Cards...This is 5" x 5". It was fun no pressure for any trades, no swaps just fun Valentines.

Circus Circus Circus

These are three of the six Chunky Book pages I made for a swap. Of course the theme was

Circus. I love the vintage images I found in a book I bought at Barns and Noble. "The Victorian Scrap Gallery" It is a beautiful book by Dee Davis and Gail B. Cooper. All the images are printed on one side of the page only do you can cut them out I guess, or maybe because they print better that way. I could never cut them out it is such a lovely book.

MR. MOON

Here is another of my SUGARED MOON's. Not sure what I am gonna do today but I had better get after it.....By the time I have breakfast at the computer and check my e-mail an hour has gone by and I haven't even dried my hair, but I am dressed for the day in my favorite baggie pants and sloppy sweatshirt. I have a small blank canvas I can work on or maybe I'll make some 4"X4" CHUNKY BOOK PAGES......Have an artful day.................Diane

Chunky Pages with Trees

Just a couple of pages I made for a swap I was in....If a picture is worth 1000 words....Here are 2000..........................Live Artfully..........Diane

These are 4 x 6 Chunky Houses....................They are extremely fun to make. I will finish them up with danglie yarn and ribbon, charms and beads......

With Thanksgiving just a few days I just wanted to wish all my art friends and family a Happy Thanksgiving.....we are so blessed and have so much to be thankful.. Diane

Electablue Lisa Brown

Pippin

CParmelee Cathy Parmelee

dina54 Dina Haskins

Adrianya DanaLynn Driscoll

Me Diane Glass

Well I got my chunky book together from a swap at Mail Art Worldhttp://www.mailartworld.com/forum/showthread.php?t=401

Everyone picked their own subject and I picked this vintage dog. I love what everyone did with it and I love my little book.