Lots to see not too much to say.

Whew! I just can't seem to keep on track with my posts and August has really thrown me for a loop. 

This post is crammed with mixture of my art challenges and swaps plus a few pictures I just had to show off. You will find very little description and no instructions in this post so if you want to know more about anything shoot me an email. Enjoy!

These first two photos are Faerie themed ATCs for my friend and group mate Billie Miller.

                                      Faerie Magic                                      Tropical Faerie Door

These two ATCs are for a Fish Challenge in one of my Yahoo groups. Don't even get me started on the yahoo problems this week. What is up with that?

                            He's so Koi!                                                 The one that got away!

This last ATC I created for the ArtChix Sister Site bi-monthly lotto called "The Cat's Meow."

"Her Creative Slip is Showing"

Card of the Month for Art For The Creative Mind. The theme is Black, Brown, and Cream.

My latest mixed media pieces were created for a Dreambox swap on the ArtChix Sister Site group.

Dressmaker Dreambox -closed

Dressmaker Dreambox - open

Dressmaker Dreambox - open detail

"Sirens of the Night"

This is my first domino book created for the altered art swap this month on Art For The Creative Mind.

"The book of C" - closed

"The book of C" - open

Now for my photos.....this first one my husband took in our front yard with a camera phone so the image is crisp but still amazing in my opinion. This butterfly had a wingspan of at least 6"...it was huge.

These next three I took on my recent and unexpected trip to Arizona. 

The first two are a rare sky phenomenon called Cloud Iridescence. These photos were not doctored. This is exactly how it looked when my friend Tiffany spotted it.

This last one is not rare but just as cool. I call it "The Man in the Clouds"

Keeping the Postal Service in business!?

For those of you paying attention, yes this is my 3rd blog post today. Since I didn't get to write much in the past couple of weeks I am catching up.

Over the past few days I feel like I am definitely doing my part to keep the postal service operating. Between sending and receiving swaps, my business, and ordered goodies arriving going to the mailbox has become a daily adventure!

Here are some of my latest swaps I haven't had a chance to post until now.

On Art For The Creative Mind we got to try some neat techniques and projects this month.

  Altered Matchbox Shrine - "Tea Time"

 

 Altered Matchbox Shrine - Arful Collage

 

Card of the Month - "Games People Play"

ATC of the Month - "I Hear a Symphony"

(using a napkin or servette)

Tag of the Month - Bleach Technique

Tim Holtz Blog Candy Give Away

Stacy over at Scrap with Stacy is having an amazing Tim Holtz Blog Candy Give Away. Click on over and check it out for your chance to win gobs of cool Tim stuff.

Compendium of Curiosities - Challenge 10: Distress Stickles

Hello friends, I really missed joining in on the CCC challenges last two weeks but I think my muse was still in NY because she sure wasn't hanging around me. 

I love this challenge and have actually ordered the complete Distress Stickles Set II but unfortunately, they have not arrived yet. So, only having three in my inventory (Walnut Stain, Frayed Burlap, and Vintage Photo) limited what I could accomplish. 

Halloween, my all time favorite holiday, is in the air .....or at least in the stores and I am getting in the mood. This piece is actually one element of a larger piece I decided to create but this piece is the only thing with Distress Stickles on it at this point. Once my shipment comes in and I finish the whole piece I will post it. Until then here is ......"She is pure unadulterated magic."

The crow is from Red Lead and the hat and wand are ArtChix images. I used a black stamp pad to color the crow then slathered on Walnut Stain Distress Stickles and a dab of Diamond Glaze for the eye.

Color Throwdown #105

Okay, so it took me a little longer to get a post up then I anticipated. The trip out of town really threw my muse for a loop and it has been hard to get back in the groove.

Here is this week's Color Throwdown

The colors this week really reminded me of Autumn so I decided to make a card for a dear friend of mine who loves Autumn colors and leaves. 

I made a "For You" piece to put on the card too but now I can't decide which I like better. Feel free to share your thoughts on the matter.

Nope, I wasn't dead just ........

out of town and sorry to say I missed all the great challenges last week and some of them this week. We had a family emergency with my husband's grandmother (she is doing well now) and had to travel to NY for a few days. Now that things are settled I hope to be back in the groove soon.

I do want to share with you my good news and shamelessly ask for your vote at the same time. Perhaps you remember I while back I posted my entry for the ArtChix Art Flag Swap? Here are the photos again to refresh your memory.

Well, the amazing Helga has chosen a set of 3 of my flags as one of her top ten favorite sets!!! Awesome...right? Okay, here comes the shameless part.......go to the ArtChix Blog and vote for Artist #3, that's me. Of course, there are other amazing and talented artists featured and I will understand if you have to vote for someone else (sob, sob) but it doesn't hurt to ask.

I hope to be posting some new pieces later tonight.