it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

hmmm. as much i as want christmas to always be 9 months away, as much as i despise the whole commercialization of the season, as much as try to ignore the entire business, the spirit of the season is creeping in on me.

here's a project i just finished up. these little village houses are available thru Club Scrap. they are die cut and so easy to work with. my friend Kay designed these. she'll argue and tell you that it was her and me, but it was really just her. she rocks. 

the kit includes 4 die cut houses. the box underneath it i made out of book board. pretty basic. but so dang adorable. i have 3 more on deck to be assembled. there are even holes in the backs of the houses to accommodate a mini light.

click here to go to the house die cuts.

off to make more....
z

ps if you're diggin' some of the stamps i used, go check out my line of  'short sleeve pants' stamps and maybe get some for yourself.

great things can happen when you DON'T clean up your studio

yeah, i know, sounds like an excuse, but really, 

great things do happen when bits of one project get jumbled up with another...

check this out

i had found this wrought iron key holder at my fave thrift store, and couldn't live without it. maybe because it was baby blue and pink? (no.)
i thought once i painted it black it would have a different sort of charm. no, it didn't. it just looked like something that i should give back to the thrift store.
it's a good thing i'm lazy, cuz i didn't get around to getting rid of it.  the dang thing sat on my work table taunting me for months.
fast forward to last saturday. took my daughter out for lunch (she's 12, and a half). red robin. had a great time. laughed and chatted. and couldn't keep my eyes off of the coaster under my dt. coke. hmmmm. that's cool. really cool.before we left i slipped it in my hoodie pocket.
ok, fine, i slipped two in.
that's the alphabet thing you see under the scalloped circle.
so i was puttering around yesterday, carefully moving little piles of supplies from place to place, and this coaster ended up next to the wrought iron.

the rest is history.

(and also a great excuse to not clean up your studio.)

thanks for reading all the way to the end.
zwick

time standing still

this hummingbird must be a friend of Penny's, he stayed so still while i photographed him...

this is a paper mache box i had some fun with. 

altered metal, ribbon, wooden feet, 

and my sweet little birdie friend.

 

penny

this is penny, she's very pretty.
i had to shoot her portrait.
it was easy, she can hold a pose for eternity.

mixed media is my 'go to'. i love it. especially when you can take bits and pieces of junk. trash, discard, and put it all together in a way that makes you say 'oh that's perfect'.

dollar store wall decor as the base (comes with hanging slot already built in!)
a fabulous piece of metal that i altered (ten seconds studio, they rock the metal)
clothes pins, fake leaves, some left over copper screen.....

thanks for stopping by.