mY kItChEn

I was taking some "before" pictures of my kitchen and thought I'd share a few of them here. We are getting ready for a kitchen remodel. Jon will be installing a window over my kitchen sink (I HATE starring at a blank wall while at the sink) WOOHOO!! That way I will also be able to see Maddie if she is playing in the yard and her playhouse. We will also be sanding down all of the cabinet and re-staining them. I want to stain the main cabinet frames a country red and the doors will be a white washed stain for a two toned look. We are planning on re-laminating the counter tops, adding new hardware, tiling the back wall and painting the appliances (which are now a 1960's or 70's dark brown) with the new brushed aluminum paint that has come out recently. The walls will be repainted white and instead of paper borders I'd like to stencil the borders. Jon is making me a custom built island which will give me more cabinet and storage space. He is even going to add an electrical strip so that I have more outlets available with out having to practically re-arrange my counter tops just to use a small appliance. I had gotten a black iron pot rack for free on our local Freecycle group which will hang above the island. I am excited for this project to get underway even though it will be an inconvenience during the process.

10 ThInGs On YoUr "To Do" LiSt

It has been a while since I have done a 10 on Tuesday so here goes ~

1. Paint Maddie's coat rack.
2. Finish painting the border in Maddie's room.
3. Get started on the kitchen remodel.
4. Put away winter clothes and get out Spring/Summer stuff.
5. Buy and plant flowers around the house.
6. Get summer outdoor furniture out and cleaned.
7. Clean and paint outdoor glider.
8. Get new gas tank for the grill.
9. Shop for Easter basket stuff for the girls and swap I am in this month.
10. Do more ART!!

I may work on numbers 1 & 2 today since I am broke and can't go to the Farmer's Market today, (sigh...vintage treasure hunting will have to wait until next week).

ViNtAgE SpRiNg SwAp

Once again Linda from Grace Filled Moments was my partner for a swap. This swap was the Vintage Spring Swap at her other site A Swap For All Seasons . How cool is all this vintage kitchen stuff?? The apron is AWESOME, I have been spotted wearing it already!! Maddie's Gampa claims "No one wears aprons anymore!!" That is what HE thinks...right ladies?? The potholder is too cute. I have put the vintage cookie cutters into a wooden bowl, now on display in my kitchen, along with others that I had hidden in a drawer. Maddie claimed the cupcake decorations as "Hers". The crocheted doily went into the bedroom, the cookbook with my others and the cow on a shelf. Thanks Linda you have by far been my best swap partner!! Can't wait to join your next swap, the Summer Tag Book. Want to join??

SpRiNg AtC'S

Here are the 4 Spring themed ATC's that I made for the Monthly swap at AlteredDesigns Yahoo group.

JaCkPoT

While going through more of my craft supplies I came across the Mother Lode of Lace!! Some are vintage and some newer. Well, needless to say this Chipmunk must clean out her nest!! SO, I am making up some tags of 1 and 2 yard pieces of these laces and selling them on my Etsy shop. You may also purchase more yardage if needed and it is available in that particular style. Listings will state what is available. Some of these laces are small amounts and once they are gone, they're gone!! I will also have grab bags of smaller short cuts of lace for you to use in your collage art (pic #2 above).

ViNtAgE aPrOn GiVeAwAy

Head over to The Polka Dot Barn for this COOL vintage apron giveaway!! I borrowed the preview pic from her blog. Go check it out and sign up!!

GrEaT aUnT

My niece Larissa and her husband Hoss just had their firstborn!! That makes me an official Great Aunt!! C'mon...I AM great and hey, that makes my younger sister a Grandma and NOT me HEEHEE!! Isn't he just adorable??

nEw ArT tOdAy

I sat down and did four new pieces today. For this ATC I used the packing tape transfer technique on the image. I made fingerprints on the tape first to make the image look crackled (* a little trick that I figured out by accident) and put this over a printed digital collage. I added the word stickers, paper flower and button to complete.

tRaVeLeR tAg

I stamped the tag using various unmounted stamps that I had (had forgotten about is more like it!!) added the stamped image, butterfly wings and crown cut from scrapbook paper. Isn't it nice when you start digging through your supplies and end up making some great ART from stuff you forgot about? It is like shopping without ever leaving your home!! (C'MON...I know you ALL do this!!) PLEASE...tell me it is NOT just me!!

fLy Me To ThE mOoN

Another ATC I made this morning using odd images that I had in my image box. The little girl is from Inkastamps.com, the moon is from The Mailbox Muse bi-monthly club and the crowns were cut from a sheet of scrapbook paper. The background paper was leftover from a sheet of Halloween scrapbook paper. I titled this one "Fly me to the moon".

tHiS wEeK's tGiF aTc

The TGIF theme for this week at AlteredDesigns Yahoo group is "Dictionary Page". Here is my creation. I am not sure what company the stamped designs are from as I received them in a stamped image swap some time ago.

aLtErEd SpOoN

I had signed up to do an altered spoon for a swap at AlteredDesigns Yahoo group and had no idea what to do with an ordinary vintage spoon. As I was looking through my supplies, everything that I needed to do an Alice in Wonderland theme jumped out at me. The spoon that I used is a large vintage silver tablespoon marked Hershey Hotel on the back of the handle (I didn't swipe it I swear!!). I left the spoon in its tarnished condition and added a tiny glass bottle, a clock button, tea stained tags, a tiny brass cake charm, a tiny brass, an image of Alice from the printed from original book and vintage rhinestones. Even my husband LIKES this one!! He says my art is getting better all the time, such a sweetie!!

WaTeRy MeLoN

When I cut into this watermelon this afternoon I was suprised by the really neat swirl pattern. As I was cutting I was wondering just how they could grow "seedless" watermelons if there were no seeds. That IS somethiing to think about!! BUT, as I found out there ARE seeds in a "seedless" watermelon!! The things that make you say...HHMMMM!!

WiLd, WiLd WeSt

I gave these two pics a soft old fashioned look. I like the way they turned out (especially the second one).

SoNiC

After pony riding we stopped off at Sonic for dinner. Maddie asked "What kind of place is this? You eat in the car!?!" We told her next time she see's Sissy Jessica to bug her to take her to Sonic (Jess's FAV!!).

PoNy RiDeS

Saturday, Maddie was invited to go ride the ponies. Jon's boss owns the two ponies and a horse. His son, a year younger than Maddie, wanted Maddie to come and ride. Too cute!!

My LiTtLe PoNy

HEY!! Who shrunk the horse??

ClAy FaCeS

I started making these clay face pins using polymer clay, vintage rhinestones and watch parts. I thought this scan of them actually turned out really cool. (I plan on taking actual photos of these. When I do I will post them so you can actually see the details.) AND I finally figured out how to watermark my photos WOOHOO!! Just another step in my blogging adventures! Can't wait to learn Photoshop one of these days, though that would mean purchasing a new computer.......HINT, HINT (May 30th is fast approaching)...I LOVE you honey!!
P.S. and did I mention that I still have my eye on that Canon camera...?