Creative Troupe Pieces (Image Heavy)

I am very lucky to work with C & T Publishing as a part of their Creative Troupe. What this means is that every couple months, I get to work with some of their wonderful products and create samples either for art store displays or for sales reps around the country. This last time around I used some of their Lutradur to make a handmade book, I painted a canvas book, a board book, and I glammed up a greeting card keeper and made a card for the inside of it. So enough with the words and on with the pictures. (Oh, by the way, you can click on any of the links above and order some of your own goodies. I highly recommend them!)

Think Pink Swap

These are the pink charms I made for the Think Pink charm swap on Amber Dawn's blog awhile back.

They are made of polymer clay then painted with acrylic paints. I used head pins to attach them to jump rings and added beads and flower sequins. These sequins were a gift from a blogger I met at the first ArtFiberFest, Diane Moore, as well as several packages of vintage glass buttons and purple rose beads. Every time I use these goodies in my projects I think of her and the fun we had. :)

And then because packaging is so important, I wrapped them in pink tissue and put them in little manila envelopes then tied them up with red and pink baker's twine that had a polymer cane bead slipped on it and a tag.

Daily Journal Candy plus Sneak Peek

Latest journal page

Sneak peek at a clay figure I made last week that I'll be putting up on eBay this weekend. If I can bear to. This face just kills me. :)

"Moongazer" Polymer Clay Art Doll/Figure

"Moongazer" is handpainted polymer clay. She stands just a stitch over 4" tall. She has dark green eyes and brown hair.
Although this particular one is not for sale, feel free to contact me about your own special figure. You can choose the eye, hair, and nightgown color. Imagine having one to commemorate your daughter or granddaughter. They also make wonderful gifts.

What To Do With Family Photos and Leftover Cardboard

One day I was goofing around and I used the corrugated cardboard inserts from something or other and built a house. Then I covered it with old dictionary pages.

At this point I still wasn't sure what I wanted to do with it. Then I remembered my mother-in-law was going in for knee surgery and I needed a "get well" present. She loves family photos although she never does anything with them. So I decided to make something 3-dimensional for her to display. Since she has 3 sons it works out perfectly. Each son and his wife gets a side of the house while the parents are on the front of the house. The two couples who have children get the sides of the houses with roof slopes so that the grandchildren's pictures can go on the roof.

the front of the house
H is for Horton

the parents

Landon and Jill, the babies of the family

Mike and Jeanne-Mari with their daughter Melissa

Ken and me with our kids, Kaitlin and Cameron

the bottom of the house
The entire family has ridden several organized bike rides together. Cycling is a big deal to us.

Worth the sore needle-pricked fingers!

Some needle-felted fingerpuppet monsters I'm working on for possible inclusion in my etsy shop. The current one has his eyes on the ends of his stalks. Can't wait to finish him. Love these little guys. They kind of remind me of those little rubbery ones we would get out of the gumball machines. And there are so many different things you can do to individualize them. And it makes movietime more productive. :D

Coraline Mystery Box Swap

I've long been an admirer of Myra over at My Little Mochi. And I'm crazy about Coraline, the movie. And, and, and I was so intrigued with the boxes that the crew of the movie sent out. So when Myra proposed a swap. I jumped on it. Because of a mail mix-up I thought the inactivity on my blog disqualified me and I didn't know I was in the swap until I received my fabulous box from Sarah of A Small Fox. (more on that and pics later) So I sent an emergency email to Myra and quickly got started on a box to send. Several days later, living in pajamas, and the fam being VERY understanding and here it is...



The original boxes had their items pinned in place with straight pins. I used corsage pins and there is styrofoam under the red felt base. The letter is in the envelope on the lid. It is sealed with gold sealing wax and a black button.


The box contains a handmade popcorn box with a needlefelted kangaroo circus mouse, two "cotton candy" cones, and a button-eye kit.


The button-eye kit is in a vintage box from Woolworth that apparently contained horoscopes for July.

It is lined in a vintage salmon fine welt corduroy and has a needle, thread and black button eyes glued in place.



The circus mouse was the most time intensive of all the items. He is approximately 4" high not including that tail. Sixteen straight hours of needlefelting, then a bit more for sewing his little jacket. Nine episodes of CSI and four episodes of NCIS. Netflix, you are my friend. I took bathroom breaks and one other to throw together a meatloaf and veggie soup on Saturday night. :)

Here are a few more small details.