Winter Song 5X5's Swap Art

Happy Saturday folks,
Ahhh, The weekend. I do live for my weekends. (Sad isn't it?!) The shopping is done and the fridge is cleaned out. Plus I've had a nap. 3 things off my to-do list. It's not a very long list this week-end. All the better!!

I mentioned in a past post that I joined a 5X5 swap over at A Fine Seam. Jillayne and the others will be happy to know my five 5X5's are in the mail and winging their way to Canada. (She told us to think of these as ATC's on steroids, so funny!) It was surprisingly inexpensive to mail them off. Our postage here in the States is outrageous but my little package only cost just over $2.00 to send from Kansas to Canada. I glued the original designs to a stiff cardboard I found in my basement. (Sometimes I could swear things just "appear" down there.) I was concerned about the amount of weight the backings would add but I think they will hang much nicer this way for my swap mates. My 5X5's mainly consisted of paper, card stock, paint and mod podge. I didn't like the plain card board showing so I "painted" it with tissue paper. I love using tissue paper. The stuff comes in so many vivid colors and if you stamp on it before gluing it to something the stamps really "pop". I want to get a stamp of my name and blog address to use just for that purpose as I find I cover a lot of things with tissue paper, including envelopes. I forgot about doing that with this envelope though. I wish I had taken a picture before I mailed it off. I like to reuse bubble envelopes and I found I had one just the right size. I colored all over the old label and then glued tissue paper down. Then I drew a leafy vine all around the front of the envelope with color markers. I think it makes the packages prettier for the postal workers and recipients plus I love the recycling aspect. I have a few more bubble envelopes that I want to give a make-over for resending out into the world. It's fun because there is no set plan in mind when I do it. Just color, stamp, paint, whatever to make sure all of the old label is completely covered.

OK, now that my 5X5 swap items are in the mail I've decided to make one just for me. I love how these turned out but I do have a question though. What could I have done to make the cutout blend into the background better? Thanks for helping me learn with your answers.

Have a great weekend,

Be Happy, Be Healthy, Be Safe,

Tess

image from wikipedia

Happy Saturday Everybody,

Something funny happened today. Shall I tell you about it? Ok, you talked me into it. But first I have a question for you:

Who remembers the Love is... comic from the 60's and 70's? I loved that back then they were in black and white. I did an online search and found several sites showing this comic. I think the little cherub looking couple are so cute. I used to cut out the Love is... from our newspaper everyday when I was a pre-teen and teen. (Too bad I no longer have that scrapbook.) There is a page on wikipedia.com that tells all about the Love is... comic and it's creator(s).



I have a Love is... to add to the collection. We were doing some house cleaning today and while I was cleaning in the bathroom the toilet seat came off. It's not more that a month old. One of those nice cushy seats from Walmart. So I'm muttering about how cheap it is and muttering a few not so nice words while cleaning the toilet. (Potty mouth sounds appropriate here.) In the meantime hubby pops his head in to see what all the mumbling is about and says he can fix it. He pops out and I continue cleaning. I go to lower the seat lid and it pops off in my hand. Now I'm yelling "I give up". Ok, so this sounds like I was getting angry, right? On the contrary I began to laugh my fool head off as did he. He mentions changing and going OUT into the HEAT to go to WalMart to get a new toilet seat. Ugh!! Heat!! I tell him it can wait until tomorrow. "But of course ", I tell him, "we'll have to be careful we don't slide off the pot". So I continue to clean in the bathroom and he pops his head in dressed to leave the house. "I'll go get a new toilet seat", he says. "Anything else you can think of we need?" he says. Aww!!!


Love is...going out into the summer heat to buy a new toilet seat
because your wife broke it while cleaning.

Wasn't he a sweetie!!


Oh, but that is not the end of this story. Ohhh no!! So hubby turns around and I bust up laughing. There are two butterflies on his butt. Yep, you read right. How else am I suppose to cover holes in my denim shorts?! I was laughing so hard and he's asking what?! I was so So SO tempted not to tell him.
So here is another Love is:


Love is....telling your hubby that he has butterflies on his butt. LMAO!!!

Yes, he changed immediately...
One things for sure there is plenty of drama and unexpected oops's around here to keep things interesting!!

Be Happy, Be Healthy, Be Safe,
Tess

P.S. I found a Kim Grove (creator) Love is... paperback on Amazon. ;-)


Trivia quiz: Which film made the quote "Love means never having to say your sorry" famous?

5X5 No.3

Greetings my dear blog friends.

I have been so absent lately; I do apologize. The heat here has been so unbearable. Last week we had above 100 degrees with heat indexes in the 105+ range every day. My computer just happens to be in the hottest room in the house. I hate the hot humid heat we have here. Absolutely hate it. But what can I say except; "hey it's Kansas-just wait a while". We finally had some rain last Friday and a few sprinkles yesterday. Today the high was in the 80's. So much better. I haven't been doing much but sitting and feeling sorry for myself. And trying to stay cool.

And as you know when it rains it pours. I'm not referring to the wet stuff here either. With those high 100+ temps Bobbie called us last week to tell us the power kept going off and on in the trailer. Well of course we had her check the neighbors. Yep, they were all out for about 3 hours. She stayed home though. Then the next day she calls to tell us the power keeps going out every time she uses her dryer. She said it would go out and they would flip the breaker back on and it would stay on for 10 minutes or so and then go out again. I tell her it's the extreme heat and to turn off all lights and other appliances before using the dryer. It works for a bit but then power is out again. So we tell her to check the breakers. She does and power comes back on. She gives up on the laundry for the night and all seems well. Then the next day she calls and says "Mom, the AC is blowing hot air". It's over 100 degrees outside and now the *&#@ AC is on the fritz. We just had it fixed a few months ago. So I tell her to get the big fans out and on and hubby says to call the repair man. Nothing more could go wrong, right? Wrong!! Next Bobbie calls to tell us she has no hot water. What?? "It's ok mom, we don't need hot water right now; It's too hot for hot showers anyway", she says.

There is a happy ending to this down-pour. The repair man comes and figures out that the fuse box the trailer is hooked into is fried a bit inside. Bobbie said he showed her and it was all melty inside. He replaced it and everything was working great. She had a cooler trailer and hot water within 30 minutes. I called the trailer court manager and let them know what happened and they are going to pay the repair bill. WooHoo!! Alls well that ends well. :)

I have been working on my 5X5's for the swap I joined over at A Fine Seam. They are coming along nicely. Here is my 5X5

No. 3

Don't look for No.2 because I did not post it. Let's just say it is very similar to No. 1 and leave it at that. We don't want to give away all of the surprise for the swap participants now do we?! I love this one so much I almost want to keep it for myself. I have a cutter pen and am finding I really like it. The birds and such are cut out from used greeting cards. I love recycling. When mom moved to the new house she gave me all of the cards she's been saving over the years for my art. (Wasn't that sweet of her? ~ Thanks mom!! XOXO)

Visit Jillayne's blog post here to find a list of blogs that joined in the swap. They are all making such pretty 5X5's. I am calling my series Winter Song. And I may make more than 5 as I have a bird cutout that I want to make for myself. I also want to make one for a special friend or two. Plus I have an idea to expand on the concept. But with my up and down moodyness lately. And my crafty/writers/artsy block getting in the way a lot also, well who knows. I did write my idea down though. I just hope I can find it again (the scrap of paper I wrote it on). I have also found my hubby works as a muse. He has a keen eye too. I love that he indulges my artsy side. Oh, and I've tore and cut watercolor paper and painted and smeared colors all over and now I've sewn them together to make a little art journal. It is now ready to be used and I hate the center pages. Hate them!!! The colors turned out ugly together so I think I will start there, in the middle. Besides, who says you have to create in order? Not me, nope, I tend to do things all chaotic like. Works for me!! Sometimes drives me nutty too. LOL!!

Well that's about it for now. Oh, I almost forgot...Go on over to Monday's Child and see the pretty prompt pic and just maybe it might give you an idea for a poem or a story. If it does be sure to share by adding yourself to Mr. Linky on her blog. Have Fun! I hope your days are cooler and mine stay that way too (or warmer if you are in a cooler climate).

Be Happy, Be Healthy, Be You,

Tess

Hello!!