Wonderful Tags!!

BRAVO!!! We have the tags back and our tag swap was completed today. The theme was "An Inspirational Quote" and they were made by some very crafty individuals that I have the pleasure to work with. They are all so different and interesting. I've uploaded a few of my tags.
I am so happy the way these turned out because I actually broke out of my comfort zone to do these and used paint and some other techniques that I've never used before. Here are the steps for my tags:



1. painted tag
2. applied flat layer of white tissue paper
3. squished more tissue paper up into a ball
4. flattened it out a little and glued it onto the tag
5. collaged some vintage sheet music, telephone book pages, and other paper ephemera onto tag
6. dry brush painted 3 different colors here and there
7. applied gold glitter paint (love this stuff!)
8. stamped swirls here and there
9. pasted photo and quote
10. embossed here and there with irridescent powder
11. applied some bling bling and other embellishments
12. sprayed with sealant
13. added ribbon

The only thing I wasn't crazy about is there are ripples under my pictures. I printed them on old typing paper and used glue to put them down. They looked fine when I did them, but they rippled overnight as they dried. If any of you know how I can avoid this, please let me know.

The Fairy Tale Book

One of my most prized possessions that I will forever keep and treasure is a very old book that my step-grandmother gave to me when I was a child. It was saved from a house fire and she knew that I would love it. If you look closely, you can see the burn marks on the pages. It is called "The Fairy Tale Book" and was compiled in 1958. This book has 28 stories from the French, German, Russian, Japanese, etc. These stories are NOT your typical Sleeping Beauty/Cinderella Disney kind of stories. They are the original fairy tales before Disney and the Victorian-era took over and made everything nice and tidy. Their darker themes are toned down slightly for children, but only slightly. Here, Sleeping Beauty woke not to wedded bliss, but to an ogress mother–in–law, determined to eat her and her children; and Red Riding Hood was devoured by the wolf, awaiting rescue in his belly. One princess lost her finger; another caused the death of the beast who loved her. The pictures and stories in this book were both deeply sad and gloriously triumphant. You cannot help but feel every emotion either by reading the story or looking at an illustration. I have cried many, many tears (happy and sad) while reading this book.

I grew up in a log cabin with no running water in the mountains of New Mexico. So as a child I did not have TV, radio or even any neighbors to play with. That left books and my imagination!! This particular book was so special...I read these stories at least a 100 times, probably more. They took the place of cartoons and other distractions. Every word was scrutinized and every illustration was gone over and over because every time I looked, I saw something I missed before. My favorite stories were "The Tinder Box" by Hans Christian Anderson and "Donkey-skin" by Charles Perrault. Here's the beginning of the story and the illustration for Donkey-skin. The illustrations are all by Adrienne Segur, a little known French artist. I have never in my life seen more detailed and colorful illustrations. They are actually breathtaking, no kidding! Here's one of my favorites from the story "Bluecrest". Isn't it beautiful?!

Now that I am an adult and have children of my own, I understand why these stories and pictures were so fascinating to me as a child. They all basically have the same theme...an oprhaned little girl with an evil stepmother or evil somebody and a fairy godmother. Have you ever noticed that these old fairy tales are about a girl whose mother died, evil stepmother, etc.? I suppose it was because so many women died in childbirth back then. My 'fairy godmother' were my grandparents who I eventually moved in with. I thank God every day for them.

If you'd like to learn more about the illustrations by Adrienne Segur, you can visit http://www.endicott-studio.com/jMA03Summer/segur2.html. Most of her illustrations can be seen at http://www.artpassions.net/segur/ The first site also tells a little bit about the book and has some story excerpts. This particular book is no longer in print but you can buy it in the new version. Hopefully the stories are still the same.

I carry your heart with me (I carry it in my heart) I am never without it (anywhere I go you go, my dear; and whatever is done by only me is your doing, my darling) I fear no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) I want no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true) and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant and whatever a sun will always sing is you here is the deepest secret nobody knows (here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide) and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart (I carry your heart (I carry it in my heart).

~ e e cummings

HeArt Swap with art-e-zine

I finally finished my hearts for the "What's in your HeArt" swap with the art-e-zine group that I belong to. Here's a picture of the work in progress. I made all 3 hearts on a piece of cardboard and had 3 different collages going AT THE SAME TIME!!!! I loved it...it was perfect for me since I tend to be a little ADD!!

Below are pictures of them completed. Now if I just knew what address to mail them to, I would be good!! I have all the other rules, dimensions, etc. but no address. So, hopefully these will make it to wherever they are going by THIS Sunday!

True Love

"I already love in you your beauty, but I am only beginning to love in you that which is eternal and ever precious - your heart, your soul. Beauty one could get to know and fall in love with in one hour and cease to love it as speedily; but the soul one must learn to know. Believe me, nothing on earth is given without labour, even love, the most beautiful and natural of feelings."

~ Count Leo Tolstoi, Russion writer, to Valeria Arsenev, his fiancee, November 2nd, 1856.