Shadow Box Re-Do

I've had this little shadow box for a few years and finally decided to do something with it.  It held some old corn and dried flowers, which I tossed out.  The whole piece sort of fell apart when I tried to remove the contents.  Next, I glued the wood back together and cleaned the glass.  To cover all the scratched wood and glued on left-over paper, I used decoupage and pages out of a book.  Messy but it works.  I even added that to the sides and back.  The inside compartments have dried flowers from my garden, keys, and old heart pin I got in a jar of jewelry pieces from a thrift store, plus scrap-booking left overs.  Finally, I trimmed the edge with old lace also found at a thrift store.  

My driftwood mobile

I collected sea shells and driftwood on the beaches in Oregon and put this together with fishing line. The trick is to drill 2 parallel holes through each piece. This keeps the wood from spinning around, maintains it's design, and adds durability. extra sea shells dangle at the bottom.

This project doesn't mean anything to anyone except us. We have the memories of collecting on the chilly shores of Oregon.

Crafts found in Oregon

This is from a shop in Eugene, Oregon. She makes her own bird nests from natural materials she collects on her walks.
This is an artist's canvas covered with papers, then old letter game pieces were used.

Crafts I've picked up along the way

The folded tree was a craft I picked up at a wonderful little shop in Farmington, Utah called "Just a Bed of Roses". It was my first inspiration to working with old books for crafts.

Junkmail Journals

Here are two new journals I sewed together with fabric scraps. The blank pages are ready to be filled. I like the size of these journals. They fit in my suitcase or even purse very easily and are not heavy.

Junkmail Journal

This has been such a great project for me. I took an on-line class from Mary Ann Moss (dispatchfromla.typepad.com). She gives such complete video directions . This was very easy to put together. The "gist" of the project is to use fabric scraps, paper scraps (junkmail in particular), pages from old magazines, maps, registers, and leftover bits and pieces of scrapbooking papers and supplies. Then she taught me how to sew it all together to make the journal. Who knew my old Singer could sew paper!!! Thanks so much Mary Ann!!!
Once the journal is sewn together it's ready to take on my travel adventures to fill in. Initially I didn't really know what to add other than photos, then my friend Kathy suggested I use the journal to not only keep a record of where we've been and what we've seen, but also to give opinions and impressions, making suggestions of possibly returning in the future. She suggested adding places we missed with the idea of getting there on another visit. These ideas have helped me nearly fill my first journal, and I've put together another with even more pages to fill.
As we have more ability to travel at this time of our lives, I wish so much I had a travel journal from our early-married years, when the children were younger. There's so many places I can picture in my brain, but I just can't remember WHERE they were!!! If only I'd made a travel journal back then.

I Just Keep Folding Old Books

Folded Heart Valentine Book

This little book is titled "A Time for Tenderness". It's a bit thinner than my other books but still just as precious. It's an older slightly worn book that was published in 1962. I've lined the inside covers with beautiful papers, then tied it together with a gold colored ribbon. I also made the rose that is on the cover. A glass star bookmark hangs over the binding. A great gift for your sweetheart or even something special just for yourself.

Folded Heart Valentine Books

Here's a new project I've been working on. It's a bit time-consuming, but I like the results. Folding the pages of old books is relaxing for me, and definitely not an exact science........there's a lot of guessing here. Some old books have pages that are somewhat fragile, so that adds to the challenge. Decorating the cover after all the pages are folded is a snap and really fun. Enjoy!
I've put 4 of these on my Etsy page called Rescued Treasures.

Grand Canyon New Year's Eve 2011

Weaving cones into trees and angels

My friend Melinda up in Alaska sent me these thread cones used by weavers. I've posted a photo of one of the cones to give an idea of what I started with. I painted the cones first, then added glitter. I used wood ball knobs for the angel heads, Christmas snowflake ornaments halved for halos, and bits of old lace and jewelry for the bodies. Tinsel or braid were used for hair. The first tree has mirrors and bits of old jewelry and beads, along with lots of sparkly pom poms. The pre-glittered balls were found at Michaels.

I am looking for additional ideas for other holidays using these cones. I will give away 5 cones (you pay postage) to whoever comes up with a unique and creative idea. I may even chip in the postage if it's not too much.

Scout Cabin Giving Up to the Elements

A dark little cabin nestled in the woods would be a great hideout for the adventurous souls!!! I was fascinated to see all the moss on the roof and even tiny trees sprouting between the old shingles. This treasure is in Bremerton, Washington on the edge of a forest.

"Twilightish" Forest in Bremerton, Washington

On the typical cloudy days the nearby forests were downright "spooky". "Twilight" book fans would have found it just perfect. No wonder the movie was filmed several hours from here in Forks, Washington.

Port Gamble, Washington

An unexpected sunny day in the little village overlooking the Puget Sound. Everything looked so clean and bright.

The "UP" House

A builder here in Utah contacted Disney and Pixar to get the plans and permission to build this replica of the "UP" house. The studio had the condition all plans would be returned and the house would not be duplicated. It's in Herriman, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City, and has become a tourist draw for the town.

The front porch has all the same features included in the movie: the wired doorbell, steps, and the lawn hose hanging on the edge. Notice the number #18 too!
The sweet mailbox looks identical to what we all saw in this heartwarming movie.
This is the view from the front porch, looking across the street. (I had to blur out people)
And there's the rooster weathervane. The builder tried to include every detail from the movie. The house is built in a sea of very dull identical homes. This home stands out. I wish more home were built like this. Love all the colors. Whoever gets to buy it will have a treasure, and plenty of visitors!

Witch Hat with Hand-Embroidered Web

Designing a witch hat is NO easy task. First off, the fabric is so slippery and difficult to work with. Wire is needed to maintain the brim shape and point. But the creative "creepy" part is just plain old FUN!!!