Only the Mermaid knows what timeless treasures and crusty old bones hide deep beneath the Sea. Nuggets of gold, silver platters, ancient relics…the fierce Mermaid and her scaly steed guard this watery tomb.
Jun30
Treasures await beneath the sea
Category Archives: Alpha Stamps
May21
A feast for the eyes
So it turned out to be serendipitous that Alpha Stamps asked its designers to create something Alice-themed this month.
Because my daughter will be a unicycling performer in an upcoming Alice in Wonderland Circus production this summer, Alice has been on my mind a lot more than usual. Considering that Alice was never on my mind before now, this isn’t exactly an earth-shaking change.
I decided to make an Alice-themed paper cake. In a strange turn of events–as if we could expect anything else from Alice–a fellow teammate also created a paper cake. What’s wonderful is that both cakes turned out completely different from one another. Read the rest of this entry
May11
Was Lewis Carroll a secret crafter?–an Alice in Wonderland Altered Tin
Becoming a professional crafter has changed my life. Monday mornings? Couldn’t be better! Daily commute? No sweat! I. Love. My. Job.
Admittedly though, it has made me a little odd. I am often going out in public with dyed blue fingers or traces of glitter in my hair. And seriously, who besides me makes frantic dashes to the dollar store before it closes for the night in order to buy cheap dolls to dismember?
Ummmm…Apparently several of you. When I asked fellow Alpha Stamps Design Team Members that question, more than one had done the same thing. One, who shall remain nameless, coughTristancough had bought 12.
Scary.
This is not the first time I have dismembered body parts in the name of crafting…
Apr13
A little birdie told me Mother’s Day is drawing near
For moms of young kids, Mother’s Day can be difficult. I bitched for years about not being able to enjoy the “holiday” because it meant racing around trying to honor my mom, step-mom as well as my mother-in-law before she passed away. At least my husband would help my kids give me a gift–I know single moms have it harder. .
Losing my Dad and nearly losing my mom this year gave me an attitude adjustment. Immensely grateful my mom is still with us, I am determined to relish this day. Read the rest of this entry
Apr13
Leaving the nest and letting them soar
For 18 or so years we keep our children safe–all the while strengthening their wings and slowly teaching them to fly. Finally the day draws near when they are ready to leave our nests and fly away on their own.
Suddenly, in the beat of a wing, the core focus of our lives is taken away from us. It is terribly tempting to tightly lock the door to the birdcage, keeping our vulnerable fledglings safe under within our care.
Yet, a caged bird will not sing. We know we must let them fly away. There’s the saying that “if you love something, let it go free. If it loves you, it will come back.” Usually, our children come back. Yet we know deep that things will never really be the same. Our nests are forever changed.
I created this art, featured at Alpha Stamps, as testimony to the experience so many of my friends are going through–the bittersweet experience of seeing children leave for college or another adventure. The cage, which I made from paper mache, is lined with “bird advice” a mother might say to her children. Read the rest of this entry
Apr12
Under the Mixed Media Big Top
Canvas Corp will soon be publishing a plethora of 4 x 4 canvases, uniquely created by each of their design team members. Since the canvases are supposed to reflect the designers in some way, I decided to create a vintage circus meets industrial canvas.
Mar16
Pink rabbit noses and roses abound in this tunnel book–but be careful, not all bunnies you meet are sugary sweet
I am not sure why I had never made one before, but I am here to tell you that making tunnel books are a whole bundle of fun.
Mar5
Big news deserves a big altered art project–I am joining the esteemed Alpha Stamps Design Team!
Dreams really do come true. I found that out firsthand when I recently got invited to join the Alpha Stamps Design Team.
I can’t adequately describe what an honor this is. Nor how terrifying it is. Many artists I have most admired over the years are on this team. Simply put, their work is brilliant.
Austin Kleon says, “Stand next to the talent” because you will only be as good as the people you surround yourself with. He tells artists to hang around people who are smarter and better than themselves. That’s what I am doing–I just fervently hope I don’t fall on my face (subsequently impaling myself with craft scissors or suffocating from all the glitter on my studio floor).
Alpha Stamps is announcing my arrival on their blog tomorrow. For my debut Alpha Stamps project, I created a three-dimensional Altered Art Greenhouse from two 6.5 inch tall House Oddities Boxes, complete with a mossy roof, wind chimes, iron bridge and flower urns. You can see this miniature greenhouse featured on the Alpha Stamps blog. Read the rest of this entry
