Shining Stones Swap

After creating my shining stones backgrounds, I signed up for the swap that Chrissy is hosting. Here is the card I created from my backgrounds:

Art Quest Sketchbook and Challenge #2 "Dictionary Page"

I have finally created the cover for my Art Quest sketchbook which we started last year on Art Ventures. I had completed the first challenge - and am working hard to get caught up :)

Here is the cover:

And here is Challenge #2. We had to randomly select a dictionary page - and then a word, which I did by running my finger down the page and counting to five. And here is my take on "fish-monger!"

Instant Art Swap

The premise behind this swap is to create pieces of "instant art" that you can use to finish a project. Adrienne suggested that every get a zippered binder with plastic sleeves to hold the pieces. Then when you need that certain something to finish a project, you can look through the binder. For this swap we had to make 5 photo slides, 5 ATC backgrounds, 5 itty bitties, 5 images (in two sizes) and 5 tags. Below is one set of what I created.

Pea's Ponderings

I was in a journal page swap in a group called Paper Dolls a couple years back. We each made X amount of journal pages ready to journal on and received one back from everyone in the group. I just now created a cover and bound these. I look forward to journaling in it :)

I love the song "Big Girls Don't Cry" and used that behind a transparency of my face! My son thought it was for a swap and asked "who wants a picture of you on their journal?" ROFL! I choose this because it sets the tone for my some of my personal goals for 2008! Clarity, Peace, Serenity! I couldn't ask for more!!

Here was an actual page I received - and I thought WOW !! How is that for spooky!! I made this the very first page in the journal!!

Background Noise

I have started another journal, titled Background noise, at the direction of Trish Bee of Next Generation Stampers. We will be showcasing our background creations, complete with instructions.

I have come up with a "Pea Rating Guide" for each of the backgrounds that I create. My personal rating scale will be comprised of how easily the background can be made, on whether or not I have all of the necessary materials already in my house, on the "noise" factor . . . . can I create said background while my family is still in bed, and last, but certainly not least, do I LOVE what I have created :)

To start off our book, Trish choose Shining Stones . . . . and I can tell you that the Pea Rate is a PERFECT 10!!
I LOVE IT . . . . AND, I didn't burn down the house while creating it!!

Here is the cover of my sketchbook . . . I will be cutting a one inch square from each background that I create and adding it to the cover as I go.

Here are the journal pages for the first background we all created . . . . Shining Stones

Here is the backside of the last page and inside of the back cover.

Here are some larger examples of the backgrounds. I will be using one of them to create a swap on CCSwaps, where we have to use this background

Merry Christmas

I would like to take a moment to wish all of my family and friends a very Merry Christmas and a Healthy, Happy and Creative New Year!

Cherish the moments, for once they are gone, they leave us with WONDERFUL memories!!

12 Days of Christmas Swap - UPDATED 12/26/07

I hosted a 12 Days of Christmas Swap and had a fantastic turn-out. I had enough sign-ups to have 4 groups of 13 members each. Everyone received 12 different gifts back per group. So that means that during the month of November, I received MANY boxes containing a total of 624 gifts at my house!!!

Below are some photos of Santa Pea (me!), and my faithful Elves . . . . Chrissy and Maggi, swapping out these gifts! I will scan photos of the gifts I made at a later date!

Photo of the many boxes that I was stashing in my basement:


Organization Station: mailing labels, packing tape, Christmas cards, gift for outside of mailing box, as well as my master list of who was in each group:

Elf Maggi is pushing up her sleeves, getting ready to tackle the project. Elf Chrissy is looking at the master list, saying "You've GOT to be kidding" . . . . . ROFL!

The Elves are working on a plan of attack!

WooHoo - we have started organizing the first group!!!

And now Group 1 is done, except for the packing into mailing boxes!

Santa Pea is hard at work taping boxes, adding labels, and the special gift to each box!

Here are just SOME of the boxes ready to hit the Post Office:

Here is the gift I made for an embellishment on the outside of the mailing boxes. It can be seen in the photo above. I encased it in clear plastic and attached with packing tape :



Here are all the finished boxes!! Santa Pea insisted on creating a tree with them - even added a Santa tree topper! This picture would not be complete without our faithful side-kick, Deuce, the brown-nosed Retriever!


And here are the workers - Santa Pea, Elf Chrissy (sitting), and Elf Maggi:

And here is a GREAT after shot! We enjoyed some lunch, a birthday celebration for Maggi's November birthday, and Chrissy's St. Nick birthday - and then some chocolate and WINE (Beringer, of course!!!)

1st of the 4 different sets of gifts I made:

2nd set of gifts I made (closed):

(open):

3rd set of gifts I made:

Altered two drawer box (perfect size for ATC's)