I'm late, I'm late . . .

. . . for a very important date. No time to say "hello", "goodbye". I'm late, I'm late, I'm late!

That is certainly how I feel as Christmas gets closer and closer and I'm not ready!!

Captured Winter Fairy - Emily

This morning, when I went out to get the newspaper, I found this adorable little fairy making snow angels in the middle of our front yard.

Her name is Emily and she loves coconut macaroons and tea with lots of sugar. I think that is why she is so sweet!

Captured Winter Fairy - Edward

Yesterday evening, I saw tiny footprints all around my birdbath in the snow. I followed them and found this sweet little fairy boy talking to the rabbit who frequents the garden. I asked him what his name was. The dear fellow's name is Edward. He comes from a long line of fairies who live in these parts. He is one of four brothers and three sisters. He and his twin brother, Earl are the youngest in the family. If you listen carefully, you will hear him sing. He can make up songs at the drop of a hat. He is a pleasure to have around.

In the meadow, we can build a snowman

In the meadow, we can build a snowman . . .

Well, I "built" mine on an old, enamel coffee pot. I got in the mood to paint just as soon as the first cold front blew in. I love, love, LOVE cool weather!

Bat potion gone wrong

She knew that something wasn't right the moment she drank the potion.

It was supposed to make her nose smaller, but it made her feel very strange . . .

Enchanted Bat Wing Potion apothecary bottle

Enchanted Bat Wing Potion

concentrated bat wing extract

. . . just something I whipped up!

Captured Witch

I heard a noise in my kitchen and found this witch going through my cupboards. Since I was afraid that she might bite me, I put on my oven mitt and grabbed her. Let me tell you, it was a good thing I thought of using the mitt; she fought, bit, and screamed like a banshee. I just wish I had thought of wearing earplugs too!

I received two awards!

I am so excited! I received two awards in one week! Jan awarded me with the Rockin Girl Bloggers and Gail awarded me with Nice Matters. I feel so loved! It's like I received two online hugs! Each of these awards can also be passed on to 5 other people who I feel deserve the honors. As I have come across so many nice people, it is hard to narrow it down, but here goes:



Rockin Girl Bloggers

Karen - Mrs Kwitty
Chel - variaZioNE
Kris - Blissfull Elements
Sue - Lily Pepper Primitives
Pam - The Bag Lady's Art


Nice Matters

Mel - Lazy Dayz
Kat - Altered Kat
Gerry - Swoon
Charlotte - Charlotte Narunsky
Stacie - Creative Junque

Rabbit Assemblage

I had so much fun creating this assemblage piece. He just seems so alive to me. I found the sewing machine drawer while "antiquing" with a friend of mine. The cobbler's shoe form is as old as I am. Yikes!!

Nest Assemblage

It is so much fun when everything falls into place. I have been searching high and low for shadowbox frames when my friend, Melissa called me and told me about some frames she found in a local store.

I love the expression on the little girl's face. She is staying very quiet so she doesn't disturb the birds and she is urging you to do likewise. The cheerful songs of the birds match the song of her heart. She is at home in the garden.

In that quiet garden
the garden of her heart
Songbirds are always singing
their song of cheer apart.

Alice E. Allen

Captured Time

If only capturing time could really be so easy.

I wear the key of memory, and can open every door in the house of my life.

- Amelia E. Barr

I made this original assemblage using an old beat up alarm clock that my friend Phyllis gave me. The little doll I encased is just precious!

I would like to thank Charlotte for featuring me in her treasury! Sweet!!

So many women

So many women, so little time

I just finished the shadowbox that I've been working on. I'm quite pleased at the way it turned out. I made it using a very old cabinet card that I bought from Opera House Antiques. He looks like quite a player to me so I worked around that theme.

I'm in good company

I was so honored to be in such good company! Stacie of Creative Junque created this treasury on Etsy of some of the members of our ZNE street team. I enjoy being part of such a talented group!

It's all about me

The idea for this collage hit me when I was searching for some shelf brackets and stumbled on some old blocks my Mom gave me. Easily distracted? Not me!

It is all about me, isn't it????

Captured Fairy - Edward

Yesterday evening while tending my flower garden, I saw tiny footprints all around my birdbath. I followed them and found this sweet little fairy boy talking to the rabbit who frequents the garden. I asked him what his name was. The dear fellow's name is Edward. He comes from a long line of fairies who live in these parts. He is one of four brothers and three sisters. He and his twin brother, Earl are the youngest in the family. If you listen carefully, you will hear him sing. He can make up songs at the drop of a hat. He is a pleasure to have around.

Featured on ZNE Etsy blog

Chel featured me in the ZNE Etsy blog today for some promos I sent in. These promos are for the ZNE Etsy Lab gift basket. If you haven't checked out the ZNE Etsy blog be sure to do so. Love the talent there!

Girl Power

I have a killer pout and I know how to use it!

I made this darling pendant from a collage sheet that I got from Lisa's Altered Art. As we get older, we still pout, but we find new, more complicated ways to do it!

Tag! You're it!

I have been tagged by Backwoods Creations to list 7 little known facts/habits about me.

People who are tagged write their 7 things on their blog. Then choose another 7 people to get tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave them a comment and tell them they have been tagged and to read your blog. So here goes:

1 ♥ I have a motorcycle license,
2 ♥ was potty-trained before my 1st birthday,
3 ♥ have been to Hawaii 5 times,
4 ♥ am deathly-afraid of heights,
5 ♥ swam with sea turtles,
6 ♥ wash my hands SEVERAL times a day,
7 ♥ can't start my day without coffee.

I have tagged the following 7 people.
Swoon
Flea Market Studio
Slackstitches
Boxwood Cottage
Helene of Norway
Blissfull Elements
The Sparrow's Nest

Hopefully, they will participate in this fun little game :)

I made the front page!

I am still walking on air. I made the front page of Etsy yesterday! I didn't get to see it myself because I was out all day with a doctor's appointment. (I wasn't at the doctor's office all day. I HAD to do some shopping while I was out. . .) It's just as well, because if I had, I would have probably wet myself! Gerry from Scotland created this wonderful treasury. Her name on Etsy is Swoon. Be sure to look her up!

Dust fairy

Dust is a protective coating

It would be foolish to remove it

This tongue-in-cheek saying was my inspiration for this piece. I created it using a reclaimed frame and a digitally reproduced picture of my Great-Grandpa's sister. The picture was taken in approximately 1908.

Raggedy Ann trunk

This weekend, I found this vintage trunk at a moving sale. Fact is, they had 2 and I bought the both of them! They shouted, Buy me! I couldn't wait to get them home and paint them up. Since I love Terrye French's patterns, I chose this darling Raggedy Ann penny rug. I made a few changes to the pattern to make it more "mine". Since I do not have a place to put it OR girls, I took it down to my local consignment store so someone else can enjoy it. I'm still trying to decide what I want to paint on the other one!

Functional art

I am a woman who uses power tools. I used to be terrified of the noise that powertools make and wouldn't go near them. When I was a little girl, my Dad could set the circular saw in the doorway and I wouldn't dare go in the workshop to bother him while he worked. It's taken quite a long time, but as long as it is me making the noise, it doesn't bother me too much. I went out to the workshop and built this little shelf. I added a digitally reproduced collage that I had done. The woman in the collage is a distant cousin of mine and the picture was taken in the 1920's. I have renamed her Madeline and have used her in several pieces. I like her saucy attitude.

Girls are smarter than boys

This original collage features a girl explaining to a little boy that girls are smarter than boys and is done on an old blue chalkboard. He just thumbs his nose at her. The collage is made with a page from a vintage dictionary that has been aged and stamped with ink. The key word on the left column is intelligential which is quite fitting to the piece. I have also used a reproduction vintage postcard and scrapbook paper. I realize the quote is stating the obvious, but it's not obvious to EVERYONE!

Chocolate-stealing fairy

For the life of me, I couldn't figure out where all of my chocolate had disappeared to. I was almost certain that I had not eaten it, but it was most certainly GONE! Since I did not think I had eaten it, I figured that someone else had. I looked closely around the chocolate bowl and saw tiny footprints. I could see the footprints because they were all chocolaty! I decided to set a trap to catch the little beggar and wouldn't you know, I caught this adorable little fairy. Of course, she denied steeling my chocolate, but I caught her red-handed, or should I say chocolate-handed. Truth be told, this little fairy is really me when I was 2 years old and, yes, I am a professed chocolate thief. Guard your chocolate!!

Nonsense

Everyone can use a little nonsense now and then can't they? I certainly enjoyed creating this collage on canvas. In making this, I learned a couple things - how to print on tissue paper and a wonderful product called gel medium. I tell you, gel medium is some pretty terrific stuff. To add to the nonsense idea, I used bubble wrap to paint portions of the background of this collage. It seemed appropriate somehow.

My dirtbike

Yesterday, I finally got to ride the dirtbike that I got for Christmas. I will be the first to admit that I ride like a girl. Hello!!?! I AM a girl and I'm going to ride like one, thank you very much! We went and rode at the Zars Ranch. It is a beautiful area just south of San Antonio. In fact, the San Antonio river borders this ranch. For someone that hasn't been able to ride for almost 5 years, the ravines were a little tough. I don't mind climbing out, but going down the side is a bit unnerving. For now, I am still pulling out cactus thorns. Ouch!

Welcome to Cedar Junction's Studio

Well, I did it! I have created my first blog. I am so glad that you stopped by. Today, I experimented on how to take good photos of glass. I have decided that it's probably something that I will need help with. I needed some better photos of Madeline, my captured fairy. I used a blanket and an umbrella and was able to get out most of the glare off , but not all of it. I'm sure that if my neighbors saw me, they would think I am nuts. I am sure it looked odd to be taking pictures under a blanket tent and umbrella. Oh, well! Be sure to come back often!