Upcycling Cardboard Box

I promised I would post more of the projects I am working on (or at least more often!).  For over a year now I have had a perfect box that I have used to store my Glimmer Mists in.  Sick of looking at it in its original form (it was the box our GPS came in), I decided it was time to do something with it.  I just thought I would share how the box progressed!  I think it turned out quite nicely and while I would change the adhesive I used originally, I am quite pleased with it! 

Original box, cut-down (top flaps removed)

Interior of box painted with pink acrylic (notice that the Modge Podge used to seal interior is still wet!)

Front of box

Box finished and returned to storing treasures! 

By the way, Pattie, my partner in the Tip-In Envelope exchange at Paper Traders loved the envelope that she received in the post below so that is good news!  I have to say I should have made one for myself as well.  Isn't that always the way it goes?

Glitter and Roses,
Misti

Tip-In Envelope Challenge

Wow! So I have not posted to my blog since August of last year. Does this mean I have not been creating anything? Absolutely not!  Perhaps this is why I only have one blog follower who is a friend. ;)  One of many things I need to put on my to-do list - BLOG MORE OFTEN.

I love participating in challenges. Why? It forces me to create on a deadline (for some reason I perform better under pressure).  I often participate in challenges set-up by PaperTraders; if you are not familiar with this group I would encourage you to check them out. 

In the meantime, some photos of a tip-in envelope challenge that I have completed:

Envelope filled with ephemera and treats for my trading partner.

Envelope with flap open.

The back of the envelope

I just have to vent...

Ok, so I need to vent just a little.  I am in the process of trying to clean up my office and optimize my storage. What inspired me to do this ridiculous task is two things: 1) there were some ladies I discovered during my blog hopping that had an on-line event where they all posted before and after photos of their crafting areas. Unfortunately, I cannot recall the name of this event - perhaps someone reading this can?  It was truly tremendous. The women that participated really have some truly amazing ... just a cotton picking minute. Why is it when I sit down to write, the only freaking fly my husband has let in the house is landing on me every 10 seconds??!!!! brb...

Murder Accomplished!  Now then, :::smoothing my skirt and pulling up my elbow length opera gloves::: as I was saying...  The women that participated in that event started out with very nice craft spaces but ended up with crafting spaces that were sublime. We are talking "Where Women Create" worthy. I saw a common trend of "white on white." (Something I admire, think is absolutely fabulous, but somehow cannot master even in an 5 x 7 challenge (see photo below)).  This may be, perhaps, because I am a person drawn to the various hues of pink in a cabbage rose and the silver of German Glitter.  (We would not want to say it is simply because I lack talent, that would be utterly discouraging.)  So, I am not to the venting part yet (in case you were wondering).

In my on again, lazy again, attempt to organize my office, I have an issue with a very large, quite old banker's desk that I sit at. It was a gift from a friend who had to move and she kindly gave it to me because it was her father's and it was quite sentimental to her. It is one of those lovely old wooden desks that has slide pull-outs on both the left- and right-hand side.  I am limited to using the one on the right side for work space because I have a very large bookshelf at my left side.  What tends to happen is that... perhaps you can foresee this... the right slider serves as a crafting workspace and then turns in to, shall we say, storage for projects, ephemera, and currently a fly swatter. This stack, which would be deemed hazardous to by-standers by a visiting team from OSHA, has in fact leapt out and and grabbed me by the buttocks when I have squeezed between it and the stand that holds my Tim-Holtz Vagabond machine, a dress mannequin, an assorted stack of ephemera, and other sundry items.  While my husband does not feel so, I believe it is entirely reasonable to walk between two warring towers of ephemera with a space of approximately 24 inches of clearance. So my vent here, perhaps, is that I hate it when my husband thinks it funny that paper attacks me.  Today, I cleaned off the stack on the right slide-out.

Do you know that required me to actually open the very large storage drawer under the slide-out!  In that large file drawer I actually found ephemera I bought more than three years ago (before I started my graduate degree).  It was neatly separated by holiday, subject, etc., and placed in fancy file folders, who could have known? Additionally, I apparently used to travel abroad and bring home things like tickets, brochures, photographs, little bits of this and that, and all of that is stored in this file drawer as well?  Absolute insanity!!

I said I had two rants. In fact, I do.  I believe I have shared enough today, however. I encourage you to take a look at the website ATCSforAll.com.  They have an active ATC trading forum if you are looking to join swaps and there is no cost for this site!

Have a great day... and never ever let your ephemera stacks grab you in an inappropriate place!

Best always,
Misti

Sewing Technique Challenge at Paper Traders

Paper Traders is having yet another swap - this time it needs to be 5" x 7" and include some type of sewing technique.  I, alas, am not a girl who sews.  Yes, I can stitch a random button on but actually remember how to set up my brand new sewing machine that's been in the box for 10 years? Not a chance!  What to do, what to do?

My solution to the "sewing" requirement? A hole punch and ribbon that I hand stamped! ;)  Sadly, my ability to photograph this piece is right up there with my sewing techniques.  That's ok, at least I'm creating.

Until next time...

Best wishes,

Misti

Pinterest... absolutely fascinating!

So, you may (or may not) know that I am a visual person - I like to see pictures of other people's art, I subscribe to certain magazines for the dreamy photos and advertisements, and find inspiration in images.  This week, while struggling with my 5 x 7 Paper Traders challenge (which meant I started blog hopping), I discovered Pinterest.  Can I get a "yeah, baby?!?"  Amazing images there and all kinds of gadgets I do not know how to work yet because... well... I rarely read the "how to" included on web pages. 

Having shared all that... until I manage to create something worthy of sharing (because trust me when I tell you I have three totally unrelated, unfinished projects on my desk), check out things I've pinned on Pinterest.  Some great images there!  I think you can view what I like by clicking on: http://pinterest.com/mistiroses (but I'm not sure... it's that researching the directions issue again).  In any case, check it out!

Best wishes,
Misti

Colored Zentangles Challenge at Paper Traders

I have finally found the time to quit lurking on the Paper Traders list and start participating!  Fortunately, I had time to sign up for the Colored Zentangles swap hosted by Beckie (thanks, Beckie!).  Zentangles, I learned, is simply a fancy name for the random doodling that I already do.  Who knew it was an art form?

The challenge was to prepare four 3.5 x 3.5 Zentangles using original art.  Lucky me! This meant doodling in my Gratitude Journal and cutting the pages down to size.  I am including pictures of what I will be forwarding for the swap. 

Best Wishes,
Misti

What's up with fashion for fluffy girls?

I know that my blog usually focuses on altered art or the accomplishments of friends... and I'm going to acknowledge to you now that I've been mysteriously absent for awhile (ok, ok, TWO years... but I have been constructively engaged and obtained my Masters degree in Business Administration with a 4.0 gpa ([insert self-congratulatory pat on the back here]). During that time I have discontinued my magazine subscriptions, discontinued riding, discontinued reading for pleasure, let my gardens go to seed, said au 'voir to international travel... you get the idea. My husband and son were fortunate... I kept them. :)

Having said all that, I would like to ask that in the few times I purchased fashion magazines to quickly flip through in my rare moments of spare time, WHAT IS UP WITH FASHION FOR WOMEN WHO ARE not built like a clothes hanger? We all know women like this - people like my beautiful friend Brenda - built like a wire clothes hanger - who was born to drape designer clothes on and looks fabulous in a feed sack as long as she has a pair of six inch Christian Louboutins on (and she can afford them). And then we have those designers who deign to make XL clothes... in you know a whopping size 10, for women who are built like a sturdy wooden clothes hangers meant to hang vintage minks on.

Really designers? A 10 is as big as you can stand to see your clothes so that they maintain your visionary integrity? Give me a break. Does it occur to you that women who wear a size 10 blouse probably actually have busts bigger than 30" (I mean, after all we're not talking about her bra size here... we're actually talking about the part of her bust that protrudes... the actual part that *requires* a bra?) And while I certainly don't wear a size 10 blouse, let's just address those designers that really live on the edge and make their XL blouses for GIANT women [insert sarcasm]... who wear a 14-16 blouse. Women who wear a 14-16 blouse do not have busts that are 38-40 inches. So while I can get these blouses on I can button them to precisely - you guessed it - right beneath where my bra starts and then I have a glorious 8 inch gap. While this would probably do if I worked in other, better paying professions, I can hardly artfully cover that with a scarf, a pin, or one of your equally poorly proportioned jackets on a job search. Before I'm accused of having implants, I will share that these are my small bubbies... the ones I had surgically reduced because my God-given EEEs were so large that no one but Seattle Tent and Awning could make a blouse that fit me.

During my studies in the last two years, I had to conduct an in-depth research paper comparing two women's clothing retail giants and the reasons they were struggling in today's global market. The average American woman, at the time I did my research, was 5'4" tall, ranged between 140 - 165 lbs, and wore a size 14. None of these describe me, but my search for fashion as I attempt to reenter the workforce being a busty, tall girl, who falls in between sizes makes me want to rip my hair out. I am definitely price-conscious (after all I haven't worked in two years), I am fashion conscious (who doesn't want to look their best), and I always fall in between misses and plus sizes depending how the manufacturer cuts their clothes (really is standard sizing among one label too much to ask??). Anyway, I know this post is getting long but let me just end it by saying to anyone who is listening... and to designers in particular... NO ONE looks good in 6 yards of loosely flowing fabric that you call a blouse/tunic/dress, not even my aforementioned friend Brenda who was blessed with the genes of a Whippet and the non-seeing eyes of a Saint when she assumes I wear sizes similar to hears.

I am fed-up with designers and manufacturers thinking that the answer to larger fashions is to drown women in flowing cover ups or dress them in clothing only appropriate for club-going attire. (Some of us, alas, are past our club-going days or are at least past the days when we thought it was appropriate to wear club-going attire to the office!). I have CANCELLED the many fashion magazines I received that continuously posted photo spreads of fashion outfits put together for this and that occasion that when I went to seek out those items on-line they were sold out - a season or two ago. Who pays these people? Oh that's right, we do.

We are all built differently. Some of us are apples, some of us are pears, some of us are rectangles (that's me... not a curve to me - you hourglass girls are blessed!). All of us want to look the very best we can with what we have to work with. There are clothes out there for all of us... what we do not look good is 30 yards of $1,000 polyester spandex mix from a very expensive department store. Tip of the Day: If it makes the model look fat ladies, it won't do you any favors either. :)

On the Hunt for Fashion,

Misti Rose