Swap Goodies: \../ Summer is for Metal \../

I have been really uninspired lately, and everything I have been crafting is for swaps, which means I don't want to spoil the surprise by posting it here, just in case my partner happens to read this. So, this is the loot I got from my first every Craftster swap, from the talented Dorkariffic (proud new owner of the Poison undies). First off my favorite item, though it was hard to choose:

An amazing Manowar pouch (so that small, important things don't fall out of the string bag I've been using as a purse/diaper bag)! I apologize for the glare, Manowar is just too metal for my camera.

Best song lyric ever.

But that's not all. She also included some goodies for baby bunnyface:

baby bunnyface's bedroom will need a makeover to match this new metal decor


Detail of the AB/CD metal baby skirt

And one more thing for me, perfect for the chilly Pacific Northwest evenings (seriously, if the boy wasn't around to complain about it, I would have the heat turned on at night. I'm already doubling socks to keep my toesies warm).

Action shot with full on butt rock scream. The boy laughed and laughed while he took this photo.

Dorkariffic was a fabulous partner for my first swap, and I loved being a crafty metal mama.

The Language of Rabbits

I just finished reading Watership Down by Richard Adams. It's a great book that takes place within a community of rabbits, and he even made up a lapine language. I've made a journal page with badly drawn inchies to illustrate some of my favorite rabbit vocabulary. Can you guess what all the words mean?

My mom loved this book, and was shocked that I have only just gotten around to reading it (so many books, so little time!). In fact, I grew up hearing and using the word "tharn" (adj. stupefied, distraught, hypnotized with fear) and only recently found out that it is not actually a commonly known word.

As far as my page, I'm on the lookout for some good rabbits to hop around and make it look more full. It's a crayon and watercolor background, a technique which I definitely plan to use again in my book (taking it way back to grade school style).

Working Inch by Inch

Most of what I've been working on lately is for swaps, and I don't want to post here until all my projects have found their way to their new homes. One thing I have been working on are inchies, strangely addictive, tiny works of art. The only rule is that they have to be an inch by an inch. These are a few nights worth of inchie work:

The first row are my very first, which I started a couple weeks ago but couldn't figure out how to finish. I finally added the borders around the letters and called them done. I love the lady on the end (a rubber stamp, along with the lock and all the letters) because she looks so mischievous. I definitely think she's got a secret. The second row is a zentangle that I cut down into inchies (one is missing, it's finding a new home along with some puzzle pieces). The third row are all cut out from a Russian picture dictionary, I think my favorite is the toilet (sorry for the glare, I'm not steady enough to not use the flash) or the bicycle. The last row are just some random ones I thought up, I love the button and lace and the candles. I think these will end up in my journal if they don't get swapped.

For those of you who are curious, I took some in progress shots as well.

These are some bases I cut out, some from a cracker box, some covered in scrapbook or wrapping paper, and some I made a whole set of with blow pens and a sheet of card-stock.

These are bases waiting to be cut down, the blue and yellow, blue and orange, and purple and orange are acrylic on card-stock, and the other two are tissue paper on card-stock. The blue tissue paper is going to turn into an ocean, I know there will be a jellyfish.

And here they are all cut down and ready to be embellished!