SURPRISES!!
I was on the p
hone a few weeks ago with my older brother, Les, when he asked me a funny question. "My birthday is coming up...do you know what movie is coming out on that day?" and I said...sure, just let me look in the movie release date section of my brain - NOT!! Well, our conversation wove around this game a bit, before he came out with it. ALICE IN WONDERLAND! He told me of a fond memory he had as a small boy, when my mom took him to the movies to see the Disney version!
It was a fun conversation, because I heard a little boy on the other end of 
the phone. He couldn't have been cuter.....for an almost 63 year old man - hehehe! Well, my mind got to working around this theme, and how it would be fun to surprise him with something for a change. He is always sending mom presents to try to make her life more enjoyable, and I thought he deserved something from mom and I for being such a good son.I got on the phone to my good friend, Julie, whom I used to work with at the stamp store years ago. I knew that if anyone would have any stamps of Alice, it would be her.....and I was right! She brought them to the store, and I ran up to borrow them for a couple of days. She runs the ATC at the store, and needed them back to do the coming project they had about Alice, so I had to stamp two, or more, of each one for coloring and cutting out later. Wow, what a job that was!Well, I had my knee surgery, and couldn't get downstairs to work on the project until three days ago! I finally got it done last night, and sent it overnight mail today, with money for the tickets to see the new movie. Here are some (not-so-great) photos of the outcome, hope he really likes it!!
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These three photos are the whole tri-fold card, I just didn't get a good shot of it opened out.
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I tried to add some dimension with layering. I used pop-dots, and diamond glaze and glitter (of course). I used the colored permanent markers from Sharpie, and I used some new blending markers as well. 
On the glitter paper above, I embossed with an old embossing powder and was surprised that it took as well as it did. This last one is my favorite, but I wasn't able to capture it the way I saw it with my naked eye :(. All the other background stamps were mine....I have hundreds!I cannot WAIT for the phone to ring sometime tomorrow!!!
So, I can't sleep again....I don't know what to think about this whole knee thing. I am only 51 people!! I should be able to go up and down the stairs as many times as I want to! But do I want a replacement? I have to admit that I am scared {:(
My 86 yr old mother is the healthiest one in the house right now!
I know that I am ranting, but isn't that the point of a blog? Okay, sorry blog.....I'll try not to verbally vomit on you any more.
I am sweating just thinking about anyone actually reading this besides Paula! But the Gnome must go on!
I didn't know that Gnomes were a violent bunch, and maybe that is an unjust assumption, but on closer inspection of the first page I spotted a weapon!! Yes, it's true! The little guard has a sharp-looking spear, and I don't mean sharp as in a dapper dresser! Well, in spite of my feelings about violence, I will continue to share this story...so now, for your entertainment here's page number two.
Look little Gnomekins! It's like they are at an Altered Insect Retreat!
I don't know about any of the rest of you, but I would love an outfit as lovely as that butterfly is wearing... and did you notice? She has on heels!
I will have to admit, that coming up is the is the least favorite page of mine. Maybe it is because of the slave wages those poor, miserable ants are probably getting. It is enough to make a Gnomeketeer not want to "come and long... and sing a song... and join the jamboree"!!
Maybe it is just because, yellow is not my favorite color. I mean, I wll admit that I can be very vocal when I see injustice, so in the spirit of the original call to Gnomecoming Days, I will reserve my judgement until further investigation. Thank you for your patience.
Now for the final installment tonight, a page where I do actually see the spirit of giving, gratitude, and showing that ALL are welcomed in the home of a Gnome with a heart filled with justice, peace and Gnomeberry Cobler! AHHHHHHHHH...I feel some much better, and will say a prayer of thankfulness for the lessons that I have learned today. Hey...maybe we could fashion our veryown Gnome-cone to wear on our heads when we are following up on all of the other woodland activities...what do you think?
Don't worry my Gnomaquitas.... There will be more pages, but for right now, I need to go to bed. You see, my dearest friend, Paula (and you know who you are) and I spent the night away, just trying to get caught up. I don't know how long it will take to make up for 35+ years of separation, but you can bet we're having an E-Gnormeous lot of fun!!
I see the moon
and the moon sees me.
The moon sees the one
that I want to see.
So, God bless the moon
and God bless me...
and God bless the one that I want to see......
G'Night Old and New Friends
Faith Lynn
Okay... so I was out cruising the second hand stores, when what do my eyes spot??!! A children's book called Summer In The Enchanted Forest, and you'll never guess what was on the cover???
A GNOME!!!
Alright...this isn't the front cover of the book, but it was so cute I had to show you this one first! I have been so sad, because I didn't have any Gnominess, or Gnomeware in my home at all! Now, for only 99 cents, I have a plethera (12 pages) of Gnomerabilia to share with you!!!! See.....
I did some research, and there are at least three other books, that were illustrated by Fritz Baumgarten, of this series; Winter, Spring and Autumn in The Enchanted Forest. They run anywhere from $1.83-$15.00 on websites selling used and vintage books, I think I got a pretty good deal! Here is the full page from which I cropped the first photo, and they are called "elves" in the book....but we all KNOW that they are Gnomes! (They are even described as such by the old publisher.)
What do you mean, See The Rest???? Hold on my little Gnomella, all in good time!
TTFN,
Bunches of Love!
Faith Lynn
So the very first time I went to our Altered Book Club, we decided to do "tip-ins" that would visually describe us as our first project. There were 25 of us, so we didn't want anything too difficult to duplicate. This page, which I found yesterday and hung on my wall, was my page! Too much fun! We can't really be sure (we are all having some memory issues - hehehe) but we think this was around 2000.
This photo was taken at the Java Jungle, where Spencie and I had our first date. I bought this frame at some garage sale, and made it like a fairytale, to surround us!
My first love was rubber stamping, and card making. I worked P/T at a store for many years, called We're Stamping Mad in Osseo, MN. I learned so much from the Jackie, the owner, and Julie, my hero! Here is a card that I made today to thank the family that gave us their couch and loveseat! I thought it was very apropos. I thought the miniature wall hangings turned out soooooo cute!
I suddenly notice a color palette here...wow.
2010....what a strange number! I remember graduating in 1976, The BiCenntenial, where everything was red, white and blue. I thought 1990 sounded like science fiction...what a long time ago that was!!
We had my friend, Julie, and her husband, Mark, over last night. We ate a bunch of junk, and played a game, then watched the ball drop. I really enjoyed myself, and love having a home large enough to actually have company over now. (Even if it IS orange!)
I took my mom to see the movie Sherlock Holmes, and she hated it! What a riot! I liked the movie, but have to admit that I didn't enjoy trying to figure out what it actually was that "Sherlock" was saying...what a MUMBLER!!! I really did just channel my mother! And can I say that she I am actually proud of her, she didn't complain about the -11 temp too much!
Well, my wish for you, my one and only follower...and you know who you are!!! is this new year finds you living a life full of love and peace.
hone a few weeks ago with my older brother, Les, when he asked me a funny question. "My birthday is coming up...do you know what movie is coming out on that day?" and I said...sure, just let me look in the movie release date section of my brain - NOT!! Well, our conversation wove around this game a bit, before he came out with it. ALICE IN WONDERLAND! He told me of a fond memory he had as a small boy, when my mom took him to the movies to see the Disney version!
the phone. He couldn't have been cuter.....for an almost 63 year old man - hehehe! Well, my mind got to working around this theme, and how it would be fun to surprise him with something for a change. He is always sending mom presents to try to make her life more enjoyable, and I thought he deserved something from mom and I for being such a good son.
I tried to add some dimension with layering. I used pop-dots, and diamond glaze and glitter (of course). I used the colored permanent markers from Sharpie, and I used some new blending markers as well. 
On the glitter paper above, I embossed with an old embossing powder and was surprised that it took as well as it did. This last one is my favorite, but I wasn't able to capture it the way I saw it with my naked eye :(. All the other background stamps were mine....I have hundreds!
