Thursday, January 6, 2011

Twelve Days of Christmas - Day 12

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...
Twelve Drummers Drumming

by JO ANN

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This is the very last piece of the 12 days of Christmas swap but certainly not the least.
Your drummer art square is beautifully detailed Jo Ann! Jo Ann features 11 postage stamp size drummers on both sides with her twelfth drummer and his drum in the middle over a seasonal page with musical notes and a glitter border.

Twelve Days of Christmas - Day 11

On the Twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...
Eleven Pipers Piping

by: CATH CROMPTON
You may visit her blog by clicking here.

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I love the hip wrapping and your wonderful layered creation Cath! It is a wonderful creation that features beautiful colors, a gorgeous tree and a plaid paper behind the piper that reminds one of the kilts they wear.

This is how Cath created her 11 Pipers Piping as described on her blog:

"I started with a basic white card and sprayed it green. Then a smaller piece of corrugated card I painted red then a slight spray with the same green. I then stamped the tree shape on to dictionary pages cut them out and dipped them into my melt pot with green embossing powder in. When dry I added the dots with glitter glue but they all haven't stayed on. The tag was coloured with an ink pad in red then the edges brushed with a copper paint. The piper was printed onto tracing paper ripped out and added to the tartan that was attached with eyelets to the tag. A small piece of ribbon and the wording done on my Dymo machine and that was it."

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Twelve Days of Christmas - Day 10

On the Tenth Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...
Ten Lords-a-Leaping

by: KATHY W.

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I love the little wire-wrapped deer charm on the beautiful wrapped package and your Lord-a-Leaping Kathy! The art square features a lord accented with glittery details leaping from the gorgeous purple textured background. Kathy also included a beautiful small miniature book about the Ten Lords a Leaping and how it may be based on Morris dance.

Monday, January 3, 2011

Twelve Days of Christmas - Day 9

On the Ninth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...
Nine Ladies Dancing

by GINA WISE

Opening this package is bittersweet, as many of those in our art community are aware that Gina has passed on. This is my first swap with Gina and I must say that the amount of detail that she puts into her art is simply breathtaking...
Our wonderful hostess Elizabeth stated on her blog during the 1st 12 Days of Christmas swap that Gina spent an insane amount of time making the little boxes to house the gifts and I believe it! These boxes are immaculately made.

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and here is the actual art square...
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The details of Gina's art is amazing! The dancing lady with movable arms is raised from her background and features a gorgeous glittery headdress, lace top, bejeweled belt, an "embroidered" skirt, and delicate black glittery slippers on her feet. Gina completes the setting by adding an shiny embossed floor that looks to be colored with some alcohol inks, a beautiful pink "wallpaper" with silver stars, and a pink curtain with silver embellishments. Gina was a gifted artist and I am so thankful that I am able to own one of her handmade beauties.
To see her beautiful swan from the first group, please click here to visit Elizabeth’s blog.
If any visitor's have additional links to more of her art, please add the links in the comment section so we may all view more of Gina's gorgeous art.

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Twelve Days of Christmas - Day 8

On the Eighth Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...
Eight Maids-a-Milking

by MARILYN MORRISON

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I love the holly leaf you added to your hand drawn piece Marilyn! It makes it look so festive!

Celebrating a Southern New Year

Happy New Year to everyone! May your New Year be filled with an abundance of love, laughter and creative inspiration!

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Ringing in the New Year in the South is full of traditions. There are two dishes that MUST be included with the meal...

Collards or turnip greens, which represent all the green money you will receive for the New Year. The more you eat, the more you will receive.
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and Black-eye Peas, which I was told represented your coins. However, other Southerners, such as my husband, believe that it represents your good luck for the year.
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My husband was also told that you NEVER wash clothes on New Year's Day. It is believed that if you wash clothes on New Year's Day, you will be washing someone out of your life. We have also been told that you must have all Christmas decorations put away before New Year's Day or you will have bad luck all year. It is very common around this time of year to be asked, "Did you get your Christmas decorations down?" Southerners have many superstitions and even if others may think we are crazy...we just don't take any chances.
Case in point: I will never forget the day that I walked down to my great aunt's house to "visit for a spell" when I was a young girl. I could not get her to come to the front door, so I walked around to her back door and peering through her screen door I see her cooking something deliciously southern in her kitchen. I entered through the back door and we ended up in her front room chatting. After our visit, I get up and walk to the front door (which is the closest exit) to leave. She literally blocks my exit and insists that I cannot leave through that door. I asked, "Why not? I want to go home and the door is here." She becomes even more insistent and proclaims that I am NOT to leave through that door and I MUST go out the back door. I remember being so confused and after arriving home I tell my mom that she was acting weird and would not allow me to leave through her front door. My mom then laughs explaining to me the old superstition that you must always exit the same door that you enter. At that moment in my life, I learned that for some, these old southern beliefs are wholeheartedly believed and followed. As for me, I say...pass me those collards and black-eyed peas with a few dashes of green pepper sauce and cornbread on the side...because this southern lady is not taking any chances!

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Twelve Days of Christmas - Day 7

On the Seventh Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...
Seven Swans-a-Swimming

by CAROL BARKER
You may visit her blog by clicking here.

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I love the beautiful turquoise color you used in your piece Carol! It really makes your seven swans stand out.