The Early Bird scores the junk

Thanks for your input on the charges for the Faerie Book Swap. I'm glad you feel the price is reasonable.

I was making covers at 5 am today.  I'm not typically a  morning person, but it was kind of nice to be awake and gluing before I am normally up to face the world.  I worked for 3 hours on them and then started the rest of the day at my usual time, and it was like a little bonus of hours for me.

Not that I'll become an early bird. But I enjoyed the gift of extra time. But not enough to ever set an alarm clock, of course.  If I made a habit of being up at the crack of dawn, it would feel more like slaving away too many hours instead of like a special little bubble of time I was given to get caught up. 

Yes, silly thinking, but maybe my mind is still fuzzy from being up so early.

A lot got done today, by starting so early.  I shopped for a new car (no luck yet), did yard work, edited photos, shopped for some back to school clothes for Sugarwings (eeek- kindergarten starts next week!!), piddled around with a few other things, then sat down and did something creative. 

I've been doing so much assembly line work in making 100 front and back book covers, that I was feeling like a robot instead of an artist. This evening, i took the time to actully make an inside book page so I can be part of the swap too.  I want a book of my own to keep, so I need to have pages to trade!! I have ten or so, only really need 8, but like to have extras.  Plus, I wanted to do something fun.

I drew a dress form and cut it out of sheet music, then glued it onto this old text.  The wings are cut from a 1950s bug book then glitzed with a clear gold Gelly Roll pen, and the dress is made of flower petals plucked from my garden of vintage hats.

I outlined the wings in Black Stickles glitter, then inked the background with pink and black. Over that I lightly brushed some white Tim Holtz crackle paint.

My car has been on loan to my son, so I've been driving my husband's car, while he has been driving the farm truck. We tend to buy cars and drive them till they won't go any more, or till we are so sick of them that we give them to one of our sons.  We get about ten years from most vehicles.

This car is 12 now, and has been a wonderful car, but when it died on me in the middle of NOWHERE, I decided it was time to replace it! On Sunday, I had taken a spur of the moment trip to one of my favorite shops, 4 Corners.  Someone there told me there was a flea market nearby, so there I went on another little jaunt.

Trouble is, the flea was closed, was on a back road2 miles outside a small town I'd never heard of, and the car decided to take a break from travelling and not start after I came back from looking in the windows of the market (didn't see much).

Luckily, I had a book with me, I sat and read a while, then tried to start the car again, and it took off after about a half hour.

I'll go back and check out the flea later, when I have reliable transportation. The place is called Hooterville Flea and Bait Shop. 

How can I not go back with a name like that???

There were hats calling to me from 4 Corners, so I was glad I'd taken the trip, no matter how worried I was about being stranded.

I bought 4 hats, a huge pile of Victorian scrap, die cuts, and old books, a roll of old silk ribbon in chocolate brown, a gorgeous down pillow covered in lace, plus this picture all for $59!!

The picture is not in the best of shape, but that is something I like about it.  The bottom 4" or so was missing, but I rubbed sepia ink on the cardboard backing where part of the print was missing and I don't think it shows much.  I also sanded some of the gold paint off the frame so the white underneath peeks out.

She is sooooo pretty.  Not sure where she will hang yet. Somewhere special!  Maybe in the guest room I am fixing up for my sister's visit.

Well, better get back to the fairy book covers.  15 more to go and I'm finished with the front covers, yay!

Comments

[Charlotte]

You certainly earned your creative time. We should just make a couple extra pages so you have a fairy booklet. I'm game to make a special page for you. I was thinking you'd be so sick of fairies you wouldn't want to look at one for a year.

[Louise @ Elsie May and Bertha]

That was a clever idea with the picture, if you hadn't mentioned it you couldn't see there was anything wrong with it. I liked your use of the flower petals on your fairy page. I must find myself some from somewhere. I can get flowers from my favourite craft shop but they are quite expensive, I need.to find a charity shop with hats for sale! I hope you get to finish your front and back covers soon :-)

[Karla Nathan]

Luckily, the sepia colors of the photo blended perfectly with the ink, and the damaged area was at the very bottom, it looks like she is standing on a hill. Now, if the spot had been anywhere else, it wouldnt have worked out so well!

Sent from my iPad

[Laurie]

That picture, those flowers, the dress form! Thanks for my daily dose of beautiful!

[Mrs. Tricia k]

What a beautiful deal you found for yourself Karla! It's gorgeous and I just love the sweet little fairies at her feet…too precious!!!
What a nice find for you!!! She's just been sitting there forever waiting for you to come along!!!
Finally the perfect owner !!

[Linda P.]

I love the picture you found. You "fixed" it perfectly. I'm happy for you that you were able to score some finds despite the unfortunate car incident! Argh. So sorry for your car breaking down like that. When you said you sat and read a while, all I could think of was I bet it was sweltering outside. How did you stand that?

I love your dress form faerie! Who woulda thunk of making a dress form sprout wings? Our creative Karla, of course. : )