COWGIRL ART CANVAS

Greetings cowgirls!

Here's a few free vintage images for our first project. These are actually family photos from a book I've recently published "A Sharecropper's Daughter" Feel free to use them in your projects tonight or whenever!:

You will need a vintage image like these for the main part of your cowgirl canvas. None of these photos are "cowgirl" specifically, but the vintage-y look of them can easily be translated as cowgirl glam!

You will also need waxed paper and an 8.5x 11 piece of muslin, canvas or (light) solid color fabric. Cut a piece of fabric and waxed paper to about 8.5 x 11 (or smaller depending on your canvas size) Also a blank canvas or sturdy piece of chipboard the size of your project (9x12 for this one)

Then, with the shiny side of the waxed paper face down, iron onto the fabric. (The reason for this is to make the fabric stiff enough to run through your ink jet printer, where you can print out the vintage image)

Right click and save any of the above images, then print to size. Make sure your printer is set to QUALITY or PHOTO print settings (extra ink is needed because the fabric tends to absorb).

Feed the fabric "page" through your printer, and when it's done printing, cut to size. Leave the edges ragged and stringy...it adds to the charm! Set aside.

Now to make the background of your canvas. (This was my favorite part!) Using snippets of fabric, trim and old buttons, lace or whatever else you can find, glue, stitch, or even pin a collage of fabric pieces to your canvas as background for the image. As you can see, I used bits of cardboard, mattress ticking, old ric rac, paper, lace and old milinery flowers on mine.

Here are a few photos (not very good ones mind you) of the details of my piece:

One of my favorite details (besides the quote by Annie herself) is the silk strips tied on at the bottom of the canvas. I just used my handy dandy crop-o-dile (if you do not have one, I cannot believe you have lived in the altAred art world this long without...beg, borrow, steal or BUY one...STAT! Handiest tool I own!) Anyway, just punch a line of holes in the bottom of your canvas (mine was one of the cheapy flat canvases, no sides or depth to it) and tie the strips to the bottom. OR if you don't have a crop-o-dile or something that will cut holes easily, just tie the pieces of fabric and hot glue them to the bottom! It's a great trick that adds a unique elegance to the piece...don't you think?

Add vintage buttons, stitch lines (or the real thing if you're ambitious) and voila! Done! A FABulous art canvas made out of leftover supplies. DO share a link and post your creations won't you?

ON TO THE NEXT PROJECT: COWGIRL GLAM JUNK JEWELERY!

UNCLE! UNCLE! UNCLE!

Greetings, dear readers!

And a big THANK YOU to each of you for your comments and willingness to help me out of the impenetrable web of confusion that was the Dolly Dingle Valentine Swap! lol  I don't remember the last time I laughed so hard at my own ineptitude!  (a fine word coined by my son Paul) Elizabeth, you are always good for a thousand laughs...I am finally crying "Uncle" on this one and retiring it to the archives of Swaps of Valentines Past. May the jillion little cowboy and cowgirl valentines  rest in peace in their new homes. Amen. 

Meanwhile, back at the valentine sweat shop that has become my craft room, (a "sweat shop" while weather outside is two degrees is quite a feat...) I have completed the little fabric collage quilt, finished a valentine candy box album, and am in the process of creating a sweet treat valentine surprise for hubby dear.

Our wedding anniversary is Feb. 17th...we will have been married 30 years! Can you imagine!? Someone putting up with the likes of ME for that length of time? Holy moly! The man is either a saint or a glutton for punishment! lol

This is a very young "us" ... it's a Silver Dollar City "tintype" photo...which meant the clothing,  (tie and Velcro applied) the cabin...all props. So no, it's not an authentic wedding picture...we actually got married in the living room of a dear little preacher and his wife (with the smell of fried chicken wafting in the air.) The little lady came out of the kitchen with her hands covered in flour, wiped them on her apron, sang a rousing rendition of "I Love You Truly" (I kid you not) and then disappeared to tend once again to their dinner.

The ceremony lasted perhaps 15 minutes. We paid the man his customary "honorarium" for the ceremony, and then flitted off to begin our luxurious honeymoon...a trip to K-Mart. :-)  (Would this man spare no expense?!) We were young, broke, and newly transplanted in Oklahoma (during the oil boom)...we made a mad dash across the Texas state line to Gainesville, TX for the brief nuptials.

Anyway, 30 years later, we are more in love and have more fun than we'd have ever imagined...we are SO looking forward to more days/weeks of travel in the canned ham!

More soon! Paula Clare

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE...

Greetings, dear readers!

I hope all of you spent a day of warmth, food, family and fun this Thanksgiving! I was with my dear son and daughter in love and my 3 grand kitties and 2 grand gerbils...so much love in such a little house! We had a wonderful time! Behold the veritable feast that my daughter in love created for us:

Stay tuned for exciting information about my "how to" videos for Christmas crafts!

Hugs and kisses,
Paula Clare

A Tender Tennessee Christmas

Greetings friends! Merry Christmas! I send this video to you from eastern Tennessee...

AND NOW, A BLAST FROM THE PAST

I realize this is my second post in a day...but please bear with me as I tell you of my most recent debacle...

I find it amazing the way certain smells, pictures, or situations remind us of obscure things from our childhood...while studying this during biopsych I learned that the emotions we experience during these memories are IDENTICALLY the emotions we experienced when it happened the first time...

For those of you who know me, you may find it hard to believe that I (as a wee child) was quite the singer. It's TRUE...I belonged to choir every year of elementary and high school, and while in high school went to state with a girls sextet (matching outfits, the whole bit...ARGH!) and won first place!

Annnnnnnnnnnnnyway (there IS a point to all of this...truly!) Well, among my scrapbooking friends and bloggers, there seems to be a multitude of folks doing a "Christmas Countdown"...the 12 days of Christmas or Christmas advent or...whatever. Well, what all of the hub bub over the 12 days has reminded me of is a song sung in choir during 5th grade. I remember my class sang it with rave reviews, standing ovations and wild cheering from the audience (okay, so most of the audience were the parents of said singers...but STILL) I remembered eveyr word...and even the tune...I'd sing it for you if that were at all plausible!

SOooo, without further adieu, I give you "the song" and the "trip" down memory lane:

The 12 Days AFTER Christmas

The first day after Christmas
My true love and I had a fight
And so I chopped the pear tree down
And burned it, just for spite
Then with a single cartridge
I shot that blasted partridge
My true love, my true love,
my true love gave to me.

The second day after Christmas
I pulled on the old rubber gloves
And very gently wrung the necks
Of both the turtle doves
My true love, my true love,
my true love gave to me.

On the third day after Christmas
My mother caught the croup
I had to use the three French hens
To make some chicken soup

The four calling birds were a big mistake
For their language was obscene

The five golden rings were completely fake
and turned my fingers green.

The sixth day after Christmas
The six laying geese wouldn't lay
So I sent the whole darn gaggle to the
A.S.P.C.A.

On the seventh day, what a mess I found
The seven swans-a-swimming all had drowned
My true love, my true love,
my true love gave to me.

The eighth day after Christmas
Before they could suspect
I bundled up the
Eight maids-a-milking
Nine ladies dancing
Ten lords-a-leaping
Eleven pipers piping
Twelve drummers drumming - well, actually I kept one of the dancing ladies -
And sent them back collect

(BIG FINISH)
I wrote my true love
"We are through, love!"
And I said in so many words
"Furthermore your Christmas gifts were for the Birds!"

More soon! SMOOCHIES!

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggety Jig

After spending the Thanksgiving holiday with my sister and her family...and my grandson and HIS family, we are now back in "the Vern" for another stint of regular life...until Christmas time when we will be heading to Tennessee to see my son and daughter in law for the Christmas holiday.

Meanwhile, we are already missing being with our family...and this is only the beginning. You'll remember a few posts ago I mentioned my sister and her fam going to the mission field...here is their website http://www.4mortons.com/Home.html

Feel free to check it out and see for yourself what extraordinary people they are...even if they WEREN'T my family I would love them! And OF COURSE I'll be posting pictures of my grandbaby...right now, though, I am going to attempt to get some much needed sleep...I usually become quite nocturnal while visiting and away from home. I used to be able to handle a 24/48 hour vigil, but no longer. I fear I have become far too antiquated for such stunts...

Anyhoo, I'll write more and will (hopefully) sound a bit more like myself tomorrow. Meanwhile, DO say a prayer for my sister and the fam...I appreciate it.

Huggles to all, and to all a good night!

GRATEFUL - "N"

This thanksgiving season I have determined to set aside time to be thankful...in order to help me stay focused (riiiiiiiiiiiiight) I have rejoiced in things that begin with the letters from the word THANKS.

Today I am on the letter "N" First of all, I am grateful for "NIECES" (See my last post). My sisters seem able to only have girls, and, apparently, *I* am the male supplier in the fam. Ergo, I have many nieces. And I love them all...they are all talented, beautiful, and zany. (Ironically, they refer to me as their "CRAZY Aunt" said with much love and affection of course!)

The preceding two posts were about Christmas Advent Books I have created for 2 of the little darlings (they'd KILL ME if they knew I called them that!)

Anyhoo, I am SO READY for the (as Dr. Seuss would say) "Roast Beast" and Thanksgiving Day parades and cranberry relish and...the-wee-hours-of-the-morning shopping with nieces (and THIS YEAR daughter in law to be) on Black Friday. HA! She will be initiated into our family by this rare yet meaningful tribal ritual. She has NO IDEA the fate that awaits her! The tradition is to do this shopping in "waves"...the sister and two nieces typically join me (after blintzes at IHOP) for the 2nd wave. Bedlam, mayhem and merriment will be had by all (and of course the time honored tradition of humiliating ourselves with self deprecating stories and wild tales of yesteryears shenanigans)!

More as plans (plots and shenanigans) develop!

REQUIEM...

Today our little finned friend Tobi gave up the fight against fish illness and disease this morning at 9:37 a.m. Graveside services for the deceased will ensue...

The closed casket graveside service was held in the back yard, where Tobi was laid to rest on a hillside under a beautiful mimosa tree. The heart shaped coffin seemed very appropoe, as it had originally contained a treasured trinket from Brighton. The handmade tombstone epitaph reads: Tobi had but just one wish, to live his life as a family fish." An MP3 of Amazing Grace was played via laptop computer, and a slideshow of the deceased was shown for family members. This slideshow is now available below.

Please say a prayer for the immediate family...while we realize he was only a "fish", he was a member of the Clouse House family and will be sorely missed. May you rest in peace, little buddy.