I was inspired by Karen at this link.......

http://artinthegarage.blogspot.com/2009/03/tuesday-tutorial-complex-backgrounds.html

She puts tutorials out and this one shows this fun technique to recycle emptied cereal boxes!
The first picture is the plain box, then primed with gesso undiluted.

Then papers are added with gel medium and then a watery wash of gesso over the top.

Then stamps are used to stamp out a fun background. All the boxes can look different depending on how they are stamped.

Then color is added with a brush, I did shades of green and orange and pink on different boxes. This blends the stamping and maks it look more apart of the whole thing.

Then some light overstamping with paint on top, is the finishing touch! This comes out great because it is stiff and will make nice backgrounds or atcs.

I like how they turned out! Thanks Karen for the inspiration and check out her blog......very fun!

My friend Marcy volunteers at the Daytona Greyhound Shelter. They have a FREE voting site to earn money and you can vote EVERY DAY starting TOMORROW.........

Here is the link and instructions! I promise it is not complicated and once you do it a few times, you can do it with your eyes closed. "-)

1. Go to http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/
2. Click on the large purple box “Click to give”.
3. At the very top of the next page click on the box that says in red “Vote now”.
4. On the next page, enter “FL” and “Daytona Beach” and click “Search”
5. Select “Greyhound Pets of America Daytona Beach” (be sure you select the Daytona Beach group!) and click on “Vote”.
6. Identify the picture of the animal and click on “Confirm Now”.
The voting site will send you a daily reminder to vote. All you need do is go to the website and on the left hand side it says "Daily Click Reminder". Click on it and enter your e-mail address and you will be sent a reminder daily to vote....doesn't get much easier then that!

THANK YOU FOR HELPING THE GREYHOUNDS of DAYTONA BEACH.

Time for some baking. I made some wonderful sugar cookies yesterday! A delicious recipe that Mary had given me. They are sooooooooo good, and I bagged some up for family and friends! Yum, :) I hope you have a good week and Easter is almost here! xoxoxox Patti

This is some envelope art for a friend of mines' Son, who is playing in the Division III basketball college tournaments with Guilford NC. He is a great player, and I wanted to send him a congrats card for the success of the season.....so this is the envelope! Amber said I did it in toooooooo girlie of colors, but they are the colors I love, and so that I just did what flows! :0) I suppose he might have liked blue and gray better------I am hoping he will not get teased! It is painted with layers of acrylic and then some spray paint too, then stamping and then collaged with the image of TC playing ball! I know his family is soooo proud and so am I! :0)

http://tumbleweedtess.blogspot.com/2009/03/blog-give-away.html

My friend Barb is having a give a way for her the One Year Anniversary of her starting her blog! Go on over and play! Her art is ssssssssuper!
Hugs,Patti

Our sweet Rufio is recovering from surgery! He has been fixed (though he was not broken :) and he had his dew claws removed(they were long and nasty and hooking on things and causing pain for him and us), and his little cone is helping him to leave everything alone. Poor boy! He will get his stitches out next week Friday, and that will be good! ISN'T HE ADORABLE!?We already know the answer! Hehehehe! We are babying him to the best of our ability! <3

I have received another giveaway from OWOH, it is a set of new ledger papers. They are from 1842-1843 from a Newport general store called Mudget & Higbee. The handwriting is so very WONDERFUL!!!
I won this from Art-e-ology and her name is Jamie!
Her etsy link is here...

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5839065

but she is gone to Disney until the 23rd, to visit a MOUSE! :0) So stop by her and see her wonderful items for sale, or visit her blog and take in an artful look and leave her a comment!
http://readarteology.blogspot.com/

THANK YOU JAMIE!

P.S. Jamie does FIT(Free Image Tuesday) and gives wonderful images you can download for free. They are precious......visit her blog! One she is sharing is the picture in my post here! Wheeeeeeee!

This is an 8x10 fabric piece for a CHARITY project headed by Heidi at.....

http://myhidingplaceincyberspace.blogspot.com/2009/01/charity-art-quilt-project.html

She is going to make a quilt from the pieces donated with a gypsy theme to raise money for the Orphans in Romania. I am pleased to participate and hope that her efforts can be blessed to make a difference.

http://afancifultwist.typepad.com/a_fanciful_twist/
I have received yet another winning from the One World One Heart give away......
from the sweet talented Vanessa!
I got three glorious canvas prints and a cd with music that her brother composed to match her artwork!
Her blog is the one of the most creative that I have ever seen! Going there, is like stepping into a fanciful wonderland! She takes amazing photos and documents everything in such a way, it is like reading a whimsical book! Just fun!!!!!!!!! Her art space is breath taking, full of art and fun.......go take a peek there and leave her a message and let her I know I sent you and tell her I said THANKS again for the great heartfilled gift! :0)
THANK YOU VANESSA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I received TWO more prizes from the wonderful OWOH give aways!
You can go to see what I have won on their blogs.......
Janie, at
http://ladyponies23.blogspot.com/
http://ladyponies23.blogspot.com/2009/01/one-world-one-heart-giveaway.html
You can see all she sent me , the first pictures show my winnings!
Janie sent me a boat load of fun scrapbooking supplies, with a huge variety of fun items to play art with! AMAZING!!!! THANK YOU Janie for your generous gift!
And Cat, at
http://darklingwoods.blogspot.com/
http://darklingwoods.blogspot.com/2009/01/one-heart-one-world.html
Cat sent me TWO fantastic prints, and some sweet stickers and all wrapped up like a lovely gift! Just beautiful!
I am a very lucky girl!
Hugs,Patti
P.S. I am hoping that my packages arrive at their destination soon! One is going to Canada and one to Brazil! I am thinking it might take a while! :(

One of my favorite pictures is Mary and my Mom on the right picture, Mary is hugging my Mom. Is that not the sweetest thing?It was Mary's birthday.

I know this might be a difficult thing for some, but these are boards that I have finished for my wonderful Mary! The family asked that I do a couple boards, Mary is suffering from Ovarian cancer and at the end of her journey. If there is one thing I have learned through all this, knowing that someone is slipping away from you....is that each person suffers along in their own way, with their own opinions of how things should be happening , what should be happening, what is proper, what is expected etc. It is a little hard working on these while Mary is still with us.....but I found a joy in pouring my heart into it.....especially into the yellow board which is my tribute to her special and loving personality...which gave us all joy! The red board is a bunch of pictures from work--old ones, since Mary is the original owner and creator of Martino's restaurant that my Mom and I have worked for the past 32 years! I have grown up there...and Mary has always been a blessing to me.

I am going to show you my tattoo(at the top of the post) again in honoring her, she has suffered from Breast Cancer and now the Ovarian Cancer, and thus the colors of the ribbon(pink and teal) that wrap around the Chicago Style Hotdog (one of our best selling items). This tattoo is on my ankle, and I did add a small version of it to the board too!
Anyways, I just wanted to share these......and show tell the world I am blessed to know Mary.

My first WINNINGS from the ONE WORLD ONE HEART give a ways on the blogs has arrived! I am such a lucky girl! It comes from SHARON at http://wildflowerhouse.blogspot.com/


Go see her beautiful fabric artwork!She is one talented gal! I received a gorgeous stitched heart filled with lavender and I LOVE IT! It is hanging in home already and I have made a new friend!


THANK YOU SHARON!!!!! Hugs,Patti
P.S. My two packages to the winners on my blog and winging their way to their destinations as well!

First is a birthday card and little heart hangie for a friend of mine! She cares for her parents and is a wonderful gal....I hope she can enjoy these!

ART Banner for another friend of mine. This can hang somewhere so she remembers that art is a fun part of her world and it brings us together! Hope everyone had a nice weekend! Hugs,Patti

COMMENTS ARE NOW CLOSED!!!!!!!

THE WINNERS HAVE BEEN PICKED RANDOMLY AND ARE:
VAL BRAUN

RENETA PACHECO

CONGRATS GIRLS!I will be contacting you for your mailing information! Please respond to me asap so I can get your package on the way! Thank you all for playing! What fun!!!!!!!!

I hope to hear from the winners by Feb. 19th. If I do not I will draw a new name!

Welcome to the ONE WORLD ONE HEART (OWOH) GiveAWay!
Please click on the LOGO to get more information from Lisa about this wonderful heartfelt event she created to get bloggers to toodle around and visit eachother and find new friends and make connections. What fun! :0)

All you have to do to win my giveaway, is POST A COMMENT in THIS post only! (If you are NOT an Active Blogger, YOU MUST also include your EMAIL in the post,as I need to know how to contact you and where to send the icicle doll that you will win.If you do not do that, you cannot be included.)

The drawing will be held on Feb. 12th and I will mail you your winning after that! What could be more fun right? There are tons of bloggers playing, so visit Lisa's main page to see them all, and visit them to enter to win!

I will give away TWO little packages, each contains an icicle doll, made with heart fabric and with a little purple heart on the front to remind you of this special time, some heart stickers, heart brads and a fun little package of unmounted clear stamps just for you! ENJOY!! THANKS for the visit and remember....One World, One Heart!
Hugs,Patti

This is Martha's book for the Hidden Treasures RR. Her theme is Secret Garden, and it was a wonderful theme to work with! Her book is ssssssssssssssooooooooooo beautiful, she will flip when she sees it! I will link her here,

http://m-is-for-martha.blogspot.com/

and check back with her later, as I am sure she will share it when it gets home in its entire glory! My page...is themed off the quote, "In search of my Mother's Garden, I found my own." I love that quote and hope she finds it as peaceful and fun as I did! Enjoy Martha!!!!!!! <3>

Rufio had a play date with Melanie's(Amber's friend from high school :0) and her sweet pup of 6 months Roxie! Roxie is very sweet and Rufio and Roxie wore eachother out chasing, playing and sharing! Such fun--------Rufio was so happy to have company. Hehehe! We had a hard time getting a good picture, because the dogs did not care much for what the humans wanted to do. Go figure! :0)

Here is Rufio on New Years Day! We go from a deep sleep between the pillows......to a walk in his little hooded sweatshirt! He is a ball of energy and has had our attentions exclusively lately! His energy makes him a challenge for training......potty wise he is doing GREAT, it is the rest of everything, the jumping, the biting etc. He is aaaaadorable and he will eventually become a super doggie.......(as he is gifted and talented) hehehe, but not without a bit of efforts and consistency from his MOM AMBER!!!!! Who could not fall in love with that face??? :0)
HAPPY NEW YEAR from the Gramza's!

My sweet Niece Elizabeth enjoying the snow at her house! SEE, if you are a child, this is fun stuff! :0) If you are ME, not so much!!!!!!
I hope everyone had a safe and blessed Christmas!!!! Here comes 2009..........wow.

Healthy and delish!
This is a crescent roll tree that I made for our Christmas Celebration with my family today! The base is crescent rolls, then the topping (dip) and then the fresh veggies with a red pepper star at the top! :) Fun, pretty and great tasting! The veggies are cucumber, carrot, broccoli, and red pepper.

Then the delicious and not so healthy! It's CHRISTMAS, it is OK! These are the cookies from our annual work cookie exchange! Everyone makes 10 dozen of their cookie and then we swap and come home with 10 dozen different cookies including a new recipe! How fun right?? On this dish is......Mint Chocolate Trees (mine), Snicker doodles, Pecan Fingers, Chocolate Mint Cookies, Malted Milk Chocolate Cookies, Candy Canes, Pumpkin Walnut Cookies, Frosted Eggnog Logs, Peanut butter Blossoms, and a great chocolate bar. We are ready for Christmas morning, Eggnog and cookies now!!!!!!! :0)

Rufio is making himself right at home........:0)

This is a tree skirt I made for Amber's work. She works at Marcus Theaters and the "M"is their logo! I did not have a ton of time, so I did it with glitter felt and added some beads around the holly berries. It is nice and bold and easily seen.

Merry Christmas to Marcus :0)