one guy's trash is another girl's excuse to dumpster dive ...


I am in the process of de-cluttering my life - making space for something new. This is a big undertaking for a packrat like me. Things and thoughts and emails and ... well, mostly crap actually ... is making life feel a little heavier around here than I like it to feel and even though I mostly love my crap

some of it just has to go ...

In the process of my own de-cluttering, I discovered that in a totally unconnected passion to untie some knots and clear some space, my brother and his wife were doing a massive de-cluttering of their own house -

they rented a huge metal dumpster, to toss everything that is not recyclable, and it has been sitting in their driveway for a week.

(they are totally lucky they live where they do because in my neighborhood a dumpster in your driveway for a week would be filled while you sleep with 3 barcaloungers, 2 tires from a '79 Pinto and a toothless guy named Pete would already be unpacked, settled in and receiving mail and guests)

When I heard about this I had to head over there and check out just what they were throwing out -

(I truly tried to hold back because I really don't need anyone else's stuff - I paced around my house, bit my nails, reread the Oprah cut the clutter issue, ate a poptart, tried to remember just what the hell they had in their garage anyway - but finally I gave in to my inner dumpster diver and drove over there)

It was kind of like this ----->


(except I was wearing way cooler shoes)



Anyhoo, I grabbed up some of the beautiful pottery the two of them created at art school in Boston -

(not sure what I am going to do with it all or how it fits into my own de-cluttering, but something tells me my life can use the kind of grounding this large pile of lovingly handcrafted clay is offering up)
a book on HTML for dummies and some CDs that were about to go to Best Buy including Harry Chapin, Jeff Beck and Pat Benatar.

(WTH Vinnie - tossing Pat Benatar?!)

So maybe I took a little step backwards, but it is all good because life is a process after all and some things cannot be rushed. Things are still getting de-cluttered around here because I know I need to create some awfully large space in my life for the awfully large, awfully amazing stuff that is coming my way.

At first when hubby saw boxes coming into the house he was all - "what the heck, I thought we were getting rid of stuff" - but then he saw the gorgeous pots and bowls and thingamajigs and he was smitten, too

and the Frank Zappa, did I mention there was a Frank Zappa?

(WTH Vinnie?!)

* let it go print by the amazing Nan Lawson (who also has a locket or two)

GIVEAWAY - Spring Cleaning at Olive Bites Week # 2 - Another Scrap Happy Giveaway

CLOSED- WINNER WILL BE POSTED THIS WEEK!

This week's giveaway is more stuff from my crafty closet clean out!

Most of these things are, I'm pretty sure, no longer available so your only chance to get them is probably to win them here!

WHAT YOU WIN:

Photobucket

The loot includes 8 making memories journaling tags, 2 narratives mini lunch bags, 1 making memories defined sticker sheet, 1 making memories chipboard flower sheet, 1 k&company dimensional stickers, 1 junkitz rubons, 10 making memories flowers, 2 hero arts rubber stamps - always and precious (large size), a 72 letter rubon monogram set, 3 tilez tiles, and 3 meters of 7 different fibers from ek success.

One lucky winner is going to be in scrap heaven with this take!

HOW TO WIN:

It's easy, peasy - just leave a comment below with your contact information!

For additional entries:

(5) Twitter this post
(5) Blog about this contest; linking to this post
(5) Follow my blog
(5) Facebook this post

Let me know if you have done these things so I can give you additional entries. This contest is open to US and Canada only (sorry guys!)

DRAWING:
Enter by midnight, Sunday, March 13th! Good Luck!

Have a Happy 1st Weekend in March Everyone!

I'm a little late seeing this quote since I haven't been reading as many blogs lately - trying to get myself organized around here - but this little gem from Seth Godin seems like a perfect way to get our weekend started right:

"Art is what we call .. the thing an artist does.

It's not the medium or the oil or the price or whether it hangs on a wall or you eat it. What matters, what makes it art, is that the person who made it overcame the resistance, ignored the voice of doubt and made something worth making.

Something risky. Something human.

Art is not in the eye of the beholder. It's in the soul of the artist."

I love that.

The winner of last week's MOOZA DESIGN giveaway is Monapete! YAY for her! Mooza's work is amazing.

Also if you have a waffle iron you need to be making brownies with it (just don't overfill - cook for 3-5 minutes) yummy with ice cream and syrup - it is still officially winter and we are definitely allowed to hibernate and eat stuff like this ...

And thanks to everyone who sent happy thoughts to me after my rambling tweets about my car accident this week - I'm ok - and I'm pretty certain I will be whining about it next Wednesday ... stay tuned ...

xo all =^..^=

* Livewire print from the amazing Jessica Grundy of Solocosmo

Upcycled Tutorial - Acetate Transparencys For Your Matted Photos

This is a cool way to add a layer of words and whatnots to your framed pictures - looks especially amazing with black and white photos and is uber-easy to make.

I used to sell these at craft shows and people ate them up.

(no, I mean, they actually ate them up ... and it wasn't pretty .. in fact I am feeling a little light headed from the memories ... but I have been advised they tasted like chicken)

Anyhoo, the idea here is that you use a transparency (overhead projector paper available at Staples works perfectly) to add a layer of pure awesomeness under the glass of any framed print.

what you need:

a transparency
a computer
a picture to be framed, mat and frame

Using your computer lay out some fun and funky wording, imagery, boxes, etc that you would like to use to create your 'floating layer' - measure the inside of your matting and print it out on regular paper to make sure it will fit with your mat and picture.

To print on the acetate use the 'transfer' style paper setting (as if you were making a t-shirt transfer) and print on the rough side of the acetate on a regular setting (I used to find the 'best' setting would sometimes leave too much ink and smear) - allow a little drying time

Tape the acetate to the backboard of your matting and add your picture underneath the acetate. I like the picture to be slightly off-angled, but do what pleases your eye with it. Frame it- easy peasy.



Here are a couple mini ones I threw together to get you started and your creativity flowing:


Enjoy! xo =^..^=