cool tutorial

i've been working with Gail Schmidt of Mind Wide Open. Gail has some online classes and that is how i met her. she is teaching a tutorial on Elements and creating brushes, so i signed up. then i started talking with her about creating a new banner for me. she does lovely work and is very accomodating. we are in the process of finalizing my new banner, so it won't be long soon!Currently on her blog, she's got a great tutorial on making wings. the tutorial was written by Rosanna Pereyra.

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So my article in Altered Couture is out. it was a piece done on my altered vintage handbags. An editor of the magazine found me on etsy and suggested i send them in as a submission. i have a few more things i am sending in for submission to that same magazine and Belle Amoire jewelry. my article starts on page 96 in case you don't want to buy the magazine, you can just quickly peek at it!

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i've met so many people lately thru OWOH as they stop by my blog and leave comments for mygiveaway. then i go to their blogs and enter their giveaway. i met two girls that i really enjoyed their work and they really enjoyed my work, so i suggested we do swaps with each other, a necklace for a painting and a doll. i was very happy that they were so receiptive to the idea of bartering with each other. i love collecting art that way, as it has much more meaning to me. i've also got some one on one Valentine's swaps going with my friends, Kelly, Leighanna and Kim. i will be mailing their goodies out soon.

Benedetta does primitive folk art, which i just adore and her giveaway for OWOH is a darling picture of a black cat. so i asked her if she could paint something similar for me, but using my kitty, Pebbles, as her muse. it you pop over there, you can see the piece she did for me. (i peeked!) it is sooo cute! i can't wait to get it.

my other new friend is Kim, of Once upon a blue crow. Kim also does primitive art, which obviously i have a fondness for. she does lovely dolls and paintings of sweet girls with darling hairdos and huge eyes. so kim is making me a doll in exchange for a necklace.

i made them necklaces that are similar to the one in my OWOH giveaway, since that is what they liked. i did change them up a bit, so that each piece can still be called, one of a kind. i'll post their necklaces later as i don't know if they want to be surprised or not. so i'll wait til they receive them.