Some recent ATCs

I have been a member of my ATC group for almost two years. Time flies when you are having fun ... Anyway here are some recent cards. I loved the Travel theme. There are so many places I would love to visit I thought this would be a great series to  make of just places I wanted to go. For the swap I chose Rome. This ATC folds open, looking like a passport on the outside. 

This one is from a "Letters and Numbers" swap. The topic was my suggestion but it took me a while to come up with an idea. I kind of like how it turned out. 

Itty Bitty Valentine Book

I joined an Itty Bitty Book swap this year and just adore the finished project. I think I am definitely hooked. The pages are ATC sized with about a 1/4" extra on the left side to accommodate the binding. So much fun to make. There are about 24 pages from 24 very talented ladies. Each page is so creative I kept saying to myself, I wish I thought of that. I don't have their permission to post their pages so I'll just show you mine. This first picture is of course, the cover. I love the Vintage Valentine on the front. The next picture is the front of my page. And the last picture is the back of the page or the signature.  cannot wait to do more of these. I hope you like it. 

What a dog !

I haven't gotten around to photographing my Barbie dolls yet, summer's arrival has taken me outdoors a lot. Planting flowers, sunning by the pool and grilling dinner, which sure keeps the kitchen clean, not to mention cooler. So, a bit ago I found this picture of Bert the Bassett that my daughter took of him. She has this dog wrapped around her finger and she can dress him up in anything. This is one good natured dog. Anyway, I couldn't help but play with the picture a little bit a and thought I'd share it. I am taking my sweet time learning Photoshop, that's my excuse anyway. It's just not easy for me.

First Barbie Commercial

I collect Vintage Barbie Dolls and was going to photograph some of them. I found this on you tube and thought it would make a great introduction. I just love this old commercial. My little sister and I played with our Barbies  non-stop until we just grew out of them. Well, that's not true, I still play with them and have been collecting the dolls and fashions for a while. 

There are no cars in Venice, Italy. The streets ( if that's what you call the pedestrian walkways) are not wide at all. Store windows are sort of "in your face" and they use all kinds of displays to get you to wander in and shop. The food stores are enticing enough with the aromas that waft through the doorways but you can see what they are selling as you pass by, and most of the time you cannot just pass by. They will make a sandwich for you on the crustiest of breads with the best cheeses you've ever tasted. I'd rather eat from one of these stores than at a fancy restaurant, especially for lunch.

A Dog's Life

How lazy do you have to be to be able to sleep on a brick wall ?? Bert can sleep anywhere, in fact, sleeping is his day job. He's one of the sweetest dogs I've ever owned and he makes relaxing look like an art form. I love ya Bert !!!

I found this picture from my trip to Florence last spring. This is an entry to a house and is on a street that is only wide enough for one car to pass, if that. It look so clean and perfectly appointed with the brass doorbell and light. It has such a romantic look to it. I wonder if the inside is just as polished. It was a little strange thinking the door was so close to the street and how many people were passing by it but I guess that is the way of life there. Most of the streets in this section of town were not very wide at all. Most of the doorways were very nice and a lot of people put so much effort into making them neat and shiny. Some doors had plants flanking the door also. Wouldn't it be great to walk out your door right on to the streets of Florence? I think so.