CHIRP! it's a birdie mobile!

awhile back i was involved in a swap over at amusing muses for bird shaped chunkies. chunky books, also known as fat books, are typically 4x4 pieces of art with lots of fiber and doodads added to them that are bound together with books rings (or a binding machine if you are lucky enough to have one). i have about 15 books on various themes. what was cool about this project was the shape lent itself to be something other than a book. sure, you could bind them with one ring at the top, but wouldn't something like a mobile be more fun? i thought so!

using an embroidery hoop, vintage seam binding and a hot glue gun i fashioned myself a mobile! the thing is so darn cute. right now it is hanging over my bed, we'll see how long it lasts there!

here is a look at the birds i received in the swap:




and here they are in their new mobile:



roc nicholas was the woman behind this brilliant idea and i asked her if she would mind if i hosted the same kind of swap over at atcsforall.com. the sweet lady said no problem! so come join me in making yummy birds! it's free to join the site and the swap, all i ask is you do your best work. there is a link to the template provided.

12 Days of Christmas

Yep, it's that time again! I have to admit to loving Christmas for the sheer joy gift giving gives me. It thrills me to know I have given the perfect gift to someone. This year i was invited to join a 12 Days of Christmas Swap hosted by curbsidetreasure at AFA. The pressure was on as this swap was invite only and filled with amazing artists. The goal of the swap? To give and get a gift a day from Dec. 14 to Dec. 26. How does it work you ask? Each participant (13 of us so you can open a gift on your day) were asked to pick a day, mine is day 7, 12/20/08 we were also asked to create 12 handmade gifts for the other participants and wrap them beautifully. The gifts are then sent to curbsidetreasure who distributes them to each artist. From 12/14-12/26 we open 1 gift each day. On the 7thday the other artists in the group will open my gift which is an ________ ___________ ___________ (I'll spill the beans after the gifts have been opened!). We were each given clues as to each artists preference so we could make gifts specifically for them, or we could make the gifts all the same. What I did, as well as most of the other artists, was to make the same type of item but personalize it with the artists favorite color. My gifts have officially landed at our hosts home and any day now she will be mailing a huge package to me! Woot! Here is a sneak peack at my wrapped gifties: