Do you miss this trend?

I enjoy participating in group projects.

 Many of those were making Chunky Books.

I don't see many Chunky Book projects anymore.

This was where each player made several identical pages, usually 4"x4", one for each player.

The pages were then mailed to the hostess ( or host ), who collated and bound them, and mailed each book back to the players. 

 Is that clear as mud?

I do miss Chunky Books and wonder if anyone is still hosting Chunky projects.

This is one of the pages I had made for Creative Cards Swaps in 2007. The subject was "Whimsy"  The hostess was Sweet Pea and.... I can't for the life of me remember her real name.... sorry....   I think it was Kathy.

I started with an idea and a sketch.

            Stamping swirls on the corners and smudging the edges with gold paint

I stamped the clear bottle on acetate with Staz-On ink.

When it was completely dry I cut out all the bottles.

The fairy was a rub-on purchased at Recollections in Columbia MD.

All of the Recollection stores have closed.

 I do miss them, but my pocket book is happy that they are gone.  

 I left off her foot so she would fit into the bottle.  

 Little details like this are important you know.

Here we have all the pieces in place. All that's left is to add the bottle.

 I did that with glue along the edges.

Than add the lady standing outside the bottle, another rub-on.

Here we have 33 pages all set to go.

Working in stages , the process really doesn't take long at all.

A bow and a tag and off they go in the mail.

(see how the fairy's foot would have been a problem if I had left it on)

In return I received a book with 22 pages....hhmmmmm.....

I wonder what happened to the other ten players.

This was often a problem with group projects.

 Some people would drop out without notice.

 I must admit I have had to drop out of one or two myself...

It happens.

Here is the finished book with my page .

Do crafty types still make these Chunky Books?

If anyone would like to participate in a Chunky Book project I would be happy to host one.

Let me know by leaving a comment and if there are at least 20 of you, I'll set it up.

WOYWW 110

well.......

It isn't on my workdesk but it is WOYWW related.

 It's been a while since I have been active in WOYWW  and I really can't jump back in without saying thank you to Carola for the lovely gift she had sent earlier this summer.

Carola is one of my first blog friends and she is also a regular WOYWW contributor 

It was such a surprise to see a package on my porch and

 when I opened it I was so pleased to see that it was a

 collage she had shown on her blog.

Thank you Carola !  

I love it ! 

a wolf sticker on the envelope ( she knows I love wolves) 

a note card featuring Carola's photography

she is multi talented.

And here is the collage.

Thank you so much Carola !
xo

Please pop over to Julia's blog to visit the other bloggers who linked to WOYWW this week.

Thanks for stopping by

                                                                  

One of my favorite activities is gardening. Living in the woods does have it's own set of challenges.

Deer, shade, hard rocky soil.....just to name a few.   

I have been able to battle the elements and thought you might enjoy a few pics. 

 Shadie stepped in to help me show you the size of those ferns.

That's all for now

Hope you're having a peaceful Summer

                              

now where was I ?

Something happened on my way to building a social network.

Everything was rolling along quite nicely.

I think I was up to 700 or so Friends on FaceBook

I had around 300 Followers on Twitter.

a number I had to keep in check daily because of all the

"why on earth are you following me?" followers

While the numbers weren't all that important....they were there

and they made themselves known.

To someone like me who is a bit claustrophobic in crowds and social situations,

The numbers were bothering me.

there were too many

I might be one of the few who  really doesn't want a huge following.

Then....a blessing in disguise....

 my facebook and twitter accounts were hacked by a snotty 11 year old boy. And I say hacked loosely because, while visiting here with his mom one evening, he logged on to my sites, changed my passwords and started tweeting nasty stuff. Then he kept changing my password, from his home computer, which drove me absolutely nuts. Every time I went to check in I would have to reset my passwords.

Yes all my sites were set to remember me....bad idea....
but you never think one of your friends' kids is gonna mess with your accounts.

And besides ... I am not promoting my sanctuary online anymore.
 I have enough contacts through various rescues

I am not getting any younger here.....

and with my Gemini Birthday upon me....

..... I am making a few changes.

No more social networking...

 I just don't have the time....and it was making it too easy for my agoraphobic side to take over.

And I found out that, as in real life, I would steer clear of many conversations because I felt uncomfortable "talking" about stuff that anyone in the whole world could read. 

 Not for me....I like my social circles a bit smaller...thank you.

No more processed sweets ...

which I snacked on while tweeting.

I need to lose weight and I am not gonna do that while sitting at this computer.

More time with the dogs

More time in the garden

More time with real friends and family

More crafty fun...
because that's why I started blogging in the first place.

and

more time with the blog.

Ok...

 I'm done now....

whew....

I needed that.

So happy to see that you and a few others have stuck in there during this year of online discovery.

And there is no way I could have said all of this in 140 characters or less.

Now where's my camera?

I just have to show you some photos of my garden.

Wordless Wednesday