A Lovely, Creative Time!

My Artiscape materials arrived on Friday! I'd been a little worried -- neither Kate nor I had received confirmations or noted our checks had been cashed. So I checked to see where things stood and found that materials had been mailed.

I confess I'd forgotten about the collage contest until I pulled an envelope out of the box today to find my materials. They package their registrations very well. The theme this year involves Morocco and Casablanca and so they put all the instructions into a "passport" with flipping pages explaining all the details. There are even pages for taking notes at the Marketplace!

Also included in the packet was a set of collage materials. Each participant is asked to make something -- it can be jewelry, a box, ATC, book -- whatever you like -- using the theme "A Night in Casablanca" (movie or the place). You can use the materials included or anything else. The items are turned in at registration and auctioned off at the Casablanca dinner for charity. Only a few weeks on that one -- gotta think!) The packet was very nice -- little stamps, movie posters -- size small -- mini-postcards and script pages. I'm sure I'll have plenty left over!

Of course, that wasn’t what I did this weekend. I went back to birdhouse heaven to add to my houses. I think I’ll be ready for March 27, when Karla’s Cottage hosts Bling Your Birdhouse day, decent photos pending! I still might have to fiddle a tad more with one, but I’m close.
Work in progress

Then I went on to do a few ATCs and made some party favors for our Equinox dinner – this is a group of us who gather regularly. We decided on March 20 – the long awaited, first day of Spring – for our dinner date! So, I had to prep something fun (little tussie-mussies with chocolates and an Easter tag!).

Lousy photo of chocolates wrapped in shimmery chiffon with a collaged tag.

Of course, I had fine assistance from Gyppy. I think it’s Lisa Oceandreamer who calls her cats her assistants. I couldn’t agree more – my boy is quite content to assist with the ribbons and check to see what’s in whatever container that happens to be open! Now if only he’d hold down Spanish moss with his paw while we wait for it to dry. But he’d rather eat it. Or bat it about!

And, I did lots of cutting (prepping ATCs for the Artiscape trade sessions) and putting some base coats on several canvases so I can start messing with some bigger collages.

I confess I really cherished this weekend. It was lovely, but too cold to be outside doing yard things, which I know will eat my weekend days in (hopefully) a few weeks. There was time to go to the gym, time to cook, time for a movie and a concert. But best of all, there was time to simply create.