Magnetic ATC Books

This is a slide show of Magnetic ATC Book. I am hosting this swap on The sum of all atcs yahoo group. Link: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheSumOfAllATCs/

Here is the slide show!
I dare you take a peek!

Lori Otto:
http://www.slide.com/r/ILzVDoSKvz-oarOZrGRGrMsLJtp40k67?previous_view=mscd_embedded_url&view=original

Megan Mitchell:
http://www.slide.com/r/ArKrBv4L0T-ECZSsHqlRoO1U6fYVNH4Z?previous_view=mscd_embedded_url&view=original

Leslie Davenport:
http://www.slide.com/r/LGZIZwAXwD_qVl6peBeW9dJ2TKxQeDoQ?previous_view=mscd_embedded_url&view=original

Patti:
http://www.slide.com/r/gbhfjmY46j8HQIkTBuaQDAT5MTKfneJK?previous_view=mscd_embedded_url&view=original

Thanks for looking!!!

My Mermaid

This image originally was a fairy. I didn't like the fairy so I removed the wings and added a mermaid tail. Originally drawn in Micron pen. I had to go buy the pen today because Staedtler pens were too thick for this drawing.

After the outline was done, I colored in the images with colored pencil (Crayola). I like the color scheme here. They go together very nicely in my opinion.

After I was satisfied with the colors, I enhanced the image with my Staedtler pens with the hair, jewels, flowers, tail scales and face.

Later when I felt it needed glitter. So I added enhancements on the tail, bra, flowers, jewels, sky and eyes.

This is the final product. What do you think?

HR secrets revealed

Some laughter for those of us who need to, or still do, look through the help wanted ads: COMPETITIVE SALARY
Most of our competitors don't pay much either.
"JOIN OUR FAST-PACED COMPANY"
We have no time to train you.
"CASUAL WORK ATMOSPHERE"
You'll be here very late, very often -- might as well be comfortable.
"MUST BE DEADLINE-ORIENTED"
Your first four projects are already way overdue.
"SOME OVERTIME REQUIRED"
Did we mention that you'll be here very late, very often? And most weekends.
"DUTIES WILL VARY"
Anyone in the office can boss you around.
"MUST HAVE AN EYE FOR DETAIL"
We have no quality control.
"CAREER-MINDED"
Female applicants must be childless.
"APPLY IN PERSON"
If you're old, fat or ugly, that position has already been filled.
"NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE"
This job listing is just a legal formality. The position was filled by some executive's nephew. "SEEKING CANDIDATES WITH A WIDE VARIETY OF EXPERIENCE"
Due to consolidation, you'll be replacing three people.
"PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS A MUST"
This company is a total mess.
"REQUIRES TEAM LEADERSHIP SKILLS"
You'll have all the responsibilities of upper management, without the pay, title or respect. "GOOD COMMUNICATION SKILLS"
Listen to management, figure out what they want, don't ask too many questions and get the sh*t done.

Wife from H-E-L-L

WIFE FROM H-E-L-L

A police officer pulls over a speeding car.The officer says, ' I clocked You at 80 miles per hour, sir.'
The driver says, 'Gee, officer I had it on cruise control at 60, perhaps your radar gun needs calibrating.'
Not looking up from her knitting the Wife says: 'Now don't be silly dear, you know that this car doesn't have cruise control.'
As the officer writes out the ticket, the driver looks over at his wife and growls, 'Can't you please keep your mouth shut for once?'
The wife smiles demurely and says, 'You should be thankful your Radar detector went off when it did.'
As the officer makes out the second Ticket for the illegal radar detector unit, the man glowers at his wife And says through clenched teeth, 'Damit, woman, can't you keep your mouth shut?'
The officer frowns and says, 'And I notice That you're not wearing your seat belt, sir. That's an automatic $75 fine.'
The driver says, 'Yeah, well, you see officer, I had it on, but took it off when You pulled me over so that I could get my license out of my back pocket.'
The wife says, 'Now, dear, you know very well that you didn't have your seat belt on. You never wear your seat belt when you're driving.'
And as the police officer is writing out the third ticket the driver turns to his wife and barks, 'WHY DON'T YOU PLEASE SHUT UP??'
The officer looks over at the woman and asks, 'Does your husband always Talk to you this way, Ma'am?'
I love this part....
Only when he's been drinking.'

Excuses, Excuses

Hey everyone,
Happy St. Patrick's Day!

So here is an assignment I had for one of my swaps... I thought you might get a kick out of!

Think of something really cool to send to your partner....like really, really cool and expensive and hard to mail. Once partners are assigned, sometime before the send date, send your partner a Private Message explaining what you were going to send, and why you couldn't send it. Come up with the most elaborate, off-the-wall, ridiculous, nonsensical excuses possible. Ratings are based on whether you received an excuse or not, and hearts can be given for overall entertainment value.

Here is what I wrote:

I had a leprechaun imported from Ireland just for you.
I had to corrupt customs to get it to me, because mystical creatures are so rare nowadays and it did cost me a fortune to get a visa for it.
So I finally did had him here to send to you: the leprchaun, a special travel bin and the travel papers and guess what happened?
The leprechan, I expected to mail to you yesterday, just chanted out some sort of faerie language and started beaming through his rainbow to spread “lucky“ to everyone but us. :-(
I couldn't believe my eyes!!! He cured my cousin of Scleroderma, gave my sister a baby girl, blessed my best friend with a house and huge backyard and then took off somewhere else.
So I'm very sorry, that I can't send you the leprechaun. He is just to fast for me! I hope you'll forgive me.
All the best!
AmandaPanda

Butterfly Swap

Emillie is hosting her second swap on ATCs_4_Everyone.

Butterflies Everywhere is the name.

She has many beautiful cards to swap out!!! It is hard for her to make up her mind which ATCs she wants to keep for herself!

Here are the pics:

I would like to give a shout out to all the players whose cards are pictured here....

(the ones that have arrived!)

Matthew McCrayon

Pat Prober

Florence Adee

Cindy Dacko

Marguerite Paulson

Mary Padget

Mary Redford

MC Sparks

Judy Blauer

Caoryln McComas

Laurie Quick

Karagh Loring

Thanks for playing!

Charm Bracelet Swap

Well, most of you know that I have my own altered art group on Yahoo. I am blessed with many members who are not only willing to play in the swaps but constantly post how much they enjoy the variation.
The Link: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Altered_heArt_Expressions/
Debi Greene is hosting a swap for Charm Bracelets. Us players have had so much fun making our own twist on this charm bracelet swap. My contribution is pictured above. I had loads of fun wrapping these stones and securing them on the pins. Debi was nice enough to put them on a bracelet for me. Thanks Debi!!!
They look way better on the bracelet then off!

Masshole

How to tell if you're a Masshole
1. The Red Sox World Series win was, and will always be, one of the greatest moments in your life.
2. The guy driving in front of you is going 70 mph and you're swearing at him for going too slow.
3. When ordering a tonic, you mean a Coke.
4. You went to Canobie Lake Park or Water Country as a kid.
5. You actually enjoy driving around rotaries.
6. You do not recognize the letter 'R' as a part of the English language.
7. Your social security number starts with a zero.
8. You can actually find your way around the streets of Boston .
9. You know what a 'regular' coffee is.
10. You keep an ice scraper in your car year-round.
11. You can tell the difference between a Revere accent and a Dorchester accent.
12. Springfield is located 'way out west.'
13. You almost feel disappointed if someone doesn't flip you the bird when you cut them off or steal their parking space.
14. You know how to pronounce the names of towns like Worcester, Billerica, Gloucester, Peabody and Haverhill.
15. Anyone you don't know is a potential idiot until proven otherwise.
16. Paranoia sets in if you can't see a Dunkin Donuts or CVS Pharmacy within eyeshot at all times.
17. You have driven to New Hampshire on a Sunday just to buy alcohol.
18. You know how to pronounce Yastrzemski.
19. You know there's a trophy at the end of the Bean Pot.
20. You order iced coffee in January.
21. You know that the Purple Line will take you anywhere.
22. You love scorpion bowls.
23.. You know what they sell at a Packie.
24. Sorry Manny, but number 24 means DEWEY EVANS.
25. You know what First Night is.
26. You know at least one guy named Sean, Pat, Whitey, Red, Bud or Seamus. Bonus: You know how to pronounce Seamus.
27. McLobster = McCrap
28. You know at least 2 cops in your town because they were your high school drinking buddies.
29. You know there are 6 New England states, but that Connecticut really doesn't count.
30. You give incomprehensible directions to tourists, feel bad when they drive off, but then say to yourself 'Ah, screw them.'
31. You know at least one bar where you can get something to drink after last call.
32. You hate the Kennedys, but you vote for them anyway.
33. You know holding onto the railing when riding the Green Line is not optional.
34. The numbers '78 and '86 make you cringe.
35. You've been to Goodtimes
36. You think the rest of the country owes you for Thanksgiving and Independence Day (...and they DO).
37. You have never actually been to 'Cheers.'
38. The words ' WICKED' and 'GOOD' go together.
39. You've been to Fenway Park ..
40. You've gone to at least one party at UMass.
41. You own a 'Yankees Suck' shirt or hat.
42. You know what a Frappe is.
43. You've been to Hempfest.
44. You know who Frank Averuch is.
45. You know Frank Averuch was once Bozo the Clown
46. You can complete the following: 'Lynn, Lynn .....'
47. You get pissed off when a restaurant serves clam chowder, and it turns out to be ******' Snows.
48. You actually know how to merge from six lanes of traffic down to one.
49. The TV weatherman is damn good if he's right 25% of the time.
50. You never go to Cape Cod, you go 'down the Cape '.
51. You think that Roger Clemens and Johnny Damon are more evil than Whitey Bulger.
52. You know who Whitey Bulger is.
53. You went to the Swan Boats, House of Seven Gables, or Plymouth Plantation on a field trip in elementary school.
54. Bobby Orr is loved as much as Larry Bird, Tom Brady, and Ted Williams.
55. You remember Major Mudd.
56. You know what candlepin bowling is.
57. You can drive from the mountains to the ocean all in one day.
58. You know Scollay Square once stood where Government Center is.
59. When you were a kid, Rex Trailer was the coolest guy around. Speaking of which.... You can still hum the song from the end of Boom Town.
61. Calling Carrabba's an 'Italian' restaurant is sacrilege.
62. You still have your old Flexible Flyer somewhere in your parents' attic.
63. You know that route 128 is some kind of strange weather dividing line - snow/rain
64. The only time you've been on the Freedom Trail is when relatives are in town.
65. The Big Dig tunnel disaster wasn't a surprise.
66. You call guys you've just met 'Chief' or 'Boss.'
67. 4:15pm and pitch black out means only 3 more shopping days until Christmas.
68. You know more than one person with the last name Murphy.
69. You refer to Savin Hill as 'Stab 'n Kill.'
70. You've never eaten at Durgin Park , but recommend it to tourists.
71. You can't look at the zip code 02134 without singing it.
72. You voted for a Republican Mormon as Governor just to screw with the rest of the country.
73 11 pm ? Drunk? It means one thing: Kowloons!
74. 2 am ? Drunk? It means one thing: Kelly's! The one on Revere Beach not the one on Route 1.
75. 5 am ? Drunk? It means one thing: You wish you had a blanket in your back seat.
76. You know that P-Town isn't the name of a new rap group.
77. People you don't like are all 'Bastids.'
78. You took off school or work for the Patriots first Super Bowl Win Parade.
79. You've called something 'wicked pissa.'
80. You'll always get razzed for Dukakis.
81. Saturday afternoons meant Creature Double Feature with Dale Dorman.
82. Sunday mornings meant the Three Stooges on Channel 38.
83. You've slammed on your brakes to deter a tailgater.
84. No, you don't trust the Gorton's Fisherman.
85. You know that Papa Gino's usually has a jukebox.
86. You think Aerosmith is the greatest rock band of all time
87. Your town has at least 6 pizza and roast beef shops.
88. You know at least three Tony's, one Vinnie and a Frankie.
89. 20 degrees is downright balmy as long as there is no wind - then it gets wicked cold.
90. You were very sad when saying goodbye to the Boston Garden ..
91. Thanksgiving means family, turkey, High School football, and the long version of Alice 's Restaurant.
92. You know the guy who founded the Boston Pops was named Athah Feedlah.
93. You know what the Combat Zone is.
94. You actually drive 45 minutes to New Hampshire to save $5 in sales tax.
95. You've pulled out of a side street and used your car to block oncoming traffic so you can make a left.
96. You've bragged about the money you've saved at The Christmas Tree Shop.
97. You've been to Hampton Beach on a Saturday night.
98.. Playing street hockey was a daily after school ritual.
99. Hearing an old lady shout 'Numbah 96 for Sioux City!' means it's time for steak.
100. You remember Jordan Marsh, Filene's, Grants, Bradlees, Caldor, Zayres, or Ann & Hope..
101. You actually get these jokes and pass them on to other friends from Massachusetts

The meanest Mother in the world

The Meanest Mom Author UnknownI had the meanest mother in the whole world. While other kids ate candy for breakfast, I had to have cereal and eggs and toast. When other kids had cokes and french fries for lunch, I had to eat a sandwich. But at least I wasn't alone in my sufferings. My 5 sisters and one brother had the same mother I did.
My mother insisted upon knowing where we were at all times. You'd have thought we were on a chain gang! She had to know who our friends were and what we were doing. If we said we'd be gone for an hour, she insisted that it not be an hour and five minutes. I am really ashamed to admit it, but she even slapped us, not once, but each time we did as we pleased. Can you imagine -- striking a child just because we disobeyed?
The worst is yet to come ... We had to be in bed by nine each night and up early the next morning. We couldn't sleep until noon like our friends -- in fact, our mother broke the child labor law by making us work. We had to wash dishes, make beds, learn to cook, and all sorts of exhausting jobs. I believe she laid awake nights thinking up mean things to do to us seven kids. Also, she always insisted upon our telling the truth, even if it killed us -- and sometimes it nearly did.
By the time we were teen-agers, our lives became more unbearable. There was none of this tooting the horn of the car for us to come running. She embarrassed us to no end by making our dates and our friends come to the door to get us. I forgot to mention that while our friends were dating at twelve and thirteen, my old-fashioned mother refused to let us date until we were sixteen ... that is, if we dated only to go to school functions and to church services.
As you can see, my mother was a complete failure. None of us has ever been arrested, or beaten by our mates. My brother served his time in the service of his country. Look at all the things we missed! We never go to march in a protest parade, nor take part in a riot, burn draft cards, and a million and one other things that our friends did. And whom have we to blame? That's right == our mean mother. She forced us to grow up into God-fearing, educated, honest adults.
It is with this background that I have now become a mother. When my children call me mean, I stand a little taller and I'm filled with pride. You see, I can thank God for the Meanest Mother in the whole world, and I want to be just like her.

The cost of raising a child

Raising Children I have seen repeatedly the breakdown of the cost of raising a child, but this is the first time I have seen the rewards listed this way. It's nice, really nice!
The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with $160,140.00 for a middle income family. Talk about sticker shock! That doesn't even touch college tuition.
But $160,140 isn't so bad if you break it down. It translates into $8,896 a year, $741.38 a month, or $171.08 a week. That's a mere $24.24 a day! Just over a dollar an hour. Still, you might think the best financial advice says don't have children if you want to be "rich." It is just the opposite.
What do your get for your $160,140?
Naming rights,--- First, middle, and last! Glimpses of God everyday.
Giggles under the covers every night.
More love than your heart can hold.
Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.
Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.
A hand to hold, usually covered with jam.
A partner for blowing bubbles, flying kites, building sand castles, and skipping down the sidewalk in the pouring rain.
Someone to laugh yourself silly with no matter what the boss said or how your stocks performed that day.
For $160,140, you never have to grow up.
You get to fingerpaint, carve pumpkins, play hide-and-seek, catch lightning bugs, and never stop believing in Santa Claus.
You have an excuse to keep reading the adventures of Piglet and Pooh, watching Saturday morning cartoons, going to Disney Land, and wishing on stars.
You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets and collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in clay for Mother's Day, and cards with backward letters for Father's Day.
For $160,140, there is no greater bang for your buck.
You get to be a hero just for retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof, taking the training wheels off the bike, removing a splinter, filling a wading pool, coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless.
You get a front row seat to history to witness the first step, first word, first bra, first date, and first time behind the wheel.
You get another branch added to your family tree, and if you're lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren.
You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications, and human sexuality that no college can match.
In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there with God.
You have all the power to heal a booboo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without limits, so one day they will, like you, love without counting the cost.

New APCs for trade!!!

I have been dabbling in 4x6 APCs for awhile now and I really like my newest creations. Does anyone wanna trade?

Stop Yelling Across the house!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Meet Dallas

So, sorry I have not been bloggin'. I have been sick with the stomach bug. Then after I got over that the doctor put me on some meds that upset my stomach even more! Ouch!!!!

But anyways, on for my good news!

Neil has always had a soft spot for dogs and especially Chocolate Labs. So, to our surprise the Pensacola Humane Society had a 6 month old Chocolate Lab. His name is Dallas! He is a playful and energetic puppy. But the best way to describe him is SPASTIC!!! He is all over the place. Here, there and everywhere!!! After about 30 minutes of Emillie and I playing with him, I couldn't possibly leave him behind. Could you?

Without further ado.... Meet our newest member of the family. We will keep his name Dallas. He seems to love everyone but he has found a special place in Neil's heart already! They went shopping at Petsmart to buy some essentials! $188.66 later I think we got most everything from toys to food and dishes, this dog is already spoiled!

My wooden Letter

So in my altered art group we create many fun crafts to decorate our art space and house. Ria Cabral started a swap for decorating a 9" wooden letter according to your partners' interest. I asked Debi Green to decorate my letter with pandas. She created a letter that was not only great but so perfectly me!!! Thanks DEBI

I made one for her as well. She asked me to decorate hers with chili peppers. I was so stumped. Not only do I not own a single chili pepper but I don't craft with them as well. I started off painting her letter white. Then I thought it was too plain so I changed the background to black. Next, I added the stripes and then torn off the tape to get the worn look! As for the chili pepper I didn't know what to do. But I found something to add to it! A fun chili pepper!

My first 4x6 for february

I have been working on a swap for 4x6 Expressions. This swap is the 12 calendar swaps.... This is the first 4x6 I have finished for February!!! With a little bit of this and a little bit of that, i came up with this card!!!

The first time!!!

A girl asks her boyfriend to come over Friday night to meet, and have dinner with her parents. Since this is such a big event, the girl announces to her boyfriend that after dinner, she would like to go out and make love for the first time . The boy is ecstatic, but he has never had sex before, so he takes a trip to the pharmacist to get some condoms. He tells the pharmacist it's his first time and the pharmacist helps the boy for about an hour. He tells the boy everything there is to know about condoms and sex. At the register, the pharmacist asks the boy how many condoms he'd like to buy, a 3-pack, 10-pack, or family pack. The boy insists on the family pack because he thinks he will be rather busy, it being his first time and all. That night, the boy shows up at the girl's parents house and meets his girlfriend at the door. 'Oh, I'm so excited for you to meet my parents, come on in!' The boy goes inside and is taken to the dinner table where the girl's parents are seated. The boy quickly offers to say grace and bows his head. A minute passes, and the boy is still deep in prayer, with his head down. 10 minutes pass, and still no movement from the boy. Finally, after 20 minutes with his head down, the girlfriend leans over and whispers to the boyfriend, 'I had no idea you were this religious.' The boy turns, and whispers back, 'I had no idea your father was a pharmacist.'

DANGER DANGER..........................

This is too funny !! Enjoy the laugh !


Can't eat Beef ...... Mad cow


Can't eat chicken .... Bird flu

Can't eat eggs .... Salmonella

Can't eat pork... fears of trichinosis...

Can't eat fish .... heavy metals in the waters has poisoned their meat

Can't eat fruits and veggies ...... insecticides and herbicides

Hmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!!!

M

M

M

M

M

M

M

M

M

M

M

I believe that leaves Chocolate!!!!!!!!

Remember - - - 'STRESSED' spelled backwards! is ' DESSERTS' '

Send this to four people and you will lose 2 kgs (honestly!)

(If you delete this message, you will gain 10 kgs immediately.)

'That's why I had to pass this on - - - - - I didn't want to risk it.

Monthly 4x6 swap

I am participating in a swap of 4x6's every month. With different themes and color schemes at every turn. January's theme was snowmen and blue and silver colors. I sent out these cards.....

And I received back these two cards from Sandi WEdimeier and Diana Speer...

just thought I would share these wonderful cards with you all!

Explain That

A farmer is sitting in the neighborhood bar slowly getting drunk.A man comes in and asks the farmer, "Hey, why are you sitting here on this beautiful day getting drunk? The farmer says, "Some things you just can't explain."

"So what happened that is so horrible?" the man asked.
The farmer then decides to try an answer, "Well if you must know, today I was sitting by my cow milking her. Just as I got the bucket about full, she took her left leg and kicked it over."

"That's not so bad,what's the big deal?"
The farmer says, "Some things you just can't explain."
"So what happened?" the man asked again.
The farmer relenting, continued, "I took her left leg and tied it to the post on the left with some rope. Then I sat down and continued to milk her. Just as I got the bucket about full she took her right leg and kicked it over."
"Again?"
The farmer says, "Some things you just can't explain."
"So, what did you do then?" the man asked, intrigued.
"I took her right leg and tied it to the post on the right. I sat back down and continued to milk her, and just as I got the bucket just about full, the stupid cow knocked over the bucket with her tail."
"Wow, you must have been pretty upset!" but that's no reason to just sit here getting all depressed."
The farmer says, "Some things you just can't explain."
"So then what else did you do?" the man asked again.
"Well I didn't have any more rope, so I took off my belt and tied her tail to the rafter. That's when my pants fell down and my wife walked in. Some things you just can't explain."

The wandering drunk

A guy stumbles through the front door of a bar completely drunk. He walks up to the bartender and asks for a drink. The bartender kindly tells the guy he can't give him a drink because he is already drunk. Angry the guy stumbles back out the front door. About five minuters later the guy stumbles through the side door of the bar. He asks the bartender for a drink and once again the bartender tells the guy no because he is already drunk. The guy stumbles back through the side door. A few minutes later the guy stumbles through the bars back door. The guy walks up to the bar, looks at the bartender for a moment then says "Damn man how many bars do you work at?"

Good Citizen Award

So, many of you know my daughter's artwork. Not only is she a great budding artist but she is also a great citizen. She always is courteous and kind and thoughtful. Her teacher says she is generous and genuinly caring for everyone around her. Please and thank you comes naturally to her along with 'yes ma'am' and ' no ma'am'. I am so proud of her for getting noticed with all her good deeds! Here's the award she came home with today! Congrats Emillie!!!

My New Garden!!!

Since I was little I have always had the interest of gardening...

I grew up loving plants: fruits, vegetables, flowers and shrubs. I decided to start my garden on Saturday. I watered the pods and planted 3 seeds in each pod. In some cases 5 seeds. So, I checked on my seeds last night and none were growing. But this afternoon, I checked my seeds to see if they needed water and this is what I saw...

In photo one there are cherry tomatos, cantelope and watermelon.

In photo 2 there are watermelon, peppers (not growing yet) and cherry tomatos!

I am sooo very excited! YEAH!!!!!

Hundreds Attend a Global WArming Protest

Puzzlemania!!!

I got my first 5 pieces back from Tina Swain and I was absolutely blown away! Take a peek!!!

My new project:

So, I was inspired yet again... A friend of mine is altering a puzzle. And I thought what a great idea!!! I wish to frame it, when it is done. Then hang it on the wall of my studio. The only problem is ....I went digging for a puzzle that maybe the kids don't use anymore.Guess what!?! The only one with all its pieces is a 48 piece JumboFloor puzzle. Holy Cow!So, I am asking if anyone wants to decorate a piece of that puzzle forme! I have some people doing a piece for me. But that still leaves the problem of what to do with the other pieces! I will mail you a piece from the puzzle and you can choose which (from the list below) you wish to use for the theme!Email me if you wish to take part in this, with your name, address and what theme you wish to do!

1. Asain

2. fairies

3. flowers

4. blue and black

5. green and purple

6. red and black

7. 8. 9. 10. chinese characters

11. 12. 13. 14. panda

amandapandaskytower @yahoo.com

Thanks in advance

AmandaPanda

Address Book Swap

I thought I would add a few pictures of my address book. This book was designed especially for the swap on my yahoo group. In this group we do many altered crafts. Just to name a few ...

Address Book, Alter a spoon, This for That, Spiral Journals, Altered Puzzles, Calendars, Charm bracelet and message in a bottle!

The motto here is, "If you are the type of person who looks at a box and sees just a box... Then this group is not for you! Here we strive to alter everything! From milk cartons to spoons our world is endless. Join us in our quest to alter our worlds!"

Here is the link if you are interested in taking a peek!

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Altered_heArt_Expressions/

How The Giant Panda Got Its Colors

Ancient China: Giant Panda's roam the land giving birth to legends and poems in China's emerging culture. One of the legends is how the Panda got its coloring. “It begins with the panda as a totally white bear. One day a little girl happened to run across a white panda and a leopard fighting. Trying to save the defenseless panda she charged the leopard with a large bamboo shoot, striking him over and over again. The leopard was not hurt by the bamboo and turned on the little girl instead. This act of bravery saved the panda's life but the little girl lost hers in the struggle. All the white pandas held a funeral in honor of the brave little girl and wore black armbands as a sign of mourning. The black dye of the armbands, moistened by many tears from the pandas, began to run. When the pandas wiped their eyes, the armband left black marks. When the pandas consoled each other by hugging, the dye left black spots on their backs. When they covered their ears to block out the sound of crying, the black dye colored their ears. “

A written history of the Xizhou Dynasty (1027-771 BC) described the Giant Panda, or “Pixiu,” as an invincible animal, as strong as a tiger. This description was repeated in the Shijin, the first written collection of poems prepared at about the same time. This sentiment regarding the prowess of the panda may explain, in part, why panda pelts were offered as tribute to emperors and kings of the day. Another reference to the Giant Panda or Zouya was as a gentle animal, since it was never observed to hurt man or beast. The panda became a symbol of peace. In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), the panda was described as having great medicinal value. Detailed in a medical tome, the panda's pelt was believed to have a magical influence that could repel plague and prevent tumors. Drinking panda urine was thought to dissolve impurities.

The Giant Panda is also an animal of philosophical importance in Chinese culture. The Giant Panda is thought to be a physical manifestation of the Yin and the Yang, as its body is both black and white, the two colors standing in stark contrast to one another on the animals pelt. The placid nature of the panda is a demonstration of how the Yin and the Yang, when perfectly balanced, contribute to harmony and peace.

Today the Giant Panda is revered as a symbol of peace, friendship, and good luck.

Tarzan

Well, Emillie is a huge fan of Tarzan. Little did you know she has "loved" him since she could say his name! My favorite remembery of this is:

She was 27 months old and little came out of her mouth unless she really meant it! She would carry around her Tarzan book (which was as big as she was at the time) everywhere!

One day I was just getting home from work and she had her book in tote to give me a hug. Once I put her down, she ran to the bathroom to "tinkle". So, me being me, I grabbed my video camera and followed her.

I walk in the bathroom to find her attempting to read the book on her own (on the toilet). I asked her, "What are you doing?" She very matter-of-factly replied, "reading, duh!!!"

So, I asked her how she was able to read the book while it was upside down.

Her responce was classic!

"Mommy, maybe you can't read upside down because only 'smart' people can!"

I could not stop laughing!

So, these APCs were inspired by my memory of her and her infatuation of Tarzan!