One World One Heart 2011

GIVEAWAY CLOSED

Annoucning the FIFTH and FINAL 

One World One Heart Event

One World One Heart is a worldwide event for bloggers only. It gives all those who blog a chance to meet and mingle and form connections with those they may not have otherwise met from all over the world. In the past 4 years this event has grown to over 1,000 participants with lasting friendships (and even one love connection) formed along the way.  Think of it as a GIGANTIC open house allowing you to travel without ever leaving your home........going from blog to blog(in various countries) seeing the wonder each one has created and meeting all the fabulous people behind those blogs. As a bonus each blogger participant will offer up a "door prize or prizes"....just for dropping by, saying hello and seeing their world.  It's really that easy.

You must have a current, active blog to participate. Please do not create a blog only for this event.. That is NOT what this is about. Also, NO ONE under 18 may participate  

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Welcome to Aileen's Musings

One World One Heart

2011

I'm a mixed media artist, mom of 3 grown sons, wife and soon to be grandma.  I reside in my bright & funky farmhouse in the lovely and cool central valley of California.

This is my 2nd year participating in OWOH and I invite you to enter a chance to win one of my Valentine Chubby Artist Trading Blocks (ATBs)

To enter:

 leave a comment with your name, where your from AND your
EMAIL ADDRESS so I can contact you if your name is drawn
(if I can't contact you then I will have pick the next name).

Click HERE to view my other ATBs

A gift for a friend

I was recently sent a surprise in the mail and it arrived in a nice sturdy Sew Chic Notecard box which originally held note cards of French Button Cards from the Art Deco era.  It seemed ashame to not do something with the box, so I decided to make something for the friend who originally sent me the box.

Here's the box closed. I added a couple 

of buttons on the front-I used a smaller 

button under the larger top button to 

act as a handle.

 Inside I added  background paper and colored the inside of the box with one of my favorite pens, a gold krylon leafing pen.   I also added border sticker paper inside the top and bottom of the box. I created the dress using an old dress pattern that I tore strips of and glued down in overlapping pieces onto some canvas paper.   Once the paper dried I sketched  a dress and cut it out and embellished it.  The hanger I made from some wire I had. The "Girls Night" plate on the front is from a Making  Memories package of their Eclectic Metal Plates that I've had for awhile sitting out on my work area just waiting for me to find a purpose for it. I love when a I don't necessarily have a plan but I do have an idea and it all actually comes together.  The last thing I was going to add were some button feet on the bottom of the box, but with the lid open it made it very top heavy so I scratched that idea.


Hope this inspires you to create 
something of your own :-)

        

For unique gifts visit

Crafty Blogger Blurbs

Mixed Media Artist 
Have you tried reverse applique? It's a lot easier than you might think! 

Eileen - The Artful Crafter 
Eileen has some tips – learned from painful personal experience – about how to take care of your muse. 

Cross Stitch at About.com 
A free romatic design to stitch for Valentine's Day or a wedding or anniversary. 

Crafty Princess Diaries 
Tammy is making lots and lots of yarn hearts and learning how it isn't easy to glue metal to yarn.

Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at a crafty world 
This week at Craftside there is a free CD envelope template with spinner windows, Valentine heart made with skulls graphic downloads, a sneak peek into the new book Drawn In, formulas for designing your own bead patterns and the author Make and Take schedule for the CHA winter 2011 trade show. 

Carmi's Art/Life World 
Free card making samples in a UK puplication inspire this new 3D card featuring Popcorn the Bear.

About Family Crafts 
If you are looking for an almost instant Valentine's Day craft or activity, check out these free Valentine's Day printable pages. 

For unique gifts visit

Cheers!

Today would have been my sister Kathleen's 

birthday she'd have been 51.  Its still hard 

to believe she's gone. The picture above 

was taken last year on her birthday.

This is my favorite picture I think about 

when I think of her. Its a picture of the 

50 balloons we released the day 

of her celebration of life.

Cheers Sis!

For unique gifts visit

Gothic Skull Birthday Theme

Today I got my creative on baking a black cake

 in my Wilton Giant Cupcake Pan!  I know I've said 

it before but I just love this pan I have used the heck 

out of it in the year that I've had it! 

Yum doesn't that look tasty! It actually was a delicious 

mocha flavored with black paste food coloring added.

Here's the finished product! The skulls are actually plastic 

toy skulls that I happened to have and I then used some  

Krylon silver leafing paint to  help pop the design in 

the skulls. I also used the leafing paint on the 

candle since it was blue and white stripped and 

needed to match! I had whole black, white and silver 

theme going on. 

Next I made a flocked zebra skull crown to go with the cake

and the previously posted Gothic Sweet 16 ATB  

I made as a gift.

All in honor of my friend 

Mz Brattypants' 

birthday!

For unique gifts visit

Freebie Vintage Images

Step back in time with these 

freebie Vintage image! Create away 

using them in your art projects.

Click HERE to view the rest 

& to download. 

For unique gifts visit

Proud Member of the DWA!

The other day we got to talking about our messy workspaces....at least for some of us.  No matter how clean we start out, it dwindles down to about a 4 inch area.....I use to think it was only me but then I happily discovered that this phenomena happens to many artists I know!  The why is not known it just happens without planning!

Now I know there are going to be people that may think that I actually snuck into their art area and snapped a picture, but I swear on my brushes that it is my own space I'm revealing!

Here's an up close picture I actually feel like I have a ton of space here because usually its down to about an 1 -2 inch area!

So tell me are you a member of the DWA 

(Dwindling Workspace Association)?

If so display this badge 

proudly on your blog 

and don't be afraid to 

leave a link to a picture 

of your workspace 

For unique gifts visit

Gothic Sweet 16 Chubby ATB

I had so much fun making this Chubby Artist 

Trading Block for a friend's daughters sweet 16's 

birthday! I just love how it turned out! She's not into 

cutesy or anything pink and sparkley! 

As always click the pictures to enlarge.

If you'd like to see the rest of my ATBs click

HERE and scroll down past this post.

For unique gifts visit

Maudlin is the word of the day!

That's right it's Every Inchie Monday 

once again!This week's challenge word is 

"Maudlin"

I painted a hummingbird because my mother loved hummingbirds when she was alive.  She loved to take pictures of them, to draw and paint them and she even made stained glass hummers to hang in the window. So when I see hummingbirds they do make me maudlin for my mother.

Don't forget to enter my Inchie Blog Giveaway 

HERE

For unique gifts visit

Calendar Glrz comes to an end

Last January I started a Calendar Girlz 

Round Robin and it's finally come to an 

end.  Here's one of my last pages I did 

for a garden themed book

I also received my own Calendar Journal 

back and it's stuffed full of fun art work 

from everyone!

If you'd like to take a trip back through 

my Calendar Grlz artwork  through out 

this past year click HERE

(scroll to the bottom to start from the beginning)

For unique gifts visit

Crafty Blogger Blurbs

About Family Crafts 
The current make-it-over craft challenge is all about making Valentine card and treat holders. Do you have a favorite to share?

Carmi's Art/Life World 
Carmi uses some free digital files to create new cards. 

Crafty Princess Diaries 
Tammy's done some crafty Valentine's shopping, wee! 

Cross Stitch at About.com 
The road to success is not an easy path, but the journey is certainly worth it. Stitch the free Road to Success Sampler as a colorful reminder.

Eileen - The Artful Crafter 
Have you ever crafted by camplight? Come on a crafting adventure with Eileen. 

Margot Potter The Impatient Crafter 
Learn how to make custom handcrafted ear wires in this week's video on demand for JTV's Jewel School!

Mixed Media Artist 
Give your photos a delightful old-fashioned look, while still keeping the color!

Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery 
See how to make a flattened coil and recycled sweater bound journal inspired by the book Creative Bloom 

For unique gifts visit

Inchie Product Giveaway!

Product Announcement 

&

Giveaway!

Pre Drilled Wood Blanks measure 1.5 inches and  

are ready for you to add your inchie art on!  Not 

sure what inchie art is click HERE to find out.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS

Leave a comment with a link to your inchie art and when 

the 50th comment is left I will use random.org to select a 

winner! The winner will receive a pack of 4 wood blanks!  

If I reach 100 comments I will select another 

winner.  You can enter more then once. 

The more you share this post the faster 

we'll get to 50!

**CLICK ABOVE TO ENTER**

Or leave a link to your inchie under 

comments with your email address

Above are 3 wood inchie blanks 

that I've colored in various ways.

Click HERE to order your own wood blanks