NaNoJouMo 2013... has begun. Day 1

It's that time again... NaNoJouMo!

 http://dawndsokol.squarespace.com/nanojoumo2013

Good time to dust off the blog. :) 

It's been a loooong busy time moving into the New House and an even busier summer FULL of fun, foods and canning. I will be doing some updating on the New House and how we're geek-ify-ing each and every room later. 
We have a plan that will reach full fruition by the beginning of 2015. 
Oh yes, we have a PLAN! *evil cackle* 

ah-hem... soooo, On with NaNoJouMo shall we?

Today's prompt is:

“Let It Be” — Superchic(k)

I choose to use some of the Lyrics...

 We could believe in ourselves more
We could try for unique
Instead of trying to conform
We could defy what they tell us
Don't buy the lies they sell us
If we're brave we can believe in what we are

I'm also had BRAVE come to mind right away after dressing as Merida for Halloween last night. 

It worked so that's what I did! 
The background was one of the papers I already had prepared and (as usual) I painted right over.

Scanned Image:

BONUS: The Costume :)
Pretty durn good for last-last day-of minute. 

Scrap Our Stash August TIME WILL TELL Challenge ~Design Team~

TIME WILL TELL 

For the challenge this month think clocks, growth, numbers, 

whatever comes to your mind when you hear "time will tell" and dig into your stash! 

******

This month I decided, again, to dig into the Steampunk photos taken by the very talented Robert Allard:  http://raphotography.smugmug.com last March. 

Scrap Our Stash Challenges are a *perfect* reason to 'scrap out stash' of backlogged photos too!

This time a couple of pictures of my oldest son Arthur: 1/2 turned Vampire and my husband Greg: Team Leader totally armed and ready to fight evil daemons. 

Started with Tim Holtz paper from the same pack I've been using for many of the pages from this shoot, roughed it up sanding the edges with an emery board. The same treatment for both photos; trimmed with my old dull cutter for a 'shaggy' look them sanded down. 

Embellishments were varied:

Gear Strip is Little Yellow Bicycle Lack Cardstock. A few 'screw head' brads in the centers. Chip board elements came from BoBunny Timepiece collection, also sanded a bit. Stamped the STEAMPUNK in the middle of the blank clockface and then wrote the rest of the title in with Sharpie PEN. There are a couple of Graphics 45: Steampunk Debutante punch-out. Punched Gears were made with a Stampin' Up! Punch using a scrap of paper I had smeared leftover black, red and brown paint on from another project. Waste not, want not! The 'Badge' is an extra print-out of the ones I use to make out group badges... glued onto extra thick cereal board (Honey Nut Cheerios Family Pack... super thick!) and cut out with an Exacto blade. 

Pictures were a bit hard to take since it's very 'lumpy' and shiny here and there.. so I took a few.

 

...and the dust settles...

Decided to post 11 pictures for the 1st day of the 11th month.
What's been a-doing around here as of late... mix-and-match of sh-tuff.
Some Art-sy, Some not so much...

It's 'that time of the year', SAD kickin' in and my other conditions have been popping in their votes so...
decided to spend my temporarily waning energies focusing on family.
Very little in the way of 'art' going on the past 2 week beyond the 'necessary'. Missed the 4th piece of the Sassy Steampunk Progressive Challenge (boo) because, honestly, I'm not up to it.
No other challenges either.
I've cleared the decks:
Tomorrow... I will be doing my Landfillart.org Project.
There, said it, it's out there now I have to make good on it! ;O)
Laid all the natural elements out to dry and they are ready, glues have been acquired, ancient technology gathered: I.am.ready.

On with the pictures...

Robert's 'Murder Kit'.
He decided to be Detective William Murdoch of the Murdoch Mysteries for Halloween.
It's an old Audio Cassette case, cleared out with a corrugated cardboard false bottom in it. The Bottles are actually Gem & Mineral samples I use for my Steampunk Doctor's kit... plus a few other odds and sods that just 'worked'.
This was a real treat to work on!
The Badge was from the $ store, added the City & Station House #, finished with a coat of 3D Crystal Lacquer.

William's Phantom of the Opera mask.
Started as a super thin plastic 'paint it yourself' $ store mask. Cut to fit his face, shaded with ink then coated in 3D Crystal Lacquer for a more 'porcelain' look.

ahh... Yes, Christmas in October!
It was a wonderful time with my Aunt & Uncle.
This was the 'traditional' dessert:
DIY (Decorate-it-Yourself) Cupcake Buffet!

No Christmas in October is complete without:
A Fiber Optic Mini-Tree and tacky ornaments!
Dave & Anne loved the Rednek Wine Glasses.
The Boys were drowned in LEGO. lol

Halloween Night...
Arthur, dressed as the 4th Doctor Who: Tom Baker, met his match... a Dalek!!!
We ran across this group a few time while out trick or treating so it was an evening long running gag.
I think the Dalek costume was great!!! Very 'vintage' Dr.Who.

Da Boyz...
We went to the Halloween Fun Day at the Billings Estate, lots of crafts, treasure hunting and exploring. Great photo ops in the Main House/Museum... and a trek through the family graveyard. whooooooo....

Arthur: The 4th Doctor, Tom Baker.
He's got the height and boy does he ever have the hair!
Scarf crocheted by my Mom.
THANK-YOU MOM!!!

Robert: Detective William Murdoch.
He was poi-fect... my little over-actor. lol

William: The Phantom of the Opera.
He got sooooooo many compliments.
Everyone loves a tragic hero... lil'heartbreaker.

Thomas: Jedi Knight.
Getting him to do pictures was a bit of a... trial,
He smiles when he should be serious and is serious when it's smiling time. lol

Made a Parshell to hang above our front door.
Sticks are from our Lilac out front and along the Lime Kiln trail. Corn Husks from our Apple Picking trip to Mountain Orchard, bits and pieces gathered from the ground in the corn maze.
We've resolved to incorporate more Celtic Traditions into our Day-to-Day.