Fun Friday Challenge - Triptychs

I love, love, love the Fun Friday Challenges with the group Mixed Media and Paper Art at Etsy Cottage Style. I just feel so blessed to be part of such an amazing group of artists. These challenges really help me to work in new ways and challenge myself. I grow with every one that I take part in.

This week, Sherry had us do a, TRIPTYCH Definition: "A triptych is a series of three paintings. Traditionally two are attached to the central one by hinges and fold over it. Triptychs are often used as an altar-piece in a church."

This is what I came up with:



After finding this picture of three women playing Bingo it all just kind of happened. I am really pleased with the results and put a lot of thought into it. I also found it to be very therapeutic in that it helped to take my mind off of my mom's cancer.

I love these little pom pom trims. I had some on a wall hanging that my mom made me when I was a baby.

Luckily, I had two hinges that I could use to attach my three panels together with.

I love the fact that these, as Sherry called them, Bingo Babes, are using kernels of corn as their Bingo markers.

I painted each girl her own color, made one distinct item, this one being a vintage button broach, and gave them a quote and a hat.

This one I made a red pom pom for her beret and worked forever to flatten the back of the button so that I could adhere it to her dress.


I attached the definition of "Bingo" to the first panel. I cut each strip of words out and then aged each with brown ink. I just can't have paper edges that aren't aged. You will notice that each panels back ground paper is aged as well.

My vision was that these gals were just enjoying an afternoon of Bingo, and since each is dressed so thoughtfully, I added the comment of "their Sunday best".

I don't know what this little piece of metal is, but it worked out perfectly for her hat. If you know, please, do tell. The vintage lace trim just added a little pop.

I have always loved old watch parts. Funny how things come together. I attached this old watch onto her wrist. Now a days, it would blend right in, but back then a lady would never have on such a huge watch.

This came out well too. After attaching blue lace onto the other Bingo Babes hat, I just happen to have the perfect shade of green for this gal. I just cut out a flower and attached it. She doesn't look too happy to me. What do you think?


So there you have it, my triptych. I hope you enjoyed my work. A big thanks to Sherry, Caz (who has also thought up some great FFCs) and all of the other inspiring women at Etsy Cottage Style!

Rhonda...

My Own Little Girls Club

I love having two little girls, and feel blessed every time we are doing something for fun together. "Girl's Night Out" is when Papa is out of town and we watch a movie, order dinner and do some cool craft or paint our nails. During the day, when Papa is at work, we have fun with a craft or just do something special together. I just enjoy it so and there is nothing I love more then to just watch my girls throughout the day, and the look on their precious faces. It brings my heart so much happiness.

Here we are painting our t-shirts that we picked out for our "band". My daughter is obsessed with the Titanic and also LOVES The Naked Brother's Band. She knows how much I love the band The Killers and gets so excited when I tell her she can play my drums. Yes, I have a drum set and I love it! Great stress reliever and I just really enjoy my music. So, we have a pretend band that my oldest likes to talk about. "What instrument do you want to play Mama?" Sometimes she will run in screaming, "Mama, tonight is our band is playing! We have to practice!"

Instead of us all trying to paint the same thing on our band's t-shirt, we decided we would paint something that we love. The only thing we HAD to do was write each of our initials on our shirt, because it's our band.




My oldest loves to draw the Titanic as well and does a great job for a six year old. I was very impressed with her t-shirt.

My youngest made a frog on her t-shirt along with lots of huge blogs, even though I told her a million times not to make the big blogs because they would take forever to dry. Oh well, it's the fun and the memory that counts.

Gee, I wonder who this one belongs to?

So here are our finished concert t-shirts. My oldest decided that we were performing in Paris and also added my youngest's nick name to her shirt.

I am so blessed and I hope that you enjoyed this little mommy moment with me. Just love my girls and the things we do together.

Have a great day full of lots of happy memories!

Rhonda...

A Card A Day For Lynn

The above image came from one of my mother's scrapbooks that she created when she and my father were very young. I have spent so many hours flipping through the pages, and I always loved the creative way she cut their bodies out to place them onto other images. Must be why I love to create altered art, and it is a love my mom and I share together to this day. We love to go out shopping to find old items that can be made into new ones or can be used in our artwork.

As many of you know, my mother has breast cancer. Yesterday was not a good day when we received the news that my mom will have to have seven weeks of radiation treatment (that is every single day for seven weeks, or 49 days) and will possibly have to have chemo as well. We were hoping for only one week of radiation, but the cancer was too close to the wall of her chest. You can imagine how upset she is and I ask that you will pray that she will make it through this with strength and as much ease as possible.

Needless to say, I didn't get much sleep last night and laid in bed with my mind racing for some time. I wanted to think of a way to bring my mom some cheer while going through this seven weeks of radiation. Then, I remembered Karla's Great Aunt Caroline's 100Th birthday last month, and the way she collected cards for her Aunt's celebration.

My mother loves to see all of the amazing art that I receive though swaps, or that I share with her that my many blogging friends have done. She just completed her first swap, The Itty Bitty Prom Dress Book with Mary Ann and is so excited to hold this book in her hands, see all of the contributing artists work and is so proud to be a contributor as well.

So, with these thoughts in mind, and the past events of Mary Ann and Karla, I was inspired to try to do the same thing for my mom. This is where you come in....

What I am asking is that you make a card, or tag, or whatever your heart desires. Nothing stressful or overly time consuming, just a little thoughtful good wish for my mom. She loves to get something good in the mail. My hope is to have one well wish in her mail box per day to bring her some cheer during her tough time. She will begin radiation treatments next week and will also be discussing chemo with her doctors.

I hope that you will join me. If you are interested, please leave a comment on this post and include your email address. I will then email you the address to send your good wish to. I would love it as well if you would add the above button to your blog to help and spread the word and let other's know that they can contribute as well.

I will start a flickr group that you are welcome to post a picture of your card/tag/item on to share with others. I will take pictures of items as well as she gets them and share them with you through the group. Here is the link http://www.flickr.com/groups/796376@N24/

Thanks to all of those out there in blog land who have touched my life so with creativity, support and friendship and a special thank you to Karla and Mary Ann as well for the artistic inspiration they continually bring to so many.

I hope that you will join me in bringing my mom some cheer during her tough time. God bless!

Rhonda...

Back To My Funk - Cancer Sucks!

Right when you think things are looking up! This is going to be a very blunt and emotional post and I apologize in advance. Just getting it off of my chest.

I HATE cancer! I just hate this crap for my mom. Just had a fun day with my girls. Oldest doing great with her swimming lessons, lunch with Papa and off to the library. We all cuddled up and took a nap and knew that my mom was on her way to the doctor to find out the "plan".

I should have stayed in bed! The cancer was too close to my mom's chest wall, so she has to have seven weeks of radiation, which of course none of us wanted for her. We were hoping that she would get to have just one week. But you know what, you should always count your blessings. Why was I so stupid to have such a negative attitude about seven weeks of radiation? SO WHAT! It's just radiation. It's a two minute exposer to some radiation. Why did I have to be so ungrateful in my mom's battle with this crap?

Now, because it was so close to her chest wall, she might have to have chemo! And yes, I said that four letter word after my dad told me. Now we are at a whole new level with this freakin' cancer. Mom will meet with the doctors next week to begin radiation and to discuss this new possibility. I HATE THIS FOR HER! I am so, so, so upset right now. I am pissed at the world.

I heard my mom say, "Now we're right back at the beginning". I tried to be positive, in fact I was very positive except for when I said the four letter word and my dad informed me that his cell phone volume was all of the way up and she heard me. I told her that we aren't starting all over. We know where we are and now we just have to do the next step. I don't know why I say "we" so much, because I am not the one with cancer. My mother is. But, being the amazing mother that she is, she is more concerned with how my father and I will take it.

Yesterday, she just started crying while we were on the phone. My dad was at the store and she said "I can't let go when he is here because he is already so upset that I just can't do it in front of him".

I still need your prayers please! It is the ONLY thing that is going to get us through this. Well, maybe a good stiff drink will be good right about now too.

Sorry to be so foul and blunt and ugly. I am just so pissed off right now at cancer. I am so mad, crushed, that my mom might have to have chemo and I just pray that won't be the case because I just don't know if her body can take it.

So, now, instead of praying for just one week of radiation in hopes that she wouldn't have to have seven, I am now praying for just seven and no chemo. I am really scared and just so freaked out right now! I feel like I am in some horrible movie or dream and I just want to wake up and have it over all ready.

And so here I am, on my blog, relaying my story to some people that have actually become very good and supportive friends. Thanks!

If you are reading this, it is for a reason. Early detection is key! Go check your breasts now and if you haven't had a mammogram then get one. I am an A cup on a swollen day and dumb to think that I didn't need to have a mammogram. It's no biggy and can save your life. My mom has mammograms every year and at her last one they found something that wasn't there the year before. If she had waited or not taken care of it, well, you can imagine.

Thanks for letting me vent.

Rhonda...

Why Do I Have So Many Rubber Stamps?

I just can't help myself. I am a rubber stamp addict and I can't stop. Even as I type I have more rubber stamps being shipped to my home. And if I even see an Eiffel Tower stamp that isn't already in my collection, I HAVE TO HAVE IT! Help!

Above are some of my newest stamps that I think are just so beautiful. There is no way I could use all of my rubber stamps. The images just capture me at times and I love to be able to see them. I used to have them organized in drawers, but once my husband collected these old school cubbies for me, they were brought out and put on display. And the collection of magical wooden blocks just keeps growing and growing.

This cubby is just packed with stamps. I try to keep them out and arranged in a way so that I can see them. But, being the dork and the addict that I am it is not unheard of for me to find a great stamp at the store, come home and say, "Oh man, I already have that one". Help!

Birds are a favorite as well as old images and collage. Oh, I just can't get enough!

Flowers and swirls, columns and words, I should be joining some organization to help me stop this addiction!

I love fleur de leas, and I know you're not surprised if you know me. I also love frames and any that look like ephemera! Gosh, now there is another bad addiction that I have. Can't get enough of that good ole ephemera!

Oh, another passion, buttons, oh my! The jars on the lower left are part of a three shelf book case full of jars of buttons, and buttons, and more buttons.

And those rubber stamps, they don't just have to be on wooden blocks. They can be clear and used on acrylic blocks. I just love, love, love my rubber stamps!

These binders are located in another school cubby that I acquired. I am also addicted to unmounted rubber stamps and love it when I get a package of them in the mail to cut out oh so carefully and put on ez mount. Then it is another task of love to cut them out just right. I keep them in these binders and really need to get them organized by topic.

Here are some more that come in their own cases. Gotta love those craft store coupons and Joann's accepts competitor coupons as well. You can use as many as you want on a transaction as long as they have a different number on them. Yippee!

Binders and binders of rubber stamps. Sometimes I just flip through them for some creative feeding of the brain.

I used to be obsessed with Stampin' Up stamps as well. Now I am very picky about those designs, but really love their background stamps, and any with a European or ephemera flair.

I have a night stand that I use to store all of my Stampin' Up stamps in. I am oddly, starting to part with some of them on eBay.

I am a horrible stamp addict. My oldest always wants to use them too, and sometimes I let her. She knows to be careful though and to clean each one thoroughly before putting them away. Oh no, what have I gotten my own child into? I am a horrible mother! Somebody help me!

My name is Rhonda, and I am a stampaholic!

Update On Mom

Great news! Mom got the results back from her surgery, and the masses that they removed are mostly clear. That is such great news and I know it is all because of the power of prayer, and I thank you all so much for keeping my mom and my family in yours.

Tomorrow she will return to the doctor to chat about the amount of radiation treatment she will have, so please keep those prayers coming.

As expected, Mom is in a lot of pain and really hates to take her pain medicine. I keep telling her that she needs to pop those pills and rest, but she doesn't like to be sleepy throughout the day.

Yesterday, the girls made her a precious "We Love Gma" banner and took her some bouquets of flowers. I thought she could use a good pick me up and of course she loved it and was so glad to see the girls.

So, tomorrow is another journey, down the shortening road of Mom's fight with cancer. Hopefully the radiation will be an even shorter journey and we will all be done with this voyage soon.

God Bless!

Rhonda...

Show & Tell Friday

I haven't done a "Show & Tell" for some time now, so it is nice to be doing one yet again. I have met some fab people from this event, so thanks again to Kelli who hosts this weekly celebration of all things loved.

Those who know me know of my love of all things Parisian, especially the Eiffel Tower. I have many, large statues as tall as myself, smaller ones, signs, vintage images of, and more. I also love charm bracelets and one of my first blog posts was on just that. You can go here to read it:

http://rhondamum.blogspot.com/2007/11/tradition-of-charm-bracelets.html

Below is one of the bracelets I wrote about. At the time, it was my French charm bracelet. I love the way the links have been made. This was a vintage find and they just don't make the actual bracelets like this anymore. Since then it has turned into my European charm bracelet, with an emphasis on Paris.

Below is how the same bracelet looks now, spread out on a vintage ledger.

I have been fortunate enough to find some more lovely charms to add to it's splendor and this is the bracelet I usually grab to wear during my day. I love large charms and they can never be too big for me. In fact, I love large jewelry in general.

The bracelet now has some vintage enamel charms on it from places I have been like Inverness near Loch Ness (so beautiful) and Wales, where I lived one summer and taught at a school there. There is also a London crest and a policeman (bobby? how do you spell that Caz) hat on it as well. Hey Caz, I need a Leeds charm to represent you!

I love the enamel charms that say "Paris" and there is also one of Stuttgart where my husband has traveled for business. The other enamel one is a place that I have not visited, but the charm was very inexpensive and I liked the way it looked.



The above image shows my collection of Eiffel Towers. I have another one I still need to add that is very old. Unfortunately I broke it as soon as I took it out of the envelope.

I took this picture to show the thickness of some of the charms including the Eiffel towers, the Arc de Triumph, and the small bell there on the lower right. It was just another cool find that I decided to add to this bracelet.

The hexagonal Eiffel tower charm is actually a charm from a Parisian souvenir bracelet. I didn't know it when I purchased it, but have since acquired a charm just like it that is on the end of a souvenir bracelet. I will be posting pictures of that one soon. It has a great deal of intricate work on it and is just beautiful.

The newest charm is the one of the Ave Maria. It is very special to me because my good friend Kathy from Vintage Snaps & Scraps sent it to me at a time when I needed it most. I am Catholic, although not a very good one anymore. I can't even tell you the last time I went to mass. However, I am very good when it comes to prayer. Like I tell my girls, it is the key to life. When I received this charm, it was the most "down" part of my time in dealing with my mother's breast cancer. She had surgery just this week. So, when I got this charm it was like God and Mary were both telling me that everything was going to be okay and that they were watching over us. I knew this already, of course, but it is nice to get those little confirmations here and there.

On the back it shows, "Lourdes" so it goes along with this bracelet perfectly. Thank you again Kathy for this wonderful gift.

This picture shows the back side of several of the charms. The one on the far left is huge and shows the Arc de Triumph on the opposite side. It isn't silver like the others, but I just love it.

You can see in the above and below pictures, just how large some of these charms are.

Sometimes, we have that piece of jewelry that just makes us feel good. This is one of those from my collection. I just love it. I hope that you will check out my earlier mentioned post on the tradition of charm bracelets. It is a great hobby, especially if you have little girls like I do to share it with. I finally completed my oldest daughter's bracelet, and she loves it.

Have a great weekend and thanks for visiting!

Rhonda...

Update on Mom

Hello and thanks for checking in on mom. The day was long and we were at the hospital from 9:00 in the morn, and the last people out of the hospital around 11:00 that evening. Mom did a great job and the surgery went well. I am very proud of her. We should hear in the next couple of days how things went and what the extent of her radiation treatment should be. Hopefully she won't have to have much and we can be finished with this path.

Oddly, mom and I had a great time that day. We sat and chatted the whole day, with the exception of the few times she was out (inserting wire, dye, x-rays and surgery). Neither of us ever even glanced at the books that we brought along with us. My dad stayed away most of the time, which I highly encouraged as did mom. He would have been a basket case sitting around there all day.

I spent the night at their house so that I could help mom to the bathroom if she woke up. Luckily she was still pretty drugged and only went once. I bounced up and went to help her when the thought occurred to me that if she did start to fall we would both be down because we were staggering along like a couple of drunks. We were so tired. After my dad was awake, I moved into the spare bedroom and snoozed like a baby. Amazing what a quiet house can do for your sleep. Dad went and got us a wonderful breakfast and I had plenty of hot coffee.

Mom is hanging in there. Hurting more today, but that is to be expected. She is one strong gal and I feel good about everything.

On another note, on the same day mom had her surgery, I got the results back from my first mammogram. Everything is A-OK. I never chatted about that. The nurse laughed when I was finished because I said, "I'm not a mammogram virgin anymore". Fact is, it was no big deal at all. Didn't hurt a bit and it went so quickly. From the time I went back to the time I came out, no more then probably 15 minutes had passed. If I had a sitter I could have spent more time having lunch and doing some shopping.

The only thing a pleasant mammogram requires is a good attitude. One could go in there and feel so appalled, like one lady my nurse told me about, and then your experience will be horrible. Or, you can go in there and relax, let her do what she needs to do, and then it will be fine. They have seen breasts before so no need in getting all uncomfortable.

So, this road of cancer is hopefully almost done. I will let you know when we learn what our next step is. Thank you so very much for all of your prayers, because it is what has gotten us ALL through this, and your thoughts and comments have been so wonderful and have brought me so much support and comfort.

May God bless you and yours! Have a fantastic day!

Dear Lord, thank you so much for getting us through this thus far and for keeping my mom well. -Amen

Rhonda...

Trip Down Memory Lane - My Modeling Years

I just got the new issue of Interview Magazine in the mail. I LOVED this magazine when it first came out. Somewhere in my attic I have some of my favorite issues; one with John Lydon, aka Johnny Rotten (who I am a big fan of) on the cover, another one with Cyndi Lauper and one full of Andy Warhol. It was just the coolest magazine in the world to me.

I loved fashion magazines at the time too, but Interview, with it's larger pages and fashion ads just cast me into another world. I used to love going through my magazines and collecting my favorite pages. We lived in a Victorian house at the time and I covered one wall in my "cave" with fashion.

I really miss this wall and sometimes find myself wishing I could recreate it and go back to that wonderful spot in my head.

It was about this same time that I looked into modeling. It was just after high school that I was "discovered" and began my own career in modeling. Unfortunately I couldn't handle the pressure and I became anorexic and was hospitalized with pneumonia right about the same time I was to fly to Japan to do magazine covers and really take off with my career. I had an agent in New York ready for me and was following my dream. Oh well. I never got back into it the same, but I sure do like to visit that place every now and then. Interview magazine always takes me back.

I love this girls face and the way her body is posed.

This is a double spread ad and I just love the atmosphere of it all. I don't really know where I would fit in now a days. D & G probably doesn't even make my "I've given birth" size.

I have always wanted a full set of Louis Vuitton luggage and a huge trunk. Oh how cool would that be!

I put him in here because he is just so hot. His eyes are gorgeous and he reminds me of my husband when we were younger (oh, how sweet of me to say). Don't even THINK about it Caz! I found him first!

Kate Moss has not only made a name for her skinny little self, but she has gone way beyond most models years with age. I always loved Christy Turnlington and Paulina Porizkova back in the day and my favorite was Linda Evangelista.

This picture reminds me of a show I used to watch called "Style" with Elsa Clinch. I LOVED that show and staying up on the latest designers. When I started to model, I loved doing runway and would simply imitate the way I saw the models walking on that show with loads of attitude.

I still love the society pages to this day. Back then I always wanted to be seen in them.

This picture reminds me of a picture that I did...

There were two shots left, and the photographer I was working with always wanted a picture like this to hang over his mantle. We got the shot, luckily, because in the last frame I was starting to laugh.

My oldest just informed me that "That doesn't look anything like you Mama, and neither does that one, or that one, or that one". Well, I don't agree. Add 40 pounds and 15 years and it would look just like me, thank you very much!

I remember that I had to stand behind a bush and change my clothes for this shoot. We were in a cemetery, oh my!

I loved the sun glasses and scarf in this shot.

This picture wasn't even taken during the actual shoot. I don't know what I was thinking about at the time. I think I was grossed out by all of the dog poo that was around me.

I was approached by a vegetarian after this shoot (nothing against vegetarians) who started to yell at me about my bustier. She caused a huge scene and it really freaked me out.

Oh to reminisce about my younger years, so carefree and exciting. Actually, they were full of many insecurities and I had a lot of growing up to do. I love my life now, am much happier, and would never go back in age. I like it where I am.

It is fun to remember the times I have had though, and when I pick up this magazine it always takes me back. I hope you enjoyed my flash back and feel free to giggle at my pics if you like.

Kiss, Kiss

Rhonda...