Artisan Award card #4

Happy Tuesday! Here's another Artisan card, only one left, don't know what I'm gonna do after that! lol! Guess I'll HAVE to make time to stamp! =)


This card is 6 1/2" x 3 1/4" and designed to fit into those longer envelopes. I actually had the idea for the pieced background with stitching and made the base of the card a few months before deciding to enter the Artisan contest. I loved it so much, but I could never figure out what to put on "top" of the card to finish it off. I struggled for a long time and it was the last thing I finished. It's hard to see in the photo, but the little medallion part in Baja Breeze was made after the cardstock was distressed and taken apart, so you're seeing the "inside" of the cardstock for that rough look. I think everything else is pretty explanatory...just lots of cutting of little squares and then sewing with that fabulous Janome Mini!


So, I survived the first day of school! Thank you for all your nice comments and well wishes! The kids are soooo cute and sweet (remind me of that later, okay?!), I really feel blessed. The day started with a tragedy when my diet coke fell out of my lunch bag and exploded in the parking lot at 6:30, yikes! That was my only one and we do NOT have a soda machine at school! The horror! You can bet I'm taking a six-pack with me today!


The other killer part...the kids go to PE from 8:10 - 9:00, which is when I get my planning period, so it then makes a very LONG day from 9:00 - 3:30 with no break! But I'm trying to stay positive, it is helpful to have that extra hour in the morning to get stuff ready and I'm not a morning person, so that helps me wake up a bit more.


Now for the cute stuff...here are my favorite things of the day. We were doing a "get to know eacher other" activity, decorating these leaves and answering questions about ourselves and finding friends with the same answers. With the question "Where were you born?" I got several "I wasn't born." answers. "Yeah, I've never been born." That was fun explaining without getting into the whole where do babies come from thing. And my other favorite: "I'm part Mexican and part Dallas." Love that!


Here are a few of my "after" classroom photos, there's lots more on here on my flickr page with descriptions, especially for those teachers out there who want to see. I don't like things too busy or too much color and I like to cover the walls with things that the students make mostly. But here it is for now!


Entry:

I made this calendar math time wall buy painting birch plywood boards from Home Depot with magnetic and chalk paint:


Front of the classroom:


Back of the classroom (they had to borrow a bunch of student chairs, for Monday morning, but they replaced them after school):


Word wall with those darling cards, attached with velcro to be interactive:



The best and cheapest window treatments, beach mats from Big Lots for $1.25!


Okay, gotta dash! Thanks so much for stopping by! Hugs and happy stamping!