ANGRY BIRDS!!!

I "accidentally" started making Angry Bird key chains. Accidentally? Yes.

My oldest son started talking about Angry Birds and how he'd like to have some Angry Bird toys to play with. We looked them up on the internet - how to order them, where to order them, etc and I said to myself ... "I could make that!"

So, I pulled out some polymer clay that was given to me MONTHS ago, by my sister - who no longer wanted it - and we sat down and started making clay birds!

My sons made some, I made some - made lots actually - and I sent pics of one or two to some friends. One friend replied with "I want one! And I want it on a key chain!"

So - I went through my old jewelry tools, found some chain, some key rings, and posts - then went to town...

Angry Bird Assembly Line....

This is where we're at so far... And now - on to the pigs!

ATCs

My sister introduced me to a new craze called ATCs. It stands for Artist Trading Cards. You get involved in "swaps" with people all across the world. You join the swaps that interest you, and must follow the rules laid out in the swap. Each card is 2.5x3.5 inches. Quite small, and easy to mail. Plus for those of us who LOVE to get stuff in the mail (other than junk and bills) this is great!

Before I got involved in an actual swap I wanted to know what was involved so my sister and I did our own little swap. This (above) was the first picture I made for it. The rules were we had to put something in the picture that started with each of the other's initials. She and her husband enjoy bike riding and she loves Octopi, so I incorporated those in (with a little creative license of course)

Then I was ready to start swappin'! The card below was the first one I did for an "official" swap.
The rules of the swap were you had to put one word - any word somewhere on the card. Once we were assigned partners I went in and read my partner's profile to find out what she liked and disliked. She was into "horror" flicks and a big fan of Vincent Price. She also had a link to her personal blog which was done in purple and black, so I assumed those were colors she enjoyed and used those as well. The word I used was "chilling" but stamped it so it looked like it was falling, melting, smoking - whatever you want to call it. Since it was my first official one, I sure hope she likes it!

This next one was my 2nd official swap. The theme was bees.

There wasn't really anything on this partner's profile that led me down specifics, but it was a bumble bee swap - so I just stuck with the bumble bee theme.

Now I'm working on an anything goes ATC, but I still go and look at the person's profile to find what her likes and dislikes are. I hope my partners give me the same courtesy and I will FLIP out if I get anything with glitter on it - and my profile clearly states - in more than one place to NOT send glitter...

The website is swap-bot.com and there are the ATC swaps of course, but there are others as well. There are bookmark swaps, books swaps, postcard swaps, just about anything you could imagine. You can see my profile here:

http://www.swap-bot.com/user:presleylennon

You may need to be a member to see it, I'm not sure - Hope to see you swappin' soon!

न्यू आर्ट Work

Started a new art form. It's called "Tangles" - These are a few of my very first ones, I'll post more as I do them

Back to crafting...

Pop Up book

I made this popup book for a friend's daughter.

Hair Bows

I found some flower fragments in the scrapbooking aisle at my local craft store, and they were on sale. I bought some odds and ends, brought them home and sewed them together and then sewed them to a bobby pin. They make great hair decor...

Some Drawings

I've had a kidney infection and been stuck in bed. I draw to help pass the time.

Fan Page

If you are on facebook, please go to http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/pages/Shellz-Snipitz/44770287557 and add my fan page. If the link doesn't work, just do a search for Shellz Snipitz

If you aren't on facebook, get on there! What's the hold up? ;o)

Carousel

I found this on the Canon Park website. When you turn the carousel the horses and gondola go up and down, not in unison either, does it like a real carousel so while one horse is up, the one next to it is down... very cool. Nice work Canon!

Recent Drawing

Made to Suit

I'm making my own journals now! I can make them personalized to you or your loved ones. Not only with initials but with the different prints!

Finally!

So, if there is anything I have learned in all of this, it is this.... always trust your instincts and always go for a second opinion! My Doctor kept telling me nothing was wrong with me, but I knew that there was... I went to a DO instead of an MD, and I was feeling incredibly guilty about it. I felt like I was cheating on my Dr, lol. Anyway, because I got a kidney stone, the DO went ahead and tested my thyroid for a particular hormone, even though all my preliminary tests of my thyroid came back normal. I am SO glad he did!

My PHT level is supposed to be between 12 and 35. Mine is 96! It has something to do with cortisol and the breakdown of calcium, which is why I got a kidney stone! And remember how I told you about the side of my face swelling up? It's because I have a stone in my saliva gland!

Still don't know what's causing the high PHT level, I need to go see an endocrinologist now, but at least I'm on the right path! I feel 100% better just because I'm on my way to a diagnosis! I'll keep you posted, and I'm already crafting again!

Miserable

I'm miserable. I know I generally showcase my latest work on here, but I haven't been able to work at all lately. I've been sick. Not sick as I could be, so that is good, but still sick enough to feel like I can't get out of bed some days. The crazy part of it is the Drs I'm seeing. I go in and tell them, sometimes show them, my symptoms and they tell me not to worry about it. Don't worry about it?   So, let me tell you some of the things going on with me. First, I'm changing colors. Yes, you heard me right, I'm changing colors. The skin on the back of my neck and under my arms is getting darker, the Dr says don't worry about it. My eyes get so dry it hurts to blink or feels like there is something in them, which there is not. They have matter in them all the time. My mouth gets so dry I have to constantly drink, if I don't my saliva turns to foam. The Dr says to suck on lemon drops. I have open sores on my upper body that have fibers coming out of them. The Dr says, don't pull the fibers out. As you may have surmised, the Drs have been incredibly helpful.   The list of symptoms could go on... Swelling in the side of my face, pain in my neck and back, extreme fatigue, low grade fever, nausea, unrinary tract infections, kidney stones, I could go on....   The thing is, these things are starting to affect my day to day life. I basically don't have one. I never know from one day to the next how I'm going to feel, so I've basically quit planning things. I homeschool, and most days I force myself up to get it done, only to end up right back in the bed, but at least I'm getting it done. On the days I run a fever, we forgo school altogether. I feel like I don't have a life anymore. This illness, whatever it is, is my life now.

Classroom

You can check out some of my day to day stuff at my other blog http://courterclassroom.blogspot.com

Still not better

Well, still no diagnosis. Big Surprise.

So, about two months ago, my neck was tight, felt like it needed to crack but I didn't have time to see my chiropractor. So, I forced my neck to crack. Which you are never never supposed to do. If you turn your head and it cracks, fine, but never ever force it. I worked for a chiropractor, have been a patient of one for years... I knew better, did it anyway. As soon as I did it, I knew it was different than any other time it has ever cracked. It was loud, and sharp sounding, not dull like the norm.

That night, I told my husband my neck hurt. The next day, it was hurting worse, and my husband pointed out that my neck and the side of my face was swollen. So, I called my Dr and since it was a holiday weekend, I told him I'd come in on Tuesday, after the holiday. I think it was Memorial Day. So, for three days I stayed lying still as possible propped up on pillows, one of which was a chiropractic cervical pillow to support the cervical part of your spine. I was absolutely miserable....

So first thing Tuesday morning I go to a chiropractor. Not "my" chiropractor because he's a 45 minute drive one way, and at $4 a gallon... well I think you get the point. So anyway, I went to a local chiropractor. My husband had talked to him earlier, so he knew I'd been in pain all week and was coming in. So I go in and told my neck was hurting me and he told me to lay on the table so he could adjust me. I pointed out the swelling on my face and asked him his opinion, to which he replied "I don't know. It could be anything. You could have been bitten by a bug" Then he adjusts me and says I should be better by the end of the day. I wasn't.

My regular Dr gave me scripts for muscle relaxer, pain meds, and nausea medicine because the pain meds make me nauseous. He told me he wanted to schedule me for a CT scan because it was a bit concerned about the swelling. Fine. Sounds good. So, home I go to sit, supported by pillows waiting for medicine to kick in. I'm not someone who can sit still for long, or likes to sit still. I was going nuts that I couldn't stay in contact with ppl because I couldn't sit up long enough to even go and check my mail, or get on the net. I went and bought a laptop so I could access the net from bed.... Then I thought about MY chiropractor, the out of town one. I called him. He talked with me on the phone and listened to me tell him about what happened, what it felt like, range of motion etc. He said it sounded to him like there was some pooling of fluid around my temporal artery and that a CT Scan most likely wasn't going to show anything. He did say for me to give him a call after it was done and have a copy faxed to him and he'd take a look at them.

So the CT ppl call me and tell me that it would be another two or three weeks before they could get me in for a CT because of my insurance required pre authorization. That Saturday I called my Dr and told him about not being able to get a CT Scan for so long. That day the swelling had also gotten worse, along with the pain. The swelling had moved up the side of my head and down my neck. So, he told me to go to the ER and get in right away because he didn't feel like the CT could wait and if it was an emergent situation they'd not need authorization.

The hospital Dr said it was a muscle spasm. He also said I was wasting his time. It was ridiculous. I'll tell that whole story another time. Point is, my chiropractor out of town has been able to help me over the phone than any doctor in the area... it's just ridiculous

Who knows what the next step is. I'm just tired of not getting a diagnosis. They give you one pill for the pain, which makes you nauseous, so they give you a pill for that. Then that pill makes you sleepy, or makes it hard for you to go to the bathroom, so they give you more meds for that.... it's an endless cycle of pills upon pills with still no relief....

My abscence

I've been MIA lately, sorry. My computer crashed, and then my body did... so not doing any work right now... not at least until my Drs can figure out what is wrong with me and then make me better... I'll post my latest stuff ASAP
God Bless

Can you hear Him knocking?

My latest piece. As you can see, it is 3D and sits about 1 1/2 inches up off the page. I was happy with the way this overall piece came out, but If I could redo certain parts of it I'd be happier with it. I may go back and redo the parts that bother me, but for now this will do.

It really was a lot of fun to work on. When I first started it I became a bit overwhelmed by it, but I began looking at it in "sections" instead of one overall piece. That made it much easier, then just glued the sections down and Wa-La!

Sport Logos

Trying my hand and sport team logos!

Garfield and Odie

Garfield and Odie, my latest piece

3D Paper Art Cutting

My latest creation.... obviously based on a scene from the Disney Cartoon Bambi. All copyrights belong to Disney.

Each different colored piece you see was cut out individually and glued together to form the picture... it was then anchored down for the complete picture.

If you are a fan of a specific person, cartoon, character, etc... let me know and I can turn it into a 3D art cutting!