A Box of International Shells

So the other day the mailman pops in. As I have already been alerted to his presence by the dogs barking their ever-loving heads off, I am down to greet him at the bottom of the steps. He has packages! Hopping on one foot with excitement, I ask him what countries they are from. He looks oddly at me and then down the packages and then back at me.

I say, jokingly, I am only accepting international packages today.

He then says, well, this one is from California?

Well, close enough. That is almost like a world away from NY. HAND IT OVER NOW MAILMAN!

It's tiny and it from my Aunt Connie.

You never do know what treasures might exist in such a small little box.

She is international. Always has some crazy scary place she is off to for work.

It has a handful of itty bitty little shells and a magazine advertisement.

It's like a challenge...

A few days later, a very small amount of photos in my inbox.

And inspiration hits.

I am in the mood for layers and messy.

The shells and photos are from Puerto Rico.

She explains in her e-mail that just a few photos as she was busy working.

As someone who also works from home and who has on occasion worked on vacation from various locations, I get it.

It is hard to do everything and be everything. I know, get over myself since I can work in PJs if the mood strikes.

One of the photos was of my Uncle Jeff next to this spray painted graffiti. Evidently they feel the same way there with the whole middle finger thing that we do here.....

I KNOW, you will have to squint...

This chunk of cardboard was ripped off a box and already had that pretty heart cut into it. Which was why I ripped it off to use in the first place.

Added some plaster work to create that raised image you see there sticking out on the bottom.

And of course some gesso over that and ink over that.

Dimensional Modge podge in the heart itself after carefully covering my itty bitty little Uncle Jeff with some clear tape. Version 1 didn't like the modge podge and ran, which I do know better. I ended up with a glue covered blob of a photo.

And do you see all those itty bitty tiny gray blue beads hiding like sand amongst the shells?

And Helen I bow down to your seed bead layout!

Tried to keep the colors the same as the image from the magazine. Strayed a little bit more to the greenish side of yellow,

That photo of the fountain had a wee bit of green in the flag I wanted to capture.

How do you like that tissue paper I had with all the roses? Tried to capture the feel of the dress, which is AWESOME!

I'd wear it, minus the pink belt. Ignored that belt like crazy and the earrings.

And a few little vintage ads thrown in, to capture the whole travel feel.

And, I am showing you this in a frame as I intend to frame it prior to sending. Aunt Connie doesn't have a scrapbook, I don't think, so will need it in a displayable kind of way.

And one more photo of a tiny rose I tucked in with a few pins.

I will be back tomorrow with a post of a cigar box I altered and then I am off for my trip. Not sure how much blogging I will do from there but for sure will do some blog reading and with any luck, hit a craft store or two!