Row House Swap

ALL of the entries for the Row House swap are up on the blog and I will work on swapping them out next. My goal is to have them swapped & mailed by Saturday . . . . I am also working on registering a car and wrestling with motor vehicles, but I think I can manage both!

There are two Sunshine quilties packages waiting on my desk very patiently . . . jolande & betty lou, I have not forgotten about you!!!!! Thanks for your patience, your fabric art will be up here soon. : ^ ) lenna

Row House Swap: Shannon Sawyer - Arizona

This is how I was greeted when I received Shannon Sawyers package! ooooh, I love mail art, and Shannon really knows how to art-up an envelope. Thank you, Shannon - for this and for all of your amazing art.

For this swap Shannon created very beautiful, detailed, and different Row Houses. Each house she made was decorated on both sides, and each house also opens up . . . see below:

It's hard to see because of the camera's flash, but I have tried to show the inside of a couple of Shannon's row houses to the right . . . . . click on ANY photo for more detail.

Lots of work and so much detail, as usual!!! Just wonderful, Shannon, thank you so much.

Below, one side:

--and then the other side!! All the houses open up ~ like crocodile mouths : ^ )
very cool.

Row House Swap: Rena Matus ~ Connecticut

Wow, there is something about Rena's Row Houses with their large keys that is quite compelling! I really like these keys that Rena used when creating her pieces -it makes them look super! Thank you Rena, for your time and attention to this swap and looking forward to seeing you Sept. 27th for the collage class : ^ )

Row House Swap: Lori Guerin ~ New York

From Lori Guerin in NY! Wonderful . . . . 2 sets of distinctly beautiful Row Houses - thank you so much!

Row House Swap: Linda Garcia - New Mexico

Oh My! I simply love this particular house (left) from Linda Garcia in Albuquerque, NM. I think this is a favorite image of Linda's too, as I have seen her use it before . . . . "Laugh & Live more" sounds like good advice to me!!

Linda usually incorporates a southwestern theme into her artwork & this swap is no exception. Hmmm, I should really say (as Linda does) a theme of 'Tierra Encantada' ~ [The Land of Enchantment]. Thank you, Linda. Enjoy!

(click on any photo for more detail).

Row House Swap: Lenna Andrews ~ Connecticut

Can you believe I am participating in MY OWN SWAP? !
Yes, I am. I am very thankful for the extra pieces that participants send my way, and I could make do with just those, but I really wanted to try making row houses myself!
I used chipboard houses from Elements and Maya Road as a base, which I got from Alpha Stamps -but in all cases I added on house shapes I made to make my pieces a little bigger. The houses to to right were made with the tall skinny house with a window from the Elements package. I laid this covered chipboard house on top of a free-cut house shape from lightweight cardstock/covered with scrapbook paper. The house on the left features my hubby (I am keeping this house!) and the one on the right is me, at 5 years after I cut my own hair! Click on any pic for a better view.

Below is a row house featuring my dad as a young man, and the house next to it features my mom and her grandmother : ^ ) my dad is doing much better these days, although his back is still a big problem. Therapy helps! The little hearts are chipboard and come in the Maya Road Tin. I painted mine with Lumiere and wanted to add them to all my houses as a symbol of family & love!

I also made some "collage" row houses out of a few of the Maya Road tiny houses and leftover frames from punching out the elements houses. I hope you enjoy! Any questions, just ask or leave a comment . . .

Row House Swap: Joanie Hoffman ~ Maryland

From Joanie Hoffman in Maryland near the Chesapeake Bay, we have the most delightful little houses, with such details! I love all the bricks and tiles on the roof, plus the doors and windows you've created are fabulous, Joanie. The colours are great too!

Thank you : ))

Row House Swap: Christina Cosentino ~ New York

I have *a lot* of Row Houses that came in at the end of last week, just photographed yesterday & resized today -please forgive me if I am brief!

From Christina Cosentino in NY, wow! Look at these cool houses. I love the one with the picket fence and the fairy girl. Christina made 2 sets, and extras -thanks ever so much.

Take a look at the rest of her row houses, remembering you can click on any photo or scan for more detail.

Row House Swap: Linda Schultz ~ Pennsylvania

Linda Schultz's houses really blew me away! I am not sure if it can be conveyed in a photo or scan, but these row houses, or 'downtown shops' as Linda calls them, have a lot of substance and a distinct style. They are created on some kind of lightweight board which gives them a different look and feel than cardboard or chip board. Click on them for details!

To the right is the Hardware Shop, and below it is the US Post Office. Bravo, Linda! I am not surprised at the beautiful items Linda used to embellish her Row Houses . . . she is often a vendor at the Heirloom art rubber stamp shows. She has her own website full of collage art finds, Collage Closet!

Thank you again, Linda!

Here we have from L to R: The Bank, Pharmacy & Music Shop!

Row House Swap: Mary Goodrow ~ Massachusetts

Mary Goodrow is from nearby Massachusetts and has often come to take class with me in my studio. Mary enclosed a note in her package admitting that this swap had been hard for her to do . . . she said, she just kept trying!

Dear Mary, I think you are managing extremely well. Your Row Houses are beautiful! The image is very calming (good choice) and the copper roof with the decorative accent is amazing.
You not only tried; you succeeded beautifully!!!

I so appreciate a little house like this for me!
Click on any photo to see more details in Mary's houses.

Row House Swap: Cathy Johnson ~ Texas

These darling musical Row Houses are from Cathy Johnson in Texas. I always think of Cathy as a fabric artist. She has really been surprising me as of late by jumping into both the Itty Bitty swap (she sewed paper, not fabric) and the Row House swap, and doing an awesome job with her non-fabric pieces! Cathy manages the Fabric in Altered Art yahoo group . . . please visit her blog, Altered Fabrications for more information on joining this invitation-only group!

Thank you for the extra House for my collection, Cathy!

Row House Swap: Nicole Austin ~ California

Nicole Austin from San Jose, CA has sent in six awesome Row Houses for our swap. She also included a few collage goodies and a wonderful "moo card" or mini business card, with each house, wow! I have taken a couple of photos that show off her row house and her moo card -click on any photo for more details.

Thanks very much for making an extra house, Nicole. You can visit Nicole's blog, Life is beautiful -and read about how she made her Moo cards. I also see a post on "Summer days ... Art Adventures ..." that shows a collage she made. I think Nicole used this collage as the base for her row houses; very cool!!!!!

Row House Swap: Leslie Hanson ~ Oregon

We have received 6 really gorgeous & detailed Row Houses from Leslie Hanson in Oregon. I so appreciate the gift of the extra house, Leslie! It will be hard to pick which one . . . Today, I started decorating with the "extras" by hanging up a row house in my studio, way up high on one of the beams that runs across the room. Cynthia Weed had put her extra house for me in with a bag of yummy, yummy goodies . . . so when I brought those out to my studio, I hung her house up! I think it will be a wonderful display as I add to it & I am sure to take photos to share with you.

I am so glad you are all enjoying the swap -tomorrow is the deadline. I have packages here from Linda Schultz, Nicole Austin, Cathy Johnson & Mary Goodrow that just arrived today & need to be photographed and uploaded. Plus, I am hoping for a few more to arrive tomorrow!

Row House Swap: Sharon Schutt ~ Indiana

Wow!
I love these different houses that Sharon made ~ They are Bee Hive Houses!! Sharon wrote to me and sent me a scan a few weeks ago, saying:

"I wanted to send this preview to you for my row house swap to see what you think. Do you think the ladies will like the beeskeeps I've created? Are they OK for a 'house' swap?"

I wrote back and told Sharon I thought they were very different from what I have seen so far, but I thought they would be most welcome. I am very glad Sharon made an extra "beeskeep" for me - Thank you!

Row House Swap: Vickie Jones ~ South Dakota

Vickie Jones in South Dakota wrote to me prior to my receiving her package, and said it really took her a while to make her pieces because . . . . .

"my creativity just vanished!"

I think after looking at her houses you will agree with me that Vickie's creativity has returned!!

Vickie also wrote, "On a couple of the houses I took a little different spin on what the others have done...I did "Tree Houses" and then added a Pooh Bear photo and his address... The adobe and rock house came together quite quickly... the two I included were a couple of quick ones. I enjoyed it once I got going but it sure took me long enough!"

Excellent job, Vickie -I think your swap pieces are very creative! Click on any photo for details -Vickie used some unusual materials --tyvek, paper clay, pipe cleaners, vellum, embossing powder, pebbles, and dimension media.

Row House Swap: Cynthia Weed ~ Wyoming

From the very arty Miz C. Weed in Wyoming, yowza! I love the Row Houses Cynthia has created. What a great idea to have the ribbons flowing off each side ~ a great way to connect them too! I tried it out, see below:

"House Sitting on a Summer Day" ~ Too Cool!

Thanks so much, Cynthia!

Row House Swap: Lisa Mallette ~ Florida

(smile)
This bright, beautiful, and different 'row house' has come in from Lisa Mallette in Florida along with 5 very similar ones and also 2 different ones just for me. : )Thank you, Lisa! You will find more of Lisa's art on her blog ~ Studio Rose.

Row House Swap: Patricia Schweitzer ~ Kentucky

Oh my goodness! Here are more beautiful houses from Patricia Schweitzer in Kentucky. As today marks just 2 days before the swap is due in my hands, you are sure to see lots of packages arriving and making the deadline just in time!

Patricia used chipboard houses from Alpha Stamps and decorated them with my favorite green leafy vine ribbon that AS carries as well. I really like the little windows! A couple of our swap participants have used this tin of houses with great results! Here are more pics -including 2 special houses (with my initials) that Patricia created extra for me ~ thank you.

Row House Swap: Teri Calia ~ California

Teri Calia, an Emeryville, California artist I got to know through Alpha Stamps and their yahoo group, has sent in some great little houses for our swap due Saturday. Thanks so much, Teri!

I don't think Teri has these houses on her blog yet, but Artistic Catnip is sure worth a visit, check it out!

Row House Swap: Sharon Walworth ~ Rhode Island

Oh my! These houses created by Sharon Walworth are some of my very favorite so far. I think the colours, the additional elements and the images that Sharon used really produce a "feeling" that I am attracted too. I wonder if anyone can guess which house is my favorite -which one I will keep??? Leave me a comment here if you think you know! I will come up with a special something for you if you guess correctly.

Thanks so much, Sharon.