look what greeted me this morning

Well, hello there! This beautiful flower, a rosemallow hibiscus, was planted for me by my husband in our new perennial garden. This sweet flower was such a surprise this morning!

new things old things

While doing some browsing in an antique shoppe I found...

Old crate for art supplies

Some linens and a toile lamp shade

Old globes

I LOVE finding old treasures!

My Arty Smarty Party

I thought I would share my latest artwork. All 3 are mixed media on canvas.

"Blueberry Pickin'"
Alyssa Foy-2011

"Reach For Your Pie In The Sky"
Alyssa Foy-2011

"..And The Last Piece Was Saved For The Sweetest"
Alyssa Foy-2011

These will be made into prints that can be matted and framed and also notecards, (I'm bringing snail mail back!) They will be available for purchase in my Etsy shoppe soon!
All artwork is created by the hands of Alyssa and is not to be copied in any form.
Copyright 2011.

If you live in the New England area, my friend Sarah of soups, sauces, and more and I will be having an "Open Studio" where you can come on over and purchase many of our creations. Stay tuned for more info!

Stay artsy,

may i tempt your recycling palette?

I got all of these items for FREE!!! Yes, FREE!!! at The Recycle Center-Woohoo! I'm so excited!

Vintage Mason Jars lined up like soldiers prepared for duty...

                                         Hanging baskets, a cutting board (that I will clean and use for display), a vintage thermos, milkglass vases...

Maps from 1976 and vintage dress patterns, envelopes,

Oodles of fresh cut ribbon

My dream-CONTAINERS!

Magazines! 

This was a very good day of FREENESS!

Did I mention I had 4 kids in tow?

Recyclable Art Show!

My head is spinning from all of this creativity!

What 4 kids (my 2 nieces, 1 nephew, and my son) can do after a trip to The Recycle Center

They were given a plastic bag by me and I said, "GO!"

They said, "This is all FREE!?!"

After collecting their goods-From cardboard to fabric to a wooden shelf and a plastic penguin

we all headed back to my home where a large table awaited them. I said, "CREATE"

With belts, a free bag, bottlecaps. pins, and a plastic bead necklace we have a
NEW POCKETBOOK! 

Below: A new teckdeck ramp for those mini skateboards

Now, it's my turn to create! I can't wait! ;)

my maine summer

Our Maine Summer 

Crazy Cliff Walk Hikes

Walking the Cliffs with Daddy

Perkins Cove

A Peaceful Evening in the Harbor

                            The Only Way to Travel in Maine

arts and crafts time with Mod

Scrabble Tile Necklace: I am the type of crafter that uses anything that I have on hand at the moment to work with. Large rocks or soup cans for hammers. I hardly measure a thing and use the "eyeball it" method. The steps that I did are a bit backwards.
1. I glued my paper cut-outs to the scrabble tile

2. I put several layers of mod podge on top, let it dry then applied the hard coat mod podge.

3. I drilled a hole using the 1/16th bit into the front of the tile-You should actually do this step at #1.

4. I added my fastener.

5. Then my beaded necklace.
6. Poof! It's done!

Mod Podge Letter Art: My next project is brought to you by the letter "F" (Remember Sesame Street)
I picked up a $2.00 white "F" at Michael's.

1. Traced the letter on the back of the paper. Make sure the letter is in reverse, so that you have the right print on the front.

2. Cut out the paper letter and place it on the top of the real "F" for good measure.

3. Put a layer of Mod on the real "F" then place the paper on top. Be Very Careful!
4. Add another layer of Mod on top of the paper "F" and trim the paper or lightly sand it if you need to.

5. Let it dry and then add a hard coat on top if you wish.

6. Your letter is done! Fancy Shmansy

10 years today! a mod podging of blogginess

Today marks the 10 year anniversary of my wedding day! I awoke this morning to the most beautiful card waiting for me. My husband had to jet off to work this morning for a few hours, but when he comes home we will be planting a tree together for our anniversary. Also, we will be dining at a very nice restaurant this evening! So excited!!!
I apologize ahead of time for the huge white space under the photo~ But there is more below it. You just have to get through all of that!

You made it! Today I will also be creating a scrabble tile necklace for my niece.  This is my first time attempting this craft. Behind those jars is a whole jar full of scrabble tiles just waiting for me to do something with them. I'll let you know how it turns out.

a splash of summer decor

As the summer sun was setting, I created a quick summer display 

A Vintage Reproduction Purchased at an Antique Shoppe in Kennnebunk, Maine. My dad bought it for me last July after I left the shoppe. He wrapped it up for me and gave it to me last Christmas! I was so surprised!

Susan Branch's Summer Recipe Book is Displayed

Fresh Hydrangeas 

A jar full of sand from Drakes Island, Maine and shells sit atop a vintage book and the photo book, Beach Stones
I removed the label from the $5.00 candle and added my own. A vintage copy tied with twine around the jar.

Starfish Bottle Toppers Rest atop Bottles that are Awaiting a Fresh Bouquet