Current Mood: calm & tired

Today was horrible muggy. The “air you can wear”. This is not normal Oregon behavior. Its the second time its happened that I know of in my lifetime of living here. Its a suffocating air. I don’t know how anybody can live in it.

That aside, we were rewarded by a lovely thunderstorm. Out here in Oregon we don’t get storms like, say, the midwest. We’ve had some doosies, mainly when I was young/a teen, but they are far and few now.

I sat out on the front porch eating my garlicy scrambled eggs and waiting for the storm. I had been out in the backyard wrestling with Bodie and watching the trees sway high in the air. I’ve never really seen that before. It was lovely. And especially lovely was the sound the leaves made. It could have fooled, told me it was raining.

But on the front porch I had the most amazing lightning experience! Whitepaws had just gone inside to fix up his freshly BBQ’d burger. No sooner than he closed the door, there was a -bolt- of lightning right in front of me, and I swear it was no further than a quarter mile away. Holding my hand outstretched in front of me now I can compared the size of the bolt to nearly the width of my pinky.

I saw the lightening up close and personal! I have never seen anything like it, in photographs or in real life. I was in such awe over it (I still can’t put it into words how awesome it was) that I forgot about the other half of the lightning bolt- the thunder.

It was probably the loudest thunder I’ve ever heard, or at least heard while I was outside. I swear my butt vibrated on the concrete step I was sitting on!

Then it started raining really heavy. We -really- need the rain. Very shortly after that Whitepaws’ parents came home from a little something they went to do for a few days. I had fun running between the house and their van to help them unload their stuff. I had to take advantage of the pure energy in the rain and really be out under the thunder and lightning.

Needless to say, I was soaked within minutes. I wouldn’t use an umbrella, even when a bit of hail appeared in the rain. I used the storm to wash off the thick air that was sticking to me.

Its always a sad thing when a storm passes as they are a real treat to me. I wish they can be there all night.

I envy you people in the states that get the bigger, better storms.

Today I’m going to teach you how to make this background fodder: (click thumbnail to enlarge)

I’ve only made this one so far, but I hope to make many more. Imagine what you could do with this! Cut it up and use in ATCs, inchies, put them in your altered book, wrap it around and glue it to a bottle…. slap it onto some canvas and put images over it, gluebook/collage style… there’s SO MANY OPTIONS!

I KNOW this can’t possibly be anything new, but I discovered it by my lonesome. I’m writing this how-to as a thanks to the many how-to’s out there in Cyber land. I wouldn’t have gotten anywhere without them. Thank you, all!

Ingredients Needed:

Cutting device (I used a rotary blade)

Cutting template (used thick 8.5″x11″ cardstock)

Gluestick (I used Uhustick)

Modge Podge (gel medium will prolly work)

Metallic wrapping paper stuff (I used mauve)

Patterned tissue paper that matches your metallic paper (I used pink floral)… or go with contrasts!

Plain white tissue paper (orrr… try a plain colored one!)

Handy: Something like a scrap piece of metallic paper or wax paper… something stuff won’t stick to easily.

Optional: Glitter or something similar (I used Mainstays glitter, its chunky like salt).

Optional: Appropriate inkpad to rub/dab on top… I haven’t tried it but I’m sure it could end up neato.

Process:

Step 1: The metallic wrapping paper comes on a roll. You know, like wrapping paper. Use the template and cutting device to cut out a 8.5″x11″ or whatever size piece.

Step 2: Rip up a bunch of your patterned tissue paper into various chunks. I have maybe… 12 to 15, mostly big pieces.
Step 3: Start using your gluestick all over the metallic paper (colored side). Don’t worry about placing the glue just right.
Step 4: Plop down those chunks of tissue paper you just ripped up. Don’t worry about some overlap, but make sure you have some of the metallic paper stuff showing through.

Step 5: Spread Modge Podge all over the whole damn thing.

Step 6: Place some of the white tissue paper over the whole thing (I had to do two big separate strips because that’s just how it tore off, not a biggie, I just tried not to overlap them).

Step 7: Modge Podge one last time! I didn’t make an even coat… it was a little thick in some places, a little thin in others.
Step 8: Sprinkle your glitter on to taste! I covered the whole thing pretty decently because I expected a bunch to fall off right away after drying, but so far it seems pretty well stuck.
Step 9: Figure out a place to put it so it won’t dry onto your workspace… or maybe I was a bit paranoid.

Step 10: Go eat cheesecake while watching Rattatouille because its going to take awhile to dry. Better yet, just go to bed. It’ll be ready in the morning.

Like magic, some of the areas will be transparent because of the Modge Podge, some not. Its a multi-layered wonderland!

I hope everyone gets to try this and lets me see their outcome and then what you do with it. I just KNOW it’s going to yield a ton of different, exciting results.