On Safari

Just been doing bits and bobs lately and nothing particularly creative or constructive!

I made this ATC at the weekend.

I used two different mediums for the background, imitation fur skin sent to me some time ago by a crafting mate Sassy - it has a lovely soft feel to it (a bit like stroking a cat!) and a strip of some patterned paper which co ordinated with the main zebra image.

I mounted the zebra on card then used 3d foam pads to raise it.

The beads are from a set in my stash and I finally managed to stamp a word into Sculpey clay that you could read! I covered the clay with gold ink and added a few fibres.

Da Vinci's Dreams

Theme Thursday's challenge was 'Famous Faces'

I have done a paper collage ATC in a tribute to Da Vinci.

Although Mona is a beautiful portrait, I think Da Vinci was an amazing scientist as well as a fabulous painter, and definitley born well ahead of his time!

Egypt

It's been a lovely day here, lots of sunshine - fingers crossed the sunshine stays with us for tomorrow as it is our 'Official' Club Opening Day!

I started this ATC last night and finished it this morning. It wasn't made for a challenge or anything, merely made because I have done so little in creative mode just recently.

I covered the ATC in brown mulberry paper and then distressed using a cream versamark ink. I then added the hieroglyphic printed paper attaching with 3d foam.

I have hardly used this set of stamps from Hero Arts so decided to give at least one of them a try! I stamped it onto black paper and then gold embossed, I think it's turned out OK! Again this was attached with 3d foam. I randomly gold embossed the entire ATC before threading the beads onto wire and glueing in place. I chose blue, black and gold as these colours always remind me of Tutankhamun's mask.

To complete the ATC I used a black cat brad, a 'coin' and glued on a couple more loose beads in the same colours.

Tea Time!

Not much spare time again this week to craft but have made a couple of ATC's to stave off the crafting withdrawal symptoms!

'Glamour Girls' is the challenge at this week's Theme Thursday.

Here's my entry!

(I have been unable to post my link on the Theme Thursday site - don't know why!!! But I confess to feeling a little frustrated about it this morning!" Never mind, at least I got to take part in the challenge even if no one from the site can see it!)

Sew Time

My blog posts today are like buses....... you wait ages for one to come along, then two arrive together!

I kept my promise to myself to make something tonight after being 'craft less' for nearly a week and here it is!

The challenge on Theme Thursday was 'Sewing' and Margaret's theme this week was 'Time'.

I have combined the two challenges and made this mixed media ATC.

The background is a pretty fabric that was sent to me by another crafter, the image is from Seneca Pond Crafts, the embellishments, lace and ribbon were from my stash.

April Evening

This week has passed so quickly! Have been catching up with a few jobs and have been taking advantage of the beautiful weather we've had.

I spent Friday in the garden and yesterday I was where I love to be on a warm sunny day - on a bowling green! We were invited to Opening Day at Southport BC and it was a really lovely afternoon and a great start to the outdoor season.

Today has seen us back out in the garden - am hoping to do a bit of crafting this evening but in the meantime I popped out, camera in hand and took a few pics of part of the garden in the evening sunshine.

The magnolia is one of my favourite plants - I adore the flowers and am real sorry they don't last all year! When I planted this shrub it was a mere 2 feet tall!

Isn't the double daffoldil just 'peachy' ?! (In more ways than one!)

I remember buying the yellow flowered plant a couple of years ago... it's now spread itself into several parts of one of the borders.. it only lasts during spring, but I love the huge glossy leaves and the tiny flowers... I just wish I could remember what it was called! I think it's an orchid of some description.... but whatever it is, it has certainly made itself at home!

Dreams

Maggies challenge this week was to make an ATC using this beautiful image of a young girl.

As soon as I saw it I thought about how innocent childhood is and it just seemed so apt to make a 'thoughtful' ATC with it. Children have such wonderful imaginations and because they are so untroubled by all the humdrum of daily life can allow their thoughts to raom free.

I used a background from the Flickr collage pool - I don't normally use the colour green a lot so this is a bit of a change for me.

After adding the image this quote from W.B.Yeats came into my mind -

'I have spread my dreams beneath your feet, Tread softly because you tread on my dreams'

and it seemed to capture everything about the expression on the child's face and the thoughts behind her trusting eyes.

To complete the ATC I added some vintage lace, a silk flower and 'cobwebby' fibres in an attempt to carry on the 'Dreams' theme throughout.

I have also entered this into the challenge on Saturday Suprise this week as the theme is 'Childhood'.

I hope this child, whoever she was, achieved her dreams.

The Golden Egg

This weeks 'Mamma' challenge was an ATC sized egg!

For the front I used embossed gold paper and ran some organza ribbon around the entire egg. I added some sparkly ribbon looped into a flower shape, secured with a shiny gold brad and some gold and pearl beads on gold wire. The sparkly ribbon has string threaded through it so I used the string to 'tie' the egg closed.

Inside I used gold embossed paper again, two printed images from my stash, some red/gold lace and red gems...

The opened out egg needs enlarging to view properly!

Someone to Watch Over Me

Do It In An Hour's challenge was on the theme of 'Eyes'.

I made an ATC using a cream parchment paper background and stamping the eye image on it in grey Stazon. I then printed out the guardian angel image onto an inkjet transparency and overlaid the stamped parchment, securing it with a couple of brads. I thought it looked rather bare and flat so added a few fibres at the bottom to try and give some texture and then added a silver cross.

'Perhaps the idea of Guardian Angels is a fanciful one. They could be something invented by humans to help people cope with the difficult times in our lives. They could be real. Perhaps only your own faith or experience can determine their reality. Are these spiritual beings really "assigned" to assist people here on Earth and is there one angel per person, one angel for several people or several angels for one person? Ulitmately, perhaps only your own faith and experience can determine their reality. But whether you believe in them or not, or whether you want one or not, believers insist that you do have a guardian angel. '

I have called this ATC, 'Someone to Watch Over Me' and hope, if angels do exist that one is assigned to me!

Mother Nature

I suppose many of us could be forgiven for thinking Spring had arrived here judging by the lovely weather we had last week and at the beginning of this - once again we were fooled! Despite the blooming daffodils and other spring flowers Mother Nature dealt us a blow with some really cold winds, very heavy showers and grey skies!

I have completed a piece today and have submitted it for two challenges.

The theme at Awfully Big Art Adventure was set by Patty and it was to 'alter cutlery'.

Heather had set a theme of 'Mother Nature' on the Saturday Surprise blog.

Having viewed some amazing pieces of altered cutlery on other blogs I managed to dodge the husband before he put locks on the kitchen drawers and found a couple of old forks. Unfortunately, the forks weren't old enough because they were almost impossible to bend!! (They must have been nickel plated.)

Undeterred I managed to bend the tines on one even if it wasn't to the shape I wanted!

I alcohol inked the fork using 'Lettuce, Meadow and Ginger' inks. I made Mother Nature in the centre of the fork with a Sculpey head (smudged suitably using a felt pen before colouring the mouth and eyes), and made her hair from a collection of fabric leaves wound onto long wires. The wires I then wound to create arms and legs. I added a sparkly dragonfly a shell shaped flower with a silver ladybird charm and the words Create and Grow which to me represent Nature. Finally I put the little foam bird onto the top of the fork with a few tiny twigs and a piece of green wool to try and represent a nest.

This was one of those things where I was quite surprised that it turned out not bad for a first attempt.

Ruler Book

Those of you who follow my blog will know that I am a member of a group called the 'Six Inch Square Club' - all ardent crafters are part of this group even though they mightn't be aware of it - its for all us messy artists who no matter how hard we try to be tidy always end up with only 'six inches' of usable space on their work tables!

The very talented Ange is the group Administrator and she sets a project every couple of months for us to try. I was lucky enough this month to win the basics to make the project of a Ruler Book. Ange sent me the ruler, fixings and the board.

Here is the result. I decided on a 'Garden' theme and used the image of the garden landscape design as the basis for the front cover. The large lace flower (dyed with distress ink), the daisy lace, green ribbon and small flower were all part of a 'lucky dip' bag I bought at the NEC. I painted the chipboard piece with Distress Crackle Paint then ran another distress ink pad over it. The background paper is from Basic Grey and the tag and butterfly were from my own stash. The rusty key used to open our old garden shed!

Inside the book I made a couple of pages to depict the garden seasons. All the background papers were from my stash and the larger tags are K and Co. I added smaller tags with leaves etc and also glued a seasonal 'tip' onto the large tag before putting the tags into the lace and paper pockets on each page. A few lace and floral embellishments finished the book.

I really enjoyed this project. I have uploaded the inside of the book as smaller images so as always if you want to see the detail you need to view each pic by clicking on it individually!

And of course if you want to join the 'Six Inch Square Club' Ange would love to see you! Just follow this link or click on the pic on the right hand side of my blog.

The lovely weather this week has meant I have been outside in the garden during the day. I went along to the bowls club on Wednesday for the first time this season to indulge in some much needed practice before the season starts in the middle of next month! Consequently I haven't done much crafting, although I have thought about the layout for the ruler book and am hoping to make a start on that this weekend.

Having not managed to do last week's challenge on 'Tag You're It', this morning I made an effort to do this week's!

There was an open theme but you had to include 3 elements - a ribbon, buttons, and brads or eyelets.

Here is my tag! I crumpled up some green tissue paper then ran 'Shabby Shutters' distress ink over it. The little lion and the monkey's head are buttons and the lizard background is from Hot Off the Press. I put a small green brad to secure the lizard paper onto the main tag. I used black eyelets to thread the ribbon through at the top. I finally added some small chipboard scrabble like tiles for the greeting.

A winner!

Well, I just can't believe it! One of my most talented blogging friends Ange (otherwise known as Agnes the Red) sets a challenge every couple of months over on her 'Six Inch Square' Club and blog.
This month was to make a ruler book.... and she set up a prize for someone to win all the stash to make one of these gorgeous books (inspired by the lovely Tim Holtz, of course!) ......AND I WON!!
I'm so pleased cos I've been looking for wooden rulers everywhere without success so I could try one of these and now I've won the makings!
Please go and have a look at Ange's blog, her work is fab, she is full of inspirational ideas and has lots of tutorials for you to learn from.
Thanks Ange, promise I will try to do a real good ruler book for you!

Mother and Child

The challenge this week at Gothic Arches was 'Mother and Child'.

Having already immortalised my great-grandmother and my father on ATC's, this was the perfect opportunity to use some more of my relations!

This picture is of my Nan and Mum. Nan was only 17 when Mum was born and this pic must have been taken late 1927/early 1928. I love this photograph.

I used Basic Grey paper for the background, then stuck the lace onto the same paper and cut out following the line of the lace. I mounted the two pieces onto the arch shape to 'frame' the image.

I finished the arch by adding a couple of buttons, a heart button with some organza ribbon and a couple of timy pearls. I added the year on the top of the arch digitally.

I have been researching my ancestry for about 5 years now and it is as addictive as crafting! I have printed this quote ' The Family is link to our past, bridge to our future' onto the front of my ancestry journals.

Playing with stash!

Cards finished so tipped the contents of the carrier bags out onto the work desk and began to have another look at all the stuff I bought with Maureen at the NEC.

We had spent a bit of a time admiring a 5' tall 'Decopatch' giraffe and as mad crafters do had bought a 'starter' kit! (Don't panic - We didn't buy anything as big as the giraffe!)

The decopatch papers are absolutely beautiful. Gorgeous colours and designs and as part of the deal we got 4 papers of our choice... I spent ages choosing but eventually much to Maureen's relief (as she was itching to go into the sewing section) I made my mind up!

Here are the results. (You really need to click on each pic to get the full view of the different designs on the papers).

I enjoyed doing this, tearing the paper up though was a bit of a wrench as the designs were so pretty- but I steeled myself to destroy it consoling myself that it would be reborn!

Card

I had a great day yesterday with Maureen at the Birmingham NEC - despite the best efforts of British Rail to leave me abandoned in the wilds of Wolverhampton by cancelling and delaying trains, I managed to arrive home very late but in one piece, heavily laden with crafty stash and with a considerably lighter purse!

I have been itching to play with the new goodies but had to discipline myself as I have some card orders that I HAVE to do within the next 24 hours.

Here's one that I finished earlier!!!!!!!!!! (with some images I got yesterday).

I have another 2 Birthday cards to make before I can get rid of the 'girly, frothy' stuff and get down to real business!

Front Cover

You know I've been promising to make a book from my gothic arches for a while? Well don't get excited...it isn't made yet..... BUT I have decided on how I want it to look!

Instead of using the arches and adding a 'spine' to them by joining them together, I chose to mount them onto co-ordinating paper which I could also decorate. I've done 6 so far .

This picture though is of the book's front cover.

I really enjoyed doing this. I used mountboard measuring approx 8" x 8".

The background paper and lady image is from Flickr collage group and I painted her lips and nails before adding some wire mesh to her veil. I think she is stunningly beautiful and has such a peaceful aura about her. I distressed the paper behind her then highlighted the edge of the mountboard with red ink before distressing the arch background. A couple of red gems added to the top of the arch with our winged gothic ladies in front, a crow (HAS to be included on anything gothic doesn't it???!!), a hand holding a red rose, a fabric flower, red ticket and metal tags also added and I glued some black lace along the bottom edge.

I am now looking for something suitable to spray/paint the whole piece with to give it a protective coat.

This is definitely work in progress. Will post again when I have completed the book!

Last week I did my entry for the Tag You're It challenge early - I loaded it onto my blog on Saturday but then the following Thursday realised that I hadn't linked it on the challenge site! What a fool! I just managed to post it before the new theme was put up!

This week's challenge is 'Wings'.

I like this pic of the 'Butterfly Lady' - she has a dress and hat made of butterfly wings as well as sporting a fine pair of wings herself!

I used several different shades of purple and pink inks for the spritzed and sponged background after stamping the flower head images and text in dark blue and then put Butterfly Lady onto the tag with some 3d pads.

I am off right now to link this onto the site!

Fantasy

Gothic Arch challenge this week was 'Fantasy'.

I made this arch using a background courtesy of Flickr Collage Group, added a fairy stamp and some wording. The stars, butterfly, flowers and heart are silver fabric and I used some glitter glue to give it some shimmer.

Another one for my gothic arch book! I have made a front cover so far and mounted all the other arches I've done onto co-ordinating paper - so at least have made a start!

The Tragedie of Macbeth

Fellow blogger June has started a new blog... it's called Art Freebies. She is running a challenge every Wednesday where you have to enter a piece of artwork using that week's image.

So here is my entry!

I thought this image represented Shakespeare's tragedy so well. I am not an expert on Shakespeare (far from it!) but from what I remember Lady Macbeth was a strong willed woman who (along with the 3 witches) goaded her husband into murder and thus achieved her ambition to become the Queen of Scotland. She then suffered terrible guilt, began sleepwalking and eventually committed suicide.

This ATC is a paper collage and I used some red embossing powder for the blood dripping from the dagger!

Why don't you go visit June's blog - there's some great free artwork for you to use - and whilst you're there, have a go at her challenge!