Happy Daze

New Blog Home and Blog Candy

2011-06-04T20:11:00.000+01:00

I have moved my blog to a new home at http://thealteredegoblog.blogspot.com

If you pop over there you can find some lovely blog candy

Ich traum von Rost

2011-05-30T10:20:00.003+01:00

I have been taking part in Linda Baldock's amazing international art doll swap. This is my creation, and she is now on her way to her new home in Germany, hence the name which means "I dream of rust". The work from the 80 plus participants is stunning, whether people are making their first art doll, like me, or are experienced art doll makers. I have had so much fun. seeing all the work, and am very excited about the doll that is on its way to me, I've seen a pic and she is a beauty.

I am also using this in the Happy Daze Facebook challenge where the new theme is dollies - anything doll related - altered doll, new made doll, work using stamped or collage images of dolls, card, ATCs, fabric, canvas etc. Closing date is midnight Sunday 12 June and as usual one entry will be drawn at random to win a £15 Gift Voucher. Maximum of 3 entries per person.

in Flight

2011-05-25T14:49:00.004+01:00

I made this little shadow box as a piece for the current Happy Daze Facebook challenge - In Flight which closes on Sunday at midnight. Pop over to the Facebook Page and see the entries so far.

Black and White

2011-05-02T12:23:00.005+01:00

I went a little "old school" with this case. It started life as a papier mache box, I've papered it with Delish Designs Peppercon papers, added flowers made with Ten Second Studio metal and lace, I love a metal lace combo, and the lid has a base of black acrylic paint with a thick layer of white Viva Croco crackling over the top. I am using it as a sample piece for the new challenge on the Happy Daze Facebook page - Black and White.

I've been screening!

2011-04-22T09:52:00.004+01:00

I finally got this box finished as a very belated Birthday present for a friend. I used texture paste through a screen to create the pattern effect which was coloured with spray inks, wax and copper leaf.

She was also leaving her job and developing her art practice in photography and jewelery making so I added a did this smaller box, using the same screen and gold texture over metallic turquoise paint as a good luck gift.

I am going to pop both of these in the current challenge gallery "Made with Wood" on the Happy Daze Facebook wall

It's like buses

2011-04-19T19:28:00.004+01:00

You know, nothing for ages then 2 come along at once! So here is yet another blog post! This little Bird House altered with metal was spotted just after I'd made it by a very talented friend of ours, Maria Slovakova, an artist, poet, performer and all round amazing person. She is releasing her first record shortly and asked me to make a series of these, all slightly different, to animate for a video, how cool is that, and how chuffed am I.

A Klimt Inspired Box

2011-04-17T20:20:00.007+01:00

A friend of mine is fond of the paintings of Gustav Klimt so for her birthday recently I made her this box with a hint of Klimt. I didn't want to use The Kiss as she has that image already but chose instead the Alter of Dionysus as an image to go on the lid, the rest of the box is decorated in a style stolen entirely from the Alice in Wonderland themed boxes made by Carol Fox, thank you Carol for letting me steal which I felt added to the Klimt feel. The box was painted in gold and a PVA peeled paint in cream effect was applied over the top, clear Viva Crackle paint was applied over the image, the base and inside were treated with Glue N Seal and copper foil added in parts, new hinges and closure fitted and four large glass beads attached as feet. The hard part is waiting between the layers for it to dry when you are doing the inside and outside and top and bottom of a piece duh!

The Bluebird of Happiness

2011-04-08T14:57:00.009+01:00

Back in February as we tramped around the craft Trade Show a few of us got talking about hats- 2011 we felt would be the year if hats, what with Royal weddings and what not. So we decided to each create a new hat an d this is my effort. It has everything except the Kitchen sink on there, a bird house, nest with eggs, a couple of birds and a pile of feathers. I did have fun!You can see the other hats on the Happy Daze Design Team Blog - click the link on the right. There you will find "Matilda's Walking Hat" a Steampunk creation by Carol Fox, "A Bee in Her Bonnet" by Jo Capper-Sandon featuring stamps she designs for Stampotique Originals and "Mad as a Hatter" an Alice inspired piece by Julie Dandy.

Altered Hands

2011-04-04T09:31:00.003+01:00

Those who know me will be aware I do love to have my nails painted. Well they only usually look nice for about 5 minutes before I've got ink or paint all over them, but these I might jsut have to look after more carefully. This cunning effect is created by a base colour – in this case “Outrageous Turquoise”, with a layer of a new polish by OPI called "Shatter" over the top and hey presto crackle paint effect nails. I'm loving it. Best get some of those cloves to wear when playing now to keep the nails looking lovely.

Another Mirror

2011-03-05T21:54:00.003Z

This one I made for my lovely sister for Christmas. It uses Inka Gold paints and lots of pretty things by Prima and Pink Paislee. The little birs is air dry clay in an icing sugar mould painted with Inka Gold - deelishus

Bad Blogger

2011-01-07T17:09:00.005Z

I have no idea where time goes, one minute it's Easter, then you are wondering where Summer went, then you are caught up in the rush of Christmas and suddenly it's a whole new year. I don't make resolutions but I an so going to try and blog more often this year, well let's face it it wouldn't be hard would it.

I am starting with some Christmas presents I made. I set a rather hard task of making most people something as part of their gift and like last year I did not get a chance to take pics of most things but at least I got some of them. There was something of a theme this year with lots of people getting mirrors. you know those fabby mirrors from a certain Swedish furniture and furnishings chain store that are as cheap as chips, well actually as chips used to be as even they are not that cheap anymore, but I digress, fabby wooden mirrors which scream "alter me " at the top of their splintery little lungs. The first one uses Ten Second Studio Metal in Bronzed God, Gold Nugget and Peacock , embossed with a range of Cuuttlebug folders, Tim Holtz Sissix folders and TSS plates which was then cut into patchwork and stuck on (technical term that!). The flower is also embossed metal, stuck to card to prevent raw edges and cut with the Tim Holtz Sissix Tattered Florals die and finished with and Ideology Fanciful Accoutrements button.

The second frame is painted with acrylic paints and collaged with a corner element from the Pink Paislee Artisan Elements, bling flourish, Websters Pages Cameo, Prima butterfly and flowers and vintage image and buttons from my stash. You can see the reflection of my hands and phone taking the photograph in the mirror - how professional - not!

An Altered Cigar Box

2010-09-18T11:17:00.003+01:00

I made this as part of a swap. It started life as a cardboardmini cigar packet. I have used Ten Second Studio metal on the lid with collage and inside there is a wee pin cushion with an image transfer using th

Publish Post

e Claudine Hellmuth sticky back canvas technique.

An Altered Spoon

2010-09-12T11:45:00.002+01:00

Having seeen lots of lovely altered spoons I decided it was time I had ago at one. The handle is embossed with distress embossing powder, with a collage image, micro beads and a bird charm in the bowl of the spoon. These spoons come with twist off tops - I think to load Pandora style beads, but I used some from my stash. It was sent to a Forum friend as a RAK.

Kilt Pin and Fob Watch Swap

2010-08-21T15:36:00.004+01:00

We have been busy gain on Zuzus forums with a few swaps. My kilt pin birdy is wearing some script embossed metal, seems to me I use metal more and more these days. When I made the fob watch I had in mind the Victorian idea of mementoes of the dead - hence the white feathers like those on funeral horses, unfortunatley the face of my young lady slid a bit in the resin so she is partly obscured by the pearls, but hey I like it, great how in crafting there are no mistakes just creative changes of direction (sometimes though straight in the direction of the bin)! Hope the recipient likes it.

Frida Shrine

2010-06-26T10:25:00.005+01:00

For a swap on Zuzu's Forum, we altered little flat metal hangy houses. Actually these were lovely wee things before did anything to them. Anyway, me being perverse I had to turn it upside down, then added some texture, paint, beads, embossing powder and a fan to turn my house into a Frida shrine.

Altered Pages Digital Collage Giveaway

2010-05-13T09:25:00.003+01:00

Altered Pages are giving away this free digital collage sheet called "Ladies Who Lunch" If you would like a chance to win visit the GlitterTart Design's blog here and leave a comment or find out about for more chances of winning.

An Alice Swap

2010-05-09T15:18:00.006+01:00

I am in a swap with two others from Zuzu's Forum with the theme of Alice.

This is a Nicho altered with paint and collage.

This is a Kilt pin with tiny Alice themed charms with Alice and the Queen charmes made by stamping and colouring on shrink plastic.

These are also my entries for this month's Tin Pan Alley challenge over at Alter It Monthly which Happy Daze shop is sponsoring with a £15 Gift Voucher.

An Altered Matchbox

2010-04-29T20:43:00.004+01:00

Almost too late but just my the skin of my teeth I have an altered match box for the April challenge at Alter It Monthly . The matchbox is made from Ten Second Studio metal using the template Zuzu had found. The metal was embossed and "aged" with some Espresso paint dabber. And what do I keep in my matchbox? Well some pretty hot stuff, as DH is going away for a week he has left me his love.

New Challenge Blog - Alter It Monthly

2010-04-09T14:33:00.002+01:00

Alter it monthly.

There's a new kid is on the block, Alter It Monthly is precisely that, a monthly challenge blog for those who prefer an altered reality. There will be a new theme each month, make an item, blog it and just pop a link to your blog on the challenge site, simples!

April is.. Matchboxes. Alter a matchbox or use matchboxes as a theme in some way...

Spring Swap

2009-11-08T12:14:00.006Z

Back in about April or May I set up a swap on Zuzu's Forum called the Spring Swap for people to have a go at a technique that was new to them. Well it is now November and I finally got round to doing mine. Having been on a workshop in May I wanted to use the Ten Second Studio metal embossing but then did not pick up a tool or a piece of metal till last week and struggled to remember what to do, watched the online videos by Cheryl and Megan of TSS and laughed a lot and learned a lot but was still in a pickle as I only had one mould which was not right for the project so in the end I got out a Cuttlebug embossing folder, some alcohol inks and acrylic shapes and this is the result. . Anyway that got me back into it and since then a notebook was made for the DH birthday yesterday and a picture frame is half done. It made me decide I was definitely going to start stocking it in the shop, lovely stuff to work with. Anyway Carol has received it now so it's safe to blog it. I may now have to go and lie down in a dark room having actually blogged a piece of work for the first time in months.

Blog Candy Alert

2009-10-20T18:12:00.001+01:00

Over at the Happy Daze Design Team Blog there is a gorgeous scrapbook layout and class by Ruth Phillips and some lovely Blog Candy too. You can find it here

Happy Daze Gets a Design Team

2009-10-16T17:28:00.002+01:00

I am so excited, I have been able to bribe and threaten 9 wonderfully talented and creative people into forming a Design Team for the Happy Daze shop. There is a new Design Team blog which gives lots of information about these amazing women, you can visit it here. And look out there next week for some Blog Candy to be announced.

Smile

2009-06-30T13:43:00.004+01:00

OK I have no real excuse for not blogging other than being really busy not only getting the online shop up fully stocked and expanded but also opening a small bricks and mortar one too. Any way this is not my card it is made by the very talented Mel using one of the Stampotique stamps "Smile" from the Happy Daze Shop. Isn't he just gorgeous!

Blog Candy Giveaway Stamps by Elusive Images

2009-04-29T09:35:00.003+01:00

Four new A5 plates of stamps featuring birds are being given away over on the Elusive Images Blog. These lovely plates retail at £14.99 and be in stock in the Happy Daze Shop shortly.

International Charm Day Giveaway

2009-04-28T09:16:00.002+01:00

As part of International Charm Day Anne of Bulles Doree is having a beautiful giveaway of two gorgeous tiny bottle charms, be sure and visit her here . It ends Wednesday, 29 April, 10pm French time.

For more information on International Charm Day 29 April visit here.

Mixed Media Monday - Easter

2009-04-13T10:43:00.006+01:00

I have 2 pieces this week to enter. The top one is a little bird house made for a friend using a Retro Cafe Art collage sheet. The second was a gold tin the outside is bright and glitzy with alcohol inks, fusible film and embossing powder inspired by the bright shiny foil wrappers of Easter eggs and inside the little assemblage represents Spring wit the birds returning from their migration we hear bird song again i nthe morning and evenining, birds are making nests and the garden is coming alive with colour.

Sunday Postcard Art - Easter

2009-04-11T15:47:00.003+01:00

Here is my offering for this week's challenge. I have gone for lots of bright colour this is partly seeing the colours in my garden as Spring arrives and partly the brightly coloured chocolate Eggs which are everywhere. Happy Easter everyone.

Wood Shape Swap

2009-04-07T19:50:00.007+01:00

This crown and bird wood shapes were for a swap on the Altered Gypsies forum. The crown has been covered in paper and stamping while the bird has paint and crackle medium on one side and texture paste over a glimmer screen with paints including an interference paint and gold leaf on the other.

Sunday Postcard Art - Swan LAke

2009-04-04T21:06:00.003+01:00

Fatma has chosen Swan Lake over at SPA this week and here is my offering, love that image courtesy of Google!

Altered Object Swap

2009-03-31T16:36:00.004+01:00

I realised I had not yet blogged this little item made for a swap on Zuzu's Forum. The challenge was to alter "something" so this started life as a child's wooden pencil case. And yes those flappers I am so find of are making an appearance again! In these pics the top and base look different coours but they werent't bothere a mix of H2Os and various Stewart Gill paint.,

Five Crowns

2009-03-26T09:25:00.015Z

I realise I haven't blogged in an age. I have been a bit busy so not done any challenges but have been doing swaps. These are five pieces I did on Crowns for a swap on the Altered Gypsy Forum.

The first is a little booklet I have used tissue transfer for the flowers and collage.

The second is collage over stamping covered by acetate which has been treated with alcohol inks and blending solution

The third is gesso and distress ink background with a Heidi Swapp mask and collage. I liked this background so much I scanned it and have used it printed on a couple of bithday cards too.

The fourth is a wooden domino

The fifth is an altered oversized playing card.

All great fun to make and my first swap on this forum.

Happy Daze Shop

2009-02-17T20:28:00.001Z

I discovered today that my online shop had developed an error showing items out of stock when they were in fact in stock. It has been fixed and my sincere apologies to anyone who has been trying to make purchases.

One World One Heart

2009-02-14T14:54:00.002Z

I received this lovely card from Nancy Donaldson who as well as giving away 5 pieces of gorgeous jewellery in her draw sent out 150 postcards to blog visitors. Thank you Nancy it is lovely and I am really touched to receive it.

2009-02-12T09:05:00.002Z

My OWOH draw has taken place and the 3 winners are :

Linda Vincent
Jann
Alexandra Knittel

This has been such a fabulous opportunity to see wonderful blogs and fabulous work, there has not been nearly enough time to visit them all properly yet, just a sneaky peek, so I will be taking more time to visit at leisure now.

My great thanks to all who entered the draw, to everyone who took part and also to Lisa who must work 24 hours a day while this is on, but what a fantastic event it is.

Here's to next year and many more

Blog Candy at the Elusive Images Design Team Blog

2009-02-09T11:56:00.001Z

Two new plates of stamps are being offered over at the Elusive Images Design Team blog, these new plates will be launched on Create and craft this week.

Mixed Media Monday - Romance

2009-02-09T10:13:00.000Z

My sister is mother to two teenage boys and has always felt she has missed out on being able to be girlie with a daughter. At Christmas I made very girly pink things for her son's girlfriends so now, for Valentine I have made a pink girly thing for her. It is a 3 inch Ready-To-Go!® Blank Board cube painted pink and stamped with a variety of stamps , largely from Elusive Images, and decorated with images from Inka and my own stash of postcards. I love working with cubes as you get 6 sides to play with ror decorating. The dangly bits were in my stash and I have no idea where they came from!

Gothic Arches - Hearts

2009-02-08T14:13:00.004Z

The background fro my arch is gesso swiped over card with direct to paper distress inks and over inking top and bottom of 2 Tim Holtz masks. The image was free courtesy of Lisa Vollrath. The wire heart, which has made scanning this arch difficult as it is is 3D is one I had left over from my own wedding a couple of years ago, it is a heart bead wrapped in wire.

Sunday Postcard Art - Chairs

2009-02-07T18:04:00.005Z

This is my take on this week's theme of chairs. My background is made using a favourite technique of gesso swiped over card and then direct to paper using distress inks. Over this are layers of stamping . The image was googled but I knew it was perfect for me as soon as I saw it, I love the wet Sunday afternoon Victorian parlour game feel it has.

One World One Heart Giveaway

2009-02-02T13:42:00.003Z

COMMENTS ARE NOW CLOSED THANK YOU

One World, One Heart, hosted by Lisa Swifka, has launched again and this is my first time taking part. If you want to know more about One World One Heart click on the link above to visit the main site and see who else is participating and offering wonderful art and blog candy to their visitors.

I am giving away three little packages each containing candy from my shop and a little piece of my work, just a comment on this post for a chance to win one and if you don't have a blog, make sure to leave your email in your comment. The winner will be drawn on February 12

No 1

A Ready to Go Blank Board Arch Book for journalling / altering
Wooden bird house
3 glass vials with cork stoppers
Brooch made from a wooden domino.

No2

Ready to Go Blank Board Shadow Box 7 x 5 inches
Wooden pencil box
Set of 3 acrylic stars
Brooch made from a wooden domino.

No3

Ready to Go Blank Board Daisy Book for journalling / altering
Set of 2 wood blocks
Set of 3 acrylic arrows
A 5 x 7 inch canvas board collage

Thank you for visiting.

Valentine Countdown Blog Candy

2009-02-01T22:10:00.001Z

Lisa Vollrath is once again offering a wonderful free download every day till Valentines Day, click here

Sunday Postcard Art - Circles

2009-02-01T14:50:00.003Z

I made this for a friend's birthday. The background is gesso and distress inks and the circles are from a Heidi Swap mask. The little boy is Lisa's Altered Art.

One Powerful Hour - Cubes

2009-01-28T16:24:00.019Z

The delightful Caroline over at One Powerful Hour asked me to be be guest host this week so I chose the theme Cubes. I love having six sides to decorate, whether I have them hanging or sitting on a shelf. The main photos show the cube I made for a swap on Zuzu's forum for National Foof Day on 2 February. It is made from a 3 inch blank board cube, painted with Lumiere Pearl Turquoise paint with an overcoat of Stewart Gill Glitterati in Copper. The images are from a sheet available for download free from Digital Collage Sheets The edges of each facet have been triple embossed in bronze UTEE, the hanger is beads strung on ribbon and the dangler is made from a bead and tassel both in my stash. The ribbon hanger and dangler are attached with screw in eyelets as even though the cube is hollow the board is very sturdy.

This cube was sprayed with glimmer inks and stamped and embossed

This is distress ink and stamping

This is various red acrylic paints, the music and images transfers.

Lot's To Do - Frames

2009-01-25T15:17:00.005Z

This is made from a blankboard shadow box from the Happy Daze shop which I made a couple of months back but I think it suits the theme. The box has been inked and the stamps are from the Elusive Images Peacock range.

Gothic Arches - Winter Sports

2009-01-25T15:04:00.003Z

My arch is made using a variety of ink sprays over wallpaper to get this crumpled look.

Sunday Postcard Art - Cats

2009-01-25T11:52:00.003Z

I pondered on some cute kitties but the dark heart within me drew me eventually to Cat Woman, that wild and lithe creature of the night, a prowler of back alleys, with claws sharpened on the bones of men. My back ground is gesso with distress ink and one of the TH masks.

Wednesday Stamper - Lace

2009-01-21T12:00:00.003Z

The lace and buttons on this little 6 x 4 inch fairy cake post card give her a soft look over a background of acrylic paint stamped with gesso.

Graphicus Challenge - Plum and Gold

2009-01-19T21:06:00.006Z

This card and brooch are two entries for the Graphicus Challenge which for January is Plum with Gold and/or Clelebration.

The card is looking a bit lop sided but that is because the brad in the flower means it won't lay flat to scan it is all perfectgly straight honest! The stamp is from the Fleurs et Parfum de Paris plate now on sale at £6.99 stamped in purple Versafine ink and painted with Glimmer ink in Gold. The backing paper is Artylicious. It relates to Celebration in that receiving a card at any time is a little celbtation in itself.

The brooch has been painted with Lumiere Grape paint, the stamp is from the Delightful Damask plate, also on sale at £6.66, and stamped in gold encore ink, the edges are gold Krylon pen, the image transfer is from my own collection. This relates to Celebration in taht it is one of the itmes I made for the One World One Heart event.

Blank Board Challenge Prize

2009-01-19T20:28:00.002Z

I have been lucky enough to win the first C&T Publishing Papercraft Challenge - Blank Board and my fabulous prize of lots of wonderful crafty arty books arrived today. The next challenge will be announced next week and the theme will be paper hearts for Valentine's day so check it here

Gothic Arches - Gypsies

2009-01-18T13:56:00.002Z

For me the word Gypsy conjures up visions of music and dancing, of old men sat around camp fires playing guitars and violins, the sound of a woman singing of loss and pain or of the pleasures and vitality of life, couples dancing and laughing.

Sunday Postcard Art - Turquoise

2009-01-18T12:55:00.002Z

The very talented Sandy has set us the challenge to use turquoise. This is a colour that Sandy often uses to amazing effect in her work. I too am very fond of turquoise as you can see from my blog colours, and this week, planning a summer holiday, I was reminded of the turquoise waters of the Blue Grotto on Sicily and this prompted a mermaid theme. The background is twinkling H2Os with ink spray and Stewart Gill Alchemy paint, unfortunately the shimmer does not show that well in the scan. Her fishy tail is Starburst Stains embossed in silver.

Blog Candy at Inkaland

2009-01-14T17:05:00.001Z

I won some wonderful stamps and collage sheets over at Inkaland. Inka has a Blog Candy draw every Monday so give it a go.

Blog Candy

2009-01-14T10:13:00.002Z

Maker of lovely jewellery Paper Jewels has blog candy on offer over at her website

Mixed Media Monday - Open

2008-12-29T17:11:00.004Z

The theme this week is "What You Loved Doing in 2008" well as someone still very new to working in mixed media, what I loved doing was experimenting, learning and doing new things and so I am entering this little jewellery box made for the girlfriend of one of my nephews. It is my first altered wooden box and started life as a plain wood box, I painted it pink - she is a very pink girl - then added tissue paper stamped also in pink to the sides, the top is stamped with melted pearl utee and pearls and my first experiment with some fusible film in the top left corner. The whole was then covered in Stewart Gill Galactica paint for sparkle. The inside of the lid is painted and stamped and the inner lined with velvet. It is her Christmas present but she has not seen t yet so hope she likes it.

Mixed Media Monday - Gold

2008-12-17T20:35:00.005Z

I love making clocks and this is a gift for a friend for Christmas. The background is gold acrylic paint with Stewart Gill Alchemy resistance paint over the top and cling film wrinkled. You can't really see the lovely two tone shimmer the resistance paint produces on the photo unfortunately.

Sunday Postcard Art - Bright Colours

2008-12-14T14:12:00.003Z

This was blogged a couple of weeks ago as it is a piece I made to go in an exhibition of 6 x 4 pieces but it;s lovely bold red meant it fit this weeks SPA. The background is acrylics done in layers with music and image transfers.

Saturday Workout - Sparying & SPA - Fairies

2008-12-06T14:23:00.003Z

This piece was blogged in my last entry but I am putting it separately again here as for SaWo. The background is made from Sticky Fingers spray inks with stamping and embossing. I love working with spray inks and watercolours as it is possible to get lovely pooling of colour. The image is from Digital Collage Sheets

Pieces for an Exhibition

2008-12-02T14:01:00.013Z

My DH works in an arts organisation and heard about an open exhibition, all work would be accepted in any medium but it had to be 4 x 6 inches and there was a charge of £10 per four entries. DH who is a photographer decided to put 4 photos in and talked me into putting some work in as well.

I did 9 pieces for us to select none or more from and in the end he has talked me into putting 8 in, one fell by the wayside simply because it is on unstretched canvas so flops a bit. Some are re-working of other pieces some are new. I am feeling very nervous abut it all as I am so new to working in mixed media of any sort and this feels like a VERY BIG THING to do but I decided I would only learn and get better if I forced myself to do things that scare me, so I'm considering it a learning experience. Anyway here are the pieces, though at this point I only actually feel I like 1 of them. .

Mixed Media Monday - Ornamental Christmas

2008-11-17T17:39:00.005Z

Gillian has set us this festive challenge. My entry started life this morning as a vase, I wanted something that could would be a table centre piece and therefore be seen from all sides. After masking off three squares, tamping and embossing flourishes in gold and attaching acetates in the three blank areas we have a tea light / candle holder.

Gothic Arches - Silhouette

2008-11-16T14:20:00.003Z

This charming chap is Byron courtesy of the very generous Trudi. The background is tree stamps from Elusive Images, Grasses from Crafty Individuals and Birds from Lavinia coloured with dye inks.

Sunday Postcard Art - Hats

2008-11-16T11:54:00.002Z

A re-take on the magic trick of pulling a rabbit from a hat, this is of course the divine Jessica Rabbit from the movie "Who framed Roger Rabbit". The background was made using a variety of Sticky Fingers summer spray and lustre inks, images are googled.

TGIF - Hats and SAWO - Thread Technique

2008-11-15T20:02:00.005Z

I have wanted to do both these challenges for ages but never get the time so I decided to make a piece that would fit for both challenges, so here I have my young lady in a hat posing against thread technique background made with a variety of spray inks. Don't you just love how ridiculous is the hat that she is wearing, it is almost as big as her, I suspect she would topple over if she tried walking in it!

Mixed Media Monday - Body Parts

2008-11-11T16:39:00.005Z

I believe that often the whole is more than the sum of the individual parts, and this is rarely more true than in people, yet often it is only the individual parts that are considered. Henry Ford who pioneered assembly line production is reputed to have asked why it was that when all he wanted were the hands did they have to be attached to whole man. So I have taken some parts - an eye, a neck, a back, a face and a foot (well shoe to be precise) and arranged them to a cube. I have used a variety of acrylic paints and texture gell, done a gell transfer of the music onto the cube and the "body parts" ( I begin to feel like a pathologist!)are on acetate making them less than the whole.

Gothic Arches - Buttons

2008-11-09T16:29:00.003Z

This is my piece for Buttons. The background is collage which has had gesso wiped over and stamped. The image of the three children balancing on the plank. or is it a seesaw, is from my collection, but aren't they sweet stacked up like that! .

SaWo - Altered Paper

2008-11-08T12:25:00.004Z

Last weekend I attended a canvas workshop with lovely Lynn Robinson-Hunter. During the workshop we used the exercise of picking a piece of paper at random from a cup each with a different technique to use on the canvas. I wanted to try out the full range of Stewart Gill paints so started with those and having decided this would form part of the birthday present fro my DH I added image and text from a magazine, liquid ink splatter, stencilling with distress inks and paints, all sorts of inks and textures and I coloured some lace to attach and complete the canvas at home. I managed to sneak it into the house but when I came to work on it next day there was no lace, I found it 3 days later caught on a shrub in the garden, it must have come off en route from the car. Of course 3 days of rain meant it was no longer coloured so out came the Ecolines and along with some crackle glaze, a good soak of Iridescent Gold Glimmer ink, a re-application of stencilling where the glimmer had dissolved it (!) and attachment of some hardware meant I was complete. It was Richard's birthday on Friday and he loved it and had it hung in his study before breakfast.

I am entering it for SaWo because magazine paper has been added, distressed and altered in the process.

So many thanks to Lynn, the other wonderful women who were at the workshop and Rosie who set the Blue and Purple piece for Mixed Media Monday a few weeks back I can see canvasses becoming a habit!

By the way Glenda Waterworth of Elusive Images, whose blog gets a mention in this month's Craft Stamper, has a wonderful background paper freebie for download on her blog.

Mixed Media Monday - the colours of Autumn

2008-11-03T11:30:00.003Z

In our part of the UK the period where we get the reds and golds of leaves is very short, in fact a flurry of snow and freezing temperatures last week have pretty well ripped any leaves from the trees now. This year we seemed to go from Summer to Winter via a one week of Autumn. The clocks have gone back by an hour as well so it gets dark now around 4.30 pm and dusk is a sort of bruised blue, hence my colours of Autumn for this petal pot . The colouring is using Distress inks and the tree stamps are by Elusive Images. The leaves dangling from the top are shrink plastic.

Craftaway Sunday - Stripes

2008-11-02T14:52:00.002Z

For the theme of stripes I have a little vintage girl in her dress with blue stripes.

Gothic Arches - Vintage Children

2008-10-30T12:38:00.005Z

I loved these little girls playing in their petticoats and reminded me of stories my mother told me that when she was a kid and they were quite poor and only had their school clothes, church clothes and one or two other outfits so if it was warm enough i.e. not raining or snowing they, as in her, her sisters and the other kids in the neighbourhood, would play outside in their petticoats to keep their other clothes clean and safe! I can't see that being acceptable these days. The background is acrylics and crackle the image is my own.

Sunday Postcard Art - Movies

2008-10-30T12:37:00.003Z

Having recently had one set of friends return from a trip to India to visit family and another set just return having been back to visit where she was born but left over 50 years ago, I felt the urge to use Bollywood as my subject. The background has been heat embossed and painted with shades of Ecoline inks ad the images are courtesy of Google!

Mixed Media Monday - Lock and Key

2008-10-25T15:40:00.008+01:00

What makes me curious is what the locks and keys are keeping out or for that matter keeping in.

One day the god Mercury asked Epimetheus and his wife Pandora to look after a box for him while he travelled, but under no circumstances to open it. Pandora was very curious about the contents of the box but she had promised Mercury she would never open it. Pandora could not stop gazing at the box. All she could think about was its contents. She began to imagine that it contained beautiful gowns or exquisite jewellery, or even money! One day Pandora's curiosity got the better of her and she grabbed the box and took the key, fitted it carefully into the lock and turned it. But to her surprise instead of gold or treasure the box was full of terrible evils and out of the box poured disease, misery and death. Pandora screamed and slammed the lid shut. Pandora could still hear a voice calling to her from the box, pleading with her to be let out so she opened the lid once more. All that remained in the box was Hope and Pandora released Hope into the world.

The shadow box has been decorated with spray inks over masks and lace. The image is from Inka.

Sunday Postcard Art - Trick or Treat and Gothic Arches - Wee Witches

2008-10-25T15:32:00.006+01:00

A joint entry for both challenges this week (short of time) The little witch featured here is Minnie one of our dogs, what she lacks in stature she more than makes up for in personality. My DH has nicknamed her The Dark Princess. When she is growling protectively over a bit of paper I may have dropped or chewing a new rubber stamp she is tricky to deal with, and when she is cuddled on your lap she is a real treat. The other night he wondered aloud what she would look like in a Witches hat, so I decided to find out! Te background is Distress inks, the images are a mix of Lisa's Altered Art and Digital Collage Visions and of course DH's photo of little Minnie.

Mixed Media Monday - Things that go bump in the night!

2008-10-20T15:48:00.008+01:00

Late on the third day of the dig at Benwadii Hyderabad the archaeologists were ecstatic when they had unexpectedly broken through into an unknown tomb to find it containing a highly elaborate and undamaged sarcophagus. Seeing the decorations they believed they had found the tomb of a royal king or queen and were keen to examine it further but due to the lateness of the hour and the darkness, work had been halted till the next day.

Now, as the archaeologists sleep in their tents excited at the prospect of what they will find the next day little do they realise that the decorations of the sarcophagus do not denote royalty , but the garish markings are in fact are a dire warning that the occupant is Minnityrannius, a dark and cursed creature, she had lured men, some say more than 100, to their deaths with her great beauty and ripped their hearts from their still beating chests with her own hands Only the great Priest Paddiwofalotus had eventually been able to overpower her and bind her for eternity to her grave, hiding the tomb deep beneath the sands of the desert and marking the Sarcophagus so all who saw it would know of the danger. But alas stories are forgotten so these poor archaeologists and their tribesmen assistants had no idea what they had found. So as the moon rises and the camp settles there are stirrings of bandages fluttering as the mummy of Minnityrannius rises to wreak her terrible revenge, things will definitely being going bump in this night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This started life as a chocolate tin in the shape of a Russian doll but opening lengthwise and it just screamed MUMMY to me.

Craftaway Sunday - Butterflies

2008-10-19T18:43:00.008+01:00

There are several terms for a group of butterflies including "Swarm", "Rabble", "Flight" and my favourite "Kaleidoscope". So here is a little altered box that some eyelets came in (see photo below)which now holds a princess reflecting on her kaleidoscope of butterflies.

Gothic Arches - Paper Patchwork

2008-10-18T19:20:00.004+01:00

I have used two papers both with subtle colour and patterning for my patchwork which is stamped with white embossing powder and has a lovely little birdy from Retro Cafe Art

Sunday Postcard Art - Marie Antoinette

2008-10-18T13:54:00.007+01:00

Well if it's Mandy's Birthday and the theme is Marie Antoinette we just have to have cake! Well in fairness any excuse for cake will do for me!. The background is acrylics with gesso stamping and Marie's lovely cakey dress has been stickled for even extra sparkly cakey loveliness. Happy Birthday Mandy!

Tag from Mary-Beth

2008-10-18T13:23:00.002+01:00

I received this gorgeous Tag from Mary-Beth as part of her celebration of her blogaversary. Thank you Mary-Beth, it is gorgeous.

Blog Awards for all my Visitors

2008-10-15T11:24:00.006+01:00

A huge thank you goes out to Fannie for presenting me with these two wonderful awards. I could not possibly pass them on to just a few people as everyone who has visited my blog and commented feel like friends and have opened up a wealth of stunning blogs to visit and divine work to appreciate. So, I would like to share them with all my visitors, your comments are fantastic and it is wonderful to receive such supportive and frequently humorous responses to my work. Please copy and paste into your blogs with my heartfelt thanks.

Mixed Media Monday Blue and Purple

2008-10-13T19:54:00.005+01:00

This is to be the cover of a little 6 x 6 book for a friend's daughter for Christmas. I love blues and purples for Christmas colours and this girl is of an age where she is no longer a little girl but not yet really grown up and I thought these colours with Christmas angels would work well for her. The background is faux leather technique and there is a blue angel transfer in the bottom left hand corner which is hard to see in this scan, as well as the angels in the frame.

Sunday Postcard Art - Men

2008-10-12T13:52:00.002+01:00

My background sort of evolved as I went along. It started as a piece of canvas with layers of gesso, newspaper (car advertisements of course for men) and gel medium. The blocks, a kind of homage to Mondrian, are coloured with Tinkerbella inks which, being acrylic show the brush strokes form the layer below which I like, and black embossing. The transfer is in fact Gene Kelly as Pierrot from one of the dance vignettes in the movie Circus in which the Gene Kelly Pierrot longs for the beautiful dancer from the circus who is in love with an acrobat, leaving Pierrot in great pain and anguish and I really liked that contrast of stark form to the background and soft pain of the image it sort of seemed to reflect the contradiction many men face where they are expected to be "strong" and not "emotional" in the way in which they engage with the world.

Gothic Arches - Haute Couture

2008-10-12T13:46:00.003+01:00

This sort of brought out all the things about high fashion I don't like, the money, the often ridiculous clothes and the super skinny models ad this little poppet just sort of sums it all up I think! I wanted a background that was rich and textured and had sheen so I went for Stewart Gill paints (colourise and Alchemy)with a couple of selections of glitter strewn over. No pretty girls this week!

Craftaway Sunday - Autumn

2008-10-12T13:21:00.002+01:00

After all the reds and golds of Autumn I have selected the bruised blue and purple of Autumn dusk and night time when the leaves have fallen but the winter not yet arrived. This is my ATC, background is distressed ink, the stamp is Tuscan Roe and the moon is painted with Encore Metallic silver ink.

World Mental Health Day

2008-10-09T10:33:00.002+01:00

Friday 10 October is World Mental Health Day. This is a significant day in our household calendar as my DH works for AIM (Artists in Mind) who support artists experiencing acute and enduring mental health problems, providing studio spaces, mentoring by practising artists and professional support and development as well as initiating and managing creative projects in prisons, secure hospitals, forensic units and in the community. The work of the organisation was inspired by the "Living Museum" at the Creedmoor Psychiatric Centre in New York. If you have a moment to spare do check out the AIM website or the Living Museum Art Center

Good mental health to you all

Mixed Media Monday - Opposites

2008-10-06T19:46:00.011+01:00

My entry is a double sided hanging plaque. On one side we have the Good Girl, who is well groomed, obeys her parents, reads and sews quietly and takes an interest in world affairs

and on the other side is the Bad Girl who likes boys and drinking gin and smoking and staying out late!

Educated in a Convent School I have always had a fascination with Bad Girls, and indeed a fairly misspent youth being one! I think I shall hang her on my workroom door, Good Girl on good days and Bad Girl on those hormonal days so as to give DH a warning to tread carefully and feed me chocolate! The girls are made from collage materials, the edges are sealed with silver UTEE and the hangar is made from fresh water pearls I have had for a while thinking I would make some jewellery except I don't know how!

Gothic Arches - Turquoise

2008-10-05T17:59:00.003+01:00

I was drawn to making a faux batik background for this using Patina Glimmer ink over an Elusive Images stamp for the turquoise with a photo transfer. Thoughts of turquoise and Egypt or Mexico were running through my head then I spotted this image in my collection and I was reminded of that terrible old joke Q: what's a Grecian urn? A: about 1 dollar an hour! Sorry for bad joke.

Craftaway Sunday - Swirls and Flourishes

2008-10-05T15:18:00.003+01:00

I have a real fondness for this image of the little girl snuggled up to the large dog, they look so peaceful and relaxed and I thought well already done one piece with dogs might as well make it two! This will be the birthday card for a friend of mine's little girl who will be 9. I was present at her birth and I feel very connected to her.

Sunday Postcard Art - Zetti

2008-10-02T16:20:00.005+01:00

Well gosh but I do hate to write things by hand, I don't even journal on scrapbook pages and I don't keep a journal of any description. But if you are looking at a theme called Zetti inspired by Teesha Moore then it was time to grasp the journalling thing by the throat and give it a go, but I still don't like to see my writing on things, hey ho. I do like the colours in this though, the background are spayed watercolours and the dogs are "the artists own!"

MMM - Harmony and Craftaway Sunday - Birds

2008-09-30T19:33:00.004+01:00

This lovely lady was inspired by a Hiauku by Sourav Rcy which goes "Call of melody fills the ambience of earth a Bird's harmony" and so of course she is for both Mixed Media Monday Harmony and Craftaway Sunday Birds. The background is water colours sprayed onto watercolour paper and she is a composite of stamps by Elusive Images and bits of collage material, the piece is about 12 inch by 18 inch. My husband is at his pottery class so I have had to photograph it myself, rather badly I'm afraid!

Gothic Arches - Open

2008-09-28T20:02:00.002+01:00

This week the theme is open, choose what you want, well this was torture how to select from all the things I would like to do so I asked my husband to give me a theme and he came up with theatre. I guess I ended up more Music Hall / Vaudeville than pure theatre, but this lady looks like she would be very entertaining and I have no idea what she plans with that sword! My background is embossing with Ecoline painting, the image has been painted with water colours.

Sunday Postcard Art - Autumn

2008-09-27T16:52:00.003+01:00

In a way this is a joint effort with my husband in that last year ww had a lovely Autumn where the trees really did that turning red and yellow thing and he took lots of photos of trees and skies. I have paper pieced the foreground from the tree photos and grass and the sky is one of his skies. The stamp is by Elusive Images and is a special edition for Guild members.

Mixed Media Monday - Something you like to do

2008-09-22T20:00:00.003+01:00

I am sure I am not alone when I say this was a hard choice there are so many things I like but I guess a real favourite is doing something new, a new technique or project. So with that in mind here is my first slide mailer. Well in truth the second, as when I started my first earlier toady I managed to pull the front off in my usual clumsy way so had to start afresh. Anyway it was great fun to try something new.

Gothic Arches - My Favourite Movie

2008-09-21T17:07:00.003+01:00

The movie had to be Roman Holiday. Not long after meeting my (now) husband Richard we took a holiday in Rome and it was wonderful and romantic and it is where we fell in love. He had never seen the film so we bought it when we got home and it is now one of our favourites. The background photo is the Trevi Fountain and the small round one is the La Bocca della Verita both were taken by Richard, both places feature heavily in the film and yes we put our hands in the La Bocca della Verita and told it a secret and it did not bite our hands off as we did not lie and we threw coins in the Trevi and vowed we would return. This is really then assemblage but it was a great excuse to look back through our pictures from that holiday.

Craftaway Sunday - Water

2008-09-21T12:52:00.004+01:00

The challenge this week is water and Kaz has made a gorgeous box. I decided that for me water means the sea and the sea means fish, preferably grilled! So I have used a Paper Artsy stamp which I bought from Craftaway this week using the lovely discount that Kaz kindly provided for people who did the first week challenge. I have gone for a 4 x 4 as I used that format for the first time yesterday and found working with a square great fun.

Sunday Postcard Art - Circus

2008-09-21T11:17:00.004+01:00

Here is my Circus, a memory of the circus we would go to every Christmas as small children, when it all seemed rather strange and a bit frightening, confusing, bright and loud.

Theme Thursday Friends 4 x 4

2008-09-20T15:17:00.004+01:00

Just got round to this today (Saturday). I haven't worked a 4 x 4 before and I liked working to a square shape rather than the usual rectangle, will try more squares I think. The background is painted with Tinkerbella inks, these are quite useful as they are acrylic based so dry quickly and do not run if you put another wet layer on top, then over stamped and finished with a collage image from my collection.

Mixed Media Monday - Famous People

2008-09-16T15:43:00.005+01:00

After a couple of quite lyrical pieces I thought it was time for some whimsy. So here the Beatles recreated from the Abbey Road album cover and a few other record titles thrown in for fun. This was made using acrylic paints on watercolour paper, stamping with gesso and collage pieces. It is about A4 size. Hope it makes you smile. How does everyone else seem to manage to get their entries loaded on the day of the challenge!

Gothic Arches - Time

2008-09-14T17:32:00.002+01:00

This week's theme reminded of the Shakespeare quote from Much Ado About Nothing - "Time goes on crutches, till love have all his rites" and so I felt a romantic arch was called for, I was reminded then of characters in old films meeting on blind dates "under the clock at Waterloo Station". So here is my lady waiting hopefully for love. The background is a mix of green acrylics over stamped with Stazon and Versafine then glazed with crackle glaze and the photo has been turned into a transfer. It would have been on here on Sunday but the crackle glaze took an age to dry. So not quite a flapper after all this week!

Sunday Postcard Art - Flowers - Warning Partial Nudity

2008-09-14T15:54:00.004+01:00

The background is direct to paper inked in shades of pink and over stamped with a stamp from Elusive Images. The nude is from my collage materials and the flowers are dried roses (of course)

Craftaway Sunday - Cute

2008-09-14T15:39:00.002+01:00

Like many pet owners we are completely besotted with our two dogs Paddy and Minnie. Minnie came to us at the end of February this year aged 10 months, she is a Patterdale terrier so a small breed, though she is very fiesty. We have many nicknames for the dogs and I like to do scrap book layouts showing them with their nick names. This particular layout uses a photo of Minnie in an uncharacteristically quiet and sweet tempered mood (she is like an explosion in a fire work factory most of the time, pocket rocket is another nickname!) anyway when she is like this she is very cute and my husband calls her his "little lady" so I took the opportunity to make this pretty and girly layout as there is unlikely be another one showing her being sweet, ruling the world would be more likely!

Monday Mixed Media - Stars

2008-09-12T17:32:00.005+01:00

If I get any later this week I shall be in last week. Anyway here is my entry at last, even if it has been rather rushed. I made a photo transfer using Lasertrans of Theda Bara, one of cinema's earliest sex symbols, her femme fatale roles earned her the nickname "The Vamp", in her role as Cleopatra. I gave her some added decoration on peacock feather stamping and a background of glimmer inks and screen.

Gothic Arches / Created by Hand - Pretty in Pink

2008-09-10T21:00:00.004+01:00

There is something about this shade of pink with this shade of green, not sure what that something is mind you, but it is certainly something! I always seem to use a 20s flapper for these challenges, not sure why. Note to self next week do not use a flapper unless of course it is a flapper related theme! The background is Scattered Straw and Peeled Paint distress inks over-stamped with stamps by Elusive images in scattered straw.

Have discovered that this week's Created by Hand challenge is pink and green so this is for that challenge as well.

Sunday Postcard Art - Alter a real postcard

2008-09-10T19:20:00.006+01:00

At last and thanks to husband fitting new bits to the PC I have internet up and running again. So here is my entry for this week's challenge along with the postcard before altering. The postcard came from my mother in law who has quite a collection of old post cards showing regional and national costumes from around the world. I thought he had been drab too long and needed some colour, a new hair style and a big fish to cheer him up.