A| winner and a Happy 102nd Birthday......

First, the winner of the monthly art draw is Annette or 'soccermom23'. I have left a message for you to pm me your addy Annette. Once I have it I'll get to the PO as soon as I can.

Thank you everyone for playing, the April Art Draw will be along in a couple of days.

It's also time for my annual commission for a very special lady who is celebrating her 102nd birthday tomorrow.
This is what I made this year.







I am always asked to put the numbers on but have kept them small and subtle - I'm torn between it being not polite to remind a lady of her age and ...


this is something to shout about!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Easter every one xx
 

Tag Challenges

Keep getting those alcohol inks out!!
This time a tag, alcohol
ink background, stamped the main image (Wendy Vecchi) and then used a mask to stamp and emboss the details. Had a couple of the metal flowers left from playing with my TH tags yesterday. Added the stamped word 'beauty' because it needed something else and she is, I think!!

Challenges:
Artistic Stamper (March) - Tag (just about made it!!)
Out of a Hat Creations Challenge #53 - 'Faces'

Tags of 2013 - March

Tim's Tag is here. I gulped, read the instructions through once and had the germs of an idea.

Don't have a bunny die, but I could use an oval - looks a bit like an Easter egg.
Don't have tinsel but I've got some stellar flash I don't know what to do with - that might work instead.
Fringe die?.......Nope.  But I have scissors.
Flower  pins? Well plenty of pins, plus flower punches and craft metal - I'm sure I can come up with something.

And here they are. Actually thought these went together quite quickly (for me) considering I was improvising. One for me to keep, one to go towards next January's giveaway.

Speaking of which, the March Art Draw closes on Sunday 31st March at 9.00 pm. Leave a comment here if you want to be in the draw.

Challenges: Tags of 2013
 

Cuckoo clocks go Steampunk....

is the very first challenge at SanDee and amelie's Steampunk Challenge Blog. Well, being a fan of steampunk I thought I would have a go at this one.



My initial idea was prompted by a recycling theme and I was considering a toilet roll inner, which in turn made me think of something along the lines of an organ pipe (sometimes when I share my thought processes with you I do wonder what is going on in my head, it sounds so daft when you put it down in black and white).

So I extended the TR and made a conical 'roof' with some cereal box card. Added old book pages to strengthen it all and then painted.

I made the bird next from some metal covered card. Did some tooling marks and coloured with alcohol inks (can't seem to put them away now I've got them out). I was very pleased with it until I put the whole thing together - something about it doesn't quite 'gel' with the rest of the project (too flat and shiny?) but I don't have any better ideas so it had to stay.

I had kept a lot of 'clearly for art' waste from another project and now proceeded to cut it into little tiles. I knew there was a reason I had hung on to it!! I then heated each one individually to get a kink (not sure why they had to have a kink but turned out OK) and then stuck them one by one onto the conical roof.

That took quite a while......

While waiting for  that to dry I started treating the main 'cone' with distress EP applied pretty much all over and then added paints/stains/alcohol inks/inka gold and other metallic rub ons to grunge it up further. I should probably have done more paper or paint layers as the edges of the book pages were showing as lines but I was far too impatient - in the end I quite liked the effect, bit like flaky metal so I was glad I hadn't bothered to go for perfection (!)

I finished off with a clock face set in a cog and then various cogs and bits n bobs including the chains and a hanging wire. All in all I like this one and it's already got a nice space on my wall.

It's nearly the closing date for this month's challenge but why not make a note to join in next month?

Challenges: Sandee and amelie's Steampunk Challenge
                    Crafty Emblies Challenge Blog (Anything Goes)

Gothic Arch

For a swap at docrafts. No theme, but as I had these bits out I thought I'd have a go. Not the best photo.

Patterned paper has been overstamped for the background, the image is stamped on an alcohol ink background. Spellbinder frame, beaded ribbon from my stash painted with gold dabber, marianne die rose. I even tried recolouring my gold jewels with alcohol inks as they weren't quite the right shade.

Can't tell if the shape is wonky or it's the angle of the picture. Def looks better IRL.

What's On Your Wordesk? Wednesday..... # 199

Wednesday again? Well that went fast.

First thing, anyone interested in how the costume I was making last week turned out, some piccies can be found here.

Back to this week, I am getting all messy with inks and paint and my desk does kinda reflect that LOL! Good luck working out what any of this is - there are at least three projects on the go today, had a little flash of mojo last night when I finally got into my craft room.

The alcohol inks are out again, as are my Lynn Perella stamps, there  are some clearly for art strips that hopefully are going on to an assemblage type piece I am making in  tandem with a gothic arch and some ATCs - well I have to give things time to dry!! Going to have to tidy up a bit soon as am down to my usual 6 inch square.

If you want to show off your desk then hop on over to Julia's and join in. Got more time than usual as I'm home today so off for a browse.....

Easter Card...

I bought a couple of new stamp sets today in hobbycraft for a £1 each (well that's just pocket money LOL) and thought I would try them out. I thought I'd use the bunny one for an easter card as I don't seem to have much in the way of Easter images. I'm not sure she looks a very happy bunny though, in fact she looks a little startled!!

I also used my new Marianne English Rose die to make the flowers. I tried them out with some felt I bought a while ago to make ducks (don't ask) and  they turned out quite nice. I have never tried felt with die cuts or flower making before and the only thing I will say is that you can't manipulate it in quite the same way as you can paper - once rolled it tends to stay there, it won't go 'loose' of you let go of  it. Otherwise lovely and tactile and holds it shape well.

Struggled for a sentiment and opted to use a ready made one from an old kit. Being lazy.
Bit of ribbon and bling and voila, one Easter card.

I am putting this one into the J & CC March challenge. I'm also going to link up with the current polkadoodles challenge (could have done with the Cherry Blossom Lane CD for a bunny image!!) and chose the backing paper from Studio 12's Picknix  'Heavenly Garden'.