Big Nose Reindeer, SPA - Angel, Collage

The reindeer was drawn on the tablet. [Samsung Galaxy Note]

The postcard, also digital was done for the Sunday Postcard Art challenge - Tiny Angel.

The woman has a tiny angel in her hands [click on the image for a better view]. I used a vintage postcard for the background. The woman's clothes and her background are my designs/art work. The angel was from the Graphics Fairy.

It's a long time since I've used a 'real' sketchbook, I did this last week but forgot about it. The sections with the birds are pieces of wrapping paper. I used letraset aquamarkers for the tree.

Santa Deer

I used a lovely vintage image from the Graphics Fairy to dress.

Victorian Inspired Silhouettes

I thought I would join the challenge at Inspiration Avenue - a Kodak Moment.

[My challenge to you is to create an artistic piece that captures your idea of a "Kodak Moment."]

What came to mind was early Victorian photography and the silhouettes they used to do. I've altered photos taken from the side and put them in frames from the Graphics Fairy. The butterflies background was also from there too.

Vintage Hats & Ephemera

The ladies with the hats and the spring opening card below are images from the Graphics Fairy. The envelope above from .., and the rose was a photo I took.

Goodbye 2012, Happy New Year

A little creation I put together for all my blogging buddies - click on the image to enlarge - 

 it says 'sending you greetings .... Happy New Year'

Thank you for visiting my blog this past year and thank you for any comments you may have left.

The flower postcard was from the Graphics Fairy, I just changed the text. The other postcard was my own.

Hope to see you in the New Year, Linda

Tree and Santa's Little Helper

Tree, angel and reindeer are images from the Graphics Fairy and the baubles are from a photo I took myself.

Click on image to enlarge.

Below - Santa's little helper [photo taken by Emma, my daughter]

Gifts to Arty Friends

The gifts to my arty friends were all based on a kind of Russian doll, I'll explain more further down.

My gift to Gill was three cards of art buttons. 

I altered Graphics Fairy images for the backing cards.

For Helen I made some earrings, on one side the man and the woman on the other. I printed my artwork on t-shirt transfer paper.

 I gave Marian a hand painted brooch. After painting I stitched around the lines and edges on the sewing machine.

Vicky was given a hanging doll of herself, one one side I drew her features and on the other the original photo. I used t-shirt transfer paper again. This particular type came out quite plasticky but it may have been because I didn't read the instructions fully[doh!], but it worked out OK for the gifts, it may not feel good on a t-shirt though. I have done something else since and it was not quite as plastic like but not quite so shiny.

I also designed some wrapping paper and gift tags which I printed on my inkjet. I also made little boxes for the jewellery and covered them in the paper. Click on the images for a closer look.

The project was/is to do with culture and I chose to concentrate on historical fashion presented on a Russian like doll. These are some pages from my sketchbook, the start of the project and I used some of these pictures for the above gifts and paper.

Art Buttons and Embroidered Pendant

I did these a while ago but never got round to putting them on the blog.

More art buttons, not for wearing [check out 'art buttons' in the labels list for details].

The green, blue and black and white ones were done with clear buttons.

I made the cards they are on by using images which I altered, from the Graphics Fairy. 

click on images to enlarge

Another embroidered mini pendant - layers, dyed lace, embroidery on one side and art work with some embroidery on the other side.

Non of the above are listed in my shop but if anyone is interested in purchasing let me know.

Blue Hydrangea Fabric

I've been working on my blue journal and I thought it would be nice to design a blue fabric. I used a lovely blue hydrangea image from the Graphics Fairy and arranged it on a background I made from a photo of skeleton leaves.

I've put the fabric on Spoonflower although it is not for sale at the moment.

Mushrooms [CO]

I created this collage of mushrooms and fairy for the Collage Obsession challenge - mushrooms.

All the images are from The Graphics Fairy

A few years ago I bought some wooden mushrooms for the kiddy [me] but I didn't like how they looked so I painted them.

And I thought I would share this mushroom with you again, it was in my garden in 2010 but that was the only time I have ever seen them [there were 2]. The fairy is still hanging around somewhere though.

Clockwork [TAW], Art Buttons, Pendant

Take a Word - Clockwork

The clock, hands, clock hands and woman on the clock are images from The Graphics Fairy.

The background is an old one, but my own work, which was inspired by board games.

Click on image to enlarge.

I've put another couple of items in my Folksy shop, but I'm wondering if I should put the rest in Etsy or Misi as I'm finding Folksy so s...l...o.....w, does anyone else have a problem with it?

I have put in some Art Buttons, these are some of the actual buttons that were featured in Cloth Paper Scissors magazine. The card was another image from Graphics Fairy which I altered especially for the buttons.

Also another mini pendant with a hand embroidered flower, mainly French knots

and on the other side is a miniature stitch sampler

Insects and Altered Photographs

Something strange has happened to the photos I took on my recent mini break.

This bee has gained an extra head. The background is a Norfolk Broad and the head is part of the Westminster Abbey building. Click on the images to enlarge.

The geese below have crowns.

And the skeletons have risen and are having a cuppa.

OK, I admit I have been messing about. My husband bought me a wacom pen for my birthday and with it came a copy of Photoshop Elements, so I have been trying them out.

The extras are from The Graphics Fairy as is the lady below. I gave her a bee necklace to join in the challenge at Take a Word - this week the word is insects.

Art Buttons and New Store

More buttons - this time I have used images from The Graphics Fairy

The images have been reduced in size

My article in Cloth Paper Scissors about the making of buttons like these

This week I have opened up a new store at Zazzle. If there is anything that you like on my website that you would like to see printed on something for sale at Zazzle, please let me know and I will see if it is possible.

See my store at Zazzle

Tick Tock, Altered Clock

Not everything always goes to plan and one example of that which I have decided to share with you, is this clock which was originally a plain white plastic clock which I wanted to alter. My plan was to to decorate the sides with crackle paint, but I found that the bottle had dried up. So instead I used acrylic paints and cling film. I tend to use cling film over and over again for altered books as I think anything extra it picks up adds to the texture. However I didn't want it on the clock, I just wanted it white - too bad, I got extra colours. I sanded it too to make it look distressed and one side now looks OK. For the face I combined two pictures, a clock face and another lovely picture, both from The Graphics Fairy. I placed it onto the clock and replaced the hands but found that the paper moved so I decided to glue it in place. Bad move - it crinkled up and looked awful so I had to remove it. I then thought I would print onto a transparency, just a pretty picture and use the existing clock face on the actual clock. This I painted but it came out a lot pinker than I was expecting, I was going for an aged looking brown. After printing the transparency looked strange, it appears that the black ink did not work so I just got the coloured part, which I accidentally smudged when it was still wet. After sorting out the printer I did another different picture on top of the last one just to see if it worked and it did. I re-assembled the clock and guess what - it still works- amazing! I could re-do the clock but it is just hanging in my work room so I am not sure I can be bothered. But it is possible to alter a clock, so if you have a boring old clock that needs a spruce up - go for it. If you need some lovely images The Graphics Fairy blog can be found here.