Using Alcohol Inks...

for the TMTA theme this week. I printed a pattern onto acetate, added alcohol inks to the backgroundm then created a crumpled foil background and applied the acetate on top. Then I stamped some butterfly wings, added alcohol inks to these and adhered to the surface, using a red gem for the centre of each.

It was definitely back to work with a bang today! That first sounding of the alarm at silly O'clock really shakes your bones! But up I got and got to work on time, after forgetting how bad the traffic can be if you hit it at the wrong time, only to find that I could not access any of the school work I had done over the break because I had filled the server disk and it would not synchronize with the school system! So I unplugged it from that and tried to access the files to move them to another area so I could use them, only for the computer to tell me that I could not access them unless I was synchronized with the system!!!!! Argghhhhh........

I eventually managed to move other files around and access what I needed in time for my lessons, then we had a fire drill to boot! What a welcome back, here's to the rest of the week.....

Home Is....

Where The Heart Is.

Most definitely true! There is nothing like getting home after a hectic day and just being able to relax and do as the mood takes you! This is a great theme from Make A Moo this week, I created my pieces using Paper Artsy and Inkadinkado stamps, collaging a background and adding a punched heart, all coloured with chalk eyes.

Using An Old Postcard

Weds Stamper this week have set the challenge to create artwork on the back of an old postcard. As I could not put my hands on one at home, I printed an image off the internet onto glossy paper to use. I then used my Tim Holtz masks with distress inks to add a pattern to the background, stamped a postage mark and flowers from Prima over the top, then punched some leaves and coloured them with chalk eyes and finally added a touch of Tattered Angels mists over the top. It was a little difficult to photograph as it was getting dark, so I will try and get a clearer shot tomorrow.

Nature

Well, what a fantastic day it has been here today, the warmest of the year so far, a balmy 20 degrees! But thunderstorms are due for tomorrow....

I did manage to get the garden straight - lawn mown, dandelions banished to the recycle bin, and flowerbeds weeded. Which put me in the right frame of mind for the Crazy Amigo challenge of nature. I created this skinny by using collage techniques,distress inks, stamps from Prima and punched shapes.

My Cat.....

is an angel....

well, sometimes maybe! As it is a free theme over at GA until next week, I decided to do an arch using on of my favourite cat quotes. I used my Cherry Pie Arts cat stamps, chalk eyes, and pages from an old book to compile this arch. Hope you like it.

Eyes...

are powerful tools, and are generally a thing of beauty. Eyes is the theme for TMTA this week and I have created my ATC using a stamp from Paper Bag Studios, added colour using chalk eyes and created dimension by re-stamping the image and adding half of it raised on top, along with the wording.

Vintage Easter

ACF this week have provided a great vintage image to use for their challenge. I was a bit stuck as to how to use or alter it, but after much faffing and playing with Photoshop, I finally achieved something I am happy to share! This is created by layering the given image with another vintage image of bird eggs, layering with photoshop brushes and a frame mask.

I hope you all have a great Easter break and that the sunshine holds!

Yellow & Easter....

are two words that go nicely together at this time of year, and is the theme for Make A Moo. I have made my Moo's 3D by shaping the card into a daffodil and Easter chick. The backgrounds are colored using chalk eyes and then the shaped applied onto the surface, then finished with some Distress Stickles to add a bit of shine to the Easter sun!

Zettiology

Is a strange but kind of alluring form of art, where all those odd elements are put alongside each other and they just seem to work! This is the theme for TGIF this week, and I have created my Zetti piece on Killer Heels. It is a mixture of collaged papers, images from magazines, newspaper, fineline pens and paint. Hope you like the end result, I am not too sure whether I actually like it or not, I think it might have needed some stronger black lines in there somewhere.....

Eggs....

come in all shapes and sizes, and at this time of year I particularly like the chocolate ones! Eggs is the theme for Make A Moo, and I have hand drawn mine, coloured them with watercolour pencils and added some chalk eyes to finish.

Who Owns....

a teddy bear?

I think that most of us have had at least one great teddy bear in our lives. My sister loved hers to death and he is the most handsome threadbare teddy bear of them all! He even has his own paisley pyjamas and a pair of gold rimmed glasses!

The bear image provided by ACF for their challenge was great, so I created this digital piece making her the focal point.

Inspired by Italy

Italy is a great country and I have visited a few different parts. My last visit to Italy was to Venice, where I had a great holiday with my sister. I chose to use Venice as my inspiration for this weeks Weds Stamper. I coloured the background with distress inks, then stamped the gondola on top. I hand drew the buildings in and added colour to them with chalk eyes. I then stamped the tickets and wording separately and applied them on top.

Cats

I have always loved cats and there has always been at least one in the household all my life. I think now it would feel strange to not have that little person bumping around your legs, jumping on your work, and chasing all manner of things around the garden. Cats is the theme for Inchy By Inch this week and I used a selection of cat stamps and chalk eyes to create mine.

Deco Page Swap

I have signed up to take part in a deco page swap on the Scrapbook Sisters Forum. Where you create a 6"x6" page on a theme decided by the person you swap with. It is easy to sign up and join in, just join the forum, decide on a theme for your deco page and then look for someone who is free to swap. The idea is that we will each build up a book of deco pages from each person who signs up, swapping with everyone eventually!

My theme is bewitched - anything that your imagination sees as being 'bewitched'.......

My first swap was with Julie and her theme of 'Trees' (and their inhabitants). I decided to include some hand drawing / painting and I think this is something that I want to run through all the pages I do. I chose to do a tree frog using a variety of techniques including using Gesso, paper tearing and layering, acrylic paint, Glossy Accents, leaf punches, UTEE in the melt pot, and a charm from Tim Holtz.

I hope you like the end result, I would love to hear what you think.....

I eagerly await my first return from Julie on my theme of Bewitched. I have now managed to get Mazza to sign up and have a go too, so my next swap is to create a page on her theme of 'Love Ya!' Watch this space....

Together.....

I cannot believe it is over a week since I last posted! The end of term was rather busy, and left little time to be creative - my mojo flew the coop!! I now need to spend some time gathering new thoughts and images to use to build up a new creative folio to inspire the imagination.....

To start I have created these ATC's for the TMTA challenge of Togetherness. They are created using stamped images and watercolour pencils, the edges finished with chalk eyes and a small gem added to each one.