Mixed Media Drawing

I got the chance to sit down and have a play today. First I completed a great class held by Scrapbook Sisters, where I made a great altered mirror; then this evening I had a play with mixed media to create this portrait. I collaged pages form a book for the background and added Gesso on top. Once dry I marked the image out in pencil then added colour with watercolour pencils, a black waterproof fineline pen and then coloured markers. I am fairly happy with the end result, but think I need to leave it and come back at a later date.

Vintage Love

I am so glad that it is Friday, what a busy week it has been, or rather a busy month! Definitely hit 2009 with a bang, and next week looks to be just as busy, if not more so....

Still I have a good weekend to look forward to, well on the most part anyway. Tomorrow I get to spend creating at a class held by Scrapbook Sisters, then hopefully will get some time in the evening to complete some of my projects. I will need to get some school work done on the Sunday though.

But for now I have managed to create these Moo's for Make A Moo this week by using pages from a book for the background and then added colour with chalk eyes. I then collaged the vintage images on top and punched the hearts, chalked the edges and added them to the background. I then finished them by adding Glossy Accents to the hearts.

Ice Blue

This is the challenge over at TMTA this week. I decided to use some Paper Artsy stamps onto a background I created using differing shades of icy blue chalk eyes. The images are stamped in Stazon and I completed by adding ice blue stickles down the left-hand side.

Alley Cat

I do love felines of all kinds, and am paticularly biased towards my own black shadow!! So I loved this weeks theme over at SPA of cats. This is my postcard, made by hand painting the copper background then stamping the paws and alley cat directly on top. The black cats are stamped separately and mounted using foam pads to raise them off the surface. It is finished with a hand doodled border and chalked edges.

It's All In The Numbers

Numbers is the theme over at TYI this week and I created this tag using a stamp from Paper Artsy, Prima Flowers and some odds and ends of papers I had.

Books.....

I love to buy them, read them, draw in them, alter them, and make them........

For TGIF this week I have chosen to share this book I made for my sister for Christmas. It is a desktop book I learnt how to make at a class held by Karen of Scrapbook Sisters, and this is another version of it. Hope you like the end result.

I dream.....

of so many things.......

The image provided by ACF this week leant itself to a composition on dreaming. The image of the little girl has such a thoughtful look on her face that dreaming just sprung to mind. This is a digital piece using a variety of techniques.

Buildings...

are the theme over at Make A Moo this week. I chose to hand draw mine on top of a background made with crackle paints. I then added some silver and red metallic pens to complete.

Blog Award

I have to thank Wendy for awarding me with this blog award, it is much appreciated, and great to know that there are people out there who like what I do!! I have come across some great blogs since I started to blog myself, and I have to pass this on to five other people. So some of the talented ladies out there whose sites I frequently visit for inspiration are:

1. Rosie

2. Scrapbook Sisters

3. Jeannie

4. Leona

5. Irene

Please keep visiting.....

Primary and Secondary...

colours are a part of my everyday life!! This is the challenge for MMM this week. But with the weather foul - very windy and wet!! - I chose to produce this piece depicting the morning sun rise, inspired by some photographs I took while on holiday over the Christmas period. I hand painted the background sun and then added the stamped images and wording over the top.

Turquoise

This is the theme over at SPA this week and I have combined it with Lace - the theme for WS. I hand painted the backgrouns and then scratched texture into the surface while it was still wet. Once dry I stamped the lace and other images onto the background, stamped the cage and little figure onto paper and cut them out to apply to the surface, then stamped the word dreams over the top.

Knowledge...

is a wonderful thing if used to its full potential, and that theme fit well with the image provided by ACF this week. This is a digital piece created by layering images and changing the lighting and opacity of each layer. Hope you like it.

Gypsy...

is what I am.

Gypsy is the theme over at Gothic Arches this week. I have used image transfer techniques to create the image and then painted crackle paint around the edge and added distress inks over the top. I embellished with flowers and bttons and then used chipboard elements for the main wording.

Queen for a day...

I created this ATC for TMTA this week using a vintage image and a great crown stamp. I coloured the crown and added gems for some bling. The background is picket fence crackle paint with blue distress ink over the top. The edges have been finished with gold Krylon pen.

House of Love...

This piece of work combines several challenges in one. I have incorporated CBH - Love, TGIF - Houses, and SWI&T Vintage Love to create this little house full of love. The Twinchie is an altered vintage photo which has been chalked and stickles added, the house is mafe from the page of an old book and stamped on with Paper Artsy stamps including the quote and the heart stamped onto pink paper, cut out and collaged together.

Going round in circles...

is how life tends to go!! I created these Moos for Make A Moo this week on the theme of circles. I first stamped the backgrounds in brown and stamped the silhouette figures and butterflies on top in black. I used a Kryon pen around the edge and highlighted certain parts of the images with hand drawn circles in a veriety of colours and pen types. I love these mini silhouette figures and they are just the right size to use on a Moo!

9 Lives....

ACF again provided a fantastic background to use this week and below is my digital composition, showcasing my handsome feline friend - Hugo and some of how he spends his 9 lives.....

Grunge

I started this arch for Gothic Arches at the weekend and only now have had the chance to finish it. I love grunge and all that goes with it, but wan unsure as to what I actually wanted to put on this arch. I finallt settled for a background of crackle paint and distress inks, then layered with stamping, both directly onto the background, and separately. I coloured and cut out the figure 'grunged' her and adhered to the background. I finished by adding crackle accents to the word imagine and some liquid beadz.

Automobiles...

can be great things, some of which are beautiful as well as practical! They are definitely a boys toy, which brings them great delight! I created this ATC for TMTA this week using image transfer and then hand drawing over the top, stamping and gems.

Friendship...

is the theme over at MMM this week.. For this piece I used an image transfer technique with a photograph of these three boys playing cards, I then stamped and added hand written text over the top and finished by chalking the edges and adding liquid beadz.

The Blues...

are a great range of colours to work with and I created these inchies for SWI&T. I used some stamps of different peacocks and their feathers onto a background I made with distress inks. I stamped in midnight blue and once dry added stickles on top to highlight areas and chalked the edges to finish.

Winter Frost

Jack Frost has definitely been spinning his magic of late, and yesterday everything looked magical first thing in the morning. Unfortunately I was viewing the wonders of frost covered trees, thistles, grasses, etc through the window of the car while driving, so was unable to take photos...

But I did create these for Make A Moo this week. I stamped the snowflakes in blue on the background and added pale blue chalk eye over the top. Then I stamped the frosty swirls and added hand writing over the top and finished with some stamped silver snowflakes and stickles to add that frosty sparkle!

Moonlight...

It has been extremely foggy here today and this very misty, surreal landscape inspired my piece for MMM on the theme of Moon. I created the background using crackle paints in two shades of blue and pewter. Once dry I rubbed walnut stain distress ink over the top to bring the crackles out and then stamped the image of the moon and trees onto acetate and placed over the top. I scanned this into my computer and then completed by digitally adding the white mist using the brush tool, and added the quote to the left side. Hope you like it, sweet dreams.......

It just spoke to me.....

as soon as I saw the new background for ACF this week that I had to put butterflies and flourishes with it. It has taken me till now to decide how and what to actually do. This also fits the theme for CBH too. I have used various different brushes, layering, opacity and lighting effects to create this digital montage. I hope you like the end result and get drawn into my world a little.....

Winter Time...

has definitely set in. The little amount of snow we had has still not melted around where I live, and it has become very icy indeed. I am at the point where I wish it would really snow hard, and make it worthwhile, or melt away altogether!

For TGIF this week I have created a skinny using distress inks for the background, a stamped image, and then distress stickles to add some texture to the ground and sky, hopefully giving it all a very wintery feel.

Now to go get warm by the radiators and leave the cold outdoors....

Angels

This is the theme for Make A Moo this week, and I decided to use my new Magnolia stamps and Tilda's cat. I just love the cat with wings, so cute, and it reminds me of friends past and that angelc come in many guises and are always looking out for you. I added colour with markers and hand wrote the sentiment. Hope you like the end result - keep an eye out for your guardian angel.....

Cowboys and Indians

Its great to get a theme for a challenge that is something totally out of season - I am missing the warmth and sunshine I had while on holiday! While the snow was nice to see, it could have snowed a bit more heavily, so that we could have a snow day, but 1/2 inch doesn't quite cut it!!

Anyway, I found the time to make this ATC for TMTA, I used stamps from My Favourite Things, and created the Tee-pee from patterned paper to collage the whole together.

New Year's Cards

I was so totally unorganised for Christmas this year, especially with going abroad. So instead of making Christmas cards, I ended up making a few New Year's cards instead. Quite simple, but I was quite pleased with the result as I am by no means a card maker. I used some Magnolia stamps and coloured them with markers.

Happy New Year

It's been a while since I posted - I have been away on holiday, to the sunny Algarve. What a great way to spend Christmas - in the sun with family and friends. I returned to the UK to very cold and frosty weather, which I am still trying to get used to again!! And now it is a new year - may 2009 bring you all joy and good fortune.

This is the first bit of creating I have done in a while, and it is for ACF - what a great background they provided us with. I combined it with a photograph I took in my garden last summer of a dragonfly that landed for a spot of sun! Hope you like the end result.