Green Paper Challenge: Joyful Wishes

Mary at Green Paper hosts a collage challenge each month,

so here is what I created with the inspirational images provided by Mary for February.

I covered an unwanted dvd with patterned papers from the Life's Journey Pansy collection

by K & Company as they toned with Mary's images.

I printed out the picture of the family on photographic paper.

I distressed it by tearing, folding, sanding, scuffing

& aged it with Distress Ink (antique linen).

I used the wording on the Dove's banner, which reads

"May joy be around you"

I added an old button & threads of hessian.

This is the back of the dvd.

Mending a Broken HeArt

I spent an enjoyable afternoon this week with textile artist Elizabeth Sayers to make a heart with attitude, using scraps of old fabric & beads.

To start I chose the base colour of my heart from all the lovely fabrics Elizabeth had provided, then I cut out my two heart shapes freehand.


I hand stitched the two pieces together using blanket stitch with gorgeous blue thread. Every now & then I added some rocailles beads to add interest around the edges.


Elizabeth created some cord for me to use by tearing a fine strip of fabric then over stitching on her sewing machine with two different blue metallic threads. I used half to create a hanging loop & saved the other half for later.

The heart was filled & a bead added to the bottom of the loop. I completed the rest of the heart back at home.

I used a strip of an old silk scarf, lace, wording & white organza ribbon.


I cut a small heart from old cotton fabric (from an discarded man's shirt) & edged it with some fibre, incorporating a square of lace from an old lace doily (charity shop find).


For the final touches, I stitched on the remaining half of the handmade cord, added three old buttons & a pearl coloured pin.

Dear Valentine

With Valentine's Day just around the corner,

thoughts turn to love & romance.

I used patterned papers by my favourite K & Company designer, Brenda Walton

to cover a mountboard heart.

The edges were sanded.

I punched two holes in the top with my Crop-a-dile,

through which to thread some of my favourite ribbon.

I composed a Haiku poem & printed the words out using a typewriter font,

so as not to give any clues as to who wrote it!

I used a little black ink around the cut out elements & the torn papers,

Distress Ink over the typed words (antique linen)

& the elements were coated in Glossy Accents.

More ribbon & an old button for added texture & dimension.

Love & Passion

The challenge theme on Make a Moo or Two is

Romance.

I covered my white mountboard Moo blank with black card,

then covered it with script vellum.

I used a wonderful image from The Vintage Stamper,

together with paper designs from The Angel Company.

I added the calendar detail from 7 Gypsies.

The wording was cut out from junk mail.

Secrets

A digital collage using images

provided by Mary Green

for her monthly collage challenge

on her blog Green Paper,

with additional images

from The Graphics Fairy.

To Love & Be Loved

The challenge at Art Creations Friday was to use the two beautiful images provided in one project. I decided to create a digital collage.


In addition to the two images provided, I added a printed page image from The Vintage Moth, textures from Flickr member Bea Pierce & an overlay from a Sande Krieger kit from Two Peas in a Bucket.

Enjoy the Journey

I had a lovely surprise today when I found that the Make a Moo or Two challenges

had recommenced after an extended break.

The challenge theme this week is

Travel.

After cutting out some blank moos from white mountboard,

I started on my first Moo in months.

Oh how I have missed these cute little fellows!

They are just 28mm by 70mm.

I covered the blank with a scrap of old printed paper designed by Shabby Princess

& sanded the edges.

The car is from The Graphics Fairy.

I cut out the window & added a tiny piece of acetate behind.

The tickets are from the Craft Stamper.

I punched a hole through the top with my Crop-a-dile

& threaded through a small piece of string to hint at a luggage label.

Recycled Journal Pages

During January, I have been taking part in an online workshop run by Pam Carriker in conjunction with Strathmore.

I am yet to lay my hands on a Strathmore Visual Journal, so for this workshop I used the last page in my Altered Book Art Journal.

The aim of the workshop was to take copies of old journal pages to create something new. I used printed copies of the front of my art journal, a journal page background (created for a Green Pepper Press Street Team Crusade, with the colour altered before printing) & my whimsy Paper Daisy.


Week 1
So with all the elements assembled, the printed background was torn into strips, then I journalled on the back of each strip.

This was my planned layout.


The pages had already been coated in clear Gesso, with two found words protected with drawing gum. To finish preparing the pages, I added a light coat of diluted white acrylic paint, to tone down the printed words.


I added the journal strips, clouds & flower to the page & coated them with a mixture of clear gesso & a touch of white acrylic paint.


The original printed girl did not survive the wash of gesso, as the printer ink bled out, so I removed her & replaced her with a copy of the original line drawing.

Week 2
I started to add shading (using a dark brown watercolour pencil) & colour using oil pastels.


I also revealed the two found words ... Creative Art



A gesso wash caused all kinds of problems with the watercolour running, so I re-coloured with oil pastels, this time using blue.


I purchased a charcoal pencil to help with the shading, alas this also caused a complete mess.

I needed to rescue the project (again) & take some time out!

Week 3

This week I have added more colour & texture using Stickles (Silver), Distress Stickles (broken china), Perfect Pearls (Pewter) & Liquid Pearls (White Opal).


I used a graphite pencil to empathise the fine detail.


My girl is now looking a little gothic.


I love the texture, although this was not part of Pam's lesson. Guess I was nervous about adding acrylic paint to an already delicate project.


The light catches the glitter particles & bounces off the opal liquid pearls.


I added four more flowers to add visual interest to the piece.


Week 4

This week was about adding doodles & details.


My creative theme for January is Refresh, so I added copies of word definitions & a quotation.

"To look backward for a while is to refresh the eye,
to restore it & render it more fit for its prime function of looking forward"

Margaret Fairless Barber

Review of the Year 2010

As 2010 draws to a close, it's time for a look back over my crafting year.

It's been a different year. A year of coming together, of things falling into place & making sense. A year of quality not quantity.

Art Journal
I have thoroughly enjoyed developing my altered book art journal; incorporating past projects, playing with colour, texture & new products. My favourite layout is this one.


Maybe because it's the most recent one or because it resulted from a creative workshop in which I gained the confidence to draw or because my oil pastels finally got put to good use.

I only have one set of pages left to fill, so early in the New Year I will need to find a new source of inspiration ...

Altered Art
My favourite project is my altered frame . It took time & patience to complete. It used some of my favourite papers & created the perfect setting for my steampunk Twinchie.


Altered Media
I really enjoy altering unwanted CDs (or more accurately DVDs). I have surprised myself in choosing my favourite. The Valentine decoration is pink & fluffy ... not really me!


Matchboxes
Something new for this year is altering matchboxes. I love the small scale & the challenge of working three dimensionally.

I can't choose a favourite, so click here to see them all.

Inchies
Inchies played a large part of my crafting again this year. The Inchie Alphabet has to be my favourite.


To see a slideshow of this set, please click here.

Digital Art
With one of my favourite colour schemes, this digital collage easily wins it's place in my heart.

Greeting Cards
I have always struggled when making cards to give to my friends & family. I suppose it's to do with the internal struggle of making something to please someone else, rather than creating to please myself. Does that sound selfish? Anyway, so earlier this year I gave up the battle, being happy to buy them instead.

Of those I did make, my favourite is this Easter card.


I love the combination of colours & the shape of the bunny. I liked it so much, I altered a cd into a hanging decoration, so I could have the bunny on display over the Easter period.


Scrapbooking
I didn't realise how little scrapping I had done this year! With only one layout


& one project to show.


Mandala
My Winter Snowflake mandala currently decorates my work space. It sparkles as the light catches the gems & glitter, brightening the dark Winter days.