Think Monday, Think ATC - Spring

Yes indeed, the robins have made their way to Ontario and the crocuses are sure to follow....This week's theme on Think Monday, Think ATC is "Spring".

Fabric Round Robin Pages

No one would guess that I took Family Studies all the way through high school and won an award for it every single year THEN went on to take advanced sewing at University with the intention of becoming either a Home Economist or a Dietition. I now have an apprehension about using a sewing machine in my artwork. I admit it! My assignment was to create a round robin journal spread using fabric with the theme of "Women". I procrastinated and I lost sleep until I finally decided I needed to face my fears. I thought about the way that women create homes and that these homes provide such a unifying force in the lives of families. In my home, the kitchen was the centre. My sister and I would talk to my Mom as we were preparing dinners and the family always sat down together to eat our evening meal and to discuss our issues, our triumphs, our disappointments and our sadness. I hope that I captured this somehow in these pags.

TGIF - Tags

A long time ago I learned to age a tag using instant coffee granules diluted with water. I often do a batch of tags of all shapes and sizes as well as paper doilies. I find that if I have a stash, I tend to use them quite often in vintage artwork. This is my submission with a, yes you guessed it, Titanic theme for this week's TGIF challenge.

Step Outside Your Box Saturday - Photo Transfers

This definitely falls in the "better late than never" category as far as weekly challenges are concerned. The Step Outside Your Box Saturday assignment was to use a photo transfer in a piece of artwork. I have always loved this photo of two little girls sitting on a step by Paperbag Studios. I used packing tape to make a transfer of it then mounted it onto sheet music giving it lovely depth.

Theme Thursday - Pink and Brown

I'm very fond of combining a nice rich brown with many colours including pink which is the colour scheme designated as this week's challenge for Theme Thursday. This is a round robin journal spread that I designed. The journal's theme was women so I decided to celebrate the wonderful women friends in my life. Each one of these friends is so different and each one enriches my life in ways too many to mention.

Wednesday Stamper - Purple

There is just something mysteriously beautiful about purple, I think. In this card it represents the deep bond between siblings. Theses three little boys from PaperWhimsy are a mischievious lot aren't they? "Purple" is the theme for this week's Wednesday Stamper. The stamp is from Paperbag Studios.

Mixed Media Monday - Bright Colours

I'm very attracted to the vibrant colours of encaustic waxes like those used in these round robin journal covers. They add such energy and life to artwork. I'm using these two pieces as my submission for the Mixed Media Monday challenge this week with the theme of "Bright Colours".

Think Monday, Think ATC - Texture Effects

The theme for this week's Think Monday, Think ATC challenge is "Texture Effects". You can't really tell from the scan of these cards but they are textured with layers of gesso, gel medium and pages from the telephone book that have been applied and allowed to dry then torn off leaving some of the print. It is a long process but a fun one.

"The Stars of Midnight" Canvas

This is indeed a milestone for me....my first canvas. I have been taking an online course with Paulette Insall for the past five weeks called "Organic Dimensions" and have been learning so much about layering acrylic paints in various ways to create backgrounds. This little piece is a culmination of all of those lessons and I call it "The Stars of Midnight".

"Spring" Altered Altoid Tin

In my blogging travels, I visited one of my favourites, Unshelved Words, and discovered a post for an altered altoid tin swap with the theme of "Spring". I quicky signed up because I have discovered that I have a newfound love for assemblage. The tin had to include words or a quotation. The background I used is from a magazine. I layered to give dimension to the piece.

Wednesday Stamper - First Letter, First Name

This is an interesting theme this week at Wednesday Stamper. We are assigned the task of creating a piece of artwork using the first letter of our first name. We can work with the letter itself or with a word beginning with the same letter. I decided to focus on "Happiness". I've always loved this image from Paperbag Studio and think that it captures the happiness of human connectedness so well. Can't you just imagine these two friends wandering through the grass in their bare feet on a warm summer day?

Mixed Media Monday - Men

I just happened to have the task of creating a round robin spread for a book with the theme "Keys to the Universe" this weekend. It is an alphabetica swap so I was assigned two letters, "E" and "F". After much deliberation, I decided to design my pages around Einstein and his Theory of Relativity and the ancient controversy of whether or not the world is flat or round. The latter page has a picture of Christopher Columbus in it so here are two great men to celebrate Mixed Media Monday this week.

Think Monday, Think ATC - Transparent Art

The challenge on Think Monday, Think ATC this week is to use something transparent on our artist trading card. I am particularly fond of transparent butterflies and moths and have used one on this piece promoting reading. Hey, you can't take the librarian out of this artist!

Step Outside Your Box Saturdays - Work with Beads

A wonderful art friend and I decided to step right outside our art boxes and take a beading course from Keely Barham (of True Colours fame). Keely was going to be at a stamping/scrapbook store in Bolton, Ontario. My art friend and I met for the first time having only talked online and drove the 2 hours to the store. We arrived out of breath and a little late and spent the most intense day creating amazing mixed media beaded bracelets. I managed to finish mine at the workshop after approximately 6 hours of work. We were completely exhausted but immensely proud of ourselves after we'd had a good night's sleep (or two or three). Here it is....my submission for this week's "Step Outside Your Box Saturday" challenge

TGIF Challenge - Flowers

Okay, with all of the gardening and flower themes this week on the challenge sites I'm thinking that everyone is hoping for TGISpring....am I correct? This is artist trading card created for the TGIF challenge this week.

4" X 4" Fridays - Fairies

I love the elegance and serenity of this lovely fairy....and of course her dress! The background paper is from Basic Grey and actually was printed with the flower upon which she is so delicately balanced. "Fairies" is the theme for this week's 4" X 4" Friday challenge.

Rainbow Lady's Challenge - Brads and Eyelets

A sweet friend of mine introduced me to radiant pearls a while ago and I can honestly say that it relaxes me to use them. They spread and blend so easily and beautifully. I used them on this floral stamp. I then wanted to add the metallic flecked vellum with a circle punched in it so I attached it with eyelets. I also used eyelets to add the ribbon. This is my submission for the Rainbow Lady's Challenge this week.

Wednesday Stamper - In My Garden

Even to be thinking of trees with green leaves, grass and the first bloom of Spring is a relief after another night of snow. This week's Wednesday Stamper challenge theme is "In My Garden". I used a variety of stamped pieces of tissue paper and encaustic waxes to create the background for this lovely lady who is dreaming of a garden filled with gorgeous and aromatic blooms.

Mixed Media Monday - Purple and Gold

How very coincidental.....I created a round robin journal spread this weekend with the theme "Mary, Mary Quite Contrary"....all about gardens. It just happened to feature the colours purple and gold, the theme for Mixed Media Monday this week.

Think Monday - Think ATC - Fashion

The hats, the shoes....and in some cases the corsets....all worn in the name of "fashion". That is the theme of "Think Monday-Think ATC" this week. I created these trading cards as a set celebrating feminine beauty and fashion!

Gothic Arch Challenge - Transitions

Oh how I love the theme that Karen Owen has chosen for this week's Gothic Arch challenge....transitions. There is such scope with the subject and I have chosen the transition from egg to bird for my arch.

TGIF Challenge - Swirls

I love the look of liveliness and movement depicted by swirls whether they be created with rub-ons or in this case with rubber stamps. "Swirls" is the theme for this week's TGIF Challenge.

4" X 4" Friday - Pets

Oh how we love our pets....whether they be feathered or furred. This dog reminds me so much of my "niece" dog, an American Eskimo. The photo was featured in a magazine advertisement and I used the image to create a packing tape transfer. "Pets" is the theme for this week's 4" X 4" Friday and this is my submission.

Rainbow Lady's Challenge Blog - Pockets

I was delighted to discover Rainbow Lady's Challenge Blog in my travels and am submitting my first piece on it with this card. The theme this week is "Pockets". I just love this stern little girl by Paperbag Studios. She is very vintage looking so I stamped her on a tea-stained tag.

Theme Thursday - Paris

Ah, Paris....even if we haven't visited it, we still are wistful when we think of it.....the cafes, the Eiffel Tower, the fashion. This wonderful city is the theme of this week's Theme Thursday and this is a 4" X 4" that I created with Paris in mind.

Mixed Media Monday Challenge - Music

I love using vintage sheet music in my art. I waxed it on these altered library cards to give the elegant ladies a fitting background. These are my submissions for "Mixed Media Monday" this week.

Gothic Arch Challenge - Using Trash

I have had this little guy in my "stash" for some time. I found him in a magazine that would have been sent out to the recycling bin and stored him away. When I read the theme of this week's Gothic Arch Challenge, I knew that it was time to dig him out and make him into a packing tape transfer. He just brings back memories of standing outside while the snow was falling and opening up my mouth and sticking out my tongue to catch a snowflake or two. The large snowflake just above his head was used as a packing material in a Christmas gift so it too is recycled.

Skinny Saturday - Sisters and Vintage Wedding

Wow, there are two challenges this week on Skinny Saturday. The first theme is "Sisters" and the second is "Vintage Wedding". I used copies of cabinet card photos that I have in my collection for both cards. I love to look at this photos and think about the lives that the people in the photos lived. For the "Vintage Wedding" skinny I tried to tell a story. Although this is a moment frozen in time from this couple's wedding, they had their whole lives ahead of them. Did they have children? Did they live in the country, the city or a small town? What were their joys, their sorrows? Hopefully this piece gives a glimpse of the story that I imagined for them.

Step Outside Your Box Saturdays - Unconventional Colouring

This was the challenge for "Step Outside Your Box Saturdays" this week:

This week I want you to get unconventional, use coffee or tea, or if you’re so fortunate to have grass available on this March the 1st, grass stains. I bet there’s lots of ways to stain, or color your work with out using markers, pencils, crayons, ink, or paint. You just have to think Outside the Box, I can’t wait to see what you all do!!!

I thought long and hard about ways that I colour that are unconventional and "outside the box" and I immediately landed on mica. I have a love affair with the stuff and love how it gives a beautiful sepia colour to everything that sits underneath it.

TGIF Challenge - Men

I have just discovered a new challenge site call "TGIF" that posts new themes on Thursday and this week's theme is "Men". This is a 4" X 4" calendar page I created for the month of June.