Lots to Do Challenge - In Stitches

I took a wonderful Joggles course to teach me to create fabric book pages, something I'd been intrigued to try for a while. I made several pages and this is one of them. The batik background fabric has such an organic look to it...perfect for a fairy. This is my entry for this week's Lots to Do challenge.

Theme Thursday - 4" X 4"s

Hello my dear friends! I must apologize to you. I haven't been doing much blog hopping lately due to a busier than usual week. Please don't think that I've forgotten about you. I very much appreciate all of the sweet comments that you leave for me and I can't wait to see what all of you have been creating. I'll be visiting soon. I was away at a conference in Toronto for a couple of days so am behind in my challenges. I very much enjoy making 4" x 4"s so I didn't want to miss the chance to join Theme Thursday this week. This is my homage to the romance surrounding Venice, Italy.

Wednesday Stamper - Handbags

The Wednesday Stamper theme is an interesting one...handbags. These photos show the front and back of a handbag that I made for a dear art friend. We exchange artful surprises every other month and I have received the most marvelous pieces from her. I ordered this purse from PaperWhimsy because it intrigued me. It holds 8 atcs and you can also design the background for them which I did by stamping and embossing on dark blue cardstock. I like the option to change the cards whenever you wish.

Created ByHand Challenge - Red and/or Pink

I was so attracted to this image when I first saw it. I bought the entire digital sheet just based on it. I want to imagine why this child is distressed. Who would be upset with light green pantaloons, a pink spotted top and those amazing black and white wings with socks to match. This is my entry for this week's Created ByHand challenge.

Crazy Amigo Challenge - Doors

I have always been enchanted by doors and what lies beyond them. I think it started with the book "The Secret Garden". That is what inspired this altered playing card that is my entry for this week's Crazy Amigo Challenge.

Arty Girlz Challenge - Make an ATC

The Arty Girlz Challenge this week is to make an atc...oh, if I must!LOL I really haven't lost my love of these diminutive pieces....both making them and receiving them. It's a good day indeed when a set of promised artist trading cards arrive. I often leaf through my atc books marveling at the wonderful artistry. It's like reconnecting with old friends.

Mixed Media Monday - Art that Represents Your Country

Canada...just saying the word fills me with pride and love. My Mother used to have my sister and I practise standing at attention with our hands at our sides singing the national anthem when we were little girls. I had a difficult time just creating one piece that captures the country so I'm showcasing several. The first artist trading card captures the red and white of our flag. The other three represent the natural beauty from coast to coast with the mountains in the west to the rugged, hilly coastline in the east. These pieces are my entry for this week's Mixed Media Monday challenge which is to create art that represents our country. It should be fascinating to see what everyone creates.

Think Monday Think ATC - Ice Blue

It's another "blue" day in the challenge sites and I don't mind one bit. I enjoy using it in my artwork as it coordinates so beautifully with other colours like pink, green and yellow. This little fairy looks quite ready to take up residence in a spring garden don't you think? This is my entry for this week's Think Monday Think ATC challenge.

Lots to Do Challenge - I've Been Framed

The Lots to Do Challenge this week is to create something with a frame around it. I'm a little late getting this posted but wanted to participate. This piece began as a larger tin. I inserted a wonderful tree that I found in a magazine, a quotation that I love, a darling image of a little girl with attitude from PaperWhimsy and a few embellishments. The frame is German scrap from Artchix. Someone had sent me some children's blocks and there just happened to be two with my initials on them...perfect.

Sunday Stampers - Blue Eyes

I always think that there is a shade of blue to suit every mood. Soothing, turbulent, tranquil and unsettled....each can be created with blue. This round robin page is all about manners. Can you remember when you were being taught them? I remember my Mom withholding a desired object while she awaited the desired "please" from me. Thank goodness she taught me manners though. They go a long way towards calmer and more respectful relations with others. This is my entry for his week's Sunday Stampers challenge.

TGIF Challenge - Books

I found these library card tag books at Quietfire Designs a little while ago and decided to try altering one. I enjoyed the process so much that I ordered 10 more! They appeal to me for many reasons. First of all, they feature a library pocket which for a librarian is rather nostalgic. Secondly, I can take the tags out and alter them separately. Finally, I enjoy the fact that I can illustrate stanzas of poems, one per page. This poem is called "The Unseen Playmate" by Robert Louis Stevenson. I used lots of layers of stamped tissue paper, scrapbook paper, music score and beeswax for each tag to give it that lovely glow that I find so appealing. This is my entry for this week's TGIF challenge.

Wednesday Stamper - Lace

Just a wee touch of lace. It adds such a feminine, delicate feeling not only clothing but also artwork. For this card, I wanted a more transparent, vintage look for the photo so I made a packing tape transfer of it then layered the transfer onto music score. The background is stamped scrapbook paper. This is my entry for this week's Wednesday Stamper challenge.

New Blog Background

I just thought I'd write a little something about my new blog background. I've been thinking that my blog look needed updating for sometime. I had asked a wonderful artist, Peggi Meyer Graminski, to assist me a few months back by designing my blog banner. On my blog hopping travels I had been seeing fantastic backgrounds and borders and wanted to try something myself. Along came Trudi Sissons from Two Dresses Studio. She just happened to mention that she was starting a business creating backgrounds, borders and banners. I asked her if she might be interested in working on my blog makeover and she agreed. We spent a fantastic week talking back and forth about the look I wanted to achieve, images and elements that I wanted included and the result is what you see here. Trudi is very talented and does the most amazing work. You can check out her blog here. Thanks so much Trudi!!

Created ByHand Challenge - Hearts

There's something very comforting about the shape of a heart. I suppose that's why it is the symbol for love. I used hearts in a rather unusual way in this artist trading card. This girl is actually an illustrated character from a book. Being a librarian I go through LOTS of catalogues as I'm purchasing for my department. This wonderful image caught my eye on the cover of one of them. Isn't she grand? She is obviously singing with reckless abandon!! This is my entry for this week's Created ByHand challenge.

One World One Heart Event 2009

I have been so excited about this day for some time now. I participated in the One World One Heart Event last year and it truly was one of the highlights of my year. I met so many new people, some of whom became friends, and I visited a host of new and fantastic blogs with the most amazing art on them. So when One World One Heart 2009 was announced, I knew I had to be part of it. I wasn't quite sure what I'd create for it but received chipboard pieces in these wonderful tins with plastic windows on them. I dumped out the pieces and immediately gessoed and painted the tins. It was very inspiring to be able to work both inside and out knowing that both would be seen at once.

My draw on February 12th will be for both tins so there will be two winners. All you have to do is to leave me a comment on this post and ensure that I am able to contact you. You don't have to have a blog to leave your comment. On February 12th I will use a random number generator to choose the winners. I strongly encourage you to have a look at all of the entries this year and, if possible, to participate. It will be a highlight in your year! You can click on the button on the right hand side of my blog to take you to the official site.

Think Monday, Think ATC - Queen for a Day

Ah it feels good to be queen, especially when you are sitting on a branch with a very fine looking bird. This is my entry for this week's Think Monday, Think ATC challenge.

Inspired by the Colour Pink

I was on a roll today finishing artist trading cards for a personal swap and actually created three extra. I don't normally make a habit of using pink in my artwork which is why colour swaps are so inspiring. They stretch me to break out of habits and routines.

Saturday's Workout - Altered a Tin

Hmmm....alter a tin for the Saturday's Workout challenge...must I?? Any excuse actually. I was very much inspired by this wee girl and thought she needed a bird with a crown to cheer her up a bit!

TGIF Challenge - Houses

The house shape conjures up images of warmth, love, safety, solace...a place of one's own. It is easy to see what it figures prominently in artwork. This is a journal page that I created for an alphabetica round robin project. It actually is for my own book with the theme of "Adjectives". I chose to focus on "A is for Adore". This is my entry for this week's TGIF challenge.

Theme Thursday - Couples

I have collected quite a few vintage wedding photos and love to study them imagining what lay ahead for the two people. Weddings are always filled with hope and promise and an excitement about the future. I took the liberty of giving these two a future filled with three children and quite a lovely white house. This is my entry for this week's Theme Thursday challenge.

Daily Art Stop - Dreams

I've been thinking a great deal about finding balance in life lately. How does one juggle work life, family life, time with friends, creative time without feeling worn out and constantly overwhelmed? I will likely struggle with this always but that doesn't stop me from dreaming about finding that stillness and serenity described in the poem on this piece. It is a favourite of mine. This is my entry for this week's Daily Art Stop.

Wednesday Stamper - Openings

The opening and closing of doors is so symbolic. It can represent opportunities both gained and lost. The closing of one door can facilitate the opening of another. That was what I was thinking when I created this artist trading card using beeswax collage techniques. The background is scrapbook paper. I stamped on tissue paper and applied it with a quilting iron. This is my entry for this week's Wednesday Stamper challenge.

ATC Wednesday - Face

I don't know about you but I very much enjoy people watching. It is so intriguing to study people....the way they interact, their walks, the expressions on their faces. I think the expression on this little girl's face is priceless. She reminds me of my sister who is a self-professed night owl. Mornings were always, and still are, rather rough for her. My Dad would bounce into her room in the morning (he's a morning person) and tickle her feet to get her moving. The response was not always (in fact rarely) positive. This is my entry for this week's ATC Wednesday challenge.

Arty Girlz Challenge - Button It

uttons always seem to add an element of whimsy and often a tiny bit of happiness to a piece of artwork. This image from Retro Cafe Art Gallery already had a place for a button so I obliged by adding a real one. Unfortunately today I'm not seeing any blue sky. Are you experiencing a blizzard where you live? This is my entry for this week's Arty Girlz Challenge.

Crazy Amigo Challenge - Cozy; Created ByHand Challenge - Love

I decided to combine two challenge themes in one round robin journal page this week....cozy and love just seemed to go together so beautifully. When I think of thes two words, I think of home and the love that is shared within a home's four walls with family and friends. This is my entry for both the Crazy Amigo Challenge and the Created ByHand challenge this week.

Mixed Media Monday - Friendship

This is a theme very near and dear to my heart. As Donna from Mixed Media Mondays so beautifully said, sharing our art gives us a chance to connect with such wonderful like minded people. I wanted to share a piece of artwork for this challenge that is part of a wonderful project coordinated by the very talented and dear Monica Magness from Girl Gone Thread Wild. I was honoured to be asked to create a 10" X 10" quilt square for the 2009 "Pink Artist Block Party 2009". Monica sent a package filled with material, scraps and tiny squares left over from last year's Block Party. It took me several months to get up the courage to begin because, as you know, I'm not very confident or experienced with fabric. I purchased some images from a favourite artist of mine, D.J. Pettit, and finally set to work. It was friendship that I had in mind when I created this square. I was thinking about all of the women in my life who are there for me in good times and in bad. Just knowing that they are near whether it be in proximity or via telephone, email etc. is comforting. If you'd like to see the amazing squares that others designed, have a look at the link above. This is my entry for this week's Mixed Media Monday challenge.

Sunday Stamper and Objet D'Art Challenges

Well, our challenge on Sunday Stampers this week is to combine two challenges, namely Sunday Stamper (using green in our project) and Objet d'Art (a new one for me...to use tin in our artwork) so that is precisely what I did with this altered tin. I used tissue paper stamped with flourishes and coated with beeswax for the background on the left and a lovely scene from a magazine complete with a tiny bench for the saucy little fairy on the right side.

Lots to Do Challenge - In the News

There's a new challenge in the blogging world called Lots to Do and I'm pleased to be able to join it this week. I was taken with the theme of the challenge...newspaper. Working in a library, I have access to current newpapers and also to our local paper on microfilm. I enjoy looking up events on the reels and printing off coverage. Sometimes it is accurate and other times it is speculation based on the news that was available on the day. I used a print-off of an article written just after the Titanic sank for this piece.

TGIF Challenge - Dogs

I went through a phase a while ago....yes, another one. I would hunt for wonderful pictures of dogs in magazines, clip them out and create transfers from them to use in my artwork using packing tape. I even had friends and family members scouring magazines for me. These are two cards that I made using these transfers and are my entries for this week's TGIF Challenge.

Theme Thursday - Vintage Valentine Theme

Well, I didn't manage to get any Christmas cards made so perhaps I can turn over a new leaf and start my Valentine's Day cards with the hope that they'll be ready to be mailed in time. I don't know about you but I love surprising friends with little cards similar to those we used to exchange in elementary school. If I recall, we had to make and decorate boxes for them with slots. It was quite an exciting day to receive and compare cards. I can still recall some of the corny but endearing sayings on them. These are my entries for Theme Thursday this week.

Wednesday Stamper - Gesso

Playing cards, telephone book pages, gesso, gel medium, images and stamps....that's a recipe for a great deal of fun and creativity. These artist trading cards are my entry for this week's Wednesday Stamper challenge.

Created By Hand Challenge - Flourishes

Flourishes add such a lovely sense of movement to a piece whether they be in the form of stamps, rub ons or in this case a chipboard piece. I wanted to capture the swirl of snow when the wind catches it. This is my entry for this week's Created ByHand challenge.

Crazy Amigo Challenge - New Year, New Chances

The world of art is an exciting one, isn't it? The possibilities are endless as are the materials available to use. Surprisingly, I have dabbled just a bit in quilties and using fabric in my pieces. The thought of this made me very nervous at first. I'm not sure what it is about fabric that is daunting to me but there is something very gratifying and comforting in it. My goal is to continue to explore this medium in the months ahead. This is a quiltie I made in a Joggles course and it is my entry for this week's Crazy Amigo Challenge.

Arty Girlz - Anything But a Card

The Arty Girlz challenge this week is to create anything but a card so I decided to make a fan using a bunch of wonderful PaperWhimsy images, doilies, pressed flowers, watch pieces and of course beeswax.

Think Monday, Think ATC - Let's Swing Lassos

What an interesting theme for this week's Think Monday, Think ATC challenge.....Let's Swing Lassos. This fellow looks as though he's done a bit of lassoing in his day, don't you think?

Mixed Media Monday - Moon/Lunar

I don't know about you but I'm having a bit of trouble getting myself back into the swing of a routine. Hence my spotty blogging the last couple of weeks. It's back to school for children today and definitely back to blogging for me. I've missed all of you! The theme for Mixed Media Monday this week is Moon/Lunar. I decided to create a night sky scene for these two lovers perched so beautifully on the moon. I used a little beeswax to give the effect warmth. Is there something about this card that reminds you of the movie "Moonstruck"? When the moon hits the sky like a big pizza pie, that's amore......Bet I'll have you singing that song all day?!!