ABAA Challenge ~ Shells

Linda and Rosie's Awfully Big Art Adventure monthly challenge is "Shells" and here is my challenge entry. Different, way different for me isn't it? Actually now that I look at the close up as I type this, I don't see many shells either, but there is at least 5 in there.

I was inspired by the artwork of Ruth Rae featured in the Winter issue of Sew Somerset. She uses transparency film to make little pockets on her fiber art, and I noticed her piece of art on the front page had a shell in it, so I went from there. Sometimes it's fun to go outside your box.
I made it on a piece of chenille, and old bedspread with a fringe I found at the thrift shop last year for $3. I used quilt batting, some tuile and the purple and green is a baby wipe which I had used when painting a project. There is piece of a doily in there somewhere and some battenburg lace which had been tea died, and a bit of music sheet I printed on fabric from my bookmarks.
It is all stitched on the machine, just some crazy random stitching, then I stitched the "Forever" by hand. I thought the vintage sheet music, the charm and the shells inside a sealed pocket could be there "forever" as a reminder of a wonderful time spent at the shore :) In days gone by of course.

In the mail today a beautiful Arch ATC from my friend Patty. We recently did a trade, and she sent me some wonderful bits and pieces too as you can see, but this ATC is just perfection, you should see it in person, just beautiful. Thank you so much Patty, I have always been inspired by your work and I finally have a piece of it in my hand :)

I hope you all have a great weekend, thanks for visiting and I hope to visit soon :)
Lynn

Theme Thursday Tags

The challenge this week for Theme Thursday is tags.
This is a very large 5 x3 inches, heavy duty tag which I cut from kraft paper, with a lot of texture, it almost felt like leather when I was finished, you have to view the close up to see it better. It felt too flimsy so I glued it onto an extra strong piece of card that was in a package of ready made gift cards.
I have no idea how I got the texture, I did paint on some gesso around the edges, then I tried numerous things including some glue and the heat gun, chalk inks, distress inks, until I finally had it right. Phew.... I was determined not to give up.
I suppose you would called it Vintage Grunge :) I know I make a lot of pretty stuff but this look is something else I love to play with.

Hope you are having sunshine, it is horrible here, thunder, rain, and cold, BUT, the perfect day for my magazines to arrive from Stampington. I ordered 6 in their back issues sale woohoooooo.. going to make some strong coffee and browse through them right now :)

Bookmarks

Two more bookmarks I made last week. This time I printed some sheet music onto a very light muslin I had kicking around for the back of them. One of these is in my Etsy shop.
I took the photos on this really beautiful vintage finger tip towel I found at the flea market. I told myself I was going to stop buying the vintage linens unless they are useful in art work like the ones with stains and holes in them, but this just spoke to me. It is a really pretty soft peachy pink with beautiful hand embroidery, just love it!

I had an exciting Monday morning. I recieved not one but two emails telling me I had won giveaways... woohooooooo... I think in the last two years I have won two in total so I am very happy. I will post pictures when they arrive :)

I have been two days without my muse , everything I wanted to do was just not coming to me, so I gave up. I am going back in my craft room in a few minutes and tidy it up a bit, sometimes that helps get you in the mood to do something. Hope you still have yours, guess mine just needed a time out :)

Thank you to the girls who told me about Firefox. I knew of it but was afraid to change, but you made me feel better about it. Well, I am very happy with it and I can still use my Outlook at the same time. I find the Ning.com websites are faster now and blogs too, and I have had no more problems with opening blogs either. Thanks again girls :)

This is my 96th post so I am thinking by next week I will hit 100...... time for another giveaway me thinks, so I had better get my muse back and make something for ya *wink*

Thanks for visiting,
Lynn

Gothic Arches Challenge Garden Sprite

For the Gothic Arches Challenge this week. Made on heavy watercolor paper, which I painted and stamped. Garden Sprite is from The Vintage Moth, the garden image is from Itkupilli. I have the pansies on a CD and I cut them out very carefully to look as if they were growing from the pot.
This is my third arch and I am really enjoying them :)
Hope you are having a great Sunday.....
Lynn

SoArtful Saturday Challenge

Fish? Make something Fishy? This is the challenge at SoArtful Saturday Challenge this week and at first I thought, there is no way, I don't like fish, what am I going to do? Then I remembered the serious faced boy on the fish from a collage sheet at Digital Collage Sheets. Had it a while and wondered if I would ever use him. Well, thank you June for this challenge, I did!
This is a greeting card on a Kraft paper card, with two layers of card stock and then a piece of water color paper which I painted and stamped then added the boy and his fish to. Very simple yes, but it may be a nice masculine card for someone who likes to fish, maybe for Father's Day or birthday, not in my family though because neither my dad or my father in law fish or ever did, so I will probably put this in my Etsy shop.

A Happy Memorial Day weekend to my American friends, hope you have beautiful weather and have some time to create :)

Theme Thursday Numbers

The challenge prompt for Theme Thursday this week is "numbers". I made this ATC using a collage sheet from Digital Collage Sheets.

The background is a bingo card repro' but I took another piece from the sheet and covered the words to leave only numbers showing. I Then made a black border with a chalk crayon and shaded with grey and black chalk crayon. Then I added the tiny little pearl to her hat.

This ATC and the one I posted yesterday called "Vintage" are both up for trade, so let me know if you are interested by leaving a comment here, and I will reply to your post by email unless you have a no reply blog. Or you can contact me at hercreativespirit at gmail.com . I now figured out that I can have that mail forwarded to my Outlook, yippeeee... love my Outlook, but IE is giving me so many problems lately, it won't even let me open some of your blogs :(

Now I really have to think about Firefox instead, or can I use both, does anyone know?

Have a great day, I have been without power from 9am until just after 1pm today and it was terrible LOL, it is amazing how much we depend on electricity. I do anyway, I was having coffee withdrawal , couldn't blow dry my hair, couldn't use the toaster either, or the computer, the printer, my glue gun, my heat gun. Then I thought ok, I will get on the treadmill, (I started back at it yesterday after bringing my shorts out of hibernation) well ..... duhhhhh. You need electricty Lynn. I don't even know how to open the garage door manually LOL... Oh and another thing, our phones don't work either when the power is off, good thing I have a cell phone because I had to make an important call. Time to change the phone company I think. See how spoiled we are, or lucky. I am SO grateful for electricity :)

ABAA and Mix It Up With Melange Challenge

So, I was trying to think what the word "Inspiration" means to me, and how I could use what inspires me in a piece of art , because "Inspiration" is the word prompt for this week's Mix It Up With Melange challenge.
I usually start a challenge by going through my printed collage sheets and images, most all of them are vintage. Then it hit me, that IS what inspires me, "Vintage", so there you have it Lynn, get started. So I used this photo which we are to us in the challenge for ABAA this month on an ATC.
I love to make atc's for challenges because it's about the only time I do them.

This is all I did today and it didn't take too long. We finally, finally have some warm weather, and as usual it has gone from one extreme to another, meaning a cold weekend to hot, hot, hot today and more tomorrow. So I spent some time on the deck once it was partly shaded and did some reading for a change while I had the washing machine on.

Thanks for visiting, I truly appreciate all your comments and visit everyone if there is a link to your blog. Sometimes it may be a few days before I get there, but I do :)

Gothic Arch for two challenges

"Let us love the world to peace."
Quoted in "The Angels' Little Instruction Book" by Eileen Elias Freeman, 1994

I so enjoyed creating my first Arch that I had to do another one, and I had to sign up for the Gothic Arch Challenge group, just had to :) I am a bit behind on the challenge due to our holiday weekend.
The challenge for last Sunday was "Peace". The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of "Peace" is Inner Peace, after all, isn't this what we all long for? I then thought of Angels, and cherubs. This sweet little stone cherub , who just looks so peaceful is from a collage sheet at Shabby Cottage Studio.

The other challenge I am entering this in is June's Soartful Saturday which for this week is to use a Cherub, so glad I could join in finally :) This challenge is now on June's Art Freebies blog, where you can find lot's of free vintage images, so take a visit if you can.


This arch was made on heavy card and I tried to create a frame of peace around the cherub with paper I liked, but then I didn't like it. Added some lace. Didn't like it either, so I gessoed over all but the cherub and a bit of paper behind it. Used paint and glue to get cracked and bubble effect after that with my heat gun. Some distress ink to age it a bit, the quote, and done, then I decided to add the resin crown, which I am still not sure on, but it is there anyway.

A few of you asked how I am feeling, you are so sweet :) I am almost myself again, and never did hear my test results, which means I have nothing wrong with me. It was a silly virus, and I am so happy it's about gone. I hope you are feeling great today, and taking time to do what you love the most :)

"Peace is the first thing the angels sang."

- Leo The Great

"Time Began In A Garden" Arch ATC

This is a first for me, a first Arch ATC that is. Don't know why it took me so long but after seeing the beautiful arches Patty and Sandy made this past week I was so inspired to try one today, and Patty was kind enough to send me some templates last week to get me going. Thanks sweetie :)
I used an ATC background and Ballerina from collage sheets at Itkupilli . The background is an atc size digital image of a beautiful garden.

It is a gloomy, gloomy, wet, soggy day, and a holiday weekend too, which is such a shame for people who have planned things. Monday is Victoria Day, when we celebrate both the birthday of Queen Victoria , and our reigning Queen's birthday, here in Canada, but it has become more of a celebration for the first long weekend of the summer season. Funny thing is, it is never like summer on this weekend.

A big Thank You to Terri at Blooming Ideas for honoring me with this award, I will treasure it, thanks so much :)
Terri is having a Blogaversary Giveaway right now, and a very very generous giveaway of new art supplies, you will not want to miss this, so head over there now and check it out !



You may notice I am playing with my blog layout again, I finally went with a 3 column blog, so I will be moving things around and adding more links etc in the next few days.

Thanks for visiting and have a great weekend :)

Mix it up with Melange Challenge

I have not done a challenge in ages , and this morning I promised myself to spend an art filled day so I was thrilled when I checked today's challenge Mix It Up With Melange because the word prompt is "Lace"... Lace? I LOVE lace, especially of the Vintage variety :)

So here is my challenge, a very pretty bookmark in fabric, and embellished with vintage laces, buttons and a tiny piece of doily. I stitched the front on heavy card first, then I finished off the back with a light muslin and some thin batting in between the two. I am not too great at the zig zag on the edges, I am a bit out of practise, but I think I will make more of these it was a nice change from paper and glue, gel medium and inks etc. I stitched the ribbon and vintage button on by hand. I don't suppose you need a ribbon on a bookmark but I thought it looked nice.

Now to tell you what inspired me :) Last week I found the most beautiful digital collage sheets. I was visiting blogs and one led to another then I found Itkupilli where you will find the beautiful vintage girls that inspired me to create this bookmark. I printed girls and also some ATC backgrounds I purchased on fabric and off I went to create.

Kirsi had a giveaway on her blog last week here and I chose another beautiful collage sheet which I have not had chance to use yet, but I just had to have more, and you will too once you see her digital art, she has great talent. I am not sure if the giveaway is still on, I don't remember the end date, so maybe you can go over there and find out :)

One more thing I wanted to share with you. Stampington & Company have a Back Issue Sale on right now and I wouldn't have known if I wasn't on their mailing list. I was lucky to find a few at only 1.99 of some I had wanted and couldn't find.

Can't believe it is almost time for dinner, time goes fast when you are having fun!

The Winners Are......

I used the random number generator at Random.org to draw two names.
First one was #19 which is .........

Lynn Stevens from Trash To Treasure Art..... yeah a gift from Lynn to Lynn :)

The winner of the stamps is #40 which is......

Autumn Clark from Autumns Antics ...... I hope you will enjoy the stamps Autumn

Thank you all for joining in, I will have more giveaways soon I am sure. Thank you too for your kind comments on me not feeling well. I just returned from my doctor and he sent me for blood tests and took a throat swab, so I should know if it is anything that needs treating in a couple of days, until then I will just keep on plodding on :)

Altered Journal Scrapbook and last chance for my Giveaway

This is going to a friend :) It is a 6x6 altered journal/scrapbook. I loved this paper I came across because of the old text on the background so I did a gel skin of this beautiful little girl on the cover. There is a skeleton key and a blank tag attached to the ribbon that holds it together, this way she can add her name to it or a sentiment depending on what she is going to use the book for.

I havn't posted in almost a week because I am still not well. I think it's a virus but I am not really sure, sore throat and extreme fatigue. Since it has hung on for two weeks now I think I should get checked for strep throat so am going to the doctor tomorrow. I rarely get anything like this, I am always healthy , and I havn't taken antibiotics in over 10 years, so that's why I was kind of waiting it out. Soooooo I have not been in a creative mood, I finished this journal last week and it's the last thing I have made. I havn't felt much like blogging either, or even being online, but I have tried to visit as many of you as possible when I have had a chance.

So today my husband "MADE" me go out, he said it would do me good, that I am in the house far too much. He is right though, I havn't gone out in weeks except to the P.O, he picks up most of the groceries , there are only two of us, so why would I want to go out? He took a few hours off work and drove me too LOL... so I have come home with two new magazines (still looking for Sew Somerset, but can't get it anywhere), Cloth, Paper Scissors and Somerset Memories. I bought my first jar of modeling paste, picked us some canvases so I can do the workshop at Moss Hill Studio I signed up for weeks ago, oh yeah and then we went to Home Sense and I found shabby white frames I have been wanting and a huge plant pot with a topiary thing that attaches to it for my ivy. I have a beautiful ivy plant in my hall way and it is touching the floor, so I am hoping it will be happy when I re plant it and grow upwards for me :)

I would take a photo right now to show you, but I am just drained of energy, even after a coffee from Starbucks.

You still have a chance to sign up for my Giveaway which is two posts down my blog. I will be drawing the name tomorrow, in the late afternoon or evening. I had a thought...????? that's me thinking.... If you do not like blues as I used in the house, you may choose the heart shaped wooden piece in my Etsy shop which is in shades of browns. Ok?

I wish I had thought of this before.

I have lot's more I could talk about, but I won't right now, I will however leave you with this photo of Cooper's new best friend. Cooper incase you don't know is my 8 month old puppy, he is the black one, and the blondie is our next door neighbours new puppy and his name is Bolt. I took this two weekend ago and I cut my hubbies head off as much as I could because he was pulling faces. We were all outside gardening that day, the reason my husband has gloves on, he was moving black mulch around, so I tried getting a shot of the two new fur friends and this was the only one where they almost kept still.

Bolt named by my 4 year old neighbour from some kid's movie, is a Maltipoo, part Maltese and part Poodle, where Cooper is a Morkie, part Maltese and part Yorkie. You never really know what your dog will grow to be like though when they are mixed breeds, I was told my dog wouldn't grow to over 6lbs, well he is 12lbs now and still growing. Not that it matters to me, we love him SO much, he is my baby and he is such a good boy :)

Have a great evening, be back to draw names Tuesday.

Beautiful Dreamer, Altered Wooden Block

Aha, I just came up with that name "Beautiful Dreamer" the minute I uploaded the photos, so I am going with it :)
Another altered block, maybe I will do a series of beautiful vintage girls because I love them. The vintage girls, and the blocks that is. This time I used a block of wood rather than a canvas. I have forgotten the size and am too tired to go upstairs and measure it, but it's around 6 inch tall.
The block is all fancied up on the back too, I used this old heart I have had in my stash for ages to finish it off and make it look romantic and dreamy. I think it would be perfect on a shelf with a small mirror behind it, maybe something ornate and vintage.
I added a lot of texture to the block with papers and gel medium and then gesso before I painted it, and I use gel medium for the doilies too, it's awesome, you could probably never get that doily off.

The beautiful girl is a Paper Whimsy image, and I just felt like adding a touch of lace in the frame. I didn't want it any fussier than it was but it needed something.

I did finish up one more thing today which I will post when I get photos of it. I was gardening all day yesterday so it was nice to give my back a break and finish off a couple of projects. Hope you are having a great day, and don't forget to sign up for my giveaway in the post below:)

"Giveaway"

I noticed last week I was almost up to 100 followers to my blog, and today I now have 102 lovely people who want to visit me. I am very honored and I actually can't believe so many people want to see "my" work, because that is mainly what I post on my blog anyway :)
I am still quite a way off from 100 posts so I have decided to have a "giveaway" to celebrate all of my followers, and this house will be first prize. You do not have to be a follower of my blog to enter the giveaway.
This is the second in a series of "In My Nest" altered wooden house shapes. I have two of these houses left and will be making one almost the same to list in my Etsy shop.

I also have a second prize. Maybe you make your own art work so I am offering a chance to win this set of unmounted rubber stamps by Paper Artsy, brand new never opened.

I may even add a third prize too, so keep watching this space.

To enter my giveaway, all you have to do is leave a comment and tell me what inspires you to be creative , but you must have a blog, because this is a celebration for bloggers :) International bloggers are welcome.

I will draw a name by random number generator sometime during the day on May 12th

Have a great day...

Credits:

Digital images from Paper Whimsy and Digital Collage Sheets