More Flower art and a pretty postcard I won.

Happy Labor Day weekend to my fellow Canadians and friends in the States.

I played with some more dried, pressed flowers and altered this little note book. I kept it very simple and I am really happy with it.
I doubt if I will make much more with the wildflowers as they are few and far between now and I don't have much left, but I did make a lot of bookmarks this summer :)
See below on a shelf in my studio.

I want to thank you all for the beautiful comments on all of my flower art the past few months and I am so happy a lot of you are enjoying the tutorial. I put a button at the end of the post so you can make it printer friendly.
I found this site called Print Friendly and you can put any url in there and print out that page without all the side bars and adverts etc. Check it out, I think it is really cool. You can even make a pdf file there. Maybe you already know of it but to me it's new :)
I tried adding the code to my blog so that every post I make can be printer friendly but I could not find the right spot in the html code to add it and was afraid of messing up my blog.



Speaking of flower art, my name was drawn in a giveaway recently. I won this lovely textile art postcard from Carole at Madness and Mess. It arrived a few days ago, all the way from New Zealand.
Thank you so much Carole :)

I am now working on sketching for my mermaid class with Suzi Blu, yet so far not very pleased with my work, so I have nothing to share. I have also been playing in PSE a bit, I love working with textures and I have started a page on my blog here called free textures . If you are into graphic art and would like to use them, click on the page at the top to go there.

How many things that I want to do can I fit in this month? Lot's I hope. I have books to read, graphic art, drawing, painting, sewing ideas in my head, I don't know what to do first. I also have knitting started I would like to finish and I have some stitcheries that I started, not to mention I started a Cloth clay doll many moons ago and never did get to the clay part. Oh my... I am only one person. I want to make a new Santa doll too , and a chenille quilt that is already cut out, and sew pillow covers for my house. It seems like I start a lot of things and never finish them, and I would like to but I just go with the flow when it comes to being creative. If I am in the mood for one thing, I do that, even if I don't finish. I suppose a lot of creative people are this way. Are you?

At least we could never be bored :)
Have a fun , creative day,
Lynn

Make a wish... a giveaway for Spring

I know that Spring is a couple of weeks away, but it is such a glorious day here so to celebrate I am having a giveaway.

I thought this altered egg shape would be perfect for bringing that Spring feeling indoors. Look how cute it looks from the side....

This is the sweetest little bird, I only wish I could find more like her. She is nestled on some moss and 3 small eggs, surrounded by pretty flowers. There is a tiny pom pom trim around the edges of the plastic egg shape, which I have painted a pretty robins egg blue.
To finish it off I added a tiny little rock with the words "Wish" on it.

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment with a way for me to contact you, and tell me what you "wish" for, besides good health and a skinny body :)
Well you don't have to tell me, but I thought it would be fun.

My wish at the moment is to sell my house, otherwise we will be stuck with two at the end of June and then what?

So, if you like my little wish bird, leave me a comment , and I will draw a name on Monday March 7th because 7 is my lucky number. I think :)

Hope you are having a glorious, sunny day,
Lynn


P.S.... check out my post below and see what Janee is giving away this month on her blog, you will be delighted.

Altered Keys for ABAA Challenge

This month's challenge at ABAA is to use a key or keys and it finally came to me yesterday what I wanted to do, right near the end of the month too.

I have done two, the first is spray painted gold, but it does chip off, and I have used two old earrings from my stash of found jewelry bits, some lace and some tuile. I even added a little gold crown charm, can you see it?

I am terrible with pliers and wire and any type of jewelry making so I was quite proud of my little charm :)

The second one I spray painted black and gold, the keys were gold to start with and the only two old keys I could find in the house. I am going to have to start asking people not to throw out their old keys but keep them for me, can you imagine how long they would sit in a landfill site to decompose, if ever?

So the black one I used again an earring which is the black oval shape with lovely filigree around it. I used pliers to take the dangly piece from an old necklace someone gave me to use, I think it was Sherry in a swap we were in together, then I used a feather from Dollarama and a piece of black tuile, and it is on a black ribbon to wear as a necklace.


This is the first time I have tried altered keys , they are really fun , maybe you would like to try some. I would do more if I had more old house keys or car keys.

Thanks again Linda and Rosie for a great challenge. I missed the last two months so I just had to do this one, and I am glad I did because they are celebrating the 1 year anniversary of their challenge blog :)

Altered Canvas Block

This is a canvas block I just finished, and I am happy to say nothing went wrong this time and I just love it :) Of course there is something about little girls with dolls that just melts my heart, and this Paper Whimsy girl does just that, she is beautiful.
The background is really textured and I just love it, I used old dictionary paper ripped in pieces and bits of paper doily all stuck on with gel medium, then a nice layer of gesso and then I think I used 3 different acrylic paints. I even finished off the back on this one.

Of course I love vintage doilies and pearls, and the button on the bottom was just the right shade. The frame is a Making Memories paper mache frame and it was already that color too I just rubbed it with distress ink.

I hope you all have a great weekend, I went outside with Cooper this morning and was hit by warmth, that was a shock since last night while he was outside playing with his new puppy friend we had coats on with our hoods up, it was so cold.

Altered Wooden Heart

This very soft and romantic heart is made from very thin wood. The cherub is a Victorian scrap reproduction. If you click and look at the close up you will see the texture from the natural papers and the mica flakes I added.

Thank you for all the lovely comments on my puppy, he is really happy to hear them :)

Awfully Big Art Adventure Altered Cutlery

This week on the Awfully Big Art Adventure challenge blog we have a guest hostess.
The lovely, and very talented Patty Szymkowicz has challenged us to alter cutlery this week and I have seen some beautiful entries so far, there are so many talented bloggers out there. You have got to see the georgeous works of art that Patty has created with cutlery too, I am suprised they have any left in the house :)

I created something that is so "me" , and I went with a spoon I had spray painted last year to make this nesting decoration which I can hang on my cupboard door.

I did it all with the glue gun, using bits of vintage doilies, some blue pearl beads for the eggs and some vintage pearl buttons up top.

Thanks for visiting and I hope you are having an art filled, creative day :)

With A Song In My Heart

My muse switched today, and it has to be the sunshine :) I went for soft and pretty.....
This is a 4x6 flat canvas. I wanted so badly to try a new technique that I read about in the latest issue of The Stampers Sampler. It may not be new to some of you , but to me it is, so I was thrilled when it actually worked for me , and I am in love with the effect.

Many thanks to Caroline Moore from the U.K. It was her amazing art work that was a feature in the Feb/March issue that inspired me to give this a try and it is so fun and easy. They did not list your blog Caroline, but I googled and found you :) This is one very talented lady, you have to go see her work, just click on her name and it will take you to her blog.

Can you see how the image of the beautiful, beautiful , little girl is transparent? That's what I love about it. I suppose you would call it a "gel skin" rather than a transfer because it is the actual skin from the gel medium. Take a look below, I just had to show you how it looks after you rub off the paper.

If you want to try it yourself, then print an image on a laser printer. Give it a few coats of gel medium letting it dry in between. I found three coats worked good for me. Turn over to the unprinted side of the paper and dampen the paper until you can rub it off, but be very gentle, I ripped my first one using my nails, so instead I used a damp makeup sponge to rub it off. Once done add it as a collage element as I did with gel medium. Ta Da.... I just love it!

The very beautiful girl is a free image from Susan Buckner

Awfully Big Art Adventure Birdhouse Challenge

Here is my entry for Rosie and Linda's Awfully Big Art Adventure for this week. The challenge was to make a birdhouse in some form or another, and I had this box which was a gift box given to me for my birthday last year already in the shape of a bird house.
I am posting a before picture at the end of this post too.

This is one of my favorite blue colors, and I started by using some 12x12 papers I had in my stash, which are just beautiful. The lid opens with a ribbon, I changed that to brown to co ordinate with the paper, and then I went with the bird, nest theme of course.

I was going to leave the little hole open then changed my mind and decided to add a sentiment on a bottle cap because it fit the hole perfectly. What luck :)

Below is the back of the box, and I left the paper as is, I think it is perfect already. If you like this paper it is a double sided paper, darker blue on the back, and is called Bluebird "All Boy" Dragonfly by MME, Bohemia. The gorgeous paisley paper on the roof is by Deja Views called Blue Raspberry Paisley.

Below is how it was before. A lovely gift box from Crabtree & Evelyn with Lotions , scrubs and some ceramic plant markers gifted to my by my neighbour last year.

Thank you Rosie and Linda for the challenge, this box could have sat in my cupboard for another year if not for you :)

Bird on branch and eggs from digi sheet at Retro Cafe Art

Friday Challenge at ECS

Last Friday Carolyn hosted our challenge at ECS Mixed Media Challenge Group, and we were to use an egg shape in an Easter theme. This was fun, thanks Carolyn :) I made this very cottage style egg for my swap partner in the Easter Swap at ECS. I have told her not to look here until her package arrives *giggle*.

I found a bag of these plastic ornament things at the thrift shop last year, only one egg shape though, and I thought ok, I will buy them, never know what you could use them for and they whole bag was only 50c. I used only half of the egg and painted the inside so you can't see through the back. It worked pretty good:)
They are meant for hanging so that was perfect, and I have the other half still so I can make another one. I love when I get to use something I had no idea what I would do with it don't you?

I will post the other things I made for my swap partner next week, by then she should have her package.

Head on over to Rosie and Linda's Awfully Big Art Adventure, you have to see Linda's birdhouse it is AMAZING! and the challenge this week is , yep, "birdhouses", which would be a perfect project for the first day of Spring :)

Theme Thursday Flowers Canvas Block

Pansy Girl on Canvas Block This is my entry for this week's challenge on Theme Thursday. This week's theme is flowers, just perfect with Spring almost here in Canada, and I just love purple and yellow pansies together, I can't wait to plant some.
I found this beautiful Pansy Girl holding her Pansy Doll on one of my clipart cd's while I was looking for flowers to print. She just looks so sweet and innocent, and I just fell in love with her.

I sprayed some gold Glimmer mist on the block when I finished but I don't think you can see it unless you click and view the closeups. I really enjoyed making this block and am going to get some wood rather than the canvas blocks for next time.

Awfully Big Art Adventure ~ Bookmark

I love the challenge blog of Linda and Rosie, Awfully Big Art Adventure, and I wanted to join in this week so here is my entry. This weeks challenge was to make a bookmark, and I love making them because it's a great way to use up bits and pieces of paper from previous projects, and it's quick and relaxing :) I am still into the nature theme, and think I will be for a while, I just have an obsession with birds and nests and butterflies, what can I say?

Digital images from Digital Collage Sheets.com

Altered Book Cover

This is my challenge for Theme Thursday which is a Nature theme this week, and it is also for the Friday Challenge at ECS which was to alter a book cover.
I am still on a nature kick, but at least I changed colors from brown to blue this time :) The book cover has a blue binding so I just went with it, and the blue background paper is from an old fairy book, if you click on it you may be able to see some fairies hiding in there.

Credits:
Shabby Cottage Studio
Digital Collage Sheets
Retro Cafe Art

And look who was taking a nice long nap just outside my studio while I finished this today...
There is a little step up to a landing outside my room and he likes to go up there and lay in the sun, he is so cute, just so attached to his blankies :)

Sing Sweet Bird

Another piece in my nature series, this one on a wooden heart.
I know...... I have used this little girl on another piece but I just love her :)

Digital images from:
Digital Collage Sheets
Retro Cafe Art

Pretty, pretty Fairy

I just love this pretty fairy and wanted to play with her for a long time. My friend Jill from the Etsy Cottage Style community and I are doing a trade, and this is what she wanted, something pretty with a Fairy to hang on her wall. After I showed her this fairy, she couldn't believe that she had lilly of the valley around her neck, she said it is her favorite flower of all, so I was thrilled to have chosen just the right fairy for this little wall hanging.

The background is done a flat canvas painted in a soft pink and then I used natural paper for texture, which is one of my favorite backgrounds to work with. I used a piece from a vintage doily and added a few crystals to make it more feminine. The fairy is from my own collection , the crown was added to her because she just looked like a princess fairy to me.

Look below at what Jil is making me, two beautiful Cottage Style hanger covers for my guest bedroom. She makes beautiful shabby cottage style creations, and you can find her on Etsy at

Annie's Shabby Attic

I still have tons and tons of these pretty fabrics but no desire to sew anything at the moment , and to be honest I am not the best at sewing, I just wing it mostly, so I love to have something that is handmade from someone else.

Have a great weekend!

Altered Flower Press

Yep, I am still on the bird, butterfly kick !
This is an old wooden flower press which I found at a local charity shop. It's been down in my basement for over a year now, until I finally decided what I would do with it. I used the same colors and theme that I used on a 6x6 canvas I made a couple of weeks ago. I love these colors together with the nature theme.
Not sure if you can see in the close up here, but I used gel medium to add some dried pressed flowers I have in another flower press. The little bird at the top is sitting on some dried lilly of the valley.

Isn't this little girl adorable? I found her on Flickr in user angellia's photostream, she has some really nice vintage clip art free to use. I did alter her a touch by changing the color of her dress and shoes.

This is my project for this weeks Friday challenge at ECS.

Other credits:

Bird and nest from Retro Cafe Art

Bird and eggs from Digital Collage Sheets

Altered Tin Tutorial and Friday Challenge

Mixed Media Friday Challenge at ECS this week was to alter a tin using a Spring theme and this is what I came up with using only half a tin. I glued a BIG black button to the bottom to help it stand on it's own.

I wrote a tutorial on altering tins last September and it was posted on another blog, which has since that time been deleted. So this is for a friend who asked how I make my tins, and I hope that those of you who have never tried this fun project yourself will take advantage of this tutorial, they are so quick and easy :)

I will go through the steps I take, but you may like to do things a little different of course, that is up to you. Remember that if you need to see any of the photos close up just click on them and you will get the full size image.

First of all you will need an empty, clean tin. I use an Altoids tin, I just love the mints, but any tin will do.
What I do is scruff up the tin a bit with some sandpaper, any kind , not too rough. Then I take it outside and spray paint the outer parts of the tin to give it a clean finished look. You could also use a metal paint from the craft store and brush it on, but I have not tried that yet.

Ta da..... blank painted tin.

Sand lightly the parts of your tin that you will be gluing anything to. Usually the front, and two insides . If you don't take this step the glue may not adhere properly.

Take your tin and draw around it on a plain piece of paper, and keep it as your template, or if you prefer just draw right on to any paper you have chosen. I chose a vintage clip art for my fairy child then decided on this paper for the front of my tin. Place it on top of the tin to see how it fits.

NOOOOOOO.. no glue yet please!
If it fits perfect you are lucky, if not then you need to trim it a bit all around until you can see it is going to fit properly on top of your tin.

What I prefer to do is work on my front paper before gluing it to the tin, just incase I either make a mess or don't like it. So let's start adding our clip art.

Here is the vintage image I chose of this cute little girl. I chose some butterfly wings to make her look fairy like, and gave her a little crown too.

Once all my pieces are together I will then glue her on to the paper. I use a regular type glue stick for this part, it works great, just a UHU or Elmers glue stick.

Now you are ready to glue this piece on to the front of your tin.

The inside of the tin is fun. For this one I chose a green paper because I am going to put a baby fairy in the forest. I then used my glue gun and used this burgundy trim around the deepest part of the tin. Make sure you don't go too near the top edge or you won't be able to close the tin after. You can see the other side of my tin is sanded and ready for something.

Here is my baby fairy all glued together. You will see her in a minute but I wanted to show you what I do to the back of her. First I will fold a piece on the bottom edge for sitting her down, and to make her more 3D I used 3 pieces of sticky foam which comes in strips. It depends how deep your foam is, you will have to judge how much to use.

Before you see the baby fairy I want you to go out into the forest and collect some natural dried pieces of nature.
Just kidding! Although I do like to hunt for little bits and pieces at the park here to use in mixed media, only at the time I am posting this, it's still way to cold for that.

I use spanish moss, just a tiny bit and I got the other drieds from some potpourri I made last year. The little orange things that look like pumpkins are Pudka Pods if that is how you spell it, I am unsure. I will be showing you what I used them for later, but really, whatever you can find, even a tiny craft bird would be nice in there too.

Ahhhhh there she is, my baby fairy :) Just waiting to sit in the forest.

I glued the dried berry thingies and even some very vintage cotton flowers I have in my stash to the top side and up over the top a bit, with the glue gun. Then I put a few spots of the same glue and laid down a very light amount of moss. Baby is going right inside, and on top of that piece of moss. Either glue your foam and press it against the back of the tin, or just use the sticky part of the foam. This gives you more dimension rather than just a flat look.

I used the foam again today on my new Spring themed tin to add the little butterfly.

Shown below, she is glued in, I glittered her crown , added some more moss in front of her and glued down some more dried pieces.

For the narrow inside of the tin I have printed out a fairy poem and aged the paper them simply glued it in. You could add another fairy there, whatever you feel like.

ta da, you have a cute little altered tin :)

Here is the front of another one I made for a swap, it's pretty much the same inside.

Below is a Halloween tin I made last year , see how the little Pudka Pods look like little pumpkins, they are so cute. Mine smell good too because they were in a potpourri mix. Here is the front of that tin. As you can see, I used a black spray paint for this one.

I hope this tutorial was fun for you, if you have any questions just ask and I will try and answer them.

Credits: Some clip art from my own collection, and others can be found at the sites below

Digital Collage Sheets
Shabby Cottage Studio

From The Craft Room
This tutorial is not to be used on any other site, it is copyrighted. A link to this tutorial is fine, please do share on your blogs, and feel free to print it.
Copyright Sept' 12th 2008 revised Feb' 2009

Mixed Media 6x6 canvas

I so enjoyed making this 6x6 canvas, and especially because this little girl is one of my favorite cliparts right now. I used her in a smaller version on my altered envelope which had more pastel colors, she seems to look good with any color story.
All digital clipart besides the paper for bird nest and backgrounds are from Digital Collage Sheets.
I also have to credit Pam Carriker for the techniques I learned in her wonderful Visual Journalism Class at Creative Workshops, most of which I can use in my Mixed Media projects. She is one amazing teacher :)

Pretty Paper Heart Challenge ~ Cracked

The challenge for this week at Pretty Paper Hearts Challenge site is "Cracked".

So I cracked the background, but I don't care much for it to be honest. I guess it's just not me :) I wanted to go along with the challenge so I will post this anyway, even if I don't like what I did. Things can't always be the way you want them right? I tried not to cover too much of the heart so you can see the cracks.

If you don't know how to crackle and want to try it, well it is so easy. Paint a layer of paint on some card or paper, and when it is totally dry, spread Elmers glue all over it, then while the glue is wet, add another layer of paint and dry with your blow dryer. It's fun to watch it crackle. I used an ivory paint and I think it's called Cinnamon that I put on top. Just the regular folk art paints I have had for years.

I have been tagged twice in the last two weeks, and again, I have to be honest and tell you , that I really don't feel comfortable doing tags, so I have decided to make my blog a "tag free zone". I hope I don't offend anyone, I am saying it with a smile :) I know my friends mean well, and I love ya'll , but, I just don't have the time or inclination for the tagging games.

So I have seen this button on a lot of blogs lately, it's like the "Blogging with no obligation" kinda thing, but I have lost the place I should be linking to. Anyone know?

Have a great weekend :)