Gothic Arch Challenge Stars

This week the Gothic Arch Challenge is to use "Stars", here is my entry.

The sweet little girl image is from Shabby Chic Papirskatter, and the wings are from Itkupilli on Etsy, and the crown I cut out myself from some scrap paper then trimmed it with teeny tiny pearl stickers. I used a lot of gold leaf pen and some silver leaf pen too, I think I may have gone a bit over board there :)

Hope you all had a great weekend, see you soon
Lynn

Gothic Arch Challenge

This week at Gothic Arches we are prompted to use the artwork of Lord Frederick Layton, and I chose this beautiful serene looking woman. I used a window image and butterfly from Paper Whimsy, I love this window, it looks as if you can see right through it.
I used one of my old Anna Griffin papers in a gold tone then stamped on it, and rubbed some gold leaf pen around the edges.

The Gothic Arch challenge is now on blogger at it's new location, thank you to Nancy for all the hours you must have spent moving things over there, and thank you all for visiting this first Monday of November :)

Gothic Arch Challenge Orange and Black

This week's challenge at Gothic Arches is to use Orange and Black in honor of Halloween, so I did a Halloween theme which I havn't done much of this year. I just can't seem to get into it, but I did have fun with this arch.
The image of the little boys was digitally altered by Terri at Pringle Hill Studio and I think it is brilliant, just the right amount of color, and comes minus the witch hats. You can find it as a freebie on Terri's blog :)

In the spirit of Halloween I thought you might like this clip art I found on one of my CD's.



Have a great day, hope you have some time to relax and be creative :)
Lynn

Gothic Arch Challenge Risqué

This weeks challenge at Gothic Arches is Risqué and this is what I came up with.
It feels good to participate in a challenge again, it really pushes you to go outside your usual themes and styles.

Did you know that Karen from The Graphics Fairy, who shares some delightful vintage clip art with us has a "Brag Monday"? I just found out this morning. If you have created anything using any of her free images, you can go and post it there on a Monday, then we can all go around and see what each other has been doing with these great images. Go on over there and read what you have to do. I posted "The Witch" an altered postcard I did last month which you can see here if you missed it. I used the Witch and a bat from Karen's collection.

Credits: Vintage lady from a CD of mine, hand with cards and phone dial from Ailsing.net

Gothic Arch Challenge Bows

This week on Gothic Arches our challenge is to use a bow(s), and I took the easy way out by using this beautiful Paper Whimsy girl who has a bow in her hair. I think she is just "precious" and she reminded me of a prayer by Marianne Williamson which I found in a book. I think those of you who are mother's may really appreciate this, you can change it to a male version too. I don't normally post prayers and such, but this one I find perfect as my daughter is now away from home and finding her own way in life. I love you Ashleigh :)

Dear God,
Please take care of my precious child
as her path now leads her away from me.
May Angels surround her
and may she find her way.
May my love for her
be as a light surrounds her
for all her living days.
Amen.

Gothic Arches Birthday Palooza

Another birthday to celebrate, The Gothic Arches challenge group is 2 years old... Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!
For the next two weeks there will be different challenges, the first being "cupcakes" and the second one is to create a Gothic Arch card, so this is my entry for both combined, but I so enjoyed making this card today I am sure I will make more :)
I have missed creating arches, I just love them, but I had to take time off to concentrate on my classes which are over now, so I can get right back into it.

I used a double sided card stock for this card.
The girls are from a collage sheet by Gail at Shabby Cottage Studio,
and all the other elements are from a collage sheet by Pam at From The Craft Room.
I used a rub on for the words "Happy Birthday" and finished it off with some glitter glue and a little crystal on the girls party hat.

Here is the inside, I added a little trim to the bottom, then it is blank to write a special birthday message :)

Gothic Arches Challenge Roses

A few days later than Sunday but here is my entry for the challenge at Gothic Arches, where the theme this week is "Roses".
It has a textured background that you have seen me do quite a bit lately, and I have used images from Shabby Chic Papirskatter who has the most beautiful free vintage images, then finished it up to look a bit distressed. Click on the photo if you want a closer look.

I must rush of now, just wanted to get this posted. My two young nieces are staying with my parents this week and are coming soon to visit. We will have a bbq and they can have some fun with Cooper :)

Gothic Arch Challenge

Our challenge at Gothic Arches this Sunday is to create an ATC size arch and this is what I put together rather quickly tonight. I have been busy outside this weekend as it has been such nice weather but I thought of this clown right away, I was saving him for something small.
The background is a piece of water color paper I already had painted, I thought he looked nice on orange and I rarely use this color, so why not? Something bright for a sunny weekend :)

Thanks for visiting, hope you are having a great weekend, I am off outside again :)
Lynn

Gothic Arch Challenge ~ Wings~

This week's challenge at Gothic Arches is to use the word prompt "wings" and this is what I came up with today.
What I did was cut the wings off this fairy lady and add some from another fairy because her wings were cut off and I wanted more showing. Then I went through my box of 12 x 12's and had a piece left of this gorgeous embossed paper from a decade ago, I love the flowers and the dragonflies on it, which are also "wings".
The dragonfly and some flowers are cut out of the paper and I added some to give her a head dress too, then I used chalk pastels for a little shading and shimmering. Thanks for looking :)

The lady is from Digital collage sheets.com

Gothic Arch Challenge Postcards

The theme this week for the Gothic Arches challenge is "postcards". Here is my entry for this week. I know this vintage image of the three sisters and brother was free from a blog but I am not sure from who now. I usually put a name but didn't. Sorry about that.
I used petals from a paper flower which has maps on it behind the family if you are wondering what that is, only problem is I stuck it so flat with gel medium it doesn't look like a flower now :)

Today is Father's Day in Canada, and it is also our daughters 25th birthday. We are going out shortly to my inlaws because we are having dinner there, so I will visit everyone else to see your arches later. Hope you are having a great day, for the first day of summer it is just gorgeous weather here :)

Gothic Arches Yellow and Black

The Gothic Arches Challenge for Sunday was to use yellow and black. I am a bit behind this week due to taking the weekend and more off from blogland.

I made this Arch on water color paper, used acrylic paints and water soluble crayons, black flourish stamps and painted some netting black. I love this little girl, and sorry I can't remember where she is from but she was a bit faded even on my laser printer so I colored her in with black chalk pastels and gave a bit of shine on top of that with some glimmer pastels.

I have been soldering this morning for the very first time, and I got frustrated so left it for a bit to finish my Arch, now I am going to get back to that, but I wanted to show you what I found in my garden this morning, take a look. No more mystery plant, it is the most beautiful red poppy plant I have ever seen.
Actually I havn't seen poppies anywhere before unless in a photo so I was sooooo excited.
They are a dark purple in the center and look more orangey in this photo but they really are quite red. There are four more pods to bloom yet too. I hope they last a little while, I don't have many things that are blooming just yet, we are just starting to have our summer this past week.

Ok, back to my soldering, it's not as easy as it looks but Lorraine is a great teacher and her videos are so helpful. Hope to have something good enough to share with you soon :)

Gothic Arches Challenge Open Theme

The Challenge at Gothic Arches is an open theme this week.

I chose to use the color Purple this week. I used digital images from Itkupilli.com and a bird from Digital Collage Sheets with a touch of netting (thank you Patty) and some chalks to create this Arch.

On another note, 29 years ago today I was married to my wonderful husband, and I wanted to show you the gorgeous red roses he gave me. The photo doesn't even show how beautiful the are, and well, you can't smell them the way I do. Every time I walk through the house I can smell them.

We really celebrated more yesterday, it was a lovely warm day and we just lazed around outside on the deck not doing much at all. We don't often do that lately.
Then we went for dinner at one of the local wineries. We live at the start of the Niagara Wine Trail so you don't have to go far before you start seeing all the grape vines neatly cast among acres of ground in perfect rows.
I will not say which winery because we were actually very disappointed. I am not one to complain but to start with I thought I was in Starbucks, you know that music they play in there, jazz and blues ? Not the romantic ambiance we expected which is what they described. Then the food, it was tasteless and over priced. We actually came home and ate some bread. I won't go on about it but I have never gone to a high end restaurant and been that totally disappointed, and we have been to some good ones over our 29 years together. Needless to say we didn't stay for dessert.
Tonight however my husband, who is an amazing cook, made us a beautiful, delicious dinner and we had our favorite wine. I made a lovely fruit salad for dessert. I didn't have to get dressed up or even put makeup on, he loves me just the way I am, and we were much more comfortable. We had a good laugh about that dinner last night too, and now as he cleans up (he is spoiling me big time) I am blogging.
Now I will go and spend some more quality time with my best friend, soul friend, lover, companion and damn good cook, maybe even another glass of wine and a snuggle with our puppy.

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

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 :)